Eggceptional Easter Basket
A/N: This is not you typical MM/OC story. I don't own nor do I profit from this story. Everything you recognise is Janet's, everything else is mine... except Lynda, she's not mine, but she is real. As you can tell, this story is for her. And to be truly honest, there just aren't enough Tank stories. So add another one to the list. Enjoy.
Sitting on my kitchen counter, was an unassuming yellow Easter basket, overflowing with brightly colored plastic eggs as well as expensive chocolates. What's the problem, you ask? Well, I didn't put it there and I have no idea who did. Well, maybe I had a slight idea.
For a split second, I debated calling the control room at Rangeman. But after remembering the overreaction by the Merry Men to a simple vase of expensive flowers on Valentine's Day, I shelved the idea. I was still vaccuuming stray flower petals after they picked apart the blooms looking for explosives or electronics. Needless to say, they found nothing.
I glared at the tag emblazoned with my name in an elegant script. Just by the quality of the hand-crafted tag, I was almost certain of the identity of the sender. Examination of the chocolates confirmed my suspicion. Only one person in all of Trenton knew of my weakness for certain artisian truffles, made by a Master Dutch Chocolatier. But there they were, wrapped in their trademark pink-tinted foil. My mouth watered, thinking of how the creamy chocolate would melt in my mouth. I subconsciously wiped away the drool from my chin, with my forearm. So absorbed in the fantasy of eating the special chocolate, I failed to notice the sound of the lock tumbling. The next thing I knew, I saw a massive hand wave in front of my face, gaining my attention.
"Earth to Lynda."
"Huh?" I looked to my right to see both Tank and Ranger giving me knowing looks.
"trying to figure out how to eat all that chocolate without getting sick?" The man of mystery teased.
"not really. Just pleasantly surprised by an exceptionally observant man." I swear, if a black man could turn bright red from blushing, the Big Guy would be fire engine red. "I guess, this certain man, is going to get a fat ass birthday present next month."
If I wasn't already shocked by the awesome chocolates, then the fact that I just winessed Batman roll his eyes would have shocked me speechless. Yes, folks, he rolls his eyes just like a normal person. Steph has done wonders, getting Ranger to pull his head out of his ass in more ways than one.
"So you liked it?" Tank asked, clearly nervous.
"Um... yeah. I love it." I raaised up onto my tip-toes, dropping a light kiss on his slightly stubbly cheek. "Thanks Big Guy."
"No problem Little Lady." The grin gracing my face said it all, I loved it when he called me that. "Did you open 'em yet?" At the shake of my head, he strode over and handed it to me. "Open 'em."
I gently began to decontruct the carefully placed contents of the basket, sorting them into different piles. One for chocolate and one for the filled plastic eggs. Though the pile of chocolates was fairly large, the pile with the eggs was huge. Each egg was filled with something. Curious, I began to open them.
Puzzled was a perfect description of how I felt looking at a small collection of miniature figurines and toys. There was a mini version of a Glock 19, a mini black SUV, mini kitties, a small smerican flag, a single cream colored silk rosebud, a mini farm house, a mini world globe, a mini figurine of a woman dressed in a beautiful cream colored princess gown and finally a miniature figurine of Tank. I glanced at Tank, before Ranger. "What is all of this?"
"I bought you a little shelf for you to display all the things that symbolise what is important to you." He indicated towards my new toys. "The Glock is because you kick ass at the range. The SUV because the guys at Rangeman all love you. The kitties because my babies absolutely adore you. The flag to represent the time and effort you put into making all the service members here and abroad feel special. The rose represents the how you bloom and grow in your life. The farm house represents your love of hearth and home. A mini globe, because you have always wanted to travel and see the world. Finally we have the woman figurine and the mini Tank." I picked up the small figures, holding them together. I had to admit, they did look kinda cute together. And I realised the woman looked an awful lot like me.
When I looked back up at Tank, he was patiently waiting for my attention. In his fingers was another plastic egg, this one decorated in a digital desert camo pattern. I grinned as I plucked it from his fingers and cracked it open. As soon as it was opened, tiny red heart confetti erupted out of the egg and all over the floor. I was a little surprised at first, but what I saw next, completely floored me. Nestled in among the tiny metallic heart cut-outs was a gleaming platinum ring with a HUGE cushion-cut diamond. I gasped as I realised what was happening. Without thinking, I dropped the egg with the ring. Tank being ever observant, caught it easily and was now down on one knee, with love filled eyes. With the ring in his hand, he grasped one of mine, gently rubbing the back with his massive thumb.
"Lynda... Little Lady. You have become my world, my life and my love. You're the first thing I think of in the morning and the last thing I think of before I fall asleep every night. I want to make you as happy as you have made me. I want to show you the world. I want to give you a house with that porch swing you've always wanted. I want to give you flowers just because I want to. I want to give you the life you most certainly deserve. Deep down in my heart, Little Lady, you are everything I have ever dreamed about. I love you with everything that I am and with everything I have." He held up the ring a little higher, as I gazed into his molton chocolate eyes. "Will you marry me? Will you be Mrs. Pierre Sherman?"
...
As Lynda prepared to answer him, Ranger quietly slipped out of the room, a small smile playing upon his lips. The door shut behind him with a quiet 'snick'. He texted a familiar number. It's done. He flipped the phone shut and strode out of the building, a slight smile still upon his lips. Maybe love isn't unattainable after all, he thought.