Oh goodness, thank you for the reviews, I know, this is going to be another tough story to write, it is going to be a tearjerker, for now, now here's chapter 2.

Disclaimer is in chapter one, okay, thanks bye!

WARNING:this chapter is emotional! ;o;

Chapter 2

The Results Are In!

Stephanie let out a pained groan, sitting up in her bed. how long was she asleep? Stephanie turned her head to the clock on her side table and frowned. It was nearly nine at night. She left the hospital at one, Lula force fed her food at around one thirty….she was fast asleep for eight hours. It didn't feel like she had slept for eight hours, her body still ached and demanded hat she go back to sleep. Her stomach, however, demanded food, and the stomach always went ahead of sleep.

Stephanie slid out of bed, wincing at the way her joints and bones ached, the pain extreme. She walked over to her bathroom, grabbed the big bottle of aspirin and took four of them. she knew they wouldn't work, but it was always nice to believe that they might have an effect on her. Stephanie washed the sleep off her face and then walked gingerly over to her bedroom door, which was closed. She could hear voices on the other side of the door, and it had her wary. She could hear Lula and Tank, why were they at her apartment? Lula should have left ages ago.

Stephanie sighed and opened her bedroom door. She found Tank and Lula sitting on her couch, eating Chinese food. The smell of the food had her stomach rumbling. Lula looked up from her food and said, with a smile, "Steph, I hope you're hungry, Tank bought a lot of food."

"I'm sure am," Stephanie said with a smile, going over to the two and sitting down next to Lula, Who handed her a plate full of noodles, meat and vegatables. She ate in silence, listening to Tank talk about what was going on at Rangeman.

"Lester came in hung over the other day," Tank said to Stephanie and Lula, putting his empty plate down, "Had an all nighter with some women, I took him to the mats and then put him on the cameras for the rest of the week, he swears he won't ever come in drunk again, but, we all know Lester."

"Oh yeah," Stephanie said to a giggling Lula, "He'll turn around and go out and trashed and go right to work in the morning!"

They chuckled for a while, and then they got silent. Stephanie sighed and placed her empty plate on the table. She winced in pain as her wrist hit the edge of the coffee table. It had hurt more than it was supposed to. She could see the makings of a large bruise on the tender area. Stephanie rubbed the sore area and looked up to see Lula and Tank staring at her intently. Stephanie smiled softly and said, "I just hit the coffee table too hard, don't worry, I'm a big girl."

Tank looked at Lula, who nodded her head, her eyes shining with tears. Tank turned to Stephanie and said in a soft voice, "Stephanie, we need to talk."

Stephanie's face paled as she watched as Lula pulled the brochures her doctor gave her earlier in the day, the ones about cancer. Stephanie looked up with wild eyes at Lula and Tank, "H-o…"

"I'm sorry, Steph, they fell out your purse, I was putting them back," Lula said, her eyes pricking with tears, "Please, tell us, what's going on? Is that why you're always in pain?"

Tank placed a gentle hand on Stephanie's shoulder and said, softly, "Please, don't shut us out, please, let us help you, tell us what's going on, Stephanie."

Stephanie's shoulder sagged, the damn she built up so tightly, threatened to crack. She didn't want to burden any of her friends, it was her problem, she could get past this, alone. Lula placed a hand on Stephanie's shoulder and said, "I know what's going through your head, Stephanie, and frankly, I don't care if you believe that you're going to be a pain in our asses. We're your friends, and we'll stick by with you, thick and thin."

Stephanie nodded her head, a sob bubbling up through her throat, "Thanks guys, you two are the best," wiping tears from her eyes, "Lula, Tank, the CT you forced me to go have, Lula, it reveal that there were several tumors growing inside some my bones. The doctor thinks they're cancerous."

"Does she know for sure?" Tank asked, sitting up and scooping Stephanie in his arms, as she broke down and began to cry, "Do they really know?"

"No, but they're going to perform a biopsy on me in two days," 'Stephanie sobbed, looking up, "But by the tone of her voice, I know, it's something bad, there were so many tumors!"

Tank rubbed Stephanie's back as she cried, "Don't worry, we'll be with you every step of the way, I'll call Ranger right away-"

"No, don't tell him, I don't want him to worry about all of this, he has so much on his plate, please, don't tell him!" Stephanie said weakly, to Lula and Tank, "Please."

"We won't tell him anything, for now," Tank said, earning a soft, "Thank you," from Stephanie, "Don't worry, Stephanie, we'll be there for everything."

"I don't know what I'd do without you two right now." Stephanie said looking at Tank and Lula, "Thanks for just being here."

"No problem, Stephanie ," Lula said with a smile, looking at her friend, "Now, how about some dessert, I got some Boston crèmes."

"Sounds like a perfect way to end the day," Stephanie said with a yawn, rubbing her now bruised wrist, "I hope you don't mind if I eat them all."

"Not if I eat them all first, white girl!" Lula said getting up and grabbing the pink box, "I know Tankie Wankie wants one!"

"Oh goodness," Tank said with a smile, "I'll let you ladies enjoy them, if that's alright with you."

It was nice to see some sort of normalcy between Lula and Stephanie. Tank knew that this could be one the last momemnts in which they would all feel normal. On Friday that could very well change. He made a note to check out Stephanie's health insurance. He was still on Rangeman's payroll, and so, she should still be getting benefits. Even if she wasn't, Tank would make sure she wouldn't have to worry about bills or any of the like. Stephanie shouldn't have to worry about them, not with this piece of heavy news resting on her shoulders.

(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)

Ranger had been at Rangeman Boston for 4 days. He had come up to Boston, due to a group of Rangemen, gone renegade. They had tried to hack a total of ten million dollars from his company. It was a shame they didn't know how to properly hack into their computer system, they could have gotten away with it. Now that he had found the ones who tired to steal from him, Ranger could pack up and head back home to Trenton, to see his Babe.

Ranger smiled, as he thought about Stephanie. She was the light in his dark world. She was the reason he always did 200 percent during the missions the government handed out to him. She would always wait for him to return, no matter how long it took. If anything were to happen to her, well, he'd move heaven and earth to rectify the problem. It was such a shame that Stephanie didn't know how much power she had over this stone hearted mercenary. She didn't know how madly in love he was with her. it was best that he kept her at arm's length, just so she wouldn't be in any danger. She already had dangers of her own, from her job as a bounty hunter. He also knew about how controlling her mother was, and knew that Morelli wanted her to transform into something she wasn't. Ranger would make sure she was taken care, even if she didn't want it, even If they couldn't be together.

Ranger pulled his phone out and dialed Stephanie's number, it would be great to hear her voice, before he fell asleep. Stephanie answered within two rings.

"Yo," Her voice was soft and sounded tired and tight, as if she was in pain.

"Babe, everything alright?" Ranger asked, sitting up and tuning in to Stephanie's voice, "You sound tired, are you sleeping well?"

"Yes, Ranger, I'm getting my eight hours plus extra," Stephanie said with a chuckle, "I'm just a bit sleepy, don't worry, Tank and Lula have been on my case, they wouldn't let me go anywhere without a Merry man or them."

That was good, lately Ranger had seen something was wrong with Stephanie. she was more tired, she was losing weight, always rubbing her joints. Hopefully, she went to the hospital about it, but, knowing Stephanie, she wouldn't go. Hopefully someone made her go, so she could find out what's going on.

They chatted softly for a while, mostly about what was going on at Rangeman, and about Stephanie's skip. Ranger liked this feeling of normalcy, whenever he was around Stephanie, she made him feel normal, she wasn't scared of him and his men, and she didn't go ga-ga over him like other women do.

"I miss you," Stephanie sighed, sleepily, making Ranger smile, "Hurry up and come home soon."

"I'll be there by Saturday," Ranger said, before Stephanie chuckled and said, "Good night Ranger."

"Good night, Babe." Ranger hung up the phone, and stared out into space, his mind on Stephanie.

(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)

"I am in need of a new tattoo," The woman said softly to Jeanne, one dainty frail hand holding a long stemmed smoking pipe, which had purple smoke emitting from the end of it, "Would you be a dear and fetch the local tattoo artist, Xu?"

Jeanne looked up from her computer, and over to the woman, who wrapped her lips around the pipe and inhaled deeply, "Do you have any bare skin on you?"

"Yes, in fact I do, the protection tattoo I had has disappeared, I need another one," The woman said blowing purple smoke over to Jeanne's face, "I will be in need of it, I can feel my services will be needed soon."

Jeanne got up from her pillow and said, "I'll be back soon," walking out the modern sitting room.

The woman sighed and said, "Boyfriend….boyfriend!" turning to an archway that led into the kitchen, "Boyfriend, I am calling to you!"

Diesel's head appeared in the doorway, "Yes baby?" his eyes fixed on the frail figure that was situated on a huge pillow.

"I am in need of your loving," The woman cooed, making Diesel leer at her, "I request your company, before Xu gets here."

"Getting another tattoo, I see," Diesel said, sitting beside the woman on the pillow, and wrapping her up in his arms.

"Yes, the protection one I had has faded away, it is time for it to get replaced." The woman said sitting up, "I will be getting another client, soon, be prepared for leaving at the drop of a dime."

"Always ready, with you, baby," Diesel said to the woman, kissing her cheek, "Now how about some Diesel lovin'."

"I would love that, very much," The woman said before she leaned up and kissed Diesel's lips.

(~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)

Stephanie cracked one eyes open, wincing in pain as she turned on the narrow hospital bed. A steady large hand stopped her, and Tank said in a low voice, Don't move to lay on your back, the doctor said it would be sore and tender for a while, since they got bone samples from your spine."

Stephanie nodded her head and croaked, "Water?" letting Tank sit her up in the bed.

Tank accepted the plastic cup from Lula, and helped Stephanie drink ice water from a straw. Stephanie let out a pained whimper and said, "Where's the doctor?"

"She's getting your results back from the biopsy, you were asleep for a while, Stephanie," Lula said going over to Stephanie and grabbing her IV free hand, "About the whole day."

'Were you two here the whole time?" Stephanie asked, looking over to Lula and Tank, "You shouldn't have done that-"

"Nonsense," Lula said looking at the woman, "I was here the whole day, Tank went to work, but came back from time to time. I wasn't about to leave you here alone, when you woke up."

"Thanks," Stephanie said, wincing in pain as she moved, "I'm in so much pain….."

"They left some pain killers for you," Tank said, picking up the small cup that had two pills in them, "It's pretty hardcore, but it should help with the chroni pain you have, and the pain from the biopsy."

Stephanie thanked them for the pills, and took them, washing them down with water and then laying back on her side. It only took minutes for the pills to kick in, making all the pain leave her body.

Lula and Tank looked up, seeing the door to Stephanie's room open, and her doctor came in, holding the results from her biopsy. She looked over to Tank and Lula, and then at Stephanie who said, "Well, Doc, you can tell me the news, I'm a big girl."

"Stephanie, the tumors are cancerous," The doctor said softly, looking at the woman, "I'm afraid you have Stage four Primary Bone Cancer, it's the primary bonce cancer called Angiosarcoma. It occurs very rarely, and it's very advanced."

Stephanie gripped Lula's hand and asked, "What, does that mean."

"Angiosarcoma is a type of bone cancer that can manifest in different parts of the skeletal system, or on different places on the same bone," The doctor said softly, her hand on Stephanie's shoulder, "Your Angiosarcoma is at stage four, since it is widely spread, and several tumors are deep in the bony tissue, Iwe also found that a secondary cancer has formed at the lower spine, this one is much more rarer than Angiosarcoma, it's called Chordoma."

"What's going to happen now?" Lula asked for Stephanie, trying to hold back the tears, "Can you get her on chemotherapy?"

"What I'm going to do right now, is to request that you go to Princeton to the Princeton Medical School," The doctor said, writing something down in Stephanie's file, "They have the leading advance technology, your chances for survival will go up, if you go there."

Stephanie looked at the doctor and asked, "Survival?" She hadn't thought about that part, "What's my chances for survival, if I don't go to Princeton?"

"It looks as though you've had this cancer for maybe a year, and no doctor has caught it," Stephanie's doctor said looking up, "If they had caught it a year ago, I would have said your chances for survival would be 100 percent. At the advanced stage that it's at now, and with the secondary cancer and the deepness and widespread of the both cancers, you have a zero percent chance of survival, if you go to Princeton, it goes up to five percent….I suggest you go to Princeton, they may have the key to helping you."

TBC…

(Oh my goodness...;s;)

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