When I awoke, the Tv was turned down. Ranger was fast asleep behind me, his arm holding me close. And of course, I had to pee. The clock on the VCR told me that even if I didn't hurry, I'd be on time to dinner. I managed to wriggle out of Ranger's grasp and drag myself to the bathroom. I did my buisness and left, being as quiet as I could. Ranger was sitting up on the couch, looking groggy. He truned towards me and his mouth twitched. Ranger's smile.

"Babe, you really wanted to go to dinner?" He asked.

"Not really." I said, droping myself next to Ranger on the couch.

He flashed me a full on smile and draped his arm around my shoulder. He pulled me towards him and we sat there for a long time. The TV was turned off now. Finally, he sat up and took a hold of my wrist. He dragged me to my feet and into his bed room. He threw some clothing on a pile for me, and then shoved me off towards the bathroom. "I'll suffer through dinner with your family." He said in a mono-tone.

I showered again and put on the clothing he sent me with. I jazzed up my hair a little and re-worked my makeup. Once I was satisfied, I unlocked the door. Ranger was sitting on the edge of his bed, lacing up his boots. He had on his normal black shirt, a pair of dark blue jeans and a brown suede blazer. Dangling in his left ear was a small gold earing. One word came to my mind. "Hot". Ranger turned toward me and I suddenly realized I had said it out loud.

"Not to bad yourself, Babe." He smiled.

I left him in his room. I grabed my bag, making sure there was nothing Grandma Mazur would find if she got curious. I emptied my gun, which was still loaded because of the Junkman fiasco, and piled all my bullets in the middle of Ranger's coffee table. I set the batteries from my stun gun beside the mound of bullets and felt like I was ready to go.

I found Ranger, on his phone in the bedroom. He finished his call and followed me to the kitchen where I said good-bye to Rex and gave him a handful of Ranger's healthy cereal. Ranger ushered me out to the door and pushed the button on the wall.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The entire trip to my parent's little Burg home was silent. Ranger was in his zone. A zone I'd never begin to comprehend, and with the way his brain ticked, a zone I might not want to understand. It was almost winter in Trenton, and the sun had already began to sink. The street lights were on, and they caught Ranger's earing and his watch.

My mother and Grandma Mazur were at their usual post, on the portch, when we pulled up. Neither Ranger or I moved for a second. Some strange power came over me, and I brushed a quick kiss on his lips. "I'll go see if its safe."

He grinned and I angled out of his custom Vector M12. I steped onto the curb, half afraid Ranger would just drive off. He didn't and he killed the engine. My mother's eyes were open wide and her chin almost hit the ground.

"I don't want to know." She finnaly said, putting he fingers in her ears and heading into the house.

"Is Batman coming in?" Grandma Mazur asked. Her face was lit up.

"Yeah," I said turning towards the car and giving him a thumbs up. "We'll be in there in a second."

Ranger cautiously opened the door. Grandma Mazur gave a quick yelp of excitement and ran into the house. I waited for Ranger, who broke out in a slow run once the coast was clear.

"What's the deal." He asked.

"Don't make any sudden movements and everything should be fine. Just try not to mention your car."

"What, it's American!?" It was a retorical question, and I could feel Ranger smiling behind me.

For a moment I wanted to turn back and run home. Only, I didn't really have a home. The Kloughns(figuratively speaking, since Valerie hadn't officialy married Albert yet) were still in my appartment and Joe and me hadn't made up yet. Here was as close to home as it was going to get for now. Ranger sensed my urge to run and he slid his hands into my back pockets and led me through the door way.

He closed and locked the door behind him. He brushed me a kiss on my lips and from in the dining room, a plate crashed to the ground. My mother stood in shock, shattered ceramic at her feet.

"Oh dear, it sliped." She said and hurried to get a broom.

Ranger bent down to pick up the peices. I scanned the room. No Valerie. No Albert. A pink frilly baby car seat was placed on the couch, and Mary Alice and Angie came running at the droped plate. My mother returned with a broom, her face almost ghost white.

"Where's Val?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

My mother was scared of Ranger. Actually, anyone in their right mind was afraid of Ranger, my my mother was especially cautious. The fact that I was, well, in love with a scary cuban guy didn't fly too well. I was always the one to give my mother nightmares.

"They had work to do." She said and the color returned to her face. She took the shards of the plate from Ranger and went back to the kitchen.

"You remember Ranger, right girls?" Grandma Mazur asked.

"RANGER!" Mary Alice and Angie yelled in unison and charged at Ranger.

They began talking very fast, pulling Ranger towards the steps by his fingers. He turned to me and mouthed, "Help". I shook my head and walked into the kitchen.

My mother cornered me. "I though you were coming alone!" She said in a hoarse whisper.

I sighed. "Mom, remember that Slayer-guy that was trying to kill me?"

"Yeah. The one Sally ran over?"

"Sort of. He wasn't the right guy, so I've been staying with Ranger."

My mother looked at me, then at the bottle of wiskey in the pantry, then back at me.

"Mom, it's not that bad!" I said.

"Why me?" She made the sign of the cross and made me carry the bowl of mashed potatoes.

I set it on the table and drug out an extra chair for Ranger. He came back down the stairs a few minutes later, Mary Alice thrown over his shoulder barbarian-style and Angie at his hip. His eyes caught mine as he put Mary Alice to her feet. She joined her sister, tugging at his pockets to hold on like he was some sort of ride.

I leaned against the back of the couch. He walked closer and kissed me. "It's not nice to stare." He said, not pulling back, so his lips brushed against mine. I looked over his shoulder, and saw mother head for another shot of wiskey. My father took his seat at the table and had his fork and kinfe in his hands. Mother returned with a plate of chicken and the gravy. Grandma was balancing a plate of rolls like a waitress, up until my mother swept if off her hands and put it on the table. She went back to get the vegetables.

"Frank, grace." My mother said sternly when she returned.

He stared at her for a second. Actually, most of us did. We were a good church family, but we only said grace on holidays. My mother's eyes stared directly into my father's, and he finally gave up and said grace as quickly as he could.

"Pass the potatoes." He said, and everyone jumped to get him his mashed potatoes.

"Sooo....Ranger, I hear Stephanie is living with you. When she was shacked with Morelli, they couldn't keep..." Grandma Mazur had started to say but Ranger cut her off.

Everyone knew where she was going with that statement. "I'm more of a close bodyguard." He said plainly.

"We'll gee. I though for sure you too were..."

"Mother!" my mother screached. "End of discussion!"

We sat through dinner in almost complete silence. Ranger had helped himself to seconds on the vegetables, which offered another round of akward stares. "Stephanie, I need your help in the kitchen." She taped me on the shoulder on her way to the kitchen.

"What have I done?" I whined when I got into the kitchen.

"BODYGUARD!" She whispered hoarsly.

"Mom! I'm sleeping on his couch!" I said.

Her face calmed down a bit. "But what about out there...?" She pointed to the wall, which on the other side was the living room.

"Friendly kiss. No big deal." Thats what I had been telling myself.

"Too friendly." She said, followed by "Why me?" under her breath.

She hastily grabed the strawberry pie she had made and rushed it to the dining room. I walked over to the pantry and grabed the neck of the wiskey. I lifted it up over the olive oil and spun around to get a glass. I hit a wall. To be more correct, I hit Ranger, but that had the equivilent of hitting a wall. He took the bottle from me and poured two glasses.

I put mine to my lips, but didn't drink. I watched him down his, and then go for more. He caught me. "Grandma Mazur." he said, and downed his second shot.

I peeked around the corner and saw Grandma Mazur wipe drool off her chin with the back of her hand. Ewwwwwww! I looked back at Ranger and sighed. My family was an embarassment. Ranger put the bottle back behind the oil and shoved me to the kitchen. Heads turned.

"What?" I asked, sitting back down.

"Nothing dear." My mother said.

Her eyes told her that she was lying. She was probably angry with me for lying, or for breaking up with Joe, or for a list of reasons we shouldn't get into. I helped myself to a piece of pie and ate it at supersonic speed. Ranger had a piece in front of him, and he had taken a bite.

"Mr. Manoso, what was that you're driving?" My father asked.

"M12." Ranger said, turning his back to me to face my father."I prefer Ranger or Ric sir. Mr. Manoso makes me feel like my father."

"Ranger then. How many horses?" Both men got up and walked over to the door.

"490." Ranger said, and they both dissapeared onto the portch to admire Ranger's car.

My mother voice broke the silence. "Girls, why don't you go watch TV?"

"Ok!" They said in unison and hoped out of their chairs.

"I have to get ready for the viewing." Grandma Mazur excused herself.

Once the room was quiet, my mother asked. "Have you slept with him?"

"Do we have a time frame?"

My mother gasped. "When?"

"When Joe and I were arguing months ago. It was only one night, and he said he couldn't do that kind of relationship and he pushed me back to Joe."

Ranger and my father came back through the door, both red in the face from laughing. I looked at Ranger and raised my eyebrow. He shook his head and turned towards my dad again.

"We really ought to go." He said, shaking my fathers hand.

Dad nodded and turned towards the living room. Ranger shook hands with my mother, gave the girls a hug and a kiss on the forehead and ran out the door before Grandma Mazur could catch us.

Ranger closed the door behind him and leaned against it. The Buick came baraling down the road with Valerie behind the wheel. She was doing almost 50, in a 25 neighborhood. She came to a quick stop, about a dimes width away from Rangers back bumper.

Ranger let out a deep breath. He was scared for his car. Albert and Valerie steped out of the car, both looking releived but very, very tired. They ambled up the drive and I gave them both a quick hug and a brief explanation.

"You wouldn't be busy two nights from now by any chance?" Albert blurted out. He had changed drastically within the last month of father-hood. His face was as pale as usual, but all thought and emotion was drained.

I looked at Ranger, who was looking at me. We both knew what they wanted. A baby-sitter.

"I have survellince to do, but...uhh....." I stammered.

"But were doing our best to catch him tonight, so friday night souldn't be a problem." Ranger cut in. He turned to me. "I'll get Tank to do your survellince if nesessary."

I gave Valerie another hug and set off to Ranger's car.