CHAPTER 30

SYDNEY'S DAUGHTER

March 24, 2003

The Centre

Blue Cove, Delaware

11:22 am

"This is for you." Jake said placing the DSA and Letter on Sydney's desk. "Watch the DSA first. Then read the letter. And do it now, your cameras will be off line for the next hour. I'm warning you now not to lose control of your emotions once you have finished." Jake told the older man, and then left.

Sydney placed the DSA in the player and watched.

"And you are sure that she and Sydney were having an affair?" Mr. Parker asked a young Raines.

"It's all here." Raines said patting a thick manila folder.

"You're positive that the child is not mine?"

"I've ran the test three times they all come back the same. Little Miss Parker is Sydney's daughter." Raines told him.

Sydney ejected the DSA, his hands shaking with rage. How many times had he asked Catharine if Morgan was his child? Hundreds if not thousands and each time she said no. Yet Sydney still treated Morgan as though she was his. And they knew the whole time, that he was her father. Sydney had the feeling that if not for the fact that he had become Jarod's mentor, Sydney would have been killed years ago. After all he had an affair with the chairman's wife, and fathered a child. Not a child Sydney reminded himself. Lyle too was his son. The thought made him ill. If Morgan was his daughter that also meant that Will and the triplets were his grandchildren. It was all too much for Sydney.

He had almost forgotten the letter until he looked down. He carefully opened it and began to read.

Sydney,

If you are reading this than I am gone. And with me goes the truth. There is some thing you must know Sydney. Something I have neglected no denied telling you for years. Morgan, my precious little angel is your daughter Sydney. I could not tell you for both her safety and yours. If Mr. Parker had found out he would have killed you. Oh, Sydney I shudder to think what he would have done to our daughter. I have no right to ask for your forgiveness Sydney so I won't. It was a crime for me to keep your daughter from you. I just hoped that what I did was the best all around.

With all my love,

Catharine

April 7, 2003

Russell Family Home

Charlottesville, Virginia

1:13pm

Sydney couldn't stop looking at his daughter or his grandchildren. He had spent the past two weeks trying to figure out what to tell his daughter. And after two weeks he was still trying to find the best way.

"Just tell her the truth." Will said sitting next to his grandfather. "She'll understand I promise. Mom's different now. She won't be angry with you."

"You and your little group seem to know a great deal of the Centre's secrets." Sydney said to him. "Is their any more you would care to share with me?"

"None that you're ready for yet." Will replied. "Go talk to her Grandpa. I didn't tell her because it wasn't my place." Will then got up and joined his brothers, and sister, as well as the other children.

Sydney too got up from his seat. He strolled over to where Morgan and Jarod were sitting. "Morgan could I speak to you for a moment?" Sydney asked his daughter.

"Of course Syd." Morgan said getting up from her seat and kissing Jarod on the cheek before she left. She then took Sydney's arm and the older man led her toward the lake.

"What's wrong Sydney? I sense something is up you're extremely tense." Morgan said.

"I learned something shortly after you left. I have been trying to figure out how to tell you over the past few weeks. Your eldest son just told me to come out and tell you." Sydney rambled.

"Look Syd unless I have another kid roaming the Centre corridors I seriously doubt anything you tell me will cause me to become a crazed bitch. So just spit it out." Morgan told him.

Sydney took a deep breath. "I'm your father." Sydney stared at his daughter waiting for her reaction.

"I going to hurt that son of mine." Morgan mumbled under her breath.

"Excuse me." Sydney said confused.

"William told me a few months ago that he wasn't certain who my father was. I could understand if it was someone like Raines and he was trying to protect me from disappointment. But you're my father hell I don't think I could have asked for a better person to be my father."

Sydney smiled at his daughter, relived that she was happy that he was her father. "How are you certain that William knew? He could have recently discovered the truth." Sydney said.

"Trust me S-Daddy I know my son, Will knew and if he knew so did my other four children."

"You called me Dad." Sydney said smiling.

"You noticed." She said smiling in return. The two walked in silence for a while. "You and Momma had an affair didn't you?" She asked a few moments latter.

"Yes we did. "Sydney answered. "I should have told you ages ago but I was afraid of how you would react. I must admit you're taking this much better than I thought you would.

"That's because for the first time in a long time I am truly happy. I have five beautiful children and can now freely be with the man I love. For the first time in my life I can truly be myself." She said.

"And it shows. I don't think I've ever seen you smile or laugh this much." He said as they walked back towards the house.

"Have you told Michelle and Nicholas yet?" Morgan asked when she caught sight of her half brother and his mother.

"Yes and both we're very understanding. Nicholas can't wait to meet you on a personal level."

"Well then I believe that it is time for me to go and meet my little brother." Morgan said walking over to Nicholas.

"So he finally got up the nerve to tell you." Nicholas remarked when his sister sat down next to him.

"Yes he did."

"Dad was a nervous wreck the whole ride. He would tell mom or I what was bothering him. Mom finally got him to spill the beans when we hit D.C."

"So you're a teacher are you not?"

"Yes I am. Right now though I'm in search of a job."

"Really." Morgan said. "I have a proposition for you. In case you haven't noticed I have a three year old, three seven year olds, and a thirteen year old. Not to mention Mike, Maddie and Chris. Jarod and I have been talking and we would like to one day –hopefully soon- send Will to school and we need someone to home school the rest of the kids. Our problem is that we want someone we trust at the school we plan on sending Will to. Jarod and Ethan can't do it they have a medical practice in town, and Emily is working with the newspaper. Since you're looking for a new job, I'm sure I can convince Jarod to pull a few strings at the local high school and get you a position. There is plenty of space here for you, and you and I could get the opportunity to get to know one another. Not to mention you would get to know Emily a little better."

"Am I that obvious?" Nicholas asked blushing.

"Don't worry none of her brothers of her father have yet to notice or else they'd be over here giving you the third degree." She told him. "So how would you like to meet you nice and nephews. Alex boys come here for a moment." The five children came, Peter riding on Will's shoulders. "Kid's I'd like you to meet your Uncle Nick."

"Hi." They said.

"Hello." Nick replied. "You know your mother just made me the offer of staying here and teaching you all. What do you think?"

"Are you prepared to have at least nine more students?" Will asked.

"Yes." Nick replied.

"Do you know a lot about Art?" Aaron asked.

"I took a couple of art classes." Nick said.

"You read comic books?" Andros inquired.

"Of course in fact I love Spider-Man."

"Have you read at least half of Stephen King's works?" Alex asked.

"Yes. Including the Dark Tower series. "Nick replied.

"We think you should take the job. In fact we strongly advise it." Peter told him. The children then went back to where the rest of their group was.

"Was I just interviewed?" Nick asked.

"Yes." Morgan said. "And you passed with flying colors.

"You do know that your children are a bit odd don't you?"

"You don't know the half of it." She said to him and they both began to laugh.

"Debbie seams to made quick friends with the other children." Jarod said to Jon.

"Yes she has." Jon commented. "Jarod there is something I want to ask you."

"Ask away." The pretender said.

"Can I leave Debbie here? If Debbie stays here I won't have to worry about the Centre learning the truth about her. Here Debbie will be safe." Jon rambled

"Safe from what Jon?" Jarod asked.

"Debbie is a low level pretender." Broots told Jarod

"Somehow I'm not surprised." Jarod replied. "We'd be happy to keep Debbie here."

"Thanks Jarod."

"So your Morgan's father." Ethan said when Sydney came to sit next to him and Charles.

"Word spreads fast around here." Sydney commented.

"Actually my mother told me just after you arrived." Ethan told the man.

"Not that anything stays secret around here. Not with that group of kids anyway." Charles said.

"So how long are you all staying?" Ethan asked.

"Jon, Sam, Jen, and I have to be at work Monday. When we leave I assume that Michelle, Nicholas, and Debbie will be returning with us."

"Don't you know what they say about assumptions Syd." Chris asked walking over to the tree men, the other children in tow.

"What do you know now?" Ethan asked his younger brother.

"Debbie's staying here." Will told him

"And so is Uncle Nick." Aaron said.

"Momma offered Uncle Nick a job." Andros said

"What type of job?" Charles asked.

"He's going t' be our teacher when we go off t' school and at home." Alex elaborated.

"Uncle Jarod's gonna get him a job at one of the local high schools." Mike said.

"And he's gonna home school the rest of us." Maddie added.

"Does your father know of this?" Charles asked his grandchildren.

"He will soon." Peter told him. With that the children left to talk amongst themselves.

"Well that makes every easier." Will said once they were out ear shoot of the adults.

"What do you mean?" Chris asked.

"With Debbie, Mike and Maddie staying it will be easier to work on our plan."

"What plan?" Chris said still not comprehending.

"The plan to bring down the Centre." Debbie told him.

"Deb how many people on the site do you think can help us?" Will asked her.

"Aside from our little renegade group of escapees, about fifteen. There're about seven more we might be able to trust bout we need to check them out first." She answered him.

"Whatch thinkin' Will?" Peter asked his older brother.

"There is a phrase that goes 'and a little child shall lead them all' or something like that. Anyway I think we should be the ones to bring done the Centre not our parents."

"Why not our parents?" Chris asked.

"Because we're the next generation. It's our responsibility now not there's." Will said.

"What do you propose we do?" Aaron asked.

We use our contacts through the site and collect information against Mr. Parker and the others."

"We have to make sure we clear peoples names Will, like Uncle Jon, and Grandpa Sydney." Andros said.

"I know squirt. Most people in the Centre won't be prosecuted. They don't really know what's going on."

"We could get Bailey t' help us." Mike suggested.

"Who's Bailey?" Chris asked.

"Bailey is an FBI agent. Dad has worked with his crew a couple of times." Will told Chris.

"So we've got a group of renegade pretenders, fifteen to twenty kids whose parents work for the Centre, and maybe an FBI agent. Wonderful." Chris muttered.

"You just gotta have faith Chris." Will said flashing his father's trademark grin.