A/N Soooo, here it is. I just had to make it up to you all for the sad tone of the first part. And I promiss, just like my other stories, it will get a happy ending. Enjoy!

Lost within himself

Overwhelmed with tears

She had left his side

Till he had faced his fears

The day was slowly dragging by. From his office Walker had been watching his fellow Rangers for a couple of minutes. Trivette seemed to be doing fine. A large bruise was the only reminder of his run in with a suspects fist. Looking over at the other side, the empty desk drew his attention. Suddenly he had an empty feeling in his chest. First CD, then Sydney, who would be next? The entire office hadn't been the same after Sydney's death. And obviously, Gage had taken it the hardest.

Last night Alex had entered their ranch in tears. He knew she had been trying to help Gage open up and had went by his apartment to see how he was doing after the fight yesterday. The place had looked awful, and Gage had obviously been drinking. But although the signs said one thing, Gage had denied everything, and acted like nothing was wrong. Knowing Alex, he figured she wanted to help so badly, but if Gage didn't want to be helped…

Turning his wandering eyes on the other desk, he saw what Alex had seen. A man who wasn't really here, with dark circles under his eyes and a stubble on his cheek. He had lost lots of weight in the last couple of months, and was just looking awful. And his eyes… They were empty and full of pain. Although a forced smile was always on his face, everyone could see he was not coping.

Just then, the vacant look left his eyes and he stiffly got up. Walker, who didn't want him to do many assignments on the street, quickly got up and stopped him.

"Where are you going Gage? You still have your deskwork right?"

"Yeah," Gage replied, "But I have an appointment with one of my contacts. He might know something about the shooting Walker."

Walker took a deep breath, wondering when he would let it go. They had found the man who had shot Sydney and he was behind bars, but Gage didn't believe he was the one.

"Gage, we caught him, remember?"

"You think you got him, but things don't add up Walker, the prints were the same, but the bullet didn't match, remember?" he ended, sounding a little sarcastic.

"He confessed, and he told us he had changed the bullets before we found him. Gage you have to let it rest…"

Gage just shook his head and turned to leave, muttering, " I can't Walker, I just can't, not until I kill him, like he killed us."

Walker let him walk, knowing he would come home empty handed, but still worried that maybe something would happen to him.

On the streets in Dallas

"What have you got for me cowboy?" a gruff sounding voice came from a darkened place inside the ally.

Gage turned towards the sound, holding out a hand full of cash.

"Here, and what have you got for me, Kyle?"

"Jeez buddy, not so fast, got to count it first… Okay, this'll be enough for your information."

Grabbing Kyle's collar, Gage growled, "Tell me, what do you know?"

"Easy does it pal, word on the street is, there's a new player in town. Real though guy, goes by the name of Pete Langley," he paused, seeing Gage's face pale, even paler than he was before. The shock in his eyes was hidden after a second, but he had seen it there.

" You know him?"

Gage cleared his throat before responding, "Yeah, I knew him once, but that was a long time ago."

"Well, they say he's been out for revenge, getting back on the ones who got him in jail. You wouldn't know who that would be, do you?" Kyle said, a smirk playing on his lips. He knew Gage would be the one Pete was after. Why else would he go after the rangers fiancé?

Gage swallowed. So it had been his fault! Without another word he turned around, leaving the weasel with his cash.

"Wait up, ranger boy, you don't want to hear more?"

That stopped him dead in his tracks, and he turned around, facing Kyle again, "Tell me…"

"So, he's out for revenge, and already killed someone. Also kidnapped a girl, and if what I heard was right, he is planning on kidnapping someone else. Know anyone who could be on his list?"

With hands clenched by his sides, Gage turned around and left without a word.

Kyle yelled after him, "Your welcome!"

Snickering, he though about the path of destruction which lay ahead of that stupid ranger, before turning around and disappearing in the dark corners of the ally.

Gage just kept on walking, he didn't see the cars that narrowly missed him, he didn't see the strange looks people were giving the wandering ranger. All he could see was the face of the man who changed his life. Pete Langley… He never thought he would see or hear from him again. Not after the testimony he had given when he was only 16 years old. He had sat in the interrogation room, one arm in cast, the other heavily bandaged after his last punishment from that man. Pete had been the leader of the so called Foster home. But it was nothing ore than a prison. The kids had to work for their food, and if they disobeyed… Gage involuntarily shivered. He still had some of the scars from those times. Shaking his head, trying to get rid of those memories, he entered the first bar he saw.

Ordering a soda, he knew better than to drink in work time, he took a sip and leaned back. If only Syd had been here. She knew his past, she knew he still had nightmares about it and she knew how to comfort him.

So, Pete was back. And he was probably the one who had murdered his fiancé… And he was also planning a kidnapping, but who would he take? After Syd… There was no one in this world who could mean more to him than Sydney Cooke.

At that moment he made up his mind. If he found Pete Langley, Pete would wish he was never born. Forget testimonies, he would beat him to an inch of his life. And when the lowlife begs for him to stop, he would finish him off. So he could forget everything about the man.

Bowing his head as low as he could he took a few deep breaths. 'Calm down Gage, you are no good to anyone in the state you're in.'

Looking out the window he saw a flash of something familiar flying around a corner at the far end of the street. He was up in a flash, immediately regretting it, cause a wave of dizziness fell over him, reminding him that he hadn't eaten in days.

Ignoring it he flew out the diner, stumbling a little when the hot midday sun shown down on him. He took of on a run towards the corner were he had seen it.

Gasping for air he reached the corner where he grabbed on to the nearest wall to support his numb legs. His head shot up when he saw a flash of dark hair going over a fence at the end of the tiny street. Forgetting about his tiredness, he started the pursuit. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw another person, but he was covered with a dark jacket and a baseball cap.

When he reached the fence, he tried to jump over it, but the sudden movement caused him to loose contact with his legs. So he smashed in a not so elegant way on the pavement, twisting his leg while landing on his face, busting open his lip and scraping his face. When he looked up the shadowy man was gone, but he saw the dark hair. And when it turned the corner, the face was slightly turned to him. His eyes widened, and after blinking it was gone. But it had- It had been- Her…

Trying to stand up turned out to be too much and he fell down on the hard floor.

A person passing him saw the state he was in and after trying to get him to talk, but getting no response, decided to take him to the nearest hospital.

Gage saw the man and knew he was talking to him, but all he could mumble was: "It was her, I saw her. She's alive…"