Disclaimer: See the previous chapters. I couldn't get this to read half-assed decent if it wasn't for BB. Thanks Babe!

Locked Up & Pissed Off – pt 12

Lester's POV

I WATCHED RIC AS he headed out of the kitchen with Bomber's coffee and bag of donuts. I sure hoped he didn't fuck up and say something stupid, again, that would turn around and bite him in the ass, again! I swear, when it comes to women, Bomber in particular, his mouth just ain't connected to his brain. At least I know enough when to shut up and just kiss my woman. Being married to Mari for so long has taught me that much. She's made me happier than I'd ever been.

I looked over at Bobby, who was grinning like a Cheshire Cat who just nabbed the prize. He raised an eyebrow in question, so I took a sip of coffee and cleared my throat. I really didn't want to rain on anyone's parade here, especially since we'd all looked forward to the day Ric finally manned up, but neither did I want to lie and say all was well. And since I had to head out soon, Bobby needed to be briefed on the latest. Maybe he would have a clue on how to help those two communicate, since I was fresh out of ideas.

"Ric said he spilled his guts to her right after we got here, but for some reason she got all upset. Totally misinterpreted each other's reactions is what I think, so it's anybody's guess how it'll all turn out." I said, taking another sip of coffee. I wondered just how we were gonna be able to get through all this shit without Bomber freaking out even more, and Ric…who knows how he'll handle all this. I just hoped he'd hang in there until we could get all the crap straightened out, and then deal with what was going on with Bomber.

"'Bout fuckin' time! And what do you mean you think they misinterpreted each other's reactions? Just what the hell happened, Les?" Bobby asked, looking totally confused. Join the club.

I refilled my coffee mug, topped Bobby's off with the last of the pot, and sat back down on the stool across from him. I took a sip of coffee and cleared my throat, stalling for time. I really hated to burst his bubble.

"Ric told Bomber she loved her, without qualifications, and said she started crying and hyperventilating. Then she asked him why, before taking off for the bathroom." I sighed and took another sip of coffee. "I wasn't there at the time; this is just what Ric told me. He must have fucked it up, though, 'cause he was damn near tearing his hair out when I came back in and he asked me what he'd done wrong. You should have seen his face, Bobby. He was really hurting, and Bomber too. She broke down in the bedroom later, bawling her eyes out. I don't understand any of this shit. I thought once Ric came clean, Bomber would too. Hell, we all did! Now, I don't know what to think." I heaved out another sigh, then picked up my coffee and drained it before setting the mug back down on the table with a thud.

Bobby looked like he'd been pole-axed, and I really couldn't blame him for being so stunned. Hell, I was pretty much here when it happened and I still can't believe it! Man, I'm glad I don't have to go through this shit anymore. Which gives me an idea. Just might help to get a woman's point of view, and I knew just the woman…

My internal musings were interrupted by Ric's reappearance in the kitchen; apparently he had left Steph with her coffee and donuts, but obviously didn't stay very long. I was curious as to why, but I sure as hell wasn't stupid enough to ask. I studied his face while we waited for him to explain what he was doing back downstairs. I had expected to be gone before that happened. Guess I thought wrong.

"Steph's in the shower, so let's get this over with. Bobby, you give Lester that copy of the file yet?" Ric asked. His whole demeanor was a lot more relaxed then when we'd first arrived, but still not quite what we were expecting it to be. More like resigned. Not a good thing considering the circumstances. Actually I'd almost hoped they would hole up there in Ric's room until this whole mess was over. I should have barred the door on them. Where's a good genie when you need one?

"Ric, you okay? How's Steph?" I asked, since he was his usual 'forthcoming' self.

"She seemed a lot better until I sat down on the bed next to her." He sighed and continued. "Then that damn blank face of hers came down again. She won't let me get close, physically or emotionally. She shut me down when I tried to ask her how she was feeling." He scrubbed at his face with both hands, and I could see a little frustration working its way through him again.

"What did she say when you asked her?" I had a feeling I knew the answer. Anytime we questioned Bomber about how she was doing after a particularly dicey distraction, or when she'd had a rough day of chasing skips, her standard answer was 'I'm fine'. The girl just wouldn't admit to being scared or upset. Miss Denial took over.

"She said she was fine. She won't look me in the eye; she just sits there all tense, or gets up and moves across the room from me, like she can't stand to be within five feet of me. Fuck, you'd think I had leprosy or something now. She even abandoned her coffee in the bedroom and told me she needed a shower, then ran into the bathroom. She couldn't get away from me fast enough." Ric sighed and sat down heavily onto a stool, putting his head down in his hands and rubbing his forehead. Damn, only 0730 and she's already got him twisted in knots. Gotta be a new record.

Bobby had walked back into the room and sat back down on a stool across from me during Ric's little tirade (for him anyways!) and slid the file towards me, quietly listening to Ric as he poured out his frustration. He looked from Ric to me and raised an eyebrow.

"Ric?" He looked up at me, waiting for me to continue. I cleared my throat and decided to jump in with both feet, praying I wasn't doing something that would come back and bite me in the ass.

"I have an idea." I said. Bobby scoffed and threw me a derisive look which I ignored. Hey, I can have a good plan once in a while! "How about I bring Mari and Mia up for dinner tonight? I'm sure Bomber could use some female company, and while we keep Mia occupied, Mari could maybe get Steph to confide in her what's going on. She's not part of the ''burgvine' that Steph's always bitching about, so she wouldn't have to worry about everyone knowing her business." I shot a questioning look at Ric, while out of the corner of my eye I caught Bobby doing a fish impression. I almost laughed.

"Might be a good idea, Les. Even if she doesn't want me, I'm sure she'd love the company." Ric commented, nodding his head slightly and then sitting up straighter as if the matter was closed. Little did he know I was just getting started.

"So what did Bombshell say when you brought her coffee and donuts, Ric?" Bobby asked, an undercurrent of worry in his voice. He always had to fix things, which is why he became a medic in the army. Now, he wanted to fix Ric and Steph. Good luck with that!

"Not much," Ric answered. "After I gave her the coffee and she took a couple swallows, she seemed to wake up and Bam! Her blank look came up." He sighed again. Damn, what is all this sighing shit with Ric today? He never sighed, not until he met Bomber, at least. "I just don't know what to do anymore. I thought she loved me like I love her, but evidently I was wrong. I've tried to show her how much she means to me, and when that didn't work, I told her. Maybe I'm all wrong about this. I hate the thought of giving up, but it's probably for the best. I don't seem to be able to say the right words, and what I do say hurts her. I can't keep hurting her like this." I watched as pain lanced across his face before disappearing, almost like it was never there. He became Ranger again, only this time I wasn't sure if he was gonna ever be Ric again. I couldn't stand it. Not from my best friend and family. He deserved some happy finally, and I was gonna make sure he got it, one way or another. I decided a little sacrifice was in order, on my end at least.

"Ric, why don't you take the file and meet with Bomber's dad. I'll call Mari and have her and Mia come back with you. Maybe Bobby and I can get some answers while you're gone, and Mari will be our backup plan. What do you say?" I held my breath waiting for him to think it over. It would give him a chance to think a little more objectively; being away from Bomber would help him clear his head and give his thought processes a fresh start. Bomber tended to short-circuit him sometimes, although few knew this about him. I was the same way with Mari until she told me how much she loved me. Uncertainty wasn't an emotion the men in our family dealt with very well. We had a tendency to say and do really stupid things to keep from getting hurt, although it didn't always work. Now was a perfect example, because Ric was hurting. Badly.

"I don't think it matters anymore, Les. I can check up on a couple of other things that need to be dealt with, so I'll take you up on that offer. You need anything?" he asked, getting up and turning towards his office to retrieve the guns he'd taken off when he'd first arrived. In our experience, the amount of weapons we carried on us, especially when in public, meant the difference between coming back alive and being dead.

"Naw, I'm good. If I think of anything I need I'll call Mari and have her bring it with her. You okay with picking them up?" I asked, fairly certain that Mari and Mia would be able to take his mind off things for a while. I'd call her after Ric left and give her the heads up on the situation. She'd kill me if I let her walk into this mess blind, and as fond of Ric as she and Mia were, it would give her a chance to get a plan together to help.

"No sweat." He answered, already finished rearming and grabbing his jacket off the hook by the door. I stood, snatching the file Bobby had placed in front of me, as well as the keys to the Cayenne from the dish sitting on the counter next to me and walked over towards the door where Ric stood waiting. I grabbed him in a one-armed hug as I dropped the items into his hand, looking into his face searchingly.

"It'll all work out, Ric. Trust me." I said, my voice lowered so only he could hear me. I just hoped to hell I wasn't giving him false hope; he and Bomber meant too much to me for them both to be miserable like this. Now we just needed to figure out what the deal with Steph was. I think we had a better shot at getting her to open up if Ric wasn't here, but only time would tell, since she wasn't exactly acting like her normal self.

Ric nodded, but I could tell he didn't believe me. He'd blocked all emotion from his face, and even his eyes were expressionless. He wasn't gonna let himself get his hopes up; more like he was resigned to the fact that he would be left behind while Bomber walked away…again. Only this time he knew she wouldn't be going back to the cop. Just away from him.

He opened the front door and went down the steps, heading around the corner of the house to the shed where he'd parked the SUV. He pulled out of the shed and drove slowly out of the clearing, accelerating when he reached the graveled road that would lead him into the trees and towards Trenton. I sighed as I went over to Bobby's SUV and pulled it into the shed, locking the huge doors and setting the alarm we seldom used. We usually didn't worry about the shed, but since this situation wasn't exactly normal, all precautions would need to be observed. Especially with the Bomber involved.

I went back inside to where Bobby was waiting with his gun drawn, covering the doorway. He reholstered his weapon and smirked as I relocked the front door and set the alarm. All precautions, as I mentioned. I didn't think Bomber would try to run now, but I didn't want to chance any unwanted visitors. We're good, but not stupid.

Bobby smacked his forehead and pulled out his cell phone, hitting a speed dial number as he grimaced, causing me to raise an eyebrow in question. He held up a finger as he waited for the call to go through, a look of almost panic crossing his features. Hmm, wonder what that was about? I got my answer when the call was picked up.

"Yo Ric! I almost forgot. Gazarra thought it might be best if he was there when we met Mr. Plum. Said it would add credibility to the evidence for him. Might also be handy to have an ally there. You okay with that?" Bobby asked in a rush; apparently he had doubts. I almost laughed, since I knew damn well Ric would be more than fine with that development. Frank Plum was an unknown in this situation; we weren't so sure how he'd react. We all saw him as a quiet unassuming man, but Ric was convinced there was more to the man than he let on to the public. We all knew better than to doubt Ric's feeling on something like this, since he was usually right. It was why we had taken so many precautions when it came time to inform Bomber's father. I agreed with Ric; we were both fathers, to little girls yet, and I sure as hell wouldn't sit back and watch if it was my daughter being threatened and used like this! Neither would Ric.

I watched Bobby as he breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed, closing his phone with a snap. The look on his face was almost comical when he looked up at me, a wry grin tilting his lips that earned him an answering smile from me. Even after all these years, sometimes Ric still scared the shit out of him, which made Tank and I crack up when that happened. Ric was aware of this, even though he rarely ever took advantage of it. It depended on his mood.

"Think you should call Gazarra and let him know the change of plan?" I asked, grinning as Bobby hurriedly opened his phone and typed in a number, throwing me a dirty look as he waited for the call to be picked up. I smirked and moved past him into the kitchen to start another pot of coffee. Steph would probably need another cup or two, knowing her, and I'd much rather deal with her when she's had adequate (for her) caffeine in her system. Hey, I've got a wife; I'm not that stupid!

The coffee was just finishing up when I heard a door close upstairs and the sound of light footsteps descending the stairs. Steph entered the kitchen hesitantly, as if unsure of her welcome, her empty coffee mug in one hand and the bag of pastries in the other. I grinned and tipped my head towards the coffeemaker, indicating that more coffee was made and she could help herself. She looked around, then set the bag on the counter next to me and moved over to the other counter to fill her mug, doctoring it with plenty of sugar and milk. She came over to the stools and sat down, keeping her eyes lowered as she took a sip of her coffee and swallowed. I reached over to the bag and opened it, surprised that she hadn't eaten any yet. I pulled one out and offered it to her, taking a huge bite when she declined. I finished chewing and was just getting ready to take another bite when she cleared her throat and asked in a raspy voice.

"Where's Ranger?" Her manner was almost unconcerned, yet I could see her tense up, waiting for an answer.

I took my bite before answering, chewing slowly while I decided how much to tell her. I got up and poured a fresh cup of coffee, debating on whether to give her a break, or go for the jugular. I leaned back against the counter and took a sip of coffee, studying her as I made up my mind. I was feeling pretty bummed on Ric's account, so the neck wound won out.

"You hate Ric that much, Steph?" She wasn't expecting me to say that; I sure as hell didn't until it came out of my mouth. It got one hell of a reaction, though. Maybe more than I'd bargained for, 'cause the look on her face when she gasped and looked up made me want to kick myself in the ass. Tears were starting to spill down her cheeks and her face was a mask of pain. I looked down into my coffee, hoping to find my resolve in the black depths of my mug. Not my lucky day.

"I…I don't hate R-Ranger," she whispered, gulping back sobs as more tears flooded her face. She wasn't hiding her feelings like she had earlier, and I almost wished she would. I hated to do this, but this shit had gone on long enough. I plowed on.

"Then why would you hurt him like that?" I asked, hoping like hell she'd let something spill that would give me an idea as to why Ric had been so dejected when he came downstairs after taking her coffee and donuts. Bobby walked in and stood behind her silently, placing a box of Kleenex next to her coffee mug.

"L-like what? Wh-what do you m-mean I h-hurt him?" she stammered, her voice choking back sobs as she tried to regain her composure. She scrubbed at her face with the hem of her T-shirt until she noticed the Kleenex and grabbed a handful out of the box, a hiccup escaping as she finished wiping her eyes and nose. I sighed. Shit, now I sounded like Ric!

"I mean, Steph, that Ric poured his heart out to you and you rejected him. Why?" I asked. "Isn't he good enough for you? Or is it because he's not from the 'burg?" I watched her face intently, waiting for some sign that she understood exactly what I was saying. I saw pain flash across her face again before she managed to get control and don her 'mask'. Crap!

"That was so not cool, Lester.' She said quietly, straightening her back and looking me right in the eye as she continued. "You know damn well that where he comes from doesn't matter to me. And as far as I'm concerned, he's more than good enough for me. He's my best friend!" She stopped and lowered her gaze to her coffee mug, staring into the liquid while she composed herself again. Her next words came out in a whisper. "He doesn't do stupid things like relationships or marriage. And I can't do one-night stands, not with him." Her voice was almost inaudible as she finished, her head bent as more tears leaked out and dropped into her coffee.

Shit, no wonder Ric was frustrated. She still thought he was trying to keep his distance. Just what the hell did he say to her, anyway? He'd said her told her he loved her, without restrictions, without the regular bullshit he's fed her the past few years. I decided to ask her just what he told her. Maybe if I had an idea of what she thought he told her…

"Bombshell, just what did Ranger say to you?" Bobby asked quietly from his position behind her before I could utter a word, laying a reassuring hand on her shoulder as I held my breath. I almost dreaded her answer. Ric can say one thing and mean another, which was something we were all well aware of.

"He said he loved me, but he's always said that. Something about being scared, and then he quoted some book. I didn't understand all of it because I was upset and angry, but when he closed me off with his blank face again, I understood what he was trying to do. I get it, guys. You don't have to rub my nose in it." Her voice broke at this point and she stood up, shoving her hands into the pockets of her jeans and turning towards the doorway that led to upstairs. Huh?

"Rub your nose in what, Bomber?" I asked, totally baffled. What the hell was she talking about?

She turned to face me and let out a strangled laugh. "I know now that every time I went back to Joe that somehow it hurt him, and I can understand why he needed to say what he did. I don't blame him, really I don't," she continued bitterly. "I just don't get why he had to bring on his lesson now, when I don't have that option anymore. When I don't have anyone…" Her voice tapered off and she turned back towards the stairs, her whole posture showing her dejection. She walked silently up the stairs, leaving Bobby and I standing in the kitchen.

I looked at Bobby in amazement, but since his face mirrored mine, he wasn't much help. If I didn't know any better, I'd think what we have here is a failure to communicate.

So what else was new?

tbc