New Story and Sequel to Redemption: The Absolution.
No sooner than you guys talked me into doing a sequel, I kind of had the story in my head, and began typing. So, thought I’d go ahead and put up the first chapter, and give you a taste. However, as I was typing, I just could not jump into weaving a happy ever after for Stephanie. Why? Because at this point I didn’t think she deserved it. A friend who read part of the first chapter, mentioned that in hearing both their voices, they seemed to be thinking totally opposite. Yes, and it will be a while before they are trusting and thinking together on the same wave length.
The revelation in the doctor’s office at the end of Redemption was only the beginning of their long journey ahead. I made a note in the first chapter of the new story about how I personally feel. If you want to talk about your own point of view, here is the place. This was my note:
A/N – I’m sorry, I know a lot of you side with Stephanie, but when I began writing again, I just couldn’t. My own mother is worse than her mother, Helen. I may not be right either, but I just never would or could be as aloof or irresponsible thinking as she is. I always strived to do better, and it wasn’t easy because I didn’t have just a little devil on my shoulder saying I couldn’t do anything right, I had TWO parents saying that at the same time. So, I’m sorry, she may be a nice person, but come on? The secrets, the lies, the two-timing. I just can’t give her all my sympathy in this story.
I have a friend like her that I tried to help repeatedly over the years. She was pretty, the guys liked her, she was fun. However, she had a difficult upbringing as well. Daddy abandoned the family, and left them destitute, he was rich, a doctor, never paid any child support. She always had to have a man, always picked the wrong ones, always made the wrong choices. Well, her looks began to fade, she ended up on painkillers, later she was stealing, men set her out, and I had to cut her loose as a friend. I had my own family, and you don’t lie or steal from me when I’m trying to help you. The last time, I bought her clothes, gave her some silver jewelry. She lost the earrings in less than a week. Ironically, she even had a baby that died. Her one and only. Poor little thing had severe birth defects.
She uses men, and even her friends to putter through life, and I’m sorry, but that is Stephanie Plum in a nutshell. What it boils down to is that she may not like to be dependant on anyone, like have someone telling her what to do, but even in the books when she needs money or a place to stay, she goes to the men in her life. Like my friend, she has learned to be a user. Has no appreciation for anything, not even gifts from friends. Now, she’s just reaping the consequences of her actions, and she is damn lucky that Ranger is giving her the time of day. I don’t care what he did in the beginning or the end. He did a lot for her, invested his time and money in her, gave her protection, helped her all the time, but he had no obligation to her. They were friends with benefits. We forget sometimes that Morelli, not Ranger, was her boyfriend.
So we shall see if Stephanie Plum goes the way of my friend or if she finally decides to grow up, and begin making unselfish, and responsible decisions. I promise you that that would be the one and only reason why Ranger would take Angel away from her altogether.
