It was night time now and Miss Parker had been driving for a few hours, still playing the scene in the parking garage over in her head. Sweet Angelo, her guardian angel in disguise. Another precious life torn apart by The Centre. She would miss him.

She looked in the mirror to where Cade sat, safely secured in the carseat she'd picked up about twenty miles outside of Blue Cove over two hours ago. The child had been fighting sleep for about twenty minutes now and she smiled a little when his chin finally rested against his chest in a deep sleep. It had been an eventful day.

Miss Parker's hair was disheveled and her face thoughtful. The silent drive was giving her all the time she needed to think. There was so much new information to absorb, the magnitude of the day's events were just now hitting her. She had basically destroyed The Centre. Angelo and Briggite were dead. And she was now the sole provider for this little boy. The irony of fulfilling her mother's legacy in this way hadn't escaped her and the thought that her mother would be proud gave her goosebumps of emotion. The weight of how significant all this was pressed down on her and a single tear crept down her face, which she wiped away quickly. She needed to get to Jarod. She focused on the road and pressed the accelerator harder.

*****

"Sir, I really can't do anything. It's like the entire mainframe was wiped clean," the pathetic techie explained to his interrogator. He with the oxygen tank groaned furiously.

"Move out of the way." Raines sat down at the computer, deciding to log into his own personal account to access the security surveillance he needed that way. He murmured under his breath, "Impossible."

"Sir," a sweeper broke into Raines' lab, presenting a red disk in hand, "This was found in the main control room. Nothing happened when we put it in the computer. Nobody can access anything."

"Because there's nothing to access," Raines said slowly, crumbling under the impact of his own words. He stood abruptly, all eyes on him searching for direction, "Someone do something. Fix it. Or there will be hell to pay for us all."

People scattered, panicked, but nobody looked quite as terrified as the balding man they were listening to.

*****

"Here we are," Molly alerted her passengers. She had driven almost the entire way to their beach cottage, so excited to drive a vehicle after all the time she'd spent in Centre sublevels in her life.

Sydney inspected the large but modest house, noting the distance from it to the other houses was quite remarkable and assumed the owner had bought the adjacent lots for that purpose. He was grateful, and even more grateful that Broots was able to find the location, knowing it would be a welcome change of pace for everyone.

Emily opened the door from the backseat and walked toward the structure.

"Careful, Emily. You're not fully healed yet," Sydney warned, shutting his door behind him as he followed her.

"I know I know. I'll be fine." Her resillience reminded Sydney of her brother, "I wish I knew what was going on with them. Jarod's been so cryptic about it all."

"He always is, usually for our own protection," Sydney reassured her in the calming tone his voice so easily emitted.

"You know, I'm pretty jealous of you, Sydney," Emily crossed her arms, staring at the beach surrounding the house.

Sydney scoffed, "Jealous of me?"

"You know him better than all of us. He's my brother, but," she sighed, "I hardly know him. I just wish we could have some deep connection, the way you two clearly do."

The older man rested a palm on her shoulder, "Jarod's a kind soul. The fact that he even speaks to me says that much. I don't deserve the credit and the affection he gives me. Your connection, it will grow, with time. Jarod cares about you too much for it to not."

Emily nodded and took a big whiff of sea air in, turning as Broots and Debbie arrived behind them.

"I'm going to go see the water," Debbie alerted her father, running off toward the shore. Broots smiled timidly, glad to see her finally excited about something.

"This isn't fair to her," he sighed, picking up the bags she had dropped, "She's right. I'm completely turning her life upside down."

"But for the better," Sydney patted his shoulder, "Don't forget that."

Broots was silent as he trudged to the house with their bags in his hands, Emily slowly following suit.

Molly and Sydney watched them go before she commented, "They feel so lost."

"Mmm," Sydney nodded in agreement.

"You're not too sure of anything yourself are you, Sydney?" Molly's blue eyes were piercing, almost as piercing as he sister's, but with a softer empathetic edge.

"I'm just concerned with Jarod's well being. I don't understand why he doesn't just come to us instead of holing up somewhere with nobody to help him take care of himself. And Miss Parker, your sister, well. I just don't understand," he expessed his frustration with a fist clenched against his chest.

"I have a good feeling, Sydney. Things are going to turn out okay," she assured the older man before following Broots and Emily into the cottage.

Sydney sighed, putting his hands in his pockets before trudging up the steps to the front door as well. He knew he should trust Molly, that she had special gifts, but it was so hard to believe anyone anymore. He opened the screen door and stepped inside, leaving the main door open to allow the warm spring air to cycle through the house. It was much larger than the cabin they'd occupied before.

The living room had high ceilings and two great sky lights. He could see the doors to several upstairs rooms from down below, gazing up at the balcony-like hallway. There was a large kitchen, with a sliding glass door to the back deck which overlooked the beach. Broots was setting up computers in a study full of books, many old and tattered. Upstairs there was a true outdoor balcony off of two of the bedrooms. Sydney strolled onto this porch from one of the bedrooms and looked down to where Debbie was sitting on the shore, her shoes beside her and her jeans rolled up high as she allowed the waves to glide up to her shins.

Sitting down on a rocking bench, he inhaled a deep breath of the fresh air, relishing the renewal he felt in his soul just by being far away from that wretched place. The place that controlled them all. There was a hammock on a stand to his right and a collection of someone's seashells was strewn along the railings all around the balcony. Upon returning inside he noticed the cheezy beach decorations, mounted fish, lighthouse paintings.

It was so everyday. It was so nice.

*****

"Jarod did this. You know Jarod did this," Lyle had an urgent pitch to his voice.

Mr Raines inhaled deliberately, "He's the only one who could have done it. And the only reason he would--"

"Is that he has his answers," Lyle finished his thought, rolling his eyes. He was fed up with lying in this recovery ward bed for so many weeks now, "This wouldn't have happened if you had just let me--"

"Your disabilities would have interfered."

"Clearly Briggite was not the right person for the job! I assure you that Parker would not have walked out of here alive if I had been given control--"

"Briggite's unfortunate demise is of no relevance. We never needed her to complete our plans. We never needed her at all." Raines waved one of the sweepers standing behind him out of the room so that they were alone.

"There is no way that we can continue our plan under the current circumstances, Raines. My nurses can't even bring up my medical file anymore." Lyle was frustrated beyond rationality and the bald headed doctor was doing nothing to rectify the situation, "Just what the hell do you have in mind? Aside from putting a bullet in our pretender's pretty little head of course?"

The corners of Raines' mouth twisted up and he simply stared at Lyle with a knowing gaze. Understanding dawned in the younger man's cold blue eyes and he rose an eyebrow, cocking his head slightly, almost in awe before he immitated the older man's expression.

*****

Miss Parker swiped the keycard in the electronic door lock of the hotel room, opening it as the light flashed green. That idiot girl in the front had been only too willing to give her a second key to the room. Miss Parker hadn't even known what name Jarod has used, but upon telling her that she was Miss Parker, for some reason the girl had looked disappointed and handed her the card without care. It was no time to be questioning as she honestly didn't care about this particular hotel's inadequate security situation.

The night had been long and she was tired, checking her watch she groaned at how late it was, 2:19AM. She turned and picked up Cade's carseat which she had decided to just keep him in, allowing him to sleep relatively undisturbed. Backing into the room slowly, carefully, she rested the carseat and the sleeping boy on the floor by a cheap pine armoire.

Standing up straight, she turned to rest her gaze on the sleeping pretender. Jarod lay in the middle of the bed, his lips slightly parted as he slept. The white sheets pooled around his waist and he wore a white ribbed tank top. She guessed he had shaved almost immediately after his freedom because he already had the stubble of a few days' growth on his face. She hated something about how innocent and sweet he looked and how she could immediately tell he was exhausted. Worst of all, she hated the bruises which were still littering his beaten body.

Slipping off her shoes, slacks and jacket, and then replacing her violet blouse with one of Jarod's discarded black T's, she tip toed to the edge of the bed. Her eyes were wide with unusual insecurity as she pulled the sheet back and slid into the bed next to him. Miss Parker held her breath as she heard Jarod sharply inhale his own, turning his neck to face her. He looked at her sleepily as if she were a dream, a beautiful dream. He suddenly realized how real she was and his eyes were wide as he smiled the happiest smile she thought she'd ever seen on him before. He still looked like a little boy when he smiled.

"I was so worried," his voice cracked through the raspiness of a sleep-coated throat. He turned his whole body so that he was on his side facing her.

She smiled back at him slightly, "Everything went just as you planned it. Briggite, well that bitch--"

Jarod groaned and put two fingers over her lips, "I'm just glad you're here now."

Parker looked into his deep brown eyes. They were always so soulful and right now they were practically bleeding affection, for her, and she knew that. They were both remembering the last time they'd seen each other, how they'd said goodbye, the way each had felt against their lips. It was too much.

She averted her gaze, releasing the breath she hadn't realized she was still holding. He reached out and gently pulled her chin up with his thumb so she was looking at him again, her mouth frowning as emotion collected in her eyes.

"I know this is," he paused, "difficult."

"Origami's difficult, Jarod. This is. This is something else."

Jarod laughed a little, but watched her, concerned, "But, why are you crying?"

She hadn't even realized she was, but she quickly wiped away the lone tear, "Clearly my body doesn't know how to adjust to..."

Her voice trailed off and he brushed away a lock of hair she was trying to hide behind, "Happiness?" She didn't answer, just looked at him, scrunching up her face. She couldn't believe she was falling apart like this. He was silent for a moment, giving her time. Nobody could push her, and nobody knew that better than Jarod. He whispered, "I mean, I'm happy. You, well you make me happy. Always have."

Parker allowed her eyes to meet his once again. He looked so hopeful. She grasped his face slowly with both her hands and pulled it to hers. Jarod closed his eyes, letting her speak without words and cherishing the softness of her lips against his. He would give her all the time it took for her to say what she wanted to if that meant they could stay like this forever.

Jarod snaked his hand to the small of her back, realizing for the first time that she was wearing his shirt. The thought seemed to only intoxicate him more as he pulled her close against him and their kiss grew more fevered. He thought once of breaking the kiss for a mouthful of air, but thought better of it, realigning his priorities as she expertly prodded in his mouth with her tongue.

She scooted her body closer to him, straddling a leg around his, and then allowed him to carefully roll her onto his chest so that she was lying on top of him, him the eternally irritating labrat she'd sought for so many years. She always knew in the end, she'd catch him.

Parker allowed one of her hands to leave his face and carefully work its way behind his neck, clinging to the strands of hair there.

A sneeze broke the moment and they both tremored in surprise, breaking the kiss for the first time to look at each other curiously until Miss Parker realized it was she who needed to explain.

"My little brother," she whispered between breaths.

Jarod cocked his head, looking up at her deep blue eyes, loving the way her hair fell messily around her face, "You took him with you?"

"What the hell choice did I have, Jarod?" she raised an eyebow at him in mock annoyance.

He smiled hesitantly, still surprised, "None, I suppose."

Miss Parker nodded, and lowered herself back onto the mattress so that she was curled on her side, but an arm still wrapped around his waist. She hated to be vulnerable, but right here she felt she was stronger than she'd ever been before. She couldn't help but roll her eyes as he took the hand she still had around him and lifted it to his lips, kissing her fingertips twice before replacing them around his waist and draping his other arm around her protectively.

Sleep found her quickly, but Jarod lay awake, cherishing the soft sound she made as she exhaled deeply and the way her head had subconsciously fallen against him. After a while, he allowed himself to sleep as well, dreaming of a world where this was everyday.