Shelter from the Storm

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a/n Zoe is three. This takes place the same winter as the previous story. We are again backtracking a little , to Zoe's discovery of her friend and bodyguard, Monster. enjoy.

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Chapter Twenty-six ~ The Monster

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[Ranger]

"Daddydaddydaddydaddy! Lookit! Lookit what I found. I found a monster! At the park! In the snow!"

Because she was my adorable three year old daughter I refused to admit that Zoë's screeching sometimes was a lot like fingernails scraping on a blackboard. Not that we use blackboards of course. Rangeman uses SmartScreens, nowadays.

I suppressed a grimace and looked at Zoë who was all scarlet cheeked and overexcited, bundled up in her [sigh] neon pink snowsuit. And she was dragging a mountain of a man, a huge bald white guy who could possibly make Tank look petite. Especially in the winter coat he wore, fur hat on his ugly torpedo head.

Zoë and her captive were followed by two black-clad Rangeman operatives, weapons drawn, and Britta, Zoe's nanny. All three of my employees appeared terrified, as well they should.

The man planted himself in the center of my office and said to Zoë, "I again assure you, my child. I am a soldier, not a monster!" Under his breath he added, "Хотя я иногда работать для монстров!" which in Russian means, Even though I sometimes work for monsters.

Zoë got all big eyed and said, "What did the monster say, daddy?"

"He said his feelings are hurt, honey. And that he is not a monster." But it doesn't matter because in two minutes he's gonna be dead.

Brett said, "Sir, we couldn't stop him. Because of , um…," he rolled his eyes at Zoë.

Britta burst into tears and sobbed, "I am so sorry!"

Hal said, "We did search him, sir, he is unarmed."

I nodded and said to Zoë , "It's okay, baby."

She said, "He is sad! The monster is sad!"

I shoved back my chair and held out my arms to her. "C'mere."

Zoë ran to me and climbed up on my lap. I asked calmly, "Why do you think he is a monster, sweetheart? And why did you want to bring him home?"

"He is—No! Wait! Um—not a monster! Oh! He is all purple, daddy. You know—like Barney!" We all looked at Arkady Petrovich, KGB hitman extraordinaire, feared worldwide, and grinned. Even Britta.

Petrovich's winter coat was an enormous down parka in an very unfortunate shade of purple. Yep, Barney.

I managed to quell my laugh and said, "I think you mean dinosaur, baby."

Brett choked and I stared at him. He said, "I never thought Ranger Manoso would know who Barney was!" Hal succumbed too and they both went off in gales of jackass laughter.

Petrovich said, "I do not know who this Barney is."

I stood up with Zoë in my arms, handed her off to Britta. I said, "You three are fired."

Zoë wailed. Chalk fingernails blackboard….

"Oh, okay, go get a snack. I'll talk to you later. Including you, missy. You know better than to talk to strangers!" I tried to do 'stern daddy' at Zoë.

Who stared me in the eye and said, "He is not a stranger, he is Barney. I watch him every morning before school. I am sorry I said monster, now I know he is a dyno-sour." She smiled proudly.

"You certainly are," I said to Petrovich in Russian, then to Zoë I said, "Yeah, well, from now on you either watch Sesame Street or the History Channel, no more Barney."

"Wah! Wah! Wah!"

Britta hustled her off whispering, "He'll never know, sweetie. And anyways, you have all the DVDs."

"Yay!"

…. …. ….

Hal left last. "You want me to stay, boss?"

"No. Close the door when you go."

I sat back down. I said, "What the fuck is going on?"

Petrovich unzipped his coat, said, "May I?"

I shrugged and he took the coat off, laid it and the fur hat on my sofa. He took a seat in front of my desk.

I said, "Talk fast and then you die."

"Now, now, Мой мальчик—my boy—, is that any way to greet an old friend?''

"We were never friends. Competitors maybe. A long time ago."

"Yes, well, after the fall of the USSR, when all the Kremlin bosses and KGB people went mafiya, I—well,I..."

"Went along for the ride?"

"Yes but now I need to get free and start over. I can't do this anymore."

"Why should I help you?"

Petrovich heaved a big sigh. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend?"

"I think something got lost in translation there, Arkady. How did you find me?"

"I heard you were relocated to the hind ends of the world—Trenton, New Jersey. But I did not know what name you were using, boychik. I learned nothing on the streets and today I was so tired of walking and looking…." Another sigh.

"Poor you."

"I sat down on a park bench in the snow, just for a moment. You know? to regroup? And then the children came to play after school."

"So now you're a pervert as well as a monster, Arkady?"

He ignored me and continued, "And the little one in the pink clothing, the little imp, or angel, I do not know….She ran over to me and I saw your face. Your face on her tiny face. She is a very beautiful child, is she not?"

"Uh huh."

"Oh well, you were always far too handsome for the underworld we inhabit, weren't you? What name do you use now, Мой сын—my son?"

"You can call me Ranger."

"Ah yes, a reference to your military cover, is it?"

I shrugged again.

Arkady's ice grey eyes fastened on my own eyes. A hint of something-desperation or pleading. He said quietly, "Ranger, please. I need work, I need a home, I need a job. I need—a country."

"I'm supposed to hire a monster?"

"Who are you to throw stones? You sit here in your fancy office and you hold your beautiful daughter in your arms, so—so—respectable? Bah! You hold your child against your weapons, the guns that you never are without. And so I ask, am I the monster or are you?"

I am always armed. And I am always dangerous. I said, "Ya know, Arkady, that's probably not a great way to convince me to hire the famous KGB shooter, Arkady Petrovich."

"But you will?" He sounded so hopeful, added, "I go by Andre Petrocelli now..."

"What, you traded one mob for the other?"

"I do not understand?"

"All you need to understand is this, Andre. I guarantee this about me: I do always have at least two guns—and a knife—on me. But I won't need them to kill you if you ever betray me. In any way."

"You have my word."

"Welcome to Rangeman. Andre."

The Monster~Part 2

Ranger arrived home later to find Zoë already asleep and Steph curled up on the sofa with a box of Kleenex, a lot of balled up discards and a very red nose. She was wrapped in the cashmere sofa throw, watching Ghostbusters. Again.

When Ranger walked in, she looked up blearily and said, "Hey, Ranger." Ranger leaned over to kiss her but she scooted away saying, "Doh! I ab a coad. You cash'it."

Ranger never ever caught a cold but he kissed the top of her head instead of her lips and said, "Poor babe. Not feeling too good?"

"No. I feel like shidt."

"I'll make you some tea, babe.

"I hate tea."

"I'll put lots of honey and sugar and a lot of love in it, I promise."

Ranger walked into the kitchen and filled the Pyrex pitcher that he used for tea, put it into the microwave. Back in the living room he grabbed Steph's hand and said, "Let's get you to bed. I can make you feel better, you'll see."

Steph pulled her arm away. "Aaaatchooooo! I don' think I'm up for that right now, Ranger. I'm so not in the mood."

Ranger stared at her in silence. When Steph met his eyes she was almost sure she saw a hint of emotion—hurt? anger?

She said, "Sorry. Uncalled for."

"Let's get you to bed."

Ranger scooped her up along with her Kleenex box and carried her into their bedroom. He set her on the bed, turning down the covers and propping up a pile of pillows, carefully tucking her in. The he turned and went to make the tea.

When he returned, Steph was snuggled into the bed, eyes closed. He stood for a moment and sensing his presence, Steph opened her eyes and looked at him.

He said, "Just for the record—much as I love fucking you, or before you, whoever was around—I wouldn't force sex on any woman, let alone a woman I love who is running a fever and feels ill." He set the mug of tea on the bedside table with a tiny bang.

Steph's eyes filled with tears and she said again, "I am so sorry. I don't even know…"

Ranger quickly toed off his boots and placed his weapons on the floor, sliding into their bed behind her, hugging her tight. "Shhh, babe, it's okay. Don't cry. Here, drink your tea."

He made sure she was drinking the hot beverage and then he gently began rubbing her back and shoulders, his big gentle hands massaging her stiff neck, lightly rubbing circles on her temples and forehead. He felt her slowly relax back against him, continued the hypnotic massage.

Steph said, "I really am sorry, Ranger. I am such a bitch. It must be this cold."

"S'okay, babe. Try to relax."

"But…."

"Shhh. Anyway, babe, you're in the right company, my new hire today called me a monster."

"No! How could he? And you hired him anyway? Was that the bear guy Zoë dragged home?"

"Dinosaur guy. Yes, Arkady Petrovich, ex-KGB, ex—as of today—Russian mafiya. And yes I did hire him, can't fault him for telling a bit of truth."

"You are NOT a monster, Ranger."

He was quiet for a few moments then he said, "I tell myself I'm a soldier, I'm not a monster…but Arkady was right, Steph. There I was armed to the teeth, holding Zoe in my arms."

"That does not make you a monster, Ranger. We've discussed this, it is more important that you are available and accessible to Zoë than that she never sees you armed. You are a soldier—a fine soldier, an elite soldier in an awful, frightening, covert war. And you are a good man, a man I am very proud of, the man I love with all my heart."

Ranger hugged her against himself, rested his face in her curly hair. He sighed.

"And you're a wonderful daddy to the girls! Really, Ranger, you're a great dad. Guns or no guns, it's not an issue…not the point even. The point is you love me and your daughters, you try your best. And you succeed."

"I may be a soldier, Steph, but some of the people I work for—they may be the monsters. Sometimes I just don't know."

"Surely most if not all are good men with good intentions? If they weren't you'd never take the jobs."

"Huh, well. Sometimes the bad guys have the right plan, y'know? And sometimes the good guys have really bad ideas, Steph."

"And then you make your choice, right? For us, for our country, for the greater good, as they say?" said Steph.

Ranger didn't tell her how much he and his men hated that phrase, but he said, "Lotta evil has been done in this world that was supposedly for the greater good."

"But not by you, Ranger."

"I guess history will decide, babe. How do you feel?"

Sounding surprised Steph said, "I feel great! A bit sleepy but it is amazing—it's like my cold is all gone! Geez, Ranger, you have magic tea. And magic hands."

Ranger hugged her gently to his chest, said, "Go to sleep now babe."

"Stay? Please."

"I'll stay til you fall asleep. Then I have to shower and get something to eat, it's been a long day. I'll be back soon, go ahead, sleep. You'll be fine in the morning."

And she was.

the end

A/Ns: 1- if anyone is lucky enuf NOT to know who/what Barney the Dinosaur is, pls check out YouTube for extensive playlists, esp "I love You…" and scenes from the show.

2- Zoe doesn't understand the conversation in Russian because she doesn 't speak Russian yet, she learns from Arkady.

3 Ranger talks/shares more than usual, I know, because at this point, in my world, he and Stephanie have a somewhat mature and occasionally open, sharing relationship. But not sappy.