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Chapter or Story
A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews! Here you go! I apologize for the frustration my extreme time skip may cause, but it's just my style of writing. Reviews, crits, and flames once again welcomed! Someone mentioned something (I know who, i'm not naming to protect the privacy of the person. I don't know how they feel about this kind of thing.) about doubting the fact that Jarod would disown Emily. You may be right! But, for this story, it was crucial to the plot and psychologically correct, in a way. Not to give a lecture, but Jarod was much more likely to take the side of Kyle, whom he shared a special bond with (the Centre), than the girl he had just met. Even if the girl was his sister, she was marrying the man who killed his brother, who he was closer to.
Anyway...that probably made barely any sense at all...I'm just going to post now. Thanks for reading! And reviewing!
Portrait of a Killer
4/10
"'Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all." - Tennyson
By RRP
Miss Parker walked forward, scanning the scene with her eyes. Several kids clambered excitedly over a large swing set, cardboard swords in their hands. A 'princess' sat in the top of the 'tower', a daisy chain in a ring around her forehead. A few mom's sat talking on a bench across from the swing set, their faces clear to her. No one she knew.
A man sat on another bench, facing the swing set, his back to her. He looked strangely familiar, but he wasn't Jarod, she could tell that, and Jarod was who she was looking for. Two Sweepers topped points on the hill around the valley the park was in, and waved discreetly to her. Sam, and Joel. Joel was relatively new on the job, Sam a long-time veteran.
A little boy, perhaps six years old, wandered over to where she stood.
"Hi." He murmured shyly.
"Hello," She said cautiously, trying to stay aloof. But the little boy looked so familiar, it almost frightened her. He held up a dandelion.
"My little sister told me to give this to you. She says you're very pretty." Miss Parker took the dandelion, and bent down next to the boy.
"I'm Miss Parker. What's your name?" She asked, scanning the mother's on the benches. None of them seemed the least bit interested in the boy.
"Hey! That's my last name!" He exclaimed. "That's pretty cool. Parker is a nice name. I'm Charlie. That's my nickname, Daddy says. My real name is Charles Robert Parker. I'm six years old." The startling fact almost made Miss Parker fall over.
"Who is your Daddy?" She asked, still trying to sound in control of herself. He pointed to the man on the bench.
"He's over there. Lyle Parker." Charlie answered. Miss Parker's jaw dropped, but Charlie went on. "I've got two sisters, and a brother. I'm the biggest." Charlie went on. He pointed to the 'princess'. "That's Maddy. She's five. Her name is Emily Madilyn." He pointed to another little girl next, one who clutched a cardboard sword tightly in one hand. "That's Cat. She's four. Her name is Catherine Margaret." He pointed to a little boy, struggling to climb the highest ladder, to the monkey bars. "That's Spider. He's three. Daddy says we call him Spider for two reasons, one, because he always wants to climb everything. Two, because Mommy named him Peter. His name is Peter Kyle Parker."
"Why Spider?" Miss Parker asked. Charlie looked at her strangely.
"Because Peter Parker is Spiderman in the comic books."
"Oh." Miss Parker replied, instantly remembering the fact, and chastising herself for forgetting it.
"Wanna meet Daddy?" Charlie asked. "He's been lonely since Mommy left. He doesn't say anything, but I know. He's lonely."
"Your Mommy left?" Miss Parker asked in surprise, as Charlie nodded sadly.
"There was a car wreck last year. Daddy came home with a broken arm, but he said Mommy wasn't coming back." Charlie said, his blue eyes big and watery. "It wasn't her fault. I know." He added softly. "But, Daddy doesn't laugh as much as he used to."
"You can go play, Charlie. I'll go talk to your Daddy." Miss Parker said, standing up. Charlie smiled at her.
"Maddy was right. You are pretty." He said, before dashing back off to play. Miss Parker ignored the confused Sweeper's on the hill, and walked up to Lyle.
"I've missed you." Was the first thing that came out of her mouth. Lyle whirled around, and his jaw dropped. He quickly recovered, and scanned the area for Sweepers. He jumped up, and yelled after his kids.
"Charlie, Maddy, Cat, Spider! Come on!" He grabbed Spider off the monkey bars, and the three older kids stood by him in less than a second.
"Lyle-" Miss Parker began.
"How dare you." He snapped back, cutting her off.
"Lyle, I didn't bring the Sweepers for you!" She growled. "We thought Jarod was here. I had no idea it was you. Please, just calm down. I want to talk." Lyle narrowed his eyes suspiciously, and looked up at the Sweepers on the hill, then back down as his kids, the suspicion disappearing as he looked at them. Charlie gazed up at him with wide eyes, while Maddy and Cat stared at Miss Parker. Spider grinned at her from where he was tucked under Lyle's arm.
"We'll talk, minus the Sweepers, at my house." Lyle agreed, looking back at her.
"Sure." Miss Parker agreed, waving Sam and Joel down. The two Sweepers began walking down the hill towards her. Lyle involuntarily tensed, and held Spider closer with one arm, pulling Cat closer with the other, while Charlie and Maddy hid behind his legs.
"Miss Parker?" Sam asked quietly, as Joel and he reached her.
"Sam, you and Joel go get some hotel rooms, and wait for me there. Try the..." Miss Parker paused, and looked over at Lyle.
"The Diamond Swan." Lyle answered, after hesitating for a second.
"The Diamond Swan. Go ahead and order take-out or something for your dinner." Sam nodded, while looking questioningly at Lyle, before taking Joel by the arm, and leaving the park. As they walked off, Miss Parker could hear Joel exclaiming,
"Third week on the job, and she's already telling us to order take-out! When do we get to use the guns?" Then Sam's rougher,
"Shutup. You'll get used to it."
"So..." She began awkwardly, facing Lyle.
"My house is up on the hill." He said abruptly, turning and leading her up the hill in the opposite direction Sam and Joel were walking.
Miss Parker saw a nice, American looking, two-story house made of stucco and brick, with a wide, white door and a stained wood porch, encased by rich wood railing. It was several minutes before they actually reached the house, Lyle still carrying Spider; Charlie, Maddy, and Cat trailing close behind him. Lyle pulled a key out of his pocket and unlocked the door, letting them into the house.
Miss Parker looked around, as Lyle set Spider down, and trudged into the living room. The house was a wreck, toys everywhere. She could see the kitchen from where she stood, and it wasn't much better, the only difference was that instead of toys, it was littered by dirty dishes. Charlie looked up at her with big sad eyes, and began picking up things. The act didn't seem forced, as if her presence made him feel guilty about the mess, instead, the little boy seemed far too tired and old, as he went along with something that must have been a bigger part of his life.
"Charlie," Maddy asked, holding Spider by the hand.
"Maddy?" Charlie replied, looking over at her, both seemingly oblivious to Miss Parker's presence.
"Should I get Spider in his pajamas? Or do you want to do it?" Maddy asked, grabbing Cat by the hand as well.
"You help get them dressed. I'll get some juice and fruit for snack. Help 'em pick out a story too, and I'll read it for us." Charlie said, beginning to pick up things again. Maddy began climbing the stairs, Spider beside her and Cat behind them.
Miss Parker knelt next to Charlie.
"Charlie, does your Daddy ever help you with this stuff? Cleaning and bedtime?" She asked gently.
"He used to do it every night. But now, we do it for ourselves most of the time. He's always tired." Charlie answered, arms full of toys as he stumbled to a toy box. "But it's okay. I can do the dishes, and pick up the toys. He still cooks and stuff." Charlie went on.
"Do you want me to help?" She asked gently.
"No, it's okay. We can do it. You can go talk to my Daddy." Charlie answered with a smile. Miss Parker fought back a tear, and joined Lyle in the living room.
"You're neglecting them." She accused. Lyle looked at her from his sprawled out position on the couch.
"I try not to, Sis. I really do. But do you have any idea how hard it is to lose someone, and then go on raising four kids by yourself? I love them all, and Charlie's a wonderful little boy, but...I feel so tired all the time. I know it's not normal, but I can't shake this feeling. It's like a lead cloak that I can't take off. No matter how much I sleep, I'm always tired and sore. I do my best to take them to the park, to play with them, and that kind of stuff, but I just can't! I used to be able to run around the park for hours, and now, I'm exhausted by the time I make it to the bench." Lyle poured out everything he felt, grateful for someone close, or had once been, to talk to. Miss Parker sat down.
"Have you seen a doctor?"
"No." Lyle sighed, looking up at the ceiling.
"You should." Miss Parker said firmly. "I don't want anything to happen to you."
"You haven't seen me for seven years." Lyle replied, not sharply, just as if he regretted the time lost.
"I meant it though. I missed you." Miss Parker pulled a worn, faded postcard out of her jacket pocket. A picture of a giant redwood tree was accompanied by the word, California in big yellow letters. Lyle's eyes filled with tears.
"You kept it?" He croaked.
"Yes. And I turned California upside down looking for you." She said, trying once again not to cry.
"I miss her." Lyle said after a few moments of silence, as he gazed back up at the ceiling. "I miss her laugh, her smile. I miss everything about her. But the six years I had with her were the best six years of my life. I wouldn't have traded them for anything." Lyle said, his gaze straying to a picture of the family on the mantel above the brick fireplace. Emily sat, holding Spider, the girls leaning against her, on either side. Charlie had his hand on Maddy's shoulder, protectively standing over his younger sister, and Lyle stood behind them, his hands on Emily's shoulders. The girls smiled softly, like Emily, while Spider held the first two fingers of his right hand in his mouth. Charlie's grin was identical to Lyle's. Miss Parker followed his gaze, and blinked in surprise at the seemingly normal family it portrayed. But the family was far from normal. Torn apart again and again, this time with no hope of being reunited.
Miss Parker felt anger growing in her, at the Centre, at life itself. Both, for ruining her brother's life so soon after he had been truly found, and for never getting that chance at life herself. She determined right then and there that if even if she had no hope of finding a family for herself, she was going to help put her little brother's back together.
"Lyle, I'll go help the kids get in bed. You just rest." Miss Parker stood up, and he looked at her gratefully.
"Thanks, Sis." His gaze hardened, and he glared at her. "But if you ever, ever try to hurt any of them, or take them anywhere close to the Centre, so help me, I'll kill you."
"I promise, Lyle. I won't hurt them, or let anyone else." She swore, leaving for the kitchen. She turned, just for a second, to see Lyle again. He was already asleep.
*-*-*
"Please don't go, we'll eat you up we love you so!" Lyle read, Spider on his lap, and Charlie leaning on Lyle's knee. Lyle sat cross-legged on the floor, reading 'Where the Wild Things Are' to the boys. Miss Parker watched, unnoticed, from the boy's bedroom entrance.
"Daddy, let's make the island!" Charlie squealed, bouncing to his feet. Lyle looked up at him, feigning a blank look.
"What's the island?" He asked. Charlie tugged on his arm, trying to pull Lyle to his feet. Spider ran around in circles, his arms in the air, shouting,
"Island! Island!"
"You know, Daddy!" Charlie exclaimed. "I dress up in my wolf costume, and get to be Max! You get to be the monsters!" Lyle broke into a grin.
"Alright. Get your costume on. Spider and I will make the forest." Miss Parker watched from the cracked bedroom door, as Lyle draped blankets about the room, and from Charlie's bunk bed, as Spider clung to his back. Charlie donned a furry brown costume with pointed ears that flopped when he walked. He proceeded to pull an empty card-board box without a bottom out of the closet, and sit in it. Lyle stood next to the 'boat' with Spider still on his back.
"I am leaving. I am going home." Charlie said, quoting the book. Lyle pretended to look frantic, and began to chase Charlie around the room, as Charlie dragged the box with him while attempting to run. All the while, Lyle was chanting in a playful, sing-song voice,
"Please don't go, please don't go, we'll eat you up we love you so!"
"I am going home!" Charlie puffed, collapsing with laughter as Lyle pounced on him, and pretended to 'eat' him. Spider squealed out of pure joy, and attempted to copy Lyle's motions, on Lyle himself. All three of them fell over, laughing hysterically, sprawled out on the floor.
Miss Parker felt a small body brush past her leg, and looked down to see Maddy peeking through the door. She turned around with a sigh and a yawn.
"Good morning." Miss Parker whispered. Maddy looked up with sleepy eyes.
"They woke me up. Do you know how to cook?" Maddy asked, clutching a rag doll.
"Some." Miss Parker replied, kneeling down next to the little girl. Laughter still rang out in the background behind them.
"Let's make a surprise breakfast." Maddy whispered loudly. Miss Parker looked behind her at the boy's bedroom door.
"Do you think they deserve it?" She asked teasingly.
"No. But we can still surprise Cat." Maddy answered with an impish smile.
"Okay." Miss Parker stood and took Maddy's hand.
"Maybe if there's some left over, we'll share." Maddy added thoughtfully, tiptoeing back over to the door, for one last look at the boys. The blankets had been quickly converted into tents, and they now sat on the floor with G.I. Joes. Spider was clutching a G.I. Joe and making it 'talk' with a stolen doll from the girl's room.
"That's where Susie went!" Maddy exclaimed, looking at the doll. Charlie and Lyle were making barricades and trenches out of more blankets and pillows.
"Ready to make breakfast?" Miss Parker asked, turning. Maddy sighed, and shook her head.
"Boys." She muttered, following Miss Parker. Miss Parker couldn't help but smile.
*-*-*
Lyle entered the kitchen to the smell of waffles, eggs, and toast. Miss Parker stood, frowning at the toaster, and Maddy and Cat grinned at him through already sticky faces, their hands plastered with syrup. Charlie looked around the kitchen with wide eyes. Spider shouted, and reach excitedly for the table.
"Syrup! Wafalees!" Lyle set him down, and he made a mad dash for the plate Maddy had started putting together for him.
"Good morning." Miss Parker chimed.
"Um, good...morning." Lyle replied, blinking in shock. "I didn't know you could cook."
"I can't. These are frozen waffles." Miss Parker replied, frown deepening as she glared at the toaster.
"You're doing pretty well so far." Lyle murmured appreciatively, looking at the heaping plate of scrambled eggs, and the large stacks of toast and waffles. "What's the problem?"
"Toaster won't pop." She said, tapping her foot impatiently, still glaring at the toaster.
"You have to plug it in." Lyle replied, pointing to the cord. Miss Parker peeked behind the toaster, and saw the empty outlet.
"It must have come unplugged when I moved the toaster." She smiled sheepishly, as a grin formed on Lyle's face.
"My kitchen!" Charlie choked out, looking at the mess around him. "I just cleaned it! And today's a cereal day!"
"I'll clean it up, Charlie." Miss Parker assured him.
"Sorry, Charlie. I forgot." Maddy apologized, looking down at her waffle.
"Do you 'cept her 'pologie?" Cat asked worriedly, looking from big brother to big sister.
"'Course I do, Cat." Charlie said with a grin. "But only if I can have a waffle." Maddy broke into a smile, and handed Charlie a plate as he sat down.
"Wafalee!" Spider cried, his face and hands already covered with syrup.
"They never cease to amaze me." Lyle muttered, as he grabbed a piece of toast and stood next to Miss Parker.
"What?" Miss Parker asked, grabbing the toast as it popped up.
"Their willingness to forgive. And after they've said sorry, it's all over." Lyle replied before taking a bite of his toast.
"Yeah." Miss Parker murmured in agreement, looking at the four kids. Charlie was doing his best to stay clean, Maddy was helping Cat pour more syrup (more syrup was on them than there was in the bottle), and Spider was clinging to a waffle that was so heavy with syrup it was falling apart. She smiled at them, and turned her gaze to her little brother, who was leaning against the counter with a dry piece of toast, seemingly exhausted, but looking at his four kids with a wide, proud grin. The only thing missing from his mask of perfect happiness was the joyous glint in his eyes-the one that only Emily could bring.
*-*-*
"Syd," Miss Parker called out, as she stalked into his office.
"Miss Parker! It's good to see you back! Sam said you'd be gone for several days." The last sentence was posed more as a question, and she shook her head.
"There are a few things I need to do here before I take a real vacation."
"Such as?" Sydney set his chin into his cupped hands, and propped his arms up on his desk.
"A question for you." She replied, pulling a chair over to the desk, with a defiant glare at the camera.
"Which would be?" Sydney prodded gently, waiting for her to continue.
"Hypothetically, if someone came into your office, complaining of loss of strength, inability to sleep, weariness like a lead apron, yet not a single physician had been able to find anything wrong with them, what would your diagnosis be?" Miss Parker asked, leaning towards him, Ice mask in place.
"Well, most psychiatrists would prescribe Zoloft, but I would say CFS." Sydney replied, after thinking for a moment.
"CFS?"
"Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It's relatively new, but Jacob had it."
"What could bring that on?" Miss Parker pushed. "What would you prescribe?"
"Sudden grief, or a severe case of influenza. As for prescriptions, a few minerals is all I can say. There is no known antibiotic for CFS. Why do you ask?" Sydney questioned, now quite perplexed.
"I might tell you later." Miss Parker said, standing and heading for the door. She nearly ran into Broots, who was rushing in with a printout.
"Syd! Oh, Miss Parker." Broots stopped suddenly (though, the stuttering was absent), and Miss Parker raised an eyebrow.
"What's the rush, Broots?" She snapped. Broots started again, almost as if someone had unplugged him, then plugged him back in.
"I found evidence of another Pretender being kept in SL-15!" Miss Parker snatched the print-put before Broots could blink.
"Female?" Miss Parker asked out loud, scanning the paper.
"She's been here a year, and originally came in from Maine-" Broots got no farther, as both he and Sydney watched Miss Parker in surprise. She sat back down, hard, and stared at the floor, eyes wide in shock.
"It's Emily." She whispered. Broots grabbed the paper.
"Where does it say that?" He demanded, scanning it again.
"It doesn't." Miss Parker replied. She turned to Sydney, and smiled weakly. "I've got a confession, Syd. But I can't say anything here. Both of you meet me on the beach, in front of Lyle's old apartment building, one hour from now, okay?"
"We'll be there." Sydney nodded. Miss Parker stood, pushed past a stunned Broots, and left the room.
*-*-*
Miss Parker stared hard at the stormy sea, ignoring the sand that was whipping around and stinging her legs and cheeks. Her mind reeled with the possibility of Emily still being alive- and with the new found channel of deception her father had been rowing her down. It was time to jump off the boat, and swim the other way.
"Miss Parker?" Sydney asked from behind her, his accented voice thick with worry. She turned slowly, inwardly cursing herself for not hearing the two men approach. Sydney and Broots stood only feet from her, Sydney's characteristic cap cocked over one ear, making a bold, very Sydney-like statement. His classy wire-rimmed glasses were set high upon the chiseled nose- a common sight after all the years that had passed. Broots was tugging a thin black jacket around his shoulders, in an attempt to ward off the harsh wind and sand. Miss Parker sighed as she studied them, moments passing before she spoke. Sydney, except for the glasses, hadn't changed much in the past few years. Broots looked a little older and more careworn.
"It's about Emily." Miss Parker finally spoke, so softly her voice was almost lost in a passing breath of wind.
"I tapped into the cameras. It was Emily. How did you know?" Broots demanded. The past years he had spent working with Miss Parker assured him that tapping into cameras was a good thing. It would be either ignored, or praised. Ignored was most likely.
"Long story. But, I guess we have time." Miss Parker turned her head to gaze again at the waves, crashing onto the angry, swirling sand, calming it and forcing it down with the weight of the water. Broots sighed. Ignored. Miss Parker continued, looking back to the two men. "Seven years ago, when Lyle disappeared? I never knew where he was going, but I knew who he was going with."
"Emily." Sydney supplied. Miss Parker looked sharply at him, not in anger, but in surprise. Sydney shrugged. "I guessed as much."
"Yes." Miss Parker's eyes strayed to the infinite space of thought, not really looking at anything in particular in the tangible world. "He left with Emily, and just two days ago, I found him again. In Maine." She looked straight at Sydney, and gave a little laugh. A hopeless laugh, not quite sure what to think. "He has four kids. Lyle with kids..."
"Kids? Geez..." Broots muttered, suddenly interested in his shoes. Miss Parker nodded.
"Four kids. He said Emily died in a car wreck last year."
"He has CFS, doesn't he? That's who you were asking about." Sydney realized, putting two and two together.
"Yeah. I think he does. But, the important question here, is: Why is Emily still alive? How?"
"And why not just take Lyle? Why leave him there, and take Emily?" Broots added. His attention shifted from his shoes to the sky.
"What are you planning on doing, Miss Parker?" Sydney asked quietly. "That's at least one question we can answer here."
"I'm not sure, Syd. I want to get Emily out of there, though. I've got to. You haven't seen him, Syd. He's just not like himself. Granted, he was going to be a little different- but not that different. He was just so lost..." Miss Parker trailed off, turning her back to the men and looking at the ocean again.
"I'm helping." Broots announced without hesitation. "Anything, Miss Parker. Just tell me and it's as good as done."
"Thanks, Broots. That means a lot."
"No problem." He replied simply.
"I'll help as well, Miss Parker." Sydney said softly. "I'll tell Jarod, next time he calls." He added, almost as an afterthought. Miss Parker gave him a sad smile.
"When was the last time you talked to him?"
"About six months ago." Sydney sighed. "The calls are getting fewer and farther between."
"Falling away." Miss Parker murmured distractedly.
"Hmm?" Broots looked over, not grasping the meaning of the small statement.
"Nothing. Nothing at all." Miss Parker replied, not caring to explain. A strong wind whipped by them, and it seemed as if it carried all their words with it. Silence claimed the small spot of beach for several minutes.
Sydney looked at her, and could have sworn he was looking at Catherine. She looked older than she had nearly eleven years ago, when the chase started. Older, but still beautiful and sad. All three of them were trapped in the eternal game of Centre, never to escape- and it was wearing them all down.
"So, um...about Emily." Broots interrupted the silence, looking from Sydney to Miss Parker and back again. "What exactly are we going to do?"
"First, we find out what she's there for. What kind of condition to except her to be in." Miss Parker said decisively. "Then pick a date."
"Are you going to contact Lyle?" Sydney asked. Miss Parker shook her head.
"Not until I'm sure they haven't done anything to her. Not until I'm sure."
"I'll see what I can get off the mainframe. And I'll try to hack into the Project files." Broots said, tugging his jacket around his shoulders again.
"I'll see if I can get any kind of clearance to work with her." Sydney put in.
"I'm going to take a week or two of vacation time, and go up to Maine. I'll see if I can get Lyle to come with me to Ben's. I think a few days away from the house may be good for him and the kids." Miss Parker said, allowing herself with a small smile. Sydney returned the smile.
"That's a good idea." He assured her. A little voice inside his head was adding emphatically, You need it too, Miss Parker. You too.
---
Jarod crept into the darkened house, stealthily picking his way across the far-too familiar territory and layout of Miss Parker's house. The bedroom door was closed, but the light was on, and it shone out into the hall from underneath the door. It piqued his interest, and he tiptoed forward. As familiar as the area was, it had been quite a while since he had visited. He paused by the door, and allowed his thoughts to stray before he knocked.
It seemed strange, having free reign of her house for so long. It had been an unspoken agreement, sometime after Lyle left, that if he came to see her while she was off-work, she wouldn't drag him in. The relationship was still strained, and tense at times, but midnight talks were common for a while. Then, he started slipping away- spending more and more time on pretends and searches. Losing contact with her almost entirely. Now, a trip was made maybe three times a year. The Centre had even, surprisingly, lifted some of the pressure to find him. The past four years had brought less and less demands, as interest was lost in him. Why wouldn't it be?
Mr. Parker had seven-year-old Aric Joel to worry about- nearly all his time was spent overseeing the boy's training to be the next Chairman. They weren't wasting any time starting with the forming of the next leader of the Centre. They'd made mistakes before, and Mr. Parker was determined not to make those same mistakes again.
Jarod finally pulled himself from his thoughts, and knocked softly on the door. It flew open a split second later. Miss Parker stood in her silk pajamas, and a suitcase was on the bed behind her.
"You're packing." He stated the obvious. She opened the door wider, and he stepped into the room.
"I'm going to see Lyle."
"You found him?" Jarod asked, not sounding at all surprised. Miss Parker decided to try him.
"Emily's dead." She said flatly. A flicker of pain lit Jarod's eyes, but he shrugged.
"Who's she?" He asked, just as calmly and dryly. A slap echoed throughout the room, and Jarod lifted a hand to his stinging cheek. Miss Parker turned from him, and started shoving clothes into the suitcase again. Jarod said nothing, still shocked, as he stumbled to a chair and sat down hard.
"I guess I deserved that." He finally murmured.
"You better believe it." Miss Parker shot back.
"She's dead?"
"No. She's in the Centre. Lyle thinks she died in a car wreck last year." She answered, shoving another outfit into the suitcase. "We're planning to get her out."
"First, you let me in your house. Then, you actually plan to get people out of the Centre." Jarod said, tone bordering on sarcastic. "Your mother would be proud of you." He added seriously.
"I'm getting her out for my brother."
"AJ?"
"No, you idiot. Lyle."
"Oh." Jarod said softly. Miss Parker turned, and sat down on the edge of her bed to look at him.
"You should see their little girls. They both look just like Emily. The boys look like Lyle, though."
"Kids? How many?" A faint smile stole onto Jarod's face, conforming what Miss Parker had believed for years. He still cared. It was Jarod, for crying out loud. He didn't just give up completely.
"Four. Charlie, Maddy, Cat, and Spider." Miss Parker answered. "Spider's middle name is Kyle, by the way." She added, hoping it would push Jarod in the right direction.
"Fine. I'll help Emily, but don't expect me to forgive Lyle." Jarod said after several tense seconds. Miss Parker glared at him.
"Why not?"
"He killed my brother." Jarod growled. Miss Parker gazed into his eyes for several minutes before replying.
"You simmed it, didn't you?" Jarod looked down sharply at the floor. He nodded, and sighed.
"I simmed it. Over and over, hoping I was wrong."
"It wasn't his fault, was it?" Miss Parker demanded. Jarod shook his head so softly that it was almost unnoticeable.
"If...if Kyle hadn't jumped...it would have hit me in the arm."
"Then it wasn't really his fault, was it?"
"No. Not really." Jarod admitted.
"Just help me, Jarod. You can't help Emily unless you're willing to help put them back together." Miss Parker pleaded. Jarod looked up at her, and bit his lip.
"Okay. I'll help." He finally consented.
"And give Syd a call, will you? He's worried sick."
"Sure. In the meantime, want some coffee or something? It's late." Jarod agreed, anxious to change the subject.
"That'd be great. I'll finish here, and join you on the couch." Miss Parker smiled softly, and Jarod grinned.
"I'll go make some coffee then. Mind if I put some music on?"
"Go ahead. Make yourself at home."
"I was hoping you'd say that." Jarod slipped out of the room, and stopped in the living room to turn up the lights just a bit, giving the room a soft moon-like glow. He grabbed a CD from the small stack near the CD player, and pushed it in. He pushed play, and let the soft music fill the room. He moved on to the well-furnished kitchen- complete with modern appliances that were sleek and black. He moved deftly about the kitchen, thankful that Miss Parker never rearranged anything. Everything was the same as it had been when he first started visiting.
Jarod opted for the instant French Vanilla, and filled a teapot with water, then set it on the stove to let it boil. As he waited, he let his thoughts stray again. What exactly had he just agreed to do? Help Emily, yes. Help Lyle? He cringed. Yep. He had just agreed to help Lyle. What was he thinking? He mentally slapped himself, hard.
"Hey, you put the ShakespeareSorrow CD in." Miss Parker exclaimed, entering the living room.
"Yeah." Jarod nodded dumbly. His mind still stung from the slap. And his cheek felt funny too- kinda numb.
"Coffee almost ready?"
"Water's heating." Jarod answered. "How's AJ?"
"Okay, I think. I barely see him anymore." Miss Parker answered, sitting down on the couch. "They have him enrolled in a private, all-year-round, boy’s school not too far from here."
"At least they're letting him outside of the Centre." Jarod pointed out, trying to be at least a little optimistic.
"I might see if I can take him with me to Maine. It might be good for him." Miss Parker said, almost to herself.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Jarod asked, grabbing the steaming teapot off the hot stove.
"The way I see it, no matter what happens, AJ is going to be the next Chairman. If I can install some morals in him, without softening him, then it may turn the Centre around." Miss Parker replied firmly. "He needs some kind of positive reinforcement, or he's going to become what Lyle used to be."
"True."
"The Board voted unanimously for AJ's reserved position as Chairman, so that's settled. Raines is about out completely. It's only a matter of months before he either dies on his own, or they vote him out."
"Besides the Centre, how are things in the world of Miss Parker?" Jarod asked, handing her a steaming cup of coffee and joining her on the couch. He wanted to change the subject, and fast.
"Sydney's fine. Broots is fine, and Debbie just took her SATs. She wants to go to Harvard."
"What's she going to Major in?"
"She says she can't decide between Advanced Computer Technology, and Psychology. If she goes into Psychology, she wants to specialize in psychometry."
"Really?" Jarod asked, surprised.
"She met Angelo two years ago, and has been enthralled ever since." Miss Parker remembered the event with a small smile. The two (Angelo and Debbie) had clicked almost instantly. Now, if she was at the Centre, Angelo was with her.
"Angelo would enthrall anyone." Jarod replied truthfully. "He still amazes me."
"Yeah," Miss Parker nodded. "Me too."
The conversation carried on far into the small hours of the morning, and Jarod finally announced that he had to go. Miss Parker carried the two empty coffee cups into the kitchen, and stumbled back to bed to catch a few hours of much needed sleep before she had to start the day.
---
Aric Joel Parker woke to the beeping of a nearby clock. He laid in bed, and looked up at the ceiling, trying to make his small body suck more warmth out of the thin blankets. The alarm went off automatically after a minute, and he sighed. As every morning, the door swung open five seconds later and a Centre nurse entered the room.
"Come on, AJ. Time to get up." The man said, pulling back the covers. Aric Joel shivered, and slid off the bed. His feet hit the cold cement floor, and he shivered again. “Here, put your socks on.” The nurse handed him a pair of white socks, and Aric Joel accepted them gratefully. As he tugged the spotless, white socks on, the nurse retrieved his clothes for the day from the closet. The same outfit he wore everyday- pleated khaki pants, button up white dress shirt, a burgundy clip-on tie, and a black sports jacket.
While the clothes were strange enough for a normal boy, Aric Joel never questioned them. All the other children he knew wore clothes like his at school- and he never saw them anywhere else. His assigned Centre nurse, Frank, never said anything about the outfit. It was the school uniform, and Aric Joel had no need to change when he got home. He never went outside to play, so there was never the danger of getting dirty.
“Frank,” Aric Joel asked in a small voice. “Do you think Father will let me go on the field trip next week? I’ve never been on one before, and they’re going to the Zoo.” Frank frowned as he pulled a belt out of Aric Joel’s dresser, and he shook his head.
“Sorry, AJ. I don’t think he will. You know the rules.”
“Yeah, I know, I know. I just hoped…” Aric Joel trailed off, knowing also that the hope was misplaced. Mr. Parker would never let him go anywhere off school grounds with the other children. Frank helped Aric Joel pull the loose, gray cotton pajama shirt over his head, and Aric Joel quickly grabbed for the button-up shirt.
“Frank, will you help me with the top button? It’s the only one I can’t get.” Frank nodded, and knelt down to help the boy button the last button of the starched shirt. The pants were next, followed by the belt and the tie. Aric Joel slid his arms into the sleeves of the sports jacket, and the ritual was complete after he finished tying the snazzy, black Oxfords only seconds later.
A knock at the door startled Aric Joel, and he briefly wondered if Mr. Parker had made a surprise visit. Frank opened the door, and Sam the Sweeper stepped in.
“Sam?” Frank asked, tone deepening. It was an unspoken law that no one was to interrupt Aric while he was getting ready for school, and suddenly a Sweeper was breaking it.
“Frank.” Sam replied with a touch of dry humor. “Miss Parker wants the boy brought to her office immediately. Everything’s already been covered with Mr. Parker.” Aric Joel’s eyes lit up at the mention of his older half-sister.
“Really, Sam? I don’t have to go to school?” He asked excitedly. It was indeed a very rare occasion that Aric Joel missed school- usually only days when he was sick. Frank’s jaw dropped slightly, and he tried to come up with a valid excuse, but could think of none to use against Sam. If the message was true, then there was nothing really to do, or say.
“Really, kiddo. Come on, I’ll take you myself.” Sam offered his hand, and Aric Joel took it, with an almost triumphant look back at Frank. Together, Aric Joel and Sam navigated the vast halls of the Centre, climbing onto and off elevators various times, until they finally stopped in front of a heavy wood door. “In there, kid. Just go on in.” Sam pushed the door open, and Aric Joel slipped inside. The door closed behind him, and he realized with a start that the big Sweeper had stayed outside.
He looked around the dimly lit office, and his eyes locked on his half-sister, who was straightening things on her desk. He cleared his throat nervously, and his face wore a hesitant smile.
“Oh, AJ! I didn’t hear you come in. Come on over, I’m almost done.” Miss Parker looked up with a smile, and motioned him over. Aric Joel’s smile turned into a full blown grin, as he hurried over to stand next to her at the desk. He watched silently for several more minutes, before she shut the last drawer, and looked over at him. “You ready? We’re going on a trip.”
“A trip?” Aric Joel’s eyes grew wide, and his mouth opened in a little ‘o’.
“Yep. We’ll stop by your school, and see if there’s anything you need to bring- then we’re off to Maine.” Aric Joel nodded excitedly. Miss Parker stood, and grabbed two bags from their previous spot on the couch, and he followed her out the door. He waved to Sam as they walked to the elevator, and called out,
“Bye, Sam!” Several nearby Sweepers began to snicker, and Sam silenced them with a glare, and called out after Aric Joel,
“See ya around, kid.” Either Miss Parker didn’t hear, or she wasn’t paying attention, or she didn’t care- but she said nothing to Sam at all, or even looked at him as way of reprimand. Sam shrugged. So, she was okay with it- he hoped.
Aric Joel was ecstatic, and could barely hold still during the ride down on the elevator. Miss Parker seemed to sense his excitement, and gave her littlest brother a fond look. He already looked like a little man, in his sports jacket and khakis, and she smiled at him.
“What do you say we stop at a store, and buy you some new clothes? The Kids Gap usually has some nice stuff in.”
“New clothes?” Aric Joel felt as if he could burst. Too many good things in one day, and it wasn’t even nine AM yet! No school, a trip, and new clothes. He nodded vigorously. “I’d like that!”
---
Miss Parker glanced over at her small passenger, curled up on the seat asleep. He was dressed in his new jeans, screen tee, and sweatshirt, which he had begged to be allowed to wear- immediately after buying them. She had consented, of course, and he couldn’t get into them fast enough. They had stopped at a fast food restaurant afterwards, and then moved on towards Maine.
She breathed a sigh of relief when she spotted Lyle's house not far ahead, thankful that she remembered where it was. She had nearly made a wrong turn downtown, but had straightened out fast enough. She pulled into the driveway, and slowed to a stop. She turned the car off, and opened her door.
A head appeared at the window, then ducked back in, and she smiled. Another little head joined the first one as it reappeared. Charlie and Spider both pushed their faces against the glass, grinning and waving.
Miss Parker followed the front walk up to the door, and it opened just as she stepped on the porch. Lyle stood, with a sippy-cup full of apple juice in his hand. He wordlessly handed the juice to Cat, who was peeking out from behind his legs.
"The boys said you were here." He said quietly.
"I'm here." Miss Parker replied with a smile. "Can we come in?"
"We?" Lyle asked suspiciously.
"I brought AJ. Our little brother." Miss Parker informed him, pointing to the car. “He’s asleep.”
“Um, sure. Come on in.” Lyle swung the door open all the way, and she pointed to the car again.
“I’m going to go get him, and our stuff. We’ll be right in.”
The door was still open when she returned several minutes later, arms full of bags, and a wide-eyed Aric Joel standing next to her. They stepped inside, and Miss Parker pushed the door shut behind them.
“Lyle?” She called out, dropping the bags in the foyer. The house was now seemingly deserted, except for a low murmur coming from the kitchen. She took Aric Joel by the hand, and walked back to the room where the noise was coming from.
“The Dragon walked in circles around little Hero, but Hero did not let the Dragon know he was afraid. He waved his sword in the air at the Dragon, and yelled, “You shall not have me, nor my city!” The Dragon laughed a great laugh, that shook the ground. “You cannot save them,” He said to Hero. “You are too small. That is why they sent you, because they wanted you to die.” The Dragon breathed a bit of fire through his nose as he spoke, but still Hero stood firm. “That doesn’t matter! I will save them, even if they do not think I can!” Hero lunged forward, and drove his sword into the Dragon’s soft spot, just underneath the Dragon’s steely chest. The Dragon gasped in horror, for he knew that the little boy, Hero, had defeated him. He began to fall forward, and that is when Hero realized his mistake.
“He tried to run out from underneath the Dragon, but it was too late. With a loud sigh of defeat, the Dragon fell. The Dragon was silent, still- unaware of the little boy who was caught under him. The townspeople found them later- the Dragon and Hero fallen together. But it was still easy to tell who had won, for Hero’s little sword was still in the Dragon’s broad side. Too late did the people realize what a hero little Hero was.” Lyle finished the book, and closed it. Spider immediately climbed onto his lap, and Charlie stared off into space with a dreamy smile. Cat was asleep, apple juice still in hand. Maddy was the first to see Miss Parker, and Aric Joel, and she jumped up.
“Aunt Parker!” She exclaimed, running over and hugging her. Lyle looked over at Miss Parker with a sheepish smile, and shrugged.
“I had to tell them. Cat thought you were my girlfriend.” Miss Parker shook her head and smiled.
“It’s okay.”
“Who are you?” Charlie asked Aric Joel, after giving Miss Parker a hug.
“Aric Joel.” Aric Joel replied matter-of-factly. “But everyone calls me AJ. Except for Father and the Board.” Miss Parker knelt next to Aric Joel, and looked him straight in the eye.
“AJ, you remember when Daddy told you that our brother was dead?”
“Your twin brother. I remember.” Aric Joel nodded, confusion stealing his face.
“Daddy lied. That,” She pointed over to Lyle, “is your brother, Lyle.”
---
Lyle sat in contemplative silence, listening to the sounds of the day winding down. Miss Parker was talking to Aric Joel in the guest room, but the voices were muffled, and he couldn’t discern actual words. Maddy, Cat, and Spider were all asleep, and Charlie was reading. A soft glow filtered into the upstairs hall from the boy’s room, and every few minutes Lyle could hear a page turn.
His whole body ached, but he forced himself to ignore the warning signs of being wiped out. He refused to acknowledge the fact that he would barely be able to function tomorrow. So, instead, he leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes. His other senses immediately heightened, and after what seemed like hours, he heard the guest room door open. Soft steps on the stairs became soft steps on the floor, until they were right next to him.
“Hey, you asleep?” Miss Parker whispered, sitting next to the still form of her twin brother.
“No.” Lyle whispered back. His eyes opened slowly, and he turned his head to look at her.
“They had fun at the park today.” She observed quietly, leaning back into the pillows.
“Yeah. I get the impression that AJ doesn’t do that kind of thing often?” Lyle more stated than questioned, and Miss Parker nodded.
“What gave you that idea? Was it when he started trying to explain that Merlin was only a master of optical illusion- not actual magic, or when he tried to convince everyone that dragons were actually large iguanas and other lizards?”
“Actually, I was surprised he couldn’t grasp the concept of Pretending. Shouldn’t he be an expert at that?” Lyle asked, brow furrowing.
“You mean, like us and Jarod? The Centre has gone from one extreme to the other. Their first attempt was to create someone who could Pretend all the time. It failed, when the Pretender understood what freedom was.”
“I think they just had him do too many POW Pretends. It wasn’t much of a Pretend for him, so he eventually realized that whatever the men were missing he was missing too.” Lyle interrupted. When Miss Parker looked at him with a raised eyebrow, he shrugged. “I’ve been there. Continue.”
“So, they’re now trying to create a man that doesn’t understand the concept of Pretend at all. Then they can introduce it to him as a science, not a life-style. That’s what they say the mistake was that they made with Jarod- he considered Pretending a job, a life-style, instead of a science. He could only think of it as what he did, not what it was.”
“Please, clarify. I didn’t quite get that.” Lyle closed his eyes again, and Miss Parker went on.
“Jarod sees Pretending as what he does, who he is. If you ask him to explain what it is he does, he tells you that he becomes other people. In reality, that’s not true. Half of the time he’s Pretending, he’s being a non-existent person. Jarod doesn’t become people, he makes them. He’s a master of the art of pretend.”
“Back up. I thought you said a minute ago it was a science?”
“No, I said they wanted Jarod and AJ to see it that way. When we were kids, Jarod always referred to Pretending as his job, his work. AJ, on the other hand, can’t even grasp the idea that you would want to become someone else. He has no haven, therefore, he has no desire to get away from the Centre. He’s happy with being AJ, because he doesn’t know what it’s like to think of himself as another, even when he’s playing. Remember when they were picking names for their game? He kept telling everyone that he just wanted to be AJ. He doesn’t see Pretending as anything but foolish nonsense. When he’s older, they can introduce it to him as a science, just like as adults, we see a game of catch as an exercise to develop hand-eye coordination.”
“Oh. I think I understood you that time. My mind is stuck in the realm of three letter words and simple addition.”
“What?” Miss Parker blinked.
“A, E, I, O, U…I’m teaching Cat and Spider to read.” Lyle explained, without opening his eyes.
“But, they’re three and four.”
“So? Their mother is the sister of Jarod, arguably the smartest man to ever grace the earth, and their father is me. A red file himself.”
“True. Hey, I have a question for you.”
“Shoot. Not literally.”
“Haha.” Miss Parker returned sarcastically. “Do you want to join me and AJ for the week? We’re going up to Ben’s for vacation.”
“Maybe. I dunno.” Lyle’s mind reeled with the thought of vacation- vacation meant chasing kids around unfamiliar territory, looking over your shoulder every five minutes, and a whole lot more work than watching kids at home. The thought process started to give him a headache, and his muscles and joints already hurt like heck. Miss Parker watched with concern, as her little brother winced.
“Lyle, have you gone to a doctor yet?”
“No. Why?” She noticed he kept his eyes closed, but didn’t point it out.
“I think I know what’s wrong with you.”
“Hmm?”
“CFS. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.” Miss Parker said softly. Lyle shifted uneasily.
“What’s that mean?”
“That means you should probably stock up on minerals and fish oil tablets.” Miss Parker replied. “I can pick up some for you tomorrow, before we leave. Just try them for a day or two, and see what happens.”
“Sure. Anything, anything. But what exactly did you mean by, ‘before we leave’?”
“You’re coming, aren’t you?”
“I hadn’t agreed to that yet.”
“Look, I already talked to Ben. We’re going to watch the kids, and give you a vacation. When was the last time you had some time to yourself? Sure, spending time with them is great, but you don’t want to be burnt out before Charlie’s even in college.”
“Don’t say that. He’s already too old.” Lyle sighed.
"Too old?" Miss Parker questioned. A dreamy smile crept across Lyle's face.
"It seems like just yesterday we brought him home from the hospital. I can still remember the way he smelled, Emily's grin, and me fumbling with the stupid camcorder." Lyle gave a sad laugh, something between a chuckle and a sob. He finally opened his eyes and looked over at Miss Parker. "It seems like just yesterday she was here. Sometimes, when they're all asleep and I'm down here awake, I think I can hear her laughing in the kitchen, or talking to Charlie up in his room. It's really the little things I miss the most. The oreo crumbs on top of a half-finished cross word puzzle, holding her while we watched a movie, watching her dance with Charlie and Maddy." Lyle swallowed the lump in his throat, and blinked back tears. Miss Parker hesitated, then wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
As awkward as it was, it felt right. She was his big sister, and she should be lending a shoulder, right? Right. She confirmed in her mind, as he leaned his head against her shoulder.
"Thanks." The whisper was almost inaudible, but Miss Parker caught it. She couldn't think of anything to say in return.
---
Broots clicked the camera feed off, and sat back in his chair. Things weren't looking too bright in SL-15ville. He had honestly never seen anyone so depressed. Even Jarod hadn't looked that bad before. He shuddered, and pulled up another file on the computer. His eyes scanned it quickly, skimming over the report until he came across something that made him nearly blow his socks.
Project Removal- Along with other Projects, Subject 551 (aka Emily) is under careful watch for Project Removal, studying intense levels of depression and sudden loss shock (SLS). The subject has shown varying symptoms all in the extreme, from silence and refusal to consume food or water to fits of rage and insanity. Still under the impression that her husband, Lyle Parker, is deceased, Subject 551 is a perfect study subject for Project Removal. Consideration for continuation of the Project will go before the board Monday the thirteenth of September. NOTE: Added 9/13- Board approved continuation of Project Removal. The science team will continue as directed with monitoring and administration of experimental depression and relaxant drugs, also in connection with Project Sleepwalk.
A chill ran up and down his spine, and he closed the file. He bit his lower lip, and indecisively pushed the link to the camera, turning the live video feed back on. Minutes ago, Emily had been laying on the gray cot, unblinking and unmoving. Now she was pounding on the door, yelling as tears streamed down her face. Broots turned the sound up just a notch, so he could hear what she was screaming.
"Let me out of here! You're lying, I know you are! He's not dead, he's not. He's not dead." Emily repeated, sinking down to the floor. She pounded helplessly on the concrete. "He's not dead." She mumbled. "He's not. Let me out, just let me out."
Broots hurriedly click the camera feed off, and erased the computer history files. He knew deep inside that something had to be done, and fast. Before she really snapped for good.
Anyway...that probably made barely any sense at all...I'm just going to post now. Thanks for reading! And reviewing!
4/10
"'Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all." - Tennyson
By RRP
Miss Parker walked forward, scanning the scene with her eyes. Several kids clambered excitedly over a large swing set, cardboard swords in their hands. A 'princess' sat in the top of the 'tower', a daisy chain in a ring around her forehead. A few mom's sat talking on a bench across from the swing set, their faces clear to her. No one she knew.
A man sat on another bench, facing the swing set, his back to her. He looked strangely familiar, but he wasn't Jarod, she could tell that, and Jarod was who she was looking for. Two Sweepers topped points on the hill around the valley the park was in, and waved discreetly to her. Sam, and Joel. Joel was relatively new on the job, Sam a long-time veteran.
A little boy, perhaps six years old, wandered over to where she stood.
"Hi." He murmured shyly.
"Hello," She said cautiously, trying to stay aloof. But the little boy looked so familiar, it almost frightened her. He held up a dandelion.
"My little sister told me to give this to you. She says you're very pretty." Miss Parker took the dandelion, and bent down next to the boy.
"I'm Miss Parker. What's your name?" She asked, scanning the mother's on the benches. None of them seemed the least bit interested in the boy.
"Hey! That's my last name!" He exclaimed. "That's pretty cool. Parker is a nice name. I'm Charlie. That's my nickname, Daddy says. My real name is Charles Robert Parker. I'm six years old." The startling fact almost made Miss Parker fall over.
"Who is your Daddy?" She asked, still trying to sound in control of herself. He pointed to the man on the bench.
"He's over there. Lyle Parker." Charlie answered. Miss Parker's jaw dropped, but Charlie went on. "I've got two sisters, and a brother. I'm the biggest." Charlie went on. He pointed to the 'princess'. "That's Maddy. She's five. Her name is Emily Madilyn." He pointed to another little girl next, one who clutched a cardboard sword tightly in one hand. "That's Cat. She's four. Her name is Catherine Margaret." He pointed to a little boy, struggling to climb the highest ladder, to the monkey bars. "That's Spider. He's three. Daddy says we call him Spider for two reasons, one, because he always wants to climb everything. Two, because Mommy named him Peter. His name is Peter Kyle Parker."
"Why Spider?" Miss Parker asked. Charlie looked at her strangely.
"Because Peter Parker is Spiderman in the comic books."
"Oh." Miss Parker replied, instantly remembering the fact, and chastising herself for forgetting it.
"Wanna meet Daddy?" Charlie asked. "He's been lonely since Mommy left. He doesn't say anything, but I know. He's lonely."
"Your Mommy left?" Miss Parker asked in surprise, as Charlie nodded sadly.
"There was a car wreck last year. Daddy came home with a broken arm, but he said Mommy wasn't coming back." Charlie said, his blue eyes big and watery. "It wasn't her fault. I know." He added softly. "But, Daddy doesn't laugh as much as he used to."
"You can go play, Charlie. I'll go talk to your Daddy." Miss Parker said, standing up. Charlie smiled at her.
"Maddy was right. You are pretty." He said, before dashing back off to play. Miss Parker ignored the confused Sweeper's on the hill, and walked up to Lyle.
"I've missed you." Was the first thing that came out of her mouth. Lyle whirled around, and his jaw dropped. He quickly recovered, and scanned the area for Sweepers. He jumped up, and yelled after his kids.
"Charlie, Maddy, Cat, Spider! Come on!" He grabbed Spider off the monkey bars, and the three older kids stood by him in less than a second.
"Lyle-" Miss Parker began.
"How dare you." He snapped back, cutting her off.
"Lyle, I didn't bring the Sweepers for you!" She growled. "We thought Jarod was here. I had no idea it was you. Please, just calm down. I want to talk." Lyle narrowed his eyes suspiciously, and looked up at the Sweepers on the hill, then back down as his kids, the suspicion disappearing as he looked at them. Charlie gazed up at him with wide eyes, while Maddy and Cat stared at Miss Parker. Spider grinned at her from where he was tucked under Lyle's arm.
"We'll talk, minus the Sweepers, at my house." Lyle agreed, looking back at her.
"Sure." Miss Parker agreed, waving Sam and Joel down. The two Sweepers began walking down the hill towards her. Lyle involuntarily tensed, and held Spider closer with one arm, pulling Cat closer with the other, while Charlie and Maddy hid behind his legs.
"Miss Parker?" Sam asked quietly, as Joel and he reached her.
"Sam, you and Joel go get some hotel rooms, and wait for me there. Try the..." Miss Parker paused, and looked over at Lyle.
"The Diamond Swan." Lyle answered, after hesitating for a second.
"The Diamond Swan. Go ahead and order take-out or something for your dinner." Sam nodded, while looking questioningly at Lyle, before taking Joel by the arm, and leaving the park. As they walked off, Miss Parker could hear Joel exclaiming,
"Third week on the job, and she's already telling us to order take-out! When do we get to use the guns?" Then Sam's rougher,
"Shutup. You'll get used to it."
"So..." She began awkwardly, facing Lyle.
"My house is up on the hill." He said abruptly, turning and leading her up the hill in the opposite direction Sam and Joel were walking.
Miss Parker saw a nice, American looking, two-story house made of stucco and brick, with a wide, white door and a stained wood porch, encased by rich wood railing. It was several minutes before they actually reached the house, Lyle still carrying Spider; Charlie, Maddy, and Cat trailing close behind him. Lyle pulled a key out of his pocket and unlocked the door, letting them into the house.
Miss Parker looked around, as Lyle set Spider down, and trudged into the living room. The house was a wreck, toys everywhere. She could see the kitchen from where she stood, and it wasn't much better, the only difference was that instead of toys, it was littered by dirty dishes. Charlie looked up at her with big sad eyes, and began picking up things. The act didn't seem forced, as if her presence made him feel guilty about the mess, instead, the little boy seemed far too tired and old, as he went along with something that must have been a bigger part of his life.
"Charlie," Maddy asked, holding Spider by the hand.
"Maddy?" Charlie replied, looking over at her, both seemingly oblivious to Miss Parker's presence.
"Should I get Spider in his pajamas? Or do you want to do it?" Maddy asked, grabbing Cat by the hand as well.
"You help get them dressed. I'll get some juice and fruit for snack. Help 'em pick out a story too, and I'll read it for us." Charlie said, beginning to pick up things again. Maddy began climbing the stairs, Spider beside her and Cat behind them.
Miss Parker knelt next to Charlie.
"Charlie, does your Daddy ever help you with this stuff? Cleaning and bedtime?" She asked gently.
"He used to do it every night. But now, we do it for ourselves most of the time. He's always tired." Charlie answered, arms full of toys as he stumbled to a toy box. "But it's okay. I can do the dishes, and pick up the toys. He still cooks and stuff." Charlie went on.
"Do you want me to help?" She asked gently.
"No, it's okay. We can do it. You can go talk to my Daddy." Charlie answered with a smile. Miss Parker fought back a tear, and joined Lyle in the living room.
"You're neglecting them." She accused. Lyle looked at her from his sprawled out position on the couch.
"I try not to, Sis. I really do. But do you have any idea how hard it is to lose someone, and then go on raising four kids by yourself? I love them all, and Charlie's a wonderful little boy, but...I feel so tired all the time. I know it's not normal, but I can't shake this feeling. It's like a lead cloak that I can't take off. No matter how much I sleep, I'm always tired and sore. I do my best to take them to the park, to play with them, and that kind of stuff, but I just can't! I used to be able to run around the park for hours, and now, I'm exhausted by the time I make it to the bench." Lyle poured out everything he felt, grateful for someone close, or had once been, to talk to. Miss Parker sat down.
"Have you seen a doctor?"
"No." Lyle sighed, looking up at the ceiling.
"You should." Miss Parker said firmly. "I don't want anything to happen to you."
"You haven't seen me for seven years." Lyle replied, not sharply, just as if he regretted the time lost.
"I meant it though. I missed you." Miss Parker pulled a worn, faded postcard out of her jacket pocket. A picture of a giant redwood tree was accompanied by the word, California in big yellow letters. Lyle's eyes filled with tears.
"You kept it?" He croaked.
"Yes. And I turned California upside down looking for you." She said, trying once again not to cry.
"I miss her." Lyle said after a few moments of silence, as he gazed back up at the ceiling. "I miss her laugh, her smile. I miss everything about her. But the six years I had with her were the best six years of my life. I wouldn't have traded them for anything." Lyle said, his gaze straying to a picture of the family on the mantel above the brick fireplace. Emily sat, holding Spider, the girls leaning against her, on either side. Charlie had his hand on Maddy's shoulder, protectively standing over his younger sister, and Lyle stood behind them, his hands on Emily's shoulders. The girls smiled softly, like Emily, while Spider held the first two fingers of his right hand in his mouth. Charlie's grin was identical to Lyle's. Miss Parker followed his gaze, and blinked in surprise at the seemingly normal family it portrayed. But the family was far from normal. Torn apart again and again, this time with no hope of being reunited.
Miss Parker felt anger growing in her, at the Centre, at life itself. Both, for ruining her brother's life so soon after he had been truly found, and for never getting that chance at life herself. She determined right then and there that if even if she had no hope of finding a family for herself, she was going to help put her little brother's back together.
"Lyle, I'll go help the kids get in bed. You just rest." Miss Parker stood up, and he looked at her gratefully.
"Thanks, Sis." His gaze hardened, and he glared at her. "But if you ever, ever try to hurt any of them, or take them anywhere close to the Centre, so help me, I'll kill you."
"I promise, Lyle. I won't hurt them, or let anyone else." She swore, leaving for the kitchen. She turned, just for a second, to see Lyle again. He was already asleep.
*-*-*
"Please don't go, we'll eat you up we love you so!" Lyle read, Spider on his lap, and Charlie leaning on Lyle's knee. Lyle sat cross-legged on the floor, reading 'Where the Wild Things Are' to the boys. Miss Parker watched, unnoticed, from the boy's bedroom entrance.
"Daddy, let's make the island!" Charlie squealed, bouncing to his feet. Lyle looked up at him, feigning a blank look.
"What's the island?" He asked. Charlie tugged on his arm, trying to pull Lyle to his feet. Spider ran around in circles, his arms in the air, shouting,
"Island! Island!"
"You know, Daddy!" Charlie exclaimed. "I dress up in my wolf costume, and get to be Max! You get to be the monsters!" Lyle broke into a grin.
"Alright. Get your costume on. Spider and I will make the forest." Miss Parker watched from the cracked bedroom door, as Lyle draped blankets about the room, and from Charlie's bunk bed, as Spider clung to his back. Charlie donned a furry brown costume with pointed ears that flopped when he walked. He proceeded to pull an empty card-board box without a bottom out of the closet, and sit in it. Lyle stood next to the 'boat' with Spider still on his back.
"I am leaving. I am going home." Charlie said, quoting the book. Lyle pretended to look frantic, and began to chase Charlie around the room, as Charlie dragged the box with him while attempting to run. All the while, Lyle was chanting in a playful, sing-song voice,
"Please don't go, please don't go, we'll eat you up we love you so!"
"I am going home!" Charlie puffed, collapsing with laughter as Lyle pounced on him, and pretended to 'eat' him. Spider squealed out of pure joy, and attempted to copy Lyle's motions, on Lyle himself. All three of them fell over, laughing hysterically, sprawled out on the floor.
Miss Parker felt a small body brush past her leg, and looked down to see Maddy peeking through the door. She turned around with a sigh and a yawn.
"Good morning." Miss Parker whispered. Maddy looked up with sleepy eyes.
"They woke me up. Do you know how to cook?" Maddy asked, clutching a rag doll.
"Some." Miss Parker replied, kneeling down next to the little girl. Laughter still rang out in the background behind them.
"Let's make a surprise breakfast." Maddy whispered loudly. Miss Parker looked behind her at the boy's bedroom door.
"Do you think they deserve it?" She asked teasingly.
"No. But we can still surprise Cat." Maddy answered with an impish smile.
"Okay." Miss Parker stood and took Maddy's hand.
"Maybe if there's some left over, we'll share." Maddy added thoughtfully, tiptoeing back over to the door, for one last look at the boys. The blankets had been quickly converted into tents, and they now sat on the floor with G.I. Joes. Spider was clutching a G.I. Joe and making it 'talk' with a stolen doll from the girl's room.
"That's where Susie went!" Maddy exclaimed, looking at the doll. Charlie and Lyle were making barricades and trenches out of more blankets and pillows.
"Ready to make breakfast?" Miss Parker asked, turning. Maddy sighed, and shook her head.
"Boys." She muttered, following Miss Parker. Miss Parker couldn't help but smile.
*-*-*
Lyle entered the kitchen to the smell of waffles, eggs, and toast. Miss Parker stood, frowning at the toaster, and Maddy and Cat grinned at him through already sticky faces, their hands plastered with syrup. Charlie looked around the kitchen with wide eyes. Spider shouted, and reach excitedly for the table.
"Syrup! Wafalees!" Lyle set him down, and he made a mad dash for the plate Maddy had started putting together for him.
"Good morning." Miss Parker chimed.
"Um, good...morning." Lyle replied, blinking in shock. "I didn't know you could cook."
"I can't. These are frozen waffles." Miss Parker replied, frown deepening as she glared at the toaster.
"You're doing pretty well so far." Lyle murmured appreciatively, looking at the heaping plate of scrambled eggs, and the large stacks of toast and waffles. "What's the problem?"
"Toaster won't pop." She said, tapping her foot impatiently, still glaring at the toaster.
"You have to plug it in." Lyle replied, pointing to the cord. Miss Parker peeked behind the toaster, and saw the empty outlet.
"It must have come unplugged when I moved the toaster." She smiled sheepishly, as a grin formed on Lyle's face.
"My kitchen!" Charlie choked out, looking at the mess around him. "I just cleaned it! And today's a cereal day!"
"I'll clean it up, Charlie." Miss Parker assured him.
"Sorry, Charlie. I forgot." Maddy apologized, looking down at her waffle.
"Do you 'cept her 'pologie?" Cat asked worriedly, looking from big brother to big sister.
"'Course I do, Cat." Charlie said with a grin. "But only if I can have a waffle." Maddy broke into a smile, and handed Charlie a plate as he sat down.
"Wafalee!" Spider cried, his face and hands already covered with syrup.
"They never cease to amaze me." Lyle muttered, as he grabbed a piece of toast and stood next to Miss Parker.
"What?" Miss Parker asked, grabbing the toast as it popped up.
"Their willingness to forgive. And after they've said sorry, it's all over." Lyle replied before taking a bite of his toast.
"Yeah." Miss Parker murmured in agreement, looking at the four kids. Charlie was doing his best to stay clean, Maddy was helping Cat pour more syrup (more syrup was on them than there was in the bottle), and Spider was clinging to a waffle that was so heavy with syrup it was falling apart. She smiled at them, and turned her gaze to her little brother, who was leaning against the counter with a dry piece of toast, seemingly exhausted, but looking at his four kids with a wide, proud grin. The only thing missing from his mask of perfect happiness was the joyous glint in his eyes-the one that only Emily could bring.
*-*-*
"Syd," Miss Parker called out, as she stalked into his office.
"Miss Parker! It's good to see you back! Sam said you'd be gone for several days." The last sentence was posed more as a question, and she shook her head.
"There are a few things I need to do here before I take a real vacation."
"Such as?" Sydney set his chin into his cupped hands, and propped his arms up on his desk.
"A question for you." She replied, pulling a chair over to the desk, with a defiant glare at the camera.
"Which would be?" Sydney prodded gently, waiting for her to continue.
"Hypothetically, if someone came into your office, complaining of loss of strength, inability to sleep, weariness like a lead apron, yet not a single physician had been able to find anything wrong with them, what would your diagnosis be?" Miss Parker asked, leaning towards him, Ice mask in place.
"Well, most psychiatrists would prescribe Zoloft, but I would say CFS." Sydney replied, after thinking for a moment.
"CFS?"
"Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It's relatively new, but Jacob had it."
"What could bring that on?" Miss Parker pushed. "What would you prescribe?"
"Sudden grief, or a severe case of influenza. As for prescriptions, a few minerals is all I can say. There is no known antibiotic for CFS. Why do you ask?" Sydney questioned, now quite perplexed.
"I might tell you later." Miss Parker said, standing and heading for the door. She nearly ran into Broots, who was rushing in with a printout.
"Syd! Oh, Miss Parker." Broots stopped suddenly (though, the stuttering was absent), and Miss Parker raised an eyebrow.
"What's the rush, Broots?" She snapped. Broots started again, almost as if someone had unplugged him, then plugged him back in.
"I found evidence of another Pretender being kept in SL-15!" Miss Parker snatched the print-put before Broots could blink.
"Female?" Miss Parker asked out loud, scanning the paper.
"She's been here a year, and originally came in from Maine-" Broots got no farther, as both he and Sydney watched Miss Parker in surprise. She sat back down, hard, and stared at the floor, eyes wide in shock.
"It's Emily." She whispered. Broots grabbed the paper.
"Where does it say that?" He demanded, scanning it again.
"It doesn't." Miss Parker replied. She turned to Sydney, and smiled weakly. "I've got a confession, Syd. But I can't say anything here. Both of you meet me on the beach, in front of Lyle's old apartment building, one hour from now, okay?"
"We'll be there." Sydney nodded. Miss Parker stood, pushed past a stunned Broots, and left the room.
*-*-*
Miss Parker stared hard at the stormy sea, ignoring the sand that was whipping around and stinging her legs and cheeks. Her mind reeled with the possibility of Emily still being alive- and with the new found channel of deception her father had been rowing her down. It was time to jump off the boat, and swim the other way.
"Miss Parker?" Sydney asked from behind her, his accented voice thick with worry. She turned slowly, inwardly cursing herself for not hearing the two men approach. Sydney and Broots stood only feet from her, Sydney's characteristic cap cocked over one ear, making a bold, very Sydney-like statement. His classy wire-rimmed glasses were set high upon the chiseled nose- a common sight after all the years that had passed. Broots was tugging a thin black jacket around his shoulders, in an attempt to ward off the harsh wind and sand. Miss Parker sighed as she studied them, moments passing before she spoke. Sydney, except for the glasses, hadn't changed much in the past few years. Broots looked a little older and more careworn.
"It's about Emily." Miss Parker finally spoke, so softly her voice was almost lost in a passing breath of wind.
"I tapped into the cameras. It was Emily. How did you know?" Broots demanded. The past years he had spent working with Miss Parker assured him that tapping into cameras was a good thing. It would be either ignored, or praised. Ignored was most likely.
"Long story. But, I guess we have time." Miss Parker turned her head to gaze again at the waves, crashing onto the angry, swirling sand, calming it and forcing it down with the weight of the water. Broots sighed. Ignored. Miss Parker continued, looking back to the two men. "Seven years ago, when Lyle disappeared? I never knew where he was going, but I knew who he was going with."
"Emily." Sydney supplied. Miss Parker looked sharply at him, not in anger, but in surprise. Sydney shrugged. "I guessed as much."
"Yes." Miss Parker's eyes strayed to the infinite space of thought, not really looking at anything in particular in the tangible world. "He left with Emily, and just two days ago, I found him again. In Maine." She looked straight at Sydney, and gave a little laugh. A hopeless laugh, not quite sure what to think. "He has four kids. Lyle with kids..."
"Kids? Geez..." Broots muttered, suddenly interested in his shoes. Miss Parker nodded.
"Four kids. He said Emily died in a car wreck last year."
"He has CFS, doesn't he? That's who you were asking about." Sydney realized, putting two and two together.
"Yeah. I think he does. But, the important question here, is: Why is Emily still alive? How?"
"And why not just take Lyle? Why leave him there, and take Emily?" Broots added. His attention shifted from his shoes to the sky.
"What are you planning on doing, Miss Parker?" Sydney asked quietly. "That's at least one question we can answer here."
"I'm not sure, Syd. I want to get Emily out of there, though. I've got to. You haven't seen him, Syd. He's just not like himself. Granted, he was going to be a little different- but not that different. He was just so lost..." Miss Parker trailed off, turning her back to the men and looking at the ocean again.
"I'm helping." Broots announced without hesitation. "Anything, Miss Parker. Just tell me and it's as good as done."
"Thanks, Broots. That means a lot."
"No problem." He replied simply.
"I'll help as well, Miss Parker." Sydney said softly. "I'll tell Jarod, next time he calls." He added, almost as an afterthought. Miss Parker gave him a sad smile.
"When was the last time you talked to him?"
"About six months ago." Sydney sighed. "The calls are getting fewer and farther between."
"Falling away." Miss Parker murmured distractedly.
"Hmm?" Broots looked over, not grasping the meaning of the small statement.
"Nothing. Nothing at all." Miss Parker replied, not caring to explain. A strong wind whipped by them, and it seemed as if it carried all their words with it. Silence claimed the small spot of beach for several minutes.
Sydney looked at her, and could have sworn he was looking at Catherine. She looked older than she had nearly eleven years ago, when the chase started. Older, but still beautiful and sad. All three of them were trapped in the eternal game of Centre, never to escape- and it was wearing them all down.
"So, um...about Emily." Broots interrupted the silence, looking from Sydney to Miss Parker and back again. "What exactly are we going to do?"
"First, we find out what she's there for. What kind of condition to except her to be in." Miss Parker said decisively. "Then pick a date."
"Are you going to contact Lyle?" Sydney asked. Miss Parker shook her head.
"Not until I'm sure they haven't done anything to her. Not until I'm sure."
"I'll see what I can get off the mainframe. And I'll try to hack into the Project files." Broots said, tugging his jacket around his shoulders again.
"I'll see if I can get any kind of clearance to work with her." Sydney put in.
"I'm going to take a week or two of vacation time, and go up to Maine. I'll see if I can get Lyle to come with me to Ben's. I think a few days away from the house may be good for him and the kids." Miss Parker said, allowing herself with a small smile. Sydney returned the smile.
"That's a good idea." He assured her. A little voice inside his head was adding emphatically, You need it too, Miss Parker. You too.
---
Jarod crept into the darkened house, stealthily picking his way across the far-too familiar territory and layout of Miss Parker's house. The bedroom door was closed, but the light was on, and it shone out into the hall from underneath the door. It piqued his interest, and he tiptoed forward. As familiar as the area was, it had been quite a while since he had visited. He paused by the door, and allowed his thoughts to stray before he knocked.
It seemed strange, having free reign of her house for so long. It had been an unspoken agreement, sometime after Lyle left, that if he came to see her while she was off-work, she wouldn't drag him in. The relationship was still strained, and tense at times, but midnight talks were common for a while. Then, he started slipping away- spending more and more time on pretends and searches. Losing contact with her almost entirely. Now, a trip was made maybe three times a year. The Centre had even, surprisingly, lifted some of the pressure to find him. The past four years had brought less and less demands, as interest was lost in him. Why wouldn't it be?
Mr. Parker had seven-year-old Aric Joel to worry about- nearly all his time was spent overseeing the boy's training to be the next Chairman. They weren't wasting any time starting with the forming of the next leader of the Centre. They'd made mistakes before, and Mr. Parker was determined not to make those same mistakes again.
Jarod finally pulled himself from his thoughts, and knocked softly on the door. It flew open a split second later. Miss Parker stood in her silk pajamas, and a suitcase was on the bed behind her.
"You're packing." He stated the obvious. She opened the door wider, and he stepped into the room.
"I'm going to see Lyle."
"You found him?" Jarod asked, not sounding at all surprised. Miss Parker decided to try him.
"Emily's dead." She said flatly. A flicker of pain lit Jarod's eyes, but he shrugged.
"Who's she?" He asked, just as calmly and dryly. A slap echoed throughout the room, and Jarod lifted a hand to his stinging cheek. Miss Parker turned from him, and started shoving clothes into the suitcase again. Jarod said nothing, still shocked, as he stumbled to a chair and sat down hard.
"I guess I deserved that." He finally murmured.
"You better believe it." Miss Parker shot back.
"She's dead?"
"No. She's in the Centre. Lyle thinks she died in a car wreck last year." She answered, shoving another outfit into the suitcase. "We're planning to get her out."
"First, you let me in your house. Then, you actually plan to get people out of the Centre." Jarod said, tone bordering on sarcastic. "Your mother would be proud of you." He added seriously.
"I'm getting her out for my brother."
"AJ?"
"No, you idiot. Lyle."
"Oh." Jarod said softly. Miss Parker turned, and sat down on the edge of her bed to look at him.
"You should see their little girls. They both look just like Emily. The boys look like Lyle, though."
"Kids? How many?" A faint smile stole onto Jarod's face, conforming what Miss Parker had believed for years. He still cared. It was Jarod, for crying out loud. He didn't just give up completely.
"Four. Charlie, Maddy, Cat, and Spider." Miss Parker answered. "Spider's middle name is Kyle, by the way." She added, hoping it would push Jarod in the right direction.
"Fine. I'll help Emily, but don't expect me to forgive Lyle." Jarod said after several tense seconds. Miss Parker glared at him.
"Why not?"
"He killed my brother." Jarod growled. Miss Parker gazed into his eyes for several minutes before replying.
"You simmed it, didn't you?" Jarod looked down sharply at the floor. He nodded, and sighed.
"I simmed it. Over and over, hoping I was wrong."
"It wasn't his fault, was it?" Miss Parker demanded. Jarod shook his head so softly that it was almost unnoticeable.
"If...if Kyle hadn't jumped...it would have hit me in the arm."
"Then it wasn't really his fault, was it?"
"No. Not really." Jarod admitted.
"Just help me, Jarod. You can't help Emily unless you're willing to help put them back together." Miss Parker pleaded. Jarod looked up at her, and bit his lip.
"Okay. I'll help." He finally consented.
"And give Syd a call, will you? He's worried sick."
"Sure. In the meantime, want some coffee or something? It's late." Jarod agreed, anxious to change the subject.
"That'd be great. I'll finish here, and join you on the couch." Miss Parker smiled softly, and Jarod grinned.
"I'll go make some coffee then. Mind if I put some music on?"
"Go ahead. Make yourself at home."
"I was hoping you'd say that." Jarod slipped out of the room, and stopped in the living room to turn up the lights just a bit, giving the room a soft moon-like glow. He grabbed a CD from the small stack near the CD player, and pushed it in. He pushed play, and let the soft music fill the room. He moved on to the well-furnished kitchen- complete with modern appliances that were sleek and black. He moved deftly about the kitchen, thankful that Miss Parker never rearranged anything. Everything was the same as it had been when he first started visiting.
Jarod opted for the instant French Vanilla, and filled a teapot with water, then set it on the stove to let it boil. As he waited, he let his thoughts stray again. What exactly had he just agreed to do? Help Emily, yes. Help Lyle? He cringed. Yep. He had just agreed to help Lyle. What was he thinking? He mentally slapped himself, hard.
"Hey, you put the ShakespeareSorrow CD in." Miss Parker exclaimed, entering the living room.
"Yeah." Jarod nodded dumbly. His mind still stung from the slap. And his cheek felt funny too- kinda numb.
"Coffee almost ready?"
"Water's heating." Jarod answered. "How's AJ?"
"Okay, I think. I barely see him anymore." Miss Parker answered, sitting down on the couch. "They have him enrolled in a private, all-year-round, boy’s school not too far from here."
"At least they're letting him outside of the Centre." Jarod pointed out, trying to be at least a little optimistic.
"I might see if I can take him with me to Maine. It might be good for him." Miss Parker said, almost to herself.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Jarod asked, grabbing the steaming teapot off the hot stove.
"The way I see it, no matter what happens, AJ is going to be the next Chairman. If I can install some morals in him, without softening him, then it may turn the Centre around." Miss Parker replied firmly. "He needs some kind of positive reinforcement, or he's going to become what Lyle used to be."
"True."
"The Board voted unanimously for AJ's reserved position as Chairman, so that's settled. Raines is about out completely. It's only a matter of months before he either dies on his own, or they vote him out."
"Besides the Centre, how are things in the world of Miss Parker?" Jarod asked, handing her a steaming cup of coffee and joining her on the couch. He wanted to change the subject, and fast.
"Sydney's fine. Broots is fine, and Debbie just took her SATs. She wants to go to Harvard."
"What's she going to Major in?"
"She says she can't decide between Advanced Computer Technology, and Psychology. If she goes into Psychology, she wants to specialize in psychometry."
"Really?" Jarod asked, surprised.
"She met Angelo two years ago, and has been enthralled ever since." Miss Parker remembered the event with a small smile. The two (Angelo and Debbie) had clicked almost instantly. Now, if she was at the Centre, Angelo was with her.
"Angelo would enthrall anyone." Jarod replied truthfully. "He still amazes me."
"Yeah," Miss Parker nodded. "Me too."
The conversation carried on far into the small hours of the morning, and Jarod finally announced that he had to go. Miss Parker carried the two empty coffee cups into the kitchen, and stumbled back to bed to catch a few hours of much needed sleep before she had to start the day.
---
Aric Joel Parker woke to the beeping of a nearby clock. He laid in bed, and looked up at the ceiling, trying to make his small body suck more warmth out of the thin blankets. The alarm went off automatically after a minute, and he sighed. As every morning, the door swung open five seconds later and a Centre nurse entered the room.
"Come on, AJ. Time to get up." The man said, pulling back the covers. Aric Joel shivered, and slid off the bed. His feet hit the cold cement floor, and he shivered again. “Here, put your socks on.” The nurse handed him a pair of white socks, and Aric Joel accepted them gratefully. As he tugged the spotless, white socks on, the nurse retrieved his clothes for the day from the closet. The same outfit he wore everyday- pleated khaki pants, button up white dress shirt, a burgundy clip-on tie, and a black sports jacket.
While the clothes were strange enough for a normal boy, Aric Joel never questioned them. All the other children he knew wore clothes like his at school- and he never saw them anywhere else. His assigned Centre nurse, Frank, never said anything about the outfit. It was the school uniform, and Aric Joel had no need to change when he got home. He never went outside to play, so there was never the danger of getting dirty.
“Frank,” Aric Joel asked in a small voice. “Do you think Father will let me go on the field trip next week? I’ve never been on one before, and they’re going to the Zoo.” Frank frowned as he pulled a belt out of Aric Joel’s dresser, and he shook his head.
“Sorry, AJ. I don’t think he will. You know the rules.”
“Yeah, I know, I know. I just hoped…” Aric Joel trailed off, knowing also that the hope was misplaced. Mr. Parker would never let him go anywhere off school grounds with the other children. Frank helped Aric Joel pull the loose, gray cotton pajama shirt over his head, and Aric Joel quickly grabbed for the button-up shirt.
“Frank, will you help me with the top button? It’s the only one I can’t get.” Frank nodded, and knelt down to help the boy button the last button of the starched shirt. The pants were next, followed by the belt and the tie. Aric Joel slid his arms into the sleeves of the sports jacket, and the ritual was complete after he finished tying the snazzy, black Oxfords only seconds later.
A knock at the door startled Aric Joel, and he briefly wondered if Mr. Parker had made a surprise visit. Frank opened the door, and Sam the Sweeper stepped in.
“Sam?” Frank asked, tone deepening. It was an unspoken law that no one was to interrupt Aric while he was getting ready for school, and suddenly a Sweeper was breaking it.
“Frank.” Sam replied with a touch of dry humor. “Miss Parker wants the boy brought to her office immediately. Everything’s already been covered with Mr. Parker.” Aric Joel’s eyes lit up at the mention of his older half-sister.
“Really, Sam? I don’t have to go to school?” He asked excitedly. It was indeed a very rare occasion that Aric Joel missed school- usually only days when he was sick. Frank’s jaw dropped slightly, and he tried to come up with a valid excuse, but could think of none to use against Sam. If the message was true, then there was nothing really to do, or say.
“Really, kiddo. Come on, I’ll take you myself.” Sam offered his hand, and Aric Joel took it, with an almost triumphant look back at Frank. Together, Aric Joel and Sam navigated the vast halls of the Centre, climbing onto and off elevators various times, until they finally stopped in front of a heavy wood door. “In there, kid. Just go on in.” Sam pushed the door open, and Aric Joel slipped inside. The door closed behind him, and he realized with a start that the big Sweeper had stayed outside.
He looked around the dimly lit office, and his eyes locked on his half-sister, who was straightening things on her desk. He cleared his throat nervously, and his face wore a hesitant smile.
“Oh, AJ! I didn’t hear you come in. Come on over, I’m almost done.” Miss Parker looked up with a smile, and motioned him over. Aric Joel’s smile turned into a full blown grin, as he hurried over to stand next to her at the desk. He watched silently for several more minutes, before she shut the last drawer, and looked over at him. “You ready? We’re going on a trip.”
“A trip?” Aric Joel’s eyes grew wide, and his mouth opened in a little ‘o’.
“Yep. We’ll stop by your school, and see if there’s anything you need to bring- then we’re off to Maine.” Aric Joel nodded excitedly. Miss Parker stood, and grabbed two bags from their previous spot on the couch, and he followed her out the door. He waved to Sam as they walked to the elevator, and called out,
“Bye, Sam!” Several nearby Sweepers began to snicker, and Sam silenced them with a glare, and called out after Aric Joel,
“See ya around, kid.” Either Miss Parker didn’t hear, or she wasn’t paying attention, or she didn’t care- but she said nothing to Sam at all, or even looked at him as way of reprimand. Sam shrugged. So, she was okay with it- he hoped.
Aric Joel was ecstatic, and could barely hold still during the ride down on the elevator. Miss Parker seemed to sense his excitement, and gave her littlest brother a fond look. He already looked like a little man, in his sports jacket and khakis, and she smiled at him.
“What do you say we stop at a store, and buy you some new clothes? The Kids Gap usually has some nice stuff in.”
“New clothes?” Aric Joel felt as if he could burst. Too many good things in one day, and it wasn’t even nine AM yet! No school, a trip, and new clothes. He nodded vigorously. “I’d like that!”
---
Miss Parker glanced over at her small passenger, curled up on the seat asleep. He was dressed in his new jeans, screen tee, and sweatshirt, which he had begged to be allowed to wear- immediately after buying them. She had consented, of course, and he couldn’t get into them fast enough. They had stopped at a fast food restaurant afterwards, and then moved on towards Maine.
She breathed a sigh of relief when she spotted Lyle's house not far ahead, thankful that she remembered where it was. She had nearly made a wrong turn downtown, but had straightened out fast enough. She pulled into the driveway, and slowed to a stop. She turned the car off, and opened her door.
A head appeared at the window, then ducked back in, and she smiled. Another little head joined the first one as it reappeared. Charlie and Spider both pushed their faces against the glass, grinning and waving.
Miss Parker followed the front walk up to the door, and it opened just as she stepped on the porch. Lyle stood, with a sippy-cup full of apple juice in his hand. He wordlessly handed the juice to Cat, who was peeking out from behind his legs.
"The boys said you were here." He said quietly.
"I'm here." Miss Parker replied with a smile. "Can we come in?"
"We?" Lyle asked suspiciously.
"I brought AJ. Our little brother." Miss Parker informed him, pointing to the car. “He’s asleep.”
“Um, sure. Come on in.” Lyle swung the door open all the way, and she pointed to the car again.
“I’m going to go get him, and our stuff. We’ll be right in.”
The door was still open when she returned several minutes later, arms full of bags, and a wide-eyed Aric Joel standing next to her. They stepped inside, and Miss Parker pushed the door shut behind them.
“Lyle?” She called out, dropping the bags in the foyer. The house was now seemingly deserted, except for a low murmur coming from the kitchen. She took Aric Joel by the hand, and walked back to the room where the noise was coming from.
“The Dragon walked in circles around little Hero, but Hero did not let the Dragon know he was afraid. He waved his sword in the air at the Dragon, and yelled, “You shall not have me, nor my city!” The Dragon laughed a great laugh, that shook the ground. “You cannot save them,” He said to Hero. “You are too small. That is why they sent you, because they wanted you to die.” The Dragon breathed a bit of fire through his nose as he spoke, but still Hero stood firm. “That doesn’t matter! I will save them, even if they do not think I can!” Hero lunged forward, and drove his sword into the Dragon’s soft spot, just underneath the Dragon’s steely chest. The Dragon gasped in horror, for he knew that the little boy, Hero, had defeated him. He began to fall forward, and that is when Hero realized his mistake.
“He tried to run out from underneath the Dragon, but it was too late. With a loud sigh of defeat, the Dragon fell. The Dragon was silent, still- unaware of the little boy who was caught under him. The townspeople found them later- the Dragon and Hero fallen together. But it was still easy to tell who had won, for Hero’s little sword was still in the Dragon’s broad side. Too late did the people realize what a hero little Hero was.” Lyle finished the book, and closed it. Spider immediately climbed onto his lap, and Charlie stared off into space with a dreamy smile. Cat was asleep, apple juice still in hand. Maddy was the first to see Miss Parker, and Aric Joel, and she jumped up.
“Aunt Parker!” She exclaimed, running over and hugging her. Lyle looked over at Miss Parker with a sheepish smile, and shrugged.
“I had to tell them. Cat thought you were my girlfriend.” Miss Parker shook her head and smiled.
“It’s okay.”
“Who are you?” Charlie asked Aric Joel, after giving Miss Parker a hug.
“Aric Joel.” Aric Joel replied matter-of-factly. “But everyone calls me AJ. Except for Father and the Board.” Miss Parker knelt next to Aric Joel, and looked him straight in the eye.
“AJ, you remember when Daddy told you that our brother was dead?”
“Your twin brother. I remember.” Aric Joel nodded, confusion stealing his face.
“Daddy lied. That,” She pointed over to Lyle, “is your brother, Lyle.”
---
Lyle sat in contemplative silence, listening to the sounds of the day winding down. Miss Parker was talking to Aric Joel in the guest room, but the voices were muffled, and he couldn’t discern actual words. Maddy, Cat, and Spider were all asleep, and Charlie was reading. A soft glow filtered into the upstairs hall from the boy’s room, and every few minutes Lyle could hear a page turn.
His whole body ached, but he forced himself to ignore the warning signs of being wiped out. He refused to acknowledge the fact that he would barely be able to function tomorrow. So, instead, he leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes. His other senses immediately heightened, and after what seemed like hours, he heard the guest room door open. Soft steps on the stairs became soft steps on the floor, until they were right next to him.
“Hey, you asleep?” Miss Parker whispered, sitting next to the still form of her twin brother.
“No.” Lyle whispered back. His eyes opened slowly, and he turned his head to look at her.
“They had fun at the park today.” She observed quietly, leaning back into the pillows.
“Yeah. I get the impression that AJ doesn’t do that kind of thing often?” Lyle more stated than questioned, and Miss Parker nodded.
“What gave you that idea? Was it when he started trying to explain that Merlin was only a master of optical illusion- not actual magic, or when he tried to convince everyone that dragons were actually large iguanas and other lizards?”
“Actually, I was surprised he couldn’t grasp the concept of Pretending. Shouldn’t he be an expert at that?” Lyle asked, brow furrowing.
“You mean, like us and Jarod? The Centre has gone from one extreme to the other. Their first attempt was to create someone who could Pretend all the time. It failed, when the Pretender understood what freedom was.”
“I think they just had him do too many POW Pretends. It wasn’t much of a Pretend for him, so he eventually realized that whatever the men were missing he was missing too.” Lyle interrupted. When Miss Parker looked at him with a raised eyebrow, he shrugged. “I’ve been there. Continue.”
“So, they’re now trying to create a man that doesn’t understand the concept of Pretend at all. Then they can introduce it to him as a science, not a life-style. That’s what they say the mistake was that they made with Jarod- he considered Pretending a job, a life-style, instead of a science. He could only think of it as what he did, not what it was.”
“Please, clarify. I didn’t quite get that.” Lyle closed his eyes again, and Miss Parker went on.
“Jarod sees Pretending as what he does, who he is. If you ask him to explain what it is he does, he tells you that he becomes other people. In reality, that’s not true. Half of the time he’s Pretending, he’s being a non-existent person. Jarod doesn’t become people, he makes them. He’s a master of the art of pretend.”
“Back up. I thought you said a minute ago it was a science?”
“No, I said they wanted Jarod and AJ to see it that way. When we were kids, Jarod always referred to Pretending as his job, his work. AJ, on the other hand, can’t even grasp the idea that you would want to become someone else. He has no haven, therefore, he has no desire to get away from the Centre. He’s happy with being AJ, because he doesn’t know what it’s like to think of himself as another, even when he’s playing. Remember when they were picking names for their game? He kept telling everyone that he just wanted to be AJ. He doesn’t see Pretending as anything but foolish nonsense. When he’s older, they can introduce it to him as a science, just like as adults, we see a game of catch as an exercise to develop hand-eye coordination.”
“Oh. I think I understood you that time. My mind is stuck in the realm of three letter words and simple addition.”
“What?” Miss Parker blinked.
“A, E, I, O, U…I’m teaching Cat and Spider to read.” Lyle explained, without opening his eyes.
“But, they’re three and four.”
“So? Their mother is the sister of Jarod, arguably the smartest man to ever grace the earth, and their father is me. A red file himself.”
“True. Hey, I have a question for you.”
“Shoot. Not literally.”
“Haha.” Miss Parker returned sarcastically. “Do you want to join me and AJ for the week? We’re going up to Ben’s for vacation.”
“Maybe. I dunno.” Lyle’s mind reeled with the thought of vacation- vacation meant chasing kids around unfamiliar territory, looking over your shoulder every five minutes, and a whole lot more work than watching kids at home. The thought process started to give him a headache, and his muscles and joints already hurt like heck. Miss Parker watched with concern, as her little brother winced.
“Lyle, have you gone to a doctor yet?”
“No. Why?” She noticed he kept his eyes closed, but didn’t point it out.
“I think I know what’s wrong with you.”
“Hmm?”
“CFS. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.” Miss Parker said softly. Lyle shifted uneasily.
“What’s that mean?”
“That means you should probably stock up on minerals and fish oil tablets.” Miss Parker replied. “I can pick up some for you tomorrow, before we leave. Just try them for a day or two, and see what happens.”
“Sure. Anything, anything. But what exactly did you mean by, ‘before we leave’?”
“You’re coming, aren’t you?”
“I hadn’t agreed to that yet.”
“Look, I already talked to Ben. We’re going to watch the kids, and give you a vacation. When was the last time you had some time to yourself? Sure, spending time with them is great, but you don’t want to be burnt out before Charlie’s even in college.”
“Don’t say that. He’s already too old.” Lyle sighed.
"Too old?" Miss Parker questioned. A dreamy smile crept across Lyle's face.
"It seems like just yesterday we brought him home from the hospital. I can still remember the way he smelled, Emily's grin, and me fumbling with the stupid camcorder." Lyle gave a sad laugh, something between a chuckle and a sob. He finally opened his eyes and looked over at Miss Parker. "It seems like just yesterday she was here. Sometimes, when they're all asleep and I'm down here awake, I think I can hear her laughing in the kitchen, or talking to Charlie up in his room. It's really the little things I miss the most. The oreo crumbs on top of a half-finished cross word puzzle, holding her while we watched a movie, watching her dance with Charlie and Maddy." Lyle swallowed the lump in his throat, and blinked back tears. Miss Parker hesitated, then wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
As awkward as it was, it felt right. She was his big sister, and she should be lending a shoulder, right? Right. She confirmed in her mind, as he leaned his head against her shoulder.
"Thanks." The whisper was almost inaudible, but Miss Parker caught it. She couldn't think of anything to say in return.
---
Broots clicked the camera feed off, and sat back in his chair. Things weren't looking too bright in SL-15ville. He had honestly never seen anyone so depressed. Even Jarod hadn't looked that bad before. He shuddered, and pulled up another file on the computer. His eyes scanned it quickly, skimming over the report until he came across something that made him nearly blow his socks.
Project Removal- Along with other Projects, Subject 551 (aka Emily) is under careful watch for Project Removal, studying intense levels of depression and sudden loss shock (SLS). The subject has shown varying symptoms all in the extreme, from silence and refusal to consume food or water to fits of rage and insanity. Still under the impression that her husband, Lyle Parker, is deceased, Subject 551 is a perfect study subject for Project Removal. Consideration for continuation of the Project will go before the board Monday the thirteenth of September. NOTE: Added 9/13- Board approved continuation of Project Removal. The science team will continue as directed with monitoring and administration of experimental depression and relaxant drugs, also in connection with Project Sleepwalk.
A chill ran up and down his spine, and he closed the file. He bit his lower lip, and indecisively pushed the link to the camera, turning the live video feed back on. Minutes ago, Emily had been laying on the gray cot, unblinking and unmoving. Now she was pounding on the door, yelling as tears streamed down her face. Broots turned the sound up just a notch, so he could hear what she was screaming.
"Let me out of here! You're lying, I know you are! He's not dead, he's not. He's not dead." Emily repeated, sinking down to the floor. She pounded helplessly on the concrete. "He's not dead." She mumbled. "He's not. Let me out, just let me out."
Broots hurriedly click the camera feed off, and erased the computer history files. He knew deep inside that something had to be done, and fast. Before she really snapped for good.
