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Realigning Destiny
By TT

Sometimes chance intervenes in our lives and causes destiny to jump 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 45 - Mercy

While Ranger and Charlie had been doing dishes, Stephanie and the Merry Men had been talking in the front room. She had caught them up on her life in Montana, being a deputy, her continuing disasters, and Charlie. She touched briefly on the months before she settled, but refused to say anything about why she left until Charlie was asleep.

Respecting her wishes, the guys caught her up on life in Trenton, Lula's misadventures in Bounty Hunting and on all her friends left behind.

She felt no resentment at all when they told her Morelli had married Robin Russel and had a little girl who Robin named Stephanie Rose. The girl went by Rose most of the time. Joe had been touched, but Robin insisted saying it was Stephanie who encouraged her to try for Joe, so it was the least they could do in her memory.

The tears Stephanie felt stinging her eyes were just another evidence of the huge hole in her heart that formed when she left Trenton. She knew it wouldn't be filled until she went back.

For all their discussion covered, it didn't touch on how the Rangemen felt or what they went through. The faint shadow she saw in their eyes told her how difficult it had been on all of them.

Guilt began to eat at her as she was once more faced with the price everyone else had paid for her decision to run. She quickly reminded herself, though, that the price if she had stayed would have been far worse.

Eventually, Ranger and Charlie joined them. Ranger selected a seat underneath Stephanie and Charlie sat close by her side.

The discussion covered quite a bit of ground as the Rangemen appeared very happy to share Stephanie's misadventures with Charlie. They were even fairly good about keeping things no worse than a PG level.

The time came for Charlie to retire.

After her son was asleep, Stephanie returned to the front room. She was about to sit on an available chair when Ranger grabbed her hand and pulled her down onto his lap. Snuggling in with a sigh, Stephanie looked at the expectant faces. It was time.

“Ranger already heard this, but it's not an easy story for me to tell. So, bear with me,” Stephanie stated. Receiving nods of agreement from all the men, she related the events that led to her fleeing Trenton. When she was done, she leaned a little further back into Ranger. She knew the guys were on her side, but when they wore the look currently on their faces, Stephanie couldn't help but feel intimidated.

A few moments of silence later, Tank declared, “No mercy.”

His tone of voice was so serious, so dire, that a shudder raced through Stephanie. That feeling only increased as the others nodded their agreement.

As if sensing her discomfort, Ranger wrapped his arms more tightly around her, pulling her flush against him.

This move offered her enough security to protest. “Guys, they all need to be brought in. They might know of more than just the Denver plot.”

“Bombshell,” Lester said, his voice laced with danger. “Men like DiMarco and Campbell don't know the meaning of Mercy and they never show it.”

“They let me and mine live,” Stephanie pointed out, not wanting any of them to have blood on their hands for her.

“Babe, they let you and us live because you weren't really a threat. They're just playing with you,” Ranger advised, softly.

Putting it more bluntly, Manny told her, “You weren't worth the price of a bullet to them.”

Stephanie gasped slightly at that, but saw the truth of Manny's and Ranger's words in the eyes of each man around her.”

“Steph,” Tank said, his voice soft. “If they were to find out you were here, or that you were helping us, they wouldn't hesitate to kill you, Charlie and anyone else associated with you. For whatever reason, they just wanted you out of the way in Trenton, probably because you were so well known, which would make it more difficult to hide the evidence of your murder.”

“Now, here, you're relatively unknown,” Cal interjected. “If they found out you knew about them, there's not much to keep them from silencing you.”

Stephanie felt her stomach drop and her heart miss a beat. She knew DiMarco and Campbell were dangerous to her, but she hadn't ever had it laid out for her quite like that. “But, if you bring them to trial...,” she trailed off, knowing it wouldn't happen.

“We won't show them mercy, Babe, because they will show none to us,” Ranger softly explained.

Closing her eyes, she accepted the reality of the situation. “No mercy for DiMarco and Campbell,” she agreed, resigned. Opening her eyes, she continued, “But the others can be of use in answering questions and giving us information.”

The men exchanged a look before Ranger nodded. “We'll do our best to bring the others in.”

Stephanie let out a breath. “Good,” she agreed. “Good.”

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