All previous disclaimers apply.



"Bayou Justice"
Part 3

By Lorrie


"Gage, wake up. We're here." Trivette shook Gage's shoulder.

Gage opened his eyes slowly and ran his fingers through his hair. "Let's go guys."

"Alright Gage, which way?" Walker asked as they got out of the helicopter.

"We need to go that way." Gage pointed. "There's a large fork in the river about 7 miles or so up. Laguex's camp is near there."

They set off towards the camp. After about half an hour, Gage started to fall behind. "Gage, are you OK?" Walker asked. Gage nodded.

"We can't stop Walker, we're too close and Sydney needs help, I can feel it."

**********

"Mr. Laguex, there's three of them, they're about a mile south of the camp." Jake reported.

"Is Ranger Gage one of them?" Laguex asked.

"Yes."

"Good, then my plan is working."

Walker, Gage and Trivette cautiously approached the camp. Gage immediately spotted Sydney hanging above the river in the exact spot he had been held just a few days earlier. "Walker, there's Syd." Gage whispered.

Walker nodded and motioned for Trivette and Gage to go to the right of the camp while he freed Sydney, but as they began to move, Sydney suddenly screamed as she felt the ropes securing her arms give way. Laguex had cut the rope.

Gage headed towards Sydney before Walker or Trivette could stop him. He dove into the river about the same time Sydney hit the water. He began swimming fervently towards her until he noticed an alligator slithering into the water from the edge of the riverbank.

Gage quickly positioned himself between Sydney and the alligator, hoping to buy her enough time to get to shore. Walker and Trivette immediately moved in on Laguex's camp and were quickly engaged into a fight with Laguex and his men.

Gage turned in the water to see where Sydney was. She had been momentarily stunned when she hit the river, but quickly recovered and was now having difficult time swimming to shore with her hands still partially bound. "Syd, I'm on my way." Gage yelled.

Sydney turned towards Gage in time to see the alligator directly behind him. "Gage! Behind you!"

Gage turned and blocked the first approach of the alligator; the alligator then turned and came towards him again, this time Gage put his arms around the beast. The alligator immediately pulled him under the water.

Meanwhile, Sydney made it to shore where Trivette helped her up the embankment and freed her hands. "Sydney, where's Gage?"

"Fighting that alligator," she replied, her voice quivering with fear for Gage's life.

"Walker! He's still in the water!" Trivette yelled. Walker quickly jumped into the river to assist Gage.

Gage was fighting for air, he knew he needed to get back to the surface, but also knew that if he loosened his grip on the alligator he may end up as its next meal.

Walker swam to the spot where Gage was last seen and dove down to the river bottom searching for Gage and the alligator. Once he located them, he hit the alligator on its underside twice. Gage was beginning to lose consciousness from lack of oxygen, his grip loosened on the alligator and he drifted to the bottom of the river. Walker grabbed Gage's collar and quickly swam to the surface with him.

Once at the surface, Walker swam to shore with Gage in tow. Trivette dragged Gage to shore where he coughed and finally took in a long breath of fresh air. A moment or two later, he sputtered, "Where's Syd?"

Sydney knelt beside of Gage. "I'm right here."

Walker called the helicopter in to their location, knowing that none of them felt like making the hike back down the river. "Mike, go ahead and call in the Lafayette police and the FBI. We've got Laguex and his men in custody."

Gage sat up and reached for Sydney. "Are you OK?" he asked. Sydney nodded.

"What about you?" She asked.

"I'm alright."

Sydney looked down at Gage's chest. "No you're not, you're bleeding again." Gage had reopened the bullet wound he had sustained earlier and he had a few fresh cuts and abrasions on his head and back where the alligator had dragged him across the rocky river bottom.

"It's not that bad Syd. Really, I'm OK." Gage insisted.

Sydney touched his cheek. "Gage, there's so much we need to talk about. I am so sorry for shutting you out the way I did. I do love you, you know."

"I love you too Syd and I'm sorry for the things I said too."

"Hey guys, the helicopter's here, we need to have the two of you checked out at the hospital. Trivette and I will stay here and help get these guys booked." Walker said as he approached Gage and Sydney.

"Hey Walker, can you get my bike back to Dallas?" Gage asked.

"Sure, I'll take care of it." Walker and Gage helped Sydney into the helicopter. "Mike, take them back to Dallas."

**********

Mike landed the helicopter once again at St. Matthews Hospital where they were met by an ER team and whisked away into the hospital for examination.

Dr. Stevens stitched up Gage's chest again, as well as a couple of cuts on his head and cheek. Sydney was admitted for overnight observation.

"Syd." Gage said quietly as Sydney began to wake up.

"Gage." She reached up and touched his uninjured cheek. "I told you you were hurt."

"It's really not that bad. How about you? The doctor said you have a concussion." Sydney nodded.

"Yeah, Laguex hit me a couple of times."

"I'm so sorry I got you into this, but when he took my cell phone, he wanted to know who I had called. I don't know why, but somehow I figured you'd answer the phone and know to play along. Syd, I never thought for a minute that he'd ever go after you."

"It's OK. It goes with the territory," she smiled. "I need to talk to you about something." Sydney said nervously. "While you were gone, I've been sick, I thought it was the flu or a stomach virus, so I went to the doctor." Gage listened intently.

Dr. Stevens walked in at that moment. "Ranger Cooke, your CT scan looks good and the baby's fine."

Sydney looked at Gage and pursed her lips and closed her eyes. All of the color drained from Gage's face. "Baby?" he said quietly.

"I'm sorry, I guess I should have given you a few more minutes." Dr. Stevens said as he stepped out.

"Gage, say something." Sydney said quietly.

Gage blankly starred at her. "You're pregnant? Me and you?" Gage pointed at himself then at Sydney. "We're having a baby?" Sydney nodded. "Syd, we were only together once." Gage looked at her worriedly.

"You're old enough to know that once is sometimes enough."

Gage closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then swallowed. "I need some air." He got up and rushed out the door.

"Gage, Gage wait!" Sydney cried.

Gage quickly left the hospital and headed for the park. He needed to think.

Once at the park, Gage sat down on a bench and thought about everything. He knew that he loved Sydney, but he wasn't sure that he was ready to share her with anyone else and babies need a lot of attention.

It wasn't just that, Gage wasn't sure if he deserved to be a father, at least not both a father and a Texas Ranger. He and Sydney both put their own lives in danger most every day. He never wanted to put a child through what he and Julie went through when their parents were killed. "No child of mine will ever grow up in foster care," he thought with tears in his eyes. "No child of mine." He leaned back and put his hands up to his eyes.

**********

Alex quietly came into Sydney's room. "Hi there, how are you feeling?" Sydney sat up and Alex could tell that she had been crying. "Oh honey, what's wrong? Is the baby OK?"

"The baby's fine." Sydney wiped the tears from her eyes. "Gage knows. Dr. Stevens mentioned it before I had a chance to tell him. He's upset, he left a couple of hours ago." Sydney cried.

"Sydney, he'll be back. You were upset when you first found out too, remember."

Gage softly knocked on Sydney's door, then opened it just a crack and held out a bouquet of beautiful pink roses. "Syd, before you throw anything at me or tell me to leave, can we just talk?" Gage said through the door.

"I'll leave you two alone." Alex patted Gage's shoulder as she walked out.

"Hi." Gage said as he entered Sydney's room. "These are for you." He held out the roses.

"Thanks." Sydney half smiled. "You wanted to talk?" Gage nodded.

"Syd, I love you and I'm sorry I ran out on you like that. I know this must have been as much of a shock for you as it was for me." Sydney nodded. Gage continued. "You know I lost my parents when I was eight and you know a little bit about how Julie and I grew up after they died. I've just never thought about being a dad, not a dad and a Ranger. We both put our lives on the line daily." Gage wiped a tear form his eye. "I just," he paused. "I don't want our baby to have to grow up in foster care." Another tear fell onto his cheek. "Syd, I'm scared. I don't know if I'm ready for this."

Sydney was crying now too. "I don't know if I'm ready either, but Gage, we'll get through it together. You'll make a great dad. I love you."

Gage took Sydney in his arms. "I love you too, so much and Syd, I love our baby too." He smiled and touched Sydney's stomach. "How far along are you?"

"About four and a half weeks." Sydney smiled as she looked into Gage's eyes.

The following day Walker and Trivette arrived in Dallas with Gage's Harley. "Hi Alex. I've missed you." Walker kissed his wife.

"I've missed you too honey."

"How are Gage and Sydney?"

"Sydney's being released today and Gage is taking her home." Alex smiled. "They have some news to tell you."

"What?"

"I promised them that I wouldn't say anything."

**********

Gage opened the door to Sydney's apartment and put his arm around Sydney as they entered. He nervously walked into her living room as she put away her jacket.

"Hey Syd, why don't you change clothes and lets go for a ride on my bike, if you're up to it?" Gage suggested.

"Sure, sounds great. Where are we going?"

"Oh, I don't know. How about the lake? Maybe a picnic lunch?" Gage produced a picnic basket from behind Sydney's couch.

Sydney smiled. "Sounds perfect."

Gage and Sydney climbed onto his bike, which Walker had left at Sydney's as Gage had asked him to do, and headed towards the lake.

"Here, let me help you." Gage offered as they found a spot on the lake for their picnic."

"Thanks." Sydney smiled.

They spread a blanket on the grass and Gage laid out plates and poured two glasses of sparkling cider while Sydney unpacked the food. They ate and laughed and talked, then as the sun was setting across the lake, Gage took Sydney by the hand and reached into his pocket and pulled out a beautiful engagement ring. "Sydney, I bought this before I left for Lafayette, but I didn't have a chance to give it to you before." He starred into her eyes. "Will you marry me?"

"Gage, are you sure you're not just proposing because of the baby?" Sydney asked apprehensively.

Gage shook his head. "I'm asking you to marry me because I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Our baby just makes it more wonderful."

Sydney smiled, "In that case, yes, I'll marry you." Gage slipped the engagement ring onto Sydney's finger and gently leaned over and kissed her firmly on the lips. "I love you Syd."

"I love you too, Francis."

"One favor, please don't call me Francis." Gage laughed.

End of Chapter 3