New chapter. Hope you like it. Change of pace for sure.

Ranger's POV

I heard a sickening crunch as the FTA that I had just tackled went down. He screamed out as his body landed on his arm, cracking the bone and leaving it under his body at a grotesque angle. I didn't care, I wasn't in the mood to be fucked with and he'd taken a potshot at me. He easily had 100 pounds on me but I grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and hauled him up to his feet. I slapped cuffs on him, ignoring his angry screams. I pushed him over to Lester and stalked outside. I wasn't in the mood to deal with the paperwork. I was in the mood for a fight. The feel of kick and punching, the thrill of knowing I was better. The sound of bones crunching. Maybe if I could fight someone I could get my mind off Babe.

My phone rang and I knew instinctively that it was her, again, for possibly the hundereth time today, the thousandth this week. Her messages were all the same, her voice sad but with no room for negotiation. She didn't understand why we couldn't be friends. We'd been friends when she was with Morelli, why not when she was with Diesel? She missed me. Please call back.

The reason was simple, Morelli had wanted to give her something I couldn't, and I wouldn't deny her love, marriage and a baby carriage if that's what she wanted. But did she really think Diesel would give her those things? Christ the guy could barely be bothered to get dressed before he left the house in the morning.

Maybe she didn't think so; maybe she just knew that I couldn't. Damn it though, it wasn't that I didn't want to. I love Steph, more than she knows but I can't be a good husband, a good father. That much was obvious to me, and it was apparently obvious to her too, or she wouldn't have gone off with Diesel. She wouldn't have stayed with Joe for years and dealt with all his crap if she hadn't wanted to get married someday right?

Fuck. I was all sorts of messed up. Not taking her calls was killing me; the hurt in her voice was horrible. I swore as my phone started ringing again, I let it go to voicemail and jumped into the Turbo. Twenty minutes later I was going way too fast on a road to nowhere when my phone rang again. It was Tank, I hit a button and the Bluetooth on my phone picked it up and his voice came through the car speakers.

"Boss, Bombshell's panic button just went off. She's at Manny's on Stark. You're closest."

What the fuck was she doing on Stark? "Send back up." I looked around and realized that I was fairly close. I made a few turns and pulled in front of Manny's not ten minutes later. I didn't know what was going on and I had no time to wait for back up, not if Babe was really in trouble. I walked in the front door, gun drawn. There was no one; I heard Steph screaming from the back. It took all my will power not to just run back there. I checked the rooms quickly but thoroughly as I passed them. The door to the back room was locked; I kicked it in and surveyed the room. My vision went red. Two guys with guns were holding Stephanie on the floor, a third guy was on top of her. Three quick shots and the men were down before they'd even gotten the look of shock off of their faces at my entrance.

I walked over to Steph; she was struggling to get the naked man off of her. I tossed him away and looked her over. Her clothes we torn and her leg was bent at an awkward angle, she was crying. She looked away from me and tried to sit up.

"Babe, look at me. Are you okay? Did he do anything to you?" I couldn't tell, her pants were around her ankles but her panties were still on, although torn. Her shirt was in tatters. I sighed in relief as she shook her head no.

"You got here…I…my leg hurts and my ribs. I tried to call you but you didn't answer." Christ. This was my fault. Her eye was swelling and the ribs were bruising already, they were probably broken.

"I'm so sorry Babe." I heard the door open and knew my backup had arrived. "Hold on a second guys!" I shouted out the door. I stood Steph up, careful not to jostle her leg. She still started crying harder. I knew there was no way I was going to be able to get the jeans up her leg without doing some damage so I pulled them off carefully, grateful she was wearing underwear that actually covered her ass for once. I pulled off her tattered shirt and replaced it with my own, which hung down to her thighs. I put my leather jacket on over that and zipped it up. She was decent enough for the trip to the hospital. I scooped her up in my arms and I strode out of the room.

Poor Babe, she certainly didn't deserve this. Tank's eyes met mine as I came out of the room and went to Bomber. His eyes darkened. "Three down. Her leg's broken, probably some broken ribs. I'm taking her to the hospital. Call Morelli." I looked down at Steph, "Babe you want us to call Diesel?"

She shook her head no, "He's off the grid all day, said he wouldn't be reachable. I shouldn't have gone alone." Tears were pouring out of her eyes again and it just about broke my heart. I walked out of the building and sat her down in the front seat of the Turbo. She groaned in pain.

"Steph, do you want to wait here for an ambulance?"

"God no. Just drive." She turned her head to look at me and smiled as I started the car. "If I'd know all I needed to do to get you to talk to me was get beat and almost raped I would have done it sooner."

"I'm so sorry."

"Don't apologize, it's not your job to save me Ranger. I miss you though." I glance at her and sighed.

"Steph I miss you too, but it's just too damn hard to be around you when you're with Diesel."

She looked at me incredulously, "What do you mean?"

"Babe I could understand when you were with Morelli, he could offer you something I can't, marriage, kids all that. But Diesel? You really want to settle down with him?"

I glanced at her again as I pulled up to the emergency entrance to the hospital. "Ranger, I don't want to get married, or have kids any time soon. I broke up with Joe because I love you. That's all there is too it. I'd be happy enough without marriage or kids if I could just be with you."

I took a second to digest everything she just said, "Then why Diesel?"

"I may not want a ring Ranger but I still want something more than you sneaking into my apartment at night. And I know you love me, but the qualifiers on that are too much. I'm glad you love me in your own way, but I love you in every way."

It's now or never Ranger. She loves you too. Go for it. "Babe I love you too."

"In your own way," she said and looked out the window.

"In every way." The words were far easier to say than I'd ever thought possible.

"Did I already take pain medicine?"

I raised an eyebrow, "No?"

"Oh my god. You love me!" I chuckled and she looked at me odd, "wait I must be drugged up, you just laughed."

Good Change? Bad Change? You have no idea what I'm talking about? Aliens are coming? Something? Anything? Bueller?