Disclaimer: This was written for the soul purpose of my entertainment. I lay no claim on Walker Texas Ranger or any of its characters.

Rated: PG

"The New Ranger"

Chapter One

Maybe it was the fact that she was tall and blonde or perhaps it was the fact that his wife was at home taking care of their newborn when the assignment came about… What ever the reason he sat there wondering how he had let it happen. Her face danced before him in his mind, her slender shapely body pushing up against his, that kiss he had so enjoyed with her.

He was suddenly brought out of his thoughts by a pair of headlights shining on him as a car pulled in behind him in the driveway. It was Sydney's jeep his son Chris quickly a lighting from it to come up beside the door of his car.

"What are you doing sitting in the driveway Dad?" Chris asked of his father.

"Just got here," Gage lied pushing the car door open to join his son.

"Working kind of late tonight?" Chris persisted even though he was used to his father and mother both working crazy hours when they were on assignment.

"Off early," Gage absently jeered back following Chris to the back door. Neither had time to say anything more Buddy's sharp barks were greeting both of them.

"Shh Buddy we don't want to wake Cody and Mom," Chris warned his dog patting the animal's head to sooth him just before a loud wail went up. A moment later Sydney appeared in the kitchen with them heading to the fridge to retrieve a bottle for her son.

"Syd let me do that," Gage guiltily interjected stopping her in her tracks for a moment.

"It's all right Honey I'm up now," she replied grabbing the bottle to put in the microwave.

"Well I'm going to bed," Chris interrupted kissing his mother's cheek and turning to leave his parents in the kitchen Cody's wails getting louder.

"Night Chris," both parents called after him.

"Gage why don't you do diaper duty and I'll be right in," Syd smiled at him turning back towards the mic to push the buttons and set the timer.

"Yeah okay," Gage replied turning to leave the kitchen and go down the hall to where his youngest was his mind once again drifting off.

They had been in close contact with one another, pulled off being husband and wife as good as he and his partner did he thought. Wait his partner was his wife he bitterly smiled at the thought lifting Cody from his crib to hold close. "Shh," he gently whispered to the child, "Mommy is getting your bottle."

Cody quieted for a moment his little hand clutching at his father's neck. Ranger Samantha Webb was a lot like Syd had been when he had met his wife and partner. Like Syd she was trying to make her place in the Texas Rangers, trying to prove she was as good as any man.

Although secretly thrilled that she had asked to work this assignment with him he had tried not to let it show. As they got into things the two of them had become close and it pleased him to know that he still had what it took to keep the girls interested.

"Let me take him Gage," Syd was all ready reaching for Cody.

"That's okay Syd, you go warm up the bed Cody and I can manage here," he assured her taking the bottle from her.

"All right Gage," she quietly answered watching her husband drop into the rocker with their son to begin feeding him. Walking across to where the two of them sat Syd stood for a moment looking at the man she loved before allowing her hand to rest against his cheek.

"Something wrong Francis?" she asked her unfailing sixth sense gnawing at her.

"Nothings wrong," Gage quickly shot back keeping his eyes on Cody's small face feeling the baby's tiny fingers wrap around his own finger to grasp tight.

Kneeling beside the chair Syd tried again, "Francis look at me is it something about this case, something about this new ranger, this Sam Webb?"

Gage swallowed hard his voice choking in his throat.

"You can tell me Gage no matter what it is…" her voice trailed away.

He looked away from her, he couldn't help himself tears were beginning to invade the corners of his eyes. "Syd please go to bed I'll be in as soon as Cody is done," he firmly told her yet still unable to face her.

Syd could feel the tears begin to sting her own eyes something was definitely wrong and for some unknown reason it was scaring her terribly. "All right Gage," her voice barely above a whisper. Getting to her feet she walked from the room.

"Oh God Syd I'm so sorry," Gage murmured quietly to himself allowing a tear to slip down his own cheek.

Fifteen minutes later Cody was sleeping and Gage had tucked him back in his crib for the night. Silently he had moved down the hall and now stood motionless outside the door of the bedroom he shared with his wife.

Finally he worked up the courage to open the door and enter finding her curled up in the wingback chair by the window. As the door clicked softly closed Syd squeezed her eyes shut before turning to face him.

"Talk to me Francis what is it?" she questioned him.

"Syd I don't know where to start," he heard his voice answer her from where he stood pausing to listen to her quiet sob. Now it was his turn to go to her and kneel beside her taking her hand in his.

"You're freezing Honey," he whispered, "Come get into bed." He pulled gently on her hand only to have her resist.

"Not until you tell me," she answered standing her ground.

Swallowing hard Gage remained silent his eyes closing, unmoving feeling his wife's hands against his cheeks holding his face so she could scan it for any signs of what he had left unsaid. Finally with sinking heart she spoke. "Is there somebody else Gage?"

"Oh Syd…" the words escaped him but he didn't deny it.

"Who Gage? Who is she?" Syd persisted.

"It doesn't matter Syd it never went that far…" he tried to say her fist connecting hard with his face.

"Just how far is that far? Answer me Gage!" she cried out not carrying that she had knocked him off his feet and in all likelihood broken her husband's nose.

"Dam it Syd I'm sorry," Gage retaliated rolling to his side his hand going to his face and nose.

It didn't matter Syd had already literally pounced on him straddling him her fist pounding into his shoulder. "You better start talking Gage and now," she cried emphasizing every word with another jolt to the shoulder until finally she was spent. Sliding from her perch on top of him she sat leaning her back against him breaking into sobs.

"Syd I'm sorry…" he tried again letting his hand touch her shoulder only to be flinched away.

"Stop saying you're sorry and tell me what happened," she demanded Gage remaining silent. "Just start at the beginning," she hissed half turning to look at him.

"The beginning," he smirked knowing he was in so deep that he could never crawl out.

"Yes the beginning," Syd answered not letting up. "Who is she? Where did you meet her?"

Gage's face was paining but he hardly noticed it compared to the pain he new he was causing her and he hadn't even begun to tell her the story.

"Well?" she egged him on.

"Remember I told you about the new ranger?" Gage finally started.

"Webb?" Syd questioned wondering where this was leading and what it had to do with anything.

"I omitted telling you something about the ranger," Gage hedged.

"Like what?"

"Ranger Sam Webb is short for Samantha Webb," he blurted out.

Syd sat silent in disbelief that he had deceived her like that and that she had very gullibly believed what he wanted her to believe. Three months ago she had been all ready to go back to work it had been Gage who had put the idea in her head she could hear his voice now. "Syd why not take a leave of absence and stay off for a few more months."

"Get serious Francis," she had retorted.

"I am Syd. You had a really rough time of it with Cody and it might just be nice to take that little bit of extra time you never got with the other three," he had persuaded her. "Besides we have this new ranger starting a Ranger Sam Webb."

"You knew?" she gasped out. "Then you talked me out of going back to work."

"No Syd it wasn't like that… I… didn't know anymore about it then I told you before I laid eyes on her. Well then it was kind of too late… cause I know how you… think," Gage stammered out.

"Great now you're doing my thinking for me too," she cut in scrambling to her feet.

"Syd wait," Gage was after her but not before having the bathroom door slammed in his face.

"Wait for what Gage so you can describe in detail how beautiful she is and how much you love her and want her," Syd screamed back through the bathroom door.

"No… I just want to talk… Come on open the door."

"Go away we've talked enough."

"Open the door or I'll break it down Syd."

"Gage I'm warning you," Syd came back just as Gage brought his foot up the door and frame both giving way. "Nice job," Syd condemned through gritted teeth.

"I just want to talk Syd, please Honey," Gage softly spoke tears clouding his eyes which were starting to blacken from the hit he had taken earlier. Blood still trickled from his nose and he smeared it with the back of his hand. He looked more like one of her children then her husband.

Turning she reached into the cabinet and pulled out a washcloth to begin dousing it under the cold water tape. "Sit down," she ordered nodding towards the closed toilet seat.

Doing as he was told Gage sat down to let her administer to his injury both were silent. As she washed the blood from his face Gage reached up to take hold of her wrist. "Gage," she wearily sighed.

"Syd please let me tell you what happened," Gage again pleaded with her.

Giving in Syd nodded her head in agreement and turning on her heel she walked back into the bedroom to plop herself down on the edge of their bed tears sliding down her cheeks.

Following behind her Gage sat down beside her on the bed both stared straight ahead. Gage had a million things he wanted to say to her yet he sat there silent unable to utter even one of them. Clearing his throat for the second time accompanying it with a sigh he finally began, "Sam Webb was nothing more then a name on a paper until she walked in the door at Company B, honest Syd I didn't know he was actually a she."

Syd said nothing so he continued. "She is a beautiful woman, tall, blonde and sexy," Gage stated sending a panic into Syd who immediately jumped up again only to have Gage grab her wrist to haul her back down beside him. "Please you said you'd listen."

"I don't think I can," Syd cried wrenching out of Gage's grasp yet remaining seated beside him.

"I'm sorr…" the apology began to roll off his lips again before he cut himself off to continue with what he was saying. "I had every intention of coming home and telling you our new ranger was female but Trivette was all ready handing out the assignments and with Matt still out at the time that left really only me to pose with her as her husband if we wanted to keep the McKay case in company B."

They both lapsed into silence again giving Gage time to gather his thoughts. He wanted to make sure things came out just right, he wanted her to understand…

"Syd in a lot of ways she reminded me of when I met you…"

"Which parts Gage, the tall or blonde parts?" Syd quipped.

"The parts that wanted to prove she was as good as any man was in the Texas Rangers," Gage continued undeterred. "She is good Syd, good like you. She thinks quick on her feet her fighting skills are polished I trust her as a partner to watch my back."

Gage could feel his wife stiffen beside him as he revealed his feelings about Sam Webb to her taking another deep breath he continued on. "Anyway we had a lot of time to get to know each other and I guess she just became as easy for me to talk to as you are… I mean other then the package being different it was like having you at work with me… The old Syd the one before we had kids…"

"So now it's the kids fault?" Syd snapped.

"That's not what I'm saying at all… You know I love the kids… it's just that I had forgotten what it was like when it was just you and me. And well she made me remember those times… the fun we had, the cases, our first assignment together…"

"Oh yeah when you were the experienced hotshot Texas Ranger willing to teach the green ranger all the tricks," Syd bitterly retorted.

"Something like that I guess," Gage admitted more to himself then Syd.

"This past couple of months, the case coming to an end things just sort of came to a head. I mean I guess I missed what we had when we started out and well Sammy… what we had sort of lost she brought back," Gage couldn't explain it any better.

"Tonight we finished filling out the final reports. I drove her home and when we got to her place she invited me up for a beer. For the life of me I don't know why I went. The first one went down real smooth… she uncapped the second one and the next thing I knew she was in my arms… We kissed, I kissed her, I wish I could take it back, I wish I could say it didn't mean anything…"

Sydney had turned sobbing into the pillow.

"Syd, Syd, please Honey, I'm sorry," Gage couldn't say it enough. His hand had gone to her back it was as much as he dared even though he just wanted to hold and never let her go.

"Do… you… you… love… her?" Syd managed between sobs.

"Syd I love you."

"That isn't what I asked you. Do you love her?" Syd was all but screaming.

"You are the only woman that I love Syd," Gage replied, "I just don't know what happened tonight, she was there and suddenly in my arms."

"I got the picture Gage," she fumed back.

"Syd I didn't act on it I didn't let it go any further then that one kiss and I'm sorry that happened."

"But it did didn't it?" she threw back.

Tears rolled down Gage's cheeks how was he ever going to fix this? How would he ever earn her trust again?

TBC