A/N: This is the warm fuzzy happy romantic chapter where everything seems to be working out for Mirage and Syndrome. Enjoy the cute fluffiness!

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Mirage opens her eyes slowly, hardly daring to breathe. Merely inhaling is painful to her. She feels as though she has swallowed several oranges whole and her throat has swollen to the size of a watermelon. She blinks slowly, fearfully. The light around her is impossibly bright. Is she dead? Had Mr. Incredible killed her? "Syn…" she groans. Her throat aches. What happened to Syndrome? Did he come back? Or will she never know?

"You awake, baby?"

Mirages' eyes flutter open again. She squints against the harsh light, but she tries desperately to see - who is speaking? "Am I dead?" she croaks. It's a stupid question, she knows; but she has to ask.

Her eyes begin to adjust to the light, and she realizes that Syndrome is sitting on the edge of her bed. He smiles gently at her. "No," he tells her softly. "No, sweetheart, you're not dead. I got back just in time to save you."

Mirage props herself up. Syndrome immediately leaps to his feet and adjusts the pillows so that she can lie against them. She needs the support. "What happened?" she asks.

He sits back down before speaking. "I came back," he says slowly. "Jason told me the Incredibles had escaped. We were running around looking for you and then we heard Mr. Incredible shouting. We got to the landing bay and he was just standing there strangling - " Syndrome stops, unable to finish. Mirage can see the pain of the memory flash across his face. "I shot at him," he continues shakily. "Missed, but it worked. He let you go. You just sort of collapsed to the floor." He stares at her earnestly. "I thought you were dead," he whispers.

Mirage forces a painful smile. "I'm all right," she says hoarsely. After a moment, she says, "You came back."

He grins triumphantly despite himself. "I did it," he smirks. "I remembered what you told me, and I beat it. You had nothing to worry about."

A shadow passes over Mirage's face. Oh, she had something to worry about; but he need never know that now. "The Incredibles…?" she asks.

"Getting their memories wiped. They'll never know any of this happened."

Mirage raises an eyebrow. "Going soft on me, are you?" she questions jokingly.

Syn makes a face, an adorable, boyish little face that makes Mirage want to cuddle him. "You started it," he says. He grows serious. "You really made me think, you know. What you said. 'Valuing life is not weakness, and disregarding it is not strength.' You're right. I thought… maybe it was time to set revenge aside, you know?" He looks deeply remorseful. "I've been so involved in this scheme of mine that I've neglected you. I never meant for that to happen."

Mirage smiles. "I forgive you," she promises.

He looks relieved. "Thank you," he says.

She tilts her head slightly to the side and massages her bruised throat unhappily. "What will you do now?" she asks him.

"I dunno," he says with a shrug. "Just live life normally. I'm rich enough to survive on my own. I can do some superhero work here and there, and then just… disappear."

Mirage grimaces in pain as her fingers rub a tender spot on her neck. Syndrome's hand flies out and covers hers, their fingers entwining. He pulls her hand away from her neck and holds it tightly, as though afraid to let go. She smiles softly at him and asks, "And what will the great Syndrome do when he disappears?"

He looks thoughtful. "The usual," he says ponderously. "Settle down, have a family. Isn't that what normal people do?"

"I would hardly classify you as 'normal,'" Mirage tells him dryly. She hesitates, and then asks, almost shyly, "And who, exactly, were you thinking of 'settling down' with?"

Syn smirks. "Well, there's this girl…" he starts.

"Sounds good so far."

"She's a blonde. Nice. Bright green eyes. Super model type, only smarter. Über-sexy and very intelligent."

"And does this exquisite angel have a name?" Mirage asks with a giggle.

"I like to call her Mirage," Syndrome says with a brilliant grin. "Maybe you know her?"

Mirage pretends to think. "The name rings a bell…"

Syndrome shakes his head, still smiling. But then he grows somber once again. "I'm serious, you know," he says. "When I got back and Jason came running out… he was screaming his head off about how the Incredibles had escaped and he thought Mr. Incredible had you and you were going to die… I just panicked. I cannot imagine living my life without you. It just wouldn't be worth it." He seems to choke for an instant, and his eyes turn plaintively to hers. "I love you," he whispers. "I love you so much." He reaches over to the table beside her bed and lifts a small velvet box from it. He holds it out to her, and she takes it, trying her best to swallow the lump that has formed in her throat.

When she opens it, she is startled by a bright flash of light. But then the light fades, and a small rainbow arc appears above a sparkling diamond ring. It flashes four words in brilliant colors: Will you marry me?

Mirage smiles and lifts the ring from the box. It's a dazzling diamond set in silver and looped with a delicate leaf design. She slips it on her finger and says, "Only you could create such a flashy proposal."

"I worked hard on that!" Syndrome says, mock-offended. "You have no idea how hard it was to wire that thing. And don't even get me started on that ring. Who would've thought jewelry was so hard to make?"

Mirage looks up at him, stunned. "You made this?" she gasps, motioning to the ring now on her finger.

Syndrome beams, proud of the work he's done. "Had to," he tells her, "Because I couldn't get you an ordinary ring. Too cliché. So I made you one that you can use to call me - all you do is press the diamond and it will connect with this!" He holds up his hand, displaying a silver band that he is now wearing above his white gauntlet. "Sow we can talk to each other wherever we are," he finishes with a slight dramatic flourish.

Mirage smiles, shaking her head in amazement. "The things you come up with," she says.

Syndrome looks a little worried. "You like, don't you?" he asks fearfully.

Mirage nearly bursts with all the joy she feels. She throws her arms around his neck and kisses him, and then lays her head on his shoulder. "It's perfect," she tells him happily. "Everything's perfect…"