Big thanks to Susan, and all that is not up to par, is sadly mine. :D

Chapter 11

Having cleared the air between them in a way satisfying to both, Ranger and Hawk talked for a while about how Hawk would like to handle the divorce and other business in his office before Ranger invited Hawk to the building. He led him throughout and Hawk was impressed with all the amenities he had provided for his employees. The last stop was the lunchroom, and gathered in there were Lester, Tank and Ella.

Ella was RangeMan's housekeeper; she was about 45, and still a very attractive woman. Her husband, Louis Guzman had passed four years back and left her a widow without children. Ranger hired her when she applied for the job, she loved her 'boys' as she called the RangeMan men and gave them the best care she could possibly give them.

"You know Tank, but have you been introduced to Lester Santos and Ella Guzman?" Ranger asked Hawk with an uncharacteristic smile that showed his relief for the positive outcome of his talk with him.

"Ella Romero? Is that you?" Hawk asked astonished to find an old friend at RangeMan.

"Yes I am! Chayton Taylor, how are you?" Ella breathed smiling widely. As long as Ranger had known Ella, he had never seen her being that familiar and girlishly enthusiastic before to anyone.

"How's your big brother Silvestre, Ella? Man it has to be twenty years since I saw you last." Hawk beamed, very pleased to meet her again. Having met her as the sister of an army friend years ago, she and his late wife had been instant friends. It was bound to bring back many memories of past times. Some extremely painful but most others filled with congenial recollections.

"He's good; he and his family live in Texas now. He moved to Texas when he met his wife there and they have two children." She related excitedly. "And you Chayton? Did you ever remarry?" Ella asked the latter on a more sedate note, almost as if she expected him to say no.

Hawk stilled a moment gathering his thoughts and said. "Yes I did, but we have been separated for a few months. We are in the midst of an amiable divorce procedure right now. Stephanie moved from Newark to Trenton a few weeks ago with Rick our son. She will have custody of Rick and they will stay in Trenton. She is my partner Luca Mazur's niece and we still are the best of friends and I will make sure we stay that way." He smiled contently.

Tank gave Ranger a meaningful look while Lester was mystified why any man would let a woman like Mrs. Taylor go. Ranger was pleased to hear Hawk say the words they had spoken of during their conversation; it made it all more real. He still had a sense of detachment from reality. A few days back, he had no idea of being a father or that he would ever meet his Babe again. Nevertheless, they did and it was all real, and he was glad Stephanie's divorce was in the open now; Lester Santos, the gossip that he was would make sure of that, he thought.

Hawk realized when Ella asked if he had remarried, it was time to begin telling outsiders that they were would make it easier for Stephanie to come out with her beginning relationship with Ranger. Seeing his old friend's sister again brought home many memories about his first and most beloved wife, Una, memories that had finally receded to the back of his mind.

"Oh, I am so sorry for you Chayton, but glad you and Stephanie can still stay friends." Ella stated sincerely.

"Yeah me too, and you Ella, are you still married to Louis?" Hawk inquired unperturbed.

"No Louis died four years ago, you know how he liked his motorbike, he skidded on some oil, and … it involved a bus…he died instantly when they collided. He was a good man; I still miss him every day." She told him sadly.

Hawk gave her a sympathetic smile. "Yes I remember how much he enjoyed his motorcycle. Nobody should have to go through that, but it happens all too often. I am sorry for your loss dear."

She gave him a grateful little smile and said while breathing deep, "we are talking a lot but have you met Lester Santos? Ranger was trying to introduce him before we went off."

"No indeed, Mr. Santos, a pleasure to meet you. Stephanie told me about how you two met." He said with a wicked smile.

Lester's eyes widened and exclaimed, "Oh shit."

Hawk deadpanned, "that's what she said." Then he started laughing aloud, which made the others laugh heartily too.

/

That night when Hawk went to bed he couldn't sleep, memories of his beloved wife Una kept him awake. The sleepless nights filled with desperation had not happened in a long time. His hopelessness had left him for the most part after he had married Stephanie, he could only think that now that his life was unsettled again, these memories came up once more. He had felt his life was over when Una was torn away from him one deceptively beautiful afternoon in the fifth year of their marriage. She had been five months pregnant when she lost her grip on the stairs in their home and had fallen in a most unfortunate way. She had been alive but unresponsive when he found her, but she passed away the next day, taking their child with her. After that horrible day, life had never been the same. He had known her all his life, growing up together as neighbors he could remember the moment he knew he loved her beyond all else. He had been about ten years old and she five when she came up to him with a bunch of haphazardly picked wild flowers, "I want these flowers when we marry." she had said with such earnest on her beautiful little face, that he could only concur with her statement. "They are beautiful," he had replied and he had given her a bouquet of wild flowers the day they married. His only consolation was that they had lived a life of bliss for the few short years they had had together, there hadn't been any discord or struggle to get to know each other. Their union had been one of passion, harmony, and contentment.

The harmony and contentment he had found again with Stephanie and Rick, but the passion had left his life with Una. He had had regular sexual encounters during his marriage with Stephanie, but with a trusted friend, he had visited before his marriage to Stephanie. He suspected she knew but they had never talk about it. Stephanie was a beautiful woman but so young when they married, even if they had wanted such a relationship, he couldn't. He saw her as his daughter, a friend; it would have been sinful in his eyes to consummate their marriage. For that reason, he had given her leave to find a discrete partner to release her sexual tension as he did, but she wouldn't hear of it. That had made him feel somewhat guilty which became stronger as time went on. He knew she had to be yearning for intimacy because she was a passionate person. Now having found her first and only real lover he was grateful he had had all those years with her and Rick. Having found his peace again, he found he was smiling at the memory of Ella, he had asked her to dinner next week to catch up, and he was looking forward to do so.

/

"Mom, Manuel called and asked if he could come and play with me next Saturday? His mom and great grandmother want to shop in Trenton, he said, and he doesn't want to go with them." Stephanie almost laughed at the cliché, no of course he would not want to go shopping, what man did? She had liked the old woman who took care of Manuel when his mother was working. The first time she had collected Rick at her house after a play date she had seen her look at Rick with much affection and that look did not diminish over time, even Carla had commented at her fondness of Rick. For some reason she had never met Manuel's mother, she suspected she had to work after her divorce, and left her son in the care of her grandmother when she was working, they might even live there. Her knowledge did not go any fartherthan what Rick had told her, did that make her a bad mother? She knew the security guys would seek information about where Rick would go and play, but strangely her curiosity left her when it became the private life of Rick's playmates and parents. Since meeting Mrs. Plum again, she had those alarming thoughts of not being a good enough of a parent to her son more often, but tried to put them out of her mind. She was nothing like her mother.

"Of course he can come; maybe we can havea pool party. We can cook out on the BBQ. What do you think Rick?" Knowing he would not want any meat, she waited for him to complain.

He surprised her though, "I don't care as long as you make me something else. Manuel likes hamburgers."

"Oh, of course I will." She said, taken back at his reply. However, before she could ask him what made him so agreeable, Carla barreled into the living room.

"Did you ask already Steph?" She whined.

Stephanie let out a huge sigh, "No I didn't."

"You could do it now." Carla said with great enthusiasm. "He has called you four times already today so you could return his call and ask him. You know how fragile men's ego's are, he needs encouragement."

"I can see you haven't met him yet, there is nothing fragile about him or his ego. I rather think its better not to feed his ego too much." Steph replied.

"Oh do it for me, I want to see that vision of testosterone you described to me. Plus we have to find a place to spar anyway, pleazzzz, do it for me. I need my fix." Carla nagged.

"What is testoteroon?" Rick asked curiously. Obviously, they had forgotten he was there too.

"Uh, nothing honey, why don't you call Manuel back to tell him it's Okay for him to come. Maybe he can spend the night?" Stephanie said to distract him. With that, Rick left to call his best friend.

"What is testoteroon, Mommy?" Carla asked in a little girl's voice.

"Oh shut up, you are a bad influence." Steph said with a wicked smile. "I'll call him now; see if he agrees to have two women loose in his testosterone filled building as you call it so eloquently."

She pressed number two on her speed dial, "Yo." Ranger answered with a smile in his voice.

"Yo, yourself." She grinned at his bad phone manners.

"Babe, I was just about to call you." Ranger said.

Before she thought about what would come out of her mouth she replied abruptly. "Again?"

Silence answered her.

"Carlos?"

"Yes Mrs. Taylor, what can I do for you?" He said business like, a touch of hurt detectable in his voice.

Oh god what had she done now, she hadn't meant it like it came out, but why is he so put out? She looked helplessly at Carla, turned, and left her to go her study for some privacy.

When she closed the door behind her, she asked hesitantly, "Carlos what did I say to make you act so cold?"

"Nothing, so what can I do for you." He asked harshly and when she didn't answer right away he continued. "You must have a good reason to call me."

Her stomach twisted uncomfortably at the tone of his voice. What had she said wrong? Not knowing what to say or do, she thought it best to let him cool off a bit before they spoke again, she said in a unsure and soft voice. "No just leave it. I'll call you tomorrow. Bye Carlos." Then, the bastard just hung up. He could not even say goodbye? She knew she did not know much about relationships but this was not going as she had expected it to go. Okay she might have been a bit abrupt but it was not ill intended, was he offended? Did he think she meant that he called too much? She felt a sudden anger rise, how dare he hang up on her. How dare he treat her as he did, shutting her out as if she was nothing to him.

"Carla I will be gone for a while, will you tell Rick I left for me please. I have to take care of something that came up." One look at Stephanie's face told Carla that she was agitated and not to be reasoned with at that moment. So she nodded and felt guilty she had somewhat forced her to call Carlos for her enjoyment. "Of course I will, be careful Stephanie I don't know what was said but try not to overreact. You know you both are new at relationships don't do anything rash, please."

"I won't." she answered tersely. She went to her bedroom to change clothes, she put on jeans, t-shirt, and work-boots, added an extra layer of mascara, and was ready to go and kick some ass.

Thank you for reading and please let me know what you think by reviewing. :D