Again, thanks to JE for your characters we love to manipulate to our will!

Good reviews, some of you are quiet again. The Ranger ick is coming. Honeymoon is over, rover.

Some comments on seizures left. They can be debilitating and life changing. My friend's mother thinks that his was caused by a car accident in the family car. However, they didn't begin right away. They arrived when he got his drivers permit, and they never stopped. Tough time to hit a teen. They just about ruined his life. He didn't get a license and drive or keep a job until the creation of some meds that really worked. By then, he was in his 30's. When he had seizures, they were violent and, it was hard to watch. He'd had to have stitches in his tongue before, and his head from falling. He would stay out from minutes to a couple hours. However, the longer he stayed out, the more lucid and normal he was when he woke. The short periods, he would wake up kind of crazy. So, everyone is different. There were signs when he was going to have one. He would get quiet and stare shortly before, and his fine motor skills would be off, or he would shake slightly. FYI-A trigger for him was alcohol. He smoked weed until the meds that worked came out. Again, another case for medical Mary Jane.

Funny story I'll share. His mother was a sweetheart, it was funny hearing her say, "Greggie is downstairs having his marijuana cigarette." He hung wallpaper at one time, and I bought a condo and he and I were investigating some water damage behind the toilet. The knob on the back of the toilet came off in his hand and water blasted out of there knocking him against the wall. We couldn't find the water shut off and nobody in the complex knew what to do. Had to call the fire department. Even they were flopping around in my unit bathroom like fish. Had to turn off the water at the street, shut off the electricity to the building. By that time, the lady's ceiling under me was about to drop and the basement was flooded. Firemen had to punch holes in the woman's ceiling and she wasn't home. When we got to his mother's house later in the day, we were white-faced and looked like drowned rats. She said, "Mandy, you need a marijuana cigarette." LOL Cracked me and Greg up.

This is the chapter that will release the wheels and put the train in motion. Naughty warning in this chapter too.

Alix33 depending on you to come up behind me and clean up my punctuation. Thanks girl!

Chapter 25

When they arrived at the Manoso family home in Newark, the newlyweds were both smiling and holding hands. There were several members of the Manoso clan there with Ranger's parents. The plane had gone back with Ana and her family because of the restaurant, and Frank and his family had gone with them. Sara and her family were there today, and going back with he and Stephanie.

Ranger didn't have to say a word. His mother looked at their hands clasped together which was so out of character for her son and saw the rings. She raised her hands to her mouth and ran toward them. "Oh, my son. My new daughter. I can't believe it! You finally married this woman you love. Carlos, it is about time."

His Papa rose and smiled offering his hand. "We have plenty of food and wine. We will celebrate!"

Ranger reached in his pocket and opened his father's hand he was holding, placing the necklace there. "Papa. I made you a promise and have something for you."

His father opened his hand, and looked at the gold necklace and turned it over. Tears formed in his eyes, and he collapsed back into his chair. "Papa!"

Ranger's mother ran over to him and his father waved his hand. "No, no. These are tears of joy. My son has just given this old man peace." He smiled at Ranger. "Thank you Carlos, my son."

Sara walked over to her father and put her arm around him. She looked over his shoulder at the item in his hand and her blood turned ice cold, making her shiver. That was her sister's necklace. She envisioned in her mind a trail of blood leading here, to her childhood home. She had been sitting on the couch trying to form the words to congratulate her brother and Stephanie, and all she could do was picture an innocent Angel, and a very sad, and sullen Stephanie the first time she'd seen her. Then there was the tragedy the day of the memorial service. Why had this marriage taken place now? What was her brother really thinking?

Stephanie asked where Angel was and Ranger's mother told her that she was napping. She said that Angel had been fussy at first after they'd left, but had calmed when she'd gotten some of the other children's little books out and began reading her stories. She said that Angel was very smart. She began pointing to pictures and mouthing the word to Angel. She had watched her mouth closely. Then Angel began touching the pictures herself to hear the words again. She had been engrossed in the books till she got sleepy.

Stephanie told Ranger that they needed to get her some toys and books that made sounds. He smiled and told her that they would as soon as they got home. They had a big meal with the family, and stayed most of the day. Angel had been all smiles when she woke and saw she and Ranger where there.

Ranger placed Angel in their bed back at the hotel that night and opened a bottle of wine for himself and Stephanie in the living area of the suite. They made love on the sofa, this time he held only one of her hands over her head. It was the one that wore his wedding ring, and his own fingers were threaded through hers. Stephanie had let herself go and loved him like in the fairy tale dream she'd once carried in her head. She didn't know how long the fantasy would last, and the reality of the real situation she was in would come crashing down on her. Neither one of them were the people that they were over two years ago now, and she feared that the man she thought she'd known then had been a fictional character all along. Just part of the fairy tale in her head.

The next day on the plane, Sara took a seat next to Stephanie. "Welcome to the family Stephanie. I want you to know that you have a friend in Miami, if you ever need one. I imagine it must feel lonely at times not knowing anyone."

Stephanie smiled at her. "Thank you for that. I got used to being alone when I lived in Newark. However, having Angel does fill a big hole that was there before."

She said, "You love her very much, don't you?"

Stephanie looked at Sara. She was a doctor, an intelligent woman, and a mother. Maybe she would understand this. "I loved her enough that when I didn't know if I was going to be okay, and I might lose her, I was willing to let her go."

Sara smiled. "That's what a mother's love is about, the sacrifices you make for the welfare of the child. You put her first, not yourself."

Stephanie's eyes were tearing up. "Sara, I'll never forgive myself for not taking her to the doctor when I found her."

Sara took her hand. "Stephanie, if I had just lost a baby and been through all you had, I don't know what I would have done in your shoes. The point is, she would have died if you hadn't found her and saved her life. She hears now and she's very happy. I believe that exactly what happened was what was meant to be."

"You do? You don't think of me as a terrible person? I cheated on my ex-husband with Ranger when we were dating. I hurt him."

"I know some about your relationship with my brother. You were close for a long time, so you evidently had feelings for him. The same with your ex-husband. I don't judge you for loving these men, there must have been a reason why you couldn't chose."

Stephanie nodded, and glanced at Ranger who was holding Angel and reading to her with a book his mother had said was her favorite, and sent along. "Ranger didn't want a real relationship and he would send me back to Joe, but still never really let me go. I was weak and he was like a drug. I cared for him, and couldn't give him up either."

She nodded. "And after his friend Bobby died?"

A tear fell from the corner of her eye remembering Bobby and that day. She swiped at it. "That day changed everything for everyone, but Ranger had already begun to put distance between us. For some reason he showed up at my apartment one night before that happened. He seemed like he was troubled about something. That's when the baby was conceived."

Sara nodded. "It seems odd that he would want to rush into marriage now, doesn't it?"

"Yes, my big question too," Stephanie took a big breath and swiped at her eyes again.

"You could have said no if you didn't feel the time was right," she said.

"I kind of did."

Sara took her hand and whispered. "He didn't give you a choice?"

Stephanie shook her head in the negative and Sara's mouth opened and her eyes were wide with surprise. She whispered again to Stephanie. "You can trust me. You call me if you ever need me. I'm serious."

Stephanie nodded her understanding and glanced toward Ranger whose eyes were now leveled at them both. A chill ran through her, and unbeknownst to her, Sara who was still holding her hand felt that same chill being one of the recipients of his cold, dark, stare.

That night back in Miami, Ranger was quiet at dinner and in their bed he was rougher and more aggressive with her.

The bed was empty when Stephanie woke the next morning. She put her robe on and went to the nursery. Someone had already come for Angel. She went downstairs and found Angel in the high chair in the kitchen with her face covered in oatmeal. She had a little bowl of berries and was squishing them with one hand. She smiled at Stephanie and reached a blue hand out to touch her. "Oh no you don't, little girl."

Stephanie bent over and pointed to her hand. "You have a blue hand."

Angel watched her mouth and said, "Boo."

Stephanie repeated the word slowly, showing her the movement of her tongue. "Blue."

"Bwoo."

Stephanie giggled. "Very good, Angel."

Betina snickered. "That was very good. It's hard for beginners to pronounce the L and R letters. Same with my kids. She is a very smart little girl. So eager to learn."

Angel said, "Grr."

Both Stephanie and Betina laughed. Betina said, "I take it back. That was a pretty good R sound. You have your breakfast. I'll clean the blue grr."

Ranger came in the room and kissed her before sitting down with his own meal. "Angel finished eating, Babe?"

"Yeah, Betina's cleaning her up. She said two words."

He smiled. "What were they?"

"Well, they weren't perfect, but blue and girl."

"She's probably going to learn fast now. We should stop at an early learning store and see what they recommend for her age. I'd like to start teaching her Spanish soon too, Babe."

Ranger had secured them appointments with both the plastic surgeon and the neurologist, and they were headed there now. The plastic surgeon was pleased with how her leg was healing and told her that she could begin using soap and whatever moisturizer she liked or even vitamin E to minimize the scars even further. He told her that he only needed to see her one more time in a month if she continued to do well.

The neurologist didn't seem to be concerned with just one seizure and since it had to do with restoring the rest of her memories, he had kind of belayed any fears they had with the same reasoning that Ranger had read. She was likely just healing. He said that they shouldn't worry unless they began again and became regular or frequent.

He surprised her with a visit to her new OBGYN doctor. He looked over at her before they got out of the car. "We're taking care of the birth control. I'm not using a condom to fuck my wife."

Stephanie grimaced at his crude words and attitude. "If this is the way you treated and talked to Rachel after you married, no wonder the honeymoon was over quickly. You'll use one until you show me proof that you've given up the other whore."

He turned cold eyes on her. "I will say again. You will not dictate to me, Stephanie."

She snapped back at him. "And you don't own me just because you had that guy that married us make me say the word obey. Hardly anybody but religious fanatics and control freaks use that word anymore. It's sexist and you made him put it in the vows. Even Joe didn't make me say that word."

His nostrils flared and she knew that she had struck a sensitive chord. "Babe..."

He didn't say another word. He just got out of the car, came around to open her door, and led her inside by her elbow. Ranger was quiet during the wait to see her doctor, but when she came out of the exam room after her needs were taken care of, he seemed a little different. He even smiled at her, taking her hand and walking them to the car. "I looked up some local places to shop for Angel while I was waiting for you. We'll go there next."

"Okay," she said to him.

Ranger talked to a lady at the store who used to be a teacher, and bought just about everything that she recommended. The toys included, sorting blocks, counting blocks, social skills and language toys, musical toys, push and play, discovery, and art toys. And of course, all kinds of books. As they were leaving, Stephanie said, "Maybe we shouldn't overwhelm her and give her all of them at the same time. She gets tired from just hearing sounds now."

"Babe, she's smart. She'll choose the ones that she likes the most, choosing is part of the learning process."

Stephanie tried to raise an eyebrow. "That's an interesting statement considering you haven't allowed the same for me."

He slammed the Mercedes SUV door on her side and walked around the car. A few moments later, the driver side door opened and Ranger slid into the seat and turned to her. "You're testing my patience now that you have your memory back, Babe. I don't like it. I married you because you were so much like your old self before. The Stephanie I met in Trenton and loved."

She turned to him. "That Stephanie started to die the day that Bobby died, Ranger. Your leaving, losing a baby, a husband and friend, and being sent away by my parents finished her off." She actually laughed. "So, if that was a prerequisite for what you imagined would make for a happy marriage with me, its doomed for sure. Oh, and I liked the old Ranger too. I'm not exactly loving the new one, or is this the real you?"

He said simply, ""Be careful, Stephanie.

She thought, so now she's not his babe when she doesn't agree with his controlling bull crap, she's Stephanie.

Angel had played that afternoon until she just fell over, literally. Stephanie just placed her favorite blanket over her right where she lay for her nap. Ranger had retreated to his office when they got back. She tip-toed to the door. He was on the phone and it was on speaker.

She heard Tank's voice. "Williams is going with us. Fenton Humphries attorney contacted him and he's got the papers drawn up, I just need to go over them. We got word from a source over there that somethin' is goin' down next week. That's when we're gonna take care of business before the business."

Ranger said, "Hal, you ready for this? You understand that this is a civilian matter that we have to deal with before closing this merger."

It was quiet a moment and then she heard Hal's voice. "Yes sir. I understand and will do the job required."

"Same question to you, Rod," Ranger's voice again.

"You know me. I'm like Hector. Just give me the job details and the job is done. I'm good."

Ranger again. "I have a contact over there, and he'll supply all your guns, ammo, and gear. Tank, I'll give you the contact details after I confirm what you need with the guy."

Tank's baritone voice. "Affirmative."

"So, there's four going, plus Williams. Hal is taking point, Tank, Rod, and Ram is your sniper."

"Yeah. Lester still refuses to go," Tank said."

"Let it go. I'm going to deal with Santos and his mouth before he leaves for L.A. We have personal business now. Okay, unless anyone has anything else, we'll wrap this call now."

All the men said some kind of goodbye and Stephanie hurried away from the door. She needed an escape and decided on a soak in the huge bathtub in the bathroom off the master suite. She wondered what they were talking about where they needed guns and would be dealing with civilians. Ranger mentioned a merger, and the one guy named Rod, did mention a job.

Her eyes were closed as she relaxed and then she felt eyes on her. Ranger was standing there watching her and he was naked, and he was aroused. He stepped in the tub and sat on the edge, then pulled her head toward his erection. She was disappointed that he'd interrupted her few peaceful moments alone. She did what he wanted and then went to stand and get out. He stopped her. "I'm not finished with you yet, Babe. This is the perfect place to play."

Shit. "Well, why didn't you just do it on me before you came? I'm ready to get out."

He shook his head. "I'm not talking about that."

He sank down into the tub and went to grab her. "No. I'm getting out," she insisted. By the look on his face, she wasn't going to like what he had in mind.

He reached out and grabbed her wrist. "I explained to you what I expect, and you will take care of my needs. All of them."

She snapped at him, exasperated. "I just did, damn you! We may be married, but my body is still my own. We're not living in the middle east, and you're not treating me like men there treat Muslim women. Is that where you picked up this bullshit, and I might add, offensive attitude of yours, Ranger?"

He let her go, but it was with a warning. "I've told you to be careful, and I'm trying to be patient with you. You're not going to talk to me that way, Stephanie, or there will be consequences."

TBC-

If you are a Muslim woman and you read me, I apologize. I care about the women of the middle east and their awful plight. I'm sorry, I try to stay out of taking sides where religion and politics are concerned, but this is an issue that I loathe about the men and their attitudes.