Thank-you all for your reviews, and compliments. Glad I cold make you laugh (or glad that the idea of Jack with a girlfriend made you laugh)
Mizzle fo' Rizzle: Juicy stuff- that is sooo mean! Please, please, please do not tease us poor Aussies! Anyway, tonight's episode is Welcome To Liberty, so as you can see we are not very far into the season.
LilyoftheValley4: Yes, Judith is based on Dr. Barnett- I really liked the interaction between the two of them. Other than that she is nothing like the Judith in the show- especially when it comes to "studying Sloane" (I seriously cracked up when I read that!)
SuperSpy: Glad that you appreciate the regular updates. The reason I am able to update so frequently is that I have already finished writing the story.
It was Saturday- moving day and Vaughn had gotten up early to start loading the small truck he'd hired for the day. Sydney and Weiss were there, intending to help. However, at this point, Weiss was more interested in going through Vaughn's boxes than loading them into the truck, and an exasperated Sydney was speaking to her father on her mobile.
"Dad, I am not trying to avoid you or her. It's just I already promised Vaughn I'd help him move today."
"Vaughn, I cannot believe you still have your Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures!"
"No dad. Next weekend we're having a housewarming party…No, I'm working then."
"Michelangelo was my favourite. Take that!" Vaughn ducked as a Shredder figure flew over his head.
"Weiss!" Can you wait to we get to the new place before you start unpacking boxes?" Vaughn asked, picking up the toy and chucking it towards him.
"Dad, I'm sorry. But you only sprung this on me the other night. You cannot expect me to change plans I've already committed to. Meeting Judith will just have to wait until both of usare free…unless you wanted to cancel something." Vaughn and Weiss glanced at Sydney as she stood, tapping her foot. "Yeah, I didn't think so."
"Are things starting to go downhill in Sydney and Dad Land?" Weiss whispered to Vaughn.
"I wouldn't say downhill- I'd say they've just hit a plateau."
"Oh, ok…Oh! You've still got your water pistols!" Weiss exclaimed, picking up one of the toys. "Where have you been hiding this stuff?"
"Ok dad, well I have to go. I'll see you." Sydney let a loud sigh as she snapped her phone shut. "Unbelievable."
"What?" Vaughn asked, snatching the water pistol from Weiss before he could fill it.
"Dad is so eager for me to meet Judith that he expects me to just drop all of my plans to do it."
"Well if you wanted to go today, that's fine." Vaughn said. "I've got plenty of help."
"Vaughn, no. I promised I would help, and it's not as if meeting my dad's girlfriend is on the top of my fun things to do list." Sydney paused. "I'd rather wax Weiss's back."
"Hey, my back doesn't need waxing." Weiss protested.
"Sorry Houdini, I was just trying to demonstrate my unwillingness to meet Judith."
Vaughn came up beside Sydney. "Well, I have the perfect way to take your mind off your dad."
"What?" Sydney smiled up at him.
Weiss glanced at them. "Uh, should I leave the room? Give you guys some privacy."
"Weiss, no." Vaughn laughed. "Get your mind out of the gutter."
"Well, how else would you distract her?"
"Like this." Vaughn grinned and dumped a box in Sydney's arms. "Start loading, dear."
"Michael, for a person who lives alone, you sure do have a lot of crap." Francie commented, surveying the stacks of boxes in Vaughn's new living room. It was mid-afternoon and the five of them- Vaughn, Sydney, Weiss, Francie and Will- had got all the furniture in and were now contemplating the massive task of unpacking all the boxes. Weiss was the only one looking forward to it. Earlier he'd marked the box that contained the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and water pistols, and was now searching methodically for it.
"What are you doing Weiss?" Vaughn asked. Weiss, who was now on his hands and knees, inspecting the bottom of the stacks, looked up guiltily.
"Nothing…I, uh, lost a contact."
"You don't wear contacts." Vaughn pointed out.
"Ok, ok. I'm looking for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles."
"You have Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?" Will's eyes lit up. "Where?"
"In one of these boxes." Weiss answered, "but I can't find it."
"Well how about we just start unpacking them one by one?" Sydney suggested. "We'll come across them sooner or later."
"You're too logical Syd." Weiss grumbled as he stood up.
"And you're a big kid." Sydney retorted. "And don't start on how it's healthy to regress and all that." She suddenly whipped around to her left. "That goes for you too Michael Vaughn!"
Vaughn, who was smirking, held up his hands. "All I was going to say was that you agree with the theory, Syd."
"Ok!" Francie clapped her hands. "Let's stop the chit chat. The sooner Michael is unpacked, the sooner we can get out of here. Michael, you take your bedroom. Syd, you go with him. Will and Weiss, you take the living room- now that's just books, CD's etc. I imagine Michael will want to put up the obscene amount of photos himself. I'll take the kitchen. If you don't like where your stuff is put Michael, you can change it later." Francie stopped and looked at the four others. "Well, why are you still standing here?"
Sydney smiled as she picked up a box marked 'Bedroom' and headed out of the living room. No matter how dramatic or crazy Francie got, she was still one of the most organized people Sydney knew. If you wanted something done efficiently and correctly, it was best to employ her help.
"How is it that one second Francie is obsessing over which pair of jeans to wear and the next it's like she's running the country?" Vaughn asked Sydney a few minutes later, as they were unpacking his clothes and putting them in his wardrobe.
"That's just Francie, completely dependable, yet unpredictable." Sydney smiled. "That's what I love the most about her."
"Well, I'm glad she's here today. It's nice to have someone else doing all the organising."
"And someone else to keep Weiss in line?"
Vaughn didn't answer, only smiled.
A few hours later the majority of the boxes had been unpacked. There were still quite a few left over, with odd bits and pieces, for Vaughn to decide where to put them.
The five of them were now seated around the living room, eating the pizza that Vaughn had ordered. Sydney had cracked up when she first walked in to the living room and saw that Weiss had displayed all the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle figures along the top of Vaughn's TV. Vaughn had wanted to take them down, but after Weiss threatened to go home and get the video of their Little Shop of Horrors production, Vaughn had relented.
"You glad to be moved in?" Will asked, picking the mushrooms off his slice of pizza.
"Sort of." Vaughn wiped his mouth with a serviette. "It just doesn't feel like home yet."
A loud snore broke into the conversation, originating from Francie who was curled up in an armchair.
"I guess organising us all really wiped her out." Will commented, jokingly. But as he gazed at the sleeping form of his girlfriend, Sydney could see his eyes soften.
"Wake her up and get her home Will." Sydney said. "She deserves a good night's rest."
As Will gently shook Francie by the shoulder, Weiss stood up. "I've got to go too. Ainz is finishing early tonight and I told her I'd pick her up."
After saying good-bye to the three of them Sydney and Vaughn settled back down on the couch. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Sydney spoke up.
"The colour of these walls just won't do."
"What do you mean?" Vaughn asked.
"Well, you do know that peach isn't really in this season."
Vaughn smiled. "I heard that peach was the new green."
"I thought beige was the new green."
"No, beige is the new peach." Vaughn said before placing a kiss on Sydney's forehead. "Now I think that it's time for bed."
Sydney couldn't agree anymore.