Here is chapter eleven. Thank you all for the reviews and messages. I appreciate them all. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter... don't worry, there is a lot more to come!

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Steph and Lester picked up some dinner and headed back to the apartment at RangeMan. It had been a long and draining day. Stephanie just wanted to sit and relax alone with Lester. Once they got into the apartment, they both relaxed on the couch with Stephanie's feet on Lester's lap while he rubbed them.

"Les, I think you and I need to talk." She had something important to tell him and she knew it was time.

"Um, am I going to like this talk or not?" He didn't want to hear her say she was leaving. He was falling in love with her and didn't want her to leave.

"It's not like that. I just need to explain some things to you. I think a lot of people have a misunderstanding of my relationship with Ranger." She knew everyone thought they were seeing each other and she never said anything different. But now, she wanted Lester to know the truth no matter how hard it will be for her to talk about.

"Steph, you don't have to explain anything. Whatever was between you and Ranger, was just that, between you two." His hands worked on her feet some more.

"I want you to know. I need for you to know and understand. I don't want any secrets between us if we are going to have a relationship. Please, just listen to me?"

Stephanie swung around on the couch so that her head was in Lester's lap. He knew that if she couldn't face him, that it was a serious talk. He put one arm around her and ran his other hand through her curls.

"Everyone thinks that Ranger and I were sleeping together. Truth is, I've only had sex with him three times. The last time was 4 months ago." She felt his hand stop for a second and then start back up. "I know everyone thinks that Ranger and I are having sex all the time, but we aren't. Yes, I was staying up on the 7th floor a lot, but that was because I felt safe there and I was scared to be at my apartment by myself." She took a deep breath knowing the next was going to be hard. "You asked me how many times Joe hit me, but you never asked when it started. The first time was seven months ago. He came to my place after work and he was drunk. He wanted sex, but I told him no. I never liked having sex with him when he was drunk. He didn't like that I had told him no. He grabbed my arms hard and was demanding that I give him sex. Once again, I told him no and to go home. He punched me the stomach before he left."

Lester tensed up, but knew if he said anything, she wouldn't continue.

"Ranger showed up later that night to ask me about doing a distraction job the next night. I got up to get something and I flinched. He knew I was in pain. I told him I had gotten hurt trying to take down a skip. That was the night he called Bobby to come check me out and you came with him. I called Joe later that night and told him we were done for good and that he was to stay away from me. I didn't want to see him or talk to him again." She lay on her back and looked up at his eyes. She could see the rage and fury in them. "Please don't be mad. I didn't want to lie to you guys, but I couldn't tell you the truth. Joe would have ended up seriously hurt and you guys would have been in jail." He nodded and linked his fingers with hers.

"The second time was 4 months ago. I got home from work and he was there. That was the first time I'd really seen him since the first time he hit me. I'd run into him at the station, but never talked to him. He had another bad day and was already drunk. Once again, he wanted sex. I told him no, that he and I were done. I went to my room to get changed. I had my shirt changed and was about to pull on some sweat pants when he walked in. He saw that "RangeMan" was on my panties. He freaked out. He got pissed that Rangers name was on my underwear. That was the night that I got slapped across the face and ended up with a fractured rib."

Tears were starting to roll down her face and Lester wiped them off with his thumb. He wanted to tell her to stop, but knew she needed to get this out.

"Ranger brought me back here. I told him it was a skip again. That night when he made a move, I didn't stop him. I thought maybe he could take away my pain. All it did was make me feel bad about myself. I knew ranger didn't do relationships." She stopped for a minute trying to gather her thoughts. "Yes, I started staying here with Ranger four or five nights a week after that. And the other nights, he stayed at my apartment. I was scared to be alone, afraid that Joe would come in the night and no one would know. I couldn't stay by myself. That was why the living arrangements changed." The tears were coming non-stop by now. "I'm sorry I lied to you, Les, but I couldn't tell anyone. I was ashamed because once again, it would somehow be my fault. My mother would make it out to be that I couldn't keep Joe happy. If I would just marry him and give him what he wanted, then I'd be a good 'Burg girl. She never understood that I didn't want what she wanted me to have. Joe is perfect in her eyes. He could do no wrong."

Lester was ready to strangle her mother. She had no idea what she had put her daughter through. He would be having a talk with her mother and soon. He pulled Stephanie up into his lap and just held her while she cried. His hands were rubbing up and down her back. He was hoping that it would not only calm her down, but help his rage as well. He really wanted to kill Morelli.

Finally, Steph calmed down and broke the silence. "I wanted a relationship with Ranger. I thought that at one point we had one. He was always kissing me, pulling me behind the bonds office, and stuff like that. A few months before I started staying here, I had asked him how he would describe our relationship. He told me that we were friends and that we could be lovers, but I'd never get a ring. I didn't want a ring. I just wanted him to be honest with me and admit that there was something, but he couldn't. He told me that he'd give me protection and that I provided him entertainment." She laid back down with her head in his lap. "After I started staying here, it seemed like things were starting to change. He seemed like he was letting down some barriers and that maybe, just maybe we could have started a relationship. Then he left for a trip to Miami for a week. Said he had business to take care of there. A week later, he came home and well, you know what happened after that."

Lester held her while he processed all that she had told him. Soon he felt her relax in his arms and he knew she had fallen asleep. He carried her off to the bedroom, laid her down and took her clothes off. He put her in one of his shirts and covered her up. He was exhausted as well, but needed to work out his anger first. He left her a note, kissed her forehead and headed for the gym.

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Stephanie woke up feeling drained and alone. She looked over and saw Lester was not in bed with her, but there was a note pinned to his pillow.

Beautiful,

If you wake up while I'm gone, don't worry. I'm in the gym. I'll see you when I get back.

Les

She reached for her phone and called the control room.

"Hey, Steph. It's Hal"

"Hi Hal, is Les still in the gym?" She wanted to make sure before she headed there.

"Yes he is."

"Thanks, bye." She hung up, got dressed and headed to the gym. She had a feeling that Lester was pissed with all that she told him. She hadn't meant to make him mad; she felt he needed to know the truth. She wanted no secrets between them.

When she walked in the gym, she froze. She saw him lifting weights. He was wearing a pair of basketball shorts hanging low on his hips and no shirt. His body glistened with sweat. She couldn't take her eyes off him. She was lost in thoughts and hadn't noticed him walking towards her. She jumped when he kissed her and he laughed.

"Hey, Beautiful. Keep staring at me like that and whoever is on monitor duty will get a show." He smiled at her when she blushed.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay after my talk earlier."

"I am glad you told me what you did. I wish you had told me the truth sooner, but I do understand why you didn't. I don't like what has happened to you, but I promise you this. It will never happen again. Not with Joe, not with Ranger, not with anyone. I won't let them or anyone else ever urt you again." He pulled her to him and held her tight. He needed her to believe him. He would protect her with all he had.

"I know." She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him lightly.

Just then Tank walked in and started to grin.

"What is up with you Big Guy?" Steph wasn't use to seeing him grin.

"Just not use to you two yet."

Lester looked at him and smiled. "Well, get use to it, Man. Have a great workout, We're heading to four. Night"

Stephanie and Lester headed to the apartment for the night. After showers, they curled up on the couch, watched a movie, and then headed to bed. Tomorrow was going to come too soon and it was probably going to be a long day.

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Who is Helaina? Find out in the next chapter :)