We sat on the bed for a few more minutes, picking through old toys and such. The look on Ranger's face as he picked up each one was a face I had never seen, and I was sure I'd never see again. There wasn't much after the Army Guy story, just a few pictures and some odds and ends. The last thing in the box was a half of a drum stick. It was the top end, and it looked well used.

"You realize I learned more about you that you have ever actually told me?" Can't believe I just said that.

"Yes."

"Back to what you said the other night, about my chances. You gave me a chance, and ever since then I've become a pot hole in your life." Man, I was just letting everything off my chest. I had spent all last night thinking about all of that. "You don't have to do all this."

"I think I do. You're valuable, Babe. More valuable to anybody in my life as it currently stands. If I loose you, I loose everything. You have no clue what that means, but I do. Don't go around thinking you're just a blade of grass on my lawn."

"Jeez, I didn't think about that."

"You shouldn't have to. You assumed right. If I hadn't sent you back to Morelli after the deal was delt with, just kept you by me, then none of this would have been a problem." There was a message of great importants in there.

"You've always been there for me, always trusted me, and always gave me a reason to trust you. No one else has ever done that. Dickie lied, Joe lied..." My voice trailed off.

"Babe, there might be a time where I can't be there for you." He finally turned his attention to me.

I blinked twice. I knew that, had since day one, but now it sunk in. He was right. Yes, he was better at his job than I am, but the mortality rate was generally high. I had my share of life or death situations which, with the help of Ranger, over-came most of them.

Valerie had saved me from Abrunzi. Joe saved me from time to time, but for the most part, Ranger had come to my rescue. I had actually become acustomed to that fact.

"I know Ranger. My life expectancy's not great either. One wrong move and I'm gone." I protested.

We got quiet for a moment where there was the pitter-patter of feet on the steps. Squealing trailed off down the hall and a door was slamed next to us. Ranger turned the stick over again and again, just like he had done with everything else.

He was becoming more human. Same basic wants, needs and concerns. And I was one of them. Minute by minute, his Batman persona was coming unglued. Ranger was a top buissness man who lived in a super-secret batcave all alone and ate sawdust. Ricardo, however, was a man much like Joe. Came home from a long day busting bad guys, coming home alone in a big, empty house and had heartburn whenever I was missing and the phone rang.

No really, the phone rang. Yankee doodle went to town, riding on a pony...

"Joe." We said softly in unnison.

I groped around for it and found it, stashed away in the side table with my Smith and Weston and pepper spray.

"Yo." I growled.

"WHERE ARE YOU?" Joe screamed.

"Ahh...Morelli." I cooed.

I could feel his blood level rise over the phone. "Morelli? Excuse me?"

"Yes, you senseless sack of balls, Morelli. You have a reason for calling?"

"Yes. WHERE ARE YOU!" He screamed again.

"Hiding from Junkman with Ranger, no help from you." I said sarcastically.

"Me? What'd I do?" He played innocent

"Forget it Joe. Go home, screw your blond bimbo, and leave me the hell alone." I slamed the phone shut and laid it next to me.

"Way to lay it on him Babe. Want me to shoot him?" Ranger asked.

"I told you no already." I was still a little edgy.

"Ok."

The phone rang again, not yankee doodle this time. I looked at my phone. No display. That tuned Ranger in. He pulled his from his cargo pocket and answered it.

"Talk.""Ran off, why?""Why?""No.""You're not doing so well yourself.""She's rattled."

"Yes, were safe." He had a short conversation with who ever it was, I presumed Tank, and hung up.

"He's like my mother sometimes." He said, rolling off the bed to put on his boots.

"Tank?" I asked.

"Yeah." Ranger began shoveling toys back into the box, leaving the lid open, and put it back into the hole.

He pulled the thing off the door and sliped it into his pocket. "Come on Babe."

I followed him out the door. He ran down the steps and kissed his parents on the cheek. He led me out the front door and to the Bronco.

The front yard was as awesome as the inside itself. A full yard of nice, freshly cut grass. A white picket fense bordered the yard from the neighbors' and enclosed a small flagstone patio. The walkway to the gate was also flagstone, and there was a fire pit built into the middle. He remoted the doors open and I jumped into the passenger seat.

"My plan was to stop at the office, get a few skips, and then help you get them. Is that ok?" He asked as he angled in on the other side.

"I wanted to go shopping. All that stress over Joe and Junkman is getting to me." It was ment to be a harmless joke, but it brought tears to my eyes.

This is a reality. I have a huge, cuban bodyguard who I'm sharing a bed with in his parents home. The bodyguard was also attracted to me. My hormones were kicking, full speed, and I was pushing them aside. The mental image of Ranger, stripping just before he collected his debt...Oh boy.

"You have money to shop?" Ranger snaped me back to reality. He had the key in the ignition, but hadn't started the truck yet.

"Well," I sighed, "no."

"That's a problem babe." He turned the engine over, and went into his mode.

Problem my ass. If I was going to die, I wanted to go in something new.