Somewhere To Go
Stephanie sat on her couch, staring out the window. The television was on, but she was not paying attention to the movie that was playing. Her thoughts were running laps around her brain and she couldn't keep up. She was out of it so much that she didn't hear her door opening. Neither did she hear him walking in nor sit down next to her, not even when he started speaking.
"Babe, are you okay? You seem to be off in your own world. I just broke into your apartment and walked up to you and you didn't flinch. What's going on in that beautiful mind of yours?"
Steph sat there, still staring out the window, but didn't say anything.
"Babe, you in there?" He waved his hand in front of her face and she finally blinked and noticed him sitting there.
"Ranger, when did you get here?"
He chuckled and just dropped a kiss on her forehead. "Deep thoughts Babe? I stopped by to tell you that I need to go out of town on a job and I'm not sure how long I'll be gone. Tank and the guys are here if you need them, and will help you with any skips that you need help with, so please contact them and stay safe. I worry about you."
"You're leaving? Where are you going? When will you be back? Does Julie know you're leaving?"
"Whoa, slow down. Yes, I'm leaving, that's why I'm here. I can't tell you where I'm going or when I'll be back. And, yes, I've already talked to Julie. I'm taking off in a bit and heading to see her for a day before I leave the country. I wish I had more time to spend with you Babe."
"Ranger, it's okay, I guess I'll see you when you get back."
He stared at her for a moment and then got up and walked to the door and then turned around, walking back to her, pulling her into his arms. He kissed her and held onto her for a minute. "I'll miss you Babe. We need to talk when I get back." And with that, he walked out the door and out of her life for now. She knew that when he left for these "jobs", he could be gone for weeks, months or even over a year. Sometimes she feared he would not return someday.
She sat back down on the couch and wiped at the tears that were falling down her face. She knew that his guys were there to help her, but she didn't think they could help with her current problem. She didn't know who to turn to, but she knew she needed help.
She walked into her bedroom and started to go through all of her belongings, sorting out what to give away and what to take with her. She was leaving Trenton, no clear destination in mind, but she knew that she couldn't stay here, not when Ranger was gone and not around to support her. She didn't know who to talk to, but she wasn't just going to leave without telling someone. She didn't want people to think she'd been kidnapped or was dead.
A week later, she loaded up her car, and went back into lock up and she dropped the key in an envelope and left it on the kitchen counter. She'd written a short note, telling the building manager to rent her apartment, she wasn't returning. She'd also written a couple other notes and would drop them off on her way out of town. She buckled Rex's cage in the backseat and climbed in her car. It's wasn't a great car, but it was in good enough shape to get her out of town.
She turned onto Hayward and parked in front of the building. She was leaving her key fob inside and didn't want to have to deal with the guys letting her out of the gated garage. She walked inside and headed to the elevator. Hal was working the front desk and he smiled at her and unlocked the elevator for her. "Ranger's already left town if you're looking for him." "That's okay, I just need to drop something off in his apartment."
She smiled back and headed up to 7th floor, to Ranger's apartment. She unlocked the apartment door and walked in. She walked into the bedroom and left the envelope on his pillow. She knew that no one would disturb it until he returned. She walked into the bathroom and pulled a couple bottles of his shower gel out of the cabinet and also grabbed all of the things she'd left behind from her previous visits. She pulled a duffle bag out of his closet and put everything inside, including a couple of his shirts. She even pulled the two out of the laundry hamper that still smelled like him. She walked to the apartment door and dropped her keys in the bowl on the side table. She wouldn't need them anymore. She got in the elevator and headed down to the control room.
The guys all gave her a quick hello when she got out and she dropped another note off on Lester's desk. She'd grown the closest to Lester and knew that he would let the others know she was okay. She was walking back to the elevator when Bobby stopped her. "Hey Steph, what brings you by?"
"I was just picking up some of the clothes I left behind in Ranger's apartment. Now that he's gone, I'll probably not be around here much and wanted to get my stuff."
Bobby looked at her and guided her down the hall and into his office. He shut the door behind them and pushed her down in a chair. He pulled a lollypop out of his desk drawer and handed it to her. "Bobby?" "You look like you could use it. I keep them around for Lester, anytime he needs stitches, he fidgets like a little kid. A lollypop keeps him occupied so I can get him put back together. Want to tell me what's really going on?"
"What do you mean? I'm picking up my stuff and was heading out when you kidnapped me."
"Baby, it's okay to be upset that Ranger's gone. I know he stopped by to see you, he always does, but you've never picked up your stuff before from the building. In fact, when he's been gone in the past, you're around the building more often. You can talk to me."
"Bobby, thanks for the lollypop, but I need to get going. I'll check in with you guys while Ranger's gone so don't worry about me." She got up and left his office before he could stop her. He followed her out and watched her get in the elevator and leave.
He stopped at the monitors and watched the feed from the elevator, watching her wipe the tears away from her face. He called down to Hal to keep her down there in case she got down to the ground floor before he did. He turned towards the stairs and set off down, at a brisk pace. He opened the door to the front desk at the same time the elevator opened up. She looked surprised to see him and started to get a panicked look on her face.
"Steph, I can't let you leave. Hal?"
Before she could respond, Hal locked down the building. Steph tried the door, but it was locked. She turned to the elevator, but it wouldn't open, nor would the doorway to the stairs. She turned around to face Bobby and he saw the tears streaming down her face. With a choked whisper, she said, "Bobby, please let me leave. I have to leave, I need to get out of here."
Bobby pulled her into his arms and she clung to him, sobbing. He looked at Hal, nodded towards the elevator and said "Stop on 4, please." He guided her into the elevator and the doors closed behind them. It stopped on the 4th floor, where the employee apartments were and he unlocked his door. He helped her inside and put her on the couch. She was still sobbing and was starting to look panicked again.
"Easy Baby, I'm here to help you. You need to talk to me."
"Bobby, I need to leave town. I can't stay here if Ranger is gone. They'll talk if they know about it and I won't be able to deal with everything if I stay."
"Where are you going to go? Do you have a plan or are you just going to drive around aimlessly? Why do you need to leave?"
"Bobby, I can't tell you. I don't want anyone to know where I'm going, I don't know where I'm going, but I need to leave. I have to find somewhere to go."
"Steph, who's going to talk, what are they going to talk about? Let me help you. Please."
Stephanie sat and thought about it. She needed someone to help her, but she hadn't planned on it being one of Ranger's guys. She looked at him and said, "I can't tell you the reason yet, but if you can help me get out of town and somewhere else, I'll tell you everything. I'm going to need someone to help me and while I didn't want it to be one you guys, you're probably my best chance of survival once I leave here."
Bobby looked at her and said, "Okay, let me make some calls and I'll be back in a few minutes. Stay here and don't leave. Hal has orders and won't let you out of the building." He walked into his bedroom, already punching numbers in on his phone. Steph sat back on the couch and slumped down in resignation. She was going off half-assed, again, without any thought of direction or plan.
Bobby walked back into the living room about 10 minutes later and had a bag with him, as well as his medical bag. He set them down on the floor next to the door and walked over to her. "Are you ready to go?"
"Bobby?"
"I'm going to take care of you Steph and help you, but if we're getting you out of town, we need to leave now before any of the guys figure out what's going on."
She stood up and walked to the door with him. He opened it and they got in the elevator and headed for the garage. He led her to a car that was covered and when he pulled the cover off, she let out a gasp. It was a convertible and not just any convertible. He told her it was a 1969 Porsche 911 convertible. He loaded his bags and then put her in the car. He asked about her bags and she told him that she parked on the street in front of the building. He drove out of the garage and parked behind her car. Quickly, he got everything out of her car, except for Rex. He told her that there wasn't room for Rex and he'd get Hal to take care of him, but she insisted, he squeezed his cage in the very small space behind her seat. There was no back seat in the car, but just enough empty space for Rex. He took her keys inside and gave them to Hal with the orders to put it in the garage where his car had been.
He drove down the street and looked over at her. She was staring out the window, not saying anything. "Steph? I'm going to take you home, okay?"
"Bobby, I gave up my apartment, I don't have a home anymore."
"Not your apartment, but to my home. My hometown, where my mom still lives. We're going to stay with her for a bit and see what we can get figured out for you, okay?"
"Sure, I have nowhere else to go. I had no definite plans, I just needed out of New Jersey."
"Sit back and relax because it will take about two days of driving to get there. We'll stop in a few hours for the night. I took some of my vacation time that's been accumulating for years, so don't worry about how long it takes. I have months of time accumulated."
She didn't say anything and he looked over at her and she was sound asleep. "Poor kid", he thought. Whatever was causing this need to flee had exhausted her. He turned the radio on softly and drove west.
Bobby stopped for gas and food outside of Harrisburg, PA, and still, Steph slept. He grabbed some drinks and food for her and dropped it on the floor by her feet. He continued driving until he reached the outskirts of Wheeling, WV. He pulled into a hotel's parking lot and got out and went inside. He came out and got back in the car and moved it into the parking lot. He put the car in park and gently woke up Steph. "Baby, we're stopping for the night. Let's get our bags, I've got a room for us."
Steph struggled to wake up and slowly got out of the car. She grabbed Rex and her bags. Bobby got his bags and the bag of food from the car and led her inside. They took the elevator to the 10th floor and found the room. It had two beds and a small balcony that looked out to a wooded area behind the hotel. Steph dropped her bags on one of the beds and put Rex on the desk. She headed into the bathroom and shut the door.
Bobby took out his phone and sent a text to Tank. Tank was the only one at Rangeman who knew what was going on. Bobby had to clear the time off with him and let him know of his whereabouts in case something came up and he was needed back at work. He just let him know they stopped for the night and would be leaving early in the morning. He was hoping to get the rest of the way to his mom's, but he wasn't sure is Steph could handle the long drive. He knew something was up medically, but wasn't sure what it was, she looked ill to him, but he wasn't going to push her for information. He hoped they would talk the next day while driving and she would confide in him. He got a short reply from Tank, just letting him know that Lester found the note Steph left and he was running all over Trenton looking for her. She must have told him she was leaving and he was driving them all crazy trying to find her. He told Tank to put a stop to it, but not let on that he was involved.
Steph came out of the bathroom and Bobby pulled her into his arms and just held her. She was softly crying again, but not as much as earlier in the day. He pulled back a bit so he could see her face. "Baby, let's get you something to eat and drink and then we'll talk."
He handed her the bag of food and picked up the phone and ordered meals for both of them. She shared some of the food with Rex who thanked her with twitch of his whiskers and a butt wiggle and then headed back into his soup can.
She opened her bag of clothes and the smell of Ranger overwhelmed her. Bobby caught the scent and smiled at her. "Go ahead and shower. Dinner will be about half hour."
She grabbed one of Ranger's shirts and a bottle of the shower gel and headed back into the bathroom. Once he heard the shower running, he did a quick run through of her bags, but found nothing that would explain things to him. He'd have to wait for her to talk.
She opened the shower door and the smell of the shower gel came pouring into the room. Bobby smiled at her and said, "You miss him, don't you?"
"You have no idea Bobby. I'll explain things to you after we eat, I promise."
Room service came and dropped off their meals and they both eat without too much talking. Bobby collected the empty plates and put them on the tray and put it in the hallway. He led her to one of the beds and sat down across from her and waited.
She looked up at him, let out a big sigh, and started talking. She told him about her failed marriage, on and off again relationship with Joe Morelli and then, smiling, told him about her relationship with Ranger. Even though they didn't call it a relationship, she knew that's what they had, and she was hoping it would continue after he returned. She just couldn't stand the thought of being in Trenton while he was gone and knew she had to turn her life around and show him when he returned, if he returned. She teared up at this point, and Bobby pulled her into another hug. "He'll come home Baby, I promise. I know he doesn't tell you what he does when he leaves, but I know about this job, and it's not a bad one. It should be about 6 to 8 months of time away, but he will come home from it."
He knew she still wasn't telling him everything, but he didn't push her. "We should get to sleep. I want to leave early in the morning. We still have a long way to drive tomorrow, I would like to get all the way there, but if we don't get all the way, we'll stop again for the night."
He tucked her in under the blankets on the bed and went into the bathroom to shower. When he came out, she looked at him and had tears in her eyes again. "Bobby, will you sleep with me? I don't want to be alone."
"Sure honey, let me get changed and I'll be there." He plugged his phone in to charge and put his gun on the bedside table next to the phone. He got into bed with her and pulled her into his arms and held her. He could feel her relax and could hear her breathing even out. How she could be so tired after sleeping all the way across Pennsylvania, he didn't know. He eventually drifted off to sleep, with his arms wrapped around her, thinking that Ranger was a lucky man.
He woke up a few times during the night feeling smothered. Each time, Stephanie was almost all the way on top of him and was quietly snoring. He gently rolled her off of him and went back to sleep. When he woke up in the morning, she wasn't in bed. The bathroom door was closed, but he could hear her in there. He got up and went to the door and knocked. "Steph, are you okay?"
She mumbled something and he carefully opened the door. She was collapsed on the floor in front of the toilet and had been getting sick. He knelt down next to her and pulled her hair out of the way. "Better?" She nodded and he helped her stand up. He walked her back to bed and got in behind her and pulled her in his arms. "Steph?" She wouldn't look at him, but did take his hand and put it on her stomach. "Bobby, meet your honorary niece or nephew." Bobby didn't say anything at first, just held her and kissed the top of her head. "Oh, baby, is this why you left town?"
"Bobby, I couldn't stay in that town and be a single mom. I didn't want to hear the gossip about the baby's father or see the disapproving looks. I had to get away and start my life, and this baby's life over, somewhere that people don't know me or won't judge me."
"Steph, is Ranger the father?"
Steph didn't say anything at first. She started crying again and said, "Yes, the baby is Ranger's and no, he doesn't know about it. I was trying to find out a way to tell him, but then he told me he was leaving town and didn't know when he'd be back. I didn't want him to skip out on the job and get in trouble so I chose not to tell him. If he comes back, and still wants something to do with me, I'll tell him then. Please don't judge me."
"Baby, I would never judge you and I will help you with the baby. One of my best friends from home still lives there and is an obstetrician. I'll call her when we get to my mom's house and get you in for an appointment. How far along are you?"
"I don't know. My cycles have never been normal and thinking back, it's been about three months since I had one. The morning sickness has been going on for about two weeks and is just getting worse. I've been taking some vitamins I bought, but know that I need better ones from a doctor. Oh god, what will your mom think when I show up with you and am pregnant?"
"Don't worry about my mom. She loves babies and will love you because of who you are. Let me explain it to her after we get there and I'll guarantee she'll be there for you, helping with anything you need, answering questions about the pregnancy and baby, anything you need, mama will do. We should probably get up and get on the road. We have a long way to go yet."
"Ok, I'll get dressed and packed up." She started walking into the bathroom again, but stopped and turned around to face him. "By the way, where are we and where are we going?"
Bobby started laughing. "I was wondering when you'd ask! We are outside of Wheeling, WV and are headed to a small town in Iowa. We have about 700 miles to drive and if possible, I'd like to do it all today."
They checked out and loaded up the car. Steph made sure that Rex had plenty of food and water before putting him in the small space in the back of her seat. Bobby chuckled at her and told her that her parenting skills were spot on! They laughed about it and started driving.
By the time they got to Indianapolis, IN, Steph was going stir crazy. She loved this car, but it was too small for this far of a drive. She needed space and her fidgeting was starting to get on Bobby's last nerve. He pulled off the interstate and stopped at a Waffle House. She looked at him and grinned. She jumped out of the car and practically ran into the restaurant. Bobby trailed behind and they sat down in a booth. Steph was almost drooling over the menu, she couldn't decide what to get.
Bobby ordered a waffle and a cup of coffee. Steph just looked at him and shook her head. "Look at these choices and that's all you get?" She then proceeded to convince the waitress to get her two full waffles with different toppings on each side, so a total of four toppings on two waffles. She also ordered hash browns, bacon and sausage, plus a coke to drink. Bobby shook his head at her and just chuckled. The waitress even laughed. When the food came, Steph pulled her phone out and took a picture. "No one will believe me if I tell them about all of this." She dug in and started eating. She was about halfway through when a man came out of the kitchen and stopped by their booth. He was one of the cooks and wanted to meet the person who ordered such a crazy amount of food. Bobby said she was pregnant, and he just smiled and said he understood. Somehow, Steph finished all of her food. When they went to pay, the waitress handed Stephanie a bag and said it's from the cooks. She looked inside and found a chocolate cream pie. She yelled her thanks and they headed out to the car.
They got back in the car and headed down the road. It was getting dark when they hit the Iowa boarder. Bobby told her it would be about two more hours and she promptly fell asleep. Bobby pulled into his mom's driveway and parked the car. The front door opened and his mom came running out. He got out of the car and pulled her in for a hug. "Oh Bobby, I've missed you so much." "Me too mom, me too."
He woke Steph up and helped her out of the car. "Mom, this is my friend Stephanie. Steph, this is my mom Elaine." Elaine pulled Stephanie into her arms and hugged her. "Bobby told me a bit about you, but I look forward to hearing about you. Let's go inside and let Bobby carry in your bags. Bobby take her bags to your brother's room next to your room. Now, let's get you something to drink." She walked Steph into the house and steered her into the kitchen while Bobby brought everything inside. He dropped the bags in the bedrooms and brought Rex into the kitchen. He set the cage on the counter and Rex popped his head out of his can. Steph gave him a bit of the cookie she was eating and Elaine came over to coo over Rex. He did the appropriate amount of twitching and wiggling and the headed back into his can. Bobby joined them for cookies and tea and just relaxed. He was glad to be home, it'd been too long since his last visit.
After a bit, he noticed that Stephanie was started to nod off to sleep. He woke her up and helped her to the bedroom. He showed her around and made sure to point out the bathroom that was directly across the hall from her bedroom. He showed her where his room was and told her to get him anytime of the night if she needed him. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and went into the bathroom. Once she was settled into her room, he headed down the stairs and sat with his mom in the living room.
"Bobby, is she okay? Something seems off about her. I know she's not your girlfriend, but I can see you worry about her and care a great deal about her."
Bobby sat for the next hour and filled his mom in on Steph's life and why she left Trenton. Elaine sat and shook her head. "Imagine, feeling like you don't belong because of a baby. I can't wait to take her into town and do some baby shopping. Once she gets over the morning sickness, she'll start feeling better about the baby."
They said good night to each other and both headed to bed. Bobby got changed and softly opened Steph's door and found her sitting at the window, staring off into the fields. He walked up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. She glanced back at him and leaned against him. "I couldn't fall asleep. Can you stay with me again?" He smiled at her and said, "Can you keep your hands to yourself tonight?" She laughed and said she'd try. He went and closed her door and got into bed with her. He pulled her to him so her back was against his chest. His arm came around her and he rested it gently on her stomach. She put her hand on top of his and said, "Goodnight peanut. Mommy loves you." "So does Uncle Bobby and so does your daddy. You know he will Steph." She didn't say anything, just nodded and eventually fell asleep.
The next morning, Steph bolted straight up in bed. "What the hell was that?" Before Bobby could answer, she jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom and started heaving. He sighed and followed her to help. He pulled her hair out of the way like he did the previous day and looked up to see his mom in the doorway. "Poor girl, it's the awful part of this amazing process. I'll go put some tea on for her." She eventually stopped heaving and just stayed on the floor, leaving against Bobby for a few minutes. He helped her up and she brushed her teeth. "God, I wish this part was over." He led her down to the kitchen and set her down at the table. Elaine brought a cup of tea over and piece of dry toast. "I'll get you a pack of crackers to leave in your room for tomorrow morning. Eat a couple of them before you even sit up in bed and that will hopefully settle things for you."
"Bobby, what was that noise that woke me up? It sounded like something screeching?"
He started laughing and said, "It's just one of the roosters, he's probably roaming around the yard, I'll introduce you later." She looked at him and laughed. "You have roosters?" "Yep, roosters, hens, ducks, a couple horses, a few cows, and a dog." Elaine piped in, "don't forget about Chester." Bobby added, "And Chester the cat. I think he's responsible for the cat population in the entire area, he's such a horny thing." They all laughed and Bobby promised that he'd show her around the farm later on in the day. He got up and headed out to help with the chores in the barn.
"I hope you don't mind that Bobby told me about your situation. I more or less forced him to tell me. Mother's guilt, you'll learn how to use it."
"Oh, I grew up with mother's guilt. My mother is the queen of guilty laying."
"Does your family know about the baby?"
"No, only Bobby and now you know. He said he was going to call a friend who was an obstetrician and get me in for an appointment."
"Oh, that's Sarah. They were best friends growing up, her family situation wasn't the best so she spent a lot of time over here. She grew up just down the road on another farm. They ended up going to college together until he joined the Army. She's a lovely girl, you'll most likely end up being one of her best friends as well. If you are important to Bobby, then you'll be important to her."
By the time Bobby came in from outside, Steph had showered and gotten dressed. She'd put some of clothes away in the closet and set her stuff up in the bathroom. Bobby smiled when he saw the multiple bottles of Ranger's shower gel. He showered and caught up with her downstairs. His mom was sitting in the living room with Steph and had pulled out the photo albums. He groaned as he walked over to Steph and she laughed at him. "You were such a pretty boy Bobby. You should wear a dress and heels more often."
"Mama, I can't believe you showed her that picture. I've told you to get rid of it. It was for Halloween Steph. All of my friends dressed up like girls. It was the one time, that's it."
They were both laughing at him and he pulled Steph up and said, "I got you an appointment with Sarah and we need to head out now. Mama, I'll stop at the store on the way home and stock up. Once Steph starts eating, she won't stop until she explodes. Did you show her to picture of your breakfast? She ate it all and then ate an entire pie that they gave her."
Bobby and Steph climbed into his car and headed towards town. It took about 20 minutes to get there and he drove to a small office building across the parking lot of the hospital. He walked her inside, saying hello to people he knew along the way. He gave Steph's name to the receptionist and in a few minutes, a beautiful woman came running out into the waiting room. She threw herself at Bobby and he caught her in a hug and spun her around. He set her back down and introduced her to Steph, it was Sarah, or Dr. Sarah as she said to call her. She walked them back to an exam room and she asked Steph if it was okay for Bobby to stay. She nodded and then they left her to change clothes. They knocked and she let them back in the room. Steph was sitting on the table and Bobby sat on one of the chairs in the exam room. Sarah started off with the normal round of questions and when she got to the date of your last period, Bobby started laughing. He explained her situation and Sarah gave her a cup and pointed to the bathroom. She brought the cup out and Dr. Sarah handed it off to the lab technician. She pulled in the ultrasound machine and screen and had Bobby helped her get it set up.
She had Steph lay back on the exam table and put her feet in the stirrups. Bobby moved to stand behind her head so Steph wouldn't feel uncomfortable with him in the room. After the physical exam, Dr. Sarah pulled out the fetal Doppler and moved it around until she found the baby's heartbeat. Within seconds, the room was filled with the sound of the baby's heart beating. Steph teared up and Bobby dropped a kiss on her forehead. Dr. Sarah raised an eyebrow at him and he shook his head. He'd explain everything to her later. She set the Doppler down and picked up the ultrasound wand. Bobby turned on the monitor and she started moving it around, locating the baby. Bobby was watching the screen and let out a small gasp, which caused Stephanie to ask what was going on. Dr. Sarah looked at the screen and said, "Well, you're definitely pregnant. In fact, you're doubly pregnant. Stephanie, you're having twins." She did some measurements and figured out that Stephanie was about 10 weeks pregnant.
Bobby looked at her in time to see her head drop to the side. She'd fainted as soon as she heard about the twins. Dr. Sarah smiled at him and pulled a smelling salt package out and handed it to him. He broke it open and waved it under Steph's nose. She jerked her head up and saw Bobby. "Twins? Oh god, Bobby, it's not just one baby, but two. I can't do this. I change my mind. I don't want to be pregnant, you do it."
She was babbling and knew it. He just let her talk and eventually she ran out things to say. "Steph, we'll get you through this and you know, you're going to need to tell Ranger. You need him more now than ever. If things go as planned on his job, he'll be back in Trenton by the time you hit 9 months. You need him with you."
"Bobby, I can't think of that yet. There's no way to get a hold of him until he's back so we'll deal with that later. Right now, I need to get my head around the fact that there's two peanuts in there, not just one."
Dr. Sarah looked at them and said, "Bobby, you have some explaining to do to me. You're not the father of the babies?"
He said he'd talk to her later and explain everything, but right now he needed to get Steph back home. They set up her next appointment and headed out the door.