It had almost been a year when I broke up with Morelli and the last thing I expected was to find Ranger at my door.

He didn't say anything. He took me into his arms and kissed me, full on the lips.

10 minutes later we were both naked in my bed, holding each other. He stroked my hair while I traced random patterns on his sculptured torso.

"Stephanie?" Ranger whispered, speaking for the first time.

I looked up at him.

"I love you."

All the air left my lungs. I wondered if I heard him right. Was I hallucinating?

"You heard me right, Babe." He smiled and pressed his lips against mine. "I love you."

"I love you too," I breathed once we parted. "My dark knight in shining armour…"

His 2000 watt grin illuminated the room before he kissed me again. "My princess of Themyscira…"

XXX

"Girl, you haven't stopped glowing since you and the Cuban sex god got together." Lula said, stuffing a doughnut in her mouth. "It's about time too!"

"Yeah," Connie agreed, leaning against her desk. "But what made him realise it before it was too late?"

"When he heard Morelli and I were done, he said he didn't want either of us wasting our lives any longer."

"How long has it been since you got together now?"

"Just over 8 months," I let out a happy sigh. "I'm moving in with him tomorrow."

"Aww!" They both cooed.

I grinned at them and picked up a file. "Mindy Morgan again?"

"Yep," Connie nodded. "She just can't stand other ladies using the same makeup as her."

"If you ask me, that's just desperate. I can't believe she tried to steal every single piece of makeup for the third time in a row!" Lula said, reading over my shoulder. "When I was a 'ho, if we ever needed makeup, we just shared."

"That's a little unhygienic." I said.

"We were careful. We never directly shared. We always used brushes and tissues."

45 minutes later….

"Easy now, girl. Almost there."

Connie looked up at us as we entered the office. My arm was around Lula's neck while she supported my waist.

"What happened?" Connie asked.

"Mindy hit me in the kidneys with a golf club." I winced as Lula sat me down on the sofa. "She's stronger than she looks and it hurt like hell!"

"I didn't know she took up golf."

"Nuh-uh," Lula shook her head. "She swiped them from an ex-boyfriend. But I gave her a taste of her own medicine and I sat on her before she used Steph's head as a golf ball." She looked at me. "You sure you don't wanna go to the hospital? She might have ruptured something or done something nasty."

I shook my head. "I'll have a ginormous bruise but I'll be fine." I scrubbed my face with my hands. "I feel a little queasy though. I could use a drink…or better yet, a doughnut."

4 weeks later…

I dropped my keys in the dish and flopped onto the couch while wiping at my clammy forehead.

I felt terrible and I probably should have taken up Lula's advice about going to the hospital. But I hated hospitals. End of story.

Ranger came in from the kitchen. His eyes immediately fell onto me. "Babe, are you okay?"

I shrugged. "I've been better. I think I'm coming down with something."

He came over and felt my forehead. "You're a little warm. How have you been feeling?"

"I'm tired- really tired. I've been feeling queasy, having pains in my stomach and…and I've kind of lost my appetite."

"How long has this been going on for?"

I hesitated. "A few weeks…It started the same week when I got hit in the kidneys by a skip the other week."

He went silent for a moment. "How hard were you hit?"

I shrugged. "Pretty hard; I've still got the bruise to prove it."

"If it is pains in your stomach I don't think it's likely that it's related to your kidneys." Ranger stroked my hair. "Why don't you lie down for a while? I'll wake you up when Ella brings our dinner."

I nodded, got up and went into the bedroom.

30 minutes later….

I sat up suddenly when a stabbing pain dug into my lower back. I grimaced and sucked the air through my teeth. It went away eventually but I didn't give it any thought. Maybe it was just gas. Shark week had only passed 2 days ago.

I lay back down on my left side and closed my eyes, waiting to be taken into oblivion.

"Holy Crap!" Another stab hit me in the same place. It was harder this time and left me gasping for air while I curled up in a fetal position.

A third pain struck me; then a fourth and then a fifth.

"Ranger!" I screamed.

Ranger came running in, immediately kneeling in front of me.

"Babe, what's the matter?"

"Something's wrong…" I breathed raggedly. "I keep…I keep getting these pains in my lower back…"

He placed a hand to my forehead. "You're in a cold sweat; it's soaking through your shirt."

I glanced down and noticed the large wet stains under my armpits and across my chest.

"When did this start?" Ranger asked.

"About…about half an hour ago…"

He gave a single nod and took out his phone. "Bobby, I need you up on 7. Something's wrong with Stephanie. She has cold sweats and has pains in her lower back." He paused. "Half an hour."

He disconnected before going in to the bathroom to return with a wet hand towel. "Bobby is on his way up." Ranger explained, holding my cheek as he wiped the sweat from my face.

I nodded weekly just as another blow hit me again.

A minute had barely passed when Bobby hurried in to the room.

He knelt in front of me. "Bombshell, how frequently are these pains?"

"About…about…30 seconds apart…"

"I see. Apart from what Carlos has told me, as anything else happened; any accidents that occurred or anything?"

"I was hit with a golf club a few weeks ago…"

"Where were you hit?"

"In the side."

"Which side?"

"My left."

"Is that where the pains are coming from?"

I shook my head as my panting heaved. "No…it's coming from my right…"

Bobby nodded again. "Can you describe them?"

"They're like a twisting stabbing pain…" I gasped as another one hit me. "It feels like it is going straight into my spine…"

Bobby looked at Ranger. "I think we better get her to St. Francis. My first thought was a ruptured spleen or appendix but she doesn't have the symptoms."

Ranger nodded and turned to me. "Can you walk, Babe?"

I nodded, trying to get my breathing under control as they both took an arm each and helped me to my feet.

"Holly shit!" I screamed. We had only made it a few steps when the pain struck again that made me drop to my knees.

Ranger caught me before I hit the floor. He lay me down and supported my head in the crook of his arm.

"Bobby, call an ambulance." He looked up at him. "Bobby?"

Bobby was staring at the floor. We followed his gaze to a large wet patch on the carpet. I suddenly became aware of the dampness around my legs.

"Oh god…" I cringed. "Did I just piss myself?"

"No, Bombshell," Bobby said, shaking his head. "I think it is amniotic fluid…"

Ranger and I glanced at each other. "Amniotic fluid?" I gaped. "Isn't that…that what…?"

"Surrounds an unborn baby in the womb, yes. Bombshell, you may be going through labour." He looked at Ranger. "Get her on the bed, I need to check."

Ranger scooped me up and lay me down on the bed. He sat behind me to support my back and held my hand as Bobby rolled up my skirt to pull off my underwear.

He positioned my legs and his eyes widened. "Geez…Stephanie, this may be the quickest birth in history."

"What do you mean?" I breathed.

"You're almost fully dilated. Boss, I'm going to need some towels."

Ranger gave a nod towards the bathroom. "In there."

I looked up at Ranger once Bobby was out of sight. "I'm worried. I've been drinking beer and I got hit with a golf club. What if…what if the baby-"

"You don't drink that much, Babe." He soothed. "And the amniotic fluid is to help protect the baby. Also it doesn't sound as though you weren't hit in right place for any damage to be done."

I nodded before making a grimace. "The Burg is going to implode when this gets around."

Ranger smirked. "That you finally came to your senses by dumping the Italian stallion, moving in with the Cuban sex god and having his baby?"

"You forgot to add the part where we had no idea that I was pregnant."

"That too."

Bobby came back in with a couple of towels and placed one underneath me. "We're almost there, Bombshell. I've already called for an ambulance."

I cried out as another pain hit me again. "Holy crap…"

Ranger squeezed my hand. "Come on, Wonder Woman. You can do this."

I nodded and squeezed back with a smile. "Thanks, Batman."

"Okay Stephanie, I can confirm that this is definitely the quickest birth in history. I can see the head now. When I say so, start pushing for about 40 seconds. Remember to breathe though."

I swallowed down the nerves and gave a nod.

We waited in silence for Bobby's signal while I groaned at the dulling pains.

"Okay Bombshell, start pushing now!"

I took a deep breath and did as I was told. Ranger help by supporting my back as I leant forward from a reflex. Sweat dribbled down my face. The veins in my neck and forehead were felt as though they were about to burst.

"That's 20 seconds, Babe. Take a breath."

I gasped a lungful of air and continued pushing. I groaned again at the pains attacking my lower half. "Oh god, how much longer?!"

"Keep going, Bombshell." Bobby encouraged. "Just one more push…"

I screamed as I gave it everything I had. Suddenly a relief of release washed over me as I went limp in Ranger's arms; catching my breath.

"You did it, Babe!" Ranger kissed my forehead. "I'm proud of you."

I grinned weakly at him until our gaze was broken from a tiny cry.

Bobby was smiling as he finished wrapping a tiny bundle. He looked up at us. "Congrats you two, it's a girl." He stood and handed the bundle to me. "She's a little on the small side for a baby but apart from that she seems healthy…and has a good pair of lungs on her."

I looked down at my new baby girl, feeling the warmth of love surrounding my heart. She had her father's mocha skin and black hair which curled around her ears and forehead. "She's perfect."

Ranger's eyes never left her. They were bright and wide as his 2000 watt smile lit his whole face. He hugged me to him and kissed the top my head. "She's beautiful."

2 hours and 30 minutes later

Ranger unlocked the door and held it open for me. I couldn't keep my eyes off our new born daughter: Lara Rosa Manoso.

She weighed 6 pounds 8 ounces and was 9 days premature. Despite my occasional beer and the amount of times I had been thrown in garbage, she was a healthy gurgling baby, glowing in her frilly pink romper suit given by the hospital.

Naming her wasn't difficult. There was nobody I wanted to name her after from my side of the family, I always liked the name Lara and we chose Rosa after Ranger's grandmother.

"I still can't believe it." I sighed happily. "I'm a mommy."

Ranger wrapped his arm around me and held us both to him. "I suppose we better tell our families. Julie is going to love having a sister."

I leant against him. "My grandma is going to do backflips."

Ranger tapped my arm. I looked up at him and he nodded over to the far end of the room. "Bobby must have gotten the word out, Babe."

I turned my head and had trouble controlling the sob that choked in my throat. A white cradle with a pink canopy surrounded by Teddy bears, stuffed animals, baby clothes, blankets, shoes, pacifiers, bottles, bowls and booties took up the entire corner of the living room.

A pink balloon was tied to the cradle with It's a girl printed on it in big purple letters while a silver one read Congrats in white cursive.

"They got all of this in two and half hours?"

Ranger laughed. "I only hire the best."

We got up off the sofa and I placed Lara in her cradle. Ranger picked up a small fluffy bunny and placed it beside her before wrapping his arm around my shoulders as I placed mine around his waist.

"Batman and Wonder Woman had a baby." I smiled, placing my head in the crook of his neck.

"The most beautiful baby the world has ever seen."