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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Disclaimer: The characters Miss Parker, Sydney, Jarod, Broots etc. and the fictional Centre, are all property of MTM, TNT and NBC Productions and used without permission. I'm not making any money out of this and no infringement is intended.
The Tender Side of The Heart
part 2
By Sarah Elizabeth
Jarod watched as Sarah put his newly discovered grandson to bed, and thought once again about how grateful he was that Paul was not at The Centre. Sarah looked up at Jarod as Paul settled into his pillow.
"I should go," Jarod said. "I’m putting you both in danger. If a sweeper team were to come looking for me…"
"No," Sarah said. "If I didn’t want you here, I wouldn’t have approached you this afternoon. I’ve been hoping to meet you ever since I escaped. Stay, I can take care of myself and my son, I always have."
Sarah led Jarod into the living room and left him sitting on the sofa to make coffee. Jarod started looking through Paul’s baby album, which lay on a table next to him. He was just looking at a first birthday picture when he felt something move in the back cover. He flipped the album onto its back and discovered a secret compartment containing a single photograph. Jarod was repulsed by the face in the picture and wondered why his daughter kept it at all not to mention protecting it. Suddenly he heard Sarah coming into the room and he quickly put the picture back and set the album on the table.
"Dad?" Sarah asked entering the room. "Is something wrong?"
"No," Jarod lied. "I’m just still in shock."
"It’s amazing." Sarah said
"What is?" Jarod asked
"That we could be shocked by anything after growing up at the Centre."
"Well," Jarod replied. "Sydney always says…"
"This is the Centre. Anything is possible." They said together.
"So," Jarod said. "You and Sydney were close.
"We were forced into intimacy by our circumstances," Sarah responded. "But we never got along very well, at least until my last few months at The Centre. Might’ve had something to do with the rats."
"Rats?" Jarod asked raising an eyebrow.
"There were three of us left when we were turned over to Sydney; Christina, Jordan, and me," Sarah began. "We had learned to work together against our captors. Although we often doubted each other’s loyalty our bond of trust was stronger with each other than with anyone else.
Anyway, Christina wasn’t a pretender and was pretty much left to her self and one day when Jordan and I were doing a sim together with Mr. Raines, she over heard Sydney tell one of his sweepers that he was afraid of rats. Christina of course came and told Jordan and me.
The two of them had a good laugh, but I was not satisfied with making fun of him. That night I snuck out of my room and went through the air shafts to one of the laboratories. I stole about thirty rats and went to Sydney’s office. I filled his largest desk drawer with the rats.
The next morning when Sydney came into his office, the first drawer he opened was the one with the rats. I had gotten up early and was watching from the airshaft. You should have seen him. He started screaming his lungs out and jumped up on the desk. When the sweeper who heard him came in, he couldn’t even speak so he just pointed. I couldn’t help it, I laughed out loud and the sweeper pulled me out from the air shaft, and called Mr. Parker."
"What did Mr. Parker do?" Jarod asked.
"He had the sweepers kill the rats and take them out of the office." Sarah answered. "Then Sydney got off the desk and made me scrub the sim lab and his office from top to bottom."
"You deserved that," Jarod said trying to keep a straight face. "That was almost sadistic."
"Maybe," Sarah responded. "But that was no where near the worst thing I ever did while in Sydney’s care. I’ve never exactly been submissive, not even to save my own life."
"How much worse can you get at eleven?" Jarod asked.
"Does setting fire to the sim lab computer count?" Sarah asked in response.
"You’re just like your mother," Jarod responded.
***************************************************************
"What do you have for me Broots?" Miss Parker demanded as she stormed into the tech room."
"Nothing," Broots answered nervously. "It’s like he’s just disappeared."
"It’s been ten days since we had a lead," Miss Parker fumed. "And he hasn’t even woken me up with his late night calls."
Sydney entered the tech room to check on Broots progress and Miss Parker turned around.
"Syd," she said urgently. "When was the last time Jarod contacted you?"
"Over two weeks ago Parker," Sydney answered. "I’m starting to worry about him."
"Don’t worry Syd," Parker responded. "He’s a big boy. He can take care of himself."
"Any leads on Jarod’s whereabouts?" a raspy voice asked.
None of them had heard the squeak of the cart, which held Raines oxygen tank as he entered. All three looked up now.
"Mr., Mr. Raines, sir," Broots stuttered.
"Don’t have a heart attack Broots," Miss Parker cut in. "Nothing yet, but when we get something we’ll let my father know. Now get out."
"Be careful Miss Parker," Raines said moving to the door. "Or you could end up like your mother."
"Is that a threat?" Miss Parker asked.
"A warning," Mr. Raines answered her as he walked out of the tech room.
"The man doesn’t have a compassionate bone in his body," Broots muttered to himself. "If he ever goes near Debbie, I’ll kill him."
"Broots!" Miss Parker yelled as she snapped her fingers in his face. "I want something on Jarod’s location within the hour understood?"
"Y-yes Ma’am," Broots stuttered as he watched Miss Parker leave the room.
Sydney patted Mr. Broots on the shoulder. "Good Luck," he said smiling. "I don’t believe Jarod wishes to be found right now or we would have heard from him."
The older man left Broots to himself and switched his train of thought to the child sitting in the sim lab. Just brought in the day before. Three years old named Thomas by Mr. Raines, and a Pretender with good potential. That was all the file said; just like the files on all the children. All information on a need to know basis, and always impersonal.
Sydney had lied to Jarod and said that there were no more children, but there were and always would be. It was just another fact of life at The Centre. No values or moral implications. Just do what you’re told or die.
***************************************************************************
Two Weeks Later…
Paul ran gleefully across the grass of Central Park, unaware that his life had changed drastically in just two weeks. Jarod’s worst fear since meeting his daughter had been fulfilled. The Centre Tower knew that she was alive and that she had a son. Jarod’s instincts had told him to leave after the first night, but his heart had led him to stay. If only he hadn’t stopped at the preschool that day or met Sarah for pizza that night. Things might have turned out differently for Paul and Sarah.
"Dad," Sarah said shaking his shoulder. "What’s wrong?"
"Nothing," he answered. "At least nothing we can do anything about now."
"Let’s go," Sarah said. "It’s getting late and we need to figure out where to sleep while we’re in town. Paul! Let’s go sweetie."
Sarah put Paul in his newly purchased stroller and the three of them went towards the SUV Jarod had rented at the airport.
While Jarod drove Sarah pulled out her laptop and made a reservation at a local motel. Not exactly the environment she wanted her son to stay in, but neither of them had had the chance in the last couple of weeks to access their hidden accounts, and they were low on cash. Had it only been two weeks ago that they had been settled in an apartment? While they had moved often they’d always stayed several months and even then it had only been a precaution. Now they were moving every few days and were being endlessly pursued by Centre operatives. How could they possibly survive on the run with a two-year-old child?
Jarod pulled up to the motel and parked. When they got into the lobby, they were greeted by the manager.
"I’m sorry sir," the manager said addressing Jarod. "But, there’s been a mistake. We only have one room available. It has two beds and we’d be happy to give you a 50% discount for the inconvenience."
"Thanks," Jarod said. "We’ll take it."
Sarah gave him a questioning look. Up till then they had always gotten two rooms even if it meant going elsewhere.
"It’s late," Jarod said glancing at Paul. "And we may not find another room."
The three of them got their key and found their room. Jarod took one bed and Sarah lay down with Paul in the other. When Paul was asleep Jarod and Sarah got up and went into the bathroom and turned on the light.
"We’ve got to disappear Dad," Sarah said. "I can’t drag Paul around the country being chased by sweepers. It’s not right."
"If we go into hiding," Jarod said. "We’ll relax and if we relax we’ll get caught. I’m sorry I dragged you into this, but we can’t just buy a house and settle down."
"It’s not right," Sarah said as tears began to escape. "A child should not have to go through his childhood on the run. I want him to go to school and make friends and…and…"
Sarah unable to continue collapsed against her father’s chest as the tears poured from her eyes.
"I know, I know," Jarod whispered softly rubbing her back, and hating the Centre for causing his children so much pain.
Sarah sat up suddenly and Jarod saw panic in her eyes.
"What’s wrong?" Jarod asked.
Sarah didn’t answer, but instead ran into the bedroom. "Paul?" she called. "Dad! He’s gone! They took Paul!"
"Don’t panic," Jarod said trying to stay calm. "Maybe he just wandered off."
"No," Sarah responded. "He wouldn’t. He never has. He knows better. They took him."
part 2
By Sarah Elizabeth
Jarod watched as Sarah put his newly discovered grandson to bed, and thought once again about how grateful he was that Paul was not at The Centre. Sarah looked up at Jarod as Paul settled into his pillow.
"I should go," Jarod said. "I’m putting you both in danger. If a sweeper team were to come looking for me…"
"No," Sarah said. "If I didn’t want you here, I wouldn’t have approached you this afternoon. I’ve been hoping to meet you ever since I escaped. Stay, I can take care of myself and my son, I always have."
Sarah led Jarod into the living room and left him sitting on the sofa to make coffee. Jarod started looking through Paul’s baby album, which lay on a table next to him. He was just looking at a first birthday picture when he felt something move in the back cover. He flipped the album onto its back and discovered a secret compartment containing a single photograph. Jarod was repulsed by the face in the picture and wondered why his daughter kept it at all not to mention protecting it. Suddenly he heard Sarah coming into the room and he quickly put the picture back and set the album on the table.
"Dad?" Sarah asked entering the room. "Is something wrong?"
"No," Jarod lied. "I’m just still in shock."
"It’s amazing." Sarah said
"What is?" Jarod asked
"That we could be shocked by anything after growing up at the Centre."
"Well," Jarod replied. "Sydney always says…"
"This is the Centre. Anything is possible." They said together.
"So," Jarod said. "You and Sydney were close.
"We were forced into intimacy by our circumstances," Sarah responded. "But we never got along very well, at least until my last few months at The Centre. Might’ve had something to do with the rats."
"Rats?" Jarod asked raising an eyebrow.
"There were three of us left when we were turned over to Sydney; Christina, Jordan, and me," Sarah began. "We had learned to work together against our captors. Although we often doubted each other’s loyalty our bond of trust was stronger with each other than with anyone else.
Anyway, Christina wasn’t a pretender and was pretty much left to her self and one day when Jordan and I were doing a sim together with Mr. Raines, she over heard Sydney tell one of his sweepers that he was afraid of rats. Christina of course came and told Jordan and me.
The two of them had a good laugh, but I was not satisfied with making fun of him. That night I snuck out of my room and went through the air shafts to one of the laboratories. I stole about thirty rats and went to Sydney’s office. I filled his largest desk drawer with the rats.
The next morning when Sydney came into his office, the first drawer he opened was the one with the rats. I had gotten up early and was watching from the airshaft. You should have seen him. He started screaming his lungs out and jumped up on the desk. When the sweeper who heard him came in, he couldn’t even speak so he just pointed. I couldn’t help it, I laughed out loud and the sweeper pulled me out from the air shaft, and called Mr. Parker."
"What did Mr. Parker do?" Jarod asked.
"He had the sweepers kill the rats and take them out of the office." Sarah answered. "Then Sydney got off the desk and made me scrub the sim lab and his office from top to bottom."
"You deserved that," Jarod said trying to keep a straight face. "That was almost sadistic."
"Maybe," Sarah responded. "But that was no where near the worst thing I ever did while in Sydney’s care. I’ve never exactly been submissive, not even to save my own life."
"How much worse can you get at eleven?" Jarod asked.
"Does setting fire to the sim lab computer count?" Sarah asked in response.
"You’re just like your mother," Jarod responded.
***************************************************************
"What do you have for me Broots?" Miss Parker demanded as she stormed into the tech room."
"Nothing," Broots answered nervously. "It’s like he’s just disappeared."
"It’s been ten days since we had a lead," Miss Parker fumed. "And he hasn’t even woken me up with his late night calls."
Sydney entered the tech room to check on Broots progress and Miss Parker turned around.
"Syd," she said urgently. "When was the last time Jarod contacted you?"
"Over two weeks ago Parker," Sydney answered. "I’m starting to worry about him."
"Don’t worry Syd," Parker responded. "He’s a big boy. He can take care of himself."
"Any leads on Jarod’s whereabouts?" a raspy voice asked.
None of them had heard the squeak of the cart, which held Raines oxygen tank as he entered. All three looked up now.
"Mr., Mr. Raines, sir," Broots stuttered.
"Don’t have a heart attack Broots," Miss Parker cut in. "Nothing yet, but when we get something we’ll let my father know. Now get out."
"Be careful Miss Parker," Raines said moving to the door. "Or you could end up like your mother."
"Is that a threat?" Miss Parker asked.
"A warning," Mr. Raines answered her as he walked out of the tech room.
"The man doesn’t have a compassionate bone in his body," Broots muttered to himself. "If he ever goes near Debbie, I’ll kill him."
"Broots!" Miss Parker yelled as she snapped her fingers in his face. "I want something on Jarod’s location within the hour understood?"
"Y-yes Ma’am," Broots stuttered as he watched Miss Parker leave the room.
Sydney patted Mr. Broots on the shoulder. "Good Luck," he said smiling. "I don’t believe Jarod wishes to be found right now or we would have heard from him."
The older man left Broots to himself and switched his train of thought to the child sitting in the sim lab. Just brought in the day before. Three years old named Thomas by Mr. Raines, and a Pretender with good potential. That was all the file said; just like the files on all the children. All information on a need to know basis, and always impersonal.
Sydney had lied to Jarod and said that there were no more children, but there were and always would be. It was just another fact of life at The Centre. No values or moral implications. Just do what you’re told or die.
***************************************************************************
Two Weeks Later…
Paul ran gleefully across the grass of Central Park, unaware that his life had changed drastically in just two weeks. Jarod’s worst fear since meeting his daughter had been fulfilled. The Centre Tower knew that she was alive and that she had a son. Jarod’s instincts had told him to leave after the first night, but his heart had led him to stay. If only he hadn’t stopped at the preschool that day or met Sarah for pizza that night. Things might have turned out differently for Paul and Sarah.
"Dad," Sarah said shaking his shoulder. "What’s wrong?"
"Nothing," he answered. "At least nothing we can do anything about now."
"Let’s go," Sarah said. "It’s getting late and we need to figure out where to sleep while we’re in town. Paul! Let’s go sweetie."
Sarah put Paul in his newly purchased stroller and the three of them went towards the SUV Jarod had rented at the airport.
While Jarod drove Sarah pulled out her laptop and made a reservation at a local motel. Not exactly the environment she wanted her son to stay in, but neither of them had had the chance in the last couple of weeks to access their hidden accounts, and they were low on cash. Had it only been two weeks ago that they had been settled in an apartment? While they had moved often they’d always stayed several months and even then it had only been a precaution. Now they were moving every few days and were being endlessly pursued by Centre operatives. How could they possibly survive on the run with a two-year-old child?
Jarod pulled up to the motel and parked. When they got into the lobby, they were greeted by the manager.
"I’m sorry sir," the manager said addressing Jarod. "But, there’s been a mistake. We only have one room available. It has two beds and we’d be happy to give you a 50% discount for the inconvenience."
"Thanks," Jarod said. "We’ll take it."
Sarah gave him a questioning look. Up till then they had always gotten two rooms even if it meant going elsewhere.
"It’s late," Jarod said glancing at Paul. "And we may not find another room."
The three of them got their key and found their room. Jarod took one bed and Sarah lay down with Paul in the other. When Paul was asleep Jarod and Sarah got up and went into the bathroom and turned on the light.
"We’ve got to disappear Dad," Sarah said. "I can’t drag Paul around the country being chased by sweepers. It’s not right."
"If we go into hiding," Jarod said. "We’ll relax and if we relax we’ll get caught. I’m sorry I dragged you into this, but we can’t just buy a house and settle down."
"It’s not right," Sarah said as tears began to escape. "A child should not have to go through his childhood on the run. I want him to go to school and make friends and…and…"
Sarah unable to continue collapsed against her father’s chest as the tears poured from her eyes.
"I know, I know," Jarod whispered softly rubbing her back, and hating the Centre for causing his children so much pain.
Sarah sat up suddenly and Jarod saw panic in her eyes.
"What’s wrong?" Jarod asked.
Sarah didn’t answer, but instead ran into the bedroom. "Paul?" she called. "Dad! He’s gone! They took Paul!"
"Don’t panic," Jarod said trying to stay calm. "Maybe he just wandered off."
"No," Sarah responded. "He wouldn’t. He never has. He knows better. They took him."
