The Centre. Jarod’s Old Room . . .

He could break out at any time. No one figured out how he’d done it. But bringing him in, physically herself, and seeing him behind the glass safely again. Where his mind could be sound, and her body could be safe.

She. Felt. Amazing. The itch, the constant pain, dwelling deep within her stomach that had whispered about Jarod behind the glass for so long, had gone away. Breathing, in and out.

Jarod stared at her behind the glass. “Better, aren’t you?”

“You’re nuts,” she said breathlessly. “What the hell were you thinking?”

“That if you captured me. Not Brigitte, Not Lyle, Not Raines, or anyone else. Then the focus pain you feel would finally stop,” he said. His eyes darted around her and he smiled. He locked his arms behind his back. “Hello, Miss Parker. Is there anything I can do for you today?”

She touched her head. The pain did stop. The constant nagging and irritating pain.

See? Jarod is your friend.

The voice was back? How could the voice be back? She had surgery to get rid of it.

I had a talk with Jarod.

You can’t. You’re just a voice.

I’m not a voice. I’m you. The part you couldn’t get to. I’m not making you crazy. You don’t need surgery to put me away. You just needed to recognize who I am.

More inner sense?

No. I’m you. I was trapped, but you can see it now, can’t you? No. More.

“Focus,” she said breathlessly. When she looked at Jarod again, she saw someone different.

Her old friend. The eyes of her old friend she once set free herself. He was older, but, it was him. She watched him place his hand on the glass between them.

The connection. There wasn’t Young Jarod, and the man named Jarod she had to capture anymore. They were the same. His hair was different, thicker. His eyes were rougher due to all the growth and impurities he knew of the world. Yet, he was there, smiling at her.

She looked at her own hands, feeling the same thing. There wasn’t Young Miss Parker, and the Miss Parker that was a death cold unfeeling bitch to the world. They were the same, only an evolution with the hardships of life that slowly moved her from one phase into the next.

Fifteen. Sixteen. Becoming tougher. Seventeen. Really tough. Eighteen. Die hard beautiful with the skills to boot. Nineteen. Twenty. By the time she was twenty one, she had almost completely changed. But that evolution, it wasn’t overnight. And for some reason, those missing years never clicked to her. When did she stop being good, and turn cold and ruthless? At what defined age?

“Sydney’s watching him extra close right now,” Broots said as he came into the room. “Even he was a little worried to hear about the disruption, and he promises Jarod won’t get out no matter what.” He smiled at Miss Parker.

Miss Parker brought Broots’ closer and gave him the standard Parker kiss. “Thanks, Broots.” She looked back toward Jarod. His eyes were still the same, but there was something else now. “I don’t know your plan, Jarod. You could have just asked if you wanted to be in here, not give me a heart attack.” She sighed, but still stared back at him. She shook her head.

“One of my conditions, is to see you,” Jarod said to her. “While I’m here, at least two hours.”

Two hours? “What do you want me to see you for two hours for? What do you want to do for two hours?”

“Maybe nothing. Maybe something. But, two hours at least. Every day I’m here. I hate loneliness, even if it’s a day,” he said. “Which it better be.”

“I never understand what’s going on in your brain. Fine. Two hours every day.” Before she left she gave Broots the standard Parker kiss again, and then left.

Broots smiled at Jarod. “It worked? That’s great.”

“Yeah. It worked.” Jarod came right up to the glass and tapped on it. “Mister Broots? How is Debbie?”

“Oh, she’s doing fantastic,” Broots said. “All better. Not that we could tell anything was wrong, but. Well I mean, she’s probably all better. Thanks for taking care of her.”

“Mm.” Jarod continued to smile. “Thank you for your assistance too, Mister Broots.”

Broots nodded and turned away.

“Touch her while I’m in here and I’ll kill you.”

Broots turned back around to look at Jarod. He was looking at a book. “Huh?”

“Hm?” Jarod lifted his eyes from the book. “What?”

“I heard you,” Broots said.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Jarod flipped a page in a book. “Sounds like a guilty conscience brewing.” He lifted his eyes out of the book with a blank glare. “Best not to let things happen then.”

“W-why? Because I’m not as fantastic as Thomas Gates?” Broots questioned him. “You don’t think I’m good enough for Miss Parker, do you?”

Jarod lifted his eyes to him, this time ditching the book. “I don’t think I like that tone, Mister Broots.”

“Just answer me one thing,” Broots said. “If Thomas Gates hadn’t had a family, were you going to set Miss Parker back up with him?”

“ . . . maybe.”

“Well, you know? Maybe you can let people decide their own lives,” Broots announced. “You know? Maybe the one who’ll make her truly happy isn’t Thomas Gates.” He scratched his arm.

“They are giving you more treatments, aren’t they?” Jarod asked gently. “Those actions, they aren’t typical of you. You’re jaunty demeanor isn’t there. Take it easy. Those distractions in life you put aside to focus, they are important. This won’t last long. Long enough for Lyle to get control of The Centre, so I can take Miss Parker back safely, and then it’s over again. One to two days. So, calm down. Don’t let them change you.”

“They aren’t changing me,” Broots said confidently. “They aren’t. They aren’t. Are they? Oh god.” He closed his eyes and rubbed his face.

“It’ll take several more sessions I believe before you’re really corrupted,” Jarod said. “This plan shouldn’t take much longer. Just hang on. Hang on to what is important.”

“Yeah.” Broots wiped his forehead. “I don’t know what’s happening to me. I-I feel like someone different. Like a, like a half confident superhero that can do anything, a-and then just pathetic old me. There’s only been three treatments of it so far.”

“Old you is not pathetic. That’s the treatment talking,” Jarod warned him. “Old you is a wonderful father. Old you is a good friend to Miss Parker, who hasn’t used her to his advantage. Don’t let the old you disappear, Broots.”

“I’m trying, Jarod. I’m trying,” Broots said. “Her eyes are really beautiful lately, aren’t they? It isn’t just me, is it?”

Jarod felt his breath catch. “That’s my Miss Parker’s eyes. Those are the eyes I used to see when she visited me right here. And those eyes you have now? Are not yours.” He tapped on the glass. “Don’t push, Mister Broots. I didn’t save Debbie for nothing. She is someone very special.”

“Well, of course she is,” Broots said. “She’s my daughter.”

“That’s right, but if you keep changing, I won’t let her stay with you,” Jarod warned him.

This time, Broots breath caught. “What?”

“Focus treatments change people. Even when they aren’t completed fully, like with Miss Parker, they still changed a lot. If you change too much, I can’t trust her with you.”

“Y-you better not try and take her!” Broots warned him.

“Then use that, Broots, that fire inside of you. Reject the focus. Stay strong. Stay Broots,” Jarod said. “The day that fire dies, Debbie comes with me permanently. Keep that truth with you and let it burn inside.” Jarod banged on the glass. “You can defeat this.”

Broots nodded. “I won’t lose her. I won’t.” He scratched his neck. “I won’t, I won’t, I won’t.” He turned and started to walk off. “I won’t change. I won’t change.”

After he left, Sydney approached.

“He is definitely changing,” Sydney agreed with Jarod. “Whatever these treatments are, they truly do change people. When he goes without them, I hope it starts to reverse.”

“I hope so too. This won’t be long, Sydney,” Jarod said to him. “Just long enough to make sure Lyle can run The Centre.” He gestured to his computer. “And working on finding who else doesn’t really belong here either. By the time I’m gone, I bet I have a full list. I won’t do anything until Miss Parker’s safe though.”

“Of course,” Sydney said. “Let me know when you want lights out, Jarod. Anything else you need too.”

“Thanks, Sydney,” Jarod said, tapping the glass. “Being behind here again, willingly, feels sickening.” He looked toward Sydney. “But it was worth it to see it again.”

“See what?” Sydney asked.

“Her eyes.” Jarod smiled. “My old Miss Parker.”

“Yes, I’m sure you missed your old friend,” Sydney said. “Are you sure you aren’t wanting anything else though?”

Jarod didn’t respond. “Lights out, Sydney. See you tomorrow.”

----------------

Miss Parker’s House . . .

“I feel different,” Miss Parker admitted from by the couch next to Broots. “I see things, differently. Broots.” She looked toward her friend. “Is it the relief of capturing Jarod? Is he right?”

“Probably. He’s always right,” Broots said. “He’s always perfect.”

“Perfect at equations,” Miss Parker said.

“Sure, just equations,” Broots scoffed.

“What’s wrong, Broots?” Miss Parker asked him. “You really haven’t seemed like yourself.”

“Well. I just mean,” Broots said. “I’m just a computer guy. Jarod though, he could be anyone he wanted to be. He’s been a fire fighter, a neurosurgeon and any other doctor type out there. He’s been a lawyer, a chili cook off contender, a rodeo clown. I mean, he’s even been posing as robbers and killers and bad dealers. Not to mention . . . a male escort of the highest authority that a mogul actually used him for his services.”

“Oh. Is that what’s been up with you?” Miss Parker asked him. “Jealousy of Jarod? Jarod and I are, loose friends, at most.”

“But.” Broots touched her hair lightly. “Sometimes. There are these moments.”

“Mm. Maybe,” she admitted. “But, it’s just the past. And even then? It was different, so quit worrying.”

“What do you mean, different?” Broots asked.

She rolled her eyes. “When Jarod was younger. I didn’t really care about his abilities. Well, no, scratch that. I did. He was useful,” she chuckled. “When I was younger, I was fascinated by something else though about him. And none of it applied to the crime stopping, robber foiling, masked hidden man saving lives of the Jarod of today. Not running into buildings of fire, blazes of bullets, or being a male escort,” she chuckled on the last one. “I don’t care if he was 500 or 5,000 a day. How many moves he makes or how cool he thinks he is.”

“Uh?” Broots was surprised. “Really? None of that?”

“Hm-mm. I liked him for something else.”

 “Well, what?”

“Being my geek.”

Broots smiled and chuckled. “Um. What?”

“He was my geek,” Miss Parker said again.

“You think Jarod’s . . .” He looked deep into her warm, beautiful  eyes. “The guy who goes out and saves everyone and everything is just, really . . .”

“My geek.”

Broots started to laugh even harder. “But, I-I thought when you were smaller, you thought he was . . .?”

 “He was my wonderful, geeky friend.” She shrugged. “What else are you fishing for?”

 “But that’s it? Just, friend?” Broots asked. “I mean, there wasn’t, he isn’t, he was never . . .?”

“Mm. Okay. I’ll tell you.” She whispered closer to him. “But you owe me?”

“Um.” He looked toward her. Oh, those beautiful soft eyes. “What?”

“I . . . liked my geek,” she admitted. “More than I should have? For a reason that, after six years, has almost whittled away. Being out there, in the real world, he’s learned how to be absolutely like everyone else.” She chuckled. “I used to like his funky talk.”

“His what?”

“His sweet, geeky funky talk. He could take three or four long sentences to talk about something, that people could describe in a few words. His attention to all the detail, even when I couldn’t follow it. The words just flowed through my funky talking geek,” she laughed. “Better?”

“Yes!” Broots shook his head enthusiastically. “Wow. I bet he didn’t know that. At all. Okay, so, uh. What’s the favor?”

-----------------------------------

The Next Day . . .

Broots stretched as he entered Jarod’s room. He smiled at him. “Hey, there.”

Jarod pulled his nose out of a book. “Broots.”

“So. I found out something interesting last night,” Broots said.

“Your demeanor is even stranger today. You’re looser, you sauntered in like you were completely relaxed, and your smile is wider than anything else.” He quickly moved to the glass. “What did you do?!”

“Nothing,” Broots said. “Your kids are just fine. But, that’s not what I was here to talk about?” He saw Fire in Jarod’s eyes. “What? Still not as good as Thomas Gates? I didn’t mess with your babies in any way.”

He still banged against the glass. “What. Did you. Do.”

“Geez, Jarod, calm down,” Broots said. “I was just going to let you know what you meant to Miss Parker when she was fourteen. How she used to see you.”

Jarod slightly eased. “She told you?”

“Yep.”

“Well, how did she see me?”

“As a geek.”

Jarod stared at him a bit. “That’s it?”

“You were and are her geeky friend.” Broots smiled. “You broke her focus after all.”

Jarod just stared at him for awhile. “Geeks don’t run out into buildings on fire.”

“I know.”

“They don’t bring crime bosses to justice, or redeem fallen heroes.”

“I know. But, it just doesn’t register to her.” Broots shrugged. “You are her geeky friend.”

Jarod rubbed his eyes and winced. “I’m a geek.”

“Yep.”

“Nothing but a geek.”

“Uh huh,” Broots smiled. He held out his hands. “Oh, but wait wait wait. That’s not all.” He folded his arms up like he was proud of himself. “She used to like you like you as that geek. She doesn’t anymore because you don’t do what you used to do as much.”

Jarod moved as close to possible to Broots from the other side. “What?”

“Funky talk?” Broots said. “You know, when you say something the really long way around. She said she used to like her funky talking geek.”

Jarod raised his eyebrow. “You had better not be kidding me, Mister Broots.”

“I’m not. She said time whittled it away from you because of all the outer exposure though.” Broots put his hands back in his pockets. “Great news?”

“She thought I was a geek. Her focus is broken and she thinks I’m a geek again.” Jarod turned around.

“I don’t know how geeky she sees you now with her broken focus, but you don’t have your funky talk as much anymore,” Broots said. “I’ve noticed that too. You also don’t really do geeky things, Jarod. You do cool stuff. Really impressive to a lot of women. I mean, you said it yourself. Geeks don’t do what you do.”

Jarod sighed. At least he knew why she came to see him when he was younger. He was just an interesting . . . geek.  

“Yep,” Broots said confidently. “Does that make you happy? That’s something old Broots would do, right? Let you know that?”

“Let him know what?” Miss Parker’s voice floated into the room. It wasn’t long before her Parisian dress came into the room. She gave Broots a delicate Parker kiss, smiled and then looked toward Jarod. “Lyle is officially about to get temporary reigns. Three days only. Permanent should be next. Did you manage to get anything?”

“I got a few things.” Jarod cleared his throat. “The computer didn’t express the location of all the children, in fact, most of the children are still homeless. No rediscovered location except for the ones you found. I have a feeling that information is hiding inside The Triumvirate. I have the names and dates they were each taken.”

“How many?” she asked.

“Forty six.”

“How many does The Centre have legal ownership of then?” Miss Parker asked.

“Thirty one.”

“Forty six kids,” she said in a whisper. “The Triumvirate.”

“Hm. I just came down to tell Jarod the news,” Broots said. He looked toward Jarod. “I’ve locked up a lot of things, twisted them into some of my best programs, so that Lyle couldn’t get to them. With six and a half months and twins, Miss Parker feels like she wants to take a sabbatical.”

“It’s a faraway little place, owned by the Parkers,” Miss Parker said. “I can only be contacted by phone in case of emergencies.”

Jarod’s stand become loose and jaunty. “Well, well. A sabbatical? Until after the kids are born? Probably smart, healthwise. The Centre isn’t the best place to relax.”

“Not only that, but the new couple get a chance to reconnect.”

Oh. Not that voice. Jarod watched as Lyle sauntered into the room next to Miss Parker.

“Family just keeps getting bigger for me,” Lyle said as he looked toward Broots. “That whole killing my new niece thing is probably going to put a damper between that connection for a little while.” He waved his hand in the air. “Your daughter wasn’t really in my focus.”

“Well, she’s in my focus you bastard,” Broots warned him, stepping up in front of Miss Parker. “So you keep your grimy hands off of her or you’re going to regret it.”

“Ah. Good to see those treatments are helping out.” Lyle grabbed Broots hand and shook it. “Welcome to the family.” He leaned over Miss Parker and stared in her eyes. “Eeh, that’s not good.” He gestured to her. “Your eyes are dull and lifeless.”

“Her eyes are not dull and lifeless,” Jarod spoke up. “They just don’t have The Centre written all over them.”

“No kidding. Get that fixed, pronto.” Lyle adjusted his tie. “For gosh sakes, you look exactly like your mother now.”

“Hey, hey!” Broots shook his finger at Lyle. “She is six months pregnant, and she was very stressed with all this twin angel talk. She isn’t doing any treatments at all, she is going to relax, and have a healthy and happy family!” He grasped her hand in his. “I mean it, Lyle Parker, don’t come near my family.”

Miss Parker’s eyes looked shocked. “He just called you out by first and last?”

Lyle did not look happy at that. He pointed his finger at Broots and sighed. “Mutumbo will be proud of your progress, but don’t go too far. If you weren’t almost my brother-in-law, I’d be sending sweepers after you for that one.” He gestured to Broots. “Get dressed too. Right. Parkers don’t dress all gaudy like that. We have taste.”

“Some more than others,” Jarod interrupted the confrontation.

“Well, at the very least, at least I’m not related to you,” Lyle pointed out to Jarod. “A brother in law who thinks his world is his to command is . . . well, actually Parker-like,” Lyle said, “but helping that same world like some retribution avenger? It was hard to sleep at night.”

“Lay off of Jarod,” Miss Parker warned him.

Lyle looked back at her, astonished. “Did you just stand up for Jarod? The annoying pain in the ass that has been haunting you for six years? The cause of all your ulcers and problems?”

Jarod watched Miss Parker look at him. The softness in her eyes, the focus taken out. The burning desire to bring him in, almost all gone. Enough fire to burn for her own passions and dreams, but not to burn her whole life out.

“He’s not that annoying,” Miss Parker said. She looked toward Lyle. “It’s just his geeky way.”

Jarod turned around in disbelief as Lyle laughed.

“Oh, that’s rich!” Lyle laughed as Jarod made his full 360. “Yep. Focus is gone. You see him as the geeky friend you always had to protect. Hm. Funny how things don’t really change much, do they, Jarod? You sure you don’t want her to get focus back? Look at least halfway manly to her?”

“Stop teasing him,” Miss Parker said. “I mean it, Lyle.”

“Ooh. Are you the big sister on the playground defending her little brother from a bully?” Lyle teased him.

Miss Parker grabbed him unexpectedly by his tie. The roughness of the old Miss Parker, still firmly in that grip. “You went after Debbie, gave her the same disease that killed my father, and then kept the cure as your own, twisted goodie. You put me in a cell for six months. Overall, you are not on my happy list, more on my ‘I plan to shoot in the future’ list. The only reason you’re not dead is because I’m too stressed and I need a vacation. Now?” She let go of his tie. “Quit teasing him.”

Lyle adjusted his tie again. “Yes, mom.” Lyle scratched his cheek. “Your little defender is more in charge than ever, Jarod.”

“Shut up.”

“Okay. Okay.” Lyle held his hands up. “A Centre plane will be ready to take my sister and her new fiancée and kid out of here for their sabbatical. So, I will see you?” He pointed at Jarod. “Tonight.”

----------------------------------------

Already out and in the Centre plane . . .

Okay. Jarod got behind the controls of the plane. Her eyes are pretty. She’s my friend again obviously. Except for the fact that her conscience was on a block. She truly saw him as just a weak and frail fourteen year old boy trapped behind the glass.

And that. Irritated him. More than anything else. He’d rather have her yelling about what an ass he was. She was defending him. Defending him to Lyle! Like he couldn’t defend himself. I take care of myself. I take care of other people. That is what I do.

“Careful, Miss Parker,” Broots voice came from the back. “Okay, now what?”

“Knowing Jarod’s ass, he’s probably already Pretended his way on board.”

Jarod breathed a sigh of relief. Good. It was only behind the glass she would get overly defensive like that.

“Did you call Jarod an ass?” Broots asked from the back. “I-I thought you two were friends. You defended him from Lyle.”

“I did what?”

Yep, a half trance. “Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your captain speaking,” Jarod said, not really wanting to get into that. “Are we clear for takeoff?”

“Stop goofing around and get out of here already!”

------------------------------