Chapter 146: Photographs and Revelations

"One picture is worth a thousand words." – Fred R. Barnard

"I do believe it is possible to create, even without ever writing a word or painting a picture, by simply molding one's inner life. And that too is a deed." – Etty Hillesum

"PICTURE, n. A representation in two dimensions of something wearisome in three. – Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary

"When cheese gets it's picture taken, what does it say?" – George Carlin

"I don't have a photograph, but you can have my footprints. They're upstairs in my socks." – Groucho Marx


After dinner, Will and Francie were in the process of removing all the dishes when Amélie exclaimed suddenly, "OH! Sydney, I totally forgot!"

"What?" Sydney asked as she moved to sit behind Vaughn on the couch.

"I brought you something…"

"You did?"

"Yes!" Amélie said excitedly.

Vaughn cringed, "I don't think this is gonna be good."

Amélie chuckled, "I brought you some pictures…"

Sydney soft smiled turned to a gleam, "What kind of pictures?" she asked innocently.

Amélie smiled, "Pictures from when Michael was a boy."

"Oh God," Vaughn said, burying his head into Sydney's chest.

Sydney practically squealed.

"I'll go get them," Amélie announced and headed off to the spare room.

"Excuse me a moment," Jack said getting up and heading down the hall the same way Amélie had gone, presumably to the restroom. Instead, he followed Amélie and knocked on the door softly.

She turned, "Hello Jack…"

"Hello," Jack stood in the doorway for a moment and then said, "I know it's not really my place…but I just wanted to ask you how you were doing."

Amélie smiled, "That's nice of you Jack, I'm fine…how are you?"

"That's not what I meant Amélie."

"I know," she stated.

"Well…"

Amélie sighed, "It wasn't easy seeing my son broken Jack, if that's what you mean. It was just as bad as if not worse than William's death, because at least William's suffering was over…Michael's, I fear, may have just begun, and I can't protect him…"

Jack said softly, "What I do, what our children do, it's a hazardous job…things happen…all the time. The difference between Sydney and Michael – that sets them apart from everyone else – is that they have each other – they understand, and they have their friends, and us…we can't protect them, no…but we can help…we can…sometimes just being there is enough…am I making any sense?"

Amélie smiled, "Sydney is the perfect combination of you and Irina…"

Jack smiled, "Michael got more of you…"

Amélie moved over to him and kissed him on the cheek, "That made perfect sense Jack…thank you."

Jack sighed, "I'm new at this…I haven't been a very good parent, I might need lessons from you."

Amélie smirked, "Well…learn away," she said and linked her arm with his as they walked down the hall together, back to the living room.

When they returned, Jack led Amélie to her chair and then went to sit in his own.

Amélie started to giggle at the first few pictures she encountered and then passed the first one to Sydney, "Michael was about a year old in that picture."

Sydney gleefully squealed again, "Vaughn! You have BLONDE hair…like REALLY blonde."

Vaughn cringed, "Mom…why?" he asked.

She giggled, "Sydney has a right to see what you looked like…the cute, little adorable boy you were…"

Sydney was positively delighted as she looked at all the different pictures, a panoramic view of Michael as a boy. Will and Francie came back in to Sydney loudly giggling, "Guys…guys, you gotta see this – LOOK!" she said shoving a picture at the back of the couch where they were standing.

Francie took the picture, "OH MY GOD! How cute are you!"

Will smirked and looked down at Vaughn, "I feel for you man. We shoulda got a beer or something and sat outside."

Sydney, Francie and Amélie all said at once, "NO BEER!"

Vaughn started laughing, "Shot down again Will, but keep trying."

Will smiled, "You are pretty cute."

"UGH!" Vaughn said and went back to his cringing, "Mom, please tell me you didn't bring any naked pictures."

Amélie laughed and winked, "I left those at home."

"Thank God for small favors."

Jack looked at the pictures and handed them back to Amélie. She was holding the last one and handed that one to Jack first, "You might recognize this one…I found it while I was digging."

Jack looked at the picture and smirked, "I forgot about that…destined I guess," he said as he looked at Amélie and then handed the picture to Sydney.

She stared down at it, Vaughn looking too, Will and Francie looking over her shoulder.

"What?" Will asked, "What about this one?"

Sydney shrieked, "Holy shit!"

She looked to Vaughn, he looked at the picture and back at her, "What?"

"That's ME!" she said.

Vaughn snatched the picture, "It is?"

"YES!"

He looked at his mother, "Isn't this the little girl who fell down at the picnic and needed the band-aid when I was at the height of my rescuer phase?"

Amélie smiled, "The very one…you met when you were little…I, admittedly, forgot about it too."

Francie spoke up, "That's kinda creepy…"

Will smiled, "That's WAY cool!"

Sydney looked down at Vaughn, "See…you were my guardian angel back then too…"

He beamed back up at her and she leaned down, kissing him softly.

When the broke apart, she looked at Amélie, "Can I keep this?"

"Of course," Amélie said, "it's your history, and your future…"

Sydney smiled at her, noting the possible double meaning to that statement.

"We were thinking about watching L.A. Confidential tonight…you guys wanna watch it too?" Sydney asked.

Amélie smiled, "I should really be getting back home…"

Sydney smiled, "Ok…"

"Michael…can I talk to you for a minute," Amélie asked.

Vaughn looked up at her, "Sure…" he looked at Sydney, "Can you help me to the bedroom?"

"Yeah honey," Sydney said sitting him up and helping him get there.

She sat him on the bed, "You wanna lay or just sit?"

"He can probably just sit, it won't take too long…" Amélie said.

"Ok," Sydney said, smiling and moving out of the room, closing the door softly.

Vaughn looked up at his mother, "What did you wanna talk about?"

Amélie smiled, "I want to talk about what happened to you…" she said as she sat down on the
bed next to him, "You don't have to tell me details, but I would like to you…"

Vaughn sighed, "What 'happened' are we talking about? The torture or the therapy?"

"Well the therapy for now…I need to know that you're ok Michael…I realized that I can't protect you…but you're still my son, and I'd like you to tell me."

He smiled, "Just because I'm not a child, it doesn't lessen your role, just changes it…and there are some thing you can't protect anyone from…"

She smiled, "You just sounded like your father."

He smirked, "What do you want to know? Why I attacked Barnett?"

"Yes."

"She kept talking about what they could have done to Sydney if we'd have switched places…I really don't wanna talk about what she said, just that it was bad…things I don't want to think about…and I just snapped…I was strangling her before I even knew what happened…"

"Was it scary?"

"Yeah…not at first, the only thing I wanted to do was keep strangling her, but she asked me if I liked the power, and that just snapped me out of it…and I just…crumbled…"

Amélie put her arm around her son, "I'm sorry Michael…"

"No, I mean, I feel bad that I did it, but I'm not sorry…I mean you have no idea how relieved I am that I didn't totally crack with Sydney…"

"That makes sense Michael…"

"I love her so much mom…"

"I know Michael…and she loves you too…it's something you can just…see…do you know what I mean? The two of you, you could be on opposite sides of a room, and a person could still see the love between you."

"Thanks mom…"

"It's true, mon petit homme."

Vaughn chuckled and looked over at his mother, "You haven't called me that in years."

Amélie smiled, "You've always been 'my little man,' Michael…and you always will be…no matter what happens to you."

"I love you mom."

"Oh, Michael," she said as she wrapped him in a hug, "I love you too…"

Mother and son shared a long hug before Amélie pulled back and kissed his head, "You call me…ok?"

"I will…" Vaughn replied.

"Or have Sydney call if you can't…"

"Ok mom."

"Goodbye Michael."

"Bye mom."

She got up off the bed and kissed him again on the head, walked to the door and smiled before she went out.

Sydney came back in seconds after his mother vacated the room, "You ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Everything cool with your mom?"

"Yeah, she just needed to know I was ok before she left."

Sydney smiled, kneeling down in front of him on the bed, "I'll take good care of you…"

"I know…she knows that too…and I'm supposed to have you call if I can't," he informed her.

"I'll make sure…"

"K."

"You wanna watch the movie now?"

"Sure."

"Vaughn…are you ok?" she asked.

He smiled, "Yeah, I'm just…thinking."

"About?"

"I have therapy again tomorrow."

"Yeah, I know…what's the matter? You afraid you'll snap again?"

"No…not that…I'm just…well I mean the last time she was here I tried to kill her…just…awkward."

Sydney smiled, "I'm sure she doesn't feel that way…"

"Well…no…I guess not…"

"You wanna skip the movie sweetie?"

"No, I wanna watch it."

"Ok, you wanna think some more yet?"

"No, let's go," he said grabbing her hand to have her help him stand up.

She helped him back to he couch. Jack and Francie were waiting patiently; Will was helping Amélie with her bags. They both came in for the last items and Amélie stopped at the couch, giving both Vaughn and Sydney kisses on the head, "Good bye you two, it was nice to see you again Jack, Francie – thank you for all the fun…and you," she said touching Will's cheek, "Such a wonderful young man."

Amélie left with a chorus of "Bye mom," "Bye Amélie," "Thanks for your help with the flowers," "Nice to see you again," and walked out the door with Will.

He came back in a few minutes later and looked at Vaughn, "Dude – your mom loves me." He looked at Francie, letting it sink in. She responded by rolling her eyes. "Are we gonna watch this movie?" she asked.

Will chuckled, "Just can't handle that other people love me…" he said as he got up to grab the movie. He started it and then settled back down with Francie.

Vaughn snuggled into Sydney as the movie started, yawning before the beginning credits were even over. She smiled down at him, looking at his exhausted state, and began to play with his hair, knowing he'd be asleep in no time. It took all of five minutes and he was out, Sydney giggled when she looked down at him again.

Francie and Will and Jack looked over at her strangely, the beginning of the movie was not funny, and she pointed to Vaughn. They all smiled and Will got up and grabbed a blanket for him. Will helped her cover him up and then went back to his seat with Francie. Sydney kept playing with his hair, not because he needed to feel it anymore, but because it was therapeutic for her as well.

When the end credits rolled, Will and Jack helped move Vaughn back to the bed, and miraculously he didn't wake. Of course, this did not surprise Sydney; because she knew all that he'd been a participant in, but the others were shocked that the noise and the movement didn't wake him.

Sydney undressed Vaughn and settled him into bed before going back out into the living room…