Chapter 4: "Time and Mistletoe"
The following Friday morning, Vaughn was reading a report when Weiss walked up to the desk he was sitting at. "Hey, Mike."
"Hey," Vaughn said, not looking up from the report.
"Come on, whatever you're reading can't be *that* fascinating." Weiss chuckled.
"Sorry," Vaughn said, finally looking up at Weiss. "I'm just trying to get everything wrapped up here before I leave." It was the Friday before Christmas, and an unusually social and festive atmosphere had pervaded the joint ops center. Vaughn half expected to see Kendall walking through the rotunda in a Santa outfit, passing out gifts.
"You still leaving on Sunday morning?" Weiss asked, though he already knew the answer.
"Yeah." Instead of spending Christmas in France with his mother's family, as he had for the past few years, he was going to Pennsylvania to spend the holidays with his father's family. "Wat about you? When are you leaving to go to Chicago?"
"Monday night."
"Waiting till the last minute, huh?" Vaughn grinned.
"You know it. I love my family, but my sister's house is going to be a zoo. Don't be shocked if you call and find out that I've checked into a hotel."
"Yeah, right," Vaughn smirked. "You know you can't wait to give piggyback rides to all your nieces and nephews. They just love their Uncle Eric."
"They'd better! I've practically gone broke buying presents for all those little rugrats." Weiss said with a mock grumble. "So listen, you don't have plans for tonight do you?"
"Other than packing, no," Vaughn shook his head. He and Sydney had agreed to meet at the warehouse on Saturday night before he left, so his night was free.
"Good. You're hanging out with me tonight."
"I am?" Vaughn asked with a raised eyebrow and an amused tone in his voice. "What are we doing?"
"Well, I figured we'd have a few drinks, watch the Lakers game, maybe play some pool . . ."
"Sounds fun. What time are you coming over?"
"Oh, we're not doing it at your place."
"We're not?" Vaughn asked, confused. "Eric, you don't have a pool table at your place. Are we going to Joe's?" he asked, referring to their favorite sports bar.
"No," Weiss said quickly. "Actually, I rented a place near Santa Barbara for the weekend. I thought we'd hang out there."
"You want me to drive all the way to Santa Barbara?" Vaughn asked incredulously. "Tonight?"
"Yeah, what's wrong with that?" Weiss asked innocently. "You can come up, spend the night and drive back tomorrow. It'll be fun."
"I don't know, Eric, I have a lot of stuff to do before I leave," Vaughn said uncertainly.
"Mike, come on. You have to come. Your neighbors are taking care of Donovan, so you don't have an excuse."
Vaughn couldn't help but notice how adamant Weiss was. "Why do I *have* to come?"
"Because this is our last chance to hang out until 2003, and we haven't spent that much time together, what with my recovery and all."
Vaughn couldn't help but be impressed by Weiss' resort to the guilt trip. "Okay," he sighed, "I'll come."
"Great," Weiss smiled as he reached into his pocket. He handed Vaughn a sheet with directions and a key. "Come over around eight," he said.
"Why do I need a key?" Vaughn asked, making a face.
"In case you get there before I do. I'll probably go pick up some food and drinks. If I'm not there, just let yourself in," he said over his shoulder as he left Vaughn's desk.
Vaughn sat back in his chair and shook his head as he watched Weiss' retreating figure. He could tell that Weiss was up to something, and he couldn't wait to find out what is was.
*****
A few minutes after 8:00, Vaughn pulled into the driveway of a large house overlooking the Pacific ocean. He glanced around his surroundings to make sure that nothing looked suspicious. When he was satisfied that nothing appeared out of the ordinary, he got out of his car and walked up the path to the front door of the house. He rang the doorbell, and after waiting for a few moments with no answer, he used the key that Weiss had given him and opened the door.
"Eric?" he called as he walked through the dark foyer. He had just turned down a hallway to his left, towards what he presumed to be the living room, when he felt a warm body slip behind his own, and a pair of arms wrap tightly around his waist. Due to his CIA training, his first inclination was to subdue his attacker. But just this once, he was perfectly content to be attacked.
"Syd?" he asked with a knowing laugh.
"Don't be mad," she softly pleaded in his ear, "but there was no way I was going to let you leave for a week without seeing you first."
He took each of her hands in his own, brought them to his lips, and kissed them. "Didn't we make plans to see each other tomorrow?" he asked, turning his head so he could see her face.
"That was just subterfuge so you wouldn't figure out the surprise," she laughed. "I wanted us to meet somewhere nicer than the warehouse."
"What, the warehouse isn't romantic enough for you?" he teased. "Are we safe here?" he asked, as an afterthought.
"Yes. Weiss and I took every precaution known to man. I guess you've figured out by now that he was in on this," she grinned.
"How sneaky of you, Agent Bristow. I don't even want to know how you convinced him to help you plan this. Are you trying to get us both fired?" he joked.
Oh, relax. I talked to Weiss the other day. He all but told me to jump you."
"I doubt that he told you that, Syd," Vaughn laughed.
"Okay, maybe I embellished a bit. Actually, he told me that we were lucky to have each other, and I have to say that I agree," she murmured as she began to softly kiss his neck.
"Um, so do I," he breathed as the feel of Sydney's lips on his skin caused a shudder to run through his body.
"Merry Christmas, Vaughn," she whispered in his ear.
He released her hands from his and turned around to face her. He placed his hands on her hips as he brought his face down to hers and softly brushed her lips with his own. He moved her backwards until she was pressed against the wall, and then his lips dove into hers, kissing her so hungrily that it took her breath away. It had been a few weeks since he had last kissed her, and she'd almost forgotten how amazing he could make her feel. She pulled him closer to her as they continued to explore each others' mouths, making up for lost time with each successive kiss. Finally, when they were both almost completely out of breath, Vaughn pulled back and looked deeply into her eyes. Then he gave her one of his dazzlingly sexy smiles and took her breath away all over again.
"Merry Christmas to you too."
"Wow," she exhaled slowly. "I've missed that so much."
"Me too," he smiled.
She longed to kiss him again, but instead, she took his hand and led him into the living room. "Make yourself comfortable," she said as she went into the kitchen, which opened into the living room. He took off his jacket and immediately gravitated to the large glass doors that overlooked both a shimmering pool and the dark ocean. "Wow, this place is amazing. How did you find it?" he asked.
"It belongs to some old family friends," she answered as she returned to the living room with two glasses of red wine. She handed one to him and stood next to him. "My dad and I used to come visit them when I was home from boarding school, and I loved it. Anyway, the Griffiths are back east for the holidays, and I offered to housesit for a few days," she said with a smile.
"How magnanimous of you," he teased, "offering to spend a few days at the beach."
"You're just jealous, although I don't know why. The beach isn't exactly Christmasy, the way that Pennsylvania snow is."
"Yeah. It's hard to get in the Christmas spirit when it's 70 degrees and sunny outside. It's so much easier when you're freezing your ass off," he laughed as he took her hand and led her over to the couch. He sat down and pulled her down between him and the end of the couch. He lifted her legs so that they were draped across his lap. She leaned her back against the couch and smiled at him. She was so happy that she had managed to snag some quality time alone with him before he left.
"So what are you going to do for Christmas?" Vaughn asked as he softly stroked her bare legs.
"I don't know, yet," she said with a sigh as she ran her finger around the edge of her wine glass. "When I was in college, it seemed like my dad was always gone during the holidays, so I always spent them with Francie and her family. It's tradition, but now that my dad and I have gotten closer, I feel like I should spend Christmas with him. Then again, things are still kind of awkward between us after the whole Project Christmas thing," she said with a hint of sadness in her voice. She was staring off into the distance, and Vaughn's heart grew heavy. He knew how much Sydney was still hurt by that revelation, and he wished that he could take away all her pain.
"Things are even *more* complicated this year, because of my mother," she continued. "I mean, do I go visit her on Christmas day or not? Do I give her a gift? And exactly what kind of gift is appropriate for the woman who lied to and betrayed your father, abandoned you and faked her death, and killed the father of the man you love? God, my life sounds like a really bad movie of the week," she said with a bitter laugh.
When she tore her attention away from the far wall and looked back at Vaughn, she felt horrible. He was looking down at his lap as if he didn't know what to say to her.
"Oh Vaughn, god, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't be going on about my mother this way. I'm sure she's the last thing you want to think about right now."
Sydney cursed herself for mentioning her mother. Irina was possibly the only topic in the world that Sydney felt she couldn't discuss with Vaughn. Her feelings about her mother were so complicated, especially since their trip to Kashmir. Sydney had realized then that she was actually starting to care about her mother, in spite of all the horrible things Irina had done in her past. At the same time, she knew that her mother was responsible for ripping Vaughn's life apart, and she had no idea how to reconcile those conflicting feelings. She was starting to feel like she wanted her mother to be a presence in her life again, but she was the same woman who eliminated Vaughn's father as a presence in *his* life. Even though he hid it well, Sydney knew that deep inside Vaughn, there was an eight year old boy who missed his father. Why should she be able to have her mother back with he could never have his father back? And how could she possibly let herself care for the woman who had caused so much pain to the person who meant more to her than anyone else in the world?
"Syd, it's okay," Vaughn said, taking her free hand in his and squeezing it.
"Vaughn," she said firmly, "You don't have to do that. You always act like it's no big deal when I talk about my mother, but I know that it's a very big deal for you. You don't have to spare my feelings, you know. I want you to be able to talk to me about anything, even if it's hard for you."
Vaughn looked down at his and Sydney's intertwined fingers. He knew that she meant what she was saying, but he wasn't sure it was a good idea for them to discuss her mother right now. Actually, he wasn't even sure if he *could* talk about Irina. He knew that he hadn't yet worked through his feelings about his father's killer. As usual, he had pushed his feelings into the back of his mind and told himself that he would work through his issues later. That had been an semi-effective strategy until Irina turned herself into the CIA. It had become much harder since then, especially after his first few encounters with her. Now that he and Sydney were together, however, it was becoming almost impossible to avoid dealing with his emotions. He had managed so far, but he knew that he couldn't avoid them for much longer, and he was afraid of the impact it might have on his relationship with Sydney. Eventually they would have to have a serious discussion about Irina, but now wasn't the time or the place, he thought. Sydney had gone to so much trouble to steal an evening alone for them, and he wasn't going to ruin the mood by talking about her mother.
He sighed. "Syd, one day we'll talk about your mother, I promise. Just not tonight, okay? But I'll admit that she's part of the reason I'm going to Pennsylvania."
"Really? How so?" Sydney asked, her eyes wide with interest.
"Well, normally, my mom and I spend Christmas in France, with her family. But since your mother's been in custody, I've found myself thinking a lot about my father, and I thought it would be nice to spend the holidays with his family. I usually only see them once a year, in the summer, but I should really spend more time with them."
"I bet they're great people, the same way your dad must have been," she said softly.
"Yeah, they are," he said with a smile. "They're a lot of fun, especially crazy Aunt Trish."
"She's your dad's sister, right?"
He nodded. "I know I make her sound like a total wack job, but she's actually a really sweet woman. All three of her children were girls, so she always treated me like the son she never had, even more so after dad died."
Sydney smiled at him. "Tell me about all your relatives who are going to be in Pennsylvania."
"Are you serious?" Vaughn asked. "There are a lot of them, I wouldn't want to bore you."
"You could never bore me, Vaughn. Seriously, I want to hear all about them. I never knew my mom's family, and my father's only brother died when they were young. Other than my grandparents, I never really had any family to speak of, so I'm jealous that you come from a big family on both sides. If you tell me about them, I can live vicariously through you," she grinned as she shifted positions so she could curl up next to him.
For the next half hour, Vaughn told Sydney all about his grandparents, his two uncles and three aunts, all his cousins, and their spouses and children. He told her funny stories about family reunions and summer vacations, and she enjoyed every minute of it. Every new story added another piece to the wonderful puzzle that was Michael Vaughn, and she loved learning more about him.
" . . . so that's pretty much everyone who's going to be there. I can't believe you're not asleep yet," he finished with a dimpled smile.
"I told you I wanted to hear all about them. Now tell me all about your mom's side of the family."
"Let's save that for another time. If I start telling you about all my crazy French relatives, we'll still be here on Christmas day," he laughed. "Although that wouldn't be a bad thing. I hate the thought of going off to be with my family, while you're here trying to figure out how to deal with yours. I almost wish I could stay, in case you need someone to talk to."
"Vaughn, that's sweet, but I wouldn't hear of it," she said, shaking her head vehemently. "Seriously, I'll be fine. It's not like you and I could spend time together even if you did stay. Besides, even though we can't be together on Christmas, I'll be happy knowing that you're surrounded by all the people that you love, and all the people who love you," she said, wrapping her arms around him.
"All of them except one," he said as he kissed her forehead. "I wish that I could take you to Pennsylvania with me and introduce you to my family. They would love you."
She looked up at him and smiled. "I'll get to meet them one day," she assured him. "I already can't wait to meet Aunt Trish. Does she have any pictures of you naked from when you were a kid? Because she sounds like the kind of woman who would dig them out and show them to me," she grinned.
He grimaced at the thought. "I'm sure she does. I'm gonna find them and burn them this week," he laughed. "Or maybe I'll threaten to withhold her gift until she hands over every incriminating photo she has."
"Speaking of gifts!" Sydney exclaimed. She quickly hopped up from the couch, and disappeared from the living room for a few minutes. When she walked back into the room, she was carrying a long, thin object in one hand, and a small, wrapped box in the other.
"Sydney, what is all of this?" Vaughn asked as he stood up. "You didn't have to get me anything."
"Of course I did, Vaughn," she said with mock exasperation. "*It's Christmas.* Did you honestly think that I wouldn't get you a gift?"
"Actually that looks like two gifts," he teased.
"Well, yeah. I owe you one for last year, since you got me one but I didn't give you one," she explained. "Besides, you can never buy too many gifts for the man you love, right?"
"Yeah, I guess that's true," he laughed. "I just feel bad, though. My gift for you is back in L.A., since I wasn't planning on seeing you until tomorrow night."
"Oh, that's fine," she said, with a wave of her hand. "You can give it to me later. But for now," she said, as she sat back down on the couch and pulled him down next to her, "you have to open yours."
"Okay," he said, laughing at her business-like tone. She first handed him the long, thin present, which was in the obvious shape of a hockey stick. "Hmm, I wonder what *this* could be," he teased. "How the hell did you manage to wrap this thing, Sydney?"
She laughed, "Believe me, I've been on missions that less complicated. To think that I went to all the trouble of wrapping something that you're never going to use."
"What are you talking about?" he asked, glancing at her as he started to unwrap it. "Of course, I'll use it. In fact, I might take it to Pennsylvania with me."
"Uh, I don't think you're gonna want to use that to play hockey," she said with a raised eyebrow. Once he removed the wrapping paper, he understood why. She smiled when she saw his stunned expression.
"Sydney! *Where* did you get this?" he asked as he inspected the hockey stick. It was imprinted with the Los Angeles Kings logo, and was autographed by every member of the team and coaching staff.
"I guess I don't have to ask whether you like it. Your face is lit up like a little kid's," she laughed. "A few months ago, I went to a charity event with Francie, and this was one of the items they had for sale in a silent auction," she explained. "As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to get it for you."
"A few months ago?" he asked incredulously. "But, that was before we even – "
"I know," she said softly. "But I knew that it was the perfect gift. I would have given it to you even if we were still pretending to be just friends."
"Syd, this could not have been cheap," he said with a knowing smile.
"It wasn't," she admitted, "but it was worth every penny to see your face just now. Plus, I'm pretty sure that I just vaulted into first place in the Michael Vaughn Best Girlfriend Ever standings," she grinned.
"Definitely. Well, you were already there, but this solidifies your standing," he said before giving her a kiss on the forehead. "I can't get over this gift. I'm not sure anything could ever top this."
"I've set a high standard for myself, huh?" she nodded. She turned and picked up the smaller gift that rested on the couch next to her and held it in her hands for a minute. "Okay, this gift probably won't excite you as much, but I hope it'll mean as much to you," she said as she handed it to him. She bit her lip apprehensively. She was nervous about giving this to him, and had been ever since she bought it.
He unwrapped the box and opened it, pulling out a watch case. He opened it and saw a beautiful titanium watch with an iridescent, light blue face.
Sydney took a deep breath and looked down at her fidgety hands. "Remember that day when you told me about your dad's watch? I'll *always* remember that, because that was probably the most romantic thing anyone's ever said to me. I think every girl secretly wishes that a guy would tell her that his heart stopped the day he met her. But later, I was thinking about how the watch stopped, and I know it sounds crazy, but I don't think it was a coincidence. it's like time stood still for us, which is funny, because now it seems like time is our enemy. Neither of us knows how long it's going to take for SD-6 to be destroyed, and all we can do in the meantime is wait."
She took another deep breath and continued. "I didn't want to give you this to replace your father's watch, because I know it's irreplaceable. But I wanted you to have something from me that would be with you all the time, and it's also a symbolic way to tell you that I'm counting the minutes until SD-6 is gone and you and I are free to be together." She finally raised her eyes to look at him, almost afraid of the expression she might find on his face.
Vaughn was speechless as he removed the watch from the case. It was gorgeous, just like the woman sitting next to him. As he held the watch, Sydney put her right hand over his and turned the watch over. On the back was an engraved inscription: "I'll love you until the end of time. SB"
Vaughn gazed at her intently. "Syd, I don't even know what to say." There were so many things that he wanted to say to her, but he wasn't sure that he could express any of them coherently. In his entire life, no one had ever come close to making him feel the way that he felt right now. He knew at that moment that he would willingly do anything in the world for Sydney. "I couldn't even *begin* to tell you how in love I am with you right now," he smiled.
She smiled back at him, a smile that radiated pure love and happiness. "Really? I was kind of scared to give you the watch."
"Why?" he asked, astonished. "Sydney, this is the best gift that anyone has ever given me. The hockey stick doesn't even come close. Every time I look at this watch, I'm going to think about you, and us, and the future that we're both fighting for."
"I hope so, because that's all I want in the world." She leaned in to kiss him and silently prayed that time would be on their side.
*****
An hour later, Sydney smiled at Vaughn as he dried the last plate in the sink. They had enjoyed a romantic candlelit dinner, and afterwards, Vaughn had insisted on doing the dishes. Sydney disappeared for a few moments, but was now sitting on the kitchen counter, watching him.
"You know, this whole process could've gone a lot faster, if you had let me help, Vaughn. Maybe then you would have spent more time actually cleaning up and less time kissing me," she grinned.
"But where's the fun in that?" he asked with raised eyebrow. "Besides, I wasn't about to let you clean up after you made that incredible dinner."
Sydney glanced away. "I have a confession to make . . . I didn't really cook dinner -- it was take out. I was going to tell you, but you kept going on and on about how delicious it was, and I couldn't bring myself to shatter the illusion," she said with an embarrassed laugh. "Now you know my secret – I'm a great spy, but a horrible chef."
She stared at him as he started to laugh. "Vaughn, why are you laughing?"
"Because I knew that there was no way you cooked that dinner, Syd," he said with a smirk. "I kept telling you how great it was to see if you were going to confess to ordering it."
She opened her mouth in shock and then laughed. "How did you know?"
"Well, the fact that the kitchen was spotless was a pretty good indication."
"Yeah, I guess so," she said with a smile. "I just can't get one over on you, can I?"
"Nope I don't even know why you try," he said as he took her hand and pulled her down from the counter.
"Well, I *did* manage to trick you into coming here tonight," she said as she turned out the light in the kitchen and led him down a hall.
"With Weiss' help," he corrected her.
"Well, yeah, but it was my idea. All he did was give you the directions and the key," she smiled as she stopped at a closed door.
"What's behind door number three?" he joked, tilting his head towards the door.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" she said in a sultry voice. "My skills in the kitchen may not be great, but I do pretty well in other parts of the house."
"You don't have to convince me," he said as he pulled her closer and nuzzled her neck. "From what I remember, you do pretty well in hotel rooms, too."
She smiled as she remembered their time in Lake Tahoe. It had been weeks since then, and she had been able to think of little else. Now she finally had Vaughn alone again, and all she could think about was how much she had missed the feel of his bare skin against hers.
"I'm not sure you're ready for what's in this room, Vaughn" she said with mock concern as she stood with her back to the door and her hand on the doorknob. "I'm just warning you because I'm not sure you can handle it."
"I'm sure I can handle it. I know for sure that I can handle *you*," he said in a low, seductive voice. He was giving her a sexy, confident grin and it was all she could do not to take him right there in the hallway.
"Fine," she replied with a grin of her own, as she opened the door, "but don't say I didn't warn you. I won't be held responsible if you're too tired to get on that plane Sunday morning."
When he stepped into the room, the first thing Vaughn noticed was that there were candles everywhere, giving the room a soft, romantic glow. The second thing he became aware of was that Sydney was kissing him feverishly, as if she couldn't get enough of him – not that he was complaining. Within a matter of seconds, she had pulled his sweater and t-shirt over his head and tossed them to the floor. Then she began kissing him in earnest, on his chest, his shoulders, his neck, seemingly everywhere that there was a bare patch of skin. Vaughn was barely conscious of anything other than the feel of her lips on his skin, but he somehow managed to unbutton the shirt she was wearing and slip it off her shoulders. He was unzipping her skirt when she brought her lips back to his mouth. She was an amazing kisser, and the combined effect of her tongue in his mouth, and her hands undoing his pants was leaving him breathless.
"Syd, you're amazing," he moaned softly.
"So are you," she murmured before diving back in for another kiss. He placed his hands on either side of her head, and broke their kiss.
"Hey, look at me for a second," he whispered.
"No, I can't," she laughed softly. "I have to keep kissing you."
"Why?" he asked, wondering what had gotten into her. He knew that Sydney could be aggressive, but this was a bit much, even for her.
"Because," she answered simply.
They were standing next to the bed, and Sydney gently pushed Vaughn's shoulders until he sank down on the bed. She slowly straddled his lap and pushed him back further until he was laying flat on his back. She was just about to start kissing him again when she heard him burst into laughter.
She raised her head slightly and looked at him. He had the most gorgeous smile on his face, causing her to smile as well.
"What's so funny?" she asked innocently.
"That," he said, gasping for air and pointing at the ceiling. Almost every inch of the ceiling was covered with dangling green plants. "How do you suppose that mistletoe forest sprouted on the ceiling?" he asked teasingly.
Sydney glanced upwards and feigned surprise. "I simply can't *imagine* how that happened," she said with a huge dimpled grin. "But you'd better believe that I'm going to take advantage of it."
As she brought her lips back down to his, he knew that she meant it.
*****
"I wish we could spend all our time together like this," Sydney sighed happily as she lay back in Vaughn's arms.
"What? Naked?" he joked as he leaned against the headboard and kissed the top of her head.
"No," she said as she playfully swatted him on the arm that was draped over her shoulder. "I meant, happy and peaceful and calm."
"Yeah, I do wish it could always be like this," he smiled. "This is perfect."
"*Almost* perfect," she corrected him. "You know what would make it *truly* perfect?"
"What?"
"That container of ice cream that's in the freezer," she grinned.
"And I suppose you want me to get that for you," he laughed.
"Would you please?" she asked sweetly.
"Sure, I'll be back in a minute." He rose from behind her and kissed her cheek quickly before leaving the room. As soon as he left the bed, she instantly missed the warmth of his body, and regretted sending him on the ice cream expedition.
"We're going to have to do something about your addiction to chocolate," she heard him call as he walked to the kitchen.
"It's not nearly as bad as my addiction to you," she laughed. That was true. Her craving for chocolate couldn't get her killed the way that her craving for Vaughn could. A few more nights like this with him, and she wouldn't give a second thought to risking everything to be with him.
Vaughn walked back into the room, with a pint of Rocky Road and a spoon. However, she barely noticed the ice cream in his left hand as she stared at the small, rectangular box in his right hand.
"Syd," he said, trying to catch her attention with his outstretched hand, "here's your ice cream."
"Thanks," she said absently, as she took it from him and felt him climb back in bed behind her. She turned around to look over her shoulder and smiled at him suspiciously. "Vaughn, what is that in your hand?"
"This?" he asked, innocently, waving the gift in front of her face. "Just a little something I found in the freezer. Maybe Santa left it."
"Vaughn," she said slowly, trying to hide the excitement in her voice, "is that for me?"
"Maybe," he shrugged. "What are you willing to do to find out?" he asked with a devilish glint in his eyes.
"Whatever it takes," she said as she set the ice cream on the nightstand and turned to face him. Ice cream was no longer her top priority.
"There's no card attached, but I already got my gifts, so this one *must* be for you."
She laughingly snatched the gift from his hands. She was about to open the shiny silver wrapping paper when she suddenly stopped. "Wait a minute. Seriously, where did this come from? You told me that my gift was back in L.A."
"I lied. I had it in my jacket when I got here."
"For you to have had this in your pocket means that you must have known you were meeting me tonight," she said, piecing things together. "Did Weiss blab to you about my surprise?"
"No," Vaughn laughed. "He didn't have to. Sydney, Weiss may work for the CIA, but he's the worst liar in the world. As soon as he came to me and told me that I had to come to Santa Barbara *tonight*, I knew that something was going on. It didn't take too much deductive reasoning to figure out that it probably had something to do with you. Next time you conspire against me, you should use someone other than Weiss to do it," he smiled.
"So you weren't surprised at all!" She shook her head disbelievingly.
"Well, no, but I'm not complaining. I'm just a hard guy to surprise," he shrugged.
She looked at him dubiously. She was definitely going to test that theory later. "So this whole time, you've actually had my gift, and you've been holding out on me?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I plead the Fifth," he smiled. "Um, are you going to keep looking at me threateningly, or are you going to open it?"
"You're right. I can kill you later," she laughed as she unwrapped the gift. Inside was a slim, black, rectangular box. She looked at him questioningly, and when he nodded back at her, she raised the top of the box and gasped. Inside, was a white gold chain, and hanging from it was a square drop pendant with four small princess cut diamonds.
"Vaughn, oh my god. It's beautiful."
"I thought so too. It's simple and elegant, just like you. I thought of you as soon as I saw it," he said as he removed it from the jewelry box and undid the clasp. He reached forward and fastened it around her neck, then leaned back to admired her. "Gorgeous. The necklace is nice too," he added with a smile.
She rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. "Vaughn, thank you. I couldn't love anything or anyone more."
"Remember that while I'm gone next week," he said as he leaned in again and kissed her gently. "Merry Christmas, Syd."
"Merry Christmas, Vaughn."
TBC . . .
The following Friday morning, Vaughn was reading a report when Weiss walked up to the desk he was sitting at. "Hey, Mike."
"Hey," Vaughn said, not looking up from the report.
"Come on, whatever you're reading can't be *that* fascinating." Weiss chuckled.
"Sorry," Vaughn said, finally looking up at Weiss. "I'm just trying to get everything wrapped up here before I leave." It was the Friday before Christmas, and an unusually social and festive atmosphere had pervaded the joint ops center. Vaughn half expected to see Kendall walking through the rotunda in a Santa outfit, passing out gifts.
"You still leaving on Sunday morning?" Weiss asked, though he already knew the answer.
"Yeah." Instead of spending Christmas in France with his mother's family, as he had for the past few years, he was going to Pennsylvania to spend the holidays with his father's family. "Wat about you? When are you leaving to go to Chicago?"
"Monday night."
"Waiting till the last minute, huh?" Vaughn grinned.
"You know it. I love my family, but my sister's house is going to be a zoo. Don't be shocked if you call and find out that I've checked into a hotel."
"Yeah, right," Vaughn smirked. "You know you can't wait to give piggyback rides to all your nieces and nephews. They just love their Uncle Eric."
"They'd better! I've practically gone broke buying presents for all those little rugrats." Weiss said with a mock grumble. "So listen, you don't have plans for tonight do you?"
"Other than packing, no," Vaughn shook his head. He and Sydney had agreed to meet at the warehouse on Saturday night before he left, so his night was free.
"Good. You're hanging out with me tonight."
"I am?" Vaughn asked with a raised eyebrow and an amused tone in his voice. "What are we doing?"
"Well, I figured we'd have a few drinks, watch the Lakers game, maybe play some pool . . ."
"Sounds fun. What time are you coming over?"
"Oh, we're not doing it at your place."
"We're not?" Vaughn asked, confused. "Eric, you don't have a pool table at your place. Are we going to Joe's?" he asked, referring to their favorite sports bar.
"No," Weiss said quickly. "Actually, I rented a place near Santa Barbara for the weekend. I thought we'd hang out there."
"You want me to drive all the way to Santa Barbara?" Vaughn asked incredulously. "Tonight?"
"Yeah, what's wrong with that?" Weiss asked innocently. "You can come up, spend the night and drive back tomorrow. It'll be fun."
"I don't know, Eric, I have a lot of stuff to do before I leave," Vaughn said uncertainly.
"Mike, come on. You have to come. Your neighbors are taking care of Donovan, so you don't have an excuse."
Vaughn couldn't help but notice how adamant Weiss was. "Why do I *have* to come?"
"Because this is our last chance to hang out until 2003, and we haven't spent that much time together, what with my recovery and all."
Vaughn couldn't help but be impressed by Weiss' resort to the guilt trip. "Okay," he sighed, "I'll come."
"Great," Weiss smiled as he reached into his pocket. He handed Vaughn a sheet with directions and a key. "Come over around eight," he said.
"Why do I need a key?" Vaughn asked, making a face.
"In case you get there before I do. I'll probably go pick up some food and drinks. If I'm not there, just let yourself in," he said over his shoulder as he left Vaughn's desk.
Vaughn sat back in his chair and shook his head as he watched Weiss' retreating figure. He could tell that Weiss was up to something, and he couldn't wait to find out what is was.
*****
A few minutes after 8:00, Vaughn pulled into the driveway of a large house overlooking the Pacific ocean. He glanced around his surroundings to make sure that nothing looked suspicious. When he was satisfied that nothing appeared out of the ordinary, he got out of his car and walked up the path to the front door of the house. He rang the doorbell, and after waiting for a few moments with no answer, he used the key that Weiss had given him and opened the door.
"Eric?" he called as he walked through the dark foyer. He had just turned down a hallway to his left, towards what he presumed to be the living room, when he felt a warm body slip behind his own, and a pair of arms wrap tightly around his waist. Due to his CIA training, his first inclination was to subdue his attacker. But just this once, he was perfectly content to be attacked.
"Syd?" he asked with a knowing laugh.
"Don't be mad," she softly pleaded in his ear, "but there was no way I was going to let you leave for a week without seeing you first."
He took each of her hands in his own, brought them to his lips, and kissed them. "Didn't we make plans to see each other tomorrow?" he asked, turning his head so he could see her face.
"That was just subterfuge so you wouldn't figure out the surprise," she laughed. "I wanted us to meet somewhere nicer than the warehouse."
"What, the warehouse isn't romantic enough for you?" he teased. "Are we safe here?" he asked, as an afterthought.
"Yes. Weiss and I took every precaution known to man. I guess you've figured out by now that he was in on this," she grinned.
"How sneaky of you, Agent Bristow. I don't even want to know how you convinced him to help you plan this. Are you trying to get us both fired?" he joked.
Oh, relax. I talked to Weiss the other day. He all but told me to jump you."
"I doubt that he told you that, Syd," Vaughn laughed.
"Okay, maybe I embellished a bit. Actually, he told me that we were lucky to have each other, and I have to say that I agree," she murmured as she began to softly kiss his neck.
"Um, so do I," he breathed as the feel of Sydney's lips on his skin caused a shudder to run through his body.
"Merry Christmas, Vaughn," she whispered in his ear.
He released her hands from his and turned around to face her. He placed his hands on her hips as he brought his face down to hers and softly brushed her lips with his own. He moved her backwards until she was pressed against the wall, and then his lips dove into hers, kissing her so hungrily that it took her breath away. It had been a few weeks since he had last kissed her, and she'd almost forgotten how amazing he could make her feel. She pulled him closer to her as they continued to explore each others' mouths, making up for lost time with each successive kiss. Finally, when they were both almost completely out of breath, Vaughn pulled back and looked deeply into her eyes. Then he gave her one of his dazzlingly sexy smiles and took her breath away all over again.
"Merry Christmas to you too."
"Wow," she exhaled slowly. "I've missed that so much."
"Me too," he smiled.
She longed to kiss him again, but instead, she took his hand and led him into the living room. "Make yourself comfortable," she said as she went into the kitchen, which opened into the living room. He took off his jacket and immediately gravitated to the large glass doors that overlooked both a shimmering pool and the dark ocean. "Wow, this place is amazing. How did you find it?" he asked.
"It belongs to some old family friends," she answered as she returned to the living room with two glasses of red wine. She handed one to him and stood next to him. "My dad and I used to come visit them when I was home from boarding school, and I loved it. Anyway, the Griffiths are back east for the holidays, and I offered to housesit for a few days," she said with a smile.
"How magnanimous of you," he teased, "offering to spend a few days at the beach."
"You're just jealous, although I don't know why. The beach isn't exactly Christmasy, the way that Pennsylvania snow is."
"Yeah. It's hard to get in the Christmas spirit when it's 70 degrees and sunny outside. It's so much easier when you're freezing your ass off," he laughed as he took her hand and led her over to the couch. He sat down and pulled her down between him and the end of the couch. He lifted her legs so that they were draped across his lap. She leaned her back against the couch and smiled at him. She was so happy that she had managed to snag some quality time alone with him before he left.
"So what are you going to do for Christmas?" Vaughn asked as he softly stroked her bare legs.
"I don't know, yet," she said with a sigh as she ran her finger around the edge of her wine glass. "When I was in college, it seemed like my dad was always gone during the holidays, so I always spent them with Francie and her family. It's tradition, but now that my dad and I have gotten closer, I feel like I should spend Christmas with him. Then again, things are still kind of awkward between us after the whole Project Christmas thing," she said with a hint of sadness in her voice. She was staring off into the distance, and Vaughn's heart grew heavy. He knew how much Sydney was still hurt by that revelation, and he wished that he could take away all her pain.
"Things are even *more* complicated this year, because of my mother," she continued. "I mean, do I go visit her on Christmas day or not? Do I give her a gift? And exactly what kind of gift is appropriate for the woman who lied to and betrayed your father, abandoned you and faked her death, and killed the father of the man you love? God, my life sounds like a really bad movie of the week," she said with a bitter laugh.
When she tore her attention away from the far wall and looked back at Vaughn, she felt horrible. He was looking down at his lap as if he didn't know what to say to her.
"Oh Vaughn, god, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't be going on about my mother this way. I'm sure she's the last thing you want to think about right now."
Sydney cursed herself for mentioning her mother. Irina was possibly the only topic in the world that Sydney felt she couldn't discuss with Vaughn. Her feelings about her mother were so complicated, especially since their trip to Kashmir. Sydney had realized then that she was actually starting to care about her mother, in spite of all the horrible things Irina had done in her past. At the same time, she knew that her mother was responsible for ripping Vaughn's life apart, and she had no idea how to reconcile those conflicting feelings. She was starting to feel like she wanted her mother to be a presence in her life again, but she was the same woman who eliminated Vaughn's father as a presence in *his* life. Even though he hid it well, Sydney knew that deep inside Vaughn, there was an eight year old boy who missed his father. Why should she be able to have her mother back with he could never have his father back? And how could she possibly let herself care for the woman who had caused so much pain to the person who meant more to her than anyone else in the world?
"Syd, it's okay," Vaughn said, taking her free hand in his and squeezing it.
"Vaughn," she said firmly, "You don't have to do that. You always act like it's no big deal when I talk about my mother, but I know that it's a very big deal for you. You don't have to spare my feelings, you know. I want you to be able to talk to me about anything, even if it's hard for you."
Vaughn looked down at his and Sydney's intertwined fingers. He knew that she meant what she was saying, but he wasn't sure it was a good idea for them to discuss her mother right now. Actually, he wasn't even sure if he *could* talk about Irina. He knew that he hadn't yet worked through his feelings about his father's killer. As usual, he had pushed his feelings into the back of his mind and told himself that he would work through his issues later. That had been an semi-effective strategy until Irina turned herself into the CIA. It had become much harder since then, especially after his first few encounters with her. Now that he and Sydney were together, however, it was becoming almost impossible to avoid dealing with his emotions. He had managed so far, but he knew that he couldn't avoid them for much longer, and he was afraid of the impact it might have on his relationship with Sydney. Eventually they would have to have a serious discussion about Irina, but now wasn't the time or the place, he thought. Sydney had gone to so much trouble to steal an evening alone for them, and he wasn't going to ruin the mood by talking about her mother.
He sighed. "Syd, one day we'll talk about your mother, I promise. Just not tonight, okay? But I'll admit that she's part of the reason I'm going to Pennsylvania."
"Really? How so?" Sydney asked, her eyes wide with interest.
"Well, normally, my mom and I spend Christmas in France, with her family. But since your mother's been in custody, I've found myself thinking a lot about my father, and I thought it would be nice to spend the holidays with his family. I usually only see them once a year, in the summer, but I should really spend more time with them."
"I bet they're great people, the same way your dad must have been," she said softly.
"Yeah, they are," he said with a smile. "They're a lot of fun, especially crazy Aunt Trish."
"She's your dad's sister, right?"
He nodded. "I know I make her sound like a total wack job, but she's actually a really sweet woman. All three of her children were girls, so she always treated me like the son she never had, even more so after dad died."
Sydney smiled at him. "Tell me about all your relatives who are going to be in Pennsylvania."
"Are you serious?" Vaughn asked. "There are a lot of them, I wouldn't want to bore you."
"You could never bore me, Vaughn. Seriously, I want to hear all about them. I never knew my mom's family, and my father's only brother died when they were young. Other than my grandparents, I never really had any family to speak of, so I'm jealous that you come from a big family on both sides. If you tell me about them, I can live vicariously through you," she grinned as she shifted positions so she could curl up next to him.
For the next half hour, Vaughn told Sydney all about his grandparents, his two uncles and three aunts, all his cousins, and their spouses and children. He told her funny stories about family reunions and summer vacations, and she enjoyed every minute of it. Every new story added another piece to the wonderful puzzle that was Michael Vaughn, and she loved learning more about him.
" . . . so that's pretty much everyone who's going to be there. I can't believe you're not asleep yet," he finished with a dimpled smile.
"I told you I wanted to hear all about them. Now tell me all about your mom's side of the family."
"Let's save that for another time. If I start telling you about all my crazy French relatives, we'll still be here on Christmas day," he laughed. "Although that wouldn't be a bad thing. I hate the thought of going off to be with my family, while you're here trying to figure out how to deal with yours. I almost wish I could stay, in case you need someone to talk to."
"Vaughn, that's sweet, but I wouldn't hear of it," she said, shaking her head vehemently. "Seriously, I'll be fine. It's not like you and I could spend time together even if you did stay. Besides, even though we can't be together on Christmas, I'll be happy knowing that you're surrounded by all the people that you love, and all the people who love you," she said, wrapping her arms around him.
"All of them except one," he said as he kissed her forehead. "I wish that I could take you to Pennsylvania with me and introduce you to my family. They would love you."
She looked up at him and smiled. "I'll get to meet them one day," she assured him. "I already can't wait to meet Aunt Trish. Does she have any pictures of you naked from when you were a kid? Because she sounds like the kind of woman who would dig them out and show them to me," she grinned.
He grimaced at the thought. "I'm sure she does. I'm gonna find them and burn them this week," he laughed. "Or maybe I'll threaten to withhold her gift until she hands over every incriminating photo she has."
"Speaking of gifts!" Sydney exclaimed. She quickly hopped up from the couch, and disappeared from the living room for a few minutes. When she walked back into the room, she was carrying a long, thin object in one hand, and a small, wrapped box in the other.
"Sydney, what is all of this?" Vaughn asked as he stood up. "You didn't have to get me anything."
"Of course I did, Vaughn," she said with mock exasperation. "*It's Christmas.* Did you honestly think that I wouldn't get you a gift?"
"Actually that looks like two gifts," he teased.
"Well, yeah. I owe you one for last year, since you got me one but I didn't give you one," she explained. "Besides, you can never buy too many gifts for the man you love, right?"
"Yeah, I guess that's true," he laughed. "I just feel bad, though. My gift for you is back in L.A., since I wasn't planning on seeing you until tomorrow night."
"Oh, that's fine," she said, with a wave of her hand. "You can give it to me later. But for now," she said, as she sat back down on the couch and pulled him down next to her, "you have to open yours."
"Okay," he said, laughing at her business-like tone. She first handed him the long, thin present, which was in the obvious shape of a hockey stick. "Hmm, I wonder what *this* could be," he teased. "How the hell did you manage to wrap this thing, Sydney?"
She laughed, "Believe me, I've been on missions that less complicated. To think that I went to all the trouble of wrapping something that you're never going to use."
"What are you talking about?" he asked, glancing at her as he started to unwrap it. "Of course, I'll use it. In fact, I might take it to Pennsylvania with me."
"Uh, I don't think you're gonna want to use that to play hockey," she said with a raised eyebrow. Once he removed the wrapping paper, he understood why. She smiled when she saw his stunned expression.
"Sydney! *Where* did you get this?" he asked as he inspected the hockey stick. It was imprinted with the Los Angeles Kings logo, and was autographed by every member of the team and coaching staff.
"I guess I don't have to ask whether you like it. Your face is lit up like a little kid's," she laughed. "A few months ago, I went to a charity event with Francie, and this was one of the items they had for sale in a silent auction," she explained. "As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to get it for you."
"A few months ago?" he asked incredulously. "But, that was before we even – "
"I know," she said softly. "But I knew that it was the perfect gift. I would have given it to you even if we were still pretending to be just friends."
"Syd, this could not have been cheap," he said with a knowing smile.
"It wasn't," she admitted, "but it was worth every penny to see your face just now. Plus, I'm pretty sure that I just vaulted into first place in the Michael Vaughn Best Girlfriend Ever standings," she grinned.
"Definitely. Well, you were already there, but this solidifies your standing," he said before giving her a kiss on the forehead. "I can't get over this gift. I'm not sure anything could ever top this."
"I've set a high standard for myself, huh?" she nodded. She turned and picked up the smaller gift that rested on the couch next to her and held it in her hands for a minute. "Okay, this gift probably won't excite you as much, but I hope it'll mean as much to you," she said as she handed it to him. She bit her lip apprehensively. She was nervous about giving this to him, and had been ever since she bought it.
He unwrapped the box and opened it, pulling out a watch case. He opened it and saw a beautiful titanium watch with an iridescent, light blue face.
Sydney took a deep breath and looked down at her fidgety hands. "Remember that day when you told me about your dad's watch? I'll *always* remember that, because that was probably the most romantic thing anyone's ever said to me. I think every girl secretly wishes that a guy would tell her that his heart stopped the day he met her. But later, I was thinking about how the watch stopped, and I know it sounds crazy, but I don't think it was a coincidence. it's like time stood still for us, which is funny, because now it seems like time is our enemy. Neither of us knows how long it's going to take for SD-6 to be destroyed, and all we can do in the meantime is wait."
She took another deep breath and continued. "I didn't want to give you this to replace your father's watch, because I know it's irreplaceable. But I wanted you to have something from me that would be with you all the time, and it's also a symbolic way to tell you that I'm counting the minutes until SD-6 is gone and you and I are free to be together." She finally raised her eyes to look at him, almost afraid of the expression she might find on his face.
Vaughn was speechless as he removed the watch from the case. It was gorgeous, just like the woman sitting next to him. As he held the watch, Sydney put her right hand over his and turned the watch over. On the back was an engraved inscription: "I'll love you until the end of time. SB"
Vaughn gazed at her intently. "Syd, I don't even know what to say." There were so many things that he wanted to say to her, but he wasn't sure that he could express any of them coherently. In his entire life, no one had ever come close to making him feel the way that he felt right now. He knew at that moment that he would willingly do anything in the world for Sydney. "I couldn't even *begin* to tell you how in love I am with you right now," he smiled.
She smiled back at him, a smile that radiated pure love and happiness. "Really? I was kind of scared to give you the watch."
"Why?" he asked, astonished. "Sydney, this is the best gift that anyone has ever given me. The hockey stick doesn't even come close. Every time I look at this watch, I'm going to think about you, and us, and the future that we're both fighting for."
"I hope so, because that's all I want in the world." She leaned in to kiss him and silently prayed that time would be on their side.
*****
An hour later, Sydney smiled at Vaughn as he dried the last plate in the sink. They had enjoyed a romantic candlelit dinner, and afterwards, Vaughn had insisted on doing the dishes. Sydney disappeared for a few moments, but was now sitting on the kitchen counter, watching him.
"You know, this whole process could've gone a lot faster, if you had let me help, Vaughn. Maybe then you would have spent more time actually cleaning up and less time kissing me," she grinned.
"But where's the fun in that?" he asked with raised eyebrow. "Besides, I wasn't about to let you clean up after you made that incredible dinner."
Sydney glanced away. "I have a confession to make . . . I didn't really cook dinner -- it was take out. I was going to tell you, but you kept going on and on about how delicious it was, and I couldn't bring myself to shatter the illusion," she said with an embarrassed laugh. "Now you know my secret – I'm a great spy, but a horrible chef."
She stared at him as he started to laugh. "Vaughn, why are you laughing?"
"Because I knew that there was no way you cooked that dinner, Syd," he said with a smirk. "I kept telling you how great it was to see if you were going to confess to ordering it."
She opened her mouth in shock and then laughed. "How did you know?"
"Well, the fact that the kitchen was spotless was a pretty good indication."
"Yeah, I guess so," she said with a smile. "I just can't get one over on you, can I?"
"Nope I don't even know why you try," he said as he took her hand and pulled her down from the counter.
"Well, I *did* manage to trick you into coming here tonight," she said as she turned out the light in the kitchen and led him down a hall.
"With Weiss' help," he corrected her.
"Well, yeah, but it was my idea. All he did was give you the directions and the key," she smiled as she stopped at a closed door.
"What's behind door number three?" he joked, tilting his head towards the door.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" she said in a sultry voice. "My skills in the kitchen may not be great, but I do pretty well in other parts of the house."
"You don't have to convince me," he said as he pulled her closer and nuzzled her neck. "From what I remember, you do pretty well in hotel rooms, too."
She smiled as she remembered their time in Lake Tahoe. It had been weeks since then, and she had been able to think of little else. Now she finally had Vaughn alone again, and all she could think about was how much she had missed the feel of his bare skin against hers.
"I'm not sure you're ready for what's in this room, Vaughn" she said with mock concern as she stood with her back to the door and her hand on the doorknob. "I'm just warning you because I'm not sure you can handle it."
"I'm sure I can handle it. I know for sure that I can handle *you*," he said in a low, seductive voice. He was giving her a sexy, confident grin and it was all she could do not to take him right there in the hallway.
"Fine," she replied with a grin of her own, as she opened the door, "but don't say I didn't warn you. I won't be held responsible if you're too tired to get on that plane Sunday morning."
When he stepped into the room, the first thing Vaughn noticed was that there were candles everywhere, giving the room a soft, romantic glow. The second thing he became aware of was that Sydney was kissing him feverishly, as if she couldn't get enough of him – not that he was complaining. Within a matter of seconds, she had pulled his sweater and t-shirt over his head and tossed them to the floor. Then she began kissing him in earnest, on his chest, his shoulders, his neck, seemingly everywhere that there was a bare patch of skin. Vaughn was barely conscious of anything other than the feel of her lips on his skin, but he somehow managed to unbutton the shirt she was wearing and slip it off her shoulders. He was unzipping her skirt when she brought her lips back to his mouth. She was an amazing kisser, and the combined effect of her tongue in his mouth, and her hands undoing his pants was leaving him breathless.
"Syd, you're amazing," he moaned softly.
"So are you," she murmured before diving back in for another kiss. He placed his hands on either side of her head, and broke their kiss.
"Hey, look at me for a second," he whispered.
"No, I can't," she laughed softly. "I have to keep kissing you."
"Why?" he asked, wondering what had gotten into her. He knew that Sydney could be aggressive, but this was a bit much, even for her.
"Because," she answered simply.
They were standing next to the bed, and Sydney gently pushed Vaughn's shoulders until he sank down on the bed. She slowly straddled his lap and pushed him back further until he was laying flat on his back. She was just about to start kissing him again when she heard him burst into laughter.
She raised her head slightly and looked at him. He had the most gorgeous smile on his face, causing her to smile as well.
"What's so funny?" she asked innocently.
"That," he said, gasping for air and pointing at the ceiling. Almost every inch of the ceiling was covered with dangling green plants. "How do you suppose that mistletoe forest sprouted on the ceiling?" he asked teasingly.
Sydney glanced upwards and feigned surprise. "I simply can't *imagine* how that happened," she said with a huge dimpled grin. "But you'd better believe that I'm going to take advantage of it."
As she brought her lips back down to his, he knew that she meant it.
*****
"I wish we could spend all our time together like this," Sydney sighed happily as she lay back in Vaughn's arms.
"What? Naked?" he joked as he leaned against the headboard and kissed the top of her head.
"No," she said as she playfully swatted him on the arm that was draped over her shoulder. "I meant, happy and peaceful and calm."
"Yeah, I do wish it could always be like this," he smiled. "This is perfect."
"*Almost* perfect," she corrected him. "You know what would make it *truly* perfect?"
"What?"
"That container of ice cream that's in the freezer," she grinned.
"And I suppose you want me to get that for you," he laughed.
"Would you please?" she asked sweetly.
"Sure, I'll be back in a minute." He rose from behind her and kissed her cheek quickly before leaving the room. As soon as he left the bed, she instantly missed the warmth of his body, and regretted sending him on the ice cream expedition.
"We're going to have to do something about your addiction to chocolate," she heard him call as he walked to the kitchen.
"It's not nearly as bad as my addiction to you," she laughed. That was true. Her craving for chocolate couldn't get her killed the way that her craving for Vaughn could. A few more nights like this with him, and she wouldn't give a second thought to risking everything to be with him.
Vaughn walked back into the room, with a pint of Rocky Road and a spoon. However, she barely noticed the ice cream in his left hand as she stared at the small, rectangular box in his right hand.
"Syd," he said, trying to catch her attention with his outstretched hand, "here's your ice cream."
"Thanks," she said absently, as she took it from him and felt him climb back in bed behind her. She turned around to look over her shoulder and smiled at him suspiciously. "Vaughn, what is that in your hand?"
"This?" he asked, innocently, waving the gift in front of her face. "Just a little something I found in the freezer. Maybe Santa left it."
"Vaughn," she said slowly, trying to hide the excitement in her voice, "is that for me?"
"Maybe," he shrugged. "What are you willing to do to find out?" he asked with a devilish glint in his eyes.
"Whatever it takes," she said as she set the ice cream on the nightstand and turned to face him. Ice cream was no longer her top priority.
"There's no card attached, but I already got my gifts, so this one *must* be for you."
She laughingly snatched the gift from his hands. She was about to open the shiny silver wrapping paper when she suddenly stopped. "Wait a minute. Seriously, where did this come from? You told me that my gift was back in L.A."
"I lied. I had it in my jacket when I got here."
"For you to have had this in your pocket means that you must have known you were meeting me tonight," she said, piecing things together. "Did Weiss blab to you about my surprise?"
"No," Vaughn laughed. "He didn't have to. Sydney, Weiss may work for the CIA, but he's the worst liar in the world. As soon as he came to me and told me that I had to come to Santa Barbara *tonight*, I knew that something was going on. It didn't take too much deductive reasoning to figure out that it probably had something to do with you. Next time you conspire against me, you should use someone other than Weiss to do it," he smiled.
"So you weren't surprised at all!" She shook her head disbelievingly.
"Well, no, but I'm not complaining. I'm just a hard guy to surprise," he shrugged.
She looked at him dubiously. She was definitely going to test that theory later. "So this whole time, you've actually had my gift, and you've been holding out on me?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I plead the Fifth," he smiled. "Um, are you going to keep looking at me threateningly, or are you going to open it?"
"You're right. I can kill you later," she laughed as she unwrapped the gift. Inside was a slim, black, rectangular box. She looked at him questioningly, and when he nodded back at her, she raised the top of the box and gasped. Inside, was a white gold chain, and hanging from it was a square drop pendant with four small princess cut diamonds.
"Vaughn, oh my god. It's beautiful."
"I thought so too. It's simple and elegant, just like you. I thought of you as soon as I saw it," he said as he removed it from the jewelry box and undid the clasp. He reached forward and fastened it around her neck, then leaned back to admired her. "Gorgeous. The necklace is nice too," he added with a smile.
She rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. "Vaughn, thank you. I couldn't love anything or anyone more."
"Remember that while I'm gone next week," he said as he leaned in again and kissed her gently. "Merry Christmas, Syd."
"Merry Christmas, Vaughn."
TBC . . .