Chapter 175: Vic and Rita's

"Never discourage anyone...who continually makes progress, no matter how slow." – Plato

"Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb." – Sir Winston Churchill

"If there is no struggle, there is no progress." – Frederick Douglass

"Health food makes me sick." – Calvin Trillin


Sydney cleaned Vaughn up and replaced his boxers and sweatpants, and then got him resettled on the bed.

"You doing ok?" she asked.

"Mmm yeah…more than ok…I just hope I'm awake when Weiss gets here…"

Sydney smiled, "Well, I could keep you 'awake.'"

"I think we've scarred him enough – too much more and he'll start to like it…and I really don't want him walking in on anything."

"Good point," Sydney said nodding.

She just got him settled when the doorbell rang; she winked at Vaughn and headed out to the door.

"Hello Eric," she said stepping aside.

Weiss looked at her, but smiled, "Hi…you hung up on me…"

"Yeah, well I had other things to attend to," Sydney said with a smile, motioning for Weiss to follow her.

Weiss entered the bedroom and let out a short laugh when he saw Vaughn, "You look SO whipped…" he said.

Vaughn just grinned at him, a generally glassy-eyed and stoned look on his face, "Mmm…you've never been whipped by Sydney…"

"Well, I heard it all…so…yeah – that's enough…"

"No – you heard MY side…"

Weiss grinned, desperate to change the subject, "You guys know there's a mangled lawn chair by the garbage? What happened to the lawn chair?"

Vaughn and Sydney exchanged a knowing smirk.

"Am I missing something?"

"Well Eric…it broke," Sydney explained.

"Yes, I see that…why? How? You have a party and not invite me?"

"This was a private party Eric…" Vaughn said.

Weiss looked between the two of them, "Jesus…You lucky bastard – you get laid more than I do – even injured!"

"It was part of recovery…"

"So really…how did the chair break? Do I wanna know?"

"Rocking…" Vaughn offered.

"Get out!" Weiss said, "Really? No…"

"Yes," Vaughn replied.

"Oh man…bad visual…well…maybe…not so bad…but…" he looked over at Vaughn expectantly.

"Not a chance in hell Weiss," Vaughn said, shooting him down.

Weiss looked over at Sydney, "Just make sure you don't kill him with all that sex…"

Sydney smirked, "He's got a lot to give…he can take a lot…"

"OH MY GOD…you did not just say that to me…" Weiss said, "NOW I have a bad visual…" He covered his eyes, "Don't you guys like ever STOP? IS that ALL YOU DO?"

Vaughn and Sydney both giggled, "He sounds like Will," Sydney said.

"Oh, so I'm not the only one who gets to witness the Sydney and Vaughn show?" Eric quipped.

Sydney just giggled, looking over at Eric, who shook his head at the couple, "I'm gonna change the subject now," he said, moving over to hug Vaughn.

"How's it going Weiss?"

"It's going…but work sucks without you…it's boring, nobody fun…"

Vaughn smiled, "Yeah…well I'd like to say I miss work…but…well – Sydney keeps me busy…and it's gonna really suck when I have to go back to work."

"Well, you can always just sneak off into random rooms…offices…connect when you're at work."

"Already talked about that Weiss," Vaughn said with a wink.

"Of course you did," Weiss said with a knowing smirk, "How many offices have you christened already?" His eyebrows rose, "Huh? HUH? How many?"

Vaughn grinned evilly, "Like I'd tell you that."

"Aww come on Mike!"

"A gentlemen never discusses…"

"OH shut up! You just had SEX while I was on the phone! You have no shame! Now spill!"

"We've spilled a little all over," Sydney said with the same evil grin, "And – we didn't have sex…"

"You weren't? Well then what the hell was all that moaning about?"

Vaughn's eyebrows rose, "Let's just say it was a mind blowing experience."

"You guys are just MEAN," Weiss said huffily, sitting in the chair, "How the hell do Will and Francie live here?"

Both Sydney and Vaughn giggled for a while, until Weiss joined in.

"So what's up? Why did you stop by today?" Vaughn asked.

"What I have to have a reason to come and see my pal?"

Vaughn chuckled, "Well, no I guess not, but it's you and you usually do…"

"Well…I've been itching to see more of those hockey tapes – we never finished them…and well…I miss you guys," Weiss said sincerely.

"I miss you too Eric," Vaughn said echoing his sincere tone, "You wanna watch a few out on the couch?"

"Sure," Weiss said happily, springing to his feet.

Vaughn smiled and looked to Sydney, who was already moving towards him to help him sit up. She eased him up and then helped him stand and they slowly walked to the living room.

She deposited him on the couch and got him settled and then leaned down to kiss him, "You boys play nice…"

"You going out?" Vaughn asked.

Sydney looked back at him, "No…why?"

"I just…you sounded like you were going somewhere…"

"No baby, I'm not going anywhere…"

Sydney no sooner finished the sentence than Will and Francie walked in.

"Hey guys…" Will said, "Hey Eric…"

"Hey Will, Francie," Weiss greeted.

"Hi," Francie said, "We having a party?"

Weiss laughed, "A hockey party…"

"Oh, fun," Francie said sarcastically, "Well – Syd…if the boys are watching hockey, we should go out…"

Sydney looked down at Vaughn, "You guys are early…Go out where?"

"Yeah, I just decided I needed to leave early – and I kidnapped Will on the way home."

Will smiled, "She's good at that – very threatening, nobody messes with her…we watching hockey?" Will asked happily.

"Yeah, we just started too…you didn't miss anything," Weiss said.

"Great!" Will plopped down and all three were deeply imbued in the game within seconds.

"Let's go to Rita's," Francie suggested, "We don't need an appointment. We can do the whole package…"

Sydney smiled, "Vaughn?"

He looked back at her.

"You be ok?"

He smiled, "I'll be fine."

"Ok…let's go then, I'll change and we can go."

Francie stood behind the couch, watching the game and smirking, as the men got verbally abusive while they watched the game play out.

Sydney reappeared a few minutes later, "All set," she said and bent over the back of the couch, kissing Vaughn on the cheek, "Be good boys," she said.

"We should be back around dinner," Francie announced.

All three let out grunts of recognition, but neither Francie nor Sydney really thought they heard.

Weiss got up to switch to the next tape and looked at the clock, "Wow…that must have been a long game…it's almost dinner time…you guys hungry?"

"Yeah, I can always eat," Will said with a smile.

"Mike?" Weiss asked.

Vaughn nodded, "Sure."

"What are we gonna have?" Will asked.

Weiss shrugged, "I could go get something I guess…"

"Sure," Will said nodding.

Vaughn looked over at him, "What are you gonna get?"

Weiss smiled, "You want a cheeseburger?"

Vaughn smiled, "Sydney wouldn't let me have a cheeseburger."

Weiss looked over his shoulder and around the room, "I don't see Syd here…I'm not gonna say anything…"

Vaughn looked over at him, "She'll find out…"

"So? You haven't had decent, good, greasy food in months…come on – what's ONE cheeseburger?"

"I had cheese fries not to long ago…" Vaughn retorted.

"Syd let you have cheese fries?" Will asked, turning to look at Vaughn.

He smiled, "Yeah…"

Weiss moved closer to Vaughn, "Whatever…listen…she won't know…we'll get rid of the evidence…"

Vaughn looked at him warily and then looked to Will who was just smiling.

He finally relented, "Ok…"

Weiss jumped a little and said excitedly, "YES!" He did a little dance, "OK…" HEE "What should I get? And where am I going?"

Vaughn smiled, getting excited too, "OK…I want two cheeseburgers – only ketchup – and LOTS of ketchup…fries…NO CURLY fries…shit – get both…chocolate shake…large…DUDE – CHILI CHEESE fries…get all of them."

Weiss happily jotted all that down on a scrap piece of paper, grinning like an idiot, giggling like an insanely happy little boy. "OH – dude – gotta get the cheese curds…"

"Go to Vic's…" Vaughn said.

HEE Weiss grinned, "Vic's Diner is PERFECT!" He looked at Will, "What should I get you?"

Will thought about half a second before answering, "I want a bacon cheddar burger…and a chili cheese dog…and onion rings…"

"We forgot the onion rings!" Weiss said, looking at Vaughn and smacking his forehead.

Vaughn was laughing at Weiss' enthusiasm over a simple diner, a greasy one at that, but diner nonetheless.

"K, I'll be back…" Weiss said, practically running out the door.

Vaughn smiled at Will, "I think he's just a little too happy about that…"

"Corrupting is so much fun…" Will said with a smile. He regarded Vaughn for a moment, thinking and forming the correct words in his head, "So…you guys went to bed early last night…everything ok?"

Vaughn looked over at Will, "Yeah, just…kinda burnt…"

"From therapy?" Will asked.

"Yeah…"

"You wanna talk about it?"

Vaughn smiled, "Just…had to remember a lot of shit…" he looked over at Will again, "I told Barnett the whole story yesterday…"

Will looked shocked, "The whole WHOLE story?"

Vaughn nodded.

"Wow…that must have been really hard, I'm sorry Mike…"

"It's ok…I got it out…that was a feat all its own."

"That's really a big step Mike," Will said happily, "Really great…"

Vaughn smiled back, "Thanks."

Will nodded, "So what happens in the next therapy session then? I mean you talked about what happened and everything…"

"Well, that's just the beginning. I told the story, I didn't deal with anything…just got it out…"

Will nodded again, "Yeah…I guess so…still – that's a really huge step…"

Vaughn smiled again proudly, "Thanks Will, really, that means a lot. I appreciate it."

"What are friends for if not for honesty?" Will said with a lopsided grin.

"Lying through their teeth to make you feel better?" Vaughn said with a smirk.

Will smiled, but his tone was serious, "I wouldn't lie to you Mike…"

Vaughn looked over at him, "I know…thanks Will…"