A/N: Sorry, I know this is a bit late (or extremely early depending on how you look at it). JE owns the characters and I own the mistakes. Enjoy, and please review!

Lester, Bobby and Tank had their eyes glued to the stage as the women performed. Ranger watched too, but with less enthusiasm as he sipped at his drink. Chilled water – the body was a temple tonight, and besides, someone had to drive the others home. He glanced at his watch. They had been there a little over two hours. The lights above them were dimmed and focused on the stage.

Lester cheered as the stripper took her top off while the other two clapped. Ranger finished the last of his water and leaned back in his chair arms folded across his chest. Tank glanced at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Something on your mind?" he asked.

Ranger shook his head and hoped his friend would leave it at that. Truth was, ever since he met her she was all he was able to think about. The sight of topless women did little to him these days, and he tried to think back to their one night together. He closed his eyes and could hear her moan with pleasure and he remembered the way she shouted his name. He remembered every kiss, every lick, every bite, like it was yesterday, when really it was two years ago.

A big grin spread across Tank's face. "It's Bomber, isn't it?" he said in a slightly teasing voice.

When he didn't answer Tank knew he was right. "Oh my God, it is!" he exclaimed. "You're in love with the Bombshell."

Lester and Bobby joined in with the grinning. The three of them reminded Ranger of Cheshire cats.

"Man, Carlos," said Lester, slapping him playfully on the shoulder. "Everyone knows you have the hots for her, but you must be head over heels if Candy isn't getting a reaction from you," he said, pointing to the stripper on the stage.

Ranger shifted in his chair at his cousin's words. "Is it that obvious?" he asked.

Bobby tossed some sandy blonde hair out of his eyes and nodded. "To everyone but her."

"Rangeman, if you asked, she'd be in your bed in a second," said Lester, taking a swig of his beer.

Ranger suddenly found his mouth very dry, and wished he hadn't finished the water. "She's with Morelli," he croaked out.

Tank's grin turned into a smirk and he shook his head. "Lula tells me that they broke up about a week ago. For good."

Bobby nudged him in the ribs gently. "Gee, that's too bad," sarcasm dripped in his voice. "She'll probably be needing a shoulder to cry on."

Ranger mentally rolled his eyes and excused himself to go to the bathroom. He needed air. The Merry Men waited until he was out of earshot before they spoke. Lester got a mischievous glint in his bright green eyes.

"What you thinking, man?" asked Bobby, a smile playing on his lips. He knew that look on his partner's boyish face.

Lester leaned forward in his seat and the others did the same. "I'm thinking that the boss and Bomber may need a little help getting their heads out of their asses and into each others pants."

Tank nodded. "And you have a way of doing this?"

He shrugged. "Meet me at my apartment tomorrow for lunch," he said. He lived in one of the rooms in the RangeMan office and, unless there was a reason for it or they had guessed staying, the apartments weren't monitored or wired for sound like the rest of the building was.

Bobby and Tank nodded and turned their attention back to Candy the stripper once they saw Ranger approaching.

---

The following morning Tank and Bobby knocked on Lester's door bearing cups of coffee.

Lester noticed Bobby's grim expression. "Come on man, where's you Christmas spirit?"

Bobby just glared at him. "Bah! Humbug!"

Lester grinned. "More like bar hangover."

The trio sat around the table and he explained his plan, holding up a camcorder. The other two just smirked smugly. They would have Ranger and Stephanie together by Christmas, which was only a few days away.

Later that day Tank knocked on Ranger's office door with his gym bag slung over his shoulder. The camcorder was switched on and recording, cleverly hidden in the bag. It was the same bag Tank always used, so Ranger shouldn't become suspicious.

"Hey," he said.

Ranger looked up from his laptop and met Tank's dark eyes with his chocolate brown orbs. "Something wrong?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Just thought you might like to know that Steph's mom is planning on setting her up with one of Mrs Mazur's friend's grandsons."

Ranger was silent for a moment, taking in Tank's words. "What Stephanie's mother does is none of my business. Or yours."

"Ranger, that is the biggest piece of shit I have heard from you in a long time. You mean you would be OK with Steph dating other guys?"

He gave a half-shrug.

Tank smiled in disbelief and shook his head. This was going to be harder than he thought. "I saw the look you got in your eye whenever she was with the cop. You want her bad and she's obviously in love with you, anyone but you can see it. Why don't you just tell her how you feel?"

Ranger had a hand through his hair; he'd got it cut recently, not wanting to bother with the fuss of having to tie it back. "What am I meant to say, Tank? 'Babe, I love you and it pains me to see you with another man. It pains me to see you and not be able to have you and hold you everyday. It pains me to see you laugh and I not being the cause of it. I love you and need you in my life'," he asked. "You just can't do that."

Tank put his blank in place to stop himself from smiling. He had all that he needed. He shook his head in a 'your so difficult' gesture and turned around. "Forget I asked."

He left the office and handed the bag to Bobby in the control room while Lester picked up the keys to his Porsche and headed to the garage.

He couldn't wipe the smirk off his face as he drove to the bonds' office. The camcorder was sitting in the seat next to him, waiting to be put into use. He pulled up against the curb and looked through the window. Steph was sitting on the couch eating a jelly doughnut and flipping through a file.

Tank had called Lula earlier and told her about their plan. She thought it was great idea and had agreed to help them.

"Hey," he said, walking through the door. Unlike most of the Merry Men, Lester actually spoke when he wasn't asked a direct question.

He slipped Lula the camera and handed Steph her check. He did the ESP thing and said, "Ranger's chasing a skip to New York, he asked me to pick up some files and give you your money."

He knew that Ranger was off line for the next twenty-four hours after a family crisis had arisen and wouldn't be reachable by phone. Lester smiled as he took some files from Connie and winked at Lula, whom had her head buried in the latest copy of Cosmo so that Steph wouldn't see that she was grinning like an idiot.

"Hmm, that Lester sure is f-ine. Of course, he has nothing on my Tanky, but he's not bad on the eyes," Lula took another doughnut from the box and ate it in two bites.

"What's happening with you and Batman anyway?" asked Connie, watching as the black Porsche drove off and then turning her attention back to her nails. "He got you in his bed yet, now that you and Officer Hottie have broken up?"

Steph blushed and replied no. "I'm not sure if I'd want to if he offered," she said vaguely.

Lula gave a 'look'. "Why not? You gotta be mad not to want a piece of him."

Stephanie just shrugged and leant back into the couch. She couldn't help picturing him in her mind. His thick dark hair, his gorgeous mocha latte skin, the way his eyes could change from warm chocolate brown to midnight black in a second. She cast her mind back to they're one and only night together. He had made her feel like no other man had ever. She felt truly happy and content. Until he told her to go back to Morelli. But she and Joe had called it off for good, both of them finally realises that they were just too different for it to work.

"It's just," she sighed. "I want all of him, not just a piece of him. I couldn't do a casual relationship, especially with him. How do you do casual with someone you love, knowing that it will never be anything more?"

"How come you have no problem admitting that you love Ranger when you couldn't say it to Supercop for the longest time?"

She shrugged again. "I guess that deep, deep down, I knew it wasn't going to work with Joe. I think that if Ranger would commit, we'd make it work what ever it took, because I love him and would do anything to keep him by my side."

Lula mentally grinned triumphantly. She had her confession and would give the tape and camera to Tank when she saw him later that day.

---

Steph smiled to her reflection in the mirror and grabbed her coat. She had blue eye shadow on that brought out her crystal eyes, her hair hung in wild curls below her shoulders and was actually behaving it self for once. Christmas was only four days away and the RangeMan Christmas party was due to start in a half-hour. She found the keys to her car but stopped in the kitchen as something caught her eyes. It was a small black videotape. There was a note next to it written in scruffy doctor's handwriting that read:

Bomber,

Make sure you watch this tape before you leave.

See you soon,

Love,

Bobby, Lester and Tank

Curiosity got the better of her and she sat on the couch in front of the TV. Ranger flashed onto the screen. He was sitting in his office behind his desk. She turned the volume up to hear what they were saying.

"Why don't you just tell her how you feel?" said Tank.

Stephanie found herself holding her breath, waiting to see what Ranger said.

"What am I meant to say, Tank? 'Babe, I love you and it pains me to see you with another man. It pains me to see you and not be able to have you and hold you everyday. It pains me to see you laugh and I not being the cause of it. I love you and need you in my life.' You just can't do that."

There was more to the video, but she didn't hear anything after that. She rewound the tape to make sure he didn't mishear it and without thinking, drove straight to RangeMan.

---

In the apartment on the seventh floor Ranger was watching a similar tape, also from the Merry Men. He watched in stunned silence as his Babe confessed her love for him.

"I think that if Ranger would commit, we'd make it work what ever it took, because I love him and would do anything to keep him by my side."

A small smile found it's way to his lips and he quickly went into his room to change out of his cargo pants and into a pair of jeans and a shirt. He glanced at his watch; the party would have started a few minutes ago. He took the elevator and walked into the rec room, where he had allowed the men (and Ella) to put decorations up for the night.

The men tried to act as if nothing was different, but he saw the change in them. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and knew that she was in the room. He slowly turned around and wished Lester would turn off 'Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer'. It wasn't the most romantic song he could think of.

Their eyes met and they slowly took a nervous step closer to each other. She looked beautiful, dressed in casual clothes and had slightly more make-up on than usual. But then, he'd think she looked beautiful in a bin bag. She had natural beauty and didn't need the use of make-up to make herself look stunning.

"Did you mean it?" she whispered.

He was about to ask her the same thing and gave her a confused look. She held up the tape and he examined it. The label read, 'Ranger's confession', similar to what his read. He got his own tape out of his pocket and realisation hit them both at the same time.

"Every word, Babe," he brushed a stay curl out of her face. He wasn't sure what was actually on Steph's tape, but he could guess. "Did you?"

"Ranger, I've been in love with you since the day I met you," she wrapped her arms around him and rested her forehead against his.

The room broke into a round of cheers and the couple realised for the first time that the room had been silent before. Steph blushed slightly. Bobby pulled out some mistletoe from his back pocket and held it above them.

Ranger chuckled silently and couldn't believe his own men had set him up. He closed his eyes and pulled her closer to him, crushing his lips down on hers.