Chapter 43

Bobby and Stephanie pulled out of the garage on the way to her Doctors appointment. Stephanie was texting Ranger that they were leaving and would be back in about an hour. Ranger, Tank and Hector had all been at the police station all day and still had not come back.

"What did he say?" Bobby asked pulling into traffic.

Stephanie shrugged, "That they have gotten nothing out of any of the men. So, they are going through the all the computers they found. If you ask me, it's like trying to find a needle in a hay stack." She said.

Bobby snorted, "Normally I would agree, but if Hector is doing it he will find what he is looking for." He said.

Stephanie grinned, "I agree…. The police department is not actually letting Hector touch anything. Only consult. It is driving him crazy."

Bobby laughed at her, "No wonder they are still there, has he killed anyone yet?"

Stephanie shook her head, "Ranger said not yet, but it was close a few times." She looked down at her phone, "He is asking about my gun again…hold on." She pulled her gun out of the glove compartment and held it up to take a selfie. She gave a smart ass look with raised eyebrows. She put it away and hit send. "I hate carrying. I completely understand why he wants me to do it, but I really hate it!" she exclaimed.

Bobby did say anything, just watched her from the corner of his eye amused. She huffed again mumbling under her breath before pulling the gun out again and shoving it into her purse. Bobby wisely chose to say nothing, but Stephanie didn't miss the grin on his face.

"Ohh shut up." She mumbled, sitting back in the seat, "If it makes him happy I will do it. At least until he finds these people."

Bobby just nodded, which only drove Stephanie even more crazy, "So you and Meg, humm?" She said with a sly grin. When he just shrugged she continued, "You know if it comes to a break up, I will have to divorce you and be team Meg?"

Bobby gave her a dirty look which made her laugh, "Unless you can become an OBGYN in less than 9 months. She wins." She said smartly. "Even then I am not sure Ranger, or I would want you looking at my hoo-ha!"

Bobby grimaced and nodded, "I agree. I don't want to see your ho-ha either!"

Stephanie laughed, "Let's go see if we can get me some meds for the vomiting…. I can't handle any more mornings like the last few."

They pulled into the doctors office parking lot 20 minutes later with Bobby looking around before they got out, "Make sure to text Ranger when we get upstairs to let him know we made it safe." He said walking her to the front door.

"Yep, already sent him one that we arrived." She said getting into the elevator. "So, Meg said my levels are really high, I might be farther along then I thought. But I was on birth control with no issues before that."

Bobby grinned, "Or you have more than one baby in there."

Stephanie rolled her eyes at him, "I still don't understand how that is possible, she gave me an ultrasound. How do you miss another baby?"

Bobby laughed as the doors slid open and lead her to the office, "Because she was looking as a fuzzy little bean… not a baby, baby…. She was looking to see if you were pregnant, not if you had multiples. Ultrasounds are not perfect Bomber."

They walked into the empty waiting area, "Well I better be further along and not having multiples…. I am still not sure if I can handle one let alone 2!" She practically yelled.

They both turned to look at Meg as she came in laughing, "Never fear Stephanie. We are going to figure this out right now."

Stephanie took a deep breath, "Fine let's go…." She mumbled.

Bobby went to sit down, and Stephanie turned to look at him, "Ohh hell no! you are coming in with me…. That way when I panic, you can talk me off the ledge. Because either I don't have as much time to prepare as I thought, OR I am having more than I agreed to. Either way I am going to panic." She said pulling his hand.

Bobby shook his head at her, "Remember that entire conversation about not seeing your ho-ha?" he said not moving.

Meg rolled her eyes, "I am still giving her the ultrasound. You sit by her head and look at the screen genius."

Bobby gave a quick relived nod, "Ok I can do that."

"Steph, I left you a blanket on the table. Go ahead in the room and take off everything from the waist down. Then sit with the blanket covering you. We will come in, in a minuet." Meg said opening the room door.

Stephanie nodded and grinned as she watched Meg turn to Bobby and smile. "Maybe you two need to get a room." She said walking in to the room.

Meg grinned at her as she pulled the door closed, "Who said that we haven't already." She said making Stephanie laugh out loud. She was hopping up onto the table when her phone gave a ding. Ranger was wanting to know if she was done yet and on her way home. She sent him a quick text back to let him know that she was still there, and she would text him when they left. She laughed when he sent her one emoji back with the raised eyebrow. He had been sending her that text every time he was not in agreement with what she sent him. She was texting him a thumbs up emoji, just to mess with him when Meg and Bobby walked in.

"Ready lady?" Meg said taking a seat on the stool and turning on the machine. "Anything you want to talk about while I set up?"

"Yes." Said Bobby before she could answer, "She is getting super sick every morning… vomiting and unable to eat."

Meg gave Stephanie a grin, "Well you sure threw your voice just now." Rolling her eyes at Bobby, "But to answer your question, while it is normal to have some nausea… what you have seems a bit worse. I don't like that you can't keep anything down. I am going to give you some meds that will help. Also changing your diet will help."

Stephanie frowned, "I love grease and sugar… but this baby seems to take after its father and is allergic to anything yummy." She grumbled.

Meg laughed as she picked up the wand, "Cold again." She said, "And it may pass, the first trimester is the one most moms are sick and restricted in what they want to eat." Meg looked at the screen, "Now let's see…... here is one sac, looks a normal healthy size for your due date. This makes me think that we have a hider."

Stephanie took a breath as Meg moved the wand around in search of the reason she had higher levels. Both Stephanie and Bobby turned to look at the screen when they heard Meg say, "Found it."

There, clear as day was a second sac. She was pregnant with twins. Meg looked on a grin. Bobby was practically bouncing gin his seat in excitement. And Stephanie looked at the screen and said, "Well, fuck."

_/-

"Steph, its gonna be ok. Two can be a challenge, but it is going to be so much fun." Meg said handing her the photo she had printed out.

"Fun…... FUN." She said in amazement. "I was just getting used to the thought that I could handle ONE… with A LOT of help. Now you are telling me there are two of them." Stephanie was hyperventilating, "I mean before it was like you threw me into the deep end of a pool and I didn't know how to swim. Now its like you threw me into the ocean…. With sharks…. And left in the boat…. this is like that movie Open water."

Bobby and Meg shared a look of amusement, Bobby snorted at her, "While it is a surprise, don't you think you are being a little dramatic."

Stephanie turned on him, eyes wild and narrowed at the same time, "Don't you think you should shut it and agree until I am done panicking?"

Bobby held up his hands with a grin, "Yes I am sorry. Everything is going to be fine. You have so many people that are going to help you and Ranger. Everything is going to be fine."

"FINE?" Stephanie yelled again, "Before I had to tell him I was pregnant, and I was freaking out. Now I have to tell him there are two!"

Bobby grinned, "So tell him you are pregnant… wait a while until he gets used to it and then tell him there are two."

Stephanie narrowed her eyes at him, "I cannot lie to him."

Bobby shrugged, "I didn't say lie… I said take your time."

Meg pushed Bobby out of the way, "Do not listen to him. Tell Ranger about both and it is going to be ok. One or two, he loves you and will support you…. And if not remember you have a group of people there to support you no matter what."

Stephanie took a deep breath, "Yep …. Sure… ok" She walked to the elevator, sliding the photo into her purse. "Everything is going to be great… awesome… wonderful."

Meg turned to Bobby, "She will be fine, most moms do this when they find out. Once she settles it will be great news. Here are her scripts that she can start taking. I need to see her again in about a month for tests and a checkup."

They turned to see Stephanie talking to herself in the elevator, "Are you sure?" Bobby asked.

Meg laughed and pushed him towards the elevator, "Yep... this is actually not that bad, I have had both moms and dads pass out."

Bobby gave her a grin, "I am not sure we haven't made it to that portion yet."

Meg grinned, "Then make sure you get her home asap" She paused for a moment, "I think for her a lot of the stress is in telling dad. Once she sees his support she will be fine…... you think he will be ok with all of this."

Bobby looked at Stephanie and smiled, "I think that she could be pregnant with five and while it might panic him. He would do anything to keep her and make her happy. Even if he is worried or stressed, he won't let her see it."

"Then they will both be fine, having each other and all of you to support them. They are far better then some moms that I see." Meg reached up and kissed his cheek. "I think it is so sexy, how supportive you are… dinner this weekend?" she asked.

Bobby walked to stand next to Stephine in the elevator, "Sounds great to me." He pushed the ground floor button, "Friday night? I will pick you up at 7."

Meg nodded and waved as the door closed, Bobby turned to Stephanie, "Bomber, you ok?" He asked as they traveled down.

Stephanie took a deep breath, "I think so. It's just a lot to take in. A month ago, a baby was not even in my thought process, now I am thinking about not one but two in less than 7 months." She said, "Ranger and I haven't even talked about anything like this. When we talked about marriage, we said we could stay fuck buddies forever if we didn't want to get married."

Bobby shrugged and lead her to the truck, "Who said you have to be married to have babies?"

Stephanie stopped and looked at him, "My mother… the burg… the world." She said with a grin.

Bobby shrugged and leaned on the truck, "Fuck them." He said with a smile, "You can be a family and be happy without some piece of paper. Ranger is in it forever no matter if the paper is there or not."

Stephanie paused and looked at him for a second, "Why is it scarier to me to get married, then it is to have a baby…. Fuck to have two babies?" she asked.

Bobby looked around thinking for a moment. Then he looked back down at her, "Maybe because marriage is something that has always been pushed on you. To the point where it seems so expected that you are willing to merry Dickie even though you knew you wouldn't be happy. Dickie… your mother… the burg. They all made marriage not about being happy with someone you love but something that must be done and might be unhappy. Verses a child is scary but you know that you will be happy. Babies are still special, untainted."

Stephine leaned on the truck with him, "I think that you are right. Even with Joe. It was not about being in love or being happy. It was about doing it to make him happy. Make my mother happy." She paused and looked back at Bobby, "Do you think marriage is ruined for me forever?"

Bobby shook his head, "No, I think you just had to find the right person… and one day when you and Ranger are ready, you will do it. Might be a year or two or twenty. Marriage and commitment are not the same things. You saw that first hand. You and Dickie were married but he was not committed. But you and Ranger, you are not married but I have never seen more commitment between two people. When you are ready it will happen. I wouldn't worry about it… and don't do something to make anyone besides Ranger happy."

Stephanie looked up at Bobby with tears in her eyes, "Thank you so much Bobby. I needed to hear that." She whispered.

Bobby grinned down at her, "Any time Bomber…. Any time." He pulled her in for a hug. "And remember that you have more than just Ranger. Hector and I are exited to help you. I know that Lester and Tank will help these kids with any and everything. There is only one thing that you have to worry about."

"What?" she mumbled into his chest.

"What Lester is going to teach your kids." Bobby said pulling back and laughing. "I mean, I am obviously medicine and defense. Hector computers and hacking, Tank defense and exercise…. Lester… how to get an S" He stopped as Stephanie clamped a hand over his mouth horrified.

"He is not allowed to be alone with them once they are able to understand any talking." She said terrified.

"We will protect them, promise." Bobby said grinning, "Now let's go. I am sure that Ranger is texting you already." Opening her door for her.

She jumped up into the truck, "Did you hear the buzzing?" she laughed.

Bobby closed her door and walked around to climb into the driver's seat, "Yep. Tell him we are on the way home now." He said pulling out of the parking lot.

Stephanie pulled the phone out of her purse to text Ranger and then pulled the gun out to put it back in the locked glove compartment. "See I didn't even need this thing."

Bobby shrugged, "But was it worth it?" he asked her.

Stephanie rolled her eyes, "I guess. Since it made him happy and less stressed. Although he should know by now that I probably won't shoot anyone."

Bobby grinned, "Probably doesn't mean that you won't, but it is our job to make sure that you will never have to. And we take our job very seriously." He said.

"To bad I am a trouble maker." Stephanie snarked, "And people are always trying to kill me."

"You are a lot of work and God forbid if your children are anything like you because then we are screwed. We will need to hire more men just to watch you guys." Bobby said laughing.

But before Stephanie could say anything she felt her head slam to the side against the window as the truck went into a tail spin. They had been t-boned at the intersection hard enough to have them sliding into oncoming traffic. They were slammed into again from the other side making them spin in the other direction. This time Bobby's head slamming into the window as he tried to pull the wheel to the left and hit the brakes.

When they were hit again from the other direction the glass exploded as the truck tipped onto its side before finally sliding to a stand still. It felt like an eternity to Stephanie even though it could not have been longer them a few minutes. She sat still strapped into the seat hanging down.

"Bobby." She whispered, her voice broken and in pain. She looked down to see him laying against the cement through the broken window, eyes closed and blood coming out of the wound on his head. "Bobby." She tried to call louder. She felt pain everywhere, but her side digging into the seat belt was the worse. All of her weight was pressing down with gravity into the seat belt that was holding her up.

"Bobby." She called louder trying to unbuckle, but her fingers were numb and felt thick. She remembered the knife that she had in her purse, but she didn't see it anywhere. She fumbled with the seat belt again, desperately trying to get it to unclick. "BOBBY." She yelled this time as she started to clear the haze in her mind. "BOBBY." She cried as tears tracked down her cheeks.

She finally felt the click of the seat belt and she fell from her hanging position, trying to desperately not hit Bobby. She managed to have one-foot land in front of him on the cement, but the other hit his leg making him groan. "Bobby?" She whispered hands trembling as she touched his face, "Answer me."

She looked around, with the truck on its side, the only way she was getting out was from her door that was at the top, there was nothing she could use to climb out. The windshield was cracked but not shattered, so she couldn't get out that way. She started looking desperately for her phone to call for help. But it was like she couldn't focus on any one thing, she turned back to Bobby when she heard him groan again.

"Steph…" He whispered, eyes fluttering open. "You ok?" he asked trying to get his bearings.

She leaned down to touch his face again, trying to wipe the blood off his face, "I am ok. A little confused and sore but ok. What about you?" she asked.

Bobby kept blinking his eyes, trying to see through the blood, "Think I broke my leg." He mumbled, "Head is pretty fuzzy to."

Stephine gave a short humorless laugh, "Well you did slam it on cement… why did you do that?" She whispered, her voice starting to break.

"Hay none, of that. I am ok. Now I get more time off to relax." Bobby said blindly reaching out to grasp her hand. "You have to promise to sit with me to pass the time."

Stephanie nodded and tried to smile, "Sit around, I can do that."

"What happened?" Bobby asked still trying to focus.

"I think we were hit, hard." Stephanie said. "It pushed us into on coming traffic where we were hit again. Like a pin ball machine."

"Nice analogy." Bobby snickered.

"Like that?" Stephine said. "Bobby, I don't think I can get out of here." She said looking around again.

"It's ok, I am sure they have called 911. They will help us when they get there." Bobby's said closing his eyes again.

But before Stephanie could say anything back the windshield shattered as a bullet exploded at the top corner where Stephanie had just been sitting. Stephanie threw her body over Bobby's trying to protect him from the falling glass.

"What was that?" Bobby asked trying hard to focus.

"The windshield broke." Stephanie said looking out to see two people in all black running towards the truck. She couldn't focus past the shapes though. "Bobby, I don't think the accident was an accident."

"What?" Bobby asked, trying to move. But she could see the pain in his face as he moved. "What is going on?" he asked, not able to see past her.

Stephanie watched as the forms came right up to the window and look down at her, one was the woman from Pino's. "Bobby…... everything is going to be ok." She said looking up. She watched as the woman pointed her gun at Bobby, so she quickly shifted in front of him. "No…. I Know what you want. I will come with you if you leave him alone."

"Steph." She heard Bobby behind her, "What is going on."

Stephanie slid her hand behind her to squeeze Bobby's arm. "Nothing, don't worry." She looked up at the woman again. She waited for her to nod and then gesture the gun to get out of the truck.

Stephine nodded back at her, she turned to Bobby. "You are going to be ok. I am going to be ok. People are on the way to help you ok." She leaned down to give him a kiss on the forehead.

"Steph." Bobby said trying to reach out for her, but he was still confused and in to much pain to focus.

Stephanie slowly stood up, making sure to keep her body in front of Bobby's. She started to walk in the direction of the black SUV sitting across the street. She heard Bobby calling out her name in panic, still unable to move.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked the lady.

The lady laughed at her, "You came after us and took everything. We still have a few things we want. You seem to be the only one who will be able to get it for us."

Stephine snorted, "You came after us first." She said climbing into the back seat.

"Because you took something that belonged to us." The woman said, following Stephanie into the back seat and closing the door.

"It didn't belong to you and you were going to use it to hurt others." Stephanie said making sure to buckle up after the last car ride.

"Of course, we were, I like money… and that was going to get me a lot of money. Now I have you. I am going to get what I want, plus a nice bounce for you." The lady said. "Now shut up."

Stephanie looked out of the window watching the city pass by in a blur, her head was starting to hurt. She placed her hand on her stomach and prayed that her babies were ok after the accident. She prayed that Bobby was going to be ok. She prayed that Ranger would find them before anything else could happen. She prayed.