Family Ties
Chapter 11
Ranger was chuckling a little and shaking his head as we got into the SUV. I was smiling, glad Jack and Pat had managed to get him to unwind a bit.
The silence between us was comfortable, peaceful even. Ranger waited until we were on the highway to break it. "Babe?" I almost jumped, startled. "You were going to tell me a story?"
I grinned at him. "Was I?"
He grinned back. "You don't have to, I'm just curious. Tank said he'd trust you to watch his back. That brings the total people he's said that about to five. It's not a thing he'd say lightly."
I shrugged. "I've been training with Tank and the boys some."
He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? How did that happen?"
I sighed. "It started when I started running. I wanted to exhaust myself, but I was afraid to go out alone..." I trailed off.
Ranger took my hand. "You don't have to talk about this if you don't want to."
I smiled and squeezed his hand. "No, it's okay. Anyway, I started carrying my gun with me when I ran, but it was very uncomfortable. I finally bought a shoulder holster."
Ranger kept silent, letting me find the words. I hadn't really let myself think about those dark days, even while I was living them. There was something almost...cathartic about sharing them with Ranger.
"So one night, maybe a week or so after the Slayers, I'm running, and a black Bronco pulls up beside me."
"Tank." Not really a question, but I nod anyway.
"Yeah. He asks if I want a ride, and I just shake my head and keep going. Then he asks if I'm okay, and I nod and keep going. I get to the corner, and he's waiting for me. He tosses the keys to whoever he was riding with, and falls into step behind me."
"What did he say?" Ranger asked.
"Not a word. By the time we get back to my apartment, the Bronco is waiting in the lot. He gets in and takes off. The next night, as I'm leaving my apartment, there he is, waiting. Follows me on the run, then leaves without a word. The fourth or fifth night, Bobby is waiting for me in the lot. I look at him, and he tells me Tank had a takedown. Bobby again for a couple of nights, then Lester for two or three nights."
"And none of them said a word, even Lester?"
"Not then. And I appreciated it. I didn't want to think, much less talk. They were just a silent, comforting presence behind me."
"How long did this go on?"
"A little over a week, I guess. Then one night as we get back to the lot, Tank says he'd like to take me to the range in the morning, and to call him when I get up."
"And you did?"
I smiled a little. "I know, surprised me too. When we got to the range, Lester and Bobby were there waiting for us. Made me nervous at first, but they were all helpful. They made me shoot several different guns. We were there until I could barely hold my arms up anymore."
"And then?"
I smiled, remembering. I had really missed Ranger that day, but was touched by the guys' obvious concern. "Tank said I'd feel like less of a victim if I knew I could protect myself, and that they'd like to help. I took them up on it."
He smiled, shaking his head. "Wonders never cease. So what did they have you doing?"
"At first it was just range time every morning, and the run every night. Then Bobby came over with some dumbbells, and a simple program for me to follow every afternoon. Eventually, we started cutting down on the range time, and replacing it with other things."
"Like?"
"Driving practice, submission holds, stuff like that."
"You said the Glock was a present from Tank?"
I smiled. "Yeah. He'd had me borrow one for practice, and it suited me. He set up a shooting challenge, and if I passed, I got one of my own. Lester's challenge was an obstacle course, I got the shoulder holster for that one."
"And Bobby's?"
"I had to disarm him. Took me a bunch of tries."
"What was the prize?"
"This holster," I indicated the small of my back, "and a thousand hours of range time."
"I'm surprised Bobby hasn't wanted to teach you knife fighting."
"Not yet, probably next month. We've been focusing on me being able to defend myself against someone else with a knife."
He nodded. "Makes sense. Wait a minute... You disarmed Bobby, who was armed with a knife?"
I grinned. "Yeah."
He shook his head. "I'm impressed."
I laughed out loud. "So was he, actually."
"How did you find time to go to work during all this?"
I looked out the window and shrugged. "There's lots of time when you're not sleeping." Ranger squeezed my hand. "Besides, it really didn't take up that much time. An hour or two very early in the morning, and another hour late at night. There was plenty of time to work in between."
"And you were okay to go back to work?"
I shook my head a little. "Not really, but Tank planned for that too."
"How?"
"He decided I needed a partner until I was sure of myself, and assigned himself."
"And you went along with it?"
"Not at first."
"How did he get you to agree?"
"We eventually worked out a deal. With you away, he was picking up your skips for Vinnie. We worked my skips in the morning, and his in the afternoon, unless either of us had one with a time constraint."
"You and Tank were working my skips together?" I nodded. "I didn't do a very good job, did I?"
I looked at him, confused. "What are you talking about?"
"I was supposed to be your Henry Higgins. If I had done the job right, you wouldn't have needed to train with the guys, and would have been ready for higher level skips sooner."
"Ranger, this is not your fault. If you had tried to train me like that, you'd have had to drag me kicking and screaming. You'd have been frustrated, and I'd have been resentful. I doubt I'd have learned much."
"And now?"
"Now I have all the motivation I'll ever need to get whatever training I can."
"Why?"
I swallowed before I whispered. "I'd do anything to avoid feeling that helpless and scared again. Anything at all..."
He pulled over and threw the SUV into park, unbuckling my seatbelt and hauling me into his lap almost before I was aware of what was happening. He held me tight against him, and I relaxed in his arms. "I'm so sorry." He said softly. "I should have been there for you."
I shook my head. "Not your job." He frowned. "Besides, being surrounded by the Merry Men, I felt like you were there in some odd way. I do wish you could have seen me disarm Bobby though, the look on his face... I don't know who was more shocked, him or me."
He chuckled a little. "I'm sorry I missed that. Did they tell you where I was?"
"No. Tank just said you were called away. I'm guessing now it was Sam."
I felt rather than saw him nod. "At first we weren't sure she...we thought she.." He let out a breath. "By the time we were pretty sure she would live, there were other issues. They couldn't cast her leg because of her burns, and I guess the damage to her pancreas would have been incredibly painful if they had let her feel it, so they were keeping her in a coma. She had to have these elaborate dressing changes twice a day. Tomas was a mess, he still blames himself. Thinks he should have tried harder to get custody. I didn't want to leave him."
"Of course not. You don't owe me any explanations. They're family, and they needed you. Look Ranger, I appreciate that you wanted to be there for me, but really, if you had, and something had happened to Sam, you would never have forgiven yourself. I wasn't in any danger, and the issues I was having I need to work out on my own anyway. So stop feeling guilty."
He smiled and kissed the top of my head. "I'll see what I can do."
I squeezed him once and then got into my own seat. Ranger watched until I buckled my seatbelt, then got us back on the road.
"Ranger? You said this morning they were lightening Sam's sedation?"
He smiled. "Yeah, they have been for a few days. Her burns have healed enough to cast her leg, and whatever tests they run to check her pancreas looked better, so they started to slowly wean her off the drugs. Three days ago she was awake enough to take out the breathing tube. Once she was breathing fine on her own, Tomas was much better, so I knew I could leave and hunt down this bastard. This morning was the first time she was awake enough to recognize her dad."
I smiled, but I was worried about the way he said he'd 'hunt him down'. That was a scary tone if I ever heard one. "So, you want to tell me why you didn't sleep well?"
He glanced at me, then shrugged. "Told you, I was keyed up to get started."
"Ranger." I knew he wasn't telling me something. He avoided looking at me. "Hey, I thought we were partners."
He sighed. "I was imagining everything I'd like to do to him once we catch him, then talking myself out of doing any of it."
"Thank you. Well, I hope you were convincing."
That startled a laugh out of him. "Only you, Babe."
I settled back in my seat, content. I thought Ranger was going to be okay, and that made things better in my world. I stifled a yawn, and eased me seat back a little. I watched the highway in the darkness, and drifted off to sleep.
