These characters belong to Janet I am just borrowing them for my amusement. Although I would love to keep Ranger and the merry men for myself!

This story does contain violence, and touches on dark subject matters. This story is not friendly to Morelli or Helen Plum so for Cupcake fans you have been warned.

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Chapter 53: Rangeman Test Day Pt3

SlyderPOV

My mind kept going back to my Incendia and I didn't know why. I was driving down the streets of Trenton doing the parts of the test that I needed to pass losing the cars that were tailing me and then tailing the very same cars that I was only moments earlier trying to lose.

I couldn't keep the thoughts off of her. I was hoping that she was passing and that she spotted the tails and was able to lose them and then I was hoping she was able to successfully tail them without any issues.

My mind wouldn't calm when it came to my thoughts about her and I really wished I was able to just pick up my phone and call her and check up on her.

It made sense that we would become partners us both joining at the same time and us both getting along but I was really hoping that she would pick me. I knew they would give her whoever she wanted as a partner regardless of how the men had to be shifted around. We all wanted to work beside her and be able to call her our partner.

However I also knew that she would never dream of asking the guys to break their current partnerships she knew the value of having a partner she knew how you trusted them with your life how they trusted you with their life.

She would never allow two partners to be broken up so she could be partnered with one of them.

I had finally finished the requirements of losing a tail and being tailed and was headed back to the compound. I briefly wondered if my Incendia would be there or if she was still out on the streets.

I knew I would wait for her before moving on and I briefly wondered if she would wait for me. When I pulled into the compound and made my way around to where everyone was I instantly went on alarm when I saw her vehicle sitting there running with the driver door open and her standing in Ranger's arms him cupping her head to his chest.

RPOV

I had been worried about my Babe from the time I knew what the blips were. Something told me she was struggling hell when she got in the vehicle and realized we weren't joining her I saw the panic flood her face and almost went against Matt's wishes and joined her.

I was ready to kick Matt's ass. Even if she passed I was seriously considering calling Matt's ass to the mats for the way he handled this test. If it had been anyone else testing then I wouldn't have had a problem but this was my Babe. She was one of us test or no test and his fucking way of doing the test was pissing me off.

He just better hope she fucking passes because if he fails her I will personally keep him in Trenton for a month where he will be my personal whipping boy on the mats for every workout and I would be sure to schedule additional workouts.

I had told the guys not to interfere the testing and just watch the blips on the monitor. I wanted to be out there for her but I knew I would be violating the testing and I knew that Hector was already out there. We weren't going to tell, and Matt and his lackey fucking team would never see Hector.

Hector wasn't helping her with the test he was only keeping her safe and while Matt or anyone could argue that these were dangers she faced and she would need to know how to deal with them so it was actually helping with the test let them.

They could argue all they wanted with me on the mats and we would see who the fuck would win that argument. I would however guarantee that they would be the only one arguing in the end because an example would be made of whichever brave fucking sole it was who decided to open his candy ass mouth to me about my Babe and her testing.

"Rangeman he got somewhat close to her but she is pulling away from him and it doesn't look like he is following her." Lester finally told me and the stress I was feeling about not knowing what was happening on the streets lifted a little. It wouldn't be gone until she was back here and I was holding her in my arms but I wasn't giving anything away to these fuckers.

To them I was nothing but supporting her and knowing she could pass the test. It wasn't that I was lying that was something that I tried very hard not to do and only in certain cases where a case or a mission I was on have I lied and that was to either maintain the cover or complete the mission.

I was doing this because I did believe in her. I knew what she was capable of and I knew when push came to shove she would excel without our help. I just had to trust that she would do what I knew she was capable of doing and stand down but it was not without great difficult to want to go and save my woman.

My woman was slowly transforming herself into someone that would no longer need saving. She was becoming someone who was perfectly capable of saving herself. On one had it made me feel great that she would be able to protect herself on the other hand it scared the shit out of me. It scared me that she would no longer want our protection, she would no longer be willing to have a body guard, she would no longer just allow us to ride up in our big black SUVs and save the fucking day.

I would always save her or die trying I just wondered how it would be when she no longer needed us saving her. It would definitely have to be something we all adjust to.

"Rangeman she is close she is almost to the gates, holy fuck she just passed whoever it was she was following guess he wasn't going fast enough to suit her." Lester said laughing as we heard wheels squealing at the gate.

I went on alarm hearing the squealing wheels when she came to a screeching halt and bolted from the driver's seat practically before she had the vehicle in park I braced myself. She was running full tilt towards me and I saw the emotions racing across her face. I opened my arms for her and I caught her against me.

I enclosed my arms around her and cuddled her against me. Holding her I could feel her body slightly shaking and I cupped my hand over her face holding her head against me. I knew she wouldn't want for her brother's to see her crying not that they would give a shit other than wanting to know why and what had happened that had made her cry.

I knew Morelli was out there but from what Lester said he didn't get close to her. I caught his eyes with mine and he confirmed my thoughts that Morelli didn't get that close. I questioned him what could be wrong and I could see Lester had no idea.

I then caught Matt's eyes and I narrowed my eyes at him. I saw his slightly enlarge but I could also see him questioning what could be wrong as well. If that fucker said something or did something to make her this afraid this scared and this terrified I will kick his fucking ass until he doesn't have an ass and then I will ship his ass back to Boston in fucking pieces.

The more she held on to me the more I wanted answers. I was within an ace of making Matt tell me the answers I wanted even if he had to fucking make them up when she spoke up.

Her apology to me had surprised me why was she apologizing to me she didn't need to apologize to me or my men for anything. She then told me that she just needed to be in my arms and I couldn't help the feeling of pride that washed over me that she needed me. That she sought me out. I hated the reason but I loved that it was me that could give her what she needed.

I held her listening to her telling me how she had panicked and I cursed myself for not moving the test further out. I heard how upset she was and I couldn't help but continue to blame myself. She hadn't had time to recover from what had happened to her.

I should have seen it. I should have known it. I should have known not to ask Matt to do the testing or tell him that one of us had to be with her at all times. I should have known and I felt like kicking my own ass for fucking up this bad. She was struggling with believing her spidey sense and believing that she could trust Matt in the vehicle with her. Fuck I should have seen that anticipated it and prevented it before it was ever an issue, fuck.

I looked at Matt and I saw him swallow so I knew he got the message. If he put any of this on the fucking test he would be picking his god damn head up off of the sidewalk in an attempt to reattach it back on his worthless fucking body.

He better forget about the panic attack, he better forget about her freaking out as she put it. I lowered myself to look at her and let her know that I was here for her and she was safe.

Her red eyes, the disappointed look in her eyes, the embarrassment rising up her face, and then her apology to me and the guys because she thought she failed the test just about broke my heart.

It was my idiot of a cousin that came through for her assuring her that she hadn't failed the test because some fat lady wasn't singing. Where he came up with this shit I had no clue but I was grateful for his shit when it made her feel better.

I saw her look at the vehicle and I saw her pull herself back together and I knew she was going to finish the test and I have never been more proud of her. I told her how proud I was of her and I saw her confidence come back. She made her way back to the vehicle she got in and I could see she was ready to complete the test.

When she got in the vehicle with Matt I could see she was still in control. There was no doubt that she wouldn't excel in the rest of the test.

MPPOV

The whole way home I was praying that when I got home Frank would be gone. He still drove the cab from time to time and he would on some days meet his friends down at the VFW for a hand or two of poker. I was hoping today was one of those days.

I knew if I went home now with my afterglow I would have to have sex with him in order to cover it up but I knew that would mean he would see the marks on my body. I needed to hide those from him.

If I had time to cover them I might be able to get by with it but even that was hard push and one I didn't trust. I was going to have to come up with an excuse to refrain from sex with him for at least a week maybe slightly longer for these marks to disappear.

All the times I had sex with Joe's father he never put a single mark on me, up until today Joe had never put a single mark on me and today I had several.

When I pulled up and saw Frank's car my heart sank. I had no real excuse to tell him. We had had sex last night but he knew as well as I knew that he didn't leave a mark on me, especially these marks.

This is all Stephanie's fault, my thoughtless bitch of a daughter. She has always been nothing but trouble from the very beginning. It started practically from the time she was born I mean she was my second child and she had put me through twenty-seven hours of labor just so she could give me a hard time.

She cried as a baby. My milk didn't agree with her unlike Valerie that took to my breast like a kitten to milk but Stephanie, oh she had to be difficult. I had to end up feeding her formula they said that my milk wasn't fortifying enough for her and she was starving so she was screaming her head off all the time hungry.

Of course that was such an embarrassment all the other burg mothers happily breast feeding their babies, their babies taking their milk as they should and here was Stephanie practically spitting it back in my face and forcing me to feed her formula. It was embarrassing going to the grocery store.

See how she had ruined my life from the very beginning and now I was trying to do her a favor, I was trying to get the only person willing to marry her and make a burg woman out of her to agree to continue to want to marry her to want her.

I was sacrificing my life, my marriage, to make sure my ungrateful daughter would be able to live a life of respect, value, and happiness in the burg and where had that gotten me? It had gotten me in a position where I have to face my husband with another man's bite marks on my body from a day of sex. I wasn't sure Frank would understand my sacrifice for our daughter.

I was hoping that he wouldn't want sex that he would have to go out or something. I parked the car, got out grabbed the couple of bags from the store that I had stopped at prior to coming home. After all I had to have an excuse for going out in the first place.

I came into the back door into the kitchen. Frank would be sitting in front of the TV catching up on whatever sports scores he hadn't seen. He would also read the paper although by this time of day he has probably already read the paper.

So he would be buried in the TV hopefully he would remain buried for the rest of the day and night and not pay attention to me.

I walked into the kitchen and started taking the groceries out of the bag. I bent over to put the things in the refrigerator when Frank walked up behind me pressing himself into me. Shit he wanted sex. I had been making him too happy lately.

Before all of this started he wouldn't have been so forward with me. Because I had allowed myself to be a little freer with him because I needed to get him interested in me again so I could cover up what I was doing had given him the permissions or maybe the confidence to be a little more forward with me.

Fuck. I wasn't sure what I was going to do. If I went with having sex with him he was going to see the marks if I didn't and turned him down he would see the glow and know I had just had sex and that it wasn't with him after all this glow wasn't here this morning.

I briefly thought maybe I could let him take me like this without really getting undressed and it would answer all the problems but I knew Frank well enough to know that he wouldn't do that Frank wasn't that kind of man.

Frank was actually a good lover in some ways he was caring, passionate, and a careful lover. He wasn't the kind of lover like my son Joseph or his father they were more light your loins on fire and Frank was more the touching, feeling, taking his time going slow kind of lover. Frank wasn't your rough and thoughtless lover so the idea of him taking me from behind while my head was refrigerator wasn't going to work for Frank.

I could feel his hard length pressing into me and I knew I was going to have to make a decision but I had no idea which I was going to decide or what the hell I was going to do. I couldn't be more screwed than I was at this moment and I couldn't help but think that this was all Stephanie's fault. My ungrateful thoughtless bitch of a daughter who has done nothing but make my life miserable and make my life difficult had struck again.

And this time it had disaster written all over it.

SPOV

At least with the marksmanship testing it was something that you knew if you passed or not. I mean you either hit the target where you are suppose to or you don't so it is easy to see if you are passing or failing miserably.

So far I was doing well. I was hitting my targets so I had no reasons to believe that I was failing this part of the test. I wasn't taking forever to make the shots and when I did shoot I hit the target.

I had successfully made my shots at fifteen and hundred yards and I had successfully made it through shooters alley shooting all of the bad guys and none of the good guys. I was feeling good about this portion of the test.

I was currently lying on the roof top sighting in the sniper rifle. I was lying on my stomach and Matt was standing beside me. I couldn't help the feelings of nervousness that came over me with me lying there in a vulnerable position and him standing beside me.

I swallowed the feelings as they began to rise and then decided to just focus on sighting in the rifle. Once I was happy with the settings I got up and let Matt lie down and check my settings on the rifle.

He stood up and nodded. I guess that meant that I was good to go to the next step which was actually firing the rifle and seeing if I was able to hit the target I had sighted in.

I laid down behind the rifle. I made sure my body was directly behind the rifle. I made sure that my body was in complete alignment my legs straight before I even pulled myself up close to the rifle.

I placed the butt against my shoulder I made sure my eye was far enough away from the scope that the recoil from the gun wouldn't put my eye out. I then opened the lock exposing the chamber I reached in the case and pulled a single cartridge out.

I blew across the cartridge just as I had seen Ram do it. He was the best sniper Rangeman had. Hell he was probably the best of the best when it came to snipers. I was making sure I was mimicking him in my moves and actions.

I knew if I followed him, I would pass with flying colors so I was definitely embracing my inner Ram.

I locked the chamber steadied and readied myself for the shot. Taking the moment to get my breathing in synch I took two breaths in slowly and let them out on the third breath in I held it in until I pulled the trigger. The gun fired, and I successfully hit my target. I wanted to get up and jump up and down and scream that I had done it but I successfully was able to refrain from making an ass out of myself in front of Matt.

Somehow I don't think jumping up and down while screaming I did it I did it was really what Rangeman wanted in their employees. I mean I couldn't see Cal doing that, Ram doing that, I briefly laughed at the thought of Tank doing something like that. When my thoughts went to Lester well maybe I could see it but then when they shifted to Ranger I had to control myself before I broke out in a side splitting laughter that would take me to my knees and possibly cause me to pee my pants.

I doubt Carlos ever did that even as a child or teenager let alone the badass Ranger he had become. I was definitely going to have to change my thoughts or this wasn't going to be good and was going to be extremely hard to explain let alone embarrassing for having an unexplainable wet spot in my pants it wasn't like I could say I spilled my drink in my lap.

Matt spoke up effectively shutting down all trains of thought. "The next phase of the test is self defense and fighting. You have Demon as your partner he will be the one that you need to break the holds from in self defense and he will be the one you will fight during that test."

Hearing it is one thing, but knowing that we are now heading over to the building to do this was something entirely different. My throat went dry, my head broke out in a fine sheen and I am certain but I can't see it but I would be willing to bet that my skin went a few shades lighter. It was official just those few words from Matt had me ready to tuck my tail between my legs and run for the hills.

I tried to clear my throat, I tried running my tongue around my mouth, I tried thinking about my favorite Ella meals, and tasty cakes, which I really needed right now, but nothing helped. I was hoping thinking of these things would help wet my uncomfortably dry mouth but I realized it was fear not thirst. I mean I could drink all the water I could hold and my throat would still be dry, my tail would still be tucked, and I would still be sweating fucking bullets.

Holy shit I was going to have to embrace my badass to get through this. I was going to have to find my inner beast that had come out to play with Doug, and Joe it wasn't something I could control, it was either there or it wasn't I didn't know how to summon it. I didn't know how to turn it on or turn it off.

It either made an appearance or it didn't. What did Ranger do? What did Lester do? What did Hector do? How did they just summons theirs and then put it back away? I was going to have to figure it out if I wanted to survive in the ring with a man named Demon holy fuck. I needed some holy water. He wore a cross so he was fucking immune to them so that would do me no good. I briefly wondered if we had time to call a priest in so he could do an exorcism or something before I stepped in the ring. I mean that might be worth a try.

In the end nothing was going to work I was going to have to face him. We reached the compound no priest, no holy water, and no cross. I did say a quick prayer on the off chance that God was actually listening to me but like all the other times who knew if he was or wasn't listening or if he would do what I asked or not. It was so unpredictable but like everyone else I still asked in hopes that this one time he would be listening and be willing to grant what I asked. Sometimes I wondered if the odds weren't better in Vegas.

I stepped into the building with Matt on my heels. Everyone was here waiting on us. I was so happy that my brothers were here. At least if things got out of hands they would hopefully be able to save my ass before he killed me.

We stepped up to the rings. In the ring was Demon waiting. Great just great I was hoping that maybe he got sick, or something. Anything to keep him from showing up but no here he was just standing there waiting for me; great.

I look back out in the sea of black and see Carlos looking at me. I see pride in his eyes. They aren't blank or maybe I am just getting better at reading the blank face. I smile back at him trying to show him my braver side not the side that is literally scared shitless at the moment.

I see Lester who is standing near Carlos and he has a smile on his face and he nods. He is looking confident. He is telling me I have what it takes to beat Demon. He is my trainer so I am going with that is what the smile and the nod meant and I am not reading any more into that. Lester has been my main trainer and I am going with he had trained me well enough to kick Demon's ass even if his name has me freaking out at the moment.

I like watching shit like that on TV but I am not really good dealing with shit like that in real life. I like to believe that it is just shit made up for TV and the movies and not real in the real world. So when faced with the supernatural in the real world it freaks me out.

There were still some priests that performed exorcisms I mean I think it happened more in the past than it does now days but hey I would be willing to bet when Linda Blair's head spun around it made a few priests rethink exorcisms I mean it wasn't bad enough that her head spun around but she projectile vomited on everyone and then what she did to that cross well if I was priest it would be all I needed to know to never perform an exorcism I mean it wasn't like it end well for the priest.

Matt speaking up brought me out of my inner dialog about the success of performing exorcisms.

"This is the final piece of the test. In this test you will need to perform the following in order to pass this portion of the test. You will need to be able to successfully break out of basic holds, you will need to be able to take down our opponent, you will need to be able to get your opponent in handcuffs, you will need to be able to subdue an attacker, and finally you will need to perform a basic knowledge of martial arts." He said.

He continued "Stephanie's opponent will be Demon, Slyder's opponent will be Acer." He said. Great why couldn't I get Acer and Slyder get Demon I briefly wondered. At least Acer didn't remind you of the supernatural. Not that I had really meet Acer before but hey it wasn't like I really knew Demon either.

"Any questions?" he asked us and I briefly wondered if I could ask to swap opponents but in the end I just shook my head no. I understood what I had to do I just wasn't sure how I was going to be able to do it. Someone once said the bigger they were the harder they fell I just wondered if that applied to big badasses with the name of Demon.

If I could face Ranger in the ring and survive then I could survive against Demon the man and the beast. I just had to keep reminding myself of that. Of course it helped a little when I did face Ranger that I knew he wasn't really going to hurt me.

"Okay if there are no questions then proceed." He said there he goes again with his proceed. Just say fucking go I mean really why the fuck would you say proceed.

I proceeded by removing my shoes, removing my belt. I did tuck the cuffs in the back of my pants because I would need those provided I could get him in a position to get them on him.

I then stepped into the ring.

DemonPOV

Fuck here we were. I had been waiting in the ring for her when they entered the building. I was hoping that he would change his mind and put me with Slyder and her with Acer but no in the end he had stuck to what he had planned.

I watched as she took in everything he said I saw thoughts and emotions fly across her face and I could see she was reluctant to get in the ring with me. Part of me wanted to cuss for that she was slightly unsure of me. She had the right to be scared of me. I wasn't a small man.

In fact I was probably twice as big as she was. If she was one ten it would be soaking wet. She was tall for her size at around five seven but her frame was small her body narrow and small.

I on the other hand was exactly the opposite. At two thirty five six three I was nothing but muscle hardened by years of service, years of training, years of working out.

I could kill with my bare hands it was one thing that was counted on me from my days in the marines. I had taken many of a men twice the size of her by my bare hands breaking her would be so easy for me.

The thing is I don't want to break her. Hell I didn't want to be fighting her. I mean how in the fuck had I gotten myself involved in this. I wanted nothing to do with her testing but Matt had pulled me in.

Hadn't he seen the number of men in Boston that had to have the medic fix them up for being in the ring with me? Hadn't he known that I didn't always have the control that I would like to have I blamed the military the years of training the special force group that I was in because there were times when something would snap inside of me and I would move in a way I would if I was on a mission and in danger versus just sparring with a friend.

It was something that I was always trying to control but it was a struggle. Today was going to be the biggest trial of my life. If I hurt her I would never forgive myself and the guys here would never forgive me. They would kill me I could just hope they would make it painful as possible.

She stepped into the ring. Fuck this was happening.

I stepped up to her trying to tell her with my eyes and my body signs that I wasn't going to hurt her, that I wasn't a threat to her. But I wasn't sure she was receiving my signals. I couldn't come out and tell her because that would be going against the rules. In truth I was supposed to be the most dangerous skip she would ever try to take down.

I know it sounded odd but it was actually for her own good for me to go tough on her and I then realized why I had been chosen. I wasn't suppose to go easy on her I was suppose to challenge her in a way that one of the other men in this building wouldn't challenge her that is what Matt wanted me to do.

Because if she could take me down, if she could break away from my holds, if she could effectively cuff me then she could take on whatever the streets could throw her way. Even though I knew why, even though now Matt's decision made sense to me it still scared the hell out of me because I knew how bad I could hurt her. Fuck I could kill her without even meaning to.

LPOV

Fuck I had trained her for this and I knew that she could do it. I knew she had what it took to be able to take Demon down she just needed to control her emotions and believe in her training. She needed to believe in what she knew and let herself fall back on that training and not allow fears to flow through her body seeing Demon in the ring.

Demon can be intimidating and I knew the name alone would intimidate her I knew she tried to like horror movies, she tried to like true thrillers but I also knew she was more your "Ghostbusters" type versus "The Ring" horror or thriller movie type.

I watched as she stepped in the ring and I saw the emotions fly across her face I saw Demon try to let her know that he meant her no harm but looking at Stephanie I don't think she was receiving his signals because she was lost in her own thoughts.

"Okay men let's get the testing started." I heard Matt say like that was making her situation better. I had already given her a nod and a smile to let her know that she was okay. That she knew enough to pass this test and take on Demon. Part of me wanted her to look at me again so I could give her more encouragement but she hadn't broken her lock on Demon.

She was currently breaking out of the holds that I taught her and she was doing well. I guess I didn't realize I was mimicking her until Matt spoke up "Lester if you mimic the moves she is to do again I am going to have to ask you to leave the testing area." He said. What the fuck?

I hadn't even realized I was doing it. I looked up at him "Excuse me?" I said to him something about his tone was setting me the fuck off. I was already pissed at him for today and was just itching for a fucking fight with him.

"Lester I saw you mimic the moves, did you not think I would see you helping Stephanie?" He asked me. Holy fuck he thought I was helping her.

"I wasn't fucking helping her with shit. If I moved it was unbeknownst to me, besides she wasn't even fucking looking at me don't you blame her for this shit, man" I warned him all the time feeling the anger rise in me.

Ranger spoke up a warning "Santos" I knew that meant take it back to my corner and fucking stand down. I know I was wrong in my movements but honestly I didn't realize I even did it I was just so focused on her I never even realized I was moving.

I knew me getting hot now wasn't going to help Beautiful so I took Ranger's warning and retreated back to my corner. "I will try not to do it again." I said Matt nodded but the fucker just didn't know when to quit.

"If I see it again you will be asked to leave and Stephanie will fail that portion of the test." He said I couldn't help my reply to his fucking comment.

"Fuck you" it was out of my lips before my brain was able to filter it. Not that I gave a fuck but I didn't want it going against Beautiful testing.

Matt started to say something but then quickly decided to refrain I guess he wasn't a stupid fucker because he was slowly bringing the monster within me out and if he fails Beautiful over this the fucker will have a one on one meeting with the monster within.

Hell I like Matt on a normal day he was a good guy. Outside of Rangeman he was a fun dude to hang with and he and I have certainly played the club scene together on more than one occasion. I considered him to be a close friend one I actually enjoyed hanging with but today he was pissing me the fuck off.

Beautiful was the most important person in my world she was my best friend, she was my center she kept me grounded in many ways and he was fucking with her. I knew it wasn't intentional but he was going strictly by the book she was getting no slack and if anything she was getting it harder than some. Just her facing Demon even though understood why was proof that she was getting it harder than most.

I mean Slyder got Acer who was about his size. He didn't put Slyder with Tank or someone who would have been a big challenge unlike Beautiful. We had all heard how many people Demon had sent to the medic ward while sparring and so help me fuck if he hurt her I would kick his Demon ass back to fucking Boston along with Matt's.

I watched as he locked her in a hold with his arms around her plastering her arms to her side as he picked her up effectively taking her leverage away from her. I watched her panic at first with him having grabbed her like that but the panic in her eyes quickly was replaced and the moves she followed up with I briefly wondered who had taught her that.

She quickly kicked him in both knees effectively taking him down but before his knees touched the ground her feet touched the ground and she took the opportunity during the drop to break her arms free when her feet touched the ground she had him leveraged and was tossing him over her shoulder onto the matt when he landed on his ass in front of her she used her leverage to push him forward her knee in his back while pulling his arms back and up. She grabbed the cuffs and cuffed him faster than he had a chance to respond.

She had basically bent him in a position that his head was in his lap his arms up in the air and her knee in his back with the other foot bracing her for any resistance he may have given her.

Not only had she effectively broken out of the hold but she had taken him down and handcuffed him. Now that is my Beautiful.

I briefly looked over at Ranger and you could see the pride in his face. He was proud of her. Fuck all the guys were you could just see it in their faces. When I saw Cal I knew who had showed her that move. He was fucking beaming in pride hell I think even his flaming skull tattoo was beaming at her.

I don't know if it was because it was on his fore head or what but that fucking tattoo seemed to take on its own personality at times. It was freaky like that.

She let him up and unhooked the cuffs. She put the cuffs back in the back of her pants. They went on to the next hold.

This hold he grabbed her from the front facing her. He grabbed her by her shoulders I knew he had clamped down as I saw her wince from his hold. I knew I went on alert and I saw Ranger's body stiffen he hadn't missed the wince either. This wasn't meant to hurt her. He wasn't supposed to hurt her.

Before either of us had a chance to move Beautiful was in motion. She reached up with her right hand and grabbed his left wrist. She then dropped to the right of him bring his hand down to the outside of his left leg she reached back grabbed the cuffs cuffed his arm and then quickly grabbed his left arm pulling on the inside of his body and cuffed his left wrist with the cuff behind his leg.

She had once again cuffed him before he realized what was happening. Before he could react she jerked his arms up causing it to take his leg out from under him and bringing him crashing down on the mat on his ass. Even I hadn't seen that move before. I quickly scanned the guys trying to figure out who the fuck had taught her that one. When I saw Hector smiling I knew it was him.

They got up and she undid the handcuffs tucking them once again in the back of her pants. Demon once again facing her this time grabbed her around her throat. We all knew in this test he would apply pressure it is what we did because the longer it took you to get out the less oxygen you had. So we knew she needed to break out of it quickly.

She reacted quickly taking her arms up between his and forcefully opening them hitting his arms hard enough to break the grip she immediately stepped in between his arms in his space she then hooked his leg and with both hands open handled punched him high on the chest together effectively pushing him back but she had turned to the side with her leg hooked in his so he feel backwards. Beautiful immediately dropped to her knee in his crotched when he went to fetal position she cuffed him. It was a brilliant move but I missed figuring out who showed her that move as the move itself caused all of us to wince and instinctively grab our crotch.

It was a guy thing. If a guy got hit in the balls all the guys around him wince and grab their own balls it is sort of a sympathy thing I guess you know like when someone pukes and you puke because you can't help but join in. Well it is sort of the same thing. We grab ourselves too because we are sympathetic to the pain.

Demon coughed a little bit. Stephanie apologized saying she didn't mean to land that hard on him but got excited and lost in the moment. The apology was as endearing as it was funny and personally in my opinion it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy well maybe Matt but hopefully he would get his turn later.

She had broken out of the basic holds, taken down her opponent, and handcuffed him each time. She had more than passed those portions of the test. She only had subdue an attacker and then to show some basic martial arts knowledge.

The attacker part is similar to the holds only Demon will be fighting back after all he will be attacking her. There are no rules he can attack anyway he wants. She has to defend herself and subdue him.

This is the part where I worried about him hurting her. Of course the knee to the balls would slow him down a little bit but he would still be a more than worthy adversary. She would have to be on her game but I knew she had the skills to take him down. Fuck I had trained her I knew what she was capable of. Slyder and I had both and together attacked her she was ready.

He got up off of the matt and she once again undid the cuffs tucking them in the back of her pants damn I have never been so jealous of a pair of cuffs. I might have to see if I can get them from her later to have as a souvenir. "Don't fucking think about it Santos" I heard Ranger say how the fuck could he have known what I was thinking? I didn't know but he was Ranger nothing more was needed to know. He somehow fucking knew, great.

MattPOV

Holy shit Stephanie was good. Demon didn't stand a chance with her. She was small, she was fast, but she had been taught by some of the best and she had obviously paid attention.

Not only had she managed to break out each of Demon's holds but she was able to take him down and handcuff him each time in a different manner, one he wasn't expecting. It was because she never went for the obvious she was able to subdue him. Someone had trained her well. Maybe it was a combined effort but she was good, impressive actually.

I felt bad about the knee to the balls but he should have come prepared for that nothing in the book states how so a knee to the ball is fair game. It was one that we didn't see often in Rangeman testing because most men refrained from kneeing someone's balls. It was sort of the unwritten code of men.

I mean if it was life or death, meaning your life or your death, then yeah a knee the guys balls but beyond life or death it was just something a guy doesn't do to another guy. I guess that rule is out the window when you bring a woman in they don't live by the same unwritten rule at least Stephanie Plum didn't.

It was time for her to demonstrate how to subdue an attacker. Demon got himself back under control and centered. Stephanie was hanging out on the one corner of the mat waiting for Demon. She was taking a few sips out of her bottle of water and I knew this was exactly what Demon needed, her distracted.

It wasn't like your attackers let you know they were coming. It was those that would wait and attack when least expected that did the most damage. Demon had the same thoughts as I did and he took advantage of the opportunity her head was tilted up as she was swallowing the water when Demon grabbed her and jerked her down to the mat. She dropped the water bottle which proceeded to spill out onto the mat.

She yelped from the onslaught of Demon but the second she hit the mat she was in fighting mode. They tumbled together a few times. Stephanie tried to get out of his grips but he was holding on rolling with her. When he stopped he was on top straddling her narrow hips.

Panic rose in her and I could see it as he was holding her hands to her side of her head and straddling her hips his weight on her slightly.

She struggled at first with getting herself under control but once she did you could see the determined Stephanie come out she raised her right leg and hooked it around his head almost as if she was going to sit Indian style and pushed with her leg causing his head to move back.

You could control the biggest beast so long as you had control of his head. Keep a horse's head down and he would remain laying down but let up pressure on the head and he would raise right up the strongest person in the world wouldn't be able to hold down a determined horse. Once she had his head moving back his body was following and she began to use her arms to get him to raise up off of her when she had him moved a little off she pulled her left leg up I think her knee caught him again because he jumped up allowing her to get her leg up between them.

Once she had her leg up between them she then kicked him hard in the chest pushing him further up off of her until she had both legs as weapons. When she had both of them there she let him have it with both legs effectively pushing him off of her and practically shoving him on to his back.

She gave him another two foot kick effectively knocking him backwards as she sprung to her feet. She brought her foot down right to his nuts again but stopped just shy of nuting him again. She then kicked her foot out and stopped just shy of his chin. Her movements had been precise enough for us to catch the drift of what she would have done had Demon in fact been her attacker and the movements would have been effective enough in taking out her opponent.

She was making it plan to all of us that Doug wouldn't have stood a chance with her had he not drugged her. By him drugging her he took away her ability to control her body to fight back. She did the best she could do and under the circumstances she had done awesome but had she not been drugged she would have kicked his ass.

She was making mincemeat out of Demon. I briefly wondered if his ego could handle the hard knock that Stephanie Plum was giving him. Thankfully and luckily for Stephanie Demon wasn't the type of guy that needed his ego to be stroked to be a man he could take the hit to his ego and be beat by a woman without feeling the need to retaliate to prove his manhood.

He would look at her as a worthy adversary a good opponent and not someone that he would need to pay back for making him look inferior or for her beating him.

Now was her turn to demonstrate a basic knowledge of martial arts. Demon stood up took his stance and bowed to her. She bowed and the fighting begun. She was good but Demon was far more superior when it came to the martial arts moves but she was quick and she was good for the little while she had been training.

I could tell from her moves and the fluidity of the movements that Lester had trained her it made since when it came to martial arts he was the best. He was the highest trained martial artist in Rangeman if he had his own Dojo he would be known as a Master to his students.

She held her own with Demon and in a few instances got in a few points. Had we been keeping points but this was just to demonstrate that you had the basics of a martial arts. Which it was clear she did so I called the test. "Okay guys go to your corners." I said and they stopped and each went to their corners.

She grabbed a towel that one of the guys handed her and another bottle of water where she started drinking only this time she turned to Demon so she could watch him. She wasn't a fool she wasn't going to fall for the same thing twice.

It was time for me to review how she had performed throughout the test and decide if she performed well enough to pass the test or not.

I needed a little distance so I could think about the test and her performance. "Guys please wait here I will be back in a little bit I need to review everything before I make my decision." I told them. She nodded that she would wait.

I walked out of the building to clear my head so I could review everything with the test.

The physical fitness part of the test she had performed well. She had run the five miles in less than the allotted time she had done the number of sit-ups, pull-ups, and push-ups in the allotted timeframe, and she had completed the obstacle course in under thirty minutes. So she had passed the physical fitness part of the test.

The Marksmanship test she had performed all the requirements with deadly precision. Fuck I would be so lucky to have her work at Rangeman Boston with that kind of accuracy in shooting and to be so new at it. She had passed the Marksmanship with flying colors.

The fighting and self defense test she had passed. I think she even surprised Demon with a few of her moves especially taking him down and cuffing him as many times as she did. She had done well with subduing her attacker and showing the basic skills of a martial art so she had passed that part of the test.

The part I was struggling with trying to decide if she had passed or not was the defensive driving part.

Stephanie had done a good job with the driving defensively. She had done a good job driving in excess speed. She had done a very good job at tailing however it was the detecting a tail and losing a tail that I was having issues with.

In the vehicle she had let her emotions control her. She had panicked she had lost focus. In real life that could get you killed. She had performed a risky move and pulled over allowing herself to be blocked by the two men following her. That is a big red flag and something you don't do. I don't even think it was something that she realized which is even worse.

It wasn't planned she did it to get herself back under control not because it was a planned it worked out in the end not only had she detected the tails but she had pulled them out and then she was able to flee without them reaching her.

As far as the test went she had in fact detected them and lost them the problem was in real life she would have put her and her partner in danger. In real life the bad guys have guns and they more than not use them especially in a situation where they are that close.

Had it not been Demon and Wire but it been the bad guys she and her partner could be dead right now and that was what I was having a problem with. Her panic had emotional state had put her and me in a compromising position. Were we safe yes, but only because of who it was not because of her methods, her training, her skills but by the sheer fact it was Demon and Wire who weren't going to hurt us.

I am not sure what brought on the panic or her emotional state. But there wasn't a place for that at Rangeman. You had to be able to control your panic, control your fear and keep the safety of yourself, your partner as a priority at all times. When considering that Stephanie hadn't passed that portion. The only gotcha was there was nothing that stated that as far as the test went.

The criteria for the test had been met but the unspoken foundation that Rangeman has been built on was broken and I needed to decide if I was going to over look that and pass her or if I was going to hold true to those values and fail her for allowing her emotions to control her.

It was even further clear how her emotions ruled her when she flew back to the compound and then exited the vehicle after barely placing it in park to run into Ranger's arms. I got the message from Ranger loud and clear and he said to not go there. His message was to forget about it, but I wasn't really sure how I was going to do that.

This wasn't just to pass her. I mean yes, she wanted to pass, we all wanted her to pass including myself. But could I consciously overlook something that had the potential for disaster written all over it. Could I consciously overlook the fact that Stephanie's emotions could get the best of her and when they did cause her to do something that was potentially reckless, life threatening, and dangerous to both herself and to he partner.

Of course partners talk to each other and help each other something I wasn't allowed to do as the one giving the test so that would make a difference. How much of a difference I needed to figure out. If it was enough difference that it would keep her from losing control or not that was the question.

I had to give her credit while she panicked and lost control she gained control in time to complete the objectives. She got the control she needed and put her emotions away to complete the task and in the process kept us safe. Of course had they been the bad guys they could have started firing on us but we aren't without weapons it has happened to us all.

She wasn't from military, gang related, or police force backgrounds like all of the other members of Rangeman. She hadn't learned through years of experience to control her emotions, her fears, and panic like we had been trained in the military, in gangs, and on the police force. Considering she had no training in that she did well getting them under control and not completely losing it.

With all that being true I still had a big decision on my hands was Stephanie Plum Rangeman material? Was she worthy of being labeled a Rangeman? Did she have what it took to be considered the best of the best and be a Rangeman or not?

The decision was completely in my hands the only problem was I wasn't sure what I was going to decide.

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