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 Meaning Of Friendship

Janis Boisclair

Chapter One

Hand In Hand...

The clock on the night stand read three-fourteen AM, the house was in darkness and had been for a few hours. Gage turned unconsciously pulling Syd closer to him she in turn snuggled nearer to his chest. They both settled quietly into slumber once again only to have it short lived awakened by first the ringing of the doorbell and then the loud pounding on the door.

"What the?" Gage nattered throwing back the covers. Sydney was all ready up pulling on her robe.

Making it to the door first she peeked outside seeing Piper being escorted by two police officers. Quickly pulling open the door she was met with, "Ranger Cooke we were looking for the Gage residents."

"You found us Mike," Syd answered pulling the door wide as her partner appeared behind her.

"Gage," the officer greeted him, "Sorry to be calling so late, we have your daughter here."

"Mike what's going on?" Gage questioned his eyes falling on his daughter.

"Mom, Daddy," Piper meekly spoke.

"We picked her up with her friends at an after hours party that we raided at the Lone Canteen," the officer answered.

"The Lone Canteen! Piper Lynn Gage," the words popped out of Syd's mouth. "Inside young lady!"

"And wash that stuff off your face," Gage added as Piper scooted past them Sydney but a few steps behind her. Turning back to officer Mike Connelly he offered his hand. "Thanks for bringing her home we'll take it from here."

"No problem Gage I figured you would," Connelly replied pausing a minute he added, "Ranger Cooke..."

"Is my partner and wife, Sydney Gage when she's not working, Ranger Cooke when she is ," Gage smiled catching sight of the young man in the back of the police car. "Marcus Trivette?" he asked.

"Yeah we're going there next," Connelly retorted, again the man paused, "Gage there was a lot of booze and drugs there. We've been keeping an eye on the place, Skinny Wilson has been recruiting out of the place."

A hundred thoughts went through Gage's mind but none of them answered the question of why his daughter was there with Jimmy and Erica's son. "We'll get to the bottom of this one way or another," Gage promised the officer as well as himself.

Closing the door Gage turned to go and join Sydney and Piper neither mother or daughter were talking. "Well young lady what do you have to say for yourself?" Gage addressed her.

"Daddy I can't tell you..."

Gage cut back in, "Piper you'd better start telling me something here because the way the facts stand you just may be grounded for life."

"That's not fair Dad," Piper cried out.

"Not fair? Let's talk about not fair Piper," Gage began to recite. "Our thirteen year old daughter who by the way was just brought home by Dallas PD, told us she was going to a sleep over at her best friend's house. Then she painted up her face and put together the skimpiest outfit she could and headed out to an after hours party. A party where there was illegal drinking and drugs. A party where pimps like Skinny Wilson are trolling for fresh meat to put out on the streets."

Piper's eyes were focused on the floor and that is where they stayed so Gage continued. "So now even though our daughter has lied to us and has been caught in that lie she is standing here refusing to give us an explanation of any sort."

"But Daddy..."

"There are no buts here Piper what you did was wrong. Rest assured your mother and I will get to the bottom of this. I'm sure your Uncle Jimmy will want to be in on this investigation as well," her father confirmed to her.

"You are grounded until further notice, no phone, computer or leaving the property except for school and then it is straight back here. Do you understand me young lady?"

"Yes Daddy," Piper sulked.

"Go to bed Piper we'll talk more in the morning," Sydney who had been unusually quiet told her daughter both parents watching her go down the hall.

As Piper mounted the stairs to her attic bedroom Gage turned to Syd, "Now what do you think that is all about? And where do you think she got that get up?"

Shrugging her shoulders Syd shook her head but before she could say anything the phone began to ring. While Gage went to answer it Sydney moved down the hall towards their bedroom and straight to her closet.

"Nope Piper isn't saying a word either," she could hear Gage say as he joined her in the bedroom. "I know the Lone Canteen is no place for either of them," Gage continued adding," If you could have saw the get up Piper had on..." Pausing a moment he ended the conversation with, "All right Syd and I'll meet you there around nine. Yeah good-night Jimmy."

"Boy Trivette wasn't any happier then us with Marcus being brought home by DPD," Gage stated.

By now Sydney had turned around to face Gage ignoring his comment and simply saying, "She was wearing my clothes."

"Your clothes? What are you talking about? You never dress that... that... that,"

"Easy? Loose?" Syd tried to finish her husband's sentence. "How bout the Reynolds case Gage?'

"The Reynolds case," Gage thought back the recollection of his wife in that skimpy outfit working in that night club coming back to mind finishing with, "Oh yeah the Reynolds case. You still look better in them then our daughter does," he grinned at his wife.

"Francis!" through gritted teeth she jarred him out of his dreamlike state.

The phone rang again this time Syd walking across the room to pick it up. "Mrs. Whelan," Gage heard her say into the phone as he absently thumbed through the clothes in the closet still puzzled why Piper would even think to dress up like that.

"Mrs. Whelan we were under the impression that Piper was going to be at your home for the night... I have no idea what possessed them to dress up and go to the Lone Canteen... Piper isn't giving us any information either... If that is the way you feel... All right then... good night."

Syd held the phone for a moment in her hand as she stood in thought. "I take it Rebecca was in on this little caper as well?" Gage quizzed taking the receiver from his wife's hand and setting it back on the phone's base.

"Yes and Piper is to stay away from Becky for the time being," Syd added coming out of her thoughts. "This mess just keeps getting bigger and bigger."

"Well hopefully we will get to the bottom of this tomorrow," Gage half smiled taking Syd in his arms. "For now lets get a little rest with what's left of the night."

Shaking her head in agreement Syd slid into bed Gage sliding in with her his arm still around her. No matter how close she wiggled up to him and hugged him tight she could loose the feeling of impending doom that seemed to be casting its shadow around them.

Her eyes had hardly closed when both she and Gage were awakened once again with first a crash, then Buddy's barking followed by Cody's wails as he too was awakened.

"What the..." Gage uttered throwing back the covers and snapping on the light for the second time in just over an hour.

Syd was all ready reaching for her robe saying, "You find out what now and I'll see to Cody."

Nodding his head in agreement Gage yanked open the bedroom door just in time to see a figure in the dark heading upstairs to Piper's room. "Hold it right there," he called out making it to the stairs in a single bound to catch the intruder by the scruff of the neck.

"What's going on?" Chris questioned he too be awakened with the noise was now standing in the doorway of his bedroom.

"Mommy," Cat was calling to Syd.

"Daddy is looking after things," Syd called back to Cat the same time saying to Chris, "Can you look after your sister while I see to Cody."

"Sure Mom," Chris answered just as the both heard Gage's voice say, "Danny Walker... Piper you and your friends are getting in deeper and deeper here!"

TBC