A/N: Jengirl1179 is the joint name for JenRar & Girliegirl1179. This is our first fic written together!

Jenny: Welcome to our first fic we've written together! The idea for this was all Cara's. :)
Cara: I wouldn't say all mine. I had the angst part down…
Jenny: True. *laugh* Then I chimed in with…well, we don't want to spoil it, but it truly became a joint effort. This is a short story — only four chapters — and it's definitely a Babe story, although Joe isn't harmed. In fact, he isn't even featured. ;) ('Cause you know us… Babes through and through.)
Cara: Hmmm…maybe we should harm Joe in the next one. (I'm just kidding, kinda). Hehehe! Anyway, I wrote chapters 1 & 3, and the fabulous Jenny wrote 2 & 4, but we each had input into it all. Hope you enjoy, and I'll see you at the bottom. :)

Chapter One

Steph's POV

For years now, my heart had been torn in two. Torn between the man who fit like a comfortable pair of jeans and the man who could burn me up on the inside with just a glance. I always felt incapable of making a decision where they were concerned. If I chose Joe, I'd have to give up Ranger, and I couldn't choose Ranger because he didn't do silly things like relationships.

Joe and I had been broken up for a few months, and Ranger and I had been sleeping together for a few weeks. The thing that I'd come to realize with this final breakup with Joe was that I didn't want to fall into the same old routines. I didn't want my relationship with Ranger to mirror the one I'd had with Joe. I wanted more for myself than to settle into a life that fit everyone else's hopes and dreams, but not my own.

I drove on autopilot to RangeMan to talk to Ranger. I'd made my decision, and like or it not, he was going to have to make a decision of his own. A choice to either meet me in the middle with this whole relationship thing…or I'd walk away. I couldn't settle for less than I deserved. I knew he loved me, but he was either too stubborn or too scared to admit his feelings.

I walked over to the elevator and wasn't surprised to find it waiting on me. I finger-waved at the camera as I hit the button for seven. As the doors opened, I saw Ranger leaning against the wall, waiting for me.

"Babe?"

I tried to smile, but felt like I was about to throw up. "Hey… Can we talk?"

Ranger motioned me inside the penthouse. "Sure. Everything okay?"

I didn't answer as I walked over to the couch and sat down. He sat down beside me, and I turned to face him.

"I'm sorry to barge in like this, but I realized something today, and I needed to tell you."

He nodded for me to continue.

"I love you, Ranger. I'm in love with you, and I know that it isn't fair for me to spring all this on you and that you've explained your feelings on things like love on more than one occasion. But you deserve to know that regardless of what kind of limits you put on it, I love you. You can qualify it any way that you want to…but I know you love me too."

I took a deep breath before continuing. "I need more, Ranger. I can't do the whole friends with benefits thing with you. I don't need marriage, and kids scare me more than they do you. But I need a commitment, a real, solid relationship. A relationship that involves sharing our lives, our dreams… Hell, I'd even consider an honest conversation a step in the right direction."

Ranger tucked a wayward curl behind my ear. "You know that I love you…in my own way. I still carry two guns and a knife, and my life is too dangerous for a committed relationship. There are things that I just can't share with you. I thought we were on the same page."

I stood up. "We were on the same page. I'm just not there anymore. It isn't enough for me. I'm sorry." I walked toward the door.

"Babe?" His voice cracked. "We can figure this out."

"We just did." My voice broke as I opened the door and walked away.

Ranger's POV

What the fuck just happened? I sat there stunned for a few moments before taking off and running for the stairs. I hit the garage just as Steph reached her car. "Stephanie, this conversation isn't over."

She opened the door and looked at me. "Ranger, it's okay. I understand. You're not willing to open up to me. There isn't really anything left for us to say."

I stalked over to her and crashed my lips to hers, nipping at her lips before pulling back. "There's plenty left to say." I kissed her again, pouring all of my feelings for her into the kiss before pulling back and brushing my lips along hers. "Why can't this be enough for you? Why can't what we have right now be enough?"

Tears began to pool in her eyes. "It's not enough because I love you. This hurts me, Ranger. I know nothing about you. I know hardly anything about your family, your childhood. Those are the kinds of things I'm asking for… I know there are things in your past that you can't talk about. I wouldn't ask you to betray anything."

I rested my head against hers. "I can't share things about my past. The more you know about me, the more at risk you become."

She pushed against my chest. "I do a pretty good job of getting myself into trouble without knowing your secrets. Your past puts me in danger? So what! Shouldn't I be the one who gets to decide what kind of risks I'm willing to deal with? The danger is irrelevant if I choose you. You're scared, and rather than confront that, you're pushing me away."

My temper was starting to rise. "The danger is real, Steph. Remember Scrog? He was plenty dangerous, and he was just some random sicko who became fixated on me. You want me to admit it? I am afraid! Losing you isn't an option."

She laughed as a tear fell down her check. "That's funny, because losing me is exactly what you're doing! I'm sorry, Ranger. I'm sorry that I couldn't get through to you. I would've gladly followed you anywhere. You're the one I love, but I'm saying goodbye. I'm giving up on…well, us."

"Babe!" She had to listen.

"Say something, Ranger! You can't just say Babe. It's a nickname. One word isn't talking."

We sat in silence for a few seconds before she sighed.

"I've got to go." She got in the car and tried to shut the door.

I grabbed the door to keep it from closing.

Tears were streaming down her face as she looked up at me. "Let me go, Ranger. Please, just let me go."

The one word that I couldn't ever say no to. With a sigh, I closed her car door and watched her back out before pulling out of the garage.

I walked toward the stairs, and as I reached the door, I let out a guttural yell and punched the wall. How did everything get so fucked up?

Later that night…

The conversation with Stephanie couldn't have gone any worse than it had earlier in the evening. I'd gone to the gym after she'd left and spent hours beating on the bags hanging from the ceiling. My hands ached from the relentless beating I'd given them in a fool-hearted attempt to quell my temper.

I was sitting in the office going over some reports when my phone rang. I couldn't help but wish it was Stephanie calling to tell me she'd changed her mind.

"Yo."

"Ranger, it's Kane. We've got a problem."

For the fifth in command to be calling me from the Miami office meant something catastrophic had happened to the core team. "Report," I barked, telling Kane in my own way to continue.

"You know we had the takedown of the drug cartel going down with the DEA tomorrow night. The DEA got notice that the meet had been moved up. We scrambled to get everyone in place and ready to go. It seems the DEA has a leak. As soon as Diego and the core team breached the door, they were met with heavy gunfire, and all four men were shot before we could pull them free. Jacob and Wyatt are in surgery. Wesley has a concussion and is currently having his head shaved to get stitched up."

"Where's Diego?"

"Diego's also in surgery. He's touch-and-go. I'm sorry to tell you this, sir, but your brother might not make it."

It took a moment for Kane's words to register before replying, "I'll be down there as quickly as possible."

I hung up the phone and called Tank, Bobby, and Lester and asked them to meet in the conference room on the fifth floor.

I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that my brother had been shot. I knew that I needed to get to Miami as soon as possible, but my heart felt conflicted. The fight with Stephanie had left a bitter taste in mouth. I didn't want to leave Trenton for an indefinite amount of time with the situation not resolved in some way.

I dialed her number, knowing that the possibility of her answering was slim to none, but hearing her voice would help to center me. It went straight to voice mail. I listened to her voice telling me to leave a message before hanging up and opening the door to my office.

As they stepped in through the door, the guys all glared at me. It seemed the news of the fight had traveled to my best friends. I honestly didn't have time to get into this with them right now.

"I just received a call from Kane. The Miami core team is down. The DEA bust went bad. Wesley has a head injury but will be okay. Diego, Wyatt, and Jacob are in surgery. Diego might not make it." I knew I sounded like a robot, but between Stephanie and thoughts of my brother, I was barely holding it together.

The guys swore under their breath.

Tank asked, "What's the plan?"

"Bobby, Les, and I will fly out tonight. Bobby and I will go to the hospital and look over the situation there, and Lester will go to the Miami office and figure out what the fuck went wrong and who the DEA snitch is."

I looked at my second in command and needed to address the elephant in the room. "Tank, you're in charge until further notice. I'm sure everyone is aware of the fight I had with Stephanie this afternoon. I'm going over to her apartment to try to talk to her before we take off. Regardless of how she currently feels about me, all of RangeMan is at her disposal if needed."

"What time are we heading out?" Les asked.

I glanced down at my watch and realized it was a quarter past nine. Quickly calculating in my head, I told them we'd leave at ten thirty. "Call the pilot and get the jet ready. I'll meet you both at the airfield."

With that, I walked out of the office and up to my apartment to pack a quick bag. Then I headed to the garage and jumped into the Cayenne and debated what I was going to say to Steph. The whole ride over to her apartment, I tried to figure out what to do if she wouldn't answer her door.

It seemed like no time at all before I was pulling into her lot. I grabbed a notebook out of the backseat and wrote a quick note. If she didn't answer, I could at least tell her where I was going and why. I glanced up at her window and saw light dancing on the wall from the TV in her living room. I hoped that meant she was awake. Now to get her to talk to me.

Taking the stairs two at a time, I stood outside her door for a few seconds before tapping on it and silently pleading with God for her to open it.

After waiting what seemed like an eternity, I pulled the note out of my pocket and slipped it under her door. Pushing her right now would only piss her off more, so I didn't even attempt to let myself inside to talk to her. "Babe, I've got to go. Just…please read the note."

I walked back to the Cayenne, knowing that at least I'd tried and that she would realize that I didn't just leave to avoid her. Hopefully Steph would read the note and take the words to heart.

I'd told her why I was going to Miami and what happened. I'd written that no matter what she thought of me, if she ever needed me, all she had to do was call. She also now had a reminder in writing that the guys at RangeMan were always there if she needed them for anything, regardless of her relationship with me. My guys loved her, and every one of them was her friend and would support her no matter what.

I pulled up to the airstrip a short time later and walked onto the jet, where I sat down and closed my eyes.

Today had been a clusterfuck of a day, and I knew that once we arrived in Miami, we'd be lucky to catch a few hour-long naps here and there until the core team was out of the woods.

A/N: Thanks for reading! Jenny and I would love to know what you think, so please take a few seconds and leave us a review. The next chapter will be up Saturday. See you then. – Cara