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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Disclaimer: Okay, if you insist….the characters & basic premise of the Pretender do not belong to me. I'm not making any money from this & no infringement is intended.
The Baby Series
Her Mother's Child
Melanie-Anne
Exactly one week had passed since Tommy had held out the photograph of Miss Parker and said "Mama." Jarod still didn't know what to do about it. He realized that Parker had kept that piece of information from him for a reason.
Unless, of course, she didn't know.
He wondered if he should call her.
But how could he? He had sworn to leave the Centre behind him. He had a new life. He had a family now.
He heard a soft female voice coming from the kitchen and sighed. Things were so complicated.
"Jarod! Come look at this!" Zoe called.
Jarod gave Parker's photograph one last, lingering glance before heading to the kitchen.
*
Lyle entered his sister's office without knocking, only to find her staring at a photograph of Baby Parker.
"How's the search going?" he asked sympathetically, half-wishing that she felt for him what she felt for their brother.
"Not very well," Parker said softly.
"We'll find him." For some reason Lyle found himself wanting to comfort her.
"No, we won't," she said sadly and the certainty in her voice made Lyle wonder if she knew something he didn't.
"Why do you sound so sure?"
"I-" She looked up, wondering if she could trust Lyle. "It's just a feeling I have."
Lyle sat down in one of the leather chairs. "You know, our father doesn't even seem to care. It's his son and he's acting as though nothing is wrong."
"Ah, but in order to care, you have to have a heart. Do you care, Lyle?"
He thought carefully for a moment before nodding. "I do. But at least now he'll have the chance that we never got. Are you so certain he won't be found because you don't want him back here?"
Instead of answering, Parker pulled out the bottle of vodka and poured some into two glasses. "Here's to having a heart, Lyle."
This brief period of peace was interrupted all too soon by Willie.
"Your father requires you in the infirmary, Miss Parker."
She sighed theatrically then stood, smoothing her skirt. She handed the bottle to Lyle and winked at him. "Knock yourself out."
He poured himself another shot, deciding that God was obviously punishing him by giving him such a beautiful sister.
*
Tommy wouldn't stop crying. He had started crying at three and had been going non-stop since. Jarod had tried rocking him, talking to him and even singing - all to no avail. Zoe had grown irritated and disappeared upstairs. In desperation Jarod picked up Parker's photograph and placed it in Tommy's tiny hands.
He stopped crying.
Zoe came back downstairs to see what had happened, her good mood returning now that the house was quiet again. She frowned when she saw what had caused the miracle.
"Why do you even have that picture, Jarod? She spends her life chasing you. She wants nothing more than to take you back to that horrible place. I don't understand."
"She gave me my son."
"You don't owe her anything for that! It's not like he'll remember."
"He will."
"He's a baby, Jarod. He won't, not if you get rid of the picture now."
"I can't do that, Zoe."
"Why not?"
"Because…because I think she's his mother."
There was a silence as Zoe stared at Jarod in horror. "What?"
"I think she's his mother," he repeated.
Zoe shook her head in disbelief. "What kind of mother would give her son away?"
"The kind who wants him to have a better life than the one that she had," Jarod said coldly.
"You're going back." It wasn't a question.
Jarod packed his and Tommy's things and began the long drive to Blue Cove. They arrived after dark and Jarod was surprised to see that no lights were on in Parker's house. He let himself in and carefully looked around. She wasn't home. He turned the television on and went into the kitchen, hoping she wouldn't mind if he helped himself to food. He wondered if there was anything Tommy could eat.
He ignored the ringing of the phone, yet the message set off warning bells in his mind.
"Hey, Parker. It's Lyle. I waited until five but you still weren't back. If you're still upset and you feel like talking, call me. Okay? Otherwise I'll see you tomorrow. Oh, and I owe you a bottle of Smirnoff."
Why is Lyle calling Parker? Did he upset her? If she's not at her office and she's not at home, where is she?
He called Sydney, hoping he would know.
"This is Sydney."
"Where's Miss Parker?" Jarod didn't waste time with pleasantries. He was worried.
"At home, I think. Jar-"
"No, she's not."
"Well, then she's at the Centre-"
"She's not there either."
"Then I don't know where she is. What's wrong?"
"I need to talk to her."
"Why this risk? We thought you'd left the past behind you."
"We? What aren't you telling me, Syd?"
"Nothing, Jarod."
"Who is Tommy's mother?"
"Tommy?"
"Baby Parker."
"Oh…what exactly did Miss Parker tell you?"
"Is she his mother? Don't lie to me, Sydney."
There was a long pause. "She didn't want you to know."
"Why?"
"She wants him to have a Centre-free life. If it meant that she had to stay behind then she was willing to do it."
"She has more of her mother in her than anybody thought," Jarod said sadly.
"Let's just hope it doesn't get her killed."
*
Parker woke up with a headache. She tried to sit up but couldn't. She realized she was strapped to a gurney. Looking around, she recognized the room as part of the Centre infirmary.
Her father had called her down here. He had betrayed her again. She wanted to cry but knew that there were cameras everywhere. She had to keep up the appearance of being strong.
Turning her head to the right she found herself staring into a pair of blue eyes.
Angelo!
She smiled at him, glad of the company and wondered when exactly it was that her attitude towards him had changed. Once, she had called him 'Cousin It' but now she was gentler around him.
He disappeared when the door opened. A doctor Parker didn't recognize came in and gave her an injection.
"What's going on?" Parker demanded with the air of someone who wasn't helpless and strapped to a bed. She received no answer.
The doctor left but Angelo did not return. Parker was alone again. She had never been more scared in her entire life.
*
Sydney and Broots, alone in the tech room, stared at each other with matching expressions of horror.
"But- but- but how can this be?" Broots sputtered. "I must have done something wrong!" He started typing again but Sydney stopped him by placing a hand on his arm.
"You didn't do anything wrong," he said sadly.
"But they couldn't…they wouldn't…" he protested.
"I'm afraid the did."
"But…Miss Parker!"
"They've done it before, Broots."
Broots shook his head dumbly, not wanting it to be true. Lyle chose that moment to walk in and ask where Parker was. Sydney and Broots didn't know what to say. Lyle peered past them at the computer screen.
Search field: Miss Parker
FILE NOT FOUND
Subject search: Miss Parker
FILE NOT FOUND
Enter keywords: Miss Parker
NOT FOUND
Search again?
"What's going on?" Lyle demanded. "Where is my sister?"
"We could try her first name," Broots suggested timidly.
"Okay." Lyle nodded.
"Umm, what is her first name?" Broots asked. Both he and Lyle looked at Sydney.
"Miranda." He knew it wouldn't help. Broots began to type.
Search field: Miranda Parker
He pressed 'Enter' and the three men held their breath, waiting.
FILE NOT FOUND
Broots hurriedly typed in the subject search but met with the same result.
The phone rang, startling them all.
"This is Sydney."
"Where is she?"
"Jarod, I- We don't know. There's no record that she ever existed here. Jarod? Jarod!" Sydney heard a clatter as Jarod dropped the phone.
"What did he want?" Lyle asked suspiciously.
"He's looking for her too."
"Does he have my brother?"
"What brother?" Broots asked without thinking.
Sydney shot him a warning look and Lyle frowned. "Baby Parker."
"Oh yes, that brother, of course," Broots mumbled, quickly looking back to the computer.
"What's going on that you aren't telling me, Mr. Broots? If something happens to Parker because of something you're hiding-"
"It has nothing to do with her disappearance, I'm sure," Sydney said.
"Somebody had better explain what's going on. Just because I'm a Parker doesn't mean I don't care." With a pang Lyle thought of his last conversation with Parker. It was the first time he'd actually felt a bond with her. "Look, I want to help. But I can't if I don't know what's going on."
"Trust him," Angelo said from an airvent. "Help you."
"Baby Parker isn't your brother, Lyle. He's her son. Her and Jarod's son," Sydney said quietly.
Lyle sat down. He couldn't believe it. What wouldn't the Centre do? "I'm…I'm an uncle?"
"Yes."
"She gave him to Jarod, didn't she? Does Jarod know? How is my father still alive?"
"Yes, yes, and I don't know. I think he's probably still alive because Parker is missing."
Sydney looked up to the airvent to see that Angelo was still there. "Do you know where Miss Parker is, Angelo?" he asked.
"Angelo knows."
"Will you help us?"
"Help daughter. Help baby."
"Baby Parker's not here anymore, Angelo."
"Not Tommy. Sara."
*
Parker glared at her father. "Why, Daddy?"
"There was no one else. You should be honored, Angel. You're carrying the future of the Centre in your womb."
"Who said I wanted it?" she spat.
"Come now, don't tell me you've never thought about having Jarod's children? I know he was your first love."
"What's to stop me from killing it?" Parker wanted to hurt her father like he had hurt her.
"You won't," he said with distaste. "You have too much of your mother in you."
~*~
The Baby Series
Her Mother's Child
Melanie-Anne
Exactly one week had passed since Tommy had held out the photograph of Miss Parker and said "Mama." Jarod still didn't know what to do about it. He realized that Parker had kept that piece of information from him for a reason.
Unless, of course, she didn't know.
He wondered if he should call her.
But how could he? He had sworn to leave the Centre behind him. He had a new life. He had a family now.
He heard a soft female voice coming from the kitchen and sighed. Things were so complicated.
"Jarod! Come look at this!" Zoe called.
Jarod gave Parker's photograph one last, lingering glance before heading to the kitchen.
*
Lyle entered his sister's office without knocking, only to find her staring at a photograph of Baby Parker.
"How's the search going?" he asked sympathetically, half-wishing that she felt for him what she felt for their brother.
"Not very well," Parker said softly.
"We'll find him." For some reason Lyle found himself wanting to comfort her.
"No, we won't," she said sadly and the certainty in her voice made Lyle wonder if she knew something he didn't.
"Why do you sound so sure?"
"I-" She looked up, wondering if she could trust Lyle. "It's just a feeling I have."
Lyle sat down in one of the leather chairs. "You know, our father doesn't even seem to care. It's his son and he's acting as though nothing is wrong."
"Ah, but in order to care, you have to have a heart. Do you care, Lyle?"
He thought carefully for a moment before nodding. "I do. But at least now he'll have the chance that we never got. Are you so certain he won't be found because you don't want him back here?"
Instead of answering, Parker pulled out the bottle of vodka and poured some into two glasses. "Here's to having a heart, Lyle."
This brief period of peace was interrupted all too soon by Willie.
"Your father requires you in the infirmary, Miss Parker."
She sighed theatrically then stood, smoothing her skirt. She handed the bottle to Lyle and winked at him. "Knock yourself out."
He poured himself another shot, deciding that God was obviously punishing him by giving him such a beautiful sister.
*
Tommy wouldn't stop crying. He had started crying at three and had been going non-stop since. Jarod had tried rocking him, talking to him and even singing - all to no avail. Zoe had grown irritated and disappeared upstairs. In desperation Jarod picked up Parker's photograph and placed it in Tommy's tiny hands.
He stopped crying.
Zoe came back downstairs to see what had happened, her good mood returning now that the house was quiet again. She frowned when she saw what had caused the miracle.
"Why do you even have that picture, Jarod? She spends her life chasing you. She wants nothing more than to take you back to that horrible place. I don't understand."
"She gave me my son."
"You don't owe her anything for that! It's not like he'll remember."
"He will."
"He's a baby, Jarod. He won't, not if you get rid of the picture now."
"I can't do that, Zoe."
"Why not?"
"Because…because I think she's his mother."
There was a silence as Zoe stared at Jarod in horror. "What?"
"I think she's his mother," he repeated.
Zoe shook her head in disbelief. "What kind of mother would give her son away?"
"The kind who wants him to have a better life than the one that she had," Jarod said coldly.
"You're going back." It wasn't a question.
Jarod packed his and Tommy's things and began the long drive to Blue Cove. They arrived after dark and Jarod was surprised to see that no lights were on in Parker's house. He let himself in and carefully looked around. She wasn't home. He turned the television on and went into the kitchen, hoping she wouldn't mind if he helped himself to food. He wondered if there was anything Tommy could eat.
He ignored the ringing of the phone, yet the message set off warning bells in his mind.
"Hey, Parker. It's Lyle. I waited until five but you still weren't back. If you're still upset and you feel like talking, call me. Okay? Otherwise I'll see you tomorrow. Oh, and I owe you a bottle of Smirnoff."
Why is Lyle calling Parker? Did he upset her? If she's not at her office and she's not at home, where is she?
He called Sydney, hoping he would know.
"This is Sydney."
"Where's Miss Parker?" Jarod didn't waste time with pleasantries. He was worried.
"At home, I think. Jar-"
"No, she's not."
"Well, then she's at the Centre-"
"She's not there either."
"Then I don't know where she is. What's wrong?"
"I need to talk to her."
"Why this risk? We thought you'd left the past behind you."
"We? What aren't you telling me, Syd?"
"Nothing, Jarod."
"Who is Tommy's mother?"
"Tommy?"
"Baby Parker."
"Oh…what exactly did Miss Parker tell you?"
"Is she his mother? Don't lie to me, Sydney."
There was a long pause. "She didn't want you to know."
"Why?"
"She wants him to have a Centre-free life. If it meant that she had to stay behind then she was willing to do it."
"She has more of her mother in her than anybody thought," Jarod said sadly.
"Let's just hope it doesn't get her killed."
*
Parker woke up with a headache. She tried to sit up but couldn't. She realized she was strapped to a gurney. Looking around, she recognized the room as part of the Centre infirmary.
Her father had called her down here. He had betrayed her again. She wanted to cry but knew that there were cameras everywhere. She had to keep up the appearance of being strong.
Turning her head to the right she found herself staring into a pair of blue eyes.
Angelo!
She smiled at him, glad of the company and wondered when exactly it was that her attitude towards him had changed. Once, she had called him 'Cousin It' but now she was gentler around him.
He disappeared when the door opened. A doctor Parker didn't recognize came in and gave her an injection.
"What's going on?" Parker demanded with the air of someone who wasn't helpless and strapped to a bed. She received no answer.
The doctor left but Angelo did not return. Parker was alone again. She had never been more scared in her entire life.
*
Sydney and Broots, alone in the tech room, stared at each other with matching expressions of horror.
"But- but- but how can this be?" Broots sputtered. "I must have done something wrong!" He started typing again but Sydney stopped him by placing a hand on his arm.
"You didn't do anything wrong," he said sadly.
"But they couldn't…they wouldn't…" he protested.
"I'm afraid the did."
"But…Miss Parker!"
"They've done it before, Broots."
Broots shook his head dumbly, not wanting it to be true. Lyle chose that moment to walk in and ask where Parker was. Sydney and Broots didn't know what to say. Lyle peered past them at the computer screen.
FILE NOT FOUND
Subject search: Miss Parker
FILE NOT FOUND
Enter keywords: Miss Parker
NOT FOUND
Search again?
"What's going on?" Lyle demanded. "Where is my sister?"
"We could try her first name," Broots suggested timidly.
"Okay." Lyle nodded.
"Umm, what is her first name?" Broots asked. Both he and Lyle looked at Sydney.
"Miranda." He knew it wouldn't help. Broots began to type.
He pressed 'Enter' and the three men held their breath, waiting.
Broots hurriedly typed in the subject search but met with the same result.
The phone rang, startling them all.
"This is Sydney."
"Where is she?"
"Jarod, I- We don't know. There's no record that she ever existed here. Jarod? Jarod!" Sydney heard a clatter as Jarod dropped the phone.
"What did he want?" Lyle asked suspiciously.
"He's looking for her too."
"Does he have my brother?"
"What brother?" Broots asked without thinking.
Sydney shot him a warning look and Lyle frowned. "Baby Parker."
"Oh yes, that brother, of course," Broots mumbled, quickly looking back to the computer.
"What's going on that you aren't telling me, Mr. Broots? If something happens to Parker because of something you're hiding-"
"It has nothing to do with her disappearance, I'm sure," Sydney said.
"Somebody had better explain what's going on. Just because I'm a Parker doesn't mean I don't care." With a pang Lyle thought of his last conversation with Parker. It was the first time he'd actually felt a bond with her. "Look, I want to help. But I can't if I don't know what's going on."
"Trust him," Angelo said from an airvent. "Help you."
"Baby Parker isn't your brother, Lyle. He's her son. Her and Jarod's son," Sydney said quietly.
Lyle sat down. He couldn't believe it. What wouldn't the Centre do? "I'm…I'm an uncle?"
"Yes."
"She gave him to Jarod, didn't she? Does Jarod know? How is my father still alive?"
"Yes, yes, and I don't know. I think he's probably still alive because Parker is missing."
Sydney looked up to the airvent to see that Angelo was still there. "Do you know where Miss Parker is, Angelo?" he asked.
"Angelo knows."
"Will you help us?"
"Help daughter. Help baby."
"Baby Parker's not here anymore, Angelo."
"Not Tommy. Sara."
*
Parker glared at her father. "Why, Daddy?"
"There was no one else. You should be honored, Angel. You're carrying the future of the Centre in your womb."
"Who said I wanted it?" she spat.
"Come now, don't tell me you've never thought about having Jarod's children? I know he was your first love."
"What's to stop me from killing it?" Parker wanted to hurt her father like he had hurt her.
"You won't," he said with distaste. "You have too much of your mother in you."
~*~
