Title: Bumblebee

Author: SydGillyKC

A/N: Sorry this took a little while. New semester just started at school, I'm sure many of you know how it is. Moving all the way back across the country is never fun lol. But now I'm sitting here in pure summer-like weather while everyone at home is literally snowed-in. It's so weird. Anyway, this is kind of the part where the story dives into the plot. I hope you guys like it. I'm kind of nervous about posting this part, because I'm not sure how many of you really expected the story to go in this direction, but I promise I have a lot in store for you. I really hope you like it!

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Obviously working with Lauren and Vaughn was going to be detrimental to her recovery, but she knew there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. And there was certainly nothing these people could do about it. They could talk about moving on all they wanted, but it wasn't possible for her. They could give her support and they could empathize, but they couldn't give her what she truly needed.

They couldn't give her life back. No one could.

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Chapter 2: A New Journey

It took only twenty minutes for her back to begin to protest against the uncomfortable plastic chair she sat in. Ignoring her discomfort, she focused on keeping herself awake and alert. She was in a private medical facility for a full work-up. It was something her father had set up. He thought it was a good idea for her to be checked out once a month for the first couple of months of being back. He had set it up with an old colleague from the agency who now owned a private clinic in Pasadena. Though Sydney thought the whole thing unnecessary, she had agreed to at least give it a try for her father's sake. This was her first visit. She doubted they'd find anything more than the CIA found in their thorough examination right after her return. And then she would convince her father that he was being over-cautious. She would be perfectly happy to never return here again.

The day of testing had completely drained her and she could hardly remember ever being so exhausted. Not only did it take a lot out of her physically, but the harsh reminder it gave her of her battle with cancer, a time that seemed not too long ago to her, was emotionally draining as well. And the fact that she came alone was no help. Of course she could have asked her father or Weiss to come with her, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. She would've felt awkward with her father here and she hadn't wanted to take away Weiss's Saturday by making him sit in a clinic all day with her. It didn't much matter. There was only one person she truly wanted with her now, but that was no longer an option.

She'd gotten so used to doing so many things by herself since she came back. What was one more?

"Ms. Bristow." Sydney looked up to see an elderly nurse with a kind smile on her face. "The doctor is ready to review your results with you."

"Thank you," Sydney replied, pushing herself off the chair. She followed the nurse to his office.

She would later wonder, had she known what was coming, if she would have been better off running. Perhaps escaping this life altogether and traveling the world, not as a spy, but as a sight-seeing, soul-searching individual. But hindsight is a cruel thing, for she could not have known what was coming to her when she stepped inside that office. She hadn't had a single clue.

When she entered, she immediately noticed the doctor sitting at his desk. He politely stood and gestured for her to sit in the chair across from him. She turned, smiling her thanks to the nurse, and proceeded toward the seat. The nurse retreated, closing the door softly behind her, leaving Sydney alone with the doctor and his small manila folder. The doctor smiled at her, but the smile didn't quite reach his weary eyes. It was an expression Sydney knew all too well.

"Sydney, you know that your father and I were good friends in my days back at the agency, so this news is as hard to deliver as any," he began.

"So you found something, then?" Sydney questioned.

"We did," he replied, nodding somberly. He paused, opening his folder and pulling out what was clearly an x-ray. He stood up and turned, switching on the board on the wall behind his desk. He pushed the x-ray into the top of the board and Sydney immediately saw an image come to life. It was an incredibly familiar image by this time.

And with all her past experience, she knew exactly where to look.

There, on the image of her brain, was a dark mass.

"Based on your history, it wasn't hard to determine what it was," the doctor stated, pointing to the mass. "I'm afraid you're experiencing a relapse of your cancer. The tumor has returned and does appear to be growing again."

Everything spun around her. Nothing seemed real at the moment, everything was upside down. Black was white and white was black. Suddenly she felt as if she were right back in Hong Kong, sitting in front of Vaughn as he explained to her that she had been missing for two years. This couldn't be happening all over again. It had to be a nightmare, the ones so often discussed in the group. If there was a God, he wouldn't possibly put her through this all over again, not after all she'd recently been through. Not with everything that she was still dealing with. It absolutely could not be real.

But as she looked around her, in the small, cluttered doctor's office, a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach told her it was.

"How is this possible?" She asked weakly.

"Hard to say, really. Even after entering a complete remission, a patient isn't considered cured until five years after diagnosis. Even under the circumstances in which you entered remission, that's still the case," the doctor replied gently.

"But I was examined when I returned. The CIA put me through several days of tests," she argued.

"I know. And I've looked at your file and everything seems to check out. It appears that your illness was either too early to be detected or you truly weren't ill at that time. But there is no question that you are now. I'm sorry." He paused. "The good news is that we've caught it relatively early, earlier than the doctors caught it before. I'm not going to lie, brain tumors are tricky, but this definitely helps. I'd like to begin you on a treatment regimen straight away. Radiation and chemo, just like before. This time, though, I'm going to set you up as an outpatient straightaway. I can arrange it through one of the hospitals, if you wish. I'm assuming you'll want to discuss this with your father first, no doubt he'll have an opinion as to how to handle this. You can have some time to think about it of course, but the sooner you get started, the better," he explained. "Do you have any questions?"

The truth was, she had hundreds of them- Why this? Why now? Why me?- but none the doctor could actually provide answers to. "No, I understand," she forced herself to reply.

"Okay, I'll expect to hear from you soon then," the doctor said, getting up from his desk. Sydney rose from her seat as well and followed him to the door, which he opened for her. She was about to walk through it when she felt his hand on her shoulder. "I know this is difficult news," he said, "but we're going to get you through this. It won't be like last time."

She wanted to tell him that no, it certainly wouldn't be like last time. Last time she didn't have to worry about juggling work and being sick. Last time, she had a private doctor to supervise her treatments. Last time, she was in hiding in a small house in the mountains. Last time, she had the unconditional love and support of the man she loved.

Instead, she forced a small smile and thanked him before making her way out of the clinic.

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By the time she pulled into her apartment complex, she felt numb. She was vaguely aware of the tears that had been falling slowly, silently down her face since she'd started driving. She didn't make any attempt to sweep them away or fix her makeup before exiting the car. She simply didn't care. She slowly made her way up the stairs and to her apartment door. Shuffling through her purse, she looked for the keys. When she spotted them, she picked them up and moved to insert the key into the door. She stopped short, though, realizing that all that was waiting for her inside was a cold and empty apartment, one that still wasn't quite familiar to her. Looking to the left, she saw Weiss's door. Perhaps that's what she needed right now: someone to sit with her and help her figure out the shattered remains of her life. Hoping against hope that he had chosen to spend his Saturday relaxing at home, she returned her keys to her bag and walked the several feet to his door. She reached out and knocked softly.

There were about ten seconds of silence during which Sydney nearly gave up and walked back to her door. Before she could, though, she heard movement. Footsteps nearing the door. If she hadn't have felt as if the whole world were pressing down on her shoulders, she might have breathed a sigh of relief.

The door quickly opened to reveal a very relaxed looking Weiss in a T-shirt and sweats. Seeing her, he nearly smiled, but he obviously noticed the tearstains on her face and what she could only imagine was a very distressed appearance. His expression immediately turned to one of concern.

"What's wrong?" He questioned softly.

Sydney looked at him helplessly. "Do you have a minute?"

"Of course," he replied, moving aside and gesturing for her to come in. She moved past him, entering the apartment. He closed the door behind her and then turned, moving closer to her. "Do you want to sit?" He asked, gesturing to the couch behind her.

"Sure," she replied, not really knowing what else to say. They both moved to the couch and sat. He angled himself so that he was facing her.

"This is the part where you tell me why you're crying," Weiss joked after a few moments of silence.

Sydney let out a soft chuckle through her tears, but it died quickly. Weiss reached out and touched her arm, causing her to finally look up and into his eyes, hers still brimming with tears. With the exception of the person sitting in front of her, she felt like she was right back in that warehouse, before her disappearance, when she was about to embark on this journey for the first time. Now she was right back at square one… minus the rest of her life.

"I, um," she hesitated, "I had a doctor's appointment today. My father set it up. He thought I should be checked out beyond the tests that the CIA ran on me when I came back… just to be safe."

Weiss nodded. "That was a good idea," he stated sincerely.

She took a deep breath. "The doctor found something in my x-rays, which, given my history, wasn't hard to diagnose." She paused, afraid to say the words out loud. It still didn't seem real.

"Syd, what did they find?" He questioned, though the look in his eyes told her that he already suspected what she was about to say.

"It's back, Eric… The tumor's back."

She watched as he allowed her words to sink in, his face registering shock mixed with sadness. Without speaking, he moved forward and gathered her into his arms. The whole experience was creating an unwanted sense of deja-vu. She wrapped her arms around his neck in an embrace born purely of friendship, but at the moment, was exactly what Sydney needed.

"I'm sorry, Syd," Weiss whispered into her ear before pulling back to look at her. "How bad is it?"

"The doctor said they caught it earlier than last time, so my chances are better. He said it's still tricky, but he was hopeful. He wanted to set me up on an outpatient treatment right away, but said I should speak to my father first," Sydney explained.

"Yeah, I'm sure Jack will have a say in all this. Have you spoken with him yet?" Weiss asked. Sydney shook her head silently. "Here, let me call him. We'll get him over here and figure this all out together, okay?" Sydney remained silent. "Syd?"

"Okay," she finally whispered. Weiss was beginning to worry that she was showing signs of shock. He reached out and touched her hand before getting up. Grabbing the portable phone, he was about to dial when he suddenly turned back to Sydney.

"Do you want me to tell him what's going on? Because I can just ask him to come over here if you want to be the one to tell him."

Sydney paused, then shook her head slowly. "I can't," she said softly.

"Okay," Weiss said gently. "That's fine, I'll do it. You just make yourself comfortable. I'll be right back." He watched her for a moment before taking the phone and retreating to his bedroom.

Sydney heard him shut the door and she glanced toward it briefly, feeling guilty for making Weiss deal with her father, but repeating the news to him had been hard enough. She didn't think she could do it again, especially not to her father. She knew him too well. He would be angry, he'd question the diagnosis. She didn't have the energy for that right now. She barely had the energy to hold herself upright. With that thought, she allowed herself to shift on the couch so that she could lean her head on the cushioned armrest, curling up into a fetal position. Her eyes were swollen from crying, causing her lids to feel enormously heavy. Seeking any kind of relief she could, she allowed them to slip shut.

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"I know what I'm saying, Jack. And I know that Sydney stumbled into my apartment in tears twenty minutes ago," Weiss said into the phone, barely containing his frustration.

Jack paused. "Is she alright?"

"She's calmed down a bit, but she's practically in shock. She's completely overloaded. She's in no state to be making decisions right now about the course of her treatment, which is why I need you here," Weiss replied.

"I'm leaving now," Jack said before Weiss heard the click of the phone. Sighing, he hung up as well. Staring down at the phone, he realized there was one more phone call he had to make, but this one was going to be tricky. He turned the phone back on and dialed, taking a deep breath as he brought the phone to his ear.

"Hello?" A female voice answered after several rings.

"Lauren, hi, it's Eric. Is Mike there?"

"Hi, Eric. Yeah, he's right here. Hang on," Lauren replied as Weiss heard the phone shift. There was a brief moment of silence before a new voice came onto the phone.

"Hey, what's up?" Vaughn asked.

"Hey, Mike. Listen, I'm going to have to cancel on coming over to see the game today. Sorry, man, something sort of came up last minute," Weiss explained, just waiting for Vaughn to prod further as Weiss knew he would.

"Is everything okay?"

Weiss sighed, wishing he could tell his friend the truth. If there was one person who would've wanted to know what was going on right now, it was Vaughn. But Weiss knew it wasn't his place, especially not before Sydney and her father discussed how they wanted to proceed with the whole thing. He knew his only option was to lie to his friend, but that didn't make him feel any better about doing it.

"Yeah, everything's fine. There's just something I have to do," Weiss replied, cursing himself for not having come up with some sort of story before he called.

Weiss heard footsteps on the other end of the phone suddenly and realized that Vaughn was moving into a different room. He knew exactly what that meant.

"Is it Syd?"

Weiss sighed, not knowing how to answer that one. If he said no, Vaughn wasn't going to believe him. He figured there was only one way out of this one: the smallest possible glimpse of the truth. "She's not having a great day and I just want to stick around and make sure she's okay, you know?"

"Yeah, I know," Vaughn replied softly, the weight his words carried lost on neither man. "Maybe next weekend, then… Just make sure she's alright."

"I will. I'll see you later, man," Weiss replied, about to hang up.

"Eric?" Vaughn asked, stopping him.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks," he said quietly. There was no explanation needed.

"Of course," Weiss replied.

"See you Monday."

"Yeah." And with that, they both hung up.

Weiss sighed and shook his head. Even he was having a hard time dealing with this situation. He didn't know how Sydney was still sane with all that she must be going through right now. She'd already been through so much. How was she going to get through this too? Having a cancerous brain tumor certainly wasn't going to make getting reacquainted with the world any easier. Well, he thought to himself, all that you can really do right now is be there for her and here you are staring off into space in your bedroom. With that, he moved to the door and re-entered the living room.

The first thing he noticed was that the room was completely silent. For a moment, he thought she may have left and gone back to her own apartment. Taking a few steps toward the couch, though, he quickly saw that wasn't the case. Instead, Sydney was curled up on his couch, fast asleep. A sad smile crossed his face. She looked so peaceful, even with the dried tear-tracks that spanned her face. He felt a sudden surge of protectiveness over the woman in front of him. He knew he was finally getting a glimpse of why Vaughn went to the lengths he did to take care of her. Weiss vowed to do the same for her this time, especially since he was fairly sure Vaughn wouldn't be able to be at her side for this journey.

Moving to the couch, he grabbed an afghan that was folded over the top and shook it out softly. As gently as possible, he spread it out over her, relieved when she didn't wake. He decided to let her sleep until Jack arrived.

A few last moments of peace. Then they'd dive into this nightmare together.

To be continued…

A/N: Don't hate me! I just couldn't resist a chance like this. It came to me during the third season while I was still writing "This Tear" and I just couldn't pass it up. And trust me, I've got a real rollercoaster ride in store for you. And there's going to be MAJOR twists later on in the story. I really hope you're all up for the ride. What can I say? I'm an angst/sob-story writer and always will be . But please let me know what you think!