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Syd: Jack's job has never been disclosed. I stated in 'Meeting Their Match' that I chose to keep the nature of his job delibarately ambiguous.
Saturday morning Vaughn got up to take Donovan for a walk. He dressed quietly, but needn't have bothered. Sydney was practically unconscious underneath the covers.
When they returned from the long walk, Vaughn spotted Marshall, who was walking out to his car.
"Hey, morning Mike," he said opening the door and tossing his briefcase in. "Hey Donovan," he added, almost like an afterthought.
"Hey Marshall," Vaughn walked towards him. "You going to work?"
"Yeah, I just got a phone call. There's some emergency or something." Marshall explained. "Well, I imagine that's it's big. They didn't really say, but since it's Saturday I assume they wouldn't call us in for a trivial matter." He cocked his head to the side. "Would they?"
"Uh, I don't know." Vaughn replied. "I should probably let you go."
"Yeah…god, I am hungry. I wonder if I've got enough time to stop for breakfast." Marshall looked at his left wrist and then his right. Both were bare. "I forgot my watch. I never forget my watch. Who forgets their watch?" Marshall looked up at Vaughn. "You haven't forgotten yours. Why would I do that? Do you have the time?"
Vaughn, who had been trying to take in all that Marshall was saying, took a few moments to realize that he had been addressed directly. "Uh, no. Sorry." He held up his wrist. "My watch is broken."
"Why are you wearing a broken watch?"
Vaughn smiled. "Because it's October 1st."
Marshall blinked, trying to gauge if he should have some understanding of what Vaughn was saying. "Right," he said slowly. "October 1st."
Vaughn just chuckled. "I think I'll let you go. See you Marshall."
"Yeah," Marshall waved as he climbed into his car, his expression still a little befuddled. "See you."
"Ok. I spy with my little eye something beginning with E."
"Weiss," Sydney spoke up from the back seat. "You are not allowed to spy yourself."
"And why not?" Weiss asked, looking at her through the rear view mirror."
"Because," she shot back.
"I challenge you to find a rule where it actually states that you cannot spy yourself in a game of I Spy."
"Oh I will." Sydney replied, sitting back in her seat. "As soon as we get home on Sunday I am Googling the rules of I Spy."
It was Friday night and Sydney, Vaughn, Weiss and Ainsley were all driving out to their designated campsite together. Will and Craig had already headed up there that afternoon, in order to set up the gear before it got dark.
"I wish Francie could have come," Ainsley spoke up, hoping to distract Sydney and Weiss from their little I Spy tiff. It worked.
"Yeah." Sydney turned to Ainsley, who was seated beside her in the backseat. "But she was so excited about being able to go back to work. That restaurant is like her baby. There was not a chance that we could drag her away."
"Not even the chance of sharing a tent with Craig?" Vaughn laughed from the from passenger seat.
"Nope." Sydney said.
"It's a shame." Ainsley sighed. "I just really would have liked all our friends here this weekend."
"Why?" Vaughn asked. "What's so special about this weekend? It's just an ordinary camping trip."
"And our honeymoon." Ainsley said.
Vaughn turned around in his seat. "What?" He glanced at Weiss. "What?"
Weiss just nodded. "We thought we'd treat this weekend as a honeymoon. Otherwise we'll probably never get one."
Sydney's brow furrowed. "Let me get this straight. You get married on a whim in Las Vegas and then two weeks later host your reception, which is then followed by an engagement of some sorts. Now you're celebrating your honeymoon in a tent, with four other people. Do you do anything by the book?"
Ainsley shrugged. "What's wrong with camping for a honeymoon?"
"I was thinking more about the whole sharing the honeymoon with other people." Sydney said, smiling.
"Well, with our jobs the chances of getting away for more than a couple of days are pretty slim." Weiss said. "We gotta take what we can get."
"Then why not go somewhere by yourselves, like a hotel, for the weekend?" Vaughn suggested.
"And miss out on getting drunk around a campfire?" Ainsley said. "As if!"
Weiss was nodding vehemently as Ainsley said this. "And besides, we had an unconventional wedding, reception and engagement. Why wouldn't we have an unconventional honeymoon?"
Vaughn looked at Sydney. "I guess there is no way we could argue against that point."
Sydney laughed. "I think you're right," she said. "Now, I guessed Weiss was spying himself, so I guess that it's my turn."
"Ainz and I have made a decision," Weiss announced the following night around the campfire.
"Well, given your track record, this could be interesting," Vaughn couldn't help but say.
"And what is that supposed to mean, Michael?" Ainsley demanded with a smile.
"It means that the two of you are capable of anything," Vaughn shot back. "Hence the interesting part."
Ainsley looked over at Weiss. "Our recent actions seem to have given our friends some high expectations. I think we're about to let them down."
"That doesn't sound promising," Will said,
"Yeah," Craig agreed. "I was looking forward to an, I don't know, maybe a buying a piece of land on the moon announcement."
"Oh, we're saving a deposit for that." Weiss replied with a straight face.
"Yeah, we looked into Mercury but it was just too hot," Ainsley added without missing a beat. "And Uranus was out of the question for obvious reasons. But the moon just seemed so 'us'. Right, Eric?"
"Right." He gave a firm nod.
"Ok," Sydney laughed. "Really, what have you decided?"
"We're having the Halloween party this year." Weiss announced.
"Uh, does Francie know about this?" Sydney asked. "Because Halloween is kind of her thing…all days that call for a party are kind of her thing."
"It's time Francie has a break." Ainsley replied.
"I don't think Francie will take it that way," Will said.
"Yes she will," Ainsley said. "I already spoke to her. She said as long as she could help out, she didn't mind."
"Are you serious?" Sydney asked. "Francie Calfo actually relinquished Halloween rights on her own free will?" She glanced over at Will, whose bewildered expression matched exactly how she was feeling. "Something is very wrong here."
Will nodded as he took a mouthful of beer. "Do you think that being in that coma rewired some of her brain?"
Everybody stared at him for a few seconds before bursting out in laughter.
"Probably not, Will." Vaughn managed to say.
Will just shrugged off the laughter. "All I'm saying is that something ain't right." He shook his head. "Francie not having Halloween. Next thing you know Syd'll be giving birth to Eric look a likes."
Sydney choked on the mouthful of soft drink she'd just taken. "Excuse me?" she exclaimed.
In the same second, Vaughn turned to her. "Is there something you need to tell me?"
Meanwhile Weiss, Ainsley and Craig were doubled over in laughter.
"Eric look a likes?" Craig spluttered. "I think that's enough beer for you tonight."
In the tent that night Vaughn wasn't having much luck in falling asleep. Every time he came across drifting off, Sydney either abruptly shifting her position or emitting a loud sigh jolted him awake.
Rolling over onto his side, Vaughn propped his head up and looked at Sydney, taking in her frustrated face. "Can't sleep?"
"No," Sydney replied, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's a bit hard when someone has decided it's time to practice their kickboxing skills."
Vaughn tried hard not to laugh. "Kickboxing, hey?"
"Yes." Sydney sighed. "Boo is still all day and then as soon as I get to bed bam!" She looked at Vaughn. "I think we've got a night owl on our hands."
"Well, it could be worse."
Sydney gave him a doubtful look. "How?"
"They could be an early riser." Vaughn said with a grin, receiving a smile from Sydney in response. "Now, are you sure that it's kickboxing and not hockey practice that's going on?"
Sydney laughed. "This kid doesn't have a chance. Boo'll be playing hockey before walking if you have your way, right?"
"It's part of the Vaughn gene pool, being born with ice hockey in the blood." Vaughn replied.
"Ok then," Sydney said. "But if you're passing on a love for hockey, then I'm passing on a love for Dirty Dancing."
Vaughn gave her a look that seemed to be a cross of horror and concern. "Even if it's a boy?"
Sydney paused, a pensive look on her face. "Ok then, a love of Dirty Dancing if Boo is a girl, but if he is a boy a simple appreciation will suffice."
Vaughn let out a chuckle. "I guess I can live with that," he said. "So what else do you want this kid of ours to inherit?"
"You eyes," Sydney said without missing a beat. "And of course, my superior intelligence."
"Oh yeah? Well, what about you ticklishness?" Vaughn suggested, his eyes twinkling.
"Oh god, I hope not." Sydney said dramatically. "And," she grabbed his hand, which was headed straight for her rib cage, "don't you even think about it."
"Ah, you're getting weak on me Bristow," Vaughn smiled.
"Vaughn, if it weren't for me wanting to set a good example for our child I would show you just how weak I am not."
Vaughn grinned. "Don't let that be your excuse. Our child won't be able to see anything."
"Yes, but it has been said that a baby can hear from inside the womb and I really don't want to have to subject Boo to the sound of his or her father begging his or her mother for mercy. Imagine what that could do to a child's development."
Vaughn burst out into a loud bellowing laughter. "Whatever you have that enables you to come up with stuff like that, I hope our child gets it." He placed a quick kiss on Sydney's forehead. "Because that is definitely a talent."
Sydney let out a laugh as she snuggled into Vaughn's side. "Do you think we might be placing too many expectations on Boo? Maybe we should just say we want a happy and healthy baby."
Vaughn nodded along as she spoke." Yeah…though I did kind of have my heart set on the hockey thing."
Sydney gave a sheepish grin. "Me too, with your eyes…and Dirty Dancing."
Vaughn let out a loud laugh. "We are-"
"Ssh." Sydney suddenly cut him off.
"What?" he asked, slightly puzzled.
"Boo's settling down," she said quietly. "So shut up. I'm getting some sleep while I can."
Vaughn smiled as he shifted, wrapping his arm around her, so that she could nestle her head into his chest. "Sweet dreams, Syd," he whispered.
