Vaughn looked at her blankly for a second, wondering why she was crying,
then sat on the bed and took her into his arms. Her tears soaked into the
fabric of his shirt and through to his skin.
He murmured words of comfort until her sobs had died down a little.
"Syd? What's wrong, sweetie?" he asked, deeply concerned. "Did I do something wrong?"
She shook her head against his wet shoulder. He smoothed her hair, and asked "Then what is it?"
"I.I don't know." She said through her tears. "When you gave my that toy, I wished. I wanted."
"You wanted what?" he gently prompted her.
"I wanted a normal life. I wanted to be with you." She said quickly, but quietly, "I think that I love you." She said.
He was so shocked by her words that any chance of him being able to form a coherent sentence was slim. His mouth worked for a moment, but no words came out. Sydney took his reaction wrong, assuming that he was upset by her words. More tears flowed down her face.
"I'm sorry. I should never have told you that. I'm really sorry." She said and pushed away from him and looked at the polished floor, embarrassed by her admission. She was moving carefully, aware that every movement pulled the stitches holding her still healing wound together.
"No, it's okay. I'm not upset or angry, Syd. I want to be with you too. I wanted to be with you since the first time we met." He spoke sincerely, keeping eye contact with her. She held his gaze and he saw her eyes widen slightly with surprise.
"What? That's great!" She said, a huge smile beginning to spread across her face. It slowly faded as she thought of something
"But we can't be together because of SD-6." She said sadly.
A wicked smile crossed Vaughn's face. "They think you're dead." He said.
She paled suddenly and he grabbed her arm, supporting her weight. As he gently lowered her back onto the bed, she moaned softly.
"Syd?"
She didn't answer him. His anxious finger danced over the transparent skin at her wrist, feeling for a pulse. He couldn't find one.
He murmured words of comfort until her sobs had died down a little.
"Syd? What's wrong, sweetie?" he asked, deeply concerned. "Did I do something wrong?"
She shook her head against his wet shoulder. He smoothed her hair, and asked "Then what is it?"
"I.I don't know." She said through her tears. "When you gave my that toy, I wished. I wanted."
"You wanted what?" he gently prompted her.
"I wanted a normal life. I wanted to be with you." She said quickly, but quietly, "I think that I love you." She said.
He was so shocked by her words that any chance of him being able to form a coherent sentence was slim. His mouth worked for a moment, but no words came out. Sydney took his reaction wrong, assuming that he was upset by her words. More tears flowed down her face.
"I'm sorry. I should never have told you that. I'm really sorry." She said and pushed away from him and looked at the polished floor, embarrassed by her admission. She was moving carefully, aware that every movement pulled the stitches holding her still healing wound together.
"No, it's okay. I'm not upset or angry, Syd. I want to be with you too. I wanted to be with you since the first time we met." He spoke sincerely, keeping eye contact with her. She held his gaze and he saw her eyes widen slightly with surprise.
"What? That's great!" She said, a huge smile beginning to spread across her face. It slowly faded as she thought of something
"But we can't be together because of SD-6." She said sadly.
A wicked smile crossed Vaughn's face. "They think you're dead." He said.
She paled suddenly and he grabbed her arm, supporting her weight. As he gently lowered her back onto the bed, she moaned softly.
"Syd?"
She didn't answer him. His anxious finger danced over the transparent skin at her wrist, feeling for a pulse. He couldn't find one.