Disclaimer: Spoilers for books 1-10. Not mine, not making anything, don't really anticipate returning Ranger anytime soon…Janet owns every fucking person in this story, and it just plain pissed me off! I mean, she's got Diesel, so what does she need Ranger for? I'll be MORE than happy to take him off her hands…

This is the direction I wish Ten Big Ones had taken. I'd like to thank Kym and Jenny for reading the beginning of this and encouraging me to continue, and Angie, Cara and Connie for the fabulous input they contributed. And last but not least, to Jenny, for spotting the multitude of mistakes and grammar errors. Bless you, Babe!

This one's for Tara.

Just For A Moment…

Chapter 1

STEPH STOOD THERE IN the middle of chaos, with her arms crossed in front of her protectively, feeling curiously detached from the devastation that surrounded her. She was alive, unhurt for the most part, and the bad guys were dead or out of commission.

She could hear the sirens from several police and emergency vehicles racing towards her, accompanied by the muted moans of pain that came from all around her. Many lay bleeding, and still more were ominously silent, no longer voicing their taunts and grabbing at her clothes and hair. For the time being, there was only Sally and Steph standing there, staring around them in morbid fascination at the amount of destruction.

The screeching tires of cars and the blaring of sirens began to drown out even the loudest of the injured, as the almost peaceful clearing was instantly transformed into a cacophony of sound and movement when several cars and trucks invaded the playground. Amid the shouts of police and medical personnel who arrived with those vehicles, she could barely discern the sound of a high performance engine as it joined the melee.

Coldness slowly began to invade her limbs, her thoughts frozen. She was aware of the activity around her, but felt removed from it, almost as if she were watching a movie. She understood the events that had happened, could even describe them, but she didn't feel them. She couldn't feel herself.

Several forms separated from the crowd, moving towards her as she stood off to the side. The first to reach her was Ranger, cautiously assessing her face and body. The visual damages were easily observed, but he seemed to be looking deeper as he studied her face and body language, frowning as he watched her hands clutch her clothing around her, noting the way she held herself stiff, unyielding.

He tentatively reached out a hand, a soft "Babe?" emitting from his lips as he stopped in front of her. She stared at his face unseeing, the taunts from Junkman and his crew still fresh in her mind. A shudder rippled through her, and as a muffled "Fuck" escaped his mouth, he turned, yelling out to Tank, who'd arrived in his own SUV right after Ranger. "Get a blanket. She's in shock!"

She felt his arms enclose her ever so slowly, enveloping her in warmth and security, even though their grasp was light. Her head began to clear, and then she became aware that she was shivering uncontrollably, gulping in air to her suddenly starved lungs. She felt his hand begin to rub her back lightly, running in soothing circles and murmuring softly in Spanish, until she began to take calmer, shallower breaths.

Her newfound solace was suddenly ripped from her as hands grabbed her from behind, dragging her away from Ranger's embrace and hauling her against a tense, hard body. She didn't hear the stiffly relieved "Cupcake!" Nor did she recognize the familiarity of the arms that now held her fastened to him.

She screamed, attracting the attention of everyone at the scene. They watched as she relived the nightmare again. She felt the hands grasping at her clothes, her hair, her skin, their ragged nails scraping her as the taunts and threats goaded her to answer their charges. She fought furiously, squirming and wriggling to escape the hands that held her, sobs of fear and anger wrenched from her mouth, before her face was shoved into a hard chest.

The angry retort of "Morelli!" didn't register to her panicked mind, but the tension did. That thickness in the air only re-enforced the aura of hate and fear she'd felt when she'd been surrounded by the Slayers, causing her to redouble her efforts to free herself.

She continued to struggle, caught up in the recent events as if they were happening to her again, using her nails to scrape unprotected skin, until her knee finally connected with something soft and she was abruptly released.

She felt herself falling, and as she hit the ground, she heard a familiar voice calling out to her urgently, pleadingly. Her father.

"Stephanie! It's all right, you're safe. I'm here, Pumpkin. Daddy's here." His calm voice had an almost immediate effect. She was seven years old again, and her attempt to fly off the roof of the garage had resulted in a broken arm and a battered dream. His very presence hit her the same way now as it did then – stifling the hysteria and wrapping her in comfort.

Frank waited patiently until he knew she was aware of his identity, before reaching out and gently pulling her to him, allowing her to bury her face in his sweater. His hands lifted momentarily, and she felt a soft blanket settle around her shoulders, even as his hands returned to their former positions to soothe and reassure.

She didn't seem to notice when he lifted his head and shot a scathing look at Joe Morelli, nor did she hear the anger his voice as he chastised the detective for his callously abrupt behavior.

"Morelli, couldn't you put aside your selfish thoughts for a micro-second and think about how she would react when you grabbed her? You're a police officer, for Christ's sake! You should recognize the symptoms of shock by now!" He shook his head in frustration, and then lowered his mouth to his daughter's ear, whispering softly as he tried to soothe her trembling.

The cop was still hunched over, grimacing at the pain caused by Steph's well-placed knee. He slowly stood up, his face flushed with anger and embarrassment.

"Dammit! She's my girlfriend! I should be the one comforting her, not him!" he said, pointing his chin at Ranger. His eyes glittered as he watched the father comfort his daughter, a fresh wave of anger washing over him as he visualized Manoso's arms around her. He hadn't meant to scare her, but seeing the thug touch her had pissed him off; she was his! Ranger had no business even being here in the first place! If he'd just left her alone, she wouldn't be in this mess!

He noticed Ranger and Tank standing nearby, their faces blank as they kept a watchful eye on the two kneeling on the asphalt, occasionally lifting their gazes to scan the area for possible threats. He wished they'd leave; he needed to get her out of there and back to his house before they got her under their spell again. Right now would be the perfect time to get her to quit that asinine 'job' of hers. She was such a joke at it, and he was tired of everyone laughing at him because of her. Her mother even agreed…she was making him look like such an idiot!

Ranger silently studied Morelli as he watched father and daughter. As much as he ached to be the one holding and reassuring Steph, he was glad her father was there to keep the cop from lecturing her. He recognized the look on the cop's face and stiffened internally, his gaze narrowing.

It was obvious to him that Morelli was itching to lay into her about her chosen lifestyle – mainly her job and her association with him and his men. That scene was something he wasn't going to allow happen, if Steph would agree to let him step in. Stephanie Plum was an amazing woman, and she deserved so much better from this man who supposedly loved her than the constant nagging and bitching he meted out on a daily basis.

Even as frustrated as he was at her for stunning Hal and leaving the safety of RangeMan, he couldn't see the sense in castigating her for tonight's fiasco. She'd already more than paid the price for her lack of judgment, as well as his own stupidity. He should've included her on their findings and impressed upon her the need for caution, since they hadn't yet received verification that the man arrested was indeed Junkman. She should have been warned; it had been his responsibility, and now he was to blame.

It was another minute or two before one of the EMTs made it over to them, having been occupied with checking injuries on the living and indicating to the police those which were beyond their services.

As the medic crouched next to Frank and Steph, Tank leaned forward and whispered to Ranger, "The Uzi's taken care of. Lawyer will meet Sally at the station when they take him in. We're clear here."

Ranger's expression never changed; he simply nodded his head a millimeter in acknowledgement and continued to keep a close eye on the woman who, by turns sassed, amused, frustrated, and beguiled him. Tonight, she worried him. She wasn't acting like the same Steph he was accustomed to seeing. She seemed lost.

He watched as she started to calm down under her father's soothing ministrations, and then waved away the EMT when he tried to assist her in in standing. Even though she was clearly shaking when she stood, Steph seemed to regain a little bit of that attitude that had drawn Ranger from the start so long ago in that café.

Once she had regained her footing, she began to scan the crowd around her agitatedly, stopping when she spotted Ranger. A look of relief washed over her face, before she turned back to her father.

"I'm okay now, Daddy," she murmured.

"Pumpkin?" he questioned, not quite ready to let her go yet.

She glanced over her shoulder at Ranger, before turning back to Frank. "He'll keep me safe."

Frank's eyes took in the bounty hunter, remembering the one time he had come to their row house with Stephanie for dinner. He could tell by the look in the younger man's eyes that his daughter's faith in the man was justified. He nodded his acceptance, placing a kiss on her forehead, before wrapping her in a hug and sending her on her way.

Stephanie clutched the blanket around her as she hesitantly began to move towards Ranger. She glanced up and blushed at his intense gaze.

She stopped a few inches in front of him, studying his expression for any sign of anger or disappointment. He was wearing his usual blank face, which didn't surprise her, but what did shock her was the emotion she was able to glimpse in his eyes – so much so that she had to catch her breath. Relief, guilt, pride, and something she couldn't identify had softened his dark eyes, making it impossible to tear her gaze away. She could almost hear him say 'Proud of you, Babe.'

She felt the sting of tears start in her eyes, and to cover her embarrassment at what she perceived as weakness, she lowered her gaze, leaning in to his chest just as his arms came around her. Stupid tears. She snuggled into his embrace, inhaling deeply to draw his familiar comforting scent into her nostrils. His hands began to rub soothing circles around her back as he lowered his head, his lips a breath away from her ear.

"You okay now, Babe?"

She shivered as his breath brushed her face, stirring the hair around the side of her head where his mouth was. She nodded, not trusting herself to keep from moaning in sheer bliss if she were to open her mouth to voice a response. She'd felt safe when her father had held her, but this was infinitely better. This was heaven!

His arms tightened slightly as he chuckled inwardly, all too aware of her reasons for staying silent. He was having much the same reaction; he'd just simply learned to hide it from her better – although if they'd been anywhere a little more private right then, he'd shelve this whole 'my life doesn't lend itself to relationships' crap he'd fed her in a heartbeat. This time, the danger had been a little too close for comfort, and his chance for a possible 'someday' with Steph might've never happened. That scenario was unacceptable.

He felt her push slightly against his chest, and he loosened his hold, allowing her to draw back far enough to lift her eyes to his. "Um, I…uh, was wondering…can I go back to RangeMan…with you?" At his questioning look, she rushed on, hoping she didn't sound as inept as she felt. "Uh, Val's still in my apartment, and I don't think I can stomach my mother for even a few days. At least, not until she's had time to iron most of this out of her system." Either that, or drink herself into a stupor long enough to let Val find her own place, and I can get some peace and quiet without all the lectures...

Ranger burst out laughing, hugging her to him while he brought his mirth under control. "God Babe, you're priceless!"

He continued to cuddle her to his chest, ignoring the startled looks from everyone around him. Never had anyone, with the possible exception of Tank, heard so much as a chuckle from the man before; the general consensus was that the laughter had to have come from someone else. The idea of Ranger Manoso laughing just didn't seem to compute.

Stephanie hid her embarrassment in the Man in Black's chest, not sure whether to be pissed or pleased at Ranger's laughter. She really didn't think she could handle being the butt of anyone's jokes right now – especially his.

"So is that a 'yes'?" she mumbled into his T-shirt, afraid to lift her head and see the amusement on his face. She felt her chest clench at a horrible thought. What if he said no? How could she regroup and get through the next few days without his support? She needed it, needed him…

Ranger stilled and leaned back a little, lifting her face with a finger under her chin. He saw the bright eyes that heralded the beginnings of tears, instantly realizing the fragility of her emotional state at the moment. He suddenly felt remorseful for laughing. She may be the strongest woman he'd ever met, but right now, her mind was still running over the events she's experienced tonight, and he refused to be responsible for tearing down what few defenses she had left any more than they already were.

"Yeah, Babe, that's a 'yes.' How about I call Ella and have her fix you some happy food?" His voice was soft, caressing her battered emotions with its tender intonations.

She took a moment to swallow the lump in her throat and collect her herself. "M'kay. Th…that would be g…good." She sighed, the tightness in her chest easing a little as she melted against him again. At least he wasn't abandoning her just when she needed him most. He was showing his unwavering support yet again – one of the many reasons she found herself falling for him more deeply than either of them had anticipated. Who knew?

He turned them around, gently steering her towards the Porsche he had arrived in not so very long ago. He helped her into the passenger seat of the sports car, buckling her in and tucking the blanket around her. He knew it wouldn't be a good idea to keep the blanket inside the seatbelt; a minor case of claustrophobia wasn't unusual in cases like this, and he didn't want to cause her any more panic. Not tonight, and certainly not on his watch.

He kissed her forehead as she leaned back into the seat, murmuring that he'd "be right back" as he gently closed the door. He took out his phone, hitting speed dial seven and requesting Ella to have some 'happy food' ready when they returned.

She solemnly agreed, telling him everything would be taken care of.

tbc