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Chapter Sixteen:
Love, Fury, Frustration and Joy

Ana nodded and then pulled Sydney towards her so she could whisper. "And I know a special secret."

"What?" Sydney whispered back.

"I know that I am going to have a baby brother."

Before Sydney could respond Ana wrapped her tiny arms around her neck in a tight hug.

xxxxx

When Sydney finally left Ana and entered the adjacent room, Kendall swooped upon her so fast that she barely had time to blink.

"What did she whisper to you?" he demanded. "It was inaudible to us."

"She asked for another colouring book." Sydney replied without missing a beat. "She didn't want to hurt your feeling by saying that she didn't like the one she has now."

"Oh." Kendall couldn't keep the disappointment off his face.

"Um, do you think Vaughn and I could have a moment alone?" Sydney asked.

Kendall hesitated and then nodded shortly. After he had closed the door behind him, Vaughn turned to Sydney. "What is it now?"

"We need to talk."

"Ana said what?" Vaughn exclaimed.

"That she knows that she is getting a baby brother." Sydney repeated.

Vaughn's eyes fell on Sydney's stomach and then returned to her face. "Well, is…how…is…"

Sydney shrugged. "How should I know?" She started to pace. "But you heard all that other stuff she was saying, didn't you?"

Vaughn nodded. "You should have seen Kendall salivating on it."

Sydney looked over at him. "Did he happen to mention what they have planned for her?"

"Syd, come on. This is Kendall we are talking about."

Sydney slumped down into a chair, running a hand through her hair. "There is no way I am going to sit back and watch that little girl get exploited for the DSR's secret agenda." She sat up straight. "I want to look after Ana, make sure that she is ok."

Vaughn sat down beside her. "I know that, Syd and we'll do everything we can to keep Ana safe."

Sydney shifted in her seat. "It's more than that. I realize that this is something that we need to discuss, but I want us to look after her, Vaughn. I want to take Ana home with us."

"Are you sure about this, Syd?"

She nodded vehemently. "It's hard to explain, but when I walked into that room before I fell completely in love with that little girl. There was this overwhelming urge that I had to protect her." She sighed wistfully. "That's my little girl, Vaughn. My own daughter and I've already missed so much. I have to be there for the rest of it…" Sydney trailed off and Vaughn silently reached for her hand, giving her the time she needed to continue. "But then I think about what we've been told…."

"Syd, if you think like that you are going to drive yourself crazy," Vaughn said. "Never have you let Rambaldi rule your life the way others have." He tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. "And now that I am involved in this…whatever you want to call it, there is no way that I will let it control me. Ana needs you as much as you need her. It's as simple as that."

Sydney's expression suddenly grew hopeful. "You agree with me on this? You would be willing for us to take Ana home?"

"Of course. You are Ana's mother." He paused. "But it's more than that. What Ana needs more than anything is a family. Now, I don't know about you, but I think we could give her a pretty good one."

A grin broke out on Sydney's face as she threw her arms around Vaughn. "I knew there was a reason I married you." She tilted her head back slightly so that she could look directly into Vaughn's eyes. "And don't even think about mentioning some crack pot writings from the 1400's."

Vaughn's eyes were twinkling. "Would never dream of it," he murmured.

"I understand what you are saying," Kendall said to Sydney and Vaughn, "but I am afraid that Project Black Hole cannot allow it to happen just yet."

"Excuse me?" Sydney asked incredulously.

"Project Black Hole cannot allow Ana to be released into your custody as this point in time."

"Release Ana into our custody?" Sydney repeated, feeling a fury build up inside of her. "I am her mother!"

Kendall nodded. "I realize that, but unfortunately for you there is no birth certificate stating that."

"You cannot be serious." Sydney's tone was growing louder. Instinctively Vaughn placed his hand on her thigh and this touch sated her for a second.

"We know there is no documentation on Sydney being Ana's mother," Vaughn said. "But what about the DNA test?"

Kendall shrugged. "DNA test or not, Ana officially has no parents, and is currently under the guardianship of the DSR. And things will stay this way until we are satisfied that we have got everything we need from her."

That was it. Sydney snapped. "If you do anything to hurt her," she burst out, standing up abruptly. "I swear that I will take you apart with my bare hands."

"Sydney," Kendall started. "If you could just listen—"

"No, you listen to me! Ana is a child. An innocent girl and if you think that you can keep her locked up here like some science experiment then you have got another thing coming."

"Ok," Kendall stood up as well. "I think that this is enough for today. I'll have somebody escort you back to the chopper shortly."

The fury inside Sydney had not ebbed by the time they got back to Weiss's apartment. In a vain attempt to think about something else, she headed straight to the kitchen.

When Weiss got home not long after, his eyes fell on Sydney and the carrot she was chopping…or perhaps hacking, or attacking were the more appropriate terms.

"Hey Syd. Whatcha doing?" he asked carefully.

"Making dinner."

"Oh good…cos I thought that you were trying to murder that poor vegetable." Weiss waited, but when he got no reply he headed over to Vaughn, who was sitting on the couch. "What did you do?"

"I did nothing," Vaughn replied. "It was all Kendall."

"Oh right. Project Black Hole. What happened?"

"Let's just say that the affinity Kendall built up with Syd over the time she was missing has been more or less destroyed." Vaughn said, quietly.

"He's just as bad the rest of those Rambaldi freaks." Sydney called out, heatedly. She had just started on a potato. "The new Arvin Sloane," she spat out, "willing to go to any lengths to get to know Rambaldi- including abusing a child."

"Syd," Vaughn rose from the couch and walked towards her. "Why don't you let me take care of dinner?"

"Vaughn, I am perfectly capable of making a meal."

"I never said you weren't," Vaughn replied, calmly. "I just don't want to see you getting so worked up."

"Bit late for late for that." Sydney slammed the knife down, slicing a potato in half. Weiss found himself wincing on the couch.

"Don't you think you should try and calm down a bit," Vaughn suggested cautiously. "It's not healthy for you to be stressing so much."

"Vaughn, I am fine."

"Come on. Why don't you just sit down and I'll make you a cup of tea."

"Vaughn!" Sydney let out a frustrated sigh.

"I just think you should be taking things more easily."

"Vaughn," Sydney's tone was exasperated. "I love that you care, really, I do. But this is a little over the top. I'm pregnant, not completely helpless!"

As soon as she realized what she had said, Sydney dropped the knife and looked at Vaughn through wide eyes.

"Excuse me?" Weiss jumped up off the couch. "What was that?"

Sydney was still staring at Vaughn and she raised her eyebrows slightly. He just shrugged, trying to hold back a smile. Talk about spilling the beans.

"Guys," Weiss walked up to them. "Syd, are you really…"

Sydney conceded. There was no point in trying to keep the news hidden now. With a smile she simply nodded.

Weiss' face broke into a joyous grin as he wrapped Sydney in one of his famous bear hugs. "You're serious?" he asked, stepping back. "You two are having a baby? I'm going to be Uncle Eric?"

Vaughn laughed. "Yes, it's really happening, Uncle Eric."

"How long have you known?" Weiss demanded. "How far along are you?"

"We've only known for a short while." Sydney replied. "And I'm about two months."

"This is fantastic," Weiss chortled and then suddenly drew in a deep breath as he turned to Vaughn. "Does Jack know that you…"

"That I what?" Vaughn asked.

"That you got his daughter, you know…up the duff," he whispered conspiratorially.

"Now there's a charming way of putting it," Sydney drawled. "And, yes, dad does know."

"And he didn't kill you?" Weiss sounded flabbergasted.

Vaughn rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "I guess he kinda figured it would happen sooner or later. You know, given the fact that we've been married about five years."

"Married or not, Jack Bristow is still Jack Bristow," Weiss said. "And if it's a boy…"

Sydney and Vaughn glanced at each other for a loaded second, which luckily went unnoticed by Weiss who just continued with his spiel.

"…he's going to be really mad when you name it Eric and not Jack."

Sydney looked at Vaughn, as she picked up the knife again. "Do you want to knock him out of his dream world, or shall I?"

Vaughn grinned. "I'll let you do it."

"Sir!" A breathless agent appeared at Kendall's door. "We've got a problem."

"What kind of problem?"

"The child. She is gone."

"What?" Kendall exploded.

"She's gone."

"How can a child just disappear from a secure facility?"

"I don't know sir," the agent stammered. "She was there ten minutes ago…and now she is not. And there is no sign of unauthorized access."

"I want everybody searching the facility now. Go!" Kendall demanded as he picked up the phone. "This is Kendall. I need a chopper in L.A. immediately. "I want Sydney and Michael Vaughn in the air and on their way here in no longer than thirty minutes."

A/N: One chap to go...