Hey all. Once again thank you all so much for your feedback.
SuperSpy: You haven't lost your mind- I am from Australia. We're in the middle of season four over here- this week's episodes are Nightingale and Pandora.
Aliaschickita47: It was the second episode of season three (Succession)
"Sydney, it's Will."
"Hey, what's up?"
"I'm at the hospital."
"What? Why?"
"It's Francie. She's lost the baby."
"What?"
"She's been asking for you, Syd. Is it possible for you to get down here?"
"I'm on my way." Sydney snapped her phone shut and then turned to her dad. "I'm sorry but I have to go."
"Where?" Jack demanded.
"To see a friend." Sydney stood up.
"Syd, what's going on?" Vaughn asked, rising with her.
"I'll explain in the car." Sydney looked at Judith. "It was nice to meet you. I'm sorry to run off."
"That's ok." Judith replied, a slightly bewildered look on her face.
"No, it's not." Jack interjected. "This is completely unacceptable."
"Dad, a friend of mine needs me and I am going to see her now."
"I'm sure whatever problem is affecting her will still be there after dinner."
"Dad!" Sydney exclaimed.
"Sydney, you cannot just up and leave in the middle of a meal."
"Watch me." She grabbed her bag and strode out of the restaurant with Vaughn following close behind. When she was finally out on the street, Sydney let rip. "God! He is incorrigible."
"Syd-" Vaughn tried to speak.
"You know, I really thought that he was changing- but no, Jack Bristow really showed his true colours tonight."
"Who was on the-"
"Is it really such a big deal that I left? Now he can spend time with his precious Judith."
"Sydney!" Her head snapped up as if she had only just realized that Vaughn was standing beside her. "Who was on the phone?"
Sydney's eyes widened. "Oh my god. Francie."
"Will." Sydney quickened her pace as she approached him in the hospital hallway. Reaching him, she pulled him into a tight embrace. "Is Francie ok?"
"Yeah," Will sighed as he stepped back. "The doctors say she is fine- physically anyway. She hasn't actually said much, only asked for you."
"Are you ok?"
"I don't know…I think so." Will pushed back his hair. "I mean, Francie and I were only just starting to comprehend the pregnancy and now this. It's kind of a lot to take in."
Sydney pulled him back into her arms. "I'm here, ok," she whispered.
"I know. Thank-you."
"Can I go see her now? Or is she asleep?"
"She's awake. I was just going to get a coffee."
"I'll come with you." Vaughn offered and he and Will headed down the hallway. Sydney turned to her left and entered the small room.
"Fran," she said, quietly, closing the door behind her.
"Hey Syd."
"Oh Francie." Sydney sighed as she sat in a chair beside the bed. "How you doing?"
"I'm doing fine."
"Really?"
"Yes, really."
"Francie, I can't even begin to imagine what you're feeling at the moment."
"You want the truth?"
"Only if you feel up to talking."
"I feel guilty Syd."
"Francie, this isn't your fault. You can't blame yourself."
"That's not why I feel guilty."
"The why?" Sydney's brow furrowed in confusion.
"Because when the doctor told me what was happening, all I felt was relief." Francie's face crumpled. "I wasn't ready to become a mother, Syd. There is so much that I want to do before taking that step. I didn't want this baby."
Sydney didn't say anything- there was nothing that she really could say. Instead she just took Francie's hand, encouraging her to go on.
"Do you know how hard it was for me to say that? I didn't know if I could bring myself to make that decision. But now, the decision has been made for me. It was completely out of my control." Francie paused, and rubbed her eyes with her free hand. "I just went through an experience that would devastate most women and all I could feel was relief." She looked up at Sydney. "Does that make me a terrible person?"
"Of course not!" Sydney exclaimed.
Francie sniffed. "You have to say that- you're my best friend."
"Exactly, and being your best friend gives me the prerogative to tell you the truth. Have I ever lied to you before?"
"Well you lied abut never telling Will about me failing my drivers license 3 times." Francie pointed out.
"True." Sydney admitted. "But that was before you went and told Vaughn about the snot bubble."
"At least Michael was sweet about the whole snot bubble thing- he even immortalised it on a charm." Francie pointed to Sydney's bracelet. "Will now makes a big show about being all freaked out when I'm behind the wheel."
"How about for his birthday we buy him the 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun' single?"
Francie smiled faintly. "Good idea."
Sydney sat with Francie until she fell asleep. Walking out into the hall she saw that Will was also asleep, stretched across a row of seats. Vaughn was awake and thumbing through a magazine.
Hearing Sydney walk towards him Vaughn looked up. "How is she?"
"I think she's going to be ok."
Sydney was on her way to work Sunday when she got a text message from Ainsley asking her to stop by Phase One. However, when she walked in the place was empty.
"Hello?" Sydney gazed around, noting how strange the club looked during the day. "Ainsley?"
"Well, well, well. If it isn't Sydney Bristow." Campbell walked out from the storeroom behind the bar. He was the spitting image of Ainsley, except that his curls were brown. "How have you been?"
"Good." Sydney smiled. "And I see that you haven't been doing too bad for yourself, either."
"Can't complain." He smiled back. "So, what do I owe this pleasure?"
"Ainsley asked me to drop by."
"Oh ok." He turned back to the storeroom. "Hey Ainz, Sydney is here!"
"Coming." Ainsley's muffled voice replied and a few seconds later she appeared at the door. "Hey, you got here quick."
"I was just on my way to work."
"Well then I'd better not keep you." Ainsley said. "It's just that Cam and I are planning a barbeque at his place-"
"What?" Campbell exclaimed. "I haven't heard anything about this."
"I was going to talk to you about it tonight." Ainsley said, brushing him off with a wave of her hand.
"But why my place?"
"Because you have a barbeque," Ainsley stated as if it were the most obvious fact in the world and then turned back to Sydney. "I just wanted to see if you and Michael wanted to come. Will and Francie, too."
"I'd love to come." Sydney smiled. "And I'll check with the others. When is it?"
"I was thinking the 23rd. I know it's not for a while, but what the hey?" Ainsley shrugged. "I like to be organised."
"I'll let you know tonight if the others can make it." Sydney said as she headed to door.
"Ok. See ya." Ainsley waved.
"Yeah, see ya. You too Campbell." Sydney waved to him as she walked outside onto the footpath.
When Sydney let herself into her apartment that night she was greeted by Francie who was sprawled over the living room floor.
"What are you doing Fran?" she asked, stepping gingerly around the streets of paper and books that were spread across the room.
"I was doing some reading for uni and when that got boring, I started going through some preparations for a function at work. Then that inspired me to plan something for Will's birthday. That's what I'm doing now."
"Don't you think you should be taking things easy, Fran?" Sydney suggested, tentatively.
"I'm fine Syd." Francie replied, jotting down something from a recipe book. "Now, I was thinking of an actual, proper sit down dinner. Here, Friday night. What do you think?" Francie looked up at Sydney, expectantly.
"Sounds good."
"So you, me, Will, Michael, Eric, Ainsley and Amy." Francie mumbled to herself, placing a pencil behind her ear as she flicked through another recipe book.
Sydney couldn't help but worry slightly as she watched Francie. If she wasn't mistaken, Francie was doing exactly what she had done when Emily died. She had found something else to focus on and as a result was not dealing with anything else.
Francie, feeling Sydney's gaze, looked up. "What?"
"Nothing. I was just thinking that our boyfriend's have well-timed birthday's." Sydney said.
Francie raised her eyebrows. "You're weird."
"Yeah, well if you need any help, just let me know." Francie nodded, and Sydney continued. "I mean with anything, Fran. Just know I'm here."
Francie smiled. "I know, Syd."