Disclaimer: I do not own Alias or any of its characters.

Chapter 23

Sydney's POV

Dead, the words rang in my head. Dead, dead, dead. I don't know why but I just started to laugh.

"Good one Eric." I said laughing. I looked over his shoulder to see if Michael was hiding behind him, "Ok Michael the joke's over now you can come out." I waited for what felt like an eternity, I waited and waited. I slowly looked at Eric who had found deep interest in his shoes. "He's dead?" I whispered.

He slowly nodded not looking up. I felt my legs buckle underneath me and I collapsed to the floor sobbing. Eric must have then realized that I shouldn't have done that and he rushed to my side.

"He can't be dead." I sobbed, "he just can't."

"Syd, I'm so sorry." He said chocking back tears also.

"How?" I asked almost not knowing whose voice I was using because it sounded nothing like mine.

"Gun fir between him and Covernant operatives, they got him in the chest."

"Why wasn't he wearing a vest?" I screamed.

"We don't know."

I buried my head in Eric's shirt and lost it. The front door opened but I paid no attention to it. Mom and Dad walked into the kitchen saw me and rushed over.

"Sydney, sweetheart." Mom said moving me from Eric's chest onto her own, "we just heard, we rushed home, we are so sorry."

"STOP SAYING THAT YOU ARE SORRY! I HATE IT! IF YOU WERE SORRY YOU WOULDN'T HAVE MADE HIM GO. NOW HE'S JUST DEAD, DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU." I screamed at her.

I started to punch her with all the strength I had remaining, Dad had to pull me off her after I drew blood to her cheek. I sobbed into his shoulder and he picked me up gently and carried me into my bedroom. He placed me on the bed and tucked me under the sheets. I rolled over and inhaled the sent of Michael from his pillow, I cried into his pillow, rolling over when I realized that I could loss his sent.

I ended up crying myself to sleep.

Jack's POV

"This is not fair on her." I said to Irina after they had heard Sydney's breathing settle down.

"I know" Irina said, "it kills me, we all know how much they love each other. Consider how Vaughn is feeling, Dixon telling him that he is dead to Sydney and that he will be dead to his child as well. I never wanted this to happen to Sydney, it's me all over again."

I nodded silently, she was right this was exactly what I felt like when she had done the 'dying' act on me, although I wasn't pregnant and incredibly hormonal.

"We need to do something" Irina said in desperation.

"Yes but what?" I asked moving over to the coffee machine. It was going to be a long night and I would need the caffeine. "How about I sit with her for two hours so you can get some rest and then we can change."

Irina nodded and headed towards the bedroom that we were using at this point in time. I finished making my coffee and then went into Sydney's bedroom and sat on the chair opposite her bed.

Sydney's POV

I woke up the next morning disorientated and dizzy. I got up out of bed and felt my legs buckle underneath me, I collapsed to the floor and passed out.

Irina's POV

I had dozed off into a light sleep. Jack and I had been taking turns at sitting up with Sydney. During the night she had thrashed around and woken up in a cold sweat on at least four occasions.

I was awoken when I heard a thud on the floor. I opened my eyes and jumped out the chair. I, to my surprise saw Sydney lying on the floor unconscious. Well this was unexpected I thought to myself and then I released that Sydney was on the floor unconscious. Shit, I fell asleep, Jack would kill me.

I rushed over to her and felt for a pulse, it was there was faint. "JACK!" I screamed, "Its Sydney, call the hospital."

Sydney's POV

I slowly opened my eyes and once again felt disorientated and dizzy. Slowly the room began to come into focus and I did not know where I was. I rubbed my head and it really hurt. I groaned slightly and then felt something cold on me abdomen. I slowly sat up and began to make out a figure of a person.

"Ah, Mrs. Vaughn." It was a lady, "it's good to see you coming around, you gave us quite a fright."

"We?" I asked.

"Yes, your parents and…" she trailed off.

"Where am I?" I asked having more like a million questions rushing through my head instead of just one.

"At a CIA hospital. You and your babies are going to be just fine now," she paused, "as long as you don't go falling over again."

I blinked a few times, did she just say babies? "Um, I think you may have the wrong person." I said.

"Ah no." she looked at the chart that was on the end on my bed, "you are Sydney Anne Vaughn, aren't you."

"Yes, but I'm only having one baby."

"Ah, no. You're having twins."

I blinked again, and again and again. She looked at me, "you didn't know?"

I shook my head. "Right, well, um, yes, well I'll be going now" and then she left the room.

I figured that she was put up to it by someone and put my hand on my belly. "there's only one of you in there isn't there?" I said to it softly.

I got a kick in response, "just what I thought."

Jack's POV

I was sitting outside Sydney's hospital room with Irina when the nurse that was in Sydney's room came out.

"Agent Bristow, I'm so sorry." She said as soon as I stood up.

"What happened?" I asked dreading the worst. A thousand things were rushing around my head, has she died? Had she lost the baby?

"I let slip about the twins." She said.

I sighed heavily. As soon as I found out that Sydney was pregnant I went straight to her doctor and found out that it was twins. As the light of the events with the Covernant came into light I took it upon myself to protect Sydney from the truth. If the Covernant thought there was only one baby she would still have one.

"What did she say?" I asked.

"She didn't believe me, I honestly thought she would throw something at me." She paused, "Mr. Bristow I am so sorry, please forgive me, please don't tell the Director, I really like my job."

I shook my head, "don't worry, its between you and me."

She nodded and then walked off. Irina who was pretending that she was highly engrossed in her magazine looked up at me, "You realize you are ruining her life." She said.

I sighed, "I know, but its for her protection."

I opened the door to Sydney's room and walked in. She was sitting up with big white pillow fluffed behind her. She smiled weakly at me when she saw me. I sat down next to her and took hold of her hand.

"You'll never guess what Dad." She said.

I sighed here it comes, I thought to myself. "What?" I said.

"The nurse just said that I was having twins." She laughed at the idea.

She looked at my blank face and then smile properly, "You put her up to it?"

"Yeah" I said softly, "you caught me out."

Author's Note: Thank you to all the people who have been reviewing. I am opening up the plot line for the squeal. Next chapter soon. Keep reviewing.

Shelby