A few hours later Sydney, Vaughn, Mrs. Vaughn and Damien sat in the living
room talking. After dinner they had opened the boxes, and boxes of presents
which Vaughn's mother had brought from LA. The tree was now totally packed
and Sydney thought it looked absolutely perfect; though she herself hadn't
had time to put anything under it; and she had a few boxes hidden, herself.
Vaughn and his mother were chatting away on the couch and Sydney sat on the
floor next to where Vaughn was sitting. Alex sat in the chair across from
them, and seemed to be mesmerized by the fire. Alex had gone downstairs to
play video games, and Ryan was fast asleep.
"So, dad." Damien interrupted. "You never explained to me why Sydney calls you Vaughn." He said with a slightly impish grin.
"Umm, well I guess it's just the name we used when we used to work together." Vaughn said.
"Well it's not like you call her Bristow or anything." Damien retorted smiling widely. He knew that there wasn't really a point to any of this, but it was fun anyway.
"I can't really remember why I never started calling you Michael." Sydney said looking up at Vaughn.
"Yeah me neither." He said. "I guess it just stuck, I mean everyone at work still calls me Vaughn." He said smiling, and wanting very much to change the subject. "So Dame, are you ready to hit the slopes again?" Vaughn said laughing just a little.
"Yeah, if by hit you mean fall on my butt about fifty more times." Damien joked, remembering their last excursion to a ski resort, when he'd attempted to snowboard, but had instead fallen so many times that he had hurt himself. He laughed as he stood and stretched from the chair. "Ah, I'm tired. See you all tomorrow." He said as he walked past them all. As he began to descend the stairs there was a flurry of 'Good nights' from the three still sitting in the living room.
"Michael I think I'm going to go to bed as well, I'll see both of you in the morning." His mother stood as well, causing both Sydney and Vaughn to follow suit. Mrs. Vaughn hugged and kissed both of them before heading up stairs.
"Well I guess it's just you and me kid." Vaughn smiled wrapping his arms around Sydney's waist and pulling her forward.
"I guess it is." She said leaning in to kiss him. However, the instant their lips touched a knock came a the door and both turned toward it. "Who could that be?" Sydney said as Vaughn released her and she walked toward the door. Sydney peeked out the window and than hurriedly opened the door. She could barely believe her eyes. It was almost midnight, and she wondered if she were dreaming. "Will?" She said once the door was opened.
"Sydney!" He said as he let out a breath, which he had apparently been holding for quite a while.
"Will, I.What are you doing here?" Sydney said. She was so shocked to see him that she hadn't bothered to invite him in, but stood in the doorway with Vaughn directly behind her.
"You're dad invited me. He said that you.it doesn't matter. Sydney it's so good to see you." He said still sounding quite shocked. Vaughn decided to intervene and let Will come in out of the cold.
"Come in Will." He said gesturing to the living room. Sydney watched as Will passed her, then closed the door and followed him into the living room. Sydney was absolutely dumbfounded. She hadn't see Will in five years, and when she'd see him he'd still been in shock that she was actually alive. "So, How've you been, Will I haven't seen you in a while." Vaughn said as the three sat down.
"I've been good. Yeah, I'm surprised that you're here Kendall said you'd taken a leave of absence." Will said, glancing back and forth between Vaughn and Sydney. Sydney was staring at Will, who looked much older than he had the last time she'd seen him. He was cutting his hair differently now, and it looked as though he shaved more often. His eyes were different too. They still had that amazing curiosity in them, they were just a little more tame, not so blazing and deliberate. Sydney had to do everything in her power to control her mouth from gaping open, and from the looks of it, so did Will.
"So you're still working for Kendall?" Sydney asked, trying not to say too much. She wasn't positive that the boys couldn't hear what she said. Luckily Will caught on and left the details out of his answer.
"Yep, decided I cold withstand Kendall, and well it's been what about four years now." Will said looking at Vaughn.
"Yeah, four years. Sydney you should see this guy in action. Well, not real action but he has risen straight to the top." Vaughn was obviously impressed.
"Yeah I bet you didn't really know what you were getting yourself into when you asked me to do some research for you all those years ago." After Will had said this he realized that 'all those years ago' was probably not the best time period to be talking about. "So Syd, this is a really nice place you have here." He said looking around.
"It's small but it works for." She paused. "It's been perfect." She corrected realizing that it probably wouldn't be perfect for much longer. Already she was trying to fit seven people into her town home, and now with Will, that was eight.
"Sydney I'm really glad to see you." Will said smiling slightly, but more so speaking with his eyes. Sydney smiled back at him, and realized just how happy she was to see him.
"Me too Will. It's been too long." She smiled and then looked down. It was her fault that it'd been so long, and seeing Will was causing her to regret all the years she'd wasted running from her life. After a few minutes Will yawned and Sydney was brought back to reality. "Umm, I'm sorry to say, but I'm out of bedrooms. I can make up the couch for you if that's okay." She said rising. Vaughn and Will stood as well.
"Syd that's great let me just go grab some of my stuff out of the car." He smiled and they all headed in separate directions.
A few minutes later Sydney had turned the couch into a makeshift bed, and Will was back from his car with a bag. Sydney showed him the bathroom, and hugged him goodnight. She then followed Vaughn downstairs, where Vaughn shut off the video game console, patted both boys on the head and switched off the light.
Later that night Sydney tossed in her sleep. Visions were flashing through her head. First she and Vaughn in the car kissing, then eating ice cream on the couch with Francie, then Will dead in the bathtub, then shooting Francie, then she woke up. She wasn't sure if she was dreaming or not. She was in a small room. It had now windows, but contained only one small cot with a pillow and a blanket. Sydney was amazed at how bright the room was. In the corner there was a door, but it had no handle, and when Sydney pushed on it, it didn't budge. Though she was worried and confused, she sat down on the cot and waited. She wasn't sure what she was waiting for but she knew it was coming. Soon the door opened and a man walked in. Sydney didn't recognize him, but his presence did not worry her. She remained seated as the man walked to her and stood in front of her. Instinctively Sydney stood, and held out her hands. The man hand cuffed her and then led her out of the room. None of this bothered Sydney, but she was still quite confused. The man led her down a long dark hallway and when they reached then end, they entered another room.
This one was just like the first except it only contained a chair. Sydney sat in the chair and then the man left. Soon the door in the corner opened and another man walked in. This one she recognized, but she still could not place who exactly he was. She was sure that she knew him from somewhere, but she sat patiently and let him walk toward her. Then as if it was instinctual she held out her arm and let him inject some kind of liquid into her. She could feel the injection pulsing through her veins and a few seconds later, her strange feelings of indifference disappeared. She was soon extremely alarmed by her situation, and she was much more aware of her surroundings. She looked again to the man who was in the room with her and when she saw his face she knew exactly who it was. Feeling of panic and hate coursed through her veins just as her injection had. The man was Arvin Slone.
"So, dad." Damien interrupted. "You never explained to me why Sydney calls you Vaughn." He said with a slightly impish grin.
"Umm, well I guess it's just the name we used when we used to work together." Vaughn said.
"Well it's not like you call her Bristow or anything." Damien retorted smiling widely. He knew that there wasn't really a point to any of this, but it was fun anyway.
"I can't really remember why I never started calling you Michael." Sydney said looking up at Vaughn.
"Yeah me neither." He said. "I guess it just stuck, I mean everyone at work still calls me Vaughn." He said smiling, and wanting very much to change the subject. "So Dame, are you ready to hit the slopes again?" Vaughn said laughing just a little.
"Yeah, if by hit you mean fall on my butt about fifty more times." Damien joked, remembering their last excursion to a ski resort, when he'd attempted to snowboard, but had instead fallen so many times that he had hurt himself. He laughed as he stood and stretched from the chair. "Ah, I'm tired. See you all tomorrow." He said as he walked past them all. As he began to descend the stairs there was a flurry of 'Good nights' from the three still sitting in the living room.
"Michael I think I'm going to go to bed as well, I'll see both of you in the morning." His mother stood as well, causing both Sydney and Vaughn to follow suit. Mrs. Vaughn hugged and kissed both of them before heading up stairs.
"Well I guess it's just you and me kid." Vaughn smiled wrapping his arms around Sydney's waist and pulling her forward.
"I guess it is." She said leaning in to kiss him. However, the instant their lips touched a knock came a the door and both turned toward it. "Who could that be?" Sydney said as Vaughn released her and she walked toward the door. Sydney peeked out the window and than hurriedly opened the door. She could barely believe her eyes. It was almost midnight, and she wondered if she were dreaming. "Will?" She said once the door was opened.
"Sydney!" He said as he let out a breath, which he had apparently been holding for quite a while.
"Will, I.What are you doing here?" Sydney said. She was so shocked to see him that she hadn't bothered to invite him in, but stood in the doorway with Vaughn directly behind her.
"You're dad invited me. He said that you.it doesn't matter. Sydney it's so good to see you." He said still sounding quite shocked. Vaughn decided to intervene and let Will come in out of the cold.
"Come in Will." He said gesturing to the living room. Sydney watched as Will passed her, then closed the door and followed him into the living room. Sydney was absolutely dumbfounded. She hadn't see Will in five years, and when she'd see him he'd still been in shock that she was actually alive. "So, How've you been, Will I haven't seen you in a while." Vaughn said as the three sat down.
"I've been good. Yeah, I'm surprised that you're here Kendall said you'd taken a leave of absence." Will said, glancing back and forth between Vaughn and Sydney. Sydney was staring at Will, who looked much older than he had the last time she'd seen him. He was cutting his hair differently now, and it looked as though he shaved more often. His eyes were different too. They still had that amazing curiosity in them, they were just a little more tame, not so blazing and deliberate. Sydney had to do everything in her power to control her mouth from gaping open, and from the looks of it, so did Will.
"So you're still working for Kendall?" Sydney asked, trying not to say too much. She wasn't positive that the boys couldn't hear what she said. Luckily Will caught on and left the details out of his answer.
"Yep, decided I cold withstand Kendall, and well it's been what about four years now." Will said looking at Vaughn.
"Yeah, four years. Sydney you should see this guy in action. Well, not real action but he has risen straight to the top." Vaughn was obviously impressed.
"Yeah I bet you didn't really know what you were getting yourself into when you asked me to do some research for you all those years ago." After Will had said this he realized that 'all those years ago' was probably not the best time period to be talking about. "So Syd, this is a really nice place you have here." He said looking around.
"It's small but it works for." She paused. "It's been perfect." She corrected realizing that it probably wouldn't be perfect for much longer. Already she was trying to fit seven people into her town home, and now with Will, that was eight.
"Sydney I'm really glad to see you." Will said smiling slightly, but more so speaking with his eyes. Sydney smiled back at him, and realized just how happy she was to see him.
"Me too Will. It's been too long." She smiled and then looked down. It was her fault that it'd been so long, and seeing Will was causing her to regret all the years she'd wasted running from her life. After a few minutes Will yawned and Sydney was brought back to reality. "Umm, I'm sorry to say, but I'm out of bedrooms. I can make up the couch for you if that's okay." She said rising. Vaughn and Will stood as well.
"Syd that's great let me just go grab some of my stuff out of the car." He smiled and they all headed in separate directions.
A few minutes later Sydney had turned the couch into a makeshift bed, and Will was back from his car with a bag. Sydney showed him the bathroom, and hugged him goodnight. She then followed Vaughn downstairs, where Vaughn shut off the video game console, patted both boys on the head and switched off the light.
Later that night Sydney tossed in her sleep. Visions were flashing through her head. First she and Vaughn in the car kissing, then eating ice cream on the couch with Francie, then Will dead in the bathtub, then shooting Francie, then she woke up. She wasn't sure if she was dreaming or not. She was in a small room. It had now windows, but contained only one small cot with a pillow and a blanket. Sydney was amazed at how bright the room was. In the corner there was a door, but it had no handle, and when Sydney pushed on it, it didn't budge. Though she was worried and confused, she sat down on the cot and waited. She wasn't sure what she was waiting for but she knew it was coming. Soon the door opened and a man walked in. Sydney didn't recognize him, but his presence did not worry her. She remained seated as the man walked to her and stood in front of her. Instinctively Sydney stood, and held out her hands. The man hand cuffed her and then led her out of the room. None of this bothered Sydney, but she was still quite confused. The man led her down a long dark hallway and when they reached then end, they entered another room.
This one was just like the first except it only contained a chair. Sydney sat in the chair and then the man left. Soon the door in the corner opened and another man walked in. This one she recognized, but she still could not place who exactly he was. She was sure that she knew him from somewhere, but she sat patiently and let him walk toward her. Then as if it was instinctual she held out her arm and let him inject some kind of liquid into her. She could feel the injection pulsing through her veins and a few seconds later, her strange feelings of indifference disappeared. She was soon extremely alarmed by her situation, and she was much more aware of her surroundings. She looked again to the man who was in the room with her and when she saw his face she knew exactly who it was. Feeling of panic and hate coursed through her veins just as her injection had. The man was Arvin Slone.