Author's Note: Thank you for the reviews. I'd likely have stopped by now without them. It's nice to know some of you are sticking with me.

My life settled into a routine. Gym, skips, Rangeman. Before I knew it Halloween had been and gone and it was November.

My clothes fit better and I was definitely building muscle. I found it easier to chase down skips and to force doors back open. I clearly wasn't the only one who was noticing. Roster bribes were continuing but they'd changed from candy and chips to protein bars. My favourite bribe to date was a t shirt from Lester that read "I'm hungry and everything hurts." I liked going to the gym, but I wasn't about to make it my identity. And I sure as hell wasn't going to let anyone know that I enjoyed it.

Zip was back at work, thankfully with no lasting damage. I'd stopped apologising every time I saw him and instead just gave him better shifts. The guilt ran deep and it needed an outlet.

I was hanging at the Bonds Office with Connie and Lula. It was a slow week. I only had one outstanding skip – Becky Thomas, a college girl who had been caught shoplifting as a sorority prank. I couldn't muster much enthusiasm to bring her in. Not least because she was back living at home, and I found mothers were particularly protective when I tried to detain their offspring.

I was playing a game on my phone, wondering if I should get a manicure when… BOOOM.

My car was parked outside the Bonds Office. Or it had been parked outside the Bonds Office, then for a brief moment it had levitated before crashing back down. And now it was on fire.

Connie sighed and dialled 9-1-1. It was hard to muster up much of a reaction - we all knew the moves to this particular dance. I went outside to meet the cavalry.

A fire engine roared up and the firefighters poured out and started dousing the flames. They were followed by a blue and white…. and a battered, bronze Crown Vic.

Joe got out and starting pacing, a bottle of maalox in his hand. "New stalker, Cupcake?" he asked, tipping the bottle into his mouth. I hadn't spoken to him since the supermarket. I didn't go to Pinos regularly anymore, my handoffs at the police station were routine and there had been no disasters for him to attend and put himself in my path.

I couldn't explain this one, and I was in no mood to hear that this was my fault. I shook my head, rather than speak. If I opened my mouth, I didn't know what would come out.

He stood in front of me and ran his hands up and down my arms. It looked like he was trying to make sure I was in one piece, but really I think he just wanted a reaction. "When I heard there was a car fire, I knew it would be you. You attract trouble like ants at a picnic." He turned on the Morelli charm. "You can come home with me until whatever you've stirred up blows over."

A black SUV pulled up and Ram and Lester got out, pulling my attention from Joe and saving me from having to answer.

"You know there are cheaper ways to cook s'mores, Beautiful."

I rolled my eyes. "Ha ha," I replied sarcastically. "I'm looking forward to getting the prelim report on this one." I gestured towards the flaming wreck. "Usually there's a threat or a note or…."

I glanced at Ram. "You don't think…"

He shook his head a fraction. He didn't think this was the Cartel. They were the only group I could think of who might wish me harm at the moment. I didn't think they'd do me the courtesy of threatening me first, and I also didn't think they'd waste explosives blowing up an empty car.

Mike Sanders came over. With ten years' experience in the Trenton Fire Department, Mike was used to my car fires.

"Hey, Steph. You ok?"

Joe cut in before I could answer, "What did you find, Mike? How much trouble is she in this time?"

Mike looked confused at Joe's line of questioning, "Steph, did you get this car from a dealer called Bucky? Used car lot off the I-195?"

"Yeah, about six months ago."

Mike nodded, "Bucky tampered with them to make them seem like they were a bargain. Whatever he did, it's causing fires across Jersey. This is the third one this week." He paused and looked thoughtful. "Yours is the only one that's exploded, though."

So there was no stalker and no more danger than usual. I looked at Joe to see if he would apologise, but if anything he seemed to be disappointed.

"You need me to sign anything, Mike?" I asked.

"Lemme get the paperwork. Are you going to get your own flatbed?"

Lester cut in, "Yeah, there's one on the way." He turned to me, "And Woody's bringing you a fleet car."

"I'm not taking a fleet car, Les"

"Why not? These days you're at Haywood more than you're not. You're one of the team. Take the car."

I mumbled that I didn't want to tempt more explosions. Ranger's cars had a short shelf-life when I was responsible for them.

Joe cut in. "You give her a car Santos and she'll blow it up. She always does. Not to mention the message it sends."

Lester turned to Joe, "And what message would that be, Morelli? That she works for Rangeman?"

Joe snorted. He looked like he was about to say something about the kind of work people in the Burg thought I did at Rangeman.

Ram cut in to diffuse the situation. "Look, are you here for a reason, Detective?" asked Ram. "Because as far as I can see, there's no homicide to investigate and Stephanie seems to have this under control."

Okay. Maybe not to diffuse the situation.

Joe turned to me, placing his body between me and the men in black. "Do you want me to stick around, Cupcake? I can drive you to your parents' to get Big Blue."

Two things I didn't want to do. Go for a drive with Joe, and get Big Blue. It looked like I was taking the fleet car.

"No thanks, Joe. As you can see, it's all handled."

At that moment, his phone started ringing. He groaned as he checked the caller ID. Saved by the bell. "Give me a call, Cupcake. Bob misses you," he called over his shoulder as he walked towards his car.

Something else I didn't want to do was call Joe, and I wasn't going to. I'd spent so much time getting together with him and breaking up with him. We were never on the same wavelength, and we didn't want the same things. It hadn't escaped me that he hadn't asked if I was ok, and he hadn't apologised for assuming that I'd gotten myself into trouble. I wanted to see if it would work with Ranger, but if it didn't, I wasn't afraid of being alone. Being alone wasn't as scary as being with the wrong person, for the wrong reasons.

I watched Joe drive off and saw Woody pull into the space Joe had vacated. Thankfully he was driving a standard issue black SUV, and not a Porsche or a special order. There were always a few spare cars in the garage in case others needed to be detailed or repaired. I knew this one was about to be retired. If it went to car heaven I wouldn't feel so bad.

"You alright, Darlin'?," he drawled, handing over the keys.

"Fine thanks, Woody," I smiled and gestured at the wreckage. "I thought the fire department was getting out of practice. Someone needs to keep them on their toes." I looked at the keys and let out an involuntary sigh.

"Ram, get the wreck squared away and take Woody back to Haywood," said Lester. "Steph needs back up with a skip. She'll drop me back later."

This was news to me - I didn't need Lester's help with Becky. I kept my mouth shut until I was behind the wheel and the doors were closed.
"You want to tell me where we're actually going?" I asked him.

"Wherever you want, but while we're there, you're going to tell me why you don't want this car so damn much. Was it what Joe said?"

I snorted. "If I cared what the Burg biddies said about me, I'd have stopped being a bounty hunter years ago." I pulled out and headed for the Silver Dollar. I could use a coffee and a piece of pie.

"Is it because it's Rangeman property? Hell, I'll arrange to sell you this car if you want. At least we know it has decent brakes and airbags."

I parked and went inside. Lester continued, assuming my silence meant this wasn't the problem.

"You know if Ranger was here, he'd lend you a car. And it wouldn't even be special treatment - Bobby's been driving a fleet car for weeks, and Manny always uses one in winter, when the weather's too bad for his bike."

I found a table and ordered a coffee and a piece of pumpkin pie. Lester did the same.

I waited for our food to arrive and forked up a piece of pie. As I ate it, I considered my words. "Does anyone care where Bobby or Manny go?" I finally asked gesturing with my fork.

Lester looked confused.

"I know about the trackers, Les. I know which bags, and which pens, and which pairs of shoes, Ranger has planted trackers in. And I'm not totally okay with it, but they've saved me enough times for me to understand why, and I know he's the only one who can see where those are. Everyone in the control room can see where the fleet cars are." I stopped and sighed. "I thought things were getting better. I'm fitter, healthier, my capture rate is up. I'd held onto that car for months. And then, bam, I'm entertainment again."

"I don't think anyone's going to care where you go, Beautiful."

"Really, Les? You don't think anyone would comment if I went to Pleasure Treasures, or hell, and I'm not going to, but to Joe's house? I don't want to be gossip. I'll drive it for now, but when my insurance comes in, I'm getting my own car."

Lester thought about it, "Alright, but there's a way you can keep this car. You'll be in something safe and reliable, which will mean Ranger will worry less and you can keep your privacy."

I actually kind of liked the car - it was far nicer than anything I was going to get from a dealer. And I wanted Ranger to focus on whatever he was doing so he could come home. "You'll take the trackers out?"

"No, but until Ranger's back I'll restrict them so only Hector can see them. It's difficult to convey just how little interest Hector has in your private life, and how far he'd go to keep a secret."

Author's note: Please let me know what you think. Should Steph have accepted the car? We've still got a few chapters before Ranger returns.