Still don’t own them, JE just don’t know how to share. Oh well at least I can play with them. Hope I am still doing okay. I promise this chapter to be happier than last, but expect a run in with Mrs. Plum to try and dampen the mood. Thanks for all the reviews. Enjoy your weekend…..Tracy.

Chapter Nine “The Weekend Part 1”

Saturday morning Ranger woke up early to go for his run and then he needed to make a few phone calls and set some of his plans into motion. Looking down at the woman still in his arms one last time, he placed a kiss in her curls and silently slipped out of bed.

Two hours later he was setting in his office, phone in hand. “Ella, I wandered if I could ask you for a favor? I know it’s your weekend off, but I have a special project in mind.”

“Of course Carlos, anything you need just ask.”

“Last night I ask Stephanie to move into the apartment on four and she accepted. Her two nieces are going to be living with her so I wanted to make some changes before she moved in. I am going to buy her a king bed for her room, and get the girls matching canopy beds for their rooms. I wanted you to be in charge of buying the sheets, comforters, and curtains for the rooms. Stephanie loves my sheets, so I want you to get her a set like mine. The girls will have twin beds. I was thinking soft colors like yellows and light green, maybe a little pink.”

“That sounds nice Carlos, what about Stephanie’s room?”

“Maybe blue, something that matches her eyes. Do you think if I got a couple of the guys to help, Louis would be up to painting this weekend? The girls are going to be released hopefully on Monday so I need to get the ball rolling. With everything else that has been going on, I don’t want Steph to have to worry about decorating an apartment. Lester is leaving his sectional, dining room table, and entertainment center. I am going to have Tank and Hector pick up a flat screen, blue ray disk player, and surround sound speakers for her. Also the bathrooms will need to be decorated to match the bedrooms. You think you can handle a shopping spree and decorating this weekend?” he ask, worried it might be too big of a task.

“Carlos, I was born to shop. I will buy everything today while the guys paint, and do the decorating tomorrow.”

“Thanks Ella, I will give you Monday and Tuesday off to make up for the weekend.”

“Nonsense, if the girls are going to be here on Monday, then I will be here to help.”

“One last thing Ella, I need this to be a surprise for Stephanie. I am going to take her over to Val’s later today and have her pack just clothes and toys for the girls, and then have her pack her stuff at her apartment. I am going to tell her the guys will be by to pick it all up Sunday.”

“That’s fine if they bring it up to four, I will put it all away for them.”

“Thanks Ella, I see a Bonus in your future.” Ranger was smiling, thinking how surprised Steph would be.

A couple more calls to make and then it was time to take Steph to breakfast. Then maybe see the girls, and then spend the afternoon together. First he called Tank and arranged for him and Hector to go to Best Buy, then he called Hal, Ram, and Cal to help Louis with the painting, then he called Lester to make sure all his stuff was moved out. Once that was taken care of he was on his way back up to seven.

When he arrived upstairs he was surprised to find Stephanie not only up, but dressed and setting at the breakfast bar drinking a cup of coffee. “Good morning, Babe.” Walking up to her and wrapping his arms around her waist.

“Morning, Ranger.” She said and leaned into him.

“Are you ready to go to Shorty’s yet for some waffles?” smiling down at her and placing a soft kiss on her forehead.

“No, I’m not really hungry. I need to run by the apartment and fed Rex and then go visit the girls.”

“Babe, you need to eat something. Do you want Ella to bring you anything? Or I could take you to get a Boston Cream.”

“Thanks Batman, but I’m just not hungry. My stomach feels like I have a flock of geese flying around in it.”

“Do you want to see if Bobby has something to make you feel better?” he was worried that she was starting to get sick.

“No, my nerves are shot; I’ll be okay in a day or to, don’t worry.”

“Okay, but if you start to feel dizzy, or nauseous you let me know alright.”

“I will, I promise.”

“Alright, I thought we could run by the hospital to see the girls, and then I wanted to take you over to pack up the girls’ clothes and toys so the guys could pick them up Sunday and take them to four. Then I thought we could do the same at your apartment. Then I thought maybe we could spend the afternoon together. Watch a movie, go shopping, out to eat, your choice. What do you think?”

“That sounds good to me. I need to stop by and let Dylan know that I am going to be moving anyway.”

“Good, I’m ready when you are.” With that he placed a kiss on her lips and stepped back from her embrace.

There first stop was to her apartment where she packed all of her clothes and shoes, her movies, her kitchen appliances, and bathroom essentials. Then she placed all her watt knots and pictures in a box along with all her miscellaneous junk that had been collected. Ranger told her to just it all in the hall and the guys would take care of the rest. She decided to take Rex with her back to Haywood so she could keep an eye on him. After that was done, they stopped by McDonalds and picked up lunch for the girls and headed for the hospital.

When they arrived both girls were asleep, the nurse informed them that the girls had been in a lot of pain and were each given a dose of morphine, so they would probably sleep all afternoon. They decided to just leave and stop back by later in the evening.

Just as they were walking up the side walk to Valarie’s house Stephanie’s cell phone rang. Checking the display and noticing it was her mother calling, she decided to take it. “Stephanie, this is your mother.”

“I know mom I have caller ID. What do you need?” Steph said glancing at Ranger, and rolling her eyes.

“I want you and Joseph to come to dinner tomorrow night. It has been three weeks since he have all eaten a meal together.”

“Mom, I will try to make it to dinner tomorrow but Joe and I are still broke up, and he will not be joining us.”

“What do you mean you broke up, you need him now more than ever, how are you going to raise those kids without a husband, and what will everyone think? I raised you better than that.” her mother was yelling so loud she had to pull the phone away from her ear.

“Mom, I do not have any intentions of getting married to Joe now or ever, and I certainly do not need to marry him just so I can take care of the girls. I was unmarried when Valarie left them to me.”

“How are you going to support them by yourself, be reasonable Stephanie.”

“Mom, I am in the middle of something right now and I don’t wish to discuss this any further. I will see you tomorrow night for dinner, but I will be alone. And you better not go behind my back and invite Joe like you did the last time or I will leave.” Stephs voice was rising with every sentence.

“Fine Stephanie, have it your way, I just hope when you come to your senses Joe will take you back again.”

“I have come to my senses mother, that’s why I broke up with have. I got to go mom.” she hung up without waiting for a reply.

“Proud of you, Babe.” Ranger told her when she hung up.

“Thanks, we better get in there and get this over with or it will never get done.”

Once they were in the girls’ room, they started gathering all of the clothes up and placing them in garbage bags. Then they moved on to the stuffed animals and toys.

“We can keep those in the toy boxes, and put them in the girls’ room. We just need to pack up the movies, books, and games and this room will be done. They will probably also want the television and DVD player.” Stephanie told him while continuing to pack. “I also need to empty out the girls’ bathroom. Then I think that will be all the stuff we can pack.

“Babe?” Ranger said while looking around the house.

“Yeah?” came her reply

“I have been looking around, and I would like to buy this house. I always need houses in town to put clients in and for when employees come from out of town for extended periods, and I think this house is the perfect size.” Ranger explained while still looking around.

“If you think that is what you want Ranger, I can talk to Dickie and get the deed changed to your name.”

“Thanks Babe, I will have my lawyer contact him one day next week.”

“Sure, one less thing I have to worry about.” She sat down on the sofa and put her head in her hands.

“Is something the matter, Babe?” Ranger asked and came and sat next to her.

“Just have a headache, the last few days are taking a toll on me, and then my mother yelling at me over the phone didn’t help.” She almost whispered her reply.

“Babe, I am sure that’s part of it, but you are probably also hungry. You haven’t eaten anything for over twenty-four hours and the beast needs to be fed. Why don’t we go pick up Chinese, rent a movie and head back to Haywood for a while. Maybe even grab an afternoon nap.”

“Okay maybe I am a little hungry. Can we get fried egg rolls, and fried rice, and fried wontons?” she was smiling at him now.

“Babe that stuff will kill ya, but yes you can have anything you want.” He smiled and they got off the couch and headed for the car.

After stopping to get the food, and a movie, they were heading toward Haywood. It was Ranger who broke the silence. “Babe, what’s going on with you and Morelli? I noticed he kind of received the cold shoulder yesterday, and then from the conversation with your mother, it sounded like he was on your hit list.”

“We broke up a couple months ago; I found out that he had taken a job out of town just so he could be partnered with Terry Gilman. The assignment lasted for six weeks, and they were going to have to pose as a couple, when I confronted him about it, he just said no big deal Cupcake, just part of the job. I didn’t believe it was as innocent as he made it out, so I broke up with him. Now he’s back and wants to get back together, but I don’t. I am tired of every man in my life cheating on me, and thinking that it is no big deal.”

“I’m sorry; some men just don’t know how to keep it in their pants, no matter how special the woman is. If that’s the kind of person he is, then he doesn’t deserve you.” Rangers reach across the console and took her hand in his.

“Well, that doesn’t make it any easier. Not that I am really all that upset about it. I mean the first couple of weeks I was, but with everything else going on, I figure I have enough to deal with, without worry about Morelli or what my mother thinks.”

“I take it; Morelli doesn’t know it’s over.”

“I’m sure he does, he’s just hoping I will change my mind, yet again.” she shrugged her shoulders and looked back out the side window.

Ranger decided to drop the subject, he wanted to spend a nice evening with her, not chat about the cop. When they arrived at Haywood Steph took Rex to the kitchen while Ranger got the food and a couple bottles of water, he then took everything to the living room. They had decided to watch X-Men Wolverine since she was a huge Hugh Jackman fan and he had never seen it. By the time they were finished eating and the movie was over, Steph was curled up in his arms with her head on his shoulder asleep. He decided to let her sleep and he headed down to four to check out the progress.

This is turning out to be a pretty long Chapter so I decided to break it into two parts. This was Saturday- Part two will be Sunday and the diner at her mom and dad’s house. What do you think should Ranger go with her, will Grandma hit on him or be gone? What do you want to see happen. Hope I am still doing an okay job with story. Thanks for all the Reviews they are much appreciated.