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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
In a Heartbeat
By RaajmdTMP
Part 3
Lyle knocked on the door. This wasn't something he was used to, helping people. He couldn't really explain why he felt he should do this. After all he'd seen and done there was still part of him that cared and it surprised him, almost scared him.
He didn't know why he thought Parker was here. It was a feeling in the pit of his stomach that made him turn down this street. When he saw a car in front of this house he knew it was the right place, even though it wasn't her car. He also thought he knew whose car it was, but this time he didn't care who she was with. This was one time he wasn't going to ruin his sister's happiness, he was going to try to make her more happy.
After what seemed like forever the door opened. The person who opened it was in her mid fifties.
"Excuse me, ma'am. I was wondering if you had seen this woman," he said pulling a picture from his pocket with his good hand.
"Yes, she has," Parker said stepping into view; she didn't want to test him. "What are you doing here, Lyle?"
"Parker, this is hard for me. I never did anything like this before, so bear with me."
"What are you talking about?" she asked harshly.
"Just come with me." He started walking towards his car. "You probably don't know about what I'm about to tell you. Once you've heard it you'll want to go and tear the Centre down brick by brick with your bare hands."
"What are you getting at, Lyle?"
"I know this is strange coming from me, but I found out about something today that I thought you should know. You have a daughter."
"I know."
He looked a little startled to hear that she knew already.
'I can't believe that place is still standing.'
"That's not all, Parker. Come here," he pulled her to his car.
"What…?"
He pulled the door open revealing a small boy in a car seat.
"Lyle, what does Christian have to do with this?"
"Everything, Parker. He's…he's your son."
The color drained from her face.
"My son? Lyle why… what made you do this, rescue him?"
"I don't know. It feels right. I'm not used to these kinds of feelings, any feelings for that matter. I think I owe you at least this much. And him. He deserves to be with his parents, I didn't get that chance. Who knows who I'd be today if I had?"
"His parents?"
"Don't play dumb, Parker. If you knew about your daughter already, I can only think of one person who could have told you."
She started to look a little worried.
"I won't tell anyone, don't worry. You're free. You can just disappear. We'll never find you. No breadcrumbs, no clues, just go and don't look back. There is something else you should know, though."
"What else could there possibly be?"
"I confronted Mr. Parker about this. He threatened, that if you ever found out, something bad would happen to the 'information.'"
"He threatened you and you still had the guts to go through with this? Thank you, Lyle. You risked your life for my family and me. You have more Mom in you than I gave you credit for."
"You don't have to thank me, I don't deserve it. At least not yet."
He set the car seat on the ground next to a shocked Miss Parker and left without a look back. She stood there for a while thinking about what just happened. Christian, she helped bring him into the world and now, over a year later, she finds out he's her son. What was Jarod going to say?
"Honey, are you okay?"
She turned around to see Jarod coming over to her. She hugged him tightly.
"Two children, Jarod. We have two children and we didn't even know it. We've missed so much of their lives," she cried.
"But we won't miss another minute, I promise you. Everything's going to be okay."
Ell Pond
Blue Cove, DE
May 18, 2001
Sydney sat on a park bench contemplating the events of the past couple of days. Jarod had contacted him a few hours after he and Parker sent the e-mail to Broots. He had told Syd to be on the bench in the park at this time so he could give him some information on where it was safe to be. But there had been no sign of Jarod at all.
"Nice weather we've been having."
Sydney jumped up and turned around at the sound of the voice. He expected to see Miss Parker standing behind him, but he found himself looking at a younger version of her. A younger version with brown eyes.
After overcoming the initial shock of seeing her, he suddenly realized who she was.
"You must be Fiona," he almost asked.
"Nice to meet you, Sydney," she said as she walked closer to him. She held out her hand and he shook it. He looked at her amazed.
"You look just like your mother."
"And she looks like her mother. I know, over the past two days we've gotten really close."
"I'm sorry you didn't have the last thirteen years together."
"You did what you could for our family. All that matters is that we're together now."
"I should have tried harder."
"No, Sydney. If you tried to do any more, you would have been killed. I don't think my father would have lasted a year in that place without you."
"He's strong. He would have made it."
"You were his strength, you and my mother."
"I'm glad Miss Parker is finally following her heart. She and your father were such good friends growing up. If only they hadn't tried to hide it they might have found happiness sooner."
"They didn't hide it too well. You could tell by the way they acted around each other."
"I know, I've seen it, too."
"I'm sorry my parents couldn't be here. They wanted to, but they would have been recognized too easily should anyone be watching. The Centre isn't looking for me, so I was safe. Here's the information you need for your new life," she said as she pulled an envelope from her backpack.
"Thank you."
"That should be all you'll ever need. Contact us if you ever need anything else. Now, if you'll excuse me, someone is expecting me."
She was gone when he turned around.
'Like father, like daughter,' he thought.
Bus Stop
Main Street
Blue Cove, DE
"I told you that we might have to leave quickly sometime. I hope you'll be okay with this."
"I'll be fine, Dad. I know that the Centre isn't a good place. To tell you the truth, I've been hoping you'd leave for a while, now. I'll talk to my friends over the Internet," she explained.
"I'm glad you understand, Debbie. The bus stop's right over here, come on."
"Why are we going to the bus stop?"
"I'm supposed to meet someone here, but with all these kids I can't see anything," Broots said while trying to look through the crowd. "She said she'd be on the bench, but I can't even see that."
"I see someone, come on," Debbie said as she pulled her father through the crowd.
"Oh, that's not her, Debbie. I was supposed to meet Miss Parker."
"She's the only one on the bench. Maybe you should ask her if she's seen Miss Parker."
"It's worth a shot." They walked up behind the girl on the bench.
"Excuse me, have you seen a tall- Miss Powers!?" he asked when she turned around.
"Not today, Mr. Broots. Today, I'm just Fiona, but I am the one you're looking for. Have a seat, both of you."
"Where is Miss Parker?"
"At home with Christian and Jarod."
"Christian is with you guys?"
"He's my brother."
"Oh, but that means Lyle…"
"Very confusing, I know."
"I'll never understand all that happened over the past week."
"Here's the information you needed."
"Thank you, Fiona."
"You're welcome. I'll be looking forward to getting to know you and your daughter better when things settle down a little. I have to go meet my family."
"Bye, Fiona. Thanks again."
"Don't mention it. Oh, and by the way, I'll be sure to keep the blender hidden when you're around."
"What?" he asked but she was already gone.
"Who was that, Dad?"
"That… was Miss Parker's daughter."
"Miss Parker has a daughter?"
"Yeah, it surprised her, too."
"That doesn't make any sense."
"I'll explain later."
Miss Parker's House
Blue Cove, DE
"Parker, we have to get a move on if we're going to make our flight."
"I'll be right there, I'm almost ready."
"Dad, we have 30 minutes to get on the plane!"
"You here that, Parker?"
"Yes, I did," she said from behind him. "Since you're so anxious to leave, you can carry my bags." She shoved her suitcases into his hands.
"Mom, Christian won't stop crying."
"Let me hold him," she said taking the little boy. "It's okay, baby. Mommy's here." He stopped crying almost immediately.
"Looks like he needed his mother," Jarod said kissing her on the cheek. "Let's go, we're all packed," he whispered.
They walked out the back door so they wouldn't attract undue attention. Jarod buckled his son into the backseat of his SUV.
"Jarod, you and Fi should both sit in the back with the tinted windows. It would be safer for me to be seen around here."
"Do you already have a house picked out?" Fiona asked once they were on the road.
"Yes, but it's only temporary. We're just staying there to test the waters, so to speak. If the Centre tracks us there we'll be able to leave quickly."
"Where is it?"
"It's in Melrose, Massachusetts. It's a green house on the corner of Albion and Day Street. I rented it about a month ago to serve as a hide out. I never dreamed I would be bringing my family there, though."
"Jarod, we're almost at the airport. Where should I park this?"
"Park wherever you want, as long as there are a lot of other cars. We don't want to stand out."
Logan Airport
Boston, MA
Later That Day
"At least we know where luggage pickup is now," Fiona said as they walked through the building.
"I have to admit, I wasn't doing my best planning in that Pretend. Normally I know those things."
"Well, you never had people tagging along with you before either."
"It was fun, wasn't it?"
"What?"
"Working together."
"Yeah. Maybe we'll be able to again soon."
Corner of Albion and Day
Melrose, MA
That Night
"It's nice, but it could use a little work," Parker said, referring to the house.
"I wonder who had the house before us. One of the upstairs bedrooms is green with leaves painted near the ceiling."
"It was supposedly rented by a family for 15 years. That was the kids' room."
"Jarod, shouldn't we discuss what we should do if we see any sweepers hanging around here?"
"Well, our top priority is to blend in. Fiona will start school on Monday. We can't tell anyone where we came from because we don't know whom to trust. Remember that, Fi, on Monday. No matter how interested your teachers or classmates seemed to be, you can't tell them anything but what I tell you. We will be going under the name Mason for as long as we stay here.
I talked to some of the teachers today when we got in. I am happy to tell you there is one I know you can trust," Jarod explained.
"Who?"
"You'll know when you see her," Parker answered. Jarod had told her what he found out not long before.
"Fiona and Parker, listen carefully. There are many different areas, in this neighborhood alone, for you to hide if you should have to. We have to keep in contact no matter where we are," he handed them both cell phones. "These are secure. Fiona, to really blend in, you can go places with kids you meet at school, but try to keep your eyes open. It's unlikely that the Centre can find us, but on the off chance they do, you have to be ready. Try to learn the area over the weekend."
Christian's cries could be heard over the baby monitor.
"Excuse me," Parker said while getting up.
"Let me get him, honey. You need to get some rest. It's going to be a long week."
By RaajmdTMP
Part 3
Lyle knocked on the door. This wasn't something he was used to, helping people. He couldn't really explain why he felt he should do this. After all he'd seen and done there was still part of him that cared and it surprised him, almost scared him.
He didn't know why he thought Parker was here. It was a feeling in the pit of his stomach that made him turn down this street. When he saw a car in front of this house he knew it was the right place, even though it wasn't her car. He also thought he knew whose car it was, but this time he didn't care who she was with. This was one time he wasn't going to ruin his sister's happiness, he was going to try to make her more happy.
After what seemed like forever the door opened. The person who opened it was in her mid fifties.
"Excuse me, ma'am. I was wondering if you had seen this woman," he said pulling a picture from his pocket with his good hand.
"Yes, she has," Parker said stepping into view; she didn't want to test him. "What are you doing here, Lyle?"
"Parker, this is hard for me. I never did anything like this before, so bear with me."
"What are you talking about?" she asked harshly.
"Just come with me." He started walking towards his car. "You probably don't know about what I'm about to tell you. Once you've heard it you'll want to go and tear the Centre down brick by brick with your bare hands."
"What are you getting at, Lyle?"
"I know this is strange coming from me, but I found out about something today that I thought you should know. You have a daughter."
"I know."
He looked a little startled to hear that she knew already.
'I can't believe that place is still standing.'
"That's not all, Parker. Come here," he pulled her to his car.
"What…?"
He pulled the door open revealing a small boy in a car seat.
"Lyle, what does Christian have to do with this?"
"Everything, Parker. He's…he's your son."
The color drained from her face.
"My son? Lyle why… what made you do this, rescue him?"
"I don't know. It feels right. I'm not used to these kinds of feelings, any feelings for that matter. I think I owe you at least this much. And him. He deserves to be with his parents, I didn't get that chance. Who knows who I'd be today if I had?"
"His parents?"
"Don't play dumb, Parker. If you knew about your daughter already, I can only think of one person who could have told you."
She started to look a little worried.
"I won't tell anyone, don't worry. You're free. You can just disappear. We'll never find you. No breadcrumbs, no clues, just go and don't look back. There is something else you should know, though."
"What else could there possibly be?"
"I confronted Mr. Parker about this. He threatened, that if you ever found out, something bad would happen to the 'information.'"
"He threatened you and you still had the guts to go through with this? Thank you, Lyle. You risked your life for my family and me. You have more Mom in you than I gave you credit for."
"You don't have to thank me, I don't deserve it. At least not yet."
He set the car seat on the ground next to a shocked Miss Parker and left without a look back. She stood there for a while thinking about what just happened. Christian, she helped bring him into the world and now, over a year later, she finds out he's her son. What was Jarod going to say?
"Honey, are you okay?"
She turned around to see Jarod coming over to her. She hugged him tightly.
"Two children, Jarod. We have two children and we didn't even know it. We've missed so much of their lives," she cried.
"But we won't miss another minute, I promise you. Everything's going to be okay."
Ell Pond
Blue Cove, DE
May 18, 2001
Sydney sat on a park bench contemplating the events of the past couple of days. Jarod had contacted him a few hours after he and Parker sent the e-mail to Broots. He had told Syd to be on the bench in the park at this time so he could give him some information on where it was safe to be. But there had been no sign of Jarod at all.
"Nice weather we've been having."
Sydney jumped up and turned around at the sound of the voice. He expected to see Miss Parker standing behind him, but he found himself looking at a younger version of her. A younger version with brown eyes.
After overcoming the initial shock of seeing her, he suddenly realized who she was.
"You must be Fiona," he almost asked.
"Nice to meet you, Sydney," she said as she walked closer to him. She held out her hand and he shook it. He looked at her amazed.
"You look just like your mother."
"And she looks like her mother. I know, over the past two days we've gotten really close."
"I'm sorry you didn't have the last thirteen years together."
"You did what you could for our family. All that matters is that we're together now."
"I should have tried harder."
"No, Sydney. If you tried to do any more, you would have been killed. I don't think my father would have lasted a year in that place without you."
"He's strong. He would have made it."
"You were his strength, you and my mother."
"I'm glad Miss Parker is finally following her heart. She and your father were such good friends growing up. If only they hadn't tried to hide it they might have found happiness sooner."
"They didn't hide it too well. You could tell by the way they acted around each other."
"I know, I've seen it, too."
"I'm sorry my parents couldn't be here. They wanted to, but they would have been recognized too easily should anyone be watching. The Centre isn't looking for me, so I was safe. Here's the information you need for your new life," she said as she pulled an envelope from her backpack.
"Thank you."
"That should be all you'll ever need. Contact us if you ever need anything else. Now, if you'll excuse me, someone is expecting me."
She was gone when he turned around.
'Like father, like daughter,' he thought.
Bus Stop
Main Street
Blue Cove, DE
"I told you that we might have to leave quickly sometime. I hope you'll be okay with this."
"I'll be fine, Dad. I know that the Centre isn't a good place. To tell you the truth, I've been hoping you'd leave for a while, now. I'll talk to my friends over the Internet," she explained.
"I'm glad you understand, Debbie. The bus stop's right over here, come on."
"Why are we going to the bus stop?"
"I'm supposed to meet someone here, but with all these kids I can't see anything," Broots said while trying to look through the crowd. "She said she'd be on the bench, but I can't even see that."
"I see someone, come on," Debbie said as she pulled her father through the crowd.
"Oh, that's not her, Debbie. I was supposed to meet Miss Parker."
"She's the only one on the bench. Maybe you should ask her if she's seen Miss Parker."
"It's worth a shot." They walked up behind the girl on the bench.
"Excuse me, have you seen a tall- Miss Powers!?" he asked when she turned around.
"Not today, Mr. Broots. Today, I'm just Fiona, but I am the one you're looking for. Have a seat, both of you."
"Where is Miss Parker?"
"At home with Christian and Jarod."
"Christian is with you guys?"
"He's my brother."
"Oh, but that means Lyle…"
"Very confusing, I know."
"I'll never understand all that happened over the past week."
"Here's the information you needed."
"Thank you, Fiona."
"You're welcome. I'll be looking forward to getting to know you and your daughter better when things settle down a little. I have to go meet my family."
"Bye, Fiona. Thanks again."
"Don't mention it. Oh, and by the way, I'll be sure to keep the blender hidden when you're around."
"What?" he asked but she was already gone.
"Who was that, Dad?"
"That… was Miss Parker's daughter."
"Miss Parker has a daughter?"
"Yeah, it surprised her, too."
"That doesn't make any sense."
"I'll explain later."
Miss Parker's House
Blue Cove, DE
"Parker, we have to get a move on if we're going to make our flight."
"I'll be right there, I'm almost ready."
"Dad, we have 30 minutes to get on the plane!"
"You here that, Parker?"
"Yes, I did," she said from behind him. "Since you're so anxious to leave, you can carry my bags." She shoved her suitcases into his hands.
"Mom, Christian won't stop crying."
"Let me hold him," she said taking the little boy. "It's okay, baby. Mommy's here." He stopped crying almost immediately.
"Looks like he needed his mother," Jarod said kissing her on the cheek. "Let's go, we're all packed," he whispered.
They walked out the back door so they wouldn't attract undue attention. Jarod buckled his son into the backseat of his SUV.
"Jarod, you and Fi should both sit in the back with the tinted windows. It would be safer for me to be seen around here."
"Do you already have a house picked out?" Fiona asked once they were on the road.
"Yes, but it's only temporary. We're just staying there to test the waters, so to speak. If the Centre tracks us there we'll be able to leave quickly."
"Where is it?"
"It's in Melrose, Massachusetts. It's a green house on the corner of Albion and Day Street. I rented it about a month ago to serve as a hide out. I never dreamed I would be bringing my family there, though."
"Jarod, we're almost at the airport. Where should I park this?"
"Park wherever you want, as long as there are a lot of other cars. We don't want to stand out."
Logan Airport
Boston, MA
Later That Day
"At least we know where luggage pickup is now," Fiona said as they walked through the building.
"I have to admit, I wasn't doing my best planning in that Pretend. Normally I know those things."
"Well, you never had people tagging along with you before either."
"It was fun, wasn't it?"
"What?"
"Working together."
"Yeah. Maybe we'll be able to again soon."
Corner of Albion and Day
Melrose, MA
That Night
"It's nice, but it could use a little work," Parker said, referring to the house.
"I wonder who had the house before us. One of the upstairs bedrooms is green with leaves painted near the ceiling."
"It was supposedly rented by a family for 15 years. That was the kids' room."
"Jarod, shouldn't we discuss what we should do if we see any sweepers hanging around here?"
"Well, our top priority is to blend in. Fiona will start school on Monday. We can't tell anyone where we came from because we don't know whom to trust. Remember that, Fi, on Monday. No matter how interested your teachers or classmates seemed to be, you can't tell them anything but what I tell you. We will be going under the name Mason for as long as we stay here.
I talked to some of the teachers today when we got in. I am happy to tell you there is one I know you can trust," Jarod explained.
"Who?"
"You'll know when you see her," Parker answered. Jarod had told her what he found out not long before.
"Fiona and Parker, listen carefully. There are many different areas, in this neighborhood alone, for you to hide if you should have to. We have to keep in contact no matter where we are," he handed them both cell phones. "These are secure. Fiona, to really blend in, you can go places with kids you meet at school, but try to keep your eyes open. It's unlikely that the Centre can find us, but on the off chance they do, you have to be ready. Try to learn the area over the weekend."
Christian's cries could be heard over the baby monitor.
"Excuse me," Parker said while getting up.
"Let me get him, honey. You need to get some rest. It's going to be a long week."
