Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I appreciate the encouragement. Also, thanks to JessicaRenae for editing this chapter. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Let me know if you liked it.

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Chap 21. Toys in a Box

"Who is it?"

"The police haven't made an identification," Tank answered and left the room without a parting word. I looked look up at Ranger, his eyes on me, warm and dark.

"Come with me," he said, grabbing my arms, pulling me up, and hoisting me up against him.

"Breathe," he whispered. I inhaled and exhale slowly, taking my time. He released me, putting his hand on the small of my back, and directing me outside.

We arrived to the crime scene ten minutes later. I didn't want to go inside, and he didn't force me. Eddie walked out of the house, his face solemn. He offered an embrace and I threw myself into the warm of his arms. Ranger took the time to go inside the house and check the scene.

"It's a good thing you weren't here," he said. "Ricky didn't need to see this."

"Who is it?" I managed.

"Preliminary identification is Margaret Kennel, but it's hard to say that for sure." He added, "she was a friend."

"I need to see this for myself," I mumbled. Eddie nodded and we walked side by side into the house. Ranger saw us coming from the foyer and tried to stop us.

"Babe, I don't want you to see this," he said, his voice reflecting concern. The words only made me want to see her more. I pushed past him but wasn't prepared for what awaited me in the living room. The room was bathed in blood, chopped body parts placed orderly in the middle of the living. The stench was suffocating. I started to feel nauseous. Ranger lifted me up and carried me outside, past the yellow tape, towards the car. He set me to my feet and held my hair out of my face while I vomited.

"Let's go home," he said, clicking on my seatbelt five minutes later.

-RS-

He took me to the seventh floor. Ranger's apartment seemed different somehow, but I couldn't pinpoint the change.

"Steph!" Sofia exclaimed. She came up to the seventh floor with Lester. "The house."

"I know," I replied. "You don't want to go there."

"Who was it?" She asked.

"The body found at the house was identified as Mrs. Margaret Kennel. She was Louis Kennel's mother. I've met her once." I remembered how she looked, protecting his son from an unknown threat. She'd probably died the same way.

"Any signs of Louis?" Lester asked, his hand reaching for Sofia's and intertwining with hers. She eyed their hands, but didn't pull away.

I smiled ruefully at the gesture. Sofia needed to let somebody to take care of her once in a while. Lester was still in pain from the wound in his stomach, but he kept it hidden well enough.

Tank came in minutes later with a report on the FBI investigation in Alonde's house.

"They didn't find anything," he said. "However, they found blood in the basement. The feds are conducting an investigation now."

"No, that's impossible!" I exclaimed. "How could they have moved them so quickly? I know I heard voices in the basement, somebody was singing."

I started pacing around the room in desperation. Think, Stephanie, think.

"The house was under surveillance by RangeMan all this time," I reasoned. "Did they see anyone leaving in the hours it took to assemble the meeting?"

"No," came Tank's intrigued answer. "They didn't."

"Okay," Sofia began, "how could someone move a group of people without being seen in an hour?

"Vince says the only thing moved out of the house were big storage boxes," Ranger replied.

"Boxes," Sofia and I said in unison.

"Ranger, boxes!"

Alonde… Midnight & Night Buzz… The key is in the box.

"The key is in the box," I repeated the mental echo.

"Shit," Ranger made another call to Vince. "Vince, the boxes, when did they take them away?" A pause. "I'm on my way. Alert Samantha and Samuel."

"Ranger," I called out. "I want to go."

He nodded and took my hand. We were out of the building in no time. Ranger picked up the phone a second time and changed directions. It wasn't long before we stopped behind a black car. I recognized it as one of the cars belonging to the feds.

Ranger directed me to stay behind. The feds and the police surrounded a large white truck. The driver and the man next to him got out of the vehicle. The feds ran to the door, moving towards the big boxes. There was a moment of complete silence in my head.

Finally, a thin arm shot up from the box, and one of the feds reached out to lift a girl up. Slowly, they freed the children from their prison.

Ranger and I stood back, watching in an amazement and disbelief. I didn't notice when he took my hand in his, not until I felt the tight squeeze, reminding me of his presence.

"Babe, lets go," he said and led me to the ambulances now gathered. I searched for Leti's face among the girls, hoping she wasn't among them, but also hoping to find her.

"Stephanie," a voice called from the madness. "Stephanie."

I turned to find Victoria, the maid from Alonde's house. She was bruised and weak, her eyes tormented.

"Hey," I uttered, my voice losing strength. She took hold of my upper arm, pulling me closer, finding strength somewhere inside herself.

"I knew you could help us," she rasped. "Thank you."

"I didn't do anything," I smiled ruefully. "Victoria, have you seen this girl?"

I showed her the picture of Leticia that I carried in my packet.

"No, I've never seen her," she said. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry, now focus on getting better, okay?"

My hand flew to my face as I turned on my heels back to Ranger's car. He didn't question me. He turned on the engine and drove back to Haywood.

-RS-

"They were moving them around like furniture," I stated in the elevator back to seventh.

"Yes," he said without a follow up comment.

Sofia and Lester were huddled together on the couch. My son narrowed his eyes in concentration, staring at the couple beside him. He stood up from his place and planted himself between them.

Ranger lifted an eyebrow.

"Hey, buddy," he greeted. "Come give me a hug."

Ricky shook his head, his body leaning against Sofia. Ranger glanced my way, concern in his eyes.

"Does he have a crush on Sofia?" He whispered in my ear.

"Why do you ask?"

"Babe," said Ranger, "he's acting protective."

I looked back at Ricky, his head now on Sofia's shoulder. The little guy looked fearful. He hooked his little arm around Sofia's and held tight.

"I guess," I sighed. "It's a baby crush. I didn't think it would last this long."

Ranger nodded and moved further inside. Ricky stuck his head up for a better view of his father and I.

"Sofia," Ranger said, "would take Ricky down to the control room for a few minutes? I think they wanted your input on something. Lester will update you when you get back."

Sofia took the hint. She carried Ricky out of the room and left us three alone.

"They were stored in boxes," Lester repeated, once we explained, "like furniture?"

"Do you think this is what Leticia meant?" Ranger asked me.

"I don't know," I answered with all honesty. "It seems to fit. I wouldn't have thought about it otherwise."

Ranger nodded and looked at Lester.

"My son has a crush on your woman," he growled.

"She's not my woman," Lester huffed, "but I'd love her to be mine, and you can't stop me."

"Hey, that's my friend you're talking about," I complained defensively. "I don't think she'll appreciate being called anyone's woman."

Lester glared at Ranger and turned his head towards me.

"Well, if she allows it," he began, "then, it'll make me the happiest man in the planet."

It was Ranger's turn to look shock, his eyes widened, and his body became still. It was an unusual look for the man in black.

"Lester," he cautioned. "Sofia isn't the best person for you to play with, make sure you don't mess up."

I didn't know if Ranger was protecting Sofia or Lester. Lester threw his head back and ran his hand through his hair. I had never seen him so lost and restless.

"I need more pain killers," he claimed. "Steph, are you okay with all of this? Are you okay with Sofia and I? Perhaps, together?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I?" I questioned, shaking my head. "Although, I suggest you take it easy with Sofia. I don't think she's familiar with dating."

"She's just shy," Les smiled thoughtfully, as if remembering something.

Ranger rubbed his nose and shut his eyes in his own version of desperation.

-RS-

The rest of the day came very fast. Joe came by to ask me how I was doing. There wasn't much I could tell him. Sofia went back to the house for some clothes and toiletries. Lester invited her to stay with him until the crime scene was removed. I tried to not to worry about them. Sofia could take care of herself, and so did Lester.

"Stephanie, I know you want something simple," my mother insisted over the phone that night, after I told her my thoughts about canceling the party. "But this is Ricky's first birthday with his family. Don't you think he deserves it? We can rent out a place and invite some friends."

"Mom, I don't know if we should have this party," I confessed. "I thought we would have found Leticia by now. Maybe we should postpone it. What do you think?"

"Stephanie," she said. "I've never seen your father this excited over a birthday. He actually offered to help me cook, honey. I didn't know he knew how to cook! You just have to work on getting Leticia safe and sound, leave the party to me.

"Mom, not all of your neighbors are my friends," I managed during a lull. "I don't want Ricky's first birthday with the family to became the topic of discussion amongst the 'Burg population."

"Stephanie, can't you give an old woman her wish," she pleaded. "As a graduation gift?"

My mother was soon graduating from nursing school. This –she thought- allowed her to guilt people into doing her wish.

"Mom, I already picked my graduation gift for you," I said. "I don't think we'll run out of mouths to feed. Most of the Merry Men… I mean, RangeMan employees are attending the party."

"Stephanie," my mother whined.

"Mother." It was my turn to whine. "We also need to invite Ranger's family. Ranger and Ricky shared the same birthday."

"Why didn't you tell me? Stephanie, this might take more work than I thought." I thought of my mother putting on her glasses and scribbling sentences on a notepad. "How big is Carlos' family?"

"I don't know yet," I answered, biting my bottom lip. "I'm expecting anything from ten people to a whole neighborhood. Fortunately, Ranger's a private man. His mother is an interesting character."

"Maybe we should get in contact with Mrs. Manoso," she suggested. "I'm sure she'll love to plan something for her son in conjunction with Ricky's birthday."

"I'll talk to Ranger," I said, pausing.

"Why are you still calling him Ranger?" She asked.

"Thank you, mom," I said. "I'll call you soon."

My mom paused on the line before responding, "you're welcome, honey."

I put my head up to discover Ranger looking at me from his place behind the desk. A few minutes earlier, I was alone in his office, making notes on a notebook to finalize the details of Ricky and Ranger's birthday.

"I'll make sure my mother doesn't invite the whole neighborhood, Babe," he assured, his expression serious.

"How big is your family?"

Ranger's eyes reflected a little light of amusement. He leaned back on his chair, putting his arms on the armrest.

"I have four sisters and one brother. Celia is the oldest, followed by the triples, Sonia, Lauren, and Camille. Then, my brother, Leonardo, was born. We call him Leo."

"You're the baby," I stated.

"Yes," he said, "my mother would definitely think of me as the baby. Although, in many ways, I think of myself as the oldest."

I didn't doubt Ranger's analogy. The army, his childhood, his life as a Ranger put many obstacles and challenges on his path. He probably lived destruction, hunger, pain, death, grief and lost. He loved too, and he was hurt in return… by me. Was he happy?

"You met my mother," he continued. "She was a middle school teacher before she met my father. He was an air force lieutenant during the Vietnam War. He was the youngest lieutenant, place in duty by the end of the war. He was sent home before the war ended, due to an injury."

I nodded in understanding. He was sharing another piece of personal information with me. I never heard him speak so much about his origins or his family. On an impulse, I stood up and maneuvered by way towards him and embraced him.

"Thank you," I said and rushed out the room in search of my son.

-RS-

The next day, Ricky and I spent most of the day shopping. A dead woman was pulled out of my new house yesterday. I needed some retail therapy after that, even if it didn't come with long-term results.

"Mommy, are we going home?" my son asked after a few minutes of thoughtful silence.

"Not today," I replied softy. "There has been an accident at the house, Baby. We have to stay with daddy for a few days. We'll return once things are back in order."

I thought about Mrs. Kennel's body laid out on the floor. Although the crime scene was removed, I didn't want to take Ricky back to the house. I didn't want to associate his home to death and tragedy.

"Do you miss home?" I asked.

He shrugged, but I could tell he wanted to be back home. Ricky was too young and still needed some stability. Ranger and I needed to speak about establishing sleepovers and schedule them into Ricky's life.

"Daddy's apartment is home too, baby," I soothed. "Daddy loves you, and he misses you when you're not around."

My words seemed to lift his mood, but I still detected uncertainty in his eyes. I made a note to talk about it with Ranger once we got back home. Ricky has been moody lately, and I had attributed to Leti's disappearance.

We went to the party supply store, the bakery, the supermarket, and the shoe store for a new pair of shoes. We finally bought our hamster a new cage. It was at the bakery that I started feeling the unease.

"Tank, can you tell if I have a shadow?" I asked the big guy over the phone.

"I don't see anyone, Bomber," came his reply.

The day continued on in the same matter. In occasions, I had the eerie sensation of being watched. Around five, I dropped by my mother's house for dinner. Ricky went to the sofa and laid down on it. My father watched him with concerned eyes and looked my way. Ricky loves my father. He always runs to his arms when they see each other.

My mother sat on the sofa by Ricky's head and ran her fingers through his hair. She frowned and studied his temperature.

"I think he has a fever," she said. "I have to find my thermometer."

I copied her actions. My son's skin was hot with fever, his eyes tired.

"Oh baby, I'm so sorry," I lamented. "I didn't notice."

I placed wet kisses on his face, taking his hand in mine. Ricky curled up against me. My mother came back with the thermometer.

"He has a high fever, Stephanie," she said. "I think you should take him to the hospital. He could have an infection."

My nerves began to take hold me. My hands began to shake.

"Okay," I said, "dad?"

"I'm on it Pumpkin." I gave him my keys, and we were on the way in no time. My mother knew everybody on call. The young nurse at the nurses' station told her that she would rush our paperwork.

We were in the waiting room when Ranger, Tank, Bobby, and Cal appeared through the door. Cal and Bobby stood watch as Ranger and Tank made their way towards us. Ranger stood in front of me, examining Ricky on my lap, his eyebrow curved up in question. He ignored my father and my mother and waited for an answer to his unasked question.

"Ricky has a high fever," I said. He nodded and his eyes turned to Tank. The big guy exchanged a few words with the head nurse at the station and soon we were ushered into a private room in the hospital.

Cal glanced worriedly at Ricky before stationing himself at the door with Tank. Bobby, being the RangeMen medic, stayed with us.

"Mr. Manoso," a doctor came into the room and shook hands with Ranger. I recognized him as the doctor who took care of Lester.

"Let's see what we have here," he said, shaking hands with Ricky as well. He ushered us into an examining table and asked me to remove Ricky's shirt. After a few minutes, the doctor examined Ricky's ears and paused.

"I see the problem," he said warmly. "Ricky, you have an ear infection. It can easily be treated with the right medication."

The doctor prescribed medicine for the fever and ear drops, which he reminded us, "to apply it twice daily, religiously."

"We don't want the infection to spread," the doctor explained. "It could cost him his hearing, and this is something we can treat. I know you're not negligible parents, but many children have lost their hearing because their parents undermine how delicate and damaging an ear infection could be to a child."

We all nodded in understanding. Ranger took Ricky from my arms and held him against him. He caressed his back with tenderness in his touch. Ricky sough the warmth of his father's touch and nestled closer, laying his head on his shoulder.

We dropped my parents off before driving back to Haywood. My mother paused at the door and showered my son with kisses. My father ran his finger through his hair and promised he'd go visit him the next day.

Ranger, Ricky, and I continued in silence to Haywood. Ranger allowed Tank to drive and sat in the back still holding his sleeping son.

"You should have called me," he reproached.

"I wasn't thinking," I answered.

"Don't let it happen again," he warned, "or I'll have to double your security."

"I was too worried," I continued, "and reacted the way I always react. I forgot to call you because I've never had to call anybody else."

A guilty tear rolled down my face, "If my mother hadn't pointed out the fever, I wouldn't have noticed."

"Yes, you would," he retorted.

I shook my head in denial. The tears now streaming down my face. My head fell on the cushion behind me.

"I thought maybe he was worried about Leticia," I admitted. "Today, he asked me if we were going back home. I told him that his daddy's house is home too, but he seemed unconvinced."

Ranger didn't say anything for a few minutes.

"You're telling me," he said, "that you are a woman concerned with your son's mental health. So in tune with your son's mental processes that you picked up on a small sign, a child's call for comfort. Systematically, you narrowed down the possibilities for his distress and concluded on the most probable option, seeing that at the moment he had no sign of sickness, and no way to know if he was getting sick."

I heard a grunt of approval coming from the front seat. I guess Cal agreed with Ranger's assessment. I felt a heavy weight lift off my shoulders. My eyes widened with softness. The back of my neck tingled, as if Ranger himself was running a soothing hand down my back.

"You would have found out as soon as you felt the fever," he insisted. "The fact that your mother noticed it first is irrelevant."

"You're saying that I should cut myself some slack," I figured.

"Yes," he said, leaning forward to press a kiss on my forehead.

"Thanks"

"Seriously, call me next time," he said, his voice softer.

"You'll be the first to know," I replied and nuzzled my head into his shoulder.

-RS-

Ranger: Babe, we need to talk.

Steph: Why?

Ranger: We have to make some decisions.

Steph: No, why can't we kiss instead? Kissing is much more enjoyable.

Ranger: *thoughtfully* I agree, that's a great way to procrastinate. *they kiss* We should do it more often.

Thanks for reading... don't for get to review.