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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Chicago, IL
Saturday February 13
' "I don't owe you anything!" I can't believe I said that… The look on his face after I said that… Wait a minute, what the hell am I saying, he's the lab rat I've been chasing for five years. I don't care if I hurt his feelings. If he would just go back to the Centre like a good little lab rat then I wouldn't be stuck there…'
Memories of all the late night calls she'd received, the packages she'd received, and the information on her past she'd received came back to her. 'No the only reason he did all that stuff is because he wanted me to be on his side, see how wonderful he is and how evil the Centre is… he was just playing me all that time…'
She then recalled the last time she had seen him ten months ago. ' "Because I still care." That's what he said when he saved my life… And then he kept his promise to leave clues to keep chasing him so that the Centre would think I was still necessary… What the hell am I saying? I went chasing after him all over the country, and I'm supposed to be grateful? Yeah right! Besides he doesn't care about me anymore… He doesn't even call me anymore or send me anything. The only one he communicates with is Sydney. He doesn't care about me, besides he was probably having too much fun with his girlfriend…'
As she thought of Jarod being with Marie, Miss Parker became slightly saddened not really knowing why. She remembered their adventures as children, and all the fun they used to have. He was her only friend growing up, and now he'd been with another woman. Miss Parker was jealous of a dead woman.
'Jarod why do you still help me?'
In the other room, Jarod and Steve continued their discussion, "Miss Parker works for the Centre, her father runs the Centre. I've known her since I was probably thirteen. When we were young, she was one of two friends I had. She now chases after me trying to return me to the Centre. She has a deal with her father that once she takes me back, she can leave the Centre and be free."
"That explains what she said earlier… There's something else between the two of you though, what is it?"
"I don't know. Up until a few hours ago, I still saw my friend in her, but now I think that person is gone. I mean how could she say she doesn't owe me anything. I've given her so much about her past and I even saved her life! But now… now I don't care what happens to her…"
Steve looked into Jarod's downcast eyes and saw that Jarod was lying about his last statement. He knew that Jarod still cared about her, he was just still hurting from what she had said. Steve couldn't imagine what life must have been like for Jarod growing up and since his escape when he started to discover the real world. But he did know what betrayal felt like.
"Okay Jarod, let me take care of her then. I'll keep her here for a couple of days and then we'll release her when you say it's okay."
"Thanks Steve. It'll probably be after the funeral, till then I need to make sure some things are in order."
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Monday February 15
Jarod entered the apartment and headed for the surveillance room where he found Steve. "Hey Steve, how's it going?"
"Okay, she hasn't done all that much in the past few days… How was the funeral?" he quietly asked.
"Sad. There weren't that many people there, it was kept very low profile… Has she said anything at all since I left?"
Steve looked over at Jarod, "The first night when I brought her some food, she asked for you… but other than that no." Jarod nodded his head in acknowledgement. "So how do we continue with this?"
"Has she seen anyone here other than you?"
"No, I was the only one who took her her food. I wanted to minimize our exposure."
"Good call Steve. Look let me talk to her alone first… uh I don't want anyone else here to hear what we're saying, can you manage that?"
"No problem… mind if I listen in though?" he asked with a smirk on his face.
"No not all. I'll be back in a few." Jarod then walked out of the room and then to the door of Miss Parker's room where he paused and waited for thirty seconds before entering the room. He found Miss Parker lying on the bed.
"How are you Miss Parker?"
As soon as she heard his voice she shot straight up in the bed and stared at Jarod. "No complaints Jarod," she said calmly.
The tone of her voice shocked Jarod, he thought she would be raging mad the next time they saw each other again. "You're not mad?"
"Look Jarod, I've been cooped up in this room for the past two days, of course I'm mad. But I understand why you're doing this. You were trying to protect your girlfriend's family and all."
As she spoke of his 'girlfriend' Jarod detected a hint of jealousy, but dismissed it rapidly. 'Yeah like she cares about me…' "Marie was never my girlfriend Miss Parker. She was just a friend who has helped me out a lot in the past year. Besides, since the Centre never knew about her while she was alive, I wanted to keep it that way even in death. I owe her that much for all the help she's given me."
Miss Parker actually felt a sense of relief come over her as she learned that Marie was never his girlfriend. 'What the hell do I care if Jarod had a girlfriend?' She paused after he finished speaking, she felt awkward because she wanted to talk about the last time they had seen each other. "So, uh what happens now Jarod? I can't stay here forever."
"I know, in a few hours I'll come back and let you go."
"Just like that? And what am I supposed to tell the Centre?"
"I don't care, besides there's nothing I can do to make you say nothing to them. Why didn't you ever tell anyone at the Centre about Marie?"
"I don't know, I thought it would be a waste of the Centre's time, all I had was a first name. I didn't know anything about her, not an easy thing to start a search on."
"But you said earlier that you thought if you found her then you'd find me. Why didn't you tell anyone about her?" he quietly asked her.
"Jarod I don't know why, I just didn't."
"Fine. You know Miss Parker, I don't get you at all," he quietly told her as he turned to leave the room.
"Jarod, wait! What did you mean ten months ago when you told me you still cared?" Miss Parker was shocked by the question she asked, she just knew that she couldn't let him go, not like this.
"Exactly that Miss Parker. Ten months ago, I still cared about what happened to you," as he spoke Jarod let the internal anger come out in his words.
"What do you mean, 'Ten months ago I still cared about what happened to you'? You don't anymore? Care for me that is?" 'Why does this hurt me so much? I have missed his late phone calls and little presents for me… What the hell am I doing asking him whether or not he cares about me?'
Jarod detected something in her voice, he couldn't pinpoint it exactly but he could tell that it was racking Miss Parker's mind. 'I want to hurt you as much as you hurt me two days ago…' "Just that Miss Parker, ten months ago I still cared. Not anymore." Jarod turned to leave.
Behind him the heart of the young Miss Parker broke, but the older Miss Parker only felt a pain in her heart that she attributed to nothing. But she couldn't say anything, she was hurt, even if she herself didn't realize it. When Jarod left the room, Miss Parker quietly whispered, "I'm sorry Jarod."
Jarod reentered the surveillance room where he found Steve sitting in front of the monitors with a pair of headphones on. As Jarod entered he slowly turned in the chair to face him. "You're right, the two of you do have a complex relationship," he paused momentarily before continuing, "You know what's weird about the two of you? Its how you each want to hurt the other with words. But then when you both do, you both seem to regret it. There really is something between the two of you."
"Steve come on I already told you. Maybe with the little girl I knew, but not that Miss Parker," he indicated as he pointed to the room next door. "And quit analyzing our relationship, you're not a psychologist."
"Fine, but neither are you," he told him with a smile on his face. At that moment he decided not to tell Jarod about the look Miss Parker had on her face when Jarod left and what she said after he had left.
Saturday February 13
' "I don't owe you anything!" I can't believe I said that… The look on his face after I said that… Wait a minute, what the hell am I saying, he's the lab rat I've been chasing for five years. I don't care if I hurt his feelings. If he would just go back to the Centre like a good little lab rat then I wouldn't be stuck there…'
Memories of all the late night calls she'd received, the packages she'd received, and the information on her past she'd received came back to her. 'No the only reason he did all that stuff is because he wanted me to be on his side, see how wonderful he is and how evil the Centre is… he was just playing me all that time…'
She then recalled the last time she had seen him ten months ago. ' "Because I still care." That's what he said when he saved my life… And then he kept his promise to leave clues to keep chasing him so that the Centre would think I was still necessary… What the hell am I saying? I went chasing after him all over the country, and I'm supposed to be grateful? Yeah right! Besides he doesn't care about me anymore… He doesn't even call me anymore or send me anything. The only one he communicates with is Sydney. He doesn't care about me, besides he was probably having too much fun with his girlfriend…'
As she thought of Jarod being with Marie, Miss Parker became slightly saddened not really knowing why. She remembered their adventures as children, and all the fun they used to have. He was her only friend growing up, and now he'd been with another woman. Miss Parker was jealous of a dead woman.
'Jarod why do you still help me?'
In the other room, Jarod and Steve continued their discussion, "Miss Parker works for the Centre, her father runs the Centre. I've known her since I was probably thirteen. When we were young, she was one of two friends I had. She now chases after me trying to return me to the Centre. She has a deal with her father that once she takes me back, she can leave the Centre and be free."
"That explains what she said earlier… There's something else between the two of you though, what is it?"
"I don't know. Up until a few hours ago, I still saw my friend in her, but now I think that person is gone. I mean how could she say she doesn't owe me anything. I've given her so much about her past and I even saved her life! But now… now I don't care what happens to her…"
Steve looked into Jarod's downcast eyes and saw that Jarod was lying about his last statement. He knew that Jarod still cared about her, he was just still hurting from what she had said. Steve couldn't imagine what life must have been like for Jarod growing up and since his escape when he started to discover the real world. But he did know what betrayal felt like.
"Okay Jarod, let me take care of her then. I'll keep her here for a couple of days and then we'll release her when you say it's okay."
"Thanks Steve. It'll probably be after the funeral, till then I need to make sure some things are in order."
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Monday February 15
Jarod entered the apartment and headed for the surveillance room where he found Steve. "Hey Steve, how's it going?"
"Okay, she hasn't done all that much in the past few days… How was the funeral?" he quietly asked.
"Sad. There weren't that many people there, it was kept very low profile… Has she said anything at all since I left?"
Steve looked over at Jarod, "The first night when I brought her some food, she asked for you… but other than that no." Jarod nodded his head in acknowledgement. "So how do we continue with this?"
"Has she seen anyone here other than you?"
"No, I was the only one who took her her food. I wanted to minimize our exposure."
"Good call Steve. Look let me talk to her alone first… uh I don't want anyone else here to hear what we're saying, can you manage that?"
"No problem… mind if I listen in though?" he asked with a smirk on his face.
"No not all. I'll be back in a few." Jarod then walked out of the room and then to the door of Miss Parker's room where he paused and waited for thirty seconds before entering the room. He found Miss Parker lying on the bed.
"How are you Miss Parker?"
As soon as she heard his voice she shot straight up in the bed and stared at Jarod. "No complaints Jarod," she said calmly.
The tone of her voice shocked Jarod, he thought she would be raging mad the next time they saw each other again. "You're not mad?"
"Look Jarod, I've been cooped up in this room for the past two days, of course I'm mad. But I understand why you're doing this. You were trying to protect your girlfriend's family and all."
As she spoke of his 'girlfriend' Jarod detected a hint of jealousy, but dismissed it rapidly. 'Yeah like she cares about me…' "Marie was never my girlfriend Miss Parker. She was just a friend who has helped me out a lot in the past year. Besides, since the Centre never knew about her while she was alive, I wanted to keep it that way even in death. I owe her that much for all the help she's given me."
Miss Parker actually felt a sense of relief come over her as she learned that Marie was never his girlfriend. 'What the hell do I care if Jarod had a girlfriend?' She paused after he finished speaking, she felt awkward because she wanted to talk about the last time they had seen each other. "So, uh what happens now Jarod? I can't stay here forever."
"I know, in a few hours I'll come back and let you go."
"Just like that? And what am I supposed to tell the Centre?"
"I don't care, besides there's nothing I can do to make you say nothing to them. Why didn't you ever tell anyone at the Centre about Marie?"
"I don't know, I thought it would be a waste of the Centre's time, all I had was a first name. I didn't know anything about her, not an easy thing to start a search on."
"But you said earlier that you thought if you found her then you'd find me. Why didn't you tell anyone about her?" he quietly asked her.
"Jarod I don't know why, I just didn't."
"Fine. You know Miss Parker, I don't get you at all," he quietly told her as he turned to leave the room.
"Jarod, wait! What did you mean ten months ago when you told me you still cared?" Miss Parker was shocked by the question she asked, she just knew that she couldn't let him go, not like this.
"Exactly that Miss Parker. Ten months ago, I still cared about what happened to you," as he spoke Jarod let the internal anger come out in his words.
"What do you mean, 'Ten months ago I still cared about what happened to you'? You don't anymore? Care for me that is?" 'Why does this hurt me so much? I have missed his late phone calls and little presents for me… What the hell am I doing asking him whether or not he cares about me?'
Jarod detected something in her voice, he couldn't pinpoint it exactly but he could tell that it was racking Miss Parker's mind. 'I want to hurt you as much as you hurt me two days ago…' "Just that Miss Parker, ten months ago I still cared. Not anymore." Jarod turned to leave.
Behind him the heart of the young Miss Parker broke, but the older Miss Parker only felt a pain in her heart that she attributed to nothing. But she couldn't say anything, she was hurt, even if she herself didn't realize it. When Jarod left the room, Miss Parker quietly whispered, "I'm sorry Jarod."
Jarod reentered the surveillance room where he found Steve sitting in front of the monitors with a pair of headphones on. As Jarod entered he slowly turned in the chair to face him. "You're right, the two of you do have a complex relationship," he paused momentarily before continuing, "You know what's weird about the two of you? Its how you each want to hurt the other with words. But then when you both do, you both seem to regret it. There really is something between the two of you."
"Steve come on I already told you. Maybe with the little girl I knew, but not that Miss Parker," he indicated as he pointed to the room next door. "And quit analyzing our relationship, you're not a psychologist."
"Fine, but neither are you," he told him with a smile on his face. At that moment he decided not to tell Jarod about the look Miss Parker had on her face when Jarod left and what she said after he had left.
