This story is based upon characters created by Janet Evanovich. I don't own them, I only play with them, and for entertainment purposes only.

A/N

OK, so this story is coming to a close. I'm thinking another chapter, maybe two. Please keep the feedback coming, I truly appreciate it. Chica.

The door was locked. My brow automatically furrowed as I recalled my earlier conversation, trying to determine if I'd misunderstood where we were meeting. A random thought passed through my mind that this is how women developed premature wrinkles, and I quickly straightened my expression and ran my fingers across my forehead to ensure it was smooth again. This is certainly strange, I thought to myself. Perhaps I'd missed a call? I checked my phone and found no missed calls and it was already five after two.

With my hands trying to shield the sunlight from my eyes, I looked through the glass front door. Although the waiting room looked empty and the lights were off, I could see a light coming from one of the rooms in the back. Maybe Vivian didn't know that the front door was locked? I made my way around the back of the building and was delighted to find the rear door unlocked. I smiled as I walked in, heading for the room with the light on.

"Vivian?" I called quietly. Suddenly my Spidey senses were tingling and fear began crawling up my back. Everything about this situation felt wrong, but although I had slowed down my steps, I just couldn't stop myself from moving forward. I needed to see in that room. I needed to know that Vivian was OK.

When I finally reached the door I noticed that it was slightly ajar and light was spilling out into the hallway. Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open, expecting the worst.

The scene in front of me caught me so much by surprise that I stood there stunned and immobile. There in the exam room were four men. The one directly in front of me was wearing a white lab coat. He had a wad of gauze in his right hand and his left hand on the face of another man who was seated on the exam table. He quickly pulled his hands away and stared at me with surprise and a small amount of fear. I could tell that there were another two men, one on either side of the exam room, but my eyes were drawn to the man I assumed to be the patient. His face was a little blotchy, but otherwise striking for a man in his forties. His overall skin tone and dark hair gave him the appearance of someone with Hispanic heritage, but his square jaw and high rounded cheekbones leaned more towards someone of European ancestry.

When my eyes met his, the blood in my veins seemed to freeze. I had been so distracted by that cold, sinister look, that I didn't notice the guns in the hands of the men on the periphery until they were lifted in my direction. Fortunately, that seemed to shake me out of my stupor and I bolted from the room and out the back door as quickly as humanly possible.

I'd just stepped out into the sunshine when I heard the first shot. Startled, I tripped in the alley, skinning my hands and knees. I was on my feet again in seconds and running for my car. I knew that if I could just make it to the safety of my car, that I would be alright, that I would escape. I'd call Ranger and he'd help me. I heard another shot and felt a bullet whizz by my head, causing me to scream.

"Just give her some room, don't crowd her!"

I could hear Ranger's voice as though it were at the end of a long tunnel. He was talking to me in soothing tones but I couldn't understand anything he was saying. All I could see was that never ending alley, and I knew the shooter was right behind me. I was terrified, but I knew Ranger would help me.

"Ranger will help me," I whispered to myself. "Ranger will help me."

"That's right, Babe," Ranger said softly. "I'm here, I'm going to help you."

"Oh, God! I don't want to die." I'd begun crying and wrapped my arms around myself as tight as I could. "Ranger…" I cried.

My body was rocking back and forth and I was once again being soothed, but this time by gentle caresses on my hair and my back. And then I sensed it. That wonderful smell that promised me safety and comfort like nothing else could. Ranger. He was here. When he started talking this time, I could feel his words reverberate through my body. "Shhh, I've got you, Babe. I'm right here. You're safe now, I'm right here."

As if a veil was lifted from my eyes, the room around me slowly came into focus. I was no longer in that alley, but in one of the conference rooms at Rangeman. And instead of the cold eyes, I now recognized as belonging to Eduardo Mendez, staring back at me, all I saw was compassion and concern in the eyes of my friends. "Ranger?" I whispered.

"I'm here, Babe," he replied. I looked over my shoulder and directly into his chocolate brown eyes. He stopped rocking us then and ran his hand along the side of my face with the most gentle touch I'd ever felt. "There you are," he said quietly.

He had a small smile on his face but the look in his eyes still hinted at underlying fear. I tucked my chin down and rested my head against Ranger's chest. "I saw him, Ranger," I said softly. "I know what he looks like. I saw them all."

Ranger rested his chin on the top of my head in an oddly comforting fashion. "It's OK, Babe," he replied. "We'll handle it together." He lifted his chin and I nodded my head in agreement as he wiped the tears off my cheeks. "Do you want to get up now?"

I looked around and took in the scene for the first time. Ranger was on the floor in a corner of the conference room and I was sitting in his lap, his arms wrapped tightly around me. Several of my guys were standing or squatting half a dozen feet away, looking like they weren't sure what to do with themselves. Their worried expressions matched those I'd seen in Ranger moments ago and I immediately felt bad for being the cause of them.

I nodded in response. "Sorry," I said to my guys, bashfully.

Cal was by my side in the blink of an eye, offering me his hands when I started to get up off Ranger's lap. I placed my hands into his outstretched ones and let him help me to my feet. Once I was standing, Cal began leading me to the closest chair. Ranger stood then and kept his hands resting on my lower back. It was as though he knew I needed the comfort of his touch, even though we were among friends.

I followed Cal to a chair that Bobby pulled out for me and sat down, immediately beginning to shake. Cal felt it before he'd let me go and shot a fearful look between Bobby and Ranger, who'd stepped up beside me. Without a word, Ranger picked me up out of the chair and sat down in my place with me in his lap once again. It was exactly what I'd needed so I smiled shyly at them all.

"OK," Ranger said calmly. "Anybody want to tell me what happened?"

I looked at him in confusion. Hadn't he been here? I couldn't remember what happened before that memory resurfaced, but surely he would… Ranger ran his thumb across my brow, smoothing it out as he told me that he had been in his office when he heard me scream. I was surprised and looked at all my guys for an explanation.

Lester cleared his throat and looked uncomfortable. "She said she wanted to see the pictures of Mendez and his crew again," he began. "I didn't think it would be any harm." Lester's expression was full of remorse and sadness, and I couldn't stand to see it.

"It's OK, Lester," I said softly. "I guess I was just caught a little by surprise." I smiled up at him. "It worked though; I remember what happened now." While I knew that I wasn't in any real danger here, at this moment, it was difficult to shake off the fear that still lingered. Knowing why I was being targeted, though, allowed me to feel like I'd gained something back. Like the fear was something I'd be able to control now that I knew how I'd gotten myself into this mess.

"Oh my God!" I exclaimed as a new thought surfaced. "Ranger, this has nothing to do with you! Mendez is after me because I saw him, not because someone you work with sold you out!" I was so excited that Ranger wasn't in danger because of an unknown government traitor. In fact, his connection to Mendez was probably completely unknown. "The threat to my life has absolutely nothing to do with a vendetta against you," I continued. I was reminded of the conversation we'd had when he said that he was hesitant to begin a relationship with me because he would be putting me at risk. I think he was convinced that my near-death experience and my amnesia were somehow his fault. Now that we know the truth, I can honestly say that knowing Ranger has saved my life, and I told him so.

Ranger was quiet as if really contemplating the validity of his fears for the first time. I looked up and noticed several of the guys smiling, and a big smirk on Tank's face. It seems as though I wasn't the only one who'd been trying to convince Ranger that my life would actually be safer with him than without.

"Thank you," Ranger said quietly.

I looked at him in confusion. "Why are you thanking me?" I asked.

"For reminding me how strong you are," he replied. Lowering his voice he said, "For making me feel less guilty about the dangers you might face, just for being with me."

I smiled. "It seems to me that we've already established that I'm pretty much a danger magnet," I said with a wink. "I still think I'm getting the better end of this deal… a wonderful, caring, and gorgeous man who loves me, and my very own Batman to keep me safe."

The room erupted in laughter at the mention of Batman, lifting the tension that had been building since my little episode. I could see the happiness shining behind Ranger's eyes and knew it matched my own. I cupped his face between my hands and kissed him sweetly. When I pulled back I could see his eyes darken and his pupils dilate. I wiggled in his lap and felt his growing excitement; he moaned in response.

My lips were making their way back to Ranger's when Lester interrupted. "Before you guys start getting freaky right here in the conference room, perhaps we should talk about the case?"

I growled in frustration which earned me a few chuckles from the guys. Ranger's face was full of indecision. His hands were gripping my thighs and I could see his struggle to refocus on the case instead of his baser instincts. I leaned forward and whispered in his ear, "Later, I promise."

"I'm holding you to that," he whispered in reply. He tilted his head so that our foreheads were touching and we took a moment to gaze into each other's eyes. We didn't say anything else, but the look we shared said enough. I wasn't going to get much sleep tonight.

The guys started laughing again as Ranger's lust-filled haze morphed into a smug expression and a cocky grin. "Damn, I said that out loud, huh?"

"Yeah, Babe, you did."

I shrugged my shoulders and looked back at my guys. What else was there to say? "OK, where do we start?" I asked.

"How about you share with us what you just remembered and we take it from there?" Lester suggested.

I felt Ranger's arms wrap around my waist and he gave me a small squeeze for encouragement. He was letting me know that he was here for me, supporting me, and I knew that I didn't have to be afraid anymore.

I rehashed my encounter with Mendez and was able to not only give a good description of what he looked like, but with the help of Hector's fancy software, we have a good likeness of him now, too. I confirmed Dr. Perrington's identity and then described the two gunmen. Nobody was very surprised to learn that they were the Bronco man / oatmeal poisoner, and Javier Acosta, the man who took a dive out of my hospital window.

Now that we had a better idea who we were dealing with, and why, it was time to get the TPD involved again. Ranger called Joe and he arrived at Rangeman twenty minutes later. He also had a big smile on his face. I guess he had some news to share, too.

"You look like the cat that ate the canary," I told Joe. "What's going on?" I'd taken my own seat across the table from him when he walked in so that we could avoid any of the weird tension we'd had the last time he came over.

"We found a connection between Andrea Lipton and Raymond Alvarez," Joe said.

"Who's Andrea Lipton?" Ranger asked.

"You remember the woman who lives across from Tucker, the Bronco owner?" Joe asked. After a round of nods, he continued. "As you know, she was working at the post office the day that Tucker dropped off his notice to hold his mail, and since she is also currently living directly across the street from Tucker, we began surveillance of her home."

"What did you find?" I asked excitedly. "Did the Bronco man show up?"

"No, Steph," he said, shaking his head. "It wasn't your Bronco man, it was Raymond Alvarez."

"Wait, I'm confused," Junior said. "Alvarez is dead."

"You're right, Alvarez is dead," Joe replied. "But it appears that prior to his death he was dating Andrea Lipton. We were able to determine that Alvarez's cell phone had previously been billed to Lipton's account. It's the only connection we could find, and it was only for a few months, several months ago. I think they were trying to eliminate anything that would tie them together, but they forgot one small detail. Now we just need to find the link between Alvarez and your Bronco driver, and then we can really start rolling."

Ranger looked at me and smiled. Joe didn't miss the exchange. "OK, what am I missing?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing," Ranger teased. "Just that Stephanie remembered why she was initially attacked, and who attacked her."

"Steph, that's great!" Joe replied. "Who was it, what happened?

Instead of responding directly, I slid across the table a copy of the picture Hector had helped me create. "This is Eduardo Mendez," I replied. Joe picked up the picture and looked it over before putting it back on the table, a look of confusion on his face.

"That's not the picture you showed me before," he accused. I could tell that he was beginning to think we'd tricked him or intentionally misled him, as his face was turning a nice shade of red.

Ranger spoke up before Joe had a chance to get a full head of steam. "That was because we didn't know what he looked like after his cosmetic surgery until now."

Joe picked up the picture again, looking a bit more thoughtfully at it this time. He leaned back in his chair and a moment later seemed to put some of the pieces together. "And let me guess," he said. "The creepy doctor is a plastic surgeon."

"Well," I began. "Not anymore, but he was when he still had a practice just outside of Miami. We think that's where he initially met Mendez, or maybe he just got a referral from some other bad dudes, I don't know. The point is, I saw them together at his office before the Bronco man tried to kill me."

Joe nodded his head in understanding. "What else can you tell me? Any other details you can remember?"

"No other details yet, but I think your connection between Lipton and Alvarez makes a little more sense now," I responded. "Alvarez was working at the clinic, so perhaps he asked his girlfriend to be on the lookout for an opportunity to borrow a car for a while? Heck, maybe she just mentioned it in passing and Alvarez took advantage with an opportunity that presented itself."

"I think we may have uncovered a motive for Alvarez's death and a potential suspect," Ranger told him. I looked at Ranger in surprise. When did we figure that out? Ranger looked at me when he continued. "When Mendez figured out who you were and why you were there, I have no doubt that he took care of Alvarez for putting him in this situation. Whether that meant that he sent one of his men to take care of him or he did it himself, I couldn't say."

I was sitting in the chair nodding my head along to what Ranger had said, when a smile began stretching across my face. Lester was the first to notice.

"What's got you smiling, Beautiful?" He asked.

In less than a second, all the eyes in the room that had previously been focused on the exchange between Ranger and Joe, were now focused on me. I smiled ever wider.

"I was just thinking that there isn't much mystery left to solve," I replied. "We've figured out who is after me and why. Who the key players are, or at least their connections with Mendez. We know what Mendez looks like now, and you've been surveilling Dr. Perrington's house and office, so we know where he is and what he's up to. Seems like all we need to do now is just arrest everybody, and it'll all be over. Next to having all my memories back, not having to be afraid all the time is the next best thing!"

Ranger shot me a concerned look and wheeled my chair closer to him so that he could take my hand. "Please tell me you haven't been afraid all this time," he pled. "This building is more secure than most government facilities, Babe. My crew is made up of some of the best-trained soldiers and security experts you'll ever meet, and I'd do anything to keep you safe. You should know that."

He was looking at me with equal parts love and concern. It was so moving, I couldn't keep the tears from welling up in my eyes. "Of course I'm afraid, Ranger," I replied. For a brief moment he looked crushed, then his blank face slammed down. "I'm putting all of you in danger, just by being here," I said. I took his face in my hands as I looked him in the eyes. "I don't have any doubt that you'd do everything in your power to protect me, I'm just worried that you'll end up getting hurt or killed because of me."

Ranger looked at me with understanding for a moment and then burst into laughter, as if suddenly remembering a funny joke. I was so surprised, I looked around the room trying to figure out if I'd missed something obvious, but judging by the looks I was seeing, everyone else was just as puzzled.

"We're quite the pair, aren't we?" Ranger asked when he got his laughter under control. I was still trying to figure him out when he continued. "You're worried about my safety because of some bad people you encountered. Sound familiar?"

When it clicked for me, I too, could see the humor in the situation. I'd been experiencing the same fear for his safety that he'd always felt for mine. "I guess we are," I finally replied, smiling.

A cough from across the table reminded me that we weren't alone. The urges to reconnect were rapidly taking over my thought processes and I knew that if this meeting didn't come to an end soon, the guys would be getting a show. I looked up and saw Joe smirking at me. There was an almost wistful expression on his face, but there was happiness in his eyes as well. Knowing that he could be happy for me after our breakup gave me the hope that we would become good friends, whether I remembered anything else or not.

"OK," Joe said while getting up from his chair. "I think I have an APB to put out, and a doctor to arrest." He picked up the picture of Mendez. "Can I keep this?"

"Of course," Ranger replied. "Let me know when you get a line on Mendez and I'll have a team there in no time. To back you up," he added.

Joe made his way towards the door and looked at me one last time before approaching Ranger. They shook hands and Joe gave a slight nod of his head. Ranger returned it, and then Joe left. I think Ranger just got Joe's blessing, and I couldn't help but smile.