Chapter 8
Sydney quickly excused herself from Vaughn's company and went to the bathroom. She passed Danny on the way, looking at him briefly before continuing on her way. She sat in the bathroom for a couple of minutes thinking about Vaughn. And then her mind wondered back to Danny. She had to admit that she wasn't totally happy in the relationship, which was partly her fault for beginning to get feelings for another guy. Danny had always been good to her, except for his jealous outbursts, which he had occasionally. But there was just one major problem...he wasn't Michael. There was something about the new guy in her life that Sydney couldn't quite put her finger on. Maybe it was his sense of humor, or his really good looks. Or maybe it was that they shared a connection that she didn't have with Danny. Oh come on Sydney, you've only known this guy for about a week. It's just a crush. Or is it?
Sydney knew that she would have to talk to someone about this, she needed help sorting her feelings out. And she knew just the person who could help her.
Most of the group had now found out that Prue was back. They were all sat around the couch, catching up on old memories, and drinking beers. Danny was sitting with them, but he wasn't paying much attention to what was being said. His mind was filled with thoughts about Sydney. A couple of weeks ago they had been so happy. And now they hadn't spoken in days. The truth was he missed her, but he wasn't quite sure how he could win her back. Not now that this Vaughn guy was in the picture.
"Do you guys remember that time when it was Phoebe's 7th birthday party, and we had that big bouncy castle in the garden. And then you guys, "Prue pointed at Cole and Leo. "Tried to be smart, and Leo ended up bouncing off it!" The girls laughed as they remembered that certain incident.
"Hey, that wasn't funny. I ended up breaking my arm, and I had to wear a cast for weeks." Leo wasn't as amused as the others were, as he relived that painful memory.
"You have to admit honey, it was quite funny." Piper put her arm around her boyfriend. "You were so cute at that age!" She smiled lovingly at him.
"Are you saying I'm not cute now?" Leo asked mockingly.
"I wouldn't be with you if you weren't! Let's face it, I'm not with you because of your excellent skills on a bouncy castle!" She laughed to herself, knowing that she was winding him up.
"I'm hurt now." Leo crossed his arms and sat back on the couch, a fake angry expression covering his face. Piper could see right through the fake expressions, but she cut their little game short.
"Oh honey. I'm sorry." She leant in and kissed him on the cheek. "You know that I think you're absolutely gorgeous!" Leo looked at her, still trying to act hurt. But one look at her and he couldn't do it any longer. He pulled her towards him and passionately kissed her on the lips. "I love you." He told her between kisses.
"I love you too!" Piper replied as she snuggled closer to him on the couch. Danny rolled his eyes. This was all he needed a loved up couple right infront of him. He then saw the person that he needed walking straight towards them. Sydney Anne Bristow.
"Piper, can I talk to you in private please?" Sydney asked. She looked at Piper and then at Vaughn who was stood in the far side of the room talking to some people.
"Sure." She kissed Leo on the cheek, and then stood up from the couch. Syd took hold of her hand and led her away so that they could talk. The rest of the group looked at each other clearly confused about what was going on.
"Syd what's wrong?" Piper finally asked once they were out of earshot. They had stopped in the kitchen, which was empty for now. Sydney leaned against the kitchen counter, wondering where she should start.
"Before, you asked me what the deal was with me and Michael..." Piper nodded, so she continued. "Well, I nearly kissed him." Sydney began examining that floor, not wanting to look her friend in the eyes. Piper took a seat at the kitchen table, and motioned Sydney over to do the same.
"Tell me what happened." Piper said coolly.
"We went outside to get some fresh air, you know I was upset about seeing Danny here. We started talking, and I told him that he could go back inside and get to know people. But then he said that he didn't come here for other people, he came because of me. And then I decided that I was gonna end it with Danny. I got upset, and Michael wiped the tears off my face, and then the next thing I knew I was pulling him towards me so that I could kiss him." Sydney stopped, and looked at Piper for some advice.
"You said you nearly kissed him. So why didn't you?" Piper rested her chin on her hands as she listened.
"We were interrupted. A group of people came out, and we both pulled away." She sighed. "And then it got so awkward, and I suggested that we should go back inside. But I just wanted to stay out there with him. What am I going to do Piper, I don't want things to be awkward between me and Vaughn?"
"Are you sure that things are over between you and Danny?" Syd nodded. "I suggest that you don't break up with him here, but the first chance you get you should talk to him. And as for Michael, he obviously likes you; otherwise he wouldn't have tried to kiss you. Go and find him now and talk to him. See what he says." Piper squeezed Sydney's hand comfortingly.
"Okay. Thanks sweetie." She stood up and kissed Piper on the head.
"Come and find me later and tell me what he says!" She watched as her friend drank a shot of tequila, trying to give herself courage for confronting Michael.
Piper rejoined the rest of her friends after Sydney had left her in the kitchen. She took her usual spot besides Leo, as she looked around the room for any signs of Syd and Michael.
"What did Sydney want to talk to you about?" Paige asked curiously.
Piper glanced briefly at Danny and then at her sister. "Nothing important. She just needed a little girl talk, that's all." They all looked at her questioningly and then decided to drop the subject.
"So, do any of you know if Andy is still single?" Prue asked hoping for the answer that she wanted to hear. Andy and Prue were an item when she lived in LA, and then when she moved to San Francisco, they tried the long distance thing, but it hadn't worked for long. They soon grew apart, and Prue hadn't heard from him in over 3 months.
"Yeah I think he is. Why, are you wanting to get back together with him?" Cole asked.
"Maybe."
"Hey!" Sydney stood behind Vaughn, amazed at how fast her heart was beating in her chest. He slowly turned around and smiled at her.
"Hey!" His voice was just as soft and gentle as hers had been. They stood for a minute looking into each other's eyes.
"Listen Syd." "Michael." They both spoke simultaneously, wanting to discuss the same subject. Sydney looked down at her feet, not knowing what to say next.
"You go." Vaughn said, giving her the opportunity to speak.
Sydney quickly excused herself from Vaughn's company and went to the bathroom. She passed Danny on the way, looking at him briefly before continuing on her way. She sat in the bathroom for a couple of minutes thinking about Vaughn. And then her mind wondered back to Danny. She had to admit that she wasn't totally happy in the relationship, which was partly her fault for beginning to get feelings for another guy. Danny had always been good to her, except for his jealous outbursts, which he had occasionally. But there was just one major problem...he wasn't Michael. There was something about the new guy in her life that Sydney couldn't quite put her finger on. Maybe it was his sense of humor, or his really good looks. Or maybe it was that they shared a connection that she didn't have with Danny. Oh come on Sydney, you've only known this guy for about a week. It's just a crush. Or is it?
Sydney knew that she would have to talk to someone about this, she needed help sorting her feelings out. And she knew just the person who could help her.
Most of the group had now found out that Prue was back. They were all sat around the couch, catching up on old memories, and drinking beers. Danny was sitting with them, but he wasn't paying much attention to what was being said. His mind was filled with thoughts about Sydney. A couple of weeks ago they had been so happy. And now they hadn't spoken in days. The truth was he missed her, but he wasn't quite sure how he could win her back. Not now that this Vaughn guy was in the picture.
"Do you guys remember that time when it was Phoebe's 7th birthday party, and we had that big bouncy castle in the garden. And then you guys, "Prue pointed at Cole and Leo. "Tried to be smart, and Leo ended up bouncing off it!" The girls laughed as they remembered that certain incident.
"Hey, that wasn't funny. I ended up breaking my arm, and I had to wear a cast for weeks." Leo wasn't as amused as the others were, as he relived that painful memory.
"You have to admit honey, it was quite funny." Piper put her arm around her boyfriend. "You were so cute at that age!" She smiled lovingly at him.
"Are you saying I'm not cute now?" Leo asked mockingly.
"I wouldn't be with you if you weren't! Let's face it, I'm not with you because of your excellent skills on a bouncy castle!" She laughed to herself, knowing that she was winding him up.
"I'm hurt now." Leo crossed his arms and sat back on the couch, a fake angry expression covering his face. Piper could see right through the fake expressions, but she cut their little game short.
"Oh honey. I'm sorry." She leant in and kissed him on the cheek. "You know that I think you're absolutely gorgeous!" Leo looked at her, still trying to act hurt. But one look at her and he couldn't do it any longer. He pulled her towards him and passionately kissed her on the lips. "I love you." He told her between kisses.
"I love you too!" Piper replied as she snuggled closer to him on the couch. Danny rolled his eyes. This was all he needed a loved up couple right infront of him. He then saw the person that he needed walking straight towards them. Sydney Anne Bristow.
"Piper, can I talk to you in private please?" Sydney asked. She looked at Piper and then at Vaughn who was stood in the far side of the room talking to some people.
"Sure." She kissed Leo on the cheek, and then stood up from the couch. Syd took hold of her hand and led her away so that they could talk. The rest of the group looked at each other clearly confused about what was going on.
"Syd what's wrong?" Piper finally asked once they were out of earshot. They had stopped in the kitchen, which was empty for now. Sydney leaned against the kitchen counter, wondering where she should start.
"Before, you asked me what the deal was with me and Michael..." Piper nodded, so she continued. "Well, I nearly kissed him." Sydney began examining that floor, not wanting to look her friend in the eyes. Piper took a seat at the kitchen table, and motioned Sydney over to do the same.
"Tell me what happened." Piper said coolly.
"We went outside to get some fresh air, you know I was upset about seeing Danny here. We started talking, and I told him that he could go back inside and get to know people. But then he said that he didn't come here for other people, he came because of me. And then I decided that I was gonna end it with Danny. I got upset, and Michael wiped the tears off my face, and then the next thing I knew I was pulling him towards me so that I could kiss him." Sydney stopped, and looked at Piper for some advice.
"You said you nearly kissed him. So why didn't you?" Piper rested her chin on her hands as she listened.
"We were interrupted. A group of people came out, and we both pulled away." She sighed. "And then it got so awkward, and I suggested that we should go back inside. But I just wanted to stay out there with him. What am I going to do Piper, I don't want things to be awkward between me and Vaughn?"
"Are you sure that things are over between you and Danny?" Syd nodded. "I suggest that you don't break up with him here, but the first chance you get you should talk to him. And as for Michael, he obviously likes you; otherwise he wouldn't have tried to kiss you. Go and find him now and talk to him. See what he says." Piper squeezed Sydney's hand comfortingly.
"Okay. Thanks sweetie." She stood up and kissed Piper on the head.
"Come and find me later and tell me what he says!" She watched as her friend drank a shot of tequila, trying to give herself courage for confronting Michael.
Piper rejoined the rest of her friends after Sydney had left her in the kitchen. She took her usual spot besides Leo, as she looked around the room for any signs of Syd and Michael.
"What did Sydney want to talk to you about?" Paige asked curiously.
Piper glanced briefly at Danny and then at her sister. "Nothing important. She just needed a little girl talk, that's all." They all looked at her questioningly and then decided to drop the subject.
"So, do any of you know if Andy is still single?" Prue asked hoping for the answer that she wanted to hear. Andy and Prue were an item when she lived in LA, and then when she moved to San Francisco, they tried the long distance thing, but it hadn't worked for long. They soon grew apart, and Prue hadn't heard from him in over 3 months.
"Yeah I think he is. Why, are you wanting to get back together with him?" Cole asked.
"Maybe."
"Hey!" Sydney stood behind Vaughn, amazed at how fast her heart was beating in her chest. He slowly turned around and smiled at her.
"Hey!" His voice was just as soft and gentle as hers had been. They stood for a minute looking into each other's eyes.
"Listen Syd." "Michael." They both spoke simultaneously, wanting to discuss the same subject. Sydney looked down at her feet, not knowing what to say next.
"You go." Vaughn said, giving her the opportunity to speak.
