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

Rated: PG

"Cherished"

Janis Boisclair

jboisclair@rogers.com

~ Chapter One ~

A Lonely Stretch Of Highway West of Fort Worth

The night had turned cold and clear not a star in the sky as the car sped down the highway. "Keep your eyes peeled for that turn off it should be coming up soon," the driver told his companion.

"I'll be glad when this is done," the second one commented his eyes focused as far ahead as the headlights allowed.

"Don't tell me you are getting squeamish on me?" the first an older man asked.

"I'm not getting squeamish," the younger replied. "I just don't like having to do the law in especially a Texas Ranger."

"A Texas Ranger bleeds just as easily as anyone else," the first laughed at his own wit.

"You know what I mean Lyttle," the second bawled out shouting, "There's the turn up ahead."

Slowing down Lyttle manoeuvred the turn before continuing to speak. "I know offing a cop isn't my favourite job but Mr. Blake wants it done and he's the boss so we do it," he answered proceeding down the side road.

Both men fell silent knowing the task they had ahead of them. Another fifteen twenty minutes Lyttle pulled into another secondary road and finally into a laneway of what looked to be a deserted farm. Going past the house he pulled the sedan he was driving around behind the dilapidated barn and stopped.

"Let's get this over with Jack," Lyttle said opening the car door and getting out. Moving around to the back of the car he paused waiting for his partner to join him.

"Come on Jack I want to get back to Dallas before morning here," Lyttle complained.

"I'm coming," Jack Daines answered drawing his gun to hold on the prisoner inside the trunk once it was opened.

Lyttle put the key in and turned the lock the door opening wide. Reaching in he grabbed hold of the man inside by the arm dragging him out of the trunk to stand in front of them.

The ranger stood for a moment trying to get his bearings his hands were bound behind him and a big swatch of tape gagged his mouth shut.

"Okay lets go," Daines commanded giving their prisoner a shove towards the barn.

The ranger didn't have to be told twice he all ready new the fate the two of them had planned for him he knew the only hope of saving himself was escape from the two of them. He quickened his pace putting almost the length of the car between him and his two captors, getting to the front of the car he leaned down running in front of it the darkness engulfing him.

"Get back here," Lyttle shouted after him making for the car to start it up and go after him while Daines shot wildly into the dark one of the bullets hitting its mark piercing the shoulder of the fleeing man.

With nothing but fear and adrenalin to go on the ranger kept going ducking behind what looked like an old wood shed lighting out the short distance through the tall grass hoping to get to the trees beyond. He heard the roar of the car engine knowing the headlights would be playing on him in seconds. Dropping to his knees he fell forward using the grass for cover.

The pain in his shoulder seared red hot as he prayed that he could elude his captors long enough to get away. He could hear them shouting in the distance still unable to locate him. He knew he had to get away before daylight began filtering in the cover of darkness his only hope of escape. Getting a picture of his wife in his mind he forced himself to his knees and began to move towards the trees once again.

Earlier That Evening…

Sydney And Gage's

"Cat will you please come pick this stuff off the floor," Syd exasperatedly called to her young daughter her hand going to her back once again.

When she hadn't felt well that morning her husband thinking he was doing her a favour had talked her into staying home from work and just resting. By about noon she had gotten up being unable to sleep for phone calls from not only Alex and Erica but half a dozen from Gage too.

The calls had quit just in time for the kids to come in from school all three fighting. She had taken about all she could suddenly loosing her temper giving all three a piece of her mind ending with shouting at Cat to pick her school bag and coat off the floor.

"When's Daddy coming home," Cat shrieked back. "He's a lot more fun then you are Mommy," the child retaliated.

"Believe me Cat I wish he was here too," Syd cut in.

Coming to both his sister and his mother's rescue Chris interrupted. "Mom why don't you put your feet up Piper and I will look after things until Dad gets here."

"Chris I'm sorry," Syd began, "I don't mean to be so short with everyone…"

"Mom we know you aren't at your best right now but we aren't helping you any either," Chris answered. He knew that they were over half way there and in four months the baby would be born and things would start to get a little bit back to normal. At least his mother wouldn't be sick every day.

"Thanks Chris," she smiled at her son her hand going to her tummy as the baby kicked. "Dad said he wouldn't be too late," she told him looking at the clock seeing it was all ready six o'clock.

"Mom Uncle Walker just pulled in," Piper called standing on her tiptoes looking out the kitchen window.

"Walker?" Syd asked aloud, her stomach doing a flip wondering what on earth he was doing here.

Going to the window where Piper was she looked out into the driveway too relief washing over her as she saw her husband emerge from the passenger side of Walker's silver ram. He stopped and said a few words to their boss and then turned to come inside while Walker backed out of the driveway.

"Mommy are you all right," Piper cried out supporting her mother from collapsing to the floor. "Dad," she screamed out Gage dropping his jacket to rush to Syd and hold her against him.

"Syd Honey," he cried out as she burst into tears her arms around his neck.

"Oh Gage," she cried the rest of the words a jumble mixed with the sobs.

Swinging her up in his arms he carried her into the family room and sat with her in the recliner letting her cry out the tears while he held her close.

"Mommy I'm sorry I promise I'll pick up my things," Cat cried tears streaming down her face seeing Syd crying, "And I won't say Daddy is more fun then you again."

"We'll try not to make you cry again Mom," Piper cried out tears starting in her eyes too.

Gage had looked up at Chris in hopes of maybe a few answers coming from his son getting only shrugged shoulders on that front.

"Okay guys why don't you give me and Mom a few minutes… Chris why don't you and the girls order some pizza for supper," Gage told them gesturing with his head towards the kitchen.

"Okay Dad," Chris agreed escorting his sisters out.

Once the kids had disappeared Gage put his finger under Syd's chin lifting her tear streaked face to his. "Care to tell me what's going on you?" he asked kissing her nose.

"I just don't know what is wrong with me I just should have went to work with you that's all. The phone rang half the day, the dog and cat were fighting, the kids were fighting and then when I saw Walker pull in the driveway… God Gage I was sure he was coming here to tell me something had happened to you…" she finished tears welling up in her eyes again.

"My car died that's why Walker gave me a ride home," Gage told her hugging her close. "I'm sorry I should have called you... I just thought you might kill me if I called again."

"I just wish I could have one day when I didn't feel sick," she cried again. "One thing for sure you aren't getting out of this house again without me," she told him looking sternly at him.

"Deal Shorty," he smiled giving her another peck on the cheek.

"Mommy we ordered you some of those ancho… ancho… those hairy little fish you like," Cat announced coming back in to join her parents.

"How did you know I really wanted some of those?" she asked her daughter a smile coming to her face as Cat came running to her.

Erica and Jimmy's

"Night Sumner," Trivette called and waved before making his way to the front porch stopping to watch his partner drive away.

The door suddenly burst open with both Torrie and Simon screaming, "Daddy, Daddy."

"Hey," Jimmy called scooping up one child under each arm to troop into the kitchen where Erica was making dinner.

"Something smells good in here," he commented catching his wife's lips in a kiss as she leaned back from the stove where she was cooking dinner.

"Sumner drop you off?" she asked watching him wander into the family room where Marcus was working at the computer.

"Yeah he's picking me up in the morning too," Jimmy absently told her. "What are you working on Marcus?" he asked looking over his son's shoulder.

"English project and you can't see it yet Dad!" he exclaimed quickly closing the program to keep his father from seeing what his paper was about.

"All right, all right," I'm not looking knowing that Marcus would have pass worded his top secret project.

"Did you talk to Syd today?" Jimmy called to Erica.

"Yeah I think she was wishing she had gone into work," Erica replied.

"She's had a hard go of it this time," Jimmy commented going back out to the kitchen to visit more with his wife.

"Yeah she has I'm sure she will be glad when this one is born too," Erica answered.

"You weren't going to give me any surprises like the last time the Gages' thought this baby business was a good idea?" Jimmy interrogated his wife.

"Not a chance this family is big enough for me," Erica laughed taking the roast from the oven. "Besides I'll get lots of chance to play with the newest Gage when Syd goes back to work," she added telling Jimmy to get the kids washed up for supper.

Leaning over he kissed her again as they both inwardly smiled in contentment before Jimmy called out, "Who's hungry?"

Around of I am went up from the three Trivette children as they scrambled to the table. "Hey the hands," Erica called out.

"You heard Mom," Jimmy reinforced as the protests went up. Again he smiled at his wife before trooping behind the trio.

Anna B and Sumner's

Anna B had just rushed in the door only moments before the phone had began to ring. "Hello," she gasped into the phone.

"Hey you all right?" Sumner asked from the other end of the line.

"Yeah I just got in the door," she answered. "You aren't calling to tell me you're working on something are you?" she anxiously asked.

"Nope just called to let you know I just dropped off Trivette and I should be home in about fifteen minutes if the traffic cooperates," he told her as she pulled open the frig to get dinner under way.

"Matt can you stop on your way and grab more milk?" she asked shaking the carton to find it empty.

"For you anything," he replied. "Oh by the way you might want to give Syd a call she wasn't feeling good and didn't come into work today."

"You know I don't remember her being this sick with either of the girls," Anna B answered thinking aloud.

"Maybe this one is going to be the most like Gage," Sumner teased.

"More then Chris is? Impossible, " she quipped back.

"If you say so," Matt playfully joked saying, "I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Love you Honey," Anna B told him.

"Me too," he answered hanging up his phone.

Anna B hit the button for the second keyed in number on her phone to have it answered by Gage. "Hey Francis Matt says your wife is a little under the weather," she said as he picked up.

"You actually are just the girl I was going to call tonight," Gage told her.

"I've not done anything since I got married Gage, I've been good as gold," she began.

"I wasn't phoning because you were in trouble I was hoping I could get you and Sumner to stay here for a few days so I could take Syd on a long weekend," he began to explain.

"Hey I don't see why not I'll run it by Matt he's on his way home now. In fact he should be here any minute," she replied always loving to spend time with the Alex kids.

"That would be perfect I think Syd is due for some away time," Gage confided in Anna B.

"Gage tell her to call me if she wants anything tell her not to feel she is putting me out in any way," Anna B offered.

"I'll let her know. Thanks for calling," Gage ended the conversation.

Hanging up the phone Anna B looked at the clock. "Six thirty," she said aloud wondering what was keeping Matt he should have been there by now.

Walker's Ranch

Walking up the front steps of the porch Walker could hear both of his children in the heat of an argument. Alex was just pulling her car in beside Walker's truck as he opened the screen door. Neither had heard their father come inside which was made evident when Danny who was just out of Angela's reach came tearing around the corner and right smack into Walker.

"Is this what goes on when your mother and I are at work?" Walker asked looking sternly at the two of them. Alex had just come in the door to stand beside her husband to present a united front.

"Dad we were just…" Danny began Angela jumping in over top of him.

"We were just arguing over the chores I was trying to explain to Danny that it's not always woman's work to be stuck in the kitchen," she exclaimed.

"Angela I think you have a very valid point," Walker agreed. "Just like a woman is quite capable of say helping her father clean out the horse stalls while her brother takes his turn peeling potatoes and helping his mother with dinner."

Angela swallowed hard but not backing down shook her head in agreement.

"Good I'll see you in the barn in fifteen minutes," Walker smiled. "You'd better hurry you wouldn't want your brother's dinner to be spoiled."

"Dad right now?" she cried her eyes growing large.

"Perfect time," Walker came back asking, "You don't have a problem with that do you?"

Looking from her Dad to her Mom to her brother she shook her head no going to the stairs to trudge up.

Turning to his wife a smile on his face Walker addressed her, "Honey maybe you can put your feet up for a while tonight while your helper is washing and drying the dinner dishes."

"Maybe," she agreed. "Coming Danny," she too was smiling kissing Alex's cheek before following their son to the kitchen.

"So Danny what were and your sister fighting about?" Alex nonchalantly asked as she got the potatoes out for the two of them to peel. Angela had all ready changed her clothes and stomped out to the barn to join her father.

"Nothing really," he hedged not wanting to reveal Angela had been teasing him about Kali Simmons.

"Hmm you both bought yourself a lot trouble for a fight over nothing," Alex replied picking up another potato.

"Do you think that Dad is real mad?" Danny asked.

"No I don't think that Dad is real mad… just disappointed that you two would be fighting and horsing around when you have things to do," Alex told him.

They stood in silence for a few minutes Danny finally blurting out, "Angela started it she said that she saw me kissing Kali Simmons and she was going to tell Piper. So I told her she better not or I'd give Chris that picture of her that Dad took when she had the flu. You know the one!" Danny exclaimed pulling the crumpled picture from his pocket.

"I think that both of you owe each other an apology don't you?" Alex asked.

Hanging his head he nodded yes.

TBC