A Christmas To Remember

by LilyGhost

A storm is set to hit Trenton the day before Christmas, leaving Stephanie and Ranger snowed-in at Rangeman for the holiday.

Christmas is my favorite holiday and I wanted to give Stephanie and Ranger a happy one this year. I'm posting this story a little early because I'm not sure if I'll have a chance to do it closer to the actual holiday. And I promise I'll be back to updating my regular stories as soon as my New Year's Eve story is posted. All characters belong to Janet. Any mistakes are mine. Merry Christmas!

"Okay," I said to Ranger, turning off the TV and with it the latest weather report."I guess that settles it."

"Settles what, Babe?"

"They say that the Nor'easter is going to hit on Christmas Eve, so we won't be able to make it to my parents for Christmas." I couldn't stop the shudder that ran through me at the thought of being trapped there because of the snow in their tiny house with Grandma Mazur, my parents, and possibly Valerie's family, too. Sometimes too many relatives under one roof can screw up a holiday. I knew thinking that was unfair because my family was great. It's just that, all together, they can be a little hard to control.

"They expect the worst to hit Trenton after eight o'clock, Steph," Ranger said."We have plenty of time to get there and back before it gets too bad."

"Hey," I said,"whose side are you on?"

"Yours, Babe," Ranger said to me."Always."

"You won't even be visiting your family on Christmas, and you think we have to visit mine?"

"My family doesn't expect me to drop by for more than a few minutes. Yours won't let you forget it if we don't show up."

"You're not afraid of my mother, are you?"

"I'm not afraid of anything, Babe," Ranger said.

And I believed him. After everything he's lived through, my mother would seem like a cakewalk to him. Hmm ... cake. That was one thing visiting my parents had in it's favor.

"Well, I'm afraid of her so maybe you have a point," I said to him."We can probably manage to visit for a few hours without me wanting to kill myself." An exaggeration, but not a big one.

"A few hours?" Ranger asked me.

"Yes," I told him."Rethinking your suggestion?"

"No," he said."Rethinking our afternoon. If we're going to lose some time by going to your parents' house, we'll have to start making some of it up."

"Uh-huh," I said, my body automatically responding to the look in his eyes."Christmas Eve is two days away, Ranger."

"That's what I said. We may be able to do everything I was planning on doing in forty-eight hours," Ranger said to me,"but we'd have to start now."

Ranger hooked an arm under my knees and one around my back, and I was lifted high in the air. I laughed at his playful mood and caught Ranger's face in my hands.

"You may be able to go forty-eight hours straight," I said to him,"but I'll need a break for food."

Ranger didn't pause on his way to the bedroom."Don't worry, Babe," Ranger said against my ear,"I'll let you up for a few minutes."

I knew he was kidding, mostly, but he probably could go two days without stopping. He was taking Christmas Eve and Christmas day off to spend with me so the last week he's been working overtime and taking extra shifts to, hopefully, prevent any problems from occurring while he was out of the office. And he's been doing more patrols so the men who had to work over the holiday would be able to spend the days leading up to Christmas with their families since they wouldn't be able to spend the day itself.

Ranger placed me gently on the bed and held my eyes for a long moment before his mouth slowly lowered to mine. I didn't know what he'd been thinking when he looked down at me, but I knew that the celebrating was about to start early for both of us.

On the day before Christmas, I stood looking out one of the windows in Ranger's bedroom while he was in the shower. It looked beyond cold outside, and clouds had already moved in making it look darker than seven thirty in the morning should look. I guess the weather people had been right for once. Trenton was going to be in for it with this storm. On the upside, maybe this Nor'easter will prevent any break-ins from happening and the guy's shifts would be uneventful. And very festive, I thought to myself, thinking back on the decorating Ella and I had done around Rangeman in the last couple of weeks.

I usually had to bypass Christmas decorations, because I was normally either too busy worrying about catching a skip or hiding from stalkers to do anything for the holiday. Ending up at the mall an hour before closing on Christmas Eve trying to find something appropriate for everyone in my family. But this year was different, I had Ella. Ella didn't give me decorations, but she had started the holiday ball rolling by asking me if I was planning on decorating Ranger's apartment . . .

"Ranger lets me put up a small tree in the control room for the men," Ella told me,"but he never lets me put anything in his apartment."

That's all it took to get me in the holiday spirit. I couldn't do it for myself, but I could and would do it for Ranger.

"Well ... he will this year," I said to Ella."What do you think I should get?"

"What do you usually do for Christmas?" Ella asked me.

I blew out a sigh."I go to my parents' house," I told her."Every year I plan on decorating my apartment, but before I know it Christmas is here and my place is left looking about as cheery as a prison cell."

"That's a horrible thing to say," Ella said.

"Horrible," I said,"but true."

"Okay, let's get started then," she said to me."Do you want a real tree or a fake one?"

"If I had a choice, I'd pick a real one," I told her."There's nothing like the smell of a real Christmas tree, but I don't think Ranger's going to want pine needles embedded in his carpet."

"Don't worry about that," she said to me,"I'll take care of it. How big?"

"Six and a half feet. Maybe seven. Ranger has the room for it."

"That sounds like a good size. Hey, Bobby!" Ella called out."You busy?"

"No," he said, walking over to us."I was just going to head out."

"Want to go with Stephanie to get a Christmas tree for Ranger's apartment?"

"And," Bobby said,"Ranger's okay with this?"

"He doesn't know about it yet," I told him.

"That makes it even better," he said to me."I'm ready to go whenever you are."

"Are you sure?" I asked him."I can pick out a tree on my own."

"Don't be silly, dear," Ella said."We have a building full of strong, capable, men who would love an opportunity to flex their muscles in front of you."

"Okay, I guess," I said to her, but I didn't want anybody to do any flexing around me and chance Ranger hearing about it.

"Let's make a list of what you'll need first and then you can get your lights and ornaments while you're already out," Ella said."You don't mind do you, Bobby?" Though it sounded like Ella stated more than asked him.

Ella would be someone Ranger hired. She was shorter than I was, which made her the smallest person in the building, but she could keep all the Rangemen in line with only a look if she was forced to. Probably because Ella had the 'mom' vibe to her. Someone you didn't want to disappoint or have pissed off at you.

"The rest of my day is free," Bobby said to me,"so I'm all yours for however long you need me."

"Shit man, don't let Ranger hear you say that," Lester said, coming in just in time to hear Bobby,"he'll tear you a new one."

"Ranger and Tank left ten minutes ago to check on a client," I told Lester,"so Bobby's completely safe."

"If you leave now," Ella said to me,"you might get back in time to get everything upstairs before Ranger gets back."

"Where you going?" Lester asked.

"Stephanie's going all Mrs. Claus on Ranger," Bobby said to him."She wants to get a tree for his apartment and everything."

"Does Ranger know about this?" Lester asked.

"Not yet," I said."I figure once the tree is in his apartment, he'll be less likely to get rid of it."

"Steph, if you want a Christmas tree," Bobby said to me,"Ranger would buy out three lots of them just to make sure you had the perfect one."

I laughed.

"I'm serious," Bobby said."I don't think there's a single thing he wouldn't do for you. And I bet making his apartment more appealing to you would be very high on the list of things he would."

That made me laugh harder."Are you trying to imply that Ranger would use innocent Christmas decorations in order to keep me in his apartment?"

"It would work better than a stun gun and handcuffs," Lester said.

"Why do I talk to you guys again?" I asked Lester.

"Because we're good conversationalists," Lester said, for once with a straight face.

"And we're helpful, too," Bobby added.

"Speaking of which," I said to him,"let's get going before I change my mind about all of this."

I got my bag from the desk drawer in my cubby and headed to the elevator with Bobby. To my surprise, Lester followed us.

"You're coming, too?" I asked him.

"Hell, yeah," Lester said to me."I love Christmas. And you'll have more fun if I tag along."

"I'll have more fun, or you will?"

"Both," he said.

We decided to take one of the Rangeman SUV's instead of my car so we'd have room for a tree as well as everything else I needed to buy. We hit the mall first and got an assortment of silver, gold, and red, ornaments. I stood in the aisle and debated with myself over the lights for a few minutes. I knew that white lights would be more classy, and Ranger would probably be more open to them, but I just couldn't do it. All the Christmas trees I'd grown up with had multi-colored lights and, to me, it wouldn't be Christmas without them. I found a star for the top of the tree and got a stand and tree skirt for the bottom of it. I was already pushing my luck with getting a tree in the first place so I left the garland and tinsel on the shelves. Simple was better than non-existent in this case.

Bobby and Lester turned into two little boys the second we got into the store, trying to out tacky each other by finding the ugliest ornament they could in each store we walked into. And I had to keep an eye on them to make sure they didn't sneak anything in at the cash. This must be what it's like for Valerie when she took the girls out shopping with her. After I found everything I needed, the guys carried the bags out to the car for me and we headed out to find a tree.

We stopped at the Christmas tree lot we'd spotted on our way to the mall. And five minutes into looking around, I knew Ella had been right. Taking a Merry Man, or two, with me had been a good idea. They were able to lift, move, and shake, any tree I looked at. Every year when Valerie and I were young, my father would say that we took too long deciding on a tree, but there was no tiring Bobby and Lester. They weren't about to leave until I found what I was looking for, no matter how long it took. I smiled watching Lester, who had taken one of the offered Santa hats to wear while we checked out trees, and Bobby seriously discussing the good and bad parts of the tree they were holding. I didn't know how I ended up with these particular men as my friends, but I considered myself lucky every day.

I finally found the 'perfect' tree tucked away in the back of the lot, like it was just waiting for me to find it and take it home. It was about seven feet tall and was full of thick branches just begging for ornaments.

"This is it," I said to Bobby and Lester."Bobby, Lester, meet mine and Ranger's first Christmas tree."

"Nice choice," Bobby said."You have good taste."

"Of course she has good taste," Lester said,"she hangs around me, doesn't she?"

"That just shows that Steph's nice," Bobby said,"and doesn't want you to feel bad that she'd rather hang out with anyone but you."

"Uh ... guys?" I said."If I admit to liking you both equally can we get going? We took longer than I thought and Ranger may already be back at Rangeman by now."

"One Christmas tree coming up," Lester said, carrying the tree over to the guy selling them to get a fresh cut on the trunk. Lester even got the guy to hand over the tiny chainsaw so he could do the cutting himself.

Ten minutes later, the tree was secured to the top of the vehicle and the three of us were on our way back to Rangeman.

Ranger and Tank pulled in minutes behind us. Lester had parked the SUV in one of Ranger's spaces so we'd be closer to the elevator, and Ranger pulled into the spot next to us. He climbed out of his truck and he and Tank walked over to where we were, their eyes taking in the tree.

"What's going on, Babe?" Ranger asked, after giving me a quick kiss.

"The guys and I went to get a Christmas tree," I said to him.

"I can see that," Ranger said to me."But if you wanted a tree, why didn't you just tell me?"

"Ella said that you never have decorations in your apartment," I told him,"so I didn't know if you'd be okay with it. I thought surprising you with one would be the better way to go."

Ranger gave me a small smile, and tucked a curl that had come loose from my ponytail behind my ear.

"I didn't have any reason to before, Babe," he said."I always visited Julie in Miami for the holidays and I didn't spend much time in my apartment before I left."

"And now?" I asked.

"Now, I have every reason standing in front of me," he said, making my heart stop and speed up again all at the same time.

"Aww, shucks," Lester said."I'm getting a little misty here. Does anybody have a tissue?"

"Santos," Ranger said, warningly,"don't push me into giving you an extra hole for fluids to leak out of."

"Ewww, Ranger," I said to him."That's gross."

"Sorry, Babe. But there are some people that need to be kept on a very short leash."

"No kidding," I said to Ranger."I only turned my back on him for a second and he snuck a candy bar into my stuff when I was checking out."

"Did you make him put it back?" Ranger asked me.

"No," I said."I pretended not see it and then ate it when he wasn't looking."

"So that's where it went," Lester said to me.

"It was good, too," I said to him."Thanks."

Bobby and Tank laughed while Lester pouted. Or at least he attempted to. You couldn't really look like Lester and effectively pull off a pout. He either looked scary or sexy as hell. Though, more days than not, he just looked like a pain in everyone's behind.

"I'm assuming all this stuff is on it's way up to seven?" Ranger asked me.

"Yep," I said."I was going to try sweet-talking the guys into carting it up for me."

"No sweet-talking necessary," Bobby said."We were going to do it for you anyway."

"Thanks guys. I really appreciate it."

"No need," Ranger said."If you can handle the bags, I'll take the tree up. If this is going to become a yearly thing, we might as well get used to doing it together."

"Told you, Steph," Bobby said.

"Be quiet," I told Bobby."You're ruining the moment."

"I need to talk to these yo-yos anyway," Tank said to us,"so we'll let you get to it." And he, Bobby, and Lester took the stairs back to five.

I grabbed the bags out of the back of the SUV and Ranger got the tree down from the roof of it. We took the elevator to his apartment and I unlocked the door for him.

"Where do you want this?" Ranger asked me.

"Next to the bookcase, I think."

I pulled the stand out from one of the bags and followed Ranger into the living room. When the tree was straight, and the stand full of water, I started hauling out the packages of ornaments. I always hated waiting until the branches had a chance to settle before decorating them, so we spent the next hour and a half decorating our tree. Well, I was decorating it. Ranger was more interested in checking out, and commenting on, my body and the various positions it was in as I hung things up, his hand brushing across my ass or breast when I asked him to hand me something. This was the first time I could say that I was turned on while decorating a Christmas tree. It was sexy and fun. And when the tree was finished, I had to resist the urge to take everything off and start all over again . . .

The tingling on the back of my neck was the only warning I had before Ranger sandwiched me between the window I'd been looking out of and the muscled wall of his chest, resting his hands on the sill in front of me. The window immediately fogged up. I tipped my back so I'd be able to see his face. His hair was damp, and his eyes were warm when they smiled at me.

"Are you going to try using the weather again to get out of dinner?" He asked me.

"No," I said."But it doesn't look good out there. And we still have a couple hours before we have to leave."

"Don't worry, Babe. I'll get you to your parents' house and back safely," Ranger said."It's what happens in between that I make no promises about."

"Funny," I said to him."But you won't be laughing when Grandma pretends you're Santa and gives you a lap dance."

Ranger didn't say anything for a second. He knew it was a possibility, but he bounced back quickly.

"I guess I'll just have to keep your body in front of me at all times," he said, finally.

And just like that, the tables turned.

"I suppose," I said,"there are worse things I can think of."

"Oh, yeah?" Ranger asked, his breath tickling my ear.

"Uh-huh."

"Name one," he said.

"Having to wrap the rest of the presents I bought instead of dragging you back to bed," I told him.

"That definitely qualifies, Babe."

"Of course, if you want to help me," I said, my voice dropping an octave,"I may have time for a long shower before I get dressed."

"Trying to bribe me into helping you?"

"Yes," I said."Is it working?"

"I just got out of the shower," Ranger said."You should have told me about this before."

"It's fine," I told him."I just thought I'd mention it. I've been showering on my own for quite a while now, one more time won't kill me."

"Afraid I can't let you do that, Babe," Ranger said to me, kissing the side of my neck.

I moved my hair to give him better access.

"Are you aware that most accidents at home occur in the bathroom?" He asked."And most of those by falling in the shower."

I smiled."So you're saying I need someone to hold onto so that doesn't happen?"

"Believe me, Steph, I'll give you plenty to hold onto."

Boy did he. My hands knew all the best places to grab on Ranger's body.

"I'm suddenly feeling very motivated to get everything wrapped quickly," I said to Ranger. I turned in his arms and pressed a kiss to his lips."Let's get a move on. I want to make sure I'm completely clean before we have to leave. And that may take some time."

I ducked under Ranger's arm and caught his hand in mine, pulling him to the dining room where I had left everything last night. Lord knows I'd need a good scrubbing so my mother wouldn't detect any of the unclean thoughts Ranger had just starred in.

At two o'clock I was just about ready for dinner with my family. Mentally as well as physically. Ranger seemed to be able to get along better with them than I do. Probably because he wasn't related to them, and didn't have the baggage of thirty plus years served up at dinner alongside the potatoes.

I had decided to thumb my nose at the weather by choosing a cute little v-neck dress and four-inch stiletto heels to wear to dinner. My only concession to Mother Nature was that it had long sleeves and the material of the dress was heavier than I'd usually wear, but the neckline was still a little low and the skirt was on the short side.

"I'm having seconds thoughts about leaving," Ranger said from the doorway.

"Why?" I asked him."Is the weather worse?" I slipped on my second shoe and walked back to the window. As far as I could tell, nothing had changed since the last time I looked.

"No," Ranger said."Seeing you in that dress is making me want to see you out of it."

"You saw me out of it an hour ago."

"And?"

"And," I said patiently,"we had the perfect excuse not to go out today and you were the one who said that we should still go, so you're going to have to wait until tonight to see this dress hit the floor."

"Just gives me something to think about over dinner, Babe," he said to me.

That makes two of us, I thought.

Ranger looked almost as good now as he had in the shower. He was in black pants (not cargos) and a black dress shirt with thin charcoal gray stripes. Even after seeing him every day, and spending almost every night with him, I still feel the same way I did when he first said that he was going to ruin me for other men. And if the way he looks at me is any indication, he was ready to do any ruining any time I wanted him to.

After living in Joe's house with him for an entire week, we were already drawing battle lines. Ranger's place was more of a peaceful retreat in comparison. Good for my mind and my body. For a man who claimed he wasn't relationship material, Ranger's been nothing but since we've been together. He's been kind, considerate, and most of all patient, with me. Leaving me to believe that I'd been the bigger problem between the two of us all along.

"Are you ready to go?" Ranger asked, crossing the room to me.

"Yeah. I just have to grab the presents and my coat."

"The bags are already in the car, Babe," Ranger said to me."All I need is you."

I smiled at him. He was all I needed, too. Ranger took my hand and we walked out to the front hall. He helped me into my coat and I watched as he shrugged into his. He looked dangerous, delectable, and totally mine. And nothing Santa could bring would mean more to me.

The snow was already starting to fall when we left Rangeman. Ranger walked to the Cayenne, apparently thinking that it was more of a winter vehicle than the Turbo. I'm sure that if I wasn't a consideration, he would have chosen to take his F-150 truck with the huge tires that could have rolled over anything in it's path. But since I had on a dress and heels Ranger, much to my relief, chose the Cayenne instead. Even though he probably would have enjoyed watching me try to climb into it wearing a short skirt and heels.

Ranger took his time driving across town and through the Burg. He wasn't moving at senior citizen pace, but he wasn't taking any chances, either. When I drive in anything but sunny, eighty degree weather on my way to Point Pleasant for a day of doing nothing, I was a mixture of Italian hand gestures and inventive curse words. But Ranger drove like he worked ... quietly and methodically.

He parked behind Valerie's mini-van and we walked up the sidewalk, where little pathway trees leading up to the front door were already lit up despite the bit of sunlight that had peeked through the clouds. My mother had gotten my dad to not only put out the little Christmas trees this year, but to also decorate their front porch, too. There were lights outlining the porch, door, and living room window next to it, and a huge wreath on the door with a four-foot snowman off to the side waving to the cars driving by. My mother would probably say that she wanted things to look Christmasy for Valerie's girls, but really she likes the decorations more than anyone else. Child or adult.

When we stepped inside there were Christmas carols playing softly in the background. But unlike the ones being played at Rangeman, these had everyone from Bing Crosby to Elvis singing them. The house was warm and smelled so good that I wanted to go outside just to walk back in again. The noise level made me rethink that, though. It rivaled the airport the last time I had to catch a skip there. The TV was loud, and the sounds in the kitchen were constant.

"Hey, Mom!" I called out after hanging our coats up."We're here!"

I was heading to the living room with the presents when my mother came out of the kitchen.

"Good," she said,"you made it. I was getting worried."

"You're always worried," I said to her.

"I have good reason to be," she said back.

Unfortunately this was true. There'd been a penis mailed to me that my mother had watched me open, a rabbit that she ran over to prevent me from being kidnapped, and my grandmother and I almost burning up along with the funeral home not that long ago. But she did set me up with a serial killer so I think that should make us even.

"The weatherman on television said that the storm is moving in faster than they expected," she said to me."The were warning people to stay off the roads if they could."

"We're fine," I said to her."The snow isn't heavy enough to stick to the roads yet. And Ranger's a good driver."

"I bet he's a good lover, too," my Grandma Mazur said, poking her head out of the kitchen and winking at Ranger.

Her body may need a time machine, but there was nothing wrong with Grandma Mazur's hearing. I could almost feel Ranger smile behind me. He was agood lover. And he knew it. Although, he might argue that the word good didn't do him justice.

"Hi Grandma. How're you doing? " I asked, hopefully getting her mind off our sex life.

"I was better this morning," she said to me."I had a date for dinner tonight, but his daughter called and cancelled. She said it was because he wasn't legally allowed to drive when it's dark out because of his glaucoma and also she didn't want him driving in the storm. I think she's just jealous of our relationship and doesn't want a new step-mother."

"How long have you known him?"

"I met him at church last month, but this was going to be our first official date," Grandma said."I thought if we got all that meeting-the-family crap out of the way, we could focus on the wedding and honeymoon. Like I told him, I ain't getting any younger. I don't have time to wait around for a long courtship, no matter how old-fashioned he is."

How sweet. Romance Grandma Mazur style.

"I can see why you were worried, Babe," Ranger said against my ear.

And this was just the beginning, I thought to myself.

"Go on and sit down," My mother said to us."The ham will be ready soon. Your grandmother and I have some food on the table to tide everyone over until it's ready."

I put the bags down by the tree, wrapped Ranger's arm around my waist, and moved us both over to the dining room for a closer look at the snacks. Figuring that this was her only chance of feeding her family this Christmas, my mother went overboard on appetizers. She had a smoked salmon spread with crackers, deviled eggs, little finger sandwiches, and a black olive dip served with tortilla chips.

After having a deviled egg, one tiny finger sandwich, and the olive dip on a chip, I fed Ranger a cracker with a little of the salmon spread on it. He ate it without complaint, and as soon as my mother's back was turned he thoroughly licked my fingers clean. I guess that's why he didn't make a fuss about eating it. I could have happily filled up on snacks until I caught a whiff of ham wafting out from the kitchen when my mother opened the oven door. Maybe I could hold off and wait for dinner.

"Let's go," I said to Ranger."If I don't get away from this table now, I'm going to be too full to enjoy dessert. And my mother doesn't understand the jpy of having dessert first."

"Not many people do, Babe."

"Yeah," I said."And you're one of them."

I waved to Valerie who'd come downstairs, presumably from checking on the girls and Albert since I didn't see them anywhere around.

"Hi Dad," I said to my dad, who was busy ignoring everything but the television."Albert and the girls upstairs?"

"They're having a tea party," My father said. His expression clearly said that he was glad he hadn't been invited to it. I don't remember having tea parties when I was little, though I'm sure Valerie did. And I couldn't picture my dad pretending to eat and drink from tiny pink cups and saucers. But I had no problem picturing Albert doing it.

"But I think he's just hiding from your mother," my father said to me."He tried to sneak some food from a pan on stove and she caught him."

"Uh-oh," I said. Everyone knows that you don't enter the kitchen unless you're invited in on holidays. My mother took holiday dinners as seriously as doctors took brain surgery.

"Good to see you back," my dad said to Ranger.

"Good to be here," Ranger said to him. And that was the end of the male bonding. But Ranger has inspired more words from my father than Joe ever did. After a handshake between the two of them, my father turned back to the TV and I walked over to the Christmas tree.

The six and a half foot tall Christmas tree was decorated with enough ornaments to cover an eight-footer. It had mini multi-colored lights that seemed to multiply every year. And all the ornaments that Valerie and I had made in school were still hung up year after year, with the addition of what Mary Alice, Angie, and Lisa had made special for their grandmother.

When I was growing up, I didn't understand why you would want to hang something that was handmade and, for the most part, unattractive on the tree instead of just buying ornaments at the store. But Iooking at those ornaments now, I can remember exactly how it felt to wrap each one of these up and how my mother would fuss over them like they were the greatest gift she'd ever received. Becoming a teenager strained our relationship, but despite our differences every year when I gave her a Christmas present she still pretended that it was the best thing I could have given her. It was the one time out of the year when we would call a cease-fire on whatever we were fighting about and just enjoy the day.

In the years after moving out of my parents' house, I never felt settled enough to try recapturing the same holiday feeling. Even when I was married to Dickie, the emotions of the day felt forced. After the divorce, the holidays always seemed to sneak up on me. I never had presents bought ahead of time. I never managed to get a tree, nevermind decorations for one. And carols were limited to whatever was playing on the radio when I was enroute to my job in Newark at the time or, more recently, out catching a skip.

This year was the first one where I felt some of the magic that'd been lost since I've grown up. I'd say that ninety percent of that was because of Ranger, but it was also because I feel like I have an extra family to share the holiday with now. You would think that having a larger group of people to shop for would make things more difficult, and make me want to face Christmas less, but I've found that knowing people truly cared about you, and didn't expect you to go out of your way for them, made you want to celebrate them along with the holiday itself. I caught myself smiling more than once while I was searching for just the right gifts for everyone. I didn't have a ton of money, but I managed to put something aside every week just to make sure I'd be able to get gifts for everyone before the craziness of the holiday set in. I had to admit, though, online shopping helped out a lot with that. I ordered what I couldn't find in stores and finished up everything else at the mall in between my work at Rangeman and skip chasing.

"You're being surprisingly quiet," Ranger said, choosing to be near me instead of relaxing on the couch.

"Sorry," I said."I zoned out."

"Do you think things are that bad already?"

"Just the opposite, in fact."

He studied my face for a long moment."You look happy," he said to me finally.

"I am," I said."Thank you for making sure I came today."

"Babe," Ranger said,"you may need a little prodding once and a while, but I know you. And you would want to be here with your family. Despite how you talk to, and about, each other the love between all of you is apparent to everyone."

"I do love them," I said to him, trying to keep my voice low so we wouldn't be overheard."I always feel guilty for wanting to avoid my family but, in the end, I'm usually glad I got to spend time with them. With the exception of maybe Kloughn. But I'm sure everyone who has a Kloughn in their family would understand that."

Ranger smiled.

"And having you with me makes all the difference," I said him.

"I'd like to take the credit, Babe," Ranger said,"but you would have come over even if the snow had been three feet high."

"You're probably right," I said,"but sometimes I need to be reminded of that."

"That's what I'm here for," Ranger said, the smile still on his lips.

"You're here for a lot more than just reminding me that I love my crazy family."

I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. I turned towards the chair facing the TV and saw the smile on my father's face. I guess Ranger and I were more interesting than the movie he had on. My father doesn't say much, but he was the backbone of our family. He could tolerate my grandmother, calm my mother down when she was beyond reason, and he could love Valerie and I. A little differently, but in a way that was right for us. He wanted to make sure Valerie married a man who would love and take care of her and the girls. And while Albert had many faults, no one could say that he didn't worship the ground Valerie, Angie, Mary Alice, and Lisa walked on. My father wanted me to find a man that would love me unconditionally, too, but also one that would keep me safe and happy. And it was obvious to everyone who knew me that Ranger fit the bill.

The girls came running down the stairs followed by Albert when Valerie yelled up to them that dinner was ready. My father left the television on while he, Ranger, and I headed to the table. Ranger pulled out my chair for me, and Albert seeing it decided to do the same for Valerie. Unfortunately, he managed to hit the backs of her knees hard enough to make her bite her lip in an attempt to keep from taking the Lord's name in vain in front of my mother.

"Sorry, Honeykins," Albert said to Val.

"It's okay," she said to him.

"Well the intent was sweet," I whispered to Ranger."Who knows, maybe you'll be a good influence on Albert, too."

"He needs more help than even I can give him," Ranger said, leaning close.

This was true. But Albert was a really nice guy. And I like him loads better than Valerie's "perfect" husband even before he decided to run off with the babysitter and their savings, leaving Valerie with no husband, no money, and two kids to support. She recovered well, though, and seems happier with her life than I've ever seen her. That was one thing that Valerie and I had in common. We had both pretended to like the lives we had, and the people we'd pretended to be in them. Now we were with men who loved us, and acting happy was no longer required. We just are.

My mother put the last of the platters and bowls on the table. And after my father said Grace, one of the few times he went through with the formality, we were allowed to dig in. My mother had cooked a huge sliced ham with a brown sugar glaze that made my eyes roll back in my head almost as fast as Ranger could make them, and homemade applesauce to have with it. A small vat of what my mother called Christmas pasta, which looked like plain 'ol pasta to me. Balsamic-glazed brussels sprouts that I could usually manage to eat at least two of so my diet wasn't completely deficient in green things. A large bowl of creamed spinach, which was more my type of vegetable. If you cover it with enough cream and butter I can eat a whole serving without grimacing. Scalloped potatoes. Again with the cream and butter, though I would eat potatoes without it since they're one of the few vegetables that people deem bad for you all on their own. A fresh loaf of Italian People's crusty bread with room temperature butter to spread on it. And pineapple-upside down cake complete with the little cherries in the center of the pineapple rings, a few dozen cookies, rice pudding, and pecan pie, with fresh whipped cream or ice cream for both the pie and cake, for dessert. I'm sure you could also put it on the pudding, but I've never tried it. There was also wine for dinner and coffee for after.

Maybe with the leftovers and enough booze, being stranded here wouldn't be so bad after all. But Ranger probably wouldn't survive on the leftovers, because every vegetable in the house had been cooked in enough saturated fat to clog even his arteries since he hasn't built up a immunity to it like my family has. He focused on the ham and the brussels sprouts and politely declined dessert. Just to make sure my mother wasn't offended, not that she could be in the face of the smile Ranger gave her, I had enough dessert for the both of us.

After dessert was fully appreciated, and the dishes washed and put away, Angie and Mary Alice started in on Valerie to open their presents. After about ten minutes of having to listen to them, Valerie relented. The decibel level went up when she told them the good news. Once the girls were halfway done ripping their way through acres of wrapping paper, my mother decided that we should just open everything tonight since no one would be traveling tomorrow.

Ranger and I had decided to go in on the presents to my family. That way we could get them what they wanted and needed without them getting mad and me going bankrupt. Ranger had some sort of business deal with an electronics store in town so I was able to get most of Valerie's family taken care of. Valerie had mentioned that one PC in a house with four people needing to use it was difficult. So the logical choice to me was to get them a laptop. It would still require a little juggling, but I thought it would help. Ranger and I gave ipod shuffles to Mary Alice and Angie. We got them the same gift because they both wanted one and I didn't want to start any fighting. We did pick different colors, though. Lisa was still too little to get anything really high-tec, and I wasn't sure what to get at first, but decided on a little Leap Frog learning computer so she could play along with Valerie while she used hers. For my mother we had chipped in for one of those fancy cooking classes at the community college. And Ranger got my dad some Cuban cigars. I wasn't sure if he actually liked smoking them or just used them as an excuse to stay out in the garage because my mother didn't allow smoking in the house. Since it's illegal to buy Grandma her own studmuffin, I settled for putting together a dvd collection of movies that had sexy men as the focus of them. I called in an expert and Lula came with me one Saturday to pick them out.

I'd found out the good thing about planning ahead of time was that I could shop around for the best prices on what I wanted without the usual grab-at-any-price-and-get-the-hell-out-of-there method that I normally used. And I had saved more money, and had less crazy moments, than any Christmas in the last decade. What also helped was that I had also threatened to kick the butts of anyone who tried to buy me anything this year. It probably didn't go with peace on earth message for this particular holiday, but Valerie and Albert had three girls and a mortgage to worry about and I wanted them to spend what they had only on the girls. And my parents' had enough stress dealing with Grandma and I on a daily basis and I didn't want to add to it by having my mother start freaking out over finding something for Ranger. I did smooth out any misunderstandings by saying that we could all go out to dinner at Marsilio's or Rossini's after the holidays were over, telling my mother and grandmother that they deserved a break from the kitchen for at least a night.

It was dark by the time we were ready to leave my parents' house. Ranger, my father, and Albert went out ahead of us to shovel the sidewalk and clear the snow off our cars. Well, Ranger and my father got rid of the snow while Albert stood leaning against his shovel questioning everything from Santa Claus to how many individual snowflakes had fallen so far. I bet the sidewalk had never been shoveled that fast before.

I had my coat on and a huge paper bag of leftovers from my mother in my hand. I followed slowly behind Valerie and the girls. Angie and Mary Alice had on gloves and boots and were trying to throw snowballs at each other. Poor Lisa was so bundled up she was having a hard time moving out of the way when one came too close to her while trying to concentrate on singing Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer as loudly as she could. The little trees along the walk were now covered with snow, giving the inches that had landed on them so far a rainbow-like glow. I could hear neighbors talking further down the street and smiled at the scene in front of me, imagining how many people were watching and listening to the exact same thing right now. But the good part was that I could enjoy all of this now and then go home with Ranger to the peace and quiet of his apartment. I wasn't anywhere near ready to experience this on a full-time basis. When Ranger saw me come out, he walked over to take the bag from me and put it in the car while I said goodbye.

"Thanks again for dinner," I said to my mother and grandmother, who were standing in the doorway watching us get ready to leave."I'll call you tomorrow if you don't lose power." Rangeman had back up generators so were guaranteed to have lights and heat."If you do lose electricity, use Grandma's cell and call me and we'll come get you and bring you back to Rangeman until it comes back on. Ranger has generators and two empty apartments available so you'll have a comfortable place to stay. Same goes for you, Val," I told her.

She laughed."Maybe you should check with Ranger before inviting us over."

"Ranger won't mind," I said to her."He's the one who convinced me to come over tonight."

"You weren't going to come to dinner?" My mother asked, her ears more receptive than any cell tower.

"I'd rather stayed locked away with Ranger, too," Grandma Mazur said.

I agreed. And I'd have tonight, and all day tomorrow, to do just that.

"I was worried about being snowed-in," I told her, which was true just not for the reasons she thought."But as soon as Ranger said we'd be able to make it here before the worst part of the storm hit, I was thinking about what to wear," I said, hoping to pacify her. It worked.

"As much as I love having everyone here," my mother said,"I wouldn't want you or your sister to have an accident because of it."

"We had a great time, Mom," I said to her."We got here safely. And we'll get home safely, too."

I looked to where Ranger was standing, probably weighing the pros and cons of shooting Kloughn.

Valerie looked over, too."I have a feeling that if I don't get Albert away from Ranger, he might not live to see Christmas morning."

"Albert's not that bad," I said, mentally crossing my fingers at the tiny lie.

"It is kind of cute," Valerie said."He seems to almost idolize Ranger."

"Who doesn't?" I said mostly to myself, but Valerie heard me and laughed.

"Mary Alice! Angie! Time to go. Both of you help your sister get to the car," she said, not exactly a shout, but my ears thought it was close enough to one."Albert? Make sure the girls are all buckled in."

"Sure," Klough said."Alright. Can do. Gotta get my girls home," he said to Ranger. He shook Ranger's hand and made a show of putting Lisa in her seat and checking Angie and Mary Alice's seatbelts.

"Better watch out, Valerie," I said to her."Albert's going all he-man on you."

"It would be even better if I wasn't going to have to remind him to put his own on when I get into the car."

Now I laughed. Valerie and I gave a final wave to Mom and Grandma Mazur, and both kissed my dad on the cheek as we passed him on the way to where our men were waiting for us. Albert was sitting in the driver's seat of Valerie's mini-van waiting for her, and Ranger was standing next to the passenger's side of the Cayenne holding my door open for me. I swear the snowflakes were melting before they even landed on him.

I gave Ranger a kiss on the cheek, too, as I slipped by him and settled into the leather seat. He closed the door and slid behind the wheel, waiting until Albert had pulled out with a beep of his horn before he started the car.

The snow that had started piling up didn't help the road conditions any, but I knew that we'd be able to get back to Rangeman so I allowed myself to relax while Ranger drove. The falling snow combined with the houses that were lit up made the scenery look less like Trenton, New Jersey and more like a Christmas card. Each year there were less houses that were decorated. People got older. Children grew up. But that didn't stop me from feeling like a little kid again every time we passed by one that went all out, lighting up everything from the mailbox to the roof of the house.

"What are you smiling about?" Ranger asked me. The plow trucks were already out, and Ranger slowed so he wouldn't damage his car in case anything flew out from underneath one.

"Are you kidding?" I said."What's not to smile about? Thanks to you, we made it to my parents' house so I won't have to avoid her for the next week. We're going back to Rangeman where we'll be snowed-in and nobody will be able to bother us. And this is our first Christmas together as a real couple."

"And that's the reason for the smile?"

"Just knowing that we're spending the night together is cause for a smile," I told him.

"Not just a night, Babe."

"I know," I said."But if I don't pace myself, all this happiness is going to start causing wrinkles." Ranger looked over at me and smiled. I think I've made him almost as happy as he's made me over the last few months. He does seem to smile a lot more now.

At least four inches of snow had fallen while we were at my parents' house, but lucky for me Rangeman had an underground garage and the only thing I had to worry about was not falling on my ass on the way to the elevator. Not exactly a hardship considering where I was last year when I was at my apartment, wearing two pound boots, trying to balance carefully on top of the icy layer of snow without breaking through to get all the way to my car which was patiently waiting to see the light of day after being buried all night.

But when Ranger came over to my side of the car I briefly considered faking a stumble just to get his arms back around me.

"Babe," Ranger said to me,"you should know by now that you don't have to fake anything when you're with me."

No kidding. My acting skills were deteriorating because of it.

Ranger draped an arm around me when I slid out of his car. We took our time walking to the elevator, enjoying the almost unnatural quiet that seemed only to happen when it snowed and the clean smell of the winter air that I still to this day couldn't describe.

When we got back to Ranger's apartment, I took the leftover bag from him and put the food away. I took the picture Lisa had colored for us of a Christmas tree and put in on the table next to the tree where the presents for Ella, Louis, and the guys sat waiting to be handed out tomorrow. Without discussing it, both Ranger and I had decided to hide the gifts we got each other. Ranger didn't ask me what I wanted this year so I had no idea what I was in for. It could be anything from a pair of handcuffs to a lear jet. I already told him that I have everything I need, but I knew he didn't listen anymore than I listened to him when he'd said something similar to me.

"You know, this has been my favorite Christmas to date," I said to Ranger.

"Christmas isn't until tomorrow, Steph."

"I know, but it's going to be real hard to top today," I said."My family wasn't arguing. Albert didn't say anything disturbing ..."

"You weren't outside with him, Babe."

"Oh," I said to him."Sorry about that."

Not sorry enough to have offered to shovel, though. Shoveling was second only to exercising on my list of the worst ways to spend my time. Then again, shoveling could be considered exercising, couldn't it? So maybe it's tied for first now.

"Did I lose you again?" Ranger asked.

"Nope. I'm here and you can't get rid of me."

"Would never cross my mind," he said.

I walked over to him and crossed my arms behind his neck."I forgot to ask if you wanted to open gifts tonight or wait until tomorrow?"

"I thought you didn't need anything?" Ranger said, lifting a eyebrow at me.

"I did," I told him."But I know you just ignored me and got me something anyway."

"I did get you something," Ranger said."And you're going to have to wait until tomorrow to see what it is."

"Fine by me," I said to him."But remember, that means you have to wait, too."

"Steph," Ranger said,"I'm not the one who rivals Grandma Mazur in the curiosity department. I can wait."

Oh, can he? I said to myself. We'll just see about that. My hands slid down his chest and I stepped away from him.

"The food is put away and all the gifts are wrapped," I said to Ranger."The only thing I have left to do is to get out of these clothes."

I took a step past him and just as I expected, a very large, very warm, hand settled on my shoulder, stopping my progress to the bedroom.

"What?" I asked, looking over my shoulder at him.

"I suddenly seem to be very curious about something," Ranger said.

"Oh yeah?" I asked."What about?"

He scooped me up in his arms."About what exactly you're wearing under this dress."

I could see why he'd be curious about that. He saw me naked in the shower an hour before I put it on. And he saw me fully dressed. He didn't get to see the sexy underwear I bought special just to wear underneath it as a surprise for him tonight.

Ranger released one of the arms holding me and let me down slowly until my shoes hit the floor. His hands went to the hem of my dress and he tugged it over my head. As Christmas Eve turned into Christmas morning Santa Claus could have broken into the apartment with his sleigh, reindeer, and elves, in tow and I wouldn't have noticed anything beyond Ranger's own brand of magic.

I woke up to the sun shining on Christmas morning, and to the feel of Ranger's lips kissing my bare shoulder, my neck, the spot below my ear.

"Merry Christmas, Babe," he said against my lips when he reached them.

I rolled onto my back and stretched my arms over my head. Ranger took advantage of my position and rolled on top of me, supporting himself with his arms so he didn't crush me, his muscles bulging enticingly.

I smiled. This was so much better to wake up to than a stupid alarm clock.

"Merry Christmas, Ranger," I said to him, my eyes automatically locking onto his.

From that moment on, and ones immediately following it, we didn't look away from each other once.

Since we were technically snowed in, even though Ranger could have found a way to leave Rangeman if we wanted to, we decided spend the morning in bed until my growling stomach demanded immediate attention, too. We took a quick shower and both got dressed.

Even though we weren't leaving the building, it was still Christmas so I chose a pair of slim fitting black pants and a body hugging pale silver top that could be worn off the shoulders or on. I made the mistake of asking Ranger's opinion of which way looked better and now every time I walked near him he pulled the collar back off my shoulders. I figured the only time I was going to be safe from him was when we went downstairs and was surrounded by his men. And I had on a pair of black Gucci pumps. Okay, so I bought them from a guy Lula knew and maybe the G looked a little more like a C, but they fit me and looked real so I wasn't going to complain. Ranger surprised me by also dressing up. He was still in black, but the cargos and T-shirt were replaced by another pair of dress pants and plain black button-down shirt.

We headed to the kitchen and proved my mother wrong about not being able to fend for ourselves, and sliced some bread from a loaf Ella had left us, and had a breakfast of cereal, toast, and sliced fruit. Ranger wasn't due to call Julie until a little later because she happened to be on the other side of the country, and had the time change to consider, so we took our time over coffee and cleaning up the few dishes we dirtied.

When Ranger did get Julie on the line, it was obvious to me how much she means to him. Ranger usually kept his emotions to himself, but since we've been together, I've picked up on a few subtle clues as to what he was feeling. The softening of his voice and the warmth in his eyes when he heard the sound of Julie's voice. The way his shoulders seemed to relax when he knew that she was okay. He'd probably claim that I was seeing things, but I've become somewhat of a Ranger expert. And after studying him as closely as I have, I've noticed the changes in his body, and expression, when he's near the people he cares about. And he definitely cared about Julie. He made it sound like he had stayed away from her for her sake, when I really think it was for his. I knew it would kill him if something happened to her. And as bad as it sounds, that made me feel a lot better. He wouldn't be the person I love if I thought he could sign away his daughter and not have it affect him.

Ranger handed the phone over to me."Julie wants to say hi," he said.

"Hey, Julie," I said."Merry Christmas."

I listened to her talk about what she got for Christmas, how happy she was to be out of school, and how much fun she was having. My eyes flicked to Ranger when she asked if I gave Ranger his present yet.

"Nope," I said to her."We're waiting until tonight. We're on our way downstairs to see Ella and the guys to give them their gifts first."

Ranger was standing near me while I was on the phone and I leaned back against him. His arms came around me when I said goodbye to Julie. I handed the phone back to him and heard him promise Julie that we'd be down to visit her when she got back home. This was news to me, but I wouldn't argue. If Ranger wanted to take me to Miami in the middle of a Jersey winter then I wasn't going to stop him.

Ranger put the phone down, but didn't release me. I was fine with that, too.

"Julie's a great kid," I said to him."I know you're usually in Miami for Christmas, are you okay with not seeing her this year?" I knew Ranger had to go down there to fix a problem in the Miami office and had spent a day with her, but still, this was a holiday centered around family and it had to be hard for him.

"Rachel wanted to take Julie with her, Ron, and the girls to visit her mother in California," Ranger said, his arms still holding me close."Julie loves her grandmother and doesn't get a chance to see her that often. I wasn't about to stand in the way of Julie spending Christmas with her. I did buy her gift while I was down there, and gave it to Rachel to take with her so Julie would still get my present today."

"It's nice that you and Rachel have that kind of relationship," I said to him."That you're able to move forward without any resentment."

"I can't resent any part of Rachel and Ron's life," Ranger said, not sounding at all bitter about how things had turned out."He's been her father since she was two. And he's been a good one. A better one than I would have been at the time."

"I think you could have been an amazing father if your life at the time had been different," I said."And it's probably really selfish of me to say, but I'm glad that you and Rachel didn't stay together."

"We wouldn't have lasted a year," Ranger said to me,"we were too young at the time. And Julie wouldn't have the family that she has now. I'm just grateful that Rachel lets me be a part of it."

"That makes three of us then," I said to him,"because it's obvious that Julie loves you."

"I'd like to think so," he said.

"Trust me," I told him,"she does." How could she not? I thought to myself."Are you ready to spread some holiday cheer?" I asked him.

"Do we have to?"

"Yep," I said to him."I need a big strong man to carry all the stuff downstairs."

"Want me to call Tank?" Ranger asked.

"Tank's here?" I asked him."I thought he'd be at home today."

"He knew that I was taking the day off," Ranger said,"and he decided to stay here in the building in case there's a problem so I wouldn't be disturbed."

"That's so nice of him," I said,"but he didn't have to do that. I don't have a problem with you working, Ranger. And I would have understood if something came up and you had to leave."

"Babe, Tank knows that when I set aside time to be with you, I don't want to be interrupted during it unless it's an emergency," Ranger said to me."I like my job. And being on call 24-7 is part of it, but I love you and want the time I have with you to be about us without having to think about anything else."

"Well just for that," I said,"Tank's getting my Pineapple-Upside-Down cake. I'd give it to you for saying what you just said, but I know you won't eat it."

"Don't worry, Babe," Ranger said, his voice lowering,"you have something I like better than cake."

I smiled at him despite the blood that suddenly drained from my head and quickly moved south."Is this another pie analogy?"

"Could be," Ranger said."And if Tank's getting cake then can haul everything down to five. He'll need to work off all that sugar somehow."

I pulled away from Ranger."Sorry," I said with a smile."I'm not taking advantage of Tank."

I loaded up Ranger and we took the elevator to the sixth floor to give Ella and Louis their gifts. I knew Christmas wasn't about presents unless you were a kid, but this year I wanted the people I love to know that I cared enough about them to buy something special for them. I found a cashmere sweater that I thought Ella would look great in. I chose the opposite of her everyday black and went with a cream color. I wasn't sure what to get for Louis until Ranger mentioned that although Louis wasn't a drinker, he did enjoy a glass of scotch once in a while, so I got him a bottle of 15-year-old Macallan scotch. I had no idea if it was any good, but the guy at the liquor store seemed excited about it. Ranger topped me by getting them two tickets to a Caribbean cruise that Ella had said that she and Louis wanted to go on. Proving to me that the people who worked for Ranger were more than just employees.

I told Ella the same thing that I'd told my family about not wanting any gifts. Ella has spent the last few years shopping for me, cleaning up after me, and cleaning me up after more than one takedown had gone bad. I couldn't do anything close to that for any of these people, but I wanted to use this as a chance to get everyone something to show them how I felt about having them in my life. But I also wanted to do it without getting anything in return. That seemed to be the hardest part. Convincing people that you really meant it without hurting anyone's feelings. But it was true. I had Rex. And Ranger. I'd been careful and productive in the last year and because of it, I had a small amount of money in the bank. And everyone around me was healthy and bullet free. That was all I could ask for, but Ella apparently needed to give me something anyway and it was one gift she knew I wouldn't argue with. A homemade birthday cake. Vanilla cake with buttercream frosting and an icing poinsettia that took up almost the entire top of the cake.

"Ella, I love you!" I said to her.

"I hope you enjoy it," she said.

"Oh, I will," I assured her.

After thanking us again, we left Ella and Louis and once again headed to the elevator.

"A birthday cake, Babe?" Ranger asked.

"Hey, it's not my fault," I told him."I told Ella not to buy me anything. I didn't think I had to tell her not to make me anything, too. But it is appropriate, though. Isn't Christmas supposed to be about celebrating Jesus' birthday? I bet if he was here he'd want cake, too."

Ranger smiled at that. I hit the button for seven and Ranger cut his eyes to me.

"I thought you wanted to go to the control room and hand out what you got for the men."

"I do, but I want to make sure this," I said, balancing the cake on my hand,"is someplace safe."

"Not willing to share?" Ranger asked.

"I love the guys," I said,"but not that much."

He gave a soft laugh and opened the door for me so I could put the cake down in the kitchen before we went down to five.

This is the kind of holiday traveling I could get used to, I thought to myself. No crowds, no late flights, no traffic. You just walk to the elevator and push a button. The doors opened and I saw Tank talking to Vince by the monitors, and smiled when I saw Lester changing the ornaments around so one of the hideous ones he found during our store run could be near the top of the tree.

Ella and I had decorated the tree in the control room together. And since I wasn't afraid of what Ranger would do to me, I bought garland and more strings of lights to hang around the doorways and windows, too. I also bought mistletoe to put in Ranger's office. Somehow I didn't think he'd mind that Christmas tradition. Another good thing about having a building full of over six-foot-tall men, was that they could hang light strands without the use of a ladder. I bet Ranger hadn't even considered that when he hired them. Santa's elves came in extra-large this year. And Ranger finally agreed to let Christmas carols be piped into the speakers around the building. He tried to say that the men wouldn't want to listen to them all day long, but after I did a quick poll of the guys I ran into none of them had any problems with it even if they didn't necessarily celebrate Christmas. The one condition Ranger placed on the carols was that they had to be instrumental only. I argued at first, but after thinking about it I realized that it was a good compromise. I've heard Ranger listen to classical music in the past and figured it was close enough so no one would be driven nuts by them. I knew some people wouldn't appreciate how much a kid wanted a hippopotamus for Christmas.

I could hear the music for Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas playing softly over the speakers. Despite the sort of melancholy sound of it, I was having a merry little Christmas. One I hope to repeat for the next fifty or sixty years, depending on how long my arteries would hold up against the food I kept trying to clog them with.

"Hey, Steph," Lester said, pointing to the bag of food in my hands,"what do you got in there?"

"My mother sent me home with enough leftovers to feed an army," I said to him,"and you guys make up almost half of one so I thought I'd share. That, and I wouldn't fit in the elevator if I ate all of this myself. The Pineapple-Upside-Down cake goes to Tank, but everything else is up for grabs."

"What did I do to deserve cake?" Tank asked, leaving Vince and walking over to me."I thought it was your favorite."

"It is," I told him."But there is one thing that tops cake in my book, and you gave me two days with him. So you get cake."

"Positive reinforcements, Babe?" Ranger asked me.

"Hey, it works," I told him."It got you to help me wrap presents, didn't it?"

"Good point," Ranger said.

"Thank you." I turned to the guys."I got presents, too. Who wants one?"

I put together a small stocking for each of the guys, filled with various things that I found that they might like. Card games, snacks that Ranger wouldn't allow, and my favorite find ... little weapon inspired keychains. It would be a cute gift if they weren't really weapons that could hurt or maim someone at will. After handing them out to the men that were here, I left the guys arguing over who got the better weapon. Men were strange in my opinion. Add the potential for pain to a present and they immediately loved it. And they all got healthy bonuses from Ranger for a year spent risking their lives every day of it.

The guys knew that Ranger would kick their collective asses if they tried to do something nice for him, so they spent their money on ornaments for the control room tree. Each man brought in something that reflected themselves, reminded them of Rangeman, or of someone who worked here. Needless to say, there were more than a few Batman and Wonder Woman ornaments in between football team logos, sports cars, and branches of the Military that were added.

"We got you something, too, Steph," Tank said, smiling over my head at Ranger.

"Uh-oh," I said, not really sure I wanted to see what it was after that look.

He handed me a card with a certificate inside for a head-to-toe pampering from the fancy spa across town.

"Ranger would kill us if we got him anything," Lester said,"but we figured that this was a two-for-one present, since Ranger will be the one enjoying the finished product."

"Umm ... thanks, guys," I said to them."I think."

I could tell by the way Ranger's eyes darkened that he was completely on board with the gift idea. Men. I rolled my eyes at the bunch of them. I was going to have to go through a day of getting hair ripped off my face, and out of sensitive areas, only to have the remaining hair on my head tortured into place. That didn't sound like a whole lot of fun to me, but there was a facial and massage included so it wouldn't be all bad. And I'm sure Ranger will make any pain I endure worth it when I got home.

We spent the rest of the morning, and half the afternoon, on the fifth floor. Ella and Louis had come down and the men who, for whatever reason, stayed here this year instead of traveling joined us, too, so we had a little impromptu Rangeman Christmas party. Lester brought out his Santa hat and Ella recruited me to help throw together some snacks since my leftovers had already been devoured. No surprise that the cookies were the first to go. Anything with sugar in it was always a crowd-pleaser around here. And Ella had some spiced cider that she had made and wanted to share.

I was standing with Ella and Ranger watching Lester trying to distract Vince from the monitors by doing everything from shouting Christmas carols directly into his ear to chucking bows at the side of his head. I don't know how he manged to do it, but Vince stayed vigilant. I know I would have taken my eyes of the screen at least long enough to kick him in his jingle bells.

"I think I've lost control of my company," Ranger said, looking out into the control room.

"They're just having a little fun," I told him."It's Christmas. And everyone knows that it's second only to Halloween when it comes to fun holidays."

"How can I forget what day it is," Ranger said to me."The only thing not decorated in here are the files inside the cabinets."

"I notice you weren't complaining when Stephanie put mistletoe in your office," Ella said to him.

"Speaking of mistletoe ... come on, Steph," Tank said from behind us, tugging me towards Ranger's door.

"Tank," Ranger said, his voice close to a growl."Hands off."

Both Tank and I knew he was joking, but Tank immediately dropped my hand and held up both of his in front of him.

"Oh, don't be such a baby, Tank," I said, egging him on."You're bigger than he is."

"Have you ever seen the boss man pissed off?" Tank asked me.

"Not really."

"When you do, you'll take all that teasing back," Tank said to me."If Ranger wants you incapacitated, then that's what you'll be."

All the guys had memorable stories of something that had happened when it was their turn to pull a Christmas shift, and they took turns telling them. How one year Hal was in charge of tracking a baby Jesus that kept getting stolen from a shopping center display. And the house Lester and Bobby responded to after the alarm went off because some drunk thought he could get back into it by climbing down the chimney after his wife locked him out for drinking the money they were supposed to use for presents. A store that Tank and Ranger went to that was broken into because some well meaning college student heard that the nearby children's hospital didn't have money to hand out gifts to the children that year.

"He didn't get any jail time, did he?" I asked Ranger.

"No," Ranger said."No one wanted to see him locked up for trying to help out the kids."

"There was a anonymous donation made an hour later to the hospital," Tank said,"and the kids got the Christmas they deserved."

I had a feeling I knew who the mystery donor had been. I raised my eyebrows at Ranger.

"It was the least we could do," Ranger said,"considering what they're up against."

"I've always thought of you as a superhero, but I had no idea you could be Santa, too," I said to him."Swooping in and saving Christmas for children who really needed it."

"I'm just a man, Babe."

I snorted at that, along with everyone else in the room. There was no one word to describe Ranger. Except for maybe amazing. Or incredible. Or mouthwatering. Wait, was that one word? I asked myself.

"It has a hyphen, Babe," Ranger whispered against my ear.

"How about know it all?" I asked.

I could almost feel Ranger smile."Two hyphens."

"Stop it," I said to him, but I was smiling, too.

I was beyond touched when Ella pulled me aside to tell me that she'd left dinner for us cooking in Ranger's kitchen. I'd told her that we'd be fine, but she wouldn't budge on the issue. I was starting to think that Ranger hired people with stubborn streaks as big as his own. So there was now a crockpot with turkey breasts and barley-cranberry stuffing that Ella assured me would turn into a Christmas-like dinner. All we needed to do was slice the turkey and spoon out the stuffing. Something I thought even I could handle.

"You didn't have to do that," I told her.

"That's why I did it," she said back,"because I wanted to."

I gave her a hug to cover up my suddenly watery eyes. I couldn't believe how much I've come to love everyone here. These weren't people forced to put up with me because they were related to me. These were people who chose to include me in the close-knit little family that they've formed here. And I hope they know that I'd do just about anything for each and every one of them.

When the 'party' started to wind down I helped Ella clean up, and she and Louis headed back to their apartment on six, while Ranger and I continued up to the seventh floor.

"You were right," I said to him, when the door closed behind us.

"I'm always right, Babe. But what exactly are you referring to this time?"

I rolled my eyes at him, but didn't argue since he was usually right about everything.

"About Christmas day being better than Christmas Eve," I said to him."We talked to Julie and know that she's having fun. There haven't been any break-ins, shootings, or emergencies, everyone I care about is safe, and everybody liked what I got them. Except you, because you don't know what I got you yet, but I hope you'll like it."

"If it came from you, Babe, I'm going to love it."

"What if it's a year's supply of Tastykakes?"

"It isn't, is it?" He asked me.

"Nope. That would be a present for me, not you. Is that what you got me?" I asked him, hopeful.

"No."

"I didn't think so," I said,"but it is the season for miracles so I thought I'd give it a shot."

"I can guarantee that you'll like it better than Tastykakes," Ranger said.

"Not likely."

"Want to make a bet?" He asked.

"What's with you making deals and bets all the time?"

"I like getting what I want, and I like winning."

"Must be a guy thing," I said under my breath.

"Do you want to prove that I'm right, now?" Ranger asked."Or wait until after dinner?"

I couldn't believe I was saying this."After dinner. I'm starting to like the anticipation."

"I can promise you'll like more than the anticipation," Ranger said.

"You always say that."

"Didn't you say that I'm always right?" Ranger said to me."This time won't be any different."

"I admitted that you were right about one thing," I said to him,"let's not go crazy here."

Ranger smiled at me and pressed a kiss to the top of my head.

"And besides," I said to him,"the snow is supposed to stop overnight and tomorrow will be business as usual." I'd looked out the window earlier and could barely see the building across the street from us, but I knew that the streets would be clear tomorrow morning."I want to stretch out what's left of Christmas for as long as I possibly can."

"Steph, the only difference between today and tomorrow, is that we have to go to work," Ranger said."The tree is still going to be up. The guys will be around for you to torment. Ella will be busy fussing over everyone. And we'll probably be having dinner at your parents' house next week."

"I know all that," I said, trying to put what I was feeling into words."This may sound stupid, but Christmas day just feels different. I can't really explain it, but it's like all these expectations are put on this one day, and you do what you can to make it perfect, so when it's over you end up feeling, I don't know, a little let down I guess."

"I think I can help you out with those feelings, Babe."

I looked over at him.

"I wasn't talking about sex, Steph," Ranger said."But that works, too."

"Then what were you talking about?"

"You'll see," he said,"after we eat."

I called my parents before dinner to make sure they were okay. And aside from my father complaining about having too much snow to shovel, everyone was fine. Valerie had survived Christmas with three kids stuck indoors. And Grandma Mazur had spent most of her day locked in her room with the movies we got her. Which was like an extra present for my father since they were out of each other's hair for a while which kept my mother out of the whiskey that was hidden in the pantry. Looks like it'd been a merry Christmas at the Plum house, too.

I followed Ella's directions to the letter, and Ranger and I had dinner sitting at his dining room table. I could see our tree from where we were, and I knew I'd feel a little sad when I had to take it down. Maybe I could convince Ranger to get one of those little trees for his apartment and let me keep lights on it year round. Hey, it works for restaurants, doesn't it?

"My parents are going to expect us to come over sometime this week," Ranger said.

"Sure," I said."Just let me know when."

I had met Ranger's family, and boy was that a shock. They were completely normal. The house he'd grown up in didn't have any secret doors. There was no phone line that went directly to God. Nothing mysterious at all to account for how Ranger turned out the way he had. His parents were smart, charming, good-looking people, but that only explained one side of Ranger. I still couldn't find anything that would tell me how those two people created the brilliant, disciplined, lethal, addictive, man sitting across from me. I still felt like I was missing a critical piece of the Manoso puzzle.

"What are you thinking about, Babe?" Ranger asked, studying my face and the expressions crossing it.

"You," I said to him.

"What did I do this time?" He asked.

"Everything."

"Now who's being mysterious?" He said to me."How about giving me a hint."

"Don't pay any attention to me," I said."I don't even know what I'm saying."

"Yes, you do, Babe," Ranger said, not letting me look away from him."And I'd like to hear it."

"I was just trying to figure out what makes you ... you."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"I've met your family, gotten close to your daughter, I hang around with the men you consider friends," I said,"but I still can't put my finger on what makes you the perfect man. And the perfect man for me because of it. I know you're hot, have a body that would make Adonis jealous, and you smell better than cookies baking, but there's more to it than that."

"You may not think so, Steph, but why I'm perfect for you is easy enough to answer."

"It is?" I asked, not convinced.

"It's because I love you."

"I know that, Ranger."

"No, Babe," he said."I mean, I love you. We both have faults. And while I won't say that we ignore them, we seem to only focus on the good we see in each other. You're beautiful, thoughtful, intelligent, and have a body that has inspired fantasies in half the men in Jersey, but mostly I see the woman who likes to challenge herself, has a sense of humor even when she's lying in a pile of garbage, and loves the people around her unconditionally even when they started out not deserving it."

"Ranger, you have always deserved it," I whispered to him.

"Not in the beginning, Babe."

"Ranger ..."

"I'm not trying to dig up the past here, Steph," he said,"you said that you didn't know why I was the one for you, and I'm trying to tell you that it's the same thing that makes you the woman for me. We see the people we want to be in each other. You want to be more patient and in control, and I want to be able see that there is some good in the world and find something to laugh about in a job that can eat you alive if you let it."

"There's plenty of good people in the world, Ranger." I got up and wrapped my arms around him."And you're one of the best I know. Not to mention the people we spent the last few days with," I said, leaning in to kiss him. When I let him go, I stood and tugged him to his feet. "Now lets go open our presents before I turn into a blubbering idiot."

I let go of his hand and picked up our plates to bring to the kitchen. Ranger followed behind me and poured more wine into each of our glasses. I promised Ella's cake that I would get to it later, and Ranger waited for me while I ran into the bedroom to get the present I'd hidden in there. He picked up the glasses and gestured toward the living room. We didn't turn on the television or any lights and after Ranger set the glasses down on the coffee table we stretched out on the couch with only the tree illuminating the room. I'd have to remind myself to take a picture of it before it came down so I could remember this moment. Ranger was warm behind me, and the lights from the tree were creating swirls of color inside our wine glasses. He had one leg running the length of the back of the couch and one bent at the knee along the front of it. I was between the two, my arm circling the leg that was keeping me from rolling off, content not to move for the next month. My shoulders were once again bare so Ranger's lips could brush against them whenever he wanted to.

I burrowed a little more into Ranger and handed the box that I had wrapped in snowman paper to him. His arms came around me so he'd be able to open the box in front of me. When he lifted the lid off of it, I felt his body go still.

"Babe."

I could tell that 'babe' was a combination of 'what the hell did you do' and 'you shouldn't have' but I didn't care. I had my eye on this particular present for Ranger, and I'd saved a little bit of money every chance I got since we'd started seeing each other just for this moment. The Rolex watch probably equaled the price of a hubcap on one of the cars he's given me, but after all the time and money he has spent on me recently, and in the past, I wanted him to have something beautiful from me. I knew he didn't need one, because Ranger had everything, but I needed to give him a small token of appreciation for what he's done for me. He didn't wear earrings that much anymore. His suits were all tailored to fit. And he had all the cars he could possible want. But I knew he had a watch on at all times, and I wanted to give him one of the best.

I picked my head up and looked at him."Don't you dare say that I shouldn't have," I warned him."I wanted to get you something special and you're not going to ruin it for me."

The corners of his mouth tipped up and his body relaxed."So this gift is about making you happy?"

"If it will make you accept it," I said to him,"then yes. Uh-huh, it definitely is. Nothing to do with you at all." Great. Now I was rambling like Albert.

He looked at me for a long moment. It seemed like he was trying to come to some kind of decision.

"Thank you, Babe," he said, finally."It's exactly what I would have wanted."

And he took off the one he'd been wearing and put on the one I'd given him. I wonder if this is what men feel like when they slip an engagement ring onto a woman's finger. The watch itself was beautiful, it was big without being overly flashy and was made of stainless steel, with a black on black dial and bezel, that would look good with either his Rangeman uniform or a business suit. The watch was beautiful on it's own, but it being on Ranger's body took it from beautiful to flat-out gorgeous.

I was momentarily distracted by the mocha skin and muscled forearm until Ranger reached behind him to the little table next to the couch and pulled out an envelope. He handed it to me and I looked up at him again before opening it. Nope, he wasn't giving anything away. I slipped my finger under the flap of the envelope, wondering what was inside. I pulled out two plane tickets and raised my eyes to his.

"Are these tickets to Miami?" I asked him, remembering what he'd said to Julie on the phone.

"No, Babe," Ranger said."Hawaii. So we can do it right this time."

"I don't know," I said to him."We managed to get some parts of that trip just right." Like the cottage he rented for us right on a private beach, the spa tub, and the king-size bed that we'd made good use of."Wow," I said when it finally sunk in,"we're really going to Hawaii together?"

"Together, Steph," he said."No lies. No pretenses. No Morelli."

I playfully elbowed him in the stomach."Had to bring that up, didn't you?"

"He's no longer an issue between us, Babe," Ranger said,"so I think it's safe to mention him."

"Getting back to Hawaii ... would I look too eager if I started packing now?" I asked him.

"I'm not going anywhere, Babe," Ranger said, brushing my hair back from my face."There's no need to rush."

"I know that, Ranger," I said to him."It's just that I still find it hard to believe that this isn't all going to end."

Sometimes I thought that I was going to wake up alone in my apartment one morning and find out this had all been a dream just like what happens on TV show finales. You watch the stupid show for years only to find out in the last episode that nothing in it had ever really happened.

"Babe, I don't walk away from things: missions, dangerous skips, problems no one else can solve," Ranger said, his voice serious."And I would never walk away from you. Could never walk away even if I tried."

"That's good, because I've just recently given up running," I said, equally serious."From you, my feelings, my past. I'm finally ready to be caught." After kissing his jaw I settled back into his arms and leaned back into him, looking towards the Christmas tree. I'd watched everyone around me unwrap their gifts, but I felt like I was the one who has received the most. I have a family that loves me, a building full of people who like and understand me, and a real future with Ranger. And Ranger was right again. We have all the time in the world.