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Chapter Five

 

 

            Jarod was running around the garden as his mother hung out the laundry. He was almost four and wished he could fly high into the sky with the birds. His mother had once told him that little boys just couldn't fly and that she would be so sad if he ever left her.

 

"I'll never leave you, Mommy," he had promised her, wrapping his arms around her neck.

 

            She had held him tight, only letting go when his baby brother started crying in the next room.

 

            Today, Jarod was alone with his mother. His father had taken Kyle out, and he had offered Jarod to come, but the little boy had asked to stay with his mother. Margaret didn't mind; she liked spending time with her little man. She knew that soon enough, he would be all grown-up and refusing to be seen with his parents.

 

            With her husband, they just felt so lucky to have their sons. It hadn't been an easy path they had followed to have them, but she would do it all over again. Her sons were her whole life, and they made her feel complete. The thought of not having them in her life was unbearable for her.

 

"Mommy!" Jarod exclaimed behind her.

 

            She turned and crouched just in time to receive him in her arms. His little arms wrapped around her neck and he buried his face in her shoulder, breathing her in.

 

"You smell good, Mommy," he said, and she chuckled.

 

"Thank you," she replied. "You smell good, too, my little man."

 

            They stayed like this for a moment, and Margaret wondered if Jarod was falling asleep on her. But she knew it was unlikely; as much as he was a little ball of energy, he also had moments when he needed to be calm. This was just one of these moments. If anything, he was likely to jump from her lap and start running around the garden again in the next couple of seconds.

 

"Play with me, Mommy?" he asked, rising his face to meet her eyes.

 

            She had yet to learn to resist those eyes, and she knew it would get her in real trouble one day. She pressed a kiss to his forehead, before rising to her feet. He stood before her, the same hopeful look still on his face.

 

"I'll play with you, but I need to finish this first," she said, gesturing to the laundry basket.

 

"I'll help you."

 

            She knew that despite all of his goodwill, he was still a little boy, and he couldn't hang out the laundry. But he wanted to help and be with her, and she couldn't deny him that. She hand him a smaller basket.

 

"Why don't you hand me the clothespins?" she offered, and he eagerly nodded. "What do you want to play when we're done with this?"

 

"Can we play hide and seek?"

 

"We can. But you remember the rules?"

 

"I can't hide in the kitchen cabinets, because it can be dangerous. And I can't go hide outside because I'm not allowed out of the house without you or Daddy."

 

"That's good, Jarod."

 

            She knew that her son was smart, probably smarter than other kids his age; but even now, months after she had first noticed it, it still surprised her. He had always seemed to do things earlier than the other children. And it looked like Kyle was just the same. Her little boys were specials, although she might just think that because they were hers.

 

            She smiled as her son was softly humming the nursery rhyme she sang for him at night while handing her the clothespins. She soon found herself singing along with his humming.

 

"Cree craw toad's foot, geese walk barefoot..."

 

 

###

 

 

            To Jarod's horror, the bus was pulling from the curb before he could reach it. He stopped running and dropped Mia's hand. He couldn't stop looking at the bus that was taking his mother away from him once more. She had been so close, and yet, he had been unable to get to her in time. He had to let her go, once more.

 

            But this time, he realised, it was different. This time, he had a car, and he could follow the bus until its next stop and then he'll finally be reunited with his mother. He couldn't even think that she might not be in that bus.

 

            He was about to turn away and run back towards the car, when he felt Miss Parker's hands stop him. He tried to push her away, but she wouldn't let go.

 

"Look," she just said.

 

            He followed her sightline and his breath caught in his chest. There, on the other side of the street, still at the bus stop, was the woman he had been looking for since he ran away from the Centre.

 

            She noticed him at the same time he did and brought her hands to her face, covering her mouth. He could see her trying to hold back her tears, but it was a lost fight. His own tears were already running down his face.

 

"Mom," he whispered.

 

            He made his way through the light traffic to the other side of the street, and finally embraced his mother for the first time in more than thirty years. Her arms wrapped around him, holding him tight, and her face buried in his shoulder, breathing in him.

 

            From where they were still standing on their side of the street, Parker, Ethan and Mia looked at the scene. The young woman felt like she was intruding on this moment, but she couldn't look away. She had seen the desperate looks on both mother and son's face, and she was happy about this outcome.

 

            A lone tear was making its way down Miss Parker's cheek as she wrapped her arm around her brother's waist.

 

"You did it, Ethan," she said.

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"Our mother told Jarod once that you would help him find his mother. And you did."

 

            Ethan was surprised; neither his brother nor his sister had ever told him this before. He didn't know why they would keep something like this from him.  But before he could ask her, Jarod and Margaret, arms in arms, were already making their way towards them. His question could wait.

 

            Margaret was eyeing the three strangers warily. She had recognized Miss Parker; she looked so much like her mother than it would have been impossible not to. She wanted to ask Jarod what the Centre operative was doing here, but before she could, they were already standing before them.

 

"I think you remember Miss Parker," Jarod said and Margaret nodded. "This is Ethan, our... brother," he said, looking at her as he did.

 

"What did they do?" she asked, knowing without a doubt that the Centre was behind this, whatever it was.

 

"I'll explain everything later," he promised her. "And this is Mia, a friend of Ethan's, but I believe you two have met."

 

            Margaret nodded, and suddenly understood the waitress' presence. She must have recognized Jarod from the picture she had shown her earlier, and taken them here. If she hadn't decided to show it to her, she and Jarod might have missed each other again.

 

"Thank you," she told Mia. "How did you find me?" she asked her son.

 

"I didn't. I had no idea you would be here. Ethan found you, just like Catherine Parker said he would," he said, remembering her words as well as Parker did.

 

"Why didn't you tell me about that?" he asked, looking at his brother and sister in turn.

 

"Because that would have been a burden too heavy to carry," Miss Parker replied.

 

"When did our mother told you this?"

 

"She didn't. She told Jarod when she was pregnant with you."

 

            They answered Margaret's earlier question without even realising it. She hid her reaction from them; even though she had surmised that something like this had taken place, it still hurt. But then, she looked at Ethan, an innocent victim there, and realised that maybe, something good came out of it.

 

"We should go now," Jarod said. "Thank you Mia."

 

"I was glad to help. But why don't you come back with me to the diner. I believe you first came inside to eat and you didn't have time to. Lunch is on the house," she added, knowing that her uncle would agree.

 

"Alright," Jarod said after having looked at the others.

 

"And you should do something else before we leave, too," Parker told Jarod.

 

"I don't think I should," he replied, knowing what she was talking about.

 

"Listen, Lab Rat," she said, pushing him against the nearby wall. "That you decide to take me and Ethan to your family's house without giving them some warning is one thing. But you have to tell them you have found your mother. Don't let them find out only when we arrive there. They'll be mad at you, if you do, and they'll have every right to."

 

"Alright, I'll call them after lunch," he said; the last thing he wanted to do was disappoint his family and he would do just that if he didn’t call.

 

            Margaret had listened to Miss Parker's talk, but the only thing she had committed to memory was that her family was together, and that they had just been waiting for her.

 

"You've found them, Jarod?"

 

"Yes, Mom. And we've never stopped looking for you."

 

            He decided not to tell her about Kyle just yet, knowing that she would have to be prepared before she could hear that her other son was dead. And that she had another son, he added in his mind, thinking about Michael.

 

"Let's go eat something," Jarod said, offering his mother his arm.

 

            They all nodded, and walked towards the diner. They were almost there when they heard Ethan cry out.

 

"Ethan!" Mia said, holding onto his arm as he doubled over and held his head in his hands. "It happened the other day too," she added for the others. "I don't know what's happening."

 

"We do," Jarod replied, letting go of Margaret's arm to come to his brother's side. "Breathe deep, Ethan, and concentrate on one voice only."

 

"Easier said than done," Parker replied with a strained voice, her eyes tightly shut as the voices became louder and louder.

 

"What's happening, Jarod?" Margaret asked, as she saw Catherine's children in pain.

 

"The Centre," Ethan said, before his brother had the time to speak.

 

"They're close," Miss Parker continued. "It must be Lyle. We need to go," she said, as the voices calmed down now that they got their message.

 

            Jarod agreed, and with Mia's help, walked Ethan to the car. The voices had returned to just a buzz at the back of his mind, but he still needed their help to stay upright. Miss Parker felt sorry for her brother; she was lucky that her inner sense wasn't as strong as his, even though at that moment, she would have given anything to relieve him of his pain.

 

"I'll drive," she told Jarod. "I'm a better driver than you are if it comes to a car chase."

 

"Let's hope it won't come to that," he replied, looking sideways at his mother. "Listen, Mia, if people come looking for us..."

 

"I'll just say that I never saw you."

 

"No, don't lie about having seen Miss Parker and I. Just don't tell them about Ethan or my mother."

 

"Got it. And I'll brief the people at the diner, too."

 

            Jarod nodded at her and opened the back door for Ethan, but before he could push him inside, his brother pulled away from him. Once he was certain that Ethan would be fine, Jarod walked to the other side of the car. He still kept his eyes on him, and he noticed that both Parker and his mother did as well.

 

            Ethan turned towards Mia. He wanted to talk to her, to explain what had happened, but he was struggling to find the right words. He must have frightened her again, not to mention that she was probably thinking he was crazy when it was mentioned he was hearing voices. But he saw none of that on her face. He just saw understanding, and that surprised him. It wasn't what he had expected to see, and he didn't know why she didn't seem to be afraid of him when she had every right to be.

 

            Before he could try talking – to say what, he didn't really know – she was leaning towards him. His eyes closed as her lips pressed against his, just like they had a few days before. She pulled away and he opened her eyes to see her biting her lower lip.

 

"I knew you were special, Ethan. Take care."

 

            She was gone before he could say anything. He watched her back until she was safely inside the diner. He then got into the car. Parker turned on the ignition and they drove away, hopefully in the opposite direction to the one Lyle and the sweepers were coming from.

 

            They stayed silent until they left the town limits, each of them worried about driving past the Centre's cars. Parker stayed within the speed limit, but she did her best to get away as fast as possible. Once she was certain that they hadn't been seen, she glanced at her brother in the rear view mirror.

 

"So, should we be worried about you sneaking out in the middle of night to go and find Mia?" she teased him, lightening the mood in the car.

 

 

###

 

 

"We missed them," Lyle announced as he came out of the diner, Cox in tow. "Jarod and Parker had been here earlier."

 

            No one was surprised to hear that the two were on the run together; they had all suspected it since Miss Parker's disappearance. The waitress had only confirmed what they all knew.

 

"Did she say which way they had gone?" Sydney asked.

 

"She said she didn't pay attention. And according to her, they had just been passing through. There's even not a single security camera in this backwater town," he added, looking around.

 

"Backwater town is too strong a word for...," Broots started but at Lyle's glare, he trailed off.

 

"Let's go back to the Centre," the thumbless man said. "There's nothing left to do here."

 

            Lyle walked back to his car with Cox, Willie and another sweeper. Sydney followed Broots and Sam to theirs. Just before he climbed inside, Sydney caught the waitress' gaze behind the front window of the diner. She was watching them as if she was making sure that they would really leave and not come back later.

 

            As her eyes met his, she didn't turn away; she just held his gaze, almost defiantly. The psychiatrist nodded imperceptibly at her; he was certain that she knew more than what she had told Lyle. And anyone able to hold their ground against the man earned his respect. He trusted that with friends like her, Miss Parker and Jarod were safe.

 

            He climbed into the car and closed the door, allowing Sam to finally drive away.

 

"Is something wrong, Sydney?" Broots asked from the backseat.

 

"Nothing. Nothing's wrong."

 

            He wouldn't give anything away in the car. Even though he believed that Sam was more loyal to Miss Parker than to the Centre, Sydney was wary of hidden surveillance equipment. But maybe he wouldn't tell Broots what he had just deduced; after all, it was nothing more than a hypothesis.

 

            And hypothesis needed to be proven true before they were shared.

 

 

###

 

 

            Jarod was back behind the wheel for the last part of their journey. They only had a few miles left to go, and the anxiety grew in the car. Their anxieties had different origins, obviously, but it all came down to the same thing: they wanted to be there already.

 

            Jarod had trouble believing that his family was finally reunited. He had found them all, even though it had taken more time than he had thought it would at first. Only one member of his family would be missing: Kyle. His mother had taken his death better than he had expected her to; he wondered if she did realise that Kyle would never be with them again, or if it would take seeing the rest of her family to come to this realisation. Whatever it was, he would keep his eyes on her and be there for her if need be.

 

            Miss Parker's worries about Jarod's family's reaction to her presence hadn't lessened after he finally made the call. If anything, they had skyrocketed. She didn't know what to expect; they hadn't reacted badly to Jarod's announcement during the phone call, but that was understandable given the other bombshell he had dropped on them. She still wasn't sure she would be welcomed there. Margaret's attitude with her – she didn't seem to resent her for having kept Jarod away from her, but then Parker didn't know how much she knew – gave her some hope that the rest of the family would act the same way. But whenever her hopes rose too high, she reminded herself that she was a Parker, and that nothing was that easy.

 

            On the backseat, Margaret wondered whether her husband and daughter would think she changed too much. She knew she was nothing like the woman who had left them; her running around the country, looking for Jarod on her own, had changed her for good. It would take time, but she hoped they would accept her the way she was now. She couldn't go back to the woman they had known. A part of her was also curious about Michael. Jarod had told her his story, and how she couldn't see the boy as a replacement for her oldest son. She wouldn't: how could she see her little boy in the teenager that Michael was? She had Jarod back; Michael was just an added bonus.

 

            Ethan, for his part, was nervous about meeting his family. Jarod had told him so much about their father, sister and younger brother that he felt like he already knew them. It didn't really make any sense, but it was the way he felt. But now that he felt like this, he wondered what they would think of him. With Miss Parker and Jarod there had been nothing but acceptance. Things seemed to be fine with Margaret, and that reassured him just a bit; if she could accept him, maybe there wouldn't be any problem with the others. He would soon find out.

 

"We're almost there," Jarod said, as he left the main road for a dirt road. "The house is just at the end of the road."

 

"There are no security measures?" Miss Parker asked, surprised.

 

"Actually, they are. We just drove past a sensor that alerted Dad and the others that people are on the way to the house. I've also hidden cameras in the trees. If they see that it was unwanted visitors, they can hide in the basement. Which is more a bunker than a real basement," he added as an afterthought.

 

"You've thought of everything," Margaret said.

 

"I'm sure I haven't. There is still room for improvement. But, until now, it has been enough."

 

"It certainly helps that no one at the Centre knows about this house," Miss Parker added, and Jarod nodded.

 

"It does. But it's hard to find. I bought it under another name."

 

"Of course, you did."

 

            Jarod knew that Miss Parker was trying to start a fight with him because she was feeling nervous. She had tried to ever since he had been behind the wheel, but he had dodged every attempt so far. He wouldn't please her by taking the bait now that they were there.

 

            They rounded a bend and saw the house for the first time. It was a typical house for this part of the country, but they knew better than to think there wasn't more to it. Jarod had already told them about the bunker in the basement, and neither of them would be surprised if the Pretender had made other improvements in the house.

 

            But Margaret's eyes soon diverted from the house in itself to rest on her family who was waiting for them on the porch. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw them for the first time in years.

 

            Jarod stopped the car, but it took her a couple of seconds to push the car door open. As soon as she was out, she was in her daughter's arms. She looked up and gestured for her husband to join them when she saw him standing there, waiting. When he did, he wrapped his arms around the both of them and placed a kiss on Margaret's lips.

 

            The Pretender joined his family, but Miss Parker and Ethan stayed a couple of feet behind, just like Michael did, the former huntress noticed. He caught her looking at him, and he shrugged, before coming towards them.

 

"Hello Miss Parker," he said. "It's nice to see you again."

 

"You too, Michael. This is Ethan," she said, introducing their brother to him. "Why won't you join them?" she asked, nodding towards the recently reunited family.

 

"I don't want to intrude."

 

"You wouldn't. They're your family, too."

 

            Michael shrugged again. It was strange to see him so insecure after Jarod told her that he was doing well. She guessed that it could be overwhelming to see your mother for the first time when you're a teenager. But she had no doubt that Margaret would instantly love him as the son he already was.

 

            And she wasn't mistaken. When Margaret left Emily's arms, she immediately noticed Michael standing to the side. She walked towards him and stood before him.

 

"Hi. You must be Michael," she said, and he nodded. "Do you know who I am?" she asked, even though she already knew the answer.

 

"Yeah. You're my mother."

 

"That's right. Can I hug you?" she asked, not wanting to make him uncomfortable.

 

            He nodded, and she smiled before putting her arms around him. It took him a couple of seconds before his own arms wrapped around her.

 

            Leaving mother and son to their reunion, Miss Parker turned towards Ethan. He was looking towards Major Charles and Emily, unsure of what to do. She put a hand on his arm, making him look towards her.

 

"Go see them," she said.

 

"But what about..."

 

"Go," she repeated, giving him a little push.

 

            She knew he was worried of leaving her alone, but she didn't want him to delay meeting his family for a second longer because of her. She could stay alone for a few minutes; she wouldn't break because no one was standing at her side.

 

            She watched as Major Charles and then Emily hugged Ethan, welcoming him into their family. From the corner of her eyes, she could see Jarod walking towards her. Before she could gesture for him to stay where he was, he was already standing before her.

 

"I'm happy for you, Jarod," she said, with a genuine smile. "You have finally found your family."

 

"Yeah..." He paused for a beat, unsure of how she would react to his next words. "You know you're my family, too, right? You have been, since we were children at the Centre, you and Angelo. And even more, now," he added as he took her hand in his.

 

"Jarod..."

 

"I know, not now. But at least come and meet my sister."

 

            She nodded, knowing that it was important to him. Still holding onto her hand, he led her towards where Major Charles and Emily were standing.

 

"It's nice to see you again under better circumstances, Miss Parker."

 

"You too, Major."

 

"Emily, this is Miss Parker. Parker, Emily, my sister."

 

"It's nice to meet you," Parker said, and Emily just nodded.

 

            Parker wasn't surprised that the young woman was wary of her; to be honest, the opposite would have been strange to her. She knew she might never earn her trust, and she was asking for it. She just hoped that things wouldn't be too strained between them, if only for Jarod's sake. The Pretender adored his family, and it would be hard for him to see the two of them at odds.

 

"It's freezing out here," Major Charles said, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "Why don't we go inside and have something hot to drink?"

 

            They all nodded and followed him inside the house.

 

 

###

 

 

            It was snowed the night after their arrival. In the morning, the land surrounding the house was covered in a white blanket of snow. It was like the whole landscape was in black and white; it felt completely surreal. Miss Parker was standing by the window, looking on the outside. The rest of the house was still quiet and she wasn't surprised; they had gone to bed late last night, neither willing to part ways just yet. She had planned to retire sooner, but she had started talking with Michael and she hadn't seen the time go by.

 

            Even though she was already ready for the day, she was reluctant to wander in a house she didn't know when no one else was up. Leaving her post by the window, she sat at the dressing table and picked up her brush. It was different than being at home, sitting before the same mirror her mother had, but she guessed she should get used to it. She doubted she would be able to go back there any time soon anyway. She didn't even want to think what the Centre had done to her place; they had never taken kindly someone changing sides.

 

            There was a soft knock on the door and she called for the person to come in. She had expected it to be Jarod and was surprised when it was Margaret who opened the door. Miss Parker made a move to get up from her chair, but she stopped when Jarod's mother held a hand up.

 

"Please. I don't want to interrupt you."

 

"You're not," Parker assured her, as she put her brush down. "I didn't think anyone else was already up."

 

"I believe we're the only two at the moment."

 

"I'm surprised that Jarod is still asleep. From what I know, he had never been able to sleep much. But I guess he feels safe, here, and that must help."

 

"I hope it does," Margaret replied, a bit worried about her eldest.

 

            She came to stand behind Miss Parker's chair, who had to turn to look at the other woman in the mirror. To Parker's surprise, Margaret picked up her brush and started to brush her hair. She was reminded of another house, another dressing table, another time, when her mother would do the same for her.

 

"Your mother had beautiful hair, too," Margaret remembered fondly. "I envied her, most of the time."

 

"Would you tell me about her?" Parker asked, almost shyly.

 

"Of course. What do you want to know?"

 

"Anything. Everything. How did you two meet?"

 

"We met at a clinic called NuGenesis. By the look on your face, I assume that you have heard about it."

 

"Yeah... I know you and your husband went there, but I didn't know my parents...," Parker trailed off.

 

"I never saw your father there, only your mother. She said once that his work was taking a lot of his time," Margaret added. "Just like us, they had trouble conceiving."

 

"Yeah, you can say that," Parker replied, scoffing. At the older woman's look, she continued. "Mr. Parker was sterile. He's not my father, but his brother, Mr. Raines, is. Because yes, to add to that, they're brothers, too."

 

"Mr. Raines is your father?"Margaret replied, not quite believing it.

 

"At least, it stayed in the family. Do you think my mother knew about all this?"

 

"No, I can assure you that she didn't. You have to believe me when I say that she had no doubt that Mr. Parker was your father. She had never given me thoughts to believe that he wasn't."

 

"Ok, enough about that. It doesn't matter. Just tell me about her, please," Parker asked, and Margaret nodded, as she continued brushing the brunette's hair.

 

"We kept in touch after NuGenesis, mostly by letters. We barely saw each other. We were too busy with our families for that. But she came to see us once when Mr. Parker was abroad, I believe in Africa. You were about six months old at the time, and Jarod was just over a year old."

 

"Jarod and I met when we were babies?"

 

"Yes. Well, when I say meet, it was more like we put you in the same playpen, and he seemed to annoy you more than anything else."

 

"It still hasn't changed," Miss Parker said with a soft chuckle.

 

"I had a picture of the two of you, but I lost it at some point. Anyway, that was the only time I saw you, and she saw Jarod. Like I said, we would write to each other, there were also the occasional phone calls, but it stopped there. And, Kyle first and then Jarod were stolen from us. We didn't know that the Centre was behind this, at first. And neither did your mother, you have to know that."

 

"When did you find out?"

 

"It was Catherine who did. It was a few years later. Jarod would have been about ten and Kyle six. She just ran across Jarod at the Centre. She didn't know what they were doing before she saw Jarod there. She thought that it was just a research centre, she had no idea... I was pregnant with Emily when she told us about it. The Centre had somehow found out that we knew, and they sent sweepers to our house. We had to run away."

 

"They would have killed you, if you hadn't. Or worse," Miss Parker added as an afterthought, knowing that they would have been able to keep Margaret alive until she gave birth so that they would have another Pretender.

 

"We met Harriet Tashman through Catherine. We still trusted her, of course. She had started rescuing children from the Centre. But Jarod and Kyle were always out of reach. She hadn't even managed to find out whether Kyle was at the Centre or not. She had just hoped he wasn't taken somewhere else. I don't know how she did it, exactly, but she finally managed to convince Mr. Parker that you should meet Jarod during a SIM."

 

"Why would she...?" Parker asked, her breath catching in her throat at the thought that her mother would use her.

 

"She knew they would never let her come close to Jarod. But through you, Jarod would have learnt to trust her and she would have been able to rescue him, just like the other children. And she was able to tell us that Jarod was fine. But it didn't go as planned, as you know."

 

            Miss Parker nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. Margaret was also holding back her tears. But they wouldn't cry, not now. The brunette took a deep breath before returning her eyes to Margaret's in the mirror.

 

"Speaking of plans, my mother once asked Jarod to tell me to complete her plan. She said the same thing to Ethan just after he was born and before... Raines told me that there was a DSA, that it contained incriminating evidences about the Centre. But I don't know where it is, or even what her plan was.

 

"The DSA never existed," Margaret revealed, surprising Parker. "She made them believe that it did so that she could have some leverage over them. But it didn't work, in the end. As for her plan, she told me what it was once: she wanted the Centre to become the safe haven it was always meant to be in her eyes. A place where people who are different, special, don't have to hide who they really are. That was Catherine's plan. I have no idea how she intended to do that, but it looks like she trusted you to know."

 

"Maybe she overestimated me."

 

"I'm sure she hasn't. Catherine was a good judge of character."

 

            Before Parker could say anything else, someone knocked on her door.

 

"Come in," she said for the second time that day.

 

            The door opened to let Jarod through this time. He stopped on the threshold, surprised at finding his mother and his childhood friend together.

 

"I'll leave you two alone," Margaret said.

 

            She walked past Jarod, kissing his cheek, and out of the room, closing the door behind her.

 

 

###

 

 

"I feel like I just fell into a parallel universe or something close," Jarod said once he was alone with Parker.

 

"Your mother and I can't appreciate each other's company?" she replied, raising an eyebrow.

 

"Don't misunderstand me. I'm glad you are getting along well. I was surprised that's all."

 

"Yeah, it was quite obvious."

 

"So, what did you two talk about?" he asked, quite curious.

 

"She was telling me about my mother. It was an instructive story. You should ask her to tell you, one day."

 

"Maybe I will."

 

"So, did you need anything?"

 

"I receive an e-mail from Angelo," he said.

 

"Since when does Angelo know how to send e-mails?" she asked, but then she continued before he had a chance to reply. "Never mind. I think I already know the answer to this question. I guess he was your secret informant about the Centre..."

 

"Most of the time, yes."

 

She chose not to dwell on that; she really didn't need to know who else was keeping Jarod informed of her whereabouts. And she wasn't sure she would like the answer.

 

"So, what did he tell you?"

 

"I know where Joshua is."

 

She pinched the bridge of her nose between two fingers, trying not to yell at Jarod for not having said so the moment he entered her room. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, willing herself to calm down before she resumed talking with him.

 

When she felt like she had herself in check, she reopened her eyes and looked at the Pretender. He had been waiting to have her attention before telling her about the rest of the e-mail.

 

"He's at Donoterase," he finally said.

 

"I thought they wouldn't use it anymore after you and your dad found out about it."

 

"I thought so too, but we were both mistaken. I don't know what else they are doing down there, but this is where they're keeping our son. I couldn't have found it in the files I took from Raines' computer, because he kept it on paper only."

 

"You can easily hack into the Centre's mainframe, but he doesn't expect you to willingly come back," she said, a bit more forcefully that she probably should have; she needed him to understand that she still hadn't forgiven him for this little stunt he pulled. "So what now?" she asked.

 

"We go rescue him, right now. He has spent enough time at the Centre as it is. But I don't want to leave without telling my family. I don't want them to think I ran away from them."

 

"Then, we're going to tell them, now. And then, we'll leave. But alone, Jarod. I don't want anyone to come with us."

 

"I refuse to put them in danger," he agreed.

 

"And what about taking the Centre down?" she asked, wondering if he had given up on this part.

 

"I have a plan. I'll tell you all about it on our way there," he said. "But for the moment, let's go tell my parents that they are grandparents."

 

"Maybe it's better if you don't put it that way."

 

"Why?"

 

"You'll understand one day, Jarod."

 

She left her room without waiting for him, knowing that he would follow. His family was in the kitchen, making breakfast.

 

"I was about to call you," Margaret said. "Breakfast is almost ready."

 

"Is there something wrong, son?" Major Charles asked, when he saw that his son hadn't really paid attention to what his mother had just said.

 

"No, nothing's wrong. It's just..." he trailed off. "Why don't we sit down?"

 

"You're worrying us, Jarod," Emily said, taking the seat beside him.

 

The Pretender knew he was even though he was trying not to. Now that he was facing his family, he was unsure of how to tell them the news. His eyes fell on Ethan, and he could see a reassuring smile on his brother's face; thanks to the voices, he probably already knew what was going on.

 

Finally, he took a breath and started talking. He wasn't forgetting any detail as he told them about Joshua; he wanted to make sure that they knew how the little boy had come to exist. When it came to talking about the day he was born, he turned towards Parker.

 

She didn't mention Thomas or going to the cabin to kill Brigitte. She only talked about their son. She told them about the consecutive days at the Centre, but left out the part about Raines, just like she had when she had told Jarod.

 

            Then, Jarod resumed speaking to tell his family about the latest developments. They listened without interrupting them, but not without reaction. Margaret was crying, Emily's face was showing anger and Michael felt uncomfortable as it reminded him of his own existence. Major Charles, for his part, had a determined look on his face, and neither Parker nor Jarod were surprised by his next words.

 

"What can we do to help?" he said when Jarod finished talking.

 

"Just stay here, safe, and be there when we come back with Joshua."

 

"You can't expect us to just do nothing," Margaret replied.

 

"I want you to stay safe."

 

"And in the meantime, you're running into danger," Emily said, before getting up and leaving the room.

 

            Margaret made a move to follow her, but Parker stopped her.

 

"I'll go."

 

It didn't take her long for her to find Emily. She was sitting on the porch, bundled up in her coat. Parker put hers on before going to sit beside her.

 

"I know I'm probably the last person you want to see and speak to, right now. I worked at the Centre, and I helped them keep Jarod away from you. But you need to listen to me anyway. Jarod cares a lot about you and the rest of your family. He would do anything for you, to keep you happy and safe. If you’d come with us, he wouldn't stop worrying about you, and yes, he'll focus on rescuing Joshua too, but he might not be able to protect himself at the same time."

 

"So you're saying that if we come, we might put him in danger."

 

"That's what I'm saying yes. I know it won't matter to you, but I promise that I won't let any harm come to him."

 

"And I'm supposed to just trust you?"

 

"Don't trust the words, believe in the actions," she just said, before getting up. "You'll freeze out there, come back inside. And while Jarod makes arrangements for our trip to Blue Cove, maybe I can tell you about the time when he was a sex therapist."

 

            Miss Parker knew she had piqued Emily's interest when the younger woman raised her head.

 

"Believe me, it's as silly as it sounds."

 

To be continued...










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