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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Once a Pretender, Always a Pretender
By RaajmdTMP
Part 6
"Do you mean to tell me that you still haven't questioned Mrs. Patten about his disappearance?" Fiona asked, faking surprise. She knew very well they hadn't questioned her. She also knew that she wouldn't be much help.
"No we haven't questioned her yet. We were going today after school."
They were talking at Fiona's locker.
"Well you two go ahead. I need to get home early today," Fiona said.
~*********~
`KNOCK, KNOCK`
The door opened revealing a middle-aged woman.
"Hello. Can I help you?"
"Yes," he paused, looking at the file in his hand. "Frances Patten. We would like to ask you a few questions about your husband. I'm Detective Jarod Pike and this is my partner, Detective Parker," Jarod explained flashing his badge.
"Of course, come right in. You can look around the house if you like."
Mrs. Patten showed them around the house. Jarod looked carefully for anything that might be useful.
"What's in that room?" Parker asked, actually enjoying this.
"Oh, that's just one of the kids' rooms. You won't find anything in there."
"Do you mind if we have a look?"
"Okay, but it's kind of a mess."
Mrs. Patten walked into the other room to get the key. She neglected to tell her visitors the door was locked. Jarod tried the door. It wouldn't budge.
"The door doesn't seem to want to open," Jarod said while pushing it with his shoulder.
"Here, let me help," Parker said.
"Okay, on three. 1, 2, 3!"
Then they both pushed the door at the same time. It flew open as if it had been unlocked. Parker caught herself on the doorframe but Jarod landed on his knees. Parker helped him up.
"I could have unlocked that for you," Mrs. Patten said holding up the key.
"That's all right. No harm done," Jarod said.
"To the door," Parker added. Jarod blushed as he continued to rub his sore knee.
Parker looked around the room. There was a small bed against the left wall and a desk next to it. There was a laptop computer on the desk. The burrow in the corner was covered with stuffed animals. It looked like a normal kid's room. There was one problem, though. All of the Patten children were now adults. None of them lived there anymore. They both brush it off. Maybe it's one of the grandkids' rooms.
"Well, thank you very much for your help and cooperation. We promise you that we are doing all we possibly can to find your husband," Jarod said.
"You're welcome. Anything to get him back faster."
Jarod walked out the bedroom door after Mrs. Patten. Parker looked around the room one more time and something caught her eye. There was a small piece of paper tacked up on a bulletin board. There were ten numbers on it.
12-072463-01
She could have sworn she had seen those numbers before. There was some significance to them. She just couldn't put her finger on it.
'Oh, well. It's probably some winning lottery numbers from a year ago,' she thought.
***
"Dr. Wolfman, where are you taking me?" a very confused twelve-year-old Fiona asked.
"It's okay Fiona, don't worry. You'll be safe where we're going," the doctor explained.
"Refuge?"
"Yes, Fiona, refuge."
Fiona tossed and turned in her bed.
The car screeched to a stop in front of the pond.
"Fiona you have to get out here."
"You're not coming with me?" Fiona asked a little worried and scared.
"No, I can't, I'm sorry. I have to try to come up with an excuse for how you 'ran away'. You'll be safe here. Do you see that building over there?"
"Yes, but…" she said looking at the school.
"No, listen… You have to go there. The door in the back will be open. Go up to the third floor, room 312. In the morning the teacher, Richard Patten, will come in. He'll be expecting you."
"What is he going to do?"
"He's going to take care of you. He'll let you do what other kids do."
"What do other kids do?"
"You'll find out soon enough," she said with a smile. "You better get going. Here are a few things you'll need," she handed Fiona a backpack. "And here," she gave her a piece of paper.
"12-072463-01, what does it mean?"
"I don't know. All I know is that it's part of your past."
"My past?"
"Yes. Now go, and remember, never stop searching for your past."
"I won't and I'll never forget you, Dr. Wolfman."
Fiona gave her a quick hug and ran through the woods to the school. After she left her sight, Dr. Wolfman drove back to try to cover up what happened.
Fiona woke up with a start. She was sick and tired of reliving that. It was the past and it should stay that way. Right now she was too worried about the present.
She looked at the clock. 2:00am She still had a good two and a half hours of sleep left. Fiona heard the vacuum turn on for what seemed to be the thousandth time this week. She moaned and pulled her pillow over her head.
***
Stanton Junior High
Room 315
8:30am
Fiona sat at her normal seat in science. Mr. Holden was feeding the turtles frozen fish when Mr. Brow came over the loudspeaker like he did every day.
"All teachers, at the next bell, please bring your class down to the auditorium."
The kids looked at each other, confused. The last time they were called down unexpectedly it was because someone died. The bell rang and Fiona was the first to the door. With a shaky hand she opened it. Once she realized she was shaking she did everything in her power to calm down. She stepped to the side and let some of the class pass her while she relaxed. When she started walking again she heard some of the kids joking about what the assembly was for.
"Hey, at least we miss some class time."
"I wonder why."
"Mr. Patten probably died," a kid named Nick said. He instantly regretted it when Fiona slammed him against the wall.
Jarod, whose class had been following, literally had to pull her off of him. She was stronger than he thought. She realized what she did and felt embarrassed she hadn't been able to control her temper.
"I'm sorry Nick. I didn't mean to do that. I really lost my temper. I'm just not having a good day."
"It's okay. No harm done. I should have known better. I know your whole deal with Mr. Patten. I'm sorry. He'll be fine."
"I know he will. Thanks."
"Miss O'Leary, Miss Parker and I want to talk to you about something," Jarod interrupted.
"Yeah, okay but I want to see what the assembly is for."
"It won't take long."
***
Stanton Junior High
Room 312
9:00am
"What did he mean about 'your whole deal' with Mr. Patten?"
"If you haven't checked my record in school yet, then I'm not going to tell you."
"I would have to have a computer to do that, wouldn't I?" Parker stated more than asked.
"You're welcome to use my computer," Fiona said wanting the truth to come out. She had to tell someone. She just couldn't say the words. She couldn't explain it, but somehow it seemed as though they would understand.
"You wouldn't happen to have it with you, would you?" Jarod asked.
"Sure, she carries a computer everywhere with her," Parker said sarcastically.
"Actually, I do," Fiona said unzipping her backpack and taking out a laptop.
"I wasn't serious," Parker said surprised.
"I was," she paused starring at Miss Parker. She shook herself out of it, "Here Jarod."
He opened the laptop and plugged it into the phone jack. He typed quickly with Parker looking over his shoulder.
"Here it is."
"I wonder what's so…oh!" Parker said while reading the file.
STUDENT #: 190
NAME: FIONA O'LEARY
BORN: 10/03/87
GRADE: 7 TEAM: C
PARENT/LEGAL GUARDIAN: RICHARD F. PATTEN
ADDRESS: 60 HERRICK CT
BLUE COVE, DE
19703
"Mr. Patten is your legal guardian?"
"Yeah, he took me in when my parents died," she lied. "I didn't have any family."
"When were you planning on telling us that?"
"I don't know. I just didn't think it would make a difference."
"Oh, yeah right. You are trying to find Mr. Patten and from what this says you have a very good reason to. We seem to be your only real hope of finding him and you just happen to leave out what is most likely the biggest piece of information we could possibly have."
"You would, too, if you were in my place!" She was starting to get upset.
"Why?"
"Because I don't want to go back!" she yelled.
They looked at her, stunned.
"Go back where?" they asked at the same time.
"You wouldn't understand."
"Believe me, we'll understand."
Fiona looked at their eyes. She knew she could trust them. It was what you would call a 'gut feeling.' She sighed.
"I grew up in facility that took care of children."
"An orphanage?"
"No, not an orphanage, somewhere that I wouldn't wish my worst enemies to be sent. I didn't realize then what I had been missing, but it wasn't as if I had a choice in the matter. I lived there all my life. I never knew anything else.
There were no windows, no doors. There was no light, no hope. They had eyes in every ceiling, every wall. They never blinked. Now I realize how special it is to just be able to sit on a park bench and the autumn leaves. Those simple things people take for granted I had never experienced. I didn't know what normal life was. I didn't know mine wasn't," she stopped when she looked at their faces.
Fiona had described the Centre exactly. What Jarod thought was even weirder was the fact that she had used the exact words he used to explain it to Dr. Goetz. Parker recovered first.
"This facility that you are talking about, they didn't happen to have an interest in your intelligence, did they?"
Fiona looked at her with her right eyebrow raised.
"Yeah, how'd you know?"
"I don't think you'd be too happy if you knew the reason," Parker said.
Her eyes widened, "You work for them! This is just a trick to get me back!"
She started to run for the door. Jarod grabbed her.
"Let me go!" she yelled.
"No, not until you hear my story!"
Miss Parker took Jarod's DSA case from under his desk. She opened it up and scanned through them. She turned it on and slid a disc into the slot.
"Jarod it is your job, it is your duty to save your crew!"
"Wait a minute! I can use the gravitational pull of the moon to get us back!"
"They're trying to hurt her!"
`BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG`
Parker flinched at each shot.
"Keep her back, keep her back!"
"Mamma!"
The screen faded to black. Fiona's jaw dropped. She looked back and forth between the two. She was speechless.
"You…you were both at the Centre. You grew up there, both of you. You grew up together. Then Jarod escaped. You were forced to bring him back, dead or alive."
"You got all of that from one DSA?" Parker asked.
"It's not like I've never done a Sim before," she paused. "But I still can't figure out why you're working together."
"I'm on vacation. Let's leave it at that."
"How did you escape, Fiona?" Jarod asked.
"I had help."
"From who?"
"Let's just say it was my 'Sydney.'
TBC
By RaajmdTMP
Part 6
"Do you mean to tell me that you still haven't questioned Mrs. Patten about his disappearance?" Fiona asked, faking surprise. She knew very well they hadn't questioned her. She also knew that she wouldn't be much help.
"No we haven't questioned her yet. We were going today after school."
They were talking at Fiona's locker.
"Well you two go ahead. I need to get home early today," Fiona said.
~*********~
`KNOCK, KNOCK`
The door opened revealing a middle-aged woman.
"Hello. Can I help you?"
"Yes," he paused, looking at the file in his hand. "Frances Patten. We would like to ask you a few questions about your husband. I'm Detective Jarod Pike and this is my partner, Detective Parker," Jarod explained flashing his badge.
"Of course, come right in. You can look around the house if you like."
Mrs. Patten showed them around the house. Jarod looked carefully for anything that might be useful.
"What's in that room?" Parker asked, actually enjoying this.
"Oh, that's just one of the kids' rooms. You won't find anything in there."
"Do you mind if we have a look?"
"Okay, but it's kind of a mess."
Mrs. Patten walked into the other room to get the key. She neglected to tell her visitors the door was locked. Jarod tried the door. It wouldn't budge.
"The door doesn't seem to want to open," Jarod said while pushing it with his shoulder.
"Here, let me help," Parker said.
"Okay, on three. 1, 2, 3!"
Then they both pushed the door at the same time. It flew open as if it had been unlocked. Parker caught herself on the doorframe but Jarod landed on his knees. Parker helped him up.
"I could have unlocked that for you," Mrs. Patten said holding up the key.
"That's all right. No harm done," Jarod said.
"To the door," Parker added. Jarod blushed as he continued to rub his sore knee.
Parker looked around the room. There was a small bed against the left wall and a desk next to it. There was a laptop computer on the desk. The burrow in the corner was covered with stuffed animals. It looked like a normal kid's room. There was one problem, though. All of the Patten children were now adults. None of them lived there anymore. They both brush it off. Maybe it's one of the grandkids' rooms.
"Well, thank you very much for your help and cooperation. We promise you that we are doing all we possibly can to find your husband," Jarod said.
"You're welcome. Anything to get him back faster."
Jarod walked out the bedroom door after Mrs. Patten. Parker looked around the room one more time and something caught her eye. There was a small piece of paper tacked up on a bulletin board. There were ten numbers on it.
12-072463-01
She could have sworn she had seen those numbers before. There was some significance to them. She just couldn't put her finger on it.
'Oh, well. It's probably some winning lottery numbers from a year ago,' she thought.
***
"Dr. Wolfman, where are you taking me?" a very confused twelve-year-old Fiona asked.
"It's okay Fiona, don't worry. You'll be safe where we're going," the doctor explained.
"Refuge?"
"Yes, Fiona, refuge."
Fiona tossed and turned in her bed.
The car screeched to a stop in front of the pond.
"Fiona you have to get out here."
"You're not coming with me?" Fiona asked a little worried and scared.
"No, I can't, I'm sorry. I have to try to come up with an excuse for how you 'ran away'. You'll be safe here. Do you see that building over there?"
"Yes, but…" she said looking at the school.
"No, listen… You have to go there. The door in the back will be open. Go up to the third floor, room 312. In the morning the teacher, Richard Patten, will come in. He'll be expecting you."
"What is he going to do?"
"He's going to take care of you. He'll let you do what other kids do."
"What do other kids do?"
"You'll find out soon enough," she said with a smile. "You better get going. Here are a few things you'll need," she handed Fiona a backpack. "And here," she gave her a piece of paper.
"12-072463-01, what does it mean?"
"I don't know. All I know is that it's part of your past."
"My past?"
"Yes. Now go, and remember, never stop searching for your past."
"I won't and I'll never forget you, Dr. Wolfman."
Fiona gave her a quick hug and ran through the woods to the school. After she left her sight, Dr. Wolfman drove back to try to cover up what happened.
Fiona woke up with a start. She was sick and tired of reliving that. It was the past and it should stay that way. Right now she was too worried about the present.
She looked at the clock. 2:00am She still had a good two and a half hours of sleep left. Fiona heard the vacuum turn on for what seemed to be the thousandth time this week. She moaned and pulled her pillow over her head.
***
Stanton Junior High
Room 315
8:30am
Fiona sat at her normal seat in science. Mr. Holden was feeding the turtles frozen fish when Mr. Brow came over the loudspeaker like he did every day.
"All teachers, at the next bell, please bring your class down to the auditorium."
The kids looked at each other, confused. The last time they were called down unexpectedly it was because someone died. The bell rang and Fiona was the first to the door. With a shaky hand she opened it. Once she realized she was shaking she did everything in her power to calm down. She stepped to the side and let some of the class pass her while she relaxed. When she started walking again she heard some of the kids joking about what the assembly was for.
"Hey, at least we miss some class time."
"I wonder why."
"Mr. Patten probably died," a kid named Nick said. He instantly regretted it when Fiona slammed him against the wall.
Jarod, whose class had been following, literally had to pull her off of him. She was stronger than he thought. She realized what she did and felt embarrassed she hadn't been able to control her temper.
"I'm sorry Nick. I didn't mean to do that. I really lost my temper. I'm just not having a good day."
"It's okay. No harm done. I should have known better. I know your whole deal with Mr. Patten. I'm sorry. He'll be fine."
"I know he will. Thanks."
"Miss O'Leary, Miss Parker and I want to talk to you about something," Jarod interrupted.
"Yeah, okay but I want to see what the assembly is for."
"It won't take long."
***
Stanton Junior High
Room 312
9:00am
"What did he mean about 'your whole deal' with Mr. Patten?"
"If you haven't checked my record in school yet, then I'm not going to tell you."
"I would have to have a computer to do that, wouldn't I?" Parker stated more than asked.
"You're welcome to use my computer," Fiona said wanting the truth to come out. She had to tell someone. She just couldn't say the words. She couldn't explain it, but somehow it seemed as though they would understand.
"You wouldn't happen to have it with you, would you?" Jarod asked.
"Sure, she carries a computer everywhere with her," Parker said sarcastically.
"Actually, I do," Fiona said unzipping her backpack and taking out a laptop.
"I wasn't serious," Parker said surprised.
"I was," she paused starring at Miss Parker. She shook herself out of it, "Here Jarod."
He opened the laptop and plugged it into the phone jack. He typed quickly with Parker looking over his shoulder.
"Here it is."
"I wonder what's so…oh!" Parker said while reading the file.
STUDENT #: 190
NAME: FIONA O'LEARY
BORN: 10/03/87
GRADE: 7 TEAM: C
PARENT/LEGAL GUARDIAN: RICHARD F. PATTEN
ADDRESS: 60 HERRICK CT
BLUE COVE, DE
19703
"Mr. Patten is your legal guardian?"
"Yeah, he took me in when my parents died," she lied. "I didn't have any family."
"When were you planning on telling us that?"
"I don't know. I just didn't think it would make a difference."
"Oh, yeah right. You are trying to find Mr. Patten and from what this says you have a very good reason to. We seem to be your only real hope of finding him and you just happen to leave out what is most likely the biggest piece of information we could possibly have."
"You would, too, if you were in my place!" She was starting to get upset.
"Why?"
"Because I don't want to go back!" she yelled.
They looked at her, stunned.
"Go back where?" they asked at the same time.
"You wouldn't understand."
"Believe me, we'll understand."
Fiona looked at their eyes. She knew she could trust them. It was what you would call a 'gut feeling.' She sighed.
"I grew up in facility that took care of children."
"An orphanage?"
"No, not an orphanage, somewhere that I wouldn't wish my worst enemies to be sent. I didn't realize then what I had been missing, but it wasn't as if I had a choice in the matter. I lived there all my life. I never knew anything else.
There were no windows, no doors. There was no light, no hope. They had eyes in every ceiling, every wall. They never blinked. Now I realize how special it is to just be able to sit on a park bench and the autumn leaves. Those simple things people take for granted I had never experienced. I didn't know what normal life was. I didn't know mine wasn't," she stopped when she looked at their faces.
Fiona had described the Centre exactly. What Jarod thought was even weirder was the fact that she had used the exact words he used to explain it to Dr. Goetz. Parker recovered first.
"This facility that you are talking about, they didn't happen to have an interest in your intelligence, did they?"
Fiona looked at her with her right eyebrow raised.
"Yeah, how'd you know?"
"I don't think you'd be too happy if you knew the reason," Parker said.
Her eyes widened, "You work for them! This is just a trick to get me back!"
She started to run for the door. Jarod grabbed her.
"Let me go!" she yelled.
"No, not until you hear my story!"
Miss Parker took Jarod's DSA case from under his desk. She opened it up and scanned through them. She turned it on and slid a disc into the slot.
"Jarod it is your job, it is your duty to save your crew!"
"Wait a minute! I can use the gravitational pull of the moon to get us back!"
"They're trying to hurt her!"
`BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG`
Parker flinched at each shot.
"Keep her back, keep her back!"
"Mamma!"
The screen faded to black. Fiona's jaw dropped. She looked back and forth between the two. She was speechless.
"You…you were both at the Centre. You grew up there, both of you. You grew up together. Then Jarod escaped. You were forced to bring him back, dead or alive."
"You got all of that from one DSA?" Parker asked.
"It's not like I've never done a Sim before," she paused. "But I still can't figure out why you're working together."
"I'm on vacation. Let's leave it at that."
"How did you escape, Fiona?" Jarod asked.
"I had help."
"From who?"
"Let's just say it was my 'Sydney.'
TBC
