Moonlight Shadow Chapter 7

Man In The Rain

She watches him playing with their twin sons and smiles. Why does he love her? She sometimes wonders. Even though she already knows the answer. She's glad the boys have his hair and eyes. She never likes being blonde. She never likes how she looks. And she flat-out hates being judged by her appearance.

She's not sweet. She's not naïve. She does have a temper and she was never into marriage or children. She loved her solitude. She enjoyed her freedom. She wanted no burden. She wanted no obligation. She wanted to be free with no strings attached. She'd never thought one day she would fall in love and change the course of her life for the man she loves.  And now here she is.  A mother of two and a loving wife. Ready to sacrifice for the man and the boys she treasures more than her own life.

A ray of sunlight catches the ring around his finger.  Her eyes fall upon his hand. Large. Steady. Warm. And firm. He sometimes reminds her of a cat. A big, feral cat that is no stranger to danger and is always alert and prepared to react and fight. Silent. Patient. Independent. Practical. And smart. He takes what he needs and knows what he wants. He never shrinks from his duty or a necessary fight. He pays attention. He focuses on the details as well as the big picture. He may not always agree but he always listens. He says so little but cares so much. And he never lies to her.

She thinks of the night they first met. She thinks of the morning she woke up to realize her love for him. She thinks of the emotion she saw in his eyes. He looks up and gives her a smile. She wraps her arms around him and kisses him back. She's always true with her feelings. She's always honest with him and herself.

And sometimes she just can't help feeling sorry for him and Stephanie Plum.



 

Happily Ever After Chapter 2

Bob Misses You

Magic. So tempting. Make a wish. Save your lost love. Get rid of your enemy...

Joe Morelli wakes up with a start. For a brief moment he doesn't know where or who he is. He yawns, sniffs the air, lifts his hind leg to scratch himself, and then blinks in confusion and freezes in mid scratching. Reality rushes back to him and somehow makes him want to laugh and cry. He's now a dog, his big orange drooling dog Bob, as a matter of fact. But no one--not even his scary Grandma who everyone believes is a most powerful witch--seems to notice a thing. As if there's basically no difference between he and Bob. 

He wants to sigh but instead lets out a whine. And what scares him the most is that he's getting used to being a dog. The food, the care, the attention, the love, the head patting and the belly rub. He actually likes his life as a pet dog. 


Being a beloved dog is way better than being a lonely cop who has just lost the woman he loves. 


A sneaky little voice in Morelli's head whispers. He lets out a sigh, closes his eyes, tries to go back to sleep and finds that he can't. His basic instincts kick in. He's hungry. He needs to pee. He wants to go out to the small front yard to dig a couple holes and smell the early morning wind. He wants to chase a bird. He wants to wag his tail. He wants to jump at a butterfly or try to catch a ladybug. He wants to bark at the neighbor's cats. He wants to scare a squirrel. He wants to patrol his territory, sniff his trees and marks the boundaries. 


He jumps unto Grandma Bella's bed, licks her face and barks happily. He's Bob Morelli, the ever so friendly and goofy beast. He has no worries or fears.  He loves pizza, pasta and sub. He loves his yummy doggie treats. He's part Labrador, part Golden Retriever, and part mastiff.


And nope, he's no Trenton police detective...       

Crazy Summer Chapter 4

Batcave Is Forever, Babe

She listens to the beautiful and harmonic music and yawns. It's not yet 9:30 in the morning but she's already sleepy. It's not her fault, really. She simply can't help it. She's never a fan of classical music. The only thing she knows about it is that Mozart died young and Beethoven was deaf...and somebody was having an affair with someone if she remembers correctly. However, she's trying her best. It's for her baby. The Batbaby. She blushes and shyly smiles. She puts her hand on her belly and looks at her ring. Her wedding ring. The sapphire and diamond ring Ranger chose and slipped onto her finger.

Her mother gaped but didn't cry or faint when she learned they were married. Her grandmother grinned like a cat but didn't say anything outrageous. Her father froze(nope, he did not drop his knife and fork), nodded slowly and resumed eating his mashed potatoes with extra gravy after a long minute. She let out the breath she had been holding(but was still grasping Ranger's hand in a death grip) and thanked God that Val and her clan were not there to ask all kinds of embarrassing and improper questions. 

Her mother spent the rest of the night staring at her belly. 
 

Connie and Lula widened their eyes upon seeing her ring and screamed, "Oh My God you are pregnant!" at the same time the next day.  
Vinnie threw his door open, stuck out his head, opened his mouth as if to speak, saw Ranger, hid back inside and locked the door.  


And Ranger only smiled.

Stephanie rolls her eyes at the memory and yawns. And once again it doesn't take long for her to finally fall asleep...

Naughty 19 Chapter 38

Stephanie can't decide. Her fingers linger on the soft fabric as she sighs. One of her eyes is going to start twitching in any minute, she's sure of that. How come her life is always so full of difficult choice? She wonders. She looks good in the cute little cocktail dress.  She looks good in the elegant knee-high evening dress. She also looks good in the sleek pant suit. But she needs to choose one. She can't buy or wear all of them at the same time. Once again she debates with herself, but still can't reach a decision. She turns to look at the man she loves with pleading eyes.  Her heart skips a beat as Ranger gives her a rare full-on smile, and she's pretty sure she just heard the saleslady moaned dreamily beside her.

Stephanie forces herself to concentrate back on the task at hand. She's glad Batman is having fun, but she's desperately in need of his help. She simply has no idea what to wear to Grandma Rosa's birthday dinner. She wants to leave a good impression. She wants to be beautiful and smart and fun and clever. She wants the Bat Family to like her. She doesn't want them to think she's not good enough for Ranger. Her anxious eyes follow Ranger as he goes to a rack and picks out a dress.

A perfect dress.

Stephanie gapes at her own reflection in the mirror and feels faint. Ranger does know everything. Everything. The creamy ivory dress fits her perfectly. And she looks just like Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday...

 

~End of Kiss 38: Batman!~

Say It Till The Morning After: A Two-Chapter Story

Say It Till The Morning After: A Two-Chapter Story

Genre: Drama/Romance
Published: 06-04-12, Updated: 06-05-12
Chapters: 2, Words: 789

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Chapter 1

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Say It Till The Morning After: A Two-Chapter Story

Chapter One

She sits with her legs tucked under her, stares at the TV screen and waits. She tries to concentrate on the rerun of The Nanny but fails. It's raining out there and the wind is a bit chilly. Her door is firmly locked and her landline is now unplugged. The iPhone she bought from one of her more enterprising skips went to heaven along with her shoulder bag and car last week. She hasn't had breakfast or lunch yet. There's nothing to eat in her fridge or cabinets. She's low on money but not hungry. It seems she has just lost all her appetite. She thinks of all her possible options and becomes more than a little nervous.

She turns off the TV, closes her eyes and prays. She feels like chewing her nails all of a sudden. She has made her decision. She will not run away in the middle of the night like a sneaky thief. She will stay and fight the fight. She knows there is always a price to pay though she still has no idea what to say. And she will never be ready for the answer she knows she won't want to hear.

She's Stephanie Plum, a 30-something bounty hunter who's not into cooking and cleaning. She has just found out she is 2 months pregnant. And yes, she knows who the father is.

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Chapter 2

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Say It Till The Morning After: A Two-Chapter Story

Chapter Two

It's close to 3 o'clock when he finally arrives. He lets himself in and locks her door. He comes to sit down besides her and puts the food on the tattered coffee table. Sandwiches, fruits salad and pumpkin soup prepared by Ella. And Baklava from a small Greek restaurant. The corners of his lips twitch into a hint of a smile as he hears her stomach growl. He's a busy man who's used to dining alone. He has a busy week ahead of him and hasn't had lunch. They eat in silence. Somewhere inside the old building Andy Williams is singing Moon River. A telephone rings and stops. The rain keeps on falling. The wind slowly dies down. She has something to tell him, and he's waiting patiently. Somehow he always knows her better than herself. And now he's intrigued by the fragile resolution he spots in her worried blue eyes.

What is she going to tell him? She's quitting her job to get married, settle down and pop out half a dozen little Cupcakes? She's not quitting her job but is determined to officially become Mrs. Joseph Morelli so that she and the cop can wave their arms and yell at each other under the same roof for the rest of their lives till the day they die? He thinks to himself and almost smiles. He raises his brow at her as she starts fidgeting and squirming like a guilty child.

"I missed the pill." She looks at him with uncertain eyes and murmurs under her breath.

His eyes widen a fraction and hold her prisoner.

"The day you...I...we..." Her shaking voice is barely a whisper.

A million thoughts rush through his mind. Child. Marriage. Freedom. Burden. Duty. Obligation. Responsibility. Friendship. Family. Routine. Schedule. Adjustments. Arrangements. Affection. Trust. And love. He calmly thinks and falls silent. She grows uneasy and becomes a little bit frustrated and frightened, he takes notice and grasps hold of her hand. Warm and soft. Delicate and fragile. Timid. But powerful. He doesn't have to make a decision. There's really no other option. And he's no stranger to change. He thinks of a line in a famous movie and actually smiles.

"Do you know how to quit Morelli, Stephanie?" Ranger asks.

Stephanie blinks, takes a deep breath and slowly nods. She has known the answer for years. Now it's time to be honest with herself and her true feelings, and from now on there will be no running away from reality. She wraps her arms around Ranger as he gently pulls her into his arms. Together they listen to the sound of Rex running on his hamster wheel. That night she moves in with him. Three days later they get married.

And she finally realizes Batcave is where her heart is.

~The End~

Happily Ever After: Sequel to MAGIC

Happily Ever After

The Sequel to MAGIC. 

Ranger and Stephanie return from their honeymoon and start their life as husband and wife. 

Happily Ever After Chapter One MAGIC

Chapter One

MAGIC

He lies awake in the dark bedroom with an almost smile on his perfect lips. Once again his bride is lying on top of him breathing softly and drooling just a little bit. She's all warm and soft. And she smells so sweet. Very gently he tightens his arms around her and closes his eyes. He listens to the sound of the murmuring sea. He listens to the sound of the whispering breeze. He thinks of the day they first met. He thinks of the fear, worry and guilt in her eyes and the chilly rain the day her moron of a skip shot him in the leg. He thinks of the night she tackled him to her living room floor. He thinks of the first night they spent together. He thinks of the night he leaned against the door and watched her sleep in his bed. He thinks of the numb calmness he always felt whenever she went missing.

She's safe now, and she's happy. Once again he tells himself and feels contented.

He always wants to keep Stephanie safe. He always understands what Stephanie thinks and how she feels. He always knows when she's near. He always knows when she's in danger and needs his help. And he always knows everything. Everything. Maybe the stories he heard as a child are true. Maybe his mother's grandfather, the tall quiet man who came from a town near the Schwarzwald, was really a wizard. Maybe he does have magic in his blood. Or maybe he's just smart and a very good observer. Ranger's smile deepens as he grasps hold of Stephanie's hand and his finger tip finds her ring.

   

Tomorrow they will leave this island and return to Trenton. And yes, he knows they will be happy. Ever after.