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dandan2300: I think that I read about Francie's restaurant on the Internet Movie Database.
"AAAUUUGGGHHH! Oh my god! Oh my god! OH MY GOD!"
Vaughn groaned and rolled over in bed as Sydney started laughing.
"I take it Danielle is awake," she commented.
"And when Danielle is awake, everybody is awake," Vaughn added as the shrieks from the living room continued. "Though, do you realize that she will be gone in a week?"
"Hmm," Sydney yawned, stretching out her legs. "I think I might actually kind of miss her."
Vaughn stared at her flabbergasted. "Are you serious? Are we talking about the same Danielle here?"
"I am serious," Sydney replied and Vaughn could only shake his head at her. "Ok, I know, I know. But she hasn't been all that bad lately, and I actually enjoyed—"
"You guys!" An ecstatic Danielle appeared in the doorway. "I cannot believe that you did this!" Bounding across the room she literally jumped on top of Sydney. "Thank you, thank you, merci, thank you, merci, merci, merci!"
Vaughn laughed as he sat up and then looked down at Sydney. "You were saying?"
When Ainsley woke up Christmas morning, she reached across for Weiss, but only found an empty side of the bed. Sitting up, she looked around the bedroom, and into the en suite. There was no sign of him anywhere.
"Eric?" she called.
"Yeah?" Ainsley couldn't gauge from which part of the apartment he was yelling from.
"What are you doing?"
"Nothing." He reply was extremely quick, and Ainsley was automatically suspicious.
"Yeah right, Eric." She started to climb out of the bed. "I'm coming—"
"NO!" His reply was frantic. "Don't get out of bed. I'm coming."
"What on earth…" Ainsley trailed off when Weiss appeared in the doorway and bit her bottom lip in an attempt to stop herself from laughing. He was carrying a tray, obviously for breakfast in bed, wearing his Rudolph boxer shorts and wearing a Santa hat and beard.
"Merry Christmas, Ainz," he sang out, walking over to the bed as Ainsley dissolved into a fit of laughter.
"What are you doing?" she managed to gasp out.
"Making you breakfast in bed." Weiss answered, sitting down next to her and placing the tray on his bedside table.
"Oh, I can see that." Ainsley said. "But I was wondering about this." She tugged gently at his fake beard.
Weiss grinned cheekily, or so Ainsley guessed. She could only read his expression in his eyes as white curls covered his mouth.
"I just thought, since its Christmas morning, you could get a little lovin' from Santa." He winked "You see, he came down the chimney last night, caught sight of you and decided to stay." He pulled the Santa hat off his own head and placed it on Ainsley's.
"Oh, is that so?" she asked, grabbing Weiss and pulling him down on top of her.
"Yes. Yes, it is."
"Well," Ainsley reached up and removed the beard from his face. "Mr Claus should know that I get plenty of lovin' from my own Eric Weiss. I don't need to waste my time with somebody who only comes once a year."
Weiss roared with laughter. "I knew there was a reason I fell in love with you. You, Ainsley McPhee, are one in a million," he said, kissing her long and hard.
When they broke apart, Ainsley ran a hand down the side of his face. "And so are you, Eric Weiss, so are you."
"Hello you two!" A beaming Juliette greeted Sydney and Vaughn. Looking over their shoulder she got a shock when she saw Felise standing there with Danielle. "What are you doing here? I thought you weren't coming down until the wedding?"
"I wasn't. But Danielle was missing her maman, so these two," she gestured at Sydney and Vaughn, "helped me organise this little surprise."
Juliette looked accusingly at the two of them. "You knew she was coming and you didn't tell me?"
"Yup." Vaughn grinned, giving her a quick peck on the cheek.
"I ought to send you to your rooms." Juliette smiled. "Now come on, get inside. Sydney, your father is already here. He brought a wonderful looking trifle."
Sydney refused to look at Vaughn as they walked inside. She knew exactly what would happen if she did.
Once again, it was a crowded table for Christmas lunch, though not as many as usual. Given that they were flying down for the wedding, Vaughn's family members from France had decided to forgo coming down for Christmas. Felise and Danielle were the only ones present.
But all of Vaughn's father's family were there, including Aunt Trish. She took great delight in telling Sydney that the spirits had given her and Vaughn's engagement their blessings. "Your wedding has always been in their plan," she had said to a bemused Sydney.
Before they all sat down to lunch, Jack had pulled Sydney aside. "I want to give you your present," he said, as they walked into the empty study.
"Dad, you didn't have to get me anything."
"I didn't," he replied, bluntly. "I've had this for a long time and have never really been sure of when to give it to you."
"Dad, what are you talking about?"
"I was going to give it to you for your twenty-first, but things weren't great between us then so I decided against it. Then I thought maybe for your graduation from university…but you were with Michael by that point and so I thought I would wait until now."
Sydney watched with curiosity as he reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a slim, velvet jewellery box.
"Here." Jack handed it to Sydney and she opened it, revealing a delicate white gold and diamond necklace.
"Oh dad," she breathed. "It's beautiful."
"It was your mother's." Jack said quietly and Sydney glanced up at his reminiscent expression. "She wore it on our wedding day. I thought that maybe you could do the same."
Sydney smiled inwardly. "You held onto this for over two years, just so you could give it to me to wear on mine and Vaughn's wedding day?"
Jack shrugged. "It didn't take me long to realize that he would be the one to complete my little girl."
"Dad." Sydney sighed slightly as she stepped forward and wrapped him in a hug. For a second he stiffened, but then Sydney felt him relax.
"Yes, well, ahem…how about we go and have some lunch?" Jack said when the two of them had separated.
"Sounds good." Sydney said as they started walking towards the dining room. "Though, it's dessert that I'm looking forward to."
"Why?"
"A trifle dad? Since when do you play Martha Stewart?"
Sydney loved celebrating Christmas with Vaughn's extended family. It was always loud; with different conversations going at a hundred miles an hour, crowded and every body could feel the love that was filling the room.
During lunch Sydney had got into conversation with Vaughn's Aunt Jaime, who wanted all the details of Vaughn's proposal.
"Didn't Juliette tell you?" Sydney inquired.
"No," Jaime shook her head. "So was it a fancy dinner, or something spur of the moment?"
"Oh, it was planned to a tee." Sydney grinned. "Vaughn and I went to costume party dressed as Baby and Johnny from Dirty Dancing. Before hand, he secretly took dance lessons and when we got home, danced me around to 'Time of My Life'. Then he got down on one knee and proposed."
Jaime's jaw dropped. "Are you serious?" When Sydney nodded, she turned to her left. "Hey Lucy. Lucy!" she called to her daughter. "You have to hear this."
Sydney laughed slightly as she went back to her meal.
"Hey Syd," Vaughn murmured, nudging her softly. "Check this out."
"What?" she whispered back. Vaughn nodded towards the opposite side of the table. Aunt Trish has positioned herself to Jack and was now talking about god knows what to him. Her father's expression was an absolutely classic. A mix of utter disbelief and sheer terror.
"Just listen." Vaughn murmured, with laughter in his voice.
Sydney strained to hear above the din, when she did catch wind of what Aunt Trish was saying, Sydney soon found herself fighting back laughter.
"You are a tough one to read, Jack. So many conflictions. The spirits are confused by your personality. Tell me, do you have an understanding of who you are?"
"Excuse me?" Jack blinked.
"Well, if you do not know who you are, then of course, the spirits are going to have trouble understanding. And if they cannot tell me about you, then I cannot understand you." Trish paused for a mouthful of food.
"Uh, I'm not sure I understand you." Jack stammered.
"Though if you have some spare time, I could work with you. Try and open your channels."
"My what?"
"Tell me, Jack, have you ever had your palm read? Oh!" Her eyes lit up. "Maybe a tarot reading. I have my cards here."
"No, thank you." Jack said abruptly.
"Vaughn," Sydney hissed. "Do me a favour and save him."
Vaughn looked at her. "Only for you." He gave her a quick kiss before switching his attention to across the table. "So, Jack, maman told me you made a trifle. I never you were a cook."
Sydney choked on the mouthful of drink she'd just taken. She had never heard Vaughn be so direct with her father before, and didn't think that Jack would appreciate it.
She needn't have worried.
"Well Michael, I never knew you were a dancer." Jack replied with a slight smirk. "So I guess we're both just men of mystery, hey?"
That night Felise and Danielle opted to stay at Juliette's, so for the first time in two months, Sydney and Vaughn had their place to themselves.
"Come here.' Vaughn whispered. Sydney, who was heading to the kitchen for a drink, turned around. Vaughn was standing in the middle of the living room. After she had walked over, they wrapped their arms around each other.
"Merry Christmas." Sydney murmured into Vaughn's chest, feeling his breath on the top of her head.
"You know, next time that Christmas rocks around, we'll be married." Vaughn said, tightening his embrace.
Sydney felt a small shiver run down her spine. The same shiver she felt whenever the wedding was mentioned. It was hard to believe, that in about a month and a half, she and Vaughn would be husband and wife.
"Well, then perhaps we should make the most of our last 'unmarried' and 'free' Christmas?" Sydney grinned, stepping back.
"What did you have in mind?" Vaughn asked suggestively.
Without a word Sydney headed into the pool room/study- specifically to the cupboard in there. Seconds later she appeared, with two water pistols in hand.
"What do you say, Vaughn?" Sydney winked as she tossed him one of the pistols and walked outside. "Shall we get it out of our systems now?"
"I don't know about you, Bristow, but I don't plan on getting anything out of my system." Vaughn shot back. "Whether we're married one year or fifty, I'll still be beating you in a water fight."
Sydney's only response was to hit him square in the face with a stream of water.