Title: Holy Water

Author: Me, of course.

Rating: PG-13. Not much worse than the actual show.

Summary: Song-fic. When something terrible happens to Sydney, can Gage help her get through it? Sy/Ga pairing. Wa/Al pairing.

A/N: The song I decided to use for this story is Big and Rich's "Holy Water" (hence the title). I've been toying with this plotline for a long time now. I hope you enjoy it. This is my first W:TR fic, so, be gentle. I have been watching show re-runs, but I don't know everything specific. Tips and additional show info are welcome.

Disclaimer: You know…I truly don't own any of the people used in this story….really. The characters belong to Paramount and the song is copyrighted to Big and Rich.

"Holy Water"

Texas Ranger Sydney Cooke had been through hell and back the past month and a half. The only reason she survived was her partner, Texas Ranger Francis Gage. Sydney still couldn't believe that this had happened. She had let her guard down for too long and now, she had an empty feeling inside. The first few days after it had happened, she had kept to herself, but Gage finding out about was one of Murphy's laws. She hadn't wanted anyone to know, to think of her as weak, but he had found out.

Somewhere there's a stolen halo
I use to watch her wear it well
Everything would shine wherever she would go
But looking at her now you'd never tell

Gage had convinced her to go to Walker about it. She did and as soon as Walker knew, Syd knew that a shrink would be involved. She made the decision to tell Alex and Trivette herself. She told them and the first thing Alex had done was run up and giver her a big hug and Syd just let it go. The next thing she knew, the strong arms of her partner were around her and the world seemed to fade away. She felt safe for the first time in months.

Someone ran away with her innocence
A memory she can't get out of her head
I can only imagine what she's feeling
When she's praying
Kneeling at the edge of her bed And she says take me away
And take me farther
Surround me now
And hold, hold, hold me like holy water
Holy water

She and Gage grew closer over the course of the next month. She had opened up and told him more about her family. About how her mother was never home and her father used to hit them. When she revealed this, Gage just embraced her and held her there for a good hour, not only for her security, but his as well.

She wants someone to call her angel
Someone to put the light back in her eyes
She's looking through the faces
The unfamiliar places
She needs someone to hear her when she cries.

Eventually, she and Gage had started to go out to dinner and seven months after the attack, she moved in with him. Two months after that, Gage proposed and she said yes. They lived happily for another month until Sydney began to get sick. Gage was worried and took her to the doctor, where they learned that they would soon be the proud parents of either a boy or a girl.

And she says take me away
And take me farther
Surround me now
And hold, hold, hold me like holy water
Holy water She just needs a little help
To wash away the pain she's felt
She wants to feel the healing hands
Of someone who understands

Eight months later, Sydney was rushed into the emergency room at three o'clock in the morning and gave birth to a healthy baby boy twelve hours later. Jacob Daniel Gage was born three days before the New Year. She took leave from the rangers to care for little Jake until he was old enough to be put into daycare. Sydney wanted this child to have the childhood she didn't.

And she says take me away
And take me farther
Surround me now
And hold, hold, hold me
And she says take me away
And take me farther
Surround me now
And hold, hold, hold me like holy water
Holy water

And now she's grateful Gage was there. She was the survivor of a rape, but now, she had a beautiful baby boy and a wonderful husband in a world that she loved again. The emotional scars were still there, but every time one was torn open by a dream or a memory, Gage and Jake were there to stitch it back together. They held her close and gave her the understanding she needed. And for that, she was thankful.

FIN!