~**~**~**~**~**~
Sydney rolled over in her bed. Beside her, the telephone shrilly rang. She didn't bother answering. It was after all only Weiss, calling as he always did to make sure she wasn't late. She yanked the chord hard, and threw the telephone against the wall, where it undoubtedly broke. She rolled over, and let herself cry into the sheets.
She no longer wanted to be alive. There was no point. No matter how many times she told herself that Sloane's missions were worth it, today, she couldn't feel it. She tore down her calendar the night before in a fit of rage. When she got out of bed, she planned to burn the newspaper. She wasn't going to watch any TV either. She was just going to sit in her apartment all day and cry.
She forgot one place. The radio. Promptly at 8:00, the radio proudly began to sing. Sydney just let it, and continued to cry. As the song ended, the announcer's voice came over. "Good morning everyone! It is 8:02, and here is the news for October 1, 2005."
Sydney let out a scream in anguish, and chucked the radio against the wall, where a small pile of thrown, broken electronics was starting to build up. This was the first year that she could remember that she actually hated October 1.
She wondered if Vaughn would even remember that it was the first of October. A calendar wasn't needed to remind her of the date. Her heart could always tell her when it was October. They met October first. She fell in love with him on October first. His watch stopped on October first. His heart stopped on October first. Or so he said. While she sat around her apartment, moping around, he would go to work, not caring whether it was October first, or January 8. He would go home, kiss his wife, and not remember that it was the anniversary of his and Sydney's first meeting.
The sound of keys jingling outside her apartment door, caused Sydney to stir, and sit up for the first time that morning. But she didn't move. It had to be Will or Weiss. They were the only ones with keys to her apartment. The night that Vaughn came to her apartment, she had stupidly left the door unlocked. She listened as footsteps came close to her bedroom. But the footsteps didn't belong to Will or Weiss.
"Sydney. You need to get out of bed." The deep male voice said.
"I don't feel well Dad."
"I don't care what you say. You are going to work this morning."
"No."
"Sydney Bristow." Jack said, lowering his voice, as he often did when she was a child. Most people would think that it was rude to treat a grown woman like a child, but it was clear why. She was acting like a kid, who was trying to get out of going to school because of a test. "You are going to work. Kendall wants to fire you if you don't start showing up."
"I don't want to. I don't care if I get fired."
"Why? Why won't you go?" Jack sat down. He saw his daughter's red puffy eyes, and tear stained pillow and instantly knew why. "Oh, is Vaughn the reason why? Sydney you are going to have to face him some time or another. You just can't hibernate in your bed all day."
"It's worked for a while."
"No Sydney, this isn't working."
"Go away Dad. I'm 30 years old, I can deal with this on my own."
"Sydney, I love you, but you need help. You didn't even take it when Kendall and I ordered you to see Barnett."
"I don't need to talk to a shrink."
"Then talk to anyone."
"I don't feel like talking."
"You're going to be talking at the meeting today."
"I told you I'm not going."
"Vaughn isn't there today." Jack lied.
"Is that so?"
"Yes."
"I'm still not going."
"Everyone is worried about you. If you don't show up more, people will think you're dead."
"Like that is any different."
"Good. Now get dressed, I will be waiting for you in your living room."
Sydney grumbled but did as she was told. Sometimes she knew that there was just no arguing with her father. He was the most stubborn person she knew. She also knew that he was lying.