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Sydney stared at the phone and then at the piece of paper in her hand. Then back to the phone. Letting out a loud sigh she reached for the phone, but pulled back before touching it.

Vaughn stood silently in the doorway to his bedroom. He'd been watching Sydney go through this process for about five minutes.

As she let out another sigh, he brought a hand to his bemused grin, stifling the laughter that was threatening to escape. Unable to contain himself, he finally spoke up.

"Uh, Syd, what are you doing?"

Sydney jolted at the sound of his voice and her head whipped around to face him. "How long have you been there?"

"About five minutes."

"Oh."

Vaughn stared at her for a few seconds. "So, what are you doing?"

"Burying the hatchet."

"Really? Because it looks like to me that you are contemplating making a phone call," he said, the bemused grin returning to his face.

Sydney pulled a face. "Oh, so Mr Smart Alec has decided to make an appearance today."

"His one and only appearance for the day, I promise." Vaughn said as he sat next to her on the bed. "So, what hatchet are you burying?"

"The one between my father and I."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Sydney sighed heavily. "I mean I do have a right to be angry with him, but he also has a right to be angry with me. I didn't completely explain my reason for leaving the dinner. But, that doesn't mean that we have to be mad forever."

"So you're calling your father?"

Sydney shook her head. "No, I think dad and I are going to need some outside help on this one." She waved the piece of paper in her hand and Vaughn saw there was a number written on it.

"Whose phone number is that?"

Sydney sighed once again as she picked up the phone.

"Judith's."

"Thank-you for meeting with me." Sydney said to Judith as they sat in the small café area at Sydney's work.

"I must say I was surprised to get your call." Judith admitted.

"First, I want to apologise for running out on that dinner. It was nothing personal- I swear."

"I know that Sydney."

"Secondly, the reason I asked to meet with you is because I need your help."

"My help?" Judith looked genuinely surprised.

"Yeah. My dad is still really mad about what happened and I can't fully explain, to him, my reasons. I mean, I'm also still mad at him for his reaction, but then I think that may be his reaction was justified. That dinner was really important to him, but then my friends are so important to me."

"Uh, Sydney," Judith spoke up. "I'm a little confused. How do I factor into this?"

"I'm sorry." Sydney looked at her. "My father can't know why I left the dinner. But I don't want us to fight. I thought that if I explained to you, then maybe you could get my father to see that I did have a legitimate reason. We're both so stubborn that I thought, mediation would be the best option for this situation." Sydney smiled wryly.

Judith returned the smile. "I'll try. So what happened?"

"A friend of mine just found out that she was pregnant. The phone call was from her boyfriend, another friend of mine, saying that was in the hospital and that she had just lost the baby and she was asking for me."

Judith's eyes widened slightly at this revelation.

"So you can understand why I didn't say anything. A, my friend wouldn't want this news getting out and B, it's not something you just blurt out over a dinner table- especially to a man like Jack Bristow."

"Is your friend ok?" Judith asked, concern written all over her face.

"She's doing ok." Sydney looked at her pleadingly. "Do you think that you could talk to my dad? I hate to put you in a position like this, but his birthday is coming up and this was going to be the first one that we'd really celebrate together."

"I can speak to him."

"Thank-you. I know he'll listen if it comes from you." Sydney said, gratefully.

"What makes you think that?" Judith asked and Sydney looked at her surprised.

"Well, because you guys have gotten so close, in such a short amount of time."

"But Sydney, you're his daughter- his number one. Even I know that." Judith replied, a small smile on her lips. "Why don't you see that?"

"What I see is that it's taken 15 years for my father and I to forge some sort of a relationship. It's taken you and him a few weeks."

"Sydney, you make it sound as if your father and I are in a full-blown committed relationship and connect with each other on every level." She leaned forward slightly. "We see each other, at this point, as a source of companionship. Yes, we get along, but at the moment, things between us are purely superficial."

"Oh." Sydney said. "I didn't…I mean…"

"Sydney, don't worry about it. He is your father after all. I think you have a right to be a little territorial." Sydney laughed lightly at this. "There's another thing you should know."

"What?" Sydney asked.

"Jack never shuts up about you. He is so proud of you. Proud of the person you have grown up to be and of the way you lead your life."

"Huh?" Sydney was a little shocked.

"It's true- to the point that I felt like some sort of a stalker at that dinner. I knew so much about you!"

"Well then how about we even the playing field?" Sydney suggested and Judith raised her eyebrows questioningly. "If you and dad are going to continue seeing each other, then I would like to get to know you, if that's ok?"

Judith's face broke into a wide smile. "I would like that a lot."

Early Wednesday morning Sydney was in Vaughn's kitchen making breakfast when she heard her mobile ringing in his bedroom.

"Vaughn, can you get that?"

"Yeah." About twenty seconds later he entered the kitchen, a mortified expression on his face. "It's your dad." He was cringing inside, thinking of the tome of Jack's "Oh" when he realized that Sydney had stayed at Vaughn's.

Sydney let out a small giggle at the look on Vaughn's face as she grabbed the phone. "Hello dad."

"Hello Sydney. How are you?"

"Good, I'm calling to see if you're free Saturday night. Michael too."

"Yeah, we are. Why?"

"Judith is cooking dinner for my birthday and I was wondering if you would like to come."

"Yeah, we would."

"Um, there's another thing."

"Hmmm."

"I think I may have overreacted that night at dinner."

Sydney smiled at her father's attempt at an apology. "Apology accepted dad. I'm sorry too.

"OK then." Jack cleared his throat. "Have a good day and tell Michael I said good morning."

"Will do. I'll see you Saturday." Sydney flipped her phone shut and grinned at Vaughn. "My dad said good morning."

"Oh god." Vaughn slumped down onto a stool at the kitchen bench. "He's going to kill me for violating his daughter."

"Violating me!" Sydney burst into laughter. "I'm a big girl and my father is aware of that. After all, I lived with Noah."

"That still doesn't change the fact that you quite possibly have the scariest father on the planet. Does he know how to use a gun?"

"Vaughn! I thought that you said that you two had reached an 'understanding' at Christmas."

"Yeah, the understanding that he will not hesitate to cause grievous bodily harm."

"Well if you're that scared, you had better get yourself a suit of armour."

"Why?"

"Because we are going to his house for dinner Saturday night."

"Uh, uh. No way."

"Vaughn, it's just my dad!" Sydney laughed. "He is not going to hurt you."

"I don't know, Syd."

"Please." She walked up to him and slowly ran a finger down his chest. "I'll make it worth your while."

Vaughn suddenly perked up. "How?" he asked, wondering if Sydney owned that Alice in Wonderland costume, or if she had hired it.

"Well, let me put it this way." She smiled sweetly at him. "If you don't come with me, you won't get to violate me anymore." Sydney patted the top of Vaughn's head as his face fell. "Come on, let's get you some breakfast."