Back again! How did you like the last chapter? I've had some very postitive review on how it played out. Not everyone but still. Thanks for reading and those that have continued to review, thank you! ALso Thank you to Carrotmusic for taking the time to beta for me. Enjoy this next installment!

While Ranger was out trying to distract himself, Stephanie was in tears again. It took about ten seconds after the door closed for the information to sink into her brain. Ranger had left, not even bothering to talk about it - just walked away from her. She turned to Lester, burying her head in his shoulder as she sobbed and he rubbed her back. She cried and sobbed and drenched his shirt, but Lester held her all the while trying to comfort her. When she had quietened down, her breath hitching every now and then, and tears only silently falling, he pulled her face up so he could see it.

"I know you're hurting, Stephanie. We can work on him, but I think we should talk about what we are going to do now. It seems like, for this minute, Ranger is out of the picture. I think, to start off with, you should move into my Rangeman apartment with me. It's a studio but it's quite big and I would feel better if you and the baby weren't in this death trap any longer then you have to be. We would need to talk to Ranger and Tank first, but if they agree in the morning I would like you moved in by night."

Stephanie considered what he had said. She agreed this apartment was too dangerous for her baby, but moving in with Lester? Everyone would know then. She didn't want to give up on Ranger, even if it seemed he had given up on her.

"Beautiful, we would only be there until we could find either a house or a two bedroom apartment somewhere else for when the baby is born. Everyone is going to find out tomorrow anyway - you're already two months along and you'll be making all those changes. Maybe while you're living at Rangeman you can work it out with Ranger? If not, then we get a place together and raise the child together."

"Lester," she paused to collect her thoughts "I will move into Rangeman with you, if Tank and Ranger agree. If they don't then I will start looking for another apartment straight away. I'm not going to give up on Ranger. I just found him and I won't let him go without a fight. Please don't take this the wrong way - I love you, but not in a relationship sort of way. If we lived together, and I would want to after the baby is born if Ranger is truly gone, we would not be a couple. No kisses or sex, just two best friends raising their child together. You'd be free to date other people and in time I might try to as well. Will that work for you?"

Lester was relieved. He wanted to do the right thing but knew it would make them both miserable and ruin their friendship. What she had spelt out sounded perfect to him.

"Yes, Beautiful. If you wanted to get married we could. But I agree with you. I love you too, like I never have loved a women before, but it's because you're my best friend. I never want to lose you and I think forcing ourselves into a relationship might destroy us. I will be a father to this child, and I couldn't ask for a better mother than you. Plus I'm too much man for one girl to handle" he winked as he said that last bit, making her smile.

"Come on sweetheart, let's get you to bed." And with that he carried her to her bed and they lay down together and slept. His arm was wrapped around her, with his hand resting on her stomach where his child grew.

Stephanie woke early, rushing to the bathroom to embrace the wonders of pregnancy. She longed for a coffee but knew caffeine was not good for the little one inside her. 'God damn it, is there anything else you want to take from me?' she bitterly thought - and then felt horribly guilty as she rubbed her hands over her still flat stomach, apologising.

"Sorry baby, I'm not so good without my coffee in the morning"

"First sign of insanity is talking to yourself" Lester said from behind her.

"Insanity this" she replied as she elbowed him in the abs and then flipped him the bird as she stomped out of the bathroom

'Oh yeah', thought Lester, 'she really doesn't do well without her coffee. This is gonna be a blast'.

Stephanie drove with Lester to Rangeman, and they headed up to seven in hopes they could talk some more with Ranger.

Ranger emerged from the shower after scrubbing himself clean. He noticed that the unnamed girl had left scratches down his back, nail marks on his abs and hickeys running down his chest to other areas.

'Shit", he thought to himself for the hundredth time. How does he get himself into these messes? That answer is Stephanie. She fried his brain. Thinking of Stephanie made his heart hurt. He had never felt guiltier in his life. Yes, she may be pregnant by another man but they were technically together and he had cheated on her, something he swore would never happen. She might be pregnant, but it had happened before they got together. He really hoped he could find some way to get her back.

Ranger was in the kitchen, towel around his waist, grabbing a bottle of water when the door to his apartment opened. He stood up quickly hoping to have time to grab something to cover his back and chest, but it was too late - in walked Stephanie and Lester. Time seemed to freeze as he heard two sharp inhales. He spun around, moving towards her, only for him to bring the bites to his chest into clearer view, and with a sob Stephanie ran from the apartment.

"FUCK" he yelled with a roar as he threw his water bottle into the wall.

"Nice going bro" came from Lester, who was trying not to judge his cousin too harshly.

"What the fuck do you want Lester?" Ranger snarled.

"We were coming to talk to you in hoped you might have calmed down. Stephanie was hoping to convince you to not give up on her. But that seems like it won't be happening. If that failed, we were going to ask you for permission to move Stephanie into my studio on four. Also, we wanted to ask you to arrange a meeting with Tank and Bobby to talk about what Stephanie can and can't do in regards to her pregnancy and working here."

Ranger just stared at his cousin as his world fell down around him. His blank mask slipped and the pain ran along his face. Lester put an arm around his cousin.

"Listen dude, we're not nor are we ever going to be together. We're close and best friends but that's it. Having said that, I want to be in the child's life. As a father preferably, but if you really want to be with her, then nothing is stopping you. If I can't be the father than there is no-one I would rather take my place then you. Maybe I can be the cool uncle or something."

"She'll never have me back now, Les. I fucked up massively and I don't think I can fix it." Ranger had left the building and Carlos was now at the reins.

As youngsters these two were close. They did everything together being just a few months apart in age. They told each other secrets that no-one else knew and turned to each other when things got hard. No-one other than his mother had ever seen Carlos cry. As teenagers they were a handful, girls and drugs their main concern, but they were still inseparable often tag teaming or sharing their partner. They were as close as ever when they joined the army, but when 'Ranger' started forming Lester was pushed away, as was every other person in his life. They were still close, brothers in arms, but not as they once were. Lester would freely admit that part of the reason he loves Stephanie is that since she came around, Ranger had allowed Lester closer. Now the man sat next to him on the couch, crying into his hands.

"What the fuck did you do bro? Why the fuck? You were angry, I get that but this was just cruel, and you're not a cruel person."

"I'm a fuck up, that's what I am. Yes I was angry but it was more at myself; I pushed her away before I left when I could have had her to come home to. Also because I'm sterile, I'll never have be able to give her a baby. So I went to a club, started drinking, which lead to dancing, with lead to women. I guess it was a blow to my ego, I can never give the women I love a child and you so easily did. I let it go to my head. Then I was dancing the women who worked my back, she offered me some sort of drug cause she could tell I wasn't focused on her. You remember how I am on drugs. The night isn't clear, there were some public acts that I'm hoping aren't going to bite me in the ass. I'm just thankful Stephanie wasn't around, I never want to hurt her and we both know how violent I am."

Shit, was all Lester could think. He could understand it. Ranger felt like less of a man, which was almost funny as he was the most masculine man he knew, and his psyche needed the female attention. Adding drugs to the mix was a stupid move. Stephanie would definitely not enjoy the man Ranger became on drugs.

"We'll work it out bro." was all he could say.

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