Author's Note: Very short chapter! I may not be able to update for a few more days- my parents are in town this week and I only get to see them twice a year. So I will try to update in my spare time- but if you don't see an update for a while- this is why. =]

Disclaimer: You know what is JE's and what is mine. Enjoy =]

Morelli POV:

Maybe this wasn't the most intelligent plan I have ever had but after last night, I couldn't just let things go on this way anymore. Not again. I pulled up to the security door to get into the underground parking lot of Rangeman. I wasn't an idiot to think I was going to be able to just walk into his office and start talking, but I was determined.

"I need to talk to Ranger." I said to the camera watching me and a few minutes later the gate opened for me. I drove into the garage and didn't even have to worry about finding a parking place amongst all his more than likely illegally owned cars. Ranger stood at the far end of the garage next to what looked to be the entrance to his building. I drove right up to him parked and got out, stopping when I was about 10 feet from him.

No surprise he was wearing all black and stared at me trying his hardest to intimidate me, well sorry bud- but this isn't going to work. His arms were crossed across his chest, and waited for me to begin.

"We're not doing this again." I said firmly, but he didn't change his stance. I could tell he wasn't going to say anything yet, fine by me. I'd do all the talking.

"Years ago I know you and Stephanie had some little random fling, but I'm not going to just accept that this time. Stephanie and Aly are my family and I'm not just going to sit back and watch you come in and screw with their heads. I am going to do everything I can to get them Stephanie back and be there for my daughter. So I'm telling you right now, back off. I realize you have some sort of infatuation with Stephanie but a guy like you wants nothing more than an occasional hook up. So I'm telling you right now that if you continue to have some sort of friendship with Stephanie- that better be all it is." I was even more heated than I thought I originally was about this. Ranger still said nothing so I turned to get back behind the wheel and drive off, but he stopped me.

"What makes you think you know what I want from Stephanie?"

"That's just the kind of guy you are- I mean come on you have your address listed as a vacant lot. That doesn't say 'I'm ready for relationship'. I sat here for 4 years promising myself if I got another chance to make things right that nothing was going to get in my way. That sure as hell includes you, find some other woman because I'm not going anywhere."

"Do you really think you're the only one who lost Stephanie? Sure I went to see her but I'm telling you right now when I helped her move to Wisconsin and said goodbye- I told myself that was it. I was never going to see her again. But all that changed when she wasn't here everyday anymore. I wanted to hate that little girl because she was your child and she forever would be, but the second I saw her all of that changed."

"You're right. Aly is my child and she doesn't need someone who isn't her dad, raising her."

"Someone else is raising my kid, and they are doing just fine." The smug look on his face made me want to grab my tire iron out of the trunk and smack that look away. But that was the old Morelli- the one who would get into a bar fight because someone looked at me wrong. Now I was a father and beating the shit out of someone is no way to get back the woman you are in love with.

"Yeah, right- what about your kid? You couldn't even take care of your child so what makes you think you can take care of mine?"

"First of all- you don't know anything about the situation with my daughter. Secondly, I take care of her financially- which I can say is more than you've done for yours in the past 4 years. And finally, Stephanie isn't Rachel. I was never in love with Rachel, I was taking care of my responsibilities as a man, I owned up to the choices I made."

"So what are you trying to tell me that you love, Stephanie? That's bull shit- handing over cars to her that are stolen isn't love. And whatever little fling you two had years ago- wasn't love either. And don't for one second act like you know what I've gone through in the past 4 years."

"Well then you tell me how it's different." I didn't want to just spill my guts out to this guy, but if there was any hope of getting him to just stay out of this- there was no way I could do that with just asking nicely.

"It killed me to watch her leave, and it wasn't until she was gone that I truly realized everything she was to me. I stayed away because I didn't want to push her further away, I didn't want to change who she was- because it was when she was completely herself that I loved her. I spent the last few years getting to know my daughter over pictures and emails." Ranger was shaking his head with frustration and I could feel the anger in me rising.

"That wasn't an act of love, Morelli. That was childish and immature, you didn't stay away from Stephanie because you were afraid. You stayed away because you weren't man enough to go. You really don't think it hurt me to see her go? She was the only person and still is that makes me feel the way I do. And she moved away with your child and I still went to see them. Because it wasn't about me and it wasn't about how I felt- it was and always will be about them. Stephanie needed someone, Aly needed someone- and it wasn't until she moved back that you wanted to be that someone. I flew out to them to make sure they made it home safe, and I have done everything I can to insure they were taken care of. While you went about your life- occasionally signing into your email to be a father. And where Julie is concerned- she has a father and I help out financially every month. Who did you help out financially? Did you ever send Stephanie money to help pay for Aly, did you ever send out anything at all? I was there when your daughter took her first step, and I was the one who read her goodnight stories. Maybe I didn't get up there as much as I wanted to- but at least I went. What did you do Morelli? Because just about every time I happened to be out and see you, you had some different girl on your arm. That sure as hell didn't look to me like you were home pining away for your family then." I could feel my body shaking with anger, I had maybe been with 2 women since Stephanie left and she never asked me to come either. For once I was letting her make the decisions without trying to make her change her mind.

"Don't act like you know me, Manoso." I spit out at him.

"Well let me tell you what I do know, until Stephanie has a ring on her finger and is Mrs. Joe Morelli- I will never stop fighting for her. I may not throw myself at her the way you do, but I'm not going anywhere."

"Maybe not by choice, but when she does become my wife and we become the family that we have always been- you will be going away with your tail between your legs. Because there is no way in hell I'm just going to step away and let you raise my daughter and be with Stephanie. And I would say I would keep fighting for her until she becomes your wife- but you aren't the marrying type. So it's just easier to say I will never give up on her."

"You don't want me to raise your daughter? Well- someone should, and since it wasn't you- I stood up because I understood what it means to put someone before yourself." I needed to get out of here, there was more I had to say- but then again there wasn't. Why did I need to justify myself to him, I know he doesn't really love her- it's a game to him, a challenge. But no matter what if I stayed down here any longer we'd end up in a brawl and I was not about to do anything that would risk Stephanie keeping Aly from me.

"Well thank you for bringing my family home for me, but I'll be taking it from here. So don't bother wasting any more time trying to win Stephanie's heart- because it has been and always will be mine. And there is no way someone you like you will ever take my place. Mine and Stephanie's love is real- and if you don't believe me, by all means- go ahead and get caught up in this. But she will be mine in the end- I can promise you that."

"We'll see about that." Ranger turned away and stepped into the waiting elevator. Good- I couldn't be here anymore, but at least what I needed to say- was said.

Maybe I hadn't been in Aly's life as a baby, but I wasn't going to miss a moment of that now. And Stephanie was everything to me, I loved everything about her. I lost her once, I'm not going to lose her again.