I'm back! Thank you all so much for your feedback and patience. I had an absolutely fantastic time on my holiday- funny story. First day in Thailand I was flicking through the tv in the hotel and what do I find? You got it- an episode of Alias! It was in Thai, but the sad thing was I'd seen it so many times I knw exactly what was being said!
Anyway here's the next chap (finally)
"Here's to our last night of freedom." Sydney help up her bottle and Vaughn and Weiss followed suit. It was Sunday night and the three of them had got together at Vaughn's for Chinese food and beer, making the most of their time before uni started again the next day.
"What time is your first class tomorrow?" Vaughn asked Sydney.
"Not until eleven," she grinned. "Which means I'll get a sleep in every Monday for the semester."
"What class is that?" Weiss inquired, as he feed Donovan large amounts of the lemon chicken.
"Weiss! Stop it- I don't want a fat dog."
"Vaughn, you are too wrapped up in appearances." Weiss shot back. "Right Donny. It doesn't matter what you look like, it's what's inside that counts, hey."
Sydney laughed and then replied to Weiss' question. "It's our Short Fiction class."
"Our?" Weiss repeated blankly.
"Yes, ours. We organized out timetables so we'd have the same seminar. At 11 am on Monday morning."
Realization suddenly hit Weiss's face. "Oh yeah. I had completely forgotten."
"You know," Vaughn piped up. "For an intelligent guy, you do a really good impression of a dumb one."
Weiss, in reply, simply gave Vaughn the finger and then placed the entire container of lemon chicken in front of Donovan.
"Friday night? Yeah that'll be fine." Sydney said to her father over the phone Monday morning. "Where?"
"Olivero's, if that's ok."
"Great. What time shall we be there?"
"Uh," Jack cleared his throat. "We?"
"Yes dad, I'm bringing Vaughn."
"Sydney, I want you to meet Judith, not your boyfriend."
"Dad, if you think I'm facing the two of you on my own, then you are mistaken. Either Vaughn comes along, or I don't."
"Sydney, I do not appreciate ultimatums."
"Well, then maybe you can appreciate the fact that I feel like I'm going to need some support Friday night."
"Fine. Michael is welcome to join us. I have booked a table for 8.00pm."
"Good. I'll see you Friday." Sydney hung up the phone and grabbed her bag off the floor.
"You going?" Francie asked, appearing at her bedroom doorway.
"Yeah. Have you got any classes today?"
"No, I don't start until tomorrow."
Sydney walked towards her. "Are you doing ok?"
"Better, now that you and Will know." Francie gave a wavy smile.
"Have you and Will decided anything?"
Francie shook her head. "Not yet. We've organized to see a counsellor together before reaching a final decision."
"That's smart."
"Believe it or not, it was Will's idea."
Sydney laughed lightly. "I'm sorry Fran, but I really have to go."
"Hey, don't let me stop you. Go have fun keeping Eric in line during your tute."
"Please don't remind me. That guy drives me crazy. He pays no attention but always ends up with obscenely high marks." Sydney sighed. "It's not fair."
"Says she who always gets the top mark."
"Says she her works her butt off." Sydney smiled and blew Francie a kiss. "I'll see you later."
"So you can come Friday night?" Sydney asked Vaughn over the phone as she walked down the street to work. "Great. I'll pick you up. Oh, and we'll probably be doing something the following weekend as well."
"Why?"
"Will's birthday is the eighth. I'm going to speak with him and see what he wants to do."
"Ok. Let me know."
"Alright. Love you."
"Love you, too." Sydney flipped the phone shut as she walked into the bookstore.
About half an hour later she was carrying an armful of books to restack, when she noticed that one of the customers down the back of the store was somebody she knew.
"Arvin." He turned and Sydney was a little taken aback by his appearance. He looked so old.
"Sydney, hello. How are you?"
"I'm ok." She glanced at the book he was holding- The Iliad. "How are you doing?"
"Better," he smiled wryly. "It's a little unnerving that I'm beginning to get used to living in the house alone."
"I wanted to thank you for the seed box. I was going to come and see you, but after the way you gave it to me, I wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do."
"Sydney, I don't need your thanks."
"But I want to give it. That box is so special. It's impossible to think about Emily without thinking of her garden."
"I know." Sorrow was etched on his face. "Unfortunately, it would seem that Emily's garden has died along with her."
"Oh." Sydney couldn't think of anything to say. In a way she was angry with Arvin for letting Emily's garden deteriorate. But she also knew that he'd been going though hell these past months. It would be a struggle for him to keep himself going, let alone a garden.
"It was good to see you Sydney." Arvin gestured towards the door. "I've got to go. Good-bye."
"Bye." Sydney said as she watched him walk out of the door.
"Syd, if you don't stop twisting that napkin, it'll be in pieces soon." Vaughn put his hand over Sydney's fidgeting ones. It was Friday night and they were seated at a table in Olivero's waiting for Jack and Judith to arrive. In a way Sydney was hoping that the old Jack would resurface and that she's get a call from him saying he couldn't make it.
Unfortunately a subtle cough from Vaughn brought her attention to the door where Jack had just entered, a elegant looking blonde woman by his side.
"Oh god." Sydney looked desperately at Vaughn. "Take me home, please."
"It'll be fine," he patted her leg reassuringly, before they both stood to greet Jack.
"Hi dad." Sydney tried hard not to look Judith up and down.
"Hello Sydney, Michael." Jack replied and then gestured towards Judith. "Sydney, I would like you to meet Judith Barnett. Judy, this is my daughter Sydney."
"Hi." Sydney tried her best to give a sincere smile. "Nice to meet you."
"The pleasure is all mine." Judith replied as the four of them sat down. "You're father has told me so much about you."
Sydney glanced at Jack, wondering what exactly he had said to her. Vaughn sensing Sydney's unease, spoke up. "I'm Michael Vaughn," he said as he offered Judith his hand.
"Yes, I know. Jack has mentioned you as well."
"He has?" Both Sydney and Vaughn blurted out at the same time.
"You two sound surprised." Jack commented as he read through the wine list.
"Just a bit." Sydney replied.
"Well, you shouldn't be. Michael is a part of your life Sydney, which means that he is part of mine." Jack looked up and gave a small smile to the fearful looking Vaughn. "Now, shall we order some wine?"
Sydney had to admit that Judith was nice and that her father really seemed to like her. However, even though Sydney felt herself warming towards Judith, there were still those underlying feelings of jealously at the closeness she shared with Jack.
"So, Sydney, how long have you and Michael been together?" Judith asked as the waitress brought across their main meals.
"Just over four months."
"How did you meet?"
God, Sydney hated forced small talk. Was there anything more awkward? "Through a friend."
"Jack tells me you're an English major, right?" Judith turned to Jack for confirmation.
"That's right. Sydney is going to be an English teacher." Jack replied and Sydney was surprised to hear what she thought was pride in his voice.
"What age group do you want to teach?" Judith asked.
By this point, Sydney was getting a little tired of being the focus of the conversation and was beginning to shift in her seat. "I want to teach at a high school level."
"That's a brave decision."
"Why do you say that?" Sydney replied, probably a little too sharply.
"Uh, I guess, I just imagine it would be a challenge teaching teenagers." Judith glanced nervously between Sydney and Jack.
"Sydney-" Jack started, his eyes narrowed. Vaughn, however, cut him off before he could say anything else.
"So Jack, did you watch the hockey the other night?"
"Uh," Jack blinked. "Yes, I did."
Sydney let out a deep breath as Vaughn and her father began discussing the game. She hated herself for acting like a brat. Judith hadn't done anything to her.
Unfortunately at that moment Sydney's mobile starting ringing- the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ring tone that Weiss had programmed in there blared right through the restaurant.
"Sydney." Jack hissed.
"I'm sorry- I forgot to put it on silent." Sydney hissed back, fumbling through her bag. Grabbing the phone she flipped it open. "Hello."
"Sydney, it's Will."
"Hey, what's up?"
"I'm at the hospital."
"What? Why?"
"It's Francie. She's lost the baby."