Characters belong to Charlaine Harris and Janet Evanovich, I'm just playing with them.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Sookie was enjoying her third slice of Pino's pizza, her feet tucked under her on Ranger's oh-so-supple leather sectional when Lester poked his head in the door.

"Are you ready to go?"

Sookie stared at Lester. He smiled and dimples appeared in his cheeks. Because I'd love to take you. He walked through the door and folded his arms in front of his chest.

Ranger stood up from the arm chair he sat in and scowled at Lester. "We'll be down in 10."

Lester nodded at Ranger and leaned on the side table, crossing one foot over the other.

"That will be all." Ranger said flatly.

No fun at all…Lester thought and turned and left the apartment.

Sookie stared after him. She had tried to ask a few prying questions without coming out and asking anything obvious but had only learned that he was part Cuban, a distant relative of Ranger's, and that (according to him) although many members of his family were attractive, none were as charming.

oooooooooo

Ten minutes later Sookie stood gaping at the army of men in black assembled in the garage ready to escort them out of the building. Most were focused on their role and who they should protect, but many had questions about who the team would be meeting up with and why Ranger had told them to keep their riot goggles on and keep their distance.

By seven p.m. they were sitting on an abandoned stretch of road a few miles outside of Trenton, their vehicles forming a slight semi-circle behind them. Most of the men in black were on the opposite side of the vehicles, weapons drawn and ready.

"Is that really necessary? They're not going to like having so many people around." Sookie said, gesturing towards the men.

"Yes. It is necessary." Ranger replied.

"But…"

"They're only there for our protection. They know not to fire without cause." Ranger wordlessly handed Sookie a phone. She scowled, sighed, and then dialed Bill's number.

"Hello?" a deep, familiar voice resonated through the phone.

"Bill, it's me."

"You are safe?"

"Yes, they've been great hosts."

"Where are you Sookie? I shall come."

"Are you with Eric?"

"Yes, he is now with me. Tell me where you are. We will both come."

"I'm going to hand the phone to Ranger. He'll let you know where we are." She handed the phone over.

Ranger took the phone and hit the speaker button. "Do you have a car?"

"Yes, I have a vehicle." Bill replied.

"Lamberton Road, 150 feet south of Route 129. South side of the road at a loading ramp near the river," Ranger said, his voice sounding like he was giving orders more than directions.

"We will be there shortly. You will protect Sookie until we arrive."

"Yes." Ranger replied then ended the phone call.

Sookie put her hands on her hips, "Did you just hang up that phone without saying anything even a lick like 'goodbye'?" She turned to Steph, "Where I'm from men have been shot for less. We value our manners."

Steph smiled, nodded, and smacked Ranger playfully on the arm. "See?"

"It was unnecessary." Ranger said, a little on the soft side.

Sookie leaned in, her hands still on her hips, ready to teach a lesson. "Most manners are unnecessary. Shows you care for and respect a person when you do unnecessary things for them."

The corners of Ranger's mouth turned up slightly. "I have other ways I like to show I care."

"Don't mean you can't do both."

Ranger paused, looked at the expressions on Sookie and Stephanie's faces and turned towards Tank. "You have the reports ready?"

Tank nodded. "Good to go." He handed Ranger three manila folders.

"Goggles on. In the driver's seat. Vehicle one."

Tank nodded, put on a pair of oversized goggles and moved to the SUV at the front of the line.

Steph had been silently taking in everything happening but her brain had been full of a million questions. "Ranger what's with all the firepower and the goggles? Didn't Sookie say these guys are on our side?"

"They're vampires. I don't trust them."

"Okay, but if they're vampires and are like super strong and immortal how are the guns and goggles going to help?"

"Vampires can do a thing with their eyes like hypnotism. The goggles create a disruption that protects the wearer from its influence."

"Woah, that's crazy, why haven't I ever heard of that?"

Ranger shrugged, "They have very good PR agents."

"I'd think the goggle manufactures would let people know."

"They're government issue only Babe."

"Of course." Steph rolled her eyes then paused, "They say hypnotism really just lowers inhibitions though, I don't see how it would affect your men."

"I said it's like hypnotism. It's much more powerful."

"So they could like, wipe your mind of having been bitten or whatever and you wouldn't even know?"

Ranger looked at Sookie quickly then stared at Stephanie for a moment. He shook his head slowly and tucked a curl behind her ear. "No, you wouldn't even know."

"Crazy… but what about the guns? Are they special vampire guns?"

"The guns have silver bullets in them. A single bullet might not take them down but a vampire will be slowed by them and enough silver can incapacitate or kill them."

Steph was still staring at all the guns around them when the rumble of a car pulling off the main road was heard and headlights swept past them.

A sleek, silver European sports car slid to a stop in front of them. A tall blond wearing a track suit unfolded himself from the driver's seat and was instantly standing at Sookie's left side. A dark haired man in a jacket and cravat followed with the same speed, positioning himself to her right.

Holy crap. How did they move so fast? They were just at the car.

"Eric…Bill." Sookie said, nodding to each of the men, then gesturing to the man in front of them, "This is Carlos Manoso, or Ranger."

The three men stared at each other none of them moving a muscle. Finally Eric looked Ranger up and down and said, "I still do not like the smell of you."

Steph rolled her eyes. Apparently none of them have manners…or taste, Ranger smells like Bulgari shower gel and manly goodness.

"And this is my friend, Stephanie Plum."

Bill extended his hand and took Stephanie's in a polite handshake. "Ms. Plum, it is a pleasure. My name is Bill Compton," he said, his voice low and southern accent pronounced.

"Nice to meet you, I've heard so much about you."

Eric extended his hand and took Steph's, "Ms. Plum, I'm sure you've heard about me as well. Most of it is probably greatly exaggerated, unless it is about the many things I would do to Sookie if she would just renounce this one and become mine."

A small hiss escaped Bill's mouth and Steph jumped back into Ranger's arms looking with fear at the extended fangs in Bill's mouth. She heard a gun safety clicking unlocked somewhere behind them.

Sookie took a step towards Steph and away from Eric and Bill. "Y'all just don't get it. I left town. I drove across the country for a reason. I was gone for a year of time here and when I get back you…" she poked Bill in the chest. "Have moved on and for all I know have a harem of women in your bed… And you…" she pointed up at Eric's smirking face, "You bought my house and thought I came with it." Sookie threw both hands up in the air. "And when I say I've had enough and leave town you can't just let me be and have to follow me all the way to New Jersey?'

Eric's face was stony. "Considering the trouble you find yourself in perhaps the choice was wise." He lifted his eyebrows and stared at her, his eyes fixed on hers. She rolled her eyes and scowled back.

Eric turned to Ranger, as if nothing had happened. "You have information on who kidnapped Sookie?"

"Yes." Ranger replied. "We have background information and possible locations for 4 humans involved. There is no evidence that we could gather on what vampire might have orchestrated this but I worked with a sketch artist today to generate an image." He handed Eric the first of the three folders.

Eric opened the folder and glanced over the images. He handed the folder to Bill.

"I do not recognize him." Bill said, holding the folder out to Ranger.

"Nor I." added Eric.

"Keep the images; I assume you can ask around in places that I can't?"

Bill withdrew the extended folder. "We can, though we are not as familiar with the area and our positions in Louisiana have less meaning in this territory. Vampires are not the most trusting creatures. It will be harder to extract information."

"Also we are hoping to bring in a few of the human perpetrators tonight at a bar several of them are known to frequent. Perhaps you would assist in 'extracting information'?" Ranger said, handing the second folder to Eric.

Eric had just grabbed the folder when the sound of a car turning off the main road drew their attention. Before she knew it Sookie found Eric's arms wrapped around her and Stephanie picking them both up effortlessly and pulling them beyond the row of SUV's and toward the river. Gunshots began making pinging noises as they struck the vehicles and Sookie could see a large pick-up had pulled up behind Eric's car and gunshots were exploding from both the driver's and passenger windows.

Sookie sensed Stephanie struggling beside her and screaming Ranger's name, but her voice was drown out in the gunfire. Eric set them both down at water's edge and pulled them down into a crouching position.

Stephanie immediately shot up, running back towards the shootout now occurring between Ranger's men and the pick-up.

Sookie struggled briefly, Eric's grip tight on her arm. "You have to get her."

"No. I do not have to do anything of the sort. I have to stay here and make sure you are safe."

Sookie tried to stand but found her shoulder held solidly by Eric. She punched Eric's solid chest. "Let me go."

"No."

"Eric, let me…" Sookie began, but then saw in a flash of headlights Stephanie's curls silhouetted as she ran beside Ranger toward the water. Suddenly Sookie realized the reason for the quick pace of the two as the pickup truck emerged, crashing through the trees just behind the running pair, its engine racing.

Eric grabbed Sookie and shoved her in the water, grabbing her around one shoulder and taking several powerful strokes with his other hand that pulled them far out into the icy river water. She saw Steph's curly hair not far away.

Oh my god it's so cold. Please God let them give up quickly, I don't want to freeze to death in this river. Or drown. Drowning might be worse…God I don't want to drown. Or be shot. Or be shot and then drown. I usually feel cold when I'm shot. Maybe I'm already shot and can't tell because the water is so cold. Crap, I'm probably already dying. Crap. Crap. Crap. No, wait, Ranger won't let me drown, right, and… crap, where's Ranger?

Sookie tugged her shoulder away from Eric. "We have to get Steph," she whispered, the pins and needles already shooting pain through her arms and legs.

"It's more important to keep you safe."

"Well this water is freezing and you can't provide me with warmth, so at the very least she and I could warm each other so we don't freeze to death or lose all of our toes."

"I can provide you with blood."

"I don't want your blood. Please, let me get Steph…"

Eric turned and took a few long strokes and gathered Steph and Sookie together.

Steph struggled against Eric's grip, "No, I need to find Ranger." She cried.

Sookie looked at the riverbank and saw the pickup still idling. Its headlights skimmed the water but she could not see any other heads above the water. They had already been in the water several minutes. Maybe Ranger had cramped up from the cold water and gone under, or maybe he had swum further downstream.

A very long minute later the headlights from the truck swung around and the truck disappeared back into the trees. Sookie's eyes took a minute to adjust to the light.

"There, near the water's edge." Eric said, beginning to drag the women back towards the shore.

"What? What do you see?" Stephanie's frightened voice replied.

"I believe it is Ranger." Eric stated coolly.

As they approached the shore Sookie could see Ranger's face looking out over the water. He had stripped off his jacket and vest and his t-shirt and cargos clung to his body tightly. Sookie's eyes widened slightly at just how muscular he was. Sookie could see relief wash over Ranger's face even in the dim moonlight as he caught sight of Stephanie's curly head bobbing towards shore. He waded out the last few feet and gathered Steph into his arms pulling her body against his as he ran his hands up and down her arms. As Eric and Sookie emerged and Sookie shivered her way up the shore she saw Ranger pull a phone out of one of the pockets in his cargo pants.

"Tank, we're at the river, bring blankets." He said and shut the phone. He made a gesture for Sookie to come closer and pulled her in close beside Steph.

"Sookie I can give you…" Eric said, stepping closer.

"No Eric, I don't want that. You know I don't." She looked at him seriously. His eyes were pleading and his wide shoulders and tall, muscular form looked even more angular as the weight of the wet track suit pulled itself over his body. He reached out a hand and rubbed it up and down her neck.

There was silence for a moment with only the sound of the river lapping at the bank behind them.

"Your phone still works after being in the freezing water?" Steph said through shivering teeth. That is so not fair.

"Babe." I'm always prepared. I care about you too much not to be.

Sookie smiled, it might be nice if you said it out loud.

Sookie felt Ranger's arm tense slightly as it held Steph and her secure. Ranger looked up from gazing in Steph's eyes to stare at Sookie for a moment.

Sookie heard pebbles shifting and felt Eric's hand freeze on her shoulder. She looked to see Eric staring past her at Ranger.

"You…." Eric said, suddenly smiling and looking Ranger in the eye. "You smell different now…. You smell… delicious…" Eric's fang's extended and his head fell back as he took a deep breath.

Sookie gasped as the pieces connected in her mind. Are you…? Sookie's thought was cut short when she saw Eric suddenly move over Ranger's shoulder, his mouth just above Ranger's neck.

"No Eric!" She shouted but was cut short as two gunshots sounded from the treeline.

A flash of pain crossed Eric's face as he fell to the ground.

ooooooooooooooooooooo

a/n It is crazy hard to juggle a huge cast of characters. I kept writing conversations then realizing things like "Hey wait, Steph hasn't spoken through this whole thing... that's very unlike her," and then having to go back and restructure the whole thing. "Wait, Bill is there, he needs to say something."

Then there is the complication of so many mindreaders... So Sookie can hear Steph's thoughts and any human around her except for Ranger, Eric might be able to hear some human thoughts and Ranger can/might be able to... well... Crap, this is hard.

Is it really bad that, while Steph was worried about Ranger, Sookie never gave a second thought about Bill in the whole running away scene? I figure she's used to her guys getting out of most scrapes on their own and...well, she had Eric and enough going on to distract her.

You have no idea how long I've been wanting to get Ranger all wet and what I went through to make it happen! *evil grin* I even pulled up a google map to make sure I could find a location near water for the meet.

*Please leave comments, I had the best, happiest post-work surprise last week when I checked my email and had a slew of comments. I'm never sure that I can move on and then I get all of your positive words and encouragement and feel totally validated (a thing that has unfortunately been lacking in my work-life this year)*