Alas it's over... sniff... the last chapter... sniff... we've reached the end of the road... she then breaks down sobbing uncontrollably her face burried in her hands. Suddenly she sit's up realizing she can't count. She realizes that there is a nother chapter. Granted it's short. but it's one more chapter in which her characters will live on! WOOOWHOOO!

THANKS JACKIE
THE BEST BETA EVER

morgan- i don't want for it to be over either. And to answer your question yes there will be a sequel. But first there will be a prequel it will take place when Morgan, Jarod and Sam are kids.

Mrs. Rhett Butler- They kids have a job to do. But it certinaly isn't in Canada

Ann- I had to pretend to send them some place.

Eriksturlove- You know I'm thinking that just for you i might have Lyle make an apperance and he won't be evil. I like Lyle, it's not his fault he's evil. If it makes you feel any better think of Jeremiah as Lyle. I do that's why i have him and Alex interact so much. It's like writting fluffyness for Lyle and Morgan when they were kids...cept it's not.

Joy- I'm crying too. Do you need a box of tissues my roomate bought like twelve of them. Ahh the end of an era But wait it isn't the end just the begining or to be more accurate the middle. I still have a prequel and a sequel to finish writting. You really think that the kids are going to go off to Canada willingly. Look at whose kids they are?

LPJ- I don't want it to be over either. And to answer your question yes there will be a Lyle showdown. Infact it's in the chapeter I forgot about.

AnnieGh4ever- you know all my other reviwers don't want for this story to end you on the other hand can't wait. Is that a good thing? Well either way the wait is over here's the last chapter well second to last.

CHAPTER 59

COUNT DOWN

February 20, 2004

Charlottesville, Virginia

Russell Family Home

A week had passed and the air around the house was tense. Even the slightest thing was bound to set anyone off, Morgan and her two daughters especially. The three of them were avoided as though they were the plague. Only Jarod, Will, Aaron, Andros, and Peter bothered to come within ten feet of them. Two nights after the big family meeting, Greg had been joking around in the kitchen while washing the dishes, he inadvertently soaked Alex from head to toe with the hose from the sink. The next moment Greg found himself on the floor rubbing his jaw.

He spent the following day with Jake. The two boys figured that with Alex being so tense it was best to stay out of her way. The only other person who didn't seem to have any problems with Alex was Jeremiah. Jeremiah and Alex and Alley's brother's seemed to be the only people capable of keeping the girl calm. Jarod had been given official "Morgan duty". No one wanted to get their head bitten off by Morgan. She had yelled at Ethan for over an hour because he had put the milk carton back in the fridge even though there was less than a quarter of a cup left.

As time grew closer for Jarod to meet with Bailey and for the children to be sent off, tempers began to flare to deadly levels. Even Adam and Peter got into a small spat when Adam had accidentally broken one of Peter's action figures. It didn't help matters any when Gabe, Zane, and Amy developed colic. No one was getting any sleep unless they no longer lived in the mansion.

The day had finally arrived for the children to be taken to Canada. Morgan, Charles, Margaret, Michelle, Jon, and Sydney transported the children to the safe house that Jarod had set up in Canada. Nick had stayed to teach his classes and Emily stayed with him. Lex and Julia had stayed to run Jarod's medical practice while the others were gone.

Meanwhile Jarod, Ethan, and Sam drove to D.C.

"Here it is Bailey." Jarod said as he, Ethan, and Sam placed an armload of files each on the agent's desk.

"Jesus, that's everything?" Bailey asked.

"More or less," Ethan answered.

"It's enough to make sure that those bastards are put away for life." Sam spoke.

"So what are you boys going to do after I hand all this over?" Asked Bailey.

"We're going to stay at Mor's old house in Blue Cove and watch the fireworks. Then were going to join our family in Canada for a well-deserved vacation for the next two weeks. After that, we'll see." Jarod answered.

"Well, I'll be seeing you I guess." Bailey said, shaking each of the men's hands.

"Hey, you forgot something." Will said walking in to the agent's office, placing a file on his desk.

"What are you doing here?" Jarod asked his son.

"You seriously didn't think that you would get the Centre to crumble without us did you?" Alley asked walking in to the room.

"Does your mother know that the two of you are here?" Jarod groaned.

"Dad, who do you think brought us?" Will asked. "Mom's outside in the car. Everyone else is held up in Dover."

"Hey Daddy, did you know that some family with the last name Russell booked a group of rooms that are miraculously just enough of to fit our whole family?" Alley asked grinning.

"Imagine that." Jarod said dryly.

"Lets go." He said and the five of the left.

February 25, 2004

9:18am

Blue Cove, Delaware

Former Home of Morgan Russell

The whole family was at Morgan's old home. The FBI had requisitioned it as headquarters for their sting. Adam and Peter were out back playing as a trio of agents watched them. Emily, Nick, Lex, and Julia had arrived the night before.

Former Centre projects and personnel sat together on the porch in silence afraid that it was all a dream. Afraid that none of it was really happening, that the place that had controlled their lives for so was not truly being brought down.

The rest of the family, -Nick, Emily, Debbie, Margaret, Charles, and Michelle- sat in the kitchen talking about anything other than the Centre. Though the Centre had affected their lives greatly they did not share the same horrors as the others.

"We want to see it go down." Tobias said.

"We want to see it when it happens." His sister echoed.

"I don't know." Lex said to his niece and nephew.

"Please Dad, we need peace of mind." Mike spoke.

"That is what the television is for Michael." Julia told her son. The FBI had hooked up video feed for the family to view the take down of the Centre.

"It's not the same, Mom." Maddie said.

"It's not believable." Aaron elaborated.

"They're right, we need to go. We need to see for ourselves that those people are being locked away." Andros spoke.

"I know that I definitely need to see Lyle get taken away." Jeremiah said, his eyes growing dark at the memory of his mother being murdered.

"Then we'll go," Jarod said quietly. "Bailey how much longer until the sting?"

"We just received word that The Triumvirate, along with Mr. Raines and his sweeper Willie, have all been taken into custody. My men are heading out now." The agent replied.

"Good, so are mine." Jarod said and walked into the kitchen. "Mom, Dad watch the younger kids. The rest of us are going out. Debbie, you'd better come along. I think that your father, brother and sister would like for you to be there. I know for a fact that Chris would. " Debbie got up from her seat and followed Jarod. The rest stayed behind to watch the Centre's downfall on television.

Jarod and Morgan drove took their five oldest children in the family's minivan. Behind them were Sam and Jen with Greg, Lissa, and Jerry. After them were Lex and Julia with Mike, Maddie, Tobias and Terra. Ethan came next with his two children, Jake and Rachel. Last was Jon with Debbie, Marc, Cassie, Chris, and Sydney.

The family was escorted by a troupe of FBI cars. They were forced to stop when they were in half a mile of the Centre, not that they truly wanted to go any further. The family got out of their cars and watched as the scene unfold below them as dozens of FBI agents stormed the Centre.

Jarod stood against his van, his arms wrapped around his wife's waist. His chin rested on her shoulder as Morgan leaned against Jarod's chest. Their children stood around them, Will and Alley to their left standing much in the same way their parents were. Alex stood in between Aaron and Andros, her hands in theirs.

Sam stood outside his car with his wife and children. He held Melissa in one arm, his other around his wife's waist. Their boys stood in front of them leaning against their parents for support as a group of federal agents brought Lyle kicking and screaming out of the Centre. Melissa turned her face into her father's shoulder as Jarod pulled Morgan tighter into his arms.

Sydney watched as his son be placed in the squad car and wept silently. He then felt a hand resting on his arm he looked over and saw his daughter. Morgan led Sydney over to where Jarod and the children stood. Jarod was holding Alex in his arms. And Sydney did the same with his daughter when Mr. Parker was brought out of the Centre. Though Morgan knew that he was not her father it still hurt to know that for years she had aimed to please him even when it meant forsaking her own happiness.

Chris watched too as Mr. Parker was brought out. Debbie had been holding his hand and felt him shudder when the chairman had been led out in handcuffs. She hugged him and Chris buried his face in her hair, breathing in it's scent hoping that it would wash way all of the memories.

And so they all stood, until they could no longer stand to be so near the people who had taken so much away from them. After Cox had been brought out they all climbed in to their vehicles and returned to Morgan's old home. There Angelo was found waiting on the front steps basking in the sunlight. An hour later the group returned to the hotel in Dover to gather their things from. They then left and headed for Canada where for the next two weeks they would finish dealing with their inner demons.

And that night for the first time in years they all slept easily knowing that the evil that had haunted them for so long was finally gone.

Morgan sat rocking her youngest son Gabe –often called Jake by the other children- to sleep. Across from her, her husband did the same with Zane – or Jason to the children-. She was tired, she was beyond tired. But for their first time in a long time she was truly happy. For six years she had gallivanted across the globe chasing the ever-elusive pretender. And after six years she had finally caught him; she was glad she had. And there was no way in hell she was ever letting go of him.

'This is the life I wanted for you baby' She heard her mother whisper in her head. 'This is the life I wanted for you'.

For those of you who didn't get that last chapter with Morgan reread the first chapter.

Now just click on the button to the right to go on to the next chapter. And then let me know what you thought.