So this one shot takes place after Shots Fired but before Reconciliation in my Plum Universe timeline. The songs chosen span from the 80's all the way current releases (as of 2021).
I tried to concentrate on the search I was running, but my ass and mind were both going numb. One of the biggest downsides to getting shot, besides the actual pain of it, is the healing process. A month after the Dario Giovanni incident I'd yet to be released for full duty. Though with my arm still trussed in a sling, there wasn't any way Doctor Fisher would be releasing me anytime soon. Being well enough to work, but not well enough to get back in the field, meant I was stuck on office duty.
At least I'd finally been able to get back into the gym, but with a bum wing, certain exercises remained off limits. Still, I'd do it all again in a heartbeat if it meant saving Beautiful or for that matter, any member of our team. Thank fuck I'd finally rotated off monitor duty, though. With my hyperactivity and need to be moving all the time, working monitors is the worse than torture.
I glanced over my shoulder at my open office door and frowned. My impatience was starting to get the best of me. At this very moment Beautiful was in my cousin's office, hopefully sweettalking him into letting us have a bigger, better Christmas party this year. Ranger's idea of any kind of holiday party is allowing Ella to feed us a special lunch and maybe add in a few decorations. At Christmas, bonuses were also handed out. No music. Nothing special like dancing or a gift exchange. It was simply eat, then get back to work. Hopefully that was about to change.
Considering damn near anything Steph wants he gives her, so long as it doesn't involve compromising her safety, this really shouldn't be a big deal. Still, I know what a hard ass Ranger can be when it comes to celebrating the holidays.
Of course, now that he's finally got her out of that deathtrap of an apartment and tucked into his bed every night, he's become a lot easier to deal with. His moods have been more cheerful and if I didn't know better, I'd say that getting regular sex has turned him a bit soft when it comes to rules.
I gave that last thought a quick head shake. The last thing I want is an image of my cousin and Beautiful in bed together. Lucky sonofabitch! I can only hope to one day find a woman as amazing as Steph, who looks at me with the same love and adoration, she does Ranger.
As if conjured by my thoughts alone, Steph appeared in my doorway. A grin on her face.
"Well?" I asked.
"It's a go," she said, and I broke out in a smile that matched hers. I knew my cousin wouldn't deny her request. Though I'm sure if he knew the idea was mine, it would have been a big fat no.
"Hell yeah, this is gonna be so much fun."
Steph grabbed the chair next to my desk and a notepad out of the drawer and sat down. "Okay, so we only have a couple of weeks to put this together. What needs to be done first?"
We spent the next three weeks getting input from the guys on favorite food choices and what kind of music they might want to sing. Yes, sing. Steph and I had planned a karaoke Christmas party and a gift exchange. In addition to the standard karaoke choices and Christmas carols, I had a buddy of mine program the machine with our specifically requested songs. It was interesting to see our differences in tastes when it came to music. While it didn't surprise me to find out that Hal was a country music fan, I was shocked to learn that so was Ram and Cal. Yes, flaming skull boy liked country music. I always pegged him for a grunge or heavy metal kinda guy. Turns out Binkie and Junior were the heavy metal guys. Huh? Who knew?
Bobby of course was more into blues and classic rock. While Steph had also surprised me with a couple of her song choices. Of course, Ranger and Tank had no intention of participating. I nearly pulled a Stephanie eye roll at that thought. God forbid the bosses show any kind of ability to have fun. Me, well…I like all kinds of music and I planned on having a great time.
I walked into the large conference room on One and stopped to watch Steph put the final touches to the last of the decorations. In the far corner where a set of couches once rested now contained a small stage with speakers and microphones. A completely decorated and lit tree, stood in the opposite corner. Beneath it were dozens of wrapped gifts for our exchange.
The aroma of delicious food floated through the air and pulled my attention to the large conference table, which had been pushed to one side of the room and was now covered with various dishes. The couches from the back corner were now placed along the opposite wall and the extra chairs from the other conference rooms and offices had been brought in and placed around the room to ensure plenty of seating.
Beautiful looked, well…beautiful all decked out in a vibrant red, spaghetti strap dress with a deep V-neck that I'm honestly surprised Ranger let her out of Seven wearing. It appeared that the bottom layer of the dress stopped mid-thigh, but the top layer was made up of red lace flowers edged in silver and draped asymmetrically, giving the garment the appearance of being longer than it was. She'd paired it with a pair silver FMP's and the diamond batman necklace Ranger gave her for her birthday.
That necklace was just another example of how my cousin has changed. Steph had long since dubbed him Batman, but instead of ignoring her comments or telling her he wasn't a superhero, for her birthday this year he'd presented her with that necklace. I think the only time she takes it off is when she'd going to be running down FTA's. She wore her hair down tonight allowing her wild curls to accentuate her gorgeous shoulders.
Damn!
I said it before, my cousin is one lucky sonofabitch.
She grinned as she walked toward me. "So, what do you think?"
"Stunning," I replied as I watched her approach.
"I meant the room," she said as she rolled her eyes.
"It looks great, too."
"You ready to get this party started?"
"Let's do this."
She moved to open the conference room doors and within minutes the room was filled with a sea of Rangeman employees and a few close friends. Steph's friend Mary Lou came with her husband Lenny, as did Connie from the bonds office. Much to Tank's relief, Lula was out of town visiting family for the holidays and much to Stephanie's relief, her family had declined the invitation to join us tonight.
About fifteen minutes after the party started, Ranger and Tank made their way into the room, both taking up residence in the back near the door. Dressed for work in black cargos, Rangeman t-shirts and loaded for bear, they'd volunteered to cover any calls which came in tonight with the goal of giving the guys some down time. Hopefully, the criminals would also take a night off, or at least stay away from our accounts. Especially, since I know Steph would be much happier having Ranger in the building.
"Do you think one of us should start the karaoke?" she asked from where she stood tucked under Ranger's arm. Her attention shifted from the food table to the empty stage.
"I'll do it," I said then turned and headed for the stage. Somebody had to break the ice. It might as well be me.
When I was a kid, I used to love to pretend I was Prince on stage singing and dancing. Tonight, I'd get my chance. I chose my song and as the music started the room quieted and all eyes turned towards me.
I guess I should've known
By the way you parked your car sideways
That it wouldn't last
See, you're the kinda person that believes in makin' out once
Love 'em and leave 'em fast
Before I'd made it to the chorus Bobby had joined me on the stage to sing backing vocals. Yeh, this was going to be a blast.
And honey, I say
Little Red Corvette
Baby, you're much too fast (Oh, oh)
Little Red Corvette
You need a love that's gonna last
Once my song was done, I made my way back to where Ranger and Tank remained, as if on guard. "What do you think?" I noted that Beautiful had disappeared from his protection and for a moment I wondered where she'd gone.
"Looks like a good time," Tank said.
Ranger assessed the room and nodded. "You guys did great. I think this was a good idea."
Wow. Color me shocked. Once again, my cousin proves he does have a heart.
He barely finished his sentence when the music began to play his eyes widened. I turned back toward the stage to see Beautiful, along with Mary Lou and Connie on the stage as a Natasha Bedingfield song began to play. It appeared as if Mary Lou was taking the lead, leaving Steph and Connie as her backup singers. My grin widened as I leaned against the wall and prepared to watch.
I got a pocket, got a pocketful of sunshine
I got a love and I know that it's all mine, oh, oh-oh
Do what you want but you're never gonna break me
Sticks and stones are never gonna shake me, oh, oh-oh
Much to my surprise Steph didn't have too bad of a singing voice. I glanced over at Ranger who appeared just as shocked. "Did you know Beautiful could sing?"
He shook his head, but his heated stare never left his Babe.
Take me away (Take me away)
A secret place (A secret place)
A sweet escape (A sweet escape)
Take me away (Take me away)
Take me away (Take me away)
To better days (To better days)
Take me away (Take me away)
A hiding place (A hiding place)
When the song finished a couple minutes later Steph stepped off the stage giggling as she made her way to where we stood. She stopped in front of Ranger. "So, Batman. What did you think?"
He snared her by the hip, pulling her against him. "I think you should have told me you could sing."
"I'm not that good," she said as brushed a soft kiss along his cheek.
"I'll be the judge of that later tonight. Since you're gonna perform a personal concert for me when we're back on Seven."
I almost rolled my eyes at his statement. Especially since it sounded like one of my lame pickup lines. Except in his case, Steph simply grinned, then planted a kiss on him that instantly made the temperature in the room shoot up ten degrees.
Just as she pulled back, Ranger's cell began to ring. Her body stiffened and her smile faltered. She knew, just like the rest of us, a phone call during a scheduled event was probably not a good thing. His eyes met hers even as he connected the call. "Talk."
After a moment of listening, he replied with a "On our way."
Steph's shoulders slumped. "You have to leave."
He took her hands in his. "Afraid so, Babe. Gene is reporting an alarm at Murray's electronics."
She nodded, then leaned in to give him another kiss. "Hurry back. Don't get shot."
"I won't be long. Don't go crazy," he replied, then he and Tank disappeared out the door.
Steph let out a sigh as she turned to look at me. "Damn it."
"They'll be okay," I said as I wrapped an arm around her and guided her back into the room. "In the meantime, we have a party to host."
Bobby, Hal, Cal, and Ram made their way toward us. "What's going on?"
"Ranger and Tank went out on a call," I replied, then gave a quick nod toward Steph. She tended to worry way more than she should when Ranger was out of the building on patrol. Knowing he was on a possible break-in call would only up her anxiety. With any luck I could recruit the guys to help me keep her distracted while Ranger was gone.
"I'm sure it's probably nothing," Bobby offered.
Cal nodded in agreement. "Bobby's right. It's probably just a false alarm."
"Um…" Hal lifted a hand and rubbed along the back of his neck. "I was thinking of going up when Manny was done." He motioned toward the stage.
"So?"
"So…well…Steph, would you come with me?"
Thank you, Hal!
At his request, her lips turned up into a soft smile. Being shy and a bit socially awkward, Hal had come to rely on Steph in situations that made him uncomfortable. In return he'd become her field partner for picking up FTA's and her personal bodyguard when neither Ranger nor any of the core team were around.
"What song did you choose?"
"God's Country by Blake Shelton," he replied. "Though we could find a different one that would be better suited for two people."
"Okay," she said as she took one last glance toward the door, then laced her arm around his. "Let's go pick something out."
Manny finished his terrible rendition of Jon Bon Jovi's Blaze of Glory. Wow…singing was not his strong point, only to have Zip sneak in right after him. Though I'm thinking maybe Hal let him go since it appeared he and Steph were still looking for a song to do.
I grabbed a beer and eased onto the couch. Bobby sat next to me in a chair. "This was a really good idea," he said. "Kudos to you and Steph. You guys did a great job."
How the hell'd we wind up like this?
And why weren't we able
To see the signs that we missed?
Try and turn the tables
I wish you'd unclench your fists
And unpack your suitcase
Lately there's been too much of this
But don't think it's too late
I exchanged surprise glances with Bobby before we both turned back to watch Zip sing Nickelback's song Someday. "Didn't he once say that he'd been in a band when he was younger?" Bobby asked.
That would make sense, considering what we were hearing. "Damn. He's good." I shook my head. "Not sure I'd want to be Hal having to follow him."
When he finished Hal and Steph took the stage and a different Blake Shelton song started. I guess you can take the boy out of the country but not the country out of the boy, or in this case the RangeMan.
I've always been a rolling stone
With a reckless streak
Yeah, the grass never gets too grown
Underneath my feet
The city lights, southern stars
No such thing as gone too far
Once again, my brow arched in surprise as I looked over at Bobby. "I'll be damned." While Hal wasn't quite as good as Zip, he had no problem holding a tune.
I'm running wide open
I was born with my feet in motion
But since I met you, I swear
I could be happy anywhere
"Who knew Hal could sing?" Bobby asked.
Any map dot location
You're always my destination
You're the only thing that I'm chained to
I could be happy anywhere
I could be happy anywhere with you
They'd just made it through the first chorus when Steph's expression slid from easy fun into worry. She stopped moving and rubbed a hand along her left arm as if she were in pain. Then she shifted to rub along her neck. Her frown deepened and my skin prickled with awareness. "Something's wrong."
Bobby nodded even as Steph's destress increased. She sucked in a ragged breath as she brought her hands to her chest, over her heart. Hal stopped singing and turned to look at her. "Steph?"
She shook her head, then bolted off the stage and raced for the door. Bobby snagged her just as she passed us. "Steph wait."
"Let go," she demanded as her panic instantly flipped to anger.
"Why? Where are you going?" Bobby said.
She pulled against Bobby's grip. "I have to help him."
His brow knit. "You have to help who?"
"Please," she begged, and the first indication of tears began to trickle down her cheeks. Her body practically vibrated with fear.
I stepped in front of her, blocking her view of the door. "Steph. Who are you wanting to help?"
"Ranger," she nearly choked out his name.
My brow knit a second time as I glanced at Bobby. "I don't understand. Ranger is on a call right now. What can you do from here to help him?"
"H-he's hurt," she replied, the frustration in her voice clear. Whatever was going on in her head made perfect sense to her. "I need to go to him. Please, let go."
"Steph, how do you know he's hurt. The control room would have called for backup if something happened, and we haven't heard from them." Bobby no sooner finished his sentence before all our cell phones lit up with the same text. Bobby's face screwed up into a shocked expression, then he shifted Steph into Ram's arms as he approached. Before either of us could say anything, he was running out the door with Hector, Binkie, and Cal. I looked at my screen then up at Ram. "Shots fired and a man down on the Murry Electronics call. They're requesting backup."
Steph let out a sob now even as she struggled to break free of Ram's grip. "Please. Please let go. I need to go help him."
Ram shifted to give me space and I tucked my arm around her waist as we turned her toward the couch. "Steph, you're not dressed to go into the field. You're not even armed right now. Ranger wouldn't want you getting hurt too. Let the guys handle it."
I sat and pulled her down and against me, tucking her head under my chin. "Besides, we don't know if it's Ranger who's really hurt." Though we all knew better.
While I'd never witnessed the bizarre connection Steph and Ranger shared be quite so obvious, in all the times we have seen it, it was never wrong.
We knew the moment she gave up fighting us because she began to cry in earnest against my chest.
Ram eased down onto the couch next to her and slid her hand between his. "Breathe, Bomber. You're gonna hyperventilate if you don't breathe."
"I'm sure Ranger and the guys are fine," Hal said as he joined us, but I caught the glance he exchanged with Ram. He wasn't anymore sure than I was.
"I'll tell you one thing," I said as I pulled her tighter against my good shoulder. "I'll never question the connection you and Ranger have again."
"Is she okay?" Mary Lou asked, her voice filled with concern.
Hal stood, turned, and intercepted her, pulling her away from us. I watched as he quietly explained the situation to her. She glanced with worried eyes back to Steph then nodded before heading to the refreshment table. A minute later she returned with a drink. "Something to help take the edge off," she said and handed me the cup. With Ram's help we got Steph to settle a bit and take a drink.
The next thing I knew Christmas music was once again softly playing from a radio somewhere in the room as quite conversations took place all around us. Everyone's expressions appeared to convey the same concern I now carried. The mood had definitely taken a nosedive with the shots fired call and Steph's unusual reaction. Guess our karaoke Christmas was over.
I'm not sure how much time passed as Steph remained against me, but it felt as if the world was moving in slow motion. While I didn't mind having Beautiful in my arms, hearing her ragged breath and occasional sob nearly broke me. Finally, after what felt like forever, Bobby and Cal re-appeared. Bobby scanned the room and his attention landed on us. As he approached, I pulled Steph just a bit tighter as I asked. "Where's Ranger and Tank?"
At my question, Steph pulled back and looked expectantly at Bobby who exchanged glances with Cal making me lose what was left of my patience. "Where are they?" I asked again.
Bobby took a step forward and crouched next to us. "Now don't freak out," he said to Steph.
"I'm gonna freak out if you don't tell us where they are," she replied, and I nearly grinned at how quickly her feisty spirit returned.
"I sent them to St. Francis," he said.
I felt her stiffen next to me even as my own heart stuttered to a stop. "F-for Ranger?" she squeaked.
Pease say no!
"Yeah," he said.
His one word propelled her forward only to have him catch her around the waist and push her back down. "Steph wait. He's not hurt that bad. The trip to St. Francis is more of a precaution than anything."
"I want to go to him," she demanded.
"No, Bomber," Cal said from where he stood behind Bobby. "Boss man said to make sure you stayed here."
"What? Why?"
The look of confusion and hurt that crossed her face pulled at me and I tried to reach for her again. "Did you hear what Bobby said? He's not injured that bad."
Bobby nodded in agreement. "He's not staying. He's just getting a couple of tests run and stitched up and then he'll be home."
"Stitched up?" I half said, half asked. What in the hell happened to him that he needed stitches?
"I don't understand," Steph said as she glanced between us, her face a mask of confusion. "They're going let him leave after getting shot?"
Cal shook his head. "He wasn't shot. He went through a plate glass window with a suspect. Sliced them both up pretty good."
That statement did not in any way correlate with the shots fire call from earlier. "But Vince reported shots fired," I said.
"He did," Bobby said. "But the shots were fired by Tank, who tagged the guy hiding in the rafters above Ranger's head. The asshole had a gun trained on Ranger, but Tank got the fucker first. When Tank tagged him, the bastard tumbled out of the rafters onto Ranger and they both went backward into the store's front window."
"So, Ranger isn't shot?" Steph asked.
Bobby shook his head. "He's gonna have a few stitches in his arm and neck and I wanted him checked out just to make sure he didn't have a concussion or any broken ribs. Other than that, he's fine and he said to keep you here because by the time we picked you up and took you back to St. Francis he'd be on his way back here."
Just then her hand went to her neck and her head jerked toward the doorway. My attention followed only to find a bandaged and somewhat bloody Ranger standing there.
I let go of Steph the same time Bobby stepped out of the way. In an instant, she was up and racing across the room. She slammed into him, and I noted his wince even as his arms came down around her, holding her tight. The fucker was hurt more than he was letting on.
"You're, okay?" Steph asked even as she ran her hands and eyes over him, inspecting.
"I will be," he replied. "Just a few stitches." He motioned to the couches. "Let's sit."
I moved to give him my seat and waited for he and Steph to get settled. Tank tapped me on the shoulder, gave a nod and we stepped away. "I didn't know how to get extra help without tipping her off something was wrong. Did she freak out with the call came in?"
I glanced back at her. "She was freaking out before the call came in."
Tank frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I don't know how, but she knew," I replied. "She and Hal were in the middle of a song then suddenly she just stopped singing and started rubbing her hand along her left arm and her neck." I glanced back at Ranger, my eyes narrowing as I took in his bandages. "The same spots where Ranger got cut."
"Really?" The surprise in Tank's voice pulled my attention back to him. He was also now looking toward Ranger and Steph.
"Yeah," I said as a shudder rippled through me. "Then she darted off the stage and raced for the exit. Bobby caught her. It's freaky. Somehow, she knew he was in trouble before Vince ever sent the text."
Tank considered my statement. "I've seen that happen on Ranger's end when Steph was in trouble, but never the other way around. At least not to that degree. The fact that she has that connection too, tells me one very clear thing."
"Yeah," I smirked, much to my own dismay. "They're like freaking soulmates or something."
He nodded. "No Shit. You know, I always thought the theory of soulmates was bullshit, but they're a living, breathing example of it."
"It kinda gives me hope," I finally said.
Tank arched a brow. "Why?"
"Because after everything he's been through, if Ranger can find his soulmate, then maybe we each have a chance of finding ours too."
Just then the Christmas music cut off. We turned to see Zip return to the stage. This time Zero was with him and they were both carrying acoustic guitars. "What's going on?"
Tank frowned. "Don't know."
"Zero plays guitar?" I asked.
Tank gave my question a shrug.
"So," Zip began. "This is not quite karaoke, but when Lester and Steph floated the idea of the Christmas karaoke party, Boss man came to me and asked if I could perform something special for Bomber on his behalf." He turned to look at Steph. "So, Stephanie, this song is a dedication from Ranger to you." He turned to look at Zero, gave a nod and they began to play.
You're my world
The shelter from the rain
You're the pills
That take away my pain
You're the light
That helps me find my way
You're the words
When I have nothing to say
"I didn't know Zero could play guitar," Bobby said to us as he stopped next to us.
"Me either. Guess we're learning all kinds of new stuff tonight."
And in this world
Where nothing else is true
Here I am
Still tangled up in you
I'm still tangled up in you
My attention shifted from Zip and Zero to where Steph now sat snuggled with Ranger. He was leaning back into the corner of the couch with Steph pressed against his side, her legs tucked neatly under her, and her head rested against his shoulder. Her eyes were closed, and her hand hovered over his heart.
You're the fire
That warms me when I'm cold
You're the hand
I have to hold as I grow old
You're the shore
When I am lost at sea
You're the only thing
That I like about me
I've always been intrigued how, while in a room full of people, with one shared look they can completely lose themselves in each other's gaze. Steph is the only person that can derail my cousin's ability to always be aware of his surroundings.
And in this world
Where nothing else is true
Here I am
Still tangled up in you
I'm still tangled up in you
Maybe one day I'll be lucky enough to find a woman who could wreak havoc on my heart the way Beautiful does to Ranger.
How long has it been?
Since this storyline began
And I hope it never ends
And goes like this forever
Bobby smirked. "Leave it to Ranger to figure out a way to once again make a situation work to his advantage." I gave his statement a nod. My cousin did have this rare ability to make any situation, no matter how strange or unconventional, work in his favor.
In this world
Where nothing else is true
Here I am
Still tangled up in you
Tangled up in you
I'm still tangled up in you
Still tangled up in you
When the song finally ended, Steph lifted her head off Ranger's chest and looked up at him. "I love you," she said.
"I love you too, Babe." He shifted, then pushed up from the couch, turned and help her stand. She did and looked up at him with a smile meant only for his eyes. Gently, he leaned down to brush the softest of kisses over her lips that caused my heart to clench.
Yes, I loved her. I thought I'd loved her as much as Ranger did, but what I realized as I watched my cousin with his Babe, was nobody could love Stephanie as much as Ranger did.
He tucked her under his arm and together they turned to head back to where Tank and I stood. "Santos, you're in charge of the party for the rest of the evening."
"No problem," I said
He shifted his attention to Tank. "Steph and I are off-line until Monday."
"We still have the present exchange," I said.
Steph looked from me to Ranger and smiled. "I already have the only gift I need."
Ranger leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "Me too." He looked back at me, Tank and Bobby. "You can leave our gifts in my office. We'll get them later."
Tank gave him a nod and without another word they disappeared out the door.
Ram walked up to where we stood. "I bet you both a hundred bucks that by this time next year they're married with a newborn."
Tank shook his head. "I'll take that bet. Married before his birthday. No kid."
Bobby grinned. "I'm in. I'd say married by Steph's birthday with a baby on the way."
Hal ambled up from where he stood. "After seeing what I did tonight, I'd say they're married before winter is over and I'd bet you all a hundred bucks they elope without any of us knowing."
"I'm not betting." I said as I glanced at the door, then back to my brothers in arms. "After what we saw tonight, I think anything is possible."
Thank you all for reading. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
