Author's Note: Okay, I hope you guys enjoy! Sorry, I meant to get this out sooner, but I was watching the election. Keep reading and reviewing!

Not mine, still, or ever

Warning: smut.

Chapter 12: Answers

I gasped. Did I seriously just ask Ranger to marry me? Mental head slap. I tried pinching myself. Maybe I was having another dream. Yeah, that had to be it. I was dreaming. Was I insane? I could tell by the look on his face that he was contemplating this as well.

Great. This is just great. I probably just ruined the best relationship I've had, well, ever in five minutes flat.

"Did you just…" he started. I looked out the windshield. I was humiliated. I couldn't believe he was still there and didn't just get back in the SUV and head back to Trenton.

"Babe, look at me." I shook my head. "Babe, please," he brought a finger to my chin and gently turned my face.

"Its okay, Ranger, you can just forget about me asking."

He ignored me. "Are you serious?"

"About what?"

"About you marrying me." I sat there gaping. I wasn't sure. He continued. "Because my life still doesn't lend itself to relationships, but for you I would try anything. There are a lot of bad people out there trying to find my weakness."

"And I'd be a weakness?"

"Yes."

"Gee, thanks."

"Any woman would be my weakness. And then our children…"

"You want to have more children?"

"Only with you, babe," he stroked my face. He paused. "So, I'm asking you if you are seriously asking me to marry you because I can't guarantee that I'll be coming home in one piece."

I thought about this. He was right. There was no guarantee. He could get shot in a third world country or chasing a skip. But it didn't matter. I knew that whatever time I was given with him would be enough. The more I thought about it, the more I pictured the little boy on the swings. I looked at our hands. They fit so perfectly together; light against dark, strong against fragile. I looked back at him.

Whoa, he seemed…nervous.

I smiled. "Yes, I'm serious. I want to marry you, I want to have your babies, and I want to be with you every second that God gives us. So, yes, will you marry me?"

He didn't hesitate. "Yes, I will." He reached into his pocket. "I believe now you're the one with ESP. I was going to ask you to marry me when you woke up before you bolted." He pulled out a black velvet box. The ring itself was beautiful. It wasn't large, but it had three princess cut diamonds and smaller diamonds going around the front.

He gently grabbed my left hand and placed the ring on my finder. "I know it doesn't have big diamonds, but…" I placed a finger on his lips.

"It's perfect." I smiled at him.

He chuckled. "I wondered where that went."

"Huh?"

He pointed to my shirt. Well, actually his shirt, but I was currently wearing it.

"Oh," I blushed.

"I think it's sexy as hell." He gave me a wolf grin and I leaned in to kiss him. He responded immediately and threaded his hands into my hair.

He leaned his forehead onto mine. "Promise me that you won't leave me again."

"I promise."

"Good, because you're stuck with me." He pulled out his phone. "Tank, I've got her. Call a tow truck in the morning." He stood up and held out his hand, which I eagerly took.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." I smiled at him and his got wider.

"Let's go home, Babe."

When we got home, I saw that Tank was sporting a new shiner.

"Tank, what the hell happened?" I asked.

"I, uh, ran into a door."

I looked between Ranger and Tank. Uh-huh, a door named Ranger.

"You should get back to the hotel." I said. "And put some more ice on it or Lula will have a fit when we go back to Trenton."

He nodded and left. Ranger turned on me. "Babe? You want to go back?"

"You hit Tank in the face."

"Babe."

"Oh no, you don't get to 'Babe' me. Why did you punch him?"

"He called me a wuss." He told me the story of what happened after I had left. I was shocked and pleased that Tank would go to such lengths for his friend.

"So you punch him?"

"I came after you didn't I?"

"Don't get all defensive!"

"God, you don't understand! I came all this way for you and what do you do? Run away again."

"I didn't ask you to come out here for me!"

"When you had left, I felt like I had died, I felt like half of my body was gone. I walked around completely numb! I'd never thought that a white girl from the Burg would get under my skin, but there it is. You've completely changed me. What did you seriously think I would do? Move on? I couldn't. Every time I thought about another woman, I end up imagining you!"

I stood there, floored. I couldn't believe what he was saying to me. God, this was so screwed up. We were supposed to be celebrating, not fighting. "God, this is all my fault."

"Babe…"

"No, you're right. I'm a complete screw up." I felt the tears threatening. I looked down at the ring. It suddenly seemed very heavy.

"You're not a screw up." He took a step forward to hug me, but I flinched away. His arms dropped heavily.

"I don't know why you want to be with me. All I do is make your life a living hell!"

"Babe…don't."

"Don't what?"

"You promised."

"I'm not leaving. I'm giving you the chance to leave."

He sighed, hard. "Babe, I never want to leave you again. Ever." This time when he came close to me, I let him hug me. "I want to marry you. Do you still want to marry me?"

"Yes." I said, putting my face into his chest. He rubbed soothing circles on my back.

"Do you believe me now when I say that I love you?" He asked.

I nodded. "I'm so sorry. I just wanted to come back and ravish you and I get us into a big fight."

"You can still ravish me." I looked up and saw his wolf grin. I moaned. I pulled back from his chest, grabbed his hand and lead him upstairs.

I pushed him onto the bed where I stripped him and myself of our wet clothes and climbed on top of him. He stroked his hands up and down my sides and to my breasts where he pulled and twisted my hard nipples. I arched into his hands and began to rub my wetness against his hard on. He growled and gripped onto my hips. I lifted myself a little farther and slid him into me, slowly, inch by inch. I gasped at the feeling of him filling me. The grip on my hips tightened and I knew that Ranger was close to losing his control. I leaned down for a soft, passionate kiss on the lips.

Ranger began to move my hips up and down on top of him. I moaned at the feeling.

"More, harder," I panted. He increased the speed and I moaned louder. "Oh, God, oh God, oh God, I'm gonna…OH CARLOS!" I screamed as I came over and over. The orgasm continued to pulse and increase in pleasure as Ranger kept pounding as hard as he could into me. I heard him softly shout my name has he came inside of me, which renewed my orgasm. I collapsed on top of him.

"Now, that's how we should've come home." He said hoarsely as he tucked a sweat matted curl behind my ear. I couldn't talk yet, but I nodded. We fell asleep with me on top and him still firmly inside of me and Ranger and I holding onto each other like lifelines.