"Fran…you look great." I said for probably the thousandth time as Francie fidgeted in front of the mirror again. Allison was being watched by Francie's mom while me and Francie decided to get ready for Vaughn's aunt's party at my house. Probably not the best idea because Aimee has been on the phone for two and a half hours straight now, fighting loudly with her wedding planner.

Just marry the bum already and save the rest of us another six months of whiny hell.

Or maybe me. Yeah…just save me. Sounds like a plan to me.

"Are you sure?" Francie asked clearly worried.

I smiled all knowing at her. Oh yes, now it was my turn for the all knowing most annoying smile in the world and I am going to milk it for all it's worth. Payback's a bitch. "Yes, Fran…for the bijillionth time…you look great."

France gave me a tired look at my statement. "Well, I'm not really worried about that, so there."

"What are you worried about?" I asked interested. This was new.

"Nothing," She answered quickly, reaching for the hairbrush.

"Liar liar pants on fire," I replied raising an eyebrow at her.

Francie sighed and looked at me in the mirror. "He knows right?"

I assume she means Eric. Yeah, probably because she's been asking me that a lot lately. Does she not remember our conversation before me and Vaughn's hockey date? Apparently not. Damn woman has a worse memory than me and that's saying something.

"Yes, Fran," I sighed, "Also for the bijillionth time, he has no problem with Allison. You've seen him at lunch with her. He's almost as good with her as me." That much was true. No one could say that Eric Weiss was not good with kids. Course, he wasn't as good as me. I'm the queen of such things. Did I just crown myself queen of taking care of kids? Well, that bites.

Francie smiled softly. "Yeah…that's true…" She relented.

Oh yes, I really love being able to use the all knowing smile. I want to be queen of that instead of kids. Oh hell, I'll be queen of both. Now I need a crown. Damn.

"Are you ready yet?" I asked after a couple more minutes of Francie fidgeting with her appearance. "Vaughn's gonna be here any minute."

Francie turned to me and smiled the all knowing smile. Hey! That's mine! I'm telling you, I have major territorial issues. "You seem pretty anxious." She observed.

I threw her a dirty look. "Yes…well I'm allowed to. I'm dating him."

Francie laughed. "I never thought I'd see the day." She said shaking her head wistfully.

I narrowed my eyes. What did that mean? She's being vague and sneaky again. "See what day?"

She laughed again. "You! Admitting that you're dating someone and Michael Vaughn of all people."

Wait…huh? What the hell does she mean by that? Damn you Francie for being vague and sneaky. "What difference does it make that I'm admitting that I'm dating Vaughn?"

She shrugged. "No reason," She answered quickly. "Come on, let's go wait downstairs." And then she was gone before I could protest.

Scowling, I rolled off my bed and followed her. "Fran! Tell me!" I said the second my feet hit the bottom floor.

She laughed at me again. "Later!"

"Come on!"

"Sydney! Shut up!" Aimee screeched, giving me her death glare as she put her hand over the phone. "Go somewhere else."

I stuck my tongue out at her. "Let's go to the kitchen," I suggested and then going anyway without waiting for Francie to agree. She came anyway.

Mom was standing in front of the fridge, frowning and with her hands on her hips. Okay…that's just a little weird. But then again, it's my mother. She does weird things a lot.

"Mom? What are you doing?" I asked sitting in one of the bar stools at the island counter. Francie sat next to me, still wearing that all knowing smile. That's still mine.

"I think the fridge's broken," Mom replied without turning towards me.

"What makes you think that?" I asked, trying to sound interested. Ten bucks says that I'm going to have to go fridge shopping with her. Great, just freaking great. Before Mom had the chance to answer, the fridge let out a long nasty sounding hiss. I jumped. "Mom…that thing just hissed at you."

"I know," Mom sighed.

"That's not normal," I added a little creped out by the fridge.

Mom sighed again and nodded. "Yeah…I know."

Francie laughed softly and I had to smile. Her laughter was infectious. Damn her. "You should get a new one, Irina," She suggested.

Mom nodded. "I know."

"Is that all you can say?" I quipped.

Mom turned slightly to give me a tired look though she was smiling slightly. "You'll have your phone right?"

I held up my cell phone as proof. Mom had no problem with me going to Vaughn's party. Dad on the other hand…he didn't take it so well. I think that scowl will be forever immobilized in his face.

"Good. And?"

"No drinking," I replied. Yeah, that was pretty easy one.

"And?"

"No drugs," I added. Again, very easy.

"And?" There's more? That's new…

"No table dancing?" I tried.

Mom gave me the same tired look with the smile attached to it. "And?"

"No sex?" Hmm…maybe that's what she was going for.

It was because she smiled and nodded. "Good."

That was quite possibly the weirdest sex talk that has ever happened. Francie must have thought so too and she was smiling that all knowing smile again. Goddamn her. Wow…I keep damning my friend. Do I get the friend of the year award or what?

The second I get her alone, I'm going to find out what the hell she was hinting at earlier. Even if I have to beat it out of her. Yep, friend of the year.

The doorbell rang, followed shortly by Aimee's screech, "Someone get the door!"

I stuck my tongue out and made a face. Mom laughed and shooed me and Francie out of the kitchen. "Behave!" She called after us.

"Who me?" I called back innocently.

"Sydney!" Aimee yelled as the doorbell rang again. Funny how 'someone' went to 'Sydney' in less than a minute. I think Aimee's out to get me. Wouldn't surprise me. Not even a little bit.

"Yeah, yeah." I muttered making a face that only Francie saw. She laughed and I opened the door.

"Sydney! Get the door before I have an aneurism!" Vaughn said immediately, in a falsetto voice that I assumed he meant to be an impression of Aimee.

"Quiet you," I ordered kissing him to silence him.

"Who me?" He asked, giving me his famous puppy dog pout. Yeah, I wasn't going to fall for the one again. I say again because sadly, I fell for it once. I don't want to talk about it.

"Oh crap," I said suddenly, surprising Vaughn, Francie, and Eric who was standing a couple feet behind Vaughn. Vaughn's face fell a little so I explained. "I forgot your gift upstairs. I'll be right back."

His face perked up and I had to smile at that as I bounded up the stairs again to go get his gift that I was supposed to give him on Christmas but he was under house arrest at the time. That reminds me, I have to find out what the hell he did to get under house arrest.

I came back downstairs to find my mom and Vaughn talking, Francie and Eric gone, and Aimee about ready to throw a fit. The Aimee thing wasn't that weird, but the rest kind of gave me the creeps.

"Um…" I stopped unable to think of anything else. Big stupid mistake. Say something you idiot! Just going 'um…' isn't going to cut it. Well, maybe not, because both Mom and Vaughn looked at me. "Talking about me?" There, stupid disobedient mouth. Not talking when I tell you to.

"Course not," Vaughn replied smoothly. Yeah, he was lying.

"Then what were you talking about?"

"Uh…" Vaughn stammered.

Mom started smiling. That's a bit odd. "I was asking about his family. Did you know he has a sister?"

I nodded. Yeah, found that out on our first date at the party. "Yeah, I did." Here's a question; why the hell does my mother want to know about my boyfriend's family. You'd think she'd get that they weren't exactly normal if I was going to a New Year's party at his aunt's house. You know what, don't tell me, I don't want to know.

Vaughn must have sensed my confusion because he piped up with, "Eric and Francie are waiting for us in the car. We should go before Eric decides to just leave without us."

"How's he going to do that without keys?" I asked pointing at the car keys in Vaughn's hand.

"You'd be surprised," He answered. "Now come on."

I laughed. "Patience is a virtue." I said though I did as he whined for me to do and followed him out of the house but not before giving my mom a weird look and a wave goodbye.

"So, present," Vaughn said after the door closed behind us.

"Here you go, impatient hockey boy," I teased laughing as I handed him the package. I was pretty sure that he'd like it. I mean, he'd probably like a piece of coal for Christmas. Maybe I should have given him coal just for the hell of it.

He flashed me an impish grin and tore the package open greedily. "Where did you find this?" The expression on his face was priceless as he pulled the last of the wrapping paper off and tossed it on the porch.

I rolled my eyes and reached down to pick up the paper. Like I was going to let him liter on my porch. "I bought it." I answered.

He gave me a tired a look, tearing his eyes away from the gift. "No really? I thought you stole it." I giggled at his sarcasm. "I mean, the stores have been sold out for weeks and you went shopping like two days before Christmas."

"It was four days, thank you very much," I answered indignantly. I knew why he was so surprised. It had been a royal pain in my ass trying to find that Kings shirt for Vaughn. Every store that I had searched in had been out. I ended up buying off one of the girls at school. Her boyfriend and her had broken up recently and she wanted to get rid of everything of his, including the shirt. I was more than willing to take it off her hands. "I have my ways."

He raised an eyebrow at my vague response. "Apparently," He answered, leaning over to kiss me.

Of course, Eric chose that time to lay on the horn and yell, "Come on Mike! You can make out with Sydney at the party!"

I giggled at Vaughn's un-amused expression and pulled him to his car. "Love the face," I whispered.

"I bet you do," He answered opening my door for me. "Get out of her seat," He growled at Eric who was sitting and smirking the passenger seat.

Eric shrugged. "Okay." He answered simply, climbing into the back seat where Francie sat laughing behind her hand at Vaughn.

Vaughn sent a look Eric's way before turning back to me. "Can I kill him?"

I laughed and shook my head. "Nope. He's too innocent to die."

"Ha!" Eric put in triumphantly.

Vaughn rolled his eyes and chose not to say anything as he closed the car door behind me and made his way over to the driver's side of the car.

Twenty minutes later –seriously, Vaughn has a speeding problem- we pulled into Vaughn's garage, well technically his aunt's garage. Oh crap, that reminds me. This is the first time I'm going to be meeting Vaughn's aunt. And to make things more complicated for me, she's the first family member I've met. That means if I make a crappy impression on her, she's going to tell the rest of the family and then that means awkward moments in my future.

Just lovely.

Eric latched on to Francie and pulled her off into the crowd of either drunk or getting there old people. Okay, so Vaughn wasn't kidding when he said his aunt's friends were crazy. It wasn't even eleven yet and most of the crowd was drunk. Like I've said, I don't drink. Ever.

Well, one perk about this whole thing, I think me, Vaughn, Francie, and Eric are a good twenty years younger than everyone at the party and therefore, no one was bound to miss us. Except for his aunt.

"Wanna get a Dr. Pepper?" Vaughn asked me, after he looked over the people. I think he was looking for someone but I didn't ask who.

I smiled. He remembered. "Sure."

He returned the smile and pulled me into the kitchen by the hand. Of course, his kitchen wasn't sound proof like his friend Dixon's (I think that was his name) but then again, the stereo wasn't blasting headache causing music either. "Your drink," He said handing me a Dr. Pepper can. I wonder if the Dr. Pepper was just something he had laying around all the time because he liked it or if it had something to do with me. We had Dr. Pepper at our first party, and before our first kiss.

"Thanks," I replied, taking the can and cracking it open. "Got any chocolate?"

He laughed. "How did I know you were going to ask that?" He asked opening the refrigerator again and grabbing a chilled Milky Way bar.

When he didn't toss it to me, I stuck out my hand. "Well?"

"Dance with me first," He answered. Oh, so he wants me to dance with him for chocolate huh? Well, I'm not above that.

"Desperate for love now, are we?" I teased slowly making my way over to him.

"Maybe," He replied, placing his hands lightly on hips. "You're desperate for chocolate." He pointed out as my arms snaked around his neck.

"That's different." I countered.

"How?"

I shrugged. "Just is. Stop asking questions."

He laughed. "Yes, ma'am."

I smiled wistfully and shook my head at him slightly. "You know," I said suddenly. "At all the parties we've gone to, we always end up in the kitchen dancing."

"I've noticed," He answered.

"Why is that?"

He chuckled. "When I figure that out, I'll let you know right away."

"Good."

After awhile, Vaughn broke the silence by asking, "Ready to meet my aunt?"

"Do I have too?" I asked in a small voice.

He chuckled. "She's been wanting to meet you for a long time now."

"I wonder who's fault that is," I mused hinting.

"I am a completely innocent," He answered grinning.

"That look on your face says differently."

"You're reading too much into this."

"Probably," I admitted.

"So do you? Might as well get it over with."

I looked up at him and his puppy dog face and smiled slightly. "Alright fine. Lead the way."

He smiled at me before detangling our limbs, grabbing my hand, and pulling me back into the room completely full of drunken people now. No, I take that back. Francie and Eric weren't drunk but they were oblivious to the rest of the world off in their corner laughing and talking.

A ghost of a smile touched my lips. It was about time that Francie let herself move on from Charlie. True, she did have Allison to worry about and that did put a damper in her dating life but from what I knew, Eric was just fine with Allison. Nothing he did or said -and Vaughn has said for that matter- has said otherwise.

"Aunt warning," Vaughn whispered in my ear turning my attention back to having to meet his family.

Oh joy.

"Michael!" A salt and pepper hair woman said very obviously almost as drunk as her guests. "Is this Sydney?"

I could tell Vaughn was having problems with not laughing. "Yeah, Aunt Trish, this is Sydney."

"Hi," I said not sure what else to say.

Next thing I knew, I was being given a bear hug by the drunken woman and Vaughn was smirking at me. "It's good to meet you Sydney. Michael's been talking about you non stop for a long time now."

I glanced at Vaughn. "Has he now?" I asked as Vaughn started to turn a little red.

"God yes," Trish answered over exaggerated. "It's a miracle to get him to talk about something else it seems."

"Can we stop talking about me?" Vaughn put in sending his aunt a look.

Trish didn't seem to get the meaning of the look because she kept going. "And then when he does stop talking about you, he'll find a way to connect whatever topic he changed to, to you."

I smiled both at what Trish said and Vaughn's expression. "Maybe he's just bored and has nothing else to do but talk about me."

Trish laughed and shook her head. "I doubt it. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was falling for you."

Okay, freeze, rewind, and stop. Did she just say that Vaughn was falling for me? Oh God. Hey look, my cynicism is coming back for another visit. Haven't seen that in awhile.

I looked down at my shoes and nodded slightly. "Um…yeah…"

Vaughn noticed how uncomfortable I was and jumped in. "Right. Aunt Trish, I think that's Angelina Chase over there. You haven't talked to her in awhile have you?" He asked nodding towards a nice looking African American woman a good twenty feet away.

Trish looked and instantly smiled. "Good gracious, you're right." She said. "I'll leave you two now. Angelina!" She yelled before disappearing into the drunken crowd.

"Sorry about that," Vaughn said when I looked back up at him. He seemed just as uncomfortable as I was.

"Forget about it," I answered. That's code for: let's never talk about it again.

"Okay." He agreed. Wow, he learned the code. Kudos to Vaughn.

"TEN!"

"Midnight already?" He mused, checking his watch. "Well, what do you know?"

"NINE!"

I smiled. "We were in that kitchen longer than I thought."

"EIGHT!"

"Yeah," He agreed. "Remember, you owe me a kiss."

"SEVEN!"

"I haven't forgotten," I answered moving closer to him.

"SIX!"

He met me halfway and wrapped his arms around my waist and started to count down with everyone else.

"FIVE!"

"FOUR!"

I smiled up at him before glancing over his shoulder to Francie and Eric quickly.

"THREE!"

By the looks of things, they got a head start on New Year's. They were practically eating each other's faces off.

"TWO!"

I smiled wider and turned my gaze back to Vaughn.

"ONE!"

I echoed the number with him before he kissed me and I forgot completely about what his aunt said.

Next chapter: Vack!