Recap: Steph and Ranger have lunch and some afternoon delight. Ranger asks Steph on a date in Philadelphia that weekend.

Stephanie's POV

I was getting ready to go back to the gun range when I remembered something and stopped in my tracks. Ranger was right behind me and crashed into my back, wrapping his arms around me to keep me from falling. "Sorry Babe. Didn't mean to do that."

"I bet you were paying so much attention to my butt you didn't noticed I stopped."

"I plead the fifth." He smiled at me, and I wiggled my ass a bit, rubbing it against his crotch. His eyes darkened, and he looked like he might want to drag me right back into the bedroom. It was tempting, but I knew he had a meeting in 15 minutes, and I didn't want him to be rushed. Ranger liked to take it slow, and I enjoyed every drawn-out moment.

"I wanted to ask a favor" I said, trying to ignore my own carnal desires.

"What do you need, Babe?" he asked, looking like he'd hand over just about anything I asked for.

"I want a new lock on my door. Morelli has a key right now, and it's not that I don't trust him, but I'd just feel better if he couldn't walk into my place anytime he wanted. Could you have Hector install something? I don't want an alarm system, just…."

"I get it Babe. Have you spoken to him since last night?"

"No, I need to think about how to do this. It's tempting to do it over the phone, easier to extract myself if he starts insulting me again. But we've known each other all our lives, so I'm not sure if that's fair. Does he deserve to be told in person?"

"Not my strong suit, Babe. I'm more of a "Never trade names, and disappear before dawn kind of guy."

I blanched at that, I don't know what I'd do if Ranger just up and left me without a word.

He took my hand in his, kissing it gently. "You're different. Dios, I guess every guy says that to every girl, don't they. But you are. I've wanted this for far too long to fuck it up that obviously. I'm sure I'll make mistakes. We're both stubborn people, we'll have clashes, no doubt, but never doubt that I love you, even if I'm being pig-headed."

I smiled at that. "I'll tell Joe after I've gotten the locks changed. I suppose it's better to do it sooner rather than later. Luckily I don't think I have anything at his place I wouldn't be willing to give up. I recently went through and grabbed all my clothes from there to do laundry. It's just shampoo and things like that, so no need for a stuff exchange."

"I'll have Hector do it this afternoon. How many copies of the key do you need?"

I thought for a moment. "4, I think. That way my Super and neighbor can have one."

"Who's the 4th one for?"

"You. I know you don't need one to get in, but I want you to have one. To show you're always welcome. Besides, if it means you can get into my place a few seconds quicker by not having to pick the lock, all the better."

"Babe." He said, and he kissed me silly before we left the apartment to go downstairs..

When I got to the gun range Lester was already there. Under his arm was a long, thin box, and there were 10x10 grids hanging up, labeled 1-10 and A-J. "OK, so it seems you can kick my ass at tic-tac-toe and Connect 4. Let's try something harder. When was the last time you played Battleship?"

Ranger's POV

I was having trouble believing that less than 24 hours ago Stephanie had been with Morelli, and I had been alone. The thief in the night, sneaking a kiss in the alley beside the bond office, or breaking into her place to watch her sleep. I can't count the nights I spent there, trying to calm my nerves. I've seen and done things that are burned into my soul, and often they come back to visit me while I dream. But seeing Steph sleeping, looking so innocent, reminded me that there is good in the world. Sometimes I even manage to convince myself that if she cares about me, then there must be something worthwhile in my scarred spirit. When I watched her sleep I could pretend I was a normal man, and those nights I was able to sleep without dreams. Those precious few nights when I'd actually been able to sleep in her bed, holding onto her, were the most restful nights I'd had in my adult life.

Many times when I had pulled into her lot I'd seen Morelli's car parked there. On those nights I'd stare up at her window, wishing I could join her. On summer nights there had been a few times when her window had been open, and I'd heard her crying out his name. The first time that happened I'd pounded the steering wheel so hard I'd nearly broken it. It had been shortly after I'd told her to go back to the cop, and if he hadn't been there, maybe I would have been able to rectify my mistake. The only comfort I'd taken was that while she was moaning, she didn't sound nearly as excited as she had the night we were together. With me her cries had been breathier, loader, more enthusiastic.

Or maybe I was deluding myself. Trying to find the the small bright spot in the shitshow of my own creation. I'd once walked into the room when they were both there asleep. Morelli's car was in the shop, so I hadn't recognized his rental. I'd been stunned to see the two of them, and had needed to back out of the apartment before I lost control of myself. When I had been hiding out at Stephanie's apartment and Morelli had moved in I'd told her that if he had sex with her while I was there I'd have to kill him. It was tempting to do that when I'd seen him lying naked next to her. The picture was burned into my mind. They lay next to each other, barely touching, except his had had been resting on her soft mound of black curls between her legs. The place I most wanted to be. When I slept with her, I curled around her, trying to protect her from the big bad world I knew was out there.

I was kicking myself all the more after realizing how shoddily he had been treating her. Every comment he had made disparaging her while I was within earshot rattled around in my head. How had I not realized he talked to her like that all the time? I thought he was saying those things to rattle me, so I had ignored them.

I needed to stop this. Reliving the past wouldn't change it. My nightmares had taught me that. I had a client meeting in a few minutes, I had to pull Hector off the installation he was scheduled to do that afternoon and put him on a new lock at Babe's apartment, and then I was going to look up romantic date ideas in Philly. There were a lot of museums, but that didn't seem her style. I'd have to come up with an itinerary that fit her perfectly.

Though whatever I came up with, I'm sure it would be a better date than sitting in the back of a bar, watching her seduce some poor sucker, desperately wishing it was me.