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                         Swans Crossing: the Reunion	
		        Chapter 3: Secrets Left Untold
		           By Michelle Rutherfurd

	Sydney stepped onto the porch of her mansion into the setting 
sunlight. She smoothed down her purple suede leather skirt complimented by 
a lilac tinted shirt with purple flowers and straps. It was finally sinking 
in how good it felt to be home again. Now she was off to the Swans Club to 
chat with all her old friends. Her only regret was that Mila and Callie 
wouldn't be there. It just wouldn't seem the same without them. As she 
hurried down the road towards town, she found herself passing the Rosnovsky 
Mansion. She hadn't had time to earlier that day, what with calling everyone 
and inviting them to the club that night, so she took this time to go have 
a little visit with Nancy.
	As she rang the doorbell, she thought back to the conversation she'd 
had on the phone with Nancy earlier. Garret was right, Nancy was as bitter 
and distant as ever. But Sydney had never been one to lend too much 
sympathy, and she never would. The butler answered the door and pointed to 
the large living room. She walked into the large, fancy, and naturally, 
pink-decorated room and found Nancy, still wearing a blue robe and pajamas, 
with her hair in a tangeled messpulled up with a ribbon, lying across two 
bar stools at the wet bar drinking from a bottle of something.
	"Oh God, don't tell me your wasted," Sydney began as she walked over 
to Nancy to remove the bottle from her hand. "Wow, I'd heard you were bad, 
but cotton?" she said referring to her robe. "That is so unlike you. Now 
come on--we'll get you all cleaned up and with a bit of makeup and a 
halfway decent outfit you'll be as good as new," she said, leading her 
former friend up the stairs.
	"Don't tell me this is for your little party at Swans. Who cares? 
It's just the same old people chatting it up about old times, all of us 
trying to hide our own misery, trying to pretend everything's ok, the way 
it was the last time we were all together."
	"Well, I care. And it's not like you're trying to hold in your 
misery. My God, what happened to you in New York?"
	"Nothing. I don't want to talk about it. Besides, maybe we'd all be 
a little better off if we didn't keep secrets. Like you. I can see by the 
big rock on your hand that you're engaged, and yet you haven't told anyone 
because if I know Garret Booth, he's been all over you like Madonna on, 
well, anything. And all the while you're trying to hide the fact that it 
pains you so much to be here in the place where your mother lost it and 
practically killed herself, and all because of you and our own Mr. Booth."
	Sydney tried to object, to tell her that she was doing just fine 
emotionally, that Garret hadn't been all over her, that she was planning on 
telling everyone the news that night, but she couldn't. She was still 
hurting about her mother. And she had, all these years, been blaming herself 
and Garret for her downward spiral. But she was stornger than that. She 
didn't feel sorry for herself. She didn't dwell in the past. She was a 
Rutledge woman. 
	"Oh, shut up and go get a shower Nancy, before you get me started 
in on all of your personal problems," was all Sydney could manage to say in 
a normal tone.
	For a moment, Nancy stopped trying to despise her and turneed to 
her saying," Well, maybe you haven't changed that much after all, Sydney-O." 
With that, she walked off to the bathroom. 
	That comment made Sydney feel a million times better. Maybe deep 
down she was still hurting a little from the manifold of unwanted emotions 
returning to Swans Crossing brought her. But it was good to know that she 
could hide it so well. "Too bad we can't hide everything forever," she 
said, looking down at her diamond ring, sparkling on her ring finger.
			*	*	*	*	*
	"So Mila's coming in tomorrow?" Garret asked Glory, who had just 
gotten off the phone at the Swans Club. 
	"Yeah. Perfect timing, huh?"
	"You know it. Sydney will be so happy to see her again."
	"Me too! I really miss her!"
	The two hurried back to their poolside table where Jimmy, J.T., 
Neil and his date Stacey, Owen, Sandy, and Saja were snacking.
	"Good news, everybody! Mila will be in tomorrow!" Glory announced 
to the group. 
	"That's great. With Sydney and Mila back, the only one missing from 
the gang is...oops! I mean, I... uh, well......."
	"Way to screw up, Saja!" Jimmy said. Though he had mentioned his 
long lost love, Jimmy found himself laughing with the others at Saja's 
stuttering.
	"Speaking of the guest of honor, when do you suppose Ms. Sydney 
will be joining us?" Sandy asked.
	"Alright everybody, I'm here and now the party can begin!" Sydney 
cried just then. "And I even brought a surprise guest!"
	Everyone was shocked as Nancy walked over. This was one of the few 
times they had seen her in the over a year now. And now she looked great. 
She was wearing a lilac tank top and brown capri pants, with a section of 
her wavy strawberry blonde hair pinned to the side of her face with a 
sparkly rhinestone clip. She looked better than anyone of them had seen her 
look since she left for New York along time ago now.
	As Sydney watched her friends in pleasure, admiring them compliment 
Nancy for the little makeover Sydney had given her, she went over to sit by 
Garret, hiding her left hand. She was still afraid to tell everyone, 
especially him. She just had to wait for the right time.
	"Well, I think a celebration is in order!" Owen announced. 
	"I agree, practically the whole gang is here agian!" Neil put in.
	"A toast," Garret said. To old friends, and to new beginnings," he 
said, looking over at Sydney.
	Sydney smiled back as everyone toasted. "Oh Garret," she thought. 
"If only you knew..."
			*	*	*	*	*
	Hours later, the ten of them were still sitting by the pool 
chatting. The night was almost over, and yet Sydney had still let the secret 
of her engagement go untold. Somehow they got on the subject of Glory and 
J.T.'s wedding. 
	"So, I was thinking. Since you're back and town, and we are best 
friends and all, will you be my maid of honor, Sydney?"Glory asked her 
excitedly.
	"Of course, Glory! Oh my God! This is so exciting!" Sydney replied.
	Nancy listened to the group babble on happily while she sat there 
silently sipping at her lemonade. She wasn't so queit because she was 
jealous. After all, she was in the wedding, too, along with Mila and Sandy, 
and Callie, if Glory could get ahold of her. And Garret, Owen, Niel, Saja, 
and Jimmy were also in the wedding party. She was queit because for some 
strange reason, this little get-together Sydney forced her to go to was 
actually allowing her the slightest bit of happiness, something she hadn't 
expirienced for so long now. For the first time in years, she felt happy. 
She looked over at Sydney, who was hugging Glory, and realized she wasn't 
such a bad friend after all.
	As the talk of the wedding went on around her, Sydney decided it 
would be best to bring up her own marrital status before the group broke up 
for the night. "You know, speaking of weddings, I have something to share 
with you all," she began a bit apprehensively. 
	"What is it, Sydney," Glory asked her.
	"Well, I..."
	"Is this where the party is?" a voice boomed from behind her.
	"Mila!" Glory shrieked, running to hug her. "Guess who's back!"
	"Another missed chance," she thought to herself as she ran up to 
hug her friend.
			*	*	*	*	*
	"Oh, Sydney, I'm so glad you're back!" Mila shrieked for the 
millionth time as she again ran to hug her friend.
	Sandy, Glory, Nancy, Mila, and Sydney were sitting around Sydney's 
large bedroom looking through old photo albums and reminiscing about old 
times ealry the next morning. They had been there all night catching up, 
just like one of their annual sleepovers. 
	"I know. It must be pretty hard for you to go on without me," she 
replied laughingly.
	"You know, Sydney-O, I thought you had changed for the better. Don't 
tell me you've adopted Garret's motto."Nancy asked her, raising an eyebrow.
	"No, she's a better person," Mila responded for her. "But some 
things will never change," she said, sending them all into yet another fit 
of laughter.
	"God, I've missed you guys." Sydney said, looking at each of them 
in turn.
	"So how was Europe, anyways?" Sandy asked her.
	"Yeah, you haven't said a word about it yet." Glory added.
	"Well, it's different. I get so homesick for Swans Crossing 
sometimes. But it's where I live now. It's where I belong."
	"Ah, yes, among the high society counts and countesses, ducthes and 
dutchesses, kings and queens, and the other royals of France." Mila said 
jokingly.
	"Not much unlike you, still living the good life in a realm of 
fame, I understand," Sydney reminded Mila.
	"Come on, Syd! I've only put out three movies since I left Swans 
Crossing!"
	"Oh, only three?" Sandy asked, pretending to be shocked.
	"Hey, you're one to talk!" Glory said to her. "Your name isn't 
exactly unknown in the music world, Ms. Swan. I feel like a nothing next to 
you guys."
	"Yeah, well at least you have a job, Glory. One that you love, too. 
I don't have anything. Nothing at all," Nancy said qeuitly as she stared out 
the window. "Last time I tried to follow my dreams, it all blew up in my 
face."
	The other four became queit, not realizing how much what they were 
saying was hurting her. 
	"You have us," Sydney said as she walked over to where her friend 
was watching the sun rise.
	"Yeah, and friends mean more than anything else," Mila stated as 
the other three joined in on the hug. 
	Nancy remained silent a moment more, still looking out the window. 
Then she whispered meakly," Thanks, you guys."
	The five continued to hug one another as they stared out the window 
to the rising sun. If only things were as perfect as they were fooling 
themselves into believing.

			Copyright: Michelle Rutherfurd 1999

If anyone has any questions, comments, or ideas write to me at 
glitter495@aol.com. I'd love to hear from you!