Disclaimer: As always, I don’t own them and so on and so on… no money-making intended… don’t sue.

Author’s Note: This is the sequel to 'Smokescreen’. I suggest you read that one first.

~~~~~~~

Starting Anew

Leaving


„Are you sure you have to leave already?” Carol asked for the hundredth time.

Jarod looked at her and drew her into an embrace. “My dear Carol, we’ve been through this before. I don’t want the Centre to get on my tail and suddenly turn up on your doorstep. I promise we’ll visit every now and then. Jay is very fond of you but I feel he wants to be close to me now. You did a great job in taking care of him and I can’t tell you how much we appreciate it, but I think it’s time to get going once more and leave the two of you to your own world.”

“I’m gonna miss you,” Carol sighed into the direction of the boy that had been living with them for so long.

“I’m gonna miss you too, Carol,” Jay said sadly when he came up behind his brother.

Carol untangled herself from Jarod and drew Jay into a tight hug in his place. Jay let himself be embraced willingly and encircled the woman.

“The house will be silent without you,” Carol whispered.

“Hey come on, let’s face it. You’re glad to get that obstinate and difficult teenager out of your hair,” Jay grinned, trying to lighten her mood. He leaned back slightly to look at her.

“Don’t ever think that, young man,” Carol said sternly, her features taking any sharpness out of the words.

Jay’s features softened. “Thank you for being there for me, Carol. Thank you and I’m sorry that I was being an idiot for such a long time.”

Carol drew her hand through his hair. “You’re welcome. You always are. Come back here whenever you can, my boy.”

Jay swallowed the lump in this throat and fought back tears, when he had himself under control he nodded. “Thank you,” he turned towards Marc, who stood next to his wife, his hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture.

“Thank you, Marc,” Jay said and extended his hand. Marc ignored the outstretched hand and drew Jay into a hug instead. Jay relaxed into the older man’s chest.

“Just keep being who you really are; that nice, decent young man I’ve gotten to know and like. You’re a great young man. Continue that way,” he drew away put his hand on Jay’s shoulder. “Take care of yourself and your brother out there,” he nodded into Jarod’s direction.

Jay nodded once again. “I will.”

Jarod took a step forward and extended his hand to Marc who shook it firmly. “Thank you for taking care of him.”

Marc and Carol both smiled. “Anytime,” Marc said. “Stay safe and away from the Centre. Be careful.”

“We will,” Jarod nodded and grinned. “I have enough experience with them. We’ll be ok.”

Marc nodded. “I know. Keep him safe.”

“I will,” Jarod replied earnestly.

“Our door is always open for you. Whenever you’re somewhere close, just come over,” Carol said tearfully.

Jarod and Jay both nodded and the turned towards Jarod’s car. They both waved at the couple that stood in front of the small house.

And then they were on their way.

~~~~~~~

It was only three days after they had come back from their climbing trip that they left Carol and Marc’s household.

Even though he knew no one knew where he was Jarod had started to get edgy. The luxury of staying in one place for long periods was something he had yet to embrace.

Jay had to do only a minimal amount of begging before Jarod agreed to take Jay along. In fact he was glad to have one member of his family around even though it was also more dangerous. Dangerous or not he knew Jay was dependant on him at the moment. The boy depended on the constant affection from one of his ‘real’ family members; something Jarod didn’t want to deprive him of.

It was also nice not to travel alone for a change.

The ride had been made in companionable silence or in easy conversation.

“Say, what about the Centre? Do you still keep in contact with them?” Jay asked suddenly.

Jarod grinned and shot his younger self a look. “Yes, I do, but I haven’t made contact for a while.” He frowned. “Maybe I should place a call. They might be worried.”

“Sydney or Miss Parker?”

Jarod shot his brother a questioning stare. “You know Miss Parker?”

Jay’s features softened. “Yeah, I do. She came the day before you rescued me.”

When Jay didn’t give anymore information, Jarod looked at him again. “Go on,” he pressed.

Jay smiled shyly. “She wanted to get me out of there.”

Jarod blinked. “She what?”

“She came to me and asked me if I wanted to go with her, that she would get me out of the Centre. She told me that she had known someone just like me,” Jay looked meaningfully at Jarod, “and that she had seen the pain and sorrow in his eyes but that she had looked away and that she couldn’t look away any longer. Raines intervened before we could leave,” Jay shuddered when the picture of Raines popped up in front of his mind’s eye.

Jarod sat at the wheel, speechless. Miss Parker had tried to get Jay out of the Centre? That was definitely new.

“Time after time you surprise me, Miss Parker,” he mumbled under his breath.

“What did you say?”

Jarod turned towards the teen again. “I said that Miss Parker still has it in her to surprise me. Tell me more about your encounter.”

Jay smiled and started to tell his brother from his first encounter with the stunningly beautiful woman.

~~~~~~~

She tiredly walked into her house and threw her jacket away. It had been another fruitless day in the pursuit of Jarod. They hadn’t gotten a solid hint as to his whereabouts in over a month. It was getting more and more frustrating and Raines did nothing but add up to that frustration by breathing down her neck when ever he could.

And her brother… she rolled her eyes. He was trying to prove that he was better at finding Jarod but he had yet to show any success. Lyle was dividing his time between praising himself, trying to find Jarod himself, and spying on his sister’s team to get any hints from them.

She scoffed and walked over to the liquor cabinet to pour herself a drink. Despite knowing that it would probably upset her ulcer, she needed a small amount of alcohol, needed to let it burn its way down into her stomach and clean her soul on the way.

These days working in the Centre got harder with every passing second.

Knowing there was really nothing holding her here any longer - but at the same time everything was - felt strange and somehow scary.

It wasn’t her father who made her stay, it wasn’t even her little brother who was a permanent inmate of the Centre much to her despise.

And yet she was tied irrevocably to that damn place; tied to it because of who she was and what she knew and what it would mean to be on the run from that corporation.

She shook her head and sank into the soft cushions of the couch, the glass still in her hand and her eyes closed.

“What will your ulcer say about that?” a soft voice purred behind her.

She groaned but didn’t turn around. “I don’t think it will be pleased but that doesn’t matter,” she paused and then turned. “What do you want, Jarod?”

He stepped out of the shadows and smiled at her. “Do I always have to want something?”

She rolled her eyes. “Where have you been the last few weeks?”

“Did you miss me?”

It took her some composure not to answer the question with a ‘yes’ and that surprised her. She quickly shook off her shock. “Do you always have to answer a question with another question?”

Jarod chuckled. “Sydney was my mentor, remember?”

She shook her head and chuckled as well. “I thought it seemed familiar.”

Jarod tilted his head at the picture that enfolded itself in front of him. First, Miss Parker hadn’t even tried to aim her gun at him and then she seemed to relax and she even smiled. ‘Fascinating’, Jarod thought. ‘She really has it in her to surprise me time after time.’

“I never thanked you for what you did for Jay, did I?” he asked even though he knew the answer.

Miss Parker looked at him with a questioning expression. She quirked an eyebrow. “Jay? Thank me?”

Disclaimer: see part one

~~~~~~~

Starting Anew
Part 2

Discoveries


She quietly walked into the infirmary where her little brother was still passing his days.

His small face lit up in delight when he saw his sister and held out his arms for her to pick him up.

Miss Parker’s face turned into an easy and real smile. “Hey my boy,” she cooed and gently took him out of his bed.

These visits had come to be a daily habit. At first, Raines had tried to intervene but in the end he had backed off and let her have her way.

Her job had gotten rather boring over the last ten weeks. They didn’t get hints as to Jarod’s whereabouts very often and his pretends had become less frequently.

While the Powers That Be were still clueless as to why Jarod had changed his tactic, Miss Parker had yet to reveal that she knew the reason - something she wasn’t about to do.

The Powers That Be were still trying to understand the new dynamics in this game. Sydney had reasoned that Jarod had always had an agenda and that every step he took had a deeper meaning, a purpose.

Miss Parker inwardly smiled at their futile attempts to understand their fugitive pretender.

Sydney was right though. Jarod’s change of the rules had a deeper meaning, a purpose; one that she was aware of unlike anyone else.

Jarod took the responsibility of his younger brother very seriously and did everything he could to protect him from becoming the Centre’s focus. The Centre still didn’t know that Jay was with Jarod in the first place.

She had no idea where the pretender was but he stayed in contact with her via telephone. He had even visited her twice.

Another secret the Centre didn’t know.

She gently caressed the back of her little brother’s head as it lay against her shoulder.

“I have to go soon, my boy. There’s a meeting I have to attend but I will come back to you in the evening before I go home, ok?”

The boy’s head nodded against her shoulder.

Regretfully, she untangled herself from the young child, her arms feeling empty without him. It was a sensation that had been greatly unsettling to Miss Parker at first but one that she had gotten used to by now and that she partly liked because it showed her that she had developed a strong connection to her young brother.

~~~~~~~

“Did you bring ice cream?” Jay asked the minute Jarod walked through the door.

Jarod scoffed, “as if I would forget that.” He grabbed the box of ice cream out of the bag filled with groceries and threw it over to Jay. The boy put the box on the table and got up. He then walked over to the cupboard to get two bowls and spoons, while Jarod put the rest of the groceries away.

The brothers then sat down on the table and savoured their ice cream.

This had become a habit for them. Whenever they bought new supplies, they brought ice cream and enjoyed consuming it together.

“Anything interesting in the Centre?” Jarod asked around a huge bite of ice cream.

Jay swallowed his mouthful. “I’m not entirely sure right now. There’s a file that I stumbled over. It’s decrypted and I have yet to break the code.”

Jarod nodded thoughtfully. “A difficult code?”

“Uh-huh,” Jay nodded, his mouth already refilled.

“Difficult codes never mean anything good,” Jarod grumbled. “We’ll take a look later. Is it a project?”

“I would think so. It’s called: Vars geslag.”

“New generation,” Jarod frowned. “I don’t like the sound of that.”

They went on munching their ice cream but they couldn’t really enjoy it any longer. Somehow they both dreaded the contents of the file.

The siblings still kept a close eye on what was going on in the Centre and they roamed through the data provided in the mainframe. It was curiosity as well as self-preservation. They didn’t want to be surprised by any developments, or worse, by a sweeper-team appearing on their doorstep.

They still didn’t stick around an area for long.

Over the last few weeks that they had been living together, Jay’s emotional state had become more and more stable. The message from their first climbing trip had sunken in.

Jay now knew that he was loved and wasn’t an unwanted family member that wasn’t worthy of staying with the family.

The first climbing trip had been followed by several more in various areas. Jarod and Jay enjoyed a trip whenever possible.

Jay had become just as good a climber as Jarod, just as Jarod had predicted. The routine had made him just as quick and yet careful as his older self was.

Jarod got up from his seat and took his bowl over to the sink to be rinsed later. He then went into the living room and sat down in front of the laptop that Jay had left running. He quickly typed in a few commands and then closely observed the screen.

Jay drew up a chair next to Jarod’s and his older brother responded by scooting over to give him more room and a better view.

The next few hours were spent in trying to decrypt the data. They discussed possible procedures and tried some. In the end they were both frustrated and Jarod was getting more and more agitated and irritated.

The Centre had secured that data extraordinarily well - a definite sign that the contents were not mere toilet paper bills. It looked more like a heavily guarded secret.

Jarod paced the room while Jay still tried an approach on their problem.

“I don’t like that,” Jarod grumbled.

“Neither do I but could you please sit down. You’re making me edgy,” Jay replied without looking up from what he was doing.

“I’m already edgy. That data is something vital; something that we need to get our hands on. They’re planning something and we need to know what to protect ourselves against it,” Jarod said tensely but he complied with Jay’s wish and sat down in front of the computer again. He unconsciously started tapping his fingers on his leg.

“Jarod, stop that,” Jay snapped after a while.

“Sorry,” Jarod mumbled and got up to walk over to the small kitchen again.

“Got it,” Jay exclaimed suddenly and Jarod was back at his side in a flash.

The two brothers scanned the contents of the file with growing disbelief. Jarod sprang to his feet when he reached the bottom of the document and his mind started spinning over the news he had just read.

“They haven’t. They couldn’t,” he stuttered, while again pacing the room.

Jay’s eyes narrowed when he read the information again. “I fear they did, Jarod. I fear they did.” He shook his head.

Jarod growled in anger. “They’ll pay for that,” he vowed and then snatched out his cell phone.

“Get packing,” Jarod ordered when he waited for the other person to pick up. “We’re leaving.”


To be continued…


Oh, about the vars geslag: I really do hope it’s right. I’m not speaking Afrikaans and I just looked it up in some online dictionary. So, you can blame me for being stupid enough to believe everything the internet offers, if they are wrong.

Disclaimer: see part one

~~~~~~~

Starting Anew
Part 3

Frayed nerves


She lowered herself into her office chair and leaned back, trying to relax. Closing her eyes, she took several deep breaths.

The meeting had been never ending and boring. One of the kinds she hated most. It wouldn’t have mattered if she hadn’t been present and it wouldn’t have changed the outcome.

Her cell phone rang and she tiredly grabbed it and flicked it open without opening her eyes. “What?” she grumbled.

“Don’t work late tonight. We have to talk.” Jarod’s voice came over the line.

“Ja…,” she started but was interrupted.

“Just don’t stay in the Centre,” he ordered again and then terminated the connection.

Miss Parker frowned and looked at the cell phone in her hand. That had been strange. Something was not right with him. Jarod had sounded different. He had sounded on edge and very agitated.

Miss Parker groaned and then set to do some work. She still had hours to go before it was time to leave. Even though he had asked her to come home early she would have to wait at least another three hours. It was barely after three o’clock.

She grabbed a file lying on her desk and started skipping through it, her mind not really focussed on what she was reading.

~~~~~~~

Jay observed his brother closely.

“What?” Jarod snapped.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to drive?”

“Jay, you have no official license, so yes, I’m sure that you won’t drive,” Jarod replied tensely.

“You know I’m capable of driving,” Jay reasoned.

“I know that but the police officers wouldn’t. And besides, I need something to keep me focussed on something else, otherwise I will do nothing but think about that file,” Jarod said.

“As if driving would keep you from that but ok, suit yourself,” Jay backed off, knowing that he would get nothing out of an argument in the state Jarod was in right now.

The rest of the ride was made in silence.

~~~~~~~~

“You’re late,” she snarled even before Jarod was able to make his presence known.

He stepped out of the shadows in the living room and walked around the couch she was sitting on so she could see him. “I know. Sorry, but the drive here took us longer than anticipated,” Jarod said, sitting down in the easy chair.

“Us?” Miss Parker looked at him questioningly.

Jay stepped out of the shadows as well and Miss Parker turned around.

“Jarod, are you insane? Isn’t it enough of a risk coming to my house by yourself? Do you really have to endanger him as well?” she asked incredulously.

“It’s kind of a risk but one Jay and I both agreed to take. This is important,” Jarod explained.

Jay stepped around the couch as well and came to a halt behind his older ‘brother’.

Miss Parker observed him closely and found herself staring at her old childhood friend. She shook her head to clear her mind. “It’s good to see you again, Jay,” she said and smiled at him.

Jay’s face lit up at her comment and he nodded. “The pleasure is mine, Miss Parker,” he grinned.

“Ok, sorry to interrupt but we didn’t come here to do introductions and small talk.”

Miss Parker turned away from Jay and stared levelly at Jarod. “Ok, Jarod. What is this about? Why did I have to leave the Centre early today and why are the two of you taking the risk of coming here?”

Jarod looked down at his hands and tried to think of a way to break the news to her. Not finding one he drew a folder out of the backpack that sat next to him. Until now Miss Parker hadn’t even realized the presence of the black bag and she blinked surprised at the object.

She followed Jarod’s movements and looked at the file folder, curious.

Jarod sighed deeply and put the file on the table in front of him, carefully sliding it over to her.

Miss Parker quirked an eyebrow and reached for it.

Jarod was about to say something when he shut his mouth again, not finding any words that would prepare her for the shock that was to come.

“Project: Vars geslag,“ she read out loud and looked up at Jarod, frowning.

“New generation,” Jarod translated quietly. He didn’t meet her gaze but looked down on his hands.

Miss Parker opened the file and quickly let her gaze wander over the words, her eyes growing bigger by the second. There was a brief silence when she had finished reading, followed by an angry cry and a file folder crashing into the wall, the papers scattering.

She got up in one quick motion and started pacing the room just as Jarod had done when he had learned the news.

“They didn’t. I mean, they couldn’t… could they?” she stopped pacing and looked over to Jarod. When he didn’t reply, she strode over to him and grabbed him by the collar, yanking him up roughly. “Could they?” she screamed into his face.

“I think they were more than capable of doing it,” Jarod said and turned his head so that his gaze came to rest on Jay. Miss Parker followed his gaze and the word ‘clone’ sprang to her mind. She nodded slowly and let go of Jarod’s shirt. Taking a step back, she took a ragged breath and her eyes took on a blank glaze.

“They really did it, didn’t they?” she looked up at Jarod again. This time, her eyes were filled with pain and unshed tears.

Jarod swallowed and then nodded. “Yes, I fear they did.”

“How do we get him out of there?” Miss Parker asked, determination creeping into her voice.

Jarod sat back down. “I’m not sure about that right now.”

“Come on, genius. Don’t tell me you came here without a plan.” She clenched her teeth.

“Sorry but I only learned about that,” he tilted his head into the direction of the scattered papers on the floor, “a few hours ago. I didn’t really get to develop a plan. I had other things on my mind.”

“You’re supposed to do a thousand things all at once, that’s why you’re hunted down by the Centre, so why didn’t you get to working on a plan?” she snarled.

Jarod sat on the couch, his eyes cast downward and his shoulders slumped.

“I think you’re being a bit harsh on him, Miss Parker,” Jay took a step forward. “Jarod is just as dumbfounded as you are and there’s no need to snarl at him. He’s been ripping into himself for not having learned of that earlier. He doesn’t need you ripping into him, he’s capable of doing it alone. What would be appropriate now is either to start on working on a solution or console each other,” Jay said evenly, looking Miss Parker directly in the eye.

She gasped and opened her mouth to throw something at the young man when she realized that he was right. Giving Jay a hard stare, she then nodded and sank onto the couch.

“He’s right. I’m sorry, Jarod,” she whispered.

Jarod nodded, still not looking up. Her words were still present in his mind and somehow she was right. He should have long since been working on an escape plan for the boy. Their son.

“So how do we get my bro--,” she paused and then corrected herself, “our son out of that hellhole?”


To be continued…


Ok, ok people. Yes, this is one of the “Baby-Parker-is-in-fact-Jarod’s-and-Miss-Parker’s-son”-stories. I know that this concept is not new but I promise that this will just be the start for something else. I need them to get the little boy out of the Centre before I can go on to what I have in mind. I hope that you will continue the ride with me.
Still, I’m fretting if you like the story and so I would love to hear from you.

Disclaimer: see part one

Author’s Note: I’m pushing this ahead; joined two chapters to one and after this one more to go to finish this story. Don’t scream at me for rushing things but I’m kind of anxious to get to the next story and I didn’t want to draw this one out too long (since the concept is not new and stuff and blah.) I’ll shut up now. Just the thanks and then right on to the story.

~~~~~~~

Starting Anew
Part 4

Liberation


He crawled silently through the dark air vents. In front of him he could hear Angelo shuffling forward as well. The empath had joined him on his way and was guiding him through the maze of tunnels, even though Jarod knew the layout without having to think about it. He knew which turns to take and where to avoid security.

Yet Angelo was with him. It was kind of a friendship service and Jarod was glad the empath was there. Just his presence seemed to have a calming effect on him.

Even though he was too deep in concentration to be distracted, he was glad that Angelo was there to keep him out of trouble in case his mind wandered off to the reason why he was here, what the deeper meaning of this mission was.

This was about a new family member.

Jarod nearly scoffed.

It seemed as if every time he stepped into the Centre it was because they held one or another family member in their darkest corners.

“Hold on a sec,” Jay’s voice spoke up.

Jarod stopped instantly. “Angelo, stop,” Jarod whispered and Angelo looked back over his shoulder, stopping as well.

“Wait, there’s a guard at the next vent entrance,” Jay said, his voice barely more than a whisper in Jarod’s ear. “Let me make a distraction so you can move on.”

Jarod rearranged the earpiece of the micro he was wearing and waited for a few minutes.

“Ok, he’s been taken care of. There’s currently a malfunction of a surveillance camera in one of the rooms further down and he’s been sent down there to check. Move on,” Jay’s voice came back on.

“Thanks Jay,” Jarod chuckled and motioned Angelo to move on. The empath nodded and started crawling again, followed once more by Jarod.

Jarod bent his head slightly. “Where’s Miss Parker right now?” he whispered into the small micro that was attached to his collar.

There was a short pause. “Just getting up from her chair after a look at her watch,” Jay informed him.

Jarod nodded again and smiled slightly. Till now everything had been working out just fine. It had taken them the better part of two days to work out a good and functional plan to liberate Jarod and Miss Parker’s son from the Centre.

Miss Parker had voted for the ‘I’m just walking in there, grab our son and shoot my way out of the Centre if necessary’-plan. Only after lengthy discussions had she agreed to wait for the two men to come up with a better plan.

The last two days had been hard on her. Knowing her son was in the Centre was hard; even worse was that she had to maintain her daily visiting routine without being able to take him with her.

She had admitted to Jarod and Jay that she had been tempted more than once to go back to her original plan and shot everyone in sight if they tried to stand in her way.

There had been many arguments as to how they would pull this off. At first she had insisted on getting in by crawling through the Centre’s vents. Then she had demanded to at least help on the way out. It took some time to get her to agree – albeit grudgingly – not to do either of those.

Finally they agreed she was to meet Jarod in the infirmary where their son was still kept and then leave again while Jarod brought the little boy out through the small tunnels and to safety.

Jay was outside of the Centre in the car Jarod and he had arrived with. He was holding all the cards. He had hacked himself into the Centre’s system and now he was able to access the security footage as well as every data they needed. “Damn it,” Jay cursed suddenly.

Jarod’s eyes narrowed. “What is it?” he asked while still crawling onward.

“Nothing. Miss Parker just can’t seem to get rid of Sydney,” Jay replied.

“Where is she?”.

“In the elevator.”

Jarod thought quickly. “Doesn’t matter. Our timeframe isn’t that tight. She’ll get rid of him eventually.”

They crawled on and soon stopped next to the vent’s entrance in the infirmary room. Jarod risked a quick glance through the vent’s cover and his features softened.

Angelo drew him back only a heartbeat later.

Before Jarod could complain about it, he heard the door open noisily and a pair of high heels clicking on the floor. He grinned but then sobered again and concentrated back on their mission.

“No Sydney. I don’t know why Jarod doesn’t make contact that often any longer. I don’t know what it is that’s keeping him away,” she said briskly, and then her voice softened. “Hey my little man, how are you today?” And then her voice switched back to business. “I’m sure he has a reason for his behaviour,” she paused. “Don’t you have another nutcase to work with now, Freud?”

“But Miss Parker,” Sydney tried to approach her again.

“Sydney, damn it, I’ll come talk to you later but right now I would like to enjoy keeping my so… little brother company,” she stated, exasperation colouring her voice.

Jarod clenched his teeth. ‘That was a close one, Parker,’ he thought. Hopefully Sydney would not get too alert by her near mistake.

“Right, I see you later then,” Sydney finally said and Jarod could hear a relieved huff coming over the radio.

“Yes,” Miss Parker replied briskly and under her breath she mumbled something that sounded like ‘don’t count on it’ from Jarod’s position in her air vent, close to where she was standing.

Angelo was already starting to unscrew the vent when Jay gave Jarod the command to move forward. “He’s gone, you can move in now.”

Only seconds later Jarod was in the room and walking over to Miss Parker, who stood with the young boy in her arms, facing him.

Jarod’s features softened just like they had done before in the air vent. He walked up to Miss Parker so he was standing in front of her.

“Hey, this is Jarod, he’s your Dad. He’s gonna take you away with him now, ok?”

The boy tilted his head to the side and looked at Jarod with piercing blue eyes so much like his mother’s. After a few seconds he nodded determinedly he then turned back to his mother and yawned. Putting his head onto her shoulder, he whimpered when she started to pull him away.

“Back to the vent. Nurse coming,” Jay demanded in short barks over the earpiece, anxious to get them to safety.

“Shit,” Jarod swore softly. He scrambled over to the vent and jumped in. The cover was barely back in place when the door opened and the nurse poked her head through it.

Miss Parker had been about to comment on Jarod’s hasty departure when she heard the woman enter behind her. She straightened and turned around, her ice-queen mask firmly back in place.

“What?” she snarled at the intruder, standing directly in front of the door, not letting the nurse come in.

“Miss Parker, Master Parker needs his bottle now,” the nurse said and pushed forward to grab the boy.

Miss Parker yanked the bottle out of her hand. “I’ll give it to him, then,” she growled and gave the door a hard shove, sending it crashing shut.

The boy started crying at the loud noise as well as at the tension that radiated from his mother’s body.

Jarod was out of the vent only a moment later and he observed the boy for a few seconds. When it became apparent that the child wasn’t about to calm down, he shrugged out of his backpack and rummaged through it.

Miss Parker watched him. When he straightened again, Jarod had a syringe in his hand and was filling it with a clear liquid he drew out of a small bottle.

“What are you doing?” she growled dangerously and took a step back, protecting her son with her own body. She knew that this move was somehow irrational; Jarod would never hurt anyone intentionally, let alone his own son but her instincts kicked in, telling her to protect her child.

“Parker, this is merely a light sedative,” Jarod said and took a step towards her.

“Forget it,” she shook her head.

Jarod closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he looked up again the tightly controlled person focussed on the mission was back in place.

“I can’t have him babbling along the way. Don’t you think it would be a bit strange if there were children’s noises coming from out of the air vents?”

“That was not part of the plan. When did you plan on informing me about that little detail?” she threw back.

Jarod swallowed the anger and irritation he was feeling over this argument; or rather the time and place this argument was being brought up. He should have known better and talked about that with her. “I had hoped that we wouldn’t have to use it but it seems as if we don’t really have another choice,” he said calmly.

“And what if he’s silent from now on?”

“You can’t guarantee that. This is only a mild sedative and it will wear off quickly. It’s barely enough to keep him drowsy through the vents,” Jarod grumbled, exasperation showing in his voice.

Miss Parker’s eyes narrowed and she observed him closely.

“Jarod, you have to get moving soon,” Jay informed his brother through the earplug that was connecting them.

“I know,” Jarod mumbled into his microphone, tilting his head slightly. He looked up again and was about to start and try to convince Miss Parker once more, when she held up her hand to silence him.

“Ok, do it but if this hurts him more than it has to or if it has any effects that I don’t like, I will get your ass for it,” she growled darkly.

Jarod nodded. “Got it,” he said and looked her directly in the eye. “Sit down over there.”

She did as he had asked her to do. The little boy was still firmly attached to her neck.

“Hey my boy,” Jarod cooed. “I have to give you this now. This might sting for a second but not long, ok?” Jarod spoke softly while he gently tugged at the boy’s arm.

The child turned so that he was facing Jarod and he nodded slightly.

Jarod took the small arm and injected the boy with the sedative while Miss Parker stroked a hand over the boy’s head and planted a kiss onto his forehead every now and then.

“My, are you a good and brave young man,” Jarod praised the boy when he was done. He then took the boy out of Miss Parker’s arms. The child was grinning proudly at his father’s comment. Jarod walked back to his backpack to put the syringe and bottle into it once more, his son cradled into his arms.

Miss Parker came up behind him and tussled the child’s hair. “Keep him safe,” she whispered.

Jarod turned and looked her deep in the eye. Then he bent forward and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. “I will protect him with my life,” he vowed.

“I know,” Miss Parker said and then watched him straighten again and walk over to the vent. He gave the boy, whose eyes were drooping shut, to the waiting arms of Angelo and then Jarod hoisted himself up. He looked at her from the vent’s entrance. “Just stick to our plan. We’ll be out of here in no time,” he said before he shut the vent’s cover.

Miss Parker nodded at his words and watched the gate shut softly and then a hushed conversation, followed by shuffling sounds.

And then everything was silent.

She had to keep herself occupied for a few more minutes and then she straightened and walked back over to the door.

Switching off the light while opening the door, she sneaked out and walked over to the nurse’s desk after firmly shutting the door behind her again.

“He’s asleep now,” she informed the nurse, while putting the emptied bottle down in front of her. “He gave me a bit of a hard time so you’d better not wake him now that he’s finally asleep. He might be wide awake otherwise and give you a rough evening,” she said, knowing full well that the nurse was work-shy.

The nurse’s face twisted at that thought and she quickly nodded. “Ok, then. I better let him sleep if you say so,” she replied quickly.

Miss Parker nodded and then stalked off, knowing that she had just given them the head-start they needed to get far enough away from the Centre before anyone would know what was happening.

She walked towards the elevator. She had intended to go to her office and then get the hell out of the Centre herself. If she didn’t encounter any more difficulties she should be out of there and reunited with Jarod and her son in a little more than an hour.

~~~~~~~

The dark van stood slightly hidden from view.

Miss Parker drove past it and parked her car in the driveway.

She nodded into the direction of the van and then quickly made her way into her house. Only a few minutes later, she reappeared and jogged over to where Jarod and Jay were waiting for her in the car. She threw her bag into the back and climbed into the van.

The moment the side door was closed Jarod put it into gear and drove off into the night.

Miss Parker looked up into the face of her childhood friend’s copy and smiled at the expression she saw. Jay’s face showed the contentment that he was feeling and that also radiated from Jarod. They were not completely out of danger but the worst part lay behind them.

Jay’s face lit up as he saw her and he handed her the little boy without her having to ask him to do so. He saw her need to hold the child that she had just learned was hers a few days ago. He looked over to Jarod who was concentrated on driving and yet keeping an eye on the rear-view mirror for a different reason other than watching Miss Parker and their son.

Miss Parker relaxed when she saw a pair of blue eyes looking up at her groggily. “When did he wake up?”

“About half an hour ago. I told you that the sedative wasn’t strong,” Jarod replied and their eyes met briefly in the rear-view mirror.

She merely glared at him, not backing down or excusing her behaviour.

Jay chuckled and Jarod just shrugged his shoulders.

They made their travel mostly in silence.

Jarod was driving and he insisted on keeping his place on the wheel. For him it was a way of letting go of the tension. Driving gave him a feeling of security and relaxation. Whenever he was driving away from one spot of the earth, he was leaving an area and bringing a distance between himself and his pursuers. It had been that way ever sine he had fled from the Centre.

Miss Parker, Jay, and the little boy dozed on and off in their seats and Jarod kept a protective eye on them while driving. He silently vowed that he would protect his family with all he had.

~~~~~~~~

Seven hours and three car changes later, the group had crossed the Canadian-American border with fake passports Jarod had manufactured.

The plan was to get lost in the Canadian country, a task that was not hard to accomplish once they had reached the border.

They had agreed upon heading to the south west of Ontario and stay there until they felt that the situation had cooled down.

Jarod and Jay had been climbing there a few months before and so they knew the area and they had already rented a small cabin that would serve their purposes.

The travel through Canada would take two more days but they had decided to go there by car and not take a small airplane.

~~~~~~~

Miss Parker let herself fall into the soft armchair and sighed.

Jarod had the little boy in his arms, walked over to her, and gave him to her. After that, he helped Jay to get what little luggage they had into the house.

They were all tired and glad to finally get out of the confined space of the van. There had been the first tender arguments about unimportant matters like radio stations and such, once they had all let their guards down.

Having to spend the whole day on the road and not being able to get away form one’s companions was always difficult. Jay and Jarod were by now used to it but for Miss Parker it was completely new. Riding with her former prey and his clone didn’t make it any easier.

She closed her eyes and cradled her son to her. She had expected to be more unnerved about the little boy but her patience with him never seemed to end. Contrary to the boy’s presence, she had a rough time coping with his father’s being there.

She was particularly irritated about the way he behaved. One minute he seemed to be content and relaxed and the next he was closed up and snapped at her.

Jay tried to stay out of their arguments as much as he could and both Jarod and she tried to keep it that way. They both tried to avoid drawing him on one or the other side.

She got up and sat her son on the chair. “Will you keep an eye on him?” she asked Jarod when he came back into the house, while she brushed past him.

“Sure,” he responded and walked over to his son.

He shook his head and took the boy in his arms. He was time and time again mesmerized at the wonder that he now held in his arms. He was a father and this was his son. He had lost the first ten months of his life but they had managed to liberate him from the people that had kept him away from his mother and father.

The tiny hands reached out to him and touched Jarod’s stubbly cheek, making him smile at the contact. It was as if the boy had to convince himself that he was with his family just as much as Miss Parker and he himself had to convince themselves time and time again.

He sighed.

Miss Parker.

That was a tender theme at the moment. At first everything had seemed fine, but as the journey wore on it had become more and more complicated.

Sometimes he just couldn’t fathom what she was trying to accomplish with her remarks; if she was trying to hurt him or to push him away or both… he didn’t know.

The only thing he knew was that she wouldn’t succeed with driving him away or whatever it was that she had in mind. Now that he had a son with her – one he intended to stay with - she was stuck with him.

He looked up when she stepped out of the bathroom and nearly gasped out aloud.

She had nothing on expect a towel that was wrapped around her body, barely hiding anything, and letting her legs seem as if they stretched to all infinity.

His mouth was suddenly dry and his palms were sweaty. His heart was beating overtime in his chest. Jarod swallowed and tried to tear his gaze away from her.

Miss Parker looked up to find him gaping at her. “What?” she asked.

Jarod blinked, realising that she had spoken to him. “Nothing,” he managed to say.

She chuckled lightly and turned around to walk back into the bathroom.

Jay came through the front door with the last piece of luggage and nearly dropped the bag when he saw Miss Parker vanishing into the bathroom.

“Wow,” he breathed, making Jarod snap out of his reverie.

“Yep,” Jarod smiled towards his younger self. “Can you stay with him for a few minutes, I have to get something,” Jarod more ordered than asked and with that he already pushed past Jay to get out of the house. There was nothing still in the car he needed to fetch. What he really needed was some air.

Jarod walked the short distance to the lake and kept on ambling along the shore, thinking about how his life had changed in the short span of not even half a year.

First Jay had come into his life, then once that was all clear and easy, this new discovery had sent him back to Blue Cove to get two more added to his family circle.

He had been on rather good terms with Miss Parker since he and Jay had finally connected and then this new turmoil threw them together and left them no time to figure out where they stood with each other.

The little scene in the house just minutes ago had vividly showed him that the word ‘friendship’ was not an accurate description of what he was feeling for Miss Parker.

The problem was just that he wouldn’t get away with his skin intact if he tried to act on his feelings.

He had felt uneasy with her during the last few days in the small space of the car but had suppressed his feelings then. But suppressing his feelings for all eternity while being together with her to raise their son… not an acceptable thought.

He just couldn’t come up with a satisfactory solution for this problem. Being a genius or not, this put him in an awkward situation and he had no idea how to handle it.

He stayed outside for a while longer and then reluctantly made his way back to the cabin.

~~~~~~~

She leaned against the bathroom door with her back firmly pressed against the wood.

God, what had she thought by walking out of there with just the towel?

She rolled her eyes. She had thought nothing and that was the problem. She still had to get used to the thought of living together with two men and a child - her child and the father of her child and his clone.

She tried to get her heart rate back under control. She could still picture Jarod sitting there with their child in his lap, his mouth agape and that absolutely stunned expression, born out of surprise and something deeper that she had been able to see in his features.

She closed her eyes and swallowed with difficulty.

It hadn’t just been surprise she had seen in Jarod’s face but also open adoration and affection as well.

God, this was certainly not getting easier. Just living together with her childhood friend, her best friend who she had never completely gotten out of her mind even if her job would have required it, was difficult. But should her feelings started to act up now, this would get more than complicated.

Memories of their shared youth invaded her consciousness. How they had sneaked off in the Centre and played together, pictures of how he had looked at her at that time and pictures of their kiss.

She shuddered.

This would definitely get complicated.

It wasn’t as if she didn’t want more than ‘friendship’ but Jarod wouldn’t return those feelings these days. She knew that he cared and that he wanted a friendship with her and that he would always be there for her and help her but she was also certain that the ‘love-train’ was long gone. Long gone from the platform she just now arrived upon for there had been too many detours and obstacles keeping her from arriving earlier.

She sighed and then resolutely walked over to the mirror. Watching her reflection in the cool glass she wondered how she would be able to pull this through; living together with her childhood friend, her first love whom she still had deep feelings for, and maintain the distance that would be needed if she didn’t want to get too badly hurt.

She swallowed and then turned to the shower.

Maybe she would find a way, a solution for this problem.


To be continued…

<p>Disclaimer: see part one

~~~~~~~

Starting Anew

Part 5

New developments 


"Do you think she's ok?" Broots asked Sydney in a hushed tone.

Sydney smiled gently. "Broots, we've been through this so many times already."

"Yes, but it's been months without a word from her. I mean it's just... I keep wondering if its a good sign," Broots huffed and sat down in the chair next to Sydney.

"I know but look at it this way. No contact also means she's still on the run. We haven't heard from her just like the others and that's good. As long as we don't hear a thing, she seems to be safe," Sydney reasoned.

"What about Jarod?" Broots asked. "Did you hear anything from him?"

Sydney shook his head.

"Maybe they are on the run together," Broots suggested and looked at Sydney.

Sydney smiled. He had his own suspicions about that. Maybe the two of them were really together... in more than one sense of the word.

Maybe they were together.

~~~~~~~

And together they were... in more than one sense of the word.

It had taken them both the better part of three weeks just to get along without fighting every few seconds. Things had been unstable between them; one minute everything was friendly and then suddenly an icy curtain descended over the room. They had been fighting and wondering about the other one's motives all the time.

Only after a considerable time had the motives come to surface all at once.

Jay and Jarod had used their extended stay in Canada to go climbing several times. They both enjoyed each other's company and the challenge of a difficult tour as much as Jarod enjoyed getting out of the house. He was often found outside as he tried to stay out of Miss Parker's way, much to her irritation and annoyance.

There was a palpable tension between the two of them that was barely bearable for Jay but he still did his best to keep the situation under control and on neutral ground for most part.

They had come back rather late from one of their tours and once they walked into the cabin Miss Parker came rushing up to them. Her eyes were red rimmed and overly bright and she looked furious. She gave Jarod a hard shove and a poke, tried to say something but the words failed her. Instead she grabbed him, not letting him stumble away. Resistance leaving her body, she then leant forward and her forehead came to rest against his shoulder.

Despite his shock, Jarod instantly encircled her and held her to him. Jay gave him a questioning look but Jarod just raised his eyebrows and then concentrated back on the shaking woman in his arms.

"Thank God you're ok."

"Hey, hey, what is it?" Jarod asked, concern written all over his face.

"I met two guys in town," she said. "They were climbers and they... they told me that there had been an accident. That two climbers had," she broke off. "I thought you... you."

"Hush, we are ok," Jarod reassured her.

"I thought you left me," she said so quietly Jarod wasn't sure he heard it. In the background Jay edged away a bit.

"I would never leave you, my love," Jarod hushed her and kissed the top of her head.

She leaned into him and then suddenly tensed. "What did you just say?"

Jarod shrank back, realizing his mistake. "Nothing," he said quickly and let go of her. "I need to get something out of the car."

And with that he was gone, leaving a now stunned Miss Parker. She turned to Jay who sat on the couch with Andrew in his lap.

"It didn't sound like nothing, did it? I mean he said," she broke off and looked at the young man with expectant eyes, wanting him to support her suspicion.

Jay rolled his eyes. "You two are unbelievable. You'd think between the two of you at least one of you could figure it out."

Miss Parker blinked and then turned around. She straightened and walked out of the door in search of Jarod. She found him easily. He was leaning against the car, his back to her, his hands clenched into tight fists on top of the roof. Miss Parker walked up to him silently and then she put a hand on his shoulder, making him jump and swivel round.

He had a haunted expression on his face. "Look I didn't mean to, I mean I meant it but I didn't mean that," he rambled.

Miss Parker frowned and looked closely at him. "Hold on, slowly," she suddenly spoke up, startling him again.

Jarod swallowed with difficulty but it did little for his pained expression. "I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"For saying what I did. It... I mean, it just slipped out somehow and..."

Parker interrupted him again before he could start rambling again. She held up a hand to silence him and then she tilted her head slightly.

"My love," she repeated his words, asking him with her eyes if she had heard it correctly. He swallowed, proving it correct. "Did you mean it?" she asked.

"Yes, no, I mean," he huffed. He looked down and then only raised his eyes slightly to look at her. "Would it be bad if I said yes?" he asked in a small voice.

"Jarod, did you mean it?" she asked again, this time in a tone that showed that she wanted an answer. She just had to know before she said anything wrong; anything that she might regret later.

Jarod breathed deeply and the nodded. "Yes, I meant it," he dropped his head, awaiting the harsh words - or physical blows - that were sure to come.

Or so he thought.

Instead of harsh words or blows there was a soft sigh, and then Miss Parker took a step towards him and took his hands in hers.

"Jarod look at me," she pleaded.

Hesitantly, his head came up and even more hesitatingly, his eyes travelled up to meet hers.

"Say it again," Miss Parker asked. She needed to hear the words out of his mouth before she said anything she couldn't take back.

He closed his eyes in agony. "Parker, please don't torture me with this," he pleaded, working against his feelings. This one revelation left him bare and he just didn't want her to use it against him.

"Please Jarod, say it again. I need to hear it from you."

"I love you, Parker. I love you," Jarod said, his eyes still closed and his voice tight. His shoulders sagged, the tilt of his head and his clenched-shut eyes reminded her of someone fearing to be punched.

She let out a shuddering breath and leaned into him, her forehead coming to rest on his chest, relaxing into him.

Jarod slowly blinked his eyes open in confusion and he looked down. "You're not mad at me?"

Parker looked up at him again with amusement in her eyes, but also something else: something he'd never seen there before. "Should I be?"

"You're not?" he asked quietly.

"No. Took you long enough, genius," she smiled and hesitantly stretched up to give him a soft kiss. She felt him trembling slightly and she rubbed her hands up and down his arms in an effort to reassure him.

Jarod's hands came up behind her back and he encircled her lightly as if afraid of doing something wrong or hurting her.

She leaned her head against his chest once more, smiling slightly when she felt his chin coming to rest upon her head as an immediate answer.

The both relaxed slowly and let the tension between them fade away.

They knew that they had some ways to go before they found a balanced and harmonic relationship and they knew there would be setbacks and fights but they had survived everything else. This was just another obstacle to overcome.

And they had something else tying them together, something above even their feelings.

The small boy on Jay's hip as Jay watched the two people he had come to love and regard as his family embrace each other tenderly.

That small boy was one more reason for them to make it work out between them.


The End!



Uagh, you sticking to the floor now, not able to lift your feet because you're glued on by sugar? Sorry. I guess that was the shipper in me and I make a bold assumption and say that the shippers among you loved that chapter, am I right?


And again the end isn't really an end. There will be a sequel that will come up in a short while. I promised that this was just the beginning to another new story, didn't I?I?

 

 

 

Move on to the sequel: The Past Always Catches Up