The following story is based on the characters of the TV Series "Walker, Texas Ranger". The characters belong to CBS Productions, Top Kick Productions, etc., but the story is mine. ALL DISCLAIMERS APPLY. (No copyright infringement is intended.)
"No Greater Loss" Chapter 3
by Lorrie
Gage, Walker and Trivette stood at attention with the other Rangers as "Taps" was played on the bagpipes. As the memorial flag was presented to Mrs. Cooke, Gage began to visibly shake all over. He closed his eyes and remained at attention until "Taps" was finished.
Mrs. Cooke tearfully approached Gage with Sydney's flag. "She would want you to have this. She loved you very much."
"I loved her too." Gage took the flag and held it close. Julie put her arm around him. "Come on Francis. Let's go home."
"Not yet Jules." He stared at Sydney's grave. "I can't just leave her."
"Francis, look at me." Gage didn't move. Julie left him with his thoughts for a few minutes then returned to his side. "Francis? Let's go back to your place for awhile and then we'll come back later, after you've rested."
Gage knew it was pointless to argue with his sister. He stumbled blindly through his tear to the car.
"Julie, let us know if you need anything, OK?' Walker and Alex stopped by the car as they were leaving.
"Gage, you take care of yourself." Alex said, but Gage just stared out the window.
They arrived at Gage's apartment and Julie sighed as they entered the door. "Why don't you go lay down honey?"
Gage shook his head. "I don't really want to lay down."
"How about some lunch then. Have you eaten anything in the past few days?"
Gage thought for a moment. "I'm not hungry Jules."
"You need to eat."
"Julie, I said I don't want anything. Please just leave me alone!" Gage slammed the bedroom door wanting to be alone with his thoughts and memories of Sydney.
Julie sat down on the couch. She knew her brother was hurting and there was nothing she could do for him, short of just being there to support him and listen when he wanted to talk.
She sat there in the living room for a while then drifted off to sleep. When she woke, she got up and knocked on the bedroom door. "Francis? Francis, I'm sorry. Please come out and talk to me." She opened the door and found the room empty. She looked all through the apartment, but Gage was nowhere to be found.
Panicking, Julie raced down to the parking garage and checked for his car. It was still in its spot, but his bike was gone. She ran back up stairs and called the Walker's.
Alex answered the phone. "Walker, it's Julie. She sounds upset."
Walker took the phone. "Julie, what's wrong?"
"Francis is missing and so is his bike. I wouldn't be so upset, but he's in no state of mind to be driving around."
"Calm down Julie. We'll find him."
**********
Gage entered "Rocky's Tavern" and walked up to the bar.
"What'll it be?" The bartender asked.
"Whisky." The bartender poured a glass and sat it in front of Gage. "Just leave the bottle." Gage paid the bartender and began to drink.
Soon two bikers who were in the mood to pick a fight approached him. "What's the matter, you're old lady leave you?" One of them asked.
Gage wasn't in the mood for jokes. He punched the guy in the jaw and was immediately punched by the other biker. They all three exchanged several more blows and finally Gage put them both down with a swift kick. His knuckles were bruised and bleeding as was his nose and mouth. He sat back down at the bar and
after consuming over half of the bottle, he staggered out of the tavern and got on his bike.
He rode on the back roads and eventually found himself at Walker's ranch. Alex heard the bike outside and realized it was Gage. She ran out the kitchen door. "Gage! You've had us all worried to death. Where have you been? Gage turned towards Alex and the light hit his face. Alex saw that he had been in a fight. She calmly led him to the porch. "Are you OK?"
Gage stumbled towards the porch with Alex. "I've been drinking and trying to forget. Can I crash on your porch? I don't feel like driving home."
Alex sat down on the porch beside of him and let him lean his head on her shoulder. "I miss her so much." He cried as he leaned on Alex.
"I know." Alex cried with him. "We all do."
Gage eventually passed out. Alex gently eased him against the doorframe and went inside to call Julie.
"Julie, it's Alex. Your brother's here. He's very drunk, but he's safe. He can stay here tonight."
"Thank you Alex. I'm so glad he has friends like you, Walker and Trivette."
Walker and Trivette came through the front door of the house. "We couldn't find him anywhere." Walker announced as he came in.
"Shh. We have a guest on our back porch." Alex smiled.
Walker and Trivette looked out the door and saw Gage sleeping against the doorway. "Is he OK?" Trivette asked.
"He's drunk and he's been in a fight. He wouldn't let me put anything on his cuts, but yeah, I think he's alright. He's trying to find a way to deal with everything."
"I'm going home guys. Call me if you need me." Trivette waved his hand as he left.
Walker covered Gage with a blanket, then came back inside. "Let's go to bed. It's been a rough day."
**********
Walker tossed and turned in bed, he half woke to the sound of someone calling his name.
"Washo, Washo wake up."
"Who's there?" Walker answered quietly so not to wake Alex.
"I am Golden Eagle. Washo, the girl you mourn is not dead, she is safe in a cave on Painted Bluff."
"What?" Walker sat up in bed and looked around. Had he been dreaming? He knew better than to question the Great Spirits, it was part of his Cherokee heritage.
For that matter so was Golden Eagle. He remembered hearing Uncle Ray tell stories of Golden Eagle when he was a boy. He was a Cherokee medicine man who had done many great things in his time, his reward from the Great Spirit when he passed on was to be allowed to stay in the woods that he loved so much and tend to the animals when they were injured as well as anyone who might need his assistance.
At the crack of dawn, Walker got up and called Trivette. "Meet me at Park Road in fifteen minutes."
"Why?" Trivette asked sleepily.
"I'll tell you when we get there." Walker hung up the phone and quietly left the house. He jumped into the RAM and left for Park Road. Trivette was there when he arrived.
"What's this all about, what couldn't wait until the rest of the world woke up?"
"I had a visit from Golden Eagle last night. He said that Sydney is still alive."
"So, let me get this straight. We're out here in the middle of nowhere at the crack of dawn because of a dream?"
"It was a vision, not a dream. Besides, we have nothing to lose, what if she is alive?"
Trivette thought for a moment and started to question Walker, but decided not to. "So, where exactly did this vision say we would find Sydney?"
"The cave on Painted Bluff."
**********
Gage woke up and blinked his eyes as the bright sunlight hit his face. He reached for his pounding head. "Ahh."
"Good morning." Alex said softly.
Gage looked up at her with his eyes half closed. "Alex?" He tried to set up, but was caught off balance by his hangover and almost hit the floor.
"Easy." Alex helped steady Gage as he sat up. "Take it slow."
Gage moved his stiff jaw from side to side. "What happened?"
"I'm not sure. You showed up here late last night on your bike, drunk. You were very close to passing out." Alex handed Gage a cup of strong black coffee.
"I remember going to a bar and ordering a bottle of whiskey. I must have gotten into a fight."
"It looks like it." Alex smiled. "Why don't you go inside and take a shower. I'll fix you some breakfast."
"Thanks Alex, but I'm really not hungry."
"Gage, Julie told me that you haven't eaten anything in days. You're going to end up in the hospital or worse if you don't take better care of yourself." Alex helped Gage to his feet.
Gage ignored Alex's comment about his lack of eating. "Where's Walker?"
"I'm not sure. He was gone when I got up."
Gage made his way to the shower, where he stuck his throbbing head under the showerhead and let the water beat down on him for several minutes.
He stepped out and dressed. On his way back downstairs, he was startled by Angela's cry. He stepped into the nursery and gently picked her up and smiled. He sat down in the rocking chair and held her close and rocked her. "It's OK sweetie. You're OK." He softly touched her cheek. "I know I did the right thing Angela. You deserve to grow up with your mommy. I just wish I knew how to go on without Sydney." Alex stopped outside of the nursery as she heard Gage talking to Angela. She started to go in, but decided not to intrude. Maybe this was exactly what Gage needed to help him through his grief.
**********
Walker and Trivette parked the RAM near Painted Bluff. "Do you know where the cave is?" Trivette asked.
"Not exactly." Walker replied as they started through the woods. Suddenly there were startled as an eagle landed on a tree branch just a few feet in front of them. It squawked twice then flew north. "I'll bet he knows the way."
They began to follow the eagle and after a three-mile hike, they found the entrance to the cave as the eagle settled on a ledge above it.
Walker and Trivette looked at each other and stepped inside. A small fire lit the cave. There were a few clay pots and animal skins on the floor of the cave and next to one of the walls lay a small figure covered by a bearskin.
They both ran towards the figure and could hardly believe what they saw when they turned the cover back. "Sydney!" Walker called out jubilantly.
"My Lord Walker, she's alive!" Trivette exclaimed.
Sydney opened her eyes. "Walker? Trivette?" She asked weakly.
"We're here Sydney. We're going to get you out of here."
"Where's Gage?" She sat up with some help from Trivette.
"He was at the ranch when I left this morning." Walker stared at her still in shock that she was actually alive and sitting in front of him.
"What's wrong Walker?" She asked.
"Sydney, we've all spent the past four days thinking you were dead."
Sydney's face went pale. "Oh my God. My mom and my brothers?" Walker nodded. "Gage? I know how I would feel if I lost him. Is he OK?"
"He got pretty drunk yesterday after your funeral."
"My what?" Syndey cried out in shock.
"Sydney, try not to get too excited. I want to get you to the hospital and have you checked out."
Sydney shook her head. "No, please take me to Gage first. I have to see him. He has to know that I'm alive. Please Walker." Sydney pleaded.
Walker and Trivette gave in. They knew how much their friend had been suffering since Sydney's presumed death. "OK. But then it's straight to the hospital." Sydney nodded in agreement.
Walker and Trivette helped her back through the woods to the RAM. Walker called Alex as soon as his cell phone was in range. "Alex, is Gage still there?"
"No. He left about half an hour ago. He said he wanted to visit Sydney. Why?"
"Alex, Sydney . . ." Sydney interrupted him, shaking her head.
"No one else knows until I see Gage." Sydney whispered. Walker nodded.
"Sydney what, Walker?" Alex asked.
"Nothing. I'll find him. I'll be home a little later, OK. Love you."
"I love you too, Walker."
**********
Gage sat beside of Sydney's grave, looking at her headstone. "Oh Syd. I can't keep this up. I can't do anything right. My life is just so meaningless without you. He took the letter from his pocket and read it to himself. Then he looked at her grave. "Don't be mad at me, but I'm turning in my resignation today. There's no way I can continue to be a Ranger and claim to be able to protect anyone when I couldn't even protect the woman I loved most in this world.
"You turn in that resignation and you're the one that's going to need protection." Sydney approached Gage from behind while Walker and Trivette leaned back on the RAM and watched from a distance.
Gage stopped talking and looked from left to right with his eyes. "Now I know I'm going crazy. I could have sworn that I heard your voice."
"Gage. Turn around." Sydney said with a smile.
Gage turned towards Sydney and looked as though he had seen a ghost. "Syd?"
"It's really me, in the flesh."
Gage reached out cautiously to touch her, afraid that she was only a figment of his imagination. His hand caught hers as he caught his breath. "My God, Syd, it's really you!" He pulled her closely to him and hugged her tightly. "Where have you been? We all thought you were dead." He said through his tears of joy.
"I know, Walker explained it to me on the way here. I am so sorry." She hugged him tightly.
"How did you get out of the cabin? I came back for you, I tried to get to you, but the roof collapsed and then Walker and Trivette pulled me away. I'm sorry Syd. I promised you I would be back and then I couldn't get back and . . ." Gage cried.
"Shh. It's OK." She put her hands on his face and kissed him long and passionately. "I'll tell you everything later. Right now, I promised Walker that he and Trivette could take me to the hospital to get checked over. Come with me."
"I'll be right behind you."
**********
Gage stayed with Sydney at the hospital while she was being examined and Walker went home to get Alex.
"Alex! Where are you?"
"Right here. What's going on?" She asked nervously.
"Sit down. You're not going to believe this, but Sydney is alive!"
"What? How?"
"Do you remember Uncle Ray telling the story of Golden Eagle?" Walker asked.
"Vaguely."
"Well, Golden Eagle came to me in a vision last night and told me where I could find Sydney, alive. To make a long story short, Trivette and I went to the cave that I saw in my vision and well, she's alive!"
"Where is she now? We need to tell Gage!"
"Gage is with her. She's in the hospital being examined."
Alex, Walker and Angela arrived at the hospital an hour after Sydney and Gage. There was a very tearful and joyous reunion in the ER.
Sydney was released a little later. Gage helped her down from the examination table. "We need to get you home."
"Not on your bike, you don't." Walker said protectively.
"No Walker, actually a bike ride would probably do me good right now, especially one with the man I love." Sydney turned towards Gage.
"Are you sure you're up to it?"
"I feel great for someone who has just risen from the dead." Everyone laughed at this comment.
Once home, Gage phoned Sydney's mom and told her everything that had transpired in the past 24 hours, then handed the phone over to Sydney.
He also called Julie on his cell phone and let her know that Syd was alive and that he was more than OK.
After letting everyone close to them know that Sydney was alive and well, they settled back into Sydney's bed and Gage held her closely and kissed her passionately. "Syd, don't ever do anything like this again, please. I don't think I could take it. Losing you once in a lifetime is enough."
"Yes, but now that you've found me again, what do you plan to do with me?"
"Do you really have to ask?" Gage said as he leaned over and turned out the light.
END
"No Greater Loss" Chapter 3
by Lorrie
Gage, Walker and Trivette stood at attention with the other Rangers as "Taps" was played on the bagpipes. As the memorial flag was presented to Mrs. Cooke, Gage began to visibly shake all over. He closed his eyes and remained at attention until "Taps" was finished.
Mrs. Cooke tearfully approached Gage with Sydney's flag. "She would want you to have this. She loved you very much."
"I loved her too." Gage took the flag and held it close. Julie put her arm around him. "Come on Francis. Let's go home."
"Not yet Jules." He stared at Sydney's grave. "I can't just leave her."
"Francis, look at me." Gage didn't move. Julie left him with his thoughts for a few minutes then returned to his side. "Francis? Let's go back to your place for awhile and then we'll come back later, after you've rested."
Gage knew it was pointless to argue with his sister. He stumbled blindly through his tear to the car.
"Julie, let us know if you need anything, OK?' Walker and Alex stopped by the car as they were leaving.
"Gage, you take care of yourself." Alex said, but Gage just stared out the window.
They arrived at Gage's apartment and Julie sighed as they entered the door. "Why don't you go lay down honey?"
Gage shook his head. "I don't really want to lay down."
"How about some lunch then. Have you eaten anything in the past few days?"
Gage thought for a moment. "I'm not hungry Jules."
"You need to eat."
"Julie, I said I don't want anything. Please just leave me alone!" Gage slammed the bedroom door wanting to be alone with his thoughts and memories of Sydney.
Julie sat down on the couch. She knew her brother was hurting and there was nothing she could do for him, short of just being there to support him and listen when he wanted to talk.
She sat there in the living room for a while then drifted off to sleep. When she woke, she got up and knocked on the bedroom door. "Francis? Francis, I'm sorry. Please come out and talk to me." She opened the door and found the room empty. She looked all through the apartment, but Gage was nowhere to be found.
Panicking, Julie raced down to the parking garage and checked for his car. It was still in its spot, but his bike was gone. She ran back up stairs and called the Walker's.
Alex answered the phone. "Walker, it's Julie. She sounds upset."
Walker took the phone. "Julie, what's wrong?"
"Francis is missing and so is his bike. I wouldn't be so upset, but he's in no state of mind to be driving around."
"Calm down Julie. We'll find him."
**********
Gage entered "Rocky's Tavern" and walked up to the bar.
"What'll it be?" The bartender asked.
"Whisky." The bartender poured a glass and sat it in front of Gage. "Just leave the bottle." Gage paid the bartender and began to drink.
Soon two bikers who were in the mood to pick a fight approached him. "What's the matter, you're old lady leave you?" One of them asked.
Gage wasn't in the mood for jokes. He punched the guy in the jaw and was immediately punched by the other biker. They all three exchanged several more blows and finally Gage put them both down with a swift kick. His knuckles were bruised and bleeding as was his nose and mouth. He sat back down at the bar and
after consuming over half of the bottle, he staggered out of the tavern and got on his bike.
He rode on the back roads and eventually found himself at Walker's ranch. Alex heard the bike outside and realized it was Gage. She ran out the kitchen door. "Gage! You've had us all worried to death. Where have you been? Gage turned towards Alex and the light hit his face. Alex saw that he had been in a fight. She calmly led him to the porch. "Are you OK?"
Gage stumbled towards the porch with Alex. "I've been drinking and trying to forget. Can I crash on your porch? I don't feel like driving home."
Alex sat down on the porch beside of him and let him lean his head on her shoulder. "I miss her so much." He cried as he leaned on Alex.
"I know." Alex cried with him. "We all do."
Gage eventually passed out. Alex gently eased him against the doorframe and went inside to call Julie.
"Julie, it's Alex. Your brother's here. He's very drunk, but he's safe. He can stay here tonight."
"Thank you Alex. I'm so glad he has friends like you, Walker and Trivette."
Walker and Trivette came through the front door of the house. "We couldn't find him anywhere." Walker announced as he came in.
"Shh. We have a guest on our back porch." Alex smiled.
Walker and Trivette looked out the door and saw Gage sleeping against the doorway. "Is he OK?" Trivette asked.
"He's drunk and he's been in a fight. He wouldn't let me put anything on his cuts, but yeah, I think he's alright. He's trying to find a way to deal with everything."
"I'm going home guys. Call me if you need me." Trivette waved his hand as he left.
Walker covered Gage with a blanket, then came back inside. "Let's go to bed. It's been a rough day."
**********
Walker tossed and turned in bed, he half woke to the sound of someone calling his name.
"Washo, Washo wake up."
"Who's there?" Walker answered quietly so not to wake Alex.
"I am Golden Eagle. Washo, the girl you mourn is not dead, she is safe in a cave on Painted Bluff."
"What?" Walker sat up in bed and looked around. Had he been dreaming? He knew better than to question the Great Spirits, it was part of his Cherokee heritage.
For that matter so was Golden Eagle. He remembered hearing Uncle Ray tell stories of Golden Eagle when he was a boy. He was a Cherokee medicine man who had done many great things in his time, his reward from the Great Spirit when he passed on was to be allowed to stay in the woods that he loved so much and tend to the animals when they were injured as well as anyone who might need his assistance.
At the crack of dawn, Walker got up and called Trivette. "Meet me at Park Road in fifteen minutes."
"Why?" Trivette asked sleepily.
"I'll tell you when we get there." Walker hung up the phone and quietly left the house. He jumped into the RAM and left for Park Road. Trivette was there when he arrived.
"What's this all about, what couldn't wait until the rest of the world woke up?"
"I had a visit from Golden Eagle last night. He said that Sydney is still alive."
"So, let me get this straight. We're out here in the middle of nowhere at the crack of dawn because of a dream?"
"It was a vision, not a dream. Besides, we have nothing to lose, what if she is alive?"
Trivette thought for a moment and started to question Walker, but decided not to. "So, where exactly did this vision say we would find Sydney?"
"The cave on Painted Bluff."
**********
Gage woke up and blinked his eyes as the bright sunlight hit his face. He reached for his pounding head. "Ahh."
"Good morning." Alex said softly.
Gage looked up at her with his eyes half closed. "Alex?" He tried to set up, but was caught off balance by his hangover and almost hit the floor.
"Easy." Alex helped steady Gage as he sat up. "Take it slow."
Gage moved his stiff jaw from side to side. "What happened?"
"I'm not sure. You showed up here late last night on your bike, drunk. You were very close to passing out." Alex handed Gage a cup of strong black coffee.
"I remember going to a bar and ordering a bottle of whiskey. I must have gotten into a fight."
"It looks like it." Alex smiled. "Why don't you go inside and take a shower. I'll fix you some breakfast."
"Thanks Alex, but I'm really not hungry."
"Gage, Julie told me that you haven't eaten anything in days. You're going to end up in the hospital or worse if you don't take better care of yourself." Alex helped Gage to his feet.
Gage ignored Alex's comment about his lack of eating. "Where's Walker?"
"I'm not sure. He was gone when I got up."
Gage made his way to the shower, where he stuck his throbbing head under the showerhead and let the water beat down on him for several minutes.
He stepped out and dressed. On his way back downstairs, he was startled by Angela's cry. He stepped into the nursery and gently picked her up and smiled. He sat down in the rocking chair and held her close and rocked her. "It's OK sweetie. You're OK." He softly touched her cheek. "I know I did the right thing Angela. You deserve to grow up with your mommy. I just wish I knew how to go on without Sydney." Alex stopped outside of the nursery as she heard Gage talking to Angela. She started to go in, but decided not to intrude. Maybe this was exactly what Gage needed to help him through his grief.
**********
Walker and Trivette parked the RAM near Painted Bluff. "Do you know where the cave is?" Trivette asked.
"Not exactly." Walker replied as they started through the woods. Suddenly there were startled as an eagle landed on a tree branch just a few feet in front of them. It squawked twice then flew north. "I'll bet he knows the way."
They began to follow the eagle and after a three-mile hike, they found the entrance to the cave as the eagle settled on a ledge above it.
Walker and Trivette looked at each other and stepped inside. A small fire lit the cave. There were a few clay pots and animal skins on the floor of the cave and next to one of the walls lay a small figure covered by a bearskin.
They both ran towards the figure and could hardly believe what they saw when they turned the cover back. "Sydney!" Walker called out jubilantly.
"My Lord Walker, she's alive!" Trivette exclaimed.
Sydney opened her eyes. "Walker? Trivette?" She asked weakly.
"We're here Sydney. We're going to get you out of here."
"Where's Gage?" She sat up with some help from Trivette.
"He was at the ranch when I left this morning." Walker stared at her still in shock that she was actually alive and sitting in front of him.
"What's wrong Walker?" She asked.
"Sydney, we've all spent the past four days thinking you were dead."
Sydney's face went pale. "Oh my God. My mom and my brothers?" Walker nodded. "Gage? I know how I would feel if I lost him. Is he OK?"
"He got pretty drunk yesterday after your funeral."
"My what?" Syndey cried out in shock.
"Sydney, try not to get too excited. I want to get you to the hospital and have you checked out."
Sydney shook her head. "No, please take me to Gage first. I have to see him. He has to know that I'm alive. Please Walker." Sydney pleaded.
Walker and Trivette gave in. They knew how much their friend had been suffering since Sydney's presumed death. "OK. But then it's straight to the hospital." Sydney nodded in agreement.
Walker and Trivette helped her back through the woods to the RAM. Walker called Alex as soon as his cell phone was in range. "Alex, is Gage still there?"
"No. He left about half an hour ago. He said he wanted to visit Sydney. Why?"
"Alex, Sydney . . ." Sydney interrupted him, shaking her head.
"No one else knows until I see Gage." Sydney whispered. Walker nodded.
"Sydney what, Walker?" Alex asked.
"Nothing. I'll find him. I'll be home a little later, OK. Love you."
"I love you too, Walker."
**********
Gage sat beside of Sydney's grave, looking at her headstone. "Oh Syd. I can't keep this up. I can't do anything right. My life is just so meaningless without you. He took the letter from his pocket and read it to himself. Then he looked at her grave. "Don't be mad at me, but I'm turning in my resignation today. There's no way I can continue to be a Ranger and claim to be able to protect anyone when I couldn't even protect the woman I loved most in this world.
"You turn in that resignation and you're the one that's going to need protection." Sydney approached Gage from behind while Walker and Trivette leaned back on the RAM and watched from a distance.
Gage stopped talking and looked from left to right with his eyes. "Now I know I'm going crazy. I could have sworn that I heard your voice."
"Gage. Turn around." Sydney said with a smile.
Gage turned towards Sydney and looked as though he had seen a ghost. "Syd?"
"It's really me, in the flesh."
Gage reached out cautiously to touch her, afraid that she was only a figment of his imagination. His hand caught hers as he caught his breath. "My God, Syd, it's really you!" He pulled her closely to him and hugged her tightly. "Where have you been? We all thought you were dead." He said through his tears of joy.
"I know, Walker explained it to me on the way here. I am so sorry." She hugged him tightly.
"How did you get out of the cabin? I came back for you, I tried to get to you, but the roof collapsed and then Walker and Trivette pulled me away. I'm sorry Syd. I promised you I would be back and then I couldn't get back and . . ." Gage cried.
"Shh. It's OK." She put her hands on his face and kissed him long and passionately. "I'll tell you everything later. Right now, I promised Walker that he and Trivette could take me to the hospital to get checked over. Come with me."
"I'll be right behind you."
**********
Gage stayed with Sydney at the hospital while she was being examined and Walker went home to get Alex.
"Alex! Where are you?"
"Right here. What's going on?" She asked nervously.
"Sit down. You're not going to believe this, but Sydney is alive!"
"What? How?"
"Do you remember Uncle Ray telling the story of Golden Eagle?" Walker asked.
"Vaguely."
"Well, Golden Eagle came to me in a vision last night and told me where I could find Sydney, alive. To make a long story short, Trivette and I went to the cave that I saw in my vision and well, she's alive!"
"Where is she now? We need to tell Gage!"
"Gage is with her. She's in the hospital being examined."
Alex, Walker and Angela arrived at the hospital an hour after Sydney and Gage. There was a very tearful and joyous reunion in the ER.
Sydney was released a little later. Gage helped her down from the examination table. "We need to get you home."
"Not on your bike, you don't." Walker said protectively.
"No Walker, actually a bike ride would probably do me good right now, especially one with the man I love." Sydney turned towards Gage.
"Are you sure you're up to it?"
"I feel great for someone who has just risen from the dead." Everyone laughed at this comment.
Once home, Gage phoned Sydney's mom and told her everything that had transpired in the past 24 hours, then handed the phone over to Sydney.
He also called Julie on his cell phone and let her know that Syd was alive and that he was more than OK.
After letting everyone close to them know that Sydney was alive and well, they settled back into Sydney's bed and Gage held her closely and kissed her passionately. "Syd, don't ever do anything like this again, please. I don't think I could take it. Losing you once in a lifetime is enough."
"Yes, but now that you've found me again, what do you plan to do with me?"
"Do you really have to ask?" Gage said as he leaned over and turned out the light.
END