Thanks for all the reviews last chapter! Sorry for the evil cliff, but aww that was fun, hehe. Enjoy the chapter. Only one more after this one:(

PART II- Chapter 21.

Vaughn's POV

"I'm helping you pick out a what?" Weiss screamed as we both exited the car.

"An engagement ring." I stated flatly.

"You're proposing to Sydney?"

"No… I'm proposing to your mom!" I laughed. "Of course I'm proposing to Sydney."

Weiss scratched his head in confusion while we stood outside the jewelry store. A million thoughts were probably running through his head including the one where he thinks I've literally gone insane. But I was prepared for this. I knew he would react this way.

Grabbing my shoulders, he looked me straight in the face. "Mike…"

"Yes?"

"You're 20."

"Yeah…"

"You have at least 2 years left of college." Weiss acknowledged.

"Your point being?"

"Have you gone completely nuts?" He shouted. "Why in the world do you want to get married this young? I mean, I know you and Sydney are in love and everything, but you have all the time in the world!"

"And how do you know that?" I questioned, suddenly turning serious.

"What?"

"How do you know we have all the time in the world?" Running a hand through my disheveled hair, I began to explain to Weiss why I was doing this. "Listen Weiss, I love Sydney. I love her more than anything else in the world. Sydney and I… we both lost our parents when we were children. It was the hardest thing we've ever had to cope with growing up, but it made us appreciate what time we have with the people we love. With my mom being diagnosed with cancer this year, it's only made me realize even more that we don't know what life is going to bring us. We don't know what's going to happen." I sighed. "If there's one thing that I do know for certain right now is that I want to marry Sydney. I don't care how young I am. I just need to know that she's going to spend the rest of my life with me."

Weiss paused for a moment, nodding his head in agreement. I didn't blame him for freaking out on me nor was I mad. But, I needed him to understand what this was all about since it was the single most important decision I was about to make in my life.

"I get it." Weiss suddenly broke the silence.

"You get it?"

"Yeah… at first I thought you were just acting crazy. But after you said what you said and seeing it in your eyes right now, I know that you really want to do this. And I have to say, I'm so happy for you and Syd. You guys deserve each other."

"Thanks Weiss." I told him, pulling him into one of those manly half handshake, half hug sort of thing.

I felt overwhelmed the minute I entered the jewelry store. The workers at the counter looked at me like I was a lost little boy while Weiss strutted around the cases, commenting on the diamond earrings and how he wanted them so he could look like 50 cent.

I slowly walked up to where I guessed the rings were, bending down to stare closely at the glass case. I had no idea what I was looking for or what Syd wanted. I always figured I'd go to some jewelry shop, see a ring, and know it's the one for her.

"May I help you, sir?" One of the employees asked, standing behind the ring case.

"Yes… umm… I'm actually looking for an engagement ring. I'm proposing to my girlfriend." I answered shyly.

"Is there anything particular that you're looking for?" She questioned while beginning to take out several trays of rings.

"Not really. Just something that will pop out at me." Looking for Weiss, I motioned over to him to come help me out. "Weiss, get over here." I yelled.

"Ok, so the first thing I should ask you is your budget. It will be easier if you know how much you want to spend or what you can spend…"

"Oh, I'm not on a budget." I said, shaking my head.

"What? Dude… engagement rings are expensive. You should be on a budget." Weiss instructed.

"No Weiss, seriously." I sighed.

Pulling him over to the side, I explained to him what I had been keeping secret for most of my life. Before my father died, he set up a fund for me and had it written in his will that when I turned 18, I could use the money for whatever I wanted.

I didn't know till I was older how much money my dad really put into it, but I knew it was enough for me to one day support my wife and my family. Once the money was available to me, I didn't want anything extravagant or fancy. It had been untouched ever since the day my dad died.

I also didn't want to be one of those spoiled rich brats, buying anything and everything I wanted while never having to work a day in my life. I felt wrong using the money for my pleasure knowing my father was gone and had worked hard for me.

After explaining everything to Weiss, we walked back over to the counter and began examining the rings. 1 or 2 stuck out at me in the beginning, but nothing I really wanted. I knew the rings salesman was getting frustrated with me for not being able to make up my mind, but I wanted the ring to be perfect. I figured this is the first and last time I'll ever propose to someone.

Forty minutes passed and one ring in the very back of the case had caught my eye. It looked to be a fairly big square cut diamond, surrounded in smaller diamonds with a platinum band. My breath hitched in my throat when I spotted that ring and I knew it had to be mine.

Right after the salesman pulled it out of the case and handed it to me, I knew this would cost a fortune. In Weiss' words, it was definitely 'blingin.' I liked it because it was different, non-traditional, and absolutely stunning. As soon as I touched the ring, a warm feeling spread through out my entire body. Without even asking what the price was, I said I'd take it.

"So there's like no looking back from here Mike." Weiss told me as we walked out of the store and back into the car.

"I know. I'm going to be engaged. Holy shit Sydney is going to be my fiancée!" I smiled.

"You're coming to that realization now? Quick question… since I helped you pick out the ring, does that make me your best man?"

"Well, I was going to officially ask you after I proposed to Sydney." I laughed. "But being that you brought it up, yes, this does make you my best man."
"Sweet!" He yelled. "My first order of business as your best man is to set up that crazy bachelor party for you."

"Syd has to say yes first… and I uh, have to ask her father." I sighed.

"Oh my god, you're going to ask Jack Bristow's permission to marry his daughter?" Slapping his forehead with the back of his hand, Weiss shook his head with amusement. "Can I please be there when you ask him? Better yet, can I bring a video camera?"

"No! Besides, I'm doing it this weekend when we go down to LA. I might piss in my pants while talking to him, but I think that's better than him shooting me in the face."

Syd's POV

Vaughn seemed jittery the whole time on the plane ride. His knee shook with anticipation and his noticeably sweaty palms were warm while encased in my hands. I knew Vaughn never liked flying on planes and thought he was just going through a little anxiety. But, I had never seen him act like this.

Half way through the flight, I finally asked him if he was ok. He seemed distant, not really paying attention to my concerns, but immediately dismissed them saying he was just overly excited to see his mother.

We landed in LA at 8:30, picking up our luggage at the baggage claim and getting in line for a taxi. I insisted on calling my father to come pick us up, but Vaughn said he didn't want to bother my dad. Half of me believed in him, the other half thought Vaughn was scared of my father since the last time he saw him, my dad caught him in the kitchen with only his boxers on.

As soon as the taxi arrived at Vaughn's house, he ran out of the cab, throwing money at the driver and unlocking the front door anxiously.

"Donovan!" He screamed, picking up the pudgy bulldog from the floor and planting kisses all over his face. "I missed you Donnie. Has Aunt Trish been taking care of you?"

"Hey Vaughn? Where do you want me to put your suitcase?" I interrupted, wheeling both of our suitcases into the family room.

"Oh, I'm sorry Syd. I didn't mean to leave you there." He apologized.

Just then, Amélie appeared in the kitchen threshold, holding a hand over her mouth in shock. I almost didn't recognize her since the last time I had been home. She looked unbelievably great with her hair beginning to grow back and some more weight on her.

"Michael!" She shouted. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming home? You scared the living daylights out of me!"

"I wanted to surprise you." He laughed. "Wow mom, you look amazing."

"Thank you sweetheart. Now come over here and give your mother a hug."

They embraced for a good minute while I stood off in the corner, admiring the love between the two. Amélie dabbed at her eyes after pulling back from Vaughn, the joy of seeing him obviously being a bit overwhelming for her.

I could see the tears in Vaughn's eyes begin to well up as he looked at his mom for the first time in months and noticed the vast improvement in her health. Just like me, Vaughn couldn't get over how much more healthier she looked. It was almost like she wasn't sick at all.

"Where's Aunt Trish? I want to say hi to her." Vaughn questioned while looking around the house.

"She had a dinner date with some friends. She'll be home later. I'm just finishing up a late dinner so you guys go put your stuff down." Amélie informed us.

"Mom, it's ok. You don't have to cook for us if you're tired. Syd and I can get food on our own."

"Oh, Michael that is nonsense! You two are never a burden on me." She argued.

After setting down our stuff, I called my dad to tell him I was home before going out into the backyard with Vaughn. Amélie insisted on inviting my dad to dinner, but he informed me that he was working late and wouldn't be home until 10:30.

Pushing the sliding door open, I could see Vaughn relaxing in one of the lawn chairs and staring up into the dark, night sky. I pulled my sweater tighter around my body, suddenly feeling a bit chilly from the light breeze.

Vaughn smiled when he saw me, gesturing me to come sit with him. Instead of pulling up a second chair, I collapsed on his lap, wrapping my arms around his body and laying my head in the crook of his neck. I sighed contently after inhaling his unique scent.

"Your mom looks great, you know. I can't get over it." I told him, lightly running my hands over his bare arms.

"I know. She seems happy too. She's gone through so much Syd, yet she always manages to be smiling and cheerful. She's amazing." He sighed.

"Yeah… just like you."

Looking up into his eyes, I slowly leaned forward until his lips were pressed against mine in a sweet kiss. I began planting kisses around his face, along his jaw, and finally against his neck. Vaughn let out a laugh as I continued my assault on his neck.

"What… are… you giggling… at?" I asked still nipping at his neck.

"Nothing. It's just, you know, I feel like a little kid again with my girlfriend giving me a hickey in my backyard while my mom is inside." He laughed, threading his hands through my hair.

"Yeah? Are you complaining?" I paused.

"No… oh god no…"

Giggling at his refusal, I slipped my hands behind his back to caress the exposed patch of skin right above his jeans. He gasped at first contact, my cold hands surprising him a bit. We continued our mini make out session until Amélie called us in for dinner. The both of us promising to later finish what we started in the backyard.

"Oh there you two are. Go ahead and dig in. I'm just going to open up a bottle of wine." Amélie informed us, gesturing us towards the kitchen table.

"You made my favorite!" Vaughn yelled excitedly as he anxiously grabbed his fork.

"Of course. Anything for my son while he's home."

I could tell why the fettuccini was Vaughn's favorite since it was one of the most delicious homemade meals I had ever tasted. Twirling it around my fork, I laughed at Vaughn for practically inhaling his whole plate and getting up for seconds.

Vaughn and I had both only noticed Amélie's have full plate long after we had finished ours. She sat quietly at the edge of the kitchen table, staring into her plate and picking at the inside of her garlic bread. She looked lost in thought as her fingertips lightly drummed against the wooden table.

"Mom? Are you ok? You didn't eat much." Vaughn asked concerned.

"What? I'm sorry… yes Michael I'm fine. I still haven't gotten my appetite back yet. It's slowly coming back, but it's hard for me to finish my meals. The doctor said it takes time." She said quietly.

Just then, the front door creaked open and loud footsteps could be heard from the kitchen. Vaughn's Aunt Trish appeared in the doorway seconds later carrying a box of pie from Baker's Square. She smiled broadly once she saw Vaughn, almost dropping the pie in excitement.

"Michael! Oh Michael, when did you get home? How is my handsome, most favorite nephew doing?" She shouted, embracing him tightly.

"I'm great. Just came home to visit you and mom. How are you? Ohh, you brought home pie!" He gasped as he pulled open the lid to see what was inside. "French silk? Oh Aunt Trish you are the best."

"You and your bottomless stomach, Michael." She laughed.

Turning to me, she finally realized I had been sitting there. Pulling my arms up to give me a long, tight hug.

"Sydney! How wonderful it is to see you. I was just asking Amélie how the two of you were doing. Good it seems. You and my nephew look like you are extremely happy."

"Yes, we are. Vaughn is… he's… the greatest boyfriend I could ever ask for." I said, finally being able to find the words I was looking for.

"Well aren't you two just the cutest." She sighed. "Let me go get a knife so I can cut this pie. I brought it home for Amélie to celebrate!"

Vaughn's POV

I stood there with my brow furrowed, staring intently at my mother. Celebration? Celebration of what, I thought. It wasn't her birthday… I was confused out of my mind trying to figure out what my aunt and mother were supposed to be celebrating tonight.

"Celebration? Celebration of what?" I asked curiously.

"Amélie, you didn't tell them?" My aunt gasped.

"Tell us what? Mom?"

"I was going to." My mother spoke up. "But they just got in the door no more than an hour ago and I wanted to feed them dinner first."

"Mom, what is it?" I asked again as I anxiously waited her answer.

"Michael… I… I found out this morning… my cancer is going into remission." She said quietly.

I stood there shocked at first, the words echoing through my mind but not being absorbed. Flashbacks of what my mother had gone through in the past year flooded my mind as tears sprung to my eyes.

My mother's cancer was in remission. She was finally being cured. After everything she had experienced, the chemotherapy, sickness, surgery, near death experience, and radiation, she had finally made it.

"Oh mom!" I sobbed, breaking down completely and falling into her arms like I had done so many times when I was a little boy. The emotion was too much for us to take as we cried and held each other in our arms.

"I know sweetheart." She sobbed. "I'm going to be ok."

It took a few moments for me to calm down and the tears to stop streaming down my face. It was the best news I could've ever received. I suddenly realized that all of the pain my mother and I had gone through during her treatment was now worth it.

Sydney herself was also crying through my mom's announcement. She of all people had gone through almost just as much pain that we had gone through. After she exited the room, I turned to my mother, excited about telling her what I was going to do.

"Mom, I have to tell you something." I said, turning to face her on the couch.

"Hmm, what is it?"

"Well, I made the decision a couple of days ago… that… I'm going to ask Sydney to marry me." I finally let out.

"Are you serious?" My mother choked.

"Yes. I bought the ring yesterday with Weiss. I'm going to propose to her when we get back to San Francisco."

"Michael…" She sighed.

"I know mom. I know what you're going to say. You're going to say that we're too young and that we don't know what we want. But I do. I want Sydney to be my wife and I've never been surer about anything in my life. I love her." I confessed.

"Michael, I wasn't going to say that. I know how much you and Sydney love each other. I can see how happy she makes you. I was just going to tell you how wonderful I think it is." She told me, squeezing my hand reassuringly. "I wish your father was still here for this. He'd be so proud of you."

"Thank you mom."

I was nervous as we drove to Syd's house. So nervous I thought I was going to pass out. Asking Jack Bristow for his daughter's hand in marriage wasn't an easy task, but it was something I knew I had to do.

Pulling up to Syd's house, I helped her unload her luggage while she opened the front door and threw herself into her father's arms. Despite Jack looking tired from what I assumed was a long day at work, he looked happy to see the both of us.

"Sydney! You look beautiful. How's school? Keeping up the grades?" He asked after giving her a kiss on the forehead.

"Thanks dad. School's great. The grades our fine." She responded.

"Michael, it's good to see you." He told me, firmly shaking my hand.

"Good to see you too Jack."

After sitting down in the family room with Syd and Jack, discussing school and my mother's big announcement, Syd excused herself and asked me if she could break the good news to Weiss and Francie on the phone. Without hesitation I told her it was fine, thinking this would be a great opportunity to ask Jack the big question.

I took a deep breath after Syd left the room. Beads of sweat were now beginning to drop down my head as I built up the courage inside of myself to speak to Jack. With one final deep breath, I looked him in the eyes and spoke.

"Jack? I need to ask you something."

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