Jarod looks around him in a swirl of desperation. No way out. This pretender had run out of luck. Brigitte, Lyle, Raines, and the sweeper began to close in on him slowly, their guns drawn. Jarod tried to back away.

"There’s no where to run this time, Jarod," Brigitte grinned with pride of having caught the rat.

"We’re taking you home," Rains rasped.

The sound of an engine getting closer diverted everyone’s attention for the moment. A plane headed right towards them.

"Dad!" Jarod rejoiced, realizing his father had come back for him. The plane touched down and continued straight for the group, now panic-stricken. Jarod moved back in one direction, the group in another. The plane rolled quickly by. Brigitte and the sweeper shot at it and it picked up speed.

"Jarod’s gone!" Lyle was the first to notice.

"Damn!" Brigitte was more upset her shots had missed.

"Get in the helicopter!" Raines ordered of everyone.

Brigitte turned to Raines, shoving her gun in his face. "You tried to kill my husband!"

Raines pulled back in fear.

"Brigitte," Lyle warned, "it’s not a good thing for the baby for you to get upset like this."

"I’m not going to let this go, Billy," she hissed and lowered her gun.

Raines relaxed and retorted, "You just let Jarod get away."

Brigitte could not take it anymore. She turned around and shot Raines in the foot.

"Anything else you’d like to say, Billy boy?" She aimed her gun at his knee.

Raines glared at her with hatred and pain. He motioned to the sweeper who approached him and helped him to the helicopter. A few moments they were gone.

Lyle stared amazingly at his stepmother.

"What?" She hissed at him.

"You sure you’re not related to my sister?"

"Shut up."

w wwww www wwwww w ww

"Angel? Angel, don’t leave me?"

"Let’s get her in the car," Sydney suggested.

Mr. Parker nodded his head and the two placed Miss Parker gently in the back seat of the car.

"Sydney," Mr. Parker’s eyes bore into the other man’s. "Who ever did this to my Angel will pay," he declared.

"We will find out," Sydney nodded. He got in the back with Miss Parker to hold her head. Mr. Parker and Broots got in the front.

"To the nearest hospital, Broots."

Sydney looked tenderly upon Miss Parker and yearned for her to open her eyes as he stroked her hair. He could feel the blood soaking her clothes and his hand as he applied pressure to the wound. He knew he loved her as if she were his own. He did not doubt that he might even love her more than her own father ever could. He had, in fact, been more of a father than Mr. Parker had. Sydney certainly did not want to lose Miss Parker because she tried to save that man’s life.

"Is she- she going to be alright?" Broots was worried.

"My Angel will pull through. She’s a Parker."

"Just get there fast," Sydney noticed Miss Parker was hardly breathing.

"We’re here," Broots announced.

As soon as the car was stopped in front of the emergency door, Mr. Parker was out exercising his power.

"Doctor, my daughter’s been shot. Take care of her this instant!"

Nurses rushed up to the car with a gurney and quickly but gently moved Miss Parker into an emergency room. Mr. Parker tried to follow them in, but he was stopped at the door.

"I am her father!"

"Sir, she’s in good care now. We will do the best we can, but we cannot have you in the way. Please sit over there and wait. We’ll let you know as soon as there is any news."

Sydney listened to the exchange and silently hoped that Miss Parker would pull through and that Jarod was all right. All three men took seats in the waiting room.

w wwww www wwwww w ww

A Cabin

Jarod paced the small dining room of the cabin. What could he have done differently? Would Parker be all right? He did not want his last words to her to be those of anger. He had accused her of lying to him. How could she still love her father so damn much? After all he’d done to her?

Jarod felt a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"There was nothing you could have done, son," Jarod’s father reassured him. "I’m sure she’ll be fine."

"I’ve got to see her."

"And risk getting caught? You’ve got your life ahead of you. You’ve found half your family, a chance to find the rest- are you willing to give that all up just to see this woman?"

"She is part of my family, Dad. We grew up together! Her mother died for me. I need to know she’s all right."

Jarod’s dad looked deep into his son’s eyes and nodded his head.

"You will, Jarod. You will. But not now."

w wwww www wwwww w ww

Hospital

"Sir?" A nurse shook Mr. Parker gently; who fell asleep in the waiting room. Broots and Sydney wake. "Sir?"

"Hmm?" He stirs, slowly recognizing his surroundings. "What?" He asked gruffly.

"Your daughter is stable now. We were able to remove the bullet. A bone in her shoulder stopped it, so there were no vital organs punctured. She should be able to go home in a day or so, but she needs to rest. You may go see her now."

"Thank you, nurse," Sydney replied before Mr. Parker could take it all in. When he did, he followed Sydney into the room the nurse had directed them to.

"Miss Parker!" Sydney was elated to see her awake and sitting half way up.

"Hey Syd," she greeted with a tad warmth in her voice. Than she saw her father.

"Daddy!"

"Angel! You’re all right!" He walked to her bed, took her hand and squeezed it. "Would you know who it was that tried to kill me?"

"Yes, I’m fine Daddy, thank you for caring," she was a bit bitter to realize that that was all the comfort she would get from her father. Now he was on to business.

"No, I don’t. Brigitte informed me, I had no time to find out. Maybe you should ask her."

"Hmm, maybe I will." He smiled down at her, but his eyes were distant. "Well, you get rest so you can come back to work soon. I’m going to head over there now," he leaned over his daughter and barely brushed his lips on her forehead. She could hardly feel it.

"Bye," she said regretfully.

Sydney and Broots remained in the room. Miss Parker stared after her father, then turned her attention to them. "Did you see who it was?"

"No, Parker, we were caught in the confusion," Sydney answered. "How are you feeling?" He was genuinely concerned.

"Fine," she stated, void of all emotion.

"Just two chocolates a day, and she’ll be good as new," a familiar voice came from the door.

All three looked to confirm what they already new.

"Jarod!" Sydney exclaimed incredulously. Broots almost choked and his face tuned red. He stepped a bit closer to Sydney.

Miss Parker was caught off guard. "What are you doing here?" She demanded to know.

"Why Miss Parker," Jarod entered the room with a heart shaped box of chocolates in his hands. "Is that any way to greet a person concerned for your well being?"

"Not when you’re carrying those heart attacks-in-a-box, you’re not concerned for my well being." She stated cynically, eyeing the heart. "Those look familiar."

"Yep, I thought I’d stick with what I knew you’d like," his smile was nauseating to her.

Sydney cleared his throat. "Well, Broots and I should really get back to The Centre. Take care, Parker. We’ll come visit later." The two men left.

Jarod placed the heart on the stand next to the bed and stood closer to Miss Parker. He looked at her with care, and she squirmed under his fierce gaze.

"Seriously," his voice was low and full of compassion. "How are you doing?"

Miss Parker got a hold of herself and tried to hide her feelings. Why did he have this effect on her? "Seriously, Jarod. I’m fine. The doc says I’ll be out in a day or two."

Jarod took a seat on the bed, but did not break eye contact. "You could have been killed."

Miss Parker narrowed her eyes at him. "I know," she stated, irritated.

"Sometimes I just don’t understand you, Parker."

She was thrown aback by this confession. Jarod never had a problem understanding anyone. "Good," she stated. "That should make it easier to catch you."

Jarod sighed. Right now, he thought she might be vulnerable, after seeing her life flash through her mind, but if she was, she was hiding it well. He had to find the right button to push. He thought for a second.

"I’m not going to give in to you, if that’s what you’re thinking," she guessed at his reason for being there. She was surprised to see that she had guessed right, judging from his reaction.

"How can you love him, give your life for him, after all he’s done to you? After all the pain he’s caused you? He’s ruined both our lives!" Jarod’s anger rose as he tried to get his point across to her.

Miss Parker’s eyes returned to their normal frozen blue as her spark was ignited from his anger towards her. "You are confusing The Centre for my father," she said slowly in a low, flat tone.

Jarod shook his head in disbelief. He was not going to get her this way. He stared at her for a moment, waiting to see if she’d melt, but decided it would be best if he left, incase the Centre was on its way to obtain him. He heaved a sign, stood up, quickly leaned over and presses a firm, but gentle kiss on her cheek, just near her mouth, turned, and left the room.

Miss Parker was about to break under his fervent gaze, when suddenly he broke it to give her a kiss and leave. She could hardly believe that he had the nerve to kiss her. He left her baffled, and that was something she hated to be.

w wwww www wwwww w ww

St. Joseph’s Hospital

Kansas City, MO

Jarod was just about to pack up his stuff and leave his last pretend when one of his colleagues rushed towards him. His face let Jarod know that whatever it was, it was urgent.

"There’s been an accident, I’ve been called to check over the victims, but there will be an OD patient coming in, could you take her before you go?"

"Of course," Jarod said, thankful he had decided not to lead Miss Parker to him this time.

Seventeen years old, Kara Malloy was rolled in by the paramedics as they filled Jarod in on her status. It was an apparent attempted suicide. These cases made Jarod especially sad. This girl was serious in her actions and near death. Jarod did what he could for her, then went out to her waiting parents and explained to them.

"She’s out of the dark now, but it will be a few days before she can leave. Have you any idea why she would do this?"

"She’s been depressed," her father stated.

"No," her mother argued, "she’s just a teenager. They are never happy with their lives. I never thought she’d resort to something like this. We have a pretty good relationship, I never saw it coming."

"You usually don’t, Mrs. Malloy. That’s why a lot of them succeed. They never show that they need help, and it all gets to be too much for them," Jarod explained.

"Can we see her?"

"Sure, but only for five minutes. It’s past hours and she really needs her sleep."

Jarod decided he would stick around a little to see if he could understand what Kara was going through. He knew it was risky, staying in one spot for so long, but he had such an urge to understand.

w wwww www wwwww w ww

The Centre

"You bozo’s ready to get back to work?" Miss Parker demanded to know as she entered the tech room where Sydney and Broots were leaning over a computer screen.

"Miss Parker," Sydney straightened and smiled. "It’s good to see you up and about. Did you have a nice vacation?"

"The best a girl could ask for," she replied negatively. "What’s new in the ‘insane asylum’?"

"Interesting you should ask," Sydney motioned towards her office. "Jarod sent you something."

Miss Parker raised an eyebrow, looked to her office, and then followed her gaze with her body. What was Wonder Boy up to now? She was still confused about the last time she had seen him in the hospital. She had since then been trying desperately to remove that memory from her mind.

Miss Parker entered her office and found a package on her desk. She ripped the box open, guessing what its contents could be. Was it something to do with her or her mother’s past? All hope vanished when she came upon the object, just another dumb clue on Jarod’s location. After reading the short note, which said, ‘A world of fun!’ she threw the object across the room and picked up her phone.

"Get a jet ready for Orlando." She slammed the receiver down. The stuffed doll of Mini Mouse smiled at her from the other side of the room. "And the hunt continues," Miss Parker stated to herself.

w wwww www wwwww w ww

Hospital

Kara woke with such a pain in her head, she felt like someone had smashed it in between elevator doors. Her eyes took awhile to adjust to the light, but when they did, she focused on a man sitting in a chair next to her bed.

"Am I dead?" She wondered out loud.

Jarod studied her for a moment, then answered.

"No, but a few hours before, you were pretty close to it."

Suddenly Kara remembered what had occurred and anger filled her.

"Who the hell are you? Why am I not dead? Where am I?"

"I am your doctor, Dr. Scope, but you can call me Jarod. You are at St. Joseph’s Hospital. I’m glad you’re awake because I have a few questions for you."

"Yeah? What?" She eyed him cynically, a surprising resemblance to a look he would get from Parker.

"Do you remember why you are here?"

"Yeah. I tried to kill myself."

"Do you know why?"

"Ha!" Kara laughed at the question. "What idiot would kill themselves without reason?"

Jarod looked her in the eye and tenderly asked, "Why then?"

Kara backed away as if to protect herself. Jarod could see her retreat into herself and knew what was coming. He had seen the same in Parker a million times.

"I’m not gonna tell you."

"Do you remember how you got here?"

"No. What is this? 20 questions?"

Jarod was confused for a moment, but moved on.

"Well, you’re going to have to go through counseling, so you should get used to the questions."

"What’s your deal anyway? Why do you care?"

"I don’t know. I guess it’s just my curse. But I do. Do you believe me?"

Kara started into the man’s eyes and sighed.

"My life is one big mess." She knew she was walking out on a plank here, but she needed to unload a little, and something about this man made it seem all right, thought that was near impossible for her to find in a man. "And it just seems to be getting worse," she continued. "I didn’t know what else to do."

"Did you ever try to talk to anyone? Your mom said you two have a good relationship."

"My mom’s got enough of her own problems. So does everyone else. I needed a friend to listen to me, but no one wanted the job. I had nowhere else to go."

"I will listen to you," Jarod assured her softly. He cringed at her reaction.

"Are you kidding?" She went back behind her wall. "I don’t know you at all. I’m not about to tell a total stranger my life’s problems. I want to sleep now, so please leave," she ordered, then put her back to Jarod and pulled the sheets up over her.

Jarod’s head was racing with ideas as he left the room.

w wwww www wwwww w ww

Disney World

Miss Parker angrily paced the director of entertainment’s office in Disney World, Sydney and Broots leaning in the back, watching her, but trying not to look like it. She was sick of hearing Disney tunes, seeing Disney characters everywhere she turned, and pissed that the director was making her wait. The hot weather was doing nothing to help her mental state.

Finally, a balding, roly-poly of a man in his late forties walked in with a smile that faded with one glare from Miss Parker. The room suddenly seemed hot and stuffy. He offered his hand to the angry woman in his office, only to have it ignored.

"Wha…what can I do for you?" His voice shook with nervousness.

Miss Parker glared at him in disgust for a moment longer, then shoved a picture of Jarod in his face.

"Have you seen this man?" she demanded to know, desperately craving a cigarette.

The man studied the picture, then shook his head.

"Are you sure?" she barked out the question. "He was not employed here?"

"Never seen him in my life. Oh, wait a second." The man studied the picture harder. "Isn’t that that doctor who saved all those children over in Missouri? Yeah, I bet that’s him," he looked up at the woman before him with a triumphant smile.

"Excuse me?" Miss Parker blinked hard. She had no idea what he was talking about.

"Yeah, we donated money to help his fund. He sent us a picture of him and the children with thanks…. Here, I have the picture right…."

Miss Parker grabbed the picture from the man’s hands. Sure enough, she looked down to find Jarod grinning at her.

"Son of a bitch!" She wanted to rip the picture, but instead she shoved it back at the man and left his office without a word.

To Be Continued...

Jarod’s Cabin

"We’re going to have to give you a name," Jarod suggested to his "son" while they ate Pez together. "Jarod just won’t work."

"I agree."

"Hmm, how about Matt?"

"Matt sounds fine. Could I have some ice cream?"

Jarod smiled at Matt. The boy was catching on quickly, just as he had, about all the fine things in life.

"Of course! But I need to talk to you about something."

"Sure, what is it?"

"I don’t want you following in my footsteps out here in the free world. I want you to have a childhood, one that I never got to have. I’ve asked my dad to take care of you. We’ll still see each other, it’s just that I have to move around so much with what I do, and I think we have a better chance at avoiding the Centre if we split."

"But what will I do? I can’t go to school, I can’t make any friends, I will never be free!" Matt exclaimed painfully.

"No, not as long as the Centre still exists, but I’m working on that. You can have a better life out here than in the Centre, though. My dad will teach you everything you need to know. You too can learn from each other."

Charles walked in then, hoping Jarod had explained the situation to the boy. He shot Jarod a questioning look. Jarod nodded his head.

"Dad, meet Matt."

"Fits you perfectly," Charles said with a smile.

Matt tried to look happy.

"It will take awhile, Matt, but you’ll get used to it, and soon you will be able to enjoy all life, outside the Centre, has to offer. I have to go now. I will keep in touch with you two."

"So soon?" Charles was sad to hear his son was leaving all ready.

"Duty calls, Dad."
Jarod gave the two each a strong hug, giving Matt a good supply of Pez and other candy.

"That should hold you for awhile. Then Dad can get you more."

Then he grabbed his bag and left, trying not to look back.


Hospital
Kansas City, MO

Kara sat in her bed, staring blankly at the TV bolted to the wall in her room. She wished she could leave. There was nothing to do in this place, and no one bothered to visit, except Jarod. The man had her baffled. She felt like he really cared about her, not like the psychiatrist that she had been sent to see a couple times. The psychiatrist was just doing her job. But Jarod, he was different.

When she heard the familiar sounds of her doctor entering the room, she turned eagerly from the TV with a smile on her face.

"Hey Doc!"

"Hello Kara, how you feeling today?"

"Better, now that someone came to visit me."

"I’m glad I can bring some happiness into your life," Jarod said.

"Tell me another story please, Jarod?" Kara was desperate for company.

"Hmm, only if you answer a question first."

"Depends on the question. You can ask it, but I’m not promising to answer it."

"That’s fair." Jarod looked at her with seriousness and compassion. "Do you think you will try again?"

Kara knew exactly what he was asking and thought about it for awhile.

"I don’t know. I used to think that I never would, but here I am, right? So, I suppose it would be a possibility, even if I had said no. It would be nice not to feel like I do most of the time. I just don’t see any way to stop it. I can’t help it, Jarod."

Jarod studied her and knew that there was not much he could do for her if she would not confide in him. Maybe he could get her to talk with someone else….

"One time, when I was a kid, about nine years old, I got my first kiss. It was a special kiss, you see, because it came unexpectedly, from the first girl I had ever seen."

"Did I ever tell you that your stories are strange, Jarod?"

"I grew up in a strange place. Now, let me continue!"



Centre Plane
In the air

"Don’t you think we should get a sweeper team to meet us?" Broots asked Miss Parker, cautiously, trying not to step on any toes.

Miss Parker studied Broots for a moment and secretly reveled at the sight of his squirming under her gaze.

"Do you doubt my decisions, Boots?"

Broots swallowed hard and replied quickly, "No, no, Miss Parker, I was just…"

"Just what? Making a suggestion?" She sighed with annoyance. "We don’t even know if he’s still there. He most likely has already moved on, and if we can avoid involving a sweeper team, the better."

Sydney turned his head towards his two quarrelling colleagues and entered the conversation.

"If you think that’s he’s probably not going to be there, why are we wasting out time?"

Miss Parker turned a slightly softer glare to Sydney. "Anything is better than nothing, Syd. Too bad we have to even waste time to stop at the Centre. Daddy said it was urgent, though. I don’t know why he couldn’t just tell me over the phone."

The Centre

Miss Parker knocked on her father’s door, at his request, hoping to get whatever this was over soon so she could go after Jarod. As far as her father knew, they were just following up on a lead, that there was no chance of Jarod being there.

"Come in!" Her father’s voice was uncharacteristically upbeat.

"Daddy?" Miss Parker walked in cautiously; taking in the sigh that greeted her. "What?"

"Surprise!" Her father said with not much giddiness, but a hint of excitement was in his voice. With him were Brigitte and Lyle.

"What is this?" Miss Parker was completely baffled. Her father was holding a present in his hands.

"Brigitte thought it would be nice if we all got together to surprise you with a sort of, ‘Thank you’ gathering. Here," he pushed the present towards her. "I got you a little something."

Miss Parker could not hide her disbelief. What was Brigitte up to? She took the present and cautiously opened it, trying to make sense of this whole deal. The box contained a blazer and shirt, exactly the same as what she was wearing when she got shot.

"It’s to replace the ones that got ruined, when you saved my life. It was Brigitte’s idea. I can’t thank you enough, Angel!" Mr. Parker gave his daughter a swift hug.

"Thanks, Daddy," Miss Parker asked, unsure of what to say.

"Don’t thank me, thank your mother. It was all her idea."

Miss Parker looked over to a glowing Brigitte with confusion evident on her face. She said nothing.

"You’re welcome, honey," Brigitte stated, unaffected by the lack of caring in Miss Parker’s expression.

"Can I go now, Daddy?"

"Sure you can, Angel. But, I want you to join us for dinner in two hours. So, go home and get changed!"

Damn. Now she wouldn’t be able to get to Jarod until tomorrow. She really did not feel like wining and dining with Brigitte and Lyle. Her father alone would have been fine, but the other two just ruined everything. Miss Parker left her fathers office, disappointed.

********

Miss Parker walked back into her father’s office, without knocking this time. He was at his desk with two other men. Their conversation ceased before she could overhear anything.

"I’m ready, Daddy."

"Oh, Angel, I meant to call you."

Miss Parker could guess what was coming next. She didn’t even need to hear it, and would have been just as happy leaving without the words being said, but she stayed for her father’s benefit.

"We’ll have to do it another time, something very crucial has come up. You understand, don’t you?"

"Yes, Daddy," Miss Parker was already thinking about the bottle of scotch that was going to be her company for the night and she walked out of her father’s office.


Jarod’s Apartment
Kansas City

Jarod received an email from Angelo warning him that Parker would be on her way soon. He wasn’t quite sure what to do. He wasn’t ready to leave Kara; he had not solved anything for her yet. She was still reluctant to tell anyone about what she was going through or what brought her to this point. He decided that he would just have to hide out this time, with an emergency escape plan. It was a big risk, but he could not abandon Kara. Maybe she could even help him a bit on this one.


Hospital

"What do you want, Doc? I’m not answering any of your questions, if you’ve come up with a list of more," Kara said playfully to Jarod after he walked into her room.

"No, I’ve come to say goodbye. I’ve been here too long and it’s about time I get out of here."

"You on the run Doc? Some malpractice charges?" Kara toyed with Jarod.

"So eager to doubt my good nature! Unfortunately, you’re half-right. Some bad people are trying to kidnap me so they can exploit my abilities."

"Sounds serious. Boy, if you’re that great of a doctor, I wonder how my parents can afford you."

"Well, that’s another thing. Their organization donated the money unknowingly to help your parents out. They will be ten times angrier when they find out." Jarod’s pager went off. "I bet you that’s them right now."

"Are you trapped? How will you get out?" Kara tried to hide her concern.

Jarod studied Kara for a moment. "Would you like to help?"

"What do you want me to do?"

********

Miss Parker was not feeling good, after finishing most of the new bottle of scotch last night, and felt no remorse if she ran anyone over on her way to get Jarod. The orderly standing behind the desk in front of her was a good candidate, especially after he informed her that Jarod was still there. She hated people with a passion that got in her way.

"Dr. Scope is probably talking with one of his patients, he’s not answering his page. You’ll have to wait."

Broots felt sorry for the orderly, he had no idea he had buried himself just now.

"You want me to wait?" Miss Parker sad coldly, with death in her voice.

The orderly did not know quite what to say he seemed ready to run.

"Uh, or I could tell you where he was last headed," the man offered with pain in his voice.

"Uh, that would be good," Miss Parker dispassionately made fun of the man. She would have enjoyed this, if the man hadn’t been wasting precious time.

Broots and Sydney stayed behind to make sure the orderly stayed calm and did not call the police while Miss Parker went to investigate in the direction the orderly had sent her. She found the room and entered without knocking. There was a girl sitting up in bed watching TV. She turned her head to see who had entered.

"That’s a door," Kara pointed to the now open door of her room. "When they’re closed, you knock on them," she explained as if the woman before her was a slow learner. Then she turned her attention to the TV.

Miss Parker surveyed the room. No sign of Jarod. She ignored the blunt words of the teenager.

"Where’s your doctor?"

Kara looked Miss Parker over. "I don’t think he’s the kind of doctor you need. You should try the psycho ward."

The words had little effect on Miss Parker. A teenager could never intimidate her. Especially now that she had her gun out.

"Someone should slap that smart mouth of yours," Miss Parker pointed the gun at the girl. "Now, tell me where Jarod is."

"Or what? You’re going to shoot me? Have you any idea what brought me here in the first place?"

Miss Parker picked up the girl’s chart at the end of the bed. In red ink was written "suicide watch." Great. She wasn’t going to get anything out of this twerp. She put her gun away.

"Have you any idea where he is?"

Kara rolled her eyes and glared at Miss Parker. "He left 20 minutes ago. Said that some people were looking for him and he wanted to play ‘hard to get.’ That’s all I know."

Miss Parker looked directly into the girl’s eyes. She didn’t flinch.

"So, why’d you kill yourself?"

The question came quite unexpected to Kara. She was stunned.

"Did your parents refuse to give you the car you wanted?" Miss Parker was fishing for anger and was pleased to get the result she wanted.

"Immediately you assume I’m a spoiled brat?" Kara flushed with anger.

Miss Parker smiled devilishly.

"Brat is right."

"I am neither! It’s not my fault men can’t keep their dirty hands off me!"

Kara’s eyes widened at the realization of what had just slipped out of her mouth.

Miss Parker’s smile faded. She did not want to hear that. She turned and left the room.

Kara stared after the retreating woman and started to cry.

Jarod walked in a few minutes later. He had heard everything from the next room. He sat with Kara and held her.

**********

"Anything, Miss Parker?" Broots asked, back at the front desk.

"No," she answered shortly, avoiding eyes.

"No sign of Jarod at all?" Sydney found it hard to believe.

"Nothing, now, let’s get out of here."

Sydney sensed there was something wrong, but he did not push it. If Parker wanted to fill him in, she would do it in her own time.

**********

Jarod silently sat with Kara and let her cry. He would wait until she spoke first.

"Jarod?" She spoke quietly. "Do you know that woman?"

"Yes," he admitted. "We used to be friends. Why?"

"There was something in her eyes, when I opened my big mouth. I could have sworn it was recognition."

Jarod understood, but, at the same time, was confused.

"What are you saying, Kara?" He almost did not want to admit it.

"I’m saying that the same damn thing must have happened to her."

After Kara had calmed down, Jarod got up and left the room. He had a phone call to make. He’d have to wait until tonight, but in the meantime, he needed to think.

Miss Parker’s Home

Another night in the company of alcohol. She was definitely going to ruin herself. Why did she have to push that girl? All sorts of memories rushed back to her at the thought, which she tried to drown out with her drink. It was going to be another long and rough night.

A thought occurred to her the first time that night. What if Jarod was there and had overheard? No, she dismissed it. He would not have stuck around, knowing they were there. That would be too risky for him.

Miss Parker drank until she passed out. She never heard the phone ringing.

To Be Continued...

Hospital

Jarod entered Kara’s room the next morning.

"I thought you might like some company," he pulled an object out from behind his back, "and perhaps some entertainment?"

"Checkers!" Her face lit up and she moved so Jarod could sit on the bed with her and place the game in between them. "It’s been so long since I’ve played!"

"This will be my first time, but I’m a quick learner."

"When do you think I will be able to leave, Jarod?" Kara asked as they set up the board.

"I believe that you will probably get out of here tomorrow morning."

"I’m gonna miss you," Kara said softly, almost as if she didn’t want anyone to hear.

"I’m going to miss you too, Kara. You go first."

*********

"I won!" Kara exclaimed and gleamed as Jarod tried to figure out how it had happened. He had never lost a game in his life. Maybe he just wasn’t concentrating.

"You sure did!" Jarod was more excited for her because he knew that she had accomplished something he had previously thought impossible. He looked up at her with concern in his eyes, trying to keep Kara from hiding at his next question.

"Kara, are you sure you do not want to talk to me about anything? It helps a lot to talk about these things. The psychiatrist says that you really don’t disclose much with her. I’m worried about you."
Kara did not hide behind her wall, but she wasn’t about to give everything away.

"Jarod, I really don’t feel comfortable talking about it with you. I mean, I like you, and I believe you, possibly trust you, some, but I just...can’t. I’m sorry." She put her head down and tried to stop the tears.

Jarod lifted her head with his hand and wiped away the tear that had fallen.

"Don’t be sorry. I understand and I respect that. You don’t have to cry. Maybe there’s someone else you would talk to? If not the psychiatrist or me?"

Kara didn’t know if he could make her secret wish come true, but it was worth a shot. She could still vividly picture the look in that woman’s eyes, which came looking for Jarod, the moment before she left.

"That little girl, in your stories? Miss Parker? Is she the one who came looking for you?"

"Yes, it was. Why?" Jarod was hoping Kara would ask.

"I’d like to talk to her, I think."

Jarod tried to hide his smile as not to alarm Kara.

"Well, I’ll see what I can do. But, I won’t be able to be here anymore, if she comes."

"Will I ever see you again?" Kara was saddened by the realization that she would have to give up Jarod to get Miss Parker.

"It’s possible."

"Good bye, Jarod. Thank you." Kara tried her hardest not to cry.

"Good bye, Kara," Jarod answered warmly and slipped out of her room. He had a phone call to make.

*********

Miss Parker, strewn about her bed, tangled in her covers, was having a nightmare about her school days. This bell just kept on ringing and ringing, until finally she gained consciousness and realized it was her phone.

"What?" The voice on the other end was, as usual, ready to kill.

"Good morning, Miss Parker," Jarod’s voice was sickeningly cheerful. "Did I wake you?"

"I’m going to KILL you, Jarod, if you’re not calling with information on your whereabouts." She spat out.

"Sorry, can’t help you there, Miss Parker. I do have a question for you, though. Did you dig up some ghosts from the past yesterday?" Jarod coolly asked.

"What do you know, Jarod?"

"It seems that you have something in common with my friend Kara. Am I right?"

"You would just love to be, wouldn’t you, Jarod?" Miss Parker accused with venom. "To think that you finally found my weakness? Well, you’re wrong, you jerk."

Jarod was silent for a moment.

"I just care, Parker. Believe it or not, I do."

"As you said," Miss Parker answered more calmly, "they are ghosts from the past. Put away and forgotten long ago. No need to worry about me, Jarod. You just worry about yourself and just how much time you have left out in the free world before I catch you." Her cold tone was returning.

"They may be ghosts from the past, Parker, but they still haunt your future." Jarod warned.

"I have a question for you, Jarod," Miss Parker shot out before he could hang up.

"And what would that be?"

"What the hell was that kiss all about?" She demanded to know without thinking.

The phone was silent. Miss Parker tried to read it, but her head was still ringing.

"Just a caring gesture, Miss Parker," Jarod finally answered and hung up.

Miss Parker went back to sleep, trying to forget the whole conversation.

********

Hospital

Kara was restless in her hospital bed; she just wanted to leave. No one but her parents bothered to visit her. Some friends she had. She was deep in self-pity over her terrible friends when the unexpected knock came on the door.

"Yeah?" She was a little hopeful.

A familiar face peered around the door and then entered the room. Kara was disappointed.

"Dr. Scope is not here any longer. He left yesterday and that’s all I know, so leave me alone," she said bitterly.

"I’m here to see you, if that’s all right," Miss Parker spoke softly.

"Oh." Kara was a bit curious now. This woman had completely changed from a hard, powerful, bitter person to a seemingly soft and caring woman.

"I brought you some candy," Miss Parker handed over the bag of gummy bears to Kara. "Figured they’d be more useful than flowers."

"Thanks."

Miss Parker’s eyes wandered nervously around the room in the awkward silence.

"What do you want with Jarod?"

"Maybe this was a bad idea."

The words were spoken simultaneously, but Miss Parker picked up in a heartbeat.

"That’s none of your concern," she stated harshly.

"Are you really out to get him? He said you wanted to kidnap him," Kara pressed on.

"You can’t kidnap what belongs to you," Miss Parker simply stated.

"Are you his mother?" Kara asked cynically.

"I represent his creator- that’s more than you need to know."

"Why are you here?"

Miss Parker glared at the girl (if looks could kill).

"I’d like to know myself." Then she turned and left the room.

To her own surprise, Kara started crying. She didn’t mean to make the woman leave. Kara so desperately wanted to talk with her. Maybe the woman could help her somehow. Now it was too late. This afternoon she would be out of this hospital and never see the woman again.




The Centre

"You went back to Missouri?"

"Just a follow-up on Jarod, Syd. No need to get your panties in a bunch. Nothing worth anything came up."

"That’s what the sweepers are for."

"Yeah, well, every now and then you have to make sure they are doing their jobs. Get off my case."

"Is something bothering you Parker?"

"What ever gave you that idea?" She slammed her office door in his face. Jarod would pay for this. He will pay for all the problems he has caused her, and there were a great many. If it weren’t for him, she would still feel secure in her world, happy with her life, content with herself. That bastard will pay.

Honolulu, Hawaii

Jarod felt it was time to take a little break and do some research. He felt dumb that he never knew this about Miss Parker, that she was possibly abused. He hated not knowing and he felt he should help her deal with it, since she obviously hadn’t yet. Right now, he had some digging to do, and he felt it was time Parker had a vacation as well.

To Be Continued...

Honolulu, Hawaii

Miss Parker shuffled through the objects Jarod had left behind in his last lair- a beach house in Honolulu. She was beginning to wonder why she bothered. He rarely left anything she didn’t already know- and if she didn’t, it was useless. He kept the important stuff to himself, so he could harass her over the phone when she least needed it. What a typical male.

"There’s nothing here," she finally admitted to her team and made a motion to go.

Broots just finished a conversation with their pilot and turned an ashen face to Miss Parker.

"What is it Broots?" She didn’t really want to know.

"Uh, the pilot says," he tried to defer her wrath on him for being the messenger, "we’re stuck here for at least two hours. There’s a storm coming in quickly and it’s impossible to fly in."

"Well, that’s just great!" Her disapproval and anger seething through her mouth. She threw the Pez dispenser that was in her hand across the room to emphasize her emotions. "Let’s get to town at least, before it hits. I’m starving and lunch is on the Centre." She walked to the door and stepped outside.

Broots and Sydney exchanged glances and silently wondered where her anger had gone.

Miss Parker realized the two men had not moved to follow. She stuck her head back inside and sweetly asked with a raised eyebrow, "Coming, boys?"

Broots swallowed the lump that suddenly formed in his throat. An image of a cat playing with a mouse before he ate it popped into his head. He just looked over to Sydney for reassurance and found a smile on the older man’s face. He might have even laughed as he passed by Broots on the way to the door.

**************

Jarod planned everything perfectly with his last pretend. He knew Hawaii held a special place in Miss Parker’s heart- it was the last place she and her mom had vacationed at before the death of Mrs. Parker. Miss Parker had talked fondly of the place for hours with Jarod. The memories brought a smile to his face. He thought it was time for a trip down memory lane for Miss Parker as well.

He planned it perfectly and was absolutely thrilled that the storm was cooperating with him. He figured she would be delayed a couple of hours- not as long of a vacation she needed, but it was a start. He also knew it was about as much time she would allow for with her temper.

Right now, though, he had to focus on his pretend.

*********

The three had been in the restaurant for about an hour, enjoying the delicious food. Broots and Sydney filled the silence with talk of Hawaii’s history, sports, and current tourism. Then Sydney turned the conversation to Miss Parker.
"Have you been here before, Miss Parker?"

Up until then, Miss Parker had been lost in her memories of her childhood vacation with her mom. She had only heard bits and pieces of the present conversation.

"What?" She turned her attention to Sydney.

"Does this restaurant hold a special value to you?"

"You remember, Syd?" She asked, just a bit surprised. She had told Sydney and Jarod about Hawaii a thousand times; so many times that Sydney had begged her to stop, while Jarod begged to hear more. She figured Sydney just had too much on his mind to be listening to her stories.

"Of course. You only told me about a million times."

"I didn’t think you were actually listening."

"A psychiatrist always listens."

Broots was completely lost and had hoped something in the conversation would clue him in. He was then distracted, though, by the silence.

"Hey," he was happy to report the good news. "It stopped raining!"

Both Sydney and Miss Parker looked out the window to find the sky clearing. Miss Parker looked at her watch.

"It only lasted an hour and a half," disappointment dancing in her voice.

"Only?" Broots was confused again and looked to Miss Parker for an answer, but she was deep in concentration.

"You guys go ahead."

"What?!" The words escaped his mouth before he could stop them, his surprise evident. "Uh, I mean, uh, why aren’t you going with us?"

Miss Parker was unfazed by his reaction and simply answered, "I have some things to check out. Tell anyone who asks that I’m following up on Jarod here while you two are doing it from the Centre. Expect me back later today. I’ll call for the jet when I’m ready." With that, she got up and walked off, leaving Broots clueless.

"What’s the deal, Syd?"

"Parker and her mother vacationed here once. She’s just remembering.

*********

Jarod cursed when he heard the storm was through in just an hour and a half. So much for Parker’s relaxation. He’d have to call her later to see if she got anything out of it. He thought the ripe old hour of two or three in the morning would do it.

********

Miss Parker had been alone in Hawaii for two hours when she finally admitted to herself that it was time to go. She grudgingly dialed for the Centre jet and headed to the airfield. It was amazing how she could relax here and she silently thanked Jarod. She knew this was not all a coincidence. Perhaps the man knew her better than she accredited him.
A deep rumble and tremor distracted her thoughts and all too suddenly, the world in front of her turned to chaos. She was stuck in an earthquake.

Pieces of rock began to pail down on her car and buildings began to fall. This was a big one. Suddenly, a rock crashed through her windshield, just missing her head. Her only thought was that she had to get out of there. Panicking, she opened the car door and frantically looked for a place to hide. She saw an overpass and thought it just as good as a doorway- possibly even better. She ran for it, dodging rocks. Her thoughts were now scattered, but one came through- she had to survive. She sat and hugged her knees, waiting for the fear and trembling to pass. She never suspected the rock that hit and knocked her out.

**********
"She WHAT?" Jarod had heard about the earthquake and called to make sure everyone was back at the Centre- glad that the storm had been as short as it was. Until Sydney informed him that Parker was still there. Now, for the first time in years, panic crept into his heart.

"Jarod, we lost contact with her an hour ago. She called for a Centre jet just before it struck. What if she’s hurt- or worse?"

"Does anyone else know?" Jarod was not about to go to the rescue, only to be dragged back to the Centre.

"No, Mr. Parker has been in a meeting in the Tower all day. No one has seen him or anyone of high statue since the meeting started. There is no way to contact him." Sydney realized Jarod’s fear.

"I’m on my way," Sydney sighed when the line clicked and went dead. All he could do was hope that Jarod could find Miss Parker without any trouble from her or the Centre.

*********

Jarod wondered for a second if this could be a trap. But he was certain, from the tone of Sydney’s concerned voice that it was not. Soon he was on his way to Hawaii to pretend he was part of a search and rescue team.

When he got there, he cursed himself for putting Miss Parker here at possibly the worst time. If she were no longer alive, it would be entirely his fault.

He had found out what car she had rented and started looking for that, helping people along the way. There were trees uprooted, boulders all over the roads, and houses in ruin. Kids were crying, mothers were screaming for their children and husbands, and S&R team members rushing around, trying to help everyone.

After two hours of searching, he found what remained of the car. It was smashed under concrete. If Miss Parker was in there, Jarod didn’t want to think about that. She had enough sense to get out of her car. Didn’t she? Jarod looked around at what Miss Parker had seen as her options. The most obvious and possibly the only available one was under an overpass. The thing had buckled in the middle and there was a mountain of concrete, but perhaps she was in there.
He ran over to the hopeless pile of cement and called out her name.

"Parker! Are you in there?"

There was no answer, but Jarod had to be sure. He started to pull away the rocks one by one until he came upon a leg- one unmistakable Parker leg. Jarod, relieved he had found her, but worried she was dead, removed debree more quickly and pulled Miss Parker free. By the looks of it, she was unconscious with a blow to the head, a broken leg, and multiple fractures in her arm. Her face was scratched up and blood seemed to be all over, though Jarod did not believe there was major blood loss. She was not going to be a happy camper when she woke up. Hopefully Jarod would be long gone. Jarod looked around for an ambulance, but could not see one right away.

The form in his arms started moving, then cried out in pain. Jarod had to get her to the hospital immediately.

Miss Parker looked up at the man who was carrying her. He looked vaguely familiar.

"Jarod?"

"Just keep your eyes closed and we’ll be at the hospital real soon. Try not to think about the pain." He tried to persuade her.

"You got any scotch on you?" She choked out. Jarod was amazed at how cynical she could be while in seemingly terrible states. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Hey," she noticed his worried expression. "Thanks, Jarod," she said and passed out.

Jarod just stared at her face, memorizing every detail, analyzing the damage. Though he usually wished she’d be this quiet, he yearned to hear her pass out insults. The Parker in his arms was no longer the tough, sturdy, invincible woman he ran from every day. The thought frightened him.

"Hey! Jarod! You find somebody?" One of the team members came up to Jarod to see if he needed help. "Whoa! You found yourself quite a catch there, buddy! She alive?"

"Yeah, she’s just unconscious. We’ve got to get her to a hospital fast."

"I’ll say. Here, there’s an ambulance over this way," the man directed Jarod towards the nearest ambulance.

**********

"You found her?" Sydney was so relieved. "Is she all right?" His concern genuine.

"Yeah, she’s got some broken bones- will be laid up for a little while, which, you and I both know, won’t make her too happy, but other than that, she’s fine." Jarod looked over to the bed where her still form lay, in a drug induced sleep. The doctor said it would be best for the pain she was in. The poor doc was probably going to be the first to lose his head when she woke.

"Will you be leaving?" Sydney’s question cut through Jarod’s thoughts.

"Sydney, you know I can’t stay."

"Yeah. I know. Thank you, Jarod."

"If you stay away, I may be able to check on her every now and then."

"What should we tell her father?"

"He probably won’t even notice she’s missing," Jarod pointed out, anger rising in his voice.

"I’ll think of something should the situation arise. Please, be with her as much as you can. She needs you."

There was a silent pause, then the line went dead. Jarod had to leave Parker to finish the pretend he started, but he decided he better come back to check on her. The doctor wasn’t sure about her head injury quite yet. Perhaps he should stay just until she woke, and he could explain to her what was going on. He didn’t think it best for her to wake up and not have a familiar face around.

Jarod walked over to the bed, moving a chair next to it. He too her hand closest to him and sat in the chair, to watch over her for the night.

*****

Next morning

Miss Parker wondered if she had gotten into the alcohol again from the way she was feeling, when she realized where she was. She tried not to move too much because it caused so much pain, but she felt something in her hand. She looked over with her eyes and found someone sleeping next to her bed, holding her hand. It took her a minute to recognize the form slumped in the chair and her natural reaction was to pull her hand away. This caused Jarod to jump and he was halfway to the door before he remembered where he was. He stopped himself and turned around to find a smug Miss Parker lying awake in her bed.

"I’m glad you find me so entertaining," he accused her.

"You’ve got some reflexes," she pointed out.

"Yeah, four years of running will do that to a person," he stated cynically, then softened his voice. "How are you?"

"Depends. Are you here to turn yourself in?"

That was Parker, Jarod thought. Always business.
"Not a chance in hell."

"I don’t suppose anyone from the Centre knows where we are?" Miss Parker did not know quite how to handle the situation. She was trying to figure out what Jarod was doing here. If anyone, she would have wished her father, but expected Sydney.

"Nope."

"Great. Does this mean that I’m stuck with you until I’m able to get some sweepers over here?"

"You don’t sound too grateful, Miss Parker. I can leave you here, alone, if you’d like."

"No," she replied, "I need someone to beat up when I get the urge. You’ll do just fine. In fact, I feel one coming on right now. Why don’t you step a little closer?"

"My, grandma, what big teeth you have!" Jarod laughed. The sly look he received from Parker only made him laugh harder. The whole situation was too much for either of them to bear, and Miss Parker let out a laugh as well.

"Oh, my gosh!" Jarod was astonished. "What was that that just came out of your mouth?!"

Miss Parker looked at him, confused for a moment, then realizing what he was referring to; she shot him one of her famous looks.

"Did you drug me, Jarod?" She accused. What else could be wrong with her? She was laughing with Jarod. Had she gone insane?

"No, Parker, you did that of your own free will." Jarod left the room to give her space to think. Maybe he could convince her to leave the Centre. She had actually laughed with him. Jarod was hopeful.

Miss Parker was confused. This part about Jarod she never understood. She made his life a living hell, making him constantly look over his shoulder. She represented everything he hated and wished to destroy. Yet, here he was, trying to comfort her and just be a familiar face since no one else seemed to care. She knew that Sydney and Broots probably did, but if they were here, so would the Centre be, and that was something Jarod would not allow. Was he perhaps trying to get something from her? She hoped he would not ask her about her "ghosts" again. It was something she kept hidden from everyone and for a good reason.

Shortly he returned with food, which Miss Parker looked at with distaste.

"I know it doesn’t look good, but it doesn’t taste all that bad and you need the energy, if you plan on getting any better." Jarod placed the trey on her lap. "I have to go work on some unfinished business," he explained, hoping she would not ask too many questions.

"A pretend?" She was perceptive.

"Yeah, but I’ll come back when I’m done."

Miss Parker looked at him, trying to figure out his actions.
"Why?" Maybe there was something wrong with him. It seemed insane that he would come back. She could have a sweeper team waiting to take him home. Miss Parker did not like this at all. It seemed Jarod was becoming unpredictable.
"Because I promised Sydney I’d look out for you while you were immobile. I’ve got a few things I’d like to talk with you about anyway."

"What makes you think I want to talk to you?" She could see that her words stung and a feeling of uneasiness flowed in her heart. Could it be regret? Jarod was getting in her head. She needed to be away from him. "So, go."

Jarod looked at her for a moment as she began to push her food around with a fork, then left the room.

Miss Parker would never admit she was sort of sad to see him leave.

"Get a hold of yourself, Parker," she mumbled to herself. "What the hell is wrong with you? You’re acting like a child."

*********

When Jarod returned, he found the old Miss Parker back and wondered if it had smart to leave her. He was skeptical about talking her into anything now.

"What the hell do you mean I’ll be here for two more days!?" She was yelling at someone, Jarod guessed it was the poor doctor. "I’ve been here for three already, and that’s three too many. I want a real doctor. Get your sorry ass out of my room!" Something bang against the wall as the doctor came flying out of the room. He almost ran into Jarod.

"I see she’s feeling better," Jarod commented to the flushed doctor.

"Man, I hope she’s not your girlfriend or anything," the doctor was ready to sympathize with the man he recognized as her only visitor. It was no wonder to him, though he was surprised anyone would bother to visit her.

Jarod smiled at the doctor and patted him on the shoulder. "Don’t worry," he reassured the man, "you won’t have to see her at her worst."

The doctor’s eyes widened as he shook his head and walked off to check on his other patients.

Jarod walked in the room with a smug look on his face.
"Oh, great, I ask for a real doctor and they send me Frankenboy." Miss Parker stated, though she was happy to see a familiar face, even if it was Jarod’s.

"You really shouldn’t get yourself so worked up, Miss Parker. It’s not good for you to have a high blood pressure right now."

"Shut up." She ordered. "I’m tired of you telling me what I should or shouldn’t do. What are you doing here?"

"I told you I was coming back."

"Yeah, well," Miss Parker could not think of anything to say, and this caused a smile to grow across Jarod’s mouth. "I hate you, Jarod."

"Come, now, Miss Parker. No need to be hostile. I only care about your wellbeing."

"Gee, where have I heard that before? Oh, yes, where is the heart of chocolates? How about a kiss?" She asked with acid in her voice.

Jarod’s smile faded to Miss Parker’s delight, and she gloated. Then something stopped her. She was tired. She knew it was useless putting up her usual front for Jarod because he always saw right through it. No matter how hard she tried, he knew she was not the person everyone else saw her as.
"Well, I just would like to know what it was all about." Her softened voice caught Jarod’s attention. Had she given up pretending for him? Usually it took a few witted words from him to get past her front.

"You would never understand, as long as you deny that we were ever friends."

Why couldn’t he ever let the past go? Always talking about how they used to be friends.

"I’m not even going to bother asking you why you’re here or why you care. You’ve got illusions, Jarod, if you think that things could ever be different."

"That’s where you’re wrong," Jarod stated stubbornly. "It’s as easy as walking away."

Miss Parker laughed. "Jarod, you’re talking about the Centre. No one walks away from the Centre! You should know that, you experience the effects every day. As long as you’re out here, I’m stuck in there. Your freedom for mine. That was the deal."

"Have you ever stopped to realize that you are trying to undo everything your mother died for?"

"This has nothing to do with my mother!"

"It has everything to do with your mother. You know exactly why she was killed. She was trying to save me, as well as you. By continuing what you are doing, you might as well have been the one who pulled the trigger." Jarod was surprised at what he had said, and knew instantly by the look on Parker’s face he had gone too far. She looked like she was going to jump up and kill him with her bear hands. Then she faltered, and a strange sound escaped her throat. She turned away quickly, and Jarod realized she was crying.
"Oh, Parker, I’m sorry," his heart broke to see her like this and to know he was the cause of it. He never meant to hurt her. He just wanted her to see with clear eyes for once. Jarod tried to hold her, but she pushed him away. She began to shake more and Jarod wanted to comfort her, but her did not know how.

Jarod’s words shot straight through Miss Parker’s heart, only because she knew they were true. She had never thought about her actions in that sense, but Jarod was always good at making her see the truth. He tried to comfort her, but all she could see in her mind were all the men who had hurt her in her life, including her father. Especially her father. Through it all, though, she knew that Jarod was different from all of them. He had never hurt her. He only made her see the truth about everyone else. She turned to him then and buried her face in his chest. His arms felt good around her. Strong and protecting. Everything she had ever asked her father to be, but he never cared enough about her. Sydney had tried, but it didn’t feel the same as it did, coming from Jarod. If only he knew all of her secrets. Surly he would not love her, as he seemed to now.

Jarod felt he should tell Miss Parker that he loved her and everything was going to be all right. Just as he was about to, he heard her speak through her tears.

"I know, Jarod. I know." She didn’t need to hear him say it; she could feel everything, as if he were opening himself and letting her look into his heart. She wished she could do the same for him, but there were too many things blocking the way.

They sat on her bed, in each other’s arms, comforting each other, clinging on to reality until Jarod felt Miss Parker’s grip loosen, and he realized she had fallen asleep. Gently, he laid her head down on the pillow and tucked the sheets around her. He kissed her gently on the forehead and sat down in the chair next to her for the night. He knew it would take some time, but Jarod believed that he would eventually get her to open up to him. She had to learn to trust him, first, and realize that he would not hurt her like all of the other men had. What mattered now was that Jarod was hopeful again. She had given him a map.