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Standard FF disclaimers apply.
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I Need You. Welcome Home
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The lights were off as they entered the apartment. Only the radiance of the moon shining through the windows in the living room lit their way. Ranger was reluctant to disturb the peaceful scene, so he gently led Stephanie over to stand with him in front of the window. She did not seem to mind a bit, and neither did Mat. They were all somehow drawn to the magic of the silvery light.
After a few quiet moments, each alone with their thoughts, Ranger moved closer to Stephanie, pulling her into a hug. She immediately responded, her heart full of love for this man, her head dropped to rest on his chest. She wanted to say something sexy, something suggestive. Something entirely inappropriate for a woman holding a baby in her arms. She drew in a deep breath and whispered into his ear.
"Does Mat have a bedtime routine?"
She could feel the rumble of his laugh in his chest, it vibrated right through to her. When she reached up and kissed his neck, he could feel the slight trembling, of her passion that was just under the surface. He knew just how she felt. He had already waited much longer than he had wanted to, to be alone with his wife. Days too long. He took a deep breath to keep a lid on his libido.
"Actually," he said. "This is part of the routine." She looked up at him in surprise. He was still gazing out the window. "Mat and I would stand by the window every night and talk about you." He looked over at her now, his high wattage smile nearly lighting up the room. Stephanie was speechless. That was quite nearly the most romantic thing anyone had ever said to her. And the image that came to her mind, of Ranger telling tales to their little boy made her all warm inside. She remembered the many nights she had been standing here, in the moonlight just like this when he would call her. In those moments, she had felt so close to him. To them.
"He loved hearing stories about you," he teased. "Especially the ones about taking naps under the big trees at the park." He gave her shoulders another squeeze.
Stephanie could not believe that he had remembered that. During one of their first night-time conversations he had asked her what she had done that day. She knew that he was not able to share many of the details of his day, so in order to keep him on the line as long as she could, she filled him in with every single thing that she had done. It had included a trip to the park with Nicky and Tony and her nieces. She'd told him that Nicky would always tell her that he was not tired. Big boys did not need naps. But, she laughed when she told him that he fell for the possum routine every time! She even told him how much the kids looked like angels when they were asleep. They had laughed about how amazing that the rough and tough little boys could look so sweet.
"You told him that?" she whispered.
Ranger kissed her on the top of her head. Breathing in her sweet scent, getting lost in the essence that was his wife! His head was spinning, being this close to her is all he had thought about for weeks. It felt so much better than any of his imaginings!
"It's one of his favorite stories," he said. "I liked it too, but I think that we can skip the bedtime story tonight, he has had a pretty exciting day." Stephanie nodded her agreement. "How about we show you the rest of our routine."
Stephanie grabbed his hand and led him to the bedroom. Switching on the light, she teasingly said "Surprise!" giggling as she recalled his earlier concern about what kind of surprises might be waiting for him in the apartment.
"Wow, Steph," he said, looking around his new and improved bedroom. "You have done Susan proud." "Everything is great."
Stephanie walked over to the changing table. "How did she react when you told her that she could have everything?"
Remembering how uncomfortable parts of that conversation had been, he chose not to share all of the details and went straight to the part where Susan was surprised and very happy about it. Stephanie was pleased,they had agreed that there was no way he could bring it all home, so he needed to find someone who could use it. "I told you she would be," she said, smiling brilliantly.
"Now," Stephanie said. "Let's get to the routine." She smiled sweetly up at him as he walked over to wrap his arms around her and kiss her neck. She was just about to remind him that it was the baby's routine, not his that she was talking about, when Mat yawned, making a little squeaking noise.
"Okay, little man," Ranger said, taking his place next to the changing table. "Let's show mommy how we do this." Stephanie was laughing at his antics as her husband bathed and dressed their little boy. She helped him with the bottle as he sat in the rocking chair and started singing a song in spanish. Mat's eyes were drooping by the time he had finished eating. Ranger stood and motioned for Stephanie to take his place in the chair. He tossed a burp cloth to her and she placed it on her shoulder.
Gently he handed the tired baby to her and she rocked as she softly patted his back. Ranger sat on the edge of the bed and watched. This was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. Stephanie's head bent sideways to lightly rest on Mat's. She closed her eyes and started humming. After a few bars he realized it was a soft version of Metallica's 'Nothing Else Matters'. He couldn't stop the smile that turned up the corners of his mouth.
"You are going to have to teach me some of your spanish songs," she looked over and winked at him, as if she had read his mind. Yeah, Metallica is not exactly lullaby material. The full smile now appeared and he nodded.
"And if you want, I'll sing you a lullaby when you go to bed too, Babe" he teased.
Suddenly a thought occurred to her and she became serious. "How long will he be asleep, before he'll want to eat again?"
Ranger understood her concern and was just as serious when he answered. "He sleeps through the night." He tried not to smile when he saw the bright blue of her eyes darken as she looked up at him. Before he could think or say anything, Mat burped. That about said it all!
Lifting him from her arms, Ranger settled Mat in his new cradle, and bent to kiss his forehead.
"And that," he said with a twinkle in his eyes. "Is the end of his bedtime routine."
He extended his hand to her and drew her up into his arms. "Would you like to show me your routine now?" he asked, gazing into those eyes that he had dreamed of so often. Stephanie kissed his neck, working her way up his chin, to his lips. The kisses continued as they made their way into the living room.
In the light of the moon, they showed each other just how much they had missed one another. They shared their hearts and whispered their vows again, this time face to face, in person. Just the two of them, as finally became as one.
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An unearthly glow lit up the center of the airplane. The subdued lights in a soft blue hue provided just enough illumination for Tom to make out the man who would be returning to his seat any minute now. Mr. 'I don't care what his name is' had already gone through his philosophy about air travel. His entire two hour dissertation could have been summed up in two words. Dangerous but necessary.
At this moment, the man was walking up and down the aisle in an effort to avoid any form of a 'deep venous thrombosis'. He was nothing if not very thorough in his convictions. While Tom did appreciate the vigilance that the guy was taking for his health, he had been a walking, talking nightmare since the moment the flight began. He didn't seem to realize that Tom was too tired to keep up the conversation. He may not have even noticed, or cared that Tom had not said more than a dozen words the entire time.
So halfway through the flight, when Tom was finally given a break from the non-stop chatter of his traveling neighbor, he saw his chance. He closed his eyes. Maybe if he pretended that he was sleeping, the talkative man who sat in the seat beside him would know that he could stop trying to carry on a conversation with him. He was sure that the man would be back from his little cabin stroll any minute, so he huddled down in his seat and kept his breathing even and his eyes closed.
Two flights in two days had not been his first choice of things to do, but Tank was right, he could not stay in Ecuador. The lab was no longer safe, especially for him and Brian. Speaking of Brian, he was standing out in the aisle so that the talkative man could sit down. Tom did not have to look at him to know that he wore a grim expression on his face. That his shoulders drooped and he let his head hang as if in despair. He felt betrayed and violated, and who could blame him. This kind of thing did not happen in his world. Brian was completely out of his element. But what hurt him worst of all, was that his notes, his work, all of it was gone.
Tom hated to have to let him believe that. This must have been the hardest judgement call he had ever had to make. Brian was naive and trusting. He was focused and dedicated. His whole life was tied up in his research. It was not his fault that he got caught up in all of this drama.
From the day they met, Tom could see that Brian was exactly what he seemed. Highly intellectual, meticulous, and he was completely focused on one thing. Birds. Although his research covered many other elements, they could all be traced back to his love of birds. He was completely innocent and there were moments when Tom really felt bad about the way he had to keep so much information from him.
A necessary evil, as it turned out. One that Tank understood immediately. While his eyes were closed, Tom was far from being asleep. His mind was busy, mostly thinking about the phone call that had put him back on airplane heading into unknown territory. After he had dialed the number he found, Tom knew exactly what he would need to do. What he knew about Tank were not based off of anything that was said. Instead, it had been his gut instinct that told him that he could trust the large man. Those instincts were confirmed with the call. As he had done, so many times since he had talked to him, Tom went over their conversation in his mind, nearly word for word. There was something very comforting about knowing that someone else had his back for once.
Just as he had known it would, the phone number that he had found connected him directly with the man he had met in DC. When Tank had answered the call, he had been very specific. He spoke only a few words. Enough to convey his message and no more. Tom appreciated the military precision of the way Tank communicated. As if he were planning a covert operation. Now that he thought about it, wasn't that exactly what this was? He had not told anyone where he was going. Somehow he did not want them to know. It would be hard to explain the connection Tom felt with Tank.
He did not need anyone to tell him to proceed with extreme caution. He already knew that. Tank was an intelligent man. If he was willing to help him, it was probably based off of the same types of vibes that Tom had felt himself. He was pretty sure that Tank knew a whole lot more than he was saying. In fact, it was all that he did not say that had Tom wondering just how much the man knew about him. He would find out soon. They would be arriving in Newark in just a few hours. And since he was the only one he wanted to trust. He would have to trust him too.
He could feel the next ripple of his life colliding with that of the man who could provide all the answers he needed. Of course, in order to get those answers, he was going to have to give up a few of his own and that worried him. His responses over the last ten years had been fabrications. Could he share the truth with Tank to help complete his mission? For now, that question had to be put aside. First he would have to know that Tank and his associates did indeed have what he needed.
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Twenty Four hours was all that he had. Ranger knew that there were answers that needed to be found before the team had their debriefing in DC tomorrow. For obvious reasons, this mission had been unlike any other. He had placed much more responsibility for dealing with the details on Tank, and he was going to have to continue to do so.
From here on out, his life was unscripted. He did not know what to expect from one minute to the next. That thought should have been scaring him to death. But instead, he found it one of the most liberating feelings that he had ever had. And he had to wonder if this is the way that Stephanie felt, in every moment of her life. He gazed down at his beautiful bride who was sleeping in his arms. It was still sinking into his head that she had married him. Her leap of faith for them warmed his heart in a way that nothing else ever had. She loved him, trusted him. He still did, and always would feel like the luckiest man in the world. No, he did not know what to expect next with her. But he couldn't help but smile at the endless possibilities.
The peaceful, quiet moments of reflection did not last long. Within an hour, the baby was awake and their first full day as a family had begun. Ranger stepped out of the bathroom after his shower to find Stephanie sitting in the rocking chair with Mat in her arms. She was softly telling him a story, while he was eating. Ranger stood motionless, this feeling deep in his heart was something that he was going to love getting used to. Here was the one thing that he never expected to have in his life. A family of his own.
Stephanie looked up at him. She was absolutely beautiful! Those sparkling blue eyes held such wonder as a smile spread across her face. Her wild hair was a messy mass of curls, and she had never looked more perfect. Walking over, he dropped a kiss on top of her head. He knelt down and circled an arm around her as he bent to drop a kiss on Mat's head too. Stephanie surprised him by capturing his lips in a good morning kiss that told him it was going to be a magnificent day.
Ranger dressed quickly and took over with Mat while Stephanie showered. She found them in the living room when she was done. Mat was now dressed too and he seemed to be mesmerized by whatever Ranger was saying into the phone he had up to his ear. They were both relaxed and comfortable and she had a feeling that this scene had been played before. Mat had no doubt listened in on many phone conversations before, and she was sure there would be many more.
She left them to the phone call and wandered into the kitchen. Ranger had already started the coffee for her, the aroma drifted to her and she knew it was almost done. Ella had stocked the kitchen again. Whole grain bread, fruits, yogurt and cottage cheese, eggs and low fat milk. Not a tasty cake in sight. Not that Stephanie was looking. Ever since she had moved into the apartment, weeks ago, she had been trying to get used to the foods that Ella provided. Still dreaming of olives and ice cream and peanut butter and beer.
But when she had first heard Mat's voice, in a sigh over the phone, something had changed. The immediate responsibility she felt to him made her rethink some of her questionable eating habits. Stephanie was humming as she prepared her now favorite breakfast, Muesli cereal with yogurt and a banana. Someday she would also rethink her need for coffee, but not today.
By the time Ranger joined her in the kitchen, breakfast was ready. He could not hide the surprise in his eyes, and he gave her a look that said 'Proud of you, Babe.' All she could do is smile and shrug. Yeah, she knew what he was thinking. She couldn't blame him, she would have been shocked too. So she just gave him a quick kiss and put everything on the table.
Ranger sat down and took a bite. He looked like he was accustomed to eating with a baby in his arms. Stephanie realized just how much of a head start he had with Mat. It comforted her, she knew that her fears about taking care of a baby had not disappeared. Now she knew that she could watch her husband, follow his lead. He would show her everything that she needed to know. The rest she would play by ear. But she could already feel her maternal instincts kicking in. Her confidence would grow day by day.
Ranger left Stephanie with Mat. He hated to leave, but there were some things that just had to be done. The visitors that they were expecting would arrive later today. Before they got here, he hoped to have Gene finished with the research he was doing. He needed the report that Silvio and Rodriguez were working on, giving his the answers he needed about Tom Dutton, and last, but not least, he needed to coordinate with Tank about what they would need to do to help keep the doctors safe, and their research hidden. Just a few things on his plate before they were expected to show up at his parents house later this afternoon.
He was still amazed and grateful for Stephanie's insight. He had needed these extra hours before the family events. Even as he had a lot to do, he couldn't wait to get back to Stephanie. He was going to love discovering all of the surprises and hidden talents of his wife!
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