As it turns out I seem to have taken a liking to writing AUs with odd or unusual ways of them meeting :) Not that I complain... This is a oneshot for now. As a note, it probably goes without saying, that despite not being actually named, Ranger is Rafael... Thought I should mention it.

I let out a long sigh, studying my credit card statement once more and coming to the same conclusion as before. I was officially broke as eff. In all fairness, it wasn't that surprising, seeing as I had a steady income but my spendings were usually a lot higher than what I earned. Funny how at school they teach you all sort of crap, but how to lead financially stable life wasn't any of them. My credit card statement was followed by my bank statement, which told the same sad story. Unfortunately, there weren't all of a sudden several thousand dollar that had magically appeared since I had checked my statement last. My current balance was an amazing 4.95$, dropping every day a little lower since I still needed to eat.

I had managed to somehow get by the past few days by munching off lunch at my parents and paying a late-night visit to a deli down the street, buying whatever had been marked down since it was about to expire the next day. I could have helped myself to lunch and dinner at my parents, but that would only raise too many questions I didn't want to answer. Mainly because I didn't know how. It wasn't like I lived an outrageous life and bought one designer tote after another, or cars, jewelry and designer wardrobes. My earning went to necessities and an occasional splurge which I by now found myself thinking about for four days before buying something that wasn't necessary food or utilities.

So, for the past few days my late-night trips to the deli around the corner had become my evening routine. An evening routine that had one very upside. The guy behind the counter who was way past hot. His good looks were accompanied by a whiff of danger that surrounded him, which was a little odd, seeing as he didn't seem dangerous per se. No visible gang tattoos, not the usual gangbanger getup and no odd-looking companions hanging around. As a matter of fact, he didn't fit the usual suspects when it came to guys who generally were primed for that job. Not a college kind and dressed way too well for a job behind a cash register, he provided more questions than answers. He wasn't talkative as such, which matched my state of mind perfectly, but we had the customary small talk each night. Nothing ground breaking, just enough get us past awkward silence while he scanned my few items.

"I know it's none of my business, but… you know this isn't really a healthy and well-balanced diet, right?" he asked tonight. I guess I should have taken offense to some degree, seeing that my purchases really weren't his concern or business, but I found myself strangely enough agreeing with his assessment.

"I know," I just shrugged. "But healthy and well-balanced is something my bank account can't handle right now. So maybe some other time."

Apparently tonight I knew how to ignite awkwardness. Because there was no coming back from that comment I had just made. And it wasn't as if I had wanted to make things awkward, but it slipped my mind that not all personal issues needed to eb shared. Blame that on my upbringing.

"I'm sure it isn't as bad as you make it out to be," he eventually said when I had assumed that little exchange had been tonight's end result.

"No, it's even worse," I summoned and saw him stop at my comment for a second. "No one in their right mind would buy…" I started, stopping shortly to go through my small pile of items. "… Gin and Tonic salmon, Burger patties with gummy bears or pumpkin spiced gouda cheese."

Instead of a reply he actually made what I assumed was a grimace at the horror I was about to purchase. That made two of us, buddy.

"Parents of boyfriend no offering any… options?" he asked and I found his dwelling cute in a way. Almost like he was worried about my nutrition.

"My parents unknowingly already donate lunch and there is no boyfriend, so I can't even claim to be lucky in any department of my life. Job, love, finances… it is all not going too well. Whoever came up with that saying with lucky in love, unlucky at… whatever clearly never has met me. Because, nothing in my life was ever hit with a streak of luck. I am the… complete opposite, the unluckiest person in the world, regardless whether we are talking about love, life or gamble. Especially love, since all the men that stumbled into my life turned out to be the biggest assholes."

I looked at him for a moment and figured the faction of movement on his facial features might resemble shock or surprise. Both directed at my unexpected outburst. Had I mentioned awkwardness already? Because it seemed I was on the fasttrack to a whole new level of awkwardness.

"I'm… I'm sorry," I said, not even sure where my comment had actually come from. "That was definitely too much information you did not ask about. What do I owe you?" I finally asked, nodding at my purchases.

Instead of a reply I just saw him look at me for the longest moment, finally settling on a nod as some form of initial reaction.

"2.39$," he said, pushing the bag with my dinner items towards me. I handed him the money and spotted something in my bag I definitely had not purchased. Mainly because I didn't have the money.

I reached inside and pulled out a lotto ticket. "I did not buy that," I simply said, handing it back to the cashier and assuming that it had probably fallen inside the bag by mistake.

"I know," he just said, pushing my hand with the ticket back. "Maybe your luck is about to change," he said eventually. I was about to laugh, especially how serious he seemed.

"I appreciate your optimism but I can't afford it," I admitted. "Even if it is just a couple of dollars."

"You don't have to. It's on me," he explained and I looked at him for a long moment. Before I could say anything he already pulled bills out of the back pocket of his jeans and three two bills on the counter.

"I can't accept that. Especially since I don't even know you," I laughed, but he seemed set on this. "If it makes you feel so bad, how about… if you win, we split whatever it is you got 50/50. If you luck out, you pay me back your half of the ticket – which would be one dollar - whenever you see me again."

I was still reluctant since I never felt comfortable taking something gifted to me by someone else. It often made me feel like a charity case or like someone felt the need I looked like I couldn't manage something by myself. Well, truth was, looking at my statements, I was at a point in my life where maybe it was time to admit that I was both – a charity case as well as someone who couldn't manage themself any longer. And it was just a dollar. A wasted dollar nevertheless, but just a dollar after all. So, a decision was made and I nodded, selecting my numbers within seconds. I handed the ticket back to him for him to place the bid and enter the numbers into the system. A moment later he handed me the receipt, which showed the numbers and placed the money he had thrown onto the counter into the cash register.

"I think I was never in my life more certain that money has just been wasted," I mumbled, taking my few items that contained my dinner. "But thank you," I smiled. He just nodded and I left a second later, any thoughts about the ticket almost forgotten by the time I had made it back to my apartment.

Two days later I was officially broke, since my account had not even a dollar left in it. I was almost certain I was about a week away from being evicted from my place – seeing as I hadn't been able to pay last months rent and wouldn't make this month's either – and I had retorted back to getting lunch AND dinner at my parents. I hadn't been back to the store since my last visit and was just browsing the newspaper my dad had abandoned only moment earlier, trying to distract my mind from the impending doom my life was about to be hit with. Skimming headlined of the latest political developments here and everywhere else in the world, as well as the weather forecast and several book recommendations as well as what to watch tonight on TV, I found what I had been looking for: the gossip section that maybe provided me a little entertainment for a short-lived moment.

I had finished the last small titbit about some reality starlet I honestly had never even heard about and folded the paper back to its original format when my eyes landed on something. Last night's lottery numbers. It was then that I remembered my ticket which was somewhere at the bottom of my handbag back at my apartment. I looked over the numbers, thinking once more what a waste these two dollars had been.

Until… something about the numbers seemed familiar. Very familiar. Some of them looked like the numbers I had chosen, while I couldn't be certain about the others. I had only chosen two specific numbers and placed my cross on the remaining ones mindlessly. I recognized a third number and wondered what you'd get for three numbers. With my luck probably 5$.

I ripped the page from the papers, knowing full well no one was going to miss it ad placed it inside my tote, reminding me to check my numbers once more once I was back home.

I retrieved the newspaper page I had ripped out and compared the numbers in the paper with the numbers on my deli receipt. As predicted, I had actually really the first three digits correct, but than I kept reading and I realized the fourth one was mine as well. Four correct ones surely must amount to something a little higher than 5$, right? And then I realized that number five and six were also mine. Wait, what? Had I just… was this the jackpot?

I found my phone and typed in the official website for the lottery, thinking that maybe the paper had printed an incorrect number – just my luck – but realized that the same numbers were published on the website. Next to the winning numbers was a big, red notice, displaying the current jackpot. I might have had a heart attack for a second. The jackpot was displayed at almost Five hundred Million! Dollars! At least I hope it were dollars.

I must have stared at my phone's display for an hour maybe, not quite fathoming what was happening. Was this a dream? Because it felt like one. And if it was one, could I please never wake up from it? Maybe another hour passed with me simply staring at my phone screen and I am almost certain had my phone not notified me that my battery status was excruciatingly low and that my phone was about to shut down, I would have probably sat there, staring at my screen for another long time. Because, this really seemed surreal.

Trying to hunt down my charging cable gave me the distraction I needed since when I had plugged my phone in to get charged, I scrolled through the website in order to find out what my next steps needed to be. Which was surprisingly harder than expected, because no one on the website did it state what to do if you won.

So I did a google search and ended up on the general US Lotto website, which was a lot more forthcoming in regards to answers. Jackpot Winners needed to make a personal claim at the Lottery headquarters of each state. Sounded easy enough. Wondering how far I needed to travel for the headquarters for New Jersey, I was surprise to learn that they were located in Trenton. Lucky me.

It stated that I needed to call to claim my winning and also arrange for an appointment. So, that's what I actually did.

Two weeks later everything was taken care of and done. I had learned that in total it had been five of us who would share the jackpot and when I was handed the cheque with my winnings, I realized that there definitely way too many zeros on there. It was nice and definitely meant I wouldn't have to worry about money for a while, but it still were a lot more zeros than I was feeling comfortable with. My share had been after tax and everything almost seventy million. That's a seven with eight zeros. Eight! Zeros! Taking the cheque was something I couldn't describe. It still seemed surreal and impossible.

It took about another week after receiving the cheque for me to actually process everything. The money. The fact that I had gone from broke as fuck to being richer than my wildest dreams and this really was not a dream. Something that surprised me was the fact that a few days after I had made my claim, the lottery commission had contacted me with a list of advisors I could turn to if I had any questions or needed help in regards of the change this money was about to bring into my life.

"I'm not certain I understand," I replied truthfully into the phone and heard the woman on the other end make an agreeing noise. I assume she heard that a whole lot.

"Well… most people who win the lottery are usually rather… inexperienced in a lot of things when it comes to money or how to handle things. While you don't have to contact any of them, the list I sent you is a number of recommended specialists in regards of financial advice or the psychology of such a significant win. They can guide you in regards to handling the money, what to do and … invest, or things like that. You'd be surprised how many people win a lot of money, go all out with mansions, luxury cars and spontaneous trips to luxury resorts at the end of the world or weekends in Vegas to gamble away their money, always saying they have so much of it, they can never spend it all. Guess what… they can. And the wake up usually is not pretty. Things change when you win a sum like that – people, you, your life. It helps talking to neutral people who do this kind of thing all day long – like a financial advisor – to look at your options and get some advice. In the end, you probably can't just call your best friend and ask. But again, it is just a friendly suggestion and nothing you have to do."

I get what she was saying. No one in my life could give me sound advice on what to do and how to be smart about it. And while seventy million was a large amount of money that I myself didn't see spending anytime soon, it wasn't like I hadn't read plenty about broke millionaires who somehow did manage to do just that. So a little bit of advice maybe really was a good idea, especially seeing as I was the most financially irresponsible person you could find.

I found myself setting up two appointments – one with a financial advisor to get a few questions answered and one with a counsellor that could maybe guide me towards what to do moving forward from this point on. Because… I drew a blank. I had no idea what to do or where to start. Of course, actually treating me to something nice, maybe a reasonable weekend gateway to the coast, was my first plan. But what to do after that? I wondered how many before me had thought the exact same and found themselves slightly overwhelmed, especially when considering how the purchase of one ticket could change so much, when I was hit by a realisation. I actually hadn't purchased the ticket. It was given to me by the cashier. Who had insisted on buying one for me. And then I remembered his words: If I win, we can always split the winnings. A suggestion back than that he probably didn't think would result in much.

He had bought the ticket and while he most likely would never know that our ticket had struck out big, it only seemed fair to share. His two dollars after all were what had resulted in my sudden wealth. So, without spending another moment thinking about it, I made my way outside, to my car and was on my way to the deli.

I wasn't quite certain about how to tell him exactly that the ticket had won. Because… how? What were the right words that didn't seem like some ridiculously dumb joke? I guess I had about one or two minutes to figure it out and hopefully not sound like a complete dope head. Just… when I got there, some other guy was behind the register.

The deli was as empty as the last few times I had been here and the guy behind the register seemed almost bored, holding a cell in his hand and not even looking up for a moment when I came inside.

"Hi," I said, approaching the counter and for the first time he actually looked up. "I was wondering whether you could help me with something," I started and didn't stop for a reaction, but went right on. "I'm looking for a colleague of yours who usually seems to work the evenings. Rafael I think he said was his name." I believe he had one mentioned his name, or maybe I had read it on his name tag. Or maybe I was completely off base.

"What about him?" the kid asked, looking as bored as before.

"I kind of need to speak to him and was wondering whether you know if he comes in later today?"

The kid just shrugged and looked at me for a long moment. "He knocked you up or something?"

"No?" I asked confused. "How…. How is that first thing you think about? He just… did something for me that turned out to be amazing and I wanted to thank him."

"Whatever. Think you got the wrong shop, lady. There's no Rafael here."

"Maybe I got the name mixed up," I admitted, but didn't get any form of reaction since his phone seemed to be once more holding his attention. "He's tall, Latino with mocha-latte skin, black hair, well built, deep dark eyes…"

"You sure you look for a colleague and not your boyfriend?" the kid asked irritated and amused equally. "But yeah, I'm sure. No one with such name working here. Or for who your description would fit. And I would know, I work here all day every day. When's the last time you saw him?"

"About two weeks ago. Give or take," I admitted and all of a sudden he showed some kind of emotion or reaction.

"Then I really can't help you, lady. He must have been part of the old crew."

"Old crew?" I asked confused. Maybe he should lay of the weed for a while.

"Change of management. The previous owners were supposedly engaged in something fishy and got busted for it. Like… some FBI sting operation or shit like that. Like Hollywood movies, you know? Secret ops, spies and all that."

"Are you kidding me?"

"No, it made the news, lady. Like big time. Look it up."

And that's what I did. I looked it up and it made the news alright, though I'm not sure I'd call it big time. Or that spies were involved. It was a small article about some underground operation that ended with an arrest of the previous owners of the deli for money laundering and drug distribution. For a minute I wondered whether Rafael had somehow been associated to any of it and whether that was the reason he had danger radiating of him. I didn't know him obviously and our paths had just crossed for the few days that one week and yet he somehow didn't strike me as a criminal as such. But then again, did anyone? Not everyone was having his criminal activities tattooed across their foreheads.

I stared at the screen of my phone for a long time, thinking about life and how easily things could turn around for someone. How you could go from broke to millionaire within …moments. And while I certainly wasn't feeling it, or had started on ridiculous lists of things I could afford now but probably didn't even need to start with, or let things get to my head and flaunting my newly acquired wealth to everyone it still made me wonder. Money was the solution to a lot of people's problems, but also the root as well.

And for once I was the probably luckiest girl in the world. And that guy was most likely the unluckiest, seeing that he had just struck out on a multi-million-dollar pay-out.

But maybe our paths would cross once more, this time with the roles reversed and with me being for once the lucky one, who spread a lit of her luck onto him.

THE END ( for now anyway)

A/N: Fun fact, the actual lottery HQ for New Jersey really is located in Trenton. I did not make that up. Also, I am almost certain a lot of you will cry for a continuation. I feel you, trust me. While I don't rule it out as such, it also is not high up on my list of priorities right now. But…never say never, people :)