Sydney to the Max Season 5: Episode 9 - Just a Little More Time
Written By: "Fun But Shy Girl", With Input From: Katy Kear, Based on Characters Created by: Mark Reisman
2078:
Sydney stepped into a large laboratory as she saw many adults and some teenagers working with computers and several gadgets. Sydney looked amazed as she walked over to her two grand-children: Maya and Judy who were working at two computers near each other. Sydney then said, "Hey girls. I came to take you out of science camp for a bit today to go out to lunch." Judy who seemed very focused said, "Not now Grandma. I am so close to getting these calculations right." Then Maya said, "Well I'm hungry. I'll head out with you grandma." Sydney who looked a bit reluctant said, "Well... okay. You sure you don't wanna come Judy?" Judy then said, "Very sure. Just bring me back something." Sydney and Maya then headed out of the laboratory as Maya said, "Ugh. I am so glad to be out of there." Sydney then said, "The science stuff is hurting your brain?" Maya sighed as she said, "Yeah, but... I just don't feel useful there. I'm happy for Judy's accomplishments, and I'm glad we're getting to hang out together. But... I just don't feel like I fit in with her or this entire family." Sydney looked down slightly as she said, "Yeah. I had those feelings once long ago..."
Present Day:
Sydney knocked on a door and awaited a response. Sydney then saw the door open, and standing before her was Harry holding a small male infant. Harry looking surprised said, "Sydney! What are you doing here?" Sydney with a smile said, "Well you said you could use some help babysitting your baby cousin who is visiting this week, so I decided to come give you that help. I brought my old baby toys that my dad never threw away. Figured they could use a good shakedown before my little sister is born in the next week or so." As Sydney walked in with her bag, a still surprised Harry said, "It's just... I said I could use help because taking care of a baby is tiring, period. You didn't really have to come." Sydney then said, "Hey, it's no trouble." Harry then looking a bit reluctant to continue speaking said, "It's just... we haven't spent a lot of time together here in my home, and definitely not alone in a very long time, so..." Sydney suddenly looking caught off guard said, "Oh. I... I didn't think you would mind if..." Harry then said, "I mean... my aunt can be a little picky on who spends time around this little one I got here. But also... I mean, I like having you around Syd, but I thought we were just gonna hang out at school and at work for now and..." Sydney then cut Harry off and said, "And with me coming over to your house again it's like our relationship is more real again. Harry... do you still not completely trust me?" Harry looked a bit worried as he said, "I want to Sydney but..." Sydney then grabbed her bag and said, "No. I get it. I hurt you last fall, and both my dad and my mom before she died taught me trust isn't won back easily. I'll go." Sydney then headed out the door as Harry tried to reach out to her, but then stopped as he heard the little baby in his arms crying.
1997:
Teenage Alisha Webb sat in the bedroom of her older sister Sydney Webb. Alisha had a devastated look on her face as she said, "Sydney... you have Lupus?" Sydney with a slightly sad look on her face nodded her head and said, "Yeah. But it does explain the weird face rash I've been getting, the really bad pain in my joints, and why my muscles haven't been acting right." Alisha looking confused said, "But... Sydney, you're healthy. You're full of life. You..." Sydney then interrupted Alisha and said, "I'm someone who has been hiding the pain I've been going through for quite awhile now... it's a bad habit I have. Luckily mom saw through my latest charade this time. We've been visiting the best doctors she knows for months now, and... yeah... it's Lupus." Alisha who looked more worried now said, "But if it's a disease, what if it kills you? Plus, you said sunlight makes your condition worse. Meaning you'll have to live like a vampire now, staying out of sunlight." Sydney touched Alisha's hand and said, "I just can't be in the sunlight for very long. Wearing caps and sunblock helps. I have to wear makeup a lot to cover up the rash though. But don't worry. Plenty of people live a very long time with Lupus. I'll be fine." A few tears appeared in Alisha's eyes as she said, "But it's just... you're my sister Sydney. You're supposed to be strong... stronger than me. You're not just my sister... you're my best female friend in the world. I... I wanted you to be my maid of honor when I get married one day." Sydney then hugged Alisha as she said, "You're my best friend too sis. And don't worry... I'll be there for your wedding."
2078:
Sydney and her grand-daughter Maya sat at a restaurant together as they ate food and talked with one another. In between eating Maya said, "I keep making mistakes with calculations Judy gives me, and... I don't know. I feel like a complete failure for the mistakes I made." Sydney then said, "Look Maya. I've made plenty of mistakes, and not just in math. And don't forget. Not everyone in your family are geniuses. I didn't get the greatest grades in school when I was your age, and neither did your Grandma Emmy. But you are important." Maya rolled her eyes and said, "Yeah, yeah." Sydney then said, "No. I mean it. Every person is born with gifts and talents they give to the world, and they're put on this Earth for the time they're on it for a reason. You'll find those gifts and talents eventually with the time God has given you. I know the world seems tough at times for you Maya. But remember, the world that gave you all these hardships, is also the same world that gave you all of it's beauty, wonder, and people that love you as well." Maya smirked and said, "So which family member did you steal that life lesson from? Was it something Great-Grandpa Max said or Great-Grandma Angela. It definitely couldn't have been said by Great-Great Grandma Judy considering the stories you told me about her." Sydney chuckled a bit and said, "It was something I heard my biological mother say once before she died. It's a long story though. I'll tell it to you one day. Now come on. Lets get some of this food back to your sister."
Present Day:
Sydney was sitting on a bench in the cemetery facing a tombstone that had the name: Alisha Reynolds on it. From nearby, Harry appeared pushing his little cousin in a stroller. Harry then sat next to Sydney as he held his baby cousin and said, "Hey." Sydney glanced at Harry as she said, "Hey. Harry then said, "Listen... I want us to talk things out. I want us to work Syd." Sydney then said, "But what if I don't work? Harry, everyday I ask myself if I'm becoming the kind of woman my mom would want me to be one day. For so long, the answer has always been uncertain to me. But recently... I've started to believe the answer is definitely no. I hurt you last Fall, and I've disgraced my family. My mom and dad taught me better. My mom even named me after her sister who knew better, because she wanted me to be the kind of woman she was... and I've totally failed." Then Harry said, "Well... from where I'm sitting, you're honoring your mother and aunt pretty well. Didn't you tell me they both got pregnant when they were young, and made some bad relationship decisions too. They both messed up, but grew to become better women. Better women you really look up to."
Sydney then tilted her head down still looking upset. Harry then held Sydney's hand and said, "Sydney... do you wanna know why I didn't officially break up with you after the incident last Fall happened? It was because I knew that wasn't you. I knew you were sorry for what you did, and I knew you were going to become a better person in the long run. Yes, I still had to be careful, but... look, this may sound silly and dumb but... whenever I picture what my future is going to look like, I can only picture me and you together. It's me and you Syd... forever. I still want to wait a few more years to be absolutely sure, but one day... I want to be a lot like we are right now. Spending a Saturday afternoon together with a child; only we'd be married and the child would be our own... and we wouldn't be in a cemetery." Tears appeared in Sydney's eyes as she said, "Thank you. I love you Harry. And I love that you have so much confidence for our future. But... I wish I had my mom here to help give me some final advice on how to be a good woman, so I could be the perfect wife for you and the perfect mother to our child one day. I know it's been over eight years now but... I still miss my mom every day. I just want my mom back so much." Then Sydney burst into tears as Harry reached out and hugged Sydney with one arm.
1998:
Alisha Webb and Max Reynolds stepped into a hospital room and saw Alisha's older sister Sydney Webb laying on a bed looking very weak, and wearing a yellow head-dress on her head. Max and Alisha then sat next to Sydney as Max said, "Hey Sydney. Good to see you." Sydney smiled as she said, "Good to see you two kids as well." Alisha then said, "So hey, how did the treatments go today?" Then Sydney said, "Well... tiring. I will say, it does save time in the morning now not having to brush my hair. Plus, it gave me an excuse to wear this awesome African head-dress my mom said belonged to our ancestors." Max smiled as he said, "Yeah. It looks cool." Then Sydney said, "So how was senior prom?" Then Alisha took out of her bag a picture and handed it to Sydney. Sydney saw a picture of Alisha wearing a white gown, as Max stood in a matching white tuxedo next to her. Sydney smiled as he said, "You two are such an adorable couple. Sorry I had to miss it... and sorry I'm gonna have to miss the wedding when you two crazy kids get hitched." Alisha looked more upset as she said, "Sydney, don't say that. More than eighty percent of cancer patients survive their treatments and live a full long life."
Then Sydney said, "Yeah, well most cancer patients don't have a combination of kidney cancer, and breast cancer, and Lupus, and well... look Alisha, I'm not going down without a fight. But I've seen this all as a sign to make my peace with dad, apologize to mom for all the stupid stuff I did growing up, and also... make sure you're okay. And now I know you will be okay, as long as you can stick around with this prince charming you got here." Then Sydney glared at Max as she said, "But if you don't treat my sister like she's the royal princess she is, I swear I will rise from the grave and haunt you till the end of your days. You got that boy?" Max smirked and said, "Got it Syd." Then Alisha who began to look more upset said, "Sydney, you can't talk like this. This isn't going to be the end. You can't leave me now. You can't leave." Then Sydney held Alisha's hand as she said, "Hey. You're going to be okay Alisha. You're no longer a pretty little girl. You're a beautiful woman inside and out. You're going to be okay." Then Alisha looking more sad now, got up, and ran out of the room. Max then got up and chased after Alisha, seeing she had stopped just several feet away in the hallway. Alisha then hugged Max as she cried and said, "I can't lose her yet Max. I just can't." Alisha then began to sob as Max just held Alisha in his arms, as Alisha continued to cry.
2078:
Sydney opened the door to the laboratory as Maya stepped in. Sydney waved as she said, "Have a good afternoon." Maya then walked over to Judy with a bag as she said, "Brought you some food." Judy then said, "Thanks." Then Maya said, "So how is the whole worm-hole into time project going?" Judy sighed and said, "We've been able to make stable worm-holes through space. And we've been able to open holes just seconds into the past. But we can't make worm-holes that can take someone far into the past." Then Maya said, "Well if you can warp space, why not just warp time? I've heard you say it takes a lot of power to move atoms from one space to another. Why not double the power and use those same calculations you have to bring two space points closer together, to bring two points in time closer together?" Judy's eyes widened as she began to click quickly on her computer screen and said, "That's it! Oh my gosh. Let me just input those calculations and see what happens and... Boom! We did it. Sometimes a clearer perspective really does fix everything. Maya, you're a genius! You just helped make time travel a reality!" Maya looking surprised said, "Really? Cool?" Judy then held a rectangle shaped green device with buttons on it as she said, "Okay. This portable device is designed to create small worm-holes. But with the press of a button, it should be able to create time-holes to any time period you can think of. Lets start with the past though. Care to do the honors?" Maya then held the green device up and said, "Sweet!" Then Maya pressed a button on the device, and suddenly a blue vortex appeared before her. Judy then said, "Well... lets throw something through and see what happens." Than Maya with a simple tone said, "Okay." Then Maya threw the green device into the vortex. Judy looking freaked out yelled, "Maya! What did you do!?" Maya looking confused said, "What? What did I do?" Judy then said, "You threw a device that can create essentially portals to other time periods into the past! Do you have any idea of the ramifications of this!?" Then suddenly the sky outside began to turn a bright white color. Then as Judy and Maya looked at the bizarre sky, a worried looking Maya said, "Uh oh."
Present Day:
Sydney was still sitting on the bench in the cemetery as Harry stood up and put his baby cousin back into the stroller. Harry then said, "So... you wanna come back with us?" Sydney then said, "No thank you. I guess I just wanna talk to my mom for awhile." Harry sighed and said, "Okay." Harry then walked away as Sydney sat still starring at her mother's tombstone. Tears appeared in Sydney's eyes as she said, "I'm sorry mom. I'm sorry for being rude to you right before you died. I'm sorry I didn't come home on time. I... I wish I had been a better daughter to you. I wish I was smarter and helped repair your heart condition somehow. I didn't even get to be with you at the end. From what I heard you had some random lady off the street trying to help you in your final moments. It should've been me. It should've been family. I just want you back so much." Then Sydney saw a blue light from the corner of her eye. Then suddenly dropping near Sydney's feet was a rectangle shaped green device with buttons on it. A curious Sydney then picked up the device and said, "What is this?" Then Sydney pressed a button on the device, and then suddenly there was a bright blue light...
1998:
Teenage Max Reynolds and Alisha Webb sat on a bench in the park together. The two simply sat still holding hands, as Alisha looked up at the sky. Max then looked at Alisha as he said, "So do you still hear her voice at times?" Alisha made a small smile as she said, "Sometimes... when I lay down in her old bedroom. It's only been a few weeks since she died Max, but... I miss my sister every day so much." Then Max said, "Well... it's okay to cry if you want. You know I'll never stop you from doing that." Alisha took a deep breath and said, "The thing is... I'm done with crying... at least for now. My sister may have passed away young, but she lived a fuller life in two decades than others do in eight. There are days where I wish I could go back in time and save her, but I know that's not..." Then suddenly Max and Alisha were interrupted when they saw a bright blue light appearing before them as Max said, "What is that?" Then the two saw a big blue vortex appear, and suddenly stepping out of the vortex was... a teenage Sydney Reynolds. A confused Alisha then said, "Who are you?" Then with wide eyes and a very surprised face, Sydney said, "MOM!?"
TO BE CONTINUED...