This is my first fan fiction ever! Please R&R.

All characters belong to Janet Evanovich.

Babe fic, but Morelli friendly.

Story after LMT.

I was trying to remember why I wasn't sleeping at 4:30 in the morning, when a pair of black sweatpants fell onto my lap and a black sports bra hit my face. Ranger came into my line of vision and I understood that he wanted to take me running.

"Babe, wake up."

"I'm not going and you can't make me."

Ranger just looked at me until I finally pulled my t-shirt off to put on my sports bra. I saw Ranger's eyes darken after my shirt was off.

"We need to get you into shape if you're ever going to outrun your skips."

"We?"

"Tank, Lester, Cal, and I decided to take you running with us from now on."

"I don't need to go running."

"Babe, yesterday."

Shit. He remembered what happened yesterday. I would have liked to forgotten that yesterday I went after a skip and lost him because he could outrun me. Yesterday was embarrassing!

"I could have caught him if I wanted to; I just didn't need to money that badly."

Ranger just looked at me. We both knew that I couldn't outrun the skip and that I really need the money that I would have gotten.

"What are you two doing in there?" Tank yelled from my living room.

"You brought them to my apartment?"

"We're not running at RangeMan and it takes less time if I don't have to go back to Haywood to get them after you."

I sighed, got out of bed, and pulled on my sweatpants.

"Fine, I'll go running, but only this morning. Don't expect me to do this everyday."

I could see the corners of Ranger's mouth twitch just a fraction. I guess he was amused with me.

"Just another half a mile, Bombshell," Lester said.

"You can do it, we're almost there, Stephanie," encouraged Cal.

Finally, we stopped running. I don't know how long we went for or where the hell I am right now, but I can quit running at least.

Ranger walked over to where I was laying flat on my back, spread-eagled.

"If you stand up we'll take you back to your apartment, babe."

"Hunh."

"Tank, go back to RangeMan. I'll call when I need a ride; I want to talk to Steph for a little while."

I was peeling off my running clothes and ready to hop into the shower when I heard the front door open. I wrapped myself in a towel and peeked out my bedroom door. Ranger was looking at me. He walked towards me as soon as he saw me and let himself into my bedroom. His eyes darkened for the second time that morning as he was looking at my body.

"I heard the car drive off a minute ago."

"I know, I need to talk to you this morning. How come you haven't been seeing Morelli lately?"

Unh! Mental head slap. Of course he was going to find out sooner or later that I haven't been with Morelli since the thing with Petiak and my ex-husband.

"We're in the off-again phase."

"Why?"

Why do you care?

"I care about you. You seem happier now."

Damn. Did I really say that out loud?

"What makes you think I'm happier now?"

"You just seem happier, I can't explain it."

"I think we'll just stay in the off-again phase, permanently."

TBC…