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 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.
Now The Continuation...
A large black Lincoln Navigator trailed off I-25 onto the access road past the Air Force Academy, and then further past the famous Cheyenne Mountain Complex, just outside the city limits of Colorado Springs, further into the hills surrounding outside the little burg, directly in the middle between the city limits of Manitou Springs and Colorado Springs. The SUV turned into a little hidden lane that was marked only by a sign that said: HAVEN HILL LANE and wound slowly up a hill until they stop at a beautiful antiquated looking wrought iron gate with cursive double H's wrought in the middle.
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