Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine. Well, some of them are. But the important ones are all property of MTM and NBC Productions and used without permission. I'm not making any money out of this . . . . Blah, blah, blah. You know the drill.

 

Keys From the Past

By Nicky

 

Chapter 2

 

 

<'Do you really think this was a good idea, Stephen?  You know, after what happened the last time,' Catherine Parker says to her husband.>

 

<'That was so long ago, Darling.  Besides, she agreed to come, didn't she?'>

 

<'I guess,' Catherine sighs.  'Oh, there she is now.  Honey, go get the baby, please.  And I'll go welcome our guests.'>

 

  Catherine watches him until he's out of sight before she opens the door and runs to the car that just pulled  up.  She sees her friend walking towards her, holding onto the hand of a small child.>

 

<'Maggie!  It's been too long,' Catherine says, grabbing her friend into a warm hug.  'How have you been?'>

 

<'I survived, Catie.  It was hard, but I survived.  My husband was wonderful through the whole thing.' A tear struggles and breaks free despite  Margaret's attempts to hold it back.  She quickly wipes it away.  'Let's not talk about that. Alright?'>

 

<'Sure. Whatever you want,' Catherine says quickly.  'So, who's this little handsome fellow?'>

 

<'This is my little man, Jarod,' Margaret beams.  'Jarod, say hello to Mommy's best friend in the whole world, Mrs. Parker.'>

 

<'Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Parker,' the little boy enunciates perfectly.>

 

<'What a polite little gentleman you are, Jarod,' Catherine remarks.  'How old is he, Maggie?  He seems so mature for his age.  I can't believe he's  talking already.'>

 

<'He turned two about a month and a half ago.  But he's been talking for almost a year now.  He seems to be able to pick up on things so quickly,'  Margaret says, beaming a little with pride.>

 

<'Margaret. It's good to see you again,' Mr. Parker calls from the porch.  He's holding a baby in his arms.>

 

<'Catie, is that your baby?  She's so big.  It seems like just yesterday you called me to tell me you had her.' Margaret scoops Jarod up into her  arms and they all walk quickly across the yard towards the door.  When they get inside, she sets Jarod down and holds our her arms to get the  baby from her father.>

 

<'This is our little Angel,' he says proudly, handing the baby Miss Parker to Jarod's mother.>

 

<'She's beautiful.  She looks so much like you, Catie,' Margaret comments.>

 

 

 

<'Let me take her.  She gets a little cranky sometimes,' Catherine explains.>

 

  Mr. Parker tries to calm her too, but is unsuccessful as well.  She continued to cry  and reach for someone.  It took the adults a few minutes to realize that that someone was Jarod.  He starts to smile at the young Miss Parker and grabs her  little pudgy hands.  Immediately she stops crying and smiles back at him.  Catherine sets her on the floor and Jarod crawls over to sit next to  her, where they remained inseparable for the rest of the day.>

 

"What's so funny?" Miss Parker asks her obviously amused husband.  She watches as the giggling Jarod hits a button and the screen goes blank again.

 

"Nothing," he says, still laughing.  "It's just that you seemed to be quite taken with me when we first met.  I think you had a little crush on me.   Didn't you see the way you were drooling?"

 

"I was like eight months old, Jarod.  I was probably teething.  All babies drool at that age.  Besides, you should have been ashamed of yourself.  Hitting on my mother and then seducing me, a woman more than half your age," she laughs.

 

"I guess I just knew a good thing when I saw it." He leans over and kisses her sweetly.  "Even if I was just two years old."

 

"Do you remember any of this happening?" she's curious.  "Do you remember us meeting any time besides that day at the Centre?  I was just a baby, but you were a little older."

 

"No.  I don't remember any of this.  And I hate to say this, but this kind of implicates your father in something deeper than we ever even  imagined.  He knew about me.  Because my mother was a friend of your mother's.  He could have had something to do with my kidnapping."

 

"I think you're right," she agrees.  "And you don't have to sugar coat anything.  I've long given up on voting that man as 'Father of the year'.   Something strange happened between the night of that party and this video we just saw.  Your mother was obviously upset about something."

 

"Yeah.  And now we just have to figure out what it is," he adds.  "Because something tells me that's the key to this whole mystery."

 

"Well, put on the next video clip and let's find out," she says, snuggling into his arms.

 

He clicks a button and the screen comes alive again with the sights and sounds of the past.

 

<'It's so peaceful up here,' Margaret sighs.  'Despite what happened.'>

 

  The children are laying a few feet away in the playpen, not letting each other out of their grasps, even in sleep.>

 

<'Mags, I'm so sorry about that,' Catherine apologizes.  'I know that sound shallow compared to the enormity of the . . .'>

 

<'I don't blame you, Catie.  What happened wasn't your fault.  It was just one of those things.  I had to deal with it the best way I knew how.  Charles was so understanding.  About everything.  All the nightmares and other after effects.  But especially about the byproduct of that night.'>

 

<'So he knows . . .'>

 

<'That Jarod isn't his son?  Of course.  As much as I loved my husband, I couldn't let him touch me after . . .,'  She pauses to take a deep breath, trying to fight back the tearful memories about to surface.>

 

<'You don't have to say it, Mags,' Catherine offers.>

 

<'But I do.  The more I say it, the more power I have over it.  I couldn't let him touch me after that night.  After the rape.  He wondered why, but didn't push me to tell him anything.  He just knew that something was wrong.  But, I couldn't hide a pregnancy.  Surprisingly, Jarod's birth was such a gift for us.  We had tried so long for a baby.  It's funny how all it took was a chance meeting with a stranger one night.'>

 

  Catherine starts to go get her little girl before she woke up and started crying, but it wasn't necessary.  Jarod pulls his thumb from his mouth and throws his arm around the baby.  She snuggles deep into his embrace and allows herself to be lulled back to sleep.>

 

<'Look at those two,  I've never seen such a connection between two people.  It almost makes you wonder how they ever lived without each other,' Margaret smiles.>

 

<'Hopefully, they'll never have to find out,' Catherine says.  'Stay right here.  I have something for you.'  She goes into the house and comes back a minute later with a box in hand.  She opens the box and pulls out two medallions on matching silver chains.>

 

<'Something for me?' Margaret wonders.>

 

<'For Jarod, actually,' Catherine corrects her while slipping the chain onto the sleeping boy's neck.  'This is to ensure their future.  Because something tells me no matter where he goes, my daughter won't be far behind.  Just look at it as a wedding gift from me.  And a gift for any future grandchildren they give us,' Catherine smiles.>

 

<'Grandchildren,' Margaret laughs.  'We're too young to think about that right now.  It's strange that you have the two medallions already.  You couldn't have known about this meeting and how they would react to each other.'>

 

<'Heavens no,' Catherine laughs.  'I may be a lot of things, but psychic I'm not.  I got them when I was pregnant.  For my babies.  I was supposed to have twins, but my son died at birth.'

 

<'Oh Catie, I'm sorry,' Margaret sympathizes.  'Are you sure about this?  I can't accept this gift.  That medallion belongs to your son.'>

 

<'No, it belongs to Jarod now,' Catherine insists.  'That's what something deep inside of me is telling me right now.  When I get this feeling, I can't ignore it.  I set up a trust for the kids. Only able to be accessed by both of them.  In the event of one of their deaths, then the surviving sibling could only get to the trust with their spouse.  Don't ask me how I know this, but I know that person is going to be Jarod.  So that's why I'm giving this to him.  Together, with the one my daughter will have, they will make a key.  And only then can they unlock my gift to them.'>

 

The screen goes black again, but neither Jarod nor Miss Parker makes a move to put on a new video clip.

 

"Rapist," Jarod whispers, almost on the verge of tears.  "My father is a rapist."  He buries his head in his hands and lets out a gut wrenching yell.

 

Miss Parker tries to grab him in her arms to hold him, but it doesn't work.  He pulls from her embrace and gets up from the seat, running across the room.

 

"Jarod, where are you going?" she calls after him.

 

"I'm no good," he mumbles.  "I'm no good for you or Imani.  I have to go."  He fumbles with the doorknob before he can finally open the door.

 

"Jarod," she cries.  But it's too late.  He's already gone.  "Don't leave.  You said you wouldn't leave."  She sinks to her knees and gives into to the sobs.

 

 

To be continued in Sins of the Father.

 

 

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