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Vaughn woke on Tuesday morning to see Sydney sitting up cross legged on his bed. Even though he thought that Sydney would prefer going home to her own bed after Emily's funeral, she had insisted they go to Vaughn's.
"After all, your mum is probably going to call to wish you a happy birthday. She won't be impressed if you're not there." She was adamant, and so they had gone to Vaughn's.
"Morning." Vaughn said, sitting up.
"Good morning, birthday boy."
"How are you doing?" Vaughn asked with concern, but Sydney shook her head.
"Uh, uh. Today will be a Sydney emotional drama free day. Now, how many birthday bonkers is it?" she asked with a mischevious grin.
"No way. I'd rather let Weiss give me bonkers than you."
"Well. Then. I. Guess. I'll. Just. Have. To. Give. You. Twenty-two. Of. These." Sydney puncuated each word with a kiss placed somewhere on Vaughn's face.
"I'm not going to say no to that." Vaughn replied, pulling Sydney down on top of him so he could kiss her long and hard.
""Now unfortunately the circumstances of the past week have prevented me from getting you a present." Sydney said sitting up. "But I promise that by this weekend I will have gotten you something amazing."
"Syd, I don't need a present."
"Vaughn! It's your birthday- why don't you act like it?" Sydney gave him a light punch. "Now, what would the birthday boy like for breakfast?"
"Umm, pancakes?"
"Done." Sydney jumped off the bed and headed to the door. Before she exited the room, she turned around. "Vaughn."
"Yeah?"
"What were you and my dad talking about yesterday?"
"You."
"What?" Sydney was surprised.
"He asked how you'd been holding up. He was really worrying about you."
"Really."
"Yes, really- and after we covered you, we actually got talking about hockey. Did you know you're dad was a fan?"
"No. I didn't." Sydney flashed Vaughn a smile, walked out to the kitchen and began assembling ingredients for breakfast. She was about to start mixing when she heard the phone ring.
"Syd, could you please get that?" Vaughn's voice called.
"Got it...Hello."
"Oh, hello. I'm not sure if I have the right number..." a voice with a French accent said.
"You've got the right number Juliette. It's Sydney."
"Oh hello. How are you?" Juliette sounded genuinely concerned. "Michael told me what happened."
"I'm holding up. You're son has been amazing."
"Yes, he does tend to be that way." Sydney could hear the loving pride in Juliette's voice.
"So would you like to speak to the birthday boy?"
"Yes, thank-you."
"Actually, before I give you to him, can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"I want to do something for Vaughn this weekend- for his birthday and to say thank-you for his support. Could you give me any ideas?"
"Camping." Juliette answered immeadiately. "He loves it, but hasn't been since the early stages of his relationship with Lauren. Take him camping and he will love you forever."
"Thank-you so much Juliette." A plan was already forming in Sydney's mind. "I'll just go and get him for you."
"Uh Syd. How are we supposed to get in?"
"You're the magician, Houdini, you tell me."
It was later that afternoon and Sydney and Weiss were standing on Vaughn's doorstep, laden with shopping bags. Weiss had rang not long after Juliette that morning and after realizing that their classes finished before Vaughn's, the two of them had planned a small birthday surprise for him.
"Are you serious Syd?" Weiss asked. "What the hell are we going to do with all of this"- he held up the shopping bags-"if we can't get in?"
"I was joking Weiss. I took Vaughn's house key this morning." She dangled it in his face. "We can get in."
An hour later Vaughn's living room was draped with multi-coloured streamers and a huge 'Happy Birthday' banner covered one of his Walls of Fame. A mass of balloons were attached to the walls, and drifting along the floor. A chocolate mud cake was sitting in the fridge, waiting to be adorned with birthday candles- the ones that couldn't be blown out. Candles that both Sydney and Weiss had picked out with glee.
"You called Juliette back, didn't you Syd?" Weiss asked, flopping down on the couch.
"Yeah, she'll be here around 6.30 for dinner."
"Great." Weiss paused for a second. "How you doing Syd? I can't imagine that it would be very easy being festive after what happened."
"I'm doing fine.It's actually good to have something else to focus on."
"Come on Syd. I know you want Vaughn's birthday to be special, but tell me the truth. How are you really doing?" Weiss looked at her with a slight smile on his face. And Sydney thought she'd been doing a great acting job.
"Weiss, I'm not sure if I really want to talk about it, you know? I just want to have a normal day, and to try and not think about it. Tomorrow I can go back to whatever stage of the grieving process that I'm suppossed to be at." Sydney replied, giving Weiss a small smile.
"Well, you know, after all you've been through, Vaughn wouldn't mind not having a big deal made out of his birthday."
"But that's exactly why I want it to be special!" Sydney exclaimed. "He has been so amazing and deserves so much recognition- speaking of which..." Sydney told Weiss about the camping trip idea and his eye's lit up at the prospect.
"Syd, that's a great idea. Vaughn will love it."
"Yeah, well you're coming too."
"Me?" Weiss looked surprised.
"Of course- you're his best friend. It wouldn't be right without you." Sydney stopped for a second. "I was thinking of asking Will and Francie. What do you think?"
"Yeah, ask them. Vaughn thinks they're great."
"Is there any other friends we should invite?" Sydney asked.
"If we asked all of Vaughn's friends, we would have to camp on a football field. But there is one guy- Craig Blair. We went to high school with him and we were all great mates. He moved a couple of counties over to go to uni and we haven't seen a lot of him since. Vaughn would love to catch up with him again."
"Sounds good. Can you get me his number and I'll call him tomorrow. Now this is what I was planning on doing..." Sydney and Weiss spent about ten minutes formulating the plan for the weekend until they were interrupted by the sound of Vaughn swearing outside.
"Damn keys." After a few more choice words, there was a thud, which could only be deduced as Vaughn's foot connecting with the door.
Jumping up Sydney and Weiss went over to the door and threw it opened to see Vaughn's shocked face. His jaw dropped and as he peered around his apartment, his mouth opened and closed, as if he didn't know what to say.
"Surprise mate." Weiss grinned, giving Vaughn a thump on the shoulders.
"When did you guys do this?" Vaughn asked as he walked inside.
"We got here about an hour ago." Sydney informed him. "Oh, here's your key."
"You pinched my key?"
"Well we had to get in somehow." Sydney grinned cheekily. "Oh, and your mother is coming around for dinner."
"When did you plan all this?" Vaughn asked, sitting down on the couch and pulling Sydney down next to him. Weiss sat nearby on an armchair.
"On the phone this morning." Weiss answered.
"Unbelievable."
"Well this isn't all of the surprise mate." Weiss piped up, getting a curious look from Vaughn and the death stare from Sydney. She shouldn't have worried.
"You get to clean all this up, Mike."
"Ok then Vaughn. Out of all your birthdays, which is your favourite?" It was later that night, after dinner and conversation had naturally led its way to every birthday celebration any of them had ever had.
"Easy. My sixth birthday."
"And why?" Sydney pressed.
"Because that was when Bill took Michael and Eric to their first hockey game." Juliette informed Sydney with a twinkle in her eye. "But ask them exactly why it was so great."
Sydney turned to Vaughn and Weiss questioningly. "Because you spent the day with your dad?" she guessed.
"Well it was great spending the day with dad, but-"
"There was this huge fight!" Weiss burst in. "Fists and blood and everyhting. And then afterwards Bill took us out for burgers. Hockey, blood and burgers. What more could a six year old ask for?"
"Cake." Vaughn pointed out with a grin.
"Yeah, well you got that when we got home." Weiss said, standing up. "And speaking of cake..."
"Oh!" Sydney jumped up from the table and she and Weiss headed into the kitchen. After decorating the cake with candles, they brought it out and sang 'Happy Birthday'. Then they stood, stifling their giggles, as Vaughn attempeted to blow the candles out.
"What the..." he muttered after the fifth attempt and Sydney, Weiss and Juliette all cracked up laughing. Recognition suddenly dawned on Vaughn's face and slowly he scooped some of the whipped cream filling onto his fingers. "Ok, who's bright idea was this?"
"Sydney's" Weiss said as quick as a flash. Before she could protest Vaughn was up and chasing her around the room, while Weiss doubled over in laughter.
"Vaughn!" she squealed as he tackled her onto the couch and smeared the cream right across her face.
"Michael. You leave that poor girl alone." Juliette admonished. "Judging by Eric's reaction I am posistive that Sydney is not entirely to blame."
The grin on Weiss's face dropped and was replaced by a slightly panicked one as Vaughn got up off the couch and approached him.
"Look mate, I swear it was all her! I promise."
"Just you wait Houdini." Sydney said, coming over. "You'll get your own back, I promise."
"Now, now. Let's call it a truce for now and cut the cake, shall we?" Juliette- always the voice of reason.
"That sounds like a great idea maman." Vaughn said, sitting back at the table. "You know, even though there was no blood shed, this has been a pretty great birthday. Thank-you for eveything."
Sydney and Weiss grinned and then exchanged quick, sly glances. Little did Vaughn know that he still had another surprise to come.