Like Normal People Do
By: Chshalogrl 'aka' Ellie
A/N:The long awaited return to fluff! It's only been two chapters…but it sure feels like longer, doesn't it? We're slowly transitioning back to the REALLY fluffy-fluff. I think this one is kind of in-between. Of course…I think my fluff-muse is on vacation…maybe the action/angst scared it away. This one is a bit shorter than the last chapter and the fluff wasn't as freely-flowing as usual…but I hope you guys enjoy it! Happy Thanksgiving!
~Ellie
Ch. 20- Count Your Blessings
After tenderly wrapping Sydney's wrist in the bandages Jack had provided, Vaughn helped Sydney to her feet and supported her weight as they headed towards their car. Watching the agents head down the dirt driveway with their taillights piercing the inky sky, the night seemed surreal. As though they were leaving a party rather than the destruction of Arvin Sloane's "empire".
Walking awkwardly under Sydney's added weight, the couple slowly and silently hobbled toward the parked car. Though Vaughn was exhausted, he knew it was nothing compared to how tired Sydney must have been and as he settled her into the passenger seat, he couldn't resist kissing her for the umpteenth time since they'd gotten her out of Sloane's clinches. Moving around to the driver's seat, he hopped into the car and started the engine. Maneuvering the vehicle back towards Lucosa, he reached over to take Sydney's hand.
Eyelids fluttering as she fought her sleepiness, Sydney's lips curved into a smile. "Will you relax? I'm fine. Sloane's in custody. And we're going home so that we can sleep in our warm and cozy bed." She let her eyes fall shut before mumbling. "I love our bed. Especially with you in it."
Vaughn chuckled at her remark and gave her hand another squeeze. "Go to sleep, Syd. You need to sleep. We'll be back in Lucosa before you know it."
Sydney mumbled softly. "Normally I would argue…but I'm just going to let you win this time around."
Smiling, Vaughn let his thumb lightly stroke the back of her hand and he listened to her even breaths as she slowly fell asleep. Left alone in the silence, he finally allowed his mind to process the events of the previous 24 hours. Shaking his head, he glanced over at Sydney for a moment and took a few deep breaths. If something would have gone wrong…he could have lost everything. But they were okay. And they had a lot to look forward to once they returned to being Michael Vaughn and Sydney Bristow.
As Vaughn continued to hold her hand, he let his fingers run across the rings that wrapped around her left ring finger. Grinning to himself, he realized that he was finally going to be able to ask her "the question". He didn't know when or where he was going to do it. But he knew that he wasn't going to plan it. He'd already done cheesy and staged with the pumpkin. This time it was going to be all about the right moment.
* * * * * * * * *
As the soft snores of the still-congested Sydney broke through the silence that had filled the vehicle, Vaughn was just pulling up to their house. Jumping out of the car, he shivered as the cool, night air brushed against his skin. A faint scent of smoke was hovering in the air as it wafted from a chimney down the street and the neighborhood was silent in the hours just barely preceding dawn.
Quietly, he moved around to the passenger side and opened the door. Unbuckling Sydney's seatbelt, he chuckled as she let out a soft hum of contentment. Lifting her gently into his arms, he managed to kick the car door closed and carry her up to the porch.
Vaughn didn't think he had ever been so relieved as he was when he entered the bedroom with a soundly sleeping Sydney in his arms. Things could easily have ended with him returning alone to collect their things and before heading to LA as a virtual widower. So naturally, he was thrilled to have the opportunity to change Sydney out of the pajamas she was wearing and into his hockey t-shirt and shorts. Quickly changing his own clothes, he joined her within a few minutes.
Sliding beneath the blankets, he moved his pillow closer to hers and hooked an arm around her waist to pull her closer. Bringing her sleeping form to his chest, he held her in a tight hug for several minutes. With his eyes closed, his nose buried in her hair, and a few desperate tears dribbling down his cheek, he thanked God for his good fortune before he fell into a deep sleep. And, for the first time in quite awhile, he didn't dream of Sloane or of his past. He just slept.
* * * * * * * * *
The next morning, they slept in. Well, until nine anyway. Vaughn was the first to wake up and after carefully removing Sydney from his grasp, he headed into the living room to take care of some things before he left. The phone calls to their respective schools were kind of awkward…he wasn't really sure how to explain that you and your "wife" were undercover CIA agents who needed time off for a debrief in LA. So instead he informed them that they had a family emergency and would be gone for several days.
Some things were better explained in person.
Knowing that they were going to have to leave in a couple of hours to get to the airport, Vaughn went into the kitchen to get Sydney some coffee so he would have a chance of getting her out of bed. He knew that unless she smelled the fragrant aroma of hazelnut, she wouldn't even stir from her current state. Back in the bedroom, he decided to take the gradual approach to waking her up and began to wave the coffee cup back and forth underneath her nose as she slept. Watching as her nose twitched slightly, he continued his torture until one of her eyelids finally fluttered open to glare at him.
"Can I help you?"
"Time to get up, Syd." He smiled. "Hey! I can call you Syd out loud again. It feels nice."
Closing the eye again, she nodded. "Yeah. Nice."
"Sydney." Vaughn's voice was stern. "We have to be at a debrief in LA this afternoon. We promised your father that we would meet them at the airport. We have to leave in two hours."
"So we'll be late. My father can handle disappointment. Trust me."
"Sydney." He spoke in a singsong voice before lowering himself onto the bed next to her. Placing several soft kisses along her jawline, he worked his way towards her ear and whispered. "There are a few things we have to talk about before we go. Get up!"
The eye was open again and was looking at him reproachfully. "What kind of things?"
Vaughn stood up and didn't hesitate to respond. "Important things."
Sighing, Sydney pried her other eye open and held out a hand. "Okay. But I need my coffee."
Retrieving it from the nightstand, Vaughn handed her the steaming mug and he watched as she took a sip. Amused by the immediate grimace on her face, he raised an eyebrow as she sputtered.
"What…in God's name…is THAT?"
"Decaf." He responded evenly.
"And what would possess you to provide your caffeine-dependent girlfriend with a cup of decaf when she quite obviously needs something with a little get-up-and-go?"
"Important things. Talking. Remember?"
"Yeah, yeah. Shoot." Reluctantly, she took another timid sip from the mug and managed to control her scowl.
"Come with me." Vaughn ordered. Holding out a hand, he pulled her out of bed and led her out into the living room. As they passed the answering machine, he turned and stopped her. The solemn expression on his face was enough for her to cease her slurping of the beverage in her hand and give him a genuine look of concern.
"Vaughn? What's wrong? What's going on?"
He shook his head to silence her and then began his story wryly. "When I came home and you weren't here, I went to the school. I just figured that you had decided to go in even though you were sick." He rolled his eyes. "I can't imagine where I would get an idea like that."
Sydney smiled.
"But when I went to the school, Kayla mentioned a man had been to the school looking for you…and I knew." He shrugged lightly. "After I had a virtual breakdown in the school parking lot, I headed back here to call your dad and figure out the next move. When I got here, there was a message. I just knew that it was going to be a cocky message from Sloane. I was preparing to hear him going on about destinies and fate…how we couldn't escape it. But I wasn't prepared for what I heard. I don't think you're going to be either."
He reached over and pressed the 'Play' button and as the tape began to crackle, he glanced over in anxious anticipation of her reaction.
Sydney's eyes widened when she heard their voices on the cheerily recorded greeting. Her eyes only grew bigger upon hearing what their caller had to say.
"Hi Natalie. This is Dr. Bryant. You told me that you aren't crazy about doctors and I had a feeling you wouldn't want to come in again… I don't usually do this on an answering machine, but I don't know how else to get you back in here without scaring you to death. Your tests came back. We were right. There's nothing viral…it's just a cold. But there's something else. We ran a routine pregnancy test on the sample you left…and it's positive. I'd like you to come in so that we can do a more thorough examination. Give me a call. Congratulations!"
Watching her closely to gauge her feelings on the news, Vaughn saw Sydney's lithe form sag slightly, and he quickly moved over to prop her up from behind. She raised a hand to her mouth silently and turned to look up at him with shock and concern in her eyes. He wanted to laugh as she looked down at her stomach…as though she expected it to swell and grow immediately upon receiving the news. As he watched her, he wondered what she was thinking and prayed that she would say something.
Sydney held her hand to her mouth as her eyes filled with tears. Pregnant? It was much too soon. They weren't even officially engaged! They had taken precautions. 99% accurate precautions. She shook her head. 99% of the population didn't live a double life with their boss-turned-lover. She'd manage to beat those odds. Why not these ones too?
Glancing over at Vaughn, she attempted to read his expression. Looking closely at him she could see a plethora of emotions swirling in his eyes.
Love, excitement, fear, amazement, and more love.
She watched as a smile slowly crept its way onto Vaughn's face and couldn't help it as her own expression mirrored his. Within moments, they were both grinning like mad and Vaughn had pulled Sydney into his arms, whispering the sweetest words of love into her ear. Feeling the tickle of his fingertips grazing her belly, Sydney felt the need to verbalize and confirm their discovery.
"We're going to have a baby?"
Vaughn nodded. "Yeah. Just what the world needs, huh? A Bristow-Vaughn. As if one of each wasn't enough."
Sydney grinned. "We'd just better hope that this kid gets each of our best qualities. Because if he or she gets our worst qualities…we're going to be prisoners in a hell of our own making."
Smiling at her joke, Vaughn sobered after a moment and shook his head. Leading Sydney over towards the couch, he sat down in front of her. Lifting the hem of the hockey t-shirt slightly, he exposed a tanned patch of toned tummy and gazed at the area with an obvious feeling of awe.
"This baby is going to be amazing." He looked up at her with genuine adoration shining on his face and a playful sparkle glinted in his eyes. "I can already see a dashingly handsome little boy with green eyes and an off-the-charts IQ."
Sydney nodded. "Oh, I see. So he gets your eyes and my brains, huh?"
"Hey!" Vaughn exclaimed. "I'm of above-average intelligence too. I'm just not a natural-born genius in espionage and strategy like some people." Catching her hand, he pulled her down into his lap and kept his hand resting flat against her stomach. He nuzzled her neck playfully and took advantage of his position by tickling her gently.
Sydney squealed slightly before swatting his hands away and continuing their conversation. "I don't know. I see little brunette with brown eyes in our future." She raised her eyebrows. "With the two of us double-teaming you…you don't have a chance." She punctuated her statement by poking him solidly in the chest with her bandaged hand.
Noticing his grimace as he looked at her injured wrist, she paused and stared at him for a moment.
"That's how you knew."
Vaughn gave her a perplexed look. "Knew what?"
"You knew that even if Sloane got our blood…it wouldn't matter. That Sloane's interpretation of blending of was incorrect. Rambaldi was talking about our child. And the big discovery that Sloane was ranting about…that was the discovery that I'm pregnant. That's why yesterday's date was in the prophecy."
Vaughn shrugged. "That's pretty much the conclusion I came to when I read the prophecy. That's why I knew that as long as I didn't cut you too deeply, we would be fine. Our blood wasn't going to accomplish anything. Of course, I was alone in knowing that you were pregnant, so I was twice as terrified about cutting you. Knowing that I could have hurt your or our baby." He shuddered visibly. "I'm just glad it's all over. I hoped that my instincts were right. And I think that they were."
Sydney spoke softly. "So you were afraid of losing me and a baby."
He looked down at the bandaged hand and then smiled at her. "I was. And I really didn't want to tell anyone before I told you." He looked up at her. "It's a good thing too, because if Sloane would have discovered that you're pregnant…who knows what would have happened?"
Sydney nodded. "Do you remember when we first started dating and you brought me breakfast in bed?"
Vaughn nodded.
"We talked about how we've done everything backwards in our relationship." She paused. "You just informed me that I'm pregnant. It doesn't get much more backwards than that."
"I don't know." Vaughn reasoned. "It could be me having the baby. I think that would be as backwards as it gets." He glanced at her slyly. "And if I don't tell you enough over the next nine months. I'm really glad that you're the one who will be carrying this child. I mean, as much as I would love to give birth, I think you're going to do a fantastic job."
Sydney glared at him before nodding. "Yeah. It's probably better this way. I have a higher threshold for pain than you do." Shrugging innocently, she continued. "And don't worry. You'll get your share of pain when I'm in labor and I break each of your fingers for relief."
He gave her a wounded look. "Ouch, sweetie. That one hurt." His expression brightened momentarily. "Finally!"
"Finally what?" Sydney questioned wearily.
"Finally! I'm going take the title of "Best Abs" in this family!"
"Don't get too excited, Agent Vaughn. I plan on staying in prime physical condition whether I'm pregnant or not. And I'm fairly certain that the fact that I'm carrying our child automatically allows me to keep my title. It also means that you're pretty much going to owe me for the rest of your life." Realization swept over her features and she changed the subject abruptly. "I need to get to the doctor. I'm not prepared for this at all!"
"Relax, sweetie. We'll take you to Med Services when we get to LA. It's probably a good idea for you to see a CIA doctor anyway. They know about our unusual circumstances and they'll be able to prepare us accordingly." As he spoke, he began to knead his hands into her lower back and smiled as she arched into his touch.
"Mmmm…what's the massage for?"
"Just practicing. When the time comes that you can't see your feet, I'm going to have to be ready with my magic fingers."
"Well, my back thanks you. You know, there are probably worse things in the world than being pregnant with your child."
"What do you mean?" Vaughn inquired curiously.
Sydney shrugged. "Just that I have a feeling I'm going to enjoy taking advantage of the privileges a pregnant woman can expect from the father-to-be. Like your massages. And your constant reminders of how beautiful I am when I'm fat, crabby, and covered in stretch marks."
"You're going to be gorgeous." Vaughn remarked sincerely.
Sydney grinned at him. "See what I mean?" Leaning back, she let her head fall onto his shoulder and let her hand tangle itself in his hair. "We need to get ready to go."
"I know." He began to stroke her cheek gently. "When do you want to tell your dad?"
Raising her head, Sydney blanched visibly.
"Oh. Yeah. I guess we're going to have to tell him."
"Well, I don't think that he's going to believe that you've had a sudden bout of obesity." Vaughn let his gaze pan her figure. "It's not going to be long before he'll figure it out on his own."
Sydney sighed. "Let's just wait until after the debrief. Maybe we can all go to dinner." She looked at him earnestly. "You'll be there, right?"
"Of course I'm going to be there! You certainly didn't get into this condition by yourself." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
Sydney rolled her eyes. "Okay, egomaniac. I'd like to see you make that same claim when we're having dinner with my father."
Vaughn cringed. "I do want to live to see the birth of this baby, Syd. Anyway, we need to get ready to head to the airport. Your father is expecting us at noon."
Reluctantly, the pair hoisted themselves off of the couch and made their way down the hall. After quick showers, they each managed to pack a small duffel bag, and make their way out to the car. Both dressed in work clothes for the debrief, Sydney smiled at seeing Vaughn in a nice suit and tie for the first time in quite awhile, and he had nodded in approval at her slim-fitting, black suit.
Neither had managed to erase the giddy grins from their faces since they had listened to that message on the answering machine.
* * * * * * * * *
Less than an hour later, the pair was back on the road and headed to the airport.
"So we're just going to leave the car?" Sydney asked.
"Yeah. Hopefully we'll be back in a couple of days anyway."
Sydney nodded silently and Vaughn glanced over to see that she had a hand resting on her stomach. He couldn't help the grin that appeared on his face as he reached over and placed his hand over hers.
"I think you were right."
She turned to him. "Right about what?"
Keeping his eyes on the road, he gave her hand a squeeze. "I'm seeing a little doe-eyed brunette in our future. And she's going to be just as kind and beautiful and brilliant as her mother."
Sydney smiled and blushed slightly. "I can't believe this. It's just that everything is happening at once. I guess I should just be thankful that this didn't happen before we got rid of Sloane." She hesitated before continuing. "Are you upset that we aren't going to have more time to ourselves?"
"Honestly?"
Sydney nodded.
"That's not the way life works. Especially in our line of work. You've just got to roll with the punches. And I can't think of a punch that I'm more willing to take than this one."
She didn't look convinced.
"Sydney. I love you. And we didn't plan for things to happen this way, but who cares? I'm thrilled. The woman I love and adore is carrying my child. In nine months, we're going to meet the person that we've created. A person that is going to be a perfect blend of us. Maybe a little girl with my eyes and your lips. Or maybe a little boy with your nose and my chin. We can only hope that your dimples will prove to be a dominant trait."
Sydney smiled sweetly and Vaughn chuckled. "There they are. You know how much I love those dimples."
"So I've heard." Sydney replied cheekily.
Vaughn brought her hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss in her palm as he pulled into a parking spot in the long-term parking lot.
"It's the beginning of the end of Arvin Sloane." He turned to her. "Are you ready for this?"
Sydney nodded firmly. "Definitely. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can get back to being Sydney and Vaughn…plus one."
Grabbing their duffel bags from the backseat of the car, Vaughn wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled in to place a soft kiss on her temple. Hand in hand, they approached the main terminal where they could see a black-clad Jack Bristow looking rather formal as he stood on the sidewalk.
Taking a deep breath, Sydney waved to catch her father's
attention, and then turned her face up to Vaughn's.
"Here we go..."
TBC…
Hehe! I had so much fun yanking your chains! What kind of stereotypical fluff fic would this be if there wasn't a pregnancy? There's got to be a Spybaby! What else would the sequel be about? It was in the cards all along, folks. Forgive me? Please? Let me know what you think!