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Thanks all for reading! ;) Answers will come in due time. :D

Chapter 3.

I had a dream
Strange it may seems
It was my perfect day

Open my eyes
I realize
This is my perfect day


*-*-*-*

“Mommy, can we go to the park?”

“Not today, dear. We have to clean up the mess from yesterday.”

“Can we have ice cream later?”

“Sure, ice cream sounds great.”

“Chocolate ice cream.”

“Alright.”

“With cream.”

“Sure.”

“And cherries.”

“You don’t like cherries, honey.”

“They’re pretty.”

“Alright, you can have cherries.”

Ailish smiled and was silent for a moment. She looked up at her mother with a concerned look.

“I won’t have to eat them, right mommy?”

Sydney laughed.

“No, I’ll eat them for you.”

“Yay!”

More relaxed now, Ailish focused back on her pancakes.

“Well, I’m done.” Vaughn said, getting up and taking his plate to the sink. “I’m going get started on the cleaning.”

“Ailish, finish your breakfast, mommy is going to help Uncle Michael.”

“And then ice cream?”

“Ice cream after lunch.”

“Why not after bleakfast?” Ailish whined. Sydney smiled. Her daughter impressed by her almost perfect pronunciation at such a young age, but ‘breakfast’ was still a word she struggled with.

“Because you don’t eat ice cream after breakfast.”

“Why not?”

“Because… Actually, I don’t know.” Sydney admitted, with a shrug and a laugh. “I suppose we can eat ice cream after breakfast.”

“Yay… chocolate ice cream?”

Sydney sighed, and laughed.

“We’ve been through this already. Now finish your breakfast and don’t forget to wash your face afterwards. It looks like you’ve grown a chocolate mustache.”

Ailish giggled.

“I think she looks adorable.” Vaughn said from the living room. “Syd, do you want to keep those wrapping papers? Never mind, that was a stupid question.” He added, stuffing the papers inside the plastic trash bag.

“Glad you realized that before I was forced to give you a sarcastic answer.”

“Mommy, what’s sarcastic?”

“Sarcastic is..” Sydney was saved from an explanation as the phone rang and she went to answer it.

Ailish turned to Vaughn.

“Uncle Michael, what’s sarcastic?”

“Uh… sarcastic is when a person says exactly the contrary of what she means. So it’s kind of an irony.”

The girl nodded, with a look of deep concentration on her face.

“Alright…”

“Ailish, grandpa Jack is asking if you want to go to the zoo with him.”

Ailish nodded excitedly, her light brown hair flying up and down with the motion.

“Yay the zoo!” She jumped off her seat. “Are you coming?’

“Mommy and Uncle Michael are staying to clean everything up. I guess we can meet you there later.”

“Yay! I’ll put on my shoes.” Ailish said, already running upstairs.

Sydney put her hand over the phone as she talked to Vaughn.

“You might want to inspect this, or she’ll end up going to the zoo in her jammies and pink sneakers.”

Vaughn nodded and walked after Ailish.

-----

“Grandpa!” Ailish squealed, hopping down the stairs dangerously fast. Jack caught her and raised her up in the air, just like Vaughn had done the day before, a huge smile spreading on his face. “Make me fly, grandpa! Make me fly!”

Jack happily complied, and Ailish giggled madly as her grandfather turned her around in the air.

“Hey daddy.” Sydney said, approaching and giving her father a kiss.

“Hey honey.” Jack said, putting Ailish down. “I hope I’m not interrupting any plans. I just felt like taking my favorite granddaughter out.”

“You’re not interrupting anything. Vaughn and I will meet you at the zoo as soon as we finish cleaning.”

“Alright.” Jack took Ailish by the hand and bend down to talk to her. “You look very pretty today, princess.”

“Uncle Michael made my ponytails.”

“Well, then he did a good job.” Jack said. “They look lovely.”

He picked the bag Sydney handed him, with all Ailish would need for a morning at the zoo.

“Shall we go?”

Ailish nodded. Everyone said their goodbyes, and grandfather and granddaughter were already walking down the steps that leaded to the house when the girl looked up at him.

“Can we have ice cream?”

“Sure.”

“Chocolate ice cream?”

Sydney laughed, and closed the door.

“Come on, Bristow, we have cleaning to do.” Vaughn said, taking her by the hand.

Sydney smiled, and let go of his hand as they got back to the living room, so they could start to work. After some time, Vaughn interrupted the comfortable silence that had settled.

“Yesterday night… Ailish told me she dreamt about me being her father.”

Sydney sighed.

“She just won’t give up on the subject. I’m sorry if this is awkward for you.”

“No, it’s ok. I understand how she must feel. I am a constant presence here, and since she never met Andrew…”

“It’s only natural for her to think of you as a father. Yes, I know.”

“Syd, I love Ailish as if she were my own daughter, you know that.”

“I know.” She put one hand on his shoulder so he would straighten up and look at her. “Vaughn… I’ve been meaning to thank you… for all that you’ve done for her – for us.”

“Syd, there’s no need-“

“No, really.” She insisted. “You’ve supported us so much… You have been a father to her and such a loyal friend to me. I can never thank you enough-“

“So don’t thank me.” Vaughn said. “Syd, I’m not here because I feel obliged or something. I’m here because I love you both. Simple as that.” He smiled at her, dismissing the subject. “Now let’s finish this up. At the rate we’re going the ice cream will have to wait until dinner.”

Sydney nodded, smiling, and deciding it was better to let it go. Vaughn had seemed somewhat uneasy. She started to sweep the kitchen floor, and allowed her mind to wonder, just for a while, what exactly he had meant when he said he loved them both.

*-*-*-*

“Come on, grandpa. The baby lion, the baby lion.” Ailish tugged her grandfather’s sleeve insistently. “I wanna see the baby lion.”

“Honey, grandpa already asked the lady. They’re cleaning the baby lion’s cage. We can’t see him today.” Jack said, with all the patient he could muster.

“Where is it?” Ailish inquired.

Since he didn’t know, but was sure Ailish wasn’t going to give up the subject until she got a satisfying answer, Jack decided to change the subject.

“Do you want your ice cream now?” he asked in a tone a little too excited, which would have scared anyone who knew somber and serious Agent Jack Bristow.

Ailish nodded, and started to run towards the ice cream parlor. She ran as fast as her small legs allowed her, and Jack only needed a few long strides to keep up with her.

From the corner of his eyes he saw Sydney and Vaughn approaching.

“Look Aili, it’s mommy.”

“Mommy!” Ailish looked around, found her mother, and ran to her instead of continuing towards the ice cream parlor. As soon as she was on Sydney’s hearing reach, she started to ramble. “Mommy Grandpa got me a bear. Not a real bear, though. Grandpa said we couldn’t buy a real bear coz they are too big. I told him the bear could sleep at my bed but he still said no so we got a stuffed bear instead. He’s cute and his name is Lilly. He’s a boy. Grandpa said Lilly is a girl name but I told him boys can also be named Lilly.” Ailish suddenly turned, and beamed at Vaughn. “Uncle Michael! Grandpa got me a bear. Not a real bear, though.”

“I heard it, sweetie.” Vaughn said, before Ailish could start her narration all over again.

“And where is your bear, darling?” Sydney asked.

“He’s in the bag. Grandpa told me bears aren’t afraid of the dark, so we let him inside, but the zipper is a little opened so he can breath.” Ailish said, while nodding enthusiastically.

“Alright, you can introduce him to mommy and Uncle Michael later.”

“Alright, then. Now ice cream.” Ailish exclaimed, taking Sydney by one hand and Vaughn by the other and pulling them both towards the parlor.

Jack watched with a smile on his face. They made a pretty picture, those three. He and Vaughn had had some problems in the past, but now they had good relations. One could even say they were… friends.

Ailish absolutely worshipped Vaughn, who, in return, was completely devoted to her, despite of living in another continent now.

Sydney and Vaughn’s friendship came from a long way. They had saved each others’ lives a fair amount of times, escaped from dangerous situations together more times then one could count, and had built, along the years, a relationship of complete trustiness, respect and mutual affection.

And one didn’t need to be a genius to notice that there was more to that… affection than both were letting on.

But Jack wasn’t one to pry, especially when it came to his daughter’s relationships. With Ailish’s birth, the fragile bond he and Sydney had built while working to bring SD-6 to an end had been strengthened, and he did his best not to destroy it again.

“Grandpa! Ice cream.” Ailish called, snapping Jack out of his reverie.

“Oh, sure darling.” He said. Ailish was already in possession of her so-desired chocolate ice cream. Luckily she didn’t remember the cream or the cherries. Sydney and Vaughn were smart not to bring it up.

“Chocolate, grandpa, chocolate.” She said, and Jack asked for a chocolate ice cream.

Sydney armed herself with paper napkins, and the four of them started to walk calmly, chatting and laughing with the easiness the years had brought.

Somehow, Ailish and Jack ended up walking on the front, Sydney and Vaughn being left behind.

Vaughn saw Sydney ogling his ice cream, and laughed.

“Wanna a taste?”

“Oh, yes please.” She scooped a generous portion of the ice cream with her spoon. “How come I got lured into buying a chocolate ice cream? I don’t even like chocolate ice cream.”

“It’s the dimpled smile.” Vaughn said.

“What?” Sydney laughed.

“The dimpled smile. It lures one into doing everything.”

“Such as…”

“I don’t know…” He shrugged. “Breaking into the Vatican… ignoring about fifty protocol rules per day… going out to buy watermelons in the middle of the night…”

“Hey, a pregnant woman has no power over her food choices. What could I do? Your phone was just the first that came to mind.” She said, grinning at him.

“Yes, smile your way out of it.” Vaughn said, wordless giving her his strawberry ice cream and taking the chocolate one from her.

Sydney laughed, and they continued to observe the animals, as she distractedly put a hand on his arm, leaving it there.

*-*-*-*

Ailish snuggled against Vaughn’s chest, as he picked her up from the back seat of Sydney’s car. She had fallen asleep not five minutes after they left Jack’s house, where they had gone after the zoo, and remained that way all the way home.

Sydney walked in the front, so she could open the door to the two of them. Just as they were getting inside the house Ailish opened her eyes a little, her vision fuzzy and her mind still almost completely asleep.

“Uncle Michael?” She whispered in a drowsy voice.

“Yes, honey?”

“What’s an irony?”

Vaughn smiled. He opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it again. Ailish was already back to sleep.

“I’ll tell you in the morning.” He said, kissed her forehead, and carried her to bedroom.

*-*-*-*
 
I LOVE AILISH!!!! but i guess you heard that from me a little too many times. oh well i still love her. any ways post more soon!
--Mandy :angelic:
p.s. you're mean with your 'i'm gonna keep my readers waiting till the weekend' thing. lol :lol: j/k :P
 
this is great! its so sweet, and i love how you're making us all wonder what happened with "Andrew", and vaughn living in france, and the Vatican, and all that stuff. keep going!
 
LOL!!! Ailish is the cutest thing. The three of them would make a perfect family, WHAT HAPPENED???????? Ok, sorry, didn't mean to lose my temper, but ost more, this is such a cool story, one of my favorite furturisic fics. (y) :D (y)
 
Ailish is so adorable! I think that the three of them looking like a family is so cute. Who is Andrew and why does Vaughn live in France? I hope we find out soon! I also hope there is some S/V fluff on the way... :rolleyes:
 
oh what?!!?!?! whos andrew!?!!?!?!? how can u not let them be together...no...actually it makes it better....good one!!! post more
 
Oh, they seem like such a happy family! But they would be happier if they were together...(hint hint) This is a realy great story - you're an amazing writer! Good job!
~kate
 
I THINK I GOT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IF YOU NOTICED WHAT JACK WAS THINKING YOU WILL SEE IT.

and he did his best not to destroy it again.
YOU SEE HE DID SOMETHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I NEED TO KNOW NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *FAINTS FROM SCREAMING TOO MUCH*
 
no, when jack said "he did his best not to destroy it again" he was talking about ever since he and syd built a bond destroying sd-6, so by "again" he must have meant that they had a bad relationship before they started working together. i think.
 
*giddy* I love reviews! :D Thanks so much for them! :D Alright, we're on chapter four, right? Right. Ok, enjoy and review!

Read on.

*-*-*

Chapter 4.

“Ailish, uncle Michael has to go now. Give mommy the keys.” Sydney said, in a quelling tone. Ailish didn’t say anything. She just stared at them, her eyes huge and teary. “Ailish, I’m asking you, give mommy the keys.”

“He won’t come back.” Ailish said in a low tone. “He’ll go back to France and find some other little girl to care. He’ll marry her mommy and they’ll be a family and we’ll never see him again and-“ She broke off, and started to cry silently, unable to stop herself.

Vaughn was positive he could feel his heart breaking into a thousand pieces. He approached, and sat down next to her.

“Aili, look at me.”

Ailish looked to the opposite direction.

“Aili, honey, look at me. Please?” Vaughn insisted, pulling her up and seating her down at his lap. Ailish slowly raised her face, and Vaughn’s heart panged as he saw the red eyes he had caused. “Now listen to me, alright? Pay close attention to my words.”

Ailish nodded, sniffing, her lower lips still slightly trembling, but her sobs already subdued.

“Alright.”

“No one, and I mean no one can replace you. You are my little girl, one and only, and you’ll always be. I have to go work now, but I’ll come to visit. You know I will.”

“What if you don’t?”

“I will. Did I ever make any promises I didn’t keep?”

Ailish shook her head slowly, as if her brain was processing everything.

“No.” she said quietly.

Vaughn kissed the top of her head, and squeezed her tight against him.

“Right. And I have no intention of breaking that tradition now.” Vaughn said. “Now I have to go, alright honey? The sooner I’ll go, the sooner I’ll be able to come and see you.”

Ailish hugged him with all the strength she possessed and started to cry again, even as she nodded her head in understanding.

Vaughn got up, keeping her in his arms.

“The keys…” Ailish whispered in a teary voice against his neck. “Are with Lilly. Tied with his bow… at the back…”

Vaughn nodded.

“Why don’t you come with me to pick it up? If you want, we can bring Lilly to the airport too. He’s never been to the airport, has he?”

“No…” she answered, starting to grow calmer. “Won’t he be scared of the planes?”

“No, of course not.” Vaughn said dismissively, as he walked up the stairs with her. “Bears aren’t scared of anything, remember?”

“Yeah…” A small, unsure smile slowly crept its way on her face. “And Lilly is the bravest bear there is.”

--

Sydney watched the whole exchange between Vaughn and her daughter with her heart on her throat. She knew what the next weeks were going to be like. Ailish would be blue and walking with her head down, playing with the dolls Vaughn had given her, talking about him, asking when he would come to see them again.

And she, as the mother she was, would do her best to cheer her daughter up, trying to look happy and pretend she didn’t have the same doubts and insecurities her daughter had.

Because she had them, every single day. Vaughn wouldn’t remain single forever, at her disposal for anything she needed. That was a fact, and she forced herself to accept it. He would move on eventually. And she wondered how she was going to make it when he finally did.

Almost one decade of friendship had taught her Vaughn was a man who was hard to compromise with people, but when he did, he did it for life. For that reason, she didn’t fear that he would disappear from her life all the sudden, or stop caring about her and Ailish. But she feared that he wouldn’t be as present as he was now… or that he wouldn’t care that much.

Sydney closed her eyes. That was not the time. But, hell, she was scared. A sense of dread overcame her as she tried to picture what her life would be without Vaughn. She couldn’t. The seven years she’d known him had changed her in a way she thought it was impossible for a person to change.

And he had helped her in every step of the way. He had held her hand, and now she was afraid she would lose her balance if he let it go.

She heard Ailish giggle from the floor above.

He had managed to make her little girl smile. Just like he always managed to make her smile.

“We’re all set.” Vaughn said, snapping her out of her reverie. “Lilly’s really excited, isn’t he, Aili?”

Ailish nodded enthusiastically.

Sydney nodded as well, but not half as enthusiastically as her daughter. The smile she forced her lips to form was weak and unconvincing.

Vaughn put Ailish down.

“Honey, why don’t you go and get another bear, to keep Lilly company?” Vaughn suggested. As soon as Ailish disappeared on the top of the stairs, he turned to Sydney. “Now, what’s going on?”

“What do you mean?” Sydney said, in what she hoped was a natural tone.

Vaughn took her hand on his, and pulled her to a hug.

“I’m going to miss you, Syd.”

Sydney tried to speak, but no sound came out of her mouth, so she just nodded against his shoulder.

“I can’t cry.” She said, as she hastily wiped away some stubborn tears. “If Ailish sees me crying, she’ll-“

“I know, I know. That’s why I look so ridiculously happy about going away from the two of you, when I’m actually-“ he cut himself off, and shook his head. “I’ll just miss you, so much.”

For a fraction of second, Sydney wondered whom he had meant with that particular ‘you’.

“I got Lizzy. She’s a girl, and Lilly says he doesn’t like her, but that’s because he has a crush on her.” Ailish giggled at her own statement, oblivious to the moment he had just interrupted. “Yesterday, Lilly didn’t want to be next to Lizzy at the shelf, so I had to ground him ‘cause Lizzy cried, and I don’t like when my bears cry but Lilly apologized so I forgave him. You told me it’s important to forgive right, mommy?”

Sydney forced the smile to reappear on her face.

“Right, honey.” Sydney changed her posture, doing her best to look cheerful. “Shall we go? We don’t want Uncle Michael to miss his plane.”

At this statement, Ailish bit her lip. She tugged at her mother’s sleeve and stayed on her tiptoe. Sydney bent down to hear what her daughter wanted to say.

“I do, mommy.” Ailish whispered on her ear, in a guilty tone. “I wish Uncle Michael would miss the plane, so he would stay with us here always. Am I being evil, mommy, for wishing that?”

Sydney fought the tears that welled up in her eyes.

“No, honey, you’re not being evil. It’s ok.” Sydney hugged her daughter, more for her benefit than Ailish’s. “Now let’s go, alright?”

Ailish nodded sadly, and the three of them walked out of the house with heavy hearts.

*-*-*-*

Ailish rocked on her heels, her hands clasped together behind her back, her brown hair moving along with her. Vaughn got on his knees, so he would be in her eye level.

“Will you be a good girl to mommy?” he asked, having a hard time in forming a smile, just like Sydney had.

“I will.” Ailish said.

“I’m going to miss you, baby girl.”

Ailish’s lower lip started to tremble again, and she bit it hard.

“Will you write?”

“Of course I will.”

“Everyday?”

“Everyday.”

“Letter and e-mail?”

“And sometimes a telegram.”

Ailish smiled. She liked getting telegrams.

Vaughn hugged her, then got up and hugged Sydney. Neither seemed willing to break the hug, but the voice on the speaker reminded them that it was time to go.

“Take care, the two of you.” Vaughn said, as he started walking backwards towards the gate.

“We will.” Sydney said, and smiled at him, a true smile this time, because she wanted him to remember her smile. It was ridiculous, but she wanted it anyway.

Suddenly, Ailish leaped towars him, hugging his leg and breaking down.

“Don’t go, Uncle Michael. Please don’t leave us. Please don’t leave us. Don’t go, please, Uncle Michael, don’t go.” She repeated over and over, as she cried against his leg. Vaughn raised her up and hugged her, trying to swallow down the huge lump that had formed on his throat.

“I got go, honey.” He said, whishing he could say anything but that. “I have to go back home.”

“Why can’t this be your home, why Uncle Michael?”

There was no answer to that question. Why?

“Ailish, come on, come with mommy.” Sydney said, pulling the girl to her arms. “Uncle Michael has to go now, but he’ll be back. He promised he would. Don’t you trust him?”

Ailish didn’t answer. She didn’t struggle to go back to Vaughn’s arm, she didn’t start to scream or did anything it might be expected for her to do. She just cried, quietly, against her mother’s shoulder. And that was much worse than any fit of anger, or any tantrum she might’ve thrown.

Vaughn heard his last call to board. He had to go. He needed to go back home.

Then why he wanted so desperately to stay?

He waved again, and continued to walk inside the gate, fighting the almost unbearable urge to turn around and run to hug and comfort his little girl. To run and hug Sydney, and never let go of her again.

He continued, and his already broken heart shredded itself even more.

---

Sydney watched as Vaughn disappeared from her sight, and continued to stare at the gate, as if expecting something would make him decide he simply couldn’t go.

She took a deep breath, and turned around. It would be better for Ailish if they went home. Her daughter continued to cry on her shoulder, unaware of the tears that also ran on her mother’s face.
 
OMGOSH!!!! HOW SAD!!!!!<='( THATS SO SAD....::TEARS::....AWWW...WHY DID UNCLE MICHAEL HAVE TO GO!?!!?!?! SO SAD......<='( WHY ISNT HSE WITH UNCLE MICHAEL!!?!!?!? <='(.......POST MORE.....BUT DONT MAKE IT SAD.....<='(
 
Wow this is a great fic. One of the best I have to say. I honestly think Im about to cry but I love the story. You are an awesome writer.....You have to continue soon. :smiley: You are doing an awesome job.

“And cherries.”

“You don’t like cherries, honey.”

“They’re pretty.”

“Alright, you can have cherries.”

That part just made me crack up, I dont know why but it was just so cute and funny.
 
wow.............sob............sob........sob....................that was so great. wow. so any..........sob.........more chapters coming up?...........sob.

timmy :ninja:
 
:confused: waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa this is the chap that made me cry! *sobs* so sad... so great too.
--Mandy :angelic:
 

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