Authors Note: Just a little S/V fluff that came to me while I was in the shower. I hope you all enjoy, and I also wish you all a very Merry Christmas! :o)
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This is what they call the epitome of torture.
I'm wedged in between my wife and her obnoxious sister on Christmas Eve, drinking Egg Nog. And let me tell ya, too much of that stuff can really hit you the wrong way, this I notice as I once again shift uncomfortably in my seat. I'm sitting there praying for way to escape this torment, when suddenly my cell phone rings.
"Thank God," I mumble under my breath hoping Lauren and Christine didn't hear.
"Sorry ladies, but I have to take this," I say as I get up and move into the kitchen.
"Vaughn."
"Hey man," Weiss' voice greets me.
"How are things in Wisconsin?" I ask knowing that Eric is up there visiting family.
"Eh, they're alright. But the reason I called is if you could do me a huge favor?"
"Depending on the favor..." I say, knowing that last time I agreed to do a favor for Eric he had me mowing his lawn for a month.
"It's nothin' like last time. My sister was talking about how outrageous her heating bill was, and it made me stop and wonder if I had turned my heat off when I left."
"Okay..." I said wondering where this was going, but knowing Eric it had something to do with me paying his electric bill for him.
"I was wondering if you could run over to my house and check to make sure it's off."
"Eric, it's quarter 'til eleven."
"I know, I know, I'd really appreciate it though."
"Why didn't you call Syd? I mean she is your neighbor."
"Actually I tried, but there was no answer. I'm kinda worried about her. I mean this is her first holiday back and she has no one to spend it with."
I stop and think for a second. Francie's dead, Will's in witness protection, Eric is out of town, Jack is out of the country on assignment, and me? Well I'm here.
"Vaughn? Man, are you there?"
I quickly return from my trance like state, "Yeah, sorry. Sure I'll check things out, it'll get me away from these two for awhile."
"Having fun?"
"Something like that."
"Thanks a ton Mike, but I gotta head out. I'll see you in a couple of days."
"See ya."
I walk back into the living room, where Lauren and Christine were busy gossiping about anything and everything.
"Who was that?" Lauren asks me, as Christine makes a face, she's never really liked me much, and quite honestly, I've never really liked her much either.
"Eric."
"What on earth did he want at this hour?" Lauren asks, now she's the one to make a face, I think she believes that Eric is a bad influence on me.
"He just asked if I could run over to his house and make sure his heat isn't still on. He doesn't want to come home to face a ridiculously high electric bill."
"He left three days ago, and he's just realizing this now?" Lauren eyes me suspiciously.
"Yes, as a matter of fact he did. He and his sister were talking about her last electric bill and it made him think that he might've left his heat on," I was practically fuming that she would think I was lying to her, even though I have had a tendency to do that in the past, but that's beside the point.
"Sounds fishy to me," Christine grumbles as she examines her perfectly manicured nails.
"Doesn't Sydney Bristow live next door to him?"
Christine's eyebrows raise up, and it takes all my restraint not to pull them off as I offer a cautious, "Yes."
"Well then, why can't she do it?"
"Eric tried, but there was no answer."
"Oh, so she's not home."
I nod my head. Even though I know full well that she is home...alone. Sitting there with no one, and it breaks my heart.
"Well," Lauren says a relief floods her face, "Just don't be too long then, dear."
I manage a stiff nod, as I grab my coat and keys, and head out the door. Before the door is closed I hear the muffled voice of Christine ask, "Sydney Bristow...is that the girl you were telling me about?"
I sigh as I head out to my car. It bothers me how jealous Lauren is of Sydney. I mean, I'm married to her not Syd. I can see Syd's jealousy, as far as she knows it, we were an item just a few short months ago. But then again, I can't be naive to the fact that Lauren is blind of everything. Of course she sees the passing glances, the looks of longing and regret. And of course she notices the tightness of our kisses or the coldness of our embraces. But it bothers me none-the-less. It bothers the hell out me, Lauren has no right to be jealous of Syd. Lauren got exactly what she wanted, Syd was left out in the cold, and now here she is all alone on Christmas.
I pound my fist hard on the steering wheel causing a loud honk to emerge. A blush forms around my cheeks, and I'm glad that I'm the only one on the road. "Other people are at home enjoying themselves," I mumble.
But quite honestly, I'm glad to be away from Christine and Lauren. Christine brings out the worst in Lauren, she changes into an entirely different person, one that I definitely don't want to spend time around, and as luck would have it, the Lauren without Christine isn't much better.
I pull into Eric's development as I think about Lauren. I don't think it's any surprise that we're not the happy couple we might seem on the outside. Inside we're struggling to keep things together, and I often wonder, that if maybe I hadn't needed someone so desperately, or if I had some shred of hope that Syd was alive, that it all wouldn't have turned out this way.
I park my car, but sit in the silence for a moment, enjoying the quiet, and aloneness, a rarity these days.
I finally get out of my car and head up the stairs to Eric's apartment. I fumble with my keys until I find his and unlock the door. I step inside, seeing my breathe. "Well I guess that answers the question if he cut off the heat."
I'm about to leave, when something begins to tug at my stomach. I turn to the key rack, and see a key that says 'Syd' on it. I know I shouldn't, but I just can't resist. Plus no one should be alone on Christmas.
I cradle the key in my hand and head next door to Syd's apartment. I know that if I sneak in, she'll kill me. But something tells me that it's okay, and I at this moment it's what I want to do more than anything.
I slip the key in the lock, and slowly turn. I hear it click. I press myself up against the door, and slowly turn the nob, revealing a dimly lit room.
I quietly step inside, and look around, Syd is no where to be found. I guess maybe she did decide to get away after all. It's at that very moment that I notice a half drunk bottle of wine on the dining room table. Seeing that breaks my heart, part of me hoped that she had gotten away, and wasn't sitting here alone.
Looking at her house you wouldn't have any idea that Christmas was in, well, half an hour, according to my watch. Even Eric who wasn't in town had cheesy decorations around and about. But not Sydney. There's not even a Christmas card displayed on the mantel.
I move further into the house, but stop when I hear a sound from the bathroom. The door is partially open, and from my angle I'm able to get a small view. Sydney is in the tub surrounded by about a dozen tiny candles, a glass of red wine next to the tub is just about empty. I look at Sydney, bubbles cover her, leaving all to the imagination, or for me, my memories. I squint to get a better look at her face, which is hard in the dim light. What isn't hard is to see is the fact that she's been crying. I wouldn't even need to see her face to know this, it's just something that I know.
It takes every ounce of my restraint to keep me from rushing in there, taking her in my arms, showering her with kisses, all the while telling her that everything is alright.
I know I can't do exactly that, but I can do the next best thing.
I sneak back to the kitchen, I find a pen and a piece of paper, I jot down a few simple, yet meaningful words, and leave the paper next to the wine bottle. I know that she'll be back for more, an occasion like this doesn't warrant an only have drunk bottle.
I silently exit her house, and return the key back to the rack on Eric's wall. I head off to my car, but before I leave I sit there, wearing the first true smile I've had in a long time. Hoping that my note can do the same for her, and with that I drive off to whatever is awaiting me at home, knowing that with a slight glimmer of hope, I can handle anything.
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I jolt out of my bath at the sound of my door closing, or at least I think I heard it close.
I rub my temples, cursing myself for all the wine I've had throughout the day. I do decide that my bath water has gotten a little too cold, so I exit, and wrap a big, soft, terry cloth robe around me.
I head out of the bathroom, displaying some level of caution. I enter the main room, noticing that everything seems to be in place. I must've been hearing things again.
I'm just about to blow out my candles and head off to bed, realizing that I've already had enough wine this evening, and I can save the rest for what appears to be another glorious day tomorrow. But something catches my eye. Not something shiny, or anything like that. But just a small piece of paper near my wine bottle. Being the spy that I am, I know that paper wasn't there when I headed off to my bath.
I slowly head over to the table, the fact that someone has been in my house troubles me. On a normal day, I would've automatically shrugged it off as Weiss, but he's in Wisconsin.
"Maybe it was Santa Claus," I say out loud. This amuses me greatly, and I nearly double over in laughter. "Alright Sydney, that's definitely enough wine for you."
I pick up the piece of paper, and make out the words.
-No one should have to be alone on Christmas, and I promise you that you will never have to be again.-
With all my heart and soul,
Your Guardian Angel
Tears glisten in my eyes, as I read and re-read that simple sentence again and again, knowing that this vow of hope is all I could've ever asked for, I manage to get out despite my tears:
"Wow, I guess he really does exist."
Authors Note: I hope you guys enjoyed! I thought about adding on to it, but this just seemed about right, let me know what you think though!