Again, thank you all for your wonderful reviews. I appreciate them more than you can imagine.

A special thanks to Stayce for her help with this chapter and for always being there!

Disclaimer: Teddy is mine, but just because he won't go away. Everything else belongs to JE

Rating: I give it an R to be on the safe side...some violence

Living on a Prayer Chapter 22

Fuck. I was so fucked. Even before I saw Ranger, I knew there was no way for me to get away. I couldn't even pretend to be looking for my sister's cat or something, he'd see right through that. He'd caught me sneaking off and we both knew it. I slumped against the fence and waited for him to walk over. I was just too damned predictable.

"Babe," Ranger said and stopped right in front of me. "Where exactly were you going?" I could barely see his face in the dim light of the lone street lamp. I looked past him and didn't answer. Okay, so I hadn't figured out all the details, but my plan had involved driving to jail, getting Teddy alone and killing him slowly. And now that I thought about it, it didn't sound as sane anymore and I didn't want to share it.

"At least you're armed," Ranger said with a look at my utility belt when I didn't respond. When I still didn't look at him he put his finger under my chin and turned my head. I finally met his eyes, although I couldn't read the expression in them. It was not the blank face, that much I could see. There was definitely emotion in there.

"Can I give you a lift somewhere?" He asked. Yeah, right. The only place he'd take me would be back to RangeMan or to a safe house. Still, it was worth a try.

"Can you take me home?"

He nodded almost imperceptibly, "If that's where you want to go, yes."

"Maybe that's where I was trying to go!" I fumed, throwing my arms up for good measure. Ranger didn't respond but I knew he didn't believe me. I narrowed my eyes at him, "And you're just gonna drop me off and let me stay by myself?"

"No," He simply said, "but I can be your bodyguard anywhere, so if home is where you want to go, that's where I'll take you."

"What if I don't want a bodyguard?" I challenged him. "Not your choice," He said and took my elbow to lead me to his car. "Excuse me?" I pulled my arm out of his grip, "What exactly do you mean by 'it's not my choice'? The killer is in jail, remember? My stalker is in jail, remember?" My voice was once again getting shrill.

"Babe," Ranger said and took my arm again. He sounded just like my dad when he used to say 'I'm not going to discuss this with you right now' and I had a feeling that was exactly what Ranger was trying to tell me. He held on to my elbow until we reached his car, then he beeped it open and held the passenger door for me. As if I could outrun him if he didn't hold on to me, I thought. I climbed into the seat and folded my hands in my lap. I couldn't get away if I tried, but that didn't mean I had to like it.

Ranger got into the driver's seat, started the car and looked over at me. When I still didn't say anything, he put his hand on mine. "You're not gonna give me a hard time over this, are you?" He asked. I scoffed, "Like you said, it's not my choice."

"Can you look me in the eye and tell me you weren't gonna do anything stupid, you were just going home to sleep?" I stared straight ahead into the darkness of the alley. No, I probably couldn't tell him that. It would be a lie and I didn't know if I could blatantly lie to Ranger when I looked him in the eye. What irritated me even more though was the fact that he had called my plan stupid. It may not have been the most thought-out plan ever, but it was the only thing that made any sense.

The last time I yelled at Ranger, he'd just left. This time, I went with the silent treatment. Very unusual for me, but I was afraid I'd get emotional if I said anything.

I should have known it wouldn't be that easy to crack Ranger's shell, he just drove in silence. We got to my apartment building and he parked at the corner of the lot because all other spots were taken, as usual.

"See any cars that don't belong?" He asked. I rolled my eyes but still took a look around. There weren't any cars I hadn't seen before, so I shook my head. Ranger killed the engine and got out, opened the trunk and came around to my side with my duffle bag in his hand. Probably he had seen us ending up here all along.

I hopped out of the car and held my hand out for my bag. Ranger didn't move. "You're gonna have to talk to me sooner or later," he said, his face definitely blank this time. I just sighed and walked past him towards the front door. Maybe I'd annoy him so much, he'd leave voluntarily, I thought. I really needed some alone time at this point. I appreciated everything Ranger and his men had done for me, but I'd been on this constant adrenaline rush for days now and I needed to relax. Alone.

Of course Ranger was right. I'd never been able to hold my tongue for long. But in the mood I was right now, I could only yell or cry, and I didn't want to do either. He probably wanted one of his 'adult' talks, but I wasn't up for that. So it was silence for now.

We took the elevator up to the second floor and it felt good to be home again. There wasn't much of it, but it was mine. I stopped abruptly when I saw my front door was covered with police crime scene tape. Ranger immediately but his arm around me and gently pushed me back against the wall.

I held my breath. Dear God, what now? Can't my home be sacred for once?

Ranger tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "I was trying to tell you on the way over…Someone was here," he started. I meant to ask who, when, how, why, but he put a finger on my mouth to silence me. "We had your place under surveillance the whole time and the guys called the cops when they saw a light. Unfortunately, they never saw him enter, but there was time enough for the cops to do their thing, get the prints." He motioned towards the door, "Let me go check it out before you come in, okay?" I nodded, suddenly not sure if I could feel safe here after Teddy had violated my space. There was no doubt in my mind it had been Teddy.

Ranger left me in the hall and pulled away the crime scene tape before he went in.

I was grateful that whoever had invaded my home was long gone by now, because I didn't want Ranger to get hurt. I already had Woody, Lester and Manuel on my conscience; I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I got Ranger hurt. Again. As it was, he still had the scratches and bruises from the scuffle with Teddy the other night. I was chewing my lip and straining my ears to hear something.

After a couple minutes, Ranger opened the door all the way and waved me in. "Not as bad as it could have been," he said, "and from what I could see, he didn't leave any kind of present for you." I sighed in relief but my breath caught in my throat when I saw my apartment. It was a war zone.

Books were pulled out of the bookcase and strewn all over the floor. Knick-knacks looked like they'd been wiped off whatever surface they'd been on, the fragile ones had broken when they hit the floor.

I dropped my bag, biting my lip. I was fighting tears of exhaustion and desperation. Ranger stepped closer and wordlessly pulled me into his arms. "It's okay, Babe, it's gonna be fine," he said, pushing my head against his chest. I was breathing heavily, trying to keep it together. My apartment had been ransacked before, and people had been breaking in ever since I became a bounty hunter. But tonight, it just pushed me over the edge. I didn't want to cry, so I swallowed hard a couple times. Ranger stroked my hair and made sure I couldn't see the destruction. I closed my eyes and breathed in his scent.

"How about you take a shower while I straighten up some?" He asked, pulling his head back to look at me. I nodded numbly, a shower sounded good. He smiled and pushed the hair out of my face, then he put his arm around me and tucked my head back against his chest so I couldn't see the destruction around me, leading me through my bedroom to the bathroom. "Take your time," He said and closed the door. I wanted to tell him that I could clean up by myself, but I appreciated his offer too much. And I was incredibly grateful he had insisted on staying, I just had to find a way to tell him.

The shower had made me relax a little, and when I stepped into my bedroom to get dressed, Ranger had already cleaned up most of the chaos. My clothes had all been ripped out of the closet, and Ranger had piled them up in front of it. I put on sweats and a t-shirt and pulled my hair up in a ponytail. I didn't bother with make-up.

Ranger had made tea by the time I joined him in the living room, and I smiled at him gratefully, "Thank you," I said as I picked up my cup. I wasn't a tea drinker, but it seemed like the best choice at the moment, I was too wired for coffee and I knew I wouldn't stop if I started with beer. Tea bags must have come with the food fairy, since I didn't usually have any in my house.

Ranger nodded as he sat down next to me on the couch, "Feel better?"

I took a look around, he had really done a fantastic job in such a short time, "Yeah, I do. Thanks for this," I gestured around the room.

When the phone rang, I jumped in my seat. Would this ever end? When would the sound of the phone not freak me out any more? I glanced at Ranger before I got up to get the handset. 'Trenton Police', the caller ID said. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding and swallowed hard to push back the sadness the simple readout brought up.

"Stephanie? This is Frank, Frank Thomalla," Frank said when I answered the phone. I grimaced. Of all the people to call, he was probably the last I wanted to talk to.

"Hi Frank…" I said slowly, walking back towards the living room. Ranger was watching me and I shook my head to hopefully signal him it wasn't a call to be concerned about.

"Listen, Steph," Thomalla said, "I heard about what happened at your apartment. Are you okay?" When I told him I was fine, he continued, "I'm calling to apologize." Oh? This was unexpected; I was interested to hear where it was going.

"You see," He sighed, "I spent so much time with Joe, he was a…a close friend. And he talked about you all the time. I feel like I know you even though we only met like twice. So when I saw you earlier…I don't know…I felt like I could finally share my grief, you know?"

Oh well, that made some sense, actually. Morelli had worked with Thomalla for quite a while; I would think they knew each other pretty well. "I feel like I lost a brother," Thomalla continued and I could feel my throat close up, "But that was no reason to make you feel uncomfortable. I apologize for that. I'm sorry."

"That's okay," I said relieved, "I understand." Thomalla sighed, "Thank you Stephanie. What I really meant to tell you earlier was that I am truly sorry for your loss. How are you holding up?"

I sat down on the couch and propped my feet up on the coffee table while Ranger refilled our teacups and checked his watch. "I'm okay," I lied. I didn't feel like sharing my feelings with Thomalla.

"Have you been in touch with Detective Krenzler?" Thomalla asked. "No, why?"

"She's really good, Stephanie. If you ever need to talk, you know, about it, she's been doing grief counseling for a while," He explained, "Feel free to call me any time, of course, if you want to talk, I was just thinking in case you wanted to talk to a professional. Wait, that came out wrong. And now I'm rambling." He stopped himself and took a deep breath. I had to smile, "I appreciate the offer. And I'll think about calling Stayce. Any news on the case?" I was wondering if he was still trying to gather the evidence. He sighed, "We're still trying to match the prints from your place. And I finally got a warrant for Gardner's place, but it seems someone has been through it before, it looked searched. Still, we were able to confiscate some weapons. I'll keep you posted." I could tell he didn't really want to talk about it. It sounded familiar. Morelli had always been kind of tight-lipped about ongoing investigations. Probably I should have told Thomalla I knew exactly who'd been at Teddy's place before and where the evidence was, but I wanted to bring it up to Ranger first. I didn't know how legal the search had been. "Thanks for your call Frank, it means a lot." I said to change the subject.

Thomalla seemed relieved to hear me say that, he apologized again and then we disconnected. His apology had seemed really sincere. I could see Morelli talking about me for one reason or another, probably Thomalla knew everything about me.

"A good call?" Ranger asked. I was still smiling with the handset in my hand. "Surprising," I explained, "It was Joe's partner, Thomalla. He was at Valerie's house today." Ranger nodded, probably he knew that part. "And, well, he…he came on a bit strong, Tank stepped in eventually, but it was quite creepy. Anyway, he called to apologize…" I thought about the phone call again, "You know, he seemed to actually care. Funny how a first impression can be wrong." Ranger nodded at that but didn't say anything.

The doorbell interrupted my thoughts. Ranger got up and put his hand on my forearm, "That's dinner. I'll get it, just to make sure." My stomach rumbled in response. Valerie and I had gone through her stash of snack food after lunch, but it had been an exciting day and I was hungry again.

For a second, I feared Ranger had ordered healthy food, but when I left the living room, I could already smell the delicious aroma of Pino's meatball subs and I grinned. "Thank you!" I said again and kissed Ranger on the cheek, taking the bag from him. "How come the right food gets a bigger smile from you than anything else?" He mused and pretended to be confused. I sent him a glare, but my heart wasn't in it and he knew it.

I ate half of my sub in a few bites and instantly felt better. "Do you think it was Teddy who trashed the place?" I asked Ranger out of the blue. He nodded, "He would be my first guess." I was surprised it didn't scare me all that much anymore, since he wasn't able to hurt me from where he was now. I pretended to think about that for a moment, then I added "So maybe I should pay him a visit and ask him, you know, to make sure…" Ranger slid the blank mask over his face. "Not a good idea," He said, never looking up from his salad. I huffed, "Do you have a better idea?" He shook his head and looked up at me. "Gotta trust in the system," He said. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Of all people, Ranger refused to help me. I put the rest of my sub down and just stared at him, I knew he could read the emotions in my eyes as if I'd said them out loud.

"Babe," he said and I rolled my eyes. Nothing good ever comes after he says it that way. "Just quit beating around the bush. You want to kill him. Now. While he's in jail, unarmed and guarded?"

Of course he just had to word it in a way that would make me sound reckless and stupid. I crossed my arms over my chest and pouted. I didn't mean to, my lower lip just stuck out. I felt betrayed, just when I really needed Ranger, he refused to help me. I didn't care that he was right, I was a friend in need of help.

He shook his head and got up to put his plate in the kitchen, "Babe, I love you but you're not gonna make me an accessory and get yourself locked up for life on my watch." I sighed. On his watch. There was no way to escape his watch, unfortunately. I'd tried before, and in the end I either needed his help or he found me before I did. I glared after him because I didn't have a comeback.

He returned with two beers in his hands and put one down in front of me before he continued into the living room. Fine, beer it was. I could hear the TV and realized the topic was closed as far as he was concerned. I could only think of one sure way to make Ranger lose his cool, and I didn't want to sink that low, even though he irritated the hell out of me. And besides, I might get him to sleep with me, but not to help me kill Teddy anyways. I sighed and got up to join Ranger in the living room.

"How did you know?" I asked him as I sat down next to him. "Know what?"

I took a sip from my beer, "That I was gonna go after Teddy." Ranger shrugged, "It's what I would've done. Besides," he leaned forward and ruffled my hair, "I know you!" I slapped his hand away and scoffed, but he caught my hand mid-air and held on to it. "Don't get me wrong, it's what I want to do as well. But it's wrong. If you do it, he wins."

Ranger had tuned the TV to a ballgame, but I took the remote and changed it to VH1 and some reality show and settled back against him. He put his arm around me and pulled me even closer. I wasn't sure yet if I should try and sneak out later or if I should let it go. Teddy sitting in a cell was still nagging me, I felt restless. I needed to something.

I jumped up and picked up the remnants of dinner from the dining table. Then I filled the dishwasher and wiped the kitchen counters, but still felt restless.

I was polishing the kitchen sink when I realized Ranger was standing in the doorway, smiling. "What?"

"Babe, you make me nervous when you clean." I stuck my tongue out at him. Okay, so I wasn't the world's best housekeeper, there was no need to rub my face in it. "Something bothering you?" He asked, leaning against the doorjamb with his arms crossed over his chest.

I threw the sponge into the sink. "I need to move!" I said exasperated, "I need to get out of here!"

Ranger seemed to ponder that for a moment, then he said, "Get dressed then." I looked at him trying to determine if he was kidding or not. "We'll leave in ten minutes," He said. I smiled all the way to the bedroom where I grabbed jeans and a low-cut black shirt and went into the bathroom to do my hair and make-up. There were definite advantages to Ranger knowing me so well, I thought. He knew I'd drive him crazy if he tried to keep me in my apartment. I just hoped he wasn't on planning on taking me somewhere I didn't want to go. Like the gym.

"Where are we going?" I asked excitedly when I buckled myself in as we sat in the Cayenne. An almost-smile was playing around his lips, "It's a surprise."

"It's not the gym or the gun range though, right? It's somewhere fun where I'd like to go? Please? I haven't been out in forever!"

Ranger turned his head to look at me, "You can whine like my five-year old niece, you know that?" He was clearly enjoying this. I had to admit I was as excited as a kid at the prospect of getting a real distraction, preferably far away.

Ranger took Chambers to Broad and I was wondering if we would stay local when he merged onto the turnpike. I leaned back with a big grin on my face, I didn't even know why. Suddenly, all I wanted was a good distraction, live someone else's life for a night.

"Where are we going?" I tried again, but Ranger's smile only got wider. Strangely enough, I was able to push the past few days, my apartment, Val, Teddy, even Joe's death to the back of my mind for the time being. I was going to enjoy this evening, I decided, the real world would still be there in the morning.

I squirmed in my seat when Ranger took a Newark exit. I used to work in Newark, but other than that, I didn't know it well, and had never felt the urge to hang out here. He took a couple turns and all I could tell was that we weren't downtown. It was almost nine now, and traffic was surprisingly heavy. Ranger pulled into a spot at the curb and killed the engine. He shot me another smile and got out of the car.

On the sidewalk, he led me over to a side alley where a metal fire door was accented by a white awning. A sign next to the door announced that this was 'Cuba Libre', and when Ranger held the door open for me, Salsa music streamed out.

The outside of the club hadn't prepared me for the inside, I almost expected some smoky bar. Instead it was a small dance club. There was a large black-tiled dance floor in the middle, a bar left to the side, and cocktail tables around the dance floor. The overall color scheme was black and silver, with a few colorful decorations on the wall, giving the club an overall modern Hispanic touch. On the far side was a stage where a 4-piece Salsa band was playing. And the place was packed, not just for a Sunday night. Couples were dancing, men were hanging out at the bar. There were intimate little lamps on each table and spotlights by the stage, and in the dim light, I could tell that most of the clientele was Latino, whites and blacks formed the minority. I immediately got a good vibe from the club. I turned around to smile at Ranger, "Come here often?"

At least my outfit was appropriate, and I was glad I'd chosen the 3" heels to dress up my jeans and spent some extra time on my make-up.

He returned my smile and led me over to the bar, where I ordered the Margarita Ultimo a small cardboard sign advertised as the bartender's special. Ranger ordered a bottle of water. I was swinging my hips to the music as we waited for our drinks.

I chugged down half the margarita while we were still standing at the bar, then Ranger led us over to one of the few empty tables.

My drink seemed to be half a gallon and when I finished it, I felt a lot more relaxed. Ranger laughed when I put the empty glass on the table, "One more and I'm cutting you off," He announced as he get up to get me a refill. The band started a slow song and I swayed to the music with my eyes half closed, so that I didn't see the man approach. He cleared his throat when he stood right next to me and I had to look twice to make sure he wasn't Antonio Banderas. He was hot! His silky black hair was cut short, he was about 6' tall with a café au lait complexion. He smiled when he saw he had my attention, "Would you care to dance with me, carina?" He asked as he held out his hand. I hesitated for maybe a second before I took his hand and let him take me to the dance floor.

I hadn't danced in ages and was a bit nervous about it, but Antonio was a very good leader and before I knew it, I was lost in the music.

Since it was a slow rhythm, he was holding me close to him, but not too close, it felt comfortable. "I'm Alejandro, carina," He said close to my ear, pressing his hand against my back. I thought Antonio fit him better. "I'm Carina," I said as I smiled up at his face. He laughed at that and it was a friendly, honest sound.

When the song ended, he held my hand in his and pressed it against his chest, "One more dance and I'll be the luckiest man alive," He announced theatrically and I laughed. He didn't know it, but he was exactly what I needed at the moment.

After the second dance, he led me back to the table and nodded politely at Ranger. Ranger didn't return his greeting, he had his blank face on and openly stared at my dance partner. Alejandro took my hand and planted a kiss on the back, then he smiled at me, "Catch your breath, carina, I'll be back."

I focused on my drink to avoid Ranger's eyes, I could tell he wasn't happy with me, but I didn't know why. When I finally looked up, he was nursing his water and looking around the room. "Thank you for bringing me here," I said to break the silence and he cracked an almost-smile. "One of my favorite places in Newark," He said. I was surprised. I'd never thought about Ranger's leisure side much, but I would have never pictured him at a Salsa club. He fit right in though, and probably he was a pretty good dancer. "Don't even think about it," He said, doing a palms-up. I quirked my eyebrows, "Think what?"
"I'm not dancing. I'm dressed in boots, I'd crush your feet," He replied, smiling. How could he have known that was exactly what I was thinking? I slurped down the rest of my margarita and was positively buzzed by now, it was a happy feeling. I wanted to ask Ranger if he usually danced, but I was interrupted by Alejandro, who came to stand in front of me, bowing slightly. His smile could melt ice. He was no Ranger, but he was up there. And all his attention was on me, I was flattered. I was ready to drown in his dark eyes, and by showering me with attention, he made me feel special. And I figured since Ranger didn't want to dance, I had to find my fun somewhere, right?

After a couple dances, Alejandro led me over to the bar and ordered two Cachaca pitu. I eyed the amber liquid in the shot glasses cautiously for a moment, but then I followed his example and downed my shot. Heat spread down my throat into my belly, but there was no burning, it tasted good. Alejandro ordered two more rounds, and since I was thirsty from dancing, I downed them just like the first. The room started spinning when we returned to the dance floor, and everything had a warm glow around it. I felt Alejandro's muscles under my hand and didn't object when his hand traveled down my back to cup my ass. And suddenly I realized I was buzzed enough that I'd consider going home with him. I smiled up at him and he squeezed my cheek, probably reading my thoughts.

I didn't get to say anything though, because the very next moment, we were abruptly separated. Ranger took my elbow almost painfully and shot Alejandro a look. I swayed on my feet and held on to Ranger, I was definitely in need of additional support now. Alejandro straightened his shoulders and for a second, I thought he was going to stand up to Ranger, but Ranger followed up his look with some rapid Spanish and Alejandro disappeared.

I tried to dig my heels in and resist Ranger's pull, but when I fell behind, he simply picked me up and threw me over his shoulder.

"Lemme down!" I screamed, suddenly noticing how my speech was slurred. I pounded my fists on his back, but he never broke stride. He went up the small staircase and out of the club, down the alley and back to the car. Finally, he set me down again and I had to hold on to the car to keep my balance. I was dizzy from the movement, and Ranger's face in front of me swam in and out of focus.

"What the fuck?!" I yelled as soon as I found my voice. Ranger didn't move, he stood a foot away regarding me calmly. "I was havin' a good time!"

"I could see that," He said in that calm voice of his. "I'm goin' back!" I announced and tried to turn on my heel, but I caught it in a sidewalk crack and came down hard on my knee. I couldn't feel any pain, but it was still embarrassing. I slapped away Ranger's hand and clumsily got up.

"You're not my father, Ranger," I spat out, "You do not have the right to drag me out of the club when I wanna stay!"

Ranger nodded, "You're right, I don't."
"And I woulda danced with you, too, but you turned me down!" I continued my tirade. Again he nodded. "You never let me have any fun! You order me around, you lock me up," I pointed my finger at him and took a step closer, "And I only get to do what you decide," I poked him in the chest. His blank face drove me insane. He crossed his arms over his chest and just nodded "Yep, that's what I do, I don't let you have any fun," He agreed. "Arrrgh!" I exclaimed and threw my hands up in the air. "And I can't even have a decent fight with you! That's it, I'm going back to Alejandro!" I tried to turn again, but suddenly I didn't know what direction the club was in.

"Babe," Ranger said and I swiveled around to face him. "What?"

"You can hardly stand, let alone walk. I'm taking you home!" He tried to take my elbow but I jerked it back.

"Fuck you, Manoso! I'm gonna…I'm gonna" I tried to finish that sentence but I couldn't remember what it was I was going to do. And my eyelids were incredibly heavy all of a sudden.

The last thing I remember was sinking against something warm and soft, it might have been Ranger's chest. That would at least explain the movement.

TBC

A/N: OK, I chose to not seek revenge in this chapter, and many of you suggested it wouldn't be right. How do you think Ranger should distract Steph from her goal though??