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

Chapter 24

Sydney's POV

I made my way down a corridor my heels making the only sound. I came to the last door, knocked gently then before waiting for an answer I walked in. Sark looked up at me with his piercing blue eyes and smiled evilly.

"Mrs. Vaughn, how nice of you to join me" he said softly his English accent standing out more than usual.

I opened my mouth to say something but nothing came out. Instead Sark raised a tranq gun and fired it into my chest. I slowly felt my eyes close and I lost all feeling in my body.

I woke slowly to find myself strapped to a chair and Sark holding a scalpel up to the light, "Ah Mrs. Vaughn," he said, "you're awake, good." He turned around, then Michael came through the door and stood next Sark. "Welcome Agent Vaughn, look who just strolled in for visit." Michael turned and looked at me and smirked.

"Michael," I chocked out, "thank God, everyone said you were dead." I started to cry, "but you're not."

"Agent Vaughn," Sark said handing Michael the scalpel "do the honors will you?"

Michael nodded and walked forward as Sark stepped back. "You have something I want Mrs. Vaughn, I have been more than patient with you." Sark said.

Michael used the scalpel and began to cut along my abdomen. I screamed as he put his hand in and pulled out our baby. He handed to Sark and I cried out no over and over again with tears running down my cheeks.

"Mrs. Vaughn, now I have got what I needed, I can now fulfill my promise that I made to you." He said as he removed his gun, put it to my head and pulled the trigger.

Jack's POV

I was awoken by hearing a piercing scream coming from Sydney's bedroom. I jumped out of bed, grabbed my gun that was on the nightstand and ran into her bedroom closely followed by Irina.

I opened her door slowly and had my gun at the ready. I saw no one in there, only Sydney. She had her sheet wrapped around her neck; she was thrashing about and covered in sweat.

Irina went into the bedroom and sat on the edge of her bed. She began to slowly stroke her hair and made soothing mother noises, the way she did when Sydney was child once she had a nightmare.

Sydney woke up suddenly and then went to hit Irina as a reaction. Irina grabbed her hand just before it connected with her head and lowered it. "Sydney, its your mom. You had a nightmare."

It was as if those words had done something to her and collapsed against Irina's chest and sobbed.

I stood there dumbfounded. I had no idea what to do. Then all of a sudden I began to feel bad. I mean it was mostly my fault that she was like this.

Irina stood up and told Sydney that she was going to get her a glass of water. I followed her into the kitchen.

She didn't say anything until she had taken the glass out of the cupboard. "I really hope you are happy with yourself."

"What?" I asked.

She slammed the glass down on the counter and broke it but didn't pay any attention to it. "Don't give me that crap. You know exactly what I am talking about. You have ruined your daughter's life."

"I have done no such thing; I am doing this to protect her."

"You are always just trying to protect her. Well maybe you're not."

"And you Irina have always had Sydney's best interests at heart."

"This is not the issue we are talking about."

"But Irina, I told her you were dead to protect her. I unlike you have always had her best interests at heart."

"And that involves telling her that her husband is dead?"

"If she knew what he was doing she would go after him, and then that would give Sark and the Covernant exactly what they want."

"Ok, and what about the babies?"

I sighed and rubbed my temple feeling a headache coming on. "It's so the Covernant think there is only one."

"If you believe that she would not be able to look after her own children then you don't know your daughter very well. She would, will protect them with her life. At the moment that is the only thing that she has of Vaughn at the moment."

"Why are you so difficult?" I demanded.

"Why are you?"

"Because you bring out the worst in me."

"Well I hate to break it to you, but you also piss me off."

"WOULD YOU TWO JUST STOP ARGUING?"

Irina and I turned and we saw Sydney standing in the doorway with a white dressing gown on and her hair pulled back into a ponytail.

"I'm sorry sweetheart." Irina said, "just go back to bed."

I'm glad Irina was thinking straight, I was more concerned on how much she had heard.

Sydney shook her head slowly, "You need to tell me the truth about everything dad."

I sighed, "Sydney, there is nothing to tell."

"Look Michael told me that the Covernant want my baby, you might as well tell me what the hell is going on"

I sighed, I had given up arguing and lying. "Sydney you are having twins."

I saw her eyes widen and she started to sway. "What?" she asked in barely a whisper.

"I have known for almost four months. We didn't want to tell you because we found out what the Covernant was after."

"So you lied to me and Michael?"

I shook my head, "Vaughn knew."

She started to breath heavily and began to cry. I moved closer to her, as I went to give her a hug she hit me. So I backed off.

"You lied to me." She said, "I can't believe you lied to me."

She turned and left the room. Irina looked me with that I-told-you-so look.

Sydney's POV

I went into my bedroom and for some reason I started to pack a bag. I had so many things running through my mind. Me having twins. I wasn't even sure how I was going to handle one let alone two. I stopped packing and sat on the edge of my bed. I closed my eyes and thought of what Michael would do in this situation, but then all I saw was him with the scalpel. I shuttered at the thought.

I started to cry softly. I can't believe I forgot. Today is his funeral. The last thing I wanted to do was bury the man I loved so much, it would mean that I would have to say goodbye forever. I tried to image how Michael had copped in this situation when I 'died'.

"Michael, I miss you so much. Please come back to me." I said crying softly.

I buried my head in my hands and rubbed my eyes. I looked up when I heard a stick break outside my window. There I saw Michael. I shook my head and rubbed my eyes and looked back at the window, but there was nothing there. I stood up and moved towards the window, I opened it and stuck my head out. I saw nothing. I pulled my head back in and figured that I was seeing things.

I finished packing my bag and then tried to work out why I packed a bag. I walked back out to the kitchen to find that Mom and Dad hadn't moved. "I want you to leave." I said to both of them.

Dad stared at me and Mom moved out of the kitchen and into the bedroom they were staying in.

"Sydney, what if…" he started.

"No Dad." I said shaking my head, "I am going to look after myself now. I have to move on. He's dead."

"But Sydney"

"No Dad, I just need to be alone, please go."

He nodded silently and left the room. I went back to my bedroom and picked up my book. I heard a little tap on my door and Mom walked in. "We are just heading off. We'll see you at the funeral later." She kissed my temple and left my room, "I'll lock the door on the way out."

I felt my eyes slowly shut and I fell into a deep dreamless sleep.

I woke at two o'clock in the afternoon by hearing someone around my bed. I opened my eyes and saw Eric standing there in a black suit with a white shirt. I stretched and yawned as if Eric standing in my bedroom was the most natural thing in the world.

"Hey Syd, I hope you don't mind but I used my key."

I shrugged my shoulders and sat up in bed, with must difficultly mind you. "Nah, well that is why you have one."

"So um Syd are you ready?" he asked awkwardly.

"What for?" I asked.

"Um Mike's funeral, it starts at 2:30"

"Crap." I said. I got out of bed slowly and made my way to the bathroom. I had a quick shower and went back into my bedroom to find that Eric had left thank God. I pulled on some underwear and looked through my clothes. I found a simple black maternity dress that I wore to work. I pulled that on seeing I hadn't had time to go shopping because I landed myself in hospital again.

I brushed my hair and then just let it hang around my face. I applied a small amount of make up and then put on some shoes. I was ready by 2:15 and Eric and I drive out the driveway.

The ride was awkward and neither of us said anything. For me I was burying my husband, he was burying his best friend. We made it to the gravesite because we had opted for a small gathering, instead of the whole church service. We were the last to arrive and when I got there everyone flooded to me with best wishes and their apologizes. I started to cry before the service had even started. I managed to compose myself for the service but I lost it again when the priest did his final 'ashes to ashes, dust to dust'. I was handed a blood red rose to place on his grave and it made me think of our wedding, it was the flowers I had carried.

I slowly made my way up to his coffin and slowly sunk down on the ground. I placed the rose down and fought back tears. "Oh Michael" I muttered to his coffin, "How could you leave me? You promised you never would. I can't do this alone. I can't raise two children alone. Yes two Michael, we are having twins. Can you believe it? Please Michael, I don't think I can do it without you. I love you so much it hurts. The pain hurts." I started to cry again, not caring who saw me. Eric came up and helped me up, and then he placed his rose on the grave.

I was looking around; staring aimlessly then I saw a figure behind a big old oak tree. It was Michael, I swore it was him. I moved away from the group and headed towards the tree. I moved slowly still seeing the figure. I got there and there was no one there. I placed my head against the tree and cried. I felt a hand on my back and I turned to see Eric. I tired to give him my best smile, but it failed horribly.

"I swear I just saw him." I said.

He pulled me into a hug and slowly stroked my hair. "Syd, it's ok we all are going to miss him." I wasn't quite sure what to make of this scenario. It was like Eric was acting like the father figure that I never had. He slowly started to cry as well and it was then I realized that he was just a man who had lost his best friend. "We are going to have to move on, you have your child to think about. Which means that you will always have a special part of Mike forever."

"Eric," I said looking up at him, "its twins."

He looked surprised, "Really?"

I nodded, "I want you to be Godfather to both of them, Michael would have wanted it, but I want it too."

"Sydney I am honored. Now let's go back to Dixon's and get some food."

I smiled my first proper smile since I had found out about Michael. Dixon was holding the after celebration. "Ok." I said.

Eric headed off, I took one last look behind at the tree and followed him. We were almost back to the car when I had a stabbing pain. I stopped and Eric turned around and looked at me.

"Sydney, what's wrong?"

I looked down at me feet and saw a small puddle. "Eric, about that food, I think you may have to wait."

"Why?" he asked.

"My water just broke."

A/N-Okay everybody I hope you like this chapter. I felt a bit emotional writing it. I am planning on putting the next chapter up soon, which will be the last chapter. Thank you all so much for your reviews I love them so much. Please review this chapter, if you do there is only one more that you have to review after this one. Next and final chapter soon.

Shelby