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Chapter Nineteen:
The Telling

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Dawn was breaking over the horizon, the shadows falling back and giving way to the light. The grey veil of mist that had prevailed all throughout the night rolled back and allowed the sun to break through. Vaughn watched the colors of the early morning sky fade in through the window and land gently on Sydney's bare skin. She lay asleep, head resting on the bare skin of his chest. Vaughn could not rest, soothing himself with the sound of her steady breathing. The way it whispered across his flesh as she murmured in her sleep filtered into his heart, easing away the lingering pain that resided within.

His mind was clear, empty of all thought save for the woman who dozed so peacefully beside him. The golden rays of the morning light illuminated her skin, gilding it with a soft glow. A loving smile resided on her face and the flesh was clear of any lines of worry, wrinkles of fear. She was complete at this moment and he knew it only because she made him whole in the same way.

His hands rested low on the small of her back, fingers stroking the soft skin lightly. Her legs were still tangled with his and he welcomed the sensation. The shape of her body seemed to have been cut from the mold to fit his exactly, every curve locking into place easily. Smiling gently down at her, he kissed her forehead softly and she murmured in her sleep. Fingers gripped his skin loosely and she curled tighter around him, whispering his name in her sleep.

His eyes drifted around the room, watching the way the morning light covered everything with a pure golden glow. He tried not to think that only twenty four hours earlier, his father had slept in this room. He could practically feel his energy vibrating through the walls but there was no sorrow in this thought, only a calm acceptance.

His eyes fell on the photograph he had brought upstairs with him, green orbs blazing brightly as they did so. He swallowed hard at the sight of it, the young boy smiling up at his father with such love and adoration. That boy had known nothing of the future, his mind had never lingered on betrayal or death. He had mourned his father's death once, losing his childhood in the process. He had not understood why his father had gone away, he only knew the grief that it had brought to him. Now he was a man who understood all too well why his father was gone and he could bring himself no further in his grief. He had buried the man once and continued his life without him, his father had died to him years ago. The man who had betrayed him was a stranger, his life had been destroyed by the Rambaldi prophecies. Vaughn would not let himself fall victim to the same trap that had inevitably ensnared and killed his father.

Leaning over Sydney gently, careful not to wake her, Vaughn picked up the photograph and gazed at it for a long time. He had been a member of a happy family once with loving parents, there had been no fear or pain. He resolved to give the gift of happiness, security and love to his child. He had told Sydney long ago that he would not repeat the mistakes his father had made, the words echoed in his head. They were more true now than they had been then, he would prevail. They would arise from the ashes of this broken life and build a new one together, free from the pain they had endured for so long.

Vaughn leaned his head against Sydney's and studied her sleeping face quietly. "I promise you life," he whispered his words of days earlier, lips pressed against her skin. She shifted slightly, her subconscious mind responding to the sound of his voice and he felt her lips press against his skin. Her eyes did not open, her breathing remained the same, yet she reached out for him in her sleep.

He smiled against her skin, kissing her softly. Without a second glance, he laid the photograph facedown on the table beside him and wrapped his arms around her. His chin rested gently on the top of her head and he let his eyes drift close, his mind finally at peace.

He was drifting in the twilight between sleep and awake when he heard it. The nosie registered in his unconscious mind as it hovered somewhere beyond the realm of thought. When it came again, he awoke abruply, snapping to attention. Someone was moving in the house below them.

Vaughn glanced down at Sydney, she did not stir. Carefully, he eased out of the bed and the warm embrace of her arms. She made a small noise and shifted into the empty space he had left behind, fingers curling around the edge of the sheet like a child's. He pulled the blanket up around her and kissed her forehead softly. He fumbled for his clothes at the foot of the bed when he discovered they were still caked with blood and ash. His forehead wrinkled in disgust and he dropped the clothing like hot coals. Frowning slightly, he glanced around the room until he found a closet. His father's clothes were slightly large on him but the t-shirt and pants fit well enough. Strapping his holster on, he slipped his gun into it and left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

There was a soft rustling that came from the foot of the stairs. Vaughn froze and it occurred to him that Irina and Jack had finally arrived and were trying to get into the house. The thought did little to assuage his fears however and he gripped his gun tightly as he made his way down the steps.

Carefully he peered around the edge of the wall, seperating the stairwell from the living room. There was no one inside. His breath flowed easier, his death grip on the gun easing slightly. Maybe it was just his overactive imagination at work, he had suffered far too much stress on too little sleep. What he really needed was to rest.

He was turning to head back up the stairs when a shadow moved behind him. He saw it flicker on the far wall, obscuring the sunlight. He spun around, gun stretched out, prepared to face whatever was coming.

Instead he found himself tumbling to his knees, a sharp pain running through his head. His mind reeled in a daze and he blinked rapidly, struggling to see through the shadows that suddenly clouded his vision. He swallowed the wave of nausea that rose up in him and looked up to meet the cold eyes of Lauren Reed.

She smiled, the sight of her face causing the nausea to rise sharply in Vaughn once more and he fought harder not to let it consume him. He glared at her fiercely for a split second, waiting for his head to clear. She crouched low in front of him, her eyes filled with a burning hatred. Vaughn recoiled from the nearness of her but her hand shot out to grip his shoulder tightly as he did so. He was too weak in his current state to resist fully, the pain still splitting his head from where her gun had struck.

"Where is she?" Lauren shoved the gun into the hollow of his throat, the words hissed from her like a snake's poison. Vaughn spit at her and she cried out as it landed in her eye. Furiously she wiped it away and the same hand slapped so hard and so fast across his face that he barely knew it had happened until his head was cracking back.

She shook him violently, anger burning her alive. "Tell me where she is and I might let you live."

Vaughn laughed lowly, the sound rumbling from deep inside of him to spill from his lips. His laughter stabbed Lauren, cutting deeper than any blade. His mocking laughter betrayed the disgusted expression on his face.

"I will die before I allow you to lay a hand on her, you witless cow." Anger rose up in him at the thought of this woman harming Sydney and he found an inner reserve of strength hidden in his flesh. He shoved her to the floor, hands gripped tightly around her throat. The back of her head hit the floor with a sickening crack and she gasped for air. The gun flew from her grasp, skittering across the floor loudly.

Suddenly he felt her legs coil up beneath her and kick out violently, impacting with his chest and he flew back across the room. Scrambling to her feet, Lauren dove for the gun but Vaughn recovered just as quickly. Kicking the gun away from her hands, his fist swung out and caught her in the back of the head. She cried out in rage and spun around, leg kicking out to catch his head. He caught her foot and twisted it around, her body spun and crashed loudly against the table beside the wall.

Lauren glared at him, spitting blood from her mouth. Her face was twisted in a permanent expression of hatred and it repulsed Vaughn stronger than anything else had in recent memory. Even the sight of those men burning alive had not made him feel as ill as the sight of this woman. She was the last remnant of the Covenant though it was doubtful she had yet learned of their destruction. She represented every evil that he and Sydney faced.

She launched herself at him suddenly, taking him by surprise and knocking him to the floor. The breath rushed from his lungs as she knelt, one kneed pressing against his chest. He could not breathe, she reached into his holster and pulled his gun into her hand. Pressing the muzzle of the gun against his throat, she hissed with rage. Vaughn tried to move but the weight of her pinned him down. She smiled cruelly and and shook her head.

"Its too bad really, you held such possibilities. I could have had so much fun with you," her finger trailed along his chest suggestively and he wondered if he vomited now whether or not he might drown in it and end this faster.

Her eyes hardened, finger tightening on the trigger of the gun. "But you are nothing." She shook her head, "Just like the rest of them. Say goodbye now, Agent Vaughn."

A shot rang in the air, cracking the quiet stillness of the house with the deafening sound. It raced through flesh, splitting apart what was held within. Vaughn's eyes glazed over as the blood bloomed like a flower, death spreading through the limbs rapidly.

Lauren fell limply to the floor, the gun falling away from his flesh. Blood soaked the front of her chest, eyes darkening with the shadows of death. Vaughn looked past her to see Sydney standing in the doorway, gun in her hand. She was clad only in her tank top and underwear, hair still mussed, eyes soft from the haze of sleep. She had reacted to the sound of fighting without thought, coming straight to him automatically. The sight of Lauren kneeling over Vaughn had enraged her to the point of incoherence and she had known nothing but the way her hand shook when the trigger was pulled, the sound of the bullet arcing through the air. She was accustomed to this feeling, to the sounds of a dying breath escaping the lips of her enemy. But standing before Vaughn, framed by the morning light, hair tousled and face still soft with sleep, she did not look like the most dangerous CIA agent in the world. She was only Sydney, protecting what she loved most in the world.

Vaughn moved to his feet and walked over to her, neither of them spoke. She merely fell against him as he provided a support for her to land upon. He wrapped his arms around her, she was staring at the dead body of Lauren Reed emotionlessly. She knew that once, long ago she would have felt some remorse for taking the life of another person so easily. But she was not young or naïve any longer, she had no room for regret when it came to those who mattered most to her. She felt only a profound relief that Vaughn still lived, his arms tight around her, breath tickling the hairs at the back of her neck.

She turned in his arms and he kissed her gently, reassuring her wordlessly that he was okay. She smiled up at him in relief and allowed herself to breathe easier, they were safe now. All the members of the Covenant were dead and soon it would all be over.

He scooped her up in his arms and carried her out of the room, back up the stairs to the empty bed they had left behind. She gave no word of protest, merely laid her head in the crook of his neck and breathed deeply. The sweet, clean scent of him filled her head and within moments they both slept soundly, wrapped in the warmth of each other.

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When she woke again, it was late afternoon. The sun was warm on her face and she stretched lazily before opening her eyes. The bed beside her was empty and she sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Before she could wonder where Vaughn had gone, the door opened and he appeared. He smiled at her warmly, juggling a tray of food in one hand and a change of clothes in the other. He settled both on the table beside her before leaning over to kiss her.

"Morning," she whispered against his lips and he chuckled softly.

"Afternoon is more like it. I couldn't bring myself to wake you." He nodded toward the food and settled the tray on her lap. "I made you breakfast despite the hour." He grinned and set the clothes on the chair before settling onto the edge of the bed beside her.

She smiled at him, kissing his cheek softly before digging into the food on the tray. She was ravenous, unable to remember the last real meal she had eaten.

"Your parents got here a few hours ago, your mom brought you a change of clothes," he nodded toward the chair where the clothes rested limply. "We cleaned up the mess downstairs and right now they're studying the Telling machine. I told them everything that happened."

She nodded wordlessly, mouth full of food. Vaughn watched her with a quiet reverence, one hand reaching up to stroke her hair gently.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, Sydney smiled at him and swallowed her mouthful of food.

"I feel like I should be asking you that," she gripped his hand on her face lightly and planted a kiss in the palm of his hand. Vaughn shook his head, eyes darkening slightly.

"I'm fine," he smiled and stroked her cheek gently. "With you, I'm perfect." Sydney reached up to stroke his face, a fresh bruise had formed on his cheek where Lauren had struck him. She swallowed hard and he gazed at her steadily, eyelids fluttering under her touch as it soothed away the lingering pain. She leaned forward and kissed him gently, her fingers tracing the bruises on his face.

"I love you," she whispered against his lips before pulling away. Vaughn smiled at her, her eyes flickered from him to the food and he couldn't help but laugh at the hungry look in her eyes. He pushed the tray toward her and kissed her cheek gently.

"You better finish eating before I distract you to the point of starvation," Sydney grinned at his words and complied eagerly. Sliding off the bed, Vaughn got to his feet and Sydney felt cold from the lack of him. Her eyes turned up to him pleadingly and he chuckled softly.

"I better get back downstairs and finish being interrogated by your parents before they start to suspect I'm up here taking advantage of you."

Sydney pouted in mock sadnesss and he bent down to kiss her one last time. "You better take advantage of me later then, I'm holding you to it," she sniffled melodramatically and Vaughn laughed again. The sound of his laughter was like music, it played across her mind, as soothing as water rippling. She could not help but grin up at him, his green eyes sparkling with golden light.

"Gladly," he said and winked at her before turning to leave the room. She cast a lingering look on his back as he left quietly and smiled. The sun was warm on her face and her heart was full of quiet joy for the first time in what seemed like years. They were safe, Vaughn was with her and soon it would be over.

She pressed a hand to her stomach, smiling gently at the thought of their child growing inside of her. Visions of dark haired children with green eyes, sandy haired ones with that prominent nose, hovered before her eyes. They were so close now, so close to finally having all they had ever wanted. Sydney felt the familiar surge of determination grip her heart, the same determination that had gotten her through the long months of torture, the past few days of running. She would come out the other side unburned by the flames, she would survive as she always did. She swore it now in silence, to herself and to her unborn child. They would make it.

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Jack and Irina were seated at the table, heads bent low over the golden orb on the table before them. Vaughn could hear them whispering almost conspiratorally to each other and smiled at the sight. It seemed so normal now, to see Jack Bristow whispering confidentially to a woman he had sworn to kill only a year before. Irina had made many mistakes but Vaughn had forgiven her for all of them. Learning that she had saved his father's life had finally had finally quelled the burning anger and hatred he had felt for the woman. When she had saved his life with that phone call, he had forgiven her everything. She seemed to be struggling to correct all the damage she had done in her lifetime and Vaughn knew better than anyone that everyone deserved a second chance.

Vaughn cleared his throat and their heads snapped up at the sound, eyes alert for danger. They relaxed at the sight of him and he smiled.

"How is Sydney doing?" Jack asked, a note of concern lingering in his voice. Vaughn took a seat at the table across from them and took a sip of his coffee that had gone cold in his absence.

"She's doing fine, she's eating her breakfast in bed. She should be down in a few minutes." He nodded toward the Telling machine, "So what can you tell me about this device?"

Irina folded her hands on the table in front of her and studied him carefully, "Your father spoke the truth about the Telling. It is the greatest power Rambaldi spoke of because it controls all of the other artifacts. However only the chosen ones can use it to that end. With this device, you and Sydney could activate all of the Rambaldi artifacts and essentially have the power to destroy the world or you could choose to destroy the artifacts and bring an end to it all." Irina bit her lip and Vaughn gazed at her steadily, her words drifting through his ears. He had suspected as much, when he had activated the other Rambaldi device, he had gained a sort of insight about how Rambaldi worked.

"Rambaldi said that Sydney would wield the power to utter destruction," Vaughn frowned as the words of the prophecy came back to him. "But together we have the power to end it? I don't understand."

Irina met his eyes and shook her head, "If only one of you tried to activate the Telling machine, it would set off a chain reaction and activate the Rambaldi devices connected to it. Essentially, she would wield the power to destroy everything but together you have the power to control it and choose the end as you see fit."

Vaughn nodded slowly, his eyes falling on the Telling machine slowly. It shimmered before his eyes, glowing with the same unearthly light he had seen in the Covenant vault. He wondered if Jack and Irina could see the way it glowed or if it was something only he could see, as one of the chosen. It seemed to call to him, his name whispering from within the depths. He was tempted to just touch it, to feel the smooth surface beneath his fingers but he resisted.

His trance was broken by a light touch on his shoulder. Sydney had entered the room quietly, coming up behind him. He looked up at her, gripping her hand lightly. A smile instantly stole across his lips at the sight of her. She smiled back and kissed him softly before turning her attention to her parents. They were standing instantly, embracing Sydney as she moved around the table toward them.

"Sydney, how are you feeling?" Irina asked, a knowing look in her eyes. Sydney smiled and shook her head.

"I'm fine, mom, really." She smiled and looked up to Jack, kissing him on the cheek lightly.

"And the baby?" Jack asked. Sydney froze under his questioning gaze and shifted uncomfortably, turning to look at Vaughn.

"You told them?" She asked uncertainly. Vaughn shook his head, a bemused expression on his face.

"Not a word. They knew already."

Irina laughed softly, "It's a mother's instinct to know these things, Sydney."

Sydney relaxed, seeing no anger in her father's expression. She had feared that he might rip Vaughn apart at the news, despite the bond they had formed. She smiled warmly at him and squeezed his hand.

"The baby is fine," she patted her stomach gently and a warm glow settled over her. Jack breathed a sigh of relief and smiled down at her, stroking his daughter's hair gently.

"Good, we were worried about you."

Sydney shook her head and moved away from them, taking the seat beside Vaughn. He clasped her hand gently and noted the way Jack and Irina exchanged a knowing look at the action. He was glad he had passed the test and proved himself to be a worthy father to their grandchild.

Sydney's eyes were fixed on the Telling machine, studying it with a quiet intensity. Her brow furrowed, eyes narrowing as she leaned closer to it, careful not to touch it.

"Why does it glow like that?" She asked, her eyes flickering to her parents as they sat back down across from them. Irina frowned and Vaughn smiled at the knowledge that she could see it as well, he hadn't gone crazy yet.

"We don't see anything unusal about it," Irina said. "It's probably because you have the power to control it, you see it with different eyes than we do."

Sydney turned to Vaughn, "You see it glowing?" He nodded in wordless relief.

"When I was in the Covenant vault, all of the artifacts were glowing with this weird ethereal light." He fixed his gaze on the shimmering orb and shook his head. "It makes me nervous though, I don't know why." His eyes flickered up to Irina, questions written there and she saw them before he spoke.

"My father told me," Vaughn began slowly, the words spoken softly into the still air. "He told me that this device shows a person their innermost desires, all of the paths their lives might take; what they are destined to do." He shook his head, "But it also destroyed his life. I can never know what he saw when he activated it but the power corrupted his mind." He looked at Irina calmly, "How can we know it won't do the same for us? Chosen or not."

Irina shrugged slightly, "Rambaldi foretold that the two of you would be the only ones who could control its power and handle the consequences. It is a risk you must take if you decide to activate it."

"I thought it wasn't a matter of choice, rather a matter of destiny," Sydney spoke up. Vaughn could see the way the machine was slowly drawing her in, the same as it had done to him. It's golden light shimmered in her dark eyes and she could not take her eyes from it to look at her mother as she spoke.

Irina shook her head, "No, there is always choice, Sydney. It is your choices that have led you here. I must warn you that this machine is highly dangerous, many men have died trying to control its power. Others have been driven mad, like Sloane and William. But I believe in the prophecies, I believe in your strength. If you do not activate it, the Rambaldi legacy will continue. Its burden will be placed on your child's shoulders, who will be the only other chosen able to control it."

Vaughn's eyes flashed with fire at this news, he would not let this prophecy control their child's life. There was only one decision for them to make. Vaughn turned to glance at Sydney, her eyes were still focused intently on the Telling machine. He reached out to touch her face gently, turning her eyes to him. They gazed at one another for a long time, speaking wordlessly. At length, Sydney nodded and looked at her parents.

"We will do it," her words hung in the air like birds suspended in flight, winging their way to the ears of those who listened. The moment was frozen in time, a monumental decision spoken so easily. It was the final step in a long journey, the fulfillment of the ancient prophecy.

No one spoke, scarcely a breath disturbed the air. Gently, Vaughn laid his hand over Sydney's and each of them took a deep breath. Their eyes locked, green shifting into brown and a thousand words of love hovered between them. Together, they reached out to touch the Telling machine with clasped hands, each free hand coming around to rest lightly on both sides. Their hands encircled the orb and Vaughn felt a wave of love wash over him. The device was smooth beneath their fingertips, as intangible as gossamer thread spun into golden fabric. A thrill of power rushed through each of them, their skin tingling, their senses heightened. Together, they turned their eyes to the machine and focused their thoughts.

The world around them fell away, the anxious faces of Jack and Irina melting away like plastic in a fire. The golden glow of the orb intensified, throbbing steadily beneath their touch before swirling up in a rush of colors that surrounded them. The golden light enclosed them in a bubble of sweet warmth. Time stood still within the space and the power rushed through them, consuming their souls with its swirl of heat. Vaughn's hand tightened on Sydney's and then everything changed.

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Vaughn stood alone in a well of darkness, the oblivion swirled around him and he felt a coldness wash over him. He spun around, searching for Sydney but she was nowhere to be found. He could feel the sweet thrill of the Telling machine still thrumming in his veins, his skin throbbing from the force of it. Warily he closed his eyes, struggling to understand what had happened. He had been prepared for whatever he might see but this dark emptiness clawed at his soul, burning a hole in his heart.

When he opened his eyes again, the world around him had changed once more. He stood in a long white hallway, the bright light stinging his eyes. The hall seemed to stretch on forever, shadows clustering together at the end. He took a deep breath and started walking down the hall, his footsteps resounding unaturally loud in the silence.

As he moved, images swept through his mind until soon he was blind to the hallway around him. His head filled with memories of Sydney, she stood poised in a thousand different times and places. Red hair obnoxiously bright, hiding her bruised face when he had first met her. Their many meetings where had only been able to sneak quick glances at her, never able to gaze at her face. The warehouse where their love had grown between broken boxes and dusty fences. Their first kiss, consuming him so completely that he had known nothing but the taste of her, the feel of her against him. He saw her and knew in his heart that she was what he desired most, the one thing he had longed for with his soul in his entire life. She was all he had ever wanted.

In a second, the memories shifted into visions. He saw things that had never happened, but had almost happened. He saw his father standing beside him on his graduation day, he saw himself as a professor in some dusty old college. He saw what his life would be like if he had never become a CIA agent, safe though boring and stale and there was no Sydney. The images tangled in his mind, swirling like water in a riptide. The darkest corners of his soul were revealed beneath the golden light and he fell to his knees at the sight of his father, flames leaping from his body. He cried out in anguish, the pain consuming him, the guilt overtaking him. He saw the face of every man he had ever killed in the line of duty, the men at the Covenant headquarters who had erupted into flame and reached out to him for help. He saw Sydney, tears staining her face because of the horrible things he had done. He sank to his knees, moaning in pain and struggled to push the images away. Sydney, he had to focus on Sydney.

Colors blurred and ran together, he saw her broken at his feet, defeated in a mission and killed. He saw her, dirty and stained by tears in a small room in Hong Kong. There was a wedding ring on his finger but none on her's and she seemed prepared to shatter into a hundred pieces at the sight of it. He could feel the Vaughn of the vision shattering into a thousand pieces just at the sight of her. Abruptly he saw the face of Lauren Reed smiling up at him from their marriage bed and he nearly retched at the thought of being married to that cow.

"Sydney," he whispered her name like a prayer and his vision returned to her. He saw her glowing with happiness, dressed in white and approaching him from the end of the aisle. He saw their children running between their feet as they stood together, bathed in light. Bodies tangled together in the throes of ecstasy, flesh connecting with a burning heat.

Finally the images swirled into a blur, the roaring in his head consuming all other thought. He was running down the hallway, screaming her name. The hall was fading around him into a golden light and he stumbled to a halt at the end, gasping for breath.

When he looked up, Sydney was standing before him. She was cloaked by luminous white light, glowing like an angel above him. There was a smile of supreme joy on her face and she reached out to take his hand as he reached out for her.

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Sydney was trapped in darkness, a suffocating swirl of shadows that reminded her far too much of the Covenant cell that had caged her for so long. Blinking rapidly, her vision cleared and the abyss fell away, shadows clearing to reveal a mirror at the end of a long hallway. Slowly she started toward it, her reflection shining back at her through the darkness. As she moved, the reflection changed, shifting to form other images.

Vaughn peered back at her through the darkness, his eyes searching for her frantically. His image shifted and blurred in the reflection as she drew closer, her eyes fixed solely on the mirror now. She could see every moment she had ever shared with him flickering at the end of the hall, every fantasy she had ever entertained about him. The frustrated arguments she had given him when they had first met, the look on his face as he gazed at her longingly in the warehouse where they had met. The way his face lit up with a smile every time he saw her, the careful touches and stolen glances. They had filled the dark nights for a long time before she had ever been able to press her lips to his, colouring her in darkness with the glow of love.

The memories stirred inside of her, consuming her thoughts and filling her with a warm glow of happiness. He was the only person she had ever wanted with an intensity that consumed her entire soul. The only person who had truly made her realize what love was. She broke into a run, struggling to reach him and as she did so, the images changed.

She saw then every way he had been forced to pay for helping her. The way his face had contorted in fear as his face pressed against the glass, waters closing in around him. Lying in a hospital bed, slowly wasting away because he had chosen to help her on that life changing mission. Shot and stabbed, body broken and spirit torn. She saw him slumped among the ashes of her apartment, face twisted with grief as he stared at the black body bag before him. Her heart ripped open at the sight, pain consuming her at the thought of how much his love for her had cost him. He sat alone in the darkness of his apartment, clutching her photograph to his chest, empty bottles littering the floor around him. He wept for the loss of her and she felt tears stream from her eyes as she wept with him.

She fell to her knees a few feet from the mirror and stared up into it with wide eyes. It's visions transfixed her now, keeping her locked within this dangerous truth that was hidden deep in her soul. She held her hands up to the images on the mirror, pleading for forgiveness. Tears streamed from her eyes, staining her flesh and falling silently to the darkness. He was all she had ever wanted and she had wounded him far deeper than she had ever known.

Vaughn disappeared suddenly and Sydney found herself face to face with her own reflection. Julia Thorne stared back at her, blonde hair falling gently around her emotionless face. She saw the expression on the stranger's face, the man who had pleaded for his life before she had twisted the knife into his heart. She saw the broken bodies of countless men and women who had never been known to her save for the danger they posed. She had killed so many throughout her life, all to save herself. The faceless multitudes changed then to show her a face that had burned in her memory for six long months, her best friend. She saw for the first time the way Francie had been killed, Allison sneaking up behind her in the restaurant and shooting her point blank in the forehead. The same face she had known and loved for so long had become a stranger and she watched helplessly as she thrust the knife into Will's chest. So many lives had been destroyed on her account, her deepest and darkest deeds exposed to the bright light of day. They were laid bare before her eyes and she wept, hating herself momentarily for what she had done.

She lowered her head to the floor, broken sobs escaping her throat. When she looked up again, she saw the face of her mother smiling tenderly at her. Hope rose in her heart and she crawled closer, reaching out for her mother's hand. Irina vanished, replaced by Danny who stood beside Sydney in a small chapel, swearing his life to her. She saw what her life could have been if only she had made different choices, if she had never joined SD-6, never become a CIA agent. The lives she could have led were all happy and prosperous, but there was no Vaughn. Without Vaughn, there was no life at all.

At the thought of him, the mirror went dark, the images vanishing as abruptly as they had come. Out of the darkness, she saw Vaughn as he really was. He was reaching out for her, illuminated by a bright white light that blinded her eyes. Golden wings seemed to stretch behind him and she heard her own words whisper through the air.

"My guardian angel."

Stumbling to her feet, Sydney swallowed her fear and reached out for him, stepping through the mirror to join him on the other side.

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They stood together now, hand in hand. Their bodies had become transparent, golden light filling them and shining out the other side. Pressed together, their bodies merged into one, minds linked and souls connected. Golden tendrils of light encircled their hearts and spun a web that held them fast together.

Between them glowed a silver light, emanating from her stomach to his heart. The soul of their child, though young, had a strong presence on this plane of existance. Their heads touched and between them passed everything they had seen, everything they had been and knew. Their minds cleared of all memory and thought, replaced by one image that they both longed for with all their souls. Their child, cradled between them as the two of them stood on a long white beach. The ocean crashed against the shore and everything was as it should be.

They spoke without words, communicating in thoughts that could be heard as clearly as if they had been spoken aloud. The image vanished and was replaced by the sight of a young man who stood before them. He grinned at them, dimples shadowing his face. His green eyes blazed brightly as he watched them watch him, his dark hair merged with the shadows beyond them. Sydney and Vaughn looked at their son, grown into a man and with a mischivious glint in his eyes that they both recognized as belonging to the other, he turned and raced away.

They followed him without moving, their minds going with him as he raced over the paths of their lives. The images blurred around him, colors forming a bridge beneath his feet. He led them back to a golden orb that hung suspended in the air. The smile still on his face, he stepped forward to take their hands and join them together, placing them on the surface of the golden ball. His eyes softened as they looked at him and he spoke a single phrase that struck them both with awe.

"You are my guardian angels," he whispered. They glanced at each other, blinking back tears and when they looked back, he was gone. The golden light swirled up around them once more and with minds connected, hearts merged as one, they saw their destiny unfold beneath their feet.

The darkness around them lit up with sparkling points of light, golden strands drifted lazily from the golden orb to the lights and they realized what it meant. Concentrating hard, focusing their thoughts as one, they poured their energy and purpose into the Telling machine. The golden light flared, its heat washing over them with an intensity that burned their souls but left their skin intact. All around them, the points of starlight that represented every Rambaldi artifact winked out in a massive wave of golden heat.

They were alone in the darkness, the golden orb hovering above them slowly dwindled to a small speck. Slowly, it's pale flame burned out and they were left alone in the darkness, clutching one another desperately.

Then the world rushed back to them, time snapping back into place and they both knew, that it was finally over.

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