Lauren's going away for the weekend - Washington, to visit her family - and Vaughn tells her so over a quickly shared cup of coffee. For a moment, she wonders why he's telling her that, and then she realizes; and shakes her head no.
He asks why.
Because random hook ups on planes or in cars or in quiet offices are one thing - and spending the weekend together while his wife is out of town is something completely different. She doesn't need this.
She doesn't mention Santa Barbara, and that it hurts, and he doesn't accept her excuses.
She tells herself it's the last time, and they make plans for Friday.
She hopes for flowers, or at least sweet words, and doesn't know he's hurting too, and that giving her what she wants will only make it harder because they'll fall back to reality and it'll hurt so much to realize two years have passed, and nothing's like it used to be.
She tries to hide her disappointment and he tries to explain, but they give it up and simply make out again, and then he leaves and she cries and screams and throws an empty vase to the floor.
She wishes she had seen Lauren's face so she could picture her right now, and be really angry, but he blocked her from that part of his life. So she tries to imagine what his wife looks like, and then examines her ring finger and wonders what got them there.
-
He's been distant since Lauren came back, and he sees the questioning looks she gives him.
She's a good person woman, Lauren, and doesn't ask too many questions. He knows she doesn't really buy the 'work stuff' excuse, and appreciate it that she doesn't push.
On the other hand, it bothers him, because it only reminds him of how Sydney never gave up when he wouldn't talk to her.
Sometimes he wishes Lauren were a bit more like Sydney; it would have made things so much easier.
-
He sees her again on Monday, morning briefing, and recognizes the look of sadness in her eyes.
He sits next to her - to her left though, so that their arms wouldn't touch and create awkwardness - and instead of writing notes about the latest psycho, he draws.
He slides her the piece of paper when he's sure no one's looking, and watches as the smile shows up.
He drew her a rose, and she finds it better than anything else.
After lunch break, she finds a real rose in the drawer of her desk, and closes it quickly so no one would notice.
She smiles at him from across the room and he stares at her until Weiss slaps his arm. He then asks if he ever got his wife flowers, and it dawns on Michael Vaughn that he never had.
-
That night, he sits with Lauren in front of the TV, and she snuggles to his side as he watches a hockey game.
He asks her if she likes roses, and she says she doesn't.
When she falls asleep he realizes that when watching games with Sydney, she talked, and cheered, and even called out obscenities when needed.
He turns off the TV in the middle of the game, gets up slowly so he doesn't wake Lauren, and goes to his bedroom, where he calls Sydney and talks to her until there is nothing left to say.