Disclaimer: I am not making any money from this, I promise.

My grateful thanks to JE for her wonderful characters, which I hope I haven't damaged too much.

This is the last part or I think I'd be facing the cyber equivalent of a lynch mob.

Denouement

Steph's POV

We stayed at the safe house for three days and now we've been back at Haywood for three days. Today Bobby should finally declare us fit. The millisecond he does I am being loaded in an SUV and taken to a very special destination. I'm packed, ready to go, but I have no idea what's been packed for me. Ella did it and she won't let me near my duffel bag. Rex has moved permanently, it would appear, into the break room, so much so that there's now a rota on the wall above his cage for who gets to clean him out. Turns out that these huge hunks of muscle have a soft spot for my furry little friend and at first it was weird to hear them greet him as they came in the room. Maybe it wasn't me they adopted; maybe it was Rex and I just came along with him?

Adam seems to have settled in well and from what I hear, the Doc thinks she can really help him. She believes that being in the bustle and noise of the office is good for him and hoped there was something he could do for us that would make him feel useful. So he and I are running searches together and he has a dry, understated sense of humour that I find an absolute delight. My coffee cup barely gets a chance to get cold before he's off to fill it up again and he is always so solicitous, do you realise that every time I get up he stands up too? It's like something from a bygone age. I thought when I first met him that he was a monster, now I know he's a just man who has been pushed far beyond his endurance by circumstances beyond his control.

I've discovered that some are dark to the core, others, like Carlos and the men of Rangeman have that darkness within them, but they never let it touch their souls. Adam's darkness is being beaten back with every moment he spends here; it's almost palpable, with every small act of kindness his pain recedes a little more. He had dinner with Carlos, Tank, Lester, Bobby and Ram last night and Ella made his favourite dishes and they talked about whatever men talk about when they get together. He was still smiling when he came down this morning and he told me that he'd slept better than he had in years. Even though I have seen his ability for violence I'm starting to see him as a gentle man and I hope that one day he can see himself that way.

We're laughing amiably at my inability to spell my own name when Bobby appears at my elbow. "I've just cleared the Boss, now it's your turn" he tells me and turns away expecting me to follow. After a high five and a 'Good luck' from Adam I'm on his heels.

Bobby's POV

She's fine, I know she's fine but I have been asked to keep her out of the way for the next ten minutes while everything is made ready. Her bruises are fading, her smile is wider than her face, those entrancing eyes are so full of love it's almost blinding and there's a part of me that hates him, that can't bear that it was him that she fell for, that he was the one that captured her heart. I would give everything I own to have someone like her look at me like that. He's a lucky bastard.

I go through the motions, checking her bruises, spinning it out to the ten minutes that Ranger said he needed. Finally time's almost up and I wait until she's back into her clothes. She's biting her bottom lip now as if she just figured out that I'm the one that can stop her in her tracks. She has her head tilted slightly to the side and one eye closes as if she expects bad news.

"You're fit" I tell her and she lets out a noise that seems to be part squeal and part scream and takes off. Shaking my head, I turn around to the computer and start to update her records when I hear fast steps coming towards me. She's back and before I get a chance to ask her what's wrong she throws her arms around me and squeezes tight. She kisses my chin, which is as high as she can reach "Thanks Bobby"

I hold her tight to me, just for a second, then release her. "You're welcome"

Her eyes sparkle, she obviously has diabolical plans for the Boss and I'm sure that he'll enjoy everything she has in store for him. As I said before, he's a lucky bastard.

Ranger's POV

I'm suddenly nervous. Last time I tried this we both ended up bruised and she ended up mummified.

"She's on her way" Ram glances up from the monitors and nods to me. I turn to face the elevator and await my fate. One that I wouldn't have even dreamed of a few years ago, the women that wanted me were only interested in what I could give them; she's not like that, she's proved that all she really needs is me.

From here on in she will want for nothing, everything that I have is hers and all I want from her is love. I think that's an even exchange, don't you?

The elevator doors open and she steps out. I can tell by the grin that she's been declared fit. I look into her eyes and there's no trepidation there, all I can see is love and it knocks the breath out of me. I'm elated and humbled all at once that such an angel could fall for me.

With a smile I hold out her jacket, it's not that cold out there, but this, I'm starting as I mean to go on. She takes it and shrugs it on and waves her goodbyes to the control room who have a few suggestions as to how we spend the rest of the day and she lowers her head, her cheeks tinged with pink at the crudeness of several of them. I turn and raise an eyebrow at the worst offender who splutters an apology.

With her tucked into the crook of my arm it's all I can do not to hit the button for seven and I can see she's thinking the same thing. If I kiss her now I'm lost, no other woman has ever made lose control the way she does. But that has to wait as the next time I make love to her, it will be in my sacred space. Only those that started this journey with me know of its existence. Apart from Ella, she will be the only woman that has set foot in it.

I turn on the stereo and slip in her favourite Metallica CD and the smile she gives me nearly stops my heart right there. Her out of tune singing accompany us to the old brownstone building that she calls the bat cave.

With her duffel over one shoulder, my own over the other and her hand tucked into mine I lead her to the door. It's an arched doorway with a solid looking wooden door, just like a thousand other buildings across the city. Her eyes are wide with curiosity and I kiss the end of her nose. I unlock the door and when we are in the foyer I hand her the keys. She looks down at the key ring and looks up in surprise. It's a cheap plastic four leaf clover. I smile down at her confused expression and start to explain "This was the first piece of real estate I ever owned. It was here that the dream that was Rangeman was brought to life. With the last dollar I had left over from making the deposit I bought this key ring and it's always been on the keys for this place. It means a lot to me, but I wanted to give it to the one that means more to me even than it does" I lead her to what looks like a janitors' closet and invite her to use the other key on the ring to open it.

Steph's POV

Of all the things I was expecting, this wasn't it. It looks like a three storey office block. Once inside it still looks like one right down to the office doors, one either side of the foyer. One reads 'Templar and Duncan Private Investigators' and the other reads 'Stone Office Supplies' neither of which has anything to do with Rangeman as far as I could see. Then he started to speak, his dark eyes full of emotion.

His explanation brought tears to my eyes. This was where his dream was born and he wanted me to have his keys to it. He led me across the hall to a light green door the paint peeling and scratched and asked me to use the other key on the ring to open it. It looked like it should hold nothing more spectacular than a mop and bucket but when I pulled it open I found a set of beautifully carved stairs. He stepped past me and started to take the duffel bags up.

He told me once that the bat cave was forever, and this was it. This was the moment of choice and I could either run to him or away. I made sure the door was closed and locked behind me and with a deep breath took the first step towards my bright new future. This is the home of the real Ricardo Carlos Manoso and not the impersonal Haywood apartment where he's Ranger.

He waited at the top and I flew up those last few stairs into his waiting arms. As his lips touched mine I knew I'd made the right decision. He drew away far too soon and I looked up at him "Welcome to the Bat Cave" he punctuated each word with a light kiss and then turned me to face into the room. He kissed the top of my head and whispered "Go explore, I'll be in the kitchen when you're done"

I swung back to face him. "Not so fast" I told him and craned up on my tip toes and pressed my lips to his "There's only one thing I want to explore right now and it ain't the bat cave, it's the Batman"

His dark eyes turned into black pools of lust and my insides turned to mush and if he hadn't slipped his arms around me I'd have slithered to the floor "Stephanie" he whispered.

"Take me to bed" it sounded like an order.

"No" His voice was gentle but the word struck me like a slap and I took a step back.

"Listen please" he held open his arms and with a slight hesitation I stepped into them and he held me close for the space of ten heartbeats "I had this all planned, right down to the last detail, when I was far away from you and I couldn't or daren't sleep, I used to imagine this moment"

I couldn't get a breath as I looked up into his eyes, gone was the mask, the blank face, here, at least in his space he was open to me. "How you would explore your new home and then come find me so that I could feed you, bathe with you, then make love to you until morning"

That was simply the most romantic, sexy and utterly mind blowing thing anyone has ever said to me "I'm on board with that plan" I blinked away the mist of tears.

"I'll be waiting in the kitchen for you, love" his smile is gentle and totally loving and I swear my toes just curled.

"You are incredible" my voice finally broke on the last word and the first tear ran down my cheek. He wiped it gently away and smiled down at me and pulled me into him. He held me and let out a long sigh and I pulled away and wiped my eyes.

He turns me again to face the room and now I'm concentrating on something more than him I take a second to look around. "It's beautiful" I whisper and he slips his arms around me and pulls me back against him.

"Not as beautiful as you" he whispers back.

It's all one room, the windows bigger than I thought they were from the outside and the natural light sweeps through the space making it feel warm. I slide easily out of his arms and start my tour.

On the right side of the stairs there's a boxed in area, a wet room with a shower and toilet, I discover as I pull open the door. The tiles are white with accents in blues and greens and it feels welcoming. On the far side is a staircase which must lead to the upper floor.

Working my way round I enter the living space with the biggest TV I think that I have ever seen built into the wall and underneath there's what seems to be a state of the art DVD and sound system and the three huge sofas that surround it in a rough horseshoe are brown leather and they look worn, scuffed and supremely comfortable. There's a square table just in front of the sofas and it bears the usual remote controls and a pile of mail.

The next stop should be the kitchen as it's next in the circle but I cross diagonally and instead go back to the top of the stairs this time stepping into the space on the left. It's been set up as a library with floor to ceiling book shelves and built in to the wall under the window is an alcove with an upholstered window seat. As I get close in to the window I see the wooden shutters that fold back into a recess to let as much light in as possible but they would keep the sight of all that bad weather out beautifully in the winter. Every detail no matter how small has been considered and I think that's just wonderful. It's as special as its owner and I'm truly grateful that he chose to share it with me.

All that's left on this floor is the kitchen and as I approach I can see him standing at the stove. It too is top of the line as are the rest of the appliances that I can see and the counters are granite and the cupboards are the same wood as the bookshelves and the windows , every detail no matter how small just fits.

A lot of time and thought has gone into this place and this must be what he thought about in all those deadly places when he, how did he put it?, 'couldn't or daren't sleep', this was what distracted him from the full horror of those situations.

Whatever he's cooking smells wonderful.

He grins at my approach and pauses in what he's doing to give me a kiss before getting back to the serious business of feeding me. I take a seat at the small dining table which has been elegantly set with snow white table linens and candles in exquisite glass holders where I find a glass of champagne and a box in the middle of my dinner plate. I take a sip of ice cold bubbles and ask "What's this?"

"Ella informs me that you had a birthday while I was away, I owe you a gift and I hope you like it"

The box is shiny black and it has a gold ribbon. I remove the ribbon carefully and pull off the lid. Inside there's what looks like a key ring nestled amongst the tissue paper and I pull at it and end up with a piece of moulded plastic in my hand. Puzzled I turn it over and suddenly I know what this is!

It's a keyless entry system for a car, more specifically a Honda, probably a CR-V. I look up to find him watching me in anticipation. He points to the window and I follow his finger and he stands behind me as I press the button and the lights flash on a shiny new black car.

Yes it's a CR-V and it's gorgeous. I lock the doors again and turn to him. "Carlos, I can't accept this"

"I need to know that you are safe and I don't want you driving any more POS cars"

"Something bad will happen to it" I explain "And it's so beautiful"

"No you are precious and beautiful and its job is to transport you safely wherever you need to go. It is expendable, you however are not" He looked at me, those dark eyes full of love and I just melted "Please accept it Stephanie, I need to know that you are driving a safe and reliable car"

"Then let me pay for some of it" I pleaded.

"Fine, we'll come to some arrangement" he conceded.

"Thank you" I turned back to look at my new shiny toy and wiped a little tear from under my eye.

Ranger's POV

If she thinks I'll take a penny from her for the car, she's dead wrong, but now isn't the time to argue, she's taken it and that's all that matters.

"Do you like the place so far?" I ask as I put the salad I was dressing on to the table and return to the stove to fetch the chicken breast strips I'd cooked and arranged them on a serving plate before grabbing the bread and bringing them both over and taking a seat to enjoy our first home cooked meal together.

There's a question in her eyes, well about a dozen of them and I wonder which one she's going to ask first.

"Are those real offices downstairs?" Not the one I thought, but a good one.

"No they are small flats. One belongs to Tank; the other is shared by Lester and Bobby.

"So what are the names on the doors all about?" she's genuinely puzzled by it.

"Templar and Duncan, the Templars were once considered to be Holy Warriors and Santos means 'Holy'. Duncan is from the Gaelic for Brown Warrior"

She grinned "Lester and Bobby, very clever and no obvious link to Rangeman, so Tank has something to do with Stone?"

"What's Tank's name?"

She took a sip of wine and thought about it. "I know it's Pierre, but as far as I'm aware the last person who asked him his surname was never seen or heard from again"

I laughed, he isn't quite as bad as that, but he comes close "Pierre, French form of Peter and the meaning is from the Greek for Stone"

She laughed "I'd never have worked them out"

"If you're very good we can sneak in and have a look later"

"Ooh! Yes please!" she exclaimed.

The rest of the questions are the ones I expect and even with the casual conversation we can both feel the tension rising between us. This is how it should have been from the start, this slow burn is exquisite, when we finally come together, it will be explosive, for both of us. I promise.

"You finished?" I ask and she nods.

"Do you want to go and have a look upstairs while I clean up here?"

She nods and grins "Yes please!" and jumps to her feet pushing back her chair.

My voice drops to a husky whisper "Should I bring the champagne?"

"Am I going to need Dutch courage tonight?" she asks suddenly breathless.

I say nothing and just shoot her the full wolf grin, all 100 watts of it and she grips the table. "Go and finish your exploration as I'm very eager to start mine"

Her chest is heaving and I can see her nipples pebbled through her shirt sending all my blood further south. Dios, she's beautiful and I'm going to worship every inch of her alabaster skin before the sun rises tomorrow.

Playfully I tell her "Go now or we'll never make it to the bed"

She takes off, a little unsteady on her feet as if her knees are weak and I resist the urge to chase down my prey and have my very wicked way with her.

Steph's POV

I've hated the thought of making love on a dining table since I caught the Dick and the Skank on mine. But with him I'm more than considering it. I can't say what's stronger, my desire for him or my need to see the rest of this place.

Another lovely staircase, each looks hand carved, wonderfully finished and the rail feels soft as silk under my hand. I pause as I reach the top and just drink in the spectacle before me.

The entire upper floor is given over to an open plan bedroom and office area.

Directly across from me is the bed, but that can wait, for the moment.

I enter the office space and the first thing I find is a picture of me on his huge desk.

It's not a photograph, it's a drawing. I sit down in his big black leather office chair as I pick it up. I'm dressed in my LBD with my hair twisted up in a knot on my head and whoever has drawn it has flattered me outrageously as I look absolutely gorgeous. My eyes are huge and they look smoky, sexy and the dress hugs my curves in all the right places. There's a signature in the bottom right corner and I lean towards it trying to make it out, but I can't. Apart from the picture of me, there is little else on his desk apart from a photo of his daughter, taken this year and I smile as I recognise her and my eyes are drawn back to my picture and I look up over the top of it to the bed. It's the same dark wood as the stairs, the head and foot boards carved with intricate and beautiful scroll work and it sits on a platform in the corner of the room.

I'm drawn to it, the linens are, as you would expect, the very finest Egyptian cotton in startling white and the claret bedspread is soft and warm under my fingers. It's almost the same colour as the shirt he wore on our almost date.

I look up and find him watching me with the duffel bags over his shoulders. He placed them on the bed and opened his and took out a folded pile of clothing and walked towards a blank wall. He tapped one section gently and a door swung open. How clever, the wardrobes are built in. I walk to him and study the walls which are covered in an exquisite terracotta fabric making the place feel warm and cosy despite the size. Only close up can I see the joins and I move to my duffel bag and go for the strap to pull it over to me and he grabs it first and pulls it away. "I'll do that; you still have some exploring to do"

With a smile I head towards the bathroom, a very generous en-suite with a large antique bath and a huge multi headed shower tiled in white with highlights of opulent black and gold. The towels reflect the colours with black hand towels, gold bath towels and the bath sheets are so white they are almost blinding.

Behind the door hangs a black bath robe, similar to the one that I use at Haywood and now I know that Ella provided all the niceties. I bet if I looked under the sink I'd find all my favourite toiletries and a few necessities. The woman is a goddess.

They say that an Englishman's house is his castle, but this place is his safe haven and his arms are mine. I've reached my journey's end and I make my way back to where he's waiting both duffels unpacked. He's perched on the foot board waiting for me.

"Carlos, your home is wonderful"

"You think so?"

I nodded furiously "Oh yes"

"I realised it was missing something"

Puzzled I ask "What's that? You seem to have everything you need here"

"You" His smile sent my heart beat into orbit. "Now for phase two of my plans" his voice had dropped to the huskiest of whispers and it sent a sensuous shiver down my spine.

His head lowers to mine, but he doesn't kiss me "Shower or bath?" he asks

"Don't care" I tell him and I mean it, my fingers are itching to open the buttons of his shirt to touch that soft skin that I've dreamed of for so long.

"Bath" he decides and with a look that should have burned all my clothes right off, he presses his lips to mine.

Ranger's POV

Am I symbolically washing off the Cop's fingerprints? Or is this the ritual cleansing of the victim before she's sacrificed to my unholy lust?

I wonder sometimes why this was part of my fantasy. Then I remember how dirty and cold I was when I was thinking about it and it makes sense. How the thought of the softness of her alabaster skin beneath my soapy hands as they roam freely over her body was the one thing guaranteed to keep me awake on a night where sleep would have meant death.

Her eyes are wide, her cheeks tinged with pink as she stands before me naked. I know she would love to hide away, but she's being forced to endure my scrutiny as we wait for the bath to fill. I raise a hand and run the back of my hand down her cheek "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever known"

She shakes her head "No, you are perfection, every part of you pleases me" She catches my hand and brings it to her lips and kisses my knuckles, then slowly starts to caress my hand with her fingertips tracing the calluses on my fingers, stroking each one, studying my hands as if they were fascinating to her.

I'm not sure how much of this tender torture I can take, already I ache for her and I need to soothe the fire in my blood with the sweet balm of her body.

Submerged in silken warmth, the passion rising between us should be heating this water to way beyond boiling, she feels even better under my hands than all of my imaginings. Her soft moans and gasps, the way she writhes and arches as my hands enveloped in soft soap suds move across the curves and planes of her body.

Then it's my turn and her hands are heaven and hell as they caress me. Her gentlest touch leaves fire in its wake and the untouched parts feel like ice in comparison.

"Carlos, please take me to bed" her voice is filled with passion and a quiet desperation and I can't wait any longer.

"Yes Ma'am" I tell her as heedless of the water I lift her up and carry her off. It feels glorious to have her in my arms and I lay her down on our bed lower my body to hers until our lips merge and our bodies lie heart to heart.

Steph's POV

I can see stars, literally. Above the bed there's a glass roof and I'm staring up at the night sky. I am sated, boneless, I thought I remembered how good he was and I find that my memory holds only a poor recollection of how well we fit together and the heights of pleasure he can take me to.

He's gone to fetch a drink. Gloriously naked, bathed in moonlight, he returns carrying a couple of bottles of water and he hands me one and before slipping back in beside me.

"Yo" he runs a gentle finger down my cheek "You OK?"

"Yo back" I smile and sigh "Oh yes"

"Is this the time to talk?" he asks his eyes serious.

"Sure" I back away from him slightly, a little nervous now.

"Stephanie, please don't run from me"

I tuck a curl behind my ear "I'm not", but we both know I was.

He sighed and shook his head "For this to work between us there are a few things that we have to discuss" he grabbed my hand and intertwined our fingers "You are the most precious thing in my life and I need to know that you are protected. I'd like you to think about how best we can do that, we need to talk about it and negotiate what measures you are willing to put up with against what I deem to be necessary for your safety" he raised our joined hands to his lips and kissed my knuckles gently.

I look into those eyes, dark pools in the moonlight and I realise that I am where I was destined to be. I am face to face with the other half of my soul and for the first time I know what it's like to be complete.

"OK" I tell him, my heart full of love that he would consult me on what is after all something that he knows much better than I do. Being his, isn't going to be the loss of self that I feared, I'll lose nothing in this union and gain everything I ever wanted. "I'll think about it, I'm sure we can find something that suits us both" I smile and he leans forwards and captures my lips and once again I'm lost in the place where only we exist, our own version of paradise. This is the place that I've always yearned to be, even when I didn't really know what it was I was missing, a word too small to encompass all the feelings that come with it, but it's the only one there is.

I am home.

Ranger's POV

Negotiation and compromise, these are the watchwords for our life together. To keep her, there must be honest and open communication, this is where the other men who have loved her have made their mistakes, but this will not be mine. I intend to keep her until all the suns in the universe grow cold and dim.

Never will I treat her as if her opinion matters less than mine; she will always be, not just my heart and conscience but that of Rangeman too. Her instincts are some of the best I know and her spidey sense is worth more than she will ever know.

I have been fortunate enough to gain the love and trust of an angel with silver wings and I'm going to make sure that she only knows happiness. She will be protected when she needs to be, but I swear that she will have the time and space to fly. And I will be the one to catch her if she falls.

Her lips feel sweet against mine, her body shifting subtly at first towards me, now our bodies are entwining in a dance as old as time and I love to hear her gasps and moans as I explore and savour her gifts. I am hers and she is mine in ways that I could never have anticipated and have never experienced before and its warmth fills me and finally banishes the cold from my dark soul.

She has healed me, inside and out. This place was always my sanctuary, now, with her here with me, it's truly my home.

The End.

Author's note

To all my readers and reviewers who have made this journey with me, thank you for your time, effort and patience.

Your response to my story has been fantastic and you have given me the courage to continue. My words are inadequate to truly do justice to how grateful I am to you all.

To her Imperial Majesty, you are as always my dear friend and my valued mentor and I thank you for all your help and encouragement along the way.

And if you will indulge me, I'd like to include this.

Each of these songs has helped and hindered in ways that I can't even begin to describe. The term eclectic doesn't even start to cover this particular playlist.

Alexi Murdoch's - Breathe. This was the one that started it all. It was stuck in my head while I was really ill. Please check it out and pay special attention to the lyrics. Remind you of anyone?

Theory of a Deadman- Invisible man.

Justin Haywood- Forever Autumn. (In this case the Dark Autumn Dub from Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds)

Linkin Park- Leave out All the Rest

Burn Burn- Lost Prophets

Nickelback- Savin' Me

Placebo- Running up that Hill

Depeche Mode- It's no good

Patti Smith- Because the night

Fleetwood Mac- Say that you Love me.

Metallica – Nothing Else matters.

Depeche Mode- Precious – This is where the half remembered song fragment came from in chapter 3 came from, just in case you wondered.

The Cult- Born to be Wild

The Police – If I ever lose my faith in you.

Def Leppard- Long Long Way to Go

Ultravox- Lament

HIM – Wicked Game

Everything but the Girl- Missing

Creed- One last Breath

Inxs - Mystify.

Pearl Jam- The Fixer

And this one has absolutely nothing to do with the story, but it's embedded in my head and won't go away. Men without hats- The Safety Dance. It is with me every time I sit down at my computer. If you know it then smile and laugh at poor me, if you don't please don't go and look it up as I would hate to be responsible for anyone else getting a cheesy 80's pop one hit wonder stuck in their head. You have been warned!

It seems so inadequate, but it's all I have, so,

Thank you

Until the next time,

Valzie.