Virginia Safe house

Ranger

Tank's booming laughter filled the room.

"It's not funny." Ranger clenched his jaw. "I am nowhere near my typical strength and that means it could be ages."

"Ric, it's the funniest thing I have heard in months! Besides," Tank reasoned. "Stephanie didn't specify you had to be at your past strength level. She just said you have to be married to sleep with her again. It was your decision to wait until you get your strength back."

"She's being unreasonable." Ranger shook his head "If I don't get better… I refuse to be a burden to Stephanie."

Ranger had been in a wheelchair for three weeks more than he thought he would be. Drs. Brown and Finamore had warned him it would take time but his legs still wouldn't hold his weight. He hated feeling so weak.

"Ric, she is just trying to motivate you to marry her. She almost lost you and doesn't want to waste any more time." Bobby Brown knew Ranger's recovery was progressing, even if his friend didn't think it was fast enough.

"I find it hard to believe both of you are on her side."

"I thought you should have married her after you jumped off the bridge to save her. She is the light in your life, brother, and so, yeah, I'm "Team Stephanie"." Tank told his friend. "And with everything going on, there is no time like the present."

"She wanted to marry you as soon as you regained consciousness." Bobby reminded him. "It really hurt her when you made her wait. And she is still waiting."

Like Ranger needed a reminder. Stephanie crying when he told her they had to wait was not something he could forget.

"Maybe we should get "Team Stephanie" T-shirts to show her our support." Bobby said and Ranger watch his two badass Special Forces friends laughing out loud.

These two supporting Stephanie and her mutiny would not go unpunished. "When I am stronger, I will be kicking both your asses!"

"Looking forward to it. We have a meeting in the other house. You want to join?" Bobby asked.

"No, the physical therapist is going to be here in ten."

"Then I will update you when we are done." Tank clapped Ranger on the shoulder as he left the room.

Tank

Stephanie walked with Tank to the first house, where they set up a secure conference room. Bobby would join them after speaking to the Physical therapist.

"You do realize, Little Girl, he is gonna kill Lester when he finds out Mission Abstinence was his cousin's idea."

"I am suffering too, Big Guy. And only you me and Lester know it was his idea. Even Bobby doesn't know. Besides, I am pretty sure Ranger will cave inside a week." Stephanie smiled up at the giant man.

"What makes you think so?"

"I just got an itsy, bitsy, teeny, weeny yellow polka dot bikini and plan to wear it poolside after the meeting."

"You do not play fair." Tank shook his head.

"His fault."

"Agreed, but…" Now Tank was smiling.

"No more buts, no more excuses, no more delays. He wanted to marry me. I wanted to marry him. And for me, nothing has changed. His physical limitations have not changed my mind. And the sooner he cops a clue, the better it will be for everyone."

Tank was pretty sure Ranger would be waving a white flag within 48 hours.

Rosolli safe house compound, Western New Jersey

Connie

"Bettina, you are gonna end up with lung cancer if you that keep up." Connie looked over at her chain-smoking sister and the ashtray next to her that was near to overflowing.

"I am freaking out." Tina Rosolli took a long drag. "And don't call me Bettina or I will call you Concetta in front of everyone we know for the rest of our lives."

Connie muttered under her breath, "However long that is," before answering her sister.

"Uncle Nunzo and Uncle Lou will keep us safe." Connie continued to file her nails and pretended she wasn't scared witless by the meeting she attended earlier. Of all people, Uncle Jimmy, God rest his soul, trusted Charlie Shine with the information about Ana that Connie asked Jimmy to hid. It made a crazy sort of sense, in a way. Jimmy was keeper of the keys and Charlie was keeper of the books, after all. But now her mother was wrapped up in the whole Ana mess, not that she had a clue. When Charlie got arrested on tax evasion charges, he pulled all the books out of the safety deposit box the Feds would gain access to ahead of trial, and while chasing Stephanie and hiding out, Charlie gave Connie's mom the picture she painted for him when they dated in high school. Mom hung it on a wall and didn't think about it again.

And that was ages ago. Another lifetime.

Connie's brother, Antonio, accidently broke the frame when he helped Mom pack her stuff after getting out of the rehab center and was gonna throw it away till Mom told him she'd painted it. He stuck it in the trunk and figured he would get the frame repaired or replaced and then hang it in Mom's room.

But on seeing Connie's name on the envelope he found hidden in the frame, he brought it straight to his sister yesterday morning. Who immediately recognized it, swaying on her feet.

"Tony, where on earth did you get that?" Connie gasped.

Tony told her about the picture Charlie Shine returned to their mother as Connie clutched the envelope in her hands.

"Connie, are you okay?"

"I was just surprised, Tony, I'm fine now. I thought this was lost when Uncle Jimmy died. Thanks so much for giving it back to me."

And Tony, who was never encouraged to be curious about anything as a member of a Mob family, asked no questions. It was Uncle Jimmy's business. And none of his. If he needed to know, he would be told.

Holy good mother of God!

The envelope, the letter and proof Ana was dead at her husband's hands.

Then Gabriela Rose came first thing this morning. On seeing her, Connie wanted scotch. Which reminded her of Vito and the aged scotch he preferred.

Gabriela was smart. An excellent investigator. And she knew EVERYONE. Ever since Vito died and Terry disappeared with Joe Morelli of all people, Connie was worried that her role as the liaison between the families and the government agencies working with RangeMan would be exposed. Up until Terry went off the radar, most would have assumed Terry filled that role. Which is how Vito wanted it. He wanted to give Terry an out. A clean break from the Family once he was gone. He knew they would come after him, though Conie was sure he was surprised it was someone within his organization. Clearly Smirnoff had money to burn.

Ranger left Trenton, then Stephanie left town, following him, no doubt, and Connie got shipped here, out of touch completely.

Gabriela came every couple of weeks. It was Gabriela who told Connie Lula and Julio ran off to Vegas and got married, two weeks after Vito died. Two weeks later, she reported that the newlyweds relocated to Georgia to live near Lula's mother and aunt Sue and take over their dog sitting business, with Julio doing some freelance renovation project.

"Lula decided there was no time like the present after the coffins started being delivered."

A coffin showed up at the bond office, outside RangeMan and on the Morelli driveway. Later that day, Mooch put Angie and Bella on a plane to Italy.

"Who are they trying to rattle? That's a pretty diverse set of locations." Connie told Gabriela.

"I am tracking down some leads." Gabriela mentioned. "But there is a piece of this puzzle that is eluding me."

But today, Gabriela told her she found all the puzzle pieces. And that Connie has some explaining to do- so the puzzle could be completed.

Connie told her all she knew. And then Gabriela blew Connie's mind completely.

Ranger… Connie needed to talk to him. And now, after all these years, Stephanie had to be told.