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Chapter or Story
Disclaimer: Jarod, Parker, Broots...Own them? I wish! That ingeniusness goes to NBC, though. Also, the song's by Sarah MacLauchlan. Thanx for not suing.
History Repeats, Love Endures
Part VI
by Oriana Lemke
6/7
Parker's sobs slowed, and eventually stopped altogether. She remained in Jarod's arms, tired from her breakdown and feeling safer, near him, than she'd felt since her mother died. He sat on her bed, keeping one hand on the small of her back while the other slowly moved up and down; it was all that Jarod could think to do. In the silence that had fallen between them, Parker could here Jarod's heart beating. The slow, rhythmic sound was comforting; her tense muscles began to relax.
"Parker?" Jarod said quietly, not wanting to ruin the peace but feeling an urgent need to clarify something.
"Mmm?" Parker murmured contentedly.
"I meant what I said."
"I know." Parker slowly raised her head to look at him as a smile spread across her face. There's nothing I'd rather do than stare into those brown eyes, she realized. Jarod reflected her smile as his eyes grew quizzical, wondering why she was staring at him.
"What's on your mind?" Parker's smile broadened at his question. If you only knew, she thought. But instead of giving a reply, she pulled away from Jarod a bit, keeping one hand rested gently on the back of his neck, to get a better look at him.
"Do you have any idea..." Parker began, then stopped, and found a better approach. "You are amazing. And no matter what happens from this point on, I just want you to know...Oh, hell with it!" She pulled Jarod forward, and pressed her lips against his. For a split second Jarod's eyes were wide in shock, but he quickly came to his senses, joining in the kiss. When they both pulled back, slightly out of breath, all they could see were the amazing depths of each other's eyes. A tender smile spread across Jarod's face as they leaned forward once again. Their lips were barely apart--
--When the front door swung open, banging as it hit a wall. Jarod and Parker pulled themselves away from each other, quickly but unwillingly. With an unhappy sigh Jarod walked to the bedroom door, looking for just who had interrupted a moment he'd been dreaming about for a good long time now. He found Broots struggling under the weight of two heavily laden groceries bags. Jarod rushed over to help the overwhelmed man, grabbing one of the bags just before it toppled over, and carefully placing it on the floor.
"Thanks," Broots grinned. His face grew concerned as he looked past Jarod to Parker's room. He moved closer to Jarod and whispered confidentially, "How is she?"
"Fine now. That dream really shook her up, though."
"Yeah," Broots agreed, thinking back to the panicked screams he'd heard earlier. "It was great of you to be there for her like that. I mean, I wouldn't have known what to do. I've never seen her vulnerable like that. Anyhow, as you can see, we got more food than just for breakfast. Syd and Emily will be up in a second with the rest. We figured since we'll probably be here for awhile..." Broots continued to talk as he began to unload the groceries in the kitchen, but Jarod didn't hear him. He was still caught on what Broots had said about Miss Parker being vulnerable. Would she still have kissed me, Jarod worried, if I hadn't comforted her earlier? He hadn't really had enough experience to know what a woman's reasons for the first kiss were.
He snapped to attention when he noticed Parker close her door. Might as well ask her now, he realized. Jarod walked back to the bedroom door, and knocked politely.
"Yeah?"
"It's me," Jarod said. "Can I come in?"
"Sure, it's unlocked." Jarod walked in, closing the door behind him. He considered for a moment, then locked it. He didn't want any interruptions while he talked to Parker about this. A rustle of clothes caught Jarod's attention; he turned to face the room, and noticed a shirt being tossed from behind a silk changing screen placed in the far corner. Suddenly, Jarod wasn't so sure that now was the right time to talk to Parker about this. It certainly wouldn't make things easy, knowing that the woman he had just kissed was undressing herself. Jarod cleared his throat.
"Um...I think we should probably talk...about what happened." Behind the screen, Parker stopped just as she was reaching for a sweater. She stood there, scantily clad in black underwear and a bra, suddenly oblivious to her state of undress. He can't possibly be having doubts, Parker thought to herself. Could he? It wasn't a thought she wanted to entertain, that was for sure. After everything that had happened, after that kiss -which I initiated, Parker berated herself-, there was no way she could behave like everything was just as it had been.
Not hearing anything, Jarod hesitated before continuing. Just how the hell did one go about something as awkward as this?
"If you...if things happened just because...I mean, if you have any doubts about it...I would never push the issue..." Parker's concerned look softened as she heard his uncertain tone. She walked to stand a few feet from the screen, her lack of clothes completely gone from her thoughts. Obviously the first thing to register with Jarod wasn't the fact that Parker was laughing, but it soon sunk in.
"What's so funny?" He, for one, was completely lost.
"We were both so worried about how the other felt about it," Parker managed. "Do you realize how far that kiss could have gone, if Broots hadn't walked in the apartment just then. We certainly weren't giving any hints that we were at all hesitant."
"So, you don't regret what happened?" Jarod clarified in relief, a happy grin coming across his face. Parker shook her head, then walked over and -for the second time that morning- took matters into her own hands. When their lips finally parted, Parker rested her forehead against Jarod's, and smiled.
"If that didn't make things crystal clear, there's probably only one other thing that will. Unfortunately, there are other people here at the moment, so a kiss will just have to do." She added a soft, tender kiss on Jarod's temple for good measure, still smiling and experiencing a sort of happy warmth unfamiliar to her. Parker walked back behind the screen. "Why don't you go make sure Broots got coffee? I'll be out in a second."
Grinning like the Cheshire Cat, Jarod unlocked the door and walked to the kitchen. He made coffee, sought out mugs, and dug through the refrigerator for cream, all with the same happy face that left Syd and Broots sharing mystified looks.
~~~~~~~~~
The laughter of children mixed with barking dogs and other assorted sunny-afternoon-in-the-park noises to create a beautiful -if not somewhat chaotic- picture. This park, Jarod concluded, had to be one of the best spots in the world for a kid to play. It had caught his eye as he and Emily, in search of the perfect teddy bear to keep the little girl company at night, had dragged Parker -who didn't manage to put up an act of boredom for much longer, and would soon relax enough in the company of the other two to show her own enjoyment of the shopping excursion- down the sidewalk to a third toy store.
This particular Saturday, their third day in the city, had provided the perfect just-warm-enough-and-not-a-cloud-in-the-sky weather for families to flock to the enormous park, with its antique carousel and duck-inhabited pond. That morning, when everyone had begun to voice ideas of what exactly to do, Jarod had quickly brought up the park. No one caught her, since Parker was curled up in an overstuffed chair a bit apart from everyone else, but she allowed herself a little grin at Jarod's eagerness. His childlike behavior and open excitement were two of the things she loved most about him.
Emily was sitting on the grass with a dozen other young children, awestruck by a clown's magic show, while Broots and Sydney took advantage of a walking path to talk about this and that, though it never ceased to amaze Parker just how much those two managed to find in common.
And as for Parker, she was seated on a wooden bench near the lake, watching -a little jealously- all the happy couples walking along hand-in-hand, enjoying the great sights of the park together. Just as Broots and Sydney were walking off, something caught Jarod's attention and he hurried off, with an assurance of returning soon, and a curious gleam in his eye not unlike Emily's when she had spotted the clown.
Parker sighed and glanced down at her watch. The magic show would probably end soon, and then she'd at least have Emily to keep her company. Maybe they could feed the ducks or something.
"Hungry?" Came a cheery voice from behind her. The delicious scent of junk food wafted towards Parker's nose as she turned to look back at Jarod. One glance at him, and she cracked up. Jarod had a hot dog and soda carefully arranged in a small carrying box, while his other hand struggled to hold onto a bag of popcorn and a monstrous cloud of pink and blue cotton candy. Placed upon his dark hair was a green balloon hat, and a purple helium balloon was tied to his wrist with silver ribbon.
"You wouldn't believe the number of vendors around here!"
About 10 minutes later Emily appeared at the bench, her attention now on the ball of spun sugar and shiny balloon tied to the bench. She squirmed up onto the bench between the couple, and began to munch her way into the mass of cotton candy. Jarod's fashion choice had her absolute approval.
Jarod's large appetite was not to be ignored, and though he quickly inhaled everything but Emily's cotton candy, it seemed dessert was missing, so he soon left the girls in search of an icecream vendor, promising to soon return with three chocolate cones. A sort of comfortable silence came between Parker and Emily; as Parker watched the splashing games of a few nearby ducks, Emily was busy tugging her balloon by it's silver cord to make it dance about. The young child stopped, however, when she noticed a single swan slowly making his way across the pond. It caught Parker's eye too, and they both sat for a moment, entranced by the elegant animal.
"My mommy likes swans," Emily quietly informed Parker.
"So did my mother."
"I miss my mommy," Emily whispered sadly. She leaned against Parker, her head resting on the older woman's arm.
"Me too," Parker whispered after a moment.
"I miss my daddy a lot, too," Emily confided. Well, Parker thought, she's got me beat there. What followed was a lengthy, sad silence during which each thought of their mothers, and happier times. After a few minutes, Emily tilted her head up and a pair of large eyes met Parker's own blue ones.
"Miss Parker, I really like you. And Jarod. And Broots and Sydney too. And I'm really, really happy you took me away from the Centre. But, Miss Parker...I want to go home." Parker kept her eyes locked on her small charge, and let out a small sigh. She leaned down and wrapped Emily in her arms, giving her the warm hug Parker herself had desired a hundred times after her mother died.
"I know. We're working on it. I promise, you'll be back home with your mommy and daddy before you know it."
~~~~~~~~~
Her hands were wrapped around a mug of hot coffee, and she was tucked beneath a woolly comforter, staring out into a starry oblivion without the least of breezes nipping her nose and cheeks. None of these helped the chill, however, that formed when she had thought once again about just what Raines had been doing. Just what the Endeavor Project was. The chill was sadness and fear; but above everything else, it was disgust and pity.
It would never end.
The horrors of the Centre, all -her father had assured her- in the name of a greater good--it would never end, Parker realized. For a moment, she couldn't breathe or think; it was as if her mind had frozen with the sudden epiphany. Surely she had known always, deep down, this sickening truth. But years of loneliness and betrayal, a lifetime of yearning for love from a man who screwed with the mind of his own daughter, had taught Parker to hide any understanding that would break apart whatever peace of mind that may still exist.
But with this painful realization, the fragile world Parker had erected with so many years of lies, the only way she knew to live with the Centre's actions and her own, came crashing down around her.
Walking through the darkened apartment, Jarod made his way to the kitchen in search of a midnight snack. His glance happened to wander to the open glass doors leading to the balcony, and his eyes fell upon a still figure huddled upon a chair. His hunger forgotten, Jarod walked to the doorway, silently observing Parker, with her knees drawn up to her chin, and her unmoving body illuminated by the city lights and beams of a full moon. He stood watching, saddened as he noticed a single tear escape her moist eyes and slowly make a trail down her cheek.
After a moment, he turned to walk away, believing that whatever troubled her was something that must be dealt with alone. Parker caught the slight sound Jarod's footsteps created on the thick carpet.
"Jarod," Parker whispered. Jarod turned and walked out onto the balcony. Parker still sat with her head tilted up towards the stars, but her gazing eyes were no longer on the verge of shedding tears. Uncertain of what to do or say, Jarod stood only a foot or so from Parker, quietly awaiting whatever she felt she had to say. Concern was clearly written across his face, and dark brown eyes reflected sadness at seeing someone he cared about so dearly in such pain.
"If, somehow," Parker spoke up, her voice low but controlled, "you and your father were given the chance to meet again... you would have that amazing bond you two had when you first found him, and he would be so grateful to have you back. I mean, think about it: all the years that he spent searching for you, and now, taking care of the younger Jarod..." She sighed, and stretched out her legs as her gaze moved to another patch of stars. "My father, on the other hand, has probably dismissed me, knowing that I've helped you free Emily. I've been discarded and forgotten, having been used up to my full potential and no longer worth the trouble... Just like my mother. And, if one day we were reunited, he wouldn't welcome me with open arms, but probably demand why I had't brought you back with me." For the first time, she moved her head to look at Jarod. "Let's face it--your father would move heaven and earth to protect you. Mine just doesn't give a damn." Parker stood and took one step towards him.
"I know I can never go back. I know my father won't even feel sorry. But somehow, I just don't care." Touched by her admission, Jarod pulled Parker into the warmth of his arms.
"The sooner we get Emily back to her parents, the better... Broots will have to retrieve Debbie soon, get them settled in someplace new and safe... Syd'll have to find his own way, too... And you... you have an entire family to find, and you're closer now than ever."
She clung even tighter to Jarod, and he felt his heart pull. He wanted to protect her from this hurt, to make all the wounds she'd gotten over the years better. He wanted to hold her like this forever, safe in his arms and far from those that wished to harm her. Parker moved back enough to be able to see straight into his eyes. Tears welled once again, but her voice remained steady.
"Where do I go from here?"
"I don't know," Jarod answered honestly in a soft voice. "That's a choice you have to make on your own. But whatever you decide, I'm going to be there, holding your hand the whole way."
~~~~~~~~~
The group would spend five more days in the Chicago apartment. Parker and Jarod spent the days with Emily, visiting every site a child could possibly find interesting; the nights, however, were another matter. As soon as Emily had fallen asleep in her bed, the group would get to work in the living room, Syd assisting Jarod and Parker in searching for Emily's family, while Broots went about the process of rebuilding the lives of his child and himself.
A police report Jarod came upon while checking out the records of the Albany police department would prove to be the key to finding Emily's family. The report described a child exactly like Emily, who disappeared around the time that Emily appeared at the Centre. Everyone gathered around Jarod's laptop eagerly as a picture of the missing child downloaded. Indeed, the picture was of Emily, dressed in a blue velvet dress and smiling sweetly for the camera. The parents, Paul and Constance Simms, had offered a reward of $650,000. Now that a name had been put to the faces of Emily's parents, it was time to find an address. Parker came across this, as well as a disturbing piece of information, the next night.
As the picture of a document appeared on her computer screen, Parker grew pale. Jarod happened to glance up, and seeing her sudden change in appearance, he moved over next to her on the couch.
"I don't want to believe it," Parker managed. Jarod looked down at her screen, and as he realized what he was seeing, his heart fell.
"It's a death certificate," Jarod sadly informed Syd and Broots. "Paul Simms died in a head-on collision last month." Silence fell upon the room.
"I have the address," Parker spoke up over an hour later, the first to speak since the discovery of the death certificate. "It seems Constance Simms sold the house after her husband died. She owns a smaller place in Albany now--at 263 Powell Circle. She must've caught onto the fact that some very powerful people had her daughter, somehow--she's changed her name twice, and hasn't updated the reward poster since Paul died, but has gotten quite a few notices posted on the internet." She looked over at Jarod and smiled. "We've found her."
~~~~~~~~~
"Has she started talking yet, Syd?"
"They've just sat down on a bench... Now Parker's speaking..."
"How's Emily taking it?"
"I doubt Miss Parker's even had a chance to tell her, Broots. This isn't exactly something you tell someone as quickly as possible."
It was the following day, their last in Chicago. Everyone had agreed that it would best for Emily to learn of her father before being given back to her mother, but that upon learning such news a speedy return to the comfort of her mother would undoubtedly be best. There had been no discussion over who would break the news to Emily--Parker had quietly volunteered before anyone could bring it up. She felt, because of the impact her mother's death had had on her, that she would be most understanding about Emily's position.
The park was nowhere near as crowded this Thursday as it had been last weekend. In fact, the quiet secluded area around the duck pond was perfect for the scene about to take place. Parker had insisted on telling Emily alone, but Syd and Broots sat watching carefully over the two girls they had grown so protective of. Jarod had opted to sit apart, in a private spot on the opposite side of the small pond; it was close enough for the concerned man to observe clearly, while not being so close as to draw attention to himself.
He watched as Emily bowed her head, saying nothing as far as Jarod could tell. For awhile Parker sat quietly, allowing the girl time to sort her thoughts. Then, in a cautious but caring move, Parker leaned over and hugged the little girl. In his hidden spot, Jarod let out a heavy, unhappy sigh.
In a sad sort of irony, Parker was probably suffering more right now, Jarod realized. It must be like reliving all the horrible memories connected to Catherine Parker's death, and yet she had to look strong and be the stone for Emily to lean on, not showing all the pain she was experiencing. And Emily, of course, still had her mother there to see her through this sad time. Mr. Parker had never really been much of a father to Miss Parker, before or after Catherine's death.
~~~~~~~~~
Jarod was the one to contact Mrs. Simms, anonymously, guaranteeing some very promising information on her daughter's location should she meet him at Grand Central Station in New York the next day. She had agreed, quickly promising to come alone and without informing anyone of the meeting.
Under an assumed name, Parker booked the entire group a red-eye flight to New York that night, choosing to reward everything that they'd been through by getting first class tickets. Their residence was chosen with Parker's high standards as well--a large suite at the Ritz. No one had been able to sleep on the plane, but Syd and Broots managed to grab a few hours once they arrived. Emily, no doubt exhausted from her latest ordeal, had fallen asleep curled up next to Parker on a cushy love seat. Gently, Jarod picked up the child as Parker opened the door to the closest bedroom.
Sydney was headed to the bathroom for a drink of water when he stopped in the doorway of Emily's room, the touching scene that was taking place catching his eye. He smiled lovingly at the picture laid out before him: Parker was tucking the covers up under a sleeping Emily's chin while Jarod plucked Ruggles, Emily's new stuffed bear, from his spot on the nightstand and placed him under the covers next to the girl. Sydney felt the pride of a doting father as he looked on. He thought back over the past two weeks, and wondered if Parker and Jarod realized just how special their bond was.
~~~~~~~~~
Grand Central Station on a Friday morning barely offers breathing space for anyone, let alone a clear view of everyone else. This was why the group was perched in a well-hidden spot upstairs, with blinded windows that offered a good view of everything going on down below. Their eyes were carefully watching the same island of chairs near a vending machine, the appointed meeting place where Constance Simms should be arriving any moment.
Jarod, Parker and Emily all peered occasionally through the blinds, each time searching hopefully for a certain young blonde woman.
At exactly 7:40, the appointed time, a thin blonde woman wearing a black flowered skirt and black top appeared next to the vending machine, clearly trying to appear calm and nonchalant, though her quick eyes and pacing showed impatience.
"Emily," Jarod spoke up, spotting the lady. "Do you recognize that woman down there?" Emily eagerly looked out the window.
"That's my mommy!" Emily squealed. Brushing past Jarod, she raced out the door before anyone could sort out what had happened. Her eyes wide with fright, Parker whipped out her gun and ran to the door.
"Emily! Come back, we don't know if the area's secure!" That stopped the girl in her tracks, halfway down the stairs. Her experience back at the old factory had proven just how dangerous this situation was. She made her way back up the stairs, but glanced with longing down at her mother.
With extreme caution, everyone glanced out through the blinds to be absolutely sure no one familiar or out of place was visible. Finally, Parker looked to Jarod, who nodded his confirmation. She walked over to Emily, and reached down for her hand.
"Come on. Let's go meet this mom of yours." Giggling, Emily led Parker down the stairs and over the main floor to where her mother stood, with Jarod, Sydney and Broots following just behind.
"Emily!"
"Mommy!" The mother and daughter ran to each other, both laughing -though Mrs. Simms's eyes quickly began to well- and talking at once.
"I missed you!"
"I missed you too, baby. How are you? Are you hurt?"
"Nope, I'm fine." Emily pointed back to where Jarod and the others stood, watching the reunion with proud smiles. "These are my friends: Miss Parker, Jarod, Sydney and Broots. They helped me get away from the bad people."
"I don't know how to thank you," Mrs. Simms told the others with a quavering voice. "I never dreamed she would actually be here. My daughter is the world to me... You don't know how much this means to me."
"I think we do," Miss Parker smiled. But as she looked over to Jarod, the smile disappeared. She turned to where Emily was standing by her mother. "Emily, why don't we go get Ruggles, and give your mommy and the others a few minutes to talk, okay?" Emily's eyes fell a little, but she nodded and took Parker's hand as they made their way back to the stairs. Noting the uncomfortable looks on the men's faces, Mrs. Simms immediately grew concerned.
"What's wrong?"
"Mrs. Simms...There are a few unhappy things we have to discuss," Jarod said. He led her to the island of chairs, and they all sat. "First, you should know that Emily is aware of her father's death. We came across the death certificate while searching for you, and... Miss Parker felt it was only right to tell her as soon as possible." He paused, allowing her to absorb this information, then continued. "Also... the people that took Emily will probably go to a lot of trouble to find her again. We know that you've changed your name and moved, but I'm afraid you'll have to do it again, for Emily's sake. Take her someplace far away, start over completely. I'll help in any way I can..." His face grew concerned as she remained quiet. "Mrs. Simms, you have no idea how sorry we are for this."
"I have my daughter back, Jarod. That's all that matters."
"Of course." Everyone grew silent, thinking of everything ahead of them still. Just then, Emily and Miss Parker returned, with Ruggles in hand.
"Darling, why don't you say goodbye? We need to get going."
The men stood, and Jarod walked over to be next to Parker. He knew she would need support to do this. His hand moved slowly to hers, and laced their fingers together. She looked at him, and Jarod smiled warmly back.
"Goodbye, Sydney," Emily said, hugging the older man. She moved on to Broots, hugging him as well. "Goodbye, Broots." She then walked over to Jarod, who let go of Parker to wrap his arms around the little girl. "Goodbye, Jarod. Thank you for finding my mommy."
"Goodbye, Emily."
Now came the hardest part of all. Emily stepped over to Miss Parker slowly, and when Parker kneeled down the little girl threw her arms around her.
"I'll miss you," Emily whispered.
"Not as much as I'll miss you," Parker whispered back, squeezing even tighter. "But you're gonna be fine now."
"When will I get to see you again?" Parker felt as if her heart would break when she heard that question.
"I don't know," she answered honestly. "But we'll see each other again one day."
"Promise?"
"Promise." A final squeeze and Emily walked back over to her mother, keeping a tight grip on Ruggles.
"Goodbye, everyone," Mrs. Simms called back as the two headed out the doors outside, into the busy streets of New York. "And again, thank you." For a moment, Jarod and the others merely stood there, watching the door through which Emily and her mother had stepped through. Then, as if on a whim, Parker ran out the door, with the others following slowly behind. Miss Parker stood there, on the busy sidewalk, staring as a yellow cab pulled away. Just as Jarod walked up to Miss Parker, a familiar face appeared in the back window. Emily didn't turn back around until the cab turned a corner, and Miss Parker was out of sight.
"We should get back to the hotel," Sydney finally spoke up.
"Yes," Parker murmured. "Let's go."
~~~~~~~~~
"How about rural Kansas?" Jarod suggested with a grin.
"Oh, yeah, I can just picture us: you wearing overalls and bumping along atop a tractor, while I sit in the kitchen churning butter. What a lovely thought," Parker laughed. She picked up her glass from the small glass table just ahead of their wicker love seat, and took a sip of her white wine as she gazed out at the buildings visible from the balcony of their suite near the top of the Ritz. "Seriously, though, I think somewhere a tad bigger would be better, don't you? I mean, think about it...San Francisco, Boston, Seattle...you know, someplace big."
"Yeah, I guess that would be safer," Jarod remarked.
"Safer?"
"Well, yeah. I mean, the middle of nowhere...You, miles from the nearest salon or Starbucks. You'd go insane in no time." They both burst out laughing.
Inside, Sydney and Broots quietly observed the happy couple. Beside their feet were placed Broots' carry-on and Sydney's briefcase. Goodbyes had been said over six hours ago, at JFK International Airport, where Sydney and Broots were taking the same plane to Richmond.
Debbie's aunt had taken her to Virginia for a few days to visit a cousin; Broots was going to pick up his daughter there. He had chosen Houston as their new home--it had plenty of safe suburbs with good schools, and Jarod's connections had landed him a well-paying position as a computer analyst. Their last name was now Garner.
Sydney had opted to stay in Richmond long enough to get his affairs in order. He would then head to his new job in Manchester, England, working as a child psychologist; Sydney was determined to help as many young lives as possible. As soon as he had settled, he intended to contact his son, as well as someone else very close to him, to see just how his new life would affect these relationships.
Jarod and Parker had left the airport in search of a taxi as soon as Sydney and Broots had boarded; besides goodbyes, they made a sort of pact to keeep in touch, no matter what. It was only right before the plane was about to take off that an engine problem had occured. Nothing major, but enough for the flight to be canceled. All flights were booked solid; it would 10 hours before another plane with available seat left for Richmond. They had intended to drop by the suite for a little while; after all, who knew how long it would be before they were all together like this again? But when they had walked in, it hadn't been difficult to see that Jarod and Parker were perfectly okay by themselves.
"You know, Syd, I think they're going to be just fine." They turned back in unison for one last look--Jarod had one arm wrapped lightly around Parker's waist, and she had rested her head on his shoulder.
"I hope so, Broots," Sydney said as they walked out the door. "No one deserves some happiness more than those two."
~~~~~~~~~
"We've circled in a plane over Savannah for half an hour, I was undressed with the eyes of practically every man we've crossed -including a cab driver with 13 letters but absolutely no vowels in his name-, and now we finally arrive here at the beautiful Magnolia Breeze Bed & Breakfast, only to be told to listen for flash flood warnings because of a hurricane," Miss Parker whined as she flopped down on the canopy bed. "I know it was my idea to come here in the first place, but now I can't for the life of me remember why!"
"Come on, Parker, it's not that bad," Jarod smiled as he tossed their bags in a corner of the room, then parted the curtains to let in some sunlight. "Hey, why don't we go for a walk, look around the town a bit? It's still hours until dusk."
"All right," Parker agreed, pushing herself up from the bed. "But can we stop somewhere? I'm hungry!"
"Sure. Oh, yeah, I need a pez refill, too," Jarod remembered. He smiled sheepishly at Parker. "Besides, I bet there's some awesome homemade candy around here I've never even had before." Parker laughed, a wonderful sound that warmed Jarod's heart.
"You know, when we made that deal yesterday in New York, out on the patio, I should've had you give up something too, say... a certain small, squarish candy."
"Not a chance!" Jarod laughed, but there was a small tinge of panic in his voice. "Besides, it's dangerous enough with one of us going through withdrawal, but if I try to get over pez while you're getting past cigarettes..." -Jarod pretended to shudder in fright- "That wouldn't be a pretty sight."
"Let's go!" Parker insisted, grinning as she grabbed Jarod's hand and led him to the door. "I'm starving!"
~~~~~~~~~
The park was full of blooming flowers and chirping birds, with waves crashing in the background. On the horizon, the sun was setting, tinting the ocean red and orange. This had to be one of the most beautiful places in the world, Jarod thought. And with Parker at his side, walking with him hand-in-hand, he knew there was nowhere else he would rather be.
Suddenly, the birds went silent. Everything seemed to be still.
Parker and Jarod looked at each other, and their eyes said it all. Releasing each other's hands, they began to run to the opposite side of the park, where their rental car was parked. Instinct alone sent Parker's hand reaching for her gun, only to realize it wasn't there. Shit, she thought, my gun! Jarod had me give up my gun! She shot Jarod a panicked look.
A single shot went off, missing Parker by inches but instead shattering the bark of a nearby tree. Running even faster now, Parker whipped her head around to try and locate the shooter. She spotted a black car parked nearby, and an open window revealed a hand gun, held by a man unclear to her.
Two more shots rang out--a bush to one side of her shook as it lost a shower of leaves and small branches.
Another bullet passed Parker, grazing her neck. She gasped at the sudden sting, but ignored the pain, instead concentrating on their car, now so close. Only about 30 feet from it, Jarod started to move faster, and yanked the keys out of his jacket pocket as he crossed Parker's running direction, aiming for the driver's side of the car.
A shot echoed, and Jarod let out a startled yelp of pain. Parker turned her head as they reached their rental car, and looked over at Jarod. He was still moving, which was enough for her at the moment. Jumping into the front seats, Jarod jammed the key into the ignition and pushed the accelerator to the floor.
Parker looked out through the back window until the park was well out of sight. She turned around in her seat, buckled her seatbelt in reaction to Jarod's speeding, then turned her attention to him, concerned over his earlier shout of pain. Her eyes widened in shock and fear as she noticed the large red spot growing on the shoulder of his white shirt.
"God, Jarod, you've been hit. How bad is it?"
"I'm fine. What about you--is the wound deep?" It was only then that Parker felt the cool, wet sensation of blood trailing down her neck. She placed one finger over the cut, and when she brought the finger up, it was colored by a single drop of blood. A little uncomfortable to know that a bullet had gotten that close, but she'd live.
"I'll be alright," Parker assured him. She look worriedly at his blood-stained shirt. Jesus, how deep was that wound, for him to be losing that much blood? "Jarod, are sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine," Jarod insisted through clenched teeth. But Parker could tell from the beads of sweat already forming on his forehead, and the way he winced every time he had to turn the steering wheel, that Jarod was far from fine.
"The hell you are! Pull over up here--I'm driving."
"We can't stop."
"Jarod, you're bleeding like crazy. Now pull the damn car over!" Realizing she was right, Jarod turned the car into a nearby alley. He slid into the passenger's seat while Parker went around the car to the driver's seat. As he reclined the seat, she grabbed her cardigan from the back seat and wrapped it around his arm to help stop the bleeding.
"That's the best we can do for now. A better nursing job will have to wait until we can stop at a hotel somewhere," Parker fretted, glancing in concern at the paling man.
"What are my chances of getting you to include a sponge bath?" Jarod joked, grinning weakly.
~~~~~~~~~
She finally stopped, at well past midnight, when they reached Atlanta. Parker had driven vaguely in the direction of the city, but taken a longer route through as many backroads as she could properly follow on the map. It had only been half an hour or so when Jarod fell asleep, tucked under his leather jacket and much more pale than Parker cared for.
Their room was, admittedly, not as luxurious as the suite back in New York, but it was near the center of the city and was crowded enough for them to blend in easily. It was a sort of family resort in the city, with a couple of pools, an ice cream parlor, an arcade, and a few other novelties that would no doubt pique Jarod's interest once he was well enough. For now, however, he was limited to the room, mostly the bed, as Parker insisted.
The bed...Parker hadn't realized how insinuating it would be, in a room with just one bed and two of them. So far, they hadn't done anything serious, and with Jarod wounded, it wasn't as if she was going to seduce him their first night in Atlanta; still, Parker was a little pleased to see the disappointed glance Jarod shot her when he thought she wasn't looking, as she placed a blanket and pillow on the couch.
"So," Parker was saying as she picked up the telephone, "what's it going to be from room service?"
"Whatever it is, make it a lot of it," Jarod said from bed. "How about a cheeseburger, fries and a strawberry shake. Hey, why don't we split a pizza, too?"
"Well, it's good to see that a gunshot wound, not to mention severe blood loss, has hindered your appetite," Parker joked. Jarod was about to respond, but she put up a hand to quiet him as she talked to the hotel employee on the other end. "Yes, hello... Right, I need a cheeseburger with fries, a strawberry milkshake, a chicken ceasar salad, and an iced tea, please..." -she noticed Jarod give her a fake pout- "...And I guess we're going to need a pepperoni pizza... A small should be fine... Great... Yeah, room number 734... Okay, thanks. Bye." She hung up the phone.
Two hours later, a very full Jarod had fallen asleep on the bed, an empty pizza box at his feet, while Parker stood in the bathroom, carefully replacing the bandage on her neck. She stared at her reflection as she thoughtlessly fingered the gauze; her eyes slowly closed and her thoughts began to wander back to the park...
The ocean waves...a calm walk...their sudden race to the car...five gunshots...Jarod's shout of pain.
Parker's eyes shot open with sudden realization. Her blue eyes grew moist, and she turned from her reflection, the bandaged wound a reminder of what had happened that day.
"My god, they were shooting at me. Jarod was shot because he got in the way."
~~~~~~~~~
They'd remained in Atlanta for a week. Jarod had healed quickly and well, but he was more concerned with Parker than his own health. She didn't seem ill or withdrawn, but by her quiet manner, he could tell that something was upsetting her. Instead of confronting her, Jarod simply enjoyed her company and acted as though nothing were wrong, knowing she'd come to him in her own good time.
Early in the morning, Jarod was packing his bags. He'd awoken two hours ago to find Parker had already packed and left the hotel room. He figured he might as well get his own stuff together while she was gone.
He heard the door open while he was in the bathroom gathering his toothbrush and things.
"Great, you're back," Jarod said as he walked to the bed, his back to the door. "Listen, just let me finish up here and we can going. We've got four hours before the plane to San Francisco leaves." He turned to face Parker. He couldn't help but notice that the light colors and comfortable clothing she'd been wearing recently were replaced with a black business suit.
Parker walked over to the bed, picking up her black leather bag without one word. She moved back to the door, and stopped; she took a deep breath, then turned to face Jarod.
"I'm not going."
Part VI
by Oriana Lemke
6/7
Parker's sobs slowed, and eventually stopped altogether. She remained in Jarod's arms, tired from her breakdown and feeling safer, near him, than she'd felt since her mother died. He sat on her bed, keeping one hand on the small of her back while the other slowly moved up and down; it was all that Jarod could think to do. In the silence that had fallen between them, Parker could here Jarod's heart beating. The slow, rhythmic sound was comforting; her tense muscles began to relax.
"Parker?" Jarod said quietly, not wanting to ruin the peace but feeling an urgent need to clarify something.
"Mmm?" Parker murmured contentedly.
"I meant what I said."
"I know." Parker slowly raised her head to look at him as a smile spread across her face. There's nothing I'd rather do than stare into those brown eyes, she realized. Jarod reflected her smile as his eyes grew quizzical, wondering why she was staring at him.
"What's on your mind?" Parker's smile broadened at his question. If you only knew, she thought. But instead of giving a reply, she pulled away from Jarod a bit, keeping one hand rested gently on the back of his neck, to get a better look at him.
"Do you have any idea..." Parker began, then stopped, and found a better approach. "You are amazing. And no matter what happens from this point on, I just want you to know...Oh, hell with it!" She pulled Jarod forward, and pressed her lips against his. For a split second Jarod's eyes were wide in shock, but he quickly came to his senses, joining in the kiss. When they both pulled back, slightly out of breath, all they could see were the amazing depths of each other's eyes. A tender smile spread across Jarod's face as they leaned forward once again. Their lips were barely apart--
--When the front door swung open, banging as it hit a wall. Jarod and Parker pulled themselves away from each other, quickly but unwillingly. With an unhappy sigh Jarod walked to the bedroom door, looking for just who had interrupted a moment he'd been dreaming about for a good long time now. He found Broots struggling under the weight of two heavily laden groceries bags. Jarod rushed over to help the overwhelmed man, grabbing one of the bags just before it toppled over, and carefully placing it on the floor.
"Thanks," Broots grinned. His face grew concerned as he looked past Jarod to Parker's room. He moved closer to Jarod and whispered confidentially, "How is she?"
"Fine now. That dream really shook her up, though."
"Yeah," Broots agreed, thinking back to the panicked screams he'd heard earlier. "It was great of you to be there for her like that. I mean, I wouldn't have known what to do. I've never seen her vulnerable like that. Anyhow, as you can see, we got more food than just for breakfast. Syd and Emily will be up in a second with the rest. We figured since we'll probably be here for awhile..." Broots continued to talk as he began to unload the groceries in the kitchen, but Jarod didn't hear him. He was still caught on what Broots had said about Miss Parker being vulnerable. Would she still have kissed me, Jarod worried, if I hadn't comforted her earlier? He hadn't really had enough experience to know what a woman's reasons for the first kiss were.
He snapped to attention when he noticed Parker close her door. Might as well ask her now, he realized. Jarod walked back to the bedroom door, and knocked politely.
"Yeah?"
"It's me," Jarod said. "Can I come in?"
"Sure, it's unlocked." Jarod walked in, closing the door behind him. He considered for a moment, then locked it. He didn't want any interruptions while he talked to Parker about this. A rustle of clothes caught Jarod's attention; he turned to face the room, and noticed a shirt being tossed from behind a silk changing screen placed in the far corner. Suddenly, Jarod wasn't so sure that now was the right time to talk to Parker about this. It certainly wouldn't make things easy, knowing that the woman he had just kissed was undressing herself. Jarod cleared his throat.
"Um...I think we should probably talk...about what happened." Behind the screen, Parker stopped just as she was reaching for a sweater. She stood there, scantily clad in black underwear and a bra, suddenly oblivious to her state of undress. He can't possibly be having doubts, Parker thought to herself. Could he? It wasn't a thought she wanted to entertain, that was for sure. After everything that had happened, after that kiss -which I initiated, Parker berated herself-, there was no way she could behave like everything was just as it had been.
Not hearing anything, Jarod hesitated before continuing. Just how the hell did one go about something as awkward as this?
"If you...if things happened just because...I mean, if you have any doubts about it...I would never push the issue..." Parker's concerned look softened as she heard his uncertain tone. She walked to stand a few feet from the screen, her lack of clothes completely gone from her thoughts. Obviously the first thing to register with Jarod wasn't the fact that Parker was laughing, but it soon sunk in.
"What's so funny?" He, for one, was completely lost.
"We were both so worried about how the other felt about it," Parker managed. "Do you realize how far that kiss could have gone, if Broots hadn't walked in the apartment just then. We certainly weren't giving any hints that we were at all hesitant."
"So, you don't regret what happened?" Jarod clarified in relief, a happy grin coming across his face. Parker shook her head, then walked over and -for the second time that morning- took matters into her own hands. When their lips finally parted, Parker rested her forehead against Jarod's, and smiled.
"If that didn't make things crystal clear, there's probably only one other thing that will. Unfortunately, there are other people here at the moment, so a kiss will just have to do." She added a soft, tender kiss on Jarod's temple for good measure, still smiling and experiencing a sort of happy warmth unfamiliar to her. Parker walked back behind the screen. "Why don't you go make sure Broots got coffee? I'll be out in a second."
Grinning like the Cheshire Cat, Jarod unlocked the door and walked to the kitchen. He made coffee, sought out mugs, and dug through the refrigerator for cream, all with the same happy face that left Syd and Broots sharing mystified looks.
~~~~~~~~~
The laughter of children mixed with barking dogs and other assorted sunny-afternoon-in-the-park noises to create a beautiful -if not somewhat chaotic- picture. This park, Jarod concluded, had to be one of the best spots in the world for a kid to play. It had caught his eye as he and Emily, in search of the perfect teddy bear to keep the little girl company at night, had dragged Parker -who didn't manage to put up an act of boredom for much longer, and would soon relax enough in the company of the other two to show her own enjoyment of the shopping excursion- down the sidewalk to a third toy store.
This particular Saturday, their third day in the city, had provided the perfect just-warm-enough-and-not-a-cloud-in-the-sky weather for families to flock to the enormous park, with its antique carousel and duck-inhabited pond. That morning, when everyone had begun to voice ideas of what exactly to do, Jarod had quickly brought up the park. No one caught her, since Parker was curled up in an overstuffed chair a bit apart from everyone else, but she allowed herself a little grin at Jarod's eagerness. His childlike behavior and open excitement were two of the things she loved most about him.
Emily was sitting on the grass with a dozen other young children, awestruck by a clown's magic show, while Broots and Sydney took advantage of a walking path to talk about this and that, though it never ceased to amaze Parker just how much those two managed to find in common.
And as for Parker, she was seated on a wooden bench near the lake, watching -a little jealously- all the happy couples walking along hand-in-hand, enjoying the great sights of the park together. Just as Broots and Sydney were walking off, something caught Jarod's attention and he hurried off, with an assurance of returning soon, and a curious gleam in his eye not unlike Emily's when she had spotted the clown.
Parker sighed and glanced down at her watch. The magic show would probably end soon, and then she'd at least have Emily to keep her company. Maybe they could feed the ducks or something.
"Hungry?" Came a cheery voice from behind her. The delicious scent of junk food wafted towards Parker's nose as she turned to look back at Jarod. One glance at him, and she cracked up. Jarod had a hot dog and soda carefully arranged in a small carrying box, while his other hand struggled to hold onto a bag of popcorn and a monstrous cloud of pink and blue cotton candy. Placed upon his dark hair was a green balloon hat, and a purple helium balloon was tied to his wrist with silver ribbon.
"You wouldn't believe the number of vendors around here!"
About 10 minutes later Emily appeared at the bench, her attention now on the ball of spun sugar and shiny balloon tied to the bench. She squirmed up onto the bench between the couple, and began to munch her way into the mass of cotton candy. Jarod's fashion choice had her absolute approval.
Jarod's large appetite was not to be ignored, and though he quickly inhaled everything but Emily's cotton candy, it seemed dessert was missing, so he soon left the girls in search of an icecream vendor, promising to soon return with three chocolate cones. A sort of comfortable silence came between Parker and Emily; as Parker watched the splashing games of a few nearby ducks, Emily was busy tugging her balloon by it's silver cord to make it dance about. The young child stopped, however, when she noticed a single swan slowly making his way across the pond. It caught Parker's eye too, and they both sat for a moment, entranced by the elegant animal.
"My mommy likes swans," Emily quietly informed Parker.
"So did my mother."
"I miss my mommy," Emily whispered sadly. She leaned against Parker, her head resting on the older woman's arm.
"Me too," Parker whispered after a moment.
"I miss my daddy a lot, too," Emily confided. Well, Parker thought, she's got me beat there. What followed was a lengthy, sad silence during which each thought of their mothers, and happier times. After a few minutes, Emily tilted her head up and a pair of large eyes met Parker's own blue ones.
"Miss Parker, I really like you. And Jarod. And Broots and Sydney too. And I'm really, really happy you took me away from the Centre. But, Miss Parker...I want to go home." Parker kept her eyes locked on her small charge, and let out a small sigh. She leaned down and wrapped Emily in her arms, giving her the warm hug Parker herself had desired a hundred times after her mother died.
"I know. We're working on it. I promise, you'll be back home with your mommy and daddy before you know it."
~~~~~~~~~
Her hands were wrapped around a mug of hot coffee, and she was tucked beneath a woolly comforter, staring out into a starry oblivion without the least of breezes nipping her nose and cheeks. None of these helped the chill, however, that formed when she had thought once again about just what Raines had been doing. Just what the Endeavor Project was. The chill was sadness and fear; but above everything else, it was disgust and pity.
It would never end.
The horrors of the Centre, all -her father had assured her- in the name of a greater good--it would never end, Parker realized. For a moment, she couldn't breathe or think; it was as if her mind had frozen with the sudden epiphany. Surely she had known always, deep down, this sickening truth. But years of loneliness and betrayal, a lifetime of yearning for love from a man who screwed with the mind of his own daughter, had taught Parker to hide any understanding that would break apart whatever peace of mind that may still exist.
But with this painful realization, the fragile world Parker had erected with so many years of lies, the only way she knew to live with the Centre's actions and her own, came crashing down around her.
Walking through the darkened apartment, Jarod made his way to the kitchen in search of a midnight snack. His glance happened to wander to the open glass doors leading to the balcony, and his eyes fell upon a still figure huddled upon a chair. His hunger forgotten, Jarod walked to the doorway, silently observing Parker, with her knees drawn up to her chin, and her unmoving body illuminated by the city lights and beams of a full moon. He stood watching, saddened as he noticed a single tear escape her moist eyes and slowly make a trail down her cheek.
After a moment, he turned to walk away, believing that whatever troubled her was something that must be dealt with alone. Parker caught the slight sound Jarod's footsteps created on the thick carpet.
"Jarod," Parker whispered. Jarod turned and walked out onto the balcony. Parker still sat with her head tilted up towards the stars, but her gazing eyes were no longer on the verge of shedding tears. Uncertain of what to do or say, Jarod stood only a foot or so from Parker, quietly awaiting whatever she felt she had to say. Concern was clearly written across his face, and dark brown eyes reflected sadness at seeing someone he cared about so dearly in such pain.
"If, somehow," Parker spoke up, her voice low but controlled, "you and your father were given the chance to meet again... you would have that amazing bond you two had when you first found him, and he would be so grateful to have you back. I mean, think about it: all the years that he spent searching for you, and now, taking care of the younger Jarod..." She sighed, and stretched out her legs as her gaze moved to another patch of stars. "My father, on the other hand, has probably dismissed me, knowing that I've helped you free Emily. I've been discarded and forgotten, having been used up to my full potential and no longer worth the trouble... Just like my mother. And, if one day we were reunited, he wouldn't welcome me with open arms, but probably demand why I had't brought you back with me." For the first time, she moved her head to look at Jarod. "Let's face it--your father would move heaven and earth to protect you. Mine just doesn't give a damn." Parker stood and took one step towards him.
"I know I can never go back. I know my father won't even feel sorry. But somehow, I just don't care." Touched by her admission, Jarod pulled Parker into the warmth of his arms.
"The sooner we get Emily back to her parents, the better... Broots will have to retrieve Debbie soon, get them settled in someplace new and safe... Syd'll have to find his own way, too... And you... you have an entire family to find, and you're closer now than ever."
She clung even tighter to Jarod, and he felt his heart pull. He wanted to protect her from this hurt, to make all the wounds she'd gotten over the years better. He wanted to hold her like this forever, safe in his arms and far from those that wished to harm her. Parker moved back enough to be able to see straight into his eyes. Tears welled once again, but her voice remained steady.
"Where do I go from here?"
"I don't know," Jarod answered honestly in a soft voice. "That's a choice you have to make on your own. But whatever you decide, I'm going to be there, holding your hand the whole way."
~~~~~~~~~
The group would spend five more days in the Chicago apartment. Parker and Jarod spent the days with Emily, visiting every site a child could possibly find interesting; the nights, however, were another matter. As soon as Emily had fallen asleep in her bed, the group would get to work in the living room, Syd assisting Jarod and Parker in searching for Emily's family, while Broots went about the process of rebuilding the lives of his child and himself.
A police report Jarod came upon while checking out the records of the Albany police department would prove to be the key to finding Emily's family. The report described a child exactly like Emily, who disappeared around the time that Emily appeared at the Centre. Everyone gathered around Jarod's laptop eagerly as a picture of the missing child downloaded. Indeed, the picture was of Emily, dressed in a blue velvet dress and smiling sweetly for the camera. The parents, Paul and Constance Simms, had offered a reward of $650,000. Now that a name had been put to the faces of Emily's parents, it was time to find an address. Parker came across this, as well as a disturbing piece of information, the next night.
As the picture of a document appeared on her computer screen, Parker grew pale. Jarod happened to glance up, and seeing her sudden change in appearance, he moved over next to her on the couch.
"I don't want to believe it," Parker managed. Jarod looked down at her screen, and as he realized what he was seeing, his heart fell.
"It's a death certificate," Jarod sadly informed Syd and Broots. "Paul Simms died in a head-on collision last month." Silence fell upon the room.
"I have the address," Parker spoke up over an hour later, the first to speak since the discovery of the death certificate. "It seems Constance Simms sold the house after her husband died. She owns a smaller place in Albany now--at 263 Powell Circle. She must've caught onto the fact that some very powerful people had her daughter, somehow--she's changed her name twice, and hasn't updated the reward poster since Paul died, but has gotten quite a few notices posted on the internet." She looked over at Jarod and smiled. "We've found her."
~~~~~~~~~
"Has she started talking yet, Syd?"
"They've just sat down on a bench... Now Parker's speaking..."
"How's Emily taking it?"
"I doubt Miss Parker's even had a chance to tell her, Broots. This isn't exactly something you tell someone as quickly as possible."
It was the following day, their last in Chicago. Everyone had agreed that it would best for Emily to learn of her father before being given back to her mother, but that upon learning such news a speedy return to the comfort of her mother would undoubtedly be best. There had been no discussion over who would break the news to Emily--Parker had quietly volunteered before anyone could bring it up. She felt, because of the impact her mother's death had had on her, that she would be most understanding about Emily's position.
The park was nowhere near as crowded this Thursday as it had been last weekend. In fact, the quiet secluded area around the duck pond was perfect for the scene about to take place. Parker had insisted on telling Emily alone, but Syd and Broots sat watching carefully over the two girls they had grown so protective of. Jarod had opted to sit apart, in a private spot on the opposite side of the small pond; it was close enough for the concerned man to observe clearly, while not being so close as to draw attention to himself.
He watched as Emily bowed her head, saying nothing as far as Jarod could tell. For awhile Parker sat quietly, allowing the girl time to sort her thoughts. Then, in a cautious but caring move, Parker leaned over and hugged the little girl. In his hidden spot, Jarod let out a heavy, unhappy sigh.
In a sad sort of irony, Parker was probably suffering more right now, Jarod realized. It must be like reliving all the horrible memories connected to Catherine Parker's death, and yet she had to look strong and be the stone for Emily to lean on, not showing all the pain she was experiencing. And Emily, of course, still had her mother there to see her through this sad time. Mr. Parker had never really been much of a father to Miss Parker, before or after Catherine's death.
~~~~~~~~~
Jarod was the one to contact Mrs. Simms, anonymously, guaranteeing some very promising information on her daughter's location should she meet him at Grand Central Station in New York the next day. She had agreed, quickly promising to come alone and without informing anyone of the meeting.
Under an assumed name, Parker booked the entire group a red-eye flight to New York that night, choosing to reward everything that they'd been through by getting first class tickets. Their residence was chosen with Parker's high standards as well--a large suite at the Ritz. No one had been able to sleep on the plane, but Syd and Broots managed to grab a few hours once they arrived. Emily, no doubt exhausted from her latest ordeal, had fallen asleep curled up next to Parker on a cushy love seat. Gently, Jarod picked up the child as Parker opened the door to the closest bedroom.
Sydney was headed to the bathroom for a drink of water when he stopped in the doorway of Emily's room, the touching scene that was taking place catching his eye. He smiled lovingly at the picture laid out before him: Parker was tucking the covers up under a sleeping Emily's chin while Jarod plucked Ruggles, Emily's new stuffed bear, from his spot on the nightstand and placed him under the covers next to the girl. Sydney felt the pride of a doting father as he looked on. He thought back over the past two weeks, and wondered if Parker and Jarod realized just how special their bond was.
~~~~~~~~~
Grand Central Station on a Friday morning barely offers breathing space for anyone, let alone a clear view of everyone else. This was why the group was perched in a well-hidden spot upstairs, with blinded windows that offered a good view of everything going on down below. Their eyes were carefully watching the same island of chairs near a vending machine, the appointed meeting place where Constance Simms should be arriving any moment.
Jarod, Parker and Emily all peered occasionally through the blinds, each time searching hopefully for a certain young blonde woman.
At exactly 7:40, the appointed time, a thin blonde woman wearing a black flowered skirt and black top appeared next to the vending machine, clearly trying to appear calm and nonchalant, though her quick eyes and pacing showed impatience.
"Emily," Jarod spoke up, spotting the lady. "Do you recognize that woman down there?" Emily eagerly looked out the window.
"That's my mommy!" Emily squealed. Brushing past Jarod, she raced out the door before anyone could sort out what had happened. Her eyes wide with fright, Parker whipped out her gun and ran to the door.
"Emily! Come back, we don't know if the area's secure!" That stopped the girl in her tracks, halfway down the stairs. Her experience back at the old factory had proven just how dangerous this situation was. She made her way back up the stairs, but glanced with longing down at her mother.
With extreme caution, everyone glanced out through the blinds to be absolutely sure no one familiar or out of place was visible. Finally, Parker looked to Jarod, who nodded his confirmation. She walked over to Emily, and reached down for her hand.
"Come on. Let's go meet this mom of yours." Giggling, Emily led Parker down the stairs and over the main floor to where her mother stood, with Jarod, Sydney and Broots following just behind.
"Emily!"
"Mommy!" The mother and daughter ran to each other, both laughing -though Mrs. Simms's eyes quickly began to well- and talking at once.
"I missed you!"
"I missed you too, baby. How are you? Are you hurt?"
"Nope, I'm fine." Emily pointed back to where Jarod and the others stood, watching the reunion with proud smiles. "These are my friends: Miss Parker, Jarod, Sydney and Broots. They helped me get away from the bad people."
"I don't know how to thank you," Mrs. Simms told the others with a quavering voice. "I never dreamed she would actually be here. My daughter is the world to me... You don't know how much this means to me."
"I think we do," Miss Parker smiled. But as she looked over to Jarod, the smile disappeared. She turned to where Emily was standing by her mother. "Emily, why don't we go get Ruggles, and give your mommy and the others a few minutes to talk, okay?" Emily's eyes fell a little, but she nodded and took Parker's hand as they made their way back to the stairs. Noting the uncomfortable looks on the men's faces, Mrs. Simms immediately grew concerned.
"What's wrong?"
"Mrs. Simms...There are a few unhappy things we have to discuss," Jarod said. He led her to the island of chairs, and they all sat. "First, you should know that Emily is aware of her father's death. We came across the death certificate while searching for you, and... Miss Parker felt it was only right to tell her as soon as possible." He paused, allowing her to absorb this information, then continued. "Also... the people that took Emily will probably go to a lot of trouble to find her again. We know that you've changed your name and moved, but I'm afraid you'll have to do it again, for Emily's sake. Take her someplace far away, start over completely. I'll help in any way I can..." His face grew concerned as she remained quiet. "Mrs. Simms, you have no idea how sorry we are for this."
"I have my daughter back, Jarod. That's all that matters."
"Of course." Everyone grew silent, thinking of everything ahead of them still. Just then, Emily and Miss Parker returned, with Ruggles in hand.
"Darling, why don't you say goodbye? We need to get going."
The men stood, and Jarod walked over to be next to Parker. He knew she would need support to do this. His hand moved slowly to hers, and laced their fingers together. She looked at him, and Jarod smiled warmly back.
"Goodbye, Sydney," Emily said, hugging the older man. She moved on to Broots, hugging him as well. "Goodbye, Broots." She then walked over to Jarod, who let go of Parker to wrap his arms around the little girl. "Goodbye, Jarod. Thank you for finding my mommy."
"Goodbye, Emily."
Now came the hardest part of all. Emily stepped over to Miss Parker slowly, and when Parker kneeled down the little girl threw her arms around her.
"I'll miss you," Emily whispered.
"Not as much as I'll miss you," Parker whispered back, squeezing even tighter. "But you're gonna be fine now."
"When will I get to see you again?" Parker felt as if her heart would break when she heard that question.
"I don't know," she answered honestly. "But we'll see each other again one day."
"Promise?"
"Promise." A final squeeze and Emily walked back over to her mother, keeping a tight grip on Ruggles.
"Goodbye, everyone," Mrs. Simms called back as the two headed out the doors outside, into the busy streets of New York. "And again, thank you." For a moment, Jarod and the others merely stood there, watching the door through which Emily and her mother had stepped through. Then, as if on a whim, Parker ran out the door, with the others following slowly behind. Miss Parker stood there, on the busy sidewalk, staring as a yellow cab pulled away. Just as Jarod walked up to Miss Parker, a familiar face appeared in the back window. Emily didn't turn back around until the cab turned a corner, and Miss Parker was out of sight.
"We should get back to the hotel," Sydney finally spoke up.
"Yes," Parker murmured. "Let's go."
~~~~~~~~~
"How about rural Kansas?" Jarod suggested with a grin.
"Oh, yeah, I can just picture us: you wearing overalls and bumping along atop a tractor, while I sit in the kitchen churning butter. What a lovely thought," Parker laughed. She picked up her glass from the small glass table just ahead of their wicker love seat, and took a sip of her white wine as she gazed out at the buildings visible from the balcony of their suite near the top of the Ritz. "Seriously, though, I think somewhere a tad bigger would be better, don't you? I mean, think about it...San Francisco, Boston, Seattle...you know, someplace big."
"Yeah, I guess that would be safer," Jarod remarked.
"Safer?"
"Well, yeah. I mean, the middle of nowhere...You, miles from the nearest salon or Starbucks. You'd go insane in no time." They both burst out laughing.
Inside, Sydney and Broots quietly observed the happy couple. Beside their feet were placed Broots' carry-on and Sydney's briefcase. Goodbyes had been said over six hours ago, at JFK International Airport, where Sydney and Broots were taking the same plane to Richmond.
Debbie's aunt had taken her to Virginia for a few days to visit a cousin; Broots was going to pick up his daughter there. He had chosen Houston as their new home--it had plenty of safe suburbs with good schools, and Jarod's connections had landed him a well-paying position as a computer analyst. Their last name was now Garner.
Sydney had opted to stay in Richmond long enough to get his affairs in order. He would then head to his new job in Manchester, England, working as a child psychologist; Sydney was determined to help as many young lives as possible. As soon as he had settled, he intended to contact his son, as well as someone else very close to him, to see just how his new life would affect these relationships.
Jarod and Parker had left the airport in search of a taxi as soon as Sydney and Broots had boarded; besides goodbyes, they made a sort of pact to keeep in touch, no matter what. It was only right before the plane was about to take off that an engine problem had occured. Nothing major, but enough for the flight to be canceled. All flights were booked solid; it would 10 hours before another plane with available seat left for Richmond. They had intended to drop by the suite for a little while; after all, who knew how long it would be before they were all together like this again? But when they had walked in, it hadn't been difficult to see that Jarod and Parker were perfectly okay by themselves.
"You know, Syd, I think they're going to be just fine." They turned back in unison for one last look--Jarod had one arm wrapped lightly around Parker's waist, and she had rested her head on his shoulder.
"I hope so, Broots," Sydney said as they walked out the door. "No one deserves some happiness more than those two."
~~~~~~~~~
"We've circled in a plane over Savannah for half an hour, I was undressed with the eyes of practically every man we've crossed -including a cab driver with 13 letters but absolutely no vowels in his name-, and now we finally arrive here at the beautiful Magnolia Breeze Bed & Breakfast, only to be told to listen for flash flood warnings because of a hurricane," Miss Parker whined as she flopped down on the canopy bed. "I know it was my idea to come here in the first place, but now I can't for the life of me remember why!"
"Come on, Parker, it's not that bad," Jarod smiled as he tossed their bags in a corner of the room, then parted the curtains to let in some sunlight. "Hey, why don't we go for a walk, look around the town a bit? It's still hours until dusk."
"All right," Parker agreed, pushing herself up from the bed. "But can we stop somewhere? I'm hungry!"
"Sure. Oh, yeah, I need a pez refill, too," Jarod remembered. He smiled sheepishly at Parker. "Besides, I bet there's some awesome homemade candy around here I've never even had before." Parker laughed, a wonderful sound that warmed Jarod's heart.
"You know, when we made that deal yesterday in New York, out on the patio, I should've had you give up something too, say... a certain small, squarish candy."
"Not a chance!" Jarod laughed, but there was a small tinge of panic in his voice. "Besides, it's dangerous enough with one of us going through withdrawal, but if I try to get over pez while you're getting past cigarettes..." -Jarod pretended to shudder in fright- "That wouldn't be a pretty sight."
"Let's go!" Parker insisted, grinning as she grabbed Jarod's hand and led him to the door. "I'm starving!"
~~~~~~~~~
The park was full of blooming flowers and chirping birds, with waves crashing in the background. On the horizon, the sun was setting, tinting the ocean red and orange. This had to be one of the most beautiful places in the world, Jarod thought. And with Parker at his side, walking with him hand-in-hand, he knew there was nowhere else he would rather be.
Suddenly, the birds went silent. Everything seemed to be still.
Parker and Jarod looked at each other, and their eyes said it all. Releasing each other's hands, they began to run to the opposite side of the park, where their rental car was parked. Instinct alone sent Parker's hand reaching for her gun, only to realize it wasn't there. Shit, she thought, my gun! Jarod had me give up my gun! She shot Jarod a panicked look.
A single shot went off, missing Parker by inches but instead shattering the bark of a nearby tree. Running even faster now, Parker whipped her head around to try and locate the shooter. She spotted a black car parked nearby, and an open window revealed a hand gun, held by a man unclear to her.
Two more shots rang out--a bush to one side of her shook as it lost a shower of leaves and small branches.
Another bullet passed Parker, grazing her neck. She gasped at the sudden sting, but ignored the pain, instead concentrating on their car, now so close. Only about 30 feet from it, Jarod started to move faster, and yanked the keys out of his jacket pocket as he crossed Parker's running direction, aiming for the driver's side of the car.
A shot echoed, and Jarod let out a startled yelp of pain. Parker turned her head as they reached their rental car, and looked over at Jarod. He was still moving, which was enough for her at the moment. Jumping into the front seats, Jarod jammed the key into the ignition and pushed the accelerator to the floor.
Parker looked out through the back window until the park was well out of sight. She turned around in her seat, buckled her seatbelt in reaction to Jarod's speeding, then turned her attention to him, concerned over his earlier shout of pain. Her eyes widened in shock and fear as she noticed the large red spot growing on the shoulder of his white shirt.
"God, Jarod, you've been hit. How bad is it?"
"I'm fine. What about you--is the wound deep?" It was only then that Parker felt the cool, wet sensation of blood trailing down her neck. She placed one finger over the cut, and when she brought the finger up, it was colored by a single drop of blood. A little uncomfortable to know that a bullet had gotten that close, but she'd live.
"I'll be alright," Parker assured him. She look worriedly at his blood-stained shirt. Jesus, how deep was that wound, for him to be losing that much blood? "Jarod, are sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine," Jarod insisted through clenched teeth. But Parker could tell from the beads of sweat already forming on his forehead, and the way he winced every time he had to turn the steering wheel, that Jarod was far from fine.
"The hell you are! Pull over up here--I'm driving."
"We can't stop."
"Jarod, you're bleeding like crazy. Now pull the damn car over!" Realizing she was right, Jarod turned the car into a nearby alley. He slid into the passenger's seat while Parker went around the car to the driver's seat. As he reclined the seat, she grabbed her cardigan from the back seat and wrapped it around his arm to help stop the bleeding.
"That's the best we can do for now. A better nursing job will have to wait until we can stop at a hotel somewhere," Parker fretted, glancing in concern at the paling man.
"What are my chances of getting you to include a sponge bath?" Jarod joked, grinning weakly.
~~~~~~~~~
She finally stopped, at well past midnight, when they reached Atlanta. Parker had driven vaguely in the direction of the city, but taken a longer route through as many backroads as she could properly follow on the map. It had only been half an hour or so when Jarod fell asleep, tucked under his leather jacket and much more pale than Parker cared for.
Their room was, admittedly, not as luxurious as the suite back in New York, but it was near the center of the city and was crowded enough for them to blend in easily. It was a sort of family resort in the city, with a couple of pools, an ice cream parlor, an arcade, and a few other novelties that would no doubt pique Jarod's interest once he was well enough. For now, however, he was limited to the room, mostly the bed, as Parker insisted.
The bed...Parker hadn't realized how insinuating it would be, in a room with just one bed and two of them. So far, they hadn't done anything serious, and with Jarod wounded, it wasn't as if she was going to seduce him their first night in Atlanta; still, Parker was a little pleased to see the disappointed glance Jarod shot her when he thought she wasn't looking, as she placed a blanket and pillow on the couch.
"So," Parker was saying as she picked up the telephone, "what's it going to be from room service?"
"Whatever it is, make it a lot of it," Jarod said from bed. "How about a cheeseburger, fries and a strawberry shake. Hey, why don't we split a pizza, too?"
"Well, it's good to see that a gunshot wound, not to mention severe blood loss, has hindered your appetite," Parker joked. Jarod was about to respond, but she put up a hand to quiet him as she talked to the hotel employee on the other end. "Yes, hello... Right, I need a cheeseburger with fries, a strawberry milkshake, a chicken ceasar salad, and an iced tea, please..." -she noticed Jarod give her a fake pout- "...And I guess we're going to need a pepperoni pizza... A small should be fine... Great... Yeah, room number 734... Okay, thanks. Bye." She hung up the phone.
Two hours later, a very full Jarod had fallen asleep on the bed, an empty pizza box at his feet, while Parker stood in the bathroom, carefully replacing the bandage on her neck. She stared at her reflection as she thoughtlessly fingered the gauze; her eyes slowly closed and her thoughts began to wander back to the park...
The ocean waves...a calm walk...their sudden race to the car...five gunshots...Jarod's shout of pain.
Parker's eyes shot open with sudden realization. Her blue eyes grew moist, and she turned from her reflection, the bandaged wound a reminder of what had happened that day.
"My god, they were shooting at me. Jarod was shot because he got in the way."
~~~~~~~~~
They'd remained in Atlanta for a week. Jarod had healed quickly and well, but he was more concerned with Parker than his own health. She didn't seem ill or withdrawn, but by her quiet manner, he could tell that something was upsetting her. Instead of confronting her, Jarod simply enjoyed her company and acted as though nothing were wrong, knowing she'd come to him in her own good time.
Early in the morning, Jarod was packing his bags. He'd awoken two hours ago to find Parker had already packed and left the hotel room. He figured he might as well get his own stuff together while she was gone.
He heard the door open while he was in the bathroom gathering his toothbrush and things.
"Great, you're back," Jarod said as he walked to the bed, his back to the door. "Listen, just let me finish up here and we can going. We've got four hours before the plane to San Francisco leaves." He turned to face Parker. He couldn't help but notice that the light colors and comfortable clothing she'd been wearing recently were replaced with a black business suit.
Parker walked over to the bed, picking up her black leather bag without one word. She moved back to the door, and stopped; she took a deep breath, then turned to face Jarod.
"I'm not going."
