Author's note: I am so sorry that it's taken me so long to update this story. I got tied up with a huge project for my psych class, and then finals…I finally got time to work on this last weekend at work. So…here we go!

Chapter Twenty-One: Um, Walker

The party broke up a little while later, when Leona said that she needed to get up early the next morning for work. She and Fawn said their good-byes, and Gage's nieces offered to walk them out. Trivette and Erika said goodnight, as well; only Gage, Sydney, and the Walkers remained.

"Um, Walker?" Sydney asked, somewhat timidly. "Gage and I need to talk to you about something."

"Let me guess," Walker replied, standing and leaning against the wall. "You want to know if I'm going to break up your partnership now that you two are…more than partners."

Sydney nodded.

"I really wish you wouldn't," Gage said. "Sydney is the best partner I've ever had. She knows what I'm thinking, anticipates my actions, and she had the best instincts of any ranger I've known."

Walker thought for a minute. "You two are the best team I've worked with. Do you think you can keep things professional on the job?"

"Absolutely," Gage answered.

"Not a problem," Sydney chimed in.

"Well," Walker said, "I'll have to talk to Captain Briscoe on Monday morning—"

Sydney's heart sank. That's what she had been afraid of.

"—but I don't think there'll be a problem," Walker finished.

The girls came back inside then, so they left it at that. But it was on Sydney's mind for the rest of the night.

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Sydney couldn't sleep that night. She kept imagining every horrible scenario that could arise when Walker talked to Captain Briscoe. Finally she got out of bed; she needed to talk to Gage. Pulling on a robe over her tank top and pajama bottoms, she tiptoed toward the living room. Gage was sprawled out on the sofa bed in sweatpants and a t-shirt, snoring lightly. Sydney approached him and gently shook his shoulder. "Gage?"

"Mmm." He brushed her hand away.

She shook him harder. "Gage, I need to talk to you."

"Syd?" He slowly opened his eyes and blinked a few times. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he noticed the worried expression on his partner's face. "What's wrong?" He sat up and motioned for her to sit.

She settled into a crossed-legged position beside him, and sighed. "I'm worried."

"About the captain?" Gage asked knowingly.

Sydney nodded. "Yeah. I just know he's going to split us up. And you'll be partnered with some gorgeous, leggy blonde, and you'll break up with me. I'll be alone…"

Gage put his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. "Syd, you're babbling. First of all, we don't know for sure that he'll split us up. He trusts Walker's judgment, and Walker thinks we should stay together. Second, there aren't any leggy blonde Texas Rangers…I know. I've checked."

Sydney smacked him with his pillow, but she was laughing.

"And third, I will never break up with you," Gage went on seriously. "You're stuck with me."

She smiled. "I wouldn't want to be stuck with anyone else."

It was Gage's turn to smile. "Come here, Shorty."

Sydney moved closer to him, and he wrapped his arms around her. They held each other for a long time, each hoping things would work out. Eventually, though, Sydney pulled away.

"I'd better get back to bed," she said reluctantly.

Gage nodded understandingly. If his nieces hadn't been asleep down the hall, he'd ask Sydney to stay with him. Instead, he kissed her goodnight, and she returned to her bedroom.