~2 Months Later~
"Gage have you seen my new sweater?" His wife's voice carried through the whole house.
"Which one you bought like twelve?" He called back carrying bags out to her car.
"Any of them," Her exasperated answer came from their bedroom.
"There was one on the end of the bed, I don't understand why bought them so big," he answered coming to stand in their doorway, watching her dig through their closet.
"Because I didn't tell Mom about this and it's kind of obvious," Syd exclaimed standing up so you could see the bump of her four-and-a-half months pregnant belly.
"Well I hate to tell you that when you walk around in large sweaters for two weeks they are going to think something is up, and I for one think you look beautiful," he smiled coming to stand behind her as she pulled the sweater over her head.
"Yeah, well you're partial and you did this to me, so you have to say that," she turned to kiss him only to be interrupted by Ben waking up from his nap, which was their signal that it was time to hit the road.
"Do we have everything?" He asked going towards Ben's room taking him from his 'big boy bed' and then heading towards the kitchen to grab a juice box before putting him in the car.
"Daddy, bear?" Ben asked noticing that it had been left in the house.
"I'll get it, Syd do you have everything?"
"Yep, all I need is my pillow, I plan to sleep," she smiled leaning her seat back placing her pillow against the window waiting for her husband, so they could head out.
~*~*~*~*~
"Daddy, when get there?" Ben asked from his car seat in the back.
"About another hour, why don't you color some more?" Gage asked his son, glancing briefly at him, noticing he was once again hard at work, with a look of determination that could only belong to his mother.
"Umm, Gage, we there yet?" Syd mumbled from her seat, turning over trying to get comfortable again.
"About another hour, why you need something?"
"A bathroom would be nice, your child seems to have found my bladder," she laughed sitting up slightly to place her shoes on her feet.
"There's a McDonalds right up here so we'll stop and have something to eat," Gage answered his wife smiling at her comment.
"Good, I'm hungry too."
~*~*~*~*~
"Thank god, I really need a bathroom," Syd exclaimed climbing out of the vehicle heading toward her childhood home.
"Come on Ben," Gage pulled his half-asleep son and his bear out of the back of the car and headed towards the Cooke home.
"Ah so that blur that just ran through here was Sydney, did you have a nice trip?" Cassie Cooke answered standing when Gage entered her home.
"Yes, but if you don't mind I'd sort of like to put him down and head back out to get our stuff so we'll be staying where?" Gage asked as Syd came back into the living room.
"You and Benjamin will be staying in Anthony's old room, Sydney can stay in her room."
"Mom! We're not in high school, we're married and we share a bed," Sydney told her mother accidentally waking her son.
"Mommy, why mad?" Ben asked as the tears started down his face.
"Baby, I'm sorry let's go get you in bed okay?" she asked leading the way to her old room, not caring what her mother had just said.
"Syd, I'm going to get the stuff out of the back, you think you could hold it down till then?" he smiled kissing his wife's forehead before heading towards the door.
"This is my house and as long as you are here you will follow my rules," Cassie told Gage as he was on his way toward the car.
"You'll have to talk to Syd about that one I'm staying out of it," he told her grabbing two of the suitcases out of the back, making sure he had everything and wouldn't have to come back that night.
"I got him, but you need to calm down," Gage told Syd helping her change the once again sleeping Ben.
"She is just driving me crazy, she might be able to tell me that you and I can't share a bed, but she is not taking Ben away from me," Syd defiantly told her husband moving to lie down next to her son.
"I know just try and relax okay? If it comes down to it we can get a hotel room, I don't think either one of us will survive two weeks," he smiled leaning down to kiss her then their son, "Good night, and you too in there," he kissed her belly before coming back to kiss her lips.
~*~*~*~*~
"Wow you two are quite the morning birds," Cassie told her grandson and son- in-law when she found them sitting at the kitchen table the next morning.
"I took my morning run, showered, and then got Ben here bathed and fed, we were just about to watch some cartoons," Gage answered picking Ben up out of his seat, making sure they had bear before moving into the other room.
"Now tell me, I know you were not always this domesticated," Cassie talked with Gage when he came back to the dining room.
"No, but I like it it's the best thing that's ever happened to me, so blueberry or chocolate chip pancakes?"
"Blueberry, and who ever heard of putting chocolate chips in pancakes?" Cassie asked Gage following him into the kitchen.
"They're actually pretty good, so Mrs. Cooke would you like some coffee?" Gage asked keeping one eye on his cooking moving to get her a mug.
"Yes and please call me Cassie, we are family after all," she smiled taking the mug from his hand, "So if you weren't always this domesticated who taught you to cook and take care of a two-year-old?"
"Well mostly Syd and Julie, my sister, but I think I just picked most of it up because I like taking care of Syd and Ben," talking about his family brought a smile to Gage's face.
"You know, I have to tell you your choice in career puts a strike against you, and the fact that you slept with my daughter before you were married adds another but the way you talk about her and the light it brings to your eyes, I couldn't think of a better man for Sydney."
"Thank you, and the whole thing with Ben, if I had known. . . well let's just say she would have been my family a lot sooner," Gage thanked her, then handed her, her breakfast, "now if you don't mind I'm going to wake sleeping beauty."
"Go right ahead, I'll just be watching these 'cartoons' that your son seems so interested in."
Gage smiled at the sight of his wife curled in a ball with his large flannel shirt from the day before wrapped around her. He let his lips play over her face before finding her lips and was pleasantly surprised when she responded to the kiss.
"Umm, good morning," she smiled opening her eyes slightly.
"Good morning to you too, so how about we get moving since you have a dress fitting to get to?" he asked sitting on the edge of the bed.
"I have an idea care to join me?" she raised her eyebrows slightly and pulled his hand and headed towards the bathroom.
"Syd, what are you doing? I told your mom that while we were here we wouldn't do this," He exclaimed when she locked the door behind them.
"Well I thought you might want to feel this," she took his hand placing it on her stomach feeling the baby kick.
"When did you feel it?" he asked looking up at her.
"Around one in the morning, I wanted to come and tell you but with how old this house is mom would have heard me moving," she smiled.
"Wow, it's so amazing, more amazing then your mother watching cartoons," he laughed at her shocked expression.
"No way, well that means we have half an hour till Flintstones is over, and you know how Ben gets about his Flintstones," she smiled at him turning the water on in the shower then moving to pull his shirt over his head.
"Syd, you can't scream," he told her moving to pull her shirt off then kissing her passionately as he worked at the elastic waistband of her PJ bottoms.
"What about a 'Yabba Dabba Doo'?" she smiled pulling him under the water with her.
~*~*~*~*~
"You don't think she heard do you?" Syd asked stepping into her room with Gage close behind.
"I think I muffled you enough," he smiled leaning down to kiss her. She pulled away going to her suitcase pulling out her clothes and dressing.
Gage was just content just watching her. One of the things he loved most about her being pregnant was getting to watch her body change. How the six- pack, she had worked so hard to get back after Ben was born, slowly started to poke out, how she filled out more in the chest area, how her back went from strait to a now slight curve to help support the added weight of the new life inside of her.
"Why do you insist on your mother not finding out about this baby?" Gage asked taking the sweater from her before she could pull it over her head.
"I know I haven't told you everything about what went one when I found out about Ben, but I just feel like she goes over detail of my life with a fine tooth comb and this is just one of those things that I don't want her to be able to get to," she answered her husband as he pulled her towards the mirror turning her so she could see a profile view of herself.
"But Honey she can't get to it, she can't touch us or Ben, not if you don't let her, and you know she's isn't completely opposed to your life, she told me she could have picked a better man for her daughter," he smiled to her through the mirror running his hands over her belly.
"Don't you see though, she's complementing you not me, but if you really want this hide the baby thing to be over then it will but I don't like her being able to scrutinize everything about me."
"I know but this is just something she'll have to accept sort of like us and Ben."
"Alright I give up, but if she makes me cry I'm blaming it all on you, now get dressed," she threw his jeans at him heading towards the door.
~*~*~*~*~
"Did you and Gage enjoy your shower?" Her mother asked when she stepped into the kitchen still concealed by the counter she didn't notice Syd's belly.
"Actually we did and if you don't mind we have a fitting to get to and I haven't eaten anything yet," she told her moving past her to the stove where a plate of pancakes had been left for her.
"I should have known with the midnight snack you had last night," Cassie told her daughter catching a glimpse of her stomach.
"Sorry Mom, but this really has nothing to do with you, and just so you know we probably won't be staying here tonight," Syd told her as Gage entered the kitchen.
"Syd, Ben and I are ready to go as soon as you are," Gage told her carrying their suitcases to the car then returning a moment later looking around for anything left.
"Oh and Mom, we'll see you some while we're here but other then that, don't expect much from us."
~*~*~*~*~
"That felt good, now I can't wait to catch up with Jenny and Anthony and see what they've been hiding," Syd smiled at her husband as the pulled up to the small boutique.
"Now there is my sister," Anthony Cooke exclaimed wrapping her in a huge hug.
"And my baby brother, who doesn't bother to tell me that he fell in love with my best friend," Syd smiled moving to give Jenny a hug, "Anthony, Jenny, I would like for you to meet Gage and this is Ben."
"It's good to meet you," Anthony shook Gage's hand then squatted to Ben's level, "and you little man can call me Uncle Tony."
Ben hid his face in Gage's leg avoiding looking at any of the grown-ups.
"He's just a little shy," Syd, told everyone, "Now where is everyone else?"
"Well, Kayla, Jamie, and Maggie are meeting us in twenty minutes at the boutique, but I thought that we could go with the guys to get their tuxes," Jenny smiled hugging Syd once again, "Syd you'll never believe who the best man is."
"Let me guess, my old high school boyfriend, Tommy Sanderson, he and Anthony were pretty much inseparable back then."
"Yep, and he's dying to see you, of course he doesn't know that you have a husband and son, and Sis don't take this the wrong way but by the looks of it a baby one the way," Tony told his sister.
"Well that could be because I am and Tommy knew that I had a son because he was the one who kept me sane from Mom's constant nagging about an abortion."
"But that's over now and nothing like that is going to happen anymore," Gage told her pulling her closer, "and I think I want to meet this Tommy guy."
"You'll get the chance, but don't beat him up or anything," Tony asked his brother-in-law as they walked the short distance to the tux shop.
~*~*~*~*~
"Nope sorry guys," Syd told them all once again as they came out modeling yet another tux.
"Honey, what's wrong with this one?"
"Well for one, they don't make one small enough for your son and Anthony and Jenny want him to match you guys," she told him as he went back to try yet another tux.
"So you really love this guy don't you?" A voice asked from behind her.
"Tommy! It's so good to see you," she exclaimed moving to give him a hug as Gage came out in just his jeans.
"Well look at you, another one Syd, I thought you didn't want another?" Tommy asked, looking down at Ben who sat playing with a hanger that he had found.
"That was two years ago and I was scared about child birth with Ben, but now that's all changed I'm ready for another one."
"Uh hum, Syd you want to introduce us?" Gage asked stepping behind his wife pulling her protectively to his side.
"Oh Honey I'm sorry, Tommy this is Gage, Gage, Tommy, so what's been going on with you since I left?"
"Nothing really just got promoted to Vice President over at the plant and hope to make President in the next five years."
"Wow, never thought I would see the day when Tommy Sanderson was a business man."
"Well I never thought I would see the day when rough 'n' tough Sydney Cooke became a domesticated woman and a Texas Ranger."
~*~*~*~*~
After what seemed like hours of catching up between all old friends Gage and Syd finally made it back to Jenny's place.
"We can't thank you enough for letting us stay here."
"Sure you can just don't tell your mother that I'm at your brother's and we'll be even," Jenny smiled, "you know where everything is, so I'll leave you guys alone."
"So Mommy you tired?" Gage asked after putting Ben down and coming into the living room.
"Ready to go home, I don't like this, I don't feel like I belong here anymore, I just want to go home," she snuggled into his sure bulk and started weeping.
"Now this is definitely hormones," Gage told her, "And after this wedding is over we'll just leave, you don't ever have to think of any of this again."
"Okay, but for now can you just hold me so maybe I can get some sleep?" she asked curling into a ball.
"Of course, come on, let's go to bed."
"Gage have you seen my new sweater?" His wife's voice carried through the whole house.
"Which one you bought like twelve?" He called back carrying bags out to her car.
"Any of them," Her exasperated answer came from their bedroom.
"There was one on the end of the bed, I don't understand why bought them so big," he answered coming to stand in their doorway, watching her dig through their closet.
"Because I didn't tell Mom about this and it's kind of obvious," Syd exclaimed standing up so you could see the bump of her four-and-a-half months pregnant belly.
"Well I hate to tell you that when you walk around in large sweaters for two weeks they are going to think something is up, and I for one think you look beautiful," he smiled coming to stand behind her as she pulled the sweater over her head.
"Yeah, well you're partial and you did this to me, so you have to say that," she turned to kiss him only to be interrupted by Ben waking up from his nap, which was their signal that it was time to hit the road.
"Do we have everything?" He asked going towards Ben's room taking him from his 'big boy bed' and then heading towards the kitchen to grab a juice box before putting him in the car.
"Daddy, bear?" Ben asked noticing that it had been left in the house.
"I'll get it, Syd do you have everything?"
"Yep, all I need is my pillow, I plan to sleep," she smiled leaning her seat back placing her pillow against the window waiting for her husband, so they could head out.
~*~*~*~*~
"Daddy, when get there?" Ben asked from his car seat in the back.
"About another hour, why don't you color some more?" Gage asked his son, glancing briefly at him, noticing he was once again hard at work, with a look of determination that could only belong to his mother.
"Umm, Gage, we there yet?" Syd mumbled from her seat, turning over trying to get comfortable again.
"About another hour, why you need something?"
"A bathroom would be nice, your child seems to have found my bladder," she laughed sitting up slightly to place her shoes on her feet.
"There's a McDonalds right up here so we'll stop and have something to eat," Gage answered his wife smiling at her comment.
"Good, I'm hungry too."
~*~*~*~*~
"Thank god, I really need a bathroom," Syd exclaimed climbing out of the vehicle heading toward her childhood home.
"Come on Ben," Gage pulled his half-asleep son and his bear out of the back of the car and headed towards the Cooke home.
"Ah so that blur that just ran through here was Sydney, did you have a nice trip?" Cassie Cooke answered standing when Gage entered her home.
"Yes, but if you don't mind I'd sort of like to put him down and head back out to get our stuff so we'll be staying where?" Gage asked as Syd came back into the living room.
"You and Benjamin will be staying in Anthony's old room, Sydney can stay in her room."
"Mom! We're not in high school, we're married and we share a bed," Sydney told her mother accidentally waking her son.
"Mommy, why mad?" Ben asked as the tears started down his face.
"Baby, I'm sorry let's go get you in bed okay?" she asked leading the way to her old room, not caring what her mother had just said.
"Syd, I'm going to get the stuff out of the back, you think you could hold it down till then?" he smiled kissing his wife's forehead before heading towards the door.
"This is my house and as long as you are here you will follow my rules," Cassie told Gage as he was on his way toward the car.
"You'll have to talk to Syd about that one I'm staying out of it," he told her grabbing two of the suitcases out of the back, making sure he had everything and wouldn't have to come back that night.
"I got him, but you need to calm down," Gage told Syd helping her change the once again sleeping Ben.
"She is just driving me crazy, she might be able to tell me that you and I can't share a bed, but she is not taking Ben away from me," Syd defiantly told her husband moving to lie down next to her son.
"I know just try and relax okay? If it comes down to it we can get a hotel room, I don't think either one of us will survive two weeks," he smiled leaning down to kiss her then their son, "Good night, and you too in there," he kissed her belly before coming back to kiss her lips.
~*~*~*~*~
"Wow you two are quite the morning birds," Cassie told her grandson and son- in-law when she found them sitting at the kitchen table the next morning.
"I took my morning run, showered, and then got Ben here bathed and fed, we were just about to watch some cartoons," Gage answered picking Ben up out of his seat, making sure they had bear before moving into the other room.
"Now tell me, I know you were not always this domesticated," Cassie talked with Gage when he came back to the dining room.
"No, but I like it it's the best thing that's ever happened to me, so blueberry or chocolate chip pancakes?"
"Blueberry, and who ever heard of putting chocolate chips in pancakes?" Cassie asked Gage following him into the kitchen.
"They're actually pretty good, so Mrs. Cooke would you like some coffee?" Gage asked keeping one eye on his cooking moving to get her a mug.
"Yes and please call me Cassie, we are family after all," she smiled taking the mug from his hand, "So if you weren't always this domesticated who taught you to cook and take care of a two-year-old?"
"Well mostly Syd and Julie, my sister, but I think I just picked most of it up because I like taking care of Syd and Ben," talking about his family brought a smile to Gage's face.
"You know, I have to tell you your choice in career puts a strike against you, and the fact that you slept with my daughter before you were married adds another but the way you talk about her and the light it brings to your eyes, I couldn't think of a better man for Sydney."
"Thank you, and the whole thing with Ben, if I had known. . . well let's just say she would have been my family a lot sooner," Gage thanked her, then handed her, her breakfast, "now if you don't mind I'm going to wake sleeping beauty."
"Go right ahead, I'll just be watching these 'cartoons' that your son seems so interested in."
Gage smiled at the sight of his wife curled in a ball with his large flannel shirt from the day before wrapped around her. He let his lips play over her face before finding her lips and was pleasantly surprised when she responded to the kiss.
"Umm, good morning," she smiled opening her eyes slightly.
"Good morning to you too, so how about we get moving since you have a dress fitting to get to?" he asked sitting on the edge of the bed.
"I have an idea care to join me?" she raised her eyebrows slightly and pulled his hand and headed towards the bathroom.
"Syd, what are you doing? I told your mom that while we were here we wouldn't do this," He exclaimed when she locked the door behind them.
"Well I thought you might want to feel this," she took his hand placing it on her stomach feeling the baby kick.
"When did you feel it?" he asked looking up at her.
"Around one in the morning, I wanted to come and tell you but with how old this house is mom would have heard me moving," she smiled.
"Wow, it's so amazing, more amazing then your mother watching cartoons," he laughed at her shocked expression.
"No way, well that means we have half an hour till Flintstones is over, and you know how Ben gets about his Flintstones," she smiled at him turning the water on in the shower then moving to pull his shirt over his head.
"Syd, you can't scream," he told her moving to pull her shirt off then kissing her passionately as he worked at the elastic waistband of her PJ bottoms.
"What about a 'Yabba Dabba Doo'?" she smiled pulling him under the water with her.
~*~*~*~*~
"You don't think she heard do you?" Syd asked stepping into her room with Gage close behind.
"I think I muffled you enough," he smiled leaning down to kiss her. She pulled away going to her suitcase pulling out her clothes and dressing.
Gage was just content just watching her. One of the things he loved most about her being pregnant was getting to watch her body change. How the six- pack, she had worked so hard to get back after Ben was born, slowly started to poke out, how she filled out more in the chest area, how her back went from strait to a now slight curve to help support the added weight of the new life inside of her.
"Why do you insist on your mother not finding out about this baby?" Gage asked taking the sweater from her before she could pull it over her head.
"I know I haven't told you everything about what went one when I found out about Ben, but I just feel like she goes over detail of my life with a fine tooth comb and this is just one of those things that I don't want her to be able to get to," she answered her husband as he pulled her towards the mirror turning her so she could see a profile view of herself.
"But Honey she can't get to it, she can't touch us or Ben, not if you don't let her, and you know she's isn't completely opposed to your life, she told me she could have picked a better man for her daughter," he smiled to her through the mirror running his hands over her belly.
"Don't you see though, she's complementing you not me, but if you really want this hide the baby thing to be over then it will but I don't like her being able to scrutinize everything about me."
"I know but this is just something she'll have to accept sort of like us and Ben."
"Alright I give up, but if she makes me cry I'm blaming it all on you, now get dressed," she threw his jeans at him heading towards the door.
~*~*~*~*~
"Did you and Gage enjoy your shower?" Her mother asked when she stepped into the kitchen still concealed by the counter she didn't notice Syd's belly.
"Actually we did and if you don't mind we have a fitting to get to and I haven't eaten anything yet," she told her moving past her to the stove where a plate of pancakes had been left for her.
"I should have known with the midnight snack you had last night," Cassie told her daughter catching a glimpse of her stomach.
"Sorry Mom, but this really has nothing to do with you, and just so you know we probably won't be staying here tonight," Syd told her as Gage entered the kitchen.
"Syd, Ben and I are ready to go as soon as you are," Gage told her carrying their suitcases to the car then returning a moment later looking around for anything left.
"Oh and Mom, we'll see you some while we're here but other then that, don't expect much from us."
~*~*~*~*~
"That felt good, now I can't wait to catch up with Jenny and Anthony and see what they've been hiding," Syd smiled at her husband as the pulled up to the small boutique.
"Now there is my sister," Anthony Cooke exclaimed wrapping her in a huge hug.
"And my baby brother, who doesn't bother to tell me that he fell in love with my best friend," Syd smiled moving to give Jenny a hug, "Anthony, Jenny, I would like for you to meet Gage and this is Ben."
"It's good to meet you," Anthony shook Gage's hand then squatted to Ben's level, "and you little man can call me Uncle Tony."
Ben hid his face in Gage's leg avoiding looking at any of the grown-ups.
"He's just a little shy," Syd, told everyone, "Now where is everyone else?"
"Well, Kayla, Jamie, and Maggie are meeting us in twenty minutes at the boutique, but I thought that we could go with the guys to get their tuxes," Jenny smiled hugging Syd once again, "Syd you'll never believe who the best man is."
"Let me guess, my old high school boyfriend, Tommy Sanderson, he and Anthony were pretty much inseparable back then."
"Yep, and he's dying to see you, of course he doesn't know that you have a husband and son, and Sis don't take this the wrong way but by the looks of it a baby one the way," Tony told his sister.
"Well that could be because I am and Tommy knew that I had a son because he was the one who kept me sane from Mom's constant nagging about an abortion."
"But that's over now and nothing like that is going to happen anymore," Gage told her pulling her closer, "and I think I want to meet this Tommy guy."
"You'll get the chance, but don't beat him up or anything," Tony asked his brother-in-law as they walked the short distance to the tux shop.
~*~*~*~*~
"Nope sorry guys," Syd told them all once again as they came out modeling yet another tux.
"Honey, what's wrong with this one?"
"Well for one, they don't make one small enough for your son and Anthony and Jenny want him to match you guys," she told him as he went back to try yet another tux.
"So you really love this guy don't you?" A voice asked from behind her.
"Tommy! It's so good to see you," she exclaimed moving to give him a hug as Gage came out in just his jeans.
"Well look at you, another one Syd, I thought you didn't want another?" Tommy asked, looking down at Ben who sat playing with a hanger that he had found.
"That was two years ago and I was scared about child birth with Ben, but now that's all changed I'm ready for another one."
"Uh hum, Syd you want to introduce us?" Gage asked stepping behind his wife pulling her protectively to his side.
"Oh Honey I'm sorry, Tommy this is Gage, Gage, Tommy, so what's been going on with you since I left?"
"Nothing really just got promoted to Vice President over at the plant and hope to make President in the next five years."
"Wow, never thought I would see the day when Tommy Sanderson was a business man."
"Well I never thought I would see the day when rough 'n' tough Sydney Cooke became a domesticated woman and a Texas Ranger."
~*~*~*~*~
After what seemed like hours of catching up between all old friends Gage and Syd finally made it back to Jenny's place.
"We can't thank you enough for letting us stay here."
"Sure you can just don't tell your mother that I'm at your brother's and we'll be even," Jenny smiled, "you know where everything is, so I'll leave you guys alone."
"So Mommy you tired?" Gage asked after putting Ben down and coming into the living room.
"Ready to go home, I don't like this, I don't feel like I belong here anymore, I just want to go home," she snuggled into his sure bulk and started weeping.
"Now this is definitely hormones," Gage told her, "And after this wedding is over we'll just leave, you don't ever have to think of any of this again."
"Okay, but for now can you just hold me so maybe I can get some sleep?" she asked curling into a ball.
"Of course, come on, let's go to bed."