SPOV

Rodriguez was once again the bane of my existence with the pile of searches he left crowding my inbox. I was glad that it was nearing three o'clock. Tank agreed to let me and some of the guys leave a little early. We had planned a get together at Shorty's for a meal and drinks. Tank was in charge now since Ranger had gone 'in the wind' early this morning, taking his sniper, Ram with him.

They did not know how long they would be gone, could be up to a month. I missed them already and hoped they would stay safe. So I guessed I needed the fun with the guys. It was only a small get together, just a meal, but I knew the Merry Men would do their best to lift my spirits. The roster so far included, myself, Bobby, Les, Woody, Hal, Cal, Hector, Vince, and Binkie. Zip and Zero had a late shift and couldn't make it. Brett and Bones were scheduled to be on monitors at the time we would be gone. I would miss those guys, but I thought I had enough to keep me entertained.

The smile came easily to my face when I heard the very recognizable soft voice of Bobby coming from my right.

"You about ready to shut those things down for the day. My apartment is waiting for you to get out of that uniform." He said with a twinkle of humor in his brown eyes.

"Robert Clinton Brown! Are you trying to talk me out of my cargos?" I playfully reprimanded him.

"That's not how I meant it and you know it. But you just let me know if you ever have a change of heart." He laughed. "Now, are you ready to shut those machines down and go down to our apartment and change for our group outing night?" He added.

"Sure," I replied after I started the shut down process on my computers. Once they had started to power off, I stood and we walked to the stair well. Of course he would want me to take the stairs instead of the elevator. I let him get away with it ….. this time. I added a mental eye roll for good measure.

After a quick shower and a change of clothes for both of us, we were heading back down stairs again to meet with some of the others. This time I led him to the elevator. He just shook his head at me and I felt that if he was the type he would have rolled his eyes at me too.

Once we got down to the garage level, we heard the chatter of several of our coworkers. Les, Woody, and Vince sounded like a gaggle of hens clucking away excitedly. As we got closer to them, we realized they were regaling each other with their latest conquests. I rolled my eyes internally, okay so maybe it was externally, if the chuckles coming from all around me were any clue. I decided to cut them off before they got a chance to start picking on me.

"Still leaving a trail of broken hearts in your wake, eh Santos?" I joked.

"I can't help if they all fall for Jersey's most charming male citizen." He grinned as he answered.

"Your ego needs it's own zip code dude." Bobby shot back.

Les just rubbed his fist across his chest after blowing on his finger nails, then wiggled his eyebrows with a huge shit eating grin on his face.

"So is everybody ready? Who are we waiting on?" I inquired.

"Hal, Cal, Hector, and Binkie just left a few minutes ago. Us five will be riding together if that's alright with you." Woody drawled.

"And I bet you'll be driving, right cowboy?" I teased him.

"You know it darlin'. Nobody drives but me if I'm in a vehicle." He answered.

"Of course," I said as we reached the SUV. "Now Les, you get shot gun up front with Woody; while Vince and Bobby will be in the back with me."

"What? Why does Vince get to ride back there with you? I mean I understand why you want med-man there with you. You're like Siamese twins lately, joined at the hips. So what did Vince do to earn the honor of riding next to you?" Les pouted.

"Man up and climb you sorry ass in the truck, you whiny pussy." Woody choked out through his guffaws.

"Simple Les," I started. "I don't trust your wandering hands and fingers. And I care for you as a friend and don't want you to get hurt. Because you know Bobby, or hell Vince or Woody too; would kick your ass if you touched me in and inappropriate manner." I slowly explained.

We all laughed as we buckled ourselves in. Les had a slight look of hurt on his face, but it mostly held humor, according to the light dancing in his green eyes.

Once we were on our way, I asked aloud to no one in particular.

"Is Tank going to be joining us or is he too busy with paperwork?"

"He's wrapping up a few things, but he will be joining us in about an hour or so." It was Vince who answered me.

"Okay then, so someone besides Bobby will be there to keep Les in line." I felt Bobby take my hand in his and saw him smile and nod his head out of the corner of my eye.

Les turned his head to the rear and stuck his tongue out at me. I swore he was a six year old trapped in the body of a Greek god. I returned the favor by sticking mine out at him. Yes, I was feeling quite juvenile myself.

"We're here kids," Woody chuckled.

We all exited the SUV and made our way to the entrance to Shorty's, Bobby's hand was holding mine the whole way. Woody, being the gentleman he was, opened the door and held it for the rest of us to pass through.

I heard the chatter of the other guys before I saw them occupying three tables that Shorty must have shoved together for us.

Hector was the first to spot us walking toward them. "Hola Angelita," he told me as he hugged me tightly. I returned the hug with equal enthusiasm. I was then engulfed in more hugs from Hal, Cal, and Binkie.

"I'm starving. Where's the pizza guys?" I said around a huge grin. These guys could always make me smile and feel better.

"Right here," I heard from behind me. I turned around just in time to see Shorty and three of his wait staff waiting with their arms full of pizza pans and frosty mugs of beer.

As soon as we all sat down, the tables were full of the delicious aroma of pizza. The beast that resides in my stomach took this opportunity to show it's appreciation for the smells surrounding me. Every set of eyes near me were full of mirth and each set of lips was up-turned with grins. It was my shy Hal that broke the silence, the silence after the deafening roar of my stomach that is.

"Hey Shorty, when did you get a pet lion?"

The guys laughed while I felt my face flame with embarrassment. I pulled myself together enough to get a retort out. "I love you too, Hal!"

This time it was Hal's face that reddened. I loved to watch his face heat up, it made him look so young and innocent.

Bobby, the ever present care taker of the group, handed me a plate with a couple of slices of pizza loaded with different kinds of meat. I smiled back at him as I thanked him. His response was a gentle squeeze of my knee beneath the table. My heart fluttered at the contact.

The food and conversation flowed easily among us. The guys told amusing stories of skips that flirted with them and some of them shared dates gone wrong. My favorite of the wayward skip stories was the one that made Les actually blush and stammer.

"It started with what we would call an easy take down," he snorted slightly. "The guy should have been no problem for us. He was barely five foot seven and maybe 95 pounds soaking wet with two bricks in his pockets. We decided to use intimidation instead of muscle. We walked up on him, told him we were from Rangeman, that he skipped bail, then Ranger reached for him at the same time I grabbed my cuffs from my hip. This guy was lightning fast. We never saw it coming." This is when Les started embellishing his story with hand gestures. The first one was his finger and thumb imitating the shape and action of firing a gun. "Out of nowhere he pulled a gun and got a shot off before we had time to react and pull our own weapons. We both sprang into action." Les then jumped up from his chair and started pantomiming the action he was telling. "Ranger dove and tackled him to the ground while I jerked his hands behind his back and cuffed him, none to gently. We both stood him up and walked him back to our SUV. After we got him strapped down in the rear, I noticed the blood on Ranger's hands and forearms." Les held up his arms as if trying to find blood on his own hands and arms. "'Yo cuz, where you hit?' I asked him. We both looked down and saw the blood on the top of his pants leg. 'Looks like he got my thigh.' Ranger told me. We dropped the dumb ass off at the cop shop, then returned to Rangeman where he could get checked out by Bobby. As soon as Bobby got his cargos cut off I noticed the grimace and wince on Bobby's face. 'What's wrong man? He need to go to the hospital?' I asked. 'No. I can handle a few stitches.' He replied, but his grimace had changed to a smile, then he started laughing. 'What the fuck man?' I said again. 'It's just, I've never stitched up someone's nuts before!' His grin tripled in size. Then Bobby added, 'You know the best part is I have to shave him to do it.' Bobby and I both broke down in fits of laughter while cuz could only lie back and glare at us. He finally was able to threaten once our laughs died down to slight snorts. 'You both will be getting a one-way ticket to Siberia if you ever speak of this again!' Good thing I have a thick coat. I may have to hide from him for a while once he gets back." Les concluded, still gasping for air.

I was doubled over with fits of giggles by the end of Les' story. At one point I actually snorted beer out of my nose. I looked to my left side and to Bobby to confirm the story. His eyes were full of tears from his own laughter. He only nodded to me and said, "yeah, all true."

This brought on more rounds of laughter from everyone around the table. We were only silenced by Tank's booming voice arriving at the party.

"At ease! You all sound like a bunch of cackling hyenas." It was stated around a crooked smile though. He took the only available chair and plopped down before adding to his observation, "Somebody pass me a beer." Hal was quick to the punch, passing him a full pitcher.

About an hour or so later Cal spoke up, "As fun as this has been Hal and I have to get going so we can relive Brett and Bones on monitors." They both stood and gave me hugs and kisses to the forehead before turning to leave, Cal with a little more pep in his step from my kiss to his tattoo and Hal wearing his adorable red tint as usual.

Hector had to leave soon after due to an emergency text from an underground informant. Vince, Woody, and Binkie all also had to go because they had early morning shifts tomorrow. That left only Les, Bobby, and myself.

Lester's phone went off with a text also. A huge smirk joined the sparkle of his eyes after he glanced down to read it. I couldn't help but tease him.

"Hot date?"

"You know it Beautiful. The Santos swagger strikes again." He stuck his hand out to Bobby, "Later dude."

"Just get out of here you man whore." Bobby said with a smack to the back of his head. I smiled at the obvious brotherly love they were both showing.

"Looks like the party's over," I commented through a small smile.

"It's getting kinda late too. We've been here for over five hours." Bobby relayed. I looked down to my watch. Wow, it was nearly eleven; time sure did fly by.

"I didn't realize it was that late. Being around all you guys makes trivial things like time seem nonexistent." I offered up.

"You tired, ready to go home for the night?" He asked.

"I guess we better before Shorty sees fit to throw us out." I laughed.

"Your chariot awaits then milady," Bobby said with a bow. He took my hand and led me to the door, then to his personal truck awaiting us in the parking lot. It suddenly hit me that we had only taken two SUVs and a lot of the guys had left separately. I had to ask, my curiosity always getting the better of me.

"Where did your truck come from and how did everyone leave at different times? We only took two vehicles here originally."

"Rangeman magic car service," he teased, then he took pity on me and explained. "Tank didn't stay long, he left with Hector in the truck he drove. Zip and Zero dropped off a vehicle for Hal and Cal. The other three took one of the original trucks we all arrived in and Les got picked up by his 'date'." Bobby summed up.

"Okay, just making sure all my friends are safe. I'm sure Les can take care of himself. That hussy better hope she don't hurt my buddy. I'll snatch her bald." I fumed.

"I have no doubt Santos can handle things. I know you worry about us because you care. We care about you too, you know." He smiled softly. It eased my worry immediately.

Before I could hardly blink, we were pulling into the parking garage at Rangeman. A short trip on the elevator later and we were standing in front of Bobby's apartment door. He unlocked it and led me in with his hand at my back. I was getting used to this type of contact between us. These gentle touches were becoming natural to both of us.

"Are you sleepy yet? How do you feel about maybe watching a movie before bed?" Bobby suggested.

"Sounds good to me. What type do we have here?"

"Same as at the house, Have a look on the shelf while I get us some snacks and beverages." He ambled to the kitchen to retrieve them.

When he returned to the sofa, he was carrying two bottles of water, a large bowl of popcorn, and to my surprise, a small bowl full of M & M's. I wondered what that was about.

"Did you pick out something?" He asked me.

"Yep, I just popped it in. I hope you like what I chose." I worried aloud.

"Whatever you picked out will be fine. I don't own anything that I don't like or wouldn't watch." He assured me.

"So park your cute butt down here and see what I have waiting for you." I flirted. He sat down beside me, his hip, thigh, and knee resting against mine. I felt the smallest tingle where our legs met. I tried to ignore the feeling by asking about the obvious contraband chocolate that I couldn't believe he allowed in his space.

"Okay you have my curiosity peaked. What's up with the chocolate?"

He chuckled at my boldness, "It's a secret weakness of mine, hot popcorn mixed with M & M's. The heat from the popcorn melts the chocolate just enough to mix the flavors together; the salt from the popcorn and the sweetness of the candy compliment each other just right." He explained.

"Sounds good, I can't wait to try it," I confessed.

"So let's get this show on the road. What did you pick out?" Bobby asked.

"You'll see," I offered.

He picked up the remote and started the DVD. After a few moments, the opening credits were rolling across the screen. He smiled and shifted closer to me resting his arm on the back of the sofa behind my head and shoulders, then he wrapped it around me and clasped my shoulder in his large hand.

"Avengers: Age of Ultron, good choice, full of action and adventure." He observed.

"And hot guys," I added with a wink.

"Careful there missy," he playfully scolded with a kiss to my cheek.

I felt those flutters in my stomach again. I had been feeling those a lot lately when he was near. He made me feel so safe and secure. It was a natural progression for me to snuggle further into his side and rest my head on his strong chest. We were an hour or so into the movie when he spoke.

"Tiger, have you noticed how we are sitting?" I lifted my head to look up at him when I responded.

"We are comfortable I think."

"I think we are past the point of comfortable. This is how couples sit." He explained his thoughts. When I didn't respond immediately, he continued. "Baby, sitting like this is something I enjoy and I think we should explore how this makes us feel. Don't you agree?"

I took a deep, cleansing breath. I knew he was right and deep down I agreed. And I think it's time I stopped being afraid and talked with him about where we were headed. I finally smiled softly as I started to speak.

"I do agree. I think I was just afraid to get close to someone again. I know you are nothing like him. You would never hurt me in any way. And I enjoy being with you like this. I feel safe and comfortable in your arms."

"I'm glad you feel the same way I do. But what about the couple part? Would you want to be in a relationship with me?" He looked nervous and apprehensive, I could see the fear of rejection he was trying to hide from me. I decided to show him my answer instead of telling him. I gazed into his soft brown eyes for a few seconds, savoring the anticipation. Then I slowly moved my face to his and pressed my lips to his gently, but firmly. His response was instant. His arms folded around me snugly as he attempted to deepen the kiss. I let him kiss me a bit harder, but pulled away before we could get too carried away.

"Is that a yes?" He asked with hope in his eyes. I smiled and nodded in confirmation.

We sat back, resuming our previous positions and continued watching the movie. About an hour and a half later, I felt Bobby gently shaking me and calling my name. I must have dozed off.

"Let's get you tucked into bed sleepy head," he said with a teasing smile.

"You go use the bathroom first while I turn the covers back." I offered.

He nodded after kissing me on the forehead and started walking toward the bathroom.

When I heard the door click shut, I took my phone out of my purse. I felt empowered by the birth of our relationship. I knew it was time to end things and finally be free to start my new life with Bobby. I had a phone call to make. I opened my contacts and scrolled down to the one I wanted. I pressed send to connect my call. He picked up before the second ring started.

"Hello, are you okay?" I could hear the tremor of panic in his voice.

"I'm fine. Nothing to worry about. I just need to talk to you face to face. I want to end this." I soothed him.

"Whatever you need, you know I'll always be here for you. Just tell me."

"It's too late tonight. Can I talk to you in the morning at the office?" I suggested.

"Like I said, whatever you need. I'll see you in the morning." He said then hung up before saying good-bye. I didn't think they would ever learn phone manners.

I was making drastic changes in my life lately. This was no exception. This would ultimately make it easier for me to heal and move on. The more I thought about it the more I came to see, this had to happen. There was no way around it. He had to pay. #################################