~*~1 Week Later~*~
"Syd am I taking Ben this morning?" Gage asked entering the kitchen to see his wife arguing with his son.
"Yes, I have an appointment and I'm already running late," she stood kissed him and made her way out the door.
"Okay Ben let's get you cleaned up so Daddy wont be late," he smiled taking his son towards the nursery.
"No Daddy No" Ben chanted at his father while he cleaned him up.
"Yes Ben Yes," he chanted back, getting the both of them ready for the day, taking the back that Sydney had packed and carried Ben to his own car and headed towards the HOPE Center.
~*~*~*~*~
"Excuse me," an elder, portly woman spoke towards Gage later that morning at Head Quarters.
"Yes, may I help you?" Gage asked turning and in the process knocking his son's picture to the floor.
"I'll get that young man," the elderly woman spoke leaning to pick up the photograph, "that's a fine looking boy, he looks just like you."
"Thank you, now is there something I could help you with?"
"Yes, Ranger."
"Ranger Gage, could you possibly tell me where I could find Ranger Sydney Cooke?" The woman asked standing holding her purse neatly in front of herself.
"She isn't in right now, but she should be back soon, would you like to wait?" he asked directing her towards the chair in front of his desk.
"Thank you, young man, I'll just wait right here," she answered taking a chair next to the wall.
"Hey Gage, did you get Ben settled this morn.ing?" Sydney asked walking into HQ, her eyes falling on the woman against the wall.
"Syd, what's wrong?" Gage asked quickly making his way towards her.
"Why is my mother here?" she asked tight-lipped turning towards him.
"Sydney, there you are, I came to tell you that your brother is getting married and he would like it if you were there," the woman, now identified as Cassandra Cooke, spoke to her daughter.
"Well then Anthony could have called himself he didn't need to send you here," Sydney bit out sharply turning to go to her desk.
"Because he wants us to get along," Mrs. Cooke answered following her daughter.
"I would have like for us to get along when I got married too," She turned back and a little to quickly having to grab onto the edge of her desk, Gage rushing to her side.
"Syd you okay? Just take it easy," he eased her into her chair, not turning when her mother asked what was wrong.
"I'm okay, I just turned to fast," She breathed deeply, color returning to her face, "Could you just get her out of here?"
"Sure, I'm sorry Mrs. Cooke, but could you please leave," Gage turned toward her.
"I'm not going anywhere till I talk to my daughter," She answered just as sharply as her daughter would.
"Mom, just leave, I don't need this right now," Sydney turned away from her mother, taking her husband's hand under the desk where her mother could see.
"Sydney, two years ago you ran away, after your father died. . ."
"I didn't run away, I came home, my son deserved his father, and the only reason I was there was to see Dad," she turned back to her mother.
"Speaking of, where is your son, don't tell me he has one of those stay at home fathers!"
"Syd, do you think we could possibly move this somewhere else?" Gage asked interrupting the catfight before the whole office knew.
"Listen Ranger. . ." Mrs. Cooke trailed off.
"Gage!" both junior rangers exclaimed in unison.
"I don't know who you are, but none of this concerns you," she spoke once they had moved to an interrogation room.
"It does concern him, your grandson and I share his name," Syd bit out once again spinning to quickly having to grasp for the wall.
"Look Mrs. Cooke, maybe you could meet us for lunch later, we can sit and speak like rational adults," Gage was hopeful trying to keep his wife's stress level down, especially now.
"Fine, I'll meet you at the diner across the street," Cassandra Cooke made her exit, not daring to look at her daughter.
"I can't believe her, she just waltzes in here like I should suddenly drop everything," Sydney paced her anger growing by the second.
"Honey, you need to calm down, this isn't good, for you or the baby," he soothed taking her into his arms, while she rested her head against his chest.
"I know it's just that she makes me crazy and after what she tried to pull when I found out about Ben. . ."she turned her head into his chest trying to keep the tears at bay.
"Well for now let's forget about your mother, what did you find out this morning?" he asked wiping away a tear.
"Well, I'm farther along then I was originally told, and next month we have a sonogram and get to hear the heartbeat, will you be there?"
"I wouldn't miss it, I wish I could have gone today, and as much as I want to stay here with you, Walker wanted me and Trivette to go talk to Nicky as son as you got back, I even left you some paper work," he laughed at the disgusted look on his wife's face.
"You'll never change will you?"
"No, but that's what you love about me, and don't worry it'll be fine."
"Syd am I taking Ben this morning?" Gage asked entering the kitchen to see his wife arguing with his son.
"Yes, I have an appointment and I'm already running late," she stood kissed him and made her way out the door.
"Okay Ben let's get you cleaned up so Daddy wont be late," he smiled taking his son towards the nursery.
"No Daddy No" Ben chanted at his father while he cleaned him up.
"Yes Ben Yes," he chanted back, getting the both of them ready for the day, taking the back that Sydney had packed and carried Ben to his own car and headed towards the HOPE Center.
~*~*~*~*~
"Excuse me," an elder, portly woman spoke towards Gage later that morning at Head Quarters.
"Yes, may I help you?" Gage asked turning and in the process knocking his son's picture to the floor.
"I'll get that young man," the elderly woman spoke leaning to pick up the photograph, "that's a fine looking boy, he looks just like you."
"Thank you, now is there something I could help you with?"
"Yes, Ranger."
"Ranger Gage, could you possibly tell me where I could find Ranger Sydney Cooke?" The woman asked standing holding her purse neatly in front of herself.
"She isn't in right now, but she should be back soon, would you like to wait?" he asked directing her towards the chair in front of his desk.
"Thank you, young man, I'll just wait right here," she answered taking a chair next to the wall.
"Hey Gage, did you get Ben settled this morn.ing?" Sydney asked walking into HQ, her eyes falling on the woman against the wall.
"Syd, what's wrong?" Gage asked quickly making his way towards her.
"Why is my mother here?" she asked tight-lipped turning towards him.
"Sydney, there you are, I came to tell you that your brother is getting married and he would like it if you were there," the woman, now identified as Cassandra Cooke, spoke to her daughter.
"Well then Anthony could have called himself he didn't need to send you here," Sydney bit out sharply turning to go to her desk.
"Because he wants us to get along," Mrs. Cooke answered following her daughter.
"I would have like for us to get along when I got married too," She turned back and a little to quickly having to grab onto the edge of her desk, Gage rushing to her side.
"Syd you okay? Just take it easy," he eased her into her chair, not turning when her mother asked what was wrong.
"I'm okay, I just turned to fast," She breathed deeply, color returning to her face, "Could you just get her out of here?"
"Sure, I'm sorry Mrs. Cooke, but could you please leave," Gage turned toward her.
"I'm not going anywhere till I talk to my daughter," She answered just as sharply as her daughter would.
"Mom, just leave, I don't need this right now," Sydney turned away from her mother, taking her husband's hand under the desk where her mother could see.
"Sydney, two years ago you ran away, after your father died. . ."
"I didn't run away, I came home, my son deserved his father, and the only reason I was there was to see Dad," she turned back to her mother.
"Speaking of, where is your son, don't tell me he has one of those stay at home fathers!"
"Syd, do you think we could possibly move this somewhere else?" Gage asked interrupting the catfight before the whole office knew.
"Listen Ranger. . ." Mrs. Cooke trailed off.
"Gage!" both junior rangers exclaimed in unison.
"I don't know who you are, but none of this concerns you," she spoke once they had moved to an interrogation room.
"It does concern him, your grandson and I share his name," Syd bit out once again spinning to quickly having to grasp for the wall.
"Look Mrs. Cooke, maybe you could meet us for lunch later, we can sit and speak like rational adults," Gage was hopeful trying to keep his wife's stress level down, especially now.
"Fine, I'll meet you at the diner across the street," Cassandra Cooke made her exit, not daring to look at her daughter.
"I can't believe her, she just waltzes in here like I should suddenly drop everything," Sydney paced her anger growing by the second.
"Honey, you need to calm down, this isn't good, for you or the baby," he soothed taking her into his arms, while she rested her head against his chest.
"I know it's just that she makes me crazy and after what she tried to pull when I found out about Ben. . ."she turned her head into his chest trying to keep the tears at bay.
"Well for now let's forget about your mother, what did you find out this morning?" he asked wiping away a tear.
"Well, I'm farther along then I was originally told, and next month we have a sonogram and get to hear the heartbeat, will you be there?"
"I wouldn't miss it, I wish I could have gone today, and as much as I want to stay here with you, Walker wanted me and Trivette to go talk to Nicky as son as you got back, I even left you some paper work," he laughed at the disgusted look on his wife's face.
"You'll never change will you?"
"No, but that's what you love about me, and don't worry it'll be fine."