I'm baaack. Did you miss me?

I have been chomping at the bit to get more written and published, but so many things have gotten in the way recently. I ditched about 10 chapters because I wasn't happy with them and started over. Unfortunately, the 1st of those chapters was this one. I was away as well for 2 weeks, so that kind of made it difficult to write new stuff as well.

Anyways, I'm back and I still don't own these characters. One note though, this is fiction so things may happen a little different than reality. For example, a broken leg like Steph's would probably not heal as well as it did, in this timeframe, but we'll pretend for the sake of the story.

Enjoy!

Steph's POV

Tuesday passed in a blur of meetings and moving into our new house. Ella, my parents and Lula helped us get settled and the furniture arranged. We provided pizza and beer for our workers. By the time we finally got the bed put together and made up, it was well past midnight.

On Wednesday morning, Carlos had to go to Newark for his first follow-up appointment and I had to go to a clinic just over the Pennsylvanian border in Langhorne. The Rothman Institute specialises in orthopaedic injuries and they have an office at St. Mary's Medical Center. I was glad that Bobby was coming with me. I had hospitals and I'm not too fond of doctors. They tend to speak in a language that I don't understand. Bobby could translate for me.

When we left in the morning, Carlos went with Tank and I went with Bobby in the opposite direction. It wasn't a long drive to St. Mary's Medical Center, so we arrived on time and only had to wait a few minutes before I was seen. A young man who looked no older than 20 years old walked in the room. "Hello Miss Plum. I'm Doctor Clarke but you can call me Tommy."

He motioned to the bed and said, "Hop up here and I'll remove your cast and then take a quick look at your leg. Afterward, we'll take some new x-rays and depending on the results, we will put on a new cast."

I looked at the doctor and asked, "What kind of cast? I didn't realise there were different ones?"

"Well, if your leg is healing well, we can put on a plaster cast with a rubber foot so you can walk on it. If you leg is healing really well, we can put on an air cast with boot. This will allow you to remove the cast and have a shower as normal."

I nodded at this. I really hoped that I could get the removable one, but I was fully aware that it has only been 3 weeks since I broke my leg and that it takes an average of 6 weeks for a fracture to heal enough for a cast to be removed. He removed my cast with a scary looking saw. Bobby held my hand and tried to distract me while the cast was removed.

As soon as he pulled the cast away, he went into medical mode. My mind wandered as the Doctor looked at my leg. He moved my knee and had me lift and drop my ankle a few times. When he was finished, he asked me to lay back to rest my leg on the bed. Somebody would come in shortly with a wheelchair to take me for an x-ray.

I lay there thinking about how nice it would be to have my leg free enough to take a normal shower. I also got lost down day dream alley thinking about some of the other activities I might be able to enjoy without a cast getting in the way. I was brought out of my reverie by Bobby clearing his throat. An orderly was standing in front of me with a wheelchair. I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn't hear him come in or hear his conversation with Bobby.

I let Bobby help me into the wheelchair and then we both went down the hall to the x-ray wing. I went in the room and a few pictures were taken. The orderly returned me to my room and told us that the doctor would be with us shortly. Bobby explained that the x-rays would need to be developed, but that didn't take too long. He knows how much I hate hospitals, but this place is kind of nice. It doesn't feel like a typical hospital. When Tommy came back in the room, he had his head buried in my chart. He looked up at me and said, "I can't believe that your leg was fixed by Dr. Hahn. She's famous in our world. The Rothman Institute governors have been trying to get her to work for us for a few years now. She's always shied away from us because she prefers the trauma aspect of orthopaedic surgery. The irony is that we've been asked to do traumatic surgeries here but we've never had the surgeons."

Bobby looked at me and I looked at him. A thought crossed my mind, but before I was able to comment on it, Tommy started to talk again. "Your leg is healing extremely well Miss Plum, but I'm not sure you've healed enough for an air cast. I would like to put on a regular fibreglass walking cast today and then make a follow-up appointment in one week. I think a walking cast should be suitable at that time."

I nodded and tried my best not to show my disappointment. I know that Bobby sensed my mood but he was good enough not to call me on it. He sat down beside me and chatted with both me and Tommy as my new cast was built around my leg. The nurse that was helping even joined into our conversation. She offered some interesting insights into our light hearted discussion of hospital food. Her theory was that the food improved based on the amount of the bill. She thought that it was reprehensible, but it was reality. The more money they make, the more effort they put into the amenities of their patients.

After the cast was finished, I had to stick around for about 30 minutes to ensure that it cured correctly. Tommy left us alone and promised to return to make sure that the cast was OK before we left. As soon as the doctor exited my room, Bobby turned and looked at me. I could tell he had something on his mind because he started to pace back and forth. It was a small room so he turned about every fourth step. I was getting dizzy watching him so I asked, "What's wrong Bobby?"

"Nothing is wrong. I'm just thinking about what Tommy said earlier about Riley. She mentioned this place and I wonder if she realises that they've had to turn traumas away."

"Do you think that would make a difference? Should we talk to her?"

Bobby sighed and said, "I'm not sure. I'm biased. I miss her like crazy. We still talk at least once a day, but I'm afraid that I'll come across as desperate if I call and tell her this news."

I smiled and said, "I will call her then. I don't need to tell her that you were with me, but she might ask you about it, so you shouldn't lie."

Bobby nodded and said, "Thanks Bomber. I won't lie to her, but I want her to get that information and if it doesn't come from me, she might be more willing to listen and accept the possibility of moving closer."

Tommy returned, we made an appointment for the following week and we headed back to Trenton. I kept my promise and I called Riley.

"Hey Steph, how are you doing?"

"I'm good. I just had my first follow-up appointment today. I got a new walking cast and if all goes well this week, I'll get an air cast next week."

"That's great. It's good to hear that my work was successful. Where was your appointment?"

"St. Mary's in Langhorne. When my doctor read my medical records, he was very excited. It seems that you're some sort of a celebrity in the orthopaedic world."

Riley laughed and said, "The Rothman Institute has been trying to get me to come and work with them for the past 2 years. Each time we talk, they seem to only want me to do post-surgery work. I'm a surgeon and I can't imagine my life if it didn't include pushing the boundaries and improving my skills and those of my colleagues."

I smiled at the phone and said, "Yeah, that's what Doctor Clarke said. He also said that they've been turning away several emergency trauma surgeries because they don't have anyone on staff."

"Hmm. That is something to think about. The last time I talked to them, they mentioned that they also had privileges at several area hospitals including Philadelphia, Trenton and Newark. I wonder if it is time to reconsider their offer."

"I can't tell you what to do here, but I do think it warrants a bit of thought. Maybe you should talk to Bobby about this. He might have some insight."

"You're right Steph. I'll talk to him about it when we talk later tonight. Thanks for calling Steph. I'll talk to you later."

I looked over at Bobby, who was listening to my side of the conversation. He was waiting for me to tell him what went on during my conversation with Riley. I smiled at him and said, "She says that this news is worth considering. She is going to talk to you later this afternoon."

Bobby grinned and focused on the drive. My phone range and I looked down at it and saw that it was Carlos.

"Hey Carlos."

"Babe. How did your appointment go?"

"I got a walking cast. I have to go back next week and I might be able to get an air cast that I can take off to sleep and shower."

"That's great Babe. Why don't you meet me at Ron's when you get back?"

Carlos' POV

I watched Bobby drop Stephanie off. He came in to make sure she got inside safely and then left after a quick word with Woody. The kids were out in the yard with Binkie and I was in the kitchen with Ron. As soon as my Babe walked in, she looked around and saw Ron and me. The smile she had on her face disappeared quicker than I thought possible.

She walked over and asked, "You have confirmation, don't you?"

I nodded and I could see the tears fill her eyes. She walked over and hugged Ron before she accepted comfort from me. "I'm so sorry Ron. Have you told the kids yet?"

Ron shook his head and said, "No. Carlos suggested that your presence might help, so we waited."

"I'll do what I can to help. God knows those kids will need as much love as we can give them. We'll help out any way we can Ron."

"Thanks Steph. I'm still not sure how to tell the kids."

"Dad, what's keeping you? You said you'd be out in a minute. It's been almost 20."

Julie poked her head into the kitchen and she could immediately tell that something was wrong. She looked from Ron to me and then to Stephanie, who was doing her best to hide her tears.

"What's wrong?"

Ron looked at Julie and said, "Come her Sweetheart. I have some news."

Julie walked over to Ron and he made her sit at the breakfast bar stool before sitting beside her and taking her hand. "I have some bad news. Your mom was hurt in prison. She was killed Sweetie."

The expression on Julie's face went from worry to fear in a microsecond. She looked up at me and then back at Ron and said, "Does this mean that you're no longer my Dad?"

"Of course not Sweetie, why would you say that?"

"Well, before I got to know Papa better, Mom used to tell me that if something happened to her, or if Ron ever left her, she'd send me back to my father because you'd no longer be my Dad. It scared me at the time because I didn't know Papa, so I behaved."

I couldn't bear to see my daughter torn up like this and said, "Julie, Ron is your Dad. He raised you, he loves you and he will always be your Dad. In the same way, I am always going to be your Papa. I didn't have the pleasure of raising you, but I'm very glad that you're in my life now and I love you more than you know."

"What did Mom mean then?"

"When Ron and your Mom got married, she asked me if Ron could adopt you. At first, I didn't want to let that happen, but I was in the Army and I couldn't be around as much as I would have liked. I caved in and let Ron adopt you, and he is a great man and he is a great Dad. I regret a lot of things in my life, but giving you a loving and caring Dad is not one of them. However, just in case the marriage between Ron and your Mom didn't work out, I had a clause added to the adoption papers. The clause basically stated that if they got a divorce, Ron would lose is paternal rights to you. Also, if something happened to your Mom, Ron's rights would also be reverted to me."

"Wait, so what does that mean? Will I have to move?"

"As I said, Ron will always be your Dad. Your legal guardian rights have passed back to me with the death of your Mom, but I will defer to Ron for any major decisions. If we disagree, we'll compromise. Nothing will change. You can visit with me and Steph whenever you like, but you will live with Ron, Diego and Emma."

Julie looked relived when Ron pulled her into a hug and said, "I love you Julie, don't ever forget that. I just have to figure out a way to tell Diego and Emma now."

Julie jumped up and said, "I'll go call them in. I'm sure you'll do fine. I'll help in any way I can."

I watched my daughter disappear outside. While she was gone, Stephanie looked at me and said, "She is a strong kid. She took that better than I did."

Ron nodded and said, "She'll fall apart later when she's alone. She's always been like that. I just hope she'll let us help her through it."

The three kids came in and Ron asked them to sit down. He explained that Rachel had been hurt and that she didn't make it and died. Diego understood and started to cry. Out of all of the kids, he was closest to his Mom. Ron hugged him as best he could, but Diego decided to run to his room and be alone. Emma sat there staring at the rest of us, not really understanding what was going on. "Does this mean that Stephanie is my new Mom?"

Ron smiled at Emma and said, "No Baby. Your Mom will always be your Mom, she's just not going to be around anymore to be with you. Stephanie is a good friend who will be there for you whenever you need her, but she won't be your Mom."

Emma looked confused and asked, "Why can Julie call her Mama then?"

Ron was very patient and explained that Stephanie and I were getting married and that because I am Julie's biological father, then Stephanie would be Julie's Step-Mom. At that, Emma looked up at Ron and said, "Then you need to get married so I can have a Step-Mom too."

Ron laughed at Emma and said, "I'll do my best Baby. I won't marry anyone unless they love you like a daughter, so it might take a while before I find someone good enough for you, Diego and Julie."

Emma seemed to accept that and said, "I'm sad that Mom is dead Daddy. Is it OK for me to cry like Diego?"

Ron had tears in his eyes and he seemed to have lost the ability to speak because he just nodded and hugged his youngest daughter. I looked over at Stephanie and we decided to leave Ron and Emma alone for a little bit to let them mourn in peace. We walked into the living room and saw Woody out on the patio comforting Diego.

Woody's POV

I saw Diego run out of the kitchen with tears streaming down his face. I knew what Ron had just told him, so I wasn't surprised at his reaction. In fact, I had experienced something similar when I was about his age. My parents were in a car accident and my Mom was killed on impact. My Dad survived physically, but he was never the same again. I was sent to live with my Aunt and barely saw my father after that. He drank himself to death within 2 years. At least these kids have Ron and the rest of us.

Diego started to head towards his bedroom and then decided to go out to the back yard. He sat on a chair and just clenched and unclenched his hands. I walked over to him and sat on the chair next to him.

"Diego, losing your mother at such a young age is something that you won't get over. You will miss her for the rest of your life, but I promise you that you will make it through this."

Diego looked at me with anger in his eyes and said, "What do you know?"

"Well, my Mom was killed when I was your age. My parents were in a really bad car accident. My Dad survived but my Mom didn't. My Dad fell apart and he died shortly after because he didn't have friends and family to help support him like your Dad does."

"What happened to you? Where did you go if you had no Mom or Dad?"

"I went to live with my Aunt. She was my Mom's sister. She loved me and raised me as if I were her own son. It was hard for her because she had no kids of her own, but I turned out pretty well, if I do say so myself."

Diego smiled at me and said, "Dad was mad at Mom. I don't want to cry in front of him. I know he's not sad that Mom died, but I am."

"Diego, your Dad was mad at your Mom, but he still loved her. He is sad that she's dead. You just have to look in his eyes to see that he's torn up inside. He loves you, Emma and Julie so much, but he has to be strong for you."

Diego nodded and said, "I think I'll go back and see my Dad."

I watched Diego walk back into the kitchen and then noticed Stephanie and Ranger looking at me. I smiled and they walked out to the patio. Stephanie's eyes were red and Ranger had his arm protectively around her shoulder, comforting her as best he could. He looked me in the eye and asked, "Did you share your experience with Diego?"

I nodded and Ranger nodded. "Knowing that it is possible to get past something like this will help him. Thanks Woody."

"It's going to be hard for those kids. At least I can offer a bit of comfort by being there to listen or share."

Steph looked a bit confused by our conversation so I thought I'd fill her in. "I lost my Mom when I was Diego's age. The difference was that he still has a family that loves him. Even thought my Dad survived the accident, he was gone. He died the day my Mom died. It just took his body 2 years and a lot of booze to catch up. Luckily an Aunt took me in."

Stephanie walked over and hugged me. She looked up at me with more tears in her eyes and said, "I'm so sorry Woody. Thanks for helping Diego."

We talked with Woody about whether he thought it was still necessary to keep RangeMan guards on Ron and the kids. We both agreed that it would be good to have them stay, but maybe not in the house. We didn't want the guards to intrude on their mourning. If Ron invited them inside, that was a different story.

Steph's POV

Today was harder than I ever imagined. The disappointment at not getting an air cast was forgotten the moment I saw Ron's face when I walked into his house. Julie took the news really well, but I'm sure Ron is right. She'll cry for her Mom when she's alone and nobody can see her.

I looked up and Julie was standing in the garden staring out over the back yard. I looked over at Carlos and he nodded at my unspoken question. I walked over to Julie, put my hand on his shoulder and said, "If you need anything or want to talk Julie, any of us, RangeMan employees, your Papa and me, we're available for you."

Julie looked up at me and nodded. "Thanks Steph. I might take you guys up on that offer at some point, but not today. It hasn't really sunk in yet. I know she's gone and that I'll never get to see her again, but it still seems so strange."

I smiled and put my other hand on Julie's shoulder and looked her in the eye and said, "Woody is out talking to Diego. He also lost his mother when he was young. He might be able to answer some questions that nobody else can. You have a lot of people who love you, but right now, we don't know how to help you. We will be there when you need us. We can just sit there and listen to you talk. We can hold you if you need to cry. We can take you somewhere fun if you need some happy. Basically, whatever you need, we'll be there for you and your family."

Julie didn't say anything. She simply nodded and wrapped her arms around my waist. She didn't cry, she simply held me and comforted me. She saw the tears in my eyes and she comforted me. She was the one who lost her mother and she was comforting me. While she was hugging me, Carlos came over and wrapped his arms around the both of us.

When Carlos and I headed to our own house later that evening, we both crawled into bed and just held each other. Carlos held me as I cried for Rachel's children. I held Carlos as he fought to maintain his composure. He confessed that he never really loved Rachel, but he was heartbroken over the pain her children were facing.

Carlos' POV

Despite turning in early, it wasn't until very late that either Stephanie or I were able to fall asleep. Because of that, Thursday passed in a bit of a haze. We managed to increase the RangeMan services at both clients and then get an early night. Friday was much the same. Both meetings with customers were successful, and all of this was because of my Babe.

She really had a talent for putting things in a perspective that helped our clients come to terms with spending more money on their security. On one occasion, a customer who owned a string of warehouses and had stubbornly held out on buying security cameras in favour of routine patrols. Stephanie explained how routine patrols could be tricked, watched and even followed. When we left that meeting, the customer had signed a new contract for a complete security overhaul that included cameras, door and window sensors, as well as 24-hour surveillance at the master warehouse.

When we were driving home that evening, I looked over at Stephanie and said, "I'm proud of you Babe. You just made RangeMan a lot of money. In fact, these client meetings have all made RangeMan a lot of money."

Stephanie rolled her eyes at me and said, "I'm sure my presence didn't help that much."

"You're wrong Babe. I'd never have gotten that warehouse guy to accept 24-hour monitoring. He was probably afraid that we'd rob him when he wasn't looking. He only trusted RangeMan because of you."

We drove a few more minutes in silence. When we got home, my Babe and I decided to make some lists of what we needed to do to get the house fully furnished and decorated. We'd be both back to work full-time soon and then there was the wedding to finish planning. Well, in all reality, we had all the plans made, we just had to follow through on them and get our clothing made and fitted.

We talked about artwork, photos, additional furniture for the spare rooms and the rooms for the kids, as well as kitting out the kitchen. "You know Carlos, my Mom wants to come over and use our kitchen to make the food for the engagement party. I bet she would be happy to shop and buy everything we needed. I might even make more of an effort if it's my own kitchen."

I smiled and said, "I'm sure Ella, your Mom and even my family would be happy to show you how to make yours and my favourite foods. Why don't you give your Mom a call and see if she's interested in helping with that. If so, we can talk about it tomorrow when we go to Chimney Rock Park to meet our parents, Ella and Luis."

Babe smiled and went into the entranceway to find her purse and her phone. I could hear her muffled voice and leafed through several takeaway menus, looking for something to eat tonight.

Steph's POV

"Hey Mom."

"Hello Stephanie. Did you need something?"

"Well, yes and no. I was wondering if you would be interested in helping Carlos and I populate our kitchen with the things we'd need to be able to cook, eat and drink in our house. We don't even have a coffee cup at the moment, and with all our wedding plans and all the time we are dedicating to work and getting better, I'm not sure we'll have a lot of time."

"I'd be happy to help with that. I have a catalogue from the kitchen shop here at the house. I'll bring it with me tomorrow. If you leaf through it and mark the things that you like, I can get them and deliver them to your house. If I can do that before showing up to cook, it will mean that I don't have to transport bake ware and the like with me."

"Yeah, that's why I wanted to get this done before you started cooking here. Carlos will give you a credit card tomorrow to use for this and the engagement party. Have a nice night and we'll talk to you tomorrow."

I got off the phone and went back into the kitchen where Carlos was busy talking on the phone. I could tell by the monosyllabic conversation that he was talking to someone from RangeMan. He hung up a few minutes later and turned to look at me with a huge grin.

"What?"

"Nothing. I was just checking in with Tank and he asked whether we were ordering in or going out for food. I thought it was funny that he didn't think that we are capable of feeding ourselves for one night."

I sighed and said, "He knows me well. I can't cook."

"That's OK Babe. I can cook. I just didn't have to do it when Ella was around."

Carlos rummaged around in the cupboards and fridge. He pulled out several items and got to cooking. He looked over at me and said, "Why don't you go take a shower. The food will be ready by the time you're done."

I nodded and hurried through a shower. When I came down, the smell coming from the kitchen was wonderful. Carlos made a very basic pasta from fresh tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and penne pasta. He even found some basil in the garden and broke that up and sprinkled it over the pasta. He carried our bowls to the table and we ate in silence, appreciating our simple meal.

More to come. Poor Ron and the kids. How sad was that? Reviews welcome.