Joy- My exams went very well –if you don't count history-. Glad you liked Gemini and the twins. I'm doing my best to stick with the show., Which might explain my writers block. But no worries I'm getting over the writers block.
LJP- Glad you liked the softer side of Lyle. It's shown again a little later in the story.
Pretender Fanatic- Good to know that I didn't offend one of my favorite reviewers. If you like Will you'll like him even more in the up coming chapters. The focus will Soon be on Will and Alley.
CHAPTER 27
THE BLACK FILES
April 30, 1996
9:45am
Blue Cove, Delaware
The Centre
Mr. Parker slammed his fist into the wall. "Damn it," He yelled. The nurses and doctors around him cringed.
"Sir it's all right we still have five," The doctor in charge of the birth said in attempt to calm down the chairman. Instantly all around the doctor scurried away from him.
"Five! Five! There were to be six. Two set of triplets!" Mr Parker growled shoving the doctor against the wall. The chairman then pulled out his gun and shot the doctor execution style. A few of the nurses gasped in fright.
"Some one clean this up," Mr. Parker instructed kicking the body of the doctor. He took one glance at the six basinets. In the first five were the sleeping forms of three boys and two girls all appearing to be identical. In the last was the dead body of a male his skin tinged blue.Mr. Parker sighed and stalked out of the room nearly bumping into Sam.
Sam entered the birthing room and shook his head at the sight that greeted him. To his left was the sprawled body of the doctor, blood and brains splattered on the wall behind him. There was then the body of the dead triplet. And then to Sam's left were two bodies, both draped in white sheets.
Sam walked over to the bassinets, and ran a finger down all six of the babies' cheeks. As he did he muttered a name under his breath.
"Markus. Michael. Michelle. Aaron-Daniel. Andros. Alexandra." Markus was the only one of the babies that did not stir when Sam touched his cheek. Sam sighed, angry at the fact that the parent's of the little boy would never know of their son's death. Their would be no one to grieve for the little boy, save for Sam, and maybe Markus's brother and sister if they ever learned of the existence of their brother. Markus had died a few moments after entering the world, his lungs had been underdeveloped and he had suffocated.
Sam picked up the small body of the baby and wrapped him in a blue blanket that had S-251 embroiderer on it. It was to have been Markus's number, S-2 stood for the fact that the Black flies was the next generation in the pretender series after Phoenix. The five was for the fact that Markus his brother and sister were the fifth series of the Black Files the one meant that Markus was the oldest of his series.
Sam carried Markus to the morgue, there Jen waited for him. Sam placed the body of the baby on the steel table in front of Jen. Sam looked up at her and saw that she was silently crying. Yet she carried out her duties. She weighed the body, and conducted the autopsy, all the while tears blurring her vision. When she was done she took off her gloves and threw them in the trash and brought her hands up to her face and sobbed for the life that had been loss.
"Hey, It's okay," Sam said pulling her into a hug.
"No, Sam it's not. A child died today and there is no one to mourn for his life," Jen cried into the sweepers shirt.
"There's us," Sam told her. "I'm going to have him buried next to my parents," Sam whispered. Jen looked up at him bewildered.
"The Centre won't allow it. His body is to be incinerated," Jen told him stepping out of his embrace.
"I won't allow for the Centre to pretend that he didn't exist. Markus lived, even if only for a few moments he lived. And when the time comes Michael and Michelle will know about their brother." Sam said.
"You named them already," Jen commented. "It usually takes you a few days after they've been born. And the other set of triples what have you named them?" Jen asked trying to take her mind off of Markus.
"Aaron-Daniel, Andros and Alexandra," Sam told her and despite everything that had occurred that day Jen laughed.
"Clever, Alexandra means defender of man. And if I'm not mistaken Andros mean man."
"Yes but if this group of kids is anything like the last four then I'm quite sure the boys will be the ones who are protecting their sisters."
"The boys are a bit overprotective of their sisters aren't they?," Jen commented
"Yes they are. Listen I need to go and check out my newest charges and then check on the others. Will you be okay?" Sam asked her.
"I'll be fine," Jen replied, and Sam then left to check on the five newborns.
Confirming that all was well with the five children, Sam took them to the nursery. Already in the nursery where another set of triplets just a few months old. Sam walked over to them and saw that they were awake.
"Hello Greg," Sam said picking up the oldest. The baby took a hold of Sam's finger and inserted it into his mouth. Sam chuckled. Out of all of the Black Files, Gregory his brother Jeremiah, and sister Melissa were his favorites. It had also taken Sam the longest to name them.
In the end Sam named them after the boy, Greg whose death Sam may have been able to prevent. His father whose middle name was Jeremiah, and his mother whose middle name was Melissa. They were also the three names he had considered naming his own children. But Sam had come to the conclusion long ago that he would never have children. His life was to dangerous to bring an innocent life into it.
Sam placed Greg back in his bassinet and then went to check on the other six children that made up the rest of the Black files. On his way he stopped at the bassinet of the youngest Black File. For the life of him, Sam could not figure out why it was her he had reserved the name Alexandra. Alexandra was a variation of Parker's middle name -Elixandra-. For some reason Alexandra reminded Sam of his sister, and of two other people.
Sam wasn't a pretender. Raines and Mr. Parker had mistaken that fact to mean that Sam couldn't put two and two together and get four. One look at Alexandra and her brothers and Sam knew that they were siblings to Will and Alley. Which was odd because not for a moment did Sam believe that Michael, and Michelle were the brother and sister to Will and Alley, even though Michael, and Michelle appeared to be identical to Alexandra and her brothers. But Sam knew that Michael and Michelle weren't the siblings of the other three newborns. He had done a little digging and learned that the children were cousins. Second cousins to be precise, their mother's were first cousins.
All in all it made since to Sam. Will and Alley were the prototype for the Black Files. Why not make their younger brother and sister the last series of the Black Files. Alexandra and her brothers though not even a day old were already considered to be the best series of the Black files. And Will and Alley were considered to be the top pretenders at the Centre if you didn't include the Black Files. Sam made a mental note to look further into the connections between the seven children and then headed next door.
Jake and Rachael, Marc and Cassie, Terra and Tobias were awake. Jake and Rachael now just over a year old sat on the floor each holding Terra and Tobias. Marc and Cassie stood behind them. The second series of the Black Files Marc and Cassie were three months shy of their first birthday. Terra and Tobias were six months old, and at that moment they were distraught.
"Jake what's going on? Sam asked the eldest boy.
"Toby and Ter know baby die. Baby part of dem like part of other's." Jake told his sweeper.
"I don't understand Jake," Sam said crouching down to the boy's height and taking Tobias and Terra in his arms.
"Dey got same blood, cept not," Rachael said. "Dey Daddies like Greg and Jerry."
"Tobias and Terra's father is twin to Michael and Michelle's father?" Sam asked the little girl.
"Correct," Came a voice. Startled Sam looked up as saw two identical wiry six foot tall men with dark blond hair, grey eyes and chiseled chins. Both wore the grey shapeless tunics and pants that was the uniform of Centre projects. Sam stood in front of his charges, Tobias and Terra began to wiggle in his arms.
"You have no need to protect them for us. We mean them no harm," Said one of the twins his voice laced with sorrow.
"Who and what are the two of you?" Sam asked the men who could be no more than twenty five.
"I am Alexander, or more commonly known as Lex," Said the second twin pointing to himself. "This is my brother Andrew. We are known as Project Oracle." Sam snorted.
"We amuse you. Why?" Andrew asked.
"If I'm guessing right you to are psychics right?" Sam said still trying to keep Terra and Tobias still.
"Correct," Lex replied.
"So why don't you tell me why I find the two of you amusing?" Sam questioned. The two brothers exchanged looks.
"You find us amusing due to the fact that you just named the two youngest Black Files Andros and Alexandra. Their names are more or less the same as ours." Andrew answered.
"And if we are correct, they along with the other four,-three- born today are to also be psychic," Lex finished.
"How is it that the two of you know so much about the Black Files?" Sam asked.
"Why is it that you ask questions to which you already know the answers," Andrew replied as he took the squirming infants from out of Sam's arms. Instantly the twins became still, and they began to babble their baby talk. Andrew's face lit up with a smile.
"You're Tobias and Terra's father," Sam said, he was not shocked when Andrew nodded his head in reply. "Which would make you..."
"Markus, Michael, and Michelle's father. Yes," Lex interrupted.
"I'm sorry about your son," Sam said.
"Thank you." Lex said looking down. "And thank you for making sure he will be buried. But now we have a favor to ask you." Lex said meeting Sam's eyes.
"We are leaving, tonight. And even if we could we aren't taking our children with us. We're asking you to look after them, to keep them safe form Lyle and Raines," Andrew said looking at his children.
"I'll do what I can," Sam promised.
"There is one other thing, when you bury Markus, have this engraved on his head stone," Lex said passing Sam a slip of paper. Andrew kissed Terra and Tobias on their foreheads and handed them back to Sam. As then twins turned to leave Lex looked down at Marc and Cassie.
"You do know who their father was don't you?" Lex asked Sam.
"Yes I do," Sam replied evenly. Marc and Cassie were one of the main reason's Sam had stayed with the Black Files. They were his penance, Sam had killed their father years ago. He didn't mean to but it was either kill Devin or Devin would have killed Parker. So Sam pulled the trigger. Sam knew that he could never give the set of twins their father back but the least he could do was shield them as much as possible from the horrors of the Centre.
"Just making sure," Lex said and twins then slipped out of the room. It never occurred to Sam to stop them. But it did occur to him that the little conversation he just had with Lex and Andrew may have been recorded. Sam looked up at the camera and saw that the red light was out.
"No come back for hour," Jake told Sam. Sam nodded his head to indicate he understood the little boy and then sat Terra and Tobias down in their cribs. He then unfolded the slip of paper Lex had given him
Markus Keegan Anthony
Son of Alexander and Julia
Brother of Michael, and Melissa
You were loved
Scrawled quickly in the bottom left corner Lex had also written,
Call her Maddie for short
Sam smiled as her refolded the paper and placed it in his breast pocket. "So how would you all like to meet your new cousins?" Sam asked the children. They vigorously nodded their heads and Sam led them to the room next door.
Sam was the only one who attended the memorial service for Markus three days later. Markus was buried next to Sam's parents. Brother Luke -Sam's old teacher for Catholic school- presided over the small memorial. A single red rose was placed on the grave. Sam waited at the grave side for almost an hour waiting for Lex to come. The sun had almost set when Lex arrived with a woman.
"I'm sorry about your brother," Sam said shaking the man's hand.
"As am I," Lex replied. Andrew had been killed in his and Lex's attempt to escape the Centre. "In one day I lost both my son and my brother," A tear fell down the man's face. "This is Julia, she is Markus, Michael, and Maddie's mother," Lex said introducing the woman to his right. She had petite frame, pale skin, shoulder length black hair and blue eyes.
"Thank you Samuel, for everything you have done for our children." Spoke Julia
"I'm just doing my job ma'am." Sam replied
"I'm quite sure the Centre doesn't pay you to console the parents of your charges. To look after and protect a group of children as though they were your own." Julia said.
"I don't consider what the Centre pays me for as a job. I don't know how much the two of you know about my past but when I was a boy I looked the other way even when I friend of mine was being abused by his father. He died. For several years I trusted the Centre, even after they killed my birth parents and the people I viewed as parents.
"You speak of Catherine Parker," Lex said.
"You knew her?" Sam asked shocked.
"Knew her no. But I did know of her, her kindness was spoken of by other Centre children," Lex answered. "And now we must go. It's not safe for us here. Nor is it safe for you.,"
"I'll survive. I have to. I have a group of kids to look after, as well as my sister," Sam said.
"Look after them all Samuel. There has been talk concerning both your sister, the Black Files, and Phoenix. Most of it has not been good. The psychics have seen things. Things involving the children becoming even worse than the monsters the Centre wants them to be. Please Samuel we're trusting you to look after our children." Julia pleaded.
"I swear I'll keep them as safe as I can." Sam told her. Julia kissed Sam on his cheek and Lex shook the sweeper's hand. The three then departed, Sam returning to the Centre, and Julia and Lex beginning their life on the run.
Feedback is a good thing
Up Next: Sam learns more about Phonix and The Black Files. And a few people take a trip to the renewal wing.
