Disclaimer: I own nothing, Janet does.

Commence

By Calliope

PART THREE

Same shit, different day was my only thought when I walked into Pino's and took a corner table. I was there to do my duty and remove one fish from the pond called my life.

There would be no more flopping after this little discussion. The guy could do his fish impression and then launch himself back into the waters and swim well away from me…preferably in a different sea.

I'm not looking forward to the approaching conversation. Probably it has something to do with I can't even remember the last time we managed to have a conversation that didn't involve colorful, explicit language and waving arms. If you think about it, we would both be candidates for ground air traffic control. Nothing like utilizing your less desirable qualities for the greater good right?

On that note, the door opened and Morelli's hot ass sauntered through like he didn't have a care in the world. It was no big surprise, he has a hot ass and knows it…and never fails to use it to his advantage.

Well, not after today folks! He could saunter all he wanted. It wasn't doing zip for me. Nope…I had an old fashioned virgin lurking on the horizon for yours truly and he was a hot virgin.

Okay fine…I did get a little warm from Morelli's seductive promenade, but I wasn't going to act on it. My boat was firmly anchored to shore and nothing was budging it.

He sat down and favored me with his easy smile and melting bedroom eyes. I stared at him for a moment and blinked. Shit! Did he ever stop with the luring? He sat down and studied me with a stretching grin. "I'm glad you called Cupcake. I was going to pick up the phone tonight and let you know that the boys miss you. I think our silent treatment has gone on long enough, don't you?"

So, I was ultimately doing Morelli a favor or giving him the respect I thought he deserved by having this conversation with him first. It didn't matter that we were had been firmly contained in an 'off' phase for the past eight weeks. Think of this as me giving one last nod to our history before I swept it away. I'm being nice right? I don't really have to inform the man of anything.

But I'm kind of mature in that nature. I can swallow the childish games for the greater good. And that greater good was picking me up at 6 tonight. I was more excited than the biggest loser contestants wrestling for the last crumb of New York cheesecake.

I sighed and pinched my nose. It's really sad that I had already developed a headache and all without opening my damn mouth. No time like the present right? Hard to deny this slight problem when I had a date picking me up in a few hours.

Morelli continued to assault me with his bedroom eyes and I steeled myself not to be affected. I sighed again. "Joe, we need to talk."

He raised a brow and his smile faltered slightly. "It is never a good thing when you start out a conversation with that phrase."

I nodded because he was right. No sense in making this any less than what it was meant to be. "I'm just going to be blunt here, okay?"

He sighed and leaned back. "I have a feeling I know where this is going. Go ahead, hit me with it then."

I rolled my eyes and decided to do just that. "I am only telling you this out of courtesy. We are still very much broken up, but in light of our history together, I am doing this out of respect."

He raised both brows this time and crossed his arms and snorted. "Right. You gave the required speech. Get on with it."

I glared at him. This was my show and he wasn't going to take control of it! I was tired of guys running things for me. "Fine. I'll get on with it. We are staying in the permanently off phase. I'm not doing this bouncing back and forth with you anymore."

Morelli snorted again. "And I should believe you why? Sorry Cupcake, this is the same old tune and a slightly different drummer. You'll have to do better than that. Should I expect you around 7?"

He knew exactly how to push my buttons and succeeded in pissing me off. "I don't give a flying fuck if you believe me. I did my duty and told you. We are over. And I can't do any better than that. AND I won't be over tonight. I have plans."

Morelli frowned and leaned forward. "What do you mean you have plans? What about the boys?"

I rolled my eyes as I stood up. "I don't know what to tell you. You have two hands, use them. Better yet, get a date and move on. I have."

I walked out of Pino's with my head held high and a sense of accomplishment. It could have been worse….much worse. Sadly, I probably hadn't seen the last of Joe Morelli. He wouldn't get a clue until he realized that I had truly moved on and that his spot in my life was being vacated to make room for someone else. But, I had given him a heads up and I refused to feel guilty for something I should have done a long time ago.

I really wasn't looking forward to the next conversation. Ranger is an enigma and I had no idea how he would take the news. I couldn't guess how he would react on a good day and to good news, so it was a toss up how he would take the latest change in my life. Hopefully he would be indifferent and I could put everything behind me.

And if I told you I didn't feel anything about leaving Ranger in the dark, I'd be lying. Honestly, I had no idea how I would recover from the gaping dark hole that his absence would leave. I hoped Keagan was good at filling the void cause I was going to need it.

I went back to my apartment to clean up a little before heading over Rangeman to talk to the boss himself. I figured it was as neutral territory as I was going to get since we would be surrounded by his men. The bonds office was out because if I went into the alley with him, it would be over before I even tried to end it. I'd end up wrapped around him and screaming his name before I could count to three.

I took the elevator up to my apartment, feeling too drained to even think about tackling the stairs. The reclaiming of my self and putting my world to rights was exhausting. I would really have preferred hitting the sheets in my thinking position and pulling the covers over my head for a few years, however that was neither possible or productive.

I unlocked my door and slammed it shut behind me and then leaned against it with a sigh of relief. One down and only one more to go and of course, leave it to me to save the most difficult for last.

Truly I dreaded laying down the law to Ranger…but I simply couldn't wait for him anymore. I deserved more than that and I am worth more than that, so don't you think it was about time I decided to finally grow up instead of chasing a fantasy in circles?

Oh, I'm sure most red blooded women would have been happy to stand in the shadows and wait for their chance with the man in black…but not me, not anymore. A chance wasn't good enough for me. I wanted more and for the first time in years I had the possibility for more. Even if things didn't work out with Keagan, I would know that I tried and it wasn't something I was doing by preventing myself from moving forward.

"Babe." An amused voice came from the couch. I didn't even shriek in shock. "Are you going to have a one sided conversation with yourself all day or can anyone join in?"

I sighed and looked at the fine specimen of man that is Ranger sitting in my recliner like he had every right to take up any space he wanted. He looked relaxed. His legs were crossed at the ankles and his hands in stretched into a temple in front of his face. His eyes flashed with amusement, but I wasn't amused.

Did every man in my life find it necessary to laugh at me? I shook my head and gave Ranger a look that I didn't even try to disguise. He took notice because he leaned forward and rested his chin on his hands. "Babe? Something wrong?"

I mentally groaned. At least we weren't going to waste time with pleasantries and I wouldn't have to pretend that everything was just hunky dory in Plum Land. Regardless of how this conversation went, I was pretty sure that Ranger wasn't going to be thrilled with me after he heard exactly what I had to say. Sighing again, I moved to the couch and plopped down. I looked over at him and noted again how luscious he looked. Of course, Ranger being scrumptious was never the problem, it was everything else.

I gathered my hair at the nape of my neck and attempted to pull the defiant curls into some sort of pony tail as I talked. "I'd offer you a seat, but you already took care of that. And I would offer you a drink, but I'm not sure I have anything that wouldn't pollute the temple."

A smile played at the corner of his lips and I had to tamp down an urge to growl at him. He caught my frustration. "Babe? Everything okay?"

I ignored his question and snorted. "Can I ask why you are here?"

Mark it on the calendars ladies because Ranger shrugged his shoulders and looked away from me. "I heard about your conversation in Pino's. I thought you might need someone to talk to or a distraction to get your mind off the day's events."

I raised both brows at his declaration. Why wasn't I surprised. I blew out a breath of air and leaned back against the couch. "And let me guess, you thought to distract me?"

It spoke volumes that he didn't even try to mask his surprise. No blank face for once and he looked almost uncertain. "Stephanie?"

I immediately felt guilty for giving him the fifth degree when he hadn't really done anything to warrant it. He was acting no differently than he would have in the past. He didn't change, it was me and he didn't know that yet. I closed my eyes and was staring at the ceiling when I opened them. "I'm sorry for being such a bitch. You don't deserve that. I do need to talk to you, but I thought I would have a little bit of time to myself before heading over to Rangeman."

He raised a brow at me in question. "Do you want me to leave and you can find me later?"

Man up Stephanie…I tried to give myself a short pep talk. I shook my head at him. "No. No time like the present right?"

I glanced from the ceiling to Ranger and found him staring at me intently. His deep brown eyes could bore holes into my soul if I let him and I don't think he even had a clue of what he really did to me. "Talk? Are you feeling okay Babe?"

How many times had he asked me that question? He must have been worried if he kept repeating himself. I took a page out of his book and shrugged my shoulders. "I feel fine. And yeah, we need to talk. Actually, I need to talk and you need to listen."

He nodded at me and settled back against the recliner again. I couldn't sit while having this conversation, not with him. I stood up and began pacing around my small living room and stopped abruptly. "I'm not going to beat around the bush with this okay. I am just going to say it and then we'll call it done."

He raised another brow and simply nodded again. His eyes followed every step I took. I sighed heavily. "I don't even know how to say this to you since we aren't really anything but friends. It seems kind of weird to even be having this conversation with you."

He didn't say anything, only kept staring at me and I have to say it was a little unnerving. "Right. Okay. I can't do this anymore." I motioned from me to him when I said 'this', hoping that he would understand what I meant.

He visibly tensed and cricked his neck, but didn't say anything.

I sighed again, wishing a meteor would just land on me and save me from making a fool out of myself. "I can still be your friend, but there can't be any more than that. No more trips to the alley, no stolen kisses or hidden touches and you have to stop breaking in my bedroom in the middle of the night."

Ranger leaned forward and rested his hands on his knees and nailed me with a look that should have had me running for the hills. If anything, it steeled my resolve. He spoke quietly, but surely. "What do you mean there can't be any more than that?"

Good grief! Was I going to have to spell it out for him? I pinched my nose again and settled back on the couch. Pacing was overrated. "We can't have anything but friendship between us and when I say that is all, I mean that. Nothing more than that Ranger."

He inhaled slowly and rubbed the shoulder he had been shot in by Scrog not so long ago. His eyes never left my face. "Why?"

That's it. That is all he asked.

I really wanted to smack my head against the wall repeatedly. There was a reason no one stood up to Ranger. He was intimidating as hell. Trust me, if he wanted, he could win an argument about toilet paper. I wasn't going to let him steam roll me on this issue. I decided he deserved the truth. "I'm going to start dating again. I have a date tonight."

He snorted and leaned back against the chair with another smile and I don't want to admit it, but it kind of hurt. I knew what he was thinking. He probably thought I was going to try dating Morelli AGAIN, if you could even call random sex acts dating. Ranger shook his head and then asked, "Did Morelli put you up to this? Is this another one of his ultimatums?"

I sighed heavily. I had no one to blame but myself at Ranger's assumptions. I shook my head slowly. "No Ranger, Morelli isn't in the picture. I was telling him about my intent to date at Pino's and he's in a state of denial. I've got a real date tonight with a real guy and he's not from the 'Burg. This isn't an ultimatum or a request, it's how it is going to be from now on. I refuse to move into a new relationship with anything holding me back."

The amusement disappeared off Ranger's face and he closed his mouth with an audible snap. He leaned forward and glared at me, his nostrils were flaring and his jaw was clenched. "Who is he?"

He asked me menacingly and through clenched teeth. His hand was fisted into his jeans.

Holy shit, I thought I had seen Ranger intimidating before…that was nothing compared to the image before me now. He wasn't just intimidating, he was pissed and he had no right to be.

I groaned and leaned back against the couch and chose to stair at the ceiling again. "His name is Keagan. He is a friend of Diesel's."

Ranger sent his fist through my coffee table and it startled me. I looked at him in shock. "Keagan? A friend of Diesel's?"

I watched him with wide eyes and nodded. "Yes. Keagan is a friend of Diesel's. Diesel hooked us up at my request."

Ranger stood up suddenly and began pacing my living room, walking the same path I had earlier. "When?" He spit out.

I stared at him, but didn't answer the question. I wasn't sure I wanted to. He stopped pacing and stalked over to the couch and boxed me in. He leaned down and stared at me with murder in his eyes. "When Stephanie?"

Holy shit! I was beginning to sweat and I'm ashamed to admit I was oddly turned on by Ranger's little barbaric display. Ranger slapped the couch beside my head with an open hand. "Answer me Stephanie or I'll get it out of Diesel and I promise you won't like those results. Now when are you going out with fancy pants?"

I gulped. Fancy pants? Why the hell was Ranger calling Keagan fancy pants when he didn't even know him. Ranger growled and it brought me back to the present. I swallowed and squeaked out, "Tonight."

Ranger pushed off the couch and stalked towards my wall and put his fist through it and shouted. "God DAMN IT!" He whirled around and pinned me with a look of raw emotion. I wasn't prepared for anything from him, so it shocked me. "Why?" He asked me roughly. "Why Stephanie?"

I shook my head with disbelief. What was he asking me? My clock beeped, reminding me that it was 4 in the afternoon and I still had a date to get ready for. I stood up slowly and gave Ranger a sad smile. He might be mad at me now, but he would get over it. We were too good of friends for him to stay angry at me long. For now, I'd give him space. "It's time for me to move on. Keagan is a guy that is possibly looking for the same things that I am. I'm going to see where it can go."

Ranger stomped over to me and tipped my chin up to his face. He looked down at me with blazing eyes that spoke of anger and other things I didn't want to contemplate. For all the anger and furiousness of his actions, Ranger placed a gentle lingering kiss on my lips. I allowed it since it was going to be the last one. Then he gave me a smile that wasn't gentle or kind…it was the smile of a predator stalking prey. He leaned down and nipped my ear and then whispered, "We'll see about that."

And he was gone.

I sighed inwardly and wished I could have a nap after such an intense afternoon. But I had a date to get ready for and I was excited and looking forward to it.

And I had settled things with the men in my life, didn't I?

It went well, didn't it?

No matter, I was moving on. They could accept it…or not.

It really wasn't my problem anymore.

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