Hey guys, thanks again for your reviews. I'm glad you like the previous chapter- it's one of my favs (I love anything to do with Jack!)
On the Wednesday after the dinner disaster Sydney was sitting in café next door to Vaughn's work, waiting for him to finish. They were going out with Will and Francie that evening and Sydney was taking Vaughn back to her place to ready. Looking at her watch Sydney saw that there was only 5 minutes to the end of Vaughn's shift and decided to go next door to greet him. She'd had enough of sitting around.
However when Sydney opened the door to exit the café she walked smack into an incoming customer- her father.
"Watch where you are go- Sydney!"
"Hello dad."
"So how are you doing?"
"Fine." Sydney couldn't believe this. The last thing she wanted to do was stand here and exchange pleasantries with the man she wanted to smack in the face.
"Good. So, uh, would you like to join me for a coffee?"
"No thanks dad. I think it had been well established that we don't socialise well over a table. And besides, I have to go and meet someone."
"Who?"
"Not that it is any of your business, but Vaughn."
"Look Sydney, about Sunday night…"
"I don't want to talk about it."
"I think we need to." Jack went to put his hand on Sydney's shoulder but she shrugged it off.
"If you want to talk dad, you should make the effort to contact me and not just hope for a coincidental meeting."
"Wait, Sydney."
"I have to go." As she walked out onto the footpath she was greeted by Vaughn, who had just witnessed what had happened.
"Are you ok?" he asked, putting his arm around Sydney's shoulders as they headed towards her car.
"I'm fine."
"Well that's good. Will told me what you were like Sunday night. We certainly don't want to have to put up with you in a mood like that tonight."
"And what if I were? Would you stay home and cheer me up?"
"Hell no! Will said that even Francie was scared of you. I'd be running for the hills- as far away from your firing line as possible."
"Nice to know you're so supportive." Sydney laughed.
"Syd, I am very supportive. What I'm not is suicidal." Vaughn replied with a cheeky grin. Sydney looked up at his smiling handsome face and felt the resentment towards her father just melt away. She leaned up and planted a kiss on his lips. Why worry about Jack Bristow when she had Michael Vaughn by her side.
"Will, aren't you going to get changed?" It was later that evening and all four of them were ready to leave. Well, that was until Francie discovered a problem with Will's attire.
"What's wrong with this shirt?" He and Vaughn were seated on the couch and had been watching some sports program while Sydney and Francie had been taking their time getting ready.
"There's nothing wrong with the shirt, except that you've been wearing it all day."
"So?"
"So, it's dirty and gross!"
Will put his nose to his armpit and sniffed. "Smells ok to me."
"Will!" Both Francie and Sydney yelled as Vaughn cracked up.
"William Tippin, go and change your shirt now!" Francie demanded. "Please."
"Fine." Will got up and headed to the laundry, where a large amount of his clothes had been accumulating from the day Sydney and Francie moved in.
Sydney smiled at Francie. "I told you that you guys would make a great couple."
Francie grinned back and went to respond but was stopped the phone ringing.
"I'll get it." Sydney said, grabbing the receiver. "Hello."
"Sydney?"
"Yes."
"Sydney, it's Emily."
"Hi. How are you?"
"So-so. My hair started to fall out today."
"Oh no."
"Well the bright side is once it's gone I won't have to worry about what hairstyle I want each day."
"Only you could see the silver lining in losing your hair Emily."
"Staying positive is the only way I'm going to get through this."
"Well, as I've said before, if there is anything I can do, just ask."
"Actually there is. Are you free Tuesday afternoon?"
"Yeah, what do you need?"
"My garden is in a dire need of a weed. Unfortunately I get exhausted if I try to doit alone, but if I had some help I'm sure I could manage."
"I would love to."
"Fantastic, I'll see you Tuesday afternoon then."
"I'll come straight after classes."
"Thank-you. Good-bye Sydney."
"Good-bye."
"So then for her English oral, Sydney gets up and compares Mr Bates to Big Brother from 1984."
Vaughn turned to Sydney. "You didn't?"
"I did."
Over dinner the conversation had turned to high school and Francie had been telling Vaughn about Sydney's shining moment in year twelve English.
"Needless to say, Bates wasn't impressed and failed her."
"But I complained and then my speech got reviewed by the senior sub-school." Sydney informed Vaughn. "They concluded that my speech demonstrated excellent knowledge of the text and I ended up with an A."
"Unbelievable. I would never have had the guts to do that." Vaughn said.
"Well it got to the point where I just didn't give damn. The guy was a domineering, disrespectful pig- he needed a good wake up call." Sydney replied. "Plus, Will bet me a hundred dollars that I wouldn't actually get up there and do it."
"Stupidest moment of my life." Will muttered.
"You still haven't paid up." Sydney pointed out.
"I told you I would pay you when I got the money."
"Yeah, well I'm not holding my breath."
"I still can't believe you compared your English teacher to Big Brother." Vaughn said, shaking his head. "I wish I had been there to see it."
"Well, I want to be there the day one of Syd's students compares her to Lady Macbeth." Francie said, laughing at the thought.
"Excuse me, but all my students are going to love me." Sydney shot back.
"You keep telling yourself that." Will said with a smirk.
"And I suppose everybody just adores journalists." Sydney retorted, leaning over the table and giving Will a poke in the upper arm.
"Ohh, I think she's got you there, Will." Vaughn laughed.
"One day I will have the last word, Sydney." Will said, as the waitress placed their desserts on the table.
"Yeah and that will be the day when I finally get my hundred dollars." Sydney replied with a grin, and Will had the sense to shut upand just eat.
"Well Bristow, you're friends certainly opened my eyes up towards you tonight." Vaughn said as Sydney let them into her apartment. After dinner Will and Francie had kicked on to a local nightclub. Sydney and Vaughn had instead opted to go back home, wanting to spend some time alone.
"I wouldn't get too smug. Weiss has told me a few interesting tid bits about you."
"What did he say?"
"I'm not telling."
"Are you going to make me force it out of you?"
"And how are you going to force it out of me?" Sydney stood in front of the kitchen bench, hands on her hips and a slight smile playing on her lips.
"Well as I remember, somebody in this room is very ticklish and it isn't me."
Sydney's eyes widened, and she took a step back. "You wouldn't dare."
"I wouldn't?" Vaughn took a step towards her and Sydney yelped, running off in the direction of her bedroom. Vaughn followed close behind and grabbed her before she even got to the door. Picking her up, he flung her easily over his shoulder and marched her to the couch.
"Now what were you saying?" he asked, pining her down. "I wouldn't dare, hey?"
"Ok, ok. You would dare do it." Sydney attempted to pout. "But that doesn't mean you'll actually do it, does it?"
Vaughn laughed, and leant down to kiss her. Sydney responded by wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him close. The kiss went from slow and soft to hard and intense quickly, and after a few minutes, they broke apart, breathing heavily.
"I definitely prefer that to being tickled." Sydney whispered, running her fingers through Vaughn's hair.
"I can't imagine why you would think that." Vaughn replied, smiling.
"You know what else I think."
"What?"
"I think it's time we went to bed."
"I think that is great idea." Vaughn said with a grin as Sydney grabbed his hand and led them into the bedroom.
A/N: Heys guys, just a quick apology. I know this was another 'in-between' chapter, with not a whole lot going on. But I wanted to give you guys some light-hearted fluff before what I have planned next...