Standard disclaimers apply: not mine, just borrowing.

Sorry for the long wait on this next chapter, and yes I know its a cliff hanger, but I don't like reading long chapters and therefore don't like wrting them; it was getting a little long so here it is. ENJOY!

Chapter 5

I felt his warmth surround me as he leaned over the back of my chair to reach the stringed instrument before me. Shivering involuntarily I decided that the time for straight answers was now. I shrugged his arms away from my body and stood so that I was facing him, arms crossed once again over my chest.

"Why here?" I asked, "Why the Batcave?"

Ranger gave a small half smile at 'Batcave'. He knew that I fancied him as some kind of a superhero, albeit unwisely I must say; deep down inside I knew that he was just a man, but he didn't seem like one. "I told you already, Babe, this is the safest house I know."

"But it's your house, Ranger. I'm not ready for the Batcave, I still have things I need to do with my life!" I know, I know, I was getting irrational, but this issue was really worrying me.

"Babe, calm down. What are you on about?"

"I'm not ready for forever!" I cried, tears streaming down my face, although I'm not sure why. Hadn't I always fantasised about the Batcave? Of course I had, so what was the big deal now that I was here? I glared at Ranger from behind tear filled eyes and found his face overcome by an expression of confusion. Okay, I was going to scream, no really I was going to scream!

"What's wrong?" he asked, reaching out to caress my arm as I folded them across my body. "What are you trying to tell me?"

Great, Mr Man-o-Mystery can't even remember what he told me! "You said that the Batcave was forever! That if I ever went there I wouldn't leave! AND NOW I'M HERE!!!"

He shook his head slowly, trying to comprehend the situation, then, apparently he saw the error of his ways. "I never meant that," he told me.

"Well it seemed like you meant it to me. I mean; you NEVER show emotion. Not even on our night; even then it was all business. Now suddenly it's the Batcave and laughter! What is wrong with you? Do you have some kind of defect? Should I take you to the hospital to get your head x-rayed?" By now I was pacing the length of the room my hands flying every which way with my Italian temper. I could see on his face that he was not liking the conversation, but I wasn't going to let it slide, I needed answers and I needed them NOW!

"Babe, you need to calm down, you're just going round in circles." Easy for him to say; he probably knew all the answers to life.

"IT'S NOT THAT EASY!" I screamed, practically pulling the hair from my head. "MY WHOLE PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE HAS BEEN THROWN OUT THE WINDOW AND I DIDN'T HAVE A SAY IN IT!!"

Before I knew what was happening he was pushing me along the hall and into the TV room. I was shoved into an awesomely comfy chair and Ranger was off in the corner fiddling with switches and knobs. Tee hee hee, knobs… Oh honestly Steph, get your mind out of the gutter.

"I want you to pay attention to this, Babe. It's important to me."

After a moment the screen came to life and I recognised the handiwork of a homevideoist. After a moment the camera steadied and focused on a hospital bed, in which sat a young boy with a huge grin. In his arms was an equally huge bear and as the camera zoomed in there came singing from behind the camera. The female voice was recreating her own version of happy birthday causing the kid in the bed to smile. "Thank you so much Cecilia!" exclaimed the boy squeezing the bear in his arms.

"It was nothing squirt," said Cecilia placing the camera down on what one could assume to be a table and coming to sit next to the boy. "So hear we are, day three, with any luck they'll let him leave this afternoon; isn't that right Ricky?" The boy giggle as Cecilia tickled him intensely.

A moment passed and the pair sobered and looked at the camera. "We hope you get this, Mum and Dad. We'll never forget you."

"Sending our love," Cecilia continued, placing her hands in the shape of a heart on her chest as Ricky did the same, then as one they moved the hearts toward the camera.

Ranger, who was now sitting on the arm of the chair pressed the pause button on the remote and turned to face me.

"That's you isn't it?" who was I kidding? Of course it was him! "Why were you in hospital?"

"Hyperglycaemia."

"Big word, what does it mean?"

He gave a tight smile. "I'm a diabetic, Babe. Although we didn't know before that."

"What do you mean you didn't know before that?" I know, I know, but its in my genes! I'm curious genetically!

"Mum had always closely monitored everything I ate and never told me I was diabetic. This was my first birthday without them and Cecelia organised my party… I guess she didn't know either and well I had a lot of sugar that day."

"What happened to your parents?" I asked, turning in my sear to face him.

"No one knows really. One day we just woke up and they were gone; all we found was this note. He pulled from his pocket a well read piece of paper and handed it to me.

Ricky and Cecilia,

We're so sorry, but we had no choice. This was the only way. Don't worry about us, we'll be okay. And so will you, we've set up an account for you Cecilia, please take care of your brother.

Remember we always love you.

Mom and Dad

I finished reading and returned my eyes to the frozen image on the screen of young Ranger and his sister arms outstretched to send there love. "I guess it never got to them then," I concluded. He nodded and pressed the play button again.

Please review, I need to know if I need to fix anything up. Hope you like it so far.