Ranger remembered the day he first met Stephanie. She walked into the diner and it was only a sunny smile that tentatively started as a lip-twitch. The smile cost very little for her to give. But like the dawn, as it shatters the night, its light illuminated within him and scattered the darkness deep inside his soul. It made Ranger's life worth living. He loved her the minute she fearlessly sat across from him at the table.

His life didn't lend itself to relationships. He committed and witnessed many atrocities against humankind. Ranger was afraid Stephanie would run away screaming when she learned everything there was to know about Ricardo Carlos Manoso.

Opening Rangeman and hiring ex-military and ex-gang members was his way of repairing the wrongs from his past. He wanted to give the men a way of redeeming themselves in the eyes of the public. It was remarkable how every military man, especially men who served in the special ops programs, got judged by the court of public opinion. The men were unfairly called thugs, murderers or criminals. They got paid by the military, the same organization employed by their government, to protect their freedoms and fight for their rights.

Ranger didn't want to pollute Stephanie's sunlight by casting a dark shadow caused by his past. Stephanie didn't care about what he did in the past for the government. She loved him despite his emotional and physical scars. He knew Stephanie loved him before she said the words. Many times, Ranger told Stephanie that he loved her. But he stupidly added qualifiers such as, in my own way. Or ridiculous words like my love doesn't come with a ring, but a condom would come in handy. Ranger laughed. "Apparently, condoms aren't necessary either," Ranger mumbled. When he made love to Stephanie, yes, it was making love, not fucking, he rarely thought to use protection. Ranger waited until Stephanie's tests returned as clean before he approached her for sex.

He closed his eyes during his flight to Nevada. Hector gave him the necessary documents to prove he was licensed to carry concealed in the state at the time of the charge. Nightmares of his missions plagued him before Stephanie infiltrated his dreams. Even in sleep, Stephanie calms him.

The copilot woke Ranger when it was time to land. "Sir, please raise your seat and fasten your belt. We're ready to land in Nevada. I called ahead for the authorities to approve your paperwork for legal entry. You will not get arrested when your feet touch the asphalt."

"Thank you," Ranger replied.

Ranger exited the Rangeman jet and walked down the steps. He walked toward the officers standing near his SUV. "Papers?" the shorter man asked. Ranger gave him the documents Hector compiled. The man read them over before taking a photograph. "Thank you, Mr. Manoso. Enjoy your stay."

He released the breath he held and thanked them for permitting him to enter the state. Ranger drove away in his SUV. After determining nobody followed him, Ranger pulled off the road for the mall. He used the device Hector provided to check for bugs. Ranger removed a tracker and three bugs. He placed them in the parked car beside him. Who planted the trackers, and what were they expecting to hear?

Once he got back onto the highway, Ranger called Hector to locate the owner of the bugs. He rattled off a sequence of numbers and letters for each bug and tracker. Hector's fingers clicked across the keyboard. "You're not going to believe me, boss. The bugs and tracker are registered to the TPD homicide department," Hector replied. "Same with the ones Cal and Stephanie located in their rental vehicle."

"Any others?" Ranger asked.

"No. Stephanie checked every car they rented. Nobody else reserved vehicles typically used by Rangeman," Hector replied.

"Not Tank?" Ranger asked.

"He rented a vehicle larger than what Rangeman uses in Trenton. Morelli had no way of knowing Miami and Boston have other vehicles in their fleet," Hector replied. "I believe Morelli hoped to find incriminating evidence against Rangeman."

"Morelli overplayed his hand. I'm going to bury him," Ranger growled. "He will not get away with it. I'm taking it to the mayor and police commissioner."

"Stephanie's godfather would expect Morelli to get cut from the TPD," Hector said. Ranger didn't give a shit.

Morelli had no business interfering in his business or personal life. Joe used and abused Stephanie since they were children. He didn't deserve to have the power he possessed within the police department. One day, Morelli would get everything he deserved. Ranger hoped Stephanie wouldn't become a casualty of his misguided plot.

He arrived at the Vegas hotel as Stephanie Skyped with Rangeman Trenton. Savannah told the men about Morelli forcing Stephanie's hand by approaching Frank and Helen with proof. Ranger was furious. He wanted Morelli dead today. Edna opened the door with her finger pressed against her lips.

Ranger entered the hotel room. Jealousy raged through him as he saw Stephanie tucked into his body. He resisted the urge to scream, "Mine." Ranger stowed his twitchy fists and pulled Stephanie into his arms. He sat in her place on the couch and smiled internally when she buried her face into his neck, then took a deep breath to inhale his scent.

"Babe," he whispered.

"Hold me. You make it better," she whispered. Tingles spread from his neck to his dick when Stephanie's lips brushed against his neck. He knew Stephanie reacted to him, but he doubted Stephanie knew the reverse was true for him.

Time crawled as Savannah got Frank to show the pictures stolen from her home. Joe knew about Frankie. Ranger ordered his men to collect the photograph from the Morelli home. Everyone knew Joe had the picture, but didn't know what he planned to do with it.

Stephanie ended the Skype call with the guys. "I can't believe daddy knew all this time," she said after telling Ranger why she had to tell the other men.

"Your father was a Ranger," Edna said. "He was known as Bomber back in the day. Frank stopped running missions after the Tasty Pastry incident. It's funny. Don't you think? Your father had the propensity to blow anything up, and your cars and apartment always meet a fiery end."

"I thought he was away on post office conventions. You mean he was running special ops missions?" Stephanie asked. Edna nodded. "Wow."

Ranger, Lester, Hank and Chester stared at Edna open-mouthed. "Your father is a legend," Lester said. His eyes shone like the stars at night. "Everyone tries to follow in his footsteps." They had a new respect for Stephanie's father.

"Frank may not have said much, but he always watched and worked behind the scenes to protect Stephanie. He knew Stephanie was pregnant before I told him. Frank trusted me to care for Stephanie and paid for her care. Morelli was untouchable in the Navy. But Stephanie took care of Morelli while he was on leave. Joe got discharged shortly after recovering from a broken leg," Edna explained. "You men from the Army should be afraid of pissing off Frank. He has connections."

"Noted," Lester answered for everyone.

Stephanie shouldn't have been surprised. When she met Ranger and his men at Rangeman, everyone except Lester was reserved and introverted. It took several months of working part-time at Rangeman for them to let down their guard and talk to Stephanie.

All the stars aligned, every dot got connected, and the lightbulb inside Stephanie's head shone brightly. "Huh. I guess it all makes sense now. None of the men scared me because I grew up with a special ops soldier like my father. He never intimidated me," Stephanie said.

Ranger hugged Stephanie. He was reluctant to release her. "We should order dinner," Lester added. Stephanie's stomach grumbled first, with Savannah's answering the demand for sustenance. "Awe, they blush in unison."

Stephanie smacked Lester as she laughed. "I'm so embarrassed," Savannah said.

"Not me," Stephanie replied. "I'm used to my stomach demanding to get fed."

Lester contacted room service and ordered more food than necessary. He learned the previous night that Stephanie and Savannah ate more than Hank, Chester and him combined. Edna wasn't eating much of anything lately. Lester was concerned she wouldn't last the trip. Stephanie caught Lester's eye and shook her head. He didn't need to comment on Edna's lack of appetite. Stephanie noticed.

When the server arrived with the food cart, Ranger's phone rang. "Report," he ordered. Stephanie guided him to her bedroom for privacy. He wouldn't let Stephanie leave the room. Ranger listened as Hector reported on the incident at Joe Morelli's home. His heart raced when he learned Morelli wanted to marry Stephanie to make Savannah legitimate. He didn't want to lose Stephanie to Joseph Morelli.

"Is everything okay at home?" Stephanie asked when Ranger ended the call.

"We'll talk after dinner," he promised. Stephanie wanted him to talk now, but she could sense he needed time alone.

"I'll grab some food. Take all the time you need. We'll save some salad and grilled chicken for you," Stephanie said. She kissed his lips and left him to his thoughts.

Edna watched Stephanie return without Ranger. She grabbed the salad with chicken Lester ordered for the boss. "May I enter?" Edna asked. Ranger told her to enter. She set his food on his lap and motioned for him to eat. "What's on your mind?" Ranger told Edna about Joyce falling down the stairs with the photograph of Frankie and Savannah clutched in her hands. She died from blood loss, and her baby didn't survive the trauma.

"Do you think my words would cause Stephanie to do something horrible? Is that possible? I expected her to fight for me," Ranger asked.

"I would have done the same thing. Don't get me wrong, I feel for Stephanie, but she knew what she was getting into," Edna replied. "Eat." Ranger ate half the food before responding to Edna.

"She knew that I would send her back to Morelli? So it's her fault?" Ranger asked, shocked that Edna wasn't defending her granddaughter.

Edna could sense Ranger's thoughts. He was wrong. It wasn't that she didn't defend Stephanie. She was trying to explain Stephanie's reactions. "No, Carlos. Those words cut her deep at the time. You completely rocked her world. Stephanie got used to people telling her what to do. Your words conflicting with your actions confused her. She eventually realized that you truly love her, but until you stopped hiding behind your past, you and Stephanie couldn't have a future together," Edna explained.

"With what her mother did, she must have known Helen would never have let me have a relationship with Stephanie," Ranger argued.

"Carlos, Stephanie never misrepresented herself. She may not have told you what she wanted, but she did show you. I can see you love my granddaughter. You know she loves you. I heard her tell you."

"But I have too many scars on my soul," Ranger said with sadness making his voice thick.

"Scars only show us where we've been. They don't dictate where we're going," Edna told him. "Don't wait until it's too late." She left him alone to eat his dinner.

~~~~~~~~~~

Joe comforted his mother though his heart had broken in half. He lost his daughter. Losing Joyce wasn't a big deal because Joe had his side pieces. When Joyce's stomach expanded from growing their child, he couldn't sexually perform. Joe used toys to keep his wife satisfied. Terry and Charlene were willing to service his needs while he was supposedly working overtime. Joe was careful not to overuse the excuse. The women in the Burg were too afraid of Bella to tattle on Joe.

"How are you going to give me a grandchild?" Angie asked.

"I'm searching for my son," he replied. Joe didn't notice Hector lurking in the background, catching every word he said.

"What do you mean? The children in the picture?"

"Yes. I know my daughter, Savannah lives with Helen's cousin Calvin Mazur in Cincinnati. I used the age-enhancing program to determine how my son looks. My computer is comparing his image to every school photograph taken in Cincinnati. The school board used the same photography studio," Joe replied.

"Joseph, you're assuming the boy is alive. What if he died?"

"No, mom. I will not accept that my son died. When I find Stephanie, I will force her to marry me. We will raise our son and daughter together. In one year, she will give birth to my son," Joe snapped.

"You and Stephanie broke up over a year ago. What makes you certain that she'd marry you now? You and everyone else in the Burg know how she feels about Joyce. Do you honestly think Stephanie would marry you after sleeping with Joyce?" Angie asked.

"She did before," he defended.

"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. But Stephanie didn't know. You're setting yourself up for heartache. It's time to move on from your dream of raising children with Stephanie," Angie attempted to make him see reason. Joe, being stubborn like his father, refused to give up.

Hector called Ranger to warn him about Morelli's latest plan. The putz wouldn't give up. When will he learn? Ranger better pull his head from his ass and marry his soulmate. Angelita and Ranger were born to be together. She was created to soften his rough edges.

He contacted Hal and Junior to plot Morelli's tracker coordinates on a map. Hector wanted to know everywhere Morelli stopped since Stephanie left Trenton in January. Something felt off about how Joe received the parcel at the TPD.

How did Eugene Brown find Savannah in Cincinnati? He didn't have family living in Ohio state. Who got him to search in Cincinnati, Ohio? Hector had more questions than answers. It was time to hit the streets.

Hector called Vince and Rodriguez in a group call. "Yo," Vince answered when Rodriguez said, "Si."

Speaking in Spanish, Hector outlined his plan. He needed Vince to hit the Bronx and Rodriguez to scour Newark while he talked to guys on Stark St. The goal was to find any information regarding Joseph Morelli. His undercover name was Jose Amante. Hector snorted when he first discovered the name Joe used to infiltrate the gangs of New York.

"What are we looking for?" Vince asked. Rodriguez was curious too.

"When he met with Eugene Brown of the other affiliates of the Slayers," Hector replied. Both men growled over the phone. They thought the Slayers were obsolete. "Brown may be using another name. Try asking about Silvio Esposito or Javier Hernandez. Report directly to me. Ranger knows I'm recruiting you. Tank dispatched Juan and Cedric from Boston to check on Calvin and Serena Mazur. We received another update."

"Are they okay?" Vince asked.

"Yes. Serena was bound and gagged but unharmed. Calvin had received five stitches from a blow to the head. They released him from the hospital. Savannah knows her parents are fine. Cedric and Juan are staying with the Mazurs until we catch Eugene." Vince and Rodriguez were relieved.

"We'll report in twenty-four hours," Vince said before ending the call. Hector knew they would work every angle to find Morelli's plan.

Vince shook his head. He always thought Morelli was a good cop. Why can't the man leave Stephanie alone? He went to the garage to grab an unmarked vehicle they used for surveillance. Rodriguez appeared a few seconds later. "It's a fucking mess," Rodriguez said.

"No shit," Vince agreed. "What the fuck is Morelli playing at?"

"He wants the prize," Rodriguez replied. "Morelli would be the king of the Burg if Stephanie marries him. I don't blame her for giving Savannah to her cousin."

"Me neither. I'm sad she lost her boy. I bet that's why she doesn't want children," Vince said. "Jorge, do you think Morelli's trying to find his son?"

"Dude, the boy died," Rodriguez replied.

"I know. What if Morelli doesn't realize that?" Rodriguez shrugged. "Do you think Morelli knew Stephanie birthed his children before yesterday?" Vince asked.

"No. Eddie said he was genuinely surprised," he replied. "But I think Morelli was planning to get Stephanie out of Trenton, away from Ranger."

"Putz. Ranger wouldn't give her up without a fight," Vince said.

"Nope. He won't. I think you're right about the boy. Morelli probably thinks Stephanie adopted him out to another family," Rodriguez added. "Should we tell Hector what we think?"

"Hector probably knows already," Vince replied. Rodriguez wished Vince luck. They would check in with each other every two hours.

Hector stood in the shadows, listening to Vince and Rodriguez talk about Stephanie and her son. He sent Cedric a message requesting a photograph of Frankie's grave. Stephanie buried her son in a Cincinnati cemetery. Cedric promised to get the image to him soon.