Title: Welcome to Normal: Part 4
Author: Steph (ILUVNYYANK@aol.com)
Category: Romance/Humor
Pairings: Syd/Vaughn, Vaughn/Weiss friendship
Spoilers: "The Frame", "Unveiled", "Hourglass"
Rating: Strong PG-13 (see note below for more)
Archive: Sure, just let me know where.
Disclaimer: Alias and its characters do not belong to me. I do this out of
a love for the show and no infringement is intended.
Summary: Vaughn gets a taste of the normal life he craves.
Note: Hey guys! Thanks for all of the wonderful feedback! You guys really are great! I'm so glad you're enjoying it. More tinkering has taken place of course, so this part is now longer than I expected it to be. But it moves faster than the previous part because of the action in it. Two things about this chapter:
- The sink part is in here. I knowing nothing about sinks. How to turn them on is about the extent of my knowledge on the subject. So, obviously, I have no idea how to fix one. I actually thought I'd be a good little fanfic writer and do some research on the net, but after a little while I was like 'screw it'. So, I'm sure this is all totally inaccurate. It's standard sitcom stuff.
- This chapter has a strong PG-13 rating. I don't think it reaches R, but some might think it approaches a soft R. IMO, it's doesn't, just strong PG-13, but I suck at judging that stuff, so I thought I'd warn you.
Anyway, hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you thought! :) ~Steph
* * * * Welcome to Normal: Part 4/5 * * * *
Vaughn hesitantly opened his eyes, bracing himself for the possibility that he might find Lauren lying next to him. Instead, he found Sydney, sleeping soundly.
He breathed a sigh of relief. 'It's all still here.'
He smiled as he watched her, bringing his hand up to caress her cheek and absentmindedly wondering if she still talked in her sleep. He couldn't stop looking at her, marveling at her beauty. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut, her lips parted ever so slightly. She moaned softly and moved her head closer to the edge of the pillow...closer to him.
He moved his hand to her forehead, pushing a stray piece of hair out of her face. He then let his fingers slide over her silky strands, before placing a soft kiss on her lips. She stirred, but didn't wake. He smiled at her one last time and then reluctantly rolled out of bed.
The smile stayed on his lips as he walked down the hallway, realizing he hadn't woken up this happy since...the last time he'd woken up next to Sydney, before she was taken away from him. His time with Lauren couldn't hope to compare.
He stopped at Lindsay's room and poked his head in. She was sleeping soundly, her breathing producing a little whistle because of the gap in her teeth. He took a step in and watched her sleep for a moment. It was then that he noticed it. In her right hand, she was clutching the five dollar bill he'd placed under her pillow the night before. He smiled to himself, realizing she must have woken up during the night and found it.
He left Lindsay's room and walked to Billy's. He chuckled softly when he saw his son. Billy's covers were on the floor and he was lying on his back, his legs spread out, arms thrown over his head and mouth hanging wide open. What a difference from Lindsay. She looked as if she hadn't moved all night.
He quietly bent down and picked up the covers, placing them back over his son. He then pushed his bangs out of the way and kissed him gently on the forehead.
Vaughn then walked back down the hall, stopping halfway to look at some family pictures he hadn't seen before. He smiled at a recent one with all four of them sitting in front of a Christmas tree, surrounded by presents.
It was in that moment that he realized he had it all. Even though he craved this normal life, he didn't realize how much he really wanted it until he was given a taste.
'This is everything I've always wanted and more.'
* * * *
An hour later, a sleepy Billy, Lindsay and Sydney padded into the kitchen, still clothed in pajamas. Or, in Billy and Lindsay's case, the clothes they'd worn last night and subsequently slept in.
Sydney smiled at the sight of Vaughn cooking at the stove. She walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning her head against his back. "I love a man who cooks."
"You should probably wait until you taste this French toast before making that declaration."
Sydney shook her head and grabbed a piece of bacon. "Are you kidding? We love your French toast."
Vaughn raised an eyebrow. 'I make great French toast? Well, that's certainly new.'
He put the last piece of French toast on a plate and turned the stove off. He then walked over to the table and put the plates with bacon and French toast down. He had barely released his grip on the plates, when all three attacked them. Vaughn smiled to himself as he sat down to breakfast with his family.
"This French toast tastes different, Daddy," Lindsay said, as she chomped on a piece of bacon.
Vaughn looked down at his plate, eyes widening. "Uh, good different or bad different?"
"Good different, I guess," she replied.
He let out a small sigh of relief. Billy then stuck half a piece of French toast in his mouth and said, "I love it!"
Vaughn laughed, but Sydney shook her head. "Billy, you know better than to talk with your mouth full. I think you've been hanging around Uncle Eric too much."
Vaughn nodded. "He's got a wealth of bad habits to pass onto children."
"So what time is Eric coming over to help you fix the sink?" Sydney asked.
"Around 1 o'clock."
"Oh, that's good. Lindsay has a birthday party to go to at that time. I'll take Billy to the supermarket with me while she's at the party. We really need to get that sink fixed though. A barbecue tonight without a sink is going to be very difficult."
'Barbecue? Tonight?' he thought worriedly. The fact that it was yet another thing that he and Weiss had discussed didn't escape him either.
"Don't worry, we'll fix it," he managed to reply.
Billy shook his head. "I want to stay with Daddy! I want to help!"
"Billy," Sydney began, as she cut her French toast, "Daddy really, really, really, needs to pay attention while he's working on the sink. You'll distract him."
Vaughn thought the use of three 'reallys' to be a bit much and was beginning to get a bruised ego.
He took a sip of his orange juice and shrugged nonchalantly. "He can stay and help. It'll be fun."
Sydney raised her eyebrows, but then sighed in defeat. "Okay."
* * * *
Vaughn and Billy stood next to each other in the kitchen. They were both wearing jeans and old, gray Kings t-shirts. Billy had a Fisher-Price toolbelt around his waist and Vaughn held a toolbox in his hand. Vaughn smiled down at Billy, realizing he now had his very own 'mini-me'.
"Ready?" he asked his son.
Billy nodded. "Ready."
Vaughn sat down next to the sink and placed the toolbox by his feet.
He then spoke to Billy. "Soda?"
Billy nodded and handed him a can of soda. "Soda."
"Straw?"
Billy handed him the straw. "Straw."
Vaughn placed the straw in the soda can and took a sip. He then looked at his son. "Hydration is always important when undertaking any household activity, Billy. Remember that."
Billy nodded his head vigorously, as if Vaughn had just imparted incredible wisdom.
Truthfully, Vaughn was looking for any excuse to delay this. He had no idea where to begin. He was hoping Weiss would know.
Just then, he heard the front door swing open and Weiss's booming voice. "I come bearing hot dogs."
He entered the kitchen and came to stand by Vaughn and Billy. He gave Billy a high five and then addressed Vaughn, "Did you hear me? I have hot dogs."
"How are hot dogs going to help us?"
"Well, I get cranky if I skip lunch, which makes me want to hurt somebody. Really, it's for your own safety."
Vaughn grabbed a hot dog and began to chomp on it. It was then that he noticed the book in Weiss's hands. His brow furrowed. "'Plumbing for Dummies?'"
Weiss nodded. "Yeah, it's because of this series that I now know how to play chess and can make a mean souffle."
Vaughn looked at him skeptically. "Well, find the page where it says what to do when the water won't go down the drain."
"Did you try that liquid plumbing stuff?"
"Is that what it asks in the book?"
"No, that was me asking."
"Yeah, that didn't do anything." At least he assumed that had been tried already.
Weiss flipped to the index at the back of the book and found something that apparently sounded like their problem. "Here we go. Page 64." He turned to that page and read. "If the water won't go down the drain, first try a liquid plumber of your choice. If that doesn't work, then call a real plumber, because you're in over your head."
Vaughn sighed. "Was that you talking?"
"No, believe it or not, that was the book."
"What kind of book about plumbing tells you to call a plumber?"
"The crappy kind," Weiss replied and threw it in the trash. He then rubbed his hands together, "Look, how hard can this be?"
"Famous last words," Vaughn said under his breath.
"Famous last words," Billy repeated, mimicking Vaughn's tone.
"We've dismantled bombs, for gods sake. This should be a piece of cake."
"Piece of cake!" Billy said, clapping his hands together.
Weiss thought for a moment. "Okay, so the water won't go down, which means the pipe must be clogged. So, I say we take a wrench, loosen that u-shaped pipe thing and see what's going on down there."
"That's it? Just loosen the pipe? It seems like we should do something first."
"Like what? Take it out and get it drunk?"
Vaughn shrugged and turned to Billy.
"Wrench?"
Billy handed him his plastic Fisher-Price tool. "Wrench."
He and Weiss laughed and then Vaughn pulled the real tool out of the toolbox. He proceeded to loosen the pipe. Predictably, no sooner had he done that, then water began to spray out of the pipe.
Weiss and Billy backed up, but Vaughn got a face full of water.
Billy's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. He then proceeded to run around Weiss, screaming "AHHHHHH!!!!!!"
Weiss laughed. "All right, so if that were a bomb, we'd all be dead right now." He then added, "I think I just figured out what we should have done first as a precaution: Turn off the water."
"That's really helpful now, thanks!" Vaughn shouted, as he struggled to put the pipe back in place. He managed to do so, but some water continued to spray out like a sprinkler.
Billy looked at the water with twinkling eyes. He'd calmed down and was now smiling.
"I'm going to go put my bathing suit on!" he announced.
Both Vaughn and Weiss shook their heads, saying in unison, "No, no!"
Vaughn then looked up at Weiss and said sharply, "Get me something to stop the leak."
"Like what?"
"I don't know! Find something!"
"Look, I'm not MacGyver. I can't build a rocket out of a match and a paper clip."
"I'm not asking you to build a rocket!"
Weiss spun around the kitchen, looking for something to use. Coming up empty, he looked at Billy for help. Billy pointed to a crock of utensils. Weiss shrugged and handed Vaughn a ladle.
"What the hell am I supposed to do with this?" Vaughn asked, brow wrinkling.
"You said find something."
Vaughn chucked the ladle at him, missing and knocking over a potted plant.
Billy looked at the mess on the floor and shook his head. "Ohhh, you're in trouble now! You're not supposed to throw things inside. Mommy said."
Vaughn ignored him, thinking the plant was the least of his problems. He looked at Weiss. "Something else!"
Weiss threw his hands up in frustration and moved around the kitchen, Billy following close behind. Billy finally spotted something on the kitchen table and pointed it out to him.
Weiss sighed and whispered to him, "Better than the ladle I guess...and at least it won't hurt if he chucks it at me and doesn't miss this time."
He picked it up, walked back over to Vaughn and removed it from its container, handing it to him.
Vaughn eyed the object in confusion. "Silly Putty?"
"It's not just for comics anymore."
Vaughn sighed in defeat and removed the Silly Putty from the container, quickly applying it to the pipe. To their amazement, it actually worked. It was a temporary fix, but a fix nonetheless.
Weiss grinned at him. "MacGyver would be proud."
Vaughn nodded and looked down at the huge puddle he sat in and the soaked clothes sticking to his body. "I guess we better clean this-..."
He didn't even get a chance to finish his sentence, before Weiss bolted out of the kitchen, saying, "Come on, Billy, let's go get ice cream. I'll bring him back with me tonight. See you later!"
Weiss and Billy passed Sydney on their way out. Weiss quickly told her where he was taking Billy and when they'd be back, before offering her a cryptic smile as he flew past. Sydney's brow furrowed in suspicion as she entered the kitchen, arms full of groceries. She nearly dropped them when she saw her husband sitting in water, looking like a very handsome drowned rat.
She placed the bags on the table and walked over to him. "What happened?"
He raised an eyebrow. "We fixed the sink?"
She stifled a smile. "Really."
"Well, we attempted to fix the sink."
'This is one normal thing I could do without,' he thought. 'God invented plumbers for a reason.'
Sydney shook her head and crouched down to examine the damage, noticing the Silly Putty.
"Silly Putty?"
"Don't ask."
She couldn't help but laugh. "You're hopeless," she said with a shake of her head. "I guess we can add this to the list of household repairs gone awry. What should we call this one?"
He smiled, realizing maybe this part of normal wasn't so bad after all. It's a memory. It's a story they can tell and laugh about.
'That's what families do,' he thought. There was so much of this life he hadn't been a part of, but now he was making memories of his own.
Vaughn's eyes moved to Sydney's and he grinned. He then gently grabbed her arm, pulling her on top of him.
"You're getting me wet," she said in a half-hearted protest.
"Actually, we're both wet now. We might as well take advantage of that," he said huskily, as he lifted his lips to hers in a kiss.
"But what about this mess?" she asked in a moan against his lips.
"It'll be here," he said, his reply emerging muffled as his mouth moved to her neck.
He then raised his eyes to meet hers again. She smiled, before they both scrambled to their feet, racing each other to the master bathroom.
Sydney got there first and had already turned the shower on by the time he entered. She stood in front of him, eyes focused solely on his. He ached to move closer, to touch her, but resisted, wanting to take her in.
Her hands moved to her jean skirt, making quick work of the zipper. She let it drop to her feet and then kicked it in the corner, along with her sandals. Vaughn's eyes moved down her slim figure. He could actually feel his throat tighten in desire, as his gaze landed on her black lace panties. She then pulled her shirt off and threw it in the corner with the skirt and sandals. Vaughn licked his lips, as he took her in, the matching bra showing off just enough to drive him wild.
He slowly took a step forward, nearly closing the distance between them. He let his fingers play with her bra straps and glide over the soft skin of her arms. He then brought his lips to her neck, leaving a trail of kisses down to her breastbone. Sydney closed her eyes and threw her head back, letting a soft moan escape. Vaughn moved his fingers to her back and undid the clasp on her bra, allowing it to drop to her feet. He then took a step back and let his eyes wash over her.
'God, she's beautiful. I've missed this so much. I can't imagine ever living without it again.'
He stepped closer, his hands moving to her hips, where he briefly caressed them, before slipping his fingers beneath the waistband of her panties and sliding them down. The panties joined her bra on the floor.
It was Sydney's turn now. She ran her hands over the tight muscles of his chest, marveling at how his wet gray t-shirt clung to them just right. She then lifted the shirt over his head and threw it on the ever-growing pile of clothes. She slowly ran her hands over his strong shoulders and down his sculpted arms. She then brought her lips to his torso, leaving a path of hot kisses until she'd reached his jeans. Vaughn took a deep breath and threaded his fingers through her hair, as she undid his jeans and slid them down his legs. She then stood and captured his lips in hers, her hands moving to his waist and removing his boxers.
Their actions were slow, but passionate now. They managed to get into the bathtub and close the shower door. Vaughn spun Sydney under the water and pressed her up against the tile with his body. His lips moved from her mouth to her throat. Sydney moaned in pleasure, arching her back and running her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck.
Soon, neither one could take it anymore. He ended the waiting, sending waves through her body. A strangled groan escaped her lips, as she ran her fingernails down his back and moved in rhythm with him. Finally, they collapsed against each other, simply allowing the water to cascade over them.
* * * *
Sometime later (and after they'd had another round in the bed), they began to dress and prepare themselves for the rest of the day.
Vaughn watched Sydney out of the corner of his eye as he dressed. He couldn't believe that he was finally able to be with her like that again. It had always been amazing between them, better than he'd dreamt it could be. He didn't think it was possible, but it was even better now.
He realized then that this life they'd built together made it that way. Even though it wasn't his reality, even though he hadn't lived it until very recently, he could feel it. They were happy, secure, and at peace, making their love deeper than it had ever been. And it showed.
Vaughn caught Sydney's eye in the mirror as he buttoned his shirt. She smiled at him and turned around, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"I can't remember the last time I had that much fun in the shower," she said. "We definitely shouldn't wait so long to do that again."
'No, it's been far too long,' he thought, as he murmured his agreement against her lips.
Their kissing grew feverish and passionate quickly and they easily could have fallen back into bed. Sydney finally pulled back, forehead touching his and eyes still closed as she spoke.
"I have to go pick up the kids."
"I know," he replied, kissing her again.
"And you have to do something about that sink," she moaned, as his lips moved to her ear.
"I know."
Sydney giggled as he nibbled at her earlobe and then pressed her hands gently against his chest, pushing him away. She smiled at him. "Seriously, I would love nothing more than to spend the rest of the day in here with you, but we have people coming over in an hour. I have to go pick up Lindsay and you have to clean up that mess in the kitchen and do something about that sink."
Vaughn nodded in defeat. "Okay, okay, we'll go be adults."
Sydney grinned. "Oh, I don't know. I think what we just did was very adult."
Vaughn laughed and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him again. He then leaned down and gave her a quick kiss. "Well, then, let's go be the PG-version of adults."
She nodded and entwined her fingers with his, as they walked out of the bedroom and headed for the kitchen. They were both still all smiles from their previous activities, but those smiles disappeared the moment they saw the kitchen.
Apparently, the Silly Putty didn't hold and the pipe slipped, which resulted in the spraying from earlier to resume. The kitchen floor now resembled a very shallow pond.
Vaughn looked at Syd. "This could be a problem."
She nodded and folded her arms across her chest. "You think?"
* * * *
End of Part 4
~Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it and please let me know what you thought. Last part coming soon. ~Steph