Sydney had been back home for nearly two months now, and had only just been able to go back to school. She supposed it would be impossible to catch up, but she was going to try. She wasn't yet back to work, & had plenty of time to study.

She had wanted to get back to work right away, but both of her superiors had told her to take time off. Also, Vaughn had insisted she see a doctor. Physically, she was fine. Now it was her emotional state everyone seemed worried about.

They really didn't know what had happened, since Sydney refused to talk about it. Her friends were persistent in asking her, especially Vaughn, but it got him nowhere. Her father had even been by once or twice, but they'd been very awkward with each other, and lately he'd been staying away. Sydney was sorry, but was also too emotionally spent to keep asking him why he was avioding her.

School had become the one place she could escape all the awkwardness. She surprised even herself that she was able to focus... most days. Today was not one of them. She'd gone to the library after her last class of the day, meaning to study. All the memories of what had happened between her & her mother flooded in om her, and she'd been unable to concentrate. Before she realized what she was doiing, she'd gone outside and huddled against the building.

Someone she knew had approached and tried to get some response, but had failed. Knowing Sydney always seemed to carry a cell phone, the young man had taken it from her bag and used her autodial to reach one of her friends. He didn't kmow who he might reach, or if they could come and get her, but he had to do something.

"Hello?" came a man's voice.

"Sydney, something is wrong with her. She won't talk to me. I think someone needs to come for her."

"Please, let me talk to her."

"All right." The man handed her the phone.

"Take this." Sydney looked at him. She knew he had just pressed her redial button, and tried to think who she'd called last.

"Sydney, you need some help. Please, meet me somewhere so we can talk. I'm worried about you, your father is worried about you, that man who called, he's worried about you, too."

"Al..all right." They chose to meet at the pier at midnight.

"Good. Now, just clear your head, and go back to class, okay? And if you don't think you can do that, just skip it. You'll catch up quickly."

Sydney sighed. "All right, I will. Maybe I'll go get some coffee, it will help perk me up."

"Good, that's good. Bye."

"Bye."

Sydney showed up for the meeting over a half hour early. By the time Vaughn arrived, she was pacing back and forth. When he approached and spoke to her, she jumped.

"I thought you said you would go somewhere & get yourself calmed down."

"I did, earlier. It's just sort of late for me. I donb't stay up near so late these days."

"You should have said you wanted to meet earlier. That would have been all right."

"This is fine. I feel better than earlier, I've just been nervous, that's all."

"But that isn't good for you. I kmow how Sloane is about time off. He must be bothering you every day asking when you'll be back to work."

"No, he hasn't been bothering me. I've hardly even heard from Dad. He must be avioding me because... well, because it was my mother that kept me away so long. All these years he told me she was dead. He must think I'm angry at him, but I'm not. I appreciate why he did it, and I wish I'd never found out the truth."

Vaughn sighed. "So do I."

Sydney looked up, surprised. "You do?"

"Yes. You haven't been the same since you got back. Even when you were angry you could talk to me. You're not angry this time, though. You're afraid, and... disconnected. I wish you would tell me what happened."

Now Sydney sighed. "Michael, I don't think it would be fair to... to burden yoiu. You've never met my mother, but she's responsible for your father's death. I'd expect you to probably hate her, already. I kmow how you feel about me now, I don't think I want to give you more reason to despise her. Does that make sense?"

"Yes, but I think I know how much I can handle, and I want you to tell me. Please?"