'Well I couldn't have imagined being here, a month ago.' Will thought to
himself as he watched Alex and Damien racing their go carts on the video
screen. They had been going at it for almost an hour now. They had started
off slow, and then started the real competition once Will had gotten used
to their Play Station controller. Finally Will had given up and let the
boys have at each other. They were both racing furiously, eyes glued to the
screen, bodies swaying back and forth with the movement of their go carts.
Will laughed softly, 'And to think I just met these kids.' He had been
watching them, and contemplating the fact that he was in Sydney's house,
and playing with her kid, and watching Vaughn's boys play video games, as
if it were nothing. But to Will this was much more.
He had awoken in the hospital seven years ago, to find himself treading on thin ice, in terms of his health. The doctors were surprised he'd even live, and they all though it was a miracle that he'd been able to walk again. When 'the double' had stabbed him the tip of the knife had nicked his spinal cord, and he was still having to deal with the leak that the injury had caused. He'd have to go in and have it drained, and he was especially prone to meningitis. He rubbed his scar absently. It ran from his belly button to the third rib up from the bottom, and protruded slightly from his skin. The actual wound hadn't been large, but the doctors had needed to open him up further to patch things up.
He couldn't remember anything after his fight with 'the double.' He remembered calling Sydney, trying to fight her, and then everything went blank. When he woke up he found out he'd been asleep for a three weeks. After that it had taken him almost a year to fully recover. He spent most of that time shuffling back and forth between rehab, physical therapy, and more doctor's appointments. He had a feeling that he would have healed much faster if he hadn't been so stressed out and worried. Not to mention the fact that he could barely sleep, or eat, or function with the thought that Sydney had disappeared.
He'd gone into complete shock when Vaughn had told him. The doctors had forced Vaughn from the room, and had upped his dose of Morphine. Once Will was recovered he joined Vaughn in the search for Sydney, but had eventually been forced to give up. He'd gone back to his job and then out of nowhere Sydney had shown up again, and left just as suddenly. It was hard to accept that she'd run away. He wanted so badly to have his friend back. After all he'd been through he had hoped that Sydney would help him gain some kind of normalcy. But she'd left again and forced Will to move on without her.
When Jack had finally explained that Vaughn had found Sydney, and that she was trying to reconnect with her family, Will had been hurt that she hadn't contacted him. Jack, however, was able to convince Will that she still loved him, and that he should attend Christmas with them all in Colorado. Will had assumed that Sydney had known about the invitation, but when he'd arrived he was surprised that Sydney was totally unaware. But then she smiled and hugged him, he was unable to be mad at all. He really wanted to sit down and talk with her. He really needed to get some answers, and just get to know her again. With the bustle of Christmas, and the craziness surrounding everything, though, it was the worst timing possible.
On top of all this his mother was furious with him for not coming to Christmas, and he missed Alicia terribly. He had thought about inviting his girlfriend along, but decided it would be rude. So she had gone to Christmas in New York with her family, and Will had come to Colorado, to hopefully find the part of his family that he'd lost seven years ago. He smiled to himself, 'I may have been madly in love with her at one time, but she's always been a sister to me.' He smiled to himself thinking back to the time he and Sydney had kissed. It seemed quite funny now looking back on things, but he missed the closeness of their relationship very much.
In the time that Sydney had been away Will had become a senior analyst for the CIA. He was in charge of several junior analysts, and was also in charge of training new ones. He absolutely loved his job, and got to exercise some of his best talents doing it. His investigative skills, and curiosity were always assets in his work, and Will loved knowing that he made a difference. He also especially liked working with the agents, such as Vaughn. The two had worked together frequently, that is, when Vaughn was not out looking for Sydney.
"Hey Will, you wanna go head to head this time?" Damien said chucking a controller at him, and waking him from his day dreams. Will smiled, but shook his head.
"You know I think I'm going to go find out what Sydney's doing." He said as he stood. "Why don't you guys teach Ryan how to play, maybe someday he can kick your butts at go cart racing." He smiled walking toward the stairs.
"Yay, Yay I'm gonna kick your butts!" Ryan squealed dropping his dinosaurs and running over to Alex.
Will laughed as he ascended the stairs. He found Sydney and Vaughn's mother chatting in the loving room. He noticed that the mound of presents had grown considerably since he'd seen it last. He'd added to its growth, of course, sticking a few presents in here and there, trying to be as covert as possible.
When Sydney saw him her bright eyes lit up even further, and her smiled widened. "Hey!" She said softly as he entered the living room.
"Hey," he said in reply, smiling at Sydney and then at Vaughn's mother.
"Well I'll just leave to two here and see if I can't scrounge us up some lunch." Mrs. Vaughn stood, and exited the room quickly. Will took her seat on the couch and sat smiling at Sydney.
"Hey." He said, more softly this time.
"You said that already." Sydney laughed.
"I know I was just checking to make sure you were paying attention." He chuckled. Sydney smiled and then looked down, the smiled faltering slightly.
"How have you been, really?" She said not looking up from her hands.
"Good, Syd. I've been good." He said staring at a spot on the floor. They were silent for several seconds after that. Sydney finally looked up, and toward Will.
"I'm really glad you came, Will. Just having you here is the best present I could have gotten." She smiled trying to catch his eye. He looked up at her and smiled.
"I'm really glad I'm here too Sydney. I've really missed you a lot." His expression changed quickly and his eyes now alerted Sydney to his pain.
"I've missed you too Will." Sydney said her eyes misting with the formation of tears. "I know that, I mean, I know you probably have questions." She paused looking away from his again.
"Sydney you don't have to explain. Really, I'm just glad to see you again, I'm glad to see that you're happy." Will's eyes too, now fogged over with tears.
"I'm much happier now that you're here." She paused feeling a tear fall, and roll down her cheek. "But I owe you an explanation Will, I mean what I did." She stopped again to catch her breath.
"Sydney you did what you had to do. And you don't owe me anything. What's done is done, and it's Christmas Eve, and we're here together, and I love you Sydney, I never stopped loving you, and I am so grateful that we're able to be together again." He paused letting the tears spill from his eyes. He waited a moment, and then stood and stepped toward Sydney. She stood as well and as soon as he was near enough, she pulled him into a tight hug.
"I love you too Will. I've missed you so much!"
He had awoken in the hospital seven years ago, to find himself treading on thin ice, in terms of his health. The doctors were surprised he'd even live, and they all though it was a miracle that he'd been able to walk again. When 'the double' had stabbed him the tip of the knife had nicked his spinal cord, and he was still having to deal with the leak that the injury had caused. He'd have to go in and have it drained, and he was especially prone to meningitis. He rubbed his scar absently. It ran from his belly button to the third rib up from the bottom, and protruded slightly from his skin. The actual wound hadn't been large, but the doctors had needed to open him up further to patch things up.
He couldn't remember anything after his fight with 'the double.' He remembered calling Sydney, trying to fight her, and then everything went blank. When he woke up he found out he'd been asleep for a three weeks. After that it had taken him almost a year to fully recover. He spent most of that time shuffling back and forth between rehab, physical therapy, and more doctor's appointments. He had a feeling that he would have healed much faster if he hadn't been so stressed out and worried. Not to mention the fact that he could barely sleep, or eat, or function with the thought that Sydney had disappeared.
He'd gone into complete shock when Vaughn had told him. The doctors had forced Vaughn from the room, and had upped his dose of Morphine. Once Will was recovered he joined Vaughn in the search for Sydney, but had eventually been forced to give up. He'd gone back to his job and then out of nowhere Sydney had shown up again, and left just as suddenly. It was hard to accept that she'd run away. He wanted so badly to have his friend back. After all he'd been through he had hoped that Sydney would help him gain some kind of normalcy. But she'd left again and forced Will to move on without her.
When Jack had finally explained that Vaughn had found Sydney, and that she was trying to reconnect with her family, Will had been hurt that she hadn't contacted him. Jack, however, was able to convince Will that she still loved him, and that he should attend Christmas with them all in Colorado. Will had assumed that Sydney had known about the invitation, but when he'd arrived he was surprised that Sydney was totally unaware. But then she smiled and hugged him, he was unable to be mad at all. He really wanted to sit down and talk with her. He really needed to get some answers, and just get to know her again. With the bustle of Christmas, and the craziness surrounding everything, though, it was the worst timing possible.
On top of all this his mother was furious with him for not coming to Christmas, and he missed Alicia terribly. He had thought about inviting his girlfriend along, but decided it would be rude. So she had gone to Christmas in New York with her family, and Will had come to Colorado, to hopefully find the part of his family that he'd lost seven years ago. He smiled to himself, 'I may have been madly in love with her at one time, but she's always been a sister to me.' He smiled to himself thinking back to the time he and Sydney had kissed. It seemed quite funny now looking back on things, but he missed the closeness of their relationship very much.
In the time that Sydney had been away Will had become a senior analyst for the CIA. He was in charge of several junior analysts, and was also in charge of training new ones. He absolutely loved his job, and got to exercise some of his best talents doing it. His investigative skills, and curiosity were always assets in his work, and Will loved knowing that he made a difference. He also especially liked working with the agents, such as Vaughn. The two had worked together frequently, that is, when Vaughn was not out looking for Sydney.
"Hey Will, you wanna go head to head this time?" Damien said chucking a controller at him, and waking him from his day dreams. Will smiled, but shook his head.
"You know I think I'm going to go find out what Sydney's doing." He said as he stood. "Why don't you guys teach Ryan how to play, maybe someday he can kick your butts at go cart racing." He smiled walking toward the stairs.
"Yay, Yay I'm gonna kick your butts!" Ryan squealed dropping his dinosaurs and running over to Alex.
Will laughed as he ascended the stairs. He found Sydney and Vaughn's mother chatting in the loving room. He noticed that the mound of presents had grown considerably since he'd seen it last. He'd added to its growth, of course, sticking a few presents in here and there, trying to be as covert as possible.
When Sydney saw him her bright eyes lit up even further, and her smiled widened. "Hey!" She said softly as he entered the living room.
"Hey," he said in reply, smiling at Sydney and then at Vaughn's mother.
"Well I'll just leave to two here and see if I can't scrounge us up some lunch." Mrs. Vaughn stood, and exited the room quickly. Will took her seat on the couch and sat smiling at Sydney.
"Hey." He said, more softly this time.
"You said that already." Sydney laughed.
"I know I was just checking to make sure you were paying attention." He chuckled. Sydney smiled and then looked down, the smiled faltering slightly.
"How have you been, really?" She said not looking up from her hands.
"Good, Syd. I've been good." He said staring at a spot on the floor. They were silent for several seconds after that. Sydney finally looked up, and toward Will.
"I'm really glad you came, Will. Just having you here is the best present I could have gotten." She smiled trying to catch his eye. He looked up at her and smiled.
"I'm really glad I'm here too Sydney. I've really missed you a lot." His expression changed quickly and his eyes now alerted Sydney to his pain.
"I've missed you too Will." Sydney said her eyes misting with the formation of tears. "I know that, I mean, I know you probably have questions." She paused looking away from his again.
"Sydney you don't have to explain. Really, I'm just glad to see you again, I'm glad to see that you're happy." Will's eyes too, now fogged over with tears.
"I'm much happier now that you're here." She paused feeling a tear fall, and roll down her cheek. "But I owe you an explanation Will, I mean what I did." She stopped again to catch her breath.
"Sydney you did what you had to do. And you don't owe me anything. What's done is done, and it's Christmas Eve, and we're here together, and I love you Sydney, I never stopped loving you, and I am so grateful that we're able to be together again." He paused letting the tears spill from his eyes. He waited a moment, and then stood and stepped toward Sydney. She stood as well and as soon as he was near enough, she pulled him into a tight hug.
"I love you too Will. I've missed you so much!"