Disclaimer: Please go all the way back to Chapter 1 for the usual statements.
Author's note: To all those who read and reviewed this tale all the way to the end, I would like to extend my most sincere thanks. Those reviews kept me posting. This chapter is the finale to this very, very long story. I didn't intend it being this long. My wish was to entertain while still getting some of the ideas I had for this story written down. And while I could go on and on with this yarn, I believe this is a good place to leave it.
Time to Consider
Chapter 39
By Callisto
Carrying such a burden was trying but the reward that waited was well worth the effort. With a heavy heart, he gently let go and stepped back. His heart sank in his chest and he found it necessary to shut his mind to the ultimate outcome but he knew this was best. A heavy sigh seeped from deep inside his body, from the very marrow of his bones as he swallowed the lump in his throat with some difficulty and then turned to face his future.
Ferrer Villa – Past
Mar de Azul, Portugal
The laughter of children echoed cheerfully throughout the spacious home. Punctuating the children's voices were those of adults chatting amiably. The noise they created clearly sounded like a group of people enjoying the beautiful day and each other's company.
Catherine was about to walk out on the veranda to join her husband and daughter, when suddenly she hung back to watch them. The two had grown very close and attached to one another as Catherine watched Maritza laugh at something her father said. Many years had passed since her daughter had been forced to explain the letter Anna had handed over on the day she and Jarod had gone missing, but for Catherine those revelations would stay with her forever.
Ferrer Villa – Past
Several days after the return
At first she didn't, couldn't believe what she was being told. According to their account, two weeks ago, both Mari and Jarod had jumped forward through time, into a completely different reality—a reality where they both originally belonged. Then Mari began to supply tiny details about her life at the Centre. Catherine discovered the devil in those details because the depth of her daughter's knowledge of the inner workings of the corporation was impossible for her to know without having ever been there. It was a place where Catherine had studiously kept her daughter's exposure to a minimum. Private tutors, boarding school along with piano and dancing lessons had been carefully scheduled and arranged to keep her inquisitive daughter out of harms' way. Apparently in the other reality, she hadn't taken such elaborate steps to keep her little girl out of the Centre. To maintain her sanity, Catherine dug in her heels and refused to believe a word of it. That's when Jarod walked up and handed Mari 3 small shiny discs, explaining that someone named Angelo had given them to him in the 'variant timeframe', as he put it.
Staring at the discs, Catherine was again shocked. The innocuous discs were an integral part of a brand new technology that Ben told her the Centre had a hand in creating. Large amounts of data could be stored on the tiny discs instead of bulky, expendable tape. How the two got their hands on such discs was a mystery but they were physical evidence of their assertions. Giving his fiancé a melancholy glance, Jarod told her that he didn't have a chance to view the discs; just that he trusted the person who had given them to him. Mari looked at her future husband and gently took them from his hand.
"Momma, do you have a DSA player?"
The impact of the discs was extreme. She was given the rare opportunity of witnessing the result of Angelo's genius. He had found a technique that would allow him to append pieces of several DSA's onto one. Catherine watched as a shot rang out and listened as her daughter's anguished screams pierced her soul. The devastation on Mari's face was crushing but the first part of the DSA was also horrific. There in the Centre was Sydney, Jacob's twin brother, actively participating in the Pretender project. How such a sensitive and kind person could ever be associated with something so atrocious was troubling. The date on the DSA created an immovable lump in her throat. The only thing off was the year, otherwise everything was frighteningly similar. It was the same month and day she had decided on but had been talked out of by none other than Sydney. The Catherine on the DSA was different, confused, trapped and obviously not thinking clearly. The parallels were too close for comfort.
Parker watched the various emotions of pain, anger and heartbreak play across her mother's face. Once the DSA ended with the scene of a sweeper restraining her 11 year-old self from going to her stricken mother, Parker ejected the disc. In a steady and what she thought was a neutral voice, Parker explained that the entire scene had been a hoax but that most of her life she believed this was the way her mother had died. It was only a few years ago when she discovered the truth about her death from another DSA that was found a Raines' forest house.
Catherine accepted the anger in Mari's voice. It answered a number of questions that had recently begun to concern her. "You're angry." At the surprised look on her daughter's face, Catherine shrugged sadly and continued, "You have every right to be. Even though for the me here, I wasn't yet pregnant with Ethan, the plan you saw…er experienced, was the same I had been talked out of by Sydney. What I explained to you back at Lake Catherine is the truth. Everything that DSA shows is like watching my worst nightmare being played out.
"Oh, Baby, there's nothing I can do to take away the pain I caused you with that farce of a plan I came up with. One good thing is actually seeing it. You see, I've been torturing myself about Ethan. I was beginning to lament dedicating so much time and effort into preventing the Pretender project from ever happening. This shows that I was right and that Ethan is just what he is—a gift, as are all my children."
"I've lain awake many nights wondering why you would ever trust Raines? He was the one who beat you that Thanksgiving, not Daddy."
"I allowed that creep to hit me?" Catherine asked horrified.
With a half laugh, Parker nodded and answered, "Yes. You were diagnosed as manic/depressive and he was trying to control you."
"My God. It's easy to believe Leith hitting me, he had the temper but I wouldn't ever let Raines near me with a 10 foot pole."
"Then I guess I should skip the part where he tried to claim that he was my real father."
Catherine's stunned expression caused Parker to laugh appreciatively. He told me and Lyle that he was our real father. As twisted as Lyle is, I don't believe he was buying into that fiction any more than I."
"Who's Lyle?"
Her answer was a long thoughtful smile, which Catherine playfully tried to shake by grabbing another DSA. The next disc showed the adult Parker threatening Raines while he stood behind bars inside the Centre. The disc ended with Mr. Parker shooting Raines in the back before he could say too much. After that viewing and Parker's subsequent explanation, Catherine asked for some time alone. In solitude, she broke down into racking, anguished tears which brought Mari running back to her. Together they held each other, crying and thanking providence for the second chance.
Ferrer Villa – Past
Mar de Azul, Portugal
A loud, childish shriek stirred Catherine out of her reverie. She still hadn't watched the third DSA and wasn't sure if she ever could. Turning to the source of the noise, Catherine laughed aloud. Jarod had one child draped over his shoulders and the other in his lap loudly enjoying a tickle.
Shaking her head at Jarod's indulgence with his own children, Catherine joined the others on the veranda carrying an icy carafe of sangria. "Maritza, I'm not sure who's having the most fun, Jarod or the kids."
"You should've seen them with the major, talk about a big kid," Parker answered amiably.
"I take it you're the disciplinarian?" Ben asked curiously.
"Both of us are, but yeah, I usually wear the bad guy hat. He was the one who insisted on having them, so enjoying them should come with the territory."
"I thought you wanted children," Ben said a bit surprised.
"I wanted Jarod. Anything else was gravy, including those monsters I call my children," she said with a smile.
"I heard that," Jarod said carrying a protesting toddler with a slightly older little girl following closely.
Parker turned to Jarod and smiled at her husband. The love between them was evident in their eyes. Ben watched them closely as Jarod finally released the little boy who made a beeline for his mother.
"Momma!" he shouted smiling happily.
"Mathieu! How's Momma's big man?" she asked lovingly as she placed him in her lap. Both her parents watched her face and saw the unvarnished love she was showering on her son.
Jarod sat down wearily and helped himself to Catherine's glass of sangria, gently slapping his daughter's inquisitive hands away. Though not really thirsty, she shot her father a disapproving glare, then turned to her mother.
"Mommy, why do you call me a monster?"
"Because you act just like I did when I was your age. Isn't that right, Momma?"
"Nonsense, you were a very sweet-tempered child. Elaine is more like me, high spirited and adventurous," Catherine answered.
"Momma didn't know all the sneaky stuff I did, Baby. You on the other hand, I keep my eye on," Parker replied with a large grin. Noticing Jarod's genuine fatigue she said, "Come here, Lainey. Let's give Daddy a breather."
Eagerly, the obscenely intelligent 4 year old jumped off her father's lap and ran over to her mother. Daddy was fantastic but nothing could compare to her mother's cuddles. Ben caught Catherine's eye and smiled. For all their daughter's protests, she was as crazy about her children as Jarod. The hug young Lainey got from her mother made Jarod long for one as well—fatigue kept him still.
Feeling quite blessed, Catherine leaned back in her seat after refreshing her drained glass. Staring at her daughter while she doted on her children, Catherine got up suddenly and took Mathieu into her arms and sat back down, looking into the little boy's inherited features. It was pure conceit but at least the DSA was very accurate. Her little girl did grow up to look just like her.
The Centre – Past
Blue Cove, DE
Sydney sat at his desk and placed several DSA's in an envelope. Turning over the padded package, he addressed it to the Triumvirate satellite office in France as instructed. He hoped that somehow these would reach Catherine. It wasn't right that she was being denied access to her son. Mason was a strapping, handsome young man. Intelligent and thoughtful as Mason was, Sydney couldn't help but disapprove of Mr. Parker's handling of his "son". Often Mason asked after his mother but was stonewalled. The poor fellow didn't even know he had a twin because Sydney wasn't allowed to tell him. Hopefully, Mason's curiosity would spur him into searching for his mother on his own.
Sydney didn't have anything to worry about on that account. Mason stood in the shadows across the wide sim room watching Sydney mail his quarterly supply of DSA's. Mason was able to get his hands on one of the DSA's from last quarter's collection and found it was all about him. He was convinced that Sydney was sending them off to his mother. In his mind, the soft voice he told no one about said so as well. This time he would memorize the address his mentor was sending them to, find his mother….and kill her. Damon was right; no mother should abandon her child in favor of another. Mason was already aware that he had a sister and if he got his hands on her, he would make sure she knew a measure of the pain and loneliness he had lived with all his life.
The Centre – Present
Blue Cove, DE
It was dark outside and nothing moved. Waiting till dark was the only way. Despite what he had to do to get here, this is the result that he truly wanted. Parker gave him all the accoutrements to carry out this mission without any further supplies. The burden still weighed on his heart and though he never had the chance to tell her properly—he would miss her. There was some movement at the edge of his field of vision which caused him to hunker down and pick up his binoculars. A pair of sweepers was patrolling the vineyard. This must be a part of their usual rounds because judging from the casualness of their demeanor, a white elephant could stroll across the field, steal several bushels of grapes and nonchalantly saunter away without being spotted.
Well, the rescue attempt Parker was so secretive about would still happen. The captive toddler was about to experience the thrill of a prison break. The very thought of it excited him. What he dreaded was the prospect of seeing Mr. Raines again. That was the reason for his unlikely partner. Between the two of them the Centre would salivate over the prospect of so much profitable intelligence working together. He smiled at the thought because this time his need for a family and approval was no longer an issue.
Ferrer Villa – Past
Mar de Azul, Portugal
The sounds of voices chattering happily came from his window. Slowly sitting up, he shuffled out of bed like a kid who had too much to drink and wasn't used to it. Holding a hand up to his forehead, he was determined to find the source of the noise. Looking out almost brought him to his knees. The sun was insidiously bright as if it wouldn't allow anyone to wallow in the dark.
Looking down, he hadn't realized that he had lost so much weight. Missing his sister was having its effects but he didn't care. Throwing on a pair of jeans over his boxer shorts, Ethan made his way downstairs. He thought he had heard her voice but he wanted to make sure it was her and not just a dream.
Extreme vertigo hit him hard causing him to pause and sway at the base of the stairs. Breathing deeply, Ethan with slow and determined steps shuffled his way towards the veranda. Again at the doorway, he paused to gather his wits and to take several stomach calming breaths. Almost immediately, very young, excited voices responded to his appearance but were quickly hushed by another voice—his sister.
All the adults at the patio table turned towards the sight that created such jubilation in the children. Poor Ethan, who had been in bed with the flu had gotten up to see what all the racket was about. Parker allowed Lainey off her lap to open the door for her beloved Uncle. It had been over a year since the little girl saw her Uncle and she missed him terribly. Lainey doted on Ethan and would follow him around ceaselessly until her parents forced her to sit still.
Ethan shuffled across the threshold to suddenly find that he could no longer walk. A small body impeded his progress as her tiny arms tried to encircle his waist. The little girl pressed her cheek to her Uncle's thigh. Looking down into the little girl's concerned face; Ethan was warmed by her anxious expression. "How are you feeling?" she whispered up to him.
Breathing deeply, he replied, "Dizzy and confused. Who are you?"
The adults at the table laughed indulgently at his question, Ethan was in the habit of playing games with his quick-witted niece. Lainey looked up and answered solemnly, "I'm Elaine, your niece but you always call me Brat."
"My niece?" Ethan replied in a complete state of confusion. Looking up, he spotted his sister and stared hard at her face. Like a jack-in-the-box, Jarod jumped up to free Ethan from his niece and to offer his chair to the sick teenager.
"Jarod? What's going on?" he asked quietly. Even Jarod looked different, older than before but still basically the same. Jarod was busy detaching his daughter from Ethan's legs, so it took him a second to catch on to what was happening.
Ethan's eyes next landed on his sister, only she was quite a bit older than Jarod. She still looked the same but there was an attractive streak of gray in her hair and the expression in her eyes was different. Frowning thoughtfully, Ethan wondered why she was wearing blue contact lenses. Finally he spotted a younger version of Parker, who smiled knowingly at him and said, "Hi, Stranger. Miss me?"
Still confused, Ethan tilted his head to one side and then slid his eyes back over to the older version of Parker who was openly staring at him now—but in a matronly way. "I don't care how much you miss her, Ethan. I swear if you catch pneumonia from coming out here half dressed, I'll kill you before it does."
Widening his eyes, he looked to Parker for confirmation. With a barely perceptible nod, she gave him what he was looking for. Closing his eyes for a moment, Ethan looked over at his mother and said to the woman he had heard in his head all his life, "Momma?"
"Good guess," she retorted tartly. "Now, get back in bed!"
Ethan looked at her with bemused enchantment and then looked over at his sister who had quickly got up from her seat and turned him around before he could sit down in Jarod's chair.
"Come on little brother,I tuck you in like I used to when you were little."
In a soft voice he asked, "Do you think I could….?" There was a plaintive look in his face that she could never resist.
With a large indulgent smile, she whispered back, "Go ahead but if you value your life, make it brief. And while you're at it, wave at the old guy who was sitting next to me."
Ethan squinted at her instructions and stepping around her and behind his mother's chair, he bent low and wrapping his arms around her shoulders he hugged her tenderly. With his head bowed, Ethan pressed his cheek against his mother's. "I love you, Mom."
Catherine looked quizzically at her husband but she accepted her usually taciturn son's embrace. The heat from Ethan's cheek worried her as she raised her hand and gently ruffled his longish hair. She was about to say something to him when he lifted his head and received a sloppy kiss from his toddler nephew.
"Hi!" came the child's enthusiastic greeting.
"Hey there, kiddo."
Straightening up, Ethan really felt terrible. With a slow shuffle he made his way over to Parker, remembering the stories of her life in this timeframe, he waved at Ben. "Hi Poppi, I would stay but I think Momma would kill me."
"You don't look so hot. I'll come up later and give you a recap of the football match," Ben said with light concern.
Parker looked at Jarod and surprising him, she pulled him close and kissed him fiercely. Before releasing him she whispered her thanks to him. Jarod smiled and sneaked in another kiss.
"I'm glad I could help. There'll be a void," he murmured softly in Japanese.
"I know. Our Ethan's appearance means they should be on their way to rescue my nephew. Perhaps he'll help withthe healing." With that whispered exchange, Parker wrapped a steadying arm around Ethan and guided him slowly back towards his room. There was a lot to explain even though he had asked her so many questions about her experiences back at the cannery. Fortunately he remembered what she called their father here.
"Where are we?" Ethan asked the second they were alone.
"Eight years have passed since you last saw us. I asked Jarod to arrange it and I bribed Norwood and Daniel to send you."
"They kidnapped me?"
Shooting her brother a cynical look, she replied smartly, "Yeah, 10 yards from your bedroom to the machine."
"But you've been gone for less than a week. How could eight years have gone by?" Ethan asked through a mask of confusion.
"We're talking about time travel. We could've sent you back at any point we wanted since Jarod designed a new temporal beacon. I chose eight years because I doubted you would want to come back with us to be an eight-year old boy again and 16 is a good age to start over again. I know from experience."
"You were eighteen when you came back," Ethan fired back.
"And I was still a little ticked off that you kidnapped us to begin with. Consider this very mild payback. There is so much I need to tell you. Things that you need to know because it takes a while before the merge kicks in. Are you feeling up to it?"
"Are you still a concert pianist?" he asked with a Jarod-like smirk.
A soft gasp of surprise widened her amused eyes. "So you didn't believe that I would get my way, eh?"
"You're a lot like her. So I knew it would be hard denying her," Ethan replied enjoying the warmth that emanated freely from his sister.
Nodding cynically she replied, "Two years of going from one orchestra to the next symphony hall. Jarod had his hands full keeping me from shooting someone but we got through it. Then two years living in England as a pianist was all I could stand. I've been an attorney for the past 3 years. We just returned from America after living there for about a year." At Ethan's inquisitive frown she continued, "Jarod brought back one of those brainiac formulas he was working on. Turns out it was some automotive improvement that he literally invented. He's a millionaire several times over so we don't need my salary but I want to be closer to Momma."
Ethan was quiet while he sat down on his rumpled bed. He wondered what he was going to do here. With Maritza busy with her life, he felt at loose ends, not sure what was expected of him.
"Why did you bring me here? You already had the other version of me."
Parker smiled and said with a face brimming with affection, "Blame yourself, somehow you got me to like you. Maybe it was your sparkling personality but I do know it had absolutely nothing to do with that excuse of a bed your so fond of. In some ways, you're far too much like Jarod! When you're better, I insist on us shopping for a new one."
Ethan laughed remembering that he had once said that to her. With the sincerity of simplicity he said, "Thank you. And yeah, I missed you."
"You really do look all in, get some rest." Ethan basked in his sister's care as she straightened the covers over him and lightly caressed his warm forehead. He would be up and about in the morning, full of questions.
Before opening the door, Parker said with quiet finality, "You're home now, where you belong."
Jarod met her at the foot of the stairs with an inquisitive lift of his eyebrows. "How did he take it?"
"Dazed but that doesn't matter. I don't leave my little brother anywhere," she said tightly.
"What about Lyle?"
A shadow of the old grief stole into her eyes for a brief minute. "He's out there, different but still Lyle."
Jarod understood her and nodded solemnly. The merge still enhanced his intelligence as his mind effortlessly thought of the ramifications and several possibilities. Without pause he replied, "This timeframe is only slightly different than what we're used to. Catherine will need protection. Lyle is too bent and destructive not to try something."
"I know you wanted us to stay near your family," she replied by way of an apology.
"You're my wife and you're worried. I already have my spies in place keeping an eye on him. I have some ideas on how to keep him better contained."
Parker nodded thoughtfully and casting him a puzzled smile, she led the way into the kitchen to start dinner. Jarod followed returning her smile behind her back. Yeah, even after eight years, he still liked calling her his wife.
The Centre - Present
Blue Cove, DE
Daniel checked one last time through his field glasses. The sweepers were as predictable as waves. The only lousy part was that Ethan wasn't with them. Drugging and then carrying Ethan's unconscious body over to the time machine was the most difficult thing he ever had to do. More than with Emily and father, Daniel was closest to Ethan who was also an odd man out. The tortured psychic had been his best friend and Daniel already missed him terribly. He couldn't help but see the misery in his brother's eyes. Somehow, he had forged a lasting bond with his extremely odd sister.
Glancing over at his excited companion, he asked quietly, "Are you sure you want to go in with me?"
"Is there some other genius around here that worked out a solution to the DNA-ident scanner?" Norwood asked in his thick accent. Instead of sounding arrogantly sarcastic, his giddy excitement made him sound positively happy.
"Well, take this as one genius to another: get a hold of yourself. Parker's imitation of Edgar Casey was amazing but there's still plenty of room for the unexpected to creep in even the best laid plans. Stay alert." Without another word, Daniel crawled quickly towards the first marker. So far, even in the smallest details, Daniel found that this plan was much like the mission she had sent Ethan on to find Margaret—flawless. Soon Norwood followed and they were on their way to a carefully prepared adventure and a turning point in both their lives.
Fin