Frenzy

Frank POV

My Pumpkin left today for D.C. for six months. I can remember when she was a little girl she has always been full of life. Each day she would bring me into her world whether or not I wanted to be there or not, but most times I did. The way she saw the world was priceless, always seeing the beauty always seeing the miracle of things and the imagination to bring about adventures. After all those years in the Rangers seeing the darkness in humankind I never thought I would see the sunshine in someone's eyes like I do with my Pumpkin. My wife and other daughter have always been a constant in my life, but the true bright spot in my existence is Stephanie. Since she has grown up and moved out, I am back to just coasting along life.

After that meeting I had with Pumpkin and Ranger, I have been keeping my eye on how others interact with her, especially after that disastrous dinner where that Morelli boy showed up. I could not believe my wife allowed him to come over, even when Pumpkin asked her not to invite him. Yet my loving daughter chose not to hold that dinner against myself and her crazy grandmother, by giving her use of her apartment while she was gone. Giving is her nature; she not only gave her grandmother a place but peace of mind that she wouldn't have to pay for the apartment for six months. The same peace of mind that she gave me for having a sane house to come home to and use of my own bathroom, her goodness can not be touched by those that surround her.

As her father I have been severely concern for her on her past relationships, but as a husband I have trusted my wife to know best for her. The brief relationship of that Morelli Boy, the one who wrote such nastiness before he left for the Navy was very disturbing. Such the coward he was, not only did he defile my daughter be he had to announce it to everyone then ran into the Navy. My wife told me that she would handle Stephanie, years later I found out that she had grounded her. My wife and I had words when I found out, I didn't agree with the way she handled that situation but it had been too late to change it. I don't like fighting with my wife, I have had enough fighting in my life and I just wanted the numbness of life in the 'burg so I left the raising of teenage years up to my wife. Who knew better to raise two teenage girls then their own mother? Maybe this was wrong of me, but the years of war had left their scars on me not only physically but emotionally too.

THE DICKhead, as I affectionately named him when I first met him was so unworthy of her, but my wife told me that he would provide a good financial future and a good standing in the 'burg community. What father doesn't want their daughter provided for? But in the case of both of my daughters my wife's guidance to their spouses was unsound. Both of their husbands were dirt bags, which I promised my wife I wouldn't physically harm. No good cheating bastards, I just wanted an hour with them alone. Ahh, what I could do in an hour, neither of them would have use of their lower extremities for long; castration for their cheating ways would be too good for them.

Then that no good hoodlum came back into my Pumpkin's life, Joseph Morelli. I was so proud of her when she broke his leg. After she lost her job she didn't wallow she made that nephew of mine give her a job. Lord knows what kind of dirt she had on my twisted nephew but she got herself another job and I was proud that she captured her fugitive. This bounty hunter job is not a safe job, lord knows I have spent many hours praying for her safety, but it seems to be a job that utilizes a lot qualities. Knowing this job requires a lot more physical endurance then she has, I blame myself for not training her while she was growing up. I knew she wasn't they typical 'burg girl but her mother didn't want her learning martial arts or sharpshooting. Those skills would have been very useful for her, but no another failure I have seemed to have added in raising my Pumpkin.

She has seemed to have found herself a man that won't belittle her like the hoodlum and the dickhead. He will protect her and hopefully give her the skills that she is lacking due to my own failures. I have seen him through the years, I have checked on him using my old contacts. This Ricardo Carlos 'Ranger' Manoso has led a very dark life in the Rangers; he has been used by every alphabet soup agency in our government. Not only in our government but they have prostituted him out for other governments to use. He has as a battered soul as I did; I understand the pull of Stephanie to him. My only concern is his inability to love her the way she deserves, the way neither the hoodlum nor dickhead were able to. But know with their get-a-way from the insane asylum that is the Trenton maybe they will have their chance.

I will give them their chance, I will do a better job a protecting my Pumpkin. I have seen how my wife's good intentions of raising our daughter has hurt her, I have seen how the 'love' that the Morelli boy has claimed to have for her has hurt her. It is time that I step back into my role of a Ranger and Father and stop the hurt that has been done to her.

A/N: I make no dollars or cents for this, the characters all belong to Janet.