A/N: So I have decided to update one of my four stories going at the moment at least once a week. And it's this story's turn this week. Everyone rejoice. Anywho...I'm having major writer's block with this fic. I know where I want to go with it, and all that, I'm just...bleh. Anyway, I'll try not to space updates out too far on this fic.

Oh and thank you so much for all your support with Cory's acceptance of Vaughn. Makes me all warm fuzzy.

Sydney frowned slightly and exhaled, "Francie, what is that I hear in the background?"

The line was silent before Francie replied with, "Oh, that's just Will. His team scored."

Sydney smiled nostalgically. She remembered when she, Francie, and Will would spend afternoons watching football games and whenever Will's team (the Minnesota Vikings) scored, he had a special victory dance that included a lot of yelling. "Tell him I said hi."

"Sydney says hi!" Francie yelled, a little muffled. "He says hi back and do you want those potato chips in your pantry?"

Sydney laughed lightly, "He can have them."

"She says you can have them!" Francie yelled before returning to her normal voice, "Now repeat what you just said."

"About what?"

"About what?!" Francie repeated, loudly. "Syd…hello, you're husband that you're technically still married to comes back out of the blue and you have no idea what I'm talking about?"

Sydney sighed, "I know what you're talking about, Fran. I just would rather prefer not to think about it."

"You're going to have to think about it you know." Francie stated matter of factly. "From what you've told me, it doesn't sound like he's going anywhere."

Sydney sighed heavily and held her head in her free hand. "I know…" She bit her lip and tapped her fingers on the kitchen table. Both of which were her nervous habits. "Got any advice?"

Francie laughed, "Normally I would Syd…but seeing as this is kinda out of my league…" She trailed off, knowing that Sydney would understand.

"Yeah, you're right," Sydney said, exhaling. She sat up straight and stretched her neck on both sides before looking out the window and audibly gasping at what she saw. Was that Cory on Vaughn's lap and were they actually laughing?

"Syd?" Francie asked, hearing the gasp. "What's wrong?"

"I…" Sydney said, dumbly as she continued to stare out the window. "I'm…going to have to call you back."

"What?" Francie asked, completely confused. "Wait….Syd no!" But it was too late, Sydney clicked off her the phone and stood up abruptly from her chair. Time to go figure out what the hell was going on outside.

-

"Mommy?" Cory asked as Sydney pushed her daughter on the swings in one of Los Angeles's many parks.

"Yes, sweetheart?" Sydney asked, grabbing the chain on the swing and bringing Cory to a stop gently, thinking that Cory wanted to get off.

She hadn't wanted to, but Cory didn't say anything about it. Instead she jumped off the swings and turned to face her mother. "Do you ever have dreams about Daddy?" She asked.

Sydney hesitated. Did she ever have dreams about Vaughn? Yeah, actually, a lot and most of them scared her. "Sometimes," She answered, carefully. "Why?"

"Cause I had a dream about Daddy last night," Cory replied, playing with the zipper on her jacket.

Sydney inhaled slowly and smiled. "Why don't we get some ice cream and then you can tell me about it?"

Cory grinned and nodded happily as she took Sydney's hand and followed. Sydney found an ice cream vendor and bought them two coffee flavored ice cream cones. Sydney had first dared to give Cory ice cream when she was year and a half old and it took less than two bites for Cory to love it and demand more. Four years later, she practically lived for it.

Sydney led them to a table and after she was sure Cory was situated nicely, she sat down across from her. "Now tell me about your dream."

Cory stared at the table as she munched on her ice cream. Sydney didn't push her, knowing Cory would talk when she was ready. "Well…" She started at long last. "Me and you and Daddy were at the circus together and there were elephants, and Daddy loved the elephants just like me and we were laughing a lot and I liked it."

Sydney smiled, deciding not to correct Cory's run on sentence or bad grammar. She was a little more concerned about how she knew that Vaughn like the elephants. She didn't remember telling her that. "That sounds nice."

Cory nodded happily. "It was nice." She stated, before her mood went back to being somber. "Mommy?"

"Yes?"

"When Daddy comes back, can we go to the circus?" Cory asked.

Sydney's smiled faltered. She didn't want to lie to Cory and say yes because in all actuality, she had no idea if Vaughn was coming back and even if she wanted him to. When Cory was born, she swore she wouldn't lie to her unless it was about things she was too young to hear about. Like where babies really came from.

"How about you and I go to the circus sometime?" Sydney suggested, hoping that would satisfy Cory.

Cory looked disappointed. "Okay…" She said softly.

Sydney felt her heart breaking and added, cheerily, "Grandpa can come to."

"Really?" Cory asked, visibly perking up.

Sydney laughed and nodded. "Yes, really. He'd love it."

"Okay," Cory agreed, happily. "Can we go this weekend?"

Sydney laughed again, "The circus isn't in town this weekend."

Cory pouted for a moment, "Then when is it?"

"Two weeks from now," Sydney replied, simply. "And pull that lip back in missy. That stopped working last year."

Cory retracted her protruding bottom lip and took a huge bite of ice cream. "Hank you, Mwommy," She said, through a mouthful of ice cream.

Sydney laughed once more. "Swallow before you speak." She chided, gently. "And you're welcome."

-

"Mommy!" Cory yelled, smiling widely when she saw Sydney approaching. She climbed off Vaughn's lap and ran to hug her mother. Sydney smiled lovingly at her, and returned the embrace before Cory let go and grabbed her hand, pulling her towards where Vaughn sat on the ground. "Come on, Mommy! Daddy's back!"

Sydney forced a smile as she followed Cory. She wasn't as excited about Vaughn being back. But then again, she wasn't completely bitter about it either. This was getting confusing.

Cory didn't go back to Vaughn's lap but she did sit down right next to him. "Mommy, Daddy loves the elephants too!" She said excitedly.

Sydney smiled but remained standing. "I know," She replied softly. "I need to talk with Daddy" -She had to force the word 'daddy' out of her mouth- "for a moment. Why don't you go find Grand-mere and tell her all about your talk with Daddy?" Again, she almost gagged when the name 'daddy' was said from her mouth in reference to Vaughn.

Cory looked disappointed but Sydney gave her a stern look and she nodded. "Alright Mommy," She said simply, climbing to her feet and after a sorrowful glance towards Vaughn, going to the house.

Sydney and Vaughn stared at each other in silence, each battling their own inner demons before Sydney sighed loudly and asked, "What the hell did you say to her?"

Vaughn raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"Cory," Sydney replied exasperated. "She…likes you!"

"Is that such a horrible thing?" He asked calmly.

Sydney opened her mouth to say something but shut it dumbly. Actually, no that wasn't such a horrible thing. It's just that he actually managed to earn Cory's affection and that peeved Sydney because she wanted every weapon against him she could get a hold of. The CIA was a good weapon but she had already decided that she didn't want him to go to jail.

That reminded her; she needed to get Cory and Vaughn out of the country within the next five hours.

Frick.

"Sydney," Vaughn said quietly and she looked to him. "You shouldn't trust Trish with Cory anymore."

"What?!" Sydney yelled. "Why?"

"Because she lied to Cory point blank," Vaughn replied, finally climbing to his feet so he didn't have to look up at her to have a conversation.

"About what?" Sydney asked, crossing her arms across her chest.

"She told Cory that I was dead." Vaughn explained.

Then it dawned on Sydney. That was why Cory had said what she said when she and Vaughn first saw each other. Oh God, Trish was bitch. Vaughn had a point. No more trusting Trish with Cory.

"What did you say to Cory?" Sydney asked next.

"Basically that Trish is a liar," Vaughn answered.

"Nothing else?" Sydney questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Vaughn hesitated. He didn't want to tell Sydney everything that had happened between him and Cory. That was private in his mind. But then, he promised never to lie or keep something from her.

Sydney sensed his hesitation and sighed impatiently. "Nevermind…we don't have a lot of time."

For a moment, he wasn't sure what she was talking about. But the memory lapse didn't last long and he remembered that she had called the CIA. And he had about five hours of freedom if he didn't get the hell out of the country.

"Right."

"Do you have a bag packed?" She asked. Then realizing that it was pretty stupid question, she shook her head and corrected herself, "Forget that too."

He nodded his agreement.

"You should go talk to your mother." She said after an awkward silence. He raised an eyebrow at her and she shrugged, "It would give you something to do while I get mine and Cory's things together."

"You're still coming with me?" He asked surprised. He had convinced himself that she had changed her mind about what she said about wanting a family and instead of going with him to wherever he might go, she would just help him and that would be that. Now she was talking as though she hadn't changed her mind and was still convinced to take Cory with her and follow him to wherever he ended up.

What the hell happened to the Sydney he knew and loved?

She shrugged again. "I told you; I'd rather have a family and be outside of the law than have a broken one and inside it."

Again, what the hell happened to the Sydney he knew and loved? This wasn't like her. If she had been completely bitter about his leaving and refused to ever see and/or speak to him again after helping him escape federal custody, then he wouldn't have been the least bit surprised.

"Okay…" He agreed after a pause.

-

"I hate packing." Sydney stated as she struggled to stuff clothes into her suitcase. "Can I just say that?"

Vaughn laughed and abandoned his suitcase to help her with hers. "You travel around the world weekly and you hate packing?" He asked, teasingly. "Maybe you got into the wrong profession."

She stuck her tongue out at him immaturely. "I have a bag packed for missions all the time." She replied indignantly. "Besides, this is different."

"How?" He asked as he took some of her clothes out of the suitcase and started to fold them differently.

"Because this is an actual vacation," Sydney explained. "Meaning, I'll have time to enjoy the sites and do what normal people do on their vacations."

When he fist met her, two years previously, he learned of her overpowering need to be normal. Now that they were going to be married, he swore to never let their life slip beneath the bar of normal. "And what do normal people do on vacations?"

Sydney started to retort something smart but decided not to at the last moment. "I don't know…not steal something from a terrorist or government?"

Vaughn nodded. "That's true. They sleep in too."

Sydney smiled. "I like the sound of that."

"I bet you do," He teased leaning over to kiss her. She met him halfway and kissed him first. Just as he was going to take the kiss further, she pulled back grinning impishly.

"We're going to miss our flight," She reminded him quietly.

"There are others," He replied, his green eyes glinting.

She laughed and looked down at her suitcase, turning red. Even if they were engaged, he could still make her blush like a teenage girl. "I want to have a normal vacation. And that means missing the flight because we suck at getting places on time. We aren't like that." She said looking back up at him.

He nodded, reluctantly. "Alright fine. But you owe me a very long lazy morning," He replied, looking disappointed.

She laughed, "I know. We will."

Vaughn still looked a little doubtful. "Okay," He said at last. "So where are we going again?"

"Vaughn!" Sydney cried, disbelieving. "France! To visit your mother!"

He laughed and that was when she realized that he was teasing her.

"You suck," She said, half jokingly, half just to spite him.

-

"Mommy? Where are we going?" Cory asked as she watched Sydney repack the suitcase she had just unpacked the night before. Sydney snapped out of the memory that had consumed and looked over at Cory.

Sydney hesitated. She still wasn't sure where they were going. "On a trip."

"We're already on one," Cory answered.

Sydney smiled at her daughter. She was smart, that was for sure. "But this one we're going on with Daddy," She answered.

Cory's face lit up instantly. "Really Mommy?" She asked excitedly.

Sydney had to laugh. Even if it was Vaughn that her daughter was so excited about, it was still completely adorable that Cory was so excited. "Yes, really. Now help me pack."

Cory nodded and jumped off the bed she was sitting on and reached for the pile of her clothes. She started to stuff them into her own suitcase hurriedly, not even bothering to fold them in any way shape or form.

Sydney noticed and watched Cory with a bemused look on her face. After awhile she stepped forward and put a stop to Cory's hurried packing by placing her hands over her daughters.

Cory looked up confused, "We have to pack Mommy," She said seriously.

Sydney smiled patiently, "I know…but why don't we pack correctly and then it'll be so much easier?"

Cory considered this before she frowned and said, "I hate packing."

Sydney laughed. Now why did that sound so familiar? "I know. I do too."

"Then we should make Daddy pack for us," Cory said firmly.

Sydney laughed again. "And what would that prove?"

"That we don't have to pack anymore," Cory replied just as firmly and serious as she had earlier. Well, she had no problem in putting Vaughn to work. Not that Sydney had a problem with it, she just found it amusing.

"But what if he packs the wrong stuff?" Sydney asked seriously. She had found that Cory liked to be treated as a big girl, not a little child and Sydney played along with it. To a point.

"Then we can buy new stuff," Cory reasoned.

Sydney laughed for a third time. Only Cory. "Well, what if I don't want to buy more stuff?"

A slight frown line appeared between Cory's eyebrows. "Well…then pack faster Mommy."

"I'm working on it, Miss Impatient," Sydney answered teasingly.

Cory opened her mouth to protest but was interrupted by the sound of something glass –and most likely valuable- shattering against the wall downstairs. Both she and Sydney frowned and looked towards the door.

"What the hell?" Sydney muttered, going over to the doorway and opening the door wider from the small crack it had been opened earlier. Cory followed her and both peered out into the hallway, confused.

"Michael Christopher Vaughn!" Claire cried enraged.

Sydney grimaced and ushered Cory back into the room. "You stay here and finish packing, okay?" Cory nodded her agreement and Sydney gave her a quick smile before stealing out into the hallway, making sure to close the door behind her.

"What did you do now Vaughn?" She muttered under her breath.