Disclaimer: JE owns the characters.

A/N: I know that I said that I was going to take a couple of days off. It turns out that I can't when I'm at home on my days off from work. I also think that I didn't clarify myself very well in my A/N that I posted Monday night. I hadn't recieved just one bad review on this story. I've actually recieved several. It just so happens that this reveiw hit me very badly and during a PMS mood swing. On top of that, I also have a cold. This just hasn't been my week. Please except my deepest, heart felt appologies. I'm an ass and I'm sorry. Please feel free to rake me over the coals for it.

As I dodged low to avoid Tank's left hook, I dropped down on my knee and held up my hand. Tank stopped mid swing and dropped his arm. Scrambling to my feet, I pulled Tank's shirt up just as Binkie got to my side. I grabbed the towel out of his hand and pressed it to Tank's exposed rib.

"Tank?"

"I'm good, Steph," Tank said with a cough.

"You're not good, Tank. You have a rib sticking out of your chest. Ribs aren't suppose to do that," I said as I pressed on his side, trying to stem the flow of blood.

"What do you think, Binkie?" Tank asked.

"I think that you need a hospital. I can't fix you this time, Tank."

"Then let's go to the hospital," Tank said with a sigh. He really hated hospitals.

"I'm really sorry, Tank," I whispered.

"It's okay, Steph. I'll be fine," Tank whispered back to me as he gave me a reassuring smile.

Lester and Ram got Tank through the ropes while Binkie held the towel to Tank's ribs. I felt bad that I had injured a Merry Man. Tank was a good friend. He'd seen me at my worst and had never said a word. He's even taken a couple of bullets when he's been around me. The man is a force to be reckoned with and I keep on getting him hurt. I should be banned from being any where near a Merry Man.

"It's not your fault," Hal said as he stood next to me in the ring. "Tank saw what you did to me and Cal. He had to of known that he wouldn't have walked out of the ring unharmed."

"Hal," I said as I turned to look at him. "Look at me. I'm a twig compared to you guys."

"Yeah," Hal nodded in agreement. "But, it's not your size that matters. That coach who taught you how to box, really knew what he was doing. He taught you all of the basics and where to hit for damage."

"I still don't know if any of this will help me tomorrow night."

"I can teach you some simple disarming moves."

"That would be great, Hal."

"Then we can brush up on normal self defense moves."

The gym had emptied out and it was just Hal and I for the next hour. He taught me several ways to disarm someone with a weapon. Then he taught me how to get out of several basic holds. Hal was very patient with me the whole time.

We were sitting on the mats next to the boxing ring when I saw something in Hal's eyes. I couldn't place the look. It had disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. He simply smiled down at me.

"What's on your mind, Hal?" I asked after I took a drink out of the water bottle that he had given me.

"Ranger didn't deserve to get yelled at earlier."

"I just got frustrated with him," I said as I shook my head.

"You know that he loves you."

"Yeah. In his own way."

"No, Steph. He loves you the way that a man is suppose to love a woman."

"You've got it all wrong, Hal. Ranger doesn't come with a ring. He comes with a condom and no strings," I said as I sunk my head into my hands. "He doesn't love me the way that I need him to love me."

"He wants what's best for you."

"He wants me to be with someone who can't be faithful?"

"What are you talking about?" Hal asked.

"To say that RangeMan prides itself for being in the know, you guys can be so clueless," I said as I looked up at Hal. He did look clueless. "You really don't know?"

"Know what, Steph?" Hal asked.

"That Joe has been fucking Terry," I said calmly.

The look of shock that was on Hal's face confirmed my idea that Joe was covering his tracks very well. I had seen Joe's 4-Runner parked next to Terry's Mercedes outside a motel on the west side of Trenton. Lula and I had staked out the motel and finally saw them come out of the same room together holding hands. I watched through my windshield, in complete horror, as Joe kissed her before she got into her car. It wasn't a friendly peck either. All this time he had told me that they were just working on a case.

"That can't be right."

"Hal," I said as I stood up. "I watched him kiss her outside of a motel room that they both walked out of. He's been screwing her."

"Wow," Hal said as he stood up. "When did you find out?"

"The morning that my apartment blew up."

"I had no clue, Steph. I really don't think that Ranger would have sent you back to Morelli if he had known that."

"That's not the point, Hal. Ranger got what he wanted and then sent me on my merry way. He had his chance and blew it. I'll be forever grateful for the things that he's done for me, he's spent a lot of money protecting me. I owe him my life and I thank God every for day that he's in my life. There isn't a doubt in my mind that he is the reason that I get to wake up every morning."

"We've all protected you, Steph."

"But he's the only one that has killed to protect me."

"If you love him, then you owe him the chance to prove that he loves you."

"I already know that he loves me. He's already proved that," I said quietly as a tear ran down my cheek. "He broke my heart, Hal."

"He never meant to."

"He did, though. We made love to each other and then he shut me out. He told me to go back to Joe. No one will ever understand what that did to me. He'll never understand," I whispered.

"You can fix this."

"I can try to fix our friendship. That's all that I can offer Ranger right now. You know that."

"I know that you and Lester have a thing going on. I'm not going to say that I like it, but I won't stop you from looking for someone that makes you happy. Just don't forget about Ranger."

"I won't," I said as I turned to make my way to the elevator.

I froze when I saw Ranger leaning against the wall. How long had he been standing there? He had a pained look on his face. I watched Hal walk over to the stairwell and walk out. Deserter!

"I really didn't know about Joe and Terry," Ranger finally said after we stared at each other for a minute.

"I'm sure that you didn't," I replied. "He's been sneaking around for a while. I have to give him a little credit. I probably never would have know if I hadn't been at the right place at the right time."

"I'm sorry that I hurt you," Ranger said quietly after another long moment of silent staring.

"I know that," I said as I started walking over to him. "You pushed me away to protect both of us."

"Maybe."

"If you really wanted me to be happy, then why did you tell me to go back to Joe?"

"I thought that he would be able to make you happy," he said, looking a little sheepish.

"Didn't you ever think that you could have made me happy?" I asked as I stood in front of him. I kept my eyes locked on his as I waited for his answer.

"I can't keep you safe."

"You didn't answer me question, Ranger."

"I know that I can make you happy."

"But you were more concerned about my safety?" I asked.

"My life is dangerous, Babe."

"I know that. I've always know that. The only time that your dangerous life has ever interfered with mine was with Scrogg. And you couldn't have predicted that one. I attract the crazies on my own."

"I know, Babe," Ranger said with a half smile.

"I think that you're hiding."

"Hiding?" Ranger asked with a frown.

"Batman can't commit."

"I'm not Batman, Babe."

"Sure you are. Ranger is Batman and Carlos is Bruce Wayne."

"You're killing me, Babe," Ranger said with another half smile.

"I think that we should stick to doing what we do best."

"What's that?"

"Being friends."

"I'd like that, Babe," Ranger said as he threw an arm around my shoulder and guided me into the elevator. "Tank's going to be just fine. Lula might kick your ass, though."

"She'll have to find me first," I said.

"I can only keep you locked up for so long before people start asking questions."

"I guess you're right. Plus, I have a date tomorrow night," I said as I smiled at Ranger when we walked out of the elevator on the fifth floor.

"I never would have thought that we'd have a problem with Sugar."

"I completely forgot about Sugar. You aren't going to try to lock my up in your bathroom are you?" I asked as I eyed him.

"No. Lester would just bust you out anyway. You've already got the poor kid wrapped around your finger," Ranger said with a light laugh as he led me into the control room.

Ranger pushed me down in a chair next to Ram. Ram turned my chair so that I was looking at the screens. I looked over my shoulder just in time to see Ranger walk out the door.

"He could have at least let me take a shower," I said as I leaned back in the chair.

"I love the smell of a sweaty woman," Ram said with a crooked smile as he stared at the screens. "You and Ranger okay?"

"Yeah. I would have liked to have gotten him into the ring first, though. Kicking his ass would have been more therapeutic for me."

Ram chuckled and threw his arm around my shoulders. He gave me a half hug and then released me. After all, being too close to me can put a Merry Man in the hospital. Cal once told me that he had volunteered for 'Stephanie Duty' because he needed a vacation. He thought for sure that one day of bounty hunting with me would have him laid up for a while.

"Next time you need to do some therapeutic ass kicking," Ram whispered in my ear, "Give me a call."

I felt my face burn from a combination of embarrassment and Ram's breath. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye. He had a huge grin on his face. I took my left hand and did a playful upper cut to his chin. He laughed as he went back to watching the screens. Ten minutes later, I was out like a light.