5. Check

It was Friday, Lil had been a New Jersey resident for two whole days. She didn't feel any different. Though considering that she had not stepped foot out of the building yet, she had no frame of reference for her new surroundings or the people of Trenton. What she did feel was well rested. Hitting the sack early the night before was a big help. Waiting for her coffee to brew she was looking over her calendar. The year was moving by too fast. It was almost Halloween and she didn't have any plans for Tilde. The quickness in which they packed up and moved across the country was astounding. It also threw a wrench into typical festivities. With only a few days to spare, there wasn't any time to order her a costume or find which neighborhoods were the best for trick-or-treating. She would just have to make do with her trusty sewing machine. Fortunately, the Peanut was still young enough to not really understand all the holiday fuss. She made a mental list of the fabrics and supplies she had on hand. There was enough to make it happen. Halloween semi-sorted. Check.

She was on a roll this morning. Lil had her to-do list, she was unstoppable as long as she had her ideas written down. Showered and quaffed a little better than her recent road-trip days, she had made Tilde's breakfast and a grocery list for Ella. She called her new favorite caretaker on the phone system to relay her food needs and to ask her and Luis to dinner on Sunday. Check and Check.

Next on the agenda was some shopping from home. This happened to be her favorite type of shopping. Amazon was a glorious thing. Lil spent an hour perusing warm weather clothing for her and Tilde, she knew they were in for a drastically different winter season than the modest nights in Nevada. A new bedding set made it into her shopping cart, two new candles, and a few cute outfits for herself. She then stocked up on Magnus's dog food and treats. Big-ass dogs required MANY big-ass bags of food. Then Lil stumbled upon a series of Disney prints that were perfect for Tilde's new room. Online shopping done, Check.

Ella phoned to tell her that the groceries would be ready at noon, offering to bring them up for her. That woman was amazing. Cal knocked on Lil's door at 1000. He had a surveillance shift with someone named Vince at 1100, but wanted to catch up with his big sister for a few. Really, Cal was worried that the move and circumstances causing the move were becoming too much to handle. Lil was notorious for taking on the world, carrying the full weight on her small shoulders. She had been doing it her whole life. "How you doing hun? Are you settling in OK so far? How did you both sleep last night?" Lil always loved when her little brother became over-protective. It was such a change from the scared, abused boy he had been so many years ago. When he got like this, she just wanted to squeeze him silly. "I'm doing great Cal. I slept like the fricken dead last night. Tilde didn't get up once. I think she likes her new room." Currently, Tilde was on the living room floor using her play kitchen. She was trying to serve Magnus felted foods. That dog was a saint.

Lil felt immensely blessed to have Cal in her life. Not only had he found them a safe place to live, but he had even taken it upon himself to walk Magnus multiple times a day while they moved in. She couldn't ask for a better brother. "Tilde really has grown a lot since the last time I saw her. I know it's slow going, but I think she'll eventually catch up with other kids her age." His voice was filled with pride. Lil understood, she was the proudest mommy on Earth. "She is growing more quickly now. That reminds me, I need to find her a new pediatrician soon. I'll ask Bobby if he knows anyone." She added the task to her notepad. "I think when the guys hear her actually talk they'll be surprised. She's pulling her 'I'm shy' routine now. But you and I both know that won't last very long." This earned a riotous laugh from both of them.

"Lilly-pad, the entire Trenton Rangeman team will be having a meeting today at 1400. As this meeting is happening because of you guys, your presence is requested." He thought he was being funny. Lil rolled her eyes. "Sure. Hope they don't mind Tilde and Magnus tagging along." The look on Cal's face was priceless. He had a hard time picturing a toddler and a Rottie in a team meeting. There's a first time for everything. "So EVERYONE will be there? How many people are we talking about? Where do I need to go?" Cal tilted his head in calculation, "Well, Ranger is bringing in contract workers to cover the monitors so that all the actual Rangeman employees can meet you and learn the security protocols that are going into affect. It should be 17 guys, counting me and Ranger. Tank said he would come get you at 1355" Lil's eyes widened marginally, "Cripes, I hope they wear some name tags." Both adults took a moment to picture Ranger with a 'Hello My Name Is' sticker on his black shirt. Tilde attempted to feed Magnus a felt carrot.

"You and the guys seem pretty close, at least the group I met last night. I liked them. I'm not sure how I feel about Mr. Manoso (Cal snickers) and that Lester is a hound, but the others were nice. I could have peed myself when Tilde climbed into Tank's lap!" Lil knew that her refusal to use Ranger's street name was causing a stir. Tough. "We are close. In a way, most of the men here are like my brothers. Almost as much as you're my sister. We're not quite a family in this building, but as close as it gets for hard-ass military men with no social skills. I take that back, Lester has too many social skills if you know what I mean..." Lil was pink in the face from laughing. Lester was a hoot. She knew he thought his Casanova moves were sexy. She thought they were hilarious. Poor Lester would be sad to realize she thought the lady-killer was a goofball.

"Ranger, he's just Ranger. I've known him for over a decade now and he's always been the same. No-nonsense. Very private. Focused. The ultimate military leader." Lil made an indignant sound between a snort and a humph. "I don't know little brother, that boss of yours is wound super tight. I think he has control issues. Don't worry, we'll fix him." Cal turned twelve shades of purple. "Now Lil, please don't go sticking your nose in his business. I really don't want to be shipped off naked in a crate. And I don't want you two to fight… he can be upsetting at times." Now she really did snort. "Cal, do you think he's the first Captain America type I've ever met? Puh-lease. Just because I'm not in the game anymore doesn't mean I've forget who the other players are." Her brother did not look appeased. "Sugar-butt I'm not trying to cause trouble. However, I'm not going to bow down to his controlling nature either. You know that's just not me. If he gives an order for my security, fine. But otherwise, all bets are off." Cal shook his head. He didn't imagine that Ranger had ever gone up against a woman like Lil. "Besides, I'm already winning the war. He signed a contract insuring that I paid rent AND for Rangeman's security services." Her eyes were twinkling. "You got him to do what? No wonder he was so pissed off! That man was madder than a wet hen when he left here." Cal was impressed... and terrified. "See little brother, step one, assert my authority. Check."