None of the characters are mine. JE gets all the credit (and unfortunately, the money too).

Jenn (perfectmanhattan), we have come to the end of another story together. Thank you so much for being my Beta, sounding board and friend. Are you ready for more?

Chapter 18 – Epilogue – Two Years Down the Road

"Stop fidgeting," Steph warned me in her stern voice that told me if I didn't hold still she was going to get mad.

I hated wearing ties, especially bow ties, but it was a required piece of equipment for the penguin suit I had to put on today. Of course, when Steph saw me step out of the bedroom in it, she immediately striped it off me making us a little late in getting ready to leave.

I had ten minutes to get to the church which was nearly half an hour away. Of course, I wasn't in a big hurry. We were told to get there early for pictures and I didn't enjoy standing and smiling so I didn't mind the hold up. Plus I loved the glow Steph had right now as she was right up in my face working on my tie.

"There," She exclaimed patting my lapels indicating I must be ready. "Are you okay to get there on your own?"

"Yea, but you will be there right?" I asked, needing her reassurance that everything was going to be okay.

"Of course, I don't need to be there for the pictures, so Lucy and I will be at the church a few minutes before everything starts." She assured me.

"You better get there sooner than that. I need to see you before the circus begins." I told her hoping she understood how far out of my element this was and how much I needed her to calm me down.

She placed a soft kiss on my face and my nerves instantly disappeared. She held my hand and squeezed it, the simple gesture conveying her promise to find me before the service began.

"Be careful," I told her picking up my keys to head out. I turned back and winked at her before adding, "And don't forget your gun."

That wicked gleam came in her eye telling me I shouldn't have baited her. "Don't worry," Her sex kitten voice replied, "I'll have it close." The things that woman could do to me from across the room.

When I walked up the steps to the church Binkie was waiting on me pacing at the entrance. "Man, I thought you weren't coming. I was starting to come up with a contingency plan and a way to get a search party organized."

I put my hand on his shoulder to make him stop moving. "Relax man, I'm here, everything will be fine."

I couldn't believe how nervous my partner looked. We had worked together for the last two years. Ranger had given me the chance to ditch him for Erik when he returned to Trenton, but I realized I'd gotten attached to the kid and I trusted him in a way I had never experienced with a previous partner so I told Ranger I was happy with my young shadow.

I shouldn't have been surprised six months ago when we were on a stakeout and he started talking and stumbling over his words. For a brief minute I worried he was drunk, but realized that didn't fit with who I knew him to be so I waited and he eventually asked me if I would be his best man. Thus the penguin suit and the tie. If it had been anyone else I would have refused, but I had grown to see Binkie as a brother of sorts and I was honored that he asked so I accepted. Looking at the size of the church though, had me wondering if that was a mistake.

"How did you do this?" Binkie asked me in all seriousness. "I feel like I'm about to get sick, but I know this is what I want."

I laughed a little hoping I didn't offend him. "Well, I was marrying Stephanie, which made it easy and we went to a justice of the peace so there was no dog and pony show. There is no way I could have stood up and talked in front of three hundred people." Shit, I wasn't sure I even knew three hundred people.

"Alyssa always wanted a big wedding, and since I'm only going to do this once, I wanted her to have what she wanted. Of course Vegas is looking better every minute." He confessed as we walked in the church.

"Just keep thinking honeymoon and you'll be through this in no time." I advised him.

Twenty minutes before the service began I was standing at the door walking people to their seats and generally checking out everyone who entered the church looking for weapons and threats. Some habits die hard. I returned to my perch at the top of the steps when I saw a vision in blue coming toward me smiling. She had ridden with Bobby and Lester so we could go home together and watching her approach took my breath away.

Stephanie had on a flowing light blue dress that scooped down in the front showing off her swollen breasts. She was still nursing Lucy so her chest was evident of that fact. The dress dipped in at the waist showing her beautiful figure which she regained by her first check up after the baby was born. The bottom of the dress fell below her knee giving her a look of pure elegance. I was so proud as the other groomsmen elbowed each other to look at the hot chick coming up the steps. One of Alyssa's brothers was bold enough to approach her and ask if he could help her to a seat.

She smiled graciously before declining his assistance and continuing her walk to me. Stopping right in front of me she ran her finger down my jaw relaxing me with her familiar gesture. She looked in my eyes and I knew she liked the tux look telling me I needed to find a way to wear one for her again soon. We stood there looking at each other for a few minutes without talking.

Alyssa's brother came over and interrupted our moment by saying, "You'll have to forgive the best man. He doesn't talk much and doesn't know how to treat a lady." I was seriously concerned about the gene pool of Binkie's wife if her brother didn't realize this was my woman. Of course I hadn't said anything to let them know I was married. I figured the ring was enough. I decided I didn't owe him an explanation but I could see a playful grin on Steph's face indicating she would like to have a little fun at his expense.

I put my arms around her letting one settle at her waist and I bent her backward, dipping her dramatically before placing my lips on hers for a tender loving kiss. When I stood her back up she wasn't entirely steady on her feet; a fact that I enjoyed immensely. I noticed the other groomsmen were nowhere to be found either which suited me just fine.

"Where is she?" I asked holding her arms until I felt Steph was okay to walk.

"Ella has her. She'll bring her to the reception so that the music and noise will cover up any fussing she may do." Steph explained the plan for our daughter while we were at the service. I walked her to a reserved pew where Binkie wanted her to sit. She wasn't in the wedding, but Binkie considered her part of his family and wanted her at the front for support.

Forty-five minutes later I was at the back of the church waiting for Steph to exit so we could go to the reception together. I was relieved to have that ordeal over with and wanted to relax and dance with my wife. After enduring the pressure of standing in front of all those people trying to not trip or drop the rings I remembered why we went with a simple service. I asked her to marry me on Sunday night, and the following Friday we were in front of a judge. It couldn't have been simpler or more perfect for us. Still, as soon as the priest told him he could kiss his bride Binkie seemed to relax and the look on his face told me he was pretty happy with how this had turned out for him too.

I would miss him beside me over the next two weeks while they were in Jamaica for their honeymoon. I promised I wouldn't break in a new partner while he was gone if he would promise not to tell me any details of their time away. It seemed like a fair trade to me. Of course I'd be working with Hal while Binkie was gone and he talked less than I did. I wondered if I'd miss the conversation in the car. Hell, even if I did miss his chatter I'd never admit it.

When we got to the reception, it was in full swing. We had waited outside for Ella to arrive with our daughter, Lucy. She was only three months old, but Steph had put her in a little blue dress almost the same color as hers. I took the carrier from Ella's arm and brought her into the noisy room. She startled as soon as the music from the speakers hit her ears and woke up instantly. Her piercing blue eyes searched the room first, but her tears were held at bay when she saw us both there.

We were so lucky with our little girl. She was a good baby according to what we'd been told. She cried like all babies did, but never unnecessarily so. She seemed to wait until she had checked things out first before just screaming when she was scared. Her eyes were so bright and always looking around taking in the world. I considered her to be smarter than the average twelve week old, but Steph was convinced I was just biased. From the moment I saw her in the delivery room I was wrapped around that little girl's finger.

I unbuckled her and held her in my arms offering a layer of protection from all the new sights and sounds. She settled in comfortably, recognizing me and knowing her Daddy would keep her safe. I put an arm around Steph's waist and we walked over to Binkie and Alyssa who were greeting their guests.

"You brought my favorite girl," Binkie said getting an indulgent smile from his bride. He made no attempt to take her from me knowing I didn't like passing her around. I missed her when I was working so when I had a chance to hold her I didn't like letting go. "I thought she should see her Uncle one more time before he left for a while." I told him acknowledging the fact that Binkie was as hooked on this baby as I was.

Never once had he picked on me for my attachment. Of course, he didn't have much room to do so as I'd caught him holding her at the hospital talking baby-talk to her making a complete fool of himself right in front of me. I couldn't wait to see him with his own kids. I knew he'd be a good dad and then he would understand why it was so hard to let them go when you knew you were keeping them safe.

I'd been in security in one form or another for years now, but until I had a wife, and then a daughter, I had no idea how safety conscious I could be. When we discovered Steph was pregnant, it was a happy surprise. We had talked about kids and we both wanted them, but we hadn't planned out a timeline yet. I guess this was God's way of planning it for us. We knew we couldn't continue living in our apartment at Haywood and the thought of allowing Stephanie to sleep somewhere outside the security of those walls was beginning to give me chest pains.

After I'd lost enough sleep over it, I went to see Ranger. I told him why we needed to move out and then I explained my fears about the possibility of finding a place I thought would be secure enough for my wife and our child. Of course he understood and asked me to give him a couple of days to work on it for me. True to his word he asked me to take a ride with him two days later and he pulled into a gated community ten minutes from the office and twenty minutes from the Burg. He swiped a card to get into the main entrance. A mile later he turned off onto a side street which required a key code. Finally he approached a gate that needed a thumb scan and a code. When we finally pulled up to a house it was a nice brick, three story home with a big yard and cameras and lights visibly detailing the level of monitored security available.

He handed me a key and gave me time to walk through. The house itself was perfect, and I knew Stephanie would love it too. The master suit was huge and the closet would probably hold all her clothes, at least I hoped it would. Next to that room was a smaller bedroom that I thought would make a perfect nursery. Convinced that this was a great place to live I went back to the porch and sat in a rocking chair next to my boss. I handed the key back to him and asked, "How did you find this place?"

"I've owned it for a few years," He explained. "I got it because it met my security requirements and thought it would make a nice place for Julie to visit when she came to see me. When I see her, it's almost always in Miami and since I don't have any other family, it's a waste to hold onto it. The requirements of my life aren't what I thought they would be when I bought this place." He seemed resigned, but sad as he admitted that.

Then he went on to explain how he would be spending more time in Miami now that Julie was getting older and dating, so he was going to sell the house anyway. If we were interested he'd sell it to us for what he paid for it, which was a great deal. "I always thought Steph would be happy here," he admitted, telling me he got this house planning for a future with the woman that was now my wife.

That admission should have bothered me, but it didn't. Ranger and I had a few too many drinks after a FUBAR'd mission eighteen months ago and he admitted that he loved Steph more than any other woman, but he never would have married her. He said that he needed her close to him because she inspired him to be a better man, and he felt the need to protect her, but he could never have allowed her completely into his world. He loved her too much to pollute her with the filth of his experience. I never told her what he said because I knew how pissed off it would have made her to think he took her options away from her. She hated it when people presumed to know what was best for her. Besides, I was selfishly glad he never gave her the choice.

We moved in and just as I thought, Steph loved the house, turning it into a home almost immediately. Lucy was still too young to think about adding to our family, but I knew in the back of my mind there were still three empty bedrooms and I wouldn't mind filling them all.

Steph put her hand on my arm bringing me from my thoughts back to the reality. "I want a chance to dance with you. Is there anyway you'll let one of the guys hold her?" She asked hopefully.

I looked up and saw all the usual suspects. Steph was constantly putting her in their arms trying to socialize her and give the guys a chance to get in touch with their inner soft side. I cringed every time she did it, worried they wouldn't be prepared when she moved or cried, but to date no one had dropped her.

Sitting at the back of a table next to Ella was Ranger. He was scanning the room just as I had done before the wedding cataloguing guests and looking for possible problems. I nodded to Steph and walked over to our boss. "Got a second?" I asked when his eyes met mine. He nodded and I gently transferred my daughter to the only other set of masculine arms I thought were capable of caring for her.

From the moment Lucy was born, Ranger was there. He was in the background most of the time, but when he held her his eyes came alive. The fact that she was the spitting image of her mother wasn't lost on him and he appreciated Lucy's quiet approach to life and attentive gaze. Those were the only two traits she seemed to have gotten from me. Of course, I knew Ranger had raised a daughter too so I figured he was capable of handling her for the four minutes I was dancing with my wife. The fact that Ella was next to him was an added bonus because she was the only babysitter outside Steph's parents that ever watched her for us.

I walked away willing myself not to look back and check on Lucy, but when Steph caught my eye she was laughing and I knew my tough calm exterior was completely blown. She never said a word, but when I pulled her to my chest I could still feel her laughing against me.

As always happened when we were this close, I tuned out the rest of the world. While we swayed to the music I enjoyed the feel of my wife in my arms. I looked over her head and saw Binkie dancing with his wife and our eyes met. I nodded at him hoping he understood it was my way of saying congratulations. When he looked down at Alyssa I saw his expression soften and I understood exactly how he felt. The love of a woman, the right woman, had that effect on a man. He would be alright.

The song ended and the next one was much faster, not my normal thing unless I had a few drinks in me so I was relieved when Steph took my hand and led me to the cake. I glanced back and saw Ranger had Lucy up on his shoulder and was whispering in her ear. She'd never know what he was saying; mainly because it was most likely in Spanish, but I had a feeling it was important all the same. True to her nature she appeared to be listening to every word.

I smiled looking back at my wife who was currently moaning her way through my piece of wedding cake after finishing her own. "What?" She asked when she noticed my expression. "I'm nursing; I'm allowed to have extra calories." It was a weak defense and she knew it, but she also knew I wouldn't stop her from finishing my dessert.

We stayed until the reception began to wind down and when the bride and groom finished with the traditional bouquet and garter tosses, we began packing up to leave. Ranger was still holding Lucy because she had fallen asleep on his shoulder and the death glare he shot at me when I offered to take her back told me that wasn't an option. He carried her to the truck for us and buckled her back into her carrier showing off his master baby skills by accomplishing it without messing up her dress or waking her up. I wasn't smooth enough to do that and his expression when he stood up told me he knew it. Smug Bastard.

On the ride home Steph began to drift off to sleep too. I allowed a sigh to escape at the thought of my girls resting and quiet. I took a lot of ribbing when we found out we were having a girl. The guys said I was doomed to be surrounded by hormonal women for the rest of life. It's true I still found them a mystery, and would gladly give my collection of guns for a way to understand these mysterious creatures, but I couldn't imagine life without them. Besides I had enough testosterone to balance the house for now.

I knew I'd be in trouble when Lucy began to date and Steph had already told me she would watch me like a hawk to be sure I didn't embarrass our daughter. As if putting me on notice now would keep me from running background checks or getting the guys to tail her when she was on a date. I had at least twenty or twenty five years to prepare for her dating if I had my way. I wonder if she would consider a convent as a career choice. Maybe I could talk Steph into going to mass Sunday. I smiled imagining how well that would go over.

No matter what the future held, I knew it would hold us together. Steph understood me like no one ever had and she loved me anyway. The truth was I'd learned how to live because of her. She got me to listen to my own heart by paying such close attention to hers. Now I understood what it was like to have a friend that was closer than a brother, and a wife who was the other part of myself. The adventure of raising a daughter was another chance for Stephanie to teach me how to care for someone else. Watching my heart walk around outside my body was hard, but when Steph held my hand I knew we could do it together.