*One day I will create a machine that sends me into the fantasy world of Stephanie Plum. Until then I will just have to borrow them from Janet.**

_Ranger POV_

'Oh fuck.' I thought. My body felt like it had been run over by the entire cast of Cars. 'What the fuck happened?'

I tried to remember, but everything was in a haze. I took a breath, gagging on what I know from past experiences was a breathing tube. 'Oh shit. That's never a good sign.'

I quickly evaluated my body, without even opening my eyes. Pain radiated everywhere, but the worst pain came from my head, and my chest. I tried wiggling my toes.

'Thank God. I have legs and they work.' I focused on each of my hands. Realizing there was a warm hand in mine I squeezed gently.

"TANK!" Babe's voice startled the crap out of me and I jumped involuntarily. "TANK, HE'S MOVING!"

I felt her lean in close to me, smelling her cherry almond shampoo and feeling the heat rolling off her.

"Carlos." She whispered in my ear. "Carlos, it's Steph. Can you hear me?"

I slowly began opening my eyes, fighting against the heaviness and the sharp pain of the light. I blinked a few times, trying to focus. There right in front of me was my Babe.

"Mrprph.." I grumbled. God she looked amazing. Tired and stressed, but beautiful as ever. Her big blue eyes sparkled with tears, breaking my heart. I hated to see her cry. I tried to reach for her face, my arm feeling like it weighed a ton. Just as I was about to reach her face, the door crashed open. She and I both jumped and I tried to move to protect her, but wasn't able to move the way I wanted.

"Ranger." Tank's face came into view, a huge smile on his face. I raised an eyebrow and looked from Steph to Tank. "You were pretty fucked up, boss."

"Groolltofrrof.." I tried to speak again.

"You have a breathing tube, and NG tube and Oxygen…you are not going to be talking until they get some of that shit out." Tank chuckled, placing a giant hand on my shoulder. "It's really good to see you awake, brother."

More footsteps sounded through the room followed by an older woman wearing scrubs. Nurse, I assume.

"Mr. Manoso, good morning." She smiled, checking various lines, tubes and monitors. "It's good to see you awake, son. This young lady has been waiting for you to open those eyes of yours." She tapped a button on the side of the bed and stood. "The doctor is going to be in a moment to see if we can get some of those tubes out of you."

"You have been progressing over the past few weeks." Stephanie said.

'Wait…weeks? What the fuck? I have been unconscious for weeks?' My unreadable mask must be broken because Stephanie quickly noticed.

"Ranger, you had really bad injuries. You were in an medically induced coma for almost 2 weeks. We've been watching you for the past week waiting for you to wake up. Dr. Fletcher said that it should be any moment….well, he said that every day for the past two weeks." She reached up and put her hand on my face, gently running her thumb over my bottom lip. "I'm just glad to see your eyes open."

"Carlos." A man in a white coat, Dr. Fletcher I assumed, came into the room and stood at the end of the bed. "I'm Dr. Fletcher. I have been here since the day you came into the ER. I am sure that you have many questions that you would like answered."

I nodded.

"Would you like me to see if I can get rid of some of those tubes?" He asked, pointing at the massive amounts of wires and tubes coming out of me. I nodded again. "Alright. Let's get this stuff out."

I watched as the nurse gathered supplies and brought them on a rolling tray up to my bedside.

"Steph, do you want to wait outside?" Dr. Fletcher asked, putting on gloves. I looked at Steph, who just shook her head. "Alright." He grabbed a syringe as the nurse placed a towel across my chest and set an emesis bowl in front of me. "

He inserted the syringe and pressed the plunger for a second.

"Now, you are going to take a deep breath at the count of three. This is not going to feel pleasant, but it will only take a few seconds. Ready?" He removed the tape keeping the NG tube secure. "1 – 2 – 3." I took a deep breath as he pulled the tube out slowly. It hurt like a mother fucker, but I was so glad to have that one out.

"Alright, good job." Dr. Fletcher disposed of the tube as the nurse wiped down my face. "Now, for the big guy? I know you know how this one works." I nodded again, bracing myself for the breathing tube to be removed. Stephanie grabbed my hand and pressed it against her chest. I glanced at her face and tried to smile. "Alright. Let's do this. At the count of three I want you to breath out. 1 – 2 – 3."

The tube felt like it was coming from somewhere a couple floors below me. When it finally was removed completely I was wracked with a coughing fit. Steph gently rubbed my chest as I coughed.

"Wonderful." Dr. Fletcher disposed of the tube and checked me over. "Can you try to talk?"

I turned to Steph and smiled.

"I love you." My voice was weak and scratchy, but I know she heard me. Tears rolled down her face, but I knew they were happy tears. "Babe." I reached up and pulled her towards me. Her lips touched mine gently. When our kiss broke, she pressed her forehead against mine.

"That has to be the sweetest moment I have ever seen in my life." The nurse sighed.

"That's my boy." Tank laughed. "I'm going to update the team, and let your mom know you are awake."

"Wait, what?" I looked for Tank, who had just strolled out the door. "Mamma is here?"

"Yep." Steph chuckled. "She's been here since the day after your surgery."

"How about we answer some of your questions." Dr. Fletcher said, pulling up a chair next to my bed and putting his hands in his lap.

"Surgery." I said simply.

"Well, you coded as you came in. You weren't breathing and your heart had stopped. You had a collapsed lung, which had been field treated. A head injury, and your history of TBI, caused your brain to swell. We had to go in, put in a shunt and drain the excess fluid." I reached for the top of my head. "It was removed shortly after we stopped the medication to keep you in a coma."

"Tank saved your life, Ranger." Steph said quietly. "If he hadn't started a chest tube, you never would have made it to the hospital."

That didn't surprise me. I can't even count how many times my best friend has saved my life. Nor can I remember how many times I have for him. It was never a good feeling knowing that I put my closest friend in that position, but I was eternally grateful.

"The surgery was obviously a success." Dr. Fletcher smiled. "Your healing wonderfully, and I don't believe there will be many long term effects." I nodded, taking in the information he had given me. I was okay. Hurt like hell, but I was going to live. "Are you in any pain? Would you like something to help?"

"No." I hated that I sounded like a veteran smoker. "I'm okay. It's not as bad as I initially thought. I'll let you know if I change my mind." I cleared my throat. Steph reached behind her and grabbed a unopened bottle of water. She opened it and held it up to my mouth. I drank slowly, the cold water feeling good against my raw throat. "Thanks, Babe."

"Drinking feel okay?" He asked. I nodded. "The only thing you have going into your IV right now is Saline. We can have that removed, but I would like to keep the access, if it's okay."

I shifted slightly and stopped. Lifting the sheet I looked down. 'Shit.' I replaced the sheet, closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"Can I get this removed as well?" I asked, pointing at the catheter. Stephanie giggled, and shook her head.

"Yes." He chuckled and stood. "But I would like to wait until I know for sure that you can both hydrate and void without assistance. Sound fair?"

"Yes." I grumbled. I can handle a lot of things, but I hate catheters. "I have one more question. How are my men?"

"I am not aware of anyone else being here, but I do know that we had to patch up quite a few of them." He sighed. "I don't know exactly what happened, and I know; based on the federal orders to not ask about an investigation; that it's not something I need to know about. But I do hope that this incident helps make the decision to slow down a little."

"Thank you, Dr. Fletcher." I said, raising my hand. He took it and we shook. "I appreciate everything you have done."

He removed some equipment and nodded as he walked out of the room, leaving Stephanie and I alone.

_Stephanie POV_

I watched as Dr. Fletcher walked out of the room.

"Babe." His voice was the most amazing sound. I turned and faced him, he grabbed my hand and pulled. "Come here."

"Ranger, I can't just crawl into bed with you." I laughed. He pulled harder and I gave in, curling up next to him. He nuzzled my neck and wrapped his arms around me. "Remember, you have something in the way…and let's me honest; while I would love to have a Ranger induced orgasm we can't get you all worked up."

"Babe, you smell amazing. You look beautiful and touching you makes me feel better." He almost purred, sending kisses up my neck and behind my ear. He stopped, sighed and flopped his head back down on the pillow.

"I thought I was going to lose you." I ran my hand over his cheek and down his chest. "I don't know what I would have done if you had. Just the threat of losing you made it hard to breath."

He kissed me, curling his fingers in my hair and pressing me closer to him.

"I'm sorry, Babe." Pressing his lips to mine again and kissing me deeper. A part of my mind kept saying to stop, that we both know what happens when we get going. My heart and body were telling that part of my mind to shove it. His hand slipped up the back of my shirt and splayed between my shoulder blades. He pulled me tightly against him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and moaned softly as his kisses began trailing down my neck, nipping my shoulder blade.

"Ah-hem."

We froze.

"Somehow I am not surprised." Mamma Manoso stood in the doorway, hands on hips. "Carlos, I think you have forgotten about the fact that right now you have a tube shoved into your weewee, and while I would love to have more grandchildren I think maybe you need to wait at least until you are released."

"Mamma." Ranger groaned.

I pulled away, my face burning from embarrassment. Mamma Manoso hurried to her son's bedside and hugged him, kissing his cheeks.

"Carlos, I am an old woman. You can't be doing this anymore. My heart can't take it again." Mamma tried to sound firm, but came out more concerned and relieved. "My baby boy.." tears welled up in her eyes.

"Mamma, I'm sorry." Ranger reached up and wrapped his mother in a hug. "I love you, Mamma. I didn't try to get hurt."

"I know." She said, reaching into her purse and pulling out a tissue and tabbing her eyes. "I know why you did what you did, and I am glad that my Estephania is finally safe. She and I have gotten very close in the past month. I am trying to help her plan the wedding, but she has been resisting. Something about how you haven't asked her, and that she can't be presumptuous." Ranger gawked at me and his mother, a twinkle of a smile in his eyes. "What is that nonsense?"

"Mamma…"

"You took your grandmother's wedding ring 2 years ago for her. Why is it that you aren't even planning this wedding yet."

"Two years?" I asked. "Did you just say he's had the ring two years? For me?"

"Mamma, you are going to get me in trouble." Ranger chuckled and grabbed my hand. "I have been awake for less than an hour. I think that maybe once I can get a moment alone, out of this hospital we could discuss it together."

"I am going to get some coffee." She said, pressing a kiss to his forehead and then to mine. "I will be back in a little while. That will give you plenty of time."

She strolled off before Ranger could argue.

"Les called her, didn't he." He finally said, still staring at the door. I nodded and laughed. "I'm going to kick his ass."

"Careful." I said, raising an eyebrow. "You need to be gentle to his ass. He is barely healed. Gunshot wounds are a bitch."

This got a burst of laughter from Ranger.

"No way." He sat up looking around the room. "Where's my cellphone?"

"I think it's in here." I pulled open a drawer on the stand next to the bed and powered on his cell phone, surprised that it still had a charge. I handed it to him and he quickly made a quick phone call, clicking the speaker button as it was picked up.

"No fucking way!" Les' voice rang through the room. "Cuz, is that you?"

"It is." He curled his hand into mine.

"I'm heading over to the hospital right now." We heard his engine rev and tires squealing.

"Les." There was a pause. "I heard you got shot."

"Fuck." Les grumbled. "Come on, man."

"How's the ass, cuz?" Ranger laughed.

"Scars are sexy, Carlos." Les' tone was deadpanned, but I could tell he was having fun. "Plus, I was thinking about getting Stephanie's lip print to cover the scar."

"Those are my lips, Cuz. Why don't you have Hector do it?"

"It was ONE time, Ranger!" Les wailed exasperated. "I was drunk."

"Whatever you say." Ranger chuckled. "See you soon."

The line dropped and I looked at Ranger. I opened my mouth to ask, but he just put up a hand and shook his head.

"I missed you, Batman."

"I missed you too, Babe."

**Thanks for reading. Please leave a comment, review, a nice hello. I love getting feedback. Next chapter coming tomorrow.***