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Interlude Two
Thanksgiving Plans
(Stephanie)
Stephanie sat on the brown couch and flipped through the files Connie had provided. None of them were remotely high-bond, but, after Kenny Mancuso, Stephanie needed a break from potential psychos. Of course, even after paying Ranger and giving Lula some of the money, it had been a nice, tidy sum. Definitely enough to ensure Caleb would get everything he wanted for Christmas.
Of course, with that set aside, she now needed to rustle up some money for rent for December. She did have enough money in savings, but she didn't want to touch that unless she had to.
Right now, it looked like she may not have to if she brought in these skips. Taking another look, Stephanie realized that, after sending a portion home for Caleb and Grandma Plum, it would be borderline if she would have the money to buy groceries or not. Then again, she could always go to her parents' house to eat, even if that did mean her parent-induced facial tic threatened to become permanent.
“So, what are your plans for Thanksgiving?” Connie asked while typing.
“Probably go to Newark,” Stephanie murmured, not looking up from her file until she noticed the typing had stopped. “What?” she asked, when she spotted Connie staring at her , mouth open.
“You're spending it with Grandma Plum?” she squeaked.
Stephanie rolled her eyes. “It's not that big a deal,” she deflected, regretting having said anything. “I lived in Newark for years after my divorce,” she pointed out. “My parents never said anything about it. Besides they haven't said anything about their plans.”
Connie continued to stare for several minutes before shaking her head and glancing down at her keyboard. “You're right, Steph,” she agreed.
“It's not gossip, Connie,” Stephanie cautioned, dreading the thought that the Burg would get a hold of the information. One of the gossips or someone else would be bound to head to Newark to check things out for themselves and see Caleb. The last thing she wanted to do was ruin their lives by having her Grandma and Caleb fodder for the Burg rumor mill.
Connie looked slightly offended, but the hint of guilt in her eyes was enough to convince Stephanie she was right to admonish her friend.
“Of course, Steph,” Connie soothed. “I'm going to a big 'Family' gathering,” she informed, ending with an eye roll.
Stephanie winced with sympathy. “Good luck with that,” she offered before rising. Indicating the files in her hand, she said“I'd better get these done. I need to be sure I have money for Black Friday. Later!”
“See you later, Steph,” Connie called out.
Stephanie slipped outside and zipped her jacket against the November chill. That had been too close. She needed to be careful not to mention Newark to anyone. Not only would that gossip cause problems for her parents, but it wasn't the wisest thing to make people aware of her weaknesses.
Sighing as she slipped behind the wheel of her car, she pushed those thoughts aside and focused on getting her first skip.
(Ranger)
Disconnecting the call, Ranger let his head gently thunk against his desk. Still frustrated, he lifted his head and let it drop again. With his head resting on the desk, he took a deep breath and slowly released it.
“I take it your mother called?” Tank observed.
Sighing once more, Ranger sat up and looked at his friend who was leaning in the doorway. “How did you know?”
Tank chuckled slightly. “She's the only one I know who can frustrate you that much. Almost makes you seem human,” he teased.
Ranger just narrowed his eyes and glared at Tank. It was a pretty convincing glare if one didn't take into account the corners of Ranger's mouth being upturned. “She wants us there for Thanksgiving dinner,” Ranger informed.
Tank's eyes widened and his skin was suddenly several shades paler. “Us?” he asked.
A nod was the only response Ranger gave him.
Looking up at the ceiling, Tank sighed and closed his eyes. He opened his eyes as he looked back at Ranger. “Did you tell her about Gaines?”
“I tried to,” Ranger admitted. “She shouldn't let me get a word in edgewise.”
Tank sighed again and then rubbed a hand across the back of his neck. “Is everyone going to be there?” he asked, his voice hesitant and filled with dread.
Ranger's face was solemn as he nodded affirmative.
Both men knew it would be complete and utter chaos. When it came to holidays, Ranger's mother didn't know how to do small. They had managed to avoid it since moving back to Trenton. Their first Thanksgiving out of the service had been more than enough to teach them not to accept. They had lived through bombings and battles that were less chaotic and noisy.
With another sigh, Tank said, “I'll go give Bobby and Lester the bad news.”
Ranger just nodded and watched the larger man leave.
Turning his attention back to the file he had been reading, he tried to force thoughts of family holidays out of his head. They never went well. It was just one more reason he usually avoided them.
Never and outgoing person to begin with, his training had taught him how to keep secrets and reveal nothing. It was something at which he excelled. That translated to avoiding a whole lot of questions from a whole lot of people at his mother's house on Thanksgiving. It would be a stressful way to spend the evening, but at least they would have until about four thirty to catch Gaines. That would give them time to drop him off, get cleaned up and drive down for dinner which would be served at six.
Leaning back in his chair, he briefly contemplated having the Control Room page them sometime around seven or seven thirty. That way they could make the excuse that they had to leave for business.
That sounded like an excellent plan, actually. Unfortunately, he could already picture his mother's face as they told her they had to leave.
Ranger cringed. There really was no getting out of it.
Besides, maybe if they went to Thanksgiving, they could avoid Christmas dinner instead. While Christmas dinner was always much calmer, all his nieces and nephews running around was enough to make the day miserable. Besides, Christmas was one of the best days of the year to catch skips.
Christmas was still a month away, though, so there was still time to plan around it. That was, of course, providing he could avoid the Christmas invitation at Thanksgiving dinner.
With one more sigh, Ranger stood up, closed the file and headed up to his apartment to change. He needed to do something active for a while and get his mind off of holidays.
“No, Mama... No... I ca... It's not... *sigh*... Fine. Bye, Mama.”
Christmas Eve
(Stephanie)
Stephanie sighed as she snuggled into her bed, a smile on her face.
Though she knew it wasn't exactly nice or proper, she couldn't help her joy at the thought of her parents and Grandma Mazur being across the country in California with Val, Steve and the girls. That trip meant that she didn't have to come up with an excuse to not be in Trenton.
She loved her Christmases with Caleb and Grandma Plum. For the past few years she'd been able to claim work or poor weather or some other reason for not going to her parents' house and they hadn't pushed. She was fairly certain they knew she spent her holidays with Grandma Plum and couldn't help but be thankful they didn't hold it against her.
The first two Christmases with Caleb hadn't been too different. He was too small to really participate in opening gifts, but the past two years had been a lot of fun. She was really looking forward to tomorrow.
There was a small tug at her heart at the thought Ranger wouldn't be with them, but it passed quickly. The man was still little more than a co-worker and mentor. As of now, he wasn't even really a friend, tough they were getting closer to that. It may not be everything, but it was more than they'd had before.
Her mind also wandered to Joe Morelli. He could still stir her blood. They had never really had a relationship before, just a few encounters and seeing each other in school. She knew more about him through gossip than she did from her interactions with him. Still, he wasn't nearly as awful as she had thought he would be. As far as she could tell, growing up had agreed with Joe Morelli and made him even more of a threat to women's good sense and self-control.
If only he didn't feel it necessary to lie to her and withhold information she needed...
Still, he watched out for her when their paths crossed and that make-out session in the car back in early November had stirred up her hormones something fierce.
As sleep finally began to overcome her, she forced thoughts of bounty hunting, Ranger and Joe out of her head and thought of the smiles and squeals of delight she would hear in the morning.
(Ranger)
He knew all the stories about Christmas and how it was supposed to be the most joyous time of year, but for him, it was also one of the most profitable.
Though skips from Vinnie had been a little scarce this past week, his contacts in the government had a few people who might be in his neck of the woods come Christmas.
As with most people, criminals liked to come home for Christmas as well. It made Christmas Eve and Christmas day prime times to bring skips and wanted men into custody. Sure, it might ruin their family's Christmas, but, Ranger felt very little sympathy for them. After all, the people he brought in were usually killers and their actions had ruined other family's Christmases and their lives.
“How much longer we going to wait?” Bobby asked, his voice slightly muffled as he spoke through the collar of his down jacket.
Ranger's lips twitched a little in amusement. Bobby and Tank were both from warmer climates and hated the Winters here in New Jersey. “Until thirty minutes after the lights go out. We should be able to break in and take him quietly then.”
Bobby just nodded.
A while later the last lights in the house turned out. Now they were on the clock, giving everyone time to settle into sleep.
This was also a time when Ranger was usually focused completely on the mission, on what had to be done.
Tonight, however, his mind wouldn't focus on reviewing the floor plan of the house or on the security system they would have to bypass. His mind was focused on Stephanie Plum. He knew she had left town at Halloween and Thanksgiving. He had been in the office when she mentioned spending Christmas out of town as well. He was pretty sure she had mentioned Newark, but it wasn't really his concern.
Besides, if he really wanted to know, he could always run a background check on her. He hadn't bothered earlier because he hadn't expected her to last a week in the job. The fact that she had impressed him. Besides, from his own observations, he could tell she was no threat to him, his family, his friends, his security or his company.
A glance at the clock told him he had ten minutes to get his head in the game. Breaking and entering was something they'd done before. Essentially, they were kidnapping the skip from his home. It was dangerous, but it had worked well in the past.
Looking through his night-vision goggles at the house in question, he could see that no one was up and about.
Tonight they were testing out a new thermal imaging scanner for a friend in the army. Bobby was using it on the front of the house and Lester was using it on the back.
“Anything?” Ranger asked into the headsets they were using to communicate.
“Nope, everyone in the front is horizontal,” Bobby replied.
“Ditto the back,” Lester said.
“Everyone move into positions,” Ranger ordered. He checked to make sure he had his weapons and the restraints before slipping out of the truck, all thoughts of Stephanie, his family and Christmas forgotten.
Ranger sat in the cold car, the driver's window cracked just slightly to prevent fogging.
Happy New Year
(Stephanie)
Stephanie sat in front of the television and flicked through a few more channels.
She'd managed to free herself to spend the week in Newark and was loathe to see it come to an end.
Come January second, however, she needed to be in the bonds office to check on new files.
Even now, knowing she still had a day with him, she could feel the pain of separation beginning. It had only been a few months so far and, truth be told, she knew she wouldn't give up her job, but being away from Caleb for so long tore at her heart.
She could tell it wore on Caleb as well. He still supported her and told her he was proud of her, but when she got home, his hugs lasted a little longer, he was more clingy and their goodbyes brought a quiver to his chin.
Brushing a stray lock of hair off his face, she wondered if it was really worth it; if she was actually hurting both herself and Caleb instead of helping them with income.
Her mind drifted back to a conversation she and Grandma Plum had after she brought in Morelli and was finally healed enough to visit.
“It's a good start, Grandma,” Stephanie said. “But, I'm not sure it's worth it, especially since it keeps me so far from Caleb. And the danger... How can I possibly bring that into your lives? Into his life?”
Grandma Plum covered Stephanie’s hand with her own and squeezed gently, bringing the younger woman's words to a halt. She stared into her granddaughter's eyes and informed, “After your divorce and your move here, there was a part of you that seemed missing. You were no longer the girl I had known or even the one Edna told me about. Oh, don't look so surprised. She may not have thought your father the right man for your mother, but she knew how much we loved you girls and made sure to call with updates.”
Allowing several seconds to pass so Stephanie could absorb the information, she continued, “I saw some of that spark come back when Caleb was born. I rejoiced in it. But the fire that always seemed to make you glow from within, that didn't return until you started this job. The return of that fire is one of the most amazing things about you. Few people in this life have it, and fewer still ever let it show.
“This may not be the most convenient job, the safest job, or even the one you think you desire, but it is the one that fits you. And when you find a fit like that, you don't let go of it,” Grandma Plum concluded.
“But, Caleb...” Stephanie began, only to be cut off by her grandmother once again.
“Caleb has seen the change in you too,” the older woman assured. “He believes you're Wonder Woman, running around and chasing bad guys. The other day, he asked me if you had a 'Lasso Of Truth',” she laughed.
Stephanie smiled and felt her worry slip away.
Remembering that conversation, she allowed her current worry to dissipate as well.
Her son thought she was Wonder Woman and he wanted to grow up to be Batman. She smiled as she thought of how she teasingly called him Baby-Batman and the vociferous “I am not a baby!” protest it engendered.
Her smile slipped slightly, though, as she remembered his half-asleep question from the same night as her conversation with Grandma Plum. “If you're Wonder Woman, is Batman my dad?”
Even remembering the question, her heart clenched. “Yes, baby,” she had replied, kissing his forehead, but he had already been asleep.
She had to admit that she had been lucky up to this point in that Caleb never asked about his father. That question had been the first time she had been confronted with it. She realized she would have to have an answer ready for when he was awake and not teasing her.
Flicking to the channel that would show the ball drop in New York City, she noted she still had five minutes of the old year left. Five minutes of the year that had completely shaken her view of life. It wasn't just the job, it was meeting Ranger – Carlos.
Though she tried to deny it, she knew in the depths of her soul that he was Caleb's father. There was no question. Yes, a paternity test would be needed, but there really was no denying it.
Her mouth quirked slightly at the thought of Ranger as Batman. He did wear black, lead a dangerous and mysterious life and he had a really cool car. So, in a way, she hadn't lied when she told Caleb his father was Batman.
Of course, if she was Wonder Woman, she couldn't help but wondered to her invisible jet.
Shaking Caleb slightly, she softly called, “Hey, wake up, sleepyhead. It's almost time.”
Caleb grumbled and slowly came awake. That was definitely something he inherited from her.
“Mama,” he murmured, blinking sleepily.
Stephanie lifted him into her lap, smiling. He had stopped calling her mama on a regular basis when he was three, but it would still come out every now and then. “It's midnight. The ball is about to fall.”
At this announcement, Caleb perked up and forced his eyes open.
Together, they watched the new year begin.
Stephanie kissed her boy on the cheek and ushered him up to bed, flicking the television off as they left and turning off the lights on her way upstairs.
After seeing Caleb tucked in for the night, she retired to her own room filled with the promise of a bright and joy-filled new year.
(Ranger)
On the other hand, being down there mingling among the pretentious and snobby wasn't his thing either.
For about the fourteenth time in the past hour he asked himself why he was here working instead of taking the night off to be with someone.
He knew the answer, of course. This was the mayor's New Year's Eve party. Anyone who was anyone was here – supposedly. Normally TPD would have someone at the ball, but the mayor had specially requested Rangeman handle security tonight. Several of the wealthy ladies would be wearing their best jewelry to the black tie affair and the mayor felt that Rangeman would be less conspicuous.
The price was right and the building a good one. The party was by invitation only and the caterers and wait staff had been thoroughly screened. There were no last minute changes in staffing, which was a plus. A metal detector and wands were at the front door. The mayor had been hesitant to use such methods, but after explaining the benefits, he agreed.
Being a smart businessman, Ranger had been down among the throng for several hours, shaking hands and networking. He had at least five business cards in his jacket pocket, all of which came with requests for meetings and quotes.
Increasing business and the good reputation of his company were the only reasons he could tolerate being around so many fake people. Oh, he knew and understood why they behaved the way they did. After all, how many personas did he have? But being around people who were pretending wore on him after a while.
As he scanned the crowd on the monitor, a lady with curly brown hair caught his attention. He knew it wasn't Stephanie, not only were the curls the wrong shade of brown, but the person to whom they belonged was a good six inches shorter and had a different body build than his Babe. Despite the difference, the curls still triggered thoughts of Stephanie.
She was the most genuine person he knew. There were times she tried to act brave or tough, but her eyes gave her away every time.
Something on one of the screens caught his eye. Zooming in on that section of the image, he spotted a man subtly release the clasp of a diamond bracelet a lady was wearing and catch it as it fell.
He quickly notified his team and let Bobby, who was also on monitors, know that he would see to the situation and notify the mayor. Obviously the mayor's check into his guests wasn't quite as thorough as he thought.
Sitting in front of monitors watching a fancy soirée was not the way anyone wanted to spend their New Year's Eve.
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