Margaret smiled and looked outward from the sleigh. “Oh, this is so beautiful.” She looked toward Sydney. “Thank you for capturing me.”

“I. I don’t want you to be alone,” Sydney said. “Right now, it probably feels like-“

“I was completely wrong for never telling?” she said. “I know, Sydney.”

“It’s a dark place to be. That road,” Sydney said again. “I don’t . . .” He sighed. “I don’t want you on it alone.”

“I sense that.” Margaret took his hand and looked outward longer. “I wish Miss Parker could have taken the longer journey with us. This is so beautiful, Sydney.” She lied her head backward. “Snow falling in a sleigh ride.”

“It is a much better place to be,” Sydney agreed. “She is watching out for Onyssius. I don’t know why Debbie and Broots didn’t want to come for a longer journey. Debbie sticks to Miss Parker very well though.”

“Debbie wants her strength and she will need it. It’s alright. A two person ride down this road sounds simple enough.” She pointed ahead at the driver. “He is actually moving it twice as fast too. It should be slower, less bumpy.”

Sydney chuckled. “Did you Pretend at any point to be a sleigh driver?”

“Yes,” She admitted. “But being in the back seat just enjoying myself with you is much better.”

“I am glad that you came.” Sydney leaned back and looked to the sky in the same fashion she did. “I couldn’t have done it in your position.”

“I know.” Margaret held out her hand and watched the snow. “The world moves and changes, Sydney. Always moving. Always changing. I haven’t been with Major Charles in so very long. It felt more like what was dying was just the thought of what would be. But. He’s not the same man. I’m not the same woman.”

“You hid your Pretending for some time,” Sydney said. “Did Emily know at all?”

“I didn’t Pretend in any fashion until after I lost her. Once I lost her, I knew I wouldn’t see any of my family again. Not for a very long time. So, I did the only thing I knew to do.” She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. “It felt like coming back home after such a long vacation. I loved it. I never felt more free. I couldn’t be with my family, but I hadn’t felt so much freedom in some time.” She turned to look at him. “I’m not a very motherly person. Sorry, but that’s me.”

“Oh, I doubt that,” Sydney said. “You missed who you were underneath it all. I am guessing you accomplish something when you Pretend?”

“Oh, once I tasted fortune and fame, I figured out what was important, and I started to use them right.” She nodded. “I may not be the best out there, but I always helped someone. Saved someone. Made a difference in a way I couldn’t have as just me. I didn’t do an avenging thing like Jarod.”

“You just found people who needed help,” Sydney said, understanding. “After years of hiding away with your daughter and your husband, and then just your daughter? I imagine there was an inner need that needed to be satisfied that you had been denying. That doesn’t make you a good or bad mother. It makes you human.”

“Hm. Well I’m not the devil, but I’m no angel.” She reached into her purse and pulled out her headphones. “I’m far from the average momma.”

“You are intriguing,” Sydney admitted as he watched her put her headphones on. He heard an old Aerosmith song flowing from them. Her taste in music? Her ways. Her vibrancy. He looked outward toward the snow again. “A very intriguing woman,” he said beneath his breath.

“Goodbye little girl,” Emily said as she kissed Angel goodbye on the top of her forehead. “Goodbye, Jarod.”

“Goodbye, Emily,” Jarod said as he waved to her. “Til the next time.”

“Hopefully, when you’re free of all the burden,” she said softly. “Dad?”

Jarod gave his dad a brief hug, mindful of Little Angel. “You know that I’ll see you soon. Africa is high on my agenda.”

“I know, Jarod.” The Major gave him a pat on the shoulder. “Til next time, son.”

Jarod waved goodbye as they left.

“That was harder than you thought?” Ethan asked from his side.

Jarod took a deep breath and slowly blew it out. “I love dad and Emily,” Jarod said, “but wow. Having a baby with Miss Parker and mom?” He had to make sure that he brought up mom to keep Emily happy, but at the same time, he had to bring up Miss Parker to keep his dad sane. Doing that when they were close together was almost impossible. To make one happy, he upset the other.

Ethan and Gemini gave him a hand, each bringing them apart and talking to them separately. When he solved that riddle, the visit had been a little easier. With them gone, he pulled out his phone, more than happy to hear Miss Parker.

“What.”

Anything else would not be her. “They’re gone now. Do I need to turn myself in to save my mom from you?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Did you punish yourself enough?”

“Let’s just say, I discovered a little bit more about my family today,” Jarod confessed.

“Sounds like you did. We’re almost done. Sydney and your mom took the long sleigh ride. I had to take the short one.”

“Good idea,” Jarod agreed. “Onyssius and the weather.”

“Weather nothing, some ass actually coughed next to him around here.”

Oops. “He survive?”

“No major injuries.”

Jarod smiled. Did she have any idea how good of a mother she had been?

Some time later at the lodge . . .

Jarod approached his mother. The smile on her face seemed less pronounced lately. “Merry Christmas? Have fun on the sleigh?”

“Jarod.” She continued to stare out the window. “I tried to be a good mother.”

“You were a good mother,” he said as he sat down with Little Angel. He tried to hand his mom her granddaughter. “You’ll be a good grandmother too.” Usually, she liked holding his children. He liked it too. It helped him imagine what it must have been like, to be held by her so young.

She sighed and looked toward her. “Toward the end, there are so many angels and devils. It’s hard to tell what is what.” She took Little Angel and held her.

“Well, there’s pet names,” Jarod said. “Then there’s the scroll names everyone throws around,” he confirmed. He reached over and touched Little Angel’s nose. “And then there’s this Little Angel.” He pulled his hand back. “There’s no devils anywhere here, mom.”

“You should be with your father longer.” She gulped. “I think, maybe I should leave early, Jarod. I know he’ll come back if I’m gone.”

“No,” Jarod disagreed. “I can see dad now. I know where he is.” He laid his hand on top of hers. “And as much as I want Miss Parker to be free of The Centre so that I can be with my children. I know, that when that happens . . .”

“I have to say goodbye again.” She wiggled Little Angel’s little hand.

“Come with us,” Jarod tried to insist. “When that day comes, please come with us?”

“I. I can’t, Jarod,” she said. “I was selfish enough now, staying this whole time to see you.” She got up from the window. “I will stay for the rest of the week, if that’s really what you want.”

“Of course that’s what I want.” No question about that. He watched as she moved over toward Sydney. Ever since she came she had been drawn to Sydney. Probably trying to find out what he was like when he was younger.

Jarod got up again. He’d go see Ethan or Gemini. Limited time. He only had so long to see any of them. As Little Angel started to cry though, he felt her bottom. Nope. She was fussy though and Onyssius wasn’t far. So?

Ethan or Gemini later. He went toward Miss Parker instead. “Someone’s hungry. Switch?” He took Onyssius from her as she headed off to the nursery again.

That is, until Broots shot in. “Miss Parker, Miss Parker!” He was practically mowing everyone down. “Alert about The Centre!”

Jarod’s arms instantly seized its grip on Onyssius tighter. He felt out of breath. They found them? How would he-“

“It’s gone!” Broots went right over to her. He gave her a big printed out picture along with an article. “The hit is . . . The Centre is destroyed. It’s all over the news in Delaware.” He pointed to the picture.

Jarod came over and looked at it with his own eyes. Where The Centre used to stand, like the building that would never fall, was nothing but a crater. Miss Parker handed Little Angel back to Jarod as she grabbed her Centre only phone and headed out into the snow. “Nobody come near me while I’m on the phone,” she warned them. “I’m getting to the bottom of this.”

Outside a distance in the snow . . .

“Lyle,” she said menacingly on the phone once she was sufficiently away from everyone. “What happened to The Centre?”

“It fell down and went boom. Then it was blown up into smithereens, just in case there was some kind of important ruins. The Triumvirate’s doing,” he said. “We’re all getting reassigned to Africa.”

“What about everyone inside of it?”

“Some judgment calls were made. We were only allowed so many. Adama and Mutumbo took some. Raines, by the way he’s alive, of course, took 50 children. I took 50 children. So pretty much  most of the kids weren’t burned to death. Casualties considering the holidays? Probably around . . . 200 give or take.”

“You.” She blinked. “You bastard. Two hundred people burned alive?!”

“Hey, hey, I saved fifty kids from the bottom of my soul. Raines did too.”

“No,” she insisted. She watched Jarod appearing in the distance. “You are anything but innocent.” Why was he way over there? Curious George.

“Together we saved a hundred kids!” Lyle yelled at her. “Isn’t that good enough? For, you know . . . your babies real daddy? And no, The Triumvirate really thinks you bonked things up with Broots. They aren’t close enough to either of you to know the truth.”

Wait a minute. “You’re scared of Jarod?”

“The Triumvirate is a lot . . . bigger. The new jobs don’t kick in right away, so we are all pretty exposed. And, from the sound of it, I was right on key with Jarod! Score one for me,” he chuckled. “Otherwise, the sentiment wouldn’t be ‘you’re scared of Jarod?’ it would have been ‘Ooooh noo, Jarod was burned alive!’. You’ve been in cahoots, that’s why you never let me see him.”

Miss Parker gestured to Jarod. She could barely see him in the snow now. She moved her phone away. “He already knows about you.”

“He was there for the birth,” Jarod reminded her. “I’m sure the other me gave it away.”

“Lyle and Raines saved a hundred children. A few more were selected. Everyone else-“

“Blown up,” he finished. Yet, he had no emotion to his voice.

“Two hundred people were burned alive, Jarod.” She tried to look at him in the snow. He was wearing . . . didn’t he wear that yesterday?

Emily’s phone started to ring. “Yes?”

“I got her.”

“Yes.” Emily looked toward her dad. “Got her.”

“Got who?” Major Charles looked toward her, the road, then toward her. “Emily?”

“The key to finding Kyle,” Emily said. “The key to figuring out what’s happening in Africa. Miss Parker.”

Major Charles hit the brakes, but he tried not to slam them too fast. He looked back toward her. “Are you insane?! You hired someone to capture Miss Parker?”

“She can’t leave The Centre willingly,” she said, “and Jarod was stuck too. Well, now while she’s dealing with Africa, he can be the dad he’s always wanted to be.” She looked toward her dad. “Not killing her. Just getting her out the only way I knew how.”

 “Emily.” Major Charles patted her hand. “Miss Parker would eventually come to Africa to help.”

“How? She was stuck in The Centre,” Emily pointed out. “I didn’t do anything wrong, dad.”

“Yeah, but. Of all days.” The Major dialed up Jarod. “Jarod?”

“The Centre,” Jarod said on the phone. “You won’t believe what just happened.”

“No, I’m sure I can.” He glanced toward Emily and rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry, Miss Parker is safe and sound. Your sister just had a crazy idea. I promise, we’ll get this figured out.”

“What?! What are you talking about?” Jarod demanded over the phone.

“Oh, here’s your sister.” Major Charles handed her the phone.

Emily smiled. “Hi, Jarod?”

“What did you do?!”

Emily sighed. “I didn’t kill her. I’m not killing her. Honest Jarod, she’s fine. I just set it up so that it looks clearly like she was kidnapped over Christmas. Footprints, stalking photos, the works. You’re in the clear.”

“You pretended to kidnap her?! Why?”

“Are you losing it?” Emily said.

“What? What do you mean?”

“You said that if you were a part of it, they’d know you somehow escaped The Centre,” she said. “Jarod?”

“The Centre just burned to the ground. I should officially be ‘dead’,” he said. “Give me her location. Now.”

“You really should just wait,” she said. “She’s going to Africa, and someone will need to watch Onyssius and my little niece.” Emily waited. There wasn’t a response right away. “Jarod?”

“Where was she taken?! Who has her?”

“Jarod, will you calm down?” Emily scoffed. “I told you, she’s fine.”

“Miss Parker was nice enough to let you come onto her property, and see me. Now, you are playing around with her?” His voice, the anger in it, sounded broken. “You took her away, from her kids, on Christmas? I want her back, and I don’t mean in Africa. Where is she. Now.”

“Oh, Jarod-“

“Now, Emily.”

She closed her eyes and sighed. “I got you out of The Centre’s grasp, and you can be with your children again. I did everything just like you said to do, and this is how you treat me?” She stopped talking on the phone as a car scooted right next to her, angrily slamming it’s door and showed up by her window. The owner of said car was far from happy. “If you had done it the first time, you wouldn’t be in The Centre’s grasp right now.” She crossed her arms. “I didn’t even mess with the kids, and I didn’t kill her. I did everything you said.” He wasn’t speaking. “What is your problem?”

“Emily. I haven’t contacted you since I first caught you kidnapping her,” Jarod said. “Now where is he taking her, now!”

“You didn’t? Not you?”

“Now, Emily!”

“Um. Uh. A little place called Hoopers, just up the road,” she insisted. “He’s stopping for gas and then not looking back.”

Jarod quickly moved away back to his rental car. Emily wasn’t a Pretender. She didn’t have the same ability as her brothers. It wasn’t her fault this time. He sped away as fast as possible, not daring to care about the speed. Someone had intercepted his family.

And he knew exactly who it was. “Hades is not getting away this time.”

Miss Parker looked out the window. This jerk actually dared to tie her up along with the handcuffs. In the front seat, sitting down. He was bold. Arrogant. Definitely Jarod’s clone, Hades.

“Did you want a Candy cane?” Hades asked as he held it out to her. “It’s a festive decoration, yet it’s also an edible concoction.” He wiggled it briefly.

“Where are you taking me?” Miss Parker asked. “Why did The Centre burn down?”

“Oh. That little place?” Jarod Hades shrugged. “I don’t know. Apparently Management isn’t useful anymore. You sure you don’t want one, Sweetheart?” He smiled. “Please? I don’t bite. Well, not you.”

Miss Parker looked around her. Kidnapped by Hades. Jarod must be on his way. All she needed to do was slow him down on the side of the road. She looked over at him. She knew from the way he talked to her when she was giving birth he had a real sweet tooth for her.

Weighing her options. He could flee, get away, and she would have to wait to get a chance to get away. In the meantime, Jarod would have to go into hiding with her babies. It could take months. Nope. Just gonna deal with the awkwardness. Screw it. “I remember you, you’re Hades.” She blew a little something at the end on his name. She saw the way he seemed to sit up in his driving now. “I was giving birth last time we met. You didn’t see me at my finest.”

“Actually, it’s Jarod Angel,” he corrected her. “I’m not Hades. I wasn’t there.” He continued to drive, no break in speed.

“Well, that’s interesting.” Gun, do you have a gun on you? She took her roped body and let gravity slide against him. Come on you freak. Where’s that gun? Her hands fidgeted around his side.

“Are you looking for a gun?” Jarod’s clone asked. “Because that’s, that’s not a gun area!”

Ooh. Wrong place. Touch shy too. Good. She knew how to handle those. “I was looking for a type of gun.”

He pushed her back over and concentrated on his driving. “That’s not the area to touch on a man, Sweetheart. It does things. Let’s not do that, okay?”

Hm. Sweetheart. Very sweet. Same tactic, new effort. Miss Parker tried to boost her body up to the side, scrunching her Christmas outfit up. Once she got off kilter just enough. She fell down again. “Oops.”

“What are you trying to do?” Jarod Angel sat her up, closer to him this time. He wrapped his arm around her. “There you go. Nice and comfy.”

“Could be comfier,” she said. This time she was closer to his side. She felt around. That’s cold. That’s got to be metal.

“Oh, don’t mess with that my sweet Miss Parker,” Jarod Angel said. He pulled out the metal she had been feeling. It wasn’t a gun. “Open that and who knows what syringe would accidentally inject you.”

Damn it. This wasn’t working. “Don’t you have a gun?”

“To borrow?” he chuckled. “Damn, I knew you were bold, but this is bordering on ridiculous. Wow.” He shook his head. “You would probably make love to me right here if I promised to let you go, wouldn’t you?”

Make love? Sweet little mouth. Clearly not as confident as Hades.

“Oh, yes, I know all about you Miss Parker. The men you prefer. How often you have it. The ones you pick. I’ve studied a great deal of you.” He took his arm and stroked her hair. “One day, I’ll touch that forbidden goodness of you too.” He let his arm droop. “Right now though, I’ve got a little job to do. In the meantime, none of that is going to be happening anymore.”

Miss Parker felt a strange kiss on her temple. Almost like Jarod.

“Truth is, I will be the most gentle lover ever when we reach that point.” He held her closer. “Hades has been with several women when he’s been on assignment. The original Jarod too has strayed. But me? You will be my one and only. That’s my focus.”

Damn. “Blowjob isn’t going to cut me loose?”

“Not even close.” He pinched her cheek.

He was pinching her cheek. Okay. I need the strongest eggnog ever. How was she going to get him to slow down? How? Oh, never mind. Wonder Boy is quicker on the uptake than I thought. A black car she hadn’t seen before was careening up the hills at a rapid pace. It wasn’t obeying the traffic laws, but it still seemed to have control. So? He better not have Angel and Onyssius at that speed.

“Oh dear, he catches up fast.” Jarod Angel started to rev up the speed on his car. “Oh, shoot, I have to get your seat belt on though. You wiggled all over the place, now I . . .” He stopped the car for only a second to get her seatbelt on, and then pushed the car as fast as he could.

He stopped. He risked Jarod getting even closer, to place her seatbelt on her? He really is sweet on me. This guy’s got a sweeter tooth on me than anyone I’ve ever known. This is weird. She watched the rear view mirror as best she could. Jarod was on their tail, but they were moving just as fast. I have to slow him down. How? With her body all tied up, she couldn’t pull any kind of real move against him. What could she do? Broots was a sweet boy. Simple touches is all it took, but he wasn’t falling for that. But, he cared about her feelings. Maybe? “I don’t believe this. You stopped the car to put on my seat belt even though you know Jarod wants to kill you?” She let her eyes linger on him. “Do you really love me that much?”

Wham. She saw him shift in his seat. “Yes. I do, I-I’ve seen nothing except your face almost since I was born. Day in and day out, just you. Just you.”

Gotcha. “That must be the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard. No man has ever done that for me before.”

“You dated nothing but jerks,” he said. “None of them cared for you. Not like I can.”

“Not like you will you mean?”

“Yeah.” His eyes were almost completely on her, only switching to the road every once in a while.

She fluttered her eyes lightly. “Wow. I. I don’t know what to say. Keep that up and I might actually fall in love with you.” Her old tried and true line.

He broke. His concentration, his speed, his confusion, it was all messed up. She looked toward the rearview and saw Jarod finally catching a lead. Now as long as he didn’t get in a wreck that killed them all before Jarod caught up, this was over.

“Really?” His breath was clearly uneven. “You don’t know how much I needed to hear that.” He looked toward her.

But her acting was now over. Not only had Jarod caught up on the other side, he was there. He already had the door open. Ethan took over driving, lending support.

She watched as Jarod grabbed the wheel and hit the brakes, bringing the car to a stop. Ethan scooted in front of it, so it couldn’t retake off.

Jarod held a gun to the clone’s head. He just looked at him.

“Go ahead,” Jarod Angel said. “I’m not the one you want though. I’ve got focus for love. I’m Jarod Angel, not Jarod Devil.” He placed his head right in front of the pistol. “Only one Jarod can be the chosen in the end.” He looked toward Miss Parker. “She really is lovely, isn’t she?”

“Are you trying to trick me?” Jarod asked him.

“No. Same diff though. Although he would be rough, I would be gentle. Yet, it’s the same thing,” he confessed. “I only have one focus. Her,” he breathed heavily. “If you don’t kill me, I’ll come back for her again. Over and over. Until she accepts me and bears my twin angels.”

Jarod touched his head and winced. “Splitting migraine. They made another one?” He looked toward Miss Parker. “Another one?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “He feels a lot different than the other one. I mean boy scout, virgin, haven’t-kissed-a-girl different.”

Angel. Devil. Angel. Devil. Now he was glad he attached Little to his daughter’s name. “Look at The Triumvirate. They have been feeling around to complete the scrolls for years. Even making a twin pair.” Jarod sighed. “Have you killed anyone?”

“No,” Jarod Angel admitted. “I don’t kill.”

“Do you know where my brother Kyle is?” Jarod asked him.

“Not easy to find. He’s in the third district of Bhekumbuso’s area. He is between me and the other me,” Jarod Angel said. “Hades will intercept her on her honeymoon on the bridge. He will take her there. That will be your chance to save your brother.” He stared at Jarod’s eyes. “Will you do it? Will you use your beloved Miss Parker as bait to save your brother? Or will you do the right thing and run away, finding a different path to him?”

“I can think for myself you know,” Miss Parker answered as Ethan was trying to untie her.

“Jarod. We don’t have time now,” Ethan said.

“I know.” This clone hadn’t killed anyone. He kidnapped Miss Parker, but that was it.

“You don’t have much time,” Jarod Angel said. “Either kill me and go, or go. They are going to nab the others.”

“Helpful, for trying to take the mother of my children away,” Jarod said.

“I was created to be that way. I have a heavy conscience though. I don’t want anything to hurt her.” He smiled. “I don’t often get out, Jarod. There’s no need for a good me. Think about that. They’re desperate, doing everything they can to find the answer. Time is running out.”

Ethan grabbed Jarod Angel’s keys and undid her handcuffs, the last of her restraints.

Jarod couldn’t do it. If he was Hades, maybe, but this guy? A clone, yes. Obsessed with Parker again, yes. But differently. This guy. “Did you take focus treatments?”

“Since I was small,” Jarod Angel confessed. “My life is hell when I don’t see her. When I can’t be near her.”

“Thought so.” Jarod punched him out and started leaving along with Ethan and Miss Parker. “More focus treatments. Clones. It never ends.” He headed back to his car.

Miss Parker looked around in the back seat. Clothes and a couple small foldable bassinets. “The Centre’s destroyed.”

“Yes.” Ethan said from the passenger seat. “Dream come true, Nightmare in Disguise.”

Jarod climbed back into the passenger seat and took off down the road. “It wasn’t their fault.”

“Oh, I’m sure,” she said sarcastically practically spewing the venom. “Major Charles and Emily comes, and then The Triumvirate finds us.”

“She was used,” Jarod said. “Jarod Angel found her information, probably like you did. He Pretended to be me. She thought she was helping me to kidnap you.”

“Yeah, ‘cause that just makes a whole hell of a lot of sense.”

“If you were kidnapped, while I was still considered in The Centre, they wouldn’t tag it as me being responsible and Hades wouldn’t be sent back out,” Jarod said. “Except that’s false.”

“They sent him out once before. That had nothing to do with you, Jarod.”

“Exactly, but Emily didn’t know that,” Jarod said. “I haven’t kept very in touch with her considering what happened.”

“Put a cork in it already, Jarod,” Miss Parker complained. “Where are my children?”

“With Sydney and my mom,” Jarod answered. “Broots has Debbie and Gemini.”

“Oh. This is soooo peachy.” Miss Parker groaned. “What next?”

“We are all going to have to pull off the biggest Pretend. Just for a bit,” Jarod said. “We’re all meeting up at a hotel. The Triumvirate will definitely be keeping an eye on the nearest airport.”

“I want Angel and Onyssius,” she insisted.

“I know.” He gave her a small smile in the front view mirror. “Very soon. You know my mom is a great driver, our babies are safe, Miss Parker.”

“I know, but . . .” She looked out the window.

“You were afraid you might not see them again for a long time,” Ethan said for her. “We know. It’s okay now. You’ll see them soon.”

“The Centre is gone. The Triumvirate located us. There’s no telling if even being a Hunter is safe anymore, Miss Parker.” Jarod continued to drive.

“Two hundred people were burned alive, on Christmas, at The Centre,” she said sadly. Crumbled. Explosives. There’s nothing left.” She tried to clear her throat. “Lyle and Raines got to make some pickings. They each saved fifty children that went with The Triumvirate.”

“They did?” Jarod glanced back to her in the front view mirror. “Why?”

“Sounded like Lyle was a little scared,” she said slowly. “I don’t think the job application to Africa begins right away.”

Jarod smirked. “I have my own situation to take care of first. At least children were saved due to their nerves.”

“Did anyone at least grab my cookies?” she asked.

Ethan looked back at her and smiled. “You’re used to your life changing rapidly.” He bent back more and patted her hand. “But you’re still scared. This is the first time The Centre is not in the equation. Everyone could be in danger.”

Miss Parker couldn’t deny he was right. “Technically, The Centre always exists as long as a fit Parker is running it. But.”

“No building. No sweepers. No structure. No protection,” Jarod said for her. “I know. That’s why I can’t just leave with you. Sydney. Broots. Everyone’s in danger.”

“Jarod thinks The Triumvirate burned down The Centre to cover their tracks in America,” Ethan said looking back toward her again. “Anything that doesn’t go to Africa could be eliminated.”

“My dad and Emily already had a different way and ride. They never share their getaway strategies,” Jarod said as he slowly turned on a steep turn. “Everyone else is with us right now.”

“Hades is out there,” she said. “Lyle said he found Jarod Riley. Cured himself.”

“Oh no, not that-“

“He hasn’t killed anyone,” Miss Parker said quickly. “He just wants me. Either my baby is the Angel, or I am still the Angel, and he needs to be the father. So.” She moaned. “The Triumvirate aren’t just desperate, they arefrogs wading through the cream to get out.”

“What?” Jarod asked. “Wading through cream?”

“Two Frogs,” she said.

“Two Frogs?” He was still clueless.

Six years out and still, every once in a while, he discovered something new. Her geek was showing his true colors. “Two frogs fall into a can of cream. They can’t get out. One gives up and drowns while the other keeps going and makes it butter.”

“Oh.” Jarod sounded astounded. “If they could not get out of the container of cream, then there would be no way to survive, but the constant moving started to churn the cream.” He turned on his blinker signal as he turned. “Origin?”

“I don’t know.”

“Is it possible? Can the feet of a frog paddling for its life actually churn butter.”

There her boy was. His geek was full on. “I’m not going to see frogs and milk lying around during your next quiet session, am I?”

“I won’t drown frogs,” Jarod said. “Do all frogs have the same kind of momentum, or would only a certain kind of frog be able to survive?” He started going into different species, measurements, the size of the cream container, the kind of cream, and the size of frogs. While a part of her would have blown up at him, there was a different part. Almost so subtle she forgot it existed. It was listening intently to all the wonderful ways he was describing the situation, in only the way Jarod could.

“Jarod?” Ethan said. “Frogs are neat but your happier about something else.”

“Hades is out there, The Centre is gone, Broots and Sydney could be in trouble along with Miss Parker. Everything just got more out of whack.” He looked back toward Ethan. But I get to stay with them now. Permanently. “Onyssius and my Little Angel.”

Ethan smiled at him, and he smiled back. Ethan looked back toward Miss Parker. “You can raise them with Jarod now.”

Was he wanting her to say whoopee and something sarcastic or mean? Was he wanting her to cheer?

Instead, he just smiled back at her and looked away again.