CHAPTER SIX
A fortnight passed in the log cabin with Vaughn and Sydney. Nothing was heard from the outside, except news of the phenomenon that was snow in LA. Sydney was crawling the walls for two reasons. They were still no closer to catching whoever threatened her position with SD-6, and she was growing even more distant from Vaughn than she ever thought possible. They were polite to each other, but the strained smiles, and depressed shadow overhanging their stay at the cabin, was beginning to take it's toll on her. She would watch as Vaughn prepared dinner, or sat watching television, and thought about what it would have been like, were the situation any different. She would watch him helplessly, knowing that she had done something stupid. He wouldn't want her now. She had messed him around too many times. No matter how much the desire had been heightened by their recent divide.
It was almost seven in the evening, a fortnight after they came to the cabin. Vaughn was in the shower, and Sydney was standing in the kitchen. She was struggling to open a bottle of wine with one hand. She almost let the bottle slip, as she heard the sound of a heavy knock on the front door of the cabin. Cursing under her breath, she sat the wine on the counter, and walked slowly into the hallway. The shadow of two figures standing at the other side of the door immediately set her on guard. She opened the door slowly, to the visitors. Meeting her with expectant smiles at the other side of the door, were a young woman holding a basket, and a young man staring at his shoes.
"Hello there!" The young woman smiled, catching Sydney off guard. Turning up to face her, the young man held out his hand to hers. "We're friends of Michael. Is he in?" Sydney looked confused for a moment, before realising that they meant Vaughn.
"Oh… hi. Michael's in the uh… shower right now." The woman smiled blankly at her, forcing her to continue. "Would you like to come in?"
The woman grinned, and held out her hand. "Thankyou. My name is Marie, and this is Tom. Michael is an old friend. We live next door." Laughing, she added. "Well… as near as that could be up here."
"That's… great!" So Vaughn was right after all. She mentally sighed. Motioning to the living room. "I'll go tell Michael you're here." She walked to the bathroom door, and chapped forcefully on it. The sound of running water ceased immediately. A few seconds later, the door was pulled open, and Sydney was greeted with a sight that would be engraved in her mind for years to come.
Vaughn stood in the bathroom, towel wrapped around his waist. His body was still glistening from the shower, and his hair was wet. Sydney actually gasped, and her eyes shot to his chest without thinking. Taking in every inch of skin that was shown, she completely forgot her reason for being at the bathroom door. Vaughn realised his mistake when Sydney's mouth dropped open. He slid behind the door, leaving only his head showing.
"Uh… Syd?"
Sydney looked back up, and realised her face was on fire from blushing. "I… We… Have guests." She pointed her finger in the general direction of the living room.
"Who are they?"
"Tom and Marie? They said they knew you." Vaughn's face was a picture of panic.
"I do know them." He grabbed a robe and pulled the door open. "Old friends." He paused, and looked down at her. "Look, no matter what I say to them in there, you have to go along with it."
"I was planning on doing that anyway!" He nodded, and went into his bedroom to get changed. As he neared the living room, laughter reached his ears. Sydney was charming them. Thank goodness.
"Michael!" The woman ran over and hugged him tightly. She was quite thin, and no bigger than 5'4, but she managed to lift him off the ground. Sydney was impressed.
"Marie! How are you?!" He hugged her back. Sydney didn't see him as the hugging type, but smiled at the thought.
"We came as soon as we got back from Adelaide" She smiled at Tom. "We were on honeymoon." Vaughn looked at her incredulously.
"Tom?" He smiled, and patted him on the back "Congratulations!"
"Thanks Michael. I guess it had to happen sometime."
"I guess the best man won, then." Vaughn looked over at Sydney, and smiled. "Tom, has Sydney told you the good news?"
"No… what's the good news?" He looked at Sydney. Vaughn walked slowly over to her, and slid his arm around her waist. Much to her alarm, he bent his head, and kissed her softly on the cheek. Sydney was stunned into silence. Turning back to Tom and Marie, he beamed.
"Meet my fiance."
A fortnight passed in the log cabin with Vaughn and Sydney. Nothing was heard from the outside, except news of the phenomenon that was snow in LA. Sydney was crawling the walls for two reasons. They were still no closer to catching whoever threatened her position with SD-6, and she was growing even more distant from Vaughn than she ever thought possible. They were polite to each other, but the strained smiles, and depressed shadow overhanging their stay at the cabin, was beginning to take it's toll on her. She would watch as Vaughn prepared dinner, or sat watching television, and thought about what it would have been like, were the situation any different. She would watch him helplessly, knowing that she had done something stupid. He wouldn't want her now. She had messed him around too many times. No matter how much the desire had been heightened by their recent divide.
It was almost seven in the evening, a fortnight after they came to the cabin. Vaughn was in the shower, and Sydney was standing in the kitchen. She was struggling to open a bottle of wine with one hand. She almost let the bottle slip, as she heard the sound of a heavy knock on the front door of the cabin. Cursing under her breath, she sat the wine on the counter, and walked slowly into the hallway. The shadow of two figures standing at the other side of the door immediately set her on guard. She opened the door slowly, to the visitors. Meeting her with expectant smiles at the other side of the door, were a young woman holding a basket, and a young man staring at his shoes.
"Hello there!" The young woman smiled, catching Sydney off guard. Turning up to face her, the young man held out his hand to hers. "We're friends of Michael. Is he in?" Sydney looked confused for a moment, before realising that they meant Vaughn.
"Oh… hi. Michael's in the uh… shower right now." The woman smiled blankly at her, forcing her to continue. "Would you like to come in?"
The woman grinned, and held out her hand. "Thankyou. My name is Marie, and this is Tom. Michael is an old friend. We live next door." Laughing, she added. "Well… as near as that could be up here."
"That's… great!" So Vaughn was right after all. She mentally sighed. Motioning to the living room. "I'll go tell Michael you're here." She walked to the bathroom door, and chapped forcefully on it. The sound of running water ceased immediately. A few seconds later, the door was pulled open, and Sydney was greeted with a sight that would be engraved in her mind for years to come.
Vaughn stood in the bathroom, towel wrapped around his waist. His body was still glistening from the shower, and his hair was wet. Sydney actually gasped, and her eyes shot to his chest without thinking. Taking in every inch of skin that was shown, she completely forgot her reason for being at the bathroom door. Vaughn realised his mistake when Sydney's mouth dropped open. He slid behind the door, leaving only his head showing.
"Uh… Syd?"
Sydney looked back up, and realised her face was on fire from blushing. "I… We… Have guests." She pointed her finger in the general direction of the living room.
"Who are they?"
"Tom and Marie? They said they knew you." Vaughn's face was a picture of panic.
"I do know them." He grabbed a robe and pulled the door open. "Old friends." He paused, and looked down at her. "Look, no matter what I say to them in there, you have to go along with it."
"I was planning on doing that anyway!" He nodded, and went into his bedroom to get changed. As he neared the living room, laughter reached his ears. Sydney was charming them. Thank goodness.
"Michael!" The woman ran over and hugged him tightly. She was quite thin, and no bigger than 5'4, but she managed to lift him off the ground. Sydney was impressed.
"Marie! How are you?!" He hugged her back. Sydney didn't see him as the hugging type, but smiled at the thought.
"We came as soon as we got back from Adelaide" She smiled at Tom. "We were on honeymoon." Vaughn looked at her incredulously.
"Tom?" He smiled, and patted him on the back "Congratulations!"
"Thanks Michael. I guess it had to happen sometime."
"I guess the best man won, then." Vaughn looked over at Sydney, and smiled. "Tom, has Sydney told you the good news?"
"No… what's the good news?" He looked at Sydney. Vaughn walked slowly over to her, and slid his arm around her waist. Much to her alarm, he bent his head, and kissed her softly on the cheek. Sydney was stunned into silence. Turning back to Tom and Marie, he beamed.
"Meet my fiance."