She wakes up and finds him next to her, and decides that it's the best way to wake up.
She showers and gets dressed before he even opens his eyes and she laughs at him when he does. "Morning."
He grabs her and pulls her back into bed, where he kisses her deeply and tickles her sides. "Morning."
"We have to go to work."
And they do, together, as if everything's fine and nothing was ever wrong, or different.
They go over files with the occasional kiss, and find out that - as always when they work together - it's quicker and better and much more fun.
-
He goes back home and finds Lauren on the couch, staring at the wall, her eyes empty. She doesn't speak until he stands in front of her, and when she does it's not pretty.
"How did we get to a point where you don't even bother hiding the fact that you're seeing someone else?"
He doesn't know how to answer.
"When did I become the other woman, Michael?!"
He doesn't look at her when he whispers out an apology.
That night they call their lawyer, and the following morning he packs a bunch of clothes and necessities and drops them off at Sydney's.
-
When Sydney wonders about Lauren, Vaughn groans and says that it doesn't matter.
"You were married to her for a year!"
"Only because you weren't around."
-
Days pass and it feels natural to wake up next to her and go home with her. The looks around the Ops center no longer wonder what's going on and how's the wife, but again envy the shared love.
Marshall smiles a little brighter when Vaughn passes by, Sydney once again laughs at Weiss' stories, Dixon stops talking during the morning's briefing when instead of listening they're busy smiling at each other, and Jack Bristow places a hand on his shoulder and tells him it's about time he came to his senses.
The day his divorce goes through he buys a ring, and proposes a week later after an op in Italy. Sydney smiles brightly and he kisses her, then whispers in her ear that she's the only woman he thinks about, the only woman he can look at - the only woman for him.
-end-
28.8.2004