AUTHOR'S NOTE: SORRY IT'S BEEN SO LONG SINCE I'VE LAST UPDATED. I HAD A PLAY AND EXAMS. BECAUSE IT'S BEEN A WHILE HERE ARE TWO CHAPTERS.
CHAPTER 33
PARTIES ALL AROUND
April 14, 2003
Charlottesville, Virginia
Russell Family Home
The week went by much to fast for the house's occupants. Sydney and Broots were reluctant to leave their daughters. Promises were made to visit soon. Nick left with his parents to begin packing his things for the move. Debbie on the other hand asked her father to send a few of her personal affects with Nick when her returned.
The children had spent a good portion of the week working on a plan to bring down the Centre. The children also spent their week getting to know their expanding family. Many shopping trips were made in order to furnish and paint the rooms for the house's newest residents. With a large group of able bodies Jarod decided to take advantage of the opportunity and set up a crew to expand Will and the other children's room so that it would be large enough to hold all fifteen Black Files. Mike and Maddie moved into the room with Aaron, Andros, and Alex, while Will decided to move into the room next Chris's.
That week Jarod also made another decision. On the second day of the group visit Jarod asked Sydney for his blessing.
"I wanted to ask you for permission to marry your daughter Sydney." Jarod said early that morning.
"I couldn't think of a better man to marry my daughter Jarod." Sydney replied.
Later that night, as the two were preparing for bed Jarod got down on one knee.
"Morgan, I have loved you since the day I meet you. No other woman has owned my heart as completely as you have. I can't imagine another day of my life with out you in it. You have given me so much but there is one more thing I must ask from you. Will you do me the honor of being my wife?" He asked holding out a white-gold engagement ring with a diamond shaped teardrop in the center.
"Yes." She said kissing him.
By the time morning came around everyone knew of the engagement. That night a party was thrown in honor.
"So do you have any plans for the wedding?" Emily asked Morgan.
"Em, we just got engaged last night." Morgan said.
"Oh come now Morgan, every girl has envisioned their perfect wedding. And for what Sam has told be you've been planing on marrying Jarod since you were eleven." Jen said.
"I am going to kill your fiancée." Morgan mumbled
"Wait till after were married please. So tell us some details." Jen said just as the children went running buy the table. Alex once again covered in grass stains.
Morgan sighed at the sight of her daughter. "What I would like is for my daughter to wear a lovely white dress." Hearing her mother Alex turned around and stared at her mother.
"No dress." Alex said firmly.
"Alexandra do not take that tone with me." Morgan said.
"I'm not wearing a dress anywhere. Remember no skirts no dresses no ruffles, no lace, no pink and no flowers." The child replied smartly.
"Alexandra who is the mother here?" Morgan said
"Is that rhetorical question?" Alex said sarcastically.
"Don't you dare get smart with me young lady." Morgan said walking over to her daughter.
"That's kind of impossible with my high IQ and all."
"Alexandra Katherine Russell, go to your room right now." Morgan commanded.
"I can't." Alex said evenly not backing down from her mother.
"Watch your tone Alexandra. Since your room is under construction go to my room and stay there until I come upstairs."
"And if I'm not there?"
"Don't push me."
"That's an empty threat." Alex said. "You won't hit me not after what Lyle did to me." Alex sneered
"Try me and you'll find out just how empty that threat is. Now get upstairs now." Alex stomped off. Her brothers and the other children watched her confused.
Morgan came upstairs and hour later to find her daughter asleep her face streaked with the salt from dried tears. "Wake up Katie." Morgan said gently shaking her daughter awake. "Now you want to tell me what's wrong?" Morgan asked when Alex opened her eyes.
"Nothin's wrong." Alex mumbled turning away from her mother.
"You're a horrible liar, just like you daddy. You're just like him you know. Both or you are so stubborn. And you never tell anyone what's bothering you instead you two will walk around with a giant load on you shoulders. Come to think of it so do your brothers and I. Hell everyone we know does too. Why don't we let today be the exception and you tell me what's wrong. I know it's not the whole dress thing. You didn't even act that bad when we went shopping."
"It's not fair. We're all here havin' a party and they're all locked up in that room with the cameras watching them every minute, every hour, every day of their lives." Alex said turning to face her mother.
"Oh, that's what this is about. You feel guilty. Katie baby, Jake and the others fought hard to get you and your brothers out of the Centre. You have no reason to feel guilty because of that. Now come on let's go back out side. I can't stand to see your brothers and the others moping around. And your daddy is such a wimp. He taking your time out worse than you are. Not to mention that I had to endure an hour of him pacing and babbling about how I'm emotionally scaring you." Morgan said trying to get her daughter to giggle with out much success.
"Kay." Alex said getting up from the bed. Morgan picked he up and carried her outside. Morgan sat down on the swing Alex still in her mother's arms.
"How's my girl?" Jarod said taking a seat next to the two.
"I'm okay." Alex told her father as her brothers came over. Alex held out her hand to Will. Will complied with his sister's silent wish and took her hand and led her to the rest of their group Aaron and Andros in tow.
"Is she really okay?" Jarod asked Morgan pulling her into his embrace.
Morgan sighed. "Yes and no. She feels guilty that they're free but the others are still at the Centre."
"Do I need to do anything?" Jarod murmured in her ear.
"No I think that they have it covered." Morgan said motioning towards their children and their companions.
"You okay now?" Will asked his sister who was sitting in his lap.
"Yeah I was just sad is all" Alex said.
"We miss um to Alex." Aaron told his sister.
"I know it just sometimes it feels..." She trailed off.
"Wrong." Andros supplied.
"Yeah Wrong." Alex echoed.
April 21, 2003
Charlottesville, Virginia
Russell Family Home
A week after the group had left Nick returned. During that time Jarod had deiced to drop completely off the Centre radar, afraid to bring the Centre near his family. Jarod knew that with Sydney now in charge of the Black Files he would be safe, as would Broots for he was too valuable for the Centre to let go. Broot's computer skills had become well know through out the Centre much to the techie's dismay.
Just after Morgan's death the pursuit team had been disbanded. Only to be reformed again with Jen added to it after Mike and Maddie escaped from the Centre. With Raines gone as well the danger surrounding Sydney and Broots's job had somewhat dissipated.
Contact between the children inside the Centre and out side the Centre had increased. Hours were spent gathering information on the Centre. New allies were brought in to the war on the Centre. The group of children were shocked at the response that they received from the children of Centre employees. Children all around the world were going through their parents' brief cases at night. Most found very little information that was useful.
There was one girl whose mother was sectary for the chairman of the Italian branch of the Centre. Jamie sent file after file to Will and the other children. Jamie's family had moved to Italy after her mother had been transferred from the Californian branch of the Centre. She had come to learn of the Centre after a team of sweepers had come swarming into her house on night to take her mother in front of a T-board. Jamie had gone though her mother's briefcase to find and indication on the whereabouts of her mother. Jamie had then discovered documents pertaining to an assassination attempt. She then got on the Internet in search of information on the Centre. Jamie managed to hack into the Centre mainframe. Jake noticed Jamie's search into the Centre and showed her the way on to the web site. Since then Jamie had become their most reliable informant in Europe.
While the children were paling the downfall of the Centre the adults were planing a wedding. Unbeknownst to the children the adults were also planning a birthday party for the five youngest Black Files. Morgan, Jarod, Julia and Lex had deiced to their children their first birthday party. They intended on having Sydney and Broots, Sam and the others attend. Lex planted a false led in D.C. on the where about of Mike and Maddie so the pursuit team would be able to come. With Lyle no longer on the pursuit team the group had nothing to fear. Michelle had mentioned to a few friends that Nick had received a teaching position in Virginia. The plan was for her to drive down to Charlottesville under the pretense that she was visiting her son, then for Sydney and the others to stop by since they were in the area.
"So what are we to get these kids for their birthday?" Charles though out loud.
"Well you certainly aren't getting them the first season of Angel on DVD." Ethan said. "That's my gift."
"And I'm getting them a gift certificate to Circuit City." Emily said
"Okay so that leaves me with books and toys." Charles mumbled
"Hey I saw them eyeing a bunch of CD's the other day." Chris told his father.
"Yeah what were they?" Charles asked.
"A bunch of old artist. James Taylor, Elton John, The Eagles, Queen, stuff like that." Chris told him.
"Really well if you three will excuse me I have some presents to but." Charles said getting up from his chair.
One must wonder why a set of children who were extremely intelligent and had physic abilities didn't see the signs of a party being planned. But the children were so wrapped up in their plot to bring down the Centre that they never even noticed the adults' odd behavior. In all honesty the Black Files had forgotten about their birthday. They had no reason to remember it. As far as they were concerned the occasion just marked another year they had been at the Centre. The children also kept waiting for Morgan to announce her pregnancy. Unfortunately for them Morgan was so wrapped up in her plans for the wedding and the party that she didn't even notice the changes that were occurring to her body until after the party.
April 30, 2003
"Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday Mike, Maddie, Aaron, Andros, and Alex. Happy Birthday to you." The group sang to the five children.
"Make a wish and blow out the candles." Charles told them. The five children blew out the thirty-five candles on to have them relight.
"William." Morgan said looking at her oldest son.
"What I didn't do it." He said looking a way from his mother a grin crossing his face. "Go ahead a blow out your candles." Will said. The children complied and this time the candles didn't relight.
Jarod sliced the cake once everyone had a piece they walked in to the living room where the children unwrapped their gifts. For the next half an hour wrapping paper flew every where. The children received many gifts. Certificates to the local music store. Much to Morgan's dismay, Broots' gave the children soccer equipment.
"Well there went my chance of getting my daughter to act like a girl." Morgan sighed.
"Please Mom there're a plenty of girls who play soccer." Will said.
The children also received a small library off books. The last presents they opened were from Will. Each of them was given a small gold wrapped box. In each of the boxes was a silver chain with a pendant on it. The pendant was the Egyptian eye of Ra. On the bottom to the pendant was a semiprecious stone that resembled an upside down obelisk. On the triplets the stone was lapis, for Mike and Maddie to stone was onyx.
"Thanks." They said as they placed the necklaces around their necks.
"You're welcome." Will replied.