Briggite slammed the file in her hand against the desk, "you can't possibly believe her. She is playing us all and you are melting right into her pretty little hands."

"Miss Parker will do anything to gain the freedom Mr Parker promised her, and that includes betraying Jarod," Mr Raines wheezed in reply. His oxygen tank whined behind him as he strolled closer to the angry blonde.

"So you're just going to let her go then? I can't believe it. You watched her kill Mr Cox through the security records! Clearly she is on Jarod's side! You imbeciles have really lost it this time."

"I don't appreciate your tone, Briggite," he countered abruptly, staring into her angry eyes with his dead ones, "It's not a matter of believing her or not. Either way, this will work to our benefit. As for letting her go, keep in mind that the one who made this promise to her is no longer with us."

Briggite's face began to curl into an elvish smile, one which Raines returned. "I see. I'm going to go check on our friend in rehabilitation then."

"Good."

*****

The heart monitor chirped steadily and Briggite stood over their wounded patient.

"I can't believe you're still alive," she muttered almost to herself. At this point it was just getting ridiculous. She pulled the chart out and read over the lines there, smirking a bit in dismay. "One day you won't be able to scrape yourself up and crawl away."

*****

Miss Parker had barely moved or slept at all over the last few hours. Jarod had slumped down and she'd placed his head in her lap, subconsciously stroking his hair every so often. She just kept staring at his face, sleeping innocently. He had no idea. She knew this was probably the only rest he'd had in days. He deserved at least that. God knows what they had been doing to him ever since they'd been separated.

He was starting to mumble again. About every hour or so he'd do this, mutter things under his sleep, begging, protesting. She realized she'd never seen him sleep without his dreams being infected by this God awful place. Not once. His breathing was growing more and more rapid until his eyes sprang open as he gasped for air.

"Sorry. You're still here, still alive. Everything still sucks," she attempted a fake, on the edge of a breakdown laugh.

"But you're here," he replied, eyes so stupidly full of hope, "that makes this stay better than all the other ones anyway."

"Yeah." She bit her lip and turned her face away from him.

They stayed silent for a while. Him staring at her, she trying to avoid the blunt honesty in his every look. It was always like that, but not for much longer

"What's wrong, Parker?" There was no answer. "You can talk to me. You can always talk to me."

She shook her head. "You're just so stupid, Jarod. So stupid." He tried to protest, his face baffled. "No. You just don't understand. There's no reason to care about me. This is a mess. Everything's a mess. And it's all because of me. And I'm real sorry, Jarod. I'm really really sorry. For everything."

Jarod cocked his head, stupified. "What are you talking about?"

"Do you trust me?" she whispered, turning her face down to face the one which had been numbing her left thigh for hours now.

The man she'd been hunting, tormenting, for so many years looked her straight in the eye and nodded, "Completely."

Miss Parker didn't answer, just started running her fingers through his hair again. Ignoring the weak "Parker"s coming out of the pretender's mouth.

Almost an hour later, the door opened and Briggite and Raines stepped in, three sweepers and an oxygen tank behind them.

"Nice and cozy aren't we?" Briggite smiled, "how sweet."

"It's time to go, Miss Parker," Raines beckoned as one of the sweepers unlocked the cage. Jarod looked up at her, searching for an answer in her face to the hundred questions that were running through his mind. He could see though, that the wall had come back up and no emotion could escape that stone facade.

Miss Parker lifted his head off of her and turned him to lean against the wall again so that he was halfway sitting up. His lips were parted, trembling, and he stared at her in complete disbelief. She looked into his eyes and he could tell she was sorry, that there was a deep pain inside her, the same kind of pain he felt inside him. It was helplessness. She stood slowly and walked out of the cage, while Briggite stepped in.

"Surprise," grinned the blonde, knealing down and stroking Jarod's face with the tip of her pistol. He refused to look into her eyes, instead remaining fixated on Miss Parker's form, standing beside Raines. Briggite slapped his face with the side of her gun, "Was I not talking to you, love?"

Jarod barely felt the steel colliding with his already wounded face. His gaze never left the brunette though and the lack of emotional reaction from Miss Parker satisfied him. She'd given up everything.

"Ha, poor boy needs some time to let this all sink in I think," Briggite said, running a finger down from his chest down along his abs and back up, lingering. She stood then, closing the door behind her, "let's go."

It was as if she wasn't there. Jarod was internally begging for his cold huntress to look at him just once before leaving. But the six of them walked out of the room. Miss Parker never looked back and was holding her breath the entire time. She veered off at the tech room, daring them to even think about following her, and then pulling up the surveillance of Jarod. Only then, completely alone, did she allow herself to cry at the sight of him, lying on the ground with his arm covering his eyes, clearly sobbing. Alone again.

A week had gone by. Miss Parker knew she should call Sydney by now, and let him know what was going on. She knew she should be searching for Emily. She knew she should be figuring out what Raines' latest crooked plan was. More importantly, she knew she shouldn't be simply loitering around the surveillance room, waiting for Jarod to return to his cell. She knew they were doing something to him, and she would bet everything she owned that it was something horrific. But here she was, back in her perfectly pressed suit and stilleto heals, completely numb to the Hell hole she was trapped in.

*****

"Augh!" a mixture of nonsensical syllables and letters erupted from Jarod's mouth as he took another slam from the sweeper's foot. He had been moved to a much whiter, brighter, more terrifying room where two mindless sweepers chiseled away at his dignity, doing whatever popped into Briggite's head. Raines was nowhere to be seen, which should have been a comforting thought to the lifeless genius, but somehow he knew that it only meant there were worse things to come.

"You're making this far too difficult, Jarod." Briggite took steps closer to Jarod, where he sat in a wooden chair, his arms wound around and handcuffed to the back of it. Taking great strides, she lifted her legs above his and came down so that she was sitting in his lap. Jarod could only stare down at the ground as if he didn't notice this strange predicament. His neck had nearly given up on holding his head up straight in the past few days anyway.

She grabbed his chin and turned his face toward hers where he stared at her with dull, bored eyes. "You listen. This is not complicated at all. You tell us where Sydney, Molly, and Mr Broots are, and your life will be far more pleasant. However, if you choose not to tell us, then well, just keep in mind that we hold your sister here as well. We wouldn't want anything tragic to happen to her would we?"

Jarod cocked his head at the patronizing speech, and growled in response. "With the high regard you people hold my intelligence in, it's amazing how stupid you obviously take me for. Why would I risk the lives of three good people to save my sister? I love her, but I don't do trade-ins.Why would I believe that you would kill my sister? You had her before and you didn't and you're not going to now because you know she's the only bargaining chip you've got left. Why would I do anything you people want when all I get in return are lies and betrayal?"

"Because!" Briggite gripped him by the scalp, igniting a sharp yelp from her victim, "that is what you're supposed to believe!"

She threw his head back and pushed herself off of him and stormed out of the room, her team flocking behind her, leaving Jarod panting and alone. He was glad that they wanted to know where the others were because that meant they were still okay. But he was really sick of handcuffs, sick of these walls everywhere closing in on him. Every breath seemed to be an effort lately. He thought about how he was going to get out of here, what the hell he was going to do when he did, what they were going to ask of him next. He thought about Miss Parker more than anything. The image of her standing with them, her eyes refusing to meet his. He could see it every time he closed his eyes. He thought they had been growing together since they had started running. But it had all been a lie. No, it hadn't. He knew it hadn't. He had seen things in her eyes he hadn't since they were children. It was crazy. None of it made any sense.

Jarod knew though, that when things didn't make sense, he had something wrong. Everything made sense if you just had all the pieces of the puzzle. Something was just missing and until he could figure out what that piece was, he would continue this robotic way of living. He couldn't even sleep; she followed him there, too. Paker had to know the hold she had on him. That's how she had done it. She knew.

Jarod groaned and quickly his groan grew into a frustrated scream as he slammed his hands against his restraints. No answer.

*****

A hand helped to lift her up, helped her climb into the darkness. It was better than where she was, that was for sure. She knew him now, trusted him. So she followed him through the maze and let him take her wherever he desired. Nowhere could be worse right? She heard the screams, that familiar voice and she turned, wanting to follow it. But the man in front of her shook his head violently, so she obeyed. Clearly, he knew more than she did. They kept crawling and she felt like she'd be in the darkness forever. Always searching, always pining for another way out.

*****

"How's it going, doctor?" Raines wheezed. The doctor held his clipboard tightly.

"Just as we'd hoped and quite smoothly. The short recovery time has been miraculous. It makes you wonder."

"With this one, it's predictable." The squeaks of the oxygen tank's wheels signaled the bald man's exit and the doctor breathed a sigh of relief, turning to change the IV bag.

*****

"This is Sydney," the familiar timbre of his voice comforted her instantly, but it also ignited the deep pit of guilt within her. "Is anyone there?"

"I'm here, Syd," she uttered begrudgingly.

"Miss Parker, you're all right!" his voice was so excited, "how are Jarod and Emily? How did you escape?"

She knew that's what he would ask her and she took a deep breath before speaking, "I can't talk long. The ears everywhere you know."

"Ears? You're not still in The Centre are you?"

"That would be horrible wouldn't it?" she clicked the pen she was holding as she swung around in her chair to face the sea behind her, "remember when Jarod went on about waves and everything that went on beneath them and all that crap?"

"Vaguely, Miss Parker, what are you getting at?"

"Well, I get it now. I get what he was going off about. And they're me."

"Parker, you're worrying me. Is everything okay?"

"No, Syd, it's not. And it never will be. I get that now." She bit her lip, waiting for his reaction.

"Something has happened to you. I don't know what it is, but you know you can talk to me about it." Sydney was slipping into Freudian mode and she couldn't handle that right now.

"No, you know what, I can't talk to you. Because they'll know and they're probably listening right now. I am still at The Centre because this is where I belong and as for Jarod and Emily. Well, hell if I know what's going on with them, but they're here, somewhere. And don't you worry Syd, I'm sure Jarod is pissing someone off as we speak. The little rat never knows when to just shut his mouth." The look in her eyes was manic, but Sydney didn't need to see that to know that she was losing it. Losing everything.

"I don't know what to say."

Miss Parker started laughing, actually laughing, "I don't think I've ever heard you say those words before, Sydney. It's refreshing actually. But listen, I didn't call you to inform you how your precious pretender is doing. I called to tell you to come back, that I can get you your job back, and keep you alive in the process. Jarod's pissing everyone off and the only one who can tolerate his mind games is you. In fact, I'm pretty sure you inspired that very annoying feature in him. Basically, your psycho babble is the only thing we've got on him."

"I can't believe you're saying these things. What has happened to you? These are harsh words from the woman I saw splashing around in a lake with Jarod merely weeks ago."

"Hey! You don't know anything about that, or this. Please, just come back. And bring Mr Yahoo chats with you, too."

"No, Miss Parker. I don't know what provoked this insanity, but you've changed, and not in a good way. I've always believed that deep down, you would always follow the instincts your mother gave you. Apparently I was wrong, and that part of you isn't as important as I had hoped. Goodbye, Miss Parker."

The dial tone was a knife to her ear and she quickly slammed it down to the receiver. She couldn't think straight, she could hardly breathe. Her life was falling apart, and quickly.

*****

She took his hand once again as he lifted her into the sunlight. It felt so good on her skin and she smiled, accepting the good the world still had to offer for just a moment. She noticed there was a dark vehicle about twenty yards away and he was running to it, so she quickly followed suit. They reached the door, and she threw it open but found only disappointment, turning toward him.

"There's no key in there, it's no good."

But there was good, for he beamed as he pulled the shining metal out of his pocket and pressed it into her palm. Her mouth opened with shock and she smiled, grabbing him with the overwhelming joy of this jagged, crucial piece of metal. He threw his hands up awkwardly, not knowing how to react.

"Thank you," she said with more sincerity than any other statement of gratitude that had ever been uttered. He jerked away then, bolting for the open manhole, and coveing it quickly. She was afaid that meant that they were coming so she slipped into the car and started the engine, roaring down the dirt road until she reached the highway, where she drove even faster, her heart racing the entire time.

*****

"Cree craw toad's foot," Jarod paused for a long moment, "geese walk... barefoot."

He'd been singing or humming that tune for over an hour when the door Briggite had exited out of opened hesitantly. But it wasn't Briggite who re-entered. It was her.

"Miss Parker, my how wonderful it is to see you," he greeted her in a loud chipper voice, "Your hair looks nice and wow did you buy a new outfit? Violet and black are just so becoming on you."

She knew he was badgering her out of his own pain, and the fact that he was trying this hard to cover it up made her ache, "Looks like you've been having just as much fun as I have. Been playing bondage with Briggite?"

"She didn't like the way I played her game."

"More like she refused to play yours, right Jarod?"

He shrugged, something which was clearly a painful effort for him. She stood with her legs apart and her hands clasped behind her back, head cocked slightly, taking him in completely. He was in bad shape. Physically and emotionally, she could tell he'd been tormented non-stop.

"So the word is, you refuse to spill the beans on the rest of the calvary. And that you're being a real pain in the ass about it, too."

"What I wonder," Jarod began, "is why they don't just ask you?"

She stared at him coldly, "Maybe they could if you hadn't drugged me when we separated from them."

Jarod laughed, "Right, of course I did. That was all part of the brilliant deranged pretender's plan."

"Apparently so," she stepped forward and knelt down so that she was looking up at him, as if she were speaking to a child, "We'll let bygones be bygones, Jarod, if you just buckle up and accept the fact that you're stuck here and you have work to do."

His chocolatey eyes held a curious look in them. Could it be contempt? Miss Parker didn't know, but whatever it was, she didn't like it. She was wary of the camera behind her, but she hoped he could read into her eyes. She quickly realized he could though, because he looked so confused. Her eyes were wide, begging him. But shouldn't it be the other way around?

"You know me, Parker. You know how this conversation is going to end."

"Yes," she slurred out slowly, her eyes never faltering in their beckoning, "I do."

The Centre's princess backed away from him, never breaking the lock she had on his gaze. He watched her, fascinated, until she turned and disappeared out the door. He sighed and looked around him, looking for what he didn't know. Somehow, though, he knew there was something new here.

*****

"She would never!" Molly cried.

"I wouldn't lie to you," Sydney grabbed her forearms, "believe me I didn't want to hear it either. They must have persuaded her to join them somehow. I just can't imagine what sort of bargaining chip would be worth Jarod and Emily's lives."

"Nothing! This is absurd. It's wrong."

Broots sat listening, words having escaped him. He admired Miss Parker, respected her. He knew there was more to her than any of them could ever understand. This was certainly beyond their understanding.

"We've got to find a way to get them out of there ourselves," Sydney said calmly, walking toward the window nearby, staring out blankly "it's the only chance they've got. Broots?"

"Well, um, it's going to be beyond difficult with us being out here. It's a lot easier to work, to accomplish things, from you know, the inside," he stared at his thumbs, the ones he was literally twiddling.

Sydney threw his hands out and turned to face them both. "We've got to try. I won't stand by while they purge him of what little life he's been able to have."

*****

"I will work on him more tomorrow. He's unsettled now, curious. He doesn't know what's coming and he hates that feeling. Trust me," Miss Parker glared at the old balding man. They stood in the elevator, an elevator she had never shared with this man before, and that was no accident.

"You know what happens when people put their trust in the wrong hands around here, Miss Parker."

They didn't have to look at the holes in the wall. They'd seen them often enough over the years. Miss Parker's arms remained crossed as the doors opened with a chime and he dragged his tank along behind him as he left, turning to face her as he spoke.

"You had better be right."

She returned his threat with a classic plastic grimace and boiling eyes as the doors shut.

*****

The song Jarod hummed was always comforting, and that's what he needed now more than ever. The darkness was choking him, and he missed the sun more than ever. He was back in his original cell. He was staring at the camera high in the corner near the door, as if continuing the staring game he'd started with Miss Parker hours before. The red light faltered suddenly, and his humming stopped. Camera lights don't falter without a reason, without tampering. If anyone was aware of this fact, it was Jarod.

The ventilation grate above Jarod's head suddenly flipped open, clattering against the wall as it hung. It was too high for Jarod to reach, though the thought had been taunting him for days. A rope flung out though, and Jarod's eyes lit up. Angelo had come to rescue him.

He grabbed the rope and pulled himself up, using his bare feet to belay himself up toward the hole 20 feet up. He ignored the flaring tempers of his protesting muscles and soon he had rolled into the hole in a heap of limbs and body.

"Graceful."

Jarod looked up at the most beautiful site he'd ever seen. Miss Parker had done this.

"You look like a dead goldfish I had when I was eight, shut your mouth and follow me. There's not much time." She turned away, but Jarod grabbed her.

His eyes were almost in tears, "I'm sorry I believed it."

She shook her head, "There's no time, Jarod. You've gotta get out of here."

She started running, her hair flying wildly behind her as Jarod struggled to keep up, his body so ragged from the weeks' events. Then they were in the center of the ventilation system. The place where she had brought him so many years before. They stood there, panting, noticing the night surounding them but looking only at each other.

"You know the way from here," she said.

"What? Parker, no. Come with me."

Miss Parker grabbed his hand, "I made a discovery when I was sitting in that cell alone for so long while they tortured you. Only one of us can leave this place at a time. It's the only way we'll ever win."

"What?? No. You. No. The only way we'll win is together. You have to know that. I need you. I need your help. This is crazy." His voice was cracking and she could hardly stand it.

"We can't accomplish what needs to be done from outside The Centre. Somebody has to be in here, finding the truth, the truths we both need. And that someone sure as hell isn't you. Go to Sydney and Broots, and the three of you with my sister can help me from outside. It will take time, but it's the only way. Tricking you was the only way anyone would let me back in here. I've got to be here, Jarod. I've got to find the truth. That's why my mother stayed here for so long. That's why I have to stay."

Both their eyes were brimming with liquid by now and the tears felt like fire to Miss Parker's eyes. Jarod was shaking his head.

"No. She stayed to rescue me, and you've already done that. Please come with me. We'll find another way. I can find another way." His hands were running up and down her arms at this point and she knew she was trembling just as bad as he was.

"I'm no Broots, Jarod. The camera loop will end soon and they're going to notice. You've gotta go. I'm not going with you."

He stared at her with his face, half covered by the grown facial hair, was crinkling with emotions turning over and over. It was clear that he couldn't move.

"Jarod, do you love me?" her voice was strong suddenly.

Jarod was completely stunned and he stood there, eyes wide, breathing paused.

"If you love me, you'll go."

Time froze for a moment, but Jarod's feet started shuffling away from her and she knew that she'd said the right thing. He faded into the shadows and she held her breath as she watched him go. But the sound of aluminum thumping at a running pace, coming toward her instead of away, caught her attention and before she knew it, he was back. His eyes were determined, and he ran straight at her, slipping one hand around to the back of her neck and the other cupped under her chin, against her cheek. He pulled her into a violent, passionate kiss. She returned it with as much vigor as she had left in her, framing his face with her own more delicate hands. The intimate action seemed to last minutes, but she knew it had only been possibly ten blessed seconds before he broke away, saying everything that needed saying with those deep troubled eyes of his. Then he turned and disappeared again.

Miss Parker slid back against the wall of the vent and stared out at the night, whispering softly "don't you dare forget about me."

"Oh thank God you did come here."

Sydney turned around from his place on the sofa and beamed, thrilled to see Emily standing in the doorway to the Plan B cabin they had occupied for weeks now.

"I was afraid to leave because I knew it would be the only place you or Jarod would know to go to," he stood grasping her head and noticed the disappointment on her face, "what's wrong Emily?"

"I, I just assumed Jarod and Miss Paker had made it out as well."

"Well, it seems Miss Parker has been double playing us all. She's been on their side the entire time." Sydney said this in a low voice, filled with regret.

Emily's brows scrunched, "But that's not possible. She.. the way she and Jarod were acting when they rescued me. No, it's not right."

"Emily!" Broots walked in, holding a glass of iced tea, "how did you get out?"

"This man, he didn't talk much, but he led me through the ventilation systems and--"

"Angelo," Sydney nodded, "I wonder why he didn't help Jarod as well."

"I don't know either, but he'd thought of everything. He'd even stolen the keys to a car I could use."

Broots' eyes lit up, "It's not out, o-out there is it?"

"No! I'm not as smart as my brother, but I'm no idiot Broots. I dumped it as soon as I was out of Blue Cove. The one out there's a rental. I hope they weren't expecting it back."

Broots bowed his head, bashfully and Sydney couldn't help but smile. Still, he was worried for the predicament Jarod was obviously still in. Now he was completely alone in there and Sydney hated the thought of that.

*****

Completely alone. Miss Parker had been in the parking garage, pulling out of her spot when the alarm had gone off. It had been plenty of time for Jarod to make an escape, so she wasn't worried at all. The drive home was excruciating. She could still feel him on her lips. At the cabin's dock, he'd been so hesitant and she had been so afraid, she ran. That moment in the woods, had been sweet, innocent. This time, he hadn't given her any chance to escape or offered any other choices at all and she was relieved he hadn't. This wasn't good though. She just wanted to get back to her house and sleep away everything she was feeling right now. But Jarod was free, and that's what mattered. She knew he would take care of everything and save all the people out there that needed saving. Hopefully, she would fulfill her end of the deal from within The Centre.

She pulled into her driveway, walked to the porch and unlocked the door. Before stepping in she looked to her right, to where she'd once held her dead lover's body. That's how it always ended when she filled her heart with hope for something better. She wouldn't let that happen again. Never again.

Miss Parker pushed the door open and her eyes scanned the room. She didn't know why she was hoping he might be there. That would be suicide for him and surely he knew that. She didn't really want him there, in her head, but the butterflies in her stomach cried otherwise. Her keys were thrown to the end table beside the door as she trudged to her bedroom.

*****

Jarod was stumbling through the woods, clinging to every tree within reach for support. Every other step he took spawned a new wave of light-headedness. He wished he'd accepted more of the wheat grass and protein juice he'd been offered on occasion. He also wished he hadn't been punched in the face so many times, but that was hoping for too much.

She'd sacraficed everything for him. As he wandered along the edge of the trees, waiting for headlights to come so he could hitch a ride, all the memories of the last two miserable weeks flooded his mind. The puzzle pieces fit together now and her strange, almost bipolar behavior made perfect sense. But she was wrong. He knew they could accomplish anything together, that's when they were strongest. He also knew that she would be too stubbon to believe that if he told her. He had to show her.

Jarod was certain his left leg was broken, and predicted he'd torn some ligaments in one of his shoulders as well. The climb up the rope hadn't helped matters and the pain was growing more and more excruciating as the adrenaline faded.

Lights appeared and Jarod examined them to be sure they weren't Centre patrollers before hurling himself toward the highway with his thumb waving in the air. He knew what he must look like. He had no shoes, no shirt, and two weeks worth of facial hair. Luck was on his side though, as the sixteen wheeler braked to a stop before him. The middle-aged man opened the door to the passenger side and stared at him with shock smeared all over his wrinkled face.

"You look like you've been through Hell and back, son."

Jarod limped to the door and braced himself with his good arm on the edge of the vehicle, "Sir, thank you so much for stopping, sir. I was mugged and they knocked me out and I woke up in the middle of the woods. They took my shoes, everything."

"Hop in. Which way's home?" The man patted the passenger seat, where a bit of a dirt cloud rose up at his touch.

"Thank you so much, sir. I really appreciate it. Any way you're heading will be fine." Jarod pulled himself up into the vehicle with his right arm and slid into the seat, literally breathing a sigh of relief as he did so.

"My name's Kenny, Kenny Korn. Like the band." He reached to shake Jarod's hand, noticing the red welts around his new passenger's wrists as he returned the gesture.

"Right, the band. I'm Jarod."

"So we're going anywhere, Jarod?"

"Wherever you were originally going. I'm not trying to bother."

"Well I'm headed north, hope that suits you. I've got some flannels in the back if you want to grab one," he shifted the truck into gear and it started rumbling again as they began moving, "Can't see why these rotten folks would take your shirt like that."

"It's a dignity thing," Jarod murmured, reaching into the backseat, shifting many a Big Gulp cup out of his way in the process.

"You know, I'm not tryin to pry or nothin," Kenny glanced over at the man who was configuring his body to reach back without further injuring himself, "but I aint never seen a mugging with whips involved."

Jarod froze momentarily, finally grabbing a long light blue flannel shirt and with great pains, slipped his arms into it. Kenny was a bit of a stocky man, so the shirt hung on Jarod loosely. The silence was awkward, so Jarod spoke.

"I guess they were into some strange stuff."

"Guess so," Kenny replied. Neither believed the other was falling for their mock naivety.

They rode on in an uncomfortable silence.

*****

Miss Parker walked briskly through The Centre halls. She groaned when she saw Briggite stomping toward her.

"You're behind this."

"What the hell are you whining about now?"

"You helped Jarod and Emily escape last night. I know it, Miss Parker."

Miss Parker's eyebrows rose in surprise, and she really was surprised. She had no idea Emily had gotten out, too. "You have got to be kidding me."

"Nice try, but it will take a lot more than that to convince me it wasn't you."

"I thought you'd dropped the accent. Could you work on that a little more?" Miss Parker steered herself around Briggite and onward toward the elevator, then turned back around to face her, "I couldn't care less if you think it was me. It seems what you think hasn't been too important to anyone lately. Neither has the truth."

Miss Parker smirked a little at the visibly boiling troll.

*****

"Get Miss Parker on it. We will find him before they reconnect," Raines ordered to the cowering message man before him.

"Yes, sir. And Emily? Who is to work on her case?"

"I don't care about Emily. Besides, if you find Jarod, you'll find the people he cares about."

"Sir!" The doctor from rehabilitation wing burst through the door, "You told me to alert you as soon as he was responsive. He's near speaking, sir."

Raines nodded, "Very good."

*****

"Thank you, Kenny. I owe you more than you know," Jarod was climbing out of the great truck he'd travelled all night in, dozing on and off mostly.

"It's no trouble. And Jarod," Jarod looked up at the man, "I know you weren't mugged. I hope whatever you're running from doesn't catch up to you. You've got a good soul. Your eyes, they sort of tell the real story."

Jarod nodded reluctantly, "Thanks again."

He hobbled then to the motel behind him, where he'd asked to be dropped off. He smoothed his hair in some sort of effort to look presentable. As he walked through the door he noticed the pamphlets in the rack by the desk "Welcome to the Garden State" "50 Things to do in New Jersey." He quickly shuffled to where the woman at the desk was sitting, before she could see his bare feet.

"Hi," he crooned.

The long haired blonde woman glanced up from her keyboard and smiled, "Why hello there. Are you looking to stay with us, sir?"

"I am," he replied just as enthusiastically, glancing at her name tag, "But I have a little problem, Danielle. I was mugged last night and I don't know where my credit cards or anything for that matter are. Do you think I could just give you the account number?"

"Well," Danielle contemplated the ramifications, clearly uncomfortable with the idea, "I'm really not supposed to do that when you have no ID."

"I know. I'm sorry. I completely understand. I'd do the same thing if I were you," Jarod sighed dramatically, "you have a nice day."

She looked at him anxiously, noting the bruising around his right eye and the cut in his lip, "Wait! What's your name?"

"Jarod. Jarod Parker."

He gave her the account number he had hacked into so many times before and she entered it into the computer, access immediately given. Honestly, who was going to be monitoring the late great Mr Parker's bank account when there were more pressing matters, like his escape for example. "All right, Mr. Parker, I'm going to give you one of our cheaper rooms and if you could not mention to anyone what I did--"

"Please, call me Jarod. I wouldn't dream of getting you in any sort of trouble. Thank you so much," he managed to halfway smile in gratitude as she handed him a key.

"I'll be working until three though. If you get bored, you can always come keep me company," the girl smiled.

Jarod shifted uncomfortably, "I'll keep that in mind. Thank you, again."

She watched the attractive stranger leave, and began typing at the computer again, pausing to contemplate if he'd really not been wearing shoes or if that was her imagination running wild again.

When Jarod entered his room, he swiftly locked the door behind him and allowed himself to fall into the double bed, sleeping instantly.

*****

"This is Sydney."

"I'm okay."

"Jarod! I was so worried. Where are you?" Sydney bolted upright from his place on the sofa.

Jarod had woken from his ten hour sleep remembering that Sydney was probably worried sick, "You all need to move. The Centre will go back to the cabin soon. I can't believe they haven't already. They're looking for you."

"Emily found us here."

"Oh that's a huge relief. I was so worried about her."

"She's fine. Where are you, Jarod?"

"Go to my DSA case and find the plastic case inside that has three different colored disks in it. Do you see them?"

Sydney stood and went to the room where Jarod's things were and searched until he found them, "Yes I have them. What are these?"

Jarod ignored this question as well, "Please, send them to Miss Parker at The Centre. I would if I could, but I'm sort of holed up where I am at the moment."

"Jarod, tell me where you are. We can help you."

"Promise me you'll do as I said, Sydney, please."

"I will, of course. But Jarod, you know Miss Parker isn't--"

"She isn't getting what she deserves, Sydney."

He hung up the phone, making certain he had been cryptic enough to not reveal his location or Miss Parker's allegiance. He didn't trust that The Centre hadn't discovered their backup cabin as well.

Jarod sat up and set off to go take care of some minor problems, such as shoes, shaving, and stealing a car.

*****

Raines strolled into the rehabiliation room and gazed sadisticly over their resting patient. It had been almost three weeks he'd been in here, growing stronger every day and now he was speaking.

"Hello, Raines."

Raines inhaled deeply, "Good to have you back again, Mr Lyle."

Miss Parker opened the doors to her office, her eyes immediately drawn to the package on her desk. Jarod had been free for three days now; she supposed that was plenty of time to start sending her more mysteries again. She suspected, rightfully so, that it would be a little different this time.

The handwriting on the package was Sydney's, but when she opened the large manilla envelope, the first thing she read was a note that said "From Jarod." She'd spent enough years reading Sydney's reports to know his distinct handwriting, which he knew. Clearly, Jarod had requested this transfer. Besides, with the last words Sydney had uttered to her, it was a bit shocking to have any association with him that didn't qualify as a lecture.

Deeper in the envelope she found three disks. One was black, one blue, and one red. Miss Parker eyed them curiously, wishing they were labeled in any way.

Predictably, Miss Parker's cell phone started ringing.

"What are these, Jarod?" she answered, knowing the only man who had her work schedule memorized and had any reason to call was the elusive pretender.

"Be careful of what you say in return to me, Parker, they're watching and listening to you very closely I'm sure. Those disks, well I've been working on them for years, and the only one I trust now to use them is you." Jarod's voice was slow and she could tell he was still exhausted.

"Use them for what?"

"To save us, of course." He never failed to be cryptic, even when they were on the same side.

"Where are you?" she said softly, a welcomed change from the harsh, frustrated way she'd always inquired with before.

She could hear his smile, probably at the concern evident in her voice, "It would only further endanger you for me to tell you that. I wish I could though."

Miss Parker sighed. Answers were so hard to come by these days, all days really, "So what the hell am I supposed to do with your precious gifts now?"

"Patience, Parker. I'll call you when the time's right."

She ignored the humor in his voice, "And until then?"

"Catch me if you can."

She brought the phone down from her ear quickly, eyeing the disks once again. Whatever Jarod had up his sleeve, she knew it was one hell of a zinger. She slipped them into the inner pocket of the white jacket she wore.

*****

Jarod hung up the hotel phone and smiled slightly. The changes in her were subtle, undetectable to most, but they were there and it was reassuring.

He had spent the day yesterday manipulating his way into regaining the items he needed. First stop had been the local shoe store, where nobody had questioned the man walking out of the store empty-handed with new black loafers on his feet. Next, he had visited the town's bank, astonishing the teller with his account number and passcode memorization skills. Luckily, Jarod had had the foresight to set up an account where limited identification methods were needed, something all the bank tellers had advised against, but which Jarod knew would be essential to predicaments like the one he was in currently. With the cash he needed, he was able to purchase a high end laptop, printer, cell phone, suitable non-Centre issued clothing, food, and various other neccessities. All in all, the trip exhausted the weak, still injured man, and the strain on his clearly broken leg had sent him back to the hotel, where he had spent the next day recovering.

Now he was sitting at the table, typing away as he accessed the late Mr Parker's account. Jarod found it amusing how little attention they paid to details such as the deceased's access grants and accounts. Sometimes the simplest ways to solve problems, were the best and most successful.

*****

"When can we go home?" Debbie whined, the effects of the latest in a long line of traumatic events were setting in.

"I don't know if we can ever go back there, hon." Broots picked up their bags and headed to the van in front of the cabin. It had only been used once since their race away from The Centre at discovering Jarod, Miss Parker, and Emily's captures. They had transferred to the second safehouse Jarod had designated before they'd even arrived at the first cabin. He was always with a back-up plan and Broots assumed this was why he had managed to elude them for so many years.

"But Dad, I have friends there, school. Everything. My life is in Blue Cove."

"Deb, I know those things are important. Really I do. But it's just not safe and who knows what could happen to us if we went back. Nothing good. You've seen a lot these past few weeks, and this entire mess is why we are not going back there."

"Miss Parker went back. Are you just going to forget about her?" she challenged.

Broots faltered, "I, Miss Parker had business she felt she had to take care of. She's a lot safer than us. It's different."

"Whatever, you're just too scared." She crossed her arms in defiance.

Broots knew not to take everything she said to heart, that teenage gir said a lot they didn't completely mean, but it struck a note somewhere as it was partly true. He was scared, but he had good reason to be.

He continued to pack the van with everyone's slim belongings.

"So where are we going now?" Debbie muttered.

"East. To the coast of Virginia. I figured you'd be happier if we went somewhere a little less gloomy, you know on the shore. There's a cottage there. Should be fun."

"On the beach?"

"Yep."

"Oh Daddy that will be so much better." Debbie was smiling now as she hugged her dad from behind. Broots smiled. It was amazing how quickly her moods could shift.

*****

Miss Parker had decided after Jarod's call to go visit Baby Parker. They were calling him Cade. Any time The Centre named a human being, she was skeptical. How was this child related to her, or was he? She didn't know, but she still felt like she was the only one who actually came to visit and play with him. Whether they shared blood or not, the nurse believed they did and that's all that mattered.

She read books with him, far above his 2-year-old reading level naturally. Sometimes, she just held him because she had a feeling that's mostly what he needed. Today, that's what they were doing. How he had grown up so fast, she didn't know. It didn't feel like two years ago that she delivered this poor infant into his pitiful little world. If Mr Parker couldn't father her, how could he have fathered this little one? The answers were somewhere deep in The Centre. She hoped she could figure it out for him one day. His beautiful brown eyes melted her heart. He deserved freedom just as much as she did, as Jarod did, as they all did.

*****

"Are you absolutely certain of this, Mr Lyle?" Raines' voice was dripping with disdain, urgency, and most of all wrath.

"Of course I am. Why the hell would I lie about that?" Lyle had been regaining his health for weeks now in the recovery ward. After that near-fatal shot from Miss Parker, he had been relieved when Centre back-up vehicles arrived to dispose of the remains of the battle scene at the first Virginia cabin, not at all expecting the live and seriously wounded Mr Lyle.

"Your motives are always to be questioned."

"Yeah well mine aren't the only motives that deserve questioning. Look, what benefit do I get in telling you all this?" He was sitting up in his bed to be almost eye level with the ex doctor.

"It's all about power. Everything is," Raines turned to one of his trained burly monkeys behind him, "Go find Briggite. Have her investigate the situation."

"I'm well enough I can take care of it myself," Lyle protested.

"For some reason I feel you would be biased in the situation. Briggite will help us reach the true conclusion," Raines argued, "Rest up, Mr Lyle."

He walked out of the room slowly. It was amazing how someone could even walk in a monotone. Lyle clenched his bedsheets in frustration before leaning back and expelling all the air in his lungs.

*****

Jarod had told her to catch him if he could. And she had decided after her visit with Cade to do just that. Unfortunately without Broots, she was forced to use her own skills in tracking down the pretender. So she went to the main control room, recalling the mini war that had ensued here just two weeks ago. She sat in a chair that she remembered Jarod falling out of, but tried to push the memories out of her head. She had work to do. Luckily, Jarod hadn't tried to cover his tracks at all and she quickly figured out he was in New Jersey, holed up in some ratty hotel as usual. Some things never changed.

Her phone rang then and she answered it quickly, "What?"

"Are you in the main control room?" Jarod asked her.

"How the hell--"

"I told you to find me, and I needed you with a reason to be in there."

"You just think of everything huh, wonderboy?" She fingered the disks in her pocket, wondering if this was the moment he'd foreshadowed.

"Take the blue disk out and insert it into the computer," his voice was all business so Miss Parker didn't protest in the slightest as he continued on, "Enter these numbers into the according boxes. I'll go four digits at a time. Tell me if you get behind."

Jarod then proceeded to rattle off about fifty digits worth of passcodes, account information, and other various answers to the fill-in-the-blank quiz she seemed to be filling out. Occasionally she could hear his typing on the other end of the phone.

"It says 'data transfer in progress.' What is this, Jarod?" she said as she pushed the final "enter."

"It's everything. I've been designing and fine-tuning this program since a year after I escaped. It took a while for me to finesse my way into fooling the entire Centre Mainframe, but with that disk you have, you have the highest clearance access to every bit of data in the Centre system you could imagine. It's what I was doing when we were caught, only this time there are no more copies of the disk. So don't get caught."

Miss Parker looked around the room with wide blue eyes, noting only a few dense sweepers who wouldn't know what she was doing if the screen were flashing it in big red letters, "I won't. Exactly what information is it finding, Jarod?"

"Well, I didn't know exactly which files I wanted since I've never seen them before or else obviously I wouldn't need them anymore. So I picked many keywords and any file with any of those keywords in it will be obtained, which is what it's doing right now. Don't worry, Miss Parker. It will find your answers just as well as mine."

"What if they're not in here though?" she whispered.

"Have faith. If they're not in there, then there's no reason to keep our ties to The Centre because nobody knows."

"You know Lyle doesn't believe in computers. His files won't be on here," she remarked in frustration just thinking about the possibility of anything Lyle knew that she didn't.

"Lyle's a relatively new player in The Centre game. He's almost as lost as we are. Besides, he may not be filing away documents into the mainframe, but others are with regard to him and his dealings. I promise you, this will work. It took far too long to create and coordinate for it to not give us what we want. I only wish I were the one in there doing this. You're taking an incredible risk."

The worry in Jarod's voice made her almost smile, but she knew even the sweepers would understand something was out of the ordinary if she did that, "Trust me, it wouldn't be the first risk."

"I trust you," he said simply.

The computer beeped softly and Miss Parker told him the data transfer was complete.

"Okay take that disk out and enter the black one and download the new information onto the black one. It should take about half the time that one took."

Miss Parker did as directed and wondered silently what the red disk was for then. Her heart was racing. If Jarod was right and she was now downloading all the treasures she and Jarod had ever searched for, then she had no reason to stay and she could finally be rid of this God forsaken place.

"What's going to happen now?" she asked quietly.

"We'll be free," he said slowly, "we'll all be free. We can finally live our lives, and you can get out of there just like your mother wanted."

Miss Parker let his words sink in. It was almost a terrifying thought. She knew The Centre, the politics that went on, it was her life. To leave and be normal, she didn't know how she'd be able to manage that, "I hope I'm good at being free. I've never done that before."

"We'll figure it out," he assured her. She contemplated his use of 'we' in that sentence until the screen alerted her that the download was complete and the black disk popped out.

"Now what, Jarod?"

"Okay, are you sure it worked?"

"It says it worked, would you like me to threaten it into telling me the truth?" she replied sarcastically.

"I'm sorry it's just, it has to work. Check it. Check the contents."

She sighed exhasperatedly, opening the list of files. She couldn't believe how much it had gotten, "There's a ton of stuff, Jarod. What do you want me to check for?"

"See if there's any file labeled with your name," he said softly, "your first name."

Miss Parker faltered for a second, nearly forgetting that she had told him that so many years ago. Would The Centre even know that? She scanned through the files, which were arranged alphabetically. Her mouth dropped a little as she pressed two of her fingers to her lips in awe, "It's here, Jarod. It's here." Her voice was failing her. What were within the contents she could only imagine, "But nobody here knows my name."

"Maybe not, but I'm sure it was in your mother's files somewhere. Maybe the triumvirate knew. It doesn't matter where it came from though, only that it's there. Everything else should be there too. So take the red disk and put that in now."

Miss Parker didn't even say anything as she took out the black disk, pocketing it carefully with the blue one, and replacing it with the red one mechanically. She was like a robot as she carefully entered all of the numbers Jarod was giving her once again. She was still in shock at what she was doing. This couldn't be possible, yet here she was doing it. Maybe Jarod was right, and they'd really get what they always wanted. Jarod was usually right.

Eventually, she reached the final screen which asked her if she really wanted to commence with the program. Jarod told her to click yes, so she did.

"Now you have to get out of there. Leave the disk, it won't do anyone any good. Don't go get anything, just leave as quick as you can," Jarod's voice was more urgent than she'd ever heard it.

"What the hell did I just do?" she stood, taking great strides toward the door, and turning down the hallway.

"You released a virus into the mainframe, a deadly one."

"What does that mean though?" she strained her voice as she glided down the hall.

"It means everything connected to the mainframe is going to shut down as soon as anyone logs in to the system. When everything turns back on, the memories will be completely erased. There will be nothing. No accounts, no information, no DSA archives. It will all be ancient history. Even The Centre funds will be wired out and streamed into multiple accounts around the world." Jarod took a deep breath, as just the thought alone was overwhelming.

Miss Parker had stopped walking, unable to focus on anything other than what Jarod had just revealed, "but that's impossible. The Centre's data extends to so many other networks. Coorperations around the world share programs and funds with--"

"I told you it took me a long time to do this." She could hear the grin in his voice as he was probably marveling over his own genius for doing this.

"My God," she whispered, beginning to walk again. The harsh click of heel to tile reverberating in the hallways.

"You need to focus on getting out of there. I'll call you again soon."

Miss Parker nodded, knowing he couldn't see her and hit the "end" button on her phone. She couldn't believe what they had just done. So many thoughts were running through her head, she didn't know what to do.

She stopped, revelation hitting her. There was no way she could leave more innocents behind.

Briggite paced down the hallways, searching in every place she presumed Miss Parker may be. Her quest was producing pathetic results and she had reached the point of growling as she opened every door to a Parker-less room.

Her phone rang and she answered it with a curt "yes" followed by "you've got to be kidding me. Oh I will find her, sir."

She closed the phone and heightened her pace, heading for the one place she knew she'd catch Miss Parker.

*****

Jarod shifted on his bed uncomfortably. The thoughts racing through his mind were intolerable. She would be fine, she always was. He wondered if it was too soon to call and make sure she had gotten out safely. He knew she'd been able to track his location via his last call to her so she should have the number to his hotel. She could easily call him.

He groaned, knowing these thoughts were only stressing him more. The only thing he could do now was wait, and he hated that. Jarod picked up a tweety bird Pez container to comfort himself with some sugary solace. Then he reached for the phone.

"This is Sydney."

"Have you relocated yet?" Jarod greeted him.

"We're in transit right now, Jarod. How are you recovering?" Sydney replied, always concerned for his prodigee.

Jarod looked at the bruises scattered about his body and ignored the pain it took to hold the phone up to his ear, "I'm doing well. My leg's especially healing nicely, which is good."

"Very. Jarod, what were those disks about? The ones I sent to Miss Parker. I told you she--"

"You'll understand everything soon enough. I just wanted to call and make sure you guys were going somewhere safe. Could I talk to Emily?" he added hesitantly.

"Oh, of course." Sydney handed the phone to the young woman saying that it was her brother.

Emily grinned, "hi big brother."

Jarod immitated with a small laugh, "hello little sister. How are you doing?"

"Peachy keen, jelly bean. They're taking good care of me. You had some nice captors, I'm not sure what you've been complaining about for so many years," she added sarcastically.

He scoffed, "Oh knock it off. I hope they didn't mistreat you too badly in The Centre."

"Honestly, they left me alone a lot. I spent the first week in a recovery room with nurses tending to my injury, and the next mostly just lying on a bunk. It was well pretty boring actually. There was one visit with Mr Raines I think his name was, but it was right before Angelo helped me escape and it wasn't a very big deal."

"I'm glad to hear it. You take care of yourself okay, sis?" Jarod's lips curled into a smile just using the endearing term.

"You got it. And whatever you're planning to do, because I know if you're not with us then it's because you're doing something else, please be careful about it. I don't want to lose my brother again."

Jarod nodded, "Everything's under control, Em. And everything will be fine."

He hung up the phone, hoping he had told her the truth.

*****

Miss Parker had nearly run to Cade's nursery, slowing her pace only when getting suspicious looks from nameless Centre employees. What the hell did those other people do in here anyway? She threw open the door to Cade's room and her heart dropped when she saw no one. He had just been there, this was hardly the time to play hide and go seek in one of the largest buildings in Delaware. She panted until she'd caught most of her breath back, turning around and noticing a piece of paper on the floor. In childish handwriting she read the words "Cade is going home."

She shook her head, baffled at the meaning in the words, but stood and departed. She was devestated at the thought of returning to The Centre later to retrieve him, but she knew she'd have to soon.

The halls and the people in them seemed normal as she strode toward her exit. Nobody to stop her. Her heels clicked as she marched through the parking garage toward her car, as purposeful as ever.

"Go home," she heard. Miss Parker smiled with unrequited joy when she saw Angelo crouched by her car with little Cade within his arms.

"Angelo! Oh it's never been so good to see you," she ran the last length to where they were, where Angelo stood, holding baby Parker.

Miss Parker folded the boy up in her arms as Angelo handed him to her, "Take the boy home."

"I'll get him out of here, don't worry," she looked into his soft eyes which always melted her own, "Angelo, come with us. We'll go to Jarod and you can live a life out of this hell hole."

Angelo just stared at her inquistively. His face scrunched though as his soft smile twisted into a wide, maniac grin.

"What's wrong? Angelo, what's wrong?" she grabbed his upper arm as she repeated her question again, watching his features turn sporadically demonic. Then they stopped and he looked up at her from his hunched posture.

"Take the boy home."

Miss Parker sighed loudly in frustration, holding Cade in one arm and running her hand through her long, dark hair with the other. Cousin It never had turned exactly tolerable.

"Now now, Miss Parker, don't be upset," she heard echoing about the cement surroundings. There was no mistaking that sinister female voice.

"How many times do I have to get rid of you, Briggite?" she said, pulling her gun quickly on the blonde, whose gun was also drawn.

Briggite was grinning at the scene before her. Miss Parker couldn't be more vulnerable this time.

"I'd like to know what you think you're doing with my child, and just what the hell is going on with our computer system."

"Maybe if you treated him like your child, I wouldn't be risking my ass to protect him. As for your technological problems, let me just ask who the hell you think I am because I'm sure not Broots, so how about you call tech support instead of boo hooing that you can't access your Trolls R Us account."

The smile on Briggite's face disappeared as she cocked her gun, "I know you're behind all this, and now everyone else does, too. You can play dumb if you want, but I'm not letting any of you go anywhere."

"You would risk shooting your own child, just to take your revenge on me. Why is that not surprising?" Miss Parker clutched Cade closer to her. He was grabbing her around the neck tightly and was surprisingly quiet, considering what a gab he normally was at his young age.

Briggite made no move to argue with her, and it was then that Angelo leapt and knocked the blonde to the ground, who landed with a scream and a thud, "Get the hell off me, you thing!"

Miss Parker took the moment to put Cade in the passenger seat, wishing Jarod had told her about this damn plan before so she could have properly arranged for a carseat. She started the car and reversed it quickly as Angelo continued to struggle with Briggite. She threw open her door and shouted, "Angelo, come now!"

The man-child screamed as Briggite turned him over onto the pavement with much effort on her part. She stood and aimed her gun, shocking Miss Parker with the intense explosion of the pistol.

Miss Parker's entire hand rose to cover her mouth when she realized Briggite had aimed for his head. The shock disoriented her for momentarily as all the memories she shared with that innocent man flew threw her mind. There was no way he could have survived a gunshot to the brain. A tear darted down her cheek as Briggite turned, gun drawn, grinning, to face the car.

"That mindless animal has had that coming for a while," Miss Parker stared at her wide-eyed in disgusted disbelief, "And you, my sweet little step-daughter, haven't deserved any better fate fo yourself. If only you'd just played by the rules instead of running off to have fun with your wittle pal Jawod." The mocking baby voice at the end of Briggite's sentence brought Miss Parker back to reality.

"I've had enough of you, bitch." She shot Briggite in the chest without any hesitation at all. It flashed through her mind how idiotic the woman was to ramble on instead of just killing her when she had the chance. Luckily, the woman was dumber than a bag of bricks.

As Briggite lurched forward under the impact and fell to her knees, sputtering for air, Miss Parker sent yet another bullet flying into the other side of her chest. She had had enough of this back from the dead game everyone in The Centre was so fond of playing. Miss Parker rushed out of the car and grabbed Angelo's wrist, her head sinking in despair when she found no pulse. He had died to save them and as she held his lifeless corpse in her hands, sobbing, she couldn't help but remember how Briggite had commited this same execution style on Tommy years ago. At least now, she knew it would never happen again.

Miss Parker laid his head down gently and closed the lids of his eyes, imagining he was in a better place, no longer alone. The sound of a door opening caused her to run to the car where Cade stared at her wide-eyed and stunned. For a brief second, she felt guilty, realizing she had just gunned down this boy's mother right in front of his eyes. He probably didn't even realize she was his mother as little time as they spent together.

"Trust me, you're better off without her kid." she said, shifting the vehicle into gear and putting her sunglasses on.

The quick acceleration caused her tires to screech as she peeled out of the garage and onto the main road, sweepers giving up their pursuit of the former Centre mistress upon reaching the bloody scene and two lifeless bodies.

It was night time now and Miss Parker had been driving for a few hours, still playing the scene in the parking garage over in her head. Sweet Angelo, her guardian angel in disguise. Another precious life torn apart by The Centre. She would miss him.

She looked in the mirror to where Cade sat, safely secured in the carseat she'd picked up about twenty miles outside of Blue Cove over two hours ago. The child had been fighting sleep for about twenty minutes now and she smiled a little when his chin finally rested against his chest in a deep sleep. It had been an eventful day.

Miss Parker's hair was disheveled and her face thoughtful. The silent drive was giving her all the time she needed to think. There was so much new information to absorb, the magnitude of the day's events were just now hitting her. She had basically destroyed The Centre. Angelo and Briggite were dead. And she was now the sole provider for this little boy. The irony of fulfilling her mother's legacy in this way hadn't escaped her and the thought that her mother would be proud gave her goosebumps of emotion. The weight of how significant all this was pressed down on her and a single tear crept down her face, which she wiped away quickly. She needed to get to Jarod. She focused on the road and pressed the accelerator harder.

*****

"Sir, I really can't do anything. It's like the entire mainframe was wiped clean," the pathetic techie explained to his interrogator. He with the oxygen tank groaned furiously.

"Move out of the way." Raines sat down at the computer, deciding to log into his own personal account to access the security surveillance he needed that way. He murmured under his breath, "Impossible."

"Sir," a sweeper broke into Raines' lab, presenting a red disk in hand, "This was found in the main control room. Nothing happened when we put it in the computer. Nobody can access anything."

"Because there's nothing to access," Raines said slowly, crumbling under the impact of his own words. He stood abruptly, all eyes on him searching for direction, "Someone do something. Fix it. Or there will be hell to pay for us all."

People scattered, panicked, but nobody looked quite as terrified as the balding man they were listening to.

*****

"Here we are," Molly alerted her passengers. She had driven almost the entire way to their beach cottage, so excited to drive a vehicle after all the time she'd spent in Centre sublevels in her life.

Sydney inspected the large but modest house, noting the distance from it to the other houses was quite remarkable and assumed the owner had bought the adjacent lots for that purpose. He was grateful, and even more grateful that Broots was able to find the location, knowing it would be a welcome change of pace for everyone.

Emily opened the door from the backseat and walked toward the structure.

"Careful, Emily. You're not fully healed yet," Sydney warned, shutting his door behind him as he followed her.

"I know I know. I'll be fine." Her resillience reminded Sydney of her brother, "I wish I knew what was going on with them. Jarod's been so cryptic about it all."

"He always is, usually for our own protection," Sydney reassured her in the calming tone his voice so easily emitted.

"You know, I'm pretty jealous of you, Sydney," Emily crossed her arms, staring at the beach surrounding the house.

Sydney scoffed, "Jealous of me?"

"You know him better than all of us. He's my brother, but," she sighed, "I hardly know him. I just wish we could have some deep connection, the way you two clearly do."

The older man rested a palm on her shoulder, "Jarod's a kind soul. The fact that he even speaks to me says that much. I don't deserve the credit and the affection he gives me. Your connection, it will grow, with time. Jarod cares about you too much for it to not."

Emily nodded and took a big whiff of sea air in, turning as Broots and Debbie arrived behind them.

"I'm going to go see the water," Debbie alerted her father, running off toward the shore. Broots smiled timidly, glad to see her finally excited about something.

"This isn't fair to her," he sighed, picking up the bags she had dropped, "She's right. I'm completely turning her life upside down."

"But for the better," Sydney patted his shoulder, "Don't forget that."

Broots was silent as he trudged to the house with their bags in his hands, Emily slowly following suit.

Molly and Sydney watched them go before she commented, "They feel so lost."

"Mmm," Sydney nodded in agreement.

"You're not too sure of anything yourself are you, Sydney?" Molly's blue eyes were piercing, almost as piercing as he sister's, but with a softer empathetic edge.

"I'm just concerned with Jarod's well being. I don't understand why he doesn't just come to us instead of holing up somewhere with nobody to help him take care of himself. And Miss Parker, your sister, well. I just don't understand," he expessed his frustration with a fist clenched against his chest.

"I have a good feeling, Sydney. Things are going to turn out okay," she assured the older man before following Broots and Emily into the cottage.

Sydney sighed, putting his hands in his pockets before trudging up the steps to the front door as well. He knew he should trust Molly, that she had special gifts, but it was so hard to believe anyone anymore. He opened the screen door and stepped inside, leaving the main door open to allow the warm spring air to cycle through the house. It was much larger than the cabin they'd occupied before.

The living room had high ceilings and two great sky lights. He could see the doors to several upstairs rooms from down below, gazing up at the balcony-like hallway. There was a large kitchen, with a sliding glass door to the back deck which overlooked the beach. Broots was setting up computers in a study full of books, many old and tattered. Upstairs there was a true outdoor balcony off of two of the bedrooms. Sydney strolled onto this porch from one of the bedrooms and looked down to where Debbie was sitting on the shore, her shoes beside her and her jeans rolled up high as she allowed the waves to glide up to her shins.

Sitting down on a rocking bench, he inhaled a deep breath of the fresh air, relishing the renewal he felt in his soul just by being far away from that wretched place. The place that controlled them all. There was a hammock on a stand to his right and a collection of someone's seashells was strewn along the railings all around the balcony. Upon returning inside he noticed the cheezy beach decorations, mounted fish, lighthouse paintings.

It was so everyday. It was so nice.

*****

"Jarod did this. You know Jarod did this," Lyle had an urgent pitch to his voice.

Mr Raines inhaled deliberately, "He's the only one who could have done it. And the only reason he would--"

"Is that he has his answers," Lyle finished his thought, rolling his eyes. He was fed up with lying in this recovery ward bed for so many weeks now, "This wouldn't have happened if you had just let me--"

"Your disabilities would have interfered."

"Clearly Briggite was not the right person for the job! I assure you that Parker would not have walked out of here alive if I had been given control--"

"Briggite's unfortunate demise is of no relevance. We never needed her to complete our plans. We never needed her at all." Raines waved one of the sweepers standing behind him out of the room so that they were alone.

"There is no way that we can continue our plan under the current circumstances, Raines. My nurses can't even bring up my medical file anymore." Lyle was frustrated beyond rationality and the bald headed doctor was doing nothing to rectify the situation, "Just what the hell do you have in mind? Aside from putting a bullet in our pretender's pretty little head of course?"

The corners of Raines' mouth twisted up and he simply stared at Lyle with a knowing gaze. Understanding dawned in the younger man's cold blue eyes and he rose an eyebrow, cocking his head slightly, almost in awe before he immitated the older man's expression.

*****

Miss Parker swiped the keycard in the electronic door lock of the hotel room, opening it as the light flashed green. That idiot girl in the front had been only too willing to give her a second key to the room. Miss Parker hadn't even known what name Jarod has used, but upon telling her that she was Miss Parker, for some reason the girl had looked disappointed and handed her the card without care. It was no time to be questioning as she honestly didn't care about this particular hotel's inadequate security situation.

The night had been long and she was tired, checking her watch she groaned at how late it was, 2:19AM. She turned and picked up Cade's carseat which she had decided to just keep him in, allowing him to sleep relatively undisturbed. Backing into the room slowly, carefully, she rested the carseat and the sleeping boy on the floor by a cheap pine armoire.

Standing up straight, she turned to rest her gaze on the sleeping pretender. Jarod lay in the middle of the bed, his lips slightly parted as he slept. The white sheets pooled around his waist and he wore a white ribbed tank top. She guessed he had shaved almost immediately after his freedom because he already had the stubble of a few days' growth on his face. She hated something about how innocent and sweet he looked and how she could immediately tell he was exhausted. Worst of all, she hated the bruises which were still littering his beaten body.

Slipping off her shoes, slacks and jacket, and then replacing her violet blouse with one of Jarod's discarded black T's, she tip toed to the edge of the bed. Her eyes were wide with unusual insecurity as she pulled the sheet back and slid into the bed next to him. Miss Parker held her breath as she heard Jarod sharply inhale his own, turning his neck to face her. He looked at her sleepily as if she were a dream, a beautiful dream. He suddenly realized how real she was and his eyes were wide as he smiled the happiest smile she thought she'd ever seen on him before. He still looked like a little boy when he smiled.

"I was so worried," his voice cracked through the raspiness of a sleep-coated throat. He turned his whole body so that he was on his side facing her.

She smiled back at him slightly, "Everything went just as you planned it. Briggite, well that bitch--"

Jarod groaned and put two fingers over her lips, "I'm just glad you're here now."

Parker looked into his deep brown eyes. They were always so soulful and right now they were practically bleeding affection, for her, and she knew that. They were both remembering the last time they'd seen each other, how they'd said goodbye, the way each had felt against their lips. It was too much.

She averted her gaze, releasing the breath she hadn't realized she was still holding. He reached out and gently pulled her chin up with his thumb so she was looking at him again, her mouth frowning as emotion collected in her eyes.

"I know this is," he paused, "difficult."

"Origami's difficult, Jarod. This is. This is something else."

Jarod laughed a little, but watched her, concerned, "But, why are you crying?"

She hadn't even realized she was, but she quickly wiped away the lone tear, "Clearly my body doesn't know how to adjust to..."

Her voice trailed off and he brushed away a lock of hair she was trying to hide behind, "Happiness?" She didn't answer, just looked at him, scrunching up her face. She couldn't believe she was falling apart like this. He was silent for a moment, giving her time. Nobody could push her, and nobody knew that better than Jarod. He whispered, "I mean, I'm happy. You, well you make me happy. Always have."

Parker allowed her eyes to meet his once again. He looked so hopeful. She grasped his face slowly with both her hands and pulled it to hers. Jarod closed his eyes, letting her speak without words and cherishing the softness of her lips against his. He would give her all the time it took for her to say what she wanted to if that meant they could stay like this forever.

Jarod snaked his hand to the small of her back, realizing for the first time that she was wearing his shirt. The thought seemed to only intoxicate him more as he pulled her close against him and their kiss grew more fevered. He thought once of breaking the kiss for a mouthful of air, but thought better of it, realigning his priorities as she expertly prodded in his mouth with her tongue.

She scooted her body closer to him, straddling a leg around his, and then allowed him to carefully roll her onto his chest so that she was lying on top of him, him the eternally irritating labrat she'd sought for so many years. She always knew in the end, she'd catch him.

Parker allowed one of her hands to leave his face and carefully work its way behind his neck, clinging to the strands of hair there.

A sneeze broke the moment and they both tremored in surprise, breaking the kiss for the first time to look at each other curiously until Miss Parker realized it was she who needed to explain.

"My little brother," she whispered between breaths.

Jarod cocked his head, looking up at her deep blue eyes, loving the way her hair fell messily around her face, "You took him with you?"

"What the hell choice did I have, Jarod?" she raised an eyebow at him in mock annoyance.

He smiled hesitantly, still surprised, "None, I suppose."

Miss Parker nodded, and lowered herself back onto the mattress so that she was curled on her side, but an arm still wrapped around his waist. She hated to be vulnerable, but right here she felt she was stronger than she'd ever been before. She couldn't help but roll her eyes as he took the hand she still had around him and lifted it to his lips, kissing her fingertips twice before replacing them around his waist and draping his other arm around her protectively.

Sleep found her quickly, but Jarod lay awake, cherishing the soft sound she made as she exhaled deeply and the way her head had subconsciously fallen against him. After a while, he allowed himself to sleep as well, dreaming of a world where this was everyday.

Miss Parker woke with a start just a few hours later as her head slipped from its place in the crook of Jarod's arm. He had jerked suddenly and was now clinging to the sheets, tightening and untightening his fists, moaning and muttering words that seemed to always begin with "no."

"Jarod," she grabbed his good arm and shook him slightly, groaning "Come on, Jarod, it's just a dream."

Jarod twisted his shoulders and continued his scattered breathing. Miss Parker sighed and grabbed his face, turning it toward her. His eyes shot open and he shivered back at first, but let out a deep sigh of relief upon realizing it was her.

"Did I wake you?" he whispered, attempting to regain a steady breath.

"No you just made it so I couldn't sleep anymore."

"I'm sorry. I don't know what to do about them. I just can't ever sleep more than a few hours without one," Jarod sighed in frustration, pulling her back against him.

They remained like that until Miss Parker broke the silence, "What do you dream of?"

Jarod shook his head, "I don't know."

"Maybe if you figured that out, they'd go away. We'll put Freud on the case a-sap because I can't deal with you waking me up every three hours. One day you'll push me right on the floor and I might pull my gun by mistake." She arched her eyebrow slyly.

Jarod exhaled loudly, finding no humor in her words, "I guess we wouldn't want that."

"Hey go to sleep, okay?"

Jarod nodded and closing his eyes, leaned his head against the top of hers until he was sure she was sleeping again. He lay awake for about an hour, fighting the sleep til he couldn't fight anymore.

*****

"Um, Sydney?" Broots peeked his head into the kitchen where Sydney sat alone at the long wooden table sipping on a glass of orange juice and reading a newspaper. Broots stammered a bit, "We have orange juice? And newspapers?"

"Emily and Molly went to the store," Sydney replied in a monotoned voice.

"Oh um well okay. I kind of have some bad news." Broots bit at his bottom lip and when Sydney met his eyes, he quickly sat across from him at the table and leaned in close, "I tried to log into The Centre mainframe to figure out what Miss Parker's been doing--"

"And?"

Broots' voice was hushed, "and it's not there. There's nothing there."

"Has your authorization been disabled?" Sydney squinted his eyes in that inquiring way of his.

"No, Syd! It's different. It's like" his eyes raced back and forth, "It's like The Centre never existed."

"That's impossible. I'm sure someone just took away your access grants and--"

"There isn't even a log in page. It's been completely wiped out. If I were Mr Parker, I wouldn't be able to get in. Something's wiped the system."

Sydney straightened in his seat, "Or someone."

Broot's brow was furrowed and he was visibly shaken, "Who?"

"Who do you think has the capability or doing such a thing?" Sydney questioned knowingly.

Broots spoke in a rushed unnatural pace. "Jarod, he, he couldn't. This had to be done at The Centre mainframe. It's just not technologically possible to do it any other way. I didn't think anyone could even do this. I-I couldn't fathom. I don't know."

Sydney's eyes gleamed, "Nobody's ever been able to measure Jarod's capabilities. Anything's possible."

"I just don't know what this means," Broots mumbled distractedly.

"It means the end is near."

They stared at each other for a while, Broots breathing rapidly.

*****

The sun was barely streaming through the vertical blinds of the hotel window when Miss Parker opened her eyes the next morning. Jarod's arm was still wrapped around her securely. She surveyed the room and noticed that Cade was awake and examining a PEZ dispenser at the small table by the door. She watched him as he explored the toy, startling himself after pulling the head up and all the candy scattered across the table. The sound woke Jarod who groaned at the disruption, opening his deep chocolatey eyes, noticing only that Parker was no longer facing him. He grabbed her waist and pulled her close, settling his face in her hair, inhaling deeply.

The action had not gone unnoticed by the small child and he stared with wide brown eyes at the stranger.

"Jarod," Parker whispered, then returned her voice to normal, "What did you find, Cade?"

Cade eyed them both suspiciously and she could almost see the wheels turning in his head. In response to her question, he looked at the mess of orange candies and then back to her, "Oops."

She smiled, removing Jarod's arm and sitting up so she was just a couple feet away from the toddler, "It's okay. Jarod will clean it."

"Right, yeah. Jarod will do it, absolutely," Jarod affirmed, sitting up as well.

"That's what we thought huh, Cade?" she swept him into her arms, "Now where are you stashing the food, hm Jarod? I bet you're starved aren't you, kid?"

Jarod, his head rested in one hand and his elbow on his knee, stared at them from a sideways angle, a faint smile on his lips.

"There's milk in the fridge and some Pop Tarts somewhere," he said lowly, transfixed in his gaze.

Miss Parker walked the few steps to the tiny fridge and pulled out some milk and a hotel-issue paper cup for Cade and let him sip it while she opened a package of Pop Tarts for him. She placed the food in front of him and redirected her attention to the man on the bed who was still watching her complacently.

"I have to tell you something," she joined him on the mattress, sitting on her feet in a knealing position so that she was taller than him. She took a deep breath, "something horrible."

Jarod's expression changed to concern, but was distracted upon hearing a high pitched, almost whimper. Cade was prodding at the Pop Tart, little red crystals falling to the table.

"It's not wheat grass," Jarod stood, cautiously approaching him and knealing to his level, "or oatmeal or protein mix. Right?"

"Yeah," Cade nodded.

Miss Parker observed as Jarod scrunched up his face and poked at the Pop Tart in the same manner as the child had, "It's a lot, harder. And covered in strange crystals. Weird huh?"

"Yeah," he answered, more certain now, relieved he wasn't the only one who found this new substance baffling.

"Well I used to eat the same food as you," Jarod explained, to wide excited eyes, "But then, I found foods like this. It's way better."

Jarod broke off a corner of the Pop Tart and put it in his mouth, "Mmm. I don't know if I like the frosted top or the jelly center better."

Hesitantly, Cade copied him. As the taste settled in, his eyes grew wider and a grin began to form. Jarod mirrored it, and Miss Parker scoffed.

"Now that you've officially addicted my little brother to sugar, could we get back to this please?" she beckoned in a sing-song voice.

"Sorry, I just know how lost you can feel out here for the first time in your life," Jarod returned to sit beside her, noticing how dark her features suddenly were, "What's wrong, Parker?"

"I couldn't find him," she began, her voice emotion-laced, "Cade wasn't in the nursery. But when I got to my car, Angelo had brought him there for me. He knew. Somehow he always knew. He just."

Her voice trailed off, and the concern in Jarod's eyes grew as he mentally noted her change in tense, "It's okay, go on."

Miss Parker whispered, "Briggite came to stop us. She would have killed me, but he saved my life. He took my bullet for himself. Angelo was murdered."

Jarod's face fell into deep despair and his eyes misted, "No."

She nodded, wiping away a loose teare, "Yeah. I still can't believe it. He was. He just deserved so much more."

Jarod was staring at the floor and he gulped slowly, "He did. But I'm sure he knew exactly what he was doing. He knew he was saving you. And that was important to him. He cared about Cade. He, he cared about you."

Miss Parker sobbed abruptly, "Yeah, and he met the same fate as every other louse who put half an effort into caring about me. I swear to God I'm cursed. Nobody lasts. Nobody. Not even poor, sweet Angelo."

"Hey," Jarod grabbed one of her hands, "I've always cared."

"Yeah and look at the hand you were dealt. I don't think anyone would call living from hotel to hotel room any kind of paradise."

"It's not so bad when I'm not alone," he mumbled.

They were silent for a while, remembering their friend. Angelo wasn't just their childhood friend; he had become a part of them both. Always the light in their dark world, Angelo always found a way of symbolizing possibility, hope. Now he was gone.

After a while, Jarod spoke. "Briggite?"

"Dead." Miss Parker stood and wiped the crumbs Cade had made on the table into her hand and took them to the bathroom, disposing of them. The door closed behind her and soon they heard the shower water being run. Jarod sighed and turned his attention to her brother, who was staring at him expectantly, waiting to be told something.

Jarod tried to smile at him, but it broke his heart knowing how much he shared with this child. How much he had been missing out on in his brief little life, and how accustomed he was to authority and rules and loneliness. It was the loneliness that was the worst. But they could fix that now.

*****

This seemed to be one of the few rooms in The Centre where light could penetrate the cold exterior and break through the great glass windows. The desk stood near the great panes of glass behind it, and most of the rest of the room was empty.

"Willie, Sam, I want you to stay on high alert," a pause for breath, "we're going to find Jarod, Miss Parker, all of them... and when we do I want you both ready with your teams."

Both sweepers nodded.

"Remember your directions regarding our elusive friends have changed."

Raines' last words came out in a hiss, full of venom. His voice then lost all emotion in it, "Were Briggite and Angelo's bodies disposed of?"

"Yes, Mr Raines," Sam affirmed mechanically to Raines' cold nod.

"Sir," a nameless sweeper burst through the doors to what had previously been Mr Parker's office, "We have a slight problem."

"What?" Raines implored, exhasperatedly.

"Nobody knows where Mr Lyle is. He was supposed to head up the search commitee"

The ghoulish man seemed to snarl back at him as he responded instinctualy, "I organized the commitee, I think I'm aware of who is on it. Check the infirmary records to see when he was released. It's not that complex."

"Uh but," the sweeper stammered in a Broots-like way before Raines realized what he'd implied, "The computers they..."

"I know!" Raines inhaled deeply, "Find him, no matter what you have to do."

"Right," the pale messenger quickly left the room and Raines slumped into the former chairman's seat, "Nobody disappears for long."

*****

Miss Parker stared at herself in the bathroom mirror as the steam of the shower slowly clouded it from the edges in, not breaking gaze with the stranger in the glass before her until the square was fully covered in droplets of water.

Shedding all clothing, she stepped into the tub/shower. She hated these things. Be a shower or a tub. Multi-tasking always makes for crap results.

The water pulsed against her chest and she closed her eyes, turning to wet her hair, dark tendrils sweeping forward to cling to her cheekbones hesitantly. The heat was an incredible comfort, always had been. For someone who always felt as numb as she did, the burn of an almost too hot shower was a daily reminder that she could feel. It was a tease.

'It wasn't a tease last night,' she thought, lathering up her hair. Parker allowed her sudsy hands to slide from her scalp down her neck until each arm was hugging its own shoulder, her elbows pinched together. Jarod always made sure she could feel, even if she didn't want to. Somehow, that man always knew when she was ready. And last night she could feel him, overflowing with desire, hell she knew she'd completely reciprocated it.

But life wasn't as simple as Jarod always made it out to be. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes, and started rinsing her hair out, letting the soapy water cascade over her hair and face. Jarod lived in a fairy tale world, and she'd always known that wasn't the life for her. Happily ever after didn't exist, especially for The Centre's princess. She humored that thought for a moment. Would that make Jarod her knight in shining armor? The cliche was almost nauseating. She may have been the chairman's daughter, but she was no princess. And valiant and pure as Jarod was, she didn't recall any happily-ever-afters for science experiments turned moral crusaders.

She reached down blindly for the little sample size bottle of hotel conditioner and managed to squeeze out enough to distribute into her hair, combing it through with her finger tips. All night long, she had felt so warm and at home with him. Jarod had always been in her life, even when she wanted him out. The little bastard was persistent.

Today it all felt wrong though. Last night was like a dream. How many times had her "father" told her that dreams are just that, dreams. Nothing more, nothing less. Miss Parker swung her hair back into the pouring water, rinsing the slick conditioner out of her hair.

She couldn't deal with this pendulum of emotions she kept experiencing regarding everyone's favorite labrat. She hated how good he made her feel. She knew she couldn't possibly be making him feel those same things. Those good things weren't in her to give, like they were in Jarod.

Miss Parker turned the knob off and reached for the white towel on the rack, draping it around her expertly. She'd lost everyone because they'd tried to care for her. Mama, Tommy, and now Angelo. She knew she wouldn't be able to survive losing Jarod, too.

Mind over matter, mind over heart. Reason always wins.

The steady hum of the vehicle was nearly lulling Jarod into a trance. They had been driving for hours and aside from the occasional conversation with Cade, it had been a silent one.

Earlier that day, Miss Parker had burst out of the bathroom a completely different person from the one who had gone into it. She had begun picking things up around the room and giving authoratative directions to equally stunned Jarod and Cade. Within twenty minutes they were on the road and headed south.

Now she was driving with one hand on the wheel, the other elbow propping her head up in a lazy fashion. Her sunglasses hid all her emotions and every time Jarod tried to speak she shook her head and replied with a one word answer of some sort. He could tell she was working through something, but he couldn't understand what. Finally he had sighed, crossed his arms, and slunk into his seat for a cat nap. Soon enough both of Miss Parker's passengers were dozing comfortably.

*****

Her heartache was devastating. Molly could feel it. Feeling and knowing everyone else's troubles had always been her "gift," but when it came to herself, she wasn't sure what that meant. She related to Jarod's feelings of searching, questioning who she really was. In the end, it seemed Jarod was just coming back to where he started. The people who cared the most were pieces of The Centre. But this wasn't the same for her. She hadn't had crutches like Sydney and Miss Parker. What did that mean for her though?

Emily sat down next to Molly on the back steps of the deck, facing the sea.

"What was it like?" she exhaled, "In that horrible place. Jarod refuses to tell me, but I need to know."

Molly tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear, as the wind tossed the bulk of it, "I'm sure Jarod's experience was very different from mine."

"But far more similar than mine," she coaxed.

Molly's eyes scanned the horizon, "I know you want to understand your brother, that you think your connection will be stronger if you understand his pain. But you could never understand his pain. He wouldn't want you to. It's a difficult thing to imagine, waking up to the same dull four walls every day of your life to eat the same bland food, walk down the same cold hallways, to the same gray room. I mean, I looked forward to my annual physicals because it was a new room, a new direction to go in. That kind of life isn't something that can just be described, Emily."

The women sat in silence for a while until Molly stood and retreated through the glass sliding door, leaving Emily alone, with her head in her hands.

*****

"Oh Broots, hi" Molly said, entering the living room.

"Hey Molly, um you okay?" he cocked his balding head.

"I'm fine. Not really, I mean I'm okay I guess."

Broots stood fidgeting with his hands, knowing she was not fine at all, but also that he would probably be of no help to her, "Um could I do something? To help?"

"No, Broots, thank you for offering," she collapsed into an armchair, closing her eyes tightly with a sigh.

He didn't know how to react, so he just sat on the sofa nearby, eying her cautiously. Finally he broke the silence, "I think you're very brave."

There was no answer, so he continued, "I mean, leaving The Centre seems like the natural thing that one would want to do to everyone. But if it's all you've ever known, leaving must be scary."

"Yeah," she paused, "not as scary as staying though."

"No," he agreed, "I've always kind of respected Jarod, even when it was my job to capture him, because I mean he took a great risk to do the right thing. Not many people would do that. I don't know if I would."

"I think you would, Broots. You're here aren't you?" she opened her soft blue eyes and nodded at him. He found the gesture startlingly sweet.

"Oh I don't, I, no I don't know-"

She interjected, "You've done a big thing, bringing your daughter away from those people. You deserve the same respect that Jarod does."

"And you," he assured, "But I mean if I were better, I would have stopped hunting Jarod and taken Debbie away from Blue Cove a, a hell of a lot earlier than now."

"Suppose you had stopped working on Jarod's case. Then, someone more ruthless and cold would have replaced you and then what? Miss Parker needed your touch of humanity. Jarod needed heartstrings to pull, and you provided a lot of that."

"How do you know all this stuff, Molly?"

"All I know is that just because someone like Jarod of myself may have been given a horrible life and turned that around, it doesn't make the good you do any less. You have to make your own life worth it."

Broots nodded and Molly stood, shifting her seat from the chair to the sofa beside him.

"Can you keep a secret, Broots?"

Her soft voice surprised him and he nodded swiftly, coaxing her to speak.

"I'm scared. Scared out of my mind. I feel completely alone in this world and I have no one to help me figure out... well, figure out who I am and where I'm going.The prospect is, well it's terrifying."

Broots' brow scrunched as he turned to her urgently, "You can't really believe you're alone, Molly, we're all here for you."

"I know I know. But you all saved me from The Centre because it was the right thing to do. It just so happened that I'm Miss Parker's sister. I'm a loose end here and I don't want to be. I can't fit in until I know what I can be, what I want. It might be difficult for you to understand."

There was no question it was difficult for Broots to understand because he looked at Molly and saw a sweet innocence. She had the naivety that Jarod's eyes always revealed about himself, and the spark in her that Miss Parker rarely let anyone see of herself. She radiated an angelic aura that he couldn't even describe. For once, he wasn't nervous around this stranger and he hadn't been able to figure out why the entire time. Knowing he couldn't solve her problem, for some reason it pained him and he would give anything to take her pain away.

*****

"Where is the turn, Jarod? My God, I know you've been living in the batcave all your life but didn't anyone teach you how to read a map?"

The sun was going down and Miss Parker and Jarod were hunting for the beach cottage Jarod had so studiously decided upon as ideal for retreat from The Centre.

"I had a map until you wiped up Cade's spilled fruit punch with it," Jarod quipped back.

"Oh and I suppose I should have just let it stain the rental and paid with it from the imaginary pension check The Centre will be sending me. In case you've forgotten, I'm now unemployed thanks to you," her snarl was menacing.

"Thanks to us actually and you have to realize I have enough Centre funds to feed Africa."

Miss Parker scoffed, "I'm surprised you haven't then."

"Maybe one day, but for now can you please slow down. Recalling 43 step directions I didn't expect to have to remember is difficult enough, but when you're zipping past street signs by the second, it gets a tad trickier."

Jarod flipped the visor down to shield his eyes from the bright sunbeams and yelled every time Miss Parker was about to pass a correct turn. Finally, they were pulling into the driveway of a secluded house on the shore.

"Now doesn't this look fun?" Jarod announced to the other two.

Cade looked around curiously and Miss Parker pulled the keys out, saying "Too bad it isn't hurricane season. Then we could have some real fun."

Jarod lifted one brow in response to her hurricane Cassandra reference, recalling only the long hours spent handcuffed to chairs and poles.

"Not really in the best shape to be saving your life today, Miss Parker," he taunted. She froze for an instant, returning his smile with a plastic grin that was anything but sincere.

Grabbing a few things and helping Cade out of the car, the three made their way up the long stairs to the front door.

"Brace yourself," Miss Parker mumbled, swinging the door open.

Broots and Molly were on the couch and turned to them with surprised faces, standing immediately and rushing toward them immediately, calling for Sydney and Emily to join them.

"The whole welcome wagon isn't neccessary, Broots. Where's my room?" she pulled the sunglasses from her face and widened her eyes at him expectantly, "Today would be nice, thanks."

"I just, we thought you were working for them again," he spit out.

"Do I look like a complete bitch?" she asked. Broots looked to answer and she clenched two fists in the air in front of him, "Rhetorical, Broots. Rhetorical!"

"What's a bitch?" came a little voice from a little person Broots and Molly hadn't even noticed.

"Wonderful," Jarod commented.

Miss Parker rolled her eyes at Jarod, "It's a puppy."

"Why would you look like a puppy?" he probed. Sydney and Emily entered the room, Emily rushing to hug Jarod around the neck while Sydney stood back with his arms crossed and a smile across his distinguished features.

"Ask Jarod about it later. I'm going to take a nap," Miss Parker took a step toward the stairs.

"So late, Miss Parker?" Sydney questioned, hoping she'd stay with them a little longer.

"Yes actually because your labrat kept me up all night with his bad dreams," she replied, emphasizing the 'bad dreams' with a voice normally directed to babies.

Jarod narrowed his eyes at her, and she turned uncaringly, stomping up the stairs in the authoratative manner she always carried. Always, aside from last night anyway.

The others looked at Jarod for some sort of explanation for her behavior and he could only shrug with a bewildered expression, "She's been like this ever since we left the hotel."

"But she is on our side right?" Emily questioned.

Jarod nodded and spent the next half hour in the living room with everyone, joined by Debbie, explaining the events that had occured since Miss Parker helped him escape The Centre. This included an introduction to Cade, who had taken a particular fondness to Sydney.

Debbie soon went to bed, quickly joined by Broots and Molly. Sydney sat in the overstuffed armchair listening to a description of the amazing things Cade had seen in the past two days. Jarod smiled the whole time as Sydney soaked up the genuine childish excitement he was witnessing. Cade soon decided to explore the house and Emily decided to go help him.

Alone, Sydney chuckled a little, "he's so much like you were when you first came to The Centre, except happier."

"I guess he's almost the age I was when I was taken. He has a vivacious spirit," Jarod agreed.

"He's certainly very special. So I suppose things haven't been too pleasant with Miss Parker."

Jarod raked a hand through his hair, "Well, they were. She showed up at my hotel last night and-"

He didn't know what he was supposed to say about last night. Miss Parker had been acting like it had never happened and now Jarod had seriously questioned whether it had all been a dream, but he was fairly certain it hadn't been. Rarely had he been blessed with good dreams and for them to come now at the height of his nightmares wouldn't make much sense.

"Yes?" Sydney implored.

"Last night was good," he answered slowly, "She was... different."

"I suppose the stress of losing The Centre and her family is getting to her. They're all she's ever really had in her life."

Jarod shook his head, standing and making his way up the stairs, "Now that, is not true at all."

*****

Danielle sat bored at her desk, playing computer solitaire. The hotel was in the middle of the highway with hardly anything surrounding it and people rarely stopped to stay here. She had been disappointed upon entering the room of the handsome stranger with no shoes just to find that he had left, and in a rush it had seemed. He had promised to come visit her some time, but he never had. It was disappointing when one held such a boring position at a lifeless establishment.

The chime on the door alerted her that there was a customer. Oh this man was nearly as attractive as the last one, shoes and all. Unfortunately he didn't have the tall dark mysterious thing going on. Well, maybe mysterious.

"Hi, I'm looking for someone. Have you seen this man?" He flashed a picture in front of Danielle's face.

"Mr Parker!" she recognized his sweet brown eyes immediately.

"Right, so is he here?" the man seemed impatient, clutching his side protectively.

"Sorry, sir. He left this morning," she twirled a strand of blonde hair, fixated on the stranger.

"Of course he did. Could you show me his room?"

Danielle bit her lip, knowing she shouldn't, not until the housekeepers had been through it. Maybe they would have been through it if she had told them that a man had been staying there, but that would require explaining why she had taken a sketchy credit card from a sketchy man and allowed him to stay there. It had been an extraordinarily dull night and there was nothing else to do. One more favor for a nice-looking man couldn't hurt.

"Sure. Follow me."

*****

Miss Parker had pulled one of Jarod's white T-shirts over her head and slipped her pantsuit off. It lay folded neatly on the dresser top with her heels sitting by the door. Broots and Sydney had been smart to reserve a bedroom with an adjoining bathroom for her. She had trained them well. Three soft knocks at the door had ruined her haven.

"What?" she swung the door open, praying to God she wouldn't have to expose herself to Broots in nothing but Jarod's T-shirt. Worse, it was Jarod, who seemed significantly taller now that she was barefooted.

He noticed the new height difference as well, raising his eyebrows at her new attire, "Very nice."

"Shut up. What do you want?" she folded her arms across her chest. Jarod seemed to take this as an invitation and entered the room with a slight limp still.

"I would like to know what your issue has been today actually," he sat down on her bed, smoothing the quilt at the foot of it.

"I have no issue, Jarod," she replied, overemphasizing each syllable, "except that you are sitting on my bed when I would like to go to sleep."

"It's not that late. You're not that tired. Won't work."

"Do you think I'm lying? You seriously woke me up at least three times last night."

Jarod smiled a half smile, "No I don't think you're lying. But you are used to even less sleep for one thing. And for another, what about last night? I'd almost begun to think it never happened."

"Good. Go with that feeling," she walked to the bathroom and shut the door so that it was only open a few inches.

Jarod wasn't sure how to respond to that, "I'm not sure I can."

"Try," was the echoed response as the sink water began to run. He could hear water splashing.

"What's wrong with you, Parker?" he called over the sounds.

He heard the knob squeak off and the water stop. She wiped her face dry with a towel and re-entered the room. Jarod was staring expectantly at her with those damn eyes.

"What's wrong with me? I'm just trying to get things back to normal here."

"We don't have a normal. I thought-"

She interjected, "Whatever you thought, Jarod, was what you wanted to think. You live in a different world from the rest of reality and I'm sorry I won't take the leap of death into it with you."

"What? You aren't making any sense. You're just scared," he got up from the bed and stood inches in front of her, where she crossed her arms again, looking away to the side. His gaze was too intimidating, even for her. It was too honest.

"You're the one who is scared to see the world for what it really is, Jarod."

Jarod grabbed her face and kissed her roughly on the lips. The passion and the want she felt from him swept her up momentarily, but her head quickly caught up with her heart and she shoved him away with a strong push that knocked him back onto the bed. He stared up at her with hurt eyes. For the first time all day, hers held some emotion, sorrow. Jarod sat up fully and stood again slowly. She looked up at him warily. For a few seconds they held that pose.

Miss Parker tightened her eyelids shut as he walked past her, closing the door behind him as he left.

"I don’t know how to buy normal clothes."

Miss Parker shoved a line of clothes down its rack.

Emily quickly straightened the shirts back to their regular separation, "Calm down. This isn't supposed to be a stressful situation, Miss Parker."

"Clearly you don't know me at all," she groaned.

It had been Debbie's idea to take Miss Parker out shopping to calm her nerves. She had seemed stressed all morning, slamming the refrigerator shut and raking her hand through her long hair repeatedly. Her extent of conversation with Jarod seemed to be 'move' and 'bye.'

"Try this on," Debbie appeared with a powder blue sundress in her hand.

Miss Parker laughed, but the girls just stared back at her, Emily arching one eyebrow just like her brother always did, "Oh you're serious."

Debbie forced the garment into her hand and went about searching again. Miss Parker set off for the dressing room, closing the wooden stall with a slam. Emily soon returned with several more items, which she flung over the edge of the stall for her.

"Specially picked by Miss Broots," she notified.

"Fabulous. May I ask what the deal is with all the dresses and light colors?"

Emily shrugged even though she knew Miss Parker couldn't see her, "Could be a nice change. Besides, there are some T-shirts and jeans in there, too."

"Oh goodie," Miss Parker murmured, slipping a soft white dress over her head. She had pulled her hair back into a loose ponytail this morning and barely applied any make-up at all. Her reflection wasn't her anymore. She looked like somebody else. She really looked like her mother.

"Why am I the only one trying clothes on?"

"Debbie, Molly, Broots and I went yesterday," the younger woman replied.

"Broots knows how to purchase clothes?" she teased.

"Oh stop!" Emily laughed and they were silent for a moment as she sat on the bench outside the stalls, biting her lip as she contemplated her next question, "So what happened with you and my brother?"

"What do you mean?" was Miss Parker's reply, though she knew full well what she meant.

Emily sighed, "I mean you two have been at each other's throats or ignoring one another ever since you got here."

"I won't lie to you, Emily. We have problems, Jarod and I," she attempted to joke the matter away.

"Right, we all do. Just seems a little intense lately is all."

Miss Parker closed her eyes and put her regular clothes back on, "Don't you worry about your big brother. He always bounces back."

"Yeah, but he's got a distinct soft spot for you, Miss Parker. Everyone can see that."

The stall door opened and Miss Parker put a light pink dress on the rack by the door, turning to Emily, "Sorry I don't do pink. And I don't do soft spots either."

Emily nodded, "I just think you should look at your life closely, and your wardrobe of course."

Miss Parker scoffed, "Come on let's go find Debbie before she buys out the whole store."

"Wait, we didn't get you anything to sleep in."

"It's fine. I've got something."

"You had an extra stash of jammies in your bottom desk drawer at The Centre?" Emily challenged skeptically.

"Look, if I say I have something, then I have something. What is with the third degree?" Miss Parker waved a hand in the air for emphasis.

"Just a little strange," Emily replied in a sing-song voice, "Debbie, come on."

*****

"Do you know where Jarod is?"

Molly turned around from cutting some onions to face Broots, "He went down to the beach with Sydney. Why?"

"Oh it's nothing important. What uh, what are you doing there?" Broots nodded at her.

"Just chopping some onions. I found a cookbook in one of the cabinets. I really like cooking," Molly said definitively.

"I suck at cooking, well I mean I even burn Pop-Tarts," he sat down at the table.

Molly giggled, "Well, Broots, I'm not sure what Pop-Tarts are, but your talents obviously lie elsewhere."

"Oh yeah, me and talent. They go hand in hand," he uttered sarcastically.

"Like peanut butter and jelly!" Miss Parker stepped through the door with a smile on her face, "You two are getting along awfully well aren't you."

"Ah! I- Miss Parker, you're back early," Broots jumped out of his seat.

The smile hadn't left her face, "Just couldn't stay away from you, sugar."

With that, she turned and headed up the stairs with her bags of clothes and Broots sat down at the table red-faced.

"Is she drunk?" he said.

Molly laughed, "I don't know. I kind of like it on her though."

She looked to Broots and his blushing face and smiled again before commencing with her cooking.

*****

"I've got all the answers, Sydney, everything I've ever wanted. And yet, I can't bring myself to open those files."

Jarod was standing in the water barely up to his ankles, facing the sea, with Sydney a few feet behind him. The older man's arms were folded across his chest.

"It's natural to fear something that's been anticipated for so long. Perhaps your anxieties will subside if you take the information one piece at a time," Sydney offered.

"It's not just that," Jarod paused, furrowing his brow and releasing a great breath of air, "It's her."

"Miss Parker?"

Sydney's protégée nodded, "What is she going to do when she knows everything. She won't-"

"You think she won't need you anymore?"

"Something like that. Hell, she doesn't need me now," Jarod slid his hands into the pockets of his khakis, the wind blowing his open white shirt wildly to reveal the white tank top beneath it, "Never has."

"You know Miss Parker, and you know she'd do anything to hide her emotions," Sydney assured Jarod as he turned around to face him, "I see the look in your eyes when you talk about her, Jarod. If you truly believe she will simply leave once you have your answers, then you must tell her how you feel now, before it's too late. I have a lot of regrets in my life, and I'd hate for you to experience the same thing."

"That's the problem, Sydney. She knows how I feel. I know she does," he groaned, "and I know she feels it too."

The two men stood in silence, Jarod closing his eyes and leaning his face into the sun, a habit he'd picked up years ago.

"This is it isn't it?" Jarod continued to speak, "Where do we all go from here? What are we without The Centre?"

"Only time will tell. We all have to take our own paths."

Sydney seemed to always have the answers and Jarod nodded because as usual he was right.

Jarod smiled, "You know we never did go fishing, Sydney."

*****

The inspection of Jarod's former hotel room turned out to be more helpful than expected. Clearly he had left in a hurry, or rather he should say 'they left in a hurry.'

Lyle grinned behind the wheel of his car remembering the revealing long strand of dark hair just barely stuck in the shower drain. He didn't need any DNA tests. He knew exactly whose hair that was. That also meant that Cade was with them. It made him sick thinking of the three of them on their merry way. They were probably gloating in their brilliant victory.

Brilliant people always took the trash out before they left though.

*****

"I don't think so, mister!" Miss Parker tickled Cade and he cackled away as she changed his clothes quickly as he panted for breath.

There was a knock at Miss Parker's door, but she continued tickling the little boy as he laughed loudly. Jarod stepped into the room and smiled. She was beaming, even laughing, and so was Cade.

"I'm not interrupting am I?" he asked.

The laughter stopped as she looked up at him with a huge smile on her face, which immediately fell, "Would it matter if you were?"

"Parker, we need to talk."

"Not now, Jarod. Can't you see I'm busy?" she went to her closet and pulled a white towel out and put it in a bag.

"We're going to see the water," Cade informed him.

"That sounds like fun," said Jarod.

"Yeah it will be. See you later," Miss Parker answered absent-mindedly.

Cade sat up and tugged at the bottom of Jarod's white shirt, "Come with us."

Jarod attempted to smile at the child, "I don't"

"Please," he prodded.

Jarod's eyes glimmered then, "Actually I'd love to join you, Cade."

Miss Parker's movements froze and he could almost imagine the frustration that would be etched across her face right now. Without a word she grabbed Cade by the hand and led him down the hallway, Jarod following like a loyal puppy behind them.

After careful help down the creaky steps to the beach, Cade let go of his big sister's hand and ran toward the water with a holler.

Parker couldn't help but smile a little at that, and neither could Jarod.

After a great breath of air, she spoke, "So what do you want to talk about, wonderboy?"

Jarod spread the towel onto the sand and sat down on one half, clearly implying the other was hers and she reluctantly sat next to him.

"You look nice in that," he gestured toward the white dress she'd put on upon returning from the store.

"I'm not much for small talk, especially with you. I know you want something. What the hell is it?"

Jarod shook his head, turning it away from her, "We need to examine that disk."

"Why, you booking out of here as soon as you know where mommy and daddy are?" she remarked.

"If The Centre knew where my parents were, they would have taken them years ago. That won't be in there. But a lot of other things will be, things that will help me. Things that you should know, too," he paused, "I can't do it alone, Parker."

Parker nodded because she did understand. She would hate to search through them herself, too.

"Well let's open this Pandora's box then," she said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, waving back to Cade as he held up a seashell proudly.

*****

"Where's Molly?" Miss Parker asked later that evening after she had bathed Cade. Those maternal instincts were beginning to bug her.

"She went with Broots and Debbie to do whatever Jarod asked of them," Sydney answered from a soft chair where he sat reading a thick paperback.

"Of course," she waved a hand in the air, "Whatever Jarod asked."

Jarod rolled his eyes, "They wanted something to do. They're going to one of my safe deposit boxes to get the DSA case."

The sun was setting and Jarod held up a black disk, raising his eyebrows knowingly at her.

"Not now," she answered quickly, "I told Cade I'd read him something before bed."

"I'll do it," Sydney assured her, "It would be a pleasure."

She sighed, "Fine."

Miss Parker followed Jarod to the coffee table where his laptop sat assembled. Sydney stood and headed down the hallway to find Cade and Emily, but not before sharing a glance with Jarod.

The two of them sat there quietly, she on the left, he on the right, glancing at one another nervously. Finally he inserted the disk. After a few clicks a window opened with file folders labeled cryptically, some not so cryptically.

"I don't even know where to begin," Jarod muttered in a deep voice that sent chills up her spine.

"Entrance papers from when you were first brought to The Centre," she whispered. He gave her a suspicious glance, "What? I had Broots do a few searches on you. Sue me. We could never access those."

She watched him nod and start clicking away at the keyboard, but she couldn't stop staring at his eyes. They were little boy's eyes again, completely desperate. This was really his last hope, she surmised. Slowly, she reached for his left shoulder and offered a reassuring squeeze. He hesitated momentarily, but commenced clicking until a breath caught in his chest. She felt it, almost as if his heart had literally stopped for a second. She could literally feel it.

Jarod's lips parted slightly as his eyes scanned frantically the document on the screen. Parker leaned in to read as well. These were the infamous documents about that little boy The Centre had brought into The Centre in 1963.

He smiled a little, his eyes barely moist as he turned to her, "I'm from South Carolina. That's where I'm from."

She nodded back at him with a painful smile. This shouldn't be so exciting, but it was to him. Words seemed inadequate so she let him continue to read, turning back to her every time he learned something of interest. Eventually she gave up on trying to read it because he was clearly reading much faster than her and felt he should share everything he learned with her anyway.

"Callahan, that's, that's my name," he informed her, "I used that in a pretend once as a disc jockey. Do you think that means anything?"

"I" she shook her head back at him, unsure of what to say to the unusually uncertain pretender, "I don't know, Jarod."

"Ugh they were planning to take Kyle as soon as they got me. It says 'retrieval in process.' Sick bastards."

He scrolled down the page.

"My mom was a hair stylist before. I can see that about her. Sweet air you know?" he turned to her and she nodded quickly.

"When's your birthday, Jarod?" Parker asked softly.

He looked at her with wide eyes, "Oh yeah. Uh, I. Let me see."

It was sad to watch him scan the page frantically as if it would all disappear if he didn't read it as fast as he could, "October 19, 1959."

"Oh you're old," she smirked.

He glanced at her and grinned a fierce grin, "A year and two months hardly makes a difference in the grand scheme of things. You're nearly as old."

"Women live longer, especially this one," she added.

Jarod conceded and continued reading, "Most of the rest is just tests and results. Most of them aren't even chartable."

"Aren't you special," she raised her shoulders with emphasis.

"Psh let's find something on you," he countered.

"You're the one with all the mysteries, Jarod. I've already had my bombshells. I know who my real father was. I know who killed my mother. I'm pretty sure Angelo was my brother. Lyle seemed to think it wasn't him anymore last time I checked."

"Well let's see. I'm sure that's here somewhere."

He tapped away at the keys while she sat with a few fingers delicately pressed against her lips. She could feel the heat between them as they had gotten very close to see the screen together. It was comforting.

"Sorry, Parker, Lyle really is your twin."

"Fantastic," she replied, "But why did he suddenly think I wasn't?"

"I don't know. Maybe he made it up," Jarod shrugged.

"Doesn't fit," she shook her head.

"Hey he's not a part of your life anymore," he grabbed her hand subconsciously, "it doesn't matter."

"Yeah my twin psychopath, forget him," she murmured.

"At least it's obvious who the better half is," Jarod uttered under his breath.

Parker laughed and swatted his arm playfully, "Why Jarod that may be the A) the closest thing to a compliment you've ever given me and B) the rudest thing I've ever heard you say."

"Hey I told you your dress looked nice this afternoon. And it still does if I may say so."

He looked her up and down and she eyed him challengingly. More typing, "Crystal, Molly's project, there's a ton of information for her on here."

Miss Parker nodded and let him continue for a few moments. "Jarod, I'm tired. I think I'm going to go to my room for a while."

Jarod stopped and turned his attention to her, "Okay. Thank you for being here. I, well I couldn't have, with anyone else. I just-"

"I know, Jarod." She stood and gripped his shoulder for an instant and walked to her room.

Jarod hesitated and then returned to the computer, aimlessly and not so aimlessly opening folder after folder.

*****

Broots was struggling to climb the iron outdoor steps to the second floor of the hotel whilst carrying not only his things, but Debbie and Molly's as well. He fumbled along the hallway, careful not to drop anything over the railing into the glowing pool below.

"Dad, come on," Debbie appeared in the doorway of room 203.

"I'm here, so uh we have two rooms. I guess Molly will-"

"I'm going to stay with her if that's okay, Dad," Debbie wrung her hands together much like her father.

Broots nodded with wide eyes, "Yeah oh yeah of course. It's fine. I'll just-"

"Great," she replied before grabbing hers and Molly's bags, tossing them in the room, and shutting the door.

"Great yeah," Broots unlocked the door to his adjacent room slowly and entered, letting the door creep shut behind him.

*****

She didn't know what he was thinking or what he was doing on the balcony outside her room at 2am, but he looked stunning doing it. Jarod was perched on the railing in his white tank and rolled up khakis, leaning against the back of the house, and barely visible to Miss Parker who stood behind the glass door watching him.

He was watching the clouds. Something about the winds from the changing tides made them rush by the sky a lot quicker than normal, skimming over the moon and then on by. He could contemplate the atmospheric circulations and ocean cycles, but those types of things weren't on his mind recently. There wasn't enough room to think about them.

"It's late," interrupted a feminine voice.

"Miss Parker, I thought you went to bed," he answered, surprised to see her walking closer to him, still in that sweet dress.

"Too much on my mind. I tried to occupy myself in the kitchen but then remembered I've never cooked before, so I came back upstairs and noticed your room was empty," was her casual answer.

"So you were checking my room eh?" Jarod grinned as she leaned herself against the railing he was sitting on.

She looked up at him, about a foot higher than her in this position, "I glanced in. What's it to you?"

He shrugged, "Oh nothing. I could help you in the kitchen you know. I once worked as a-"

"Save it. I'm sure you were a gourmet chef at the most spectacular French restaurant in New York, but I don't really care, wonderboy."

Jarod countered, "It was Italian I'll have you know, and in Chicago."

She raised both her hands and wiggled her fingers in mock amazement with a small laugh, "Ooh la la, forgive me."

He laughed and so did she. Upon making eye contact, the amusement stopped and Jarod cleared his throat while she turned her vision toward the ocean, away from where he was.

"So what are you doing out here?" she finally asked.

"Just thinking," he murmured, "I kept looking through those files and I just didn’t like what I was reading. More of my simulations were corrupted than I thought and, well I guess it's too late to worry about it now. I just hate to know it."

"Sometimes," Miss Parker turned her attention back to him, "ignorance really is bliss."

"Yeah, well, mostly not," he answered bitterly. She nodded in agreement. After more silence he spoke, "I don't know what to do with all this new information. I've never had a last name so going by one just feels.. strange. I mean I guess I should try and fit into the person I really am. I've just been pretending to be other people for so long, it's going to be difficult."

"Jarod, you already know who you are. You didn't need a name to figure that out."

"I guess. Or maybe I still don't know," he stretched his arms above his head and let his shoulders then slump down as he exhaled.

Miss Parker cocked her head and raised a brow, "Well I certainly know who you are."

He met her eyes, curiously imploring her to go on.

"You're the eternal optimist. No matter what sort of horrible ordeals you're forced to suffer through, somehow you always believe the end will be better. And you spread that same hope to every soul you touch, and that's a lot of souls. You're the most unselfish person I've ever met, which I guess doesn't say much considering the company I've kept all my life, but it is astonishing that you've managed to become this relentless, caring person that you are despite everything," she paused and let her eyes gaze away while he stared at her astonished, "I couldn't do it. I let the evil around me seep into my heart. It would have destroyed me if it hadn't been for you."

Jarod swallowed, not knowing what to say. He could only watch her, completely enthralled with every word that came out of this woman's mouth. All he could manage to whisper was "Parker" before she cut him off.

"I know I've been a complete bitch these past couple days, and well, most of our lives honestly. You haven't deserved it. Okay you kind of deserved it sometimes," she added quickly to which he smiled gently, "But you need to know that I'm not an idiot. I realize how much you've done for me. How you've always been the only person I could truly depend on. All my life." She took a deep breath, "Seriously all my life. How sad is that?"

He looked to reply, to console her but she stopped him with a finger to his lips, "Wait. I'm trying to do something I've never done before here. I'm sorry. For everything. I could never list all the regrets I have, but know that I'm sorry and that I'm thankful. Just tell me you know that."

It was finally his turn to speak and all he could do was nod like an idiot. Sad happiness etched all over his face, because he knew this was her breakthrough. It was serious this time. Even though it took this long, finally it had come.

"You're pathetic. I pour my heart out and you can't even answer me like a proper human being?" she smirked, crossing her arms.

Although higher than her, Jarod still bent his neck down in an attempt to hide his embarrassment and then looked back at her, smiling again, "I do know. It's just surprising to hear all this. Now."

"Well I'm full of surprises," Parker concurred.

Jarod's smile grew, "Oh I know. I've always liked that about you."

"Even when surprise, I show up before your pretend is over?" she bragged.

Through a laugh he answered, "Yes even then. Kept things interesting."

"I'd certainly hate to bore you," she inched closer to him.

Never missing a detail, he nodded at her close proximity, "This part of your plan to keep me on my toes?"

Parker scrunched up her face and jutted her bottom lip out in pretend contemplation, "I guess I'm just seeing if you can keep up."

She pressed herself between the leg he had hanging down along the railing and the wooden rails themselves, so that he had to back his face down and away from her to keep his eyes in focus. His breath grew deeper, "I think I'm running out of witty things to say."

Parker looked up at him with her doe-like, blue eyes and ran a fingertip along his jaw line, "I'm actually okay with you not speaking right now. In fact, I've been trying to shut you up for years now."

Jarod couldn't even laugh, but his eyes did as he felt her carefully skimming the growth of stubble on his chin. Everything was surreal. Her hair was blowing in the ocean's wind and he could feel her warmth against his leg and chest. All he could do was lean down and look her in the eyes, ecstatic to find the softness and the warmth he had always known was there. She returned his intensity and eased her hand behind his neck pulling him down and lifting her heels as she stretched to meet him.

Their lips touched hesitantly. Somehow every time they kissed, it felt like it was the first time. Tonight the kiss was especially genuine and the electricity was something neither of them had ever felt. It had seemed like one of them was always holding back until now, afraid of something they had never explored before. But now, all that was left to explore was each other, and they finally had all the time to do it.

Parker reached her other hand up to his cheek, grasping his face delicately between her palm and thumb. Jarod shifted so that he was facing her instead of the coast and he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her tightly against him. He ran his other hand up and down her bare arm as their kiss deepened.

She broke away and for an instant he was afraid she would tell him to forget it all and simply walk away, but that wasn't going to happen this time. Parker grabbed his hand and tugged it. He set his feet on the deck and slid off the railing then, ready to follow her wherever she wanted to take him. She walked backwards, still clasping his hand, running her thumb back and forth over his knuckles. Jarod swallowed again, matching her step for step, refusing to break eye contact.

Her eyes were screaming 'follow me follow me' and her lips were teasing him with their hint of a smile and once they reached the sliding glass door Parker had come through, he couldn't help but devour those taunting lips again, pressing her against the glass door as she grinned through the kiss in surprise.

Without breaking contact, Parker reached behind her and managed to find the door handle and click it loose. She leaned away from the door and into her pretender, opening it behind her and carefully stepping through the threshold, never letting his hand break away from hers.

Jarod's head was spinning and he knew if anyone asked him, he wouldn't be able to tell them what 2+2 was right now. She was intoxicating him with the smell of vanilla and the taste of sweet raspberries. He was startled when she broke away from their kiss suddenly and he was left breathing rapidly and standing in the middle of her bedroom, glancing around him as if wondering how he'd gotten there. It was dark, but the starlight, moonlight, some light was shining through the thin drapes hung over the window and the glass of the door they'd just come through. So he could see the flutter of the white dress as it brushed across the back of her knees when she turned.

He heard the door click shut and suddenly felt her lips return to his own once again. They were kissing in a heated mess and inside his head, Jarod couldn't help but wonder if she had ever broken away to begin with.

A moment passed and Parker inched her face away from him slowly, turning tactfully away from him as his lips implored her just a little more. She put both her hands on his face and forced him to look at her and whispered quickly in one breath, "Are you sure this is what you want?"

He cocked his head in confusion, wiping a stray strand of hair out of her face, "Of course. Parker, I-"

"That's good enough for me," she kissed him with the strength she'd been using as a shield all these years, sliding her hand up beneath his shirt along the ridges of his abdomen and scraping her nails down. He shivered and she smiled, turning him and pushing down on his shoulders until he was sitting on the bed, arching his neck up to reach her mouth.

The long kissing became short rapid pecks as he reached his hand through her long tendrils of hair and she pulled the shirt off of him in one swift movement. She heard the mumble of her name in the back of his throat, but ignored it, pushing him so that he was lying on his back and then stretching her body across his, relishing the warmth of his bare chest. Jarod's lips moved again as if he was trying to speak, so she pulled herself back, "Jesus Christ, Jarod, even now you're up for a chat?"

"I just," he paused, staring up at her with his deep brown eyes, trepidation smeared into every line on his face, "I haven't done this a lot."

Parker grinned, "Oh I see. You pull the 'I've lived in a secret organization's basement for thirty years and they never taught me how to properly screw a woman' card with all the ladies?"

He glared back at her grin and she laughed, leaning into his ear and whispering, "Relax, wonderboy. We'll find out exactly what kind of wonders you've been bestowed with, whether I have to hold your hand the whole way or not."

Jarod, still embarrassed, tried to resist smiling back at her, but he couldn't. He calmly placed his hands on her biceps and quickly rolled her over, reversing their positions, but keeping an arm on the mattress to prop some of his weight off of her, running the other hand up her leg to the softest skin of her inner thigh.

"I was a gigolo once" he said in a low voice that stirred the butterflies in her stomach.

She raised her eyebrows, "And I spent my last two years of college in the frat houses."

Between kisses to her neck he muttered something incoherant, probably in confusion over the word 'frat.' It didn't matter. He was just the right mix of gentle and rough that she was so allured by. She grabbed him by the chin and brought him to her lips, kissing him like hot fire. Jarod was keeping up well with her intensity and helped her shed the dress she'd been wearing, letting it pool on the floor beside them while he ran a hand delicately across her bare stomach. Then came his khakis, and with the unclasping of her silky black bra the sarcastic quips and giggles stopped as he removed it slowly, maintaining his connection with those beautiful blue eyes which seemed only more vibrant in the dark.

Removing the rest of their clothing seemed to occur in slow motion and the roughness was gone as their hands familiarized themselves with the other. Every time Jarod looked into her eyes they were soft, and usually looking back at him. She was so entranced by his incredible fascination with every bit of her. He had showered most every inch of her anatomy with kisses and her mind was so high in bliss that she couldn't stop watching him so blatantly cherishing her. The softness of his lips had her hypnotized so that it was actually surprising when she felt him enter her. She inhaled sharply just barely whispering his name on the exhale and his eyes met hers again for appoval. Parker grabbed his face and brought it toward hers again with a sweet, gentle kiss, urging him forward.

*****

Retrieving the DSA case the next morning hadn't been difficult at all. Broots had taken the key Jarod has entrusted with him and opened the lockbox without a hitch, just as Jarod had said. Broots had returned to the car, holding it up proudly for Molly and Debbie to see.

"So Jarod's entire life is recorded on these little disks then?" Molly asked from the passenger seat, where she held the player in her lap, hesitantly examining the contents.

Broots pulled out of the parking lot and back onto the road, "Yeah pretty much."

She snapped the lid shut and ran a hand over the metal case, Debbie looking on curiously.

"Can we watch one?" the teenager asked.

Broots stuttered a bit, "Ah I don't know um, I don't see why we need to."

"We don't need to, Dad, it would just be interesting to see if that's okay with you," Debbie answered sarcastically, obviously having spent too much time with Miss Parker.

"Deb, it's not our player it-"

"Your father's right," Molly interrupted, "These moments are personal to Jarod and watching them would be an invasion of privacy."

Debbie quipped back, "I'm pretty sure people have been watching them all his life."

"Which is exactly why it's time for that to stop," Molly answered calmly.

Broots and Molly heard a sigh from the back, "Fine, but I'm sure he'd be fine with it."

"You may ask him when we return," Broots stated authoritatively, snapping the radio on as they pulled onto the highway again, "I really love these Pussycat Dolls."

Molly smiled unknowingly as Debbie rolled her eyes in the back seat, murmuring a soft "you would."

*****

Parker opened her eyes and tried to blink the bright sunrays away, glancing to the clock. 9:32am. That made for what, five hours of good sleep. It explained why Jarod's dreams had only woken her once during the night, but surprisingly she hadn't even had to wake him up to calm him down. A soft shush in his ears and reassuring rubs to his back had soothed him well enough. It was still early though and she pulled the white sheet enclosing the two of them up to her chin and yawned. When had the sheet gone from beneath her to on top of her? Jarod must have done it. It would be typical of mister do-good. There was certainly a lot of good done last night. Even just the memory was enough to bring a fresh smile to her lips.

She rolled over onto her other side to face her pretender, who was breathing deeply with one arm loosely lying on top of her waist. She took the moment to admire how the light flattered the slightly tanned skin of his chest. Somehow he always knew everything and now was no exception as his eyes fluttered open and he smiled.

"You were watching me," he said in a raspy voice.

Parker smiled, "Give the genius a prize."

"Already got one," he informed her, nuzzling his face into her neck.

"Flattering," she remarked sarcastically, letting him nibble at her neck more. He pulled her close against him, a mere cotton sheet between them. It was a remarkable feeling, being wrapped up in each other after so many years of turmoil.

"I like you in this light," Jarod said simply.

Arching her brows, she replied, "As opposed to?"

"What?" he laughed, "Don't do that."

Parker was grinning and Jarod was loving it. If they could stay here in this bed for the rest of their lives, he would do it without hesitation. He captured her lips in his, beaming like an idiot through the kiss.

This was the merry scene Sydney entered upon when he opened the door asking Miss Parker if she had seen Jarod lately.

The couple froze, pulling away from each other slightly and shifting their eyes to the Belgian man in Miss Parker's doorway. There was silence for a very long instant.

Miss Parker cleared her throat and said in a high pitched voice, "Why here he is, Sydney."

Jarod was biting his lip and trying not to smile as he gazed from his mentor to his new lover.

Sydney nodded slowly and backed out of the doorway calmly, "So I see. I'll just... be leaving you now."

He shut the door behind him and Jarod immediately started laughing. She glared at him, "Well that was just great. I don't know what you think is so funny."

"I don't see what wasn't funny about that," he eyed her.

"Let me lay it down for you. First of all, I've never been keen on Dr Freud seeing me in nothing but a bed sheet. Secondly, do you understand the psychoanalysis he's working through his head right now? His favorite science project in bed with his, ugh dare I say it, niece. The moment we set foot out there, it will be all about how we feel and what our plans for the future are," she pointed a finger at his unimpressed expression, "you've been running around the country for the last six years I don't want to hear it. You haven't had to deal with him picking for emotional diarrhea."

"I had no idea it was so serious," he pretended to be concerned and she rolled her eyes.

Parker rolled out of the bed, grabbing some articles of clothing out of the dresser and heading to the bathroom, "Shut up and get dressed."

She closed the door and Jarod took a deep breath before willing himself out of the bed and into some clothes.

*****

A little while later, Jarod and Parker entered the kitchen together. Both wore denim jeans, Jarod a black T-shirt and she a powder blue sleeveless shirt. Sydney, Emily, and Cade were sitting at the table working on their breakfasts.

"I made eggs," Emily offered.

"Great, I'm starved," Jarod announced, grabbing two glasses from one of the shelves while Miss Parker opened the fridge, scrounging for some juice.

"Worked up an appetite huh?" Emily replied.

"Okay!" Miss Parker slammed the fridge shut, "We slept together. It's not a big secret. You can save your jokes and just get the hell over it."

Awkward silence filled the room and Emily stammered before speaking, "I um I didn't know anything about that, Miss Parker. But wow."

Sydney smiled, calmly stirring his coffee.

Parker turned toward him slowly, and remarked in a venomously sweet voice, "You didn't say anything did you?"

He looked up at her, "Only that it would be best if Cade didn't disturb you quite yet."

She closed her eyes and put on her trademark plastic smile, "Of course." Upon opening them, Jarod had a plate of eggs in her face, which she took and sat at the table, stabbing at them with her fork. Jarod poured orange juice into both their glasses and placed them on the table, sitting awkwardly at the table between her and Emily. Sydney looked at the two of them, who were both intently focused on their plates, with an amused expression on his face.

"So good night then?" Emily grinned a mouthful of teeth in the direction of her older brother, who glanced at her and then back to his food with a slight smile on his face.

*****

"I know, sir. The damage is indefinable and we're afraid, irreversible," Raines was wheeling his oxygen tank behind him with one hand as he walked through the halls of The Centre, holding a cell phone to his ear with the other hand. It was eerie quiet. Most people had gone home because there was simply nothing for them to do.

Raines had called the tower for some smidge of hope, but was forwarded directly to Ubaya, one of their African correspondents. He hated communicating with those people. Their arrogance was nauseating and Raines wasn't a fan of anyone who considered themselves above him.

"We have a team from our headquarters already on their way to survey the remnants of your disaster, Mr Raines. What more do you expect?" Ubaya chastised in a thick African accent.

Raines growled, "This is not my disaster, I-"

"The tower was quite clear in distinguishing you as chairman upon Mr Parker's death. Unfortunate timing as your entire corporation seems to have fallen apart the instant it was put in your hands."

"Rebuilding will be beneficial in the end. We only need the aid of your resources to begin progression," Raines snarled back.

"We will see about that, Mr Raines."

*****

"This place is nice," Sydney remarked passively, sitting in the same rocking bench he'd occupied the two days before. He glanced over at the younger man who lay in the hammock a few feet away.

"It is. Now that there's no more Centre, maybe you could settle down somewhere on the coast," Jarod said. He had one arm behind his head and the other across his stomach, swinging lazily from side to side in his net. The balcony looked so different in the daylight. Every time he looked the spot on the railing he'd been perched on the night before, his stomach did flips thinking about her approaching him in the moonlight. Logically, he knew it was his enteric nervous system in his stomach that was so powerful, but in his heart, it was that part of her that could always touch him.

The two men had just discussed the information Jarod had learned browsing through the disk the night before.

"So all this new information must be quite taxing," Sydney probed gently, "How are you dealing with it?"

Jarod answered, "It was overwhelming at first, but actually, Miss Parker really helped me with that last night. She um, she put things in perspective."

Sydney nodded and smiled, "Any chance you would like to discuss that? Since you brought it up."

Jarod's face broke into a huge grin as he met Sydney's eyes, "I didn't mean that part." Sydney raised his eyebrows, urging him to continue so he did.

"It was," he paused, searching for the right words, "Nice?"

Jarod stopped speaking at Sydney's chuckle, "Nice?"

"Yes, nice. Okay more than nice, phenomenal actually," Jarod quieted his voice and grew more serious, "And it wasn't at all just, you know, sleeping with her. It was the fact that she really trusts me again, that she's my friend again."

"Of course it was more than just sex, Jarod," Sydney squinted his eyes in his analytical way, leaning forward, "No two people in the world share more history than you and Miss Parker do. Your bond is unique in every way."

Jarod arched his eyebrows, contemplating Sydney's words.

"Do you love her?" Sydney had a way of making incredibly important questions flow with all of his other ones.

The two caught each other's eyes and Jarod broke away from his stare, biting his lip, "Love has never been the question."

"You mean the one you're not answering?" the older man smiled.

"No I ugh. Isn't that part obvious?"

"You would be surprised how illogical people are regarding matters of the heart. You can spend thirty years of your life loving someone more than yourself and they'll never know until you tell them," Sydney paused, considering the irony of his statement, "These things never seem obvious when it's your situation, even for a genius."

That genius frowned, "Logic and the heart are two very different things. Besides, there have been a lot of complicating factors."

"I've told myself the same thing for so many years, Jarod," Sydney's voice grew passionate, "That's how I was able to convince myself that it was for the best that I hide my affections for you and Miss Parker. I was wrong."

Jarod closed his eyes, inhaling deeply and focusing on the feeling of the sun on his skin. Piercing laughter broke him from his reverie and he turned the hammock, sliding out and following the sound of the voice with his eyes. He stood and put his hands on the wooden railing that overlooked the shore. Emily and Cade seemed to be playing some sort of game on the edge of the water. It was a happy scene, and he loved to see it.

"Having fun, boys?" Jarod turned and grinned, not discrete in his joy to see her at all.

"Just discussing important manly issues," Jarod taunted. Sydney watched the two interact in passive scientific silence.

Parker cocked her head, "Well I can leave I suppose."

Jarod shook his head at her and she nodded back, their playful smiles never escaping Sydney's observation.

She finally rolled her eyes, "I actually did have a purpose for breaking up the bonding hour. Jarod's in need of a real therapy session, in reference to his frequent nightmares."

"Oh yeah," Jarod mumbled, crossing his arms and returning his attention to Emily and Cade, who were examining something in the sand.

Parker turned to Sydney, "He's not going to come whining to you on his own. He wakes up every three or four hours hollering about something."

"What are the dreams about, Jarod?"

"I don't know." His voice was low and defeated.

Sydney furrowed his brow, "Perhaps through hypnosis we can put you to sleep and explore it further."

Jarod turned back to face them, "Is that the only way to make them go away?"

"You know the research just as well as I do, Jarod. In order to move on from something traumatizing, you have to face the fear," he paused, "And I assume this has stemmed from a negative experience you had in your recent time at The Centre."

"Every experience at The Centre is a negative one," Parker muttered.

The pretender shook his head, "No, the dreams had been happening before then. They just grew worse after that."

"It's important that we confront this problem before it grows even more worse," Sydney pressed.

"I know," Jarod insisted sharply, "I've always had these dreams. Why do you all suddenly care?"

Parker's head tilted sympathetically, but she answered lightly, "For one thing, I don't appreciate you waking me up in the middle of the night."

Jarod glanced at her, unamused. She continued, "Something is clearly bothering you subconsciously, or maybe even consciously. And it won't go away until we figure out what it is and then we can deal with it."

"We?" he questioned.

"Did you think I was headed for the sidelines after all this?"

Jarod squinted his eyes, "Sidelines of what?"

"Never mind. Let's just do this and move on. Okay?"

Sydney watched affectionately as the two communicated some sort of nonverbal understanding until Jarod nodded at Sydney, who stood and stepped into the house, Parker and Jarod following him closely.

*****

It was evening now and Broots decided they should stop at a motel instead of driving back the whole night through. Molly had been strangely silent and Debbie had been grumpy ever since she had been told not to touch the DSA player or any of its contents. After checking in and finding the two rooms, Broots stood awkwardly in front of the doors, unlocking both. Molly put a hand on his shoulder gently and then entered her room, remaining standing in the threshold.

"Debbie would you mind staying with your dad tonight? I'm not feeling very well."

"Yeah, it's fine," Debbie headed to the other room.

Broots looked at Molly in concern, "What's wrong? Are you okay? Do you need anything?"

She smiled, "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me, Broots. I've got to take care of myself."

Broots paused, "O-Okay. Let me know if you do need something."

Molly nodded and leaned forward, kissing him on the cheek, "I will. Thank you, Broots."

She closed the door then while Broots stood staring at the 309 on the door dumbly. He turned back to his room in a dreamy trance and entered, a huge grin on his face.

*****

Sydney snapped his fingers and Jarod's head hung down against his chest, a few stray hairs falling across his forehead as he did so. Miss Parker was sitting on the bed next to him, a finger over her lips. Sydney had pulled a chair up to the edge of the bed, and successfully put Jarod in a trance.

"This is Sydney. Do you hear me, Jarod?"

There was no response.

"Jarod? It's Sydney. Let me know if you can hear me."

Jarod's eyelids fluttered and he groaned slightly, "I hear you."

"Very good. As long as you can hear the sound of my voice, you are safe. And Miss Parker is with us, too." She glanced at him in surprise and he nodded.

"Yeah I'm here, too, Jarod," she said hesitantly.

"Parker," Jarod whispered, "Catherine."

"Not Catherine Parker," Sydney's forehead wrinkled in confusion, "You know she's dead. Why do you think Catherine is here?"

"I don't. Not her."

Miss Parker pursed her lips, "Tell us about your dream, Jarod."

Jarod remained silent.

Sydney glanced at her and then coaxed Jarod on, "You're sleeping now just like every night. You've been asleep a while, many hours. A dream should be happening soon. Is it happening yet, Jarod?"

Jarod's facial expressions and a soft moan implied that it was.

"Tell us what's happening, Jarod."

"Lyle," he groaned.

Sydney and Miss Parker looked at him, more alert. Sydney continued, "You're with Lyle. What is he doing?"

"Laughing," Jarod answered, "I think he's crazy."

"News flash," Parker muttered.

Jarod continued, "I can't understand why he's here. Supposed to be dead."

A nervous expression graced Sydney's face, "Is Lyle alive in your dream, Jarod?"

"Yes."

"He told you he was laughing. Clearly he's alive. Why don't you ask him something that's relevant so we can get this over with?" Parker snapped.

Sydney glanced at her before continuing, "Why do you think Lyle is crazy, Jarod?"

"Nothing left. Nothing. Nothing to lose. He's- no. No please. I'll do whatever you want."

Jarod's breathing rate was accelerating and Miss Parker jumped slightly when he grabbed her hand forcefully, clenching it tightly. She put her other hand over them both, studying him curiously.

"What is he trying to do, Jarod? Jarod?" Sydney emphasized his name again and again but received only whimpers and 'no's in return.

"Don't!" he yelled suddenly, "Sydney? Sydney!?"

"I'm here, Jarod. You're not alone. Tell us what's happening, please."

"Get me out, get me out! I can't see it anymore. I can't. Take me out. Please, Sydney. Help me," he begged.

"What the hell are you waiting for?" Parker glared at Sydney, "Wake him up."

"We've hardly learned anything, Miss Parker."

"Sydney, please! No, God. Please Sydney. Refuge, refuge, refuge" Jarod was grimacing and lurching uncontrollably.

"You're safe, Jarod," Sydney whispered, snapping his fingers.

Jarod's head shot up and he immediately jumped back against the couch, panting erratically. His hand was still tight between Parker's. He looked back and forth between the two of them with moist eyes, visibly shaken.

"Are you okay?" Parker's voice was gentle and comforting.

There was a short nod as Jarod swallowed and returned his breathing back to normal. Sydney and Miss Parker gazed at him in concern, but he didn't speak.

*****

"Dad, wake up," Debbie shook her father's shoulder until he stirred, "Dad!"

Broots' eyes fluttered open, and he noticed that it was early morning by now, "What is it, Deb? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, but I went to check on Molly," she paused, "she's gone."

Parker stepped out onto the deck and pushed Jarod, who was lying in the hammock again. Startled at first, he smiled slightly as she crossed her arms and watched as he stopped swinging back and forth from her force.

"You've been unusually absent these past few hours," she said.

Jarod shrugged, "I was reading more on the disk."

"Cade wanted to play with you."

"I will. I promise. There's just a lot to go over. It's my whole life in megabyte form. Yours too."

"Oh," she bantered, "so you've been reading up on my life without me?"

"Not much. If there was something important, you know I'd tell you," his voice dropped off, "come here."

"In that thing? I think not," Parker said seriously.

"I promise it won't flip. Keeping the equilibrium isn't difficult once you find the center point," he explained calmly.

They stared at each other blankly for a moment before she took a small step toward him. He shifted over in the hammock and she slowly eased herself in. After much readjustments, shifting, and limb rearranging, they lay in the middle of the net, her head on top of the arm he had wrapped around her shoulders.

"I'm pretty sure a strong gust could knock us right over," she mumbled.

Jarod frowned, "Nah."

There was more silence and Parker cleared her throat, "I think you remember your dream. You're just not telling us."

Jarod's head turned toward her and he tried to laugh, "Don't be ridiculous, Parker. I don't remember it."

"You're a lousy liar, Jarod."

"Nonsense. I've spent my entire life perfecting my lying abilities," he contradicted.

"Not to me. Never to me right?" she looked up at him with innocent eyes, which he knew were far from innocent, but that's what they were saying.

He shook his head and answered softly, "No, never to you. Look, I do know what happened now. You don't need to. It doesn't matter and it's done."

"But I told you we would deal with this.’We' implies two and I can't help you if you won't tell me about it. What happens if you continue having these dreams?" she whispered.

"I won't."

"But-"

"I won't." And with that, there was nothing more to say.

*****

"She left you something," Debbie held up an envelope with 'Broots' on the front of it. Broots sat up in his bed and slowly took the envelope from his daughter's hand, "There's another for Miss Parker. But all her stuff is like gone. Even made her bed."

"She might not have slept in it," Broots murmured, tearing the seal to the envelope.

Debbie watched her father's face progressively fall as he read the letter. Something told her she shouldn't press him, so she stood there twiddling her fingers.

"Um uh, Deb?"

"Hm?"

"Would you like to do something fun?"

She eyed her father suspiciously, and he gave her a small smile.

*****

Jarod sat at his laptop in the kitchen, the occasional clicking of the keys breaking the silence. His eyes had that concentrated look as he scanned line after line, waiting for that revelation which would knock him out of his chair. He was beginning to wonder if a monumental breakthrough like that would ever come.

He was suddenly aware of a small presence beside him and he turned with a grin, face to face with Cade.

"Hello," Jarod said.

"What are you doing?" Cade asked.

Jarod glanced at the screen, "Well, Cade, I'm looking for something... to help me find my mom and dad."

"Oh," he looked at him uncertainly, "what about my mom and dad?"

Jarod's brow tightened and he turned his whole body to face the little boy, then picked him up, easily sliding him onto one knee, "I'm afraid your mom and dad aren't here anymore."

"Where are they?"

The little boy's brown eyes melted Jarod's heart and he hardly knew how to answer him. For some reason, The Centre's thirty year prisoner found that saying the chairman was in a better place now didn't feel appropriate. So he decided to be as honest as he could.

"They both died. Do you know what that means?" he whispered raggedly.

Cade nodded, "Stopped living."

Jarod returned his nod, "Yeah."

"What happened?"

Jarod's eyes widened. Explaining how his sister had killed both his mother and his father sounded horrible and there was no way to tactfully explain this to a 4-year-old.

"One day, you'll understand everything. Until then, you have the most amazing sister in the world who is going to take the best care of you. You're going to be safe and happy and have the best life. I promise you that."

Cade beamed and Jarod knew he had said the right thing.

"What has your computer told you?"

Jarod laughed a little, "You're very full of questions aren't you? I've learned a lot. I know lots more about my parents, my last name, where I was born, my birthday."

"Do I have a birthday?"

"Yes! Of course, everyone has a birthday. Now I remember when you were born, it was winter time I think. Let's see if the computer knows."

"Let's see," Cade repeated.

Jarod couldn't help but laugh at the seriousness of Cade's statement as he clicked away at the keyboard, entering search terms like "birth" "Baby Parker" "Brigitte" and of course "Cade." More results appeared on the screen than he had expected but he was hardly surprised to find an entire project and pre-project development devoted to Cade. He organized the files chronologically and clicking the first one, was surprised to find the details of Cade's conception. Jarod read quickly because Cade was clearly anxious to learn which day of the year he could claim for the rest of his life, and Jarod could hardly blame him, having just discovered the pride one could feel for a certain day of the year himself.

What he didn't understand though, was why the eggs were labeled 'Parker' instead of the sperm. Mr Parker had made it clear that Brigitte would not be taking the Parker name with her, despite their obvious love and heartfelt marriage. Stranger still was the lack of name attached to the sperm sample, only the number 2043896.

Deciding to ignore it for now, Jarod scrolled down many pages to Cade's actual birth. A lot of planning and thought had gone into the conception. Regardless of the details, that fact alone was sick and disturbing.

"January 15, 2000 is yours, buddy. You just made it into this millennium," he ruffled the boy's hair, "That's pretty close to your sister's birthday, too. You can celebrate together."

He nodded excitedly, "I'm going to go tell her!"

Cade slid out of Jarod's lap and he watched him leave before returning his attention to the details of Cade's conception, running 2043896 through his files. There was an immediate match.

"Impossible," he breathed. Disbelief was written all over his face as he discovered that it was his own number. Returning to Cade's original file, he began to every paragraph, his jaw literally dropping as he did so.

Ten minutes later, Miss Parker entered the kitchen, "For future reference, I don't do theme parties." She looked at Jarod, noticing a newfound panic, "What the hell is it now?"

She pulled an arm away from the keyboard and noticed he was trembling slightly and her voice grew soft, "Jarod?"

"My God, Parker," he whispered.

*****

"We will have to report our findings to Ubaya," a dark African man informed Raines.

"And then?"

"I am certain he will be in touch with you. I would add that your future looks bleak, Mr Raines, but that's not my job," he smiled.

The snarl in Raines' voice was apparent, "Then keep those comments to yourself."

"As Ubaya's representative, I am far above you in the metaphorical chain, Mr Raines, something I think you would do well to remember. It would be a shame if I implied your situation was worse than it is when I detail the damage to Ubaya, however, I'm not sure if that would even be possible."

The two exchanged a long stare before Raines grabbed his oxygen tank and turned, "I'll be in my office."

"Doing the latest crossword no doubt!" he called after him, laughing a deep throaty laugh as Raines wheeled toward the elevator. The state of The Centre was pathetic and while it was extremely damaging for his company, he couldn't help but think the arrogant sons of bitches had it coming with as long as they let their project run free.

*****

Parker pulled the chair next to him out from under the table, slumping into it with her hands cupped over her mouth. Jarod's words were flying around her mind and she struggled to breathe normally.

"No," she whispered. He only nodded in reply and she could feel the tears burning. "He wouldn't do that. I know he's not who I thought he was, but this, I just."

"Shh," Jarod leaned in and put an arm around her. "It will be fine."

"That's not the point," she wiped a tear away. "It's the violation. Even masquerading as my father, he saw me as nothing more than a project."

The cracks in her voice tore him to shreds, but he could say nothing because he knew she was right and he understood the betrayal she was feeling. He'd felt it all his life, especially now knowing he shared this burden with the one person he would never wish it upon.

Her tone shifted, "I should have seen this coming. All the talk about missing pieces, the Parker legacy, Brigitte, and.. you. He always said you were the key to everything. Well I guess he was right."

She looked at him and his eyes told how much he didn't want to be that key. She put an arm around his neck and closed her eyes, breathing him in.

"What are we going to do?" Parker breathed.

Sighing, Jarod shook his head, "Cade needs his parents. So that's what we'll have to be, whether we chose it or not."

*****

"What are we doing here?" Debbie stared up at the "Now Playing" list.

Broots got out of the car, closing the door behind him, "I've been dragging you around the country for weeks now and you've tolerated it all. I figured something normal and fun would be nice."

Debbie looked hesitant, "I don't know. Shouldn't we be getting back? Don't they need you?"

"They can wait. We'll go back tomorrow. Tonight it's you and me little lady," he put on his best southern drawl and she had to giggle a little if only for how ridiculous he sounded.

"Okay, let's see the one with Johnny Depp in it," she shut her door, proceeding to the theatre.

Broots hesitated, "Wouldn't you rather see something rated PG-13?"

"No, not really."

Another hesitation, "Okay."

Debbie smiled and held her elbow out to her dad, who received it, escorting her to the doors politely, "I hope there will be dinner after my movie."

Broots put on his happy face, "But of course!"

*****

"Have you told Sydney or Emily?" Jarod voiced softly, entering Parker's bedroom where she sat on the bed Indian style, adorning another of Jarod's T-shirts. He had almost gotten used to how small and fragile they made her look. The bed covers were pulled back and it was clear she just wanted to go to sleep.

She shook her head, "We have to do that together."

"Oh," he said, as if the thought hadn't crossed his mind. He sat next to her, close. "I'm sorry."

"No, Jarod!" she lashed out emotionally. "This mess is not your fault. It's theirs."

"I know, but it's my fault you were brought into-"

"Shut up. Seriously, just shut up. I know a little something inside you dies every time you step on a dandelion, but this was completely out of our hands and the moment you start putting blame on yourself, you're also putting it on me." Her eyes were wide and piercing and his face was nothing but confusion. "I mean it, Jarod. You and I are equally innocent so don't play those games. The only thing we're guilty of is ignorance."

Jarod nodded, "But I'll still always regret that ignorance."

"Don't. Stop worrying about what's happened and start thinking about what's going to happen."

"Why, Miss Parker, are you being optimistic?" he smirked.

"Rational. That's all," she kept a straight face, slipping her legs beneath the covers. "Care to join?"

He grinned the boyish trademark he'd been giving her since childhood as he threw off his shirt and pants immediately, sliding in beside her in only his boxers.

"Could have just said 'yes,'" she mumbled slyly.

"Not nearly as effective toward my ultimate goal," he leaned his face in close to hers, barely catching her lips with his.

Parker smiled, "Which would be?"

"Now I realize I'm the genius but," his voice trailed off.

*****

Emily lay in her bed, turning over once again. Sleep usually came quickly to her, but not tonight. She could just barely hear the sounds of the waves crashing if she concentrated, but it wasn't enough to lull her to sleep. For hours she lay there, staring at the ceiling when around 4am she could stand it no longer. Deciding that sleep would come if she distracted herself with other things for a while, she got out of bed and walked down the hallway, down the steps, and into the kitchen. Leaning into the open fridge, she searched for something appetizing. Finally deciding on some orange juice with calcium, she pulled the carton out, placing it on the counter. She turned and opened the cabinet, pulling out a glass. A quick movement reflected a sliver of light through the angles of the glass and Emily turned around. She gasped and dropped the glass, the sound of it shattering piercing in the silence.

*****

"It's worthless. The entire Centre has been erased. Soon enough your government will be asking questions and you will have nothing. It's time to pack your desk, Mr Raines," Ubaya announced over the speaker phone.

There was silence for a moment as Raines contemplated his words, "It's impossible. There must be-"

"Do you doubt my opinion?" his voice boomed even over the phone line.

"If you're telling me to join a retirement center I do."

"Your skills could be put to use in Africa, Mr Raines. Aside from that, I cannot help you. The way things have played out. I question whether you deserve even that."

A deep exhale filled the silence and Raines spoke, "You can't put all this blame on me."

"You wanted responsibility of The Centre. You have it. And you should be ashamed of yourself."

*****

It was early morning and Jarod lay on his back, his neck twisted so he could watch her breathing calmly. He'd been doing this for about ten minutes and had resigned himself to doing it every morning for the rest of his life. There was no better feeling. Well, maybe a few.

The dreams hadn't come last night and Jarod was actually surprised. After knowing what happened in them consciously, he supposed his subconscious didn't need to tell him anymore. Why it needed to in the first place was beyond him.

And then with the opening of the bedroom door and the eerily chipper "Morning, sunshines," Jarod understood everything.

His laughter was pure evil and it made Jarod's skin crawl. His hand unconsciously tightened around Parker's wrist under the bed covers. Her eyes sprung open and it took only a glance at Jarod's devestated expression for her to realize how terribly wrong things were.

She clutched the sheet around her and turned toward the door to see her brother's smiling face looking back at her.

"Why am I not surprised to see you alive, Lyle?" she growled.

Lyle clasped his hands together, "And why am I not surprised to see you shacking up with the lab rat?"

"It doesn't matter anymore, Lyle. The Centre's gone now," Jarod interrupted, knowing the twins' verbal sparring could go on forever.

Lyle took a step toward them, "Thanks for the newsflash, Jarod, but I'm perfectly aware of your latest stunt. But I'm not here on Centre business."

"Then what," Miss Parker snarled.

"Let's call it personal," he winked.

Jarod swallowed. Centre business was bad enough.

*****

"McDonald's breakfast, you just can't beat it," Broots said, stabbing a bite of pancake out of the styrofoam container.

Debbie looked up from her food, making her best attempt to smile, "Mhm."

"So you ready to hit the road again?"

"I guess."

Broots nodded.

"Dad, where are we going to live now?"

He stopped, and finished his gulp of orange juice, "Well where do you want to live?"

She thought about it for a moment, "Near Miss Parker."

Broots smiled, imagining how Miss Parker would react to that, "I guess we'll have to see then."

He crumbled his wrappers into a ball and picked up his tray, "Let's head back."

Debbie followed suit and the two made their way to the car outside.

*****

"So, I presume there are no clothes under that sheet there, sis."

Lyle made his way to her side of the bed and ran the tip of his gun along the edge of her form. Inside she shivered, but her exterior was as strong as stone, her eyes never breaking away from his cold ones. He licked his lips and she stared at him daringly.

"Have some decency, Lyle," Jarod growled.

The twins' stare continued and Lyle slowly straightened his posture. "You know Jarod is absolutely right. You are my sister after all. Why don't you get dressed?"

"Leave," she said without hesitation.

"Mmm I don't know, the instant I step out of those doors you two will be plotting and scheming against me and I can't have that."

Neither responded because he was obviously right. Jarod shot an apprehensive glance to Parker, but she ignored it. Wrapping the sheet around herself she quickly stood, much to Lyle's dismay whose arm immediately straightened with his pistol pointing at her. She pretended not to notice and leaned to the ground to where Jarod had left his clothes in a loose pile. She threw them at him, who caught them in surprise.

"Men," she muttered, slamming the bathroom door shut behind her.

Lyle looked at Jarod who raised his brows with a knowing expression. The pretender began pulling clothes on beneath the bed comforter and Lyle watched on with a chesire smile, much to Jarod's disgust. When he was done, Lyle approached him slowly, dangling shining metal handcuffs in his hand.

"Let's do this nice and easy now, Jarod. I'd hate for Miss Parker to have to pay for your mistakes."

Jarod grimaced because while taunting Lyle had always been fun and fighting against him had always been okay and satisfying with the knowledge that they would never want him dead and he had nothing to lose, now he did have something to lose and it didn't matter if he died. Not this time.

So he let Lyle cuff him to the bed.

They heard running water from the sink and Lyle hit the wooden door with his knuckles, shouting "No funny business, Parker."

The door swung open and a fully dressed Miss Parker came out, "Quit your whining."

With the cock of his head, Lyle was filled with the joy of control again as she flicked the light switch off. Jarod's eyes twinkled when he saw the look in hers. It was predatory, and he had seen it many a time before.

Before he could hypothesize what she was planning, she had thrown a cup-full of water in her brother's face and while he dealt with the shock and wiped the liquid from his eyes, she had slipped behind him and put a razor to his throat.

"You should have known better than to come here, Lyle," she whispered in his ear. "I've been saving up my rage for you since before we even met."

"What you're forgetting, sis, is that I have nothing to lose here." He cocked his gun and aimed it at the restrained Jarod. "You do."

"I'd slit your throat," her voice cracked.

"Doesn't matter. There's nothing left for me, but you can be damn sure I'd get a few shots off before I'm down. Now is that what you want?"

He didn't have to see her face to know it was pained with frustration right now. She looked at Jarod who shook his head back at her, helplessly.

"It's your call," Lyle grinned, imagining the look on her face behind him.

It took all the strength in her to throw the razor at the wall beside her and spread her hands in the air in defeat. Jarod let out a breath of air he hadn't realized he'd been holding. She walked over to him and whispered a barely audible apology, to which he also shook his head.

"So what do you want?" Miss Parker crossed her arms, turning to her little brother.

"Follow me," Lyle grinned.

*****

Raines stood by the elevator, watching people walk in and out of the tiled common area he had stood in so many times before. They were all carrying boxes, cleaning out their desks. Nobody knew exactly why they were all leaving, but they had a pretty good idea who was behind it. Willie approached Mr Raines hesitantly.

"Sir, is there anything we should do before..?"

"No," Raines exhaled. Willie nodded and took a few steps backward before turning and entering the elevator. Those bulletholes were still there. After all this time.

Then some people grouped together in dark uniforms caught the attention of the bald-headed man and he wheeled his oxygen tank toward them. Some had notepads and were recording what a one-armed dwarf was telling them.

"What's going on here?" Raines asked.

A woman with light brown hair stepped forward and presented a gleaming badge, "FBI, sir. I'm Federal Agent Sheers. We're just asking a few questions. Can I get your name please?"

"No."

"Then I'm afraid you'll have to come with us as your description fits that of one of our suspects," she said.

"Suspects for what?"

"Well recently our office received a packet of information about this organization with many incriminating files and video recordings to put at least a few people here away for life. We've always been suspicious of this Centre, but all the documents with research updates seemed legitimate so we never felt compelled to investigate, especially with all the aid The Centre has provided us with the superb simulation exercises. However, the independent practices of certain authorities here definitely require our attention." Sheers paused and glanced at her notes. "You. Mr... Raines? I'm nearly certain most half of our information points to you."

"This is ridiculous," Raines protested. "You can't be serious. We have given you millions over the years for the privacy of our research facilities-"

"Yes yes the privacy has been compromised and if there were a way to compensate your organization, patients, and test subjects, we would. Unfortunately, it seems you are packing up shop and we cannot ignore the allegations here," Sheers almost smiled for a second. "And surprisingly, your former employees seem more than willing to share their knowledge with us."

Raines looked at the dwarf next to her, who averted eye contact immediately. They had tipped him over the boiling point now and he turned to walk away, but was met with two stony faced men in suits. Unfortunately, not sweepers.

"I'm sorry, sir, but you're going to have to come with us," one of them informed him.

Sheers nodded, "Cuff him, boys. The rest of you, scan the area. I've been dying to explore this place for some time now."

*****

Miss Parker rolled her eyes at her little brother's arrogance when she entered the living room, where the rest of the house's occupants were all cuffed to different pieces of furniture or walls. How she and Jarod had slept through this she had no idea, but it was a sick thought to contemplate. Then she saw Cade sitting in Emily's lap, staring at her wide-eyed. She supposed it wasn't as traumatizing for him as other children his age, that he was used to this sort of thing. But that made it no better and in fact, disturbed her a little more. Especially seeing the pathetic look on his face. God, he really did have Jarod's eyes. How had she not seen it before?

"Great, so I see you've accomplished a lot here, Lyle. Now seriously what the hell do you want?"

"Well see it's not even about what I want. You've already ruined that," he shouted the last bit, waving his gun around carelessly. "It's more about taking away the things you want."

Her posture straightened at those words, and she hissed "Like I haven't lost enough?"

Lyle smirked, his blue eyes wide with a wild sort of giddyness, "No I don't think you have."

"You people have taken every good thing I've ever had and thrown it down the drain. You killed Mom, you killed Tommy, you especially poisoned what decency was left in my family tree. If I had had a pet canary you would have sent it down a mine shaft!" Her hands shook in tight fists as she inched closer and closer to him. "Don't tell me you haven't ruined enough of my life. I've been trying to salvage it for thirty years and it's about damn time you stepped out of the way and let me."

Her face was mere inches away from him and Lyle continued to smile a more sinister smile before whispering, "I think you have me confused with a few other people." His voice grew louder, "In fact, I don't think I'm responsible for 75% of your whining. So don't blame me for what The Centre has chosen for you."

"You're The Centre's golden boy. Of course I can blame you," she shook her head in disgust.

"Now that is just not true. The Centre's precious golden boy is back in the bedroom. And you can blame him for all of your shortcomings."

"No, no, no! Your little manufactured lies don't work on me anymore. I have had it. Shoot me for all I care, I am sick of having to see your face every time I think my life might turn out okay."

Lyle could tell by the simplicity in the statement that she was absolutely serious. And that was no fun.

*****

As soon as Parker and Lyle left, Jarod threw open the drawer to the nightstand beside him. He had scanned the room looking for something to pick the lock with, but saw nothing. In the nightstand was nothing but a bible with a page marked. Jarod groaned in frustration, whacking the side of the drawer as he did so. A pen slid out of the marked page and his brown eyes lit up. He grabbed it and realized breaking the clip off wouldn't help so he dissected it, hoping some part of it would help him. The tube of ink inside was his best bet, so he carefully plunged the thin plastic tube into the keyhole of his cuff. He heard some clicks, and pressed a little harder.

The plastic cracked into two and the ink splattered all over his hands.

"Damn it!"

*****

Broots was whistling by the time she and Debbie pulled into the long beach-front driveway to their cottage. Debbie had her hands over her ears and Broots had assumed, very incorrectly, that she was joking.

"Dad, what's that other car doing in the driveway?" she pointed to the black vehicle.

The whistling stopped and Broots gazed at the car, baffled, "Gee I don't know."

The car was silent as realization dawned.

Debbie continued talking, "Do you think Molly rented this and came here?"

"No, Deb, she wouldn't have come back here. Oh my God it has to be someone from The Centre. They've come for us, and I bet they're pissed. Oh God." He started fumbling with things in the car, loose change spilling all over the floorboards.

"Dad, chill. You're no good to anyone like that," Debbie chastized.

Broots paused and looked at his daughter, "You're right. You're, you're absolutely right. Um, you wait here. I'll- I'll handle this."

"What? Dad, come on, what are you doing?"

Broots opened the door and stepped out of the car apprehensively, "I'm serious. Do not leave this car and if you see someone unfamiliar coming then hide in the back seat."

"Dad!" she protested.

"Shh!" Broots put a finger to his lips and Debbie obeyed, watching her father stumble toward the house.

*****

Jarod had a hand on his forehead, contemplating some way out of his restraints when a sharp knock at the door startled him. Broots stood behind the glass looking disheveled and terrified.

"Shh!" Jarod put a finger to his lips, giving Broots a glare that he recognized from Miss Parker's face on more than one occasion. Jarod waved him in and raised one hand to indicate he should be slow and careful about it.

Broots slowly slid the door open and stepped in, scurrying to Jarod's side, "Oh my God, Jarod. I climbed the porch! I saw Lyle through the window in the living room with Miss Parker and I actually climbed up the side. I'm so glad you're here. What are we going to do?"

"Broots!" Jarod growled. "Keep it down and help me out of these."

"What? Oh! You're locked up!"

Jarod cocked his head at him, "Of course I'm locked up. Find something that I can pick the lock with."

"Oh! Yeah. Okay."

"Check the bathroom."

"Right, good idea, Jarod," Broots turned and rushed to the closest door, throwing it open and stumbling into a mess of hangers and clothing instead.

"Bathroom, Broots, not closet!" Jarod chastized, his voice bleeding with frustration.

Broots nodded and entered the correct door and started searching through drawers and cabinets.

"Check for hair pins. She probably has some," Jarod said.

"Oh, oh I found some!" Broots came running to the bed and dropped a handful into Jarod's hand.

"One will do." He began to pick the lock with an impatient vigor. "Do you have a gun, Broots?"

"What? No."

Jarod sighed, jiggling the bobby pin more furiously than before. The cuff loosened, clicked, and then popped off and Jarod breathed a sigh of relief.

"Now what?" Broots asked.

Jarod looked to the hall door, "Come on."

*****

Lyle flicked open a jagged knife, roughly as long as his hand from palm to fingertip, running his finger delicately along the top of it.

"You know, Parker, I'm getting kind of hungry."

She stared back at him with piercing sapphire eyes, "You mean you didn't stop for Lo Mein on the way here?"

He took a step closer to her and ran the blade vertically from her chin to down her throat along her chest, barely descending below the opening in her shirt. The lower he skimmed, the larger his smile grew.

"You're psychotic," Miss Parker whispered. He winked back at her and she narrowed her eyes, with a condescending demeanor.

A loud crash from outside broke their trance and Lyle turned immediately, facing the back door to where the sound had come from. Miss Parker looked, just as curiously. Jarod was still in the bedroom, but she had hoped that while she entertained Lyle, he would be devising something typically brilliant to get them out of this.

"What the hell was that?" Lyle asked.

"I'm standing right here in case you didn't notice," she quipped back.

He grabbed her wrist, "Shut up." Edging toward the door she groaned as he dragged her along with him, his knife in the other hand. There was another crash to the right and he flung the door open, pushing her out first.

Miss Parker stumbled out onto the porch and looked around her.

*****

Emily watched as Lyle shoved Miss Parker onto the back porch before following her. She leaned over from her seat on the fireplace, careful to clutch Cade tight against her chest. He started to speak but she hushed him and he clearly understood the severity of the situation, sealing his lips once more.

"Everything's going to be fine," she whispered. Sydney watched her calm the child, remembering his surprise when Lyle had woken him at the crack of dawn, with a handcuff already locked around one wrist. He had told him how wise it would be for him to remain silent because others would suffer the consequences if he didn't. Upon entering the living room with the neck of Lyle's pistol in his back, he saw that it was Emily to whom he was referring.

Now, he pondered Jarod's absence. Miss Parker hadn't seemed terribly upset, so he assumed Jarod was still all right. Sydney's first thought on seeing that it was Lyle's cold face was that Jarod's dreams had been leading to this.

His thoughts were broken when suddenly Emily gasped and Jarod appeared, a finger pressed to his own lips. Sydney immediately glanced to the porch where Lyle was nudging Miss Parker down the steps for now.

"Quick, we've got to hurry," Jarod whispered, handing a bobby pin to Sydney and then rushing to Emily to undo hers for her. Sydney started fumbling with his lock.

"I want to help you," Emily told him as he clicked the metal gears until the cuff sprung open.

"No," His eyes met hers and her shoulders sagged. "Protect Cade. That's all I ask."

Jarod straightened and returned to Sydney who was still messing with the lock. He took the pin from Sydney's hands and fiddled with it, releasing him.

"But, Jarod-" Emily protested, standing up with Cade in her arms.

Jarod grasped her free hand with a desperate gleam in his eyes, "Emily, he's my son."

Hers and Sydney's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Our son, Parker's and mine, I-" he stopped, noticing the baffled expression on the child in question's face and his own face softened. "I promise we'll talk all about it later."

Sydney stood up and put a hand on Jarod's shoulder, "Good luck, Jarod. I know you'll do the right thing."

Jarod's face was pained and he nodded, "Go. Be careful."

*****

Officer Sheers tapped her pencil against her notebook. The files she'd been sent by the anonymous sender were terrifying. She'd watched tape after tape of child abuse, most often at the hands of this Mr Raines, formerly Dr Raines. It was enough to put him away for life. The search of The Centre hadn't resulted in much as the computer files seemed to have all been erased. If it weren't for the anonymous tip, everyone probably would have walked away scott free. There were a lot of strange laboratories, but nothing conclusive. They could have been used for anything.

Whoever this Jarod was, she sympathized with him. And Timmy, Kyle, the little girl... so many innocent children. It was sickening. The thought of putting this creep behind bars was satisfying and she intended to push the papers through the courts as fast as possible.

*****

Broots nearly fell over himself when he saw Miss Parker step around the corner of the house. The whole structure was set up on beams in case of floods, but there was still a small shed-like area in the center of the house, and Broots realized Lyle must be on the other side of that wall. Miss Parker gave him wide impatient eyes, chastizing him with a simple expression that he needed to get the hell out of sight before her brother appeared. Broots scrambled around the corner, but tripped over one of the trash cans he had knocked over to make the crashing sound in the first place. Miss Parker grimaced, but Broots was out of sight as Lyle rounded the corner.

"You've gotten your panties in a bunch over a cat messing with the trash. Nice one, Lyle," she said instantly.

He looked at her with a crooked smile, "Right, a cat. Did it have green whiskers, too?"

"Okay, Lyle, I'm making the cat thing up. Sydney actually teleported himself down here to knock them over and then back upstairs to lock himse-" she rambled sarcastically.

"Shut up!" he yelled, darting around the same corner where Broots had gone. The wild game of cat and mouse grew as Lyle decided to run around the entire square of building. Upon seeing the door to the basement/shed, his grin grew, "Get over here, Parker."

She sighed and walked over, knowing that cooperation was essential to protecting the lives of her friends upstairs, and Jarod, whatever he was.

Lyle wrapped an arm around he neck and pulled her close in front of him, ignoring her groan.

"Come out come out wherever you are," he called into the dark room. It was small, about the size of the house's living room. But there were enough old ping pong tables and dirty boogie boards for a person to disappear momentarily. Lyle waited, "All right. That's fine. I'll give you to the count of five and then Miss Parker here will suffer you consequences."

Nothing.

"One," he drew out the syllable and Parker rolled her eyes, "Two, three." His voice grew louder and more menacing as he drew the knife closer to her neck. "Four!"

Junk shifted and made a commotion and then Broots appeared, shaking with hands in the air, "Don't. Please."

"Aw," Lyle laughed. "Now isn't that sweet? What do you do to your techs to earn such loyalty I wonder."

He sheathed his knife, and pulled out his gun instead. To Broots look of confusion he answered, "It packs more of a bang!"

Broots jumped slightly. Lyle laughed, and stepped backward, dragging Parker along with him and beckoning Broots to follow.

"Come on out, now," he said in a gentle eerie voice. On the concrete beneath the structure of the house, the morning light cut lines through the wooden slats above them all across the ground and their faces. Lyle leaned in and smelled the soft brunette hair in front of him with a dramatic whiff and Broots couldn't even hide his disgust.

Neither could Jarod.

He came barreling out of nowhere and everything happened so fast. It was all too fast.

The force of Jarod's hit knocked the gun out of Lyle's hand as he felt Jarod's shoulder knock him in his side. Miss Parker was immediately lurched forward and Broots grabbed her, steadying her before she fell. Her eyes were alert as ever as she followed the sound of the gun scraping concrete, ignoring the flying punches and kicking from the two men behind her. She grabbed the gun and turned around with her arms locked straight.

"Jarod, move out of the way!" she yelled desperately. Jarod's body was covering Lyle's as he was on top of him, planting hit after hit into Lyle's face. She ran a hand through her hair in frustration, "Jesus Christ, Jarod, just move!"

The punches stopped suddenly and Jarod jumped a little, the air catching in his throat. He released the grip he had on Lyle's throat with his non-punching hand, and he fell back a little. Lyle grabbed him back though, knowing Parker would shoot him without hesitation.

"Shoot him," Jarod said in an urgent raspy strain.

"What the hell," she whispered, not understanding his strange behavior.

Lyle stood, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, pulling Jarod up with him, a groan emitting from his mouth. That's when she saw the stream of blood, covering Jarod's white shirt and growing rapidly. Lyle held up the bloody knife with a laugh.

"You two are always underestimating me."

There was no hesitation at all as Miss Parker pulled the trigger of the gun. Lyle died then and there with a look of shock in his eyes as the blood from the bullethole in his forehead trickled down his face. By the time his body fell to the ground, Miss Parker had caught Jarod's slowly collapsing one and lowered him gently down. Kneeling by his side, she lifted his head up onto her lap.

"Not a chance, Jarod. You're not going like this. Look at me," He did. "I refuse to do this alone."

Jarod smiled a little and whispered, "You'll never be alone again."

Broots watched in complete shock as she kissed his lips and gave him an expectant look. He had apparently missed a lot in his trip with Debbie and Molly. Her attention turned to Broots then, "Why aren't you calling an ambulance, Broots?!"

There was no real explanation for that, so he ran off, pounding up the stairs as he did so.

"You're a real pain you know that," Parker told Jarod through her tears as he struggled for breath.

And again, he tried to smile.

It takes a lot for a grown human being to change their habits, to learn something new. That's why it's better to learn things when you're young. Children pick everything up so quickly, but adults are too stubborn, too set in their ways. That's probably why it took so long for them to understand how their lives were supposed to work, Miss Parker especially, who was forced to grow up so fast.

But Cade learned quickly, and Parker did her best to show him the ways of the world. The only problem was that she'd been living in the Centre bubble for so long, that the real world was a bit stunning for her as well. She knew about the cold, dark sides, but when it came to the little, fulfilling things she had to stretch her memory back to a time when she was innocent, too. Cade deserved to live his life free of worry while he could.

Two years after that fateful day at the beach house. Parker couldn't help but think how quickly time flew now, when before it seemed to drag so slowly. She'd changed a lot since the day Jarod showed up at her door with an Indiglo watch, leading her through the woods and toward her new life. Hell, she had changed since the day Lyle stabbed him and she had murdered her twin without a twinge of regret. She was softer now and she found herself boiling water for tea instead of pouring her vodka on the rocks as she once did. Now her alcohol was limited to picking up bottles of wine for special occasions. Today was one of those days.

The atmosphere here was charming. Parker knew exactly what had made her mother fall in love with Maine because the same thing had happened to her. But if anyone asked her to put into words why she felt so attached to the place, she never could. 'It just felt right' would be all she could say.

She had thought about moving to Europe like her mother had wanted for the two of them so long ago. And initially, that was her plan. But after spending some time there, soaking up the culture and relishing the scenery, she realized she had left behind the few people left in her life. Leaving them would just be idiotic. So she returned to the states, and settled on New England instead. Uniquely sweet and far more convenient for road trips and visits.

It had been the right choice. Driving along the familiar paved roads with the refreshing gleam of a Spring sunbeam brushing through her window, Parker felt as free as she ever had. The bottle of Chardonnay on the seat beside her rolled slightly and she caught it before it crashed onto the floorboard. That bottle symbolized the anniversary of a very special day. Her thoughts drifted back to that day two years ago when her life rollercoastered into overdrive.

She had really thought she was going to lose him. After everything they'd been through and the life she'd lived up to that point, it would be typical. But she should have expected better of him. Jarod had always been a fighter.

After a few agonizing days in the hospital, the doctors had confirmed that he'd be just fine with enough rest and relaxation. After almost losing him, again, Parker was reminded just how crucial to her life the pretender had become. Jarod regained consciousness quickly and woke to find Parker sitting in the chair beside him, asleep, with a newspaper clutched in her hands. He had reached out slowly and taken it, and flipping to the front cover, smiled upon seeing the bold words "Unveiled Secret Organization Finally Falls." The only way it would have been better is if there had been a picture of Raines rotting away behind bars. But alas there was not, and not even a mention of any of the parties involved. Only the sketchy implications of kidnapping, child abuse, and unethical research exploitation.

As soon as Jarod was well enough, they bummed out in a hotel for a couple of weeks with Cade, re-acquainting themselves, trying to figure out the schematics to their new mother/father/son relationship. It fell into place surprisingly easy considering the pressure to be a happy family of three she had originally expected. Instead everything came together with a natural flow. It tested her maternal skills to be taking care of a child and a wounded Jarod, but thinking back on it, it was probably the best thing for her. That didn't mean there wasn't the occasional frazzled call to Sydney, who had decided to take up full-time residence at his White Cloud cabin. He could read all day, go to sleep early, and wake up for some morning fishing. Or he could just watch Jeopardy and cook omelets til the sun came up, but it didn't really matter. With no obligations, he could do whatever he pleased. Mostly, he just looked forward to his weekly dinners with the Broots' in Blue Cove and the trips he made to Maine and the ones that Jarod, Parker, and Cade made to Delaware.

After Jarod had basically recovered, he and Parker left Cade with Sydney while they embarked on a meaningful escapade through Europe. Sydney hadn't asked when they'd be back, and after three beautiful weeks of reconnecting and exploring each other all over again through England, Italy, Ireland, France, Switzerland and Spain, they did return for their child. There was no way either of them would let him grow up without parental figures. Nobody knew how important that was more than they did.

They decided to make their lives as normal as they possibly could, for Cade. And for the first six months, they thought they were doing a great job. But they weren't normal at all. While staying home and catching up on all the Star Wars films was entertaining at first, they realized that they needed to get real jobs for once. Parker had immediately decided to work in the FBI since she already had all the skills necessary. The credentials were a little sketchy, seeing as she had been involved with a leading illegal incorporation her entire life. But Jarod had easily doctored her resume into something appropriate, knowing full and well that she could pull off the job whether he lied or not. He promised each law he broke would be his last. Just that one last time.

Choosing a steady career had been most difficult for Jarod. After Parker had been working for three weeks, he had nearly resigned himself to just staying home with Cade because the indecisiveness was killing him and being with his son was what he truly loved to do anyway. But she hadn't stood for that, refusing to be their sole provider. There were no more Centre funds to steal from and she wasn't going to start shopping at K Mart because he couldn't decide whether he wanted to be a rocket scientist or a trash collector. Ultimately it became a question of how he could help the most people and for a long time he was torn between teaching and practicing medicine. The immediate gratification of saving a patient's life won out in the end and he was soon one of the leading practitioner's in the state. With some more years to his new name he'd be one of the top reliable experts in the country in no time.

After a year of "normal living" and curious questioning from neighbors and co-workers, Jarod and Parker considered the possibilities of marriage. The notion seemed so conventional and so normal that it hadn't even occurred to them until so many people started assuming that they were husband and wife. Everything fit. They lived under the same roof, raised an extraordinarily genius son, spent every night in each other's arms, argued over the grocery list, had their certain seats at the dinner table, and fought for control of the TV remote.

Normal people, everyone but them, would have thought it strange had they known that at their wedding when they shared their vows that promised themselves to one another forever and ever, for the first time both of them said those three little words that some people spit out after three dates with someone. There had been no reason to say they loved each other before; it had simply been implied all their lives. A few weeks after the wedding, Jarod had tried to insert the phrase into their daily lives by whispering it one night right as Parker was about to drift off to sleep. She had rolled over and started laughing at him, so he never did that again.

But their lives held a routine now that they both cherished. Just like last year, their family and basically-family were coming to visit them this special weekend. After the Centre's demise, Jarod had posted full page ads in every major newspaper around the country and before long, his whole family could reunite like they'd always dreamed of doing. Emily decided to return to Philadelphia and continue her journalism career, making it difficult for their parents to choose where to finally settle down again. In the end, they'd chosen Maine and dropped in on Jarod and Parker expectedly and not so expectedly as well, much to Parker's delight.

Finally home, Parker dropped her purse on the table by the door and went to the bedroom to stick her gun between the sheets of the highest shelf, far from reach of little hands, in the walk-in closet she now shared with Jarod. The bus would be dropping Cade off soon and she was glad to be picking him up herself today. She had gotten off work an hour early, so Mrs. Bellmore next door wouldn't have to. She called and told the elderly woman this, who was happy not to miss any of Days of Our Lives anyway. Jarod should be home soon, he was supposed to have the afternoon off as well.

"Honey, I'm home," he announced in his familiar voice, just as the thought had entered her mind.

Parker turned around, rolling her eyes, "Stop calling me that. Especially when everyone gets here. Knowing your parents they'll be here before Cade gets home."

"Sorry, I just like your expression when I say it," Jarod grinned, closing the door behind him and sweeping by her with a casual kiss. "Did you get the wine?"

"I said I would didn't I?" she smirked.

"Oh of course, and you would never forget anything you said," he hollered back as he walked down the hallway to their room to change. Their house wasn't big. It took a while to save up money when you had to start over at their ages.

Opening the mail he'd dropped off on the table as he'd entered, Parker mumbled to herself, "Well I wouldn't."

"Heard that!" he yelled back.

She discarded all the junk and set the bills on the desk beside the television. Making her way to the bedroom, she replied "That's nice, I'm going to go collect the child now."

Jarod, denim jeans already donned, peeked at her from beneath the rib of the white T-shirt he was pulling over his head. Contorting his arms through the holes, he whined, "Hey hold on, I want to come, too."

"The cheese mobile won't wait" she insisted in a sing-song voice, drumming her fingers against the door frame as she watched him bounce around on one foot while he pulled a sock on and then repeated the scenario for his other foot.

"I know I know," he grabbed a short-sleeved green button up to wear overtop the white cotton and slipped into it easily. Parker sighed dramatically as he pulled his shoes on and beamed up at her as if it could possibly redeem his trifling.

"Come on, my nerves, remember?"

And so they walked to the end of their street where the bus picked up and dropped off their kindergartener every day. Cade was in a regular class with regular children, just as they'd wanted. He did however leave the class after lunch for "enhanced reinforcement" where another teacher would attempt to challenge him. It was rather impossible, but Cade enjoyed school so much that he put up a good show. Jarod and Parker spent many a night debating how exactly their child's education should go. Jarod wanted him to go to school and be with other kids because that was something he'd missed as a child. Parker naturally wanted her child to do the best that he could and was confident that public school was only hindering his growth. They'd finally resolved that he could manage one year of public school at least for the social aspect of it. As far as his future, well that was still in negotiations and with the way they both fought, it was a good thing they had some time to consider it.

The bus came and Cade bounded off, thrilled to see both his parents standing there waiting for him. He seemed like every other child to most people, except that he was possibly a bit more energetic and excited at all times. While the details of his past grew hazier by the day, Cade could still remember the bad feelings of a life he used to have. Parker and Jarod hoped that just as Jarod had eventually forgotten his past life with his family as a boy, that Cade would forget the dark place he used to live in.

"How was school?" Parker asked expectantly.

Cade looked up at her with Jarod's laughing eyes and began to roll out the details of the day, none of which having to do with what they actually did in class. These things rarely interested him, except when they were allowed to do art. Nobody could inhibit him there and he loved it.

When Cade had finally summed up his day in ten thousand words or less, they were already home and Jarod had begun rushing around the kitchen preparing things for their coming guests. Cade played in the living room, making car noises and clashing the little metal toys together in the process. Parker was in the bedroom changing her clothes into something more suitable to be judged in.

The first doorbell was Jarod's parents, who Cade let in immediately and repeated his entire spiel concerning the exciting events of a Thursday well spent in kindergarten. The next doorbell was Sydney. Parker rushed out of the bedroom to open the door for him, smiling freely.

"Happiness always did look good on you. You look lovely, Parker" he greeted. And she did. She wore a simple black cocktail dress with an opening in the back that stretched nearly to her waist. Her hair was left down and slightly tousled, but the string of pearls around her neck gave her a sense of elegance even in their suburban home. And of course there were the stilettos. She had paid good money for those heels once upon a time.

With a shake of her head, she thanked him and walked him to the kitchen so he could see Jarod. Upon seeing his old mentor, Jarod dropped the spatula in his hand and hugged him warmly like they were long lost friends. Taking a step back he glanced at Parker, his wife, and arched his eyebrows. "My oh my."

"Shut up," she mocked playfully before leaving the room with a grin. The doorbell was ringing again and before she could reach it, Cade had already let Emily and her new beau into the house. Emily had been seeing Mark for a few months, nothing serious yet but Margaret was still holding out hope for the young firefighter and her daughter.

The next doorbell came about ten minutes later and it was their last group. In walked Broots, Debbie, and Molly. After some much needed who-the-hell-am-I-and-what-am-I-doing-here soul searching, Molly had reappeared on Broots doorstep about ten months after she had disappeared just as abruptly. She'd been writing him letters, but since she never said where she was, he had never been able to answer them. Needless to say, they had a lot to talk about and as the story goes, the rest is history. Parker's jaw had literally dropped when Molly called to say she thought she was falling in love. She had to sit down when Molly said it was with Broots. Her tech and her sister, playing happily ever after. It was quite the concept, but somehow it still seemed to be working over a year later.

With all the guests there, the eleven of them sat down for dinner a la chef Jarod. Last year's first annual event had been a little awkwardly quiet at first, but this year everyone had spent far more time together getting to know each other. Eventually, after the kindest of words and explanations from Jarod, his parents had accepted Parker and Sydney and Broots just like anyone else. Jarod's innate sense of goodness rooted from these two people, a morality factor which Sydney only further nurtured. Major Charles had the worst time letting go, and although he'd met Sydney and Miss Parker before, he couldn't erase the black and white images he'd seen on the DSA player of a little boy he was supposed to have protected. Not surprisingly, Jarod had denied his father and especially his mother, of seeing any more DSA's of his childhood without his supervision. It wasn't that he didn't trust them, but he imagined if it was Cade he was watching and it reinforced his belief that there were some things a parent should just never see their child go through. Instead, Jarod showed them the simple simulations that he'd slid through with ease to Sydney's praise and then there were the few wonderfully memorable moments that had been recorded with his future wife. Parker had groaned upon hearing her own voice from the player "girls mature faster that boys" and then the expected "aww"s from the in-laws as the two children on the monitor had innocently kissed. Jarod had grinned proudly the entire time.

But mostly, the infamous DSA player remained hidden away in the bottom of their closet behind other things more relevant to their lives like shoes, coats, broken window fans that had never been returned to the store, bags of wrapping paper because nobody ever knows where to store that stuff, a laundry basket, and a few old boxes full of things from a past life that neither of them considered as much as they once imagined they would.

"Pass the butter," "how's work going?" and the details of kindergarten cafeteria politics wafted around the table as everyone spoke, listened, and laughed. They all basically knew what was going on in each other’s lives thanks to phone calls and the occasional e-mail, but it was nice to run through the ordinary routine. After everything they'd all been through, Parker forced herself to stop participating in the conversation and just soak in what her life had become.

She excused herself and hid in the kitchen, leaning against a counter with her eyes closed. This wasn't exactly Leave it to Beaver, but it was far closer than she'd ever imagined her life could be.

"You did this last year," Jarod commented as he entered slowly.

It had been even more overwhelming then because it was still so fresh. Parker nodded with a slight smile, "I know."

"You said you'd be better this year."

"I am better. I don't feel the urge to drink."

"Good point," Jarod smirked, stepping closer to her. "You really do look especially incredible tonight, Miss Parker."

He hadn't used the formality in so long and the way he'd let it fall in a velvety pool off his tongue was seductive. She let his hands slither around her waist and his nose barely press against her neck before she turned away to return to the dining room with the words "I'm afraid you have the wrong woman, Dr. Callahan."

Jarod laughed and bent his head down, stuffing his hands in his pockets as she clicked away.

*****

It was 11:30 and far past Cade's bedtime when everyone finally left for their hotels or Major Charles and Margaret's home. Parker had expected this and subsequently had planned to keep Cade out of school the next day anyway. Everyone had made plans for tomorrow which involved a few too many outdoor activities in Parker's opinion, but she was anticipating them anxiously none-the-less. She knew how much Jarod looked forward to fishing with his father, Cade, and of course Sydney.

"PJs. Now. Please. Thank you," Parker clapped her hands together with every beat as Cade scampered off to his room giggling. He was the only child she'd ever known who was just never tired.

She walked into the kitchen where Jarod was pushing the buttons to program the dishwasher and she sat at the counter barstool, "Put the kid to bed would you?"

Jarod nodded, watching her unfasten her shoes and pull them off delicately. She pointed her toes and looked up at him watching her. He knew there would be a let's-get-this-show-on-the-road comment soon, so he headed to Cade's room and pulled his bed covers back so that the boy could bound in.

"Story?" he asked innocently.

Shaking his head, Jarod pulled the covers up, "No way. It's too late. We have a big day tomorrow, too."

"Broots said he'd bring candy for the picnic," Cade said with wide eyes, the story rejection rolling off of him nearly unnoticed.

"Sounds good, just don't tell your mother."

Cade nodded with a grin. Sharing secrets from his mother rarely lasted long, but it was still fun to try. "Night, Daddy. Love you."

"I love you, too," Jarod answered easily, flipping the light switch off. "Go to sleep okay?"

Cade nodded and Jarod pulled the door nearly shut, a crack of light shining into the bedroom still. Jarod was surprised to enter his own room and find that Parker was already in bed with a book propped on her stomach while she read. He shed his clothes and pulled on his pajama bottoms.

"Sorry, but you can't read tonight."

Parker glanced at him and then back at the page, "Oh yeah. Why's that?"

Jarod slid under the sheet in his space beside her, reaching for the book in her hands, "Because you chose to wear that number which I was forced to stare at all evening long."

"You poor thing," she murmured, letting him pull the book out of her hands.

"Yes, poor me," he kissed her and then mumbled back to her. "It was absolutely hideous."

Parker laughed, "I'll just throw it out then."

He continued exploring her neck with his lips, "You could keep it around for a rainy day I suppose."

"Good idea."

And this was how most days ended. Not all of them of course, because sometimes Jarod was being too annoying, or she was being stubborn, or someone was too tired, or Cade had a nightmare, or Parker's book was too enthralling. It didn't matter either way though because in the end they were happy. They'd made their lives what they wanted them to be. After this weekend of reunion and reconnecting with their friends and family, everyone would disperse to their respective homes and go on with their own little lives. Jarod would roll out of bed and nudge his wife awake so that he could start her coffee and get Cade on the bus by the time she was out of the shower. Parker would come home from work later that day, pick up her son with a kiss, and devote all her time to playing with him until Jarod arrived a little later. Their lives were routine, and to anybody else, nothing special. But the ordinary pattern to their living and the stability of having each other was what made their new life so refreshingly rich.