Thanks to Susan who proofed this chapter, all remaining mistakes are mine. :)

"Yes I am. Although I didn't know it until today. If I would have known, I would have come to you long ago." Her attention shifted from one to the other, and saw selfsame eyes fill with tears. Then, to her utter amazement, Ricky launched himself at Carlos, into his open arms.

Chapter 9

Carlos opened his arms instinctively when he saw Rick's, uncertainty of how to react to him. The only thing he himself wanted at that moment was to embrace his son, to hold him and feel that he was real, that all he had experienced that day was real. He wanted to protect his son from all evil and pain, and do everything to let the hurt and uncertainty he saw in his child's eyes, disappear forever. His heart soared when Rick launched himself into his embrace, he had been at eye level, but now he lowered himself onto his knees, he felt him squeeze his arms around his neck hard, and then he started crying, his small body shook from emotions and the force of his sobs.

That was the moment; Carlos knew he loved the child he held in his arms, his child, as he had never love another human being before, unconditionally. This was his blood, no doubt about it; when he first laid eyes on him just minutes ago, he had initially been shocked at how identical to him as a boy Rick appeared, and now he rejoiced in the bond he felt developing between them, by just holding him and feeling Rick calm down in his arms.

He realized he was talking to Rick in Spanish – which he always did when emotions and feelings got the better of him, feelings and emotions he did not do, he silently huffed at his own idiocy - when he felt Stephanie laid a hand on his shoulder and she said quietly, "Rick doesn't speak Spanish, Carlos."

"Yes I do." Ricks muffled voice conveyed.

Stephanie looked at her son in amazement. "Where could you have you learned Spanish?"

Rick untangled himself out of Carlos's arms and sniffed, while looking a bit sheepish. "From Manuel, and his abuela Rosa, she doesn't speak English well and asked me things I didn't understand, so they taught me. When I played there, we would also watch cartoons and television series where they spoke in Spanish."

"So you understood me just now then?" Carlos asked Rick, looking proud.

With a hesitant and shy smile on his face, Rick replied. "Most of it. You told me you love me, and you were glad you had, me, as your son. That all will be well with me. I think you said that you regret that you only now learned you had me. Did you?"

"I most certainly did, all of it. I am so proud to be your father. I do feel that I have missed too much of your life, but we cannot change that, so I will have to live with that and be happy and grateful I have found you now. From now on I want to know all about you, and will tell you about me, and maybe we can do fun things together to get to know each other? Would you want that too?"

Rick nodded and smiled shyly again.

Stephanie observed their interaction with a mingling of feelings. The whole circumstance was distressing; here she had found the man that had affected her life from the moment they met and how to proceed was a mystery to her. What did she know about a love life, and relationships? Nothing, but at the same time she was exhilarated he was there with them. The same man was the father of her child, and her child was as much out of his depth as she was, and that was even harder to reconcile with. Her emotions swung from left to right and back again, until she heard Hawk's voice in her head, telling her to live life to the max, to stop putting it on hold.

She remembered something she had read from Helen Keller, whom had been an amazing and wise woman, in her eyes an example for human kind and that what she had read, had resonated with her a long time ago. Slowly it came back to her,

'Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it.
Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure.
Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable.'

Seeing the wisdom of that quote again, she had a decision to make now that all her resolutions had fallen apart. Was she going to crumble under all the stress induced by change? Or was she going to behave like the free spirit she always thought of being, and face the change and be strong in the presence of their fate, which would turn life into a daring adventure. No guarantee she would be safe and secure. No, pain no gain. What is it going to be, Stephanie?

"Would you want to stay for diner Carlos, or do you have to go back to work." Stephanie asked smiling, decision made.

/

When Ranger entered the fifth floor on Haywood, after running off without explanation, wearing a smile none of his employee has had ever seen, all went silent. Tank wordlessly opened his office door and stepped aside to let Ranger get in first. "Ranger, what the fuck is wrong, you are smiling like a fool?"

Ranger chuckled and smiled some more, before he stated. "Tank, I have a son."

For the second time in two days Tank was flabbergasted, "You have a son?" He asked shocked expression on his face.

Ranger beamed, "Yes I have."

"Where did you get a son from so suddenly?" Asked a still dumbfounded and unthinking Tank

"Would you believe me if I told you a stork brought him to me?" Ranger deadpanned.

Tank scowled, "Damn it, get serious man. You have a son. Since when?"

Ranger grinned in a very uncharacteristic way, his face full of joy. "Today!"

"Today? But you don't even have a woman, so how ….?" Tank cried bewildered.

"Oh forgot to tell, I've got myself a woman too… today." Ranger thought if his smile would grow any wider his face may split. It was not as if his face had much exercise in smiling. Fuck this was fun.

"A woman and a child, you say? Today?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yep, today, a woman and a child, isn't it great." Ranger replied, looking deviously smug.

"Well if you say so. What happened? Who are they? Do I know them?" Tank shot the questions at his friend as if he was target practicing.

Now he had his fun Ranger became serious and told Tank all, especially that he would have to keep it to himself for the time being. After Stephanie had left, he had asked Tank what had occurred the day before with her and they had had a good laugh out of it, and Ranger had admired her even more than before. Although, at that time he had not told his best friend what had transpired between his Babe and him, but now he knew all.

Please review it is my only feedback. :)