Lyle gave nod and sat down on one of the empty spots. Everyone, including
Catherine, looked at him as though he were a serpent.
"How is this possible?" Sydney cried.
Margaret sighed, "Elizabeth Smith was a school teacher in Blue Cove. They had an affair. Jacob knew nothing of the child's existence and Elizabeth died giving birth to her. Evelyn was raised in a foster home in New Jersey before she came to work at the Centre."
Parker and Sydney both tried to grasp this information. Parker's little brother, correction cousin, was actually Sydney's nephew!? Parker closed her eyes in pain, "I don't know how many more of these daytime soap twists, surprises, and revelations I can take."
"That should be about the last shocker." Catherine put in, "If that helps."
Jarod got up and opened up his medic bag nearby and pulled out a tube filled with a bright yellow liquid. "Don't even think about it." Lyle said.
Jarod turned to Ethan and Kyle, "A little help?"
Ethan grabbed Lyle's arms while Kyle grasped his legs and the two men pinned down the nine-fingered man as Jarod injected him with the liquid in the tube to make him sleep. Ethan and Kyle hauled Lyle back up to his bedroom and tied him to keep him there.
When the two returned the group settled back into their discussion. Margaret and Catherine pointed out the sorts of crimes that had been committed by the Centre and Catherine confessed that there was a government agent willing to take a look at this proof and was willing to put people behind bars.
After much talk and discussion it was realized that the crimes listed would only punish those nearest the top and those in Africa. Margaret placed the documents in a new envelope, addressed it, and mailed it the next morning.
The day went by fine enough until a team of sweepers burst into the house. Parker jumped as Raines entered, dragging behind him his precious oxygen tank. "Well, well living with the enemy are we?"
Catherine Parker stepped out from the laundry room and said, "And you haven't changed a bit."
Raines jumped at the sound of the voice and stared at his old victim, "Holy shit!" He swore. "How's this possible? I-I-I shot you! I killed you."
"Oh Will you never were an accurate won were you?" Margaret asked, coming down the stairs. Raines paled even more, if that was even possible. It was all over now and he knew it. They all knew it.
The sweepers were unwilling to admit defeat and soon held everyone pinned back and Lyle was loose.
Kate Pike was not going to let them come in here and still the family she had just found. Oh no. Not today. Not any day. She let loose a shriek that startled everyone and kicked her leg high up, hitting the sweeper who was holding her, straight it the face.
The room was soon engulfed in chaos. Parker, following her sister's lead, kicked her leg higher than she had though humanly possible. Willie fell to ground and she grabbed for his gun. The wrestled for it for a few moments before Parker caught it in her hand.
Parker stood up, foot on Willie's chest, looking for someway to help someone but everyone was engulfed in their own battle. Willie took advantage of standing up and slammed his fist into her weak knee. She collapsed on the floor and Willie was on her in a second.
Relief came a few moments later when sirens came blaring through and the house was suddenly filled with men and women in blue uniforms.
Two men pulled Willie off Parker and she got up. "NO!" She cried as she glanced down at a frail looking Kate. She scurried over, quickly joined by Ethan, Ben, and Catherine. "Kate. Oh god." She lifted her younger sister's head into her lap.
The younger woman moaned slightly as she looked up at her identical. Parker brushed away the blood from her lips but that wouldn't stop the bleeding that was coming from her stomach. Ethan applied pressure to the wound as Ben cried, "Get an ambulance!"
Kate smiled faintly at her family, "Thank you." She whispered. "For being my family. I-I-" She faltered for the words she needed to complete her sentence. "I love you all." She whispered. "I will-" She paused as she sucked in deep breath, "I'll always be." But her voice drifted off as her soul left her body.
A cry of anguish left Catherine Parker's lips only seconds later.
Jarod watched all this with tears falling down his cheeks. First Zoe and now Kate.
"Jarod!" Harm cried, fighting his way to Jarod. He clapped the man on the back.
"You called the police." It wasn't a question.
Mac, standing behind Harm, nodded, "Yeah. We came by but we saw a lot of freaky men watching the house so we-" She dropped off in mid sentence as she stared down, "Oh.Kate."
Harms attention was riveted to the floor at Kate's body. "Oh no."
***
Kate's funeral was held a few days later. Harm contacted her adoptive parents, who did attend the funeral. When they saw Miss Parker they nearly dropped dead themselves. "You must be Kate's sister."
Parker nodded, "Yes. My name is Merriam. And this is Kate's-" It seemed rather rude to introduce Catherine and Ben as Kate's parents to her adoptive parents. "Biological parents." Parker decided on. "Catherine Parker and Ben Miller."
The four of them shook hands, "May I ask you something?" Kate's mother asked.
"Anything you like." Catherine replied.
"Why did you give up Kaitlin?"
"I didn't. She was kidnapped from me when she was little."
"Oh." Her hand fluttered to her mouth. "I'm sorry. We didn't know."
Catherine patted the other woman's shoulder as she fought back her own tears, "I know."
The funeral was rather simple and short. Kate's headstone simply read. Kaitlin Marie Pike. Birth January 4, 1963. Death June 15, 2002.
Parker closed her eyes, "Rest in peace Kaitlin."
***
Two days after Kate's funeral Jarod finally told his family and Parker about Katie Margaret. Emily clucked her tongue, "I thought there was something fishy about the way she had been eating."
Charles shook his head, but he was smiling. "Well let us retrieve that daughter of yours shall we?"
They looked quite a site in that little town when they arrived. Charles, Margaret, Emily, Ethan, Kyle, Jarod, and Jay. Zoe's grandmother was sitting on the porch when they arrived. She embraced Jarod warmly. "It's so good to see you." She looked at the others and then back at Jarod, the question on her face.
Jarod introduced them, "These are my parents Margaret and Charles, my sister Emily, and my brothers Ethan, Kyle, and Jay."
She invited them all in for tea and when they entered Jarod was sorry he had. Linda glared up at him from the couch. She sent her husband up to retrieve Katie. "Oh." Margaret breathed, "She's perfect." Margaret scooped her up out of Jarod's arms.
"Well, Jarod," Linda said in a disapproving voice, "is the danger over with now?"
Jarod shot her a smug look, "Yes. I will be taking Katie with me when I go."
Linda nodded, "Where will you go?"
Jarod's family all exchanged puzzled looks. They hadn't really gotten that far. "We're not sure yet." Jarod answered.
Linda crossed her arms, "You are not going to turn my niece into her mother!" She snapped.
Jarod opened his mouth to argue that he'd rather have Katie turn out like her mother than like Linda but thought better of it and replied, "We'll be settling down somewhere soon. I'm sure."
They left that afternoon with the promise that Katie would come back for a visit later that year.
THE END
"How is this possible?" Sydney cried.
Margaret sighed, "Elizabeth Smith was a school teacher in Blue Cove. They had an affair. Jacob knew nothing of the child's existence and Elizabeth died giving birth to her. Evelyn was raised in a foster home in New Jersey before she came to work at the Centre."
Parker and Sydney both tried to grasp this information. Parker's little brother, correction cousin, was actually Sydney's nephew!? Parker closed her eyes in pain, "I don't know how many more of these daytime soap twists, surprises, and revelations I can take."
"That should be about the last shocker." Catherine put in, "If that helps."
Jarod got up and opened up his medic bag nearby and pulled out a tube filled with a bright yellow liquid. "Don't even think about it." Lyle said.
Jarod turned to Ethan and Kyle, "A little help?"
Ethan grabbed Lyle's arms while Kyle grasped his legs and the two men pinned down the nine-fingered man as Jarod injected him with the liquid in the tube to make him sleep. Ethan and Kyle hauled Lyle back up to his bedroom and tied him to keep him there.
When the two returned the group settled back into their discussion. Margaret and Catherine pointed out the sorts of crimes that had been committed by the Centre and Catherine confessed that there was a government agent willing to take a look at this proof and was willing to put people behind bars.
After much talk and discussion it was realized that the crimes listed would only punish those nearest the top and those in Africa. Margaret placed the documents in a new envelope, addressed it, and mailed it the next morning.
The day went by fine enough until a team of sweepers burst into the house. Parker jumped as Raines entered, dragging behind him his precious oxygen tank. "Well, well living with the enemy are we?"
Catherine Parker stepped out from the laundry room and said, "And you haven't changed a bit."
Raines jumped at the sound of the voice and stared at his old victim, "Holy shit!" He swore. "How's this possible? I-I-I shot you! I killed you."
"Oh Will you never were an accurate won were you?" Margaret asked, coming down the stairs. Raines paled even more, if that was even possible. It was all over now and he knew it. They all knew it.
The sweepers were unwilling to admit defeat and soon held everyone pinned back and Lyle was loose.
Kate Pike was not going to let them come in here and still the family she had just found. Oh no. Not today. Not any day. She let loose a shriek that startled everyone and kicked her leg high up, hitting the sweeper who was holding her, straight it the face.
The room was soon engulfed in chaos. Parker, following her sister's lead, kicked her leg higher than she had though humanly possible. Willie fell to ground and she grabbed for his gun. The wrestled for it for a few moments before Parker caught it in her hand.
Parker stood up, foot on Willie's chest, looking for someway to help someone but everyone was engulfed in their own battle. Willie took advantage of standing up and slammed his fist into her weak knee. She collapsed on the floor and Willie was on her in a second.
Relief came a few moments later when sirens came blaring through and the house was suddenly filled with men and women in blue uniforms.
Two men pulled Willie off Parker and she got up. "NO!" She cried as she glanced down at a frail looking Kate. She scurried over, quickly joined by Ethan, Ben, and Catherine. "Kate. Oh god." She lifted her younger sister's head into her lap.
The younger woman moaned slightly as she looked up at her identical. Parker brushed away the blood from her lips but that wouldn't stop the bleeding that was coming from her stomach. Ethan applied pressure to the wound as Ben cried, "Get an ambulance!"
Kate smiled faintly at her family, "Thank you." She whispered. "For being my family. I-I-" She faltered for the words she needed to complete her sentence. "I love you all." She whispered. "I will-" She paused as she sucked in deep breath, "I'll always be." But her voice drifted off as her soul left her body.
A cry of anguish left Catherine Parker's lips only seconds later.
Jarod watched all this with tears falling down his cheeks. First Zoe and now Kate.
"Jarod!" Harm cried, fighting his way to Jarod. He clapped the man on the back.
"You called the police." It wasn't a question.
Mac, standing behind Harm, nodded, "Yeah. We came by but we saw a lot of freaky men watching the house so we-" She dropped off in mid sentence as she stared down, "Oh.Kate."
Harms attention was riveted to the floor at Kate's body. "Oh no."
***
Kate's funeral was held a few days later. Harm contacted her adoptive parents, who did attend the funeral. When they saw Miss Parker they nearly dropped dead themselves. "You must be Kate's sister."
Parker nodded, "Yes. My name is Merriam. And this is Kate's-" It seemed rather rude to introduce Catherine and Ben as Kate's parents to her adoptive parents. "Biological parents." Parker decided on. "Catherine Parker and Ben Miller."
The four of them shook hands, "May I ask you something?" Kate's mother asked.
"Anything you like." Catherine replied.
"Why did you give up Kaitlin?"
"I didn't. She was kidnapped from me when she was little."
"Oh." Her hand fluttered to her mouth. "I'm sorry. We didn't know."
Catherine patted the other woman's shoulder as she fought back her own tears, "I know."
The funeral was rather simple and short. Kate's headstone simply read. Kaitlin Marie Pike. Birth January 4, 1963. Death June 15, 2002.
Parker closed her eyes, "Rest in peace Kaitlin."
***
Two days after Kate's funeral Jarod finally told his family and Parker about Katie Margaret. Emily clucked her tongue, "I thought there was something fishy about the way she had been eating."
Charles shook his head, but he was smiling. "Well let us retrieve that daughter of yours shall we?"
They looked quite a site in that little town when they arrived. Charles, Margaret, Emily, Ethan, Kyle, Jarod, and Jay. Zoe's grandmother was sitting on the porch when they arrived. She embraced Jarod warmly. "It's so good to see you." She looked at the others and then back at Jarod, the question on her face.
Jarod introduced them, "These are my parents Margaret and Charles, my sister Emily, and my brothers Ethan, Kyle, and Jay."
She invited them all in for tea and when they entered Jarod was sorry he had. Linda glared up at him from the couch. She sent her husband up to retrieve Katie. "Oh." Margaret breathed, "She's perfect." Margaret scooped her up out of Jarod's arms.
"Well, Jarod," Linda said in a disapproving voice, "is the danger over with now?"
Jarod shot her a smug look, "Yes. I will be taking Katie with me when I go."
Linda nodded, "Where will you go?"
Jarod's family all exchanged puzzled looks. They hadn't really gotten that far. "We're not sure yet." Jarod answered.
Linda crossed her arms, "You are not going to turn my niece into her mother!" She snapped.
Jarod opened his mouth to argue that he'd rather have Katie turn out like her mother than like Linda but thought better of it and replied, "We'll be settling down somewhere soon. I'm sure."
They left that afternoon with the promise that Katie would come back for a visit later that year.
THE END