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Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Pretender characters they belong to others and no money was involved and no infringement is intended. I am just having a little fun.

Authors note: The title is borrowed from a song from Jewel's Spirit CD. The words from the refrain struck a cord, and Staind gave me inspiration. This is my first fan fiction so much constructive feedback would be greatly appreciated.





Life Uncommon
Part I

By Callisto




With one arm tucked under her head and the other hand resting on her stomach, she contemplated her life. As she lie on the soft, thick grass staring up at the clear blue sky, perfect save a few white clouds, she thought about how hard she had tried to please her father. She had stopped torturing herself by trying to consider that wheezing, amoral walking corpse as a possible candidate for her paternal parent. No, the lying, scheming, cold-hearted man she had referred to as Daddy all her life was still to her mind, the only person she would ever consider her father. She had given up so much, had let so many pieces of herself be eaten away by bad choices, undue pressure and an obsessive desire to measure up to standards so debased and corrupt that her efforts had turned her into a moral contortionist.

A deep sigh of relief escaped her lips as she thought about the last straw that had been piled on top of a haystack that stood at least a mile high. 'Freedom, that's what this is, yes Jarod, it truly is sweet.'

She crossed her legs and completely relaxed her body while listening to the birds in the tree she was resting under. The past continued to seep into her thoughts; images of Jarod and herself as children, her sadness at being sent away to boarding school, rare, quality times spent alone with her father, graduating from her classical education a few years earlier than usual. She briefly closed her eyes remembering her mother's advice to hide her intelligence, to conceal the truth of how easy learning was, and how much school completely bored her. Centre training was more of a challenge; she quickly realized the wisdom of her mother's advice and heeded her father's strictures of never showing her emotions and developing a convincing facade to show the world. There had been so many barely hidden shadows waiting for her to slip up, make a mistake so they could mold her into a lab rat on a sub par of Jarod.

Forcing aside her depressing thoughts, she reminded herself that she just recently managed to step out of the darkness that her life had become. She reluctantly sat up from her comfortable position in the grass. Briefly surveying the large enclosed yard she found the small figure she was searching for, trying to hide behind a small bush in the corner of the yard. A huge, rare smile lightened her face as she tilted her head to one side and looked at the love of her life.

The little boy, seeing the smile on his mother's face, began to giggle. Unable to restrain himself any longer, he ran up to her as fast as he could, throwing himself into her arms with unabashed pleasure. He was immediately enveloped into a welcome embrace, full of love and peace. He snuggled further into her body enjoying her scent and the softness of her hair. Hearing her gentle, deep laughter, he breathed a contented sigh as she nimbly raised both of them from the ground and walked into the large house with him still in her arms.








The Centre
Blue Cove, DE


"This is Sydney."

"I always told you that I would never give up searching for my family." Jarod began without preamble.

"And I believed you. Has anything changed to redirect your focus?"

"No, but now that I'm closer than I ever have been to completing my dream, there is a touch of sadness to finally ending this journey. It's as though once I reach my journey's end, I will loose something important, vital even. It feels like I'm forgetting something."

"You won't be forgetting anything but you will be letting go. Tell me, once you find your mother Jarod, will you continue with your pretends?"

"I haven't given it much thought. There is still so much to do. Quite frankly, I'm tired of the chase, I want to settle down now and enjoy having my family around me." Exhaustion was creeping into the Pretender's voice. "No more clues and no more games."

"I confess that I'm not surprised to hear that. I was starting to wonder how much longer it would take for you to grow weary of the chase. Unfortunately there are some still here that will be extremely disappointed if you should stop leaving behind clues."

"So how is Miss Parker these days? How is she adjusting to the recent expansion of her family tree?" Jarod concealed his worry for her with sarcasm.

"Funny you should ask about her. I was referring to Lyle and Raines. I thought you already knew about Miss Parker's situation." The psychiatrist replied with a bemused tone of voice.

"Sydney, I don't know what you're talking about. I haven't talked to her since our return from Carthis. Has something happened to her?" Concern for her well being now clearly showing in his voice. Since they're last conversation and her stubborn adherence to the status quo he felt it wise to steer clear of Miss Parker, she had enough on her plate. Even though he could sympathize with all the nasty revelations she had to contend with, as well as having Raines as her new boss and possible father, her last rejection still stung a bit.

"There have been a number of changes going on here in the past six months, Jarod; most notable is Miss Parker's disappearance. About 2 months after they returned from Africa, she simply vanished. A letter had been slipped into my letterbox the night she left, in it Miss Parker wrote for me not to expect her to ever return to work. She said she was tired of the chase and she had absolutely no intention of capturing you, and turning you over to her brother and Mr. Raines knowing full well what would happen to you. She asked me not to worry and that she was taking Master Parker with her in case anyone bothered to ask. No one has seen or heard from her since. Mr. Raines has redirected the search from you to her. It is the prevailing belief that you helped her disappear and that perhaps the two of you are still together. Rumor also has it that she left a rather abrasive e-mail for Mr. Lyle." It was clear in Sydney's voice that he was both amused and proud of Miss Parker's actions.

"I was just about to give up hope that she would ever break free from her prison there. I'm proud of her too Sydney, I was afraid that the discovery of her family history would destroy her. It seems I have underestimated her, but Sydney I didn't help her disappear this is the first I have heard of it." A note of wonderment was in his voice. After a short pause he continued,
"how are you holding up Sydney? Were there any repercussions for you?"

"I'm holding my own so far. Miss Parker knew I wouldn't leave, that I couldn't leave Angelo on his own here. Broots took Miss Parker's departure fairly well, better than I anticipated. He never said but I am certain that Parker left a farewell message for him and Debbie. Especially since Broots also disappeared with his daughter about 2 months after she left. He copied Parker's tactics but instead of leaving me a note, he dropped by my house in person to tell me that he was leaving. Apparently Parker had set up her own style of "retirement plan" for him, complete with new identities, new home and a generous bank account. The whole affair was ingenious and very carefully laid out. In the end, she was very good to Broots," Sydney said wistfully.

"You sound as if you miss them both very much. Are you ever going to leave, Sydney?"

"Not while I'm still needed here. There are still a few disenfranchised souls who need someone to look out for them. I must admit though that I miss Parker's scathing sense of humor. Broots' nagging nervousness was her perfect foil. She always felt he was more of a brother to her than Lyle could ever be, and poor Broots had such a crush on her."

"Don't wait too long to leave, and Sydney, stay safe."

The line was abruptly disconnected. The new tech that replaced Broots had been working feverishly to establish a trace while Sydney talked to the Pretender but finally gave up when the signal bounced from one end of the world to the other. He shook his head in defeat when Sydney looked over at him. With a gentle chuckle, Sydney placed a sympathetic hand on the tech's shoulder.
"Jarod discovered Radio Shack several years ago."



Providence, RI

Jarod sat quietly in the cozy family room, deep in thought from his conversation with Sydney. He didn't acknowledge the other presence in the room until a soft inquiry broke his train of thought.

"Why did you tell him that you hadn't found your family?"

Turning to face his companion, Jarod smiled and answered. "Sydney taught me a long time ago that misdirection is sometimes the best if not the oldest strategy. He didn't need to know that I have finally found my family and whoever else was listening didn't need to know either."

"Then was it because you didn't trust him or that you suspected your phone call was being monitored?"

"With the Centre one should always expect that every conversation is being monitored. They are well aware that your mother told me you would be instrumental in finding my mother. This way, they aren't sure if I have found you or if I am close to finding my mother on my own."

When shouts of laughter erupted from the kitchen, both men smiled at the sound. They sat in companionable silence each momentarily lost in their own thoughts.

"I would have never found my mother if it wasn't for your help, Ethan, your gift is truly amazing. You seem to be adjusting to it very well as of late. Are the headaches still bothering you?"

"I still have the headaches, but they're not as severe as they were before, with Mr. Raines. Um, Jarod there is something I want to talk to you about." Ethan paused as he gathered his thoughts and courage to say aloud what he had planned. "I'm glad the voices led me to your mother. Reuniting you with the rest of your family made me feel something I never have before. Meeting my real father and being a part of this family has been beyond anything I could have imagined."

"I sense there is a "but" coming. Ethan tell me what's bothering you, you know I'll help if I can," Jarod answered after his brother's second hesitant pause.

"It's the voices, her voice in particular. Jarod, I need to leave, I need to find my sister, my other sister. I know that this family is just about all that I really need but I feel incomplete without her. I hope you'll understand, it's not that I'm unhappy or discontent...it just feels like I'm missing something, someone and the voices are saying it's her, my sister," Ethan finished, unhappy with his less than fluent explanation.

Jarod was silent for a moment as he quietly studied his brother. He understood what Ethan was going through and had said as much to Sydney only a few minutes ago. He considered what he would say next carefully.

"Do you feel Miss Parker is in some kind of danger, like before?"

"No...I don't believe she is in any danger, but I have to see her. I have a feeling that she needs me, almost as much as I need her. She's my family too." Ethan rose from his seat and started pacing as if to burn off some pent-up energy.

"I understand. According to Sydney, Miss Parker left the Centre several months ago. They have a large group of computer technicians working on trying to locate her, but so far they have been unsuccessful. I could start searching myself but I wouldn't want any of my inquiries to attract their attention and possibly lead back to her. Do you have any idea on where to start your search?"

"No, not really but I wanted to talk to you first, to make sure you understood my motives for looking for her before I begin. The voices will lead me in the right direction once I get started. I'll need your help in explaining this to everyone. I don't know how long I will be away but I promise to keep in touch." Ethan breathed a sigh of relief knowing he had Jarod's support.

Studying his brother's face, Jarod made a quick decision. "Well, I think this little road trip will prove to be very interesting. I hope you don't actually think that you're going alone on this adventure. You're my brother, and we are going to do this together. I know you can do it on your own, but your sister worked for the Centre all her adult life. Until we're sure it's safe, I'm not letting you anywhere near her, for your safety as well as for hers," Jarod said smiling at the shocked expression on Ethan's face. Breaking into a delighted laugh he continued, "besides, I would love to see the expression on Parker's face when we show up on her doorstep."

"You really like annoying her don't you?" An intrigued look settled in Ethan's face, as another idea popped into his mind.

"It's an acquired taste. There are a few things that I think Parker should know, mostly what my mother had to say about her relationship with Catherine Parker and the things they discovered together." Jarod paused reflecting on the information his mother had shared with him. Mentally shaking himself from his reverie Jarod caught Ethan watching him.

"Okay little brother, let's go tell our slightly over-protective family that we're taking a road trip to find an ex-Centre operative."







Outside Cedar Rapids, IA


Oliver waved happily to her as she waited patiently for him to gather his things. She always marveled at how well he was adapting to their new life. Over six months ago he was at the Centre, his future was bleak. As far as she knew, she was the only person, besides his nanny who ever spent any time with him. When he was alive her father barely acknowledged the boy's existence and seemed to avoid the child. Of course now she thought she knew the reason behind that, it was almost a certainty that the boy was not his natural child. Just another life to be experimented on, tortured and thrown away when the corrupt powers that be in the Centre grew tired or bored.

Looking at him now playing with the other children, she could detect the shadow that always used to cloud his features slowly fade away. She didn't care about his paternity, any more than she cared about her own. That whole mess was better left behind them. A putrid grave of secrets best left buried.

Just as she was completing that last thought a voice, quiet and insistent started whispering in her head. She hadn't been bothered with the voices since she left the Centre, now they were starting up again. She was starting to become alarmed that perhaps the voices were trying to warn her that the Centre had caught up with them when one voice separated from the others and made itself intelligible. "He's coming to you. He needs you."
'What the hell is that supposed to mean?'

Before she had a chance to concentrate further on what the voice was saying, Oliver ran into her legs and started tugging on her pants.

"Mommy, look what I made for you." His voice was clear and sweet as he looked up at her adoringly.

Gingerly removing the small square of construction paper from his fingers, she looked at Oliver's rendition of the two of them standing next to a very large tree. Smiling proudly at his artwork, she began to praise the picture as she led him to the car. All thoughts of the Centre and the voices momentarily faded from the forefront of her mind.




The Centre
Blue Cove, DE


Raines was having difficulty keeping his temper in check. The project he had helped spearhead, begged the Triumvirate to bring into fruition and honed into a viable reality was well on its way to an early, unceremonious death. All the work and planning was being derailed by old deceptions that were returning to haunt him. He realized that he had become too complacent with his sudden rise to power. He had given Miss Parker too much freedom; too many areas in her life went unmonitored. Now with her absence and continued success in avoiding detection, the next step to solidify the Centre's power and the chance to prove his own scientific prowess was in jeopardy.

He was now getting anxious and vaguely threatening phone calls from Triumvirate lackeys wanting progress reports. There was no way he could explain to them why the project was in its current state of limbo. It all started with Catherine Parker. Parker had let the woman have too much influence on her child. He was certain that Miss Parker had always possessed promising abilities that had been concealed. Miss Parker's initial testing had been handled by doctors under Catherine's influence; now holding some of those recently discovered results in his hand the rage he had been suppressing was in danger of erupting. He took a long, deep cleansing breath from his portable oxygen supply and slowly let it out, regaining control. He would regain the upper hand, a small ghastly smile formed on his lips as a plan for action began to take shape in his mind.




Somewhere in Pennsylvania


The road trip was for the most part uneventful, making the journey even more enjoyable. Jarod was having a blast hanging out with his younger brother. Ethan was great company and seeing him utilize his gift to hunt down his sister's whereabouts was like watching a bloodhound sniff out a fugitive. Jarod shivered at the thought that Miss Parker shared this gift with her brother, if she had discovered earlier how to use her gift, he would have long ago been shut away in some dark, lonely cell.

Dismissing the unpleasant thoughts from his mind, Jarod grabbed a package of chips and started snacking on them while he continued west on the interstate in their classic convertible. Ethan was relaxing against the headrest on the seat next to Jarod, his eyes were closed and he appeared to be asleep. Jarod was tempted to turn down the car radio, but decided against it, the sudden cessation of the music would probably wake him.

Deep in thought, Ethan opened his eyes to the brilliant sunlight, taking in the passing landscape. "She knows I'm looking for her. The voices would have warned her."

"If she knows it's you that is looking for her, then she'll wait around to see you. Don't worry, I doubt Parker will run away."

"That's just it, I'm not sure if she has developed a way to communicate with the voices. Her gift is slightly different than mine; she hears the voices but not to the same extent that I do. She has premonitions, that's something I don't have."

Jarod asked, trying to redirect Ethan's thoughts from his worries, "how do you know she has premonitions?"

"She told me when I rescued her from the rubble of Tommy Thompson's office. She said she saw our mother, walking towards her in the debris and telling her to ask her father about the secrets, that he knew all the secrets."

"Well, while we were stranded on Carthis there were a number of secrets that we discovered. I think its safe to say that Miss Parker has had her fill of secrets."

A sly smile appeared on Ethan's face. "It'll be nice to have both my brother and sister together, I hope you two can get along with each other."

Jarod noticed the smile and wondered what was going on. He had a feeling that Ethan wasn't sharing everything the voices in his head were telling him. Shrugging Jarod decided to let it go, he felt confident that he would find out eventually what Ethan was smiling about. Right now he was more concerned about putting some more westbound miles on the odometer, then finding a motel where they could crash for the night and watching Ethan do his thing with the candle. A rumble from his stomach reminded Jarod that getting some solid food was something that needed to be included in the agenda.

After being comfortably settled in their motel room, Jarod and Ethan were relaxing after their meal. There was an easy silence between them. Neither felt the need to fill the silence with words; they just enjoyed each other's company. After several minutes, Ethan got up and started rummaging through his duffel bag. He pulled out a fresh candle and some matches. As he set up the items on the table, he turned to Jarod and asked him about the Centre, what was it like living there.

"It was always dark, the hallways seemed to be endless. For most of my life, I didn't know anything different. I wasn't allowed to go outside, I rarely saw the sun. My entire existance was dictated by expanding my genius. Honing my pretender skills was more important than personal relationships. Being away from that hell has been liberating, not just physically but mentally and emotionally as well. I've learned to understand people in a more visceral way, my time away from the Centre has expanded my mind and challenged me farther than they could have ever managed," Jarod answered taking Ethan's question to heart.

"Mr. Raines wanted to take me there. He made it sound so safe and desirable and he promised that the voices wouldn't plague me as they used to. I get the impression that the Centre is a place that's hard to leave, even when you succeed in physically separating yourself from it. Do you think it's because you lived there so long that it stays with you or is there something else, something more sinister?" Ethan asked with interest.

Bitterness was in Jarod's voice as he answered. The usual easygoing gleam was replaced by an angry glare. "Sinister is the correct word to describe the Centre. I was their most successful pretender, the crown jewel, or so I was lead to believe. Whenever Raines came around, a new experiment using me as the primary guinea pig was sure to follow, whatever new drug was available that had the remotest possibility of expanding my mind was used on me. There was one time when Raines and Lyle stopped my heart in the hopes their experimental drug would revive me. If I died, then 'oh well guess that didn't work' was the prevailing attitude. It was horrible, I was no more than a pawn to see who could out do the other in vicious, amoral science."

"I'm sorry he put you through that. Look, I shouldn't have brought it up, I'll just finish setting this stuff up and get started on figuring out where my sister is living," Ethan said quickly, he was seeing the darker side of Jarod, but instead of being alarmed he felt only a weighty sadness. He watched Jarod from the corner of his eye as his older brother brooded about the monsters from his past.



Parker's residence
Outside Cedar Rapids, IA


Parker exited her SUV with her arms loaded down with groceries. She still had an hour or so before she had to pick up Oliver from daycare. Lying about his age turned out to be necessary, he was extremely clever for his age and no one would believe that a 2 1/2 year old would be capable of doing the things he could do. She hurried into the large house and sat her purchases on one of the counters. Returning to the vehicle she extracted a large bundle that was encased in a white plastic bag. She walked across her lawn to the neighboring house about a hundred yards away carefully balancing the parcel.

The ranch style house was similar to her home. It was large and had 2 stories, the front lawn was neatly kept and the rose bushes that lined the walk had been recently tended. She waited patiently for the elderly woman who lived there to respond to her knock. Patience, now that was a virtue she thought had deserted her long ago. Once away from the Centre's pervasive influence she noticed that gradually she was rediscovering certain attributes to her own personality.

'I wonder if Jarod felt this way too.' He was popping up often in her thoughts. She decided not to dwell on the subject of Jarod too long, and hearing the scrape of a deadbolt being thrown clear rewarded her patience. The door opened slowly and a neatly dressed elderly woman cautiously peeked out. Her almond shaped eyes squinted at the glare of the post afternoon sun and a sparkle lightened them when she saw whom her visitor was. The door was closed again briefly and then opened wider to admit the guest. The elderly woman began chattering away happily in Japanese as she bowed slightly to her young guest.

Miss Parker returned the cordial greeting with a wide grin of her own and answered the elderly woman in the same language. Removing her shoes, Parker crossed the threshold and bowed respectfully to her hostess.

In flawless Japanese Parker said, "I've brought you something from the restaurant. I haven't had a chance to come by as often as I usually do because the re-opening was a bit more work than I anticipated."

The elderly woman answered, "I am honored that you remember a useless, old lady. Please make yourself comfortable and tell me about you day. What have you been doing with yourself and how is that fine son of yours?"

"I think he grows a foot taller each day. He's so active, just trying to keep up with him is more of a challenge than an aerobics class. Would you like me to put this food in the kitchen for you?"

A short pause of uncertainty crossed the old lady's face. In her younger years, she would have never countenanced a stranger helping her in this way. But times have changed, most of her family was either dead or indifferent and the visits from her young neighbor were fast becoming the highlights of a usually uneventful week. No one else in the neighborhood knew how to speak Japanese and when her husband died, Mrs. Kanimoto had no one who could help her. The fortunate encounter in the grocery store with this young woman saved the elderly lady from a frustrating misunderstanding. The young woman's unselfish help was like the brilliant sun revealing itself on an otherwise overcast day.

Seeing her neighbor pause, Parker smiled again kindly and again bowing her head slightly slowly made her way to the kitchen. She occasionally helped put away Mrs. Kanimoto's groceries and didn't mind stowing this dinner in the fridge for her. When she returned, the old lady had a complete tea service laid out.

Using Parker's pseudonym she asked, "would you like to have a cup of tea, Ms. Ogilvie?"

They spent a half hour chatting companionably, most of the information being disseminated on Parker's part, relating to her restaurant's re-opening and her daily routines.

"You are so very kind to spend so much time keeping me company. You should remarry, you are a beautiful girl and should have your pick of husbands."

Genuine laughter answered Mrs. Kanimoto's statement. "I like spending time with you, and if you knew me better you wouldn't be puzzled about my lack of husband. There was someone once but he died." A brief shadow crossed her brow and the sadness that was constantly in her eyes, deepened.

"Yes, I know the sadness of loosing a loved one. But you are young, and your life is still ahead of you, please don't make the mistake of living your life alone. You have so much kindness in your heart that it should be shared with someone." Watching a stubborn resistance cross the younger woman's face she quickly continued, "enough of my pestering, I was your age once and I hated it when others claimed to know what was best for me. I'll only say this, you have the perfect temperament to be a wife and mother." Smiling at her own audaciousness, Mrs. Kanimoto looked satisfied as her young neighbor rolled her eyes indulgently.

"Well, I have to go pick up Oliver from daycare. Would you like us to visit you later?"

"Yes, please. I would love to see him, his exuberance is as contagious as it is exhausting." Mrs. Kanimoto laughed in response.



2 weeks later
Outside Cedar Rapids, IA


"This is the second day that she's been to this restaurant. It must be where she works, cause she spends most of the day there. This surveillance is making me a bit nervous. This is just a small suburb, not a lot of places to spy on someone without anyone noticing." Ethan said as he peered around to see if they had aroused anyone's curiosity.

"Yeah, I agree. Let's just keep this up for one more day before we approach her, just to be on the safe side," Jarod answered absently as he adjusted the binoculars for a better view.

"Do you have any idea who's that kid she has with her all the time?"

"Sydney said that she took Master Parker with her when she left. It's got to be him."

Peering through the binoculars he took from Jarod, Ethan remarked, "she looks different than the last time I saw her, more relaxed and happier. Seems like time away from the Centre has been beneficial to her as well. I can't wait to talk to her again."

"I wonder what made her finally take that last step. Something had to have pushed her she was too firmly entrenched in a rut. Besides, this scenario of hers took some time to set-up, I wonder how long had she planned to make the final break from the Centre."

"Well, if we walk up to her today, then maybe she'll give us the answers to those questions," Ethan said hopefully.

"Patience, tomorrow is the weekend, so her schedule should change slightly. Let's just keep an eye on her for one more day before approaching her. At least it appears that the Centre is still in the dark about her current location."


*The next day*

Parker exited the SUV and unstrapped Oliver from his car seat. She had a picnic basket on the sidewalk next to her with all the provisions they needed for their outing. As she lifted the toddler from the confines of his car seat the voices started whispering to her again. "He's here to see you. He's here."
'I wonder who they are talking about. Well since I haven't gotten the message to leave, I'll just wait till "he" approaches me.'

Shifting the child to her hip, she made her way into the park and settled with the basket under a large tree near some playground equipment. Releasing Oliver so he could stretch his legs under her watchful eye, she spread the blanket that was tucked into basket close to the exposed roots of the tree. The sun was still bright but was starting its slow descent in the late afternoon sky. This was her favorite time of day, when the sun was still in the sky but light shadows offered relief from the heat of the sun. A light breeze ruffled her hair as she plopped ungracefully onto the blanket.

Oliver was playing with a ball he carried from the car as Parker relaxed gratefully against the tree trunk. After an hour of playing with the ball and running around frantically from one piece of playground equipment to the next, Oliver finally agreed to have a bite of lunch. They munched on homemade sandwiches and talked quietly to each other. Oliver, sitting on his mother's lap started to play with her hair. She allowed her thick tresses to grow longer than usual and was acutely aware of how much she resembled her mother. Oliver surprised her with a kiss and they played kissy face for a few minutes before she decided to return home. The day in the park was peaceful, except for the constant chattering of the voices in her head.

As she finished repacking the picnic basket and replacing items Oliver kept removing, she slammed the lid shut and straightened up. It was then she felt the hairs on the back of her neck raise up. She took a long careful look around. She spotted a black convertible on the far side of the park; there was no one around it. She had seen the vehicle several times in the past week but always there was no one in it. She attempted to reach out with her mind, trying to determine if there was any danger. Still there was nothing but a feeling of calm; back at the Centre just before she left, she had gotten the constant feeling of danger and when the warning chatter became too loud to ignore, she heeded her internal alarms and left as soon as possible. Still feeling slightly uneasy, she picked up both child and basket and returned to her vehicle.


"She knows I'm here, I'm going to talk to her," said Ethan with a note of finality to his voice.

"Okay, but at least wait till she gets home. Then we can walk up to the door and I won't have to worry about her feeling it necessary to pull a 9mm on me." Jarod conceded.

"You two have an interesting relationship. You have to explain it to me sometime, I have a feeling it will be an absorbing story."

"It's complicated. I think it's become a habit for her to pull a gun on me whenever she sees me. It's not exactly the most pleasant experience."


Once she was home the persistent feeling of being watched continued as she retrieved the picnic basket out of the SUV. Looking around again, she noted that the black convertible was nowhere around. Releasing a tense sigh, she entered the house and closed the heavy front door with a thud.

She had just settled Oliver in front of the TV with a Sesame Street video and was starting to prepare their dinner when there was a knock at the front door. She froze; knowing that whoever had been watching her for the past several days was now at the door and ready to make their presence known. She briefly considered getting her 9mm out but again was greeted with a feeling of calm, as though there was no danger waiting for her at the door. Another knock sounded and Oliver in his child's voice piped up loudly, "Mommy, someone's at the door!!"

Noting wryly that Oliver hadn't unglued his eyes from the TV set she said, "Okay, thank you", and answered the door. She was shocked at who she found waiting there. As she stared at him, a wide range of emotions was running through her. She bit her lip and then relaxed revealing her usually suppressed emotions and allowed an impossibly large grin to grace her features.

"My God, Ethan!!! What are you doing here?? You look great!!" She then did something completely out of character; she threw her arms around his neck and almost squeezed the life out of her younger brother.

"Hi, Miss Parker", was all a surprised Ethan could choke out shyly. He wrapped his arms around her slim waist and lightly returned her squeeze.

Joyful tears started to prick her eyes, and the siblings remained in the embrace until Ethan, who was unable to hold his breath any longer started lightly tapping her on the shoulder. She immediately released him, and seeing the color slowly return to his face, she laughed apologetically, grabbed one of his hands and dragged him into the house.

She was about to close the door again, when Ethan stopped her with, "I didn't come alone. Hey, where are you?" Ethan grinning poked his head around the open doorway and spotted Jarod who was sporting a wide grin of his own.

"Who are you talking to?" Miss Parker asked as she leaned around her brother and finally saw Jarod standing on her porch wearing his usual smirk. Parker's eyes widened at the sight and she almost fell out of the doorway in her surprise. Jarod wasn't disappointed by her reaction and started laughing heartily at her expression.

Parker having quickly regained her composure, looked from one man to the other and asked, "what's going on? Jarod, what are you doing here?" Wonder and disbelief laced her words.

"Let's go inside, and we'll answer your questions. I hope you don't mind that I brought Jarod along?" Ethan asked anxiously.

"Um...yeah, it's okay. I'm just surprised to see you here. How did you find me?" Parker asked shaking her head in wonder, and leading them further into the house.

"I needed to see you again and the voices led us here." Ethan responded as he took a quick look around the dining room. The home was very comfortable and welcoming. Every piece of furniture seemed to have been thoughtfully chosen, not for ostentation but for the sole purpose of offering comfort and ease.

"I'm sorry, I almost choked you to death. Would you like something to drink?"

Ethan smiled at his sister. "Yes, that would be nice."

"Mommy, who are they?" A small voice asked, hiding shyly behind his mother's legs.

"Oliver, this is my brother Ethan, that would make him your uncle. And this is Jarod, I've known him for a very long time, he's Ethan's brother too." She lifted Oliver to her hip and smiled at him proudly.

"How do you do?" said the child very politely to both men.

"How are you, Oliver?" Jarod said good-naturedly.

The boy smiled bashfully then tucked his face into his mother's hair to hide. Parker hugged him and smiling told them to make themselves comfortable while she got the drinks. She returned a few minutes later with a pitcher of lemonade and glasses on a silver tray, and silently served them. Both men watched every move she made, the grace that exuded from her every movement, caught their attention.

"Are you two on your way to somewhere else, a pretend? How long will you be in town?"

Ethan quickly interjected before Jarod had a chance to answer. "We were planning on staying for a while if that's okay with you. Do you know of a motel nearby where we can stay?" Ethan asked ignoring the fact that they were currently staying in a motel in the nearby town.

"Oh, well you can stay here with me and Oliver if you like. The house is very large and I have a guest bedroom upstairs, you both can stay as long as you like."

"That would be great! Are you sure it wouldn't be too inconvenient for you to have both of us here?"

Parker replied with a smile. "No, not at all. One of you could use the upstairs guest bedroom, and I have a sofa bed in the den." She was surreptitiously watching Jarod's reactions and concluded that this arrangement was exactly what her brother had intended. Ethan settled back contentedly in his chair and sipped at the lemonade.

"Well then that's all settled and since you'll both be staying with us for awhile, then you're just going to have to suffer with my cooking." Miss Parker said brightly barely concealing her laughter as she took in the pained, disbelieving expression on Jarod's face.



The Centre
Blue Cove, DE

"Yes, I understand completely. I have a plan that will insure the return of Miss Parker to the Centre." Raines rasped into the phone. He paused as he listened to the unhappy, demanding voice on the other end of the line.

"I agree there is no need to cancel Progeny. Of course I can't guarantee the success of my plan but I have reason to believe that it is almost foolproof." A longer pause followed.

"Yes, you have my complete and total cooperation. Thank y--." Raines briefly frowned at the phone in his hand before replacing the receiver on its cradle.

Looking up, he saw Mr. Lyle relaxing cheerfully in a chair across from his desk. A small malicious smile touched his lips. "What, the Triumvirate lackey didn't let you finish your sentence?"

"There seems to be another player at the table. Another plan to retrieve your sister has been introduced and your help is needed to implement it." Raines paused to suck in a long, greedy breath of air from his oxygen tank. "Contact Mr. White and inform him that his services will be needed."

"What about your plan to use my sister's attachment to Sydney?" Lyle asked, hoping that plan wasn't going to be abandoned.

"That has been left on the back burner for now as a failsafe in case your inability to get satisfactory results should continue. The search for Major Charles and the boy has been reestablished. The Triumvirate seems to feel that Jarod is instrumental in your sister's continued success in eluding our attempts to reacquire her. If that is the case, then holding Jarod's family hostage would have numerous benefits."

"I'll contact Mr. White immediately and give him his new instructions. Is there a specific timetable on this operation?"

"The sooner the better Mr. Lyle," Raines growled satisfied at the slight discomfiture he caused in Lyle.

Lyle gave a curt nod of assent and quickly retreated from the chairman's office, vastly relieved to be away from that soulless stare.



Parker's residence
Outside Cedar Rapids


After bathing and putting Oliver to bed for the night, Parker returned downstairs to her guests.
She thought about having both Ethan and Jarod show up unexpectedly on her doorstep and wondered if there was a chance the Centre had somehow followed them. She immediately dismissed that idea knowing the voices which had become her internal alarm system would have been sounding loud and clear if that were the case. Spotting them both reclining contentedly on the couch, she joined them and seated herself in one of the chairs opposite.

The room was large and comfortably appointed with attractive and obviously expensive furniture. There was a large wood-burning fireplace. The bottom half of the walls were lined with dark wood paneling that matched the hardwood floors, the top half of the walls contrasted pleasingly. Large, expensive looking rugs protected the floor in strategic spots and there were several pictures that were obviously drawn by a child framed and hung tastefully throughout the room.

Jarod said with a teasing glint in his eye, "Miss Parker, that meal was exceptional, I didn't know you could cook so well."

Miss Parker replied in the same tone. "There are a lot of things you don't know about me Jarod. Tell me, have you had any success in finding your family?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. With Ethan's help, my family is all back together again. There are a few things I would like to discuss with you, things my mother told me about her relationship with your mother."

"I would like that, but perhaps tomorrow would be better. Right now, I'm pretty tired. I usually get up early because of Oliver," she replied but she didn't look a bit tired to Jarod.

He couldn't contain his curiosity any longer. "I do have one question for you though, before you turn in for the night. What made you finally make the break with the Centre?"

Miss Parker moved towards the liquor cabinet. "I think I need a drink before I answer that one, would either of you like something?" Receiving two negative gestures she poured herself a small drink. Returning to her seat she answered Jarod's question.

"Almost immediately after I returned from Africa with Lyle and Raines it became patently clear that I wouldn't be able to work with and for them. I gave Broots a rather difficult assignment that required his genius with computers and started to finalize my plans for getting out.

"I knew that I had to make sure everyone close to me would also have the means to leave. You see I had already set up this and two other places for myself, complete with alternate identities and bank accounts. I started all this when I worked security for Corporate. Well to make a long story short, since I had Broots on his special assignment, it was left to me to start finalizing plans for his and Debbie's new identities, something I originally started setting up shortly after Brigitte made her attempt on Daddy's life.

"Broots came up to me one day and showed me a file he found hidden in the Centre's mainframe about a project that Raines was starting up. It was an old project, but for some unknown reason it had just recently been approved. When I finished reading the file, I knew that I had run out of time. I had to leave immediately. Broots was so freaked-out he suddenly grew a pair, and refused to let me return to my office. He handed me his car keys and told me leave right there and then. We were talking at one of the outer concourse areas so our conversation couldn't be overheard. I took his advice and left. I haven't looked back. Fortunately by that time I had finished all the retirement plans for my team."

With some trepidation, Ethan asked, "I probably don't want to know the answer to this, but I'll ask anyway. What was this project that Mr. Raines was starting?"

Giving her brother a sad smile she continued, "I was supposed to be the major factor in Raines' newest endeavor. The file was called Progeny and it necessitated the removal of all my reproductive eggs. A convenient accident was to be arranged that would put me in a coma, my guess is if I wasn't in a coma from the 'accident' then one would have been induced for me. According to the file, my eggs would've been inseminated with the seed of various other red file candidates in an effort to make several different super-pretenders. I was to be kept alive so that I could carry at least a few of these manufactured babies to term. The date for implementation of this project was the day after Broots showed me the file, thus his insistence that I leave immediately. The incessant warning chatter from the voices in my head wouldn't give me any peace either."

While Parker was giving her explanation she watched the faces of her audience. Jarod had a serious and disgusted expression on his face, while poor Ethan looked like he was going to throw-up the dinner he had just finished enjoying.

Jarod, leaning forward in his seat fixed her with an intense stare, "so that's the reason they shifted the focus of their search from me to you. You have become more important to them. I would just be gravy to them, a stopgap till the babies they wanted were old enough to take over my job. Each child with your ability or a variation of your gift, and the attributes of another red file, this madness was never going to end. I talked to Sydney a couple weeks ago and he told me that Raines had intensified the search for you."

"The Pretender project was a sideline, something Raines cooked up that just happened to be profitable. They wanted to extend that profitability," Ethan said in concurrence to Jarod's statement.

The three refugees of Mr. Raines' experiments adjourned for the night. Each reflected on the day's events and the ramifications of one man's over-weaning ambition.



The next morning Jarod walked slowly through the house. The rest of the downstairs was very much in keeping with the living room he had seen last night while Parker told them her reasons for leaving the Centre. He had been up most of the night thinking about what she had said and briefly considered calling Sydney to warn him of Raines' machinations. Jarod was worried that Raines would possibly resort to using Sydney in an attempt to lure Miss Parker back to the Centre. He changed his mind reasoning that since Raines had no idea of Parker's current whereabouts, it would be useless to do anything to Sydney till Parker could be contacted and any rescue attempt she would try be thwarted and turned against her. Telling Sydney of what Raines had planned for Miss Parker would put him in further danger and probably convince Raines that Sydney had some contact with her.

Shaking his head in disgust, Jarod made his way to the kitchen. He wanted to get a bite to eat before making plans for the day. When he entered a sight greeted him that he never thought he would ever witness. Miss Parker was feeding Oliver pretending that a spoonful of oatmeal was a buzzing airplane. Jarod stilled the swinging kitchen door quietly and watched Parker's behavior in silence. He was taken aback at how natural her actions were. She was comfortable with the child and seemed to deeply care for him. The gentleness in her movements and the way the early morning sun graced and softened her features gave her efforts a unique beauty.

Miss Parker was aware of Jarod's presence the minute he walked through the door, but her budding success in getting an increasingly finicky Oliver to eat the rest of his breakfast held her attention. When she finally got the child to eat the portion on the spoon, she gave up on the rest of the bowl and began rinsing it out in the sink. Without turning around she asked, "Would you like something for breakfast? I have to warn you that I don't have any breakfast junk food," she said smiling as she turned to face Jarod.

Returning her smile, Jarod pushed himself from the wall and walked over to where she was standing. "You've changed. I was surprised to see the way you were with Oliver just now. I recall someone telling me that you were heard to have said and I quote: I don't do Mommy." Jarod tilted his head to one side waiting with interest for her reaction.

Parker gave him a wry smile. "Yes, I recall saying that but I also recall saying there are a lot of things about me that you don't know." Swiftly changing the subject Parker continued in a light manner. "I have fruit, fruit juice, toast and cereal. Anything else you'll have to cook."

"I think I'll have some fruit juice," Jarod replied trying to shake off his unintentional gravity. He didn't want to start a fight or get her angry. He knew he was reacting to his own sudden attraction to her. He retrieved the fruit juice in silence, listening to Parker and Oliver's conversation.

Once she released the boy from his high chair, she started cleaning. Jaord decided now was the right time to tell her some of the things his mother had told him of her relationship with Catherine Parker. Taking a deep breath he began, "Parker, there are some things you should know about our mothers and the past."

Parker visibly flinched, and stared down at her hands distractedly. Before Jarod could continue she stopped him by turning suddenly to face him, "Two things first Jarod. One, please don't call me Parker any longer. I have a new name now, and I would appreciate if you started using it for the duration of your stay. My new last name is Ogilvie. Just about everyone around here calls me by that name but if you prefer you can use my first name-my real first name. Second, I realize that your mother has probably given you a truckload of information about my past. After some of the things we discovered in Scotland, I would also appreciate it if you didn't tell me just yet what your mother has said. I've made a sort of pact with myself concerning my past. What I don't know is fine by me. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that we found out about our connection with Ethan and I'm grateful for even the things we found out on Carthis but I am still dealing with so much dead baggage and any more right now and I'll scream."

Seeing a slightly hurt expression mixed with sorrowful understanding on his face, Parker reached out instinctively and touched Jarod's arm. "Please, don't be hurt. There's enough of that between us to last a lifetime. I just need a little time to distance myself from the horrors we uncovered just in the last year or so. I promise, my curiosity will come roaring back and I will start pestering you for information." Empathy for him was shining in her eyes and they stared at each other for a long moment as a tacit understanding was reached between them. They continued to stare at one another enjoying the unexpected intimacy.

Jarod was the first to break the connection. He felt his emotions starting to stir again and wanted to avoid any possibility of another rejection. The acceptance in her eyes, the complete understanding was making him want more. With a sad smile Jarod replied, "Okay, then Madchen tell me when you're ready and I will be happy to fill you in on what my mother had to say."

Parker nodded at the use of her given name and smiled shyly at Jarod as she left the room. She had been equally affected by what had passed between them in the kitchen. She knew she was attracted to Jarod, but was acutely reminded of their past and her last rejection of his advances. She wanted to growl at herself for her prior stupidity but thankfully recalled that her actions had been based on an accurate assessment of her situation; Daddy had been attentively watching them. Her training required her to stick a gun in his face whenever they met. The evolution of their strange dance of hunter/hunted was something no one could have anticipated, especially Daddy and his minions. Had they known her true feelings towards their prized lab rat, she would have been dumped in an adjoining cell so fast her head would swim. And given Raines' latest pet project she would most likely be fat with Jarod's children before her arse hit the cell floor.



For Ethan, watching his sister's routine up close was unpredictably enjoyable. Her schedule was more unstructured than he had previously thought. Instead of being tied to a fixed work schedule, he soon understood that she owned the restaurant that he and Jarod saw her going into so often. Another pleasant surprise, especially for Jarod, was that she could cook. She was practically a gourmet chef and they both had the joy of tasting her latest experiments.

These last few days had been more tranquil than he could have imagined. Being so close to both his siblings was relaxing and extremely agreeable. The voices continued to chatter to him, but he kept their messages to himself. He decided to wait and see if what they were whispering to him was true. He knew the voices rarely lied to him since he was removed from Raines' influence, but still he felt it prudent not to act on or say anything about their messages.

Jarod and Parker quickly slipped into an easy relationship. They still bantered back and forth but it was light and teasing without any acrimony. Ethan could tell they cared deeply for each other, but also knew they were unaware of this.

Jarod who was carrying a thoroughly entertained Oliver upside down into the backyard interrupted Ethan's thoughts.

"Okay, how would you like me to spin you around like a rocket ship?" Jarod asked the boy.

"Yes, yes, yes!!!" the boy demanded happily.

Jarod easily lifted the small child and holding an arm and a leg, he carefully swung him around. Once the circle had been completed a couple of times, Jarod gathered the laughing child into his arms and placed him on the soft grass. He laughed as Oliver drunkenly attempted to regain his equilibrium.

Turning to Ethan who was watching them while seated with his back propped against the thick tree in the yard Jarod asked, "Hey there, little brother, what's up?" Noticing Ethan's pensive expression.

"Nothing, I was thinking of asking Madchen if she wouldn't mind me taking Oliver to the park this afternoon. I could probably burn off some of that excess energy he seems to always have and give her a bit of a break."

"She would probably be very grateful for that, but I know the real reason behind your generosity," Jarod said smilingly.

"Really, what?" Ethan asked, perplexed that Jarod should have guessed his true intent.

With a conspiratorial glint was in his eye he said, "you're after those devils food sandwiches she makes. I promise not to say a word if you agree to let me have a couple of them before you leave."

Ethan released his tension with a laugh of relief. The last thing he wanted Jarod to know was that he was doing his part as a passive matchmaker for his unrelated siblings by giving them time alone. "Okay, that's a deal."


Miss Parker was in her favorite comfortable position under the tree in her backyard. She was staring up into the blue sky, this time contemplating her present. The recent changes in her life were monopolizing her thoughts. She had thought she would never see her half-brother again. The ecstasy of seeing him was unexpected. Then there was Jarod. Here he was again in the flesh, she had to smile at herself recalling how she had once told him that whenever she stopped looking for him, he always seemed to instantly pop up in her life. This time she had an entirely different battle to contend with, her growing attraction to him. As this thought was being carefully examined she felt his presence behind her on the patio and unconsciously shifted her body deeper in the soft grass.

Jarod had been searching for her in the house when he spotted a figure laying in the grass by the tree in the yard. He walked catlike onto the patio without making a sound. He was contentedly chewing the last of an apple wedge as he watched her. She looked supremely comfortable lying in the grass, when he noticed her slight movement and realized she knew he was standing there. He was on the verge of turning around and leaving her in peace when he changed his mind suddenly. A mischievous notion popped in his head, and said aloud with humor in his voice.

"You look way too comfortable, I can't leave you here without disturbing you at least a little."

He walked over to where Parker lay and joined her in the grass. He breathed a heavy sigh of contentment as he felt the grass cradle his body. She made an amused sound from the back of her throat and continued her inspection of the sky.

"What did you mean when you said you had made retirement plans for your team?" Jarod asked after a few minutes, breaking their comfortable silence.

"Daddy had left me the bulk of his monetary estate in his will along with a few diaries and a letter addressed to me. When I saw the amount of my inheritance I realized that I could provide a fresh start for everyone on my team. Sydney, Broots and Sam were more like friends than colleagues. I wanted to make sure they could leave without feeling they had to buy into that false feeling of security that everything would be okay if they stayed put. Daddy's money helped me do that."

"That was very kind of you. When I talked to Sydney he sounded very proud of you. He misses you very much," Jarod said quietly.

"I miss him too, but I can't contact him. Raines would use him against me to lure me back and that's something I couldn't possibly do," she replied sadly. "I gave Sydney the option of leaving whenever he felt like it. He won't leave Angelo and Dannie alone to be victimized by Raines again.

"He's lucky to have earned your loyalty and trust. I can't imagine you leaving him there too long without eventually pressuring him to leave," Jarod said with emotion.

"I won't," she said cryptically. Wanting to change the subject she rolled over onto her side and leaning on her propped up elbow she asked, "what was it like for you to meet your mother for the first time?"

She watched his face as he told her how Ethan had engineered the meeting with his mother. His face was clear and he looked simply beautiful. His dark eyes expressed his joy in meeting his mother more eloquently than any of his words. His deep voice worked its magic in her brain as she slowly reached over and touched his closely shaven cheek. He stopped talking abruptly and turned his head to look at her. That was all the incentive she needed as she leaned over and kissed his lips.

He was obviously surprised by her behavior but calmly returned the kiss with a gentle insistence. She deepened the kiss by slightly opening her mouth and they continued until they both ran out of breath. Separating they stared at each other mutely. Parker started to smile as she licked her lips seductively and released a deep chuckle. "I guess that solves one mystery. I had wondered what it would be like to kiss you since that time we were on Carthis together. Not bad genius."

"One mystery? I would like hear about the other mysteries you've been wondering about," he said with a small inquisitive smile. He then reached over gently cupping the back of her head in his hand and brought her lips back to where they belonged. They continued kissing and groping each other when the slamming of the front door announced Ethan and Oliver's return. Parker immediately broke the kiss and disentangling herself from Jarod got to her feet. She was just outside the patio door when she turned back to him.

"You earned my trust a long time ago Jarod. You were always there for me when things got dicey and you were even there for me on Carthis after I was the obstacle that kept you from your mother. Right now I'm working on getting over my loyalty issues." She gave him a huge grin and winking at him she entered the house.

Jarod watched her go inside. He had a curious feeling that things were coming together for the two of them. It was almost like a resolution to question neither of them had asked but both wondered about.


It was late when Jarod had gotten up to get a drink of water from the kitchen. He was startled to see the light on under the door. He half-expected to find Ethan raiding the refrigerator but instead found Parker sipping a mug of warm milk.

"Thirsty at this time of night? I would have thought you would be sound asleep," he said giving her a knowing grin.

"Yeah, you and your middle of the night calls. Well, I haven't had a decent night's sleep for several years. I think its rule twenty in the 'Bad-guys for dummies' handbook." She took another sip of the warmed milk. "Sometimes this helps, for obvious reasons I've severely cut down on my alcohol consumption."

Detaching himself from the opposite counter, he slowly approached until he was standing directly in front of her. Smiling into her eyes he replied, "I believe I can help you in your battle with insomnia. I'm not making any guarantees mind you, but I can at least insure that you won't be bored with my attempts."

A stunned and somewhat musing smile touched her lips as she let him lead the way to his bed.


The next morning Jarod woke up alone. It was somewhat disconcerting finding her gone and the indentation on her side of the bed cold. He dressed and made his way to the kitchen again. This time he found Ethan, Oliver and Parker enjoying a freshly made breakfast.

"Hey Jarod, it's about time you got up." Ethan stated happily taking careful note of the silent exchange between his siblings.

Slightly puzzled by Jarod's pique she said, "have a seat, I made enough for a small army."

"Thanks, did you sleep well?" He asked innocently.

'Oh, so that's what's wrong with him, didn't like waking up alone,' she thought, perversely charmed by his sarcasm.

"Yes, like a baby, thank you. I have to go to the restaurant today, would you mind taking care of Oliver for me today, if you have plans then I'll take him to daycare as usual."

"I think Ethan and I can look after him for you. When will you be getting home?" He realized they sounded like a married couple the minute the question left his mouth.

She smiled at the question, catching the unintended inference. "Around 6 o'clock maybe a little later. I'll give you a call before I leave and bring dinner from the restaurant." Keeping up the married couple routine, she leaned over and gave him a quick kiss before leaving to get ready for work.

With a wide smile Ethan remarked, "You two seem to be getting along very well. Your relationship doesn't look so complicated from here."

"It's still complicated and if I didn't know better, I would say that you are not only unsurprised but pleased." Jarod narrowed his eyes as he looked at his younger brother.

Ethan was all innocence. "I have no idea what you're talking about. I was just commenting on how friendly my sister was this morning."

"Yeah, right. Let's check out this town and maybe cruise into Cedar Rapids and rent some videos for later on tonight."


Later that night after watching a couple of videos, Parker got up from her seat and bade Ethan good night. When she approached Jarod on her way out, she leaned over and whispered an invitation into his ear then left.

Jarod looked at Ethan with a momentary blank look on his face. Then grinning he got up eagerly and followed Parker from the room.



A week later Mrs. Kanimoto decided on taking a predawn walk around her property. As the years went by she found sleep becoming more elusive and had taken to napping though out the day like an infant. She missed Ms. Ogilvie's visits. It seemed her neighbor had visitors and the beautiful woman was preoccupied with them. Mrs. Kanimoto hadn't seen her for a couple of weeks so far.

The elderly woman slowly walked her circuit from her back door approximately 100 yards over to a small garden that was planted close to Ms. Ogilvie's house. The air was unseasonably warm and held a deep-breath inducing sweetness. As she approached the Ogilvie house, she heard some unmistakable sounds. It had been several years since she had heard this but it was a sound one never forgot. The lovers were in the throws of passion and were being a bit loud about it. There was only one place it could be coming from and the elderly lady no longer felt slighted by her young neighbor's negligence. She paused for a while listening to their sounds, unabashedly refusing to feel like an eavesdropper. The woman loudly climaxed and said something clearly in English but while Mrs. Kanimoto didn't understand the words, she clearly understood the manner in which they were said. She waited a few seconds longer for the man to also express his pleasure and was soon rewarded by hearing a loud and deep unintelligible groan of intense satisfaction.

Mrs. Kanimoto smiled to herself as she peered up at the second story window and slowly continued her morning's constitutional.

After a few moments, Jarod got out of bed and walked over to the window. A soft warm breeze gently fluttered the curtains as he looked out at the soft smudges of light dawning the new day. His instincts told him to look around to see if he had been observed but leaning forward to peer out the window he saw no one. When he felt Parker's arms encircle his waist he straightened and turned towards her. He gently lifted a few wisps of damp hair from her face and looked lovingly into her gray eyes. He saw his own feelings for her reflected in her eyes.

"I almost lost you, lost us," he said as he used both hands to cup her face in his palms.

"Let's not worry about what almost happened. I would prefer to concentrate on the here and now. And right now I would like some post-coital attention," she replied happily as she leaned her body into his. The warm breeze had started drying the fine sheen of sweat that had coated their bodies.


Later in the afternoon, Parker made her way over to Mrs. Kanimoto's home. She was feeling slightly guilty at having been remiss in her attentions to her elderly neighbor. She knocked on the door and waited patiently as the elderly woman answered the door. When she entered and replied to the usual pleasantries and inquiries she seated herself down for a nice cup of tea that always seemed to be ready.

Mrs. Kanimoto was all affability and not a hint was made to Ms. Ogilvie's prior absences. Their tea continued as usual until Mrs. Kanimoto sensing a slight reluctance in the young woman, gently broached the subject of her guests. Parker replied distractedly and immediately became lost in her own thoughts. To Mrs. Kanimoto, she appeared to be struggling with making up her mind to open up and discuss what was bothering her. Guessing that this was the problem, Mrs. Kanimoto decided to help her out.

"I once had a friend back in Kyoto who was very much in love with her husband. The woman talked on about the plans she had for him and made a vow to give him the best of her best years. I was a newlywed myself and my mother listening to my friend shook her head sadly. When my friend went home my mother told me that the best years of anyone's life should be enjoyed not given away like a commodity at the market. My mother predicted that one day my friend would live to regret her vow explaining that it too easy for the husband to disappoint and fail to appreciate the gift she had given him. My mother predicted that my friend's obsession would drive him to seek solace in another's arms. I vowed to follow my mother's advice and eventually she was proven correct. "

"How did you know I wanted to talk about a man?" Parker replied, still hedging trying to decide if talking to Mrs. Kanimoto was the right thing to do and how much should she reveal.

"I have seen him in your yard, playing with your son. There is another young man with him."

"Ethan is my brother the younger of the two. Jarod came along with him for a visit. I've known Jarod most of my life. This latest development in our relationship is making a complicated situation even more complicated."

"Complications are only obstacles when we allow them to be. I am not a romantic, but if you truly care for this man and want him then where is the problem?" Mrs. Kanimoto probed.

With her vulnerability showing she replied, "I wish it were that easy, our past makes things difficult. I told you once that a while ago there was someone in my life and he died. He was a friend of Jarod's and Jarod was the one who set us up together. Now Jarod and I are together, I don't know how long this is going to last but when I'm honest with myself I know that when we're together it feels permanent...right. I'm not much of a romantic either, so I'm left wondering how much of what I'm feeling is my own loneliness and desire to have a husband. Before Oliver the last thing I wanted was a husband, but now that's all changed." Parker looked at the older woman tentatively.

"Do you like him?" Mrs. Kanimoto asked abruptly.

"Like him? Yeah, I guess I do. The way I feel about him is a lot more than just liking him," Parker said, slightly confused by the question. She was beginning to feel she had made a mistake in coming to Mrs. Kanimoto.

"Well, liking him is far more important than loving him. If you like him, than seeing him in your bed 30 years from now will be like waking up with an old friend. If what you feel is the strength of lust then you will tire of him within a few years and the sound of his voice will begin to irritate you for no reason. There is nothing to be ashamed about in wanting a husband. It's almost the same as wanting a companion only with fringe benefits." Mrs. Kanimoto laughed.




The Centre
Blue Cove, De

Lyle was walking through the dark hallways with a purpose. He smiled at a few passing employees who returned his wordless greeting with fearful respect. That was the way he liked it. It was best to instill a measure of fear in those around you to insure their respect. He was just about to enter his office when he was unpleasantly accosted by the sound of the oil deprived high-pitched squeaking of Raines' portable oxygen tank. He came to a halt irritably but rearranged his features into a pleasant, slightly subservient smile as he faced the newest chairman.

"And to what do I owe the honor of this visit?"

"Results, Mr. Lyle, results. Have you heard any news from Mr. White?" Raines rasped.

"As a matter of fact I have, would you like to discuss this in my office?" Lyle held open the door to his office for Raines to proceed inside.

When they were standing within the relative privacy of Lyle's office, he continued, "I received a call about an hour ago from Mr. White. He said he found a lead on the Major. The Major possibly made a credit card purchase; White is on the way to the store to confirm it. He should be getting back with me the minute he has any information."

"Where does he believe the Major and the boy are located?"

"He didn't say, he wanted to be sure of his facts before telling me anything concrete." Lyle responded knowing this was going to make Raines unhappy.

"I don't like this. Have Mr. White inform you of all his movements from now on we need to take a more hands-on approach to this search. Perhaps it hasn't been impressed on you enough the importance of success in this matter." Raines took a deep hit of oxygen, but the thinly veiled threat was in his eyes.

"This search is at the top of my priorities. I have also impressed on Mr. White the importance of success. From now on I will have him submit daily detailed reports on his progress," Lyle said smoothly.

"You now have only one priority. Do not disappoint me or the Triumvirate Mr. Lyle." Mr. Raines warned ominously as he turned and dragged his squeaky oxygen supply with him.



Outside Cedar Rapids, IA


"You were a big hit back there. I think my Sous chef fell in love with you at first sight," Parker said, grinning with proud mischievousness.

Coloring slightly at the compliment Ethan replied, "she was very nice but I don't think she was interested in me in that way."

"Well, she didn't bat an eye when I told her I wanted to introduce my brother, but her whole attitude changed when she got a look at you. You're very handsome you know." Her delight in his discomfort was obvious.

"Thanks, where are we going now?" Ethan asked trying to change the subject.

"I would like you to meet my neighbor, and then your torture will be over." She answered, seeing him drop his shoulders in defeat she decided to alleviate his misery. "Don't worry, she's a nice old lady and speaks only Japanese. I told her that you were visiting and she asked about you. It will be over before you know it."

Ethan brightened a bit and smiled at her. He was touched at the obvious pride his sister was having in showing him off to her friends. He decided that staying with her would be more than agreeable. He thought about the other side of his family, he would miss them terribly but he knew his place was here with her. Never in a million years when he was living with the Clausons did he imagine that he would have a large family or any family member that would want and need to have him around.

Parker pulled into her own driveway, and getting out they both started to walk across the lawn to Mrs. Kamimoto's house. Ethan was carrying the carefully wrapped, over-loaded parcel of food from the restaurant that his sister had prepared for the old lady.

They both heard the noise of a door slamming and saw Jarod holding a chattering Oliver and walking towards them. They both paused waiting for him to catch up then continued to Mrs. Kamimoto's front door.

"Hey, mind if we join you?" Jarod asked as he hoisted Oliver onto his shoulders.

"I don't think Mrs. Kamimoto will mind. I was telling Ethan that she only speaks Japanese. She's a bit of a traditionalist so be patient," Parker explained.

Mrs. Kamimoto was gracious at meeting Ms. Ogilvie's brother and young man. They had both excited a lively curiosity in her as she invited them into her house. She served tea and was pleasantly relieved to find that Jarod was also fluent in Japanese. He was well spoken, polite and extremely knowledgeable in Japanese customs in the same vein as her young neighbor. The looks that occasionally passed between him and Ms. Ogilvie assuaged all the elderly lady's curiosity. It was obvious to her that the two were crazy about each other and at least in her eyes their bond to each other was deep, strong and enduring.

The social visit more than made up for any of Ms. Ogilvie's prior neglect and Mrs. Kamimoto was exceedingly grateful for her neighbor's attention. She was determined to repay her neighbor's kindness the minute an opportunity arose and felt she had truly found a worthy friend in Ms. Ogilvie.


"Do you visit her often?" Jarod asked as they were all walking slowly home.

Parker replied feeling a bit defensive. "Yes, she didn't have anyone. No one around here or in Cedar Rapids that I know of, speaks Japanese. We keep each other company."

"She's lucky to have you and she knows it," Jarod replied with certainty.

Oliver broke the silence with his high-pitched demands for dessert.


Another week passed and the inhabitants of the Ogilvie household had settled into a type of routine. They had unconsciously formed a family unit. Their relationships had solidified and they continued to be comfortable and at ease with each other. Jarod and Parker's relationship followed the dictates of their feelings for each other. They acted like the devoted couple they were and Ethan was the brother they had both wanted since they were children. Oliver fitted nicely into all their lives.


More than a month had passed since Jarod and Ethan had shown up on Parker's doorstep. He and Madchen were happy with each other but Jarod was beginning to miss his family. He wanted to merge his two families but wasn't certain how amenable Madchen would be to the suggestion. The question in his mind came to a head when he received an encrypted email from his father. Major Charles had written that the family was to meet at a large house he had rented. He left instructions for Jarod and Ethan to meet them at the house on the northern Oregon coast in three weeks time. They had voluntarily separated for security sake when Jarod and Ethan announced their intention to take a road trip. Now was the time to reunite again.

Jarod showed the email to Ethan and carefully watched his brother's reaction. He knew Ethan felt he had finally found his home with Madchen it was a sentiment he shared with him.

"When are you going to tell her?"

"When she gets home. What are your thoughts?" Jarod asked, interested in Ethan's opinion.

Keeping his expression neutral Ethan said carefully, "I don't think she's going to be too happy, she's gotten used to us being here."

Jarod got up from his chair in the living room and started pacing nervously, his mind racing. He took a deep breath and then turned to face his brother. "I want all of us to go, especially her. I want us to be one family."

Ethan thought deliberately on his next choice of words. "What about Dad? I don't think he likes Madchen too well, especially given her role in chasing you for the past 5 years."

"This time I need your help, Ethan. I'll convince Madchen to come with us, help me with Dad. I have no intention of letting Madchen go, especially when I almost lost her," Jarod said distractedly, his thoughts already jumping ahead forming convincing arguments to Madchen.


The next morning Jarod woke to the sound of Madchen in the bathroom that was adjacent to the bedroom they shared. He got up and followed her. She had just finished brushing her teeth when she looked up to see Jarod leaning in the doorway. She checked out his reflection in the bathroom mirror and gave him an appealing leer. "I just love that outfit of yours."

Jarod gave her a wide smile acknowledging that he wasn't wearing anything. He returned her appraising leer with pleasure as his eyes traveled leisurely down the length of her body. "I need to talk to you about an email I got yesterday from my father." He replied unable to tear his eyes off her more than agreeable curves.

She turned and took a step towards him then reaching behind the door she grabbed a robe that was hanging there and put it on. "Okay, talk to me, without any distractions." She grinned briefly at his obvious disappointment when she covered herself. "Is everything alright with your family?"

"Yes, when Ethan and I left them, we all agreed to separate in order to thwart any Centre attempts to locate us. My father wrote that he has rented a large house in northern Oregon and he wants all of us to meet him and my mom there. They will arrive in a little over 3 weeks." Jarod was attentively watching her face to gauge her reaction.

Madchen had been expecting something like this for the past few weeks. She had kept getting one reprieve after another. Now that the issue of Jarod and Ethan's departure was finally staring her in the face she felt like someone had just given her a swift kick in her ulcer ravaged stomach. It hurt like hell; she had grown to love both of them so dearly. Her face was expressionless as she silently brushed past Jarod and reentered the bedroom. When she reached the bed she put one hand on the footboard and bowed her head. In a quiet voice she asked, "when do you plan on leaving?"

"In a couple of weeks. Ethan and I both would prefer to get there before anyone else arrives, just to check things out. That's not what I want to talk to you about," he said and taking an intrepid deep breath continued, "I want you to go with us, you and Oliver."

A sad smile was on her face when she turned to him. "I don't think that would be a good idea."

"I think it is, we've created a family of our own here. It's time we've merged the two. I need this and I think you need it too," Jarod said emphatically.

She could tell by the determined look on his face that he was ready to win this argument. It was obvious that he had given this considerable thought, and since this was Genius-boy she was looking at, her chances of winning the impending argument on logic alone was slim to none. But then again she never backed down from anything easily.

"Jarod, your family has every reason to hate me. All the misery that my family has inflected on them alone would make them want to shoot me on sight. And we haven't even broached the subject of all the misery I've inflected on you all by my little lonesome," she said bitterly.

"You know how I feel about you. I want you now and I've wanted you for a quite a while and since I've finally succeeded in breaching that wall you put up, I'm never going to walk out of your life. I need you because I don't have to worry about explaining my situation to you; most of all you understand what I am and where I've come from. We've been told the same lies and have fought many of the same battles. Sweetheart, I'm something you're just going to have to get used to; the issue here is that I want both my families to be one," he said with heavy emotion.

"I feel the same way, you know that. We both have always been able somehow to know what the other is feeling. I don't think you're seeing something here. Do you realize that I've pointed my 9mm in both your parent's faces? Remember when I captured your father and I believed Fenigor's lies that he was responsible for my mother's death? Well, I was fully prepared to shoot him and threatened him until he told me that my mother was being so secretive because she wanted to protect my father and me

"You know what happened on the island with your mother, did you ever tell her why I had a gun in her face?" she asked with sudden curiosity.

"Yes, we talked about it and she understands. She thought you were the one who shot her until I told her that it was one of the monks who was working for the Centre and that he had hit you over the head when you tried to catch up to her." Jarod answered with some amusement. She was actually upset over the notion that his mother thought she had tried to hurt her.

"Thanks," she said with gratitude. "It's not me Jarod. I just honestly don't think that your family would be thrilled to see me."

"You're probably right, but I want them to meet the most important person in my life. Once they realize that then I believe they will make every effort to get to know you, if not just because they're curious to find out why I'm crazy about you." Jarod replied sensing victory with clearing the first hurdle.

With an air of mock defeat she sat on the bed and said, "Oh, alright, then Oliver and I will meet your family. I didn't think I would win this argument but I had to let you know how I felt about it."

"Um...there is something else I wanted to talk to you about." Jarod began again. This time Madchen turned and looked at him with wary surprise.

"My God, what else could there be?" She asked with trepidation

Jarod walked over and sitting next to her on the bed he reached over and took her hands in his. "I think we should get married. I know what we feel for each other goes beyond marriage but I like the thought of you belonging to me, legally." He smiled at the idea as he looked in her eyes.

She was too dumbfounded to give him any answer. She opened her mouth and then closed it without saying anything. Tears began to prick her eyes as she stared into his dark expressive eyes with the feeling of being pulled into their vortex.

Taking advantage of her uncharacteristic muteness, Jarod continued telling her what he tentatively had in mind. "I would like to get married with my whole family around us. It would be a dream come true," he said enthusiastically.

"Are you nuts?!" She practically screamed. "If the Centre had even the smallest hint of where we were and that we were together, we would all be occupying sublevel cells in the Centre. If we're lucky they might just give us adjoining cells. Is that your idea of family togetherness??" She had finally found her voice. Sometimes this genius was a complete moron.

"Calm down. It was just an idea," Jarod was a bit shocked at the vehemence of her reaction. Then he looked at her with more hope than he had previously entertained. She hadn't said 'no' to his proposal, just to the idea of getting married with his family in attendance. "Wait a minute, does that mean that you....accept me?" he asked with uncertainty.

She heaved a great sigh. Standing up she positioned her body between his knees, then placing her hands on either side of his head she looked deep into his absolutely gorgeous eyes. "I will always lo--, um..I want you so much, I need you..." She gave up trying to express herself verbally and merely nodded her approbation. What she was feeling in her heart showed clearly in her eyes. She lowered her head a fraction until their noses touched.

"Somehow, someway we'll make this work. You know all about the darkness inside of me and still you don't run screaming. You know about my horrible family, its history and have been a victim of their machinations most of your life and you still want me. You have been there for me during the worst moments of my life and are still generous enough to try to help me despite all the rotten things I've done to you. I could never fully or accurately describe the depth of my feelings for you, my beautiful genius."

Jarod was deeply affected by her words. It was more than he could have hoped or imagined. The look in her eyes stirred other feelings that his body was beginning to express on its own. Keeping his eyes glued to the deeply intelligent twin gray orbs that were carefully watching him, he slowly untied the knot in the sash that fastened her robe around her body. She finished removing the garment as they started to kiss.



Mrs. Kamimoto started her morning's constitutional a full hour later than usual. Even though Ms. Ogilvie and her young man had no idea that she had overheard their lovemaking, the elderly lady wanted to give them her own measure of privacy. The old Japanese lady carefully and slowly made her way from her back door to the Ogilvie house. Just as she was approaching the garden, the unmistakable sounds of the other day greeted her again, this time a bit louder. Their passion seemed to have grown in intensity. Mrs. Kamimoto was slightly startled, then silently chuckled at the young people. She had forgotten how energetic lovers of their stripe could be. She and her dead husband had been the same way up until his untimely death. As Mrs. Kamimoto continued her slow circuit passing directly under the bedroom window she heard Ms. Ogilvie's passionate comments in English and her enthusiastic lover's response. Mrs. Kamimoto wished them from her heart the best in what she knew would be a lifelong and fruitful partnership. By the time the old lady returned to her home and started setting up her usual tea service, the lovers had time to rest and were groping their way to round two.



Much later that morning, Madchen and Jarod made their way downstairs to the kitchen. They had decided on having a light breakfast before tackling the task of breaking the news of their engagement to Ethan. When they entered the kitchen, Ethan was already there with Oliver trying to convince the child to eat. He looked up at his siblings and greeted them with a teasingly knowing grin. "Hey, it's about time you two decided to get up today."

Without looking at each other, Jarod sat down at the table with Ethan, while Madchen poured them both glasses of fruit juice.

Jarod began cautiously. "Ethan, there is something that we need to tell you." He knew that Ethan was fully aware of their relationship. He suspected that Ethan knew even before they had consummated anything. "This will probably not come as a surprise to you, but Madchen and I are engaged. It's the first time I've been able to talk her into anything," Jarod said with humor.

Sitting next to Jarod at the table, Madchen asked with determination. "Ethan, you're the only remaining family member I have that I can still look at without shame. I want you're blessing. Not having it won't stop us, but I want it anyway."

Ethan gave them a wide grin that was identical to one of Madchen's. "It's about time you two got around to getting serious about each other. Yeah, you have my blessing. May I give you away at the wedding?"

"I would be honored to have you give me away." Madchen laughed at her brother's audaciousness, and acquiesced with the utmost sincerity.

Madchen decided to have a little fun at Jarod's expense. "You won't believe this but Wonder-boy here wanted us to get married in Oregon with his family around us. I think he's getting soft in his old age." She looked at Jarod with loving amusement.

"You were the one who impressed on me the importance of being careful where the Centre is concerned." Ethan said pointedly to Jarod who rolled his eyes at Madchen's teasing.

"I have an idea though. What about getting married in Reno? We have over 3 weeks before Dad and the rest of the family reassemble in Oregon. I propose that we, or more accurately Jarod, hack into Nevada's state marriage bureau computers. Make their records show that you have already completed all the necessary paperwork for getting married, including any blood tests. We never know what records the Centre is monitoring and who they may have working for them. Then all we need to do is pick a minister and get you two hitched."

Jarod and Madchen were both nodding at his idea as he laid it out to them. They looked at each other and smiled both proud that the solution to their problem came from their brother. Ethan's readymade solution also confirmed their suspicions that he had been getting more input from the voices than he let on.

"After you're married, then you two take off for the house in Oregon. No one should be there for another two weeks and you can have your honeymoon there. I'll take Oliver and we can stay in Lake Tahoe and have a little vacation of our own. We'll join you at the same time the rest of the family is expected to show up," Ethan said looking satisfied that his plan should work perfectly.

"That's a wonderful plan, Ethan, but I don't think I want to be separated that long from Oliver. How about the two of you stay in Lake Tahoe for a week and then you join us in Oregon? That way the four of us will have a week together before the rest of your family joins us." Madchen suggested hopefully. She was deeply attached to Oliver and knew she would miss him after being separated for so long.

"That sounds like a plan. I'll get started on Nevada's computers now," Jarod replied. He left the kitchen wanting to get the ball rolling so they could set Ethan's plan in motion immediately.

"Have I ever told you that I'm lucky to have you for a brother?" Madchen told him lovingly.

"I know I'm lucky to have you for a sister. I'm fortunate that you're gorgeous too." He replied with a smile and equal sincerity.

"I have a feeling that the voices told you what was going on between me and Jarod, am I right?"

"Yes, they did. Actually, she did, our mother's voice. Do you still get premonitions, like the one you had of being trapped in that building last year?" Ethan asked with interest.

"That's odd, as a matter of fact I had what felt like a premonition not too long ago. It seemed like a dream, until I had the same vision while I was wide-awake in my office at the restaurant. Its strange seeing scenes in my mind that are clearly taken out of context, scenes that I have no idea when they will occur." She said with some worry in her voice.

"Tell me what you saw. Maybe an objective viewpoint can help decipher it." Ethan offered.

"Well, I'm in a large room but I can't see all of it. There is a man near the door and I have the impression that he works for the Centre. He wants me to return and is threatening the lives of everyone I love. I have the feeling that no matter what he threatens I can't go back as if something more precious is at stake. What that is I have no idea." Madchen was trying to shake off the intense feelings that the vision had caused.

"That is strange. I have a feeling the Centre is going to catch up to us. That's why I suggested Reno. I'm not getting any warnings about going there." Ethan looked at her expectantly.

"No, neither am I. But every instinct in me is telling me that going to Oregon is a mistake. It has nothing to do with the voices, just the instincts I honed during my years working for the Centre and hunting Jarod. Let's just be extra vigilant, I can't disappoint Jarod with vague feelings." She started looking as worried as her voice sounded.









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