Thanks for the huge response to the previous chapter. As a reminder, the story is building up to Halloween and a choice Steph will have to make moving forward. Still in the process of catching up/replying to PMs and reviews. This week I took and passed the State exam (Yay! Three Federal Exams to go, lol).

There's been a few guest reviews asking what happened to Steph, and since I can't know if it's the same person or not, here's a bit of a breakdown to help with the possible confusion:

Stephanie is in a sort of limbo type situation after being targeted, kidnapped and nearly killed in the summer. In the books, it's kind of a punchline how many close calls Stephanie has had (oftentimes multiple close calls in one book alone). In reality, there's only so much trauma the body can take, even more so mentally and emotionally, before someone reaches a breaking point. There was a small snippet about Steph still being plagued by nightmares of that close call when she was bleeding out after getting shot. It's completely reasonable that she would have a sort of crisis, desperately needing to return to a more "safe/invisible" lifestyle, like she had before. The story started on the seven day countdown to Halloween (aka Plum-o-ween). A Friday 24th to Friday 31st bridge, with most of the story happening Friday night/wee hours of Saturday and Ch. 11 taking place early Sunday morning. The week is going to be pivotal, with Steph finding herself needing to make a decision by the end of it. What is she going to do moving forward? Embrace her intuition and keep up bounty hunting/fighting crime or is she really going to go back to a less dangerous lifestyle, working seasonal retail jobs? She's clearly able to flourish in anything she does…

Here's an over 5k update…

Disclaimer: The Plum universe belongs to JE. Typos are my bad and there may be more than usual, whoopsie!

Mary Lou's POV

While the other men worked on smoothing out the whole Ranger and Morelli altercation, I helped Bobby guide Stephanie back to her bedroom so that he could assess the damage without prying eyes. I left him to carefully remove Steph's intricate shoulder brace thing while I rushed to the kitchen counter where Steph said she'd left her pain meds the previous night. Grabbing the pill bottle, a drinkable yogurt and some crackers, I rushed back to the bedroom without stopping to pay attention to the scene still unfolding in the living room. The atmosphere was still so tense that you could cut it with a knife. I'd never thought there'd be a scenario where I had the opportunity to ogle a naked Ranger and I didn't even stop to get a good look of his chiseled body. Sigh.

"Eat a little bit. It's fine." I said to my BFF, confirming with Bobby that the little bit of food would be a better buffer than an empty stomach. Steph took the pain medication without protest, which was further indication that she was indeed in major agony. Getting my BFF to willingly take meds is more of a battle than getting one of my sons to do it. Stephanie doesn't like the woozy medicated feeling or having to be dependent on anything stronger than over the counter stuff. Considering how much her body's been banged up over the years, she should take the meds without hesitation. I would!

Bobby pushed the thin shoulder strap of her pajama top aside so he could better gauge the damage. His carefully masked expression doesn't give anything away. I've heard that he was a medic in the army, so I'm sure the man has seen some gory, impactful stuff. Somehow, though, I can tell that he's having a hard time processing the bloody sight. Stephanie's super fair skin currently looks nearly translucent, the crimson a stark contrast against her pale, clammy skin.

"The asshole yanked her arm." I demonstrated as best as I could so that Bobby had a better frame of reference. How Morelli didn't stop to think the damage he would inflict doesn't even surprise me anymore. "He grabbed her upper arm then yanked out and up." I explained as the butt of Ranger's gun caught my eye. With it sticking out of the waistband of Steph's pajama pants, it nearly fell given her perch on the edge of the foot of her bed. Removing it, I carefully set the weapon on the nearest bedside table, right next to Steph's phone.

Bobby nodded as he carefully wiped the oozing trail of blood, noting how many of her stitches were forcefully torn. I'm no expert, but even I know that what we're seeing on the surface is just the tip of the iceberg.

In the aftermath of Stephanie having that close call with that psychotic woman, who by the way told my BFF a lot of twisted shit as she was trying to actively end Stephanie's life and really messing with Steph's head as a whole, I found it beyond understandable that Stephanie felt she needed a positive change in her day to day. And she needed it desperately! Steph quitting Vinnie and Rangeman was a shock to everyone in the Burg. Speculation was rampant. On the one hand, a large majority in the Burg thought that perhaps Steph had finally been broken down by her mother and Morelli, that she was gearing up to get married and become a housewife. To fulfill her Burg destiny, phft! The rest just raised an eyebrow and were curious to know what would happen next despite not having a solid guess on what was going on. So, when Stephanie got a job at the mall, the rumor mill ramped up even more. At that point, everyone was expectantly watching for her next move. You'd think Stephanie's starring in a low budget reality show with how much the Burg likes to keep tabs on her for entertainment purposes. It's disgusting.

The sales associate job at the mall would have meant Steph would need to find another source of income to supplement the part time seasonal position at Spencer's. Luckily, Stephanie found out from one of her coworkers that she could essentially port over to Spirit Halloween for the spooky season and have her spot at Spencer's on hold for her to go back to for the upcoming holiday season. There was more opportunity for full time hours at Spirit, especially if Steph opted to work for multiple stores. So, my BFF put in the transfer request. That request was approved instantly during the store build up phase. Having secured consistent work for the rest of the year was a big sigh of relief for my BFF as it was one less thing to worry about in the aftermath of her latest brush with death.

During the build up of the first store in our area, absolute chaos ensued when multiple merchandise shipments arrived erroneously on the same day. While everyone else was freaking out just seeing endless stacks of boxes and boxes, Stephanie was in her zone. My BFF said she liked the mindless work. Looking at a diagram, setting up shelves, hooks and merchandise to match the corporate dictated layout was a piece of cake for Stephanie's unique visual memory. She found it easy to, in her words, 'put like things with like things'. After each day of long, hard physical work, Steph said she was so exhausted that sleep came easily despite the recurring nightmares. District management liked how dedicated Steph was and quickly promoted her to Store Manager, leaving Stephanie with what's considered a 'big store' for a first year manager. She got to help during multiple store build ups while shadowing the returning store manager for the training store three cities over. Getting to build her own team kept Steph busy, especially as the Burg venomous snakes got curious and started frequenting Stephanie's store in hopes of witnessing something juicy in the process. Of course, my BFF outsmarted every single gossiper, ensuring none of them left without making a purchase. Cha-Ching!

"Aghghmghmmph!" Stephanie's attempt at swallowing her cry of pain pulled me back to the present, just in time to note that Bobby was in the process of wrapping Steph's still bleeding shoulder.

"We need imaging to get a good read on the possible added damage." Bobby said succinctly, moving efficiently.

"You're going." I said to Stephanie before she could protest. She doesn't like going to the hospital, but this time it isn't up to her. She's gonna go even if I have to drag her there myself.

My BFF flashed me a look that I've seen many times from my kids before, an instinctive combative reaction. Holding her agonized and heavy gaze, I kept firm against those striking blue eyes. When Stephanie didn't protest verbally, I mouthed a 'thank you' to her.

"Let's move." Bobby said to the room even though it was just us three. Somehow understanding that he was counting on me, I slung my right arm around Steph's waist, urging her to lean on me as we helped guide her out of the bedroom. Bobby could easily carry both of us and still have an extra arm to spare, yet I know my BFF would immediately protest. I'll have to have a chat with her later about enjoying the good things in life.

The tension was still high as we slowly but surely bypassed the others in the living room.

"Oh come on." Morelli called after us, insinuating that this was all a act on Stephanie's part. "Bravo!" Was the last thing I heard before he grunted in pain as the wind was knocked out of him, probably by a punch to the gut. I didn't care to turn around and confirm it.

The Rangemen work fast. There was already an ambulance pulling into the parking lot as we exited the lobby glass doors. To get out of the way, I stood aside while the EMTs and Bobby transferred Steph onto the gurney. They were on their way to St. Francis before any of the neighbors could poke their heads out of their windows.

Hurrying to my mini van, I reversed out of the parking lot and headed towards the Burg. Because I didn't have the patience to be stuck behind a slow driver in a residential street, I took Hamilton Ave. I'm most definitely speeding.

"Shit." I slowed before pulling over when I saw the flashing lights of a cruiser headed straight for me. My car rocked side to side with how fast the officer was going as the cruiser flew past me. Looking in my rear view mirror, I saw as he took a sharp turn to head towards the way Steph's apartment building is located. Perhaps Morelli isn't going to die today after all. His cop buddies might just arrive in time to help him live another day. Again.

My suspicions were confirmed when another two cruisers sped past me, all headed in the same direction. What a shame. I really thought he'd be finally learning his lesson. Yet I have hope that not all is lost as this time we have a lot of paper trail on our side, from my call to Rangeman to the trip to the hospital… I'd like to see Morelli try to weasel himself out of this mess. This time he's gonna have a heck of a hard time slithering his way past consequences. Joe will first have to burst through a solid wall of Rangeman muscle before he even gets to Ranger, and he'll still be a lifetime away from Stephanie.

Finding parking wasn't such a nightmare this early on, especially since after the hospital's merger with Capital Health has shifted non-emergency patients away from St. Francis.

I found a seat in the waiting room and waited, avoiding the curious look the triage nurse was giving me.

After thirty minutes, I was feeling absolutely antsy. Thankfully, by then some of the Rangemen were starting to trickle in. Lester was the first to arrive, followed by Ranger a few seconds later and the rest of the guys that had been dispatched to Steph's apartment after I called Rangeman.

"No update yet." I said to the men. Most of them sunk into the empty chairs around me, while Ranger resorted to pacing the space. Two of the men I didn't know returned after several minutes with cups of coffee.

"Thanks." I murmured, standing and walking towards the travel coffee jug the men placed on the little table between the chairs. Bending at the waist, I prepped an adjusted 'coffee' before moving aside so Ranger could get himself a steaming cup of the black liquid. Thankfully, he's fully clothed this time around. Although he looks relatively unscathed, Ranger's red raw knuckles are a stark reminder of what happened inside Stephanie's apartment.

I was trying to drink the mostly creamer cup of coffee since I'm not technically supposed to have too much caffeine, but it just wasn't to my original liking.

"Uhm, I think you got some of Steph's blood smeared on you." Hal murmured softly as I retook my seat.

"What?" Glancing at him, I frowned in confusion. So much has happened lately and honestly my head is spinning already. Taking a sip of my coffee, I hoped the limited hit of caffeine could help with the dizziness.

"Yeah, you, uh, have some blood on your pants." Hal blushed as he said my backside had bloodstains, my gray sweatpants ineffective in hiding the red stains.

I felt the blood rush out of my face, immediately followed by a heated flash as my mind began racing. Shooting up onto my feet, I twisted around to look at my butt. Unable to see clearly, I resorted to looking down at the glossy seat I've been sitting on since my arrival.

Blood.

Bright red, and unmistakably blood.

Icy cold swept through me as I tried to make sense of things.

"Are you okay?" Hal asked me as I felt the heat of everyone's stare. All eyes were currently on me.

"I'm…" Tears welled in my eyes as the horrific realization washed over me. "I think… I'm… having… a… a… miscarriage." Choking on emotion and the tears that were flowing nonstop, I felt as if the room was spinning.

"Nurse!" One of the men yelled as my breathing grew more labored, my tears making my vision blurry.

S&R

Morelli's POV

Officer Smith had a smug little grin on his face as he came to let me out of my cell. Glaring at him, I put my cop face on as my things were given back to me before I could be free to leave. I had to call my cousin Mooch to bail me out. Well, he had to technically get my Ma to help with it since he has nothing to front. It took longer than I had liked for fucking Vinnie Plum to bail me out this time around. He's always an easy bet due to his slimmy ways. The other bonding places in town would be more wary given my flight history from before. In fact, I'm surprised that Manoso's psycho ass didn't go around threatening the bonding companies.

Taking my things from the clerk behind the glass, I was more than ready to leave the station. I'm desperate for a shower, some food and a good icing. Fucking Manoso and his Rangemaniacs ganged up on me, the punks. Since Manoso couldn't handle me one-on-one, of course he called his precious little lap dogs to come to his rescue. And if that weren't enough, to top it all off these assholes called the cops, spinning the narrative to their favor. Before I could finish spitting out my mouthful of blood, I found myself in handcuffs and being read my rights by none other than a rookie.

A rookie, for god's sake!

As soon as I was free to go, I made a move to leave, except Officer Smith blocked my path. Glaring at him, my expression made it clear that I wasn't in the mood. It's past dinner time. I'm achy, hungry and tired. Whatever Smith needs, it can wait til morning.

"Chief's waiting for you." Smith gloated as he cocked his head to the side, indicating that I should follow him.

I wasn't really in the mood to listen to the Chief give me his patented scolding. He likes to give shit to some of us when there's others that get to skate by without much, if any, reprimand.

Smith made a speedy escape the instant he was dismissed, leaving me alone with the Chief.

"Chief..." Sighing in resignation, I took a seat across from his cluttered desk. See, he talks a lot of shit about us needing to keep our desks organized and files kept in locked cabinets, and his desk is no better.

"What the fuck are you thinking?!" His low tone and gritting teeth conveyed his displeasure well as he muttered under his breath. "What is wrong with you?!" The bright red flushing his face, along with the throbbing vein on the side of his neck really completed the pissed off vibe he's going with. It looks like he's going to have a coronary. He should really ease up on me as it'll be beneficial to his health. That blood pressure medication can only do so much for ya, Chief.

"…" I opened my mouth to speak, but the Chief's murderous look indicated I should keep my mouth shut and listen.

"Not only did you break in…" The Chief leveled a hard gaze my way, the pulsing vein on his neck detracting from the imposing look he was going for. "… but you were also the instigator…"

"ME?!" I couldn't keep my mouth shut any longer. I respect the Chief, but I won't sit back and let him give me shit for the fabricated bullshit of some ruffian and his clan.

"Yes." The Chief's dark eyes narrowed as he pointed at me, letting it show that he believes the other side of this convoluted mess.

"She assaulted me." I gritted out, infuriated that the Chief allowed himself to be so easily wrapped up in the professionally spun web of lies.

The Chief laughing and leaning back in his cushy chair gave me pause. I don't think I've ever seen the man smile, much less laugh so eerily. Knowing he had my attention, the Chief tapped a few keys on his computer, an awkward movement given how technologically challenged the man is.

"Ranger…Joseph…" The familiar female voice floated out of the cheap computer's speakers. I knew it was Mary Lou's voice mainly because I recognized the following dialogue. Seems like she called Rangeman, who in turn was happy to record the call. Of course they would. Manoso and his fuckers only believe in the law when it benefits them. Funny how they operate in a 'gray area' when it's convenient. Hmph.

I remained impassive, refusing to show an outward reaction to the replay of what I said. Sure, I probably crossed the line by instigating a reaction out of Cupcake, but that isn't new. She tends to be the explosive one, making it easier for me to shift blame because the Burg believes she's the problem in our relationship. All they see are her outbursts, yet they don't always know how much poking it took to get her to lose her cool.

And besides, I didn't lie. The truth of her trysts with Manoso hurt, which is why Cupcake swung at me. In fact, I hit my mark so well that Cupcake targeted my boys in retaliation to me bringing up that she's been fucking Manoso for years. She can't have it both ways, bitching about me sleeping with others when she hasn't been faithful either.

The Chief paused the audio replay after Cupcake's staged wail was heard. I didn't even grab her that roughly. Stephanie was just being dramatic to gain favor, knowing that it would finish fully pushing over Manoso's psychotic self. And it did, the maniac pummeling me with his fists as soon as her fake cry filled the air.

"You tried to arrest her after breaking into her home." The Chief huffed, his dark gaze pinning me in place.

"I have a key." I shrugged, not wanting to admit that the accusations may not be bogus after all.

"That she did not give you." The Chief must have done his own digging around to know that Cupcake technically didn't give me the new key to her place.

"She's embarrassed to say that we've been working on our relationship behind the scenes." I decided that this conversation wasn't good for my future, telling the Chief that any further questioning would have to be with my attorney present.

"You're suspended without pay pending the conclusion to an internal investigation…" I couldn't believe the bullshit that was flowing out of the Chief's mouth.

"You're suspending me for asking to have my attorney present?" Incredulously, I shot up from my seated position, effectively looming over the Chief himself.

"No. You're suspended for the various complaints received on your abuse of power, amongst other allegations." The Chief extended his right hand, asking nonverbally for me to hand over my gun and badge.

"The Marino family is out of their mind." With clenched teeth I reached for what he wanted, handing him my gun and badge seconds later. "They're unhappy that their daughter took her life and started a campaign to minimize my decision to close the case. Stella Marino killed herself." My snarl had spittle splattering on the Chief's dusty desk.

"Morelli." It was a clear warning.

"This department has way bigger issues than what you're trying to shift my way to get the heat off of you for the poor response everyone is criticizing the TPD for." Before storming off, I made sure to point out that using me as a scapegoat to get the media off his neck is pathetic. It's not my fault that Cupcake's suddenly got a fan club that's willing to die on a hill for her.

Did I cross the line and say some shit I wasn't supposed to? Probably. Definitely.

"Morelli." The Chief's gritted tone threatened retaliation for my insubordination. Shrugging him off, I spun on my heel and exited his office.

Slamming his office door in my wake had several heads turning towards the loud noise. Ignoring the gawkers, I kept walking with a clipped pace.

"Watch it!" Smith hissed as I breezed past him, shoulder checking him in the process. That's what he gets for being the Chief's little pet.

I was starving and my SUV was still parked near Cupcake's apartment. Weighing my options, I ended up opting to call an Uber so I could retrieve my car. Thankfully, the driver wasn't a chatty one and my SUV was exactly where I'd left it.

Grabbing a quick bite to eat did the trick, even if the greasy fast food was lackluster at best. I circled my block twice, thankfully not finding any shiny black Rangeman SUVs milling about.

After parking in the detached garage, I walked back down the driveway towards my front door.

"Fuck." I groaned when no light illuminated when I hit the switch by the front door. The last thing I need is an electrical issue. I'm pretty sure I paid my electric bill on time this time around.

I should have had warning bells ringing the instant that Bob didn't barrel straight towards me when I opened the door. After being cooped up all day, he should be a complete menace trying to get me to let him out to do his business and demand food and water.

However, it was sensing that I wasn't alone in the house that made my progress waver. Stopping halfway to the kitchen in the back, I silently cursed when I reached for my gun only to find that I didn't have one. Shit.

"I'm not in the mood for your games." I said, hoping against the odds that it was Joyce trying to play one of her pathetic tricks on me. Despite making it clear that it was just a one time thing, I'm starting to think that she's going to be hard to get rid of. Her longtime reputation definitely hyped up my expectations, only to be severely let down with the reality. Whoever thinks Joyce is good in bed severely lacks experience themselves. She's not even in my top five. As much as Joyce thinks she's better in bed than all the women in the Burg, especially Cupcake, she's severely mistaken. Orr probably learned that the hard way too.

When there was no response, I ventured to take two steps closer. Once in the kitchen, I'll have more options to defend myself if there's an intruder in my home.

"Terry…" I sighed, apologizing for not being able to call her today. I mean, I was held up, so what did she expect? Besides, we're not really official. I'm sort of her go-to whenever she's in the mood and doesn't want to venture out and vet a random stranger for a quick round of sweaty sex.

The light flickered on without my doing, illuminating none other than Manoso standing by the door leading to the backyard. Of course.

"Traitor." I mouthed at Bob when I noted how he was sitting down, tail wagging, by Manoso's right leg. How he got Bob of all dogs to keep still and follow orders, I'll never know.

"Sit down." Manoso ordered me.

"You can't tell me what to do. This is my house." Just to defy him, I took another two steps forward, stopping until the pool table was at my back.

Manoso moved quickly, slamming me onto the pool table's velvety top in the blink of an eye. There was a cue ball digging into my lower back as Manoso's fingers curled around my shirt. From this angle, his face was mostly obscured in shadows.

"You're going to leave Stephanie alone." Manoso didn't have to voice his threat. It was clear: he'll kill me if I don't comply.

I knew he was serious even before he brought up my dark past.

A twisted past I don't like to think about often.

S&R

Ranger's POV

"I love her." Morelli tried his best efforts of self-preservation, knowing that I am beyond capable of killing him and feeling nothing.

"That's not love." I gritted out, slamming him against his stupid pool table. As expected, the cheap materials gave out, a thick crack in the middle sending the whole thing crumbling as it folded in on itself.

Morelli glared up at me, no longer feeling brave without his badge and gun. I'm not above kicking him while he's down, both physically and metaphorically, so I reminded him about all the sick shit he's put Babe through since childhood.

"You hurt those you supposedly love." I emphasized, jerking my head to indicate how malnourished his dog looks. The orange fluff's ribs are visible. He had no food, no water and was too afraid to defecate inside. Most likely, his owner physically punishes him for needing basic necessities.

"You don't know what…" Morelli tried to deflect, but he's already wincing in pain. He can dish it, but can't take the heat. Not when he can't hide behind his badge.

My fists had no mercy, especially as I reminded him about the Choo Choo train incident. Stephanie was just a little girl, too innocent and defenseless to stop Morelli's already twisted deviant plans disguised as a 'game'. The first time I saw a photo of Babe at that age, it broke me to put a visual to the tiny victim of such a horrific introductory incident. Her small frame, tiny curls, bright blue eyes and cheeky smile should have haunted Morelli's nightmares for life just for that despicable act alone.

"It was a game. We were kids." Morelli will never take accountability for his actions. He doesn't plan on changing. Never.

"That wasn't a game." I gritted out, slamming him against his cheap kitchen wall. "And the bakery?" Slamming him again caused a good chunk of his wall to crumble with my force.

"She wanted it." Morelli wheezed as he slid to his dusty kitchen floor. How un-burglike of him to not have a tidy home. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Fucking hypocrite.

"Gennifer Weiskopf found so much blood on that bakery floor the next day when she opened that she was sure someone had been murdered. I like to think that had Frank Plum been the one to pick up his daughter from her shift that night, instead of her mother, that you'd have died a slow, painful death. I know what I would have done in his place." Just the thought of someone attacking so barbarically one of my sisters, nieces, my daughter… I'd kill him. Simple as that.

"Your daddy's police pal just happened to be the one dispatched to take in Weiskopf's report at the bakery. And lucky you, he never followed up." That fucker is lucky he was killed in a shootout years before I even met Babe. "Then, one of your relatives heavily persuaded Stephanie against getting a rape kit done." This fucked up town has covered for Morelli time and time again, shifting the blame to his victims. Babe has blocked out so much from the events of that night. The only reason I have a clear picture of what happened was thanks to all the digging I've done through the years. It's been difficult to piece everything together due to all the cover ups of Morelli's sexual crimes growing up. The typically boys will be boys and good ol' boys club kept this fucker not only alive, but also from having to face the consequences of his actions.

"You're done getting away with atrocities." I made sure that he understood that I could simply kill him, make him disappear and ensure that no one ever found out what happened to him. "But that's too good for you." Smiling, I outlined what I know will hurt him to lose. Mainly, losing his job is just the beginning. Without hiding behind his badge, he'll no longer have that power he's wielded to control anyone he's set his eyes on.

"I'm not the same person I was back then." Morelli tried to justify his sick actions by blaming his behavior on his upbringing, alcohol and the usage of various illegal substances he was on nearly all of the time.

Without feeling sorry for someone who got millions of second chances simply because he was a man and protected by the Burg, I didn't stop teaching him his long overdue lesson until the piece of shit coward cried for me to stop.

I walked away only after Morelli was a groaning, defeated ball on his kitchen floor. Snapping my fingers, his dog willingly followed after me. Woody is waiting down the block to take him in. I'm sure he'll have a better life with someone who really loves animals, unlike Morelli who only cares about himself.

I slid behind the wheel of the Rangeman fleet SUV, leaving Woody to take my Turbo back to Rangeman. The rest of my orders are already in effect regarding Morelli. Soon he'll find himself jobless and houseless. My people will make sure to notify his siblings that they too are beneficiaries of their Aunt Rose's estate, despite their brother lying and telling everyone that his aunt left him the house. Morelli may have pulled a fast one on them, taking everything for himself, yet the truth always comes to light. If he knows what's good for him, he'll secede his part to his brother Anthony and sister Cathy in equal parts. With no money, no home, severed relationships with both family and friends, there's nothing left to keep Morelli in Trenton. Uprooting himself will grant him his very last 'second chance'. If he blows it, he's done. I'll make sure of it.

Meandering through the empty Burg streets, I arrived at my destination within minutes. The homes were dark, the small porch lights glowing in the already foggy night. Parking in the driveway, I exited the SUV and quietly made my way towards the front door.

Lenny Stankovic answered the door after my second knock, seconds after I made eye contact with Slick as he made his round around the perimeter. Regardless of the fact that Morelli would be nowhere near the Stankovic home while Babe was here without me, and knowing the incident at the Halloween store wasn't a targeted attack on Stephanie, I still wanted backup nearby. Too much has happened already. Babe and the Stankovics need peace and rest.

"Hey." Lenny greeted me as he stepped aside for me to enter. The small boy in his arms gave me a funny scrunched up look, silently sizing me up. "She's in the master bedroom with my wife." He closed and locked the door behind me, the movement making his youngest son thrust his upper body towards me.

Without thinking about it, I wrapped my arms around the squirming boy. Still giving me a scrunched up look of confusion, the boy pressed his face against my chest. My scent must have passed his little sniffing test, because the littlest Stankovic rested his left cheek on my pecs while he resumed drinking his nighttime bottle.

"You have that vaguely citrusy scent Stephanie's had lately." Inadvertently, Lenny confirmed my suspicion that Babe's been using my shower gel in my time away. Perhaps doing so helped Babe feel closer to me and even miss me a little less. I'll be restocking her stash.

Nodding, I followed after him as he led the way upstairs and down the hall to the master bedroom.

Instantly, my eyes landed on Babe. Her curly locks were splayed on the fluffy pillow as she rested on her left side, facing Mary Lou, and with her back to the bedroom door. Babe was fast asleep, her even breathing evidence enough. Next to her, Mary Lou also slept peacefully. I'm sure after the scare she had this morning, sleep was inevitable for Stephanie's friend. The Stankovics will still be welcoming another baby in the Spring. Blessedly, Mary Lou wasn't experiencing a miscarriage this morning. With extra rest these next several weeks, Mrs. Stankovic is expected to have a normal, healthy pregnancy all things considered.

"This is what you have to look forward to." Lenny murmured from beside me, retaking his son when the boy became fuzzy upon seeing his sleeping mother. "Don't be surprised when you come home to find these two in your bed." With a bright smile, he shared some of his experienced wisdom. "These two are a packaged deal." He commented on how the pair are and will always be inseparable. "You've been warned." Lenny joked with a soft chuckle, moving from side to side to help soothe his son.

Cataloging the scene before me, I knew I was up for the honor. The Stankovic boys, the older two sleeping on the floor by the foot of the bed, the middle two with one sleeping by Stephanie and Mary Lou's feet and the other snuggling on the other side of his mother, created a safety barrier much in the same way my men, Steph's Merry Men as she calls them, tend to do.

Having navigated through active minefields, I'll exercise the same level of cautious strategy as Babe and I navigate this new phase in our lives.