I rarely add music to my fanfics but when I do, it's the right song. When I came across this, I could see Stephanie's movements in this chap like in a movie while playing it. The anthem for this chapter as Steph does her thing is by The Anix "Bullets Without a Gun". So appropriate for her and wouldn't it be even more if the song title was reversed. Haha! Anxious to see your thoughts about this chapter.

Chapter 21

Stephanie's POV

I hadn't gone very far when I heard gunshots and took off running. A large two-story house came into view with an adjacent garage. I saw the limo, and the one Rangeman SUV with the door open and two other expensive vehicles like the Audi Ranger had run off the road and Ranger's Porsche off in the yard. When I got to the SUV and looked in, it was empty. As I went to turn my head, I noticed that there was something dripping at the bottom of the door and walked around to the other side and gasped. There was blood spattered all over the door and it was fresh and still dripping to the ground. Oh, no. Who was the Rangeman driving the truck? Which one of my friends was hurt or worse?

I looked up at the house and knew I couldn't just go in the front door so I began walking around the house. The side was clear so I ran to the corner and peeked around the side to the back and saw what I was sure was a bad guy poke his head out of a sliding glass door and he turned his head in my direction and raised his gun and fired a shot at me. I squeaked and pulled my head back. Oh no you didn't, jerk! l flicked the safety off my gun and stuck my head and shoulder back around and took a shot at him. I heard an exclamation and he returned fire just as I pulled my stupid head and body back and felt the bullet whizz by. I turned to run and looking behind me and up I recognized something familiar on the side of this house.

There was a fireplace on this side and close to me was an extended wall on the first floor and above it was flat and there was what was probably a bedroom window. On both sides was a decorative trellis covered in ivy going up. Bingo. My way in. My parents had a similar extension on their house and this had been my way of sneaking out on a few occasions as a teenager. Now, this would be my way in.

I grabbed the trellis on one side and pulled hard on it, checking to see if it was sturdy enough to hold my weight and then started up. It was moving just a little as I got to the top and climbed up and over the short decorative wrought iron fencing on the top of the extended walls. I was probably standing over a breakfast nook or laundry area. I tip-toed up to the side of the window and quickly took a peek inside. There was no one in the room so I tried the window. Locked. Duh! Like it would just be conveniently open for me to rush in, shoot the bad guys and save the day.

I needed to break the window and I needed something to do it with to muffle the sound. I looked down. Stupid dress. Just then I heard the sound of more shots and I reached under my dress and grabbed my panties and pulled them down and off and wrapped them around my fist and punched the window hard. Owww! Fudge, that hurt. I took a breath and hit it again and it cracked and hurt like hell and I hit it two more times and finally it shattered. I quickly knocked out the stray pieces and climbed through. I heard footsteps coming and before I could hide Sekhmet ran into the room and looked at me in surprise. I heard more footsteps and quickly ducked and hid beside the bed.

I heard Sekhmet gasp and poking my head around the bed ruffle, I saw it was a man in a suit with an unusual weapon and he was aiming it at Sekhmet. I raised my weapon and fired and his knees buckled and he went down falling over and dropping the weapon. Sekhmet looked at me in surprise as I heard more footsteps pounding down the hall and Ranger blasted through the door with a gun in each hand. He looked at Sekhmet, the man on the floor and then down at my head poking out from the bottom of the bed and I gave him a little finger wave and then showed him my gun. He smiled and said, "Proud of you, Babe. You and Sekhmet stay here please. We have this under control now."

I nodded and stood on shaky legs as he left the room and sat down on the end of the bed. Sekhmet came over and sat down next to me and reached for my hand and smiled. She said, "That weapon the man was holding is designed to kill our kind. That is what Carlos discovered on his mission, of course along with us. You saved me Stephanie, and I am grateful and the Council will be grateful."

I just shrugged. "I could never watch anyone just be killed in cold blood without doing anything to stop it. I don't like killing, but I've had to do it before. Shoot, my mother even had to run over a rabbit and kill for me one time. I just often seem to be in the wrong place at the right time." I sighed and she smiled and kissed my hand.

"You are precious, Stephanie. Now, I see why these men adore you so very much and why you are so important to the child I made," she said.

Hector ran in the room and looked at the man on the floor and got down on his knees in front of me and put his arms around me. He was there to comfort me before I realized what I had done and then the reality set in. I really killed a man today. That sucks and it makes me sad when it happens. I said in a shaky voice, "Hec, I had to kill that man. I didn't want to, but I knew he meant business and I had to pull the trigger or Sekhmet would be dead. She's like Ranger's mother now you know. I couldn't let him hurt her." Then the dam broke and I sobbed into his chest. He held me and whispered words in Spanish to me and rubbed my back and let me snot all over his t-shirt. I sniffed and snorted one last time and raised my head. "Sorry about your shirt, Hector." He just grinned and kissed my forehead and walked out of the room.

Sekhmet said, "You have a special bond with Hector. I sense he loves you and you communicate without knowing his language. Extraordinary."

I sniffed and shrugged. "I have never really thought that much about it. I guess we do. He's like my brother and a good guy and very loyal to Ranger. He's super smart and he's been teaching me some new skills when he has time. Computer hacking, lock picking, knife throwing, he even let me play with his ninja stars, but not his swords. I love that guy," I said.

She raised an amused eyebrow and then smiled and asked, "Interesting indeed. Did you come here with the men?"

I said sagely, "No, I was following your limo. I was going to come here and let you do the mind scan thing and talk to you. I thought it would be easier if Ranger wasn't around. Then I saw those cars follow you and called Ranger. I didn't know who was in the Rangeman SUV behind you or if he had seen them. There were three cars following you guys at one time. Ranger took out one before it got here. I hope everyone in your group is alright." I hope my friend is alright I thought.

She said, "They are. We have already communicated telepathically. You are very brave, Stephanie. Now I understand why they trust you and think of you in a comforting way. You think of others before yourself. You don't know me and felt a responsibility for my life. Most unusual in humans today. You and Carlos are very well matched mates."

"I wouldn't say we've exactly gotten to that point yet. We're still a work in progress. We never communicated very well. He was always pushing me away and I wanted him to let me get closer to him." I sighed. "He's complicated."

"You loved him?"

"Oh God, yes… I so, do..that. He's magic you know, he's Batman," I said.

She surprised me and laughed and two pale heads appeared in the doorway with eyebrows raised. Sumer asked, "Sekhmet, was that your laughter?"

Sekhmet smiled at her and said, "I didn't know I could still do that. It felt wonderful. Stephanie, is quite amusing."

Pin grinned. "Is she now? Well, I can't wait to spend some time with Stephanie. Carlos and his men are very fond of her. She must indeed be special to make you laugh."

Uh..oh. What did he mean by that? Was he ready to scan me with his thing? Oh crap, where are my panties. He'll think right off the bat, I'm a skank if I'm not wearing my panties. Probably loose women aren't good for their cause. They just make them look bad like that TPD slut that was making eyes at Ranger.

Sekhmet asked Pin, "Where are the rest of the members?"

He said, "One of the TIO operatives was still alive and he is being interrogated by them now." Oh. I blushed and got up and moved to the window to look for my panties. No doubt, I was next.

I was bent over and reaching out the window trying to get my hand on my panties that were stuck to a piece of glass and blowing in the breeze when I felt a hand tug the hem of my dress down. I gasped and wrapped my head on the window sill and yelped. I raised up and turned into Ranger's arms and he pulled me against him and kissed me passionately. He said against my lips, "Where are your panties, Babe?"

I whispered, "I was just trying to grab them. They're out on the roof there stuck to a piece of glass." I pointed to them.

The corners of his mouth twitched and then he grinned, "Why are they on the roof?"

I whispered again, "I used them to break the window. I'm wearing a dress and that's all I had. I have to get them. The Council will think I'm a skank if they find out I'm not wearing panties. They'll never let me be a vampire. Why would they let a slut in? Instead of having a cool name like Vamperilla, I'd be like Skankerilla. Sounds like a character in a porno including a guy named Vlad the Impaler..."

He guffawed, "Babe…?" Then I heard the whole room erupt into laughter and I peeked around him to see half the vampire council in the room. Fuck me. Now I'm really screwed. I grimaced at that thought.

Sumer had her hand over her mouth. Then obviously still amused she said, "I have to be the one to share that with Tepes." Pin and Sekhmet nodded.

Ranger reached out the window and snatched my panties and discreetly handed them to me and kissed me again and whispered, "I am so very proud of how brave you are, Babe." Then he whispered in my ear and added, "There is a qualifier…" I said in my head, oh crap and looked up at him blinking the tears away.

He said close to my lips, "I love you and I always will." I gulped and pulled his head down to mine and kissed him. My only thoughts and words were, "Ranger…" We stood for precious moments holding each other and then he let go and I went into the adjacent bathroom and put my panties back on and walked back in the room and took a deep breath and said to Pin, "Okay, I'm ready."

He quirked an eyebrow, "Ready for what, Stephanie?"

I said, "Um..that..uh mind thing you guys do. I'm ready. That's what I came here for. So, let's do it."

He said, "Stephanie, it is no longer necessary to do that."

Sekhmet said, "You have bared yourself in the most basic and endearing way in such a short time. If you choose to become, I would be honored to make you my child." I was stunned and flabbergasted and dumbfounded and all the other synonyms that apply. Oh, good golly. Was I really ready for this? Now that the decision was made, I was terrified.

In a shaky voice I asked, "So you really want all of us? Really?"

Sumer said, "I'm sorry. We will be unable to accept Hector into our numbers."

I looked up into Ranger's loving eyes and then back at Sumer and Sekhmet and Pin. I felt tears pooling in my own eyes and said, "Thank you, but I can't leave him alone. He'll need someone. He'll need me." I turned and walked out of the room and down the stairs and stood and looked around me and then headed for the front door. As I started walking down the long drive, I heard Ranger calling my name. I kept walking toward my truck and Ram and Lester began yelling at me and I put up my hand to tell them to stop and kept going.

I had made my decision. It's not that I chose Hector over Ranger. I just couldn't turn my back on him and live with myself for an eternity. It wasn't such a tough decision. He was part of us. He was our brother and I loved him. I got in my truck and drove. I passed a small market place and turned back and parked and walked around. Lost in thought, I purchased comforting things. A few homemade items to take home, a warm afghan, a basket, some candles, a jar of jam and pickle relish, homemade bread and some fruits and vegetables. Last, I bought a roasted free range chicken.

Leaving the market behind, I turned the truck toward my apartment. I would make myself a nice little dinner with my market items and light my candles and pull my warm afghan over me and watch one of my Ghostbusters movies. I needed to make a little happy for myself because right now, I was just plum empty. I had been so close. I had made it to the batcave. I had caught a tiny glimpse of forever.

TBC -