An Ocean Between Us

Jarod stood alone looking out into the ocean, the crisp New England breeze gave a rough caress to his ebony colored hair, an air of deep solemnity around him that was so oppressive that it was almost chocking in thickness. His mind whirled around and around, trying to piece together every little memory, every little image, of how he reached this point in his eventful life.

It all began, at least for him, the day that he was abducted at four years old from his family, forced to work for almost thirty years as a slave to a malicious think tank, called the Centre. All because he held the gift of rare genius, which enabled him to literally become anyone he wanted to be. And for a while his life, was bleak, bland, and controlled. Then like the force of nature that she was, Miss Parker blew into his life, and made everything around him a beautiful picture of Technicolor.

He still could clear as day, remember her face. Long brown hair the color of fresh cinnamon, her eyes holding the blue and warmth of the Caribbean seas. And then it was the warmth of her smile that made everyday worth waking up to.

And for awhile, even in the depths of hell, he was happy.

Then suddenly everything came crashing around them. The day that Catherine Parker committed suicide, and it was a only to a matter of time until her precious daddy ruled her world, that she was gradually, bit by bit, taken away, then one day, she was truly gone. Gone to some frigid boarding school so many miles away from him.

Days, months, and gradually years passed.

It was twenty five years later, when he decided that he had to run away. Run to make up for tragedies, the grave injustices that his long servitude had caused. And then to make matters worse he was horrified, and a bit intrigued, to find out that the sweet little girl, who had been the light in his darkness, was now his icy huntress.

Again days, months, and years passed, in a flurry of a long drawn out game of cat and mouse. Along the way, he found various iniquitous plots, missing pieces of his family, and friendships.

Then five years to the day since the merry chase began, he and Miss Parker ended up stranded on the island of Carathis. Forced to work together to unravel the latest layer of deceit and finding the true origins of the Parker family and of the origins? of the evil that is the Centre.

And on that island, by Ocoee’s fireplace, the tension that had been building from their youth had finally climaxed, into one almost-kiss.

In that moment he knew that he loved her, had always loved her.

He should have known not to expect some fairytale happy ending, with her running away with him to live happily ever after.

Instead, she put her emotions, her feelings, underneath an icy, metal wall. And told him that there was no ‘us’, only the game.

And that was that. He sulked for three months, hidden away in a little cabin off the shores of Washington state. He cursed, he drank, he cried, he shouted, and destroyed things. Then one day, he got a message in his refuge email account.

A message from the very woman that he was trying to forget.

She wanted to meet him San Diego, in little café on the west side of town. At first he thought it was a trap, but his curiosity got the better of him and he ended up meeting her.

She sat regally in a tiny booth. Her long mahogany hair, artfully trimmed, fell down her back. Dressed in a classic black Chanel skirt suit that cost more than many people’s salaries.need something in this sentence about how the outfit adds to the sense of her regal bearing, or what he perceives as her regal bearing.

And when he sat down and looked into her topaz eyes, it was like coming home. He felt warmth inside of him that reached every single cell in his body.

Then she dropped the bombshell on him. Straight to the point as always.

“It’s time to bring down the Centre. Are you in or out rat boy?”

There was no other answer he could give.

“I’m in.” he replied quietly, yet firmly.

And like a storm, for over year and half together they went through a range of different adventures, which included finding the Vespian Scrolls, and using them, along with well timed delivery of DSA, part of Catherine Parker’s last will and testament, interlaced with her specify who she is master plan on ending the evil that was the Centre. The DSA led to several places around the world where they found evidence of the Centre’s malicious deeds and had a listing of their many secret holdings and assets. With that little gem, they were able not only to drain all the funds of both The Centre, and The Triumvirate, but also destroy with a well placed computer virus every piece of data that the Centre held.

With that done, all that was left to do was to give the evidence over to the local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.

Then it was the night before the Centre was to be raided, and both were holed up in a little Bed and Breakfast in Dover. He could still see her rigid spine as she passed back and forth in their room. snarking at him, in the usual way she did, but he didn’t blame her. He was more than a little nervous too. This was the end of an era, and the end of a couple of chapters in their lives for the both of them. So instead of baiting her, feeding her anger as was his usual way of responding to her biting remarks, he instead did something that he had been thinking about for more years than he would like to admit.

He kissed her long and hard. Forcing everything that he felt for her, love and hate, joy and sorrow into his kiss. He told her without words that she was the moon, the stars, his everything. He kissed her until they couldn’t breathe, and then reluctantly, he released his lips from hers.

They stared at each other, taking in air with short pants.

Then she punched him hard in the face, knocking him on his ass. He blinked up at her in a daze, holding his injured face in his hands.

“Why did you do that for?”

“You didn’t ask me for permission first wonderboy.”

She gave a slow smirk that made a cold shiver run down his spine, and certain parts of his lower anatomy stand at attention. And then before he knew, the Ice Queen herself was straddling him, the warmth of her core, rubbed against his aching member.

“Miss Parker.”

“Hmmm?”

“Can I kiss you?” he asked, his heart beating rapidly in his chest.

“No.”

He sighed, his heart was heavy.

Then without warning, she touched his lips softly with her luscious pink lips. And all was forgotten, forgiven in a rush of mouth, tongue, passion, and love. And from there they couldn’t stop, wouldn’t stop. They rushed hurriedly, stripping clothes, and taking the time to explore each other’s bodies, until finally they were one,. Their love making was a mixture of short, frantic movements, and long, gloriously slow strokes until they climaxed in a multitude of pleasure and sensations.

Afterwards, they couldn’t talk, there no words, no platitudes that they could offer one another. The new lovers‘ world too fragile to make promises of love and forever. So they went to bed and fell asleep in each other’s arms.

The next morning when Jarod woke from his surprisingly peaceful sleep he knew immediately that something was amiss. The bed was cold and there was no pressure of Miss Parker’s weight beside him. He turned over, and his fears were confirmed when there was only a faint impression of her in the sheets.

He searched all over their suite, found her clothes, and toiletries, gone. No evidence at all of her being there. Only his memory of the events of last night. And then he caught sight of an envelop with his name scrawled in her neat, elegant handwriting. He slowly, fearfully, opened the envelope, and read the short letter, once, twice, three times, before he could process it’s contents.

Dear Jarod,

If you already reading this, then you know that I’m gone. Don’t look for me, it’s better this way. Please do yourself a favor and live your freedom, and enjoy your family. I will always remember you, and what you have done for me, but this is better that I move on.

Goodbye Rat boy,

Miss Parker

For the second time, in his life she had left him, and he had felt like he was once more that defeated thirteen year old boy.

And now he was the defeated adult.

Yet, he had to live again without her. It was inconceivable to not be able to hear her voice at the touch of his speed dial or bait her into her wild, snarling, anger. The roaring anger that never failed to bring a rush of fresh arousal. To see her ice blue eyes, the silky chocolate brown mane of her hair. Never, to hear again the click, clack of her high heeled shoes.

She was truly gone.

The next day he watched the Centre raided completely anesthetized. He didn’t have the joyous feeling that he thought he should feel, now that his own fate was in his hands for the first time in his life. Nor did the phone calls to his family, who had been hiding in a cabin north of Ottawa.

He still could remembered that when he told his family of the truce, between him and Miss Parker. His mother that he had just that past June reunited with had been highly suspicious of the whole deal. She didn’t want to risk his freedom, risk losing him to the Centre’s huntress. They had their first argument that day, he reminisced silently as he watched the stars start to appear in the sky. The moon was rising high in the black sky.

The cool water lapping at his bare feet.

He sighed, shaking his head from his reverie. It was time to go to his new home, where his family awaited for him. He knew it was time to move on, but he couldn’t help but feel hollow. He didn’t want to move on without Parker. Yet once again she, and fate, gave him no other choice.

He picked up his shoes, and tracked his wet feet through the grainy sand. Leaving footsteps in his wake. And in the distance behind him lay the empty ruins of The Centre.

TBC...

Swing, Swing

Janaury 30, 2003

Sam Carter (Milton Park, Colorado Springs)

By Adrianne Boudreau

Part Of The Rabilia Series

A Snapshot.

It was a typical late spring afternoon; the sun high in the sky, in the height of the season's dominion over the year, as Sam Carter walked passed the pine trees, the glorious elegance of a thicket of redwoods, and oak trees. She tilted her short blonde head to the sky, basking in the warmth of the sun. She always loved springtime, loved to witness as nature woke from its deep long winter's sleep, producing the fragrances of different flowery scents which never failed to bring her tumultuous emotions to a peaceful halt.

She could not hold on the anger or the deep seeded bitterness in her heart, when she was surrounded by such beauty. The ugliness of man and world seemed always to fade away.

In her younger years, when her father used to disappoint her, when her mother had died, when the world seemed it most unaesthetic, she would run as fast as she could to the nearest park, or open field. Nature, along with her books, had been her only escape. And it served her well all those years ago.

Especially today.

After coming home from her strange experience on the Prometheus, the talks with the hallucinations of her teammates, her father, and, especially, Colonel O'Neill, along with the revelations there had made re-evaluated her life. And she found that even with her many accomplishments that her life was seriously lacking in the most important things. Like love and family. A girlish part of her yearned for the house with the picket fence, the perfect husband, and the children. So the astrophysicist decided to let go of her dreams of happily ever with Jack O'Neill, and instead she went out there, and opened her emotional walls, and decided to plunge into the dating pool again after her long hiatus.

It took no time at all, with the help of her nosy big brother to entangle herself with a man, her brother's college friend Pete Shanahan. He was a cute and single detective on the Denver PD, and he made her laugh.

And she had fun for a while.

Her friends, however, were not too excited over her new beau. They tried to hide it from her. Tried to be cheerful, and welcoming, yet she could see the look in their eyes that told her their true feelings of him. He was an intruder, and he was not really welcomed amongst their small makeshift family.

He was not Jack O'Neill, was not their version of her happily ever after. They figured that if there was anyone that could beat the Military Regulations and have a happy ending it would be them.

She firmly put away her illusions of a relationship with her commanding officer, and she was firmly working in reality, and stubbornly held on tight to Pete. She was determined to make this relationship work. Yet because of that reasoning it was two and half months into their relationships before she FINALLY noticed that something was wrong.

He would call and cancel for their dates, and she would not think anything of it, they both had pretty demanding jobs, and it didn't really mean anything. When she decided to go up there to surprise him for lunch, after canceling their dinner date the night before, when another earth-shattering emergency popped up, she found him talking to some curvy little brunette. When she asked Pete about the brunette, he basically told her that she was just a friend. And she had let that go, she had male friends and that didn't mean she was having sex with any of them. Sam was hell bent on not turning into the A typical jealous girlfriend.

Until she began getting mysterious phone calls.

Every time she picked up the phone, she would get only dead air for several moments, before hearing the piercing sound of the dial tone. Then there were the used condom wrappers in his pockets, and the scent of perfume on his collar.

For being such a hot shot detective, Pete was really, really sloppy.

It all culminated when she decided to surprise her lover. She had gone to Victoria's Secret earlier that day, spent a small fortune on lingerie and other unmentionables, packed her bag, and headed for Denver. What she found instead was her boyfriend of three and half months fucking that same brunette that she caught him talking to at the station.

Only friends, eh?

She inwardly gave a completely unladylike snort.

He tried to explain, but the little scene she walked in, basically said it all. So she did what she wanted to do since she caught sight of them.

She kicked him in his groin, and left him bawling on the floor, crying like a baby.

So here she was three days later, trying to figure out where she had gone wrong, the beauty of the park around her. As she walked farther down, she noticed an empty swing set. Wishing for a moment that she was not so grown up, such a responsible adult with the failure of her relationship, and the weight of the world (literally) draped on her thin shoulders.

She walked closer, and then after a long moment of internal arguments with herself, she sat down on the swing. The thick rubber of the swing was welcome against her skin. And she held on tight to the parallel chains, and pushed off. Up and Up she went. Enjoying the familiar feeling of weightlessness from the swing that she never appreciated while flying in one of the Goa’uld scout ships. The air rushing through golden hair, her cheeks flushed in childlike delight.

Unknown to her at the time, she was being watched ever so carefully. He was taking in every detail so he can engrave them into his memory. Something that he would carry when the world got a little too dark and narrow in his line of work, something that was entirely possible. The man stood there for a long time watching her, taking her in, the moments in time seemed to slip past him like grains of sand.

Finally he had enough, and was about to leave, when he heard her voice call out his name.

"Jack?"

Jack O'Neill gasped, and spun on his heel to meet her cornflower blue eyes. Surprised to hear her, of all people, call him by his given name, instead he sighed, and walked up to her.

"How's it going Carter?"

She stopped swinging, her heels digging into the gravel, and cocked her head.

"Why are you sneaking around here, Jack?"

He blinked at her again. What was up with THAT? No trace of the usual military decorum, no sirs, or Colonels. Just Jack...that was just a bit freaky, and a little disconcerting.

"What's with calling me Jack?"

"You answer my question, I will answer yours."

He gave a deep resigned sigh, and took a seat on the swing next to her.

"I...I heard about you and whatishisname, and decided to see if you were alright...happy now?" he mocked pouted. Which she was not going to even mention to him that she found absolutely adorable.

She gave him her patented 100 watt smile. "Yep, very."

"Now, Major Carter--"

"Stop that." she said softly.

He raised his eyebrow at her. "What?"

"No Majors, No Colonels, No Sirs. Just Jack and Sam today. Can we just do that?"

He was a bit confused and bewildered at her uncharacteristic behavior, but he would do anything for her, anything to see her smile so he just gave a nod and sat down on the swing next to her.

"So you didn't answer my question Car...Sam?"

She shrugged her shoulders and shook her head in dismay. "I'm just tired, I guess. Tired of the games, tired of the rules, so very tired of failing and for once I just want to be free."

She looked so sad, so resigned, that a major part of him, that part that had loved her since the moment she walked in that briefing room almost eight years ago, wanted to just pull her into his arms and never let go.

For a long while they just sat there in silence, listing to sounds of the birds, the trees, the chirps from the grasshoppers going about their business in the nearby thicket.

And then the tranquil silence was broken, when Sam pushed off once again, swinging back and forth, faster and faster. It was minutes, or seconds, later--neither could tell, that Jack had joined her.

Doing something that he had not done in decades. Playing on the swing like he was eight years old again, and the only adult thought he had was 'did he have enough money to buy his favorite comic book?'

He shook his head, clearing of thoughts, and concentrated on swinging.

Swing, Swing.

Higher and Higher, Faster and Faster. The freedom of it brightened their souls. For that moment, frozen in time, there was no more pain, no more strife.

Just Happiness, and Liberty.

And Both had to admit it felt wonderful.

THE END.

Trail Of Tears

Sequel To 'An Ocean Between Us.'

February 5,2003

Miss Parker

By Adrianne Boudreau

Part Of The Rabilia Series

A Snapshot.

In the middle of the backseat, strapped with infinite care, was a little boy no more than three years old with dark brown hair that fell dishevled to his little shoulders and his closed eyelids shielded his dark navy blue eyes in sleep.

Thomas-Kyle Parker.

Her somewhat neglected little brother. Another victim of the long list of her family's legacy--The Centre.

Miss Parker's eyes flickered back to the road and, for the first time since Blue Cove, her mouth twitched into a small smile. Several weeks ago, just after Jarod and she had gained the last of the puzzle piece to what was to be the end of the Centre, Angelo approached her about the danger concerning the littlest Parker. Lyle and Raines had big plans for the boy, plans to make him into another 'Jarod'. To truly start his training as a Pretender. The thought squeezed her heart tightly in a death grip. She had to get him out. So just like old times, Miss Parker, Jarod, and Angelo came together to plot and plan the rescue of her little brother.

Ironically enough finishing her mother's work in more ways than one.

The opportunity came on Christmas Eve.

The Centre had gone down to a skeleton crew, Lyle had gone on one of his little 'retreats', while Raines had gone to Africa three days earlier to meet with the Triumverate over approval of a new project that had the excecutives in the tower ga-ga with glee. Unfortunely for them, it was all a ploy set up by her and Jarod.

During the early morning hours, with the help of a mild sedative, Angelo smoothly smuggled the sleeping little boy into one of the unused tunnels that ran from one of the rooms in the sub-levels to the end of the Centre's property. Jarod had found that tunnel several weeks before he attempted to escape.

It was in a mutal decision between the two red-files that T.K., as Jarod came to call him, was to be taken to saftey to Ben's Inn in Maine until the Centre was offical done for, and no harm could come to him. Parker had stayed for a couple of days to get the boy settled and then headed back to the Centre with her Ice Queen mask firmly in place to hide the heartwrenching pain of leaving the little boy with her mother's former lover.

It was almost a month later when she had run from Blue Cove, grieving for the loss of everything that she held dear. Sydney, Broots, and her ever loyal sweeper Sam had gone into hiding. She probably wouldn't ever see them again. And then there was Jarod.

Her best friend, her enemy, her partner in crime.

The one constant in her world filled with secert and lies.

She had left him, it was for his own good and for hers. They had too much history, too much angst between them to ever make a true go at a relationship. Parker would never be accepted by his newly reunited family. She had hunted their precious son, and even though she for years pretended to be a cold hearted bitch, she couldn't rightfully intrude on that.

So she left and hurried to Maine to pick her brother up from Ben before heading out west. Desperate to find some solace from the only person, other than Jarod, Sydney, and Thomas, who ever made her feel human instead of some Centre pawn. The person who, when she was far away from Jarod's reach for ten years, she would send a quick letter or call and everything seemed so clearer.

Parker pulled off the highway and pulled into a Tiger Market© gas station just near the access road.

She sat back in her seat and sighed as she opened the glove box, grabbing a small envelope with a Pike's Peak stamp on the front. She caressed the edges of the envelope before she opened it. Inside there was just a short note on familiar expensive stationary:

Dear Mel,

I have recently moved, and I wanted you to have a key to the new place, that you can use whenever you need to. Please be careful, and I will talk to you soon.

Yours Truly,

S.E. Carter.

P.S. My new address is: 2315 Harrington Way

Colorado Springs, CO 32213

"Melly, where are we?" asked a small quiet voice from the back seat.

Parker‘s head turned to glimpse the dark blue eyes glaring back at her."We're in Colorado sweetheart."

He cocked his head, Parker could see the little wheels turning inside his brain. Imagery making her smile once again.

"Why, are we in Cull-orad-O?"

"We're going to meet a old friend of mine."

"Oh...okay."

"You stay here, I'm going to get some gas."

"Okay Melly."

It didn't take her long to fill her car up with enough gas to make to the trip to the Springs, before she was on the road again. She had thought about maybe stopping at a hotel for some much needed sleep, but something inside her told her to keep going. She was too close to her goal to stop now. So it was after many half-hearted attempts at sing alongs, stopping twice at fast food restaraunts before they passed Denver, and it was another hour when she gave a long sigh of relief as she passed the sign stating: YOU ARE NOW ENTERING COLORADO SPRINGS!

She then once again stopped at a gas station, consulted the road map, and without too much trouble pulled on to Harrington Way. In the background she could hear the quiet voice of T.K. singing 'The Wheels On The Bus.'

It was a pretty street filled with old Victorian and Colonial style houses, filled with typical middle class citzens. Many just coming home from work, kids playing on the sidewalks, and across the way was Milton Park. A somewhat decent sized park, it looked peaceful and inviting. She could imagine going there with T.K.

Parker unbuckled her seat belt, got out and began to help T.K. from his car seat. She was struggling with the aforementioned car seat when she felt a pat on her shoulder. She froze and gave her little brother a questioning look.

"Is this where you friend lives Melly?"

"Yep, and we are going to visit her."

"Is she nice?"

"She is very nice, and she'll just love you T.K."

"Really?"

She kissed him on the nose, making him wrinkle it in the adorable way that made her fall in love with the little tyke just a bit more."Really".

She finally won the war with the car seat, and picked him up and headed to the door. She gave a deep breath, then pushed the door bell twice, and waited for her friend with bated breath.

It was a long moment later when the door flew open to reveal a tall willowy short haired blonde woman, who had eyes the matching hue of blue as Parker. For a second there was a tension filled silence as the two women looked at each other. The blonde woman‘s eyes had gone wide, shock evident on her face, before a wide grin appeared slowly, and she embraced Parker in a hard hug.

"Melly, you hurting me," whined T.K.

The blonde woman quickly let go and looked at the little boy, quirking an eyebrow. "It seems things have changed?" she said.

Parker couldn't speak, she just stared. The emotions that have been boiling down and churning in her stomach since she left Blue Cove and Jarod began to erupt. Before she knew it T.K. was out of her arms and she was wrapped in the warm arms of the one person other than Faith that she could count on as the sister she always wanted and needed.

They stood there for a long while, with her crying on the front step of her long time friend, before she was able to speak. She looked into the identical eyes, cataloging the changes in the woman before her.

" I missed you, Sam."

Sam Carter smiled at her and shook her head in fondness. "I missed you too Mel."

THE END.

Where The Heart Is.

February 8, 2003

The Russell Family

By Adrianne Boudreau

Part Of The Rabilia Series

A Snapshot.

Last Time On Rabilia: The Russell-O'Neill Album...

He picked up his shoes, and tracked his wet feet through the grainy sand. Leaving footsteps in his wake. And in the distance behind him lay the empty ruins of The Centre.

Now The Continuation...

The driver of the aforementioned SUV noticed a silver Honda Civic parked by the gate, a pretty perky looking blonde leaning against the car. A middle aged man with dark brown-black hair and equally dark eyes steps out of the car, greeting the woman with a calm handshake and a small smile.

"Mr. Russell, good to see you again!"

"Nice to see you too Laurel. And it's Jarod please."

"Okay, Jarod it is. So I have the final papers ready for you to sign, the copy of the deed, and the keys to the place and then it's all yours," she says as she hands him a manila folder and an expensive looking fountain pen. He takes a moment to look over the papers with a trained eye before quickly scrawling his John Hancock on the dotted line. She gives the papers a cursory look before gazing up at him with excitement in her eyes, her mind going over the figures that will quickly make up the highest commission she has made all year.

The realtor exchanged the folder for the deed and a set of nice gleaming new keys. After several minutes of unsuccessfully attempting to flirt with the new owner of the property, she gets into her car and drives off, particles of dust trailing behind the Honda.

Jarod stood silently, taking an appreciative look at his new property. It was definitely a sight to see and he couldn't help the satisfied smile on his face at his first permanent home. After years of strife and angst, everything seemed to be falling into place.

He hastily unlocked the gate and then climbed back in the car.

As he drove up the lane he noticed several apple trees that framed the road on either side before he caught sight of his new home.

It was a beautiful large house, a mansion if you really wanted to get specific, done in a French contemporary style that had a mixture of old world elegance and modern practicality, all of which spoke to Jarod. The color of the mansion was a soft dove gray, with deep brown roofs and turrets that gave the house the look of an old world castle. Over the large double doors of the front entrance was a tall set of triple arches made of gorgeous gray stone that complemented the exterior. The front lawn was overwhelmingly huge and went on for several acres. Not even a couple hundred feet from the door was a large fountain, within it a sculpture that he had commissioned from a local artist. The sculpture showed a form of the Greek myth Osinios, a story that was very representative of what he had become as an adult. He turned his gaze towards the forest of sorts surrounding the perimeter of the property, it seemed perfect with lots of breathing room to get lost in, but it also held a certain isolation that was definitely a favored value of the house that appealed to the man. Towards the back, even though he couldn't see it from his view point, he knew there was a large Olympic size swimming pool and hot tub.

He stopped and once again climbed out of the car. He opened the back door and helped a short slightly plump lady with long ginger colored hair, streaked liberally with gray, from the car--Margaret Russell. She was wearing a black hat with a wide brim, slightly large eyeglasses--with gold accents, a t-shirt, a vest, a long flowing matching skirt, and black waterproof boots. She gave The Pretender a small smile and kiss on the cheek before she began to take a calculating look at the mansion.

Next out of the car was a younger male, no more than late teens, very early twenties with dirty longish blonde hair that slicked back in a neat stylish cut reaching only an inch above his shoulders, that oddly enough suited him. His eyes were a deep hazel from the contacts he wore and he had very similar features to the older man. He gave his brother a wry look and shook his head. "Geeze, Bro. You don't do anything half assed, do you?"

" James Jayden Russell, I heard that!" admonished Maggie.

The youngest Russell gave a contrite look. "Sorry Mom."

His mother gave a curt nod of approval at the apology and turned her head back to the modern looking castle.

The owner of the new property turned his head at the sound of footsteps to his right. He saw his father--Major Charles Russell--a tall distinguished looking older man with short gray hair and similarly proud features, his stride long and sharp, which revealed more than anything else that he was ex-military.

Then the last two occupants got out of the SUV. A man and woman--Ethan Clausen & Emily Russell. Both had raven colored hair and dark brown eyes, which made them look like twins, even though they were only half-siblings and actually had a couple years age difference, both in their late twenties or early thirties.

The eldest Pretender's heart gave a big jump when his father gave him a playful slap on the back before he walked up to put an arm around his wife's waist and shake his head.

"So let's take a look around inside," cajoled Jarod, as he stepped up to the door and turned the key in the lock. Even though he had a walk through of the home not only a couple months earlier, he still walked into the house and entered the foyer with a mixture of trepidation and excitement, his family following behind him.

He walked a little further until he came into a hall with a large elegant staircase that stopped a story above them, splitting into two halls that led to the west and east wing. It was like something out of Gone with the Wind. His gaze fell on the set of double doors just past the staircase leading to the large old-fashioned sitting room. Then he turned his attention back to his family, the look on their faces making their opinion of the house known before any of them had made any comments.

"Whoa," exclaimed J.J. the first one to be able to speak past their frozen state of startled amazement.

"I second that thought," added Emily.

"God, Jarod, this is beautiful," said Maggie

"So why are you guys just standing around here for? Go, check out the house, pick out your rooms, and you should go check out the kitchen. Make note of anything you want added or taken out."

His family just stared at him for a long moment, none of them moving.

"Go on, guys!" he shooed them.

And suddenly all of them were moving, scattering like ants, going their separate ways as they looked over what was apparently the new Russell family home. Jarod took a seat at the bottom of the stairs, his mind wandering once again, going over and over the fact that he now had a home. He couldn't quite believe it. Finally a home that he can stay in as long as he wanted. No more floating from place to place, always having to watch his back. It was the start of a whole new chapter in his life, and he was partially happy and patially sad. For even with his family around him he was missing something...or more like someone. 'Don't go there Jarod,‘ he sighed inwardly.

Taking a long instant to pull his wayward thoughts back to the present, he almost missed the sound of his family trailing back from what he was sure was a very thorough investigation of the house. He turned around and gave them each a wry smile.

"Hey guys, did you like it?"

" The house is absolutely beautiful Jarod," his mother spoke in awe.

"It's pretty sweet place Jar."

"I like it, it has a certain homey feel to it."

"Son, I don‘t mean to rain on your parade, but isn't it just a tad...big for just the five of us?" Major Russell lifted an eyebrow skeptically.

His eldest son cocked his head and similarly answered with a slightly mischievous smile. "Yeah but I found it on my travels and had to have it. It was definitely an impulse buy."

His father chuckled. "I hate to break it to you, but you never do anything impulsive. You're notorious for having each step analyzed to point of insanity."

"True, True."

"So what's the real reason you bought this house, Jarod?" asked his mother smiling indulgently, her own eyebrows raised.

"Uh...what do you mean."

"Jarod you didn't just buy this house for no reason."

"Can't you just believe that I bought on impulse?"

"No," his family responded in unison.

"Geeze, what a way to gang up on a guy." Maggie just lifts a eyebrow and taps her foot impatiently on the hardwood floors. "Okay, I'll be straight with you. I bought this for the rest of the Centre refugees. I mean for Sydney, Angelo, Broots and his daughter to stay, maybe Michelle and Nicholas if they wanted to."

"WHAT?!" both mother and daughter shouted.

Ethan, J.J. & Major Charles were just looking awestruck at the Pretender.

"You can't be serious," the short statured red head said with her hands on her hips and her mouth narrowed into a thin line.

"I am, they are just as much victims as we are."

"But they were they were hunting us...hunting you all to take back to the Centre." Maggie said softly, her face full of worry for her newly reunited family.

"Mom, they may have done that, but do really think that they really had any choice? Could they really leave without the Centre targeting anybody that they loved, that we are the only who lost love ones because of the Centre? Sydney lost his twin brother Jacob and was separated from the love of his life and their son Nicolas because of the Centre. Broots and his daughter have been threatened more times than I can count on two hands. Angelo lost his sanity and his ability to live a normal productive life. They have all lost as much as we have and they deserve a place to be safe. This place is exactly what it was named for... a Haven, a place of peace for both my Centre family and my blood family to live.“

Emily said coldly. "I can't believe you Jar...and what about Miss Parker. She chose this, hunting you for almost six years."

"If you think she had a choice in this, you are sadly mistaken."

"How can you--"

"Emily, darling, stop." Charles ordered sternly, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Maggie shook her head, her eyes filling with unshed tears. "You're not going to even leave me the comfort of hating them, are you?"

"No, hate solves nothing, it just eats you up inside. I learned that a long time ago," responded Jarod quietly.

" I don't think I can be completely alright with the idea of having any contact with them, even less with them living here with us. I'll drop it for now, but don't you think we're not going to discuss this again young man," she warned.

"Thanks Mom." Jarod gave her a grateful hug. Thanking god that he got out of the argument relatively unscathed. He inwardly sighed, thinking it's about time to change the subject back to the problem at hand. Lucky for him J.J. was the one to break the ice.

"So are we really going to live here?"

"Yeah, if you want to...I mean I can get refund and find a smaller place--"

"NO!" objected Ethan loudly.

Everyone turned to the usually quiet and withdrawn member of the family, gobsmacked.

"Uh, Ethan?"

"I mean no, I kinda like it, and your mother told me that we'll be safe here," he said in his usual soft voice.

The four other members of the Russell family looked at each other, and then at Ethan.

"We'll stay." agreed Maggie, Major Charles, Emily, and J.J., somewhat reluctantly.

Jarod jumped up and excitedly hugged his mother and father, then his brothers and his sister.

"I can't believe it. After all these years we‘re all together and we're finally home."

THE END.

First Draft : Friday, Decemeber 14, 2007

Second Draft & Revision: Saturday Decemeber 15, 2007

Sent To Beta :Saturday Decemeber 15, 2007