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"Hello birthday girl," Weiss said as Ainsley walked into the kitchen Tuesday morning. "Cam rang while you were in the shower. Wanted to know when you're meeting at the bank was."

"That'd be right. No mention of my birthday, I bet."

Weiss laughed. "Spot on. So when is your meeting?"

"Tomorrow morning." Ainsley replied. "You're going to come with me, right?"

"Of course," Weiss said. "And now that we've got that out of the way, let's get to what I know you've been hanging out for."

Ainsley gave him a blank look. "And what might that be?" she asked jokingly.

"Come here." Weiss grabbed her hand and dragged her over to the couch. When they had both sat down, he picked up a small box off the coffee table. "Happy Birthday Ainz."

With a smile, Ainsley removed the lid from the box. Inside was an even smaller, velvet jewellery box. With a curious look at Weiss she opened it to reveal a stunning diamond ring.

With a sharp intake of breath, Ainsley's eyes flew back up at Weiss. "Eric, it's…it's beautiful."

Weiss shrugged. "I thought that it was about time that I gave you an engagement ring."

"What?" Ainsley laughed. "But we're already married."

"So what?" Weiss replied. "This is something that you should have." He smiled as he took the ring from the box. "So, what do you say?"

Ainsley couldn't help but laugh again. "I say yes," she replied and held out her left hand, allowing Weiss to place the ring on her finger, along with her wedding band. "Perfect fit," she whispered.

Weiss just grinned as he pulled her in for a long and soft kiss.

"Sydney!" Vaughn called as he walked into the house late Friday afternoon.

"In the bedroom," came her muffled reply.

Vaughn continued to speak as he headed towards her. "I just ran into Danielle this afternoon and she…" he trailed off as he got to the bedroom door. Clothes were strewn over the bed and a good portion of the floor. "Is Francie here?"

Sydney's head popped out of the wardrobe. "No. Why?"

Vaughn gestured at all the clothes. "Do I really need to explain?"

Sydney sighed. "I'm trying to find something to wear tomorrow night."

"And since when do you get all Francie when picking out an outfit?" Vaughn asked, looking at Sydney as if she were a stranger.

"I am not getting all Francie," Sydney said huffily.

"Syd." Vaughn's eyebrows rose slightly. "Look around you."

Sydney gazed around the room, and Vaughn could tell that she agreed with him. But instead of laughing, as he had expected, Sydney's face crumpled as she sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Hey," Vaughn said gently as he sat beside her. "What's going on?"

Sydney refused to look him in the eye and mumbled something incoherently.

"Pardon?" Vaughn cocked his head in her direction. "What was that?"

Sydney let out a loud sigh. "I said that none of my pants fit."

"Oh," Vaughn tried desperately to keep the smile off his face.

"Well," Sydney was continuing. "They sort of fit, but they're really tight- like top button…buttons impossible to do up tight. I hate wearing tight pants."

Vaughn couldn't help himself and let out a small chuckle. Sydney's eyes flew up to his, her expression accusing.

"Are you laughing at me?"

"No." Vaughn replied, continuing to fight his smile.

"Well it certainly sounded like it." Sydney said. "And you should take a look at yourself. You're fighting it so hard that you look like you're about to wet yourself!"

"Syd, I am not laughing at you, I am laughing at the situation."

"Well, I don't think the situation is very funny."

Vaughn looked at her. "You honestly cannot see a lighter side to all of this?"

Sydney bit her bottom lip, fighting the smile she could feel forming. "It's easy for you to see the lighter side. You're not the one who is getting fat!"

"Sydney, you are not fat. You are pregnant. Two completely different things."

"Yeah…well…" Sydney lost her fight as a grin emerged on her face. "Whether I'm fat or pregnant, that still doesn't help with the fact that my pants don't fit."

Vaughn laughed. "The shops are open late tonight. How about we go for a little spree?"

"Sounds good to me," Sydney declared, standing up. "Hey, what were you saying when you first walked in. about Danielle?"

"I ran into her this afternoon. She wanted to know when was a good time for the dinner the two of you had organized."

"Oh!" Sydney smacked her forehead. "I totally forgot."

"About what?"

"Danielle has a new boyfriend and wants to bring him over for dinner. She called and asked, but it was when Francie was in the hospital and I completely forgot."

"Another one?" Vaughn asked. "How many is this now?"

"I've lost count." Sydney laughed. "But enough of Danielle. Let's go shopping."

"Oh my god." Sydney burst out laughing when she saw Vaughn early Saturday evening. His clothes were covered with dirt and his hands and most of his arms looked to be caked with mud. "What have you been doing?"

"Me and Marshall have started up a neighbourhood mud wrestling ring." Vaughn grinned. "You wanna join?"

"Maybe next year." Sydney retorted. "Now, seriously. What were you doing?"

"Marshall decided that his backyard was boring."

"And?"

"And, to put it in simply, he went out and bought a jungle."

"And let me guess, he needed help planting the 'jungle'?" Sydney said and Vaughn nodded. "So did you actually get any planting done?" Sydney grinned. "Or did you just spend these past hours playing in the mud?"

"We got some planting done." Vaughn said, holding up his filthy left hand. "Look," he pulled off his wedding band, which itself now looked black, revealing a clean white ring around his finger. "It's like a tan line, only with dirt."

Sydney let out a snort of laughter. "Wow, comic genius at it's best," she said. "Now go get in the shower. We're supposed to be meeting Weiss and Ainz soon."

Vaughn smiled suggestively. "You want a hug first?"

"Not if you know what's good for you," Sydney replied as Vaughn went to move. "Hang on. Give me your ring. You're going to have enough of a task washing that filth off yourself. I'll clean it."

Sydney and Vaughn had been at Weiss and Ainsley's for about ten minutes when he suddenly turned to her.

"You forgot to give me my ring back."

Sydney blinked. "Excuse me?"

Vaughn held up his bare left hand. "My wedding band."

Sydney shrugged. "So you go out tonight without it. We're not going to be late just because you forgot something."

"But you took it off me!" Vaughn protested. "You forgot to give it back."

Sydney grinned at him. "Oh yeah? Well, who was the one who decided to go play in the mud?"

"We weren't playing." Vaughn tried very hard, yet was unsuccessful in keeping a straight face.

Sydney laughed. "Come on, let's just go. It's no big deal. It's not like you're taking it off to participate in some illicit affair."

"Don't speak too soon, Syd." Weiss out in. "Vaughn, walking into a bar without that wedding ring deterrent…I give it ten minutes."

It actually took until the band took a break and Vaughn left Sydney's side to go and get everybody a drink. Waiting at the bar, he sensed somebody looking at him and turned to his left. A petite, blonde was standing there, smiling.

"Hi," she said. "Can I buy you a drink?"

"Uh, no thanks." Vaughn replied.

"Why not? We can't have you here at the bar by yourself, can we?"

"I'm sorry, but no. I'm married."

The woman continued to smile. "I don't see a ring."

Absentmindedly, Vaughn pinched the bridge of his nose. Where the hell was Sydney when he needed her?

The smile suddenly dropped from the woman's face as she misread his pained expression. "I'm sorry. Was it you or her?"

Vaughn glanced at her, completely puzzled. "Excuse me?"

"Did you leave her, or did she leave you?"

"What did I tell you?" Weiss was saying to Sydney and Ainsley. "By himself for a second and bam!"

Sydney was laughing and Ainsley looked at her. "What are you laughing about? That woman is practically all over him. Why don't you go over and stake your claim?"

"Ainz, this is Vaughn. I don't need to go and 'stake my claim'. I just want to sit here and enjoy the show."

"She's got the right idea." Weiss said. "Look at how uncomfortable he is. This is actually really funny."

Sydney looked back towards Vaughn. "Maybe I should go and rescue him?" she said, making to stand up.

"Hang on a sec." Ainsley stopped her. "I have an idea."

"Look," Vaughn stepped back from the woman. "I am not separated, or divorced. I am happily married, I really—"

"Michael!"

Vaughn jumped slightly. Weiss had appeared out of nowhere, speaking in some high, falsetto voice.

"Weiss? What is up with your…since when do you call me Michael?"

"What are you doing here?" Weiss demanded, an exaggerated indignant expression on his face.

Vaughn stared at him for a few seconds. "Uh, I'm watching the band," he replied, wondering what the hell was going on. "Remember, I came here with y—"

"Oh, I can see that." Weiss placed a hand on his hip. "But what are you doing here?"

Vaughn briefly closed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"I get home and find your note telling me you've gone out when I specifically told you last night that I had that decoupage project for us to do. You promised, Michael!"

"I did?" Vaughn glanced at the woman beside him. She was looking at bewildered as he felt.

"Yes and now you…" Weiss trailed off with a sharp intake of breath. "Where is your wedding ring? Why are you not wearing your ring?"

Vaughn covered his eyes with a hand. "Oh my god," he muttered. He was going to kill Weiss. Slowly.

"Answer me, Michael!" Weiss said, his voice getting shriller. "No, wait. On second thoughts I don't want to hear your pathetic excuses."

Vaughn let out a snort of laughter. "My what?"

"Don't you laugh at me." Weiss held up his left hand, displaying his own wedding band. "You see this ring? It links us together- forever. Or did our commitment ceremony mean nothing to you?"

"Hey Weiss," Vaughn hissed. "Do you think you could tone it down a bit? Everybody does not need to hear this."

"Oh, so now you are ashamed of our love-" Vaughn shuddered at that thought- " Why did you even promise yourself to me if you were just going to shun me in public? What sort of a husband are you?"

"Uh," the woman cleared her throat. "I'm just going to go…bye."

When she had gone, Vaughn gave Weiss a shove. "What the hell are you on?"

Weiss was cracking up. "Come on, it was funny."

"Says who?"

"Them." Vaughn pointed to where Sydney and Ainsley were doubled over in laughter.

Sydney and Ainsley were still laughing over what happened when the four of them got back to Weiss and Ainsley's later that night. All it took was for one of them to say 'Michael' in a high-pitched voice and they lost it.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Vaughn drawled. "Just keep the humiliation going."

"Come on, Vaughn." Sydney wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes. "Weiss did you a favour, getting that woman away."

"Well, I think my pregnant wife might have had the same effect." Vaughn shot back good-naturedly.

"But that wouldn't have been half as much fun." Weiss said. "I only wish I'd gotten a photo of your expression."

"Oh my god!" Ainsley exclaimed. "That was hilarious. It was like fear and bewilderment and humiliation and shock all wrapped into one."

"A moment we will never forget." Sydney sighed.

"Definitely," Ainsley agreed, as a sly grin formed on her face. Vaughn cringed, knowing exactly what was coming next.

"Michael!"