Thank you all for your feedback. I can hardly believe that we are here- the last chapter!
leelow13: 58 chapters covering only six months- what can I say? I really know how to drag something out:P
Sydney bent over Vaughn's sprawled figure on the bed and planted a soft kiss on his cheek.
"Where are you going?" he mumbled, opening his eyes.
"I told Merridy I'd work an extra shift for her this morning." Sydney explained. "I'll be back early this afternonn to help set up for tonight, ok."
"Ok," Vaughn smiled and then closed his eyes.
As Sydney drove to work she couldn't keep the grin off her face. She was 'moving in' with Vaughn today and felt like a child on Christmas morning.
Walking into the bookstore, she felt a small jolt. It was here, about seven months ago, that it all started for her.
xxxxx
"Weiss!" Sydney looked over to the door to see a tall blonde guy. "How long does it take to buy a book?"
"As long as it damn well takes."
"Come on, the game starts in fifteen and we gotta get back to my place!" With that he walked outside.
"Sorry about that. My smart mate is kind of a hockey fanatic."
"Oh, ok. Well, I'll see you in class."
"Bye Syd."
Sydney watched him walk outside and join the blonde guy. She couldn't help but be intrigued by this friend of Houdini's.
xxxxx
As she stood behind the counter, Sydney shook her head slightly. She could never have anticipated just how much that stranger would change her life. Would anybody anticipate that?
'No,' she thought to herself as a customer approached. 'And that is what makes it all the more sweeter when it actually happens.'
About half an hour after Sydney had left, Vaughn was up and dressed and starting to tidy up the house. Grabbing a pile of folding from the laundry, he took it to the bedroom and started putting it away in the chest of drawers.
His work was interrupted by a knock on the door. Opening it, he saw it was Weiss.
"Hey, come in." Vaughn stepped aside and headed back to the bedroom, with Weiss following. "What are you doing here?"
"Just dropped by to see if you needed any help before tonight." Weiss replied as Vaughn continued with the folding.
"Yeah, thanks..." Vaughn trailed off when he noticed an item that he had so carefully placed in his top drawer not that long ago for protection.
"Mike, what is it?" Weiss asked, coming up behind him.
"Remember this?" Vaughn answered, holding up his dad's watch.
"How could I not?"
xxxxx
Vaughn watched her walk away, unsure of how he felt about this new friend of Weiss's.
"Has it really stopped?" Weiss broke into his thoughts.
"Yes."
"Wasn't that your dad's watch?"
"Uh huh."
"The one he said you could-"
"Yeah, the same one."
"So, am I sensing a little..."
"You are sensing absolutely nothing. Didn't we establish earlier that you are not perceptive?"
"I know, but I haven't seen that look in your eyes since-"
"Can you please drop it Weiss!"
"Touchy touchy, Mr Vaughn."
"Shut it Weiss. Come on, let's go."
xxxxx
"You looked scared shitless that day," Weiss laughed.
"Give me a break! It was a pretty huge thing that happened!" Vaughn exclaimed indignantly.
"Did you think that it would ever happen, when your dad told you?"
"No, not really." Vaughn smiled.
"Don't you just hate it when your parents are right?" Weiss sighed.
"Usually." Vaughn said. "But on this occasion, I thank my lucky stars every day that dad was right on this one."
"Sydney!"
Sydney looked up from the display she was organising and saw Francie and Will headed over towards her, big grins on their faces.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" she asked, walking over and giving then both a hug.
"We wanted to give you our housewarming gift before the hub-bub of tonight." Francie explained.
"Guys! You shouldn't have got me anything." Sydney protested.
"We wanted to." Will said, firmly, as he handed over a wrapped package. Unwrapping it, Sydney saw that it was a framed photo of the three of them, sitting out on the patio of her and Francie's old apartment.
"We wanted you to have a memento of your old housemates." Francie said.
"Hey, technically, I wasn't a housemate." Will interjected.
"Oh, yes you were, Will. You were always bloody there- you were a damn housemate." Francie shot back, causing Sydney to laugh.
"Thank you. I love it and will make sure that it gets a good spot on the Walls of Fame."
Francie looked at her wistfully. "It's going to be strange. I feel like we've been living together forever."
"I know," Sydney replied, pulling Francie into a hug. "I'm sorry about this."
"Sorry about what?" Francie asked, stepping back.
"Well, leaving you high and dry without a roommate."
"Don't worry about it," Francie said. "I've actually found a new place."
"What?" Sydney automatically turned to Will.
"Hey, it's not me." Will held up his hands. "Amy is more than enough."
After giving Will a slap, Francie looked at Sydney. "I've found a little apartment. I'm going to give living alone a go. I'mthinking I might actually like it."
"That's great-"
"Sydney!" It was Merridy, her boss. "I need you out back."
Sydney turned to Will and Francie apologetically. "I gotta go. See you tonight, ok?"
Sydney could hear laughter when she arrived back at Vaughn's- wait, her and Vaughn's place after work. She headed to the study/ pool room, where Vaughn and Weiss were in the middle of a game.
"Hey guys."
Vaughn looked up, a big grin on his face and Sydney walked across to give him a kiss.
"What about me?" Weiss asked, pulling a puppy dog face.
Sydney laughed. "Ainsley will be here later on. You'll get plenty off her."
"Well then, could I at least get a little sugar?" Weiss grinned cheekily and opened his arms.
"Of course." Sydney said, pulling him in for a hug.
"Ahem!" Vaughn cleared his throat, jokingly.
"What's the matter, Mike?" Weiss asked. "A little jealous."
"Yeah, you wish." Vaughn replied, laughing. "Come on, it's your shot."
"Who's winning?" Sydney inquired, surveying the table. There was a lot more stripes than solids on there.
Weiss took his shot, mananging only to sink the white ball and then straightened up. "Uh, no one is really winning yet, Syd. It's a little early to call."
"Oh ok." Sydney winked at Vaughn. "Then how about I play whoever does end up winning?"
"Sounds good to me," Vaughn said, pocketing his last ball and lining up the 8-ball.
"No way!" Weiss exclaimed. "I don't want to sit here and watch you guys getting all gooey over a pool table again. Been there, done that."
Sydney and Vaughn glanced at each other, knowing exactly what Weiss was talking about.
xxxxx
"So Bristow, is a pool table the only thing you know your way around?" he asked playfully, trying to distract her as she lined up a shot.
"Wouldn't you like to know," she said, looking up at him the second before she hit the cue ball. Her shot was right on. Giving him a slight smirk, she lined up her next shot.
"Well are you going to answer my question?"
"As I told Houdini the other day, I am a girl of many talents. Be patient Mr Vaughn and you just might learn them all."
Weiss laughed and let out a low whistle. Vaughn looked over at him in disbelief. This Sydney Bristow was amazing. Funny, good at pool and so totally sexy without even knowing or trying. He thanked god that he had told Weiss to buy Alexis a book for her birthday, and that Weiss had been smart enough to go to the shop where she worked.
"What about you, Vaughn? Will I get to see any more of your talents?" Sydney asked.
"Ok guys," Weiss interrupted. "Can you just finish the game or your flirting or whatever, cos I would like to have a go tonight."
"Sorry Weiss. Just a few more minutes before I beat her."
"As if. You'd need help from the real Houdini himself to win this game."
xxxxx
"We weren't that bad, were we?" Sydney grinned.
"Oh please." Weiss grinned back, as Vaughn took his last shot and pocketed the 8-ball. "And you guys have been the same ever since."
"Sydney, what on earth are you doing?" Vaughn asked, later that night. He had just walked into the bedroom after taking a shower, a towel wrapped around his waist.
Sydney, on the other hand, was sprawled out on the floor, a shirt halfway over her head and Donovan sitting beside her, his tail wagging.
"I was trying to get dressed," Sydney replied, struggling to straighten the shirt.
"So then why are you on the floor?"
"I was putting on my top and the next thing you know Donovan barrels into me, tripping me over." She finally got the shirt on properly, then sat up and looked at Donovan. "Now I'm dressed, we can play."
But, by this point Donovan had lost interest and was now in the corner, gnawing on a rubber bone.
Vaughn, stifling his laughter, reached out a hand and helped Sydney up. "I'll play with you," he grinned cheekily.
Sydney smiled back. "And what would that entail? Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle firgurines and water pistols?"
"Well, you know my childhood regression spiel."
"Oh yes I do." Sydney placed a hand on Vaughn's cheek. The spiel was imprinted on her mind, for more reasons than one.
xxxxx
Vaughn crossed his arms and poked his tongue out at Sydney.
"What are you? Like 12?" Sydney asked, laughing at his antics. Acting juvenile somehow made him even more cute.
"I happen to believe that it is quite healthy to regress back to childhood every now and then."
"Oh really? And when did you come up with this theory Vaughn?"
"It's one I've been developing over the years."
"Let me guess- Weiss has been a major contributor to this development?" Vaughn didn't answer, however the look on his face ave him away. "So that's why you guys have been able to stay friends. You haven't matured past 12!"
"Oh really! You think that I am just a big 12 year old?"
"Well there are moments when you appear adult. However, most of the time, Vaughn, all I see in those eyes is an innocent little boy, in desper-"
Vaughn cut Sydney off by cradling her face with his hands and pressing his lips into hers. At first Sydney was too stunned to react, but she soon felt herself returning the kiss. They both seemed to melt into each other as the tension that had been building up over the past weeks was released.
After breaking apart Vaughn looked directly into Sydney's eyes. "Would a little boy do that?" he asked.
Still a little stunned that things had actually moved forward for her and Vaughn, Sydney could only shake her head.
"Syd?" Vaughn stroked her cheek
"Yeah?"
"You're ok with...you know. I didn't do anything wrong, did I?"
"Vaughn, I think I have wanted that since the day we met," she said, tracing a finger down his cheek and touching his chin dimple. Looking up and smiling Sydney leaned in for another kiss. Obligingly returning the favour, Vaughn wrapped his arms around her. He couldn't believe that this had finally happened and that Sydney was now in his arms.
xxxxx
Vaughn brought his own hands up to Sydney's face and gently pressed his lips onto hers. The moment was stopped almost as soon as it started with a knock on the door.
"I think I better get dressed." Vaughn murmured.
"I think you look fine like this." Sydney stepped back, looking at Vaughn's towel clad body. "Unless you were planning to dress in leather, piercings and black eyeliner."
"Only if you are putting on your Alice dress."
Sydney laughed as she headed out of the bedroom. "Another day, hey?"
Vaughn winked and opened the wardrobe.
"Michael." Vaughn looked up at the sound of Francie's voice and saw her and Will headed towards him. "We want to talk to you."
"About what?"
"Sydney." The three of them glanced to the lounge room where Weiss was keeping both Sydney and Ainsley amused with his very unique style of dancing.
"What about Sydney?"
"We just wanted to say thank you." Will said.
"Thank you?" Vaughn tore his eyes away from Sydney's laughing face and looked at Will and Francie.
"Yes, thank you." Francie repeated. "For making her so happy."
Vaughn smiled. "Well, she makes me happy too."
"I'm going to get a drink." Will announced. "Can I get you guys anything?"
After they declined Will's offer, he walked off and Francie turned to Vaughn.
"Can I ask you something, Michael?"
"Sure."
"How did you know?"
Vaughn smiled nostalgically. "My dad."
xxxxx
Sydney smiled at him and placed a soft kiss on his lips and then nestled into his chest. A few minutes later she grabbed his wrist.
"What's the time?" she asked, looking at his watch.
"I wouldn't know. It's still broken."
"Well, why don't you get it fixed?"
Vaughn looked down at her and then sat up straight, his index finger circling the glass face of his watch.
"I don't really want to."
"Why?"
"This watch belonged to my dad." Sydney didn't speak, but her eyes encouraged Vaughn to continue. "Before he gave it to me he said that you could set your heart by this watch." He looked into Sydney's eyes. "It stopped October 1st- the day we met."
"The day in the courtyard?"
"Yeah," Vaughn replied. "Sydney, I've known since that day that you were the one for me. That's why I reacted so badly when I thought you had a boyfriend. I thought fate was kicking me in the balls."
Sydney laughed as she grabbed his hand and kissed it.
"I've been wanting to tell you about it, but I didn't want to scare you off. So I've been waiting for the right time."
"I think that now was perfect timing." Sydney whispered in his ear.
xxxxx
"Your dad?"
"Yeah, my dad." Vaughn grinned at Francie. "Come on, this is a party. Whar are we doing standing in the kitchen?"
"Ok, ok. A toast before everybody leaves." Weiss called out. The party had ended about half an hour ago, and the majority of the guests had left. Only Vaughn, Sydney, Weiss, Ainsley, Will and Francie remained.
As Weiss stood, rather unsteadily, and cleared his throat, the others grabbed their drinks.
"To Sydney and Mikey-"
"Weiss!"
"Ok, ok. Sorreee. To Sydney and Vaughn. Congratulations on this step. It took you forever to actually get your act together-"
"Here, here!" Will called out.
"And there have been a few bumps along the way, and probably more to come. But me, along with the rest of your friends, know that we will have to suffer through watching the two of you getting all gooey and lovey and smoochy for a very, very, very long time. So," Weiss held up his beer, "to Sydney and Vaughn, who make us feel sick."
"To Sydney and Vaughn, who make us feel sick." The others chorused as Sydney and Vaughn cracked up.
"Uh, thanks Weiss." Sydney said through her laughter. "That was...uh, sweet."
"You're welcome." Weiss grinned before sculling the rest of his beer.
"Come on." Ainsley stood up and steadied the swaying Weiss. "I think it's time I got you home."
"Yeah, we should be heading off, too." Will and Francie stood and followed Weiss and Ainsley to the door.
Minutes later they were gone, leaving Sydney and Vaughn alone together. In their home.
"Syd, can you come here for a sec." Vaughn called out. It had been about twenty minutes since the others had left and Sydney had been about to get into her pyjamas.
Walking out into the lounge room, she saw Vaughn standing by the TV cabinet.
"What is it?"
"You know when you put that copy of Dirty Dancing in my DVD collection? Well, do you remember what I said?"
Sydney burst out laughing. In fact she had remembered vividly what Vaughn had said.
xxxxx
"You put Dirty Dancing in my DVD collection?"
"Yeah," Sydney grinned as she pressed play.
"Are you insane? Do you have any idea what Weiss would do to me if he saw it?"
"Ssh," Sydney put a finger to her lips. "It's starting."
But there was no way Vaughn was going down without a fight. Snatching the remote from Sydney, he quickly pressed stop, before throwing himself on top of her.
"Vaughn!" Her eyes widened with surprise at his sudden action, as he pinned her down. "What is this?"
"We need to set some ground rules."
"And do you really think that this is the most productive way to do it?" Sydney asked, lifting her head and placing her lips on Vaughn'c nek. He closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of Sydney's touch. However, after a few seconds he suddenly shook his head.
"Uh, uh. Stop trying to distract me," he said. "You, Miss Bristow, need to understand something."
"What?" Sydney grinned.
"That Dirty Dancing is forbidden in my house." Vaughn replied. "If that DVD is not gone by tomorrow then Weiss and I are going to play another game of Frisbee- with your own copy."
xxxxx
"Well, since that this place is no longer just mine, it's ours, I was wondering if you would like to have the honours?" Vaughn smiled as he pulled a copy of Dirty Dancing out from behind his back.
Sydney took it out of his hands. "You bought me Dirty Dancing?"
"Well, your copy was destroyed."
With a huge grin, Sydney gleefully placed the movie onto the shelf with the rest of the DVD's. She then threw her arms around Vaughn. In response he circled his arms around her and the two of them stood there, just holding each other.
xxxxx
"How is it, Vaughn, that you always know exactly what to say? What is your secret?"
"It's no secret."
"Then how?"
"I get you," he said, simply. Sydney smiled. Yes, he most certainly did.
- - - - -
"Seriously Syd. You are the most amazing person I have ever met. I don't want to be anywhere else when you are in my arms. I love you Sydney and don't you ever forget that."
Sydney brought a hand up and stroked Vaughn's cheek. "I love you too, Vaughn," she said, staring into his beautiful green eyes. "Now come here!"
- - - - -
"Love you too, or should I say ditto?" Sydney smiled at his reference to Ghost.
"I'm sorry Vaughn, but nobody but Patrick Swayze can get away with that."
"So I should just stick with I love you?"
"Yup stick with it and don't ever stop saying it."
"I think I can handle that."
xxxxx
"You know what?" Sydney murmured into Vaughn's ear. "I don't think I'm ever going to want to leave here."
xxxxx
"Syd," he said softly, closing the door behind him and approaching the bed. She sat up and looked at him, a surprised expression on her face.
"Vaughn? You're here."
"Of course I'm here." Sydney tried to smile but instead was overcome by the tears that had been threatening to fall since she woke up. Immediately Vaughn got on the bed and pulled Sydney securely into his arms.
"It's Emily. She-she..." Sydney choked on her words.
"Shh," Vaughn murmured, stroking her hair. "I know. You don't have to say a word. I know.
- - - - -
"No way. I'd rather let Weiss give me birthday bonkers than you."
"Well. Then. I. Guess. I'll. Have. To. Give. You. Twenty-two. Of. These." Sydney puncuated each word with a kiss placed somewhere on Vaughn's face.
- - - - -
Sydney turned so that she could place a hand on Vaughn's cheek. "Compromises are one thing, but stopping you from doing what you love is another. The thinkgs you love are what make you who you are. And I love the person who you are."
Vaughn stared at Sydney for a few seconds, digesting the enormity of her words, and then pulled her tightly into his warm embrace.
"I love you Sydney Bristow. Don't you ever forget that."
xxxxx
"What? The house?" Vaughn asked, their arms still wrapped around one another.
xxxxx
"So, you're saying the reason we are together is because of your inability to blow your nose before speaking to someone?"
"I guess I am."
Vaughn let out a laugh and kissed the top of Sydney's head. "You're a dag."
"I know." Sydney tilted her head so she could look at Vaughn's eyes. "But at least I'm your dag."
- - - - -
They stared at eacg other for a second, before Vaughn spoke. "We didn't."
"I think we did."
"A key to-"
"Our apartments." Sydney finished the sentence, her mouth twitching, threatening to laugh."
"We got each other the same gift. Unbelievable." Vaughn's face broke into a wide grin.
- - - - -
Vaughn turned the watch over to see that Sydney had gotten a message engraved in the back.
SB&MV
October 1st
Always and
Forever
He ran a finger over the words, feeling a little overwhelmed by the enormity of them.
"I love you so much Vaughn."
"I love you too Syd," he replied, pulling her in for a long kiss.
xxxxx
"No." Sydney smiled. "Your arms."
xxxxx
"I wasn't-" Sydney raised an eyebrow at him. "Ok, maybe I was. But only in a non-perverted, admiring way. The way Vaughn looks at your arse."
"Hey!" Vaughn jumped in. "Are you trying to get me into trouble?"
"If it takes the heat off me, then yes."
"Stop it." Sydney stepped in. "Now Weiss, if you can tear your eyes away from Ainsley, I think that it's time that we hit the dancefloor."
"Am I not in trouble?" Vaughn asked, surprised.
"No."
"May I ask why?"
Sydney leaned up to his ear. "If I got mad at you, then that would make me a hyprocrite." She pulled back amd looked at Vaughn, a cheeky grin playing on her lips and he could not resist kissing them.
- - - - -
"That was for three crazy, intense, emotional roller coaster of a ride, incredible months." Vaughn whispered as they broke apart.
"And here's to the crazy, intense, emotional roller coaster of a ride, incredible months to come." Sydney replied, as their lips connected once more.
- - - - -
"Vaughn what is this?" Sydney asked, as he spun her around.
"I just felt like dancing with my one and only." Vaughn replied, pulling Sydney in close. A huge smile broke out on her face when she realized that the song that was playing was 'Emotional Rescue' by the Rolling Stones.
As the sound of the music surrounded them, Sydney leaned against Vaughn, feeling completely ridiculous and completely content at the same time.
"I love you Vaughn," she sighed, resting her cheek against his chest.
"And I love you, Sydney."
xxxxx
Vaughn smiled back as he pressed his lips into hers, in a slow, soft and lingering kiss.
xxxxx
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 heaad as his face fell. "Come on, let's get you some breakfast."
- - - - -
"Sydney, stop. I don't 'put up' with anything. Yeah, you've been going throgh a rough trot of late, but I've been there becasue I want to, not because I have to. And you'll be the same if I ever hit hard times." He cupped Sydney's face and kissed her gently. "Now, come on, let's get out of here."
- - - - -
"I want you to stay here!" Vaughn blurted out and then realized how pushy he sounded. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out that way," he said, thinking that he may have blown things.
Yet, when he looked up, all he saw was Sydney's beaming face. "Are you asking me to move in?" she asked.
A slow smile formed on Vaughn's face. "Yeah," he said. "I am."
"You really want me to stay?"
"Of course I do!
xxxxx
"Well Syd," he said when their lips had separated. "That is a place that you will never, ever have to leave."
THE END
A/N: Ok. Wow. Just how exactly can I show my graditude to all of you who read the story, and even more so to the ones who took the time to let me know what they thought? There was no way I would have been able to keep going with Meeting Their Match without all the support that you guys have shown me. I always felt that the thank you's I put at the start of each chapter were totally inadequate. I am truly, truly grateful.
To think that I almost didn't publish this fic because I was too scared to let other people read my writing. Thank god I got over that fear, because this has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
So once again, I thank everybody (and not just those who reviewed, every body who read this fic) and you'll be hearing from characters again very soon...