Hey, everybody! I know it's been a long time since I've posted, and I'm sorry about that. I'm trying to get out a few of the one-shots I promised to people, then we'll see about another Rangemen story... (I still haven't gotten past Chapter 3 of Angie Morelli's story, maybe I can judge that one along.) Anyway, I hope you enjoy this one... The line in Bold is the line Margaret gave me to work with!

Lula was standing in line waiting for her chicken at Cluck in a Bucket when her life changed, irrevocably. Of course, she didn't know it at the time. All she knew was that there was a dollar laying on the floor, and that dollar was hers.

As soon as she bent down, she knew she was in trouble. If the ripping sound didn't give it away, then the cool breeze she felt on her behind certainly did. Before she could stand up, there was a lot of yelling behind her, and a loud crash as a customer fainted dead away on the floor. Standing up didn't help, as her best hot pink spandex skirt had split from top to bottom. The entire scrap of material floated to the floor in relief as she righted herself. The manager of the restaurant started yelling at her to get out.

Lula grabbed the closest bucket of chicken and ran for the door. She tackled Mr. Clucky as he stood between her and the door in slack-jawed horror. Lula could hear children crying over the shouts of the counter person yelling that she didn't pay for that. Lula drove all the way home without stopping. When she pulled up in front of her apartment, she broke down, sobbing.

Grabbing the bucket of chicken, she ignored her ringing cell phone and shut herself inside. After she ate the entire bucket, she went into her bedroom to find something else to wear. After an hour, Lula found herself sitting on the floor, surrounded by clothes that she couldn't wiggle past her hips. In an act of sheer desperation, she picked up her cell phone. She had several missed calls and some text messages, but she ignored them to dial the number two person in her favorites.

Lula held the phone to her ear and prayed that Tank would answer her call. She hadn't spoken to him in months, and she didn't really blame him. Sure he chose his cats over her, but she bet they never bought themselves engagement rings and told him that it was from him. He would have married her, too, but after attending night school for the past couple of years, she could admit that a relationship built on a lie would have never lasted. She missed her full Tank of Love, and hoped that he still cared enough about her to help her one last time.

She had just about given up hope and resigned herself to leaving him a message when he answered, "Hello?". All of her old feelings for him lodged in her throat at the sound of his voice. "Lula? Are you all right?"

She choked out another sob and meekly said, "No."

After another silence, Tank said, "Are you in trouble? Do you want me to get Stephanie for you?"

"No," she said in a rush. "I'm not in any danger, but I do need your help." She pressed her hand to her lips and hoped he didn't hear her crying.

"What can I do for you?" His gentle tone brought the tears on harder.

She sniffled and said, "Do you remember those really big shorts you used to wear to go running?"

"Yeah." He sounded confused, and she couldn't blame him.

"Do you think I could borrow them? just for today, I'll give them back tomorrow." She couldn't tell him that she just needed them long enough to get herself to a store and see if she could buy something she fit in. She was practically dying of embarrassment as it was.

"Why do you need my shorts, Lula?" He was wary enough not to loan them to her without an explanation.

Lula started wailing in earnest. "Because I can't go out in nothing but a thong, and if the police are gonna come and arrest me for assaulting Mr. Clucky, I'd prefer to have clothes on."

Tank was baffled. "How does Mr. Clucky fit into this?"

Lula buried her face in a pile of neon spandex. "Please, Tank? I ain't got no one else to ask." When she picked her head up, something that looked suspiciously like snot ran from her nose to the clothes she was laying on, which only made her cry harder.

Panicked, Tank told her, "Calm down, Lula, I'll be right there. It'll be okay. I'll bring the shorts and we'll fix whatever the problem is." He had no idea what was wrong and how to fix it, but he had to get her to stop crying.

Half an hour later, Lula opened her door with her bedsheet wrapped around her waist. Snatching the shorts from Tank's hand, she ran to the bathroom and put them on. Finally dressed, she walked back out to find that Tank hadn't arrived alone. Stephanie ran to her and wrapped her in a hug. "Are you okay?" she asked, sending Lula into another crying fit. "Shh, don't worry about it," she told her while rubbing Lula's back in circles, "I talked to the manager at Cluck in a bucket and paid for the chicken. They're not going to press charges."

Lula buried her face in her friend's shoulder. "It's not just the chicken," she cried, "None of my clothes fit me. I had to borrow Tank's shorts because I couldn't fit in my own clothes."

Tank stood by the door trying hard not to look at the two women. Unfortunately, Lula's apartment wasn't big enough for him to do anything other than stare at them. Clearing his throat, he said, "Why didn't you put on that thing you called your 'fat spandex'?"

Lula wailed. "That's what I was wearing in Cluck in a Bucket."

Stephanie tried to sound positive. "Well, you're dressed now. Why don't we go to Macy's and get you something new?"

Lula flopped down on the couch. "I ain't got no money. Vinnie only pays me to catch skips now that all the work is done online. I don't have any filing to do no more, and you been spending all your time with Batman. I was going to have to go to Goodwill."

Tank walked over and sat on the couch next to Lula. Taking her hand, he asked her, "Do you trust me?"

Slowly, she nodded. "You were the only person I could call."

He stood and pulled her with him. "Then come with me, and let us help you."

o0()0o

"I'm not telling you it's going to be easy, I'm telling you it's going to be worth it."

Lula looked at the treadmill with loathing and scorn. "I moved into that apartment on the fourth floor. I even ate that grilled salmon salad that Ella made for me. I didn't know you were going to make me exercise. A big, beautiful woman like myself doesn't do this shit."

Tank tried a different approach. "You can't wear my sweatsuits forever, Lula. I'm going to be right here on the treadmill next to yours and Bobby is going to be watching to make sure you're okay. We're just going to go for a walk, I promise I won't speed the treadmill up."

When they had gotten to Rangeman yesterday, Stephanie and Tank set Lula up in an empty apartment. Once she was settled in, Bobby came in to check her out medically and work up a diet and exercise program. Stephanie stayed with her the whole time and even ate salad with her, despite having the finest man in Trenton waiting three floors up for her.

"You swear no one else is going to come in here?" She didn't really want any of the other fine men that worked there watching her humiliation.

"No one else, Lula. Just you, me, and Bobby. Even the cameras are turned off."

Lula stepped up and pushed the button. warily she took the first step.

o0()0o

By the end of the first month, Lula had the treadmill up to the pace of a brisk walk or a slow jog. Tank was there with her every day, although he was now back to his usual run. Stephanie even joined her three days a week and was only a little faster than she was. Lula was surprised to find out that it was the Rangeman gym that had helped Stephanie get in shape, she thought it was just all the sex Stephanie was having with Batman.

Sweating profusely, Lula hit the button to end today's torture program. Once she stepped down, she immediately grabbed her water and took a healthy swig. Turning to Stephanie she said, "I have to go back."

Alarmed, Stephanie ended her own program. "Why? you're on a leave of absence from Vinnie's." Actually, she had to threaten her cousin again to get him to agree to take Lula back once she was better. She felt a little bad about that, he was her cousin after all, but really that weasel deserved a little payback every now and then. The two women walked to the exit and headed to the elevator and the seventh floor.

Lula mopped some of the sweat off of her face. "Because I done already lost 20 pounds. If I lose any more, all the clothes that were too small for me will be too big, and I'll be back in the same boat rowing in the other direction."

Stephanie sat on the couch and patted the seat next to her. "Do you really want to go back to the way things were? Bobby told me that he thought you were ready for some additional training. I bet if you asked, Tank would help you learn to do takedowns better."

Lula sniffed. "I don't know why he'd do that. I figured he only helped me this much because we're friends."

Wrapping her arm around her friend Stephanie told her, "This was all his idea. He did it for you, Lula. I'm pretty sure he still cares about you."

Lula thought about what she said. "Huh. Well whether or not Tank still likes me don't help me with my clothes problem."

They heard the door to the apartment open and Ranger's keys hit the bowl. Stephanie told Lula, "There's got to be something we can do to get you some clothes money."

Ranger walked into the living room and kissed Stephanie on the top of her head. He looked at Lula and said, "Have you tried coming to my office?"

Lula felt as confused as Stephanie looked. "Huh?"

Ranger glanced at her. "You've been helping Ella with preparing meals for the men and cleaning for a month. I don't let people work for me without paying them. If you want to earn more than minimum wage, though, we could discuss having you answer the phones and work at the reception desk."

Lula perked up. "I could answer the shit out of them phones."

Ranger cringed. "It will require some additional training, but Junior would be glad to show you the ropes. If you're going to work for me, Ella will provide you with uniforms and you will be required to learn how to shoot properly."

Lula jumped off the couch and hugged him. "I'll go see her right now. You ain't gonna regret this, Batman." She turned to Stephanie and said, "Looks like we gonna go to Goodwill after all, girlfriend. I'm gonna donate all my ho clothes. It's the start of a new me!"

Lula raced from the apartment, slamming the door behind her. Ranger sat down in the spot she vacated and dropped his head in his hands. Stephanie stretched out and laid her head in his lap so that she could look up at him. When he moved his hands she said, "You're a good man, Carlos Manoso."

He ran his hand through her curls. "I have a bad feeling about this."

Stephanie sat up and straddled his thighs. "Is there anything I can do to help you feel better?"

o0()0o

It had been three months since Connie last saw Lula. She was concerned when Stephanie came in to tell them that Lula had a medical emergency and was taking a leave of absence. When she tried to call, Lula's phone rang straight through to voicemail. For the first month, Connie kept the office well stocked with pizza and donuts, sure that Lula would be back any day. At the weeks stretched into months, Connie realized that she was keeping the food there for herself. When she started to spread, she went to Goodwill and bought some clothes that would help shove all her parts back into place. The cute Yellow spandex top she wore today even had cowboy fringe on it, and matched the Blue denim miniskirt perfectly. She even bought a yellow cowboy hat that turned her outfit into an ensemble.

Connie was excited because Stephanie told them that Lula would be back today. She even picked up an extra dozen donuts to celebrate. A black Rangeman SUV pulled up and blocked her view of the street. Tank got out and opened the passenger door. A wave of alarm rushed through Connie as a beautiful black woman stepped onto the curb wearing what Connie was sure was a Stella McCartney original floral embroidered tuxedo jacket and black pencil skirt. Tank ushered her inside. He nodded at Vinnie's door. "Bossman in?" She nodded mutely when Tank escorted the lady into Vinnie's office.

When he stepped out alone a minute later, Connie hissed at him, "Lula is due back from her medical leave today, and I don't have enough pizza here to help her through seeing you here with Miss Thang. You need to get out of here before she shows up."

Before Tank could answer her, the lady stepped out of Vinnie's office and walked over to Connie's desk. Connie's jaw hit the floor when she said, "Hello, Connie. Do you have any files for me today?" in Lula's voice.

"Lula?"

Lula straightened out her jacket. "Yes, it's me, Connie. I've been working on myself, do you like my new look?"

Connie sat there, stunned. Finally, she said, "I didn't even recognize you. Welcome back. I've got donuts."

Lula didn't even look at the box. "Sorry, I've given up donuts." She picked up the stack of folders on the edge of Connie's desk. "It's good to see you again." She started to walk towards the door with Tank, so Connie picked up one of the donuts and took a bite. Before they left, Lula turned around and said, "I like your outfit. It looks like one I used to own from the 'Westward Ho' collection, but I donated all my old clothes to Goodwill." Connie felt the donut slip through her fingers and land on the floor.

After the SUV pulled away, Connie got up from her chair and looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. She almost didn't recognize the woman who stared back at her. When she got back to her desk, she noticed the donut that she had dropped earlier. She bent over to pick it up and she heard the ripping sound of denim stretched past it's limits. Before she could straighten up, she heard the door to Vinnie's office open and the man himself say, "Did you get a load of… Damn, woman, you're supposed to come into the office before you flash that at me!"