Pen Name: PTBvisiongrrl

Story Title: Ranger's Little Girl

Summary: ana come to live with Ranger in Trenton for a year, and she's not happy about it. Ranger hires Stephanie as her governess/body guard.

Story Rating: PG-13 (mostly just language)

Status: Work in Progress

Genre: Drama/Comedy

Couple: Stephanie and Ranger (eventually)

Spoilers: not really—AU (she's no Julie)

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, but only gently use for my amusement.

Steph felt Ranger jerk with surprise before she heard Ana.

"You said weren't fucking him."

Stephanie felt her heart sink. Ranger was going to yell, Ana was going to go pre-adolescent, and she was right back to square one. She tensed, waiting for the explosion.

Ranger kissed Stephanie again, a gentle brush on the lips, before pulling away and turning to face his daughter. "You are rude and curse like a truck driver. I know your mother taught you better."

It was not the response Ana or Stephanie had expected. Ana frowned, trying to find an appropriate response and coming up mostly empty. "She lied to me."

Ranger headed off Steph's response, grasping her hand and squeezing. She could read the silent communication—Let me handle this one, Babe. I can do it. She just hoped he really could.

"It isn't an appropriate question from a twelve year old." Ranger moved to wrap an arm around Steph, leaning against the edge of the table.

"So she's your fuck-buddy, and that's why I hafta listen to her?" Steph could see the anger boiling over in Ana, and knew it was going to get ugly.

"You listen to her because I tell you to." Ranger kept his tone low and even; Steph gave him points. This was almost the emotionless Ranger she was used to. "Apologize to Stephanie."

The defiance washed over Ana's face. "I won't apologize for stating the truth, Papi."

Ranger's calm façade began to crack. Steph felt the first fissure in the deep breath he took before continuing. "Then go to your room and stay there until you are ready to do so."

Ana crossed her arms. Her eyes darkened and the resemblance to Ranger was quite prominent in the moment. "No."

Ranger swallowed his response and instead embraced Stephanie again. "Good night, Babe."

"Ah, Ranger-" Stephanie began, but Ranger cut her off with a raised eyebrow. "Okay," she ended lamely, sliding off the table onto her own two feet. "I'll, ah, be in my room."

Ranger nodded, watching Stephanie leave before turning back to Ana. "Mija, sit down. You and I are overdue for a chat."

Ana shook her head. "No."

Ranger took a step toward her. "That was not the right choice."

"It's my choice to make," Ana stated, her voice less sure. She was pretty sure Ranger wouldn't physical punish her, but she had never pushed him quite this far before, either.

"Stand while we do this, then. I don't really care." Ranger leaned back against the pool table. "You have issues with me, fine. Take them out on me, not Stephanie, not on the other people around you. I know you don't want to be here, but we often have to do things we don't want to do in life. Get over it." He added a plea that he hoped she could understand, the opportunity they had been given that he honestly never thought he'd have. "This year is what you make of it."

"Oh, poor Stephanie," Ana shot back. "If you don't want me to take it out on her, why don't you try to be a parent and take care of me yourself?" She actually looked shocked that she had said it out loud.

"I have never lied to you. I love you, Ana, but I don't have time to be a real parent to you like that," Ranger tried to make his regret over that apparent in his voice. "I have obligations that require my attention too much for me to be able to always be there for you. And don't pull out your warmonger bullshit. There are plenty of white collar, peaceable professions with the same time requirements, so you aren't special in that."

Ana's lip trembled slightly. "You could at least try."

Ranger hesitated, feeling the pull of heartstrings. It might be the heat of anger, but this was the most honest conversation that Ana had had with him since she was nine. For once, she wasn't censoring what she said OR just trying to piss him off. "I don't know how," he admitted. "That's why Stephanie is here."

"To do it for you," Ana sighed.

"To help me learn how," Ranger stated. "Your mother is a natural at this. I am not. I needed help, if you and I were going to survive this year. Stephanie was the only person I trusted to ask."

The pause let Ranger know that Ana was actually thinking over his words. "Why do you trust her so much?" Ana asked.

He could tell she really wanted an answer. Ranger wasn't sure he should answer that honestly, but he also knew that honesty is what Ana needed, if she was ever to come to terms with Stephanie being in charge. "She has never asked more of me than she was willing to give back. She has never said no when I've asked her for help. She is intelligent, honest, and trustworthy, to a fault."

Lips pursed, Ana considered his answer before responding. "Then why don't you marry her?"

Damn perceptiveness. Ranger routinely asked himself that question, and could only come up with one answer. "Stephanie deserves better than I can give her. Just like you do."

Shock took the defiant edge from Ana's face. Her father had admitted his failings as a father. She had never thought she'd see the day. How do you fight back to that? Even she wasn't one to kick a man who was already down. She turned her concentration back to the Stephanie situation. "You love her," she stated, confirming what she had read from the situation. "And yet you don't tell her."

Scrubbing at his face, suddenly more tired than angry at Ana, Ranger stood up. "Ana, let Stephanie do her job. I'm not saying be an angel—I know you aren't, you're my daughter—but cut her some slack. Okay?" Ranger searched Ana's eyes for agreement.

Loved, but with walls, restraint, Ranger controlling how much you could get behind his barriers. Ana suddenly had a lot more in common with Stephanie than she had thought. "I'll try," she nodded, standing in contemplation as Ranger brushed past her to head upstairs.

"Try to do it in your room at a decent hour. You have school tomorrow," Ranger called just before the basement door swung shut behind him.