Disclaimer: The characters belong to J.E. and I'd like to thank her for letting us play with them here on fan fiction.
How Do I sung by Trisha Yearwood is the basis for this song-fic
Babe…
His eyes were glued on the scene before him.
How do I
Get through one night without you
If I had to live without you
What kind of life would that be?
Ricardo Carlos Manoso, Aka Ranger, Aka Batman, stood at the edge of the cemetery. The pain in his chest a leaden weight. He forced his gaze to go over the sea of black before him. They were all here for her. All her skips turned friends, Lula, Connie, Vinnie. Then of course there were his men. From there numbers, he knew that every man from Rangeman Trenton was here for her. It didn't matter, he was glad they'd done it. Glad that they could be here for her.
Oh I need you in my arms
Need you to hold
You're my world my heart
my soul
If you ever leave me
Baby you would take away
Everything good in my life
Slowly he made his way forward. He saw Morelli, Carl Constanza, Big Dog, Eddie, Joe Juniak as well as several more policeman and firemen. They were all here for her.
Without you
There's be no sun in my
sky
There would be no love in
my life
There would be no
world left for me (And I)
Baby I don't know what
I would do
Scenes from the past came back to punch him in the gut. Their first meeting in the diner when against his better judgment he agreed to help a little girl from the burg become a bounty hunter, the time she'd called him because she was handcuffed in her shower naked, the one glorious night he'd spent loving her before sending her back to Morelli, finding her and Sally Sweet on that playground with slayers scattered all around, finding her stuffed in a cupboard when Stiva kidnapped her, and walking into her apartment knowing it was the only way to save her and Julie.
I would be lost if I lost you
If you ever leave
Baby you would take away
everything real in my life
His mind raced to the call he'd gotten from Tank. There was a fire…..no survivors…..all 4 dead.
And tell me now
How do I live without you
I wan to know
How do I breathe
without you
If you ever go
How do I ever ever survive
How do I
How do I
How do I live
As his gaze went over the coffins the pain in his chest was like a vise squeezing until he couldn't breathe. Why? Why couldn't I have been there for you Babe?
If you ever leave
Well baby you would
take away everything
Need you with me
Baby don't you know
your everything
good in my life
And tell me now
How do I live without
you
His legs felt laden down with weights. He wanted to be there with her but it was like he could only move in slow motion.
I want to know
How do I breathe
without you
If you ever go
How do I ever ever
survive?
How do I, how do I,
oh how do I live?
How do I live
without you baby
Finally I'm there. I drop to my knees beside you. Only one word comes out even though there is so much more I want to say…..
"Babe."
"Oh Batman! They're all dead…." her voice breaks and she launches herself into my arms. I hold her close.
"I know Babe. Let it go. I've got you." I hold her close as she sobs into my chest. It hurts to see her in so much pain, I wish I'd been here sooner.
Tank steps up to me, "We knew you'd want us to all be here…"
I turned my head so our eyes locked and I cut him off, "No price."
He nodded and I knew he'd heard my message. I picked Babe up in my arms and carried her back to my car. As we left I thought to myself, "Rest in peace Frank and Helen Plum and Edna Mazur." I'd have my Miami office contact Mrs. Markowitz daughter and offer condolences.