Thank you all so much for your reviews.
leelow13: Glad that you are enjoying my and thanks for the feedback.
dandan2300: Yes! I loved the episode from last week- everything about it. I can't believe that the season is almost over and let's hope that channel 7 don't keep us waiting forver for season five. About the sequel, I can't tell you what it's going to be called, because I don't yet know. It's absolutely doing my head in, trying to decide a title!
Sydney walked into Vaughn's house late Sunday afternoon, her hands laden with shopping bags. All of her clothes had been destroyed in the fire and the few items of hers that were at Vaughn's were barely enough to dress her for two days. Both she and Francie had realized that a shopping trip was a dire necessity, to both clothe them and serve as a good session of retail therapy. They were both in need of a huge cheer up.
After she had dumped the bags on the floor, Sydney threw herself on the couch, where Vaughn was already seated, watching some hockey highlights on the TV.
"So, did you clean out all the stores?" Vaughn asked as Sydney lay down, resting her head on his lap.
"I wish." Sydney snorted. "But I did get enough so I don't have to slop around in your trackies anymore."
"I think you look great in my trackies." Vaughn replied, running his fingers through her hair. "Hey Syd, I was thinking about what we should do for your birthday. Do you have anything in mind?"
"I don't really feel like doing anything. I'm not feeling up to a celebration." Sydney paused and then turned to look at Vaughn, a mischevious glint in her eyes. "Actually, there is something I want us to do."
"What?" Vaughn asked, warily.
"I want to watch Dirty Dancing."
"You are too predictable, Bristow. Why don't you surprise me one of these days and say that you want to watch Rocky or The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Predator?"
"Don't try and use reverse psychology on me, Vaughn. It's not going to work- I am not Weiss."
"Hey, you can't blame a guy for trying."
Sydney grinned and then turned her head back to the TV screen. They had been watching for about five minutes when the phone, which was sitting on the coffee table, rang. Absentmindedly, Sydney reached across and answered it.
"Hello."
"Hello, could I please speak to Michael?" Slightly puzzled, Sydney handed the phone over to Vaughn. She could have sworn that it was her father's voice on the other end of then line.
"Michael here."
"Michael, it's Jack Bristow.
"Oh. Hi." Why was Jack calling him and not Sydney?
"I don't want Sydney to know that it's me."
"Why?" Vaughn asked.
"I wanted your opinion on my birthday gift for Sydney. If she finds out that you know, well, I know my daughter and I know that she will worm it out of you somehow."
"Oh, ok." Vaughn did not feel any less confused. Since when did Jack care about his opinion? However, when Jack detailed the gift, Vaughn suddenly understood why he was slightly unsure.
Sydney was watching Vaughn, bursting with curiosity. His side of the conversation was giving absolutely nothing away.
"I think that would be perfect." Vaughn paused. "No, it shouldn't...well, maybe, but in a good way." Again he paused. "Ok then, bye." He pressed the end call button and looked at Sydney's expectant face.
"Well?" she said.
"Well what?"
"Who was that?"
"My uncle Nick."
Sydney's eyes narrowed slightly as if she was trying to decide whether to believe him or not. She knew he was bluffing, but couldn't be bothered challenging him on it. She figured she would fnd out what was going on soon enough.
On Wednesday Sydney woke up before Vaughn. Quietly she got up and dressed so she could go for an early morning run. The streets were quiet that day and all that Sydney had for company were the thoughts running through her head.
It had been a week since the fire and Sydney had been living at Vaughn's ever since. Francie, who was staying with her parents, had mentioned the other day that the two of them should start looking for another place.
However, Sydney knew that she didn't want to look for a new place. Before, when she had stayed at Vaughn's- which was, let's face it, most of the time- that was all it felt like. Staying over. This past week those feelings had changed. Vaughn's didn't feel like a temporary home. All it felt like to her was home.
A home she desperately did not want to leave.
Sydney smiled to herself as she ran. She had certainly changed her tune since her little 'freak out' a few months prior. She knew she was ready to take that next step with Vaughn, but the question was, was he? The topic of them living together had only been brought up that one time and Vaughn had said that he was content with the way things were.
Did he still feel that way, or had his feelings changed? Would she be game enough to suggest to Vaughn that they live together? What if she did and he had his own melt down?
Sydney continued to run and tried to push these thoughts to the back of her mind. For today, at least, she didn't want to drive herself crazy by over-analysing everything. It was her birthday after all.
When Sydney got back from her run Vaughn was up and in the kitchen making breakfast. When he saw her his face broke into a wide grin.
"Happy Birthday," he said before giving her a kiss. "Your dad rang while you were out."
"Are you sure it was my dad?" Sydney asked. "Maybe it was your uncle Nick."
Vaughn grinned sheepishly. "Definitely your dad. He's coming by before your first class."
"What for?"
"To give you your present." Vaughn replied, trying to keep the knowing expression off his face. But, as usual, nothing got past Sydney Bristow.
"What are you hiding?" She gasped loudly. "Michael Vaughn! You know what he's gotten me- that's what the phone call was about the other day!"
Vaughn just looked at her, his eyes twinkling.
"What is it? Tell me, please!" Sydney begged.
Vaughn laughed. "All I'm going to say is that it's a good one."
"Can't you just give me a little hint?" Sydney asked, pouting.
"No," Vaughn handed her a plate of French toast. "Breakfast for the birthday girl."
Sydney glanced around the kitchen but there was no sign of another plate. "Aren't you having any?"
"No," Vaughn gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. "I hate to do this on your birthday but I have to be somewhere."
"You're leaving? Why?" Sydney couldn't help but feel a little deflated.
"I have to finalise my plans for your birthday present."
Sydneys eyes lit up. "Really?"
"Yes, really." Vaughn pressed his lips into hers. "I'll see you tonight, ok."
"Ok." Sydney smiled and Vaughn couldn't resist kissing her once more.
"It's a nice place Michael has here." Jack commented as he gazed around from his position on the couch. Sydney, who was in the kitchen making the two of them a coffee, looked up.
"Yeah, it is." A minute later she place two steaming mugs on the coffee table and sat next to her father. She stifled a giggle when she saw that Donovan had literally curled up on Jack's feet.
Before Sydney could say anytthing, Jack handed over a wrapped gift. "I presume Michael told you why I was coming over."
"Yeah." Sydney smiled. "But he wouldn't give me any specifics. I have absolutely no idea what this is."
"Then open it." Jack said simply.
Carefully Sydney unwrapped the gift. When the paper had fallen away, she was left with a large photo album.
"Thank you, dad. It's beautiful." Sydney said, running her hands over the soft leather cover.
"Look inside."
She gave Jack a curious look before opening it and when she did, she was so overwhelmed with what she saw, she almost dropped the album.
It was, from front to back, filled with photographs of her mother. Ranging from her parents wedding day to birthdays, Christmas and those spur of the moment snapshots that always seemed to turn out perfect.
"I know the fire destroyed all your photos. These are copies of mine." Jack paused. "I wasn't sure how you would react to this, whether it would upset you or not. Thats's why I spoke to Michael."
"Dad," Sydney's voice was shaky, "I love it. Thank you so much."
When Vaughn got home that night Sydney was curled up on the couch looking through the photo album, a nostalgic look on her face. Having lost his dad, Vaughn knew just how precious these sorts of mementos were. He wouldn't know what to do if he lost everything that reminded him of his dad.
"I told you it was a good one," Vaughn said and Sydney's head snapped up, her eyes wide.
"God! I didn't even hear you come in!"
"Sorry." Vaughn smiled as he dropped his bag by the couch and sat next to her. "You look so much like your mum," he commented, glancing at the photographs.
"Hmm, that's what everyone says." Sydney said as she placed the album on the coffee table and then leant back into Vaughn's arms.
"So has it been a good day so far?" Vaughn asked.
"Yeah. I met up with Will and Francie for lunch. Look what they got me." Sydney pointed to a punching bag in the corner of the living room. "How great is that? I've wanted one for ages."
"I think it's great. Maybe now you'll hit it instead of Weiss, Will and me."
Sydney snorted. "Yeah, you wish."
"Hey, be nice now or I just may give your present to somebody else." Vaughn joked as Sydney sat back up, a grin on her face. But instead of revealing the gift to her, he picked up a magazine off the coffee table and started to casually thumb through it.
However, Vaughn had made a crucial mistake.
"Vaughn." Sydney poked him softly in the upper arm.
"Hmm?" He didn't look up from the magazine.
"I know you're not really reading that."
"Oh, and why is that?"
"Because it's my Cosmopolitan."
Vaughn snapped the magazine shut and after seeing the cover, threw it back on the coffee table as if it were a bomb. He then looked at Sydney's smirking face.
"Promise you won't tell Weiss and I'll give you your present now."
"Deal."
"Ok, well it's not an actual gift," Vaughn said, shifting slightly so he could face her directly. "Not something you can unwrap."
Sydney cocked her head, wondering what Vaughn had up his sleeve. "So, then what is it?"
"Well, on Friday, when we get home from uni, we're going to pack our bags, get into the car and then drive to Santa Barbara."
Sydney's eyes lit up. "Santa Barbara?"
"Yup. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The two of us, all alone, with all of Santa Barbara at our feet."
"Vaughn!" Sydney threw her arms around him. "This is incredible. Thank you so much!"
"You're welcome," he murmured into her ear, before Sydney brought her lips up to his.