The Music of the Heart
Part 5 - Presto

Jarod tapped gently on the door of the room, wondering if Sydney was awake. A suspicious sound from within made him push open the door to find the psychiatrist about to trip on the cord of the dressing gown he was wearing.

"What on earth...?"

Stepping over, Jarod was able to grab the uninjured arm and steady the older man before he fell completely.

"Sydney, are you insane?"

"No," the words were muttered from between clenched teeth. "Frustrated."

"And in pain," Jarod steered the figure to the bed and helped him up onto it before gently peeling back the gown and pajama top to check that the wound hadn't reopened. Satisfied, he replaced the garments and took a seat beside the bed, a questioning look on his face.

"So what did you think you were doing?"

"Trying to get out of this room. I could hear you all downstairs and wanted to go outside."

In answer, Jarod reached across and opened the blinds. Instead of the sunshine that Sydney had been expecting, he saw that thick fog was effectively carpeting the area, allowing only limited light into the room.

"I would have thought that you might have expected me to allow you up as soon as it was possible, but in this weather you can forget it. The whole house is freezing because of that stuff, except for this room and the living room. If I were you, I'd thank my lucky stars that you can stay in bed. I wish I could."

"And why can't you?" Sydney's tones were sharp with a mixture of pain and frustration.

"Because I have a baby to take care of, as well as Ethan to adjust to us all. Good enough?"

Sydney straightened up in bed and looked at his former protégée sharply. "Did everything go well at the Centre?"

"As well as could be expected. I'm going to start hunting through to see how everything's ticking over in Blue Cove, but I’d expect them all to be running around frantically, especially Parker's father. That child is a valuable entity to him."

"That child..." Sydney spoke softly and his face took on a somewhat thoughtful expression. Blinking several times to dispel it, he looked up to find that Jarod was looking at him severely once again.

"Are you going to stay here now or do I have to consider sending somebody up to keep you company?"

"If I wanted to get up..." Sydney tried to speak firmly, but Jarod finished his sentence in a way that diminished the impact he wanted to make.

"...I would inject you with enough sedative to keep you asleep for a week. It's important that you keep that arm still! I would have believed such behaviour from Parker, or," he added in a moment of complete honesty, "even from myself - but not from you. So which is it going to be?"

Sydney looked up and then winced again as he felt pain stab at his shoulder. It wasn't the ideal answer, but it certainly told Jarod all he needed to know. Getting up, he prepared the tablet, crushing it into a little water and stirring to dissolve it. His movements as he supported Sydney while he drank were gentle and a direct contrast to his earlier speech. The figure in the doorway watched the scene pass with a slight smile on her lips before she turned and went back down the stairs. Jarod, meanwhile, helped Sydney to lie down and then watched for a moment as the drug took effect. During the last few seconds between sleeping and waking, Sydney's lips moved and Jarod leaned in enough to hear the whispered words.

"That child...your..."

"Sydney!" It was too late. The medication had taken full effect and Jarod was left to contemplate its possible meaning. His brain was spinning with possibilities as he descended the stairs.

*~*

His eyes darkened as he read through the files his careful searches had revealed and he was unable to prevent his hands from curling themselves into tight fists. When he felt gentle hands begin to try and unclench the fingers, he looked over to find Miss Parker sitting beside him and he tried to smile.

"What did you find?"

"More than I wanted to."

"Jarod!" The voice from the other side of the room broke through the beginning of the conversation and the pretender looked over at his sister. "What is this child's name, anyway? We can't keep on calling it 'it'."

Jarod turned back to the screen and read the word that he had found on the files aloud, a gleam twinkling in his eye. "Proteus."

"What?!" The word came out like an explosion from his sister and his father choked on his drink.

"Proteus. That's the project name and consequently the child's name. Raines and his assistant didn't see any need for giving the child a proper name as it was intended to pass all of its day in the Centre anyway. Bad habit they seem to have developed." Jarod grinned at Steven, but the expression went unseen by his young clone.

"His assistant?" Miss Parker's voice was thoughtful but Jarod could detect a note of bitterness. "I wonder who that could be...?"

The question was rhetorical and Jarod ignored it, walking over and picking up the child and carrying it back to the table.

"Steve!" The boy glanced up from the book in which he had been absorbed, having missed the entire conversation.

"Yeah?"

"I don't suppose you have such a thing as a microscope here that I might be permitted to use?"

"Well," the boy dropped the book and got up off the floor. "I might be willing, for a fee..." He left the room and Jarod glanced at the woman beside him with an eyebrow raised.

"I had no idea that I had such a potential to become a capitalist!"

She sniggered in appreciation of the joke and he grinned in response. In the meantime, he handed the baby to her and, when his clone reappeared with the case, prepared a slide for use. A clean needle provided the drop of blood he needed from the child and he left Miss Parker to calm its sobs while he took a sample of his own.

"What are you looking for, son?"

Major Charles had got up from his chair and now came over to the table.

"The answer to something that Sydney said."

Jarod's words were careless and his father could tell that he was concentrating on the task he had set himself.

The room was silent for a few moments while the occupants waited for the results to come back. After the time had passed, Jarod sat back in his chair with a sigh and called up several numbered files from the Centre's mainframe.

"What is it, Jarod?" With a pacified baby in her arms, Miss Parker leaned forward and forced the man to look at her. "What did you find?"

"This." The word was a growl and acted as sufficient stimulus to bring Emily and Steven to the table also. Jarod turned the computer so that the others could see it and indicated the data with a wave of his hand. "This is a result of a DNA test. As you can see, the results are identical."

"Yours and Steven's."

Jarod shook his head, his mouth grim.

"This," he pointed at the second of the two, "belongs to the baby." Touching a button, he brought up a third table. It, too, was identical. "This," he tapped the first, "is mine. And this one is Steven's."

"They cloned you - again?" Miss Parker whispered and she clutched the baby to her.

Jarod shrugged. "I don't know." He caught the boy's eye and could see the pain on his face that he had first felt when he had learnt about his own double. "It could be me - or it could be Steven."

*~*

Jarod looked up to find Steven pacing the floor. Miss Parker and Emily had gone to take the baby up for a nap, and his father and brother had gone to check on Sydney. Shaking his head slightly, Jarod turned back to the problem at hand.

"What is it, Steven?"

He broke the silence that had been slowly building in the room and sat back while his clone turned and looked at him.

"I don't know..."

"What to say next or how to feel?"

The boy's brow furrowed then he looked up. "Did you feel like this, too?"

Jarod nodded. "Exactly the same way, yes. I can understand why you wouldn't have. I mean, you didn't know me and had no idea about me. How could you possibly understand who I was? But when I first saw you..." Jarod's voice trailed off as he remembered the event.

"Will we ever know - if he's yours or mine?"

Jarod shook his head uncertainly. "I doubt it. The files, though, give your number as the 'donor' and not mine. We have to assume that that's correct."

"So what now?" The boy pulled a chair out from under the table, straddling it and resting his chin on its back as he stared at the man opposite him. "What should I do now?"

Jarod tried not to smiled but failed, finally grinning widely. In order to prevent his clone from misunderstanding, he explained. "You could feed him a bowl of ice-cream..."

The two stared at one another for several seconds before they both burst into loud laughter. It took several moments before there was silence and then Jarod reached across and touched the boy's hand.

"You have to decide how you'll react to this - part of you. He's only a baby, so you've got time to make that decision about the future. When he's old enough to understand, we can try to explain it to him. That is, explain as much as we can of the situation without having to teach him advanced courses in biology."

Steven allowed a grin to cross his face again before looking serious once more. "And how are you going to treat him? He's still you - a part of you too. Kind of like a descendent or something but with the same genes."

"I don't know." Jarod looked thoughtful. "I guess I need some time to think about it as well."

*~*

Sinking his head in his hands and believing himself to be alone, Jarod allowed himself the luxury of a hollow groan. The hands that gently came to rest on the back of his neck made him jump and gasp as he turned around to face the woman who had come in without him hearing her.

"What are you doing?"

"Being startled, apparently."

He reached up and grabbed her hand, directing her into the seat beside him. For a moment his dismal discovery was forgotten in contemplating the woman who sat in front of him. He could detect the new sadness in her eyes that not even the various and amazing events of the last few days had managed to banish. With a gentle hand, he brushed her hair away from her eyes and then leaned forward, allowing himself the chance to kiss her. Miss Parker hardly moved as he brushed her lips with his own but she reached out and prevented him from pulling away. There was silence in the kitchen for several moments while the two allowed themselves this short time of self-indulgence. The female figure that had been about to come in stopped tactfully at the doorway and watched for a second or two before withdrawing as silently as she had come.

They would never know she had been there...

When they finally pulled apart, it wasn't far. Miss Parker drew her chair up so that it was touching his and he kept an arm around her waist while he turned back to the computer, explaining what he had found.

"I hacked into Sydney's account. I figured that if Broots had the chance to send me a message, he might have done the same to Syd as well." Jarod turned to see the tear began to trickle down her face. "I'm sorry, Maleah. This was a bad time to bring it up. Should I wait until later?"

She shook her head and brought one of her hands up to his face, stroking it gently. With a final concerned glance at her, he turned back to the computer.

"I was right. He did have time. He sent Sydney - this..." Jarod opened the file and allowed her to look through the information. It took her only a fraction of a second to recognize it. The pages showed the same three DNA test results that she had been shown by Jarod earlier.

"So he found out about the baby? That was it?"

"That was enough. Anything and everything about that child is the tightest secret of the entire Centre. They're combing the country for him - for us right now." He paused, swallowing hard. "I tried to find out something about him just after he was born, but couldn't. I don't know how Broots managed to get this, but he obviously did. He sent it to you, as well." Jarod stopped again, unable to continue for a moment. "That was what Lyle meant, back at the house. Parker, they want us all dead and buried. There's no more 'dead or alive' for me or any of us. It's now 'shoot on sight'. And that's what they tried to do."

"So how did Sydney know?"

"He found the email, presumably worked out what would happen and fled. He left the Centre more than twenty minutes before you and Broots did. I don't know why he didn't tell..." Jarod stopped. "Yes, I do. He knew that it was too late for Broots and was hoping to get to me before you found out about it."

"What would you have done?" Miss Parker's voice was soft in his ear and Jarod turned to her.

"Anything and everything necessary."

He turned his head so that it was resting on hers and sighed deeply as he wrapped his second arm, with which he had been operating the computer, around her body. They sat like that for a few brief moments before Miss Parker spoke.

"What are we going to do, Jarod?"

He rocked her slowly; trying to come up with some comforting words that would reduce the panic he knew was rising in both of them. Finally, forcing his emotions aside, he could only come up with one sentence.

"Parker, we're going to survive."

*~*

It seemed to take him a long time to get up the stairs that night. Slowly everything was building up inside and around him until he was beginning to wonder if he could deal with it. And everybody seemed to be asking him for help, needing him. Wasn't there anybody that he could rely on? The question had begun to eat away at him inside as he watched the others gather that night downstairs. He had opened the door of the house and walked out of it, unable, for an instant, to deal with the pressure that felt so overwhelming. He had walked away from the house and leaned with his back against a tree, looking up at the moon that had appeared behind the clouds with a brilliance that was astonishing considering the dimness of daylight that the fog had caused. He thought of the occupants of the house behind him - his father, sister and brothers, Sydney, Miss Parker and the baby that didn't fit anywhere yet. They were all relying on him to provide the answers, to help save their lives.

For a moment he had been thankful for the sturdiness of the tree that he leaned against: it was the only thing keeping him upright.

He opened the door of the bedroom, having noticed in the dark hallway that there was no light showing under the door. She was probably in with the baby, or with Sydney who had woken up from the sedative and would want the same kind of comfort that Parker herself had needed that afternoon; a kind of comfort, he thought as he walked into the room and shut the door, that he would have to give. Slowly, numbly, he slipped his t-shirt off over his head and dropped in onto the floor. For a moment he stood with his back against the door and his eyes closed, pressure building within. Finally something gave and he threw himself face down on the bed, sobbing in a way that he hadn't for months - no, years. In fact he could never remember experiencing as much helpless as he did at that moment, with people needing him and he not feeling able to be there for them. And they were the most important people in the world to him. Jarod grabbed a pillow and put it over his face, muffling his sobs and using it to hide his tears.

He didn't realize when he first consciously felt the gentle hand that was stroking the back of his head in smooth, regular movements. It was only once the first frantic waves of emotion had passed that he became aware of the touch. Rolling slightly onto his side, he looked up. The moonlight streaming in through the window allowed him enough light to see her long hair shining and her own eyes full of tears as she looked down at him. He turned away from her, burying his face once more and trying to hide the emotion that was leaving him trembling violently. He felt her lie down beside him and wrap her arms around him but he stayed tense, not wanting to show how much he was suffering. She gently eased the pillow out of his hands and began to stroke the side of his head, tenderly allowing the tips of her fingers to brush his cheek. He squeezed his eyes shut, forcing out the last few tears, and then slowly began to turn towards her.

As he turned his head, she captured his face in her hands and slowly began to wipe the traces of tears away from his cheeks. With difficulty, he eased himself onto his side and paused for a moment, looking up at her through the moonlight that still streamed steadily onto the bed. He buried his face in her neck, feeling her hands as they continued to gently move on his back and neck. His hands became entangled in her hair and he leaned even further in towards her, feeling a strange comfort in her nearness and the knowledge that she wouldn't be going anywhere. He still trembled - the storm of emotion had been too great to be recovered from immediately - and he had to take in several deep breaths before he felt himself able to pull away again. Grateful for the dimness of the light, he looked up at her and found that she was watching him as well.

Jarod reached up and placed the palm of his hand against her cheek and she responded by covering the hand with her own. He felt himself slowly begin to grow wearier, and yet at the same time there was a new strength within him that he had never felt before. He put his other arm around her back and pressed her closer to him, listening to her groan slightly as she released his hand and began to play with his hair and once more stroke his face. She lowered her face to his and it seemed the most natural thing in the world for them to be kissing. He moved in closer to her but suddenly felt her pull away. Startled, he drew back also and looked up at her. She shook her head and, reaching down, gently touched his lips with her fingertips.

"Not tonight." The whisper was soft but audible to his ears. "It's not right, not yet."

In his heart he agreed with her, but his urges were strong and he had to remind himself that part of what he was feeling was from emotion that had existed before he had even known she was there. For a moment he paused, before nodding. An expression - a mixture of gratitude and understanding - crossed her face and she smiled at him with such a look of love in her eyes that he felt his own fill once more with hot, salty tears. It was at that moment that he realized how much he truly loved her.

*~*

The sun sent the first rays of light over the window frame and onto the bed and Miss Parker stirred slightly as she felt the warmth on her bare arms. For several minutes she remained still, enjoying the feeling of comfort and closeness before opening her eyes and looking down at him. His face was turned in towards her and his arms were entwined around her back. One leg lay on top of both of hers and his shape seemed perfectly fitted to her own. She heaved a deep sigh and slowly began to draw backwards. He stiffened in her arms and, despite still being fast asleep, turned his face up towards hers before he relaxed once more. As she looked down at him, an expression of pity came into her eyes. He was looking pale and drawn, with new, small lines around his mouth and eyes that she hadn't remembered seeing there before. Gently she traced the outline of his mouth with a finger and smiled as she tried to extricate herself from his grasp. He tensed for a moment before his eyelids lifted and he turned his deep, brown eyes to look at her.

"Going somewhere?" His voice contained a sort of suppressed chuckle and she smiled in response.

"Hmm." She jokingly pretended to think for a moment. "I have some shopping that needs to be done, and then there's the kitchen that needs cleaning and of course the baby will need changing."

"Or you could just stay here." His voice deepened. "With me."

She tapped him on his naked chest and drew back. "And what would Sydney say if he could see us now?"

A wary expression came into the Pretender's eyes as an answer to her banter came into his mind immediately. Fearful of hurting her, he determined not to state it, but she had noticed the hesitation immediately.

"What is it?"

"Well, I..." He stopped before plunging on regardless. "I was wondering what your father would say if he could see us now."

She pulled herself out of his arms and sat upright on the bed, her back resting against the window frame behind them. When she turned to look at him again, her eyes bore an expression of deep concern.

"What are we going to do, Jarod? How are we going to deal with the Centre?"

He took one of her hands between both of his and pressed it, tenderly but firmly. "We will, Maleah. We'll find a way to finally get rid of them for good. And when we do, then we can plan ahead and think about a future."

"Together?"

She asked the question that he had thought also and he gathered her to himself, pressing his mouth close to her ear.

"Together. For ever."

She turned her head so that their mouths met again. There was still time before they had to be downstairs, and now they had all the time in the world.

Part 6

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