A few hours later Vaughn, Sydney, and their son sat on the plane, which was
thirty minutes off the ground. Ryan sat peering out the window, tugging on
his mother every five minutes to look at what he could see. Sydney sat
nervously in the middle flipping mindlessly through the provided magazines,
and fidgeting. Vaughn had taken the aisle, and was worriedly contemplating
what awaited them in LA. He worried about what the boys were going through.
He worried that his mother was severely ill, and that she might die. He
worried about Sydney, and her confrontation with Jack; But most of all he
worried about Sydney being back in LA.
Vaughn's thoughts were interrupted by the booming voice of the captain, coming over the loud speaker. He assured the passengers that the flight would be short and uneventful, and then read the airline lines Vaughn had heard so many times before. He mused to himself that he hadn't been on many commercial airlines before Sydney had run away. It was only after Kendall had given up searching that Vaughn had needed to pay his own way on civilian airlines to search for her.
"Michael?" Sydney said softly leaning over and resting her head on his shoulder.
"Yeah?" he responded noticing her use of his first name. She had almost never used it before she'd disappeared, and certainly not after she'd returned. But she used it now for the first time, and it made his heart skip a beat. Not that he didn't have almost palpable heart flutterings every time she spoke, or was even in the same room with him, but when she said his name it was different.
"What are you so worried about?" She smiled at him, and linked her fingers in his.
"Is it that obvious?" He said leaning in and kissing her forehead.
"Yeah," She whispered as she snuggled closer to him. Vaughn glanced over at Ryan who was reading a book silently in his seat. Vaughn wondered if he was just looking at the pictures or if he was actually reading the words. From what he'd observed of his son in the last few days, Vaughn could already tell that he was incredibly smart.
Focusing of Sydney and Ryan eased some of the worry on his mind. They were a family, be it a very haphazardly thrown together family. But that's what they were, and he loved it. Vaughn would not give them or what they had up for anything, and stopped caring about the past or regrets. He focused on the woman he loved most in the world, and the son that was sitting before him. There were only a handful of people he cared about in the world, and those he loved most were sitting here with him; Though Vaughn did notice that his heart was not fully complete without Alex and Damien. They were his sons now too, and he hadn't fully realized before what a troop the five of them made. Sydney, the love of his life who had been on the run from his for five years; Ryan their son who he'd only been aware of for a few days; Alex and Damien, abandoned by their father, and then left to Vaughn by their mother; and Vaughn, the one that pulled them all together. He chuckled slightly to himself when he though about their crazy lives. But then disregarded the word crazy, because they had love and nothing else mattered.
A bell rang throughout the cabin, and the fasten seat belt sign came on. Vaughn shifted slightly and maneuvered his arm around Sydney pulling her closer. She giggled slightly and then reached under her arm and pushed the armrest that separated their chairs back and up into the seat. She sighed as she replaced her head on his shoulder and he pulled her even closer without the restraint of the armrest.
It wasn't long before the flight attendant came by to ask them if the wanted a beverage. Ryan ordered Apple Juice, and Michael got a Ginger Ale for himself, and a sleeping Sydney. As soon as Ryan noticed that Sydney was asleep he placed his stuffed elephant in her lap, and then resumed playing with his dinosaur. Vaughn watched in awe at his son's gesture. He smiled to think of how much Ryan loved Sydney, and was amazed that the child was so insightful to be quiet as his mother slept next to him.
Sydney stirred and yawned widely. "Hey sleepy head," Vaughn said softly, and then pointed to the drink that sat on her tray table. "That's yours," He said as he kissed her hair lightly. She smiled and then sipped her drink, still encased by Vaughn's arm. After she set her drink down again she noticed the stuffed animal in her lap. She looked at Ryan who was quietly bouncing his dinosaur off of the window, and then looked to Vaughn. He nodded to Ryan, to indicate that it was the handiwork of the boy, and then reached down to pick up the elephant. He looked at it for a moment before playing with its trunk. Vaughn playfully had the elephant give Sydney a kiss, and Sydney giggled out loud.
"Hey," Ryan said, looking at Vaughn. "What are you doing?" He giggled.
"Oh, Elephant here was just giving mommy a kiss," Vaughn said mater-of- factly.
"Oh," Ryan said, evidently satisfied by Vaughn's answer. Vaughn then reached over Sydney and planted an elephant kiss on Ryan as well. "Hey," Ryan protested laughingly. Sydney and Vaughn giggled as well, as their son pulled the elephant from Vaughn's hand and began kissing it. Vaughn watched Ryan, and Sydney turned to watch him. She observed how his eyes lit up when he saw Ryan, how he laughed at every move Ryan made, and all the while kept a sort of awestruck -wonderment in his eyes. She smiled as he laughed again and then quickly planted a kiss of her own on his check. Vaughn laughed.
"What was that for?" He asked, still chuckling.
"I don't know," She replied with an impish grin. "But if you don't want it I'll take it back!" She laughed.
"Oh, it's not that, it's just unfair that the elephant got to kiss you and I didn't," He said as he leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. When the pulled away smiling, the pair noticed their son watching them. Both were slightly embarrassed, as Ryan giggled his head off.
"Oh, just what is so funny?" Sydney said leaning down to kiss Ryan on the check.
"No-fing," He said still having fits of laughter.
Vaughn's thoughts were interrupted by the booming voice of the captain, coming over the loud speaker. He assured the passengers that the flight would be short and uneventful, and then read the airline lines Vaughn had heard so many times before. He mused to himself that he hadn't been on many commercial airlines before Sydney had run away. It was only after Kendall had given up searching that Vaughn had needed to pay his own way on civilian airlines to search for her.
"Michael?" Sydney said softly leaning over and resting her head on his shoulder.
"Yeah?" he responded noticing her use of his first name. She had almost never used it before she'd disappeared, and certainly not after she'd returned. But she used it now for the first time, and it made his heart skip a beat. Not that he didn't have almost palpable heart flutterings every time she spoke, or was even in the same room with him, but when she said his name it was different.
"What are you so worried about?" She smiled at him, and linked her fingers in his.
"Is it that obvious?" He said leaning in and kissing her forehead.
"Yeah," She whispered as she snuggled closer to him. Vaughn glanced over at Ryan who was reading a book silently in his seat. Vaughn wondered if he was just looking at the pictures or if he was actually reading the words. From what he'd observed of his son in the last few days, Vaughn could already tell that he was incredibly smart.
Focusing of Sydney and Ryan eased some of the worry on his mind. They were a family, be it a very haphazardly thrown together family. But that's what they were, and he loved it. Vaughn would not give them or what they had up for anything, and stopped caring about the past or regrets. He focused on the woman he loved most in the world, and the son that was sitting before him. There were only a handful of people he cared about in the world, and those he loved most were sitting here with him; Though Vaughn did notice that his heart was not fully complete without Alex and Damien. They were his sons now too, and he hadn't fully realized before what a troop the five of them made. Sydney, the love of his life who had been on the run from his for five years; Ryan their son who he'd only been aware of for a few days; Alex and Damien, abandoned by their father, and then left to Vaughn by their mother; and Vaughn, the one that pulled them all together. He chuckled slightly to himself when he though about their crazy lives. But then disregarded the word crazy, because they had love and nothing else mattered.
A bell rang throughout the cabin, and the fasten seat belt sign came on. Vaughn shifted slightly and maneuvered his arm around Sydney pulling her closer. She giggled slightly and then reached under her arm and pushed the armrest that separated their chairs back and up into the seat. She sighed as she replaced her head on his shoulder and he pulled her even closer without the restraint of the armrest.
It wasn't long before the flight attendant came by to ask them if the wanted a beverage. Ryan ordered Apple Juice, and Michael got a Ginger Ale for himself, and a sleeping Sydney. As soon as Ryan noticed that Sydney was asleep he placed his stuffed elephant in her lap, and then resumed playing with his dinosaur. Vaughn watched in awe at his son's gesture. He smiled to think of how much Ryan loved Sydney, and was amazed that the child was so insightful to be quiet as his mother slept next to him.
Sydney stirred and yawned widely. "Hey sleepy head," Vaughn said softly, and then pointed to the drink that sat on her tray table. "That's yours," He said as he kissed her hair lightly. She smiled and then sipped her drink, still encased by Vaughn's arm. After she set her drink down again she noticed the stuffed animal in her lap. She looked at Ryan who was quietly bouncing his dinosaur off of the window, and then looked to Vaughn. He nodded to Ryan, to indicate that it was the handiwork of the boy, and then reached down to pick up the elephant. He looked at it for a moment before playing with its trunk. Vaughn playfully had the elephant give Sydney a kiss, and Sydney giggled out loud.
"Hey," Ryan said, looking at Vaughn. "What are you doing?" He giggled.
"Oh, Elephant here was just giving mommy a kiss," Vaughn said mater-of- factly.
"Oh," Ryan said, evidently satisfied by Vaughn's answer. Vaughn then reached over Sydney and planted an elephant kiss on Ryan as well. "Hey," Ryan protested laughingly. Sydney and Vaughn giggled as well, as their son pulled the elephant from Vaughn's hand and began kissing it. Vaughn watched Ryan, and Sydney turned to watch him. She observed how his eyes lit up when he saw Ryan, how he laughed at every move Ryan made, and all the while kept a sort of awestruck -wonderment in his eyes. She smiled as he laughed again and then quickly planted a kiss of her own on his check. Vaughn laughed.
"What was that for?" He asked, still chuckling.
"I don't know," She replied with an impish grin. "But if you don't want it I'll take it back!" She laughed.
"Oh, it's not that, it's just unfair that the elephant got to kiss you and I didn't," He said as he leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. When the pulled away smiling, the pair noticed their son watching them. Both were slightly embarrassed, as Ryan giggled his head off.
"Oh, just what is so funny?" Sydney said leaning down to kiss Ryan on the check.
"No-fing," He said still having fits of laughter.