DISCLAIMER: Walker and the gang don't belong to me. But man would I love to have Gage around for a while.

SUMMARY: Sydney's been taken by the gang that has Gage's little sister Jessie. One of them is a face from her nightmares who's decided that he'll keep her just sedated enough so she doesn't fight him when he decides that he wants her. What will Gage do when he finds out that they lost Sydney? How are they going to find her?

FEEDBACK: I thrive on it. I'll write without it but it won't be as fast or as often.

Jessie had tears in her eyes. Gage was standing at the window, looking outside. Julie was sitting next to Jessie trying to comfort her. Alex was standing in Walker's embrace, tears in her eyes. Trivette and Erica stood just to one side of the door.

"Rangers?" When the doctor had their attention, he continued. "Ranger Cooke is in a coma. We don't know if it's because of the blow to the head or the drugs. For the moment, we are hopeful that she'll regain consciousness within the next 24 hours."

Gage was still looking out the window as if he hadn't heard anything. "Can I see her?"

"Of course. Follow me." Gage followed the doctor, not even stopping to look at his sisters.

Jessie hung her head. "This is all my fault," she whispered.

"No, Jess. No." Julie wrapped her arms around the youngest Gage. "No, baby. It's not your fault."

"It is. If I hadn't come down here, Sydney wouldn't be in a coma right now."

Julie was anxious to calm her sister down. "You don't know that."

"I do. I wish she was okay. I wish I hadn't come down here. Then, Frank wouldn't hate me." Jessie's voice broke on the last sentence and she started sobbing as if she was all alone in the world.

"Jessie, Gage doesn't hate you," Alex said, dropping to one knee in front of the young woman. "He's just worried about Sydney."

"I don't have a place to stay. I hadn't arranged anything because I thought I'd be staying with Frank. I guess I could get a hotel room."

"Nonsense. You'll come stay at the ranch with us." Alex was determined to show Jessie that this was not her fault. At the first sign that Jessie was about to argue with her, Alex put her foot down. "I won't take no for an answer."

"Jessie, trust me. It's best not to argue with her when she gets like this," Walker chuckled. Alex turned a look on him that made him throw up his hands and back up a couple of steps.

"Don't listen to him, Jessie. He just says it because he never wins an argument with me." Alex laughed, feeling some of the tension ease almost immediately.

"Okay," Jessie giggled. "Could we go now? I really hate hospitals."

"Of course, honey." As she pulled Jessie to her feet, Alex turned to her husband. "Let Gage know?"

Walker got the message: tell Gage that Jessie's safe and how she feels. He nodded.

After Alex left with Jessie, Walker noticed that Julie was heading for the door. "Where do you think you're going, Julie?"

"To knock some sense into my little brother." Walker took a hold of her arm.

"Hold on, Julie. I'll go talk to him. Alex asked me to." He smiled at the woman. "Besides, I'm not the one that wants to knock him into next week."

Julie just looked at him. "But, if my talk doesn't work, you can feel free to knock the living daylights out of him." Walker was smiling at the thought of watching Julie and Gage go at it in the ring.

"Fine. But if he doesn't listen, he gets a piece of my mind."

"Probably Alex's too." Walker left the room.

"Gage, how is she?"

"She's so still, Walker. How could I let this happen?"

"Gage, I think you ought to know that Alex took Jessie out to the ranch. Jessie's been in tears, thinking you hate her." Gage spun to look up at his boss. "That's right. She thinks that this is her fault and you hate her for it. Which, by the way, has got Julie ready to knock you into next week. Alex isn't any too happy with you either."

Gage winced. He knew that things had to be pretty bad for Julie to want to resort to violence. "I don't hate Jessie. I'm just not sure how to deal with her right now."

"You might want to take a little while and think about how to talk to Julie and Jessie. When you're ready, I'll have them both out at the ranch." Walker stepped out to take Julie out to the ranch.

When he walked into the waiting room, Julie was waiting for him. "What did he say?"

"He says he doesn't hate her; he's just not sure how to deal with her right now. I told him that I'd have both of you out at the ranch when he's ready to talk to you." Walker paused. "Why don't I take you out to the ranch to be with Jessie and then he'll have some time to think about what's going on?"

"Okay. But only because my baby sister needs me right now." Julie followed Walker out.