Disclaimer: I own nothing. All these wonderful characters belong to the lovely JE.

Rating: R

Warning: Scenes of mild sexual nature and I'M A BABE

Thank you Heidi for editing.

Title: Welcome Home

The New Plan

Welcome back I thought. Was it possible? Could it possibly be that easy? Could walking away from Joe really break me free of the person I'd turned into? The person I forced myself to become in order to complete my plan. And what was I coming back to? I hadn't talked to Ranger in over four months. And it had been two months before that. Was he really just allowing me back in after I gave up? Gave up on me, my job, my friends, my life, him.

A shiver ran down my body, and Ranger pulled me closer. His hands caressed my back, molding us together. There was such an ease in his embrace. The ease was something I desperately missed. He had always been the one person that believed in me. The one person that made me want to not stop, to not give up. And yet I allowed myself to do exactly that. I gave up. I settled. I lost hope. What if he lost hope in me as well?

I pulled out of Ranger's arms slightly and looked up into his eyes. He ran his hands up my arms and cupped my face. He gently wiped the tears with his thumbs. "Are you staying?" he asked me.

"How did I end up this far away?" I asked, more to myself. I looked up into Ranger's eyes again. "When did you give up on me? Why didn't you say anything?" I asked, pushing Ranger's hands off my face.

He took a step back like he'd been slapped. "You made your choice, Stephanie."

"Then I was wrong," I said, taking a step back. "I was wrong then, and I'm wrong now. I shouldn't have come here."

I turned around to get in my car, willing myself not to cry. I was heartbroken. I thought that of all the people in my life Ranger would never give up on me. I thought when he took me in his arms that he was telling me he hadn't given up on me. But he had. Everybody had, including me.

I jumped when suddenly the car door slammed and I was pinned against the car by Ranger's hard body. He leaned into me stirring emotions I hadn't felt in a year. I didn't think I would still want him after so much time had passed. But I did. I wanted him, and I needed him.

"Don't walk away from me again, Babe," he said quietly in my ear. His voice had an edge to it. Something I'd never heard directed towards me. There was a mixture of anger, hurt, and disappointment penetrating his words. I could feel each syllable, piercing me, a direct hit to my heart.

"Is there something to walk away from, Ranger?" I asked in a little voice so unlike my own. I didn't have a clue why I asked a question I didn't want the answer to, that I couldn't handle the answer to.

"I never gave up on you," Ranger said, touching his lips to my temple. "I was waiting."

I let out a breath and relaxed into him. "Waiting for what?" I asked. "Waiting for me to say 'I do'? My wedding is in two weeks Ranger, what were you waiting for?"

"Is?" he asked, running his hand down my left arm to my hand. "Or was?" he questioned while circling my empty ring finger.

I left my ring and house key on the counter at Joe's next to the toaster. I figured he'd find them there. It was a really crappy thing to do, and Joe didn't deserve what I was doing. He deserved to marry somebody that wanted to be his cupcake for the rest of her life. That person wasn't me. I tried to force myself into thinking that was what I wanted. How I managed to make it a year on pretending and forced acceptance, I hadn't figured out yet. I thought if I told myself enough times that Joe was who I wanted and who I needed, that he was my everything, I would believe it myself. At some point I turned into a pathological liar. I lied to Joe when I said I wanted to marry him. I lied to my family when I said I was happy. I lied to my friends when I told them I didn't want the fast life. I lied to Ranger when I said I only wanted friendship from him. But the biggest lie was to myself.

"Would you have let me marry him, Ranger?" I asked, dropping my head back against his shoulder. He laced our fingers together and wrapped his other arm around me, bringing us closer. His lips were at my ear, teasing my senses. I unconsciously rubbed our bodies together as he let out a controlled slow breath. A low moan escaped me as Ranger took my earlobe between his teeth, nipping me gently. "Ranger," I moaned. God I wanted him. I was a bigger slut than I thought.

"No, I wouldn't have let you marry him, Babe," Ranger said, fingers inching under my shirt seeking skin to skin contact.

My eyes closed and I rubbed my backside against his growing arousal. "Were you just going to break the doors down at the church and rush in guns raised with the full Merry Men backup squad?" I asked. I felt him smile against my neck, just under my ear.

"You never answered my question, Babe," Ranger said, splaying his hand across my abdomen. "Are you still engaged?"

"I guess that depends on who you ask," I said, flinching slightly when he removed his hand from under my shirt and stepped back, giving us some space.

I spun around looking him in the eyes. "I'm not engaged. I'm not marrying him. Not now, not ever. I will not make that mistake again. He just doesn't know that yet," I explained quickly.

Ranger lifted his eyebrow indicating I needed to explain more.

I let out a shaky breath. "I had to leave. I was suffocating myself with all the pretending. I packed, put my key and ring next to the toaster, and left."

The corners of Ranger's lips tipped up slightly. I was amusing him. Probably the toaster comment. He tucked a loose curl behind my ear, letting his fingers linger a little bit. The sexual desire was extinguished, but I was actually relieved. I wasn't ready for Ranger induced orgasms yet. I needed time to find myself again before I tempted jumping in the deep end of the pool. Right now I needed shallow water. Ranger ran his fingers down my neck and curled them around the back of my head. He dropped a light kiss to my lips, not friendly but it didn't scream nakedness either.

"Let's start over. Are you staying?" Ranger asked me again.

"Am I welcome to stay?" I questioned.

He pulled me back into his arm. "Don't ever doubt it, Babe."