[5]
"Is Sydney here?"
Irina looked at him, debating whether or not to let him by, "Vaughn, I don't know if that's such a good idea right now."
"Please," he begged, "I really need to talk to her, it's important."
She shook her head, "I --"
The door flung open the rest of the way and Kiera threw herself into Vaughn's arms, "Daddy!"
"Hey baby," he smiled, "What were you doing?"
"Playing soccer with Grandma," she explained, "Before that I drew you a picture, hold on, I'll go get it."
She turned on her heel and booked it straight through the house, heading towards the den.
"I guess you can come in," Irina invited, pulling the door open wider, "The den's right through the kitchen."
Vaughn nodded and headed towards the den, following Kiera's fast-moving body.
Irina watched Kiera interact with Vaughn like they had been together from the beginning and hadn't just met that day, and only one thought popped into her mind at the sight played out in front of her, 'What has Sydney gotten herself into now?'
****
Jack shook his head, "There's got to be something you can do Sydney. You can't just keep shutting him out, the two of you have a daughter together."
"Dad, he married Alice!" Sydney exclaimed, "He's in love with Alice!"
"You know that's not true Sydney," he frowned, "He may love Alice, but he can't be in love with her."
"And why can't he?!" Sydney screamed.
"Because he's in love with you."
****
Irina walked up the stairs and quietly knocked on the door where Sydney and Jack were talking.
She really wished that Vaughn hadn't showed up because she didn't want to have to tell Sydney, but there's nothing she could do, he was downstairs playing with Kiera right at the moment and he wanted to speak to Sydney.
Quietly, she knocked on the door, and after a minute she walked into the room to find Sydney bawling and Jack attempting to comfort her, but to no avail.
She motioned to Jack to follow her out into the hall and he looked at Sydney, "Sydney, sweetheart, I'll be back in one minute, okay? I just have to do one quick thing."
Sydney nodded, not really caring either way, she just needed someone to comfort her, and there was only one person who could ever do that; and that person was at home with his wife.
Jack walked out into the hall and closed the door behind him, "What's wrong? Our daughter is having an emotional breakdown, she needs someone to comfort her."
Irina shook her head, "There's only one person who could comfort her and you know that."
He looked defeated, but nodded, "So, what's going on? Where's Kiera? You left her alone?"
"No, Jack, I didn't leave her alone --" Irina started, but was cut off by Jack.
"What do you mean you didn't leave her alone?" he demanded, "We're the only ones in the house."
"We have a visitor," she informed him, "Vaughn is downstairs playing with Kiera, he wants to talk to Sydney."
"She's in no condition to talk to him now," Jack replied, looking at the closed door, "She's having a breakdown about him, she's not ready."
"He may be the only one who could help her," Irina told him.
He nodded, "Do you want to go downstairs and bring him up here?"
She grabbed his hand, "We'll go together."
"What about Sydney?" he asked.
"Let her cry this out, compose herself for a minute."
****
Jack and Irina walked down the stairs, and into the den, but didn't enter right away, they stood right outside of it and watched Kiera and Vaughn together, the bond between the two of them obvious already, even though they hadn't known each other for that long.
"Look at the two of them," Irina whispered.
"You can see the resemblance," Jack noted, "She has his eyes, she's the spitting image of him."
"But she has Sydney's stubborn streak," Irina added.
Jack kissed his wife lightly, "Yours too."
"Okay," Irina murmured, "Let's go now."
He nodded and the two of them walked into the den where Kiera was showing Vaughn how she could read a book all by herself.
"...snowball's such a massive size, the children can't believe their eyes! 'It's bigger than my house!' shouts one, who stumbles when she starts to run. The snowball gets them one and all like a giant bowling ball with lots of children stuck in there. Oh look! It's caught another pair! The snowball stops, the children shout, 'Someone please come and help us out! For if we can't get home, it's clear, we'll miss Christmas Day this year!' Claire runs to town. She shout..."
Kiera looked up at Vaughn, "Could a snowball really eat me?"
He tweeked her nose with a smile, "Of course not. And if it did, I'd protect you, no snowball would eat you with me around."
Her smile beamed at him and he couldn't help but grin, he had helped make this beautiful little girl.
"Kiera, do you want to come help me cook dinner?"
They both looked up and saw Irina and Jack in the doorway, and Kiera bounced off Vaughn's lap, "Really Grandma? I've always wanted to cook, but mommy always told me I was too young."
Irina grabbed the little girl's hand and lead her out of the den in the direction of the kitchen, leaving Vaughn alone with Jack.
"Hello Jack."
"Agent Vaughn."
"I'm sorry to intrude in your home," he drawled, "But I really need to talk to Sydney, it's important."
Jack nodded, "I'll show you where she is, but I'll warn you that she isn't in good shape."
"What do you mean?" Vaughn questioned.
"She's having an emotional breakdown right now, she just really needs to be comforted is all."
Vaughn understood, and followed Jack out of the den to the stairs.
At the bottom of the staircase, Jack paused. "If you hurt my daughter more," Jack warned, "I will hunt you down, and you won't like it. And if you do that, never again think that you'll see Sydney and Kiera, I'll send them away so you specifically can't find them. Do you understand?"
He gulped and nodded, "I understand sir."
With that threat in the air, Jack walked up the stairs and paused outside of a room, "She's in here."
Then he left, and Vaughn's hand was poised on the doorknob.
****
Vaughn pushed the door open.
Sydney, thinking it was her dad, didn't look up, "Dad, I'm fine. Believe me, I just needed to get that out. I'll be okay now."
"I'll let him know that then," Vaughn announced his presence.
Her head snapped up and she looked him in the eyes, "Oh - I - I thought that you were my dad. I'm sorry, I didn't --"
She was cut off rambling when he sat down across from her on the bed, and placed his hand on top of hers, "Syd, it's okay. I'm here now."
And when he pulled her into his arms, she went willingly, it had been so long since she had felt really safe, and now, finally, she did once again.
He whispered soothing words into her ear as he attempted to calm her.
They sat there for a few minutes, his arms around her and her just enjoying being in his arms once again, absorbing it all.
Then she remembered, he was married, and this wasn't right, and she broke away.
"Syd," he whispered worriedly, forehead wrinkles out in full force, "What's wrong?"
"You're married," she retorted, "We can't be doing this because you're married."
"I've dreamed about you being back in my arms for five years Syd," he sighed, "It's about time that that dream came true."
Sydney looked at the ground when she asked her next question, "What about Alice? You did marry her after all."
Vaughn sighed, "Alice and I haven't been getting along to great lately. I think it might almost be over."
"Because of me," Sydney observed, "Me and Kiera, we're the reasons you haven't been getting along."
He shook his head, "It's not because of you two Sydney, believe me it's not, she started criticizing every thing I've been doing lately. The only thing that could have saved our marriage was the baby."
"Baby?" she asked quietly.
"We thought she was pregnant, the day you came back to town," he informed her, "But it was a false alarm, she's been really withdrawn since then, wants to know where I'm going, who I'm going to be with, when I'll be home. I feel like I'm a sixteen year old all over again, trapped in my house by my mother."
"Does she know that I'm back in town?" Sydney questioned, "About Kiera?"
He nodded, "I told her before I came over here. She flipped out, so I left, slammed the door on my way out and have no urge to go back to that prison ever again."
"What does that mean?" she inquired quietly.
"That means that I want you, me and Kiera to be a family," he told her, "Once and for all. Finally."
TBC...
~&~&~
*sigh* Let's all be happy now.
"Is Sydney here?"
Irina looked at him, debating whether or not to let him by, "Vaughn, I don't know if that's such a good idea right now."
"Please," he begged, "I really need to talk to her, it's important."
She shook her head, "I --"
The door flung open the rest of the way and Kiera threw herself into Vaughn's arms, "Daddy!"
"Hey baby," he smiled, "What were you doing?"
"Playing soccer with Grandma," she explained, "Before that I drew you a picture, hold on, I'll go get it."
She turned on her heel and booked it straight through the house, heading towards the den.
"I guess you can come in," Irina invited, pulling the door open wider, "The den's right through the kitchen."
Vaughn nodded and headed towards the den, following Kiera's fast-moving body.
Irina watched Kiera interact with Vaughn like they had been together from the beginning and hadn't just met that day, and only one thought popped into her mind at the sight played out in front of her, 'What has Sydney gotten herself into now?'
****
Jack shook his head, "There's got to be something you can do Sydney. You can't just keep shutting him out, the two of you have a daughter together."
"Dad, he married Alice!" Sydney exclaimed, "He's in love with Alice!"
"You know that's not true Sydney," he frowned, "He may love Alice, but he can't be in love with her."
"And why can't he?!" Sydney screamed.
"Because he's in love with you."
****
Irina walked up the stairs and quietly knocked on the door where Sydney and Jack were talking.
She really wished that Vaughn hadn't showed up because she didn't want to have to tell Sydney, but there's nothing she could do, he was downstairs playing with Kiera right at the moment and he wanted to speak to Sydney.
Quietly, she knocked on the door, and after a minute she walked into the room to find Sydney bawling and Jack attempting to comfort her, but to no avail.
She motioned to Jack to follow her out into the hall and he looked at Sydney, "Sydney, sweetheart, I'll be back in one minute, okay? I just have to do one quick thing."
Sydney nodded, not really caring either way, she just needed someone to comfort her, and there was only one person who could ever do that; and that person was at home with his wife.
Jack walked out into the hall and closed the door behind him, "What's wrong? Our daughter is having an emotional breakdown, she needs someone to comfort her."
Irina shook her head, "There's only one person who could comfort her and you know that."
He looked defeated, but nodded, "So, what's going on? Where's Kiera? You left her alone?"
"No, Jack, I didn't leave her alone --" Irina started, but was cut off by Jack.
"What do you mean you didn't leave her alone?" he demanded, "We're the only ones in the house."
"We have a visitor," she informed him, "Vaughn is downstairs playing with Kiera, he wants to talk to Sydney."
"She's in no condition to talk to him now," Jack replied, looking at the closed door, "She's having a breakdown about him, she's not ready."
"He may be the only one who could help her," Irina told him.
He nodded, "Do you want to go downstairs and bring him up here?"
She grabbed his hand, "We'll go together."
"What about Sydney?" he asked.
"Let her cry this out, compose herself for a minute."
****
Jack and Irina walked down the stairs, and into the den, but didn't enter right away, they stood right outside of it and watched Kiera and Vaughn together, the bond between the two of them obvious already, even though they hadn't known each other for that long.
"Look at the two of them," Irina whispered.
"You can see the resemblance," Jack noted, "She has his eyes, she's the spitting image of him."
"But she has Sydney's stubborn streak," Irina added.
Jack kissed his wife lightly, "Yours too."
"Okay," Irina murmured, "Let's go now."
He nodded and the two of them walked into the den where Kiera was showing Vaughn how she could read a book all by herself.
"...snowball's such a massive size, the children can't believe their eyes! 'It's bigger than my house!' shouts one, who stumbles when she starts to run. The snowball gets them one and all like a giant bowling ball with lots of children stuck in there. Oh look! It's caught another pair! The snowball stops, the children shout, 'Someone please come and help us out! For if we can't get home, it's clear, we'll miss Christmas Day this year!' Claire runs to town. She shout..."
Kiera looked up at Vaughn, "Could a snowball really eat me?"
He tweeked her nose with a smile, "Of course not. And if it did, I'd protect you, no snowball would eat you with me around."
Her smile beamed at him and he couldn't help but grin, he had helped make this beautiful little girl.
"Kiera, do you want to come help me cook dinner?"
They both looked up and saw Irina and Jack in the doorway, and Kiera bounced off Vaughn's lap, "Really Grandma? I've always wanted to cook, but mommy always told me I was too young."
Irina grabbed the little girl's hand and lead her out of the den in the direction of the kitchen, leaving Vaughn alone with Jack.
"Hello Jack."
"Agent Vaughn."
"I'm sorry to intrude in your home," he drawled, "But I really need to talk to Sydney, it's important."
Jack nodded, "I'll show you where she is, but I'll warn you that she isn't in good shape."
"What do you mean?" Vaughn questioned.
"She's having an emotional breakdown right now, she just really needs to be comforted is all."
Vaughn understood, and followed Jack out of the den to the stairs.
At the bottom of the staircase, Jack paused. "If you hurt my daughter more," Jack warned, "I will hunt you down, and you won't like it. And if you do that, never again think that you'll see Sydney and Kiera, I'll send them away so you specifically can't find them. Do you understand?"
He gulped and nodded, "I understand sir."
With that threat in the air, Jack walked up the stairs and paused outside of a room, "She's in here."
Then he left, and Vaughn's hand was poised on the doorknob.
****
Vaughn pushed the door open.
Sydney, thinking it was her dad, didn't look up, "Dad, I'm fine. Believe me, I just needed to get that out. I'll be okay now."
"I'll let him know that then," Vaughn announced his presence.
Her head snapped up and she looked him in the eyes, "Oh - I - I thought that you were my dad. I'm sorry, I didn't --"
She was cut off rambling when he sat down across from her on the bed, and placed his hand on top of hers, "Syd, it's okay. I'm here now."
And when he pulled her into his arms, she went willingly, it had been so long since she had felt really safe, and now, finally, she did once again.
He whispered soothing words into her ear as he attempted to calm her.
They sat there for a few minutes, his arms around her and her just enjoying being in his arms once again, absorbing it all.
Then she remembered, he was married, and this wasn't right, and she broke away.
"Syd," he whispered worriedly, forehead wrinkles out in full force, "What's wrong?"
"You're married," she retorted, "We can't be doing this because you're married."
"I've dreamed about you being back in my arms for five years Syd," he sighed, "It's about time that that dream came true."
Sydney looked at the ground when she asked her next question, "What about Alice? You did marry her after all."
Vaughn sighed, "Alice and I haven't been getting along to great lately. I think it might almost be over."
"Because of me," Sydney observed, "Me and Kiera, we're the reasons you haven't been getting along."
He shook his head, "It's not because of you two Sydney, believe me it's not, she started criticizing every thing I've been doing lately. The only thing that could have saved our marriage was the baby."
"Baby?" she asked quietly.
"We thought she was pregnant, the day you came back to town," he informed her, "But it was a false alarm, she's been really withdrawn since then, wants to know where I'm going, who I'm going to be with, when I'll be home. I feel like I'm a sixteen year old all over again, trapped in my house by my mother."
"Does she know that I'm back in town?" Sydney questioned, "About Kiera?"
He nodded, "I told her before I came over here. She flipped out, so I left, slammed the door on my way out and have no urge to go back to that prison ever again."
"What does that mean?" she inquired quietly.
"That means that I want you, me and Kiera to be a family," he told her, "Once and for all. Finally."
TBC...
~&~&~
*sigh* Let's all be happy now.