Thanks so much for all the reviews so far. I really appreciate the time it takes to leave them. I've turned into an absolute slut for reviews, so if you enjoy it, please leave one! (Or even if you don't, or have any ideas for me…) This is still my first fanfic, so go easy on me.

The characters aren't mine – all belong to JE and will be returned, I make no profit.. Rating for language.

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As soon as everyone was settled, Kate redialed the phone.

I quickly started to suck some more sprite as we listened to it ring. My throat was almost as raw as my emotions were. I wondered how long I could keep talking before my voice just gave out. Or before my entire body gave out from sheer exhaustion. But the deep emotion was warring with the exhaustion, and I knew I could keep going no matter how long it took.

Jimmy picked up on the fourth ring.

"Hey."

"Hey, Jimmy. Did you get a chance to eat and cool off a bit?"

"Yeah, thanks."

"You sound tired Jimmy, are you okay?"

"I'm fucking exhausted. I just want this finished."

"Why don't you just come out Jimmy? Then this whole thing will be over and you can get some rest."

"I'm not coming out. I'm a good soldier. I'm going to finish this the right way."

Jenny and Logan, the younger agents, started motioning. Logan was writing under the 'E' on the board. That was odd – last time Jimmy talked about being a good soldier, we were in the Face frame. I didn't get what put us in the E frame (nor did I remember what the E stood for), but I didn't particularly care. I was just the mouthpiece here, repeating Kate.

"That's good Jimmy. It's good you want to do things the right way. You have a good sense of honor."

"Duty, honor, country. I was a good soldier."

"Do you think you're doing the honorable thing now, Jimmy?"

"I let the kids go, didn't I?"

"Yeah you did, and that was great. But there are still three people in there. And you're still in there, Jimmy."

"I know. I always try to be honorable. But I'm not just coming out. I'm not surrendering. No way."

"Maybe in this case surrendering is the right thing to do."

"I'm not some pussy. I'm a good soldier. I'm not going to just give up and come out."

"So instead you're going to hold your own mother hostage?"

I stared at Kate, my mouth agape. I couldn't believe she just told me to say that. Didn't she explain that we couldn't bait Jimmy, couldn't piss him off due to his explosive temper?

But everyone in the trailer looked calm. Logan was still writing under the 'E' column. So I turned my attention back to the phone and kept repeating Kate.

It took a moment for Jimmy to respond. When he did, his voice was quiet, filled with pain. "I just wanted to prove that I was a better soldier than you. That I was stronger, tougher. It was a terrible thing to do, wasn't it?"

"No Jimmy, it was just a mistake. We all make mistakes. And you are a better soldier. And now you have the chance to come out of there. To make up for your mistake and get a fresh start."

Now I vaguely remembered where Kate was going with this. Emotional distress – if Jimmy was feeling shame, than we had to emphasize his ability to start over and have a fresh slate. Lessen the emotion he was feeling. I was impressed. This was the first time he had shown real emotion. The pain in his voice was starting to get to me, make me realize that he was less of a monster than I had been thinking for the past few weeks.

"That'd be nice, to start over. I could be a better son."

"Yeah, Jimmy, you could."

"I've just been so fucked-up since I got back from Iraq, you know?"

"Yeah. It happens to a lot of soldiers, Jimmy. It doesn't mean you weren't a good one. It just means you have to be more careful now to do the right thing."

"Yeah."

I thought I had him. I really thought that he was about to agree with me, and surrender himself and let the hostages go. But he didn't. I heard yelling in the background, and then Jimmy started yelling. I couldn't make out the words, but all of a sudden, he slammed down the phone.

I looked up at Kate in shock. "What just happened?"

She had the same look on her face. The younger agents did too. "I don't know," she said. "I thought we were getting somewhere."

I looked at Ranger beside me, and then over at Joe, both of them just shrugged.

"So…what do we do now?" I asked the room at large, since no one seemed to get what had just happened.

"We'll give it a few minutes, and then call back, and try to get him talking again," Kate said.

She picked up her walkie-talkie and started speaking into it, probably to one of the in-charge looking older men she had been talking to earlier.

"The negotiations stalled, sir."

"What happened?" the voice asked back.

"Well, we thought we were making progress, but there was some commotion inside and he hung up."

"The kids are gone, and it's been almost seven hours. We should think about going in."

My head snapped up at that.

"Yeah, I'm starting to agree. I'll have Steph call back. If we can't get it to de-escalate soon, we'll start putting together an extraction plan," Kate answered.

"Sounds good."

She set the walkie-talkie back on the table and turned to me.

"Okay. Why don't we call back and see what happens. We don't want to go in, but this has been going on for a while. He has to be exhausted, and we want to end it before he starts making stupid mistakes."

I nodded. It was extra pressure put on me that I didn't want, but I understood. Ranger squeezed my hand as Kate dialed the number again.

After twenty rings, she gave up. "We'll try again in five minutes or so."

I used the tiny bathroom in the trailer, and grabbed another sprite and more crackers. As thankful as I was for the food Lester had brought me, I didn't think I could keep it down.

As soon as I got re-settled, Kate dialed again. It took almost fifty rings, but Jimmy finally picked up. His voice was angry, on edge.

"What?"

"Jimmy, what's going on? What happened?"

"What happened? What happened is that you now have a body."

My blood ran cold as he said it. "Jimmy, what did you do?"

He gave a bitter laugh. "That's the irony, Stephanie. I didn't do anything. My mother apparently had a stroke. She's dead."

I closed my eyes, willing myself to maintain enough control to keep talking, keep repeating Kate.

"I'm sorry Jimmy."

"Yeah, well, so much for being a better son, a fresh start." He all but spat the words, his anger tangible even through the phone line.

"Jimmy, I know this is hard for you, but it's no reason to do anything rash now."

"No reason? I just killed my mother! If I come out I'm going to spend the rest of my life in jail. I can't let that happen Stephanie."

"Jimmy, maybe we can work something out…"

"There's nothing to work out! I'm not going to jail. I'm going to end this, here and now, like a good soldier."

His angry, strident voice was a stark contrast to my pleading one.

"Jimmy, please don't…"

But he hung up before I could say anything else.

I swung my gaze to Kate, my eyes wide and my breathing shallow. "Are you going to…"

I let it trail off. She just nodded and picked up her walkie-talkie, barking orders into it.

"He hung up on Steph again. He's getting out of control. Apparently his mother had a stroke. Start preparing an extraction team and have snipers resume their first position."

A minute later, Ranger's walkie-talkie crackled to life. I didn't understand what the person on the other end was saying, but he stood up and left the trailer.

I felt his absence almost physically the moment he left. He had been by my side, literally holding my hand, for over seven hours. And I still needed him. Every part of my body was screaming for emotional and physical relief. For this to all be over. I was trying my best, but as the situation escalated, I was terrified that it wouldn't be enough. One person was already dead. I couldn't help but wonder how many more would be when morning came.

A minute later, Ranger re-entered the trailer, dressed in full body amour. My eyes widened and my breath hitched as I realized the implication. He noticed my reaction and knelt down in front of me.

"Babe. The extraction team is going to be split between ATF and Rangeman crews. If it comes to it, I'm going in. I'll stay for a while, and only leave if I have to. No matter what, Morelli's going to stay in here with you."

He glanced over my shoulder for confirmation from Joe as he said it. Joe must have answered in the affirmative, because Ranger looked back at me.

"Okay?"

I nodded. I didn't like it, but I understood. Those would be Ranger's men going in, and he'd never let them go in without leading the way. That's just who he was.

Kate started dialing again, as Ranger sat back down with me. I had one more shot. If I could get Jimmy calmed back down, then Ranger leaving wouldn't be an issue.

But I couldn't. We had only spoken for another minute or two before he hung up again. The sound of him slamming down the receiver echoed in my mind, because I knew what the sound would be followed by.

"Jimmy," I had said after forty-some-odd rings, "I know you're trying to do the honorable thing in there. You're a good soldier, Jimmy. A good man. And you know that coming out is the right thing to do."

The last time he hung up on me, he had been spitting mad. Screaming curses and invective. This time, he simply sounded sure. It was a terrible thing to hear.

"I'm not coming out Stephanie. I'm not letting these women out. I'm not going to jail. It's as simple as that."

"Jimmy, you don't want to hurt Sherrie Lynn and Jesse. I know you don't."

"They're the enemy. I captured them. It's up to me to be a good soldier."

"Jimmy, don't…"

"I'm finishing this like any good soldier would. Good-bye Stephanie."

The dial tone pierced through the sudden silence.

Ranger squeezed my hand once, and left the trailer. I sat stunned, the knowledge that I had failed was seeping into my soul. Kate was talking into her walkie-talkie, and each of the younger agents left the trailer to watch the action. I couldn't move.

Joe came up behind me, resting his hands on my shoulders.

"If you need to go to, you can."

"No, cupcake. I promised I'd stay and I will. They're all going to be fine."

We both knew it was an empty promise, but it was nice to hear nonetheless. It was disconcerting, though, to have Joe take Ranger's place to comfort me. How many years had it been the other way around? But I just touched my hand to his where it sat on my shoulder, grateful for the comfort, no matter who it came from.

"Do you want to go outside and watch?"

"No." I really didn't. I didn't think I could. But a second later we heard shouting, and a second after that, shots.

I jumped up and bolted from the sticky trailer, desperate to see what had happened and who was hurt. At the beginning of all this, I hadn't cared in the least what happened to Jimmy. He had kidnapped me, threatened me, planned to chop me up, and then taken innocent children hostage. He could rot in jail or hell, I wasn't picky which. But we had talked for seven hours. I had tried to persuade him, rescue him from himself, for seven long hours. And for some odd reason I would never be able to comprehend, I desperately wanted him to survive.

More than that, I needed Ranger to survive. To walk back up to me perfectly okay. I held my breath as I tripped down the trailer steps, scanning the area in front of me as fast as I could. Desperate to catch a glimpse of him.

For what felt like hours, though it couldn't have been longer than two or three minutes, all we heard was shouting. I could see dark figures running through the house, but couldn't decipher one from another. The tension that had been so low after the children had come out was now buzzing again, everyone hanging on the outcome. Reporters were giving live broadcasts, hoping for that prize-winning shot to appear behind them.

Suddenly, two SWAT guys burst out the front door, a small woman smashed between them. A second later, two more appeared, rushing another woman away from the house. My breath came out in a whoosh as I realized the implication.

Joe, still standing behind me, wrapped one arm around my waist. I sagged into him in relief. Regardless of the outcome with Jimmy, five of the six hostages had made it out unharmed.

I could hear more shouting inside, but no further shots were fired. Another terse minute passed before Ranger and Tank appeared in the doorway, Jimmy between them, cuffed at the wrist and ankles.

I scanned up and down Ranger's body, assuring myself that there were no bullet holes pumping blood, before my legs went out from under me. Joe set me down on the steps of the trailer, leaving just enough room for Kate to squeeze past as she exited.

We all watched as the two women were reunited with their children. My eyes filled with tears, and the panic and guilt that had been crushing me since Jimmy first called me finally cracked.

"You did good, Steph. Really great," Kate said.

I stared at her, unsure how to respond. 'Great' wasn't how I would describe the day. "He didn't surrender."

"No. But he didn't shoot anyone. In my book, that makes for a good day." She reached out her hand to me. "It was nice working with you. Next time you're in Philly we'll have to grab drinks or something."

I smiled and shook her hand. "Just as long as I don't have to repeat everything you say."

She grinned. "So, Detective Morelli," she said, turning to him, "want to join me for some late dinner?"

My mouth fell open in shock. Did she just ask him out? I didn't see that coming. But they seemed to already know each other, and get along well. Joe just winked at me, grabbed her hand, and walked off. I shook my head looking after them. When I looked forward again, Ranger was standing on the sidewalk, still holding a cuffed Jimmy.

Jimmy was staring at me, through me almost. I held his eyes, unable to look away. He was no longer the frightening man who had knocked me unconscious behind the club – now he just looked hollow, like the past hours had cost him even more of his already fragile mind.

I'm not sure what he saw in me as he searched my eyes, but he finally turned away. Ranger put in the back of a police cruiser, and it pulled down the street.

Ranger headed in my direction. I smiled at him, but over his shoulder, I could see the paramedics roll a covered gurney down the sidewalk towards the waiting ambulance. I swallowed hard. Though Mrs. Clark's death couldn't be legally blamed on me, I felt the weight of the moral accusation.

Ranger startled me by taking my face in both his hands, forcing me to look away from the body. I hadn't even seen him approach. But I did see the concern in his eyes as his met my tear-filled ones.

"Come on, babe. You need sleep."

"Yeah." I stood and followed him, too tired to even consider where we were going. Before I knew it, we had made the drive to Haywood, and were pulling into Ranger's spot in the garage.

I was in an odd mood as we entered the elevator and rode in silence. I had passed exhaustion hours ago, but I wasn't sleepy. I knew I couldn't close my eyes, let alone relax enough to go to sleep. Adrenaline was still pumping through me, making my body crave movement.

I followed Ranger into his apartment, but stopped just inside the door. He turned and raised an eyebrow at me.

"You're not going to be able to sleep are you?"

"I feel weird." I had no idea how to explain it, other than that.

"It's the adrenaline. You need to get it out of your system."

It was my turn to raise an eyebrow at him. Or at least make a pitiful attempt to do so. "What do you do to get it out of your system?"

Ranger walked back to where I was standing in front of the closed apartment door. He rested his hands on the door, on either side of my head, and leaned close. "Recently, I've been going to the gym and beating the shit out of one of the guys." He shrugged. "Before you came around, I'd just go find a woman. Tonight…"

He left it hanging as his meaning broke through the fog in my mind. Suddenly, everything was crystal clear. The feel of the wooden door against my back. The smell of his warm skin, sweat mixed with Bulgari. The cool, still silence of the apartment. The hunger in his eyes that I instinctively knew was matched in mine.

He leaned closer, until his lips were almost brushing mine. "I'm going down to the gym in ten seconds. You have until then to decide if you want me to stay."

I didn't need ten seconds. I would probably regret it later. But the events of the day were too raw, the emotions too deep. I needed him – I needed to reassure myself that we were both alive and whole after two days of fear.

There was so little space between us, that I barely had to move before my lips were pressed against his. He grabbed me around the waist, pulled me into his body. I threaded my fingers through his hair, hanging on. He pushed me against the door, my feet just far enough off the floor that I hung suspended between it and him. His kiss was rough and demanding. There was nothing gentle about it. I responded with a level of passion and hunger that shocked us both. He never broke the kiss as he reached between us to unhook my cargos and jerk them down to the floor. My panties he just ripped. As I continued to kiss him, digging my fingers into the thick muscle of his back, I could hear the metal clinking of his belt buckle, the rasp of his zipper, the sound of denim sliding downward.

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I opened my eyes, squinting against the early morning sunlight, and found myself firmly wrapped up in Ranger's arms. I wiggled against him, trying to get closer. He had been right. Once we had 'worked' the adrenaline out my system, I had immediately fallen into a deep sleep. I still didn't feel rested – that would probably take a while – but I felt significantly better than I would have had I gone home alone. Alone I would have replayed the day's events over and over in my head until I drove myself crazy.

Yes, I decided as I stretched my sore muscles, this way had been much better. I looked up to see Ranger staring at me, his eyes dark as he watched me stretch.

"Morning, babe," he said, leaning down to kiss me.

I smiled at him and retuned the kiss, but my heart wasn't in it. The enormity of the situation was seeping into my consciousness. I knew the night before hadn't changed anything between us – I had known it wouldn't from the beginning. The words that he had started to speak the morning before still had to be spoken. He still had to leave today on whatever secret mission he was headed for. And I still had to go on with my life. Alone.

He noticed the tension in my body and let me sit up. I pulled the sheet up with me. It was a poor defense, but it was all I had at the moment.

"When do you need to leave?"

"Couple hours. It's still early."

I nodded, not even bothering to look at the clock. I looked around the room, and relief swept through me as my eyes rested on my laundry basket. Ella or someone must have brought my stuff up from the 4th floor apartment yesterday.

I gave Ranger a small smile, and got up to head for the bathroom. I grabbed a handful of clothes from the basket on the way, not caring what I put on. While in there, I brushed my teeth and tried to tame my hair to some extent. I skipped the shower, knowing I was just going straight home. Though the knowledge that it would be the last time I had a plausible excuse to use his amazing shower tempted me more than it should have.

I emerged to find Ranger in almost the same spot on the bed, though he had grabbed a pair of boxers. That was good – there was no way I'd be able to handle him rejecting me if he was naked while he did it.

On my way out of the bedroom, I grabbed the laundry basket, and set it back down on the living room floor. I headed into the kitchen to see if Rex had been brought up as well. He had, and I grabbed his cage and turned around, only to run smack into Ranger.

I put a hand over my pounding chest and set Rex's cage back on the counter. "You could make some noise you know."

He didn't smile. "What are you doing?"

"Getting my stuff together. You said yesterday that my apartment was clean and that I could go home, remember?"

"Yes. And I distinctly remember that we didn't finish that conversation."

I had really been hoping that he had forgotten that part. I leaned back against the counter and crossed my arms over my chest, trying to steel up my nerve. It was an empty gesture.

"Well, finish it then," I said, when he just continued staring at me. "This is the part where you tell me you don't do relationships, and you're leaving, and I would be better off…"

I stopped there. I was a bit curious how he would finish that sentence, since Morelli and I were history. Not curious enough to stick around for the conversation if I could get out of it. But if I had to be here, it was as good a thing as any to focus on.

He blew out a breath and ran his hands through his hair. He opened his mouth like he was going to speak, but then closed it, staring off at some spot over my shoulder.

It was so reminiscent of the morning before and our attempt at this same conversation, that I felt a need to put an end to it. I knew what he was going to say. For some reason, I had been holding out hope that Batman would swoop in at the last second and say he couldn't live without me. But that wasn't going to happen.

"It's okay, Ranger. I get it, I really do. We don't have to actually discuss this. As long as we can stay friends, I'm fine with us both just going on with our lives."

He looked at me for a long moment, and then just shook his head. He grabbed my waist with both hands and pulled me to him.

"I told you before you broke up with Joe, that I'd never give you a reason to walk out of my life. I won't now, Babe,. And I won't settle for just being friends. I may prefer fewer complications than you bring, and I can't promise you'll never get hurt, but I'll do anything in my power to keep you with me."

My heart was just about to jump out of my chest at those words. Maybe I was getting my last minute rescue after all. My light, teasing tone belied the tears that were pooling in my eyes. "Oh, big bad Manoso is giving up some control, huh?"

"Yeah, Babe. I'm giving up some control. Taking a risk. Are you sure this is what you want? It won't be easy."

"Definitely. And I know it won't be easy. Are you sure it's what you want?"

"Yeah, Babe." He tightened his arms around me and buried his head in my curls. I clung to him like he was vital to my very existence. Maybe he was. "I'm sure."