Chapter 10: Remembrance

A/n: I know, I know, you all hate me because I've been neglecting this. And I'm truly sorry, really I am. I tend to forget about my fics when there's a another one flourishing... But it's no excuse. I'll try to be better. Anyway, here's chapter ten. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: JJ Abrams owns all this except for Jason and Mandy which are mine. In your face, JJ.

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The clash of metal keys tossed onto the counter reverberated throughout the room as Vaughn, Sydney, and Mandy entered the kitchen late that night. The sound expanded Vaughn's eyes momentarily and broke the silence that had previously settled on the car ride home. Mandy had stubbornly refused to leave her grandfather's house until Jack switched to agent-mode and demanded she cooperate. That was when the silence began, and it remained even now.

Mandy's feet bustled through the kitchen and into the living room where she balled up in the corner of the couch and held her knees. Vaughn loosened the top button from his shirt before leading Sydney into the living room, with the intentions of talking with Mandy.

He monotonously sat down next to Mandy, allowing words to form in his head. He was unsure of how to start. Mandy was angry with him, he was almost certain. He could tell every time he looked in her eyes, which mirrored Sydney's when they occasionally fought. Adjusting his arm to stroke his daughter's hair, Mandy uncoiled from her ball and scooted closer to her father, clinging to his arm and setting her head on his shoulder. He saw her eyes close from the corner of his eye while he gently massaged Sydney's shoulder, whose head lay in his lap.

Ratta tat tat, ratta tat tat, the vertical blinds bounced off each other from the front window, the only noise of the room. The only thing to keep Vaughn sane.

Where was Jason at this time? Who was he with? Was he safe? Was he hurt? Was he hungry, or cold? He held Mandy tighter to him. She had to understand now that Vaughn only wanted to protect her further; he couldn't lose both of his children. Jack must have talked with her if she was able to acquiesce in his arms.

He stared at his daughter for a moment, not wanting to forget her image. Her now stringy brown hair draped over her face and her chest rose and fell rapidly in her shallow breaths. Her left foot, curled under her right leg, rested barefoot while her right leg still bore it's darkened pink flip flop. This had to be hard for her, Vaughn thought, she's so close to Jason. Jason... His face popped back into his mind. Vaughn's eyes darted away in pain and rested upon Sydney, her eyes lifelessly open and staring up at the ceiling.

Suddenly aware of the room's darkness, he felt bags dragging his eyelids down. The tick-tock of the Grandfather clock in the hallway became prominent over the ratta tat tat of the blinds. The clock sounded, once, twice... twelve times. Midnight. They had been sitting there for over an hour. Mandy's steady breaths near his ear conveyed that she was asleep, though Sydney's eyes remained wide open. Perhaps he didn't have to talk to anyone now, everyone already understood.

A memory abruptly swarmed about in Vaughn's mind until he lost himself in the reminiscence...

Flashback

Vaughn had woken up to the bright blast of sunlight that seeped through the rip in the top of the tent. He rolled over onto his side and groaned, feeling the pain of sleeping on the ground in his back. Not young anymore, he reminded himself again. The morning dew trickled down the canvas and collected in droplets that hovered over the tent's floor, one splashing onto Vaughn's hand. He pulled it back into the warmth of his down sleeping bag and blinked his eyes slowly.

Immediately he noticed Jason's absence from the tent. Panic shot through his body initially as he sat up, but he eased back down, thinking that Jason could be simply going to the bathroom.

He smiled at himself, knowing that Sydney would call him overprotective, as he automatically assumed the worst. He rubbed his arms under his sleeping bag, missing Sydney by his side, but they were heading back home the next morning and he would feel his wife's embrace yet again. He wondered what Sydney and his little Amanda were doing right now; Amanda probably just woke up Sydney to her dismay. Vaughn felt bad for leaving Sydney alone with a hyperactive three-year-old, but she insisted that Vaughn and Jason go on their camping trip.

Vaughn realized that more than fifteen minutes had passed without Jason's return, and panic once again shot through his body. he called, poking his head out of tent and into the cold morning air. Scanning the premises, his six-year-old was nowhere to be seen. Darting back into the tent, he pulled a sweatshirt over his head and hurried outside. he called again, louder.

Vaughn ventured into the woods, calling for his son and growing more worried as each minute passed. The cruel, ruthless sun beat down on him as it rose from the horizon, yet he ran faster and faster as he looked for Jason.

Finally, exasperated, he returned to camp after thirty minutes of searching in the woods. Vaughn could not contain himself and almost began to cry when he heard gentle whimpering coming from the other side of the tent. He approached the front carefully, feeling fully relieved to find his son hugging his knees as he sat on a log by the ashy fire pit in tears, a fishing pole at his side.

Vaughn exclaimed, rushing to his son and holding him tightly. Where where you?

I wanted to go out fishin', he sniffled, wiping his nose. But when I came back, y-you weren't here, and – and I thought a bear was gonna eat you cause you were gone.

He hugged his son again. Jason, I would never leave you. I'll always be here to protect you, and I promise I'd never let anything happen to you.

Pinky swear? he asked meekly, sticking out his pinky.

Pinky swear.

Jason nudged the fishing pole away with his foot. I caught you a fish, Dad, and it was this big! He held his arms as wide as they would go.

Oh yeah? Vaughn grinned.

Yeah, but it got away...

End Flashback

Tears rimmed Vaughn's eyes as the Grandfather clock in the hall sound once; one o'clock. Whoever took his son, he vowed, would pay.

A/n: Yeah. Not much to say. You know the drill: REVIEW if you love me or this fic.
Whitelighter Enchantress