Legal disclaimer: The recognizable characters of the TV-show 'The Pretender' don't belong to me but to MTM, NBC Television and 20th Century Fox. I just borrowed them. Every other character does belong to me. This story was only written and published for my pleasure and that of other fans. I don't pursue any financial interests whatsoever.



First of all I'd like to thank everybody who supported me (and will in the future, since there's more to come - so brace yourselves ;D). Big thanks to my beta readers, to Nicolette for encouraging me, to Swik for letting me use the name she chose for Miss Parker and to everyone out there who asked for this. Thanks folks!



Spoilers: Up to season 3. Just a few words... Being a Pretender junkie I try to keep up with the latest news and can't resist even the tiniest spoiler. This story, however, is not strictly canon. I left some things out and put others in. But if I were happy with the events and developments up to now I probably wouldn't be writing fan fic...



The story: A 'little' what if story. Miss Parker takes desperate measures, giving an unexpected turn not only to her own life...



Author's note: Unlike the German original the English version of this story will come in six parts so that I'll have some time to keep up with the translation - I'll be grateful for any kind of support! It may take some time for me to translate this story since it's really long and I want this translation to be as good as it can be so that I will capture the mood and the atmosphere of the original. So please be patient with me...



Note: This story is also available in German: Einsichten



Questions, suggestions, criticism, praise,... Don't hesitate! I'm looking forward to any kind of reaction - well, 'almost' any... Please just let me know what you think about this story (maybe that'll persuade me to publish some more ;D). Enjoy!









Insights

Part 1

by Miss Bit







Prologue

SL-22

The Centre

Blue Cove, Delaware

11:45 pm





There was a scary combination of sounds in the corridor that led down to a room which Lyle like to call the Hall of Truth. At first there was a low constant squealing that you'd expect to hear from a rarely used, badly oiled door. Mingled with that there was the sound of someone taking wheezing breaths.



Mr. Raines walked down the hall with his typical slow velocity until he reached the room labeled as SL-22-157. He pressed his hand on an inconspicuous square next to the door which slid open silently after that.



Mr. Lyle left his surveying point. He didn't need to follow Raines - he had other means to find out what was happening on the other side of the door. Just a few doors away there was a little chamber that used to be a recreation room for Raines' sweepers. In there Lyle had put up his equipment which enabled him to observe everything that happened in the Hall of Truth.



The Hall of Truth was Raines' private torture chamber, and Lyle had little doubt that this was the first place Jarod would be brought to once Miss Parker had managed to catch him and return him to the Centre. But that was none of his business. He had another reason for being here. And that reason was Mr. Parker.



Lyle had happened to overhear how Raines and his father had agreed on meeting down here. His distinct survival instinct told him that they were planning something, maybe even against him. This time Lyle wanted to be prepared. He turned on the devices and carefully watched the monitor.



"...but a menace to all of us", Raines was just hissing angrily. Old Parker grimaced - hard to tell whether he was annoyed or simply bored.



"She is my daughter after all, Raines."



Oh, this is not about me, Lyle thought somewhat fascinated. Apparently my sister is way up on Raines list. Such a waste.



"Since when are family bonds of any importance to you?"



"I won't give my permission just like this", Parker thundered, clearly angry now. "She will get one last chance - then you may do whatever you think to be appropriate."



"Now that's a reasonable decision", Raines wheezed mockingly, but then he continued angrily. "Your hesitating about Catherine's interference caused us a lot of trouble."



"Something like that won't happen again. You've got my word for that."



"I really hope so."



Raines turned around and walked to the door, while Lyle made an impressed sound. His sister was in a hell of a lot more trouble than he'd assumed. And she didn't even have the slightest idea about it.



***



Sydney's office

The Centre

Blue Cove, Delaware

10:21 am





"Hello, Sydney. Do you have a minute?"



"Hello, Miss Parker. What can I do for you?"



"There's something I want to ask you. It's about the Red Files."



"So it's got something to do with Jarod", Sydney concluded. Miss Parker grimaced.



"No, not really. Just in an indirect way."



"Miss Parker, you'll have to be a little more precise."



She leaned forward and looked him straight in the eye.



"I want you to help me make a simulation."



***



SL 7

The Centre

Blue Cove, Delaware

10:25 am





"Miss Parker, this is crazy."



"Thank you so much, Dr. Freud", she shot back at him.



She had known all along that Sydney wouldn't like the idea at all but that was hardly important to her. On the other hand she needed his help to do the simulation.



"You are no pretender so that trying it will be futile."



"The Red Files say something else. Syd, you know as well as I do that every child with a Red File has got a special talent. All I want is to find out if that also goes for me."



Sydney seemed to think about her point, slightly cocking his head.



"Supposing you really do have a special ability... Why has Raines never tried to exploit it?"



"Maybe because my mother protected me. Maybe the talents of the other children just seemed more valuable to him. Who knows what he thinks in that sick mind of his? Ask him, not me." Miss Parker hesitated for a moment. Her voice sounded more urgent as she went on. "Come on, Sydney. I need to be certain about this. Just one simulation. There's not much that could possibly go wrong, is there? It's not as if you were exploiting a child that doesn't even have a clue what it's doing. I'm doing this deliberately."



Sydney's reaction told her that her last remark had hit home. He still felt guilty about Jarod. It took a long while until he finally answered. He sounded frustrated.



"You asked what could go wrong. Not much if you aren't a pretender. But if you possess the gift this will be extremely dangerous. Maybe I won't be able to protect you."



She bridged the distance between them and briefly touched his shoulder.



"That's alright, Sydney. It's my risk, my responsibility. Whatever happens - it won't be your fault. Oh, one more thing. I don't mind the cameras being online, but I don't want anyone, except for you, to learn about this. My life's messed up enough - I don't need Raines to add to that."



Sydney nodded and walked over to one of the cabinets that stood in the simlab. After having opened it he looked over its contents, then took out one of the discs. Hesitantly he went back to Miss Parker. She curiously looked at the DSA in his hand.



"What's on it?" she wanted to know.



"A simulation the government asked us to do. But... the problem solved itself before Jarod had the opportunity to work on it. I guess that's why he left the disc when he escaped from here. It's not quite suitable for a first simulation..."



"Let's begin."



"Miss Parker!" She shot him a surprised look when she heard the angry edge to his voice. Usually he remained calm, even if she tried to provoke him. "This is not a game! Even Jarod needed some preparation and a special training before he could begin to simulate certain situations. This is madness."



"Sydney, I know that. But I've hardly got any time left. For how much longer do you think will the Centre tolerate our letting Jarod escape again and again? Unusual situations call for unusual methods.



Sydney looked at her for a long time before he gave in.



"There are some rules that you should know about before we will begin. Now listen to me closely..."



***



SL 7

The Centre

Blue Cove, Delaware

03:13 pm





"What do you see?"



"There are... several cars behind me. It's the police!"



"What do you think?"



"I... I don't know. I'm afraid..."



"Miss Parker, you have to concentrate! What do you think?"



She was in the middle of a simulation. The sim had appeared to be simple enough but still it caused her a lot of trouble now. It was about Ruth Stiller, a young woman who had robbed a bank almost twenty years ago. After that she'd taken her spoils and fled from the police across three different states. Apparently the robbery had been more of a spontaneous idea, that fact making her escape more difficult.



"What do you think?"



Sydney's voice entered her thoughts. Miss Parker tried to focus upon Ruth, to get a feeling for her situation as well as she could, but she still refused to open herself up.



"I'm beginning to berate myself. At the same time I'm desperately trying to find a way out of this whole mess. The police cars are closing in! I'm in panic now. I must get out of here. The car's no longer safe."



"What are you doing now?"



After having left the car Ruth had run to a little restaurant, taking several people hostage. For that she'd used the gun that she'd taken off the old safety guard back at the bank. Bit by bit the police had managed to talk her into letting all but two of the hostages go.



"Why don't you let the last two hostages go, too?"



"I'll still need them. If I let them go the police will shoot me. They must stay with me but I won't do them any harm."



"Why do you believe that the police will shoot you if you release your hostages?"



"It's... it's just a feeling."



"Miss Parker, concentrate!"



"Damnit, Sydney, I am concentrated! That's what I'm feeling right now - what she was feeling."



Inwardly she wondered if that was true. Maybe she was only feeling what she believed Ruth must have been feeling. She concentrated on breathing deeply and regularly, just like Sydney had shown her. If she didn't manage to break through the last barrier inside of her she wouldn't be able to find a connection to Ruth.



"What's happening now?"



She took the two bags which resembled the ones in which Ruth had transported her spoils. Out of its own volition her look wandered to the big mirror hanging behind the counter. Something blue flashed in it for a brief moment - and then Miss Parker suddenly lost control. For a split second she stopped being herself and became Ruth. She saw what Ruth had seen, felt what Ruth had felt, knew what Ruth had known.



An unbelievable feeling of panic took hold of her. Led by an inner voice she looked into one of the bags. Instead of money she saw some documents in it. Why had she been given these? She had only demanded the contents of the safe...



Suddenly the sound of a gun being fired broke the silence. One of the hostages screamed. The other hostage had sunk down, lifeless, hit by a lethal bullet. Stunned, Ruth stared down at her gun. Then the door flew open and armed cops stormed into the restaurant. Ruth knew what was going to happen - she had known it all along. She screamed as the first bullets hit her, until a hit right in the head silenced her forever.



***



Miss Parker screamed and screamed. Sydney was kneeling beside her on the floor, helpless, trying to calm her. Damn, he should have seen it coming! She hadn't reacted to his last questions, then, suddenly, her posture had changed. Completely stunned Sydney had observed the same miracle he'd experienced with Jarod, but the following events had been different from what he'd expected.



At first it hadn't seemed at all as if Miss Parker were letting herself get into the simulation. True, she had tried, but she simply couldn't give up her distance. Sydney had expected that. But now it almost looked like she really was a pretender.



"Miss Parker!"



He had to get through to her as soon as possible or else he might lose her. The same thing had almost happened to Jarod twice. Miss Parker had got too deep into the sim and now it was hard for her to find back into reality. Sydney had to act fast if he didn't want her to take serious harm.



"Miss Parker, listen to my voice. It's over. Calm down."



With growing worry he realized that his efforts showed no success at all. A strong fear took hold of him. He gripped her by the shoulders.



"Miss Parker!"



While calling her name he shook her, gently at first, then harder until he suddenly realized that she had stopped to scream.



"Syd..."



Her voice was rough after the overtaxing and shaking slightly.



"Miss Parker, thank God", Sydney said with relief and pulled her into a short embrace. Then he released her, watching her closely. "How do you feel?"



"Ready for an appointment with my shrink, I'd say", she replied, smiling ever so slightly.



He grinned but quickly sobered.



"What's happened?"



"Syd, it was unbelievable. For a moment, just briefly, I was Ruth. I mean, I didn't only feel like being her - I really was her."



"Mhm, it almost looks like you really had the pretender-gene."



Miss Parker breathed out audibly, and suddenly Sydney knew that she hadn't really expected this. She gently shook her head, then, all of a sudden, her eyes narrowed.



"They killed her!"



"Whom?" Sydney asked with some surprise.



"Ruth of course. My god, Sydney, the poor girl."



He watched her, astonished. Her compassion surprised him just as much as the information she had just given him.



"Who killed her?"



"The FBI. So that's why the government suddenly didn't want us to do the sim anymore. When I looked into the mirror I saw something blue - an FBI jacket. There was no money in the bags but documents. Some of them had FBI stamps on them. Of course, where else would explosive documents be safer than in the deposit boxes of some provincial bank which only an idiot would try to rob?"



"And when Ruth asked the clerk to give her the contents of the safe..."



"...he gave her the documents, right. He probably didn't even know what he gave away. Ruth didn't kill the hostage. It was one of the FBI's marksmen. They knew for sure how the police would react to a dead hostage."



"So the government only wanted us to find out if Ruth knew what she was doing, if somebody had hired her."



"They must have noticed their mistake themselves and then of course they tried everything to hush it up. And all of that just for a few documents. Somehow that reminds me of the Centre."



Miss Parker sighed, and Sydney felt with her. He held out his hand to her.



"Come on, we'd better returned to my office before someone starts missing us."



***



Sydney's office

The Centre

Blue Cove, Delaware

04:44 pm





Miss Parker sat on the couch in Sydney's office, trying to regain control of her emotions. The events down in simlab had shaken her deeply. She sensed that there would be a change. When she looked up she encountered Sydney's gaze. He sat behind his desk, observing her attentively.



"How do you feel, Miss Parker?"



"Always the psychiatrist, aren't you?" she asked, glad that he really seemed to care about her. But she needed some more time to digest her recent experiences. So she decided to divert Sydney's attention by talking about his favorite subject. "Has your work with Jarod been so... unusual as well?"



Of course he saw through her maneuver, still he went into it. His frowning told her that his attention wasn't really focused upon Jarod when he answered her question.



"Yes, it was. But I've rarely seen him react as strongly to a sim as you did. That only happened when the sim reminded him of his own situation."



Miss Parker raised a brow, slightly amused.



"I'm not planning on robbing a bank or taking hostages."



"That's not what I said. Miss Parker, you should really talk to me about all this. It's a drastic event that could change a lot in your life. I..."



A soft knock at the door interrupted him. Annoyed, he turned to face the door.



"Yes?"



The door opened, and Lyle entered.



"Ah, here you are. Hello, sis. Why are you so touchy, Sydney?"



"I am not touchy. Is there anything I can do for you?"



His tone made clear that he thought Lyle to be an unwelcome interruption. Miss Parker suppressed a smile.



"I've been searching the two of you for a while. Broots is looking for you, Sydney. And Dad wants to see us, Parker."



She exchanged a long look with Sydney, then rose.



"We'll finish this later, okay, Sydney?"



He nodded slowly.



"Alright, but don't forget it."



"I won't", she promised. "Thanks for your help."



"You're welcome, Miss Parker."



If he was surprised he didn't let it show. She gave him a warm smile, leaving his office to follow Lyle.



***



Tech room

The Centre

Blue Cove, Delaware

07:07 pm





Miss Parker entered the small room that had served as headquarters and meeting place for her and her team during their search for Jarod for the last two and a half years. Broots sat in front of his computer screen, highly concentrated, just turning around briefly when he heard her coming. Sydney smiled as he saw her.



"Ah, Miss Parker. That was a long talk you had with your father."



"No, Daddy made it brief, but I had to take care of something else. Any news, Broots?"



The technician winced when she addressed him. She gently shook her head.



"N-no, Miss Parker. Up to now we haven't heard a thing from Jarod, and we still have no lead on him."



"Alright, go on. Since there are no urgent matters, I'll be going home now."



Sydney looked as though he wanted to say something but thought better of it and simply nodded.



"Good night, Miss Parker. See you tomorrow."



"Night, Syd, Broots."



Almost reluctantly Miss Parker left the room, wishing she could at least tell Sydney about her plans.



***



Miss Parker's house

431 Mountain Spring Road

Blue Cove, Delaware

11:11 pm





For the last time she checked her bag. When she was sure she hadn't forgotten anything she looked around the house a final time. Finally she took her bag and went outside. Carefully she locked the door before getting in her car and on the long way to the airport.



During the ride her thoughts mainly revolved around the events of this day. Most of all she thought about the talk she'd had with her father. It wasn't what he'd said but what she'd seen in his office that gripped her attention.



When she and Lyle had entered the office their father had obviously been busy reading something. As soon as he'd noticed them, he'd closed the file lying on his desk. But he'd forgotten a single sheet. Miss Parker had been able to take a brief but informative look at it, before her father had taken care of that sheet as well.



The document had been issued by the Tower, falling under the highest security permission. She'd only learned two things from the sheet, but that had been enough. It had been a name and a country. Apparently the Centre had managed to locate Jarod's father in Great Britain.



In spite of her promise to let the matter rest, Miss Parker now planned to go to Great Britain. But it was no longer revenge she was after. All she wanted were some answers, and she definitely wouldn't get these from a dead man.



***



Heathrow Airport

London, England

The next day

01:25 am





Miss Parker stretched herself excessively, after finally having left the plane. To her surprise the British weather showed its best side, welcoming her with bright sunlight. Her mood improved immediately. Generously she endured all formalities, then called a cab and eventually reached her hotel. She had to make up for some hours of sleep before she could start her inquiries.



***



Hotel room

Four Seasons

London, England

04:35 pm





The air condition was humming softly as Miss Parker lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Every now and then her eyes closed but she reopened them every time after just a few instants. There was no way she was going to risk to fall asleep again.



The memory of the nightmare from which she'd woken up covered in sweat still was very vivid. She had dreamed of Ruth. The thing that haunted her most about it was that her dream hadn't had anything to do with the sim. In her dream she'd seen things that only could have come from Ruth Stiller. But how was that possible?



Right after waking up she'd needed a while to find back to reality. This experience had been somewhat frightening and she could do very well without ever repeating it.



After a short shower she'd dressed and laid back on the bed, lost in her musings. Now she regretted not having had any further opportunity to talk to Sydney about the sim. As it was now, she would have to deal with the effects of it all on her own.



Miss Parker glanced at the watch, then she grimaced angrily. She had to stop this brooding. It was absolutely no use to waste her time like this. Determined she rose and walked over to the table where her laptop stood. With a short glance she checked on the silver DSA-case standing next to the closet. A slight smile lit up her features for an instant. Back at the Centre some people probably wouldn't be all that thrilled that she took it with her but that was not her problem.



A little bit calmer she sat down at the table, switching the computer on. If she wanted to anticipate the Centre she had to bring her inquiries to a successful end as soon as possible. How did Jarod do this?



Miss Parker shook her head. She had to find her own way of doing this. Whatever had enabled her to do the sim was different from Jarod's talents, that she was sure of.



***



Dining-room

Four Seasons

London, England

08:06 pm





The hotel's dining-room was elegantly furnished. At this time of the day there were lots of other guests yet Miss Parker hadn't had any difficulties in getting a table. The head waiter hadn't only succumbed to her charm but also to the generous tip she'd given him in advance.



Usually she enjoyed drawing the attention of most men in the room to her but today she was too preoccupied with her thoughts.



The unexpected problems she'd encountered during her sleep still upset her. Slowly she realized that Sydney had been right. Her life was really changing - and so was she.



Sydney had made the assumption that she'd got the pretender-gene. Maybe it had been activated during the sim, now enabling her to use her unique talents.



Up to now she had often stood in her own way. It had always been hard on her to rely on her feelings but yesterday she had done just that. For the first time in many years she had given up her distance. Because of that she now had the chance to develop new skills. And to finally lead a normal life - no matter how absurd this seemed to be.



***



Three weeks later

Tech room

The Centre

Blue Cove, Delaware

08:57 am





"Good morning, Broots. Anything on Miss Parker yet?"



Broots turned to face him, worry evident in his face.



"Morning, Sydney. No, nothing yet. I'm sorry."



Sydney frowned.



"I don't like that. No one's been seeing her or even hearing about her for more than three weeks now. Mr. Broots, I think it's time for us to do something."



"Uh, surely. But what?"



"We'll meet at her house tonight. In the meantime I'll talk to her father."



***



Mr. Parker's office

The Centre

Blue Cove, Delaware

09:20 am





"Sydney, is there anything I can do for you?"



Mr. Parker looked up from his heavy desk only for an instant. His tone made clear that the last thing he wanted to do was waste his time on Sydney's matters. Sydney felt an anger arise in him that was usually reserved for Raines. He held back this emotion knowing that harsh words wouldn't do any good with Mr. Parker.



"I'm just here to ask you if you have any news about your daughter", he replied, struggling for an easy tone.



"I'm sure that she is perfectly well", Mr. Parker responded calmly, but with a warning edge to his voice. He looked at Sydney, a mixture of cold and disinterest in his gaze. He doesn't know where she is either, Sydney suddenly thought. And that infuriates him. The omniscient Mr. Parker has been betrayed by his own daughter.



A short feeling of triumph accompanied this realization but was quickly replaced by worry. More than anything else Sydney wanted to tell this self-complacent old idiot what he thought of him and his upbringing methods but that would have been to no avail. Besides he hoped that Miss Parker had finally turned her back on the Centre and her father. If that was the case Sydney would only have to take care of Jarod before he could leave this place, too.



"Good. In case you hear anything from her, please let me know, okay?"



"Sure."



With that Mr. Parker returned his attention to the papers on his desk, letting Sydney know that he was discharged. Sydney nodded pensively and walked over to the door. He'd surely be the last person Parker would inform about news on his daughter. So much for that.



***



Scofield airfield

Scofield, GB

10:00 am





There was hardly any action on the small airfield. Miss Parker determinedly walked over to one of the hangars where a middle-aged man was working on a small airplane.



She held her breath. This had to be him. Her inquiries had led her here. Fortunately she'd been faster than the Centre. While bridging the last meters between them she took off her sunglasses. Two meters behind the man she finally stopped.



"Major?"



Surprised he straightened, bumping his head against one of the wings.



"Ouch, dammit!" he cursed while turning around. When he saw her he froze in his movement, staring at her unbelievingly.



"I see you knew my mother, Major", Miss Parker said softly, observing him more closely. He hardly resembled Jarod. His hair was fairer, his face more angular, and his eyes shining in a bright blue. She liked him immediately and knew that she could trust her feeling. This man hadn't killed her mother.



"You are Catherine's daughter?"



"Yes."



"My god. It's been such a long time..."



The major sat down on a large box.



"Major, I..."



"No one called me that in quite some time, you know", he said, looking at her with a slight smile. Miss Parker returned the smile, stretching her hand out to him.



"I am... Marine Parker", she introduced herself. It simply seemed appropriate for Jarod's father to know her name.



He took her hand.



"And my name's Charles, but I guess you already knew that. Your mother used to call me Charley."



"Charley..."



His smile deepened.



"You know, you even sound like her."



"Thank you", Miss Parker said. She was always happy to hear someone compare her to her mother. "I've been searching for you for a long time."



Charles nodded thoughtfully.



"Actually I've never thought I'd see you again. But I have to admit that I'm glad you're here."



"You've met me before?" she asked, completely surprised.



"Oh, yes! Of course you don't remember. You were so young back then. That was before everything began to change..."



He fell silent and Miss Parker could see the pleasant memories being replaced by unpleasant ones. After a short moment he steadied himself.



"You've probably come a long way to see me. Come on, I've got some cold drinks in my office."



She followed him through the small hangar to his office and sat down. Paying regard to her ulcer she decided to have a mineral water - though she would have rather had something stronger.



"Does the name Fenigore ring a bell?" she wanted to know after a while.



The expression on his face said everything.



"You bet it does. Is this bastard still alive?"



Miss Parker slowly let out her breath. Apparently her assumption had been right and Fenigore had betrayed her mother.



"Yes, but it's only a matter of time I guess. The Centre brainwashed him. But I was able to get some information from him beforehand."



Charles shook his head in regret.



"I'm afraid your source is not very reliable. May I ask what he told you?"



"All I wanted to know from him was the name of my mother's murderer. He said she's been killed by Jarod's father." She smiled faintly. "But now I've got reason to doubt his integrity."



The major snorted approvingly.



"He betrayed your mother. Fenigore betrayed all of us, to be more precise. The Centre paid him."



Miss Parker remained silent for a moment, then asked the question that occupied her more than anything else.



"Major, do you know who killed my mother?"



He looked her straight in the eye, and his open glance was answer enough for her.



"I'm sorry, no. When it happened I had already left the States. I swear to you, if only I'd had an idea of the serious danger she was in I never would have left. Catherine insisted on us getting safe. She wanted to rescue the last children all on her own."



Charles stared down on the ground. Miss Parker walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.



"That's okay. You probably couldn't have changed anything. At least you were able to save your own life."



When he looked up to her she realized that he hesitated to accept her comfort. Yet he seemed to be grateful for her trying.



"I always used to reproach myself with that."



"It wasn't your fault", Miss Parker reassured him with determination. After a short pause she added: "You aren't Jarod's biological father."



"No. We - my wife and me - adopted him when he was baby."



"Fenigore said that Jarod's father killed my mother. I believe that is true. Do you know his biological father?"



Charles shook his head.



"No. I've never tried to find out his name. It never seemed to be important."



Miss Parker sighed disappointedly. This time it was Charles putting his hand on her arm in a comforting gesture.



"Don't be disappointed. I will help you as well as I can. When I heard of Catherine's death I promised myself to settle up with her killer one day. It seems that day has finally come."



Gratitude filled her as she smiled at him, briefly squeezing his hand.



"Thank you, major."



"I'll be glad to do that for you. And please do call me Charley. You used to as a little child." He chuckled. "Well, let's say you tried."



The genuine affection in his eyes surprised her, but at the same time it made her feel a warmth she'd been missing for a long time.



"I wish I could remember that", she said quietly and with genuine regret.



Charles pulled an old crumpled picture out of a pocket in his shirt. Smiling expectantly he handed it over to her.



"Maybe you'll recognize someone..." he said with a wink.



Cautiously she took the picture from him. It was on old black and white photograph showing three persons. Miss Parker immediately identified the woman in the middle as her mother. The man to her right had to be Charles and the man on her other side looked like...



"Is that Sydney?" she asked with surprise, but the major only shook his head.



"No, but it was a close guess."



"Jacob", she whispered. This time Charles nodded.



"Back then he used to work closely together with us. Until this terrible accident happened and he fell into a coma."



Miss Parker slightly cocked her head while watching Sydney's twin brother.



"He's dead. Jacob died last year. But before he died he briefly awoke from his coma so that Sydney could finally find some piece."



The major nodded sadly.



"I know. In spite of my exile I try to keep informed about the events back in the States. Especially if they involve old friends of mine."



"Who took this picture?" Miss Parker asked to divert Charles' attention from this painful subject for a while.



"Oh, it was Fenigore. He didn't want to be on it. Thinking back to it I almost believe he didn't want to leave any proof of his connection to us", Charles explained, more than just a trace of bitterness coloring his voice.



Miss Parker briefly looked up to him to make sure he was alright, then refocused her attention upon the picture. She was of course especially interested in her mother. There was no aura of sadness surrounding Catherine on this picture unlike most of the others Miss Parker had seen. Her eyes lacked the usual seriousness and desperation.



"She almost looks happy", Miss Parker murmured pensively.



"Because she was", Charles assured her. "The picture was taken in May."



She knew immediately what he was up to.



"After her visit to Ben Miller."



"You know of that?"



"Yes, but to be honest... I'm a little surprised that you know, too."



Charles looked at her openly.



"We hardly kept any secrets from each other. In this special case that would have hardly been possible, anyway. The difference in her mood when she returned from Maine was unmistakable. Though she did try to hide it. You know", Charles said smiling, "we almost were something like the three musketeers. You don't find a friendship like that very often in your life."



"I'd love to hear more about that", Miss Parker replied, her voice almost sounding yearning. "I know so little about my mother, about who she really was."



"I'll be glad to tell you more, Miss Parker. But there's one thing I can already tell you right now. You are very much like her. Forgive my bluntness, but it's a good thing you don't take after your father, even though he brought you up."



Miss Parker winced hardly noticeable.



"You barely know me", she reminded him.



"But I really do know human nature. My knowledge only failed me once, and I'm absolutely sure about you."



"Thank you so much, Charley."



He smiled at her using his nickname.



"Why don't you come over to my place for dinner tonight? Then I'll tell you everything about your mother you want to know."



"That sounds wonderful."



"So that's a fix. I'll expect you at seven. You already know my address, don't you?" he answered with another wink. She laughed and didn't even try to deny his assumption.



"See you tonight", she said warmly.



"I'm looking forward to it", he replied, taking her hand to say goodbye. When Miss Parker left the airfield a moment later she felt better than she had in a long time.



***



Miss Parker's house

431 Mountain Spring Road

Blue Cove, Delaware

06:20 pm





"I don't know, Syd. We can't break into her house just like that. If she ever learns about that she'll kill us."



"Firstly she wouldn't kill us for worrying about her. Secondly we simply won't tell her about it. Thirdly", Sydney said calmly, drawing something out of his pocket, "I've got a key to the house. So we're not breaking in." And fourthly, Sydney added in thought, Mr. Parker hasn't been much of a help.



Broots didn't seem to be convinced, raising his eyebrows in surprise when he saw the key.



"She gave you the key to her house?" he asked incredulously.



Sydney already worked on the lock as he answered.



"I didn't say that. This key belonged to Catherine to be precise. It's not my fault that Miss Parker never had the lock replaced. On the other hand that comes in quite handy now. That's it - after you."



The door swung open, and Sydney pointed inside, smiling invitingly. With a sigh Broots went past him, entering Miss Parker's house. Behind him Sydney closed the door again, then turned on the lights.



"Have you ever been here?" he asked Broots. The technician only shook his head, curiously looking around.



"No", Broots said after a short moment, turning to face Sydney. "Uh, what are we looking for?"



Sydney's gaze wandered through the living room, inspecting it closely, and he shook his head ever so slightly.



"I don't know, Mr. Broots. We're looking for something unusual that might tell us where Miss Parker went. Traces, hints... Basically the same things we're always looking for in Jarod's lairs. Just keep your eyes open, alright?"



"Okay. Syd, do you think anything happened to her? I mean what if the Centre... But Mr. Parker would never let that happen, would he? She is his daughter after all."



Sydney shot him a short, pensive glance.



"Yes, she is. But I keep asking myself if he remembers that."



***



Broots tried to get rid of the uneasy feeling he'd had ever since Sydney and he had entered Miss Parker's house. No matter what Sydney said Miss Parker wouldn't be happy at all if she knew they were here. He felt like a burglar, wincing at any unexpected sound.



With a sigh he stopped in the hall, right in front of a mirror. After having taken a few deep breaths he became a little calmer. Then, suddenly, he heard a noise from the kitchen and stumbled one step backwards.



"Sydney?" he asked in a low voice.



He remembered that Sydney still was in the living room and couldn't have possibly gone to another part of the house without getting past him. But what had he heard from the kitchen then? Had the Centre sent someone here?



Frantically Broots looked for something he could use for defending himself, but he couldn't find anything. Backwards he went back to the living room, always keeping an eye on the kitchen door.



"Sydney?" he asked again, this time merely whispering.



"What is it, Broots?"



Broots spun around, suppressing a startled cry, when all of a sudden Sydney appeared behind him.



"Oh god, Sydney. I... I think there's someone in Miss Parker's kitchen."



"Are you sure?"



"Well, I only heard some noises", Broots admitted, but Sydney smiled leniently.



"We should have a look anyway."



"Uhm, alright."



***



Sydney went into the hall, stopping for a moment to listen closely. Eventually he shrugged his shoulders to indicate he hadn't heard anything. Broots made a face, yet followed the older man. In front of the kitchen door they stopped again.



"Can you hear anything?" Broots whispered so softly that Sydney could barely understand him.



"No, nothing. It will be best to just take a look."



Without waiting for an answer Sydney opened the door slightly. There was light inside, so Broots must have been right, cause none of them had been in the kitchen yet. Sydney took a deep breath, then opened the door entirely. There was indeed someone else in the house, and Sydney realized with relief that he knew the other 'burglar'.



"Hello, Jarod", he said, just as the pretender turned into his direction. Slight surprise was evident in Jarod's face, besides he seemed to be angry. "Everything's alright, Broots. Jarod's here", he added into Broots' direction, who was still waiting on the other side of the door.



Broots stuck his head into the kitchen, obviously relieved as well.



"Hello, Sydney. Mr. Broots."



"H-hello", Broots replied, still feeling slightly uncomfortable in Jarod's presence. "Uhm, I'll have another look around the house, okay?"



He didn't wait for an answer, but left Sydney and Jarod alone. Jarod leant against the fridge, watching Sydney.



"So, what are you two doing here?", he then asked, and Sydney was almost sure now that Jarod was angry about something.



"I could ask you the very same thing", Sydney responded instead of answering Jarod's question.



"Miss Parker seems to have disappeared, so I wanted to take this opportunity and have a good look at everything."



Sydney guessed that this explanation was only halfway true.



"Broots and I were searching for any clues that might tell us where she is - or why she's gone. Did you find anything, Jarod?"



The pretender made a disparaging sound.



"If there existed any clues, they're no longer here."



Sorrow and confusion flashed over Jarod's face for an instant. "At first I thought Miss Parker had left the Centre - until I came here today. Unfortunately I wasn't the first one to have this idea. A short while ago a team of cleaners was here. Either they were getting rid of clues or searching for them just like us."



Sydney took a deep breath.



"Do you believe the Centre..."



"No", Jarod answered immediately. "I'm sure that no one at the Centre knows where she is. The question is what Miss Parker is up to. I could follow her trace to Great Britain, London to be more precise. But two weeks ago I lost her. She made a damn good job of blurring her traces.



"Is that all you could find out?"



"Nothing concrete up to now, just a few ideas. Everything will become clearer once Miss Parker returns."



"If she returns", Sydney murmured. Jarod looked at him rather surprised.



"When she returns", he then said with determination.



"What makes you so sure?"



"Just call it a feeling."



Sydney closely observed his former protégé.



"What's wrong, Jarod? Something's bothering you."



Jarod sighed.



"I don't wanna talk about it, alright? It just would make everything even more difficult."



He steadily returned Sydney's gaze, but just for an instant before he turned and walked over to the backdoor.



"I'll be leaving now. There's no more to find here. You should leave as well. Good night, Syd."



Without a further word Jarod opened the door, went outside and was swallowed by the beginning darkness only instants later. Sydney gazed after him, feeling worried and confused. Jarod's behavior was inexplicable to him at the moment. He hoped that Jarod would make up his mind and talk to him after all.



Eventually Sydney closed the door and left the kitchen to search Broots. If Jarod was right they were only wasting their time here. On the other hand that might be better than just sit and wait.



***



Langton Cottage

Scofield, GB

06:55 pm





"Miss Parker, you're early", Major Charles said laughingly as he opened the door for her.



"Oh, but just five minutes. I don't like to be late", she replied with a smile. Charles invited her in, and she followed him into his house which mirrored his friendly character clearly visible to the outside.



"You look really adorable, if you'll allow me to say that."



"Thank you."



In spite of his opposite declarations the major had already finished all preparations and served a delicious meal. During dinner their conversation was mainly about superficial issues like the astonishingly good weather and some of the things Miss Parker had encountered during her previous stay in England.



"That was really delicious", Miss Parker complimented after they had finished their desserts. "I didn't expect you to be such a talented cook to be honest."



"Thanks a lot. Unfortunately I rarely have guests to test my cooking skills on. Come on, we'll be more comfortable in the living room. There we can have a nice little talk."



She helped him to clear the table, then followed him into the living room.



"For how much longer do you plan to stay in England, Miss Parker?" Charles wanted to know.



"Just a few more days. It's about time for me to get back to the States."



"I thought so. That's a pity. I hoped you'd stay for a little longer."



"It's not that I don't want to... But back home there surely is a big pile of work waiting for me", she said with a regretful sigh.



He smiled compassionately, then leaned forward a bit.



"You mentioned Jarod this morning..."



"You surely want to know how he's doing. I'm sorry, I should have thought of it earlier."



"No need to apologize. But I'm really curious. It's been a long time since I've last seen him."



Miss Parker said nothing. She had no idea where to begin. Suddenly she felt like a betrayer. After all she was hunting Jarod, as an employee of the Centre. Feeling guilty she looked down, before raising her head determinedly to encounter the major's understanding gaze.



"I told you this morning that you barely know me", she finally started. "There was a reason for doing that. You see, I... am working for the Centre."



The friendly expression on the major's face didn't falter. His eyes even seemed to smile at her slightly friendlier than before.



"I know", he answered simply.



Puzzled, she looked at him.



"I've told you I try to stay informed."



He leaned forward, gently touching her hand.



"And now I know that I was right this morning. You are so much like your mother."



"But...", she began, her voice eventually trailing off. "What do you know?" she then asked softly.



"Enough. I've observed Jarod's development as closely as I could. The same goes for you. I'd like to tell you something: I understand you. And I'm not blaming you for anything. Your not responsible for your father, and in spite of all his faults you grew up to be a remarkable young woman you're mother would have been more than proud of."



He paused for an instant, gently squeezing her hand.



"Granted, Catherine and I had a different future in mind for our children but you still exceeded all her expectations."



Miss Parker didn't know what to say. Tears were burning in her eyes.



"During the past three years I've been chasing Jarod for the Centre, ever since he managed to escape."



"But you've never brought him back, though you could have more than once."



She shook her head. Charles increased the pressure of his hand on hers.



"Miss Parker, don't reproach yourself with this. You are a victim of your past, just like Jarod. What's most important is that you've finally freed yourself from it. Believe me, you're on your way back to yourself; I can see that in your eyes."



"I don't know what to say. Thank you, Charley", she whispered.



"You're very welcome. Why don't you tell me something about Jarod", he suggested. She laughed softly.



"The last time I saw him he was working as a professor at a college. He's enjoying his life in freedom very much and is getting along rather fine considering the circumstances he grew up under. But to be honest... We don't get along very well."



"Perhaps you simply haven't had any chance to do so, yet. When you were kids you were inseparable."



"Hard to imagine", Miss Parker said skeptically, and Charles chuckled softly. "May I asked you something?"



"Sure, go on."



"Why didn't you stay with your family? With your wife and Jarod's sister?"



He sighed heavily.



"For security reasons. I didn't want to put them in danger. The Centre was only interested in me, not in them. It was incredibly hard on me to leave them behind, but it was the best thing for them. I only wish I had been able to keep in closer contact to them. Back then everything had to happen very fast. Your mother wanted to rescue Jarod and then go to Europe with you, but as you know that never happened."



Miss Parker nodded.



"I'm sorry."



A smile drove the sadness from his face.



"Don't be. None of it can be changed anymore. But you came here to hear about your mother and the past."



***



The Centre

Blue Cove, Delaware

SL 7

06/06/1964





"Charley, you're daydreaming again."



Catherine's gentle, amused voice startled him out of his thoughts. Feeling guilty he looked up at her.



"I was just thinking", he claimed weakly. She gave him one of her unique smiles, looking at him with an amused sparkle in her eyes.



"Of course you were", she then replied. He laughed softly, happy to hear her join him. Her laughter was at least as pleasant as her smile, but lately he'd been severely missing both.



"Ah, the first happy faces I see today", Jacob said as he entered the room. With a heavy sigh he sank down on one of the chairs. At once the worried expression returned to Catherine's face.



"Is everything alright, Jacob?" she asked with concern. Jacob tried to smile reassuringly.



"Oh, it's just Sydney. I wish he would finally listen to me but he simply refuses to do so."



"Just give him some more time", Catherine admonished calmly. "Sooner or later he will realize what's happening here and then he'll make the right decision."



This time Jacob's smile came from the heart.



"I wish I had some of your patience." Curiously he looked around. "Where's Fenigore? He said he'd come, didn't he?"



Catherine shook her head.



"Fenigore has something else to do. It'll only be the three of us tonight."



Charles didn't even try to hide his relief. He'd never made his dislike for Fenigore a secret but for Catherine's sake he worked together with him. Jacob slightly cocked his head.



"Then let's get straight to the point. For once I've got good news. As far as I know Raines doesn't have any new projects at the moment, leaving us some time on our own to make some plans - or whatever."



Though Charles didn't completely share Jacob's optimism, he still was glad about this development. They all desperately needed some leisure time. A short glance at Catherine told him that she was happy about the positive news as well, yet the concern hadn't vanished completely from her features. Charles understood her all too well.



"As I know Raines he won't keep quiet for long", he said thoughtfully. "But we should use the extra time at hand. Some free time won't hurt us. How about leaving to think about everything and then meeting again in two days?"



Jacob nodded at once.



"Sounds great. Sydney will skin me alive if I let him work alone on yet another experiment."



"Catherine?" Charles asked in a low voice. This time she was the one whose thoughts were miles away. When she looked at him the look in her eyes immediately told him who she'd been thinking about.



"Your daughter will surely be very happy to spend a whole day with you", he said gently. He could see how much she was looking forward to this opportunity, but there was also compassion in her eyes. In a reassuring gesture he put his hand on her arm. "It's alright", he then said softly. She shook her head.



"No, it's not", she replied sadly. The fact that he didn't have the chance to spend a day with his son seemed to make her just as sad as him. But then her face lit up a bit. "Charles, please accompany us tomorrow. I know it's not the same, but..."



"Are you sure?" Charles made sure, though he already knew her answer. She nodded, the hint of a smile in her eyes. That alone was enough to break any resistance in him. "Then it will be my pleasure", he answered softly.



On the other side of the table Jacob rose.



"I'll get back to work now", he announced. "Otherwise Sydney might end up sending a search party after me."



Catherine rose as well.



"I'll accompany you, Jacob. There's something about which I'd like to talk to Sydney. Do you think he'll be able to spare some time?"



Jacob chuckled.



"For you always, Catherine. Take care, Charley. See you in two days."



"Until then, Jacob. And we'll be meeting tomorrow, Catherine."



"I'm looking forward to it, Charley", she assured him with a smile. She gently touched his shoulder in farewell, then left the room together with Jacob. Charles watched them go, wondering what Catherine might be up to. He knew this particular expression in her eyes perfectly well, but for now it seemed he had no other choice but wait.



***



The Centre

Blue Cove, Delaware

SL 7

06/07/1964





Charles sat impatiently in the little room that the small group around Catherine Parker used as a meeting place. For the hundredth time he wondered why on earth she wanted to meet him here. Yesterday he had of course assumed that they'd spend the day outside the Centre, especially since Catherine's little daughter would accompany them.



When the door finally opened Charles looked up in expectation. But it wasn't Catherine who entered the room first. The sweetest little girl that he'd ever seen cautiously came down the few steps, then smiled at him. She had her mother's smile, and Charles couldn't help but return it.



"Hello, Marine", he said softly. Her smile deepened when she heard her name.



"Hello", the little girl replied cheerfully. Charles thought for a moment. She had to be about four years old now. One year younger than Jarod, he thought sorrowfully, but his chagrin vanished when he looked at the beaming little face of Catherine's daughter. Suddenly he wondered what she would be like as a young woman. Surely at least equally as beautiful and charming as her mother... Already now she managed effortlessly to take every heart by storm.



"Marine?" Catherine stuck her head into the room, smiling with relief at the sight of her daughter. The girl immediately turned her head into her direction.



"Mama", she said happily and went to meet her mother in order to be embraced. Charles held his breath as he saw the happy, loving expression on Catherine's face while she was holding her daughter in her arms. She seemed reluctant to let go of her daughter again. Eventually she came over to Charles and sat down next to him at the table.



"Hello, Charley", she greeted him. "She's so full of energy. Besides she's now getting into the phase where she wants to explore literally everything. Sometimes I can hardly keep up with her pace", Catherine explained laughingly, lovingly observing her daughter exploring the room. Charles smiled. He was glad to see her so happy.



"Then she resembles her mother", he responded, but she shook her head smilingly.



"It's way too early to say that."



"Oh, I don't know", Charles said ambiguously. A knock at the door hindered him from saying more. Startled, he looked up, but Catherine put an assuring hand on his arm.



"It's Sydney", she explained and rose to go to the door. She opened it slowly.



"Hello, Sydney."



"I'm still not sure that I'm doing the right thing, Catherine", Sydney replied instead of a greeting. "Neither your husband nor Dr. Raines would be very glad if they knew about this."



"Don't you worry about that, Sydney. You're doing the right thing, believe me. Thank you so much."



"I'll pick him up in an hour", Jacob's twin brother made clear. "And if I get the feeling that all this harms him in any way it won't happen again."



"Thank you, Sydney", Catherine repeated. "This will do him no harm, you'll see."



"One hour, Catherine", he reminded her, stepping back from the door.



Charles wondered what was going on. He craned his neck in order to see something but Catherine stood in his sight. She bent down.



"Hello, Jarod", she then said and Charles thought his heart would stop beating any second now. Had he really just heard this? Up to now he'd never managed to see his son, no matter how hard he'd tried. Catherine straightened again and stepped aside.



Petrified Charles stared at the boy who stood in the doorway and looked down into the room undecidedly. When he remained motionless, Catherine gently touched him at the shoulders.



"Here's someone who'd like to see you", she said softly.



"Jarod", Charles whispered when he finally regained control over his voice. He knew that it was impossible for Jarod to remember him, but at the moment that was not important. Together with Catherine he came down the steps, stopping in front of Charles. His dark eyes looked up at him questioningly.



Without thinking about it, Charles kneeled down and embraced his son. He felt tears running down his face but it didn't matter to him. All that counted in this moment was Jarod. With a deep feeling of gratitude Charles looked up into Catherine's eyes.



"Thank you", he whispered. She was crying as well but they were tears of joy in spite of her knowing that this meeting wouldn't last long.



Reluctantly Charles released Jarod and came to a decision. He wouldn't tell him that he was his father. That would only mean additional hurt for Jarod. Jarod was still looking at him inquiringly.



"Who are you?" he finally wanted to know.



Charles swallowed but held on to his decision.



"My name is Charles. I... am a friend", he managed to utter. For a moment Jarod seemed to think about that, then he nodded and smiled. There was genuine trust in his gaze and Charles promised himself never to disappoint this trust.



"Mama", Catherine's little daughter suddenly said with an urgency that made Charles smile. Marine stood next to her mother, briefly tugging at her skirt to get her attention. The try was an immediate success, and Catherine lifted her little daughter up on her arm. Jarod watched the scene completely fascinated.



"What's it, my heart?" Catherine asked. But Marine had apparently already obtained her goal, smiling contentedly and kissing her mother on the cheek. Catherine chuckled. "Oh, I see." She kissed her daughter on the forehead, hugged her tightly and then put her back on the ground. The girl chuckled with joy, then all of a sudden turned towards Jarod to look at him with her big blue eyes.



"Hi", she then said, giving him her irresistible smile. As could be expected, Jarod returned her smile. Charles realized that for the first time since he'd arrived his son had lost his unnatural seriousness and looked like a completely normal child.



"Hi", Jarod replied almost timidly and suddenly Charles was reminded of the day when he had met Catherine for the first time. Just like her mother Marine managed easily to disperse any feeling of shyness. A single glance was all it took for her. Next thing she grabbed Jarod by the arm and pulled him away with her to show him the contents of the bag she'd brought with her.



With some amusement Catherine observed the events and then looked at Charles who felt happier than he had in years. He took her hand, thanking her again. She shook her head ever so slightly.



"I wish there was more I could do for you", she said softly. Charles squeezed her hand.



"Now stop it, Catherine. You made me very happy today. And now let's enjoy our day off."



He took a seat next to her at the table, and for a while they just sat in silence and watched the children.



"Just look at them", Charles said. Fascinated, he watched Marine explaining something to her new friend. Jarod listened to her, open-mouthed, his gaze fixed upon her eyes.



"They're almost like siblings", Catherine whispered back. "I hope they'll be just as happy when they're grown."



"I'm sure they'll be", Charles assured her with determination. "We'll take care of that. And if we don't manage to, they'll do it themselves."



The hour was over way too fast. When Sydney came back to pick up Jarod Charles found it hard to accept. He said goodbye to Jarod who seemed to take their parting just as hard as Charles did.



"Can I come back?" he asked, shortly before he reached the stairs. Catherine put a hand on his head.



"I'll do what I can", she promised the boy while accompanying him to Sydney. Charles knew that could rely on her.



***



With a smile Charles looked up from the papers lying on the table in front of him. For a long while his gaze rested on Catherine's daughter who was sitting on the floor, playing just a few feet away from him and Jacob. Together with Jacob he babysat Marine, and this job was a pleasure to both of them. During the last few weeks they'd spent a lot of time with Marine and had taken her into their hearts as if she were their own child.



Catherine had kept her promise, arranging further meetings with Jarod. Charles had managed to establish profound relations to his son, and he was infinitely grateful for what Catherine had done for them.



***



Langton Cottage

Scofield, GB

11:20 pm





When Charles looked at his watch he twisted his face in surprise.



"Oh dear, I've been talking for more than three hours now."



Miss Parker looked at him in astonishment.



"Really?"



He chuckled.



"I guess that kind of thing will happen if you only have rare opportunity to talk about the past. Though there's hardly a day that I don't think back to the old times", he admitted.



Miss Parker took his hand, squeezing it gently.



"Thank you so much, Charley. You have no idea just how much this means to me."



"Maybe I do, Miss Parker."



She was smiling, and in her eyes he could see the very same charm and the warmth that used to be there so many years ago. With an elegant movement she rose.



"I know there's much more to say and even more to tell but for today I've already wasted too much of your time", she stated with determination, but also with audible regret.



Charles rose as well.



"Please promise to come back and visit me before you'll leave England, Miss Parker", he asked her, his emotions coloring his voice.



"Marine", she corrected him. "And I'll be glad to come here again. Thank you for the wonderful evening, Charley."



"It was my pleasure, Marine", he replied. "Have a safe journey home."



***



On her way back home Miss Parker's thoughts revolved for a long time around her conversation with Jarod's father. Only a tiny bit of her attention was focused upon the street. But suddenly something hit her eye.



It was a sign that diverted her attention from the past for a moment. 'Pendleton Heights', she read while driving by, the headlights of her car illuminating the sign for an instant. The sign triggered something within her she couldn't find an explanation for yet, but she still wouldn't ignore it. During the last few weeks she'd learned to trust her feelings.



Since it was too late to start an investigation anyway, she decided to come back the next day and find out what this was about.

Legal disclaimer: The recognizable characters of the TV-show 'The Pretender' don't belong to me but to MTM, NBC Television and 20th Century Fox. I just borrowed them. Every other character does belong to me. This story was only written and published for my pleasure and that of other fans. I don't pursue any financial interests whatsoever.

Once again I'd like to thank my beta readers, Nicolette and everyone out there who keeps me going.

Spoilers: Up to season 3.

Author's note: I guess this part of the story requires some kind of warning. This isn't easy since I don't want to give anything away in advance but - *sigh* - here you go. Insights 2 contains one scene in particular that might be thought to be offensive by some people. It deals with thoughts about rape, violence and incest, though there definitely isn't anything graphic. You've been warned, now go on reading!

The story: Miss Parker reveals the secret of Pendleton Heights, stumbling deeper into a family secret than she could have ever wished for...

There's nothing an author loves better than getting feedback - so please let me know what you think about this story!


Insights
Part 2
by Miss Bit




Pendleton Heights, GB
The next day
09:12 am

The dark car slowly rolled up the driveway. Large oaks surrounded the long, winding gravel way, and the sunlight formed interesting patterns on the ground.

Miss Parker saw none of it. She was thinking about the sign she had seen at the driveway. Pendleton Heights was a psychiatric clinic. That alone wasn't enough to worry her, but together with the memory of why this place seemed so familiar to her it was more than enough to alarm her.

The name of this clinic had been used during a conversation between Lyle and their father. She'd happened to hear just the end of it. Their father had been very upset, but Lyle hadn't seemed to take the whole matter seriously at all. Daddy had demanded that something like that would never happen again, and Lyle had been more than ready to give in to him. Though he hadn't promised anything.

Miss Parker wondered how this place could be connected to her brother's dealings and she didn't like any of the possible answers.

She parked the car and walked over to the large building that housed the clinic. From the outside it seemed to be very elegant and somehow didn't match the image Miss Parker had of a psychiatric clinic.

Broad stairs with three steps led to the main entrance which was framed by two huge columns. The big two-door entrance through which you could get inside was wide open and granted a first look into the clinic.

After having entered the house Miss Parker found herself in a gigantic lobby which was furnished elegantly and tastefully. All in all this institution looked more like a hotel than a psychiatric clinic. On the other hand no one would probably ever expect a corrupt research facility behind the Centre's elegant facade.

After a few steps Miss Parker hesitated and stopped. A presentiment had led her here. And now she wondered what to do next.

"Can I be of help?" a friendly voice suddenly asked from somewhere to her left. When she turned to that direction Miss Parker noticed a kind of reception with a middle-aged woman behind the desk, smiling at her inquiringly. Her mind was racing as she walked over to the reception desk.

"Hello", she said, still searching for a plausible explanation for her being there. "My name is Miss Parker. Is this the Pendleton Heights Clinic?" It wasn't a very original question but at least it bought her some time.

The woman behind the counter nodded friendly.

"Yes, it is. I'm Nurse Giffens. May I ask what brought you here?"

"Well, you know", Miss Parker lowered her voice a bit, "this institution has been strongly recommended to me. My brother had this terrible accident when he was a child. Up to now he was taken care of back home in the States but my father and I got the impression that he's not happy there anymore."

Nurse Giffens' face lit up visibly.

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that", she said compassionately. "And now you've come here all the way from the USA?"

"As I told you, you were recommended to us by friends. I can assure you that there's nothing my father and I wouldn't do for my brother. He's like a big child, the poor guy."

"I'm sure he'd be very happy here with us", the Nurse quickly answered, now apparently scenting a big deal. Parker suppressed a smile.

"It's not a question of money", she let the Nurse know, speaking in a confidential tone.

"Of course not", the woman replied hastily.

"Would it be possible for me to look around a bit?"

"But of course, Miss Parker. Please wait a moment and I'll call someone who can show you around. Mrs. Whitlock, the manager of our institution, unfortunately isn't in today, but our personnel is more than qualified to show you everything."

The Nurse immediately put her words into practice, and less then five minutes later a young woman came down the curved double stairs that led upstairs to the first floor. Slight annoyance was evident in her face and Miss Parker concluded that she wasn't all that thrilled about Giffens' request.

"Ah, Nurse Travis, there you are. This is Miss Parker. She'd like to have a little look around the place. If you'd be so kind to accompany her..."

Giffens' instructions were more of an order than a request. Travis' eyes narrowed for an instant, then she turned to Miss Parker, nodding briefly.

Miss Parker returned the nod, thanked Nurse Giffens for her help and then followed Travis who was already halfway up the stairs.

"At present there are more than fifty patients lodged here, and most of them need to be taken care of 24 hours a day."

Miss Parker barely had any difficulties in finding out the reason for Travis' anger. The Nurse obviously had more important things to do than babysitting a visitor.

"Listen, Nurse, I really don't want to keep you from your work", Miss Parker said gently. Travis shot her a short glance and replied: "That's alright. This won't take too long anyway. Do you plan on lodging a relative here?"

"Yes, maybe. Are there any reasons not to do so?"

This time Travis smiled with amusement.

"No, this house has got an excellent reputation. But that has its price, of course."

Miss Parker had a feeling that the Nurse wasn't talking about money.

"I see", was all she replied.

Travis led her through the first floor. Every now and then Miss Parker felt herself faintly reminded of the Centre but generally the clinic made an outstanding impression. Lastly Travis led her into a large, bright room in which several of the patients were sitting.

"This is the recreation room. A lot of our patients spend almost the whole day here, because here they have the possibility to try out a lot of leisure activities. Besides they can meet other patients and make friends."

All of a sudden Miss Parker had to think of Angelo. He'd certainly like this place. At any rate he'd like it better than the Centre.

Suddenly her attention was drawn to one of the corners of the large room where a young woman was sitting, staring unseeingly at the wall. She didn't seem to notice any of the activities around her. Miss Parker briefly touched Travis' arm.

"Who is that?" she asked, nodding into the young woman's direction. For the first time the expression on the Nurse's face softened.

"Her name is Luca." She hesitated, then looked closer at Miss Parker. "You know, you do look a lot like her."

Travis' words hit her like a blow. Her uneasy feeling returned, much stronger now.

"Yes", was all she could say at first. Then she added: "Why is Luca here?"

The Nurse shook her head sadly.

"To be honest: All we know is that she's been raped. Since Luca was brought here three months ago she hardly spoke a word. The doctors do their very best, but unfortunately to no avail. Something horrible must have happened to Luca."

Miss Parker could clearly see the compassion and the frustration in Travis' face.

"May I talk to her?" she asked, driven by a feeling.

"Why? Do you think she'll talk to you?"

Miss Parker looked at Travis, touching her arm.

"Please, let me try. It can't harm her, can it?"

Travis returned her open gaze and after a while she shook her head, almost unnoticeably.

"I just don't know why, but you do look as if you knew what you're doing. So go and try. But be warned - don't you make it worse."

"Thank you, Nurse. Could I talk to Luca in a place that's a little more quiet?"

Nurse Travis sighed.

"Alright. Follow me, Miss Nightingale."

***

The small room Nurse Travis brought her to was as elegantly furnished as the rest of the clinic, but for some reason it looked more comfortable. After a few minutes Travis returned to the room. Luca was with her and still didn't seem to be taking any notice of her surroundings.

Miss Parker thought for a brief moment.

"Please leave us alone", she then asked. Travis shortly glanced at her. She looked as though she wanted to say something but then thought better of it. Without a word she turned and left the room.

Miss Parker looked undecidedly at the young woman who sat on the soft couch. Her instinct told her that Lyle had something to do with Luca's present state of mind. There now were two ways for her to find out more. Miss Parker decided for the easier one.

"Hello, Luca", she said as softly as she could. Luca didn't show any visible reaction.

"My name is Miss Parker", she added, then she shook her head. "But you can call me Marine." Still no reaction.

"I believe we've got a common acquaintance." She hesitated for a moment because she had no idea how Luca would react to her next words. "His name is Lyle."

For a moment there was sheer horror in Luca's eyes. The young woman uttered a hoarse scream, then lifted her arms before her face in a defensive gesture.

"Be calm, Luca. He's not here. You are safe from him. I'm sorry." Miss Parker did her best to calm Luca down. At any rate she now knew for sure that Lyle was behind it all.

Luca's reaction had made it clear that Miss Parker couldn't proceed like that. So there only was the other way left. She briefly closed her eyes in order to concentrate and to convince herself she was doing the right thing. Up to now she'd always shrunk back from using her new talents.

But this was an emergency. Perhaps she'd be able to help Luca by finding out what had happened to her. Besides she felt at least partly responsible for the state Luca was in because her brother was involved in the matter.

"It's alright, Luca. Relax," she murmured soothingly, sitting down next to her on the couch. By now she knew better what to do. Since her first sim she had worked on her technique, mostly to protect herself from her own reactions.

Slowly she increased her concentration, focusing further and further on Luca, trying to get a feeling for her.

The flaring up of the first strange memory was a shock - just like the first time. With all her self control Miss Parker forced herself not to shut her mind off from it.

Lyle's face appeared before her inner eye, smiling, charming. She sensed that he'd appealed to Luca. But unlike Luca she saw behind the facade, discovering Lyle's calculating dangerousness there.

The next scene unfolded before her. Surprised, she realized that Lyle had courted Luca rather zealously. She couldn't help wondering why.

The more time passed the faster the single memories followed each other. Often they were only fragments, single words, images or scents. Miss Parker sensed Luca's hesitating to remember anything more. She really wanted to spare Luca from this pain but there was no other way.

Bit by bit Miss Parker filtered any disturbing influences out of the stream of memories and impressions. Something entered her mind, getting stronger and stronger, but she couldn't grasp it yet. With a conscious decision she let go of it to get back to it later.

She didn't know how much time had passed when suddenly a veritable flood of memories stormed in on her. Miss Parker tried desperately to put them in some kind of order, at the same time trying to keep her distance, but it was no use. It was already too late, she had already focused too much upon Luca, but only that way she could penetrate to the core of Luca's trauma.

When it finally happened Miss Parker almost lost control. All at once she realized what had drawn her attention earlier. She didn't know why but Luca's memories weren't the only ones she shared. Somehow she had also gained access to Lyle's memories.

The images overpowered her. Only on the brink of her consciousness she realized that Luca withdrew from her and left her alone with the memories.

***

The room was dark. Dark and frightening. She was afraid. This was no longer the man she'd met last month.

He dominated her, he tormented her and he owned her. And no matter how much she wanted to she couldn't defend herself against him. All this wasn't just his fault. She had wanted it as well.

His body rested heavily on her. What he was doing to her had no more to do with sex.

At first she had liked it, but then, all of a sudden, he'd lost control over himself. Part of her knew that this was not the case, that he still was in control of himself. It frightened her all the more.

His breath was going faster. It wasn't her body that aroused him so much, she knew that much. They'd had sex before, but he'd never done anything like that to her.

Faster and faster he thrust into her until he was on the edge of coming. She wanted it to be over, but what she wanted even more was to no longer feel lust.

As he came he cried out her name again, the name of the other woman. Although she didn't want to she climaxed, too.

It took a long time until he finally rolled off her. Slowly, almost casually, his finger traced the line of her jaw. The look in his eyes filled her with deepest horror.

"And now... we'll have some fun together", he announced, and the chill in his eyes belied his gentle tone of voice.

***

Miss Parker tried to escape from the whirl of memories, but she felt another, even worse discovery waiting for her. She observed the following events from Luca's point of view again, but immediately banned them from her memory as well as she could. To her horror she then returned to the events in Lyle's house once more, and this time she shared his point of view.

***

Finally. It wasn't as good as in his imagination but enough to relieve part of the unbearable pressure. This girl even looked a lot like 'her', making it a little better than he had hoped.

She belonged to him, was helplessly at his mercy. And no matter how much she might deny it - she liked it.

Out of their own volition his thoughts returned to 'her'. Immediately his arousal intensified until every other thought had vanished from his mind. In his imagination it was 'her' who moved under him, took in all of him, followed his rhythm.

He could feel himself getting closer to his climax. Sometimes the thought of 'her' was enough... A low moan emerged from somewhere deep within his throat. Almost, he was almost there. He could almost feel 'her' soft skin, 'her' hands trying to pull him deeper inside of 'her', 'her' dark hair on his face... 'her' full lips, pressed on his again and again, 'her' tongue exploring his mouth... he heard 'her' low moaning which aroused him even more...

His climax was incredible. He came again and again, crying out 'her' name. All the time he saw 'her' face in his mind. He had to have 'her', simply had to, even though he knew that he couldn't, that he wasn't allowed to. But laws and bans had never interested him...

***

Miss Parker screamed as she tore herself away from Luca and slid off the couch to the ground. The waves of the orgasm she had shared with Luca and Lyle rippled through her body with undiminished intensity. Tears were streaming down her face. She cried for sympathy for Luca. She cried because the face she had seen in Lyle's memory had been her own.

It was almost impossible for her to regain control. More than anything else in the world she now wished she had never seen these images, had never looked into her twin brother's mind.

Nausea overcame her. She choked a few times, eventually managing to control herself. After an eternity she regained part of her self control. Luca, she had to take care of Luca.

With an effort she got up and pulled herself up on the edge of the couch. Luca had rolled herself into a fetal position. There were tears on her face as well. Unbidden memories of how Lyle had abused Luca after the rape flooded Miss Parker's mind. Miss Parker shoved them away forcibly. She'd have to deal with that later.

"Luca..."

Her voice sounded rough and somehow unreal to her.

In an effort to comfort her she drew the young woman into her arms, waiting for the sobs that wrecked her to subside. After what seemed an eternity to her Miss Parker suddenly heard a voice. Tired, she turned her head. Nurse Travis stood in the doorway, staring at her with an unreadable expression.

"And now you're gonna explain to me what the hell's just happened here, Miss Parker."

***

Langton Cottage
Scofield, GB
05:00 pm


"Marine, what a surprise! I hadn't expected you to return this soon. Hopefully that doesn't mean you're going to return to the USA anytime soon. Please come in."

Miss Parker gladly followed his invitation and went into the comfortable living room. There she sat down on the couch, waiting until Charles had taken a seat as well.

"Charley, I'd like to ask a favor of you", she then said.

"Of course. What is it?"

"I thought of reviving the past a bit."

The major straightened with interest, and Miss Parker suppressed a smile.

"In what way?"

"You surely know Pendleton Heights, the psychiatric clinic situated nearby?" When he nodded she went on. "Well, with your help I'd like to get someone out of there as soon as possible."

***

Pendleton Heights, GB
The next day
11:31 am


"It's been a long time since I've last done something like this", Charles murmured as he got out of the car and looked at the large clinic building. Miss Parker smiled at him reassuringly.

"It's really nice of you to help me, Charley."

He looked at her, grinning widely.

"Believe me, it's my pleasure. I only hope that I'm not too much out of practice."

Together they went up the three steps to the entrance. The big entrance hall was deserted, only Nurse Travis stood at the reception desk and looked up as the two of them entered the hospital.

"So you've really returned", Travis stated. "I hadn't really expected you to."

Miss Parker slightly cocked her head.

"I promised you I'd come back and explain everything to you, and I do keep my promises. This is Charles, an old friend of my family."

Charles extended his hand to her and Travis took it.

"Pleased to meet you", Charles said.

"Charles, this is Nurse Travis. I hope she'll help us once I've told her a thing or two about the backgrounds of all this", Miss Parker added. The expression on Travis' face was all doubt but she didn't say anything. The major on the other hand smiled, and Miss Parker thought that he suddenly looked extremely charming.

"Is there a place here where we can talk in private?" she asked Nurse Travis. The Nurse thought briefly, then nodded.

"For our patients' security most of the rooms here are being monitored, but I know a room that will suit us. Follow me."

At first she went to a small room situated right under the broad stairs leading up to the first floor. The door was ajar and Travis stuck her head into the room.

"Hey, Shirley, could you please have an eye on the reception for a while? I've gotta take care of some visitors."

"Sure, Jess. But don't stay away for too long, okay?"

"Thanks, Shirley."

Without a further word Travis turned again, getting on her way to the first floor. Miss Parker and Charles followed her in silence, exchanging a brief glance every now and then. At the top of the stairs Travis turned right, walking down a long corridor until she stopped in front of a small, massive looking door. After a short search in one of the pockets of her uniform she pulled out a bunch of keys. She unlocked the door, inviting Miss Parker and Charles in. Then she followed them, locking the door behind them.

"I don't want any of the patients to come in here accidentally. In that case I'd have a lot to explain", Travis said. Once again the Nurse took the lead.

Miss Parker looked around curiously. They now were in an old staircase which obviously hadn't been used very often lately. Unlike the other rooms in the hospital this one had windows which hadn't any grating. On the other hand these windows were too small for most people to escape through them.

Quietly she followed Travis another three stairs up, always aware of Charles' reassuring presence. At the top of the last stairs they once again stood in front of a locked door, and once again Travis opened it for them. Behind it was a small room which had to be a part of the attic. But although the staircase had seemed to be deserted this room looked like it was used at least every now and then.

Two worn armchairs and three old chairs were grouped around a rickety looking table. There was a large, round window in one of the walls. The glass of the window was almost blind with dust and dirt, but it let just enough light in to make the room look comfortable. Still Miss Parker thought that she could easily do without coming here at night.

Travis sat down on one of the chairs, offering a seat to Miss Parker and Charles, too. Miss Parker chose one of the armchairs whereas Charles remained standing, trying to take a look out of the window.

"Must be a marvelous view from up here", he said dryly. Nurse Travis chuckled.

"We don't come here frequently enough to keep the place tidy. But from time to time it's quite nice to hide from everything down there."

She tore her gaze away from Charles to look curiously at Miss Parker instead.

"I'm all ears", she said encouragingly. Miss Parker smiled slightly.

"Do you want to hear the short version or the long one?"

***

Half an hour later Nurse Travis pursed her lips, staring thoughtfully at the small table. When she looked up again the expression on her face was unreadable.

"This story really qualifies you for a treatment in our clinic", she then said.

"But it is true", Charles intervened for the first time. Travis only shot him a short glance.

"At any rate it sounds crazy enough to be true."

Travis slowly shook her head. Miss Parker looked her in the eyes, realizing that not only was the Nurse ready to believe them - she already did. She only needed a little more time to take in all of the information.

"You didn't tell me everything."

"No, just the most important things. The details aren't important now, but I'll fill you in on them later if you want me to."

The hint of a smile tugged at the corners of Travis' mouth.

"No, I don't think so." While she ran one of her hands through her short brown hair, Travis leaned back a bit. There was worry evident in her green eyes. "So you think your brother's responsible for Luca's present state of mind?"

Miss Parker sighed uneasily and then nodded, almost reluctantly.

"I'm afraid so, yes. But Luca's reaction hardly left any doubt about that."

"What are you going to do now?" Travis wanted to know after a short pause.

After a short glance at Charles Miss Parker leaned a bit forward in her armchair.

"I'd like to take Luca with me to the USA. A friend of mine, Sydney, could take care of her there. He is a psychiatrist and knows more about my brother's sick psyche than any doctor here. Perhaps he will be able to help Luca."

Again there was doubt coloring Travis' expression.

"And this Sydney... he's working for the Centre as well?"

"Yes, but that is of no importance at all. First of all he is loyal to his patients and definitely not to the Centre."

"Don't you agree with me that it might be dangerous for Luca to get her this close to your brother again? And it's not just the psychological effects on Luca I'm talking about."

"Your worry is certainly justified", Miss Parker admitted. "But I can protect Luca. Lyle will never get near her again, that much is for sure."

Travis slowly shook her head, apparently undecided.

"Hm, I don't know. By your own account this guy's more than dangerous. Are you really sure you can guarantee for Luca's safety?"

"Nurse Travis, there is no such thing as absolute safety. But I'll do whatever I can to help and protect Luca. I owe her that."

Charles left his place at the window, kneeling down next to Miss Parker's armchair. He put his hand on her arm.

"You're in no way responsible for your brother's deeds", he stated firmly, looking at her for a long time. Then he addressed Travis, a warm smile in his eyes. "You can trust Miss Parker."

The Nurse thought for a long while, then smiled hesitantly and, as it seemed, almost against her will.

"I do, even if it's crazy. But I simply can't risk Luca's life just like that, you see? The girl went straight through hell and she's got no one to look after her - except for me."

"So why don't you just accompany us then?" Miss Parker suggested, grateful for Charles's being near and his support.

Travis gave the idea a thought.

"That's not so easy... But probably the two of you have already worked out a plan, haven't you?"

Miss Parker and Charles exchanged a knowing smile, and Travis shook her head with amusement.

"Well, then let's hear it."

"Alright, it goes like this", Charles began. "First we'll have to..."

***

Pendleton Heights, GB
The next day
04:04 pm


Miss Parker walked up the short stairs leading to the clinic's entrance with Charles right behind her. They were both glad that Nurse Travis had consented to help them with their plan. Otherwise they would have had to work out another plan, thus losing precious time.

"Ready?" Miss Parker asked softly.

Charles shot her a short glance, smiling slightly.

"Sure. After all we're not dealing with the Centre here." He blinked and Miss Parker returned his smile.

"Then let's go."

Together they entered the large entrance hall. Apart from a Nurse behind the reception desk there was no one there, just as it had been on their previous visits. Nurse Travis had told them that this was part of the clinic's concept: The patients shouldn't feel like they were kept a watch on all the time. Because of that there was nursing staff only on the upper two floors, having an eye on the patients' well-being. All of the other rooms, including the main entrance hall, were monitored by a very modern surveillance system.

That was why they had decided to slightly alter the first plan. Since it would have been tremendously more difficult to get Luca out in some secret way, they had opted to take her with them in public. Miss Parker had taken care of all necessary formalities, and now everything depended on Charles's acting skills.

"Good afternoon. Is there anything I can do for you?" the Nurse at the reception desk greeted them.

"Hello", Miss Parker replied. "Yes, there is. This is Dr. Stephens, and my name is Miss Parker. We'd like to talk to Mrs. Whitlock."

"Of course. May I ask on which matter?"

"It's about one of your patients. Could you please ask Mrs. Whitlock if she can spare some time for us?"

"Please wait a moment."

The Nurse picked up the receiver of the telephone that sat on the desk. A few minutes later an elderly, elegantly dressed woman came down the stairs to the entrance hall. Miss Parker took an inconspicuous look at the clinic's manager. An aura of authority and self-confidence surrounded her. Before Mrs. Whitlock came within earshot Charles inclined his head towards Miss Parker.

"No problem", he whispered. "I'll twist her round my little finger."

"Good afternoon, my name is Cornelia Whitlock. I am the manager of this clinic. How can I be of help to you?"

The smile that she presented to them looked a bit too affected in Miss Parker's eyes and she decided to be careful with this woman. After they had introduced themselves, Miss Parker came straight to the point. She wanted to get the whole matter over with as quickly as possible. This wasn't the first time that she pretended to be someone else, but up to now she had never relied on her skills alone.

"Mrs. Whitlock, the first time I came to your institution a few days ago I made an outstanding discovery. You could almost say that I was terribly lucky - if only the circumstances weren't so tragic."

"I'm afraid I'm not quite sure what you mean...", Mrs. Whitlock said, slightly raising her brows.

"If you don't mind I'll go far afield. A few months ago, back home in the States, a horrible thing happened to a family who is close friends with mine. One of their daughters disappeared without leaving a trace, and in spite of an intensive search for her she was nowhere to be found. At first her parents believed that she might have been kidnapped, but when they hadn't received any claim for ransom in weeks the police dropped that possibility. A short while later the official powers declared that the girl must have run away and they stopped all active efforts to find her. Although her parents didn't give up on her and engaged several private investigators the girl could not be found." Miss Parker paused for a short moment, scrutinizing the clinic's manager with a penetrating glance. "When I looked around this place a few days ago, I happened to notice a girl that could have been her twin. To put aside all doubts without raising her parents' hopes I have made some inquiries."

Mrs. Whitlock had raised her eyebrows even further, and now she lifted a hand to interrupt Miss Parker.

"Well, Miss Parker, that all sounds a little bit..."

'Far-fetched?' Miss Parker thought.

"I know how this must sound to you, Mrs. Whitlock", she said aloud, "and I don't expect you to rely on my word only. That is why Dr. Stephens is accompanying me. He is the legal counsel of the girl's family, and he will be able to clear up the identity of this particular patient beyond all doubt."

Charles cleared his throat.

"Indeed I will. The documents I brought with me will underpin everything. Maybe we could continue this conversation somewhere more quiet..."

He reached for the woman's arm who seemed to be taken by surprise a bit and let her lead him to her office. Miss Parker glanced after them, then turned when she heard the sound of soft steps behind her. Jessica Travis joined her, coming from the Nurses' recreation room.

"How did it go?" she asked curiously.

"Mrs. Whitlock doesn't have the faintest chance", Miss Parker answered with a delicate smile. "What about you, did everything work out?"

Travis nodded contentedly.

"Yes. The boss wasn't thrilled about me wanting to take a vacation on such short notice, but he had no choice. It was the first time in over four years that I wanted to have some time off."

"Four years without a vacation?" Miss Parker asked with some surprise. Nurse Travis laughed softly.

"Now don't you look at me so horrified, Miss Parker. The shifts here are spread very comfortably, because there's enough personnel. We are entitled to several days off each month. The work here can be very strenuous, and the clinic's management is grateful for every Nurse who holds out here for longer than a year. I have accumulated more than nine months worth of vacation."

'Sounds somehow familiar', Miss Parker thought. 'Since Jarod's escape I haven't been on vacation either.'

"I'd say it was about time, then."

"You're telling me! Do you think it'll take much longer?"

"No, I guess not. The documents speak for themselves, and Charles promised to be extra charming."

Actually it didn't take much longer until Charles and Mrs. Whitlock returned. The triumphant expression on Charles' face said everything, and Miss Parker felt as if a heavy load was lifted off her mind. Now she could take Luca with her to the States, and with a little luck Sydney would be able to help her.

***

Langton Cottage
Scofield, GB
07:07 pm


"Hello, Marine. Please come in."

There was joy as well as grief in his voice. Miss Parker knew the reason for both; she was feeling quite the same.

"Hello, Charley", she replied before she entered his house. Without saying a word she followed him into the living room and sat down on the couch.

"When will you leave?"

"Our flight will leave tomorrow morning, about three o'clock. Nurse Travis has already taken Luca to London. I will meet them later at our hotel."

"So that's our goodbye", Charles sighed. "I am glad that you came back once more."

"You didn't think I would sneak away without saying goodbye, did you?" Miss Parker teased with mock reproach in her voice. But then she became serious again. "There is one more thing I'll have to tell you, Charley."

He looked at her attentively.

"Probably you've already found that out for yourself, but I wanted to be sure. I believe that the Centre is on your heels, hard on your heels. The fact that I was able to locate you confirms this assumption. You should be... careful."

"You were right. I did know that. Still I thank you for the warning, Marine. But there's something you should know as well... You've been only able to find me because I wanted you to", he said with a wink.

Miss Parker looked at him completely surprised for a second or two, then she laughed softly.

"Now I really do believe that Jarod's your son", she managed to utter. Charles grinned, then he rose and walked over to a chest which stood next to the fireside. He took something out of it. When he turned to face her Miss Parker noticed that he was holding a file and an envelope in his hand. He handed her the envelope.

"What is that?"

"A little souvenir for you. Open it once you're back home. There are some photographs in there - so that you will be able to picture your past again."

Miss Parker stared down on the envelope, nodding pensively.

"Thank you, Charley", she said with warmth.

"You're welcome, Marine. I only wish I could have done more for you. Uhm, I'd like to ask a favor of you."

"Of course, no matter what."

"You better watch out, an answer like that can get you into big trouble", Charles replied with amusement, but sobered up immediately. "These are some pieces of information for Jarod. I want you to take this file with you - so that I can be sure that he will really get it."

She hesitated only for an instant.

"Alright. I will make sure that he gets it. And that's a promise."

"Thank you very much, Marine. This is really important to me."

He gave her the file, too and watched her packing both items into her bag. Eventually she looked up at him.

"What will you do know, Charley?"

"Oh, I will move on, increasing the distance between me and the Centre again. That shouldn't be too difficult - fortunately these guys have become quite careless in the last few years."

"Will you ever return to the States?"

Charles shrugged his shoulders.

"I'd love to, as soon as it is safe again. Until then I'll prefer to stay abroad."

Miss Parker nodded sadly and rose.

"I see. But don't give up hope. Maybe you'll be able to return much earlier than you can imagine right now."

He looked at her attentively, then his lips slowly formed a smile.

"You're up to something, Marine", he assumed.

"Might be", she admitted. "But it's merely an idea. I will have to give it some more thought."

"Hm, now I'm curious."

"Just be patient, Charley. You will learn everything about it all in good time, I'm sure of that."

She looked at the watch that was hanging at the wall over the fireplace. Charles followed her gaze.

"It's time", he then said. "If you don't leave anytime soon, you won't be back in London on time."

He reached for her hand, and Miss Parker recalled the moment when she had met him in Scofield for the first time. Just a few days ago she hadn't even been able to remember the fact that she knew him. Still their parting was hard on her now.

"Would you please do me another favor?" Charles asked. Miss Parker nodded silently.

"I want you to give Jarod something else from me. Take your time over that one until you'll both be ready."

Before Miss Parker had any chance to ask him what he meant he embraced her and hugged her tightly. She understood.

"Take good care of yourself, Marine."

"I will, Charley", she promised, blinking back her tears. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too, but I'm sure we'll met again anytime soon."

Charles made a few steps backwards, smiling sadly.

"Goodbye, Charley. Thank you for everything."

"There's nothing you've got to thank me for. See you soon, Marine."

He accompanied her to her car and glanced after her for a long while after she'd left.

"I will always have an eye on you", he murmured softly to himself, before he went back to his house in order to prepare his removal.

***

The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
The next day
06:49 am


A shudder ran through her body when Miss Parker recognized the outlines of the Centre in the headlights of her car. More than four weeks had passed since she'd left this place. Returning here was astonishingly hard on her.

But her working routine immediately took hold of her and she parked her car quite automatically. Before she got out of the car she allowed herself a resigned sigh, then she gathered her energy and got on the way to her office.

Miss Parker knew that there were a few confrontations in store for her, but she looked forward to most of them. Just one or two of them were a major headache for her.

The main entrance hall lay deserted in the twilight of dawn. None of the Centre's employees came here that early - unless their presence was imperative.

"Miss Parker?"

Without having to turn she knew whom the sonorous voice belonged to.

"Sam."

Only now did she turn, scrutinizing her sweeper with an uninterested look.

"Did you catch Jarod in the meantime?"

There was the faintest hint of a smile on Sam's usually motionless face.

"No. As far as I know nobody has heard of him in more than four weeks."

"Now that's a surprise. I guess it's about time for me to take matters in my own hands again."

Sam's only answer was a barely noticeable nod.

She went on but turned once more before she reached the elevators.

"I'm looking for my brother. Do you know where he is?"

"Sublevel 2."

Miss Parker snapped her fingers contentedly.

"A precise answer. Just the way I like it. Be at the ready, Sam. Hunting season has just begun again."

Without waiting for an answer she entered one of the elevators, pressing the button for sublevel 2. It was a short ride. Too short to contain the anger that was rising within her when she thought of Lyle. But basically that wasn't so bad at all. As long as she was angry at him she could at least not feel compassion for him.

This feeling for him was still confusing her. Everything she was supposed to feel for him was hatred and maybe disgust. Still she couldn't help feeling sorry for him. After all Raines had made him the monster he was now.

When the elevator door opened, she took a deep breath, reminded herself of her anger and entered the long, empty corridor. While walking down the hall she tried to recall what kind of research was done on SL 2. A few years ago there had been experiments with twins down here in which Sydney had been involved as well. But as far as Miss Parker knew these tests had been stopped after Jarod's escape.

Presumably Raines was now using this sublevel. Miss Parker frowned. In the last few years he had claimed more and more space within the Centre. Why hadn't she noticed that earlier? 'Probably because I didn't care about it', she thought. It was time for someone to put a stop to Raines' dealings. But at first she had to take care of Lyle.

Eventually she found him in one of the rooms which used to be labs in the past. Apparently he'd retreated to this place in order to... Miss Parker shook her head vehemently. The last thing she wanted to know was what he was doing down here. The sight of him was enough to rekindle her anger. Some of Luca's memories flashed before her inner eye. Without thinking about it for a second she walked straightly in his direction.

He looked up, astonished, when he heard the sound of her steps. His mouth twisted into the most repelling smile she could imagine.

"Hello, Sis. So you're here..." Lyle never finished his sentence, since she'd reached him, slapping him on the face with all her strength. Her hand hurt from the powerful blow but she didn't even notice it at that moment.

Immediately there was a dangerous anger flashing up in Lyle's eyes but she gave him no chance to recover.

"Hey, have you gone out of your mind?" he shouted furiously.

"Shut up, you perverted bastard", she hissed back, grabbed him by the collar and shoved him with his back against the wall. Then she rammed her elbow against his throat, hard enough to cut his breath off for a while, so that she could keep him under control. "You will listen to me closely now. I know what you have done. From this day on I will be your worst nightmare. If any of my friends feels threatened by you - you'll die. Same goes should I ever see you near my house. Think just one wrong thing and I'll know it. And should you ever try to repeat these things you've done to Luca, you'll die as well. But in that case you'll die very slowly. Got me?"

While uttering her threat against him she watched him closely. Though he tried to look unimpressed she could still see something flashing in his eyes for a moment - she really hoped it was fear. When he made no move to answer her she increased the pressure of her arm against his throat until he finally nodded.

"Good. And if you doubt that I meant what I just said... Tommy Tanaka and his family still have a bone to pick with you. It would give me great pleasure to hand you over to them personally and make sure that they won't settle for just one finger this time. I'd rather see you dead today than tomorrow."

Once again she increased the pressure against his throat, then released him abruptly. Lyle sank down, breathing in short pants. Miss Parker turned and walked to the door.

"You'd better leave Daddy out of this. At the moment he's gotta take care of more important things - he'd probably take hardly any interest in our sibling rivalry", she said on her way out.

Not until she had entered the elevator and the door had closed behind her did she take a deep breath. She felt an urgent need to wash her hands.

***

Sydney's office
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
07:59 am


A soft knock startled Sydney out of his work. He couldn't help wondering who on earth might want to talk to him this early. Maybe Broots had finally heard something of Miss Parker...

"Come in", he said, looking expectantly at the door. He could hardly believe his eyes when he saw Miss Parker enter his office. Only Jarod walking in the door could have surprised him more.

"Miss Parker!"

Hastily he jumped to his feet to get over to her.

"Hello, Sydney", she said with considerable warmth. Without further thinking about it Sydney pulled her in an embrace, hugging her tightly. She returned the embrace, much to his amazement. Their reunion seemed to make her as happy as himself.

"We've all missed you a lot", he murmured deeply moved, enjoying this moment a little longer. Then he let go of her, peering at her closely.

"I missed you, too", she replied, and in her eyes he could see that she really meant it. Confused, he shook his head.

"You look wonderful, Miss Parker. Your absence seems to have done you a lot of good. Where on earth have you been? We were worried that something might have happened to you."

Miss Parker put her hand on his shoulder.

"I was in England. I'm really sorry but I couldn't take the risk to contact you." She sighed softly. "It's a long story. But actually I've come here because my father wants to talk to us. Strictly speaking he only wanted to see me, but I'd like to ask you to accompany me."

Sydney couldn't help it - suddenly he had the feeling not to talk to the grown up Miss Parker but to the lovable little girl that he'd somehow always seen in her. He knew how absurd that was, but he was sure that she had changed somehow. And not to her disadvantage.

He briefly touched her hand.

"Let us go, Miss Parker."

***

The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
08:23 am


Sydney was still trying to get some sense into the latest events while he was following Miss Parker to her father's office. Not only had she suddenly reappeared after over a month's absence she also seemed completely changed. He guessed that it might have something to do with the simulation, but he didn't know exactly what.

She entered the office and he followed her, eager to see what would happen next. Mr. Parker looked up when they came in, a mixture of impatience and anger coloring his features.

"So you're back again", he said without any greeting and without deigning to look at Sydney. Miss Parker's only visible reaction was an amused smile that only lasted for a split second before her expression turned blank again.

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you anything before I left, Daddy. But I'm sure you've done very well without me. By the way, where's Brigitte?"

She briefly looked around, one eyebrow raised questioningly. An expression of displeasure crossed Mr. Parker's face.

"She is busy. Preparing the wedding."

The remark had apparently been designed to hurt Miss Parker but she only nodded compassionately. Sydney felt a mixture of confusion about Miss Parker's reaction and anger at how her father treated her. Mr. Parker had difficulties in hiding his surprise as well.

"If there's anything I can do...", Miss Parker offered but there was only casual interest in her voice. Gradually Sydney began to understand. She was trying to beat her father at his own game - and she was doing quite well. Mr. Parker frowned.

"I'm sure Brigitte is coping very well", he declared.

"Alright. So why did you want to see me, Daddy?"

"Because of Jarod, of course. The Tower expects to see some success anytime soon - and so do I. Your absence cost the Centre a whole month."

"I'm sorry, but I think I have to contradict you here", Sydney intervened. "As your daughter said we were able to follow Jarod's trace - even without her."

She looked at him with a warm smile. Sydney caught his breath. Unlike her usual smile this one wasn't merely limited to her lips but also reached her eyes. He couldn't recall the last time when this had been the case. It made her look exactly like her mother for a moment, made her emanate the very same warmth. But there was also something else, something that was uniquely Miss Parker and that he'd never seen before. It was something he couldn't resist and that made him return her smile with deeply felt warmth.

She turned back to her father and her smile faded to the same cold version he'd always used to present to her. Realization dawned in Mr. Parker's eyes. Suddenly he glanced at his daughter with the same possessive look that had caused Catherine so much suffering. His whole attitude changed. He had recognized the profound emotions that used to fascinate him so much in his wife but which he'd never been able to understand.

"Why don't you tell me everything about your journey, Angel?" he asked.

Miss Parker shook her head in regret.

"I've got an important appointment with the Tower that can't be postponed."

"Well, maybe we can talk about it tonight."

"Sure. I'll call you. Was that it?", she replied matter-of-factly.

"Yes, I think so."

"Good. Let's go, Syd. Jarod won't wait for us."

Without a further word she turned and walked to the door. Sydney took a long look at Mr. Parker, then he followed her. He really had to talk to her as soon as possible.

"Miss Parker", he shouted and she stopped. Then she turned to face him. Once again she smiled with genuine warmth, and once again she touched something deep within him. Even if he'd wanted to he couldn't have resisted this smile.

"We'll talk later, Sydney, okay? This appointment with the Tower is really important. Why don't you drive me home after I'm finished here? I have no desire to drive myself after the long flight. Besides there is something I'd like you to help me with."

He nodded, unable to turn her down.

"Alright, Miss Parker. Just say the word when you're ready to go."

Her smile deepened.

"Thank you, Sydney."

She turned and got on her way to the elevators. Sydney glanced pensively after her for a long time.

***

Tech room
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
02:34 pm


When she entered the tech room Miss Parker suppressed an amused smile. Everything was as usual, and yet she noticed many things for the first time. Broots sat highly concentrated in front of his computer, but his relaxed posture told her that he wasn't dealing with Centre-related matters. Sydney was skimming through a file, but his thoughts seemed to be miles away.

He didn't look up until she passed him on her way over to Broots.

"Hello, Broots", she said softly. "Did you miss me?"

She put one of her hands on his shoulder but immediately pulled it back when the technician winced at her touch, shaking her head almost unnoticeably. Not that she couldn't understand his reaction.

"Mi... Miss Parker", he stammered. "Uh... You're back?"

Deliberately she refrained from answering with a sarcastic remark.

"Yes, I am. Is there anything you want to tell me?"

"Uhm, no, I don't think so", he managed to utter.

"Must have been a very dull month", she muttered under her breath. Then, a little louder, she asked: "How's Debbie?"

Broots, who had heard this question once too often from Raines during the last month, reacted in an unusual intense way.

"My daughter has absolutely nothing to do with my work here at the Centre, do you understand? I won't allow..."

Miss Parker knew immediately what he was referring to.

"Broots", she interrupted him gently, "read it from my lips. How. Is. Debbie?"

Confused, he looked up at her, the first time since she had entered the room.

"Oh", he said, slowly realizing what she had meant, "you really want to know how she is. She's fine. She... has asked about you."

"Really? I'd really like to see her again soon. Tell her I missed her."

"I will", Broots assured her and stared at her as if he were seeing her for the first time. This time she allowed herself a little smile and then turned to face Sydney, who looked at her with a grin.

"Ready to go?" was all he said.

She nodded.

"Let's go. See you tomorrow, Broots."

"Uhm, yes. See you tomorrow."

On her way out she could hear Broots ask Sydney something. Sydney laughed softly and answered: "Oh, you can count on that, Mr. Broots."

In the car Miss Parker waited eagerly how long it would take for Sydney to give in to his curiosity. She didn't have to wait very long.

"You're probably not going to tell me what you've done in England", he said noncommittally.

"Would you be very surprised if I were going to tell you?" she asked him with some amusement.

He shot her a quick glance, then looked back at the street.

"Indeed I would be."

"Well, I'll tell you anyway. But not now."

Sydney chuckled softly.

"Alright, I think I'll wait then", he replied. "Then let's talk about something else. I've noticed that you have, ever since you've arrived, made no mention of Jarod at all. Is there a reason for that?"

"Yes, there is. During the last few weeks I had a lot of time to rethink my attitude towards him. He now occupies a different place in my life. But before you ask me which", she said and raised her hands in a defensive gesture, "I haven't even found that out for myself, yet."

He shook his hand.

"Miss Parker, you're surprising me", he admitted.

This time she was the one to laugh softly.

"I'm even surprising myself. You were right, you know. The simulation has really changed a lot in my life. I'm only beginning to understand what is happening, but maybe you can help me with it."

"My pleasure, Miss Parker", he assured her with determination, his emotions clearly audible in his voice though he tried no to let them show.

She briefly touched his arm, then suddenly her cell phone rang. Miss Parker pulled it out of her pocket, then activated the connection.

"Hello?" she asked calmly.

"What have you done to my father?"

Jarod's voice contained an aggressive tone that would have provoked her to a sharp retort in the past, but now she remained calm. His worry for his father was more than comprehensible to her.

"Hello, Jarod", she replied gently. She'd missed their conversations on the phone more than she'd care to admit.

"What have you done to my father?" he repeated, louder this time and with a warning edge to his voice. Miss Parker sighed.

"He's just fine", she answered and suddenly felt very tired. The constant quarreling with Jarod didn't only seem to be useless all at once, it also was extremely strenuous. She'd had enough of that, but she knew that it had always been her own fault. Hopefully it wasn't too late to change it.

"I don't believe you", he said agitatedly. "If you have..."

"Jarod, listen to me. Your father is perfectly well." Something occurred to her that would surely convince him. "I swear it by my mother's grave."

Next to her Sydney took a clearly audible breath, but he didn't say anything. Miss Parker was grateful for him restraining himself.

"Do you really mean that?" Jarod eventually asked after a long pause. He seemed to have calmed down a bit.

"Of course I do. You know how much my mother means to me."

"So you didn't go to England because of my father?"

"I went there to find out some more things about my mother. I didn't find the man who killed her, but I found a very good friend. Does that answer your question?"

"Yes, but..."

"Good", she interrupted him. "See you, Jarod."

She didn't wait for his answer and ended their conversation. The things she wanted to tell him couldn't be said on the phone. She needed to talk to him in person.

Sydney was looking at the street.

"Why did he ask you about his father?"

"I guess he knows why I've been gone for so long."

"So you've met his father?"

His voice revealed nothing but interest but it was clear to her how much this subject stirred him up.

"Mhm", she murmured and tried in vain to stifle a yawn.

"We can talk about this later", Sydney offered.

"I'd really rather do that", she admitted with some relief. "Thank you for being so patient."

"Comes with my profession", he reminded her, smiling slightly.

"Now that you talk about it... Do you recall me asking for your help before we left?"

"Of course. What can I do?"

Miss Parker sighed heavily. This subject caused her some grief.

"I'll show you once we've reached my house."

She fell silent for the short rest of the way until they drove up the driveway to Miss Parker's house.

"Home, sweet home", she said with a faint smile. After they had both got out of the car she turned towards Sydney. "We'll have to be very quiet so that we won't frighten my guest."

Sydney raised a brow inquiringly but nodded. He followed her into the house.

Nurse Travis was sitting in the living room and looked at them with a smile.

"Hello, Miss Parker."

"Hello, Nurse Travis. Did everything go well?"

"Oh, yes. Don't you worry."

Miss Parker nodded with relief.

"Sydney, I'd like you to meet Nurse Travis. She was a big help to me back in England." She smiled and then addressed the Nurse. "And this is my friend Sydney, the psychiatrist whom I told you about."

They shook hands, and then Travis stretched herself out.

"Since you're here now I can go and catch up some sleep. Promise to call me whenever you need my help, okay?"

"Alright. Thanks for everything", Miss Parker said with warmth.

"My pleasure", Travis assured her with a wink. "See you, Doctor."

"Bye, Miss Travis", Sydney replied and seemed to have accepted that he was getting one surprise after the other today.

"Have a seat, Syd", Miss Parker offered. "Do you want something to drink?"

"I'd rather have some answers", he said frankly.

"Don't be too sure about that. This isn't a pleasant matter. I'll need your help as a psychiatrist - or a friend of mine that is."

She sighed and briefly shut her eyes.

"It's a long, ugly story but Luca should tell you most of it herself."

"Who is Luca?"

"A young woman whom I've happened to met in England. Let's simply hold my new talents responsible for that. However, Luca fell a victim to Lyle's abnormal behavior. He and my father hid her in England to hush everything up."

Sydney looked at her, compassion evident in his eyes.

"Why did you bring her here?"

"They weren't able to do anything for her there. I hoped that maybe you could help Luca. I don't like the fact that she's so close to Lyle again but I saw no other way. Will you talk to her?"

He nodded.

"Is there anything else I should know?" he asked gently.

Miss Parker breathed out audibly.

"Lyle has raped her. I don't know much more than that", she replied after a moment. She couldn't talk to him about her role in the matter, not yet. First she had to begin to get over it on her own. Probably he would guess it soon anyway and then she would talk to him.

"Alright." He settled for her answer for now, even if he guessed that there was more to the matter.

"Thanks", she said simply, then she went to the guest room where Luca was sleeping. She approached the sleeping young woman carefully and touched her gently at the shoulder in order not to startle her.

"Luca", she whispered.

The young woman immediately opened her eyes, looking around agitatedly, but calmed down when she recognized Miss Parker. Miss Parker forced herself to smile gently though she was ragingly mad at Lyle. Despite the fact that she had shared Luca's memories she still knew only a fraction of the pain Lyle had inflicted upon her and that was still filling her with unutterably terror.

"There's a friend of mine here who wants to talk to you. Do you remember? I've told you about Sydney."

Luca nodded hesitantly and then took Miss Parker's extended hand. Slowly Luca followed her into the living room where Sydney was still waiting.

Miss Parker introduced them to each other and made sure that Luca could cope. Only when she was sure that everything was alright did she leave the room. She went to the bathroom, then put on her pajamas and made a short stop at her kitchen. There she turned off her cell phone and put it on the kitchen table. After that she took a brief look into the living room, indicating to Sydney that he should call her in case of any problem. Then, finally, she went to her bedroom and let herself fall down on her bed.

It only took a few seconds for her to fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.

***

Jarod had entered Miss Parker's house through the backdoor. Their conversation had been most unsatisfactory and he had come for some more answers. Although he wondered why Sydney and a strange woman were sitting in Miss Parker's living room he ignored this discovery for now and kept on searching for Miss Parker.

He finally found her in her bedroom. All his plans dissolved as he saw her sleeping in her bed. She was clearly exhausted but he hadn't seen such a peaceful expression on her face since they'd both been children. Jarod watched her, deeply fascinated, and decided to delay his search for answers for a little while.

Without thinking about it he approached her bed until there was no more than a meter between them. Jarod felt a strange mixture of regret and longing. Both emotions seemed to be characteristic for the relationship between him and Miss Parker but he could well remember the time when that had been different. They used to be friends and Jarod wished they could get back to that sometime. And maybe there was more between them, something of which he thought that she could sometimes feel it as well even though she would never admit to it.

With a soundless sigh Jarod turned away from the sleeping Miss Parker. This wishful thinking was useless - it only ever caused him trouble. And still he was not willing to give it up.

As quietly as he had entered her house he now left it again. He would find his answers, but not tonight. Tonight belonged to his dreams and hopes.

***

The first thing Sydney had noticed about Luca was her outward resemblance to Miss Parker. This had left him with an uneasy feeling, but he had driven it away to focus all of his attention on his patient.

Now that he knew at least part of the story the feeling returned, stronger than before and no longer as easy to ignore.

Sydney stifled a yawn and took a quick look at the watch. It was almost four in the morning. Luca sat opposite of him on the couch. She seemed tired as well but also a lot calmer than when they had started to talk as Sydney noticed contentedly.

Markedly slow, so that he wouldn't startle Luca, he got up and went over to the couch.

"You must be tired, Luca. Come on, I'll bring you back to the guest room", he said gently. Luca looked at him with those big dark eyes of hers for a few seconds, then nodded almost unnoticeably. Sydney couldn't help wondering if the young woman was ever going to smile again. Although she was strong Lyle had almost destroyed her. With a conscious effort he drove the thought away to deal with it later when he would analyze their conversation.

He carefully saw to it that he didn't get too close to Luca so that she wouldn't feel threatened by him. Lyle had taken the control away from her and because of that she now needed the feeling that she was always in control of the situation.

Sydney accompanied her to the guest room and struggled for a reassuring smile.

"Miss Parker and I are always around. If anything is wrong just call us. We'll come to see you in the morning. And now you should try to get some sleep, Luca. Sleep well."

Again the only answer he got from the young woman was a nod before she entered the room and left the door ajar. After hesitating for a brief moment Sydney went on until he reached Miss Parker's bedroom. He wanted to cast a look at her to make sure that everything was alright with her. Apparently she played a role in that matter as well, but he hadn't figured out yet what kind of role. Though he had a faint idea...

The bedroom door was ajar, and Sydney looked into the room. Miss Parker was sound asleep but to tell from the expression on her face she was dreaming. For a long while Sydney simply stood there and watched her, then he eventually returned to the living room. There he sank onto the couch. Although he was tired he didn't fall asleep.

There were too many things that he couldn't get out of his head. His thoughts returned to the drive from the Centre to Miss Parker's house, especially to Jarod's call. At last Jarod's strange behavior during the last days before Miss Parker's return made sense to him. Sydney was still hesitating to analyze his feelings regarding Jarod's father.

It had never been a question to him that he would help Jarod to find his family. Yet it was troubling him to think of Jarod's father. He refused to hold jealousy responsible for that - such a feeling would have been more than ridiculous. Sydney sighed. There still was the possibility to talk to Jarod about it. But as things were at the moment Sydney presumed that talking to Miss Parker would be the better choice for him. After all she had met Jarod's father. 'It would probably really be the best to talk to her first', he thought. 'That will give me the chance to clarify a few other things with her as well.'

He leaned back, closed his eyes and tried to get as comfortable on the couch as possible. Slowly all of his conscious thoughts began to fade as his weariness finally got the better of him. Only the nagging restlessness remained, causing him a troubled sleep.

***

Miss Parker's house
431 Mountain Spring Road
Blue Cove, Delaware
The next morning
08:13 am


"Miss Parker?"

The voice was soft and sounded a trifle worried. Miss Parker slowly opened her eyes. Sydney was standing beside her bed, looking at her with a gentle smile.

"Good morning, Syd", she murmured and his smile deepened immediately.

"Good morning, Miss Parker", he replied gently. "I'm sorry that I had to wake you up but if we don't get on our way to the Centre anytime soon that could draw uninvited attention to us."

She sat up in bed and looked at him, warmth shimmering in her eyes.

"You're right, Sydney." Suddenly she remembered something. "How is Luca?" she asked him worriedly.

He touched her shoulder in a reassuring gesture.

"She is as well as can be expected under the circumstances. We've been talking for the whole night. Right now she is in the guest room, probably sleeping." Apparently there was something else he wanted to say but he thought better of it.

"What is wrong?" she asked him gently.

"I don't know all of the details yet", he began hesitantly, "but I think we should talk about this matter soon."

She saw the worry and the warmth in his eyes and nodded.

"We will do that. I promise. And now... what about having breakfast before we leave?"

Sydney chuckled, causing her to frown at him questioningly.

"I still have to get used to your being so caring", he hastily explained to her. Miss Parker returned his smile.

"You'd better hurry that up", she said while getting up and putting on her bathrobe.

"Oh, I guess I'm almost done with it, Miss Parker."

"Good. Before I forget it... Please feel free to use the bathroom. I'll have to get a cup of coffee first."

Sydney seemed somewhat relieved, and Miss Parker suppressed a smile. Obviously he hadn't wanted to ask her about that. She glanced after him until he'd vanished into the bathroom, then she threw a brief look into the guest room. Luca lay in bed and was sound asleep, a relaxed expression on her face.

Next Miss Parker went to the kitchen. She made some coffee, then she picked up her cell phone from the table, turning it back on. A blinking signal on the display indicated that she had got several messages. Before she got any chance to take a look at them Sydney entered the kitchen. Miss Parker put the phone back on the table and raised her brows in surprise.

"Now that was fast."

He smiled.

"The last years taught me to get ready as quickly as possible after a sudden call in the middle of the night", he explained with a grin.

She shook her head.

"Sydney, not once have you been ready as quickly as that in all this time", she replied with amusement evident in her voice. "But I guess that way you've always given Jarod a fair start."

"You can't prove that."

Sydney was still grinning. Without a word she handed him a cup of coffee.

"Thank you."

Miss Parker nodded, then took a sip of her coffee.

"Ah, that's good. Now let's see if I can beat your time."

She went to the bathroom, giving herself a nice hot shower. After that she went back to her bedroom and got dressed. In personal best time she was back in the kitchen. When Sydney saw her he raised his hands in a gesture of mock resignation.

"Okay, you win. Would you like to have a toast?"

"Love to. I didn't know I had something left to eat here at all."

"Maybe Nurse Travis has bought a few things."

"Mhm", she made pensively, once again picking up her cell phone. There were two messages from her father, one from Broots and three from Raines. She pulled a face.

"Everything alright?"

"Yes, but apparently Raines is quite impatient. Besides I forgot to call Daddy back yesterday evening."

"Did you really *forget* it?" Sydney inquired.

Miss Parker looked up and met his searching glance.

"Must run in the family", she said softly.

Sydney slightly cocked his head.

"I don't think so."

She smiled.

"Good to know that."

Miss Parker got up in a graceful movement.

"We'd better be leaving now. Nurse Travis should be back any minute now - we should wait until she has arrived."

***

Outside Miss Parker's house
A few minutes later


"Sydney, I'd like to ask a favor of you."

He shot her a surprised glance. She was sitting behind the wheel, rummaging through her brief-case, until she finally drew out a single file. Silent, she handed it over to him.

"What is it?"

She smiled enigmatically.

"A piece of Jarod's past that I have found in England. I want you to give it to him the next time you see him."

For a moment he didn't know what to say.

"Why don't you give him that yourself?"

Miss Parker sighed.

"Because I'm afraid that he won't accept it if it comes from me. I have promised that he'll get it. Please, Sydney."

He nodded, though he didn't think her reasoning to be quite conclusive.

"Alright, Miss Parker. But there is something you should know... My contact with Jarod hasn't been very... close during the last few weeks."

When she looked at him he saw compassion in her eyes.

"I'm really sorry to hear that, Syd. But I'm sure that'll change soon. Still you are the right person to give him this file."

Sydney nodded. He was always ready to help Miss Parker - he'd always been.

Legal disclaimer: The recognizable characters of the TV-show 'The Pretender' don't belong to me but to MTM, NBC Television and 20th Century Fox. I just borrowed them. Every other character does belong to me. This story was only written and published for my pleasure and that of other fans. I don't pursue any financial interests whatsoever. No copyright infringement is intended.

Big thanks to my beta readers - you're doing a great job, guys!

Spoilers: Up to season 3.

The story: Miss Parker sets the stage for her final revenge on the Centre and finds herself getting closer to Jarod than she might be prepared for...



Insights
Part 3
by Miss Bit



Tech room
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
09:09 am


When Miss Parker entered the small room she was relieved to see that only Broots was there. Good, she had to talk to him in private.

"Good morning, Broots", she said, walking over to him deliberately slow.

He turned to face her.

"Good morning, Miss Parker", he replied and looked at her nervously. Obviously he wondered what she was up to this time and what thankless role he was to play in it.

"Have you planned anything for your lunch break yet?" she wanted to know.

"Uhm, no."

"Oh, great. Would you like to go for a little walk with me?"

Broots' brows traveled upwards while he was staring at her speechlessly.

"Outside", she added and waited patiently for him to collect his thoughts.

"Uh. Sure. Love to", he uttered finally.

"Great. See you then."

She smiled at him reassuringly and went back to her office. Maybe she would manage someday to build up a normal relationship to him.

***

The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
01:07 p.m.


The landscape, in which the Centre was embedded, wasn't exactly inviting to go for a walk but only there a relatively safe conversation was possible. Broots' nervousness was obvious, and he was hastily looking around again and again. Miss Parker watched his behavior for a while, then she grabbed him by the arm and drew him with her to a single bench.

"Why don't you sit down in the sun for a while? And calm down, nothing is going to happen to you."

The technician looked at her with evident doubt, but sat down on the bench. It was the only bench in the area, as far as Miss Parker could tell. Apparently the Centre's employees didn't have the idea of coming here very often. On the other hand that was more than understandable if you had a boss like Raines.

"What... what are we doing here, Miss Parker?" Broots asked, a trifle less nervous than a few minutes ago.

"This is a nice place for a little conversation. No cameras, no bugs, no sweepers. Just... privacy."

"Oh no, you want me to spy on someone again, don't you? Please, Miss Parker, I can't do that anymore."

There was an almost pleading tone in his voice. Miss Parker sighed and sat down next to Broots.

"I see you won't like what I'm going to ask of you."

She paused and stared at the calm water for a while. Miss Parker knew that Broots regarded his work for the Centre, and especially his work for her, as a burden for some time past. Yet she needed his help.

"Has it something to do with Raines or Lyle?" he suddenly wanted to know.

"What I have in mind, Broots, is much bigger than breaking into Lyle's office or Raines' personal files."

"Does that mean you're going to pick a fight with the triumvirate?" Broots whispered, horrified.

'Maybe I should go for a change in tactics', Miss Parker mused.

"Do you like working for the Centre?"

Broots looked at her as if she had lost her mind, then he shook his head.

"Mr. Raines never left a doubt that I know too much about the Centre in order to give in my notice to him. Then there are the more than unusual working hours, the dangerous situations I seem to stumble in constantly... No, I guess I don't like working for the Centre. But I'm rather working here and alive than unemployed and dead."

"And then there is Debbie", Miss Parker said pensively, just a little surprised at Broots' outburst. The events of the last few weeks had not only been hard on her.

"Yes, Debbie. When I started working here I thought this to be the perfect job to secure Debbie's future. By now I wish I had never heard about the Centre."

"You're not the only one", Miss Parker murmured almost inaudibly.

"Why have you asked whether I like working here? Is something wrong? Is Mr. Raines up to something? Oh my god..."

Miss Parker put her hand on his arm.

"Everything is alright, Broots. I'd never allow Raines to do something to you. After all you're working for me, not him. Besides, Debbie needs her father."

Her words really seemed to calm him down a bit. He lowered his head and stared at the ground between his feet.

"I need your help, Broots", Miss Parker said calmly. Broots sighed and then looked at her, the fear in his eyes already being replaced by the wish to help her.

"What do you want me to help you with?" he finally asked quietly.

"How would you like it if we closed the Centre down and brought the triumvirate behind bars?" Miss Parker asked with a slight smile.

The technician stared at her for full five seconds before he began to laugh. Miss Parker had expected a reaction like that - the thought of closing the Centre down was unimaginable at the first moment. Broots laughter died down as fast as it had started. He had realized that she was serious about this.

"How?" he croaked, after having struggled for words in vain for a few seconds.

"Simple enough. We're going to draw the authorities' attention to the Centre - the proper authorities' attention."

"This will never work, Miss Parker." He shook his head violently to underline his words. "The Centre is completely protected and has excellent relations to many agencies. There is no evidence against the Centre."

Miss Parker leaned forward and looked at Broots urgently.

"And that's were you come into play, Broots. All of the Centre's data is stored electronically. Jarod has made that point more than once. So the only problem is, as you have already said, the security system. As soon as we've managed to by-pass it, we'll have more than enough evidence."

"It is impossible to by-pass the security system."

"Come on, Broots. Jarod has done it several times, and I think that you can do so as well."

Broots shook his head dismissively.

"I can't help you, Miss Parker. I'm sorry. Not only is it way too dangerous, it's also not possible. Besides, I can't endanger Debbie's safety."

"Look at me, Broots", Miss Parker demanded. "I can protect Debbie, and I've already made sure that the security system of the Centre won't be a problem. I'm quite sure that there is a way to manage without your help, but I'd rather rely on your support. I know that I can rely on you. Everything I'm asking of you now is for you to think about it. In a few days we'll talk about it again."

She got up and looked at the main building, then she turned to face Broots again. He seemed to be astonishingly calm.

"Of course you shouldn't talk to anyone about all this - but that goes without saying. Think about it", Miss Parker added, then she turned and got on her way back to her office. After a few yards she heard Broots' voice.

"Miss Parker?"

Once again she turned to face him.

"Yes?"

"I... I will think about it", Broots stated earnestly. Miss Parker smiled.

"Good", she said before she continued on her way. The conversation had been much less difficult than she had expected. Now all she could do was hope that Broots would make the right decision.

***

Miss Parker's home
431 Mountain Spring Road
Blue Cove, Delaware
07:27 p.m.


Miss Parker smiled as she turned off into the driveway of her house. Up to now she had never noticed how nice it was to return to her home. The tension which the Centre still caused in her - or maybe even more than ever - was relieved be the sight of her house.

Much to her relief the house seemed to be in exactly the same state as in the morning when she had left. Obviously Lyle had taken her warning seriously. Even though Luca was in little danger as long as Nurse Travis was with her, Miss Parker still wanted Lyle to stay away from her.

Nurse Travis opened the door for her just as she wanted to unlock it. Miss Parker looked up in surprise and Travis smiled slightly.

"I saw you on the driveway. Luca is sleeping in the guestroom. She was quite calm today. Your friend Sydney really seems to be able to help her."

"That's good news", Miss Parker commented with some relief. Travis put on her jacket.

"I'll leave now, if you don't mind. It was a long day."

"Of course. Listen, I'm sorry that you can't enjoy your vacation any more", Miss Parker said compassionately. The Nurse shrugged her shoulders.

"Are you kidding me? I bet this is much better than anything I could have done on Hawaii. No, seriously, I'm glad that I can look after Luca. Don't you be worried about that."

Miss Parker made a doubtful face, but let the matter rest after a look into Travis' eyes.

"Alright. Sleep well, Nurse Travis. See you tomorrow."

"Good night, Miss Parker. And you know, in case of any problem..."

"... I will manage perfectly well on my own. Good night", Miss Parker completed the sentence with a warm smile which Travis returned before she left the house and went to her hired car. Miss Parker closed the door and went into her living room. She took her jacket of and put her purse on a table, then she went over to her desk. There were a few things which she really had to get done today.

At first she took a large envelope from one of the drawers, then she got the copies of the file she had made. She merely glanced briefly at the report, but that was more than enough. For a short moment she had to close her eyes, trying to force the image from her mind. Determined, she put the pages into the envelope and sealed it. Then she wrote the address on the front, put a stamp in one of the corners and stared thoughtfully down on the envelope. This was probably completely useless, but she had at least to try.

When she was finished, she got up and put the envelope on the small table next to the front door. On her way back to the living room she took her cell phone with her. She made herself comfortable on the couch and skimmed through a small green notebook. Not even the Centre knew that it existed.

It didn't take long for her to find the first number and shortly after she was dialing. Miss Parker waited eagerly. After the fourth ring she could hear a sleepy male voice.

'Tanaka speaking. What is it?'

'Hello, Tommy. This is Parker. Did I wake you up?' Miss Parker replied in perfect Japanese, smiling slightly. She had completely forgotten about the different time zones.

'Parker!' Tommy sounded sincerely pleased, but then he asked with mock anger: 'Do you have any idea how late it is here?'

'I'm sorry, I didn't think of it. Tommy, can I ask a favor of you?'

There was a brief pause before Tommy answered her.

'Sure, just tell me what it is.'

***

Fifteen minutes later Miss Parker ended the conversation, pleased with the way it had worked out. Her talk with Tommy had been extremely promising. Once again she skimmed through the notebook.

"Time for me to brush up my Russian", she murmured to herself while she was dialing. This time it took longer until the connection was made, but after a while she heard a pleasantly deep voice which made a shudder ran through her body.

'Hello?' For a moment she just gave in to her pleasant memories, then she shook her head in amusement.

'Hello, Sergej. Do you still remember me?' Miss Parker inquired gently.

'Ah, Parker! How could I possibly forget you? But it's been much too long.'

'Yes, I agree. Listen, Sergej, there is something I'd like to ask of you.'

She could hear his soft laughter from the other side of the line.

'What a shame! For a moment I had hoped that you called because you missed me. So, what is it that I can do for you?'

***

Miss Parker's home
431 Mountain Spring Road
Blue Cove, Delaware
08:17 p.m.


A single candle stood on the table in the living room, sending off flickering waves of light. Miss Parker sat on the couch, her legs drawn closely to her body. Half an hour ago she had taken a brief look into Luca's room. She really seemed to be a little better.

Completely oblivious of the world Miss Parker stroked the arm of the couch, thinking about the future. She was mainly concerned about Luca; she couldn't keep the young woman with her forever. Miss Parker sighed and briefly shut her eyes. Even if Luca's fate was anything but pleasant, it still was much easier for her to think about Luca than about her own future. Or about the events of the most recent past.

The doorbell dragged her out of her unpleasant brooding. Grateful, she rose to let her visitor in. It wasn't much of a surprise to her to see Sydney standing outside when she opened the door. Actually she was quite glad to see him.

"Hello, Syd. Please come in", she greeted him with warmth.

"Hello, Miss Parker. I hope I'm not disturbing you", he replied with the same warmth and smiled.

"Not at all. Please take a seat."

He sat down on the couch. Miss Parker switched the light on and then she blew out the candle on the table. She looked at Sydney attentively.

"Are you just here because you missed me or is there another reason?" she asked expectantly.

For a short moment there was an amused smile on Sydney's face, but he quickly became serious again.

"I thought that maybe you'd like to talk to someone", he replied gently.

Miss Parker sat down in an armchair. Sydney really knew her well. Maybe he would really be able to get some order into her thoughts. Right now she was grateful for his mere trying. She couldn't help but smile. Just a few weeks ago she would have turned his offer to talk about her feelings down, regarding it as a try to meddle in her life.

"Mhm, you're right", she admitted.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see him subtly changing his posture. 'Always the psychiatrist', she thought with amusement. In the past this would have surely upset her, but now she only regarded him as a friend who would listen to her.

"Unfortunately we never had the opportunity to continue our conversation after your... simulation", he began. "How did you manage in the meantime?"

"Are you talking about my new talents?"

"The whole situation must be very hard on you."

Miss Parker leaned back in her armchair.

"I had a lot of time to think about everything when I was in England. I would have loved to just ignore it, but that was impossible. I think I can understand Jarod much better now", she said softly.

Sydney frowned.

"In what way?"

"Because of all the simulations he's done he doesn't know who he is. He never had the chance to find himself. And I almost lost myself." She made a long pause before she went on. "I am not like Jarod. And I'm not like Angelo, either. They have a special understanding for other people; they can become other people. But I..." When she looked up she met his patient, understanding gaze. "When I really try hard I can see other people's memories. It is as if I were living through what they have experienced. Not a very useful talent, I'm afraid", Miss Parker said, shrugging her shoulders.

"On the contrary, Miss Parker", Sydney objected earnestly. "After all it was your talent that enabled you to find out what happened to Luca. Or am I mistaken there?" he added in a gently inquiring tone.

"Well, I think you're right", Miss Parker admitted reluctantly. The memories she had shared with Luca still weighed heavily on her. But not half as much as the things she had learned from Lyle's memory.

"Miss Parker?"

Sydney had leaned forward, a worried expression on his face.

"Don't you want to tell me what happened in England?"

'Maybe I'll feel better then', she thought. 'Or I'll never be able to look him in the eyes again.'

Angry with herself she shook her head. What Lyle had done and what he 'wanted' to do was not her fault. Still it wasn't easy for her to talk about it.

"I don't think I'll be able to tell you everything", she finally replied hesitatingly.

"You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to talk about", Sydney reminded her softly. Miss Parker nodded.

"Yes, I know. After the simulation about Ruth I only used my talent once more - to help Luca." Suddenly she remembered something that had never occurred to her before. Her face lit up a bit. "No, that's not right. When I talked to Charles - Jarod's father - he told me some things about my mother. I could see everything right before me, almost as if I had been there. I think I also shared his memory."

She sighed with frustration.

"If only the whole thing weren't so confusing! With some memories it's hard to tell whether they are mine or those of another person. I'm sorry, this mess probably doesn't make any sense to you at all."

Sydney rose and came over to her. He took her hand in his. The physical contact calmed her down a bit.

"First of all it must make sense to you, Miss Parker. You can't expect life to go on just like before. You have changed and now you see the world in another way, perceive things in another way. Give yourself some time. Bit by bit you will get used to it."

"I'm not sure I want to get used to it", she murmured almost defiantly. Then the fighting spirit returned to her eyes. "But I will try to."

"Now that sounds much better", Sydney said with a contented smile, while he returned to the couch. "Do you want to talk about Lyle?" he asked so abruptly that Miss Parker looked at him in shock. It was impossible for him to know what she had seen.

"After all he is responsible for the state poor Luca is in", he added much to Miss Parker's relief. "And he is your brother."

Miss Parker hesitated. She had to talk to someone about what she had seen. If not to Sydney to whom else?

"I... lived through some of the things he's done to her", she said very softly. "But that wasn't the worst thing of all. Sydney, I could also see his memories - no, share is a better word. I don't know how this was possible. It should never have happened! I could see what he saw, what he wanted to see..."

Her voice trailed off. There was nothing more she could tell him, not now. Maybe later. Unshed tears stung in her eyes and she had a lump in her throat. She couldn't even tell why. Anger, disgrace, sympathy - every single of these emotions might have been the reason. Miss Parker closed her eyes. Seconds later she sensed Sydney's presence close to her. He was squatting in front of her, looking at her inquisitively. When she nodded he took her in his arms, comforting her.

"It's alright", he whispered soothingly.

She really wanted to believe him, but right now nothing seemed to be all right. Sydney didn't know the whole truth. With an effort Miss Parker managed to regain part of her control. She knew that it would take a long time for her to deal with everything but at least she could count on Sydney's support. This thought was comfort enough for her at the moment.

Gently but determinedly she stepped away from Sydney. His silent understanding had impressed her very much. Gradually she began to regret that she had refused his help ever before.

He looked at her closely and seemed to come to the conclusion that she had regained control over herself. Slowly he sat down on the arm of her armchair.

"How does Luca manage?" Miss Parker wanted to know after a short while.

"Hm, she repressed quite a lot. But she will be better - every day a little bit."

"You don't happen to know an institution where she could stay, do you? It's not that I don't want to keep her with me, but Luca needs professional help. Once Nurse Travis has returned to England someone else will have to look after Luca. I thought that maybe we could find something nearby, so that you can keep on treating her. She seems to like you."

"And you seem to think of everything, Miss Parker."

"I'm trying to, but a little help would be appreciated", she replied with a slight smile which Sydney returned with warmth.

"I'll ask around a bit", he promised.

"Thank you, Sydney. Why don't we meet here again, let's say tomorrow in the afternoon? We should talk this over with Nurse Travis. And Luca's opinion will be crucial, of course."

Sydney nodded.

"Do you know if Luca has any relatives?"

"No, I don't, but I will find out. Tomorrow is Saturday, so I can take care of this at home. Have you talked to Jarod in the meantime?"

"No", he answered, shaking his head. "Is the matter that urgent?"

"Not for me. But definitely for him."

Apparently her answer confused him, but he only shrugged his shoulders.

"I'll see what I can do."

"That's all I'm asking."

Sydney glanced at his watch and rose slowly.

"I'd better be leaving now. An old man needs his sleep."

"You're not old, Sydney!" Miss Parker protested. "A man in the prime of his life", she added while she accompanied him to the front door. He smiled and indicated a small bow.

"Thank you."

"No, thank you", she replied emphatically. "I really appreciate your being there for me."

"You're very welcome, Miss Parker, believe me." He shortly squeezed her hand. "Good night, Miss Parker. Sleep well."

"Good night, Syd."

***

Miss Parker's home
431 Mountain Spring Road
Blue Cove, Delaware
The next day
03:27 p.m.


"Time for a break!"

The energetic voice of Nurse Travis made Miss Parker look up from the monitor. She glanced at the watch and was quite surprised to learn that almost three hours had passed since her last break.

"I didn't even notice how late it was", she replied.

"But I did. How about some tea?"

"Sounds great."

Travis left the living room, returning after a short while with two cups. She put one of them in front of Miss Parker.

"Thanks a lot."

"You're welcome."

Miss Parker took a sip from her cup, then she leaned back and closed her eyes. At some time during the last hours it had started to rain - she could clearly hear the soft sound of the rain tapping on the roof and against the windows.

"What did you find out?" Travis asked softly. She had sat down into an armchair that stood close to Luca who was sitting at the bay window, staring unseeingly into the rain.

"No good news, I'm afraid", Miss Parker answered, opening her eyes again. "It looks as if Luca had no one left. But I won't go into detail before Sydney arrives, if you don't mind, or else I'll have to explain everything twice."

The Nurse nodded, lost in thought, her gaze resting on Luca.

"At least there is no one who's been worried about her for all that time", she said quietly.

"But also no one who could take care of her now or who would be glad to see her", Miss Parker objected. "Except for us."

"And I won't be able to stay with her forever", Travis added. She almost sounded angry. Before Miss Parker had the chance to reply something, the doorbell put an end to their conversation.

"I'll let him in", Travis offered and Miss Parker nodded gratefully. A few moments later Sydney entered the living room.

"Hi, Syd. Nice to see you", Miss Parker greeted him.

"Hello, Miss Parker. I'm sorry for being late, but I was talking to Jarod on the phone. We'll meet on Monday."

"I'm really glad to hear that."

Sydney stepped over to Luca, exchanging a few words with her, then he sat down into the armchair that stood opposite of Miss Parker's.

"How do you feel?"

There was sincere concern in his eyes. Miss Parker felt a deep closeness to him as she had when she had been a child.

"Much better. Our talking really helped me." 'But there's still a long way lying ahead of me', she thought. She didn't have to voice her thought, because Sydney knew that just as well as she did. His reassuring smile confirmed their tacit understanding.

Suddenly something occurred to Miss Parker.

"Where is Nurse Travis?"

"Here", the nurse replied as she returned from the kitchen, handing Sydney a cup of hot tea. He thanked her with a smile.

"Don't mention it", Travis replied. "It's a nasty weather, and there's nothing better to get warm again than a nice cup of hot tea."

Glancing at the monitor of her laptop Miss Parker leaned forward.

"I think we can start now."

She looked uneasily at Luca. It simply didn't seem to be right to talk about the young woman as if she weren't there, though she was sitting only a few yards away from them. Still she had insisted on having Luca with them. After all she had every right to know how her life would go on. Besides, the only other alternative would have been to leave her alone in the guest room. Nurse Travis seemed to share her uneasiness, only Sydney looked as balanced as ever. Miss Parker concentrated on the facts and went on.

"As I've already told Nurse Travis, Luca doesn't have any relatives left. Her father died in a car accident shortly before she was born, and her mother died when she was about three years old. Since she didn't have any other relatives at that time she was put into an orphanage by the state. At the age of five she was adopted and from there on her life was pretty normal. By now her foster parents have died as well so that there is no one left to miss her."

"Are you absolutely sure?" Sydney wanted to know. Miss Parker knew what he was trying to say.

"Yes, Sydney. No one is better at letting people disappear than the Centre, but Luca's traces haven't been blurred very well. As far as I can tell no one has manipulated her records. By the way, her full name is Luca Francesca Capristi. I could try to find some relatives in Italy. Might well be that there is someone - I don't think the state searched there when her parents died."

"Doesn't sound like a bad idea. It might be good for Luca to leave the States", Nurse Travis said pensively.

"But at first we should try to find another accommodation for her", Sydney suggested. "I made some inquiries this morning and found two institutions that might be suitable."

"We should have a good look at those before we make any decision", Travis said determinedly. Miss Parker agreed with her.

"I'll leave that to you and Sydney. You both know much more about that kind of thing than me. Any objections?"

When both of them shook their head Miss Parker smiled contentedly.

"I suggest that you leave as soon as possible. In the meantime I'll try to find out if Luca has some relatives in Italy."

***

It was almost four hours later when Sydney and Nurse Travis returned to Miss Parker's house.

"Any success?" was Sydney's first question after he had tiredly sunk down into an armchair.

"You bet", Miss Parker announced happily. "I found an uncle and several cousins. We can contact them whenever we want."

"But?" Nurse Travis asked, since she had noticed the hesitating undertone in Miss Parker's voice.

"But I think that we should wait a little longer before doing that. Until Luca is better and until some things which concern the Centre are settled."

"Things which concern the Centre?"

"I'll explain it to you later, Sydney. Right now it's not important."

The expression on his face told her that he was of another opinion. He looked at her for a long time, then he gave in.

"Alright, Miss Parker. I trust you."

Nurse Travis frowned but didn't say anything.

"And how did things go for you?" Miss Parker wanted to know.

"Oh, we've found something suitable. A very nice clinic, only a few miles away from Blue Cove. And the best thing about it is that they are willing to give her a room as soon as possible. Even tomorrow if we wanted that."

"What, on a Sunday?"

Sydney made a face.

"Well, it's not going to be cheap..."

"Oh, don't you worry. Money won't be a question here", Miss Parker said with a grin. "The Centre will pay for everything. That's only fair."

"Now you almost sound like Jarod", Sydney said softly. His smile was limited to the eyes.

"You'd better not let him hear that", she replied equally as soft, then she addressed Travis.

"Do you agree with our plans?"

The nurse took her time before she answered.

"Yes, on condition that we talk to Luca and she agrees with everything as well. In that case I won't have any objections. You know, Luca can consider herself lucky that you found her."

Miss Parker didn't reply anything to that. 'I only wish Lyle had never found her', she thought.

As she glanced over to Sydney she could tell that he had guessed her thought. With a smile she told him that he didn't need to worry about her, then she rose to talk to Luca.

***

Miss Parker's home
431 Mountain Spring Road
Blue Cove, Delaware
The next day
05:55 p.m.


It was strangely quiet in the house and everything seemed to be deserted. Luca had left in the morning, and Miss Parker felt lonely for the first time since she had returned from England.

Of course she knew that Luca was better off in the clinic and she could visit the young woman whenever she wanted to. Still their parting had been hard on her. The fact that Luca had seemed to feel quite the same hadn't made it any easier.

About noon there had been the next farewell when she had brought Jessica Travis to the airport. By now she had to be halfway home. The last words of the nurse still traveled around in Miss Parker's head. 'When I met you for the first time back in England and you told me all that nonsense I thought you were completely crazy. I still don't know what got me into taking part in your plan but I'm glad I did. Glad for Luca. I don't know much about the rest of your family - but you're a good person. Don't hold yourself responsible for your brother's deeds. If you should ever need me, just let me know. And now, Miss Parker, good bye.'

Miss Parker realized that she would really miss the resolute nurse. Only a few people would have done as much for a patient as she had.

The ringing of her telephone interrupted her thoughts.

"Yes?" she asked calmly.

"Hello, Miss Parker. This is Sydney."

"Hello, Syd. How's Luca?"

"Oh, she's already settled down. I'm on my way home from the clinic." She could hear him hesitate for a moment. "I just wanted to make sure that you're alright."

Miss Parker smiled.

"Oh well, it is a bit lonesome here, but I'm quite fine."

"Do you want me to come over?"

She thought about his offer for an instant. Sydney's company was more than welcome to her, but right now she needed some time on her own.

"That won't be necessary. But thanks anyway. You know, it's really nice of you to do so much for Luca."

He laughed softly.

"You're not the only one who feels responsible for the young lady."

"Syd, I have thought a lot about my mother lately", Miss Parker said abruptly. She simply had to be certain and Sydney probably was the only person who could answer her questions. "Why did she marry my father? I can't remember much from that time but I still know how sad she was shortly before she was killed."

At the other end of the line Sydney sighed deeply.

"Miss Parker, I can only make an assumption on that", he began.

"I know that she was your patient and that therefore there are a lot of things you can't tell me. I won't ask you to do that. You knew her very well and you also know my father. Just tell me what you think. Please, Sydney."

"Your mother would have only got married for the reason of love. I'm sure about that."

"And my father? Did he really love her?"

"Miss Parker, why are you asking me that?"

"Because you know as well as I do that my father wouldn't tell me the truth. He only ever tells me what I want to hear - what I'm supposed to hear. I can't believe him any longer. I should have never done that. But what can I do? He's my father after all."

"I don't think Catherine would have wanted you to grow up like that", Sydney said after a long while. It seemed to be hard on him to utter the words. "She always wanted to bring you away from the Centre. She never cared for herself." He hesitated once more. "Really, Miss Parker, I'm not the person you should talk to about the relationship between your parents."

"There is no one else, Sydney", Miss Parker replied softly. He had always been closer to her than her own father, especially in the last time.

"Your father... loved her, in his own way. That's all I can say."

"Thank you, Sydney. For being honest. And for being there for me."

"I'll always be there for you, you know that, Miss Parker."

"Yes, I do. See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow, Miss Parker."

She hung up, then she walked over to her favorite place, the large bay window. The view from that window was beautiful and often helped her to distract herself. But it would be no use today. There were too many questions. And so little answers. It was really true; she understood Jarod better and better. Fortunately she didn't have to chase him any longer. Because now, and that she was certain of, she would have been able to catch him.

***

Miss Parker's office
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
The next day
10:46 a.m.


Miss Parker angrily raised her head as she heard someone enter her office without knocking. There were only a few people at the Centre who dared do that. Her gaze fell upon her father. The anger vanished and was replaced by another emotion, one she couldn't put a name to.

"Hello, Daddy", she said as calmly as possible.

"Good morning, Princess", he replied cheerfully and managed a smile that was just as phony as all of his promises. There was something he wanted from her. Had Lyle talked to him, in spite of her warning?

"Is there something I can do for you?" she asked him politely.

"Can't a father simply visit his daughter?" he asked with mock indignation. 'You haven't visited me once in all those years', Miss Parker thought and part of her anger returned. 'Really, Daddy, you should have become an actor.'

"Yes, of course, Daddy", she replied evenly. Inwardly she felt a certain anger with herself for not gathering enough courage to voice her thoughts. 'Come on, Daddy, what do you want?'

"We haven't spent much time together lately. Why don't we go out for dinner tonight? You could tell me everything about your journey to England, Angel."

'Ah, that's what this is about.'

"I'm really sorry, Daddy, but I can't. I've got an important appointment tonight."

It was a lie and he knew it. For a second his face betrayed his displeasure at the news, then the understanding father returned.

"More important than your father?"

'Oh, a good move, I have to admit that. But this won't work anymore.'

"Of course not", Miss Parker replied loudly. The short flash of triumph in his eyes when he thought he had won didn't escape her. "But still I can't cancel it. We'll have to meet on another day."

A muscle in his cheek twitched briefly and Miss Parker thought he would give way to his anger. But her father surprised her.

"Alright. Let me know whenever it suits you."

'There is something else', she thought suddenly. 'Or else he'd never remain so calm.'

Mr. Parker cleared his throat and suddenly looked as though he weren't feeling very well.

"I got the impression that you have spent a lot of time with Sydney recently", he began. Miss Parker struggled to hide her surprise. What was he up to now?

"We're working together, Daddy. He's supposed to help me catch Jarod", she stated the obvious.

"Of course, of course, but..." Her father made a pained face. "You know, it might be better for you to... distance yourself from him. Some people at the Centre regard his latest activities with some suspicion and I don't want you to be connected to that."

Now she was even more confused. What was he trying to tell her? Of course she knew that he didn't trust Sydney very much, but this was ridiculous. Sydney was a member of her team, she trusted him... All of a sudden it made sense. He couldn't bear the fact that she gave more attention to Sydney and his opinion than to him. 'You're afraid to lose control over me. Well, it's much too late for that.'

"Did you talk to Sydney about that?" she wanted to know. There was a treacherous twitch in her father's face. With some fascination Miss Parker watched a storm brewing there. But something kept him from aiming his anger at her. He narrowed his eyes, clearly annoyed.

"I don't see why I should do that", her father said firmly. "Besides, I'm not worried about him - I want you to take care of yourself."

Miss Parker was not sure whether her father's manipulative methods annoyed her or simply amused her. However - she would no longer let him have his way.

"It's really nice of you to worry about me, but you don't need to. I can handle things perfectly well on my own - and I know whom I can trust."

He didn't seem to really see her though his glance was resting on her. It gave her the impression that he hadn't heard her last words. This habit of his used to make her mad but now Miss Parker simply ignored it. A moment later her father's attention returned to her.

"Hm? Oh, yes. You're right, Angel. You'll have to excuse me now, there are some things I have to take care of."

As usual the conversation with her father ended abruptly.

"Sure, Daddy."

She flashed him a fake smile - not that he'd ever noticed the difference - and glanced after him until he had left her office. Not a very promising start for the day.

***

A motel somewhere in Delaware
05:21 p.m.


Jarod stared down at the file in his hand, undecided. Sydney hadn't told him what it was about or where it had come from. Well, there was at least a way to get an answer to the first question.

An hour later there were papers scattered all over his bed. When he looked at them he still couldn't believe it. By now he was absolutely sure he knew where this file had come from. The only thing he didn't know was why Miss Parker hadn't given it to him herself. But he would find out about that. Soon.

Once again he read the letter from his father.


'Jarod,

I don't know where to start. The past has finally caught up with me. I both feared and longed for this day. Now I finally have the chance to tell you some things.

I know that you can't remember the time we spent together at the Centre. I will never be able to forgive myself for leaving you behind in the claws of Raines and Mr. Parker. I should have stayed with Catherine, to help her rescue you. Maybe then she'd still be alive and we would be together. But it's no use wishing for the past to change. I only want you to know that I'm aware of my mistakes.

You've got a family, Jarod, a family that loves you very much. When you were born Margaret and I were the happiest people on earth. Unfortunate and cruel circumstances have torn our family apart. We have done everything within our powers to get you and Kyle back. With Catherine's help I could at least protect you for a while.

I'm incredibly proud of you. You've become a wonderful young man in spite of all the years you lived at the Centre. Although I could never get in contact with you I've always watched you. Maybe the day will soon come when I can take you in my arms again, you and the rest of our family...

There's one thing you have to understand: I love your mother very much and I miss her every day. I'm telling you that so that you won't misunderstand the relationship between me and Catherine. Catherine was my best friend. She's always been there for me and I am forever in her debt. When she died I almost couldn't bear it and I have often thought that it should have been me instead of her. As to her daughter...

Many old feelings were aroused by Marine's visit. She is a very special young woman and I could see much of her mother in her. But above her mother's qualities there's also something else about her that words cannot describe. Something neither her father nor the Centre has ever been able to take from her. She's like a daughter to me. I could never bear the thought of something happening to her. Please take care of her, Jarod. Marine could be to you what Catherine's been to me - and maybe even more.

Once you meet her again you will learn that she's slowly finding back to her true self. She will give you something from me and I want you to see this gift as a second chance, a chance to start again. Give her some time and don't press her. Just wait until she's ready to give it to you.

There is so much more I want to tell you but I hope I'll be able to do that in person sometime. Take good care of yourself.


Love,
Charles'


There were tears in Jarod's eyes. This letter from his father meant so much to him. Finally, after all those years, he held the proof in his hands, the proof that he had a family. A family that loved him, that missed him and that had fought to get him back.

Jarod reached for his phone. He had to call Miss Parker. Impatiently he waited for her to answer his call.

"Yes?" he finally heard her voice. With some surprise he noticed that her voice didn't sound unfriendly as it usually did. On the contrary, it sounded calm and gentle.

"Hello, Miss Parker."

"Oh, Jarod." There was just a trace of surprise coloring her voice. She seemed to have expected his call.

"Miss Parker, I want to meet you."

There was a brief pause.

"That doesn't sound like a good idea to me", she then said. Jarod thought that he had heard a careful undertone in her voice.

"It does to me", he replied. "Please, this is very important to me."

Suddenly he remembered the letter from his father in which Charles had asked him not to press her. Before he had the chance to say something she agreed.

"Alright, Jarod. Tonight at my house. Just you and me - no sweepers."

"Sounds like a fair offer", he agreed. "See you tonight, Miss Parker."

***

Miss Parker's office
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
05:46 p.m.


Twenty minutes had passed since Jarod's call and the longer Miss Parker thought about it the more she thought it to be a mistake to meet him. She simply wasn't ready for that yet.

With Charles it had been easy to talk about her feelings. Somehow she'd had the feeling that he was a member of her family right from the beginning. But Jarod...

Like a few times before she reached for the small envelope that lay on her desk, still unopened. She knew what was in it yet she had hesitated to open it. Now she sighed softly and reached for her letter opener. Carefully she opened the envelope and let the contents fall down on the desk.

Two pictures were lying in front of her. She already knew the first one. It was a copy of the picture Charles had shown her at their first meeting. Another copy was in the file Sydney had given to Jarod - she had told Charles how much Jarod would love to have a picture of his father. But she hadn't seen the second picture yet. Curious, she took it in her hand to have a closer look at it.

She couldn't help but smile. It was a picture of her and Jarod, made about the time Charley had told her about. Two happily laughing children, for a moment totally unaware of the surroundings that would later become a prison to both of them. Miss Parker shook her head in disbelief. How could she possibly have forgotten about this time? Granted, she had been very young then, but also very happy. 'Probably there are just too many bad memories that took the place of the good ones', she mused. 'We generally rather remember bad events than the good things. How unfair.'

Her thoughts returned to her imminent encounter with Jarod. Until now she had avoided thinking too closely about him and her relationship to him. Charles had been right, they had really been very close to each other. Even though Miss Parker couldn't remember that time very clearly, she still sensed that there was something which connected her with Jarod. In the course of time they had drifted apart, and for some time she had managed to persuade herself that she didn't mind hunting Jarod down for the Centre.

But that wasn't right. She did mind. The realization was bitter. What if there was no turning back, if she had crossed the line? Then she had lost a friend - and maybe even more.

Miss Parker put the picture back on the desk. Which right did she have to ask Jarod to forgive her? Nothing could ever make up for the things she had done to him. But she could at least try to help him find his family.

She stared out of the window without really seeing something. Though she was a little worried about the meeting with Jarod she still looked forward to it. With a bit of luck she might be able to talk him into accepting her help. Her own feelings had to take second place because she was sure that the days when he might have returned them were over once and for all.

***

Miss Parker's home
431 Mountain Spring Road
Blue Cove, Delaware
09:49 p.m.


Jarod was sitting on the couch in Miss Parker's living room and waiting, his eyes closed. The whole house was dark because he hadn't wanted to arouse unwanted attention. Relaxed, he listened to the sound of the rain which had been tapping gently on the roof and against the windows for more than an hour now. Slowly he started to get worried. Even if she had worked longer than usual today - which he thought to be highly unlikely considering his calling her earlier - she should have arrived at home more than thirty minutes ago.

Maybe she had arranged a trap for him... He shook his head. His feeling told him that she hadn't.

Just as he was toying with the thought to call her again her phone rang. He couldn't simply answer it without getting himself and her into serious trouble. So he waited for the answering machine to take care of the call.

"Jarod, are you there? Please answer me", he heard her voice.

Immediately he picked up the receiver.

"Where are you? Is everything okay?"

Jarod could hear her laughing softly.

"I'm about fifteen minutes walk away from my house and everything is perfectly okay - well, almost. I just called to ask you for a little favor."

"Sure, what's it?" Though he wondered what might have happened he decided to save his questions for later.

"Right now I could kill for a nice hot bath. I'd really be grateful if my bath were ready when I come home."

The longing tone of her voice made it difficult for him to suppress his laughter. The story slowly began to make sense to him.

"I'll take care of that", he assured her quickly.

"Ah, thanks a lot, Jarod. See you."

"Uh huh."

A little confused he hung up and rose from the couch. He simply couldn't grasp her. Maybe he would be able to bring some sense into her unusual behavior in the course of the evening. Shaking his head he got on his way to her bathroom.

First thing he did once he had arrived there was to turn on the light. The bathroom wasn't only elegantly furnished it also looked very comfortable.

Jarod sat down on the rim of the tub and looked around. All the little everyday things that were scattered around the whole room fascinated him. Deeply in thought he turned on the hot water after he had put in the plug.

At first his gaze fell upon the thick carpet which lay on the ground before the tub. Its color matched the rest of the room in which shades of beige and white were dominating. In addition to that there was a lot of wood which made the room look even brighter. There was a large high window through which at day a lot of light fell into the room. And at night you could watch the starry sky through it.

Next to the tub a wooden cupboard was fastened to the wall, holding several bathing utensils. Curios, Jarod reached for a big sponge, carefully fingering it before he put it back on the shelf. Next he turned his attention to a shelf over the bottom-end of the tub. A lot of small bottles were standing there, most of them merely half filled.

Jarod thought for a moment then he took one of the bottles in his hand and opened it. The fragrance immediately stirred old memories in him. The contents of the glass bottle smelled of vanilla and ever so slightly of honey. He smiled as he let a few drops fall into the water. It was Miss Parker's favorite fragrance; he was sure of that.

Carefully he closed the bottled and put it back to its place. Then he checked on the water temperature and let some cold water run into the tub as well before he closed both faucets. He'd loved to continue his exploration of Miss Parker's bathroom but a sound at the front door hindered him from doing so.

Reluctantly he left the bathroom and went to the front door. Just as he came in sight of the door it opened. Jarod suppressed a laugh when a soaking wet Miss Parker entered the house. But his amusement was immediately replaced by worry when he saw that she was trembling. She threw her keys on the couch table and took her wet jacket off. When she finally saw Jarod she smiled slightly.

"Hello, Jarod."

"What has happened?" he asked her instead of a greeting, though he already had a rather clear idea of what had happened.

"My car broke down about four miles away from here. I didn't want to wait for the recovery vehicle so I walked the last bit on foot."

Jarod made a few steps in her direction.

"Are you okay?" he wanted to know. Her smile deepened a bit, then she nodded.

"Yes. And after a nice hot bath I'll be even better."

He gestured towards the bathroom.

"Everything's ready."

"Oh, great."

Miss Parker sighed contentedly and hurried to get to her tub. A little bit uncertain, Jarod followed her, stopping in front of the bathroom door.

"The water might be a little hot", he warned her through the closed door.

"It can't be hot enough", he heard her muffled answer which was followed by a brief silence. The silence was broken by a faint splashing sound, then Jarod heard a low moan.

"Oh god, that's wonderful."

He swallowed hard and tried not to imagine what was going on in Miss Parker's bathroom.

"Jarod? Are you still there?" Miss Parker suddenly asked.

"Uhm, yes."

"Why don't you make yourself comfortable in the living room? This could take a while."

"Okay. Just take your time."

"Oh, and Jarod?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you very much."

He shook his head in disbelief.

"You're welcome, Miss Parker", he said before he returned to the living room. There he sat down on the couch. When he closed his eyes he couldn't help imagining her bathroom. His thoughts wandered back to the sponge which he had held in his hands only minutes ago and which now surely glided over her soft skin...

Jarod jerked his eyes open and rose. He had to distract himself somehow. For some reason this evening went completely different from what he had expected - and that was something that rarely happened to him.

With determined steps he went outside on the terrace from which he had a marvelous view on the ocean. By now the rain had stopped and a light cooling breeze blew over the sea, rippling the water. There were small waves, and the white crests reminded him of a tub full of... Oh, great. Exactly the association he needed. Why couldn't he think of anything else than Miss Parker?

With a sigh he gave it up and went back into the house. As if it were the most natural thing to do he found himself back in front of the closed bathroom door. A slight smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. Actually there was no reason for him not to think about Miss Parker.

Before he got any chance to give way to his imagination the bathroom door opened and Miss Parker stepped out into the hall. She had wrapped herself into a large soft towel and smiled as she saw him standing there.

"Lonely?" she asked gently and with a trace of amusement, her voice lacking its usual sarcastic tone.

"Yes", he replied without thinking about it. For a split second he thought he had seen something flash in her eyes. Guilt? Pain? The moment had been too brief for him to tell. And maybe he had just imagined it.

"Me too."

Her answer surprised him so much that he had no idea what to say. When he had composed himself again she had already rushed past him into her bedroom. Jarod thought about following her there but then decided against it and returned to the living room. After a few minutes she followed him. Her hair was still damp but she had changed into some other clothes.

She tilted her head ever so slightly and looked at him. He returned her gaze, trying to find out what was the matter with her.

"You wanted to talk to me", she reminded him.

"Mhm, yes."

He found it difficult to tear himself away from her eyes. Finally he managed to concentrate on one of his questions.

"I wanted to thank you for the file from my father. Why haven't you given it to me yourself?"

Miss Parker drew a deep breath and slowly let it out again.

"Because of Sydney. He told me that your relationship..."

Jarod interrupted her.

"No more excuses, Miss Parker", he said softly.

"I thought it would be easier this way."

"For me?" Jarod asked and then shook his head. "No, that was not the reason."

She sighed.

"Easier for me, Jarod", she then explained. Uncomprehending, he looked at her. Before he got the chance to ask her what she had meant she made a few steps in his direction. Miss Parker smiled ever so slightly, and in her eyes Jarod could see... hesitation?

"Your father asked me to give you something."

He swallowed.

"Yes, I know."

Miss Parker laughed softly.

"I'd better warn you. You shouldn't expect too much or else you'll be very disappointed in a moment."

"What is it?"

His curiosity made him forget all thought of being careful with her. Besides he was sure that he could trust her. This realization surprised him a bit but on the other hand he had always trusted her. When he looked back into her eyes he saw a warmth there that took his breath away.

"Alright, Jarod."

She crossed the distance between them with two steps, and then she took him in her arms to hug him gently.

Jarod was utterly confused. Miss Parker's behavior was a complete mystery to him. But his confusion didn't hinder him from enjoying her unexpected closeness. He returned the embrace and pulled her closer to him. Her hair smelled faintly of the bath oil he had put into the water. Her head rested against his shoulder.

For a long moment they simply stood there, then Miss Parker pulled a bit away from him. Not willing to already let her go he gently grabbed her by the arms. He put one of his hands under chin while he looked into her eyes. Suddenly he was more aware of his own emotions than ever before.

His hand traveled to the nape of her neck to draw her closer to him again. Their lips were merely inches apart.

"I'm not disappointed", he whispered against her lips.

"Please don't."

Her words were so soft that he felt rather than heard them. This time she stepped away from him. She closed her eyes for a second. Then she opened them again and looked at him in a way that went right to his core.

"I'm sorry", he said and promised himself to never hurt her again. "I didn't want to..."

She shook her head.

"You don't have to apologize. God, it's not that I don't want to... I simply can't. Everything has happened so incredibly fast. I need some more time to deal with everything, to sort things out. Please don't get me wrong. It's not because of you. It's never been."

While he was still trying to understand her she suddenly bent forward and steadied herself by placing her hands on his shoulders. Once again only inches parted their lips. She tilted her head until their lips met. The contact was hardly tangible and yet Jarod was electrified. He pressed his lips harder against hers, turning her feathery touch into a kiss.

His hands moved from her shoulders to her neck and then higher until he cupped her cheeks. His thumbs tenderly massaged her cheeks while his tongue was lightly tracing her lips. Her lips parted under the gentle pressure of his tongue and suddenly everything else became insignificant. The kiss lasted for what seemed to be an eternity until Miss Parker detached herself from Jarod.

Just like him she was completely out of breath and Jarod thought that she had never looked as beautiful as in that moment. Her cheeks were flushed, her damp hair disheveled and her eyes were shining. He could see that she was struggling to regain control both over herself and the situation.

"Jarod..."

"Yes?"

While he was looking at her he wondered what she wanted. It seemed to him that she didn't know either. Miss Parker took a deep breath.

"I think it would be better for you to leave now."

Jarod frowned, but he understood why she was seeking the distance.

"If that's what you want..."

She nodded, seeming almost relieved.

"Alright", Jarod said. "But I still have a lot of questions. More than before, to be honest. Will you meet me again?"

The smile returned to her eyes.

"I will. It might take some time", she said, shrugging her shoulders, "but if you bear with me that shouldn't be a problem."

He returned her smile and nodded ever so slightly.

"Just take your time. I don't want to rush you."

"Thank you, Jarod."

She accompanied him to the front door. Jarod wished she would kiss him again but instead she just briefly touched his shoulder.

"Good night, Jarod."

"Good night, Parker. Sleep well."

The door closed behind him and for a moment Jarod stood helpless in the night. Then a smile began to spread on his lips as he thought of the possibilities that the future might keep in store for him.

Legal disclaimer: The recognizable characters of the TV-show 'The Pretender' don't belong to me but to MTM, NBC Television and 20th Century Fox. I just borrowed them. Every other character does belong to me. This story was only written and published for my pleasure and that of other fans. I don't pursue any financial interests whatsoever. No copyright infringement is intended.

Once again, big thanks to everyone who's supporting me!!! A special thank you goes out to Tina and Linn! All mistakes left in here are mine...

The story: Miss Parker makes her moves...


Insights
Part 4
by Miss Bit




Miss Parker's office
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
The next morning
09:23 a.m.


The mail lay unopened on her desk, next to a pile of files which Miss Parker had paid just as little attention to. Ever since she had entered her office more than an hour ago her thoughts were miles away.

Miss Parker thought about the last evening. A feeling had warned her not to meet Jarod yet. And her car broke down without any warning - a superstitious person might have taken that for an omen. But Miss Parker wasn't superstitious. She was glad that she had agreed to meet Jarod even though it had shaken her feelings. Maybe that was exactly what she needed.

Her gaze wandered to the window. The sun was still shining. It looked as though this was going to be a nice day. With any luck she might even manage to get out of the Centre before someone could spoil it.

A knock on her door interrupted her optimistic vision of the future. Her secretary opened the door and entered her office.

"What is it?" Miss Parker wanted to know.

"Someone from the garage called, Miss Parker. Your car will be ready tomorrow morning. Apparently there was a slight engine trouble."

Miss Parker nodded contentedly. The prospect of getting her own car back really helped to lift her mood.

"Anything else?"

"Uhm, yes. There is someone who wants to talk to you. He's waiting outside."

She raised her brows inquiringly.

"Who is it?"

Without her word her secretary handed her a calling card. Miss Parker had a brief look at the Japanese letters, and then she smiled.

"Let him come in."

"Yes, Miss Parker."

He left the room and Miss Parker rose to welcome her visitor. Tommy Tanaka entered her office, as self-assured as ever and with the same charming smile that had impressed her so much when they had been at college together.

"Hello, Tommy."

"Parker! Nice to see you again."

Tanaka pulled her into a short embrace and kissed her on the cheek, then he grinned broadly.

"Every time we meet you look better, Parker", he then said, after taking a good long look at her. She smiled knowingly.

"What do you want, Tommy?"

He laughed and raised his arms in a defensive gesture.

"I really meant that. Besides, I'm here because you wanted something from me, remember?"

"And that's your only reason for coming here?"

"Yes", he confirmed. "Besides, I think that we have some things to talk about."

Miss Parker nodded.

"Alright. But not here. Have you had breakfast yet?"

"No, I came here straight from the airport. And you know that I absolutely don't eat on a flight."

Tommy made a face, and Miss Parker laughed softly. She was really glad to see him again.

"Then let's go. There's a nice little café not too far from here."

"Great. Let's get on the way", he said, put an arm around her shoulder and led her out of her office. "So how's your brother doing?"

"Way too well, if you ask me. We should drop in on him later. I'm sure he will be thrilled to see you again", Miss Parker said with a grin that promised anything but good news for Lyle. Tanaka's laughter echoed through the corridor.

"God, I really missed you, Parker."

***

Suzanne's Café
Blue Cove, Delaware
10:08 a.m.


More than half of the places in the little café was taken, and the good weather would soon draw even more guests. Miss Parker and Tanaka had managed to get one of the popular places directly at the big windows. While Tommy was eating with good appetite, Miss Parker enjoyed the warm sunlight on her face and filled him in on some of the things that had happened since his last stay at Blue Cove. He listened to her with interest, and when he had finished his breakfast he pulled a large envelope from a pocket in his jacket. He put it carefully on the table.

"Is it what I think it is?" Miss Parker wanted to know, but made no move to reach for the envelope. Tommy nodded.

"Yes, among other things."

When she looked at him questioningly he leaned back a bit and smiled slightly.

"You know, ever since this disaster last year the Centre hasn't exactly been held in high regard by my father. Actually he never really trusted Raines and his companions. He thinks all of them to be dishonorable. But - he likes you."

Miss Parker looked at him with some surprise.

"Sorry?"

Tommy's smile broadened a bit.

"I told him a lot about you. Besides, he likes people who take the initiative. Which brings us to this little favor here." He pushed the envelope in her direction. "Sergej called me, Parker."

"Mhm, I almost expected him to", she replied calmly. "So you know about his." She leaned in to him. "I won't let anyone get in my way", she stated firmly.

Tanaka shook his head.

"No one wants to get in your way. As I already said, my father likes you. He supports your... plan. The Centre has made a lot of enemies on the international parquet during the last years. It was never possible to do any serious harm from the outside, but it's a completely different story from the inside."

"There are some people who take a great interest in the continuance of the Centre. If the wrong people learn too soon of this..."

"Sergej is mainly working on his own account, so you don't have to fear any resistance from that side. Apart from him only my family knows about this. After Sergej's call I knew what you need this for. I had to inform my father. I hope you understand that. Without his consent I wouldn't have been able to help you."

"I had to take the risk. But I was almost sure that your father would react this way - nobody tries to take the Tanaka family for a ride and goes off without punishment."

"My father asked me to wish you good luck. When everything is finished he'd like to get to know you in person."

"That shouldn't be a problem", Miss Parker replied, smiling. "But one thing should be totally clear: There won't be any benefits for your family because of the closing of the Centre. All data of the Centre's projects will be destroyed. But I will make sure that you'll get your money back."

Tommy sighed.

"That's a pity, but we'll accept it. In here", he pointed at the envelope, "is everything you'll need, also that what you asked of Sergej. I thing that settles our business."

"Thank you very much for your help, Tommy. Same goes for your father, of course. I don't think I'll ever be able to make up for this."

Tommy's face lit up.

"Oh, don't you say that. You could go out with me tonight, for starters", he suggested with a wink.

"Deal."

***

The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
The next morning
08:43 a.m.


Miss Parker walked determinedly through the long corridors of the Centre. She was on her way to the tech room in order to talk to Broots. His time to think about it had been long enough.

Her thoughts still revolved around the last evening, which she had really enjoyed. It had been good for her to meet Tommy again and talk with him about the old days. But the evening hadn't gone quite the way Tommy had probably wished for. At college there had been more between them than just friendship. There had also been a strong mutual attraction. She knew that she could always rely on Tommy's friendship but unlike him she had no interest in reviving other aspects of their relationship.

Tommy had respected that. But that hadn't hindered him from asking her if there was a special reason for her behavior. She had neither affirmed nor denied his assumptions, and finally he had given up. Later on the evening, when they had said their good-byes, he had wished her good luck and told her to take good care of herself. She couldn't think of anything else she'd rather do than follow his advice.

"Miss Parker."

The voice abruptly ended her musings. Miss Parker stopped, shut her eyes for an instant and then turned.

"Brigitte."

Sooner or later this encounter had been bound to happen. Brigitte held a file in her hands, and Miss Parker knew immediately what the former cleaner wanted from her. Brigitte bridged the distance between them with long steps, her eyes flashing with anger.

"What the hell is this supposed to mean?" she hissed as she stopped short in front of Miss Parker.

"Do I really have to explain it to you?"

"I have no time for such tasteless jokes, and neither does your father!"

Miss Parker looked the other woman straight in the eyes.

"This is not a joke", she explained angrily. "And it definitely wasn't for my mother. Daddy already knows this file, so you can spare yourself the trouble to it show to him. Actually I should warn you against doing so. It would only make him mad."

"What is this supposed to mean, Miss Parker?" Brigitte asked once again.

"Take it as a... warning. You have no idea what you're about to do. I don't know what you're up to, but you should know that my father tends to be extremely short-tempered."

Brigitte curled her lips into a mocking, condescending smile.

"I'm afraid you still haven't got it right, my dear Miss Parker. Your father and I, we love each other. Whatever your mother has done - and whoever has done this to her - I'm sure she deserved it."

Her last words sent Miss Parker into a cold rage. Every fiber of her being screamed for her to clutch her adversary and beat her smug complacency out of her. A tiny rational spark held her back.

"He beat the hell out of her. No one, not even you, deserves something like that", she managed to utter. "This is the Centre. If you're down on the ground, no one will help you. On the contrary, they will take advantage of you. Don't you ever talk like that about my mother again, or else I'll show you how deep you can fall here."

Her gaze bored into Brigitte's, and for a short moment there was something like fear visible in Brigitte's eyes. Then the derision returned.

"You'd better think about whom you're threatening here, luv. If I were you I'd rather not make Daddy chose", Brigitte said. She winked and let the file down on the ground before Miss Parker's feet. Then she turned and went back into the direction from which she had come. Miss Parker waited until she was out of sight, her fists clenched tightly. Finally she forced herself to relax, then she picked up the file. At least she had tried. If Brigitte insisted upon rushing headlong towards ruin, then she would be the last person to stand in her way. But if everything went according to her plan, this wouldn't be of any importance anymore.

Still angry, Miss Parker got back on her way. When she reached the tech room most of her anger had vanished, but the memory of her mother's pain still hurt her. Brigitte had hit her sore point.

Only with an effort she managed to divert her attention from her conversation with Brigitte and concentrate it on Broots instead.

"Hello, Miss Parker", the technician said when he heard her enter the room. Miss Parker was glad to see that he seemed to be a little less uneasy than usual. He looked at her, and in his gaze there was something like... concern? "Are you alright?"

"Yes, Broots, I'm fine. I just had a little talk with Brigitte that I could have done without." Broots nodded compassionately. "Did you think about what I told you when we last met?" Miss Parker continued.

There was a mixture of uneasiness and determination on Broots face.

"Yes, I did." He hesitated briefly. "You said that you can protect Debbie?"

Miss Parker walked over to a chair that stood close to him and sat down.

"Yes", she then affirmed. "I don't want to go into detail now", she said with a quick look at one of the surveillance cameras, "but I will do everything within my powers."

"Then I'm with you", Broots stated firmly, and Miss Parker smiled gently. She leaned forward and put a hand on his arm.

"I can't promise you that I will be able to protect you as well. It will be very dangerous, and maybe something will go wrong."

Broots swallowed hard but didn't change his mind.

"I know. What... what do you want me to do?"

Miss Parker pulled a slip of paper from her pocket and gave it to him while she got up.

"In half an hour", was everything she said before she left the room.

***

Hydroponic gardens
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
09:20 a.m.


When Miss Parker reached the garden, Broots was already impatiently waiting for her. He jumped to his feet, clearly relieved.

"Thank God, you're here."

She smiled.

"Of course. After all, we were to meet here now."

"Miss Parker, I thought about what you told me last time. I don't think that we can close the Centre down just like this. If it were possible, Jarod would have probably done so a long time ago."

He seemed to expect an angry reaction at his mentioning of Jarod, but Miss Parker only tilted her head.

"Maybe Jarod simply didn't have the right tools. But I think that he just didn't want the Centre to stop existing. He needs the Centre - or so he thinks. I do know that we can't close the Centre down from one day to the other, of course. But I'm sure we'll be able to wound it fatally."

Broots looked at her doubtfully.

"I've got some support for you here, Broots. In England I've thought a lot about the Centre, and I think I've found a way to at least bring it to a standstill", Miss Parker continued and handed him the envelope she'd got from Tommy. "In here are two computer programs, put at my disposal by two of my friends. One of them will support your work, the other one is a virus which will help blur our activities."

With another skeptical glance Broots opened the envelope and pulled a silvery, shining CD-ROM out of it. Slowly his skepticism was replaced by interest. For a while he stared vacantly into space, oblivious to everything around him. Miss Parker waited patiently. Finally Broots lifted his head and looked at her.

"Perhaps it will work. That's a big perhaps, but it could work. But you still haven't told me what exactly you want me to do, Miss Parker", he reminded her.

"That will be our smallest problem", she replied, laughing with relief. "Most important thing is for you to gather evidence. Bring it all out into the open and make sure that we'll be able to present hard evidence to the authorities. The faster you manage to do that the better. The virus will cause some excitement here, so that you should have enough time. It was developed exactly for that purpose. It will take the experts some time to get it under control - especially since you are one of them."

"And talking of enough time you mean..."

"Hard to tell. We mustn't proceed to quickly, but neither can we afford to take too much time over it. We will only be able to use the virus in the very last phase... Two months, I guess."

"Miss Parker, I can never do that alone! Do you have any idea how much data is stored in the Centre's archives?"

"Stay calm, Broots. No one asked you to do it all on your own. Syd and I will cover your activities, and as to the rest... Angelo can help you. He knows a lot about the Centre's systems."

Broots sank down onto a large stone.

"And what will happen if we don't succeed?" he asked softly.

"I don't really have to tell you that, do I?" There was an unspoken excuse audible in her voice.

"No. Just one try, all or nothing."

"You can still change your mind about this now", she offered, but Broots shook his head.

"I'm with you. You wouldn't manage without my help."

Miss Parker slapped him lightly on the shoulder.

"Now that's the spirit. We should begin this very day. There are only a few details we should talk about before starting. You did develop this search program, didn't you?" When he nodded with surprise, she continued. "Good. Use it to get us out of it all. Delete our names from every file - I'm talking of Syd, Angelo, you and me. There must be nothing left that could in any way indicate a relation between the Centre and us. Can you do that?"

"Yes. Yes, I think so. If I write an automatic routine, that..."

"Alright, no details. Just get started. We will stay in contact all the time, but inconspicuously. If anything goes wrong, you can call me. At any time."

Broots' thoughts had already turned to the solution of the complicated problem, so that he only nodded absent-mindedly. Miss Parker looked at him attentively until he returned her glance, then she smiled slightly.

"I will rely on you, Broots", she emphasized friendly. "While you will be working on our project, I will take care of some minor details. There are some debts the Centre has to pay. I'll be seeing you tonight in the tech room, after I've talked to Angelo."

***

Angelo's room
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
03:21 p.m.


"Angelo? Are you here?"

Miss Parker entered Angelo's room, looking around searchingly. Ever since Jarod had told her that she had a twin brother, she had spent a lot of time with Angelo. Though the results of the DNA-test had left no doubt about Lyle being her brother, her heart said something else.

Angelo lifted his head as she entered his room.

"Miss Parker!"

"Hello, Angelo", she said gently and walked over to him. She left the decision whether he wanted to touch her or not to him because by touching her he would be subject to her emotions. He was sitting on the floor in the midst of a meddle of books, files and loose papers. Miss Parker kneeled down carefully next to him.

"Miss Parker was long away", said Angelo and looked at her.

"I was in England", she explained. Angelo briefly touched her hand.

"Answers", he then said. "Truth."

Following an impulse she took him in her arms, only to release him a few seconds later. "It's really nice to see you again."

He flashed her that shy smile of his, but then he suddenly frowned.

"Angelo can help", he stated earnestly. She looked at him, truly surprised, but then she laughed softly.

"That's why I like you so much", she confided to him. "I never have to explain everything to you in length. You always understand me." After hesitating for a short moment she went on. "Do you want to help us?"

"Angelo helps."

"That's really nice of you", Miss Parker replied in her softest voice. She lovingly stroked a strand of his hair from his face, then she slowly got up. Angelo rose as well. He looked as though he wanted to say something else. "You know what? I'll stay a little longer with you, alright?" Miss Parker suggested. She felt really at ease when Angelo was around and she almost managed to forget that she was at the Centre. 'Just like it used to be with Jarod', she thought.

"Jarod is good for Miss Parker."

Angelo's voice brought her back to the present. Astonished, she looked at him. He made a guilty face as he withdrew his hand from her.

"No, that's alright", she immediately reassured him, while she was thinking about his words. Probably he was right. If she let Jarod get near her again it could only turn out to be good for her. "But am I good for him, too?" she thought, not aware that she spoke the thought out loud.

"Love is good", Angelo stated with determination and looked at her, his head tilted slightly. Miss Parker leaned against a nearby table. Love. Was that what she felt for Jarod? Up to now she had always hesitated to think about this question. But if Angelo said so, there had to be some truth in it. He had only voiced her feelings for Jarod. She sighed.

"You miss him, hm?"

"Jarod is no longer here", Angelo answered sadly. "But Angelo thinks of him."

Miss Parker nodded thoughtfully. "I miss him, too", she admitted. By habit she looked at the small camera unobtrusively hanging under the ceiling. She knew that Angelo didn't like to be monitored and that he therefore had switched off the cameras in his realm. Raines let him this little unmonitored area since he didn't expect to be betrayed by Angelo of all people. But maybe she should still be careful with what she said down here. Prudence always paid at the Centre.

Miss Parker looked at her watch. It was time for her to go back to her office, or else someone might have the idea of starting to search for her.

"I'm sorry, Angelo, but I have to go now. I will return tonight."

"Angelo waits."

She ruffled his hair and then she returned to the cold reality of the Centre.

***

A motel somewhere in Delaware
03:47 p.m.


Jarod stared at the ceiling, trying to come to a decision. For almost an hour he had been lying on his bed, thinking. His thoughts revolved around Miss Parker and the letter he had got from his father. In the letter his father had asked him not to hurry Miss Parker, but it was getting harder and harder for him not to do so. He wanted to see her again, and he finally wanted to clarify the situation between them.

By now he was absolutely sure about his own emotions, but he had no clue as to whether she returned them or not. The uncertainty was nagging at him, and finally he made his decision. Jarod reached for his cell phone, which was lying on the nightstand, and dialed her number.

"Yes?" he could hear her voice after the second ring. She sounded slightly breathless.

"Hello, Miss Parker. I hope I'm not disturbing you."

"Jarod! We have just talked about you."

"We?"

He could hear her laughing softly.

"Angelo and me. I've just visited him. He misses you."

"I miss him, too", Jarod answered softly. That didn't only go for Angelo. "Can we meet tonight?" he asked abruptly, anxiously awaiting her answer.

"Do you want to talk about your father?" she asked calmly. 'Now or never', Jarod thought.

"I want to talk about us. And I'd like to see you." At the other end of the line Miss Parker took a breath, sounding somewhat surprised.

"It's going to be late tonight", was her evasive answer. "But I'd really like to see you, too. We have a lot to talk about. Why don't you come over to my place at ten tonight?"

Jarod closed his eyes for a brief moment, relief washing through him. She wanted to see him as well.

"Alright", he agreed.

"Great. See you tonight, Jarod."

"Yes, see you tonight."

They both hung up. When Jarod put the phone back on the nightstand his gaze fell upon the file Sydney had given him. He reached for it and pulled out one of the two pictures that lay in it. It showed two children, happy children - Miss Parker and him. For a long time he merely stared at the picture, trying to remember the time when it had been made. He wished he could remember the meetings with his father. It was only now that he knew these meetings had taken place at all. But there was one thing he could remember - the little girl on the picture. The feelings he had for her were more than mere memories, and they weren't directed at the past. He had those feelings for the woman he was going to meet tonight - to tell her about the way he was feeling for her.

***

Tech room
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
08:04 p.m.


The corridors of the Centre were already less crowded than at day, so that Angelo and Miss Parker didn't meet anyone when they went to the tech room. In the evenings Miss Parker felt even less at ease at the Centre than usual. Somehow she thought that some of the Centre's employees used the night-time to make even creepier experiments than at day. But Angelo's being near her calmed her down and directed her attention into a more pleasant direction.

They reached the tech room without encountering anyone. Miss Parker was grateful for that, because otherwise she might have been forced to explain why Angelo was with her. Broots was the only person working in the tech room. The technician was sitting in front of his computer, working with high concentration. He turned around with a start when Angelo touched his shoulder. Reacting to Broots' emotions, Angelo also winced.

"Oh, Angelo, it's you", Broots called with obvious relief and tried to calm him down again. Fortunately Angelo's attention was soon drawn to the computer.

"Angelo helps", he said and sat down on the chair next to Broots.

"Uh, did you explain him what this is about, Miss Parker?" Broots wanted to know. She walked over to him and placed herself right behind him and Angelo.

"He knows everything he needs to know. If you need help simply ask him", she replied. "You can speak openly. Angelo took care of the surveillance systems in this room."

"Oh, good." He looked at the monitor in front of him and then back to Miss Parker, obviously not quite at ease. She raised her brows inquisitively. "It's about Debbie...", he began.

"Don't you worry about her. She's under the protection of the FBI."

Broots' eyes widened with surprise. "The FBI?"

Miss Parker smiled. "Some friends of mine still owe me a favor or two. If you think that it's getting too dangerous for Debbie here she will be brought to a safe place. Nothing is going to happen to her. I would never let that happen."

"Okay. But I'll still be worried about her", Broots replied, shrugging his shoulders. Miss Parker's smile deepened.

"And that's what makes you such a good father", she said with warmth. "I'll be going home now. See you tomorrow - if nothing unforeseen happens. Good night, Broots. Good night, Angelo."

"Uhm, good night, Miss Parker", Broots said with the same mixture of confusion and embarrassment that filled him whenever she surprised him with a friendly remark. Angelo only glanced at her briefly before he returned his attention to the monitor in front of him. She briefly touched his shoulder and then got on her way home.

***

Miss Parker's home
431 Mountain Spring Road
Blue Cove, Delaware
09:52 p.m.


The light of the half-moon was reflected by the calm water of the sea. Miss Parker sat on her verandah, enjoying the calm around her, for the first time in days. After her conversation with Sydney she was feeling a bit better, even though she still hadn't told him everything.

She was glad that the ball had started rolling at the Centre. Broots had overcome his initial hesitation and was now spending every minute with the two programs he had got from her. If everything went smoothly, and right now things looked like it, all this would be over in about two month's time.

A smile played about her lips as she rose to go back inside. It was almost time.

Just as she locked the verandah door behind her the doorbell rang. Her heart beat faster and she shook her head. She behaved like a teenager in love. But it was feeling good, so why shouldn't she enjoy it?

With a few steps she was at the door to open it.

"Hello, Jarod", she greeted her visitor.

"Hello, Miss Parker", he replied softly and smiled with warmth. "May I come in?"

"Go on."

He went past her into the living room, and she closed the front door before following him. While she remembered his last visit to her house a smile formed on her lips, completely unnoticed by her.

"I like that", Jarod said, his voice dark. When she looked at him questioningly, he went on. "Your smile."

His compliment filled her with warmth and another emotion which she had suppressed for many years. But now she welcomed it.

"I'm glad you're here, Jarod."

"So am I."

Jarod's intense gaze seemed to bore into her, but it didn't feel unpleasant to her.

"I had the hope that we could continue the conversation we began when we last met", he then explained. Miss Parker looked into those dark eyes of his, returning his gaze, and wondered how serious he was about this. Besides, she wasn't sure if she should let him know how important it was to her.

She made a few steps in his direction.

"I...", she began, but Jarod placed a finger on her lips. Miss Parker couldn't stop herself from smiling. She kissed his fingertip ever so lightly. He had just given her the chance to play down the events of the last week, but that wasn't what she wanted. She wanted him to know what all this was about.

Determined, she took his hand in hers.

"Please listen to me, Jarod. I kissed you last week because I wanted to be absolutely clear about what I feel."

"And... are your feelings clear now?" he asked gently.

"Yes. After talking to your father I have thought a lot about you... about us. I missed you."

Her voice had become soft and she was on the verge of getting lost in Jarod's dark, understanding eyes. He lifted her hand to his lips.

"I have thought a lot about us, too."

When he kissed her fingers she briefly shut her eyes, getting totally lost in his tenderness. Eventually she opened her eyes again, meeting his searching gaze.

"Stay with me tonight, Jarod", she whispered. He pulled her closer to him.

"I've been waiting for so long for you to ask me that", he replied, his voice husky. Then he bent his head down to her and kissed her.

***

Miss Parker's home
431 Mountain Spring Road
Blue Cove, Delaware
The next morning
06:23 a.m.


The first sunbeams were falling through the large bedroom window, promising a beautiful day. Miss Parker lay on her side, her head propped on one arm, and looked at Jarod who was still sound asleep.

This morning was special to her. It represented the beginning of a new life, a life without the Centre. And telling from the way things were looking right now, Jarod would be a part of this new life - a part of her life. Part of her had been afraid of this night.

Jarod wasn't the first man she had invited to her house and into her bed, and he wasn't the first whom she allowed to stay with her until the morning. But Jarod was the first man who made her wish she could wake up next to him every morning for the rest of her life when she looked at him in the morning.

She reached out her hand to him, tenderly touching his cheek. Immediately a smile spread on his lips, and Miss Parker shook her head with amusement.

"Good morning, Jarod", she murmured softly. "For how long have you been awake?"

His smile deepened a bit, but he still kept his eyes closed.

"Not for long", he answered, equally as soft, his voice deep. Eventually he opened his eyes, meeting her gaze. His eyes reflected his emotions, and Miss Parker felt a warm feeling spread all through her body as a reaction to his gaze.

At the same time another emotion emerged from deep within her. Suddenly she felt a stab of completely irrational fear. She lowered her eyes.

Jarod immediately sensed the change in her mood and placed one of his hands under chin, forcing her ever so gently to look at him again.

"What's wrong?" he inquired with a softness that made her fear melt at once. "Do you regret what happened last night?"

"No", she said with determination. The only thing she might regret about last night was that it hadn't happened much earlier. "Jarod, I..."

With a sigh she trailed off, letting herself fall back on her pillow. For a short moment she closed her eyes, trying to gather her thoughts. She wanted him to understand her. That was very important to her. He was very important to her. When she opened her eyes again she met his worried gaze.

"But you must hate me", she said in a small voice. Jarod's eyes widened with surprise when he understood what she was trying to say.

"Marine, how can you even think that? The last night should have shown you how I feel about you." The warm sound of his voice began to erase her doubts. "I love you." With one hand he caressed her cheek, the other reached for her hand. "Marine, I love you", he repeated, looking her deep in the eyes.

Something deep inside of her seemed to burst into a million pieces, and suddenly she felt free. Jarod loved her, he forgave her.

"Oh God, Jarod", she whispered, a single tear slowly rolling down her cheek. He carefully wiped it away. "I love you, too. With all my heart." She swallowed. "I'm so terribly sorry. All the things I've done to you..." More tears followed the first one.

"Marine, don't. You don't have to apologize, for nothing. It's true, we did hurt each other, but that's over now. What ever happened between us doesn't change the way we feel about each other. I loved you from the moment I first saw you and I will always love you. We belong together", he emphasized, and his eyes filled with tears as well. He gently took her face into his hands, kissing her tears away. Then he pulled her in his arms, simply holding her. Miss Parker put her arms around him and reveled in the feeling of having him so close.

"Thank you", she murmured against his shoulder. He looked up with surprise.

"What for?"

She smiled.

"For being here. For forgiving me. And for loving me."

Jarod shook his head, searching her gaze.

"You don't have to thank me, either. There's nowhere I'd rather be than here, with you. There's nothing I'd have to forgive you for. And loving you is a great gift to me. You are very special, a part of my life that would be meaningless without you. Whenever I look at you I know what it's like to have a family, a home."

His words filled her with an immense feeling of happiness.

"I wish there was a way of letting you know how happy you're making me, Jarod", she said seriously.

"I know, Marine. Believe me, I know exactly how you feel", he replied. He pulled her closer to him, tenderly kissing her on the lips. She returned the kiss, and then she leaned in to him until their foreheads met.

"Mhm, and what will we do with the rest of the morning, now?" Jarod asked, his voice dark and sensuous, a completely innocent expression on his face. She laughed softly, leaning back a bit in order to look at him. He managed effortlessly to conceal his inexperience. A sensuous smile played on her lips.

"I guess I can think of something", she said very softly, entwining her fingers in his neck and pulling him closer.

"Let's see if we thought of the same thing", Jarod replied with a smile that took her breath away for a moment. Then he kissed her and she forgot everything else.

***

The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
10:17 a.m.


Sydney walked absent-mindedly through the main entrance hall of the Centre. He was on his way back from Miss Parker's office where he had tried in vain to find her. After some careful inquiries he had found out that no one had seen her yet. Sydney began to feel worried. He could still remember very vividly how she had suddenly disappeared a few weeks ago. As soon as he'd be back in his office he'd try to call her at home. Hopefully she was all right...

"Good morning, Sydney", someone said suddenly next to him. When he turned his head he saw Miss Parker walking beside him.

"Miss Parker, please don't sneak up on me like this", he admonished her, trying to at least mask part of his surprise.

"I'm sorry", she said immediately, briefly putting her hand on his arm.

"Oh, alright", Sydney grumbled, soothed. "You're late, Miss Parker", he added in a casual tone.

"Really?"

She sounded amused, and Sydney noticed with some surprise that she was in a really good mood. There was an expression in her eyes that he hadn't seen there in years, and she emanated a profound contentment.

"Mhm", he affirmed. "Besides, I almost get the impression that you're... cheerful."

"Now, don't overdo things, Sydney", she replied, but couldn't stop herself from smiling gently. No doubt about it, Miss Parker was happy.

Sydney grabbed her by the arm and pulled her gently with him, back to the entrance hall and outside. "Come on, let's go for a little walk. Who knows how long this good weather will last." Miss Parker gave him an amused look, but followed him without saying a word. When they had left the Centre they walked quietly for a while until Sydney broke the silence.

"So, what's his name?"

Miss Parker stopped dead. She shook her head, looked at him and then she laughed softly. "Sydney, you're curious."

"No. It's strictly professional interest", he assured her with a smile.

"Yeah, right. How come you always assume that there's a man behind it whenever I'm in a good mood, hm?"

"Why, am I doing that?"

Her only answer to that was a knowing look. She tilted her head slightly to the side. "Though you're right in this special case", she admitted.

"Oh?"

"Oh come on, Syd, stop it."

He raised his hands in a defensive gesture, grinning. "As you wish, Miss Parker. Maybe you want to talk about it?"

She let her breath out audibly. "What else could you expect of a psychiatrist?" Miss Parker became serious again. "Seriously, Syd, I don't think I can talk about it yet. Not even with you. But I'd love to", she said. "Just give me a little more time." Her words were accompanied by a warm smile that completely captivated him.

"I'll always be there for you... whenever you're willing to talk."

"It's very good to know that." She looked back at the main building of the Centre. "Do you have any plans for this afternoon?" she then asked abruptly. Sydney raised his brows in surprise.

"Besides work, you mean?"

"Take the day off. There's something very important I have to tell you, but it would be unwise to do that here at the Centre." Miss Parker thought for a moment, then she was the one who pulled him with her. "I've got an idea. Let's go and visit Broots."

***

Broots' residence
Blue Cove, Delaware
02:51 p.m.


The sun had already passed its highest point when Broots arrived at home. Miss Parker was sitting in the garden behind his house, relaxed and almost completely contented. There was just one thing missing to make this moment perfect. Thinking of Jarod she couldn't help but smile. She leaned way back, feeling the warm sunlight on her face, and tried to recall every single one of Jarod's caresses. The touch of his gentle hands, the loving expression in his dark eyes in which she wanted to get lost... From the distance she heard Debbie welcoming her father. All of a sudden she heard Sydney's voice directly next to her.

"And you really don't want to talk about him?" he asked softly. Miss Parker briefly shut her eyes.

"You're really curious", she stated, still smiling. Before he could reply anything, Broots came out to them.

"Hello, Miss Parker. Hi, Sydney. Thanks for bringing Debbie home from school."

"Oh, you're welcome", Sydney answered. He looked at Miss Parker questioningly and she answered with a single nod. It was time to fill him in on everything. Broots had given his consent for them to meet here - even though her request had obviously come as a bit of a surprise to him. She searched his gaze, and a moment later he reacted.

"Uhm, why don't we go inside for a while, Debbie?", he asked his daughter. "I could help you with your homework."

"Aw, Dad. Can't I do my homework tonight?" she asked pleadingly. Apparently she really enjoyed Miss Parker's unexpected visit.

"Come on, let's get it over with", Broots insisted and led her away with him. Miss Parker waited for them to get out of hearing. Sydney sat down in one of the deck-chairs next to her and looked at her expectantly.

"Now, Miss Parker, what's so important that you wouldn't talk about it at the Centre?"

She calmly returned his gaze, wondering where to begin. 'And how on earth am I ever going to explain it all to Jarod?', she suddenly thought. She'd also have to have this conversation with him.

"We couldn't talk about it at the Centre because this is about the Centre", she eventually started. "Have you ever asked yourself what you will do once you've left the Centre?"

***

Miss Parker's home
431 Mountain Spring Road
Blue Cove, Delaware
07:20 p.m.


It was still light when Miss Parker slowly drove up to her house. From the outside her house seemed deserted. For an anxious moment she wondered if that also went for the inside, but then she shook her head about herself. Of course she wanted Jarod to be with her, but it would be of no account if he wasn't there now.

She parked the car, walked over to the front door and unlocked it. As soon as she opened the door all her doubts dissolved. A delicious smell surrounded her, obviously coming from the kitchen.

"Jarod?" she called, after she had closed the door.

"Just a moment", she heard his muffled answer from the kitchen. A few moments later he came to meet her, smiling widely. Miss Parker bridged the distance between them and pulled him into an embrace. Only now, as she touched him, she was feeling at home.

"I missed you", she said gently. Jarod gently pushed her a bit away from him, peering closely at her, then he bent his head to kiss her. "I missed you, too", he replied equally as gentle. "You weren't sure if I'd still be here, were you?" he wanted to know with a mixture of worry and understanding. She sighed.

"I know it's stupid but..."

"Marine." He cupped her face in his hands. "I've always been there for you, and nothing's ever going to change that. And now that I'm finally able to stay with you I'm certainly not going to leave you. I had to wait much too long for you to do that."

A hesitant smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"I guess I already knew that. But it's still good to hear it from you", she replied and her smile deepened. "You cooked?"

Jarod relaxed visibly when he realized that she really trusted him. "Yes. I thought you might be hungry after a long day at the Centre."

"Hungry, hm? Yes, I think I'm really hungry." She met his gaze, and for a long moment they just stood there, looking at each other. Then Jarod leaned in on her until his lips almost touched her ear. "In the living room", he whispered. Miss Parker raised her brows in expectation. "I'll be there in a minute", Jarod added. She kissed him on the cheek and turned to go to the living room. But Jarod held her back, pulled her close to him and kissed her. Passion might have started the kiss, but now it reflected something deeper which left them both completely out of breath. In his eyes she could read the same profound feelings that were moving her. Suddenly she found it no longer difficult to feel his love for her. It seemed to surround her, to fill her, erasing her fears and doubts.

Miss Parker raised her hand and tenderly caressed his cheek. "I love you", she let him know and reveled in his loving gaze that answered her words. "See you." This time he let her go, merely glanced after her. She went into the living room, curious what she would find there. When she reached the doorway she stopped dead, looking around with surprise.

Dozens of candles lit up the room. A fire was quietly crackling in the fireplace. There were vases everywhere, some containing single roses, others whole bunches. In the background she could hear soft music playing.

A smile played about her lips as Miss Parker slowly walked over to the table, which was set in a festive manner. Out of nowhere Jarod appeared behind her, pulling out the chair for her. She shook her head.

"Anything wrong?" Jarod wanted to know.

"Oh, no", she answered immediately. "It's wonderful." Miss Parker chuckled softly. "It's just that I couldn't imagine anyone doing something like this for me."

"I know what you mean", Jarod said softly. "I felt quite the same way. But that doesn't mean that I didn't dream about it." His smile deepened, and his dark eyes were gleaming. She returned his gaze, allowing herself to get lost in his eyes for a moment. It was almost like it used to be when they had been children. Back then he had always made her feel that sooner or later everything would be all right. But now there was more between them, something she couldn't put a name to, something that filled her with a happiness she had thought lost forever.

Jarod sat down as well, reaching for her hand. "I thought you were hungry", he teased her softly.

"Yes, right." Her attention returned to the present. And to Jarod, who was sitting right in front of her, who was finally with her. "What did you cook?" she asked expectantly.

He rose. "I'll be back in a second", he assured her, indicating a bow. When he returned from the kitchen he carried two soup plates on a tray. He put one of the plates in front of her, the other on his place. Miss Parker looked curiously at her plate. "Japanese!" she shouted with surprise. "Let me guess", she continued, smiling gently, "you've been working in a Japanese restaurant for a while."

"Actually", he replied with a soft chuckle, "I've only read a few Japanese cookbooks. But I've never found the time to put my knowledge into practice - until now."

"Somehow this sounds familiar to me", Miss Parker murmured, taking another look at her soup, before she looked back at Jarod. "If you're only half as good a cook as your father is, this will be delicious", she replied, her voice full of warmth.

"He cooked for you, too?" Jarod asked, astonished. His eyes told her how much he craved to hear more about his father.

"Indeed", she confirmed. "When I had found him in England he invited me to dinner. We had dinner together, and then he told me about my mother."

"What is he like? I mean, what kind of a person is he?" She could hear a mixture of longing and hesitation in his voice. He wanted to know more about his father but he also feared the things he might learn about him. This time she was the one to reach for his hand.

"You're so much like him", she said. "And I'm absolutely sure that he didn't kill my mother. He is... generous and understanding, and also always ready to help. My mother couldn't have wished for a better friend. I'm so glad that I finally met him." She could see that her words filled him with both joy and sadness. Miss Parker gently squeezed his hand. "He misses you so much. And he is incredibly proud of you. I'm sure he'll do whatever he can to meet you as soon as possible. There's nothing he wants more." Jarod closed his eyes for a moment, and then he looked at her again. Slowly he raised her fingers to his lips, kissing them.

"Thank you", he whispered. Miss Parker shook her head ever so slightly.

"What for? We've got a deal about information concerning our parents, remember?" she reminded him with a gentle smile. "And now I want to try my soup - before I'm starving here." He laughed, but there still was a profound gratitude in his gaze. In addition to that there was also an intense warmth which was almost tangible to her.

"I hope you'll like it", he said.

"I'm sure I will", she replied before trying the soup. The taste reminded her of her last visit to Japan - she didn't notice any difference to the 'real' Japanese flavor. "Hmmm", she made approvingly. "How do you do this? I bet you could even shame an old Japanese master."

"I'd never do that", he protested.

"No, at least not on purpose", she answered, struggling to suppress a smile. She could hardly recall the last time she'd been so relaxed in company. Angelo had been right. Jarod was really good for her.

Suddenly something occurred to her.

"These cookbooks you mentioned earlier... You didn't happen to find one of them in my kitchen, did you?"

"Well, yes. Why?"

"Oh, please tell me you tried out some of the sushi-recipes", she said almost pleadingly. During her stays in Japan she had grown to like some of the Japanese dishes, but up to now she'd never found anyone outside of Japan who could compete with the traditional Japanese cookery. Jarod's lips formed an amused smile.

"You're lucky. I didn't even know that you like raw fish."

"It's delicious", she assured him. "The only problem is to get good sushi anywhere else than in Japan."

***

Some time later Miss Parker leaned back in her seat, feeling pleased. A happy smile played about her lips as she watched Jarod acquainting himself with several Japanese specialties. It didn't take long for him to look up at her.

"Having a good time?" he inquired, an amused sparkling in his eyes.

"Mhm. A very good time", she replied. By now it had got dark outside, and the pale crescent of the moon slowly rose over the horizon. Jarod got up.

"That's good", he said, his tone catching her attention. "Then I'm sure you'll like the dessert as well." Miss Parker looked at him expectantly.

"Did you plan anything special?" she asked as casually as she could manage.

"Mhm", he murmured, his voice dark and velvety. He came over to her and stopped directly behind her. Then he put his arms around her, kissing the nape of her neck. She lightly leaned in to him. His hands slid to her shoulders, exerting the slightest pressure there, then he withdrew a bit from her. "I'll be back in a second", he whispered into her ear. She glanced after him, slightly astonished.

"Jarod!"

He turned to face her. "Trust me."

Miss Parker felt a strange, thrilling mixture of confusion and expectation. Typical Jarod. He managed effortlessly to turn something ordinary into an exciting experience. As if he himself weren't exciting enough... She grinned about herself - she was really beginning to feel like a teenager again. But it was fun, so why not?

When Jarod returned to the living room this time he only carried one plate. Miss Parker couldn't see what was on it; she had to wait until he placed the plate in front of her. She curiously looked at the dessert. As far as she could tell it was something that had been dipped into dough and fried.

"What is it?" she asked after a look into Jarod's expectant face. He stepped behind her again and reached past her for one of the pastries.

"Rose petals baked in pastry", he told her softly. The tone of his voice made the warmth inside of her turn into heat.

"Rose petals?" she repeated, staring at his hand as if she were hypnotized.

"Mhm", he confirmed. "Do you know what they say about these petals?"

"No, what?" Something in his voice fascinated her deeply. The heat inside of her gradually turned into a raging fire.

"They say", he said, his lips enticingly close to her ear again, "they say that these petals have a stimulating effect."

"Oh really?" Her lips formed a soft smile. "I think we should really make sure that it's true, what do you think?"

"That's exactly what I had in mind", he said. His voice was sounding husky now. He kneeled down beside her, the rose petal still in his hand. "Hungry?"

"Very." Her voice was a mere whisper.

"Here." He offered her the petal and she took a careful bite. An interesting taste exploded in her mouth, but that was utterly secondary to her. Without breaking the visual contact with Jarod for as much as a second she reached for a petal as well and offered it to him. Jarod took a bite and a sensuous smile played about his lips.

"I think..." He looked deeply into her eyes, his voice trailing off. Eventually he began anew. "I think the assertion is right."

Miss Parker laughed lowly. "Perfectly possible", she conceded, slowly pulling him closer to her so that she could kiss him. Her senses seemed to explode as he pressed his lips on hers. She got lost in his being near, reveled in the tenderness of his touch, felt the desire in his kisses as strong as her own. The world closed in on her until it contained nothing but Jarod and herself.

***

Miss Parker's home
431 Mountain Spring Road
Blue Cove, Delaware
The next morning
07:11 a.m.


Silence was hovering over the house, yet it didn't feel deserted to Miss Parker. She stood in the kitchen, a cup of coffee in her hand, thinking about Jarod. When she had got up Jarod had still been sound asleep so that she had decided not to wake him up. Though this was only the second night he had spent here it still felt to Miss Parker as if they had already shared an entire lifetime. Miss Parker smiled. In a sense they really had.

But the more time passed the clearer it became to her that there were a few things they had to talk about. Her gaze passed to the window. It didn't look like this was going to be a nice day. Not the kind of day to take some time off. Suddenly she remembered a place that looked its best in this kind of weather. Lost in thought, she didn't notice Jarod entering the kitchen. He silently walked up to her, putting his arms around her from behind.

"Jarod!"

"Good morning. Oh, I'm sorry, did I startle you?"

Miss Parker put the cup down, and then she turned in his arms to face him. "Let me put it this way: If I had any less control over myself you would have come into closer contact with my hot coffee", she explained with an amused smile. Jarod raised a brow.

"Ouch", was his only comment, before he kissed her lightly on the lips. Then he kissed her again, and this time she returned the favor.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked him softly, leaning back ever so slightly.

"Mhm", he made, "but not that much." His last words were accompanied by a meaningful smile. She laughed softly, folding her hands in his neck.

"I hope you're not too tired for a little trip?"

"Trip?" He looked at her, interest evident in his eyes. Miss Parker nodded.

"You know, I've thought a lot about us, and there are some things we should talk about. There's a very special place I'd like to show to you. Besides", she added, "I'm absolutely not in the mood for work."

Jarod pulled her closer to him. "Just give me five minutes and we can go."

***

Catherine's Bay
Delaware
08:03 a.m.


Grayish clouds were floating in the sky. The wind was stirring up the water, causing strong waves to crash onto the beach. Jarod looked around enthusiastically. The little bay Marine had brought him to was absolutely beautiful. The bad weather didn't diminish its beauty but instead even underlined it.

"It's beautiful here", he said to Marine who stood next to him, her steadfast gaze directed at the open sea. When he talked to her she turned to face him. The expression in her eyes was slightly sad but vanished when she looked at him.

"This bay belonged to my mother", she explained with a hesitant smile. "She loved this place very much. When I was very young she brought me here and told me that no one besides her and me knew this place. It was ours. After her death I've only been here a few times - always alone."

Jarod put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. He could understand very well how much this place meant to her.

"Do you think your father knows about it?" he asked softly. She shook her head.

"I don't think so. This was her place alone, her refuge. Apart from Maine this must have been her favorite place."

Marine leaned against him. Her trust and her being near filled him with a unique warmth. Like her he had done a lot of thinking about their relationship. She had been right; there was a lot they had to talk about. But right now he had the feeling that there was something particular which bothered her.

"Come." She took him by the hand and led him over to a few rocks that lay close to the water. The high tide didn't quite reach them so that they offered a dry observation point. Jarod sat down onto one of the large rocks and Marine sat down right in front of him, her back to his chest. He enfolded her in his arms, resting his chin on her shoulder. Marine sighed softly.

"I used to sit here for hours, simply watching the sea. Even if it was stormy the sight always calmed me down. When I close my eyes I can almost see Mom standing on the beach and watching the seagulls."

"I'm really glad you showed me this place, Marine", he whispered in her ear. "If you want to we can simply sit here all day."

She leaned even closer in to him, putting her hands on his.

"I'd love to do that", she replied softly, then she turned halfway to look at him. "A lot has changed in my life, especially in the last few weeks. You are of course a very important part of these changes", she said with a loving smile. Jarod returned her glance and waited. He knew that she was about to tell him something important.

"I've thought long about how to explain everything to you and where to start", she continued. "Did Sydney tell you about Ruth Stiller?"

He thought for a moment, and then he shook his head. The name didn't ring a bell. "No. Who is she?"

"Was", she corrected him. "She's died a long time ago." Marine hesitated briefly. "Before I left for England, something happened. Things at the Centre didn't go very well and I had the feeling that I should do something about it. So I asked for his help. I wanted to... do a simulation." She fell silent and Jarod looked at her with surprise. Why hadn't Sydney told him anything about that?

"And the sim was about Ruth Stiller?" he assumed.

"Yes."

"Did it work? I mean, are you..." He didn't finish the sentence but looked at her searchingly. Apparently it wasn't easy for her to talk about it and so he tried to support her as well as he could.

"I could see her memories", she told him. For a moment she was staring vacantly into space, then she looked at him again. The slightest hint of a smile played about her lips. "I'm not like you or Angelo, but in my own way I'm also able to put myself in the position of other people."

"You are a pretender", Jarod said, completely amazed. He had to think of all the new possibilities - for Marine, for both of them.

"If you had found out about it earlier you would have been able to catch me", he added pensively. Marine shook her head with determination.

"No. In that case I would have left the Centre. Or I would have ended up in Raines' little freak show."

Jarod gently pushed a strand of her hair from her forehead. "I never would have let that happen", he assured her. "How do you cope?"

She sighed again. "I'm getting used to it. But..." Her voice trailed off in the middle of the sentence and she looked down to the ground.

"But what?" he asked gently. Marine looked back at him. There was a vulnerability in her gaze that reminded him of the little girl he had fallen in love with such a long time ago.

"But by using my new talent I've learned things I'd rather never had heard of. I happened to meet a young woman in England, Luca Capristi. My talent helped me to find out about the horrible things Lyle had done to her. I took Luca with me when I came back, so that Sydney could look after her."

Jarod nodded. He recalled the young woman he had seen in Marine's house, together with Sydney, shortly after Marine had returned from England. That woman had probably been Luca. Suddenly he felt Marine starting to tremble. A slight worry began to stir in him.

"Marine?"

"I've seen something in Luca's memory. Something that belonged to Lyle's memory", she explained hesitantly. Her voice was slightly wavering. "I couldn't even talk to Sydney about it."

"You don't have to talk about it if it makes you feel so uneasy", Jarod said and pulled her even closer. He felt her sigh rather than hearing it.

"I finally have to talk to someone, Jarod. And you're the only one in whom I have enough trust."

She closed her eyes. Jarod simply held her, wishing he could somehow make it less painful for her. "I love you, Marine." He kissed her on the forehead. "If there's any way for me to make you feel better just tell me and I'll do it."

Marine sat up straight, looking at him for a long time. She took his face gently in her hands, kissing him lightly on the lips. "I don't know if I can find the right words to explain all to you. It's so complicated. I simply want you to know what I'm feeling."

"Sounds almost like an invitation into your head", he said jokingly, but she remained serious.

"It is one", she stated calmly. "There are things that I would never say aloud, but I'm willing to show them to you."

Jarod hesitated. She believed that she would feel better if he pretended to be her and he was more than willing to help her. But he was also afraid. Afraid to hurt her. Marine seemed to guess his doubts.

"It's alright, Jarod. I trust you. But if you don't want to do it I'll try to explain it the conventional way."

"I want you to let me know immediately if you begin to feel uneasy about this", he said firmly.

"Okay."

She leaned back against him. Her head rested against his chests and he could feel her beginning to relax. Jarod began to concentrate on Marine. This wasn't the first time he pretended to be her; he had done it before, mostly to get a better understanding for her and the way she felt about her mother. Now it was even easier for him to become tuned in to her than it had been then.

His own thoughts and emotions became secondary as he got a feel for her - became her. At first he acquainted himself with her new talent until he fully understood what she was able to do now. He relived single moments of her time in England, saw his father through her eyes. Then there was the encounter with Luca and then... Lyle. 'He shouldn't be here.' His emotions were strong, worrying, frightening. They were wrong.

Marine wished desperately for these memories to vanish, but she knew they wouldn't. They now were a part of her - through them, Lyle was a part of her now. It was still affecting her strongly to remember this experience but the knowledge that Jarod finally knew about it comforted her. He was there for her, and her love for him helped her to bear it all.

Her thoughts turned into another direction. Her attention focused on the Centre. She thought about her plan and her firm conviction that it would succeed. Once the Centre had stopped to exist she would be free - and Jarod, too. Then she would never again have to worry about Lyle.

An uneasy feeling washed through her as her thoughts turned back to her brother. His sick desire tormented her. Had she encouraged him in any way? God, Luca's memories had been so real. Almost as if had been herself who Lyle had...

"Marine, don't!"

Jarod jerked his eyes open. He folded her tightly in his arms, talking to her soothingly.

"You must never, ever think that Lyle's behavior is your fault. He is sick. You've never encouraged him. God, I'm so sorry. I know how horrible that's been for you. I wish I could have been there for you. I wish I could somehow undo it. But that's impossible. All I can do is be here for you now. Please don't reproach yourself. Nothing of all that was your fault. You have to believe me."

Right now the only thing that counted was to calm her down. He put his rage against Lyle away for the moment; he would deal with it later. Marine lifted her head. She looked incredibly pale but seemed to be quite balanced. He looked at her worriedly.

"Jarod, I..." It took a moment for her to go on. "On a rational level I know that you're right, but... It simply doesn't feel like that. Anyway, I'm glad that you know now."

"You can tell me everything, especially if it makes you feel better. I will always listen to you."

Marine smiled ever so slightly.

"Thank you, Jarod", she said seriously, gently caressing his cheek. He took her hand in his, kissing her fingers, one after the other.

"I love you, Marine."

For a long while they just sat there in silence, each lost in the other's presence. Marine's gaze rested on the sea, whereas Jarod was watching her, trying to memorize every detail of her beauty. After some time she turned to face him. This time there wasn't even the slightest hint of sadness in her smile.

"So, what do you think about getting rid of the Centre?" she asked him curiously. Jarod blinked, tearing his attention away from her fascinating profile.

"Honestly, I haven't thought about that yet", he admitted. "I'm very proud of you", he then added. She looked at him uncomprehendingly. He smiled tenderly. "The way you face your demons is admirable. Someone else would probably have run away. But you try to deal with it. I think that's remarkable", he explained gently.

"I wouldn't manage without you, Jarod. The thought of you helps me to deal with it all." She hugged him tightly. "I love you", she murmured against his chest.

Jarod wished for this moment to last forever. Everything was so simple here. There were just the two of them and nothing that stood between them. They were both happy.

"I wish we could sit like this forever", Marine sighed and looked up as Jarod chuckled softly.

"I've just had the very same thought", he explained with a grin.

"Then let's stay here. At least for a while." She turned until she faced him. "Do you think it will work? Closing the Centre down, I mean."

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, but I want to believe it. For us and for everyone else the Centre ever hurt. Hey, why don't you let me help you? I'm sure I can make some useful contributions."

The thought of taking action against the Centre was more than exciting. Jarod's mind was already busy with simulating all possible outcomes of Marine's plan, and the result looked pretty promising. "It could work", he said thoughtfully. "Yes, I think it really could."

Marine looked at him, an amused smile playing about her lips. "I'm quite sure that there's room for improvement in my plan", she said, "and I'd be very grateful for your help. Besides, I don't think that Broots will have any objections against your participation." She wrapped her arms around him. "But I think that can wait till tomorrow."

Jarod returned her smile. "Yes, it can", he confirmed softly. He pulled her close, letting the Centre be the Centre for now.

***

Miss Parker's home
431 Mountain Spring Road
Blue Cove, Delaware
The next morning
02:22 a.m.


The night was moonless. Heavy clouds were covering the sky. Every now and then a single star twinkled through a gap in the clouds. Jarod was wide awake, watching Marine sleep. He thought about the things he had learned earlier at the bay. Lyle. The Centre.

He intended to make sure personally that Lyle would spend the rest of his life behind bars. Not only was Lyle responsible for the death of Kyle, he was also tormenting Marine. But once the Centre had been rendered harmless Lyle would pay for everything.

Jarod forced his thoughts into a more pleasant direction. He tenderly caressed Marine's face. She meant so much to him. There was no way he could imagine his life without her. Only a few weeks ago he would have thought it impossible that they could get so close to each other again in such a short time. Never in his life had he ever loved someone as much as he loved her.

He recalled the many times she had visited him in the Centre when they had both been children. For a long time she had been his only ray of light in his dark prison called the Centre. And today she still was the only person who really understood him.

"Jarod?"

Her sleepy voice startled him out of his musings.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you", he said lowly. He saw a mixture of understanding and compassion in her eyes.

"You're brooding again, Jarod", she replied. "You've always done that, even when we were kids. I know that expression on your face by heart." She sat up in bed and gave him a knowing look. "Today, when we were at the bay, you really helped me. Now it's my turn."

Her fingertips brushed tenderly over his forehead and then ruffled through his hair. "You've told me many times that you don't know who you are. I felt quite the same, so I've given a lot of thought to the question what it is that makes a person." Jarod looked at her, deeply fascinated. Her gaze seemed to reach into the depths of his soul.

"You hope to find out more about yourself by finding your parents. That's perfectly possible - but what's most important is the person who brought you up. Just look at me. I want to believe that I'm resembling my mother but I can't even really remember her. As to my father... Maybe Ben's my biological father but that doesn't necessarily mean that I'm anything like him. The man I've always known as my father is much less like me than I used to think. If you look at it from the right perspective then Sydney has always been the closest thing to a father to me." She smiled with warmth at the mention of Jarod's mentor, and he waited eagerly for her to go on.

"All these relationships are a part of me, but they are not all that I am", she continued. "They are merely a small part of me. It's more difficult for you, of course. By doing all these sims you never got the chance to develop a feel for your own self. You don't know where you come from. What I'm trying to say is this: It's not important how little you know about your past. You are Jarod, the most honest, loving and generous man I've ever met. If you look back at your life you will see certain constants that have always been there, that are a part of you. Sydney is one of them. The names of your parents aren't important for your identity. Not even your own name is important in that respect. You know who you are, Jarod. Trust me. Because if you didn't know who you are, I couldn't know either. And if there are still doubts left: You are the man I love, more than anything else in the world."

"Marine...", he whispered, deeply moved. Sometimes it seemed that she understood him better than he did - just like now. Until now he had never looked at the problem of his identity like that. He remembered the tormenting feeling that had accompanied him for all his life - not to know who he was. True, Sydney had raised him, and Jarod resembled him in many ways. But there were a lot of things, that were uniquely him, that hadn't come from other people but from himself. During the last three years he had begun to get to know himself. He realized that Marine was right. Deep in his heart he really knew who he was.

Jarod shook his had in wonder. His gaze was filled with warmth as he looked at the woman he loved and with whom he shared a bond that could never be expressed with words.

"I have no idea how you're doing this", he said admiringly, "but you always think of the right words to make me feel better."

She smiled tenderly and gently pushed him back on his pillow. "Sleep now, Jarod", she said softly. "And stop brooding."

He grinned broadly as she saw through him once again. "Yes, ma'am", he replied with a low chuckle. Then he pulled her close and enfolded her in his arms. "I love you, Marine", he said ardently.

"Mhm, and I love you." Her voice already sounded sleepy again. Her eyes were closed and her head was nestled on his shoulder. If it was up to him then they'd spent every night from now on exactly like this. 'Well, maybe not exactly like this', he thought, smiled at the thought and eventually fell asleep.

***

Tech room
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
07:29 a.m.


When Miss Parker entered the main entrance hall she burst right into the middle of what might have well been an ant hive in sheer panic - the Centre was humming with activity. No one paid much attention to her so that she reached the tech room without any incidents. Broots wasn't there yet, but Angelo was sitting in front of a computer, completely lost in his work.

"Good morning, Angelo", Miss Parker greeted him with warmth. "Have you been up here all night?"

It was only now that he turned to face her.

"Angelo has a lot to do", he announced solemnly and for a second his timid smile lit up his face. She walked over to him, lovingly stroking his head.

"You should take a break", she offered. Angelo looked at her, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Miss Parker is very happy", he said and his voice had a pleased sound to it. Miss Parker smiled.

"Yes, I am. But", she added, "that's a secret. Nobody is to know about it."

Angelo nodded. "Jarod is a secret. Miss Parker's secret."

"Now he's our secret, Angelo", she replied gently. She looked over his shoulder at the monitor. Apparently he was currently working at the personal files. Just as she wanted to ask him how far he'd come with his work she heard the sound of steps behind her. When she turned her gaze fell upon Broots who was just walking through the door.

"Good morning, Miss Parker. Hello, Angelo."

"Broots, good morning."

She scrutinized him. He looked tired but not as nervous as she had expected him to be. "Did you sleep well?" she wanted to know. Broots blinked with surprise before he answered her.

"Uhm, yes, but not that much. We worked pretty late last night."

He went past her and sat down next to Angelo.

"How far have you got?" Miss Parker asked.

"Well, we've only just started, of course. But I think we're making good progress", Broots explained in the professional tone of voice he always used when he was talking about his field. "Most of the work lies still ahead of us."

"Did you encounter any difficulties?"

Broots shook his head. "No. The program you've given me is working extremely reliably, leaving almost no traces. As long as they don't know what to look for we'll be safe."

Miss Parker nodded contentedly. "Oh, before I forget it... Someone volunteered to help us."

"I'll surely welcome any additional help", Broots assured her firmly. "Who is it?"

"Jarod", she said and smiled amusedly at his surprised expression. She shrugged her shoulders. "He still has a score to settle with the Centre."

"But... We've tried to bring him back in all this time!"

Miss Parker put a hand on his shoulder. "These times are over once and for all, Broots. Deal with it. Besides, it wouldn't make much sense to catch him now, would it?"

She gave him a reassuring smile and walked over to the door. Halfway there, she stopped. "If there's anything you need, simply let me know and I'll get it for you", she said, and then she left the tech room. Only a few more weeks and everything would be over.

Legal disclaimer: The recognizable characters of the TV-show 'The Pretender' don't belong to me but to MTM, NBC Television and 20th Century Fox. I just borrowed them. Every other character does belong to me. This story was only written and published for my pleasure and that of other fans. I don't pursue any financial interests whatsoever. No copyright infringement is intended.

The story: Miss Parker gets a pleasant surprise - and another, not so pleasant one...

For Cate, the relentless reader. Thanks for still supporting me after all this time!



Insights
Part 5
by Miss Bit



Five weeks later
Dr. Simmerson's office
Blue Cove, Delaware
08:49 a.m.


The walls of the examination room were shining in a bright blue tone which was probably meant to be reassuring. Miss Parker was feeling anything but calm. An unreasonable restlessness had seized her, and somewhere deep inside of her a certain idea demanded more and more of her attention. But right now she refused to even think about it.

Dr. Simmerson had left the room almost ten minutes ago. Her restlessness became more intense. For almost three weeks she had been feeling... unwell. There were a lot of possible explanations for that, of course. And this wasn't the first time her period was overdue...

The door opened and Dr. Simmerson returned. He was an elderly man who emanated a reassuring mixture of care and friendliness. Usually the expressions he wore on his good-natured face were quite plain but right now Miss Parker found it difficult to tell what he was thinking. Dr. Simmerson walked over to his desk, sat down and opened the manila folder that contained the results of her examination. Miss Parker watched him with some worry. Normally he didn't act so secretively.

Eventually he looked up. His brown eyes were gleaming friendly as he finally told her the results.

"Congratulations, Miss Parker", he said happily. "You're pregnant."

She let out her breath, unconscious of the fact that she had held it. Pregnant.

"Pregnant?" she repeated aloud.

"Yes. There can be no doubt about it! You're five weeks pregnant."

Miss Parker stared at him with unbelieving eyes. Not that she hadn't guessed so, but to suddenly have the certainty was a completely different matter. She was expecting a child. Her child. Jarod's child. When she said nothing Dr. Simmerson continued. "I haven't got all of the results yet but at the moment everything seems to be perfectly all right."

It was only now that she remembered him being there with her.

"The child is healthy?" she asked him.

"Yes, it is", the doctor reassured her with a warm smile. When he noticed her hesitation he sobered and leaned forward a bit. "Learning that they are pregnant is quite a shock for a lot of my patients. I'm sure you know that there are several possibilities for you now..."

She shot him a surprised glance.

"This child is not unwanted", she stated fervently. "It's just unexpected, that's all." Her gaze wandered to her flat stomach that didn't reveal any signs of her pregnancy yet. Carefully she put one of her hands over it. Pregnant. Miss Parker tried to imagine Jarod's reaction to the news. A child meant such a great responsibility and they hadn't even talked about having children yet. Maybe he didn't want to have children...

"Do you want to know the baby's sex?" Dr. Simmerson interrupted her musings.

"You already know that?" she asked him, slightly astonished. Dr. Simmerson's smile returned.

"Well, not right now, but if you want me to I'll be able to tell you in a few days."

Miss Parker nodded absently. "Yes, fine."

A completely new emotion began to blossom in her heart. All her thoughts were focused on the new life that she now knew was growing in her womb. A child. Love for her child flooded through her, filling her with joy and happiness. She raised her head to meet her doctor's gaze.

"Thank you, Dr. Simmerson. Thank you very much."

"But what for, Miss Parker?" he replied warmly. "You should come back next week. There are some more tests I want to run on you - the both of you."

"Okay, I... we'll be there."

Miss Parker rose; Dr. Simmerson got up as well.

"Take good care of yourself, Miss Parker", he said.

"I will", she replied. 'I will always take care of you', she promised her unborn child.

***

On her way back home her thoughts were revolving around Jarod. She felt strangely insecure. How would he react? She knew that he loved her. But until now they had had a relationship without any obligations. They had talked about the future, of course, but these talks had mostly been about the end of the Centre, never about starting a family.

Maybe Jarod would think that she had got pregnant in order to try and bind him to her. What if he started to regard her as a burden now? This thought was unbearable for her, but no matter how hard she tried to suppress it, it kept nagging at the brink of her consciousness.

Eventually she came to a decision. She wouldn't inform Jarod about the pregnancy yet - first she would try to find out what he thought about it.

Something inside of her whispered that she was acting silly, that there was absolutely no reason for her to fear his reaction. But her restlessness prevented her from listening to the voice of reason.

****

Miss Parker's home
431 Mountain Spring Road
Blue Cove, Delaware
09:25 a.m.


Miss Parker unlocked the front door. Even before she had fully opened it she heard Jarod's voice.

"Marine?" He sounded surprised. She went into the living-room where Jarod was sitting in front of his Notebook, working on the solution of a problem that was halting Broots' work.. Jarod shot her a quick glance.

"Did you forget something?" he asked, only a slight trace of amusement evident in his eyes.

"No, I..." Miss Parker felt how his gaze made her waver in her decision. She wanted to tell him - but she didn't dare to. For a short moment a feeling of panic washed through her, but she immediately suppressed this notion and forced herself to smile. With a little luck it would be good enough to deceive him. "On my way to the Centre I was thinking about Angelo", she answered evasively.

He watched her attentively, but he didn't seem to guess anything.

"I think he likes helping us a lot - it's fun for him", he said. Miss Parker nodded.

"I'm sure it is but... I've been thinking about his future."

Damn, why on earth had she come back home, anyway? She should have gone directly to the Centre. But at least she wasn't lying to Jarod. During the last weeks she had really thought a lot about Angelo. "What will become of him once the Centre is destroyed? He won't have anywhere to stay then."

Jarod nodded pensively. "Yes, you're right. I've thought about that, too. Did you have anything in particular in mind?"

"It would be great of you if you could find a new place for him to stay at. I'd do it myself but right now it's next to impossible for me to vanish from the Centre for longer than a few hours."

"You know that you can count on me", Jarod replied. He rose and bridged the distance between them, then he pulled her gently into his arms. "If it helps both you and Angelo I'll be glad to do it", he reassured her. She nestled her head on his shoulder, drawing strength from his being near. Jarod held her a bit away from him, looking at her worriedly.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked her, gently putting one of his hands under her chin. "Something's bothering you, isn't it?"

Miss Parker briefly shut her eyes, then she nodded.

"A lot has happened during the last few days - maybe too much", she said softly, shrugging slightly. "Really, Jarod, I'm okay."

"Hm, all right. You know what? Tonight I'm gonna coddle you a bit, okay? And tomorrow I'll start my search for a new home for our friend Angelo."

"Sounds really good", Miss Parker answered. "Except for the part where you go away, of course."

He chuckled softly. "I'll be back by your side as soon as possible", he promised her. She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him.

"I'll take your word for it", she let him know.

***

Miss Parker's home
431 Mountain Spring Road
Blue Cove, Delaware
The next day
08:34 p.m.


It had been a long day for Miss Parker. Now all she longed for was some time on her own, nice and calm. But her thoughts didn't do her the favor. Ever since Jarod had left early this morning she had been feeling restless. She had been lacking in concentration all day long and she simply hadn't managed to distract herself.

After staring out of the window for a while Miss Parker sighed heavily and got up. She went into the kitchen to make herself some tea but then she changed her mind. Tea wasn't going to make things better. Miss Parker returned to the living-room. Why did she feel like a caged animal? Maybe a little walk would make her feel better...

The doorbell interrupted her thoughts. Great. She really wasn't in the mood for guests but it might be important. After a second, even heavier sigh she went to the door. Sydney stood outside, a lopsided grin on his face.

"Hello, Miss Parker. I hope I'm not disturbing you."

Seeing him filled her with unexpected relief. Talking to him might just do the trick and calm her down. She could confide in him, tell him everything that was bothering her. Maybe he could even offer her some advice.

"Sydney!" She didn't mind that her voice betrayed her relief. "I'm glad you're here." Miss Parker invited him in and followed him into the living-room. He took a seat in one of the armchairs. A knowing smile curved his lips.

"You've probably already guessed why I'm here", he said calmly. "You seemed a little absent today so I wondered if there's anything bothering you. Besides, I thought I might get a chance to meet this mysterious stranger that you don't want to talk about."

His good-natured curiosity made her chuckle - for the first time this day. Sydney's smile deepened with satisfaction.

"That's much better", he said softly.

"Aw, Sydney", she sighed. She made a few steps towards the verandah door, then she turned to face him again. "Can I confide something to you?" she asked quietly. He looked at her attentively.

"You can tell me everything, Miss Parker."

"It's very personal. You must promise me that you won't tell anyone."

Worry was evident in his eyes now.

"Is everything all right? Is something wrong with you?"

Miss Parker laughed softly. She wondered if her mother had had a similar conversation with Sydney all those years ago. Not that she couldn't imagine it - Catherine had trusted Sydney. And so did Miss Parker. With a gentle movement she folded her hands protectively over her stomach.

"I am pregnant, Syd."

She watched his reaction with a mixture of amusement and anxiety. At first she saw unbelieving awe, next was tentative joy. Miss Parker smiled. He got up and walked over to her, hugging her tightly.

"Miss Parker, that's wonderful!"

"Yes, it is", she affirmed happily. Sydney let go of her, taking a few steps backward to watch her closely. Apparently there were a thousand questions running through his mind.

"Since... Since when do you know?" he finally wanted to know.

"Since yesterday", she replied. For a moment she managed to forget everything that was troubling her. She could see that Sydney was trying to reach a decision.

"What about the father?" he asked in a careful tone. Miss Parker shook her head.

"He doesn't know. I don't want him to."

Sydney's expression changed to one of utter surprise. "I do know that this isn't really my concern but I want to help you. I want you to be happy. It was too late for me to help your mother but I won't let the same thing happen with you", he stated fervently.

"It's rather complicated."

"Just let me help you. Please, Miss Parker."

His loving care almost managed to make her forget her worries. Almost.

"I won't tell him." The resolve in her voice almost astonished herself. This time Sydney was the one to sigh.

"If that's what you want... I'll respect your decision", he said slowly. "He loves you, doesn't he?" His tone made it clear that he couldn't imagine it any other way. Miss Parker smiled, in spite of herself.

"Yes. Yes, he does."

"And yet you don't want to tell him that he's gonna be a father."

She remained silent. Sydney tilted his head to the side.

"If he loves you, he will also love your child."

"We have never even talked about having children! He... had a difficult childhood. I believe that right now a child would only be a burden for him."

Miss Parker looked at him. He looked as though he wanted to say something but then he thought better of it. Eventually he did give her a piece of advice.

"It's your decision. There's only one more thing I want to tell you. Talk to him. It will help the both of you. And your child."

She knew he was right but she couldn't do it - she was too afraid. How on earth would Sydney react if he knew that this was about Jarod? He'd definitely be surprised. Shell-shocked even. No, she couldn't tell him. Damn, why did everything have to be so very complicated?

"Miss Parker?"

Sydney had put a hand on her arm. "Are you all right?"

"For now, yes." She almost managed to convince herself.

"Do you want me to leave?" he asked gently.

"No, please stay. I... don't want to be alone right now."

He nodded. "I'll stay with you, then."

****

The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
The next day
01:37 p.m.


"Parker! Wait."

Miss Parker stopped. The voice belonged to Lyle. The thought of meeting him made her shiver with disgust but still she waited till he had reached her. Ever since her return she had evaded him, and he seemed to have done the same. His expression was blank when he halted his steps right in front of her.

"I've got to talk to you", he said calmly.

"No."

"But it is important", he insisted. She made a step backwards.

"I don't want to talk to you", she replied brusquely. "I don't even want to see you, to be more precise." She watched his face, saw his facade of calm cracking ever so slightly. There was an intensity in his eyes that almost made her listen to him.

"I know all about your little secret, Parker", Lyle let her know. An icy feeling of terror washed through her with tremendous speed. 'Nobody knows about Jarod and me', she tried to calm herself. 'And only Sydney knows about the child.' "Though it was really clever of you to disguise your actions by using this virus, I've got to admit that", her brother continued. Miss Parker almost fainted with relief. This wasn't about Jarod.

"Get lost and leave me alone!" she hissed. His knowing about her actions wasn't a threat to her plan - it was too late for him to do anything about it. Lyle's eyes narrowed.

"Dammit, Parker! This is serious. You've got to listen to me." He grabbed her by the arm, trying to stress his point. She tried to free herself but his grip was too tight.

And then something unforeseen happened.

The physical contact established a connection between them, a mental connection. Miss Parker tried desperately to fight against it but to no avail.

At first she only had impressions of fragmentary words and single images, but then she plunged into a whirl of reminiscences and emotions. She heard her own terrified scream as if coming from a great distance - and then, as suddenly as it had started, the horrible experience ended. Lyle had let go of her arm. Anger and confusion waged a short but intense war in Miss Parker, and the anger won out for the moment.

"Don't ever touch me again!" she yelled, enraged. She was still struggling to regain control over herself, when she looked into his eyes. There was surprise in his eyes but she was way too angry to think about it. With a swift movement she turned and left Lyle behind. It wasn't until she reached Angelo's room that she took notice of her surroundings again. Miss Parker had actually wanted to return to her office, but her subconscious had led her here - because she thought this room to be one of the safest in the Centre. And Angelo's presence was always very comforting to her.

Angelo wasn't there yet Miss Parker stayed. Trembling, she sank down onto a chair. With her eyes shut she thought about what had just happened. It shouldn't have happened. Actually she should be able to prevent something like that from happening.

The fact that Lyle was her twin brother was probably the reason for this... accident. Their relation must have encouraged the contact. Miss Parker hugged herself tightly. She had sensed intense emotions in Lyle - but that wasn't what was frightening her so. What she had learned from his memory frightened her much more. She will get one last chance - then you may do whatever you think to be appropriate. These were the words of her father. Her own father.

A wave of nausea began to build in her, and it had nothing to do with her pregnancy. Somehow she managed to fight it back. How could he let that happen? How could he say something like that? She had to calm down. All this excitement was not good for her child. Miss Parker concentrated on the unborn life that was growing in her womb, tried to block out every other thought. Jarod's child. Ever so slowly her breathing went back to normal and she began to relax.

What remained was the question why Lyle had wanted to talk to her. But she could live without knowing the answer if it meant that she didn't have to meet him again. After taking a few deep breaths Miss Parker rose to go back to her office.

Fortunately, she didn't encounter anyone on her way so that she could fully concentrate on regaining control. In front of her office she almost ran into her secretary.

"Tell Sam to come here. Immediately."

"Yes, Miss Parker."

He rushed away, and Miss Parker entered her office. She didn't have to wait long for her Sweeper. It was only a few minutes later when he knocked on her door. He came in as she asked him to. Waiting patiently, he moved into position in front of her desk.

"Sam, I've got some instructions for you. I want you to keep an eye on Mr. Lyle. And if he does anything that you think might endanger the Centre's - or my - safety, I want you to intervene. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes, Miss Parker." If he thought her instructions to be strange, he kept it to himself. He was trustworthy; he would protect her reliably.

"All right. You may leave, then", she dismissed him. He nodded solemnly and left her office. Miss Parker leant back in her armchair. How much she wished she could go home to meet Jarod. But that was impossible. They were now in the last phase of the plan, and that was why she had to stay at the Centre. There was so much left to do.

***

Miss Parker's home
431 Mountain Spring Road
Blue Cove, Delaware
The next day
03:01 a.m.


"...but a menace to all of us", Raines was hissing angrily. Old Parker grimaced - hard to tell whether he was annoyed or simply bored.

"She is my daughter after all, Raines."

"Since when are family bonds of any importance to you?"

"I won't give my permission just like this", Parker thundered, clearly angry now. "She will get one last chance - then you may do whatever you think to be appropriate."

"Now that's a reasonable decision", Raines wheezed mockingly, but then he continued angrily. "Your hesitating about Catherine's interference caused us a lot of trouble."

"Something like that won't happen again. You've got my word for that."

"I really hope so."

Raines turned around and walked to the door.

***

Miss Parker woke with a start, trembling and disorientated. It took her a few seconds to recognize her surroundings. It was only when her gaze met the sleeping form of Jarod beside her when she calmed down. Fortunately he had returned from his search the previous evening.

A nightmare. It had only been a nightmare. But she knew that there was more to it.

Carefully, so that she would not rouse Jarod, she got out of bed and left the bedroom. Walking through the darkness in her house Miss Parker made her way to the bay window. Here she could relax and think about everything. She made herself comfortable, drawing her legs close to her body.

Her nightmare was more than just that - and it hadn't come from her. She had seen one of Lyle's memories. She will get one last chance - then you may do whatever you think to be appropriate. Miss Parker squeezed her eyes shut. Something like that won't happen again. You've got my word for that.

Her father's words refused to leave her mind, no matter how hard she tried to ignore them. The pain and the disappointment they caused were almost unbearable. Why did he keep doing this to her?

She forced her thoughts in a different direction. Lyle. He had overheard the discussion between Raines and their father. Was that the reason why he had wanted to talk to her? To warn her? That was hard to imagine, but she couldn't simply dismiss this possibility. Maybe he was merely Raines' dirty little helper. Miss Parker tried to remember what Lyle had felt during their brief contact. She didn't manage to bring any order in the chaos of Lyle's emotions.

Her own emotions threatened to get out of control as well. The stress of the last days and the pregnancy cost her dearly now. She drew in a wavering breath.

"Marine?"

Startled, she jerked her eyes open. Jarod was standing in front of her, watching her intently. He emanated a mixture of warmth and security. Miss Parker wordlessly stretched out her arms, and he folded her in his arms.

"What's wrong?" he asked after a few minutes, his voice containing an almost fearful undertone. Slowly, reluctantly, she freed herself from his embrace. She tried to smile reassuringly but a look into Jarod's eyes told her that she had failed miserably.

"Just a nightmare, Jarod", she whispered. "I'm better now. Really."

"Are you sure?" He watched her suspiciously.

"Mhm. Come on, let's go back to bed."

Jarod hesitated a moment longer, then he gave in. He reached for her hand as they went back to the bedroom.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he offered as a last try to help her. Miss Parker smiled lovingly, but she shook her head.

"No. Just hold me tight."

"My pleasure", Jarod replied immediately. They lay down on the bed, and Miss Parker snuggled up to Jarod. For a brief moment her thoughts returned to Lyle. 'Perhaps I should talk to him tomorrow', she mused, and then she concentrated exclusively on Jarod's warm and comforting presence next to her.

***

The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
09:12 a.m.


Though the sun was shining Miss Parker was shivering as she was standing in front of the Centre's main building. She tried not to think about last night's nightmare. It had distressed her greatly but thanks to Jarod's loving presence she had managed to fall asleep again.

"Parker?"

Miss Parker turned her head to watch the figure that was walking towards her. Lyle. About an hour ago she had left a note on his desk, telling him that she was willing to at least listen to him. And now he was here.

"So what is it you wanted to tell me yesterday?" she asked as he had reached her.

"Ah, you finally came to your senses", was his reply.

"I've never lost them", she quipped. "Let's just say I'm... curious now."

He shrugged. "Good enough for me." For one long moment he just looked at her, and she got the impression that he was about to say something but thought better of it at the last moment. "Here, there's something I want to show you", he said and reached for something in his jacket pocket. Miss Parker's eyes widened as she saw what he was about to draw out - a weapon. Terrified, she backed away from him.

And then the events got out of control.

There was a loud bang coming from the general direction of the main building. When Miss Parker realized that it had been the sound of a gun shot, it was already too late. Lyle lowered his head in slow motion. Unbelieving, he stared down on his chest where a single blood stain was growing larger by the second. A second shot shattered the silence, hitting Lyle in the shoulder. The third shot missed him but only because his knees buckled. Lyle sank down on the ground.

It was only now that Miss Parker unfroze. She looked around almost frantically, her own weapon drawn. Her gaze met that of Sam who was running over to them. Sam, whom she had ordered to protect her. The ground seemed to open up beneath her; it was only her willpower that kept her steady on her feet.

"Miss Parker, are you all right?" Sam shouted breathlessly when he got closer. She stared at him first, then at her brother who was lying on the ground, eyes closed. Then she stared back at Sam.

"Get help", she ordered flatly. He stopped dead and shot her an uncomprehending look. "Go and get help", she repeated, louder than before. "Right now."

Sam turned after a quick glance at Lyle, rushing back to the main building. Miss Parker looked down to Lyle. "I should try and fetch Sydney. He is a...", she managed to utter, but Lyle interrupted her.

"No, stay." His voice had lost every trace of its usual smoothness, sounded but strained. He opened his eyes. The finality she saw in his wavering gaze sent a shiver down her spine. Mechanically, she knelt down by his side. All those cruel things he had done to other people came to her mind, and yet she was feeling... regret. Pity. Lyle reached for her hand, took it in his own. She allowed it.

"You're so... soft", he whispered with awe. "Dad has never understood that. He always thought you were like him. But you are... different. Maybe like Mom. Soft. Full of compassion." He paused, drawing in a wheezing breath.

"Lyle..."

"No, just listen to me. Just this once." For a moment she believed to see the hint of a smile on his face. She nodded. "Good."

"Many things between us went awfully wrong, but that's not important anymore. Since I've seen you for the first time I wanted to..."

Miss Parker made a face. "Don't. Lyle, I know your feelings. It's wrong, you must not..."

"I've never known love", he interrupted her, squeezing her hand gently. "Until I met you. I always had the feeling I might be able to love you - but I didn't know how." Her brother closed his eyes, his face contorted by the strain. Miss Parker felt a lump in her throat. She shouldn't mourn his death, and yet...

"I have seen the simulation you've done. A backup of Sydney's disk", Lyle suddenly went on. "And yesterday... I'm only realizing now what really happened. I saw so many things." His voice became softer, and it seemed more difficult for him to keep his eyes open. Miss Parker understood. He was trying to tell her that the contact had been mutual. Lyle had seen part of her memory.

"You and Jarod...", he whispered roughly. "I should have known it. He has always been so close to you." The gaps between his sentences became longer. His gaze rested on her stomach for a moment. "It's a pity", he managed to utter with some effort, "I would have been a great uncle. Even for his child."

"Lyle?" Insecurity made her voice tremble. "Help will be here any minute now." Using his final resources he tried to sit up so that he could look at her. Blood was trickling out of the corner of his mouth. His breathing sounded gurgling now.

"Don't be sad. Never look back... only makes everything harder. So soft... We could have... I... lo..." He breathed out for the last time in his life. His gaze broke and he sank back down, lifeless. Miss Parker stared at him, stunned. Her hand was still resting in his. She simply couldn't tear her eyes away from their hands. For the briefest of moments she had had the brother Raines had taken away from her so many years ago. The monster that Raines had created had vanished and had let her see what could have been.

Silent tears were streaming down her face but she didn't even notice. Carefully she freed her hand from his now cold grip. Her gaze wandered to the gun that had caused this horrible nightmare. She stared at the gun. The ring of fire. The same symbol she had seen on the weapon that had been used to kill her mother. As she carefully pulled the gun from Lyle's pocket she noticed something else in the pocket. A piece of paper. Miss Parker took it as well, hiding both items in her own jacket.

Suddenly her surroundings were teeming with people.

"What has happened here?"

"Is he dead?"

"Miss Parker?"

She knew this voice. When she lifted her head her gaze met Sydney's eyes. He squatted down next to her. "Miss Parker, are you all right?"

The warmth in his voice tore down a barrier within her. She wordlessly shook her head. Sydney put an arm around her shoulder, gently pulling her up with him. From a distance she could hear the squeal of Raines' oxygen tank. Anger built up in her, mingling with the shock and the feeling of loss. "I want to get away from here", she uttered softly.

"Okay, come on. We'll go to my office. No one is going to bother us there - at least for a while."

He began to lead her away but suddenly her father blocked their way. "What happened?" he asked, his voice loud and excited, his face unusually pale. Sydney positioned himself between Mr. Parker and his daughter.

"Miss Parker is in shock. She will come with me now. You'll get your answers later - as soon as she is feeling better", he said firmly. Mr. Parker looked ready to explode, but then he just turned and walked over to the spot where Lyle was still lying, now surrounded by a swarm of medical personnel.

Sydney brought Miss Parker away.

"Is he dead?"

She merely nodded. Yes, her brother was dead. But why did it feel as though she had just died as well? Without any sign of resistance she allowed Sydney to lead her away, completely lost in thought.

***

Sydney's office
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
09:33 a.m.


The air in Sydney's office seemed to be frozen solid. Miss Parker lay on the couch, her eyes closed, worriedly watched by Sydney. Dealing with this situation would ask a lot of her. She had never felt like this before. When her mother had died it had felt completely different. Back then, the world seemed to have stopped, shattering slowly around her. But now... Everything was racing, leaving her no chance to get a grip on the situation or to gather her thoughts.

Miss Parker sat up. Sydney was there, ready to listen to her, to help her. All she had to do was to find a beginning.

"Sydney, do you think it's possible not to know at all what you're feeling? Or how you should be feeling?" she asked him softly. He stood in front of his desk, leaning slightly against it, watching her.

"You're in shock, Miss Parker", he said gently. "It's only natural for you not to be able to analyze your feelings right now."

"I shouldn't be in shock at all!" she snapped. "I should be happy", she continued after a short break, almost inaudibly. "Lyle was a monster. Just to think of what he's done to poor Luca..." Her voice broke, but she refused to cry, held back the tears that were burning in her eyes instead. Lyle had deserved to die. He probably hadn't done a single good deed in all his life. Darn, why was she mourning him now, then? She had hated him!

"Miss Parker?"

Sydney's soft voice interrupted her thoughts.

"I know that your... relationship with your brother wasn't too good. But he was your brother after all."

Miss Parker shook her head. The hint of a smile played briefly about her lips. "No. I've never regarded him as my brother. He meant nothing to me."

She knew it was wrong the second she said it out aloud. True, she had never accepted him as her brother, yet he had played a certain role in her life. But what kind of role?

Sydney sat down next to her, on the edge of the couch.

"Losing Jacob was one of the worst moments in my life", he started softly. "There were so many things I wanted to tell him, to show him. As long as he was still comatose, I could at least believe that he would wake up one day, that everything would be like before. When he died, I had to let go. Let go of him, but also of my hope. Miss Parker, I think you might be feeling something similar. You're not mourning Lyle. You're mourning for Bobby, your twin brother, for the man he could have been if Raines hadn't got him first."

She looked at him. He was probably right. Right now it seemed to her that he knew and understood her feelings better than her. Maybe she simply didn't dare to admit the truth to herself. The fact that she wasn't completely indifferent towards Lyle and his death upset her a bit. Surely Sydney was right and she was only mourning the brother she could have had. Still it didn't seem right to her to feel sad about Lyle's death. Wasn't that unfair towards Luca?

"Raines took away our brothers", she said to distract herself a bit. "Jacob died from the consequences of an accident that was caused by the Centre. Lyle was turned into a merciless monster by Raines. And even Kyle died through Raines' fault. If it weren't for Lyle he could still be alive..."

"I can understand if it makes you feel better to give Raines the fault for everything. But you should know that it will lead you nowhere. Nothing will come from it - except for more hatred." There was a resignation audible in Sydney's voice that told Miss Parker that he had had these thoughts as well.

"Even if I wanted to - I couldn't hate Raines any more than I already do. Only the thought that he will pay for everything soon keeps me from killing him. His death won't help matters. The longer he stays alive, the longer he will have to suffer. And that's that."

"It's not easy to picture Raines behind bars", Sydney mused aloud. Miss Parker said nothing and stared vacantly into space. Her conversation with Sam was playing in her mind again and again. If she hadn't ordered him to... No, that led nowhere. That was wishing for the past to change. Suddenly she remembered something. She got up and pulled Lyle's gun from her jacket.

"Miss Parker?" Sydney sounded alarmed.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to run amok", she reassured him. Her voice took on a flat tone. "This is Lyle's gun; I found it in his jacket. It's similar to the one that my mother's murderer used. I think he wanted to show it to me, but I'm not sure why. Sam thought Lyle was about to..."

"Kill you?" Sydney finished the sentence for her. He rose to stand in front of her. "It was Sam who killed your brother?"

Miss Parker nodded.

"I had asked Sam to have an eye on Lyle." She let out her breath in a long sigh, then she suddenly remembered the piece of paper. After a moment of hesitation she took it out of her pocket. It was only now that she realized that this piece of paper must have been what Lyle had wanted to show her. "Oh no..."

"What's wrong?"

"This piece of paper. That's the damn thing he wanted to show me." She leant against the desk, no longer trusting her legs. The nausea was once more threatening to sweep over her.

"What does it say?" Sydney wanted to know. Miss Parker shrugged.

"I've got no idea. Here, read it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Sydney unfolded the paper. He read the few words in silence. His hand sank down to his side.

"So, what does it say?" Miss Parker asked softly. She wasn't sure if she really wanted to know.

"Miss Parker, I don't know if you...", he began, trailing off mid-sentence. His voice betrayed his consternation.

"That bad?"

He didn't answer but gently led her back to the couch.

"Lyle didn't want to kill you", he explained. "On the contrary, I think he wanted to warn you." He handed her the paper, though with obvious reluctance. Miss Parker was seized by fear as she stared at the piece of paper. It was a printout of two e-mails.



'She's had her chance - and failed us. Now keep your word. R.'

'Do whatever you consider necessary. P.'



The few words stabbed into her heart like icy knives. Her father had given Raines free hand - to kill her. He had crossed the line, the only one she had thought he would respect. She heard a muffled sob - it must have come from her. This time she didn't try to hold back her tears. Sydney pulled her in a comforting embrace as she gave way to her emotions.

****

Miss Parker's home
431 Mountain Spring Road
Blue Cove, Delaware
02:02 p.m.


A sound from the outside caught Jarod's attention. He rose in a smooth movement, stretched and went to the front door to take a look outside. A car was parked in front of the house; two people were getting out of it. Jarod saw Sydney and Marine. He felt a twinge of worry. Something had happened.

He watched as Sydney talked to Marine, but she merely shook her head until Sydney gave up. Marine came to the front door while Sydney was reluctantly getting back into the car. Now that she was getting closer Jarod could see how pale she looked. Pale and full of pain. Jarod waited impatiently for Sydney to get out of sight, then he opened the door to meet Marine.

As soon as she saw him her face lit up the slightest bit. Jarod wordlessly pulled her into his arms. She didn't cry but her pain was almost palpable to Jarod. He gently walked her back into the house.

"What has happened?"

"He is dead." Her voice was but a flat whisper. He barely dared to ask the next question.

"Who?"

"Lyle."

Jarod couldn't help but feel relieved. In addition to that he felt grim satisfaction. The man who had killed his little brother was dead. A few moments later his worry for Marine replaced this thought.

"How did..." His voice trailed off. An instant later he started anew. "You don't have to talk about it now."

Marine took a deep breath as she settled down on the couch.

"That's all right, Jarod. I just need a moment or two to get a grip on things. It was an... accident. No, more of a misunderstanding." Marine took a few deep breaths. Jarod took her hand in his. "Yesterday Lyle tried to talk to me, but I didn't want to listen to him", she continued. God, had it really only been yesterday?

"I didn't even want him to be around. So I asked Sam to have an eye on him. Today I agreed to meet Lyle because I had this nagging feeling that he really wanted to tell me something important. The meeting didn't last long. Sam shot him. He thought that Lyle was going to draw his gun on me."

Jarod watched her intently. Lyle's death had upset her but he could only guess why. "How do you feel?"

"Good question", she murmured, then she looked at him dubiously. "I wish I had an answer for that. It... hurts. Though I'm not quite sure why. Lyle was a monster, and I'm sure the world will be a better place without him. But he was my brother, too, that is before Raines got his hands on him. God, Jarod, shortly before he died I had the feeling that I could see his true self for the first time - not Raines' creation but my mother's son. For a short moment I could believe that maybe there was something good in him."

Careful, Jarod pulled her close to him. "I'm sorry, Marine." He understood how she felt. Losing Kyle had felt much like this. His brother had turned away from what Raines had made of him. He had once again become the person he used to be. And then, before Jarod had had the opportunity to really get to know this person, to get closer to his brother, Kyle had died. Oh yes, he knew exactly how Marine was feeling. "It's absolutely okay for you to feel grief about his death. In spite of everything he was your brother - even if he never got the chance to be himself."

As he was holding her in his arms he realized that there was something else. Lyle's death wasn't the only thing troubling her. It might be better for her to talk about it right now.

"What else happened?" he asked gently. Marine looked at him, slightly astonished, but then her lips formed a tender smile. She tenderly touched his cheek.

"It's really nice to have someone who knows me so well", she said. But her short hesitation didn't escape him.

"Come on, Marine. I can only help you if I know what's bothering you", he explained. He gently squeezed her hand, played with her slender fingers. She looked down on their hands, then heaved a sigh.

"It's Dad", she whispered. Vague terror vibrated in her voice. Jarod felt his anger rise. What had this cold-hearted bastard done to her this time? Did he really not care about the fact that he was hurting his daughter again and again? Jarod would never do that to anyone, let alone his own daughter. Since he didn't trust his voice anymore he waited for Marine to continue.

"I don't know why I'm always so surprised about it." She sounded more than frustrated. "But this time... Oh God, I would have never thought that he would go that far. He's my father, God dammit!"

Jarod managed to keep his anger at bay. "What has he done?"

Marine shut her eyes. Her faith in her father had obviously been badly shaken. Whatever Mr. Parker had done this time - it must be worse than any sane person could imagine. It had really disconcerted her.

"Lyle wanted to warn me about him. I've found this piece of paper on Lyle. Here, read it." She handed him a paper that looked rather crumpled to him; after he had read it he could guess why. Even if Marine had never been meant to know this, he still couldn't believe that her father had done this.

"Marine." Jarod didn't have the slightest idea how to comfort her. Not that he thought that there was a comfort for her. "I don't know what I can say to make you feel better. God, I'm so sorry." He shook his head, stunned. "He doesn't deserve you. You should try to forget him."

"He's my father."

"So what? He never acted like it. How often did he hurt you? Has he ever considered your feelings? Marine, I do understand that you can't give him up just like that but he definitely isn't good for you."

"I know", she whispered. "It's hurting, anyway." She was still holding back her tears. Jarod pulled her even closer to him.

"It's okay. Just let go." He gently stroked her back with one hand, trying to calm her. Her muscles felt tense under his fingers. "It's gonna get better. Trust me. I love you." His voice faded to a gentle murmur before it trailed off eventually and he just held her tightly to himself.

****

Tech room
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
The next morning
07:10 a.m.


Miss Parker stepped hastily to the side as a group of sweepers rushed past her. During the last 24 hours the Centre had become a very hectic place. Sergej's virus was doing a splendid job, and Lyle's death had added to the chaos at the Centre. The strict organization of the Centre was slowly breaking down. Raines was about to have a stroke; he was fervently searching for the person - or persons - that was responsible for the decline of the Centre. Usually, this thought would have made Miss Parker smile but the events of the past day were still troubling her. Fortunately, she had Jarod. Jarod was such a great help to her - by talking to her, or by just being near her. And then there was their child...

She absently evaded another group of Centre employees. Actually, she was grateful for all this excitement. It gave her an excuse to evade her father. For a long while her conscience had pricked her because of him. He would end up behind bars after all. Since yesterday the thought had something attractive to it. If he was sitting in a nice little holding cell he would at least no longer be able to hurt anyone.

Miss Parker reached the tech room. To her astonishment, it was relatively calm there. Apart from Broots and Angelo, no one was there. None of them turned to look at her. Both men were solely concentrated on their work. She walked over to them, stopped next to them and took a close look at them. Broots looked as though he hadn't slept in days - which was probably the case - and his posture seemed rather cramped. The expression on his face was one of utmost concentration. Angelo was concentrated, too - he seemed to be completely in his element. Miss Parker didn't see any signs of exhaustion in his face.

"How's it going?" she asked softly. Broots' head jerked around.

"God, Miss Parker! Do you have to startle us like that?"

For a brief moment, there was the hint of a smile visible in her eyes. "You'd better stop being so frightful, Broots", she teased. "I'd really like to know about your progress."

He let out his breath, grinning.

"It's going better than I ever thought possible. It's working, Miss Parker!"

Broots suddenly looked like an excited little boy.

"Good to hear", she replied dryly, but his excitement was beginning to affect her.

"We spent the last two days deleting all data that might hint to a connection between the Centre and one of us. I think we'll be done in a few more hours. Then all that's left to do will be to hand the evidence to the authorities." Broots tilted his head to the side. "I thought that maybe Jarod would want to do that."

Miss Parker looked at him pensively. "I'll ask him. You said a few more hours. How many more exactly?"

He thought for a moment. "About six, I'd say", he then replied.

"Okay. It'll take the authorities a while to react. According to Jarod we shouldn't expect a reaction until three hours after they got the evidence. I want us - all of us - to be out of here by then. That leaves you no more than seven hours. Are you sure that you have erased every evidence that might hint to us?"

"As sure as can be. We've searched the whole information network of the Centre and have done as much harm as possible. Jarod checked back on our success. If nothing escaped his attention we should be pretty safe." Broots shrugged.

"Good enough for me", Miss Parker answered. She sat down next to Angelo, turning her attention to the PC in front of her. "Time to settle our financial situation, then", she murmured more to herself. Broots watched her with some interest. After a brief moment she returned his gaze. "I haven't been idle these last few weeks. After all we've gone through I only thought it fair for us to get a little... compensation. The Centre owns tons and tons of money. A small part of all this wealth just waits to be transferred to safe accounts."

The technician stared at her unbelievingly. "You stole money from the Centre?"

"Aw, Broots. How can you steal something that's already been stolen? You can only use it for a better cause. Don't you worry about this. You'll need something to live from."

He looked as though about to protest but then he thought better of it. With a nod he turned back to his work. This time, Miss Parker did smile. She would miss Broots.

Miss Parker started the program that she had used during the last phase of her 'job' and typed in some more commands. A few seconds later money had been transferred from the Center to several Swiss accounts. In a few hours no one at the Centre would be left to miss it.

Miss Parker rose. "I'll go and tell Sydney that we're almost done. Will you manage?"

A faint grin lit up Broots' face. "Sure. If not, you're gonna be the first to know."

She laughed softly. "Right. See you later." Before she left the room, she turned to Angelo. "See you tonight", she said softly, gently stroking a strand of hair from his forehead. Then she got on the way to Sydney's office for the last time.

******

Sydney's office
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
09:51 a.m.


The ticking of the big wall clock sounded through Sydney's office, as it had done for all those years he had spent at the Centre. Yet it's rhythm seemed to have changed. Sydney smiled. It used to divide every day at the Centre into small eternities. Now it only counted down the last hours of the Centre.

Miss Parker had left his office more than an hour ago, after having told him that Broots' work was nearly done. She had still seemed a bit shaken to him but that was only natural after all that had happened. Time would heal her wounds; she would learn to deal with it all. Her pregnancy gave her stability, and whoever might be the man in her live, he was also having a good influence on her.

The phone rang. Sydney picked up the receiver.

"Sydney here."

"Hello, Sydney."

"Jarod!" Yes, of course. The end of the Centre marked a milestone in both of their lives; it was only natural for Jarod that he wanted to talk about it.

"Don't you tell me you're surprised to hear from me."

Sydney laughed softly. "I won't, then." He paused for a second. "It's over. You're finally free now, Jarod."

"We're all free now. Tell me, Sydney, how are you feeling?"

"Relieved", Sydney replied immediately. "The days of the Centre's dark machinations are over. I had almost given up hope that this day would come." Sydney fell silent, thinking about all those things he wanted to tell Jarod. Then he suddenly realized that he finally had the time to tell Jarod whatever he wanted to. There was no more Centre to keep them away from each other. Jarod was right - they were all free. Nothing could...

The door to his office was flung open. Mr. Parker stood in the doorway. The expression on his face eliminated the notion that he might have come over for a friendly conversation.

"Syd?" Jarod asked.

"I'll call you back in a minute", Sydney replied, hanging up a moment later. "Is there anything I can do for you?" He turned towards Mr. Parker.

"Where is my daughter?"

"I have no idea." It was even the truth. When Miss Parker had left she hadn't told him what she would do next. But even if he had known, he definitely wouldn't have told Mr. Parker. Parker's eyes narrowed. His angry stare didn't have the desired effect on Sydney. In fact it had no effect at all.

"Be warned, Sydney. You'd better not get into my way."

Sydney raised his eyebrows inquisitively.

"Why should I? Listen, why don't you try her office?"

All he wanted was to get rid of this man as quickly as possible. He was absolutely positive that Miss Parker was not in her office but there was no reason why her father shouldn't find that out for himself. The sooner he left the smaller was the chance that Sydney gave in to the notion of strangling Mr. Parker. It wasn't easy for him to remind himself of the fact that the man had lost his only son yesterday. Lyle's death was the only thing that kept Sydney from giving up the last remains of his politeness.

The muscles in Parker's face were working. Eventually he nodded slowly, then he turned and left Sydney's office. It was Sydney's last encounter with the Centre's old chairman.

******

Miss Parker's home
431 Mountain Spring Road
Blue Cove, Delaware
09:59 a.m.


Jarod stared impatiently at his watch. When his cell phone rang he activated the connection immediately.

"Syd?"

"Yes, it's me, Jarod."

The pretender breathed out with relief.

"What happened?"

"Oh, I've just been visited by Mr. Parker. He is searching for his daughter."

"Miss Parker..."

Jarod frowned with worry. Now that Lyle was dead no one could say what Mr. Parker would do. Maybe he would even make Marine responsible for his son's death.

"Are you still in touch with her?"

The pretender bit his lip to suppress his laughter.

"Yes, every now and then", he managed to say. As much as he wanted to tell Sydney about their relationship, he agreed with Marine that they should wait until everything had calmed down a bit.

"I'm a bit worried about her", Sydney confessed. He hesitated a moment before continuing. "It seems that there is... someone in her life. She didn't tell me much about him but..."

"I think you don't need to worry. As far as I can tell he's trying his very best to make her happy."

"Oh, good." Another moment of hesitation was obvious evidence for the fact that there was something else that was troubling Sydney.

"Syd?"

"Yes?"

"Is there anything else you want to talk about?"

Another short pause, barely perceptible. "No. No, I don't think so. Jarod, when all this is over we should meet."

"Sure. It won't be possible during the next few days, but after that..."

"I'm really looking forward to seeing you again."

"Me, too, Sydney. Me, too."

The thought of Sydney's reaction to the news made Jarod smile with amusement. This promised to be a very interesting meeting.

They said good-bye and ended their talk. Jarod leaned back on the couch. It was finally over. Now he could start a new life - together with Marine. Thinking about his future filled him with a profound feeling of joy. Eventually everything was going to be all right.

*****

Miss Parker's home
431 Mountain Spring Road
Blue Cove, Delaware
02:32 p.m.


"Are we going home?"

Angelo's question broke Miss Parker's train of thought. She smiled warmly.

"Yes, Angelo. We're going home."

"That is good."

They only had a few more yards to go to Miss Parker's house. While she was parking the car she briefly thought of Broots. He and Debbie were probably packing right now. Sydney and herself would stay a little bit longer to ensure that the authorities would really react in the right ways. It couldn't be much longer now.

As soon as the car came to a stop Angelo was on his way out. Miss Parker didn't hold him back. Their surroundings were safe enough and it had been such a long time since Angelo had last left the strict confinements of the Centre. No one had noticed that they had left together; the chaos at the Centre had prevented that.

When she got out of the car she saw that the front door was opened. The sight of Jarod coming out of the house to meet her made her heart beat faster. She bridged the last few feet between them and let herself get folded in his arms.

"Hello, my heart", he whispered lovingly into her hair. "I missed you."

"Jarod, finally."

He hugged her tightly, then, reluctantly, let go of her again to take a look at Angelo who was exploring his surroundings.

"We've done it, Marine!" Jarod shouted merrily, lifted her from the ground and whirled her around. Miss Parker laughed, all too ready to let herself get infected by his good mood.

"Yes, we have", she confirmed happily. Slowly she realized that he was really right. The authorities were probably just initializing their actions against the Centre. Their plan had really worked. There was just one more thing that was worrying her. Though Broots had deleted everything that might point to one of them, but no one could hinder Raines or her father from mentioning their names. It would be more than difficult for the authorities to find evidence of their existence, though. And even if the authorities were able to find them, they could always turn State's evidence. As far as the Centre was concerned everything was settled.

"Marine? Do you come?"

Jarod looked at her inquiringly. She nodded and reached for his hand.

"Yes. Let's go in."

It took them a moment to convince Angelo to accompany them. Only when they promised him that he would from now on be allowed to go outside as often as he wanted to he followed them inside.

Miss Parker walked behind Angelo and Jarod, watching them lovingly. They both belonged to her family. To the family she had chosen for herself. The thought made her smile, but her smile faded as she remembered that Angelo would leave them this evening.

"Jarod?" she asked softly when they had reached the living room. Angelo looked around curiously and then went out on the verandah. Jarod walked over to her, putting an arm around her waist.

"Hm?"

"Stay tonight. Take Angelo to his new home tomorrow, okay?"

He looked at her searchingly. "You're gonna miss him very much, huh?"

"Of course. We grew up together, after all."

"We'll visit him often", Jarod reassured her. His voice softened. "It'll be soon enough for us to leave tomorrow."

Miss Parker kissed him on the cheek. "Clever decision", she whispered huskily and Jarod pulled her closer to kiss her. The moment ended abruptly when Angelo returned to the living room, almost as euphoric as a small boy on Christmas morning.

"Angelo is free", he declared excitedly.

Jarod took a step away from Miss Parker, a broad grin on his face. "That's right, my friend", he confirmed with some satisfaction. "Anyone else want a hot chocolate?"

Miss Parker suppressed an amused grin. Sometimes it seemed to her as if Jarod had never really grown up. A feature that made him all the more attractive. Angelo nodded emphatically and she shrugged her shoulders. "Why not?"

"Great. Just give me a minute or two." Jarod disappeared into the kitchen. Sighing almost inaudibly, Miss Parker sank down on the couch. After a moment Angelo sat down next to her. He stretched out his hand and she took it in hers. Angelo tilted his head to the side. Several emotions played across his expressive face, emotions she recognized as her own. Eventually his face lit up with profound joy.

"Daughter", he said. Miss Parker drew in her breath in surprise. Was it possible for him to know that? Dr. Simmerson had only told her yesterday that she was expecting a girl. Since then the thought had always spun around in her head - so it had to be quite obvious to Angelo. She wondered briefly if she should ask him not to tell Jarod about it. 'No', she thought, 'it's about time for him to learn it.' It had really been rather silly of her not to tell him right away that she was pregnant with his child. But part of her was still afraid of his reaction.

When Jarod returned Angelo took one of the steaming mugs and went back to the verandah. The view seemed to fascinate him. Jarod took a seat next to her. For a while he just watched her, then he reached out his hand to touch her cheek tenderly.

"So", he asked, "did you plan anything in particular for tonight?" She knew this special tone of voice and couldn't help but smile.

"Oh, you know, these last days have been very hard on all of us. Actually I wanted to go to bed early tonight..."

Jarod returned her smile. "Good idea", he murmured, looking deeply into her eyes. "Do you think now would be too early?"

Miss Parker laughed, feeling carefree and happy for the first time in days. Somewhere in the back of her mind the unpleasant events of the last weeks were still vying for attention but they were already beginning to lose importance. In Jarod's presence her wounds seemed to heal faster, especially those in her soul.

"Maybe a bit", she chuckled. "Besides I wouldn't want to miss the late news", she continued more solemnly. Jarod nodded.

"Yes, I bet they're gonna be interesting." He sighed with mock exasperation. "All right, let's stay up a little bit longer. But what will we do with the rest of this wonderful day?

She thought briefly. "Let's go for a walk", she suggested. "It'll be much more interesting out there for Angelo."

"Yeah, why not?" Jarod's eyes were gleaming and as she looked at him questioningly his smile deepened. "Now I finally get to see the places you grew up in", he explained. Miss Parker tilted her head slightly to the side.

"Dad wasn't all that thrilled about my running around in the 'wilderness'. Fortunately Mom was of another opinion. But every now and then Mom and I set out together. Then she showed me all her favorite places in the woods." A warm smile played about her lips when she thought of the time she had spent with her mother. Before Jarod could even start to worry about her she got up and drew him with her.

"Come on, there's a whole world for you to discover out there!" It would be good for her to say good-bye to the places of her childhood together with Angelo and Jarod.

****

Miss Parker's home
431 Mountain Spring Road
Blue Cove, Delaware
The next day
09:29 a.m.


Angelo was already sitting in the car, playing with the radio, as Miss Parker watched him from the front door. They had already said their good-byes and she was already missing him. Jarod stepped up to her from behind.

"Are you ready?" he asked her gently. Without turning to him she shook her head.

"No. But that doesn't matter - as long as Angelo is ready, and I'm sure he is. He'll like it there."

Even she could hear the slight doubt in her voice.

"Yes, he will. That's a promise, Marine. I've made sure that he will like it. And if he doesn't, we can still take him to our new home."

"Mhm", she murmured, not fully convinced yet but willing to believe Jarod. He stepped around her and pulled her in a brief embrace.

"I'll stay with him for two days, just to make sure he's settling in", he said. Miss Parker nodded. They had talked this through and both of them believed that this was what's best for Angelo. Only this way he would be able to start a new life.

"Hey, it's only two days", Jarod tried to cheer her up. She attempted to smile.

"I know", she replied softly. "But still I'll miss you a lot, Jarod."

"I'll miss you, too. I love you, Marine", he said tenderly. This time she managed a smile, even though it was a rather sad one.

"And I love you. Take care of yourselves, okay?"

"Okay."

He pulled her as close to him as possible, kissing her passionately. Miss Parker thought she could sense an indistinct yearning in their kiss. She kissed Jarod back, almost fiercely, then, reluctantly, she let him go. He stood with her for a moment longer, his forehead lightly touching hers. "When I'm back we'll have a nice long talk, all right?"

"All right." She kissed him again, very slightly, on the lips. Then she watched him go to the car. He waved goodbye to her, and shortly after the car was out of her sight. With a sigh she went back into her house. 'Jarod is right', she tried to cheer herself up. 'It's only two days."

She thought back to the past evening, trying to distract herself. The news had really been interesting - there had already been a few arrests.

Miss Parker walked out on the verandah, her gaze wandering over the sea. The identities of the Triumvirate's members were no longer a secret. She hadn't been too surprised to learn that both her father and Raines had been part of the Triumvirate. And a few weeks ago Lyle had taken his place by their side, after getting rid of all obstacles in his way. Miss Parker was more than relieved that none of the main forces at the Centre had managed to escape. Even Brigitte was behind bars now - a very satisfying thought. Not even the best lawyers would be able to help them now. There was simply too much evidence against them.

Miss Parker made a face as she thought of the fact that she still hadn't told Jarod about her pregnancy. Well, he would be back in next to no time, then she could tell him everything. The question how he would react to the news was still worrying her a bit but by now she was blaming it on the hormones. She smiled briefly. At least the morning sickness wasn't troubling her too much. Apparently she was going to have a very considerate daughter.

A few minutes later she went back into the house, lost in her memories of the past night. Oh yes, she was definitely going to miss Jarod...

Her gaze swept over the living room. Maybe she should begin to pack her things? Though she hadn't talked to Jarod about it yet, she was sure that he shared her desire to leave Blue Cove as quickly as possible.

When she went past her desk she saw a letter lying on it. There was already a stamp on the letter so she supposed that Jarod had forgot to mail it. She was about to pick it up when she suddenly froze. Miss Parker stared at the address. A shocking realization hit her, changed into cold fear after a few instants.

Nia. The letter was addressed at Nia. Miss Parker dropped the envelope as if it had burned her. No. Oh, no. Please not. She stumbled backwards in a haze until an armchair behind her stopped her. Desperate, she tried not to panic, tried to find a sensible explanation. She didn't manage to. Miss Parker was seized by desperation. Suddenly, in the wink of an eye, her life had changed completely.

Somehow she made it into her bedroom. The bed hadn't been made yet, still looked like it had a few hours ago when they had got up. Tears were dwelling in her eyes but she blinked them away. Anger flared up in her, anger at herself. How on earth could she have been so naive?

She sat down on the bed, letting herself fall backwards. Had everything been nothing but a lie? That couldn't be true, it must not be true. The voice of her reason told her that it wasn't the way she thought it to be, that she was overreacting, but her feelings were telling her something else. It hurt. It hurt more than anything she had ever experienced. She had felt quite the same way after her mother had died. But now disappointed trust added to the unbearable feeling of loss she had felt then - and was feeling now again.

Jarod would never do something like this or would he? Could this be his revenge for all those times she had hurt him? If that was so, it was working well. Oh god, what should she do now? It would be less painful if she weren't pregnant on top of it all... No! She loved this child, and knowing that she would have a daughter made her more than happy. Her daughter was all she had left now.

Miss Parker drew her legs close to her body, curled into a ball. Then she let the tears come.

***

The first thing she noticed when she woke up was a terrible headache. Confused, she wondered why she was in bed. The sun was standing high. It must already be noon. Then the memories returned. Once again she was seized by this terrible pain. She folded her hands over her stomach.

"It's only you and me now", she whispered. After taking a few deep breaths she sat up. There was no comfort but she still couldn't let herself go like this. She had to think carefully, so that she could find the best solution for her daughter and herself. Now she felt almost relieved that she hadn't told Jarod about the pregnancy.

Even if he hadn't deceived her on purpose - though she couldn't imagine that - it was now impossible for her to tell him about their daughter. Jarod was an extremely responsible person. If he learned about their daughter he would probably want to stay with Miss Parker. And that was something she wouldn't be able to bear. A relationship based on nothing but their sense of duty would become a torture for both of them after a short time.

Once again tears threatened to fill her eyes but she willed them away. She didn't have time for that now. Miss Parker forced herself to think of nothing but her daughter. Sooner or later the pain would subside, and until then her daughter was all the comfort she needed.

"Damnit, we'll get along just fine on our own!" she said softly. Deep inside she knew that this wasn't what she wanted at all but right now she couldn't see any other possibility. Again and again she saw Jarod's face before her, saw the love in his eyes. She closed her eyes, tried to force the uninvited images away. The pain remained, couldn't be forced away so easily. How could he have looked at her like that and at the same time lie to her? Damn, it simply didn't make any sense to her! But that was frequently the case with emotions - they couldn't always be labeled and they hardly ever made a sense.

Miss Parker went to the bathroom, let cold water run over her hands, splashing some of it into her face. Then she began to cover the traces of her pain with make-up. When she visited Sydney she didn't want him to worry about her.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror. Whom had she been trying to fool, anyway? After all that had happened between Jarod and her, he could impossibly still love her. Maybe he had loved her a long time ago - before he had met Nia. He had to love Nia a lot. Although the thought filled her with unbearable pain she knew what she was going to do. She would set Jarod free. Apparently this was what he wanted. If he could be happy with Nia she wouldn't stand in his way. But she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of accomplishing his revenge on her. When Jarod returned, she would no longer be there.

Legal disclaimer: The recognizable characters of the TV-show 'The Pretender' don't belong to me but to MTM, NBC Television and 20th Century Fox. I just borrowed them. Every other character does belong to me. This story was only written and published for my pleasure and that of other fans. I don't pursue any financial interests whatsoever. No copyright infringement is intended.

The story: Miss Parker has lost the love of her life - or has she?

My thanks go out to Cate - you've done a splendid job, and I never could have done this without your help!! BTW, all mistakes left in here are mine... ^_^



Insights
Part 6
by Miss Bit




Sydney's flat
Blue Cove, Delaware
03:18 p.m.


"So, what are you going to do now, Miss Parker?" Sydney asked gently. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, letting his gaze wander over the boxes and containers in his bedroom. Now that the Centre was no longer a threat to anyone there was no more reason for him to stay in Blue Cove.

Miss Parker, who was standing in front of the window, half turned. Her face was lit up by the sun, revealing to Sydney both the sorrow of the last weeks and the relief of the last few days. In addition to that there was this unmistakable glow in her eyes. She returned his gaze, shrugging her shoulders ever so slightly.

"I'll leave Blue Cove as well. There's nothing here to hold me back. The few things I've left from my mother I can take with me wherever I go."

"That sounds rather... definite."

"It's about time for me to consider my past finished. If I recall that correctly you have been telling me to do just that for some years now, Syd", she answered, smiling slightly.

"It's nice to see you finally listen to me, Miss Parker", he replied and got up from the bed. "Do you have any idea where you want to go yet?" he wanted to know, rummaging through one of the small containers.

"No, I haven't really thought about that yet", she admitted. "First I wanted to get this whole Centre mess behind me. You should never plan too far ahead."

Sydney nodded affirmatively, then he finally found what he'd been looking for.

"Ah, yes, here it is."

Satisfied, he looked at the key-ring in his hand.

"What's the key for?" Miss Parker asked, curious.

"That is... was my emergency plan. A place I could go to and hide from the Centre for a while. Since this won't be necessary anymore - and I decided to go abroad for some time - I thought that maybe you would like to go there."

Miss Parker stared at him, completely speechless.

"Shortly after Jacob and I began to work for the Centre we bought a house in Canada. It was Jacob who insisted we do it, and by now I'm quite sure that it was Catherine who gave him the idea. The house is very spacious and situated near Lake Dauphin. A little isolated perhaps..."

He trailed off and shrugged. Miss Parker walked over to him and hugged him.

"Thank you, Sydney", she murmured against his shoulder. Now that the Centre was destroyed none of them would have to worry about their financial situation, but Sydney's gesture moved her anyway. "This really means a lot to me."

"Oh, well, actually I only wanted to make sure that I'll know where to find you when I return from my travels", Sydney said with mock seriousness. Miss Parker made a step backwards and looked at him, mild reproach evident in her eyes, then her lips formed a warm smile.

"I expect you to visit us once you've returned", she said.

"I promise. Uhm, I know that it's really none of my business but... Will you go alone?"

"You're talking about the father of my child", she stated matter-of-factly, sighing softly. For a short moment there was a hurt expression on her face. Sydney was seized by worry, but the moment was over so fast that he almost believed he'd only imagined it.

"Yes. Look, it'll be really lonely up there. What if you need help?"

She gently touched his arm.

"Sydney, I'm glad to know that you care about my child and me, but be assured that I'll manage perfectly on my own. That's one of the more useful skills I acquired at the Centre."

Sydney realized that it was no use to try and convince her of his opinion. She could be unbelievably stubborn sometimes. He hadn't succeeded in persuading her to inform the father of her child about her pregnancy and he wouldn't be successful in this case, either. For some reason she believed that this was what's best for everyone involved, case closed.

"All right", he said, giving in to her. "But please do promise to take extra good care of yourself, okay?"

"Of course, Syd."

He left it at that, hoping that she was sensible enough to change her opinion sometime.

"And Syd?"

"Yes?"

"My name's Marine."

***

Sydney's flat
Blue Cove, Delaware
Two days later
06:08 p.m.


The last of Sydney's belongings had been safely stored away, and little was left that told of his life in this place. Sydney gazed at the sad remains of his furnishings. Like Miss Parker he didn't plan to ever return to Blue Cove. He'd been a prisoner here for too long.

In the afternoon he had taken Miss Parker to the airport where they had said their good-byes. He had spent the past two days at her house, helping her with packing and shipping the things she wanted to keep.

He was the last of them to leave this place. Broots and Debbie had left first, promising to contact them soon. They had all agreed to stay in touch with each other. In a few months, when things had calmed down, they would meet.

Sydney couldn't help but smile. He tried to imagine Broots' reaction to Miss Parker's child. Broots would definitely be very surprised - just like Sydney had been. But maybe all this had had to happen. She was so much like Catherine...

A soft tap on his door startled Sydney out of his musings. He rose to open the door.

"Jarod!"

"Hello, Sydney. Can I come in?"

"Yes, of course."

Jarod went past him, casting furtive glances around him.

"So you're leaving as well", Jarod stated the obvious.

"Yes, but only for a while. I can't stay here any longer."

"Understandable. When did you plan to tell me?"

"Jarod, I..."

"When, Sydney?"

Sydney heaved a sigh. He had dreaded this moment. He felt as if he were betraying Jarod, letting him down. The rational part of him knew that this was nonsense because Jarod could do very well on his own. And this part also told him that Jarod was wishing him all the best, that he understood Sydney's urge to leave this place. But still...

Undecided, Sydney looked at his former protégé. Jarod looked awful. He seemed to be jumpy and tired, was restlessly pacing the living room. Sydney frowned worriedly.

"Jarod, what's wrong?"

"Where is she, Syd? And don't tell me you don't know. I know she told you."

A faint sense of deja vu washed through Sydney - and suddenly he knew what this was about. Who this was about.

"You're talking about Miss Parker."

"Who else?"

Suddenly every bit of the puzzle fell into place. 'God, how on earth could I have ever been so blind?' Sydney asked himself. He slightly shook his head. If only he had guessed it a little earlier then he might have spared these two a lot of pain.

"She is in Canada. Jacob and I own a house there."

"Canada... Did she say why she went away?"

Sydney felt a wave of pity for Jarod but he decided to leave the explanations to Miss Parker - Marine, he corrected himself mentally.

"I suppose her reasons are very similar to mine. She probably just needed to bring some distance between her and this place so that she will have some peace to think about everything", Sydney answered evasively. He suddenly remembered the hurt expression he had seen on Marine's face. "Weren't there any signals for her wanting to leave?"

"God, Sydney, no. I have no idea why she went away without a word. She didn't even leave me a note or any other kind of explanation. Something must have happened..."

Sydney stepped up to him, putting an arm around his shoulders.

"Jarod, listen to me. She loves you. Very much, as far as I can tell. Follow her and talk to her - then everything will be all right again."

Something like hope was flashing up in Jarod's eyes, replacing some of his pain and confusion. "Do you really think so?"

"Yes", Sydney assured him firmly. "That's exactly what she wants, too. I'm absolutely sure about that."

Jarod leaned against a wall, clearly exhausted.

"I miss her so much", he whispered, closing his eyes for a moment. "Where will you go, Sydney? Won't I ever see you again either?"

"Jarod, look at me."

The pretender did as Sydney had asked him to. His eyes didn't reveal the wish to hurt Sydney, only the fear of losing everyone he loved.

"I'll leave the States for a while, travel across Europe maybe. But afterwards I'll return - to you and Marine. You two are like my own children; I could never leave you. I'd miss you way too much."

"Thank you, Sydney." Jarod walked over to him, hugging him briefly. "Thank you for everything." He made a few steps backwards, a sheepish smile on his face. "I'm really sorry for being so... aggressive when I came here."

"That's okay, Jarod. I can fully comprehend your feelings. Come, let's go to my car. There should be a map of Lake Dauphin in there. If not I think I'll have to try and remember the way to the house and describe it for you."

Jarod half-heartedly returned his grin, but followed him out. Sydney really hoped that Jarod and Marine would be able to settle things between them. It was painful for him to see them suffer like that. But if Jarod acted as sensibly as he used to everything would be in order when Sydney returned from Europe. And if not, Sydney would take matters in his own hands.

***

Home of the Stiller family
Hazen, North Dakota
03:56 p.m.


It was a cold day in the little suburb of Hazen. The wind was freshening up as Miss Parker got out of her car. This was the only stop she was going to make on her journey, and she was only doing it because it meant a lot to her personally. And it would probably mean even more to the parents of Ruth Stiller.

Before coming to the Stillers' house she had gone to a small graveyard only a few blocks away to visit Ruth's grave. She had simply stood there for a long time, thinking about the life Ruth had never been able to lead. Since Miss Parker had shared part of Ruth's memory she could at least imagine what her wishes and hopes might have been. Hopes that had never been fulfilled.

Carefully she opened the garden gate, slowly walking up to the well cared-for house. A typical terraced house, with a terrible story behind its facade. Miss Parker had made some inquiries about the family. Apart from Ruth the Stillers also had a son who was now living somewhere in California.

She had thought about coming here for a long time. Her coming here would bring up matters that had long since been regarded finished and would probably break open long-healed wounds. But she thought that Ruth's parents had every right to learn the truth. Miss Parker was sure that Ruth would have wanted it that way.

After a moment's hesitation she rang the doorbell. Shortly afterwards she could hear the sound of steps inside and then the door was opened. An elderly woman stood before her. The expression on her face was friendly but couldn't completely hide the traces of past suffering. This had to be Ruth's mother.

"Mrs. Stiller?" Miss Parker inquired gently. The woman tilted her head slightly to the side.

"Yes. How can I help you?"

Miss Parker smiled. For a split second, part of her remembered scenes of a childhood that wasn't her own. This woman had been a loving mother.

"My name's Marine Parker. You don't know me, but if you don't mind too much I'd like to talk to you about your daughter Ruth."

A mixture of surprise and a hint of pain crossed Mrs. Stiller's face. She thought for a moment, then she nodded and made a step to the side. "Please come in."

Miss Parker followed her inside. Mrs. Stiller led her into the living room and invited her to have a seat. Her eyes were attentively watching Miss Parker, and at the same time revealed her fear of what Miss Parker might have to say.

"You're too young - you couldn't have known her personally", Mrs. Stiller stated.

"That's true", Miss Parker admitted immediately. "Still I have some information about her." She leaned forward, filled by a compassion that surprised her. "Mrs. Stiller, I lost my mother when I was very young. I can comprehend your pain or at least part of it. As far as I know your daughter has been a wonderful young woman who lost her future by making a terrible mistake. I'm very sorry for making you live through it again but there is something about your daughter I thought you should know."

Ruth's mother looked at her for a long time, without saying a word. She seemed to consider what to think of Miss Parker. Miss Parker realized with some surprise that it was important to her what Mrs. Stiller thought of her.

"Ruth has been dead for a long time now. What could be so important for you to make this long journey just to tell me about it?"

"Until recently I have been working for an organization that - among other things - was occupied with documenting the past. While doing my job I found something out about your daughter. Mrs. Stiller, your daughter was no murderer. She might have made a mistake - but she has never killed anyone."

Mrs. Stiller leaned back in her armchair. "I knew it", she whispered. "I've always known it." There were justified hope and pride in her dead daughter audible in her voice. "You only came to tell me that?" she then asked.

Miss Parker nodded. "Yes. As I've already told you - I thought you should know. I'm sorry if I wasted your time..."

The older woman smiled with warmth. "No, Miss Parker, not at all. Quite the contrary. I don't know many people who would have gone to so much trouble just to try and make up for something that happened such a long time ago. Thank you very much."

"You really don't need to thank me, Mrs. Stiller. Ruth's fate really touched me. I didn't want those who loved her to have a wrong image of her."

"I have never doubted the innocence of my daughter - still, it's good to have certainty."

Miss Parker rose. "It's been a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure's mine, Miss Parker." Mrs. Stiller took her hand and squeezed it firmly. "Thank you", she repeated, her voice filled with warmth. Her visitor smiled slightly.

"You're welcome", she replied simply. Now she was glad that she had come. Ruth's mother brought her to the door.

"Good-bye, Miss Parker", Mrs. Stiller said with a gentle smile. Miss Parker returned the smile, gently squeezing Mrs. Stiller's hand.

"Good-bye, Mrs. Stiller."

After a last long look Miss Parker turned and went back to her car. Now there was nothing left standing between her and her new life in Canada. For a split second, she regretted this fact, but then her determination returned. A new life was lying in front of her even if it wasn't quite what she had wanted for herself.

****

Sydney's house
Lake Dauphin, Canada
07:37 p.m.


Dusk was falling as Miss Parker drove the last miles to her new home. Sydney had been right; the house was really isolated. The last house she had driven past lay by now three miles behind her.

Eventually her house appeared behind a bend in the road. She cast a glance through the trees but it was already too dark to have a decent look at the house. Miss Parker drove up to the house, pulled to the side and turned off the engine. She left the headlights on for a moment longer so that she could at least get a short impression of her new home.

Like most of the other houses in the area it was made of wood. With its two floors it looked really spacious from the outside. So she would at least have enough space. 'But no one to share it with', she thought with a sudden surge of bitterness. Angrily she pushed the thought away. After all she had come here to have some time on her own.

She switched the headlights off and reached for the bag that was standing on the passenger seat. The rest of her things could remain in the car until the morning. Miss Parker got out of the car and walked the few yards to the house. After a few moments of rummaging through her bag she found the key that Sydney had given her. She unlocked the door, and after another few seconds she had found the light switch. Skeptical, she pressed it.

Much to her surprise, the light did go on. "Oh, good", Miss Parker murmured contentedly. Curious, she looked around. The house was in a remarkably good state; the furniture had been covered with cloths and there was hardly any dust to be seen. Miss Parker recalled Sydney telling her that there had been someone looking after the house, just in case he needed to move in quickly.

She left her bag standing in the living room to have a look at the rest of the house. First, she went into the kitchen which was equally as clean as the living room. When she opened some of the cupboards she even found food supplies. It really seemed as if she could do very well here.

Her gaze swept through the room, came to rest on the sink. Now, if the water was running as well she would be satisfied. She opened the faucet and made a face as there was only a gurgling sound coming from the depth of the sink, but shortly afterwards the water started to run into the sink, looking clear enough to her. Relieved, she turned the water off.

Next, she went to the upper floor to continue her inspection round. She found two bedrooms, a spacious bathroom and a kind of atelier that gave her an enthusiastic feeling about the house. Miss Parker returned into the living room thinking that she liked this house better with every minute that passed. She locked the door, took her bag with her and went back upstairs. There she took a minute to decide which bedroom she should choose and opted for the bigger one. Not only did the large bed in it look very comfortable, it was also closer to the bathroom.

Miss Parker smiled about herself. Actually, she wasn't feeling all that bad - as long as she managed not to think of the end of the Centre or Jarod. Her smile faded. It would probably take her while to accomplish that.

Absently, she unpacked her things and went into the bathroom. A nice hot bath was all she wanted right now.

****

Sydney's house
Lake Dauphin, Canada
The next day
10:12 a.m.


A gentle breeze was rocking the treetops high above the ground. Miss Parker got out of her car and looked up to the sky. The sun had driven the last clouds away and was now shining with full strength. It was really astonishing how calm and peaceful everything seemed, Miss Parker mused. An elementary satisfaction tentatively began to fill her.

She took her purchases out of the trunk and carried them into the house. The last night had been short for her although she had gone to sleep early. About four o'clock she had woken up from a nightmare, bathed in sweat, and had been unable to go back to sleep. So she had got up at five - also because her morning sickness had driven her out of bed.

In spite of the long journey and lack of sleep she was full of energy which she had used to do what little cleaning the house had required. By the time the sun had risen she had been finished with the house. She had then fetched the rest of her things from the car. The few larger things she had decided to take with her wouldn't arrive before the end of the week.

After she had put away her things she had tried to find some coffee but had soon given up and had made do with tea. Next, she had driven into the small town that was about fifteen minutes away from her house.

She smiled as she remembered her little shopping tour. In this neighborhood people knew each other so that a new face naturally got a lot of attention. Miss Parker had already made a few acquaintances in the town, and she was quite sure that she would get a visit or two during the next days. Just a few months ago she would have surely thought her neighbors to be obtrusive but now she only grinned about the silent scrutiny she had encountered. In a few more weeks, once her pregnancy had become visible, people would probably get even more... ready to help.

Miss Parker put her purchases away, thinking about what she could do next. The living room and the kitchen were all clean, so maybe she should take care of the upper level. Some careful questions in the town had made it clear that she would have no problem finding someone who would take care of those jobs around the house that she couldn't do on her own. And Mr. Morris, who owned the grocery store, had assured her that she could always turn to him if there was anything wrong with the house.

She went into the living room, thoughtfully staring at her bed. Hopefully, her sleep problems wouldn't last too long. There were of course ways to do something about that but most of them held disadvantages for her child. Besides she had never thought much of sleeping drugs. Maybe she should try and stay awake until she was too tired for having nightmares...

Lost in thought, she went to one of the large windows which caught the first rays of the morning sun. The fact that this bedroom had bay windows had been another reason for her to choose it above the other one. She sat down, gazing outside on a landscape that was yet strange to her. To her right there was mostly woods; a lot of the trees looked as though they were at least an eternity old. On the left side she could see the shimmering blue waters of the lake which she had only seen while driving past.

Miss Parker got up again and went back downstairs. The weather was far too good to waste her time sitting in the house all day. She went through the small dining-room next to the kitchen to get out on the terrace. It was a large terrace that lead to a verandah on both the left and the right side so that the house was framed on three sides. The view from the terrace was marvelous; you could see a large part of the lake. For a long while Miss Parker simply leaned against the railing, gazing at the calm blue water. 'Almost like home', she mused, but then shook her head about herself. This was her home now. Hers and that of her daughter. She lovingly stroked her belly. Just a few more months and she would be a mother... The thought was still new to her; but at the same time it filled her with a familiar warmth. Whenever she had thought about her future, children had played no role in it but now it was already impossible for her to imagine a future without her daughter. 'A scant few days ago a life without Jarod in it was just as unimaginable', she thought bitterly. Pain accompanied the thought. She shut her eyes for a moment, trying to think of something else. But then she decided that she could no longer run away from the thought. She had to deal with it.

Miss Parker cast a last look at the lake before she went back inside. A walk would help her to clear her mind and focus her thoughts, so that she could think about it peacefully.

***

It was already late in the afternoon when Miss Parker returned from her walk. Though she hadn't lost her way she had underestimated the distance she had walked while heading away from the house. The sun was slowly setting as Miss Parker unlocked the door and entered her house.

After taking off her jacket Miss Parker went into the kitchen to eat something. She didn't really want to but regular meals were important for the well-being of her child. Her thoughts were still revolving around her mother for she was the person she had mainly thought about during her walk. Her mother had planned to leave the father of her child to live alone with her daughter as well. During the last weeks Miss Parker had often wondered how much different her life would have been if her mother had really taken her to Europe. She knew that these reflections led her nowhere but she simply couldn't help it.

Absentmindedly, she put her plate in the sink; she would clean it later. She went upstairs into her bedroom and pulled a small box from under her bed. It contained everything she had left from her mother. Miss Parker pulled an album and an old, worn teddy bear out of the box, then pushed it back under the bed. Then she went back downstairs and made herself comfortable in the living room. Though it wasn't really cold she made a fire in the fireplace, just for the comforting sight and sound of it. There was enough chopped wood and lighter as well so that it didn't take her long to get the fire started.

Afterwards she settled down on the couch. She took the album from the couch table, opening it almost reverently. It was her baby book; her mother had continued it even when Miss Parker had grown out of the baby age. Miss Parker was quite sure that her father didn't even know this book existed - and even if he knew it would probably mean nothing to him.

Catherine Parker had recorded every single important moment in Miss Parker's life - and in Catherine's opinion there had been a lot of them. Her birth, birthdays, her first word, her first steps and so many more - everything had been put down lovingly. This book was the most precious memento she had of her mother. Jarod had sent it to her, right after she had learned of her father's engagement. Jarod...

She couldn't hinder herself from thinking about him. He was too much a part of her life, of her, for that. God, she missed him so much. Damn, she didn't even have the memories of happier times with him to comfort her! There was always the nagging doubt, the question if he had been lying to her all the time, if he had been thinking about another woman when he had been with her. Miss Parker reached for the teddy bear, hugging it tightly to herself. When she had been a child it had often comforted her.

Had it really been right to simply go away, without talking to Jarod first? Maybe there was a simple explanation for everything... Now she would never know.

Tears were streaming down her face. She had lost so much, and Jarod had been the only one who had really understood her, who had always been there for her. How could he have done this to her? All she had left of him now was her child. As if on their own volition her hands softly glided down to her stomach.

"I'm sorry for being so sad, little one", she whispered. "But it's hurting so much - I miss your father so much. God, I love him so much..." Her voice broke. The tears didn't bring her any comfort - not yet. But hopefully they would soon.

***

Lake Dauphin, Canada
07:51 p.m.


It was almost completely dark as Jarod was driving through the woods. Only a small part of his attention was focused on the road before him. His thoughts were incessantly revolving around his imminent encounter with Marine. Fear and insecurity were holding him in a tight grip. He still didn't understand why she had gone away. Jarod knew that Sydney hadn't told him everything he knew. But no matter how much Jarod had asked him, his old mentor had remained silent.

The house came in sight. Jarod could see light filtering through the trees. Now was his last chance to return - but that wasn't what he wanted at all. All he wanted was to see her again and find out what was standing between them. The pain he was feeling was different from anything else he had ever felt. Being separated from Marine hurt him almost physically.

During the last nights he had barely slept. He had incessantly wondered what he might have done wrong. But he had shrunk back from using his last, most powerful means: his pretender talents.

Jarod reached the house. Almost numbly he turned off the engine but stayed seated in the now dark car. Now that he was here - so very close to her - his insecurity intensified but so did his wish to see her. He got out of the car and walked to the door. Nervously he searched for the key Sydney had given him. Nothing was hindering him now to simply walk in to her.

His gaze wandered to the window next to the door. He could see her. She was sitting on a couch, her head lowered, a teddy bear in her arm. Marine. His heart skipped a beat or two.

"Marine", he whispered.

His insecurity was replaced by determination as Jarod pulled out the key to unlock the door.

***

Sydney's house
Lake Dauphin, Canada
08:03 p.m.


The fire in the fireplace was crackling softly. Miss Parker was still sitting on the couch. Her tears had ceased; the pain had not. Maybe she should go to bed but somehow the thought of the large, empty bed held no attraction for her.

A sound from the front door startled her. Someone was out there. And judging from what she could hear, this someone had a key to the house. Had Sydney followed her?

For a moment she wondered if she should get her gun from upstairs but then thought better of it. Nobody knew she was here, and she didn't need a gun to deal with a simple burglar. She listened intently. Whoever her visitor might be hesitated a moment before he slowly opened the door. Miss Parker held her breath and tensed her muscles.

The door was gradually opened. At first there was only a tiny crack, then, finally, Miss Parker was able to catch a glimpse of her unexpected visitor. It only took her a split second to identify him. Jarod. Her thoughts ran wild and her anyhow shaken emotional world was threatening to collapse.

Jarod stood in the doorway, merely staring at her. The look in his eyes told her everything she needed to know. Most of all she recognized helplessness and in addition to that... fear?

She felt paralyzed. Relief threatened to wash every other emotion in her away. Jarod had followed her. He was here to see her.

"Marine?"

His voice was soft, betraying his insecurity. An eternity seemed to pass before Miss Parker found the strength to answer him. Adamantly, she reminded herself of the envelope she had found and what it had to mean. No matter how hard she tried - she couldn't convince herself that he was here because he loved her, because he had missed her as much as she had missed him.

"Hello, Jarod", she got out softly. 'He doesn't know I found out', she suddenly thought. She shut her eyes for a short moment. Why was everything feeling so wrong suddenly? When she reopened her eyes she noticed that Jarod hadn't moved. His gaze was still resting on her, searching, almost pleading. Her compassion was roused, but she ignored it. Now she had the opportunity to detach herself from him. The fact that she didn't really want to do it only played a minor role.

"Why are you here?" she asked calmly though there was an emotional storm raging in her. Stunned, he kept staring at her.

"Why?" he asked in an incredulous tone. It was obvious that he thought her question to be absurd. He looked tired, tired and exhausted, Miss Parker noticed, worried. And there was pain evident in his dark eyes. Could it be that he...

"Sydney told me where you were", he explained, watching her expectantly. Her heart sank; her tentative joy of seeing him again was crushed. Now she knew why he was here. Sydney had betrayed her. He had told Jarod about the child and that was the only reason why Jarod had followed her all the way to Canada. All her hopes dissolved. She felt tears burning in her eyes and forced them back, using every ounce of her willpower.

"I see", she said flatly. It was time to settle things between them. "You mustn't feel obliged to me", she continued, astonishingly calm. "You're free, Jarod; you can spend your life wherever you want to - with whomever you want to."

Jarod stared at her, uncomprehending. Several emotions were playing across his face, reflecting his inner conflict.

"Damnit, Marine, what the hell is wrong?" he suddenly burst out. It was only now that he moved away from the door, making two steps in her direction. Everything about him told her how helpless he was feeling. The look in his eyes, his posture, the way he clenched his fists only to relax them a few seconds later. Incredulous, she realized that he, too, was on the verge of tears. Still she refused to believe what her heart had already recognized as the truth.

"I love you, Jarod", she whispered. "But I'd never ask of you to stay with us. You should be with the woman you love."

He took a few wavering breaths. "But I am right now, Marine! Please, tell me what's wrong. If it's something I've done..." His voice was but a hoarse whisper, but his words were ringing in her head, as loud as thunder.

"But... But what about Nia?" she heard herself ask. She seemed to be far away and much too close at the same time. Something hindered her from seeing everything clearly.

The confusion evident in Jarod's eyes intensified. He seemed to have a hard time controlling himself. Jarod shut his eyes ever so briefly, slightly shaking his head. "Are you trying to say that this has something to do with Nia?" he wanted to know, only superficially calm.

For the first time since he had arrived Miss Parker felt anger rise in her. How dare he ask that? Why else should she have gone away if not to release him from his obligations to her? Unable to speak, she merely nodded.

"Marine..."

He turned and walked to the door. Panic seized her.

"Jarod!" She couldn't let him go just like that. Now she realized that it was impossible - she needed him.

Jarod closed the door without turning to her. He leaned against the cool wood for a moment. When he turned to face her, dawning realization was evident in his eyes, combined with relief. He walked over to her, squatted down in front of her and took her hands in his own.

"Marine", he began, his voice soft and very gentle, "I love you with all my heart and all my soul. Since the first time I met you, you've got a very special place in my heart. A future without you I can't imagine. I don't know what I can do to dispel your doubts about my love for you - but I want to do it, more than anything else. Nia is no competition for you; she's never been. I met her in a time when my life seemed empty and joyless to me. She's been a good friend and a great comfort to me - and nothing more. Nia was there for me when I needed comfort and support, but she never took your place. Nobody could ever do that. My love belongs to you, and only you. I love you, Marine. And if I hurt you, then please forgive me because I didn't mean to. I couldn't ever knowingly hurt you."

His words erased every doubt, every suspicion from her heart, let her see that she had made a mistake. The relief she felt was almost painful in its intensity. Still there was one thing left she had to be sure of.

"What about the letter?" she asked almost fearfully. Confused, he looked at her, an almost desperate expression on his face, but then his face lit up.

"The letter? You found the letter? And you thought that I..." His relief was almost palpable. "Oh god, love, I wanted to tell you but I simply forgot about it! If only I had guessed..." Jarod laughed, this way venting his pent-up emotions. Tenderly his fingers stroked hers. "Nia got married, more than a month ago. Shortly after you and I finally got together I called her, simply because I wanted to know how she was doing. I planned to tell you but I wasn't too sure how you would react so I thought I'd wait a little bit longer. The letter you found... there's nothing in it but my best wishes for Nia's future."

Miss Parker felt more relieved than ever before in her life. Wordlessly, she freed her hands from his, tenderly putting them to both sides of his face. She drew him to her, holding him tight, reveling in his presence.

"I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry", she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. Jarod gently shook his head.

"Don't be", he replied softly. "But please, promise me that you'll talk to me whenever you feel there's something wrong. You know you can trust me. Whatever you are feeling, I want to know about it, share it with you, help you however I can."

"I promise." She kissed him lightly on the head. "I love you so much, Jarod. Without you, I'm not whole. I need you. Right now I wish I'd never have to let go of you again."

"You don't have to", he answered. For a long while they just stood holding each other. None of them was ready to give up their newly won closeness so soon. Then, all of a sudden, Miss Parker remembered something. Reluctantly, she stepped away from Jarod who looked at her questioningly.

"Sydney didn't tell you anything? About us, I mean?"

He looked at her, confusion evident in his eyes. "About us? No." Slight worry flashed up in his eyes. This time it was her who laughed with relief.

"Jarod, this 'us' doesn't mean you and me. Oh, I've been such a fool! I was afraid to tell you." She continued very gently. "I'm talking about another 'us'."

Excited, she watched him. At first she saw understanding dawning in his eyes, followed by vague hope. He stared at her unbelievingly. She nodded.

"I'm pregnant, Jarod. We're going to be parents soon. I'm expecting your child - our child."

Wild joy erased every trace of pain from his face.

"Marine!"

He pulled her up with him, hugging her elatedly, then letting go of her to gently cup her face in his hands and look deeply into her eyes.

"Our child", he whispered, overjoyed. Then his face clouded for a brief moment. "Why on earth were you afraid to tell me? God, there is nothing I could want more than starting a family with you!"

Miss Parker smiled sheepishly. "Like I've said - I was a fool. Blame it on the hormones", she said, shrugging slightly. "You're going to see more of them during my pregnancy, I'd say", she warned mockingly.

"I'm looking forward to it", he assured her. She laughed softly.

"Yeah, that's what you're saying now! Do you want to know the baby's sex?"

Baffled, he looked at her, merely able to nod.

"We will have a daughter", she informed him. His reaction exceeded all her expectations.

"A daughter", he repeated dreamily. "We're gonna have a little girl!" His gaze came to a rest on her stomach. Very gently he put one of his hands on it. "A little daughter..."

"It's way too early to feel any movements", she teased him gently. When he looked up at her the beaming smile in his eyes took her breath away. A single tear ran down his cheek. Carefully, she wiped it away.

"I love you, Marine. I love you both."

He drew her to him, kissing her gently. But soon the kiss changed, became longing and passionate. They reassured each other of their love, without using a single word, leaving the pain of the past behind them.

***

Sydney's house
Lake Dauphin, Canada
The next day
09:09 a.m.


Jarod opened his eyes, not completely sure what to expect. The events of the last day and night replayed in his mind. He smiled, fully opening his eyes. Marine.

She was lying in his arms, fast asleep. Carefully, he drew her even closer to him. Finally. Having her so close to him had been something he'd sorely missed. He watched her lovingly, feeling his heartbeat quicken. No matter what the future would bring he wouldn't allow that they were separated like that ever again.

Marine, the mother of his child, his daughter. Excitement accompanied this thought. He would be a father soon, and together with the woman he loved more than life itself he would raise their child. Not only would their daughter have a loving home, she would also have everything else Marine and he had missed in their own childhood. A daughter... Jarod hoped that she was going to resemble her mother, that she would be just as loveable and uncompromising as Marine.

He tenderly kissed her forehead. She stirred slightly, her lips forming a gentle smile, but she didn't wake up. During the last days Jarod had given much thought to their relationship, but it had been only yesterday that he had realized that there was much more to it than just being in love. A partnership also meant work. They shared a deep understanding that would enable them to win back the trust they had lost during the past years. He smiled. There would also be bad times, of course - but he was looking forward to them as well as long as he had Marine by his side.

"You're brooding again", he suddenly heard a soft murmur. Marine's eyes were still closed but she was smiling knowingly.

"No", he contradicted, "I've only made some plans for our future." His voice became soft. "Did you sleep you well?" Her smile broadened.

"Better than ever", she replied gently. "And you?"

"I didn't sleep at all", he admitted somewhat sheepishly. She sat up, looking at him with some surprise. He grinned reassuringly. "Oh, well, maybe a bit", he continued, his expression sobering. "I simply couldn't stop watching you", he said, shrugging. The expression on Marine's face changed, now radiating a deep warmth.

"Jarod..." The way she whispered his name as an endearment touched something deep inside of him. She moved closer to him, tenderly kissing him on the lips. He was about to return the kiss, slowly pulling her closer, when she suddenly broke free from his arms.

"I'm sorry", was all she said before she fled from the bed. For a moment he merely stared after her, utterly confused. Then he got up to follow her, stopping in front of the bathroom door.

"Marine?"

Jarod stared at the closed door, frowning worriedly for the sounds he heard were indicating that she was being sick. He didn't get any answer, but a few minutes later she came back out, a faint smile on her lips.

"Dr. Simmerson said the morning sickness would probably ease off after the first three months", she explained. "I, for my part, can hardly await it."

"Are you all right?" Jarod wanted to know, still worried about her. Marine chuckled softly.

"Sure! Billions of other women before me have gone through it as well - and survived. Don't you worry, I'll do just fine. How about some breakfast now?"

The sudden change of subject stunning him, Jarod was merely able to stare at her. She had to bite back her laughter as he finally nodded, still a bit dumbfounded. True, he had heard a few remarks about the antics of pregnant women, but being confronted with them personally was quite a remarkable experience. Especially since the pregnant woman he'd have to deal with was Marine Parker.

"Okay", he got out, trying to overcome his insecurity about the situation. Marine looked at him for a long time, then she leaned in to him, lightly kissing him on the cheek. Then she was on her way to the kitchen.

"Simply regard it as a challenge", she advised, amusement clearly audible in her voice. He gazed after her for some seconds, then a slow grin began to spread on his face as he followed her downstairs. Apparently he was about to have a very interesting time.

****

Sydney's house
Lake Dauphin, Canada
04:29 p.m.


Miss Parker sipped at her tea, wistfully staring at the tea pot that was still half full. Dr. Simmerson had recommended this special blend to her, saying that it would help against her morning sickness. There had been little success yet, though.

She left the kitchen, crossing the dining-room to get out on the terrace. Jarod was sitting there, gazing at the lake. When he heard her, he half-turned and smiled warmly.

"Hey", he greeted her softly.

"Would you rather be left alone?" she asked instead of a greeting, slowly walking around him to sit down next to him. He shook his head in immediate refusal. Miss Parker smiled knowingly.

"Of course not", he replied. She got down next to him on the small wooden bench, and he put his arm around her shoulders. "It's beautiful out here."

"Mhm", she agreed, lending her voice an absent tone. Jarod looked at her questioningly. "Now you finally have the chance to find your family", she continued. "The Centre will no longer get in your way, nor does it pose a threat anymore."

Jarod nodded. "I've already started to search for them but after all that happened it will be quite difficult to get in touch with them." There were both regret and determination audible in his voice.

"I don't think it will be as difficult as you seem to believe", Miss Parker said enigmatically. When she saw Jarod's bewildered expression she couldn't help but feel pity for him and decided to let him in on her secret. This matter was way too important to tease him with it. "This was in the mail this morning." She pulled out an envelope that was addressed to both of them and handed it over to Jarod. He took it from her, eyeing it curiously.

"A letter from Sydney?"

"No. It's from Charles."

Surprised at her mentioning his father he looked at her. "He knows we're here?"

"Obviously, yes. You're not the only in your family who's got a knack for keeping informed. Go on, read it", she asked him impatiently. "It's good news."

She watched his face while he was reading, thinking back to her own reaction. Charles really was well-informed. As soon as he had got wind of their imminent campaign against the Centre he had contacted his family. Jarod's parents and his sister were already reunited, impatiently waiting to see Jarod again. Now that the Centre was no longer a threat to anyone there was nothing that stood against a meeting.

Miss Parker shared the joy she saw in Jarod's dark eyes when he had reached the end of the letter. Stunned, he shook his head.

"I... can hardly believe it", he managed to get out.

"Believe it. It'll be only a few more days until you'll see your family again." She lovingly tousled his short hair. "Then you'll fully understand who you are and where you come from."

He nodded absently, looking back down on the letter he was holding in his hand. "How come he knows about all this?" he then asked, looking at her. "I mean, he even knows about you and me."

Miss Parker shrugged. "He knows a lot about people. And as far as we're concerned - I think he knew about us long before either one of us did."

Jarod thought about her words. Eventually a slow smile spread on his lips. "But I bet he doesn't know yet that he's going to be a grandfather."

She returned his smile. "No, he definitely doesn't know. I can hardly wait to see his face when we tell him!"

"Yeah, me too", Jarod agreed. He looked as though he had suddenly remembered something. "Please wait a moment, okay? Just stay right here. I'll be back in a second!" Without waiting for her answer he jumped up and went into the house. Miss Parker gazed after him, mildly surprised. What was he up to now? Well, she would surely see in a minute or two.

She leant back, gazing at the calm waters of Lake Dauphin, letting her thoughts drift. During the last weeks not only had her life changed fundamentally - she herself had become a new person. There was a lot she had lost but that paled in comparison to all the things she had gained and achieved. Jarod was with her now, loving her with a fierceness that almost frightened her a bit. But with every day that went by it was easier for her to let him get closer to her, to open up her self to him. And their love for each other seemed to grow on and on, deepening in the process - which was something she was more than grateful for. And then there was their daughter...

Miss Parker thought of her own mother, wondering if she could be as good a mother to her daughter as Catherine had been. Even now she was feeling an overwhelming love for her unborn child and she was determined to be the best mother she possibly could be. And even though her new role was frightening her a great deal at times, she was sure that she would manage with Jarod by her side. He would be a splendid father. She smiled when she tried to imagine it. Yes, he would be an awesome father.

There was really a lot she should be grateful for. The Centre was almost completely destroyed; the few remaining parts weren't posing any threat anymore. For the first time ever since her mother had died Miss Parker was really free. No one was trying to make any decisions about her life. The future she was looking forward to was the one she had chosen for herself. And this future might even contain a new family she could feel happy with - if Jarod's family was ready to accept her...

"Who's brooding now?" Jarod suddenly breathed into her ear. She blinked, returning to the present. Jarod was standing next to the bench, an unreadable expression in his eyes. One of his hands was hidden behind his back, the other reaching out to her. When she took it, he pulled her up, leading her to the railing of the terrace.

"Jarod, what's up?" she wanted to know, but he only smiled, gazing deeply into her eyes. For a long while she just returned his gaze, getting lost in his wonderful dark eyes, exploring the depths of his warm gaze.

"I love you, Marine", he said eventually, in a tone that filled her with an intense warmth. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you - every single day, every hour of it. You're the most important person in my life and I've thought a lot about how I could prove it to you."

"You don't have to prove anything to me", she began, but he interrupted her gently.

"I know, but I want to. There's something I want you to have... something I want to ask you..."

All of a sudden, he became a helpless little boy again. She looked at him with big eyes, not completely sure what he was up to. He smiled a bit awkwardly and finally pulled his hand from behind his back. Miss Parker looked down on his hand, and an idea began to form in the back of her mind. A small box was resting in his hand. Jarod fumbled with it for a few moments, then he had it open. "You surely remember how I sent you your mother's engagement ring. This is", he said, indicating the now open box, "my mother's engagement ring."

Completely speechless, she stared at the ring in his hand. It was a simple ring with a small diamond but in her eyes it was the most beautiful ring she'd ever seen. "Where... where did you get it from?" she asked, astonished. She looked at him, tears shimmering in her eyes, but she didn't even notice. Miss Parker was way too happy.

"It was in the envelope you brought with you from England. My mother gave it to my father when he had to leave her all those years ago - as a memento. I believe you were right. My father really knew all about us before we did."

Jarod looked at her with so much love in his eyes that she believed her heart would stop beating any second now. "Our daughter will have a loving family - no matter what your answer will be. But it would make me unspeakably happy if you said yes. Marine, will you marry me?"

As he looked at her, waiting for her answer, he didn't even dare to breathe. Miss Parker was filled with so intense a joy she had to close her eyes for a moment. Never before in her whole life had she ever felt as happy as in this moment. She opened her eyes again, returning Jarod's gaze, gently cupping his face in her hands.

"I love you, Jarod. More than I could ever say. Except for my mother no one has ever been as close to me as you are - and no one could ever understand me the way you do. Not only are you a part of my life, you are a part of me. Without you I wouldn't be whole. Yes, Jarod, I will - there's nothing I want more."

"Marine..."

He folded her in his arms and kissed her passionately, almost fiercely, making any words unnecessary.

***

Epilogue
Sydney's house
Lake Dauphin, Canada
Ten months later


Jarod stood before the crib he had built six months ago. His gaze was full of awe as he looked at the little girl who was sleeping soundly in the wooden cradle. Catherine, his little daughter, who resembled her mother so very much.

"Do you plan to stand here all night?" Marine suddenly whispered into his ear, her voice clearly amused. She stepped up to him from behind, putting her arms around his waist. He laid his hands on hers as he answered her question.

"I simply had to look at her again", he explained softly so he wouldn't rouse their daughter. Marine made two steps to stand next to him, gazing at Catherine as well.

"I know what you mean. It's like a miracle. Only now I can understand how my mother must have felt."

Jarod pulled her closer to him, kissing her on the forehead. Ever since their daughter had been born there had hardly been this sad undertone in her voice whenever she was speaking of her mother. But Jarod knew how much it hurt Marine that Catherine Parker had never known her granddaughter.

"She's got your eyes, did you notice?" he said in order to distract her. She looked at him, an amused expression on her face.

"Jarod, all babies have blue eyes."

"But not this special blue", he contradicted. "Besides, she's past the age when the color of the eyes still changes."

Marine gazed pensively at the crib, a faint smile playing about her lips. When she looked back at him, her eyes were sparkling.

"You know, I wouldn't mind having a son sometime soon...", her smile deepened, "who might have your eyes."

Her words filled him with a warmth that was inseparably connected to her presence.

"That sounds marvelous", he murmured, gazing deeply into her eyes. She folded her hands around his neck, pulling him closer to her, kissing him tenderly. After a while she stepped back before he got the chance to return the favor.

"I've talked to Ben", Marine said so suddenly that Jarod raised his eyebrows inquisitively. "Did you know that he had a twin brother? He died when Ben was only three years old. So, if he really is my father..."

Jarod knew what she was about to say. In that case their chances of having twins as well were quite good. He smiled.

"Maybe I should think about building a second crib..."

"Sounds like a good idea to me. And now... how about going back to bed?"

He leaned in to her, his lips brushing against her ear.

"That sounds like another good idea", he whispered.

They remained standing before the crib for a few more moments, gazing at their sleeping daughter. Then they left the room. Automatically, Jarod took the way to their bedroom but Marine took his hand in hers and pulled him with her.

"I thought we were going back to bed?"

"I've changed my mind. It's such a beautiful night."

Jarod chuckled softly while following her. She led him outside on the verandah. He sat down on one of the comfortable garden chairs and pulled her on his lap.

"You're thinking about tomorrow, right?" he asked gently.

She nodded almost imperceptibly, her blank gaze fixed upon her wedding ring. "I'm really looking forward to seeing them all again. Sydney, Broots, Debbie, Ben, your parents and your sister Emily... They have become my - our - family. But don't you let Broots know the way I feel about him!" she threatened laughingly.

"Never", Jarod reassured her, laughing as well. "But I'm afraid he already knows."

"Yeah", she said, heaving a mock sigh. Then she looked at Jarod, and the sparkling had returned to her eyes. "I'm more than glad that Catherine's got so many people who love her and care for her. She will never even know a place named the Centre existed."

"Thanks to you." Jarod smiled and kissed her.

"Oh, I'd rather say that Broots, Sergej and Tommy are the ones we should thank. They have done most of the work. However, I'm sure we're all going to enjoy our get-together."

"If we manage to get up at a decent time", Jarod said, trying in vain to stifle a yawn.

"Catherine will wake us up early enough, my heart. But you're right - we should really try to get some sleep now."

Instead of answering right away, Jarod folded her in his arms.

"I love you, Marine", he said tenderly.

"And I love you", she answered, her voice sounding a bit sleepy. She blinked a few times, then directed a gaze at him that reflected her deepest emotions. "I'm unspeakably glad that you are here, love. You and Catherine, you are what's most important to me in life. I love you so much. For the first time since my mother died I've got a real family again."

"Marine", Jarod whispered, his voice trembling with emotion. "I'll always be there for you - both of you; I hope you know that. I couldn't live without you. You are everything to me. I love you", he repeated, simply because he felt she needed to hear it.

She kissed him, long and passionately. Then they got up and returned into the house. No matter what the future might hold in store for them - no one would be able to take away from them what they had finally found. Together they were walking through a life in freedom, connected by a love that had grown with them ever since they had been children - and that was growing deeper every day, until nothing would be able to stop it.


The end.