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Cal And Ava

Ranger's POV-

I moved Ava so she was perched on my hip. "Cal is out of surgery?" I questioned.

Steph nodded. "He is. The doctor came out a minute ago and said that he was out of surgery. He also said that he would be back in a minute to talk to you about what needs to be done for Cal."

"So he's going to be okay?" I hated being uncertain of things but I needed to know so the question had to be asked.

Steph shrugged her shoulders. "The doctor wouldn't tell us anything. We aren't family." Steph sneered on the word family and wrinkled her nose. We were Cal's family in every sense of the word. However being Cal's power of attorney I could find out anything.

"Which one is the doctor?" I asked. Steph turned and pointed to a very short bean pole of a man wearing a white jacket. His back was to us so all we could see was that white jacket and a head full of lily white hair. "I'll go talk to him." I stated as I tried to hand Ava to Steph. Ava wrapped her small arms around my neck and refused to budge.

"Ava, go to Momma. I have to go talk to the doctor." I told her; once again trying to dislodge her frail arms. Her head shook violently.

"No, I wanna go with you." She whined. I know her being at RangeMan her whole life, she has seen and heard a lot even though we have tried to keep that away from her, but I wasn't sure what the doctor was going to say and I didn't want to upset Ava.

"Ava, you need to stay here with your mom, Uncle Tank and the rest of the guys." I told her.

Her head shook even harder. "No, I wanna go with you." She squeezed my neck and planted a kiss on my cheek. "Please Daddy." My heart melted. She had me and she knew it. Steph could never resist me when I said please and I can never resist Ava when she says it.

"Alright, you can go, but you be quiet. Understand?" I demanded of her. Okay so it was more like a request but I couldn't help it. She's my daughter and I love her.

"Yes, Sir." She saluted me and I gave her a grin. I squeezed her to me and inhaled her soft baby scent.

"What is the doctor's name?" I asked Steph who had a smile on her face from watching the interaction between father and daughter.

"I don't know. He didn't offer it and we didn't ask." She said. I nodded and walked over to the doctor. I tapped him on the shoulder and he turned around.

"How can I help you?" He asked me; his voice dripping with annoyance.

"Are you Cal's doctor?" I asked him; my voice even with no emotion and my face blank.

He swallowed before answering. "I am Cal's surgeon and my name is Doctor Smarath." I was then glad that Steph was not near me when he said his name. The way he pronounced it, it almost sounded as though he said smart ass.

I contained my snort. "How is Cal?" I asked.

His dark hazel eyes narrowed at me. "And you are?"

"His power of attorney." I simply said.

He harrumphed before glancing at Ava like she was some nasty mold growing from my hip. He motioned with his hand towards Ava and cleared his throat. "Dr. Smarath, if I didn't want my daughter hearing this then I wouldn't have brought her over with me. Again how is Cal?" My voice never showed any emotion as I spoke.

He rolled his eyes at me and I resisted the urge to rearrange his oh so perfect sculpted nose. "Mr. Powers came out of surgery fine. He flat lined once during but we managed to get his heart started only after a couple of seconds. He is getting blood transfusions right now. He lost several pints of blood and the average human holds only about ten pints."

"Is he_?" I struggled with the words I wanted to use especially in front of Ava.

The doctor shook his head. "He is not out of the woods yet. It's going to be touch and go for the next couple of days. As long as an infection doesn't set in, then he'll be fine."

I nodded; thankful to the asshole for understanding what I meant. "When can we see him?" I asked.

Dr. Smarath glanced at his watch. "He should be settled in his room in approximately thirty minutes. It wouldn't normally be that long but they have to get the transfusions set up to be easily accessible. However children under twelve are not allowed in the intensive care unit." He stated as he glanced at Ava.

I had a news flash for Dr. Smart Ass. "My daughter will be going in to see Cal."

His hazel eyes flashed with annoyance and anger. "I am sorry, but it is against hospital protocol to allow children under twelve in the intensive care unit." He repeated himself. His tone was singed with worry.

"Screw hospital protocol. I know that my daughter seeing him and talking to him is vital to Cal's pulling through." I was very proud of my daughter for remaining quiet during this little sparring session between myself and this doctor.

"I could get fired, Mr. _" He stumbled on my last name and I grinned. I normally hated throwing my name and money around but for this, I would.

"I'll tell ya what, Dr. Smarath. You can go to the Hospital Board of Directors and tell them that Mr. Manoso pulled his very generous annual donation because you wouldn't allow my daughter into see her uncle."

His eyes widen then crinkled up. "You're Mr. Manoso?" He asked me and I nodded. "I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Manoso. I'll have a nurse inform you when Mr. Powers is ready for visitors." He said that so fast I thought his tongue might get tied in a knot. I nodded and he practically ran away.

Ava finally made her presence known by giggling. I looked at her and grinned. "Why are you giggling?" I asked her after giving her a loud smacking kiss on the mouth.

"Cause, you gonna get in trouble."

This was news to me. "I am?" She nodded. "By who?"

"By Momma."

"Why am I going to get in trouble with your Mother?"

"Cause Momma said you can't use money to get your way."

I raised my eyebrow. "When did Momma say that?" I asked.

"When did I say what?" Steph asked as she approached us.

I pulled Steph into our embrace and just hugged them both to my hard frame for several minutes. I missed them both so much. I missed everything about them. I kissed them both on the cheek before allowing a little room between Steph and myself. "Ava told me that you said you can't use money to get your way."

Steph looked puzzled. "I said that?" She asked.

Ava nodded. "You did, Momma."

"When did I say that?"

"I gived you a dollar and you said that money doesn't get you your way." Ava tried to explain.

"What was the dollar for?" Steph questioned.

Ava glanced at me with a sad look upon her face before answering. "To see Daddy." With those three small words, my heart constricted in my chest. I knew what I had been doing was wrong, but I didn't fully understand the effects it would have on my four year old daughter. Until now.

"Querida, I'm sorry." I told her and I was. More sorry than she would ever know.

"Why didn't you want to see me, Daddy?" I knew this conversation should wait until after we see Cal, but I needed to put Ava's silent fears to rest. I sat down on the nearest chair and cradled Ava against my chest. Steph sat down next to us.

"Remember when I told you that there are bad people in this world?" I started out and she nodded. "Well a bad man decided to make you and mommy targets."

Ava interrupted. "What is target?" She asked.

I smiled. "A target is something or someone that you pick out to hurt someone. Does that make sense?" She nodded and I continued. "This bad man decided to make a target out of you and your mother."

"Why?"

"Remember what I said that sometimes good people get in their way?" She nodded. "You and your momma were just in the wrong place at the wrong time and this bad man decided he wanted to hurt you."

"Why?"

"To hurt me." I told her. I could tell she was thinking it all over so I waited for her next question. It took a couple of minutes but it finally came.

"Why does he want to hurt you?" She struggled getting the question out, but she finally managed.

"I can't answer that, Ava. I wish I could but I can't." The reason I couldn't answer was because it was confidential. A small part of my past that if I ever spoke of, I could be arrested. She sighed and became quiet.

When I was about to say something she spoke up. "Did Momma and me do something wrong?" She asked with tears in her eyes.

"No baby, you didn't. I was scared, Ava. I was scared of what would happen. So instead of facing my fears, I turned away from them. I shouldn't have done that. But I can promise you that it will never happen again. I will always be around to drive you and your mommy crazy."

"So you'll tuck me in at night?" I wrapped her up in my arms and held her to me. "I will be there every night to tuck you in. I promise." She squeezed me back and then pulled away to give my cheek a noisy kiss.

"Do you have any more questions, Ava?" I asked her and she nodded. "What, Querida?" She climbed off my lap and began to pull at my hand. "When can we go see Uncle Cal?" She asked. I couldn't help but laugh. Children were so resilient. I stood up and picked Ava up and once again hugged her to me. I missed them both so much that I couldn't stop myself.

"We can see Cal now. He's still out but they said two people at a time." Tank said as he walked up to us.

I nodded. "Steph and me will go first and we'll take Ava with us." Tank nodded and replied. "He's in room 315."

Steph, Ava and myself entered Cal's room quietly. He was hooked up to several machines that monitored his heart, his blood pressure, and his breathing.

"Daddy, I wanna talk to Cal." She told me.

I nodded my agreement. "But if he doesn't respond, Querida remember he's sleeping." I was pretty sure he wasn't going to respond, but I wanted her to know.

"Can he hear me?" She asked softly.

"I think he can hear you, Ava." I honestly wasn't sure, but I wanted to think that he could. I stepped over to Cal's bed side and sat her down on the edge of the bed. "Now be careful not to touch anything, okay?" I asked of her.

"I will, Daddy." I gave her a quick hug and a kiss before walking away from her and going over to stand next to her mother. We watched Ava silently as she talked with her bestie, Cal.

"Hi Cal! It's me, Ava." She wrinkled her brows together.

"I miss you, Uncle Cal." "A lot."

"We went to the beach!" She almost shouted in a hushed tone. I couldn't help but grin.

"I got a tan!." "I'm like daddy now." She glanced over at us and smiled. Both of us smiled back at her. "I don't think we going back." She said shaking her head. "But I want to." "I want you to meet Luke."

I turned to frown at Steph. "Who the hell is Luke?" I asked under my breath. Steph shushed me. "Ethan's nephew." I nodded and turned back to Ava.

"Did you get my present?" "Momma helped picked it out." She got silent. And when she was silent for so long, I walked over to her. My heart broke when I saw that she was crying. I went to take her in my arms but she shook her head and pushed me away. She bent down so she was ear level with Cal. "I love you, Uncle Cal." She kissed his cheek before throwing herself into my arms.

I just barely made it out the door before she broke down and sobbed her little heart out.

Steph's POV-

It has been four days since we have been back and since Cal was shot. The doctors decided to keep Cal in a drug induced coma. They thought he would healed a little quicker that way. But it was taking its toll on Ava. She was cranky, whiny, evil, and mean. Even Ranger said he was thinking about sending her to a third world country. With bodyguards and caretakers, but to a third world country.

Every morning she got up, she got dressed, ate breakfast and was ready to see Cal. She spent all day at his bed side; wouldn't leave. We had to wait until she fell asleep before we carried her home and put her to bed. She was irrational and unreasonable. We were all dealing.

We had just finish breakfast and I was getting ready. Ava was ready an hour ago. "Momma, come on." I heard Ava shout from the living room. She more like demanded it. I just pulled on my t-shirt when my phone rang.

"Yo!"

"Babe, that's my line."

I laughed at Ranger. "So what's up? You never call from the hospital. Is Cal okay?" Ranger had been going to the hospital every morning to make sure the guards were standing at Cal's door. It was tough getting the correct guards at Cal's door because as Ranger saw it; Cal was one of Ranger's best guys and they were also guarding his daughter.

"Cal is awake and ready to see Ava."

I squealed into the phone and I heard Ranger chuckle. "We will be there as soon as we can." I hung up the phone without saying good bye. A first for me.

"Ava, let's go! Cal's awake!" I yelled out to my daughter.

"Yay!" I heard her shout. We were out the door in about five seconds.

Ava bounced into Cal's room in a pair of black jeans and a miniature black RangeMan t-shirt. On her small feet was a pair of black timberland boots. When she learned Cal was awake, she insisted on changing her clothes to surprise Cal.

When Cal saw her, he lit up. "Hey Ava-Bird! I missed you." He told her.

Ranger picked her up and placed her next to Cal on the bed. He gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Behave, Baby Girl." She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I will, Daddy." Ranger pulled away, did a man hand shake with Cal, then walked out of the room.

I walked over to Ava. "Behave." She giggled and gave me a hug. I gave Cal a hug next. "You behave too." Cal smiled at me. "Yes Ma'am." I kissed his cheek then Ava's and walked out.

Cal's POV-

I watched as Ranger and Steph left the hospital room and left me alone with Ava. I knew they was probably at least two guards if not three at the hospital room door, but I was okay with that. I felt honored and privileged that Ranger trusted me to leave me alone with his daughter.

I was sitting up in the bed so I pulled Ava into a hug. "I missed you, Ava-Bird."

"I missed you."

"Where were you?" I already knew that she was in Ocracoke Island in North Carolina since Ranger told me as soon as I woke up this morning.

"At the beach." Ava told me.

My eyes widen. "You were!"

She nodded her head. "We were!"

I laughed. "Did you have fun?"

"We did." She held out her arms; palms side down. "I look like daddy!" She exclaimed.

I nodded. "You do." I agreed with her.

"Will you come with us?" She asked me.

This confused me. "Go with you where, Ava-Bird?"

"Back to the beach!" She told me.

I didn't like the sound of that. Why would they go back? "Why are you going back?" I asked her. I knew I had to take in account that she was only four so her answer would be minimal, but I didn't want them going back.

"Momma says we have to go get our junk." She declared. I felt a little relief. "Daddy's going to." Even better. "So is Uncle Tank and Uncle Lester." Now that is what I wanted to hear. "I want you to go to." Ava told me.

"I would be happy to go as soon as I can get out of this bed." I told her.

"Good! You can meet Luke too." She happily rang out.

Who the hell was Luke? I know Steph would never cheat on Ranger. Would she? Nah. Was Luke safe? Was he out to hurt Steph or Ava? I needed to talk to Ranger.