Title: Welcome to Normal
Author: Steph (ILUVNYYANK@aol.com)
Category: Romance/Humor
Pairings: Syd/Vaughn, Vaughn/Weiss friendship
Spoilers: "The Frame", "Unveiled", "Hourglass"
Rating: PG (with a strong PG-13 for an upcoming chapter)
Archive: Sure, just let me know where.
Disclaimer: Alias and its characters do not belong to me. I do this out of
a love for the show and no infringement is intended.
Summary: Vaughn gets a taste of the normal life he craves.
Note: Hey guys! Thanks for all of the feedback for "Someone Like Her". Onto the next: This one is unapologetically fluffy. I've done so much angst lately, it was a refreshing change of pace. I normally only do one-parters, but this one kept growing. It's all done, which is the only way I can do multi-part stories anymore. It's in four parts and I'll be posting them one at a time, with a few days in between each. Some parts are longer than others, some have more going on than others. That was just the best way to break them up. Also, 'S/V try normal life' has been done before (I ain't claiming originality, just inspiration that would not be ignored!), so anything that may seem similar is pure coincidence. So, I hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you thought! ~Steph
* * * * Welcome to Normal: Part 1/4 * * * *
"You know what's scary?" Weiss said to Vaughn through a mouthful of donut. "I'm so hard up for a woman that I'd actually take one who's evil and only using me...especially one as hot as Lauren."
Vaughn rolled his eyes and changed the channel on the television. "I seriously don't know why I even talk to you."
With a lick of his fingers, Weiss finished his jelly donut. "You enjoy my wacky perspective on things."
Vaughn laid his head back on the couch and dropped the remote from his hand, settling on a baseball game. "I just can't wait for all of this to be over. Syd and I were watching Lauren meet with her mother and all I could think of was how I want a normal life."
"Normal life? When was the last time you had a normal life? When you were, like, six? Seriously, man, your life hasn't been normal since you joined the CIA and it's not going to be normal unless you leave it."
"I did leave it or have you forgotten? I was a French professor for a while. That was a normal life."
"And by normal I can assume you mean boring."
Vaughn sighed. "I liked teaching, but my life was boring. I was miserable. Going home just wasn't what I expected it to be."
"You mean going home to Lauren."
Vaughn looked at the television. "If it had been Sydney I was going home to, things would have been different."
Weiss shrugged, "Do you really think you could do 'normal' for the rest of your life? I'm talking, 9 to 5 job, mowing the lawn on Sundays, taking the kids to soccer practice, family barbecues on the weekends. Is that what you really want?"
Vaughn turned and looked at him. "I've learned one thing from all of this: the one and only thing I want is Sydney. It doesn't matter what we're doing, I just want to be with her. And you know what? Spending the rest of my life doing those things with her actually sounds pretty damn good."
"Would you invite me to the barbecues?"
"Of course."
"Would you have beef hot dogs, not those crappy turkey ones you're so fond of?"
"Definitely."
"And chips with ridges?"
"Is there any other kind?"
"Okay, then I'm fine with it."
Vaughn smiled. "People who have normal jobs and family lives don't know how great they have it. To have your biggest problem be that you need to get the kitchen sink fixed. Or a busy day meaning you have to go to the bank, dry cleaners and the supermarket. I'd kill for that normalcy. They take the little things for granted. That monotony and routine is something they probably loathe, but I'd love to have."
Weiss raised an eyebrow. "Plumbing problems and a multitude of errands is your idea of exciting?"
Vaughn nodded. "Look, I've done the traveling around the world and the getting shot at thing. And it is exciting. But there's something to be said for normalcy, something this life can't give us. Waking up next to your wife and not having to wonder what secrets she's hiding from you would be pretty nice."
"Apparently, you've never watched a Lifetime movie. Those so-called normal wives have a closet full of secrets, too."
Vaughn chuckled, then turned serious. "You know what I mean. I'm tired of the lies and the secrets that come with this life. I'm tired of risking my life day in and day out. I want more."
Weiss looked at Vaughn. "Are you seriously thinking of leaving the CIA again?"
"When all of this is over, yeah."
"And what about Sydney? You say all you really want is her. Well, even if you two are together, as long as she works for the CIA, you'll never have a normal life."
"I know, that's why I want Sydney to come with me."
Weiss raised an eyebrow. "And do you think she will?"
Vaughn got a faraway look in his eyes. "She told me once that she loves going to the train station. She likes to watch normal people going to their normal jobs." He paused and swallowed hard. "This life...it was never supposed to be permanent for her. She had other dreams. She wanted to be a teacher. After everything that's happened, everything this life has taken from her, all of the risks she's taken and the sacrifices she's made...Yeah, I think she'll want that normalcy."
Weiss grinned. "Okay, but promise me that once you go normal, we'll still have these nice little talks. I live for them."
Vaughn laughed and then stood up, as he slipped into his jacket. "It's late, I've gotta go."
Weiss waved goodbye with the remote.
* * * *
Vaughn shed his clothes, his eyes focused on his sleeping wife. The word just about made him sick to even think about now. He studied her peaceful figure, noting how innocent she looked. Talk about how looks can be deceiving.
He crawled into bed beside her and lay on his back, eyes staring at the ceiling. He thought back to what he and Lauren had done at her mother's house. He still felt bad knowing that Syd had heard and knew what was happening. He could have stopped it. He could have said that her mother could walk in at any moment. He could have stopped it without her suspecting a thing.
But he didn't. And it wasn't because he wanted her. Just the sight of her made him sick and her touch made his skin crawl. No, truth be told, he got some perverse satisfaction out of knowing he was playing her, just as she had played him every time before. In those moments, he stepped outside of his body. He felt nothing. He wondered if she had felt the same.
He glanced over at Lauren as she stirred and changed positions, turning to face him. He couldn't wait until he would no longer have to wake up to her face. There was only one face on this earth that he ever wanted to wake up to again: Sydney's.
He thought back to all of those mornings he'd opened his eyes and found himself looking into hers. Such a simple pleasure. God, he'd give anything to have that back.
He drifted off to sleep thinking of her...
* * * *
Vaughn rolled over and slowly, reluctantly, pried his eyes open. These days, he didn't like waking up to face another day of pretending. And he certainly didn't like waking up to her.
His eyes focused on the face staring back at him. But it wasn't who he expected.
"Hey," Sydney said with a smile.
Despite his confusion, he found himself returning the smile and greeting. "Hi."
She brought her hand up and ran it through his hair. "Last night was amazing."
Vaughn's eyes widened. 'Oh my God,' he thought. 'What did I do? I want to be with Sydney, but not like this. Not until it's all over with Lauren.'
He swallowed hard and was about to speak, when he noticed that her hair was different. It was shorter and styled closer to her face. 'When did she get a haircut?' he wondered. He then noticed the absence of bangs. 'Okay, there is no way her bangs could have grown out that fast. What's going on?'
Sydney linked her hand with his, running her thumb across his skin. His gaze moved to their entwined hands, eyes widening at what he saw. They both wore wedding rings. Matching wedding rings. 'What the hell is going on?!'
Just then, their bedroom door swung open and two bundles of energy came running in. They jumped up on the bed and squeezed themselves in between the two of them. Vaughn stared at them, mouth wide in confusion. He looked over at Sydney, who was looking at the two children with a glow he had never seen before.
She called the boy, who looked to be about four, Billy, and the girl, who was probably around six, Lindsay. The boy stood up and sat on Vaughn's chest. He managed a smile, as he studied the child. He had sandy brown hair and piercing green eyes. It was as if Vaughn was staring at himself at that age. He swallowed hard and glanced at the little girl, who was cradled in the crook of Sydney's arm. She had shoulder length brown hair, chocolate eyes and the brightest smile he'd seen since...well, Sydney's. She was the spitting image of her.
With a deep breath, he realized he was looking at their children. Vaughn searched his brain for some explanation. He hadn't had anything to drink last night, so this couldn't be an alcohol-induced delusion. Had he hit his head? Not that he remembered.
Then, like a light bulb going off in his brain, he remembered the discussion he'd had with Weiss the night before: He'd told Weiss about his wish for a normal life - a life filled with spending time with Sydney and their kids and doing the little things people hate or take for granted.
'Spending the rest of my life doing those things with her actually sounds pretty damn good', he'd said.
'Is that what this is?' he wondered. 'Some glimpse into the future? Or is it what could have been if things had turned out differently? Or is it just a dream? Am I going to wake up at some point and find all of this gone?'
Vaughn looked at Sydney and the kids and smiled. He realized right then that it didn't matter what it was, he was going to enjoy it for as long as it lasted because this was the happiest and most at peace he'd felt in years.
Billy bent down and licked Vaughn's forehead. Vaughn's nose wrinkled, as Sydney and Lindsay erupted into a fit of giggles.
"I'm a cat, Daddy!" he said.
'Daddy,' he thought. 'Wow, why does that feel so right?'
"No, you're not!" Lindsay shot back with a roll of her eyes.
Sydney pulled herself up into a sitting position. "Okay, you two, go get ready for school. I'll be down to make you breakfast in a little while."
"O-kay," they sang, as they jumped off the bed and ran out of the room.
Sydney watched them go, her eyes twinkling. Then she moved to Vaughn's side and lay her head on his chest.
"I don't want to move," she said with a groan. "I want to stay in bed with you all day."
Vaughn smiled and ran his hands through her hair, pleasantly surprised at how easy it was for him to fall back into that intimacy they had once shared.
"That can be arranged," he said.
She tilted her head up and looked at him. "You want to play hooky?" She then shook her head. "I can't. One of my classes has a paper due today. No way am I letting them off the hook by not showing up. And doesn't one of your classes have a test today? I'm sure they've been up studying French all night."
Vaughn nodded, as if he had any idea what she was talking about. "Yeah, you're right. We have to go in."
Sydney nodded and then rolled on top of him, her legs straddling his waist. She smiled at him, before bending down to place a kiss on his lips. He threaded his fingers through her hair, pulling her deeper into the kiss, and reveling in the feeling of being with her like this again.
She finally pulled back and whispered into his lips, "If we don't stop now, we're never going to get to work."
"And that's a bad thing?" he replied huskily, before capturing her lips with his again.
She smiled as she pulled back again, looking into his eyes, before rolling off of him and getting out of bed. He watched her leave, a smile on his lips he was sure would last the day.
* * * *
End of Part 1
~Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it and please let me know what you thought. Part 2 coming soon! ~Steph