Disclaimer: JE owns the character's.

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah."

"Really?"

"Yes, Stephanie."

"You want to go out on a date? With me?" I asked.

"Yes."

I was caught completely off guard. I had never thought that he would have asked me out on a date. I stared out the windshield of the Bronco. The brick row house that we had been watching for the last three weeks was still dark. I looked over at the man that had been sitting with me every night since this started. He was waiting for an answer.

"Just forget that I even asked," he said as he sadly shook his head. He looked back at the house and said, "It was just a thought."

We went into a very uncomfortable silence. How could I forget what he had just asked me? He wanted to take me out on a date.

Joe and I were on the outs and Ranger had been out of communication for the last two months. Things had been slow at the bonds office, that's how I ended up helping out on surveillance. Ranger had told me a long time ago that I would always have a job at RangeMan as I filled his minority quota. I gave in when money started getting tight and called Tank.

I had spent that last three weeks sitting in a RangeMan Bronco every night with the same man. We had grown comfortable with each other. It took a few nights, but he had started to open up. We talked about family, childhood misadventures, and work. We eventually worked our way to Joe and Ranger. He knew that I loved them both, but neither one of them had been willing to offer me what I really wanted. He knew that I craved being loved for who I was and a ring that would eventually follow that. He had joked that I should see if I could find a scientist to take Joe and Ranger's best qualities and put them in one man.

I was staring out the window when I realized how things had changed for me over the recent weeks. I was back to living alone at my apartment. He would drop me off around nine in the morning. I'd call Connie to see if she had anything new for me. Of course, there was nothing. I'd feed Rex and clean up the apartment a little, take a shower and then climb in bed. I'd wake up around one and call Connie again. Nothing. I'd get up and grab a sandwich and watch a little TV.

Around three, I'd crawl back in bed and pass out. My alarm would go off at seven. I'd shut it off and then go back to sleep. My phone would ring at eight. His voice would talk me awake. At first, it had been a simple five minute conversation, just enough to get my mind working. Over the last week, it had slowly turned into a twenty minute conversation that would end up with me laughing and telling him that I needed to get off the phone if I was going to be ready by the time he got there.

He had changed, too. At first, he had been distant but I watched the blank face slowly fade away. He started smiling and laughing more. He had an amazingly beautiful smile. I loved to hear his laugh echo through the Bronco in the early hours of the morning. He had even started coming prepared for the night.

It started off with coffee. A large cup from 7- Eleven. Then, it turned into a large coffee and a half dozen doughnuts from Dunkin Doughnuts. Two weeks ago, the cooler showed up on the back seat. It would be filled with soda, water, sandwiches, and other assorted goodies. Tonight, he had brought meatball subs and chocolate cake from Pino's. My absolute favorite.

I looked over at him. He had closed himself off. It was like we were back to that first night all over again. I felt my chest tighten up. I had spent lots of time with the Merry Men over the years. They had always been around when I was in trouble. Of course, it had always been because Ranger felt the need to protect me. But, this hadn't been the normal circumstances. We were doing a job together.

He slowly turned his head and looked over at me. The blank face was in place, but his deep, brown eyes gave him away. He had been hurt by my reaction. I wanted to take him in my arms and comfort him. I hadn't meant to hurt him. I wanted the smile and laugh back. I wanted him to be happy and carefree. The side that no one ever saw, the side that he had shown me.

"Pick me up at seven," I said with a shy grin.

I watched the blank face slip away as a grin spread across his face. The dimples appeared and my heart increased it's pace. I smiled at my late night companion as he took my hand in his. He pulled my hand to his lips and placed a light kiss across my knuckles. I felt heat race up my arm and spread through my body.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"For what?" I asked.

"For giving me a chance."

"You're welcome, Ram."