The Me Series by RRP
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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
by RRP
Agent Buddy Jakebs slid the designer sunglasses over his gray-blue eyes, and brushed back his sandy blonde hair. He looked at himself in the small mirror of the black Sport Explorer.
"Man, you are one-" The door swung open, and his partner, Agent Brooke Riley, jumped in. She eyed him for a minute, then gave a small laugh.
"Talking to yourself again, Jakebs?" She opened a brown paper bag she had in one hand, and handed him a doughnut. He frowned at her, then at the doughnut.
"I thought I said chocolate." Riley grinned and pulled the door shut behind her.
"They were out." He frowned again, then took a tenitive bite.
"Oh well. The coffee?" He asked between bites that were quickly growing larger.
"Right here." She gave him a Styrofoam cup. "Careful, it's cold." She took a small sip of her own coffee.
"Haha. Very funny." Jakebs replied, taking the coffee. She gave his cup a cautious glance.
"I never have understood why you like it cold and black." He smirked.
"Some things just weren't meant to be understood, Riley." Jakebs said with a fake aristocratic air, ducking from the teasing punch he knew was coming. But she hit him anyway, and he almost choked on his doughnut.
"That's three for me today, Jakebs. I'd watch it if I were you." Riley warned dryly. He nodded, taking a sip of coffee to help calm his coughing.
"Where to?" Jakebs asked after a few minutes of silence.
"HQ. We have to file that follow-up report for the Hendersan case." Jakebs moaned.
"More paperwork?" Riley nodded, laughing again. Just then, a car flew by, someone shooting out of the back at a following police car.
"Go, Jakebs!" All else was forgotten, as Jakebs slammed on the gas and followed the car.
"Never a dull moment in Dover." Jakebs muttered, overtaking the car. The men in the speeding car realized someone else had joined the chase, and were shooting at the Sport Explorer.
"Darn! I just washed this thing!" Riley yelled, and Jakebs grinned. "Oh, shoot!" Riley exclaimed, as the grin was wiped off Jakebs face. They had come to an intersection, and the speeding car rammed a little Honda Civic. Jakebs slammed on the brakes, and Riley pulled out the handheld radio.
Jakebs jumped out and ran towards the wreckage, fearing the worst. He looked in the window of the Civic first, and saw a man in the front, unconscious, and a crying baby in the back. He tried the door, and found it to be locked.
"Aw, crap! Open!" He yelled at the door, as bystanders watched with concern. He gave up trying to pull it open, and gave the window a furious kick. Glass shattered, falling over the passenger seat. He unlocked the door, and jerked it open.
"Give me the baby." He heard Agent Riley say behind him, as he pulled the baby out first. It continued to cry loudly, and Riley ran away from the car. Jakebs fiddled with the man's seatbelt, trying to get it open. Then, he heard the sound he had been dreading. A loud pop, and a sizzle, and flames erupted in the back of the car. He groped on the floor for something that would cut the seatbelt, and found nothing. He remembered the glass and looked at the passenger seat. A fairly large piece, with a viciously sharp edge, lay in the middle of the seat, and he picked it up.
"Here goes nothing." He muttered, pushing the glass against the seatbelt. It slid through easily, cutting the seatbelt quickly. He threw it down, and pulled the man out as carefully as he could. Jakebs saw a large gash on the back of his head for the first time, and cursed.
"Jakebs, move!" Riley yelled from several yards away. He glanced back at the car, which was almost completely in flames and ready to blow. He tried to run, dragging the man with him.
"Jakebs, now!" He heard Riley scream, and he looked over his shoulder one more time. A flash of light, a loud explosion that seemed to deafen him, and all was blackness.
"Jakebs, can you hear me? Jakebs?" Jakebs fought through the fog in his mind, trying to figure out what was going on, who was shaking him, and why they were shaking so hard.
"Will he be alright?" He heard someone else ask, and he attempted to open his eyes.
"I don't know! Jakebs, can you hear me? Jakebs!" His eyes flew open, and he blinked at the sudden light. He could see Riley bending over him, and another man behind her.
"What's going on?" He asked groggily, trying to sit up. Riley pushed him back down.
"Don't move. The EMT's are on their way." Riley searched his face, for any sign of pain or confusion.
"What happened, Riley?" He asked again, getting a little frustrated. His head hurt like heck, and he couldn't figure out why in the world he was lying on the ground.
"The car blew up!" Riley said, slightly exasperated, and somewhat concerned.
"Oh." Everything came flooding back to him, and he shot up into a sitting position, and Riley couldn't push him back down. "The baby? And the guy?" Riley sighed, and pointed.
"The baby's fine, but the guy is...um...dead." She cringed a little, knowing how much he hated to lose someone. Jakebs sighed and rubbed the back of his head. He cursed under his breath, and looked at Riley.
"The paperwork probably would have been a better choice." Riley hid a smile, as the ambulance roared around the corner, followed by firemen who quickly set to work putting the remaining flames out.
"Sir, were you in the wreck?" A EMT stepped forward, with a medical bag clutched in one hand.
"No." Jakebs looked a little annoyed, and Riley stood up to explain.
"He was nearby when the cars exploded." The EMT gave a curt nod, and knelt next to Jakebs. Minutes later, the EMT handed him a small pill, and stood up to talk to Riley.
"Um, Mrs..." The EMT trailed off, remembering she hadn't mentioned her name.
"Agent. Agent Riley."
"Oh, well, he has a minor concussion from the looks of it. Just take him home, let him rest, and-"
"You mean, 'make him rest'." Riley muttered, with a glance towards Jakebs, who was still sitting on the ground. The EMT smiled a little,
"Yeah, I guess...Anyway, make sure he rests, and takes it easy for at least twenty four hours."
"Fine." Riley turned to stare at their Sport Explorer, which was scratched up from the bullets. Luckily, they had all been close shaves, and nothing serious, but Chief Carpelli would still get mad.
"Can I see the kid?" She heard Jakebs asking, and she turned back to him.
"Are you sure, Jakebs?" He nodded.
"We need to protect it." Riley and the EMT exchanged worried glances.
"What do you mean, Jakebs? Protect her from what?" Riley followed his gaze to the small baby.
"I don't know." Jakebs shook his head, and Riley started to think he had hit his head a little too hard.
"Then how do you know she or he needs to be protected?" He looked up at Riley, and met her eyes.
"Instinct." Riley sighed again, and the EMT turned back to the waiting ambulance.
"I'll go get her or him." Jakebs grinned.
"I knew you'd understand, Riley." She ignored him, and walked over to the cop who was holding the baby.
"I'll take the baby now, sir." He shook his head.
"Nope. Sorry m'am. The baby's not going anywhere." The cop said, as politely as he could. She pulled out her wallet and flashed the gold.
"FBI, sir. Agent Riley. We have legal custody now." Riley stopped, hoping the cop would get the picture, and she wouldn't have to say more. The cop looked surprised, then handed her the baby.
"Sorry, m'am. My apologies..." He tipped his cap, and she turned away, and walked back to Jakebs.
"Happy now?" She asked, glaring at him.
"I think so. Let's get out of here." He stood up slowly, and went to the Sport Explorer. "Who's driving?" He asked, with a gleam in his eye.
"I am, you idiot. Take the kid." She handed him the baby, and he sat in the passenger seat.
"Is it a boy, or a girl?" He questioned, looking at the baby's face.
"I guess we'll find out, when you change it's diaper." Riley revved the engine, and they were off. Jakebs held the baby, trying to ignore his growing headache.
The black town car pulled up to the smoldering scene, and it's occupants slid out. Police tape blocked the road off, and people milled around, trying to see what was happening. The people from the black town car ignored the tape, and went up to a police officer.
"Excuse me, what happened here?" The cop heard someone snap, and he whipped around. He was greeted by the sight of an extremely beautiful lady, with killer eyes, an older man, and four guys in black suits that looked like something out of Men in Black.
"Car wreck." He replied, eyeing the lady.
"That's obvious, you idiot! Who was involved?" The lady growled, and he pointed to a limp form, covered with a body bag.
"We're still trying to identify him." She looked at the bodybag, and snapped to one of the men next to her.
"Sam. Go see if it's someone we knew."
"Yes, Miss Parker." He murmured, stepping towards the bag. She pulled a cigarette out, and lit it. The older man gave her a displeasing frown, and she sighed.
"Syd, don't say a word." He nodded, putting his lips together in a firm line. Sam looked back at Miss Parker, his face visibly pale.
"Um, Miss Parker, it was Broots." The cop watched, as both Miss Parker, and the older man, who appeared to be Syd, paled slightly. Miss Parker dropped her cigarette, and ground it out with the tip of her high heeled shoe.
"Are you sure, Sam?" He lifted the top flap of the bodybag again, and nodded.
"Was anyone with him?" Sydney asked the cop after a moment of silence.
"Yeah. A baby, but this lady took it." Miss Parker grabbed the cop by his collar.
"Did she say what her name was?" She asked through clenched teeth. Sam resumed his position by Miss Parker's side.
"Um, I think she said her name was Rilyn. Agent Rilyn." The cop stuttered, breathless because of how close Miss Parker was getting. She turned on her heel, and strode briskly back to the car, the group following. Once inside the car, she sighed.
"Oh, Syd! What are we going to tell Debbie?"
"I don't know, Miss Parker. I don't know."
"Um, it's a boy." Jakebs said, putting a new diaper on.
"Well, what are you going to name him, for now?" Riley asked, sitting down on the couch.
"I don't know! What do you think?" Jakebs questioned, picking up the baby and handing him to Riley. She looked at him for a minute.
"He looks like an Alec to me." Jakebs sat down on the couch with a sigh.
"What do you mean, 'looks like'?"
"Well, the names have to match the person, like Bud-" He held a hand up.
"Don't say it."
"Fine. But his name is Alec."
"Alec. Alec what?" Jakebs took the newly named Alec back, and looked into his small face.
"Alec." Riley said firmly. "He has a last name, we'll just have to find out what it is." Jakebs sighed again, and stared fiercely at the tiny face. After several minutes, he looked up and handed Alec to Riley.
"I'm going to bed. My head is killing me." He stumbled back to the master bedroom of his apartment, and Riley sat on the couch, holding the baby, and singing softly,
Kri Kra toad's foot,
Geese walk barefoot...
Jarod hummed softly, sucking on a piece of Pez, and snapping some new-found Technic Legos together. He set the Legos down, and looked at what he had built. It was a small model of the Centre, another clue to leave for Parker and Sydney. He smiled, and picked up the phone,
"This is Sydney." His mentor's voice held a pang of sadness Jarod hadn't heard since Jacob died. He immediately sensed something was wrong, and gave up the idea of teasing him.
"Sydney, what's wrong?" Jarod asked the question seriously, but it also had a melancholy sound of a small child asking a obviously saddened parent.
"You don't know?" Sydney sounded slightly surprised. Jarod sat straight up in his chair.
"Don't know what, Sydney?" Sydney's soft sigh came over the line, and Sydney replied,
"Broots was in a car accident this morning. He's...dead." Jarod could almost feel Sydney's heart breaking, his spirit crumbling. Broots had been one of the few people he had left to call friend.
"Sydney, I'm...I'm sorry..." Jarod was stunned almost speechless. Broots dead?
"Jarod, I-"
"Sydney, what's going on there? Car accidents aren't always accidents when the Centre's involved."
"Jarod, not right now, please!" Sydney almost begged, and Jarod understood.
"Okay Sydney. Later." Click. Jarod hung up, and frowned at the phone. Broots dead? A wave of frustration, and rage rose up in him, and he flung the carefully constructed Lego model down to the floor with a yell. It shattered, and pieces scattered all over the room. He sank to his knees, on the verge of tears. He whispered to the silence, to the emptiness,
"No, not another one...not because of me..."
Sydney leaned back in his chair, and set the phone down on the desk. He stared at the tall model of the Empire State Building, and seemed to look right through it. Why had he let him go? He could have stopped him! His mind drifted back to only yesterday, when Broots had found the baby.
"Syd, you're never going to believe what I found!"
"That's unlikely, Broots."
"Syd, I found another baby! In the Pretender files!"
This had shocked Sydney, and he demanded that Broots show him everything. Broots had been unusually excited. He showed Sydney all the files, the papers, medical reports, and pictures. But what Broots was planning to do shocked him even more.
"Syd, we gotta get this baby out of here!"
"Broots, you can't-"
"I am, Syd. I can't bear to see another child tortured by this place. Goodbye, Syd. I'll be back for Debbie..." The last words Broots had said to him. How could he have just let him go? He leaned forward and put his head in his hands.
"I'm going to tell Debbie." Miss Parker's voice startled him, and he looked up quickly. He watched her for a minute, searched her face, only to find she had put on her mask, and blocked everything out again.
"Would you like me to come with you?" He asked quietly, and she shook her head.
"No, Syd. I'll go alone." She turned, and was gone. Sydney's eyes followed her until she was out of sight. How could he have just let him go?
Jarod looked at the phone, and slowly picked it up. He held it for a minute, then dialed.
"What?" Miss Parker's snapped answer came over the phone line.
"Hello, Miss Parker." Jarod said slowly, tentively.
"I don't have time for your games today, Jarod!" She almost yelled at him, and he cringed.
"Parker, Sydney told me what happened, I'm sorry..." He almost whispered it, and Miss Parker felt a little bit sorry for snapping at him. But she couldn't let him find that out.
"Why, was it your fault?" She growled, and a tear trickled down Jarod's pale cheek. He whispered his reply,
"It might have been." Click.
"Debbie?" Miss Parker knocked on the door, and a little voice behind it replied,
"Who is it?" Debbie struggled to look out the peephole.
"Miss Parker." The door swung open, and Debbie stood there grinning.
"Hi, Miss Parker!" Miss Parker stepped into the apartment and walked over to the couch. She would say it fast, and get it over with.
"Debbie, come here, I have something to tell you." Debbie sat down on the couch, after pushing the door shut.
"What is it Miss Parker?"
"Debbie, your Daddy...is dead." Miss Parker shut her eyes for a minute, trying to block out everything. Debbie's face suddenly became pale white, her lower lip trembled, and she jumped up.
"I hate the Centre! I hate it!" She screamed, running back to her room. Miss Parker decided not to follow. She listened to Debbie's heartbroken sobs for a minute, before letting her mind drift. Broots had found the other Pretender baby.
"Broots, what do you mean, you've 'found another baby'?"
"I did! Another Pretender project!"
"And what do you plan to do about it?"
"Get it out of here!"
"You, Broots? Are you kidding?"
"I can't bear to see another baby tortured by this place!" Those had been the last words Broots had said to her. The memory played over and over in her mind for several minutes, before another one replaced it.
"No..NO! Mommy! Mommy!"
"Sydney, let me go! What are they doing? They're hurting her!"
"MOMMY!"
"Sydney, let me go!"
The day her mother died. She remembered the total heartbreak, the loneliness, and the pain. Miss Parker stood up, and walked back to Debbie's room. Debbie was on her bed, buried in the covers, her face in the pillow. Miss Parker sat on the edge of Debbie's bed, somewhat awkwardly.
"Debbie..." Debbie lifted her head, and through ragged sobs, whispered fiercely,
"I...hate the Centre! I..hate..it!" She put her head back down in the pillow, and Miss Parker watched her small body shake with helpless sobs. She wished she had let Sydney come, he would know what to do. Suddenly, it hit her. Hold her. Miss Parker hesitated, then reached out.
"Debbie, come here..." Debbie flung her arms around Miss Parker, and tried to quiet her sobs. Parker held her tightly, and they sat like that for a long time.
Jakebs woke to the loud wails of a small baby. He looked at the clock, and sighed. Three thirty. Don't these things ever sleep? He stumbled out of bed and over to the portable crib Riley had gotten at some store. He awkwardly picked Alec, and rocked him gently. He looked into Alec's tiny face, wrinkled and red, as the tiny mouth opened in another loud wail.
"Shh...shh.." Jakebs made a futile attempt to quiet him, and sighed. "Are you hungry?" He walked over to the fridge and pulled out a ready bottle. "Do I heat it up?" Jakebs asked himself out loud, trying to remember Riley's instructions. He shrugged, and put the bottle in the microwave. Alec continued to cry, Jakebs looking at him helplessly.
A knock at the door startled him, and he walked over, still rocking Alec in one arm, as he opened the door with the other. It was Mrs. Krammer, from next door. She was elderly, and Jakebs knew she had had a few kids at one time.
"Here, lad. Let me help you." Mrs. Krammer stepped inside, her brisk, athletic pace hiding her sixty some years. Jakebs stepped back, handing her Alec gratefully. The microwave beeped, and Jakebs jumped. He watched, in wonder, as Mrs. Krammer quickly quieted Alec with a soft song. "Go get the bottle, lad!" Jakebs nodded, and went over to the microwave, and grabbed the bottle.
"Um, here." Mrs. Krammer took the bottle, and tested it on her wrist. She nodded, satisfied, and stuck the nipple into Alec's mouth.
"What's his name?" Mrs. Krammer asked softly, as Alec sucked contentedly on the bottle.
"Alec." Jakebs answered, sitting down next to her.
"I didn't know you-" Jakebs cut her off, with a laugh. He stopped laughing, afraid of disturbing Alec.
"No, Mrs. Krammer, he's not mine. It's a long story." She nodded, using her wisdom gained from years of living, and not asking any questions about the subject.
"He doesn't like being alone." Mrs. Krammer said, looking into Alec's deep brown eyes.
"How, how can you tell?"
"Look how he looks at us. He's afraid we're going to leave him, or worse."
"Worse? What?" Jakebs looked at Alec, concern mounting. Mrs. Krammer shook her head sadly.
"I don't know." Alec gazed up into Jakebs eyes, and Jakebs gazed back. The fear, and the longing in Alec's wide, little eyes scared Jakebs. Someone that young shouldn't know how to give a look like that, but Alec was scared to death, and actually attempting to hide it. Jakebs held his hands out, and Mrs. Krammer handed Alec to him with a smile. She watched, as Alec and Jakebs eyes remained connected.
"I'll never leave you alone. I promise." Jakebs whispered to him, so softly that it was almost inaudible. "I promise."
Miss Parker looked at Debbie, finally asleep in her bed. She turned, and walked down the stairs and to the kitchen. An empty cereal bowl still sat on the table, and a half-empty box of jelly doughnuts sat on the counter. The jelly doughnuts almost made her cry, almost broke the floodgate. It was almost impossible to think that she would never again see the Techie eating one of them, never hear his nervous stutter when she walked into the room. Never again. The words seemed to echo in the air, flying around the room. Did she have to lose someone else too? She sat down on a chair with a sigh, struggling once again to hold back the tears that were threatening to flow. She couldn't let herself cry, she wouldn't. She was a Parker!
She stared hard at the cereal bowl on the table, as a new emotion hit her. Pity for Debbie. Miss Parker remembered what it was like to lose her mother, and Debbie had already lost hers, in a way. Her father, too? Debbie was parentless. An orphan. Miss Parker pulled out her cell phone, and dialed.
"This is Sydney." Came the answer, but it was laced with anxiety and sorrow.
"Syd, did Broots leave a will?" She asked, looking around the room.
"I don't know. Probably. One has to be prepared for anything when the Centre is involved."
"Find it, Syd." Click. Miss Parker snapped the cell phone shut, and stood up. If there was a will, and it was in the house, she would find it. She was getting ready to take all the picture frames off the walls when a sleepy Debbie appeared in the hall, her eyes red and puffy.
"It's *sniff* in the hall closet, under the floor paneling under the vacuum cleaner. He *sniff* told me to tell you if he..he...if anything happened." Debbie swatted furiously at one cheek. Miss Parker nodded, and retrieved the document. She scanned over it, and gasped.
"Debbie, did your Daddy tell you what his plans were for you, if anything happened?" Debbie shook her head, struggling to gain control over her quickly flowing tears. "It says right here that I get legal custody." Miss Parker pointed to the line of the will, and Debbie brightened a little.
"R...really? I don't have to go back to Mommy?" Debbie ran to her, and threw her arms around Parker. She hesitated, and pulled herself away. "You don't mind, do you?" Debbie's eyes were so full of hope, in the midst of her sorrow, that Miss Parker couldn't refuse her.
"No, Debbie. I'll take care of you." She grabbed the little girl again, and whispered in her ear. "I'll never leave you, I promise."
"Jakebs? Jakebs?" Riley knocked on the door, and when she received no answer, she unlocked it with her spare key, and went inside. No sign of Jakebs in the kitchen or the living room. She walked back to the bedroom. The door was open, and she looked inside. Jakebs was sprawled out on the bed, flat on his back, little Alec dozing peacefully on Jakebs' chest. She smiled, leaning against the door frame. Might as well let them sleep...
She turned and walked back to the kitchen. Jakebs would need more than a chocolate doughnut for breakfast if he was going to play Dad to Alec. And Alec, undoubtedly, would want something to eat. Jakebs had enough in the kitchen, but Riley's biggest dilemma was wondering if she could even get Jakebs to sit down through toast and cereal, or if she should go ahead and make pancakes. She opted for the pancakes, and started mixing. A soft whimper from the bedroom caught her attention, but a sleepy,
"I got it," Convinced her to stay where she was. A few minutes later, a rumpled Jakebs appeared, with Alec leaning against one shoulder. Riley stopped long enough to look at them.
'Man, he looks cute with his hair all rumpled up like that! And Alec makes him look even cuter! Stop it Riley, stop it!' Riley fought with her thoughts, quickly turning back to the pancake batter.
'How come she doesn't make me pancakes more often?' Jakebs was having no trouble with his thoughts, and after a minute walked to the fridge, and pulled out a bottle. He shook it with one hand, supporting a half-asleep Alec with the other.
"Throw this in the microwave, will you? I wonder why those things don't come in chocolate..." Riley took the bottle with a sigh, and put it in the microwave, pushing a couple buttons at the same time.
"So, what did you do last night?" She asked, pondering the strange, but adorable, position she had found them in.
"Slept, fed him, slept, changed him, slept, begged Mrs. Krammer for help, and slept." Jakebs replied, sitting down on the couch in the adjacent living room. Riley turned, and watched as he pulled Alec off his shoulder and played with him.
"Jakebs," Riley hated what she was going to have to say, "You can't keep him." Jakebs looked up, a gleam in his eye.
"Of course I can. Just tell Carpelli I'm on sick leave or something."
"Jakebs, he probably has people looking for him!"
"I searched last night. No one is looking for him. Nothing." Jakebs turned back to Alec, but Riley wasn't going to let the matter go.
"Jakebs, what if someone reports him missing in a few days?" Jakebs didn't even look up to reply.
"One week. If no one is looking for him by then, he's mine."
"Jakebs, this isn't a dog! He's a person! What if he has family?" Riley shoved the pancake batter away, deciding to use the cereal after all.
"I'll be his family." Jakebs planted a soft kiss on Alec's forehead. "Can you bring me the bottle please?"
ONE WEEK LATER...
"Jarod hasn't contacted us since the accident. I'm beginning to worry that he may feel responsible for this is some way." Sydney said slowly, sitting at his desk.
"Oh, save it Syd. Labrat's just playing more games. And ever consider the fact that he may be responsible for the 'accident'?" She regretted it as soon as she said it. The hurt look in Sydney's eyes was almost more than she could stand. He surprised her by quickly standing up,
"Miss Parker, please! You're not the only person who lost someone!" He yelled, and left the room. Parker stood, shell shocked.
*-*-*
"Nothing, Jakebs. Fine, you can keep Alec for now." Riley sighed, and turned away from the computer.
"Thank you, Mommy. I promise I'll take good care of him." Jakebs teased her, as he rocked Alec. The bond between them had grown tremendously in the past week, and Alec was always with Jakebs, or crying for him.
"Let's go." Riley stood up, and stretched. Jakebs looked at her inquisitively.
"Where to?"
"The doctor's office. We have to get him checked out."
"Now?"
"Jakebs, you don't even know how old he is!"
"Fine." Jakebs stood up, and followed Riley out the door to a new black Explorer that Riley had gotten while the other Explorer was being worked on. Jakebs sat in the front, with Alec on his lap, and Riley took the drivers seat.
"On the way back, we'll stop and get some stuff for him." Jakebs nodded, as Riley pulled out of the apartment parking lot, and drove down the highway.
"Which doctor are we going to?" Jakebs asked after they passed the popular pediatrician's office.
"The Clinic. They won't ask as many questions." Riley answered, and minutes later they pulled into a large parking lot, next to a white brick building. They walked inside, and Riley went to the desk. She talked with a receptionist for a moment, before coming to sit with Jakebs in the waiting room.
"Alec Jakebs?" Someone called out, and Jakebs popped up.
"That was fast." He commented to the nurse, and she smiled.
"We're not too busy today. Come with me." Jakebs followed her, and Riley followed him. Jakebs started awkwardly,
"How would you tell how old a baby was, if you didn't know?" The nurse didn't think much of the question, and answered lightly,
"Tests. Most doctor's and nurse's can tell by looking at babies. I'm guessing Alec is five months? He's small though." Jakebs looked at Riley helplessly, and she nodded.
"Y..yeah, he's five months old." Jakebs looked back over at Riley, who shrugged.
"He's cute. When's his birthday?" The nurse chattered on, oblivious to the fact that Alec's 'parents' were having a question crisis.
"His birthday? Oh, um," Jakebs did the mental math as fast as he could, and he glanced over at Riley, who was mouthing, 'January'. "His birthday is January, January fifteenth." The nurse smiled.
"My second cousin's nephew's niece was born on the fifteenth! What a coincidence!" They came to a small room and went into it. The nurse gave a cheerful, 'wait right here', and was gone.
"That was close." Riley breathed, but Jakebs didn't seem to hear her.
"Who in the world keeps track of birthdays that far into the family tree?" Riley sighed with exasperation, and Jakebs grinned.
"You're going to make a horrible Dad."
"But I'm going to make one heck of a fun babysitter."
Jarod sighed, and looked at the phone. He wanted to call, to hear Sydney's familiar voice, and Miss Parker's agitated snap, but he was afraid. Afraid they blamed him. He ate another Pez, and picked up the phone. He dialed, before he could change his mind.
"This is Sydney,"
"Hello, Sydney," Jarod started out cautiously, testing the ground.
"Jarod!" Sydney seemed glad that it was him.
"How are things going, Sydney?" Jarod asked, taking a step further.
"What? No rhetorical questions?" Jarod heard Miss Parker snap, and he smiled. Sydney must have put it on speaker phone. Sydney ignored her, and replied.
"Things are rough, Jarod. But it's getting better."
"I'm sorry, Sydney." Jarod whispered, and Sydney smiled.
"It's not your fault, Jarod."
"It might be." Click. Miss Parker sighed.
"Great, Syd. He actually starts a conversation, and you have to play shrink." She left the room, and Sydney leaned back in his chair. 'I can't bear to see another baby tortured by this place!' Broots' last words to him hung the in air, thickening the atmosphere. Was it his fault?
Miss Parker entered her office, slamming the door behind her. She dug in the desk drawer for the bottle of vodka she kept, and quickly found it. She popped the top off, and took a long swig of it.
'I can't bear to see another baby tortured by this place!', Broots' last words haunted her, day and night. She could have stopped him! Was it her fault?"
Jarod leaned against the building, and kicked a rock. He heard music faintly coming from inside the building, and looked up at the sign. It said 'ESSENTIAL RECORDS', in large block letters. He sighed, and looked back down at his feet. If he hadn't run away, none of this would have happened. Was it his fault?
The music inside stopped, and a head appeared at the door.
"Hey, you! Are you the back-up drummer?" Jarod looked around, and realized the man must have been talking to him. He shook his head. "Oh, well, can you play?"
"The drums?" Jarod asked, and the man nodded. "Probably."
"Come in, we'll see what we can do." Jarod followed the man back to a recording booth. Four men sat inside, headphones on and mics ready. One of them had a piano in front of him, and two had guitars. The last one sat with a piece of paper in his hands, deep in thought. The man led Jarod to a large set of drums.
"I take it you're pretty desperate?" Jarod inquired, and the man nodded.
"Yeah, our drummer didn't show up, and we need to record this song today." Jarod looked at the music stand next to the drums.
"Now, this is based on the same musical theory as a piano? This would be an eighth note, and this a sixteenth note, and so forth?" Jarod pointed to the music, and the man nodded.
"You got it." Jarod started a simple beat on the drums, and laughed.
"This is pretty easy." The man with the piano turned around with a grin.
"Try something harder." He turned to the man with the music sheet, "Hey, Dan, you have the music for Collide?" The man who was obviously Dan, nodded, and pulled a sheet out from under his stool.
"Play this." He said, handing it to Jarod. Jarod looked at it for a moment, then played the piece all the way through without stopping.
"Perfect!" The man who had brought Jarod in almost squealed. "Let's go, boys."
"Hey, introductions first!" Dan held a hand up, then turned to Jarod, "I'm Dan. The crazy guy with the piano is Charlie, and the guy with the blue guitar is Stephen, and Matt has the acoustic." Each man waved in turn, and Jarod smiled.
"I'm Jarod."
"Okay, Jarod, this is the music for the song," Dan was handing him another sheet when Jarod interrupted.
"Wait. What's your band's name?" Jarod received blank stares, and Charlie groaned.
"Mick, what'd you do? Pull him in off the street without even telling him who he was playing for?" The man who had brought Jarod in shrugged.
"Pretty much." Dan sighed.
"We're Jars of Clay." Jarod looked excited.
"Jars of Clay? As in Boy on a String?" Dan nodded, a grin spreading on his face, "I heard your song on the radio the other day. Can I see your guitar?" Stephen handed him the electric guitar, and Jarod went on, "Let's see, I think it went like this," Jarod proceeded to play the entire song, and finished to see that every single person in the room was either suffering from hanging jaw disorder, or was completely amazed by his ability. Charlie regained speech first,
"You've just heard the song once, on the radio?" Jarod nodded vigorously.
"When do we start on the new song?" He asked happily, and Dan stuttered.
"N..now, I guess."
It took several tries to get the song right, but by the time they had finished, Jarod was almost in tears. It matched what was happening so well, he had to send it to Parker!
"Can I have a copy of that?" He asked Mick, and Mick grinned.
"Sure, I'll burn you a copy."
"Thanks. Thanks for letting me play with you guys, I had fun." The four men laughed, and Dan murmured,
"Heck, I'd drag you along for tour if I could. I've never seen so much talent!"
"Sorry, but I'm not big on publicity." Jarod said slowly, and added under his breath, "Parker's never going to believe this! Then again, she believed the rodeo clown thing."
"Sydney," Miss Parker stormed into Sydney's office. "Labrat sent us something." She tossed a brown package toward Sydney, and he took it in his hands. "Well, open it!" Sydney carefully pulled the brown wrapping off, and found a CD. It had nothing on it in way of label, and the case was clear plastic. Miss Parker took the CD and put it in the computer tray. She waited impatiently as the CD player came up, and she pushed play. The song filled the air, striking deep into the hearts of both listeners.
Am I really the one to blame?
Should I accept the shame?
Of being the one, that hurt you again.
Will you forgive me, and just be my friend?
Love lost, for kingdoms won,
I sold my soul, but is it worth the run,
To get to the top, and then lose my grip,
Who will catch me if I slip?
Pray to you, catch my fall,
Will you lift me up, when I can't stand tall?
Pray to you, hold me near,
When I once again lose someone dear,
Judas they call me, I guess they're right,
For the kiss I planted, left you blind,
I, Thomas, doubt you, when you call my name,
Afraid am I, to take the blame
Criticize me, leave me torn,
Broken days, shattered morn,
Starless nights, and hopeless dreams,
Endless and useless, it all seems,
Pray to you, catch my fall,
Will you lift me up, when I can't stand tall?
Pray to you, hold me near,
When I once again lose someone dear,
Pray to you, catch my fall,
Will you lift me up, when I can't stand tall?
Am I really the one to blame?
Am I really the one to blame?
Mr. Cox paced down the hall of the secluded Centre safe house, and smirked as he pressed a button next to a door. This was fun, torturing Miss Parker. Sydney was an added bonus, and he had no doubt Jarod was shredding himself up over it. The door beeped, and Cox pushed it open. The weary, haggard form inside looked up, his eyes void of any hope.
"Good morning, Mr. Broots!"
