All the usual disclaimers apply.
STEPH'S POV
We pulled out from in front of Val's and I asked the girls "What do you want to do? Would you like to go for pizza and a movie?"
Angie quietly said "Yes, please."
Mary Alice interrupter "We never get to do that anymore. Aunt Steph can we go see Tangled?"
I looked at Ranger and he nodded yes and asked "Angie, would you like to see Tangled?"
She looked up at Ranger and said "Uncle Carlos isn't it too expensive?"
Ranger looked at me and relied "No sweetie, I've made plenty of money over the years and I would really like to treat you girls."
Both girls gave him a big smile and said "Thank you Uncle Carlos."
We pulled into Pino's and Ranger got Angie down and took Lisa out of her car seat and carried her in. I noticed Angie took his hand as I got Mary Alice out and took her hand and we all walked in. The place went silent when we entered and Morelli was at the bar drunk. Luckily Mooch and his brother Tony were with him and kept him from saying anything to us. I was more concerned with the girls than anything else. They didn't need to be in the middle of it.
We walked to a table in the back family area and we settled the girls. A waitress came over with a high chair for Lisa. A few minutes later Eddie, Carl and Big Dog came in with Tank, Lester, Bobby, Cal and Hal. They walked over and sat with us after bringing over another table and more chairs. Lester started teasing the girls and they told him they were going to see Tangled after we ate. Eddie leaned over and said "Pino called and wanted to make sure you guys had back up. The Morelli boys are drunk and you have the girls."
I said "Thanks, we have the girls for the weekend so Val and Albert could get away for a few days."
He laughed "I hope Ranger is better with kids than you are. It could be pretty fun at Rangeman tonight."
Ranger interrupted the teasing after picking up Lisa who had become fussy "We'll be fine Eddie, but I can always call you if Lisa wakes in the middle of the night."
Eddie looked at Ranger holding Lisa. She of course settled right down when placed on Ranger's shoulder. "You seem like a natural but I don't know if I would trust Bombshell over here with a baby."
I hit him in the arm "I can be trusted, I watched your kids."
Eddie replied "only because no one else would."
Lester laughed and said "Hey Mommy, will you and Dad let us come to the movies with you to see Tangled?" He batted his lashes and gave me puppy dog eyes.
I began to laugh and Ranger rolled his eyes and said "Santos if you and the guys want to go see a children's movie no one is stopping you."
Lester came right back "Angie would really like for us to go as one big happy family."
I stepped in to answer this one "Fine, but you can't get up during the movie to use the bathroom and you have to buy everyone popcorn, candy, nachos and sodas. Carlos will buy the tickets."
Ranger looked at me with one eye brow raised and I said to him "We'll have plenty of bodyguards and you can use this as blackmail with your mother and the aunts."
He gave me his 200 watt smile "Good thinking Babe."
The pizzas arrived along with Ranger's salad and we had more pitchers of soda. Carlos told Tank, Bobby, Hal and Cal they could pay for dinner for everyone as long as they were coming to the movies too. We went outside and buckled the girls into the back seat and Morelli approached. He grabbed my arm and said "Nice Cupcake, playing house now with the thug and his gang. Never took your nieces out when we dated."
Carl grabbed Morelli and cuffed him saying "You're in violation of the restraining order." Carl dragged him away and Ranger came over to me to see if I was ok.
"Ranger I'm fine." I walked over to the squad car and stuck my head in and yelled at Morelli "You never took me out on a date, why would I have ever thought you'd do something nice for my nieces? Hell, you never did anything for your own nieces and nephews." I walked away before he had a chance to reply.
I walked back to the Hummer and Ranger told the guys which theater we were going to and we left. We met the guys at the ticket window and Ranger shook his head that he had to buy tickets for all of his men. "Babe you're ruining my men and my image here."
He was holding Lisa and he looked even sexier than ever before. I smiled and said "Lester, I want a large popcorn with extra butter, nachos, a large Coke and Twizzlers. Girls what do you want?"
Angie looked shyly up at Lester and said "May we have popcorn and soda too?"
Lester looked down at her and said "Sure baby girl, do you each want your own?"
Mary Alice said "Yes please Mr. Lester."
He laughed and said "We're you're uncles now too. Call me Uncle Lester and this is Uncle Tank, Uncle Bobby, Uncle Cal and Uncle Hal."
Mary Alice walked up to Cal and said "Uncle Cal, can I sit on your lap inside?"
Everyone looked shocked; I mean Cal has a flaming skull tattoo on his forehead. He leaned down to Mary Alice and took her hand "Sure, baby girl. We have to get Uncle Lester to buy us popcorn and soda first."
Off we went to the concession stand. Lester whined later to me "Beautiful that was an evil thing to do to make me buy everyone popcorn and soda."
"Les, you can afford it and you were teasing Carlos so I had to get you back. I think we should have a party in the game room on four tomorrow. You have a Wii right?"
"Yeah Beautiful, I even have Dance Dance Revolution."
Carlos walks over "Only you Santos."
Tank took the opportunity to jump in and said "We can go to Toys R Us tomorrow with the girls and get some games for them to play. I don't think they should play Call To Duty."
Carlos sighed "You're right and get some movies they will like. Ella can make junk food for them too."
I smiled as the movie started "I love you for doing this."
"I love you too Babe."
After the movie Cal carried a sleeping Mary Alice to the truck and Carlos still had Lisa. It was like they had bonded. Angie worried me she stuck to Lester and held his hand as we walked out to the car. We drove back to Haywood and Angie stuck to Lester in the elevator. Cal rode up on the next one carrying Mary Alice. The tough guy seemed to be really touched that Mary Alice wasn't scared of him. Tank, Bobby and Hal helped me carry up the girls things.
We had the sleeping bags set up when Mary Alice and Angie came out of the bathroom after washing up and brushing their teeth. We got them settled and Lisa settled in the pack and play where she would be sleeping. Ranger and I went to bed and decided it was better not to be naked and having sex in case the girls came in or woke up and freaked out because they were not at their home. About two hours later it started with the crying and the I miss my mommy. Then Lisa woke up crying. Carlos stayed calm through it all, yeah that was a surprise."Babe, why not have the girls sleep with us tonight?"
"That'll work I said." We took all three and put them in the middle and Ranger on the side closest to the door and me on the other end. We slept for the rest of the night, sort of I got kicked a few times. We woke up at 7:00 the next morning and Ranger called Ella and told her about the party on four. She brought up breakfast.
I answered the door and Ella brought us a feast. She made chocolate chip pancakes and bacon. There was yogurt and fresh fruit for Carlos and chocolate milk for the girls. After breakfast Ranger went to the gym to work out and he was going to shower down there. I got the girls into the tub and they took a bath. Ella came up to help me and we got them ready to go out. Tank took the girls to Toys R Us to get them games and movies and I stayed on five doing searches with Lisa. Carlos came into my office and said "Tank called, he spent $7500 at the store buying them video and board games, toys, movies and outfits for Lisa. He is now taking them to Barnes and Noble to buy some books and CD's"
I looked at him with my mouth hanging open "He what? Val is going to kill us."
He just smiled "Cal went with him and they split the cost. Those little girls have my men wrapped around their little fingers." Lisa had been sleeping and woke up when she heard Carlos talking. She wailed and when Carlos said "What's wrong baby?" She looked at him with tears in her eyes and said "Up." He bent down and picked her up and held her on his shoulder and she started to laugh.
I watched in amazement and said "Don't you have a meeting?"
"Yes, can you take her?" I reached for her and she started to cry. Carlos laughed "Would you like to stay with me Lisa?" She stopped crying when I moved away.
"Unreal" I said "you've even charmed the toddler."
"Babe come to my meeting with me. Les will be there and I'll tell the client she won't stop crying if I put her down."
We walked to the conference room and the client Mr. Masterson said "I didn't know you had children Mr. Manoso."
Carlos smiled and said "My daughter lives in Miami with her mother. Stephanie and I were married a couple weeks ago. This is our niece Lisa and we are watching her this weekend. She decided that she only wants me to hold her and if Stephanie tries to take her she begins to cry. I apologize but we can't have this little lady upset."
Mr. Masterson looked like a kindly grandfather and he said "Can I try to hold her? All my grandchildren are older now. I haven't held a baby in sometime." Carlos handed Lisa to him and she was fine. The meeting lasted for an hour and a half. Tank called and said he and Cal were on their way back with the other girls and they only spent $1500 in Barnes and Noble and $3750 at Limited Too on clothes. Mr. Masterson laughed when we explained how they guys took the older girls out. Mr. Masterson said "you'll have my business because you're a family oriented company." Carlos was pleased and when I tried to take Lisa she began to cry again so Carlos took her. Mr. Masterson said "don't worry Mrs. Manoso she is taken with us now, but that will change. Besides when you have your own baby they will love only you."
RANGER'S POV
What a strange day I thought as I went to four with Babe and Lisa. I got the account because of Lisa and my men went nuts buying them clothes, toys and books. The men even went to see a little girl movie. We're all getting older but I never thought they'd all want to settle down. Even Lester was into this babysitting gig. We walked into the rec room and it was decorated for a little girl party and the table was filled with food. A big cake, bowls of chips, mini subs, mozzarella sticks, French fries, onion rings and a salad were out. There was also soda and fruit punch. There was music playing and Mary Alice informed us it was Kidz Bop. They had a movie going on the TV and the girls were playing Dance Dance Revolution with Lester in the center of the room.
Tank came over and started laughing "You had all the girls in bed with you last night?" I gave him my most menacing scowl but he continued to laugh and said "Bet you'll be glad when they leave. You won't be getting any tonight either."
"Laugh now my friend, your day will come" I said.
Mary Alice took Cal over to the table and set up Candy Land and wanted to play. Hal and Bobby joined them and I watched with Steph. Babe looked at me and said "Why am I even here? None of them want me and Angie has fallen for Lester's charm, Mary Alice has decided she's in love with Cal and Lisa won't let you put her down."
"Babe you're not upset are you?"
She gave me the Burg death glare "What do you think? My nieces hate me."
Ella came over and took Lisa from me and she barely whimpered. I took Babe in my arms and whispered in her ear "Babe they love you. They have new people to play with. Don't take it as a rejection of you."
She looked at me with tears in her eyes "Val will never let them come back. The guys have spoiled them."
I shook my head. We stayed down stairs with the girls for a few hours until they started to doze off. We took them back upstairs after they kissed the men goodnight. We all got into bed and I said "Girls would you like to go to the zoo before going to dinner at your grandparents?"
"Yes, Uncle Carlos" they said in unison.
We got the girls ready after another huge breakfast from Ella of Belgian waffles and bacon. I called the Control Room and said let them know we were off-line for our trip to the zoo. We took the elevator down to the garage and had Tank, Bobby and Cal bring the girls stuff down and loaded into the Hummer. Lester and Hal were waiting and Lester said "Dad we want to go to the zoo too."
Tank came up behind me and said "Yeah Dad it'll be fun."
STEPH'S POV
Lester has a death wish. That's all I can think after the crap he's been pulling this weekend. I hope he stops after the girls leave because if not I won't stop Ranger from killing him. "Les are you serious?"
"Of course I am Beautiful. I haven't been to the zoo in years. Plus we can buy the girls candy and souvenirs"
"Guys, please don't go overboard. Val is going to kill me" I said.
Hal said "Bombshell we're having fun. Just tell her you couldn't stop us."
I signed and rolled my eyes "No Hal, you guys can tell her." I whipped out my cell phone and called my mother "Hey Mom. Make extra food Lester, Tank, Bobby, Hal and Cal will all be there for dinner. They are having fun with the girls and wouldn't want to miss dinner."
RANGER'S POV
I stood in shock as the men loaded the girls into the Hummer. "Babe, that wasn't a nice thing to do to my men. You know your granny will feel them up."
She looked at me with an innocent wide eyed smile "I never thought about that but it'll serve them right. I'm not taking all the heat from Val."
STEPH'S POV
At 5:30 we exited the zoo. The girls had a great time. The guys took turns buying them snacks, t-shirts and other junk to remember the trip. They were going home with three times the stuff they came to us with. We drove to my parent's house with only Lisa in the Hummer. Mary Alice wanted to ride with Cal and Angie wanted to ride with Lester and Bobby. We pulled up in three black SUV's to find Val, Mom and Grandma Mazur on the front porch. The girls ran to their mother and started telling her about their weekend while Ranger got Lisa out of her car seat. The men slowly walked up to the house and followed me in. Luckily Grandma Mazur was consumed with hearing the girl's story so none of the men were groped.
Angie said "Mommy, Aunt Steph and Uncle Carlos took us out for pizza and a movie, they had a party for us and then took us to the zoo. Uncle Carlos's men bought us a whole bunch of stuff too. We had so much fun."
Mary Alice, who never acted like a horse all weekend, took over "Mommy Uncle Cal said he would teach me how to swim if you will let him."
Val looked over at Cal, how could she forget him when he fainted at Lisa's birth. "You said that Uncle Cal?"
"Yes Mrs. Kloughn, if you don't mind. We have a pool at Rangeman." Cal politely replied.
"As long as you don't mind and it's ok with you Carlos I don't have a problem with it" Val said.
My mother stuck her nose in "What did you do to them Stephanie?"
I looked at her "What do you mean?"
"Mary Alice hasn't whinnied at all. They are both excited and happy. I don't think I've seen them this happy since moving to Trenton" my mother said.
"I didn't do anything. The guys took over and went crazy. They spent over $10,000 yesterday on the girls and no one asked them to. I mean Carlos gave Tank his credit card to buy some games and movies but they refused it and spent their own money. I think they like being treated like people and not criminals" I said.
My father had led the men around to the back of the house where he had set up tables from the Elks Club so we could all sit comfortable for dinner. Albert was back there already. The girls skipped out the back door to join them. Val came over to me and was crying "Thank you Steph. The girls had a great time and love the men. I hope I do too when I start tomorrow. I can't thank them enough and I'm sorry the slept with you guys both nights."
I smiled "Val it's not a big deal and Lisa got Carlos a new account because she wouldn't let me hold her so he brought her to his meeting. The client held her and loved it. The guys are tough but good men. The girls took to them and they spent a fortune on them. I'm sorry about that. I couldn't stop them. We'll have to follow you home and help unload."
We went outside and sat down and had a nice dinner. Albert kept thanking Ranger for the use of beach house and the job for Val. Lisa wouldn't let anyone hold her but Ranger. My mother said "When are you going to have a baby Stephanie?"
Carlos smiled and I was doing my impression of a fish. Carlos said "Not right now Helen. We have to get Morelli under control so Stephanie won't get hurt." He went on to explain the issues with Joe and my father wasn't happy. He said "Carlos he won't stop. The psych eval is probably the best way to go."
Carlos said "I know, he was arrested Friday by Costanza for violation of the restraining order when he grabbed Stephanie. We've tried to be reasonable and didn't ask him to leave Pino's but next time we will."
After dessert the guys followed us to Val's and we unloaded the girls things and they carried them in. Tank took out a brand new Wii and hooked it up to the TV in the living room and told Val "No price for what we do for our own. You and the girls are part of our family now." She began to cry again and hugged everyone and Albert took Lisa up to bed.
We drove home and I asked "Carlos do you want more children?"
He took my hand and placed it on his thigh and began rubbing it with his thumb. "Babe I never wanted more children until I realized how much I love you. I only wanted more with you. If you don't want to have any children we can spoil the girls and Julie."
I looked at my gorgeous husband who looked even sexier holding a baby and saw the love in his eyes "Carlos I'd like to have a couple of children but only with you. I'd like to start trying now before I get my next shot."
"Sounds good to me Babe, have the doctor give you a complete check up and we can start trying."
We arrived at Haywood and went upstairs to practice before my next appointment in two weeks.
