A/N: I see I got a lot of reviews for killing a character. Hmm… who can I kill off next. Maybe Grandma Mazur, she's old too. Just kiddin'. I wouldn't… think of… killing of Grandma Mazur. But I do see you were all very upset by the unfortunate death of Rex, but do not worry he is in hamster heaven.

I know this won't make up for it, but here is the long awaited return of our superhero.

Chapter 4: Midnight visits

The hairs on the back of my neck were up, someone was watching and I knew who. I hand the gun in my hand pointing at the doorway. He stood there, in what were not his usual clothes I could tell. He walked over to the bathroom, picked up my nightlight and plugged it in. He stood there for a moment and looked at me. My gun was still pointed at him, I couldn't decide if I should shoot him. He moved closer and took the gun from my hands.

"Babe." He said. He'd been gone for three weeks and that was all he had to say.

"What are you doing here Ranger?" I was agitated and my voice was horse.

"You were asking about me?"

I sighed. I couldn't deny it, but this wasn't the time. "What happened?" He asked. Tears welled up behind my eyes again. Damn it, I had just got that under control.

"Rex… is dead." I managed to croak out and tears began to flow again.

His face was flat. I was sure he was trying to decide between showing sympathy or laughing. He sat at the edge of my bed and reached out and wiped away a tear. He let his hand linger on my cheek. "It was his time." He simply said.

He let a moment pass and let his hand slid off my face. I had my crying under control. "Are you in some kind of trouble Babe?"

I looked at him. I didn't know what he was talking about. "No." I said.

"Then why are you sleeping with you're gun?"

"Oh that." I wasn't sure if I wanted to tell him, he might just try to lock me up some where but he knew better than that. "I thought that there was someone in my fire escape a couple of days ago, I guess I'm being paranoid." He got up and walked over to the window and looked out. I could now see he was in his good clothes. Nice dress pants, cashmere sweater, expensive shoes. He turned around. "No ones here."

I nodded, not sure what to do next I just sat there.

He looked at me a moment longer before speaking. "Go back to sleep, I'll see you tomorrow." And with that he left. I heard the door shut close and the locks slide into place.

I flopped back, staring at the ceiling, I couldn't figure out what I wanted to ask him. There was something important I wanted from him. Mental head slap. Morelli. I wanted to ask him about Morelli.

I was at the office at nine sitting on the couch. Connie didn't have any new files for me and I was glad. I had two I couldn't get as is, an ex-marine and a John Smith.

Lula bounded into the office late as usual.

"Hey girl, what's up?" she asked me.

"Rex is dead."

"Who done it? I'll bust a cap in that mofo's ass."

"No one done it Lula, he was just old. And now he's dead." The tears were welling up again. Deep breaths, it's going to be ok. Rex is in hamster heaven.

I heard the door open and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up for the second time today. Lula and Connie were almost drooling. Ranger gave the slightest hint of a nod to us and walked into Vinnie's office.

"Damn that man is sexy as hell." Lula said as she fanned herself.

Ten minutes later Ranger walked out of Vinnie's office with a file. He looked at me; "can I talk to you outside?"

I stood up with my bag and walked out the door and stood in front of our cars facing him. He eyed me and waited for me to talk. Damn, how did he know I wanted something?

"You came looking for me." Damn ESP.

"Morelli's hasn't come back yet." His face went completely flat at this.

"He's a big boy Babe."

"He was suppose to come back last week. I asked around and they won't tell me anything."

"I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks." I wasn't sure what else I could say.

"How are your cases?"

Maybe I could pass on the ex-marine to him. "Uh, that. I was wondering if you would like to take one of my cases." He raised a brow at this. "His name is David Galloh, ex-marine. He was arrested for drunken disorderly. He got into a bar fight, put a man in a chokehold until the man passed out. His buddy had to pry him off. So you think you'll take him."

Something about Ranger's posture had changed, I didn't know quite what. Maybe something in his eyes. He just held out his hand. I dug in my purse and out came the David Galloh file; I handed it to him. It was no longer my responsibility.

He turned around and got in his car and drove away. There was something weird about him.

I on the other hand needed a pick-me-up. I stuck my head in the office and called to Lula. "Do you want to go shopping. I feel like I need shoes."

A couple of hours later and a 250 dollars poorer, I had a bag in my hands, which contained my new sexy red stiletto fuck-me-pumps and a new skin tight red dress, open on the back, spaghetti strap, and it hit me mid-thigh. And it all screamed fuck me, which I didn't mind so much. It's been a little over a month.

"What you gonna where that to?" Lula asked me as we got food from different vendors and sat down in the middle of the food court to eat.

"I'll find an occasion."

We chitchatted while I ate my burgers and friend and Lula ate her burgers, fries, chicken nuggets and, for health reasons she said, a salad. Thirty minutes later, we each had an ice cream in our hands and were outside staring at my car. The parking lot was desolate due to the fact it was mid-day on a Tuesday at the mall and my car was one of the few. And the only unusual thing about my car was that it was on fire.

It was completely engulfed in a fire! Fire! I could hear the sirens getting closer and all I could do was stare.

"Damn girl. How many is this?" Lula asked. I just glared at her and continued to stare at my car.

A fire truck was the first on the scene followed by an ambulance and a cop car. Carl and Big Dog got out of the car and walked over to us.

"Who won the pool?" I asked.

Why was I asking this? My car was on fire and the last thing I cared about was who won the stupid pool.

"Morelli." Said Carl.

"Oh." I couldn't manage anything else. I didn't even know he took part in that pool.

"What did you do now?" I couldn't believe this.

"It's not my fault. I came out here and it was on fire, ask Lula." And then I suddenly realized Lula was no where near me. She was standing back by the entrance to the mall. The hairs on my arm stood up, I was being watched again. What was with this? Who the hell was watching me? Big Dog walked over to Lula to ask some questions while Carl stood with me. I looked around and then the feeling was gone replaced with the hair on my neck standing. I didn't look around for him.

Soon there was a hand on the base of my neck.

"Babe." What is with this man? Can't he say anything more? So maybe I was feeling a little agitated. I mean, my car was only on fire the day after Rex died and I find out Morelli's missing.

I agreed to drop by the station for a statement, then Ranger dropped Lula off at the Office and drove me to my apartment. He parked the car and faced me.

"You sure you're not in trouble?"

I nodded. I still couldn't believe it, another car up in flames. I know I have bad luck with cars but usually the fires are explained…. This time I didn't know what I'd done.

I got out of the car and Ranger got out after me. He followed me up to my apartment, checked it before he let me in and then he was gone again. Batman and his disappearing act was getting annoying.

I grabbed the phone from the kitchen and sat down on the couch in front of the TV. I dialed my insurance company and settled everything before I watched some TV. Around six I was hungry and ate the left over pizza from two days ago.

The house was really quiet now that Rex was gone, who I needed now was Bob. He ate everything and pooped a lot, but he was good company. I should go by Stevie's and see if I could pick him up.

It was close to ten, when I finally got up, cleaned up after my dinner, put the phone back, grabbed my black bag from the kitchen, went into my bedroom, changed into a flannel shirt and went to bed. But the minutes later I was in the fetal position in bed phone in my hand dialing Ranger.

"Yo."

"There's someone on my fire escape."

"Be there in 10. Stay on the line."

I heard the windowpane shatter. The window was slid up and a man in black and a ski mask on entered my room. I tried to run out the room, but even before my feet could touch the ground the man had a gun pointed at me.

"Drop the phone and slide it this way. Try anything and I shoot." The man said his voice almost at a growl. I heard Ranger curse on the other end before I shut the phone and slid it to him. He let it slide past him. He fished out a phone from his own pocket and dialed. A few seconds later he was having a conversation with the guy on the other end.

"I'm here…." This is just weird. Here I was being held up by a guy in a ski mask in my own bedroom and he was having a conversation on a phone with who? "No…. Yes boss…. Ok." Then he just held the phone to his ear, watching me, saying nothing and didn't look like he was listening to anyone on the other end either.

"So, what's up?" I asked. No response. Don't worry Steph, Ranger's on his way.

He just stood there for what seemed like hours with the phone to his ear. Where was Ranger? And then I heard it, the deadbolt sliding.

"Don't move." The man commanded me and went out to look. I hope Ranger doesn't get hurt.

I hear a gun shot, a fist connecting with a jaw, hopefully Ranger's fist with the bad man's jaw, and a thump, like something heavy fell to the floor. I was still terrified and I was just staring at the door when Ranger walked in. He was in his work clothes and had a gun at his hip. He flashed me a 200-watt smile, "busy?"

I couldn't help but smirk to this. He took out his pocket and dialed what I assumed the police station and gave my address. I stood up, walked to where my phone lay and picked it up before I went into to the hallway to see the intruder.

He lay there on his stomach, unconscious, cuffed and the ski mask off. I didn't recognize him. He looked to be mid-thirties, a few grays in his brown hair, broken nose from sometime back, and drool mixed with blood coming out of his mouth. I looked past him at the door. Lodged in the middle was a bullet.

I felt his hand on the base of my neck. Morelli's missing, Rex is dead, my car gets blown up, some guy breaks into my apartment, this is no big deal. This happens all the time. Ranger gave a little squeeze and guided me back to the couch. He went into the kitchen, a moment later he was handing me a beer. He turned on the TV and waited until the police got there.

Fifteen minutes later there was a knock on the door. Ranger got up and got it, letting in Russell and her partner. Her partner took the intruder down to the car while Russell stayed behind to take a look in my room.

After looking around she asked a few questions, got me to agree to come down to the station and give a statement and then left.

Ranger and I stood there staring at each other.

"My place or your moms?" There was no way he was going to let me stay here and I wasn't sure if I wanted to. I wasn't sure if I wanted to go to my parents house either.

I looked up. "Yours."

I packed a duffel bag, pulled on some jeans and put on a jacket. Then I joined Ranger in my living room.

"Ready?" he asked taking the bag from me.

"Yep."

"I'll have someone fix up your window and door tomorrow."

I nodded and followed him out the door. He took the keys from my hand and locked the door behind us and then led me down to his truck. I looked at him again and wondered if he was working when I called him.

"Nothing important." ESP again.

He threw the bag in the back and got in, I followed and got in the passenger seat. He pulled out and immediately went into his zone. I stared out the window until we got to the Rangeman building. Darn, when he said his place I thought the Bat cave. But then again I should be glad. I remember asking about that place and his response was something to the affect of "once you went in you never came out."

We took the elevator to the seventh floor and into the apartment. He took my bag to his room and left me standing in the living room. I wasn't sure if I wanted to go into that room. No saying what would happen if I was in there, no point in taking the risk. A few minutes later he walked out with a pillow and a blanket and put them down in the couch.

He flipped the lights out as he left the room and said "good night."

I took off my jeans and laid it out of the arm of the couch. I fluffed the pillow and snuggled into the couch flipping the blanket over me. I could smell Ranger all over the pillow and blanket.

"Mmm…" I clapped a hand to my mouth. I relaxed again and drifted off to sleep.

A/N: I just started a new term and it looks like I'm actually going to have to do some work for class. Sigh… its very unfortunate. This means I can't spend as much time on this story… and you're not the only one dying to know what's going to happen. I only plan a couple of days ahead so its not like i know the ending either.