All I Ask

I dropped my bag by the door and closed it quietly. I walked into the bedroom and stood in the doorway. I could stand here all night and just watch her sleep. It was an image that I committed to memory. I would have taken a picture of her with my phone, but where I was headed, it would be too risky. I ran my hand through my hair and sighed. She woke up slightly and saw me in the doorway.

"Ranger, what are you doing here? Is everything okay?"

"Babe, we need to talk. Can you get up and meet me in the living room?"

"Ranger, you're scaring me. What's going on?"

"Babe, please come to the living room." I turned and walked out of the bedroom and headed towards her couch. A few minutes later she walked out and stood looking at me. "Ranger, what's going on?"

"Babe, sit down. I got a call earlier tonight and I have to leave. You know I can't tell you much more, but I wanted to see you before I go."

"Ranger, you've gotten calls like this before, but I can tell something's different about this one, isn't it?"

"Babe, you know me too well. This one is different. It's more dangerous than any other time I've left and there's a great risk to all of the men who will be with me."

I looked at her and held her gaze. I needed her to understand what I was saying. "Babe, there's a really good chance I won't make it back from this one."

She sat and stared at me. Tears were forming in her eyes and before she could stop them, they started falling down her face. I reached over and wiped them away for her and she grabbed my hand and brought it to her lips. "Ranger, no. I won't believe that, you always come back. You come back to me. You have to come back to me. I can't be me without you."

I stood up and pulled her into my arms. I held her while she sobbed and just kept running one hand through her hair, while my other hand was rubbing her back. I kissed her on top of her head and leaned down to tip her face up to look at me. "Babe, I want you to know that Tank and the guys will be here to help you with any of your work and I'd really love it if you came to work fulltime for the guys." I gave her gentle kiss on the lips and held her tight again.

Steph looked up at me and gave a half smile. "You don't really want me working for you fulltime, do you? Do you know how many of your men I would break if I was always around them?"

"Babe, I wouldn't have said it if I didn't believe that you could do it. You're wasting your time at the bonds office, your skills are so much more and I'm being selfish when I say that because I want you at RangeMan. Please think it over and talk to the guys. Tank is in charge while I'm away and has a contract all ready for you. Please."

"Ok, I'll think it over, just for you. When do you leave Ranger?"

I looked at my watch and groaned silently. I didn't want my time with Steph to end. I wanted this night to last forever. "I have about 6 hours before I have to go. I'm all packed." I nodded towards the bag sitting on the floor by her front door.

She leaned down and gave me a kiss. "Six hours doesn't sound like enough time, but let's see what we can do in that time." She grabbed my hands and pulled me into the bedroom, kicking the door shut behind her.

Approximately five hours late, Steph had fallen asleep. I laid with my arms wrapped around her and just held her. I wanted to remember everything about this night with her. I'd never seen her so responsive or loving when we'd been together in the past. She poured every emotion she had into tonight. I just hope she falls into a deep enough sleep that I could leave without her waking up. I don't think I'd be able to leave if she was awake when my time was up.

Steph sighed in her sleep and rolled over, now facing me. I pulled her back into my arms and kissed her gently. She sighed again and was back to sleep, with her head resting on my chest. I laid there with her and just watched her sleep. She always joked about me breaking into her apartment just to watch her sleep, but I don't think she realized how much just being in her presence calmed me.

Unfortunately, time didn't stand still and it was finally time to go. I kissed her again, very gently on her lips and she slept on. I slipped out of bed and got dressed. A quick stop in the bathroom and I was ready to go. One last look at her and I quietly left the bedroom and shut the door behind me. I walked into the kitchen and pulled out some paper and a pen and sat down and wrote her a note. I told her that I loved her and would always love her and if things didn't have a happy ending with this job, then I hoped that she would find someone who would love her for who she was and not want to change any part of her. I once again, asked her to talk to Tank and guys about working for the company. My eyes were full of tears by the time I was done writing.

I heard the car pull into the parking lot and had the door opened by the time Tank got up the stairs. He handed me a bag from the bakery and I handed him my bag. I walked back into the kitchen and left the bakery bag and note sitting on the table when she would be sure to see it. I stopped one last time by her bedroom and took one last look at her. I started to walk away and then turned around and went in and gave her one last kiss. I turned and quickly walked out of the apartment and followed Tank to the car.

The car ride to the airport was silent. Tank understood what I was walking into and everything was all in order with my lawyers to have Tank, Lester and Bobby take over the company if I die. My will had been updated to include Stephanie. I couldn't leave this world without knowing that she would be taken care of if I didn't come back. Tank had the combination to my safe in my apartment and would handle everything I had left if the need arose.

We pulled up to the terminal and Tank stopped the car. He got out and opened the trunk to get my bag out. We stood and stared at each other. "Take care of her for me. She's going to need someone when she wakes up so please stop by on your way back. I love her Tank."

"Don't worry about us and don't worry about Steph. We've got her and will not let anything happen to her. I'll talk to her and get the guys to help convince her to work for us instead of the bonds office. Just worry about yourself and getting your ass home when the job is done. You are too damn stubborn to die in some godforsaken hell hole."

Tank pulled me in for a manly hug and then I walked away. I turned around for one last look at my best friend and said, "Thanks."