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Five Stories Fallen: Yeah, Ana's behaviour is a result of brainwashing. It was mentioned in an earlier chapter that that was what Elena was doing (Freya and Misha had an argument about it).

Chapter Sixteen:
Prophesised and Realised

Billy's eyes narrowed. "When did you get so selfish?"

"Excuse me?"

"Mum and dad have been going out of their minds with worry these past days, because of you. All they want is for you to come home safe and you are standing here spouting about your own selfish needs."

Ana shook her head, raking her hands through her hair. She was so confused. She didn't know what to think.

"Stop thinking about yourself. You've convinced yourself that we are all against you when it is the furthest from the truth—"

"Don't," she whispered.

"Tell me Ana, Why are—"

"Shut up!" she yelled. "Just shut up. I can't take it anymore."

Billy felt a surge of anger at his sister's antics. "What if I don't, Ana? What are you going to do?" he taunted.

Ana drew in a shaky breath, her mind filled with contradicting thoughts.

"Huh Ana? What are you going to do?"

Ana looked at him directly, her heart beating fast. It was him. He was the problem. The thought was running like a continuous loop in her mind. "You know exactly what I'll do," she whispered and Billy clamped his mouth shut. "I'll kill you."

Billy took a step back. Something about Ana's eyes had changed- just like in his dreams.

"Ana, what—"

"It's the only way," Ana cut him off. "I am not one of the family. The only way that can happen is if I get rid of you. Then I will be the special child. I will be loved."

"Ana, what are you talking about?" Billy asked, desperately. "You are loved."

"Stop talking to him, Ana."

Billy's stomach churned when he heard the voice break into the conversation. The same haunting voice…

"Stop talking and take some action, Ana."

Billy strained to look beyond Ana, but he could not distinguish who was speaking.

"Ana, please—"

"Shut up!" she screamed.

"I don't want—"

He cut off abruptly as Ana lunged at him, her hands clawing at his throat.

Sydney and Vaughn pulled up outside the warehouse at the same time as another car. A second later, Jack jumped out, surprising both of them.

"Irina called me as well," he explained after seeing their questioning looks. "She figured that you would run off here without any back up. You should have let me or the CIA know."

"There wasn't time," Sydney replied brusquely. "Come on."

"Wait," Jack stopped her. "Are you armed?"

Vaughn nodded. They had made a quick detour by their safe before leaving the house. Seeing that Jack was satisfied, Sydney headed towards the warehouse, leading the way. However, before she got to the entrance, something made her halt her steps.

"Syd…" Vaughn started, but closed his mouth when she held up her hand. A moment passed, before she heard the faint noise towards her left again. It wasn't a natural sound. Sydney looked at Vaughn and Jack and they both nodded. They had heard it too.

"Behind the shipping container," Jack whispered. Sydney nodded, and motioned for him to move forward. He did so, with her and Vaughn following a few steps behind.

Raising his gun, Jack glanced behind the container. Suddenly, he stiffened, holstered his gun and crouched down.

"It's Irina," he called out softly.

Sydney came up behind, her shadow falling upon Irina, who was lying on the ground bound and gagged. As Jack ripped the gag from her mouth, she drew in a deep breath, before gasping out one word.

"Elena."

Sydney's heart skipped a beat. "Elena did this?" she asked as Jack went about freeing Irina from the rest of her restraints.

She nodded. "She's here. Inside, with Ana…and Billy."

"Oh god," Sydney grabbed on to Vaughn to steady herself. "How long ago?"

"About twenty minutes," Irina replied, pulling herself to her feet. "Enough conversation. We need to get in there."

Elena stood in the shadows, admiring the scene before her. It was beautiful. Their techniques on Ana had paid off. She had been a little fearful that the process had been ceased too early, but obviously not.

She was so strong. The Second Coming, Elena observed. She watched Billy struggle. Sure, he was putting up a fight. But it was one of self-defense. He did not stand a chance against somebody who was desperate to have blood on their hands.

It wouldn't be long now. Fate was about to be realised. Soon it would…

Elena froze when she saw the four of them burst in. How dare they…she should have killed her sister when she had the chance.

Reaching around behind her, Elena pulled out her gun. She wasn't about to let them stop fate from occurring.

"Ana, no!" Sydney yelled as her eyes fell upon her children. It was like nothing she had ever witnessed before. Vicious and animal-like, it looked as if they…well, Ana was out to kill.

In a split second, Vaughn and Jack had run over and wrenched Ana off of Billy, leaving him lying in the ground, breathing heavily and appearing exhausted.

"Billy," Sydney crouched beside him, running a hand over his head. "Are you ok?"

He mustered a nod, his eyes closed.

"Let go of me!" Ana struggled against Vaughn and Jack. "Let go! This has to be done."

"No, it doesn't," Sydney spoke up gently. "Ana, I know that this isn't you talking, but I know that you are in there somewhere. It's mum, sweetie and I love you and I am telling you that you do not have to do this."

Ana frowned as if Sydney's words were having an effect on her. She faltered in her struggles for a second, giving Vaughn the chance to wrap her tightly in his arms. "She's right," he murmured into her ear. "It's ok, it's going to be ok."

"Let her go."

Sydney stood as a woman stepped out of the shadows. She carried herself with the same poise as Irina, but with eyes that were as cold as ice.

"Sydney," Irina spoke up wryly. "Meet your Aunt Elena."

Elena cocked her gun, aiming it at Vaughn. "Let the Second Coming go or I put a bullet in your brain."

Vaughn stopped his gentle murmurs in Ana's ears and looked at Elena directly. "No," he said firmly.

"Do it. Don't think for a second that I won't fire this gun."

"Leave them alone, Elena," Jack said as he reached for his own gun.

"I am giving you one last chance," Elena said. "Let her go, or I shoot."

"You shoot and you risk killing Ana," Jack said.

"Fine," Elena shrugged. Without hesitation, she turned and aimed her gun at Sydney and fired. As if in slow motion, Sydney could only watch as Irina, obviously anticipating this move, threw herself in front of Sydney, the bullet piercing her in the chest.

Before Elena had the chance to shoot again, Jack fired his own gun once, twice, both shots hitting her in the heart.

For a few seconds everybody stood, stunned at what had just transpired. Her eyes falling upon Elena, Sydney knew that she was dead, her cold eyes staring blankly ahead. She saw Jack take a step forward.

"Irina?"

Sydney looked down, crouching beside her mother. A pool of blood on the ground was expanding fast, and her shirt was stained red.

"Mum?" Sydney placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her gently. There was no response. Swallowing hard, Sydney pressed her fingers against Irina's throat. No pulse. Silently, she rana hand over her mother's eyes, the eyes that reminded her so much of her own and closed them for one last time.

She sensed someone coming up behind her, and she looked up into her father's eyes. Standing, she wrapped him in a tight embrace. Even given their complicated history, she knew how much he still cared for Irina.

"Mum?"

Sydney stepped back when she heard Ana's quiet voice. Leaving Jack she rushed over, pulling Ana into a hug.

"I am so sorry," Ana sobbed. "I don't know…I kept think that I had to do this…"

"This is not your fault," Sydney said firmly.

"But how can you ever forgive me—"

"Easy," Billy's voice broke into the conversation. "We forgive you."

Ana pulled away from Sydney's arms. "You shouldn't…I still, there is still a part of me that feels…that feels I should…"

"Ana, that is not you," Vaughn said. "That is because of whatever Elena did to you. And we can get that reversed."

Ana paused, her gaze falling upon Jack and Irina. "Who is she?"

"Your grandmother," Sydney replied quietly. "She was your grandmother."

After a quick phone call it wasn't long before the CIA had arrived. Ana and Billy had been taken to a medic, to be checked out. Vaughn had accompanied them, yet Sydney had stayed with Jack, knowing that he should not be alone.

As Irina was wheeled out on a gurney, in a black body bag, Sydney could feel her throat constrict. Her mother had truly been on their side this time. Her final sacrifice had been proof of that.

It was as if a dark cloud had descended upon them. Ana and Billy had been spared this time. But what about all the times that were surely going to follow?

"This is never going to stop," she muttered.

Jack looked at her. "What?"

"Ana and Billy. They are alive and Elena may be dead, but what about when the next Rambaldi freak comes along and wants to see one of them kill the other? We are going to be fighting this battle for the rest of our lives, as will Ana and Billy."

"No, you won't," Jack replied. "Rambaldi's prophecy was realised tonight."

"How?"

"Elena, and others had obviously interpreted it too literally. If we read it at it's simplest form all it says is that when the Second Coming and her brother do battle, one will die at the hand of their sibling. It doesn't specify who…and one did die at the hand of her sibling tonight."

Sydney's eyes widened slightly, the image of Elena pumping a bullet into Irina's chest playing through her mind. "Mum," she breathed. What Jack was saying was true. For Rambaldi believers what had transpired that night would be enough to satisfy their fascination.

"It's over, Sydney," Jack said. "Irina saved your life as well as your children's. They're safe."

It was a strange feeling that washed over Sydney at that moment. Her life, for so long, had been filled with so much worry and concern for her children. Worried that they would be robbed of their lives prematurely. To hear those words, to hear somebody tell her it was over, and to be able to believe it…it was like relief, freedom and elation all wrapped into one.

And for once, she was not going to be robbed of it.

A/N: Only one more chapter to go...