[b][u][I]If Tomorrow Never Comes [/b] - Part 20 [/u][/I]
~*~*Meanwhile*~*~
Sydney walked the streets of London. People scurried about, doing their day to day business, with no knowledge of what decision Sydney had to make. Their biggest worry was what was on the menu tonight, or what top they were going to buy for that business party. No one else here had to decide on whether she was going to save America or stay at home and regret her decision.
She took in a breath of the crisp winter air and trudged home. Liz should be home now and Sydney needed to talk to her about it. The last thing Sydney wanted to do was drag Liz into this life but she felt it was needed.
Sydney unlocked the front door of her house and walked in. She didn't bother to remove the scarf, hat, or coat she was wearing, for fear that if she did, she'd lose the warmth and comfort that enveloped her. Liz was in the kitchen, Sydney could tell because she could smell Liz's famous pasta cooking. Sydney entered their kitchen, watching Liz dance away to a song on the radio while she cooked. As she did so, she felt an overwhelming sense of having seen this before - but couldn't quite place it. Liz caught Sydney's presence and stopped abruptly, turning off the music.
"Hey," she said quietly. Sydney returned the greeting, "You okay?" Sydney shrugged as she sat on a chair. Liz quickly joined her friend after setting the pasta sauce on simmer. "You left in quite a hurry and without any explanation. There's been a lot of rumours going about," Liz informed her. Sydney looked up.
"You didn't tell anybody about-" Sydney questioned.
"No, you can trust me," Liz interrupted. Sydney nodded appreciatively. "Want to tell me what happened?" Sydney shook her head at first, but then mentally scolded herself for doing so, as she had promised herself she'd tell Liz. Sydney let out a heavy sigh and rubbed her forehead.
"They want me back," she said simply.
"Who, the CIA?" Liz feigned surprise as Sydney nodded, "What did you say?" she questioned.
"I refused. I just…couldn't do it," Liz remained quiet, guilt seemed to takeover her tongue. "After I left your classroom after the 'Joey's Pizza' call, I went back and he was just standing there," Sydney continued. "He looked just like a remembered him. His hair was a little longer and there were a few more frown lines but…his eyes were still the deep green I've dreamt about," Sydney sighed contently then it dropped, "You should have heard him though. His voice. He sounded so mad at me," she sniffed, holding back more tears at the memory.
"What did he say?" Liz prompted, trying her hardest to sound sincere and stop herself from giving away things she didn't want Sydney to know.
"He said that they needed me and that I owed it to everybody I left back in LA , like Francie - who thinks I'm dead, by the way," Sydney added, frustrated at the lie that Sloane had fed her friend.
"Oh no!" Liz exclaimed after Sydney filled her in on what Sloane had done. "I guess there isn't any point in you going back then, is there?" Liz asked, hoping she didn't sound too happy about it. Fortunately, Sydney nodded in agreement.
"That's what I told him. But you should have seen the look on his face, Liz. He looked so heartbroken. Like all his hopes had been dashed and [b]I[/b] caused that," Sydney put her head in her hands. Liz stole a glance at her pasta and smiled slightly.
"Here's an idea," she said, patting Sydney on the back as Sydney looked up, "How about I finish making dinner and you go and freshen up. I also know that there are two guys called Ben & Jerry who could do us both a lot of good," she offered. Sydney smiled at her friend's offer.
"Sounds great," Sydney said as she got up and turned to leave. As she did, she glanced back over her shoulder, "You're a great friend, do you know that?" She smiled as she left, not knowing she was leaving Liz feeling like a traitor.
~*~
Sydney welcomed the feel of the refreshing water on her face. She relished in the cool feel of it against her skin and felt slightly better. She was almost certain that she wasn't going to be forced back to LA, but who knew how she'd feel later on.
As she prepared to wipe her face, her eyes fell upon a white envelope bearing her name, which had been idly left in the wastepaper basket.
Curiously, she picked it up, wondering who put it there, as she hadn't seen it before. She tore it open to find a plane ticket and a letter that had been written in a familiar hand.
Sydney,
I know you don't want anymore of this hassle, but please consider coming back. I'm sorry for the stunt I pulled today, I know you're probably mad at me but it was the only way to get you to listen.
Please realise how much we...no [b]I[/b] need you back. We've worked for two years to get to where we are and I couldn't bear it if you weren't there when we took SD-6 down. You know we make a great team and I'm not the only one who misses you. Don't let Sloane get to you. He's only play tricks, you should know that better than anyone.
I'll be waiting.
Vaughn.
Sydney wiped a tear from her eye, but the compassion from the letter was soon replaced by anger and confusion. How come she hadn't found it before? And if she had, why was it in the trashcan?
"Hey, Syd. Dinner's ready!" Liz called, without realising she'd called Sydney by her real name and not her alias - Megan. Sydney opened the bathroom door and made her way to her friend. She needed answers, and there was only one person who had them.
Liz set the two steaming bowls on the table making a mental note to take out the ice cream to let it thaw. She knew Sydney hated hard ice cream. She heard footsteps approaching and turned on a smile.
"Voila!" she exclaimed as Sydney entered. Sydney looked at Liz, holding up the letter.
"Do you know anything about this?" Sydney asked, hoping her friend had a good reason. Liz stared at the letter and shook her head.
"No, nothing," Sydney looked at her dubiously. "I'm serious!" Liz insisted. Sydney nodded, believing her friend.
"Oh ok. I found it in the trash can and I don't remember seeing it when I came in, that's all," Sydney said, sitting down on the table and re reading the letter.
"Who's it from?"
"Vaughn," Sydney breathed, "He was the guy that was in my classroom," Sydney explained. Liz almost told Sydney she knew, but remembered she wasn't supposed to know who he was. Liz sat next to her friend, curious to what the letter said. She knew there was a plane ticket in there as Vaughn had given it away when he dropped by earlier.
"What does the letter say?" Liz asked. Sydney ran through it as Liz listened. "Are you going to go?" Liz asked again. Sydney shot her a look, "I mean, now you found this letter and everything," Liz clarified. Sydney shrugged.
"I don't know. I mean, the letter's very persuasive,"
"Yeah, Michael's like that," Liz muttered, not realising what she had just said. Sydney slowly turned her head to meet Liz's eyes as she took in what Liz had just said.
"*What* did you just say?" Sydney asked incredulously. Liz froze as Sydney's eyes pierced into hers, demanding to know answers. "You called him Michael…" Sydney began.
"No, I didn't," Liz got up and walked to the kitchen sink as to get away from the questions. Sydney quickly followed, not wanting to let this go.
"Liz, do you know something? Did he…are you CIA?" Sydney asked suddenly, backing slowly away. "Were…were you sent here to spy on me?" Sydney said over Liz's denials.
"No! Sydney! It wasn't like that!" Liz claimed.
"You just called me by my real name, like you did before when you called me for dinner. You know Vaughn, don't you?" Liz gulped hard and then nodded.
"He's my brother," Liz stated simply, "I haven't seen him for 10 years and I honestly didn't know about you and him," she said. "But, if you want, I'll tell you everything," Sydney blinked several times. How did her life get so complicated?
"Alright," Sydney decided to give Liz the benefit of the doubt, "So, explain," she said, crossing her arms, as Liz began her story.
TBC…
~*~*Meanwhile*~*~
Sydney walked the streets of London. People scurried about, doing their day to day business, with no knowledge of what decision Sydney had to make. Their biggest worry was what was on the menu tonight, or what top they were going to buy for that business party. No one else here had to decide on whether she was going to save America or stay at home and regret her decision.
She took in a breath of the crisp winter air and trudged home. Liz should be home now and Sydney needed to talk to her about it. The last thing Sydney wanted to do was drag Liz into this life but she felt it was needed.
Sydney unlocked the front door of her house and walked in. She didn't bother to remove the scarf, hat, or coat she was wearing, for fear that if she did, she'd lose the warmth and comfort that enveloped her. Liz was in the kitchen, Sydney could tell because she could smell Liz's famous pasta cooking. Sydney entered their kitchen, watching Liz dance away to a song on the radio while she cooked. As she did so, she felt an overwhelming sense of having seen this before - but couldn't quite place it. Liz caught Sydney's presence and stopped abruptly, turning off the music.
"Hey," she said quietly. Sydney returned the greeting, "You okay?" Sydney shrugged as she sat on a chair. Liz quickly joined her friend after setting the pasta sauce on simmer. "You left in quite a hurry and without any explanation. There's been a lot of rumours going about," Liz informed her. Sydney looked up.
"You didn't tell anybody about-" Sydney questioned.
"No, you can trust me," Liz interrupted. Sydney nodded appreciatively. "Want to tell me what happened?" Sydney shook her head at first, but then mentally scolded herself for doing so, as she had promised herself she'd tell Liz. Sydney let out a heavy sigh and rubbed her forehead.
"They want me back," she said simply.
"Who, the CIA?" Liz feigned surprise as Sydney nodded, "What did you say?" she questioned.
"I refused. I just…couldn't do it," Liz remained quiet, guilt seemed to takeover her tongue. "After I left your classroom after the 'Joey's Pizza' call, I went back and he was just standing there," Sydney continued. "He looked just like a remembered him. His hair was a little longer and there were a few more frown lines but…his eyes were still the deep green I've dreamt about," Sydney sighed contently then it dropped, "You should have heard him though. His voice. He sounded so mad at me," she sniffed, holding back more tears at the memory.
"What did he say?" Liz prompted, trying her hardest to sound sincere and stop herself from giving away things she didn't want Sydney to know.
"He said that they needed me and that I owed it to everybody I left back in LA , like Francie - who thinks I'm dead, by the way," Sydney added, frustrated at the lie that Sloane had fed her friend.
"Oh no!" Liz exclaimed after Sydney filled her in on what Sloane had done. "I guess there isn't any point in you going back then, is there?" Liz asked, hoping she didn't sound too happy about it. Fortunately, Sydney nodded in agreement.
"That's what I told him. But you should have seen the look on his face, Liz. He looked so heartbroken. Like all his hopes had been dashed and [b]I[/b] caused that," Sydney put her head in her hands. Liz stole a glance at her pasta and smiled slightly.
"Here's an idea," she said, patting Sydney on the back as Sydney looked up, "How about I finish making dinner and you go and freshen up. I also know that there are two guys called Ben & Jerry who could do us both a lot of good," she offered. Sydney smiled at her friend's offer.
"Sounds great," Sydney said as she got up and turned to leave. As she did, she glanced back over her shoulder, "You're a great friend, do you know that?" She smiled as she left, not knowing she was leaving Liz feeling like a traitor.
~*~
Sydney welcomed the feel of the refreshing water on her face. She relished in the cool feel of it against her skin and felt slightly better. She was almost certain that she wasn't going to be forced back to LA, but who knew how she'd feel later on.
As she prepared to wipe her face, her eyes fell upon a white envelope bearing her name, which had been idly left in the wastepaper basket.
Curiously, she picked it up, wondering who put it there, as she hadn't seen it before. She tore it open to find a plane ticket and a letter that had been written in a familiar hand.
Sydney,
I know you don't want anymore of this hassle, but please consider coming back. I'm sorry for the stunt I pulled today, I know you're probably mad at me but it was the only way to get you to listen.
Please realise how much we...no [b]I[/b] need you back. We've worked for two years to get to where we are and I couldn't bear it if you weren't there when we took SD-6 down. You know we make a great team and I'm not the only one who misses you. Don't let Sloane get to you. He's only play tricks, you should know that better than anyone.
I'll be waiting.
Vaughn.
Sydney wiped a tear from her eye, but the compassion from the letter was soon replaced by anger and confusion. How come she hadn't found it before? And if she had, why was it in the trashcan?
"Hey, Syd. Dinner's ready!" Liz called, without realising she'd called Sydney by her real name and not her alias - Megan. Sydney opened the bathroom door and made her way to her friend. She needed answers, and there was only one person who had them.
Liz set the two steaming bowls on the table making a mental note to take out the ice cream to let it thaw. She knew Sydney hated hard ice cream. She heard footsteps approaching and turned on a smile.
"Voila!" she exclaimed as Sydney entered. Sydney looked at Liz, holding up the letter.
"Do you know anything about this?" Sydney asked, hoping her friend had a good reason. Liz stared at the letter and shook her head.
"No, nothing," Sydney looked at her dubiously. "I'm serious!" Liz insisted. Sydney nodded, believing her friend.
"Oh ok. I found it in the trash can and I don't remember seeing it when I came in, that's all," Sydney said, sitting down on the table and re reading the letter.
"Who's it from?"
"Vaughn," Sydney breathed, "He was the guy that was in my classroom," Sydney explained. Liz almost told Sydney she knew, but remembered she wasn't supposed to know who he was. Liz sat next to her friend, curious to what the letter said. She knew there was a plane ticket in there as Vaughn had given it away when he dropped by earlier.
"What does the letter say?" Liz asked. Sydney ran through it as Liz listened. "Are you going to go?" Liz asked again. Sydney shot her a look, "I mean, now you found this letter and everything," Liz clarified. Sydney shrugged.
"I don't know. I mean, the letter's very persuasive,"
"Yeah, Michael's like that," Liz muttered, not realising what she had just said. Sydney slowly turned her head to meet Liz's eyes as she took in what Liz had just said.
"*What* did you just say?" Sydney asked incredulously. Liz froze as Sydney's eyes pierced into hers, demanding to know answers. "You called him Michael…" Sydney began.
"No, I didn't," Liz got up and walked to the kitchen sink as to get away from the questions. Sydney quickly followed, not wanting to let this go.
"Liz, do you know something? Did he…are you CIA?" Sydney asked suddenly, backing slowly away. "Were…were you sent here to spy on me?" Sydney said over Liz's denials.
"No! Sydney! It wasn't like that!" Liz claimed.
"You just called me by my real name, like you did before when you called me for dinner. You know Vaughn, don't you?" Liz gulped hard and then nodded.
"He's my brother," Liz stated simply, "I haven't seen him for 10 years and I honestly didn't know about you and him," she said. "But, if you want, I'll tell you everything," Sydney blinked several times. How did her life get so complicated?
"Alright," Sydney decided to give Liz the benefit of the doubt, "So, explain," she said, crossing her arms, as Liz began her story.
TBC…