A/N: thanks to demon for betaing again!

Hmm… now I understand why some authors put those review limits… IT WORKS! Hehe… I promise I won't do it in the future… I really wanted to see if someone would have figured out the code.

Thanks to:

Chapter 5:

leo's l'il sista: sorry about not getting you on the list last chapter! Thanks for trying to catch up… I look forward to when you do :)

Chapter 9:

S@nd: that's what it means in French? Hmm… I always thought it translated into another word… ;) I don't think there's a lot more French in the chapters… only the phrases… But if I do need help with the French in the epilogue, I definitely will ask you! Thanks for the offer :)

Chapter 11:

constance: lol… okay… I'm hurryin' I'm hurryin'

valley-girl2: hehe… don't fail those tests! I'd feel awful. And thank you for the early birthday wish :) lol. It was so fun writing Syd getting pissed off at Kendall… such fun things to write about it! Hehe… there's the chapter!

'sally': no multiple languages? But… doesn't that just lose all the fun? Hehe… I know what you mean though… if you don't understand the language and an author doesn't put up translations… it gets irritating. (aren't you at sd-1 and have that really really cool Vaughn AV? )

Brynne: I swear, it's not a complicated code!… many people have attempted to solve it though… didn't really happen until lots and lots of hints were given out… lol.

Lor: I'm glad I didn't offend! You speak French? Awesome language… very fun stuff.


Chapter 12

August 06, 2005
Los Angeles, California
Hospital
5:45 PM

"Weiss! I think I got it!" Sydney exclaimed.

Weiss had returned from his meeting at least an hour ago. During his absence, she had been trying to figure out the encrypted message. The numbers did not form any type of code that she was familiar with. And why didn't the first number not have a dash to number sequence next to it? It just didn't make any sense. The letters also did not have any type of pattern that she could figure out. It was, in short, just a jumble of random numbers and letters. But it just seemed like there had to be a message.

But now that she had discovered the message… it seemed like it had to be the simplest type of code to break. She had been looking for a sequence that contained turns and different types of rhythmic breaks.

But then again, she had been so jarred by the handwriting's being Vaughn's that she had a hard time thinking. All she could think of was Why would an angel want to contact me again?

"Syd. What does the letter say?" he said, very excited.

"Well… I'm not entirely sure yet. But I think I broke the code."

"What's the code?"

"24 equals the number of words. 1-4 says that the first word has 4 letters. 2-6 says that the second word has 6 letters and so on and so on."

"Okay. I see that. Just like a spy to have such a difficult code to break. It kinda reminds me of that time Alan, my dog, learned how to read that cookbook…" Weiss said. He still didn't believe that the letter was from Vaughn. When she mentioned it, the first thing he said was, "Ghosts can't write Syd. And you're assuming that Vaughn is a ghost."

All she did was sigh when he said that. He thought she was… a little confused "coming back from the brink of life and all," were his words.

Interrupting his dog story, she said, "And then the letters are in a certain order. So the first letter is part of the first word, the second letter is part of the second word and so on."

After 10 more minutes, she read the complete message. She was so shocked that when she handed over the letter to Weiss, her hand trembled.

Weiss read, Dear Sydney mon ange I will be back tonight at midnight do not be afraid make sure the window is open je t'aime Vaughn.

A short note, but one effective enough that it allowed Weiss to immediately know where he would be tonight at midnight.

~*~*~

August 07, 2005
Los Angeles, California
Hospital
11:57 PM

Sydney was lying awake in bed. Memorizing the ceiling… again. There was 3 more minutes before the wraith was supposed to arrive, and her nerves were jittering. She was nervous. Wondering what he wanted to say to her. If she was in for a lecture, or if he was there to just want to talk to her. She remembered him telling her to live and that it wasn't her time. But it just wasn't fair. She was still not at the place she belonged.


12:02 AM

He's late. It's only by 2 minutes… but he's late. And he's never late. But maybe time goes by differently where he is now. I really shouldn't worry. He'll come. He always does.


12:15 AM

She felt the warm air blowing away the cool air as it came through the hospital window.

There must be a reason. He'll come. I know he will. He would never upset me.


12:30 AM

She was tossing and turning in the unfamiliar cot.

He's never this late. He's not coming. He's not coming. I can't believe it. Maybe Weiss was right. This was just a hoax all along. I'll give him 15 more minutes, then I'm gonna try and sleep.


1:01 AM

He didn't come.

She closed her eyes on the moonlight and let a tear slide down her cheek.

He didn't come.

What she didn't know was that there was a shadow just outside her window. His heart grew heavier with grief as he watched that one tear land with a light splash against the white pillow. He longed to go to her, to hold her in his arms. But he couldn't. Not when he knew that once he entered, Weiss would be standing right outside her door and probably hear him step in.

~*~*~

August 07, 2005
Los Angeles, California
Hospital
2:54 PM

"He didn't show up Sydney," Weiss said, but she really wasn't paying that much attention. "You need to realize that it wasn't real. It was another trick from some unknown enemy. It was a play on your emotions, Syd."

That sparked a response from her.

"Don't call me Syd, Weiss."

There was a silence. Weiss knew why, but he also knew that she had to get over it. Whenever Vaughn said her sobriquet, it was always with so much love. No one could ever recreate how he said it. Just like no one can ever be like him. He watched her still form in the bed, knowing that she was trying to drain her life away. Determined to let herself live a life that she shouldn't have to live.

"Fine then, Sydney. But you can't go around blocking people out. You need help. Your life can't just be focused on him anymore. You need to get past it. We all have, we're just waiting for you now."

"Weiss, there's no polite way to say this, so I'm just gonna say it. Get out. Now."

That infuriated Weiss. "Sydney! Why can't you just listen to yourself for a minute! You aren't the same person you were a year ago. We all aren't. But just listen! You will never be the same person, but you are taking it too hard. It wasn't your fault that he is where he is right now—"

"But he is! Can't you see? I was there. I should have known. I. Should. Have. Known."

Beat.

"Then why have you been wearing his ring for the past year?"

So he did know. He'd known.

Silence.

"Because I miss him too much."

"Then it wasn't your fault. And you know it."

They stared at each other. Weiss letting Sydney go through what had just happened in her mind. Letting her soak it all in. He could only imagine what she was going through, but he knew that she had to stop slowly killing herself. He had tried to let himself conjecture what she was going through by pretending that Sarah had died. He had nightmares for a week after that, and knew that it would be hard if it really happened in real life.

"Sydney… you need to move on."

"I can only try Weiss."

"Good. Just try. And remember that we're all here to help when you need it."

~*~*~

August 07, 2005
Los Angeles, California
Unknown
3:25 PM

The shadow sat in his office, staring at the TV screen. He had planted a bug in her room last night. After Weiss had left and Sydney had been asleep. He had watched her sleep for at least an hour. Memorizing her features, knowing that it would be a while before he could see her again. Maybe months, maybe years. He still didn't know. All he knew was that he had to go undercover for a while. To make her safe.

Weiss had been a great friend to him, and Vaughn could see that he was going to be a great one to Sydney. He would take care of her.

He just wished that he could be there with her, so she wouldn't have to go through all this pain.

He had so many regrets. But one specific one. The deal he made with Devlin and Jack, the one that required him to stay away from Sydney.

He let a tear trickle down his cheek, watching the pained emotion Sydney was feeling on screen.

Then he heard a "Vaughn, let's go."

It was time to go back to work.

~tbc~