'And the Bat Cave?' I managed to ask, my voice a tad lower than normal.

Ranger smiled, his head dropping so that his lips grazed the sensitive shell of my ear. I shivered again as Ranger whispered into my ear, 'Oh Babe, the Bat Cave is still forever.'

Chapter 19

'Uh…' I stammered, 'that's good to know. But, um…forever's pretty long, you know? How do you know you're not going to get bored of me?'

Ranger sucked on my earlobe and his teeth nibbled on it lightly, causing my breath to hitch. 'I'd never get bored with you.' He murmured.

His hands rested on my waist, his body was pressing into mine - and the familiar flames of desire were overcoming me; coherent thought was fast disappearing.

His arms slipped around me, enfolding me in his embrace. I buried my head in his shoulder and just enjoyed being held.

'You breakfast's getting cold Babe.' Ranger said.

I nodded and reluctantly disentangled out bodies. A girl's gotta have priorities, and food always been pretty high on my list.

I scarfed down my bacon, eggs and toast – appreciating it all the more because he had cooked it for me.

'Thanks.' I smiled, 'that was fantastic.'

Ranger smiled fractionally and kissed my neck, 'good.'

As he kissed my neck I became suddenly aware that I was only wearing a robe; one tug and the masterpiece would be revealed.

Ok, maybe not a masterpiece…

'Um…' I stammered, 'I should…you know…get dressed and stuff.'

A smile toyed with Ranger's lips but he merely nodded. 'I got some clothes from your closet.' He said, indicating a duffel bag on the floor by he kitchen side.

I considered getting upset that Ranger had been through my clothes, but...well…Ranger's been in more intimate things than my closet. I felt my face flush bright red at the thought, 'uh yeah. Thanks.'

'Sure.' He replied, looking curious as to the origin of the blush. Ah ha! See? The all-knowing Esp thing doesn't always work! It's broken!

'It'll get back on track in a minute.' Ranger said confidently.

'How the hell do you do that! Are you the devil in disguise?'

'No Babe.' He said, his voice was silky as he whispered, 'but I am here to temp you…'

'Just to temp me?' I asked softly, feeling inexplicably disappointed.

'No Babe.' Ranger sighed suddenly, and pulled away, making space between us. His dark eyes met mine and held my gaze, I started to feel a bit uncomfortable but I couldn't look away. Whether it was my stubborn pride or the mesmerising powers of Ranger, I do not know, but I couldn't - wouldn't - look away from him.

Finally Ranger broke the silence but not our eye contact, 'sometimes Babe, you watch, but you don't see. Sometimes it's not what you say, or how you say it, or even if you say it – it's what you do. Look, Babe, and see.'

And with that, Ranger turned on his heel and left the kitchen, leaving me gaping there, thinking, 'huh?'

I took a long bath.

Three hours long.

Outwardly, I resemble a prune.

Inwardly, the turmoil that Ranger had created with his Zen master style comments was beginning to clear. Leaving a whole lot of uncertainty, and maybe just the smallest smidgen of hope.

I was going to get dressed in silky underwear, jeans and a tight, low cut, top. But…I couldn't. For one thing, Ranger had apparently decided that underwear was surplus to requirements – normally I just felt like my privates were alfresco, now they really were. I pulled on the jeans Ranger had grabbed and looked for a top. He had packed a white top.

So now I was dressed in tight jeans that rubbed interestingly when I walked, and a tight white top that left little to the imagination. Ranger and I were going to have a long talk about appropriate clothing selection. But for now: I'm a woman on a mission. I set about hunting Ranger down – in more ways than one.

I found him in the fourth room I peeked in, he was with his father and his cousin, and all talk ceased when I walked in.

'Should my ears be burning?' I asked.

'Would we ever talk about a lady behind her back?' protested Ricky gallantly.

'I don't know, but would you talk about me behind my back?' I retorted.

'Miss Plum-' Carlos started.

'Stephanie.' I interrupted.

'Stephanie,' Carlos agreed, nodding. 'You are, assuredly, a lady.'

I blinked at this. 'Huh.' I turned to Ranger, 'doesn't he know about the cars and the dead bodies and the psycho's?'

'He knows Babe.'

'And you still think I'm a lady?' I said incredulously. He wouldn't think that if he knew I wasn't wearing underwear.

Ranger burst out laughing, holding his stomach, gasping for breath.

'Shit.' I said, 'can we pretend I didn't say that? After all, it's Ranger's fault that I'm not wearing underwear.' That didn't sound good. 'What I mean is…um…the psycho and all, and the Bat Cave, and Ranger packed some spare clothes but no underwear.'

Carlos smiled at me, 'Relax, mi cara, todo es bien. Tell me, the Bat cave?' He said, asking for an explanation.

'No one knows where Ranger lives and he has expensive black cars.' I said. Carlos and Ricky still looked lost. 'Like the Batmobile.' I clarified. Still blank. 'And he has sidekicks. The Merry Men.'

'Wouldn't that make him Robin Hood?' Ricky asked, confused.

'It could do I guess, but Robin Hood has a silly theme tune.'

Ricky thought about it, 'yeah, you're right.' He nodded, 'But how do you explain Batman having the Merry Men at his beck and call if he's not Robin Hood?'

I paused, 'well, Batman's kinda like Robin Hood – he's a human doing superhuman things, right?'

'Right.' Said Ricky.

'So maybe Robin Hood and Batman were picked on by the other superheroes because they're don't have special powers like Superman or Spiderman, or The Flash – and maybe they wouldn't let them join the Justice League. So Robin Hood and Batman became really good friends in the face of adversity and Robin Hood lent Batman his Merry Men to fight crime and right wrongs and stuff like that.'

'That's feasible.' Ricky agreed.

'Cool.' I said, 'glad we got that sorted.' I turned to Ranger, 'So if anyone asks, you have to say Robin Hood lent you the Merry Men, ok?'

'Babe.' Ranger said, amusement obvious.

'I like her.' Ricky said, 'can I keep her?'

'NO.' said Ranger firmly, glaring at Ricky.

I opened my mouth to rant about 'keeping' myself, thank you very much! But then I blinked. Focus Stephanie, the mission - remember?

'I need to speak with Ranger now.' I said sweetly, smiling at Carlos and Ricky, 'So if you'd please leave so that I can possibly yell at him, I'd appreciate it.'

The two grinning men got up and left.

'Traitors.' Ranger muttered.

'What was that?' I asked, still smiling dangerously.

'Nothing Babe. What's up?'

'What's up? What's up! I have just spent a lot of time being rather confused and stressed and it's not fair.'

'Babe-'

'No.' I said firmly, 'you're going to shut up and listen while I have the courage to say this, ok?'

Ranger nodded once, holding his silence, his eyes curious.

I sat down on the couch next to him but I stared straightforward, not looking at him. 'I know that you get frustrated when I pull back from you like I did earlier. It's not you –'

Ranger let out an uncharacteristic snort of disbelief.

'It's not you.' I repeated firmly, 'it's me, and everything in my life – and everything in my past and my present.' I chanced a sideways look at him and he was looking at me seriously, he nodded slightly and I continued, looking away again. 'You probably know this, but I lost my virginity to Morelli when I was sixteen and,' I swallowed, 'everyone knew it because the assholee wrote about on the stadium wall. I was pretty much persona non grata for a while after that, and then I went away to college, dated some guys, and then I came home and met Dickie. We had a stupid whirlwind romance and got married within a few months.' I rolled my eyes at my younger, stupider, naïve self.

'You know how that ended. Everyone does. After the divorce I got myself a job with E. E. Martins, just a temporary job, I thought, but I stayed there three hideously long years. I dated a few guys but…' I shrugged.

'Then I got laid off and I bribed Vinnie into taking me on. I met you and you were hot and interesting but oh so private and more than a little bit scary. You weren't filed under 'potential boyfriends; in my Rolodex,' I said wryly. 'And then Joe stepped back into my life. When we started seeing each other again, after his false arrest and everything, the whole of the Burg started talking about how it was fate, kismet, meant to be. And he was so familiar, and it was so easy. I grew up with him; he knows the same people, frequents the same places, eats the same food, supports the same team and drinks the same beer. And then you kissed me.' I closed my eyes.

'And it was…different. And now, it doesn't really matter what you do, you make me melt. And Joe - doesn't. I was trying to sort that out in my head, trying to understand my 'unhealthy patterns' of behaviour, when I went to visit Joe.'

I took a shaky breath, 'and once again,' I said, 'the supposed man in my life is shagging someone else on the dinning room table. I knew that things were ending between us, but I didn't want-' my throat constricted painfully and Ranger's arm slid around my waist, silently supporting me. Sometimes it's not what you say, or how you say it, or even if you say it – it's what you do. Ranger's words rang in my head and my heart and gave me the courage to continue. I leaned in to him, but still kept my gaze averted.

'It's only been less than a week Ranger, less than a week that it all ended forever, for real. And I'm upset. And then I started getting the presents. And I'm scared. And now I'm trying to sort out my feelings for you, and most importantly, I'm trying to work out your goddamn feelings for me. Because, Ranger, I don't have Esp. And you - you don't make sense! I just honestly don't know what to make of you. Before, I knew I trusted you implicitly, I always have, and you've never abused that trust. And then, it was sexual. And then, the morning after…well…it was obvious that it was just sexual.' Ranger's arm tightened around my waist but he held his silence.

'But then, at the same time…Abruzzi. What the hell am I supposed to make of that? That's not something you do for someone who's a quick fuck.' Ranger made a noise of protest in the back of his throat, but I carried on. 'And it's always been like that. You are always, without fail, there for me. Always. I give you a call and I have ten Merry Men on me – on loan from Robin Hood or not – you're wasting time, and money on me. Risking lives for me. Risking jail for me. 'Sometimes it's not what you say, or how you say it, or even if you say it – it's what you do.' And your actions are bloody confusing because they seem to contradict your words. You told me your lifestyle doesn't lend itself to relationships and to go back to Morelli, and yet by your actions you have supported me, unswervingly. But Ranger, the men in my life don't support me, not like you do. They always let me down. They always hurt me. And half the time, when I'm with you, I'm waiting for you to do the same.'

'Babe-'

'Please.' I said softly. Ranger fell silent again.

'I've never had someone who would give their own life before mine. I've never had someone to lean on; I've never had a rock - unless you count my dad. And most of the time, I don't even want anyone to lean on, but sometimes, when you're crying your eyes out, it's nice to have someone to hold you. Someone who would hunt down The Adventures of Wonder Woman for you. I'm scared that all you want is sex because I want more. And I'm scared to try for more because I don't want to lose such an amazing friend.'

I squinched my eyes shut again, 'I lust after you more than is decent to admit, and you make my tummy go squishy and I always know when you're around. I know you're frustrated when I pull back from you and I'm sorry, but if I go forward with you then I have so much more to lose then I've ever had before. Losing you would hurt far more than losing Dickie or Joe, and…and…I don't even know when you're birthday is!'

'12th September.' Ranger said softly.

'That's not exactly what I meant.' I sighed.

'I know Babe. Can I talk now?'

'You do seem to be.' I muttered.

'I know the men in your life have let you down and hurt you, but that's just another unhealthy pattern that can be broken Steph. And I'll help you break it if you'll let me. No matter what happens Babe, I'm always going to be your rock – even when it pisses you off. So, Babe, tell me what would make you willing to try 'us', and I'll do it if I can.'

And finally I have reached the crux of my mission – Operation Elucidate Emotions.

'Tell me how you feel about me.' I whispered, feeling so terrified and nervous that I almost thought I might be sick.

'Is that all?' Ranger asked, a hint of dry amusement in his voice, 'well, it's quite simple Babe…I love you.'