Disclaimer: I'm so not JE, come now, people.

A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed and/or favourite this story! I'm glad it was well received!

Dedicated to Chesi66, Margaret and Wraithdarte. You guys are amazing in all your constant support!

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Steph POV

When I walked into the conference room, my Spidey senses were zinging and screaming. Why did I feel like walking into a place at Rangeman could be bad?

Then, I saw him.

This was their client?

What the hell was going on here?

He launched himself at me and I saw in my peripheral vision, the MM and Ranger reacting.

"Stephanie Michelle Plum!" he yelled, barrelling into me and grabbing me around my waist. I laughed- in spite of my fears being confirmed- as he spun me around. He set me down eventually, only to pull me into an even deeper hug. I saw the confusion on the Merry Men's faces, but while they lowered their guns, Ranger kept his pointed at us, raising an eyebrow at me in question. I looked away, hiding in his shoulder, trying to figure out what I had to do next.

"Stephanie Plum," he breathed into my hair. "As I live and breathe." He hugged me tighter and stroked my hair a little, and after seeing the bafflement on the guys' faces, I gave up trying to think. For a single moment, I allowed myself to feel all the joy and love at seeing him again; feel the sheer ecstasy of being in his warm arms and letting myself go back to a past I was forced to leave, but never forgot or longed for any less.

"Leo," I murmured into his shirt. "God, I…I…how are you? I mean, how's everyone? Why are you at Rangeman? Is everything okay? Did something happen? Is anyone hurt?" The questions tumbled from my mouth with lightning speed as I pulled back to assess whether he'd been damaged at all since I had left. I was relieved to find nothing.

"Still don't breathe in between sentences when you're stressed, huh Honey?" he chuckled warmly, staring down at me fondly.

"Shut up, Superstar," I grinned, punching his shoulder lightly. He made a show of feeling pain and I noted that it was only now, when I left his arms, that Ranger lowered his weapon.

"Babe?" he looked at me for an explanation. I cringed inwardly.

"You know Mr Manoso?" Leo looked at me, suspicious at Ranger's name for me. I sighed; just great.

"Ranger, this is Leonore," I started. "He was one of my best friends in college…"

"And after," Leo interrupted, looking at me sadly. "Until she left."

Now, I did cringe. I hated leaving the way I did…but what choice did I have?

"Leo, I work at Rangeman part time. Ranger is my boss, and my mentor; I bounty hunt as well, and he helps me out when I need him," I explained, averting my eyes to avoid the hurt in his expression. "Ranger is my…" I hesitated again, looking now at Ranger. His eyes were undecipherable, and I was getting tired of the back and forth between us, so I made a decision. "He's my best friend."

Leo looked cheered by this information, while the slight tensing in Ranger's jaw and the single tap of his index finger twice against his jean clad thigh, told me that he was saddened and possibly in disagreement with my assessment, and he was definitely not a fan of Leo.

I pushed aside my emotions and focussed on the reason for my reunion. Worry erupted in me as well as fierce anger.

"Why is he here?" I asked Ranger, trying not to redirect my anger at him. I succeeded, in everyone else's eyes, but Ranger's eyes skittered over me and I knew in an instant that he saw the anger I was holding in.

"Babe," he gently took my hand and pulled me toward him. "I don't think it would be a good idea for you to know the details here. Some of this stuff is now related to Uncle Sam, and I would much rather you not have a part in it deeper than you already are."

"I'm going to tell her anyway," Leo piped up defiantly. "She stays. Whatever you need to say to me, you can say to her too."

I appreciated Leo stepping in, because I didn't know how I was going to convince Ranger to let me in on the details of this case without tipping him off.

"Babe, please?" he looked me in the eye and I hated to deny him anything, but this was one exception. This was the one case I couldn't mess with.

"I'm sorry, Batman," I breathed, a bad taste in my mouth. I squeezed his hand once and went to sit to the place next to Leo's. Ranger's blank face slammed down and the Merry Men looked at me dumbstruck.

"Someone has been checking up on me," Leo started to tell me. "Intense background checks, watching the house, the works. Nat, Micah, Rory and I live in a beach house. Since you left, we've lived together; someone bought the place for us and asked that we use it and stay in it together, like we'd planned before. We think it was Mrs S," he looked at me and I know the pain in his eyes was reflected in mine. I turned away, and tried to get myself under control. I couldn't lose it now. "Anyway, your friends here are saying that there is talk that the checks on me could mean that these people doing it are trying to get to me. They think I know something about some important military man. Aquila."

"Who's Aquila?" I asked Ranger. He hesitated then resigned himself to answering me.

"He's one of the military's finest. Or, was, at least. He gave it up some time ago, no-one knew why. All they know is that he vowed they would regret it if they ever tried to track him down."

"Have you guys figured out the connection between him and Leo?" I asked.

"No, nothing yet," he shook his head.

"Are you guys going to put a guard on the house?"

"Yeah," Les answered me this time. "We've got it under control, Beautiful, don't worry."

"Thanks, Les," I smiled warmly at him. Les had also become one of my best friends, and I loved him to bits. He winked at me and my grin widened.

"You can leave, Mr Arquette," Ranger dismissed him brusquely. "The protective detail you came with shall escort you home."

"No," I interrupted. "I'll take him."

"Babe, we need to talk, and I would rather we do this now," Ranger told me plaintively.

"Later," I insisted. I was terrified for this talk, because I didn't want to lie to or deceive Ranger.

"Fine, we'll follow you, and then when we come back home," he stressed the word subtly, "we'll talk."

"Fine," I sighed resignedly. "Come on, Leo, let's go."

"The guys are going to be so excited to see you," Leo bounced happily on his feet. "Rory is going to die about the fact that I saw you first."

"Well," I laughed, "I'm not sure I can stay, or even stop to say hi," I admitted regretfully.

"Why not?" he asked with a frown, looking dismayed.

"You're telling me they would let me leave?" I half-joked.

"Why do you have to leave?" He looked at me piercingly and the murmured questioned struck me with grief. "You left once already, Honey, and I know you didn't want to! I know it!" His voice became ardent. "If you wanted to, you'd have said so. Besides, this place, this life," he gestured around him with his hands. "You've never wanted this, Steph! You've never wanted Trenton! What changed? Why did you leave us for a life you hated and swore never to return to?"

"Leo," I stopped his rant, finality in my tone. "We'll talk on the drive over. We have some things we need to discuss."

I made eye contact with him, and like our old dynamic, I nodded once upwards. He smiled despite himself and nodded once downwards. Before, when we were all together, that used to be our thing. On the verge of a fight, we would stop ourselves, and the upward nod was an apology while the downward one was to tell the other that it was okay. I smiled broadly at him.

"Road trip," he chuckled.

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Ranger POV

Whose bright idea was it to bring Babe to this client meeting? Dios, I could shoot myself right now.

When he charged at her, I was poised to shoot, and only her giggle brought me back to the reality that he was hugging her, not attacking her. I fumed, not lowering my gun, as he spun my Babe- my Babe- around, and pulled her in close for a hug. Babe glanced at me, cringing slightly, and I raised an eyebrow in silent question. She hid, burying her face into the client's shoulder. This irked me, like nails against a chalkboard. Who the hell was this joker, and why the hell did he think it was okay to be holding my Babe? He murmured something into her hair and I forced my hand not to pull the trigger, lest I hit her.

After a tense introduction, I tried to get Babe to leave; I didn't want her involved with this case, not only for the fact that our douche of a client was so handsy, but also because the last thing I wanted was for Steph to be on the Aquila's radar. I knew he wouldn't hurt her- that wasn't his MO- but that didn't mean that I wanted her anywhere near that life.

Of course, Leo- what kind of a name is that anyway?- had to be the "hero" and insist that she be 100% part of this because he wouldn't hide anything from her anyway. Jesus, it's like this guy knew exactly what our relationship's Achilles' heel was. Reluctantly, I let Babe stay and patiently answered her questions. What bothered me was how she kept avoiding my eye and looked very distracted, yet focussed at the same time. Finally, this hell I'd walked into was over.

"You can leave, Mr Arquette," I didn't bother hiding the brashness of my tone. I didn't want him to mistake the fact that I didn't particularly crave his presence. "The protective detail you came with shall escort you home."

"No," Babe cut in. "I'll take him."

"Babe, we need to talk, and I would rather we do this now," I stated baldly, hiding the flare of jealousy I had felt behind a blunt tone. Was there something there? History, or an unfinished romance?

"Later," Steph insisted. She looked worn and nervous, and I wondered what was going on. She had never reacted like this before; as though she had something to hide.

"Fine, we'll follow you, and then when we come back home," I put slight emphasis on the word to show him where her new home was, "we'll talk."

"Fine," she agreed with a defeated slump to her shoulders. They walked off, the so-called man bouncing on his feet like an over-excited puppy. I bit back a growl that was equal parts disgust and annoyance.

"Bossman, what just happened?" Tank looked at me incredulously.

"Yeah, cuz, how does Beautiful know the client?" Even my cousin looked gobsmacked and I would wager next to me, that he understood Steph the best. We all seemed to be flummoxed at the events that had just transpired.

"I don't know," I answered in a clipped voice. "But we're going to find out." Decisively, I strode out of the conference room, Santos, Brown, Tank and Hector following suit. We moved to one of our Rangeman SUVs, taking one car instead of two, and as Steph pulled out of her parking space, I made an impulsive decision. Calling Manny in the control room, I asked him to switch on the bug I had planted on her hair band.

"Sure about this, Boss?" Manny asked hesitantly. "Wifey's gonna be really mad about it."

"That was an order, Ramos," I replied coldly, evenly. "I didn't need an opinion."

"Yes, Sir." I could almost see him looking down in chagrin. Satisfied that I had reasserted my authority, I hung up and activated the portable receiver in the SUV.

"…you left." I caught Leo in mid-sentence. "You never told us anything. You never explained why. Hell, Teez, you never even said goodbye!"

Teez?

"Would it have helped?" Babe asked, sadness thick in her voice. "Would you guys have let me leave?"

"Maybe…" he trailed off.

"Nonsense," Babe declared. "And I didn't leave because I wanted to, Leo. I left because I had to."

Meaning?

"You're being so cryptic, Tee," Leo complained. "Look, it's just five minutes. Why won't you at least come in and greet the people you left behind five years ago?"

"Hold that thought," Steph took a right turn, one I knew for sure wouldn't take us out of Trenton. Where was she going?

Everything was quiet for a few moments as we followed Steph. My thoughts were racing. What was she hiding? Where was she going? What happened all those years ago that forced her back to Trenton? Did she regret being there? Even now, with Rangman…with me, in her life, did she wish that she was there with her old friends? Would she rather have that life than the life we…

I stopped myself in my thoughts. Really, what kind of life was this? I say that we have one together, but I tell her that we never can. What had I given Babe, to show her that I want a life with her? She was right to introduce me as a friend, because I hadn't been showing her how much I wanted to be more. I was just so worried that something could happen to her because of the people I was associated with…I never wanted her to be in danger because my enemies are after her. On the other hand, it's not like I let her go, let her have a normal life away from me. It was more messed up than I had allowed myself to believe. What I feel for her is unmistakable. There was no two ways about it…so why couldn't I tell her that? And why couldn't I let it happen?

We stopped at a series of storage units. I looked around, wondering what had brought Babe here.

"Hi," she greeted the security guard brightly. "Madison Hedgewell, I need to access my unit. Number 60."

Madison Hedgewell? She flashed him what I assume was a fake ID and he let her through. Why was she operating under an alias? What was in that locker?

The men were silent, each wrapped up in their own thoughts. I knew this was bothering them too; we all cared about Stephanie deeply, and it worried us that she may have gotten involved in something that required her having a fake identity.

We drove through to her locker, and Leo and Steph got out of the car. She headed to us and I switched the engine off, getting out as well.

"Babe?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. I couldn't ask her about her alias yet, or she would figure out about the bug.

"I need to fetch something," she blushed. "More like, exchange something…"

"Beautiful, what's going on?" Santos interjected. "What's in that storage locker?"

"I need a change of ride…" she trailed off, then approached the garage and pressing a button on a remote she fished from her pocket. The door rolled up and revealed…

…Utopia.

At least, we thought so.

There were steel shelves along the walls with sealed boxes and suitcases and burlap sacks filled with God-knew-what. But what caught our attention was the black tarp covered object in the centre. Babe reached down and yanked off the tarp to reveal a shiny black '69 Impala.

"Shocked" is not normally an emotion associated with me. Unless it was a situation with my Babe.

We stood there, barely able to comprehend what we were looking at, and judging from a slack-jawed Leo, he didn't know about this either.

"Babe?" I finally managed to speak without showing the surprise in my voice.

"It's a 1969 Chevrolet Impala Sport Sedan 250Turbo Thrift, in perfect condition," Lester moved toward the car reverently and I refrained the sudden Stephanie-born urge to roll my eyes.

"I know what it is, Santos," I snapped.

"This thing has 155 horsepower, it's a monster on the road," he continued, running an adoring hand along its side while Steph watched with a grin. "It runs from 0-60 mph in under 15 seconds flat!"

"14.7 seconds, actually, Les," she corrected him with a wink.

"Where the hell did you get it, Beautiful?" he asked incredulously. I was inclined to ask the same thing.

"Ask no questions, hear no lies," she shrugged, losing the smile. She looked up at me and her eyes were sad; it punched a hole in my chest to see her like that. Gently, I grasped her elbow and pulled her aside.

"Babe, what's going on here?" I asked her softly, pushing a stray curly lock behind her ear.

"I wish I could tell you, Batman," she hid her face in my chest and I welcomed the opportunity to wrap my arms around her. "But we can't do this now," she mumbled into my t-shirt. "I have to get Leo back to the house."

"Babe…" I tried to protest.

"Let me, please," she looked up at me pleadingly. "I need to do this."

The desperation in her eyes, though I couldn't understand it, helped me make my decision. I nodded once and she relaxed, and though I wanted to push her for answers, I knew I couldn't do it now. She needed me to hold on for a little while and if that was what she needed, that was what she would get. We stepped back to our places and a small giggle escaped Steph's lips at the sight that met us.

My idiot cousin was circling the car like a man in a desert who had just found an oasis. He looked as though he might possibly cry at the sight that beheld him.

"I'll make you a deal, Les," Steph grinned. "You park my other car in the garage for me as I take the Chevy out, and I'll let you drive it all the way back to Trenton."

"Beautiful," my cousin looked at her solemnly, but his eye were screaming the excitement of a child who could hardly believe the sheer amount of gifts waiting for them under the tree on Christmas morning. "You should never joke about things like that."

"I kid you not, Les," she laughed. "I'll even let you take it for a spin every once in a while, if you ever feel like testing out its speeds."

Without a word, he walked up to Babe and wrapped her in a huge hug, spinning her around. I growled again; what was it with these men that had them thinking it was okay to do that? Like an overactive puppy, he headed to Steph's old POS car. Before he got in, I grabbed his arm.

"Mats, cuz," I informed him in a low voice. "Tomorrow morning, 0400."

At least I could teach someone a lesson.

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Steph POV

We drove in silence for a few minutes. No doubt, Leo was still trying to figure out why I had used a fake name and ID to get my baby from his storage unit. Not that I could explain to him why it was necessary. I saw the questions turning around in his head. Worse than anything was the fact that Ranger was listening into our conversation. He thought I didn't know, but the Chevy was tricked out with bug detectors and I knew about the bug the minute I got into the car.

"How is everyone?" I asked, breaking the silence and hoping to steer the conversation away from my suspicious behaviour.

"Nat and Micah got married two years ago," Leo smiled at me.

"That's great!" I exclaimed, feeling both intense happiness for my friends, and intense sadness for what I had missed. I think Leo sensed the two conflicting emotions because he reached across the console and squeezed my hand.

"It was a beautiful ceremony on the beach, but it missed one of the most important parts," he smiled at me. "You."

"I wish I could have been there," I said sadly. "What else have I missed?"

"They have a son, Nicoh," he grinned. "Guess what his middle name is?"

"What?" I asked, smiling slightly.

"Stefan."

I looked at him in disbelief. He smiled back and I could see the sadness in his eyes, so I knew I had deducted right.

"It's a mix," I murmured, tears filling my eyes. "Of my name, and…"

"Yeah," he confirmed. "Micah came up with it and Nat was all for it."

I sniffled and fought to hold back the sob that was threatening to escape.

"Aw, don't cry, Tee…" he pushed back my hair and tapped the tip of my nose with his finger. I smiled tremulously.

"No-one has called me that in a long time," I laughed slightly, wiping the moisture from my eyes.

"It was our nickname for you," he winked. "No-one else's."

"So, aside from Nat and Micah, and our new addition, Nicoh, what else has happened?" I asked. Now, more than trying to distract Leo, I needed to know. after all my wondering, finally, I could find out where their lives had taken them…whether what I did was worth it.

"Rory graduated top of the class with honours," he told me a proud gleam in his eyes. "We were all so proud. Following that was one of the most successful law firms ever to be opened, and business has been booming. Rory did it, against all odds." Pride burst in my chest too, and I ached again for another of these momentous occasions that I missed. "Nat stays at home with Nicoh, she still does her art, and Micah is still running his practice. He's become one of the most renowned surgeons in the country. As for me, I'm still in real estate. I've got the impressive list of clients at the company so I'm in the running for a promotion right now," he told me excitedly.

"That's great, Leo, I'm so proud of you!" I grinned widely and almost jumped in my seat in enthusiasm. "This is great, you're all exactly where you said you'd be all those years ago." Melancholy entered my tone slightly as I thought of the two people in our little family who didn't get to be all they said they would be…who got dealt a bad hand and had to leave those dreams in the past. I felt sad for myself and…

"Don't," Leo stopped my train of thought. "I know where your thoughts are going, and don't do that, Steph, don't. Leave it in the past."

"I wish I knew how…" I whispered, tortured by the past that seemed to haunt me every damned day.

"Start by telling me about Trenton," he cut in, desperation lacing his tone too. This prompted me into action; I couldn't drag him back to the dark place I had been in since that day. He moved on and I needed to let him stay there.

"Trenton will be Trenton," I forced a small laugh. "I dated Morelli for a little while," I confessed, blushing as I avoided his eyes.

"No fricking way!" his booming laugh filled the car and it unwittingly eased the tension that built in my shoulders. "That asshat? Jesus, Steph, what in the hell were you thinking?"

"I wasn't," I giggled. "But it doesn't matter, we've been over a long time."

"Rory is still gonna kick your ass," he guffawed. "And what about tall, dark and scary?" he asked, a serious undertone to his faux-joking tone.

"Who, Ranger?" I asked, feeling acutely aware that he was listening to all this.

"Yeah," he nodded. "What's going on there?"

"He's my best friend," I answered carefully. "Anything more, I'm honestly not sure."

That was a fair enough answer, right?

"Do you think Ranger knows this Akhil fellow?" he asked.

"The Aquila," I corrected absently. "And no, he doesn't."

"And you believe that?" he snorted. I bristled, but after all this time, I found I couldn't really get mad with him. Not yet, at least.

"Yes, I do," I told him matter-of-factly.

"How are you so sure?"

Of all the thinking I had been doing, I knew what I needed to do. There was only one way forward from here. So, I played my trump card.

"Because I know The Aquila."

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A/N: Dum, dum, duuuummm! Hope you guys like the chapter, and please let me know if y'all want more POVs, such as from the Merry Men or from Steph's old friends. Review please! -JazMitch