Chapter Eighty-Eight
A Century of Deceit

1900. Carthis.

Beauregard Jackson Parker looked down at the scrolls. This was it. This was the key to it all. To everything he had ever wanted, not just for himself but for his family. For his daughter Angel.

He was going to take control of this "ultimate power". He would control this "chosen one" and "fallen angel." He would go down in history, in the world, as the most powerful man alive. The man who had saved his family. He would save them from poverty, from the destruction which had caused them to fall as far as they had.

He looked out the window of his cabin to the graveyard filled with Parkers. The death, the destruction, and the blood shed would end with him.

February 1, 2005. Blue Cove, Delaware. The Centre.

Morgan Parker Bennett turned the silver pen over and over again in her hand. It was February first. Only three days after Margaret's quick awakening from her crazy and wild state. In the chaos Christmas and New Years had been forgotten this year, though Parker promised herself it would never be forgotten again. Not for her family.

Whether Margaret's awakening and loss of dangerous visions had anything to do with Mr. Fenigor's death she wasn't sure… and it was one answer she wouldn't pursue. She had enough on her plate as it was, worrying about something that was no longer an immediate concern would only add to her stress.

An entire sub-level had been devoted to Emily and Nicholas's research of the Centre's projects and their work on the database timeline and puzzle piecing. It was going to be a long process because there were very few people that the Bennett family trusted with such information. Sayid, Shannon, Sun, and Jin all helped to piece together the various information, speeding up the process, but a few dozen more workers couldn't have hurt.

Jarod and Sydney were closer than ever, much to Nicholas's jealousy – slightly curbed by his new and sudden romance with Jarod's sister- and were working on developing a school for gifted students. They were already had a handful of students: Rebecca, Walt, Aaron, and Beau.

Claire aided Jarod and Sydney where she could, providing the nurturing element to all the brain power. Charlie used the money from his rock band and his Oceanic settlement to open up a music school nearby. Due to Charlie's fame there was already a five year waiting list.

Parker knew that Charlie was in touch with his good friend Hurley, another survivor of the island venture. Charlie said he was doing well and was opening his own restaurant. Parker wondered a little about Hurley. She thought he might too have a gift of visions, but opted not to pursue that route… for the moment.

Jack worked down in the renewal wing trying to make sense of the Centre's research. He hoped that their research with some of the more dangerous viruses would lead to distributable vaccines. Kate, for now, worked as his assistant in the lab, although all the medical research seemed to burn her out.

Ethan, still working at Parker's second in command, had a pile of work much higher than Parker's. Jason, Ethan, and Ana-Lucia had just finished creating false identities and pasts for the Bennett family. The last thing any of them wanted was the federal government showing up with uncomfortable questions.

Michael came by the Centre every weekend to visit with his son and see how is studies progressed. Parker was amazed by the change in the man and how he had grown. Michael was soon moving to Blue Cove, to be closer to Walt. He was taking a job as an online comic artist, so he could work from home.

Severing the many contracts and colleagues that the Centre had obtained over nearly a hundred years in existence had been a painful progress. One that was still continuing, and would for a long time to come.

Sawyer had been particularly helpful in this. His con artist contacts and underworld associations had been extremely helpful to provide a finality threatening note. Broots and his security team were scrambling to shut down as many of the various safe houses and vaults the Centre had all over the world.

Charles and Margaret were enjoying some much needed TLC in Hawaii. After decades apart they needed to get reacquainted with each other and for the moment, the two wanted to be as far from the Centre, and the painful memories, as possible.

Several of the Centre projects that Ethan and Parker had deemed nonviolent had continued. Such as medical research and brainwave patterns – although Parker had no particular interest in the latter. Parker was surprised by the lack of resistance from the people around her.

With so many survivors of Flight 815 in association with the Centre Parker knew it would only be a matter of time before the press took notice, but that bridge she would cross when she came to it.

The door propped open and Jarod came in, a look of concern on his face, "You look worried."

"Not worried," Parker said, as Jarod propped himself on the side of her desk. Beau had followed his father into the room but promptly sat down on his favorite chair with his favorite book.

The more she studied her son the more he was the spitting image of his father.

"What is it," Jarod asked. "Talk to me Morgan."

"I was just thinking," Parker said, "About the people we left on the island. Jarod we have to go back for them. Convince them to come home. To let it go."

Jarod nodded, "My parents would agree with you."

"How are they," Parker asked, their plane should have landed this morning.

"Drinking coconuts and enjoying the sun," he said.

Parker smiled and then frowned, "It's the right thing to do, Jarod, you know that."

"I know," he said, "But it won't be easy."

"But it's necessary." She paused as she recalled Angel's very clear words "Your journey is just beginning."

"What is it," he asked.

Parker shook her head, "It's strange. My family pursued the ultimate power for generations without every realizing that they were the ultimate power. The Parker family is extremely gifted, we've seen that first hand over the last several weeks. It's almost..." her voice trailed off.

Jarod reached for her hands, "It's over now, Morgan. We can be at peace."

"No," Morgan Parker Bennett said, her gaze slipping over to her four-year old son. He was kicking his feet that were dangling off the chair and reading a book made for college professors. "As long as my family line continues," she looked up at Jarod, "There will always be a place for evil to focus. There will always be a center of evil."

THE END

FINAL AUTHOR'S NOTE: I would like to give a HUGE thanks to the dedicated readers who stuck this out with me throughout the long writing process… this story ended up being much, much longer than I had originally intended. I would also like to thank all the readers who came in part way through and those who will read later. I couldn't have done it without you. I hope you've enjoyed the journey. : )