Thank you everyone for the great reviews! I never realized until going out on that limb myself how nice it is to get reviews! I will try to be better about giving reviews now too. As always, I don't own it and it doesn't make me a dime!

The next morning I laid in bed trying to muster up the motivation to get up and face the day. Surprisingly I was feeling a little bit better. My heart still felt like it had been put through a wood chipper, but there was something almost comforting about knowing no matter what happens today it couldn't possibly be worse than yesterday or the night before that. There really was only one way to go from here, and that was up. I sat my dining room table with my morning coffee thinking about the revelations I had yesterday morning. I felt more determined than ever to make some changes, and not to please Joe, or my mother, or even to impress Ranger. For the first time in a long time I wanted to do things for me, no other reason than my own happiness, and that felt pretty darn good!

I knew the first thing I wanted to do was get better at my job. I really enjoyed being a bounty hunter, but I could do without the rolling in garbage part. I knew I could ask the guys to help me train, but part of me didn't want to go to Ranger's men and ask for help. The longer I thought about it though I realized that I had the best trained operatives in the business ready, willing, and able to train me. It would be stupid to pass that up because of what's going on, or more accurately what's not going on, between Ranger and I. And like Tank said, we're friends. Tank would probably be insulted if I went anywhere else for training.

With that decided I finished getting ready and headed off to Haywood. When I pulled into the underground garage, my chest felt heavy and I could feel tears stinging the back of my eyes. I am not going to cry. I am not going to cry. I repeated to myself over and over again. As much as I wanted to just go crawl back into bed and not deal with the possibility that Ranger was gone and may not ever want to see me again, I had important things to accomplish today. So I stepped out of the car, squared my shoulders, and walked to the elevator with my head high.

When I stepped of the elevator onto the control room floor, it was too quiet even by Rangeman standards. I had the feeling that my presence had been announced by whoever was on the monitors. Maybe it was just me but it seemed like none of the guys wanted to make eye contact.

Tank stepped out of Ranger's office and motioned for me to come inside. I knew that Tank often used Ranger's office when he was gone, but I hadn't really thought about the fact that I might be having this conversation with him in Ranger's office. As I walked in the door, it was hard not to remember moments with Ranger in this room. Him backing me against the door and kissing the daylights out of me. Me perched on the edge of his desk with him leaning back in his chair, the corner of his mouth slightly upturned, barely hinting to the amusement I was providing him with one of my recent escapades.

I shook my head a little bit and told myself to snap out of it. I took a seat in one of the guest chairs and watch Tank make his way around the desk, looking at me again with concern in his eyes. I started to wonder just exactly what had happened after Ranger left my apartment that night to make Tank look at me like that.

"How are you holding up, Steph?" Tank asked.

"I'm okay, Tank. But I have to ask, what happened that has you so concerned? How do you even know that something happened between Ranger and I?"

Tank stood and turned towards the window. His back was to me but I could tell he was looking for the right words, and probably debating how much to tell me.

"When Ranger came back to Haywood the other night, it was very clear something was wrong, but with the mood he was in I wasn't about to approach him." Tank turned his head to look at me, "He's not exactly the kind of guy who likes to talk about his feelings, you know."

"Really?" I said with an eye roll, "I hadn't noticed."

"I saw him head down to the gym as I was heading to my apartment. Seemed like a good plan, he looked like he needed to blow off some steam. About 2 hours later I got a call from Hal. He was working the monitors, said maybe I should head down to the gym and check on Ranger. It wouldn't be the first time Ranger went a little overboard with the physical exertion after a bad day." Tank walked around the desk and came to kneel in front of me holding my hand in his. "Bomber, I've never seen him this bad. He was totally out of control, taking it out on the bag. I did finally get him to calm down and stop, but before I did he said some things. I didn't really understand it all, but I got the gist of it. Everyone can see how much closer you guys have been getting lately. You know that Ranger's biggest fear is that an enemy will use you to get to him. For a man who fears almost nothing, that is a powerful thing."

By this time I couldn't help it and a few silent tears had escaped rolling down my cheeks. I couldn't think of anything to say in response to what Tank had revealed about Ranger, so I just went with the first thing that came to mind. "I really don't usually cry this much, Tank. You've caught me twice in two days. You must have a real way with women."

The laugh that came from the normally quiet man was as welcome as it was unexpected. "Bomber, Ranger's right about one thing, you never disappoint." Then Tank turned serious as he said, "Don't ever doubt how much that man loves you. He may not say it, and he may even try to do things that make you think the opposite, but I know him, Stephanie, and you are the best thing that ever happened to him. And he knows it to. I don't know if he's going to get his shit together and figure out how to make this work, but I sure as hell hope for his sake that he does."

Those words were almost too much for me to process at the moment, so I decided to file them away and take them out to examine them later. Wiping my eyes, I decided it was time to get down to the business at hand. "Thank you Tank, but actually that's not why I'm here. I would really like to get some training for my job, and I was wondering if you or the guys might be willing to help me."

Tank returned to sitting in the chair across from me with his elbows on the desk and fingers steepled in front of him. He gave me an assessing look. "What kind of training did you have in mind?"

"Well, I definitely need to improve my physical strength and stamina, and I could use some work on takedown and self defense skills. I want to be more comfortable with my gun. I am open to suggestions of what you think I should work on."

Tank stared at me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. "Are you doing this because you think it will make Ranger change his mind about being with you?"

Wow, now he was bringing out the big guns. I was glad I could answer his question honestly and be proud of my answer. "No Tank, I'm doing this for me, no one else. I realized the other day that I have spent the last 3 years trying to figure out which way my future would go based on which man I ended up with. Morelli and I are over for good, but I hope we can still be friends. Whatever happens in the future with Ranger, I don't want to imagine my life without him in it in some way, but I think it's time I come to terms with the fact that no matter how much we care about each other, Ranger and I will likely never be together as a couple. For the first time in a long time my only concern is what kind of life do I want to live? I want to be better at my job. I want to have a little bit of financial security and not live paycheck to paycheck. In order to do that, I need to get some training. Can you help me Tank or do you think it would be better if I got training somewhere else?"

"Of course we'll help you, Stephanie. And I'm glad to hear you're doing this for the right reasons. But I have a suggestion to make. I think the easiest way to get you training would be to have you come back to work at Rangeman."

My first reaction was to protest, but as soon as I opened my mouth Tank held up his hand to cut me off. "Wait, hear me out. First off as an employee, you would not only have full access to the gym but be required to work out at least three days a week. We can help you with physical training as well as takedown skills during gym time. Also all employees are required to spend an hour downstairs at the range three times a week. As far as other skills you may need, surveillance, spotting a tail, planning a takedown, the easiest way to learn those things is with hands on experience. If you partner with one of us in the field, you will have plenty of opportunity to get that kind of training."

"Tank, who would want me as a partner? I'd embarrass you and the company. I'm always rolling in garbage!"

"Bomber, we all love working with you. Yes your methods are a little unorthodox, but it always works out in the end. And you're here asking for training so I doubt you'll be rolling in garbage much anymore. When we're with you, we have fun, and that's not an easy thing to do with a job like ours. Trust me when I tell you that the guys will be fighting over who gets to work with you."

"I don't know Tank, what about my skips at Vinnie's?"

"You can still take care of the low bond skips, but you and your partner would have some higher bond skips as well. Eventually, once you have some training I think it would be better for you to focus more on the higher bond skips, but that would be your decision."

"I really appreciate the offer Tank, but can I think about it? It's just a lot of change happening all at once."

"Of course you can think about it. The offer stands. If you don't want to work for Rangeman I will still make sure you get training, but I really think it would be best if you were here full time. And Steph, I meant what I said about us loving having you here. You make this team something more than what it was before you came along. We are more of a family now. And you're a part of that family." Wow, who knew Tank was such a wordsmith? I didn't really know what to say to that either, so I just nodded and rose to leave. When I made it to the door, I looked back at my friend and said simply, "Thanks".

He'd given me a lot to think about.

So what did you think? Also, I have a question for everyone: I am going to be writing in a little competition for Ranger (Don't worry I'm not going to have Stephanie mindlessly jumping on the next guy that comes along, I just love a little jealous Ranger). So the question is should it be one of the merry men or someone totally new? I am kinda leaning towards a new guy, but I'm open to suggestion...