So, after multiple rounds of arm wrestling, throat clearing and muttering, my muse and I decided on this story. While there is no angst in this, due to Stephanie's condition when Angel Wings ended, there is some drama.

I like to post regularly so plan on the Monday to Friday thing, but I might sneak in the odd weekend one just to throw you off. Mwahahaha.

Any characters you don't recognize from Janet Evanovich's books are mine and I would like to thank her for continuing to allow us to write using her excellent characters.

Reviews are our payment and ALWAYS appreciated.

Chapter 1

Stephanie watched from the back seat of the SUV as the large metal garage door opened into the bowels of Rangeman LLC. It felt like so long ago since she had been here.

Tank waited patiently until the door ceased its upward journey and slowly drove in, bumping slightly over the metal grate indentation in the floor, parking in the open space right beside the elevator door.

Stephanie looked at Ranger as he continued to hold her hand in his and pressed into the side of his hard, very hard muscular leg.

Tank walked around to the passenger door and opened it, ready with his hand out to assist her to step out. She hesitated and looked down at their joined hands, mentally questioning how she was going to be able to vacate the back seat unless Ranger came along too.

He reluctantly let her hand go and before she had even managed to maneuver her feet over the side and stand up, he had gently but firmly muscled his best friend aside and was waiting with his hand out to help.

Stephanie tried to keep her face blank as she slowly stood up but a grimace and a slight groan of pain escaped. Her chest still hurt from where the large incision was still being held together with staples and the pinch of the tape holding the bandage in place pulled on her skin. She hoped that the very loose shirt she was wearing would cover the massive bandage on her chest.

Bobby was standing by and began to roll the wheelchair to her, but she put her hand up and shook her head. She wanted to do this under her own power. That had been the only reason that she had consented to staying in the hospital two extra days.

Stephanie walked unaided to the elevator that was open and waiting for her. She stepped in and Ranger and Bobby with the hated wheelchair crowded in with her.

Before the door closed, she pressed five, overriding the seven that was lit up. She wanted to and needed to tell the men that she appreciated all that they had done for her, again.

Stephanie could feel a small bead of sweat make its way down the side of her face. She was going to do this, at whatever cost to her draining strength. Trying to not draw attention, she made as if to push back her hair from her face, gently wiping the sweat mark away.

The elevator door opened and she slowly made her way out onto the control room floor. The men had all stood up from their cubicles or had come out of the break room and almost immediately there was a roar of excitement and hand clapping that practically made the room vibrate.

Stephanie stopped the oncoming crush of men with a hand up and as they stopped she spoke.

"I just wanted to thank everyone for all that you did while I was recovering. I could literally feel your kind thoughts and words of concern as I lay in that stupid bed. I felt the love and the protection from each and every one of you as you watched over me. I can never thank you enough for all that you did. The flowers and the cards were absolutely gorgeous."

Her face took on a bit of a cheeky grin.

"Being the handsome men that you are, I heard that a good number of the medical staff were raiding the staff offices for post-it-notes to give you their names and phone numbers. Gentlemen, I do want some details, but not too many, of course."

With that, she stepped back into the elevator with Ranger and Bobby and the door closed.

Ranger caught her as she slumped in exhaustion and helped her into the wheelchair. The elevator stopped on seven and the door opened to Ella waiting by the apartment door. She followed the little procession in and clucked in worry at the pallor on Stephanie's face.

Bobby pushed her right into the bedroom and Ranger literally pushed Bobby aside to scoop his hands under and lift her up and lay her in bed. Ella was taking off her shoes and Bobby had his bag opened and his stethoscope around his neck. He checked her heartbeat and put a hand on her wrist, frowning.

Ella watched with concern.

Stephanie had had so many knocks and injuries in her short life, but this one looked different. She could see that her breathing was slightly labored.

Bobby looked down. Stephanie was already sleeping, but her color was off. He nodded in the direction of the heart monitor and Ella raced over, rolling it back toward where Bobby was sitting.

He fussed with it, hooking it up and watching it for a few minutes, frowning slightly.

Finally it seemed to give him the news he was wanting to see, because he stood up.

"We've tried to explain that there are some very serious long-term repercussions from what happened and yet so far she's refusing to admit out loud that her life may be different."

He looked from Ella to Ranger and back.

"I can stay for the first shift and then we can take turns. Bed rest mostly unless she needs to use the washroom, and when she is stronger, a very careful exercise program. Too much and she will relapse, and that's what concerns me. She thinks she's going to bounce back from this and I really don't want to burst her bubble of hope, but..."

Ranger spoke.

"We've talked about this, Bobby but for the first few days, I will take the shifts. I can work from my office and you can check on her as you need. Ella or I will assist her with her shower, and spell me off if I absolutely have to do something off the floor."

Bobby pursed his lips but nodded. He had expected nothing less.

He gathered up his bag and walked to the door.

"I can be here very, very quickly Ranger if need be, but you need to sleep too. As I said, this is something that will not heal overnight. We need to pace ourselves. Putting us into exhaustion mode will not help her and may, in fact, make her even more agitated."

Bobby walked out the door with Ella and Ranger could hear him confirming her dietary needs for the foreseeable future.

Bobby hoped not to be in the room when Stephanie learned what her diet was about to look like. He could already see fireworks ahead and she did not have the available strength to fight it.

Bobby wondered how long before things turned ugly.

~~~o0o~~~

Tank, Bobby and Les were sitting in Tank's office and they were discussing how Rangeman was about to change in the short term.

Les had already spoken to Ranger and he was now giving details to his friends and co-workers.

He wanted to do something to help. Time was a factor and he would be leaving soon. Unfortunately, with Beautiful injured, Ranger would be spending his time between Rangeman and watching over Stephanie and he was having second thoughts. He did not want to leave his brothers-in-arms scrambling.

Bobby nodded his head as Les explained the mission. He and Les were so very close and he had seen the signs. Les was bored with the same old, same old, and was craving more action, more gym time, more female companionship and last but certainly not least, more time with his family. That was what had twigged Bobby that something was amiss.

Tank leaned back in his chair nodding his head. He too could see that Les was getting restless about staying around the various branches of Rangeman lately. He looked at the business deals with clients, some very, very elaborate in nature. There had been a time that Les would have literally salivated with excitement at working with extremely complex security systems. He was a security expert in every sense of the word. Les loved the cat and mouse approach to designing systems that covered extensive properties yet appeared to be completely hidden. He loved to deal with customers since he was and always had been a people person.

There was a knock on the door and Ranger slid in, closing it once again behind him. He strode over to the chair by the side wall and sat down. He looked tired and sighed softly as he leaned back.

"Ella is watching her for a few minutes."

Tank stood up and went to the wall cabinet, opening up a door. He pulled out four glasses and a bottle. He brought them to the desk and poured a measure into each glass, handing them around.

Looking at Les, he lifted his glass and spoke.

"To Les. May he run faster than the daughters' father, have eyes in the back of his head, and shoot straight when required."

There was a lifting of glasses and everyone slammed back the drink. Their eyes watered at the taste. It was an old bottle of some nondescript label that the guys had found on their very first mission together. Rather than drink it, they had kept it, wanting to celebrate at the end of the mission. The taste had been so very bad that they had changed their minds, but for some reason had chosen to bring it back with them. Now it was used for very special occasions only.

The men stood up, walked to Les and solemnly shook his hand. He would be leaving soon and while there were a number of things to do before he left, this was their time. He would be missed and hopefully he would return safe and sound.