Family Gathering

By PTBvisiongrrl

Rating: PG-13 for now (who knows where it will go?)

SPOILERS: none, really

WARNING: No Joe in sight right now

Standard disclaimer: I own nothing, only borrow, play with, and return. Except for Ranger. I'm never giving him back.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Stephanie rode the elevator to seven with Ranger staring at her. She knew he was waiting for her to tell him what had happened between her and Morelli, but she decided to let him wonder for a bit. "Joe's Grandma Bella sent me a message. She made him memorize it, so that he wouldn't screw it up."

"What was it?" Ranger asked, reaching out to catch Stephanie's hand just as the doors opened.

Hand in hand, he led her to his door.

"Dark and evil." Stephanie almost bounded past him as he opened the door. "More important, Morelli's getting married," she announced over her shoulder.

Ranger stumbled a minute on the threshold. "What?"

"Not to me, " she smiled at him, the relief of a clean, friendly, and permanent break with Morelli filling her. "He knocked up Karen Gorsky."

"Yeah?" Ranger asked, suddenly a lot less tense.

"Yeah," Stephanie smiled. "We're not invited to the wedding."

"I'm sending a present anyway," Ranger laughed. "So it ended well, then? You don't seem upset-"

Steph turned and faced Ranger. "I told you that it was done with him. Telling him that was just a formality." She stood on her toes and leaned in to Ranger, brushing her lips against his. "You are it for me, mister."

The stunning, 200-watt smile beamed out at her. Wrapping his arm around her, he steered her toward the living room. "So what exactly was Bella's message?" Ranger asked as they entered.

"She said, 'From beneath you, it devours'." Stephanie frowned. "I have no clue what that means-"

"I do," Buffy spoke from her spot on the couch next to a shaky looking Willow.

Ranger and Stephanie were taken a bit by surprise at Buffy and Willow's presence. Ranger recovered before Steph. "Glad to see you up and about. How are you felling, Willow?" he asked, noticing she had dark circles and looker paler than normal.

"I'm okay," Willow gave a half-hearted smile. "Brain is still a little scrambled, I'm afraid, though."

Steph sighed. "Guess you don't remember anything else, then?"

Willow shook her head. "No, sorry."

"S'okay," Steph smiled. "I Saw it, too—and I remember a little."

"Really?" Willow's eyes widened. "What did you see?"

Abuela interrupted. "Before you try and figure out the vague images—Buffy, you recognized the message?"

Buffy took a deep breath. "Yeah. It means the First is back."

"I thought you guys had managed to defeat the First with the slayer spell-"

Willow frowned. "I thought we did. Vanquished it, at least, for a time. The First Evil always comes back. That's why it's-"

"The first," Stephanie finished. "What brought it back so quickly, then?"

"I'm not sure. But it must be tied to your stalker," Willow continued. "If he worships the First, has worshiped it before the battle, the First might have turned to him to bring it back."

Abuela spoke up as well. "And that kind of power might be what is making him so difficult to catch."

Stephanie accepted a coffee mug from Lester, who had emerged from the kitchen with a tray of beverages. She noted that he stopped at Willow's side first, noting how solicitous he was of the young witch. She made bets that if Buffy and Willow hung around for any length of time, Lester would be like a puppy dog following her around. "There was a second part to what she said, though. The past is a living thing that influences the present. Any idea about that part?"

No one offered any ideas, before Abuela spoke up. "Perhaps, Stephanie, it is time to talk with your Grandma Mazur about your family heritage."

Ranger could see Stephanie visible pull herself together. "What I saw indicted the Burg. And I am way over due for a family dinner, I guess."

"You aren't going without major back up, Babe. He expects you to go home at some point." Ranger brushed her hair away from her eyes and made full eye contact. "Please?"

Crap, Steph thought. I can't fight him on this. AND he said please. "What is major back up?" she asked, already conceding defeat.

Ranger let out an air of relief. "Me, Lester, Buffy, and Willow. Tank and Bobby as back up outside."

Stephanie looked faint. "I'll call my Mom and warn her that I'm bringing an army."

Steph got to ride with just Ranger; she enjoyed the time spent with him, away from all the people who were always around. Not that she didn't want those people around right now—she did have a healthy desire for self-preservation these days—but time alone with Ranger allowed her to see the real man who had hidden from her for so long. "Its nice to be able to just—be here with you. I can almost imagine we're just running some normal skip and not hiding to protect my life."

"Hiding bothers you," Ranger stated. "I know it does. But—"

Steph sighed. "I also know its necessary. I'm not a full-fledged super hero yet, after all," she smiled at Ranger.

Ranger smiled back. "Glad you acknowledge that, Babe."

"Why do you call me babe? You only use my name when you are really pissed, or when we are—"

"Distracted," Ranger finished for her. "Its habit, not using real names."

"Army?" Steph asked.

"Magic," Ranger corrected her. "Real names have too much power to just throw them around."

Steph nodded. She could see Ranger's point, although it would still take time to get used to it. That and a thousand other little tidbits about how magic works. But he had only answered part of her question. "But why Babe? Why not baby? Or something else?"

"You are not a baby, Steph." Ranger spared his eyes from the road to look at her for a moment. "Baby implies that you can't take care of yourself. I never thought that."

"Really?" Steph couldn't help the smile spreading across her face. "But I knew nothing about this job when you met with me!"

"You knew enough to ask for help, and were brave enough to do what you needed to do to survive. You didn't run home, you didn't find some guy to pay your bills. You toughed it out."

The smile was huge. "But then, why not sweetie or honey or something?" she pushed.

"Again, too demeaning. Those are dismissive names." Ranger spared her another look, this one with the beginning of a smile. "A waitress pouring coffee 'huns' you."

The image of Ranger as a diner waitress made Stephanie laugh, as he had intended. "That still doesn't explain 'Babe.'"

Ranger shook his head. "It just seemed right."

Steph ventured into territory she wasn't sure she wanted to go, but was still curious enough to ask about. "Have you ever called anyone else 'Babe', Ranger?"

He laughed. "You have a life long, undeniable bond with me now, and you are jealous of some phantom women in my past?"

Steph crossed her arms and frowned. "I was just asking."

Relenting, Ranger replied quietly. "No, Stephanie. Nobody else. Just you."

"Are you lying?" she barked out, studying him out of the corner of her eye. "I mean, there have to have been hundreds of women…."

"You are great for the ego, Babe," Ranger answered. "And while I will not deny there have been some women, I'd keep it in the double digits."

"Double digits?" Steph's eyes bugged out.

"Less then 20?" Ranger tendered as an answer, eyebrow raised.

Stephanie was quiet for a few minutes, making Ranger nervous. He couldn't tell, for once, what exactly was going through her head. "Is that too many?"

"I, uh," Stephanie shrugged her shoulders. "I dunno. I mean, I know why women want to fall into your bed, Manoso—" she sighed. "But as long as I'm the only one there now, it doesn't matter."

Ranger let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "I'm glad."

"Besides, I've got to assume some of them helped you, ah, refine those magnificent skills some, so I guess I owe them a thanks." The smile was back on Stephanie's face. "So are you ready to deal with my family knowing we are an item?"

"How badly will your mother take this?" Ranger asked, half-concerned and half-amused. This could be an interesting dinner. Or hell, he conceded to himself. It was a fifty-fifty shot most days, leaning towards disaster on any given one.

"I assume she knows Joe is getting married. She didn't bring him up at all on the phone when I talked to her. She didn't even blink when I said I was bringing you. She just said to keep your gun away from Grandma.." Stephanie took Ranger's non-driving hand, studying its unique marks and structure. "So she's probably going to start planning our wedding."

Steph laughed when Ranger visibly paled. "You're joking, right?"

Her infectious laugh bubbled forth. "Once I start asking Slayer questions, she'll probably forget about my unmarried status for a bit."

"I hope so," Ranger stated.