I am SO sorry for my absence. Please don't hate me. I started working on this story again, unfortunately I began working on later chapters but I am trying to fill in the blanks. Here is a short new chapter, I didn't take much time to edit so I apologize in advance, but I was too excited to post an update.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. The story is from my own imagination.

The next morning I awoke with a headache radiating from a kink in my neck, throbbing so hard that my vision was blurred. I walked into the kitchen and turned on the coffee, said good morning to Rex then rushed to the bathroom. I took my migraine medications and stepped into the shower trying to alleviate some of the pain with hot water.

The water ran over my face and the stress of the past few months, especially the past couple of days, came rushing back in one fell swoop. I let the tears go, no way was that flood gate going to work now. I have a FTA on the loose that has made a fool out of me at every chance he has gotten. My grandmother and my MOTHER of all people broke into my house! I once had two men in my life, and in my mind I still do but one is off limits and the other is a complete mystery and should be classified as off limits. My heart was trying to let go of Morelli, it had begun months before Gigi had returned. Maybe it had begun that day in the Tasty Pastry when Morelli had taken my virginity then left with that devilish smile on his face without another word. Maybe my heart was driving when I had ran him over with a car and broken his leg all those years ago. Had my heart ever truly loved Morelli?

Yes. Who was I kidding? I had loved Morelli with all of my heart and he still holds a place there and always will. The question becomes, am I ready to accept that fact knowing I cannot love him in a Romantic fashion ever again? Yes, because I had distanced that part of our relationship as far back as the first time I slept with Ranger.

Ranger. Ranger was a whole new category of crazy in terms of my heart. Ranger was the man of mystery, my Batman. Ranger told me time and again that he was not emotionally available for a relationship; that it would never work. Ranger kept me around for entertainment. Hell, he even kept an account open for me labeled as such. His accountant probably made fun of me on a daily basis; I know his men find me amusing. He isn't available so why am I even contemplating him. He is now the only man in my life in any sense of the romantic type, yet he is the farthest thing from romantic. Or was he?

Ranger could be very romantic, but a romantic relationship that led to commitment….marriage…. that was out of the picture for him and I knew it.

But recently my heart was trying to sway me to believe that that wasn't true. Recently Ranger had shown another side of himself I hadn't ran into often at all. Ranger was always a loyal, dedicated, and protective friend. Recently he had compassion that I had claimed uncharacteristic of him if you had asked me last year. He even commented that sometimes he thought of marrying me, until he got yet another black mark on his conscience. He had covered it up saying he thought of sharing his closet with me, but even that was more commitment than I had ever expected. If I had to be completely honest, I was more thrilled from the thought of sharing Ranger's closet than I had been about being "engaged to be engaged" to Morelli.

The love I had for Morelli was a comfort, something I felt I could always fall back on and be content. The love I had for Ranger was a passion, one that often scared me because I had no clue how to deal with it. Ranger knew exactly what I needed and when I needed it, but he had always sent me back to Morelli with the excuse that I was better off there. Now that there was no Morelli to send me back to, what would he do if we were to push our relationship? What would he do when he became uncomfortable with it again because relationships were not something he did? Could he love me the way I love him? I know he loves me, he has told me more than once, it is the extent he is willing to act on that that remains a mystery.

My phone rang next to the bathroom sink. I switched off the water and grabbed my towel, peaking at the screen. I sighed and answered the phone.

"Hey Connie, I'll be in shortly."

"No need, I've got an address for you. Tank said he was on his way over to pick you up and that I should call and give you a heads up."

"What? Tank? Why?" I wrapped the towel around me and headed towards my bedroom.

"Ask him when he gets there, I assume ranger sent him after the stunt you and Lula pulled yesterday with his SUV." She disconnected and I sighed. Pulling my brush through my hair I skipped the blow dryer and hair tie due to my headache, it would be a frizzy mess later but maybe I could make it through the day without my head exploding. I grabbed a pair of jeans and a black formfitting t-shirt out of my dresser and got dressed. I might as well dress the part since I was being escorted by a Rangeman employee today.

I heard the knock at my door and went to answer it, still towel drying my hair. Tank looked a little worried as I swung the door open.

"Hey Steph, I know you told Lester you were taking the day off and you told ranger you didn't want help. But I found the guy's car and Connie found his new address and they matched so I knew you would want to go after him and I didn't want you to go alone since it's on Stark." HE gave me an apologetic smile.

"Ranger didn't want me to go alone." I corrected.

"We both agreed you should have backup. He's not the only one that cares about your safety Steph, you're like a little sister to me you know." His smile broadened and I half expected him to ruffle my hair or something except this was tank, shy and quiet tank who I hadn't expected an admission like this from. Man these Rangeman men were full of surprises in the emotional department lately.

"Thank you Tank, you mean a lot to me too." I smiled back. "Let me grab my purse and boots and I will be ready to go.

On the way to stark we stopped at the drive through to grab breakfast. Tank ordered a breakfast sandwich I knew Ranger would not have approved of, I joked about him volunteering to take me today so that he could eat real food instead of the health conscious menu he would be stuck with at the office. The address ended up being a bust for today, the apartment was empty and the car had since left. Tank apologized and called in Hal to set up a security feed that would alert us if he returned. I was somewhat glad that the location was empty; I just wasn't feeling up to a complicated catch today.

"You want me to drop you off at home now? Or do you have another skip I can assist you with. I'm in no rush to get back to the office today." Tank smiled.

"Take me home, I'm calling it a day."

Tank's phone range as we pulled into my parking lot. I smiled and waved at him as I climbed out of the Cheyanne but he held out a hand for me to wait a minute. He briefly acknowledged the person on the other end then snapped his phone shut.

"Your FTA just crossed the border Steph. I'm sorry."

"Who was on the phone?"

"Ranger and he has something he wants to talk to you about, he's on his way over."

"Thanks for the warning. And thank you for the help with my skip, I guess have Connie transfer it over to Ranger, the bond is pretty high so I'm sure Vinny with authorize you guys to go pick him up." I didn't even care at this point. Normally I would have asked Vinnie to go myself, knowing he would say no, but it never stopped me from trying. But I was not up for a cross country trip right now to whatever border he had just crossed. I was ready to go back to sleep and hope for a better day tomorrow.

Letting myself into my apartment I turned on the table light next to the couch, avoiding the bright overhead lights due to my still present migraine. I threw on a pair of pink plaid girl boxers and a pink cami, brushed my teeth and curled up on the couch. It wasn't long before I heard Ranger let himself in and settle next to me on the couch. He silently turned off the table lamp and gently pulled my hair off my neck as he ran his hand over it before sliding me onto his lap so he could rub my shoulders.

The contact instantly began soothing my throbbing headache as he massaged the base of my head and down to my shoulder blades.

"That works better than any migraine meds I have ever taken." I admitted. I had had my fair share of migraines and headaches over the years. I normally took the meds prescribed to me and shut myself in a dark cool room until I could sleep it off. I had no idea that another person could work them away like this.

"If it is caused by tension, the release of that tension from your muscles will help. You are too tense Babe" he replied, never stopping his work on my neck, head, and shoulders. I may have moaned slightly a few times, it felts really good.

I let him continue this for an indeterminate time before I spoke again, my migraine gone and only a slight headache and fog remaining.

"Tank said you had something to tell me."

"Shhh, it can wait. Go to sleep"

"Go ahead and tell me now, I can handle it."

"It's not important"

"Is it the skip? Tank told me about him, you can have him now."

"Cinderella can think he has won for now, he's with his brother in Canada. He won't go anywhere; we can pick him up later."

"Are you going in the wind again?" I asked hesitantly.

"Babe"

"Oh." If he could give one word answers, so could I. Besides, what could I say? Don't go, I need you? No, I couldn't say that so why say anything? He wrapped his arm around me, a sheltering movement that felt protective.

"No. Morelli asked me to be security at his wedding. Apparently he ticked off Cal Montenegro, Jersey Mob boss, in an undercover case he worked a few months back and he's worried about an appearance at the event."

Oh, I wasn't expecting that. Morelli asked Ranger for help? He was hiring Ranger to be at his wedding? After all of the times he complained about Ranger's business and credibility? Was the world truly ending?

"If you don't want me to be there, I will send my men. But I have to take the job. If for no other reason than you are attending." He fell silent.

"What? What do I have to do with you taking the job?"

"Babe" And that was my answer. He would take the job to keep me safe. Because he thought this mob boss was a threat and didn't want me endangered. It wasn't that he didn't want me going with someone else, or that he wanted to keep an eye on me, but because my safety was at stake in his eyes. And there was no arguing that.

"Okay" was all I replied. He went back to stroking my shoulders and I let him until I fell asleep. I awoke as he was laying me in my bed and tucking me in. I made eye contact with him and reached up to cup his face.

"Stay?" he pressed his cheek into my palm before he stepped back and pulled his shirt over his head. He slid out of his pants and climbed under the covers next to me pulling me to his chest. I snuggled into his chest and instantly fell asleep listening to his heartbeat.