Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. I'm just borrowing them. I don't get paid for these stories; this is purely for entertainment purposes.
Author: Kimmi
Feedback: Yes please.
Rating: PG13
Authors note: Here is another part. I hope you enjoy it.
Summary: Plans for the downfall of the Centre are coming to an end. Something happens to Chrissie that ends up with her having to go to hospital and have a near death experience. Jarod sends someone to look after Chrissie and where's Sydney?
Strange Things Happen
Part 14
Broots sat in his hole at his computer. He looked around him to make sure no one could see him. He tapped the side of his computer impatiently. He needed everything to be perfect. His computer beeped making him jump. He checked the final details one last time. Everything was how Jarod had wanted them. He saved the final details and pocketed them. His part in the downfall of the Centre was complete. He picked up is phone and dialled.
"Lyle? The package is finished." He hung up knowing that Lyle knew what he was talking about.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Chrissie went through the last of the things she'd need for the final stages. She heard someone walking into the office and sat down quickly putting the files she'd just taken under her shirt. Mr. Parker walked in looking shocked to see her in his office.
"Tina, what are you doing here?" Chrissie had to think fast.
"I'm I here because I wanted to ask you something." Mr. Parker sighed and crossed his office to sit behind his desk.
"Ask me something? Well go ahead, but hurry up." Chrissie sighed. She knew she was going to get away with it.
"I was wondering if I could visit my family when the twins are born. I promised my mother I would…" Mr. Parker sighed and waved his hand over his head.
"We'll see, now if that's all you wanted…" Chrissie got up slowly but it was as fast as she could.
"That's all." She walked out the room. As soon as she was clear she called Broots.
"The filling is in." She hung up the phone and walked to her office.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Lyle finished writing the letter that was needed for the plan to bring down the Centre. He put it in an envelope and sealed it. He put it securely in his briefcase. He was satisfied that his part was out of the way. He'd already had the call meaning that Broots was done with his part as well. He just hoped that Chrissie could get her part out of the way as well. Her part was to find some files from Mr. Parker's home and office. She had the most access for both; Lyle was just worried that it was the most dangerous. If Mr. Parker caught her then she would be in trouble. He knew that she could get through it safely; he was just worried if she didn't. He also hoped that Jarod could do his part. He if couldn't, all the other parts would be useless. He picked up his phone and dialled Jarod's number.
"The memo has been written." He hung up and walked out of his office. He smiled as he realised that no one in the Centre knew what would be happening in a few days.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Jarod was talking to his boss in his latest pretend. He finished off the deal he had made. He smiled knowing that, if everything went according to plan, the Centre would be no more. He picked up his phone and called Miss Parker.
"The deal has been made." He looked around as the people there was already getting ready for the package that Jarod told them would be coming. All that he needed to do now was waiting for the package himself. He knew that Lyle had done his part he just hoped that the others could do their own parts.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Chrissie met up with Broots outside the Centre. They were in the park, Chrissie watching Lockie play and Broots walking with Debbie. He walked over to Chrissie and handed her the disk that he had been working on. Chrissie smiled. She patted her bag showing that she had her part. Broots smiled and continued walking. Later Chrissie met up with Sydney, who was sitting on a bench. She passed him and sat on the bench with him. She handed him the disk from Broots and the files from Mr. Parker's office that she had stolen. He nodded and left the park with the two things he went to collect. Later Sydney met up with Lyle and received the letter that would be accompanied with the files and the disk. He sent it off immediately to the address where Miss Parker would receive it. He was happy that his part in the downfall of the Centre was complete. He just wished he could have done more.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Chrissie sat down with Lockie and started to read him his bed time story. He was asleep within minutes. She lay with him for a while basking in what she knew would be one of the last moments of quiet in a while. She kissed his forehead and started to get up. She felt a sharp pain in her stomach. She immediately clutched her stomach in fear. She managed to get off the bed but she couldn't get further from the floor. Tears started streaming down her cheeks. She felt like everything was coming to an end.
"Tina, are you still in here? You spend too much time in here with…" Mr. Parker spotted Chrissie on the ground, not moving with her hands on her stomach. He immediately called an ambulance. He had no idea what was going on.
"Hold on Chrissie, just hold on. You'll be alright. Think of Lyle, Lockie, the twins and the life you're all going to have together. Hold on do you hear me? I'll try to get Lyle to come; I just hope he's listening to his Inner Sense." Chrissie could only here Catherine Parkers voice slightly. She tried to hold on as much as she could.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"What's her name?" The paramedics had arrived with stretchers. Mr. Parker was in a state of shock. Lockie woke up and saw the commotion in his room and got scared. He saw Chrissie lying on the ground and started crying.
"Her name's Christina." The paramedics checked her vitals and put her on the stretcher.
"Okay Christina, I need you to hold on. How far along is she?" Mr. Parker shook his head. He didn't know exactly how far along she was.
"She's almost due. There's only a few weeks left." The paramedics nodded and started checking her stomach.
"Alright, Christina, keep holding on for the babies. What happened to her?" Mr. Parker shrugged.
"I came in and found her on the ground." The paramedics started wheeling her out of the room.
"We need to get her to the hospital immediately. Sir if you could call her husband or something…" Mr. Parker got angry.
"I am her husband. What did you think I am?" One of the paramedics blushed.
"Sorry sir I just assumed… I mean she's so much younger than you…" Mr. Parker was about to say something when he heard Lyle calling from the bottom of the stairs.
"Hey dad, I just came around to… oh my god, what happened?" Lyle was shocked to see what was happening. He had had an overwhelming sense of panic about Chrissie and he also felt the urge to make sure she was alright.
"We're not sure." Lockie ran down the stairs trying to stay with Chrissie. He saw Lyle and ran to him. Lyle picked him up and hugged him. He stroked his back trying to soothe him.
"What's happening to Mamma?" Lyle hugged him.
"I don't know. Hey dad, I'll take Lockie with me to the hospital so he can be close to Chrissie." Mr. Parker waved his hand not caring what happened to the boy. All he cared about were the babies that Chrissie was carrying.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Chrissie was walking through a mist. She had no idea where she was and even scarier to her was the fact that she wasn't pregnant anymore. She looked around her trying to find something familiar to her; she found nothing. She heard a voice calling her so she followed it.
"My little Princess has finally made it to me." Chrissie was shocked by who she saw.
"Daddy, is that you." She rubbed her eyes. Her father walked closer to her and hugged her.
"Yes it's me Princess." Tears ran down her cheeks and she hugged him tighter. She felt his face to try and see if it was real.
"Where am I Daddy?" Her father smiled and released her.
"You haven't figured it out yet Princess?" Chrissie shook her head. "You're dead." Chrissie was shocked. She took steps away from her father, shaking her head.
"No, I can't be dead. What about Braden and Chloe? What about Lockie? What about Lyle?" Her father took another step towards her.
"The twins are… you'll see them later. They'll join us." Chrissie shook her head not believing what was happening. "Lockie has lost a mother before, he'll be alright, and he has his sister and Jarod and everyone." Chrissie tried to get away from her father. "And Lyle… well Lyle will move on as well. Just like your mother had to when I died." Chrissie fell to the floor and started weeping.
"No, I don't believe you. Catherine told me to hold on and that everything would be alright. I held on. I held on goddammit." Her father stooped in front of her. He held her in his arms.
"Would it be more comforting if you saw what was happening?" Chrissie nodded. Her father helped her up and led her to a lake. "Look through here." Chrissie wiped her eyes and looked.
"Come on Christina, hold on. We're losing her." One of the paramedics was trying his best to revive her.
"Think of your children." The other one was trying to see if he could deliver the twins early. Chrissie cried.
"Can I… can I see Lockie and Lyle?" Her father nodded and swept his arm changing the scene to Lyle's car. Lockie was crying.
"Don't cry Lockie. I'm sure your mother's fine. Think of something happy. Think of what it will be like when we can be a real family, me, and you, your mother, Braden and Chloe." Lockie smiled and Lyle stroked his head. Tears ran down Chrissie's cheeks again.
"This can't be happening. I love them too much to leave them. I'm not leaving them." She reached out to touch the image. Her father pulled her back.
"It's not that easy Chrissie. You can't just go back that way…" Chrissie slumped and sat on the floor crying. Something clicked in Chrissie's mind… he had said 'that way'.
"But I can go back? Just not through there?" Her father looked to the ground. He nodded slowly.
"It won't be the same as before…" Chrissie stood up and took her father by the arms.
"I'm not leaving them. What do I do?" Her father sighed and realised himself from her.
"You're as stubborn as I am. I was just too cowardly to do this… you won't be you. You can trade your soul for another. You can be… reborn. You have a choice. You can trade your soul for one of the children you are carrying… which ever one you don't choose will die, you can only save one." Chrissie covered her mouth. She couldn't believe it. Her father continued. "If you don't want to choose between the two then you could always become Miranda and Jarod's child. You'll stay within the family that way." Chrissie sat down again and let the tears flow freely. She didn't know what to do.
"What happened to me to make me come here?" Her father shrugged. He looked back to where the images were being played.
"Listen Princess, I don't know what happened, all I know is that it did. And I also know that you've got to make your decision now." He pointed towards the image. She could see that her body had arrived at the hospital but she was flat lining. "You can stay here with me, choose between your two children or you could choose to be Miranda and Jarod's." Chrissie shook her head. There was a whispering in her head. She couldn't understand it properly. She concentrated on the voice.
"Hold on Chrissie, just hold on. You'll be alright. Think of Lyle, Lockie, the twins and the life you're all going to have together. Hold on do you hear me? You have to fight." Something seemed to push Chrissie back to lie down. She couldn't seem to keep her eyes open. Everything around her was becoming fuzzy. She started hearing the beeping she heard before but it was clearer now, it sounded closer.
"You made your decision, Princess." The beeping around her slowed to just a few beeps instead of just one.
Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep.
"I don't… I don't understand. I was just about to call it." Her eyes felt heavy but she managed to open them a bit. She looked to her side and saw machines she was hooked up to. She saw Mr. Parker talking to one of the paramedics that she saw earlier when she was with her father and another doctor. Lyle and Lockie were just outside sitting on a chair. Her stomach was also hooked up to a machine.
"Will the babies be alright? What if this happens again? Will you be able to deliver the babies?" Chrissie knew that all Mr. Parker would be interested in would be the twins but she just couldn't help but feel angry. The twins! She was starting to become scared, she couldn't hear the twins.
"Mr. Parker calm down. Christina has just basically come back from the dead. We're not about to just send her home without making sure she's okay. She'll stay here for a few days and… if need be we'll deliver the babies." Mr. Parker smiled.
"Good, if anything happens call me." He turned to leave. Chrissie saw the doctor and the paramedic exchange an odd look.
"But don't you… don't you want to stay with her?" Mr. Parker shook his head.
"Like I said, if anything happens call me." He walked out the door not stopping or looking back. The doctor stood in shock for a moment then he went back over to Chrissie. He smiled when he saw her eyes open.
"Well, well Christina, you gave us quite a scare didn't you?" Chrissie tried to speak but she found that something was in her mouth. The doctor calmed her. "Don't try to speak. Christina you just basically died. Now I'm not sure what happened so we're going to be running some tests to make sure you and the babies are okay. Do you understand Christina?" Chrissie tried to speak again but the doctor stopped her.
"She doesn't like being called Christina. It's Chrissie." Chrissie looked towards the door and saw Lyle there clutching Lockie. The doctor walked to the door.
"I'm sorry you're going to have to come back later. She needs her rest." Lyle smiled and nodded.
"Can we see her for a minute? Lockie here is worried about his mother." The doctor smiled and moved out of the way.
"Just for a little while, alright?" He walked out the door, shutting it behind him. Lyle watched him go then he closed the blinds and walked over to the bed. Lockie put his head on Chrissie's stomach and hugged her tightly. Chrissie stroked his head. Lyle sat down next to her and held her hand, stroking it gently.
"You scared me so much." He leant down and kissed her head. Chrissie tried to speak but couldn't because of the tube in her mouth so she took it out.
"I scared me." Lyle smiled and kissed her again. "Lyle, the twins, I can't hear the twins. I've tried to reach out to them but I can't. What if… what if something happened to them?" Tears ran down her cheeks. Lyle wiped them away and kissed her forehead.
"I'll make sure nothing happened to them, but if something did happen, I'll kill Mr. Parker myself."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Jarod hung up the phone and was positively worried. Lyle had told him about what had happened with Chrissie. He needed to make sure she was alright and make sure that no one from the Centre would tamper with anything to do with her. He just wished that he could go and make sure she was alright but he couldn't. He got an idea of how he could check up on her without actually being there himself.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Broots and Debbie were sitting with Chrissie. She had been there for two days and she wasn't allowed to go anywhere other than inside the hospital grounds. She was having many tests run trying to figure out just what happened to her.
"Excuse me, Mrs Parker?" Chrissie looked up and saw a young man standing in the doorway. He looked somewhat familiar but she couldn't figure out where from. He closed the door behind him and looked out into the hallway.
"Yes that's me. How can I help you?" He was wearing a face mask and he lowered it. Broots gasped at who it was. The feeling that Chrissie knew him increased when she actually saw his face, but she still couldn't figure out where she knew him from.
"I'm an, uh, intern here and a friend of mine wanted me to look after you personally." Chrissie nodded but was very wary of him. The way he kept looking out the door was unnerving.
"Okay, I don't know what you could do. The usual doctors are taking care of me." The intern smiled and walked over to the bed.
"Well, this friend was very insistent that I make sure everything's okay." Chrissie wondered who this 'friend' was. She couldn't think of why anyone would want her to monitored, unless they were from the Centre.
"Um, is this 'friend' a doctor?" The intern smirked. Chrissie knew that smirk. But she didn't know how this person could have that smirk.
"Not today." Broots, who had been staring agape, finally spoke up.
"Y-you're… G-Gemini, aren't you?" The interns face soured.
"My name is JJ Mr. Broots." He noticed Chrissie not understanding. "I'm Jarod's clone. He sent me here to make sure the Centre didn't tamper with medical tests or anything." Chrissie smiled. She remembered hearing about Jarod's clone. She sat up.
"It's very nice to meet you JJ. Jarod could have told me he was sending you." The smirk on JJ's face returned.
"He wanted me to do it. He was busy anyway. Plans to…," he looked around him to make sure no one else could hear him, but because Chrissie had a private room and because the door was closed no one could. "Plans to bring down the Centre are coming to an end." Chrissie nodded and tried to get up. All three members in the room tried to push her back down.
"Where do you think you're going Chrissie?" Chrissie looked at Debbie and sighed.
"I can't just stay here while the Centre's going down. I've got to help. I've got to…" Broots pushed her forcefully, but not too much, back.
"Chrissie, you've done your part, so have I. There's nothing for you to do. Leave everything to Lyle and Jarod." Chrissie sighed and relaxed in the bed.
"I know it's just that… I want to make sure everything goes down the way it's supposed to. I feel so helpless just sitting in here doing nothing. I need to make sure Mr. Parker gets what's coming to him." Broots took her hand and forced him to look in his eyes.
"You know Lyle will make sure he will. Lyle wants to make sure he goes down as much as you do. You have to stay here for the twins and for yourself." Chrissie nodded but that got her thinking. The twins still hadn't communicated with her since she had come to the hospital. She was past worried and was now downright terrified.
"JJ, did Jarod tell you about the… connection I have with the twins?" JJ nodded and looked at her stomach as though he had just realized it was there.
"They have the 'Inner Sense' so they can talk to you." Chrissie nodded.
"They usually do, although since what happened I can't reach out to them. I'm getting scared." JJ nodded and let doctor mode take over.
"I'll have to get those results of your tests and analyse them myself, then I'll have to run some of my own that would show what's happened to the 'Inner Sense' of the twins." Chrissie nodded. She leant back on the bed and began rubbing her stomach trying to get a response from the twins. Still nothing, they hadn't even kicked since she arrived at the hospital. A few tears welled in her eyes but she wiped them away quickly. Debbie noticed this and took her hand, squeezing gently.
"It's alright Chrissie. The doctors would be able to tell if anything happened to them. And JJ here can do those tests." She looked towards JJ and smiled. JJ smiled back and nodded.
"I'll get started on the tests the hospital has already done. I can analyse the results here. I'll get back to you as soon as I can." He turned to leave the room but was blocked by Joe the sweeper standing in his way. He had just entered the room with Lockie in tow. JJ panicked.
"Chrissie, Lockie wanted to see you. He's been complaining all day. It's alright that I brought him isn't it?" Lockie flew past JJ and Joe and into his mother's arms. Chrissie hugged him tightly and nodded.
"It's fine Joe." JJ was eyeing the sweeper suspiciously and Joe was not sure who the young man was. "Joe, could you join me over here for a moment and close the door?" Joe nodded and closed the door never taking his eyes off JJ.
"Is he a… is he a sweeper?" Chrissie nodded but she realised that JJ wasn't paying attention to her.
"Yes he is. But there's no need to worry JJ, his loyalties are not to the Centre. They are to me and Lockie here." Joe was still watching JJ but he walked over to the side of Chrissie's bed.
"Who is this Chrissie?" Chrissie sighed.
"This is a friend of mine. He's here to make sure I'm alright. And also to make sure the twins are alright." Joe smiled at Chrissie but still looked warily at JJ. Chrissie knew he needed and explanation. "Joe this is JJ, although I believe that most people at the Centre know him as, what was it you called him, Gemini?" Broots nodded and watched the sweeper's reaction closely. He knew it was dangerous that Chrissie was telling him this; after all, Joe didn't even know that Chrissie was with Lyle.
"This is Gemini, Jarod's clone?" Joe's hand instinctively went to his gun but he didn't take it out because of the children in the room.
"Yes Joe it is. And if you take that gun out I will be very upset with you. Need I remind you that I myself was shot just outside a hospital by a Centre goon?" Joe looked back at Chrissie and frowned. His hand fell to his side.
"I'm sorry. It's just we're trained to…" Broots sighed and stood up, walking to Joe.
"I thought your loyalties were with Chrissie and Lockie not with the Centre. You should forget everything that godforsaken place trained you to do, it will be no more in a short while anyway." Joe looked at Broots like he had just grown another head. He knew of the plans to destroy the Centre, he was just taken aback by Broots' attack.
"He's right Joe. Besides you once told me that you thought every child deserved a real life, that's why you treat Lockie like he was one of your own. I don't know if you've noticed, but JJ here is not exactly an adult, doesn't he deserve a real life?" Joe nodded. He looked up at JJ.
"I'm sorry. I guess old habits die hard." JJ smiled.
"It's okay. Just don't scare me like that again." He turned his attention back to Chrissie. "I'll just go check those tests." He put his surgical mask back on and walked out the room. Joe turned to Chrissie with curiosity in his eyes.
"Chrissie, would you care to tell me why Jarod's clone is trying to make sure you and the twins are alright? I should think that he wouldn't care, after all you are Mrs. Parker." He had long ago learnt that Chrissie was not in the marriage of her own free will so he had stopped calling her Mrs. Parker. Chrissie sighed. She knew that she'd have to tell him everything now.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
When JJ came back later, Chrissie was just finishing telling the whole story to Joe. Joe was shocked. He looked at JJ and everything seemed to click. JJ was confused.
"What did I miss?" Chrissie smiled.
"I just filled Joe in on everything that had been going on right under his nose." JJ smirked.
"Does that include everything to do with Jarod and Miranda?" Chrissie nodded. JJ walked over to Joe and patted him on the back. "A lot of information to take in all at once isn't it? I'm glad I was getting small amounts at a time from Jarod." He smiled and sat in a chair at the end of Chrissie's bed.
"Well now you know everything Joe. What have you got to say?" Joe looked up at Chrissie.
"Well I have to admit that, from spending a lot of time with you and Lockie that I could have guessed about Lyle and you. I mean he was always visiting Lockie and Lockie sometimes let it slip to Patrick some things the three of you did together, but Miss Parker and Jarod? There were rumours about old feelings between those two but I never for once believed they were real." Broots smiled.
"Hey at least you found out by Chrissie telling you. I found out by seeing Jarod practically naked on Miss Parkers bed in a hotel room." Chrissie and Debbie both laughed.
"Oh come on. I've spent a lot of time with Miss P and I found out about them by finding Jarod at her house. I wasn't that shocked. It was obvious they had feelings for each other so you shouldn't be or have been shocked when you found out." Chrissie smiled at Debbie. Joe looked at her and sighed.
"Well it's a shock to me. I'm a sweeper. We all know about how she treats sweepers and, well, although whenever I've seen her, she seems nice, I can never forget some of the things the other sweepers have said so it is a shock." Debbie reached over and patted his back.
"Okay you're excused." She looked at her father and smiled. Broots sighed as he saw what a huge influence both Miss Parker and Chrissie had had on his daughter.
"Chrissie I feel I should get to more important matters. I went through the test results and I can tell you a few things." Chrissie sat up and gave her full attention to JJ.
"What did you find out?" JJ took a deep breath.
"First off, as far as I can tell, the twins are fine." Chrissie sighed. "Second, I know what happened to you." Chrissie had been looking at her stomach so she looked back up at JJ. "It seems the procedures the Centre gave you to get you pregnant left a chemical in you system. This chemical was dormant until recently. It started spreading around a month ago. The spreading reached its highest level when you started feeling those pains. It was all too much for your system so it caused an overload of sorts. That's what happened to you." Chrissie was angry. She had had a feeling that it was something to do with the Centre.
"Is it still in my system? Will it happen again?" JJ sighed and looked at the ground.
"It is still in your system but I can't be sure if anything will happen. After the overload the chemical started to become dormant again. It was still in your blood works when I looked at them. I was going to try and come up with something to get rid of it for good but…" Chrissie knew what he was going to say. She didn't know how she knew, she just knew.
"The test results went missing." JJ nodded.
"I'm sorry, I went to get something and when I came back the test results were gone. Every one of the tests the hospital had run on you is gone." Chrissie nodded.
"I'm guessing the Centre had someone looking at my tests as well and when they discovered that what happened to me was because of them… they destroyed the evidence." JJ nodded.
"I'm pretty sure that's what happened. But don't worry. I managed to contact Jarod and he told me he'd already looked into the possibility of something like this happening before, so he did some research of his own. I'll still be able to make the, ah, cure I guess we could call it. He told me what to do." Chrissie nodded.
"When will you do the… other tests? If the twins are alright then why can't I hear them?" JJ nodded.
"I'll be able to do the tests tomorrow. We'll see what's happening with them. I'm sure its nothing." Chrissie wasn't sure if she could believe that.
"I think it might have something to do with me coming back. I… talked with my father and he told me I couldn't come back but I did. What if I can't hear them because of that?" Everyone looked at her not knowing what to say. When she had told them about seeing her father they had all not known whether to believe her or not.
"Chrissie I think you may have been hallucinating when that happened." Chrissie shook her head. She wasn't going to believe it.
"It was real. I know it was. I saw my father and he told me that I couldn't come back as me but I did. How do you explain that? I was dead. They were about to call it but I came back. I was stubborn and I didn't want to believe him. What if because of that I can't hear them anymore?" JJ stood and walked over to her.
"I don't know what happened during that time but I'm sure that that has nothing to do with why you can't hear the twins. It's got to be something else." Chrissie nodded. She wanted to believe him. She wanted to believe that it wasn't because of that incident that she couldn't hear them, she just wasn't sure if it was true.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Chrissie looked around her room. Debbie had fallen asleep with Lockie also asleep in her arms, Broots and was filling Joe in on everything to do with the 'Inner Sense' and how it was in Miss Parker and Lyle's family, JJ was making the 'cure' to make sure Chrissie didn't go through another episode like she had before. She felt her eyelids growing heavy and succumbed to the sleep that was fast overcoming her.
Chrissie looked down and saw that she was dressed all in white. She looked around her and instantly recognised where she was. She'd already been there when she was dead. She saw the place where she had seen herself in the ambulance and also where she saw Lyle and Lockie. She looked down and realized that yet again she was not pregnant.
"Am I…" She asked the question out loud but was cut off by her father appearing.
"...Dead? No, you're not dead this time Princess. You're just… visiting." She looked at her father not knowing what to say. He smiled at her. "I don't know how you did it, I don't know how you went back, but you did." Chrissie saw his smile widen and she smiled herself.
"I guess you were right before. I'm as stubborn as you are." Her father nodded and hugged her.
"It could be that or it could be something else." Chrissie turned around and saw someone who looked very much like Miss Parker but she knew it wasn't.
"Catherine?" The woman nodded.
"I'm glad you know who I am. I've spoken to you enough." She smiled but she felt she needed to ask something.
"Why can't I hear Braden and Chloe… and you? Is there something wrong? Why aren't they talking?" Catherine offered a warm smiled and shook her head.
"They are talking, you just can't hear them. The time for them to be born is coming close. The connection you share with them while they're inside you is leaving. You do not have the 'Inner Sense' so you could only hear them when that connection was strong. They are alright. There is no need to worry about them." Chrissie nodded but she still felt that something was off with the twins.
"But they don't kick anymore, why not?" Catherine frowned.
"The chemical that was in your system is also in theirs. It has taken a different affect with them. They are alright; the chemical just wears them down. They will start kicking again when JJ gives you his concoction. You still won't be able to hear them but they will kick. They can still hear you so don't worry too much." Chrissie smiled.
"When you came you said that it could be something else that let me go back. What is that?" Catherine smiled and walked over to the place where Chrissie had seen what was happening while she was dead. She waved her arm and Chrissie's hospital room came up. Lyle entered the room and smiled at the sleeping Chrissie. He walked over to her and kissed her head then her stomach. He took a seat next to her and held her hand.
"It's because of that right there. You two love each other very much; you also both love Lockie, Braden and Chloe very much. Love is much more powerful than a lot of people think. Lyle and Lockie's love for you and your love for them, is what sent you back." Catherine stroked the image of Lyle and smiled wistfully. Chrissie walked over to her and put her arm around her.
"You sent me to him?" Catherine nodded. "Why? Why me? What made me so special?" Catherine smiled.
"You were meant for each other, some may call it soul mates, others fate. You both had troubled pasts, although I do have to admit my son's was a lot worse than yours, but you didn't see it that way. You were special because you did not push him away when it counted. You showed him love before you even admitted it to yourself." Chrissie was confused. She didn't know what she was talking about. Throwing herself in front of a bullet for him came to mind.
"If you're talking about outside the hospital…" Catherine shook her head.
"You wouldn't have gotten that far if you hadn't done the first thing." Chrissie tilted her head trying to figure out what she was talking about.
"What did I do?" Catherine laughed and waved her hand again. The image changed to back when they were snowed in. Chrissie and Lyle were sitting on the bed talking.
"I've noticed that you seem a bit… distant since you told me about yourself. What's wrong?" Chrissie didn't mean to make him feel uncomfortable. She knew that he definitely wasn't a saint but she was a pretty good judge of character. She could tell if he had the right influence he could be a better person. She also had the feeling that maybe, just maybe, he wanted to change and given the chance, he would.
"I just don't know how you can do it. I told you some pretty bad things yet you sit there stay in the same room as me. Aren't you afraid I'm going to do something to hurt you?" He looked into her eyes, his own filled with pain. She took his hand.
"I know you did some bad things, but I honestly believe you could make up for it. And for some reason I don't think you'd hurt me."
Chrissie remembered that moment. He had told her all about himself and she had listened. Yeah she had been terrified of some of the things he'd done but she honestly did think he could make up for it.
"When you didn't run from him after that I knew that you were definitely the one. You were the person who could turn him into the person he was supposed to be instead of the man Raines made him." Chrissie smiled.
"Thank you for sending me to him." Catherine smiled and gave her a hug.
"I think you've got to be getting back Princess. As much as I'd love for you to stay you can't." Chrissie turned to her father and hugged him.
"Thank you, for everything." Her father walked over and stood next to Catherine.
"Give your mother my love." Chrissie smiled and nodded.
"And if you could also give Lyle, Miranda and Ethan my love I'd be very grateful." Chrissie smiled.
"I'll do that. I don't know if they'll believe me, but I'll do that." She felt compelled to walk down a path that had appeared. She heard Catherine speak behind her.
"I'll make sure they do."
Chrissie woke up and looked around the room. Debbie and Lockie were no longer there, nor were Broots, Joe or JJ. The only person in the room besides herself was Lyle, sitting in the place she saw in her dream.
"Hello sleepy head." Lyle swept some hair out of her eyes and kissed forehead. Chrissie smiled and squeezed his hand.
"Where is everyone?" Lyle shrugged.
"No one was in here when I came in. I guess they left when you were sleeping." Chrissie nodded. She remembered that no one was in the room when she saw Lyle enter her room in her dream. She noticed Lyle playing with her stomach.
"They're all right." Lyle looked at her and smiled.
"How did you know what I was thinking?" Chrissie smiled and put her hand over his.
"I know you like a book I've read a thousand times." Lyle smiled.
"How do you know they're okay? Can you hear them?" Chrissie smiled at the hopeful glint in his eyes.
"I wish I could but I can't." She saw the dejected look on his face and continued. "You know how I told you I was with my father when I died?"
"Yeah, he gave you a choice of how to come back, but you didn't come back through either of them." Chrissie nodded.
"I had a dream just now and I was back there. At first I thought I was dead again but I was just… visiting. My dad wasn't the only one there this time. Your mother was there." Lyle looked into her eyes shocked.
"What happened?" Chrissie smiled.
"She told me what brought me back." Lyle gave her a look meaning he wanted her to tell him what it was. "It was you." Lyle didn't know what to say.
"What do you mean me?" Chrissie smiled and brought his hand to her lips, placing a kiss on it.
"Your love for me, my love for you, it's a whole thing to do with love." She smiled mischievously.
"So what's this got to do with the twins?" He smiled back at her and started to rub her stomach.
"She also told me why I can't hear the twins. I don't have the 'Inner Sense' and the only reason I can hear them is because they do. Because they're almost due that connection I have with them is going." Lyle nodded. Chrissie couldn't believe that he believed her.
"That makes sense." Chrissie nodded.
"Do you know what happened to get me in here?" Lyle shook his head. Chrissie explained what JJ had told her. Lyle looked like he was ready to kill someone.
"I can't believe them. They must have known this was a possibility." Chrissie shuddered realising he was right. They did plenty of tests so they should have known. She continued, wanting to forget that part.
"Catherine told me that the reason they aren't kicking anymore is because of that chemical. I should be alright when JJ gives me the antidote." Lyle was confused. He didn't know who JJ was.
"Who's JJ?" Chrissie could hear a hint of jealousy in his voice. She chuckled remembering how he had been jealous of Jarod and now he was jealous of his clone.
"JJ is Jarod's clone. Jarod sent him here to look after me." Lyle seemed relieved. Chrissie smiled again.
"When can he get this… antidote?" Chrissie was about to answer him when her door opened. Lyle quickly moved his hands away from her and put some distance between them. Chrissie looked over at the door and was relieved that it was only JJ.
"I've got it. I finished it Chrissie." JJ looked at Chrissie's visitor with curiosity. "Hi, who are you?" Chrissie reached out for Lyle's hand again.
"JJ this is Lyle, Lyle this is JJ." Lyle relaxed and took Chrissie's hand.
"I remember. You're looking well." JJ smiled.
"So are you. The last time I saw you, you were a very unhappy, sour man. You look much more… happy now." Lyle smiled.
"That's because of Chrissie." He looked lovingly at Chrissie. JJ laughed at the looks going between the two.
"You two are as bad as Jarod and Miranda." Chrissie laughed then realised what he said.
"You've been with them?" JJ nodded.
"Ethan went to visit and he brought along Major Charles, Emily and me. Miranda was nervous, thinking we wouldn't accept her, but I already did and when Major Charles and Em saw the way they were with each other they accepted her as well." Chrissie smiled. She was glad they approved of Miss Parker.
"JJ, when you came in you said you finished something. What is it?" JJ seemed to remember why he was there. He reached in his pocket and took out a liquid substance.
"The antidote, it's finished. You can take it now." Chrissie gulped. She took the flask JJ was handing her.
"How long until it takes affect?" JJ thought for a moment.
"It should take affect almost immediately… hopefully." Chrissie smiled and drank the substance. She pulled a sour face at the taste of it.
"You couldn't make it taste good?" JJ sighed and shook his head.
"Sorry, no. Besides that's the only time you'll have to take it." Chrissie nodded. "Now I'll do those tests on the twins in the morning." Chrissie shook her head.
"You don't have to. I know everything's alright. And before you ask, no, I can't hear them, I just know." She looked Lyle. Lyle knew that she wasn't going to tell him how she knew because he probably wouldn't believe her. Lyle didn't even know why he believed her. Maybe it was the whispering he could hear in his head…
Lyle started stroking Chrissie's stomach again. Chrissie smiled and put her own hand on his. Lyle caught her eye and smiled. For some reason something Catherine had said flashed in her mind.
"They can still hear you so don't worry too much." She looked at her stomach and smiled.
"Braden, Chloe, I know you two are coming soon and I can't wait to meet you face to face." Lyle smiled.
"And neither can I. We both love you very much and I can't wait to spend a lot more time with you." Chrissie smiled and squeezed Lyle's hand. At that moment Chrissie felt a kick. She looked instantly at Lyle who was as shocked as she was.
"Did you feel that?" Lyle nodded and looked at her stomach.
"Which one was that?" As soon as he said it he regretted it. Chrissie couldn't hear them anymore so she didn't know.
"It was Chloe." Lyle looked at her shocked. Chrissie read his mind. "I know her kick." Lyle smiled.
"That's my girl. Where's your brother?" On the other side of her stomach the skin went up with Braden's kick. They both looked at it.
"That was definitely Braden. He always kicks harder." She moved Lyle's hand to where Braden had been kicking. Chrissie looked at JJ. "It worked." JJ smiled. Lyle looked into Chrissie eyes.
"I love you." He leant in and kissed her. The door opened and Debbie, Broots, Lockie and Joe came back in.
"Oh sorry, we could come back." Lyle broke the kiss and looked at Joe. He didn't know what to say. Chrissie sensed what was going on in his mind and spoke up.
"I told him everything. We can trust him and I had to because of JJ." Lyle looked at Chrissie and by the look in her eyes he knew that she trusted Joe so he trusted him as well.
"So you know about us?" Joe nodded. "And you know the twins are mine?" Joe nodded again. "Sorry we didn't tell you before." Joe shook his head.
"It's alright. I didn't need to know before." He reached over and shook Lyle's hand. "You know everyone bought that whole you two hating each other thing. I did as well. I didn't like you very much, but now that I know the truth you're alright with me." Lyle smiled. Two bits of Chrissie's stomach went up because of kicks. Debbie saw this and was over the moon.
"Are they kicking?" She put her hand on Chrissie's stomach to feel the now constant kicks.
"Yes, thanks to the antidote JJ made. I may not be able to hear them anymore but I bet I know what they were thinking when they both kicked like that. They were thinking hey where did our attention go?" Chrissie laughed. Debbie laughed along with her and traced the movement of the kicks with her hand.
"They sure are energetic at the moment." Chrissie nodded.
"They haven't moved for two days. They're stretching." Debbie moved her hand off her stomach.
"We just went to get dinner. I hope you don't mind. We gave Lockie KFC." Chrissie shook her head.
"That's alright. Hey Broots where's Syd? Wasn't he supposed to come today?" Broots nodded.
"He might have come while we were gone and you were sleeping." Lyle shook his head.
"I was here. Unless he came just before I did." Chrissie had a bad feeling.
"Someone call Syd. I just want to make sure he's alright." Broots nodded and took out his phone. After five unsuccessful attempts to reach him, everyone became worried. Broots called his home phone on last time and left a message.
"Hey Syd, if you're there pick up… okay I guess you're not. You were supposed to come to visit Chrissie today. Where are you? Well please call back as soon as you get this message. We're all kind of worried about you." Broots hung up.
At Sydney's house Sydney sat tied to a chair looking at his machine. He wished he could just go and pick it up and tell Broots he needed help. He looked at his captor who was smiling smugly.
"It took them long enough to realise you weren't there Dr. Greene. Maybe they don't really care about you. Although he did say he was worried about you. I don't know, what do you think?" Mr. Cox reached over and took the gag out of Sydney's mouth, allowing him the chance to speak for the first time that day.
"I think you're crazy." Mr. Cox hit him in the face and smiled smugly again.
"I don't think you should talk to me that way, after all, I'm the one in control here." Sydney was fuming.
"What do you want with me?" Cox laughed evilly.
"It's not you I want. It's Chrissie and the twins I want. You're just the means to the end."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
To be continued...