Author's note: here's the last chapter! enjoy!

Nope, not mine.

Ten months later…

I was standing in my black dress, watching the trees of the Batcave blow in the wind. It was a beautiful colonial house right off the beach near Point Pleasant. Ranger had told Tank to take me there while I recuperated. It was weird to be living there without him, but we made due. My parents moved in with me and took care of some things that Ranger would have done. Ranger's parents also came by to visit often, as well as his siblings, cousins, and distant relations. Thankfully, the families got along better than expected. I think my mother was finally satisfied that both her daughters were married and having children. She seemed more relaxed lately and took to Carlos better than I would have imagined. Grandma Mazur was spoiling him rotten and exclaimed after changing his diaper that he had a great package just like his father. Thank god Ranger wasn't here to hear that. Carlos was now leaning on my shoulder, sucking his thumb. I now understood why mothers love to carry their children around. It makes them feel safer. To feel the beat of their child's heart. At least I feel safer. His other hand was clutching onto my necklace.

"Stephanie? We've got to go." My mother said to me, coming out onto the balcony. I turned to look at her.

"Why don't you just go without me?" I said flatly.

"Stephanie, we can't do that. You need to be there."

I sighed. "I'll be down in a minute." I said turning back around. I felt her leave.

But I wasn't alone long.

"Babe," Ranger said. "Let me take him."

I turned to see Ranger wearing his black Armani suit, looking sexier than ever.

"Careful, he's got a mean grip on my necklace." I said while trying to unlatch Carlos's fingers. I watched Ranger play with Carlos for a minute and smiled.

"Babe, your mother doesn't want to be late."

"Val's already had three. I don't understand why she has to get her fourth daughter christened in the Church."

"How would that one feel if she wasn't allowed to go to church every Sunday with the rest of the family?"

"Like her Uncle Carlos?"

"Babe, we make it if we can move." I snorted. He made sure that he gave me enough Ranger-induced orgasms that I couldn't walk. We had promised my mother that we would go to church more often with her. I blame the guilt from the wedding.

Ranger had returned home within a month of being called away without one more scratch on him. I was grateful that he was sent back to me because I couldn't bear to raise our son alone. He was becoming more and more like his father every day. Instead of crying every second of every day, he mostly crawls around the entire house and stares at people. It freaked everyone out at first, but they got over it pretty quickly. Thank god he only had my eating habits.

It was two in the morning and I was in the rocking chair Lula and Tank had given us as a baby gift feeding Carlos for what seemed like the thousandth time that day.

"There's my two favorite people in the entire world."

I looked up and saw Ranger. He was leaning on the door jam smiling.

"I would jump up and hug you, but he just fell asleep."

He held out his hands. "Here, let me take him."

I gently placed Carlos into his hands. It was a beautiful sight to have father and son reunited. He hugged him close and put his nose into Carlos's neck, breathing him in. Then he set him down in his crib and came over to me.

"Babe, I'm so sorry."

"For what?"

"Leaving you like that. I promise it won't happen again. At least not for the government."

"I'm just so glad you're home."

"Me too. God, I missed you so much." He held me tighter, fearing I would disappear like a dream. He looked back at Carlos. "You've done good, Babe."

I snorted. "Please, he's the easiest child imaginable. I just hope he doesn't get your stubbornness."

"Babe." He said.

God, I missed that. I smiled up at him. "Welcome home."

Val had gotten pregnant just two months after I had Carlos, but didn't know until she gave birth just over a week ago. She didn't want to ruin my spotlight for once. Val has become an okay sister.

Joe, after the last drunken conversation, called a few weeks later to apologize and said that he had a date with Robin next week. It turned out that they wouldn't make it, but he is ever continuing the hunt and we have become okay friends. We don't talk like we used to, but at least it's not hostile anymore. Even Ranger and Joe have put aside most of their differences and have become awkward friends. Right now, he's dating a nurse at St. Francis named Emily and it's looking promising.

Lula and Tank had a civil marriage when Ranger returned home. Turns out that they were expecting too. Lula's going to have a March daughter. Hopefully she won't name her after herself.

Marlene had her trial and I testified that she didn't do me or my (at the time) unborn son any bodily harm and they gave her a pretty light sentence. She'll spend five years in prison and ten years probation with a promise that she will see a counselor. Lester goes to see her sometimes, but I doubt that they'll ever become an item. I visited her once and she told me that she wasn't feeling the same spark. Oh, well, maybe she'll find another person to stalk that she likes more than Lester.

I looked down at the rings that now decorated my left hand. I had wanted to keep the ring that Ranger had given me on our real wedding day, but he insisted. Actually he brought out his own version of the Bambi eyes and said please. I think he did it because his mother wouldn't let him live it down. I wear that one on my right hand as a constant reminder of that day.

To please our parents, we had a ceremony actually in the church. This way all of our friends and family could celebrate it. Ranger had jokingly told me that we could celebrate our marriage twice as much now. Like we didn't already. Just this morning neither one of us could barely walk a straight line.

"Babe, I smell something burning."

I smiled up at him. "Just thinking."

"About what?"

"How happy I am."

His eyes softened and he leaned in for a kiss. He held out a hand for me. "Come on, we'll be late."

I rolled my eyes. "I already am."

He laughed, and then stopped to look at me. "Babe?"

"You dumb bastard, I told you if you got me pregnant again, I'd cut your balls off."

He smiled wider. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

He put his hand on my still flat stomach. "I hope it's a girl this time." He said, dragging me out the door. I laughed the entire way to the church.

Finally, an expected surprise.

Author's Note: Thanks so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed the journey as much as I have. My other story Gone Babe Gone should be done soon as well, and look for my next story which, scary as it is, is already being formulated in my mind as I write this! Thanks again and review soon!

Liz