Characters belong to Charlaine Harris and Janet Evanovich, I'm just making the introductions.

Ranger was silent on the drive, as were the two hulking men in black in the back. Steph and Joe were quietly observing peaceful, glamoured sleep.

Sookie had hear a brief flash of : Why the hell is she touching him? Ranger's gonna be pissed." From the mind of one of the men in black when she had touched Rangers's arm but they had gone blank since then. They weren't as far from the city as it had seemed and less than a half hour later they were sliding into the underground garage of a large black building.

With just a few brief phrases on his cell Ranger had sent a team of men to quietly observe the warehouse. He turned to one of the men in the back and directed him to retrieve and return Morelli's vehicle to his house. Ranger paused, looking in the back, perhaps perplexed over the issue of what to do with the man himself as he stood staring at Joe's sleeping form in the vehicle.

"Tank, wake him up."

The aptly named hulking black man paused, as he got out of the SUV, looking at Ranger for a second before turning back towards the vehicle and shouting "Morelli" with all the volume and force of a drill sergeant. Joe quickly jumped up, placing a hand on his empty shoulder holster. He looked from Tank to Ranger then around the vehicle to the still sleeping form of Stephanie and the questioning eyes of Sookie.

"She alright?" he said, nodding toward Stephanie.

Ranger gave a brief nod, "Just sleeping."

"What the hell happened?"

"You were drugged."

"Last I remember I was checking out the warehouse you sent me to and I heard Steph shouting. I ran in but someone hit me." Joe rubbed the back of his neck and winced slightly.

"If you think you have a concussion I can have my medic check you out."

"I'm fine. I'll take Steph home now; she can make a statement about the kidnapping in the morning."

"Steph stays here."

"The hell she does. I've been tracing the V trade and all signs lead back to you. For all I know she was kidnapped by you or because of you."

"I would never hurt Stephanie. Regardless of the kidnappers' reasons she is safer here. My building is secure and has a medic. She's fine but she was drugged and I want to have her checked out. The other girl was kidnapped as well and she's been unable to speak since we found her."

Sookie cringed when Ranger called her a girl and was now scowling as Joe looked her over. "I..." her voice croaked out. "I'd like..." her mouth continued but the words stopped. Ranger put a hand on her arm.

"I think she'd be more comfortable staying with Steph until they can both make statements."

Sookie nodded.

Joe glared at Ranger. That way they have hours to get their stories straight. Doesn't look like I have much choice. Fuck, I don't even have a car here.

Ranger turned towards Tank, who had silently been observing. "Take Morelli home and have his car delivered there. Give him the direct number for the bunk room on 4. We'll put Steph and Sookie there tonight."

Ranger got out and Tank slipped behind the steering wheel, somehow making the large SUV look cramped. Ranger nodded at Sookie who jumped down out of the front seat and landed firmly on the ground. Her legs and arms were tired but not wobbly. She noticed Ranger's arm had been out to catch her if needed but he avoided touching her unnecessarily. Ranger leaned into the back seat and scooped Steph into his arms. She cuddled-in instantly and Sookie heard a small growling sound coming from Joe. She ignored Joe and followed Ranger to the corner of the garage to a steel elevator door with no buttons. Ranger swiped a fob in front of a panel and the door instantly opened.

Sookie followed Ranger into the elevator and paused in front of the number panel, ready to hit a button for the both of them since Ranger had his hands full with Steph. Instead the doors slid closed and the elevator began to rise with no buttons pushed at all. As the doors slid open she glanced at the indicator and saw they were on the third floor. Ranger remained silent but nodded his head for her to disembark. She entered a brightly lit corridor with concrete walls and industrial style carpeting. She followed Ranger to a door marked "Infirmary."

Inside the room was painted white and had the smell and appearance of a hospital emergency room. Cabinets lined the walls and a paper-covered exam table sat in the center of the room. A full sized gurney was lined up against the far wall along with a slew of high-tech looking medical equipment. Sitting on a rolling stool was a tall black man in what seemed to be the company uniform. He was muscled and dangerous looking and hardly looked to be a medical professional. Ranger laid Steph down gently on the gurney and covered her with a blanket.

"Bobby I think they were both drugged. I don't know the extent of other injuries." He stared at Bobby for a moment in a silent conversation.

The man, Bobby, smiled at Sookie and his dangerousness vanished suddenly. He extended his hand. She took it. "Bobby Brown, I'm the medic here at Rangeman. We'll take good care of you. I'm going to look you and Steph over if it's alright with you." He raised an eyebrow and Sookie nodded. "Maybe Ranger can make himself useful and get some food down here in the meantime?...I don't know about you but I've never found kidnappers to be the best hosts and I'm pretty sure Steph is going to want some chocolate cake when she wakes up." He smiled widely then turned and looked at Ranger, as if waiting for him to depart.

Ranger's face made a slight frown at the words "chocolate cake" but he turned and left the room saying only "Fifteen minutes" over his shoulder as he left.

Bobby was gentle as he probed the bruise on her face and asked if she'd like the area numbed with a shot or would like a pain killer. Sookie opted for the pain killer. She found Bobby's mind fairly silent with only a few medical musings interrupting the quiet. He asked her to say a few words, looked at her throat and asked for permission to draw blood and determine the drug used. He cleaned the damaged skin on her wrists and wrapped them in bandages. He sat down and looked her in the eye, pausing before asked about any other injuries or abuse she had suffered. She shook her head "no." Bobby nodded then asked if he could get a vial of blood. Sookie stared at the vial as her blood rushed into it and pondered over how much drama such a simple thing could cause.

Sookie watched as Bobby gently shook Steph awake, soothe her endless questions about Ranger, assuring her of his safety, and then repeat his exam procedures on her. Steph's voice didn't seem to be as affected, but then Sookie had been dosed more times than Steph and who knew if it was the same drug each time.

"I think your voice-loss is just the residual effect of a drug that freezes up your muscles. I want to check out your blood work though and see you again tomorrow to make sure it's not something affecting your nerves. I'll give you some tea that should help and you should try to relax your voice and speak as little as necessary. Your eye got a good whack and will probably hurt for a few days but I don't see signs of concussion. The swelling on your eye should go down by the time you wake up. Not much I can do about the bruising. I can give you something to help you sleep but you still have drugs in your system so you may only want to take them if you have actual trouble sleeping. In the meantime it looks like Ranger is back so I imagine some tasty medicine awaits." Bobby nodded towards the door as Ranger entered.

Steph walked straight to Ranger and wrapped her arms around his waist, tucking her face into his shirt. "Bobby said you were okay, but after the way that man just picked you up and shook you…And then when he threw you into the wall..." She looked fiercely at Bobby. "You need to look him over too."

Bobby nodded. "She's right Ranger. Take them up to four then I expect you back down here."

Ranger stared coldly then gave a slight nod before turning Steph towards the doorway. Sookie walked forward and stood near the door. "Thank you Mr. Brown." She said, using all the Southern manners she could in her exhausted state.

"It's Bobby and it was no problem. I'll have Ella bring up the tea and painkillers."

Sookie didn't bother asking who Ella was and simply nodded, following Ranger down the hall to the elevator.

Oooooooooooooo

Sookie woke up slowly. She checked her wrists and found them free. She hesitated before opening her eyes, taking in that she was warm and comfortable and that the room was bright with sunlight. Her wrists were still sore but the feeling of the tape holding bandages in place assured her that her memories from the previous evening were real. She yawned, stretched, and then opened her eyes. She could vaguely remember an older Latina woman feeding them and giving her painkillers and tea before she went to bed and seemed to remember waking to see Ranger sitting in a chair near Steph's bed. She looked over and saw Steph sprawled out across a bed with sheets twisted around her and a blanket half falling off the bed. Tucked into the corner of the room was the chair where she felt sure she had seen Ranger. The room was mostly dark with heavy drapes blocking out the sunlight but a wide beam fell across her pillow. She looked around the room for a clock. Not finding any clocks in the bedroom she ventured out of the room and into an open kitchenette and living room just outside the door.

The kitchen held a box of doughnuts, a coffee maker, and a large note on the fridge that read: "Please call me when you get up and I will bring you fresh clothes, towels, and a hot meal. Just dial 6 on the house phone. ~Ella" On the counter she also found some painkillers with her name on the label and a bottle of Tylenol. She opted for the Tylenol, grabbed a glass from the cabinet and was just filling it with water when Steph stumbled out of the bedroom.

Steph wordlessly walked to the breakfast counter, flipped on the coffee maker, sat down and took a doughnut out of the box. She let out a moan as she took a bite of the doughnut then turned toward Sookie. "Can I get a couple of those too? My shoulders are killing me."

Sookie smiled, shook out a couple more Tylenol, and got Steph a glass of water. Steph downed the Tylenol, picked up the phone, dialed and told the person on the other end that they were both up. She sat back down and took another bite of her doughnut.

"How's your voice?"

"I think it's mostly back. I don't even want to look in a mirror at my face though."

"You do have some pretty colors, but at least your eye can open now."

"Still, I'm a little afraid of seeing it."

Steph smiled weakly. "I've had worse." She shrugged and sighed as a glob of filling from her doughnut fell. "So I don't remember much, but seeing as we're here I guess Ranger saved us?"

Sookie paused for a moment trying to decide how to answer, "Not exactly."

Steph raised her eyebrows. "Joe?"

"More like Ranger's men and sort of my men."

"No way... I know Bobby gave me some painkillers last night but I can't believe I saw vampires and forgot about it. Sookie just shrugged. How do you explain to someone about glamouring and that it's been done to them? After a beat, Stephanie shrugged and went back to eating. "So who showed up first?"

"Ranger's men—they found you and Ranger and Joe and were on their way out when my guys showed up. I was still in an upstairs room."

"That couldn't have gone well."

Sookie reviewed what she knew of what had happened. "No…it did not go well." She said slowly. "But, no one was killed and that's something special."

"Is Joe alright?"

"Yeah…" Sookie wondered what Joe would remember. "He should be alright."

"Should be?"

"Well he was drugged too… So I don't know what he'll remember. I think Ranger's men took him home last night."

"He's going to want a statement on our kidnapping."

"Right, he said something about that."

"He was conscious?"

"Uh…yeah."

"And he knew I stayed here?"

"Yeah."

"Crap. He's going to be pissed."

"We kind of told him you should stay to make me feel more comfortable."

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, of course. I didn't even think of how… I'm so sorry." Crap, of course she wouldn't want to stay here with all the men in black. She must be totally freaked out.

"No, really I'm fine."

"Are your guys okay with your staying here?"

"They weren't thrilled, but it was nearly sunrise and Ranger offered security and a medic."

They were interrupted by the phone on the wall ringing. Steph picked it up tentatively, "Hello?" Crap. "Oh, hey Joe" … "Yeah, we just got up." … "Much better, Bobby looked us over last night" … Steph blew out a sigh. Of course he's qualified Joe… "Do we need to come into the station to give statements, or … maybe you could come here?" … "Yeah, probably better we stay inside anyhow." I swear Joe, you're worse than Ranger… "Okay, see you later then."

"Joe is going to be by within the hour for our statements about the kidnappers." Steph said, turning back towards Sookie. Just then a knock was heard and the small woman Sookie recalled from the previous evening bustled into the room pushing a cart with a large tray of food on top.

"Stephanie sweetheart you look so much better this morning—much more yourself!"

"Ella, thank you so much for the doughnuts, it's just what I needed!" Steph proclaimed giving Ella a small hug.

Ella smiled sweetly, "You'll have to thank Ranger or one of the boys for those, I was busy with making everyone lunch."

"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry, it's right in the middle of lunch shift, isn't it."

"No problem dear, the boys have just been pulling an all-nighter so they're extra hungry."

"But they found us; shouldn't they all be catching up on sleep now?"

"I don't know dear, but it doesn't seem like anyone has gone home yet. I did see Tank downstairs as I took your call and he said to let you know that when you're ready you should call down to five."

Steph nodded and sat down silently as Ella began putting plates of food in front of her on the counter. Sookie let out a happy sigh as the smell of pancakes, toast, eggs, bacon, and maple syrup wafted over her.

"It may be lunch time, but I know how much you like breakfast foods Stephanie." Ella said with a smile, setting down a pitcher of orange juice in front of them and moving back to her cart. "Now, when you've finished eating there are some clothes for each of you on the cart. The set with the white t-shirt is for you Ms. Stackhouse. I think you're just a little shorter than Stephanie and if I was wrong on any of the sizes just let me know and I'll run out and get you something else. I can also run over with one of the boys to your hotel or car to get whatever things you need."

"Aren't you just the sweetest thing? My goodness, so thoughtful… you sound just like my Gran."

Ella smiled, "Just doing my job. You let me know if you need anything."

Sookie suddenly stood up and gave Ella a hug. "You're a gem."

Ella packed her cart, smiled again at both ladies and left the apartment.

Steph nodded towards the door as Sookie returned to her seat. "She's the best part of staying at Rangeman. I want her to adopt me."

"And you stay here often?"

"I first came here when I was being hunted by a local gang with a price on my head. I've been back a few times since."

"To hide out?"

"Sometimes…" Steph's eyes glazed over for a second. Amongst other things.

"And you say Ella is the bestpart?" Sookie said with a wink.

Steph smiled, "Second best?"

"But you and Ranger have never been a couple?"

"Nope. He doesn't do relationships. He makes it quite clear what he wants me for..."

Sookie raised an eyebrow. She parted her lips to ask a question when there was a brief knock and the door opened. Ranger walked in and took a position behind Stephanie.

"Ella feeding you junk food?"

"Pancakes are not junk food!" Steph replied. They're just not the rabbit food you eat.

"Babe."

"Ranger," Steph said with a scowl.

"Morelli is in the conference room on one. He says you were expecting him."

"Oh, right, he wanted to ask us about the kidnapping."

"I'll let him know you should be down in ten."

"But I haven't even showered yet."

"Fifteen."

Sookie stood up and picked up the stack of clothes Ella had left her. "I can be ready in ten and he can interview me first, that should give Steph time to get ready."

"Thank you Ms. Stackhouse."

"Oh please, just call me Sookie, y'all put me up for the night and fed me a great breakfast, not to mention the medical attention. I reckon we should be on a first name basis by now."

"I'll have a man outside your door when you're ready Sookie." Ranger said with a nod. He pulled on one of Steph's curls, gave her a long look, and then left the room.

oooooooooooooooooo

It was nearly two o'clock by the time Detective Joe Morelli was done interviewing both Sookie and Steph. Sookie didn't like the overly-serious tone Joe was setting in the interview but wasn't sure if it was because she kept intercepting his thoughts centering around "somehow Manoso is behind all this," or if it was just because she was used to the casual familiarity she had with the police in Bon Temps. She had noticed throughout the steady red light on the security camera in the corner and was that all Ranger's men would be familiar with her account by the time they were done. She'd be just as happy not to repeat it anyhow. It was exhausting trying to separate out and repeat what she had heard people say versus what they had thought. Ella had come in twice to bring them drink service and she was appreciative when she perceived that she had been sent not only for the drinks but to check on Sookie and pull her out for some fictitious medical appointment if she looked uncomfortable.

As soon Detective Morelli finished her interview, Sookie had been brought back to her room on four. Steph's interview was next and while she waited Sookie had been left with nothing but television for entertainment and had opted for a nap instead.

Sookie awoke to hearing a low male whisper in the next room. She felt her stomach clench and a moment of fear before she heard the murmur of Steph's whispered reply followed by the silent plea: He had better stop looking at me like that; Sookie is just in the next room.

She heard a small gasp, a body shift, and a thump against the doorway. There was a quiet moanand the shadow from under the door showed two pair of feet. God he's talented with his tongue!

At that Sookie couldn't help but let out a giggle and the sound suddenly stopped. She heard a couple of footsteps and the exterior door shut.

The door opened and Steph walked in looking slightly dazed. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"For what?"

"Well…for…" Steph gesture towards the doorway. "For that. Somehow Ranger just does that to me, and today he seems especially predatory."

"He was probably just scared when you were kidnapped, only natural he'd want to hold on now that he got you back."

"I'm not sure Ranger does scared."

"Honey, everybody does scared."

"Can you tell… I mean can you, you know, hear him?"

"No, I can't. Well I did hear something, but only when I was touching him."

"Geesh, figures. Even mind readers can't get past that blank face of his. Probably something the military taught him."

"I don't know. I can usually hear something, even from those that don't want me to. Except for vampires… can't hear a peep from them."

"So… you think he's a ..."

"Naw… he can't be a vampire. Could be something else though… There's all sorts out there."

Figures, figures he'd be a…. Steph started laughing, a small giggle getting larger until she was holding her sides and tears were streaming down her face. Sookie sat smiling, wishing she were in on the joke.

"It's just… you know… Batman… he's like some sort of superhero… and" Steph stopped laughing for long enough to draw in a deep breath, "And so of course he's some sort of super-natural something…" her laughter subsided and she sat silently for another minute. "Do you think that's why he says… he says he's not relationship material?"

Sookie shrugged. "I don't know. Bill was hesitant to be in a relationship at first too. But it seems like although lots of them seem to prefer their own kind there are plenty of examples of relationships between all sorts. Even I am just part… well … special."

Steph raised an eyebrow, okay both eyebrows, and stared at Sookie. "Part special?" What kind of special are you?

Sookie paused "It's not that I don't trust you, it's just that my kind are sort of hunted by others and so the fewer people that know the better."

"Oh, of course." I have no idea what that means.

"So…" Sookie stood up. "What are we doing all day?"

"Ranger said they were having a briefing at 3:00 to review what they've discovered so far. We should probably get going pretty soon."

Sookie went to the bathroom and fixed her hair, opting to leave it down and cover as much as she could the large bruise covering a quarter of her face.

They took the stairs to fifth floor and entered a corridor done completely in varying shades of grey, glass, and steel. They passed a room filled with monitors and large black-clad men, and a few empty cubicles before coming to a conference room filled with a long oval table and a slew of wide black leather executive chairs half of which were already filled.

"Wow, they really go all out. Those are some nice chairs for a meeting room" Sookie whispered to Steph.

"Have you seen these guys? They wouldn't fit in the average chair."

Sookie looked around, "Good point."

A tall, well-muscled man at the front of the room waved his arm. "Beautiful, I've got seats for you and your lovely friend up here." He winked and pulled out one of the chairs.

"Down boy, she's taken." Steph replied sitting in the proffered chair.

"M'lady," he said, pulling out a second chair.

"Thank you." Sookie said, sitting down and taking the hand he offered.

"Lester, " he replied. And the pleasure is truly all mine.

"Sookie." she said, giggling at his flirting. You'd think I didn't have a giant black eye with the way you're staring mister.

He pulled in a little closer to her and winked. You look beautiful, whoever did that to you will pay.

Sookie turned to Steph, leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Is that one always such a flirt?"

"Always."

Sookie thought there was something vaguely familiar about him.

oooooooooooooooo

At the end of the meeting Sookie let out a breath of relief. While most of the men stayed on the topic of the meeting, and she had learned that there were several leads on the human members of the kidnapping crew, she had a bit of a headache from fending off the thoughts of revenge that men were voicing about whoever had done this to Bomber and her friend. She was also wondering how long it would be before sunset and how upset Bill and Eric would be if there wasn't progress.

The huge man she had heard called Tank slipped her a note that said her car was in the garage downstairs and her bags had been brought to the room on four.

As soon as they stood up she saw Ranger position himself behind Steph and whisper in her ear. She nodded then turned to Sookie, Ranger still standing with a hand on her lower back. "I'm pretty good at doing searches so I'm going to look over the files for some of the guys on our list. Ranger said sunset is at 7 tonight and we can have pizza at his place at 6 if you want so we're ready to go at 7.

Sookie nodded, "Should we be leaving the building though? Are we out of risk?"

"Ranger's apartment is on the seventh floor."

Ranger spoke up, "We'll leave the building with escorts before sunset. You have a way to contact your men?"

"As long as you have a phone I can use I can just call them." Sookie replied.

"And they will protect you without harming us?" He countered.

"Yes."

"See you at 6." Ranger said, nodding toward Sookie, dropping a kiss on top of Steph's head, and retreating towards some offices further down the hall.

"Do you want to go do searches with me, or go back to four?"

"I know I've slept plenty but honestly I've got a bit of a headache and wouldn't mind another nap."

"Oh, of course. If you need Bobby just dial zero and let control know and they'll connect you. And the drugs are all still on the counter, so whatever you need…"

Lester sidled up behind Steph… "I could help with her needs…"

Steph slapped him playfully. "No Lester, leave this one alone." She turned toward Sookie, "He thinks he's God's gift to women."

"Thinks? You offend me Beautiful!" He grabbed Steph's hand and pretended to stab himself in the heart with an imaginary knife. Then he got more interested in the hand and began playing with her fingers.

"You're such a flirt Lester." Steph cried, pulling her hand away.

"It's not my fault, I was born this way."

Sookie stared at him hard. "Somehow I believe that," she said with a smirk. "Now walk me to four, I have some questions."

a/n I don't know how this chapter happened or how it got so long. I fully expected for the ladies to sleep at Rangemen and then get straight into action and for all of us to enjoy seeing Ranger, Joe, Eric, and Bill suffering through trying to work with too many Alpha Males in the kitchen. But then the characters seemed to think we needed to hear about every little detail that happened when they got back to Rangeman. Really, these characters never seem to do what I expect them to do. So frustrating. But after an extra two days 4K+ words I gave up and decided I should just look for a decent stopping point so I could move on. I promise more action and more of Eric and Bill in the next chapter.

*Please leave comments, I don't know if this unendingly-long chapter would have gotten itself out of my system and onto the page so that I can move on if it weren't for all of your positive words and encouragement*