A/N: This is the last part! Thanks for all of your reviews, they really
make my day :) Sorry this took so long, I was trying to make it longer than
it is but it really didn't work. I know a lot of you wanted more s/v action
but I was getting rather sick of all the stories about them ultimately
getting together. No offense to any other writers, the stories are
wonderful, I just needed to write something different. Again, thanks for
reading!
Sydney was climbing out, slowly, finding small holes, chinks in the wall she hadn't noticed before. She was leaving, leaving this awful place. She could see the rim now. She could see Vaughn on the top, encouraging her, helping her out. She had opened herself to him, making a risky grab at trust, and he hadn't taken advantage of her. He had helped her. She could trust him.
But she couldn't quite get out. Something was still holding her back. She needed his help, one last time.
Sydney let out a breath, slowly.
"And what about when - if - I do get out of this life? Maybe for an agent, this is acceptable, but for normal people? If any normal person murdered as many people as I have, they would be long dead. Could I live with myself that way, Vaughn? Could I live, knowing what I've done, always having to keep it from others?"
Vaughn looked down at her, down into her deep brown eyes. They were so frightened, begging him to help her. But there was nothing he could do that would save her. It was her turn.
"You're the only person who can decide that, Syd," he answered quietly, squeezing her hands. "You're the only one who will be able to free yourself of that guilt." She looked lost, desperate. But he couldn't help her now. She was the only one who could help herself now. "You're being too hard on yourself, Syd. I know it's hard to accept, but you can't look at it so emotionally. You have to let it go." He looked pleadingly into her eyes, begging her to accept this, to allow herself to get better.
She nodded slowly. He saw a glimmer of life in her eyes. She had accepted. She had finally seen reason. He felt his heart soar. She was back. The Sydney he knew was coming back.
She turned to him and buried her face in his shoulder, not desperatly this time, but simply needing comfort.
"Just don't leave me alone," she whispered. "Please. Don't ever leave me alone."
"Never," he answered, wrapping his arms around her. "I'll always be here." They stayed like that for only moments, but it felt like all eternity.
Sydney felt her hands wrap over the rim of the hole. Her arms were weak, and she struggled, trying to make that one last pull to get out. And then she felt his hands take hers, pull her up, over the edge. She looked up, to thank him, but he was gone. Yet she could feel him, close by. He was there. He would always be there, if she needed him.
She looked over the edge, cautiously. The darkness swallowed everything. Far, far below, she could see the knife, gleaming threateningly. She shuddered. How could she have let herself fall into that nightmare?
She was so tired. Her little... adventure... had taken more out of her than she had thought. Lying down on the hard ground, she closed her eyes. Just before she was completely gone, she felt strong arms lift her up. She sensed motion, in her foggy mind, and then felt him lay her down in a bed, an ordinary bed, but one that felt softer than anything she'd felt before. And as she began to completely loose all her senses, she had the strangest sensation of the real world rushing up to meet this strange dream world. Then she blacked out.
Vaughn lay Sydney down in her bed, pulling the blankets up over her. She looked so peaceful when she slept. As he watched her, he could almost forget that less than an hour ago she had tried to kill herself. He brushed her hair out of her face, feeling with relief that her once-cold skin was again warm. Smiling a little, he bent down and kissed her forehead. She was strong. She would make it.
"Sweet dreams," he whispered. Then he walked out of the room and closed the door softly behind him.
**FIN**
A/N: Well, that's it! There is a slight chance I might right a sequel, but anything else I write will probably have nothing to do with this story. Thanks again for the reviews!
Sydney was climbing out, slowly, finding small holes, chinks in the wall she hadn't noticed before. She was leaving, leaving this awful place. She could see the rim now. She could see Vaughn on the top, encouraging her, helping her out. She had opened herself to him, making a risky grab at trust, and he hadn't taken advantage of her. He had helped her. She could trust him.
But she couldn't quite get out. Something was still holding her back. She needed his help, one last time.
Sydney let out a breath, slowly.
"And what about when - if - I do get out of this life? Maybe for an agent, this is acceptable, but for normal people? If any normal person murdered as many people as I have, they would be long dead. Could I live with myself that way, Vaughn? Could I live, knowing what I've done, always having to keep it from others?"
Vaughn looked down at her, down into her deep brown eyes. They were so frightened, begging him to help her. But there was nothing he could do that would save her. It was her turn.
"You're the only person who can decide that, Syd," he answered quietly, squeezing her hands. "You're the only one who will be able to free yourself of that guilt." She looked lost, desperate. But he couldn't help her now. She was the only one who could help herself now. "You're being too hard on yourself, Syd. I know it's hard to accept, but you can't look at it so emotionally. You have to let it go." He looked pleadingly into her eyes, begging her to accept this, to allow herself to get better.
She nodded slowly. He saw a glimmer of life in her eyes. She had accepted. She had finally seen reason. He felt his heart soar. She was back. The Sydney he knew was coming back.
She turned to him and buried her face in his shoulder, not desperatly this time, but simply needing comfort.
"Just don't leave me alone," she whispered. "Please. Don't ever leave me alone."
"Never," he answered, wrapping his arms around her. "I'll always be here." They stayed like that for only moments, but it felt like all eternity.
Sydney felt her hands wrap over the rim of the hole. Her arms were weak, and she struggled, trying to make that one last pull to get out. And then she felt his hands take hers, pull her up, over the edge. She looked up, to thank him, but he was gone. Yet she could feel him, close by. He was there. He would always be there, if she needed him.
She looked over the edge, cautiously. The darkness swallowed everything. Far, far below, she could see the knife, gleaming threateningly. She shuddered. How could she have let herself fall into that nightmare?
She was so tired. Her little... adventure... had taken more out of her than she had thought. Lying down on the hard ground, she closed her eyes. Just before she was completely gone, she felt strong arms lift her up. She sensed motion, in her foggy mind, and then felt him lay her down in a bed, an ordinary bed, but one that felt softer than anything she'd felt before. And as she began to completely loose all her senses, she had the strangest sensation of the real world rushing up to meet this strange dream world. Then she blacked out.
Vaughn lay Sydney down in her bed, pulling the blankets up over her. She looked so peaceful when she slept. As he watched her, he could almost forget that less than an hour ago she had tried to kill herself. He brushed her hair out of her face, feeling with relief that her once-cold skin was again warm. Smiling a little, he bent down and kissed her forehead. She was strong. She would make it.
"Sweet dreams," he whispered. Then he walked out of the room and closed the door softly behind him.
**FIN**
A/N: Well, that's it! There is a slight chance I might right a sequel, but anything else I write will probably have nothing to do with this story. Thanks again for the reviews!