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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Disclaimer: yada yada yada…they don't belong to me.
The Baby Series
My Sister's Keeper
Melanie-Anne
Parker lay quietly on the bed. She had been moved from the infirmary to a room in the Renewal wing. Mr. Parker had wanted to ensure that nothing happened to the child and had placed her under Raines' care with the promise that once the child was born Raines could do as he wished with Parker.
She knew none of this.
There was a rustling noise from the vent and Parker smiled a little. Angelo had been visiting her every day and kept telling her that everything would be fine and that she shouldn't worry. She wanted so badly to believe him but she knew all too well that good things rarely happened to anyone who fell into the clutches of the Centre. Hope was not something that was abundant in the Centre.
"Daughter smiling."
"Yeah, it's because I'm glad to see you."
"Angelo glad too. Daughter miss Tommy."
"I do," she whispered, absently rubbing her stomach and hearing her father's words. You're carrying the future of the Centre in your womb.
"See Tommy soon."
That caught her attention. "What? What do you mean? He's not- They didn't- Is he back here?"
Angelo's reassuring smile was half-hidden by the shadows.
"Angelo? Please tell me he's not back here!"
"Angelo must go now. Daughter not worry."
"Angelo? Angelo!"
But he was gone. Parker threw the pillow across the room in frustration, tears of anger welling up in her eyes.
I can't cry. They mustn't see me cry!
*
Jarod watched Tommy as he lay sleeping on Parker's bed. For reasons he couldn't explain, he was loath to leave Parker's house. Although he knew the risks involved in staying there, he couldn't bring himself to go anywhere else. He rationalized it to himself by saying that Tommy seemed to like being there but it would have been closer to the truth to say that he liked it there. There was something about living where Parker lived that gave him a feeling of…comfort, almost. Of course, he fully expected her to shot him for sleeping in her bed and stocking her kitchen with junk food, but he didn't care.
He lay down next to Tommy and watched the rise and fall of his tiny chest until he, too, dozed off.
This then, was the sight that Lyle, Sydney and Broots came across.
They had hoped to find some clues to Parker's whereabouts at her house, having grown impatient with the slow speed at which things were progressing. Angelo's repeated assertions of "Not time yet" did nothing to placate them and so Lyle's suggestion that they search Parker's house was met with approval. The inactivity had been killing them.
When they arrived at her house, Sydney and Broots searched the downstairs rooms and Lyle headed upstairs. He was totally unprepared to see Jarod and Tommy asleep on Parker's bed and his first instinct was to handcuff Jarod to the bed and call in a sweeper team, but then he remembered the real reason he was there.
"Lyle!" Broots called urgently from downstairs. He had found Jarod's additions to Parker's kitchen.
Lyle appeared at the top of the staircase with a "Shh!" and beckoned for Sydney and Broots to join him. There was a noise from the bedroom and Lyle re-entered cautiously.
Tommy was awake.
Lyle picked him up carefully, trying to think of himself as an uncle. Sydney and Broots walked in and looked at each other in surprise. Broots wasn't sure what was more surprising: the fact that Lyle was holding a baby or that Jarod was in Parker's bed.
"What's going on?" he whispered.
Lyle shrugged and shook his head, smiling at Tommy.
"Uh, are you going to take him back?" Broots asked.
Lyle shook his head, again surprising Broots.
Jarod woke up, saw his child in Lyle's arms and panicked. He wished he had his gun on him. He jumped up, not taking his eyes off Lyle.
"Don't hurt him."
"I'm not going to hurt him," Lyle said.
"What are you doing here?"
"We could ask you the same question," Sydney said, earning a shocked gasp from the Pretender.
"You're working together?"
"We want to find my sister."
"Give him back to me."
"He likes me," Lyle said in wonder as the baby smiled up at him.
"Jarod, it's okay," Broots said, fidgeting a little. "We can trust him on this one."
"Why? He doesn’t even like Parker."
"She's my sister, Jarod. I would think you of all people would understand the importance of family."
Jarod looked carefully at each of the men. "What do you know?" he finally asked.
*
Three days later Mr. Parker came to Lyle's office with a folder in his hand. I have a project for you," he said. "The Triumvirate has called me to Germany and I don't trust anyone else with this."
"What is it?" Lyle asked, his curiosity piqued.
Mr. Parker didn't answer immediately. He walked over to the window, still clutching the folder. "Should I have any reason to doubt your loyalty to the Centre or to me?"
"To you, maybe. To the Centre, never."
Satisfied, Mr. Parker turned back to face his son. His answer had pleased him. If Lyle had said that he was completely loyal then he would never have believed him. He handed the file to Lyle.
"Baby Parker was not my son. He was supposed to be the Centre's best success, the child of two Red Files. When he disappeared you can imagine how that upset everything."
Lyle nodded, pretending that this was news to him.
"Fortunately," Mr. Parker continued, "we still had a frozen embryo which we planted in the biological mother. Her body accepted it and in nine months' time we'll have the result."
Lyle was filled with disgust. At that moment he wished more than anything that he bore no relation to Mr. Parker. He couldn't believe that a man would do something like this to his own daughter or use his own grandchildren for such selfish purposes.
"What do you need me to do?" he asked.
"I want you to keep an eye on your sister while I'm away. Make sure she doesn't do anything stupid."
Lyle nodded, fighting the urge to pull out his gun and shoot Mr. Parker as he walked away. Not once had he referred to Parker as his daughter.
He called Sydney.
*
Parker was strangely restless. She had been pacing up and down her cell for hours and felt like she was going crazy. She was so bored. Her requests for something to read had been ignored. The only thing that kept her sane was Angelo's visits. She looked forward to them as the highlight of her day, not that she was even sure when it was day or night.
The last time Angelo had visited he had told her that it was "Almost time."
"Almost time for what?" she had demanded, unwittingly taking out her frustration on Angelo. He had scurried away without answering.
Having nothing else to do, Parker did some stretching, feeling that she might need to be limber enough to crawl through air vents within the next few days. Because, she decided, I'm going to get out of here, with or without help. If Jarod can do it, I sure as hell can.
Lyle opened the door, masking his relief at seeing her all right with sarcasm.
"You like this place so much you decided to move in permanently, Parker?"
"You're part of this?" she asked from her position on the floor.
Lyle leaned against the wall, folding his arms across his chest. "Well, Daddy Dearest had to go away for a while and asked me to look after my little sister."
Parker flew at him, surprising him with her speed and strength. For someone with so tiny a frame she was remarkably strong. Lyle grabbed her forearms and pinned her to the wall, his back to the camera, shielding her from its constant gaze.
"I'm not here to hurt you, Parker," he said softly. "I want to help."
She looked up at him, a wary look in her blue eyes. "You can't trust anyone in the Centre," she said bitterly.
"You can trust me," he said sincerely. "We're going to get you out."
"Who's we?"
"Myself, Sydney, Broots…Jarod."
A look Lyle couldn't quite define crossed Parker's face. "Jarod?"
He nodded.
"Why? He's supposed to- Is Tommy okay?"
"They're both fine. They're staying at you house, in fact."
Parker looked down, resting her forehead on Lyle's chest. "Do you know what they did to me?"
"Yes."
"Does- Does Jarod?"
"Not yet."
"Don't tell him. I want to be the one to tell him, okay?"
"Okay."
"Thank you."
"Are you okay?"
"I'm going mad! I'm so bored in here. There's nothing for me to do."
"I'll take care of it. Listen, I'd better go before they get suspicious."
"Will you come again?"
"Yes."
He looked into her eyes and she nodded. He threw her onto the bed; because she was expecting it she landed light and rolled onto her back. Lyle sat next to her, grabbing her wrists.
"Is there anything you want me to tell anyone?" he asked.
"Tell them I'm okay."
He stood up and she rolled onto her side. To the camera it appeared that she was crying but she was actually laughing, giddy with relief that something was finally happening and that she was not in this alone anymore.
"Don't forget that she's your sister, Mr. Lyle," Raines wheezed as Lyle walked past him.
"I know. It's a pity, isn't it?" He took a few more steps before turning back to Raines. "And give her something to do. If she gets too bored she might try something stupid and endanger the project."
Raines nodded, pleased to see that Lyle was more like his father than they had thought.
***
The Baby Series
My Sister's Keeper
Melanie-Anne
Parker lay quietly on the bed. She had been moved from the infirmary to a room in the Renewal wing. Mr. Parker had wanted to ensure that nothing happened to the child and had placed her under Raines' care with the promise that once the child was born Raines could do as he wished with Parker.
She knew none of this.
There was a rustling noise from the vent and Parker smiled a little. Angelo had been visiting her every day and kept telling her that everything would be fine and that she shouldn't worry. She wanted so badly to believe him but she knew all too well that good things rarely happened to anyone who fell into the clutches of the Centre. Hope was not something that was abundant in the Centre.
"Daughter smiling."
"Yeah, it's because I'm glad to see you."
"Angelo glad too. Daughter miss Tommy."
"I do," she whispered, absently rubbing her stomach and hearing her father's words. You're carrying the future of the Centre in your womb.
"See Tommy soon."
That caught her attention. "What? What do you mean? He's not- They didn't- Is he back here?"
Angelo's reassuring smile was half-hidden by the shadows.
"Angelo? Please tell me he's not back here!"
"Angelo must go now. Daughter not worry."
"Angelo? Angelo!"
But he was gone. Parker threw the pillow across the room in frustration, tears of anger welling up in her eyes.
I can't cry. They mustn't see me cry!
*
Jarod watched Tommy as he lay sleeping on Parker's bed. For reasons he couldn't explain, he was loath to leave Parker's house. Although he knew the risks involved in staying there, he couldn't bring himself to go anywhere else. He rationalized it to himself by saying that Tommy seemed to like being there but it would have been closer to the truth to say that he liked it there. There was something about living where Parker lived that gave him a feeling of…comfort, almost. Of course, he fully expected her to shot him for sleeping in her bed and stocking her kitchen with junk food, but he didn't care.
He lay down next to Tommy and watched the rise and fall of his tiny chest until he, too, dozed off.
This then, was the sight that Lyle, Sydney and Broots came across.
They had hoped to find some clues to Parker's whereabouts at her house, having grown impatient with the slow speed at which things were progressing. Angelo's repeated assertions of "Not time yet" did nothing to placate them and so Lyle's suggestion that they search Parker's house was met with approval. The inactivity had been killing them.
When they arrived at her house, Sydney and Broots searched the downstairs rooms and Lyle headed upstairs. He was totally unprepared to see Jarod and Tommy asleep on Parker's bed and his first instinct was to handcuff Jarod to the bed and call in a sweeper team, but then he remembered the real reason he was there.
"Lyle!" Broots called urgently from downstairs. He had found Jarod's additions to Parker's kitchen.
Lyle appeared at the top of the staircase with a "Shh!" and beckoned for Sydney and Broots to join him. There was a noise from the bedroom and Lyle re-entered cautiously.
Tommy was awake.
Lyle picked him up carefully, trying to think of himself as an uncle. Sydney and Broots walked in and looked at each other in surprise. Broots wasn't sure what was more surprising: the fact that Lyle was holding a baby or that Jarod was in Parker's bed.
"What's going on?" he whispered.
Lyle shrugged and shook his head, smiling at Tommy.
"Uh, are you going to take him back?" Broots asked.
Lyle shook his head, again surprising Broots.
Jarod woke up, saw his child in Lyle's arms and panicked. He wished he had his gun on him. He jumped up, not taking his eyes off Lyle.
"Don't hurt him."
"I'm not going to hurt him," Lyle said.
"What are you doing here?"
"We could ask you the same question," Sydney said, earning a shocked gasp from the Pretender.
"You're working together?"
"We want to find my sister."
"Give him back to me."
"He likes me," Lyle said in wonder as the baby smiled up at him.
"Jarod, it's okay," Broots said, fidgeting a little. "We can trust him on this one."
"Why? He doesn’t even like Parker."
"She's my sister, Jarod. I would think you of all people would understand the importance of family."
Jarod looked carefully at each of the men. "What do you know?" he finally asked.
*
Three days later Mr. Parker came to Lyle's office with a folder in his hand. I have a project for you," he said. "The Triumvirate has called me to Germany and I don't trust anyone else with this."
"What is it?" Lyle asked, his curiosity piqued.
Mr. Parker didn't answer immediately. He walked over to the window, still clutching the folder. "Should I have any reason to doubt your loyalty to the Centre or to me?"
"To you, maybe. To the Centre, never."
Satisfied, Mr. Parker turned back to face his son. His answer had pleased him. If Lyle had said that he was completely loyal then he would never have believed him. He handed the file to Lyle.
"Baby Parker was not my son. He was supposed to be the Centre's best success, the child of two Red Files. When he disappeared you can imagine how that upset everything."
Lyle nodded, pretending that this was news to him.
"Fortunately," Mr. Parker continued, "we still had a frozen embryo which we planted in the biological mother. Her body accepted it and in nine months' time we'll have the result."
Lyle was filled with disgust. At that moment he wished more than anything that he bore no relation to Mr. Parker. He couldn't believe that a man would do something like this to his own daughter or use his own grandchildren for such selfish purposes.
"What do you need me to do?" he asked.
"I want you to keep an eye on your sister while I'm away. Make sure she doesn't do anything stupid."
Lyle nodded, fighting the urge to pull out his gun and shoot Mr. Parker as he walked away. Not once had he referred to Parker as his daughter.
He called Sydney.
*
Parker was strangely restless. She had been pacing up and down her cell for hours and felt like she was going crazy. She was so bored. Her requests for something to read had been ignored. The only thing that kept her sane was Angelo's visits. She looked forward to them as the highlight of her day, not that she was even sure when it was day or night.
The last time Angelo had visited he had told her that it was "Almost time."
"Almost time for what?" she had demanded, unwittingly taking out her frustration on Angelo. He had scurried away without answering.
Having nothing else to do, Parker did some stretching, feeling that she might need to be limber enough to crawl through air vents within the next few days. Because, she decided, I'm going to get out of here, with or without help. If Jarod can do it, I sure as hell can.
Lyle opened the door, masking his relief at seeing her all right with sarcasm.
"You like this place so much you decided to move in permanently, Parker?"
"You're part of this?" she asked from her position on the floor.
Lyle leaned against the wall, folding his arms across his chest. "Well, Daddy Dearest had to go away for a while and asked me to look after my little sister."
Parker flew at him, surprising him with her speed and strength. For someone with so tiny a frame she was remarkably strong. Lyle grabbed her forearms and pinned her to the wall, his back to the camera, shielding her from its constant gaze.
"I'm not here to hurt you, Parker," he said softly. "I want to help."
She looked up at him, a wary look in her blue eyes. "You can't trust anyone in the Centre," she said bitterly.
"You can trust me," he said sincerely. "We're going to get you out."
"Who's we?"
"Myself, Sydney, Broots…Jarod."
A look Lyle couldn't quite define crossed Parker's face. "Jarod?"
He nodded.
"Why? He's supposed to- Is Tommy okay?"
"They're both fine. They're staying at you house, in fact."
Parker looked down, resting her forehead on Lyle's chest. "Do you know what they did to me?"
"Yes."
"Does- Does Jarod?"
"Not yet."
"Don't tell him. I want to be the one to tell him, okay?"
"Okay."
"Thank you."
"Are you okay?"
"I'm going mad! I'm so bored in here. There's nothing for me to do."
"I'll take care of it. Listen, I'd better go before they get suspicious."
"Will you come again?"
"Yes."
He looked into her eyes and she nodded. He threw her onto the bed; because she was expecting it she landed light and rolled onto her back. Lyle sat next to her, grabbing her wrists.
"Is there anything you want me to tell anyone?" he asked.
"Tell them I'm okay."
He stood up and she rolled onto her side. To the camera it appeared that she was crying but she was actually laughing, giddy with relief that something was finally happening and that she was not in this alone anymore.
"Don't forget that she's your sister, Mr. Lyle," Raines wheezed as Lyle walked past him.
"I know. It's a pity, isn't it?" He took a few more steps before turning back to Raines. "And give her something to do. If she gets too bored she might try something stupid and endanger the project."
Raines nodded, pleased to see that Lyle was more like his father than they had thought.
***
