Disclaimer -- Don't own them. Neither do I own the poem used herein. It is the work of my friend, Shannon Roberts, and has been used with her express written permission...though she's not as old as the story suggests.

Timeline -- Up to and including IOTH

A/N -- Baby Parker does not make an appearance in this fic. According to me, he has died since the problems he had breathing were never rectified. Raines' remedy worked for a few months and then, stopped. After that time, baby Parker sadly took his last breath. Also, this will NOT be from Miss Parker's point of view although it might seem so from the beginning. The descriptions in this are purely the work of my imagination. The places spoken of (with the exception of Antigua) are fictitious; so don't tell anyone that these places exist the way I've described them...especially Texas. You'll just get in a lot of trouble. That should be all. Now, on with the show!

Additional A/N -- (Like you really care, but I'm the one writing this...so there! How's that for justification?) The inspiration for this fic came partly from the song that you will read in part one and my usual jog on the beach. Also, if this seems like anyone else's work, I am truly sorry. It was completely unintentional. NOW, without further ado...the story!

Concrete Angel
Part 1

by DOTLP

"Through the wind and the rain
She stands hard as a stone,
In a world that she can't rise above.
But her dreams give her wings,
And she flies to a place where she's loved.
Concrete Angel."
[Martina McBride; Concrete Angel]

======

        It was where some people went when they wanted respite from the world they knew. For others, it was a place to escape their past; to remain hidden from the eyes of the outside world. On an island in the sun known as Antigua and on a nearly deserted beach known only as Jabberwok was where she could be found, if anyone cared to look.

        On the stretch of soft white sand where only a motley group of six adolescents were happily playing a game of cricket in the late afternoon sun, she allowed the warm, gentle waves of the Caribbean Sea to beat against her tense body as she nestled
herself in the wet sand. It was then that she realised that nightmares never vanished with the advent of daylight. At most, they just dimmed. And in the calm and natural beauty that surrounded her, she dared to remember what had brought her to the paradise she was in; she dared to remember the nightmare that had been her life. The life she escaped two days ago.

======

        It had been a week since the man she had called 'Father' her whole life had jumped from the plane, taking with him the scrolls."They found his body," she said after replacing the phone in its cradle. "It washed up on one of the little islands near Scotland. It'll be here tomorrow morning," she ended, her voice lacking any emotion. "We're to meet with Raines and Lyle in the morgue tomorrow morning at ten."

        Sydney glanced at Broots only to find him looking at his shoes, at a loss of what to say. The psychiatrist sighed and voiced the question neither of the men wanted to, afraid that she might explode at them. "Are you alright Miss Parker?"

        "I'm fine Freud," she replied wearily.

        "You should take the day off to mourn the loss of your father," he continued.

        "To mourn the loss of my father," she repeated. A bitter smile curved her lips. "Syd, maybe you haven't realised it, but I just don't know anything about my family history anymore. I don't even know who my father is. I refuse to accept Raines."

        "That may be so Miss Parker, but you loved him when you thought he was your father. It shouldn't change the way you feel about him now." He silently added, 'Although how and why you loved him are still beyond me. He doesn't deserve the love you have for him.'

        "Get back to work boys. We still have a Pretender to catch," she ordered, ignoring what the psychiatrist had said. "And
Broots?"

        "Yes Miss Parker?" answered the technician meekly.

        "The second you find anything, you report it to me and me alone. Got it?"

        "Yes." He left her office and headed to his work area.

        "You know, you won't be able to avoid the issue for long," the psychiatrist continued.

        "Please Sydney, just spare me the psychobabble for once."

        "You know where I am when you want to talk." He got up from the chair and headed to his office, sadly shaking his head. He had no idea why Mr. Parker had to add more pain to the already troubled woman. He didn't know how much more she would be able to take before cracking under the weight of it all. 'I hope you know you don't have to bear it alone, Miss Parker.'

======

        The next morning she strode through the halls of The Centre looking every bit like 'The Ice Queen' as she made her way to the morgue. She entered the cold room and joined Raines, Sydney, Broots and Lyle who were standing around a metal table.

        "Now that my daughter is here, we can begin," wheezed Raines. He motioned for Lyle to remove the white cloth that covered the body on the table.

        She cringed inwardly when Raines called her his 'daughter' and diverted her attention to what Lyle had uncovered. The corpse on the table was a pallid shade of blue and small holes marred his skin. Apparently, some small sea creatures found him worthy enough to be their meal.

        Broots muttered, "I think I'm gonna be sick." He covered his mouth and swallowed hard, trying to keep the contents of his stomach from being shown to all present.

        Miss Parker reached for the clip-board hanging on the side of the table and read it quickly: 'Cause of death: drowning'. She replaced it.

        "Damn shame," said Lyle as he looked at the body that was once a powerful figure at The Centre; that was once the father he never really knew.

        "My brother will be missed. His funeral will be held tomorrow." Raines turned around and left, dragging his life-giving tank behind him.

        Lyle nodded. "Sis, gentlemen? If you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to," he declared on his way out.

        Miss Parker barely registered what they said. She was lost in her own thoughts. 'How is it I feel no sorrow for his death? He was my father...well, the man I knew as 'father' my whole life.'

        She tentatively placed her hand on his cheek and shuddered from the iciness of his body as she stared into his lifeless eyes. 'Maybe I did love you once, before Momma was killed. Sad, really. You became more distant when I needed your love the most. I resented you for that. But I still had the desire to please you, just so I could hear you say "I'm proud of you Angel." I guess I was searching for a replacement for Momma through you. But you never loved me the way Momma did. Momma loved me for who I was. But I only earned your respect when I became as calculating as you. And yet, a part of me still wanted your respect and your love. And a small part of me still cared for you, even when you didn't return it. Does that even make sense?'

        Sydney stood watching her with his hands tucked in the pockets of his dark trousers. "Does what make sense Miss Parker?"

        She didn't even realise she had said the last part aloud. "Nothing," she brushed off.

        "Miss Parker, maybe you should take the day off," said a concerned Broots. He thought she was beginning to lose her mind. He couldn't blame her. Just thinking about where they worked and what they saw made the technician tremble.

        After replacing the white cloth over Mr. Parker's body, she took a few steps away from it to join the other members of her team. "I'm fine Broots." She placed her hand reassuringly on his shoulder. "I'm fine." She walked out, giving the two men no other choice but to follow her.

======

        The turn-out to the funeral was small. What else could have been expected from a man who had no friends and many enemies? Lyle and Raines and a few of their sweepers were gathered around the grave as Mr. Parker's coffin was being lowered into the ground. Broots and Sydney accompanied Miss Parker just to support her even though she insisted that they needn't go with her. Broots' insistence had surprised her and in the end she gave in.

        She had decided that morning to take Sydney and Broots' advice and informed them that after the funeral she was going home and didn't want to be disturbed unless there was a lead on Jarod. "And Broots? Don't get too comfortable while I'm away. I'll be back tomorrow," she had warned the technician lightly with a faint smile.

        Heaven's tears continued to fall and kept a rhythmic beat going as it splashed on their umbrellas. Broots glanced around only to find that no tears were shed on Mr. Parker's behalf. It seemed that the only ones that realised something, usually of a sad nature, was happening were the dismal grey clouds as they wept over the dreary cemetery.

        Just as quickly as the ceremony began, it ended and the few attendants went on their way. Life went on. Work went on. And the world kept spinning...even for Miss Parker, who had lost her world many times over in the forms of her mother, Faith and Tommy. She was surprised that the one she had aimed to please the most wasn't the centre of her world.

        But deep in her heart she knew that she never had loved him. It was the fear that she would have no one to love as her own after her mother had been killed that made her try to please him for so many years and made her trick herself into believing that she really did love that cold, heartless, scheming man. And if she ever needed proof that she never really did love him, it was right there the day she saw his body lying on the cold metal slab and had no tears to spend on him.

        The short drive to her house was spent in comforting silence. She parked her car and hurried inside her home, eager to be out of the rain. As soon as she entered, she sensed something was different. Deftly removing her gun from the small of her back, she silently made her way around her house, checking each room only to find them empty. Satisfied that she was alone, she sat down on her couch. She noticed a note on the table weighted down by a velvet box. She knew her instincts had been correct. Frankenboy had paid her a visit.

        She wearily reached for the piece of paper. Written in Jarod's neat script were these words:

Spears of solid icy light
cascading clouds so bright
Heartbreak beauty undenied
by unrefined immortal sight.
Cold creeps uninvited in
dripping sin soaked skin
Heaven's downpour wash me clean
of each and every fault of men.

        She remembered that that had been one of her mother's favourite poems and she would read it to her when she was a little girl. It had been a long time since she had heard it. Trust Jarod to dig up her painful past along with his. Had it been four years ago, she would never have analyzed the meaning behind the note. But times had changed, and she found herself analyzing everything readily and quickly as if it were something she had been born doing. And in many ways, she had been. After all, she was a Red File.

        If there had ever been a time when Jarod had chosen something extremely appropriate to the situation they were facing, it was now. Those eight simple lines reminded her of everything that had transpired on the Isle of Carthis, everything she had found out...about herself and about her relationship with Jarod. She remembered all too well the cold night with the terrifyingly beautiful lightning; the pain she felt at finding out her horrible family secret; the bone-chilling cold she felt from the icy rain that soaked her skin and from her new-found knowledge; how much she wished the rain would wash away all the atrocities her fore parents had committed; the undeniable attraction they both felt for each other.

        Sighing, she placed the note down and picked up the little box. Opening the lid, a delicate chain of silver with an exquisite pendant of a silver angel with opened wings sat proudly on the soft, dark, blue velvet material. With an expression of awe, she removed the beautiful object carefully from the box and examined it closely. Turning it over, on one wing she found inscribed a 'C' and on the other a 'P'. That could only mean one thing. The necklace had belonged to her mother: Catherine Parker.

        She stroked the treasure tenderly as tears threatened to blur her vision. With shaking hands, she unclasped it and placed it around her neck. She stood up and decided to take a shower. Once beneath the massaging tepid spray of the water, she let her guard down and did what she seldom allowed anyone see her do: she cried -- for the life she was now forced to lead and for the life her mother never had the chance to live.

        She emerged half an hour later from the bathroom dressed in her silky maroon pajamas and shrouded by a cloud of steam, feeling better than she had for the entire week. Grabbing the book she had been attempting to read for the past month, she snuggled up on the sofa, looking forward to a quiet evening. She flipped to chapter one, deciding that after such a long hiatus from the novel and not remembering the exact details, she needed a refresher course.

        Seven minutes later and two pages into chapter three, the phone rang, rousing her from the carefully constructed world of the Sidney Sheldon book. Angered that she had told them to call her if there was a lead on Jarod, she answered the phone with an annoyed, "What?"

        "How was it?" asked the subdued voice on the other end.

        "Not that bad. Funerals seem to have become a trend in my life," she said morosely. "Though I don't miss him. I haven't even cried for him." She never planned on telling him that, but the words just came tumbling out and she could do nothing to stop them. It was one of the few times she could remember having a real conversation with him.

        She didn't even worry that The Centre would learn of their conversations. She knew Jarod better than anyone, and knew that anytime he visited her house, he considered it his duty to remove any audio or visual devices they planted. And he had been there earlier that morning. Not to mention she performed that job herself, religiously, every week. She could not understand why The Centre continued to do so, when they knew that the devices were always removed and destroyed.

        "I don't think that surprised you."

        "No, it didn't. But the poem and necklace did. Where did you find them?"

        "Let's just say that your mother loved keeping safety deposit boxes," he answered playfully. "I found it a few months ago while doing a pretend."

        "Why did you send it to me now?" she queried softly.

        "Because of 'Heartbreak beauty undenied by unrefined immortal sight.' You deserve some peace of mind and beauty. We both do.'

        He left her with the dial tone ringing in her ears. She placed the phone down and lovingly fingered the angel necklace. 'We both do,' she silently agreed, as she returned her attention to the novel.

======

        It wasn't even twelve o'clock yet and she already started developing a headache. 'This day just keeps getting better and better!' she thought sarcastically as she propped her feet upon her desk and started massaging her temples. She had just returned from a pointless hour-long meeting with her 'father', Raines, and had been warned again that only the person who captured Jarod had a place at The Centre. To top it all off, her brother was parading around the place acting more smug than usual. She had to get to the bottom of it...and fast.

        She heard her air vent grate jiggle free, followed by a soft thud as Angelo quickly eased himself onto her floor. He stooped by her chair and held her hand gently.

        "What is it Angelo?" she asked kindly.

        "Daughter sad about mother. Daughter worried too," stated the empath. He reached into his pockets and pulled out a DSA, placing it in her hand. "About Lyle. Help daughter help Jarod," he whispered in her ear, then scurried away into the highways he knew so well, replacing the grate softly.

        Holding the disk between two fingers, she turned it around, looking at it as the light reflected off the silver coating, creating a rainbow illusion. Picking up her pen, she scribbled a note and went in search of the psychiatrist she secretly regarded as a
father.

        She entered his office and silently handed him the note. He glanced at her with a puzzled look before opening the note and reading it: 'Sydney, get Broots and the two of you meet me at the little diner about twenty miles from here at twelve. I believe
it's called Maude's Cafe. This is urgent.' He looked up again only to find himself alone. The digital clock on his desk displayed 11:27. Sighing, he got up and grabbed his jacket wondering what was so important that Miss Parker didn't want The Centre to know. Two minutes later he found the balding computer expert and showed him the note.

        "This seems serious Sydney. She doesn't even want them to hear," he softly said, pointing his chin at the cameras mounted on the wall in his work area.

        "Then let's go," urged the psychiatrist.

        Twenty minutes later the two men pulled into the dusty little road-side diner's parking lot. Broots was the first to spot Miss Parker's car and a minute later, the two headed for the entrance. Broots remarked, "This isn't exactly up to Miss Parker's dining standards, Syd."

        "I know. All the more reason I'm worried about what she discovered." He pushed the glass door open and was greeted by the burnt meat aroma mixed with cheap lemon cleaner only found in fast food places. Through the hustle and bustle and hum of the little place, he saw Miss Parker seated in a round booth tucked into a dark corner of the diner. She caught his eye and
motioned for them to join her.

        The two men slid in on either side of her. "What was so urgent Miss Parker?" voiced Sydney.

        Taking a deep breath, she launched into her explanation. "Angelo gave me this this morning." She brandished the little disc in her hand, and continued. "He said it was about Lyle and Jarod. I haven't looked at it yet, but we're all going to now." She
picked up her silver DSA case beside her on the seat and slipped the disc into the player, placing it on the table so all could
have a clear view.

*`````*

        The date on the screen was two days ago in Lyle's office. He picked up the phone after the first ring. It seemed as if he had been waiting for it. After several seconds he asked "Four days from now?" He stood up and started pacing his office, phone still pressed against his ear.

        "Jarod's mother and sister will be where?" He hurried over to his desk and grabbed a pen. "So that's dock four in Galveston, Texas?" He seated himself back in the chair as he listened to what the other person had to say. "You're certain they'll be there at four thirty?" He hung up five seconds later, a satisfied grin on his face. "Just need the right bait to trap the Lab Rat," he said happily.

*`````*

        She ejected the disc after the screen faded to black. Both men looked at her and saw anger and hatred burning in her eyes. "So that's what he meant when he said he had some 'business' to attend to. I knew that filthy excuse for a human being was up to no good," she muttered darkly.

        "What...what are we going to do?" stuttered Broots. As much as he admired her, he was still terrified of her when she had that look in her eyes.

        "Get there before Lyle does and help them escape," she replied. "He's going to kill them whether or not he captures Jarod and I'm not about to sit back and watch two innocent people die by the hand of my demented twin."

        Broots broke into a relieved grin. "You never really wanted to capture Jarod, huh? That was some excellent pretending on your part. Always wanting to drag him back and threatening to shoot him...no wonder The Centre never thought you would let him escape on purpose," he rambled.

        "Broots! If you ever tell this to anyone else, I'll cut your tongue out myself with a red-hot dagger. Understood?" she
threatened.

        "Yes Miss Parker," he grinned.

        Sydney watched the scene in amusement. He had always suspected Miss Parker's harsh words against Jarod to have been a ruse on her part. His suspicions had proven correct over the years. He remembered how she had tried to rescue Jarod's clone and how worried she had been when she found out that Bartlett wanted to kill Jarod. And he had always known that she and Jarod had deeper feelings than they ever liked to admit. Miss Parker wasn't the only one who had read 'The Saddest Little Valentine'. He also noticed a subtle change in both their voices since they returned from The Isle of Carthis, and only those who knew them well enough would ever realise it. "Miss Parker? Why the sudden change of heart?"

        "It's about time I stopped missing turning points," she told the older man as she lightly touched the pendant of the angel resting against her chest.

        Sydney smiled when he saw what her hand touched. He recognised it as the present he had given Catherine for her thirty-first birthday. He assumed she had just received it from Jarod, since it was the first time he had seen her wear it.

        Miss Parker continued, "Listen. Here's what we're going to do. Since I don't want Lyle to know that we're going to follow him, we'll leave a false trail using The Centre jets. Sydney, I want you to call in the next two hours and tell the jets to be ready to go to Vermont today. We're following a lead on Jarod which you'll create Broots. That way, if 'sweet little brother' wants to know where we are, he can check the flight schedule. Then when we're in Vermont, Broots, charter a flight to Galveston. And pack lightly boys. Destroy this DSA Syd," she ordered, handing him the disc. "See you in two hours." She closed her player and stood up, ready to leave. Sydney moved out of the way to let her pass. Without another backward glance, she was gone.

        "She really has changed, hasn't she Syd?" he asked in awe.

        "No. She hasn't changed. She's finally being herself," he replied grinning. The two men left to perform the tasks assigned them.

        Eight hours later they were in the air heading to Galveston, Texas. They just hoped they would reach there and be able to help Jarod's mother and sister escape before being harmed by Lyle.

        Six and a half hours later, the irritatingly up-beat voice of their pilot announced, "We will be landing in the next fifteen minutes. The cabin crew will be making their last rounds to collect any garbage you may have. Please ensure your tray tables are stowed away and your seats are in the up-right position. We would also like to take the opportunity to thank you for choosing to fly with Sue's Air Charters and hope that you enjoy your stay in Texas or wherever your final destination might be," she finished, attempting and succeeding in imitating an air hostess.

        "God! Now I remember exactly why I don't do commercial flights," Miss Parker muttered, earning amused grins from her companions. 'And does this woman ever shut up?' Miss Parker had seriously considered jumping from the small six-seater plane many times during the incessant chatter of 'good ol' Sue'.

        Miss Parker and company gratefully left the confines of Sue's metal bird after retrieving their luggage. The trio rented a car, then found a motel close to the docks. The un-kempt, overweight, middle-aged man who checked them in, found Miss Parker very attractive and made no attempt to hide his interest. After receiving the keys for the two rooms, Miss Parker sent him a withering glare. In a low, dangerous tone she said, "If you don't quit ogling me like that, my fist in your face would be the last thing you'll ever remember seeing. Do I make myself clear?" The man nodded mutely and swallowed hard. "That's a good boy."

        She picked up her bag, turned on her heel and went in search of her room. Sydney and Broots quickly caught up with her and retrieved the key to the room they were to share. Chuckling, Broots said, "I guess it's safe to say you won't ever want to date him, huh?"

        "Would you?" she retorted. Without waiting for an answer, she said, "Here it is. Room twelve. Yours is eleven. Get lots of rest boys. You'll need it before tomorrow is through." After fighting a victorious battle with the door, she pushed it open and felt around for a light switch. After flooding the rooms with a nauseating yellow glow, she sighed in disgust, "Anytime it comes to Rat Boy, I end up sleeping in a roach motel!"

        The two men entered their room after ensuring she was in hers, shoulders shaking slightly after hearing what Miss Parker had to say about the decor of the motel-room. Broots plopped on to one of the double beds, a thoughtful look on his face. "Why is she helping Jarod now?" he asked the psychiatrist.

        "She always has been helping him. This is the first time we're seeing it openly," he replied after a while.

        "I sure hope she knows what she's doing."

        "I'm certain she does. When it comes to Miss Parker, she always has a plan. Jarod tends to under-estimate her at times and she knows it. But she's never used it to her advantage. Mr. Lyle under-estimates her also. He'll regret making that mistake
tomorrow."

        "I'm sure he will, Sydney. I'm sure he will," he said placing all his confidence in Miss Parker. He turned the lights off and they settled in for a night of well-earned sleep.

======

And now, for the three most dreaded words in fanfiction: TO BE CONTINUED.

Anyway, that was part one. Tell me what you think...is it worthy to be continued? Or should I just trash it? Tell me what was wrong and what I could do better with. Send all comments, criticisms, flames my way at j_angelgadd_amt@hotmail.com

They will be more than welcome and appreciated. Or, leave a review by hitting that little square button right there in the left corner.