Disclaimer: Stan belongs to me...the rest belong to JE

SCHOOL DAZE

PART II

Steph's paper was so good; her professor submitted it to a contest. The board of judges voted unanimously that she wrote the best paper they had ever judged.

She won a trophy, a certificate of accomplishment and partial paid tuition to law school, if she chose to continue her education.

Hum, should she go to Law School? Could Ranger survive seven years of possible study partners?

Her awards were given to her at an award ceremony at the end of the semester, which she attended proudly on Ranger's arm. Stan and all the Merry Men also went as her guest. It was a black-tie affair.

"So Bombshell, what are you going to do now? Are you going to go to law school?" Tank asked.

"Yeah, Sweet Pea. You should consider it. You have a knack for that law stuff." Stan said.

"I don't know guys. I don't know if I want to spend that much time going back to school. Besides, I can't go to college full time and still chase skips. And, then there's the fact that it is only a partial scholarship." I answered.

"Come on, guys. Enough with all the questions. We have some celebrating to do. My treat." Ranger said, wrapping his arm around my waist.

"Stan, you coming?" I asked him.

He didn't say anything. He looked over at Ranger, who gave him an almost unnoticeable nod. "Sure, why not."

We walked out of the banquet room and all headed to separate cars. I rode with Ranger. Bobby, Lester and Tank were in one SUV and Hal, Cal, Hector and Stan was in another.

When we got to Ranger's car, instead of opening my door, he pressed me against it. He leaned in a kissed me. It was a gentle brush of his lips against mine, before he whispered in my ear, "You know I'm proud of you."

"I know. Thank you."

"I love you, Babe."

"What?"

"Not exactly the reaction I was expecting."

"I just wanted to make sure I heard you right."

"You heard me right. I love you."

"That's good. Because, I love you. You know I've been waiting two and a half years for you to decide you loved me."

"I've known it for three."

"Well, I'm glad you finally came to your senses. I thought I was going to have to club you. What changed your mind?"

"Let's just say, someone opened my eyes."

"Well then, remind me to thank that person."

"Ready, Babe. The guys will be waiting on us."

"Yep, let's go, my love."

When we got to the club, the guys were already there and had us a table. Of course, it was in the back, along the wall.

From the time we left the banquet, Ranger had constant physical contact with me. He was holding my hand, had his arm around me or had his hand in the small of my back. I liked the new Ranger. Well ok, I liked Ranger touching me.

The guys ordered drinks and Ranger and I went to dance. The music was great and so was Ranger. He was a really good dancer. We danced through three songs, and then went back to our table to get something to drink.

When we got back to the table, Stan asked, "Ranger, do you mind if I dance with your lady?" Every eye at the table was on them. I know what was going through their minds. Is he going to hit him or give him a chance to run first?

"Sure Stan, I guess, I owe you." Ranger said.

Stan and I walked to the dance floor. "I'm guessing, by the smile on your face, things are going well." Stan asked.

"Yeah, he loves me."

"I told you."

"He knows, doesn't he?"

"Yeah."

"I kinda figured, when he agreed to let me dance with you. Are you the one that opened his eyes?"

"Yeah, that would be me."

"Thank you."

"Anything for you Sweet Pea."

When I said yes to Stan, every one of my guys looked at me as if I had grown an extra head. "He's gay." I simply said.

"Dude, you paid him five thousand dollars, paid his tuition for next semester and he's GAY?" Tank was rolling with laughter.

"He's gay?" Lester asked.

"I could've told you that." Hector laughed.

"Yeah, you guys laugh at me. That's ok; I may have been stupid, but not anymore? He opened my eyes. I'm going to ask Steph to marry me."

"What?" Hal asked.

"Did you say…" Lester started, but was interrupted by Tank.

"Man, that's great. When are you going to ask her?"

"Tonight." I said.

"Here?" Cal asked.

"No, later. When it's just us. I need the time to work up my nerve." I told them.

"Chicken." Lester said.

"What are you guys talking about? Did I hear you call Ranger a chicken, Lester? Have you had too much to drink?" Steph asked at she walked up to the table.

"We were just joking around, Babe. Right guys?" I said to her.

"Yeah, Angel, just joking around." Bobby said.

"Hey Beautiful, do I get a dance?" Lester asked Steph.

"Sure, Lester." She answered. Then they walked off to the dance floor.

"Ranger, I'm glad you listened to me. She looks like a lady in love." Stan said to me.

"You think she looks happy now, wait until the next time you see her." Hal spoke up.

"Hal, shut up. If this gets ruined, you are on the next plane to Siberia with in nothing but you underwear." I hissed at him.

"What's going on?" Stan asked.

"Ranger is…" Tank started.

"I'm going to ask Steph to marry me." I said. "Please tell me you are better at keeping your mouth shut than these imbeciles?" I questioned.

"She won't hear it form me." Stan stated. "That's great. She really loves you, you know?"

"Bye the way, Stan, I know you're a criminal psychology major. What do you plan on doing with that after you graduate?"

"Not sure yet. I'm thinking maybe profiling or maybe violent crimes." He answered.

"Have you ever thought of a job in security or skip chasing?" I asked him.

"What? That would be a dream job. If I can ever get through college. I'm barely making it on what they pay me at the college. Thanks to you, next semester is paid for, but I'm not sure if I can afford to keep going." Stan answered.

"Why don't you come by my office and talk to Tank, tomorrow. We have a position open. One of our guys is transferring to another office and I think you would make a good replacement for him." I instructed him.

"Are you kidding? What time do I need to be there? Why?" Stan questioned.

"I told you, I owe you. If it hadn't been for you, I might have never gotten my head out of my ass. I have loved her for a long time and just wouldn't admit it to myself much less to her." I explained.

"Man, you don't owe me a thing. The look in her eyes right now is thanks enough." Stan said.

"Well, if you don't want the job…" Cal started.

"Oh, no I will be there with bells on." Stan said.

"Um Stan, we are x-army guys, we don't do bell." Hal said.

"Sorry, I'm from the south, I forget yaw don't have the same figures of speech here." Stan said.

"Sweet Pea," Stan said as Steph and Lester got back to the table. "Your guy, here just offered me a job."

"Stan, we are defiantly going to have to do something about that countryness of yours." Tank stated. "Man, I bet you get picked on everyday."

"Ranger, you offered Stan a job?" She asked as she sat on my lap.

"Yeah, Spence is transferring to the Atlanta office and I need to replace him." I explained to her.

"Thank you, I love you." She said, and then kissed me.

"I love you too, Babe." I said. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah, it's been a long day." She said.

We said our good-byes and headed out. The guys were secretly giving me good luck wishes. I was nervous about asking Steph to marry me. There is a possibility she could say no. I was hoping she'd say yes.

We headed out of the parking lot and was driving for about twenty minutes before Steph realized we were not heading toward her apartment or mine.

"Ranger, where are we going?"

"To my house, Babe."

"Wow, to the Bat cave, twice in one month. How did I rate that?"

"We need to talk and I figured that would be a good place."

"Ranger, if you changed your mind about loving me, please don't take me there to tell me. That would be like rubbing what I could've had in my face."

"Babe, why would you think I'd change my mind? I love you, that's not going to change. Well maybe…"

"Maybe? See you're changing you mind already. Maybe you should just take me home."

"Babe, you didn't let me finish. I was going to say, that maybe, if it was possible for me to love you more that would be the only thing that would change."

"Oh, I guess, I'm having a hard time realizing that you really love me. I don't want to wake up and find out it was all just a dream."

"Babe, you're not dreaming. I do love you. Now let's save the rest of our talk for when we get home. Ok?"

"Ok."

We pulled in the drive way and I looked over at Steph. She had this uneasy look about her. I know, somewhere in that mind of hers, she was still waiting for the qualifier. Not going to be one tonight.

I had this all worked out. I knew exactly what I wanted to say, in three completely different scenarios. Ok, so I was a little unsure of what to say. But, I at least had I narrowed down to only three.

1. Stephanie, I love you with all my heart. I can't live without you by my side. Please be my wife. No, too much begging.

2. Babe, you know I love you, right? I would never ask you to change. The only thing I want to change about you is the fact that you wake up in my bed (no scratch that our bed), in my arms, everyday for the rest of our lives. Steph, will you marry me? This one has possibilities.

3. Steph, three years ago you walked into my life and complete changed my whole world. You've scared the hell out of me more times than I can count and in more than one way. But, now the only thing that scares me is you not being in my life. I love you, Babe. I want to be with you always. I want you as my partner in work. I want you as my partner in bed. I want you as my partner in life. I want you to be my wife. Babe, please marry me. No, too long of a speech. She'll fall asleep before I could get to the 'will you marry me' part.

Man, I need to pull myself together. I love her. She loves me. (Now it sounds like a Barney song). No problem. I'm going to ask her to marry me and she's going to say yes.

"Babe, you ready to go inside?"

"Yeah, sure. Sorry, I guess my mind wondered for a minute."

We walked in. Steph sat down on the sofa and I headed to the kitchen.

"You want something to drink?"

"Yeah, I'll have whatever you're having."

Perfect. Champaign it is. I grabbed a bottle from the fridge and two glasses. Hopefully we would be celebrating an engagement. If nothing else, we would still be celebrating Steph's award.

I sat down next to Steph, poured us each a glass and then pulled her next to me.

"Ranger? Champaign?"

"Yeah, we are celebrating, aren't we?"

"Yeah, but, I just got an award. I didn't get elected governor."

"I'm still proud of you."

"Thank you. I love it when you say, 'Proud of you, Babe'."

"I am proud of you. Have you thought about law school?"

"Ranger, I don't know. How would I work and go to school full time? Eventually, I would have to move. The college here only offers pre-law. And, the scholarship is only a partial. I couldn't afford the rest of the tuition. I think on Monday, I'm going to go down to the college and see if they would consider giving the scholarship to another student."

"Do you want to go to law school?"

"Yeah, I kind of think I would like to try. But, there's no use in even considering going to law school. It's just not possible."

"Maybe it is. I happen to know this very successful business that would probably fund your schooling."

"Ranger, I can't let Rangeman pay my tuition."

"Well, there would be a contract, of course. You would have to agree to work for Rangeman, as legal council, for five years after you pass the bar. Once your contract was up, you could sign on for more time or you could choose to end it and go elsewhere."

"Five years is a long time. What if you decided you wanted to terminate my employment and then I would owe Rangeman a lot of money."

"Why would I fire my wife?"

"You never know, things happen and well…what did you say?"

"Fuck. This is not how I planned this. I really messed this up, didn't I?"

"Ranger, could you please repeat what you said?"

"Look Babe, I'm sorry. I didn't mean…"

"It's ok. I know you didn't mean to ask me to marry you."

I could see tears forming in her eyes and hear the tremble in her voice. Shit, I wanted to do this just right and instead I just blurted out why would I fire my wife. Now she's upset. Ok, somehow I have to get my right and try to fix my mess up.

"NO, that's not what I meant. I had this whole little speech planned. Well, actually I had three speeches planned. Oh, what the fuck, here goes." I eased off the sofa onto one knee. Here's my chance, I was kneeling in front of her. She looked at me as if she was scared to death. I pulled a small box from my pocket and presented it to her. I looked in her eyes and said, "Steph, I love. Will you marry me?"

The tears that were forming in her eyes were now streaming down her face. She sniffled and said, "I don't know, Ranger, maybe I should hear your speeches first."

"Babe, please don't make this any harder on me than it already is. I've been nervous about this moment all day."

"Yes."

"Yes?"

She didn't say anything else. She just nodded her head. I jumped up, pulling her with me. I wrapped her in my arms and swung her around. "Oh, thank God, because I can't remember a single word I was going to say."

"I love you, Ranger."

"I love you, Babe. You have just made me the happiest man in the world."

THE END