LJP- That's strange chapter 35 didn't come up. I did for me when I went to check. Well you didn't miss too much. A bit of information about how Keegan came to be. But it wasn't too terribly important. I'm not sure if Lyle is allowed to kill Cody. But I'm pretty sure that Cody is going to get killed off. I just haven't figured out by who yet.
Pretender Fanataic- You're back! And here's a new chapter for you. Glad you liked the pyromaniac triplets. And there will be more of Amy in this chapter and the up coming chapters.
CHAPTER 36
UNDERSTANDING
November 22, 2010
8:10pm
Blue Cove, Delaware
Russell Summer Home
Keegan sat in the back bedroom putting together a puzzle he had received from Mike and Maddie for his birthday. He had to admit that he found his one-thousand piece jigsaw puzzle less puzzling than the concept of family. His whole life Keegan had wanted nothing more that a family. He understood the biological aspects of family but what he couldn't understand was the unconditional love.
The fact that his family felt such love for him immediately after discovering who he was frightened the small boy to the core. If such love could be formed so quickly, so easily, just how easily could it be broken.
"Hi," Lex said knocking gently on the door to the room.
"Hi," Keegan said softly looking up from his puzzle. Lex smiled at his son's British accent. Secretly Lex hoped that Keegan would keep his accent.
"It would appear that you are a showoff just like your siblings and cousins," Lex commented crossing the floor and kneeling next to Keegan.
"What do you mean?" Keegan asked. Lex gestured at Keegan's puzzle. The little boy had turned all the pieces face side down, and was a little over quarter of the way complected with his puzzle.
"Your puzzle was meant to be done so that you could see the picture as you complete it. The lines and colors in the picture gives you clues to help you solve the puzzle," Lex explained.
"But that just makes it easy," Keegan protested.
"For you it makes it easy for normal people it makes it solvable," Lex said with a wry grin.
"Oh," Keegan said and went back to his puzzle. The two sat in comfortable silence for a while until Lex broke it.
"Keegan what's bothering you?" Lex asked.
"Nothing," Keegan replied not meeting his father's eyes. Lex took his index and forefinger and directed Keegan's head so that the boy was looking at his father. Keegan flinched at first from his father's touch, but then relaxed realizing that he father meant him no harm.
"Keegan I know something is bothering you. Please tell me," Lex begged.
"Will... he showed me what love is... But I still don't understand it, I-I don't know how it works. I-I don't understand how you ... how you came to love me," Keegan confessed as he stumbled for words.
"Keegan you are my son. How could I not love you?"
"How can you?" Keegan questioned. "Would you love me if I weren't you son? If I biologically was not your son would you have come to love me in the short frame of time that you did?"
"Keegan, I can't answer that," Lex replied honestly. "I'd like to think that I would love you my son or not. But that does not matter because you are my son and I do love you."
"But would you come to not love me just as quickly as you came to love me?" Keegan asked fear in his eyes.
"How could I not love you? Keegan there is nothing that you could do that could make me not love you," Lex told his son. "Okay?"
"Kay," Keegan said nodding his head. Lex pressed a kiss to his son's brow.
"So how about I help you out with this puzzle of yours?" Lex said lying on the floor next to Keegan.
November 22, 2010
8:15pm
Blue Cove, Delaware
Russell Summer Home
"Will," Came a soft voice, Will turned his attention form Keegan's files and to the little girl that stood next to him.
"What can I do for you Miss Amy?" Will asked his cousin lifting her up into his lap.
"What's wrong with my Jasa and my Jack?" Amy asked Will smiled slightly over the fact that Amy was quite possessive of the twins, but then sighed.
"Jason and Jack are trying to cope with what happened to them when they were taken," Will replied.
"What did the bad people do to my Jasa and my Jack?" Amy questioned.
"Well they hurt Jack's wrist, that's why it's in a cast. And the boys were hurt in other ways as well," Will explained trying to gloss over certain facts.
"Daddy says the bad men took my Jasa, and my Jack cause they're special like me. But Why did they hurt them? Jasa and Jack aren't bad," Amy stated as she tried to comprehend why anyone would want to hurt her cousins.
"The bad people hurt the boys to break their sprits. The bad people wanted for Jace and Jack to believe that no one was coming for them. They wanted for Jace and Jack to believe that they were meant to do work for the Centre," Will explained.
"But that's stupid 'cause my Jace and my Jack are too smart to believe that," Amy said confidently. Will didn't have the heart to tell the little girl that she was wrong. But it didn't matter because with one look at her cousin's face Amy realized that Jason and Jack did come to believe what they had been told.
Amy frowned she hated that the actions caused by the bad men who took her cousins had such an array of effects upon her family. She had believed that once the boys were rescued everything would go back to normal.
"Do you miss them?" Amy asked resting her head against Will's chest.
"Miss who sweetheart?" Will asked the five year old.
"Jasa, Jack and Pete," Amy stated. For a moment Will was surprised by Amy's words. For one they had a beauty to them for such a young child. And then there was the fact that the younger children never ceased to amaze him with just how much they understood. Will supposed that he really shouldn't be so shocked, he wasn't dealing with ordinary children. But still Amy's words had an effect on him.
"I miss the boys very much," Will replied.
"Don't worry we'll get them back. All of them body and soul" Amy reassured Will. "We have to," She whispered. And again Will was surprised by Amy's words.
'Amy has never been so... eloquent with her words,' Will thought 'It would seem that the boys abduction is having even more subtle effects.'
"Will?"
"Yes?"
"When are we going back home?" Amy asked.
"Soon," Will sighed, "Soon."
"Is it safe for us to go back home?" Amy questioned. Will didn't want to lie to his cousin. As a child of the Centre Will had been feed more lies than he could swallow. But he didn't want to frighten Amy with the truth either.
"Do you remember what Keegan told you earlier today, about how none of us will allow anything to happen to you or the others?" Will asked. Amy nodded his head. "Well he was right. I promise I won't let anything happen to you."
"Kay," Amy said and Will could see it in her eye's that Amy understood that Will did not answer her question.
A short while later Amy made her way to the room she would be sharing with Jason, Jack, and Keegan. There she found the three boys working on a puzzle -a new one, Keegan had finished his previous one- in silence.
"Can I help?" Amy asked the three boys. They nodded their heads in unison, like Alex, Amy noticed that Keegan was starting to have the same movements as Jason and Jack. And for a moment Amy found herself jealous.
"They're still yours," Keegan said reading Amy's thoughts. Amy smiled, she had to admit she had grown found of Keegan during the short time she had come to know him. "C-can I be yours too?" Keegan asked hesitantly.
"Sure," Amy said. And Keegan smiled shyly. Amy than laid down on the floor in between Jason and Jack. The four of them worked together in a comfortable silence for close to an hour before their mothers and fathers entered the room.
"Okay you four it's time for bed," Jen said picking Amy up.
"We're not...sleepy," Amy said yawning as Jen placed her in bed. The boys nodded agreeing.
"Sure you aren't," Jen said smiling wryly.
"Lullaby?" Keegan asked softly, he enjoyed the fact that each night he was sung to sleep.
"Will, will be up here in a little bit to sing the four of you to sleep," Julia told her little boy.
"The other's will be up in a bit to say good night as well," Lex informed the children.
"You two tucked in tight?" Jarod asked Jason and Jack. The twins nodded their heads, and Morgan and Jarod kissed each of the twins.
"Night Mommy. Night Daddy," Amy said yawning again.
"Night big girl," Sam told his daughter.
The sound of footsteps were heard and Morgan turned to see the Black Files, Will and Alley outside of the door.
"Looks like the second wave has arrived," Morgan noted. "Night boys. And remember Daddy and I are just across that hall okay."
The twins nodded their heads and Morgan kissed them once more, before leaving. With their parents gone Will, Alley and the Black Files entered the room.
"Hey you four why don't we fix this room to the way it should be huh?" Will suggested
"What do you mean?" Amy asked.
"I think the four of you can easily fit on to two beds," Alley said "So why don't we push two of the together?"
"Work's for us," Amy said answering for her and the three boys. Aaron, Alex, and Andros pushed the bed Jason and Jack was sharing up against Keegan's bed. Jeremiah went and picked Amy up out of her bed and placed her in between Jason and Keegan. Once everyone was re-tucked in they were bided goodnight by the Black Files, then Will and Alley proceeded to sing the little ones to sleep.
November 22, 2010
9:23pm
Blue Cove, Delaware
Russell Summer Home
Morgan reached for the phone and dialed the number for the safe house.
"Hello," Came a familiar voice.
"Hi Nicky," Morgan said softly.
"Morgan, how is everyone?" Nick asked his half sister.
"Good. The boys and Amy are sleeping, and the older kids are going through Keegan's file. How is everything there?"
"I hate to say it but with Amy gone things are easier. I swear her and Kat were about to rip each other's throats out," Nick replied. Morgan chuckled.
"Listen Nicky, is Dad awake still?" Morgan asked.
"Of course. He's old but he's not that old," Nick said.
"Let me talk to him, please."
"Sure thing let me get him for you," Nick said and put Morgan on hold as he went to get their father.
"Hello," Came the warm timber of Sydney's voice.
"Hi," Morgan said softly and for a moment she sounded like the little girl she was all those years ago.
"Morgan is everything alright?" Sydney asked concerned.
"Everything is fine Daddy. Or as fine as it can be expected," Morgan replied. "I just wanted to hear your voice."
"Ahh. Tell me then how are my grandchildren?"
"Up to no good as normal," Morgan said wryly. "According to Jarod your eldest grandchildren are to be engaged with in the next year."
"That's wonderful news," Sydney said cheerfully and heard Morgan huff on the other line. "I take it that you are not thrilled by this news?"
"William and Alyssa are too young to be thinking of marriage. They're only nineteen," Morgan argued.
"That they may be. But Morgan you and I both know that due to the circumstances surrounding their childhood, William and Alyssa were forced to grow up quickly," Sydney reminded her. "And because of that you and Jarod have been extremely supportive of William and Alyssa's open relationships with Jamie and Jeff."
"I know that. But is it wrong for me to want my babies to remain babies a little longer?"
"Of course not. But at the same time you must let grow. And letting them grow does not mean that you are letting go of them completely. But it does mean that you need to let go somewhat," Sydney told his daughter knowing that she was so frightened of losing her children. "I seriously doubt that with them getting married means that you will lose them."
"I know that. It's just that they are all growing up so quickly," Morgan said.
"Children do have a habit of doing that. Speaking of children I hear that we have a new addition to our family, Keegan I believe," Sydney prompted.
"He's such a sweetheart. And everyone loves him. Unfortunately Keegan's arrival has brought a bit of controversy between his father and the rest of the family," Morgan sighed.
"Alexander does not wish to tell Keegan who he truly is," Sydney stated. "It's not all that surprising. Alexander still grieves for the son he lost. He see's Keegan as a second chance to make up for the death of Markus."
"Yes but Lex doesn't understand that he is not the only person in this family who sees Keegan as a second chance. Julia feels the same way as does Mike and Maddie. Then there is Jake, even though he was a baby at the time Markus was born he still blames himself for Markus's death. All of us understand how Lex feel's not only did he lose a son but he missed out on years of his children's childhood. He needs to understand that all of us have been in the same boat one time or another," Morgan said.
"Then why don't you tell him that?" Sydney asked.
"I've just been so focused on the twins, Peter and everything with Will and Jeff I haven't had the time not energy to get into a debate with Lex. And speaking of Jeff why didn't you tell us about the time he ran away?" Morgan question.
"Ah so young Jeffery has finally come clean. It was hard for him to know what he had done, and it frightened him that he would be rejected by the people he had come to love. I agreed to keep his past secret so long as he would eventually tell Alyssa before the two ever wed," Sydney answered.
"So you're the culprit who has been placing the seeds of marriage into my children's heads," Morgan said.
"I did none of the sort. I love you dearly Morgan but sometimes you don't always see what is right in front of you," Sydney told her.
"I don't know what you are talking about," Morgan huffed.
"For so long you refused to see the love that Jarod held for you and you for him. I doubt sometimes that if not for your children the two of you ever would have gotten together due to your stubbornness. And when Alyssa and William began dating Jeffery and Jamie you -and Jarod- were unable to see just how serious it was. The news of their future engagement may come as a shock to you and Jarod but it's not much of a surprise to the rest of us," Sydney said.
"I'm just happy my other children haven't started dating yet. I don't think I could handle it right now," Morgan sighed.
"You may still have a year or two before that occurs. I doubt that if not for finding Jamie and Jeffery that William and Alyssa would have started to date. The four of them were lucky to find someone who understood the horrors that they experienced as children," Sydney replied.
"Now how are Zane and Gabriel?"
"Sleeping. They may sleep through the night with Amy here. They missed here so much, even though they aren't talking you can see just how much they missed her," Morgan said.
"The three of them are rather close. Almost as close as Aaron-Daniel, Andros, and Alexandra," Sydney commented.
"That they are," Morgan agreed. "Well Daddy I need to go,"
"Of course. Will I be seeing you soon?"
"Hopefully. We want to bring the kids home by next week. But we still think that it's best for the family to be split between the safe house and the mansion. I would like for you to be there though when we arrive home," Morgan told him.
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Sydney said. "Would you like for me to bring Christopher and Debbie with me as well?"
"I think that would be best," Morgan said as her thoughts went to Keegan.
Up Next: Our three favorite clones are having a few problems. Sydney tells Chris and Debbie the truth about Keegan, and the news has quite an effect on Chris. Benny's having bad dreams. And Keegan gets frightened horribly by someone in his family.
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