Hey guys, I'm sorry this chapter is so late but my best friend was just diagnosed with cancer and I took a train home to be with her for the weekend. I promise to get the next one up ASAP but could you all keep my friend in your thoughts? Thank you.

Chapter Thirteen: His Death Is In Vain

They always had to rub it in about what they did to the Bristow family, didn't they? Vaughn thought angrily as he pulled his arms lose from one of guards and reached out to grab Sydney, who looked ready to faint. The guard made no move to stop him, so Vaughn freed his other arm and worked on separating Sydney from her guards.

They had taken them to the courtyard, to Jack's grave, to the altar on which he had lost his life. Erica had been taken from them and led up to stand on the altar where some bulky object stood, covered by a sheet. There was no use trying to save her yet, the General held her at gunpoint. Sydney and Vaughn would risk their lives for their daughter, but when the gun was pointed at her, they were useless.

Irina stood off to the side. The guards had forced her over Jack's grave and wouldn't let her move. Vaughn saw tears in her eyes as she gazed done at the final resting place of her husband. Lauren was somewhere, Vaughn couldn't care less. All he cared about was his daughter on the altar and his wife in his arms.

The General took Erica's hand and forced her to trace over an old stain in the altar.

"This is where your grandfather's blood spilt, baptizing you." He hissed in her ear.

Erica turned her face away, conscious of the cold steel pressing into her back. She looked out and tried to find her parents. They had freed themselves from the guards and now were standing together, anxious to somehow help her, yet helpless at the same time. Grandmother was far away from them, still surrounded by guards. And the bitch Lauren was standing in the back cool, collected, and flirting with the guards who were holding her arms behind her back.

They needed to get away. Sydney stood in Vaughn's arms, memories flooding back to that night sixteen years ago…

Flashback

"Escort the sacrifice and the child to the altar" the General ordered.

Sydney turned to Vaughn and wrapped her free arm tightly around his neck. She kissed him on the mouth, one last passion filled kiss. She was crying and his arms took Erica from her. He kissed his daughter and then turned to Sydney and whispered "I love you." Two burly guards flanked Vaughn on either side and took him up to the altar.

Sydney watched, helplessly, as Erica was placed on the altar and the two guards forced Vaughn so he was leaning over the infant. The General took out a knife and approached Vaughn, telling the gathered of the prophecy about the baptism. Sydney looked over to Sark whose face was a contorted with sadness. And then the General lowered the knife to Vaughn's neck. And she lost it. Sydney couldn't stand it anymore. She called out to Vaughn and try to rush up to the altar. Erica awoke to the screams of her mother and promptly began to cry too.

"Restrain the woman" the General hissed.

Six members stood forward and held Sydney down. She was fighting with all her might, trying to reach her love. The General paid her no attention as he began the ritual.

"And so Rambaldi, we offer you the blood of your kin, to baptize you into new life!"

End Flashback

But Vaughn hadn't been the one to lose his life that night, her father had instead. And now there daughter was up there, and all they could do was stand helplessly watching. Irina and Jack weren't going to save them this time.

Sydney watched as the General pulled the sheet off of the object on the later. It appeared to be some sort of machine, and upon closer inspection, she recognized the shape, the Rambaldi eye. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes at the outdated obsession of the sect, Sydney glanced at her daughter who was looking at the machine puzzled. In the center of the eye, there was a thick glass vial cinched in the middle, giving the vial an hourglass appearance. The vial was attached to what appeared to be electrodes. Sydney was trying to figure out the complex machine when the General spoke.

"Sixteen years we have waited for the return of the Rambaldi Incarnate, and now we have her. It is her blood that will fill this vial that will provide the Elixir of Eternal Life."

Sydney's jaw dropped opened. No way were they hurting her daughter. She watched horrified, as the General picked up a knife and moved it in front of Erica.

"No!"

The shout escaped form Sydney's lips were amplified as the same shout escaped from Vaughn's and Irina's lips. All three of them began to move the altar, only to be stopped by guards. Struggling against the guards, Sydney let out a string of Japanese to her daughter. She knew Erica understood the language and vainly hoped that none of the people surrounding them understood the language.

Her mother's commands translated easily in Erica's mind. Swiftly she kicked the knife lose from the General's hand and ran towards the edge of the altar. She jumped of the ledge and ran into the crowd. When she felt hands on her, she tried to fight them off, but they proved to strong and numerous for her. She felt herself being dragged back to the altar, and in one last desperate attempt, Erica kicked out, resulting in an answering hit form her victim. As she was placed on top of the altar, still being restrained, the General picked up the knife and screamed for silence. All eyes fell on him as he slashed at Erica's arm and drew her blood into the vial, despite her cry and the screams of her loved ones.

"Don't worry, my dear. We are still going to need you. We won't be killing you."

With that the General pushed Erica off of the altar.

Vaughn watched as his daughter landed in a heap off of the marble. The guards released him and he grabbed Sydney's hand before running to his daughter. Erica flung herself into their waiting arms, crying gently and Sydney was doing the best she could to comfort her. Vaughn ripped off part of his shirt and used it to dress the wound on his daughter's arm.

Sydney was stroking Erica's hair when she felt a rough tug at her arm. The General was standing there leering.

"Give me your ring."

"What?"

"Give me your wedding ring. That's what we need to put around the vial before we run electricity through it. We need the band that binds the bloodlines together."

All of the sudden, Sydney understood Sark's previous demands. A quick glance with Vaughn confirmed that he had this realization too.

"I don't have it. Just leave us alone and let us go."

"GIVE ME THE RING SYDENY VAUGHN."

"What part of I don't have it don't you understand?"

The General pulled her hand up to see her finger.

"Where is it?"

"Looking for this General?" Sark's voice chimed in from the corner of the courtyard.

I promise more as soon as I can.