Title: Depression

By: Ryan AKA: Star

Summary: Sydney gets sick of her life and falls into depression, will someone be there to dig her out from it? Read and find out!

Disclaimer: It's not mine!

Chapter 4: Tough Love

Eventually, I calm down and get comfortable enough that I fall asleep. This time I don't meet Vaughn in my dream, and I don't see blood or anything. I'm just at peace resting my weak body and soul.

Suddenly, I am brought back from my sleep by the warm feeling of a hand stroking my arm and fingers running through my hair. My eyes flutter open and I see a gorgeous face looking down at me. Everything starts to come back to me, from me standing lonely at the pier at night, to sleeping in Vaughn's arms.

"Morning." He greets me with a smile. How can he do that? How can he not be angry at me or disappointed? I smile a little, "thank you." I don't have to say anything more than that and he understands it all.

From now until forever

That's how long I'll be true

I'll make you this vow

And promise you now

Until forever

I'll never stop loving you

He reaches up one of his hands and tries to grab one of mine, which is when I realized my hands were still locked around his neck. At first I resist again but he sooths me, "It's okay, I'm not going anywhere Syd." I look into his eyes for a minute and see the sincerity in them. Feeling stable at the moment I unlock my fingers allowing him to take one of my hands in his own.

He brought my hand down from behind his head and rested it on his stomach. He stroked the back of my hand with his gentle, soft fingertips and that's when he noticed the cuts and scratches. "Oh Sydney." He whispers under his breath. He picks up my hand and examines the cuts but I soon pull my hand away and hide it from his view. He looks at me and I just start to let silent tears run down my cheek. "Syd, what were you thinking?"

I look away because I don't want to answer but he forces me too. He lifts my chin to face him, "Sydney?" He waits for a response and when I don't give one he starts to get up, "Fine if you don't want to tell me then I guess you don't need me." Talk about tough love. I know that my only chance to over come this is with him so I grab his arm, "Please don't leave. Can we go somewhere else to talk?" He nods, and he's back into his caring mode.

We both move to sit in the front seats. He's driving of course, and I sit in the passenger seat. I lean over the gap between the seats though and lean into his shoulder. He wraps his right arm around my shoulders and holds me close.

There'll come a day

When the world stops turning

And stars will fall from the sky

But this feeling will last

When the sun stops burning

All iwanna do is love you

Till the end of time

It's early out; the sun is just beginning to rise. Vaughn drives through the deserted streets of L.A. "Where are we going?" I ask when I don't recognize the root being to his or my house.

He looks over at my pleading face and then back to the road. I can tell he doesn't want to tell me. "Vaughn?"

"Sydney you need help." He states cautiously. 'No duh!' I feel like saying but I hold back. "You need someone professional to talk to." Ut-oh. "I'm bringing you to Barnett."

I immediately pull away from him. "No Vaughn! I don't need a shrink, I just need you!" I say as tears are now streaming down my cheeks.

"That's where you're wrong Sydney. Look," he says grabbing my hand to show it to me again, "you hurt yourself. You can't just forget about this incident and go back to normal life." Maybe he's right but I can try can't I. The worst part is he's doing this and he doesn't even know my intention of actually killing myself.

I grab his right arm and I grasp his hand in mine. My whole body is turned on the seat facing him, "Please Vaughn." I say pleading. "Don't betray me like this."

"Betray you? Syd don't give me that bullshit. That is what everyone else has done to you, not me. I'm protecting you." He rages out at me.

"If you bring me to Barnett you are betraying my trust." He just shakes his head further at that. Suddenly he pulls over on the road and stops the car.

He leans over me and opens my door for me. "There Syd. You're free. You're free to leave. There's the open road, good luck." He says coldly.

I can't believe he's really doing all this. I thought he'd be the normal caring, sweet Vaughn but he isn't. Tears are falling rapidly from my small eyes. "Vaughn." is all I can choke out.

"Sydney please just listen to me." He says a bit more gently this time. "I'm going to take you to Barnett right now. You can talk to her about what went on with you last night and what's going on now. She'll help you. If you want me to stay with you even, I will. But Syd this is problem is past both of us, you need a professional." That's when it hits me. Vaughn is doing all this because he loves me. He's not betraying me like everyone else. He's not leaving me when I need him most; rather he's being strong when I need a rock.

I nod, "okay." I shut me door and then look back at him. I lean towards him and hug him closely. I came so close to ruining the one good thing left in my life. He embraces me back. "Sydney I just want to protect you."

"I know. I understand now." I admit. Vaughn pulls me close and wraps his arm around my shoulders again. We get back on the road and continue to head towards the ops center.

From now until forever

That's how long I'll be true

I'll make you this vow

And promise you now

Until forever

I'll never stop loving you



**I'll Never Stop Loving You-Britney Spears ***Hope you liked it. More is coming soon. Next chapter is on the help she gets. R/R plz. Thanks so much for reading!