1:30 am. Five years, nine months, two weeks, six days, eleven hours, and twelve minutes. Five long years he had been on assignment, not sleeping, barely eating, killing, and following orders. The locks to his apartment tumbled and he entered, eyes barely open. His keys went to their place in the bowl on the table, his thick soled CAT's to their place at the entrance closet. He didn't know how long he had been standing there, staggering, trying to stay away through the thick haze that came over him once he finally eased into his home, but after what seemed to be hours, he heard a slight voice in the distance.

"Carlos? Oh my god, Carlos!"

The voice got louder and he watched as a figure, just a shadow through the fog, came to him and hugged him. The figure was unrecognizable in the dark, but in his state, the lights wouldn't have mattered anyway. He hugged the stranger back though he was not sure why, and fought furiously to keep his eyes open. The shadow stepped back and took his hand, leading him to his bedroom. It stripped him and dragged him into the bathroom then pushed him back into the shower. Sometime between stripping him and turning on the bathroom light, the figure had turned on the shower and let it run because the water was piping hot on his hardened skin. A thankful groan escaped his lips as the water washed over him. He hadn't had a hot shower in three years. He kept his eyes closed as the shadow moved around him, scrubbing him down with a familiar scented shower gel, his shower gel, and then washed and conditioned his hair. Before he knew it he was lead out of the shower and handed a pair of boxers that he barely managed to step into. The figure bent down and pulled up the boxers, then directed him towards his bed. His head hit the pillow and before he could think, his fatigue took over and held on like a boa constrictor.

7:15 am. Soft voices pulled him out of his sleep, slowly but surely catching his attention. He didn't open his eyes, just listened to the voices in his bedroom.

"Shhh, susurro, susurro. Salir de este sitio e ir a la cocina." (Shhh, whisper, whisper. Come out of this room and go to the kitchen.) It was Steph's voice.

"But Mama…" And a little boy, no older than five.

"I said whisper! Now go to the kitchen."

"Pero hay un hombre en tu cama! And he has cuts all over him! And he left his boots by the door. Is he gunna get in trouble 'cuz he didn't put them in his closet?" (But there's a man in your bed)

"I know, I know. Now please, mi niño, go to the kitchen and don't make any more noise."

"Fine. But he better get in trouble for leaving his boots there because I left my sneakers in the kitchen last week and you-"

"Bastantes! Go!" (enough)

Then the voices were silent. He tried to pry open his eyes, but sleep came over him once more and he was sucked back in. The next time he woke it was 7:00 am, the next day. Ranger's eyes shot open and he took in his surroundings. He was in his bed, in his room, in his boxers, though he wasn't sure how he got there. The bed was warm by his side and the pillow had a slight dip in it from a head. Steph. He grabbed the pillow and brought it to his face, taking in the scent of his Babe and a slow smile spread over his face. How he had missed her, craved her, waited until the day that he could see her again. Where was 

she? The sound of shower running told him where she was and so he got up to get dressed, all the while thinking about the conversation he had heard in his sleep. Steph was speaking Spanish to a little boy, her little boy. Her son. She had a son while he was away and had raised him in his home. The thought warmed his heart and brought a small smile to his lips but a nagging feeling in his stomach reminded him that the child wasn't necessarily his. Steph would never bring another man into his apartment but if she chose to raise the child here, he would understand.

He stepped out of their bedroom and into the living room in search of the little boy, clad in combats and a tee, all black, now loose on his tired body. The day he left, the sleeves of the tee-shirt barely fit over his muscled biceps and shoulders. Now, it was comfortable, too comfortable, and there was a slight slack in the fabric that emphasized his weight loss. Not only was he thinner but the shadows under his eyes and shallow hollows of his cheeks were a stark contrast to the man he once was.

Passing through the living room, he saw the flicker of the television and looked only for a moment to see a cartoon dancing around, singing a song about snot and little sisters. He continued into the kitchen. And there he sat. At hearing him enter, the boy looked up and stared at the strange man before him. Ranger's breath caught in his throat as he met the boy's gaze. He had the most piercing blue eyes he had ever seen. No, he had seen them before. His eyes were identical to his mother's. Bright and intense, lined with a thick row of long black lashes. Ranger looked over the boy, taking him in as the boy seemed to be doing the same. He was built thick, had a head of thick, straight black hair and an alarmingly deep expression on his face, all held together by bronzed skin, wrapped in a Batman sleeper. He seemed wary and looked Ranger over with a scrutinizing glare. Smart boy. The kid's voice broke the silence.

"You better get your boots out of the front hall or you're gunna sit on the time out chair. I had to go for like a hour when I left my shoes there." Ranger took in a breath to smother the smile that almost dared to break free. Ranger stood mesmerized by the small child who sat at his counter, demanding the focus of the room. "It's rude to stare. Mama says so." He took his spoon in his tiny hand and took a slow, careful bite of the cereal in front of him, never letting Ranger out of his sight. Ranger decided then that he had never seen a more beautiful face in his entire life. He had no idea who the baby belonged to, maybe Steph had found someone other than Morelli while he was gone? Judging by the lack of anything but black in the closet on Steph's side, he figured out that she still worked for Rangeman. That didn't mean that she couldn't have moved on from either of the men that claimed her love life before he left. Ranger took a seat across from the kid and looked around the kitchen, unsure of himself for the first time since he was fifteen, and afraid to make eye contact with him.

"What's your name?" He looked up then at the boy and waited, watching his reaction. He would understand if the boy ran at his raspy voice, but he waited and hoped. His own voice over the past five years had startled him on more than one occasion. It sounded tired and ragged.

"Carlos Mateo. But that's only when I don't listen. Other times it's just Carlos. What's your name?" Ranger's heart skipped a beat at the boy's words. The boy had been named after him, he was sure of that. Get it together, Manoso. It doesn't mean he's yours. He had been with Steph for two years before he left on his mission so it wasn't unreasonable that Steph would name her child after him.

"Ranger." They had, still had hopefully, an amazingly strong relationship and Ranger was a permanent part of Stephanie's life. Ranger looked over the counter as Carlos took another bite of his cereal, still watching Ranger carefully. Steph had left out a cup of granola and a glass of water for Ranger and he felt a warmth rush through him. Of course she had thought of him. He dragged the bowl of granola in front of him and brought a bite to his mouth before Carlos's small voice interrupted him.



"You didn't say a prayer. You can't eat yet." Shit. Ranger put his spoon down and raised a brow at Carlos. He hadn't prayed since..well he couldn't remember. Ranger racked his brain for a prayer and couldn't come up with a single one. He and god weren't exactly on speaking terms, what with Ranger being a mercenary and all.

"Why don't you say the one you normally say. I'll listen." Carlos shrugged and then nodded, clapping his hands together in front of him in typical form for a prayer. He squeezed his little eyes shut and sighed before calmly speaking his prayer.

"Dear God, thank you for our food and thank you for our health." Carlos looked up then at Ranger. "That's the part that Mama makes me say. Then I add other stuff." He bowed his head again and squeezed his eyes shut. "Please bring Daddy home soon so Mama can stop crying. Amen." His little fingers pointed the sign of the cross over his body and he busied himself with his cereal again. Ranger's grip tightened on his spoon and his heart raced. Please bring Daddy home soon so Mama can stop crying. So where is Daddy? His mind raced as he took in the words. He couldn't stand the uncertainty any longer.

"Carlos, what's your Daddy's name?" He held his breath and waited as Carlos put another spoonful of cereal in his mouth. He finished chewing, too slow for Ranger's patience, and took a sip of his milk, not understanding the urgency behind the question. Ranger hoped…

"Ricardo Carlos Manoso. He's the coolest guy ever. My Mama showed me all this stuff that he has and he's so awesome. He has handcuffs and he shoots people and he has all these medals from being a Special Ops guy and he's on a mission." Carlos took another sip of his milk. "I don't know where. But he's so cool. He makes my Mama cry all the time, though. And Abuela too. And then they hug me and tell me I look like him and I'm smart like him. But I don't know how I look like him. He's really big Mama says. And he's from Cuba. Mama learned Spanish and talks it to me so I can talk to Abuela. " Carlos' small hand went down to his bowl as he finished off the last of his Cheerios. Ranger just stared, open mouthed at the little boy. He's mine. Babe had my son. I have a son with Steph. The sound of careful footfalls caught their attention and both turned in the direction they came from.

"He's awake, Mama! Te dije para mover sus cargadores así que te no tienen que hacer que él se sienta en el tiempo hacia fuera presiden." (I told him to move his boots so you don't have to make him sit on the time out chair.) Stephanie stood in the kitchen entrance, watching her two men eat together, smiling soundly. She had been watching for a few minutes in the living room before deciding to make her presence known. She moved to stand behind her son, kissing him softly on the top of his head before clearing away his bowl and dismissing him to the living room. Ranger stood as she entered and watched her carefully as she interacted with their son. After he left, Ranger couldn't help himself any longer.

"Babe." He moved behind the counter and took her into his arms, embracing her in a searing kiss. His skin tingled as he felt her arms reach around his neck and yank him down to her. They held each other, kissing, holding, touching, feeling each other. He buried his face in her neck and inhaled deeply, taking in her scent just like he had on her pillow. She smelled of his shower gel and shampoo, and just pure Steph. She cried in his arms, resting her head on his shoulder. "God, Babe. I missed you so much. I thought of you everyday . Every second, you were on my mind. You have no idea what it feels like to have you in my arms again." He tilted her chin up so he could look into her glimmering blue eyes. They held each other's smoldering gaze for a moment before Ranger bent his head to kiss her, first on her forehead, then on each other eyelids, then her nose, and finally her perfect mouth. Stephanie couldn't 

speak. She was shaking with sobs, holding herself so tightly to him that her arms began to ache. But she couldn't let go. She had been without him for too long to let go now and the ache in her arms was nothing compared to what she had felt for five years without him. A few more minutes passed before Ranger pulled away from the kiss to look back into her eyes.

"Steph, he's beautiful." She knew immediately that he was referring to their son. Stephanie's own version of the 2000 watt smile spread across her face and she gazed up into Ranger's eyes, her arms still locked behind his head, and hot tears streaming down her cheeks. He smiled back down at her and ran his hand over her belly. Why couldn't he have been there for their son's birth? It hurt him to think that he had missed five years of their son's life as well as Steph's pregnancy. He moved his hand to her face, wiping away her tears with a callused thumb.

"I can't believe you're really here. I imagined it so many times but this time it's real." She brought her lips to his again and closed the small gap between them. His hands wandered her body and felt her curves, recommitting her changed body to his memory. Every dip and curve of her body felt more gorgeous than ever, knowing that she had given birth to their son. Carlos stepped into the kitchen then and watched as his mother held the stranger that had dared to leave his boots by the front door.

"Mama, quién es él?"(who is he?) Small, yes, brave, yes, but stupid, no. He had watched the interaction between them and he knew that this man was not just a friend of his mother. Uncle Tank and Uncle Bobby never looked at her like that and not even Uncle Lester, who liked to hug Mama a lot, looked at her like that. Stephanie smiled and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, stepping back from Ranger to kneel down and beckon their son. He ran to his mother and stood beside her. His careful eyes examining the man who seemed to have a strange relationship with Mama. Stephanie picked him up, popping her hip for him to sit on, and kissed his cheek before speaking through happy tears.

"Carlos Mateo Manoso, this is Ricardo Carlos Manoso. This is Daddy." Carlos' eyes widened and Ranger's heart skipped a beat. Daddy. He hadn't heard that even from Julie. Before Stephanie could react, Carlos threw himself at Ranger and wrapped his arms and legs around him. Ranger's arms enveloped him in a strong embrace. Stephanie cried and so did Carlos. Ranger did the equivalent, squeezing his eyes shut, inhaling deeply through his nose while crushing his boy to his chest. He had never felt more at home, more whole, more content.