Naughty 19 Kiss 39

The whole room falls quiet the moment they enter. Stephanie looks around and officially becomes frightened. Familiar faces. Friendly smiles. And all those mischievous and curious eyes. She
grabs hold of Ranger's arm(yes, in a death grip)and nervously blinks. She tries very hard not to feel small or scared. They are Ranger's family. They are not going to eat her. They will probably just bury her with tons of questions. And the problem is she doesn't know if she has all the answers.  

She knows her smile must look more like a grimace, but that's the best she can manage at this moment. She hopes her eyes are not twitching. She hopes she looks smart and competent. She hopes she won't knock over and smash something and make herself look stupid. She hopes Ranger's family will like her.  She hopes they will approve of her. She hopes she can remember all the names and the faces. She hopes she knows what to do if they decide she's not good enough for their Carlos. She leans into Ranger's side and feels his warmth. She relaxes and calms down a little when he wraps an arm around her. They now share a life and are in this together. And the fact that she knows he won't let go of her helps her breathe more easily. 

Stephanie soon forgets her awkwardness once the dinner begins. The food is amazing and delicious.  She laughs along when someone tells a joke. She raises her glass and drinks to the toasts. And it doesn't take long for her to find that she really, really likes Grandma Rosa and Ranger's parents—Isabela reminds her of her always worrying mother, and it's apparent that Ranger got his smile from Juan Carlos. Grandma Rosa is so stern but so sweet. And Stephanie also knows that Ranger's elder brother and sisters and aunts and uncles and cousins are all trying their best to refrain from asking her all kinds of most interesting but embarrassing questions. Maybe it's because they are being kind and thoughtful and considerate. Maybe it's because Ranger is sitting beside her with a charming yet somewhat intimidating smile on his face. She appreciates their efforts anyway.

She actually jumps in joy when Sofía and Ariana—Ranger's elder sisters—hand her a large box of leftovers  and a giant chunk of the birthday cake and falls asleep on the drive home. When she wakes up the next morning, she's all alone in the 7-floor apartment. Ranger, as usual, has already gone to work. Stephanie lies in the heavenly king-size bed thinking. She has no memory of Ranger carrying her from the Turbo to their bed or undressing her, but she remembers her dream vividly. She blushes fiercely and covers her face.


She has just dreamed of their wedding. And their baby, the Batbaby...

~End Of Kiss 39: I Dream A Dream~

Happily Ever After Chapter 3~5

 Chapter Three

Devil And The Deep Blue Sea

Joe Morelli is a changed man. 

There's no question about that. The good and kind people of Trenton try not to stare and discreetly think to themselves. He has somehow(almost magically) become unhairy over night. He's still movie star handsome though he drools nonstop and looks eerily adorable with his tongue hanging out all the time. And whoever runs into him in the street or the park has to fight hard to suppress the urge to pat him on the head and say, "Good boy!".

Geez. The honest and hardworking people of this beautiful city wince and cringe a little and secretly cross themselves. The old saying is true, after all. Love is a most dangerous and tricky thing. It comes and goes like a ninja at its will. And the loss of love is so devastating that it will destroy a heart and break a man in a blink. Just take a look at the poor Italian Stallion. Even his goofy orange dog was effected and wouldn't stop howling for a couple days. 

Poor, poor Joseph. The kind and decent people sigh and wipe away their tears. First Stephanie. And then Vinnie. A man can only stand just so much pain. What has he done so wrong to deserve this? Hopefully he will find someone who is just right for him. Hopefully they will live happily ever after like Shrek and his princess.

Hopefully everyone will be happy. Just like Ranger and Stephanie...

Chapter Four

Mirror Mirror

Stephanie wakes up when the plane is about to land and yawns.  The both familiar and unfamiliar weight on her ring finger catches her attention. She becomes nervous and a bit uneasy. She's looking forward to starting a new life with Ranger, but now the fact that she has failed once in marriage feels too much like an unremovable stain all of a sudden. She's not a good cook or baker. She's never a great housekeeper. They are going to live in the Batcave(Yay!!!)and that means Ella won't be there to help her. And nope, there's no way she's going to let her tall dark handsome perfect muscular husband live on whatever food prepared by another woman(or takeouts, TV dinners, olive and peanut butter sandwiches and leftovers from her mother's dinner table). She wants to be able to cook something hot, healthy and delicious for her Batman once in a long, long while. She never likes feeling incapable. And she does have her pride, you know. She's now officially Mrs. Carlos Manoso. She won't allow anyone look at her dinner table, shake their head and say "Poor Ranger". She's Helen the Marvelous Chef and Great Pâtissière Plum's daughter, after all... 

 

The red-eyes sorceress looks into the ancient crystal mirror and in boiling rage bares her fangs. This is not what she has planned for Stephanie Plum. The silly wild-haired blue-eyed woman is supposed to be with the bad-tempered selfish hairy Italian and marry him when she accidentally get herself pregnant and live a ordinary life full of endless fights and quarrels. She's not supposed to marry the great grandchild of the Wizard. The angry sorceress snaps her fingers and summons her servants. She'll find out whoever are behind this and kill them all. She's impatient and merciless. She's powerful and evil. And she always gets what she wants. She's going to make things right. She narrows her eyes as the tall dark man holds Stephanie Plum's hand to his lips and kisses it. 

No! No! No! This is all wrong! This is not allowed! The sorceress hisses in resentment, clenches her fists and swears to herself. She'll make things right. She will tear them apart. She will send that woman to the place where she belongs. She'll make her become Stephanie Morelli.

For there will be no happily ever after for Stephanie Plum. Never!     

Chapter Five

A Red Red Rose

The moment the red-eyed sorceress clenches her fists in fury and snarl, the tall dark silent Sentry tilts his head a fraction and almost smiles. He and his siblings are the guardians of MAGIC. And they know this bitter cruel ugly old creature well. She was born under the Lucky Star and has a slight trace of magic in her blood. But unfortunately she's neither bright or dark enough, and thus doesn't have the true strength and talent needed to achieve greatness and cleverness. And she's allergic to true love and happiness. The Sentry closes his shining gold eyes and feels the menace in the sorceress voice as she barks out commands to her foul servants. Around him his equally tall, powerful and ferocious siblings look into the silver mirror and silently smile. They are brave, loyal and invincible. They are always ready for war. And now once again they will see to it that Fate and Love prevail.    

The fully-fenced 2-story 4-bedroom house is located in a small newly-developed upscale neighborhood 9 minutes' drive from the RangeMan building. Just like the serene 7-floor penthouse apartment, everything is sleek, simple, functional and tastefully designed. The well-equipped spotless kitchen is spacious and bright. The large German refrigerator is pack with fresh fruits, vegetables and cooked food. A vase of ruby red roses stands on the bedside table in the master bedroom. The king-size bed looks luxurious and comfortable. And outside in the living room on a table by the window, a chubby little hamster presses against the wall of his brand new hamster palace and waits in great excitement. He twitches his cute little tail happily and lets out a cheer as the heavy door opens. 


Stephanie and Ranger have come home. And now the three of them are going to live happily ever after together...Rex rolls his eyes and gives himself a mental slap. With one or two or three or even four beautiful little babies, of course.

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

---

Chapter 1

---

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.

---

Chapter 2

---

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~