Somewhere Between Hell and a Turning Point

A Pretender fanfic by Miss Howard

Part 6
The Discovery

Six months later
Falls Church, VA
Jarod & Missy Russell's home

"Jake, please help mommy find your other shoe," Missy pleaded with the little boy.

"It's under here, Mommy," Jake said as he peered under the bed.

"Would you get it for me, Jake? Daddy will be home soon and we'll have to leave for my appointment."

"To see the doctor?"

"Yes, Jake. That's right. To see the doctor."

"Will my sister be here soon?" Jake asked.

"Yes, Jake. She'll be here before ya know it."

Missy Russell heard a car door slam. Out of habit, she tensed and then relaxed when she heard her husband's voice, "I'm home."

"Daddy! Daddy!" squealed three year old Jacob Russell.

Scooping him up in his arms, "There's my boy."

"Jake's been helping me clean up," she said holding a small shoe.

"You were helping Mommy?"

He nodded.

"Well, I think that deserves an ice cream cone, don't you, Mommy?"

She smiled, "Absolutely."

"Yay!" Jarod and Jake said in unison.

"But first, we've got to get to this doctor's appointment."

Jarod's cell phone rang.

"Hello…Syd! How are you? We're all good. He's growing like a weed. Yeah, she's right here. She's good. Yeah, we're excited. Not sure about a name yet. Thinking about…" he glanced at Missy who was making faces. "Ya know what? I think she wants to tell you herself. Hang on."

"Sydney? How are you? I miss you so much. Will you be here when the baby comes? Absolutely…just put in for your vacation now, okay? I'm sure the university will understand. Have you heard from Broots? What about Debbie? How's her schooling going?"

"Missy, he can't answer them all at once," he mused taking the phone from her. "Sorry about that Sydney…do what? Of course I can. What time? Of course. I'll see you then," he answered and closed the phone.

"What's going on?"

"He's half-way over the Atlantic and he wants me to pick him up at the airport in a couple of hours."

"He's coming here? Oh, Jarod…I can't believe it. I've missed him so much."

"I know, Missy. So have I."

She glanced at her watch, "Geeez, Jarod. We're gonna be late."

"Okay, Jake. Let's go!" he said scooping him up.

"Come on, Mommy!"

The man in the black Jaguar watched them get into the SUV. Their world is about to change and they don't even know it, he thought.

"Where's Papa?" Jake asked for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"Soon, Jake. I promise," Missy answered, herself watching each person's face as they exited the plane.

"There he is!" Jarod said, pointing toward the gate.

"Jarod, Missy!" Dr. Sydney Green called out.

"Papa!" Jake squealed.

Sydney knelt to hug the little boy who was named for his late twin brother Jacob Green.

He picked him up and then turned his attention to two of the people he loved most in this world. "Missy," he exclaimed touching her belly, "you look wonderful. How much longer?"

"Not long at all Sydney. Another three weeks and this angel will be here."

"Jarod," he smiled. "You look so happy."

He nodded, "I am, Syd. I am."

"So, Syd…I'm glad you're here but…why are you here?"

"What? You think I'd miss the birth of my first…"

"Papa, let's go," Jake said pulling at his coat."

He nodded. "Yes, yes…we can talk about this later. Suffice it to say I wouldn't miss this for anything."

The slip of the tongue was lost on Missy but not on Jarod.

"So, how's Broots? And Debbie?"

"Broots is fine. He's with the FBI now at the Los Angeles field office."

"You're kidding," Jarod started. "What's he doing?"

"Would you believe he's in cryptology?"

"Breaking codes," Jarod smiled, "just as he should be."

"And Debbie?" Missy asked.

"She's good. She's about to start high school…and dating."

"Oh, I feel sorry for those boys. He'll investigate every one of them, too," she said, laughing.

"Okay, we're almost there, Sydney," he said turning down the tree-lined street.

Sydney smiled as he watched Jarod in his natural habitat. He couldn't get over the fact that he'd almost single-handedly brought the Centre crumbling down. He'd blended in to semi-normalcy and none of their friends knew of their former lives.

"We live here, Papa," Jake called out.

"It's a beautiful home, Missy."

"Yes, she's done an incredible job with everything," he said turning off the engine and climbing out of the vehicle.

"I'll take Jake in and get him settled. You boys bring the bags in and light the grill, 'kay Jarod? We'll grill out."

"Okay," Jarod answered.

The two of them smiled at each other. Jarod looked back to see if Missy was in the doorway but she wasn't. "Okay, she's gone. What's going on?"

"What? What do you mean?"

"Don't lie to me, Sydney. Not after everything that's happened. What's going on?"

He looked down, shuffled his feet and then looked up again. "I've discovered who her father is."

"You?"

He looked surprised, "Yes. How did you know?"

"Lucky guess," he answered. "How'd you find out?"

"Actually, it was Angelo that suggested it. It surprised me but I had Broots do some research and I found Catherine's diary."

"How…when are you going to tell her?"

"I'm not sure but I want to tell her before the baby is born."

"I suggest you tell her tonight…before anything else happens."

Feedback is always welcome.