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Chapter 13

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No time was wasted, The team geared up and climbed into the helicopter. Tank took the seat next DJ, and the rest of the team strapped into the seats on the bench behind the pilot's seats. It was a matter of practicality to have Tank in the co-pilot's seat, his size demanded it, but Miller soon found out that he was also a certified pilot in his own right. His smile over her surprise was playful. He had not piloted a plane in years, but he still loved the shock of people imagining him as a pilot.

Behind them, Aaron kept his eyes on the back of DJ's head. All of the men had headsets, like hers, inside the helmets that they wore. The communication system in the chopper was phenomenal. Over the vibration and noise of the blades above them, they could all speak and be heard with perfect clarity. It was this wonderful feature that let Aaron, along with everyone else, hear every word of DJ's conversation with Tank.

They were not flirting, not by a long shot, but Aaron felt some jealously building up inside his chest. He wished that it was him, sitting in the spot next to her. That it was his story that brought the sweet laughter of hers to his ears. After some unsettling moments, Aaron realized that he was going to have to make a change, and soon. At the very least, he was going to have to introduce himself to her. He had come to protect her, to keep her safe. Now he understood that he wanted more than that. So much more than that. He wanted to get to know Miss DJ Miller. Very personally.

He would, and soon, he had no doubt about that. For now, he let himself be impressed with her command of the chopper. The flight was smooth, she kept them under the radar, flying at very low altitudes, but still managed to keep them out of sight as much as possible by staying over the trees and buildings, and away from open areas. Her knowledge of the area was evident, that was obviously one of the reasons she was involved in this mission.

That every single person on the team was here for a specific reason was not lost on him. Aaron's own assignment proved that, and he let just a hint of a smile touch his mouth. He was to oversee the communication system for the team. That it required that he stay close to the chopper, and to DJ who also had to stay with her bird, made him very happy.

AFTER BEING dismissed from her apartment, Joe's anger at Stephanie started to reach epic proportions. He had the whole ride back to his own place to think about how she seemed to be avoiding him. He gave it a lot of thought. By the time he unlocked his door and was met by a big slobbering dog, his mood had evened out a little bit. Morelli let himself be distracted, Bob the enthusiastic dog was happy to have him back home, and he showed his affection with sloppy kisses and heavy hugs. Joe was sure that his nephews had been nice to him while he was away, but there was no mistaking that Bob loved the fact that he was back. He played with him for a few minutes and then took Bob for a walk.

The time outside seemed to have a calming effect on both man and beast. As they made their way back to the house, Bob was ready to settle down on his oversized pillow, and Joe knew it was time to have that talk with Stephanie. He grabbed a beer from the fridge and took out one of the now cold sandwiches from Pino's. He sat down on the couch and stared at the black screen of the TV before pulling out his phone. Dialing Stephanie's number, he waited. It only rang once this time before he heard her voice come on the line.

"Joe?" Stephanie sounded different. He could not tell if she was confused, or upset, or sad. The realization, that being away from each other for as long as they had may have driven them apart in more ways than one, hit Joe with more force than ever before. He knew that was exactly why they needed to talk. He took a deep breath, this was not something that he had wanted to do on the phone.

"Hi Steph," he said, his voice low and controlled. "I guess you didn't get my message today."

He didn't give her a chance to answer before he continued to speak. It didn't really matter whether she had or had not seen his message. Or if she had stood him up on purpose, or by accident again, he just needed to talk to her now. "Can we meet? I think we really need to clear up a few things."

Stephanie stared forward. This is so not what she wanted to do right now, no matter how much she knew that she really did need to tell him a few things, she did not have time for him at the moment. "Joe, I…" she didn't know what to say. She could not meet him anywhere, she had promised Ranger that she would stay here. What she wanted to say to Joe probably shouldn't be done over the phone, but what choice did she have?

"Steph, it is important," Joe insisted. "Can't we just see each other for a few minutes tonight?"

She wanted to tell him that it was too late tonight, but a peek at the clock (and a quick calculation back into civilian time) told her that it was only 9:30. She could try to put him off til the morning, but what good would that do? The same problems would exist tomorrow. She was staying here until Ranger got back and that could be days. Her mind raced, trying to come up with a solution. Because beneath it all, she did need to talk to Joe. She wanted to tell him that they did not have a relationship. According to what Mary Lou had pointed out to her, they hadn't had one in a very long time.

Her reflections after that conversation with her best friend had made her realize that they had spent more time in their ridiculous 'Time Outs' than they had ever spent together. Yes, they needed to talk. Joe was still speaking, trying to convince her to meet her at Pino's if she didn't want to come to his place. She almost smiled, he was offering her a neutral place to talk. He was negotiating with her, this was definitely something new between them. The need to meet suddenly became even more important to her. Finally, the solution formed in her mind.

"I'm at RangeMan Joe," she said abruptly, interrupting him. The silence that followed was not unexpected. He had always hated her working here, and she could picture him looking down at his shoes trying to find the control he needed before he said anything. In fact, that is exactly what he was doing. Joe was thinking that this was just one of the many reasons that their relationship had been 'off' so much of the time. And what was she still doing there now? It was way past even her crazy office hours. He was about to tell her that, when she spoke again.

"Can you come here?" she asked. "I can meet you in the front office."

Stephanie knew that the cops, and other visitors, always came to the front entrance when they wanted to talk to Ranger. She had only been down there once, but she remembered that it was quiet and there was a conference room right down the hall from the front doors. She wouldn't leave, so meeting him here was the best that she could offer. He was right, they needed to talk. It would be good to have it over and done with before Ranger came back. Clearing Joe from her life was the best thing that she could do, both for herself and for Ranger. And for Joe, she added reluctantly, Joe had stood between them for far too long. It wasn't fair to any of them.

"You want me to come to RangeMan?" he said, incredulous. "What about Ranger? Is he there too?" His voice betrayed the anger and dislike of the man he had long suspected of playing with Stephanie's emotions. What other reason could there be for Stephanie to insist on meeting there if it wasn't because of Ranger? Though Joe knew what he wanted to say to her, it irritated him to think that the man he had tried to keep her away from, for years, would be next to her, or right behind the wall as the case may be. How could Stephanie really have an honest conversation with him, when Ranger was right around the corner. He was about to say so, when her next words caught him by surprise.

"No Joe, Ranger is not here." she said. Deep traces of pain were laced in her words. Joe did not speak for a long moment. His thoughts were taking him in a whole new direction, and they were made all too evident with his next question to her.

"Stephanie, are you in trouble?" The idea that another stalker could be after her, or another angry FTA, trying to get revenge on her, had his mind reeling. Why else would she be reluctant to leave the building that she always fled to for safety. Joe was truly not sure whether to be glad she had the refuge, or sad to see, again, that the only place she ever felt safe was so far away from him. "What is wrong?" he finally asked.

She did not answer. There was too much to try to explain if she wanted him to understand. Mostly she just did not want to have this conversation over the phone. Her sigh was so audible, Hector looked up at her with concern. Stephanie tried to smile, but it came off more like a grimace. She shrugged and turned away.

"Can you come?" she asked again. "Now."

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