EXT. SANTA MONICA PIER
Syd is standing on the pier in the exact same spot she was standing the night she met Vaughn there. It's a sunny day with a light breeze and she closes her eyes, just enjoying the feel of it. That's when a young man with brown hair wearing a suit walks up next to her. She's not looking but she senses him. Turning before she sees him she begins to speak.
SYDNEY
So how long did it take you...
She stops when she sees that it isn't Vaughn.
MAN
Excuse me. I think you dropped this.
He hands her a pager. It takes her a second but then she laughs.
SYDNEY
Thank you.
He nods and walks away as she notices that it's not quite a pager but merely looks like one. There's a slight seam on the side that she pries open with her fingernail. Inside is a second cassette tape. She smiles as she takes the tape player from the pocket of her sweater and slides the new tape in. She presses play and we hear:
VAUGHN
Happy Birthday again.
Once again we're switching between Vaughn and Sydney as he records the message and she listens to it. At this point we move from Sydney to Vaughn standing in the same spot looking down at the pager in his hands. It's open and empty. He's obviously impressed with it and he's smiling.
VAUGHN
I had you with the pager, didn't I? You can thank Marshall for that one.
Now we're back with her as she turns so that she can lean back against the railing and listen to his message while she watches the people walking around the pier.
VAUGHN
I know you probably don't think that that night out here was one of your better moments but it's on that has always stuck with me. I'd read your file. I knew how good you were. It just never occurred to me that someone that strong, that independent, would ever need anybody.
She seems surprised to hear this. We stay with her as he continues:
VAUGHN
And when I realized my error I knew that that's how everyone must see you, that that must be how you see yourself, and it just seemed so lonely.
She makes a face that communicates her discomfort with that perception of her and we switch to him also leaning back against the railing watching the people.
VAUGHN
I know what you're thinking but I didn't pity you. I didn't think that you were weak. Actually it helped me to realize how strong you must be, to go through so much and still resist the urge to become cold and jaded.
We cut back to her as she hears the last part of that line. She seems to wonder if that's still the case, if she hasn't become cold and jaded.
VAUGHN
That was the first time you'd ever really let your guard down with me, the first time you weren't trying to show me how strong you were. It meant a lot to me cause I knew that it couldn't have been easy.
She nods. It hadn't been but she had been desperate and alone. He was all she had. We cut to him as he continues. His eyes are closed and voice is low and filled with awe.
VAUGHN
That you would trust me with that side of yourself... I felt honored. You gave me a gift that night. You let me into your life. And it made me that much more determined to always be there for you when you needed me, to never betray that trust.
He turns to lean his arms on the rail, looking at the ocean. He sighs.
VAUGHN
But I haven't always succeeded. I've let you down and I'm sorry. That night I told you that your one real responsibility was to not let your rage and resentment darken you but that's exactly what I did. I will always regret that.
Back on Sydney again. As he finishes his apology she also turns to lean her arms on the railing. Her expression is one of both understanding and forgiveness. What he did hurt but she no longer blames him. We go back to him as he stand up straight and shakes his head in disbelief.
VAUGHN
Still you didn't shut me out. You let me back in, you trusted me. And I feel just as honored now as I did then. More so considering what I did to you.
Back to her. His words are obviously having an affect on her and she closes her eyes.
VAUGHN
So the offer still stands. Whenever you need me just remember, you'll always have my number.
With the conclusion of his words she sighs and opens them to blink back the tears. We cut back to him as he swallows hard, caught up in the moment. He takes one last look out at the ocean before turning to walk back toward the shore. As he does he gives her the next clue with a slight smile.
VAUGHN
Our next stop is where I used to always give you 'the plan.'
We cut back to her and she looks slightly baffled until it clicks at which point her expression change to surprise. She smiles. We cut back to Vaughn as he takes the tape out, puts it in the 'pager' and hands it to the man in the suit waiting on a nearby bench.
CUT TO:
Syd is standing on the pier in the exact same spot she was standing the night she met Vaughn there. It's a sunny day with a light breeze and she closes her eyes, just enjoying the feel of it. That's when a young man with brown hair wearing a suit walks up next to her. She's not looking but she senses him. Turning before she sees him she begins to speak.
SYDNEY
So how long did it take you...
She stops when she sees that it isn't Vaughn.
MAN
Excuse me. I think you dropped this.
He hands her a pager. It takes her a second but then she laughs.
SYDNEY
Thank you.
He nods and walks away as she notices that it's not quite a pager but merely looks like one. There's a slight seam on the side that she pries open with her fingernail. Inside is a second cassette tape. She smiles as she takes the tape player from the pocket of her sweater and slides the new tape in. She presses play and we hear:
VAUGHN
Happy Birthday again.
Once again we're switching between Vaughn and Sydney as he records the message and she listens to it. At this point we move from Sydney to Vaughn standing in the same spot looking down at the pager in his hands. It's open and empty. He's obviously impressed with it and he's smiling.
VAUGHN
I had you with the pager, didn't I? You can thank Marshall for that one.
Now we're back with her as she turns so that she can lean back against the railing and listen to his message while she watches the people walking around the pier.
VAUGHN
I know you probably don't think that that night out here was one of your better moments but it's on that has always stuck with me. I'd read your file. I knew how good you were. It just never occurred to me that someone that strong, that independent, would ever need anybody.
She seems surprised to hear this. We stay with her as he continues:
VAUGHN
And when I realized my error I knew that that's how everyone must see you, that that must be how you see yourself, and it just seemed so lonely.
She makes a face that communicates her discomfort with that perception of her and we switch to him also leaning back against the railing watching the people.
VAUGHN
I know what you're thinking but I didn't pity you. I didn't think that you were weak. Actually it helped me to realize how strong you must be, to go through so much and still resist the urge to become cold and jaded.
We cut back to her as she hears the last part of that line. She seems to wonder if that's still the case, if she hasn't become cold and jaded.
VAUGHN
That was the first time you'd ever really let your guard down with me, the first time you weren't trying to show me how strong you were. It meant a lot to me cause I knew that it couldn't have been easy.
She nods. It hadn't been but she had been desperate and alone. He was all she had. We cut to him as he continues. His eyes are closed and voice is low and filled with awe.
VAUGHN
That you would trust me with that side of yourself... I felt honored. You gave me a gift that night. You let me into your life. And it made me that much more determined to always be there for you when you needed me, to never betray that trust.
He turns to lean his arms on the rail, looking at the ocean. He sighs.
VAUGHN
But I haven't always succeeded. I've let you down and I'm sorry. That night I told you that your one real responsibility was to not let your rage and resentment darken you but that's exactly what I did. I will always regret that.
Back on Sydney again. As he finishes his apology she also turns to lean her arms on the railing. Her expression is one of both understanding and forgiveness. What he did hurt but she no longer blames him. We go back to him as he stand up straight and shakes his head in disbelief.
VAUGHN
Still you didn't shut me out. You let me back in, you trusted me. And I feel just as honored now as I did then. More so considering what I did to you.
Back to her. His words are obviously having an affect on her and she closes her eyes.
VAUGHN
So the offer still stands. Whenever you need me just remember, you'll always have my number.
With the conclusion of his words she sighs and opens them to blink back the tears. We cut back to him as he swallows hard, caught up in the moment. He takes one last look out at the ocean before turning to walk back toward the shore. As he does he gives her the next clue with a slight smile.
VAUGHN
Our next stop is where I used to always give you 'the plan.'
We cut back to her and she looks slightly baffled until it clicks at which point her expression change to surprise. She smiles. We cut back to Vaughn as he takes the tape out, puts it in the 'pager' and hands it to the man in the suit waiting on a nearby bench.
CUT TO: