A/N: Here we go. Ch 4 is here. And I currently LOVE my stay in Angst-ville. I am just having way too much fun. I want to thank you all for your reviews (and the suggestions on naming my muse…some of them are very interesting). I decided that I wouldn't be completely evil and we shall start this chapter off with the phone message. So the first paragraph is going to be the final paragraph of ch. 3 and then we'll go from there. My chapters are most likely going to be a lot shorter than my normal ones but that's only because I want to have specific chapters for each thing that I am doing. You'll get the picture as I keep it going.

            Thanks again for all your reviews and I hope you enjoy this chapter. I am going on whatever is currently in my head, no prewriting this time (family is here for Easter and I need to get away).

CH. 4   She'll Come Back to Us, Won't She?

            He was almost at her door when he heard a beep from his pocket. Pulling out his cell phone he realized he had a voice message. He opened it up and placed the phone to his ear, listening to the message left on his phone. His eyes opened in horror and tears began to fall once again as he listened to the voice on the other end.

            His body froze as he heard her soft voice floating through the phone and his feet stayed glued to the spot right outside her door. The tears that he had tried so hard to hide for his children's sake were falling rapidly as she spoke over the phone.

            "Michael, Michael it's me. Oh, baby, I am so sorry. If you had told me…well that doesn't matter. I should have remembered. Baby, I cannot tell you how sorry I am. There is no question about what we will be doing on Sunday. That is a day that we will always honor your father on. Michael, you have to understand that I was just so frazzled at everything. I never meant to hurt you or disrespect your father in anyway; you know how much I wish I could have met him.

            "Mike, I love you so much and I promise that we will spend the day with your mother on Sunday. I cannot excuse what my mother did, thinking that we wouldn't be with your family on the anniversary of your father's death. She and I will be having a long talk about it. Baby," her voice stopped for a moment as she took a deep shaky breath. "Baby, I am so sorry. I can only hope that you can forgive me for my memory lapse. I know you probably found my…my wedding rings on the table. Michael, I was angry and hurt. What you said to me," she drew in another breath. "You hurt me Michael. We need to talk about what we are going to do about this. I know that you were hurt and upset and I don't blame you for your words, I know more than anyone, that in the heat of the moment, things that we don't want to say come out, things we don't mean. But it hurt nonetheless.

            "I'm going to be heading home now. You're probably at the rink. Baby, please be careful on the roads. They are really getting bad out and I wouldn't forgive myself if you were in an accident. Know that I love you and that I will always love you. Ok? I'm going to go. I love you Michael. I love you."

The mechanical voice at the other end informed him that the message had completed, but Vaughn could barely hear anything around him. Her words kept replaying in his head. "I love you Michael. I love you." He glanced towards her door and was about to enter when he heard the familiar babble of his children coming down the hall way. He quickly wiped the tears from his face, not wanting to frighten his children anymore than he knew they would already be, and turned to face them.

Weiss and Will walked down the hall in the front with Danny between them, their faces long. At the age of 9, Danny could sense when things weren't going right and when something was wrong. When he returned home only to find Weiss, he knew something had happened.

Francie and Lucy followed behind them, Bella in Francie's arms as Evelyn was cradled in Lucy's. Bella had tears streaming down her face as Francie tried to comfort her the best she could. Spotting her father, she immediately scrambled out of Francie's arms and flew to her father, who bent down to scoop her up in his arms. Bella clung to his neck as he held her tightly, tears falling down both of their faces. Though she was only 4, she was incredibly perceptive and knew there was something terribly wrong.

"It's going to be ok, Baby." Vaughn soothed his daughter as he stood, Bella still clinging to his neck as he kept his arm around her waist. "Danny." Vaughn called softly as his son walked into his embrace.

"What's going on?" Danny asked softly as he hugged his father.

"Mom, Mom was in an accident." Vaughn spoke quietly as Bella sobbed into his neck.

"Is she going to be ok?" Danny asked as tears welled in his eyes.

"Yeah, she's going to be…" Vaughn took a breath, knowing that he couldn't lie to his children. He and Sydney had made a promise never to lie to them and he refused to break another promise to her. "I don't … I don't know. She's slipped into a coma right now. But the doctors are doing everything they can and have every hope that she will wake up."

Danny nodded as tears began to cascade down his face. He clung to his father's side as Bella looked into Vaughn's eyes. "What's a coma?"

"It means…it means that Mommy is a deep sleep and doesn't want to wake up." Vaughn replied quietly as Weiss, Will, Francie and Lucy looked on, silent tears falling down Francie and Lucy's faces.

"When is she going to wake up?" Bella asked innocently.

"I don't know baby. I don't know." Vaughn whispered back as Bella nodded and laid her head back down against his neck. "Thank you for bringing them." Vaughn said to Weiss and all as they stood in front of him.

"It was nothing." Francie assured him as she tried unsuccessfully to wipe the tears from her face. "How is she?"

"They don't think there is any brain damage, but they really don't know much else. They said if she doesn't wake up in the next 72 hours…"He paused for a moment, looking down at the face of his sleeping daughter as she lay softly against Lucy's shoulder. "If she doesn't wake up in the next 72 hours, they don't know if she ever will." He finished at a whisper as Danny clung tighter and tears seeped out from Bella's eyes once again.

"Can we go see her?" Danny asked softly, looking up at his father.

"Yeah. Come on." Vaughn tried to force a smile as he turned and led the group into Sydney's room.

Pushing open the door, Vaughn could feel Danny gripping his hand tighter as his eyes caught sight of his mother. Bella lifted her head for only a moment before plunging back into the crook of Vaughn's neck, tears racking her body. Francie collapsed into Weiss's arms as sobs began to penetrate her body as she glanced at her best friend.

"She looks so peacefully." Danny whispered as he watched his mother, the heart monitor creating a steady beep in the background.

"Well she is. Her body is just taking a much needed rest." Vaughn tried to be as optimistic as he could, for his kids' sake.

"She will come back to us, won't she Dad?" Danny asked softly as he pulled away from his father and walked closer to Sydney's side.

"Of course she will. She loves you all too much to leave now." Weiss spoke out as the inside of Vaughn's throat stuck together, tears falling down his face.

Vaughn turned to Weiss and smiled his thanks. "Did you call Jack?" He asked him softly as he placed Bella on the floor.
            "Yeah. He is on his way. He's stopping to pick up your mom on the way." Weiss reassured him as Vaughn nodded. "Mike." Weiss whispered pulling Vaughn away from everyone else. "I know you said you got into a pretty bad fight. And when I got to the house I, I saw these and I figured you may want them." He spoke softly and apologetically as he reached into his pocket and pulled something out, placing it in the palm of Vaughn's hand.

Vaughn looked down into his palm to see the two tiny circles sparkling up at him; Sydney's wedding rings. Tears threatened to fall as he remembered finding them on the table. "Thank you Eric." Vaughn whispered back as he closed his fast around them and placed them into his pocket.

After a while they couldn't stand to just be there with her, it was too much for all of them, so they made their way to the waiting room, to wait upon the arrival of Jack and Brigitte, so that Vaughn could inform them of the situation.

When Jack and Brigitte arrived, they arrived to find a quiet and subdued group, most of which were staring off into space, Bella asleep on Francie's lap, Evelyn on Lucy's as Danny sat next to Vaughn, quietly staring at his hands.

Jack and Brigitte rushed over to the group and were updated on the situation. Jack's face fell instantly when he was told about Sydney, the imagery running through his mind enough to make anyone sick, especially the father of the victim. Listening to Vaughn speak softly, Jack was over come with a sudden loss. Though his daughter was only a little ways away from him physically, she was so far away emotionally.

"I'd like to go see her." He told Vaughn quietly. Vaughn nodded in understanding and stood to lead Jack to Sydney's room.

Vaughn stepped in front of the door and took a deep breath before pushing open the door. Even though he had been in here many times before over the past few hours (he had kept getting up every 15 minutes to check on her) he always had to steady himself for what he was about to see. Every time it took his breath away and broke his heart just a little bit more to see her like that. Bruises had begun to appear on the left side of her body as the night had progressed and it killed him to see her in so much pain, knowing that had he never said what he did, she would have never left the house.

Vaughn and Jack walked up to her beside and Jack's eyes began to well with tears at the sight of his only child, lying in a coma on the hospital bed. He turned to Vaughn and whispered almost inaudibly "Mike, can I have a little time alone with her?"

Vaughn nodded in understanding and silently kissed her forehead softly before leaving Jack alone with his daughter.

Jack moved closer to the bed and took Sydney's hand in his own. "Oh, Sydney." Jack whispered softly. "My sweet Sydney. You don't deserve this."

A/N: ok. So that's where I am going to end! I know. I am being way to evil lately. BUT see, each chapter from now on is going to be a different person talking to her. Does that sound good to you all? I sure hope so. Well. Let me know what you think. So far this story has been the one that has received the most response in the least amount of chapters and it makes me write that much quicker.

I also am working on the second chapter of If Only Once More since everyone seems to want a second chapter.

Let me know what you think and I should have the next chapter out by tomorrow or Tuesday (depending on my schedule and such) But like I said, vacation this week. Who knows I might finish it this week.

Merci,

-SAG