Author's Note: Thank You all so much for the reviews!!

They make sooooooooo happy!!!

I've got the next two chapters written.

So pretty please Review!!!

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It was dark when I woke up. And I wasn't wearing shoes.

Hmmmmm, yet another overreaction to be added in with the pile; no one wonder Marcus doesn't like me. I'm a walking freak show.

I sat up in bed, pulled my knees close, and rested my chin on them.

I was hungry, but food required leaving this room. Leaving this room required seeing people. People who had all very likely seen my little episode; the second one in as many days.

After all they'd been in the security room, with all the monitors, they'd probably seen me and my hand gestures and my pacing and my obvious yelling, even if they hadn't actually heard me.

A knock on the door, had me jumping up. "Uh… come in…"

Lane entered with a big black bag.

"Hello," she said, setting the bag on the floor and standing by the bed, "I came by earlier to examine you, but you were asleep."

I felt a ripple of relief and a ripple of disappointment one right after the other coursed through me that it hadn't been Ranger.

"Has your head hurt today?" she asked politely.

"A little."

"Lower it please." She said, still politely as her hands began feeling my head.

The examination took about ten minutes; she was very polite, very considerate, and almost kind. By the end of it I felt like she'd locked me in a cage and hurled accusations at me for an hour.

She was quietly, but determinedly hating my guts.

"I have a right to know what's going on." I finally stated, when she started picking up all her tools, not able to stand the quiet.

She looked up at me and sighed in relief, good the politeness was gone. She was angry.

"You've been told what's going on. I don't understand why you insist that there's more. All you're doing is hurting feelings."

"Because I can feel it. I know there's more."

She straightened, and eyed me for a moment. "I like you Stephanie, I really do. You'd make a great friend, but I can't have you upsetting my guys. Marc and Rick went into it for ten minutes after you left; I thought they were going to fist fight for a second."

"I don't mean to cause trouble; I just don't like being in a situation if I don't know what's going on."

She nodded, sitting down on the edge of the bed, "I can understand that. It's a perfectly reasonable statement. The thing is you don't need to know anything more for the situation your in. You're here as his friend, a friend who helped him out and unintentionally got herself involved. We're all very sorry about that, and we're going to keep you safe until it's all over."

She paused, studying me, and I saw suddenly a very clear resemblance between her and Marcus.

"You're right, there is more. A lot more, but its family business. For the situation you're in you have all the information you need. Truth is, you don't really want more information."

"Because I wouldn't be able to go back."

She smirked, "Who've you been talking to?"

"Your mother. She says he loves me."

The smirk was gone, "Mom talks too much."

She stood. "Does he?" I asked her, looking up.

She said nothing.

I sighed, lowering my gaze, "I never know which ways up when it comes to Ranger. One minute I think he's interested and the next…" I didn't finish the sentence, figuring there was no need to give this girl a history of my failed-male-relationships… we didn't have all night.

"Dinner's almost ready. You're expected to eat with the family today." She turned to leave.

"Dinner? What time is it!!?"

She turned back around, "You slept all day. It's completely normal. If you do the same tomorrow, you might begin to feel like yourself. The blow to the back of your head caused massive swelling. The fact that it went untreated for almost 48 hours didn't help."

Then she was gone.

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I'd tried to get myself to look a little better tonight. But it was hard without make-up and I kept forgetting ask someone.

Today's venture into the outside world was more difficult than the last. But I was done being a cry-baby.

I took deep breath and opened the door.

My eyes immediately landed on Tank. I sighed in relief when he grinned at me. "You must think us, pretty boring bombshell… whole day sleeping…"

I grinned back as I approach him; he was sitting on sofa, watching the TV. The TV, however, was inhabited by animated, digital characters.

Two of the boys were on the floor playing a video game.

"Hi Tank," I said solemnly, then "What can I say…?"

He motioned, to his side, "Come have a seat. And it's Eddie here."

I looked in the direction of the kitchen than back at him, "Lane said dinner was almost ready."

"Lane's concept of time is different than the rest of worlds. Dinner is at seven. Every night. It's currently 6:38."

I filed that away for future reference as I sat down next to him.

"Eddie, huh?"

"Yep."

"Ranger told me I gotta call him Rick."

"Ranger and Tank aren't allowed here, House-rules."

I stared at him.

He grinned, "Tia feels that if we come here with street names, we bring street business. Street business is forbidden. When we're here, we're her boys and nothing more."

I took that in. More information to file away for the future.

"Tia?"

"It means aunt in Spanish."

I nodded; we were silent for a little while. Watching the characters move around on screen, marveling at how involved the boys were.

"I want to go home." I told him.

He didn't look at me, kept his eyes glued to the screen, "Wouldn't count on it Bombshell."

"I want to know what's going on."

"Thought you were briefed." He said neutrally.

"Not really."

"Not buying it, Bombshell."

I glared up at his profile, "I have no idea what's going on."

"I'm sure-"

I groaned loud enough to cut him off, "If you tell me I know all I need to know, I'm gonna burst into tears."

He looked down at me, "It's not personal."

"It sure feels like it."

He grinned at me. "We just don't want any rooms blown up."

I scowled.

"Would you like to play with us, Ms. Plum?"

It was Clark.

"You can call me Steph," I told him, noticing his eyes were lighter than the norm in this family.

He smiled at me, revealing one missing tooth.

"We're playing Mario Kart, Steph. You wanna play with us?"

I looked at Tank. He was all Tank-like; I wasn't getting any information out of him. But kids… even I could get information out of kids.

I nodded, moving to join them on the floor. Not because I wanted to, but because it was farther away from Tank.

"So…" I said as he handed me a controller.

"Hi, Ms. Plum." Richie.

"You can call her Steph." Clark informed the younger boy.

Which was a good thing; because I was once again struck silent by how much this kid looked like Ranger. True, he was the son of Ranger's twin.

"Okay, you can go against Richie first."

"Actually why don't I watch you two so I'll know what to do." And so I can ask you questions.

He nodded, "Okay."

When they started to play, I started my inquisition.

"So you guys spend a lot of time downstairs."

Richie shook his head vigorously, "Nu-uh we not allowed down there. It's not safe."

"Safe is a big deal around here huh?"

"Yeah, this is da safest house. We comes here when things get risky."

"You don't live here?" I asked him, the thought just occurring to me.

"Nope he doesn't, only me and my dad and Paul live here…with Grandma." Clark interjected.

"Oh."

"But we's all got rooms here and stuff. We visit a lot." Richie.

"When things get risky?" I asked.

"Yeah." Richie.

"Does that happen a lot?"

Richie shrugged, Clark didn't even bother to look at me, he was so engrossed in the game.

"Do you know why it happens?" I asked softly.

"It's cause a who we are." Richie said plaintively.

"No, dummy, it's cause who we were." Clark interrupted, "You're up now…" he added handing me the controller.

"Better yet, why don't you get up. Now."

Busted.

I jumped back, and my eyes flew to Ranger. The grim expression on his face told me, he'd heard at least part of the conversation.

"Uncle Rick!!" Richie, all the enthusiasm only a four year old could manage, "You wanna play too?!" he asked sweetly.

Ranger glanced at his nephew, "No, Rich, and Ms. Plum isn't going to play either. She and I have to talk."

I didn't get up.

"Now." He growled out, before turning around.

I got up, and glanced at Tank. He was sitting forward in the sofa, obviously sensing something was wrong.

He led me to "my" room and opened the door.

"I don't think… Dinner will…"

"…will wait. Get in."

Okayyyyy

He shut the door firmly behind us.

"Pumping my nephews for information is not cool, Stephanie."

Stephanie, uh-oh.

"Yeah, well, I'm desperate here."

"You shouldn't be, you should understand that you know all-"

"… all I need to know…" I mimicked.

He didn't like that.

"I wish you'd trust me." He said softly and my eyes widened.

"Trust you?!?" I screeched at him. He cringed, apparently realizing he'd said something wrong.

"You want me to trust you!!! Right Ranger, cause me being here, not knowing where here is, and not knowing what the hells going on without calling the fuckin police isn't trust!!"

"Stop yelling." He said calmly.

"Stop telling me I know everything I need to know!"

He glared at me, yeah, an actual glare that would have made me pee my pants if I wasn't so angry to begin with.

"But it's true."

I said nothing, instead headed for the door. I'd swung it open when he spoke.

"Trust me, Babe."

I sighed, and not a happy sigh; an aggravated one. "I do trust you, Ranger. I just wish you'd trust me."

I headed for the kitchen, bypassing Tank and the looks he was shooting and praying that this meal wouldn't be as much an ordeal as the rest of this day had been.

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