It was almost seven when they were finished settling Mrs. Vaughn back into
her house. Alex was playing with Ryan and Damien was getting his stuff
together. Sydney had actually seen him smile when Vaughn had told him to
get his things together to go home. She could see in his eyes that he loved
Vaughn, Mrs. Vaughn was right, he just didn't want to share. Sydney had
helped Vaughn walk his mother to her bedroom and then had left the two of
them there to talk. The introductions had been awkward for everyone,
partially because of the lack of explanations. So Sydney left Vaughn to
explain, and headed to make so tea. As she sifted through cupboards, she
thought of the explanations she was going to have to give soon, and tried
to force the thought from her mind.
Meanwhile Vaughn was indeed explaining things to his mother. She had promised to just listen and not ask any questions; this Vaughn seriously doubted was possible.
"You know that I can't tell you everything because of my job. But I will tell you that seven years ago I was in love with Sydney. Then we were separated for two years and when she came back I had gotten married to Alice." He took a moment and sifted through his thoughts. "Then Sydney left LA, because of various reasons, one being the fact that I had been married without her knowledge. She wanted to start a new life, away from me and the life she had in LA. So for the last five years I've been searching for her, Mom. I've been following her all over the country. Meanwhile I left Alice here, and the boys, and I regret putting them through all this." He paused.
"But you love her, Michael. She makes you happy." His mother said softly, breaking her vow not to interrupt.
"You're right I never stopped loving Sydney, and I really regret the fact that I had to put my responsibilities to you, and Alice, and the boys, second. It wasn't fair to you." he said and looked away.
"Michael, I love you, Damien and Alex love you. They worship you Michael. Sydney loves you and Ryan does too. What happened with Alice could not have been prevented, and nobody holds you responsible. But now you have her Michael Vaughn, and I like you better now that you've got her. So you better hold on to her, don't let her slip away again." She smiled at her son, and grabbed his hand. He looked at her and smiled too.
"I won't make that mistake again, don't worry. Thanks for watching the boys while I was gone. Now you've got to take care of your self mom. No more hospital visits you hear!" he stood and leaned over her to kiss her check.
"Alright. But you'd better bring that girl of yours back here before she leaves, I want to get to know my other grandson a little better." Vaughn stared at her. How could she have known that Ryan was his son?
"Mom... "
"Oh shut up Michael, I'm your mother remember, and he looks just like you when you were four. So cut the crap. Do you really think I can't tell these things." Just then Sydney knocked on the door and entered with a steaming cup of tea in her hand. "Ah, thank you dear." She said as Sydney set the cup down by her bed. "Now do me a favor and take my boys home, all of 'em!" She laughed looking at Vaughn's still amazed face.
Sydney smiled, "Alright, I'm sure we'll see you soon." She said looking at Vaughn. He still looked quite dumbfounded, but managed to kiss his mother again and lead Sydney out of the room.
After the boys had gotten their things together the troop set off for Vaughn's house. Damien seemed much more relaxed as they drove the short distance between the two houses. Sydney twisted in her seat and looked back at the three boys in the back. Alex was reading a book with Ryan, and Damien was bobbing his head to the music. When he noticed she was looking at him, she smiled brightly, and he gave her a bit of a grin. At that Sydney turned to look at Vaughn, who was also bobbing along with the song. Sydney giggled to herself, and then looked out the window.
"What?" Vaughn said glancing at her.
"Nothing," she said casting him a coy smile. He smiled back and then pulled into the driveway of the very cute suburban house. It was pretty big for a CIA salary, but Sydney didn't say anything. She quickly hopped out of the car went to grab her suitcase from the back.
"I got it!" Vaughn said reaching for it at the same time she did. Sydney pushed his hand away and grabbed it, causing him to poke her in the ribs. She laughed and then pulled the suitcase from the trunk.
"Hey Damien will you get mine?" Alex called back from the steps that led to the front door. Ryan was excitedly jumping up and down holding Alex's hand. Damien came around to the back of the car and grabbed the two remaining bags. Sydney and Vaughn followed Alex into the house, and Sydney stood in the front hallway admiring the décor. It was a very new house, evidently built in a pre-planned suburban community. The entrance hallway opened into an adorable vaulted area; with a parlor to the right, and to the left French doors opened to an office. Straight ahead lay a beautiful staircase than turned up to the second floor. Before Sydney could admire any further Vaughn grabbed the suitcase from her hand and started to climb the stairs. Sydney followed. At the top of the stairs Vaughn turned directly to the right and opened two equisite doors into the master bedroom. To the left Sydney could see several more bedrooms at the end of the hall. Inside the master bedroom was a large four poster bed, and a beautiful dresser, and vanity. The room was painted a deep cream color with beautiful moss accents.
"My mother decorated everything." Vaughn said walking toward her after setting the suitcase down by the dresser.
"It's beautiful!" Sydney exclaimed, half breathless.
"No, you're beautiful," Vaughn said moving closer and wrapping his arms around her. She quickly pulled him closer and kissed him. It wasn't a gentle kiss either, but a deeply hungry one. When they finally parted Sydney was completely breathless, and Vaughn was as well. "The rest of the house can wait you know, we could just stay here." He said raising an eyebrow. Sydney poked him in the ribs and they both laughed.
"We need to get some food in Ryan and then put him to bed." She said as they started for the stairs. She turned to go down them when Vaughn grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the other bedrooms.
He pointed to a closed door, "This is Damien's room, and this is Alex's" He said pointing to another door. He then turned and led her into another room. "And this, can be Ryan's for now." He said looking around. "I'm sure my mother will want to redecorate."
"It's great!" Sydney said noticing the beautiful detailing along the upper edge of the wall.
They then went downstairs to find Damien glued to the TV, and Alex and Ryan on the floor in the living room. As soon as Ryan saw them he squealed with joy. "Look Mommy, Alex has more Dinosaurs." He held up as many action figures as he could hold in one hand. Alex just looked at them and smiled, obviously enjoying playing with Ryan.
"That's great sweetie! How about some dinner?"
"Yay! Yay!" Ryan said running to hug Sydney's legs. Vaughn went to the pantry and pulled out a box of Macaroni and Cheese. Sydney smiled and Ryan started to squeal "Roni, Roni!"
Meanwhile Vaughn was indeed explaining things to his mother. She had promised to just listen and not ask any questions; this Vaughn seriously doubted was possible.
"You know that I can't tell you everything because of my job. But I will tell you that seven years ago I was in love with Sydney. Then we were separated for two years and when she came back I had gotten married to Alice." He took a moment and sifted through his thoughts. "Then Sydney left LA, because of various reasons, one being the fact that I had been married without her knowledge. She wanted to start a new life, away from me and the life she had in LA. So for the last five years I've been searching for her, Mom. I've been following her all over the country. Meanwhile I left Alice here, and the boys, and I regret putting them through all this." He paused.
"But you love her, Michael. She makes you happy." His mother said softly, breaking her vow not to interrupt.
"You're right I never stopped loving Sydney, and I really regret the fact that I had to put my responsibilities to you, and Alice, and the boys, second. It wasn't fair to you." he said and looked away.
"Michael, I love you, Damien and Alex love you. They worship you Michael. Sydney loves you and Ryan does too. What happened with Alice could not have been prevented, and nobody holds you responsible. But now you have her Michael Vaughn, and I like you better now that you've got her. So you better hold on to her, don't let her slip away again." She smiled at her son, and grabbed his hand. He looked at her and smiled too.
"I won't make that mistake again, don't worry. Thanks for watching the boys while I was gone. Now you've got to take care of your self mom. No more hospital visits you hear!" he stood and leaned over her to kiss her check.
"Alright. But you'd better bring that girl of yours back here before she leaves, I want to get to know my other grandson a little better." Vaughn stared at her. How could she have known that Ryan was his son?
"Mom... "
"Oh shut up Michael, I'm your mother remember, and he looks just like you when you were four. So cut the crap. Do you really think I can't tell these things." Just then Sydney knocked on the door and entered with a steaming cup of tea in her hand. "Ah, thank you dear." She said as Sydney set the cup down by her bed. "Now do me a favor and take my boys home, all of 'em!" She laughed looking at Vaughn's still amazed face.
Sydney smiled, "Alright, I'm sure we'll see you soon." She said looking at Vaughn. He still looked quite dumbfounded, but managed to kiss his mother again and lead Sydney out of the room.
After the boys had gotten their things together the troop set off for Vaughn's house. Damien seemed much more relaxed as they drove the short distance between the two houses. Sydney twisted in her seat and looked back at the three boys in the back. Alex was reading a book with Ryan, and Damien was bobbing his head to the music. When he noticed she was looking at him, she smiled brightly, and he gave her a bit of a grin. At that Sydney turned to look at Vaughn, who was also bobbing along with the song. Sydney giggled to herself, and then looked out the window.
"What?" Vaughn said glancing at her.
"Nothing," she said casting him a coy smile. He smiled back and then pulled into the driveway of the very cute suburban house. It was pretty big for a CIA salary, but Sydney didn't say anything. She quickly hopped out of the car went to grab her suitcase from the back.
"I got it!" Vaughn said reaching for it at the same time she did. Sydney pushed his hand away and grabbed it, causing him to poke her in the ribs. She laughed and then pulled the suitcase from the trunk.
"Hey Damien will you get mine?" Alex called back from the steps that led to the front door. Ryan was excitedly jumping up and down holding Alex's hand. Damien came around to the back of the car and grabbed the two remaining bags. Sydney and Vaughn followed Alex into the house, and Sydney stood in the front hallway admiring the décor. It was a very new house, evidently built in a pre-planned suburban community. The entrance hallway opened into an adorable vaulted area; with a parlor to the right, and to the left French doors opened to an office. Straight ahead lay a beautiful staircase than turned up to the second floor. Before Sydney could admire any further Vaughn grabbed the suitcase from her hand and started to climb the stairs. Sydney followed. At the top of the stairs Vaughn turned directly to the right and opened two equisite doors into the master bedroom. To the left Sydney could see several more bedrooms at the end of the hall. Inside the master bedroom was a large four poster bed, and a beautiful dresser, and vanity. The room was painted a deep cream color with beautiful moss accents.
"My mother decorated everything." Vaughn said walking toward her after setting the suitcase down by the dresser.
"It's beautiful!" Sydney exclaimed, half breathless.
"No, you're beautiful," Vaughn said moving closer and wrapping his arms around her. She quickly pulled him closer and kissed him. It wasn't a gentle kiss either, but a deeply hungry one. When they finally parted Sydney was completely breathless, and Vaughn was as well. "The rest of the house can wait you know, we could just stay here." He said raising an eyebrow. Sydney poked him in the ribs and they both laughed.
"We need to get some food in Ryan and then put him to bed." She said as they started for the stairs. She turned to go down them when Vaughn grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the other bedrooms.
He pointed to a closed door, "This is Damien's room, and this is Alex's" He said pointing to another door. He then turned and led her into another room. "And this, can be Ryan's for now." He said looking around. "I'm sure my mother will want to redecorate."
"It's great!" Sydney said noticing the beautiful detailing along the upper edge of the wall.
They then went downstairs to find Damien glued to the TV, and Alex and Ryan on the floor in the living room. As soon as Ryan saw them he squealed with joy. "Look Mommy, Alex has more Dinosaurs." He held up as many action figures as he could hold in one hand. Alex just looked at them and smiled, obviously enjoying playing with Ryan.
"That's great sweetie! How about some dinner?"
"Yay! Yay!" Ryan said running to hug Sydney's legs. Vaughn went to the pantry and pulled out a box of Macaroni and Cheese. Sydney smiled and Ryan started to squeal "Roni, Roni!"