Thank you all so much for reviews, and I love that you appreciated the boobs line, because it is one of my all time fav quotes as well.
"Eric have you seen my keys?" Ainsley asked as she searched amongst the clutter on the coffee table late Monday morning.
"Nope," Weiss replied. "Where are you going?"
"Cam needs me at Phase One. Paperwork or something."
"Oh right. The ever so glamorous life of running a night club." Weiss joked, looking over the kitchen bench for the keys.
Ainsley snorted and let out a cry of delight. "Aha!" she held up the keys. "Found 'em."
Weiss raised his eyebrows. "They eluded the Bermuda Triangle of our apartment. Nice."
"Yeah." Ainsley grinned. "I'm not sure if I'll be back before you leave for work. I'm going to stop on my way home and get a present for Dillon's birthday party."
"Hey, if you want me to, I can go and get the present."
Ainsley stared at him for a few seconds, a smile playing on her lips. "I don't think so."
"And why not." Weiss demanded.
"You buying a present for a one year old? He doesn't yet have the skills to control a yo-yo."
"And why would I buy him a yo-yo? I do have other gift ideas you know."
"Ok then. What would you buy him?" Ainsley asked, trying to keep the laughter out of her voice.
"Um…ah…" Weiss thought furiously. The truth was that he had no idea, and was well aware that Ainsley knew this also. It was times like these that he wished that she did not know his so well. "Um…what about, ah…a X-Box 360?"
Ainsley laughed as she walked towards him. "Who are you buying for- Dillon or Troy?"
"Ok, fine." Weiss relented. "You buy the present. But promise me that whatever you buy makes a lot of noise."
"You underestimate me, Eric. I was already planning on that." Ainsley placed a kiss on his cheek. "I love you."
"Love you, too." Weiss replied as she headed out the door. "See you later."
"There you go boy." Vaughn unclipped Donovan's leash as they approached the front yard. Waving to Marshall, who was backing out of his own driveway, Vaughn opened the front door and followed Donovan inside.
After hanging the leash up by the door, Vaughn headed into the kitchen for a drink. Donovan plodded over to the couch, where Sydney was sitting cross-legged, watching television. Hearing a sniff, Vaughn looked over in their direction.
"Syd?"
"Yeah?" She sniffed again.
Vaughn started towards her. "Are you ok…are you crying?"
Sydney nodded and Vaughn quickly sat beside her, putting his arm around her shoulders.
"Why?"
Sydney gestured towards the TV. "That."
"The TV?"
"No, the commercial."
Vaughn blinked, slightly confused. "The commercial?"
"You know, the one…"Sydney trailed off, glancing at the screen. "Oh god, it's playing again."
Vaughn looked up. "That ad?"
Sydney nodded, as she curled up into his side.
"Syd, that's an ad for dog food." Vaughn said, biting his bottom lip. What was going on here?
"I know." Sydney replied, still sniffing. "That poor puppy has to resort to stealing food."
"Syd," Vaughn said slowly. "I think the puppy stealing is meant to be construed as funny."
"But it's not! That poor puppy is lost and must be starving. Why should he have to go through that?"
Vaughn took a few seconds to compose himself before speaking. He didn't think that Sydney would really appreciate laughter at this point in time.
"Ok Syd," he said, stroking her hair. "I think that it's time we got you some fresh air."
Sydney sat up. "And some ice cream?" she asked in a small voice.
"And ice cream." Vaughn affirmed. 'Anything to keep you from blubbering at commercials,' he thought to himself.
Craig and Will started at Vaughn dubiously.
"She was crying at a dog food commercial?" Craig repeated his brow furrowed.
"Sydney?" Will asked. "Sydney Vaughn, previously Sydney Bristow? Our Sydney, not some stranger, right?"
Vaughn nodded. "It was so totally left of centre. Literally sobbing- at a commercial! Maybe if it had been some cheesy midday movie, it would be understandable. But dog food?"
Will was shaking his head. "I cannot believe…" he trailed off as knock on the door was heard.
"Sydney cannot know that I've told you guys." Vaughn said to the two of them as Will headed to the door.
"Why did you tell us?" Craig asked.
"I don't know." Vaughn shrugged. "Advice."
"What sort of advice—" Craig suddenly cut off. Will had returned back to the living room, with Olivia by his side.
"Hi." Vaughn said.
"Yeah, hi." Craig said and then turned to Vaughn. "Hey, I think it's time that we go and do that thing."
"Oh, yeah. That really important thing." Vaughn said, standing up. "See you, Will. Bye Olivia."
Will waited until Vaughn and Craig had closed the door behind them before speaking.
"So," he said, turning towards Olivia. "What is this about?"
"I just thought that it was time we talked."
"Are you going to explain to me what the other week was about? Because I'm feeling just a tad confused and haven't really been able to discuss it with anybody."
Olivia's eyes widened slightly. "You haven't told anybody why we're fighting?"
"What?" Will scoffed. "Did you really think that I would tell my friends that you hate them?"
"I don't hate them, Will." Olivia said quietly.
"Then what?" Will asked, his voice loud.
"I guess you could say that I am uncomfortable around them."
"Uncomfortable? Olivia, you are being as vague as before. I need you to give me some explanations. What makes you so uncomfortable?"
"Well," Olivia hesitated. "Francie, for one."
Will closed his eyes briefly. "I have told you there is nothing going on between Francie and me."
"Yes, you have told me that, but I have also seen the way you act around each other. The laughing and the teasing. The way that you are always dropping by to see one another."
"Olivia, we are just friends!"
"Who used to date!" Olivia shot back. "I feel like some understudy, only playing a part until you realize who you truly want to be with."
Will took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Sit down," he said, gesturing to the couch. When Olivia had positioned herself next to him, Will turned to her. "That is not how I see you and I never will. Francie and I are not meant to be together."
"How can you be so sure."
"There's something I should tell you…when we were together, something happened." Will paused. "Francie got pregnant."
"What?" Olivia breathed. "But…I mean…what…"
"She lost the baby."
"So is that why you broke up. The stress of that?"
"No, we broke up because, for that short period of time, when we were faced with being parents, with being linked together for life, we realized that we didn't want that. That all we wanted and needed from each other was friendship."
"Oh," Olivia looked down at her hands.
"So, now do you believe me that things between Francie and myself are completely innocent?"
Olivia nodded, looking up at him. "I'm sorry for going all paranoid on you."
"And I'm sorry for calling you delusional." Will said with a small smile.
Olivia smiled back, though almost sadly. "This isn't working, is it?"
Will shrugged. "I thought it was, until…"
"Until what I said about your friends." Olivia sighed. "It's not that I don't like them. Really, they're wonderful people, but it's like that they're always there. I feel like I'm dating about ten people instead of one."
"You can't make me choose between my friends and you." Will said bluntly.
"And I don't want to. The truth of the matter, Will, is that I don't fit in with your friends, which means that I don't fit into the life you lead. I've never been part of a large social network and I don't feel the need to be part of one now."
"Get to the point, Olivia. Are you breaking up with me or not."
Olivia nodded. "I see how you are when you're trying to burp the alphabet with Eric, or shooting pool with Sydney or when you're out having drinks with all of them. You deserve to be with somebody who can join in with these experiences and enjoy them, not somebody who constantly brings down the mood because they feel as if they're walking on eggshells."
Will looked at her, comprehending the things she had just said. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"
"Probably the same reason you didn't tell me exactly what happened between you and Francie. I felt I couldn't talk to you about it." Olivia paused. "Another reason why we shouldn't be together."
"So this is it, hey?"
Olivia nodded. "This is it."
Vaughn was sitting at the computer Wednesday afternoon, when he heard sniffs coming from the lounge room.
"Oh god," he muttered, walking towards the couch where Sydney was sitting. "Are you ok?"
Sydney nodded.
"The commercial again?"
Sydney shook her head. "It's a documentary on whales."
Vaughn made the executive decision not to ask what exactly was so upsetting about whales. Instead, he thought of the only way he knew to help. "Would you like some ice cream?"
Sydney shook her head.
"Peanut butter?"
A nod this time, accompanied by a hoarse 'thank you'.
As Vaughn headed to the pantry, he couldn't help but worry. Just what was going on with Sydney?