PART 4

The party was in full swing and everybody was having a good time. Photos were taken, Sydney had opened all of her gifts just a couple of minutes ago and Vaughn had flashed his camera at every smile his beautiful wife was making with their friends surrounding her.

The Beatles, one of Sydney's oh so many favorite bands, were filling the air. The children ran around the place, squealing at each other. The boys were more hectic than the girls. They were quite a handful to Sydney and Vaughn but they enjoyed every single minute with them.

Vaughn silently grabbed Sydney's hand under the table, when he caught her staring at their children. He squeezed it lightly in support, letting her know he was there with her.

She rasped her voice a couple of times to get the people's attention. "Uhm, we have something to tell you" and sure enough everybody was listening to her. While Sydney had to get a grip on her own excitement for telling them the news, her friends around the table were waiting for her to continue.

"Michael and I, we are going to have another baby" Sydney announced looking from Vaughn over to her father to catch his reaction.

"Man! Again?" Eric had to blurt out but was shoved by his wife's elbow in the ribs "Ouch! That hurt! What did I say?"

"Eric!" Christina couldn't believe her own ears "You should be happy for them, after all they are your, I mean our, best friends. Now apologize!" Sydney's eyebrows lifted thinking that Christina had a good hand on her man and she had to laugh inwardly to see Weiss' awkwardness.

"Sorry! Of course I'm happy for both of you! Congrats!" he flashed his wide grin to the couple.

"Those are great news Syd" Will exclaimed all happy for her.

Everybody seemed to be content about the good news. Sydney waited for the right occasion to jump up on her father once the news had sunk in.

"Dad, could I talk to you for a second?" Sydney glanced at her father and at his nod, proceeded to get up so they could talk in the back.

Once they were hidden from the view of her friends she questioned him "Dad, why did you give me these present? I mean, not that I mind at all, in contrary, I think it is pretty lovely and I never expected anything like this from you. I presume they are mine, am I right?" she had to breath in deeply after this long sentence. So many questions were on her mind and all she wanted to do was yell it out at her father.

"Sydney! I don't know what to tell you but first I'm glad you like it and my sincerest congrats to you and Michael." He told her looking back at the living room to be sure nobody could hear them.

"Thank you" she smiled at her father.

"I know I owe you some explanations" he started "But the fact is that there is nothing special to say about it." Jack paused briefly thinking over his words. It was the first time Sydney realized that he had to think about what he wanted to say and that's when she knew there was more to it even if he were to say the opposite.

"Dad" Sydney cut in.

"No, please let me finish. I already wanted you to have the box for such a long time. Your mother did it for you when you were little and she always kept it by her side. You know how I feel about your mother nowadays but that still doesn't leave me heartless when it comes to you. This box was all that I had, all that remained from you, once you were gone. And giving it away to you I couldn't. Your mother once made me swear that I should give it to you for your first child but when Alexander was born I couldn't face the fact to give the last remaining thing I had from you, away. I just couldn't Sydney."

Sydney distinguished tears welling up in her father's eyes but as usual he was trying to withhold his feelings and soon was back to his stern mode.

"Happy Birthday Sydney" he added "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some work to finish" he leaned in and gave her a chaste kiss on her cheek and then he was gone.

Did she really see what she had just witnessed? Were those tears welling up in her father's eyes? Did he just show his feelings out on her. The feelings she had always wanted to know about when she was a child, when she was a teenager, the time when she needed her father most. Did he just open up on her, right here, right now? She couldn't believe her own ears but as usual he had tried to keep his stern face and escaped.

"Syd? Where's your dad?" First she didn't hear Vaughn's questions until he had repeated them a couple of times. "Syd, what is it? Please tell me? Where's your dad?"

"He's gone!"

"What do you mean he's gone?"

"He walked out, out of the door! Just like nothing had ever happened! As always!" she screamed at her husband, not meaning it and she knew she would regret it later. She ran up the stairs her cries finally escaping out of her body. She plunged headfirst all over the bed, while Vaughn was standing abashed at the foot of the stairways.

"I'm sorry!" he apologized at their guests "I just want to check up on her"

"Daddy? What's wrong with mom?" Oliver wanted to know but Alex tried desperately to hold him back.

"I don't know but don't worry she'll be fine ok" once Oliver got his father's assurance he walked back to the group of children who played lazily on the carpet of the living room.

Vaughn hurried up the stairs and in no matter of time was in their bedroom to find a sobbing Sydney spread out over their bed. He rested his body next to her and caressed her back knowing that she would need some time to calm down before telling him. He knew he wouldn't need to push her, it would only get her angrier to whatever happened between her and her father. All she needed was him by her side and he was there for her.

When she felt tranquilized enough she shifted around to lay on her back her eyes staring at the ceiling "I don't understand my dad, I never will! He doesn't cease to amaze me!"

Vaughn didn't ask questions, he knew what was going to follow.

"I mean there he is standing in front of me and blurting out his feelings. You wanna know why he gave me that box, which by the way is mine, I mean those baby things were mine!"

Of course he wanted to know but she knew that.

"Now that I am 41 years old he tells me that he couldn't give the box to me just because it reminded him of me! Why Michael? Why is he always acting like this? I know I have never doubted his love for me, it's just that sometimes I wish he would do it more often and now when he does, he excuses himself and walks out on me. What is that supposed to mean? Ok, I know what it is supposed to mean, but that's too much for me Vaughn, I can't handle this any longer"

Vaughn could sense her feelings about all of this but he didn't know how to help her. She had called him using his first name then the other one, she was confused, lost, abashed, everything at the same time. He could see it in her clouded eyes.

"Come here to me" he opened his arms to her and she snuggled into them. "Syd, all I can say to this is that since we've been married, your father has changed. Then we had our first child and I could see in his eyes, how happy your were and apparently seeing you this way made him hurt so much."

"I know Vaughn. I know about all of this but there is nothing I can change for it or for him. I see how he's acting with the boys, it's just that I don't understand why he has never been acting like this with me. And I'm not talking about my childhood. This tension between my father and me is still there. I don't know why he tries to open up on me and then when he does, he runs off".

"I don't know Syd!" He crouched down in front of her, resting his hands in her lap, holding hers. With one hand he brushed first a stray of her hair out of her face and then wiped some of her remaining tears off.

"Listen, I don't want you to ruin your own birthday today sweetie. Do you think you can manage to go back to our party?" he glared at her "Do you think you can handle it?"

She rubbed a couple more tears out of her eyes and nodded. Vaughn grabbed her hand tightly, waiting a little bit longer before returning to their friends.