Title: The Dating Game - Alternate Ending

Author: Robin

Disclaimer: I don't own them, I just like to dream.

Rating: R

A/N: This is an alternative ending to The Dating Game which picks up from the original story following Chapter 17. Lester just wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote the ending his way. Die-hard Babes may be happier sticking with the original ending... just a warning. This alternate ending will be the foundation for a sequel which is untitled as yet.

"Am I?" he asked tentatively. "Am I too late, Babe?"

Alternate Chapter 18

I stared out the window for a long moment. Ranger was offering me 'Someday,' here and now. But, it meant I had to forgive and forget.

Was he too late? That was the million dollar question, wasn't it?

Parts of me wanted to jump into his arms and tell him he could never be too late. Of course a lot of these parts were south of the border and they would have agreed to anything for a little satisfaction. And make-up sex was the best kind. Hell, any sex not involving my shower massager would be an improvement at this point.

Then there was my heart, which whispered, I love him, but he hurt me.

Finally, there was my brain which was cataloguing all of the reasons why I should walk away.

For the first time in my life, my rational parts were winning the argument. I turned my gaze to him and said, "I don't know. I think maybe so."

Ranger didn't speak. He was staring a hole into the linoleum floor, studiously avoiding my gaze. His jaw was clenching, his nostrils were flaring and his blank mask was slipping.

I went on, uncomfortable with the silence, "I can understand why you helped Carmen… I really can. The problem is you lied to me. For months you've kept this from me. You've kept yourself from me. And I had no idea why. I tortured myself trying to figure what I'd done wrong, how I'd driven you away. And you didn't just pull back from a romantic relationship with me. You cut off our friendship, too. One day you were the person I could trust the most in the world and the next you were just gone." I hated the way my voice broke on that last word. I hated to show him how he affected me.

"Babe," he said in a strangled whisper, "I never meant to hurt you. It kills me to think that I did."

Tears welled up in my eyes. I swiped at them and breathed, "But you did. When I saw you with Carmen at your apartment. When I had to hear from Hal that you were married. When you sent me back to Joe after the most amazing night of my life. Everyday for the last six months when you avoided and ignored me."

I turned away from him trying to control my emotions. A moment later, I felt him come to stand behind me. He put a hand on my shoulder and pulled me into his embrace, wrapping his arms around my waist and leaning his head down so that his chin rested on my shoulder. For a moment, I relaxed against him, enjoying the tingle along my spine. He was hard to resist when there was space between us. I wasn't sure I could hold onto my resolve when he had his body pressed to mine. I stiffened and pulled away, keeping my back to him.

"You know the only reason I agreed to do this whole dating thing was because I saw you with her," I admitted quietly. "Something in me broke that day. I did it because I was hurt and angry and I thought what better way to feel better than to have six hot guys take me out." I turned around and took a step back. "Do you know what the best part of this week was?" He shook his head in silence. "I got to really know them. You know, they're all amazing men and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. I learned more about each of them on one date than I've learned about you in the past three years.

"Like Hal, for instance, I found out he has a dog named Scruffy, his nephew wants to be a fireman when he grows up, that he's always wanted to learn to play the guitar and his favorite color is purple. Silly details really, but they're the little details that make him Hal." I ran a frustrated hand through my hair, making it more unruly than usual. I stared up into his handsome face, the face that haunted my dreams at night and starred in my daytime fantasies, and asked softly, "What does it say to you that I feel like I know Hal better than you?"

When he didn't answer, I went on, "I know you are one of the bravest, strongest, most honorable people I've ever met. And, I trust you with my life… but I don't know if I can trust you with my heart. You use your strength to keep everyone at arm's length. You have a hard time sharing yourself with people and I know you have your reasons. But, I can't be with someone who can't tell me what's going on in his life.

"I went into this dating thing with all the wrong intentions… to make you jealous and give my ego a boost. And it worked like a charm on both counts, but I also learned some very interesting things about myself and what I want."

"What do you want?" he asked.

I wanted love without conditions. I wanted intimacy that went beyond the bedroom. "I want things that I'm not sure you can give me."

Ranger looked at me intently, "I want to change. I want to be in your life. I want you to know me."

I looked at him, so earnest in his declaration and I fought the urge to melt into him, kiss and make up. But I'd learned the hard way from my relationship with Joe that words were one thing and actions were another. I wasn't ready to repeat old mistakes.

I took a deep breath and said, "I don't know what the future might hold for us, but I do know what our past has been. Maybe you can change. But I'm not willing to take that on faith right now.

"I'm not saying we can never get back to where we were, maybe we can. But I don't know how long it's going to take to repair what's wrong with us. We need to get our friendship back on track first and in the meantime, I'm gonna live my life."

Ranger lifted his hand, tucked a curl behind my ear and let his fingers linger on the sensitive skin of my neck. There was no denying the physical attraction between us as my pulse leapt beneath his fingers. But the physical part was never our problem. I reached up and grasped his wrist, pulling it slowly away from me. Reluctantly he allowed me to return his hand to his side, his eyes holding mine. He asked, "Are you going to keep dating the guys at the office?"

I released his wrist and hesitated a moment, not wanting to cause him pain, but not willing to be anything but truthful. The truth was I had waited by my phone for six months, I was tired of waiting. "Yes, I suppose so. One of them at least."

"Lester?"

"Probably. I don't know where things are going with him, but I feel like I owe it to myself to find out."

His blank face was back in place now, any sign of emotion carefully suppressed. "Be careful, Babe. His reputation is well earned," he said quietly, deadly serious. "I'd hate to have to kill him for hurting you. He's one of my best men."

I couldn't hold in a little snort of laughter. "You know if someone had asked me two weeks ago to describe Lester Santos in a word I would have said, 'playboy.' Now, if I needed help, he'd be the first person I'd call." As I said it, I realized it was true. If I were in trouble, right now, I wouldn't call Ranger, I'd call Lester. In fact, if I'd had access to a phone an hour ago, he'd already be on his way up here to pick me up. "There is a lot more to Lester than he gets credit for."

"Babe," he choked out, "are you in love with him?"

I gently said, "I could love him if I let myself." And, I just might let myself, I added silently. No need to tell Ranger that. I continued, "I don't know where things are going with Lester. We're still getting to know each other. There's more to explore, but I like what I know so far."

Ranger nodded, looking away from me.

"So, where does that leave you and me, Babe?" he asked softly.

"Well, right now all I have to offer you is friendship. I'd like to get that back."

He looked at me and vowed, "You have my friendship, Babe, and everything else when you're ready for it."

Oh boy.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Our emotionally draining conversation was effectively ended when my stomach rumbled so loudly that I could ignore it no longer. I laughed self-consciously and Ranger smiled, leading me back to the breakfast bar to eat lunch. We sat side-by-side, making small talk, which was a new thing for us. After lunch we decided to break out a deck of cards and wait for Tank's call.

"How long do you think he'll leave us here?" I asked.

Ranger suggested a shrug with a slight twitch of his shoulders and answered, "It's hard to tell. He's trying to play match-maker and he may leave us here until he gets his way."

"I know Tank meant well, but I am going to get him for this."

"You and me both, Babe."

"We could put our time to good use and plan our revenge."

He grinned, "I like the way you think."

Two hours, a dozen hands of Gin Rummy and a plot to get back at Tank later, the phone rang. Ranger's quick reflexes allowed him to get to the phone first.

"Yo," Ranger said.

I paced in front of him impatiently, wanting to give Tank a piece of my mind.

"No, we've said everything there is to be said, for now," Ranger said into the phone.

I strained my ears to try to pick up what Tank was saying, but only heard Ranger's terse answers, "No… Yes… Yes… Now…When?... Damn you, Tank." Then he hung up.

"Hey, I wanted to talk to him," I said, narrowing my eyes at Ranger.

"I know Babe, but Tank threatened to leave us here for a week if I put you on the phone," he said with a hint of a smile.

Humph. I crossed my arms over my chest, "So, when is he coming to get us?"

"He'll be here in the morning. We're stuck 'til then."

Unbelievable. "Oh, I hope Tank has honed his survival skills, because I'm sending him on a one way trip to a third-world country when we get back."

Ranger and I spent the remainder of the day hiking and enjoying our picturesque prison. We rejected the idea of calling for a ride from one of the neighboring houses… too complicated to explain how and why we were in this situation. Later, we made dinner together: salad, grilled chicken and long-grain rice. It seemed Tank did the grocery shopping with Ranger in mind. We talked a lot. Ranger actually shared some of those little details about himself, telling me the story of how he had met his ex-wife, why he'd joined the army and how he'd ended up in Trenton when he got out. I appreciated that he was trying even though I could see him fighting his normally private nature. More surprisingly, he kept his physical distance, restraining himself from touching me as he would have in the past.

I took the bed, while Ranger slept on the sofa and frankly I was surprised when I awoke to find he had remained there throughout the night.

By the time I was showered and dressed in the morning, Tank had arrived and was making breakfast in the kitchen. I walked up to him where he was standing at the sink and smacked his ass. "You're on my list now, big guy," I said.

He turned around and caught me in a bear hug, pinning my arms to my sides and bent his head down to whisper in my ear, "I'm sorry, Steph. I thought you would want to know the truth about Ranger before it was too late. I didn't realize that it already was." He grasped my upper arms and held me away from him, saying softly, "I told you I'd support you no matter what and I meant it. I wasn't trying to hurt you."

"I know Tank. I'm glad that I got the chance to hear from Ranger what was really going on. But, it doesn't change the fact that I've decided to move forward. It almost makes it easier. I'm not feeling so sorry for myself and I'm ready to be happy."

Tank pressed a kiss to my forehead and said, "You deserve to be happy, Steph."

I smiled at him, "I do. And I will be."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

A/N: Okay, so I thought breaking Lester's heart was hard. Whew. This chapter was torture to write. But, it was a necessary evil. She can't pick Lester if she's with Ranger. Hope it isn't torture to read… One more alternate chapter (with all the good Lester stuff) and then this story is officially complete. Thanks for reading!