Disclaimer/warnings/rating: See Part 1
Feedback: Email TT

Realigning Destiny
By TT

Sometimes chance intervenes in our lives and causes destiny jumps the tracks. When this happens, fate steps in and realigns destiny’s course to bring us to where we need to be. But, as with the course of true love, the road of realignment doesn’t always run smooth.

Part 12: Watching

Ranger stood, leaning against a post on Bob's front porch. As expected, his friend hadn't reacted well to the news Stephanie would be helping them, even if it was mostly in a research role.

Bob had finally accepted the fact that the one person he had fought against asking to help was the one person they needed. He hadn't been happy about it, though, and was currently out back chopping wood.

Though he, too, had been against Stephanie's involvement, Ranger knew the quality of her searches and knew they wouldn't find anyone to help them who could do better. It was the right choice to make. They would just have to do everything they could to ensure her safety.

Though there was much they needed to go over and plan once Stephanie arrived, the real reason he was watching for her arrival had less to do with the tasks before them and more to do with his need to see her, to feel her, to touch her.

After four years of searching, wanting, needing and dreaming, the few brief encounters they had shared were nowhere near enough for him.

In truth, he was having a difficult time not just sweeping her into his arms and taking her away from everyone and everything to a place they could be alone. He was having a hard time resisting the urge to handcuff her to him so that she would never again leave his side.

But he knew she wasn't ready for that. It was true they still fit as well as ever and their hearts still belonged to each other, but Stephanie had been right, a lot had changed in four yeas. The biggest change for her was Charlie. The biggest change for him was how safe his life had become – relatively speaking.

The change had begun before Stephanie had disappeared, shortly after the Scrog incident and had continued to evolve. It was what had made having a relationship a possibility for him.

Now, all these years later, he had spent so much time away from those things that had added danger to his life as he searched for Stephanie, he couldn't remember a time as an adult when he had been safer.

Of course, for him, safety was a relative thing. Compared to a normal man, he still lived a dangerous life. He still had enemies out there who wouldn't hesitate to kill him and everyone close to him.

Bringing Stephanie into his life hadn't been such a big deal. She was a bounty hunter and had enemies of her own. Even now, he had every confidence she could handle things.

No, the problem now was Charlie. At one point in time, he had told Stephanie he wouldn't do anything stupid like marriage or children. Getting married was just setting up his wife to be used as a hostage or a tool to control him. Bringing a child into his life wasn't an option either.

Over the last four years, though, he had promised himself time and again that if he ever found Stephanie, he would never let her go. He would keep her with him no matter what. He'd waited while she figured things out with Morelli and had fought his own desire to move swiftly in order to build a relationship with Stephanie he knew would last, one where she understood exactly what she was getting into by having a relationship with him, one where they were clear on what each expected of the other.

Then she'd disappeared.

Now, he would have to find a way to make his life work for the three of them – Stephanie, Charlie and himself.

Somehow Stephanie had found a way to hide from everybody and still fit Charlie into her life. He had to admit he was amazed by her and what she had accomplished. He'd been able to see some of it for himself and Bob had filled in a lot of blanks.

Movement in the distance caught his eye. It appeared his watching for Stephanie was as done as his searching was. He would call Bob in a minute when she was closer.

For now, he put away all thoughts of what might be. There was work to do.

To Be Continued in Part 13 – 065. Junction

To the 100_Prompts Table
The TT's Main Page
Email TT