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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
3/3
By RRP
The crying went on for five minutes before it woke Andi from a deep sleep, and she rolled over with a sigh. She looked over at the clock; the blinking numbers read just past midnight. She closed her eyes, and prayed for a brief second that the crying would stop. And by some miracle, her prayer was answered. This turn of events startled her so much that she was compelled to investigate, and make sure the twins were alright.
Jarod's spot on the bed was abandoned, but there was a simple explanation for that. After the twins turned a month old, he had gone looking for Patrick, scouting the east coast, and had said something about contacting Argyle. He had been gone for five days now, and was due back in five more.
So Andi wandered down the empty hall, bathrobe over her silk pajamas, which she could finally wear again. She ducked into the twin's room, looking into Faith's crib first. Faith was in the crib, sleeping soundly, as usual. Everything looking fine, she peered into Timmy's crib.
It was empty. Panic struck her, and she hurried out of the room. Despite the growing since of panic, she could think clearly enough to check in Aric Joel's room. The eight-year-old was snoring away, body twisted in one of the strange positions so common among young, sleeping boys.
Andi was hurrying down the stairs, when she heard a laugh from the living room, followed by a baby gurgling. She slowed, still worried, but immensely curious, and crept towards the room. She poked her head around the corner, so she would be almost invisible to anyone in the room. The sight that met her eyes made her smile, and wonder at the same time.
Sam, who had been appointed Baby Sitter Extraordinaire by Aric Joel, was sitting on the couch, Timmy in his arms. Timmy was greedily sucking on a bottle, and his eyes were locked with Sam's. Except for the sound of breathing, all other sounds were now absent from the room. Timmy was usually the twin that cooked up the most noise, and he was rarely ever quiet. Andi wasn't sure if she was witnessing a miracle, or intruding on a startling moment of revelation. So she stood, watching silently.
It could have been half-an-hour later, or a mere five minutes later, when Sam realized someone else was there, and looked up. His met her gaze, and a mix of emotions fluttered across his face. Andi tiptoed across the room, trying not to disturb the almost sleeping Timmy. Sam wordlessly slid over on the sofa, allowing her to sit down.
"My window was open, and I heard him crying. I didn't want you to have to get up." Sam whispered, looking back down into Timmy's half-shut eyes. Andi joined him in the sport of watching Timmy struggle to stay awake.
"Thanks." Was her answer. Timmy finally lost the battle, and he squirmed as he fell asleep. Andi brushed back a stray lock of her hair, and smiled at her youngest son. "How'd you keep him so quiet?"
"I dunno." Sam whispered back. There was a pause, then Sam added. "He reminds me of Justin." Andi's mouth twisted into a frown, not recognizing the name.
"Who?"
"Justin." Sam repeated, looking up at her with a sad smile. "Little J. Vin." Sam's eyes darkened with memory, and he went on in a low, quiet voice. "Where I grew up, girlfriends were a status symbol. Things didn't always go as planned, though. When I was sixteen, my girlfriend got pregnant. When I was seventeen, I became a father. We named him Justin Vincent."
"What happened?" Andi asked, sensing that there was more to the story. Sam looked back down at Timmy, before continuing.
"Caley, my girlfriend, had always been wild. One night, when Justin was eight months old, I went to the store to grab some things and was gone longer than I expected. Caley and her friends got drunk, and she dropped Justin off the second story balcony. He died the next day, due to excessive brain damage."
"Oh, god..." Andi's hand flew to her mouth. Sam sighed, and continued watching Timmy sleep. "I had no idea." Sam turned to her once more, and smiled uneasily.
"I've never really told anyone since I left Chicago. No need to." Andi nodding, understanding the unspoken request.
"It'll stay with me, Sam."
"Thanks." The relief in his eyes was evident. "You wanna put him to bed?" She nodded, and extended her arms to take Timmy.
"I should. You want some coffee, or are you just going to go to bed?"
"No thanks. I think I'll just catch some sleep." Sam yawned, and stood the same time she did. Timmy stretched a tiny fist, and both Andi and Sam froze, releasing grateful lungs of air when Timmy stayed asleep.
"Night, Sam."
"Night, Andi." Andi turned towards the stairs, and Sam left the main house for the garage apartment, pulling the door closed behind him. Andi climbed up the stairs, and into the twin's room. She set Timmy down, and watched both of her babies sleep, simply being thankful for their existence.
Faith was the quiet one, always ready to let anyone hold her, and she rarely cried. Timmy was the noise maker- he didn't seem upset, he just loved to make noise. It was unusual for anyone but Jarod or Andi to be able to hold him. Aric Joel loved both of them to death, and spent a lot of time asking questions about them. He wanted to know everything about babies, how to make a bottle, how to hold it when he fed them, how to change a diaper.
Jarod loved the twins, and was always holding one of them when he was home. Andi suspected that Timmy was crying even more, simply because he missed his Daddy. Jarod had gone to find Patrick, and Andi had let him go with an understanding heart- both of them felt the absence of their eldest son as a great gap.
Despite that fact, it was truly one of the best summers of Andi's life. Filled with the twins, Aric Joel, Lyle, Emily, and their kids, there was never a dull moment. From trips to the park, to campouts (the twins stayed inside with an adult, of course) and lazy, rainy afternoons spent inside with lemonade, books and movies.
Andi could hardly believe it had been an entire year since she had refound Lyle. Each of the kids had celebrated a birthday, Aric Joel moving up to eight, Charlie to seven, Maddy to six, Cat to five, and Spider was a nearly unbelievable four. Everyone seemed to be adjusting well, finally able to accept the fact that the Centre was indeed gone. She didn't believe they would ever stop looking over their shoulders, or studying the occupants with immense concern when a Lincoln passed by on the street, but the real threat was gone.
Andi was about to turn around, and go back to her room, when the sound of a car pulling into the driveway startled her. She walked over to the window, and her eyes widened in surprise. She flew back down the stairs, and opened the door just as Jarod was reaching for the handle. He blinked in surprise, then pulled her into a hug.
"I thought you weren't coming back for another five days." She murmured in his ear. He shrugged, and grinned as she stepped back.
"I couldn't stay away. I missed you, and AJ and the twins. What are you still doing up?"
"Timmy was awake." She replied simply. He stepped inside the house, but didn't close the door. A warm breeze drifted into the house, wifts of summer on it's wing. "Well, are you tired?"
"Are you kidding?" Jarod laughed. "I drank four espressos just to stay awake." Andi noticed his awkward fidgeting, and grinned.
"Go on, use the bathroom, Wonderboy. I'll get some iced tea and we can sit out on the porch." Jarod nodded, and rushed past her with a relieved grin gracing his face. Andi laughed, and pushed the door near-closed, going next into the kitchen. As she pulled two glasses out of the cabinet, and the tea out of the fridge, her thoughts wondered again.
When Jarod returned from the bathroom, she was ready and waiting by the door with two tall glasses. She handed him one, and together they walked out and sat down on the porch swing, his arm around her shoulders.
"Comfy?" Jarod asked. She nodded.
"Very. What did you find?"
"Nothing much. Even what I found I'm not sure about."
"Hmm. I wonder where he went."
"Me too." Jarod answered. "I'll keep looking. How have the twins been?"
"Good. A little noisier, without you, but good."
"AJ?"
"He missed you, but he's still thrilled about being a big brother." Andi said with a smile. They sat in silence, enjoying each other's company, for a while before Andi mused. "It's so hard to believe that just over a year ago, we would have never thought we'd be here, together like this."
"Yeah. I just glad we found out it was possible." Jarod responded heartily.
"I guess anything's possible with time." Andi's last musing seemed to end the conversation, and they simply sat together, in silence as before, until Andi drifted off to dream land against Jarod's shoulder. He noticed after a few minutes, and nudged her.
"Come on. Bed." She mumbled, and stood up yawning. Jarod grabbed her glass, and his, and took them to the kitchen as she trudged up the stairs. Timmy began crying again, and he heard her mumble something about decent quiet, and he couldn't help laughing.
"I'll get him, Andi." He called up after her, taking the stairs two at a time to get Timmy.
Aric Joel sat in the back of the van, next to the window. Charlie was sitting next to him, and Spider next to Charlie. The twins were in car seats in the middle row, and Jarod was leaning over the wheel while Andi studied a map. Aric Joel twisted around so he could see behind them, to Lyle and Emily's van, Maddy and Cat inside with Ethan and Angelo.
Daddy had called it a vacation, Mommy called it a word that Aric Joel wasn't allowed to say. The twins were finally asleep, and Spider was sleeping soundly as well. Charlie was looking at a book, and Aric Joel was simply being hungry.
They were looking for somewhere to eat before checking in at a hotel. They weren't, in truth, that far from home- just Washington, D.C. The trip had been planned for Jarod and Lyle to wrap up some final things at Jon Rand's office, and everyone else to see the Smithsonian museums.
"There. That looks nice. "Andi was pointing to a small bookstore with a cafe, the newer wooden sign proudly proclaiming, 'The Lonely Latte'. "We'll have to stop there later." Jarod nodded, and continued down the street.
Aric Joel sighed with relief when Jarod finally pulled into the parking lot of Denny's a block away from the bookstore, and was unbuckled before car even stopped. Charlie dropped the book, and shook Spider awake. Andi turned around, and put a finger to her lips.
"Don't wake up the twins." She mouthed, and they nodded, motions slowing as they struggled to stay quiet. Jarod opened the door, and the three boys piled out of the back, stretched their limbs gratefully. Spider ran over to Lyle, and was immediately swung up into his father's arms.
Aric Joel watched his parents talk in low tones, and then talk to the other adults. Jarod took Aric Joel's hand after a couple minutes, and Charlie's hand with the other. Cat was being clingy with Ethan, and was clutching her young Uncle's hand, while Maddy quietly stood with her small hand in Angelo's larger one. Spider was in Lyle's arm, and Jarod grabbed Charlie's hand. Aric Joel looked up at his dad, questioning look on his face.
"What about the twins?"
"Your Mom and Aunt Emily are going to go back to that bookstore we saw, and get some sandwiches there instead. They're taking the twins with them."
"It'll be quieter there." Aric Joel deduced with a nod. Jarod looked down at him with a lopsided grin.
"Yeah."
Emily picked up Timmy's car seat, being careful not to jar the sleeping baby, and Andi unstrapped Faith's seat. Together, the two women started back down the sidewalk towards the bookstore as the guys took the kids into Denny's.
"Real coffee, and books." Emily commented, stressing the 'and'. Andi nodded with a small laugh, and Emily grinned. "I only fear what the men are going to give to the kids. Knowing Jarod, they'll probably get double servings of ice cream."
"If so, then they get to put the kids to bed." Andi returned.
"Or try to," Emily said in reply. Both ladies smiled at each other, the wisdom of experienced moms in their eyes, glinting mischievously. They entered the bookstore a few minutes later, looking around and taking in the modern, well decorated room. The walls were painted a brass, copper color, complimented by sleek, high black tables and stools. Framed pictures of various coffee oriented paintings covered the walls, and one side of the room was full of oak shelving, packed full of books. A small children's section was in the far corner, with small chairs and benches- complete with it's own shelf of books.
Andi walked over to the counter, Emily next to her, and they both set the child-carriers down on the floor next to them as they studied the menu. A door closed in the back, and a man backed up from the employee door, into the counter enclosed area. He spun around, and froze.
Andi froze as well, and they stared at each other for a full sixty seconds before she could speak.
"Patrick?" She exclaimed, at the same time he sputtered, "Andi!"
"How'd you find me?" He demanded.
"By accident!" She replied defensively. There was another moment of silence, then the door to the shop opened with a tinkling of bells. Andi turned briefly, to glance and see who had intruded upon her moment of reunion. Angelo stood there, looking at them and breathing hard as if he had been running.
"I felt..." He seemed at a loss for words. He shook his head, then started again. "I knew something was happening."
"Out." The word was snapped, and held unmistakable anger in it. "Out." Patrick growled again when they didn't move. Then, Angelo moved, but not towards the door. He flipped the counter piece up, and joined Patrick behind the counter. Andi and Emily watched in speechless silence, wincing as the sound of slap echoed in the small store. Patrick held the left side of his face, and glared at Patrick.
"It wasn't them who lied to you, so stop blaming and punishing them for it." Angelo said evenly, though his hands were trembling. Patrick glanced over at Andi and Emily, who were watching him with wide eyes. He took a deep breath, and straightened.
"I'm sorry. What would you like?" He asked.
"I wanted a latte, but I think I'm okay with Dennys now. Join us?" Andi spoke, struggling to keep the tremor out of her voice. Patrick looked at the door, around the empty shop, and nodded.
"I can close early today. Give me five minutes." Andi picked up Faith's carrier, and led the way outside, Angelo and Emily following. All three adults inhaled shuddering breaths once outside on the sidewalk, faces drained of any color at all. The twins had miraculously slept through the whole thing, and were still asleep. Patrick joined them five minutes later, as promised, and they began walking to Dennys.
"Patrick!" A voice exclaimed from behind them, and Patrick whirled around to face a man a bit older than himself, who stood looking at the 'CLOSED' sign on the door of 'The Lonely Latte'. "You opening again tonight?"
"Probably not, Gregory. I'll be open tomorrow."
"Ah, well. I'll bring the guys by then, instead." Gregory turned and walked away, and they continued towards Dennys, Patrick not offering an explanation.
They walked into Dennys holding their breath, and the table that seated Ethan, Jarod, Lyle and the kids, noticed them standing there, and slowly froze. The rest of the restaurant noticed that something important was going on, and all talk and chatter stopped. All eyes were locked on the group, waiting for something to happen.
It was Jarod who moved first. He backed his chair away from the table, and walked over in front of Patrick. Patrick started to speak, an apology of some sort, suddenly guilty and feeling as if he had committed a horrible sin- but Jarod pulled him into a tight hug. Patrick hesitated, then returned the hug, unchecked tears slipping down his face.
"Welcome back, Patrick." Jarod whispered, voice raw with emotion.
"I'm sorry, Dad." Was the tearful response. Jarod pulled away, and offered Patrick a seat. Patrick accepted it, and seats were found for Emily and Andi, as Angelo returned to his original seat. The crowd returned to their meals, although a few were wiping away tears.
James Frank was one of those few that had proved you didn't have to be a genius to pretend- simply a good actor. And based on recent opinion, he could act pretty damn well. Which is what he was trying to explain in one of the many reports he had to fill out. He leaned back in his chair, the only person left in the now-quiet office.
His computer had already gone to screensaver, and one of the double double lattes he was infamous for was growing cold. He was struggling to find a way to put onto paper exactly what he had done, and what he had witnessed. He had gone in on an undercover mission, nothing more. It had become his life for nearly nine years.
Frank had everything covered, from the nice up style apartment to the unlisted phone number. The business cards with 'Cox' on them, and the fancy car registered to a one R.S. Cox. The clothes, the sunglasses, the attitude. He had at some times, nearly lost himself in becoming his character.
He had blown up cabins, kidnapped people, been known in the undercurrent as the 'Executioner'. Frank himself hadn't thought it was very funny, but Jon Rand had relayed in no uncertain terms that he had barely managed to look horrified and not burst out laughing when they had gotten the 'message' from Jarod.
Frank mused that, in a way, he hadn't always been acting. He really was a quiet, take charge when needed, kinda guy. The accent was real; he had grown up in London with a Special Service American Ambassador for a father. He enjoyed finer foods, and expensive clothes.
He sighed, and dropped his head on the desk with a thud. There was a soft moan, as it occurred to him that meeting a solid object with such force was bound to cause a slight amount of discomfort. But he didn't move, instead letting his forehead rest on the cool surface. The phone rang, and he growled as he snatched it up.
"Hello?"
"Is Agent Rand there?"
"No. This is Agent Frank. Is there a problem?" Frank replied a bit snappily, tone cool and crisp. There was a pause.
"Well, um...can you get a hold of him?"
"Later. What's the message?"
"It appears that...um, well...Mr. Parker and some others escaped in transit."
"What?" Frank was instantly alert and worried- as well as astounded and angry.
"We just got the news. Can you please tell Agent Rand? We've got an ATPB out on them, but no one thinks we'll have much success."
"You'd better find them, and fast." Frank growled, hanging up the phone. He glanced at the clock, rolled his eyes, then dialed Jon Rand's number. As soon as there was an answer, he sighed.
"Rand, we've got a problem."
Jarod paced in the living room, occasionally casting a glance at Aric Joel, Andi, and the twins, who were sitting on the couch. Well, Andi and Aric Joel were sitting. Faith was asleep on a blanket, and Andi had Timmy against her shoulder. Faith started fussing, and Jarod picked her up, and sat down on the couch.
They sat in absolute silence for several minutes, before Andi spoke.
"Where do they think he's headed?"
"Africa." Was Jarod's reply. "We don't know how much power he still has, so we've got to be extra careful for a while."
"Meanwhile, it's ridiculous for us to just sit here." Andi stood up, and readjusted Timmy. "Come on, AJ. Bedtime." The little boy moaned, and shuffled after her. Jarod followed with Faith a bit more slowly.
They had gotten a phone call from Jon Rand less than twenty minutes ago, and Jarod had immediately assembled everyone on the couch. There was nothing really to say, so he had simply paced. Now, his actions seemed silly. He had just panicked. Over-reacted. He couldn't ever remember panicking before, but he had never had children before. Jon Rand said he had called Patrick with the news, and that Jarod's eldest son was okay, fine, and surrounded by people. By what Rand had said, Jarod had gathered there was some type of party at the bookstore cafe Patrick owned.
Jarod set Faith in her crib, and turned to leave the room. Out in the hall, he heard a little voice, and smiled.
"Daddy? Can you tuck me in?" Aric Joel stood in his doorway, leaning on one foot, and then the other. Jarod nodded, and held out his arms. Aric Joel ran into the open, welcoming arms and hugged Jarod, clinging tightly to his father's neck as they entered Aric Joel's room.
Once snuggled safely under the covers, Aric Joel peered up with sleepy eyes at Jarod, who perched on the edge of the bed. Andi appeared at the door, and smiled at them.
"Come on, you two." She spoke softly, and motioned to them. Jarod and Aric Joel gave her identical looks of confusion, and she grinned. "Just come." So Jarod stood, and Aric Joel wriggled out from beneath the covers he had just slid under. They followed her to the bedroom she shared with Jarod, and she climbed into bed. She patted the covers next to her, and spoke. "Come on, AJ. We'll sandwich tonight."
Aric Joel grinned, and hopped into the bed. Jarod climbed into the bed on his customary side, Aric Joel effectively tucked in between them. And together, they all fell asleep.
Lyle held the warm cup of tea in his hands, and watched the still night sky. The canvas black of the night was splattered with drops of silver starry paint, forming patterns and shapes barely discernable to the human eye. Crickets chirruped and the wind whistled through the trees, creating a harmonic near-silence.
The door behind him creaked open, and he didn't have to turn to know it was Emily, but he turned all the same. She sat next to him on the top porch step, and looked up at the stars before questioning,
"You couldn't sleep either?" He shook his head, and handed her the cup of tea. She took a sip and let it warm her hands before handing it back to him. A brief second later, Lyle felt her set her head on his shoulder.
"I'm not sure what to think, Em. Every time I think it's over, it seems like the beginning again."
"I guess this is what they call the middle." She replied humorously. He grinned at her, then looked back to the sky.
"I don't think they'll bother with us anymore. We've all caused too much trouble for Africa to care. And they know we've got the FBI all over us."
"You think so? I hope you're right." Emily sighed, and deftly took the cup of tea again.
"I dunno. Maybe it is just the beginning." Lyle mused, watching her sip his tea. "Then again, maybe it's the end. I guess we'll know with time."
"It can't be the beginning. We've already been through so much. And I have a feeling that it's not the end." Emily returned the nearly empty cup of tea, and looked at him earnestly. He gave her the same studying gaze, and then pulled her into a familiar hug, her head resting once again on his shoulder. Lyle used his free arm to raise the cup of tea to the sky.
"To the middle."
"To the middle." Emily echoed. "May it be safer than the beginning."
"Indeed." Lyle nodded. "Indeed."
Mr. Parker strode down the hall of a huge building in Africa, stopping at a glass window, looking into a room. The African next to him motioned to the occupant of the room, and spoke, no emotion whatsoever in his voice.
"He's been doing well."
"Good." Mr. Parker replied sharply.
Within the room, a baby kicked at the air and cried out.
Mr. Parker smiled sardonically. There was no way to stop him, or the Triumvirate, the Tower, or the Centre. The legacy lived on.
It was merely the beginning.
