Only borrowing JE's characters. This is from the Babe Squad Challenge.

Mission of the Pink Sneakers

"It's OK, Daddy, we tried," Alisa Manoso had her head bowed in dejection. "I guess it wasn't meant for me to have those pink sneakers with the sparkle laces. I'll get a regular pair tomorrow. We didn't meet the objective, Daddy."

Ranger's heart tugged in his chest glancing at his wife. Their little girl had her little heart set on these pink canvas high top sneakers with pink, blue, and silver threaded shoe laces for First Grade. He took the afternoon off from Rangeman to go school shopping with Stephanie and Alisa. The three of them went to Macy's and all the other department stores at Quakerbridge Mall. They perused every pair of sneakers in every shoe store there, but no one had those special pink gym shoes. Alisa picked out school supplies such as pencils to write her name, crayons and glue sticks for art class, and a chalkboard to hang up in her room so she could do her homework. Ranger insisted his daughter selected the biggest box of crayons to be prepared for all the coloring she would do in First Grade.

Hearing those words, Ranger stopped in his tracks standing up straight in the parking lot. "We, Alisa Grace Manoso, need to regroup and make a plan. Let's get some fortification in our weary bodies so we can think clearly."

"On to Pino's!" his little girl marched holding her father's free hand. In the other were shopping bags of new clothes for school.

Stephanie got into step beside her husband and daughter.

"We are Manosos and we never give in, Lissie," he said to his Babes.

Coming back to the new Rangeman building, the mission plan began. The security guru bought the small six floor office building next door shortly after he and Stephanie were married. There was a skywalk of bullet proof glass from the fifth floor of the new building to the old building. Alisa practiced with her roller skates in it most of the time. Stephanie, Ranger, and their little girl occupied the top two floors in the second building with a roof top terrace garden. Tank lived in the seventh floor apartment. Lula and he were no longer seeing each other; she had gone to visit her sister with a broken leg and ran into Mortimer from high school. They picked up where they left it in 10th grade English, Math, Science, and Social Studies, so he was available again. Bobby and Lester were dating Zumba instructors and lived in bigger apartments below the Manosos. The ground separating the two buildings had all the top-of-the-line play equipment for Lissie and her friends she made in new loft apartments down the block in an old remodeled office building.

Stephanie searched the internet for the elusive pink shoes while Ranger and Alisa marked the coordinates of the stores or shopping malls on the map taped to his office wall which carried that particular pink sneaker. After a few phone calls, Stephanie located the pink high top sneakers in her daughter's size more than an hour's drive in a Lancaster outlet mall. That Cuban voice must have intimidated the salesclerk to hold a pair for them until the next day.

"After my meeting tomorrow, Lissie, we'll go get those pink shoes."

Her big blue eyes were wide under her brunette curls. "But, Daddy, you took off today to go shopping."

"I'm the Boss," he said lofting her above his head, "and, this mission isn't complete until you have those pink sneakers with sparkle laces. No matter if I have to drive through three states or three counties in blistering summer heat, those shoes are ours!"

Lissie was laughing down at her Dad. "The car has air conditioning, Daddy."

"It's hot outside, but we can be comfortable."

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Stephanie watched from her perch on a stool in the conference room as the morning meeting was coming to an end. Alisa was sitting in the chair next to her father as he stood listening to the updates. He was going to miss her there when classes began in two weeks.

"Be back later, Tank. The Manoso family has an undertaking today," Ranger told his friend who had been in a funk since Lula hooked up with Mortie again.

Lissie added, "No phones unless it's an invasion."

The room laughed, but every Rangeman knew not to bother Ranger unless the building was under attack, being bombed, and large mutant ants were clawing at the front door, in that order, when he was with the loves of his life.

The garage door was going up to start their road trip for pink sneakers. "What do Rangers say, Lissie?" her father asked from behind the black Range Rover wheel just like the one his daughter saw on an 'Animal Planet' program and he had to buy it for Stephanie equipped with bullet proof glass and side panels. He wanted his Babes to be safe.

"Rangers lead the way, Daddy, to pink sneakers!"

Mr. Organization has it timed precisely. As they were walking through the outlet mall, a salesclerk was unlocking the doors to open up. He saw the determined muscular man walking with his wife and daughter approaching and went running for the counter. He placed a box on top of it and pulled out the prized pink high top sneakers with pink and blue sparkle laces. He stepped back one he did that.

"Daddy, there they are! My sneakers! Aren't they the most fabulous shoes you ever saw," Alisa reached for one and was admiring it in her hands.

"My little girl is more beautiful and will make those sneakers special every time she wears them, Lissie," he told her kneeling looking over the pink shoes.

Stephanie indicated for her daughter to sit down on the bench. "Let's try these on to make sure they fit."

The little Manoso girl tied her shoes herself and walked down the aisle trying them out. The proud parents watched her steps as if they were the first even in those hot pink high tops. Next, Lissie was running back and Ranger scooped her up in his arms.

"Thank you, Daddy. I love you."

"I love you, Lissie."

Before handing over the magic black credit card, Ranger asked the salesclerk for the next size up in case there was a growth spurt. And, his little girl had to have the pink backpack with sparkle straps to match those 'special' shoes.

"I know how Dorothy felt in her red shoes," Alisa told her parents walking out of the shoe store wearing her new purchase. She stopped holding out her small hands which Ranger took one in his and Stephanie had the other.

Lissie shook the locked hands. "Mission accomplished, Daddy. Mission accomplished, Mommy."

"Mission accomplished, Lissie," Ranger smiled at his wife and daughter.

Walking to the SUV, big blue eyes were twinkling. "Daddy, I think for Halloween I want to be a pink ballerina."