I do not own anything from Janet Evanovich but boy I wish I did lol. This Story is dedicated to my little girl Sadie cat and hope it will help me in my grief.

(Lester's Pov)

Getting a phone call at three A.M is not a good thing and in our line of work a phone call period is never really a good thing. When I got said call, I wasn't given any details on what had disturbed the force, so my mind was coming up with all kinds of possibilities. Was there a break in on one of our accounts? Id so why wasn't the night shift handling it, it was what Ranger had trained and pays them for. Was there a fire, or one of our FTA's rearing their ugly heads that needed to be taken out? Or was it worse, was it Stephanie? With that thought I double time it downstairs where my presence was requested. When I walked into Ranger's office, I looked around doing a double take, the room was empty with only a desk lamp on and Ranger standing there dressed in his Ranger's uniform.

"You were called?" I asked him and he nodded

"When?"

"An hour" he said

"You told Stephanie?" I asked knowing how much she hated him going in the wind. She took it all in stride and accepted it but with them being closer now more than ever she worried and was scared for him even though she was trying to be brave in front of us, but we all knew.

"Not yet" he said "there is something I need to do before doing that" he told me taking out a paper I knew very well. Ranger studied it for a moment and then handed it over to me to read.

"Shit" I said reading the order "this is a fucking suicide mission. They're expecting you to be; no they're sending you to be kil…" I was saying but he stopped me

"I know and that's why I've called you. I need you to watch over Stephanie. You are an extension of me since being my family but I also know you love her. I need to know before I go that she will be taken care of and comforted when it all goes down" he told me

"Of course, you know we all love her to death and would do anything for her"

"No I need YOU to promise me that YOU will personally see to it all her needs big or small are met. You'll be there for her"

"Yes I will" I promised "you gonna tell her about this?" I asked holding up the paper that was guaranteeing the death of my boss, my friend, my cousin.

"You know I can't tell her the details, it's classified. I shouldn't have shown you but I needed you to know the severity of the issue and set my mind at peace concerning her"

"Understood" I gave, my own military training coming out

Ranger came up to me and placed a hand on my shoulder "Take care of her and the family"

"You got it but this is unfair just when things were getting closer for you and Steph…" I said thinking of her

"It's what I do, I can't change it, and you know that"

"I know but this" I said pointing to the paper "is just not right"

We stared at each other in the eyes and then my cousin went over to the leather couch he had in his office and picked up his duffel that I had failed to notice. When he walked out of his office, he never looked back accepting the fact that this was probably the last time he'd walk these halls. As he went over to the elevator the full impact hit me on what I'd just learned and what he'd asked of me, when the doors opened, I called out to him.

"SIR" Ranger looked back at me and I raised my hand in salute to him. Ranger raised his hand and saluted me back. God please bring him back I prayed knowing it was very unlikely.

(Ranger's Pov)

When the elevator doors slid around me, I laid my head back onto the wall to collect my thoughts. I had just told my cousin what lay in wait for me and like I knew he would, he promised that my affairs here would be handled. I just hope Lester understands what I mean when I asked him to look after Steph.

Getting into my car the one Steph loves so much, I picture her snuggling down into the seat and falling asleep. I hated when she would do that because I couldn't indulge in one of my fantasies which was to watch her sleep. Pulling out of the underground garage, I stopped in front of my building just looking over it and contemplating the empire that I'd built. Making my peace with that, I went to do the hardest thing that I needed to do.

Pulling into the parking lot where Steph lived, I shut down the car, and sat there thinking over meeting Stephanie, training her and teaching her, helping her, protecting her, and finally against what I tried to do since my life wasn't mine to live, I loved her. She just had something about her that drew me in a captured me. I could have had any woman I wanted in the world but all I kept thinking of was the wild curly haired brunette that thought of me as Batman.

Getting out of my car since my time was limited; I made my way into her building. I loved doing this and had always came over and watched her sleep, she calmed me when the monsters in my head wouldn't leave me alone, but tonight I wished I was somewhere anywhere than walking into her dark apartment tonight.

Closing the door behind me the only sound that could be heard was the spinning of Rex running on his wheel. I grinned at the thought of how much Steph loved that little rodent. Moving swiftly to her bedroom door, I laid my head to the door just absorbing the energy that it held. Opening the door, I saw her laying asleep all bundled under her covers, sitting down on the side of her bed; I stroked the side of her face.

"Babe" I said whispering into her ear inhaling the scent of her hair. I loved to tangle my fingers in to her wild curls.

"Babe" I called again skimming my lips over her cheek "Stephanie I need you to wake up for me… Please" I said using her favorite word

"Ranger?" she asked squinting her eyes as they opened "What's going on, what time is it?"

"Going on four"

"Somebody better be dead" she said pulling the covers over her head. Oh how right she was and she didn't even know it.

"Babe come on I need to talk to you and I don't have much time left"

"We have to now?" she asked

"Afraid so"

Stephanie pulled the covers down over her head and sat up in bed, turning to her side she reached over and turned on her bedside lamp. Coming back over she turned her attention to me and finally looked and saw me.

"You're leaving" she said her eyes looking me over

"Yes" I told her having a sinking feeling inside of me because I knew what her next question would be.

"How long?"

I let out a breath and picked up her hand that was resting on her quilt. I held her knuckles up to my mouth and kissed them. I didn't want to answer her question and I guess I was being a coward but how would you tell the one you love that you were going to serve your country and that you probably wouldn't return? Kissing her hand some more the picture flashed in my mind of her hands being bruised and cut open when she escaped that carpet guys goons who took her and put her into that old warehouse.

"Ranger" she said wanting and waiting for me to answer her but instead of answering her I pressed my mouth to hers and kissed her thoroughly, what happened next wasn't in my plan to say good bye to her but as I started I just couldn't go away and not of hand one more night with her. Laying her back I made love to her, it wasn't as long as I would have liked, but it would have to do and it got my point across that I'd hoped.

"Babe I have to go" I told her kissing her softly

Getting out of bed and pulling my pants back up, Stephanie's voice cut through my thoughts "How long are you going to be gone for?"

Hanging my head, I turned back and faced her. Stephanie asked me again and I just was silent, I couldn't form the words to tell her.

"Why won't you answer me and tell me?" she asked coming to stand in front of me " you always tell me a couple of weeks to a month, what's going on?" she asked looking into my eyes

"Ranger?"

"I don't know Babe"

"You will come back right?"

"Yes" I told her but I knew it wouldn't probably be the way she was thinking

Stephanie studied me for a moment, I could see it in her eyes that she knew something was different this time, but she just stopped asking and trusted in my ability from the past to come back to her.

"I love you" I told her with one last kiss "Call Lester" I told her

Her eyes widen at my proclamation to her but she just nodded her head "K" she said as I walked to her door. Looking back at her one last time, I smiled at her and said…

"Babe"