Standard Disclaimer Applies

The Distraction

Steph POV

The call was issued in normal Ranger fashion.

I was sitting at home debating if I should watch Ghostbusters again or if I should just go to bed early, when my Batman ring tone sounded. After dumping out my purse to locate the phone I answered.

"Yo."

"Babe."

"Ranger."

"You up for a distraction tonight?"

"Time?" It must have been contagious; I was now talking in monosyllables. I could hear the grin in his voice when he answered me.

"I'll pick you up at ten."

"Dress?"

"No."

"No?" All I got as an answer was a laugh.

"It's a bar, Babe." With that he hung up, without so much as a 'later.'

I looked at the clock, I had less than three hours to get ready.

I was ready, barely, when I heard the locks tumble announcing Ranger's arrival. He looked me up and down and did that little half grin that doesn't really mean anything. Well at least not on its own. Mixed with his darkened eyes it meant that he liked the little black dress that I was wearing.

I grabbed my clutch and followed him out into the hall, locking my door behind me. Together we took the elevator down and walked out to the car. He gave me the file on the skip, one Thomas Garrion. After that he immediately fell into this zone, while I read through the file. The guy didn't seem that dangerous he was arrested on stalking charges that were made by Sherri McKnight, whom I had known in high school.

This so called 'bar' that Ranger pulled up in front of was almost to Stark Street and there was barely any lighting. Most have them were probably shot out to make it easier to conduct whatever nefarious deals were going down.

As I made to exit the car Ranger put his hand on my wrist, making me look back at him. He held up the microphone up so I could see it, oops almost forgot that. I nabbed it and settled it my bra, trying not flash Ranger as I did it.

I hopped up out of the car. Ranger got out and walked around to my side and leaned against the car. I turned and made my way into the bar with a little extra sway in my step.

I walked in looking around when Lester grabbed my elbow and steered me on to the dance floor.

"Garrion is at the bar, when you turn around Bobby will be serving him."

I nodded then turned around to look for Bobby, spotting him behind the bar serving drinks. I caught his eye and he nodded toward the man sitting in front of him.

I strode over to the bar and ordered a drink from Bobby. I took a sip and tried not to make a face when I realized he gave me something that was entirely liquor free. I moved over to the free stool next to Thomas 'accidentally' bumping into him as I sat down on the stool.

"Oops. I'm so sorry I'm such a klutz and I've only had a sip." I giggled.

"No problem." He turned to get a better look at me, when his eyes finally moved off of my chest to my face he narrowed his eyes. "Hey, you look familiar."

"I get that a lot." I said giving him my best smile.

He stood up saying "I bet you do get that a lot." He leaned down and whispered into my ear softly enough that the mic didn't pick it up. "I know exactly who you are."

The last thing I saw was a huge fist coming straight at my face.

Lester POV

I had to keep my jaw from dropping when Steph walked in to the bar. She wore a scarp of cloth that could generously be called a dress. I walked over to her and brought her on to the dance floor.

I leaned in as close as I could get away with and whispered "Garrion is at the bar, when you turn around Bobby will be serving him."

She nodded her head and I watched the sway of her hips she sauntered over to where Bobby was serving drinks. She got her drink, then walked right over to the skip, talking to him. I sat waiting to follow them out, when Garrion stood up I thought this had to be the quickest distraction ever. Before Garrion's fist connected with Steph I was on my feet helping Bobby stop him from hitting her again. Bobby POV

I watched Steph enter the bar from my position behind the bar. I couldn't help the smile that spread over my face. I watched Lester stare dumbly at her before he started dancing with her to point out the skip.

Steph came over to the bar and ordered a drink. I think all of us Rangeman employees know that Steph is a lightweight. So the drink that I gave her was not what she ordered or she would have been on the floor. After a sip she made a face at me then walked over to the empty stool beside the skip.

I watched her slip onto the stool bumping into him on 'accident.' It looked like things were going to go quickly tonight. Garrion stood up and leaned over Steph, but whatever it was that he said was too soft to be heard over the mic. Out of nowhere the skip hit her sending her sprawling. Even though Steph was obviously no longer a threat he went to hit her again.

I had leaped over the bar and grabbed Garrion and with Lester's help stopped him from taking a second swing at Steph. Ranger was suddenly there beating on the guy until he hung limply between Lester and me. He only stopped because Tank had put a hand on Ranger's shoulder. It looked as if Ranger was going to start on him too, but Tank nodded toward Steph who lay unmoving.

Tank POV

I stood outside watching Ranger watching Steph walk inside. Ram and I walked over to where he was leaning against his car to wait for Steph to come out with the skip. I listened to Lester point out the skip and then heard her order a drink from Bobby. I stood there next to Ranger and Ram thinking how all of the skips always followed her out. Ranger was then up off of the side of the car heading toward the bar.

"She over at the bar talking to the skip, sir." I said giving Ranger a running commentary of what was going on inside. It was obvious that he wasn't paying attention on his own.

"Stay out here." He ordered us.

I couldn't help myself I laughed and as soon as I did Ram joined me. Ranger was just another man who would follow Stephanie Plum anywhere.

I was still shaking my head over the boss being love struck when my earpiece exploded in noise.

I wasted no time getting in to the bar, I walked in to see Ranger beating the crap out of some guy and Steph on the floor.

In the second that it took me to get over to Ranger, Garrion was unconscious and Ranger showed no signs of letting up. I placed my hand on his shoulder hoping he wouldn't start in on me. He probably would have too, if he hadn't seen Steph's prone body still on the ground.

Ranger POV

I got out of the car and came around to where Steph was standing disappointed that she had set the microphone up herself. I watched Steph's swaying hips as she strolled into the bar. I stood there debating if I should follow her, just to drag the skip off him self so the two of them could…Tank and Ram came over interrupting me of my lecherous thoughts.

"Microphone's good, sir" Ram assured me.

I should go in just to make sure nothing goes wrong.

"Lester is pointing her in the direction of the skip now." Tank informed me.

I should have taken the inside detail, then I would have gotten to dance with Steph.

"She over at the bar talking to the skip, sir." Tank continued.

That was it I'm going to go in. "Stay out here."

As I walked to the door I swore I heard them two of them laughing at me. I willed myself not to turn around or mumble anything that they could hear over the mic. I had just got inside the door when the skip hauled off and decked Steph. Looking back I remembered seeing Bobby clear the bar and Lester rushing over. At the time I was just suddenly there wailing on Garrion till I felt an arm on my shoulder. I turned to find Tank standing there, I was about to tell him off when he looked away from me. I turned to see that Steph was still on the ground and had yet to move from where she had fallen.

Please let me know what you think. The other chapters aren't quite like this one.