Chapter 11

Sydney walks into the kitchen and pours himself a cup of coffee. He looks on the counter for a second then turns looking at Micheal and Jarod just starring at him, with scared looks on their faces. "Do you have any cre... I mean any milk?" he asks trying not to use words that she did the night before. Micheal just nods pointing to the stainless steel refrigerator.

They all sit around the kitchen table trying to avoid each other's eyes. None of them knowing exactly what to say, Sydney finds the courage to talk first, "So, how did you sleep Micheal?" She looks at him then Jarod, trying to figure out what he meant by that. "Were you able to sleep comfortably being here for the first time in almost a month?" he clarifies, sipping his mug. "Oh, oh yeah, fine, fine, I slept fine. How about you?" she answers quickly, then realizes that she'd asked the same thing to him. "Like a log... I mean like the dead." he stumbles out, his normally emotionless face turning red. "This is ridiculous! Yes we have sex, that's what married people do!" Jarod announces frustrated at feeling uncomfortable in his own house with two of the most important people in his life.

They look at him in shock over his outburst then to one another, smiling slightly. "I'm sorry about what I said, I thought you were"

"I know exactly who you thought I was." he cuts in, smiling gently at her, "And I'm sorry I didn't tell you it was me. I was just in shock and at the moment couldn't find the words to make you stop. You two seem to a have a very... enthusiastic love life." he comments looking down at his mug then up to Jarod. He notices she's gotten over her embarrassment and shrugs. "What did that gesture mean?" he asks slipping into psychtrist mode. "Nothing" she answers sipping her coffee. "It meant something. Would you like to talk about it?" Micheal looks at him, smiling out the corner of her mouth, "I think I've said enough about that subject to you already."

Jarod sits down on the side of the couch and lays his hand on her jean covered upper thigh, looking down at her laying on the couch, her arm draped across her face. He could still see the tears falling down her cheeks, threatening to rip out his heart at just the thought of her silently crying alone. Micheal lays her hand over his on her leg, squeezing it gently, conveying she's alright. "I know you're not alright. Talk to me."

"Jarod, you should leave me." He was glad he was sitting down otherwise he would've fallen down at those words. "What are you talking about? I'll never leave you. I told you that remember?" he reminds softly cupping her cheeks in his hands, looking in her tear-filled eyes. "That was before... before when I was pregnant and now there's no baby and there never will be. You should just go and find someone else who can give you the children you want so badly," she turns her head away, "Just go" "Don't be stupid. We can trying invetro, adoption, hell we'll buy them if we have too. And I will NEVER leave you, understand?" turning her face back to him, "I love you and I'll never leave you." he repeats more forcefully, looking in her eyes.

He leans down and wraps his arms around her waist under her body. "I love you too. I just want you to have everything you've always dreamed of, and I know that includes children of your own." she murmurs against the side of his face, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. He leans up and lays beside her taking her in his arms again, their jean covered legs intertwining. He kisses her forehead and lays his cheek against the top of her head, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I just feel so empty, Jarod. I feel like there's nothing left inside of me anymore, like I'm just some kind of shell. I really wanted children with you and now I've ruined any chance of that ever happening." He tightens his arms around her, one hand running his fingernails up and down her back softly. "This wasn't your fault." Micheal leans up on her arm looking down at him laying there, "Yes it was. I did this to us, not Them, Me. I'm the one who didn't want to leave. I'm the one who said that we were going to stay and face them. All of this was, is my fault." she concludes covering her eyes beginning to cry.

Jarod takes her hand away, "Don't hide from me," wiping away her tears, "You don't ever have to hide anything from me." he whispers as his fingertips caress her wet cheek. Micheal lays her head back down on his chest and listens to his heart beating beneath her ear, soothing her, his arms giving her a sense of security she never felt before, making her realize just how much he loves her. "Thank you" is all she can say, not knowing how to convey her gratitude for his love. "For what?" he asks, somewhat confused, trying to figure out why she was thanking him for holding her. "For loving me." she answers tightening her hand on his t-shirt, laying on his chest next to her head. "It's a purely selfish need on my part, I assure you." he comments smiling and kisses the top of her head.

Sydney answers the light knocking on their front door, opening it he finds Jarod's family, as well as Parker and Broots and his family practically crammed together in the small hallway in front of the door, waiting expectantly. "I guess the word's out." Sydney comments under his breath waving them all into the apartment. He closes the door and turns facing the large group of people, "Now, don't gang up on her. I'm not entirely sure how she'll react if everybody jumps her, OK?" Everyone just nods, staying silent but understanding she might freak out or something.

As their family begins to move into the living room Sydney goes to their bedroom and knocks on the door. He stands there a few seconds. Jarod opens the door and finds Sydney, "Yeah, what cha' need Syd?" he whispers trying not to wake Micheal, who'd fallen asleep on the couch and he'd moved into the bedroom so she'd be more comfortable. "Everyone is here." Jarod nods, knowing they all would show up around, checking his watch, 5:03 p.m. "They're early, by almost an hour." He knew they would but, not this early.

Jarod walks into the living room and is assaulted by fifty-thousand questions all at once. He lets out a shrilling whistle to stop the onslaught. Raising his hands, "Hey! One at a time. Right now she's asleep so just make yourselves comfortable," watching everyone sit down around the spacious den, "Why are you all here so early?" He notices a few shrug as the rest just look at him.

Micheal rolls over and opens her eyes. She sees two wide golden brown eyes starring back at her. She sits up and looks over the little boy, the dark brown hair, the light brown eyes, the chubby pink cheeks, the dimples in his cheeks when he smiles at her. He points his chubby baby finger at her, "Pretty... like picture."

"And just who are you? Where's your mommy?" she asks softly, lifting the little boy and sitting him down on the bed beside her. "I'm Jamie Parker. Sissy's talking to Uncle Jarod. Are you over your owie?" he asks smiling innocently, totally catching her off-guard. "What owie?"

"Did Uncle Jarod kiss it and make it better? That's what he did when I fell down and hurt my knee. See?" He raises his leg and points to his band-aid covered kneecap. "Sissy said you got owie. That's why you weren't home to meet me and Uncle Jarod said you'd be back soon and I could meet you then. So, your owie's gone?"

"No sweetie, it's not gone but it is getting better. I think I know where some cookies are. Would you like one?"

Jamie starts jumping up and down on the bed, smiling a smile only a child can, completely excited over just a cookie. Micheal grabs him swinging him around starting to giggle with him. She puts him on her hip, once she's figured out he doesn't want to walk, carrying him out of the bedroom heading to the kitchen for the cookie she'd promised. They stop in the doorway of the living room and see everybody chatting quietly, "Hey, is this a private party or can anyone join?" Micheal asks making everyone look up to her.

Parker jumps up when she sees Micheal holding her brother, "Jamie, did you wake Micheal up?" she asks sternly, her hands on her hips, frowning at the little boy. "Uh-oh" he mumbles, burying his face in Micheal's neck to avoid her frowning at him. "It's alright, I was already awake. I think he got bored with all you adults not paying any attention to him. We'll be right back." Micheal walks out with the little boy still clinging to her and sits him down on the counter opening a cabinet.

They walk back into the living room, each with a cookie. Micheal hands Jarod one then sits the little boy down on the ground. Jarod leans down to Jamie, "How's your owie Jamie?" He just nods at him, smiling, munching on his chocolate chip cookies. "Jamie come over here." Jarod and Jamie look over to Parker, both a little frightened at her tone of voice. Jamie hangs his head down as he walks over. Parker picks him up, sitting him on her lap whispering in his ear and he just nods at what she's saying. "Parker leave him alone. I swear I was already awake he didn't do anything bad." Micheal says trying to help the little boy, "I didn't know you had any kids." She looks down at her clothes, trying to figure out why everyone's looking at her, "What?"

"Baby, that's her brother. Mr. Parker and Brigitte's son, when he died Parker took him out of the Center to live with her." Jarod explains after remembering she was gone when all this happened.

Micheal flops down on a chair as it hits her, not really believing it was true. "What's wrong?" She looks up at Jarod's worried face, "I thought she was lying. I can't believe Sucker did it." She sees everyone's confusion, "Sucker, Sucker, you know. Blonde, well not really blonde but anyway, always has a sucker in her mouth. Come on, Sucker you've got to know her." Micheal looks at Parker knowing at least she's got to know her. "What do you know about Suc... I mean Brigitte?" Parker asks liking Micheal's nick-name better than her's, Troll."You mean besides the oblivious. That chick couldn't shut-up. I swear every time I was at the Center she was glued to me, chatting away about her and some guy she was going to marry. 'Oh he's so rich' 'Oh he's so powerful'" Micheal says in a whiney voice imitating Brigitte, "God she made me want to puke, especially that phony 'Luv' crap. I thought she'd learned her accent from old Benny Hill reruns on TV."

"What all did she tell you?" Parker asks really intrigued now. "Well, she tried get me to shopping with her for one, which I did not do. Then she wouldn't shut-up about her and her boyfriend, how great he was. I mean she was telling me everything they did, something about his black Porsche, I don't know, anyway I can't believe she married Mr. Parker. And that's her son."

Jarod, Parker, Sydney, and Broots exchange knowing looks. Mr. Parker didn't have a black Porsche, but Lyle did. "Oh man, then that's what they were really doing." Broots mutters to Parker. "I guess she was alright, she was always really nice to me or at least acted like she was happy to see me." Micheal comments shrugging, "Where is she?" she adds looking at Parker. Jarod leans over and whispers in Micheal's ear, telling her that she died during childbirth and that Parker was the one who delivered her brother. Micheal starts feeling guilty and leans back in the chair. I jumps up from her seat beside Broots and falls across the arms laying in Micheal's lap, hugging her tight. "You really know how to scare the shit out of somebody, don't you?" she teases smiling at her best friend, more like sister she thinks.

"Well, I see you're still married. That's a major feat in itself. I can't believe he's still putting up with you and all your quirks." Micheal teases back and pulls her ponytail. I grabs a hold of her braided hair and yanks on it, jerking her head back, bouncing on her lap, laughing and screaming in pain as Micheal yanks back. "Enough" Jarod announces sternly, trying to break up the ensuing fight. Micheal lets go of her hair and pushes her off her lap making her fall on her butt on the floor. "Ow, I'll get you for that." I swears laughing. "Bring it on, Picture-Girl." Micheal dares laughing.

I stands up rubbing her butt, "Don't make me say something you'll regret." I warns, arching her eyebrows, taunting her. "Fire away, just remember I know ALL your dirty little secrets too." she warns, smirking, standing up putting her hands on her hips. "Ooo... this is getting interesting." Emily squeals, leaning forward to listen better. Micheal looks over to her sister-in-law, "One word, Jeep." Emily shrinks back, glancing around at her family, starting to blush. "Micheal Mary" She swings around and sees her father standing on the top step of the archway entrance to the den. With her arms wide open runs full-speed at her father, smiling. She jumps into his arms wrapping her legs around his waist like a little kid, hugging him. He hugs her back trying to control his tears of joy at her being back with them.

The whole time he was reassuring a distraught Jarod, saying she'd come back to them, he was also trying to make himself believe it as well, never really sure. He was afraid this time she'd just slip away forever, not wanting to live after losing her child and the ability to have anymore. He was grateful for being so wrong. Micheal drops her legs still hugging him, starting to cry. Vincent strokes her hair, shushing her, whispering how he loves her and how everything is going to be alright, calming her instantly.

Parker tentatively taps Micheal on the shoulder to get her attention from the coffee she's making. Micheal turns her head looking over her shoulder. "Micheal has Jarod said anything to you about the two of you watching Jamie while I'm out the country?" Parker asks, kind of scared to bring up the subject, afraid it will upset her. "No he hasn't, but I'm not all that surprised he hasn't said anything. He was probably scared I'd freak out or something. Did he say that we would?" Parker nods, confirming that he had. "You want to watch him squirm a little?" Micheal asks getting an evil gleam in her eye. Parker throws her arm around her shoulders, "God, I love the way you think."

Jarod jumps up running into the kitchen hearing Micheal scream his name, as if she was in pain. "What is it? What's the matter?" he yells running in. He's at her side, hugging her, glaring at Parker who is just looking at Micheal's crying face in shock. "What did you say to her?" "Nothing, all I said was I asked her if you had talked to her about watching Jamie for me and I don't know," she shrugs, trying to not laugh at her performance, "She just freaked and started crying." Parker explains. "This is why I didn't say anything to her yet. Why did you bring it up at all?" He asks sternly. Micheal straightens up and wipes her fake tears away, smirking at him, "Because unlike you she wanted to ask me herself. Not make decisions for me, which is what you did by agreeing and not even consulting me. What about our trip? What are we going to do with a two-year-old for two weeks? Where's he going to sleep? Did you think of any of that? Or were you just thinking about all the junk food the two of you were going to eat?"

He backs against the counter as Micheal pokes him in the chest with every question, driving her point home. "So, what do you have to say for yourself?" she asks crossing her arms, acting angry. He goes to touch her and she backs up so he can't, "Micheal, please, I was only thinking about,"

"It sounds to me like you weren't thinking at all."

"Please let me explain. I thought you'd enjoy him being with us. You two seem to get along so well. And I forgot about our trip, I mean I still don't know where and when we are even going. I'm sorry. Please don't be mad at me, please?" Parker walks up behind Micheal laying her hand on her shoulder, "I think that's enough. He looks as though he's about to break out in tears." she mumbles into her hair. Micheal glares at him for a few more seconds before she breaks out into laughter, "OK Worm-Boy, you're off the hook. Besides I already told Parker we would take care of him and to take her time in Africa." She confesses, shocking the hell out of him. "What!... Then why did you" "Because you made a decision that affects my life without even talking to me first. So, I wanted to make you sweat a little." she explains sternly so he'll remember next time to talk to her first. "Worm on a hook," Parker laughs out, "That's a good one." she compliments still kind of laughing at Jarod's uncomfortable look as Micheal was ripping him a new one.

Micheal opens a drawer beside Jarod's hip and takes out a notepad and a pen. Looking over at Parker, she thinks about all the shopping she's going to have to do to get ready for their little boarder. "Ok, so what does he like to eat?" she asks trying to start with something small. She writes down everything Parker tells her of his favorite foods. "Is he in school?" "He's only 2." Parker answers confused. "Pre-school. Here what were they doing with him at the Center?" Parker shrugs as she answers, "I'm not really sure. When Daddy died I went and picked up Jamie the next day and he was sitting in the lobby waiting for me. I never saw where they were keeping him or what they were doing and when I ask him he just looks down and won't answer me." "You don't think that he would use his own son, do you?" Micheal asks mortified at the prospect of someone hurting that sweet little boy.

Parker and Jarod just look at Micheal giving her a look, saying yes he would if it helped him in anyway. "Sorry, Ok, back to him. Does he have a blanket or a stuffed animal that he can't live without?"

"He doesn't seem to. But, he does sleep with me allot. Now that I think about it, he's slept with me every night since I brought him home."

"I guess he'll be sleeping with us too." Jarod assumes slightly frowning. "You're leaving in 5 days right and staying for 2 weeks?" Micheal asks again just to make sure of how much time she'll have to get ready for him. Parker nods, "I might stay 3 I'm not sure yet. I depends on if they decide to give me a hard time about taking over my father's position as Director."

"OK, 3 weeks. Do you have any reservations about me taking him out of the state?"

Jarod and Parker both look at her confused, trying to figure out what she meant by taking him out the state. "I figured one week we could take him to Disney World. There's so much there it would take up some of the time we'll have him. Besides he told me how he really loves 'The Little Mermaid' and really wants to meet her. Where else is he going to meet her than at Disney World?" she explains, smiling at the two clueless people facing her.

Micheal finishes her list and reads it over for a second. "I didn't know there so much to taking care of a child." Jarod comments looking at Micheal flipping page after page of information she'd taken down about Jamie. Parker was actually surprised at how much she actually knew about him, answering her questions. "OK the last thing I'll need is his medical information. Ya'know, Doctor, allergies, medications he's on, that kind of thing." Micheal asks turning to the next clean sheet. She looks up when Parker doesn't say anything. "Do you know anything about physicals or immunizations he's received?" Parker shakes her head feeling like shit. It never even occurring to her that she would need to know that. "I'll be right back and don't be too hard on yourself, you didn't know and the only reason I do is because I read a book when I was... anyway I'll be right back." They watch her walking out of the kitchen, the door swinging from her departure.

Micheal walks back into the kitchen with computer print-outs in her hand, angry beyond words at the moment. She smiles seeing Jamie sitting on the counter and Jarod putting a new band-aid on his skint knee that really doesn't need a new one but wants one anyway. Micheal walks up and kisses his chubby cheek. Jamie wraps his little arms around her neck and clings to her as she starts to walk around the kitchen trying to find something to give him. She acts like she's going to drop him head first onto the floor as she bends down looking into the fridge, his little giggles making her smile at him, "I'm goin to drop you. You'd better hang on." she warns and lets go as he clings to her body with his arms and legs. Her arms only a few inches from his body but not close enough for him to feel them.

She finds an apple and sits him back on the counter and she cuts it up and gives him a piece for each hand. "Why don't you go into the living room and watch cartoons?"

"They are watching some show about aminals." he says frowning. Micheal taps her lips and he gives her a kiss, "I'll tell you what. You tell Sydney I said to let you watch the cartoon channel and if he doesn't you come back and tell me and I'll go in there and beat him up." she says playfully punching his stomach, smiling at him. She sits his feet on the floor, "Now tell Sydney what I said OK?" He nods as he starts to run to the living room yelling, "Nydney, she said I could watch cartoons now! Nydney, Nydney cartoons, now!" She laughs listening to the way he says Sydney.

Once he's gone her blood boils at how Mr. Parker could've allowed something to happen to that sweet little boy. She never thought she could kill someone in cold blood but if Mr. Parker was standing in front of her right now she'd rip him apart with her bare hands. Micheal turns looking at Parker and Jarod sitting around the table looking at her, "Be glad the son-of-a-bitch is dead because if he wasn't I'd kill him my-fucking-self. Tear his limbs from his body by hand and watch him bleed to fucking death and it still wouldn't be enough pain for him in my opinion." she informs them in no-uncertain-terms. Jarod looks at her frightened at her even being capable of thinking those things much less just the thought coming into her head. "Why would" Parker couldn't finish her question before Micheal throws the computer print-outs in front of her.

Parker feels like she's going to throw up as she reads just the first page. She looks back up to Micheal, "I think we would be killing each other over who was going to get to that son-of-a-bitch first." Parker comments disgusted, any loyalty she had for her father evaporated in her fury over what he allowed to happen to a baby, literally a 1 week old baby. "What did he" Jarod couldn't finish this time as Parker hands him the first page as she reads the next in a thick stack.

With every page Parker and Jarod become more and more disgusted and furious. Parker felt a little guilty for the time she blew up at Raines when all he was doing was trying to reverse the effects of the first experiment they had performed on him. They weakened his lungs so it was hard for him to breathe and Raines gave him a gas that he'd engineered to kill people by making them suffocate from their lungs being too relaxed to breathe and it turns out in a small dose helped Jamie relax enough to breathe, reversing the effects of some drug they'd given him to test the symptoms of SIDS on newborns.

"This is unbelievable." Jarod mutters as he lays the last page down. Micheal takes a folded page out of her back pocket, "THIS is what is unfuckingbelievable." She comments unfolding the paper. Micheal lays it flat on the table smoothing out the creases before sliding it over to Parker first. Parker looks at Micheal and the look she has on her face, the sorrow in her eyes. She looks down at the paper laying flat out in front of her. She scans the page and her eyes focus on the signature on the bottom. "Holy Mother of God" she whispers, hands gripping the edge of the table so hard her knuckles are white. Parker looks up at Micheal sitting there quietly, starring at her clasped hands on the surface of the wooden table, wishing she had never found out about this but feeling so sorry for Micheal for finding this out first.

Parker doesn't answer Jarod's questions of what it is, just slides the page across to him, only by the corner, not really wanting to even touch the paper it was on. Jarod reads and then re-reads it again not sure that's what he read the first time but the words were still the same the second and third time. "But why would they intentionally shoot you in the abdomen?" Jarod squeaks out, "And why was this in with Jamie's files?"

Micheal blinks back tears, clearing her choked up throat. She takes a deep breath and reaches out to Jamie's files again. Micheal lays a page in the middle that they both just overlooked because they already knew that information, or so they thought, "They didn't want you to have anymore children." her voice breaking on 'anymore' Jarod slides the page closer to him as he looks at Micheal. He finally looks down and sees it's Jamie's birth certificate and under Father's name: Russell, Jarod C., Mother: Donor Ovum (Surrogate Used) He goes to lay his hands on top of her's that are laying on the table. Micheal takes her hands away, wrapping her arms around her waist under the table. She laughs under her breath, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from crying, "It's kinda funny if you think about it," she keeps looking at the wood grain stringing threw the table, "All this time we thought I jumped in front of that guy when they were never after you, just me. Just me." He reaches out to her as she gets up and walks out of the kitchen.

"Just let her go Jarod." Parker says grabbing his arm stopping him from getting up from the table and going after her. Jarod slumps back into the chair, looking at the birth certificate laying in front of him. He still couldn't quite get that Jamie was his child, his son. "What do we do now?" Parker asks but already knows the answer. She had become very attached to Jamie in the weeks he'd been living with her. She'd seen it as her way of finally having a child even though he was her brother. But now, she knew Jarod would want Jamie to live with him and he was no longer her family which left her all alone and that was scaring her. "Um... We should just keep the plans we already have made for now. When you return from Africa we can, I mean all of us will sit down and figure everything out," he looks up to her face, "I know what I want but I'm not sure about Micheal. We'll talk and I'll see how she takes this." he explains calmly, even though he's being pulled into two different directions. One part of him wanting to go after Micheal and try to help her deal with this, the other wanting to find Jamie and hug him and tell him he's his father and that he loves him. "I need to go check on her." he mumbles getting up from the table.

Margaret walks into the kitchen just as Jarod was getting up from the table, "Is Jamie in here with you two?" she asks not very concerned but revises her feelings once she sees Jarod's face show panic. Him and Parker get up quickly starting to search the apartment. They stop in front of Jarod and Micheal's bedroom door. He cracks it open, peeking in so not to wake her if she's asleep. Parker pokes her head under his arm trying to see. They both break out into wide smiles at Micheal and Jamie laying cuddled up together on the huge bed watching cartoons on the TV in the entertainment center. Jarod slowly opens the door all the way and leans against the frame watching Micheal smoothing back the little boy's dark hair, him laying against her chest, his little hands gripping her button-up shirt.

Micheal turns her head looking at everyone standing there starring. She raises her finger to her lips, signaling to be quiet that he was asleep. Parker shuts the door to give them some privacy as Jarod walks into the bedroom. He walks around to the other side and sits down looking at the sleeping little boy, "He's so great Jarod, just like you." she whispers looking down at the little boy laying on her chest sleeping peacefully, wishing more than anything that he was her and Jarod's not some Center manipulation. "We need to talk about him Micheal." he whispers back, stroking his son's velvety hair, looking at his chubby baby face. He leans down and kisses his cheek. "I know what you want but what about Parker?" she asks softly watching how he's acting around the baby. "She knows I want to keep him but I told her we would all talk about it when she came back from Africa."

She takes his hand, gripping his wrist, "No Jarod, we need to talk to her about this now. She'll worry herself sick the whole time she's there thinking about this while she's gone. We need to decide if we really want him. Part-time. Full-time. Whatever, but we need to do this now not later. He's still trying to adjust to living with her and if you want him here than we need to do it before he gets too attached to her and won't understand why we are taking him away." she argues softly. He nods, hating it when she's right. "I don't want to hurt her. I know she's come to love him like he's her own."

"But he's yours Jarod, not hers and she'll understand that in time."

"What are you saying? That you want him here with us?" Micheal strokes his cheek as a tear falls down the side of her face, wanting nothing more than to have his son live with them. "Yes, that's what I'm saying."

"But Micheal, you're still recovering from the surgery and the..." he trails off just looking at her, at how beautifully she's smiling down at the toddler laying on her chest, the way she touches him so soft to not wake him up.