LJP- Yes Keegan is the last clone, any more and it would be true overkill. Benny and Adam show up in the next chapter and the whole thing is devoted to them. And I'm glad you like this story so much.

CHAPTER 23

SHADOWS

November 20, 2010

6:28pm

Blue Cove, Delaware

Russell Summer Home

Will and Alley entered the room with Jack and Jason in their arms.

"Look who's finally awake," Jarod said when he notice the four children enter the room. Jason and Jack buried their faces in their elder siblings' neck. Jarod raised a questioning eyebrow.

"They've been like this every since they woke up," Will said answering his father's unspoken question.

"Neither of them have spoken a word," Alley elaborated. "Jace big guy why don't you go over to Daddy, you're getting a bit heavy for my arms." Alley said shifting Jason in her arms as she walked over to Jarod. Jason reached out his arms for Jarod.

"Are you hungry Zane?" Jarod asked Jason, as he took the boy from Alley. Jason nodded his head.

"How about some ice cream?" Will suggested. "I remembering promising a little boy he would be able to try his first scoop soon."

"Ice cream?" Keegan chirped from Mike's lap.

"Looks like someone won't have a hard time fitting in," Lex said chuckling. Ice cream was one thing that never lasted long in the Russell house hold. Morgan swore that it was Jarod's fault the children were addicted to it.

"You want ice cream too Jack?" Will asked. Jack nodded his head.

"Ice cream it is then," Jarod smiled.

"Alley and I will go out and get some," Will said passing Jack to Morgan. But Jack held tightly to Will, refusing to let go. "Hey it's okay Jacky, Alley and I will be right back," Will said smoothing down Jack's tousled hair. But Jack did not release his hold on Will.

"He's afraid that they'll take you too," Keegan said getting up from Mike's lap and walking over to Will. Jack looked down at the boy who had made his way over. Surprised was etched on Jack's face, there was something about the new boy. He reminded Jack of someone. But he was different as well. And the new boy was special, special like Will and Alley were.

Jason shifted in his father's arms so that he too could look at the new boy. Jarod subconsciously walked over to Keegan allowing Jason to study the young clone closely. Like his twin Jason sensed many things about Keegan.

As Jason and Jack studied Keegan, Keegan shifted his gaze from one twin to the other. Keegan snuck a peek into the twins thoughts, and memories. Keegan saw what Erik had done to the twins, and sympathized. Keegan too had endured the same horrors as the twins. Erik had been Keegan's trainer all six years of his life. Keegan had been hidden away in England deep underground. It wasn't until two months ago when Keegan had been transferred to Blue Cove that he had ever seen the sunlight.

Keegan's first six years of life had been so different from Jason and Jack's and yet Keegan could see two very important similarities. One all three of the boys had suffered at the hands of Erik. And two Jason and Jack were...

"Shadows like me," Keegan stated. "You're each others shadows. "'M Markus's shadow."

"Twins," Jack whispered. Will was stunned. It was the first words Jack had spoken since he cried earlier that day. Jason and Jack began to wiggle a silent command for Jarod, and Will to let them down. Jarod and Will obeyed. Once the twins were on the ground the moved within arm's reach of Keegan. Keegan placed a hand on each of the twins shoulders, and closed his eyes. He had peeked into the boys minds before, but this time he took the grand tour.

"You had Erik too. Hurt both of you, like he did me," Keegan said opening his eyes. Jason, and Jack nodded their heads, and Keegan removed his left arm from Jason's shoulder, and moved his right arm down to Jack's cast.

"This is because, Jason spoke out of turn," Keegan said softly fingering Jack's cast. Keegan then lifted up the front of his shirt slightly to reveal a five inch scar just above his belly button. "This is because I spoke out of turn."

Many of the room's occupants winced, at the horrors the Centre inflicted upon the boys. But it all went unnoticed by Keegan, Jason, and Jack. Keegan's only concern was the twins. Keegan knew all to well what the boys had gone through at the Centre, and the emotions they had experienced at the time.

The twins had lost hope of ever being found by their family. Though he had spent his entire six years inside the Centre, Keegan had always held on to the hope of being found. Markus, and Uncle Andrew had promised. And now even though the twins had been found, and reunited with their family, the boys still feared that they would be taken again, or that another member of their family would be taken instead.

Keegan had the firm faith that the Centre wouldn't get him, Jason, Jack, or Pete again. When Will had touched Keegan earlier that day and tried to probe into Keegan's mind, Will had been unsuccessful. But Keegan on the other hand had seen into Will's mind. In an instant Keegan understood, that these people would kill for the safety of their family. Nothing mattered more to them. It was in that moment Keegan understood that he could trust them. That he was safe. Now he just had to convince his new cousins that they were safe.

"They can't hurt us anymore," Keegan told Jason, and Jack. "These," he said pointing to his scar and Jack's cast. "These are shadows. Shadows of our old life. Your arm will mend. My scar will fade. And our shadows will grow fainter. They'll always be there. But we can't allow for them to control our lives. We can't be afraid of them."

"Damn Key that was profound," Will whistled.

"He's a profound type of guy," Maddie grinned. "What else would you expect from my baby brother."

Lex smiled at his children. His three children. He had failed fourteen years ago to protect his child. Lex knew that their was nothing he could have done to save Markus. But as a father it didn't stop him from blaming himself. But now he had been given a second chance. A chance to make things right through Keegan.

It didn't escape Lex's attention that Keegan was roughly the same age Mike and Maddie had been when Lex and Julia got their children out of the Centre. It was as though the fates had steeped in and created this child. Allowed Keegan to be the same age Markus would have been on the day he would have been liberated from the Centre, had Markus survived. Allowed Lex to be given another chance.

"So Jacky," Will said crouching down to look Jack in the eyes. "Can Alley and I go to the store, get some ice cream. I promise you we'll be alright."

Jack nodded his head letting Will know that it was okay for Will and Alley to go.

"Alright then, what type of ice cream, and what toppings?" Alley asked grabbing a pencil, and sheet of paper from the kitchen.

"Chocolate, and orange sherbet, the Edyes' type with the semi-sweet chocolate chunks," Aaron said quickly.

"Oh, oh, cookie dough, and some sliced almonds, oh and if they have any real cherries not those fake ones," Maddie said. People shouted out their list for close to three minutes, before Will and Alley could finally leave.

The twins received funny looks at the checkout line, with their six gallons of ice cream -mint chocolate chip, cookie dough, orange sherbert, two chocolates, and of course vanilla- a long with twenty dollars worth of toppings, and several different types of cones.

When Will and Alley arrived home they were bombarded by the rest of the group. Morgan looked on in disgust as she watched the concoctions her children and husband came up with. Will and Alley each had a giant bowl of chocolate ice cream, topped with almonds, sprinkles, cherries, hot fudge and caramel. Aaron, Andros, and Alex were a bit conservative compared to their older siblings, chocolate ice cream and orange sherbert, with chocolate shell, walnuts, and sprinkles. Pete opted for mint chocolate chip in a sugar cone, Jason and Jack were happy with vanilla and chocolate with sprinkles.

Keegan on the other hand had a little bit of everything. Watching the young clone sample all of the different types of ice cream and toppings, made Jarod smile. It reminded Jarod, of when he first got Chris out and introduced the boy to the wonders of ice cream.

"Keegan go easy on the ice cream or you'll make yourself sick," Julia reprimanded her son.

"You've got to pace yourself Key. Eat just the right amount with in a given time period. That way you don't make yourself sick, and you don't get a sugar high. Not that a sugar high is a bad thing mind you, but the parents don't really like us getting one," Mike informed Keegan.

"Thank you Michael, for teaching your brother the correct forms of manipulation," Julia said dryly.

"As an older brother it's my duty," Mike replied.

"Hey the kid's right," Will spoke. "It is a burden that all older siblings shoulder, some of us more willingly than others."

"Morgan, please stop your children corrupting my kids," Lex said.

"I'll try but I can't promise you anything," Morgan smiled.

"So everyone knows that we're safe now?" Pete asked.

"By now, yes. Sam promised to call everyone and let them know," Jarod said.

"William did you call Adam and let him know?" Morgan asked.

"Yup." Will replied around a spoonful of ice cream.

"Guess Uncle Ethan's gonna make Adam come back soon," Alex sighed.

"What do you mean?" Pete asked.

"Oh that's right you guys don't know. Couple of days after the three of you were ... taken, Adam left on a mission, given to him by Kay and Kale no less. No one know's where he is save Will and Will's not tellin'," Aaron said.

"What about Jake and the others? Are they at the safe house too?"

"No, they're at the manor," Alley said forlornly.

"Christ Al, Jeff's like two miles away," Andros said exasperated.

"Jeff?" Pete spoke, confusion etched on his face.

"Yeah you know. Al's boyfriend," Mike drawled out.

"Oh yeah Jeff. Huh, maybe that memory wipe stuff did have an effect on me," Pete muttered.

"I'm sure it's nothing baby. Why don't you go lay down for a bit you look exhausted," Morgan told Pete.

"I think I will," Pete replied setting his dirty bowl in the sink, as he stifled a yawn. He then proceeded to the back room to lie down for a bit.

"Sleep well Tiger," Aaron called out to his brother.

"I will Andy don't worry," Pete said over his shoulder. Alex frowned, it was a very rare occurrence Pete ever got any of the children confused, regardless how similar they looked. Pete was one of the few people in the family who instinctively knew who was who.

"Pete must be more tired than he thought," Andros muttered.

"Yeah," Alex said absentmindedly

Up Next: We see what Adam, Benny, and Steve are up to. And someone is getting a new power.

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