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Standard FF disclaimers apply.

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I Need You.

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While it appeared quiet on the Comm room floor, it was anything but a calm morning for the RangeMen. Being involved in two of the takedowns, in two locations, all offices were on alert. Everyone was following the action, looking at the same information that Tom was seeing every time the agents checked in.

It had been a shock when they got word of Ranger's accidental involvement with the takedown of El Morboso. It was not a surprise to anyone that he had been ready to do what needed to be done, even in the spur of the moment situation. That Stephanie had been instrumental in helping him out made them proud. But they had also been worried about her, this was not a business that they wanted her to have to experience, to be touched by. They would have all done their best to shield her from it. But the fact that she had come to the aid of her husband did not surprise them at all, Stephanie was always showing that she had many skills that even she did not know she had until she needed them . Keeping her head clear and anticipating what Ranger needed in that moment was just one more example of her amazing abilities. It made them smile, while at the same time they were relieved to hear that Ranger got her out of there the moment Tom's people showed up to take over. They all wanted her out of harms way.

Another sigh of relief had rippled through the offices as they were watching the events unfold. Many of the men had seen the results of this Morboso's business in several countries that they had been to on their missions. It was easy to hate the man who had not only been responsible, but who was so arrogant that he proudly proclaimed his involvement in destroying so many people. It was also easy to delight in the capture of the slimeball.

While they may have not had direct involvement with the other men that were being watched this morning, all of the rangemen were happy to see Tom get rid of this network of dangerous men. None of them liked the games that were played with the lives of innocent people in so many of the countries around the world.

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His palms were sweating, he had never been so nervous in all his life. Ed looked at the clock, again. It seemed that time was standing still. His life, as he had known it, had all changed so dramatically this year, all because of his involvement with the man who referred to himself as Gentlemen X. If he had been in the mood to laugh, he would have seen the humor in the stupid name. A name that was meant to portray a civilized, and fair person. It was just another layer of the disguise that the man put on to cover the evil and ugly thing that he was inside. As it stood now, he thought that Tom's code name for the awful man was much more appropriate. Wyvern brought up the images of terror, and ruthlessness and raw power. All the things that he had seen too late.

Another wave of nausea swept through his body. How could he have ever considered working with this man? How could he have been so naive? That he had actually bought into the act the man put on, believing that he was doing the world this enormous favor by sharing this serum. Allowing himself to think that it was his altruistic nature to want to provide the latest in medical miracles to alleviate the suffering of so many. If the color of the money he would be making had not blinded him, would he have seen through the charade?

It terrified him to know that he had been so close to making a deal with this man. Ed sat quietly now, alone with all of these thoughts. The agents who had contacted him were in another room. Waiting for the meeting that had been arranged for this morning. They would be listening and watching everything that was happening. All Ed had to do was play his part. He just had to keep cool. But the way he was feeling right now, that was the last thing that he thought he could do. In a desperate attempt to calm down, he picked up a bottle of water from the tray that had been placed in the center of the table. Slowly he unscrewed the lid. The sound of breaking the plastic seal filling the room. As he lifted the bottle to his lips, he noticed that his hands were shaking. He had to pull himself together, and fast. Another peek at the clock and he realized that it was finally getting closer to the meeting time.

He stood and walked around the room, needing to work off some of this nervous energy. Ed paced back and forth in the small room. He tried some of the breathing techniques that he had always heard Jasper talk about. Breathe deep, through the nose, fill your lungs completely. Hold it, then slowly blow the air out, emptying the lungs completely, then do it again. After several attempts, all he felt was out of breath. This was not helping. Bracing his arms on the table, he leaned heavily, hanging his head. Finally he said a small prayer. One that his mother had taught him when he was young. As he softly whispered 'Amen' he heard a noise out in the hallway. Ed looked up. It was showtime.

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Another day dawned bright and only slightly hazy over Trenton, New Jersey. Of course, to Gene it wasn't just another new day, it was a race against the clock. With all the excitement of Tom's sting, it had fallen to him to get this taken care of. Grabbing a sheaf of papers from his desk, Gene headed to the stairs. He absently waved a goodbye to whoever was on monitor duty and left in a hurry. Buildings and houses and trees and people all blurred together in his haste to get to the Attorney Generals office.

Once again, it was not what you know, but who you know and he was rushing to get to his friend Kent's office. Kent was helping Gene file the patent papers in behalf of Drs Brian Taylor and Tom Dutton since they were, at this time, otherwise occupied. It was important to get the papers stamped with the date and time as quickly as possible, getting the formula for his serum in the process of being patented.

Gene had already spent hours with Brian and Kent making sure that all the paperwork was in order. He had no doubt that everything was fine in that regard. It was the process of the patent itself that mattered. With Kent's guidance, they were getting it in the system so that it would preempt anyone else from filing anything similar, and it would keep Brian's research safe and out of the hands of anyone who might want to see it. Kent had even worked out a way to keep it out of the public domain for the next fifty years, with provisions that required strict compliance to FDA rules and regulations if, or when, it was to be used. This was one of the only ways that they knew of that could keep it safe. It was what Brian wanted to give him peace of mind.

Well aware of what was happening with Tom and his agency today, Gene was secure in the knowledge that what he would do with Kent was keeping at least one more weapon out of the hands of the horrible people that were capable of using it in the worst possible way. Taking this network of dealers down was a big step in securing a safer world, but everyone was aware that in time others would try to take their place. Taking a potential weapon out of their hands was another step in stopping the destruction that they would try to bring. In that regard, Gene saw this patent as one of the most important things that he could be doing right now.

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The couch in his father's old office was the most comfortable thing he had ever slept on. Jasper sat on the edge of the cushions, marveling that he had been able to sleep at all. From the moment he had walked back into this building, his life had been in an upheaval.

All that he thought that he knew about his friends had been challenged. His desires to introduce a new line of products for Humelik to market had been put on hold. He had walked right into a crisis of epic proportions. But one thing remained constant. The men his father had always trusted were still here, and were still willing to help him to make things right.

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Jasper stood and tried to center his focus on what was happening today. They would have a satellite link to see the meeting that Ed was scheduled to have with the man who could have ruined everything. Had Ed's original deal gone through, Humelik would have been responsible for unleashing one of the most dangerous drugs ever used in chemical warfare. Just the thought, that they had come so close to that, made him a bit queasy.

He walked down the hall to join Richard and Paul. There were two big events happening almost simultaneously this morning. Ed's meeting in New York, and Karl's in Stockholm. They would be able to see Ed. But only audio would be available to them for Karl.

The men looked at each other as he entered the room. Jasper sat, Richard paced for a few more minutes, grabbing coffee and offering it to the others before he too sat. Paul preferred to remain standing. He stayed in his position, right behind the chairs that had been set up around the end of the table. He stared at the screen. They already had a live feed. They had been able to watch Ed for the last five minutes. Both Richard and Paul took some small satisfaction in seeing how agitated and nervous he was. He should be for what he had almost done. But it was when Leo stepped into the room, that Paul could no longer stay standing. His legs barely got him to his chair. This is the first time he had seen his son since the kidnapping.

They had talked on the phone and Paul had noted the fatigue that he had heard in his voice, but nothing had prepared to see him like this. Leo had lost weight, he was only now recovering from his ordeal and was still pale. It nearly broke Paul's heart to see him like this. So weak, so fragile. This had taken such a toll on him, both physically and mentally. Paul just hoped that when this was over and done with today, they could send Leo home. This is where he needed to be now.

They all watched as Leo patted Ed on his shoulder and left the room. Silence echoed in both rooms. And just when they could not take any more, a man appeared in the doorway. He was tall and large, and dressed in a nice conservative suit. Ed stood. The meeting had begun.

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The ship was no longer visible on the horizon. It had moved on to the next port of call. It had been their intention to follow the same path, and keep an eye on the ship that they were not cruising on. But they had decided to stay here for a few days more and let the ship go on without them. Only a small part of that decision was based on the fact that they needed to be here to make sure that the Morboso incident was wrapped up properly. Tom would need to talk to them before they moved on.

Mostly, they needed to have a chance to relax and let the events of last night sink in. The moonlit walk on the beach had not exactly gone as he had planned. Ranger sighed as he pulled Stephanie a little closer to him as she slept. His wife was an amazing woman. What she did last night, how she kept a cool head and how she helped him. He was impressed. But he still could not get over the fact that she had been so close to danger.

He had tried to keep her as far from trouble as he could, leaving Tom's operations behind in Trenton. Flying them to the other side of the globe to get away. All he got was an 'A' for his efforts. His thoughts brought him again to the moment that he had known that Morboso was there. He had been panicked and angry that his plans to keep away from all that had been for all for nothing. How dare that horrible little man plow into their lives like that.

A smile touched the corners of his mouth. Stephanie had been spectacular. When she tossed that branch to him, he had seen the fierceness in her eyes. He had known in that moment that she was going to be just fine. Her instincts to protect her own were every bit as strong as his. And though he would never have chosen this incident to happen, they had both learned something very valuable because of it.

Stephanie would always have this confidence in knowing that she was capable of doing what needed to be done in any situation that she found herself in. She had come such a long way from the brand new bounty hunter he had met in the cafe so long ago, coming to him for his help.

And he had learned never to underestimate Stephanie. He had always known that she had grit and a loyalty that was strong and genuine. He had fallen love with her many qualities that had endeared her to him over the past couple of years. Now he saw that they were partners in this life they had finally chosen to share together. He would always do what he needed to, to protect her, to protect Mat. And he would always be proud to have her by his side, sharing his strength with him. His perfect partner.

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Kara's eyes never left the monitor, she lifted her left hand and put it over one of the headphones that she wore. It was an unconscious effort to try to hear the conversation that she was concentrating on. She had been pacing, in a limited radius because of the headphone cord that connected her to the computer, and now she was leaning her right hand on the table as she listened and watched. Her hand moved from the headphone to be placed on her hip, her elbow sticking out and her body language screaming 'attitude'.

Brian had never seen anyone as fascinating as Kara. His attention was constantly being drawn to her, no matter how hard he tried to focus on the events that were happening all around him. He knew that he had insisted on being here, he had said that he wanted to be a part of the justice that would come to the people that had tried to use him, use his formula to bring evil into this world. He still wanted that, but now he was thinking that he wanted Kara more than he had ever wanted anything in his whole life.

Over and over he tried to shake the feeling that he would never be able to live without her. This had never happened to him before. He was both enthralled and terrified by it. It was like losing control, and the one thing that he had always been known for was his absolute control. Over his lab, over his research, over his emotions. What was happening to him?

Even as he asked himself that question, he looked over at Kara. The haircut she had was amazing, it was spiky and wispy at the same time, lots longish layers feathered out around her slender face. He ached to touch her hair, to feel silky strands slip through his fingers. Now the headphones made her hair stick out at odd angles and it was adorable to see that serious, concentration on her face contrasted by the whimsical look of her hair. Everything about her seemed to captivate him, draw him to her.

Tom walked over and sat next to him. He was trying his best to let the team do their work, trying not to butt in and to do everything. He had confidence in them, many of them had been working with him over the years in all sorts of stings and missions. He had hand picked each one of them to work with him on this project. And most of all, he had promised that he was here because it was important to him to see these men go down, to follow through and see this mission to the end.

He was as nervous as Kara, as intent as John, dedicated at Nick, and as pissed off as Brian. Everyone in this room had a stake in this operation. And he was truly grateful to have a team as qualified and skilled as this one was. Would he miss all this when he was gone? He didn't think so. Like Ranger, he had made the decision to let this be his last assignment. He deserved, actually, he needed some time for himself, to get his life back. It was time.

Brian had not immediately noticed that Tom was sitting next to him. Both men had been lost in their own thoughts, and Brian was distracted by the petit fireball on the other side of the room. When he finally looked over, he smiled at Tom and gave a little shrug.

"Most of this is pretty foreign to me," he said. Tom nodded.

"It's like stepping out of one world and into another for me too," Tom replied. He stared at the team for a moment before turning his attention back to Brian.

"Your new look suits you," Tom said, taking a good look at his friend.

Gone was the lab coat, and the magnifying glasses that he so frequently wore while working. He wore jeans and an untucked button down shirt. Ella had worked her magic for both of them by finding them clothes that fit them perfectly, all at the last minute. He briefly wondered what it would be like to have an Ella in his life, being there whenever she was needed, making life easier for everyone she worked with. He almost smiled at that thought.

Brian's hair had also grown out since the kidnapping incident. While the man had been handsome with his clean shaved head, he was very attractive with the thick head of hair that he now had. Brian noticed Tom's inspection of his look and he shyly smiled. Up until now, it wouldn't have mattered to him. He'd had no time to think about whether anyone liked his appearance. But Tom could see by the way that Brian's eyes immediately went to where Kara was standing, that it meant something now. At least he when it concerned what she thought.

Tom smiled and put his hand on Brian's shoulder as he stood, "Yeah, I think she likes your look," he said. Dropping that little bomb as he walked away. Leaving Brian wondering if she had said anything to him. Wondering, hoping that it was true!

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Everyone watched as Wyvern, otherwise known as Gentleman X, entered the office and extended his hand to Ed. The man was acting like this was just another business appointment, that he was only meeting with a client, not planning the purchase of the most destructive weapon that he had ever come across. They all cringed at the thought that he looked so professional, so normal. He could have been anybody. Why didn't the bad guys have to look evil?

Kara was the only one who was not surprised, she had met the man, and although he may not have looked it, he did give off an distinctive aire, a feeling of menace. At least that was what she had always felt. It had been confirmed with every single person that she'd met, who worked for him. They all got the vibe that he was not a nice man.

Now here he was on the screen, sitting down for a negotiation of sorts. The man had nerve, she thought. Waltzing in to someone's office. Then she stopped her thought process. He did not come here out of confidence that meeting with Ed personally would result in the formula being handed over. He is here out of desperation. With the intention of forcing Ed to give him what he wanted. She did not like either scenario, and she was glad that in just a few minutes, he would be removed from society altogether. It couldn't happen soon enough for her.

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After traveling all night in an uncomfortable compact car, Karl finally got the chance to stand up and stretch his long legs. He was so nervous about what he had to do. But he did not want to show it. He had agreed to help with this sting operation. He had contacted the man he was about to meet with now. He had syked himself out to be able to play the part of the confident negotiator, coming to finalize the transaction that his colleague had begun.

He had done all of this in order to make things right again. To do all he could to restore people's faith in him, or even his faith in himself. He had learned a lot about himself during this whole ordeal. Some of what he saw he was disappointed in, he could change that. He was in the process of changing. But the one thing he'd learned that he could use now, was that he was a good actor. He had been playing parts ever since Ed talked him into helping him save the company. He had done whatever he needed to, had become who he needed to be to do it. He would use this new found skill to get through then next half hour.

He was alone now, having dropped the agents that came with him, at a location away from the meeting place. They would be listening to the conversation through the mic that Karl wore in his hat. This was his disguise, a baseball cap, jeans and a sweatshirt. His contact did not want to draw attention to this meeting. Karl could only laugh at that. There was plenty of attention already, and they didn't even know it.

He looked up at the coffee shop that had been chosen at the meeting place. It was old, and it was much larger than he would have expected. Through the windows, Karl could see that there were a lot of empty tables and even some booths it the back that would offer some privacy. he imagined that they would be meeting back there. But he did not make any move toward the door. His instructions were to remain in the parking lot until they came to him. He would recognize them by the sweatshirts that they would wear. It had been decided that they would be in shirts that said 'Harvard', just like the one he was currently wearing.

In a town that boasted more than ten universities, they would both blend in and be unmistakable. Trying to be as nonchalant as he could, Karl leaned back against the car. he folded his arms across his chest and crossed one ankle over the other. With an effort, he relaxed his shoulders to allow an attitude of boredom, of a calm that he did not feel.

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