Disclaimer: These characters don't belong to me except Jenni. They belong to NBC etc.  I promise I'll return them after I've done with them.
 
 

Misunderstandings
part I
BlackDragon
 
 
 
 
 

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CHAPTER ONE

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Lyle's House

3 December 1999

11pm
 
 

Lyle walked in the door and closed it behind him.  'God he was tired', he thought as he tossed his jacket over the couch, 'Another day in hell, fighting with a sister who thinks I'm really a psychopath, and a father who doesn't even know I'm his son.'

Grabbing a cold beer from the fridge he settles down in front of the television and starts to sort through his "Pasts" box.  It contains some DSAs, a few letters, files, and most importantly a volume of his mother's copious diary. He begins to read it for the umpteenth time...

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Miss Parker's House
3 December 1957

Mrs Parker is writing at her desk in her studio.
 
 

"Dear Diary, I'm writing this to you because I know you are the only one who will understand the mess I have got myself into.  I care about both my husband and Ben, but neither can give me what I really want. When I married Anthony Parker I didn't realise that he couldn't have children.  We went to the doctor's to see why we were having difficulty starting a family.  They said that Anthony has a low sperm count which means that we will probably never have a family by natural means.  Then there is Ben.  I knew when I started seeing him that he had had a vasectomy and couldn't help me either.  Oh Diary what am I going to do!  I suggested we try by using the fertility drugs that The Center has been developing, but he would have none of it.  I've defied him and I got Jacob to get some for me, but it didn't work.  Now Jacob has threatened to tell Anthony what I did if I don't meet him.  I would never have thought that he would use me this way.  He has also hinted that he will tell Anthony about Ben if I don't meet him at the hotel..."

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Miss Parker's House
3 April 1958
9pm

Mrs Parker is writing at her desk in her studio.

"Dear Diary, Every time Jacob uses me I want to cry. In front of others, even his brother he is a gentleman. He does nothing to allude to what he is doing to me. He is like my husband has become.  Every month just before my cycle renews I must meet him at that hotel.  Tonight is another one of those nights."  She leans forward and takes a tissue from the box beside her.

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The hotel
3 April 1958
10pm
 
 

Catherine is waiting on the bed as the door opens. "Jacob, let us get this over and done with..."she says with a weary voice.

Jacob comes over to her and asks her "Where would you like to start?".  Taken slightly aback by his sudden lack of initiative she quickly strips and begins to advance on him....

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Lyle's house
4 December 1999
4am

The phone rings and wakes Lyle from a troubled sleep. "Yes, what is it!" he grumbles as he wipes the sleep from his eyes.

"Son, I need to ask you a favour..." Mr Parker's voice humbly booms on the other end of the line.

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CHAPTER TWO

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An Airstrip
4 December
10pm

"What is so important that you would disregard the Triumvirate's warning"

"Well son, I have someone I want you to meet" Mr Parker says as he users a very fat young woman out of the plane, "This is Jenni, she's your half-sister.  She was the product of an otherwise unsuccessful business trip to New Zealand."  He comments as he strokes her curly mahogany hair. "She's just had a rough time with her mother, though I admit it must have been hard with a mentally challenged daughter.  Her grandmother has just been sent to a nursing home so her mother Bernadette tried to kill her so she wouldn't have to take care of her." He looks at Lyle thoughtfully for a moment then continues "She's nearly 23 now," The older man rambles "She wasn't always like this you know.  When she was four she was mentally gifted in more ways than one...until she met Raines that is...she survived that...barely.  I want you to take her to your sister's house.  I wanted to do this a long time ago but her grandmother promised to take care of her...some promise, this girls been in more foster homes than I care to think about."

Looking at Mr Parker, Lyle asks, "How do you know she's yours?"

"Because son, I had a DNA test run when she was born"

"Can't argue with science now, can I?"

"Oh, and Lyle"

"Yes dad?"

"Tell Angel not to take her into the Center, She's like Angelo in more ways than one"

"She's a pretender" Asks Lyle hopefully

"No, She's an empath.  Being around Raines again might cause her to become distressed.  She's also capable of using telekinesis, though she can't really control it anymore."

"Fun"

"This is serious Lyle.  She can cause all sorts of chaos when she's upset"

"And you want me to give her to my sister?" Lyle shot his father an incredulous look.

"Yes damnit! I want you to take her to Angel's place"

"And if my loving twin won't take her"

"You'll think of something"

With that Mr Parker got back aboard the plane and took off.

'Wait a minute' thought Lyle 'Doesn't she have any clothes?'

Jenni just looked at Lyle and gave him a goofy smile.

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Blue Cove
5 December 1999
7am

"What!" Miss Parker scowls as she opens the door.  She is definitely not a morning person, and being woken at 7am is usually akin to suicide on the visitors behalf.

"Good morning sis!" Mr Lyle beams, knowing that she's probably only just woken up.

"This better be about Jarod or I'm going to shot you right now"

"That's not very creative sis.  I thought you could do better than mere shooting"

"Give me another hour of sleep and some coffee and I might be up to disembowelling you"

"Can we come in?" Lyle asks.

"We?"

"Yes we.  Sis I want you to meet Jenni."

Jenni shyly comes into view and smiles at Miss Parker.  She's wearing pink tracksuit pants and a bright yellow tracksuit top with a smiley face on the front.

Miss Parker bursts out laughing and opens the door for the pair. "Don't tell me...This is the girl you want to marry."

When they are settled in the living room and Miss Parker has a cup of coffee in her hand Lyle tells her the reason for his visit.

"No way Lyle!"

"Sorry Sis, but that's what Dad said"

"No way am I babysitting Cousin It's kid sister!"

"She's not Angelo's sister, she's ours" Lyle tried to reason.

"Why don't you look after her then." Sniped Miss Parker.

"Dad asked you"

"That's what you say.  I don't care Psychoboy, there is NO way I am taking her."

"I can't take her can I"

"Why not?"

"Could you imagine her living at my place?"

"Give her back to Raines then" Miss Parker replied in her coldest voice "I have enough to do trying to catch Jarod without dealing with this 'Thing' as well"

Lyle hung his head in defeat and gently tugged for Jenni to follow him out "Ok Sis, you win. I just hope Mom can't see you now.  She would really be ashamed of you."

Miss Parker watched to door close and cursed.

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Lyle's House
5 December 1999
9am

"Well Jen, this is going to be your new home" Lyle told her as he showed Jenni through the house. "I've called a friend of our sister's to take you clothes shopping, He can get you some stuff for your new room as well" Lyle promised as he waited for Broots to arrive.  He had called him on the way from Miss Parker's house and told him he had a special assignment for him.

9:30am

He was just about to ring Broots again when the balding man scuttled up the steps leaving his bicycle in a heap.  Lyle rolled his eyes, then dragged him in.

"This is Jenni, Broots.  She's my half-sister.  Dad asked Miss Parker to look after her but your ever considerate boss has decided that she won't, so I have to." Lyle railed against his missing twin. "She's a mental case and she needs some clothes and stuff.  Here's my credit card.  Look after her for today...and whatever you do keep her away from the Center and Mr Raines, got that"

"Yes Mr Lyle.... Don't take her to the Center and Keep her away from Mr Raines" stuttered Broots.

"Oh and Broots"

"Yes Mr Lyle"

"See if you can find her a reliable minder or something. I don't want to assign a sweeper unless I have to. I want to keep this away from the Triumvirate if possible."

"Ok Mr Lyle" replied Broots as he wondered why Mr Lyle trusted him with this.

"By the way Broots, I think you'd better take my car" Lyle said as he tossed other car keys to Broots. "I don't think your bicycle is made for two!"

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Broot's House
5 December 1999
11:30pm

Sydney is sitting on the couch nursing a cup of coffee and listening to Broots tell him about the day's events.

"...and then he gave me the keys to HIS car!" gushed Broots "I took Jenni to the stores and picked out some clothes for her to wear.  She doesn't really care what she wears though.  She was only really interested when we went to get some stuff for her room.  She got all these crayons and coloured pencils and stuff"

"It sounds as though Mr Lyle genuinely cares what happens to her" replied Sydney as he sipped his coffee. He'd never completely understood Lyle. Everytime he thought he had pigeonholed Lyle into a clinical category he did something unexpected and out of character. He would have to see where this lead. "I think you should find out everything you can on Jenni"

"Mr Lyle has already asked me to do that, but I give you a copy first"

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CHAPTER THREE

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Lyle's House
24 December 1999
6pm

"Ok Jen, you can put the star on the top of the tree", Lyle called from the bottom of the ladder. Inside the living room was a six-foot Christmas tree, the walls were decked with Christmas decorations and the whole house looked festive.  If Miss Parker could have seen the inside of his house she would have been flabbergasted. She would have been more surprised to find that in the short time Jenni had been living at her brother's, Mr Lyle had gradually begun to revert to 'Bobby' as he was before he met Mr Raines.

Jenni placed the star on the highest point of the tree then climbed down a flashed Lyle one of her goofy smiles before motioning to the kitchen.  Since she had come into his life she had not said a verbal word.  Her language seemed to consist of smiles and vague body movements.  Still, Lyle was usually able to understand her.

7pm

Just as they were about to finish their dessert of canned pears and maple ice-cream, the door bell rang.  Mr Lyle's cheerful face became the mask he wore at The Center and he grabbed his gun as he approached the front door.

"Merry Christmas to you too Lyle", Grinned his sister as she handed him a large magnum of champagne. "Since Dad is still in exile I thought I would spend Christmas terrorising you instead."

"Nice to see you too Sis" Lyle replied as he holstered his gun and showed Miss Parker in, "What do you think of our décor?"

"Wow, this place looks like Santa's grotto," Commented Miss Parker as her eyes swept around the house, "Having the family mental case seems to have done wonders for your humanity."

"Thanks, and Jen seems to be improving a lot since she arrived. She's not as withdrawn as she was when she first arrived." Lyle's eyes spoke volumes for the attachment he had for this new sibling.  For a moment Miss Parker wished that she could have been the one Lyle adored.  She banished the thought as soon as it surfaced though; Lyle was too unpredictable to completely trust. She doubted that Jenni had ever seen the Lyle who had repulsed Miss Parker so many times.

"Well if you don't mind I brought your Christmas Presents and left them in the car.  They're a bit big so if you don't mind Lyle I'd like a hand to get them in."

"Sure Sis, Jen go and get your sister some ice cream will you." He said as he headed out the door.

They arrived in the door with two huge parcels as Jenni waited with a bowl of ice cream and pears, with a spoon sticking out the side of it.

"For Anastasia" Cooed Jenni.  This was the first time Lyle had ever heard her speak.  What surprised him more was that Jenni seemed to know Miss Parker's first name.

"Thank you Jenni" said Miss Parker as she put down her parcel and accepted the bowl of dessert.

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Michelle's House
25 December 1999
3am

Sydney was snoring on the Michelle's couch when he thought he heard a tinkle of glass breaking.  It was still a surprise though when a hand grasped his face and everything went dark.

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Lyle's House
25 December 1999
2pm

"What a spread!  I didn't know you could cook Lyle" Miss Parker appraised as she sat on the couch with Debbie and Broots. 'Who would have thought that Broots would bring Debbie to Psychoboy's house for Christmas' she mentally added as she watched Jenni drawing Debbie's picture.

She had to admit that Jenni was quite an artist.  Her own gift to Jenni had been an easel, and she now felt that she had made the right choice.  She was just about to see if there was anymore champagne left when she heard her cell phone ring.

"What" She answered with a resigned sigh.

"Sydney, Michelle and Nicholas have been kidnapped!" stated Jarod on the other line. His voice sounded worried. "I went by there to drop off a Christmas present to Sydney and I found a note stating that they were going to be executed on New Years eve, as payment for the terrorists that Lyle killed in the Alpachians.  They didn't want a ransom this time they wanted revenge."  Jarod's voice finished with a cold chill.

"What!" Miss Parker replied, causing everyone in the room to look at her in surprise. "Yes Jarod, I'll get Broots on it straight away" She clicked the phone shut and turned to the others.

"Broots, That militia that kidnapped Nicholas and the school teachers have grabbed Sydney, Michelle and Nicholas in an act of retribution for Lyle killing their members.  They're going to kill them on New Years eve. No Ransom. No Deals.  I want you to find out where they are holding them...FAST!"

"Bastards!", cursed Lyle as he picked up his cell phone. "I'll call a friend to see if he knows anything about where they might be."

Miss Parker was slightly surprised that Lyle would care so much about what happened to Sydney, she was about to ask when Lyle turned to her and told her. "Nicholas is one of the few people in this world I would honestly call a friend.  I didn't really know till later that he was Sydney's son. I'm going to find him and when I do I'm going to make sure that the Alpachian Liberation Front are wiped from the face of this earth!"

His loyalty to Nicholas surprised the others but before they could say anything else Jenni piped up "Jen help!". She smiled at her brother who was so nice to her and then grabbed the picture frame of Nicholas and Lyle from the top drawer of the writing desk behind the couch. She held the picture for a moment then a worried frown crossed her features. "Big cave, Dark cave, Under the tall buildings"

"Where!" begged Lyle

Jenni pointed northwards.

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The Center
25 December 1999
5pm

"Any luck Broots?" Lyle asked as he placed another cup of strong coffee by the balding technician's keyboard.

"There are a lot of cities north of Delaware, but Jenni said it was under tall buildings so I would say its New York City.  I've run checks of the land under Manhattan Island and it's a maze of sewers and caves under there.  We could walk right past them and never notice them."

"Thank you Broots, Let's go meet Parker and get going...bring you laptop."

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