Guess you want me to continue, huh?

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Oblivious to the sounds that erupted violently behind her, Steph raced into the quiet calm of the vestry of the Immaculate Conception and absorbed its quiet strength as her father's heavy footsteps echoed across the wooden floor, gaining in volume as he rushed to her side.

"You ok? Pumpkin?" he asked nervously as he watched his youngest daughter crumple into a heap of satin and lace.

"Never better" she whispered out as tears wove their way down her cheek and onto the intricate fabric of her gown.

"It'll be ok, Honey" he said as he knelt down and scooped her into his solid embrace, stroking her hair as her sobs echoed round the sacred walls.

o0o0o0o0o

Ranger stared, immobile in horror as the finality of Helen's words sank in and the church, which moments before had been serene, erupted into an angry, confused and seething mass as people stood up and tried to get closer to the main characters in the scene or voice their opinion.

Joe was pacing, one of his hands running amok through his now tangled hair while the other clutched a rapidly diminishing bouquet of red and white flowers. Mooch and Big Dog were trying to calm him as periodically he stopped to wave his arms around in anger, frustration and utter surprise.

Lula and Connie were trying to calm Grandma Mazur and the Klough tribe down and Tank was speaking to the priest trying to work out what the protocol was for such an occasion.

However, the real show was the one going on between the two Matriarchs.

"Are you out of your tiny mind?" Angela hissed loudly as she took up residence in Helen's personal space.

Thank God for my lip reading skills, Ranger thought. He'd not have heard the conversation, even from only a few feet away but his skills gave him a ring side seat. He crossed his arms over his chest and took up parade rest to watch the show.

Helen took a deep breath before replying. "I've never been more sane in all my life." She replied calmly. "In fact, I think this is the first time I've really stopped and taken a look at life through someone else's eyes and I have to say I don't like the scenario we nearly created today."

"Explain?" Angela asked, looking confused "They were due to be married and right they should have been saying their vows" she said as she squinted at her watch, wishing she'd got her glasses on. "But oh no, the great Helen Plum has spoken and she will be obeyed! Well you know how to pick your moments! What will our neighbours think? Mia-Bella Cantano's daughter didn't stand her groom up at the altar..."

"Just listen to yourself!" Helen snapped angrily as she stopped Angela mid tirade. "You know as well as I do that we both pushed them into this! They should no more be married than I be the President of America! They are really good friends, but how many marriages happen after 18 breakups. That's right, that's how many times I've been informed by the Burg grapevine of the demise of their relationship!"

Angela blinked, clearly dumbfounded "18?" she said, thoughtfully, the cogs clearly turning in her head.

"Yeah"

"Good friends, you say?"

"Yeah."

"Can we still eat the cake and have the party?"

"Yeah."

"You're a good woman, Helen and far, far braver than I." Angela conceded with a wry smirk.

"Yeah." Said Helen, grinning "How about we go smooth over some cracks?"

"Yeah" came the stunned reply "Are you really sure? 18?"

"Yeah."

Ranger stood, mesmerised, as the two women pulled back their shoulders, linked arms and went to face the music.

o0o0o0o0o

It was over half an hour later that Steph finally stopped crying. As she dehydrated her cries had become less and less vocal and by the end she was barely snivelling.

Her gown and her father's jacket bore the brunt of her distress.

"Time to go, Pumpkin." Frank said as he coaxed her up off the floor.

"I can't go out there..."

"It's ok, Joe and most of the others have left. In fact most of them are having a sort of wedding party but without the bride and groom as we speak." He chuckled gently as he stroked her now ruined up-do, trying to put a couple of the curls back where they belonged.

Steph looked confused as she studied him with her tear stained, blotchy face.

"Your Mom popped her head round about 15 minutes ago and I figured it out from her gestures. Bet you didn't know your Mom could do the twist, did you?"

Steph snorted, hiccupped and stifled a giggle as she imagined her mother in her wedding finery bumping and grinding like a teenager with Grandma Mazur.

"That's my girl" Frank said as he kissed her hair and led her back out into the now silent nave.

Father Peter rose from the front pew to meet them and took Steph's hands in his own.

"Are you going to be alright, my child? That was a very brave thing that you did."

"Yeah. Well. I've a lot of bridges to rebuild, but I'll survive. I don't feel very brave at the moment but thank you for your kind words anyway."

"I understand" the cleric replied "If you need me, you know where I am, ok?"

"Thank you, Father." Steph replied before pulling her hands back from his and quickly exiting the building, picking up a single battle scarred red rose as she went.

Frank nodded silently to the priest, who returned the gesture, before heading off to catch up with his daughter.

o0o0o0o0o

As they stepped out into the glaring sunshine, a single figure stepped out of the shadows.

"Babe, you ok?" the man asked opening his arms to allow her to step into his embrace and steal his strength.

"Not right now, but I will be." She answered truthfully.

"Good to know" he replied softly, placing a chaste kiss into her hair before he pulled back.

"Morelli?"

"Don't think we'll recover this time"

"That's not what I meant" he said, smiling sadly as he tipped her chin up so that he could look at her properly.

"I know. But it's a horrible time to come to your senses" she replied, looking down and blushing before leaning back into his chest.

"I think after the damage I've caused I need to get away to sort myself out and work out where I go from here." She added carefully.

"I have a spare apartment in Miami if you need to hide out for a while." He said gently.

"Sounds great. But I'm not sure I need the complication..." She said as she stepped back and gave him a watery smile.

"Don't worry, it's not one of mine, it's one of Rangeman's safe houses so no-one outside the core team will know where you are, unless you want to tell them, that is."

"Sounds great. Guess I need to go visit Mom and get my act together." Steph added as fresh tears began to fall.

"It'll be ok, Steph, really it will." Ranger said reassuringly before pulling back and handing her back to her father.

A quick nod as he was gone, leaving a father and his daughter to make their way home.

As they pulled away from the church, Frank driving, Steph broke the silence.

"Have I done the right thing, Daddy?" she asked as she fiddled with the rose petals that now lay scattered across her lap.

"Only you know the answer to that one." he said, wryly, throwing a quick glance in her direction. "All I know for sure is that if your mother felt it necessary to stand up and denounce the Burg in all its glory in such a spectular way she must have had some bloody good reasons."

Steph nodded, not sure what to say in reply.

"I think what you need is a good night's sleep, several donuts and then a very long talk with your Mother." He added, a sense of finality in his voice.