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Chapter Eight:
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"Here." Kendall handed them a sheet of paper each. "Read that."

Sydney and Vaughn met each other's eyes, almost as if they'd never be able to look at each other the same way again, and then directed their eyes to the paper before them.

He, my blood tie, the one with the emerald eyes, will be the person to complete the Chosen One. And she, the one with unseen marks, is the only one able to fulfil the Descendant.
Neither will be able to function as a whole without the other. The Chosen One and the Descendant exist for each other and each other only.

As Sydney read she could feel the room getting smaller and the air getting thicker. They exist for each other and each other only? Her stomach churned threateningly.

"Rambaldi prophesised a relationship between the Chosen One and the Descendant over five hundred years ago. And now…" Kendall trailed off, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

"Um," Sydney spoke up, trying to keep her voice steady. "Is that everything? I think I need to get some air."

"There is something else."

"What now?" Vaughn asked, stunned. How could there possibly be more?

"Rambaldi wrote that the Chosen One and the Descendant, the two of you, are the designated protectors of the Second Coming. Not only are you two supposed to be together, you are the ones needed to raise Ana."

"Bit late for that now, hey?" Sydney snapped, standing up. "She's already six years old."

"That doesn't matter. She needs you." Kendall replied. "And you need her. If that were not the case we would not be having this conversation."

"And how do you know that?" Sydney was getting more and more anxious as her stomach continued churning.

"Because Ana came to you, didn't she? You found each other. Rambaldi said that the Chosen One would reunite with her child when the time was right. When they would be willing to accept each other into their lives. That is why we couldn't tell you about her existence. We couldn't interfere on this one." Kendall explained. "It was all up to you and Ana."

Sydney paused, her mind racing.

"You mother asked me not to…"

"This is ridiculous," Sydney muttered. "If you think that I am going to stand here and listen to my life get mapped out by some crackpot from the 1400's then you have another thing coming. Excuse me."

Vaughn watched her walk out, but made no attempt to follow. He guessed that Sydney was feeling pretty much the same as him, and if that were so, then she would want to be alone. Because he certainly did.

Dinner at Weiss's that night was sombre affair. Sydney and Vaughn had barely spoken to each other since the meeting with Kendall, and it didn't take Weiss long to pick up that something wasn't quite right.

"Oh, come on guys. I know Eric's Casserole Surprise isn't a delicacy, but surely it doesn't deserve a reaction like this," he said jovially, in an attempt to lighten the mood. "Maybe if you smiled at it, it would taste better."

"I'm sorry, Weiss." Sydney replied, her voice listless. "I'm just really tired. I think I might just go to bed."

"Is she ok?" Weiss asked Vaughn when Sydney was gone. Vaughn shook his head. "What happened to you two today? This morning you were fine, but now…"

Vaughn placed his fork down and briefly went over what he and Sydney had discovered that day. Weiss's face grew more and more dumbfounded as Vaughn went on. It was unsurprising. The story didn't sound any less insane the second time around.

"That is…that is…" Weiss trailed off, searching for the right words. They didn't come. "I don't know what that is."

"It's bloody nuts, that's what it is." Vaughn rubbed his eyes. "And it's causing me to question…to think, wonder…about me and Syd."

"What?" Weiss exploded incredulously. "Vaughn, what the hell are you talking about?"

"The fact that it is almost as if our lives had already been decided for us. You are supposed to be with a person because you want to, not because you have to."

"Ok, now you are sounding like the one who is nuts." Weiss said bluntly. "What makes you think that you and Syd don't really want to be together?"

"I do want to be with her, but—"

"No buts, Vaughn. Just stop this now. If you are going to let this ruin what you and Syd have, then you don't deserve her."

Vaughn couldn't meet Weiss's eyes. He knew that what his friend was saying was true, but for some reason he just couldn't ignore the niggly little voice in the back of his head telling him that things between him and Sydney would never be the same again.

In the guest bedroom, Sydney was thinking along the same lines. It infuriated her, what they had been told today. That something, somebody, so precious and important to her had been…well, tainted by Milo Rambaldi.

Shifting restlessly, she struggled to get comfortable. A Rambaldi free life. How many times had she wished for that? For years, she had lived with a desperate want to have absolutely nothing to do with that man.

What worried her now was, that after today, did that mean that she wanted nothing to do with Vaughn?

Vaughn got up early the next morning to go for a run. When he'd finally got to bed the night before, Sydney had been fast asleep, or at least pretending to be, curled up on her side of the bed. When he woke, he saw that her position had not changed.

He had hoped that the run and the fresh air would help him gain a better sense of clarity. That he would leave and miraculously return half an hour later knowing exactly what he felt and exactly what to do.

But, if anything, by the time he got back to Weiss's, he was even more confused.

Weiss was sitting up at the kitchen bench with the newspaper when Vaughn walked in.

"Morning," he said, walking to the sink to get a glass of water. "Is Syd up yet?"

Weiss shook his head. "I don't think so. She hasn't come out yet."

"Ok." Vaughn placed his glass down and headed towards the guest bedroom. It was empty. He turned to the bathroom door opposite and knocked softly. "Syd, are you in there?"

The only reply he got was the sound of retching coming from the other side of the door. Concerned, he opened it slightly, and upon seeing Sydney hunched over the toilet, Vaughn rushed to her side.

"Syd." He rubbed a hand up and down her back. "You ok?"

"No. I feel terrible."

"Weiss's Casserole Surprise," Vaughn said with a dry smile. "It will do it to you every time."

Despite everything, Sydney let out a short laugh. "You seem fine."

"Yeah, but I've known him a lot longer than you. It takes a while to build up an immunity."

Silence descended between them then. The kind of awkward silence that belonged to a first date, which was not going exactly to plan. Neither of them knew what to say to each other. There just didn't seem to be a way to rectify the situation that they were in.

At one point Sydney looked up at Vaughn, her face pale and eyes tired. "I just don't know what to think anymore," she whispered.

"I know." Vaughn run a hand over her hair. "We've got some stuff to figure out, don't we?"

Sydney could only nod.

Jack sat down before answering his ringing phone. "Jack Bristow."

"It's Kendall."

"Yes."

"I just wanted to let you know that I've told Sydney and Vaughn about the missing Rambaldi pages."

"When?"

"Yesterday?"

"And did you tell them everything?" Jack asked.

"No. I told them about the existence of the Descendant and his connection the Chosen One."

"Are you going to give them the rest of the information?" Jack demanded. "They do have a right to know."

"Yes, I am aware of that Jack." Kendall replied. "But given their reaction to what I just told them and the magnitude of what is to come, I thought I would give them some time to adjust."

"But they will be informed?"

"Yes, they will."