Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Chapter 7
A few hours, and two more heated arguments later, the Russell household was quickly adjusting to having Parker and Ben in their midst. Although the Major, Margaret, and Emily were still wary of Parker, the fact that she had the baby with her and the gentleness she displayed with the baby went a long way towards making the more comfortable. Also, there was the fact that Jarod was so comfortable enough with them to argue or even begin to loosen his complete self-control. It was bizarre to see that he could do these things with someone who was supposed to be the enemy.
After their fourth fight since her arrival the Major chucked, he’d been right on one thing. Parker did challenge Jarod, and certainly forced him to stay on his toes. With Ben playing quietly with a set of block and his puppy, the Major turned his attention back to the kitchen table, where the rest of the family and Parker sat. All waiting for her explanation of why she was here and how she had found them.
Parker sat completely still, with her back ramrod straight. She wasn’t sure what was more terrifying, a T-board, or facing the Russell family.
“Why’d you leave?” Ethan’s voice was calm and collected. He seemed to be trying to lend her the strength to do this.
“With Raines running things now, the Centre’s evil is out in the open. And he’s starting things again. SL-27 is supposedly undergoing another reconstruction, and experiments are starting again. As much as he wants Jarod back at the Centre, he’s willing to admit that everyone’s favorite LabRat might never be going back. For some reason, the Triumvirate doesn’t like this, but their not replacing him either.”
“Gee thanks Parker. Finally you get it,” the sarcasm rolled off Jarod’s tongue easily.
“Shut up Rat and let me finish for once. With the evidence stacking up that there was simply no way Mr. Parker could have children; I started to wonder who Ben’s father was. There was some evidence that he could be Lyle and Bridgette’s son, but frankly, every time I visited him I looked for either one of those two monsters in him and never saw either in Ben. It was too risky for me to have Broots search for any records on the mainframe, so I asked Angelo to help. He constantly gets into the mainframe and no one notices do it was safer for him than Broots. I also searched my father’s office at his house. It wasn’t hard to get into the safe and sitting right there was a copy of Ben’s medical record. This medical record,” she said, pointing to the file sitting untouched on the table.
“And does it say who the parents of your little brother are?” Margaret asked, feeling only compassion for this young woman.
“It lists two numbers in the place of the genetic parents’ names. ID numbers from the Red Files.”
“A continuation of the Prodigy project?” Jarod asked, trying to control his panic over who was Ben’s father.
“Basically. The idea was to end up with a fully trained Pretender who was completely loyal to the Centre. Raines intended to use family loyalty as well to bind Ben to the Centre. To do what they never quite managed to do with you.”
“So he is a Parker then?” Emily asked.
“Yes. Ben is a Parker,” Parker was now doing all she could to not slump in her chair and burst into tears. She would not cry, not in front of Jarod.
“But are you his mother, or is Lyle his father?” Ethan asked, the voices didn’t tell him everything after all. He was truly just as curious about his sister’s story as the rest of them.
Taking a deep breath and using all the strength she could, Parker lifted her eyes from the table in front of her and as calmly as possible replied, “Lyle isn’t Ben’s father.”
“Congratulations Parker. You seem to make a wonderful mother,” Jarod’s sincerity was evident and his eyes told her that he was obviously happy for her.
“That’s not all though,” her voice was quiet and unsteady, two warning signs Jarod knew too well.
“Who was the other Red File dear?” Margaret didn’t know Parker’s state of mind as well as Jarod did and so she didn’t see how close Parker was to falling apart and also couldn’t tell that Jarod was also terrified of what Parker had to say. But he couldn’t just grab the file and look, as much as he wanted to. He wanted Parker to tell him if Ben was his nephew, or his son.
“Ben’s name, you chose his name for a reason, didn’t you?” he asked, not knowing which of three final outcomes to all this he was truly hoping for.
“Yes, I wanted to use that name for a reason,” Parker began, knowing that only she and Jarod were really in this conversation now.
“And the reason you wanted…”
“Yeah, ummm…..I guess you have some new stuff to think about now Wonderboy….if you think it would…..be best, I can leave. He’s young enough, he won’t remember.”
“No! He’s your son too; you have as much right to be part of his life as……”
“I know. But their searching for me……and him. It would probably be safer for him and…..if I wasn’t here.”
The other four people at the table looked at each other and then back at the two. Never had any of them heard either have this much trouble expressing themselves. Margaret who had found their fighting disconcerting, now found herself more uncomfortable with the fact that her son and that woman seemed to be communicating perfectly without words. She wanted to view this woman as Catherine’s daughter, but she couldn’t. Memories of Boston and Carthis were getting in the way. Fed up with not knowing, Margaret grabbed the file and opened it. “Who is 12-072463-01?” She asked snapping the stumbling pair out of their half-verbal half-silent conversation.
“12-072463-01 is me Mom. It’s my Red File number.” Jarod said quietly, never taking his eyes off of Parker’s.
“Oh dear lord,” was Margaret Russell’s breathless exclamation.
A few hours, and two more heated arguments later, the Russell household was quickly adjusting to having Parker and Ben in their midst. Although the Major, Margaret, and Emily were still wary of Parker, the fact that she had the baby with her and the gentleness she displayed with the baby went a long way towards making the more comfortable. Also, there was the fact that Jarod was so comfortable enough with them to argue or even begin to loosen his complete self-control. It was bizarre to see that he could do these things with someone who was supposed to be the enemy.
After their fourth fight since her arrival the Major chucked, he’d been right on one thing. Parker did challenge Jarod, and certainly forced him to stay on his toes. With Ben playing quietly with a set of block and his puppy, the Major turned his attention back to the kitchen table, where the rest of the family and Parker sat. All waiting for her explanation of why she was here and how she had found them.
Parker sat completely still, with her back ramrod straight. She wasn’t sure what was more terrifying, a T-board, or facing the Russell family.
“Why’d you leave?” Ethan’s voice was calm and collected. He seemed to be trying to lend her the strength to do this.
“With Raines running things now, the Centre’s evil is out in the open. And he’s starting things again. SL-27 is supposedly undergoing another reconstruction, and experiments are starting again. As much as he wants Jarod back at the Centre, he’s willing to admit that everyone’s favorite LabRat might never be going back. For some reason, the Triumvirate doesn’t like this, but their not replacing him either.”
“Gee thanks Parker. Finally you get it,” the sarcasm rolled off Jarod’s tongue easily.
“Shut up Rat and let me finish for once. With the evidence stacking up that there was simply no way Mr. Parker could have children; I started to wonder who Ben’s father was. There was some evidence that he could be Lyle and Bridgette’s son, but frankly, every time I visited him I looked for either one of those two monsters in him and never saw either in Ben. It was too risky for me to have Broots search for any records on the mainframe, so I asked Angelo to help. He constantly gets into the mainframe and no one notices do it was safer for him than Broots. I also searched my father’s office at his house. It wasn’t hard to get into the safe and sitting right there was a copy of Ben’s medical record. This medical record,” she said, pointing to the file sitting untouched on the table.
“And does it say who the parents of your little brother are?” Margaret asked, feeling only compassion for this young woman.
“It lists two numbers in the place of the genetic parents’ names. ID numbers from the Red Files.”
“A continuation of the Prodigy project?” Jarod asked, trying to control his panic over who was Ben’s father.
“Basically. The idea was to end up with a fully trained Pretender who was completely loyal to the Centre. Raines intended to use family loyalty as well to bind Ben to the Centre. To do what they never quite managed to do with you.”
“So he is a Parker then?” Emily asked.
“Yes. Ben is a Parker,” Parker was now doing all she could to not slump in her chair and burst into tears. She would not cry, not in front of Jarod.
“But are you his mother, or is Lyle his father?” Ethan asked, the voices didn’t tell him everything after all. He was truly just as curious about his sister’s story as the rest of them.
Taking a deep breath and using all the strength she could, Parker lifted her eyes from the table in front of her and as calmly as possible replied, “Lyle isn’t Ben’s father.”
“Congratulations Parker. You seem to make a wonderful mother,” Jarod’s sincerity was evident and his eyes told her that he was obviously happy for her.
“That’s not all though,” her voice was quiet and unsteady, two warning signs Jarod knew too well.
“Who was the other Red File dear?” Margaret didn’t know Parker’s state of mind as well as Jarod did and so she didn’t see how close Parker was to falling apart and also couldn’t tell that Jarod was also terrified of what Parker had to say. But he couldn’t just grab the file and look, as much as he wanted to. He wanted Parker to tell him if Ben was his nephew, or his son.
“Ben’s name, you chose his name for a reason, didn’t you?” he asked, not knowing which of three final outcomes to all this he was truly hoping for.
“Yes, I wanted to use that name for a reason,” Parker began, knowing that only she and Jarod were really in this conversation now.
“And the reason you wanted…”
“Yeah, ummm…..I guess you have some new stuff to think about now Wonderboy….if you think it would…..be best, I can leave. He’s young enough, he won’t remember.”
“No! He’s your son too; you have as much right to be part of his life as……”
“I know. But their searching for me……and him. It would probably be safer for him and…..if I wasn’t here.”
The other four people at the table looked at each other and then back at the two. Never had any of them heard either have this much trouble expressing themselves. Margaret who had found their fighting disconcerting, now found herself more uncomfortable with the fact that her son and that woman seemed to be communicating perfectly without words. She wanted to view this woman as Catherine’s daughter, but she couldn’t. Memories of Boston and Carthis were getting in the way. Fed up with not knowing, Margaret grabbed the file and opened it. “Who is 12-072463-01?” She asked snapping the stumbling pair out of their half-verbal half-silent conversation.
“12-072463-01 is me Mom. It’s my Red File number.” Jarod said quietly, never taking his eyes off of Parker’s.
“Oh dear lord,” was Margaret Russell’s breathless exclamation.
