Wow! What a roller coaster ride! Finally got a laptop that works (and a memory stick too so that I don't lose anything else!)
So, onwards and upwards and another chapter in this tale... Enjoy (and please review - it makes my day ;oP)
xxx
Ranger finally returned to his office after a particularly trying meeting with an elderly but extremely wealthy potential client who was looking for a security firm to secure his eight warehouses.
Most of the rest of the staff had left for the evening and only the skeleton late shift remained so the lighting was subdued across much of the office, matching perfectly with Ranger's own mood at that moment.
Dios! How he needed Steph right now. She would have charmed the crusty old fart and had him eating out of her perfectly formed small hands within an hour. But no, Madisson had spent four hours picking holes in every solution he and Lester presented then proceeded to moan about the cost and the timescales.
He sat down in his dark office and turned on the anglepoise that bent over his computer, flooding the screen and part of his keyboard in light. Powering up his PC he saw that he had a report from Ace and began to read its contents.
Boston was thriving with a young woman called Vera now on board and up to her eyeballs in training. She'd successfully done a couple of distractions, under Steph's guidance, and she was starting to win new accounts with her friendly and approachable demeanour. Steph would be needed for a further two weeks to support her.
Ace then went on to suggest Babe move on to Atlanta to tame the men there and recruit another woman to function in the same capacity as both Steph and Vera. Vera was rapidly turning into a strong addition to Ace's crew and he felt Connor's team needed a similar weapon in its arsenal.
Ranger mentally snorted. Tame the Atlanta team! Yeah right!
Manoso realised that if Steph pushed too hard and Connor and his men retaliated sparks would fly, and very quickly. Sparks would quickly turn to flamethrower level... cars would burn...
Ranger sighed.
Connor may have been a wonderful soldier in the field but Ranger doubted his ability to think clearly if the Trenton hurricane with blue eyes played true to her usual tactics. The man was a chauvinist of the highest order and wouldn't take kindly to Steph's office skills, although he might take very kindly to her physical attributes. He growled as he thought about what would probably run through his mind and that of most of the neanderthals that worked out of Atlanta.
He finished reading the document then fired off a reply thanking Ace for his hard work at making Steph feel so welcome. He also agreed that Connor and the rest of the Atlanta team would benefit from her unique female perspective but added that it might not be possible for her to go down there without backup as things could get ugly. She might be fantastic at her job, but it would be like putting Daniel in the Lion's den and much as he knew she could probably handle them, it wouldn't be fair to do that to her. He told Ace he'd think about it and let him know a decision once he'd consulted with the core team.
He then hinted that he knew about Steph's romance with Falcon and covered it with a flimsy comment about her probably being sad about leaving new friends behind.
Once he'd hit the send button he leaned his head back on his chair and stared up at the ceiling.
With every day that passed, Ranger could feel his connection to Steph fade and it made him more sad than anything else had ever done. He needed her to light up his life and missed her complete acceptance of who he was. If only he hadn't been such an asshole in her apartment.
Ace was right though. The Atlanta team needed her unique perspective on things. They had failed to capture several high value bonds recently, were having problems winning contracts with potential new clients and their account base hadn't really grown in the last 18 months. Ranger knew Steph would give them all the shake up they needed. If only he could find a way back to being Professor Higgins for her without undermining her abilities.
Dios! What a fucking mess!
He blew out a large sigh, checked over a couple of quick emails from Tank then turned his computer off before heading up to 7 for another lonely meal. Chicken with lemongrass on wild rice, cooked by the wonderful Ella. Unaware of the look Bobby gave him as he passed the comms room door.
o0o0o0o0o
Steph finished up the search she'd been working on and put it in the completed pile ready to be returned to Ninja. Looking round the large open plan office she realised that her time was almost up, that she was leaving at the end of the week and that Vera would be a great asset to the team. She smiled as she thought about the woman she'd employed. She was young, beautiful and great fun and had a core of inner steel - just what Boston needed.
Additionally, Vera was just what Rees needed.
She smiled as she thought of all that had happened to bring them together.
Flashback:
"Hey Steph, it's Able's birthday, fancy pizza and shooting some pool with us then heading onto a nightclub?" Tom asked as he walked into her office and knelt down in front of her chair one morning. Turning it round so that he could look at her. "Perhaps we could find a dark corner and you could play with a different cue?" he added, raising one eyebrow as he ran the back of his index finger slowly and gently down the side of her face.
Everyone knew she and Falcon had been out on a date but that they'd become good friends rather than an item. Like the rest of the boys, Tom thought perhaps he stood a chance. None of them knew what had prevented Steph and Rees from hooking up romantically and had just put it down to incompatibility. All of them wanted to be the next man Steph dated, Tom was no exception.
"Waddya say, Steph?" he said softly a playful look on his face.
Steph leant forward and cupped his face in her hands. "I really like you, Tom. But right now? I don't think so. I'm really sorry, but..."
"Yeah, I geddit. Sorry I asked."
"Seriously Tom, it's not you it's..."
"Me? Right?" He pulled back slightly then made as if to stand up.
"No! It's just that it... it's complicated, really it is. And right now I'm all over the place. I thought I was ready to move on but now I realise I've got a few ghosts that need to be laid to rest before I can consider a relationship with anyone else. It wouldn't be fair, trust me."
"This hasn't got anything to do with Falcon then?" Tom said, looking surprised.
"No. In fact if it wasn't for Rees I'd still be in denial. He made me take a long hard look at what I've done to a couple of people that mean the world to me. I didn't like what I saw. I can offer you friendship, Tom but nothing more..."
Tom could see the pain in her eyes. "S'ok, Sweetie. Really it is." He knelt back down again and drew her into his arms for a hug. After a few seconds he pulled back "Gonna beat your ass on the pool table though, Plum." He grinned out.
"Not a chance, Spence!" came the spirited reply.
o0o0o0o0o
"Steph... do you think HE likes me?" Vera slurred out in her ear as they downed yet another highly coloured, very alcoholic cocktail later in a booth located in a quiet spot at the back of the nightclub hours later.
"Who?"
"Falcon of course!"
Steph shrugged and gave her a non-committal look.
"I know you dated him but he's free, right?" Vera asked, "What's he like in bed?" she blurted out, obviously letting the daiquiri she'd been slurping loosen her tongue.
Steph laughed out loud. Vera would be sooo good for Rees she decided. "I think you to would be great for each other!" she said matter of factly before leaning in and adding conspiratorially "he knows to do the right thing in the sack too." with a wink.
Vera sighed and leaned back, closing her eyes. "mmmmm" she added with a grin.
"Back in a mo, Vera. Gotta go pee. You gonna be OK?"
"Yup"
But Steph didn't go to the bathroom. Instead she went in search of Rees, grabbing his hand from some blonde bimbo's waist and demanding that he go meet his destiny before staggering back to the booth, towing him behind her where she unceremoniously pushed him down next to Vera and gave him silent instructions to talk to her.
At that moment Ninja grabbed her and twirled her onto the dance floor where she proceeded to dance the rest of the night away with the rest of the gang to loud obnoxious music that for the first time in ages made her feel glad to be alive.
o0o0o0o0o
The next morning Steph crawled out of bed and after she'd showered and eaten breakfast, picked up the phone.
"Joe?"
"Cupcake?"
"Hi, long time no speak. How's things?"
"Er... Fine?..." came Joe's guarded reply.
"Joe, I've been thinking..."
Sigh
"No Joe, it's not what you think. I need to apologise is all."
"?"
"A good friend of mine made me look at how I've been acting over the last couple of years and I've realised that I was a total bitch and I'm glad that you've got your life back together and moved on without me and I just hope you can forgive me and that one day we can be friends again?" She said in one long breath.
"Woah, Steph, slow down! You want to repeat that, slowly?" Steph could hear Joe moving about, as if he was settling onto a sofa or something. Then she heard him take a drink.
"Joe, I'm really sorry" she said again "I've had the error of my ways pointed out to me by an impartial friend and then yesterday something made me realise that I needed to apologise for what I've been up to. The constant on/off relationship. The bouncing between you and Ranger. The screaming matches. My stubbornness. My only seeing my point of view. My inability to take my safety seriously. Tell me Joe, was I really worth all the agro? I mean, you must have had heart failure every time my blew my car up!" She sniffed before continuing "I'm glad you've moved on and found someone new. Please tell me she treats you better than I did."
Joe chuckled "Well, she's a lot easier on the ego. And the stomach ulcer. And the..."
"Ok, Joe! No need to rub my face in it!" Steph grinned out.
Joe could hear the smile in her voice. "I'm not saying that I don't miss you, Steph because I do miss our friendship. I really don't miss the chaos and madness of it all though." He added smiling back at her.
"I'm glad that things have worked out for you Joe. Perhaps next time you're both in Trenton you could stop by and say hello? I'd really like our friendship back too."
"Sure thing, Steph."
"So... how's Texas?"
"Hot!" Joe replied with a chuckle "But nothing changes, same shit, different location."
"How's Bob?"
"Yeah, he's good too."
"Rex?"
"Gone to the great big hamster wheel in the sky, I'm afraid. I buried him just before I moved to Boston."
"Boston?"
"Yeah, I've been helping the Rangeman team here bring a more female perspective to their business. I've made some great friends too."
"Ranger?"
"Let's just say I don't think we'll be sending each other Christmas cards this year."
"Ah. I thought you and he..."
"Yeah, well, let's just leave it at that, shall we."
"Steph. Forgive me for meddling, but I really thought you two would get it together with me out of the picture." Joe thought he could detect a slight sob so waited patiently for her to pull herself together.
"I did too." She whispered. "Gotta go, Joe, Bye."
"Bye" Joe replied to the dial tone.
o0o0o0o0o
The next day Rees and Vera snuck back into the building at ten o'clock in the morning still in the clothes they'd partied in and hoping no-one had noticed their absence.
End flashback
Steph still ached to have Ranger back in her life but at least she'd laid the ghost of boyfriends past to rest. She also knew that one day she and Joe could now be friends again. If only she could be so certain about the man who still held her heart.
She powered down her computer and headed up to 7 for a quiet meal, a 'pizza à la Cindy' special with extra cheese and olives, unaware of the look Matt gave her as she passed the glass wall of his office.
Hope this chapter was worth the wait. The next one is almost complete (Margaret Fowler...). Once again, sorry for the delay in posting this one xxx