Title: Bless the Broken Road
Author: Steph
Rating: PG
POV: Sydney/Vaughn
Pairing: Syd/Vaughn, Syd/Will, Weiss/Vaughn friendship
Category: Romance/Drama
Disclaimer: I do this out of a love for the show. No infringement is intended.
Spoilers: General season 5 and memorable Syd/Vaughn moments.
Summary: After five years, Vaughn returns from the dead to find Sydney married and raising their daughter with Will.

Notes: Thanks for your great feedback! I appreciate it! Okay so...drumroll please...this is actually the LAST chapter! Seriously! For real this time! I hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you thought one last time. -Steph

--- Bless the Broken Road: Part 5/5 ---

I pass by Isabel's room. She's lying on her bed reading. I walk into her room and sit down on the bed. She rolls over and faces away from me.

It's been like this for two weeks. She hasn't spoken a word to me since Will left. I've tried to talk to her, but she ignores me. I figured it was her way of coping and it wouldn't last for more than a few days. I guess I forgot how stubborn and determined my daughter can be.

I run my fingers through her hair and rub her back.

"Stop it," she says softly, but firmly.

It's the first time I've heard her voice in two weeks and it takes me by surprise. I pull my hand back.

"Isabel, we have to talk about this."

"I don't want to talk to you."

"Look, I know you're angry with me, but shutting me out isn't going to help anything. I want you to talk to me."

Isabel sits up and folds her arms over her chest. "This is all your fault."

I sigh. "I understand why you feel that way, but Daddy made his own decision. I didn't ask him to leave."

"You didn't have to. Everything changed the minute my real daddy came back. You changed. He's not dumb, Mommy. He saw that."

I lift my hand and push a stray piece of hair out of her face. "I'm sorry."

She nods and picks up a corner of the bedspread. Her fingers play with the fabric as her voice emerges softly. "I know."

She looks up at me after a few moments. "Are you going to marry my real daddy now?"

My eyes widen. "I don't know. Isabel, I'm just trying to sort everything out right now. I don't want to move to fast."

"But you still love him, don't you?"

I lower my eyes to the bedspread. "Yes, I do."

Isabel nods. "That's what I thought." She pauses and then looks up at me with big eyes. "Do I have to start calling Daddy Will again?"

I shake my head. "No. You've thought of him as your daddy for two years. You can call him whatever you want."

"Well, what about my real daddy? What if I want to call him daddy someday? Won't it get confusing?"

I laugh lightly. "I don't think you have to worry about that right now."

She nods and looks down at her hands. "It's weird here now. The house is so quiet."

I bob my head. "It's going to take some getting used to. But we will make it through this."

She looks up at me. "You know, I do kind of like my real daddy. I mean, I'm mad at him because this wouldn't have happened if he never came back, but he is pretty cool."

I smile. "Yeah, he is."

Her eyes then fill with tears. "Do you think Daddy will feel bad if I start liking him?"

I shake my head. "No, I think he'll understand."

She nods. "Good."

---

I sit on the park bench remembering the last time I sat here. I never expected Will to show up and tell me what he did.

I'm thrown from my thoughts when I hear her voice. I look to my right and find Isabel throwing bread into the pond. Will is kneeling down next to her.

I feel my chest tighten. I know it shouldn't bother me. I know I should only want what makes her happy. Maybe, in time, it will get easier.

It's been a month since I've seen Sydney. I've still been seeing Isabel, but her baby-sitter has been dropping her off at my place. It's hard knowing she's out there and I can't be with her. In some ways, it's harder than the time we were forced to spend apart. At least then I knew it wasn't her choice.

I watch as Will picks Isabel up and she puts her arms around his neck. I wonder if Isabel and I will ever achieve that closeness. It comes so naturally between them. Isabel and I have to work harder at it, especially since Will left. She's not angry with me anymore, but I don't think she can look at me without seeing the man who ruined her family.

But I'm patient. I'll give her and Sydney as much time as they need. I'll always consider them my family, no matter what happens.

---

The doorbell rings and I go to answer it.

I smile at Will and Isabel. "Hey, did you guys have fun?"

Isabel nods enthusiastically. "We fed the ducks."

Will grins down at her. "We sure did. Those are going to be some fat ducks."

Isabel laughs. Will bends down and gives her a hug. "I'll see you on Wednesday. We'll go to the library."

Isabel nods and kisses his cheek. She then runs upstairs. I watch her go, relief flooding through me. She's going to be okay. This situation isn't ideal, but she's going to make it.

I look back at Will. "Thank you. She always has so much fun with you."

He shakes his head. "Syd, you know you don't have to thank me. I love spending time with her."

I nod. "I know. And I realize this situation isn't easy for you."

He shrugs his shoulders. "No, it isn't, but I'm dealing with it. I'm adjusting, moving on." He pauses and then eyes me. "Are you?"

I look down at the ground. "I'm doing the best I can."

"When was the last time you talked to Vaughn?"

I raise my eyes up to look at him. "Why do you want to know that?"

"Because I can tell you're not happy, Syd."

I shrug my shoulders. "Will, I had a family for two years and now that's gone. It's only been a month since you left. I'm just trying to take things slow."

He nods. "I understand that. And maybe I'm crazy for saying this but if you want to be with Vaughn you should do it."

My eyes widen. "After everything I put you through, how can you even say that?"

Will smiles sadly at me. "Syd, all I've ever wanted is for you to be happy. When I was in that stupid witness protection program and I found out you were alive...I used to stay up nights thinking about you. Even though I couldn't be with you in any way, I hoped you were happy. It gave me comfort to imagine that you were. You'd been through so much and you deserved that." He pauses and swallows hard, "Vaughn makes you happy. If I thought otherwise, I never would have left. Syd, you've seen what wasting time can do. If you want to be with him, you need to tell him." He pauses and then exhales deeply. "Or else all of this...was for nothing."

I feel tears spring to my eyes. I take a step forward and wrap my arms around Will. I feel his arms slowly embrace me.

"You're an incredible man," I whisper in his ear.

He pulls back and smiles at me. "Yeah, I am pretty incredible."

I laugh through my tears. "Thank you," I say softly.

He offers me one last smile and a little wave before turning on his heel and leaving.

---

I open the door on the second ring and smile down at Isabel.

"Hi," I say.

"Hi," she replies and walks past me.

I close the door behind her and follow her into the living room. She sits down on the couch and picks up the remote control. She begins to go through the channels at lightning speed.

"So, what do you want to do today?" I ask.

She shrugs and leans her head back on the couch. "This."

"You want to watch TV again? We've done that the last two times we saw each other."

"So?"

"Well, I was just thinking we could do something fun. Something different. Maybe we could go to the park."

She turns to me and gives me a piercing look. "That's what I do with my daddy."

I swallow hard. "Okay, well, is there something else you'd like to do?"

She stares at me for a few moments, her brow narrowing in deep thought. She then waves her hand around.

"When are you going to get your own place? You can't live with Uncle Eric forever."

The abrupt change of subject and out-of-nowhere question takes me by surprise.

"Uh..." I reply eloquently.

"You've been back for a while now. It's time to get back on your feet."

A small smile pulls at my lips. "How old are you again?"

She leans back into the couch and folds her arms over her chest. "What are you waiting for?"

I stop and think about that for a moment. The truth is, I've been stuck in limbo since I came back. I decided I want to go back to teaching, but I haven't done anything about it. I haven't even started to look for an apartment. I guess I've been waiting to see what happens with Sydney. I feel like I can't move forward until I know where we stand. And, truth be told, I can't imagine moving forward without her and Isabel.

I shrug my shoulders. "I don't know."

She shakes her head. "Yes, you do. You're waiting for mommy."

I smile and run a hand through my hair. I nod. "I guess I am." I pause and then ask, "How is your mom?"

She looks back at the television. "Sad a lot."

I look down at my hands.

"Because of Will."

"That's part of it. But mostly it's because of you."

I feel my chest tighten. The last thing I ever wanted to do was make Sydney sad.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, she wants to be with you, but she's just not quite ready. So that makes her sad."

I take a deep breath, heartened by the fact that she hasn't changed her mind. She just needs time.

I look at her for a long moment and smile. "How did you get to be so smart?"

She shrugs her shoulders and smiles. "Just born that way, I guess."

I laugh and shake my head. I realize now that our relationship is going to take time and work. It's not going to be easy, but it'll definitely be worth it.

---

I finish dusting the night table and move to my bureau. I stop abruptly when my eyes land on our wedding photo. I pick up the picture and run my fingers across the glass. Will and I are smiling and looking down at Isabel, who's standing between us holding our hands.

We all look so happy. We were happy.

I wonder if Vaughn had never come back if that happiness would have lasted. Could a marriage built on mutual love for a little girl, friendship, and a desire to feel safe and comfortable really last? Or would we have grown apart eventually? Would Will have come to resent the fact that I could never love him the way he deserved to be loved? Would my memory of the passion and love I had and lost leave me dissatisfied?

I shake my head. That's the funny thing about life. No one knows what the future holds. I've experienced enough twists and turns to know that's the truth. All anyone can do is make the best choices for them, knowing what they do of the present and what they hope for the future.

I sigh and look down at the simple gold band on my ring finger. Will's proposal was so spur of the moment that I never did get an engagement ring. I think of what that ring meant and how it's all gone now.

Slowly, I bring my other hand up to the ring and twist it. I twist until it slides off my finger. I look at the mark it left on my finger and realize that's that remains of what we had.

I open my jewelry box and place it inside. I then open the top drawer of my bureau and lift out a few sweaters. In the corner at the back is a small black box. I pick it up and hold it in my hands. Fingers trembling, I open the box. Tears spring to my eyes at the sight of the engagement ring Vaughn gave me.

Will never knew it was there. I would pull it out every once in a while, when I was missing Vaughn more than usual, and just look at it. My heart would break and I'd cry for the unfulfilled promises it once held. I stare at it now, realizing for the first time that those promises can be fulfilled.

And, for the first time, I cry tears of happiness.

---

"Where are you going?" Weiss asks me, as I pull my jacket on.

I throw him a look.

He shakes his head. "Are you serious? It's been what? Two months since Will left. You've gone there every night for two months, Mike. Maybe she's not going to come. You haven't even spoken in all that time."

I shrug my shoulders. "I'm giving her the time she needs."

"And what if she never comes?"

"She'll come."

"You don't know that."

I nod. "Yes, I do."

He sighs and shakes his head. "Well, could you at least bring me back some food this time? A corn dog? Maybe a pretzel? I'm starving."

I smile. "You're always starving."

"No, seriously, I had, like three Cheez-its and a grape for lunch."

I bob my head. "Okay, I'll bring you back something. It's gonna be late though."

"That's okay."

I turn on my heel to leave but his voice stops me. "Good luck."

I smile and continue on my way.

---

It's funny how things come full circle. The first time I realized there was something between us, something real and true and lasting, was right here. And here we are again.

I see him. He's leaning against the railing, looking out at the water. His hair sways softly in the wind and the moonlight illuminates half his face.

I come to stand beside him.

"I knew you'd be here."

He doesn't look at me, but responds softly. "I've been here every night for the last two months."

I raise my eyebrows. "You haven't really-..."

"I told you I'd be waiting," he replies, cutting me off, as he turns his head to look at me.

I place my hand over his, just as I did all of those years ago, when he was my only lifeline.

"I'm here now."

His eyes meet mine and I see the love and desire in them.

"This is it," he says softly.

"What do you mean?"

"This is the last time we'll ever have to find our way back to each other. I'm never letting you go again." He then brings his hand up to my cheek and caresses it. "I love you," he whispers.

"I love you, too," I say through tears.

It's then that he lowers his lips down to mine. I dig my fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck and pull him deeper into the kiss. God, I've missed this so much. All of our undying love and passion is expressed in that one kiss.

We pull back and I place my head on his shoulder. His strong arms wrap around me and I'm sure there's no place on earth I'd rather be.

---

-One Year Later-

"No fair!" Isabel screams and slams her stick down on the ice.

Sydney and I exchange a look. Isabel skates toward us and fixes us with one of her patented glares.

"Mommy, you're not on Daddy's team. You're on my team. You have to stop touching him and pay attention. We're losing here!"

I smile, never tiring of hearing her call me that. It took her about six months, but she got used to it. She still calls Will daddy, too. It bothered me at first, but I've adjusted the best I can. I can't expect her to stop calling him that. She still thinks of him as her father. How can I blame her? That's what he was for two years and nothing can change that. Truth is, I could think of worse things than two men loving and protecting that amazing little girl.

They still see each other all the time. Isabel sleeps over his house some weekends and he takes her to the park or the library on some days during the week. Will and I have formed a tentative friendship for Sydney and Isabel's sake.

I skate close to Sydney and give her a kiss on the lips, just to annoy Isabel.

She wrinkles her nose. "Eww!"

Sydney and I laugh. I pick Isabel up. "Daddy loves Mommy. That's what you do when you love somebody." I then proceed to kiss her until she giggles.

Sydney brings her hand up and runs her fingers through my hair and down my neck, her smiling eyes meeting mine. She gives Isabel a kiss on the nose.

"Daddy's right," she says. "Kisses show love."

She crinkles her nose. "You do know human mouths are filled with bacteria, don't you?"

I shake my head at Sydney and smile. "I don't think we should have put her in that Gifted and Talented class."

Isabel wriggles free of my grip and slides back down to the ice. We watch as she takes the puck and heads toward her goal.

I raise an eyebrow at Sydney. "She's good. I'm thinking Olympics 2022."

Sydney shakes her head. "Oh no. No way."

"Why? She's a natural. Like her father."

Sydney smiles. "And a sore loser. Like her father."

I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her closer to me. "I always thought you liked that about me."

She grins seductively and whispers into my lips, "You, Mr. Vaughn, have a number of, shall we say, appealing qualities." My heart beats faster as I ready for her lips to meet mine. Instead, she gently pushes me away and laughs. "And your sportsmanship, or lack thereof, isn't one of them."

I raise my eyebrows at that and watch as she skates away. I chase after her and grab her by the waist. I spin her around and pin her up against the wall with my body, as I allow my breath to tickle her skin. "How about we go back to our room then and pay a little attention to those appealing qualities?"

She giggles and kisses my neck.

"Okay, what is this, hockey porn?" comes a familiar, annoying voice.

I groan and pull away from Sydney. I glare at Weiss, who's chomping on a hot dog.

"Do you mind?" I say.

He raises his eyebrows. "Me? No, I don't mind. But the other 25 families who came here to have a little fun, not watch you two go at it like a couple of horny teenagers, might."

I sigh. "It's our honeymoon. You could cut us a little slack."

He shakes his head. "Uh, I don't think so. I have no more slack to cut. I'm slack-less. Look, I only agreed to this weird little family honeymoon because it was a free trip with, you know, free food and lots of hot women. You said you wanted a family honeymoon with Isabel, but you also wanted to have someone to watch her when you wanted some alone time. So I agreed to play the part of Mary Poppins. But we've been on this cruise eight days. Eight days. And you know what I have to show for it? Two sunburns. Yeah, that's right, it's possible. It's called layering. $500 lost in gambling. Three missed midnight buffets because I had to watch your kid. And eight sleepless nights because I've had to share a room with your daughter who sounds like a rhino...dying. So excuse me if I don't feel like losing my lunch watching you two."

Sydney smiles and pats Weiss on the shoulder. "Thanks for everything."

"Yeah, whatever," he grumbles.

Isabel tugs on his shirt and he looks down at her.

"I know. They're disgusting," she says.

Sydney and I exchange a smile.

He shrugs. "It's called love, kid. You'll understand someday. Probably before me."

----------------------------------------THE END----------------------------------------
Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it and please let me know what you thought. -Steph