Alpha: Chapter Two

Second part of my BCRUS challenge: Challenge #8- Ranger.

Author: Christie (aka: Sin, QC, )

Disclaimer: JE owns them all. I make no profit. Sad, really. I could use some Ranger in my life.

A/N: Rewrite of the previous chapter. When I started to review this story, I realized the first chapter was third person and the second chapter was written first person. To mesh with the third chapter, the second chapter had to go through a rewrite process. Slightly different only because of the tense shift.

Ranger and Morelli watched as Steph turned and stalked away from them. Lula huffed, turned her nose up and followed behind her. The alley grew quiet as the bell to the bond's office door rang in the air and signaled that Steph was out of earshot.

"This isn't over," Morelli said, wiping at his nose. Blood drenched the front of his shirt and he used the corner of it to clean his face. "Don't come around her again."

Ranger's jaw throbbed but he'd be damned if he rubbed it in front of Morelli. "I'm not going anywhere, Morelli. Get used to it."

Morelli's face flushed angry red and with just a look, he stalked away. Ranger watched him round the corner, going in the direction of the bond's office. Ranger took a moment to calm down. It wasn't often he lost his temper but right then, with Morelli badgering him, all Ranger could think about was smashing Morelli's smug face. He rubbed his aching jaw and cursed Morelli.

Morelli just couldn't turn a blind eye. Though, if Ranger was willing to admit to himself how much he wanted Steph, he wouldn't be able to turn a blind eye either. He wanted her more than she knew. Wanted what she represented to him, what she gave to him. But his love for Stephanie was a motivator to keep her at arm's length. Emotion left you weak, helpless. And Ranger admired Steph's determination too much to take it all away from her with a casual relationship between them.

Ranger wanted Stephanie. He knew it. Morelli knew it. And Stephanie was in denial of it.

The truck was a short distance from the office. Parked in a good location for watching the bond's office, and mostly, within eyeshot of Stephanie as she walked out on her way to take down a skip. Ranger had his window partially down. The cool breeze bit into his skin but cooled his temper. He hoped that the dark tint on the windows would buy him some time before Steph gave him a piece of her mind. He knew she would.

Ranger heard Morelli before he saw him. Stephanie yelled, and something smacked against double paned glass with a heavy thump. Morelli threw open the glass door.

"Why are you yelling at me? I didn't start that fucking fight!"

"Oh yeah!" Steph's voice grew louder and louder. "I suppose you were just minding your business and caught the business end of Ranger's fist."

Morelli pointed his finger at Steph. "You started it."

"Oh!" Ranger saw Stephanie step out of the bond's office, murderous intent written all over her face. "I did."

Morelli's face turned dark red. "Yeah. You. And your trips to that God dammed alley! I got all kinds of shit down at the department because you can't keep your hands to yourself!"

Steph sucked in a deep breath. "Oh, I can keep my hands to myself, Morelli. Don't you worry about where my hands go from now on."

Morelli narrowed his eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You go your way and I'll go mine." Steph flipped him an Italian hand gesture as a parting gift. "Go fuck yourself, Morelli."

Stephanie and Morelli gave each other the stare down before Morelli just waved her off. "You'll come back."

"Not this time." Steph slammed the door behind her and Morelli stood there for a few minutes just staring at the bond's office door. Finally, he shoved his hands into his pockets and stalked off.

Steph peeked out the glass and looked both ways down the street. Ranger knew the second she recognized the truck. Her eyes widened first and then narrowed. Ranger grinned as she walked up. Her hands were balled into fists and her lips set in a tight line. Her face was red and her hair was wild. She marched his way with her hips swaying side to side. She had on a hooded sweatshirt, her Rangeman jacket, a pair of faded wore-out jeans and tennis shoes. Stephanie looked dangerous.

Steph rapped her knuckles against the dark tinted window and Ranger rolled it down all the way.

"Babe."

"Don't you dare 'babe' me!" Her cheeks flushed dark pink. "I know all about what happened in the alley."

Ranger felt a muscle in his jaw tighten. "I'm sure he told you all the good parts already."

"Don't start with me," she spat. "I chewed Morelli's ass up one side and down the other, and don't think I'm going to do you the same way! I can't believe you two! Arrogant assholes! I'm gonna have to listen to Lula talk about that for months to come!"

Ranger wasn't sure he could say anything to help his case. So he remained silent and Stephanie got madder. "And don't get me started about you decking Morelli! Why? Why did you do that?"

He shrugged his shoulder. Ranger didn't want to tell her that decking Morelli had been a long time coming. And the bastard gave him a perfect excuse. The reason he'd thrown that punch would hurt Stephanie more than that blow hurt Morelli.

"Say something!" Stephanie leaned into the window. "I've never known you to do anything without a reason Ranger."

Ranger eyed her through his Raybans. Her flushed face. Her lower lip pouted out, wet from her tongue. Instead of talking, Ranger grabbed her by her jacket collar, hauled her closer to him and kissed her. Her lips were so soft against his and her soft gasp of surprise brought a slight smile to his face. When he felt all the fight drain out of her, he pulled back away from her lips. Her eyes were closed and her fingers grasped the front of his jacket.

Ranger kissed her again, taking her lips under his and caressed them with the tip of his tongue, pushing into her mouth, wanting to feel the heat of her mouth. He wanted everything. Even when he backed away from her, he still wanted her to come after him. Ranger kept her curious enough about him to make her second guess her choices but never gave her more options to consider.

Tonight, he was going to change that.

Stephanie sighed and leaned away, leaning back to kiss him softly again. She opened her beautiful blue eyes and stared at him.

"You know you shouldn't have done that." She said, her voice was soft and Ranger smiled despite the meaning of her words.

"There are a lot of things I shouldn't do, Babe," he said, brushing a wayward curl back behind her ear. Ranger let his hand linger there. His fingertips caressed the outer shell of her ear and she closed her eyes as a soft moan left her lips. "But sometimes if you want something you have to take a chance."

Her eyes narrowed slightly and he wasn't sure she caught his meaning. But in normal Stephanie fashion, she quickly brushed it off and chose to ignore it.

"What are your plans for the day?" Ranger asked.

"I have two skips. Barney James and Brittany Miles."

Barney James was a pusher, know to be violent. "You dressed?"

She lifted her purse, "Even loaded."

"Be careful."

She smiled and backed away from the truck. "I'll be fine. If I'm lucky, Barney will still be passed out and I can just throw him in the back with little trouble."

"If not, don't push your luck, Steph."

Stephanie waved off his concern and Ranger thought about tagging along with her. But Ranger thought better of it. He trusted her. She always managed to get her man in the end, and she grew more confident and competent.

"Seriously, what's wrong with you? Where's Ranger and what've you done with him?" She gave him a look and raised her eyebrow in a good imitation of what he did. "Surely you have to save the world or something today. The Justice League doesn't take days off."

"Call me if you need help."

Stephanie gave him a finger wave and walked over to her Ford Escape. Lula was waiting for her and both of them climbed in. She drove away before he pulled away from the curb. Ranger followed Steph a couple of streets before his cell phone started to vibrate.

"Stop following me."

"Don't flatter yourself, babe."

Ranger hadn't planned on following her any further than the office. But that didn't mean that he wouldn't call someone else to watch over her. Just in case. "I'm going back to the office."

"Oh." She fell silent on the other end as they came up on a stoplight. "Shouldn't you be turning then?"

He caught her eye in the rearview mirror and she quickly looked away. "Later, Babe."

He flipped the phone closed just as the light turned green and she pulled away. Ranger flipped his cell phone back open and dialed Tank.

"Yo." Tank boomed. "Whatcha need?"

"Put a tail on Steph. She's going after James."

"I thought that was one of ours."

"She was feeling brave." Ranger said in way of an explanation. "Who's free?"

Tank was silent as he flipped through the paper schedule, "Zero and Lester."

"Send them out there. Tell them to stay back and just observe. If things get heavy, tell them to move in. Otherwise, don't interfere."

"Right on, Boss. Anything else?"

"Yeah. Cancel my flight to Miami. I had a change in plans."

Tank laughed, "Anything to do with your fight with Morelli?"

Damn. Lula was quick.

Tank laughed, "Now don't be giving Lula any shit. She said Morelli was being a prick. I hope you fucked him up good, man. He's going to be looking for a reason to bust your ass now."

"Fuck him," Ranger said. "Just cancel that flight. I'll be at the office in about five."

"Later."

Ranger disconnected. It was high time Morelli knew just how much of a serious threat Ranger was to his existence.