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Brand New Year, Part 5
By Ginger
He walked for hours, focusing on each step as he wound his way through the snowy woods to the lake. Then he walked around the lake, four times, never lifting his eyes from the rocky, icy terrain. For all he knew, he could have been on the moon. The sheer act of walking, taking one step then another then another, was the only thing keeping his mind from reeling. In the space of a few minutes he had become someone else. Only this was no temporary change wrought by a need to be whoever or whatever the situation called for; this was forever. He was the father of a nineteen month old boy, Parker's child, and nothing would ever be the same again. On the eve of a brand new year, it was a brand new life.
* * * *
Parker spoke little all day, but did graciously accept and consume a bowl of broth the Major brought up to her and twice asked Emily to help her to the bathroom. James spent most of the afternoon at her bedside. No one asked what had happened to precipitate Jarod's hasty departure but as the hours wore on, and darkness fell, his absence was clearly on everyone's mind. Emily kept one eye on the the front door, the Major glanced at his watch every few minutes, and James grew restless and fidgety.
He returned about an hour after dark - cold, hungry and emotionally, not to mention physically, exhausted. He quietly slipped into the house and was hanging up his coat when James appeared at the top of the stairs and, looking supremely relieved, announced,
"Jarod's back!"
Emily appeared in the kitchen doorway, the Major behind her. "Can I get you something warm to drink?" she asked.
"Sorry I was gone so long," Jarod offered sheepishly. "Is everything okay?"
"Fine," his sister replied. "Dinner's almost ready."
"How is she?" he inquired, addressing James.
"Fine," the young man answered. "I've offered to carry her downstairs to ring in the New Year with us."
Quirking an eyebrow Jarod asked, "And how did she take to the idea?"
"Not so well," James sighed then grinned and added, "But I'm working on it," before disappearing down the hall.
"And... Michael?" This time the question was directed at Emily.
"Right here," she replied then looked to her left and smiled.
A moment later, the child appeared in front of her carrying a little plastic cup. The sight of him nearly took Jarod's breath away. Looking back on it later, he would recall only one other moment like it in his life, and that had occurred thirty years earlier in a sim lab at the Centre.
"Jarod?"
"Hmm...?" he responded distractedly to his father without taking his eyes off the boy.
"Is everything alright?"
"Uh..." he began but did not complete the thought because Michael lurched forward, holding the cup deliberately in front of him as someone would a fragile, priceless artifact or, perhaps, an explosive device.
"What's that you've got there?" Jarod asked tenderly as he crouched down. Michael held up the cup for inspection.
"Mmm... animal crackers," he observed with a smile.
"You have a kindred spirit," the Major remarked. "You couldn't get enough of them either when you were his age."
"Really?" he inquired, looking up to meet his father's eyes.
"Really," Charles replied with a warm smile.
Jarod's gaze immediately fell back to Michael as he wondered if their shared love of animal crackers could be considered a family trait. Probably not, he concluded. After all, he'd seen lots of other kids devour them. He cataloged every feature - the shiny dark brown hair, flawless china doll skin, adorable button nose, mouth like a perfect little rosy bow - searching for any sign of himself. The hair color was a bit darker than Parker's, more like his, but the child had definitely inherited his mother's complexion. The eyes were brown, although lighter than his own, and with those spectacular flecks of deep green unlike anything he'd seen before. There was no 'may be' about it; Michael was without question the most beautiful child he'd ever set eyes on. My son, he thought, immense joy welling up inside him and bringing tears to his eyes.
Our son.
Michael appeared to be sizing him up too, his face inquisitive as he stared back at him. After a while he tilted his head to one side and, furrowing his brow, asked,
"Da?"
Jarod chuckled gleefully, nodded effusively and replied, "Yes!" then gently pulled him into his arms and held him close.
He closed his eyes, revelling in the sensation of cuddling his child, inhaling his sweet scent, and smiling through tears when he realized that Michael was still clutching the cup of animal crackers. He opened his eyes to meet the stunned expressions of his father and sister.
"I'll explain later," he mouthed then lifted the child into the air and spun him around once.
Michael laughed and then Jarod laughed because the sound of his son's laughter amazed and delighted him.
* * * *
Jarod peered into the room through the partially open door, his eyes widening at the sight of James sitting on the edge of the bed, holding Parker's hand in his. His surprise grew as he watched the young man lift her hand to his lips and press a tender kiss to it. A wave of jealousy hit him as he wondered how his clone, a person who was in many ways a younger version of himself, could get away with it. This was immediately followed by a wave of guilt as he reminded himself she had been the first, faint glimmer of light in his otherwise horrific childhood.
"C'mon, kiddo," he whispered to Michael. "Let's wish Mommy a Happy New Year."
With his free hand he knocked twice and pushed open the door then asked, "Can we come in or is this a private party?"
"Dinner ready yet?" James inquired hopefully then volunteered, "I'm starving."
"Really? I'm shocked," Jarod teased.
"Give him a break," Parker advised. "He's a growing boy."
"Yeah, I'm a growing boy!" he repeated with a cocky grin.
"Okay, growing boy, go downstairs and set the table. It's your turn, remember?"
"Uh, no, but I guess I'll take your word for it," James replied with a shrug then smiled again at Parker before rising from the bed and loping out of the room. On the way out, he stopped to tweak Michael's nose and punch Jarod in the arm.
Shaking his head, Jarod remarked, "Weird kid."
"No," Parker commented wryly. "Relatively typical adolescent, I think. He's into girls, music, computer games, girls. Although I do not believe that most kids design their own games, draw up plans for fuel cell vehicles and write rock operas in their spare time. He hasn't mentioned how he's pursuing his other interest and I'm afraid to ask. Just don't be surprised if you happen upon an extremely lifelike android hidden away somewhere that looks like someone named 'Jessica Simpson.'"
"You got all of that in one afternoon?" he asked, looking incredulous and impressed at the same time as he approached the bed and set Michael down on it. "Days will go by and we'll barely get a word out of him."
"Again, typical," she said, smiling unconsciously as her son crawled toward her. "You're family and I'm an outsider. Besides, I may be ancient but perhaps not so decrepit as to fall outside the 'girl' category. And he was doing most of the talking to keep me company, cheer me up. He's sweet... and somebody's got animal cracker breath," she added playfully, arching an eyebrow.
Michael pointed to the pocket in the bib of his denim overalls. Parker pulled it open with her index finger, looked inside and asked, "Did you put those in there?" He nodded then pointed to her mouth.
"No, thank you," she offered sweetly. "I still have to be careful what I eat because of my boo-boo but maybe Jarod would like one."
Michael turned on his hands and knees to face his father, who was now sitting in a chair next to the bed. He then sat back on his heels and stuffed his chubby little hand into the pocket to fish out a cracker, nearly toppling over more than once in the process but steadied again and again by his mother's hand. Producing a monkey, he sat up and leaned forward on one hand to offer the treat. Jarod leaned forward too, allowing his son to slip the minature primate into his mouth.
"Mmm... Thank you," he said as he chewed. "It's very good. Dad told me that I liked animal crackers when I was his age."
Nodding, Parker responded, "Emily says he's liked everything you've given him so far."
"We're being careful. No nuts of any kind and no peanut butter. And Dr. Donohue gave us an Epipen, just in case."
"He's really taken to your family; he's comfortable here."
"Yes, although he doesn't sleep much and he's quieter than most children his age. He doesn't appear to have any trouble with his hearing so it's probably just a result of social isolation. That will change soon enough because he clearly comprehends a great deal."
"He's... special... isn't he?" she inquired apprehensively.
"I haven't done any cognitive testing." He paused, frowned and added, "Nor do I plan to, but his intelligence is clearly above average. And... well... he may have other gifts as well."
"Other gifts?"
"He knew," he stated, looked knowingly into her eyes and continued, "About me. You didn't tell him, did you?"
She shook her head gravely, sadness creeping into her eyes as she wrapped her arm around Michael and pressed her lips to the top of his head. Jarod knew what she was thinking. This revelation would make her even more determined to leave their son with him and turn herself into Centre bait. He'd have his work cut out for him talking her out of it. But talk her out of it he would because Michael needed her, desperately. And so did he.
# # # #
Brand New Year, Part 5
By Ginger
He walked for hours, focusing on each step as he wound his way through the snowy woods to the lake. Then he walked around the lake, four times, never lifting his eyes from the rocky, icy terrain. For all he knew, he could have been on the moon. The sheer act of walking, taking one step then another then another, was the only thing keeping his mind from reeling. In the space of a few minutes he had become someone else. Only this was no temporary change wrought by a need to be whoever or whatever the situation called for; this was forever. He was the father of a nineteen month old boy, Parker's child, and nothing would ever be the same again. On the eve of a brand new year, it was a brand new life.
* * * *
Parker spoke little all day, but did graciously accept and consume a bowl of broth the Major brought up to her and twice asked Emily to help her to the bathroom. James spent most of the afternoon at her bedside. No one asked what had happened to precipitate Jarod's hasty departure but as the hours wore on, and darkness fell, his absence was clearly on everyone's mind. Emily kept one eye on the the front door, the Major glanced at his watch every few minutes, and James grew restless and fidgety.
He returned about an hour after dark - cold, hungry and emotionally, not to mention physically, exhausted. He quietly slipped into the house and was hanging up his coat when James appeared at the top of the stairs and, looking supremely relieved, announced,
"Jarod's back!"
Emily appeared in the kitchen doorway, the Major behind her. "Can I get you something warm to drink?" she asked.
"Sorry I was gone so long," Jarod offered sheepishly. "Is everything okay?"
"Fine," his sister replied. "Dinner's almost ready."
"How is she?" he inquired, addressing James.
"Fine," the young man answered. "I've offered to carry her downstairs to ring in the New Year with us."
Quirking an eyebrow Jarod asked, "And how did she take to the idea?"
"Not so well," James sighed then grinned and added, "But I'm working on it," before disappearing down the hall.
"And... Michael?" This time the question was directed at Emily.
"Right here," she replied then looked to her left and smiled.
A moment later, the child appeared in front of her carrying a little plastic cup. The sight of him nearly took Jarod's breath away. Looking back on it later, he would recall only one other moment like it in his life, and that had occurred thirty years earlier in a sim lab at the Centre.
"Jarod?"
"Hmm...?" he responded distractedly to his father without taking his eyes off the boy.
"Is everything alright?"
"Uh..." he began but did not complete the thought because Michael lurched forward, holding the cup deliberately in front of him as someone would a fragile, priceless artifact or, perhaps, an explosive device.
"What's that you've got there?" Jarod asked tenderly as he crouched down. Michael held up the cup for inspection.
"Mmm... animal crackers," he observed with a smile.
"You have a kindred spirit," the Major remarked. "You couldn't get enough of them either when you were his age."
"Really?" he inquired, looking up to meet his father's eyes.
"Really," Charles replied with a warm smile.
Jarod's gaze immediately fell back to Michael as he wondered if their shared love of animal crackers could be considered a family trait. Probably not, he concluded. After all, he'd seen lots of other kids devour them. He cataloged every feature - the shiny dark brown hair, flawless china doll skin, adorable button nose, mouth like a perfect little rosy bow - searching for any sign of himself. The hair color was a bit darker than Parker's, more like his, but the child had definitely inherited his mother's complexion. The eyes were brown, although lighter than his own, and with those spectacular flecks of deep green unlike anything he'd seen before. There was no 'may be' about it; Michael was without question the most beautiful child he'd ever set eyes on. My son, he thought, immense joy welling up inside him and bringing tears to his eyes.
Our son.
Michael appeared to be sizing him up too, his face inquisitive as he stared back at him. After a while he tilted his head to one side and, furrowing his brow, asked,
"Da?"
Jarod chuckled gleefully, nodded effusively and replied, "Yes!" then gently pulled him into his arms and held him close.
He closed his eyes, revelling in the sensation of cuddling his child, inhaling his sweet scent, and smiling through tears when he realized that Michael was still clutching the cup of animal crackers. He opened his eyes to meet the stunned expressions of his father and sister.
"I'll explain later," he mouthed then lifted the child into the air and spun him around once.
Michael laughed and then Jarod laughed because the sound of his son's laughter amazed and delighted him.
* * * *
Jarod peered into the room through the partially open door, his eyes widening at the sight of James sitting on the edge of the bed, holding Parker's hand in his. His surprise grew as he watched the young man lift her hand to his lips and press a tender kiss to it. A wave of jealousy hit him as he wondered how his clone, a person who was in many ways a younger version of himself, could get away with it. This was immediately followed by a wave of guilt as he reminded himself she had been the first, faint glimmer of light in his otherwise horrific childhood.
"C'mon, kiddo," he whispered to Michael. "Let's wish Mommy a Happy New Year."
With his free hand he knocked twice and pushed open the door then asked, "Can we come in or is this a private party?"
"Dinner ready yet?" James inquired hopefully then volunteered, "I'm starving."
"Really? I'm shocked," Jarod teased.
"Give him a break," Parker advised. "He's a growing boy."
"Yeah, I'm a growing boy!" he repeated with a cocky grin.
"Okay, growing boy, go downstairs and set the table. It's your turn, remember?"
"Uh, no, but I guess I'll take your word for it," James replied with a shrug then smiled again at Parker before rising from the bed and loping out of the room. On the way out, he stopped to tweak Michael's nose and punch Jarod in the arm.
Shaking his head, Jarod remarked, "Weird kid."
"No," Parker commented wryly. "Relatively typical adolescent, I think. He's into girls, music, computer games, girls. Although I do not believe that most kids design their own games, draw up plans for fuel cell vehicles and write rock operas in their spare time. He hasn't mentioned how he's pursuing his other interest and I'm afraid to ask. Just don't be surprised if you happen upon an extremely lifelike android hidden away somewhere that looks like someone named 'Jessica Simpson.'"
"You got all of that in one afternoon?" he asked, looking incredulous and impressed at the same time as he approached the bed and set Michael down on it. "Days will go by and we'll barely get a word out of him."
"Again, typical," she said, smiling unconsciously as her son crawled toward her. "You're family and I'm an outsider. Besides, I may be ancient but perhaps not so decrepit as to fall outside the 'girl' category. And he was doing most of the talking to keep me company, cheer me up. He's sweet... and somebody's got animal cracker breath," she added playfully, arching an eyebrow.
Michael pointed to the pocket in the bib of his denim overalls. Parker pulled it open with her index finger, looked inside and asked, "Did you put those in there?" He nodded then pointed to her mouth.
"No, thank you," she offered sweetly. "I still have to be careful what I eat because of my boo-boo but maybe Jarod would like one."
Michael turned on his hands and knees to face his father, who was now sitting in a chair next to the bed. He then sat back on his heels and stuffed his chubby little hand into the pocket to fish out a cracker, nearly toppling over more than once in the process but steadied again and again by his mother's hand. Producing a monkey, he sat up and leaned forward on one hand to offer the treat. Jarod leaned forward too, allowing his son to slip the minature primate into his mouth.
"Mmm... Thank you," he said as he chewed. "It's very good. Dad told me that I liked animal crackers when I was his age."
Nodding, Parker responded, "Emily says he's liked everything you've given him so far."
"We're being careful. No nuts of any kind and no peanut butter. And Dr. Donohue gave us an Epipen, just in case."
"He's really taken to your family; he's comfortable here."
"Yes, although he doesn't sleep much and he's quieter than most children his age. He doesn't appear to have any trouble with his hearing so it's probably just a result of social isolation. That will change soon enough because he clearly comprehends a great deal."
"He's... special... isn't he?" she inquired apprehensively.
"I haven't done any cognitive testing." He paused, frowned and added, "Nor do I plan to, but his intelligence is clearly above average. And... well... he may have other gifts as well."
"Other gifts?"
"He knew," he stated, looked knowingly into her eyes and continued, "About me. You didn't tell him, did you?"
She shook her head gravely, sadness creeping into her eyes as she wrapped her arm around Michael and pressed her lips to the top of his head. Jarod knew what she was thinking. This revelation would make her even more determined to leave their son with him and turn herself into Centre bait. He'd have his work cut out for him talking her out of it. But talk her out of it he would because Michael needed her, desperately. And so did he.
# # # #
