Chapter Two
By Katriel
Disclaimer: See Chapter One
Alex was in her office when she heard the shots. She'd gone in to clean out her desk,
preparing for maternity leave, and was just organizing the last stack of papers when the
fight started outside.
Her heart thumping, Alex stayed where she was until the gunfire finally died down. She
then cautiously made her away out to the front of the building and peered out.
A quick glance of her blue eyes took in the scene—paramedics were loading a limp form
into an ambulance. Alex's eyes widened when she recognized the obviously distraught
woman standing off to the side. If Sydney was that upset, it could only be...
"Gage," Sydney whispered, staring blankly at the cracked concrete next to her feet. She
felt a gentle hand touch her arm, helping her to stand, and she looked into the concerned
blue eyes of Alex Cahill-Walker.
"Syd." Alex pulled her friend into a comforting hug. "Gage...what happened? Is he...?"
"I don't know." Sydney's breath caught in her throat. "I don't know how bad...they're
taking him to Methodist."
"Come on," Alex said instantly, leading Sydney toward her car. On the way to the
hospital, the dark-haired Ranger explained what had happened. She was silent for a
moment afterward, then suddenly burst out, "It's my fault, Alex! If I hadn't argued with
him—if I'd just stayed home—he'd have gotten to work fifteen minutes earlier and none
of this would have happened."
"Oh, Sydney." Alex's heart ached for her friend—she understood from experience what
Sydney was going through. "That's not true. You couldn't possibly have foreseen what
was going to happen, and anyway, you know Gage. Even if he'd already been at work,
he'd probably have rushed out there when he heard the gunfire. Sydney...blaming yourself
isn't going to help anything."
Sydney stared straight ahead and didn't respond. She stayed silent as Alex parked the
car, and she didn't speak as she paced back and forth across the shiny white tile floor in
the waiting room, desperate for some news on the man she loved.
Just when Alex thought the female Ranger must surely collapse from exhaustion, a
doctor finally stepped into the room and questioned, "Anyone here family of Francis
Gage?"
Sydney stopped pacing. "I'm his wife," She croaked, her mouth suddenly dry. She was
terrified of what she might hear the doctor say.
Seeing the strain on the dark-haired woman's face, Dr. Andrew Covington smiled in a
comforting way. "Your husband took two bullets, Mrs. Gage," He began. She closed her
eyes and swayed as if she might faint.
Reaching out to steady Sydney, Dr. Covington hurried to explain, "Fortunately for him,
neither wound was really serious. He was shot once in the shoulder and once in the side,
but both were flesh wounds. We stitched him up; he lost quite a bit of blood but he should
be fine."
Sydney sighed in relief. She leaned over to share a brief hug with Alex, then turned back
to Dr. Covington. "Doctor, may I see my husband?" She asked.
He nodded. "He isn't awake yet, but he should be soon. I'm sure nothing could be better
for him than seeing his wife," The doctor added with a smile.
Alex waited as Sydney was led off down the hall, toward Gage's room. With a sigh, the
blond ADA sat back down; her back was aching and the baby was performing vigorous
water aerobics, but Alex's weariness was shoved to the back of her mind by the relief she
felt at knowing Gage would be all right.
Feeling eyes on her, Alex glanced across the room to see a man watching her. He turned
away quickly when her eyes met his; Alex noticed that he wore black jeans and a dark blue
shit. He had longish dark hair and eyes that were blue or gray—hard to tell at that
distance.
He was probably in his early forties and quite good-looking, but his presence made Alex
uneasy. There was nothing alarming in his appearance, but...there was something about his
eyes, something that bothered her.
You've been around Walker too long, Alexandra Cahill-Walker, Alex chided herself.
Maybe you're developing that 'Cherokee intuition' Jimmy is always teasing Walker
about. She managed to convince herself that the dark-haired man was harmless, but even
so, she carefully avoided looking his direction again.
~~~~~
"Syd?" Gage's eyes opened just moments after Sydney walked into the room. She
jumped to her feet when she heard her husband's voice. "You might as well sit down,
Shorty," Gage suggested with a mischievous grin. "You ain't gonna grow any taller."
Sydney tried to feign annoyance, but she was too relieved. "Francis Gage, don't you
ever do that again! you scared me half to death!" She took her hand in both of hers and
gazed into his eyes.
There was a brief silence, in which Sydney's mood changed completely, as Gage had
learned a pregnant woman's moods were wont to do. "I'm sorry," Sydney whispered, her
dark eyes filming over with tears.
"Syd..." Gage's blue eyes stared into the brown eyes of his wife. "Don't you dare blame
yourself for what hapened. I would have been in the middle of the fight anyway, and it
might have been worse if we hadn't shown up when we did." He gently squeezed her hand
and watched as her expression turned from tearful to smiling.
"You know what, Francis Gage?" Sydney said suddenly. "You've been ordering me
around a lot lately. 'Drive to the courthouse!' 'Go inside—now!' 'Don't you dare blame
yourself'!" She mimicked his voice, hands on hips. She was trying to look stern, but Gage
could see the teasing sparkle in her eyes.
"Yeah, well, I guess you're right." Smiling innocently, he added, "It's kinda fun, too—I
think I could definitely get used to it. In fact, I've got another order for you right now:
kiss me!"
Sydney opened her mouth to reply, but Gage reached up with his good arm and pulled
her down toward him, giving her no chance to argue.
By Katriel
Disclaimer: See Chapter One
Alex was in her office when she heard the shots. She'd gone in to clean out her desk,
preparing for maternity leave, and was just organizing the last stack of papers when the
fight started outside.
Her heart thumping, Alex stayed where she was until the gunfire finally died down. She
then cautiously made her away out to the front of the building and peered out.
A quick glance of her blue eyes took in the scene—paramedics were loading a limp form
into an ambulance. Alex's eyes widened when she recognized the obviously distraught
woman standing off to the side. If Sydney was that upset, it could only be...
"Gage," Sydney whispered, staring blankly at the cracked concrete next to her feet. She
felt a gentle hand touch her arm, helping her to stand, and she looked into the concerned
blue eyes of Alex Cahill-Walker.
"Syd." Alex pulled her friend into a comforting hug. "Gage...what happened? Is he...?"
"I don't know." Sydney's breath caught in her throat. "I don't know how bad...they're
taking him to Methodist."
"Come on," Alex said instantly, leading Sydney toward her car. On the way to the
hospital, the dark-haired Ranger explained what had happened. She was silent for a
moment afterward, then suddenly burst out, "It's my fault, Alex! If I hadn't argued with
him—if I'd just stayed home—he'd have gotten to work fifteen minutes earlier and none
of this would have happened."
"Oh, Sydney." Alex's heart ached for her friend—she understood from experience what
Sydney was going through. "That's not true. You couldn't possibly have foreseen what
was going to happen, and anyway, you know Gage. Even if he'd already been at work,
he'd probably have rushed out there when he heard the gunfire. Sydney...blaming yourself
isn't going to help anything."
Sydney stared straight ahead and didn't respond. She stayed silent as Alex parked the
car, and she didn't speak as she paced back and forth across the shiny white tile floor in
the waiting room, desperate for some news on the man she loved.
Just when Alex thought the female Ranger must surely collapse from exhaustion, a
doctor finally stepped into the room and questioned, "Anyone here family of Francis
Gage?"
Sydney stopped pacing. "I'm his wife," She croaked, her mouth suddenly dry. She was
terrified of what she might hear the doctor say.
Seeing the strain on the dark-haired woman's face, Dr. Andrew Covington smiled in a
comforting way. "Your husband took two bullets, Mrs. Gage," He began. She closed her
eyes and swayed as if she might faint.
Reaching out to steady Sydney, Dr. Covington hurried to explain, "Fortunately for him,
neither wound was really serious. He was shot once in the shoulder and once in the side,
but both were flesh wounds. We stitched him up; he lost quite a bit of blood but he should
be fine."
Sydney sighed in relief. She leaned over to share a brief hug with Alex, then turned back
to Dr. Covington. "Doctor, may I see my husband?" She asked.
He nodded. "He isn't awake yet, but he should be soon. I'm sure nothing could be better
for him than seeing his wife," The doctor added with a smile.
Alex waited as Sydney was led off down the hall, toward Gage's room. With a sigh, the
blond ADA sat back down; her back was aching and the baby was performing vigorous
water aerobics, but Alex's weariness was shoved to the back of her mind by the relief she
felt at knowing Gage would be all right.
Feeling eyes on her, Alex glanced across the room to see a man watching her. He turned
away quickly when her eyes met his; Alex noticed that he wore black jeans and a dark blue
shit. He had longish dark hair and eyes that were blue or gray—hard to tell at that
distance.
He was probably in his early forties and quite good-looking, but his presence made Alex
uneasy. There was nothing alarming in his appearance, but...there was something about his
eyes, something that bothered her.
You've been around Walker too long, Alexandra Cahill-Walker, Alex chided herself.
Maybe you're developing that 'Cherokee intuition' Jimmy is always teasing Walker
about. She managed to convince herself that the dark-haired man was harmless, but even
so, she carefully avoided looking his direction again.
~~~~~
"Syd?" Gage's eyes opened just moments after Sydney walked into the room. She
jumped to her feet when she heard her husband's voice. "You might as well sit down,
Shorty," Gage suggested with a mischievous grin. "You ain't gonna grow any taller."
Sydney tried to feign annoyance, but she was too relieved. "Francis Gage, don't you
ever do that again! you scared me half to death!" She took her hand in both of hers and
gazed into his eyes.
There was a brief silence, in which Sydney's mood changed completely, as Gage had
learned a pregnant woman's moods were wont to do. "I'm sorry," Sydney whispered, her
dark eyes filming over with tears.
"Syd..." Gage's blue eyes stared into the brown eyes of his wife. "Don't you dare blame
yourself for what hapened. I would have been in the middle of the fight anyway, and it
might have been worse if we hadn't shown up when we did." He gently squeezed her hand
and watched as her expression turned from tearful to smiling.
"You know what, Francis Gage?" Sydney said suddenly. "You've been ordering me
around a lot lately. 'Drive to the courthouse!' 'Go inside—now!' 'Don't you dare blame
yourself'!" She mimicked his voice, hands on hips. She was trying to look stern, but Gage
could see the teasing sparkle in her eyes.
"Yeah, well, I guess you're right." Smiling innocently, he added, "It's kinda fun, too—I
think I could definitely get used to it. In fact, I've got another order for you right now:
kiss me!"
Sydney opened her mouth to reply, but Gage reached up with his good arm and pulled
her down toward him, giving her no chance to argue.