Nothing is impossible

By: Kris Russel

***

Miss Parker sat down in a chair in the white waiting room in the hospital. Her face was so pale it almost blended in perfectly with the walls.

~This can't be happening.~ Was all she could think.

She felt like she was about to vomit and her face went even paler.

~How am I going to explain this?~ Was her next thought.

~All because of one stupid mistake. Was it really a mistake? Yes Parker, it was a mistake!~

Her mind was full of doubt as her thoughts wandered back to that day...

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Two months earlier

They had a lead on Jarod. Finally! He'd kept himself quiet after the events in Scotland and his silence had lasted for almost three months. And although Parker would never admit it to anyone, she started to feel worried about him, especially after she had seen the pain in his eyes at the airport after she probably broke his heart.

The trace led to a huge apartment complex just outside New York. The building was empty and there were a couple hundred apartments to check.

"Let's split up and meet back here in an hour." Parker said to Sydney, Broots and the sweeper-team. They all nodded and went inside. Parker entered last, her gun drawn.

It didn't take her long to find him. She opened the 10th-something door and there he was, calmly sitting on the couch, that heart-melting smirk on his lips. He wore black jeans, a half-opened black shirt and his hair was shorter again.

The moment she laid her eyes on him, all the feelings she had in Carthis returned, but she tried to hide them in her ice-queen shell and aimed her gun at him.

"Gotcha labrat." Her smile showed victory.

He had noticed her split-second hesitation and all he did was pretend not to be scared to death of the gun as he stood up and walked towards her.

"Nice to see you again, Miss Parker."

"Don't come any closer, Jarod! Turn around so I can cuff you."

He didn't reply and he didn't obey, he just stepped closer towards her.

"Jarod, I'm warning you. Don't make me shoot you!" Damned, this wasn't going as she had planned. ~Ignore your feelings Parker, ignore your dreams!~

"Then don't." Was his simple reply as his chest made contact with her gun.

"I WILL shoot you!" She threatened as she pushed the gun deeper in his chest.

He raised his right-hand and gently cupped her cheek with it; his touch gave her skin a warm sensation.

"No you won't." He whispered as his other hand pushed her gun away and he came closer until their faces were barely inches apart. "We still have unfinished business." He whispered with a tremble in his voice.

"Jarod, we can't... It's impossible." She whispered, trying to object, but her knees were getting weak because of his closeness.

"Nothing is impossible, Parker." He whispered and his warm breath on her face sent a wonderful shiver down her spine that made her melt.

He closed the distance between their faces until his lips brushed hers. She had dreamed of this moment since Scotland and the sudden rush of feelings for him overwhelmed her, so her reply was direct. She put her gun back in its holster and wrapped her arms around his neck for a passionate kiss. Their tongues fought for control and soft moans escaped both their mouths. After what seemed forever, they released each other, catching their breaths.

Jarod started kissing and licking her neck while he slowly unbuttoned her blouse, exposing more naked skin, which he eagerly kissed.

Parker moaned, she wanted to fight this, but she couldn't. She had dreamed of this and although her brain was screaming to push him away, her heart and body melted at his touch and wanted to feel him all over her.

They started undressing each other; kissing each other's skin and letting their hands explore each other's body. He guided her towards the bedroom and slowly lowered her on the bed.

"You look amazing, you are so beautiful." He whispered in her ear.

She replied by kissing him longingly, nibbling on his lower lip.

"Shut up and fuck me." She growled, feeling his erection pushing against her.

"No." He whispered barely audible. "I'll make love to you."

And they made love for a little over half an hour, exploring each other's body, tasting each other, kissing each other. Neither of them knew that sex could be so amazing. They knew each other better than anyone else and it was like they were able to read each other's mind, each knew what the other liked and wanted and it was truly amazing. But then she reluctantly interrupted their play.

"Jarod, I have to go, they'll start looking for me if I don't show up on time."

He looked sad but nodded as she crawled out of bed, searching for her clothes.

"I really should take you back." She said after a short silence.

"Do you really want to do that?" He asked, getting out of bed too and putting on his boxers.

"No," She whispered barely audible. "But it's the only way to get my freedom."

He walked over to her, gently cupping her head in his hands. "I'll get you out of there, I promise."

"You already made that promise 25 years ago." She sounded sad.

"I always keep my promises."

"But in the meantime, you're the only one who's free."

"I will get you out of there. I want to see you happy Parker, I lov..."

She put her hand on his lips. "Don't. Please. This is already complicated enough."

Kissing him for a last time, she stepped out of his embrace and walked towards the door.

"Just keep your promise." She whispered.

"Always." He answered as she closed the door behind her.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Are you ok, madam?" Her thoughts were interrupted by the question from a young red-haired nurse.

"Peachy." She growled as she stood up and walked towards the exit.

It was around 10 PM when she sat on her couch, looking at the bottle of scotch on the table in front of her.

"I can't, not now." She whispered. "But I need it, especially now!"

She was distracted from her private conversation by the ringing of her cell phone.

"What!?"

"Are you ok?" A very familiar voice asked.

"Jarod, what a surprise to hear from you. How long has it been? Two months?"

"Two months, twelve days, fourteen hours and seven minutes... more or less."

"What do you want?"

"You went to the hospital today. Are you ok?"

~How can he possibly know?~ "Just fine." She growled and slammed the phone down.

"What's wrong, Parker?" Jarod's voice sounded behind her, barely five minutes after the call.

Her heart jumped in her throat and she jumped up, reaching for her gun, but she was already in her pyjamas and she had left her gun in the bedroom. ~Damned, Parker, you're slipping.~

"Like you care." She snapped back.

"I do care." He whispered, stepping closer towards her.

"No way, labrat. I haven't heard anything from you in two months and now you expect us to get cosy again, like nothing happened." She spat.

"I'm sorry. I wanted to make sure I got a way out for you when I contacted you again." He took another step closer.

"Hell no, not again." She said angrily as she backed away.

"Please, Parker, let me into your life. Please."

"Why the hell should I?" She yelled with tears in her eyes, feeling her back hitting the wall.

"Because..." He closed the distance between them and lovingly brushed a tear from her cheek. "Because I want our child to have a family."

Her breathing stalled for a few seconds. "How do you know?"

"Because I care about you Parker, I always did and always will."

"Who says it's yours?" She spat in his face.

"Because I've been your only one since Thomas."

"You can't possibly know that." She growled, trying to push him away.

"Please Parker," He pleaded as he tried to kiss her, but she turned away from him.

"Get out of my house before I call a sweeper team and drag your ass back to The Centre where you belong!" Her eyes looked at him coldly and she could see the hurt and pain in his. The pain on his face hurt her more then she thought, but she couldn't afford this, not now, not ever. The last time she let herself be guided by her feelings, she made a capital mistake and look where it got her!

"Parker, please. Don't do this." He pleaded with tears in his eyes as she pushed him towards the door.

"Listen labrat." She spat as she opened the door and pushed him out. "Two months ago was the biggest mistake of my life. It only got me into deeper shit, so get the fuck out of my life!"

Before he could say anything, she slammed the door shut in his face.

Tears streamed down his face as he rested his forehead against her door and collapsed on the wooden floor, crying hard.

She stood on the other side of the door and her heart broke when she heard him cry. Tears came into her eyes again as she listened to his sobs.

Slowly she opened the door again and what she saw broke her heart all over. Jarod was curled up in front of the door in a foetal position, tears streamed down his face and loud sobs were escaping his mouth. He looked utterly lost and broken.

"Jarod..." She whispered, kneeling down and slowly caressing his hair.

He looked up, surprise written all over his face. She sat down and guided his head on her lap, caressing his face and hair while she let him cry.

"I'm sorry," She whispered after a while, kissing his cheek.

The surprised look was back on his face.

"I didn't mean to hurt you like this," She continued. "But you got me pregnant and I didn't know how to react to what you said. I panicked, I..." She wanted to continue, but didn't know how.

Jarod sat up and looked her in the eyes.

"So the baby's mine?" He asked, holding his breath.

"Of course." She replied simply.

A smile appeared on his face as he took her in his arms and hugged her tight.

"I'm going to be a dad." He laughed and hugged her again.

She smiled at his enthusiasm. "Let's go back inside so we can talk."

He nodded and they got up, walking inside, hand in hand, where they sat on the couch.

Jarod broke the awkward silence that hung between them. "Did you mean what you said?"

"About what?"

"That it was the biggest mistake of your life."

She could hear the pain and sadness in his voice and when she looked in his eyes, she saw the hurt in them.

"Jarod, I... I was angry, frustrated and... You caused this. So I was pissed with you... but... we... I should have been more careful and thought about what could happen..." She took his hand and gently kissed it. "What we did wasn't a mistake." She let out a sigh and chuckled. "It was amazing."

He slightly blushed and smiled. The pain and hurt left his eyes a bit until he asked: "But the baby is a mistake?"

"No," she said with a sigh and she saw relief wash over his face. "I just didn't plan on it. Not now. I still don't know if my father really is my father and he doesn't want to talk about it ever since his mysterious return. I'm still tied to that hellhole and when Raines or Lyle find out this baby is ours, they'll do anything to get their hands on it. They'll probably be convinced that the perfect pretender is growing inside of me."

"They're probably right." Jarod whispered more to himself.

"What do you mean?" She asked surprised.

"Both our abilities combined? God knows what this kid will be capable of." Jarod sighed.

"So you still think it's a good idea to keep this baby?" She asked with a tremble in her voice.

"Parker, are you really considering ab... ab... abortion?" He asked shocked.

"Only for about two seconds." She sighed. "Jarod, ever since Tommy I've been thinking about having kids and starting a family. And when he died, I didn't just mourn about losing him, but also about the thought that he was my last chance to start a family." A tear rolled down her face. "Now I know he wasn't my last chance." She said with a soft smile as she put her hand on her stomach.

Jarod put his arm around her shoulders and she put her head on his chest, his closeness and touch comforting her.

"I'm sorry, I had no idea." He whispered, gently kissing her hair.

Another sigh escaped her lips. "No one did. I barely realised it."

She closed her eyes and listened to his heartbeat. It was amazing how good she felt in his arms. Not just good, she felt safe, secure, at home... And she realised she had never felt like this before, not even with Tommy.

"Jarod?" She asked, staying in his arms.

"Hmmm?"

"I'd love to have this baby and I would love to give him the family neither of us had, but how are we going to do this? How am I going to explain my pregnancy to The Centre? I mean, I can't just walk up to Lyle and say ‘Hey brother-dear, guess what, you're going to be an uncle soon."

The thought of Lyle as their baby's uncle gave them both a sickening feeling.

"You can't let them know. It's like you said, once they know, they'll do anything to get their hands on our baby."

Parker sat up and looked him straight in his eyes. "Then I'll have to lie about who the father is."

"I agree, but what will you tell them then?"

"I'll think of something." She said, ending the sentence with a yawn.

"Ok, but first you need to go to bed. It's getting late and you need your rest. I'll sleep on the couch, if you don't mind, that way we can talk some more in the morning."

She nodded and they got up from the couch and he turned to face her.

"Goodnight, Parker."

Her mind was filled with doubt and before she could stop herself, she blurred out: "Why sleep on the couch when I have a perfectly good bed?" She cursed herself inwardly.

Jarod's mouth fell slightly open, but he also noticed her inner-conflict. "Are you serious?"

~NO NO~ "Yes." ~Shit~

He still saw doubt in her eyes, so he gently cupped her face in his hands. "Only if you're sure, and I'll be the perfect gentleman."

"Like you were two months ago?" She asked sarcastically with a playful grin on her lips.

"Parker." He said, trying to sound stern.

She just gave him a mysterious smile, took his hand and guided him to her bedroom.

"Let's go to bed, labrat."

***

"Miss... Miss Parker?

...

...

OH MY GOD!"

The scream woke the two people in the bed instantly.

Miss Parker was the first to sit up and she looked the intruder straight in his eyes, killing him with her icy glare.

"What the hell are you doing in my bedroom, Broots?"

"M... m... me??" Broots stuttered. "What about him?" He asked as he pointed to Jarod who was also sitting up.

"None of your business, Broots." Parker growled. She tilted her head slightly, listening to a distant noise.

"Broots, who else is here?" Parker asked him.

"Sam." He mumbled.

Jarod felt a panic wash over him. "God no." He whispered.

Parker heard the panic in his voice and she put her arm around him, trying to calm him down.

She looked at Broots again. "Get out of my bedroom and make sure Sam doesn't get in here. I'll be downstairs as soon as possible... Oh, and Broots, tell anyone about this and I will kill you with my bare hands."

"Yes... yes Miss Parker." He got out of the room as fast as his legs could carry him.

"Thank you." Jarod whispered.

She heard the tremble in his voice and as she looked in his eyes, the tears in them broke her heart again.

"Thank you." He whispered again.

She put her arms around him and pulled him in an embrace.

"How can I let the father of my baby get locked up in that place?" She whispered and kissed his temple.

"Thank you."

"Jarod, I have to get going or Sam will get suspicious."

"Ok." He lifted his head and looked straight into her beautiful grey/blue eyes. He came closer to kiss her, but she put her fingers on his lips.

"What happened to the perfect gentleman?" She asked with a wicked smile.

"He wants to kiss you." He mumbled between her fingers.

"Just stay the gentleman for a bit longer, please. I want this to feel completely right, just like last night, when you did nothing more than hold me in your arms."

"Alright," He reluctantly agreed. "Now go downstairs before Sam comes up here and finds me in your bed."

She flashed him a broad smile and got out of bed.

As she walked back into her house, she was greeted by an amazing smell. A smile appeared on her face when she found Jarod in the kitchen.

"You're still here." She said surprised.

"Disappointed?" he asked with a grin, but doubt in his eyes.

"No, not really." She surprised herself with her honest answer and quickly changed the subject. "What are you preparing?"

"A very healthy meal for a pregnant woman."

"Healthy? You know how to make healthy food?" She asked with a chuckle.

"Yes, I know how to make it. I even like to eat it." He replied with a smile.

"So, no Oreos or Pez or Twinkies?" A teasing smile appeared on her face.

"Well, not for dinner anyway." He chuckled and took a Pez out of his dispenser. "Want one?"

"Ugh, no thanks." She scowled.

"Don't worry; I'm making a vegetable lasagne."

"Vegetable lasagne?" She asked with an amused chuckle.

"Yes, it's very good for you and the baby."

"Right." She said with a sarcastic smile.

"Why don't you set the table while I finish this?"

"Jarod, this tastes amazing." Miss Parker said after her third bite. "I never knew that vegetables and pasta could be so good."

"I worked as a chef in a vegetarian restaurant for a while. It's amazing what you can do with vegetables. I barely eat meat anymore since then and I really feel much better and healthier."

"Healthier? Jarod, look at yourself, how can you become even healthier?"

He blushed at her remark and she laughed with his innocent face.

"Parker, you look so beautiful when you laugh. You really should do that more often."

She smiled but her face clouded a bit. "There's not a lot I can laugh about."

"I'm sorry." Jarod sighed and took her hand in his.

"Don't be," She smiled. "You're one of the people who can really make me laugh."

He smiled and caressed her hand with his fingers. "Just like you made me laugh when we were kids in The Centre and I didn't have a lot to laugh about then either."

Their eyes locked and a comfortable silence fell between them.

"Jarod, I..."

"Just eat your dinner. You have to eat for two now and you have to stay healthy for the baby."

"Only for the baby?" She threw him a playful grin.

"Well, a child needs both his parents. And the father needs the mother." He gave her a seductive smile that made her blush.

"So, what do you want to do after dinner?" She asked, trying to change the subject so that she wouldn't jump him and sexually harass him. ~Yeah, as if he would mind.~

"A quiet evening on the couch? I saw you have some very interesting books and I'd love to read some more of them."

"So you just want to sit on the couch and read?"

"Yeah. Unless you have other plans. Or a better idea."

A seductive smile appeared on her face that made him drool.

"No, your plan sounds just fine." She simply said, trying to put the thoughts she had out of her mind.

He felt a bit disappointed, but he had patience. He knew she needed time because this would change her life too.

"Oh, did you ask Broots why he came to your house? Or into your bedroom for that matter?"

"Yes, apparently Sydney and he were getting worried about me because I didn't answer my cell-phone and my home-phone. So Broots came to check if I was ok. He brought Sam along just in case he'd run into trouble."

"Syd and Broots really care about you."

"Yeah, they are the only people that I trust in that hellhole."

"You know... if I get you out of there, I want to get them out too."

"Me too."

They stayed silent for a while, finishing dinner, clearing the table and doing the dishes.

Soon after, they were seated on the big couch. He was sitting up, reading a book about woodcarvings and she lay down, her head resting on his lap, reading a book about pregnancies.

"You know, Jarod," She said after a while. "I never slept as well as last night. Normally I would never sleep through my alarm, my cell-phone, my phone here or the doorbell. I never knew I could sleep that well."

"Me neither and I didn't have any nightmares." He smiled, looking down and caressing her hair.

She softly smiled. "Me neither. But hopefully I'll be able to get out of bed on time in the future, because it could be dangerous. People at The Centre will get suspicious if I show up late every day."

"We'll set both our alarms, so hopefully one of us will wake up."

"Good idea." She smiled. "Let's hope it works."

The next day Miss Parker was in her office on time. Jarod's alarm combined with hers was one heck of a noisemaker and it awoke them both instantly. She enjoyed waking up in his arms, even if nothing else happened between them... besides the constant flirting of course.

"Good morning Broots." She said with a smile as she entered the tech room.

"Good... good morning Miss Parker." Broots said. "Sleep well?" He asked with a sarcastic smile.

He constantly regretted his question because of her icy glare.

"Remember, Broots," she growled and raised her hands a bit. "Bare hands..."

"Sorry." He mumbled and turned back to the screen, trying to ignore the fact that she was walking behind him like she was stalking a prey.

"Good morning, Broots, Miss Parker," Sydney said cheerfully as he entered the room. "I'm glad you made it on time today."

He also regretted his comment instantly as she gave him her icy glare too.

"Did you get out of bed with the wrong leg?" He asked her, trying to ignore her deepening glare.

"Not at all..." She said with a dreamy smile that confused the older man.

"Are you sure you're ok?"

"I'm fine!" She snapped. Now he was even more confused at her rapidly changing mood. He just ignored it and figured it was that time of the month.

They talked for a while about leads on Jarod, until she suddenly felt a nausea coming over her. She clasped her hand in front of her mouth and ran towards the nearest toilet.

"What is wrong with her?" Sydney asked to himself. "Mood swings, nausea... If I did not know any better I would say she is pregnant." Sydney snickered at the idea, but then he noticed Broots' flabbergasted face. "Broots, is there anything you would like to share with me?"

The tech looked up surprised; Miss Parker's threat still hung fresh in his mind.

"M... me?? Noooo..." He quickly replied... a bit too quick.

"Broots!" Sydney said sternly. "There is something wrong with Miss Parker and I have a feeling you know more about it."

"Leave him." Parker's voice sounded behind the older man. "I'm taking the rest of the day off. There are no leads on Jarod anyway. And the both of you are invited for dinner tonight and bring Debbie too. 7PM sharp."

Without another word she turned around again and walked towards the elevators.

Broots and Sydney looked completely stunned. A dinner at Miss Parker's house was the last thing they ever expected from her.

Jarod was working on his laptop in the kitchen, leaving a fake trail in the large Chicago-area. He had to keep Lyle and his sweepers busy as they were now leading his search.

He heard the front door opening and he hid behind the counter. It was far too early for Parker to be home.

"Jarod? Are you here?" He heard her familiar voice so he got up.

"Yeah, I'm in the kitchen."

"Hey you." Miss Parker smiled as she entered the kitchen.

"You're home early." He smiled back, closing the distance between them and pulling her into a hug.

"I didn't feel so well and I asked some people over for dinner tonight."

She saw the instant panic on his face.

"Don't worry, baby, it's only morning sickness and I asked Broots, Debbie and Sydney for dinner."

He relaxed again and his heart made a leap at the nickname she gave him. She didn't seem to realize she had done it and he thought it was best to ignore it too, otherwise he'd probably just make her feel uncomfortable. "The nausea should go away after your first trimester. And I presume you expect that I prepare dinner?" He asked with a grin.

"Well, you were a chef once."

"Ok, if you help me."

"Deal." She grinned and gave him a kiss on his cheek. Their faces stayed close, lingering, longing. Slowly she moved her lips to his and softly brushed them. Their heart rates instantly quickened and their breathing deepened.

"You sure about this?" Jarod whispered.

She didn't answer, but just kissed his lips again, deepening the kiss and fighting with his tongue. The kiss lasted for what seemed an eternity.

When she released him, they both grinned like idiots. He put his forehead against hers.

"I love you, Parker. With all my heart. I always did and always will." He whispered.

"Ooh Jarod, I love you too. And I'm sorry I didn't realise it sooner." She smiled a sad smile and turned away from him.

He took her arm and pulled her back in his arms. "Don't be sorry. This will change both our lives. It's not an easy decision to make. And it's still dangerous for us to be together. If The Centre ever found out..."

She nodded and gave him a quick kiss. "Come on. We still have some shopping to do or our guests won't have anything to eat."

He smiled and followed her outside to her car, holding her hand and stealing kisses whenever he could. She didn't care, she loved him too much to care that people saw them kissing in public. If she could, she would scream her love for him to the world. But if The Centre ever found out, they would both be dead and their child would be used for some experiment. And that's if they were lucky.

"Are you sure everything's ok?" She yelled towards the kitchen from the dining room.

"Yes honey, please relax." He smiled as he came out of the kitchen. "We've known Sydney for almost our entire lives and you've known Broots and Debbie for years. You don't have to prove anything to anyone."

"I know," she smiled, "But still, we have some very important news to tell them."

He took her in his arms and hugged her. "Don't worry, they're our friends." He said and gave her a longing kiss.

*Ding dong*

"Oh no, they're here." Parker said in a panicked voice.

Jarod chuckled. "Honey, please, take it easy. Just led them in and I'll get the champagne from the kitchen."

"Ok." She nodded and went to open the front door.

"Hello Miss Parker." Broots said.

"Hey Parker." Debbie smiled as she jumped into her arms.

"Hey Debbie, hey Broots." Miss Parker hugged Debbie and let them inside. "Just take a seat on the couch and Jarod will get you something to drink."

"Jarod's here too?" Debbie asked with a big smile.

"Yes I am." His low voice sounded as he exited the kitchen.

"Jarod!" Debbie laughed and hugged him. She would have jumped in his arms, but he was carrying a bottle and glasses.

"Hey Jarod." Broots said, feeling uncomfortable as he vividly remembered the last time he had seen the pretender.

"Broots, nice to see you again under less embarrassing circumstances." Jarod smiled and shook his hand after putting the bottle and the glasses on the table.

*Ding dong*

"That must be Sydney." Parker said as she walked towards the door.

"I'll get the snacks." Jarod said and walked back into the kitchen.

"Good evening, Miss Parker." Sydney said as she opened the door.

"Hey, Syd, come on in." She smiled.

"Hello Broots, Debbie."

"Hey, Syd." Broots replied.

"Uncle Sydney!" Debbie said as she jumped in his arms.

"Hello Sydney." Jarod's voice sounded behind him.

"Jarod!" Sydney gasped as he turned around. He looked at Miss Parker and Broots, but they just smiled as Jarod walked into the room, setting the snacks on the table.

"What are you doing here?" Sydney asked worried as he came closer to his protégé and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Nice to see you again Syd and you'd better sit down." Jarod smiled as he pulled Sydney in his arms and hugged him.

Sydney looked worried, but he did as Jarod asked.

"Honey?" Jarod said as he stretched his hand out to Miss Parker. She gladly took it and stood by his side.

Sydney looked at them with his eyes wide. "Honey?" He gasped.

"Yes." Jarod said with a big grin. "We finally realised how much we love each other."

"That's not all." Parker continued. "We're also expecting." She said as she put her free hand on her stomach."

"I knew it!" Sydney laughed as he jumped up. "I knew you were pregnant."

"Hang on, Syd." Jarod laughed. "There's one more thing."

"There is?" Parker asked him surprised.

"Yes there is." He whispered and looked into her deep blue eyes and he could see in her soul again, just like he could when they were kids. He took both her hands in his and kneeled down, taking a small box out of his pocket. He opened it and she saw the biggest diamond she had ever seen. A slight gasp escaped her mouth as she realised what he was doing.

"Monica Parker, I've loved you from the moment I met you. I never stopped loving you and I never will. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and I want to raise a family with you. So, would you please do me the honour of becoming my wife?"

A tear escaped her eye and travelled down her cheek as her knees gave up on her and she kneeled down in front of him.

"Jarod..." She whispered and looked into his eyes. They were filled with love and anticipation. She couldn't believe it. Only this morning she was still not sure if she would kiss him, but this felt so right. This felt so perfect.

"The honour would be all mine." She smiled. "Yes, Jarod, I would like nothing more than become your wife."

None of them had ever seen a bigger grin on his face as tears came into his eyes. He took the ring out of the box with trembling hands and put it on her finger.

"I love you so much." She whispered as she hugged and kissed him.

As they stood up, Sydney, Broots and Debbie were by their sides in seconds. After the initial shock, congratulations were given.

"Debbie, I'd like you to be our bridesmaid."  Miss Parker said after they sat down for champagne and snacks.

"Oh my god," Debbie gasped. "I'd be honoured." She smiled and hugged Parker and Jarod.

"Broots, would you like to be my best man?" Jarod asked the surprised tech.

"What? Me? Oh yes. Waw." He said enthusiastically.

"Sydney." Miss Parker continued. "Would you do me the honour of leading me down the aisle?"

Sydney's eyes almost popped out of his eyes. "Me?"

"Yes. My father can't be there and to be honest, I don't really want him there. You've been more like a father to me than he ever was. So, please, lead me down the aisle."

"I would be honoured." He smiled and hugged her. As he let go and looked into her eyes, he saw right into the eyes of that little girl again. The ice queen was gone and he was glad that the two people he considered as his children had finally found each other.

As they were sitting around the dinner table, Jarod looked around and he let out a contented sigh. He knew his family was still out there, but the people that sat around this table were his family too. And he knew that, even if he never found his real family again, these people would always be there for him. Not just for him, but for his new family too, his soon-to-be wife and his unborn child.

"So, Broots..." Sydney looked at the man. "How come you knew about this?"

"M... me?" Broots asked, nervously looking at Miss Parker, still thinking about her threat.

"Broots." She laughed. "You can tell him, I mean, he knows everything, so what does it matter."

"Right..." Broots said, silently cursing himself for being so stupid. "Well, remember yesterday, when we couldn't get in touch with Miss Parker? You see... She was still in bed... In Jarod's arms..."

Sydney laughed hard. "No wonder you looked so pale and nervous when you came into the office."

Debbie started yawning after the dessert. Broots saw it and smiled.

"Debbie, sweetie, we'd better go home. It's a school day tomorrow."

The girl nodded and got up, hugging Sydney and Jarod. Then she turned to Parker and carefully put her hand on her belly. "There really is a baby growing in here?" She asked with a grin.

"Yes, there is." Parker smiled and took the girl in her arms for a hug. "And I think I'm gonna let you do a lot of the babysitting."

Debbie gave her a kiss on her cheek. "I wouldn't want it any other way." Then she turned to her father. "Come on dad, I'm getting tired." She confirmed that last statement with another yawn.

"Ooh right." Broots jumped up and said his goodbyes to everyone. "Jarod, this was an amazing meal. Thank you very much."

"You're welcome." Jarod grinned.

After father and daughter left, Parker, Jarod and Sydney retreated to the living room.

"Have you already figured out how you are going to explain your pregnancy to your family and The Centre?" Sydney asked after a while.

"Until Jarod can find a way to get me out, I'm going to lie about who the father is. If they ever found out that Jarod's the father..."

"They will do anything to get their hands on the child." Sydney finished her sentence with a sigh.

"Whatever happens, we can't let them have our child. I'll do anything in my power to get Parker, Broots and you out and then I'll destroy The Centre." Jarod said determined.

"Whatever happens," Sydney said. "Broots and I will be ready to support you."

"I can't get you guys involved, it will be too risky."

"Jarod, both of us are sick and tired of that place. We know what they did and still do and we want to help to bring them down."

"Thanks Syd, I'll remember that."

After some chit-chat, Sydney thought it was time to leave as he had to get up for work too.

"Jarod, thank you for the wonderful meal. Parker, thank you for the invite. You have no idea how happy I am that you two are finally together."

"Thanks, Syd." Jarod said as he hugged his mentor.

"See you tomorrow, Sydney." Miss Parker said as she pulled her friend into a hug.

After cleaning up, they went to the bedroom.

"So Jarod, what last name are you going to use when we get married?" Parker asked when they were laying on the bed, her head resting on his chest.

"I want to use my real name when we get married." He sighed.

"But you still don't know your last name."

"I'll try to contact my dad. He should be able to give me the answer."

"I thought you didn't know how to contact your dad."

"We agreed that I'd post an ad in a paper for emergencies."

"Jarod," She said, lifting herself up to look into his eyes. "I don't want you to risk your family over this. This wedding means so much to me, but I'm marrying you, not your name. Don't take unnecessary risks. Please."

His hand gently cupped her cheek. "Honey, it's very important for me. My dad will understand."

"Even if he knows you're marrying me? Your hunter, the woman who moved heaven and earth to get you back to that hellhole?"

"I'll make him understand." Jarod whispered and pulled her closer, giving her a kiss filled with love.

"Jarod, I love you more than I could ever imagine. But I know how important your family is to you. Don't pick a fight over me."

He pulled her in his arms, giving her a reassuring hug. "Honey, you mean the world to me. And if I have to give up my family for you, I will. Without a second's hesitation."

She got up from his hug and looked him in the eyes again. "Jarod, no. I can't let you do that. You spend your whole life looking for them, worrying about them. Mourning them. I won't allow you to give up your family for me."

"But what if they don't accept you? Or our kids?" He whispered as he gently laid his hand on her belly.

"WE will make them understand." She smiled a reassuring smile and kissed him longingly and passionately. "But right now all I want to think about is celebrating our engagement."

He grinned and pulled her naked body on his. "All night long if it's up to me..." He whispered in her ear. Her giggles filled the room as he sucked on her earlobe.

***

"Good morning, Miss Parker." Sydney said cheerfully as she entered the office. "I'm surprised you made it on time."

"Very funny, Syd." She said sarcastically but with a huge grin on her face.

"Good morning Miss Parker. Debbie asked me to thank you again for the wonderful meal." Broots smiled.

"Thank you, Broots. So, any leads on the boy wonder?" She asked as of nothing had happened the night before.

"Yeah," Broots replied "Apparently Lyle left early this morning with his team to check a lead in Chicago."

She knew she had to keep the cover that they were still chasing Jarod, otherwise someone would get suspicious. "Why didn't he contact me?" She snapped.

"Errr... I don't know." Broots honestly answered.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, she left the tech's office and walked towards her father's office.

"Daddy!" She moaned as she walked into his office.

"Angel?" He looked up surprised. "You really should learn to knock."

"Yeah well, Lyle should learn to co-operate."

"What are you talking about, Angel?"

"He left for Chicago on a lead on Jarod. And he never contacted me or my team."

"Lyle is in charge to get Jarod back. You know that. The triumvirate got tired of your tries. You had 5 years to bring him back. So they gave Lyle a chance. If he thinks he shouldn't have warned you, then that's his decision."

"Lyle's a fool. He's making that trip to Chicago for nothing."

"How do you know?" Mr. Parker asked suspiciously.

"Because *I* have been hunting him for five years. I know Jarod and I can smell a fake lead before we even know about it. Chicago is a fake lead and I would only have sent a sweeper team there."

"Let's just wait until Lyle gets back before you make any wild accusations."

"Whatever." She snapped and walked back out of the office. She hadn't really lied to him. The last two years they had been able to recognize a fake lead from a real one. She only sent a sweeper team there and it saved them a lot of lost time. She had recognized this as a fake lead, it didn't matter that she knew where Jarod was. But she didn't really care Lyle was away either. The more he was gone, the better for her. She just had to keep her façade up.

***

The next day Lyle was back into the office. Pissed as hell.

"We went all the way to Chicago FOR NOTHING." He yelled to Broots as Miss Parker came into the office.

"If you wouldn't be too stubborn to contact me before you leave, I could have told you that it was a FAKE LEAD." She snapped back.

"Ooh, yes, of course, my perfect sister would have recognized it."

"Yes, I have. Go ask daddy. I talked to him about it yesterday."

Lyle let out a frustrated growl and left Broots' office, heading towards Mr. Parkers office.

"Waw, he was really pissed." Broots sighed.

"Serves him right. He should have contacted me before leaving." She growled before going after Lyle.

"No dad. It's my project now." Lyle whined as Miss Parker entered her father's office.

"What's the problem brother-dear?" She asked in her most mocking tone.

"I told Lyle he should contact you about every lead because you and your team know Jarod."

"No dad! She and her team had their chance for five years. Now it's my turn and I will bring him back. No matter what."

"Son, I know you want this chance, but you have to agree that your sister and her team have the most experience with Jarod and whatever he does. They were able to recognize every false lead in the last two years."

If looks had been able to kill, Lyle's eyes would have killed Miss Parker that instant.

"Son, if you can't handle that, I'll have to talk to the triumvirate about reassigning this task to your sister."

"You can't do that!" Lyle screamed frustrated.

"Lyle, you know I'm right." Mr. Parker said stern.

"Whatever... just keep me in charge."

"If you do what I tell you, that won't be a problem."

"Fine!" He growled and breezed out of the office.

"Angel?" Mr. Parker said right before his daughter left his office.

"Yes daddy?" She asked, turning around again.

"Support you brother as much as possible, that's your first priority. Don't make it any harder for him than it is."

"Of course not, daddy." She answered as innocent as possible. "But I thought that catching Jarod was our first priority." ~If you only knew that I already caught him... and how...~

Mr. Parker looked a bit flustered for a second. "Well, yes, of course Jarod is our first priority. But never forget: family comes first."

"Of course daddy, how could I ever forget..." She said with a fake smile and left his office.

***

A month passed by slowly. Jarod lived with Miss Parker and they were happy. Happier then they ever were. Broots, Debbie and Sydney came by regularly. Parker's belly was slowly growing and she had to tell something to her father soon. They had already agreed that she would tell him that it happened during a one-night-stand, she was too drunk to remember who the guy was and by the time she found out she was pregnant; it was too late for an abortion. They both knew he would be pissed as hell, but right now they didn't have any choice. Jarod wasn't ready to bring The Centre down yet and he was still hoping to hear something from his father soon. He was posting ads in the paper almost daily. He had also stopped planting leads and false leads. It would be better of he just disappeared for a while. He did it before, so they wouldn't really get suspicious.

***

Another week passed and Parker started showing now. It was time she told her father. Before she left, Jarod told her to be strong and to be careful. She kissed him goodbye, held her engagement ring that was hanging on a chain around her neck and told him that she loved him. Somewhere deep inside she didn't feel right about this, but she tried to ignore the feeling as she kissed him again and stepped outside.

*Knock knock*

"Enter!" Mr. Parker said reluctantly.

Miss Parker slowly opened the door, gathering all the courage that she could find.

"Daddy, I have to tell you something."

"Angel, don't just stand there, come on in. You look worried, tell me what's wrong."

She took a deep breath. She knew it would be difficult, but not like this.

"Daddy, I'm pregnant."

Mr. Parker looked up from his papers. "You can't be."

"Well, I am."

"Get rid of it."

"Daddy, how can you say that?" She asked shocked.

"You haven't finished your job here yet. After that, you can do whatever you want. If you want to have little bastards then, go right ahead. Now get rid of it."

She was almost in tears at how harsh he was. "I can't. It's too late."

"That explains why you have gotten so fat."

"Daddy!" She exclaimed, feeling shocked.

"So, who's the father of the bastard?"

She took another deep breath. Now she had to sound sincere. "I don't know."

"What?!" He yelled, his eyes firing pure anger.

"It happened after another lead on Jarod. He had pissed me off again and I let myself go. I found a bar, got drunk and found a stranger. I don't know who he was. By morning he was gone and I was too drunk to really remember anything."

His eyes had changed from pure anger to pure fury. "YOU are a DISGRACE to this family. Not only are you carrying a bastard, you have no idea who the father is and it's too late to get rid of it. I won't let this happen." He picked up his phone and dialled an inside number. "Get over here. I have a job to do for you."

"Daddy, what are you doing?" She asked frightened. She had never seen him this angry.

"I can't allow a disgrace like this. You will be escorted to the hospital wing; there they will get rid of the baby."

"Daddy, it's too late. I could die if they take it away now."

"It's better that you die then disgrace our family."

She looked at him with big eyes. "Daddy...you... you'd let me die?"

"Yes." He said. His eyes were ice-cold. That moment two sweepers entered his office.

"Take her to the hospital wing."

"Yes sir." One of them said as they positioned themselves next to her.

"Daddy no, please..." She was desperate. Her own father would let her die. She was so scared for herself and the baby that she blurred it out before realising: "The baby's Jarod's." Right before the sweepers dragged her out the office.

"STOP!" Mr. Parker barked and they did. "What did you say?"

"I know who the father is. It's Jarod." She sighed.

The anger was back in his eyes. "You're supposed to catch him, NOT FUCK HIM!"

"I'm sorry daddy."

"You're SORRY?" He let out a frustrated scream. "Leave, go home. I have to think about this."

"Yes daddy." She whispered and hastily got out of his office, her eyes filled with tears.

Before leaving, she stopped by the office of the only people she trusted.

"Sydney, Broots, come by my house tonight. Broots, leave Debbie home."

"Yes Miss Parker, but..." Before Broots could finish, she was already gone.

"What was that all about?" Broots asked Sydney.

"I think her father did not react well to the news."

She stumbled inside her house, her knees barely holding her. Jarod was by her side in seconds and guided her to the couch.

"Honey, are you ok? What happened?" He asked worried.

"Oh god..." She cried.

He laid her head on his chest and lovingly caressed her hair.

"Honey, please tell me what happened."

"He wanted to kill me." She whispered between sobs. "My own father."

"What?" Jarod gasped surprised.

"I had to... to tell him that... that the baby is... is yours." Her cries filled the room again and Jarod could do nothing more than hold her.

"Honey, please, tell me what happened." He begged, his eyes filled with worry.

"When I told him I didn't know who the father was... He wanted me to get rid of the baby... He didn't care that I could die in the operation too... There were sweepers to take me to the hospital wing... I didn't know what to do... I was so scared for our baby... I... I..."

He took her in his arms again and tears were in his eyes too. "Honey, don't blame yourself. You did what was best."

"No Jarod, now they know it's yours. God knows what they'll do now to get their hands on our child."

"I won't let them. Trust me."

She got up from his embrace and dried her tears. "We won't let them." Her determination was clear. "I'll never let them get their hands on our child."

"Neither will I." Jarod said and put his arm around her. "I'll try to speed up the process to get them down."

"Broots and Sydney will be here tonight. You can talk about it with them too."

"Good. I don't really want them that involved, but I do think I will need them."

They held each other for a while until her phone rang.

"What?" She sighed. "Daddy?... Tonight? But..." She let out another sigh and closed her phone. "He's coming here tonight."

"Tonight? Maybe you'd better call off Broots' and Syd's visit."

"No. You can't show yourself when he's here and I don't want to appear to be alone."

"You're right." He said and gently took her in his arms again.

*You have a video call*

The voice from his laptop brought them both out the slumbering sleep they had fell in on the couch. Jarod sat up instantly and almost ran to his computer. He punched in a few buttons and then his face lit up.

"Dad!"

"Hey son, what's the big emergency?"

"Dad, it's so good to see you again." Jarod smiled. "How's Mitch? Is he adapting good to his live outside The Centre?"

"Son, it's great to see you again too. Mitch is fine and adapting very well. So, why did you need me?"

"Dad, I need to know my last name. My real last name."

"You still haven't figured it out?"

"How could I?"

"Jarod, your last name is Major."

"What?" Jarod asked surprised.

"Yes. It's not just my nickname. It is my name. The boys in the army just turned it around and I got stuck with it."

"Jarod Major. Has a nice ring to it." Jarod smiled.

"So, why do you want to know so urgently?"

"Well, dad, I have a surpr..." Jarod got interrupted by a sudden panic attack from his father.

"JAROD! Behind you! Look out!"

Jarod just smiled and took Miss Parker's hand in his and pulled her next to him. "Dad, don't worry. This is the surprise. We're going to get married."

Charles saw the joy and happiness on both their faces and he saw the slight bulge on Miss Parker's belly, but he was too angry to consider it. "Son, you have to be kidding me. Do you have any idea what that woman and her family did to us? I can't allow you to do this. You have to be insane."

"But dad..." Jarod tried, but Charles had already broken the connection. "Goddamned, dad." Jarod cursed as tears welt up in his eyes. He felt Parker's arms around him, trying to comfort him.

"Baby, it will be alright. He just needs time. He's right, you know, me and my family have put your family through a lot of misery and pain. Just give him time."

Major Charles paced his small hotel room. His brain filled with thoughts about what had just happened.

~This can't be happening. This can't be happening.~

His eyes fell on the scrolls next to his computer.

~I have to tell them. They should know.~

*You have a video call*

Jarod looked up surprised. He had been lying in Parker's embrace as she tried to comfort him, but tears were still in his eyes. He quickly activated the program.

"Dad." Jarod breathed surprised. "Please, dad, let us explain everything. We can..."

"Jarod!" His father said stern. "I have to tell you something first."

Jarod just nodded, afraid to start another fight if he said something wrong.

Charles looked at Parker. "Miss Parker, I happened to notice your stomach. Are you pregnant?"

"Yes." She answered with a smile. Jarod took her hand in his and smiled too.

"Almost four months." He added with a pride filled voice.

"Congratulations." Charles said, but he didn't sound happy. "There's something you should know. I located the scrolls and some of it is still readable."

"You found the scrolls? How?" Jarod asked surprised.

"That's a very long story, son. Too long too tell now. It's what's in the scrolls that you should know about." He took one of the scrolls and slowly unrolled it, reading it out loud. "The Centre shall rise. The Chosen will be found, a boy named Jarod will... The rest got wiped away."

"I'm the Chosen?" Jarod asked surprised.

Charles just nodded and took another scroll. "I think so, but that's not all." He said with a sigh and unrolled another scroll. "The Centre shall fall. The Doomed One will rise from the Chosen and the Legacy, a boy named David... That's all I could read here." Charles looked up and stared into the stunned faces of his son and Parker.

"The Doomed One?" Parker asked breathless. "That can't be our son, can it? I mean, I'm not the Legacy, am I?" Jarod heard a tremble in her voice and brought her hand to his lips, giving it a reassuring kiss.

"Dad, do the scrolls say anything else?"

"The only thing I could recover was that The Legacy is the last in line of the founders of The Centre. I'm sorry; the rest got totally wiped away because of the water."

"That makes me the Legacy and our son is Doomed?" Parker asked shocked.

"He doesn't have to be." Charles answered.

"But the scroll says so." She whispered.

"That doesn't mean that he's doomed. Maybe the people who made the scrolls wanted him to be doomed because he's the reason The Centre falls." Charles tried to explain.

"Maybe..." She whispered. Jarod heard the pain in her voice and put his arms around her, hugging her lovingly and whispering reassuring words in her ear.

Charles looked at the scene and finally started seeing what was going on between them.

"Guys, where are you now?" He asked.

"In Parkers house." Jarod answered.

"Blue Cove?" Charles asked surprised.

"Yes." Jarod replied.

"Alright. I'll try to stop by tomorrow."

"Dad, you can't. It's too dangerous. I'm already risking my life by staying here."

"Don't worry about me, son. I'll be fine." And without another word he closed the connection.

"Damned, dad... It's too dangerous." Jarod sighed as he saw the screen turn black.

"Sweetie, trust your dad. He's been running from The Centre for a much longer time than you. I'm sure that he'll know what he's doing."

"I hope so." Jarod sighed and gave her a quick kiss. "Now, let's get started to clean this place up so your father won't notice that I'm here."

"Good idea." Parker said as they walked away from the computer in search of any evidence of Jarod's presence in her house.

A couple of hours later the bell rang. Parker peeked outside before opening it.

"Don't worry, sweetie, its Syd and Broots, no need to hide."

Jarod let out a relieved sigh as Parker let them in. After the mutual greetings, they all sat down in the living room.

"What was so urgent?" Sydney asked.

"My father knows the baby's Jarod's."

"What?" Sydney and Broots both asked at the same time.

She nodded and told them everything that happened in her father's office.

"That's horrible." Broots gasped.

"Well, that's my father." Parker said with a sad chuckle.

At that moment the bell rang again.

"I think that now it's time for me to hide." Jarod said and gave Parker a quick kiss before running upstairs.

She waited a few seconds longer and then opened the door.

"Daddy." She said with a fake smile.

"Hello angel." Her father replied as if nothing had happened that morning. "Oh, Sydney and that tech guy are here too."

"Sydney and Broots, yes."

"Well, they have to leave." He said and made a ‘leave'-motion with his hand.

Broots was ready to get up, but Sydney's hand on his shoulder held him back.

"No daddy, they stay."

"Angel..." He said, losing his patience. "This is family business. No need for strangers to be here."

"They are not strangers. Either they stay or you leave."

Mr. Parker was surprised by the sudden defiance of his daughter.

"Fine, if it means that much to you... Then I guess they know everything already?"

"Yes."

Mr. Parker silently cursed. He hadn't planned on the fact that more people knew about it.

"So, does Jarod know about this?" He asked and absently waved to her stomach.

"No." She answered without flinching.

"Good, keep it that way."

"Daddy, he's still the father. He has a right to know."

"Do NOT tell him." Mr. Parker said angrily. "The only thing he'll want to do for that child is get it away from The Centre and that child is The Centre's future. Do you have any idea what he'll be able to do?"

"What are you talking about?" She asked as innocent as possible.

"A child from Jarod and you? Angel, you probably have a super pretender growing in you. Think of the possibilities for The Centre."

"Daddy, you really don't expect that I'll give my child to The Centre where it will be used as a labrat its entire life?"

"You won't have to give it; we'll take it right after the birth. If you don't see the child, it will be much easier for you. From now on you'll go to the hospital wing every two weeks for check-ups. The last week you will stay there, so they can check you daily and make sure you're already there when the birth starts."

"But I have my own doctor and I want to raise my own child." She tried to object.

"That doesn't matter. That child belongs to The Centre. It will make us big, bigger than Jarod ever could. Once that child is born, Jarod will be of no importance anymore and the way to retrieve him then will preferably be death."

"You can't do that!" Sydney said shocked.

"Stay out of it." Mr. Parker grunted. "That child belongs to The Centre and Jarod will only get in the way." With that he turned around and walked out of the house.

"How can he do that?" Miss Parker sobbed as she fell in the couch. "It's his only grandchild."

Jarod walked down the stairs, he looked pale and his eyes were red and filled with tears. He saw Parker crying on the couch and he went to her, sitting down next to her, taking her in his arms, but he could find no words of comfort and just cried with her.

Sydney and Broots looked at the scene and felt their hearts break. They were quite shocked themselves and they had no idea how hard it would be for the parents to hear that their unborn child was going to be used as a labrat for its entire life and that there would be a death warrant on the father. And Mr. Parker only knows what would happen to the mother.

Sydney let out a sigh. "Guys, I know this has to be a shock. But look at it at the bright side. Now you still have a bit more than five months to do whatever is necessary to bring The Centre down without having to fear for your lives."

Jarod nodded and kissed Parker on her temple. "Honey, Syd's right. They still haven't got our child and they gave us time to finish what we started."

Parker nodded and hugged him tightly. "I know sweetie, I know."

The four of them talked the rest of the evening about their plans to bring The Centre down. And they all came to the same conclusion. If they wanted to do it thoroughly, they needed more time.

Parker took the next day off, she didn't want to face her father yet and she wanted to be home to greet Major Charles. She wanted him to know that she really loved his son and that she would do anything for him.

Sometime in the afternoon, they heard a knock on the backdoor.

"That must be him." Jarod breathed, full of expectation.

"But just in case it isn't, I'll open it." Parker smiled and walked towards the door.

"Hello sir." She smiled as she opened the door and let Charles in.

"Miss Parker." He simply said. "Where's my son?"

"Right here dad." Jarod smiled as he stepped in the kitchen.

"Son!" Charles grinned and hugged Jarod tight.

"Dad, it's so great to see you again." Jarod laughed.

"Me too, son, me too." Charles said as he let go of Jarod and looked at Parker. "So, that's my grandson growing in there?" He asked tenderly.

"Yes sir, but we don't know the gender yet." Parker said with a proud smile.

"Please, don't call me sir. Charles is just fine."

"Alright Charles."

Jarod came by her side and gently took her hand.

"Dad, I really hope you're ok with this. We really love each other so very much and we want to give this child the family neither of us ever had."

Charles looked at the couple in front of him and a gentle smile appeared on his face.

"It's weird for me to see my son so happy with a Parker. But I can see in both your eyes that you truly do love each other more than anything else. You kind of remind me of Margaret and me when we were expecting you Jarod. We were so happy." He let out a contented sigh but darkness appeared in his eyes too. "It's been almost 25 years since I saw her. I miss her so much and I still love her as much as I did the first time I met her."

Jarod walked over to his dad and hugged him. "We'll find her dad. I really want her to be at our wedding."

Charles chuckled. "The Majors and Parkers together for a wedding. That should be fun."

"Don't worry Charles. No one from my family will be there."

"I thought family came first for the Parkers."

"Not anymore." Parker sighed. "Not since my own father tried to kill me."

"What?!" Charles asked surprised.

"Let's go sit down and we'll explain everything." Jarod said.

Charles nodded and followed them to the living room where they sat down. Jarod and Parker told him everything that had happened.

"How can he do that to his own grandchild?" Charles gasped as they finished talking.

Parker let out a sad sigh and Jarod put his arm around her.

"We won't let them do anything to our child." Jarod said.

"I know you won't." Charles smiled and he looked at his watch. "Oh, look at the time. I have to get going."

"Already?" Jarod asked surprised. "I kinda hoped you could stay for dinner."

"Next time, son." Charles got up and looked at his son and Parker. "You two just take care of each other and my grandchild."

"Of course."

"Always."

Charles smiled and walked towards the kitchen. "Goodbye kids. I'll contact you again in a couple of days."

"Bye dad."

"Goodbye Charles and thank you."

Charles flashed them one more smile and then disappeared through the backdoor.

"Your dad's a great guy."

"Yeah, I know." Jarod smiled.

***

"Honey, you ready?" Jarod yelled from down the stairs.

"Yeah, I'll be right there." Parker shouted back. "Hold your horses."

~Why does she think I own horses?~ He wondered, but shrugged away that thought when she appeared on top of the stairs and slowly walked down.

"Sorry I'm so impatient, but this is the first time I can accompany you to the doctor. I can't wait to see and hear that little kid." Jarod smiled as she stepped right into his arms and gave him a quick kiss. "And I don't have any horses to hold."

She let out a groan and softly laughed. ‘It's just a saying, genius. And finally today we get to know the gender." She grinned.

Although she had gone to the hospital wing about a week ago, like her father had commanded, she still wanted to go to her own doctor. Especially since Jarod could accompany her there. Two weeks had passed since Charles' visit and Jarod was hoping to hear something from his father soon.

"That's the heartbeat..." Jarod let out a breath he didn't realise he was holding.

"Indeed." Doctor Reynolds smiled. "Now, let's see what gender this little baby has."

Jarod gently kissed Parker's hand as they looked intently at the screen.

"It's a boy!" Jarod exclaimed.

The doctor looked closer to the screen. "Yes, you're right. Are you a gynaecologist?"

"Not today." Jarod said absently as he stared at the screen. His heart filled with love for the little guy. "He's amazing." Jarod whispered.

"Yes he is." Parker smiled and pulled Jarod in an embrace "I love you so much." She whispered in his ear and kissed him.

"I love you too." He whispered.

"Jarod, our baby's a boy. Do you know what that means?" Parker asked him as they were driving back home.

"Yes, a part of the prophecy on the scroll is true. But, you know, we don't have to call him David."

"I know." Parker sighed, staring out of the window.

***

Several weeks passed again without much happening. Parker went to her bi-weekly controls in the hospital wing, but she never went without Sydney. Jarod kept working on his plan to bring The Centre down together with Broots and Sydney. Major Charles kept regular contact and he was searching for the rest of his family, trying to bring them all together for the first marriage in the family in over 40 years. He didn't know how they would react to hear that Jarod would be marrying a Parker. He wouldn't tell them, it was only his job to bring them together and get them in contact with Jarod.

***

"Jarod." Parker whispered as she entered the living room where he was working. Jarod looked up at his beautiful fiancé. She was really showing now. Only three months were left before the birth. She had gained a couple of pounds and he loved her even more. But then he saw her pale complexion.

"Honey, are you ok?" He asked as he got up and guided his trembling fiancé to the couch where he sat down next to her. "What happened?"

"Weird..." She whispered.

"Honey, what's wrong?" He asked.

"Alright. Thank you." She said, staring blankly to the wall.

"Parker? What is it?" Jarod asked again, getting really concerned.

She looked at him and opened and closed her mouth a couple of times before speaking.

"The baby talked to me."

"He... what?" Jarod asked surprised.

"Remember how my mother told you that Ethan had talked to her and told her his name?"

Jarod nodded. Even though Raines had tried to block that memory, he would never forget that day again.

"Our son did the same. He talked to me and told me his name."

"And what's his name?" Jarod asked. But when he saw Parker's pale face, he knew enough. "David." He whispered.

She slowly nodded. "He told me not to worry, that everything would be alright and he told me that he loves us very much and he thanks us for taking such good care of him. Oh, and he really likes your vegetable lasagne." She gave him a sad smile and he took her in his arms.

"Don't worry, honey. David's right. Everything will be alright."

She just let out a sigh and let herself be comforted by Jarod's embrace and soothing voice.

***

"Hey dad, how are you?" Jarod smiled after answering his video-call.

"I'm fine son, but look who I found."

"Emily!" Jarod said surprised. "Oh my god! How are you? Where have you been?"

"Hey Jarod," She gave him a warm smile. "I'm fine. And what did I hear about you? You're getting married and you're gonna be a dad?"

"Yeah, I am." He grinned, his joy and pride clearly visible to his sister.

"So, who's the lucky woman?" She asked with a playful grin.

"Monica, honey, Dad found Emily. You want to meet her?"

"Of course, baby."

He held her away from the screen for a few more seconds.

"Emily. This is going to be a shock, but don't let your judgment be influenced by the past. I love this woman and the child she's carrying with all my heart. I'd give my life for her. Give her a chance."

Emily gave him a questioning glare, but just nodded. "Alright."

Jarod pulled Parker down next to him, not keeping his eyes of his sister. The shock on her face was obvious.

"Miss Parker?" She growled. "Jarod, you can't be serious. Her brother almost killed me. She almost killed you. That rotten family of hers has been a pain in our butt ever since you were born. You can't be serious."

"Emily, take it easy." Charles said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Remember, you told Jarod that you'd give her a chance."

"Dad, how can you agree with this? After everything she and her family did?"

"Emily, sweetie, look at them. Look at the way they look at each other. They love each other more than anything in the world. Give them a chance. The last time I saw that kind of love in someone's eyes was when your mother looked at me."

Emily took a deep breath and looked at the couple on the screen in front of her. They were holding hands and Parker's free hand lay lovingly on her belly.

"Parker, how far along are you?" she asked.

"A bit less then three months left." A contented smile spread across her and Jarod's face and he slowly brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.

"It's a boy and his name is David." Jarod smiled.

"David? Like on the scroll?" Emily asked surprised.

"Yes." They answered in unison.

"Didn't dad tell you?" Jarod asked.

"No son, that's the kind of stuff I want you to tell yourself."

"Thanks dad." Jarod gave him a sarcastic smile.

"Emily," Parker said, getting back on the subject. "We never wanted to call him David because of that scroll. But my mother and her children have a gift called the inner-sense. Ethan has it too. It's those voices he's always talking about. But because of that inner-sense the women in our family can talk to the foetus they're carrying. And one of the things the baby tells us is their name. About two weeks ago, our son told me his name was David. It was a shock for both of us." She looked at Jarod and he nodded.

Emily just sighed.

"Emily." Jarod said. "I know this isn't easy for you. But please, come to our wedding together with dad and Mitch. Please."

Emily looked into his pleading eyes. She loved her brother very much, but this was a big shock for her. "I'm sorry Jarod; I need time to think about it." With that she stood up and walked away from the computer.

Jarod let out a sad sigh and felt Parker's arm around him, trying to support him.

"Sorry son, I'll try to talk to her."

"Thanks dad." Jarod said before his father closed the connection.

"Give her time, baby. This is a shock for her, just like it was for your father. But he's defending us now. Just give her time."

"I know." Jarod sighed. "I know."

***

A few days later Emily called them again. She had talked with her father every day since the first call.

"I'll come to your wedding, Jarod."

"You will? That's great, Em. That's really great." Jarod smiled.

"I still can't fully accept the fact that you're marrying her, but I see how happy you are and how proud you are of that baby she's carrying. So, I'll be there."

"Thanks Em, I love you."

"I love you too, big brother."

***

The months passed by slowly. Parker was barely in The Centre and if she was it was for her check-ups. The baby was as healthy as a baby could be and she talked to David regularly. Besides Broots and Sydney, no one in The Centre knew she could talk to the baby. But according to her two friends, barely anyone in The Centre knew what was going on with her. The check-ups always happened on Sunday when there was barely anyone present in The Centre. Sydney still accompanied her, although her father liked that less and less.

***

The last month of her pregnancy started on an ice-cold winter day. She was relaxing on the couch, in Jarod's arms when suddenly there was a knock on the door.

"Who could that be?" Parker asked surprised.

"I'd open the door. But it's too risky." Jarod said as he helped her off the couch.

"I know." She smiled and gave him a quick kiss. "Go, hide in the kitchen."

She wobbled to the door and slowly opened it.

"Ethan?" She gasped.

"Hey, sis." The younger man smiled.

"My god, Ethan, what are you doing here?" She asked as she let him inside and gave him a loving hug.

"Where's my brother?" He asked.

"Jarod!" Parker yelled and wobbled back to the couch.

"Yeah, honey, who wa... Ethan!" A broad smile spread over Jarod's face. "My god, Ethan, what are you doing here?" He asked as he hugged his brother.

"The voices told me to come. You'll need help to take them down." Ethan looked at Miss Parker. "Is that David?" He asked as he pointed to her large belly.

"Yes, it is." She smiled. "Come here, you can feel him kick."

Ethan stood by her side in a second, carefully laying his hand on her belly. "Wow." He whispered when he felt a kick.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Jarod asked, smiling. He had felt it so many times before, but he still felt astounded every time.

"Yes." Ethan answered with a big smile.

"Ethan, I don't understand why the voices send you here now. My plan isn't complete yet. You can't help us take them down yet."

"I'll help you with the plan." He smiled. "The voices can help too. Mom can help."

"That's great." Jarod said honestly. "I'll get the spare bedroom ready for you."

Ethan nodded. "Ok, but I can only stay for about two weeks."

"How come?" Parker asked surprised.

"After that the voices will guide me to Jarod's mother."

"What?" Jarod asked surprised. "Are you serious?"

"Of course." Ethan answered almost sounding offended.

"Ethan I want to come with you to search for mom."

"No." The younger man shook his head. "You have to stay here. The baby will need you." And with that he walked upstairs. "I'm going to freshen up; it's been a long journey."

***

"Is this going to work?" Sydney asked.

He, Jarod, Parker, Ethan and Broots were sitting around the dinner table. It was filled with laptops and papers.

"It has to work." Jarod sighed. "I simmed it a couple of times and it'll work, I'm sure."

"Ok, let's go over it once more." Broots said. He noticed Jarod and Ethan's annoyed faces. "Well, I'm sorry, but we're not all geniuses and I'd just like to know if I know what to do so I'll do it right."

"Of course, Broots." Jarod said in an apologising tone.

 The tech sighed and looked at his laptop. "So tomorrow at 9 AM, I launch this program.  This will start deleting files, so it'll look like there's a virus in the system, but instead of deleting the files, the program will put the files in a hidden directory where a sub-program will filter out all the files concerning Jarod and his family, Miss Parker, baby Parker, Sydney, Angelo and myself. The other files will be sent to the FBI and Interpol. The filtered files will be sent to Jarod's secured web space. Around the time panic spreads about the deleted files, Miss Parker and Sydney will be in The Centre for her last check-up. They'll help Angelo escape and a couple of hours later, the FBI and Interpol should be busting in The Centre's doors."

"That's it." Jarod smiled.

"Is it really this simple?" Parker asked, feeling worried.

"Yes. But I still don't like the fact that you'll be there to get Angelo out. I'd much rather go with you." Jarod said and lovingly took her hand.

"Jarod, I'm a big girl..." She noticed his smirk. "You know what I mean." She growled and he just nodded, still smirking. "Anyway, Syd's with me and everyone will be too busy worrying about the disappearing files. There won't be any problems. And by the way, if you walk in The Centre, I'm sure we'll draw a lot of attention to ourselves, something we're trying to avoid."

He nodded and gently kissed her hand. "Just be careful."

"Always." She smiled, but then her face went dark. "Jarod, what's going to happen to my brother?"

"Lyle?" He asked surprised that she cared about him.

"No not Lyle, he can rot in hell for all I care. I'm talking about Craig, my little brother. He's innocent in all this."

"You're his sister. You can adopt him after the cops pick him up; getting Angelo out is going to be tricky enough. Craig will be fine." He gave her a reassuring smile and gently squeezed her hand.

She looked in his eyes. "Jarod, if I adopt him and we marry, that means he'll be your child too."

"I know, but like you said, he's innocent in all of this. He deserves a good home."

She gave him a loving smile and whispered: "Thank you."

***

To everyone's surprise and relief, the plan worked flawlessly. Barely three hours after Broots had activated the virus and one-and-a-half hour after Sydney and Parker got out with Angelo, the FBI and Interpol knocked down the doors of The Centre and started arresting everyone inside and confiscating every file and item they could get their hands on.

The destruction of The Centre was a major news-bulletin for more than a week.

Officers came by Parker's house, but when they noticed a pregnant woman and her fiancé who claimed they had no idea her family was involved in such horrors, they left the couple alone, they weren't able to find anything against them anyway. Craig was put in their care a week after the first raid, the small boy who never had left The Centre was amazed about the world around him and kept asking questions, which Jarod more than happily answered, knowing all too well how he felt. The officers found it amazing that a three-year-old boy could already talk that well. Jarod and Monica just shrugged it off that he probably had a 24/7 education at The Centre.

Angelo was put in a special home where he had a lot of freedom and people cared well for him. Jarod, Parker, Sydney and Broots visited him regularly.

The only one who was still missing from custody was Lyle. And Parker had a very bad feeling about the fact that he was still out there somewhere.

***

"JAROD!" Her voice sounded through the house.

He hurried to the couch where she was panting.

"It's time." She huffed.

He just nodded and helped her up, grabbing her bag that stood by the door and guiding her outside and into the car. Craig ran after them, worried about his new mom.

They were only a few minutes underway when a horrible curse escaped her mouth.

"Honey, take it easy, we'll be at the hospital in a few minutes."

"I think my water broke." She let out another curse.

"Car-cleaning-duty for me." He joked.

"Don't try to be funny... THIS ISN'T FUNNY!" She yelled and cursed again.

He decided to shut up and try not to piss her off even more.

A few minutes later they arrived at the hospital, much to Jarod's relief. He was quite certain he had never heard so many curses in barely 10 minutes and a lot of them were meant for him.

Nurses were by their car quite fast and they put Parker in a wheelchair. That was of course also combined with another ranting of curses, as she claimed she didn't need a wheelchair and was more than capable of walking inside on her own. The nurses wouldn't hear of it and wheeled her inside.

"I came as fast as I could."

"Sydney." Jarod smiled as the older man walked into the room.

"How is it going?"

"How do you think?" Parker growled and let out a painful moan. Jarod was by her side in a flash, carefully taking her hand in his.

"Get AWAY FROM ME! You bastard, this is all your fault! You just couldn't keep your dirty paws TO YOURSELF!"

Jarod quickly backed away and turned back to Sydney, hurt and helplessness radiating from him. Sydney just smiled and felt bad for Jarod; he put a reassuring hand on the man's shoulder.

"Do not worry, son, every woman in labour is ready to kill the father of that child. Just ignore her ranting, she still loves you, stay by her side and be there for her. Trust me."

Jarod let out a sigh and turned back to Parker.

"I'LL KILL YOU, YOU BASTARD." She yelled as she looked coldly in his eyes.

He turned back to Sydney, desperation written all over his face.

"Go!" The older man mouthed as he pointed to Parker.

Jarod let out another sigh and walked back to her, trying to comfort her between all her curses and cries.

"One more push Miss Parker, one more push." The doctor said.

"AAAAAAAH"

"Come on honey, you can do it, one more push." Jarod moaned.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAH"

"Wheeeiii wheeeeeii" The soft cries of the infant filled the room.

"Congratulations. It's a healthy and beautiful son." The doctor announced as he wrapped the little guy in a blanket and carefully laid him in Parker's arms.

"Ooh, Jarod, he's beautiful." Parker cried. "I'm so sorry about everything I yelled at you. I still love you so very much."

"I know honey, I know. I love you too." Jarod cried and lovingly kissed her. He gently caressed his son's cheek. "Hello David. You're an amazing looking little man, welcome to the world."

"Mr. Major, do you want to cut the umbilical cord?"

"Of course." Jarod answered with a smile and took the tools from the doctor. He gently, but professionally cut it.

"Are you a doctor?" The doctor asked jokingly.

"Not today." Jarod answered honestly and turned back to Parker, gently caressing and kissing her. "I love you so much, honey, and after this I respect you even more than I ever thought possible."

"Sydney, meet your godson." Jarod smiled as he laid David in Sydney's arms.

"Jarod, he is beautiful." Sydney smiled. "Parker, are you feeling ok?"

"I'm fine Syd," She laughed. "I have a beautiful son, an amazing fiancé and lovely friends. What more could I wish for?"

The greying man nodded and looked back at his godson as he took Syd's finger in his small hand and gently squeezed it.

"So Jarod, when is your family coming by?"

"My dad, Emily and Mitch are coming by tomorrow. Ethan is still looking for my mom and he checks in regularly. I just hope he'll find her before the wedding."

"I am sure he will." Sydney said. "Ethan knows how important this is for you... Parker, this little guy has your eyes and Jarod's grin."

"Poor guy," She sighed. "Inheriting that stupid grin."

Jarod just laughed. "Well, let's just hope he hasn't inherited your killer glare."

Time passed slowly for the new parents. David was a very quiet boy who barely cried but he loved to laugh. Parker had officially adopted Craig and the young child saw Jarod and Parker as his parents.

Before they realised it, two months had passed and their wedding day arrived.

"Hey daddy."

"Hey Craig, oh my, you look like a nice young man in that suit."

The boy blushed and tugged uncomfortably at his black tie.

"You look good too, daddy."

"Thanks son." Jarod smiled and lifted Craig in his arms. "Let's get you to the front door. Broots and Debbie are picking you and David up, so you have to be ready." Jarod walked out of the bedroom and put Craig down at the stairs. "Just go to the door, I'll get David ready."

Craig nodded and walked down as Jarod walked into the baby's room.

"Hey little man. You ready to go?" Jarod smiled and carefully picked David up and put him in the travel crib. "Debbie and Broots are going to take care of you today. So be a good boy, ok?"

David made a couple of funny noises and Jarod softly kissed his forehead. "I love you, little prince." He picked up the crib and walked out of the room and downstairs.

Sydney beamed as Parker walked down the stairs in his house. He was glad she had asked if she could change in his house, to honour the tradition that the bride and groom weren't supposed to see each other before the wedding.

"Parker, you look amazing. Jarod's mouth will fall wide open if you walk down that aisle."

Monica blushed and she did a quick swirl. The simple cream dress fit her perfectly. Her hair was in a long ponytail and a single white rose was tucked behind her right-ear.

"Sydney, I'm so nervous." She mumbled.

"Of course you are. This is the biggest commitment anyone has to make in their lives. I am sure that Jarod is a nervous wreck too."

"Jarod, no way." She laughed. "He'll probably pretend not to be."

"That will not work." Sydney assured her. "He is too emotionally involved."

"I sure hope he's emotionally involved." She joked. "Well, we'd better get going before he thinks I chickened out."

Sydney smiled and led her outside, to his car.

The small church was filled with friends and family. Jarod was nervously fiddling with his hands and constantly looking at his watch.

"Relax." Broots smiled and put his hand on his shoulder. "They still have time."

"I know." Jarod agreed and checked his watch again. "I'm just so nervous."

Broots just chuckled and at the moment the famous music began and the doors opened, revealing Monica and Sydney. They slowly walked forward on the beat of the music.

Jarod gasped and his mouth fell open. "My god, she's so beautiful." He whispered barely audible.

Monica saw his reaction and blushed. Syd was right, his mouth did fall open and by the fiddling of his hands, she could tell he was nervous too. He looked very handsome in his black tuxedo and she couldn't blame the ladies who were constantly glancing at him when they were walking down the street or in the grocery store. It also explained their jealous stares at her. She smiled softly at him and he returned it. It surprised her that she saw a tear glistering in his eyes and at the same time it didn't surprise her at all. One of the reasons she loved him so much was because of his very sensitive side.

Sydney guided her next to Jarod, kissed her cheek and went to his spot on the front row.

Jarod took her hands in his and let her beauty sink deep into his soul.

The priest opened his book, cleared his throat and started talking.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join Monica Parker and Jarod Major in holy matrimony. If anyone objects to this union, let them speak now or forever hold their silence."

"Wait." A voice sounded from one of the doors.

Jarod and Parker turned towards it surprised.

"Ethan?" Jarod exclaimed surprised. "Why..."

"There's still one guest missing." The young man smiled and opened the door further.

"Mom!" Jarod gasped.

"Go." Parker smiled and gently pushed him.

Jarod nodded and ran towards the door, where his mother almost jumped in his arms.

"Mom, I'm so glad you're here. Ethan, thank you so much for finding her."

His brother just smiled. "I'll go find a seat."

"Mom, you look great." Jarod smiled and hugged her again.

"So do you Jarod. I mean, you're a father and you're getting married. I'm so proud of you."

Parker had joined them and extended her hand. "Ms. Major, I'm so glad to finally meet you."

"Monica, you look exactly like your mother." She smiled. "And please, call me Maggie." She took her hand and pulled her close for a hug. "I'm so glad you're getting married to my boy."

"You are?" Parker asked surprised.

"Yes. Catherine and I always knew you had a soft spot for each other."

"Maggie?"

"Charles!" She exclaimed and flew into her husband's arms. "I missed you so much and I love you so very much."

Charles gave her a passionate kiss. "I love you too, Maggie."

"Mom."

"Emily." Maggie cried and hugged her daughter tight. "I'm so glad you're ok."

"Maggie, there's someone else I'd like you to meet." Charles said and pushed Mitch towards her. "Mitch, this is your mother."

"I have another son?" Maggie gasped and shakily hugged the boy.

A soft cough escaped someone's mouth. "I'm sorry to break up this heartbreaking family reunion. But I was conducting a wedding ceremony." The priest gently smiled.

"Of course." Maggie smiled. "But first I want to meet my grandson."

Jarod took her hand and guided her towards Debbie, on the front row, who was holding a small bundle, which Jarod carefully took from her and handed to his mother.

"Mom, this is David." The pride sounded clear in his voice.

"He's so beautiful." Maggie whispered and gave him a soft kiss on his forehead.

"Mom, you can sit here, next to Debbie and Dad. I really should get married now."

She nodded and gave Jarod a kiss on his cheek. "I'm so proud of you."

He smiled and returned to his spot in front of the priest. He gently took Monica's hands back in his. The ceremony continued and when they finally kissed, almost everyone was crying.

The weeks slowly passed for the newlyweds. Jarod's family had bought a house not far from theirs and they visited regularly. Jarod spend a lot of time with his mother, trying to get to know her. She was still amazed by Mitch and she constantly had to remind herself that he wasn't Jarod.

Jarod was sitting at the desk, checking the files from the Centre on him and his family when his attention fell on a file called ‘Prodigy beta'.

"Oh my god." He whispered, as his eyes scanned the file for the third time. "Oh my god. HONEY!"

"Yeah sweetie?" She answered from upstairs.

He hurried upstairs and into the baby's room. "Honey, I have to talk to you. Where's Craig?"

"In his room, getting ready for bed." She said and adjusted David on her chest. The small boy was sound asleep, enjoying the closeness to his mother. She looked at Jarod worried. "What's wrong sweetie?"

"Nothing. I just need to talk to the both of you." He gave her an absent smile and walked towards Craig's room.

There the young child was sitting at his desk, in his red Pluto pj's, concentrated on a drawing.

"Hey son, what are you drawing?"

"Our family." He stated and looked up. Jarod smiled as he looked at the picture. "This is mommy holding David in her arms, this is you and you're holding me. Next to you are grandma and Grandpa Charles and Aunt Emi and Uncle Ethan and Uncle Mitch. Next to mommy are Grandpa Sydney and Uncle Boots and Debbie." He looked up at Jarod and smiled widely. "I think I got everyone."

"Yes you did." Jarod laughed and raised Craig into his arms. "I think you'll have a nice future with Disney."

"Then can I draw Pluto?"

"Of course you can." Jarod laughed and walked downstairs, setting Craig on the couch next to him as Monica walked out of the kitchen. She had put David in his crib upstairs and he was sound asleep.

"What was so urgent?" She asked as she sat next to Craig. He crawled in her arms and hugged her tight.

"Daddy says I can draw Pluto." He smiled.

"Oh, he did?" She asked with a smile and kissed his hair.

"Yeah, he drew our family. You should see it. The resemblances are amazing. And that's one of the reasons I wanted to talk to the both of you."

"Because Craig can draw?" She asked with a chuckle.

"No, because he can do things that are very advanced for his age. Like drawing details, talking so fluently and all the other small things that we discover daily."

"Jarod, he spent the first three years of his life in The Centre. God knows what they did to him."

"They didn't do anything to him, it's in his genes."

"Sweetie, what are you talking about?"

"I was reading through the files about the both of us and Craig." He took a deep breath before continuing. "Honey, Craig..." Jarod was interrupted by a noise from upstairs. "What was..." A loud bang sounded through the house. "That was a gunshot." Jarod gasped as he jumped off the couch and ran upstairs.

"Oh my god." Monica whispered as she stood up and took Craig in her arms. She took him to the kitchen and put him in the empty space under the sink. "Stay here and don't come out and stay silent. Please."

Craig nodded and Monica closed the door. She quickly ran to their bedroom, taking out her gun. At that moment another shot sounded through the house. "Oh god, please no." She whispered and quickly loaded her gun, carefully walking down the hallway towards the baby's room. The voices in her head were going insane at that moment. She tried to ignore them as she peeked into the room. He heart stopped at the scene. Jarod was on the floor, gasping for air, as his hands tried to cover a blood red stain that was rapidly growing on his chest. She saw the gun that was aimed at his head and as her eyes trailed the arm, her gaze rested on a very familiar face.

"Drop the gun and get away from him." She growled as she aimed her gun at the intruder.

"Sis, how nice to see you again." Lyle's grin widened as he aimed his gun at her. "Just one more and your new family is gone. Where is Craig by the way? He's not hiding from his uncle, is he?"

"What are you talking about? He's our brother. Now drop the gun and step away from Jarod and David."

"Why? They're dead, or soon will be. I just want to see you suffer as I kill Craig in front of your eyes."

"What do you mean they're dead?" She glanced at Jarod and saw he lay still, his chest wasn't moving and his eyes looked cold. And then she glanced at the crib and her heart stopped again, the white linen was covered in blood. "What have you done?" She gasped, unable to control the tears that were filling her eyes.

"You wrecked my life. I just want you to feel the same." He aimed the gun. "Goodbye sis, Craig will have me as his new daddy now."

A shot rang out and it stayed silent. Monica had closed her eyes, waiting for the pain to come, waiting for death to take her to Jarod and David. But neither came. She slowly opened her eyes and saw Lyle lying on the floor in a pile of blood.

"Are you ok?"

She jumped at the sound of the voice next to her.

"Ethan." She cried and fell into his arms as he lowered his gun. "How did you know?"

"The voices were screaming so loud."

"Thank you." She whispered. "Oh my god, Jarod and David, quickly, dial 911."

Ethan nodded and ran out of the room. Monica looked into the crib and cried harder. Lyle had shot David straight through his head. She quickly turned her head away from the gruesome scene and kneeled next to Jarod, gently taking his bloody hand in hers. Checking his pulse, she let out a frustrated growl as she didn't feel a heartbeat. Quickly she started CPR. "Jarod, please, don't leave me. I need you. Please. He took David away from us; I need you to get through this. Please, baby, please."

It seemed ages before the ambulance and the cops arrived, but it was barely five minutes.

She was guided downstairs by cops, who tried to question her, but she was going into shock and the paramedics took her to the hospital for observation. Ethan held Craig close, trying to comfort the boy as much as possible. They had also questioned the both of them. Ethan had just told them that he came by for a visit and heard the gunshots. He knew about the spare gun in the bedroom, took it and he shot Lyle right in time to safe his sister. Craig couldn't tell them anything useful.

"I was talking to mommy and daddy about Pluto and then a loud bang filled the house. Mommy and daddy looked scared and then daddy ran upstairs and mommy hid me under the sink and told me to stay put. I heard two other loud bangs and then Uncle Ethan opened the door to my hiding spot and pulled me out, telling me everything would be ok."

"How old is he?" One cop asked Ethan.

"Almost four." Craig answered and put four fingers in the air, two of each hand, like he was making two peace-signs.

The cop smiled. "He's a smart kid."

"Yeah, he is." Ethan smiled. "I'll take him to his grandparents and tell them what happened to my brother and nephew."

"Wait." The cop said, looking confused. "The guy that was shot, was your brother?"

"Yes." Ethan nodded.

"And his wife is your sister?"

"Yes." Ethan nodded again and smiled at the horrified face of the cop. "But they're not related."

"Oh, so they're like your half-brother and half-sister."

Ethan smiled. "Yes."

"Isn't that weird? Having your brother and sister married?"

"No, they're happy together. Or they were." He sighed. "I really hope they'll get over this. She loves Jarod so much and they'll need each other to get over David's death. If Jarod dies... I don't know what will happen to her."

"Daddy and David?" Craig asked, his eyes opening wide. "What happened to them?"

"Let's go to grandma and grandpa and I'll tell everything there, ok?"

Craig nodded and they left the house, leaving the cops to finish their job.

Margaret and Charles were devastated when they heard the news. Emily and Mitch looked as if a nuclear bomb had just hit the house.

"My grandson is dead?" Charles asked between sobs.

Ethan nodded, there was a lump in his throat the size of Europe and now that he was with his grieving family, he couldn't hold back his tears either.

"That bastard shot him right through his head." Ethan whispered.

"He was just a baby... Barely four months old." Mitch cried, burying his head in his hands. Emily gently put a hand on his back and pulled him in a hug.

"We need to go to the hospital. We need to be there for Monica and Jarod." Charles stated with a crack in his voice.

They all nodded and got up.

"Wait." Ethan said before they left the house. "Sydney. David was his godson. We need to tell him, we need to tell Broots and Debbie, they're part of the family too."

"Call them from the car." Charles said and walked outside, wiping the tears from his face.

***

The small waiting room was filled with sobs as the Major family waited for news about Jarod. He'd been taken right into surgery, but en route to the hospital his heart had failed three times and the bullet had pierced his lung. Lyle had missed Jarod's heart by barely five inches and that made the operation even more difficult because they had to work so close by his heart.

Monica was sleeping in a hospital bed, they had given her a sedative to get her to sleep and keep her from going deeper into shock.

Sydney was sitting by her bed, gently holding her hand and crying softly. Broots was on the other side of the bed, trying to grasp what had happened. He had dropped Debbie by her godmother and had hurried to the hospital after he heard about the devastating news. He was afraid to leave Sydney. The man had aged about a hundred years in mere minutes when he heard what had happened to Jarod and David. And now he had collapsed in the chair next to Parker's bed, unable to stop crying. It broke Broots' heart to see his best friends like this.

***

"Mr. and Mrs. Major?"

The family looked up at the young female doctor.

"Yes, we're Jarod's parents and family." Charles answered with a raspy voice.

"My name is Doctor Ronan. We just finished the surgery on your son. We were able to stabilise him." A relieved sigh sounded through the room. "He has to stay in the ICU until he wakes up. That means the visits have to be limited in time and visitors."

"How's his wife?" Margaret asked.

"She should be fine when the sedative wears off. That should be in about an hour."

"Can she be moved to Jarod's room? They need each other now more than anything."

"Normally we don't do that in the ICU, but I heard what happened. I think I can make an exception in this case. And I'm sorry about the loss of your grandson."

Charles and Margaret could only nod. Their grief was still too fresh to talk about it.

***

"Jarod." She whispered barely audible.

"Monica?" Sydney asked, gently squeezing her hand. Charles and Maggie looked up from Jarod's still form.

"Is she awake?" Maggie asked.

"Jarod." Parker mumbled again. "Don't leave me, I need you. David... David..."

"I think she has a nightmare." Sydney sighed, squeezing her hand a little more. "Parker, wake up."

She let out a soft moan and her eyes fluttered open. Glancing around, tears appeared in her eyes. "Ooh, god, it wasn't a dream." She whispered and started sobbing uncontrollably.

"Parker." Sydney whispered and gently wrapped his arms around her trembling body. To his surprise she clung onto him and cried in his neck.

"I lost them both. He killed them in cold blood. I'm lost without them Sydney, I don't know what to do. I'm so lost without Jarod."

"Parker, Jarod is alive." Sydney said in her ear.

"What?" She asked surprised as she looked up in his face.

"He is still asleep in the bed over there, he arrived in time at the hospital and they operated on him. He will be fine."

Monica let out a gasp and turned around. "Oh, god, Jarod." She whispered and tried to get out of the bed. But her legs refused to work and she buckled at the knees. Charles and Sydney were at her side in seconds and helped her towards Jarod's bed and put her in the closest chair. She immediately took Jarod's hand and gently kissed it.

"Jarod, I thought I lost you." She sobbed and kissed his hand again. "I felt so lost and alone. Please wake up; I don't want to be alone anymore. He already took David from us; don't let him take you too." She buried her head in his chest and softly cried.

***

"How are you feeling?" Doctor Ronan asked Monica about half an hour after she had woken up.

"Ok." She whispered, clutching Jarod's hand.

The doctor saw her red and puffy eyes and let out a soft sigh. "I'm so sorry about the loss of your son."

Monica nodded. "Thank you for saving my husband. I wouldn't know what I would have done if I had lost him too." A small sob escaped her throat again and a tear rolled down her cheek. She gently kissed his hand again.

"It's a miracle he survived a wound like that. He's a real fighter."

"I know." Monica whispered and gently caressed his cheek.

"Normally this is impossible in the ICU. But I'm going to let you stay in his room."

"Thank you."

"For the rest of you, if the others of your family still want to pay a visit, I'd suggest a switch now."

The three visitors nodded and the doctor walked out.

"I'll get the others." Charles said and walked out after the doctor.

A few minutes later Emily, Ethan, Mitch and Craig walked into the room. Sydney and Margaret walked outside and joined Charles behind the window.

"Will they ever be alright?" Maggie asked with a sigh.

"They have each other to get over it. They will need time, but they will be ok." Sydney answered.

"Mommy." Craig cried and pried himself out of Emily's arms.

He ran straight into Monica's arms and she pulled him close, hugging him tight. Tears were streaming down her face as she softly kissed his hair.

The young boy looked at the bed. "Is daddy gonna be ok?"

"Yeah." Monica whispered. "He's just sleeping now. He'll wake up soon."

"Then why are you crying?" He asked as he put a small hand on her cheek and gently brushed away a tear.

"How did you get to be so smart?" She chuckled and hugged him again. But then her eyes clouded again as she looked at Craig. "I'm crying because David went to heaven."

"My brother's really gone?" He asked, still not really believing it until he heard it from his parents.

Monica nodded and Craig buried his head in her neck, trying to hide his tears.

***

"Monica." Jarod whispered as he opened his eyes. "Lyle... David." He cried and Monica quickly put her arms around him, trying to comfort him. Jarod looked at her and he put his arms around her. "He killed David. He killed our son." He sobbed.

"I know sweetie. I know."

They cried together. It was all they could do.

***

"We never finished our talk." He said the next day when Craig and Sydney were in the room too.

"Yes, what was so urgent?" She wondered.

"Craig isn't your brother."

"What?"

Jarod swallowed hard before he continued. "He's your son."

"He... What?" She asked again, looking shocked. He looked at Sydney and his mentor looked at him with big eyes.

"He's our son." Jarod continued.

"How..."

"I don't know but somehow they got a hold of my sperm and one of your eggs. I didn't read how, but they created Craig and used Brigitte to carry him to full term. The kid has brown eyes. That's impossible when both parents have blue eyes."

"He's our son?" She asked completely flabbergasted.

Jarod nodded and took Craig in his arms. "Craig is our son."

"You really are my mommy and daddy?" The child asked.

"Yes we are." Jarod smiled and hugged his son tight.

Monica softly smiled and put her arms around her husband and son.

***

Jarod carried the very small casket to the small grave. Tears were streaming down his face as he kneeled down and put it on the harness above the small grave. He sobbed heavily and Monica softly put her hand on his shoulder and kneeled down next to him. She had no words of comfort for him; she barely knew how to comfort herself. All she could do was be there for him, just like he was there for her.

They got up and joined the small group of people. Jarod gave Craig a sad smile and lifted his son in his arms. The young boy put his arms around his neck and buried his head in Jarod's neck.

The priest started talking and called Sydney for the eulogy. Jarod and Monica had asked him to do it. David was his godson and he had spent a lot of time with the baby.

Sydney took a deep breath, trying to get his voice steady.

"Jarod and Monica did not plan to have David, but they were so thrilled and proud to become parents and they loved that boy with all their hearts and more. During the pregnancy they got a warning through an ancient prophecy that their son would be doomed." He took a deep breath and blinked away his tears. "They would not hear of it and did everything in their power to protect him, to make his world a save one. But in the end... he really was doomed... Who would have a guessed that someone would be able to shoot an innocent baby?" Sydney swallowed hard and wiped the tears from his eyes. "David was barely four months. He was a happy little baby, loved by everyone in his family and by all his friends. He was my godson and I will miss him so much." Sydney couldn't hold it in anymore and he started sobbing uncontrollably. "Goodbye David Sydney Major. May heaven be more kind to you..."

He walked back to the small group and stood next to Monica who gently put her arm around his shoulders and whispering a thank you between sobs.

After the casket was lowered in the grave and it was closed, Jarod, Monica, Sydney, Charles, Margaret and Craig stayed behind. They seemed unable to leave David behind. It felt so wrong to burry such a happy and loved baby. None of them had been able to stop their tears, they didn't really want to either. They didn't talk and just stared at the grave.

Charles and Margaret left an hour later. All they did was hug the others. Still no words were spoken. Sydney left half an hour later and took Craig with him, leaving Jarod and Monica alone.

The sun was starting to set when they seemed to come out of their trance.

"Goodbye son." Jarod whispered.

"Goodbye David. Say hello to your grandmother." Monica whispered and clasped her arms around Jarod, burying her face in his chest.

He swallowed heavily and they turned around, slowly walking towards their car. But neither of them wanted to drive, so they walked home, clutched in each other's arms.

***

The following days went by in a haze for Jarod and Monica. She spent almost all the time in bed, crying, and he just held her, trying to be strong for the both of them, but most of the time he cried just as hard. Sydney visited regularly, making sure they ate and drank something. Craig stayed with his grandparents and every day he'd visit his parents with his grandma or grandpa and just lay in the bed with them.

After about a week, they finally started living again and Sydney was surprised to see Jarod cooking dinner while Monica was sitting at the counter. They weren't talking and their eyes still seemed glazy and distant, but it was a start. Sydney carefully knocked before he entered the kitchen.

"Hey." Was all he said as he sat next to Monica.

"Hey Syd." Jarod answered, not looking up from the wok. Monica just nodded.

Jarod took the plates and filled them with contents of the wok. "You want some?" He asked Sydney.

"Sure, if there is enough."

"There's always enough for you." Jarod replied with a sad smile.

They started eating in silence until Jarod broke it. "We're moving."

"To the dining room?" Sydney asked surprised.

Jarod just gave him a short smile. "No Syd, we're moving away from this house."

The older man nodded.

"We're tired of reliving that night every time we walk upstairs. We're tired of constantly looking at the direction of The Centre every time we walk outside. We're tired of the horrible memories Blue Cove holds for the both of us." Jarod sighed.

"Are there no good memories too here in this house?"

"Of course there are, but they always get clouded by the bad ones."

"Where will you go?"

"New York. The place were we first confessed our love, although we didn't say it out loud."

"The apartment complex?" Sydney asked surprised. "So you were there?"

Jarod nodded and swallowed hard before continuing. "It's the place were... David... David was conceived."

"That is why you were late." Sydney smiled and looked at Parker. A slight smile appeared on her face too.

Jarod continued. "We bought the building and they are taking it down. In its place comes a huge house, where everyone of our family will be able to live if they want to."

"I am sure they will be thrilled to hear this news." Sydney said, trying not to sound sad.

"Syd." Monica said. Both Jarod and Sydney looked at her in surprise, as this was the first time she had talked since his arrival. "You, Broots and Debbie are family too." She put her arms around him and hugged him tight. "You'll always be part of our family."

"Thank you." He said with a proud smile.

***

About a week after they moved to NY with the entire family, it was time for Craig's first school day. The little boy was trilled and really looking forward to it. Jarod and Monica both walked him to school.

"You be a good boy and be nice to your teachers." Jarod said as he kneeled in front of his son.

"Yes daddy." Craig answered and hugged his dad.

"And be nice to the other kids too. Don't laugh with them if they don't know something that you do know." Monica said, kneeling down next to her husband.

"I won't laugh with them, mommy." He hugged her too.

"Great, have fun!" She gave him a kiss on his cheek and he ran off towards the front door of the school.

"He'll be fine." Jarod smiled and gently kissed his wife.

"I know." She answered and they walked back home hand in hand.

***

"Daddy!" Craig cried as he flew into his father's waiting arms. Jarod laughed, raised him high in the air and hugged him tight.

"Hey son, how was your first day?"

"It was fun. I got to draw stuff and I had to draw my family. It's in my backpack. I'll show you when we get home."

"Excuse me?" A petite young blond woman stepped towards Jarod. "Are you Craig's father?"

"Yes." Jarod answered and shook her hand. "I'm Jarod Major."

"Hello, I'm Greta Ruffo, Craig's teacher."

"Nice to meet you." Jarod smiled.

"You have a very bright son Mr. Major."

"Thank you and please, just call me Jarod."

"Alright, Jarod, I talked to the principal and we are thinking about moving Craig up at least a year."

"Really." Jarod said, not sounding surprised. "Well, I can't make that decision alone."

"Don't wait to long to make it. If he does move up a year, we need to do it as fast as possible."

Jarod nodded. "I understand. I'll talk about it with my wife and my son tonight."

"Good." She shook his hand again. "It was nice meeting you, Jarod."

"Nice meeting you and I'll talk to you tomorrow."

She nodded as they walked away. ~Damn shame he's married. He's so cute.~

"Daddy, where's mommy?"

"She stayed home, preparing dinner."

"Mommy's making dinner?" Craig asked with a discussed face that made Jarod laugh.

"Don't worry; the rest of the family is helping her. She'll learn how to make a decent meal someday."

Craig giggled and flung his arms around his dad's neck again, putting his head on his shoulder.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Charles asked at the dinner table after Jarod had told him about his run-in with Craig's teacher.

"I don't know." Jarod answered honestly. "Do you want to skip a year, Craig?"

The boy just shrugged. "If the other kids are nice."

"Of course they'll be nice." Monica said and gently stroked her son's hair. "But we'll only do this if you really want this."

"Can I just try it and then go back if I don't like it?" He asked.

"Yeah, I think so." Jarod said.

"Then I want to try it." Craig smiled.

"Hey, you haven't showed us that drawing yet." Jarod said.

"Oh yeah." Craig quickly jumped of his chair and raced to his backpack. He returned barely a minute later with the drawing and pushed it in his dad's hands. "I drew everyone again." He said with a proud smile.

Jarod studied the drawing and swallowed hard at a particular figure. "Who's this, Craig?" He asked with a trembling voice, pointing to a small human on a cloud.

"That's David. He's in heaven. He's still family, right?" Craig asked with big eyes.

"Yeah he is, son. He'll always be family." Jarod answered hoarsely, tears appearing in his eyes as he hugged his son tight and handed the drawing to Monica. She looked at it and tears formed in her eyes too. Craig had drawn everyone on the ground and they were all looking at David who was smiling on his cloud. She brought a hand to her mouth and tried to conceal her sobs as she quickly passed on the drawing. Everyone went quiet as the drawing passed the table.

Craig looked at the scene confused. "Don't you like it?" He asked, sounding confused and sad.

"It's beautiful." Monica whispered. "It's the most beautiful drawing I ever saw."

Everyone nodded, trying to wipe away their tears.

***

- Ten months later -

"It's a girl." Jarod gasped as he looked at the small screen.

"Yes it is." The doctor smiled and looked at his tear-filled eyes. "Are you a gynaecologist?"

"No, I work as a teacher in the second grade." Jarod answered absently and just stared at the screen and then softly kissed his wife's belly. "Hello Catherine."

"Catherine?" Monica whispered.

"Yes." He gave her a soft kiss. "I always wanted my first daughter to be named Catherine."

"I love you."

"I love you more." He grinned and kissed her again.

"But what if she gives me another name?" She asked with a playful smile.

"Her name is Catherine." He assured her and gently stroked her cheek. "Nothing else."

The doctor looked at the scene and smiled as she pushed away the machine. "The next check-up is next month. Don't forget."

"We won't." He grinned as Monica walked behind the screen to change. "We wouldn't want to miss anything."

"Is this your first baby?"

"No." Jarod answered and his eyes clouded a bit. "She'll be our second."

"Oh, how old is your first one?"

Jarod let out a sigh. "He died when he was three months."

"Oh god, I'm so sorry." The doctor said with big eyes.

"Don't. You couldn't have known and it's been over a year. It's been hard, but before David was born, we adopted Craig and he really helped us through it all, he's a great little kid. And our family has been very supportive too."

"And we had each other." Monica said as she stepped from behind the screen, straightening her shirt and taking Jarod's hand.

"Always." He smiled and softly kissed her.

"What is it? What is it?" Craig asked as he jumped in Jarod's arms.

"You're going to have a sister." He smiled and hugged his son.

"A granddaughter?" Margaret asked.

"Yes mom. Her name is gonna be Catherine."

Everyone smiled.

"That is wonderful." Sydney said and hugged his protégé and Monica.

"This house could use another female influence." Emily laughed and hugged them too.

"It equals the score." Mitch joked.

***

- Six months later -

Craig smiled as he looked at the drawing on the fridge. Everyone was gathered around as he drew Catherine in Jarod's arm.

"Now our family is complete again." The young boy stated.

"It sure is." Jarod smiled as his finger traced the figure in the sky.

***

- Six years later -

"Hey dad."

"Hey Craig, so, how are your grades?"

"Straight A's." The ten year old grinned, a grin everyone recognized as Jarod's.

Jarod laughed and hugged his son. "If you keep this up; you'll have to skip another grade soon."

"Dad, I already skipped three grades."

"You know you don't have to if you don't want to."

"I know, but otherwise it's so boring."

Jarod laughed again and turned back to his book.

"Mom went to pick up Cat?" Craig asked as he sat in the recliner.

"No, your mother's resting. The baby's been kicking hard lately, so she tries to sleep whenever she can. Grandma and Grandpa Charles went to pick up Cat."

"So who's fixing dinner?"

"Debbie and Mitch."

"Debbie? Does that mean that Aunt Em and Broots are coming over for dinner?"

"Yeah, they're in the kitchen too."

Craig let out a moan.

"What's wrong? I never knew you didn't like them."

"No dad, I love Aunt Em and Broots. But if they come over for dinner, Aunt Em and mom will whine all evening about how much they have to go pee and how hard the baby's kicking."

Jarod laughed hard at his son's remark. "Don't worry son. Kyle will be our last child and I talked to Em and they only plan on having one baby."

"Oh thank god. Only one more month of whining." Craig said with a relieved sigh.

"Yeah." Jarod nodded and gave his son a wicked grin. "But I'm sure that in a couple of years Mitch and Debbie will start with their own family."

Another moan escaped Craig's throat and Jarod couldn't help but laugh again.

"Dad, I hope that one day I'll find true love."

Jarod put his hand on his son's shoulder. "Craig, you're only ten. You still have so much time for that."

"You fell in love with mom when you were 10."

"Yeah, but we didn't get married before we passed 40."

Craig chuckled. "Good point dad."

"Yeah I have my moments." He grinned.

"Daddyyyyy"

"Hey, princess."

Catherine jumped on the couch and straight into Jarod's arms.

"How was your last day in school?"

"Pfff, we got a math problem to solve during spring break."

"Need help?"

"Nah, I already solved it."

"That's my princess." Jarod smiled and kissed her hair as her head rested on his shoulder.

"Where's mommy?"

"She's sleeping. You can go wake her up when dinner's ready."

The little girl nodded "When are we gonna visit grandpa Sydney and Michelle?"

"Next week." Jarod answered and smiled as his thoughts wandered back to Sydney's and Michelle's wedding. It was a beautiful ceremony and Sydney had moved to Michelle's house. Jarod and Monica missed him, but they knew he was really happy now.

"Good." Catherine stated and crawled over to her brother who started tickling her which resulted in a series of giggles that were heard throughout the house.

"Guys, take it easy. Your mom's sleeping."

"Sorry dad." Craig said and lifted his sister on his knees.

"Sorry daddy." Cat mumbled.

"It's ok. I was up already."

"Hey honey." Jarod got up and wrapped his arms around her swollen belly. "You slept ok?"

"I slept a bit. Better then nothing." She wrapped her arms around his neck and gently kissed him.

"I think dinner's almost ready."

"Good, I'm starving."

"Again?" He asked with a grin.

"Shove it labrat." She growled in his ear and walked over to the couch. He just laughed and walked into the kitchen.

"Hey baby." She smiled as she hugged her daughter. "So Craig, how were your grades?"

"Straight A's mom."

She beamed as she gave him a peck on his cheek. "That's my son."

"I'll probably skip another year in about a year."

"If you want to do that and if you think you're ready. You know the choice is yours."

"Dinner's ready!" Mitch's voice sounded from the kitchen.

***

- Two months later -

Cat stared up at the drawing on the fridge as she started to draw a small bundle in her mother's arm and then one in Em's arm.

"Now we're complete again." Jarod smiled and brushed his finger over the figure in the clouds as he had done every day since the drawing was on the fridge.

Monica put a hand on his shoulder and Kyle, the little bundle in her arms, made a funny noise that made everyone smile.

"We'd better get home." Broots said and took his wife's hand in his.

"Yeah, Clare needs to be put in bed on time." Emily said, looking at the baby in her arms. "See you guys tomorrow."

Broots and Emily left the house and walked back inside next door.

***

His parents and the kids were already gone to bed when Jarod gently brushed his wife's hair from her face. Her head was resting on his lap and pure love shone from her eyes, which made his heart skip a beat.

"I love you so much." He whispered.

"I love you more." She wrapped her arms around him.

"Impossible." He stated as he lifted her in his arms and carried her upstairs into their bedroom.

"Nothing is impossible." She whispered before he closed the door to their bedroom.

- THE END -