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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
2/3
By RRP
It was the third day in court for the Charles and Parker families, as well as the other assorted characters in the group. Nearly everyone had been called to the stand, including Aric Joel. Excluding Lyle's children, who were currently considered a non-factor by the court, only Angelo hadn't been called to the stand yet.
Sydney and Debbie both winced when the gavel cracked and Angelo's name was called. Sydney stood up as Angelo stood.
"Request permission to act as an interpreter."
"Does he not speak English?" The Judge asked, brow furrowing as he studied Angelo, was looking aimlessly around the room.
"He's gifted." Sydney struggled to explain.
"He's similar to an autistic child, your Honor. He can display irrational behavior." Debbie was standing now, speaking firmly and calmly.
"And who might you be young lady?" The Judge asked, peering over the top of his glasses.
"Deborah Rand, sir. Daughter of Special Agent Jon Rand. I was on the stand yesterday morning, sir."
"Ahh, yes. The psychology major. Very well. Please, bring the witness forward. Dr. Beauparc, you may accompany him if you wish."
Both Angelo and Sydney made their way to the stand, and after a few minutes of whispered explanation, Angelo was sworn in. They swore Sydney in as well, and the attorney stepped forward.
"How long as Angelo been a resident, or prisoner, of the Centre?" Sydney's brow creased in thought, as he tried to remember the exact dates.
"Thirty seven years." A surprisingly clear voice behind him answered. Sydney's heart skipped a beat, and he turned to face the source of the voice. Many jaws dropped in the rows of people behind him. The voice continued. "I was five when they took me to the Centre. I remained a prisoner for thirty-seven years." The attorney, not realizing that anything was wrong, was about to continue, when eight or nine voices all chimed at the same time.
"Good god..." There was a heavy silence in the room for several minutes, before the attorney cleared her thought and continued.
"And what did you witness?"
"If I were to list everything they've done, we'd be here for months. I can assure you, however, that every single day held or began an illegal activity. Simulations, tests performed to judge the outcome of a activity, were sold to everyone from the American Government to the Iraqi Terrorist Network, and Lebanon Drug Lords, as well as International Crime Ring. Murder was a daily, petty task to them, bombings, druggings, and kidnappings were common events. Life has never held any meaning to them, unless it was their own. For thirty-six years, they believed I was no more than an empath. I was believed to have lost all ability to communicate on a normal level."
"Please, for the court, can you define empath?" Angelo smiled a bit.
"As long as I can be assured that my words, and whatever happens in the next ten minutes will never reach the ears of anyone but those present right now." The gavel slammed down on the wood block.
"The Court binds all Witnesses to silence, under penalty of law. Proceed."
"I'm an empath, and a rather strong one at that. I believe, at one time or another, those present may have watch a show known as Star Trek: The Next Generation?" There was a general murmur of agreement. "A character on the show, Consoulor Troi, claims to be able to read people's feelings. That is my ability. Even from a distance, I can read people quite easily. Would you like me to demonstrate?"
The Judge and Attorney nodded in sync. Angelo stood up, and spoke again.
"Your Honor, you feel disbelief, curiosity, you were a bit bored before I came to the stand, and you miss your wife. Miss Clemens," He addressed the Attorney. "You're worried about this case, and share the feelings of disbelief and curiosity. Both of you are beginning to be frightened. My friends, if they'll still allow me to call them that, are angry that I kept this from them, scared at what it could mean, and amazed. Mr. Parker is furious that he was lied to, angry with himself for not seeing this sooner, and frustrated with the whole event." He paused, and sat back down. "It's like reading minds," He finished. "But instead I read hearts and souls."
For the first time in three days, there was complete and utter silence in the courtroom.
Major Charles sat on the porch swing, holding a cup of tea. Margaret came out to join him, and sat down with a smile. He wrapped an arm around her, and they leaned back to watch the sun set. He knew it was childish, but he had been jealous of Jarod at the Runway house. His eldest son and Margaret were virtually inseparable. For the last several days they had been there, all they did was talk.
Major Charles knew they deserved to talk- they had years and years to catch up on, but he couldn't help feeling a bit jealous of Jarod. She had been his Maggie first. But now, Patrick was asleep, and they were alone. Patrick had gone to bed early, complaining that Angelo's revelation was too much for someone to deal with and still live out twelve hours. So he had slipped off to his room, cutting that awake span to ten hours. Major Charles suspected it really had something to do with Patrick worrying himself to death the past few days, and finally letting himself relax.
So Major Charles and Margaret were alone, bundled in warm sweaters to fight the crisp, biting late October breeze. There were things to be talked about, discussed, such as Thanksgiving plans, Christmas arrangements, and other various little things. Halloween had already been decided- they were all skipping it. There had been too much Pretending lately for the kids to go out and make fun of it.
But Major Charles figured those things could wait until morning. Or the next day. Meanwhile, he was alone with his Maggie, and they were together. Instead of talking though, there was silence. When they were finally alone, they found that words were too much and not enough- the quiet company of each other was better. They felt content and safe.
And safe was indeed a very good thing to feel.
Sydney set out places for three, and filled the tall glasses with water. The noodles were cooked, and the Alfredo sauce was simmering on the stove. A freshly tossed salad sat on the counter, and a store-bought cheesecake was in the fridge. The doorbell rang, and Sydney calmly went over to answer the door- taking everything slowly as he always did.
He swung the door open, and Angelo and Ethan stepped inside, laughing about something. Sydney shook hands with both of them, and hung their coats up, as the laughter quieted. Ethan looked at the already set table, and Angelo peered into the kitchen.
"Aww, Sydney." Ethan sighed and shook his head. "We would have helped, you know, if you had waited." Sydney shrugged, and Angelo clapped Ethan on the back.
"We'll do the dishes, Ethan. Don't worry."
"I already am." Ethan muttered. He shot Sydney what could only be called a desperate look. "You've spoiled him! I've cleaned and cooked and done the dishes, while he watches cartoons and reads, claiming that he needs to catch up with the world. I swear, I don't know how watching reruns of Superfriends and eating CrackerJacks improves his world view."
"Preservation of natural resources- I recycle the CrackerJack boxes; gaining a sense of American loyalty- Superfriends; staying healthy and preventing a large drain on American health funds- CrackerJacks have nuts." Angelo ticked off things, counting on his fingers as he listed them, and Sydney and Ethan blinked at him. "Come on, you two. I knew Jarod when he was a kid. He's worse than me. Ever hear of a show called Spongebob Squarepants? Offers no educational value at all, and I hear Jarod's a big fan."
"Mmhmm. And Superfriends is a wealth of education."
"Of course! You've got the Martian Manhunter, from which you learn multi-planet racial acceptance; Aquaman, from whom you learn appreciation of sea-life; and-" Ethan cut him off.
"Has it ever occurred to you that we haven't actually made contact with an alien life form?" Angelo looked at him blankly. Ethan sighed, and explained to Sydney. "He's been watching Star Trek and X-Files too. I apologize. This is all he's talked about for a week. He finally lets out his biggest secret, and we come for a quiet dinner to talk about the future and everything, and all he can think about is Cartoon Network and the Sci-Fi Channel." Sydney laughed, and shook his head.
"It's okay, Ethan. It's just nice to know he's normal."
"Will you two stop talking about me like I'm not here?" Angelo protested. "And we can eat. Dinner sounds good. I'm starving."
"Yep. Starving, I tell you." Ethan nodded solemnly. "We haven't," He paused to whack Angelo playfully in the ribs, "Eaten anything since we stopped at McDonald's five hours ago."
"Then let's eat!" Sydney smiled at them, and led the way to the table.
Miss Parker hugged the toilet, stomach rebelling and chest aching. Jarod knelt next to her, holding her hair out of the way, and rubbing her back. She was horribly embarrassed, and was sure her face was beet red. But the thought barely had time to flicker in her mind- she was preoccupied.
Miss Parker's stomach finally calmed, and she leaned back with a ragged breath. Jarod flushed the toilet, then pulled her close, so she was leaning against him. He stroked her hair, and simply held her. She felt like crying.
"Parker," He spoke after several minutes, "We're going to have to take you to see a doctor. This isn't normal."
"I don't want to-"
"I know. But we need to. I'll be there, I'll even run the exams if you want me to."
"If you'll do it. What about AJ?"
"Sam would watch him if we asked. And Lyle and Emmy are just up on the hill. We can drop him off there. I'll take care of it. You get dressed." She nodded, and he helped her to her feet. Jarod leaned over, and kissed her on the forehead, before leaving the bathroom. Miss Parker walked over to the window, and pulled the curtain aside, to see the sun pushing it's way into the eastern sky. Jarod's footsteps sounded as thumps above her as he clambered up the stairs to Aric Joel's bedroom.
The footsteps abruptly stopped, and she crept out of the bathroom, and up the stairs, to investigate. On the way up, she thought about Jarod's prognosis. It definitely wasn't normal, but it was just morning sickness. She was already feeling better.
Jarod wasn't in the hall, and the door to Aric Joel's room was cracked open. Miss Parker tiptoed forward, and peered through the crack. Jarod was leaning over the bed, face hovering inches from Aric Joel's, and he whispered one word.
"Boo." Aric Joel's eyes snapped open, and he jumped, groggily trying to determine the source of the noise. He peered up at Jarod, and a grin slowly crossed his face. Jarod tickled the boy, and Aric Joel squirmed as he shook with laughter. Jarod stopped, and they stared at each other for a moment. After a pause, Aric Joel sat up, flung his arms around Jarod's neck, and whispered so softly that Miss Parker almost didn't hear it.
"Sam's a good friend, but I wish you were my Dad." Jarod's eyes grew moist, and he hugged the little boy in return.
"You'd make a great son, Squirt." Jarod replied. "Aric Joel let go, and sat back on the bed. Jarod tickled him once more, then spoke. "Let's go get some breakfast. Your sis isn't feeling very well, and I'm going to take her to the doctor. What do you say we call Lyle and see if it's alright if you spend the day with Charlie?"
"Is Miss Parker okay?" When a concerned, unsure look crossed Jarod's face, Miss Parker stepped into the room.
"I'll be fine, AJ. I've just been feeling a bit queasy in the morning." Aric Joel bounced on the bed.
"Oh." Aric Joel frowned at the floor, then he looked up suddenly, as if he had remembered something. "Can Charlie come here first?"
"Well," Jarod replied slowly. "You were going there because we wouldn't be here to watch you. It doesn't make much sense to let you and Charlie have the house to yourselves."
"Well," Aric Joel did a perfect mimication of Jarod, without even meaning to. "Sam got his TV in yesterday, and he said Charlie and I could watch Spongebob Squarepants with him..." Miss Parker rolled her eyes.
"Garbage. I can't believe you find that entertaining. Jarod, you're even worse."
"Why?" Jarod asked, sounding offended.
"Because you're the adult! The genius! Sam's almost as bad!"
"We were going to have a 'marathon' today. Sam has-" Aric Joel clapped a hand over his mouth, and looked at them sheepishly as he removed it. "Sorry. I'm not supposed to tell."
"Tell what?" Miss Parker crossed her arms, and gave Aric Joel 'the look'. Aric Joel cringed.
"Umm...that, um...Sam has...the first, second, and third seasons on DVD." Miss Parker let out something that sounded like a 'harrumph', and left the room, arms upraised. But Jarod could hear her laughing as she descended the stairs. Jarod turned to Aric Joel with disbelief clear in his eyes.
"He really has the DVDs?" Aric Joel nodded solemnly. There was silence for a few minutes. Then Jarod swung Aric Joel over his shoulder, and bounded out of the room and down the stairs, causing both of them to laugh.
Jon Rand sat at his desk, fiddling with his pencil, feet propped up on the desk top. He was trying to decide what to do about the files, and when to tell Miss Parker and Jarod what he had found. The court trials had lasted a daunting three weeks- which wasn't actually bad as far as the American Court System went, but three weeks of hard witnessing would be tough on anyone. They hadn't even been required to attend most of the trials- there were plenty of other witnesses to testify on the more minor cases.
But his current dilemma was the wedding- he had found just a short week ago that they had set their wedding date for a Saturday- that particular Saturday just so happened to be two days from the present. There was a rumor that the sudden wedding date had something to do with Miss Parker being pregnant- something that was merely a rumor until Jarod and Miss Parker officially announced it. Rand already knew the truth- he just hoped they hadn't figured it out yet. It was better for them to think the children were natural. He guessed they only thought it was one child- but the reports in the bottom of his desk clearly said twins.
The door was knocked on twice, and then opened. Jack Ryan poked his head in, and Rand swung his feet off the desk and onto the floor, leaning forward in his chair. Ryan stepped in the room, and blinked as he shook his head and muttered,
"Rand not Mulder."
"Something wrong, Clancy?" Rand asked, using the new nickname for Ryan.
"X-Files flashbacks. Too many reruns last night."
"What?" Rand questioned, not understanding. Ryan motioned to the desk and the pencil.
"Mulder. On the show. He does the same thing. Sits at his desk like that, and plays with his pencils."
"Oh." Rand dropped the pencil on the desk, and looked up at Ryan. "What's up?"
"Nothing much. Just wanted you to be the first to see, since you pulled all those strings for me and everything." Ryan slipped across the room with a grin on his face, and dropped a framed piece of paper on the desk. Rand looked over it, a smile spreading.
"Certificate from Quantico. You're moving fast. We can even call you Agent now. Congrats, Clancy. I'll get Simon and Daniels to pull a desk into the main office for you." Rand stood, and walked past Ryan into the main office, where the other six Agents sat, sipping coffee, browsing reports, attempting to look busy. Ryan followed him, and Rand stopped at Frank's desk.
"Hey, Frank." He addressed the man who had masqueraded as Cox, and grabbed the cup of coffee off James Frank's desk. "This cold?" Frank nodded, not giving it much thought. Rand grabbed the certificate out of Ryan's hands, and held it up. "Attention." He cleared his throat and tried to sound serious. "Clancy here is now legal. Quantico graduate everybody. We're in the presence of a genius!" And with that, he threw the cup of coffee into Ryan's face. "Agent Jackson Hilary Ryan."
"I see why he doesn't go by his middle name." Allen muttered to Aaron. Aaron nodded.
Ryan sputtered, and wiped the liquid away from his eyes, as everyone clapped. Daniels and Lloyd cheered, and Ryan grinned at them. Daniels threw an arm around Ryan's now-light brown shirt.
"My friend, you've just been christened."
"With coffee?"
"No. With a cold, extra creamer, two shots of espresso, double double latte."
"Do you, Jarod Matthew Charles, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, to honor and to cherish, for richer or poorer, in sickness or in health, until death do you part?" Jarod was grinning like an idiot, and he knew it, but he couldn't help it. And he didn't care.
"I do." He nodded.
"Do you, Margaret Andrea Parker, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, to honor and to obey, for richer or poorer, in sickness or in health, until death do you part?" Miss Parker, soon to be Miss Parker no longer, nodded, a smile gracing her own face, eyes moist with tears.
"I do."
"The rings!" The priest called. Aric Joel, in a tuxedo and Oxfords, held up the pillow to Jarod, and he took the small gold ring, and slid it onto Miss Parker's finger. Miss Parker slid Jarod's onto his finger, and the priest smiled.
"You may kiss the bride." And with that, she was in Jarod's arms. They kissed, and the priest held up his hands. "I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Jarod Matthew Charles!"
Jarod looked at his new wife, and knew in his soul that he was looking at the love of his life. Once inside the handsome limo, he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.
"So," He murmured. "What do I call you now?"
"Andi. You've already got a Maggie in your life." She replied, looking at him with that same, soft smile. "Andi is fine."
Later on, the wedding pictures would show Patrick as Jarod's best man, Emily as the bridesmaid, Aric Joel as the ring bearer, and Maddy and Cat as the flower girls. Lyle proudly walking the now Andi Charles down the aisle to give her away, and a small crowd of twelve bystanders.
They would also show two people, looking as if they had finally found the missing piece of their soul.
"Hey, Wonderboy." Andi Charles whispered, as her husband climbed into bed. Jarod grinned at her, and rubbed her slightly swollen stomach.
"How are you feeling?" He asked, looking up into her eyes. "And how are the munchkins doing?" She laughed, and nodded.
"Fine. And don't use the plural form like that. It scares me."
"I think they're are two of them though!" Jarod protested. He laid his head on the pillow, and pulled the covers up. "Wanna talk about names?" Andi turned over, and leaned into him, and he put an arm around her, setting his chin onto the top of her head.
"Mmhmm. Boys or girls?"
"Two for each. Just in case." Jarod replied.
"Well, Lyle and Emily have pretty much exhausted the family names, so we can be creative. Or use Matthew. I like the name Matthew."
"And Sydney hasn't been used yet. Or Jacob. And then there's always Timothy."
"How about Matthew Sydney and Timothy Jacob for boys?" Andi said decidedly. Jarod tried out the names, and smiled.
"Matt and Timmy."
"Girls.." Andi replied, trying to further the conversation.
"I've already got names for girls." Jarod replied. "Jamison Hope and Faith Andrea. Jamie and Faith."
"I like those, Jar. But what if it's a boy and a girl?"
"Then we use Faith Andrea and Timothy Jacob."
"That sounds good." Andi murmured, feeling drowsy. The phone rang, and Jarod ignored it. The answering machine clicked on a few rings later, but he couldn't hear the message. Jarod guessed it could wait until morning, and quickly fell asleep.
Jon Rand was waiting by the phone at six AM. He was pretty sure Jarod wouldn't call that early, but he didn't want to take any chances. It was nearly nine when Jarod did call, and he sounded rather non-chalant.
"Morning, Rand. You needed to talk to me?" Jarod greeted. Rand took a deep breath.
"Yeah. I found some documents that belonged to Mr. Parker. They were copies of original project reports."
"And?" Now Jarod sounded a bit uneasy.
"I didn't want to say this over the phone, but sue me, I admittedly don't have the guts to say it to your face. Jarod, AJ and Patrick- they're not your brothers- they're your sons. Yours and P- I mean Andi's."
"How is that possible?" Jarod demanded, not ready to believe until he had a plausible reason.
"Well, Brigitte was just a carrier mother for AJ. And the same thing happened with Patrick."
"But Patrick's an adult!" Jarod protested. "I can't be his father!"
"Do the math, Jarod. If Patrick's twenty one, and you're forty-five, then you're twenty three years older than him."
"I'm...their father...and she's their mother." Jarod repeated in a daze, the information not quite sinking all the way in. The phone clicked off really fast, and Rand nearly yelled.
"Jarod?"
"I'm right here."
"Then who was that?" The door slammed, and Jarod spoke.
"Gotta go. That was Aric Joel." Rand realized with a sickening lurch that the little boy had heard the entire conversation. Today just wasn't looking like his day.
Sam was in the middle of pouring a cup of coffee when his front door flew open, and Aric Joel tumbled in, with a look back over his shoulder to make sure no one was following. The little boy was breathing heavily, and had tears in his eyes, so Sam was immediately concerned.
“AJ?” The coffee was forgotten, as Sam walked across the main room to meet Aric Joel. Aric Joel sniffled, and shuffled across the room to fling himself down on Sam’s couch. Sam sat down on the coffee table, so he was across from Aric Joel, and waited for an explanation.
“My sister’s not my sister, she’s my mom. And Jarod’s my dad. I heard him talking about it with Rand on the phone." Sam blinked, and sighed. He had had a feeling that something like this was going to surface sooner or later. Aric Joel continued with a moan. "I don't want her to be my mom. I don't want a mom. Charlie's mom is always worried about him, and doesn't let him do all the fun stuff." Aric Joel barely finished speaking when Sam had a firm grip on his shoulders, and was looking straight at him, fire in his eyes.
"Don't you ever wish something like that again, you understand? I don't ever want to hear you say that." Aric Joel nodded, lower lip trembling. Sam let go of Aric Joel's shoulders, and sighed again. "Sorry kiddo. That was a little rough. But remember when I told you about real moms and birth moms?" Aric Joel nodded again. Sam ran a hand through his own hair, and continued. "Well, the problem with having a sister for a real mom is that you can't call her mom. She doesn't really seem like a mom for a long, long time. And my birth mom, who was supposed to be my real mom, left when I was five."
"She left?" Aric Joel asked, brow furrowing. Sam nodded.
"It was my fifth birthday, and she was mad at me."
"Did you do something wrong?"
"No. I just asked if my friend could come over."
"Like Charlie." Aric Joel made the association, and his picture became clearer.
"Like Charlie," Sam confirmed. "So, she was mad at me, and hit me. I screamed at her, and to this day, I regret ever saying those words."
"What did you say?"
"I told her I hated her. That I didn't want a mom anymore. She hit me again, put me in the corner, and packed her stuff. I tried to tell her I was sorry, but she wasn't listening. She told me she'd rather take care of a dog, and walked out. I never saw her again."
"Never?"
"Never. And if your sister really is your mom, I'll bet you ten bucks that she's looking for you right now, and worried about you, and that no matter what you say to her, she'll still love you."
"You think so?"
"I know so."
"I don't have ten dollars." Aric Joel said with a small smile. He flung his arms around the Sweeper's neck, and whispered. "Thanks, Sam."
"No problem, kid." Sam replied, as Aric Joel stepped back. There was a frantic knocking on Sam's door, and Sam yelled, "Come in."
"Sam, have you-" Andi stopped short, and looked at a suddenly blushing Aric Joel. "AJ! We've been looking all over for you!" She bent down, and Aric Joel flew into her open arms.
"I love you, Mommy." Aric Joel whispered, trying out the new word. From her reaction, Sam guessed Jarod hadn't had the chance to relay the news. Andi looked at her 'new' son in surprise, and then hugged him again.
"I love you too, AJ. Let's go tell Jarod I found you." Aric Joel bounded out of the apartment, and Andi looked back to mouth 'thank you' to Sam. Sam nodded, and simply went back to his coffee.
Patrick pulled into Jarod and Andi's driveway, and stopped the car. Jarod had asked him to come over, and said that it was rather important. Patrick had hurried over, and had been wondering what was so urgent. He knocked on the front door, and Jarod opened it.
"Master-Copy!" Patrick exclaimed, hugging Jarod. Jarod led him back to the kitchen, where Andi and Aric Joel sat at the table. Patrick sat down, and shot Jarod and Andi an uneasy look. "What's going on?"
"Patrick," Jarod took a deep breath. "I talked to Jon Rand this morning, who seems to have found some files that Mr. Parker kept hidden. And one of them said that," Jarod shot a desperate glance to Andi, who looked down at the table with tears in her eyes. "You're not my clone. You're my son. Our son." Patrick laughed uneasily, and looked back and forth from one adult to the other.
"This is a joke right?" Jarod shook his head. Patrick stood up, and backed away. "This isn't funny, you two. You're scaring me." But Patrick knew deep within that it was the truth- and that scared him even more.
He turned, and fled.
---
Angelo looked out the window, while Ethan drove. The past two hours had been spent looking for Patrick, who had left two days ago and hadn't been heard from since. The revelation about Jarod and Andi's sons was indeed surprising, but Aric Joel was adapting amazingly well. Patrick hadn't taken it well at all, though.
Angelo knew this better than anyone. He could sense the helplessness, the fear- but he couldn't figure out where Patrick had headed, no matter how hard he tried. So now, Angelo's own feelings of frustration with himself were clouding his ability to understand Patrick. He sighed, and let his forehead drop against the cold window pane, as a light snow started to drift down from the gray skies.
"Let's head back, Angelo. It's getting late." Ethan suggested softly. Angelo nodded, but said nothing. They drove back to their apartment in silence, and climbed the stairs in the same state. Angelo dropped himself on the couch once inside, and Ethan joined him. "You know," Ethan began, "He'll be okay. He's old enough to take care of himself."
"I know, I know. It's just...I feel like we need some closure. So much has happened in the past few months, and so many secrets have come out into the open. We've survived so much, and now we might not even be intact for Thanksgiving." Angelo replied, running a hand through his hair. Ethan stared at the floor, and Angelo joined him in the thrilling sport of watching the carpet stand still.
"He just needs time." Ethan murmured.
"Don't we all," Angelo agreed. "Don't we all."
Thanksgiving passed smoothly, the only downfall to an otherwise happy day was an empty chair at the end of the table. Christmas came and went, and the New Year was celebrated. Jarod took Andi out to dinner for her birthday, and Lyle awoke to eight little hands all extending carefully drawn pictures of the family to him.
Angelo and Ethan frequented the Runway house, still in Sydney's care, and a silent vigil was kept by the entire group- candles in the window of each home, for Patrick. Mr. Parker received several life sentences, as Jon Rand had predicted, and the Tower wasn't handled with any more mercy than Mr. Parker had received.
Major Charles and Margaret spent all their time together, making up for years lost. Debbie became resident babysitter to Aric Joel, Charlie, Maddy, Cat, and Spider. Sam, much to her delight, still had trouble beating her at checkers. But she tended to avoid him on a chess board.
The family was calm, quiet, and for the most part happy. That is, until one early summer day. The fine June day awoke to the sound of birds singing, and the sun rising, promises of lemonade and a trip to the pool. At least until the silence was shattered...
"Jarod! My water broke!" The hysterical, half-frightened half-joyous yell made Jarod vacate his seat at the kitchen table faster that he previously believed humanly possible. Aric Joel sat before his cereal, not quite sure what was going on, and confused.
Jarod dashed upstairs, into the bathroom, where Andi stood, looking down at the dark, wet spot on the front of her pajama's with a near-horrified expression on her face. "How long have you been having contractions?" He demanded, leading her to the bed. Her grip on his hand tightened, and she made a strange face, before answering.
"Since last night. I thought they were just false, though." She replied. He grabbed a bag of her stuff, preprepared, and took her by the arm. "I'm in pajamas!" Andi protested irrationally. Jarod rolled his eyes, and knelt down in front of her, so he was eye level with her taunt and large stomach.
"Hey, babies. Mommy wants to put a business suit on before you come out. Can you wait a few minutes?" He looked up at her, and she nodded.
"Good point." Jarod led Andi out to the car, and tossed the bag in the back. He kissed her on the forehead, and put the keys in the ignition.
"I'm going to take care of AJ, then we'll leave."
"Okay. And Jarod?"
"What?"
"Hurry." Andi ground out between clenched teeth. He nodded, and ran back inside the house to grab Aric Joel. It wasn't quite eight thirty, and Jarod prayed that Sam would be awake. The Ex-Sweeper had a habit of sleeping in when not needed, and Jarod didn't want to have to make the detour to drop Aric Joel off at Lyle and Emily's.
Aric Joel was dragged off, protesting at leaving his cereal behind, out of the house and up the stairs to the garage apartment. Jarod pounded on the door, and yelled.
"Sam!" The door opened a second later, a groggy looking Sam standing before him.
"What?" Jarod shoved Aric Joel inside the apartment.
"Thanks, Broom Man." Jarod turned to go, and Sam called after him.
"Wait a sec. What did I just agree to do, Labrat?"
"Watch Aric Joel." Jarod said, matter-of-factly, turning to face him. "I'm taking Andi to the hospital." Sam's eyes widened, and he nodded.
"Sure. Keep in touch." The door shut, and Jarod nearly flew down the steps and back to the car. They left the driveway with a squeal of tires, and the murmured prayers of Jarod that they would make it in time.
"Jarod, you are so dead!" Andi was screaming at him between a contraction, as Jarod held her hand and a doctor told her to push. "You're never-" At that point, she made a crude, vulgar reference to having sex, and the doctor looked up and mildly commented,
"I hope you don't plan on kissing your children with that mouth." Andi simply growled at him.
"You better be praying, Wonderboy, that Sam doesn't actually bring my gun like I told him to." Jarod looked panicked for a brief moment, and questioned.
"When did you tell him that?"
"Three years ago." Jarod decided not to ask, and Andi finally listened to the doctor's order to push. There was a wordless scream, then the broken cries of a newborn child.
"Boy!" The nurse exclaimed. Jarod's face lit up, and he turned to Andi.
"Only one more!"
"Only one more?" She replied. Andi grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, pulled him close to her face, and snapped, "If you want more kids, you better plan on getting pregnant yourself, cause there is no way in Hell that I'm doing this again."
"Push!" The doctor commanded fiercely. Andi obeyed, and after fifteen more minutes of threats and screams, another cry filled the room.
"Girl!" The nurse announced. Jarod kissed Andi on the forehead, and smiled at her.
"You did perfect." He murmured. Andi, too exhausted to threaten any more, smiled back at him and closed her eyes.
"I did okay, Wonderboy. And you weren't half-bad yourself." It seemed like an eternity later, in reality only five minutes, when the nurses set two very healthy little twins into the arms of astounded, and proud parents. Jarod looked down into the face of his baby girl, and could have sworn he was never more scared in his life. Andi was looking into her newborn son's face, and felt the same way.
"Names?" A nurse questioned a while later, holding a clipboard.
"Faith Andrea and Timothy Jacob." Jarod replied without pausing. He whispered softly, to the baby in his arms. "You're Faith." He leaned over to look at the boy, and added. "And you, little rascal, are Timmy."
"Welcome to the world." Andi spoke softly as well, eyes wide in awe. Jarod kissed her on the head again.
"Love you."
"I love you, too."
Andi was feeling well rested when they finally allowed her visitors, and the room was flooded with people. Lyle was teasing Jarod about early mornings and late nights, and not enough sleep. Emily was promising to give her tips, and help out. Margaret and Major Charles had come in, wished them well, and wandered off to see the babies through the nursery viewing glass.
Angelo and Ethan had been serious for a record seven minutes- together, whole new sides of them emerged. Jarod had aptly nicknamed the Dynamic Duo, and they were currently searching Andi's TV for something good to watch (both cheered when a certain episode of Star Trek Voyager came on- Andi froze when she caught one line of the show that echoed her doctor's own comment about mouths).
Sydney had whispered something to her in French, and received a playfully warning glare from Jarod, and was now sitting in a chair by the window, watching everything with a silent joy. Jon Rand had stopped by with Jack Ryan, but had left claiming that there was a security problem on the main floor of the hospital. Debbie had gone with Major Charles and Margaret to see Timmy and Faith, and Ben was supposedly with them.
The only two people Andi hadn't seen were Sam, and her eight year old son. Patrick was missed, but no one had really been expecting him to show up, so it wasn't a huge blow albeit a slightly painful one.
Aric Joel entered the room, shyly clutching a bouquet of flowers, several minutes later. He handed them to her, and whispered.
"Hey, Mommy. I saw Timmy and Faith. They're all red and wrinkly." Andi smiled at him, and replied that that was generally how babies looked. Jarod swung Aric Joel up into his arms, and laughed with the boy about something. Sam silently appeared by the door a brief second later, and made his way to the bed. He looked around to make sure no one was watching, then slipped Miss Parker a cold, metal object.
"You had better actually need that," He spoke out of the corner of his mouth. "They nearly kicked me out for trying to bring it up here." He straightened, and stepped back against the wall with a wink. Andi laughed, and made sure the gun safety was still on, before aiming it at Jarod.
"Wonderboy!" She barked. He whirled around, and everything in the room suddenly became still and silent. Jarod shot Sam a horrified look, and Sam simply shrugged. Lyle stepped between Jarod and the gun, the playful twinkle in her eye mirrored in his own.
"Come on, Sis. This isn't exactly the best way to tell him to use condoms, and don't you think it's a little late for that?" Andi blushed a little, but quickly recovered.
"It took someone a while to figure that out." Emily muttered, and Lyle pretended to look hurt. Andi tossed the gun, and Jarod caught in, and set it on top of the TV. The tension in the room broke, and laughter started rippling through the small crowd.
Jarod whispered something into Andi's ear, and she nodded. The whisper's subject was one they had discussed in depth for quite some time. Jarod stood, set Aric Joel down next to the bed to watch TV with Ethan and Angelo, and motioned to Sydney. Sydney stood, and met Jarod at the doorway, a questioning look on his face.
Jarod then motioned to Sam, who immediately followed them out of the room. Once in the hallway, Jarod took a deep breath.
"Andi and I have been talking about this for a while, and we're both absolutely sure about this. Sydney, we'd like you to be Timothy and Faith's Godfather." There was a speechless silence for a few minutes, as the weight of the request sunk in.
"I'm not sure what to say, Jarod." Sydney admitted, an incredulous look on his face. "Are you sure?"
"I told you we were." Jarod replied with a smile. Sydney nodded.
"Then I'd be honored." Sydney nodded, with a small bow of his head. "If you'll excuse me," He walked down the hall towards the nursery, and Jarod's eyes followed him until he was out of sight. Jarod turned to Sam, who's eyebrows were slightly raised, unsure of why he had been called out of the room as well.
"Sam, we'd like you to be AJ's Godfather." Sam's initial response was a deer-caught-in-the-headlights stare. Then, he swallowed. There was another moment of silence. Then, Aric Joel stuck his head out of the door.
"Will you say yes, already?" He demanded hopefully, eyes darting back and forth from one man to the other. Jarod attempted to scowl at the boy, but wasn't very successful.
"Sure." Sam answered with a smile. Aric Joel cheered, and nearly knocked Sam down with the force of his hug.
"Alright!" Aric Joel stepped back, and tugged on Sam's sleeve. "Come on, let's go see Timmy and Faith again." Sam nodded, but didn't move.
"I'll catch up with you, kid." Aric Joel started down the hall, and Sam turned to Jarod.
"Thanks, Labrat. For letting me know I'm trusted."
"No problem, Broom Man. No problem." Jarod clapped Sam on the back, and leaned over to whisper. "This also means Andi and I have unlimited kidsitter minutes." Sam grinned.
"You'd like to think so, wouldn't you?"
