"New Neighbor"

Chapter 11

JE owns everything, except the OC. Ashley is all mine. Now, if she wants to give me Ranger and a few MM... I would be more than happy to take them!

Thanks Rainbow for all your help!

The Ashley HEA poll results are all over the place. Too funny! Y'all don't know what you want. hehehe

Thank you for reading!

A/N: Character's thoughts are in Italic

Previously...

"Oh. Keep that up and I'll do anything you want."

"I'll remember that." He promised.

...

"Hey Rangeman."

"Yo."

"How's Steph?"

"Good. She is excited about your big day. She's been shopping for a maid of honor dress for weeks. She's already bought four. I have to watch her put on a fashion show each time she gets one. At least she is not dragging me to the dress shop."

"Glad to see someone is excited about the wedding." Tank grumbled.

"What's going on, Big Guy.?" Ranger asked concerned.

Tank did not realize he had said that out loud. I guess Steph's habit rubbed off on me. "Nothing."

"Don't make me fly down there and kick your ass." He threatened.

Tank chuckled. "Go ahead. I'll be waiting for you on the mats."

"Really, Tank. What's up? Please tell me I don't have to tell Steph she can't wear her dress."

"I'm not that stupid. She have both our asses." Tank paused.

Can I really talk to Ranger about this?

If he was here, he would punch me for being too girlie.

He laughed.

But he does know how much she means to me...

He sighed. "Ashley is hesitate to set a date. Hell, she hasn't even made any plans! Well, besides Steph as the Maid of Honor, and I think Steph made that decision."

"She probably did." He shook his head.

"I thought girls were supposed to love this kind of shit." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I even tried to make it easy on her. I don't care about that wedding bullshit. I told her we can go to the JP."

"Do you think she is getting cold feet?" Ranger paused. "Fuck" he mumbled into the phone.

Tank suspected Steph must have walked in. Yup He overheard their conversation:

"Who is getting cold feet?"

"No one. It's fine, Babe."

"Is that Tank on the phone? Do I need to kick his ass? You better tell him I will kick his ass! I am wearing my dress. Oh! By the way, wait till you see this one. I think it is a little too sexy for a wedding, but I didn't think you would mind. Oh! I got these to wear under it."

Tank heard the phone drop, then it got quiet for a moment. He laughed to himself.

Those two are still all over each other after all these years.

Ranger cleared his throat."Sorry about that. What were we talking about?"

Tank chuckled. "Nothing. I was just going to let you know everything is a go for the construction to begin on the new office next week."

"Good to hear. Ahead of schedule."

"Yea, Woody has been putting a it of overtime in to make it happen."

That got Ranger's interest. "Woody, huh? I didn't realize he was heading that project."

Tank knew Ranger was baiting him. "He wasn't."

Ranger edged him on. "So, on top of all his other duties, he took it upon himself to help with yours? So, why is he kissing your ass?"

Baited and hooked me.

Oh hell.

"He might be trying to get in my good graces after I kicked his ass, again."

That, and he has to fill his time somehow since I won't let him around my Angel anymore.

"Has he become a problem?" Ranger asked in a serious tone.

"Nothing I can't handle."

"Do I need to come down and handle this?"

"No man. I got this. Besides, you don't like to get involved with relationship crap."

Ranger was concerned. He had his suspicions about Woody and Ashley's friendship before. On the few times he saw them together, he felt like there was more there. "Is he poaching?"

Tank had considered that. "If he was, he would be in a box now being shipped to some third world country. No, I think he is being more of an opportunist." He thought about that, and decided that it fit. That's exactly what the bastard is doing! "Hell, she doesn't even know she is playing right into it."

Tank explained to Ranger about "the closet incident". He slammed his fist on his desk when he went on the tell him about "the bedroom incident".

"He's alive?" Ranger was in disbelief. He would have killed the man if he caught him with Steph like that. No, killing him would be too easy on him.

"Barely." Tank shook his head. "Ashley and I are straight about it now, and the chicken shit has figured out to stay away from her. But..."

Ranger waited.

"She still won't set a date. I told her I wanted to marry her this week."

"This week?"

"Well, the sooner the better. I am hoping before Christmas."

Ranger ended their conversation asking questions about the new office. He heard the anxiety in Tank's voice, and was angry for him.

Don't worry, brother.

I got your back.

…...

Ashley walked in the house that night to hear soft music playing.

"Tank?"

"In the kitchen." He answered.

"She made her way to his voice, and found that he had lit candles throughout the living room and dining room. On the table he had placed a beautiful bouquet of red roses.

Tank wiped his hands dry on a dish towel and went to her. She was standing by the table with her hand over her mouth. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Do you like it?" He nuzzled her neck.

She nodded. "I love it. It's so romantic." She turned in his arms and kissed him. The kiss's intensity grew until the kitchen timer dinged.

"I have to check on dinner." He gave her a light kiss. "Go sit down and I will bring you a glass of wine." He nudged her toward the table.

Ashley sat down and took the whole scene in. "This is beautiful. Just perfect."

Tank returned and handed her a glass of wine, and she thanked him with a kiss. "Is it my birthday and I forgot?" She joked.

"No. I'm just a great guy who likes to spoil his woman." He teased.

"I totally agree!" She pulled him to her for another kiss.

He reluctantly pulled away. "Later." He waggled his eyebrows at her. He laughed at disappointed sigh.

They were very flirty throughout dinner. He would hold her hand rubbing circles on it with his thumb. She would run her foot up and down his leg. After her second glass of wine, Ashley got up from the table. "I am ready for dessert." She said playfully, and straddled him in his chair.

He laughed and kissed her lips. When she tried to deepen the kiss, he stopped her. She pouted, and he laughed. "Don't give me that face, Angel. I'll give you dessert. I want to talk to you first."

She slumped her shoulders in disappointment. "Fine. You talk and I'll kiss." She began to kiss up his neck.

"It's about the wedding." He stated.

She stopped kissing. "Um... what about?" She kept her head still nuzzled into his neck.

"I want to get married, Ashley."

She smiled. "So do I silly."

"Soon. I want to set a date. Make plans. Hell, Steph has done more planning for the wedding than you."

She could hear the edge of aggravation in his voice. She took a deep breath. "I didn't know we were in a rush." She smiled trying to lighten the mood.

"I am. I know what I want. It's you as my wife. Do you know what you want?" He didn't want to know the answer if it was no.

"I want you."

He sighed in relief.

She touched his face. "I want you. I want to marry you. I am just scared. It seems like we rushed our entire relationship. There is still so much we don't know about one another." She bit her bottom lip in a worried gesture.

"We have forever to learn everything about each other, and I want to do it with you as my wife."

He looked her in the eyes, searching for her understanding. "I want what my brothers have."

She titled her head in confusion.

He gave her a small smile. "I want to go to my mom's big family dinners with our own little family. I want to show off my beautiful wife and children." His smile grew at the thought.

Her eyes widened and she stammered. "Ch...Children?"

"Yes." He kissed her lightly on the lips. "Just think, Angel. Next Thanksgiving we will be bringing our son or daughter with us when we visit. This Christmas will be our first as husband and wife, but next year will be our child's first." He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

This is too fast!

He's planned out are whole lives!

Breath, Ashley.

"Um... I guess we never talked about... kids."

"I guess not, but we will have fun making them." He kissed her lips. "We can start practicing now." He started kissing her neck.

I should have thought of that before!

If I had gotten her pregnant, we would be married already.

He slipped a hand under her shirt.

Ashley's breaths started to increase. "Hmm..." He sucked on her earlobe, while caressing her breast. A moan escaped her lips.

I got her. "Say yes, Angel." He moved his hand down between her legs. She moaned again, and began to squirm. "Too late to marry me before Thanksgiving." He bit down softly on her ear. He heard her breath catch. "Marry me next week?"

Did he say something? She threw her head back in pleasure. "Hmm..."

"See? We can go practice right now." He kissed her lips. "Say yes." He said with his lips still against hers.

Practice?

What was he saying?

I can't think when he kisses me.

"Hmm... what?"

He chuckled softly. "I said..." He gave her a kiss. "Let's go make a baby..." He sucked on her bottom lip. "and marry me next week."

Ashley's eyes shot open. A baby! "Tank." She put her hands on his chest. "Stop, please. I can't think when you do that."

He took her hand in his and laid it in her lap. He sighed. "What's there to think about, Ashley? Don't you want to have my baby." He slumped his shoulders.

I'm hurting him. She tilted his chin up and looked him in the eye. "Of course I do." She said with determination. He gave her a small smile in return. "I am just not ready to have kids now."

He shook his head slightly. "Why?"

"I love our life the way it is. I love my job and my volunteer work. I am not ready to give that up."

He furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Tank, if I get pregnant I have to stop working. I am exposed to illness and disease every day on the ambulance, not to mention being shot at or punched by a drunk. I won't put our baby through that. Hell, I won't be able to lift the stretcher after awhile. I would definitely have to stop all my shifts volunteering as a firefighter. Think of all the smoke I breath in."

I never thought of all that. "You don't need to worry about working. I have more then enough money to take care of you and all are children." He smiled at her.

All our children? "But I like my job."

"If you really want to work, we came come up with something. Hell, you can come work for Rangeman. You could bandage the guys up and teach CPR classes or something." He gave her a hopeful smile.

It's not just a job to me. It's part of who I am. She looked into his pleading eyes.

"I love you, Angel." He whispered to her.

She took a shaky breath. I'm hurting him. He needs this. "Two weeks."

He looked at her with confusion.

"I love you, Tank, but I need at least two weeks to plan. I need to go dress shopping, and …."

He cut her off with a kiss. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "Let's go make a baby."

...

Thanks for reading!