Disclaimer: Everything familiar belongs to JE and the creators of Criminal Minds.

Warning: Adult Situations

Chapter 3: August 20th, 0600-0800

Ranger's POV

Shit! I told her I love her! I hope she doesn't call me on it right now. Relax, soldier. You need to remain calm for your daughter. I glance at Stephanie, and she doesn't seem to notice what I said. While I meant what I said, I wasn't ready to lay that on her right now. We'll have plenty of time to assess our feelings once we're in Miami. I need to place all my focus on Julie.

"Javi called while you were packing. He's about twenty-five minutes out. We should arrive at the airport about ten minutes before he does." Lester reports.

"Where are we meeting Javier?" Stephanie asks.

"At Trenton-Mercer. Rangeman has a private jet. We often fly out of there." I tell her. She seems dumbstruck.

"You own a plane?"

"Rangeman does, not me personally," I reply.

"Cal and Hal will meet us at the airport to bring the car back to Rangeman."

"What do you mean Cal and Hal will be bringing the car back to Rangeman? You're bringing the car back." I say to Lester.

"Carlos, I'm going with you. It's Julie we're talking about, my family. I'll be in Miami."

I nod to Lester, accepting his help and thanking him at the same time. As much as he can be a pain in the ass, he's a good man.

We arrived at the airport ahead of the plane, as Lester predicted. Cal and Hal were already waiting, with a bag in hand for Lester. I'm surprised he let someone else pack for him. We stand out on the tarmac, talking Rangeman business for a few minutes when we see the plane approach. Once it lands, the airport attendant boards to do its thing with the pilot, Boston second-in-command Tommy Roberts. I give Cal and Hal final instructions before escorting Stephanie onto the plane. Once she boards, I see her taking in her surroundings.

The main cabin has four sets of seats set up as booths, with a table in between the seats, two on each side. Then, there are four rows of three across on each side, all facing front. Towards that back on the right is a small kitchenette with a dorm fridge, a sink, a Keurig and microwave. Behind the kitchenette are two bathrooms, both with a shower stall. On the left side is a bedroom, with a small bathroom attached. The back central part of the plane has our weapons cabinet for small arms, mostly our guns, knives, sat phones, emergency cell phones, Kevlar vests, utility belts, and ammunition.

There is a fifty inch TV at the front of the plane that we can use for teleconferencing, computer presentations, or movies. My brother Javier is sitting in the middle row of seats on the left side. I walk over to him hug him. He's my older brother, and one of the best family lawyers in the country. I'm not sure what type of custody situation I'm walking into in Miami. Rachel and I never discussed where Julie would go if something happened to her, Ron, and their kids. We agreed never to break up the kids, so whoever Rachel declared as guardian of her two younger children would get Julie as well. I hope I don't need his expertise, but he's with me in case it's necessary.

"Javier, this is Stephanie Plum. She was the one who helped me rescue Julie from Scrog. Babe, this is my big brother Javier."

Stephanie extended her hand to shake Javi's, but he took her hand and kissed it. Steph blushed. "Ms. Plum, it's so nice to meet you finally; Carlos and Lester have told the family a lot about you."

"Whatever they said, it's not my fault."

Javier laughed and smiled at my Babe, and I thought she was going to fall over. One thing is true, us Manoso men are handsome, even Lester, though he's only a Manoso on his mother's side.

I bring Stephanie towards one of the tables as Bobby comes on board.

"Brown, what are you doing here?"

"You are going to need someone to interpret Julie's medical chart and to liaise with the doctors. I'm that man. Nikko doesn't know half of what I do. Once we land, he's going to fly up here to be the medic for Trenton. Slick will be joining Nikko in Trenton. With the three of us in Miami, they can afford to lose Slick. They will be here to help Tank run Trenton without us."

Slick is the Miami SIC, the Miami Tank. I'm impressed that my men made all these plans in such a short period, especially considering I didn't even think about running Rangeman. Once the airport personnel left the plane, we were able to start our trip to Miami. We'll arrive at Miami Executive Airport in a little under three hours. That airport is about twenty minutes from the hospital where they are treating Julie. I see Bobby walk over to Stephanie, handing her two Boston Crème donuts and a latte from Dunkin Donuts. I shake my head.

"Oh, thank you, Bobby. I didn't have time for breakfast." Stephanie exclaims as she takes a bite of her donut. She moans as she savors that first bite and closes her eyes. My brother, Lester, Brown, and I all stare at my Babe. When she opens her eyes, she notices and is embarrassed. "Babe."

"Sorry." She replies before continuing to enjoy her breakfast without the soundtrack.

I hear the pilot over the speaker. "Please take your seats and buckle your seatbelts. We'll be taking off in about ten minutes. It will take us two hours and forty-five minutes to reach Miami Exec. Once we hit cruising altitude, you'll be able to remove the seat belts and move throughout the cabin."

I sit next to Steph at one of the booths and Javi sits across from us. Lester and Bobby sit on the opposite side of the aisle. Stephanie finishes her second donut and her latte before stifling a yawn.

"Babe, go to sleep. I'll wake you before we start our descent."

"Okay." She replies, before leaning her head on my shoulder. I place my arm around her, gently rubbing her arm. My brother watches our interaction intensely. I know the Cuban inquisition is about to begin.

About ten minutes after Stephanie fell asleep I gently lifted her and carried her into the bedroom. I placed her in the center of the bed and tucked her in, kissing her forehead before leaving her. If my brother weren't on the plane, I'd lie down next to her. "I love you, Babe. Please don't leave me again." I whisper as she sleeps. Until this morning, I was afraid to admit my feelings, but not anymore.

Once I return to the table, my brother starts with the questions. "Hermano, what's going on with you and Ms. Plum?"

I sigh. The answer is too complicated, and Javier will never understand. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing, Javi. I love her, more than I ever thought I could love a woman, but she's not mine. She belongs to someone else, someone who doesn't appreciate her, someone who has several side pieces, someone who wants to change her. He wants to clip her wings."

"So why don't you claim her, Carlos?"

"Because my life doesn't lend itself to relationships. I need to finish my black ops contract; then I want to finish my twenty, so I can officially retire, hopefully in some training capacity. But that may require me to spend months in Georgia. Steph's home is in Trenton. I can't give her what she wants."

"From the way Steph dropped everything and left with you to go to Miami for your daughter, I'd say she loves you or at least cares deeply for you. Listen, see how things go in Miami, but don't be an ass. I see the way you look at her. I know you want her. Don't fuck her and walk away. You'll only push her to the other man more, thinking that she is only an occasional fuck to you."

I watch my brother's eyes darken, and see Bobby and Lester staring at me as well. "You slept with her, didn't you? More than once, I presume?" Javi asks me. Shit. I can't lie to my brother. He has a natural truth meter, which is what makes him such a great lawyer.

"Yes, several times, but I never forced Steph. She was always a willing participant."

"I know about Florida and the Turbo, but when else?" Lester asked. I stared at him. How the fuck did he know? "Boss, there was no reason for you to stay in Florida for an extra day. We know it had to be because of Beautiful. We know she loves Disney, and things weren't great with her and the cop at the time. And not to mention, there was no reason for you to be in the Porsche, stopped in an alley, for twenty minutes alone with Bomber. The way you sped into that alley, there was only one reason: booty call." Les finished.

"When else, hermano?"

"During Abruzzi was the first time. I made a deal with her; I'd help her with one of her skips if she'd spend the night with me. I knew since the start that I wanted her in my bed, but I didn't realize that I wanted her completely in my life until I cashed in on the deal. I stayed the night, waking up with her in my arms, and it scared the shit out of me. I regret that night. I regret the next day more. When she called me out on my feelings, I knew she felt more for me than friendship, I knew that night meant more than the two biggest anti-commitment people wanted to admit, so I sent her back to Morelli."

"Ranger, she was sleeping in your shirt in Morelli's bed. Do you think she doesn't want you still? Listen, I love Beautiful as a sister. If you don't make a move while you have her in Miami, then let her go. I don't know if she needs the ring and the piece of paper, but I know she needs the commitment and the fidelity. Morelli will give her the commitment she needs, but never the fidelity. He'll only hurt her, destroying her emotionally, if not breaking her, if they marry and then Morelli cheats on her."

I knew my cousin was right, she would never, ever be happy with the cop. He wasn't capable of being a one-woman man. It's true, we knew of his side action, but Stephanie would never see it. She doesn't want to see the bad in anyone, only the good. But, the few times that she almost caught Morelli, there was righteous anger and fierce hatred. However, she always forgave the bastard, and I'm afraid that my comments to her are the reasons why.

"Les, I know what you're saying, but my daughter is hanging on by a thread. We don't even know if she'll survive her physical ailments. I don't even want to start on the mental ramifications of what she went through. Now is not the time to pursue a relationship with Stephanie."

Lester shakes his head before he responds, "Carlos, you were out of control, on the verge of losing your self-control. You were coiled tighter than I have ever seen you. Bobby thought we'd have to sedate you. Then, you heard Stephanie's voice, you saw her, and you relaxed. Your body language changed and you regained your control. You need her more than you need oxygen. Stop being a jackass. I'm not saying that you should get married tomorrow, but let her see Carlos, not Ranger. Don't hide from her, don't block her out. Show her your emotions. I think Stephanie will forget the cop if she ever meets Carlos."

"I'll try, no promises. Julie is my number one concern right now, helping her battle back. She's going to need a female to talk to, and I think Stephanie is the perfect female. They've already bonded over Scrog. If Steph can help Julie, then I'll consider showing her me."

I glance at my watch, noticing that we'll be landing in forty-five minutes. I get up to wake up my Babe in the bedroom. I open the door and see her sprawled out on the bed, with her hair surrounding her head like a halo. Steph is on her stomach, part of her neck exposed. I lean down and softly kiss her neck, trailing butterfly kisses to her ear.

"Mmm, what time is it?" She asks sleep heavy in her voice while stretching, exposing her stomach.

"Almost eight, Babe. We'll be landing in about thirty minutes."

"How did I get in the bed?"

"Babe."

She smiles at me, then gets up. "Where's the bathroom?"

I point to the door next to the nightstand, and she goes inside. Five minutes later she emerges, hair in a sloppy ponytail and more awake.

"What's the plan of action when we land?"

"We stop at the Miami Rangeman HQ to get an update; then we head to the hospital."

"Okay, sounds good. How are you doing?" She asks.

"Dealing. I want to beat the shit out of someone; I want someone to pay. But until I see Julie, I can't act."

"Ranger, Julie's strong, she'll pull through the ordeal. I'll help her along the way. You know I am here for both of you." Steph says as she wraps her arms around my waist.

"Yes, Babe, I know." I kiss her curls, then lead her out to the cabin. "Come on; we need to get our seatbelts on so we can safely land."