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Disclaimer: The characters Miss Parker, Sydney, Jarod, Broots etc. and the fictional Centre, are all property of MTM and NBC Productions and used without permission. I'm not making any money out of this and no infringement is intended.
Kahtie looked down at the boy who firmly held her hand and led her away from the Falls towards one of the areas with small cabins.
Her memories were coming back with such a force she felt like her head would explode. Details of her life. Small things, voices, images, smells, everything; forming a picture of a past she thought she had lost forever.
Raines, he had really done it. That damn bastard! Gemini. God what had happened during all those years? What else had he done?
Her thoughts came back to her daughter. Her baby was alive. She was a grown woman now and would be a mother herself soon. This thought nearly made her stop. JJ had only mentioned it briefly, and from what he hadn’t told her, namely anything about a husband, it seemed that her Angel was alone. Who was the father? She cringed inwardly; she wasn’t sure if she wanted to know the answer. Not knowing she had grown up at the Centre; under the care of the unfeeling monster she had once loved enough to marry…
The boy, the image of young Jarod, had said that Jarod had freed him. But what that would mean that Jarod was out! How long? How? Her head started to spin from an overload of unanswered questions.
‘First things first,’ she told herself firmly. "My daughter needs me now. JJ said she wouldn’t stop crying; the she was devastated because she had shot Lyle. And Lyle was----her brother? How did her Angel get a brother? That unfeeling bastard she had married had to have known she wasn’t dead----would he have remarried anyway?’
Her confusion grew with every passing second.
****
"Mrs. Jamison!" Jarod snarled. "A stroke of genius! If Sam thinks this will keep her safe he’s more of a gorilla than I’d thought. And to top it all off, he told the doctor that they are heading to Niagara Falls. Why didn’t he just take out an ad in the paper?"
"Jarod, calm down." The Major laughed. "I have a feeling you aren’t angry because of Sam’s actions----you’re just mad because it’s Sam with her and not you." He added astutely.
Jarod gripped the steering wheel harder and clenched his teeth so tightly that they hurt. His father was right, damn it! It wouldn’t have mattered what Sam had done, he would have been furious anyway. And it wasn’t so much that Sam was there and he wasn’t, though that rankled too, it was just… Why of all people did it have to be *Sam*? His most recent "stay" at the Centre hadn’t exactly left them the best of friends, to say the least.
And what the hell did he think he was doing anyway? Out of the blue he just decides it’s time to play the hero? Why? Why Parker, why now? This was the question that constantly jabbed at his heart and mind. He tried to convince himself that Sam had done it because it was his job, but he knew better. If Sam had been doing his job he would have dragged her back to the Centre by her glorious auburn hair, not taken her to a cozy cabin in Niagara.
Well, Sam had better not be getting wrong ideas. If he thought he and Parker could play house and pretend that Jarod didn’t exist… Jarod stepped harder on the accelerator and glared at the road. He missed his father’s amused smile and resigned shake of the head.
****
"Syd, I’m glad you’re finally here." Broots said with a nervous smile. He looked apprehensively up and down the quiet street in front of his house and then opened his door wider to let the older man in. "I just received a message from Angelo. He sent us another video."
Sydney entered Broots’ house and examined his colleague’s pale face. He looked so confused and even more apprehensive than usual. Sydney wondered silently just what kind of video Angelo had sent.
Broots led him into his study and hit a key on his computer, returning the video sequence to it’s beginning. Sydney stepped closer to the screen, curiosity written on his face. Broots hit a button and the images began to move on the screen. Broots stepped back, watching Sydney’s face closely.
On the surface it appeared that Sydney was unmoved by what he’d just seen, but Broots had worked with him long enough to see the signs of trouble. His eyes had narrowed and his arms were folded in front of him. Most telling of all, he was leaning back ever so slightly in an exaggerated pose of nonchalance.
"Sydney do you have any idea what Raines is talking about?" Broots asked hopefully.
"The Pagode; I haven’t heard from them in nearly 20 years. Not since Catherine Parker’s death. At that time they were desperately trying to copy our Pretender Program. As far as I know they didn’t have any luck with it." Sydney answered thoughtfully.
"What about Miss P? They want her as well, not just the baby. But if she is a Pretender too, then why hasn’t she used her ability to catch Jarod??" Broots questioned, confused.
"When Miss Parker was a little girl she sometimes came down to the Sim lab; she even joined Jarod in some of the Sims, but she never did a real Pretend. I am almost positive that she isn’t a Pretender. She sometimes did things that surprised me, but I was never sure if she did them on purpose or not...
"When Raines tested her for the Pretender ability she failed. But..." Sydney trailed off.
"But what, Sydney?" Broots sounded uncharacteristically impatient.
"Yes, but what?" Emily chimed in. She was leaning against the door frame and observing them with open curiosity.
Both men turned as one and stared at her in shock.
"Hey, she’s going to make me an aunt soon! Don’t you think I have a right to know?"
"She has a point." Broots agreed.
Sydney raised his eyebrows, but decided to let it go. After all, they where all in this together..
"When she was done with the test, Raines tried to scare her. He yelled at her and called her a stupid arrogant little girl. For a minute I thought she would burst into tears." Sydney resumed. "But then Raines walked out. She raised her head and, as soon as she was sure he was gone, she made a paper plane out of the test and threw it after him. She had a smile on her face. I never saw her smile like that again." Sydney took a deep breath.
"The next day Catharine Parker died." He ended the story. After a few silent moments he added: "I had forgotten all about that until today. Catherine’s death changed everything."
****
"I want a coffee, not milk. I hate milk!" Miss Parker glared darkly at the tray Sam had plopped on her bed.
"Caffeine would only stimulate you. You need to relax." Sam replied calmly.
"So you’re a doctor now as well as a nursemaid?" She asked with annoyance.
"No, but the doctor at the hospital gave me exact instructions on what you should eat and drink and what you shouldn’t." Sam replied patiently. He was much too happy seeing her awake and not crying to worry about her touchy temper.
If it would make her feel better he would even let her throw the tray at him. He looked closer at the woman sitting in the bed; now that he’d thought of it, from the way she looked at the things on the tray he might just want to start looking for cover.
Milk, honey, fresh fruits and a croissant. Parker eyed them with distaste, but she wasn’t able to stay angry with the man who’d brought them in. She knew Sam had only the best intentions and she really was grateful to him. He had rescued them all from certain disaster.
"Do you think you can manage some fresh orange juice for me?" She asked and flashed him a bright smile. Maybe she could get rid of him long enough to get a quick shower, she thought hopefully. He had made it clear that he was not about to let her out of the bed.
"Sure, just as soon as JJ gets back. He’ll be here any minute now, and he can keep you company while I make some. That way one of us will always be available to help you if you need anything." Sam replied easily, with a wicked twinkle in his eye. He knew her well enough to understand that she only wanted him out of her way so she could do something the doctor had expressly forbidden. He’d gotten her and that baby this far, though, and he would be damned before he let her do anything that would jeopardise all of his hard work.
Even though he’d been expecting it since he brought the tray in, he was caught off guard when the glass of milk came flying in his direction.
Her memories were coming back with such a force she felt like her head would explode. Details of her life. Small things, voices, images, smells, everything; forming a picture of a past she thought she had lost forever.
Raines, he had really done it. That damn bastard! Gemini. God what had happened during all those years? What else had he done?
Her thoughts came back to her daughter. Her baby was alive. She was a grown woman now and would be a mother herself soon. This thought nearly made her stop. JJ had only mentioned it briefly, and from what he hadn’t told her, namely anything about a husband, it seemed that her Angel was alone. Who was the father? She cringed inwardly; she wasn’t sure if she wanted to know the answer. Not knowing she had grown up at the Centre; under the care of the unfeeling monster she had once loved enough to marry…
The boy, the image of young Jarod, had said that Jarod had freed him. But what that would mean that Jarod was out! How long? How? Her head started to spin from an overload of unanswered questions.
‘First things first,’ she told herself firmly. "My daughter needs me now. JJ said she wouldn’t stop crying; the she was devastated because she had shot Lyle. And Lyle was----her brother? How did her Angel get a brother? That unfeeling bastard she had married had to have known she wasn’t dead----would he have remarried anyway?’
Her confusion grew with every passing second.
****
"Mrs. Jamison!" Jarod snarled. "A stroke of genius! If Sam thinks this will keep her safe he’s more of a gorilla than I’d thought. And to top it all off, he told the doctor that they are heading to Niagara Falls. Why didn’t he just take out an ad in the paper?"
"Jarod, calm down." The Major laughed. "I have a feeling you aren’t angry because of Sam’s actions----you’re just mad because it’s Sam with her and not you." He added astutely.
Jarod gripped the steering wheel harder and clenched his teeth so tightly that they hurt. His father was right, damn it! It wouldn’t have mattered what Sam had done, he would have been furious anyway. And it wasn’t so much that Sam was there and he wasn’t, though that rankled too, it was just… Why of all people did it have to be *Sam*? His most recent "stay" at the Centre hadn’t exactly left them the best of friends, to say the least.
And what the hell did he think he was doing anyway? Out of the blue he just decides it’s time to play the hero? Why? Why Parker, why now? This was the question that constantly jabbed at his heart and mind. He tried to convince himself that Sam had done it because it was his job, but he knew better. If Sam had been doing his job he would have dragged her back to the Centre by her glorious auburn hair, not taken her to a cozy cabin in Niagara.
Well, Sam had better not be getting wrong ideas. If he thought he and Parker could play house and pretend that Jarod didn’t exist… Jarod stepped harder on the accelerator and glared at the road. He missed his father’s amused smile and resigned shake of the head.
****
"Syd, I’m glad you’re finally here." Broots said with a nervous smile. He looked apprehensively up and down the quiet street in front of his house and then opened his door wider to let the older man in. "I just received a message from Angelo. He sent us another video."
Sydney entered Broots’ house and examined his colleague’s pale face. He looked so confused and even more apprehensive than usual. Sydney wondered silently just what kind of video Angelo had sent.
Broots led him into his study and hit a key on his computer, returning the video sequence to it’s beginning. Sydney stepped closer to the screen, curiosity written on his face. Broots hit a button and the images began to move on the screen. Broots stepped back, watching Sydney’s face closely.
On the surface it appeared that Sydney was unmoved by what he’d just seen, but Broots had worked with him long enough to see the signs of trouble. His eyes had narrowed and his arms were folded in front of him. Most telling of all, he was leaning back ever so slightly in an exaggerated pose of nonchalance.
"Sydney do you have any idea what Raines is talking about?" Broots asked hopefully.
"The Pagode; I haven’t heard from them in nearly 20 years. Not since Catherine Parker’s death. At that time they were desperately trying to copy our Pretender Program. As far as I know they didn’t have any luck with it." Sydney answered thoughtfully.
"What about Miss P? They want her as well, not just the baby. But if she is a Pretender too, then why hasn’t she used her ability to catch Jarod??" Broots questioned, confused.
"When Miss Parker was a little girl she sometimes came down to the Sim lab; she even joined Jarod in some of the Sims, but she never did a real Pretend. I am almost positive that she isn’t a Pretender. She sometimes did things that surprised me, but I was never sure if she did them on purpose or not...
"When Raines tested her for the Pretender ability she failed. But..." Sydney trailed off.
"But what, Sydney?" Broots sounded uncharacteristically impatient.
"Yes, but what?" Emily chimed in. She was leaning against the door frame and observing them with open curiosity.
Both men turned as one and stared at her in shock.
"Hey, she’s going to make me an aunt soon! Don’t you think I have a right to know?"
"She has a point." Broots agreed.
Sydney raised his eyebrows, but decided to let it go. After all, they where all in this together..
"When she was done with the test, Raines tried to scare her. He yelled at her and called her a stupid arrogant little girl. For a minute I thought she would burst into tears." Sydney resumed. "But then Raines walked out. She raised her head and, as soon as she was sure he was gone, she made a paper plane out of the test and threw it after him. She had a smile on her face. I never saw her smile like that again." Sydney took a deep breath.
"The next day Catharine Parker died." He ended the story. After a few silent moments he added: "I had forgotten all about that until today. Catherine’s death changed everything."
****
"I want a coffee, not milk. I hate milk!" Miss Parker glared darkly at the tray Sam had plopped on her bed.
"Caffeine would only stimulate you. You need to relax." Sam replied calmly.
"So you’re a doctor now as well as a nursemaid?" She asked with annoyance.
"No, but the doctor at the hospital gave me exact instructions on what you should eat and drink and what you shouldn’t." Sam replied patiently. He was much too happy seeing her awake and not crying to worry about her touchy temper.
If it would make her feel better he would even let her throw the tray at him. He looked closer at the woman sitting in the bed; now that he’d thought of it, from the way she looked at the things on the tray he might just want to start looking for cover.
Milk, honey, fresh fruits and a croissant. Parker eyed them with distaste, but she wasn’t able to stay angry with the man who’d brought them in. She knew Sam had only the best intentions and she really was grateful to him. He had rescued them all from certain disaster.
"Do you think you can manage some fresh orange juice for me?" She asked and flashed him a bright smile. Maybe she could get rid of him long enough to get a quick shower, she thought hopefully. He had made it clear that he was not about to let her out of the bed.
"Sure, just as soon as JJ gets back. He’ll be here any minute now, and he can keep you company while I make some. That way one of us will always be available to help you if you need anything." Sam replied easily, with a wicked twinkle in his eye. He knew her well enough to understand that she only wanted him out of her way so she could do something the doctor had expressly forbidden. He’d gotten her and that baby this far, though, and he would be damned before he let her do anything that would jeopardise all of his hard work.
Even though he’d been expecting it since he brought the tray in, he was caught off guard when the glass of milk came flying in his direction.
