Chapter 13: Cooking with Syd and Vaughn

(Wow you guys, I can't believe I'm on chapter 13 already. I only published this story like 10 days ago. . . it seems so much longer I know but I've had fun with it. Plus. . . just to advertise my other fics. . . I started a new one called Far From Home that I think I'm going to like even though I'm not even completely sure what's its going to be about yet. I've been updating A Familiar Stranger (6) and The Whole Truth (5) and I think I'm going to keep The Watch a one-chapter story. So. . .if you guys have as much free time as I seem to have, feel free to read and review~)-Jenn

There were no fireworks, no violins playing in the background, no birds spontaneously chirping together in singsong melody. But the silence was more romantic that anything Sydney could ever have imagined.

It wasn't strained or difficult. It was the silence felt by two people who were now completely comfortable with each other. And she loved it; it had been a long time since she could be completely at ease with someone who knew everything about her.

The one physically different thing to her was how everything about Vaughn was suddenly enhanced. She noticed every freckle, every hair, every mark on him. He stood up, the smile still stuck on his chiseled face, and stretched out a hand. "Wanna make breakfast with me?"

She grinned. It was such a. . . normal thing to do. She agreed. "That sounds lovely." She followed him into the kitchen. "So, Michael," She tried out his first name. This was the first time she had said it out loud. She liked out possessive it sounded. "What should we make?"

"Babe, we can make anything you want." Vaughn was surprised at how relaxed around Sydney he was already. With Alice, all the moments following his telling her about his love had been awkward. With Sydney, everything flowed. Everything had its own place and all the pieces had come together.

*Babe* She liked the sound of that. "I want to make the biggest, most wonderful breakfast EVER." She stretched out her arms to emphasize just how big she wanted her breakfast.

Michael chuckled. "Okay," Then, in a lower tone of voice he added, "You know I can't say no to you."

Grinning, she opened the refrigerator door and took out four eggs. "I will give you five dollars if you can juggle these eggs."

Vaughn laughed. "Or not. . . that could make quite a mess."

Sydney smiled, "Oh, I see. It's still too early in our relationship to see my messy side." She placed the eggs on the counter. "Alright, whenever you're ready. Just let me know. Though I do feel an obligation to tell you that I am an EXPERT egg juggler."

He raised his eyebrow, "Been practicing, Syd?"

"You bet your ass I have."

"Well, then I'm not so sure I want to compete against you. I'm pretty sure that you're unbeatable at anything you set your mind to and I'm a pretty competitive person. Well. . . unless you feel like having a singing contest." He winked at her.

"So. . . I'm the best at anything I set my mind to and you don't like to be outdone? Is that it Michael? I guess you're never going to sleep with me then."

"Whoa- - I never said that. I'm not that competitive." He looked at Sydney smiling at him and couldn't get over this feeling. In the last twenty minutes he had found a person he could say anything to. In the last hour, he had woken up with the love of his life in his arms. In the last 12 hours he had found how deeply he loved Sydney Bristow. And now, in this moment, he knew he would never be able to let her go.

Sydney smiled and tossed him a bag of bread. "Toast. Make it."

"Alright your Majesty. Jesus, you're such a slave driver, Syd. And reverting to monosyllabic words? Wow, you're scary in the morning." But he took out the butter and turned on the frying pan complacently.

After a few moments of silence, he couldn't stand not be able to look at her and he turned around to see what she was doing. Backlighted by the lights from the living room, Sydney stretched, her arms high above her head as she arched her back to get out all the kinks in her body. Vaughn could barely breathe. She was so beautiful.

She closed her eyes and enjoyed the stretch. It felt good and she always felt taller right after a good one. She was about to relax when she felt Vaughn's arms on her own. Smiling without opening her eyes, she let him kiss her. He let go of her arms and settled his arms around her waist, holding her tightly to him. In pure bliss, Syd wrapped her own arms around his head.

So this was love.

Sydney raised her head despite Vaughn's protests and sniffed the air. "Vaughn? What do you smell?"

"You."

"No, seriously."

It was almost too late for the toast but it was saved just in time and only minimal scraping was needed for the golden color to show through. "Maybe I should leave the kitchen work to you."

"Oh no you don't. You can't get out of the kitchen that easily. I just won't distract you so much from your duties."

Vaughn could hear the smile in her voice. He took an apron from the hanger and wrapped it around Sydney's waist. He felt her stop breathing as he reached around her to grab the strings. She cracked an egg into a bowl and he set his head on her shoulder, whispering in her ear, "Who said I was trying to get out of the kitchen? Blasphemy!"

Sydney giggled as he stayed behind her, rocking her back and forth as she mixed the eggs together. "You're gonna make me spill all over the place!"

"It's just the floor." He said.

"Says the man who won't juggle eggs," retorted Sydney.

"Okay, okay. What do you want me to do now for our best breakfast ever?"

"Umm, pour milk? Do you think you can manage that Burntoast?"

Vaughn shook his head. Life with Sydney would never be boring. Her contrariness would keep him laughing and her goodness would keep him in love. He reluctantly stepped away and took two glasses from the cupboard.

He heard Sydney speak behind him. "You know, I didn't even realize how warm you were until you went away. Now it's freezing."

He sighed dramatically, "I suppose it's your cross to bear Agent Bristow for sending your dedicated handler away."

She moved next to him and jiggled the oven knobs. "Vaughn, you have the most difficult house ever. Your doors won't open, your locks won't unlock and none of your kitchen appliances work!"

He reached over and snapped it on; immediately a blue flame arose underneath the pan. "Or maybe the house known me as master and obeys everything I say because it thinks I'm God. . . whatever works."

He saw Sydney roll her eyes and laughed. "Hey, don't blame me. . . I had to come up with some kind of explanation as to why you are severely lacking in manual dexterity."

"Ooh, you're going to pay for that later," Sydney said not quite under her breath. She scrambled the eggs and added salt, pepper, and a little sour cream to make them fluffy. Vaughn opened a package of bacon.

"Does the Madame eat bacon?" He asked, allowing a slight French accent to come through. Sydney could've died.

"Like a. . . meat-eating machine," she finished lamely. She couldn't think of anything that ate excessive amounts of meat off hand like that.

"Oh, do you really? And where does it go?" He inquired as he openly looked at her appreciatively.

"No place you wanna no about," she quipped.

He laughed. Then, he turned to her. "Hey, I realized I have to do something. I'll be right back."

Sydney looked at him, puzzled. "Is there something wrong?"

He smiled at her concern, "No, no. Don't worry. I will really be back in a minute. Watch the bacon." He grabbed a coat and walked out of the door. Sydney smiled. She finally felt like she was in the right place at the perfect time. She watched the bacon and put the toast and scrambled eggs on plates. Putting the bacon on a napkin on a plate, she put everything on a tray and walked out of the kitchen.

*I really feel like a housewife now. And. . . it feels good.* She paused. Breakfast at the table or breakfast in bed? She went to the table. She liked the pace things were now. Vaughn came back in the door and followed the sound of her footsteps. Admiring her for a minute as she set up the plates, he came and set a vase of flowers in front of her.

"They seemed like the perfect touch." He said modestly.

Sydney beamed. "You're perfect."

He sat down in a chair and looked at the plates in front of him. "Are all these for me? Why isn't there a place for you?"

She grinned. "I want to share your seat with you. That's my idea of the perfect touch. And it was always something cute on TV that I've wanted to do." Vaughn smiled as she sat on his lap. Picking up a forkful of eggs, she brought it to his mouth.

"So now we've reverted to playing Airplane?" He said before biting.

"Say AHHH," Sydney replied, eyes twinkling.