Disclaimer: Not mine, just playing. Rated M for later chapters.

Description: Slightly A/U (and maybe OOC) story of another way Steph and Ranger meet. What happens when you can't see the face of the one person that totally captivates your heart, body and soul.

a/n: Thanks to wonderfully patient Beta Ber

Chapter 10

My mind was a clouded mess when I woke up the next morning. I groaned when I rolled over and looked at the clock. It was eight in the morning. "Who the fuck gets up this early on a damn Sunday anyways?" I grumbled as I made my way to the bathroom for my wake up routine. I answered Mother Nature's call and started up the shower. I wasn't sure why, but my body was unusually sore this morning and the thought of a hot steamy shower did only a little to relieve my tension. I was brushing my teeth when I looked into the mirror for the first time and screamed.

"What the fuck!" I had to grab a hold of the sink to keep myself from falling over as I stared at myself in the mirror. I had a nice sized bruise at the base of my neck near my shoulder. I dropped my tooth brush in the sink as I grabbed my hair up with one hand and ran my other over the mark. "Where the hell did this come from?" I thought to myself.

As I ran my fingers over the blushing blue, purple and black, I felt several raised marks hidden within the coloring. I peered closer into the mirror and realized it was dried blood from a bite mark. Having no longer been holding onto the sink, I fell to the floor, dazed and confused. And that's when everything came down on me in realization.

"This isn't possible. No fucking way. Can't happen. It might not just be a dream, but it is a "dream" after all." I kept rubbing at the mark, feeling the soreness from it and the sting of pain it shot out if pressed to hard. I thought back to my dream from last night. He had showed up, even though he said he couldn't for a while. My mask was gone and he saw my face, he said my name. I smiled at the memory as I reached up and touch the necklace. I felt a tiny tingle run through me when I touched it. Not as strong as when we had been together, but just barely there, reminding me where the necklace came from. Then a heat spread through me as I remembered the rest of our encounter.

"Damn…" I sighed as I thought back. We had had sex, or close to it, or something. That is until he finally entered me, and then bam…nothing, everything disappeared. I now realized that, after that part, the next thing I knew, I was laying in bed.

I cursed under my breath as I stood up. I finished brushing my teeth and jumped into the shower, intent on starting my day. Why did it have to end there? I thought as I let the hot water and steam envelop me. That experience had been the best I've ever had, or have not had? Either way, it was the most romantic, hot, erotic experience of my life. I've never been with a man that gentle and slow, yet raw and primal. He treated me with such love and tenderness, so concerned about me and not just the act.

I haven't been with many men in my life. My first was nowhere near last night. Joe Morelli, the guy I had loved/hated all my life, relieved me of my virginity at the tender age of 16 on the floor of my then, place of employment, The Tasty Pastry. He came in just before we closed and sweet talked me right out of my shorts. Two days later he left for the Navy, but not before writing about it on the walls of Mario's Sub shop.

"Yep, hopeless romantic there." I rolled my eyes. Now I really don't feel guilty about running him over with Big Blue, my Uncle Sandor's 50's Buick. Only guilt I suffered was that I didn't break his other leg too. There have been a few others here and there, nothing special or extravagant, and that includes my current boyfriend, for the lack of a better word, Dickie. Definitely, nothing to write home about especially compared to last night.

As I was getting dressed for the day, my phone rang, speak of the devil himself, it was Dickie. He called to let me know that he would be by around 5pm to pick me to go to dinner at my parents tonight.

"Great, how the hell am I going to hide –this-?" I thought as I ran my fingers over that area of my neck. I felt my fingers brush against the chain of my necklace. I let out a small breath. "I guess I'm going to have to hide you too." I said as I looked down at the heart lying against my chest.

XXX

We were shipping out in 45 minutes to god knows where. I was getting dressed when I heard Tank come up behind me.

"Man what happened to your back? I know you were out late last night, but damn man, I didn't think you had gotten up to anything that good." He said with amusement in his voice.

"Don't know what you're talking about." I grumbled as I started to pull on my t-shirt. I was stopped short though by my friend behind me.

He ran a finger down my back and I winced at the sting it created. "You've got claw marks man. Good ones too. Go take a look if you don't believe me."

I dropped my shirt and went into the bathroom; I still had to brush my teeth anyways. I turned around and glanced over my shoulder at my back. Sure enough, I could see the angry red welts starting from shoulders and going down the length of my backside. "What. The. Fuck."

I had been so busy getting ready this morning that I totally had forgotten about my time with Stephanie last night. Well totally forgotten isn't accurate, waking up with a hard-on is hardly forgetting. I had headed to the showers first thing and taken a cold one immediately, but that is hardly far from unheard of, especially recently. But in my haste this morning, the cause of that and the fact that I didn't even realize the pain on my back, was irrelevant to me at the time. My mind was solely on today, and the upcoming mission. As it should have been, as I told her it would be.

I had no time to think about this, no matter how much I wanted to. Right now I can't afford to let my mind stray from what's ahead of me. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Savoring, I let the images of last night flood through my mind one more time. The images of her, her beauty; her love and kindness strengthen my heart and my mind. As I silently filed them away one by one into the back of mind, I released one more breath and opened my eyes to stare back at my reflection. I let my blank face slide into place as I steeled myself. The man no longer returned my stare but in his place the soldier stood.