Welcome to my FIRST Walker Texas Ranger fic. Set some time after the end episode. Hope everyone likes my writing, and my OC. I don't own ANYTHING except my character and the story. All characters or names used as originals are completely pulled from the air and not intended to represent any real person. Without further ado...

The phone rang, bringing the both of them out of the moment. They were on the couch, vegged out next to each other and just enjoying a movie.

Looking at the name scrawled across his phone, he sat up straight.

"Who is Linda Scheuler?" Sydney asked, half playing.

Swiping, he answered. "Hello?"

"Gage..."

Her voice was quiet and completely pain filled. "Linda?"

"Baby... Yours… You need… Frank… Cooper's Garage… Columbia… I'm sorry." and the line went dead.

Staring at the phone, he felt like he was going to throw up.

Sitting up straight, she was almost afraid to touch him. "Gage?"

Inhaling sharply, he looked at the love of his life. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it. Looking back at his phone, he stood abruptly, going to his kitchen table and bringing out the laptop.

"Gage? Who is Linda?"

"Columbia."

"What?"

"Where is Columbia?"

"Which state?" and she watched as his expression darken. "Gage!" she shouted. When his eyes met hers, she'd have sworn she was staring at a much younger version of the man she loved. "What is happening? I can help."

His brows furrowed, and he nodded. She was right. What in the hell was he going to do with this? And what was happening to his ex? Good grief, it'd been...seventeen years since he'd even thought of her. "I don't even know where to start." came out softly.

Sitting down beside him, she took his hand. "Who is Linda?"

"She was a girl I dated in my senior year of high school."

"Okay. What did she say?"

"Just words..." he shook his head, trying to make sense of it.

"What words?"

Recalling, he told her what the woman had said to him over the phone before it went dead. "And, she sounded like she was in pain. But, I mean, a lot of pain. I...I think she's dying, Syd."

"Lets first work on that. If she's not, we can maybe talk to her and make sense of all of this."

Nodding, he got to work. After almost four hours, they found that Linda Scheuler had been found dead, of a gunshot wound to the abdomen, by herself in her car. Her death was being investigated.

Fixing another cup of coffee, he looked at Sydney. Covering her hand with his, he smiled. "Sleep. You're dead on your feet right now. Go to bed."

"What about you?"

"I'll be in, in a few minutes." He watched her nod and disappear. Staying where he was, he stared at the screen. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and contemplated everything she'd said. And actually thought about it. Cooper's Garage, Columbia, Frank. Frank. Did he have a son? He'd be...if they'd had a child together...almost, if not, sixteen. Driving. A teenager. Holy shit. He'd missed his child's entire existence.

Looking at his screen, he typed in "Cooper's Garage Columbia" hitting Enter and seeing what popped up. There was one in South Carolina, and one in Mississippi. Typing the addresses of both and getting directions, he printed both out, and set them down on the table top.

Making his way to the bedroom, he crawled into bed, Syd, out cold. Exhausted from trying to help him through his past, coming back in such a harsh manner. Wrapping his arm around her spoon style, he pulled her close. Subconsciously, she wrapped her arms around his and backed herself as close to him as she could. Bending close, he kissed her temple and whispered in her ear. "I love you, Sydney Cooke."

Not letting him know that she heard him, she kept her eyes closed and her body still, as he settled in. Damn the man meant the world to her. She was determined to help him any way she could.

Pulling up to the establishment in Mississippi, he stared at the sign, thinking about the last twelve hours.

"Walker, I don't expect you to understand, but I have to see this out. Wouldn't you, if it was possibly your child?"

"Yes, but this is different. Something is going on with this! The supposed mother is already dead, and we have no clue as to why."

"Don't you think, if I have a son out there, the kid deserves a chance to stay safe?"

"But you don't know you have a kid. What if she was just talking out of her head? She was dying."

"So I just leave this kid, regardless of whether or not he's my son, to whatever demons killed his mom, and hope and pray that they don't get him?"

"That's not what I'm saying, Gage. You know better."

Shaking his head, he turned. "I'm going. Do what you have to. If I lose everything because of it, then I do. I'm going to find out if this kid is mine, as well as if he's in any danger." and he stormed out.

Nodding toward the female of the duo, he looked at his Ranger. "Stay with him. Report back."

Nodding herself, the gratefulness was all over her face. "I'll let you know as soon as I know, sir."

He was shaking. Dammit. Just get out. Walk in and ask for his son. Just do it. Taking a deep breath, he looked at his partner, who he realized now, had his hand, squeezed her fingers gently, and got out of the driver seat.

Stepping through the front of the business, he looked around. It was a typical shop, and smelled as such. The garage had six bays, and three of the vehicles had at least one pair of legs coming from underneath. Straightening as he walked up to the counter, he heard someone from the side, closer than he originally thought.

"What can I do for you, five-oh?" he asked.

"I'm actually here on, unofficial business."

"What'cha got, then?"

"I'm trying to find Frank?"

Turning behind him, he yelled out. "Hey, Johnny! Where's Frankie?"

"Run! Should be back in ten!"

Turning back to Gage, he smiled. "You wanna wait here, or hang in the car?"

Smiling himself, he nodded. "I'll hang in the car."

"Suit yourself."

Waiting, Sydney did the best she could to keep the conversation light. She knew he was struggling and having a hard time with it, and damn if she wasn't inclined to fix it. "We'll find him, Gage. And then you will know."

"But what if he's not here. What if the Frank here, isn't the one I'm looking for? What if he's not even here? I'm grasping at straws."

Shrugging, she answered simply. "Then you go to the one in South Carolina. It's that simple. And if he's not there, then you go from there."

Shaking his head, he looked at her and let his breath out. "Yeah. You're right."

About to say something, she spotted a vehicle coming into the parking lot. A young girl backed the F-150 into the empty space, hopped out and headed in. She was dressed in regular clothes and they realized she must have been a customer.

The small talk between the two continued for almost twenty minutes, before they decided to go in and find out what happened.

Stepping back through, he looked at the same man. "I thought you said Frank would be back soon."

"Yeah."

"Well? I've been waiting for almost half an hour and haven't seen him yet."

Laughing almost hysterically, he shook his head. "My bad. Frank's under the Jeep. Come on around, I'll walk you back."

Looking at his partner, she shrugged, and touched her side, knowing he'd understand that her weapon was at the ready. Following around, they walked into the garage, making their way to the car that the man indicated.

"Frankie!"

"What?" came a kids irritated voice.

"Someone's looking for ya!"

"They're gonna have to wait!"

"Don't think they're in position to wait." he answered.

"Well that's just too damn bad! I'm forearm deep in this transfer case and I ain't about to stop! They can wait, or they can get down here with me, I don't give a shit one, which." then a guttural growl came from under the rear of the vehicle. "Second thought, send them down here with me! I need a second set of hands!"

"Shit, hang on, I'm coming." then looking at the two people beside him, he shrugged. "Gimme a sec."

Gage put his hand on the man's shoulder. "Actually, I got it."

Half grinning, he looked at the blond man. "Yeah?"

Shrugging, his lips twitched up. "Why not. When in Rome, right?" and he looked at Sydney, winking. Getting down on a creeper that the guy helping had laid down, he rolled himself under the front of the back passenger tire after rolling his sleeves on his shirt, up to the elbows. Looking at the figure with hands up around the rear axle, he got to a stopping point. "What do you need?"

The kid had a do-rag around the top and a full set of coveralls on. Not hesitating, Frank took the extra set of hands, and put them around each side of the transfer case. "Push inward, and whatever you do, do not let this damn thing move when I hit the wrench. Can you do it?"

"I got this. You just do what you've got to do."

After almost fifteen minutes, a spray of the worst smelling liquid he'd ever had assault his nose, and a hundred or so cuss words, a few of which he'd never heard, the two figures were making their way out from underneath the vehicle. Sitting up, he looked up at Syd, who was mid giggle, when her eyes took in the figure behind him. An odd expression crossed her face, and turning, he realized in an instant, why she had a myriad of emotions.

Frank, was a girl. She pulled a rag out from her back pocket and started wiping her hands off. Once she was done, she grabbed the rag from the top of her head, untied it and handed it over to the man who was now standing. Sizing him, as well as the woman beside him, up, she leaned back against the table.

Holy shit, she looked just like her mother. With one exception. Her mother had vibrant hazel eyes. The girl had his eyes. Opening his mouth to say something, she tossed the rag down and put her hands beside her, holding the table she was leaned against.

"Listen, Ranger. I got nothin to say to you. I told ya boy yesterday that I didn't have nothin to do with that murder, I've been here all week. Ask Tiny. He's the one that gives me a ride back and forth."

The man she nodded toward was the man who had greeted them. "Thought you said this wasn't official business. After what ya'll did to her yesterday, I'd have never let your asses back here if I'd known you were Rangers. Thought you were just locals." he said, taking a couple of steps closer to the pair.

"Wait, hang on, who was here yesterday?"

"Don't play that line and dance." and he stood taller. "I told that guy yesterday that you were barking up the wrong tree and I meant it."

"I think there's been a misunderstanding." Sydney said softly.

"Look, I don't disrespect ladies, and I'm not going to start now, but this girl's been through enough. If this isn't official business I'm going to have to ask you to leave. And tell all your little buddies that we're not involved."

"We haven't had anyone come here to question her. I swear to you, I have no idea what you're talking about and I'm beginning to get more and more concerned."

"I don't care if you..." suddenly a small hand was on his arm.

"It's alright, Tiny. I believe him for some reason." she said, never taking her eyes off of the two people. "If you're not here in an official capacity, what are you doing here?"

"That is going to take some sit down conversation right there. But I assure you, we aren't here about a murder, directly anyway."

"What do you mean exactly, by directly?"

"It's a long story. And please, I want the chance to be able to tell you everything that I know. But not here."

Eyeing him carefully, she nodded. "Alright." and she clapped a hand on Tiny's shoulder. "I'm going to lunch. We'll be back."

"You sure you got this?"

"I'm good."

Stepping between the three of them in one last moment, he crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at the two people in front of him. "You hurt her, and I'll crush you, Rangers or not." then he looked over at Frankie. "I'm running home for lunch. If you need anything, I'm leaving here in about an hour." and the girl nodded.

Sydney smiled. She liked this guy. He was definitely protective, and she could definitely appreciate it. She could also see him being the biker guy with the tiny dog and heart of gold. "You have my word, we're not here to hurt her."