Chapter 10: Repercussions

Sydney was startled by a knock at the door. Soft though it was she heard it from the kitchen and left her warm cup of peppermint tea to enter the foyer and look through the peephole. Not knowing what to expect made her all the more surprised to see a tired Michael Vaughn standing absent any light on the front porch. Unlocking the door and opening it slowly she fixed him with worried eyes.

"What are you doing here?"

"Look, I'm sorry to come by so early – or…late," he groused realizing he had paid less attention to the time than he'd thought after seeing that it was two-thirty in the morning. "I had to get you these papers."

She waved him in and led him to the kitchen. "Would you like some tea?"

"Something stronger if you've got it handy."

She grinned as he slid onto the stool she'd vacated, smelling the mint of the tea. "Peppermint, huh? My mom would make that for me all the time when I had an upset stomach as a kid."

"That's kind of why I'm drinking it. I'm trying to con my stomach into letting me sleep the rest of the night."

"Sorry you're not feeling well, Syd. That sucks especially when you've got all this other crap going on,"

"This time isn't so bad, it was way worse with Noah."

"What?"

She turned and spotted the confusion, his green eyes going wide when he realized what she was talking about. "Holy shit, Sydney. You're not pregnant are you?"

Laughing and rejoining him at the counter she nodded. "That was my reaction too when I figured it out. But despite it all I've figured out how to be excited."

"I just spent the afternoon with Rick and ended up punching him in the nose! How could you have sex with that guy?" 'Well that was about the worst thing in the world to say, brain!' "Whoa…I'm sorry. I…I shouldn't have said that, that was way out of line."

"Yeah, that was a little forward. Truth? It was the one time that I wasn't getting hit, you know?" He nodded slowly flashing an apologetic smile in an attempt to rid the thought from his mind.

"I just…wow…hadn't thought of that curve ball."

Fisting the glass of bourbon she'd handed him he took a long gulp, the alcohol burning his throat as it went down.

"You…you really punched him in the nose?"

Michael laughed and showed her his bruised knuckles. "Yep. After his lawyer left of course. He deserved it, Syd."

"I have no doubt."

She spied the fatigue and the slump of his shoulders, the bags under his eyes telling her that he'd been getting about as much sleep as her.

"Michael, you could have waited until tomorrow for this stuff. You should go home and get some sleep."

Taking another strong sip he shook his head, reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out a blue piece of paper folded up around several others. "I've been working for the last three hours on getting this damn thing approved and signed by a judge – which they didn't appreciate, but I had to do it. It's a restraining order, alright?"

"Is this the result of the punch in the nose?"

"Oh no…the meeting went remarkably well. After showing the evidence that he was an abuser his lawyer told me to, quote, 'take everything he's got'. There were…just some things he'd said that made me want to get this done quick."

She took the papers from with one hand while taking a sip of her tea to quell her stomach with the other. "What do I need to do?"

"I've got some things for you to sign if you could, and then I'll just get out of your hair."

They moved into the living room and flopped down on the couch. "Self explanatory?"

"Yep – just sign where it says."

She read through bits and pieces, realizing that this was mostly just about her being aware that she had a restraining order against Rick. 'Probably to cover myself an extra little bit just in case.' Finishing up she lifted her head and found her companion sleeping soundly on the couch beside her.

"Michael, " Rubbing his shoulder he roused slowly, Sydney pulling him off the couch and leading him up the stairs and to the her room, her hands on his shoulders driving him all the way over to the bed.

He sat him down on the edge of the bed, his eyes drooping as his head bobbed up and down. He dimly felt her hands unbuttoning his jacket and sliding it down his arms until it was gone. Deftly she undid his oxford as well and removed it much the same way.

"I'll leave you to the belt, stay with me okay? This could get awkward for one of us if you fall asleep too early."

He mumbled something that vaguely sounded like 'I got it' before fumbling around until his belt was undone. She slid his feet out of the business shoes and tossed them aside, helping him stand as he struggled with his trousers.

"I'm supposed to be helping you out," he drawled, Sydney laughing as she gripped him by his upper arms, the muscles rippling below her hands as he succeeded in the removal of his pants feeling them drop around his socked feet.

'I didn't even think to ask if he was wearing any underwear. I mean…why wouldn't he? But still…I probably should have asked.'

"Good thing I wore underwear today, huh?"

She laughed out loud as his words echoed her thoughts, her arms pushing him back onto the bed and pulling the blankets up over him. "You've taken care of me plenty, it's my turn now."

"G'nite, Syd." He was already asleep when he spoke, Sydney taking a moment to brush a strand of flyaway blond hair from his forehead.

"Nite, Michael."

Tucking him in and hitting the lights she exited the room to see her mother standing with rumpled pajamas and hair and a curious look on her face.

"Michael brought by a restraining order – apparently Rick made some threats. He wanted to make sure I had it before tomorrow."

Laura merely cocked an eyebrow and glanced at the newly closed door of the guest bedroom. "God, mother. Really? He fell asleep on the couch while I was signing some papers and I brought him up here. I'm gonna sleep in with Jake."

Squinting her eyes in a half scowl she turned and went back to bed, Sydney rolling her eyes before making her way downstairs and cleaning up the kitchen. Flipping off the lights she went back to bed, her stomach remarkably sound.

…

Giggling brought Vaughn out of his slumber slowly, his mind vaguely remembering the previous day and night. His last memory was Sydney and he couldn't stop the small smile that graced his lips at the thought of her tucking him in as if he was one of her sons. Burying his face into the pillow he smelled a sweet floral scent and frowned, looking up and seeing that she'd apparently tucked him into her own bed, the scent surrounding him her perfume or shampoo, or a mix of both. He closed his eyes and took another deep inhale.

Another bout of laughter made him realize that he wasn't alone. Cracking one eye open he saw two blonde heads drop down to hide beside the bed, his eyelids feeling a bit like sandpaper.

"Alright…who's hiding in here?"

"Get him!" Jake hollered before vaulting onto the bed, Michael sitting up and catching his flailing legs before a foot landed somewhere unwanted. Helping Noah up as well the wrestling match started. Tickles created giggles and pillows were tossed about, the fun stopping at Sydney's voice.

"I thought I told you two not to go in here!"

"Nah, that's okay, Syd. I should probably get up and get out of here anyway," he muttered, the boys breathing heavily, strewn about over his legs and lap.

"Come play, momma!" Noah beckoned her, the adults sharing a laugh.

"C'mon – grandma's making breakfast. You're welcome to join us, Michael."

Grabbing them off the bed and leading them from the room, Vaughn couldn't help but grin as he rose and dressed, sneaking into the bathroom to wash up a bit. Running a hand through his disheveled hair he clicked his tongue and shook his head knowing that it would be a bed-head kind of day.

Jogging down the steps he entered the kitchen with a smile. "Hey, thanks for letting me crash here last night. The plane ride back and running around getting that restraining order all taken care of zapped me."

"Perfectly fine, Michael, you know you're always welcome here if you need." Jack passed him a plate as they sat down to eat.

Halfway through breakfast Sydney's cell phone rang, the room getting quiet.

"Syd, if it's Rick, just hang up. Don't even talk to him – he's not supposed to be contacting you in any way."

"Hello?" There was a brief silence on the phone before a woman's voice filled the other end.

"Hello. Is this Mrs. Montgomery?"

"Yes it is…may I ask who's calling?"

"Ma'am my name is Charlotte and I'm a nurse at Angel of Mercy. I'm afraid I have some bad news."

Noah began throwing a fit, Sydney rising and leaving the room quickly to catch the last part of the woman's sentence. "What's the bad news?"

"Your husband was in a traffic accident early this morning – his injuries are very severe. The doctors don't think he has much time left. I am so sorry."

Sydney felt as if the air was sucked from her lungs, but she couldn't quite put a finger on the emotion most present. Sadness was currently in the lead. While she had slowly been falling out of love with him for over a year, she couldn't help but think about the times when he had been a good husband and a loving father.

"Umm…how – uh – how long do they think?"

"A day at the most. His organs are failing quite rapidly."

"I'll…see what I can do. We're going through a…messy divorce and I'm in New York."

"I understand – you were on his emergency contact list. His parents haven't replied."

"Thank you," she mumbled, hanging the phone up and staring at her shaking hands.

A hand on her arm made her jump and drop the phone, the clatter not going unnoticed by the occupants in the other room. "Sydney? What's wrong?" Laura immediately honed in on the distress in her daughter's eyes.

"Rick…he…"

Her mother interrupted, "you weren't supposed to talk to him, Sydney!"

"No, mom – he – was in an accident. He's…gonna die."

Jack and Michael stared at the foyer entrance where the two women had sneaked off, worry written on both faces.

"Papa Jack, can I go play outside?" Jake tugged on his grandfather's sleeve as the older man plastered a smile on his face.

"Not quite yet, you both need to finish your breakfast." His words were directed at his grandson but he was still staring off waiting for Sydney or Laura to return to announce the phone call she'd received.

"Sweetheart, what are you going to do?"

"I have to go to L.A."

"What? Why?"

Sydney faced her mother with incredulous eyes as a frown wrinkled her forehead. "Mom…what choice do I have? He's gonna die."

"Let him die."

Laura crossed her arms over her chest and turned her back to her daughter before beginning her ascent up the stairs.

"Wait a minute – what's wrong with you? This isn't like you." Taking off after her, Jack and Michael shared a concerned look.

Jack clapped his hands catching the attention of everyone at the table. "Boys, why don't we go outside and feed the horses? Run and grab your shoes, alright?"

Jake looked down at his footie pajamas before meeting his grandfather's eyes with his big blue ones, "papa, we can't go out in our jammies".

Jack grinned, helping Noah out of the booster seat as the two year old bolted off to the entryway to grab his shoes, deftly sliding them onto the wrong feet. Jack stood and followed, Jake's hand engulfed in his.

"Michael, stay here and see what that phone call was about. But," he paused, poking his head back into the kitchen, "give it a minute. You don't want to get in the middle of two Bristow women fighting."

Finding himself alone at the kitchen table, he heard the shuffling of the doctor with the two boys, the clicking of the door, and then silence – save for the muffled and elevated voices above him.

'Umm…dishes. I can do the dishes.' Standing and gathering the plates up he made a few trips to the sink before pushing up his sleeves and getting started. 'I should start getting paid for this; I've done it three times this week alone.'

"Sydney, why do you feel like you owe him something?"

"I don't feel like I owe him anything. I'm going to have to sign paperwork because I'm still his wife."

Laura tossed her arms up as she entered the boy's bedroom. When she was angry or upset, she cleaned – a trait that her daughter possessed as well. Taking the quilts and tossing them on the floor, Sydney watched with her arms crossed over her chest while leaning against the door frame.

"That's what I'm telling myself at least. I keep going over what dad said…to cherish the good memories. Once upon a time he was a good husband; a good father – and despite what he's done in the recent past I can't ignore that he deserves to have someone there at his bedside when he dies."

"He's a monster, Sydney. He…he tried to kill you."

Huffing as she pushed off the frame she joined the fray in stripping Noah's bed of the sheets and pillowcases, the pile between the two women growing.

"You don't need to tell me what he did, mom, I was there. You don't think he deserves someone to be there when he dies?"

"Why would I think that when I know what he did to you? What does that man deserve from you other than having you there to pull the plug?"

"Jesus! I…I can't believe that you of all people, the most caring woman I know, is standing there saying things like that."

Laura stopped what she was doing and looked up at the light fixture above her head. Trying to push back her emotions and see it from her daughter's point of view was proving difficult. "He…he doesn't deserve your love, Sydney."

"He doesn't deserve it but it still doesn't make me feel any different."

Whipping about mother confronted daughter, "what do you want me to say? That I'm okay with you going and seeing him? Well I'm not going to say that! He is getting exactly what he deserves, Sydney Anne, and you know it."

Sydney tossed the pillows across the room in frustration as her brown eyes filled with tears. "I know it's stupid, okay? Tell me again how stupid I am for loving him!"

"Honey…I – I didn't mean it like that, I just,"

"No, mom – you did mean it like that. You don't understand and you never will. Yes – I know that he's a bad person now but…he wasn't always a bad person! That's what I'm choosing to hold on to, mom. That is the only reason I'll go say goodbye – I'll say goodbye to who he used to be. It's the only thing that's going to keep me sane! I keep asking myself how I could love someone that didn't love me back…but…but he did! He loved me! And that person deserves to have me there."

They stood silently regarding one another, Sydney's tears spilling out over her cheeks as Laura dropped her head. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'm the last person that needed to make you cry. I'm sorry, honey."

Walking the four or five steps or so she pulled her daughter into her arms as they stood together and cried. Moments later they pulled apart, mother cupping her child's cheeks, "I just want you to think, honey. Think hard about this – do you want to drag your kids out to L.A. to see the man they're so afraid of just because he screwed up?"

Gripping her mother's wrists she pulled her face free, moving away only slightly to sit on the edge of the bed. "No – I'll go by myself, I couldn't do that to them - they don't need to know anything about this."

"You most certainly will not go by yourself – you don't need to be alone going through something like that."

"When will you stop treating me like a little girl?"

"When you stop needing me to!"

Sydney sighed, her fingers wringing together in her lap as tears dripped from her cheeks into her jeans below. "I'll never stop needing you, mom, but right now I need you to let me make this decision."

Laura shook her head, "you made the decision to stay with him when I told you to leave him, Sydney; you don't make good decisions when it comes to Rick."

"Hey, that's not fair!"

"It wasn't fair to anyone, especially to yourself! Sydney…I love you, you know that. But I just think that this is a bad decision."

Shaking her head her hair bouncing around in the ponytail the young woman stood back up, wiping angrily at her cheeks. "What…what if Michael or Bill goes with me? Will that make you feel better? If I take along my bodyguard will you be okay with me leaving your sight?"

'Michael and my daughter alone for who knows how many days in L.A. is something I'm almost more uncomfortable with than her going by herself.'

Michael knocked on the door, a sheepish look on his face. "Hey, I don't mean to barge in or anything, but whatever you need I'll help. I don't know what this fight is about, if it's private kick me out, I don't need to know. Whatever you need, all you have to do is ask. I…I don't know jack about kids and to be honestly they scare the crap out of me – but I'll babysit if you need me to."

The two emotional women couldn't hold in a laugh as they wiped simultaneously at their wet cheeks.

'He gave you his word that nothing would happen with Sydney,' Laura thought for a moment before sighing and nodding. "Sydney will fill you in. I'm gonna go check on Jack and the boys." Stepping from the room Michael let her past with a confused look before his green eyes landed on the young woman's face across the room.

He let her stand quietly for a moment to gather her thoughts, his shoulder against the frame much in the same position as she had been in moments before.

"Syd, whenever you're ready you can fill me in, no rush, okay?"

"Umm, I…I think – hang on," she muttered, hand coming up to her lips as she darted into the adjoining bathroom before collapsing onto the floor in front of the toilet.

Flinching as she retched he sighed and followed. Grabbing a washcloth off the counter and wetting it he filled a nearby glass with water before crouching down beside her, his hand moving to rub circles over her back as she emptied her stomach before propping her forehead against the edge of the seat.

"Is pregnancy always this much fun?"

"Whee," she replied before tipping back to lean against the wall with her eyes closed, the smile leaving her pale face.

"Here you go," he grunted as he stood, holding out the washcloth and the glass of water before leaning against the sink and crossing his arms again.

"Thanks," Sydney mumbled as she wiped at her face and taking a large gulp of the water. Content to sit on the cool floor she took several deep breaths. "Rick's gonna die, Michael."

"What?" 'Good,' Michael thought, though he didn't voice his opinion – which he assumed was the cause of the fight between mother and daughter earlier.

"He got into a car accident and he's in the hospital. That," she paused with a sigh, "that was the phone call I got this morning. They're giving him a day…maybe two." Her eyes were still closed which allowed the youngest Vaughn to focus on her features, something he hadn't allowed himself to do.

"How do you feel about the whole thing?"

She laughed, a wry calloused sound, before opening her eyes and meeting his green orbs, "conflicted probably doesn't do it justice but it's good enough for right now. I think that I need to go, you know? But…maybe mom's right – maybe it's a bad idea."

Nodding he broke their gaze, his moving to stare at the bath towel hanging on the rack, the blue water and yellow rubber duckies almost a distraction against the pure white of the cloth they were on. "Syd, I get it, okay? No one just falls out of love immediately especially with someone you decided to spend your whole life with."

She cocked her eyebrow while squinting her eyes, "but," she mumbled, pressing him to finish his thought.

"But nothing, I'm being honest here." Sliding down against the wall he flopped down onto the floor across from her. Crossing his legs at the ankle he folded his hands over his stomach. "No one here has a clue about what's going on in your head or what's going on with your emotions. No one but you, Syd. It'd be stupid of me to voice my opinion because it's not my opinions you need. Or Laura's…or Jack's."

The conversation paused again, Sydney going back to resting her head against the wall with her eyes closed as Michael once again was offered the opportunity to stare at her.

"You decide what you can handle. No one else can make that decision but you."

"But that's failed so many times, Michael." She growled in frustration as she picked her head up and more tears filled and spilled. "I've made so many bad decisions recently that I...maybe I don't deserve to make them anymore."

"But we can't make them for you, Sydney. You don't want someone else telling you how to live your life,"

"Maybe I do," she interrupted. "Maybe that's what's best for me."

Michael sighed and shook his head before meeting her sad brown eyes with fiery green ones. "It's just you, Sydney. This is the one place that you're alone in this whole mess and you have to be. You have to be the one to figure this out."

She picked up her knees to her chest and pushed her face into the soft fabric releasing a series of sobs, Michael's heart ached for her but he stayed put, letting her cry a bit before she calmed down again.

"Just because you have to figure it out on your own doesn't mean you have to live it on your own. You'll never be alone, you know that. I know it's not what you wanted to hear, Syd. And I know that I could make you feel better instantly by telling you what to do – but…as much as I want you to feel better I don't want to lie to you about where you're at with this whole mess." He maneuvered himself until he was sitting next to her, reaching up and taking her hand in his as her splotchy face turned to him. "Just make the call and I'll go with whatever you decide."

"It's…it's not you I'm worried about – it's my parents."

"Please, I'm a lawyer. You think I can't sweet talk them into anything? I play almost as many mind games as your dad."

She couldn't help but laugh, her fingers twining through his as she squeezed his hand. "I…I want to go to L.A."

"Then let's pack."

"Really?" Despite the words he'd just spoken she couldn't contain the surprise in her voice.

"Really. C'mon," he ordered, hefting himself up and reaching both hands out to her.

Accepting them she allowed him to pull her off the floor, instantly wrapping his arms around his shoulders and pulling him into a hug. "Thank you, Michael." He wasn't sure what to do – at any moment Laura could walk in and catch him with her daughter, but his arms moved as if he didn't have a say in the matter. Wrapping around her he held her against his body for a moment, hands splayed over her back and rubbing small circles with his fingers.

Pulling back a bit he brought one hand up to cup her cheek, thumb catching one of her tears and brushing it away. Michael was lost for a moment, her sad brown eyes had changed to a hopeful mocha and he couldn't help but let a smile creep up on his lips. "Let's go to L.A. I'll get the paperwork done quick and easy and we'll be back here before you know it."

She nodded and flashed him her dimples before pulling out of his hug and pressing a kiss to his unshaven cheek. Footsteps thundered up the stairs, Jack's voice calling for the boys not to run. Sydney made her way back over to the laundry as Michael hovered in the doorway of the bathroom, a smile breaking his lips as Jake and Noah came scampering in, diving into the pile of blankets and sheets in the middle of the floor.

Laura and Jack stood at the door to the room, her mother speaking first. "What'd you decide?"

"I'm going to go to L.A., take care of the things there. Michael said he'd come with me to make sure the paperwork was done and we'll be back in a few days. This…this is something I have to do, mom."

Laura nodded and turned away, Jack winking over at his daughter with a small smile before following after his upset wife.

'This is going to be a long day,' father and daughter thought simultaneously.

…