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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Hayley
Three
Melanie-Anne
December 25
Miss Parker's House
Blue Cove, Delaware
Parker rolled over in bed and pulled the duvet up to cover her head. She heard giggling from just outside the bedroom door and braced herself.
"Parker! Wake up! It's Christmas!" The mattress bounced up and down with the impact of Jason's body. "There's presents an' everything!"
Parker sat up and gratefully accepted coffee from Jarod. She hadn't been up this early on a Christmas morning for years. "Presents, huh?" She cocked an eyebrow at Jarod; their aborted escape plan hadn't called for a visit from Santa. No wonder he'd come to bed so late last night.
"Yeah," Jason continued. "An' Santa put up a tree 'cause we didn't have one, an' he left a note, an'—"
"A note?"
"Uh-huh. He said he's sorry he didn't come visit me before but I was in the Centre an' he's scared of the Centre." Jason thrust the note at Parker, who couldn't help grinning at Jarod's unmistakable handwriting.
"Well, then, I guess we'd better go see what Santa brought."
Where had Jarod found time to do everything? There were piles of presents under the tree, most bearing Jason's name. Santa had brought Parker boots – "To replace the ones you ruined in Baton Rouge," Jarod whispered – and a Minnie Mouse PEZ dispenser. Jarod grinned and held up his matching Mickey Mouse one. "The rest of your present has to be opened later," he murmured in her ear. Parker smiled in anticipation.
Jason happily ripped off wrapping paper, delighting in his first real Christmas. Among his presents were action figures, coloring books, and a remote control car. He'd been allowed to open Lyle's gift the night before; a puzzle which now lay, completed, on the dining room table. Five hundred pieces, and it had taken Jason less than an hour to build.
Parker leaned against Jarod, giving a small sigh of contentment. "I wish he didn't have to go back."
"He doesn't. Neither do you. You two go on ahead. I'll get the girl out and meet—"
"How long will it take to get her out?"
"A couple of days."
She closed her eyes and sighed. "Then we'll wait."
The Centre
SL 25
The voices wouldn't shut up. Hayley squeezed her eyes closed and buried her face in her hands. She sat in the corner of her room, trying to hide from the camera. A noise from her left drew her attention and she looked up. A pair of blue eyes stared out from one air vent. The voices stopped.
"Hi."
"Hayley."
"Yeah, that's me. Who are you?"
"Angelo."
"Hi, Angelo." She smiled and suddenly didn't feel so alone anymore.
Angelo scuttled away as the door swung open and Lyle and Raines entered the room. Hayley scrambled to her feet and crossed her arms over her chest.
"So this is Hayley," Lyle said, stepping closer. He looked her carefully up and down. "She looks like Miss Parker."
"Some things can't be helped. Show Mr. Lyle what you can do."
A tiny smile lifted the edges of Hayley's mouth. Raines' oxygen tank slowly rose into the air.
"Hayley!"
She exhaled and sank back to the ground. She noticed the small grin that Lyle couldn't quite hide and hoped she'd find an ally in him. Raines nodded to Lyle and left. Hayley looked at Lyle, then at the closed door. The voices were still quiet and she decided she didn't have to be afraid of him.
"What happened to your thumb, Mr. Lyle?"
"A . . . misunderstanding over a business deal."
Hayley reached out and took his hand, not knowing how much her action surprised him. She ran her finger along the smooth leather of his glove. "Did it hurt?"
Lyle smiled and pulled his hand away. "Yeah."
Hayley met his eyes and her mouth slowly formed a tiny 'O' of surprise. His eyes belonged to the boy from her dream.
Yes, yes, yes! The voices whispered. He was in your dream! She was in your dream!
"Are you okay?" Lyle asked. She'd gone white.
"F-Fine."
He nodded, clearly not believing her, but let it rest.
January 3, 2003
Miss Parker's House
Jarod was gone when Parker woke up. There was a note and a gift on his pillow. I'll call you soon. Stay safe. Love, J. She opened the box to pull out a silver locket. Where did Jarod get all her mother's things? She smiled and stretched lazily, then went to wake Jason. For the first time in years, she thought she might actually have a good birthday. If only she didn't have to go to work . . .
Jason threw a tantrum when Parker told him to get ready to go back. Her heart breaking, she pulled him onto her lap and explained that it would only be for a short time, that very soon they and Jarod would be able to stay together. He lifted his tearstained face to hers.
"But why? Can't I stay here anyway?"
Maybe she should have taken Jarod's suggestion . . . No. There were no guarantees that everything would go as planned. If Jarod was caught, he would need her on the inside.
"Jason, it'll be okay. A few days . . . it's not so bad, is it? You'll still see me."
"An' Jarod?"
"He has to make plans so you don't stay there. Do you understand?" She paused, remembering something they'd overlooked. "You can't tell anyone about Jarod, okay? Promise me."
Jason nodded and cuddled up to Parker, wrapping his tiny arms around her neck. "I love you, Parker."
She squeezed him in response. "Come on. I'm going to be late."
The Centre
SL 25
"Morning, Hayley." Lyle stood in the doorway to Hayley's room, watching as she spun three balls in a circle in the air. How had she come by this unusual talent?
"Hi, Mr. Lyle." The balls fell unceremoniously to the floor as she stood and smiled. Was she smiling at him? No one was ever pleased to see him, but he felt a strange connection to this girl. A connection he planned on explaining very soon.
"Do you mind if I drew some blood?"
She looked uncertain, and chewed the edge of her thumbnail before finally answering. "What for?"
"To test something. You remind me of someone." He wasn't used to being questioned; if it had been anyone else he wouldn't have bothered explaining.
"Who?" Hayley sat on the bed, swinging her feet.
"My sister."
She smiled. "You're wrong in what you're thinking, you know."
Lyle sat next to her. He couldn't help smiling too. "And what am I thinking?"
"She can't be my mother. My mother died when I was born. The Centre couldn't find my father so they kept me."
"That's what they told you."
Hayley shrugged, rolled up her sleeve and extended her arm. "No one's ever asked before. They just took it."
She looked away as he stuck the needle in her arm. A minute later, he stood. "There."
She looked back at him in surprise. "But that didn't even hurt!"
Lyle brushed his hand across her head and promised himself that if Hayley was his sister's child, he would find a way to help her.
He stepped into the elevator and came face to face with Parker and Jason.
"Well, this is a nice surprise, Sis. I thought you were running away with Jason."
His sister cocked an eyebrow. "If you'd thought that, I'd be dead right now."
Jason clung to Parker's hand and looked up at Lyle. The longer he stared, the broader his grin got. That made two people smiling at Lyle in the same morning; it was shaping up to be a strange day.
"Thanks for the puzzle," Jason said.
Parker forced a smile, her eyes daring Lyle to get closer. He smiled.
"Shall I hold the lift for you, Sis?"
"No."
As Parker led Jason back to his room, Lyle felt almost sorry for the little guy. Maybe he was just getting soft in his old age.
Three
Melanie-Anne
December 25
Miss Parker's House
Blue Cove, Delaware
Parker rolled over in bed and pulled the duvet up to cover her head. She heard giggling from just outside the bedroom door and braced herself.
"Parker! Wake up! It's Christmas!" The mattress bounced up and down with the impact of Jason's body. "There's presents an' everything!"
Parker sat up and gratefully accepted coffee from Jarod. She hadn't been up this early on a Christmas morning for years. "Presents, huh?" She cocked an eyebrow at Jarod; their aborted escape plan hadn't called for a visit from Santa. No wonder he'd come to bed so late last night.
"Yeah," Jason continued. "An' Santa put up a tree 'cause we didn't have one, an' he left a note, an'—"
"A note?"
"Uh-huh. He said he's sorry he didn't come visit me before but I was in the Centre an' he's scared of the Centre." Jason thrust the note at Parker, who couldn't help grinning at Jarod's unmistakable handwriting.
"Well, then, I guess we'd better go see what Santa brought."
Where had Jarod found time to do everything? There were piles of presents under the tree, most bearing Jason's name. Santa had brought Parker boots – "To replace the ones you ruined in Baton Rouge," Jarod whispered – and a Minnie Mouse PEZ dispenser. Jarod grinned and held up his matching Mickey Mouse one. "The rest of your present has to be opened later," he murmured in her ear. Parker smiled in anticipation.
Jason happily ripped off wrapping paper, delighting in his first real Christmas. Among his presents were action figures, coloring books, and a remote control car. He'd been allowed to open Lyle's gift the night before; a puzzle which now lay, completed, on the dining room table. Five hundred pieces, and it had taken Jason less than an hour to build.
Parker leaned against Jarod, giving a small sigh of contentment. "I wish he didn't have to go back."
"He doesn't. Neither do you. You two go on ahead. I'll get the girl out and meet—"
"How long will it take to get her out?"
"A couple of days."
She closed her eyes and sighed. "Then we'll wait."
The Centre
SL 25
The voices wouldn't shut up. Hayley squeezed her eyes closed and buried her face in her hands. She sat in the corner of her room, trying to hide from the camera. A noise from her left drew her attention and she looked up. A pair of blue eyes stared out from one air vent. The voices stopped.
"Hi."
"Hayley."
"Yeah, that's me. Who are you?"
"Angelo."
"Hi, Angelo." She smiled and suddenly didn't feel so alone anymore.
Angelo scuttled away as the door swung open and Lyle and Raines entered the room. Hayley scrambled to her feet and crossed her arms over her chest.
"So this is Hayley," Lyle said, stepping closer. He looked her carefully up and down. "She looks like Miss Parker."
"Some things can't be helped. Show Mr. Lyle what you can do."
A tiny smile lifted the edges of Hayley's mouth. Raines' oxygen tank slowly rose into the air.
"Hayley!"
She exhaled and sank back to the ground. She noticed the small grin that Lyle couldn't quite hide and hoped she'd find an ally in him. Raines nodded to Lyle and left. Hayley looked at Lyle, then at the closed door. The voices were still quiet and she decided she didn't have to be afraid of him.
"What happened to your thumb, Mr. Lyle?"
"A . . . misunderstanding over a business deal."
Hayley reached out and took his hand, not knowing how much her action surprised him. She ran her finger along the smooth leather of his glove. "Did it hurt?"
Lyle smiled and pulled his hand away. "Yeah."
Hayley met his eyes and her mouth slowly formed a tiny 'O' of surprise. His eyes belonged to the boy from her dream.
Yes, yes, yes! The voices whispered. He was in your dream! She was in your dream!
"Are you okay?" Lyle asked. She'd gone white.
"F-Fine."
He nodded, clearly not believing her, but let it rest.
January 3, 2003
Miss Parker's House
Jarod was gone when Parker woke up. There was a note and a gift on his pillow. I'll call you soon. Stay safe. Love, J. She opened the box to pull out a silver locket. Where did Jarod get all her mother's things? She smiled and stretched lazily, then went to wake Jason. For the first time in years, she thought she might actually have a good birthday. If only she didn't have to go to work . . .
Jason threw a tantrum when Parker told him to get ready to go back. Her heart breaking, she pulled him onto her lap and explained that it would only be for a short time, that very soon they and Jarod would be able to stay together. He lifted his tearstained face to hers.
"But why? Can't I stay here anyway?"
Maybe she should have taken Jarod's suggestion . . . No. There were no guarantees that everything would go as planned. If Jarod was caught, he would need her on the inside.
"Jason, it'll be okay. A few days . . . it's not so bad, is it? You'll still see me."
"An' Jarod?"
"He has to make plans so you don't stay there. Do you understand?" She paused, remembering something they'd overlooked. "You can't tell anyone about Jarod, okay? Promise me."
Jason nodded and cuddled up to Parker, wrapping his tiny arms around her neck. "I love you, Parker."
She squeezed him in response. "Come on. I'm going to be late."
The Centre
SL 25
"Morning, Hayley." Lyle stood in the doorway to Hayley's room, watching as she spun three balls in a circle in the air. How had she come by this unusual talent?
"Hi, Mr. Lyle." The balls fell unceremoniously to the floor as she stood and smiled. Was she smiling at him? No one was ever pleased to see him, but he felt a strange connection to this girl. A connection he planned on explaining very soon.
"Do you mind if I drew some blood?"
She looked uncertain, and chewed the edge of her thumbnail before finally answering. "What for?"
"To test something. You remind me of someone." He wasn't used to being questioned; if it had been anyone else he wouldn't have bothered explaining.
"Who?" Hayley sat on the bed, swinging her feet.
"My sister."
She smiled. "You're wrong in what you're thinking, you know."
Lyle sat next to her. He couldn't help smiling too. "And what am I thinking?"
"She can't be my mother. My mother died when I was born. The Centre couldn't find my father so they kept me."
"That's what they told you."
Hayley shrugged, rolled up her sleeve and extended her arm. "No one's ever asked before. They just took it."
She looked away as he stuck the needle in her arm. A minute later, he stood. "There."
She looked back at him in surprise. "But that didn't even hurt!"
Lyle brushed his hand across her head and promised himself that if Hayley was his sister's child, he would find a way to help her.
He stepped into the elevator and came face to face with Parker and Jason.
"Well, this is a nice surprise, Sis. I thought you were running away with Jason."
His sister cocked an eyebrow. "If you'd thought that, I'd be dead right now."
Jason clung to Parker's hand and looked up at Lyle. The longer he stared, the broader his grin got. That made two people smiling at Lyle in the same morning; it was shaping up to be a strange day.
"Thanks for the puzzle," Jason said.
Parker forced a smile, her eyes daring Lyle to get closer. He smiled.
"Shall I hold the lift for you, Sis?"
"No."
As Parker led Jason back to his room, Lyle felt almost sorry for the little guy. Maybe he was just getting soft in his old age.
