Thank you:

Meighan

Jesse

Margaret

s+V 4 eva PaRis

freitazal

Claire

Sam

pigeonofdoom

I got many of riled up over what happened with Alice…it will all be explained shortly enough. I'm hoping I didn't botch up the story too much. I'm a little self conscious now…but! This chapter is much more Sydney-centric. I love your honest opinions!

She was awake now. There was no returning to the not-so-blissful sleep that she had drifted in and out of. Her big brown eyes were wide open, memorizing every feature of Vaughn's bedroom. She saw every crack in the paint, every small detail, every pleat in the white sheer curtains. This was a paradise. The sheets were white, with a white comforter. For extra warmth, she had been coated in a ocean blue suaded throw. Vaughn had been extremely sweet and thoroughly tucked her in. Will kissed her chastely on the forehead and both had left her, wanting her to sleep and regain her strength. Well, that wasn't happening now. There was a large chest full of clothes and she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to live with Vaughn…doing laundry and doing chores together. She still couldn't believe that she was lying in Vaughn's bed. This was the bed that he slept in every night. This was his private domain. Her eyes fell onto a picture of him and a pretty blonde. Okay, maybe not so private domain. She cringed slightly at the fact that Alice slept in this bed too, wrapped tightly in his arms. Part of her wondered and she hated this part of her…she wondered whose side of the bed she was sleeping on. She lay of the left side of the bed…the side that she normally slept on…could it be possible that she and Vaughn could lay in this very bed together and fit so perfectly?

Sydney sighed heavily. None of this could be a reality. It was just a cruel and painful tease to her. This would be the closest she would ever get to sleeping in his arms…this morning had been a horrible tease too. She passed out in his arms, terribly afraid of what was waiting for her in her dreams. But now, she laid in a strange reality. The comforter smelled lightly of him…something that made her feel like his arms were around her again. The pain had subsided thanks in part to the IV that Weiss had inserted into her arm. He had injected her with heavy pain medication but not so much that she would not remain lucid. It was one of the rules that she laid down as Weiss at next to her on the bed.

"I understand, Syd." Weiss threaded the needed into one of her blue veins. Her skin was ashy and gray from lack of water and nutrition. His hands felt warm against her freezing skin. He furrowed his brow as he slid it in successfully and connected it to the IV bag set up nearby. He took a slow inhale and let it out just as slow. Vaughn had called him as soon as they got into the house, giving him a quick run-down on the situation. He had hurried over, dropping whatever it was that he was doing and was by Sydney's bedside. "You need to be able to kick somebody's ass."

Sydney chuckled lightly, "Yeah, that's it. I'm going to need…" She drifted off into a round of coughing. She tried desperately to clear her throat and regain some sort of normal breathing pattern. Her body shook violently, sending her slightly thrashing against the laceration on her back. She gritted her teeth down in pain.

When her hacking cough soon subsided, Weiss reached for the stethoscope around his neck and quickly checked her chest, peeling back the numerous covers to press the cold metal against her heart. He moved it three times, checking each time for her breathing. "We need to put you on antibiotics. I don't like the way your chest sounds."

She wanted to laugh, "If I had a nickel for every time I heard that one…"

"You'd be rich?" Weiss smiled and laughed lightly. "Yeah well…"

That was a while ago. She had lost track of time and really hadn't willed herself to look at the clock. He had gone on a list of reasons why she needed to be on different antibiotics. He was concerned about the gash in her back and then there were all of those lacerations scattered around her body. He couldn't help but point out that she was probably pumped with countless chemicals. She replied that it seemed logical and to do whatever to make her feel human again. It was a simple request, she thought and Weiss agreed. He had finished injecting antibiotics into the IV bag, squeezed her shoulder lovingly and told her that if she need anything, to shout or curse or throw something across the room—especially if it broke something because the look on Vaughn's face would be priceless. Weiss turned on his heels and left, leaving her to her own thoughts.

All she could think about was how surreal this whole experience was. She wished so hard that she could've seen Vaughn's apartment under different circumstances. She didn't want to see it because of a bastard in Ireland beating her and torturing her. She just couldn't cope with her situation. There was not an ounce in her body that wished that she could turn back the clock and accept back-up. Dixon was originally suppose to accompany her but she refused. Vaughn had suggested he go along but she reminded him that it would absolutely blow her cover. Regrets were for the weak at heart.

She sighed heavily and thanked G-d for a moment that she was coherent for the first time in days. She had been through hell and back and was just beginning to think that she could survive. Maybe Vaughn was right; maybe things would be okay. She braced her hands on either side of her and debated sitting up. As soon as her collarbone escaped the confines of the comforter, she was hit with unbearable cold. It traveled down her chest and wrapped around the rest of her body. She let out a sharp exhale. Lying on her back was a much better option. The long, deep gash did not hurt nearly as much. Weiss and Vaughn had taken careful care to redress it, much to admit refusal.

"I'm fine! Will the two of you just let me be?" She started to shout when the pain medication flowed through her veins. She was propped up by pillows and she was longer agonizing over extreme pain.

"I'm not going to let that get infected, Syd." Vaughn quick responded, placing his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans. He was pacing towards the edge of the bed. He was worried, she knew that. He barely looked at her, a tell tale sign that he was on the edge of sanity. He could never look her in the eye when something was extremely wrong.

Weiss sat on her bed and looked at her soberly, "That's a deep cut. It's going to get you into trouble."

"You've already put salve on it. And wrapped my entire body in gauze. I'm going to start glowing in the dark from all of the crap you're pumping through my veins. I've been through enough. Please, just let me be."

She had lost the battle on that one. With much dismay, they cut the gauze around her torso and eased her back down onto the mattress. Again, her deep laceration was irrigated and dressed. Vaughn helped wrap gauze around her body once again and tuck her into bed, "I know how much this is killing you." He whispered softly. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and tried to see the old Sydney somewhere in her deep brown eyes. He sat on the right side of the bed…his side of the bed.

He was right. This was killing her. But it wasn't about what that man had done to her. It was the fact that she was lying in the bed of the man she had been lusting over. She was literally surrounded by the love and security that he shared with his girlfriend. He was in love with another woman and maybe it was the course of events, but she felt an immense feeling of loneliness. "I'm okay." She lied, biting down on her bottom lip. "This is just a lot for me." She looked around her surroundings, sure that he was following her eyes, "All of this is a lot to take in."

He sighed, "I know you've been through a lifetime's worth. Is there anything I can do?"

Sydney tried to smile, "There's nothing. You've already done a lot." She took a beat, "Thank you."

"This is what I'm here for, Syd. I told you, I'm always going to be here for you."

Now, in any other fairy tale, this is where Prince Charming would kiss the damsel in distress. But unfortunately, this was no fairy tale. Sydney was painful aware of the reality and would refuse to even entertain the concept of something happening between them. He had a girlfriend. He was with someone else. She tried to smile again and nod her head in agreement but couldn't bring herself to do it. "I really just want all of this to be over."

"What did that man do to you?" He hung his head and it back and forth slightly.

She debated for a moment whether or not to tell him. There was no benefit either way except for the weight being lifted off of her spirit. She hating concealing something like this and it was a hazard to her health. Then again, Vaughn did not need to know. There was nothing that he could do and he would only really overreact and act out. And there was the sincere possibility that she would tell Weiss, which really didn't bother her as much as she thought, but, the concept of Will knowing what happened made her stomach lurch. Her lips were pressed together tightly and she felt all of the color drain out of her face.

"Sydney," he noticed the paleness and wide fear-ridden eyes, "you've already told me enough. You don't have to go on." He moved so that he was resting against the white linen padded headboard. He knew this was a bad thing. If Alice walked in, there would be such a massive fight between them. Oh G-d it would be such a bad thing.

She looked at him and felt her heart bounding in her chest. She curled onto her side and into his chest, His arm wrapped around her instinctively. He stroked her arm softly as she spoke into his chest, "I don't want you to look at me differently. I don't want you to blame me." She looked up slightly and caught a glimpse of his emerald color eyes.

"Don't be ridiculous. Whatever happened to you wasn't your fault. It was his. He did this to you." He stroked her hair with his fingertips, bringing his volume down, "You don't have to tell me."

"I owe you the truth." She quickly responded.

"You owe me nothing."

"I owe you everything."

There was a long silence. Neither wanted to correct the other and Vaughn didn't exactly know how to clarify that he was only doing his job. Well, that is how he continually rationalized it to himself. He was never suppose to bring Sydney into his house or make continual contact with her-especially when it could cost her life. He didn't know how to react anymore. This was out of the handbook and he was in new territory. "Syd…"

"I need to tell you what that man did to me. You've probably already guessed." She fought against the emotions in her voice. She swallowed down hard and blinked, biting down on her lip, rediscovering the gash she had given herself earlier in the day.

Vaughn matched her tone, "I don't want to be right."