Forgotten in Ch. 1, but not in 2: I don't own anything. Crap.


Chapter 2: Escaped

I drove until I couldn't drive anymore. I had no idea where I was. I wouldn't look at signs to tell me where I was. It was easier to drive that way. I had traded my car a couple of hundred miles ago, so any trail I had would end there. Luckily the used car guy gave me a nice price and I got to keep some cash for my trip. I pulled off the side of the road and climbed into the back to fall asleep.

Ranger's POV

"Report," I said to the guys all around the table. They all looked at me.

"We caught Sam McGillen yesterday. Connie didn't have any new ones for RangeMan." Lester said.

"I'm going with Lula when she goes to pick up all of Steph's regulars." Tank said.

"Security is tight and working well." Hal put in.

"Yeah, Ranger, the company is in tip top shape." Lester said.

"Why don't you take a break? You've been working non-stop for 3 days." Tank told me. I dismissed the guys and I sat back down in the chair. Tank sat next to me.

"What's up?"

"She's been gone for 3 days."

"Is this why the sudden overload in work you've been doing?"

"If I work, I won't think of her."

"She'll come back."

I shook my head. "There was something in her letter…"

Tank's phone rang. "Well, let him in before he busts down the damn door!"

I raised an eyebrow. "We have a visitor." Tank said.

Before I had a chance to ask, I could hear Joe yelling down the hallway.

"Where the hell is she?!"

"She's not here. She left."

"When will she be back?"

"She skipped town."

"You're lying to me!" His face was getting redder by the minute. Joe then pulled out his note. "All this said was that she was leaving, it didn't say she was skipping town. Now, where is she?"

I pulled out my own letter and slammed it on the table. He was trying my patience. "She's not here."

This made him stop. I put the letter back in my pocket before he had a chance to ask to read it. He wouldn't like it. "I just came back from Mary Lou's, but she wouldn't tell me anything." He continued. "I know Steph was there because Rex was on the counter."

This gave me an idea. "Morelli, she's not you fiancé anymore, so but out. My men and I will find her. But if you come within ten feet of her without her permission, I will personally break your face."

Joe nodded and left. Tank looked back at me. "What's the plan boss?"

"Talk to Mary Lou."

"Joe just came from there. Whatever it is, she's not saying."

"Maybe whatever she knows, she's not supposed to tell Joe. Tank, I have to try."

I drove as fast as I could to get to her house. She had to know something. I needed to find my Babe.

"Ranger, what are you doing here?" She seemed flustered when I came up the stairs. It seemed the only on unaffected by me was Steph. It was ironic to think that the one person I wanted couldn't be swayed easily by the Manoso charm.

"I need to talk to you, is this a bad time?"

"No, come on in. Would you like some coffee?"

"Yes, please." I followed her into the kitchen. "Do you know where Steph is?" I asked, jumping right into it.

"No, I don't. Sorry I can't be of more help."

"But she was here."

"Yes."

"Did she say anything?"

"She said that she couldn't marry Joe and that she needed to get away…" She paused, and turned to look at me. "She thinks that you'll be better off without her."

"Explain."

"She loves you, but she thinks she messed your life up way too much. She has this crazy notion that you just need to get over her, which is completely insane." I raised an eyebrow. She sighed and went on. "Don't play stupid with me. I've seen the way you two look at each other. Its no secret how much you love her and she loves you." I didn't deny it. "Ranger, you have to find her and tell her you love her."

Because that worked so well the last time, I thought.

"Because she needs to hear from you that life is not worth anything to you unless she's in it. If you continue to work without finding her, then this proves her point. In some twisted way, this is somehow a test for you to find her and make herself believe without denial that your love is true."

Mary Lou had a point. Steph loved to live in denial land. I nodded and thanked Mary Lou for her time.

"Well, what did she have to say?" Tank asked when I got back to the office. Lester and Bobby were sitting in the office as well.

"We have some work to do."

"About damn time," and "Thank God," were said by Lester and Bobby at the same time.

"I want an update at 0800 tomorrow."

"You got it, Bossman." Lester said with a mock salute.

Lester and Bobby went off to do their work, leaving me alone with Tank again.

"So are you ever going to tell us what she wrote?"

Stephanie's POV

Four days. I have been gone for four days. It seems a hell of a lot longer than that. I have been sleeping in my car whenever I could, but now I have this really bad crook in my neck. But hey, I'm no complainer.

Wow, this ride has been completely flat. Huh, I guess that means I'm heading west. Maybe I'll find gold in California. I bet that's how all the movie stars make all their money, the build houses to hide the goldmines so us middle classers can't get at it. Next stop, I'm buying a shovel.

I looked at my watch. 9 am. I bet Lula is just getting to the office. I picked the phone I bought at the convenient store a few hours ago and dial.

"Hello?" I hear Lula getting out of her Firebird.

"Hey, its me."

"OH MY GOD, WHITE GIRL WHERE ARE YOU?" I had to move the phone five feet away from my ear.

I sadly laughed. "I don't know, Lula. How are you?"

"I'm good. Tank and me are going out for a real date tonight."

"But you've been dating for months now."

"I know, but we're going to eat before having hot sex." Eww, way too much information, I thought.

"Who are you talking to?" I heard Connie ask.

"Steph, she's callin' from the road."

"Oh my God, where is she?"

"Lula," I interjected.

"She doesn't know."

"Lula!"

"What should we tell Ranger? He's going to be here any moment?"

"I don't know, but Batman's been in a funk since Wonder Woman ran away."

I stopped. Was Ranger acting weird because I was gone?

"Lula, has she been on all this time?" I was betting Connie noticed the open phone.

"Whoops. Hey there, white girl. Uhh, what's the weather like?"

"Warm. What's up?"

"Oh, you know, just chasin' after skips. Tank's been helping me."

"How's that been going?"

"Great, Tank's awfully helpful, you know with the scary. I don't have to threaten anyone no more."

She was going into a story about the last skip she picked up, and then suddenly stopped. I heard the reason why.

"Ladies," I heard Ranger's voice say.

"Hey Ranger, I've got some good ones for you."

"He in?"

"Uh…yeah, go right in." I heard the door shut. "Lula, shut your mouth!" I heard a scuffle, and then Connie came on. "Sorry, about that, I don't think you'd want Ranger to know where you are, Steph."

Then the air got thick with awkwardness again. I'm guessing Ranger had come back out. From what I could hear, since Connie Covered the mouthpiece, Connie and Lula were protecting the phone at all costs. Knowing Ranger, he was going to get the phone.

"Babe?"

I gasped. It was way harder to hear his voice when it was directed at me. There was a pause and another door slamming.

"Babe?" he asked again. I didn't know what to say. I just sat there, mouth agape. "Babe, I want you to know that I love you and I'll be waiting for you. I'll always be waiting for you."

I guess he gave back the phone to Lula because the next thing I heard was, "white girl, you okay?"

I lost it. I started to sob into the phone. I managed to get out 'I need to go' and then started the car up again. Knowing Batman, he was tracing the call and I needed to get out of wherever the hell I was.


Author's Note: I hope that you guys enjoyed chapter 2! Let me know what you think of the chapter and what you thinks going to happen next! I have a rough idea, but honestly, I'm flying by the seat of my pants! I'd love to know what you guys thinks going to happen! (and it just might...hint hint...don't worry, if it happens, I'll make sure you get credit!)