Final Goodbyes

Disclaimer: Not mine, we should all know this by now. If they were mine, how many of them do you think would still be alive right now? Yeah, that's right.

A/N: Post {during?} The Telling; picks up sometime after the Syd/Freplica fight scene, nothing else in the ep. has happened.

This is for the SD-1 November fic challenge. The elements were post ep/missing scene for a season 2 episode, the word palpable, and something someone is grateful for.

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          "Are you ready for this?" She asked quietly. He sat staring forward, unmoving, until finally facing her.

          "Ready to say goodbye to someone I loved? Of course I'm not," he said bitterly, inwardly berating himself as she looked down guiltily. "She didn't deserve this," he added softly.

          "You're right, Will. Francie didn't deserve to die, and you didn't deserve to have your life destroyed, and I don't deserve people like you and Francie-"

          "Syd, stop. You can't blame yourself for what happened."

          "Yes, I can, and I do." Before he could reply, Sydney opened the car door and stepped out, looking at him expectantly. With a sigh, he zipped his jacket tighter and joined her, grasping her hand as they began walking.

          "Doren never revealed what they did with… with Francie's body," Sydney noted cautiously. Will didn't immediately reply, but the pained look on his face, as well as the palpable emotion surging through the air, spoke volumes to his true feelings. Eventually, he opened up.

          "I'm glad you killed her. She had no right to live after what she did to Francie, and to Francie's memory." Sydney squeezed his hand supportively as they arrived at their destination. It was a beach, one that was more often than not cold, yet still had been one of Francie's favorites. They were at the edge of the ocean, staring out at the vast expanse of water, each caught up in their own silent remembrance. Sydney was the first to step forward and transfer her thoughts into words.

          "Francie… I'm so sorry. You wouldn't have been a target if you weren't such an important part of my life. I hate the fact that I never got to tell my best friend the truth about me. But I couldn't, and I thought I was protecting you… I obviously failed at that too. I miss you… everything's different without you around. You were my last link to sanity, to normalcy, and I'm sorry I took you for granted. You were the one person who would always be there again tomorrow, and now you're gone forever, and it's because of me. I love you, and I won't ever forget you. Rest in peace, Francie." Shutting her eyes against an onslaught of tears, Sydney stepped back to allow Will to speak without interruption.

          "Hey, Fran… you know, I really don't know what to say here. How do you apologize to your dead girlfriend for being such an idiot? I'm sure Syd blamed herself for what happened… but it was my fault. Before Allison died, a few weeks ago, she told us a few things about… about killing you. I think she told us just out of spite, one last act of malevolence on her deathbed, but I'm glad to know regardless. Turns out the day you died was the day Syd had asked me to get us both out of town… and I didn't do that. You died because of my stupidity.

          "I miss you so much Francie. I didn't know the days we had left were so few, but I'm grateful for the time we did have. I wish I could go back and fix my mistakes; who knows what could have happened if you'd survived? Thank you for… for just being you." Falling silent, he sat down in the sand and watched the waves lap at his shoes. A moment later, Sydney was beside him, sharing his heartache. Together, they eventually gathered the strength to stand up and take a few steps back towards the car. Will turned around, staring at the water, awash in memories of the many days the three of them had spent there. A remorseful peace settled over him, and he closed his eyes to ward off the guilt.

          "Will… she would forgive us," Sydney said gently.

          "I know Syd… she was too amazing not to. I just wish I deserved her forgiveness." Sydney nodded her understanding, and they reluctantly returned to their car, both knowing they could never go back.