Sydney sat and fidgeted in the living room, the bags in her hands full of spare clothes and some things she'd grabbed from Anastasia's room, as she waited for Michael to arrive.
She looked at her watch: 7 minutes, the longest 7 minutes of her life and she still had 3 more to go.
It amazed her how close she and Michael still were even after the divorce.
They had gotten married about a year after SD-6 was taken down and 2 months later Sydney found out that she was pregnant with Anastasia.
9 months being pregnant had done nothing to damper her spirits at being newlywed and expecting a child.
She had handed in her resignation to the CIA as soon as Anastasia was born, hoping to one day become a teacher.
Her wish became reality when Anastasia started kindergarten, she took an open position for a literature professor at UCLA.
It was her dream job, and even though she thought her life was perfect, that was really the beginning of the end.
When Anastasia was six years old, Michael's mother died. They all flew out to France for her funeral, it was one of the worst things that ever happened to them.
Sydney had never dreamed that his mother's death could have affected Michael so much. When they had come back from France, he had grown distant, only talking to Ana and her when he was forced to, barely making eye contact with anyone.
He had made it a habit to sleep on the couch whenever possible, staying out until the wee hours of the morning at bars drinking.
On more than one occasion he had come home so drunk that he had passed out in the entryway, knocking over endtables and knocking pictures off the walls.
She had gotten used to it, so whenever she heard things smashing she didn't pay any attention. But at the age of 6 you're very inquisitive, and each morning Anastasia would ask why everything was broken, only to be met by silence.
Finally after one very brutal morning where he knocked over the tv and smashed it, Sydney decided to do something about it. That night she confronted him, and the true battle began.
*Flashback*
"Michael you have to stop this," she told him. "You're ignoring me, you're ignoring Ana. It's just not healthy."
"Do you think I give a damn if I'm ignoring you?" he screamed at her. "Because guess what? I don't!"
The tears sprung to her eyes. "You mother died 6 months ago Michael, 6 months," she said. "And for 6 months you've ignored Ana and I. You've probably slept in our bed four nights in the last six months."
"Don't bring her into this," he hissed at her. "Her death has nothing to do with my behavior."
"It has everything to do with your behavior," she replied. "You're acting irrational, immature, and irresponsible."
"If you have a problem with my behavior then you can just leave!" he exclaimed, "You know where the door is."
"Can't we just work this out?" she pleaded.
"Just get out of my way," he said, "I'm going out."
"What to get drunk?" she asked, "Never mind, we'll just leave."
She turned on her heel and marched up the stairs, packing some of her things in one suticase and some of Anastasia's in another.
Waking a sleeping Ana and grabbing her car keys, she walked out the door, slamming it behind her, never to return again. Then she drove off, heading towards Will's apartment.
*End Flashback*
A few days later, they mutually filed for a divorce, but not without trying to work it out first.
*Flashback*
"All I'm asking of you is that you stop drinking," she told him. "That's all I want."
"I'm not sure I can do that Syd," he said.
"Then it's over," she replied before walking out to go file for a divorce.
*End Flashback*
Three months after they had filed for the divorce, it became final and they were free once again. But it seemed as if now that they were free, they didn't want to be free anymore.
Their friends set them up on blind dates, and that's all they were, no one was called back for a second date. Sydney and Michael liked it that way, because deep down they knew that they would be back together someday.
Sydney was pulled out of her thoughts by the ringing of the doorbell, instantly she knew who it was.
Walking to the door, she mumbled to herself, "But whoever thought this tragedy would be what brought us back together again?"
The minute the door was open, Michael wrapped his arms around Sydney, both relaxing in the embrace of the other.
The comfort they felt in each other's arms was unbelievable, but good nonetheless.
"She'll be okay Syd," he whispered in her ear. "I promise you that."
"I wish you could be sure Michael," she replied. "Just please don't give me any false hope until we know what's wrong."
"Okay I can do that," he explained.
"Good," she said. "Now come on let's go see our daughter."
He grabbed her outstretched hand and agreed, and together they walked hand-in-hand to the car, which soon sped off towards the hospital.
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She looked at her watch: 7 minutes, the longest 7 minutes of her life and she still had 3 more to go.
It amazed her how close she and Michael still were even after the divorce.
They had gotten married about a year after SD-6 was taken down and 2 months later Sydney found out that she was pregnant with Anastasia.
9 months being pregnant had done nothing to damper her spirits at being newlywed and expecting a child.
She had handed in her resignation to the CIA as soon as Anastasia was born, hoping to one day become a teacher.
Her wish became reality when Anastasia started kindergarten, she took an open position for a literature professor at UCLA.
It was her dream job, and even though she thought her life was perfect, that was really the beginning of the end.
When Anastasia was six years old, Michael's mother died. They all flew out to France for her funeral, it was one of the worst things that ever happened to them.
Sydney had never dreamed that his mother's death could have affected Michael so much. When they had come back from France, he had grown distant, only talking to Ana and her when he was forced to, barely making eye contact with anyone.
He had made it a habit to sleep on the couch whenever possible, staying out until the wee hours of the morning at bars drinking.
On more than one occasion he had come home so drunk that he had passed out in the entryway, knocking over endtables and knocking pictures off the walls.
She had gotten used to it, so whenever she heard things smashing she didn't pay any attention. But at the age of 6 you're very inquisitive, and each morning Anastasia would ask why everything was broken, only to be met by silence.
Finally after one very brutal morning where he knocked over the tv and smashed it, Sydney decided to do something about it. That night she confronted him, and the true battle began.
*Flashback*
"Michael you have to stop this," she told him. "You're ignoring me, you're ignoring Ana. It's just not healthy."
"Do you think I give a damn if I'm ignoring you?" he screamed at her. "Because guess what? I don't!"
The tears sprung to her eyes. "You mother died 6 months ago Michael, 6 months," she said. "And for 6 months you've ignored Ana and I. You've probably slept in our bed four nights in the last six months."
"Don't bring her into this," he hissed at her. "Her death has nothing to do with my behavior."
"It has everything to do with your behavior," she replied. "You're acting irrational, immature, and irresponsible."
"If you have a problem with my behavior then you can just leave!" he exclaimed, "You know where the door is."
"Can't we just work this out?" she pleaded.
"Just get out of my way," he said, "I'm going out."
"What to get drunk?" she asked, "Never mind, we'll just leave."
She turned on her heel and marched up the stairs, packing some of her things in one suticase and some of Anastasia's in another.
Waking a sleeping Ana and grabbing her car keys, she walked out the door, slamming it behind her, never to return again. Then she drove off, heading towards Will's apartment.
*End Flashback*
A few days later, they mutually filed for a divorce, but not without trying to work it out first.
*Flashback*
"All I'm asking of you is that you stop drinking," she told him. "That's all I want."
"I'm not sure I can do that Syd," he said.
"Then it's over," she replied before walking out to go file for a divorce.
*End Flashback*
Three months after they had filed for the divorce, it became final and they were free once again. But it seemed as if now that they were free, they didn't want to be free anymore.
Their friends set them up on blind dates, and that's all they were, no one was called back for a second date. Sydney and Michael liked it that way, because deep down they knew that they would be back together someday.
Sydney was pulled out of her thoughts by the ringing of the doorbell, instantly she knew who it was.
Walking to the door, she mumbled to herself, "But whoever thought this tragedy would be what brought us back together again?"
The minute the door was open, Michael wrapped his arms around Sydney, both relaxing in the embrace of the other.
The comfort they felt in each other's arms was unbelievable, but good nonetheless.
"She'll be okay Syd," he whispered in her ear. "I promise you that."
"I wish you could be sure Michael," she replied. "Just please don't give me any false hope until we know what's wrong."
"Okay I can do that," he explained.
"Good," she said. "Now come on let's go see our daughter."
He grabbed her outstretched hand and agreed, and together they walked hand-in-hand to the car, which soon sped off towards the hospital.
**************************
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