Enjoy chapter 10! I'm going to update as soon as possible so just please, please, please read and review. [I love reviews]

Chapter 10

"Connection"

Steph's POV

I remained quiet on the drive to my apartment. I nervously waited for Ranger to say something, anything! I wish I could read his mind like when uses his mind reading skills on me, totally unfair! What did he think about my engagement to Jeremiah? He hadn't said a thing, I mean, we didn't have that sort of relationship, but I thought he would at least have an opinion on my relationships, especially an engagement, if he felt anything for what I felt for him at all. He probably doesn't see us that way romantically. He doesn't have feelings of love for me like that. I looked at him through the corner of my eyes.

"Babe," was all he said as he looked at me briefly and saw me peeking at him before turning his attention back to the road. Huh, typical Ranger response. That could mean anything! Damn him, always being like that!

We pulled up into my apartment parking lot and Ranger managed to get the parking spot closest to the building entrance, damn his parking karma.

"Uh, thanks for the ride Ranger," I said quickly and reached to open the car door. As I got out, I saw Ranger doing the exact same. I turned to face him. "I don't need you to escort me inside to my door and check for any evil men cause I haven't been here for the past three months, but thanks batman."

He shook his head and smiled in amusement at me. "Babe," he paused for a minute and I couldn't turn away because our eyes were locked to each other's, "let me know if you need anything babe, anything," he emphasized. He looked at me hard for a moment, studying me. I gave him a slight nod and watched him get into his car and started the ignition. I turned and walked into the building without looking back. Once I got into my apartment, I peeked out the window and saw his car still sitting in the lot even though the engine was running. I sighed and went to turn on my lights and looked around. He's always going to watch after me, I thought and thinking that brought some sort of comfort for. After twenty or so minutes later, I heard the tires of his Porsche pull out of my lot as I climbed into bed.

Ranger's POV

She was quiet on the drive to her apartment. As she was absorbed into her thoughts, I was having an inner battle in my mind on whether or not to compliment her or to say something appropriately romantic. In the end, I was too chicken shit to say anything to her. Dios, soy estupido y un cobarde! I glanced over to her and saw her watching me from the corner of her eye. "Babe." I looked back to the road. She was still my babe and she hasn't changed her personality the past few months at least, I thought proudly.

She didn't give me a kiss as she jumped out of my car, not even a peck on the cheek which would have satisfied me completely (not really but I hoped a small gesture like that would be enough). I was disappointed further when she dismissed me from checking her apartment for her as usual. After studying her stance, I knew she couldn't be near me at the moment. She was jumpy and nervous, most likely because of the contract and being alone with me at 2:30 in the morning. I would give her space, for today at least.

I sat in my car in her lot and watched her apartment windows waiting her lights to go on. Once her lights turned on, I should have left but I couldn't. I wanted to go up there and hold her in my arms until she was absolutely mine, and only mine. Twenty minutes later, her living room lights went out and I knew she was going to bed. I fought the urge of running up and into her bedroom as I changed the gear of the car from parked to reverse. I quickly pulled out of her apartment lot as fast as I could before I would end up breaking into her room. I'm an idiot, a complete idiot.

Once I reached Rangeman, I stopped by the fifth floor and checked with the control room. After confirming everything was fine, I headed towards my office to check a few things because I didn't feel like going to sleep but then I noticed Tank sitting in his office staring off into space as if he was in deep thought. I stopped by his door and leaned casually against its frame.

"Hey man, everything okay?" Startled, Tank looked my way and nodded.

I entered the room and said, "Thought you would be at Lula's place tonight."

"She passed out by the time I got her to her bedroom. I've just been in here thinking since." He gestured around his office. "I couldn't sleep. You take Bomber home?"

"Yeah, I gave her a ride but nothing happened. She didn't want me to escort her to her apartment door either," I sat in one of the chairs in front of his desk and shrugged, "what have you been thinking about?" Talking to Tank passed time and kept my mind from turning into incoherent thoughts of nothing which has been happening since we've learned about my babe's contracts.

Tank sighed, something that rarely, and I mean rarely, occurs. He looked across his desk at me and stated, "Lula and I have been serious for months now, since we got back together form that short break up we had." Few months ago, they broke up, but got back together after a week of dancing around each other again. "Anyways, I'm thinking of marrying her." He shocked me here.

"You've guys been in this relationship for about a year or so right?" I asked making sure I things dated correctly in my head.

Tank nodded and continued, "I won't go big and admit it, but- but I actually love her. She knows that and since I've told her I love her, she seems to expecting more but only when we're alone so that helps because I don't want to be all mushy in public." I smiled on the inside, I didn't think Lula would want her man to be 'mushy' anyway. He rubbed the back of his neck undecidedly. "I want to marry her. Just asking her and being turned down isn't what I'm looking forward to." I stared at him like he was more of an idiot than what I was feeling minutes ago. He shouldn't make mistakes with Lula like I have with Stephanie. "At the end of the year, like every year, our government contracts are up for renewal. I'm not opting for a new contract and retiring. Many retire by 30 and not many can go until 45 years old and I'm turning 36 next year. You're turning 33 next month, I would think about it Ricardo." I nodded for him to continue. "Lula's birthday is next week and she's turning 29. I'm planning to propose to her then and marry her soon. I want a son, or daughter, whichever and start a different life. It's just… last time I went to visit my ma and pa, my sister and her husband was there. She's five months pregnant now and so happy holding her two year old son in her lap while laughing and her husband had his arm around them. At that moment I felt like I wanted that, the family thing. Why can't I have that? I already have a woman to love. So I want to marry her."

"That's good Tank. Don't worry, she'll say yes and you'll have lots of bambinos," I said and smiled at him.

He chuckled, "No more than two kids please. Don't need a mad house." I grinned at this. I was happy for him. Hearing him talk about this makes me want the same thing, but with my babe. My Babe. My thoughts went back to her. I didn't want her to marry another man. I wanted her to be mine, I'm also very possessive and selfish, so she would be only mine.

I looked back at Tank and he was watching me intently. "You know Bomber loves you," he stated.

"I know."

"It was weird tonight at the club. Freaky almost," he looked at me. I inclined my head for him to continue. "Bomber swears you were there at the club. Saying she just knew like she felt you, I believe she said. None of us knew you were there and you weren't visible. It was creepy that she simply knew like you guys have this connection." I gave him a small grin.

"I'll let you in a small secret but keep it to yourself," I decided to tell him what I never told anyone. He nodded and his eyes looked eager to know while he leaned a little forward on his chair. My men were the worse with gossip. "You know, I go see her sometimes in the middle of the night. I don't have sex with her like many of the guys here think. I've only had sex with her once, and that was almost two and a half years ago." He stared at me in disbelief. "Really, honestly only once and a way long time ago. I really just go and watch her sleep in her bed. After a minute or so when I arrive, her body tenses and she wakes to whisper my name. She either falls back to sleep or asks into the darkness if I'm there. Sometimes I answer, sometimes I don't." I paused. He sat there stunned. I smirked. "I know she can sense me, when I'm near and close but what she doesn't know is that I have something of the same thing."

"How-" Tank began to ask. I shook my head. I didn't understand the connection either.

"I know. It's weird and doesn't make sense but I've thanked the damn connection a few times." I shook my head and grin at my amusement. "You know how sometimes I happen to know where she is and if something bad has happen to her?" He nodded. "Well, when I try to concentrate on feeling the damn connection, I found that each time I get a clear idea what's happened and where. I can't get the connection to work when I get frantic and worked up though." I shrugged. That was all I knew about the way I connected with her.

"How long has this connection been going on?" he asked.

"Since I met her Tank, since I've met her," I whispered the last part to myself. We feel into a comfortable silence.

"Whoa, man," he exclaimed after a while, "no wonder she claims you have EPS." He laughed. I winced at that and he stopped laughing, "There's more?"

"Well," how do I explain this, "I actually… its like this… uh, her thoughts sometimes, every once in a while, jump into my mind and I can hear her voice whisper across my mind. Only her. At first I thought I was hearing things or she was muttering things to herself, but I found out it was her actual thoughts ages ago. She doesn't have the same thing but I have a feeling that this thing would happen both ways if she concentrated and opened up her mind more. It doesn't work when I need and want it to, but it happens and when it does, I use it to my advantage." Tank sat there stiff and shocked.

"You- uh, damn. Never heard of this before. No wonder you never told, people would think you've lost your marbles, not that some people already do," he eyed me for a while. "It's strange but it also sounds like its useful too."

"Yeah, trust me. Just go with it. I've stopped questioning it a few months after it started." I shrugged. We became quiet again.

"I don't know about you but I need a drink," Tank said after a while.

We headed up to my seventh floor apartment and drank beer and whiskey until we passed out, Tank first as usual. After he passed out, I watched him and thought. He was going to be happy and married. I was glad for him. He's been my best friend since we met as teenagers in a gang and got into some bad shit. We both straightened out together in the army. He was getting the rest of his life together, with Lula. It's about time I do the same and get my babe back, was my last thought before I passed out on the chair across from Tank.

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