AN: Sorry for the long wait, but here it is. Thanks for all your wonderful reviews. Enjoy the chapter!
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Chapter 5
Weiss' POV
I hated hospitals. Just the smell of them was nauseating to me. I walked down the corridor searching for Room 47. The last few days have been bad for everyone. Jack was working nonstop to find the person who shot Sydney, Dixon hasn't come to work at all, Marshall hasn't even touched his computer, Francie worked at the restaurant every hour of the day, Will won't speak to anyone except Jack and that was only to help in the search, and Vaughn, well, I was pretty sure he's been by Sydney's bedside this whole time. Everyone was taking this badly including myself. Sydney was my friend and Vaughn was my best friend. I hated that Sydney was in the hospital and I hated seeing Vaughn this way.
Quietly opening the door to Sydney's room, I walked in to find Vaughn in almost the same position as the day before, just sitting beside Sydney watching her. I shook my head in sadness. Never in my life have I seen a couple go through so much. Just as things seemed to be almost normal, this had to happen.
"Hey Mike. How are you doing?"
"I think you know the answer to that." I sighed. This wasn't good for him. Just sitting here hoping she would wake up. Vaughn hadn't eat much, hadn't showered, or even hadn't slept much. I didn't know much, but I knew Sydney wouldn't want him to be like this.
"You should go home, Mike. Get some rest."
"I can't, Eric. I won't leave until she wakes up."
"But what if..."
He interrupted me with a sharp tone and a determined look in his green eyes. "She will wake up, Eric. I know she will. She has to."
"Sydney wouldn't want you to be like this. You need to get some rest, if not for your sake, for hers."
"How's the investigation going? Any leads?" I knew he was changing the subject, but decided I would go along for now.
"We think it may be Sark. He fits the description Abby Miller gave. From her statement, it seems he's working for someone else."
"He's always working for someone. Who could it be this time? Who would want Sydney captured?"
"Irina Derevko was spotted in Kashmir."
Vaughn looked up with surprised and angry eyes. "What? She's dead!"
"Apparently it was a hoax and she was never really dead."
"I saw her body. I know she's dead."
"There's this chemical that can make a person seem dead even though they are truly alive. We think that was what she took."
Vaughn banged his hand on the table. "Why can't that woman leave us alone?"
There was a deadliness in his voice that I rarely heard. Vaughn was never the revengeful type, but when it was for the woman he loved, there was no telling what he was capable of. Love can bring out many sides of a person and they aren't always good. I just hoped Sydney would wake up before Vaughn did anything rash.
Putting a hand on his shoulder, I looked at Vaughn. "Come on, Mike. Let's get you home. I promise if anything happens, I'll call you right away."
After a few seconds, he finally agreed. "Alright, I'll go home, but only for a couple of hours."
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Vaughn's POV
As I looked in the bathroom mirror, I knew Weiss was right in sending me home. I was in one word, a mess. My hair was rumpled, I hadn't shaved in days, and there were bags under my eyes from lack of sleep.
Turning on the faucet, I splashed the cool water onto my face. After freshening up a bit more and taking a shower, I headed into the bedroom. I walked over to the drawers and grabbed some clothes out to change into. I was just about to head out into the living room when I noticed the antique picture frame I had given to Sydney many Christmases ago on the drawers. Memories came flooding back to me.
We were at a flower shop discussing work of course. I was so nervous about the present, I almost didn't give it to her. Finally after we were done discussing work, I nervously set it down near her.
"Sorry that I called you on the weekend. It's just that I needed to talk to you."
"You don't ever have to apologize for calling me. Speaking of which, I got you something."
"What? No, you didn't."
I gave her an embarrassed look. "I don't know. I was in this store, you know, um... this little antique place."
She grinned at me. "What were you doing in an antique store?"
"I don't know." I laughed nervously. "Whatever. Um, look, if you don't like it just... don't tell me."
"Okay."
"Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas."
I fingered the frame and noticed that Sydney had changed the picture. Before she had a picture of her dad and her when she was little, but now there was a different picture. I smiled as I recognized what it was. We'd gone to Griffith Park that day. Sydney had just quit the CIA and I proposed to her. I had asked this photographer I knew to take pictures of us that day so that we'd always have memories of that day. I gave them to Sydney on our one year anniversary. I found a letter sitting next to the frame. Picking it up, I opened it and took out the letter inside.
V.-
I thought this would cheer you up today and ease your worries. No matter what happens, we'll always get through it together. Always have faith.
Your angel,
S.
I dropped the letter on the ground and sat down next to the bed crying. My tears falling on the photo frame I still held in my hand.
