The sequel to What Does it Mean to Trust. I apologize to those who have been waiting for this but life doesn't always cooperate with our wishes. My life isn't what's important here but I will just say that life isn't predictable; it gets busy, and sometimes crazy. However, this story has never been far from my mind or my heart. I do have some very important people to thank. One Margaret, you have always been my biggest fan, from the very beginning. You took me in under your wing and supported my story, supported my crazy ideas, and even batted around ideas with me when I felt stuck. I can't tell you enough how much that meant to me as a new author (yeah I am giving myself a lot of leeway in that title) here on fanfiction. In addition to that your friendship has meant the world to me. Barbara and Karrie you both are great friends ones I am so glad to say I have met because of fanfiction. My life is richer because of you two. My beta, Angela, this wouldn't be what it is without you. Your edits, ideas, and suggestions have been wonderful! I know I am hopeless when it comes to grammar! Finally my fans whom have sent me private messages, left reviews you make my day! Well enough for me on with the story! I hope you all enjoy, Amanda

Chapter 1: Prologue

RPOV

Looking out over the water, I think of her; my Babe: Stephanie. My thoughts were running wild about how I wanted to hold her, how I wanted her in my arms. How I wanted to bury my head in her brunette curls and engulf a big breath of her scent. I shut my eyes, cutting off the beautiful view of night across the beach and ocean, just to see her and remember her addictive smell.

I opened my eyes, inhaling a deep breath of ocean, sand, and even a lingering smell of suntan lotions from the beach goers of the daytime.

The ocean was calm, the moon full and huge in the sky, glistening across the water adding a blue hue to everything it touched. I wondered if she could see this, if she could see what I was looking at right this moment. I wondered if we were both on some level experiencing the view together even though she wasn't in my arms. This was her night, and she couldn't have ordered a more perfect night than what it was.

With one final look, I stepped back in the room off of the balcony, both reluctant and partially anxious to get on with the events of the evening. The night was warm, the breeze from the ocean inviting and comforting, not crisp and chilling. Not wanting to cut myself off from the night. I left the door open to allow the breeze to blow through the room.

Turning into the room, my eyes lingered on the large king bed in the bedroom. The breeze blowing in ruffled the sheers that hung from the large poster bed. I closed my eyes to cut off the view in my head of Stephanie lying across the bed. Before my thoughts could go any further, I forced my feet to carry me to the dresser across the room.

I looked at the coat hanging on the hook, it wasn't often I wore my Army dress uniform. I could count the number of times I'd worn it on both hands…, and none of them were good. I didn't want to remember wearing this coat, because in all cases, it was worn to mourn a show of respect and honor for a fallen brother. Part of me dreaded pulling on the jacket, but I put those feelings aside and pulled the jacket on.

I tugged at the collar of my shirt as I pulled the jacket into place, hooked the buttons and finally pulled it down in the back and front so the jacket hung the way it was meant. I pinned on the medals of designations, rank, and special recognitions on the chest and lapel of the jacket. All of the medals had been polished so that they would all pass any inspection by the strictest drill sergeants on the planet. Nothing short of that would be acceptable for tonight. I looked in the mirror and I couldn't help but think about how differently my life could have been.

I couldn't help but think about the path my life was on and how, in some ways, the old way was easier than my life is now. I would never regret the changes, though; I would do nothing but be thankful for every single moment of them. Even now, even if I found my life more complicated and harder in some ways, I had experienced more love and happiness that I had ever expected to find.

However, before love, before allowing myself to love and opening myself up to the possibility of love, my life was simpler. It was a simple life, but it was a lifeless life. One of action, cold and closed off, not the way it was now, not one where there was family, love, life and happiness. With that love and openness also came fear and hurt, both of which I had never hoped to know the way I had come to. Pain that extended beyond the physical pain and in some way hurt more than any physical pain could ever.

Prior to bringing Stephanie into my life, there was no fear. I won't say I was never afraid, but fear wasn't something I experienced often. On missions, things would happen that would spike my adrenaline from fear, but I had built in responses for that- responses that were almost spontaneous and had come with years of training, skill, and experience.

When Stephanie walked into my life, I learned what true fear was. The fear that spiked in me when she was in trouble, kidnapped, or when her car would explode was something I had never experienced. I snapped another medal on my coat, my mind still thinking about her, and I couldn't keep the smile from my lips, wondering what she would think if she could see me now. I heard a knock at the door.

I quickly snapped the last pin in place. I then made my way out of the bedroom suite, closing the door behind me. My lifelong friend and brother was waiting on the other side of the door.

"Yo," I said, more out of habit rather than being polite or any other reasons for warranting a welcome at the moment.

"Yo man, how are you holding up?" he asked me and I looked at him, raising my eyebrow, questioning his logic in asking me such a question. I wanted to ask how the fuck you think I am holding up, but I would never allow myself to say that. He very well fucking knew how I was. I didn't need to spell it out for him. He already knew.

"Okay man, I get it," he said. I nodded, looking at him in a way that was foretelling of exactly how I was.

Tonight was a night that I never in my life ever thought I would witness. It was a night that I would have bet good money would never happen, yet it was. My emotions, while well hidden from all who would look at me, were there fighting me, fighting for release, struggling to wear down my control. Tonight, like countless other nights, they wouldn't win; at least not yet.

My emotions used to never win, but having met Stephanie and pulled her into my life ended that. There were times when emotions won. There were times when what I did was purely emotional. In some of those cases it was good, but in some it was not.

I looked at Tank dressed in his Army dress uniform and thought that the time I had seen him in his dress blues was more infrequent than I. Tank wasn't one to mince words or bullshit. He wore his dress blues if he felt it was warranted, not just because the occasion called for it. Tonight, he clearly felt it was warranted as I looked across his chest to see his medals, his badges of rank, and his medals of accommodations were almost as prolific as those on my own chest.

We were soldiers and we were damn fine soldiers.

There was another knock at the door. I knew on the other side of the door would be the remainder of the core team and a few others who were close to Stephanie. I turned toward the door as Tank opened the door and I nodded as Bobby, Cal and Hector walked through the door.

Bobby, dressed in his Army blues with his medical medals proudly hanging on his chest, walked into the room. I took a moment to study each one. There was no doubting the fine medic Bobby was, one only needed to look at his medals to know. I took a deep breath.

Cal was dressed in his Navy dress uniform, his sword hanging from his side. Even though it was a dress sword, I knew it would be just as sharp and just as useful as any other weapon he carried. His tattoo even seemed to take a back seat tonight. My eyes met his and I nodded. I wasn't one to speak much, and tonight I was grateful for not having to speak needlessly just to carry on a conversation.

Hector was dressed in a tuxedo, one I knew he didn't own, yet it fit him as though it had been custom made. Inside, I felt the desire to smile. Looking across the men, all of us dressed in what we would consider our finest attire, I couldn't help but think of my Babe. What her thoughts would be, what would she think or say seeing us this way?

I felt a wave of anxiety wash over me as I once again felt the need within to get this night started. My arms ached to hold my Babe. My head hurt thinking of her not being here and my heart felt the void of her, standing in the room with what had become our family wasn't something I wanted to focus on.

When Hector shut the door I raised my eyebrow. Bobby shrugged before speaking up. "Man he isn't leaving her, neither of them are leaving her," he said and I nodded. I fully understood the desire to remain with her and I felt a surge of jealousy rush through my body that I had to wrestle with. I needed to control it, if I lost control now, there would be no more control left. I swallowed the jealousy that spiked through me and I nodded.

Lester and Slyder wouldn't leave her side; behind the jealousy, there was part of me that was glad that she wasn't alone. I never wanted her to ever be or feel alone. I closed my eyes, turning my head, once again finding myself battling for control over emotions that threatened to swallow me whole.

Tank looked at his watch, I think more to have something to do rather than actually needing to know the time, but when he looked up. "You ready?"

I looked across the group and nodded, unable to keep my lip from twitching at the thought of what she would think seeing us now.

We made our way to the door and I stepped back allowing everyone to go out before me as we made our way out of the room and onto the elevator. The elevator carried us down to the lobby floor. For holding five rather large men, the elevator was quiet, and for that I was thankful. We made our way through the lobby and down the walkway to the back of the hotel that opened to the beach. Walking out, I took in the salty sea breeze, the smell of the ocean now mixed with the various flowers that lined the walkway down to the beach.

I was grateful for the thin bamboo carpeting that had been placed across the sand, not that it would have stopped me had it not been there. I have had sand in my shoes before and without the walkway, I would have had sand in them again, but in no way would sand prevent me from walking to my destination tonight. Nothing would stop me. I would be there waiting.

As I made it closer to my destination, I couldn't help but take in the faces of every Rangeman as I passed. They were dressed in their dress uniforms or tuxedos, and it spoke volumes as to what she meant to everyone of them. They all dressed to honor her.

The moon was so bright that it lit the beach to the point that I could make out every face as I passed. No additional lighting was necessary. I took a moment to look out over the ocean, the moon glistening across it, and felt the breeze blow across my face. This was definitely a night ordered by none other than my Babe, and like her, it was perfect.

The priest was standing just beyond me, ready to start the service. Anxiety once again welled up inside me as I battled the desire to get to the point that I could once again see my Babe. I looked to my left and Tank was standing there beside me, giving me his silent support, and I was grateful to feel him beside me.

My life had changed in a way that I would never have guessed I was even capable of changing. They say that for big changes, and often abrupt changes, you never forget the moment they happen. They are usually the hardest to accept and deal with in one's life, and more often than not, they tend to be not so happy moments.

For me, I know the exact moment when I saw her walk in that diner. The look on her face, the look in her eyes that said 'I am doing it with or without your help'. It was that look that made my decision to help her. It was her tenacity and her stubbornness that hooked me and her soft, kind heart and her loyalty and belief in me that held me and made me forever hers. Had she never returned my love, had she rejected my life, it wouldn't have mattered. I would have never left hers, and I would have and will forever love her; only her. For me, this change came with both happy and not so happy moments all rolled into one.

I look back over the ocean, once again thinking about the night, about how I felt comfortable in the darkness of the night. It was where I belonged- in the shadows. Yet Stephanie had changed all of that, she had pulled me into the light and so here I stand under the moon's spotlight as though the rays of the moon knew me, knew my heart, and knew my deepest desires, wishes, and dreams. Opening me in a way that showed every man standing here everything there was to know of me; or at least the most important thing to know. My love for one woman: Stephanie.

A gust of salt air whisked by me, caressing my neck like that of a long lost lover. My eyes shut at the thought as I bask in the too brief caress. My body ached to hold her. My fingers twitched to touch her. My body and mind were anxious to see her yet tense for what was to come. Another single moment when your whole life changes.

The lull of the water lapping up on the beach played a beat that would inspire lovers to hold each other as if it were the first or perhaps the last time. With each repetition of the beat, my arms ached more to have my Babe in my arms. To feel her body soft yet firm in my arms is a feeling that I would never get enough.

I heard the doors to the hotel and before I could see who was making their way out the door, I knew. I briefly shut my eyes to once again gain control of the feelings that were running through me. I wanted to run down and knock Lester and Slyder away from her, but I controlled myself and wait, just starring at the back of the hotel. Waiting impatiently until the moment they would come into view.

My feet move without directive and I stop myself as I feel Tank's hand on my arm. My instinct was to shrug him off and run forward toward her, but I once again controlled my movements and waited. When my eyes locked onto her, I felt as if my knees weren't going to hold me up. I felt as if I would crash to the ground as emotions hit me like a wave pounding onto the beach.

My love for her was the strongest, but my need for her was almost overwhelming. My eyes guided over her, she was beautiful. She was radiant. She stood there at the end of the aisle with Slyder, her partner, on one side. Lester, her best friend, was on the other, and yet her eyes were staring only at me. Her eyes were locked on me as mine were on her. When she smiled at me, my heart began to beat against my chest as if it were going to burst through my ribs.

My throat closed, my legs felt as though they had been weighted down and couldn't move. Had Tank touched me at the moment I would have fallen over, stiff. I was blown away by her beauty, completely frozen in shock; left only with the ability to stare at her. She was the only other thing in the world at the moment; everything else forgotten, not seen.

When she was within three steps of me, my feet broke free and I met her. I didn't wait for the priest to pronounce us anything, I just pulled her into my arms, I held her against me and my lips found hers. I shrugged off the protests of her self-professed men of honor beside her. I tended to believe them more along the lines of guard dogs as they had kept us apart using excuses of old wives tales. They had insisted, demanded even, that we not see each other until this very moment. At the time, I wanted to pound them both into the ground but having felt what I just felt I was glad we had waited, though I wouldn't admit it to them.

"Aren't you supposed to wait…" she started to say when I pulled back and stared into her eyes, but she was unable to finish her sentence when her eyes focused on me. She had felt the same need, desire, hunger, and love for me that I had felt for her. I could see it in the depths of her eyes.

"Man, you were supposed to wait until the priest told you to kiss her. You know after she is your wife, not before," Lester said, the irritation in his voice clear. He was telling me I had screwed up, messed up our wedding. Lester had singly dedicated himself the wedding planner and the go to guy for everything wedding etiquette. It was our wedding and I liked this plan much better. Besides, my plan had my Babe in my arms faster, so it had to be better.

"Okay, Ranger, let her go so we can proceed, you do want to marry her right?" Slyder asked, his voice carried less irritation but it was still there, underlying the calm voice carrying the question that he knew would get the desired reaction from me.

Looking in her eyes, I asked, "you ready for this?" She smiled at me and what she said was music to my ears.

"I have been ready for this for what seems like forever."

I couldn't help the smile that broke across my face or my reply. "Babe."

I forcefully made myself release her and stepped back towards Tank and the priest, but my eyes never left her. Stephanie and her guard dogs made the final few steps forward, stopping in front of the priest and beside me.

Both Slyder and Lester kissed her cheek as they took their place to her left. Lester was standing closest to her and Slyder was beside him.

I looked at Lester and Slyder, and I couldn't help but acknowledge what this moment meant for them, what she meant to them. What we had all been through in the past several months. I found myself once again thanking a God that I wasn't a hundred percent sure of, but I had no doubts that without Him or Her, we would never be standing here tonight on this beautiful moonlit beach.

The moon's bright blue hued rays shining down on us blessed us and carried us into our new lives. Lives that would be forever changed by the events taking place now as well as lives that were forever changed by the events that had already taken place.