These characters belong to Janet I am just borrowing them for my amusement. Although I would love to keep Ranger and the merry men for myself!

This story does contain violence, and touches on dark subject matters. This story is not friendly to Morelli or Helen Plum so for Cupcake fans you have been warned.

Chapter 2 was broken into two parts because of length, this is the second half. I know there is fluff but for this story you need to know their thoughts and feelings for each other.

Chapter 2: Another Car PT2

A Month Ago

LPOV

I was furious all I wanted to do was smash that cops face in sideways. When he grabbed her and she screamed I couldn't get between them fast enough. I was cursing myself for waiting and not getting between them from the beginning. I am Steph's best friend, and Steph is my best friend. Tell you the truth I am a little bit in love with her but her heart belongs to Ranger and I would never step between the two of them. They were meant for each other.

So I just settle for what piece of Steph I can have and that is friendship and I cherish it. She is the little sister that I always wanted to have not the little sister that I had. Don't get me wrong I love my sister with all that I am but she was the girlie girlie type sister. Always worried about her hair, her makeup, everything had to be perfect and just so. Whereas Steph isn't like that she is just fun to hang around and she is beautiful.

Heart, mind, and physically beautiful and those things are hard traits to find in a woman especially a woman that accepts you completely as you are and trust me when I say we are a tough bunch of guys to just accept and trust on just blind faith. Truth be told we all are little bit in love with her. We love it when she is around, we love to hear her laugh, and we love to be a part of her day as she brings light into our dark world and never ask for anything in return.

She even apologizes when we are partnered with her in advanced even though we literally fight each other over those shifts. To say we support her is an understatement she is loved, wanted, and looked after by all of us. Again another truth to be told she is the heart of us all. Not that I believe anyone has ever told her this.

Today I didn't know what to think or feel riding to where her car went offline. My mind was reeling at all the possibilities. I know Ranger thought that his blank face was in place but I know him well enough to know that he was feeling worse than I was. I knew it was taking all he could do just to get us there in one piece and then walk up to the scene. When I saw the flames shooting up in the air my heart literally stopped in my chest.

Then walking up seeing that fucking cop yelling at her made me growl with rage. I wanted to rip his head off. Most people think that I am happy go lucky Santos. The kidder and jokester of the office and I have been since Steph came into our lives. However when I get pissed well I am a force to be reckoned with, like Ranger, I am lethal extremely lethal. My time in the Rangers death became my specialty and I enjoyed dishing it out. That is why Steph is so important to me why I gravitate towards her and want her attention is because her light is a calming balm for my dark soul. I am certain that Ranger feels the same way when it comes to her light I know what I have done for my country and I know that Ranger has done even more.

When we got in the car Steph decided to ride between Brown and me we no more had the car in gear before she leaned her head over on my shoulder seeking comfort. I could tell she was crying as my sleeve was getting wet and knowing her the way I did it made me even more furious. I knew her well enough to know that she wasn't crying because of her injuries. While yes she hurt from them she was strong enough to not cry because of them.

She was crying because of that fucking cop and for that it made me want to beat him to within an inch of his life and then ship his ass to a third world country with the bloody clothes on his back and a fucking toothpick. I would be sure to pick a third world country that I knew he wouldn't have a snowball's chance in hell of getting out. I knew several countries that the devil himself wouldn't make it out unscathed let alone a snowball.

When we got to Haywood she barely had her eyes open and I could tell that she was experiencing an adrenaline crash. She already appeared so broken when we walked up on her that I wasn't sure how she would handle the crash. So when I got out I just put my arms around her and lifted her out with me. Ranger was waiting to take her from me so I gave her a kiss on her forehead and handed her over.

We no more turned around toward the elevator that the doors opened and what seemed like half of Rangeman poured out to check on her. Cal came running over along with Hector, Ram, and Hal to get a look at her in Ranger's arm. I just nodded my head to the guys letting them know that she would be okay. It was a close call but she will be fine. Zero, Zip, Junior, Binkie, Vince, and Woody came out of the stairwell guess they couldn't fit in the elevator with the other guys. It seemed like you could feel the whole building breathe a sigh of relief. I know Ranger felt it just as I did. He looked at me with a little shake of his head and a look that said man that was close and what would we do without her? It was a question I didn't want to ever know the answer to.

TPOV

Steph, my little girl as I call her had a close call today. You can tell by the burns on her arms and legs that she was a lot closer to that bomb than she should have been. Luckily for her it wasn't a large bomb or it would not have turned out as lucky as it did. I knew something was wrong with Steph the moment I heard Ranger's door being slammed open and I was on my feet heading to the door when I heard him bark out my name.

I should have demanded to drive because he nearly killed us getting there I knew his mind was in no place to fuck with him so I didn't even try protest when he went to the driver's door. I just held on to the Oh Shit handle and prayed for Steph's sake that we made it there in one piece and our sake that she would be in one piece when we got there. If something happens to her I am not certain I can control both Ranger and Santos.

They both love her and she albeit differently loves them. I don't think any of them want to bet without the other. For Ranger she is his lifeline he needs her like he needs air, sometimes I think he actually became more human when she entered his life. For Santos she is the balm for his tainted soul and somehow thru her he finds peace, forgiveness, and love.

For me I couldn't believe when Ranger brought her with us on our first redecorating job. I couldn't understand what he saw in her. She was white bread from the burg and we were a bunch of x military bad ass guys that had seen more, done more than most people would ever be able to comprehend and on most days we trudged around in the slime and grime of the lowlifes of this city. Places where a white bread girl from the burg wouldn't even want to acknowledge let alone trudge along with us in after all they may mess up their hair or break a nail.

Boy did she prove me wrong. Not only was she willing to go there with us she wasn't afraid of getting her shoes muddy, her hair messed up, or her nails broken. All though any of the three happening would piss her off and lord help whoever it was that pissed her off. I thought after the redecorating job that she would tuck her tail and run for the hills but no. Instead she ended up going after the guy with a bomb strapped to his chest that had shot me.

She got him in his apartment where a neighbor managed to activate the bomb with Steph standing there. Talk about having my ass handed to me by the boss because I failed to protect her. It will be a cold day in hell before I forget that lesson on the mats. The lesson from the boss was titled protect Stephanie with your life because if you don't I will personally end yours. That was when I knew there was a whole lot more to this little white bread girl from the burg and that the boss definitely had an interest in her that went well beyond teaching her the ropes to bounty hunting.

Of course now that she has spent time with all of the guys most of the guys would protect Steph with their life with our without the mandate from the boss. Most of the guys fought over who got to spend time with Stephanie of course I don't think anyone of us bothered to tell her that. Maybe one of these days we should tell her truly what she means to us.

Today stepping out of that car watching my little girl's car burning with vengeance I paused for a second as fear crept through me. I am a big bad ass, bigger and meaner than most men you would know. Most of the time just one look at me makes most men quake in their boots and even piss their pants a time or two. If they are dumb enough to call me on it then they learn firsthand that I am every bit as dangerous as I look.

I don't normally know what is to fear anything or anyone but in this instance I was afraid that this time we were too late, that my Little Girl's nine lives had run out. I shook my head because I knew Ranger and Santos were doing the same I saw them shake off the thoughts of doom. I knew if something happened to her then I would need to control both Ranger and Santos to keep them from doing something that they would later come to regret in their fit of grief.

I said a silent thank you that Bobby was here so that he would be able to help if the shit really did hit the fan because it would be all I could do to keep Ranger in line let alone add Santos into the mix. Probably the two most lethal men of Rangeman both grieving their lost would not be good if unleashed on the streets of Trenton.

As we got closer to the scene I saw Morelli yelling at Steph and I wanted to pound his face into the ground. One word from Ranger and he would be minced meat but I held myself back and watched the scene unfold. But when that stupid son of bitch grabbed her burned arm and she screamed in pain it was I could do to just get in between them without dishing a little of my own pain.

I loved dishing out pain just ask anyone that served in the Rangers with me. My specialty was bringing the pain to those mother fuckers to make them talk and make them talk I did. I could make anyone sing like a canary. Ten minutes in a room with me and I knew everything there was to know about the piece of shit from the name of his mother all the way up to where they were planning the next terrorists attack , drug delivery, or hideout.

I knew Morrelli was soft I could make him scream and I wanted him screaming for his mama to save his lowlife ass for making my Little Girl scream in pain. He backed away but I noticed a slight smile when he went to leave and I wondered what the hell that was about. It wasn't normal for him to just allow us to keep Stephanie with us. He always wanted to be the one to take her from the scene something was definitely off with him. I was going to make note of that to Ranger and see if he noticed the same behavior.

My little girl hadn't said as much as one word from the time we got there only a node when Ranger asked if she was okay. When we got to the car I started to get in the back with Santos and Brown only for her to stop me and tell me to ride up front that she would ride in the back with them and it would be more comfortable for everyone.

That is just like my little girl. Her car gets blown up, she get yelled at by someone who is suppose to care about her love her even, she get injured and she cares more about me being comfortable. I tell you she has the heart the size Texas in that little body of hers. A heart I would gladly give my life to protect.

We get back to Rangeman and get out I can see that Steph is just about at her wits end for the day. There is no way she could even stand on her own two feet the adrenaline rush had now worn off and it left her completely listless. Her body hasn't been trained to handle adrenaline rushes and how to cope with the after affects like our bodies have been trained. For her it would be an exhausting experience.

Santos carried her out of the vehicle and handed her over to Ranger's waiting arms. We no more turned toward the elevator doors when Cal, Ram, Hector, and Hal poured out the door to get a look at Steph to make sure she was okay. It wasn't two seconds later that the stairwell door swung open and Zero, Zip, Binkie, Woody, Vince and Junior poured out of the stairwell to check on my little girl. Once they had checked her over while she rested in Ranger's arm you could almost hear the whole building take a sigh of relief that she is going to be okay.

Ranger entered the elevator and went straight to the seventh floor while Bobby got off on the fourth floor to gather his supplies. I got off of on the fifth floor just to check to make sure there hadn't been any other emergencies we needed to know about while we were out of the office. Once I got the report that all was clear I got back on the elevator meeting Brown and we proceeded to the seventh floor to check on my little girl and talk to Ranger about Morelli's odd behavior today.

BPOV

I couldn't believe it when Morelli reached out and grabbed Steph's burnt arm. He had to know it would hurt her. She screamed in pain. Thankfully, Ranger quickly forced him to release his hold on her with little effort on Ranger's part. I am sure like myself he wanted to break every bone in his worthless hand but much to my surprise he controlled himself and simply just let go. By the time he let go Tank, Lester, and I were standing between Morelli and Steph and Ranger daring him to try to touch her again.

For the most part I am a healer. I fix up the guys and Bomber when they get into a scuffle. But something about Morelli makes me want to rip his heart out. Being a medic I took an oath much like that of a doctor to do no harm. But my training in the Rangers definitely taught me how to do harm. My in-depth knowledge of the human body makes me more lethal than most men with formal combat training. I know where to apply pressure to make you feel good just as much as to make you feel pain and when Bomber screamed in pain I definitely wanted to make Morelli feel pain.

Steph is like the sister that I never had. I have fixed her up more times than I really want to remember. Thankfully Stephanie has luck on her side she has been shot several times, sliced a few times, and been way too close to too many bombs but she manages to come thru them with minimal damage. Which I am grateful I am just scared that one day her luck will run out and we will lose something that is precious and special to us all.

You could hear and feel the whole building take a sigh of relief today when we brought her back here. Every one of the guys wanted to personally check her over to make sure for themselves that she was going to be okay. They would never take my word for it even though I am the company medic. They have to see for themselves.

Ranger finally got her away from everyone and took her up to the seventh floor, his personal apartment. He knows how much she loves lying on his ultra soft sheets. The adrenaline rush had long past leaving her body completely exhausted. By the time I got my supplies and got up to his apartment she was sound asleep. Ranger had changed her from her burnt and partially bloody clothing into a pair a of gym shorts and a sports bra.

That way I would have the most access to her injuries without seeing anything too private. It isn't that I haven't seen her naked before but only when it was absolutely necessary for her care. I went about the tasks of cleaning her scratches and gashes it looked like two of them may need a few stitches and tending to her burns. Luckily she only received first degree burns so a little cleaning and ointment should do the trick. There were a few of the burns I wanted to bandaged because I felt like they would be a little more comfortable for Bomber.

I took advantage of the fact that she was sleeping and gave her a local so I could stitch up the couple of gashes that she had on her legs. The scratches on her arms would heal without any problems. Looking at her arms no wonder she screamed when Morrelli grabbed her you can see the bruise forming around the burn on her arm. Looking at the proof of what he did made my blood boil again. I silently wished for the day that I could personally teach Morrelli a lesson for daring to hurt our heart.

While I am tending to her wounds Lester my partner walks in the room I knew he was upset with the events of the day. Lester nods towards Bomber "Hey man how is she, has she woke up and said anything to you since you got here." I just shook my head no. I know it has me worried that she has been so quiet since coming up on the scene the only words she spoke were when she told tank to ride up front in the car. Besides that it had been a head nod when Ranger asked if she is okay.

I can tell that Lester is a little worried about her as well. He sits on the bed beside her and rubs her cheek, gives her kiss on the forehead and then took her hand in his. Sometimes I wonder if he is aware of how he acts around her. He gravitates toward her as if he can't help himself. He worries over her and he is furiously protective of her.

I know he feels like she is the little sister that he always wanted. I also know that he loves her but would never come between Ranger and her. Of all of us merry men Lester is Bomber's favorite we all know this, they have a close bond that Tank, I, and the other guys don't share with Bomber.

While he is sitting there with her I started telling him about her injuries I show him the stitches that I just completed on her legs and a few of the more severe burns as I am showing and telling him I can see him getting more upset "hey man don't get too upset, she was very lucky today. That whole thing could have gone a lot worse than what it did. She will be good as new in no time."

He just nodded his head and took a calming breath before telling me "man I tell you I wanted to rip Morrelli to pieces today. If it wasn't for her and how she would look at us if we touched him I don't know that I would have been able to control myself. I wanted his blood for yelling at her and then when he grabbed her and she scream it was all I could do not to tear his head off of his shoulders."

I wanted to do the same but instead of telling Lester I just told him "man you know if you did that you would be under the jail and Stephanie would be so pissed off at you for leaving her." Time to change the subject "where's Ranger" never taking his eyes off of Steph "Ranger is in the living room talking with Tank". Before I could say anything more Stephanie started to stir.