Author's Note: I'm alive! Apologies, but this was being incredibly difficult. Thanks to Linda at SD-1 for scaring Willage and Weiss into cooperating! To apologize for the wait, here is my longest chapter so far. :)

Chapter Eleven - Gentlemen's Club (Weiss, Will, Vaughn)

"There you are!" Weiss frowns, peering closer. "You all right?"

"Fine," Vaughn pants. Swiftly, he pulls off his running sweatshirt and his gun.

Right. Whatever, Mike. "You go for relaxing jogs with a revolver in your pants?"

Vaughn stares at his best friend.

"Ah, I remember now. Since you're the idiot that went somewhere alone on your wedding day without telling anyone. Way to go for that, by the way. I thought Sydney was gonna come after you with a rocket launcher. She only calmed down when she realized where you went, and then she decided to send Jack after you. I have to admit, I wasn't sure I'd see you again when I heard that."

Vaughn groans. "Has anyone told you you're extremely annoying?"

"Every girlfriend I've ever had, which is, you know, all two of them," he muses. "Why?"

"No reason," Vaughn mutters. "Where's the shower in this place?"

"Churches have showers?"

"Weiss."

"Down the hall and to the left."


Dressing rooms are boring, Weiss decides.

Absently he stands and straightens the tux jacket hanging on a door nearby before he realizes what he was doing. I did not just straighten a man's clothes! What the hell is wrong with me?

Still horrified, he stalks back to the chair he'd waited for Vaughn in and sinks down, twiddling his thumbs impatiently. Almost immediately, his gaze falls on the antique picture frame Vaughn had brought with him to the church. Sitting on a nearby table, it showed a laughing Mike and Sydney during their fateful dinner.

It had been a casual dinner attended only by him, Mike, Sydney and Will, a rare chance to relax a bit from the stressful lives they had all fallen into. But then the unthinkable happened. During dessert Mike stood up suddenly, his trepidation apparent. Weiss had watched, stunned, as his best friend sank to his knees in front of a certain pouty-lipped spy.

Sydney, will you marry me?

She had agreed, after several torturous nanoseconds during which Weiss decided all women took pleasure in. The restaurant's manager had taken special delight in snapping a picture right after Sydney had pulled a nervous Mike to his feet and kissed him passionately in response.

Weiss shakes his head. From the day they met, Mike's feelings for his then-double agent had nearly cost him both his life and his career. Weiss had watched as his younger friend's internal war with his feelings and his loyalties tore him apart, to the point that he couldn't sleep. And then there's the time he threw Haladki against a wall, but the weasel deserved it.

It's not that he doesn't like Sydney Bristow. Far from it. Beautiful, talented and brilliant, she could melt the heart of any man with a single glance, which made teaming up with her occasionally to drive an unsuspecting Mike insane very entertaining.

And despite his initial wariness with her, she succeeded often where he failed in forcing Mike to come out of his shell. His best friend, who hadn't allowed himself to shed a tear five times since his father's death, hid within himself when the real world seemed too dark and presented those close to him with an unemotional mask. For whatever reason, despite his numerous attempts to get Mike drunk (and in the process, relaxed), Sydney was the only person in the world that could get him to release those emotions. For that alone, he had allowed himself to warm up to her, to see the person Mike had so fallen for. And he had genuine affection for her.

But he wonders sometimes. Does she know? Does she know what Mike has gone through, will go through for the rest of his life, because of how he feels for her? Today, Michael Vaughn is not just a groom. Today is his official first day as a willing, visible target, a man not hesitant in risking anything so long as it resulted in just a smidgen of happiness for his lady love. It was frustrating, mind-numbing and completely and utterly crazy. Which pretty much describes both of them to a 'T'.

Restless, he rocks in his chair, whistling distractedly. It is so peaceful that a sudden noise at the door Mike had left open jolts him to the point that he almost falls over, hand flying instantly to his jacket. No one will get their hands on Mike without going through me first!

"Hey, easy! Whoa!"

Groaning he lowers his gun, wondering all the while what on earth had made him so jumpy. Michael will never let you live this down when he finds out. Way to go, Eric! Sydney would have worn your spleen for a hat!

"Will. What's up?"

"Um, is Vaughn here yet? His mom wanted to know, and I'm pretty Syd is wondering."

"Yeah. He just got in. He's in the bathroom taking a shower. And hopefully not putting on his horrible aftershave." We can only hope. Although I still say it was cologne.

"It's about time!"

"Tell me about it. So…" Weiss raises his brows. Why is he still here? Didn't get enough out of me last time? "Gonna go deliver your message now?"

"Actually, what bathroom did Vaughn head to?"

"There's like ten million bathrooms. This church is bigger than Langley. Pick one and you can have it all to yourself."

Will's gaze hardens. "Look, Vaughn could kill me in twenty different ways before I had the chance to look at him funny. I just want to talk to him and I'm sorry, but I don't need your permission to do that."

Weiss glares. Will glares back.

"Look, Eric, I can't believe you're still upset over the party. Can we talk about this?"

Weiss rolls his eyes, pointedly ignoring him. "Down the hall and to the left."

"Fine," Will sighs, leaving without another word.

– to be continued -

So what's wrong with Weiss and Will? Will the Wedding Nazi kill Vaughn? Speaking of which, why is she so edgy? Those answers and more, coming soon!

(And then, two chapters later, the wedding begins! Stay tuned, ya hear?)

Review Responses

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