AN: Firstly, thank you for all of your enthusiasm for this story. I honestly expected maybe 20 reviews when I started this and I was proven wrong. Thank you, your critiques are always welcomed and appreciated. And now...for the moment we have waited for...our favorite couple can be reunited. I do not promise an anti-angst filled road ahead for them but I can say they will have a HEA. There are many surprises lined up.

Warning: As for the rest of the story this covers some mature content. Please keep the rating in mind before reading. I have not read the most recent book so my version so a little different. I basically put this story after Hawaii, though I did expand on a few things and changed some personalities. These characters changed over the decade before this story began; I tried to do that justice.

Disclaimer: They aren't mine, JE owns them.

Chapter Four

Previously: Lester hung up before they could protest and sighed at his ability to avoid telling Carlos the hardest part of Beautiful's new self. As he proceeded to make his way back to the table he left Beautiful and Keith at he happened to notice Keith pulling her closer.

Pensacola, Florida
September 9, 2016
2050

Lester took his seat, noticing tension between Keith and Beautiful as he muttered something to her before standing and walking towards the bar.

"Lester, what are you doing?" Her quiet voice and sharp gaze told Lester he was caught.

"Beautiful, they want to see you. I told them it was okay though they think it's a surprise," He attempted an embarrassed smile, failing to fool her. "Not that I could ever pull one over you."

Stephanie flashed him a slight smirk before sipping her Long Island, "I wouldn't recommend trying. Keith had to learn that I won't tolerate deception."

Lester paused, startled by her bluntness and had to reiterate to himself that this was not the woman who left Trenton.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think you would agree to them coming."

She learned forward slightly, her gaze hard, "It was my decision. Though I probably wouldn't have wanted them to come. How do I know you aren't lying? Or better yet, that you aren't apart of the ones who did did this?" She lightly caressed a fading scare on her wrists from bondage.

His anger flared before he caught on to her game. She was playing him, trying to get a rise to see what he would do.

"You trust me. You were never stupid or without being a decent judge of character. Your mind may not recognize me, but you know me."

Stephanie blinked twice before losing all emotion from even her eyes, an unsettling thing to witness.

"Keith doesn't trust you. He can read people well too."

Lester gave her his "player boy smile" as she had once called it, "He might recognize competition."

Her full laugh brought a smile to him before he words made him rethink his rash decision to bring Carlos to the bar.

"There's no competition for Keith."

Thirty Minutes Later

Carlos, Tank and Bobby walked into the tavern, taking in the crowded tables and bar. He noted a man standing behind the bar who was a crowd favorite based on the smiles and laughter traveling throughout the building. He watch Lester approach him from a corner table. He tried to look around him to catch a glimpse of Stephanie; yet the amount of activity made it impossible to see her.

"Ranger," Carlos' stopped and slipped on his blank face to prepare for this encounter. He had imagined this moment for years. Yet his mind did not prepare him for this reunion.

"She's here?" His voice was quiet as he looked at his cousin for the answer of what to expect.

"Yeah, she knows you're here. You okay with this?"

Ranger paused momentarily, considering his options, "No, but I need to see her." He left out his hope to convince her to come back to Trenton.

"Ranger, she's not sold that we're friends. Her friend behind the bar wants to see us gone. We may only get one shot."

"We've met worse. Hell I can throw his ass into the Gulf," Tank's response earned a laugh from Lester and Bobby while Ranger resisted the urge.

"What's her relation to him?" If this man was important to his Babe, he would leave him alone until he became a problem.

"That's the funny thing," Lester began as they made their way over to the table where Stephanie was, "I don't know."

Stephanie fiddled with her shirt, she had chosen a simple button down to prevent displaying most of her scars while her makeup only hid the worst on her face. Her jeans were old and faded; yet comfortable. She chose to ensure the injury along her forehead was as covered to only appear as a slight indention. As she saw three men accompany Lester to the corner table they were sitting in, she was unable to introduce herself.

"Beautiful, this is Bobby, Tank and Carlos," Lester's stutter over the sentence made Stephanie smile.

She had never felt such a strong reaction as when she saw him. The man Lester had described to her as a friend from her past. Carlos. His brown eyes seemed to take in all of her, as if he already knew her. According to Lester, he knew her better than anyone. Her world became quiet as she continued to stare at him. She was vaguely aware of standing to greet him and his companions, yet as she tried to raise her hand he pulled her to him, her hands automatically wrapping around his upper back.

Stephanie froze as she felt a sense of security and something else engulf her. This was home to her. Even though Lester had not told her much about her relationship with Carlos, she understood there had been something more between them. The ache of not knowing brought tears to her eyes. Desperation to know him, to know them frightened Stephanie.

"Babe," Carlos whispered, as he tightened his hold on her before releasing her so she could return to her seat. He took the chair to her right while Lester sat on her left. Tank and Bobby looked uncomfortable at sitting with their backs to the restaurant.

She waited for someone else to speak. Uncertain of her exact place in their group. Cindy, their server, approached the table cautiously as she placed menus in front of everyone except Stephanie and asked for drink orders. The men tried to hold their shock at Stephanie ordering a Long Island and water.

"Hell, if no one else'll say it," Tank began after Cindy left the table, "Stephanie, we are so glad to find out you're alive," He gave her a full smile and gave Bobby a discreet kick to the shin under the table.

"Les told us that you don't remember your life and you need to know that before we were all friends," He cast a quick glance at Carlos. "Good friends. We just want to talk tonight. As serious or as care-free as you need. And you can ask us any questions you have," Bobby reached across the table and took her hand in his, giving her an encouraging squeeze before Cindy returned with the beer Lester, Bobby and Tank ordered, Stephanie's Long Island and several glasses of water.

"Lester said you all knew me. He also filled me in on how we all met, I want to know," She paused before she gave Tank a whop-sided smile and took a long drink from her glass, "Did you really toss a civilian out a window?"

Three Hours Later

"And than, get this, you," Lester had to pause to laugh around his hand as he pointed at Stephanie, "Stunned him with his own stun gun! We still give him hell about it." Lester about fell out of his seat as he and Bobby continued to laugh.

"I sound like a damn pain in the ass. Shit that's awful!" Stephanie gasped as she sipped her drink. According to Lester she was on her third and appeared only slightly buzzed. Her alcohol tolerance had improved over the years.

"No, you were always great to have around. Whether the guys ever admit it or not they really liked you," Bobby seriously told her with a smile. Carlos had remained quiet most of the evening though he enjoyed the local food versus his normal healthy diet as they told stories of the Bombshell Bounty Hunter.

"Glad to hear I was liked," Stephanie murmured as she finished off her Long Island and pushed herself back from the table.

Most of the dinner crowd was gone and only a few small groups remained scattered throughout the inside tables and bar. The outside umbrellas had been folded up and the lights did not help to see the water past the beach.

"Carlos," She addressed him carefully as Tank, Lester and Bobby tried to avoid being obvious that they were waiting for this moment. "Can we talk?" She gestured towards the outside and he smoothly got up to join her.

The men all made half-hearted excuses before settling their parts of the tab and exiting. Carlos proceeded to follow Stephanie outside as Keith watched them leave from behind the bar. He shot Carlos a warning look before continuing to wipe down the bar.

"You alright to walk on the beach?" She asked, slipping out of her strappy sandals.

"Sure," Carlos followed her, even removing his socks and placing them on the patio next to her shoes.

They walked in silence for several minutes, the sound of the ocean soothing both.

"I can't imagine what this is like for you," Stephanie began, nervously moving her hair behind her ears.

"The same could be said about you," Carlos' response stopped Stephanie.

"I haven't had to live with seeing a ghost though. That's what I must be to all of you. A friend you cared so deeply for, taken from your life and now I'm back so to speak," Her voice carried off as they continued their walk.

Carlos reached for Stephanie's hand and halted her, "Stephanie, I made so many mistakes with you. I'm thankful to have a chance to start over," He hesitated as he watched the wind caused her hair to wildly fly around her face.

"Seeing you is something I cannot describe," Carlos placed his hand on the side of her face.

"Do you have any regrets?" Her question cut through him as he considered which one to begin with.

"More than I want to admit," His cringe caused her to narrow her eyes.

"What does that mean?"

"I made some statements that were deceptive," Carlos began, trying to force himself to tell her the truth.

"Perhaps we should keep walking. I have a feeling I'll be regretting this conversation."

Carlos silently agreed.

Back at the bar

"It's weird. She's the same and different," Tank mused. He had consumed the most alcohol at dinner especially when the conversation shifted to him and Lula and their refusal to get married.

"You just had to bring up the wedding Les," Bobby started, as the three made their way to their rented SUV. Ranger had some ties in the area, but Les had already rented a vehicle for his vacation that they decided to use.

"Look, it's not like she realizes her disappearance is the hangup. Besides, she needs to start learning the people in her life," Lester reasoned as the three opened the doors to get in.

"Guys, we got a problem," Tank said as he crawled into the backseat, "Ranger's DD for tonight."

Bobby and Lester both sighed at the same time, "Aw, hell."

At the beach

"I've enjoyed my life here. The nightmares were awful at first, but over time Keith and I learned what works and doesn't to help," Stephanie continued as she let the water wash over her feet.

Carlos resisted the need to demand what Keith's role in her life was.

"That's good that you have had him to help."

"Yeah, but I do have a question since it's just us. Lester said you and I were good friends before," Stephanie began as she moved a little further inland only to sit in the sand. Carlos joined her and waited for her to finish.

When she remained silent for a few minutes he turned his gaze to watch her.

"We were close friends before, for a few years actually."

"That's the impression I got," Stephanie turned to face Carlos and took his hand in hers without looking him in the eye, "I want you to tell me about my family."

Carlos laughed bitterly before he smiled.

"You never could disappoint me Babe," Carlos said before he took a deep breath. This part would be difficult to tell her.

"You were born in a family of unique people Steph. Your mother was the perfect housewife though she was hard on you growing up. You came from a tight-knight community know as the 'Burg and you stood out from the rest of your neighborhood. Most of what I know about your childhood is from little bits and pieces you told me and what I gathered through scuttlebutt."

Stephanie smiled as she turned herself sideways to face Carlos.

"You became a bounty hunter which Lester explained is how I met you," At her nod, he continued, "your family was...not very supportive. I know it had to do with your safety, but I also wondered if your parents beliefs had more to do with their constant berating of you."

He had no desire to tell her how her parents treated her even as he knew he would have to tell her more unpleasantness.

"Your grandmother, is a polar opposite story. She is almost exactly as I imagine you will be at her age, though I hope you won't have her zest for younger men," His attempt at a joke succeeded in causing Stephanie to blush bright red.

"She's a uh, she dates younger men?"

Carlos laughed, "No, she only gropes them."

"I'm assuming, your men?"

"As often as she can. She would before...you were gone. Than she seemed lost after a while. My men were concerned and began visiting, but her fire seemed to have gone out. She one morning asked to be moved to a retirement home and your parents obliged. She's been there ever since."

Stephanie tried to picture this woman he was describing, but she saw no one.

"Have you told my family about me?" She finally decided to ask. She had wondered why they were not with him. Lester had told her that Carlos had made plans to come to her as soon as he heard she was alive and she was shocked that her family was not with them.

If they were not estranged when she left, where were they?

"Stephanie," Her stomach seemed to clench when he said her full name, a reflex she wasn't expecting, "I have not had direct contact with your family in over four years."

"But, why?"

Carlos allowed the anger and resentment he felt show for only a moment before he answered, "Because your boyfriend convinced them to file a restraining order against me."

AN: So I said I'd try to stop with the cliffhangers...well this is what happens when I get to post before anyone finds out my plans! So what do you think? Please, please, please review! I'm trying to respond to your reviews which is on my list of stuff to do tomorrow. I just wanted to get this next part of this scene posted. Trust me, these two have got ALOT more to talk about. Goodnight!