AN#1- Exodus seems to have gone over fairly well. So expect an update on that sometime this week, maybe even later today. It's been a long time since I've looked over the first few chapters of Exodus


Crazyrussiangal- Thanks for the review. I'm glad to know you enjoy Sam so much. I've grown rather fond of him as well. Here's the next chapter for you. Oh and in the next chapter Parker's back.

CHAPTER 49

RELIEF


October 16, 1999

10:23pm

Blue Cove, Delaware

Lucky's Bar and Tavern

Sam sat in the back of the bar in attempt to avoid being seen. It was a rather seedy bar. Nothing like Zeak's old place. But sadly Zeak's bar had closed shortly after his death. But Zeak's was not were Sam wanted to be anyway. When the bar was still open it was frequented by Centre employees. And Centre employees were the very people Sam was trying to avoid.

Will had come though for Sam and managed to arrange a meeting between Sam and his aunt. Sam had so many questions to ask the woman, and depending on her answers, Sam also had a favor to ask her.

"Is this seat taken?" A woman asked. Sam looked up and saw that it was his aunt. She looked out of place dressed in her thousand dollar pant suit, and two thousand dollar shoes.

"No, please sit." Sam said, indicating the seat across from him.

"I received a message that you wanted to meet with me. I assume you have questions," Susanna stated.

"Yes, yes I do," Sam said as he studied the woman. She was in herearly fourties, Sam placed her age to be about 41. Susanna was a petit woman, almost a foot shorter than Sam. She had brown eyes, and her black hair was up in a bun.

"By now you know that I am your father's sister. Young William has taken the opportunity in informing me on what you know," Susanna said.

"You know Will. How?" Sam asked.

"I had the pleasure of meeting both William and his sister Alyssa, when they were quite young still toddlers in fact. He reminds me a bit of you," Susanna said.

"How so?"

"Like you were at his age, William is alone. His parents are... gone, as is his twin. His only other family he can't even be near out of fear that they too will be taken from him."

"There's one difference," Sam pointed out. "I had my sister, and mother."

"Yes, yes you did," Susanna agreed. "But lets not talk of William any longer. Our time is short and he is not who we have come to discuss."

"Why did you and not my father take the Triumvirate seat?" Sam asked.

"Your father never wanted it. Allen wanted a family, he knew that if he became a Triumvirate member then he would more than likely not have the family he desired so."

"From what I understand my grandfather had a family and was still a triumvirate member." Sam said. Susanna gave a little chuckle.

"That just goes to show how much you understand Samuel. Your grandfather, my father was much like Mr. Parker. My father spent more time with the Triumvirate than he did with his own family. Allen and I would go months with out seeing him. Allen hated it, and it was the life that he chose not to lead," Susanna told Sam. "Now Samuel ask the question you truly want to ask."

Sam looked down at the beer he was nursing, and debated on if he truly wanted to ask his question. Sam sighed.

"W-why were my parents killed?"

"For a number of reasons, that deal with you, Miss Parker, and... a pretender."

Sam looked up. "Jarod?" he said shocked.

"There were several projects your parents opposed. Project Prodigy, was one of them. As were Phoenix, the Black Files, Gemini, and another which I'm not at liberty to tell you so don't ask." Susanna told Sam

"You said my parents opposed Phoenix, the Black Files and Gemini. But my parents were dead long before Black Files, Phoenix, and Gemini were created." Sam stated.

"Yes but the concepts had been around for years. Phoenix is the prototype for the Black Files. Both groups are the offspring of psychics, pretenders, telekinetics, and telepaths. Created for one reason, to be highly skilled assigns. You can imagine why your parents opposed it. And actually there was a prototype for Phoenix. Years ago a project was formed to create a child that was to be a pretender with a inner sense. But that project failed."

"How does Jaord play into all of this?"

"Your parents found out who Jarod really was."

"And who is he?" Sam prompted. He was no longer buying into the idea that the Centre wanted Jarod back because the man was a pretender. Will was just as good as Jaord if not better.

Susanna sighed debating on if she should tell her nephew the truth. "Jarod is both the savior and downfall of the Centre."

"Care to elaborate?" Sam asked.

"No. Too much information can endanger you," Susanna told her nephew. Sam muttered a curse. His aunts answer to his question had just brought more questions.

"What were your intentions when you first joined the Triumvirate?" Sam questioned deciding to change the topic out of hope he would receive a straight answer.

"I wanted to change the Centre, and the Triumvirate. Turn it into the respectable place it once was. How innocent I was then," Susanna chuckled.

"Are you saying that the way things are will never change?"

"Oh things always change Samuel, for the better or worse," Susanna stated. Sam frowned as he thought of what Will had said a few days prior.

"Many people have walked though the doors of the Centre wanting to do good Sam. Very few actually do. And those that do don't live to tell about it. You will have a better chance to do good. But you'll also have a better chance of winding up dead."

"I don't want it," Sam whispered. Susanna stared at him not understanding.

"Don't want what?" The woman asked.

"I don't want to be your heir. I don't want the responsibility, nor do I want the chance that my soul might be corrupted. I've done enough harm in my life. I've turned a blind eye far too often. Said nothing when I should have spoken. I've become a hypocrite. I yelled at my trainer Melanie when I was boy because she didn't stand up for me. And now decades later I've turned into her. I only give a damn when something is done to those I care about. All others be damned. And the sad thing is that though I know I am guilty of these things I'll continue doing them."

"I've been corrupted by the Centre. Just not as bad as others. I don't want to be corrupted any further. So thanks but no thanks. Find a new heir."

"The Grey's have had a seat on the Triumvirate for close to a century," Susanna said.

"All things must come to and end, Aunt Susanna. And I think this is the end of our conversation. Goodbye," Sam said getting up. Sam tossed a twenty on the table to cover his bill, and then walked out of the bar. He got into his car and drove not aware where he was going until he parked.

Sam walked into the Centre and to Will's cell. The boy was done with his sims for the day and about to turn in for the night when Sam entered.

"I declined," Sam stated. Will did not ask for the sweeper to elaborate.

"Why?" Will asked.

"I have enough blood on my hands," Sam said simply. Will did not reply and the two sat in silence for a few moments.

"Mike and Maddie are awake," Will whispered breaking the silence.

"And the others?" Sam asked. Will swallowed.

"They haven't gotten any worse. But they aren't better either," Sam said. Will didn't need to look at the boy to know he was crying. Will had lost so much already, Sam knew that the boy was beyond terrified of losing his baby brothers and sister.

"They'll wake up Will. Mike and Maddie waking up was a good sign."

"I know," Will whispered.

"Hey listen I need to go and check on the kids. Will you be alright?" Sam asked Will.

"Yeah," Will said. "I'm tired anyway."

"Alright then. I'll see you in the morning," Sam said and left to go to the infirmary.

Sam arrived at the infirmary to see that Mike and Maddie were indeed awake.

"Sam," The twins said hoarsely upon sight of their sweeper.

"Michael, Michelle, Be still," Jen told the squirming twins. The doctor was in the process of looking over the children.

"How long have they been awake?" Sam asked Jen.

"An hour," Jen replied after consulting her watch.

"Hey you two how are you feeling?" Sam asked Mike and Maddie running a hand through Maddie's hair.

"Tired," Mike yawned.

"What? Tired? Mikey you've been asleep for a week," Sam said smiling. The sweeper regretted his words when he was the twins frown.

"Hey what's wrong?" Sam asked them.

"Are Air, Andy, and Alex gonna wake up?" Maddie whispered.

"Sure they are baby girl. You two woke up didn't you?" Sam said to the girl.

"Sam's right Maddie they'll wake up," Jeremiah insisted from behind Sam. Jeremiah and the other Black Files were seated on various hospital beds around Mike, Maddie, Jen and Sam.

"How do you know?" Mike asked.

"A ghost promised me. Only I don't think she was a ghost I think she was an angel," Jeremiah said remembering the girl that had visited him the night Mike, Maddie, Aaron, Andros, and Alex had ended up in the infirmary. Sam smiled at the boy, thinking that Jeremiah had made up the story to alleviate Mike and Maddie's worries.


October 23, 1999

4:28am

Blue Cove, Delaware

The Centre

Jeremiah was right Alex and her brothers did wake up. A few hours before sunrise, the triplets awoke to find themselves in the infirmary. In between Andros' and Alex's beds, asleep in one of the hard plastic infirmary chairs, was Sam. The sweeper had taken to spending the night in the infirmary. When questioned about it Sam just answered that he wanted to keep a close eye on his charges. But really Sam just wanted to be their when the children awoke.

Sam heard a whimper and sat up so suddenly that fell out of his chair. And though confused as to why they were in the infirmary, the triplets let out a short bark of laughter that strained their throats.

"It's not funny," Sam mumbled as he got up off of the floor. Aaron tried to speak in reply but due to the ventilator he was unable to speak.

"Shush, Air don't try to talk," Sam interrupted the boy. "I promise I'll explain everything. Just let me call Jen and let her know that the three of you are finally awake. Then we can get those tubes out of your throats" The sweeper quickly placed a call to the doctor. Jen promised that she would be over as soon as she could. Sam then began to explain to the children how they had ended up in the infirmary.

"Mike, and Maddie woke up a week ago. The three of you have been out for two weeks," Sam finished. Aaron, Andros, and Alex stared up at Sam in shock. Sam fully understood what the children where feeling. The sweeper remembered all too well how he had felt when he had been a few years older than Will, and had awaken to discover that he had been in a coma for five days.

Jen arrived a few moments later to look over the triplets. Most of their bruises had healed. They still had a few fractures, that would take time to mend. But nothing life threatening. Sam sighed with relief at the news.

"I suppose I should tell the other's you three have finally awaken," Sam told the triplets after Jen had examined them.

"No need," Came Jake's voice. Behind the boy stood the rest of the Black Files. All of them wore smiles of relief.

"Welcome back to the world of the living," Rachael said grinning at the youngest Black Files. The older Black Files then spent the next fifteen minutes assuring themselves that Aaron, Andros, and Alex were indeed going to be just fine.

From two separate air vents two children stared out at the reunion of the Black Files. Both children were unaware of one another. It was ironic considering that just over a year ago Will and Alley had always been able to sense each other, had always been able to hear one another's thought's in their heads, and had known what the other was feeling at all times.

At the moment both Will and Alley were feeling the same way. Relieved.


Okay guys it's that time again. Time for me to start begging for reviews. I'd really really like some. They kinda make me happy.
Up Next: Baby Parker is born. And we find out that what Raines has been putting Will through. And it ain't pretty.