I don't own any of them, but the trainers are all mine.

The conversation with Ranger and the Merry Men. Slight smut ahead, you have been warned.

Chapter 2

So here I was sitting in my car in the underground garage at the Haywood offices. I was pretty sure that Ranger wasn't here. My neck wasn't tingling and his truck wasn't parked in its usual parking space. Now I was contemplating whether I should visit the boys in the control room while waiting for Ranger to return or go home and come again later. But I knew I wouldn't have the courage to come again. But I also didn't want to face the Merry Men. They always seem to know when something isn't right. But before I could make a decision, Binkie had knocked on the window and opened the door.

"Hey Bomber, you coming up?"

"Uh, I wanted to talk to Ranger. Is he in?" Well, maybe his truck is at Al's. One never knows with Batman.

"Nope, he is out collecting a skip. Big one. Why don't you come up? We haven't seen you for a while. Ram and Woody are on monitor duty, but Cal, Bobby and Lester are also here. Tank is with Ranger."

"When, do you think, will they be back?"

"Don't know. Come on Bomber, get out of your car. There are some cookies waiting. Ella managed to smuggle them into the break room. Lester and Bobby found them before I came down to get you."

"Alright, you know I have no will power when it comes to Ella's cooking."

So I went up with him. These guys know how to get me out of my car. Wonder how long I have been sitting there. Normally they give me some time to collect my thoughts. "Hey Binkie?"

"Yeah?"

"How long have I been sitting in my car?"

"Uh, don't know for sure. Something like twenty minutes I think. Why?"

"Just wondering."

By now we had arrived at the break room where Bobby and Lester sat munching on cookies. Binkie was the first to respond.

"Hey, I hope you left me some."

"Nope, sorry Binkie, Lester ate a lot of cookies. The rest is for Bomber. Hey Bomber, you look sad. What's shaking?"

So I sat down, munching on cookies and collecting my thoughts. How do you tell your best friends that you want to leave the country for half a year, or maybe longer. Maybe never want to come back? They sensed that I needed this time, so they just sat there, watching my inner musings.

"Well, you guys know that I was a murder suspect. Morelli had The Dick in protective custody and didn't tell me. But this is just a small bit. I realized this last week that Morelli and I aren't good for each other. So I drove over to him and broke it up for good."

"About damn time, Bombshell." This from Lester.

"Yeah, but I realized some other things as well. I need training, but I can't get good when I'm in Trenton. My mom is constantly nagging me about working at the button factory or at Macy's as a make- up girl. I can't stand it anymore. I need to get out of the Burg. I need some distance from it all. Everybody is looking down at me. Nearly nobody thinks I can do this."

"Good for you, Babe."

I hadn't realized that Ranger had entered the room and from the looks of it, the guys hadn't realized it either.

"Yeah, so I came here. I know you would train me, but I need to get out. I need some time to regroup, to think about what I want for myself. I hoped you guys would know somebody out of the country who could train me."

"Bomber, I can understand why you want to leave, but what is it with your mother? Every time you talk about her you look so unsure of yourself." Hmm, wonder when Tank came in, probably together with Ranger.

"Tank, my mother has seen me as a failure since the day I hopped of the garage roof because I wanted to fly. She wants me to be a perfect stay- at- home mom and wife, married to some guy who is traditionally Burg with at least two kids, or better yet, even more. But that's not me. I get the creeps thinking about kids. I don't know if I ever want them, but I know for sure that I don't want them now or in my near future. And you all know what my cooking is like. I don't want to eat my own cooking, because I'm afraid I will get food poisoning. Not the best idea to serve this to your hubby who works hard, so you don't need to work. She doesn't see that I'm not Val, but that's what she wants me to be. And she tells me this every time we meet. She even told me that it was my fault that Dickie was cheating on me, because I couldn't keep him satisfied." By now I was flat out crying. It just hurt too damn much.

"Okay, I think I get the picture." Lester who sat beside me enveloped me in a hug. "So Bomber, how do you want to play this. I believe your parents don't know about your plans yet?"

Hiccuping I admitted. "No, and I won't tell my Mom, I will tell my Dad. But that's it. I have no plan. I know I need training and hoped you guys knew somebody. But please out of the country and without a phone number for my mom. Once she finds out there will be hell to pay." With that I was batting my eyelashes at them.

Now it was Ranger's turn, but he didn't look too happy about my plans. "Well, I could ask TK. He is somewhere near Corrales in Mexico. He should be able to train you. Or has anybody a better idea?"

"Yeah, either him or Jac, he is somewhere in Canada at the moment. That's what I heard last. You never know with him." Bobby had to add his opinion.

But I wasn't sure where to go. But while I was contemplating the choices, the guys had already started to discuss the pro and con's of both. I didn't get much of what they were saying, because I was too busy with my own thoughts. I then realized it was silent and everybody was looking at me.

"Huh?"

"Babe, you weren't listening were you?" Asked Ranger grinning.

"Nope, sorry."

"Too busy with the war in your own head?"

"Yeah. Smart ass. So what is your advise?" Well, I would follow their lead. I didn't know either of these guys.

"Well, we think TK would be the better choice. He has his own training facilities, often used from the military. Preparation for missions. Stuff like this."

"Okay, when can I go?"

"Tank call him. I don't know for sure, but he should have time. Don't worry, we will just ask him. You won't be a burden." Damn, this man knows me too good. Tank stood and left the room.

"Not that I've not the same opinion about training and Morelli, but what brought this on?"

"Well,.."

The guys sensed that I was uncomfortable with them being there, so they silently stood and left me alone with Ranger, who promptly pulled me onto his lap.

"Well, you know that Joe didn't tell me that Dickie is alive, so I couldn't trust him. And I realized, that I don't love him the way I should to marry him, to live with him forever. I realized that I don't love him, the way I love you. So I went over to break it up. For good this time. I' m not even sure if I ever want him to be my friend again. He has just to often mistrusted me. And I'm not sure what is going on with him and Terry."

Ranger was just staring at me, but I had to finish this. I couldn't leave, with him not knowing how I feel. So I continued.

"The training thing has been coming for a while. I'm tired of being the girl who provides the entertainment for the whole PD and whatever force is included. Everyone is betting on me, even your guys. I have no problem with the Merry Men betting on me. They always come to my rescue, but the PD mostly uses it to laugh about me. I want to be taken seriously, but that is only possible, when I'm better, when I don't have the funniest mishaps. I know that you would help me, and I appreciate this, but I need the distance. I need to go somewhere were my mom can't find me. But I'm not ready to stand up against her. And I appreciate the help you provide, but I need to be able to rescue myself. I can't and I shouldn't have to relay on somebody else to safe my life on such a frequent basis. You have done this too many times to count for me, but it is time to get serious about my job, or it will get me killed sooner or later."

Tank chose this moment to reenter the room. "Boss, Bombshell, TK is waiting for you. Flight is booked. Goes in four hours from the airport in New York. Direct flight, takes ten hours. Don't ask me how he did this. They will pick you up at the airport. Told me to tell you, you only need to bring your toiletries and stuff for three or four days, small duffel. He and his partners will provide the rest. And a list of the weapons you use and are comfortable with. Boss, he told me to ask you to escort Bomber down to Mexico. He wants to catch up with you or something. Jac is staying with him at the moment, but they don't know when he will move on again. This guy is just restless, should go on a mission or something. Chris, Toby and Tim are also there, training for some mission. He didn't tell me how long they will keep her."

"Thanks. I will go with her." Ranger nodded towards Tank and he left the room. "Let's go pack your stuff. Who do you want to tell and what about Rex?"

"I only want to tell my Dad, Mary Lou and your guys. Do you think Ella would look after Rex? Oh, and I want to thank her for her help the last week. Could you tell Vinnie that I quit? When I go there to tell him, Connie and Lula will get out of me what is going on. But I don't want it all over the Burg in less then five minutes."

"Alright. Here is how we do this. We will go to your apartment to collect your stuff and Rex. Then we will drive by your parents'. Your mother should be shopping at the moment so we can avoid her. Then we stop at Mary Lou's and come back here, so I can get my stuff and you can talk to Ella and say goodbye to the Merry Men, but I suspect everyone who is free, will want to say goodbye at the airport. Okay?"
Batman can speak more then one word sentences? Will wonders never cease?

"Yeah, let's go. Oh, and I need to end the lease of my apartment."

The drive to my apartment was silent as usual. Ranger was in his zone and I was questioning my sanity. Here I was on my way to say goodbye, to leave Trenton for who knows how long. I had never been out of the country, so this was a first for me. But Ranger interrupted my mental ramblings, while resting his hand on my thigh, rubbing comforting circles with his thumb.

"Babe, you know I love you, right?" Where did this come from?

"In your own way?" I asked, not sure where he was going with this.

"Yeah, more like, in every way I can love you."

"What?" Did he just say what I think he said?

"Yeah, you understood me right. I told you I love you before. Why are you so surprised?"

"Because you keep sending me these mixed signals. One day you are all touchy feely, the next day you are gone to god knows where for who knows how long without ever mentioning that you have to go. It's kind of confusing."

By now he had pulled into the parking lot at my apartment complex and had pulled me into his lab, embracing me tightly.

"But I always tried to show you how I feel. I am not good with words, you know that, so I tried to show you. All the cars, the job when you needed one, a place to stay. Why didn't you get that I love you, that I just waited for you to make a decision, to choose between me and Morelli?"

"Well, could be the lines you keep feeding me. I remember being told that you don't do relationships. Hell, you even send me to Morelli. I always thought you just wanted me for a good fuck, no strings attached." By now I was positively angry. I tried to get off of his lap, but he wouldn't let me.

"So Babe, when I asked you, you would try a relationship with me? Like you being my girlfriend exclusively?"

"Uh, Ranger what brought this on? The fact that I leave for time unknown?"

"Yeah, kind of. I have been thinking of this for a while now. But when you told us, you wanted to leave to get training, something snapped. I knew I had to tell you. I was afraid you would reject me, so I didn't tell you sooner. But what's your answer?" He looked kind of unsure.

"You have to ask? This is what I have been waiting for since we spent this one night together."

He didn't give me a chance to continue, he just kissed me hard and demanding. With tongue. Lots of tongue. Then he whispered in my ear, his voice deep and hoarse, while his hands started kneading my breasts.

"I want to take you. Right here in the car. Make you come on my fingers until your voice is hoarse, then take you up to your apartment and take you against the door, making you scream my name when you go over the edge."

I couldn't hold in the moans anymore. His breath against my ear had sparks shouting southwards and I could feel myself getting wet as I was rubbing myself against him. My hands started roaming his body, while he was kissing me hard, passionate, but before I could say or do anything he had my jeans unzipped and plunged two fingers into me, stroking my g-spot, his thumb circling above my clit. My forehead fell on his shoulder as he thrust his fingers into me.

"Babe are you this wet, just for me?"

I bucked against him, moaning uncontrollably, riding his fingers. I wasn't able to form a coherent sentence.

"That's it Babe, come for me."

With that I fell over the edge, screaming his name in ecstasy, bucking wildly against his finger. My breathing was ragged, uneven. It took me some time to even out my breathing, but when I was able to breath again he zipped my pants up and told me we had to hurry or we would miss our flight. Damn, I had already forgotten what I was about to do. But I couldn't believe what we had just done. We were making out in the car like teenagers. But all I could think about was how to get several more Ranger induced orgasms. Ranger must have followed my train of thought, because I could feel him chuckle against me.

"Come on Babe, you need to pack." So we went up to my apartment, silently packing my stuff. I packed my personal stuff, Ranger went to grab Rex in his home and his supplies. I was kind of sad to let my apartment behind, when a thought struck me.

"Uh, Ranger?"

"Yeah?"

"What's going to happen with all my stuff. I don't have enough money to rent this apartment for however long I will be gone."

"No problem Babe. I already arranged for the guys to clear your apartment tomorrow. We have storage rooms at RangeMan where we can store your stuff. What do you want to be done with your furniture? I'm not sure if you will need to keep it, because I plan on hiring you full time when you come back. If you want to. And as my employee you could live at a fourth floor apartment, with comes fully equipped, or you could always live with me."

"You what? You want to hire me? Little me, the laughingstock of Trenton?"

"Babe, you have great instincts, you always get your skip. Trust yourself, don't underestimate yourself all the time. Be proud of yourself, just like I'm proud of you. And yes, I plan on hiring you. The guys have been nagging me quite some time now. We all enjoy working with you. You always bounce back, no matter what happens and you didn't go trough mental training in the Army, where all my guys and I went trough. You have nightmares for some days or a week, leave the lights on for a few nights, but then you are back to old Steph. You don't waste time on mulling over what happened. You go on. You learn from your experience, but you don't allow yourself to get depressive. All the guys admire you for this. I admire you for this. Babe, when you went trough my training, you would be better than me. You never suffered from PTSD and you have seen a lot of shit up close. And despite all this you are still doing your job and you are good at it."

I just stood there staring at him. Did he just say I could be better than him, better than Ranger, the man of mystery who every low life scum of Trenton fears, the man who might be responsible for the freedom of the world?

He must have sensed that I didn't believe him, because he continued. "Steph, look at me. I know that this training is gonna be hard on you. You will have to go running, they will make you exercise in every possible way, but it will be worth it. When you come back you will be stronger, physically and mentally. They will put you through Rangers and Seals training. This will be hard, but I know you can do this. All the Merry Men know you can do this. They know how tenacious you can be. We believe in you. It doesn't matter what the Burg says, it's important that you are happy with your life."

During his speech he had pulled me into a hug. He seems to know me better than I know myself sometimes. "Thanks, I needed to hear this. I'm kind of freaked at the moment."

"And that's perfectly normal and understandable. You are about to make some major changes in your life and you have no way of knowing how it will all turn out. But remember, I will be there to back up you up every step of the way. You won't have to do this alone. We will all support you. Tank cleared that you can write and receive e-mails. And I will stay with you the first weeks. I'm proud of you that you take this step. But now let's get going."

"I would like you to bring my stuff to storage at RangeMan and end the lease of the apartment."

Ranger just told me not to worry, he would deal with it.

Please let me now what you think, especially about the smut as it is my first attempt. Please review.