Chapter Eleven - Temporary Scars

You ask for walls
I´ll build them higher
We´ll lie in shadows of them all
I´d stand but they´re much too tall
And I fall
February stars
Floating in the dark
Temporary scars...

"February Stars," Foo Fighters


[Syd's POV]

Wednesday -- Noon

"Why hello ladies," Michael greets us as he sits down in the seat beside me. If there's one thing I love about my new role as Stuckeyville High teacher, it's definitely lunch period. Especially when I can spend it with Michael.

He takes his jacket off, puts it on the back of his chair then leans over and gives me a kiss.

I don't think I'll ever get used to this.

He pulls away smiling and picks up a menu. I'm pretty sure I'm blushing...And it actually feels good.

"Awww, you guys are so cute!" Molly says dreamily.

"It's strange to be able to do this, isn't it, Syd?" He asks, looking up from his menu and over to me.

"Yeah," I must look like the biggest idiot ever. I can't help it though, this is everything I've ever wished for times a kajillion. Yes, a kajillion. "Yeah it is."

"What are you guys talking about? That's what any normal couple does. Being all lovey dovey...Not being able to take your hands off of each other. That's why it's so much fun!" Ha, if only Carol knew...

"Exactly." Michael says laughing.

"What are you guys talking about?" Molly asks, genuinely confused.

"It's a really really really really long story," I say waving my hand in front of me, "you guys wouldn't want to hear it." And I wouldn't particularly enjoy resurfacing my inner demons and pains in this glorious Candyland-esque place. It would certainly frighten the locals.

I think Michael sensed my hesitance because he's backing me up on this one.

"Let's just leave it at that things were different in LA. A lot different."

Different? No, I don't think things were different. Things were unbearable. Life was unbearable. When I thought all I had left in me was pain and hatred and darkness, Michael came along and changed that.

Maybe it will be good for me to talk about it. I don't think I have ever really and truly discussed my past with anyone. Not even Michael. And a part of me would rather let it all out and bear my soul to these women that I know I can trust and that I also know will listen to me and help me talk it out.

"Hey, Syd, we were thinking about having a kind of Girls Night In of sorts. My place; Me, Molly, and Nancy...Tomorrow night actually, since we don't have to worry about class on Friday. You in?" Carol asks, sticking a french fry into her mouth.

Girls night in? Okay, if I weren't here in the middle of a fairly crowded restaurant during lunch hour with Michael at my side, I'd let out a shriek audible only to dogs. Well, I could do it anyway seeing that no one would be able to hear it, but it would probably be embarassing (to say the least).

How cool! We can give each other facials and manicures and talk about boys and...

"Yeah, I'm definitely in!" I say excitedly.

Whoa there, tiger. Note to self: restrain your excitement around others. Atleast they think you're normal and you want to keep it that way. The one exception: when you're around Michael. Then you must channel all your excitement to--

"How rude. I am sitting right here, and I'm offended at the fact that I've been excluded from your little outing." How adorable is he?

"And it's not really an 'outing' per se," Molly starts, waving a fork in Michael's face, "seeing that we won't be going out...I guess you could call it an 'inning.'"

"I'm sorry, Michael, girls only." Carol says sweetly.

"Yeah, Michael," I retort mockingly. I never knew he was such a seeker of attention. But I'm not compaining.

"This is sexism and I don't have to tolerate it." He shakes his head stubbornly, putting his menu down on the table.

"Sexism, eh?" Molly grins.

"Speaking of sex, rumor around the school is that you're the guy all the girls are drooling over." That glint in Carol's eye is quite sketchy, if I do say so myself.

"Smooth transition, Carol, real smooth," Molly jokes with a laugh.

Wow, she took the words right out of my mouth. What a way to change the subject.

"What?" I ask, suddenly interested. I never was too fond of hormone driven young teenagers. Hold up, am I jealous of these teenagers? I, the one who is actually sleeping with Michael, am jealous of these lowly high schoolers? How pathetic am I? What the Hell has come over you, Sydney?

You could kick thier asses any day of the week, anyway.

"Well, I just happened to catch a note getting passed around my third period class. It basically talked about how 'dreamy' and 'sexy' the new Mr. Saunders was...and it actually highlighted your best features. I definitely think they're right. The eyes are a killer."

He is beyond adorable when he's embarassed. His face gets all red and he looks down...

"Yeah, Syd, your man is all the talk around the water fountain." Molly, that's not the only place where he's 'all the talk.' Yes, that's me trying to make a lame sexual innuendo but failing miserably.

"I guess you'll have to tell them my heart belongs to someone else..."

You bet it belongs to someone else. And they'd have to pry it from my cold dead hands. Ugh, nasty mental image.

~~~

Stuckeybowl -- Wednesday Afternoon

[Warren's POV]

"Ed, my dear man, I have a proposition for you." I say, charging into Ed's office.

"Warren...Hey." Ed looks up from his papers somewhat startled by my sudden entrance. "What's up?"

"Like I said, I have a proposition for you. I need information on this Michael Saunders guy. Rumor has it, you guys were tight in college. But I need the real dirt. Physical weaknesses, flaws in character or morals...stuff like that. In return, I will be your indentured servant for all of time."

That might have been a little much...don't want to come off as desperate.

Clearly Ed is amused by my emotional distress.

"What did he do now?" Ed asks, laughing.

"What didn't he do?" I respond, plopping down into the chair in front of his desk. The man has essentially ruined my life. It will never be the same...How am I supposed to win Sydney over after she's been with him? I'll forever be compared to the God-like Michael.

"Wow, this must be pretty bad," Ed says, getting up and walking around his desk.

"Two words: Sydney Hanton." I say simply. Is he supressing laughter? Because if he's supressing laughter there's no way I'll supress this urge to open up a can of whoop ass on his sorry self -- Cheswick-style!

Who am I kidding? I'd probably laugh it off and pretend like nothing happened.

"Oh, so this is over a woman," Ed shakes his head and leans against the front of his desk.

"Not just any woman, Ed. This is the woman of my dreams -- The future Mrs. Warren Cheswick. It's fate, Ed. Her coming to Stuckeyville and me -- It's just fate. We are meant to be together. So I need you to give me all the dirt on this guy so I can figure out some sort of plan of action."

He's furrowing his eyebrows. The man is in deep thought, I can tell. It was genius of me to come here. Ed is the man.

"Warren, you're really making this a lot harder than it has to be. You're going to do what any classy guy would: challenge him to a duel."

He's a genius. This man is a freakin genius.

"Why didn't I think of that myself?" I wonder out loud. "But wait, what will we duel with?"

"Sorry, Warren, that's not my decision to make. My services here are done."

"Thanks, man. That's all I needed." I say, getting up and going towards the door.

"No problem, Warren. I'm glad I could help."

Wait a second -- Stuckeybowl. I'll stage the duel at the Stuckeybowl. Brilliance. I would do a bowling duel, but we all know what a crappy bowler I am...

"Ed, do you think I can stage our little duel, here perhaps? Friday afternoon?"

Thank God for three day weekends.

"Sure thing."

That tan Frenchman has no idea what he's in for. No idea.

~~~

Thursday Night

[Vaughn's POV]

"The kid challenged me to a duel!" I exclaim, chucking the note Warren left for me after class at Ed.

And I thought he was warming up to me!

"Really?" Okay, Ed, that is beyond suspicious.

"Ed...You didn't have anything to do with this, did you? And don't even consider lying because you're a horrible liar."

Seriously, he is. Sometimes I think its probably best that he didn't carry through with a career in the CIA.

"The boy came to me for help, I couldn't just turn him down." Ed replies, shrugging.

"So you told him to challenge me to a duel?!"

"I thought it would be the most gentlemanly way to go about things," he says reading the note. "Ha, 'to win the love of Ms. Sydney Hanton.'"

"A challenge is a challenge, Michael. Sometimes you just have to respond to the call of duty." Mike says, shaking his head.

"Okay, I'm not going to duel this kid to the death. I'm just not going to." This kid is crazy. He must really have it bad for Sydney.

"Just humor him, Mike, what's the big deal?" Ed asks, sympathetically.

"I'm not going to fight for Sydney's affections. Last time I checked, she wasn't a prize or a piece of meat."

"Since when did you become Mr. Women Aren't Prized Possessions?" Ed asks. Dude, since always. Always.

" That doesn't matter. First of all, he's a teenager. Second of all, there's absolutely no contest."

"Don't be so sure," Mike says, tossing the paper back to me. "Warren's got charisma. And he always has something up his sleeve."

"And the boys got spunk. Don't count the spunk out. It's always the spunk that get's ya. Spunk."

You've got to be kidding me.

~~~

Carol's House

[Syd's POV]

"You're so telling us the whole story from the beginning. We don't care how long it is. It's seven o'clock, we've been fed, and we're ready to spend the rest of the night listening to you if we must."

My heart is screaming "Yes!" but my brain keeps saying "Hell no!" in a really sassy way. Yes, the tone is vital to understanding how I feel right now.

I think my heart has won out this time. I know so much about these guys, yet they know practically nothing about me. It would only be fair...

"Okay, fine," I sigh, pretending to be defeated, but secretly celebrating. I don't worry about bugs because the place is clean. I checked it before dinner, just in case. I'm not suprised. "Where should I start?"

"The beginning would be good," Molly says, smiling.

"Well then, I guess I should start by saying that I wasn't always a CIA agent..."

It takes me atleast half an hour just to explain what SD-6 is. I knew this would take awhile. They all seem riveted by my story and I can't hlep but feel a little guilty for revealing the evils of the world to these untainted women.

"So I guess it all really started with Danny." I say, lowering my voice. It's been a long time since I've talked about him.

"Who's Danny?" Carol asks.

"Danny was my fiancee."

Simultaneously, the three of them snap their heads up to me.

"You were engaged?!" Molly exclaims in shock. I nod my head slowly and start to continue.

"When I worked for SD-6, Danny proposed to me. Of course I said yes, I could never say no to Danny. But I didn't want to start our marriage off with lies. I just felt like it was my responsibility to tell him the truth. So I told him that I was a spy. That I worked forn a covert branch of the CIA called SD-6." I pause for a moment to regain my composure before continuing. "When I was out on a mission, he called my machine. Left a message..."

"Oh God," I hear Molly breathe. THe images are coming back so vividly...

Tears begin to flow out of my eyes as I start to recount the scene.

"I came home...The apartment was a wreck. I searched for Danny everywhere. Then I reached the bathroom, and that's when I saw him. Lying in the tub...drenched in his own blood. They had him killed."

I feel my body heave with sobs when suddenly Carol is at my side, holding me tightly. Molly's sitting on the other side of me and Nancy's kneeling in front. The tears begin to subside and I continue.

"That's when I learned the truth. SD-6 really wasn't a part of the CIA -- I was working for the enemy. My father...he had lied to me my whole life. He was really a CIA agent inside SD-6. It was at that moment I knew what i had to do. I had to join the CIA and work to bring down SD-6. Bring down Arvin Sloane...For Danny. And that's when I met Michael Vaughn."

I smile sadly at them, but I think they are still in shock.

"It sounds like a cruel joke, doesn't it?" I say, looking down once again. "That's what scared the sh-t out of me at first. The fact that I could be so happy with this man that I wouldn't have even known existed if Danny wasn't killed. But then, I just realized that if Danny had lived, I'd still be working for SD-6, with no clue as to what it really was. Thinking I was a good guy -- a patriot. I loved Danny very much, and yes, he was an innocent bystander in all of this, but knowing what I know now, I'd never go back to my life the way it was before. Never."

We sit in silence until Carol's sniffle breaks it. "Sydney this is--"

"Crazy, I know," I say laughing bitterly. "And that's just the prolouge."

"Oh God," Nancy says, wiping her tears away.

"Do you still want to hear the rest?" I ask, wearily.

"Are you kidding? You can't just leave us hanging. Plus, we know there's a happy ending so..."

Is this really what this is? My happy ending?

~~~

Later that Night

"Oh my God, Syd, oh my God!" Carol exclaims in shock. "You're life is crazy. Crazy!"

I raise my eyebrows and nod my head knowingly.

"That's why it's so amazing to be here...to live a normal life for once." She's right, it has been crazy. And after experiencing life in Stuckeyvillee, I know what I've missed out on all these years.

"With Michael." Nancy says dreamily.

"I know, isn't it great?" I don't know how the giddy words escape my mouth, but they do. "I don't think I really realized how much I cared about him until that night in Taipei. The look in his eyes through the glass as the door closed...the thud of his body against the cold steel. I really thought I lost him, I really did."

"I can't even imagine," Carol sighs as she pops some popcorn into her mouth.

"And the virus! Oh man, it must have been horrible to see him like that," Nancy adds.

"Trust me, you have no idea. Absolutely no idea." I say, shaking my head.

"Well, thank goodness he had you to save him," Molly says, nudging me and wiggling her eyebrows. I shrug my shoulders shyly. These girls give me way more credit than I deserve.

"Or else you wouldn't have that green eyed hottie sitting at home waiting for you," Carol jokes.

"God, Syd, let me just tell you, if I wasn't married, I'd so go after Michael. Hell I considered it anyway!" We all laugh. Huh, so amazingly strange.

"Trust me, you haven't even seen anything yet...When he speaks French? Uh-uh, I don't think so..." I say, unable to stop my self from giggling uncontrollably.

"Good Lord, don't even tell me..." Carol says, shaking her head.

"What about in bed? Is he good in bed?" Molly asks, grinning. "I bet he's great in bed."

I look up at them then down at the ground. This is a very personal fact, I don't know if I should just be throwing it around...

"He is amazing in bed. No, he is beyond amazing. He could very well be the best I've ever had..."

We all giggle like little teenagers and I know right here, right now, I never want it to end. There's such a rush you get when you can just hang out with the girls and chat about stuff...including your uber-sexy boyfriend.

Boyfriend. He's my boyfriend. If that's not freaky, I don't know what is.

"In all seriousness, you are my hero, Sydney, you really and truly are." No, no Molly. I'm not a hero...I'm anything but...

I laugh shyly and nudge her.

This was exactly what I needed. A release. Something that would let me move on with my life.

"Thank you guys so much. You don't understand how good this was for me."

Now I can live my life the way it was meant to be lived. Looking towards the future and not towards the past.

~~~

I slowly creep towards the bed, and slip in beside Michael. I feel fresh tears fall from my eyes as he instinctively wraps his arm around me. I sniffle softly, and he immediately speaks up.

"Hey, you okay?" He asks, concerned.

I turn around in his arms and hold his face. "This is my happy ending." I say before kissing him. We slowly pull apart and I feel a smile spread across my face. "I'm great."

"Good." He replies smiling. "Because we're going to going to the Stuckeybowl tomorrow at one, because I have to duel Warren Cheswick. The winner basically gets you. Good night!" He finishes quickly.

"WHAT?!"

END CHAPTER ELEVEN