Chapter sixteen...

Jarod touched his head once again and winced. She didn't know about some of Lyle's more unsavoury habits and he hoped she never would. Even Lyle wouldn't be stupid enough to go for a government agent. She wasn't his type either, although Jarod didn't doubt he might do it just to get at him.

"Careful Jarod," Natasha scolded him, pulling the ice pack away to have a look. "Nasty bump you have." Replacing the ice pack, wanting to leave it on for a few more minutes. "When we get back, finish your work, so you have time to yourself before the party tonight Jarod."

"I will, I shouldn't have lost control like that." Jarod said, wondering if anything was going to be done about it.

"No you shouldn't have Jarod, you need to just ignore him. I know it's hard, but it's not worth getting yourself hurt or in trouble because of him. Don't give him that satisfaction." Natasha knew how hard it could be to ignore smug bastards like Mr Lyle, but it simply was not worth getting angry over. It was better to just ignore them, pretend they weren't even there.

"Hmmm," Jarod closed his eyes and just took a few moments to find his centre again. He knew it was the pressure of the last few weeks, the knowledge that it was almost over, the thought of going back there looming in his mind constantly. He just needed to keep it together a little while longer, then it would all be fine. Except that was a lie of course. Nothing was going to be fine, nothing at all.

"Get the guy a drink would you?" She asked the guard, seeing him walk off. "I can finish what you were working on Jarod if you just want to rest for a while."

"No, work is good, keeps me focused," he told her, not wanting to brood. If left to himself he just thought about going back and whether he was going to be strong enough to continue to fight them and he feared he wouldn't. Miss Parker's words were echoing hollowly, the threat of being returned to Africa, of the lengths that they might be forced to go to to ensure his 'cooperation'.

Taking the glass of water, she pushed it into Jarod's hands. "Drink up Jarod."

"Thanks," he took it and drank it down, feeling a little steadier now.

"Want some pain killers?" Nat asked, taking the ice pack off and letting the medic tape a gauze over the cut and bump.

"Thanks," He found a smile for her, ducking his head while the medical officer tended to him.

"Can you please get him some Medic Lawson? Nothing too strong it knocks him out or he goes all crazy on us. But strong enough to take away the pain. The very last thing we need is Jarod bouncing off the walls all doped up." Tash joked with a soft smile on her lips.

"You needn't worry Natasha, honestly, it is no big deal." Jarod tried to reassure her.

Taking a step back from him, Nat nodded. "I'll back off Jarod, sorry, I was just worried."

"I know you are and I appreciate it, I really do."

Watching as Jarod was given some tablets and more water, Tasha waited while he downed them. "You right to get going? Or you want to wait here a little while more?"

"Let's get going before people start wondering what we are doing in here." Jarod tried to joke.

"And why would they wonder Jarod?" Natasha teased, helping Jarod to his feet and supporting him.

"People talk you know." Jarod smiled at her and then nodded. "All patched up and ready to report for duty."

Chuckling a little, Tash helped Jarod back down the hall to the work station and sat him down, ignoring Lyle who headed straight for him. "Just ignore him, I am going to go finish my own work. I will see you tonight Jarod."

"See you tonight," Jarod nodded, although he doubted he would. Lyle would be pissed and no doubt be demanding his revenge from Byrnes.

Coming to stand over Jarod, "Did she kiss it all better for you?" He smirked down on Jarod.

"It is fine, thanks for your concern, just a little bump, that is all." Jarod didn't even look up at him, getting stuck back into work.

"I bet you wouldn't even know what to do with her, would you rat?" He purred in his ear. "A pretty, powerful woman like her. You just wouldn't know at all."

Sighing Jarod turned up to look at him. "I am busy, go loiter somewhere."

"I hope you are not telling me what to do Jarod," Lyle asked sweetly, putting his hand at the back of Jarod's neck, over the large bump and applied pressure.

Jarod closed his eyes and got his anger under control. "No, of course not Mr Lyle. I need to finish this though."

"Be a good boy and get on with it then." Lyle ordered him, "While you are working, I might go have a little, 'talk' with your little girlfriend."

Stopping himself from doing anything foolish, he stayed where he was, hoping that she knew enough not to be taken in by him. There was nothing he could do in here anyway, but Jarod was worried about after.

Natasha really wanted Jarod to come to the party, so had sent down some nice clothes to his room, letting the guards now she had authorisation to let Jarod have them. She was dressed in a soft purple dress which was backless and showed a bit of cleavage and most of her legs. Her hair was in soft curls, her make up, as always, natural. Though this time the mascara and eyeliner were just a little heavier. It was already nearly ten and she was just about drunk, like the rest of them and wondered why Jarod wasn't here yet. If he didn't come soon, Nat would go after him and drag him in. Then she thought, maybe Lyle was saying no to Jarod, not allowing him to come. She wouldn't put it past the arrogant bastard, denying Jarod this night because he didn't like the man.

Jarod got dressed in the clothes he found, assuming they had been sent by Natasha for him and smiled as he looked at himself in the mirror. The case was pretty much over, the good guys had won for a change and for the first time since he had been caught, he felt good about himself. Determined not to think about what would happen tomorrow or the day after, he wanted to have a good time with these people tonight, share in their celebration. He knew how hard and for how long most of them had been toiling, and he also knew that nobody would ever know what they had done here. His earlier reservations about the party seemed petty now and had decided he was going to enjoy himself tonight after all.

When Lyle saw Jarod was finally ready through the door, he walked in, "Let's go. You have wasted enough of my time."

"Eager to get to the party?" Jarod asked him, as he moved out.

"Move it," Lyle snapped instead. He had wasted drinking time, and time to 'get to know' some of the women. When they got to the huge room, Lyle nudged Jarod in. "No drinking rat, you still need to work." He ordered before wondering off to one of the women who had caught his eye.

Jarod looked around, feeling rather lost and out of place here. The party was in full swing and it was the most relaxed he had seen anybody.

"Jarod!" Tasha called out as she saw him. Grabbing a drink for him as well, she moved quickly over to him, stumbling just a little. "Here, drink up. You have much drinking to catch up on."

Byrnes looked up when he saw Jarod had finally put in an appearance and picked up his glass, clinking it to get everyone's attention.

"You alright?" Jarod asked, steadying her, taking the drink with a smile. "You look very lovely."

"Everyone can I have your attention please?" Byrnes asked and waited until the noise died down a little.

"Thanks, you look pretty hot in that." She grinned before turning to agent Byrnes.

"On behalf of everyone here, that has worked so hard and so long on this, I want to extend our appreciation and thanks to Jarod, who did an amazing job." He lifted his glass. "To Jarod."

Jarod just stood there, a little embarrassed by all the attention as everyone in the room turned to face him with their glasses raised, repeating the toast.

"To Jarod," Tash raised her glass as everyone else did, the room filling with 'to Jarod's'. Everyone had worked really hard on this, for so long. They all knew however it was Jarod's help that made it a success.

Jarod raised his own glass. "To all of us." He added his own toast and smiled as the room broke out in applause.

When the room went back to their own business, Tasha drunk more of her drink, "Drink up Jarod, this is a celebration."

Jarod took a small sip, not really much of a drinker, also conscious of Lyle.

"Not your style huh? What's your poison then buddy, I'll get you something you can get drunk on."

"No, I mean I don't really drink alcohol at all." Jarod explained to her.

"Well you will tonight Jarod. You said you never got drunk before, you have to try everything at least once. This is your once. And that is an order 'agent'." Natasha grinned cheekily, her voice playful as she ordered Jarod about.

"Yes ma'am," Jarod said and took another drink. He didn't really like alcohol very much though. It wasn't to his taste at all. He also didn't like the thought of giving up that much control of himself to a drug. He knew it was stupid, but all of his life he needed to have his wits about him to survive and that was not such an easy habit to break.

"I want to see that gone in one go Jarod, you have a lot of catching up to do." Tasha ordered, "And if you don't like it, we can go to the bar and find something you will like. I like sex on the beach though." She giggled a little, downing the rest of her drink.

Jarod raised his eyebrows at that but smiled.

"It's a drink Jarod," Tasha slapped him playfully, "Drink up now Jarod, do not make me go all military on your arse."

Jarod smiled and took a long drink, deciding not to tell her he used to be a bartender and had researched alcohol thoroughly. He smiled instead. "Is there food?" He asked, far more interested in that.

"Of course there is Jarod, the best party food you will find. And I have a special treat if you drink the last of your drink." Nat teased him.

"What kind of a treat?" Jarod asked as he shook hands and smiled at people as they came up to thank him. He knew all of their names, knew their specialties, felids of expertise, but knew nothing about them personally, which was very sad.

"Will show you in a minute, now drink the rest of that drink mister." Tasha ordered.

He drank it down, trying not to grimace at the taste of it, certain that with the pain killers he had taken previously it was not a good idea for him to be drinking at all.

Grinning when it was gone, she put his glass down and dragged him over to the food table. Grinning stupidly. "Ready for this?" She asked, looking at the plate with the silver covering over it and a posit it, 'Jarod's treat, do not touch' on it.

"Ready," He said, wondering what it might possibly be.

Lifting the lid, Natasha beamed dazzlingly at him, "Tada! The finest Miami donuts you could possibly hope for." She was incredibly proud of what she had done for him, his special treat.

Jarod grinned broadly at the pile of donuts. "You had these brought up from Miami?" He asked, hardly believing it.

"Sure did, paid for them myself." Seeing the way he just lit up was well worth it. "But before you have any, you must promise me something."

"Ohhh," He said, his hand freezing as he reached for one.

"You have to promise me you will get drunk." Nat said with a nod of her head. She was to drunk now anyway to really worry too much more if Jarod got drunk himself or not.

Jarod looked at her and wondered if she was really serious. He nodded after a moment though and bargained. "How about tipsy?" He smiled.

"Close enough," She nodded happy at that and grabbed one herself. Biting into it, Natasha moaned, "God, these really are the best."

"I told you," Jarod said, doing the same as he turned around to watch them all celebrating.

Grabbing anther two drinks, Tash handed it to Jarod, "Sex on the beach."

"To sex on the beach," He said, a little dubiously though, not thinking it sounded like a very appealing prospect at all.

"Best sex you will ever have," she chuckled a little and clicked her glass against Jarod's.

"I am sure you are right," he toasted her.

"What took you so long to get here?" She asked, looping her arm around Jarod's, eating a bit of the donut from that hand, before sipping her drink in her free arm.

"I had to finish up one of the profiles and didn't want to leave it until later," He told her, wondering just how much she had had to drink. He had never seen a federal agent in a state like this before.

"Well you been missing out on drinking time, relaxing time." She grinned at him, eating and drinking as she talked, "These are just great."

"They are very good," Jarod agreed, grabbing another one. "So what does one do at such a party?"

"Drink of course Jarod," She grinned at him, "Drink that all now, I will time you. See if Mr Pretender can drink quickly or not."

Jarod shook his head and took a sip, not having any intentions of getting drunk, he couldn't afford to. Her preoccupation with it worried him a little. Realising though that they had all been working insanely hard, and had just averted a national disaster, they all probably needed this to avoid having a nervous breakdown.

"No Jarod, all now. I am timing you. Do it, I order you." Natasha said, nodding continually at her words.

"I think you have probably had too much as well." Jarod said, a little worried about her. There was still work to be done in the morning and she was most definitely not herself.

"Relax would ya for once and just dink the damn drink Jarod." She said, more seriously this time. This man obviously didn't know how to do catch up drinking at all.

"I am drinking it," Jarod argued, not wanting to be pushed into this. He still had Lyle to worry about.

Natasha pulled it from his hand and put it down. Finishing hers off, she grabbed Jarod's hand and hauled him forward, "Come dance. Drink and dance is what one would do at a party like this."

"Dance I can manage." He nodded, glad she wasn't going to get upset about it.

"You sure now? You don't know what Peanuts are, you sure you can manage dancing?" Tasha asked cheekily, half stumbling over her own feet.

"I was a dance instructor once, I think I can manage." He chuckled.

"Ohhh you were? Well show us your moves then." She giggled, standing back on the small dance floor to watch him.

"I need a partner." He told her, not wanting to do this by himself.

"Sure," She moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around Jarod. "Now dance, bust some moves." Natasha chuckled at herself.

"Bust?" Jarod asked in confusion as he started a mamba.

"Ohhh fancy," Natasha grinned at Jarod, stumbling a little as she danced with him.

Jarod held her securely as the steps came back to him effortlessly and he moved her about easily, enjoying himself.

"You are really good at this Jarod, really you are." She complimented him.