CHAPTER 4: INVITATION.
Vaughn had been home for four days and he was beginning to suspect that his mother had fallen in love with his former agent. (He could blame her though; it wasn't a hard thing to do.) She never stopped talking about what a nice girl she was, and how he was a fool if he didn't think so too.
At one point he snapped at her. "Would you please talk about something else? Jesus, now I know how Weiss felt. Remind me to apologise to him!"
~~~
"Do you have anything planned for today?" Marie asked as she pulled open the curtains in her son's bedroom.
"No, why?" he dragged himself out of bed, facing the fact that now she had decided to get him up he had no choice. He stood at his bedside in his boxers and an old T-shirt and stretched as he listened to her reply.
"Well, why don't you ask Sydney if she'd like to come to the barbecue tomorrow"
"Yeah, alright! I'll call her later"
"Why don't you pay her a visit? I'm sure she'd like that"
"Ma!"
"Oh come on, admit it, you'd like to see her too"
Vaughn rolled his eyes and headed to the bathroom to shower. He really didn't want to admit to his mother that he actually liked the idea of dropping by to see her.
Marie knew how to make her son do exactly what she wanted. She never let him get a minute peace until he agreed to go. At around 11am, he finally gave into his mothers nagging and drove to Sydney's house.
He knocked lightly on the door and smiled as he heard her voice from somewhere inside the building. "One second!"
Not long after, she pulled the door open still looking into the house. She was wearing a pair of faded blue jeans and a tight fitting pale pink T- shirt. Her hair was swept back in a scruffy ponytail; he had to smile at the fact that this former, kick ass double agent actually looked extremely homely.
He smiled warmly when she turned to face him; her surprised expression quickly replaced with a wide smile.
"Hey" she breathed, slightly out of breath as she brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face.
"Hi" he replied. Syd spun to inspect the insides of her house when there was a loud bang and a small squeal.
"Is this a bad time?" he asked "because, I can come back later if it is…" he made a move to leave her porch but she grabbed his arm
"No, no" she insisted "come in.
She dashed through the house as Vaughn closed the door behind him and followed her.
"I'm just watching Francie's kid for the day. She and Charlie wanted some 'alone time'" she explained as she glanced over her shoulder at him "sickening isn't it" she joked.
Vaughn smiled as he watched her lift a small child of around 2 or 3 from the kitchen floor. The small boy squealed happily as she lifted him above her head and shook him lightly, he was covered in flour.
"We were just making cookies…" she explained as she inspected the spilled flour all over the floor. As she settled the child on her hip, he laughed as he began to put flour handprints all over her face.
"Oh" she said to the young boy playfully "I suppose you think that's funny huh?"
She smiled at Vaughn "would you mind?" she asked as she moved to pass the boy into his arms. He squirmed and hid his face in Sydney's neck as Vaughn reached for him.
"Come on Billy, he won't hurt you. I just need to clean this up." Billy shook his head against her
"He's scary!" he protested.
"No he isn't, he's a big softie! Aren't you!"
Vaughn smiled as Billy peeped at him. "That's me!"
"Look Billy, this man…look at him baby" Billy did as she said and looked straight at Vaughn who went cross eyes at him making him giggle, Sydney smiled warmly as she watched them before continuing "he won't hurt you! He's looked after me for years and I know he'll look after you while I clean up."
Billy inspected Vaughn
"Will you make cookies with us?"
"Sure" Vaughn smiled "but I'll get more dough on me than on the tray!"
Billy laughed and reached out to him.
Sydney quickly cleaned up the floor as Vaughn and Billy started making a new batch of dough.
Billy was seated on the counter infront of Vaughn as they mixed the dough.
"Let me see that" Vaughn said as he dipped his finger in the bowl. He tasted some of the dough then wiped the rest on Billy's cheek.
The small child grabbed a hand full of dough and pushed in into Vaughn's face.
Sydney laughed at them as she stood by the oven.
Vaughn turned to her and spoke to Billy. "She's too clean wouldn't you say Billy?"
"Yeah, too clean!" he said as he put some dough into Vaughn's outstretched hand.
"Don't even think about it Vaughn!"
"Too late I already did!"
Billy laughed as he watched Sydney try to stay away from Vaughn. He caught her eventually and wiped the dough down her cheek.
Billy applauded as Vaughn smiled at Syd, their eyes locked as he held her
"Are you gonna kiss like mommy and daddy do?"
Vaughn chuckled as he released her and moved over to Billy. He lifted him high above his head making his laugh and scream
"Let's make cookies!" he urged as he lowered Billy back to the counter.
~~~
When the tray was in the oven, they both helped Billy clean up then he went to watch TV.
Vaughn helped Sydney clean up the mess in the kitchen and then she headed to the bathroom to clean up, he used the kitchen sink to do the same.
Vaughn asked her about the barbecue when she got back
"I'd love to" she smiled as he gave her the details for the next day.
"Oh and I'll warn you now, my Uncle Pierre is going to be there and it's a sure thing that he'll make a pass at you!"
"Why is it a sure thing?"
"Well, number one: he's a randy Frenchman. And number two: have you looked in the mirror lately? What man wouldn't make a pass at you?"
"You haven't!"
"Give me time!" Vaughn didn't think what he was saying and the words had left his mouth before he could stop himself. He blushed furiously and lowered his eyes.
"Vaughn?" his statement had some how made her bold enough to ask him this next question. "Are you attracted to me?"
Just as he opened his mouth to answer, there was a loud scream and Billy came running into the kitchen
"Saved by the squeal" Vaughn smiled.
"What's wrong baby?" Syd asked as she knelt infront of him pulling him into a hug.
"There's a monster!" he squeaked "in the TV room! It's got lots of leg things and it jumped on me!"
"I got it" Vaughn said as he patted Billy's head before walking to the living room.
Syd lifted Billy and placed him on the counter and tried to calm him down.
Vaughn came back into the room with his hand held out infront of him in a loose fist.
"Syd you got a glass?"
She handed him one as Billy watched him "did you get it?"
Vaughn smiled at the small child and trapped the 'monster' under the glass on the counter.
Billy screamed and tried to jump to the ground. Vaughn caught him and held him tightly.
"It's just a spider Billy, it won't hurt you. Look, it's probably more scared of you than you are of it."
Sydney watched as Billy relaxed in Vaughn's arms as he told him lots of spider facts, all the time reassuring him that it couldn't hurt him.
"Come on" he said as he placed Billy on his feet "let's set him free!"
"Can I do it? Can I hold it?" Billy asked as he trotted along at Vaughn's side to the garden.
~~~
"You are great with kids!" Syd said as she pulled herself up onto the counter when Billy had gone back to the TV.
"No I'm not" Vaughn smiled "kid's are great with me!"
Vaughn waved Goodbye to Billy as Syd walked him to the door
"You were right! He said as he stood on her porch before leaving "it is nice! Being able to do thing like this without the threat of death!"
"Yeah…I like it!"
"Me too"
There was a long pause as the looked deep into each other's eyes. "Anyway, I must dash! I'll see you tomorrow" he held his hand out to her
"Now Mr Vaughn! What would your mother say?" she scolded playfully as she gave him a quick hug.
"I dread to think" he smiled and began to walk to his car. He walked backwards as he called out to her "it will be hot tomorrow but you may want to bring a jacket with you anyway. These thing tend to end kind of late!"
She nodded and smiled as she watched him drive away.
She was still smiling as she sat down next to Billy to watch the cartoons while they waited for their cookies to bake. All Billy could talk about was Vaughn and all the things he had told him about spiders.
"And you said he was scary!"
She teased as he cuddled up to her.
Vaughn had been home for four days and he was beginning to suspect that his mother had fallen in love with his former agent. (He could blame her though; it wasn't a hard thing to do.) She never stopped talking about what a nice girl she was, and how he was a fool if he didn't think so too.
At one point he snapped at her. "Would you please talk about something else? Jesus, now I know how Weiss felt. Remind me to apologise to him!"
~~~
"Do you have anything planned for today?" Marie asked as she pulled open the curtains in her son's bedroom.
"No, why?" he dragged himself out of bed, facing the fact that now she had decided to get him up he had no choice. He stood at his bedside in his boxers and an old T-shirt and stretched as he listened to her reply.
"Well, why don't you ask Sydney if she'd like to come to the barbecue tomorrow"
"Yeah, alright! I'll call her later"
"Why don't you pay her a visit? I'm sure she'd like that"
"Ma!"
"Oh come on, admit it, you'd like to see her too"
Vaughn rolled his eyes and headed to the bathroom to shower. He really didn't want to admit to his mother that he actually liked the idea of dropping by to see her.
Marie knew how to make her son do exactly what she wanted. She never let him get a minute peace until he agreed to go. At around 11am, he finally gave into his mothers nagging and drove to Sydney's house.
He knocked lightly on the door and smiled as he heard her voice from somewhere inside the building. "One second!"
Not long after, she pulled the door open still looking into the house. She was wearing a pair of faded blue jeans and a tight fitting pale pink T- shirt. Her hair was swept back in a scruffy ponytail; he had to smile at the fact that this former, kick ass double agent actually looked extremely homely.
He smiled warmly when she turned to face him; her surprised expression quickly replaced with a wide smile.
"Hey" she breathed, slightly out of breath as she brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face.
"Hi" he replied. Syd spun to inspect the insides of her house when there was a loud bang and a small squeal.
"Is this a bad time?" he asked "because, I can come back later if it is…" he made a move to leave her porch but she grabbed his arm
"No, no" she insisted "come in.
She dashed through the house as Vaughn closed the door behind him and followed her.
"I'm just watching Francie's kid for the day. She and Charlie wanted some 'alone time'" she explained as she glanced over her shoulder at him "sickening isn't it" she joked.
Vaughn smiled as he watched her lift a small child of around 2 or 3 from the kitchen floor. The small boy squealed happily as she lifted him above her head and shook him lightly, he was covered in flour.
"We were just making cookies…" she explained as she inspected the spilled flour all over the floor. As she settled the child on her hip, he laughed as he began to put flour handprints all over her face.
"Oh" she said to the young boy playfully "I suppose you think that's funny huh?"
She smiled at Vaughn "would you mind?" she asked as she moved to pass the boy into his arms. He squirmed and hid his face in Sydney's neck as Vaughn reached for him.
"Come on Billy, he won't hurt you. I just need to clean this up." Billy shook his head against her
"He's scary!" he protested.
"No he isn't, he's a big softie! Aren't you!"
Vaughn smiled as Billy peeped at him. "That's me!"
"Look Billy, this man…look at him baby" Billy did as she said and looked straight at Vaughn who went cross eyes at him making him giggle, Sydney smiled warmly as she watched them before continuing "he won't hurt you! He's looked after me for years and I know he'll look after you while I clean up."
Billy inspected Vaughn
"Will you make cookies with us?"
"Sure" Vaughn smiled "but I'll get more dough on me than on the tray!"
Billy laughed and reached out to him.
Sydney quickly cleaned up the floor as Vaughn and Billy started making a new batch of dough.
Billy was seated on the counter infront of Vaughn as they mixed the dough.
"Let me see that" Vaughn said as he dipped his finger in the bowl. He tasted some of the dough then wiped the rest on Billy's cheek.
The small child grabbed a hand full of dough and pushed in into Vaughn's face.
Sydney laughed at them as she stood by the oven.
Vaughn turned to her and spoke to Billy. "She's too clean wouldn't you say Billy?"
"Yeah, too clean!" he said as he put some dough into Vaughn's outstretched hand.
"Don't even think about it Vaughn!"
"Too late I already did!"
Billy laughed as he watched Sydney try to stay away from Vaughn. He caught her eventually and wiped the dough down her cheek.
Billy applauded as Vaughn smiled at Syd, their eyes locked as he held her
"Are you gonna kiss like mommy and daddy do?"
Vaughn chuckled as he released her and moved over to Billy. He lifted him high above his head making his laugh and scream
"Let's make cookies!" he urged as he lowered Billy back to the counter.
~~~
When the tray was in the oven, they both helped Billy clean up then he went to watch TV.
Vaughn helped Sydney clean up the mess in the kitchen and then she headed to the bathroom to clean up, he used the kitchen sink to do the same.
Vaughn asked her about the barbecue when she got back
"I'd love to" she smiled as he gave her the details for the next day.
"Oh and I'll warn you now, my Uncle Pierre is going to be there and it's a sure thing that he'll make a pass at you!"
"Why is it a sure thing?"
"Well, number one: he's a randy Frenchman. And number two: have you looked in the mirror lately? What man wouldn't make a pass at you?"
"You haven't!"
"Give me time!" Vaughn didn't think what he was saying and the words had left his mouth before he could stop himself. He blushed furiously and lowered his eyes.
"Vaughn?" his statement had some how made her bold enough to ask him this next question. "Are you attracted to me?"
Just as he opened his mouth to answer, there was a loud scream and Billy came running into the kitchen
"Saved by the squeal" Vaughn smiled.
"What's wrong baby?" Syd asked as she knelt infront of him pulling him into a hug.
"There's a monster!" he squeaked "in the TV room! It's got lots of leg things and it jumped on me!"
"I got it" Vaughn said as he patted Billy's head before walking to the living room.
Syd lifted Billy and placed him on the counter and tried to calm him down.
Vaughn came back into the room with his hand held out infront of him in a loose fist.
"Syd you got a glass?"
She handed him one as Billy watched him "did you get it?"
Vaughn smiled at the small child and trapped the 'monster' under the glass on the counter.
Billy screamed and tried to jump to the ground. Vaughn caught him and held him tightly.
"It's just a spider Billy, it won't hurt you. Look, it's probably more scared of you than you are of it."
Sydney watched as Billy relaxed in Vaughn's arms as he told him lots of spider facts, all the time reassuring him that it couldn't hurt him.
"Come on" he said as he placed Billy on his feet "let's set him free!"
"Can I do it? Can I hold it?" Billy asked as he trotted along at Vaughn's side to the garden.
~~~
"You are great with kids!" Syd said as she pulled herself up onto the counter when Billy had gone back to the TV.
"No I'm not" Vaughn smiled "kid's are great with me!"
Vaughn waved Goodbye to Billy as Syd walked him to the door
"You were right! He said as he stood on her porch before leaving "it is nice! Being able to do thing like this without the threat of death!"
"Yeah…I like it!"
"Me too"
There was a long pause as the looked deep into each other's eyes. "Anyway, I must dash! I'll see you tomorrow" he held his hand out to her
"Now Mr Vaughn! What would your mother say?" she scolded playfully as she gave him a quick hug.
"I dread to think" he smiled and began to walk to his car. He walked backwards as he called out to her "it will be hot tomorrow but you may want to bring a jacket with you anyway. These thing tend to end kind of late!"
She nodded and smiled as she watched him drive away.
She was still smiling as she sat down next to Billy to watch the cartoons while they waited for their cookies to bake. All Billy could talk about was Vaughn and all the things he had told him about spiders.
"And you said he was scary!"
She teased as he cuddled up to her.