<span style='font-size:10pt;line-height:100%'>Chapter 5</span>
It was a week before Sydney was discharged from the hospital; another two days before Jack thought she was well enough to board a plane and fly back to LA. During those last two days, she had stayed in a safe house with 24-hour surveillance, because Jack was taking no chances. He had formulated a plan to keep Sydney safe, and before she could go home, he needed to carry it out.
She didn’t know what he was doing, and she never found out what exactly he did do, but SD-6 was something that she didn’t have to worry about when she went back. In fact, she only knew that somehow her mother had helped, and that SD-1 and the Alliance no longer existed and was no longer a problem for them—for her. But it meant nothing, felt empty, without Vaughn there to share it with. It had been their goal, and it had been accomplished without either of them.
When she got home, the questions came flooding out. Explaining what had happened to Francie was difficult. The lying that it involved almost tore her apart as much as the whole ordeal had. At first, Sydney had been in so much shock; she couldn’t feel anything when Francie asked all her questions. Not even when she asked if she was alone when the whole thing happened and how the bank could be so careless as to leave her partner-less for something that was as major as this when she got Sydney’s answer. Syd numbly watched Francie, not feeling anything until Francie burst out with a comment that reminded her of all that had passed.
“I can’t believe that not even that Michael guy went with you!”
“Michael,” Sydney whispered.
The memory of their first-and last- kiss was emblazed in her mind and it was repeating itself over and over. Each time she saw it, it hurt more, digging the already large hole in her heart even deeper. She couldn’t focus on anything except it, and the odd look on her face must have worried her friends a little.
Francie looked at her questionably. “Um, Syd, are you okay.”
“I just have to go to bed, Fran. I’m sorry.”
She no longer felt numb, and for the first time since she had cried on her father’s shoulder in the hospital, Sydney felt tears welling up in her eyes as the hurt consumed her heart. She turned and ran to her room leaving Will and Francie staring at her retreating back simply stunned.
“You think we should do anything?” Francie asked Will, hoping he had some clue as to what was happening.
“No, I think she needs to be alone. Francie, there’s obviously something she doesn’t want us to know, or she would have told us.”
“But what if she just can’t tell us? Maybe the bank won’t let her, or maybe she just doesn’t feel like she can.”
“If we need to know, she’ll tell us. I’m sure that-“
Francie put a hand up to silence him. “Shh! Will, do you hear that?”
Anyone could hear Sydney’s sobbing through her closed door, all the way to the living room. Will glanced down the hallway and then back to Francie.
“Do you think-” he began, only to be cut off once again by Francie.
“Go talk to her, Will. Maybe she’ll tell you,” her eyes were pleading him to go and do something, to fix her best friend, and to make things she didn’t understand okay.
“Alright,” he replied as he stood, picked up Sydney’s luggage that had been forgotten at the door, and make his way down the hallway to the closed door that did little to cover up the fact that Sydney was crying.
He gently knocked on the door and waited for a reply. When none come, he figured she hadn’t heard him. Not knowing what to do, he looked back down the hall to Francie, who was watching him. Will thought he saw her brush a few tears away quickly as she gave him a small smile and a nod. He did not understand why there was so much crying.
‘Sydney may have a reason,’ he thought, ‘but what is Fran’s excuse?’
With that, he opened the door and stuck his head inside. Darkness enveloped the room and it took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust enough to see Sydney on her bed, crying into her pillow.
“Syd?” He asked.
When she didn’t reply, he stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. After letting his eyes fully adjust to the darkness, and setting her bags down on the floor, he walked over, turned the bathroom light on, and partially shut the door so that the light wouldn’t be too bright.
As he walked over to her bed where Sydney, as vulnerable as he had ever seen her (worse then when Danny had been killed even), was being racked with sobs, Will whispered her name again, a little louder. Hearing him for the first time, she lifted her head from the tear soaked pillow.
“Oh, Will,” she sobbed. “What have I done?”
He climbed up next to her and sat down. Glancing up at him, with tears in her eyes she asked, “What am I suppose to do? I feel so lost and alone, Will. Everything’s gone. I’ve lost. It’s over.”
Gently, he lifted her and cradled her in his arms, allowing her to cry against his chest. He didn’t know what was wrong, but he knew she needed someone to be there for her. By the reaction she had given to Francie’s comment about Vaughn, Will had a strong feeling it had to do with him. But before he could beat the felgercarb out of the man, he had to know what he had done to his usually amazingly strong best friend.
“What did he do to you, Syd?” He murmured.
Bewildered, she looked at him with confusion filled eyes. “Who, Will?”
With a sigh, he replied, “Vaughn. What did he do? Because, I swear, Syd, if he-“
Sydney cut him off by placing her hand over his mouth. She was no longer confused though.
“It wasn’t him,” she croaked, barely getting the words out before the tears started up more then before.
“I’m sorry, Syd. When I saw your reaction to Francie mentioning his name, I figured he had done something. Do you want to tell me what happened?”
“There’s nothing you can do about it, Will,” she sobbed.
He hated seeing her like this. Feeling the need to help, to do anything for her, he replied, “I could try. Will you let me try, Syd? I could talk to Vaughn about whatever’s wrong, maybe I could help.”
“You don’t understand! No one can help!”
“Don’t say that Syd, don’t give up hope.”
To him his words felt empty. Without a clue as to what was going on, how was he supposed to say something to make her feel better?
“Hope?” she bitterly asked. “What more is there to have hope in? To hope for? To live for?”
“Live for you. Live for Vaughn, Syd. What do you think he’d say to you if he saw you acting like this? Does he know what’s wrong?”
“No. He doesn’t know. He can’t know.”
“Syd. You should talk to him.”
“Don’t you get it?” She screamed. “I can’t talk to him, Will! I CAN’T!”
“I don’t understand,” he said.
She was beginning to scare him a little bit. Never had he seen her so upset about anything. She was crying so hard her whole body was shaking and she wasn’t anything near silent. Talking wasn’t a possibility for her at the moment, so Will just held her, rubbing small circles on her back while murmuring meaningless words trying to comfort her.
“Syd, please, tell me what’s wrong. I want to help.”
Taking a few deep, shuddering breaths she calmed herself enough to reply, “There’s nothing you can do.” She let out a bitter laugh as more tears fell. “My life-my everything-is gone. I just never knew it could hurt so bad.”
“Syd, I just don’t understand. You’re here, everything’s going to be fine.”
Firmly shaking her head, she replied, “You’re right. You don’t understand. He’s gone, Will.”
“Who? Vaughn?”
Sydney nodded her head in response.
“Then go after him. I’m sure he’d come back if you asked.”
“My angel went to Heaven, Will. I’m never going to talk to him again. I can beg him to come back-and probably will-but he can’t.”
He finally realized what she meant and why she was upset. Vaughn was dead.
“How,” he whispered.
“It was all my fault.”
“You know he wouldn’t want you to say that.”
“It’s the truth, Will. He followed me to Wales because I told him that I thought my mission was a trap. He even went so far as to get a hotel room across from mine under the name Joseph Richardson, Joseph because of the ‘Joey’s Pizza’ calls…that way if I heard the name I’d know he was there. But I didn’t find out that he was there until later. My guardian angel was protecting me. Once he did his job, he went back to Heaven. I’ll never see him again.”
“Oh, Syd,” Will sighed as she began to cry again.
He didn’t know what to say or how to help. The fire in her eyes had disappeared. When Danny had died, she worked harder, driven by her strong determination to destroy SD-6. Would this drive her more? Or would it destroy her? Sydney Bristow was the strongest person he had ever known. If something like this could destroy her, was there any hope for anyone else?
~*~*~*~*~
Francie sat in the living room, lost in her worries for her friend. Will had been in there with her for quite some time. She was beginning to wonder if she should go see if anyone needed her help. As she was deciding what to do, Sydney’s bedroom door opened, and Will walked out and Francie leaped up.
“What happened? Is she alright?” A nearly hysterical with worry Francie asked.
“She…uh, well, Fran, it’s not good.”
“Well, I could tell that. I want to know what happened. Did that Michael guy do something to her? Because she didn’t seem to happy when I mentioned him earlier.”
“Well, he didn’t do something himself, but it has to do with him.”
“Will! Just tell me. You’re stalling!”
With a sigh, he admitted, “Yeah, I guess I am. I’m not sure if I’m suppose to be telling you this or not, but Sydney’s asleep or I would have you go try and talk to her. I don’t know if she would talk, because it took forever for me to get something out of her and, well-“
“WILL! Just tell me!”
“Alright, sorry. It’s just that, I’m not sure how to tell you this.”
With an impatient sigh and a roll of her eyes, she said, “Just tell me. Stop stalling, stop stuttering, just tell me what happ--“
“He’s dead, Fran,” he cut her off.
She tilted her head an looked at him. “What do you…oh my gosh. You mean Michael?” Will nodded his head in the affirmative. “Oh, poor, Syd!” She whispered. “Is there anything I can do?”
“To be honest with you, Fran,” he glanced down the hallway back to Sydney’s shut door. “I’m not sure if there’s much anyone can do.”
Must Vaughn have died? Jess, this is SO good. Thanks bunches for the PM, sorry I haven't been here in a while, I don't usually travel to the General Fiction section, so I didn't notice you posted more. Anyway, this is AWESOME and I always respect those who are brave enough to kill Vaughn. I can never get up the courage too... He's to Vaughn-ish