Author Note: Italics indicate a scene lifted nearly verbatim from canon. They may have been lightly edited for clarity and to better flow in the story but it is Janet's work.

Virginia ICU

Stephanie

"I just don't understand why he isn't waking up. I understood that he was kept in a medically induced coma, but now that he isn't sedated, shouldn't he be conscious already?"

Lester shook his head. "I don't know, Steph, and Bobby won't be back until tonight."

The local ME had results from the autopsy on the shooter and wanted to review them with Bobby. We are hoping there's a lead- we need to get this attack figured out.

"Mrs. Pardo?" All the hospital staff were told I was "Mr. Pardo's" wife.

I turned to see a slight white woman in scrubs. "I am Stephanie Brown, Bobby's cousin."

My mouth gapped open. This was a woman an inch shorter than me, ten pounds lighter than me, with waist length, brown curly hair streaked with just a touch of gray- hair that was much better behaved than my own, with hazel eyes and the bronzed skin of a woman who loved being outdoors. She was nothing like Bobby. I would buy her being my cousin over his.

"Excuse me?"

I am sure the confusion showed on my face because the woman started to explain, "We lost my biological father during the Vietnam conflict. He was a helicopter pilot. My mother met Bobby's uncle Larry at my dad's funeral. I was a baby at the time. I was in high school when Bobby turned up. He's been my favorite cousin since then."

Well, that explains things.

"In addition to being Bobby's cousin, I was the Cardiothoracic surgeon on your husband's case." She went on to describe how she put Ranger back together. In detail. It really was a miracle Ranger survived.

"As a Battalion Surgeon, I am familiar with this type of trauma. What we need to discuss now is what to expect during what would be a really long recovery. I would like to bring in a Neurologist, Lauren Finamore. She had a lot of experience with these sorts of injuries and I would like her take on things."

"Please, anything to help my husband."

Meanwhile, deep in a coma, Ranger was remembering the woman whose voice surrounded him…

Trenton, the not so very distant past

"Morelli is FTA- Vinnie asked that we …"

"Tank, Morelli is a good cop. We aren't going after him."

"The bond is big money to us- 10k. I don't buy he killed an unarmed man, but…"

"The system needs to work out guilt and innocence, but I told Vinnie it was a hard no. I hear whispers that he has a target on his back and I want no part of it."

A couple of days later…

"Connie, you know you have a blank check, but you want me to meet up with a friend of your sister's and give the girl bond enforcement training? What gives?"

"She got laid off six months ago when E.E. Martin went down and just got her car repossessed. She needs to learn enough to stay out of trouble" Connie knew Ranger would agree but he couldn't figure out the ulterior motive.

"So, you decided to be her fairy godmother?"

Connie simply nodded. She didn't say anything to Ranger about him needing some innocent brightness and light in his life. Some joy and kindness. And she was pretty sure Stephanie and Ranger would be good for one another. "Just sit down with her and coach her. She's a nice person who deserves a break."

A few days later…

Ranger pulled out of the parking lot of Joe Morelli's apartment in his black Mercedes and realized he was smiling. He and Stephanie Plum searched the place and she was a breath of fresh air. She had no idea what she was doing, but was adorable. He would have to thank Connie for introducing them. His contract work and getting RangeMan started meant working 24/7. This blue-eyed wonder was a delightful distraction.

2am the next day

The phone woke Ranger.

"Yo"

"Ranger"

"Who wants to know?"

"Stephanie Plum. I have a problem.?

What the fuck?

"What's the problem?"

"I'm handcuffed to my shower curtain rod and I need someone to open the cuffs."

Crazy. She is crazy. Ranger hung up.

When the phone rang again almost immediately, Ranger was annoyed. He had to be up at 5am. He didn't have time for late night prank calls.

"Yo!"

"Don't hang up! This is serious, dammit. I am trapped in my bathroom. My front door is locked and nobody has the key."

"Why don't you call the cops? They love that rescue shit." Even as he said it, Ranger knew a call like that would open Stephanie up to eternal ridicule.

"Because I don't want ot have to explain to the cops. And besides, I'm naked."

Ranger laughed, thinking she was kidding.

"It's not funny. Morelli broke into my apartment while I was in the shower and the son of a bitch handcuffed me to the shower rod."

"You gotta like the guy." Ranger thought if he had Stephanie naked, cuffing her would not be high on the list of things to try.

"Are you going to help me, or what?"

Ranger had to go. Cops could be assholes about calls like that and he didn't doubt there would be pictures taken of her naked and vulnerable by the scummier ones.

"Where do you live?"

Of course he went. And saw all Stephanie had to offer. Good God she was beautiful, even with her hair all crazy.

And he intervened again the next day, with Lonnie Dodd and got a shot in the leg for the effort. But Stephanie wasn't injured, which was more important. Stephanie Plum mattered to him. She changed the trajectory of his life.

And even deep in the depths of his mind, Ricardo Carlos Manoso knew he needed to get back to her.