Disclaimer: This was written for the soul purpose of our entertainment. I lay no claim on Walker Texas Ranger or any of its characters.

"Conspiracy For Revenge"

Janis Boisclair

jboisclair@rogers.com

Chapter 1

Past Ghosts and Present Day

A boyish smile crept across his face as he neared the bed where she lay sleeping. It was late he knew but he had just got caught up in the discussion he was having with Trivette and Sumner.

Two ten in the morning he noted spying the clock seven A. M. was going to come early he thought as he dropped his clothes to the floor. Pulling back the covers he slid in close to his wife wrapping both his arms around her letting his lips search out and find her neck.

"What time is it Gage?" she slowly mumbled turning in his arms to face him.

"Late," he whispered back covering her mouth with his.

She could taste the beer on his lips and a half grin crossed her face. That is why she had left early she could see where this evening had been heading as her three co-workers rehashed the case over another beer. It had been a long hard three weeks and with this case behind them they had let loose over a few beers.

"Who brought you home?" she quizzed her partner.

"Trivette," he quickly replied moving his hand up her toned body his lips teasing her neck again.

"Did you get any supper?" Syd questioned on.

"Yeah and now I want dessert," he teased rolling on top of her kissing her deeply. He could feel her arms going around him her hands rubbing up his back. A low moan escaped her as she let him possess her once more.

Sydney and Gage's 7:15 AM.

"Daddy, Daddy, Mom wants to know how many eggs you want for breakfast?" Piper was asking her father as she and Cat stood beside the bed looking down at him. He squinted his eyes feeling Cat's little hands patting his face.

"I love you Daddy," Cat squealed out kissing Gage's face at the same time.

"Yeah I love you too," Gage managed to say. "Can you tell Mom to hold on the eggs this morning."

"All right girls I think I'd better look after Dad this morning," Syd smiled shooing her daughters out of the room.

"Little coffee Honey?" she asked coming towards the bed armed with a mug of the steaming brew.

"You're a life saver Babe," Gage moaned forcing himself to sit up and take the mug from her.

"Uh hmm," Syd smiled kissing the top of his head. "Did you want me to turn the shower on for you?"

"I'd really like it if you came here," he told her his lower lip sticking out in a pout like a small child.

"Gage this is the day Walker is coming back to work and we are all ready late," Syd was saying migrating towards her husband at the same time to sit on the edge of the bed. He was just about to reach for her when the phone rang.

"Let the kids get it," he smiled reaching for her anyway.

"Dad, Dad, Anna B is on the phone," Chris was calling.

"And she's crying," Cat added as Gage reached for the phone.

"She wants to talk to Mom," Piper cut in looking smugly at the other two.

Gage picked up the phone and handed it to Syd. She took it from him saying, "Okay guys out so Dad can take his shower." As she shooed the kids out Syd looked sternly at her husband, nodded towards the bathroom and put the phone to her ear. "Anna B?"

"Oh Syd I'm so glad I caught you," she sobbed out.

"Honey what is it? What's wrong?"

"It's Hunter he's calling me from jail, he told me he had ways of finding out things even in jail and he would know if I started seeing someone else besides him. He told me he'd kill me if I let anyone but him touch me," she choked the last statement out hardly above a whisper.

"Okay Honey you listen to me Hunter Blake is in jail and he is going to be there for a long time." Gage was half way to the bathroom but stopped and turned to face his wife when he heard Syd utter Hunter Blake's name. "Gage and I will see that the phone calls stop and look into what associates he may have outside of jail and put a stop to them too."

"You can really make him stop?"

"One way or another we'll stop him," Syd was replying as Gage took the phone from her hand and put it to his ear.

"Anna B?" he asked.

"Gage I…"

"I don't want you worrying about anything Syd and I are going to take care of this you hear me," he said into the phone.

She was nodding her head and Gage knew it even if he couldn't see her and he smiled back.

"Thanks Gage you're the best, the very best."

"Well I've got you and my wife and kids fooled anyway," he was grinning now. "How bout we give you a shout tonight?" he asked before saying good-bye and hanging up.

Sydney had smiled slightly at Gage's comment but her mind had gone to Hunter Blake. It had been seven months ago Blake had begun serving his sentence in Huntsville and they hadn't heard of him since.

Reading Syd's face Gage could tell that Blake's name was having an unnerving effect on his wife. "Honey I'll look after this Blake matter," he volunteered.

"It's okay Gage," she smiled, "We'll get on it as soon as we get into headquarters and put a stop to it. Deal?" she asked.

Leaning down he gave her cheek a small peck and headed to the shower, but noticed that her mind was still on what had happened.

Ranger Headquarters

Matt Sumner was the only one in the office when the Gages arrived; he sat at his desk holding his head up with his hand. Syd gave Gage a little poke and walked over behind the unsuspecting Ranger. "Sumner you look like you had a rough night," she teased.

"Your husband can't look that much better," Sumner moaned.

"Leave me out of this I'm fine," Gage butted in. "Where's your partner?" he asked trying to change the subject.

"He just called he's going to be a little late he went with Erica for her sonogram," Sumner replied.

"Hey Erica's got to be having that baby before too much longer," Gage commented looking to his wife for confirmation.

"Another two weeks is her due date if everything goes as planned," Syd informed them.

"Syd you are the one who doesn't stick to the plan."

"Gage I promised you that life with me would never be boring," she smiled sweetly at him.

Before Gage had time for a come back Walker came into the room. "Hey Boss nice to have you back," Gage greeted him.

"You know it's nice to be back," Walker grinned as he spoke. "Gage can I see you and Sydney for a moment in my office?" he asked getting right down to business.

"Yeah sure," Gage replied as he and Syd followed him to his office leaving Matt to sit and wonder by himself.

"Can you close the door?" Walker asked waiting for Gage to do so. "I've just been upstairs in Brisco's office," he began. "Captain Brisco is retiring," Walker paused to clear his throat not being used to making announcements like the one he was about to make. "In light of that I'm being promoted…"

"Congratulations," both Syd and Gage were on their feet offering their best wishes.

"Thanks both of you, but that brings me to something else and I hope you can understand how I came to this decision."

"What is it Walker?" Sydney asked.

"Well Trivette will become the senior ranger here the same as he has been acting the last couple of months. I've reviewed both of your records over the last couple of weeks and you are two of the best rangers I've ever had the pleasure of working with. The next decision came down to actual time in the service of the Texas Rangers. And well Sydney your partner has a year more in then you that puts him next in line for promotion to…"

"Gage you're getting a promotion," Syd cried out as any proud wife would throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him.

Looking past his wife to his boss Gage looked for some sort of confirmation so he could actually believe it.

"We are due upstairs in an hour for Brisco to make the announcements Sergeant Gage," Walker told them stretching out his hand to shake Gage's.

Syd gave her partner another quick hug as he took Walker's hand still not believing what just happened.

"Hey Walker am I interrupting anything?" Trivette asked rapping on the office door and sticking his head inside.

"Come in Trivette we were just leaving," Gage grinned letting his partner steer him towards the door.

"Told him did you?" Trivette asked when they were out of earshot.

Walker nodded his head yes.

"Sydney is okay with it?" Trivette questioned further.

"Happy for her husband," Walker, replied watching the two of them through the office window.

~~~~~

The news was still sinking in as Gage sat down at his desk. Sydney looked across letting a smile come across her face once more before asking, "Are you going to call Huntsville or did you want me to?"

"I'll do it partner thanks for reminding me," Gage retorted picking up the phone but not before returning her smile. He turned slightly in his chair as the connection was made giving Sumner the chance to ask Sydney what was up.

"You're going to find out very shortly Matt," Syd had answered still not taking her eyes off Gage.

"Partner?" Trivette called out to Sumner, "Got those reports for me?"

"Yeah right here," Sumner answered picking up the files and heading over to Trivette's office.

Sydney looked up at Sumner as he walked into Trivette's office. The young ranger had fit in very easily with their company. He was tall, muscular and good-looking like her husband only with short red hair. His fighting skills were quite accomplished and he could almost second guess her and her partner as well as they could each other.

"Okay thanks for your help," Gage was saying as he hung up the phone. "Hunter isn't going to be making anymore unwanted phone calls to Anna B or anyone else. I got a list of about half a dozen names of his pals here in Dallas that have been to see him since he has been incarcerated that we can check out after lunch. Plus they are going to be checking out his emails. Anna B didn't say anything about that did she?"

"She didn't mention email to me but then maybe she wasn't expecting it either." Syd thoughtfully replied. "I'll give her a call and see if anything out of the ordinary has come in lately."

"Tell her the phone calls should stop now too but let us know if there is anything at all unusual that happens," Gage added.

"Will do," Syd agreed picking up the phone to dial, "Hey Boss think we can spare some time so I can take you out for lunch after the announcement?"

"Boss," Gage repeated chuckling softly to himself his face colouring slightly hearing her use that term realizing that this promotion was going to put him in that position.

"Yeah I think that can be arranged but I'm still buying," he told her as the phone connected to Anna B.

Conference Room Upstairs

The small conference room was packed full upstairs when Gage entered with Sydney about twenty minutes later. "Nervous Honey?" Syd had asked as they made their way to the front where Alex all ready stood with Walker.

"A little," Gage admitted squeezing her hand tighter.

"You deserve it Francis," she whispered standing on tiptoes and kissing his cheek.

Stopping them he stood in front of her to tell her, "Thanks Syd that means a lot coming from you, you mean a lot to me."

Sydney didn't have time to reply the ceremony had begun and before they new it Gage's name was being called. She had moved over beside Alex and both women proudly clapped as their husbands' promotions were announced.

"How bout we all go out and enjoy some lunch," Trivette was asking as Alex and Sydney approached the men as things finished up.

"Love to," Gage was replying, "but I have an earlier engagement for lunch."

"See you later," Syd told them as she and her partner headed towards the door and elevators.

A Small Outdoor Café

The waitress had just finished taking their order when Gage's hands came across the table to take hold of Syd's. "You really are okay with this?" he nervously asked her knowing she was just as deserving of this title as he was.

"Gage I'm just so happy for you. You have worked long and hard for this I think you deserved it long before now," she answered bringing his hand to her lips.

"You really are wonderful you know that you work just as hard…" she had put her fingers against his lips.

"This is your celebration stop worrying about me I'm as happy as I would be if I had gotten this promotion," she began just as her phone rang. Pulling it from her pocket she answered, "Cooke."

"Hello baby doll," came the voice from the other end of the line, "miss me like I missed you?"

"How did you get this number?" Sydney gasped the colour draining from her face.

"Syd what is it?" Gage asked.

"We were always meant to be together and your blonde husband isn't go to stand in our way… Enjoy your lunch," The line went dead.

Sydney stood up her eyes roving over the people in the café and on the street. Gage was standing beside her, "Syd what is it?" he repeated himself.

"It was Derek, Derek Shaw," Syd replied hardly daring to speak above a whisper. "He's here and he knows I'm here with you." Sydney's whole body was shaking in the fear this man evoked in her right to her very being.

TBC...