Lester was in a cranky mood. His face was throbbing, he was tired, and he was working the monitors, a task he hated. Why the fuck did Ranger put him on the monitors. To make matters worse, nothing was going on, not a blimp, what he wouldn't do for a false alarm. Les needed something to break up the monotony. Soon, he saw a strange car pull up and realized it must belong to the cop. Les watched as the woman in the front seat leaned over towards Morelli. He couldn't see inside the car but knew she was kissing him. He shouldn't care what Stephanie was doing; she didn't matter, but for some reason, he did. He felt himself getting agitated. When she finally stepped out of the car, he felt a stirring below that he shouldn't be feeling for that federal agent.

In his opinion, the wig didn't suit Stephanie, and it made her look cheap and easy. Words that did not describe Agent Plum. She was far from cheap and not easy in any way. She was probably the most stubborn person he knew, aside from his cousin, Ranger. He couldn't help but watch her as she got in the elevator and then looked at the feed from there. He saw her wig come off and smiled. There was the feisty Agent Plum. However, he was shocked when the doors opened on five.

Stephanie stepped off the elevator and then saw Lester on the monitors. She sighed, hoping not to have a confrontation tonight. The date with Morelli went better than expected, and Steph was surprised he was agreeable to remaining friends. She thought Joe would push harder to be more than friends. Now that she was on the control room floor, she didn't feel like working but still felt off. Her spidey sense was whirling. Why though? No one would know that the woman was her. They went to Philly. She has to be safe.

As Stephanie approached the monitors, she noticed the bruise on Lester's face and internally grimaced. That had to hurt. She detoured to the breakroom and put a bag of ice together as a peace offering to Lester. Maybe they can develop a working rapport.

"Here, that looks like it hurts."

Lester looked up, surprised to see Stephanie with the ice pack. Part of him wanted to turn his back on her, but his face was hurting, and he did want the ice.

"Thanks."

"What happened?"

"I walked into a fist."

"Whose?"

"Hector's."

"Hector's?"

"Yes, Hector's."

"Why? What happened?"

Lester sighed. He didn't want to tell her he deserved the punch, nor did he want to tell her Hector stood up for her. "It was a difference of opinion, and he showed me I was wrong."

She let it be because she wouldn't get any additional information. She watched Lester put the bag against his face and sat beside him.

"What are you doing?"

"Watching the monitors. What does it look like?" Stephanie said before adding, "Something's bothering me. I don't know what, but I get this sense of foreboding. I was fine until we were on our way back from the restaurant."

Lester was ready to attribute her "feelings" to that time of the month until he saw the dark-colored sedan slow down as it passed Rangeman. "What do you mean?"

"Well, the date started well. We talked in the car about what we had done since we broke up. Joe told me a little about his time in the Navy; I told him about the academy. We had to wait in the bar when we arrived since our table wasn't ready. When our table was ready and we walked over, I felt like someone was watching us. I looked around and didn't see anything weird. Most couples or small groups were in the restaurant, and one man was talking on his cell phone. He was wearing a suit and, I assumed, was waiting for a colleague. We sat down, and that feeling went away.

"Then, as we drove home, I felt like someone was following us. I kept checking the mirrors and asked Joe to take a less direct approach. When I told him what I felt, he began checking for tails. We didn't see any. After driving around Trenton for twenty minutes, he brought me back here. In the elevator, I suddenly felt restless and decided to work, but then, when I got to the floor, that feeling went away, and I realized that I felt dread."

Lester listened to what she said and knew her leaving the building could be problematic. He assessed her appearance, and while she did a great job with her makeup, you could still tell it was Stephanie, even with the wig on. While Philly was not Trenton, it could be possible that she could be seen in Philly.

"When did you take off your disguise?"

"Here, in the elevator. I wouldn't dare remove anything out of this building."

"Are you sure you didn't recognize anyone?"

"I'm sure."

"What about Detective Morelli?"

"He said he didn't recognize anyone either." Stephanie paused, clearly thinking. "But when I went to point out the businessman to him, he was gone."

They shared a knowing look, and Lester noticed that same sedan driving slowly past Rangeman again. As much as Lester wanted to be mad, he found he was scared, an emotion he rarely felt.

"Steph, I don't want to alarm you, but do you see that sedan?" Lester said, pointing to the monitor in question.

Stephanie watched as the sedan slowed and then drove off. "Yes, why?" she asked, unsure if she wanted the answer.

"That's the third time I saw that sedan drive by. Whoever is driving is not being subtle. They want you to know they found you.

Stephanie felt her anxiety ramp up and found breathing was getting difficult. She closed her eyes, trying to conquer the demons that entered her mind, those memories she had fought hard to suppress.

Lester saw her body become rigid, her eyes darting back and forth, breathing laboring. He knew those symptoms well. No one has ever had it as bad as him until this woman.

"Stephanie, Agent Plum, you need to listen to my voice. Agent Plum, listen to me. Breathe in, breathe out, come on, with me." Lester kept repeating. He was getting ready to call Bobby when Brett returned from break. As he picked up the phone, Lester shook his head. Brett understood. Lester had her under control.

Stephanie felt her pulse return to normal and realized that the attack was over. She didn't want to look at Lester, afraid to see the disappointment and disgust on his face. However, when she finally looked at him, she saw understanding in his eyes, which helped her relax fully.

"Are you better?"

"For now, thank you."

"Brett, call Woody and have him join you on the monitors. I'll be back when I can."
Stephanie began to protest, but Lester's look stopped her. He stood and then extended his hand. Together, they walked to the lobby. "Stairs would be better right now, but if you want the elevator, we can use that."

"No, you're right, stairs is what I need now."

They walked silently up the stairs. Stephanie started towards the door to the sixth floor. "No, Stephanie, we're going to see Ranger."

"No, we can't disturb him in the middle of the night. No. I'll…I'll tell him tomorrow."

"He's expecting us."

With her head down, Stephanie rejoined Lester in climbing up to the seventh floor. When they exited onto the floor, Ranger was standing at his door in low-ride sweatpants and a wife beater, both in black. She couldn't help but notice his muscular body.

"Are you okay?"

"I am now," Stephanie replied as he ushered both into his apartment. Stephanie sat on the couch while Ranger gave her a cup of tea and a bottle of water.

"Woody's joining Brett," Lester said, answering Ranger's unanswered question.

"What happened?" Ranger asked. "Did Morelli hurt you?"

Stephanie laughed. She didn't know why; this was a serious moment. But the idea of Morelli hurting her was laughable.

"No, not at all. It was a nice night catching up with an old friend."

"Just a friend?" Ranger asked.

"Yes, just a friend. That ship has long since sailed. He and I are two different people now. I know that Joe doesn't know the definition of monogamy or faithfulness."

Both Lester and Ranger looked at her, confused.

"Remember, I'm an intelligence agent. You don't think I don't know what Joe is up to? I made sure to know before I decided to see him again. Anyway, that isn't important." Stephanie shared her story with Ranger.

"You saw the car drive by multiple times?"

"Yeah, I did. I recorded it."

"You're sure no one was tailing you?"

"Yes, 100%. I was always good at discovering tails. Neither Joe nor I saw anyone following us."

They sat there in quiet contemplation. Suddenly, Stephanie stood up. "Apple Tag."

"What?"

"An Apple tag or something similar. He had to put a tracking device on Joe's car. It was likely an Apple Tag because those are easier to come by. I mean, who, besides you guys, travels around with trackers?"

Ranger glanced at his watch. It was zero dark thirty. It was not too late. "Call Morelli and tell him to check his car. They would have removed it if they were smart, but maybe we'll get lucky."

Stephanie sighed and then took her phone out. She dialed Morelli's number. After a quick conversation about what she discussed with Ranger and Lester, Joe agreed to check his car. He had recently started leaving it in the garage since they were repaving the road. When he called back a few minutes later, it was to tell them that he had the Apple Tag in an evidence bag. Stephanie had her phone on speaker.

"Morelli, it's Ranger. Bring the tag here, and I'll have my forensics team run it. I'm sure you don't want to let the department know. It would be hard to explain why, and I'm sure Stephanie still wants to stay in hiding."

"Ok. I'll bring it by in the morning," Joe replied quickly. "Stephanie, are you okay? Do you want me to come over?"

"I'm fine. I'm safe here. I don't want to put you in any further danger. Watch your six, Joe."

"You too." There was a pause on the line before Joe spoke again, "You know I will always love and protect you, Stephanie."

"I know. Talk to you soon."

Stephanie hung up the phone, bowed, and closed her eyes. How could this have happened to her again? Would she never be free to spend time in Trenton?

"Stephanie," Ranger gently said as she felt the couch shift on either side of her. "Stephanie, it's okay. You don't need to worry or be upset. We will keep you safe. You are one of us, after all."

"I've put you and your family in danger. I knew that I shouldn't have taken this case. I don't want to cause you problems when you have all been so accepting of me."

Lester rolled his eyes. Here Stephanie was, reverting to the typical damsel in distress, the way that all women did to get men to do their dirty work.

"You were aware that being in Trenton was dangerous, and you are staying in this building, getting everything brought to you here. What made you think eating with Detective Morelli outside this building was a good idea?" Lester said, contempt in his voice.

Stephanie's eyes grew wide, and she opened her mouth at a loss for words. After a moment, she shook her head and said, "I wore a disguise; I looked nothing like me. There was no way I could have anticipated someone being in a restaurant in Philly. Joe picked it; I had no idea where we were going."

"Did Joe have reservations?" Ranger asked.

"Yes, he did."

"So he probably tipped someone off."

Ranger shot Lester a death glare, then turned to Stephanie.

"No, no, he wouldn't do that. He knows how bad things were and how much they affected me and my family. He would never betray me like that." Stephanie started to wring her hands, then slowly stood before she paced the room. "Joe was…is…one of my closest friends. He wouldn't do anything to hurt me."

"Is it possible he said something while passing to someone else?"

"No, no way."

Ranger sighed. He didn't know the detective well and didn't particularly like him, but he had to go with Stephanie's assessment. As much as Detective Joseph Morelli was a womanizer and thorn in Rangeman's side, he was a good cop and followed the law to a T regarding his work.

"I'll take your word. However, I suggest that you stay in this building. If you need to go out, we'll help you escape and take you to places further away. The security we have in place will keep you safe, but we need to stay vigilant."

"This won't be a problem for your wife and kids, will it?"

"No, Rachel doesn't resemble you. Her hair is much darker. Rachel is at least five inches shorter and a little heavier. No one will mistake her for you."

"Okay. If I'm causing you too many problems, let me know. I can work on this remotely from Quantico."

"No, Stephanie, that's not necessary. Besides, now you have us to help solve your mystery. I promise we will find out who killed your parents and why."

Stephanie swallowed, trying to hold back her tears. "Thank you, Ranger. I don't know what I did to deserve to find everyone here. You are too good to me."

Meanwhile, Lester was taking deep breaths and clenching his fists, trying not to lose his shit. He needed Stephanie to leave Ranger's apartment so he could try to talk some sense into his cousin. She was giving them an out, damn it, and Ranger should take it, Lester thought to himself.

"Why don't you go back to your room and relax? I'll ask Ella to bring some tea, and she'll give you some company. Don't worry; we have your back."

Stephanie walked over to Ranger and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for supporting me. Not many people would do so under these circumstances."

Stephanie then walked over to Les and, to his surprise, kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you for helping me calm down. I usually need my meds to come out of an anxiety attack."

After that, she calmly walked towards the door to Ranger's apartment. "Thank you. Good night."

Once the door closed, Stephanie took a deep breath and continued to her apartment. Ella emerged from her apartment with a small bakery box as she arrived at the door.

"I figured you could use some dessert with that tea."

Stephanie smiled, opening the door for the older woman. She knew she could sleep easily when Ella left her apartment.