A/N: Sorry it's been a while in between updates! I've been on vacation and so busy! I'm sorry! Okay, so here's the next chapter! Thanks for the reviews! The review responses are ALWAYS posted up at my livejournal (go to my homepage on my author profile thing) unless I don't update. I usually post my responses before I update something. Oh hey! I posted up there at my livejournal the blueprint for the Bristow Estate. Check that out too! So...enjoy this chapter! Chapter 2 of That Summer...

Sydney smirked.

Great. I haven't seen my family in eight months, and they're out celebrating - without me. Boy, its great to be home. Yes, home.

Home Sweet Home.

Lying on her bed and staring up at the ceiling, she started to understand why her family wasn't home when she first arrived.

Nadia, her half sister, who was a year younger than she was, had graduated along with Sydney's class Friday. It was rare for high school students at Beverly Hills High to move up a year. But Nadia Santos was an exception, and Sydney now understood why her graduating this year was a big deal. And her birthday being so close to her graduation day, celebrating seem to be just right for this type of significance. Hence the absence of her family.

Or maybe Sydney's father had planned to be away from the house when his daughter came home. Sydney, doing what she was doing now these days, hadn't made Jack the proudest father in Hollywood. Most fathers would kill for their children to be successful. Sure, Jack wanted Sydney to be successful, but he wanted her to do it his way. And she hadn't. Why can't he just be happy for me? Sydney thought. Her mother on the other hand, had always sided with Sydney. But when it came to Jack Bristow, Irina tended to stand down without objections.

Getting through to her father had always been a tough obstacle. It seemed that he was more proud of Nadia, and Nadia wasn't even his own daughter. Nadia had been conceived during an affair with Irina, and Jack's righthand man, Arvin Sloane. And when Irina was pregnant with her second daughter, Sloane had killed himself, leaving Jack to think that Nadia, like Sydney, was his own...

Watching his two daughters splash around in the pool, Jack smiled. Sitting next to his beautiful wife, he was easily the happiest man alive. Sydney, who was six, and Nadia, who was almost five, had brought much joy to their father. From ballet to soccer games, Jack couldn't have asked for anything else from his two children. Irina had always been surprised of Jack's weakness when it came to their daughters. How could a man so strong, let his guard down around two kids?

"This is how I always thought our family would be," Jack beamed at Irina.

She just nodded in reply, keeping her face hidden from her husband.

"They're just growing up so fast," Jack said. "Yesterday, Sydney was trying to teach Nadia how to kick a soccer ball, and so when Nadia attempted to give the ball a whack, she kicked her leg out from under her and landed on her rear."

The tears assaulting Irina's eyes had started to fall, and Jack had finally noticed that something had been bothering her.

"Irina, what's wrong?" She looked up at her husband, teary eyed. What she had to say next, admitting her biggest secret, she knew was going to break Jack's heart.

"It's A-a-rvin...he just left...and Nadia," she shuttered, tears flooding her vision.

"What is it Sweetheart?"

Irina sniffled a few more times before speaking again. "Jack, she's not yours."

"What?" Jack implored, not quite understanding his wife's statement.

"Nadia's father is Arvin, not you. I'm sorry Jack. I'm sorry," she sobbed before running to her bedroom.

Jack sunk lower into his chair, his jaw slightly ajar. Nadia, not his daughter? But he was almost certain. Nadia had to be his daughter. There wasn't any way she could have been someone else's.

"Daddy!" Nadia waved from the side of the pool. "Look what I can do!" she shouted before twirling and landing in the pool with a splash.

Nadia never knew that Jack was not her real father. And her mother and assumed father never intended on telling her. Since Irina had revealed her secret, Jack was a changed man. He had tried desperately to enhance his relationships with both Sydney and Nadia. Jack feared that his first little girl, Sydney, wasn't his either. But Irina reassured him that Sydney really was his daughter, and he had become overly protected of her. And when Sydney was introduced to acting business he felt betrayed. Just as he did that summer day by the pool.

Sydney used to be 'Daddy's little girl', but ever since she became the ice-breaking subject at most Hollywood events, it felt as if her relationship with her father was forced. She had regretted not having a better relationship with him.

"Er, excuse me. Miss Sydney?" a voice asked softly. "Miss Sydney."

"Uh? What?" Sydney jumped up from her bed. She had been asleep. "Oh, sorry. What is it Genevieve?"

"There's a Miss Calfo on the phone," she replied, pushing the phone towards Sydney.

"Francie!" Sydney half whispered, half shouted before she finally took the phone from the French woman. "Thank you," she mouthed, happily lifting the phone up to her ear. "Hello?"

"Sydney Bristow!" Francie Calfo yelled from the other end. "Why the hell didn't you call me when you got into LAX this morning?"

"Hey Fran," Sydney smiled.

"And all I get is a 'Hey Fran'? What did those Canadians do to you? I would have picked you up at the airport," Francie yelled again.

"Sorry. My mom sent Dixon to pick me up. I would've called, sorry," she replied, immediately feeling guilty for not talking to her best friend in months.

"It's okay Syd," Francie laughed light-heartedly, surprising Sydney with her sudden change of attitude. "This is what happens when I haven't talked to my best friend since forever!"

"I'm here all summer. I promise," Sydney said.

"Well you better be. I can't talk to the guys about girl stuff. Then there's Nadia, but she's always studying."

"'The guys'? Why didn't you just say Will and Eric? You make it sound like there's just more than the two of them," Sydney snapped, quickly regretting it.

"Whoa. Somebody's touchy today," Francie laughed nervously.

"Sorry, just feeling a bit paranoid today. Damn paparazzi...so who else besides Will and Eric?"

"Who said there was someone other than just Will and Eric?"

"Francie! Who?"

"Yeah, just don't be upset. I mean he's a really cool guy once you get to know him."

"Who?"

"Michael Vaughn."

"I do know him. Actually, I did. But whatever," Sydney tried to dismiss the subject. "Besides, I think I'm presenting at the Teen Choice awards this year. I get to bring a guest. And I think Ben Mckensie will be there, and I just know much you love him..."

"Ohmigod! He's so hot!" Francie shrieked. Sydney giggled.

"And I was wondering if you would like to be my guest..." Sydney continued, trying to contain her laughter.

"OH MY GOD!" Francie screamed.

"I'll take that as a yes..." Sydney said. "And Ben said that he's excited to meet you."

"Oh my God! Ben Mckensie wants to meet me?" Francie shouted into the phone.

"Yep."

Francie screamed, causing Sydney to jump a little bit.

"Okay, sorry. I'm good now," Francie tried to reassure Sydney. But Sydney was apprehensive talking to her apparently excited friend. "So hey, do you want to hang out in a little bit?"

"Uh..." Sydney looked at the clock, almost noon. "Sure, my parents and Nadia should be home in a few hours."

"Okay, great."

"Do you want me to pick you up?" Sydney asked.

"Yeah, if you could. Thanks."

"Well, I'll see you in a little bit," Sydney said, walking into her closet and slipping on a pair of silk flats.

"Bye Syd."

"Bye," she hung up the phone.

He's in our group now? Sydney asked herself. What happened to when it used to be just Fran, Nads, Will, Eric and me?

Oh well. Who said she had to like it?

Backing out of the three-car garage in her charcoal colored Lexus RX hybrid, Sydney drove on down the street to Francie's house. Francie, only living around the block, she and Sydney used to have sleepovers and sneak out various times in their early high school years. Attending Beverly High's hottest parties and coming up with the most believable alibies for unknown absenses, were their fortes.

Sydney walked up to the front door of the Calfo residence, and knocked on the door firmly. She was about to see her best friend for the first time in eight months, and she was, well, nervous.

The front door swung open revealing the sparkling foyer of the Calfo home, and Reita, Francie's mother.

"Why hello, Sydney dear," Mrs. Calfo smiled, half expecting to her daughter's best friend on her front porch. "I didn't know you'd be home in LA so soon."

"Yeah, I just wrapped up the filming of this one show and I didn't want to start another project this summer so I could be home to see my family and friends," Sydney replied politely.

"That's fantastic. Uh, Francine should be down in a sec." Sydney smiled when Reita referred to Fran as Francine, her real first name. She hadn't heard Mrs. Calfo call her best friend Francine since the second grade when she punched Will Tippin for stealing her cookies. They were chocolate chip... "Please, come in and wait." Sydney smiled and waited in the foyer for another minute until Francie finally came downstairs.

"Sydney!" she cried, running over to her best friend and enveloping her into a hug. Pulling away from the embrace, "You layered your hair! I knew there was something different about you..." Sydney couldn't help but grin.

"I missed you so much Fran," Sydney felt a tear threatening to sting her eye. She hadn't seen her best friend in eight months, and she was depressed at the thought of Francie changing so much while she was away. It was almost as if Francie Calfo was a new person. Sydney had missed out so much on her best friend's life too. "With you looking this good, I don't think that Will could not give you more that two looks."

"And he didn't. We went to Prom together. And we've been dating ever since," Francie said excitedly. Sydney felt another pang in her heart. Her two best friends had gotten together, finally, when she was gone. Francie had the biggest crush on Will before Sydney left, and was too shy to do anything about it. She knew how important this was to Francie, and of course, like everything else, she missed it.

There was an awkward silence. Both girls knew why. They were missing each other's lives.

"So, shall we go then?" Sydney offered, intentionally ruining the quite moment.

"Yeah," Francie agree. "See you later, Mom," she said to her mother, who was clipping the dead flowers of the plant in the Calfo's foyer.

"Bye girls!" Reita shouted after the two as they walked to Sydney's car.

Before they reached the car, Francie stopped and pulled her best friend into another hug. "I missed you, girl."

"And I'm guessing you didn't know about your sister and Eric, either," Francie laughed. Sydney shook her head and let out a little laugh. "They've been going on ever since you left us for the Canadians."

The girls went window shopping on Rodeo Drive, and decided to settle down for lunch in the Pacific, their grade school favorite restaurant.

"Hey now. Those Canadians are nice people. I just love it up there. Good times," Sydney sighed, suddenly missing her 'second home'. Francie smiled. In all truth, she was jealous of the Canadians. They were the ones who conversed with her. They were the ones who went to parties with her. They were the ones who had the pleasure of being in her company. They had her best friend. And she hated them for it. "But of course now, I'm home for the rest of the summer before college."

Francie smiled. "So, at the Teen Choice Awards, any chance that I might see Jesse McCartney?"

"What? I thought you were set on meeting Ben Mckensie," Sydney said. "I don't think Benny would like this at all," she joked.

"I really do want to meet Ben, but I want to see Jesse too," Francie whined.

"You've already met Jesse, and its weird that you're on a first name basis with him. Frankly, I'm concerned," Sydney feigned apprehension, taking Francie's hands into hers, and patting them. Her best friend started to laugh. "I'm just kidding. I'm not going to keep you from meeting anybody. Hell, I'd have you meet all of Hollywood if there was time."

Francie smiled.

"Then again, Jesse ask me about you when he and I did that 'Thank you' commercial for that AIDs benefit party..."

"What!"

"Said he was thinking about setting up a lunch date or something," Sydney said casually, twirling around the straw in her iced tea. It took almost all of her energy trying to contain her laughter at the sight of Francie's face. "I mean you guys did spend the whole time together when I brought you to the AIDs charity event..."

"Hey now! Only because you spent the whole time with Andrew Woods," Francie jokingly spat back.

"Nuh huh Fran! I signed autographs for all the kids and talked to them all about HIV awareness!" Sydney defended herself.

"Well, I meant at the after party," Francie giggled.

"Oh," Sydney blushed.

"Uh huh, so don't be pointing fingers at me missy!"

Sydney just looked down at the table, still blushing.

"So what's new with him?"

"Wait-what? How did you kno-"

"Because I know everything," Francie sat back in her seat and grinned. "Now, how long?"

"Er, two months," Sydney said, hoping her answer would pacify Francie.

"Sydney," her best friend said sternly.

"Two and a half months."

Francie just stared her down.

"Okay, okay! Four months!"

"Well, you do have good taste. He is hot," Francie said, giving her friendly consent. "I mean he's even hotter on...on..." she tried to continue, but couldn't remember the name of the show that Andrew was a regular on.

"New Generation..."

"Yeah! That one. How did you guys meet again?" Francie inquired.

"I had a guest appearance on his show," Sydney replied. "My character was Brianna."

"No, you were Brittany. Or was it Bethany?" Francie started to question herself. Sydney laughed. "Oh yeah, you were Brianna. And that's where you got both me and Will an cast autographed poster!"

"Yep."

"Man, I still can't believe you two are dating Sydn-"

"Who in their right mind would date Princess?" a familiar voice said from behind their table. It was Michael.

"Your mom, Vaughn," Sydney muttered so only he could hear her. But she knew the real answer to his sarcastic question.

"Hey Fran," Vaughn said, wedging himself onto the booth next to Sydney. Why did he call her Fran? Sydney asked herself. I call her Fran. "Weiss and Will should be coming in a few minutes. They're fighting over this track jacket at the Adidas store." Francie just nodded and smiled to herself because of the obvious rivalry between Sydney and Michael.

"What are you doing here?" Sydney hissed at Michael, reluctantly scooting deeper into the booth.

"Francie invited me and the guys," Vaughn smirked at her reaction.

"Oh, Francie invited you," Sydney said, glaring at her best friend. "But honestly, of all people you are th-" Francie kicked Sydney from under the table, then threw her a don't-you-even-start-picking-on-him look.

"So, Michael, did Oliver talk to you about Saturday?" Francie asked, changing the topic. So now he's hanging out with Fran's brother? Sydney thought. It's like he's replacing me.

"Yeah. I told him I couldn't go. Maybe next time the Stones are back in town," Vaughn said. "I'm sure I could get us VIP passes again."

"Okay, cool," Francie smiled.

"And there he is again. Always getting the ladies," yet another familiar voice said from behind. This time it was Eric Weiss.

Sydney squealed and pushed past Vaughn from her seat. "Weiss!"

"Now Sydney, if Nadia saw this..." Weiss said jokingly after she almost tackled him trying to give him a hug.

"We going drinking tonight?" Sydney asked, pulling out of the hug and holding onto his forearms.

"Syd, I don't think that Hollywood teens are supposed to be drinking," it was Will.

"Will!" Sydney shrieked, running from Eric to her second oldest friend and engulfing him into a hug.

"At least she gives you guys hugs," Vaughn muttered. Sydney scowled at him and pushed him to the end of the booth, seating herself then motioning for Weiss to sit down next to her as Will gladly took his spot by his girlfriend.

"So, what's new with you Syd?" Will asked. "Those Canadians treating you right?"

Sydney laughed. "Yeah. I'm actually gonna be free the rest of the summer," she said excitedly. "I don't think I'll have any more projects until after I start at UCLA." Sydney and her friends all had their hearts set on going to UCLA. And all set on going together.

"Really? The rest of us got accepted at UCLA too," Will said.

"Even Vaughn," Weiss coughed.

"That's it? That's all that happened since we last saw you?" Will asked, assuming that there was more.

"Uh, no, not really," Sydney answered, scratching the back of her head. She didn't want to talk about what was happening between her and Andrew Woods in front of Vaughn.

This time, Francie coughed. "You didn't go out with anyone, or see anyone?" Oh, I see what she's trying to do...

"Seriously Syd?" Weiss said, sufficiently surprised. "Guess Mike and Sydney are the only two of the group who are single, and to thin-"

"Actually, Eric, Sydney isn't single," Francie interrupted him. Sydney mouthed a 'What the hell?' and stole a quick glance at Michael. He was staring off into the restaurant, pretending as if he didn't know what everyone else was talking about. Though he knew very well as to what was going on...

"Who is it then?" Will asked like a preppy school girl addicted to gossip.

"Andrewwoods," Sydney murmured in a hasty manner. Quick and painless, she told herself.

"Who?"

"Andrewwoods," she murmured again.

"Pansy Goodes. Did you hear that? Princess is dating Pansy Goodes!"

"Andrew Woods," Francie finally said, noticing that Sydney was getting frustrated at how Will and Vaughn were teasing her.

"Andrew Woods?" Vaughn asked disbelievingly. "As in the actor, Andrew Woods?" Sydney nodded at him, then looked away. Weiss was studying Vaughn's reaction.

"Is he good?" Weiss inquired, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Eric," Michael said sternly, glaring at his best friend.

"Uh, I wouldn't know," Sydney stated quitely, recognizing the awkward moment. Following the awkward moment, was an awkward silence, which only promised some more awkward moments.

"Hey Syd. Aren't your parents and Nadia going to be home soon?" Francie cracked. Sydney looked at the clock on the wall, 2:37. Shit.

"Oh yeah," Sydney said, as Weiss moved from his seat, letting her out of the booth. "I'll you you guys later. Maybe we could hang out tomorrow night." She gave both Eric and Will hugs when they stood up from their seats. Vaughn just fumbled around with his hands. Will kissed Francie on the cheek and sat back down in the booth.

"Bye Syd," Will and Eric called after her.

"Bye," she called back.

"Bye Princess," Vaughn muttered under his breath thinking that the other two couldn't hear him, as Sydney and Francie left the Pacific.

"Somebody's jealous," Weiss coughed. Will rolled his eyes.

Vaughn just shook his head, but didn't say anything.

"It's okay man," Will reassured him.

"Yeah Mike," Weiss said. "You can't help what happened between you two."

Yeah, Michael Vaughn thought. But she can and she does.

"You can't help what happened between you two," Francie tried console Sydney, who was driving her best friend back home. After the two left the restaurant, they both agreed on going straight home. 'Too awkward to stick around,' Francie had said.

"I know, but. Ahh, I just wish it didn't happen," Sydney mumbled, gripping the steering wheel, causing her knuckles to turn white.

"Sorry Syd."

"Nah, don't worry about it. The only thing you should worry about is if I will survive my father's wrath when I get home," she smiled, while pulling into Francie's driveway. "I'll call you later," she said, as Francie unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the passenger door.

"Okay. Talk to you later," Francie said, closing the door behind her. And with that, Sydney backed out of the driveway she had just pulled into, and headed home.

"Listen man, I didn't want to say anything back there," Eric Weiss started. "But you still feeling something?" Weiss and Vaughn had left Will at the Pacific to pay the bill for everyone.

"Are you high, Weiss?" Vaughn shot back. He was frustrated at how their encounter earlier with the girls went.

"Just wondering," Weiss said, throwing his hands up in his defense.

Silence.

"Yes," Vaughn finally answered.

"That's what I thought," Eric grinned, patting Michael on the back.

"Mom! Dad! Nads! I'm home," Sydney called through the house when she finally arrived home. It was 3:07.

"In here, Honey!" she heard her mother shout back from somewhere in the house. She guessed they were in the kitchen. Here goes nothing...

Sydney walked past the swimming pool, and found her dad and sister sitting at the kitchen counter, with her mother standing on the other side by the sink.

"Sydney!" Nadia cried, bolting from her seat to hug her sister. "I've missed you so much!" Nadia said into Sydney's soft, golden brown hair. She wiggled out of her younger sister's arms when her mother approached.

"Mom," Sydney whispered as Irina pulled her into a motherly embrace. Her dad, stood aside, observing the interaction between his daughter and wife.

"Welcome home Sweetie," Irina whispered in reply, then kissed Sydney on the forehead. Irina took a step back so that Jack could greet their daughter. She was nervous to see if he had finally accepted his little girl's decisions.

Sydney gulped. "Hi Dad," she said calmly. Well, now, that wasn't so bad.

Jack moved towards Sydney, and to everyone else's surprise, he pulled her into a tight hug.

"I missed you Dad," she said. A tear was pulling at her eye, but she dared to not let it fall. Had her father finally come to an understanding? She felt him grip her tighter in his embrace. I guess he has...

"I missed you too, Sydney." There were also tears in Jack's eyes, but unlike his daughter, he let them escape. Not caring with whether or not he appeared 'weak' to her, he decided that their new ability to be civil with each other was more important.

Now this is the home I remember.

A/N: How did everyone like that chapter? Not a lot happened I guess, but you found out a few things about Sydney! Please review! Remember! My review responses are at my livejournal. Take the homepage link on my author's profile to get there. The little purple Go button is calling your name. How could you resist? I mean honestly! It's a purple button!