Okay, I know I said the last chapter was where I was going to stop, but I decided to tack this little piece on. I like it better this way.

Part 19

Jarod walked through the darkened living room checking the locks on the doors and windows. It was close to midnight and Matt had gone to bed hours ago. He had done nothing but stare at the little boy all day long in light of their newest revelation and he had caught Parker staring a few times also. Shouldn't they have known? Shouldn't there have been something inside of him that ultimately knew that the boy was his son? As he studied him all day, he could suddenly see so much of Parker and himself in the little boy, from his eyes to his nose to his ears, even in his mannerisms.

With a heavy sigh, he headed into the bedroom for a shower passing Parker's sleeping form on the bed. It had really taken some persuading to get her to eat a decent meal that day, but he couldn't blame her for not wanting to. He usually loved eating, but the news they had been given was like a blow to the stomach. He gently reminded her that the baby needed her and she let herself be talked into a bowl of chicken soup. They had yet to really talk about anything, both still too shocked at finding out they had a son. He could tell that Matt had questions and he was sure they would all talk in the morning, but now they all needed a little time to wrap their minds around the situation.

Jarod stepped into the warm spray of the shower, enjoying the relaxing feel of the water sluicing down his body. He ducked his head under the spray and closed his eyes. Yet another shocking divulgement from the Centre, just when he thought there couldn't possibly be anything worse than what they had already done to him. His son had been sitting in the place for three depressing years enduring the same testing and seclusion that he had and by the same twisted hand.

Squeezing his eyes shut at the anger that was building, Jarod forced himself to calm down. After several deep breaths, he quickly washed his body and exited the shower. Going into the bedroom, he saw that lamp at Parker's bedside had been turned on and the covers tossed back, Parker nowhere to be seen. He finished toweling his body dry and moved to the dresser for a clean pair of boxer briefs and night pants and then left the room in search of her.

Noticing that the door to Matt's room was slightly ajar, he entered quietly to find Parker knelt at his bedside watching him sleep.

"Parker?" he called quietly. He could see the tears shining on her face from the glow of the nightlight. He entered the room fully and knelt down beside her.

"Look at him, Jarod," she said in a quiet voice full of awe. "I delivered our son with my own two hands and I didn't even know it. Daddy had to have known that he was really ours and all that time he just stood by letting me believe one of the biggest lies of all."

Jarod placed a comforting hand on her back not knowing what to say to make her feel better. He couldn't even make himself feel better. On the one hand, they had been blessed with a beautiful little boy, but on the other, they had been deceived, yet again, in the biggest way. Both of them violated, virtually raped of their genetic material in order to create this boy to be used as nothing more than a tool.

After placing a kiss on her son's warm cheek, Parker turned around to see that a deep frown had set in on Jarod's face. Grabbing his hand, she pulled him from the floor and out of the room. She knew what he was thinking because she was thinking the same thing.

"I can't let them get away with this, Parker," he said gravely. "They've gone too far this time."

"I know," was all she could say. She could only imagine the scenarios for revenge that must have been running through his head. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder. It was one thing to mess with them. Hell, it was practically a way of life. But their child...that was a whole other issue.

End Story 1