"Jack, it's Vaughn."
"Is Sydney alright?"
"Yes she's fine. No, she's not fine, she's really shaken up."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"What the hell is going on Jack? Why in god's name is Kendall."
"Michael, you're going to have to trust that I am taking care of this. Your priority right now is Sydney. If she sees that you're upset about this, it will only make matters worse. So take a deep breath and put on a smile."
"That's real easy for you to say. The man threatened my son, Jack. He's gone too far. I can't just sit here and wait for him to make his next more. Something has to be done."
"Stop. Do you really think that I am sitting around waiting. Michael things are under control. This whole thing should be resolved in a matter of days. In the mean time there is nothing that you can do, except be there for Sydney. I have already sent a team to Colorado to protect you and Sydney and the boys, but it is up to you to protect Sydney and that baby."
"You're right, Jack. I just wish I knew what the hell was going on."
"Michael, at some point you're going to have to learn to trust me. For a long time we have both fought on the same side, Sydney's side. Yet, we constantly act as if we are adversaries. We both have Sydney's best interests at heart, so it's about time we started working together."
"Thank you Jack."
"I'll contact you soon."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
That night the mood in the house was somber to say the least. Even little Ryan, after returning from his party, seemed to feel the quiet aura in the air. Damien and Alex sat watching TV, Ryan played on the floor in front of them, and Vaughn busied himself with making dinner. The boys could feel that something was up, though they didn't dare ask. Alex and Damien knew their father's face when he was like this. He was usually this way when he returned from one of his many trips. They now knew that his trips were in search of Sydney, and had some understanding of how their father felt. But his mood tonight left them with few ideas of what it could be about.
Vaughn tried to push thoughts of LA and the CIA out of his head. Jack was right, he had to be strong for Sydney. There was no way Kendall was taking Sydney to LA, he would make sure of that. But the fact that Kendall's visit was completely out of the blue, rubbed Vaughn the wrong way. What could the CIA want now? It had been so long, too long.
The beeping of the oven times brought Vaughn back to reality. The pork chops were done, all that was left to do was throw together a salad.
"Something smells good." Sydney said walking into the kitchen. Vaughn pulled the hot pan from the oven and smiled. "You made dinner?"
"I sure did." Vaughn said smiling back. He hoped that she would not see through his façade. Sydney walked toward him, and pulled him into a tight embrace. "Everything is going to be alright." He whispered and kissed the top of her head.
As they parted Sydney smiled. "Yeah," She said nodding. "Is Ryan back?" She said after a long moment.
"Yeah he's in the family room with the boys." Vaughn said as he went back to work on the pork chops. Sydney made her way to the doorway of the family room. She silently looked out upon the three quiet boys. Alex's leg was in a huge while cast, Damien was half asleep on the couch, and Ryan was crashing trains into Dinosaurs on the floor. Sydney quietly crept toward him, smiling at Alex as she went.
"Mommy!" Ryan squealed as Sydney scooped him up for a big hug. After several kissed and a small bout of tickling Sydney set Ryan back down on the floor and sat herself down on the couch. "Mommy, Alex gots a cast on his leg." Ryan said pointing to Alex.
"I heard." Sydney giving Alex a sympathetic look. " Does it hurt?" She asked, wincing slightly.
"Nah, not bad." Alex said reaching down and patting his cast.
"Oh Syd, you should have been there. There were all these skiers, and this one kid was going so fast on his snowboard, and he like cut right in front of Alex. And then Alex took this like humongous dive and rolled like half way down the mountain. And then there was this tree. It was crazy, like something out of a movie." Damien recounted the day's adventures, complete with hand gestures.
Sydney winced at almost every word, but smiled at Alex. "It's too bad you didn't get it on tape. We could have made some money off of you."
"Yeah Damien where was that camera?" Vaughn said standing in the doorway.
"Uh, I must have left it in the car. And it all happened so fast." Damien laughed.
"Well gang dinner's ready." Vaughn said smiling.
"Oh no Syd, what did I tell you about letting Dad make dinner." Damien joked as he stood from the couch.
"I heard that you know, and I think you're really going to like this." Vaughn said as he turned into the kitchen.
Damien grabbed Ryan on his way into the kitchen, and slung him over his shoulder. "Upside down world!" Damien laughed as they headed into the kitchen.
"Ahhhhhhh!" Ryan laughed as he hung upside down. Sydney helped Alex to gather his crutches and the two slowly made there way to the table.
As everyone settled in for dinner, things began to seem normal again. Ryan was playing with his potatoes while Alex and Damien went back for seconds and thirds. Even Sydney was eating and talking as if everything were normal. But Vaughn wasn't eating, and though he sat there with a smile on his face, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was not right.
"Is Sydney alright?"
"Yes she's fine. No, she's not fine, she's really shaken up."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"What the hell is going on Jack? Why in god's name is Kendall."
"Michael, you're going to have to trust that I am taking care of this. Your priority right now is Sydney. If she sees that you're upset about this, it will only make matters worse. So take a deep breath and put on a smile."
"That's real easy for you to say. The man threatened my son, Jack. He's gone too far. I can't just sit here and wait for him to make his next more. Something has to be done."
"Stop. Do you really think that I am sitting around waiting. Michael things are under control. This whole thing should be resolved in a matter of days. In the mean time there is nothing that you can do, except be there for Sydney. I have already sent a team to Colorado to protect you and Sydney and the boys, but it is up to you to protect Sydney and that baby."
"You're right, Jack. I just wish I knew what the hell was going on."
"Michael, at some point you're going to have to learn to trust me. For a long time we have both fought on the same side, Sydney's side. Yet, we constantly act as if we are adversaries. We both have Sydney's best interests at heart, so it's about time we started working together."
"Thank you Jack."
"I'll contact you soon."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
That night the mood in the house was somber to say the least. Even little Ryan, after returning from his party, seemed to feel the quiet aura in the air. Damien and Alex sat watching TV, Ryan played on the floor in front of them, and Vaughn busied himself with making dinner. The boys could feel that something was up, though they didn't dare ask. Alex and Damien knew their father's face when he was like this. He was usually this way when he returned from one of his many trips. They now knew that his trips were in search of Sydney, and had some understanding of how their father felt. But his mood tonight left them with few ideas of what it could be about.
Vaughn tried to push thoughts of LA and the CIA out of his head. Jack was right, he had to be strong for Sydney. There was no way Kendall was taking Sydney to LA, he would make sure of that. But the fact that Kendall's visit was completely out of the blue, rubbed Vaughn the wrong way. What could the CIA want now? It had been so long, too long.
The beeping of the oven times brought Vaughn back to reality. The pork chops were done, all that was left to do was throw together a salad.
"Something smells good." Sydney said walking into the kitchen. Vaughn pulled the hot pan from the oven and smiled. "You made dinner?"
"I sure did." Vaughn said smiling back. He hoped that she would not see through his façade. Sydney walked toward him, and pulled him into a tight embrace. "Everything is going to be alright." He whispered and kissed the top of her head.
As they parted Sydney smiled. "Yeah," She said nodding. "Is Ryan back?" She said after a long moment.
"Yeah he's in the family room with the boys." Vaughn said as he went back to work on the pork chops. Sydney made her way to the doorway of the family room. She silently looked out upon the three quiet boys. Alex's leg was in a huge while cast, Damien was half asleep on the couch, and Ryan was crashing trains into Dinosaurs on the floor. Sydney quietly crept toward him, smiling at Alex as she went.
"Mommy!" Ryan squealed as Sydney scooped him up for a big hug. After several kissed and a small bout of tickling Sydney set Ryan back down on the floor and sat herself down on the couch. "Mommy, Alex gots a cast on his leg." Ryan said pointing to Alex.
"I heard." Sydney giving Alex a sympathetic look. " Does it hurt?" She asked, wincing slightly.
"Nah, not bad." Alex said reaching down and patting his cast.
"Oh Syd, you should have been there. There were all these skiers, and this one kid was going so fast on his snowboard, and he like cut right in front of Alex. And then Alex took this like humongous dive and rolled like half way down the mountain. And then there was this tree. It was crazy, like something out of a movie." Damien recounted the day's adventures, complete with hand gestures.
Sydney winced at almost every word, but smiled at Alex. "It's too bad you didn't get it on tape. We could have made some money off of you."
"Yeah Damien where was that camera?" Vaughn said standing in the doorway.
"Uh, I must have left it in the car. And it all happened so fast." Damien laughed.
"Well gang dinner's ready." Vaughn said smiling.
"Oh no Syd, what did I tell you about letting Dad make dinner." Damien joked as he stood from the couch.
"I heard that you know, and I think you're really going to like this." Vaughn said as he turned into the kitchen.
Damien grabbed Ryan on his way into the kitchen, and slung him over his shoulder. "Upside down world!" Damien laughed as they headed into the kitchen.
"Ahhhhhhh!" Ryan laughed as he hung upside down. Sydney helped Alex to gather his crutches and the two slowly made there way to the table.
As everyone settled in for dinner, things began to seem normal again. Ryan was playing with his potatoes while Alex and Damien went back for seconds and thirds. Even Sydney was eating and talking as if everything were normal. But Vaughn wasn't eating, and though he sat there with a smile on his face, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was not right.