Title: Trials of Sydney Chapt. 6
Rated: PG-13
Author: Babs
Disclaimer: I own nothing... at least what is in this story, except for the idea and any made-up characters.
She was teasing him and when he proposed, Sydney's heart fluttered and her stomach did flip-flops. She decided that it was time to stop denying her true feelings. After all, they have been through a lot together; the ups and downs a working relationship, her pregnancy, and their child. Even though he had asked her before, he didn't sound as sincere as he did now. She lifted her hands and caressed his cheeks and smiled. "Yes, Gage. I will marry you."
It took him a few moments to realize her answer and grinned. "Syd, you just made me the happiest man alive." He bent forward and kissed her softly, caressing her lips with his, making both of their hearts flutter and filled with joy. He pulled away slowly, and continued looking into her eyes. He kissed her lightly again and took her left hand, attempting to place the ring on her finger. "It's not fitting."
Sydney noticed that too. "My fingers are still swallon from the pregnancy," she informed. "Now, I think I need to get some sleep," Sydney told Gage with a smile. "Emily will be waking up soon for a new diaper and to be fed."
"Right," Gage agreed. He kissed her one last time and went to the couch and laid out across it.
Sydney and Gage fell asleep peacefully, content with what had just taken place; the birth of their daughter and an engagement.
The next day, Sydney and Emily were released from the hospital. The doctor examined them and declared they were in good health. That morning, Gage had went to Sydney's apartment to get something for her to wear and the baby's carseat.
Sydney emerged from the bathroom, dressed in loose jeans and a loose shirt. Around her neck, on a chain, was the engagement ring. Gage was holding Emily in the crock of his arms, unable to get enough of her. Sydney was unable to look away at the sight.
He smiled when he saw her and walked towards her.
"Are you ready to go home?" Gage asked and Sydney nodded enthusiastically. She never liked to stay at the hospital for long.
The flowers and the balloons that her friends and co-workers had sent to her were already at her apartment; Gage took them there early when he picked up her clothes.
Sydney fed Emily before getting dressed, so she should be good for the ride home. Gage opened the back door and handed Emily to Sydney. Sydney fastened her securely in the car seat and then got in the passenger side.
The ride home was mostly silence between them. Gage parked the car and helped Sydney out.
"I'll grab your bag, you can take Emily," Gage informed, lifting her bag out of the car as she unfastened Emily, who was still sleeping.
Gage opened the door and let Sydney go in first to her apartment. She flicked on the lights and standing in her living room were Walker, Alex, Angela, and Trivette, all smiling at her.
"Welcome home, Sydney," Walker said first, followed by Trivette.
"Baby!" Angela called out in a loud voice. Alex hushed her.
"Emily is sleeping, sweetie," Alex told her 18 month old daughter.
"Emlee," Angela repeated, smiling. "Anty Sid. Baby. Hold."
Sydney laughed at what Angela was trying to say. "When you are bigger you can hold her.
"I big girl," Angela quickly responded. She wiggled down from her mom's hip and walked over to Sydney.
"I hold if I sit?" Angela asked, looking at Sydney with her blue eyes.
"I'm sorry, sweetie, not right now. Emily needs to sleep."
At the time, Gage returned to Sydney's side and smiled. "Did you want me to go lay her down."
"Please," Sydney handed Emily to Gage, who took her into Sydney's bedroom and placed her in the crib.
"Is she going to be sleeping in your bedroom?" Alex asked as she lifted Angela up and placed her in the portable high chair.
"For a little while," Sydney responded, looking at the food on the table. "You guys cooked for me?"
"Actually, Alex did. Gage let us come over and wait for your return," Trivette informed.
Gage joined them and they sat down at the table to eat and talk.
As they finished eating, Alex looked over at Sydney and saw what was around her neck. "Oh, my..." she said, which had everyone turn to her. Alex pointed to the necklace and everyone else looked as well.
"Is that what I think it is?" Trivette asked.
Sydney nodded. "Gage proposed to me last night. We're getting married."
There was a round of 'congratulations' and 'finally', which also promoted laughter from the group.
"Have you decided on a date yet?" Alex asked, excited for them.
"No, and right now, we will be taking it one day at a time," Sydney informed. "I don't want anything big like yours and Walker's wedding."
Gage nodded in agreement. "Something small with just friends and family. Which reminds me... I should call Jules and tell her she has a niece."
"That would be a good idea," Sydney agreed.
Sydney picked up her dirty dishes and began to run the water for dishes, when Alex scooted her aside. "I've got it. Besides, your daughter will be waking up soon, wanting to be changed and fed."
"How do you know?" Sydney asked.
"Because I have been through it," Alex reminded her. "Go sit down. After I am done with the dishes, Walker, Angela, and I will leave."
"Actually, go ahead and leave now," Gage responded. "Walker says Angela is getting crabby. I can get the dishes."
Walker showed up behind Gage with Angela in his arms. "Plus, Sydney looks like she is ready to pass out from exhaustion. You do remember how it was after you had Angela?"
"Yes, I do," Alex responded, leaving the rest of the dishes for Gage to finish off. "Sorry." She hugged Sydney and then Gage. "Get some sleep and we will see you later."
Sydney and Gage walked the Walker's and Trivette to the door. Trivette bent down and kiss Sydney on the forehead. "Hope to see you soon at headquarters. We will miss you while you are gone."
"Good-night," Sydney told her friends. "I'll see you soon."
The door shut after they left, leaving Sydney and Gage alone. "I'm surprised they left so willingly," Gage teased.
Sydney laughed. "Yeah, but they are right. I feel ready to pass out." She plopped herself down on her sofa and Gage joined her, ready to lean forward and plant her with a kiss when they heard Emily start crying. Sydney was up in a second while Gage was disappointed at the timing.
"Get the dishes done, please," Sydney asked as she left the living room and went to her bedroom.
Gage nodded and headed to the kitchen, placing the dirty dishes in the dishwasher. After dishes were done, Gage listened carefully and heard Sydney humming in her bedroom. He walked towards her bedroom, standing on the thresehold watching her. She had Emily in her arm, her chest bared feeding Emily as she rocked lightly in the rocker, humming softly. This was the first time Gage had seen Emily feed.
"Come on in, Gage," Sydney spoke softly to him. Gage entered slowly and sat down on the side of her bed.
"I didn't mean to interrupt you," Gage spoke softly back to her.
"Don't worry," Sydney assured. "She is almost asleep. Why don't you go ahead and use my phone to call your sister."
"Okay." Gage stood up and reached for her cordless phone, dialing his sister's number as he walked out of the room.
Gage returned to Sydney's room to see that Sydney was curled up on her bed, sleeping. He walked to the crib and saw Emily asleep as well.
"Join me," Sydney mumbled and Gage turned around to see Sydney was looking at him.
"Let me lock up," Gage told her and he returned a few minutes later to fulfill her request.
He took off his shoes and slid on her bed behind her. "Hold me," she mumbled and he spooned against her, holding her close but not tight. Soon he heard the steady breathing of sleep from her and he drifted off too.
Gage woke first the next morning. He glanced at the clock and it was still early. Just a couple hours ago, Gage vaguely remembered Sydney getting up out of his embrace to feed Emily. He still slept, but heard her whispering sweet words to Emily as she fed.
Next to him, Sydney was still asleep, looking sweet and peaceful. He brushed her hair out of her face and kissed her cheek softly. Without waking her, he slipped out of bed and decided to cook her breakfast.
Sydney stretched as she woke. She smelled bacon as she did wake. Sitting up in bed, she remembered that Gage was still her and spent the night. Gage walked in and smiled.
"Breakfast for the mother of my child," Gage smiled and sat the tray on the side of her hips.
"Thanks, but Sydney would do," Sydney teased.
"Very well," Gage agreed. He went to the crib to see Emily awake and alert, but not crying. "She's awake."
Sydney began to eat before she had to feed Emily.
"My sister plans to drop by, if that's okay," Gage informed her.
"Today? When?" Sydney asked.
"She told me in the afternoon, after she finishes a report," Gage informed her. "She is anxious to meet her."
"I'm sure she is," Sydney responded, taking a bite. "This is good. Thanks, Gage."
After breakfast, Emily was fed and then put down for a little bit.
"How are you feeling?" Gage asked as they exited her room and went into the living room.
"Fine, I guess," Sydney responded. "I feel great, but I'm still tired. You know how it is after an adrenaline rush. You are tired, but you are still alert."
"Yeah," Gage nodded as he sat down on the couch and turned on the TV. "Alex plans to drop by with Angela as well, but they will be here during her lunch."
"Alright," Sydney responded, sitting next to Gage as he selected a DVD to watch.
"When are you going back to work?" she asked Gage.
"Walker said I can have the weekend off and return on Monday," Gage informed, wrapping his arm around her and kissing her temple.
By the end of the movie, Sydney had fallen asleep. Gage lightly shook her awake and smiled. "Sleepy-head," he teased.
She smiled back. "Yeah." Standing up, she headed back to her bedroom and laid on her bed and slept.
Around 2 in the afternoon, Gage heard a soft knock on the door. He stood up from the table and went to get it.
"Jules!" he smiled in greeting, giving his sister a big hug.
"Hey, Francis," she smiled back at him. "Proud father?"
"Very proud," Gage told her.
"So, where is she?" Julie couldn't contain her excitement.
"Sleeping, as is Sydney," Gage informed. "I'll go get her though."
"The baby, not Sydney," Julie teased him as Gage went to the bedroom, carefully retrieving his daughter for his sister.
"Where you going with her?" Sydney asked, mumbling.
"How...?" Gage began and looked at her.
"Mother's instinct," Sydney smiled.
"Jules is here," Gage informed. "Go on back to sleep. We'll be okay."
Sydney fell back to sleep as Gage closed the door.
Back in the living room, Gage handed his daughter to Julie.
"Oh, Gage, she is absolutely beautiful," Jules exclaimed as she looked at the face of her niece. "She looks just like Sydney."
"Yeah, except she has my ears and eyes," Gage informed as he sat down.
"I don't have long," Jules told her brother. "I have a new assignment."
"That's fine. You'll be able to watch her grow."
"And spoil her rotten." Planting a gentle kiss on Emily's forehead, Jules handed her back to Gage. "I better get going. I'll call you later."
"See you later, sis," Gage stood up and kissed his sister's forehead. "Behave yourself."
Jules just smiled and left.
Gage returned Emily to her bed and decided to clean Sydney's apartment for her.
Two weeks later, Sydney's apartment was crowded with boxes from Gage's apartment. They agreed to move in together and live at her apartment because it was bigger and newer. Gage returned to work, went to his apartment, packed and loaded his car, and returned to Sydney's every night with a car load.
Emily stayed awake more and became more alert to her surroundings. Her eyes even followed a toy or rattle. Sydney was on the couch, her knees up and feet propped on the coffee table with Emily on her thighs, cooing to her daughter and making her daughter smile. Sydney couldn't get enough of her smiles. Gage walked in with the last load of boxes from his car.
"The landlord said there is someone interested in buying my old apartment," Gage informed, locking the door behind him.
"Good," Sydney responded. "This is going to take some time to get use to."
"I know," Gage agreed. "I'm not use to it either." He sat next to Sydney in the same position and held his hands out to take Emily.
Sydney obliged and placed Emily on Gage's thighs. "She misses you during the day," Sydney told him.
"How can you tell?" Gage asked, shaking the rattle lightly and Emily's eyes averted to it.
"She knows when you are gone," Sydney began. "She is crankier and fusses a lot more. She might be 2 weeks, but she knows who you are."
Gage smiled. "Well, it's good to know that when I get off work, I have the most gorgeous ladies waiting for me at home."
Sydney smiled along with him and rested her head on his shoulder. "I was thinking, Gage. Since we are becoming a family, what do you say to a portrait?" Before Gage could say anything, Sydney continued. "We wouldn't have to buy much. Just one for us and Jules and Trivette and Walker."
"True," Gage nodded. "I don't see a problem with that. When did you want to get it done?"
"After I loose more of this baby weight."
"Hey now." Gage looked at her. "You look great." He bent down and kissed her.
Sydney kissed him back and then pulled away. "I love you," she told him.
"I love you too, Sydney."
Later that night, after Sydney and Gage bathed Emily and Sydney had fed her and they put her down for the night, Sydney and Gage sat on the couch cuddling each other.
"Are you tired?" Gage asked Sydney, as he ran his hand through her hair and smiling.
"No, not really," Sydney responded, getting use to the petting that Gage does.
"Well, how about we make some wedding plans?" Gage suggested.
"Alright," Sydney agreed. She grabbed a pad and pen and sat back down, close to Gage again.
"Something small," Sydney began. "And not fancy. I want it to be simple."
"Agreed," Gage smiled, massaging her neck.
Sydney got slightly distracted with Gage's massage, but it felt too wonderful to tell him to stop. "Just close friends and family. Maybe have it at C.D.'s or headquarters?"
"We haven't been to C.D.'s in a while. We can have it at the park near here."
"Outside? The weather would have to cooraporate."
"If it isn't nice, we will have a backup, like C.D.'s or headquarters. And since we agree on a small wedding, it won't be hard to get the word out."
"When do you want it to take place?" Sydney asked, looking behind her to him.
"As soon as possible," Gage said, smiling as he caught her head and bent down to kiss her.
"How about two months from now? By that time, Emily will be almost 3 months and we will be able to be intimate on our wedding night."
Gage was shocked to hear her say 'intimate', but she was right. Anything before that was not allowed. He nodded. "Sounds like a plan."
Sydney scribbled the date down as well as the list of guests. "I will ask Alex to stand beside me."
"And I will ask Walker... or Trivette to stand by me," Gage told her.
"You can have both," Sydney suggested.
"Who would Trivette be with?"
"What about Erica?"
"I don't know if Erica will be back in time," Gage informed. "According to Trivette, she doesn't even know how long she will be."
"Well, hopefully she will be able to make it for the wedding." Sydney yawned. "Come on. I think that is enough planning for tonight."
Gage agreed and scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom.
"Gage... I really do not need carried," she informed him as he shut the door behind him.
"I know, just practicing," he teased and set her on her bed.
She just laughed and began to undress. She was still uncomfortable in front of Gage, so Gage turned away, but peaked a few times. She put her night clothes on and Gage turned around, undressing himself into his boxers and t-shirt. He slipped into bed with her and held her as they both fell asleep.
Two months later, in an outdoor ceremony, Gage and Sydney were married along with their friends and family watching. Gage wore beige slacks and white button-up shirt, as Sydney wore an almost form-fitting, ankle length white cotton dress. Sydney couldn't believe it herself as she kissed Gage. Tears fell as she hid herself in Gage's chest after their kiss. She heard her friends clap and Gage's soothing words. She turned to him and then the witnesses. Jules handed Emily to them and snapped a picture.
"A family," she whispered to herself and smiled.
The End