Chapter 158: The Italian Job
"Generate so much loving energy that people want to just come and hang out with you. And when they show up, bill them!" – Stuart Wilde
"Food is an important part of a balanced diet." – Fran Lebowitz
"I prefer Hostess fruit pies to pop-up toaster tarts because they don't require so much cooking." – Carrie Snow
"It is not impossible to govern Italians. It is merely useless." – Benito Mussolini
"She's a goddess in the kitchen – she can whip up like a whole dinner with like bread and water."
Kaia hit Tom on the shoulder, "Stop."
"You can make lasagna!" Tom said happily. He looked to Sydney and Vaughn, "It's sooooo good."
Kaia smiled bashfully.
"Seriously…Kaia – go ahead, Francie can have a night off…I'll call them right now." She grabbed the phone and dialed.
Francie answered, "Hello…"
"Not Francie house of insanity today?"
"Well…yes, but I'm too tired to say it."
Sydney chuckled, "Well then that works out great – Tom and Kaia stopped by and they're gonna stay for dinner, Kaia has been recruited to make a nice Italian meal…"
"Good…that's fine…cause I was gonna make Will go get something."
"That's perfect then, you call Will?"
"Sure, I'll do that."
"Ok, when you gonna get here?"
"Mmm, me, probably half hour, 45 minutes…Will, he'll be there before me I'm sure."
"Ok, I'll see you then."
"K, bye Syd."
"Bye."
Sydney put the phone back, "Ok…we're set…kitchen – I'll show you where everything is."
Sydney got up and Kaia followed her out. Tom stayed in the room with Vaughn.
"So…" Tom started, "Are you really doing better?"
"Yeah, I am…as much as I hated it at the time…the therapy…yeah it helped…"
"Good Mike…I'm really glad to hear that…"
Vaughn snickered, "Sorry we interrupted your afternoon…looks like I wasn't the only one then…"
Tom smiled, "Well…wait – what did you just say?"
Vaughn snorted, "Well, just cause I can't be on top…doesn't mean that Sydney doesn't take really good care of me…and nice hickey…" Vaughn added quickly at the end.
Tom grinned, "Thank you."
"That's not like an outward sign or anything…"
"No…no, I wouldn't do that…"
"Mmmhmm…"
"I'm sure you have your share…"
Vaughn's eyebrows rose, "Well…" he stopped and chuckled.
"What?" Tom asked.
"Dude…we broke a chair."
"You what?" Tom said shockingly.
Vaughn giggled, "Yeah…last night…we broke a lawn chair outside…"
"You BROKE a lawn chair?"
"Yeah…" 'ACHOO'
"Bless you…I take it this is how you got the cold then."
"Yeah…" sniffle "It is."
"Mmm…how did you break a chair?"
"Rocking…"
Tom smirked, "Wow…Kaia and I have never broken a chair yet…we'll have to do that now – it'll be my new goal. When we do, I'll let you know."
Vaughn smiled, "Good."
"Ok…so you can help yourself to whatever you need…just riffle around the cupboards…"
"Ok," Kaia said. "Can you direct me to the pantry perhaps?"
Sydney smiled, "Sure – it's right there."
Kaia walked over and grabbed items from the pantry and set them on the counter.
She smiled as she looked up at her, "How long have you and Michael known each other?" she asked.
Sydney smiled back at her, "Almost two years…"
Kaia smiled, "And you've been dating…"
"About seven months…"
"Tom and I moved…faster…"
Sydney giggled, "Well…Vaughn and I – there were impediments…extenuating circumstances…we met at work…"
"They discourage fraternization?"
"Yeah, but…well – other things too…it was complicated."
"Isn't it always," Kaia said with a grin.
"And you and Tom met at the hospital?"
"Yeah…I transferred from San Diego…my third day was horrid…"
"You're a Peds resident, right?"
"Yeah, bus accident – third day, Tom was great…" she smiled.
Sydney smiled in return, "Tom's a really great guy."
"Yes, he is…you know…he thinks the world of Michael."
Sydney smiled proudly, "I do too…and Michael feels the same way about Tom…he's been like our lifeline…really…he's just…always there when we need him."
"He likes you too…"
Sydney smiled, "Aww…thank you…I love Tom, and I think you and he are just perfect for each other…really…he's really happy."
"Me too."
Sydney smiled and watched as Kaia continued to whip up the meal, effortlessly and seemingly out of nothing but a few simple ingredients.
Kaia put the pan into the oven and set the timer, "Ok…we've got, like 45 minutes until I have to get everything else ready…"
"Everything else?" Sydney asked.
"Bread, salad…the usual…can't have an Italian meal without those…and wine of course…"
Sydney smiled, "Right…well – luckily we have all of that."
Kaia smiled, "You wanna go check on the guys?"
"Absolutely."
Sydney and Kaia went back to the bedroom, the guys were chatting happily.
"Hellllllo," Sydney said as she sat down with Vaughn on the bed. He smiled at her as she leaned over to kiss him. He had the stress ball in his left hand, defiantly trying to get the muscles to work.
Sydney watched him for a moment, a look of pure frustration slowly ebbing at his features.
She leaned on his shoulder and smiled empathetically.
He looked over at her and managed to smile back, but then went back to his exercises. She smiled at his stubbornness, his will to make them work so quickly.
Kaia sat down on Tom's lap in the chair, they both watched Vaughn intently. He finally noticed everyone watching him and stopped momentarily. He smirked, "What…I think I'm gonna need two of these…"
Tom smiled, "I'll get you one for the other hand…but you should slow down man…just take it easy…don't try to make them work all at once…it's gonna take time…intervals. They aren't gonna just miraculously start loosening, you're gonna have to work at it."
"I AM working at it."
"Yeah – TIME and PATIENCE Mike…"
Vaughn sighed, "That's annoying…and my hand is cramping…" he said as he stopped squeezing the stress ball momentarily.
Sydney looked at Tom, "Can I help?"
Tom smiled, "Well…sure…but I'm not sure how…"
"Can't I manipulate his fingers?" she asked.
Tom smiled and then chuckled, "Sorry…yeah…you can do that…"
Sydney looked at Vaughn, "I swear, with this crowd, we never get out of the gutter…"
Vaughn chuckled, "Well…that's not a bad thing."
Sydney smiled, "Why don't you relax for a while – give yourself a break…then I'll help, ok?"
Vaughn nodded and set the stress ball on the bed, "Can we move to the couch?"
"Sure honey," Sydney said.
She moved to the other side of the bed and swung his legs off, then helped him stand. Neither one paid particular attention to the couple that was with them, both concentrating on their task at hand.
Tom watched in awe and amazement, a smile covering his face as the couple moved in absolute synchronicity, proficiently moving Vaughn out to the couch.
She eased him down onto the couch and helped him recline. She sat down with him, pulling him into her lap so he lay across her legs.
Tom and Kaia followed out of the room and took a seat across from them in one of the chairs. Tom was smiling over at them.
"What?" Sydney asked, handing Vaughn the stress ball.
"Nothing…you just…you do that really well together."
"We do everything really well together," Vaughn said.
Sydney smiled down at him and leaned over to kiss him, "That we do."
Vaughn smiled at Sydney's fingers coiled around his and she started to squeeze the ball with him. "That makes this much easier," he said.
She smiled, "Good…" she looked to Tom, "You sure I can help – it won't, like, make his muscles not work as hard or anything…"
"No, as long as they're moving, flexing, they're getting exercise, doesn't matter how. He just needs to retrain them."
Sydney nodded, "We can do that."
Vaughn smiled up at her as she continued to help him squeeze the stress ball with the Kings logo on it.
The door opened as Kaia got up to check the lasagna. Will smiled at her as he closed the door, "Hi…"
"Hi," she said, "I'm Kaia…I'm Tom's fiancée."
"I'm Will…I'm Francie's boyfriend."
"Nice to meet you," Kaia said sweetly, "Sorry, excuse me, I have to check on the lasagna."
"Ok, nice to meet you too," he said throwing his coat over the chair and walking into the living room, "Hey guys."
"Hi Will," Sydney and Vaughn chimed.
Tom nodded, "How's it goin?"
"Good, yourself?"
"Great," Tom said with a smile, "Did you meet Kaia?"
"Yeah, we introduced ourselves, seems really nice…yeah…last time I believe she was…indisposed…in the restroom…with like a mountain of eggrolls on her plate."
"Yes, yes she was…She's great," Tom said getting up, "In fact, I think I'm just gonna go tell her how great she is…" he said with a smirk.
"No sex in the kitchen Tom," Sydney called after him. She could hear him chuckle as he walked to her.
Will sat down in the chair that Tom had vacated, "How you guys doing?" he asked.
Sydney smiled, "Good…Vaughn got the splints off…" she said proudly.
"Aww, that's great!" Will said genuinely, "Is that why you're doing that?" he asked pointing to Sydney and Vaughn's hands that were rhythmically flexing on the stress ball.
"Yep," Sydney said with a smile.
Will smiled in, "So…how was your night Mike?"
Vaughn craned his neck to look at Will, "My night? Was…fine…"
"Mmmhmm, I'll bet…have any…crashes?"
Vaughn smirked, "Oooh…" he turned to look at Will, "Yeah, while you guys were off doing a lame-ass dinner or whatever, yeah, I was getting busy breaking a lawn chair."
Will practically choked, not expecting that from Vaughn, "Jesus…the splints come off and you get all blunt…and…that was just NOT something I needed to hear…"
"Well, you asked…at least I didn't tell you that Sydney rocking on me was the cause."
Will lurched out of the chair, "OH MY GOD! VISUAL!" He covered his eyes and stumbled off out of the living room, in the direction of Francie's bedroom.
Vaughn and Sydney giggled on the couch before Vaughn said, "How much you wanna bet he stays in there until we eat?"
Sydney laughed some more, "That was good."
"Thank you," Vaughn said pulling her down to kiss him.
