Chapter 6

Ranger's phone started ringing as they rounded a corner and the hospital came into view, but with Steph filling his arms and breathing deeply at his neck as she tried to maintain a hold on the tenuous calm she'd managed to scrap together, he couldn't find the fucks required to assign importance to whoever was trying to reach him. His Babe's entire world was falling apart, so needed to be there for her. No distractions.

Less than thirty seconds after Ranger's phone stopped ringing, Lester's started up. He answered it on the second ring, skipping formalities as he'd caught sight of the caller on the screen before lifting it to his ear.

"Yeah, Bobby?"

Ranger fought his body to stay relaxed at the mention of the medic. The last thing he wanted was for Steph to perceive his tension and start to freak out again. It would be bad enough when they got to the hospital and Steph was faced with the reality that her Dad really was gone.

Bobby's voice was obviously raised on the other end of the phone, because the tinny sound easily reached Ranger in the back seat, and caused Lester to inch the device away from his head. Ranger strained to understand what was being said, kicking himself for not picking up his own phone when it had rang, but the quality of the sound wasn't good.

Against his side, Steph began to stir, lifting her head to peer through the dimly lit interior of the SUV to Lester's profile, then turning her gaze up toward Ranger. Confusion and concern were mixing with the lingering grief and anguish that had distorted her features since before Ranger had arrived home. "What-?" she started to ask. Her tired voice came out on a bit of a croak, but her question was cut off when Lester was suddenly yelling."

"She fucking what?!" he demanded.

If Lester hadn't had the attention of everyone in the vehicle before, he certainly did now. Even Hector, a master of taking in every detail of an area without so much as turning his head, averted his gaze from the road to cast a quizzical look in Lester's direction.

"That bitch," Lester continued to storm as the SUV pulled into the hospital drive.

Ranger had his eyes narrowed at the back of Lester's headrest, trying to focus on the sound emitting from the phone and decipher some of what Bobby was saying while also willing his cousin to release some details. And perhaps take one of those chill pills he was always recommending to others when they got overwhelmed. All the while, he kept his arm around Steph, rubbing up and down her arm in a soothing manner.

As the emergency department entrance came into view along with the SUV Bobby had arrived in with Tank and Zip. It was clear that whatever had happened had his men outraged,b ecause the three of them stood a few yards from the entrance, fury blazing on their usually carefully controlled expressions. Bobby could have been mistaken for Italian with how wildly he was gesticulating with his free hand as he continued to speak into the phone. Ranger started to zero in on his lips, hoping to gain some insight when Steph drew his attention back within the SUV.

"What's going on?" Steph asked, creases etching a worried expression into her brow.

Ranger watched a jolt of awareness travel down Lester's spine and he jerked the phone away from his ear as Hector brought the vehicle to a stop behind the other. Turning slowly in his seat, a tight, grim smile masking the answer simmering just underneath, Lester gave Steph's knee a reassuring pat before cutting his eyes to Ranger. "Can I talk to you outside?" he requested in a voice so calm it brought visions of death to Ranger's mind.

Lester wasn't known for his anger. He covered most of his uglier emotions with humour and innuendo, diverting everyone's attention to the glittering, more pleasant side of life. But that didn't mean he didn't have a dark side. Ranger had witnessed the wrath of Lester on only a handful of occasions throughout their time growing up together and in the military, and he could say with one hundred percent confidence that he was not a man you wanted to cross. There was a reason Lester's current demeanour brought death and destruction to mind, and some nights Ranger wished he could forget it.

He gave a small nod and started to extract himself from his Babe, but Stephanie wasn't having it. She latched one hand around his wrist as he tried to draw it away from her, the other hand shooting out for Lester's as well, causing him to halt his own exit attempt from the front seat.

"We'll just be a minute, Beautiful," Lester said quietly. It was only a lifetime of experience that allowed Ranger to see and hear how much effort it took for his cousin to remain calm and still. His back was stiff, and he didn't turn to direct his words to her. His tone was bordering on emotionless, and there were waves of tension rolling off him.

"If what you're about to discuss has to do with me or my family, you can do it right here in front of me," Steph said, steel in her voice as she reminded them all just how much she loathed gossip and being talked about behind her back. "I'm not a fragile flower. You're going to break me with more bad news tonight."

Lester's eyes shot to Ranger over the back of the seat and the expression he saw there caused Ranger's gut to clench. Steph may have summoned up her conviction all of a sudden, and Ranger was thrilled to see a semblance of her usual spark, but something in Lester's gaze told him that his cousin needed a moment to get himself under control. She may know him as the easy going, fun loving guy who was quick to joke and laugh, but right now he was fighting a hair trigger not to erupt inside the vehicle.

"Babe, I'm glad you're feeling more solid now," Ranger intoned, giving Lester a slight nod and waiting for him to exit the car and slam the door behind him before turning to face Steph fully, noting the way her eyes flashed with annoyance and her jaw twitched. Ranger was pretty sure the combined anger at her mother, grief and guilt over her father, and now Lester – one of the guys who always tried to be open and honest with her, even when the other men didn't think it was a good idea – pulling away to shut her out had her close to snapping and showing her own temper. He wasn't sure at what point during the drive over she had tipped over from forlorn to incensed, whether it had something to do with Lester's outburst or second hand anger on his behalf, or something else entirely, but she'd definitely turned a corner.

"But Lester needs a minute to calm down," Ranger continued, lifting one of her hands to his lips. "Let me go find out what's wrong and make sure he's noting going to cause injury to himself or anyone else, then you can join us and we'll all get up to speed on the situation."

Their gazes held for a long moment. Ranger willing Steph to hang back so that she didn't witness Lester do something he'd later regret. Steph trying to read the unreadable expression hiding Ranger's emotions from her. Slowly, she released a pent up breath and removed her fingers from his arm, silently agreeing to let him go.

He pressed a kiss to her lips, murmured a quiet thank you and slipped from the backseat to go join the huddle of men that had formed at the front of the other Rangeman fleet vehicle.

They were all talking over each other when he approached, which had Ranger even more on edge than he already had been this evening. Between being fresh off a mission, Steph's crisis, and Lester's reaction to whatever news Bobby had shared, his nerves were jumping. He had a bad feeling about the whole thing. Ranger's men were efficient, logical and professional. They'd worked with each other on and off the field that they knew each other's strengths and weaknesses without needing to stop and think about them first. Generally speaking, if there was a situation that needed to be dealt with, they'd assess it quickly and divide up tasks in a natural, sometimes non-verbal manner.

Seeing his core team (plus zip) in a heated argument didn't bode well.

"Silence!" he commanded, stepping into the ring and eyeing each man individually in the ensuing quiet. We have approximately forty-five second before the grace period Steph has granted us ends and she's out here demanding to know what's going on, so someone better get me up to speed."

Lester, clearly still furious with a menacing look in his eyes, opened his mouth to take the lead, or start shouting senselessly again, Ranger wasn't sure which, but no words escaped as Bobby laid a hand on the back of his neck, applying gentle but insistent pressure as he rubbed his thumb back and forth there. Ranger had seen the medic use this technique on his partner before. The external stimulus helped to keep Lester in the moment rather than flying off the hand of racing off to enact his special brand of justice all half-cocked.

"Bobby called ahead to the morgue to make arrangement for Steph to view the body if that's something she wanted," Tank explained in his low, rumbling, no-nonsense tone. "Only to be told that there was no Frank Plum in the morgue, nor was there currently a Frank Plum being transferred to the morgue."

Ranger's jaw clenched as a million different explanations ran through his head, but he said nothing. The report wasn't finished.

"I got the guy to check the hospital's records for Frank, thinking there must have been some mistake, or delay. Something to-"

"He's not fucking dead!" Lester cut in, losing the battle for calm. "Frank Plum is in a medically induced coma in the fucking ICU. That bitch lied to Steph about her father dying! She's a psychotic bitch!"

"Who's a psychotic bitch?" Steph's voice interrupted Lester's tirade from several feet away. She and Hector were approaching slowly, Hectors arm wrapped around her back. Whether for support or as quick means for ensuring her protection if there was a sudden emergency, Ranger wasn't sure, but the fact the it was there and Hector wasn't about to let anything happen to his babe was a reassurance. The hoodie she wore engulfed her form, hitting lower than the shorts she'd put on for bed and hanging several inches past her fingertips. "What's going on?" she insisted, pushing the sleeves up her forearms and crossing them over her chest.

Having now reached the group, Hector removed his arm from around Stephanie allowing Ranger to pull her into his side. She was stiff against him for a moment, but it was obvious that the emotional toll of the day had worn down any resolve she would normally have had to keep him physically distant when she was annoyed. The way she softened into him told him all he needed to know about how glad she was that he was with her, how much she needed his strength, even as she appeared to be demanding answers with a fist of steel. She was right in stating that she wasn't a fragile flower, but that didn't mean that she wasn't close to breaking. Even steel has its weakness, and when it's battered as much as Steph had been in the last few hours, it was liable to bend and break.

She eyed each man in the circle, pausing longer on Bobby before landing on Lester and staying there when he struggled to bring his blank mask back up. "It's my mother, isn't it?" she asked, her voice flat.

Lester just nodded, fire blazing in his eyes.

A resigned sigh fell from Steph's lips, all the fight she'd had when she exited the SUV having drained quickly away. "What now?"

Ranger's arm tightened around her. He hated doubting what she'd said, but in her grief-stricken state, he wondered if something had been lost in interpretation when Helen had apparently called to notify Steph of her father's death. The men were quick to believe that everything was as Steph said it was, and that Helen was indeed the bad guy as she tended to be, but there was a nagging sensation in the back of Ranger's mind that something was off. Even if Helen was blaming Steph for the shooting, what was the point in lying about Frank's death.

"Babe," he said quietly, using a hand under her chin to draw her face up until their eyes met. His thumb rubbed lightly on her jaw. "What exactly did your mom say when she called to tell you about your dad?"

Her brows furrowed, breath hitching as memories flickered behind her eyes. It wasn't like Ranger to question her, they all knew that. He'd always trusted her gut instincts, and her ability to read the truth between lies uttered in her presence was unparalleled. So why was he doing it now?

"She said…" Steph started, but stopped, breathing coming quicker. "She said 'I hope you're happy Stephanie, your father died. You killed him.' And then-" Her words cut off on a sob. "I don't know what else she said, or if she said anything else. I… I… "

"Shhh," Ranger murmured, bundling her further into his arms as the tears began to fall again. He should have known not to doubt his Babe. "It's okay. You're okay." He continued to whisper soothing words to her, unconsciously slipping into Spanish as he eyed the highly skilled and dangerous men surrounding them. He hadn't seen them this tense since Scrog situation a few years ago. Murder was etched into every one of their expressions and he couldn't blame them. Stephanie may not have actually lost one of her parents yet, but that didn't mean it couldn't change before the night was over.

The direction of his thoughts must have seeped into his muscles, because Steph extracted one of her hands from where they'd been curled between them, placing it flat on his chest as she craned her head back to look at him. Her red-rimmed eyes took in his face with a mixture of concern and hesitance. "Ranger?" she asked. Her head twisted this way and that, trying to spot the threat she must have assumed had appeared on the scene. She never once considered that they might be the threat; that they could be the ones about to cause chaos and destruction. "What's wrong?"

"Beautiful," Lester said, stepping across the circle until he was close enough that his shoulder was brushing Ranger's. The renewed show of grief must have cut through his rage because he was now completely back in control of his mind and his actions. "Your Dad's –"

Bobby was there in a split second, laying a halting hand on Lester's arm and drawing a confused look from everyone in the group. "We should verify the facts first," he intoned.

A wave of silent agreement rushed through the group. No one wanted to give Steph the hope of her father still being alive only to dash it away again within a few minutes when they entered the hospital and found out otherwise. Ranger shared a look with Bobby who nodded shortly and disappeared, Zip following a step behind as they entered the emergency room on a quest for answers. This whole situation had the men reeling, acting on their emotions first and remembering logic and protocol second. On any other day Ranger would have slapped them upside the head and told them to get their acts together or meet him on the mats in the morning, but not tonight. He could absolutely understand the discombobulation that was occurring.

No one liked seeing Steph upset less than he did, and fact that they'd apparently been behind the eight ball from the beginning had left them scrambling to catch up, uncover the facts and put actions in motion. They weren't used to being out of the loop on events in Steph's life like this.

"What about my Dad?" Steph asked, frowning at Lester.

Lester's lips pressed together. He wanted to tell her, but Bobby was right. "Give us a minute," he said, his tone as tense as his posture. "We don't want to feed you false information."

Remarkably, Steph accepted that answer without pressing for more. She'd been the victim of half truths and blown out gossip enough that she understood the value of fact checking, especially when other people's lives were hanging in the balance. Turning in Ranger's arms so that her back was pressed to his chest, one arm hugging both of his where they rested across her stomach as the other reached out to grip Lester's hand. Even in her current emotional state, she seemed to recognise her friend's need for comfort.

The evidence of her care for the guys only deepened the well of love Ranger held for her. His mind drifted to the box he'd had in his hands when he'd called the control room for a status update on Steph, and his heart swelled.

Two minutes after Bobby entered the hospital, a text alert came through on Ranger's phone. He slipped the device off his belt and read the message:

Positive Life Status Confirmed.

Saying nothing, Ranger turned the text to Lester with a short 'go ahead' nod. He could have broken the news himself, but he was pretty sure his cousin needed to complete his earlier statement. He'd done well to bite his tongue this long, but given his current state, there was only so much control he could draw on.

"Beautiful," Lester said in a rush, dragging Steph out of Ranger's arms and into his own. He held her face between both his hands, staring into her eyes with a solemn expression. "Your Dad's not dead. He's alive."

The relief that showed on Tank and Hector's faces was not matched by Steph's expression as more creases appeared on her forehead, her hands coming up to drag Lester's hands away, head turning side to side in denial. "No," she whispered. "No, that's not right. Mom…. Mom said…"

"Babe," Ranger said, stepping closer as another text came through on his phone. He ignored it, passing the device to Tank to deal with. "She lied. Bobby called ahead to make arrangements for you to say goodbye and was told that Frank Plum is currently in ICU. He's in a coma, but he's not dead."

A different breed of grief washed over her at the news. A mix of relief that her favoured parent had not left this mortal plane, tainted by the news that her mother had made her believe otherwise. "Why would she...?" she started, tears brimming her eyes, but she swiped them away, shaking her head. "That bitch."

"Psychotic bitch," Lester corrected with a slight smile as they all watched the steel straighten Steph's back and strengthen her resolve. This was a woman scorned and she was done laying in the mud while her mother tread over her with ridiculous expectations and lies. Tonight was the last straw. Nothing would ever be the same in the Plum family.

"Room number," Tank rumbled, passing back Ranger's phone. "Gonna go clear a path." And with that he and Hector were gone, leaving just Ranger, and Lester to witness the storm brewing in Steph's eyes. Tank had better make sure that path was pristine, crystal clear or they'd have a whole other situation on their hands. As much as Ranger had been contemplating making Helen Plum disappear for her actions, he was entirely sure that his Babe was capable of the same vein of actions if she was faced with her mother right at that moment. Best to keep them separate until she had a chance to calm down.

*o*

Steph's tears flowed freely when they reached Frank Plum's hospital room and she was confronted by the image of her father, a figure she'd looked up to her entire life, lying vulnerable in that bed. He'd always been a quiet presence, but not like this. His voice was stolen away from him, replaced by the constant beeping and whirring of the machines keeping him alive. The only sign of his usual strength in fact that he was still alive after the trauma he'd been through in the last twelve hours.

"I'm so sorry, Daddy," Steph cried, her hands gripping his hand between both of hers as she pressed her forehead to his arm. "Its all my fault. I should never have tried to be something I'm not. I should have quit bounty hunting years ago. It's only caused grief. I'm-"

"Babe," Ranger cut in, having heard enough of her words. "No."

"It's true, though," she insisted without lifting her head. "I'm a failure. I'm the worst kind of failure. My dad is barely alive because of me. My mother is-"

"No," he stated more firmly, using a finger on her chin to drag her head up to meet his gaze. "No," he repeated, just for good measure. "This isn't your fault. You're not a failure. Your mother isn't right. For God's sake, Babe, she lied to you about your father's death. The woman has no right to claim the high ground and point out your faults."

"But-"

He shook his head and would have pulled into his arms if he didn't think she needed to the reassurance that came from the feel of her father's warm flesh under her fingers. "You're good at what you do. You're compassionate, and truly care about the outcome of some of the skips that come into your hands. You've cleared more names than I can count. Instincts like yours don't come around every day. I can see you're having trouble seeing through the darkness at the moment, but trust me when I tell you that there's a light on the other side, and I'll stand here and make sure it keeps shining until you can find it in yourself to reach for it. Do you understand?"

She nodded slowly, rendered speechless by the sincerity of Ranger's words.

"I can't teach you how to fly, Babe," he added, stepping closer so he could wrap his arms around her while she maintained contact with her Dad. "But I can show you how to live like your life is on the line."

A frown appeared on her brow as she submitted to the lock of his eye contact. "Isn't my life always on the line?"

He managed a small smile, tucking a curl behind her ear. "Sometimes I wish it wasn't," he admitted quietly. "Speaking of flying, can we talk about what happened on the roof tonight?" When her lips pressed together and an torturous emotion flashed across her face, Ranger took the plunge and continued, needing to know just how deep her grief was, how much help she might need to get past everything that had happened. "When I called to find out where you were the guys in control told me you were on the roof looking like you wanted to jump. Babe, do you realise what that news did to me? My heart stopped. I couldn't believe you would do such a thing, but when I raced up to the roof to find you fighting against Hector's hold…"

A gasp escaped her throat as her eyes widened, staring up at him with her mouth gaping a little. Slowly, she let go of her father's hand and curled her fingers into Ranger's shirt, holding eye contact the entire time. "Ranger," she whispered. "I could never! God! I'm sorry I scared you. I- oh, I caused a huge scene, didn't I? The guys were all… and they thought… Ranger." His name came out on a imploring groan as she considered the reactions of all his men, the worry that would have pulsed through the entire company from her actions. "No," she croaked. "I wasn't going to jump. I was- When Mom said that Dad was-" she gulped, unable to let the words pass her lips, even with he evidence that they weren't true lying less than a foot away. "I was shattered. I needed air and remembered that Lester had taken me to roof earlier to help me calm down."

"They said it looked like you were trying to climb the barrier, Babe," Ranger whispered. He believed her, but he still needed more details to lay it to rest.

She shook her head. "I, I guess I can understand how they could think that. I was kicking and thrashing against it. I needed – it was – It hurts so much, Ranger. It was an agony in my chest. I could hardly breath and I needed to feel something else. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," he murmured, pulling her tighter until he could feel her heart beating against his, physical evidence that she was still with him. "I'm sorry I wasn't there when you needed me."