Disclaimer: JE owns the characters. A personal thank you to Ricky Martin.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stephanie's POV

World War Three doesn't even come close to what happened after I walked into my parents house. It was the same old song and dance from my mother.

You blew up another car! When are you going to find a normal job? You need to settle down and start a family. What do you mean you broke up with Joe? I'm sure that it wasn't that bad. Just call him and apologize. What do you mean 'no'? You aren't getting any younger. Who else is showing interest? Don't tell me that you are thinking about getting messed up with that Ranger person? He's a mess! Besides, I thought he didn't get married? What do you mean you don't want to get married? Everyone wants to get married!

It got worse and I ended up running out of the house crying. For some reason, Ram was still sitting outside, so I just jumped back into the Bronco and we took off. So much for borrowing the Buick.

"I think that everyone in the Burg heard that fight," Ram said, finally breaking the silence on the way to my apartment.

"I wouldn't doubt that for a minute," I said as I stared out the window. "The woman is a nut case."

"I now see where you get it from," Ram said with a laugh.

"I have my stun gun," I said glaring at him.

"But, is it charged?"

"Good point."

"She doesn't know you, does she?"

"She knows me," I said on a sigh as I leaned my head back. "We just don't want the same thing for my life."

"Explain."

"She wants me to marry Joe and be a Burg wife. I don't want the row house and the 2.5 kids. I don't want to lose myself."

"And you think that you would with Joe?"

"I know that I would with Joe. I also know that things would never work out with Ranger."

"How so?"

"Ranger has told me on several occasions that he doesn't come with a ring. Plus, he goes off on those damn missions all of the time. I don't think that I'd be able to handle that. You know… not knowing."

"Sounds like you got it all figured out," Ram said as we pulled into the lot to my apartment building.

"Hardly," I said with a laugh. "I need to start looking for a new man."

"You already have one."

"Hal?"

"Let me show you something," Ram said as he pulled his cell phone out. I watched as he hit several buttons and then he handed me the phone.

I looked at the picture on the screen. It was a picture of me in Hal's lap. We were smiling at each other. I got a warm fuzzy feeling in my stomach when I looked at the picture. We looked genuinely happy.

"Go to the next picture."

I hit a button and a new picture came up. Hal was leaning back in a chair and I was sitting in his lap with my legs on either side of him looking up at him. He had his arms wrapped around me and there was a man bent over behind me.

"Is this when we got our tattoos?" I asked.

"Yeah! My cousin Jackson did them. He owns a shop a couple of blocks from the office."

"Were you with us?"

"Yeah. You guys were so happy. It started off as a joke and then it just happened," Ram said with a shrug.

"And then we went back to RangeMan?"

"Go to the next picture."

I hit the button again and saw a picture of Hal and me kissing in the elevator. I had my hand over his tattoo and he had one of his on mine. We were so tangled up in each other that you couldn't really tell where one of us ended and the other began.

"He's a good man and he'll treat you right," Ram said as he took his phone back.

"I'll see you later, Ram. Thanks for the ride," I said as I climbed out. "I have a lot to think about."

"Call if you need me."

"Will do."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hal POV

I've been standing in the shower for about twenty minutes. I haven't made a move since I stepped in. I can't stop thinking about her. I saw her all over my apartment. I drove myself crazy for an hour walking around. That's why I got in the shower. But, I still couldn't escape her. I could still smell her hair. I could still feel her hands running over my body. I let out a soft groan at that thought and hit my head on the shower wall.

Get yourself together, man. Reasonable Hal said.

She's perfect! Unreasonable Hal shouted.

Christ! Not now!

She's still in love with Ranger. Reasonable Hal stated.

What if she isn't. She said for us to call her when we figured out what we want. We want her! Unreasonable Hal shouted.

Music drifting in from my bedroom brought me out of my head. Lester had ran wires through the wall and mounted a speaker in my room. We both like the same music, so I didn't put up a fight. I stuck my arm out of the shower and opened the door.

She's all,

She's all I ever had.

She's the air I breathe.

She's all,

She's all I ever had.

It's the way she makes me feel.

It's the only thing that's real.

It's the way she understands.

She's my lover, she's my friend.

When I look into her eyes.

It's the way I feel inside.

Like the man I wanna be.

She's all I'll ever need.

Lester. What an ass. He's always pushing people. I got his message loud and clear. I washed up and jumped out of the shower. I need to get to her. Now. I dried off and ran my hands through my hair. Time for a hair cut. I threw on some clothes and headed for the door. My phone chirped and I looked down at it. Text message.

What are you waiting for?

Les

Pushy today. I opened up my door and found Lester, Bobby, Binkie, Cal, and Ram standing in the hall. They had their hard ball faces on. They meant business.

"Don't you people have work to do?" I asked as I stepped out and shut my door.

"Don't hurt her!" they all shouted at the same time.

"Did you guys practice that?" I asked with a grin.

"No," Cal said. "We all love her, too. Just not a much as you."

"You're assuming that she wants me."

"She threatened Ranger," Ram said with a huge smile.

"Huh?"

"She ran into him in the garage. He knew. Like he always does. She said that if any one of us touches you… she'd shoot Ranger," Ram said with an even bigger smile.

"That's good to know. Can I go now?" I asked. They were taking up valuable time. I needed to get to Steph.

They moved out of my way silently and I ran for the stairs. I could get to the garage faster taking the stairs then I would by waiting for the elevator. I took the stairs two at a time and was at one of the Broncos in twenty seconds. I threw myself behind the wheel and sped out of the garage.

I was driving myself crazy as I drove to her apartment. I had the stupidest grin on my face. I couldn't get rid of it. I needed her. Badly. I could make her forget everyone who had ever broken her heart. I can make her happy. I know that I can.