Chapter Fourteen: When Your Heart Has Expired

Message:

KICKASSINSTATES, your copy of Alice in Wonderland will be made available tomorrow at sundown, please be prompt.

RE:

Will be there.

So that was that. He was a father now and tomorrow he was to die. At least they would be there to get Sydney out. Vaughn remembered his earlier conversation with the General.

"We will perform the ceremony tomorrow night, Michael"

"I know"

"It is not too late to back out."

Back out? How could he even consider backing out? He wouldn't let Syd die. Vaughn sighed, he wanted to spend more time with Sydney and their daughter today but he had to make sure the others had gotten his message. Vaughn flicked off his computer and started down the hall to Sydney's room.

His two girls were both asleep. Sydney was curled up in a tight ball at the head of the bed while Erica was in a bassinet near the foot. Vaughn went over to his daughter's cradle and lifted the miniature form out of it. She stirred and opened her eyes and Vaughn found himself gazing into mirrors of his own eyes. Their child was going to be beautiful, he could tell already. He determined that she would probably have Sydney's hair color, but his eyes. And with a mother like Sydney and a grandmother like Irina Derveko, well their baby had some kick ass genes.

Vaughn cradled his daughter and began to sing to her some French lullaby that his father use to sing to him. He wasn't aware that Sydney was even awake until she leaned lightly against him. He turned to her and placed a kiss on her lips before settling their sleeping daughter back into her cradle.

"God, she is so beautiful, just like you Syd."

"They're doing it tomorrow, aren't they Vaughn?"

There was no reason to lie to her. He nodded and pulled her into his arms.

"I wanna spend my last day here with you and our daughter"

"Michael there has to be another way"

"No honey there is no other way"

"Vaughn—"

"Listen Sydney there is no other way, this is my destiny, and I can't control it"

"And what about you daughter, what is her destiny?"

"Her destiny is live, as is yours Sydney. If I don't die tomorrow, you will baby"

"We can get help—"

"Sydney, there is no help, you saw what they did to Eric."

"My parents we can get them to help, they—"

"They'll what? Your mother's on the run, how do you suppose why track her down by tomorrow"

"I don't want you to die Vaughn!"

"Sydney, we have tonight let's make the best of it"

They both turned towards the sleeping form of their daughter. Vaughn's heart was filled with love as Sydney lifted her out and draw her into her lap. There was the three of them, together, a family. And no matter what tomorrow was going to bring nobody could take that away from them.

Please review, we're getting towards the end now!