Chapter 25

Ranger took the stairs two at a time to the conference room. Why couldn't this shit be easy he thought. Why couldn't Stephanie just do what he said like his men. They trusted him to do what was right... What was best. But Stephanie had to stand independent, and fuck did that turn him on. Very few stood up to him, no one had the balls. But it also terrified the shit out of him.

She wanted to be independent and fuck, that gave him a hard on and a stopping heart.
He appreciated the fact that after all was said and done, she talked to him calmly. A few weeks ago she might have screamed and yelled and definitely she would not have waited until she cleared the hallway to do it. It was like their rolls completely reversed. He was ready to fight with all the men standing there and she was thinking about making it private. He really was losing his mind.

He stood in front of the stair doorway and took a breath. She was going to make him lose his mind, but in the end he wouldn't have it any other way. He could see she was trying with the calm way she spoke, now he had to try and let go.

He snorted, letting go was not his strong suit, it was gonna be a bumpy ride.

He pushed open the door to see Stephanie hugging Hector, they were whispering back and forth. He felt his heart jump, he hated it when she touched other men, even ones he knew only loved her like a sister. He also knew Stephanie's Spanish was not that good. Which meant that Hector's English was better than he advertised. Let them have their secrets, at least he knew Hector loved her as much as he did, and would not hesitate to die for her.

He did an internal sigh, now to humble and beg forgiveness, also not a strong point. But he knew he was gonna fuck up again eventually so better get on her good side now. He nodded at Stephanie and Hector then tilted his head to the Conference room. Meeting now, begging forgiveness later.

-/-

Stephanie walked over to Hector who was very casually siting at her desk on 5. As she stepped up she crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow….and waited.

Neither one said anything for several long seconds before she broke, "Really Hector, you couldn't be nicer." She whispered making sure no one was looking at her.

He slowly stood and glanced down at her, "No." he quietly said back, "Nicer would have killed me.'

Stephanie rolled her eyes, "Really, even after I asked you too?" she whispered waving her arms crazily back at him.

"I was nice because you asked, I was going to kill him. Kill him slowly and painfully. But instead I got in only two punches before bringing him back here alive." He gave her a tight smile, "Your welcome."

Stephanie narrowed her eyes at Hector, "Really…like really, really?" she whispered.

"Yes, Stephanie, did you really think that all of us could just forgive and forget? Did you think that we would all just say hay man; I know you didn't mean to put her in the hospital! Its ok that you terrified all of us and mostly her for weeks and weeks? Get real Stephanie. You are going to be lucky if one of use doesn't kill him for the fact that he even laid even one finger on you." He seethed the end out in a hushed voice.

Stephanie hung her head at the end and felt a tear run down her cheek, "I know." She whispered. "But please try for me?" she looked up at him and saw his eyes widen at her tears.

He took a breath and brushed off the tear traveling down her cheek, "I am, that's why he is still alive…. that and I want to know how he kept me out of his system so long." He said with a smirk.

She launched forward and wrapped her arms around him into a tight hug. "I love you, you big oaf. I guess just keep him alive and mostly unhurt and I will be happy.

He wrapped his arms back around her and whispered back, "I make no promise other then I won't help hide the body if someone else does it."

She let out a laugh and squeezed him tighter, "Ok thanks I guess."

He kissed the top of her head, "Anything for my sister. Now to the conference room. Ranger just walked in and demanded we get there."

She put her forehead into his chest and sighed, "I just yelled at him…. well more talked sternly but I don't know what else to do. I can't live with someone telling me what to do all the time…. or someone who makes decisions for me."

Hector tilted her head back and looked into her eyes, "Remember what I said right?"

She shook her head no, "You say a lot for someone who doesn't speak English… or anything to half the people around you." She said with a grin.

He smirked down at her, "Men are stupid…. he is gonna fuck up a lot… a lot, a lot."

"Well that is true, you are all pretty slow." She said with a grin as she backed up away from him slowly. "I mean you are not exactly the brightest." She watched as his eyes got big and round then he lunged for her but she slipped by and ran into the conference room in a full sprint tumbling into the room laughing. Hector was right behind her with a scowl on his lips. All the men waiting in the room including Ranger looked up to see her laugh and most smiled back at her just happy to see her laughing with bright eyes.

"Something funny Babe?" Ranger asked folding his arms over his chest.

She walked over to her chair and shrugged, "Men are stupid." Most of the men dropped the smiles and narrowed their eyes at her.

Ranger raised both eyebrows, "A reason why men are stupid?" he questioned.

She smiled and looked over at Hector who was sitting down in his chair, "Hector told me so." Then she looked down at the folder in front of her and smiled as she began reading her briefing. She waited a few minutes before looking up to see most of the men still looking at her, "What?" she asked raising her eye brows.

Most of the men just shook their heads at her smiling, Ranger just narrowed his eyes even more but Lester had big balls and said, "I am not stupid."

At this Hector turned and said, "Usted es el Mas estupido de aqui."

Lester looked over at Hector and said in a pissed off voice, "What did you say to me?"

At this Stephanie put down her folder and said in a super slow voice to Lester, "He… said… you… are… the… stupidest… one… in… here..." Knowing he knew exactly what Hector already said.

And the room exploded in laughter, even Ranger smirked at them.

-/-

The room began to settle as Bobby, Tank and Timmy walked into the room to sit at the table. The room consisted of some the core team who looked at Timmy with varying degrees of anger.

Stephanie watched as Bobby sat Timmy at the end of the table and sat next to him, she caught Bobby's eyes and relaxed a little when he smiled and nodded at her. Once everyone was settled Ranger stood and cleared his throat, instantly the room was quiet and waiting.

"We all have questions that we need answered and you have the answers." He said looking down at Timmy.

They all turned down to Timmy and waited; Timmy shrunk down into his chair and his eyes began to glaze over slightly. Stephanie looked around the table and saw why he was terrified. Bobby, Hal, Hector, Tank, Ranger, herself, Lester and Cal. She looked over at Bobby and gave him a questioned look, he nodded in response. Ok she was starting to be able to communicate without talking she thought as she stood and walked over to the empty seat right next to Timmy at the end of the table.

The men began to make sounds of anger and distress as they saw her get closer and sit next to Timmy, but she just waved her hand at them to wait. As she sat she looked across the table to Bobby and then cleared her throat at Timmy, "Hay, how are you feeling." She asked him gently.

She watched as Timmy struggled to focus on her instead of the rest of the room that was oozing hate and anger.

"Peachy." He squeaked at her. She gave him another gentle smile. "I never really liked peaches." She said back trying to get him to look at her.

He glanced at her, "Me either."

She gave him a full grin this time, "So why did you say Peachy… maybe say, Just Cherry. Cherries are yummy."

He blinked at her a couple of times before he gave a small smile, "You are so weird."

Stephanie heard a few men growl at his statement but smiled right back, "I am super weird …... but people like me anyway."

He full smiled at her, "I like you, you are nice…. Most people aren't." He said softly with a small shrug.

She grinned at him, "Well most people don't like to be kidnaped... but it happens to me often enough that I am starting to not mind it too much…... lucky for you." Again she heard growls behind her but she had his full attention.

"See you are so weird… but the coolest person I have ever met." He said with a small smile again.

She sat back and gave him a big grin, "That's because I am the shit…. You will never find anyone as cool as me. I am superwomen, didn't you know that?" She questioned him. She leaned forward and said in loud whisper, "Did you know that I once tried to fly?"

He shook his head and sat forward ready to listen to her story. Without them noticing most of the men sat forward wanting to hear what she said.

She looked at Timmy and gave a small smile, "When I was little I knew in my heart that I was Superwoman and that I could fly. But no one believed me. I was determined to show everyone. So I climbed up to the roof of my house and looked up to the sky and said in a super strong voice…. I am Superwoman and watch me fly. Then I jumped."

Timmy squinted his eyes, "Did you fly?"

Stephanie laughed out loud, "Nope fell two stories, landed in a heap on the ground and broke my arm. I had to wear a cast for the entire summer." She grinned at him, "But do you know what happened when I was out of the cast?"

Timmy shook his head at her, eyes riveted to her waiting for her to go on.

Stephanie tilted her head to the side and said in a light voice, "I climbed up to the top of that roof and jumped agine."

Timmy's eyes got large, "You jumped agine…. Knowing you couldn't fly? What happened?"

She gave another small smile, "I broke the other arm and was in the cast for the fall…... but I learned a very real lesson with that."

Timmy grinned, "That falling hurts?"

Stephanie grinned back, "Well yes." She said with a light musical laughter that made everyone in the room smile. "It hurts like hell to fall…. but I also learned something else."

Timmy looked perplexed. "What?"

Stephanie's smile fell, "That falling hurts but not trying hurts even more." She leaned forward again, "You see everyone kept telling me I would never fly. So after I broke my arm the second time. I stopped trying and it hurt so bad to think that I couldn't fly. That I couldn't be Superwoman." She said with a wistful smile.

Timmy sat forward also now, "So what did you do…. I mean how did you go on."

Stephanie looked down at the table at Ranger who was looking at her like she was Superwoman, "I found someone to help me fly." She looked around at the men at the table with a smile. "I found people who believed in me, who believed that I could do anything. People who always catch me when I fall." She looked back at Timmy. "I know that you really haven't had anyone that you could count on. Anyone that would catch you when you fall…. but I would like to be that person for you…... because I think you are pretty amazing and just need a little help."

Timmy narrowed his eyes at her, "Even after everything that I did to you."

She smiled at him, "We all make mistakes, I have made more than I can ever count. I have hurt the people at this table and the people who hold me up. That doesn't make me a bad person, it makes me a person who made some bad choices. It's not what you did, it's about how you rise from it. How you make amends for it." She said.

All the men at the table felt her words into their hearts and souls, it was one more reason that they loved her. It didn't matter what they had done, she loved them all anyway.

Timmy sat up straight and looked at her and said in a steady voice, "I want to be better, I want to help."

She gave him a smile, "I know, that why I agreed to help you."

"What do I do?" he asked.

"Answer all of our questions so we can stop these people from hurting even more people." She said firmly.

Timmy took a deep breath and looked around the table again, "Ok, what do you need to know?" he asked.

Ranger looked over at Stephanie who sat back and who gave him a small smile and nod. Anyone else looking would only see the small nod her gave her but she could see the love admiration pouring out his eyes at her.

Ranger looked over at Timmy, "So who took you?"

-/-

Stephanie woke up almost an hour later while being gently lifted from her seat at the table, "What's going on?" She mumbled at Ranger.

"You fell asleep Babe." He said as he brushed a kiss across her hair.

She wound her arms around his neck as he carried her out of the room and over to the elevators, "Did you get all the information you needed?" She questioned lightly.

"Not really he doesn't know a lot and he was just as exhausted as you, if not more." He said softly. "He was falling asleep at the table at the end."

She closed her eyes and placed her face in Rangers neck and mumbled, "It's because you guys terrorized him."

Ranger gave a small chuckle, "For once I think you are right. He was mentally done before we even started. Bobby said to let him sleep the rest of the day and night and in the morning we can try again. By then both you and Timmy should be more awake." He gave her another kiss on her forehead as the doors opened on seven.

He held her a little tighter and whispered, "Go to sleep babe, I need to humbly beg your forgiveness and I want you to be awake for it because it will probably never happen again."

She gave a light giggle, "I am sure that it will Ranger, you tend to fuck up a lot." She whispered back.

He scoffed at her, "I never fuck up… once in a while I just need to rethink a plan." He said back as he gently laid her in bed.

She gave another small giggle, "Smooth Romeo, real smooth….so you didn't make a bad choice?" she questioned as she watched him pull off her shoes.

"Nope." He replied, "Just figured out what NOT to do in the future."

"Oh yea and what is that?" She said snuggling under the covers.

"To not to ask you your thoughts before I make a decision that includes you." He said pulling off his shoes and climbing in behind her.

"Very good Babe, Very good." Stephanie whispered as she curled into his side.

Ranger wrapped an arm around her, "I am sorry that you felt that I didn't trust you Stephanie, I do. I just want to protect you from everything, even stuff you want to take care of by yourself. But I will help you fly, not put you in a bubble from now on." He whispered into her hair.

"Thanks Carlos, I love you." She whispered back.

"I am gonna do it again, I won't be able to help it." He said into her hair.

"I know." She said back. "I am gonna fuck up too."

"I know." He whispered back, "But we will work through it. Batman and Superwoman can do anything together." He tightened his grip on her, "Now sleep babe, you need it to yell at me some more later." He chuckled lightly when he heard her snore lightly.