Disclaimer: I own none of these wonderful characters. Janet owns everything.

Day Off

Part one

"Fuck. My ice cream was in the car." Okay, so maybe this was a little unhealthy that my first thought after watching my car blow up was for my unrealized saturated fat. I just couldn't seem to get that worked up about the car. It was that kind of day. Actually, this morning wasn't that bad. I found a whole section of last-season Victoria Secret underwear on clearance. It got ugly.

I could hear the sirens in the background. My skip was long gone. He took off after I tripped over my own feet and shot a hole in my gas tank. Jerk. The LEAST he could have done was make sure I was okay. I blew out a breath and figured I had better come up with a good cover story. I'd never hear the end of it in the cop betting pool. Plus, I figured Morelli would be arriving and I really didn't want to admit I shot my car. He had mellowed since we decided to take a permanent break. We just wanted different things. But what we did want was friendship and the love that goes along with history. We were good at that. I mean, hey, we both ate like crap. What girl wouldn't want that in her life? Plus, I could still check out his butt when he wasn't looking.

I felt an arm slide across my shoulder. "Hey Joe." "Hey Cupcake. This is impressive. I didn't know fire could jump like that over that other car to the Supercuts. Have you learned how to channel your power?"

I cut my eyes to Joe and didn't answer. Inside, I did a happy dance. Supercuts had turned my hair orange when I was 14. Right before school pictures.

"Seriously, you okay?" I could hear the slight tension lacing his voice. He never would quite quit worrying.

"I'm fine. I didn't like the Corolla anyway."

Joe smiled at my levity. "I'll let you get back to your denial. Looks like first string is here, anyway. Come by the station tomorrow for your statement. Might take a little longer since you torched a building." Joe had begun referring to Ranger as 'first string' since we broke up. I think he was convinced we would get together. I did, too. So far, not much has changed. Ranger was out of town when Joe and I bit the dust. Since his return, he has been less intimidating. He has shown up a few times at my apartment with dinner to discuss jobs. Once he even knocked. Of course, the next time he broke right on in while I was in the shower. Ranger tried to peek in until I screeched at him and he went to wait on the couch. Thankfully it was a regular shower and not a 'massager shower'. That could have been embarrassing.

I watched Joe depart. Okay, I watched some parts depart more than others. I felt another heavy arm slide across my shoulders. "Impressive, Babe. How did you get the fire-"

"I didn't have anything to do with it! It was a freak of nature. I can't channel any power!"

Ranger smiled at me and tucked a curl behind my ear. "You never disappoint, Babe. Want to explain how you blew up your car?"

I decided to go with Story A. Here goes nothing. "Well my skip, Stucky Garbozi, was running after me. And he turned to shoot at me and I ducked behind the Corolla. I guess when he was aiming at me he shot the gas tank. Then he just took off."

Ranger smiled, never taking his eyes off the wreckage. Across the street the Supercuts sign began to list perilously to one side. "That's amazing how he was able to shoot at you since Tank picked Stucky up a few minutes ago and he didn't have a gun."

You have to do better than that, Manoso. "He threw away the gun when he ran off." HA!

"Or how the gas tank is on the other side of the car from where he was 'shooting'." Hmmmm. This was a little harder.

"He missed and the bullet ricocheted off of the Supercuts and hit the gas tank." He could believe it. Maybe. Ranger just kept looking on with his almost smile.

"That was a good one. But Mrs. Edson seems to have seen a woman matching your description tripping over the sidewalk and shooting that Corolla over there."

Shit.

"Shit."

Ranger gave me the full 200 watts and bent down until I felt his hot breath just below my ear. "I won't tell. It's a good story. You just need to tweak it a little more before tomorrow. I'll help."

"Are you going to make Mrs. Edson disappear?" I asked hopefully. Ranger pressed his lips briefly to my skin and I felt a tingle that turned into a shiver. I felt his lips smile against my neck at my shiver.

"Not yet. But we can encourage her to not mention that."

Okay. Disaster averted. Ranger tugged me along to his car leaving his arm around my shoulder. I liked it there. Too much. He was flirting and being all slick but he wasn't putting out. Actually, slick wasn't the right word. He was different. We had changed since the Scrog shooting. My change came with the realization that I was in love with him. I sure hoped that his change was because of the same thing.

Ranger pulled away from the curb, heading towards my apartment. Instead of his usual zone, he reached over and slid his hand over mine, rubbing the top with his thumb. Every time he needed to shift, instead of letting go he placed my hand on the stick and used it to push into the next gear.

He glanced at me. I must have looked a sight with my dirt smudges and post blast hair. "How about we pick up dinner and eat at your place? I want to talk with you about a job."

"As long as it's the kind of food that shortens my lifespan, I'm in."

"Babe."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo RS ooooooooooooooooooooooo

"No way in Hell, Ranger! Have you seen the costume?" What am I saying? Of COURSE he had seen it. He probably planned the job because of the costume.

"Babe."

"Don't 'Babe' me. It's not going to be YOUR ass hanging out!" Damn.

Ranger must have ESP'd my last thought because a ghost of a smile touched his lips but he didn't answer. I knew what he was doing. He was waiting me out. Waiting for me to finish my tirade and get to the real stuff. Like how much.

"Oh all right. How much?"

The skip, Tom Jenson, was a performer at Six Flags Great Adventure. He was in the German show. The one where the girls wear the little German shorts with the white tights and suspenders over a fluffy shirt. There is also a hat, but I'm not going to mention the hat. It's too bad, really. I love Six Flags. I haven't been in years.

"Actually, I wanted to negotiate the salary." Ranger said as he sprawled on my couch. This is another new thing for Ranger. He sprawled. "You go, wear the outfit and lure Jenson out of rehearsal before the park opens, and I'll buy you a new car. A safe one. With a reinforced gas tank." Hmmmm. This was a good offer. But a new thought worried me.

"Wait. How early are we talking?" Six Flags wasn't too far, but it was at least 20 miles and there was morning traffic to account for.

"We would have to be there at 7:00 am." This was good, actually. I needed this kind of leverage.

"I don't know, Ranger. I might need something else to make that kind of sacrifice." This is where I needed to play my cards right.

Ranger cut his eyes to me and hinted at a smile. He acts tough but I think he likes it when I try to best him. He likes a challenge. He would wait me out.

I plunged right in. "The way I see it, Six Flags will be so thankful that we don't cause a scene that they would let a few of us stick around for awhile and ride some rides. I haven't been there for years. I want to ride Batman!" Too late I realized what I had said. My cheeks turned pink and I think I started sweating. Ranger slowly smiled his wolf grin and before I knew what had happened he had pushed me flat on my back on the couch. Surprisingly, he didn't kiss me right away. He smiled at me in his sexy way and then leaned down and slowly licked up my neck. When he got to the top, he fisted his hand in my hair and turned my head to expose the rest of my neck. I felt his open mouth on my jaw line, with just the tip of his tongue touching my skin. I felt his other hand slide across my stomach with his thumb trailing just below my breasts. I was a fast sinking ship.

And then his pager went off. Ranger groaned and rolled off me.

"It's the office, Babe. You'll have to ride Batman some other time." He was smiling and his eyes were warm. He was holding my hand again. Certain parts of me were warm, too.

"While I appreciate the fact that you seem excited to refer to yourself as Batman, I want to finish this deal. I like the car idea, but I also want you to hang out with me for awhile and take me on some rides. And I'm talking the cool rides. And you have to look normal and have fun." I was pushing my luck.

Ranger grimaced, but I saw amusement just below the surface. He wasn't trying too hard to hide it.

"Alright, Babe. But I'm not eating cotton candy no matter how hot you look in those shorts."