J: I seriously underestimated the Janet fanfiction following, I mean I've NEVER gotten that many followers or reviews for just one chapter before, I kinda just sat there staring at my inbox for a while trying to convince myself that I wasn't seeing things. I really appreciate you all giving this story a chance, even though I personally do not have a lot of faith in my own writing for this fandom. But you won't know until you try right?

THANKS TO: Gavri, Guest (THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME KNOW THE ACTUAL BIRTHDAY DATES!), Trhodes9, Dopey4189, leah-audreysgramma, DesperatelySeekingMyRanger-MM, Mantlady, MIBbabe, Babesrus2, Suchababe, James Birdsong, Nojoe, Mooch, Deviates322, Erdi99, Angela Mueller, Sbabe, Barb4psu, Cookie105, and Bothsidesofthecoin.

J: Some of your usernames really made me smile :)

Disclaimer: I do not own any Janet Evanovich characters.

Chapter Two

As the day went on my mind continued to give me a list of ideas and scenarios for Ranger's birthday, all of them varied in what could go wrong from Ranger catching me ten minutes in, my car exploding before I can even start, or the weather just being plain crappy. One thing that never changed was how the rest of the day would play out after Ranger caught me. My toes curled and drool pooled in my mouth every time I thought of the ending.

During one of my bathroom breaks I put a call out to a couple friends telling them to meet me and the guys at Shorty's that night. Ranger wasn't allowed to have his Merry Men and toys for the game but there was no mention of what I was allowed. My luck worked for me when I was finding people, not so much on hiding, so I was going to need all the help I could get.

After that work seemed to go by in slow motion. The search engines took their sweet time running a single name, the guys in the cubicles next to mine were whispering to each other and the digital read out on my phone would change every half hour rather than every minute. When the numbers changed to three o'clock I gave up. I shut down the computer and went to the elevator. I didn't know what I wanted to do so I closed my eyes and let my finger decide. When the elevator stopped I opened my eyes to the foyer of Ranger's seventh floor apartment.

Sighing I went in and dug out the black yoga pants and black tank top that Ella saved for me among Ranger's various uniforms. I hated exercising just as much as I hated waiting around for time to go by faster. At least with jogging on the treadmill I'd be too busy concentrating on not tripping over my own feet than how much time was going by.

Back in the elevator I felt my phone vibrate on my hip. I rolled my eyes at the name on the caller ID and answered, "Yes?"

"Are you alright Babe?" There was the slightest undertone of teasing to Ranger's voice. I imagined whoever was on monitor duty let him know the second I stepped back in range dressed in workout clothes.

"I was going stir crazy in my cubicle." It was true and it partially answered his question seriously.

"Maybe I should send Bobby down there to make sure you don't need a CAT scan." The teasing undertone was now just right out in the open.

'Something has him in a good mood.' "You send Bobby down and I won't talk to you until next week." It wasn't my best threat but it was impossible to be upset with that delicious laugh on the other end of the phone.

"Babe." He disconnected at the same moment I walked out of the elevator into the GYM.

There were a few guys already in the swing of their workouts so I was spared from the raised eyebrows and disbelieving stares I knew I would have gotten.

I went straight to the treadmill and set myself up for a fast walk. I would have tolerated the torture I was putting myself through if I'd had an iPod to listen to but since I was without I focused on something else. My brain decided to focus on Ranger's the birthday the day after tomorrow.

When Ranger said he was two months older than me I didn't think he'd meant to the day. Having a birthday number in common was nice, it meant I never had to worry about our ages ever causing a problem. If Ranger wasn't such a recluse with his personal life I would have be able to get him some kind of present. Thinking a little more on that thought I decided letting Ranger chase me all over Trenton to his heart's content was probably a good enough gift.

"You're not going to achieve much just by walking fast Beautiful." I just about lost my footing from Lester's voice breaking through my concentration.

Continuing despite the heart attack I looked over at Lester on the treadmill to my right, "All I'm trying to achieve right now is making time go by faster."

I wasn't surprised by Lester's response, "We could do something together that take up plenty of time." The joke made me smile but the eyebrow wiggle had me laughing. I've seen the eyebrow wiggle hundreds of times since working Rangeman and it always amuses me. Probably because it's so out of place on such a handsome face.

On the topic of time I stopped the treadmill to see how long I'd been walking for. My legs told me over an hour, my phone disagreed by showing only fifteen minutes had gone by with my mind wandering down Ranger Road. "Arrrggh." The physical expression of my agitation came out louder than intended, I knew this by the snicker I heard from Lester and the sideways glances from Hal and Cal in the wresting ring behind me. I saw the glances thanks to the wall facing the treadmill being covered with mirrors.

Slumped forward in defeat I asked no one in particular, "Think Ranger would mind if I ditched work to go chase down a skip?"

Lester being the closest to hear was the one to answer, "Beautiful you could go into his office and just twiddle your thumbs and he wouldn't care. You've got him wrapped around your little finger."

Ranger had admitted once that I held the power in our odd relationship. Figuring this was as good a time as ever to test that out I said my farewells to the sweaty Merry Men and went up to seven for a clean up shower, there was no need to scare my skip off by reeking of body odor and testosterone.

J: I know this was short and kinda pointless but I didn't feel like the flow would work out well with just cutting straight to Shorty's. The next chapter is going to be the big group meeting to lay down all the rules for their ultimate game of Hide and Seek :)