Thank you all for taking the time to review. They really are greatly appreciated.
victoria-king: Glad to hear that you like the story, and great to hear from another aussie fan!
Lil Aussie Alias Chick: Well, I've been talking about Alias so much that I have got a couple of friends who know want to know everything about it! Looks I've successfully converted a few of them! (Glad you enjoyed the chapter too.)
"So how many apartments will we be looking at tomorrow?" Sydney asked Vaughn Friday night. They had been planning to go out, but after hearing Vaughn say he wanted to start his search the next day, Sydney had vetoed their plans. If they were going to be traipsing around all day, inspecting properties then she was going to need her sleep.
"Lots." Vaughn grinned at her mischievously.
"Great." Sydney threw herself onto her couch, stretching out on her back. "It's just how I imagined spending my Saturday." Vaughn laughed and threw himself down on top of her. "Oomph! God, are you trying to add to the pain that you insist I have to suffer tomorrow?"
"Oh come on, you love this." Vaughn murmured, nuzzling her neck, and Sydney had to agree. Wrapping her arms around Vaughn's neck, she brought her lips to his, in a slow, searing kiss.
When they broke apart Vaughn stared at her for a second. "If this is your way to try and get out of tomorrow, it's not working."
"You suck." Sydney pouted. Vaughn laughed and sat up, pulling Sydney into his arms.
"Look, if you really, really don't want to go, that's ok, Syd. I can go by myself."
"You are getting just a little to good at this guilt trip thing, Michael Vaughn." Sydney laughed. "I'll be fine though. I'm just being dramatic."
"Dramatic? Been spending too much time with Francie, hey?"
"Well, we've been friends for six years. She was bound to rub off sooner or later." Sydney grinned. "Now come here, so I can try and get out of tomorrow some more."
"What do you think?" Vaughn asked, glancing around the empty apartment. It was the fifth one he and Sydney had looked at that day.
"It's so dark." Sydney crinkled her nose. "I don't think whoever designed it was a fan of windows."
"Yeah, you're right." Vaughn agreed. He clasped Sydney's hand as they walked outside. "Well, that was the last one for today. We're going to have to continue the search another day."
Sydney smiled weakly as Vaughn said this. As the day had progressed, she had started to feel, well weird. She couldn't quite put her finger on the exact problem, but she did know that spending another day looking at apartments with Vaughn was not going to help.
Vaughn, as if reading her thought, placed a kiss on the top of her head. "I'm sorry about this Syd. But your opinion is important to me. After all, you're going to be spending quite a bit of time in the new place."
"I know." Sydney replied, feeling guilty that she was being such a pill about the whole apartment search. "When are we going to be looking next?"
"How about Monday? I have to work tomorrow."
"That's fine. As long as you cook me dinner Monday night."
"Sounds like a fair trade to me." Vaughn replied as they climbed into his car. "Just as long as you don't mind me cooking an ordered pizza."
"You are slack, Michael Vaughn." Sydney smiled as they drove off, her edginess ebbing away.
"Now I knew you were a joker and I've been told that you are a charmer." Ainsley said to Weiss on Sunday night. "But I didn't think that you were the romantic type who favoured moon lit beach walks."
The two of them had gone out for dinner at a restaurant near the beach. After they'd finished their meals, Weiss had suggested a walk.
"Yeah well I wouldn't have guessed that you were the type who prefers Arnie to whatever heartthrob is getting top billing at the time."
"Touché." Ainsley bent down to take her shoes off. "This is one of the best feelings in the world," she said, wiggling her toes.
"I take it you're a beach girl."
"Definitely. It's one of the things I missed the most when we moved. I love the sand, the smell, and the water. Especially the water." Ainsley laughed. "When I was little, I'd get in the water and because of my hair, I'd pretend I was Ariel."
"Ariel?" Weiss exclaimed, almost choking on his words.
"Yeah, the Little Mermaid." She looked at him. "What's with the grin?"
"Oh nothing," Weiss replied quickly. He needed to have a chat with Sydney. If she'd spoken to Ainsley and this was a joke, well then he'd throttle her. But if not…well then Weiss couldn't believe his luck.
Suddenly Ainsley ran down to the water's edge. Weiss followed and when he got near her, Ainsley kicked, sending a spray of water into his face.
"What was that for?" he asked, wiping his eyes.
"Just felt like it." Ainsley shrugged.
"Well, what if I felt like doing this?" Weiss bent down and scooped up a handful of wet seaweed. Ainsley's eyes widened, as Weiss lined up his shot. As he let go, she ducked, and the seaweed just missed her face.
When she straightened up, Ainsley stared at Weiss, stunned. "I can honestly say I have never gone out with a guy who throws seaweed at my face before."
"Am I in trouble?" Weiss asked, thinking that he may just have ruined things for good this time.
"No. In fact I kind of like it." Ainsley bounded up to him. "I can have some real fun with you!"
"Why does that sound so ominous?"
"Are you scared of me Eric?"
"I don't know. Clarify something for me. When you say fun, do you mean good fun or torturous fun?"
"Umm." Ainsley put a finger to her chin. "Both."
"Then yes, I'm scared."
"You shouldn't say that Eric. Most girls love a guy who is strong, confidant and brave."
"Yeah, but if I pretend to be brave now, when the day comes that you're, I don't know…trapped in a burning building, you're going to expect me to save you. Then we'd both be screwed."
Ainsley broke out into a peal of laughter, throwing her head back. "That's ok.."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I'd rather a guy who throws seaweed over a guy who thinks he's the Hulk any day."
"Hey, I never said I wasn't the Hulk. Just wait till I get angry."
"Eric."
"Yeah."
"Shut up." Ainsley smiled and leaned up, placing a long and lingering kiss on his somewhat surprised lips.
Sydney stood beside Vaughn in the fourth apartment they'd looked at for the day, feeling like that all she wanted to do was go home. The odd feeling inside had returned and Sydney still wasn't exactly sure what was causing it.
As the landlord walked them through this particular apartment, Vaughn couldn't help but stare at Sydney. Her behaviour had been off all day- she seemed frazzled and he hadn't seen her smile once. He knew that all the apartment hunting was bugging her- hell, it was a pain in his neck as well, but it seemed to him that there was something else wrong also.
"So," the landlord turned to them. "Are you two moving in together for the first time, or are you just relocating?"
"Oh, we're not moving in together." Vaughn clarified as Sydney suddenly realized what was bugging her. This apartment search- it was as if they were looking for both of them. She and Vaughn had barely been together three months, but this hunt had made Sydney feel as if she was part of a married couple. While she loved Vaughn more than anybody, she wasn't sure if she was ready for that feeling.
"So what do you think?" Vaughn asked, putting his arm around her shoulders. Sydney shrugged it off.
"I hate it," she replied, heading for the door, ignoring the surprised looks on both Vaughn and the landlord's faces. Right now all she cared about was getting some air.