What a Man.

A/n yada yada not mine

A/n 2. Muchos gracias to Ms. C, K, & D~~ three awesome ladies that push, nag and question as well as SLAVE DRIVE me to death sometimes .

With the efficiency born of a military man, Carlos had Stephanie in his SUV quicker than she could almost blink and on their way to make a couple of stops. Together for the first time as a couple. Stephanie called her daddy and grandma, and they were meeting them and the Juniak's at the local coffee shop. Celebrating their news of becoming a couple and their commitment to each other by living together was indeed news.

Everyone at the coffee table meeting knew of Stephanie's values, and all knew marriage was going to happen, sooner or later. Frank already knew about Carlos from the search he and Joe Juniack did together, so meeting him was just a formality, really.

Stephanie was her own woman, albeit a busy woman but still a woman who finally found the perfect man for her, and she wasn't wasting a minute regretting her decision to have gone to that diner, 'their' diner now.

Grandma kept Stephanie informed of the Plum home life, but only if she asked, and she never did, she didn't care. She was her own woman making her own choices.

And Carlos was a man of strict morals. When given the choice of taking a bribe or to turn in the informant, he turned the person in. Rangeman might operate by helping the law and sure the skips might get banged around a little, but what did they expect?

A card and roses? They were going to jail.

The other news they had. Well, Carlos could hardly wait to tell his crew, and his Aunt Ella;

He was packing up and moving into 'their' home now. After being kissed senseless and talking it over while having a cup of coffee, they realized a few things about each other and themselves.

It didn't matter to them they had just met. Each recognized that their life partner was right in front of them from the minute they saw each other. Being busy with their jobs, they could go days with only talking on the phone if they needed to, instead of seeing each other over a cup of coffee and breakfast each morning.

But having dinner, jogging or whatever just made it even more enjoyable having the other there to share the experience with.

Both would be miserable without the other, it wouldn't matter they lived streets away, it might as well be to the moon, the distance just was too far away.

Talking on the phone would be fine during the day, but coming home to an empty house, making dates was all well and good, having a bedroom only a wall away, knowing they were in each other's space on a 24/7 basis was perfect for the moment.

Carlos called a meeting of all on site employees except for those on monitor duty, something else he never did. When they walked in together, fingers entwined together once again. Everyone knew something big was going to happen.

He took his place at the head of the table, sitting down in his chair instead of standing behind the table, he pulled Stephanie onto his lap and said the words that no one ever expected to hear from him 'I'm moving out' he told his men along with his Aunt Ella and Luis. He was moving into Stephanie's home, which was now his home. 'That very night!'

No more being alone, two floors up, without a life to call his own.

Only the occasional meals made by Ella now, when there was trouble that needed to be addressed by him personally.

They would be a couple, cooking the meals together. And while Rangeman was his to run as he saw fit, he conference called his brothers in also and told them he was making Tank, Lester and Bobby equal partners.

He had the money to quit altogether and everyone knew it, but he wanted to step away a bit and 'experience life first hand with this incredible woman by his side, not to lead her, or to follow her, but be by her side as much as possible.' Is what he told them all.

He would be working the usual 8 to 3 only, with three partners one was always around or they were a phone call away. He also promoted Hank and Hector, Ram and Cal to be seconds in command. And so on and so on. Everyone got a step up in responsibilities and higher pay grades, especially the partners in Trenton.

It worked out for the best, Jennifer and Bobby were buying a new house, Tank with his wife Nicole and their two boys were taking over the seventh floor penthouse and Lester and Melissa had become engaged, he graced her with a emerald and diamond ring just last week.

Ella celebrated and along with Stephanie and brought out the sparkling wine she had on hand for them all. Once again, it was time for business, Stephanie once again instead of looking for a chair to sit in, found a comfortable one on her man's lap.

Hector and Hank had found out the reason behind the break in. It took them about two hours to have the complete report. It was from a trustworthy source.

Someone wanted Juniak to drop out of the race, very badly. Enough to pay someone and then they would pay someone else to get some gang bangers from out of town to do the damage at the office.

Uncle Joe was called at that time, once again hearing his voice and that he was unhurt soothed Stephanie, no one was better at that than her daddy and Uncle Joe and now she had her own personal super hero as well.

And she was sitting right there on his lap.

Once again the security teams were debriefed about Stephanie and Juniak's schedule for the week. Hank and Hector would be with Stephanie, her very own personal justice league, so to speak of.

Carlos would still be in the office, doing the paperwork and working with clients and their concerns.

With Juniak would be Bobby and Woody. Now it was Ram and Cal running point on their security and schedules.

Lester and Hal would be in charge of the summer youth programs; they took half the men that Boston and Atlanta sent to set up security systems in the buildings, windows and the perimeter.

The other half of the men from Boston and Atlanta would work on the installations, and rounding up the skips with the contract workers turned full time employees.

Meeting adjourned! "Thank God!" Carlos thought. He could hardly wait to get upstairs and get his clothes, guns and whatever the hell else he needed and get to his very first 'HOME' that he ever had, ever since he was a child, he had a home now, with a woman who loved him just as fierce as he loved her.

The grin while he was packing could split his face in two pieces and it matched his babes, perfectly.

It was movie night at their new home; appropriately it was SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE.

Welcome to casa, plum-manoso.