Three months later.
"Sydney I can't find my green hat!" A voice yelled from the basement, echoing through the fairly empty house.
Vaughn who was in the kitchen reading the paper, laughed before yelling back. "Alex if you want to talk to someone, it helps to be on the same floor." He smiled before adding, "A please wouldn't hurt either." A stomping sound rose from the basement stairs and Alex entered the kitchen decked out in snowboarding gear.
"I can't find my green hat, dad." Alex said lazily looking around.
"Well I can't help you there, but I think you should talk to your brother." Vaughn said motioning to Damien who was in the family room watching TV, and conspicuously wearing a bright green hat."
"This one's mine bro, get your own." Damien said without tearing his eyes from the television screen Damien.
Alex immediately protested, "Dad?"
But before Vaughn could open his mouth Sydney entered the family room. Without a word she stole the cap from Damien's head and replacing it with a red one. Damien didn't seem to notice, but continued it watch TV. "Here." She said with a slight giggle, handing Amex his hat.
"Thanks," he smiled, before running off, and stomping back down the stairs.
Sydney turned to Vaughn and smiled. He'd just sat and watched as Sydney worked her magic with his sons. She looked beautiful as always, wearing a pair of sweats and a tank top. She had begun to show, though very little for five and a half months, but she had the glow of a mother to be.
The pair held their stare for a moment before Sydney moved toward the refrigerator and opened it. She poked around for a moment, looking for anything looking even remotely appetizing before shutting it again. As the door closed she felt two warm hands wrap around her waist, and Vaughn's presence behind her.
"Not hungry?" He whispered in her ear.
"No, just trying to figure out what this craving is for." She said smiling, and turning her head to look at him. Vaughn pulled close and again whispered in her ear.
"I think I know what it might be craving." He said leaning in a little closer.
"What." Sydney breathed as their lips met.
"Awe man.. Do you guys always have to do that when I'm around." Damien's voice echoed from the door way of the kitchen. Sydney and Vaughn stopped kissing, and both looked at Damien with their silly after-kiss grins. "Oh I give up, get a room." He said before marching off. Sydney and Vaughn both laughed before embracing once again.
"Dad, we're going to be late." Alex called from the front hallway.
Vaughn smiled at Sydney before calling out, "As I recall I'm the one who's been waiting for you. Something about a green hat..."
"Can we just go?" Damien called, sounding rather annoyed.
Vaughn gave Sydney a smile, before getting one last kiss in, and letting her go. "I'll call you when we get to Vail." He smiled.
"Okay, have a great time." She said following Vaughn to the hallway.
"Finally." Damien said stomping through the front door.
"Bye Syd have a good day." Alex smiled before following his brother.
Vaughn smiled before following the boys out. Sydney laughed to herself as the door shut firmly behind him.
"Mommy." A little voice said from the top of the stairs. "Where are dey going?" Ryan said wiping the sleep from his eyes. It was almost eight o'clock, and the boy had slept longer then usual.
Sydney smiled as she began to climb the stairs. "Good morning sleep head."
"Mommy where are day going?" Ryan said again sounding worried and sad. Sydney reached the top step and scooped him into her arms as she sat down.
"They went out for some big boy fun." She said kissing him multiple times on the cheek and forehead.
"I'm a big boy." Ryan said looking up at her with his big green eyes.
"You sure are. But you have much more important things to do today." Sydney smiled.
" Jeff's birf-day party!" Ryan said, his eyes suddenly lighting up, all thoughts of Vaughn and the boys gone.
"That's right mister. Why don't we get some cheerio's in you first." Sydney said setting Ryan on his feet. He slowly began to climb down the stairs crying: "Birf-day, Birf-day Party!"
After breakfast and a short Thomas the Tank engine/ Hopping dinosaur session, Ryan was dressed and ready for the Party.
"Let's go now!" He said pulling on the front door. Sydney who hadn't had time herself to get dressed was making her way down the stairs.
"Remember what I said, Ryan? Frankie's mom is coming to get you and take you there."
"Is she here yet?" Ryan said very matter-of-factly.
"I don't know let's see." Sydney said picking up Ryan and letting him look out the windows next to the door.
"They're here! They're here!" Ryan shouted. Sydney set him down and took a peek out the window herself. Ryan was right Frankie's mother's red SUV was driving up the driveway. However it was followed by a black sedan.
It took Sydney a moment to discern who was in the other car. But as they came closer to the house, it became clear. The car contained four sharply dressed men, one of whom was Marcus Dixon.
"Sydney I can't find my green hat!" A voice yelled from the basement, echoing through the fairly empty house.
Vaughn who was in the kitchen reading the paper, laughed before yelling back. "Alex if you want to talk to someone, it helps to be on the same floor." He smiled before adding, "A please wouldn't hurt either." A stomping sound rose from the basement stairs and Alex entered the kitchen decked out in snowboarding gear.
"I can't find my green hat, dad." Alex said lazily looking around.
"Well I can't help you there, but I think you should talk to your brother." Vaughn said motioning to Damien who was in the family room watching TV, and conspicuously wearing a bright green hat."
"This one's mine bro, get your own." Damien said without tearing his eyes from the television screen Damien.
Alex immediately protested, "Dad?"
But before Vaughn could open his mouth Sydney entered the family room. Without a word she stole the cap from Damien's head and replacing it with a red one. Damien didn't seem to notice, but continued it watch TV. "Here." She said with a slight giggle, handing Amex his hat.
"Thanks," he smiled, before running off, and stomping back down the stairs.
Sydney turned to Vaughn and smiled. He'd just sat and watched as Sydney worked her magic with his sons. She looked beautiful as always, wearing a pair of sweats and a tank top. She had begun to show, though very little for five and a half months, but she had the glow of a mother to be.
The pair held their stare for a moment before Sydney moved toward the refrigerator and opened it. She poked around for a moment, looking for anything looking even remotely appetizing before shutting it again. As the door closed she felt two warm hands wrap around her waist, and Vaughn's presence behind her.
"Not hungry?" He whispered in her ear.
"No, just trying to figure out what this craving is for." She said smiling, and turning her head to look at him. Vaughn pulled close and again whispered in her ear.
"I think I know what it might be craving." He said leaning in a little closer.
"What." Sydney breathed as their lips met.
"Awe man.. Do you guys always have to do that when I'm around." Damien's voice echoed from the door way of the kitchen. Sydney and Vaughn stopped kissing, and both looked at Damien with their silly after-kiss grins. "Oh I give up, get a room." He said before marching off. Sydney and Vaughn both laughed before embracing once again.
"Dad, we're going to be late." Alex called from the front hallway.
Vaughn smiled at Sydney before calling out, "As I recall I'm the one who's been waiting for you. Something about a green hat..."
"Can we just go?" Damien called, sounding rather annoyed.
Vaughn gave Sydney a smile, before getting one last kiss in, and letting her go. "I'll call you when we get to Vail." He smiled.
"Okay, have a great time." She said following Vaughn to the hallway.
"Finally." Damien said stomping through the front door.
"Bye Syd have a good day." Alex smiled before following his brother.
Vaughn smiled before following the boys out. Sydney laughed to herself as the door shut firmly behind him.
"Mommy." A little voice said from the top of the stairs. "Where are dey going?" Ryan said wiping the sleep from his eyes. It was almost eight o'clock, and the boy had slept longer then usual.
Sydney smiled as she began to climb the stairs. "Good morning sleep head."
"Mommy where are day going?" Ryan said again sounding worried and sad. Sydney reached the top step and scooped him into her arms as she sat down.
"They went out for some big boy fun." She said kissing him multiple times on the cheek and forehead.
"I'm a big boy." Ryan said looking up at her with his big green eyes.
"You sure are. But you have much more important things to do today." Sydney smiled.
" Jeff's birf-day party!" Ryan said, his eyes suddenly lighting up, all thoughts of Vaughn and the boys gone.
"That's right mister. Why don't we get some cheerio's in you first." Sydney said setting Ryan on his feet. He slowly began to climb down the stairs crying: "Birf-day, Birf-day Party!"
After breakfast and a short Thomas the Tank engine/ Hopping dinosaur session, Ryan was dressed and ready for the Party.
"Let's go now!" He said pulling on the front door. Sydney who hadn't had time herself to get dressed was making her way down the stairs.
"Remember what I said, Ryan? Frankie's mom is coming to get you and take you there."
"Is she here yet?" Ryan said very matter-of-factly.
"I don't know let's see." Sydney said picking up Ryan and letting him look out the windows next to the door.
"They're here! They're here!" Ryan shouted. Sydney set him down and took a peek out the window herself. Ryan was right Frankie's mother's red SUV was driving up the driveway. However it was followed by a black sedan.
It took Sydney a moment to discern who was in the other car. But as they came closer to the house, it became clear. The car contained four sharply dressed men, one of whom was Marcus Dixon.