Miss Parker watched the wipers tirelessly push aside the masses of rain that were pattering against the windshield while she half-listened to the water that was splashed up into the air at both sides of the car. The sky was dark and the lights of the few other cars caused confusing reflections in the puddles of water that seemed to be everywhere.

1. "Lifesavers?"

She was somewhat startled by Jarod's hand that suddenly appeared in front of her offering candy, while his gaze was still fixed at the road.

"No thanks. You can save my life by concentrating on the traffic," she replied.

They hadn't spoken much since he had silently observed her pack her clothes and toiletries into a suitcase. She had watched his motionless frame with the ruffled hair that was still dripping with water and thought of the day he had escaped into the snow as a child. Back then he had declared that the liquid on his cheeks had been melted snow and although she had known better, she hadn't said anything. It had been a long time ago since she had held back words to protect someone from being embarrassed.

"Now where are we headed?" she finally asked. Jarod had made sure that she left her cell-phone behind and she also expected him to watch her every move once they'd have arrived at their destination. He didn't want to be caught, he wanted to help the child, so he would have arranged for precautions and might as well tell her where they were going.

"Portland," he said without looking at her.

Miss Parker had made that mistake before so she asked: "Maine or Oregon?"

They had just entered the airport's parking lot and Jarod finally looked at her.

"Oregon."

Miss Parker struggled to hide her shock. How could he? He, too, must remember that Portland, Oregon had been the city Thomas had bought a house for them in. Where she had been supposed to find happiness which she hadn't. She swallowed and narrowed her eyes, fighting back unwanted tears.

"You should have mentioned that little detail," she said accusingly.

"I have now," he replied, expertly moving the car into a tiny space.

Miss Parker pushed the door open and put up the collar of her black coat against the weather. Even after the short way to the main-building from the parking-lot, her hair was soaked and rain was dripping from her face.

"It's raining a lot in Portland," Jarod said and she gave him a dark look.

"All I hear is Portland," she grumbled, anxious to ignore the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She pressed her lips together and waited for Jarod to check them in. There weren't many people waiting at the check-in for their flight at this late hour, so they quickly proceeded into the waiting hall.

"I'll get us some coffee," Jarod announced and vanished around a corner, leaving her slumped in a comfortable seat, her handbag pressed to her chest. Thomas had been dead for two years now and she had successfully come over her grief. She still missed him but it wasn't the heartwrenching feeling it had been in the beginning. She of all people knew best that time did in fact not heal wounds, but that it helped anyhow.

The thing was the house. Thomas hadn't had any family left and obviously he had changed his will a short time before his death so that she inherited the only valuable thing he owned. Back then she hadn't been able to face the prospect of seeing with her own eyes what should have become her future, so she had handed the matter over to her lawyer with instructions to maintain the building and rent it out, but not inform her of anything.

She hadn't wanted to know, but now she knew that if she was in the same city, the desire to go there would be too strong to ignore.

Jarod returned with the coffee and she took a sip of the comforting hot liquid.

"Wow, this is actually drinkable," she joked. "I'm used to much worse."

He grinned and took a sip himself. They sat in oddly comfortable silence for a moment, then Jarod cleared his throat.

"You were right. I should have told you we were heading for Portland."

She shrugged. "Big deal."

But he wasn't finished yet. "There's something else…"

She looked at him and felt herself shiver with the chill her wet hair gave her.

"I rented a house there."

"No!" Miss Parker knew what he was going to say even before he did say it and lurched forward, desperate to lash out at him.

"If you rented the house Thomas left me, I swear I am going to kill you, bastard!" she shouted and the few people that were around looked up, startled and embarassed at the woman's sudden outburst. Miss Parker wouldn't have been Miss Parker if she could have cared any less.

"Well, I thought…"

He grabbed her fists in his hands and looked into her blazing blue eyes. Thomas had been his friend, too and when he had found out that the house was vacant, he had been unable to resist the temptation. The moment he had stepped into the hall he had realized how much Thomas had wanted Miss Parker to be happy.

"You thought!" she snarled, the plastic cup of coffee at her feet on the floor. "Why do you always have to make decisions for me? Why do you force me to confront that nice little piece of my past, too?"

Jarod didn't know what to say. Yes, he was playing god again. He had decided that it was time for her to face her demons concerning Thomas' death and hadn't bothered to get her opinion.

"I'm sorry. We can stay in a hotel," he offered, but she didn't listen but simply got up and shot him a dark glare. "If you're looking for me: I am at the bar."

The atmosphere was still icy when they were in another car in another city going down another wet road with even more rain pouring down the windshield. Miss Parker was looking out the window into the night when they approached a wealthy suburb.

From the corners of his eyes Jarod could see that she was biting her lip. She was right. None of this was fair.

She looked almost scared when they finally turned into the driveway of an unattached two story house that was obviously old but very well maintained. She looked up into the dark windows and closed her eyes, then opened them again.

"I am not sure I want to go in there," she said quietly, her voice almost child-like.

He was surprised but not unhappy. He would have expected her to waltz in and comment on the house as if it was just any other house. For once she was showing her feelings and he suddenly felt drawn to her as he always did when the person she really was emerged from beneath all the ice and anger.

"We can wait another moment if you like," he said and she nodded slowly.

"Okay."

For a moment the silence was only interrupted by the raindrops on the car roof. The house had grown familiar to Jarod during the last few months but he tried to see it through her eyes now. The house had been built from white brick with large new windows that were Thomas' handywork. Large trees shaded the garden and a bench stood next to a small pond that had never been finished.

The house looked inviting with its red roof and white walls and that was what Miss Parker seemed to think, too.

"Let's go in," she said and he touched her arm, making her wince slightly.

"Are you sure?"

She snorted. "Well, we can't stay out here all night, can we?" She reached for the doorhandle and pushed it open, then got out. He heard the determined staccato of her high heels on the ground as she approached the door while he followed with her suitcase. Finally he unlocked the front-door, then stepped aside to let her walk in first.
She walked past him slowly and blinked against the sudden light as he flipped the switch. The hall was impressive and one was reminded of the grand past this house must have lived. Jarod knew that Thomas had purchased it for a prize that was far below its actual value because it had been in such desolate condition. Now it must be worth quite a lot more than then.

The whole house had parquet flooring that Thomas had restored and replaced with great care. To the left was a large window into the garden and a staircase that led onto the first floor. To the right a large living room and kitchen opened, also equipped with large windows.

Miss Parker took a deep breath and nodded slowly.

"It's beautiful."

"I know."

He followed her into the living room that after Thomas' death had been furnished expensively by the lawyer who had hoped to rent the house to rich people and had succeeded until the couple who had lived there for the last few years had returned to their native Britain.

There were three large bedrooms on the first floor of which two had patio doors opening onto balconies.

"This is a great house," Miss Parker said weakly. "Shows me again how much life sucks."

Great, at three o'clock in the morning he had confronted her with everything she had lost again and tomorrow she would have to suffer through the sight of a little girl who had lost her mother which would remind her of how she had lost hers.

For a moment Jarod wondered whether he was truly as arrogant as Miss Parker always claimed. Had he really believed that this would work? That he could help two people at the same time?

Miss Parker had turned away from him to look out into the darkness and now turned back. Her eyes were cold again.

"I hope you don't plan on standing there all night because I'm quite tired," she said, cocked an eyebrow at him and vanished inside the bathroom, slamming the door into his face.

When Miss Parker walked back into her room Jarod was gone and she could hear the shower in the other bathroom. Good- at least he didn't want to talk about all this.

She walked over to the bed and lay down on the cushions. Although she was tired, her mind was still spinning with the evening's revelations.

She had called Sydney earlier, instructing him to give the Centre notice that she had taken a vacation. Although he had asked, she had answered no questions, but hung up quickly.

And here she was, far away from everything but still very much at home in her own sad little world.

Miss Parker snuggled into the pillows and tried to imagine the little girl she was supposed to help somehow. Maybe she felt just like her. Alone and scared and angry that how some higher power had taken away all her hopes for a better future.

She closed her eyes and stretched her legs, willing herself to relax and before she knew it exhaustion had taken over and she was fast asleep.

Jarod approached the closed door to Miss Parker's bedroom and knocked tentatively. There was no answer and his heart began to beat faster. What if she had decided that his stupid games would not be tolerated and that she would leave for the next phone to return with a Sweeper team? Well, she would have had to notice that the door was locked and the security system was set to a code she didn't know, but she was creative…

Before he could finish his rather complicated inner ramblings he had hurriedly opened the door and found himself in front of the bed gazing down at Miss Parker's sleeping frame. There was no sunlight to illuminate the room and the rain was still coming down though not as heavily as it had the night before. She was on her side, facing the door and her face looked more relaxed than he had ever seen it. From a few trips to her house in the past he knew that she was very prone to nightmares. In fact she had mostly been thrashing and wimpering when he had crept through her bedroom. This peace was unusual.

He remained in the doorway for a moment and took in her slightly parted lips, the black hair and the long bare leg that wasn't obscured by the covers.

Ironically she didn't strike him as the sleeping dragon he knew she actually was. While he was still engrossed in the unfamiliar sight, she roused and lifted her head.

"Staring?" she asked in a raspy voice heavy with sleep.

"Just… waiting for you to get up. I made breakfast."

She sat up and shook her hair out of her face. "I don't eat breakfast. As long as you have a cup of strong coffee ready for me, I don't care what you do."

Jarod wondered fleetingly why he had branded her peaceful only a few moments before because right now she was as edgy as ever. Miss Parker walked past him into the bathroom and didn't spare him another glance.

Half an hour later she arrived downstairs, showered and dressed in black slacks and a grey cashmere sweater. At least she had not picked a suit. Those always made her look scary to children and that was what Amanda needed least of all right now.

Miss Parker sat down at the table and surveyed the choice of breakfast foods. Jarod, munching through his second bowl of cereal already, followed her gaze to the three different boxes of cereal and the various spreadings like peanut butter, jelly and something very chocolaty.

"How come you aren't overweight… correction: obese with all that sugary stuff you indulge in?" she asked, helping herself to a mug of coffee.

"I move around a lot," he said, grinning.

She leaned back in her chair in the comfortable living room and snuck a look around. You had a good look into the rich garden from almost every angle in the room and although it was gloomy outside even at eleven in the morning, the spacious room with its high windows created the illusion of being flooded with light.

Jarod decided not to return to the dreaded topic of his luring her here and instead offered her more coffee which she accepted with a nod.

"Well, will we be seeing Amanda today already?" she asked, obviously trying not to succumb to the room and all its implications.

"I will definetly go and pay her a visit later, but I am not sure whether you're ready yet."

"So you think being confronted with this house has finished me off and I'll need more time to recover?" she snapped, slamming the coffee cup down so that some of the dark liquid spilled over the edges and onto the table. "Don't worry. You should know that all the things about my past that you tend to throw at me, have made me quite resistant to situations like this."

Jarod felt his throat constrict slightly. It had always been fun to watch her explode and get into a rage because of his giving her bits and pieces of a greater picture she knew he did understand and she didn't. Jarod had willingly admitted to the small part of him that was sadistic and enjoyed Miss Parker's outbursts with some sort of righteousness, but now was the first time that he actually admitted to himself what he had always known: Miss Parker's rage was and had always been a way to try to hide the fact that she was in fact grieving and sad. With that revelation he suddenly felt sick. These days with her seemed to reveal more of their relationship than he had expected and it wasn't nice to be confronted with your own dark side when you had successfully been telling yourself that you didn't have one.

Miss Parker watched Jarod and wondered what was going on in that head of his. He had been silent for an uncharacteristically long time now.

"Earth to Jarod," she snapped. "Something wrong?"

He looked at her, snapped out of his thoughts and shook his head as if to chase something away.

"No, I was just thinking."

"Really?" she asked, sarcasm soaking her voice.

Jarod ignored her comment. "And I was not alluding to the effect this house has or doesn't have on you. What I was talking about was that we will have to prepare you for your role."

Miss Parker blanched. "What?"

Jarod grinned although it didn't look as delighted as usual.

"Well, obviously I told them you were a child-psychologist."
Miss Parker growled.

"You must understand that they wouldn't let everyone have access to a child in that condition."

Her reaction now merely consisted of a dark stare.

"And I couldn't tell them you were from the US because they would have checked that. So I had to tell them you were from another country."

Miss Parker's sense of foreboding turned out to be justified.

"Well and so I would advice you to adopt a German accent."

"German?! You made me a German?" she shrieked. "I went to boarding school in Greece, I speak perfect Russian and Japanese. My French might be a little rusty but it could have been improved in a matter of days. And you make me a German? I don't speak a word of German, damnit!"

Jarod at least had the grace to look slightly sheepish and hide his amusement at her outburst.

"I'm sorry. I did a little research and there is a very renowed psychologist in Germany. She hasn't been attending any congresses and is generally reclusive although she has written some groundbreaking papers in the field. Nobody would be able to find out you aren't her."

"Except for the case that they try to talk to me about psychology or try their high school German on me."

Jarod reached over the table and almost caught her hand before she violently pulled it back.

"Don't worry. I'll be with you all the time. I'm a Pretender, remember?"

"But I am not a Pretender," she said with a heavy German accent that bordered on the Russian.

"You shouldn't pronounce the 'r's that much," Jarod advised and she narrowed her eyes.

"You are damn lucky that I am not throwing the coffee cup at your smug little head, wonderboy."

Jarod chuckled. As far as dealings with Miss Parker went, this had gone quite smoothly.