Thank-you so much guys, for your great feedback, and here it is- Christmas Eve.
Mizzle fo' Rizzle: I'm glad you like Ainsley, because she will be becoming a big part of the story (hint, hint dandan2300 and BrSoccerChic!)
"Now don't you look cute." Vaughn commented as Sydney opened her door for him and Weiss on Christmas Eve.
"What can I say? I'm in a festive mood." Sydney replied, in regards to the Santa hat that was adorned on her head. She stepped aside so Vaughn and Weiss could enter the apartment.
Over the past couple of weeks Sydney and Francie had gone a little crazy with the Christmas decorations. A huge tree sat in the corner of the living room, covered with dozens of ornaments, tinsel and Christmas lights. More tinsel and lights were draped along the walls in crazy patterns and to top it of there was numerous Santa figures placed around the apartment. Francie has started collecting them when she was ten and had added a new one to the collection every year.
"Oh my god."Weiss deadpanned as he gazed around the apartment.
"Tell me about it." Will said, coming from Francie's bedroom. "It looks like an elf threw up, hey."
"Shut up, Will," said a girl from the couch who was unfamilar to both Weiss and Vaughn.
"This is Amy, Will's sister." Sydney introduced. "She joins us each year for a little Christmas Eve tradition."
"What exactly is the Christmas Eve tradition?" Vaughn asked, sitting down in an armchair.
"Just getting together with your friends and enjoying the festivities before the stress of tomorrow." Francie explained, from where she was standing in the kitchen.
"There is no real specific plan," Amy explained."We do whatever we feel like."
"Except we always go out to see Santa on the fire truck." Sydney pointed out. "None of us want to pass up the opportunity for free lollies."
"So you guys have spent every Christmas Eve together since you met?" Weiss asked.
"Every year." Amy affirmed.
"Well." Weiss sat down on the floor. "Vaughn, you had better behave yourself from now on."
"Why?" Vaughn asked.
"Because I don't want you to jeopardize my invite to Christmas Eve next year." Weiss's response got a laugh from everybody- including Vaughn.
"Don't worry, Houdini." Sydney said."Even if Vaughn is in the shit, I promise you will still get an invitation." She sat down next to Amy on the couch, smiling at Vaughn's indignant expression.
Weiss, however, was happy. "Good," he slapped his thighs heartily. "Now, does Christmas Eve allow the consumption of beer?"
Later that evening, Amy and Weiss had joined forces and convinced everybody into a game of Charades.Given the festive mood and the beers they had consumed, everyone was happy to oblige. They were just happy that Weiss hadn't started performing Christmas carols again.
So now, Sydney and Vaughn were watching Weiss, trying desperately to deduce what his actions were. So far they had established it was a movie, but nothing else.
"Umm, Footloose?" Sydney suggested. Weiss was moving backwards and forwards and she supposed it could be his interpretation of dancing. A shake of Weiss's head indicated otherwise. He continued to move back and forth, shaking his arms. Sydney and Vaughn looked at each other blankly.
"Time's up." Francie announced. "What the hell was that?"
"Uh, Gone with the Wind." Weiss answered, looking disgusted that Sydney and Vaughn hadn't guessed correctly.
"How was that Gone with the Wind?" Vaughn demanded.
"I was being blown by the wind." Weiss reinacted his movements. "How could you not see that?"
"Ok." Sydney threw up her hands."Enough. I do not want to play anymore."
"Agreed." Vaughn put in.
"Why?" Amy, Will and Francie asked.
"Because you guys are kicking our arses." Sydney explained.
"You're a sore loser, Sydney Bristow." Will grinned.
"Damn right I am."
"So do you have a better idea?" Francie asked.
"Yes I do." Everybody looked at her questioningly and Sydney smiled. "Presents," she said and everyone's eyes lit up.
"So, you ready to do this?" Sydney asked Vaughn later that night. They had decided to hold off giving each other their gifts until they were alone.
Everyone had been delighted with their gifts. Sydney had brought Francie a collection of recipe books she's been eyeing off for months and for Will, she'd gotten him a collection of his favourite movies on DVD- His Girl Friday, Lawrence of Arabia and more. From Francie, Sydney had gotten a bunch of hardback novels, and from Will both Sydney and Francie were given a day at a spa. He'd also given Francie a goregeous pair of earrings.
Sydney, as a joke had brought Weiss a yo-yo, along with a kit of magic tricks."It's time you lived up to your name, Houdini." Weiss in return had given Sydney a yo-yo as well, and a new basketball.
"Thank-you." Sydney said, handling the ball. "My other one was getting worn."
Not long after the gift exchange was over everyone started to leave.. Weiss went back to his house, Will and Amy back to their aparment and Francie was going to spend the night at her family's place.
And so, Sydney and Vaughn were alone.They sat in the living room, the Christmas lights flashing, causing the tinsel to reflect off the walls.
"Now, I've got two presents for you." Sydney started. "So I think you should open one tonight and leave the other for tomorrow."
"Well that sounds like a good idea,because I've got two presents for you as well."
"We worked that well, didn't we." Sydney smiled. "Here." She handed Vaughn a small package. He, in return, handed her an equally small package.
"You wanna go first?" he asked.
"No, you go." Sydney replied excitedly. She couldn't wait to see the look on Vaughn's face when he opened his gift.
"I think you should." Vaughn said.
"No, you."
"But I want you to." The two of them stopped, looked at each other and laughed. "Ok, let's open them together." Vaughn suggested.
"Deal." Sydney agreed. "Ok, 3...2...1."
Quickly they both ripped the paper off their gifts.Vaughn's gift was further packaged in a small box, Sydney's was bundled in tissue paper. After tearing off the second layers both of them were left holding a key.
They stared at each other for a second, before Vaughn spoke. "We didn't."
"I think we did."
"A key to-"
"Our apartments." Sydney finished the sentence, her mouth twitching, threatening to laugh.
"We got each other the same gift. Unbelievable." Vaughn's face broke into a wide grin.
"You don't think that this is a little freaky?" Sydney asked, biting her bottom lip.
"No, I think it's great. What does this say about us as a couple if we've bought each other the same gift?"
"Yeah." Sydney's smiled. "I guess it is kind of cool. Thank-you, I love it."
"Ditto." Vaughn replied, pulling Sydney in for a long kiss. "One of the best presents I've ever recieved."
"I think I have to agree."Sydney kissed Vaughn back. "Now, I also think it's time for bed."
"Wait." Vaughn jumped up and grabbed Sydney's camera."This is a moment that has to make it on the Walls of Fame."
He sat back down next to Sydney, pressing his cheek to hers. As he stretched out his arm with the camera, Sydney held up the two keys.
"Say 'keys'" Vaughn ordered. As both of them said it, he pressed the camera. "There, identical Christmas gift immortolised on film."
"A Christmas certainly to remember." Sydney smiled. "Now, let's go to bed. The sooner we get to sleep, the sooner it will be Christmas."
A/N: I just wanted to explain the whole Santa on the fire truck thing. Where I live in Australia, on Christmas Eve the volunteers at the local fire brigade bring the truck around all our streets. One of them is dressed as Santa Claus and all the fire fighters throw lollies out for the kids. It is a really great tradition, with most people being out on the street to see Santa- including the adults (some of them get more excited about it than the younger kids!)
Anyway, it is such a big part of my family and friends Christmas celebration, I thought that it would be fun if the characters in my fic got to enjoy the same thing.