Sydney hardly slept that night, and when she did, she dreamed of Cole's kisses. She woke early and dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a t-shirt before wandering downstairs and into the back garden. She sat herself at Aunt Viola's table and listened to the birds singing their morning song.

She was still confused about why Cole had shared so much with her the night before; she had a feeling that he didn't do it often. Could that mean that there was a trust developing between them since he was willing to share as much as he had? She guessed that it was due, in part, to the fact that she had come clean about why she was on the dig. Although, she had to admit that she was curious about who was demanding that she stay for the entire summer, that had been news to her. She was sure it wasn't her father, and she doubted that it was Paige's.

She had been sitting, lost in thought when Theresa joined her.

Theresa cast a derisive glance over her clothes. "You could put a little effort into your appearance."

"Why? We only have a car ride and a day of work ahead of us." Sydney still hadn't made her forty hours, so she had to go back to the site and work.

"How are you enjoying working weekends by the way?" Theresa gave her a smug smile. "I mean, it's not like you have much else to do since no one seems to care enough to invite you anywhere."

Sydney's eyes narrowed as she looked at Theresa. "I enjoy them, but not as much as I think you enjoy keeping me away from socializing with everyone. You don't like me, do you?"

"No, I think you're trying to trap Cole. So does he," Theresa said bluntly.

"Is this something that he told you?" Sydney felt her heart drop.

Theresa grinned believing that she had finally gotten under Sydney's skin by making her think that Cole didn't like her. Theresa didn't realize that Sydney already knew Cole didn't have a very high opinion of her.

"No, I overheard him on the phone one day in his office. He was talking all about you." Theresa shrugged away the fact that she had been eavesdropping.

"So, you're making my life harder on his behalf?" Sydney was amazed. It was kind of loyal in a misguided and immature way. "Don't you think Dr. Easton can fight his own battles?"

"Why don't you leave? You're not wanted on the site, and no one likes you." Theresa didn't attempt to sound sorry as she said it.

"Which is all your doing," Sydney agreed. "It's only ten weeks, half of which are already gone, why does it matter so much?"

Sydney watched Theresa, who remained stubbornly silent as long as she could before she broke. "My job is to make his life easier, and he trusts me to do it." She emphasized the word trust. "You're just after his money like all the girls."

"No, I'm just after his body, who cares about the money." Sydney watched Theresa as she turned red either in anger or embarrassment. "Trust me, it's a body that's worth it." She leaned in and whispered the last part and Theresa jerked away, her eyes growing wide in speculation.

Let her think about that, Sydney thought as she leaned back in her chair with her own smug smile. At least now Sydney knew that Cole hadn't talked about her to Theresa, but he had talked about her to someone.

"What are you two whispering about?" Aunt Viola asked as she and Cole joined them.

"Just girl stuff," Sydney said with a smile. "Good morning, Dr. Easton," she purred watching Theresa turn a brighter shade of red.

Aunt Viola looked as if she was going to burst at the change in Sydney, and Cole appeared wary as he glanced from Sydney to Theresa.

"Good morning, Miss. Mitchell, Theresa," he greeted, helping his aunt take her seat before sitting next to Sydney.

"Do you have my five dollars?" Aunt Viola asked as soon as she was settled.

Sydney reached in her pocket and pulled it out, handing it to her.

"Why are you giving Aunt Viola five dollars?" Cole asked, looking from on to the other.

"I have no clue." Sydney shrugged. "She asked for it, and I had it. Knowing Aunt Viola, she's up to no good." They watched Aunt Viola, who was wearing a lime green velour jogging suit and a grin.

"Actually, this time I'm up to good...you Sydney Mitchell just bought my car." She handed Cole the five dollars. "Take care of that will you."

Cole looked from one to the other, and he couldn't miss Sydney's look of complete shock. "If that's what you want Aunt Viola."

"It is, and I also want you to congratulate the girl, she just bought a car."

Cole turned to Sydney. "Congratulations on your new purchase."

Sydney was still too shocked to respond.

"Kiss her!" Aunt Viola demanded, and Theresa gasped in shock.

"That would be inappropriate, Aunt Viola." Cole turned back towards his aunt with an amused look.

Sydney turned bright red, watching Theresa's reaction, at first she had looked stunned, but her face quickly flashed relief then smugness at Cole's excuse. Sydney was mortified, so much for her edge with Theresa.

"Fine, we'll wait until what's her name gets here, she needs to know how pointless her trip here has been. I want her to leave; she's upsetting your mother," Aunt Viola demanded.

"It's nice that you're worried about Mother, Aunt Viola." Cole smiled.

"I'm worried about my garden. When your mother is unhappy it suffers, so does our dinner." No one had anything to say in response to Aunt Viola's words, so they all sat in silence until Bridget joined them a few minutes later. Cole, ever the gentleman, got out of his chair so that she could sit down, and she smiled at him, squeezing his arm in thanks as she sat.

Sydney noted that she looked beautiful, she was wearing a cream linen suit and looked as if she had been up for hours. What Cole thought about her sudden appearance was a mystery, his expression was blank as he nodded good morning to her.

Sydney felt out of place as the women made idle chit-chat, and when Aunt Viola took control of the conversation she felt even more uncomfortable.

"Why are you here, why did you come back?" she asked, turning suddenly on Bridget.

Bridget looked around with a charming smile and gave an amused chuckle. "I came to see some old friends. It's been so long that I felt it would be nice to catch up after all this time."

"I still control the money," Viola supplied, watching Bridget turn red. "When I die it will all go to Cole's father, and none of it will go to Cole until his father dies."

Sydney wanted to jump from her seat and run. She looked at Cole who's face was still a blank mask. She could only guess that he was so used to her outrageous statements that he didn't care.

Viola's next statement was directed at all of the women. "Anyone who marries Cole will have to live off of a teacher's salary for most of their life unless they have their own money."

The thought of marrying Cole and living off a teacher's salary sounded divine to Sydney. She pictured them living in the Babcock house with Flora and Timmy. The vision was so real that Sydney had to run away from it and the situation, the need was so great that she jumped up while Aunt Viola was in mid-sentence, talking about how no one wanted to work for their living anymore. She gave some jumbled excuse, leaving the patio and heading for the safety of the kitchen where she found Maddie busy preparing a cold breakfast.

She smiled when she saw Sydney, passing her some fruit to prepare. "How is it out there?"

"Aunt Viola is on a roll."

Maddie nodded. "She told me she wants Bridget gone today."

"She's on her way to making that happen." Sydney popped a strawberry in her mouth, enjoying the sweet flavor while trying to banish the images she had had of her and Cole living happily ever after in the Babcock house.

"What Aunt Viola wants Aunt Viola generally gets," Cole said joining them. He reached past Sydney taking a few grapes before moving towards the coffee pot.

"It wouldn't upset me if Bridget left today," Maddie agreed.

Cole watched in silence as Maddie and Sydney worked in unison to prepare the breakfast.

"Why did you leave so suddenly?" he eventually asked Sydney. She knew it was the reason that he had followed her into the kitchen.

"Your aunt was making me uncomfortable." She didn't look at Cole because she didn't want him to see the longing in her eyes. The vision she had was still too real.
When Aunt Viola joined them a few minutes later, she looked less than happy.

"You two are worthless." She eyed Cole and Sydney. "Is my breakfast ready?"

"Yes, we're bringing it out now," Maddie said as Bridget suddenly joined them too.

"So this is where everyone got to." Bridget smiled, looking at all of them.

"Go away, girl!" Aunt Viola grumbled as she turned to leave, then thinking better of it she turned back. "Cole, I'm still waiting for you to congratulate Sydney on her new purchase."

A look passed between Cole and Aunt Viola, and there was a secret communication between the two that only they understood. "Sure, Aunt Viola."

Cole walked towards Sydney and gathered her close, and Sydney gave a little squeak at the suddenness of the action. "Congratulations again on your new car," he said before his lips lowered to hers in a bone-melting kiss which caused her legs to give way, but he only gathered her closer as she fell against him. Her visions from earlier danced through her head, and when he broke away, Sydney looked at him, her heart in her eyes.

Aunt Viola had pulled Bridget from the room, and Maddie had left sometime during the kiss, but Sydney was unaware of this fact, she was entirely too wrapped up in Cole.

He looked down at her for a long moment and Sydney was aware that he was still holding her, watching her as if waiting for something. She pushed away clearing her throat and licking his kiss from her lips.

Thankfully, her quick wit saved her. "Be careful, I have a knife, Dr. Easton, and I'm not afraid to use it."

"To cut out my heart no doubt." He tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear.

"No, to defend mine." As soon as she said it she wished it back, it had revealed way too much. She dropped the knife on the counter and ran from the room, brushing past Bridget on her way.

"Sydney!" Cole called, following her, but Bridget stopped him before he could catch her.