Chapter Four
Thanks again to everyone who has read and enjoyed this story so far. I hope your enjoyment continues. Please read and review.
******
Sydney was sitting at home, reading a magazine when the doorbell rang. Will was supposed to be coming over, his first stop after getting off the "plane" from New York City. During her wait, she had spent a decadent evening doing nothing of importance - almost like a normal girl waiting for her boyfriend to get home from a trip. Her last night of near normalcy, out with her friends had ended in her being arrested and questioned by a special team of CIA investigators. So she had relished in the idea of sitting at home for an evening, despite the fact that the moment Will got there things would be more than a little weird.
The doorbell rang again as Sydney let out a long sighed and pulled herself up from the couch - time to face the music.
"Coming!"
Sydney stood on the other side of the door, shook her head and put her hand on the knob. 'Happy girlfriend, ready, set, go.'
"You're late," Sydney laughed as the door opened to reveal not a smiling Will but a frowning Sloane.
"Sydney," Sloane didn't even muster a polite smile, "May I come in?"
"Sir, what a surprise," Sydney stepped aside, "Yes, please come in. When did you get back in town?"
Sloane walked inside and went straight to the couch and sat down. Sydney followed and sat down beside him where he had patted on the cushion. Though her movements were deliberate, her mind was racing to find a possible reason for Sloane's sudden appearance at her home, a place he had not been to since she moved there after Danny's death.
"You are probably wondering what I am doing here," Sloane started. "I don't quite know myself but I guess I just wanted to be the one to tell you."
"Tell me what?"
"Emily is dead."
"What," Sydney felt her throat constricting, "The cancer? I don't. I don't understand. She was in remission, I mean, it wasn't the cancer was it?"
"No," Sloane took Sydney's hand, "It wasn't the cancer. It was, I don't know, she died in her sleep. An allergic reaction to some medication she was taking for a cold she picked up on our vacation. We were taking a trip to celebrate her beating cancer. She was so beautiful."
Sloane squeezed the hand in his, hard enough to bring tears of pain to Sydney's eyes to mix with the ones that had already found their way there. Without warning, he leaned over and began weeping, body shaking uncontrollably, leaving Sydney at a loss for what to do. Slowly, steadily, she wrapped her arms around the man next to her, a man she hated with everything in her who was grieving the loss of a woman she had loved like a mother, a woman they both had loved.
"I can't believe she is gone," Sloane sobbed. "She was my life."
Sydney couldn't not find the words to say to comfort Sloane, so she simply held him and let him cry, joining him with her own tears. They sat like that until the phone rang, breaking into the moment, bringing Sydney back to the reality within which the man in her arms repulsed her. She may have pushed back from him more roughly than she should have but she didn't notice in her haste to get to the phone and away from Sloane.
Gulping in air and wiping her nose with an unladylike swipe of her sleeve, Sydney scooped up the phone and hit 'Talk'. "Hello?"
"Hi honey," Jack's voice came through the earpiece, "I have some bad news."
"I know, Dad, Sloane's here."
"What, why is Sloane at your house?"
"He came to tell me about Emily," Sydney let a sob slip out, "I can't believe she is dead."
"Honey, I'm so sorry, I know how you felt about Emily," Jack's voice brought a bit of comfort to his daughter, "She was what you knew of a mother."
"She was wonderful."
"Sydney, can I talk to Sloane?"
Sydney brought the phone over to Sloane, "It's my dad."
Sloane took the phone and murmured a handful of yes's and no's, his head hanging down in his lap. Sydney went into the kitchen and turned on the faucet, splashing cold water onto her face, scratching her nails across her skin. Emily was dead.
"Thanks, Jack," Sydney heard Sloane ending the conversation, "I'll see you at the office tomorrow."
Sloane handed the Sydney back the phone. As Sydney took it from his hand, the doorbell rang again. Will.
"I'm sorry for coming here like this, Sydney," Sloane said, "I just didn't know where to go, what to do. I wanted to be with someone who loved her. Thank you for being here for me."
"I loved Emily, I'd do anything for her," Sydney said, dismissing any thought from her mind that she had done something good for Sloane, "I'm sorry for your loss. Please let me know if there is anything that I can do."
"I certainly will," Sloane stood up from the couch and started walking towards the front door, "Were you expecting someone?"
"Yes," Sydney had almost forgotten that Will was coming over, "My friend, Will, who came over for dinner with me a few months ago."
"Ah yes, that was the young man whose company Emily enjoyed so much."
"He'd be glad to hear that," Sydney smiled slightly, "He, I mean, we are sort of seeing each other."
"Dating," Sloane smiled back, "Emily would be pleased. I'm glad that you have someone to be with you."
Sloane opened the door to the front porch where Will was standing, finger poised over the doorbell, ready to ring it again.
"Good evening, Mr. Tippin."
Will looked up startled, "Mr. Sloane, good to see you again."
Sloane stepped aside, motioning for Will to come inside. "Sydney tells me that you two are dating. I'm happy for the two of you, my wife would have been pleased."
"Thank you, Mr. Sloane," Will turned to look at Sydney, searching her face for a sign for what he should do. "Please give my regards to your wife."
"Thanks for your kind thoughts but I am afraid I can't pass along the message," Sloane's voice cracked a little, "My wife died two weeks ago."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Will stammered, "I have been out of town, I didn't know."
"That's all right, you couldn't have known, Sydney only just found out this evening," Sloane wiped his eyes with the handkerchief he had retrieved from his pocket, "I think I will be going now. Thank you Sydney, I'll let you know about the memorial arrangements."
"I'm very sorry," Sydney repeated, almost anxious for Sloane to leave.
Sloane pulled the door shut as he left, leaving Will and Sydney alone. Will took one step towards Sydney before she crumpled onto the floor, body shaking with sobs. Will knelt on the floor next to her, gathering her up in his arms.
"Shhh," he soothed, "It's going to be all right. Shhhh."
Sydney wrapped her arms around Will's and tucked her head under his chin, letting her tears soak into his t-shirt.
"Thank you for being here," she whispered.
"There's no place I would rather be."
Will rocked them back and forth, a seemingly natural tendency for anyone trying to calm another distraught individual - infant to adult. His hand began stroking her hair, smoothing it back away from her face. After a while, she sobs lessened and her body only shaking mildly. Will pressed his lips against the edge of her scalp and hugged her to him.
"Is there anything I can say to make this better," he asked.
"No, but thanks for asking," Sydney sniffed, "I just didn't expect this, she was better, the cancer was gone."
Sydney let go of Will's arms to reach for a tissue from the box on the end table. Will rubbed her back as she dried her eyes and nose.
"Thank you again," Sydney offered a half-hearted smile. "Some homecoming."
"Hey, don't even worry about it," Will shook his head, "This is more important right now. What you are feeling and the fact that I can be here for you, that's what matters. We'll figure everything else out later, okay?"
"Okay," Sydney wondered what he meant by figuring everything else out, hadn't that been what the meeting was for last night. "I think I am going to go take a bath. You okay out here?"
"Syd, I've spent hours entertaining myself in this house."
"Right," Sydney tilted her head to the side and gave him a sheepish look, "Well then, make yourself at home as usual."
Will just nodded and then pointed in the direction of the bathroom. "Go."
Sydney stood up and shuffled off in the direction of the bathroom. Shutting the door behind her, she reached for a book of matches to begin lighting candles. Once enough candles were lit to provide sufficient light to see by, Sydney flipped the light switch off and turned on the hot water to fill up the tub, an old claw-foot one with enough room for two, though she had only enjoyed it alone.
Will had turned on the stereo in the living room and sounds of David Gray drifted through the door, furthering calming Sydney - he always seemed to know what would make her feel better.
******
Thanks again to everyone who has read and enjoyed this story so far. I hope your enjoyment continues. Please read and review.
******
Sydney was sitting at home, reading a magazine when the doorbell rang. Will was supposed to be coming over, his first stop after getting off the "plane" from New York City. During her wait, she had spent a decadent evening doing nothing of importance - almost like a normal girl waiting for her boyfriend to get home from a trip. Her last night of near normalcy, out with her friends had ended in her being arrested and questioned by a special team of CIA investigators. So she had relished in the idea of sitting at home for an evening, despite the fact that the moment Will got there things would be more than a little weird.
The doorbell rang again as Sydney let out a long sighed and pulled herself up from the couch - time to face the music.
"Coming!"
Sydney stood on the other side of the door, shook her head and put her hand on the knob. 'Happy girlfriend, ready, set, go.'
"You're late," Sydney laughed as the door opened to reveal not a smiling Will but a frowning Sloane.
"Sydney," Sloane didn't even muster a polite smile, "May I come in?"
"Sir, what a surprise," Sydney stepped aside, "Yes, please come in. When did you get back in town?"
Sloane walked inside and went straight to the couch and sat down. Sydney followed and sat down beside him where he had patted on the cushion. Though her movements were deliberate, her mind was racing to find a possible reason for Sloane's sudden appearance at her home, a place he had not been to since she moved there after Danny's death.
"You are probably wondering what I am doing here," Sloane started. "I don't quite know myself but I guess I just wanted to be the one to tell you."
"Tell me what?"
"Emily is dead."
"What," Sydney felt her throat constricting, "The cancer? I don't. I don't understand. She was in remission, I mean, it wasn't the cancer was it?"
"No," Sloane took Sydney's hand, "It wasn't the cancer. It was, I don't know, she died in her sleep. An allergic reaction to some medication she was taking for a cold she picked up on our vacation. We were taking a trip to celebrate her beating cancer. She was so beautiful."
Sloane squeezed the hand in his, hard enough to bring tears of pain to Sydney's eyes to mix with the ones that had already found their way there. Without warning, he leaned over and began weeping, body shaking uncontrollably, leaving Sydney at a loss for what to do. Slowly, steadily, she wrapped her arms around the man next to her, a man she hated with everything in her who was grieving the loss of a woman she had loved like a mother, a woman they both had loved.
"I can't believe she is gone," Sloane sobbed. "She was my life."
Sydney couldn't not find the words to say to comfort Sloane, so she simply held him and let him cry, joining him with her own tears. They sat like that until the phone rang, breaking into the moment, bringing Sydney back to the reality within which the man in her arms repulsed her. She may have pushed back from him more roughly than she should have but she didn't notice in her haste to get to the phone and away from Sloane.
Gulping in air and wiping her nose with an unladylike swipe of her sleeve, Sydney scooped up the phone and hit 'Talk'. "Hello?"
"Hi honey," Jack's voice came through the earpiece, "I have some bad news."
"I know, Dad, Sloane's here."
"What, why is Sloane at your house?"
"He came to tell me about Emily," Sydney let a sob slip out, "I can't believe she is dead."
"Honey, I'm so sorry, I know how you felt about Emily," Jack's voice brought a bit of comfort to his daughter, "She was what you knew of a mother."
"She was wonderful."
"Sydney, can I talk to Sloane?"
Sydney brought the phone over to Sloane, "It's my dad."
Sloane took the phone and murmured a handful of yes's and no's, his head hanging down in his lap. Sydney went into the kitchen and turned on the faucet, splashing cold water onto her face, scratching her nails across her skin. Emily was dead.
"Thanks, Jack," Sydney heard Sloane ending the conversation, "I'll see you at the office tomorrow."
Sloane handed the Sydney back the phone. As Sydney took it from his hand, the doorbell rang again. Will.
"I'm sorry for coming here like this, Sydney," Sloane said, "I just didn't know where to go, what to do. I wanted to be with someone who loved her. Thank you for being here for me."
"I loved Emily, I'd do anything for her," Sydney said, dismissing any thought from her mind that she had done something good for Sloane, "I'm sorry for your loss. Please let me know if there is anything that I can do."
"I certainly will," Sloane stood up from the couch and started walking towards the front door, "Were you expecting someone?"
"Yes," Sydney had almost forgotten that Will was coming over, "My friend, Will, who came over for dinner with me a few months ago."
"Ah yes, that was the young man whose company Emily enjoyed so much."
"He'd be glad to hear that," Sydney smiled slightly, "He, I mean, we are sort of seeing each other."
"Dating," Sloane smiled back, "Emily would be pleased. I'm glad that you have someone to be with you."
Sloane opened the door to the front porch where Will was standing, finger poised over the doorbell, ready to ring it again.
"Good evening, Mr. Tippin."
Will looked up startled, "Mr. Sloane, good to see you again."
Sloane stepped aside, motioning for Will to come inside. "Sydney tells me that you two are dating. I'm happy for the two of you, my wife would have been pleased."
"Thank you, Mr. Sloane," Will turned to look at Sydney, searching her face for a sign for what he should do. "Please give my regards to your wife."
"Thanks for your kind thoughts but I am afraid I can't pass along the message," Sloane's voice cracked a little, "My wife died two weeks ago."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Will stammered, "I have been out of town, I didn't know."
"That's all right, you couldn't have known, Sydney only just found out this evening," Sloane wiped his eyes with the handkerchief he had retrieved from his pocket, "I think I will be going now. Thank you Sydney, I'll let you know about the memorial arrangements."
"I'm very sorry," Sydney repeated, almost anxious for Sloane to leave.
Sloane pulled the door shut as he left, leaving Will and Sydney alone. Will took one step towards Sydney before she crumpled onto the floor, body shaking with sobs. Will knelt on the floor next to her, gathering her up in his arms.
"Shhh," he soothed, "It's going to be all right. Shhhh."
Sydney wrapped her arms around Will's and tucked her head under his chin, letting her tears soak into his t-shirt.
"Thank you for being here," she whispered.
"There's no place I would rather be."
Will rocked them back and forth, a seemingly natural tendency for anyone trying to calm another distraught individual - infant to adult. His hand began stroking her hair, smoothing it back away from her face. After a while, she sobs lessened and her body only shaking mildly. Will pressed his lips against the edge of her scalp and hugged her to him.
"Is there anything I can say to make this better," he asked.
"No, but thanks for asking," Sydney sniffed, "I just didn't expect this, she was better, the cancer was gone."
Sydney let go of Will's arms to reach for a tissue from the box on the end table. Will rubbed her back as she dried her eyes and nose.
"Thank you again," Sydney offered a half-hearted smile. "Some homecoming."
"Hey, don't even worry about it," Will shook his head, "This is more important right now. What you are feeling and the fact that I can be here for you, that's what matters. We'll figure everything else out later, okay?"
"Okay," Sydney wondered what he meant by figuring everything else out, hadn't that been what the meeting was for last night. "I think I am going to go take a bath. You okay out here?"
"Syd, I've spent hours entertaining myself in this house."
"Right," Sydney tilted her head to the side and gave him a sheepish look, "Well then, make yourself at home as usual."
Will just nodded and then pointed in the direction of the bathroom. "Go."
Sydney stood up and shuffled off in the direction of the bathroom. Shutting the door behind her, she reached for a book of matches to begin lighting candles. Once enough candles were lit to provide sufficient light to see by, Sydney flipped the light switch off and turned on the hot water to fill up the tub, an old claw-foot one with enough room for two, though she had only enjoyed it alone.
Will had turned on the stereo in the living room and sounds of David Gray drifted through the door, furthering calming Sydney - he always seemed to know what would make her feel better.
******
