"No.no."Sydney yelled into the night. She pushed away from Vaughn, and
began flailing in her sleep. Vaughn was awakened immediately. This wasn't
the first time she'd awoken screaming.
He grabbed softly by the shoulder, "Sydney, wake up. Sydney." He said softly but firmly. Sydney did all she could to push herself away from Vaughn, but suddenly her eyes fluttered open, and she realized where she was. Within instants her eyes were filled with tears. "Syd, it's alright. You're here. It's okay." He said soothingly. Sydney sat up, trying to acclimate herself. The room was dark, but it was her room, their room. Vaughn sat up as well and put and arm around Sydney's shoulders. "It's alright Syd. This is our house, I'm here. Wherever you were, it's gone." Vaughn pulled her closer.
"I was with Sloane." She said trying to fight through the tears. "He did something to me.he erased my memory." She trailed off able to create words no longer.
"Shhhh.Syd It's alright, it's over." He whispered stroking her hair. For a long time they sat there. Sydney crying, Vaughn holding her. It had happened several times before, but this time, Vaughn felt like crying too. But instead he rocked her back and forth, and resigned himself that this was not a time for him to be selfish, and worry about his own emotions. If Irina had been right about anything it was that Sydney needed him. He needed to be there for her, and by god if that was the only thing he could do, he'd do it well.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
It had been quiet for almost an hour when Irina found her way upon Vaughn and Sydney as the pair sat in their kitchen drinking coffee and reading the paper. They had woken up at four in the morning, but neither could return to sleep.
"Good morning," She said softly, announcing her presence.
"Hi," Sydney said, smiling warmly at her mother. Vaughn simply looked up from his paper, and without a word continued to read. Sydney stood and moved to get another cup of coffee. "Did you sleep well?" She asked as she poured.
"I did, thank you." Irina said looking curiously around the kitchen. Sydney handed her mother the mug, and offered her a seat at the table. Irina sat, and Sydney took her place once again. "Sydney your home is lovely." Irina said smiling.
"Thank you. It's not done at all yet." She said taking a look around, herself. "It's been some work, but it's finally starting to feel like home." Sydney said smiling again at her mother.
"And you've done all this while still working at the school?" Irina said
"Well I've cut back a lot on the amount of work I'm doing at school and.."
"Yes, but still Sydney. You are managing a whole lot; Work, school, kids, weddings." Irina said in between sips of coffee, and smiling. Sydney blushed at the thought of weddings. She hadn't even begun to plan anything. They had officially set the date in June, and reserved the country Club where it was to be held, but the detail were totally non-existent. "Speaking of weddings." Irina said, leading Sydney on. "I'm so sorry I haven't had a chance to be here and help you." Irina said, more seriously.
"No, Mom. It's really okay. We've actually been discussing moving it back, until after the baby is born." Sydney looked at Vaughn who had finally set down his paper and decided to join the conversation.
"You're right. It's a lot for Sydney to handle, trying to put together a wedding and take care of herself and a certain little one." He smiled at Sydney. "And I would help with the wedding plans, but I'm just not that coordinated when it comes to flowers and cakes. Especially the cakes." Vaughn smiled again.
"I would agree that pushing the wedding back is a smart idea. Let's just make sure we don't push it back indefinitely." Irina said with a smile. As she said this, the sound of footsteps on the stairs became apparent, signaling Weiss' presence. He wandered into the kitchen looking rather tired.
"What in god's name is everyone doing awake." Weiss said rubbing his eyes.
"Weiss I didn't even know you were here." Sydney said rising from her chair.
"What? Michael didn't tell you, I live here now." Weiss laughed and giving Sydney a big hug. As they parted Weiss grabbed Sydney's hand; "I'm sorry that we had to meet that way yesterday." He smiled and then looked to Vaughn. Vaughn just stared blankly back at him, as if trying to control himself. Irina looked on, intrigued by their interaction.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Hours later, after many cups of coffee, and bowls of cheerios, a strange collection of people sat around Sydney and Vaughn's kitchen table. Several conversations were going on at once. Between football, Thomas the Tank Engine, and various comments about Alex's broken leg, the kitchen was filled with the sounds of laughter and happiness. None of this even paused as the doorbell rang, and Vaughn quietly slipped out of the kitchen to answer it.
"Jack." Michael said opening the door.
"Michael." Jack nodded.
He grabbed softly by the shoulder, "Sydney, wake up. Sydney." He said softly but firmly. Sydney did all she could to push herself away from Vaughn, but suddenly her eyes fluttered open, and she realized where she was. Within instants her eyes were filled with tears. "Syd, it's alright. You're here. It's okay." He said soothingly. Sydney sat up, trying to acclimate herself. The room was dark, but it was her room, their room. Vaughn sat up as well and put and arm around Sydney's shoulders. "It's alright Syd. This is our house, I'm here. Wherever you were, it's gone." Vaughn pulled her closer.
"I was with Sloane." She said trying to fight through the tears. "He did something to me.he erased my memory." She trailed off able to create words no longer.
"Shhhh.Syd It's alright, it's over." He whispered stroking her hair. For a long time they sat there. Sydney crying, Vaughn holding her. It had happened several times before, but this time, Vaughn felt like crying too. But instead he rocked her back and forth, and resigned himself that this was not a time for him to be selfish, and worry about his own emotions. If Irina had been right about anything it was that Sydney needed him. He needed to be there for her, and by god if that was the only thing he could do, he'd do it well.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
It had been quiet for almost an hour when Irina found her way upon Vaughn and Sydney as the pair sat in their kitchen drinking coffee and reading the paper. They had woken up at four in the morning, but neither could return to sleep.
"Good morning," She said softly, announcing her presence.
"Hi," Sydney said, smiling warmly at her mother. Vaughn simply looked up from his paper, and without a word continued to read. Sydney stood and moved to get another cup of coffee. "Did you sleep well?" She asked as she poured.
"I did, thank you." Irina said looking curiously around the kitchen. Sydney handed her mother the mug, and offered her a seat at the table. Irina sat, and Sydney took her place once again. "Sydney your home is lovely." Irina said smiling.
"Thank you. It's not done at all yet." She said taking a look around, herself. "It's been some work, but it's finally starting to feel like home." Sydney said smiling again at her mother.
"And you've done all this while still working at the school?" Irina said
"Well I've cut back a lot on the amount of work I'm doing at school and.."
"Yes, but still Sydney. You are managing a whole lot; Work, school, kids, weddings." Irina said in between sips of coffee, and smiling. Sydney blushed at the thought of weddings. She hadn't even begun to plan anything. They had officially set the date in June, and reserved the country Club where it was to be held, but the detail were totally non-existent. "Speaking of weddings." Irina said, leading Sydney on. "I'm so sorry I haven't had a chance to be here and help you." Irina said, more seriously.
"No, Mom. It's really okay. We've actually been discussing moving it back, until after the baby is born." Sydney looked at Vaughn who had finally set down his paper and decided to join the conversation.
"You're right. It's a lot for Sydney to handle, trying to put together a wedding and take care of herself and a certain little one." He smiled at Sydney. "And I would help with the wedding plans, but I'm just not that coordinated when it comes to flowers and cakes. Especially the cakes." Vaughn smiled again.
"I would agree that pushing the wedding back is a smart idea. Let's just make sure we don't push it back indefinitely." Irina said with a smile. As she said this, the sound of footsteps on the stairs became apparent, signaling Weiss' presence. He wandered into the kitchen looking rather tired.
"What in god's name is everyone doing awake." Weiss said rubbing his eyes.
"Weiss I didn't even know you were here." Sydney said rising from her chair.
"What? Michael didn't tell you, I live here now." Weiss laughed and giving Sydney a big hug. As they parted Weiss grabbed Sydney's hand; "I'm sorry that we had to meet that way yesterday." He smiled and then looked to Vaughn. Vaughn just stared blankly back at him, as if trying to control himself. Irina looked on, intrigued by their interaction.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Hours later, after many cups of coffee, and bowls of cheerios, a strange collection of people sat around Sydney and Vaughn's kitchen table. Several conversations were going on at once. Between football, Thomas the Tank Engine, and various comments about Alex's broken leg, the kitchen was filled with the sounds of laughter and happiness. None of this even paused as the doorbell rang, and Vaughn quietly slipped out of the kitchen to answer it.
"Jack." Michael said opening the door.
"Michael." Jack nodded.