A/N: Haven't done one of these yet. There have been some comments on the JE FF Facebook group where people were saying how much they enjoyed Strong Steph stories. And don't worry – this will be a Babe HEA. Ranger always gets the girl in my world.

Standard disclaimers apply as always.

As I cleaned up the trash, I thought about what Lester said about changes. Did I want to change? I'd recently come to the realisation that I actually liked my job. Sure, I didn't like falling down and rolling in garbage, but I liked meeting people, I liked solving puzzles and I liked setting my own hours. I liked the challenge this job gave me. Would I like it more if I was better at it? Almost certainly.

I had no way of knowing why Ranger wanted me to change. But the more I thought about that, the more it didn't matter. Regardless of what he wanted and why, regardless of whether this was for 'someday', if I wanted to stay in this job, I needed to place a higher value on myself and my safety. I was tired of being laughed at and I wanted to stop being scared and hurt so often. Otherwise, I needed to quit and get a job at the personal products plant. I'd had too many close calls. One of these days, I was going to run out of luck, or Ranger wouldn't be able to get to me in time. I didn't need to be as good as he was – I doubted that was even possible, but I could at least be better than I currently was. I needed to work on my fitness, my skills and taking my safety seriously.

I took a shower and dressed in jeans and a t shirt. My kitchen was empty so my first stop needed to be a trip to the grocery store. I had a bit of money from my days working at Rangeman so I could afford to restock my pantry. It was nice to have a steady income, and nicer still to know that I'd earned the money. It wasn't like a pity loaner fleet car. I was good at skip tracing, better than the guys in the Trenton office anyway.

I drove there directly, congratulating myself for not stopping at the Tasty Pastry for donuts. Yes, I'd just had a breakfast sandwich, but I did also have a Boston cream or two. I could feel my pants getting looser already.

I grabbed a cart and started putting things in my trolley that I thought Ranger would eat. Tofu, almond milk, sprouts, spirolina, chia seeds. Man, this stuff was expensive. I was in aisle 5 when I ran into Hal. Remembering how I'd given him the slip, I turned bright red.

"Hey, Bombshell."

"Hi Hal. Listen, I'm really sorry about yesterday."

He shook his head, "Don't apologise. We all know what we're getting into with you by now. It was a lesson in not letting my guard down. Besides, with Ranger gone, it's Tank I'll have to face on the mats tomorrow."

Given Tank's size, I didn't see how this could be an improvement, and it must have shown in my face.

"Oh, it's better, trust me," Hal explained. "Tank is all business. You don't want to face Ranger when something's happened to compromise your safety." He looked into my cart, seeming eager to change the subject. "Going on a health kick?"

"Yep! I've decided I need to start taking care of myself, and this is the first step."

Hal frowned, "Do you usually cook with any of these things?"

"Well, no," I said defensively, "But how hard can it be?"

"It's not that, it's just, healthy food doesn't have to be just twigs and bark. Maybe start smaller, with things you're familiar with – chicken breast, oats, eggs, broccoli…"

"Oats? Really?"

"Hey, it worked for the guy who played Thor. And you know when you have that down, you can graduate to…," he glanced back into my cart. "Maca powder. Maybe get some recipes first, then you'll know what to buy."

Ugh. He was right. I wasn't going to eat any of this crap.

"Anyway, I've got to run. Will I see you at work on Tuesday?"

Someone else assuming I'd still be putting in hours at Rangeman.

"I'm not sure, Hal. I thought with the Reaper situation resolved, that I'd go back to just working for Vinnie." I didn't feel like adding – and with Ranger angry at me, I wasn't sure he'd want me working at his company.

Hal frowned, "Tank know that? He's pretty overworked at the moment and it'll get worse with Ranger gone. I guess you can tell Tank when you come by to get Rex."

Shit. I'd forgotten about Rex. I was a terrible hamster mom. I wondered if I could sneak in and get him today? Being Sunday, the place would be on skeleton staff. I might not run into Tank at all.

I said goodbye to Hal and started to put things back on the shelf, replacing them with some of his suggestions. I needed some advice. Normally if I needed help with cooking, I would ask my mother. But while she was a wonderful cook, I didn't think she'd have the knowledge I'd need for this. There was no one who made better pot roast or pineapple upside down cake, but low carb wasn't a term used in the Plum house. I needed to call the diet queen, my oldest friend and mother of two, Mary Lou Stankovic.

I packed the car, got in and pulled out my cell. She answered just as it was about to go to voicemail.

"Hey, Mare"

"Hey, Steph. PUT THAT DOWN RIGHT NOW."

I loved Mary Lou but her life gave me hives. My life was chaotic enough with only Rex to look after. I couldn't imagine being responsible for two tiny humans.

"I was just calling to see if you have a recipe book you can recommend. I want to eat healthier and get in shape."

"I've got a few, what kind? I've got paleo, keto, low carb, intermittent fasting, Whole30. What are you after?"

I had heard of some of these things but that was the extent of my knowledge. "Are there any with like, real food in them? Cheese? Meat? Vegetables? Nothing too out there? I need something to go with a new fitness regime."

"Ah. I've got just the woman. It's lean meat, lots of vegetables and only a few specialty items. You get a monthly meal plan and she has an app full of workouts."

"An exercise app?"

"Yeah with home and gym workouts from a range of female trainers. Some HIIT, some weights, some yoga. Whatever you want. Totally guided, you can't go wrong."

There had to be something in there that I could stick with. "That sounds perfect. Can I borrow the book?"

"Of course! If you still have Mondays off, you should come around at 10. I've got two guest passes for the new women's gym on State Street. I won them at the last school fundraiser. You can grab the book and we can go check it out. It's called Eden and it' meant to be divine."

I tended to work Tuesday to Saturday for Vinnie. Today (Sunday) and Monday was my weekend. "That sounds great. I'll see you then."

Groceries taken care of for now, it was time to collect Rex.

I fobbed myself into the parking garage, took the spot that seemed to be reserved for me next to Ranger's cars and then the lift to the control room floor. Ella had been looking after Rex in the break room. Some of the Merry Men seemed to enjoy thinking of him as their unofficial mascot. I was wondering if one day I'd come in to find him wearing a Rangeman ball cap in his size.

It was quiet, being a Sunday. I would get in, get Rex, unless…

"PLUM. In here, now."

Tank was in. Great. I stepped inside his office.

"Why am I hearing that you're not coming to work on Tuesday?"

Shit. Lester or Hal was a snitch. "Oh, I just thought that since the thing with the Reapers…."

He cut me off. I was sure Tank had previously worked as a drill sergeant. "You thought you were just here for your protection?" He didn't wait for my answer. "Believe it or not, we're not in the habit of hiring amateurs. You're good at skip tracing. And you have bills that need paying and I have skips that need tracing. Consider this a symbiotic relationship."

That might all be true but how did I broach that Ranger was justifiably pissed off at me? "But I'm not sure if Ranger would want me here after…"

Tank cut me off again. "I don't care about your private life. At the moment, I don't know or care what Carlos wants. What I do know is I have a mountain of paperwork to get through. And if I'm not allowed to have fun in the field, I don't see why anyone else should be."

The truth is having a steady income wouldn't be the worst thing. It would take some of the stress out of my life around rent, bills and groceries. And if I wanted to get better at being a bounty hunter, I'd likely need some Rangeman help. "I can do two days max. The other days I need to work for Vinnie – for my own sanity. I think I've shown I don't like being indoors any more than you do. I won't do it five days a week."

He thought about that and nodded. "Fine. Tuesdays and Wednesdays here. Get the rat and get going."

I was nearly out the door when I remembered. I turned back and asked, "Zip?"

Tank looked up with a softer expression. "He'll be fine, Bombshell. It went under the vest - it could have happened to any of us, on any job."

"Yeah, but it happened saving me. I shouldn't have been there. I didn't think."

"So, next time make sure you do think. Be grateful you have the chance to."

I grabbed Rex and headed home.