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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Disclaimer: The characters of the Pretender don't belong to me. No infringement is intended & I'm not making any money from this.
A/N: Thanks again to Rose for the legal stuff & to Nancy for betaing.
The Baby Series
Dirty Laundry
Melanie-Anne
Day 1
It would have been too much to hope that the trial would get off to a smooth start. No sooner had the prosecution presented its opening argument, did the excitement begin. Someone called in a bomb threat and as the courtroom had to be evacuated, Judge Klavan, a graying old man known for his fairness, declared a recess until after lunch. Miranda was convinced that this was a bad sign and her mood went from bad to worse.
When everyone returned later that day, there was an air of anticipation in the room. Countless months of undercover work and investigations were finally coming to fruition.
JJ and Debbie were bored by the end of the first hour. When they were sure that nobody was looking, they snuck out and went in search of something more entertaining.
By the end of the second hour Tommy had also had enough. Margaret took him outside, knowing Miranda wanted to stay.
When Judge Klavan finally called it a day, everyone was relieved. The poor jury members looked like they couldn't believe what they'd gotten themselves into. That night, after a lengthy discussion over pizza in Jarod and Miranda's room, it was decided that anyone who didn't wish to be at the trial wouldn't have to attend unless, of course, they were testifying.
Day 4
"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"
"I do," James said, then removed his hand from the Bible and sat down.
Ella stood and approached the stand. "In the interest of keeping things less confusing, would it be alright if I called you Mr. Lyle in here, seeing as how that was how you were known at the Centre?"
James nodded. "That's fine."
"Good. For the record, please tell the court exactly what it was that you did at the Centre."
"Well, the Centre's main concern seemed to be to get Jarod back. I always thought that was odd because he wasn't the only person to have escaped, but anyway…" He shrugged. "I was unofficially assigned to keep an eye on my sister and make sure she was doing her job properly. For a while I was acting chairman but I was also given odd jobs every now and then."
"Was it one of these 'odd jobs' that cost you your thumb?"
James nodded. "A deal with the Japanese Yakuza went wrong. They felt betrayed and, unfortunately, I was the one punished."
"Yet you remained loyal?"
"People don't leave the Centre unless it's in a body bag."
Ella nodded. She genuinely liked James and didn't want to be too hard on him, but murder was murder. "Who gave you your orders?"
"They came from the Tower. From the Triumvirate."
"And why did you stop following orders?"
"The boy I believed to be my brother disappeared. When I discussed it with my sister, I realized that he had the chance to live a life free from the Centre. That was the first time I felt any sense of family responsibility. I suspected that she had something to do with his disappearance but she disappeared before I could be sure. Later, my father came to me and asked me to take care of a certain project while he was out of the country. That project was Miranda. I had to help her escape."
"But you stayed."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I thought it would help if she and Jarod had somebody on the inside. I owed them that much, at least. But then Raines overheard a phone call and threatened to take the news of my involvement to the Triumvirate."
Ella paused. This was the part she hadn't been looking forward to. "We have a security tape showing you shoot Raines."
James dropped his head, nodding slowly. "I intended to wound him, not kill him. I needed time to escape. If I had stayed, I would have been killed."
Ella nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Lyle. No further questions."
Now it was Henderson's turn. He knew that James was the only person he was defending who had a chance of beating his charges. "You mentioned earlier, Mr. Lyle, that people don't leave the Centre unless they're in body bags."
"Yes."
"How certain are you that you would have been killed if you had stayed?"
"Very certain. They're ruthless. I can't even think how many people have died because they've gotten in the way." He paused to look at Miranda. "My mother was killed for getting in the way of Centre plans."
"Were you afraid of Mr. Raines?"
"I was afraid that the news he had would get me killed."
"You knew him before you worked at the Centre, is that correct?"
"Yes. He had arranged for my adoption by the Bowmans. Occasionally he would visit to see how I was."
"Were you afraid of him then?"
James took a deep breath. He hadn't wanted his abuse as a child to come to light. "After his visits, Mr. Bowman would… uh, he'd beat me. So yeah, I guess."
"And these beatings, after Raines' visits, they were worse than usual, right?"
James nodded. "Yes."
"So then it's only natural you would fear for your safety around him, even more so at the Centre. Thank you, Mr. Lyle, no more questions."
Henderson returned to his seat and James finally allowed himself to relax. The hard part was over for him, now it was just another waiting game.
Day 7
Broots was glad he didn't have to testify. The files he had helped recover from the mainframe had been his contribution to the trial. Still, after everything that had happened he felt he needed to be in the courtroom. And he was curious too. This was his chance to hear all the Centre's dirty secrets.
Debbie and JJ said they'd attend to support whoever was testifying, but they didn't want to be there for "the boring stuff," in Debbie's words. An FBI agent offered to look out for them during the day. He thought going to the park to 'supervise' would be far more interesting than sitting in a courtroom. Tommy spent some mornings in court with his parents and spent the rest of the time with either Margaret or Emily.
Day 8
"Miss Parker, you were a child when your mother died, is that correct?" Lynn asked.
"I was a child when I was told she'd committed suicide in an elevator. Last year I found out that was a lie. She had escaped to have a baby and was then killed by Raines."
Jarod listened to Miranda, proud that she was able to relate the facts so calmly, especially because she had been so moody lately. Her fluctuating hormones resulted in a crying spell at least once a day and he had been worried that the questioning would be too much for her.
"What was your job at the Centre?"
"I worked in Corporate for a while, courting clients – the legal clients – and financiers. When Jarod escaped I was assigned to catch him. The Triumvirate was banking on our childhood friendship to keep him linked to the Centre. Unfortunately for them, they thought the attachment was one-sided." Miranda smiled at her husband, an exchange that did not go unnoticed by the jurors.
"Tell me about your children," Lynn prompted.
"Well, Tommy is mine and Jarod's son. Neither of us knew until about eight months ago. I actually delivered him, thinking he was my brother."
"So he was created without your knowledge?"
"Yes. There's – this sounds disgusting – there's a bodily fluids storage room on one of the sublevels. They have samples of just about everything from whomever they consider important. I just never realized they had my ova as well."
"What happened when you discovered the truth?"
"I gave Tommy to Jarod and told him to disappear. I didn't want Tommy to grow up as a… as a lab rat." She looked at Jarod apologetically. He smiled; the term had long since lost its power to hurt him.
"What happened then? Miss Parker?"
"Hmm? Sorry." Miranda took a sip of water; the courtroom heat was getting to her. "My father had an embryo implanted in my uterus to replace the missing child."
Lynn looked at Miranda carefully and saw that she'd had enough. "That's all for now, Your Honor."
The defense had no questions for her. She was the prosecution's witness and Henderson knew he was fighting a lost battle. Nothing he could say would save the Triumvirate and the more he heard, the less he wanted to fight.
Day 10
The morning that he had been due to appear in court for questioning, Senator David Abbott was found in his study by his wife. He had woken up and dressed as if nothing was wrong. Then, instead of going to the dining room for breakfast, he went into his study and sat behind the desk. He put the barrel of a gun in his mouth and calmly pulled the trigger.
Even in death, he had failed to protect his family's name from scandal. Newspaper articles listed the charges he was facing and implied that his suicide was an admission of guilt.
His wife took their two children out of school and retreated to the family's holiday home on Martha's Vineyard.
Day 14
Angelo kept to himself most of the time. Every so often the tension in the courtroom would be too much for him – as an empath he felt the emotions of everyone who took the stand. Twice, after much urging from both Debbie and JJ, he had accompanied them to the park. On the second occasion Debbie convinced him to take part in a baseball game. He didn't hit the ball very far but everybody cheered. Even the agent guarding them cracked a smile.
Ella and Lynn approached Sydney, asking if Angelo would be willing to testify. They thought his testimony would be far more powerful than a second-hand account but Sydney explained that it would be impossible for Angelo to testify due to his empathic abilities. That, combined with the fact that he didn't have full knowledge of what had been done to him, would make him an unreliable witness. The lawyers reluctantly agreed, and then mentioned the possibility of JJ testifying. JJ refused point blank; he did not want to be made a spectacle of.
Day 16
Margaret took the stand, telling the court how her son had been stolen from her in the middle of the night. In her heart she begged Kyle's forgiveness for keeping quiet about him and prayed that he would understand. She spoke of her family's desperate search for the truth, and then of their life on the run as they tried to keep their precious daughter out of the Centre's reach. She spoke of Catherine Parker, whose quest to save the children had ended in her death.
Charles testified next. He relived his joy in being reunited with Jarod after so many years and his horror that day at the airstrip when Jarod had given up his freedom to stay with Miranda. Then he told the court about JJ, expressing his initial disbelief that Jarod had a clone. He told them about Ethan, how he had been brainwashed by Raines and how Miranda, Jarod and Ethan had almost lost their lives in a bomb blast.
There wasn't a dry eye in the room as he told of his emotional reunion with Margaret. Jarod had left Ethan with him after the explosion. When he had recovered, his Inner Sense led him, JJ, Charles and Emily to where Margaret had been hiding. A few days later Emily had gone off to look for Jarod. Shortly after that, the entire family had been reunited.
Day 21
Tommy was in the middle of a temper tantrum. He'd hardly seen his parents in the time they'd been in New York and he missed them. He didn't want them to go to court today. Miranda, feeling guilty, agreed to take him to the park. Jarod wanted to join them but Eddie Ballinger was due to testify. Eddie was another Pretender who had escaped with Jarod. They had separated and lost contact with each other. Miranda knew Jarod was torn and told him to go to court. She said she had JJ and Debbie to keep her and Tommy company.
Once Tommy realized that he had gotten his way and that he would get to spend the whole day with his mother, he stopped crying and reverted to his usual sweet self.
It was a beautiful day and Miranda was glad that she'd chosen to spend it with her son. JJ and Debbie joined a group of kids they'd befriended in their daily game of baseball. Miranda and Tommy watched for a while, cheering when JJ hit a home run. All of a sudden Miranda's Inner Sense kicked in and she heard her mother warning her. Looking around, she saw nothing out of the ordinary. But the voices were insistent so she called for Debbie and JJ, then picked up Tommy and made her way to the car.
The agent supposed to be their guard for the day lay dead on the ground next to the car.
JJ saw him before Debbie could and yanked her around to the other side of the car. Miranda passed Tommy to him. Then, her Centre training kicking in, she knelt beside the body and looked for the agent's gun.
A bullet whizzed past her head, lodging in the car door. Debbie screamed. Tommy started crying. JJ kept a cool head and got them all down on the ground.
The gun strangely familiar in her hand, Miranda stood, her eyes scanning the area where the shot had come from.
The assassin fired another shot, missing again. Miranda returned the shot immediately. Her aim was true and she heard a rustle of leaves as the body fell.
When Burke arrived ten minutes later, he found her sitting in the passenger seat, tears pouring down her cheeks. JJ sat next to the dead agent, his knees drawn up against his chest. Tommy was cradled in Miranda's arms, whimpering now, and Debbie was throwing up in the restroom.
The assassin was dead, but there would be no more days in the park until the trial was over.
Day 25
Miranda insisted she was fine, that the events in the park hadn't affected her but Jarod could see she was lying. She couldn't sleep at all and as a result, neither could he. Eventually, the combination of stress and insomnia got to her.
Jarod found her crying in the bathroom. She refused to talk about it so all he could do was hold her. Both of them took a day off court. Tommy was thrilled to have his parents with him; he didn't understand what had happened.
Burke came to their room later. He had traced the assassin back to the Triumvirate – even in prison, they still wielded power. The assassin had been sent after Miranda as a punishment for her betrayal of the Centre. When Burke left, Miranda finally told Jarod of the guilt she felt and remarked on the irony that only once she'd left the Centre, had she actually killed someone. Jarod was just glad that she hadn't been killed; he couldn't picture his life without her in it.
Day 32
Sydney volunteered to baby-sit when everyone decided to go out for dinner to get their minds off the case. Not completely comfortable in public spaces, Angelo opted to stay behind as well. Tommy was perfectly happy to be left with "Gwampa" and his Uncle Angelo. He and Angelo watched TV while Sydney organized dinner.
Later, when everyone returned they found Angelo still sprawled in front of the TV set. Sydney sat on the couch with Tommy in his lap, both fast asleep. Angelo looked up at Jarod and put his finger to his lips, telling them to be quiet so that they wouldn't wake Sydney or Tommy.
Day 38
Weekends usually dragged, but as the trial was starting to take its toll on everyone, Margaret decided that everyone needed a break. For the first time since they had arrived in New York, they finally went sightseeing. The agents following them around were happy that their jobs were less boring than usual but at the same time they had to work harder to keep an eye on everyone.
On Sunday evening everyone was too tired to do anything except gather in the hotel's common room. JJ and Debbie fought for control over which channel to watch and eventually agreed on MTV. One by one, everyone made their way to bed until it was just Charles and Sydney left. It occurred to Sydney that this was the first time they had been alone together. He glanced at Charles, surprised to see the other man studying him. Sydney raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"I've tried to hate you," Charles said at length. "For keeping my son from me all these years. Only it was them, not you. I see how you are with Jarod and how much he cares for you."
Sydney could see how hard it was for Charles to admit that. "He's still your son."
"When I think of what could have happened to him… what he could have become… Thank you for caring for him." Charles stood and went up to his room, leaving Sydney to reflect on his words.
Sydney was surprised. The last thing he'd expected from Charles was gratitude. He smiled; it was a relief to know Jarod's parents didn't hate him.
Day 45
Jarod's testimony was one of the most powerful of the entire trial. It took him an entire day to get through his story. When he recounted some of his first-time experiences - ice cream, PEZ – Henderson sank in his seat. In his eyes, he thought they could just as well end the trial now. It was only going to get worse.
"What exactly is a simulation?" Ella asked.
What is a Pretender?
Why did you escape?
What did you do once you'd escaped?
What is your relationship to Miss Parker?
What is Gemini?
What is Mirage?
All the secrets came tumbling out. Every now and then Jarod would throw in a piece of information new to everyone. Miranda was rooted to her seat in shock. With all the information Jarod had, she was surprised that he hadn't taken down the Centre years ago. Then she put her hand on her belly, feeling Sara's kick, and was glad that he'd held back.
Day 46
Ethan had been worried that the news of his involvement in the subway bombing would lead to a charge laid against him, but Jarod had explained the situation in such a way that it was very clear he had been used and that now that he knew exactly what his Inner Sense was, he was not a danger to anyone. The time spent with Charles and Margaret had helped him greatly.
Only Miranda knew that he had asked Sydney to help him with his Inner Sense, and this was only because she had asked Sydney to help her too.
Ethan's testimony was yet another nail in the lid of the Triumvirate's coffin. When he spoke of the mother he had never known and the death of his adoptive parents, Ella wiped away her tears. She was glad that Lynn was the one doing the questioning. When the afternoon session was recessed, she caught up with Ethan before he left and invited him out for coffee.
Day 53
Sydney's testimony was very brief. He spoke about Jacob and the car accident. He expressed his remorse at his involvement in the Pretender project. It was his explanation of how Timmy had become Angelo that was the most powerful part of the day. He told everyone that Jarod, Miranda and Timmy had all been friends when they were children and how Raines' experiment to turn Timmy into a Pretender had failed so horribly. When he told the court how Angelo had given up his one chance to be normal in order to save another child, Henderson dropped his head down on the table. He was starting to get depressed.
Day 57
"How did you meet Thomas Gates?"
Miranda took a deep breath before answering. She had known this particular subject was going to be difficult.
"I met him at a time in my life where I desperately needed to be loved. I didn't know it then, but Jarod had sent him to me. We were going to move to Oregon but…." She looked at Jarod for support and he gave a tiny nod. "I woke up one morning and found him dead on my porch. Later I found out that Brigitte, my stepmother had killed him under orders from the Triumvirate. I was so angry… I wanted to kill her… but when I went to do it she was in labor. I delivered Tommy and promised her I'd look after him."
"Did you kill her?"
Miranda shook her head. "No. As I got out the house with Tommy, it exploded. She… she was still inside."
"Do you still hate her?" Lynn asked gently.
"No. They used her and then discarded her, in much the same way as they used me."
Day 60
Ella was tired of the trial. It was physically and emotionally exhausting. The testimonies she'd heard so far read like a science fiction novel. She had to keep reminding herself that this was fact, that people had actually had these experiences and that a handful of them had survived. They possessed a strength she had never seen before. She wondered if she could have coped living a life on the run, knowing your children were in constant danger, not knowing whom to trust. She wasn't surprised that Jarod and Miranda had just wanted to disappear and get on with their lives.
Looking up from her cappuccino, she saw Emily at the counter and waved. This was her favorite coffee shop; out of the way and quiet, it provided a welcome break from the reporters who had become the bane of her life. Emily joined her and they avoided any mention of the trial. When Ella mentioned James, Emily smiled and related the story of how Jarod had found out about them. Then Emily steered the topic of conversation towards Ethan, curious to see what Ella would say. Ella ducked her head and took a sip of her drink. Emily laughed; it was nice to have a break from real life for a while.
Day 66
"Mrs. Patrick, when was the last time you saw your daughter?" Ella asked, hating that she was about to make this woman relive some very painful memories.
"Uh, August, 1972."
"How old was she at the time?"
"Five. She was five."
"Do you know what happened to your daughter?"
Caroline Patrick nodded slowly. "We searched for years. We did everything we could. We went to psychics and paid thousands of dollars ransom to a man who claimed he'd kidnapped her. We never gave up hope, though. Then we heard about this case and the place called the Centre. We contacted your law firm and when you went through the files you… you found out she'd died after an experiment."
"Thank you, Mrs. Patrick," Ella said gently. "I have no further questions."
Day 70
The third time they saw each other outside of the courtroom, Ethan took Ella ice-skating. He'd asked both his sisters for suggestions on what to do. When Emily mentioned the indoor skating rink, he admitted that he'd never ice-skated before and Debbie joined the conversation and volunteered to teach him. Since she and JJ were no longer allowed to go to the park, they'd had to stay at the hotel or go to court. Neither option pleased them so they jumped at the chance to go out.
JJ and Ethan both caught on very quickly and Ethan was confident that he wouldn't make a fool of himself in front of Ella.
At the end of the evening they made plans to see each other again the following weekend.
Day 73
The attempt on Miranda's life had affected JJ more than he let on. It was this that ultimately made him change his mind about testifying. The thought that nobody would really be safe until after the trial had made him want to have a hand in it.
He bravely took the stand, answering all the questions thrown at him. The reporters covering the trial couldn't get enough of him. Judge Klavan had to order them to leave the room unless they refrained from taking pictures.
Day 80
Listening to yet another witness give his testimony, Miranda was struck by a sharp pain in her stomach. She grabbed Jarod's hand and looked at him, her eyes wide. He frowned.
The contraction came again and she squeezed his hand hard.
"It's too early," he mouthed.
"Clearly not!" she hissed.
Jarod helped her up and out of the room, smiling apologetically at the judge for the disruption.
A/N: Thanks again to Rose for the legal stuff & to Nancy for betaing.
The Baby Series
Dirty Laundry
Melanie-Anne
Day 1
It would have been too much to hope that the trial would get off to a smooth start. No sooner had the prosecution presented its opening argument, did the excitement begin. Someone called in a bomb threat and as the courtroom had to be evacuated, Judge Klavan, a graying old man known for his fairness, declared a recess until after lunch. Miranda was convinced that this was a bad sign and her mood went from bad to worse.
When everyone returned later that day, there was an air of anticipation in the room. Countless months of undercover work and investigations were finally coming to fruition.
JJ and Debbie were bored by the end of the first hour. When they were sure that nobody was looking, they snuck out and went in search of something more entertaining.
By the end of the second hour Tommy had also had enough. Margaret took him outside, knowing Miranda wanted to stay.
When Judge Klavan finally called it a day, everyone was relieved. The poor jury members looked like they couldn't believe what they'd gotten themselves into. That night, after a lengthy discussion over pizza in Jarod and Miranda's room, it was decided that anyone who didn't wish to be at the trial wouldn't have to attend unless, of course, they were testifying.
Day 4
"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"
"I do," James said, then removed his hand from the Bible and sat down.
Ella stood and approached the stand. "In the interest of keeping things less confusing, would it be alright if I called you Mr. Lyle in here, seeing as how that was how you were known at the Centre?"
James nodded. "That's fine."
"Good. For the record, please tell the court exactly what it was that you did at the Centre."
"Well, the Centre's main concern seemed to be to get Jarod back. I always thought that was odd because he wasn't the only person to have escaped, but anyway…" He shrugged. "I was unofficially assigned to keep an eye on my sister and make sure she was doing her job properly. For a while I was acting chairman but I was also given odd jobs every now and then."
"Was it one of these 'odd jobs' that cost you your thumb?"
James nodded. "A deal with the Japanese Yakuza went wrong. They felt betrayed and, unfortunately, I was the one punished."
"Yet you remained loyal?"
"People don't leave the Centre unless it's in a body bag."
Ella nodded. She genuinely liked James and didn't want to be too hard on him, but murder was murder. "Who gave you your orders?"
"They came from the Tower. From the Triumvirate."
"And why did you stop following orders?"
"The boy I believed to be my brother disappeared. When I discussed it with my sister, I realized that he had the chance to live a life free from the Centre. That was the first time I felt any sense of family responsibility. I suspected that she had something to do with his disappearance but she disappeared before I could be sure. Later, my father came to me and asked me to take care of a certain project while he was out of the country. That project was Miranda. I had to help her escape."
"But you stayed."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I thought it would help if she and Jarod had somebody on the inside. I owed them that much, at least. But then Raines overheard a phone call and threatened to take the news of my involvement to the Triumvirate."
Ella paused. This was the part she hadn't been looking forward to. "We have a security tape showing you shoot Raines."
James dropped his head, nodding slowly. "I intended to wound him, not kill him. I needed time to escape. If I had stayed, I would have been killed."
Ella nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Lyle. No further questions."
Now it was Henderson's turn. He knew that James was the only person he was defending who had a chance of beating his charges. "You mentioned earlier, Mr. Lyle, that people don't leave the Centre unless they're in body bags."
"Yes."
"How certain are you that you would have been killed if you had stayed?"
"Very certain. They're ruthless. I can't even think how many people have died because they've gotten in the way." He paused to look at Miranda. "My mother was killed for getting in the way of Centre plans."
"Were you afraid of Mr. Raines?"
"I was afraid that the news he had would get me killed."
"You knew him before you worked at the Centre, is that correct?"
"Yes. He had arranged for my adoption by the Bowmans. Occasionally he would visit to see how I was."
"Were you afraid of him then?"
James took a deep breath. He hadn't wanted his abuse as a child to come to light. "After his visits, Mr. Bowman would… uh, he'd beat me. So yeah, I guess."
"And these beatings, after Raines' visits, they were worse than usual, right?"
James nodded. "Yes."
"So then it's only natural you would fear for your safety around him, even more so at the Centre. Thank you, Mr. Lyle, no more questions."
Henderson returned to his seat and James finally allowed himself to relax. The hard part was over for him, now it was just another waiting game.
Day 7
Broots was glad he didn't have to testify. The files he had helped recover from the mainframe had been his contribution to the trial. Still, after everything that had happened he felt he needed to be in the courtroom. And he was curious too. This was his chance to hear all the Centre's dirty secrets.
Debbie and JJ said they'd attend to support whoever was testifying, but they didn't want to be there for "the boring stuff," in Debbie's words. An FBI agent offered to look out for them during the day. He thought going to the park to 'supervise' would be far more interesting than sitting in a courtroom. Tommy spent some mornings in court with his parents and spent the rest of the time with either Margaret or Emily.
Day 8
"Miss Parker, you were a child when your mother died, is that correct?" Lynn asked.
"I was a child when I was told she'd committed suicide in an elevator. Last year I found out that was a lie. She had escaped to have a baby and was then killed by Raines."
Jarod listened to Miranda, proud that she was able to relate the facts so calmly, especially because she had been so moody lately. Her fluctuating hormones resulted in a crying spell at least once a day and he had been worried that the questioning would be too much for her.
"What was your job at the Centre?"
"I worked in Corporate for a while, courting clients – the legal clients – and financiers. When Jarod escaped I was assigned to catch him. The Triumvirate was banking on our childhood friendship to keep him linked to the Centre. Unfortunately for them, they thought the attachment was one-sided." Miranda smiled at her husband, an exchange that did not go unnoticed by the jurors.
"Tell me about your children," Lynn prompted.
"Well, Tommy is mine and Jarod's son. Neither of us knew until about eight months ago. I actually delivered him, thinking he was my brother."
"So he was created without your knowledge?"
"Yes. There's – this sounds disgusting – there's a bodily fluids storage room on one of the sublevels. They have samples of just about everything from whomever they consider important. I just never realized they had my ova as well."
"What happened when you discovered the truth?"
"I gave Tommy to Jarod and told him to disappear. I didn't want Tommy to grow up as a… as a lab rat." She looked at Jarod apologetically. He smiled; the term had long since lost its power to hurt him.
"What happened then? Miss Parker?"
"Hmm? Sorry." Miranda took a sip of water; the courtroom heat was getting to her. "My father had an embryo implanted in my uterus to replace the missing child."
Lynn looked at Miranda carefully and saw that she'd had enough. "That's all for now, Your Honor."
The defense had no questions for her. She was the prosecution's witness and Henderson knew he was fighting a lost battle. Nothing he could say would save the Triumvirate and the more he heard, the less he wanted to fight.
Day 10
The morning that he had been due to appear in court for questioning, Senator David Abbott was found in his study by his wife. He had woken up and dressed as if nothing was wrong. Then, instead of going to the dining room for breakfast, he went into his study and sat behind the desk. He put the barrel of a gun in his mouth and calmly pulled the trigger.
Even in death, he had failed to protect his family's name from scandal. Newspaper articles listed the charges he was facing and implied that his suicide was an admission of guilt.
His wife took their two children out of school and retreated to the family's holiday home on Martha's Vineyard.
Day 14
Angelo kept to himself most of the time. Every so often the tension in the courtroom would be too much for him – as an empath he felt the emotions of everyone who took the stand. Twice, after much urging from both Debbie and JJ, he had accompanied them to the park. On the second occasion Debbie convinced him to take part in a baseball game. He didn't hit the ball very far but everybody cheered. Even the agent guarding them cracked a smile.
Ella and Lynn approached Sydney, asking if Angelo would be willing to testify. They thought his testimony would be far more powerful than a second-hand account but Sydney explained that it would be impossible for Angelo to testify due to his empathic abilities. That, combined with the fact that he didn't have full knowledge of what had been done to him, would make him an unreliable witness. The lawyers reluctantly agreed, and then mentioned the possibility of JJ testifying. JJ refused point blank; he did not want to be made a spectacle of.
Day 16
Margaret took the stand, telling the court how her son had been stolen from her in the middle of the night. In her heart she begged Kyle's forgiveness for keeping quiet about him and prayed that he would understand. She spoke of her family's desperate search for the truth, and then of their life on the run as they tried to keep their precious daughter out of the Centre's reach. She spoke of Catherine Parker, whose quest to save the children had ended in her death.
Charles testified next. He relived his joy in being reunited with Jarod after so many years and his horror that day at the airstrip when Jarod had given up his freedom to stay with Miranda. Then he told the court about JJ, expressing his initial disbelief that Jarod had a clone. He told them about Ethan, how he had been brainwashed by Raines and how Miranda, Jarod and Ethan had almost lost their lives in a bomb blast.
There wasn't a dry eye in the room as he told of his emotional reunion with Margaret. Jarod had left Ethan with him after the explosion. When he had recovered, his Inner Sense led him, JJ, Charles and Emily to where Margaret had been hiding. A few days later Emily had gone off to look for Jarod. Shortly after that, the entire family had been reunited.
Day 21
Tommy was in the middle of a temper tantrum. He'd hardly seen his parents in the time they'd been in New York and he missed them. He didn't want them to go to court today. Miranda, feeling guilty, agreed to take him to the park. Jarod wanted to join them but Eddie Ballinger was due to testify. Eddie was another Pretender who had escaped with Jarod. They had separated and lost contact with each other. Miranda knew Jarod was torn and told him to go to court. She said she had JJ and Debbie to keep her and Tommy company.
Once Tommy realized that he had gotten his way and that he would get to spend the whole day with his mother, he stopped crying and reverted to his usual sweet self.
It was a beautiful day and Miranda was glad that she'd chosen to spend it with her son. JJ and Debbie joined a group of kids they'd befriended in their daily game of baseball. Miranda and Tommy watched for a while, cheering when JJ hit a home run. All of a sudden Miranda's Inner Sense kicked in and she heard her mother warning her. Looking around, she saw nothing out of the ordinary. But the voices were insistent so she called for Debbie and JJ, then picked up Tommy and made her way to the car.
The agent supposed to be their guard for the day lay dead on the ground next to the car.
JJ saw him before Debbie could and yanked her around to the other side of the car. Miranda passed Tommy to him. Then, her Centre training kicking in, she knelt beside the body and looked for the agent's gun.
A bullet whizzed past her head, lodging in the car door. Debbie screamed. Tommy started crying. JJ kept a cool head and got them all down on the ground.
The gun strangely familiar in her hand, Miranda stood, her eyes scanning the area where the shot had come from.
The assassin fired another shot, missing again. Miranda returned the shot immediately. Her aim was true and she heard a rustle of leaves as the body fell.
When Burke arrived ten minutes later, he found her sitting in the passenger seat, tears pouring down her cheeks. JJ sat next to the dead agent, his knees drawn up against his chest. Tommy was cradled in Miranda's arms, whimpering now, and Debbie was throwing up in the restroom.
The assassin was dead, but there would be no more days in the park until the trial was over.
Day 25
Miranda insisted she was fine, that the events in the park hadn't affected her but Jarod could see she was lying. She couldn't sleep at all and as a result, neither could he. Eventually, the combination of stress and insomnia got to her.
Jarod found her crying in the bathroom. She refused to talk about it so all he could do was hold her. Both of them took a day off court. Tommy was thrilled to have his parents with him; he didn't understand what had happened.
Burke came to their room later. He had traced the assassin back to the Triumvirate – even in prison, they still wielded power. The assassin had been sent after Miranda as a punishment for her betrayal of the Centre. When Burke left, Miranda finally told Jarod of the guilt she felt and remarked on the irony that only once she'd left the Centre, had she actually killed someone. Jarod was just glad that she hadn't been killed; he couldn't picture his life without her in it.
Day 32
Sydney volunteered to baby-sit when everyone decided to go out for dinner to get their minds off the case. Not completely comfortable in public spaces, Angelo opted to stay behind as well. Tommy was perfectly happy to be left with "Gwampa" and his Uncle Angelo. He and Angelo watched TV while Sydney organized dinner.
Later, when everyone returned they found Angelo still sprawled in front of the TV set. Sydney sat on the couch with Tommy in his lap, both fast asleep. Angelo looked up at Jarod and put his finger to his lips, telling them to be quiet so that they wouldn't wake Sydney or Tommy.
Day 38
Weekends usually dragged, but as the trial was starting to take its toll on everyone, Margaret decided that everyone needed a break. For the first time since they had arrived in New York, they finally went sightseeing. The agents following them around were happy that their jobs were less boring than usual but at the same time they had to work harder to keep an eye on everyone.
On Sunday evening everyone was too tired to do anything except gather in the hotel's common room. JJ and Debbie fought for control over which channel to watch and eventually agreed on MTV. One by one, everyone made their way to bed until it was just Charles and Sydney left. It occurred to Sydney that this was the first time they had been alone together. He glanced at Charles, surprised to see the other man studying him. Sydney raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"I've tried to hate you," Charles said at length. "For keeping my son from me all these years. Only it was them, not you. I see how you are with Jarod and how much he cares for you."
Sydney could see how hard it was for Charles to admit that. "He's still your son."
"When I think of what could have happened to him… what he could have become… Thank you for caring for him." Charles stood and went up to his room, leaving Sydney to reflect on his words.
Sydney was surprised. The last thing he'd expected from Charles was gratitude. He smiled; it was a relief to know Jarod's parents didn't hate him.
Day 45
Jarod's testimony was one of the most powerful of the entire trial. It took him an entire day to get through his story. When he recounted some of his first-time experiences - ice cream, PEZ – Henderson sank in his seat. In his eyes, he thought they could just as well end the trial now. It was only going to get worse.
"What exactly is a simulation?" Ella asked.
What is a Pretender?
Why did you escape?
What did you do once you'd escaped?
What is your relationship to Miss Parker?
What is Gemini?
What is Mirage?
All the secrets came tumbling out. Every now and then Jarod would throw in a piece of information new to everyone. Miranda was rooted to her seat in shock. With all the information Jarod had, she was surprised that he hadn't taken down the Centre years ago. Then she put her hand on her belly, feeling Sara's kick, and was glad that he'd held back.
Day 46
Ethan had been worried that the news of his involvement in the subway bombing would lead to a charge laid against him, but Jarod had explained the situation in such a way that it was very clear he had been used and that now that he knew exactly what his Inner Sense was, he was not a danger to anyone. The time spent with Charles and Margaret had helped him greatly.
Only Miranda knew that he had asked Sydney to help him with his Inner Sense, and this was only because she had asked Sydney to help her too.
Ethan's testimony was yet another nail in the lid of the Triumvirate's coffin. When he spoke of the mother he had never known and the death of his adoptive parents, Ella wiped away her tears. She was glad that Lynn was the one doing the questioning. When the afternoon session was recessed, she caught up with Ethan before he left and invited him out for coffee.
Day 53
Sydney's testimony was very brief. He spoke about Jacob and the car accident. He expressed his remorse at his involvement in the Pretender project. It was his explanation of how Timmy had become Angelo that was the most powerful part of the day. He told everyone that Jarod, Miranda and Timmy had all been friends when they were children and how Raines' experiment to turn Timmy into a Pretender had failed so horribly. When he told the court how Angelo had given up his one chance to be normal in order to save another child, Henderson dropped his head down on the table. He was starting to get depressed.
Day 57
"How did you meet Thomas Gates?"
Miranda took a deep breath before answering. She had known this particular subject was going to be difficult.
"I met him at a time in my life where I desperately needed to be loved. I didn't know it then, but Jarod had sent him to me. We were going to move to Oregon but…." She looked at Jarod for support and he gave a tiny nod. "I woke up one morning and found him dead on my porch. Later I found out that Brigitte, my stepmother had killed him under orders from the Triumvirate. I was so angry… I wanted to kill her… but when I went to do it she was in labor. I delivered Tommy and promised her I'd look after him."
"Did you kill her?"
Miranda shook her head. "No. As I got out the house with Tommy, it exploded. She… she was still inside."
"Do you still hate her?" Lynn asked gently.
"No. They used her and then discarded her, in much the same way as they used me."
Day 60
Ella was tired of the trial. It was physically and emotionally exhausting. The testimonies she'd heard so far read like a science fiction novel. She had to keep reminding herself that this was fact, that people had actually had these experiences and that a handful of them had survived. They possessed a strength she had never seen before. She wondered if she could have coped living a life on the run, knowing your children were in constant danger, not knowing whom to trust. She wasn't surprised that Jarod and Miranda had just wanted to disappear and get on with their lives.
Looking up from her cappuccino, she saw Emily at the counter and waved. This was her favorite coffee shop; out of the way and quiet, it provided a welcome break from the reporters who had become the bane of her life. Emily joined her and they avoided any mention of the trial. When Ella mentioned James, Emily smiled and related the story of how Jarod had found out about them. Then Emily steered the topic of conversation towards Ethan, curious to see what Ella would say. Ella ducked her head and took a sip of her drink. Emily laughed; it was nice to have a break from real life for a while.
Day 66
"Mrs. Patrick, when was the last time you saw your daughter?" Ella asked, hating that she was about to make this woman relive some very painful memories.
"Uh, August, 1972."
"How old was she at the time?"
"Five. She was five."
"Do you know what happened to your daughter?"
Caroline Patrick nodded slowly. "We searched for years. We did everything we could. We went to psychics and paid thousands of dollars ransom to a man who claimed he'd kidnapped her. We never gave up hope, though. Then we heard about this case and the place called the Centre. We contacted your law firm and when you went through the files you… you found out she'd died after an experiment."
"Thank you, Mrs. Patrick," Ella said gently. "I have no further questions."
Day 70
The third time they saw each other outside of the courtroom, Ethan took Ella ice-skating. He'd asked both his sisters for suggestions on what to do. When Emily mentioned the indoor skating rink, he admitted that he'd never ice-skated before and Debbie joined the conversation and volunteered to teach him. Since she and JJ were no longer allowed to go to the park, they'd had to stay at the hotel or go to court. Neither option pleased them so they jumped at the chance to go out.
JJ and Ethan both caught on very quickly and Ethan was confident that he wouldn't make a fool of himself in front of Ella.
At the end of the evening they made plans to see each other again the following weekend.
Day 73
The attempt on Miranda's life had affected JJ more than he let on. It was this that ultimately made him change his mind about testifying. The thought that nobody would really be safe until after the trial had made him want to have a hand in it.
He bravely took the stand, answering all the questions thrown at him. The reporters covering the trial couldn't get enough of him. Judge Klavan had to order them to leave the room unless they refrained from taking pictures.
Day 80
Listening to yet another witness give his testimony, Miranda was struck by a sharp pain in her stomach. She grabbed Jarod's hand and looked at him, her eyes wide. He frowned.
The contraction came again and she squeezed his hand hard.
"It's too early," he mouthed.
"Clearly not!" she hissed.
Jarod helped her up and out of the room, smiling apologetically at the judge for the disruption.
