To Everything Its Place

By: Ellie (Chshalogrl)

Rating: PG-13

Summary: The fluffy sequel to "Like Normal People Do". Fluffity-fluff.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I am not JJ Abrams nor am I affiliated with ABC, Touchstone, or Bad Robot.

A/N: No, you're not imagining things. It's finally here. I promised a sequel to "Like Normal People Do" and I'm delivering on the promise. My sincerest apologies for the delay, but the muse just wasn't in the mood for fluff and everything I wrote was devastating. So I went with that for a while and wrote three angst fics during my little hiatus. But now I'm back and I'm hoping that I'll be able to live up to any expectations people might have (and terrified that I won't). Sequels never seem to be as popular as the original…but I'll do my best to entertain you guys. This is fluff. If you'd rather read something a bit more probing…I'm going to be bold and suggest one of my angst fics. But this is fluff. I try to give it some semblance of a plot, but it's supposed to be fun.

Reviews are the only way I can improve! Feel free! I hope you enjoy this. Happy Reading! ~Ellie

To Everything Its Place

Chapter 1- Eve of Departure

"SURPRISE!!!"  Sydney Bristow stumbled backward as her fingers fumbled through the darkness for the light switch she knew was there. Gasping slightly, she finally grasped the tiny knob and swung it upward, laughing as her eyes adjusted to the sight of nearly thirty smiling faces. The group clapped and cheered loudly when they spotted the expression of total shock on her face and Sydney just stood for a moment, one hand fluttering upward to her mouth, the other resting comfortably at the swell of her belly.

Her classroom had been transformed with streamers of pastel pinks and blues swinging lazily across the room. A hand-painted banner was hanging above her desk with "Congratulations!" scrawled across the white butcher paper.

"You guys!" Her hand dashed lightly at her flooded eyes and she smiled at the giddy group. "Thank you! This is so wonderful! Did you guys plan this all by yourselves?"

A dozen voices called out at one time, each taking credit for one aspect of the party. She silenced the group by simply raising a hand and smiled as the young faces turned toward her with earnest gazes.

"This is one of the most special things anybody has ever done for me. It's been a pleasure to have each and every one of you in my classroom this year. And I wish you all the best of luck in seventh grade." 

Cheers once again erupted from the group and someone appeared with a massive, pink cardboard box. Lifting the lid from the cake, she started to serve the thick squares that had been thoughtfully pre-sliced, and she made a conscious decision to relish these last moments with her students.

* * * * * * * *

It had been an hour since the final bells of the school year had pierced Lucosa's heated summer air and released hundreds of students to the freedom of summer. Surrounded by several small cartons, Sydney was busily packing the contents of her classroom and sorting the things she wanted to keep from the things she would be leaving behind. Holding up one of several motivational posters, she was startled by a light knocking sound and turned to see Leanne Matheson standing in the doorway with a saddened expression on her face as she watched her friend pack up.

Tilting her head to coax a smile out of her redheaded colleague, Sydney held up the poster. "I'm leaving a lot of stuff behind. You're welcome to any of it."

"Thanks." Leanne remained in the doorway for a moment before quickly crossing the room to give Sydney a hug. "I'm really going to miss you, Sydney."

Sydney hugged her friend back and smiled. "Me too." Leanne had been one of the many Lucosa residents who had been incredibly understanding about her unique identity circumstances. It had taken no time for the whispers of "Have you heard that the Parks were in the Witness Protection Program?" to spread from one corner of the tiny town to the other. And it had taken half as long for murmurs of "I hear their real names are Michael and Sydney Vaughn" to become old news.

Sydney motioned back towards her boxes. "Take it all, Leanne. If you don't want it, I'm sure someone else will."

Leanne nodded. "So you're all finished, huh? That's it?"

Sydney glanced down and adjusted her crisp, white shirt over her protruding tummy. "Yeah. At least until this one is born." She paused. "I can't believe I'm going to have my own child to worry about."

Leanne pulled her into another quick hug. "You and Michael will be great parents. And you look fantastic. I can't believe you've only got a month to go."

Rolling her eyes, Sydney shook her head. "Yeah. Neither can I. I'm ready for June to be over."

"Soon enough." Leanne winked. "Have a safe trip."

"We will. Bye, Lee."

* * * * * * * *

Taking a seat at her desk, Sydney sighed as she looked around the now-empty classroom. Vaughn had come to help her with the heavier stuff the weekend before, but now that the posters were all down, it looked truly barren. Glancing up at the clock, she noted that she had another twenty minutes before Vaughn would be by to pick her up. She had insisted that she could handle the job of packing herself, but she'd relented when he had pointed out that there was no way she would be able to carry the boxes from her classroom to her car. Shaking her head slightly, a tiny grin tugged at her lips when she thought about the course of her pregnancy thus far. It had truly been quite a ride…

Flashback

The morning sickness had been slow in coming, but when it finally arrived, it more than made up for its tardiness. Mornings were an enjoyable time for Sydney. She enjoyed rolling over and coaxing Vaughn from the clutches of slumber for a bit of early morning cuddling as their bedroom was bronzed in the early morning sun.

The prospect of rolling over on this particular morning, however, was an unlikely one. Maintaining her silence for fear of concerning Vaughn, Sydney was still until the telltale tightening in her throat sent her leaping towards the bathroom.  With her face hanging in close proximity to the toilet seat, she was relieved when she heard the rushing of the faucet. And when she glanced up at her sleepy husband as he helped her to sip at the warm, tap water, she couldn't help but lean into him with relief.

The look of concern on his face was enough to cause her to sag even a bit more. His knit eyebrows seemed to battling each other beneath the creases in his forehead and his eyes were wide as he searched for any sign that her sudden bout with nausea was abnormal. Sydney forced a tight-lipped smile, which, she figured, probably frightened him more than anything else, and he helped her back towards their bed. The room was aglow with morning and after some coaxing, Sydney allowed Vaughn to pull her back into bed for a little bit longer. Glancing up as he set a hand on her side, she was surprised to find a hint of amusement on his face. Scowling indignantly, she plucked his hand from her waist and dropped it over the sheets.

"What's so funny?"

He was silent for a moment before the dam broke and a grin flooded his features. She listened as he quoted her in a smarmy, high-pitched tone, "Morning sickness? I've been tortured and maimed and…oomph!" Pushing the pillow away from his face, his gaze met Sydney's.

"Honey?" She asked sweetly. "Do me a favor. Don't talk anymore. Like ever." And she rolled out of bed with a small groan to get ready for her day.

*****

"I. Don't. Think. So."  Sydney shook her head furiously before backing slowly away from the offending item. "No. It's not going to happen."

With an impatient groan, Vaughn moved toward her with the hanger in his hand. "I think you'll look beautiful."  He offered the compliment with hopeful eyes, but he wasn't surprised when she crossed her arms and huffed loudly. He couldn't help but smile at the sight of her folded arms resting on the belly that seemed to have appeared without any warning.

Noticing the target of his gaze, Sydney glared at him before shaking her head once more. They had been shopping for maternity clothes all morning long since her work clothes would no longer fit around her midsection. Unfortunately, as Vaughn had discovered, she seemed determined not to find anything she was willing to wear. And the latest thing Vaughn had pulled from the rack, a pair of tan slacks with a stretchy "tummy", was no exception.

Continuing her perusal of the scattered racks of clothing, Sydney discovered a chair against one of the store walls and lowered herself into it with a haggard sigh. When Vaughn saw Sydney's head disappear from above the maze of clothing racks, he was surprised to find her slumped in a chair looking rather defeated…just one side of her that he'd only encountered a few times since their wedding.

"Syd?" Concern permeated his tone of voice as he knelt down to look her in the eye. "Are you okay?" Ha! The question was a laughable one. But he was trying.

Standing abruptly, she turned and glanced at her likeness in a nearby mirror. "I'm fat." She stated the fact in a quiet and unassuming manner before turning to him with the quivering lower lip he clearly recalled from an impromptu meeting a certain pier.

Vaughn glanced at her reflection before attempting to respond. Fat she was not. Adorable? Yes. Sydney had proven to be the type of pregnant woman that other women envied. The open zipper of her jeans was covered by the oversized shirt she had confiscated from his side of the closet, and it looked as though she was carrying a basketball underneath.

"Sydney, you're not fat. Most women would kill to look as good as you do…pregnant or not."

The tears had yet to spill and he saw a sparkle of hope in her eyes as she turned to him. "Really?"

Vaughn pulled her into an awkward hug, mindful of the extra width at her middle. Brushing his lips across the stray hairs at her temple, he breathed his next words into her ear, "I'm sure that I've never been more attracted to you than I am right now."

So four shirts, three pairs of pants, two hours, and one ice-cream cone later, the couple tumbled through their front door and barely reached the bed before Vaughn proved just how attracted to her he really was.

End Flashback

"Hey, you."

Jumping slightly, Sydney blushed when she realized that she'd been caught in a daydream. Surprised at her lack of response, Vaughn approached her desk and leaned down to press a kiss into her hair.  "Sad about leaving?"

Sydney smiled up at him and nodded. "Yeah, I am." Glancing around at the blank walls, she shrugged. "Another chapter of our lives is complete." Pushing back from the desk, she looked down at the obvious curve of her belly. "On with the next chapter!"

Vaughn smiled at her obvious attempt to make light of the situation. "Why don't I start loading these boxes into your car? Then we can head home and finish our packing."

Sydney nodded. "When are the movers coming?"

"Tomorrow morning. As soon as they arrive we can get going. We'll be in LA by tomorrow night."

Because they had acquired quite a bit of larger furniture, they had agreed to hire movers to transport the items from Lucosa to LA. The movers would also be towing Sydney's car behind the van, allowing Sydney and Vaughn to travel together in his truck.

After just couple trips from her classroom to the car, the boxes had were all loaded and a rather sweaty Vaughn appeared in front of her. Ducking slightly to catch her lowered gaze, he raised an eyebrow. "Ready to go?"

Sydney smiled and nodded. She stood from her desk chair and gratefully accepted Vaughn's offered hand before she lowered the light switch and stepped into Lucosa's dry heat for the last time.

* * * * * * * *

Feeling the moisture beading on his forehead from his exertions, Vaughn swiped the area with the back of his hand as he stood back to survey the damage. He had been working all day long to pack their surprisingly vast collection of belongings while Sydney finished up her last day at school and it seemed as though he was never going to get everything placed in a box.

Glancing at his watch, he realized that he still had a couple of hours before he needed to head over to the school to pick Sydney up. She had refused his offer to help clean out her classroom several times before finally relenting on behalf of their baby, and Vaughn had been more than a little relieved since he knew how apprehensive she was about packing up and leaving the life they had settled into.

Lifting a lamp from Sydney's bedside table, he lowered it carefully into one of the hundreds of cartons that had taken over their small house. Glancing back over at the small table, he couldn't help but smile at the framed picture that remained. A brushed silver frame with a subtle heart etched in the bottom, right-hand corner, it had been a gift from Leanne Matheson on their wedding day. It bordered the image of the two of them bundled up with gloves and scarves, the wind whipping through their hair, causing their eyes to sting and their ears to ache. But they were grinning happily because underneath the bulky were the matching platinum bands they had just exchanged.

Flashback

Since school started for Sydney just a few days after their wedding, they didn't have time for a long honeymoon. But they did make a quick trip to San Francisco where they spent a significant amount of time in their posh honeymoon suite with the sheets thrown back and the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door.  It had taken the promise of ice cream for Vaughn to finally coerce Sydney into venturing downstairs, and the two found themselves standing, hands entwined, in a long line at the Ghiradelli ice cream parlor.

Sydney sighed with contentment when she felt Vaughn's arms sneak around her waist, and she smiled when his chin was suddenly on her shoulder, his breath brushing her neck when he whispered, "What does my baby feel like eating?" Suddenly he was palming her slight tummy with an air of reverence and Sydney was sure she was going to burst from the utter perfection of the moment.

"And which 'baby' are you referring to, Mr. Vaughn? Would that be me or little…Rufus?"

Apparently not Rufus.

"Rufus? You really want our kid to become the minion of some overrated crime syndicate, don't you? Rufus?!"

"Kidding, Vaughn. Remember that? Joking? Ha-ha?"

"Rufus isn't funny. It's tragic."

"Fine!" Sydney threw her hands up playfully before lowering them to settle over his at her middle. "Rufus is out. I get it. But I think little Gertrude is craving the Cable Car Sundae." Turning to him with a huge grin on her face, she stepped up to the counter to place their order.  When she had finished, Vaughn waited until she was nestled beneath his arm before guiding her towards an empty booth. There sundae was ready within minutes and Sydney was practically drooling as he set the monstrosity on the table in front of her. She wasted no time in attacking the mountainous glob of ice cream and fudge while Vaughn picked at it with a slender spoon.

"About these baby names…" He started.

"Oh, you mean little Eugene?" Sydney lifted her eyes as she raised a spoonful of ice cream to her lips.

"Right." Vaughn responded dryly. "I just wanted to let you know that you're not allowed to name our child. After hearing your taste, I'm making this decision for his or her emotional well-being. I felt it only fair to inform you of my decision."

Huffing slightly, Sydney buried her spoon in the ice cream before pulling it out with a dripping mound of fudge. "Well, if you want to play dirty, I'm just going to go behind your back at the hospital. Sean it is."

Vaughn's spoon froze somewhere between the ice cream and his mouth. "Sean Vaughn? God Syd! That's horrible."

She gave him a cheeky smile before making a sincere request. "Can I have a bite?"

Confusion flickered across his face. "We're sharing the same sundae."

Sydney shrugged. "Yeah, but somehow it always tastes better when it comes from you."

A strange request, perhaps, but it was simple enough. So he obliged and raised the spoon to her lips before lowering the spoon and replacing it with his lips in a deliciously sticky kiss.

End Flashback

Vaughn continued the packing well through the afternoon until it was time for him to pick up Sydney. She'd only been away for eight hours, but they seemed destined to remain in the 'honeymoon' phase for the duration of their marriage. He just couldn't get enough of her.

* * * * * * * *

With the end of Lucosa's school year came unbearably hot weather that broiled the town for most of the day but kept the evenings just warm enough to keep the windows open through the night. The day had been a long one for Sydney, especially considering her condition, and she had been perfectly happy to come home to a bubble bath before venturing into the kitchen for a simple dinner.

"Is everything packed?"

Her question prompted Vaughn to turn as she emerged from the hallway in his t-shirt and boxer shorts, her hair still clinging to her shoulders in damp strands. She had insisted on wearing her own pajamas for the first few months of her pregnancy. She'd taken pride in the pouch that was gradually growing outward and, in his company alone; she had gladly donned the camisoles that clung to her newly curvaceous figure. When she'd been forced to switch to garments that were more…accommodating, she had opted to raid his closet.

Who was he to object? It seemed the least he could do.

Vaughn watched as she approached his perch on the couch and he opened his arms to her, inviting her to stretch out on the cushions and enjoy the breeze that always came with dusk as it fluttered in through the open windows of the house. As the rusty ribbons of light faded with the sun's descent, the crickets began their melodious chirps, and Sydney pressed herself closer to Vaughn.

"I'm going to miss this peace and quiet." She whispered as if she was afraid to disturb the night. "Do you think we can find a nice, quiet place in LA?"

"We can try." Vaughn reasoned quietly as Sydney shifted slightly in an obvious attempt to get comfortable.

With her movement, Vaughn found his face hovering just above the coolness of her damp head and he caught a whiff of the coconut shampoo she'd just used. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he let his hand rest on the firm mound of their baby and brushed his lips across the sensitive skin beneath her ear. "Everything is going to work out for the best, Syd. We're going to go back, we're going to have our baby, and you're going to be the most amazing mom…"

Sydney smiled at his words before turning over in his grasp. With her face just inches from his, she lifted her head and let her lips meet his in a feather-like kiss he could barely feel. Giving him a soft smile, she whispered softly. "I love you."

"I love you too." His voice was quiet but gruff. And as his thoughts were drowned out by the hum of nighttime and the whistles of crickets, Sydney's light snoring betrayed her state of slumber. He wasn't far behind.

TBC…