Chapter 100: Full Moon Rising (there is so much I could say about that...)

"Tis the witching hour of night,
Orbed is the moon and bright,
And the stars they glisten, glisten,
Seeming with bright eyes to listen
For what listen they?" – John Keats

"Beauty is a form of genius--is higher, indeed, than genius, as it needs no explanation. It is of the great facts in the world like sunlight, or springtime, or the reflection in dark water of that silver shell we call the moon." – Oscar Wilde

"I haven't a clue as to how my story will end. But that's all right. When you set out on a journey and night covers the road, you don't conclude that the road has vanished. And how else could we discover the stars?" – Unknown

"Love is the answer, but while you're waiting for the answer, sex raises some pretty interesting questions." – Woody Allen


Jack was still laughing about Will when he said, "I should probably get going...it's getting late..."

"Ok dad..." Sydney said, "Thanks for stopping by..."

"Yeah, it was nice Jack..." Vaughn echoed.

"I'm glad I stopped by, it was a lovely afternoon," Jack said to everyone, "Francie, the meals were wonderful as usual."

"Thank you," she said smiling.

"Well, I'll call you later this week Sydney, alright?"

"That sounds great dad, thanks," Sydney said getting up to hug him.

He gladly accepted and then placed a kiss on her forehead. He went over to Vaughn and shook his hand, then let a hand linger on his shoulder for a moment before he moved away towards the front door.

"Bye Jack," Francie and Will said.

He waved and was out the door.

Will looked at Francie, "You wanna take Donovan for another walk?"

"Sure," she said, getting up, her anger with him abated.

They got up and waved and were out the door a few minutes after Jack left.

Sydney sat down again with Vaughn on the lawn chair, "So...you and my dad had a nice chat today?"

"Yes we did..."

"Wanna share?"

Vaughn smiled, "Why you think it was about you?"

"Maybe...but I'm just curious..."

"Well, some of it was about you...but we sort of just had a philosophical conversation about games..."

"Games?"

"Well, yeah...but it turned into more of a lesson on life...it was very father-like..."

"Really?" Sydney asked amazed.

"Yeah...he's pretty good at it if he wants to be...it was nice..."

"I'm glad...you seemed to be getting along..."

"We were," Vaughn said musingly, "It's been a long time since anyone has talked to me like that..."

Sydney smiled, "I liked seeing you kick my dad's ass though..."

"Did you now?" he said with a raised eyebrow.

"Mmmhmm...you were so awesome...very cool...collected...it was very sexy," Sydney said with a smile.

She cuddled closer to him, "You had a good day today, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did...it was very nice...very normal..."

"Good..."

Will and Francie came back about a half hour later. Donovan bounded over to Vaughn.

"Hey boy, haven't seen much of each other lately, have we?"

Donovan barked and started to wag his tail as Vaughn scratched his ears in the way that only Vaughn knew how to do.

"But," Vaughn said stopping. Donovan looked up at him. "No more of this waking up Sydney in the wee hours of the morning when she's preoccupied with me...got it?"

Donovan barked again in response.

"He was hungry and thirsty Vaughn..." Sydney said.

Donovan barked again as if to say, "so there!"

"Nope – not a good excuse..."

Donovan roamed around and found a spot on the grass he liked and curled up to go to sleep.

Sydney looked over to where Donovan had planted himself, "We should think about getting him a dog house out here or something..."

"He'd like that," Vaughn said.

Will and Francie came out onto the patio. "You want me to help you guys back in the house?" Will asked.

Sydney looked down at Vaughn, "I think we'll stay out for a while yet...I'll get you if we need you, k?"

"Sure," Will said smiling. "Goodnight unless I see you before then..."

"Night Will, night Francie," they both said.

"Night," she echoed.

Will and Francie walked back into the house to her bedroom and closed the door.

Sydney looked at Vaughn who was looking at her strangely.

"I thought maybe we could stay out for awhile...you know...look at the stars...maybe...other things..." she said suggestively.

"With them in the house?"

"They're in Francie's bedroom...I think Will got the idea anyway..."

"Mmm...I like that way you think Sydney..."

"Thought you might," Sydney said kissing him, "Just wait here...I'm gonna get a few blankets...might get chilly," she said with a grin.

She literally ran into the house, making Vaughn chuckle at her enthusiasm. While she was gone rummaging for blankets and whatnot, he laid his head back and looked up at the night sky.

It was a blissfully clear night, dark midnight blue sky, but no clouds. The moon was full, the great white/yellow orb shining soft light down on his face. The stars scintillated and flickered like lightening bugs performing and dancing for him. He was quite content just watching the night sky; it'd been a long time since he'd actually seen the stars and the moon. Sydney stood by the patio doorway, watching the smile on his face as he looked up at the sky. She wondered what he was smiling about, but whatever it was, it was nice to see and it made her smile as she started to walk over to him again.

"Hey," she said quietly, blankets under her arm.

"Hey," he echoed, smiling up at her.

"What'cha smiling about?"

"Lots of things..."

"Such as?"

"You...being outside...the stars...the moon...it's been awhile..."

"I know sweetie...that's why we're gonna celebrate..."

"We are?" he asked looking up at her.

"Yep..." she said as she sat on his lap on the lawn chair. She put the blankets aside for the moment.

"What is that?" Vaughn asked when he looked at the pile of blankets.

"It's a sleeping bag..." she said smiling.

"Are we sleeping out here?"

"We'll see...probably not...I don't think your body would like that too much..."

He chuckled, "Actually it might be right at home...cold...hard floor..."

Sydney looked up at him, "You wanna talk?"

"Not right now..."

"Ok," she said, looking him in the eye to make sure.

She put her hands on his chest and rubbed them up and down his shirt, finally stopping at the top button. She unbuttoned it slowly, moving agonizingly slow to the next button. He watched as she got all the buttons undone and then sat him up slightly to remove the sling and the shirt from him.

She moved to her own shirt next, undoing the few buttons and then raising her arms and lifting it over her head. Vaughn took the opportunity of her momentary sightlessness to sneak a kiss on her bare skin. She shivered slightly when she felt him, his breath and mouth hot on her skin. She threw her shirt on top of his and then brought her hand around to his neck and held onto him as he lavished her chest with gentle kisses.

She moved her hands down his chest to the waistband of his pants and pulled at the button there as well, and then made a large production of dragging the zipper down by moving herself down to do it with her mouth, taking the zipper between her teeth and dragging it while he watched through passion drugged eyes.

Once the zipper was down, she grabbed the waistband again and slowly pulled the pants off of his legs. Then she moved up to his boxers, complete with a tent in the front and smiled at him.

She snaked her hand inside through the opening, catching him by surprise as his breath hitched and his eyes opened wide. She stroked him and griped him powerfully, eliciting a moan from him. She moved her hand down to the balls, rolling them between her fingers and then going back to the shaft, gripping the base hard and moving it up his shaft until her hand came off of him. She rubbed the pre-come around the head, and then removed her hand from the boxers, taking a minute to make sure he watched as she licked the pre-come off of her fingers.

He groaned as he watched her, a light breeze picking up and making his skin slightly cool. The air brushed over his cock, making the pre-come on the tip of his penis cool as well.

She sat back up then, removing her own pants and throwing them over to the rapidly enlarging pile of clothing next to the chair. She stood in front of him in her bra and panties and shimmied out of the panties sexily. He looked down to her curls, seeing moisture glistening in the moonlight between her thighs. She wanted this just as badly as he did. She removed the bra, the cool air assailing her breasts, making the nipples jut out into hard peaks.

She started to move back over to him, but he held up his hand, "Wait..."

She stopped looking at him strangely.

"Just stay right there..." he said quietly, smiling at her. He watched her for a moment, her exquisite body basking in the moonlight. She looked even more like an angel while bathed and shadowed in the milky light of the full moon.

"God you're beautiful," he said in awe of her.

She smiled and started to move back over to him. She reached the chair and sat down on his lap again, taking his face in her hands and running the fingers along the contours of his face, "So are you...I love you so much Michael," she said kissing him.

He didn't have time to respond as her lips met his, taking his breath away. The moon, the stars, the noises of crickets and the wind; it all melted away. All he saw, all he felt, all he breathed was Sydney for the next full five minutes that she was kissing him passionately. As far as he was concerned all the stars and the moon, everything could have fallen from the sky and he wouldn't have cared at the moment.

She moved back and smiled, "Let's get the boxers off, ok?"

"Yeah...good idea," he said breathily, watching her as she moved down again, taking the waistband of the boxers with her. She raked her nails over his abs as she peeled the boxers down, stopping to rake her nails through the hair above his enlarged cock. Once his cock was free from the boxers, it sprang upward, poised and ready. She threw the boxers over on the pile and moved to get the sleeping bag from the pile of blankets.

"K, we're gonna have to stand you up for a second...and recline the chair too..."

He nodded, reaching out his hand to help her get him up.

She chucked, "A little eager, are we?"

"Damnit woman...if you don't hurry up...seriously...we're gonna have a problem...or you will..."

She chuckled harder, "Well, let's hurry then...but not so fast we hurt you, ok?" Sydney said seriously.

"I know Sydney...I can wait...I'm just trying to speed things up a little...I'd wait forever..."

She blushed, there they were, both stark naked in her back yard (thank God they had the fence), and he still found every possible way to be romantic...

"You truly are a wonderful man Michael Vaughn," Sydney said kissing him as she helped him stand. "Stay right here for just a second, ok? You be ok?"

"Yeah," he said watching as she sat in the lawn chair and reclined it more. Then she grabbed the sleeping bag and spread it out over the chair, keep it unzipped enough so he wouldn't have trouble getting in it. Once she was satisfied with that, she got the pillows ready too so that his back wouldn't be pressed on the chair. Then she stood and grabbed his hand, helping him ease back down into the lawn chair.

Once he was seated and settled, she sat back down on his legs and zipped the sleeping bag slightly, leaving them enough room to move. She moved her body forward, covering his and kissed him intensely. She darted her tongue out to trace the contours of his lower lip, taking it in her teeth and pulling softly. He smiled and pushed his own into her mouth, dueling and caressing until they were both breathless.

She backed away and sat up again in his lap. She pressed her hands against his abdomen, "How are you doing here?" she asked him seriously.

"Good...it's been a good day...I'm very relaxed," he said smiling.

"Good...then we can relax you some more..." she replied with a raised eyebrow and a glint of mischief.

She reached around and took hold of his cock suddenly, taking him by surprise again. She smiled at his reaction and stroked him from base to tip a few times. She pushed herself up and placed him at her folds.

"God Sydney, your so wet..." Vaughn said breathlessly looking at her moist center, juices now coating her thighs.

"I wonder why?" she chided smiling devilishly as she pushed the head of his cock into her. He moaned and closed his eyes, arching his back to make her take more, but she held off, moving up more so he couldn't press in further. She fluttered her muscles on the head, causing another long, drawn out moan from him. She smiled as she watched him struggle, wanting to be in her so much. She complied a moment later, letting herself ease down slowly until his length was buried inside her.

Any breeze that tickled Vaughn's naked form instantly desisted the moment he felt himself buried in Sydney's heat. They spent a few moments just feeling each other, Sydney resting her hands on Vaughn's chest and her forehead against his. Their breathing in harmony, breathing each other's breath.

Sydney smiled as she squeezed him, bringing forth a delicious moan from deep in his chest. He pushed up with his hips, feeling himself stroke against her hot and pulsing walls.

She sat up, pushing herself back to sit on his lap. Her breasts swayed with the motion, bouncing gently as she began to move atop him. Vaughn watched in fascination as the light breeze blew her hair back, off of her face as she rode him. He brought his hand to her hip, and then moved it to her clit, worrying it for her. Her head dropped back as a moan let loose; a deep guttural moan that let him know he'd done a good job. He smiled as he continued to twiddle it for her, her hip movements and thrusts becoming erratic as she moved ever closer to the precipice.

She came forcefully, milking his cock as she climaxed. She looked down at him as she came, willing him to come with her. His hips lunged forward as his face contorted in pleasure, feeling the clenching of her climaxing muscles around his sensitive cock. When he came, he made sure he kept his eyes open, locked onto Sydney's moving form; her naked body glowing in the moonlight, framed by the black ocean of sparkling diamonds high behind her in the sky. She collapsed on his chest, his cock still twitching in aftershocks inside her as her own walls spasmed gently around him.

Vaughn looked down at Sydney, stroking her hair as her breathing became more regulated. The stars were twinkling above them like glitter; sparkling brightly. He sighed heavily, content.

Sydney brought her head up to look at him, "You ok?" she asked.

"I'm great," he said smiling.

She smiled back and placed a sweet kiss on his lips, then moved down again, bringing the sleeping bag up to them, and zipping it shut. The chill that had settled into their sweaty bodies was reduced when Sydney helped bring them back to warmth. Body heat was really a great thing, Vaughn thought to himself. The slight whisking of the breeze didn't bother him in the least, he had Sydney on top of him to keep him warm, but he doubted he could ever be cold in her presence anyway. He was lost in his thoughts, musing about Sydney when he saw her looking up at him, her eyes gleaming like two stars picked from the sky.

"What?" he asked.

"I was just about to ask you the same thing..."

"I was just thinking about you..."

"Yeah?"

"Of course..."

"What were you thinking?"

"How amazing you are...beautiful...patient...sexy...you look good in moonlight..."

She smiled, "You don't look so bad yourself Mr. Vaughn..."

He turned to look at her seriously, "I love you...not just because of this..." he said referring to their sexual escapade.

"I know honey..." she said, "I love you too..."

He smiled, "Are we gonna sleep out here?"

"Mmm...I don't think so...but we'll stay here for awhile, ok?"

"Yeah...I'd like that..."

"Good, me too," she said returning her head to his chest.

After a while of just taking in the night sky and the sounds around them, Sydney sighed, "We should probably go inside Vaughn."

"Mmm..." he said, "does that mean we have to move?"

She chuckled, "Yeah, it does..."

"Hmm...I don't like that idea...I like it right here."

"I know honey, but we can't stay out here all night. You'll get too cold..."

"You're keeping me quite warm."

She chuckled again, "I really don't think it's a good idea for you to stay out here all night."

He sighed, then whined, "Ok."

She got up and off of him moving the sleeping bag off of them.

Once the air hit him, "Ok...now it's cold," he said.

Sydney threw on her clothes and helped him into his boxers, "If we get you in the house quick, we can just leave everything else off."

He raised his eyebrows.

"Oh stop you nympho!" Sydney said laughing.

"Can you blame me?" he asked as he surveyed her wrapping up the sleeping bag.

"You're incorrigible...let's wrap you in this, ok?" she said holding up a blanket.

He nodded and let her wrap him up.

"Do you think we can make it in? Or should we get Will?"

"Do you really want Will to come out here knowing full well what we've been doing?"

She smiled, "If it was the choice between that and your health – you not getting hurt, then yes..."

"Let's try at least..."

"Ok," Sydney said slightly apprehensively, but she was willing to give it a try.

She helped him sit up and then stand as well. She gripped him around the waist and looked up at him, "You ok?" she asked.

He smiled and nodded.

"Ok," she said taking a few tentative steps backward, taking him with her. He held onto her waist with his good hand and looked into her eyes as they walked.

They made it to the patio door; stepping over the slight hump between the doors, Sydney making sure Vaughn was still ok to continue. He leaned on her more the second half on the way to the bedroom, but they made it there – that was the important thing.

She moved him to the bed, and helped him sit down; and he did so tiredly, plopping more than sitting on the bed. She noticed he was slightly out of breath as well since they always had to leave the oxygen behind and then move it back to him afterwards. She ran off to get it and smiled at him softly on her return, understanding his fatigue. She went to the bathroom after she had the oxygen hooked up and grabbed a washcloth, coming back to the bed and sitting behind him to check the infected wound.

She took the cloth and pried the tape up like normal and then gently peeled the bandage off.

"Well...I mean, it still looks bad, but I really think keeping the pressure off your back is helping a lot."

"That's good," he said softly.

"Does it still hurt honey?"

"Yeah, but it's not as bad..."

"I'll get you some more pain medication before we go to bed," she said getting off the bed after cleaning and redressing the wound. She came back with the pills, which he took and then she looked at him seriously, "How are you doing otherwise?"

He smiled at her hinting tone, "I'm ok Syd...I'm trying not to think too much about tomorrow, ok?"

"Yeah...ok..."

"Can we go to bed now? I'm kinda tired..."

"Sure honey," Sydney said, helping him recline back. She turned off the lights except the one and then lay down next to him, resting her head on his chest, "Goodnight Vaughn."

"Night Syd," he said yawning, "I love you."

"I love you too honey."

Vaughn drifted off quickly, but Sydney stayed awake for a while, thinking about what tomorrow would once again bring. She doubted that Barnett was going to let her stay in the room this time, and the thought of it terrified her. She wasn't scared for herself; she was scared for Vaughn. She drifted off restlessly, thinking about all the things that Barnett might say to him.