Challenge # 79 (A mistake)-- Desperately

By PTBvisiongrrl

Rating: PG

SPOILERS: explicit EoT spoilers; if you haven't finished EoT, DO NOT READ THIS!

Standard disclaimer: I own nothing, only borrow, play with, and return. Except for Ranger. I'm never giving him back.

Ranger looked over the crumpled green sedan and back at Stephanie.

"I feel better now," she stated in a satisfied voice.

"Babe," he said, shaking his head. His insides were still jello from a six hour search for her. He hadn't really expected to find her alive, as much as he had hoped to, and the moment that he had seen her body folded into that overhead cabinet…he really had thought that she was dead. His heart had stopped, and he had almost lost it in front of his men.

Then she had fallen out and moved, and thank god, spoken. His heart resumed beating, and he knew then that he could no longer play this search and destroy game with her. He knew that any attempt to keep her out of his life or heart was a mistake, because she was already so firmly embedded in both. He had to make his feelings clearly known to her, with no delay.

Seeing her standing next to Big Blue, he couldn't hold back any longer. He ran to her and grabbed her into a crushing hug, burying his face into her neck and holding back a sob of relief. There were no hot kisses, sly joking statements, declarations of love. Ranger's desperate hold on her, crushing her to his body in a completely non-sexual and comforting way, finally clued her in.

When Ranger eventually loosened his grip- yet never pulling entirely away- she smiled a crooked, surprised smile at him. "You want me, bad," she whispered into his ear.

Taking in a shuddering breath, Ranger closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against hers. "Yeah," he said in a breathy voice, "I do, Babe. Forever."