A/N: Well, here's the last chapter. Thanks to all who have read and reviewed, it means a lot. For disclaimer, see chapter one. Hope you enjoy, and let me know what you think!

I wanted
I wanted you to stay
'Cause I needed
I need to hear you say
That I love you
I have loved you all along
And I forgive you
For being away for far too long
So keep breathing
'Cause I'm not leaving you anymore
Believe it
Hold on to me and, never let me go
Keep breathing
'Cause I'm not leaving you anymore
Believe it
Hold on to me and, never let me go
Keep breathing
Hold on to me and, never let me go
Keep breathing
Hold on to me and, never let me go

Three hours later I called for Bobby to come and check her over. She probably wouldn't let me when she was awake and I felt bad betraying her trust, but I needed to make sure that she was all right, and the men all love her. I set next to her head running my hands gently through her hair and playing with her curls while Bobby looked her over. He looked for any broken bones or fractures, but shook his head no when he didn't find anything, his blue eyes soft and caring.

When he was done he indicated for me to follow him out of the room. Steph let out a sound of protest in her sleep when she felt my hand leave her hair. "Shhh," I whispered, pressing a kiss to her temple.

Bobby ran a hand through his sandy blonde hair, making it stand on edge. "As far as I can tell, she's fine, just a little bruised. She may have sprained her ankle, but she could have just tripped. I don't suppose she'd see a doctor?" he asked.

I was relieved that she hadn't been hurt that badly. "Not a hope in hell, Bob," I said with a shake of my head.

"Give her this," he handed me a bottle of gel from his bag. "It'll help with the bruises. Call if you need any help."

I thanked him and walked him to the door. Bobby was the only man in the building who had anything resembling medical training – at least, pass what we got in Special Forces. We'd known each other for a long time and he was one of the members of the core team, along with Lester, Tank and I. He paused with his hand on the door handle. "It was Morelli, wasn't it?" he asked, although it was obvious he already knew. I hadn't told anyone about him cheating on Steph with Teri Gilman yet.

I nodded, and then realised he was still looking ahead of him, not moving. "I'll take care of it."

He opened the door. "Call me."

I said I would and thanked him again. Bobby wasn't one to gossip about people's personal business – doctor patient confidentiality. I knew he wouldn't confirm anyone's suspicions. I understood what he meant; he wanted in on my Blowing Morelli's Balls Off With the Biggest Gun I Could Find plan. He and a dozen others I was sure.

I looked at my watch and realised it was getting late. Stripping off my clothes as I went, I took a quick shower and changed into a pair of black silk boxers. I slipped into bed beside Steph and pulled her closer to me, her back pressed my front.

Dios, I needed her in my life. I had never realised just how much until I didn't get to see her for a year – of course returning with the intention of confessing my love only to find that she was married to another man didn't help much. I needed her underneath me at night, screaming my name in pleasure. I needed her in my arms in the morning. I needed her like I needed air to breathe. And I needed her by my side, always.

The following morning I woke up at five. I decided to forget about my morning workout as I had more pressing matter to deal with. I showered and left a note for Steph on the off chance that she woke up before I got back. Pressing a kiss to her forehead I took the elevator and told the men in the control room to keep an eye on the corridor outside my apartment.

I brought my Babe a dozen doughnuts and then went to the store to buy her some comfort food to keep her going. If she had to face salad in her state I think that would be the final straw.

She was still asleep when I returned to my apartment, so I put the food away and made a pot of coffee. I hoped to slip past Steph and have a quick shower, but when I opened the bedroom door she was thrashing around on the bed, tears streaming down her face, trapped in a nightmare that looked worse than her reality.

"Babe!" I said, trying to shake her awake.

She quickly sat up looked around, breath heavily, her chest rising and falling in a very attractive manor. God, everything little thing she does turns me on.

"Steph?" I said, a little more forcefully this time. I took her face in my hands and wiped away the salty tears staining her face. "Look at me."

Her blue eyes slowly looked up to my brown ones. "It was just a dream," I whispered against her lips. I couldn't help myself from slowly lowering mine to hers. I pulled back almost immediately, realising my mistake, but she seemed to relax slightly.

"What happened?"

She leaned into me and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "Joe…he…" she trailed off. She never was one to talk about her feelings, or her emotions, or her fears.

"Stephanie," I said, using her full name to get her attention. It worked; she stopped talking. "Your safe now. He can't get you here. I won't let him come near you and I won't ever let him hurt you again. Hell, I'll have him shipped off to the middle of Africa if you want."

She took my words in but shook her head. Damn.

"Oh, God," she said. "What's my mom going to say when she finds out I left Joe? And that I'm in your bed!"

I almost smiled. "Babe, your mother is a strict Catholic, right?"

She nodded once. "That means that the only appropriate reason for a divorce is if one commits adultery, correct?" I asked, even though I knew it was.

She nodded again. "Why?"

I opened my mouth to tell her about the affair, but decided against it for the moment. "I have something to show you later. Why don't you go and take a shower? I brought you some doughnuts and I'll have Ella get some clothes for you."

A tiny match was lit in her eyes at the mention of food. She slowly sat up and made her way to the bathroom, limping as she went. I made a mental note to give her that gel Bobby gave me and went to pour her some fresh coffee.

I felt the tape in my pocket pressing against my hip. I had video evidence of Morelli sleeping with Gilman; I didn't have any idea as to what Steph's reaction would be. I knew that she should speak to someone about what she had been through, but I also knew that the chances of that actually happening were very few. Maybe she'd talk to me or one of my men.

Steph came out of the bedroom in one of my shirts and a pair of sweats from the last time she was here, years ago. Her hair was wet and loose below her shoulder; for once she didn't look like she cared. I pulled out a chair for her and handed her a mug and the bag of doughnuts. She gave me a small smile and took a bite out of one. I took a sip of black coffee and watched her eat. I was pleased to see her eat three more, she'd lost a lot of unnecessary weight since I left. I used to make her go running, not because I was worried about her weight, but because I was worried about her health, but now I wanted to get as many calories in her as I could if it meant getting the old Stephanie Plum back.

I waited until she was dressed before I told her about her husband's affair with the silicon-boobed-bleached-blonde-mob-princess. I took the tape out of my pocket and palmed it in my hand. I sat her down on the couch and ran a hand through my hair. "I don't know how to tell you this…and I don't want to do this, but I think you need to see it," I put the tape in the played and press the 'play' button on the remote.

I had recorded the video through a window in the motel where I had followed Morelli. He was leaning over Gilman and screwing her brains out on the bed. I felt Steph tense next to me and she drew her legs up to her chest, pulling the front of my shirt over her knees. I noticed she was holding her breath and I rested my hand over hers. I wanted to stop the tape, but I needed her to see what Morelli was capable of and how much he obviously cared about her. Or didn't care.

"Oh, God!" Gilman moaned. "Oh, God, Joe!" and then she screamed. Bitch.

More tears rolled down Stephanie's cheeks, but I didn't know whether they were from sadness, pain or anger. I hopped it was the latter. It would make it easier when I killed him.

We sat in silence once the video had ended neither of us saying anything. Eventually she leaned into me and I wrapped my strong arms around her. "I'm so sorry."

She sniffled. "I should have known he wasn't working late all those nights."

"I'll make him pay for hurting you, Babe. I promise," I pressed a kiss into her wild curls.

She shook her head. "I'll take care of it."

I slowly nodded and rocked her backwards and forwards. I pulled away and looked at her, she looked exhausted. "I'm gonna go and take care of a few things at the office. Will you be all right here? I can have Lester come and keep you company," I asked. She and Lester had bonded in a way that had people slightly worried. It was never good when Lester found someone with the same sense of humour as himself.

"I'm OK," she said, brushing some stray curls out of her face.

I gave her hand a squeeze and turned around. "Call me if you need anything. I'll bring back pizza."

I stood outside the door for a moment before stepping into the elevator. I took a couple of extra weapons and told the men in the control room to watch the corridor outside my apartment while I was gone.

"I'm going after Morelli," I said to Tank. "You guys get whatever's left."

He gave me a nod and I headed for the garage. I considered kidnapping Morelli, tying him to a chair and slowly cutting off body parts, but that seemed like such a Jack Bauer thing to do. Although no amount of pain would even let him off the hook for what he did to my Babe.

I drove over the speed limit and skipped two red lights until I got to the station. I threw the door to Morelli's office open and then slammed it shut. The cop was mere inches from me in a second. His hair was hanging over his eyes, but the anger was still clear in them. He had a five o'clock shadow across his jaw and his shirt was creased.

"Where is she?" he growled at me.

I had my hand on my gun. "I've taken her where you can't hurt her," I said, trying to keep my voice calm.

"She's my wife, Manoso," he hissed, his voice low.

My hand tightened on my weapon slightly. "If you loved her you, wouldn't have hurt her."

I saw something flash through his eyes and he hesitated before he spoke, "I don't know what you're talking about."

I smirked smugly and took him by the front of his shirt, swiftly slamming him against the wall. "I know you do. In fact, Steph told me everything, I know all about your little game. Do you think it's fun hurting innocent people, you dumb fuck?" I demanded, my voiced raised slightly, but not loud enough for anyone to hear us. "Do you enjoy watching your wife suffer – the woman I love suffer? Do you get enjoyment out of her pain and tears?"

I sucked punched him in the gut because I didn't want to hear his answer. As he doubled over in pain I knelt down in front of him and whispered in his ear, "Why did you do it?"

"If you don't give her back in the next hour, I'll arrest you for kidnapping," he spat, his eyes cold and hard.

I smiled angrily and slammed him against the wall again. "Stop talking about her like she's a fucking possession. She belongs to no one, especially you. And I would never kidnap her, she came with me of her own free will," I slammed him fist into his stomach again.

"I know about the affair with Teri Gilman, and so does Steph."

His head shot up and his dark brown eyes met mine, full of hatred and rage. "You have no proof."

"Yes I do. I showed my Babe a videotape of the two of you going at it in a motel room," I smiled at the reaction I got from him. Guilt, but it was probably guilt from getting caught.

"Now here's what's going to happen, you are going to ask her for a divorce, you are going to give up everything, you are going to request a transfer out of the state and you are going to leave her alone. No one will ever have to know about any of this, but if you so much as look at her after this, I will kill you," I hissed. "I can have the divorce finalised by Monday. This is non negotiable," I waited a few seconds for my words to sink in before hitting him in the face, knocking him unconscious. He fell to the floor and I kicked him for good measure. I didn't think it would be wise to kill him at a police station.

I closed the door silently behind me, acting like I hadn't just beaten the crap out of one of the top officers, and drove back to RangeMan. I nodded to Tank as I walked to the elevator. "He's all yours."

Steph was lying on the couch, wrapped in the blanket I brought from Morelli's house. A plate was sitting on the coffee table in front of her with cake crumbs on. I smiled and sat down, lifting her head gently so she was lying on my lap. It was a good few minutes before she spoke.

"Is he…"

"He's going to ask for a divorce and then a transfer. I can have everything taken care of by Monday."

She shifted and sat up. We sat in silence for a while longer before I worked up the courage to say what I wanted to since the day she walked through the door of that diner and into my life. "Listen, Steph," I started, searching for the right words but not finding any. "I know that it's going to be a long time before you can properly trust people, especially men, again. But I was wondering, when you're feeling better...maybe we could try a...aw fuck it!" I said, slamming my lips down onto hers in a gentle yet passionate kiss. When I felt her start to kiss me back I pulled away.

"I love you, Ranger," she mumbled. "I love you so much. Thank you for saving me."

"Not a problem, Babe. Never a problem. I love you too."

Days later word had gotten around the 'Burg that she had left Morelli. People must have put two and two together, as the cop got the shit beaten out of him several times. He had injuries that matched those he gave Steph and then some. I had paid him another visit late last night and helped him to 'fall down the stairs'. I had hoped he wouldn't bother her again, but I had arranged it so that he transferred to Boston, where I could have one of the men from RangeMan Boston watch him. And it would give them something to hit when they got bored.

Steph had decided to stay at my apartment for the moment, which was more than OK with me. I didn't push her into anything she didn't want to do. She spend most of her time either watching movies on the plasma screen or running searches on skips that she'd ask me to get for her. The men were all very caring with her, but she still jumped and flinched whenever anyone silently touched her from behind to get her attention. We hadn't goten much further than the odd peck on the mouth. I knew it would be a while before she was back to normal, but I was willing to wait because I loved her. And when she was ready, we'd finally be happy together.

I know the comment about Jack Bauer was a bit out of character, but who knows what Ranger watches - if anything - in his spare time. Hope you enjoyed it!