Title - Saying the Words
Author - Nicky
Rating - PG
Category - JMPR
Summary - Jarod tries to say good bye, but ends up coming back to rescue Miss
Parker and finds her in a surprising predicament.
Disclaimer - The characters aren't mine. I'm just using them for my own
entertainment purposes.

* * * * * * * * * *

Tuesday night

Miss Parker rolls over in her bed, trying hard to ignore the ringing telephone right
next to her head. She growls out loud when she realizes that it won't quit unless
she picks it up. Unable to take the noise any longer, she reaches for the phone and
snatches it from its hook.

"What!" she yells, instantly regretting the action that only makes the pounding in
her head worse. The last supposed lead on Jarod took her out to Arizona where the
constant dry air wreaked havoc on her sinuses. The plane ride home only
aggravated the pressure between her eyes even more. She was hoping getting to
bed early would help, but apparently her late night caller had other ideas.

"This is not a difficult concept. I answer, you then tell me what you want," she
yells again when the caller remains mysteriously silent.

"Listen, I'm hanging up now. Jarod, if this is you, you better hope me and my gun
don't come across you any time in the near future." She slams the phone down,
sighing heavily in frustration. She knows it was Jarod and is annoyed at the little
game he obviously feels like playing tonight. Calling and not saying anything was
just a waste of time. And she hates having her time wasted.

Sighing once more, she shuts her eyes and tries to fall back asleep. A tossing and
turning filled hour later lets her know that sleep isn't about to happen for her.
She throws on a robe and stomps downstairs to make a cup of tea. Sitting on the
couch with her tea, she's suddenly struck with the disturbing feeling that things
are about to change for her. As she ponders that thought, the tea begins to do
it's job relaxing her and finally she's able to drift off to sleep right there on the
couch. One small part of her consciousness stays awake, however, toiling with the
notion that something big is about to happen.

* * * * * * * * * *

Jarod stares at the phone in his hand before the dial tone startles him back to
reality. It was a bad idea, he realized once he heard her angry voice over the line.
What he has to say to her is not the kind of thing you'd say over the phone. That
was the coward's way. And although he feels like a coward for what he's about to
do, he still feels she deserves more than some impersonal phone call.

He hangs the phone up and then picks up his bag from off the bed. Looking around
one last time, he starts to feel a little nostalgic. Life on the run had it's down sides,
but it was a life he was starting to get used to. It's hard to believe this will
probably be the last of his 'lairs'. Reaching into the bag, he pulls out one last red
notebook. It contains no real clues or leads this time. It's just a prop he knows
they expect to find there. And she probably won't even see it. It won't be
necessary for her to see it after tonight. He drops the book on the desk on his way
out the door and exhales the deep breath he was holding, bracing himself for the
one last stop he has to make.

* * * * * * * * * *

She can feel his eyes on her even before she can see him. This was unexpected,
him showing up like this. But at the same time, she somehow knew he was
coming. She finally opens her eyes and stares into his dark haunted ones, his
defeated expression changing her attitude from angry to concerned.

"Jarod?" she whispers, pulling herself to an upright position. "Is everything alright?
Why are you here this time of night?"

"We need to talk," he says, averting his eyes from her. Facing her seemed like the
best idea at the time, but now he wishes he had followed through with the phone
call instead.

"And you couldn't tell me this earlier when you called?" she asks him, casting a
slightly accusatory glare in his direction. "You woke me up, you know. And I
couldn't get back to sleep."

"Sorry," he mumbles. "But this is important."

"Well, you have my undivided attention, Jarod. What's this about?"

"It's over, Miss Parker. This game of ours. I can't do it anymore." He's staring out
the window, unable to face her.

"I don't understand," she says, genuinely confused. "Are you turning yourself in?
You want me to take you back to the Centre?"

He chuckles a bit at her question and then finally turns to face her. But she can
see that he's far from amused. The look in his eyes is one she has never seen
before. Add that to the feeling she had earlier that evening and she's suddenly
terrified at what he's trying to say.

"Go back? Is that what you really want from me, Miss Parker?" he asks angrily.
But he takes a deep breath to calm himself down. He didn't come here for a fight.
"If I thought that's what you really wanted, I'd do it in a heartbeat. You don't want
me to go back there. What you want is your freedom. And you think that taking
me in is the way to accomplish that, but it won't. You're going to have to find a
way to free yourself. And you should do it before it's too late."

"Too late? What do you mean by that?"

"I don't know," he sighs, turning his back to her again. "But I'm tired of playing
these games. I need to be completely free. Free from my past. Free from all those
answers I was trying to find. Free from . . . everything."

"Even me?" she asks. She moves to stand between him and the window he
suddenly seems so fascinated with. "You need to be free from me?"

"Especially you, Miss Parker."

He looks up at her and she's surprised to see tears in his eyes. His tears trigger a
few of her own, which she quickly wipes away.

"I run, you chase. Isn't that what you always say? And that was fine for awhile,
but . . . . " He takes a deep breath and decides that it's time to face the music.
This is what he came here for. He may as well get it over with. He reaches for her
face, gently lifting it so that she can see his eyes and know what he's saying is true.
"That was fine for awhile, but I can't do it anymore. Every day, it gets harder and
harder to run from you. And I'm afraid that one day, I'm just going to stop and let
you catch me."

"Oh," she says, letting out a shaky sigh. Unsure of what to say, she tries to crack a
joke. "And that would be a bad thing?"

"It depends on what you planned on doing with me once you got me," he teases.
They laugh for a second before the reality of his words sink in. They both know there's only one
thing she would do. The one thing she's trained to do.

"I'd bring you in," she sadly admits.

"And that would make things worse for both of us," he insists. "I can't risk going
back there, Miss Parker. Not for some off chance I may find answers about my
family. Not for this compulsion I have for trying to right all the wrongs in the
world. Not even for you." But they both know that's not entirely true. He'd do
anything for her. All she has to do is ask. But he knows she won't say the
words.

He smiles once more at her and reaches out to touch her face again. He ends up
tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and trailing his fingers down her cheek.
Surprisingly, she allows this, too stunned to stop him. She can see in his eyes the
inner battle being fought between his head and his heart. It mirrors the war being
raged in herself. She closes her eyes to keep him from seeing her turmoil. A silent
understanding passes between them, broken a few moments later by words she
never thought she'd ever hear from him.

"Good bye, Miss Parker."

When she opens her eyes, he's gone.

* * * * * * * * * *

The Centre
Wednesday Morning

Broots knocks nervously on Miss Parker's office door. He found something
incredibly unbelievable in the Centre archives. Something she has to see right
away.

"Miss Parker?" he calls out, peeking his head inside the door. He looks around and
sees that the office is empty. Which is strange considering how it's almost noon.
Miss Parker should have been in by now. But it doesn't even look like she's been
there yet. He turns around and closes the door behind him, heading towards
Sydney's office. Maybe he knows where she is.

"Broots," Sydney calls from down the hall. "I was just coming to see Miss Parker.
Is she busy?"

"I was just coming to see you, actually," Broots tells the man. "You won't have
much luck talking to Miss Parker because she's not even in there."

"Is she in a meeting with her father or something?"

"I don't think so. It doesn't look like she's been in yet today. You don't think
anything's wrong, do you?" Broots' voice takes on a concerned edge. He
considers Miss Parker a friend, no matter how she has treated him. He knows that
deep down she cares. She just has a funny way of showing it.

"Let's not jump to any conclusions. Call her cell phone and I'll call her home. If we
don't get an answer, we'll go by and check on her," Sydney suggests. "She's got to
be some where. I doubt she's disappeared."

"I hope not. Although, anything can happen here at the Centre. I never
underestimate them." Broots looks down at the folder of information he has for
Miss Parker. It holds the perfect example of what happens when the Centre is
underestimated. It's a mistake he doesn't intend on making as well.

* * * * * * * * * *

Sydney knocks on the door to Miss Parker's house one more time. He listens for
signs of life inside, but doesn't hear anything.

"Her car's still in the garage," Broots informs him. "I think she's in there."

"Maybe we should go in," Sydney suggests, his worry now becoming evident.

"Do you have a key?" Broots asks as he jiggles the knob. Surprisingly, the door
opens. The men look at each other, not even trying to hide their fear. "The door's
unlocked. Now I know something's wrong."

"Miss Parker!" Sydney yells as they charge into the house. "Are you in here?"

"Over here, Syd," Broots alerts him. He's standing by the fireplace next to an
unresponsive Miss Parker. She's sitting on the floor, staring vacantly at a fire
that had long ago been extinguished.

"Miss Parker?" Broots gently taps her on the shoulder, but gets no response.
"What's wrong with her, Sydney? Why won't she answer me?"

"I don't know," the older man sighs. "Help me get her on the couch."

The two men gently carry her to the sofa and lay her down. Sydney pulls the chair
next to her and starts murmuring soft assurances to the young woman he's grown
to love like a daughter. Soon, she squeezes his hand and a sob escapes her lips.
But she still doesn't acknowledge their presence. It's almost as if she's trapped in
a bad dream. Her eyes close and one lone tear escapes from beneath her eyelid.

"Miss Parker?" Sydney whispers.

"Don't go, Jarod," she cries in her sleeplike state. "Don't leave me. Not like this. I don't
want to be alone."

"Shh. It's okay," Sydney reassures her. "You're not alone." He tucks a few errant
locks of hair behind her ear and her eyes pop open in surprise, unaware of her
previous distress.

"Sydney?" She stares at him with some confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"You were late for work. Broots and I came to check on you."

"Late? What time is it?" She sits up quickly and checks her watch. "12:45? It's
already past noon? How did I sleep this late?" She gets up and makes a move to go
upstairs when she notices the strange looks that pass between Sydney and Broots.
"What is it? You two are looking at me like I grew a third eye or something."

"Miss Parker, you weren't exactly asleep when we came in," Broots nervously
stutters. "You were in some kind of . . . trance . . . or something."

"We got you to the couch and you eventually appeared to go to sleep. But that
lasted for only a few moments. You started to cry out in your sleep, something
about Jarod leaving," Sydney gently explains.

It all suddenly rushes back to her. The strange phone call and Jarod's subsequent
visit. He came to say good-bye. He told her he was leaving - for good. She starts
to go numb again, like she was before.

"He's gone," she tells them. "Jarod's gone and he's not coming back. He said
good-bye. He's never said that to me before." She looks down and starts messing
with the tie on her robe. Out of all the late night phone calls, he was always the
one to hang up first, but never once did he say good-bye. All those years ago when
she was sent off to boarding school, they never said good-bye. But last night, he
finally said it. And she believes he meant it.

"Then I guess what I found really won't matter," Broots says. He hands her the file
he's been trying to share with her since early that morning. "I came across this
information earlier. I thought you might want to see it."

"What is it?" Sydney asks curiously when her eyes skimming the file suddenly start
to tear up.

"A back up plan," Miss Parker explains to him, her hands starting to shake at what
she's reading. "They have various genetic samples from Jarod on file. And they're
ready to use them. This is an outline of the different phases they plan on going
through, ranging from basic insemination to advanced cloning."

"They want to make their own pretender," Sydney realizes. "We can't let that
happen."

"I won't let that happen," she says resolutely. "The Centre has played God for too
long. This is going way too far."

She closes the file and tosses it on the couch. Instantly Broots and Sydney notice
the change in her. No longer is she numb from the shock of Jarod leaving. She's
back to her old self. She doesn't have time to grieve. With the icy gleam back in her
eyes, she turns to go upstairs and dress herself in her war clothes. There's work
to be done.

* * * * * * * * * *

Broots, Sydney, and Miss Parker peek around the corner leading to the vault.
Jarod's genetic material isn't stored with all the other medical records. It's in
a separate storage space with a special freezer vault. Getting into the vault isn't
Miss Parker's goal. She just needs to shut off the freezer to ruin any samples they
are storing.

"All right. This guard is just about done with his rounds. After he leaves, we'll have
about a 20 minute window to safely get in and get out. The video is looped, so
anyone monitoring the room won't get suspicious." Broots says as he furiously
types commands into the laptop he's carrying.

"You two wait here just in case. I'm going in alone," Miss Parker tells them. The
men gratefully agree with her plan. They don't like the idea of her going on alone,
but somehow it seems safer for them all that way.

"Okay. You should go now," Broots says after taking one last peek down the now
empty hall. The guard is gone and the security cameras have been successfully
taken care of. "Remember. 20 minutes," he whispers after her.

She waves her hand to let him know she understands and keeps on down the
hallway. Turning the knob, she's almost surprised when the door opens easily. But
it makes sense once she thinks about it. Not many people are aware of what is
stored in this room. So there isn't much reason for the door to be locked.

She walks around the room and finds the first vault. On the outside is a detailed
description of the materials inside. This one holds the basic DNA material probably
used for cloning, she guesses. The second vault holds sperm samples for
reproductive purposes. She finds the plug for both the refrigeration units and cuts
them. With a sigh of relief, she turns to leave the room, surprised at how easy the
task was. She doesn't notice a third doorway leading to a lab. And she doesn't notice
the independent security system and camera catching her every move.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Mr. Parker is a bit shocked to see his son pacing around his office when he returns
from a late lunch. From the look on his face, it appears that he has
underestimated Miss Parker once again. Mr. Parker almost has to laugh. He's
warned Lyle about her. And although he has high hopes for his son, he knows that
his daughter got the lion's share of the brains.

"There's a problem, Dad," Lyle starts.

"Let me guess. Your sister. What has she done now?" Mr. Parker says with a
chuckle.

"Oh believe me. It's not a laughing matter. She found out about the secret cryo
lab. She ruined the backup samples. Luckily the main genetic material was being
stored in the lab, which she didn't find, so those are safe. Also, I found this on her
desk." Lyle gives his father the file Broots had shown Miss Parker. And as Lyle
guessed, his father suddenly lost his sense of humor.

"How much more does she know?" his father asks nervously.

"Not more than what's in that file. But if she digs deeper, she may be able to find
out the rest. It's impossible to keep something of this magnitude completely
underwraps. She can't find out anymore. She's an integral part of this. We have
to do something about her now, before it's too late," Lyle warns him.

"You're right," Mr. Parker agrees. "I'll take care of your sister. You tell the doctors
to get ready."

With a wave of his hand, he dismisses his son and picks up his phone, calling his
assistant.

"Justine, I need you to get my daughter up here immediately. Tell her it's very
important I speak with her now."

Hanging up the phone, he breathes a sigh of relief. Things are moving sooner
than he would like, but there's no turning back now. They need his daughter.
And the less she knows the better. They have to get her now before she finds out
any thing else about a project she's bound to hate. One that will shake the
Centre to it's very core.

* * * * * * * * * *

"So, he's just gone?" Broots asks again, unable to believe what Miss Parker is
saying about Jarod. "What are we going to do now? Still search for him? Pretend
to just search for him? Without any leads, I don't know how we'd ever find him."

"I don't know," she sighs. "Right now, I don't think we should say anything about
Jarod, especially considering what we just did."

"I, for one, feel relieved," Sydney chimes in. "I feel that he's finally safe. I've
always known he's had the means to disappear completely. But he's always been
so connected to this place for some reason." He glances knowingly at Miss Parker.
"Maybe now, he can lead a normal life. Get married. Have a few kids."

"Well, whatever," Miss Parker says, rolling her eyes. Sydney and Broots share a
secret smile, seeing how bothered she is with the idea of Jarod moving on without
her. "He just better stay out of my way. Because if I run into him then . . ."

"Then what, Miss Parker?" Sydney laughs. "You know as well as I do that you
wouldn't do anything. Except maybe run away with him."

"What? You think me? And him? Together?" She rolls her eyes again at the
sounds of laughter coming from the two men. But she can't deny what he's saying.
A flush rises to her cheeks when she remembers that it took everything in her last
night to stop herself from begging Jarod to take her with him.

"Miss Parker, are you blushing?" Broots teases. He doesn't know where this
bravado is coming from. He would never consider teasing his boss on a normal day.

"Will you two just shut up," she says through clenched teeth, her arms crossed
angrily across her chest. Luckily, the ringing phone saves her from any further
pestering. She picks it up, answering it with her classic "What!"

Broots and Sydney notice her mood change very quickly. She listens to the person
on the other end, nodding a few times before finally hanging up the phone. When
she lifts a hand to run it through her hair, they see that it's shaking.

"That was my father's assistant," she tells them, answering the unasked question.
"He wants to see me right away. There's something important he wants to talk
about."

They watch as she walks across the room and walks out the door, both noticing the
sudden ominous feel to the air. But neither realizing this would be the last time
seeing their friend.

* * * * * * * * * *

Miss Parker walks nervously to her father's office, her knees shaking the entire way.
It could just be a coincidence her father wanting to see her. But she fears it has
something to do with her sabotage earlier that day.

"Daddy, you wanted to see me?" she asks as she finally reaches his door.

"Oh, yes. Come in, Angel."

He was calling her Angel. That's a good sign. And he doesn't appear to be upset
with her. Although she never really knows what was going on in his head.
Nevertheless, she let her guard down, feeling confident that she's not there to be
scolded. He smiles at her and motions for her to follow him out the door.

"Where are we going?" she asks once they reach the elevator.

"Angel, the search for Jarod isn't going as well as we had expected. Don't get me
wrong. This isn't about you. You and your team have come closer to Jarod many
times than any one else here. But let's face it. If Jarod doesn't want to get caught,
then we won't catch him. I realized that before you even got started."

"Then what have I been doing all these years?" She's confused and a bit angry.

"Training for your true purpose here," he says cryptically. The elevator doors open
and they begin walking down another hallway. The hallway leading to the renewal
wing as well as other medical labs.

"Daddy, what are we doing here?" She stops in her tracks, afraid that she's just
walked into a trap.

"It's part of the new plan," he tells her honestly. His deception comes when he
explains what that plan would be. "You're going to be going to Africa for about a
month of further training to prepare you for your new job. You'll be leaving soon,
so we need to get started on your vaccinations immediately. Wouldn't want you
catching anything over there, now would we?"

"I'm getting shots?" She breathes a sigh of relief. Although this isn't something
she really wants to do, it seems harmless enough.

"Mr. Parker. Miss Parker," an older doctor calls out to them.

"Dr. Osbourne. My daughter will be going to Africa. She's going to need the
vaccinations," Mr. Parker explains for his daughter's sake. But the doctor knows the
real reason for her being there.

"Of course, Sir. Right this way, Miss Parker." The doctor motions for her to follow
him and she complies.

"Angel, do you want me to come with you? I remember when you were little, the
only way you'd let them give you shots was if you were sitting on my lap."

Miss Parker smiles at one of the rare memories of her father actually being there for
her. The few good times between them were a reminder that he wasn't all bad. He
must have some love for her.

"I'll be fine, Daddy. Besides, I think I'm too big to sit on your lap," she says with a
laugh.

"Yeah, but you'll always be my Angel," he says seriously. A flash of guilt crosses
his face before he turns away, puzzling Miss Parker. He walks away, calling out to
the doctor from over his shoulder. "Take good care of her, Doctor. You don't know
how important she is to me."

The door closes behind and he looks one last time through the window at his
daughter.

"Forgive me," he whispers. "But there's no other way."

Releasing one last sigh, he continues down the hall to wait as his plan is finally put
into action.

* * * * * * * * * *

Miss Parker flinches as one last needle pricks her arm.

"How many more, Doctor?" She had already had four shots. One more and she
would wish her father had stayed.

"This is the last one," the doctor tells her. "Now, I'm going to want you to stay here
for a few minutes to make sure you don't have any adverse reactions to having this
many vaccinations at one time."

"Okay," she says with a yawn, suddenly very sleepy. She allows him to lead her to
one of the cots and she eagerly lies down on it. "What kinds of vaccinations did I
get anyway?"

"Well, I'm holding off right now on the malaria, typhoid, and hepatitis vaccines.
You can get those in about a week. You also might want to get one for meningitis
at that time as well. I'm sure it's been awhile since you've had your regular
boosters. So today I gave you the usual ones for tetanus, polio and MMR. That's
the one for measles, mumps and rubella."

"I already had . . . the . . . mumps . . . " she slurs. Suddenly, she's feeling very
tired. And it's only a matter of seconds before she's completely asleep. In
her last moment of consciousness, she realizes that something is very, very
wrong. Something big is about to happen. And whatever it is, her father is
right in the middle of it.

* * * * * * * * * *

6 weeks later

Broots walks down the hall of the Centre feeling as invisible as the other people
probably considered him. When Miss Parker was around, he at least was known as
that computer guy working for her. But since her reassignment, as they call it, he
wonders why he's even still there.

"Mr. Broots," Sydney calls formally to him. Since the 'reassignment', the team
hunting Jarod was dismantled. There was no need for Sydney and Broots to
socialize. But Broots found himself missing the older man.

"Sydney. How are you?" he asks fondly. "I haven't seen you since . . . "

"I know," Sydney breaks in, cutting him off. He looks around before leaning in a bit
closer to Broots. "Listen, why don't you come with me to my lab on sublevel 14.
I'm doing a twin study and I think I need a little help with my computer."

"What kind of study are you doing that will need the . . . . " Broots starts to ask
him, confused since Sydney's never needed his help before. Sydney gives him a
look and Broots suddenly understands that it's just a cover. "Oh, that study. Yeah,
I'll come and see what I can do." He nervously looks around as well before
following the older man to the lab.

"We should have relative privacy in here," Sydney whispers once they reach their
destination.

"What's this all about, Syd?"

"Miss Parker. I don't buy that story her father gave us about her training mission in
Africa."

"You don't think they sent her there . . . . for re-education. Do you?" Broots
winces.

"No. I think she's right here. And that they're using her for a purpose far more
nefarious."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Raines came to me trying to find out what I know about what's
going on. Whatever it is, he's out the loop as well. According to Raines, Mr. Parker
and Lyle seem to be in charge of a big secret project. And I spoke with one of the
psychologists at the annex in Africa. There is no training that they know of. And
they haven't seen Miss Parker since she's been gone."

"Then where is she?"

"I wish I knew, Broots," Sydney sighs. "I wish I knew."

* * * * * * * * * * *

Miss Parker rolls over in her bed and realizes that she's spending one more day in
this place. She doesn't really know how long she's been there. They keep on
telling her the story that the malaria vaccine was bad and she actually ended up
contracting the disease. And that she's being quarantined until she can be treated.
She's not sure what to believe. All she knows is that yet again, she's waking up
feeling awful. And if they tell her she has malaria, then who is she to argue. She
hasn't kept down a meal in about as close as she can figure to be a week. So even
if she tried to escape, she wouldn't have the strength.

"Ah, Miss Parker. You're awake. How are you doing today?" Dr. Osbourne asks her.
He walks to her IV and changes the bag, giving her her daily dose of what he claims
is her malaria medicine. She's not really sure what he says half the time.
Everything is always so fuzzy.

"I don't feel so good, Doctor. And I don't really understand what's going on. I was
supposed to come here for vaccinations so I could go to Africa. And I'm still here.
What's the problem?"

The doctor starts to explain and she tries to focus on what he's saying. But as
usual, things start to get hazy. It must be something in the IV, she realizes. After
a few moments, she closes her eyes and revels in the relaxed stupor she seems to
be in. The doctor quietly tips out the door.

Hearing the door close, she opens her eyes again and reaches for the IV, pulling it
out of her arm and letting it drip instead into a potted plant next to her bed. She
needs some clarity to figure things out. And she isn't going to get it with
whatever drugs they're pumping her full of.

After about an hour, the drugs start to wear off. She's able to look around and
clearly focus on her surroundings. She's in a room of some kind, much like a
hospital room. She assumes she's still at the Centre, unless they transferred Dr.
Osbourne along with her. Other than that, there are no other clues given to her.

Throughout the day, a nurse comes in several times to change her IV bag and she
has to pretend as if she were asleep. The first time, the nurse notices the IV pulled
out of her arm and replaces it. But Miss Parker notices that the IV from the nurse
doesn't give her the hazy feeling as the IV from the doctor. She files the
information away for use later. It could be of some help when she's ready to
escape from whatever mess her father has gotten her into.

* * * * * * * * * *

2 weeks later

Sydney runs into his house, throwing down his keys and briefcase, trying to catch
the phone before it stops ringing. He's been searching two months for some clue to
lead to Miss Parker's whereabouts with no success. This was probably the worst
time for Jarod to decide to cut off contact. If anyone could find Miss Parker, it
would be him. Sydney has tried to leave online messages for Jarod, hoping the
man would get the news somehow, but it's been a month since the last message
with no word from Jarod.

"Hello," he breathes heavily into the phone when he finally reaches it.

"Sydney? It's me."

"Jarod! You got my messages!"

"Yes. I'm sorry it took so long to get back to you, but I was trying to make a clean
break. I had to cut off contact with you all. I wasn't planning on checking with any
old contacts, but something told me to check that one site. I'm glad I did. Your
message seemed urgent. What's going on, Sydney?"

"It's Miss Parker. She's missing."

* * * * * * * * * *

Three hours later, Sydney opens the door to a frantic looking Jarod.

"For someone trying to get away, you didn't go very far, did you?" Sydney smiles
and pulls the younger man into a hug.

"What happened, Sydney? Where is she?"

Sydney sighs, realizing the man wouldn't be interested in making any idle chit chat.
So he jumps right into the story.

"Two months ago, right after you told Parker you were leaving, Broots discovered
yet another big secret the Centre was keeping. They had some of your genetic
material stored and they had plans to use it. Miss Parker decided to stop them.
She snuck into the storage room and destroyed the samples. That day, her father
called her in to speak with her. We haven't seen her since. The official story is that
she's in Africa in training. But I don't buy it."

"You think she's still at the Centre?" Jarod asks.

"At first I did. So I asked Angelo to sneak around to see what he coud find. He
couldn't find her anywhere."

"You think they moved her?"

"I don't know. If they did, then she could be anywhere now," Sydney fears.

"But she's out there somewhere," Jarod reassures him. "And I will find her."

Determined to keep his word, Jarod spends the next few weeks hiding out at
Sydney's place, spending every minute searching for Miss Parker. Broots comes
over after work and helps with the computer work. And during the day, Jarod
surveils Mr. Parker and Lyle, since they seem to be the ones behind her
disappearance.

Finally after about three weeks of sleepless nights, they figure out where she's
being held.

"Donoterase," Jarod announces, feeling fairly confident.

"That's where they had your clone. Why didn't we think of that sooner?" Broots
wonders.

"Because she could have been anywhere. We had no idea they'd use that place
again. It was only a lucky guess that I figured it out. Mr. Parker and Lyle took
weekly trips in the direction of Donoterase. I couldn't follow them the entire way
without being spotted, so I never really knew exactly where they were going. But
finally today, I went to Donoterase first to see if that's where they ended up. And
sure enough, I saw them there. She's got to be there too," he says excitedly.

"So what's the plan?" Sydney wants to know.

"You let me take it from here," Jarod tells them. "I don't want to put either of you
in any danger. I'll go in tonight and get her. Just make sure the two of you have
air tight alibis. Spend the night at the Centre right in front of a security camera if
you must. You can't be linked to her escape in anyway."

"You can't just waltz in there, Jarod," Broots warns him. "And they don't have the
system of airvents like at the Centre. It's all just that one floor underground."

"And I'll use that to my advantage," Jarod says. "I remember the layout from the
last time we were there. So I have a general idea where they would be keeping
her."

"But how will you get in and out undetected?"

"Just leave that to me." Jarod gives one of his infamous grins and Sydney is
suddenly relieved. Jarod had this all under control. The man could do what he set
his mind to. And right now, he's focused on rescuing Miss Parker.

* * * * * * * * * *

Miss Parker waits patiently for the nurse to leave. She figures today is as good a
day as any to make her break. She can't see herself laying there another day
pretending to be unconscious while they doped her up with God only knows what.
She's never been 're-educated', but if this is what they did, she can understand why
so many Centre employees fear it.

The nurse jots some notes in Miss Parker's chart and finally leaves. After a few
moments, Miss Parker can hear the daily ritual of the wing being shut down for the
night. Nurses and other employees telling each other good night. Lights shutting
off. Doors being locked. Pretty soon, the usual calm envelopes the halls and she
decides to make her move.

She's spent most of her nights planning this. They think she's unconscious so they
haven't taken proper precautions to make sure she stays their prisoner. She
discovered a few nights earlier that there is no lock on her door. But, there's a
guard that patrols the hallway on a fairly regular, but inconsistent basis. There's no
way to know when he'll be by. So she's been preparing herself physically to
overtake him if necessary.

Waiting by the door until the guard passes, she tries to decide which direction to
take to lead her out. She watches him turn down the one hallway, making her
decision that much easier. When she can no longer hear his footsteps, she sneaks
out of her room and goes in the opposite direction as the guard, not sure where it
will lead, but willing to take the chance.

Taking a look at her surroundings, she notices that the hallways don't look like the
Centre's. But they do look vaguely familiar. Like maybe she's been here before.
She searches her mind for some sort of clue to help her remember where she is and
possibly how to get out. She's interrupted, however, by the sound of approaching
footsteps. She freezes, and finds herself just a hall's length distance away from the
security guard. Apparently, the halls take a circular path around the building.

"Hey!" he calls out when he notices her standing there. He starts running towards
her, reaching for his walkie talkie to alert the other guards.

She looks all around, trying to figure out which way to run. But before she can
make a step, she finds her possible paths blocked by approaching guards.

"No," she screams, sinking down to her knees in frustration. She braces herself for
an attack from the guards, but one doesn't come. In an instant, the hall turns
silent, and the guards who were previously running for her, are now crawling on the
floor, struggling to move. A sweet smell invades her senses and she too finds her
body unable to move. Her vision starts to cloud and she eventually gives up trying
to fight the darkness.

* * * * * * * * * *

Donoterase was a much smaller facility than the Centre and therefore didn't have
as extensive a security system. Jarod didn't foresee a big problem getting in,
finding Miss Parker, and getting out. It was mostly going to be a waiting game. By
six that evening, Jarod sat in his car outside the facility watching most of the staff
go home. By nine, he was sure that only a few guards remained. It's time to
make his move.

He slings his backpack over his shoulder and makes his way through the darkness
towards the building. From his surveillance, the security guards were focused
mainly on the south side of the building, so Jarod decided to begin his search there.
He sneaks around the building until he's up against the outside wall near the
entrance he plans on using. Digging through the back pack, he gently pulls out a
cannister and attaches it to the air conditioner unit. He flips the switch on the
cannister and then reaches back into his bag, pulling out a gas mask. He places the
mask over his face and hurries into the building.

He can see the immediate effects of his little concoction. The gas from the
cannister was making it's way through the halls, anesthesizing everything in it's
path. He steps over unconscious guards, nurses, and lab workers as he begins the
search of each room. After about 6 rooms, he realizes how futile this method is.
With the number of rooms on this one hall alone, it would take him more time than
he has to search.

He leans against the wall in frustration, trying to quickly SIM a better method of
searching when he hears the sound of pounding footsteps in the distance. He
panics briefly, wondering why those people haven't succumbed to the gas when he
hears a sound that frightens him more.

"No!" a terrified voice screams. A voice that sounds a lot like Miss Parker. Guards
or not, he runs toward the sound of the scream, determined to fight if necessary to
get to her. But when he reaches the hall, he sees that fighting won't be necessary.
A line of passed out guards surround Miss Parker, their arms outstretched as if they
were reaching for her. It looks like he found her just in time. Releasing a relieved
breath, he jumps over the bodies to reach her, easily picking her up and carrying
her to safety.

* * * * * * * * * *

Miss Parker awakens feeling fuzzy and lightheaded. She looks around and groans at
the seemingly familiar surroundings. Her escape attempt must have failed because
here she is in yet another bed in another room that she doesn't remember
coming to. She grabs the nearest thing to her to throw against the wall. Hot,
angry tears fill her eyes as groans of frustration fill her throat.

"Miss Parker, are you alright?" a stunned Jarod asks, standing in the doorway. He
heard something crash against the wall and was concerned for her safety.

Miss Parker stares at him in confusion for a moment before assuming he's a dream.
She blinks her eyes in an effort to rid her brain of the hallucination, but when she
opens them again, he's still there.

"Jarod? Where am I? What are you doing here?"

"You were being held at Donoterase," he tells her. "It took us weeks to find you. I
went and got you last night."

"Donoterase? Why?" She tries to sit up in the bed, but encounters a painful throb
in her head accompanied by a flash of nausea.

"Don't worry about that right now," he says, rushing to her bedside to lay her back
down. "That gas I used to sedate the guards at the facility has a few side effects.
Monster headache? Feeling a bit woozy?"

"Yeah," she nods. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"Just take it slowly. It'll subside," he assures her.

She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath until the sickness abates. Then she
tries rising again, this time without rushing the movements. Jarod holds onto one
side of her to help her up to a sitting position.

"Better?" he asks, once she's settled.

"Yeah. Thanks," she whispers. She looks around the room again, this time noticing
that it lacked the clinical sterility of her last abode. "Where are we?"

"Someplace far from the Centre and far from Donoterase. Someplace safe," he
promises. He tucks a piece of hair behind her ear and gently strokes his finger
down her cheek, much like he did that night when he left. But unlike that night,
she doesn't allow him the luxury this time.

"Stop that," she snaps at him, swatting away his hand. She stiffens her back and
glares at him with as much hatred as she can muster. "Thank you for helping me.
But I'm sure there's a life out there that you need to get back to. Don't let me keep
you from it."

"I'm in no hurry."

"Well, you were in a hurry that night you left me. You couldn't seem to get far
enough away fast enough." She folds her arms across her chest and the glare
intensifies. But beneath the anger, Jarod can see how much she's hurting.

"Miss Parker," he sighs. "I thought you understood. It wasn't *you* I was leaving.
It was that life we were forced to live. I couldn't live like that anymore. But if
things were different . . . " He trails off, letting the thought hang in the air. He
grabs her arms and gently unfolds them, holding on to both her hands. This time,
she doesn't object to his touch.

"Yeah, if things were different," she nods sadly before letting out a big yawn.

"But let's not worry about what happened yesterday or what's going to happen
tomorrow. You're wiped out and still under the effects of that gas and whatever
else they were drugging you with. Why don't you get some more rest." He smiles
at her and tucks her back into the bed. Her eyes are drifting shut before he even
finishes straightening the covers.

"If I close my eyes, are you going to be gone again when I open them?" she
murmurs sleepily.

"Shhh. Go to sleep, Miss Parker. I'll be right here when you wake up," he promises.
He leans over to kiss her quickly on the forehead before heading towards the door.
He takes one last look at her and sighs in resignation. Right now, he would be able
to keep his promise. But not for much longer. They couldn't be safe together. And
he knows that the longer he stays, the more difficult it will be to leave. If not
impossible.

Jarod gently eases the door closed to keep from waking Miss Parker. He has no
idea what she had been through, but whatever it was left her weak and exhausted.
He keeps on telling himself he's only staying until she gets stronger. He knows he
can't stay, yet his mind keeps on searching for an excuse not to leave.
Remembering a call he needs to make, he goes into the other room and picks up
his cell phone, dialing a familiar number.

"This is Sydney," a voice answers.

"It's me, Sydney. I found her. She's safe," Jarod informs the man.

"Oh, thank God. Where are you?"

"I can't tell you that. And I can't talk long. But, I'll take care of her," Jarod assures
him.

"But for how long? How long will it be before you leave her again? Jarod, you just
about destroyed her before," Sydney says bitterly. He cared for Jarod deeply, but
he needed to know how much he hurt his surrogate daughter. "She may never
admit this, but I saw with my own eyes what happened to her. She was . . .
broken, for lack of a better word. That's why it took me so long to contact you after
her disappearance. I thought she might have run off and done something foolish."

"I didn't realize," Jarod gasps, slumping unceremoniously onto the nearest chair. "I
thought that leaving was the right thing to do."

"And for you, it probably was the right thing to do," Sydney admits, his anger
starting to decrease. "This is just a bad situation. For both of you. But she's
probably pretty fragile right now. If you're just going to leave her again, you need
to let me know where she is so that I can be there for her."

"I won't leave," Jarod decides, feeling strangely at peace with his decision despite
the danger involved. He just couldn't bear the thought of her believing he would
desert her. "I'll be here for as long as she needs."

* * * * * * * * * *

The next morning, Jarod quietly putters around the kitchen, putting the finishing
touches on a special breakfast he made just for Miss Parker. He takes one last look
at the tray before finally taking it to her room.

"Rise and shine, Sleepyhead. I have a surprise for you." He watches her eyes
slowly blink open and fill with the same momentary confusion as the first time she
woke up here. But, realization dawns on her and she remembers where she is.

"Jarod," she says with a yawn. "Is it morning already?" She sits up without any
trouble this time and smiles at the tray of food in his hand. "And is that for me?"

"Well, I put a lot of work in it. I thought maybe we could share," he winks.

"Share? I don't share," she giggles.

"You seem to be feeling better," he says, sounding relieved. He sets the tray in her
lap and sits himself in the chair next to the bed. "The wooziness wore off?"

"I feel good. Just tired still. Mmmm," she moans suddenly around a bite of her
french toast. "This is so good. Where did you learn to make this? Wait. Let me
guess. You did a pretend when you were a chef?"

"Not quite. I was a short order cook in a road side diner," he laughs. "I guess that
pretend really paid off in this case."

"Well, let's hope some of your other pretends have been as useful. I intend on
putting some of your other pretending skills to test after I have a nice, long shower.
You ever been a masseur?"

"Maybe," he teases. "What will I be getting out of this, though? It seems like you'll
be the one getting the benefits."

"You get the privilege of rubbing warm oil all over my towel clad body while earning
moans of appreciation if you do it right," she practically purrs. Her tone takes them
both by surprise. She doesn't know why she decided to flirt, but she's enjoying
the effects it's having on him. His cheeks instantly stain and he seems at a
loss for words.

"Um . . . you, uh, seem to be done with that," he stutters and nods towards the
breakfast tray. "I'll take it now. The bathroom's through that door and your bag is
in the closet." Without looking at her, he grabs the tray and practically runs out of
the room.

She giggles at his hasty retreat before getting up to get her shower. Sometimes
it's fun being bad.

* * * * * * * * * *

Mr. Parker stares across his desk at the man sitting on the other side. He was
trying hard to avoid Mr. Parker's eyes, but that only seemed to anger the Chairman
even more. Finally, Lyle comes flying through the door, breathless from practically
running the whole way.

"What is it, Dad?"

"Dr. Osbourne has some bad news for us," Mr. Parker says through clenched teeth.
"It seems he let your sister escape."

"What?" Lyle shrieks. "How? I thought she was kept sedated. How could she just
get up and walk away?"

"She was sedated," the doctor insists. "But it was a mild sedative. Too much
wouldn't have been good. She needed to remain healthy."

"And she didn't exactly walk away, Lyle," Mr. Parker adds. "She had some help."
He touches a button on the DSA player sitting on his desk and a black and white
image appears. The men sit and watch as one by one, everyone at Donoterase fall
into a mysterious slumber, allowing a mask covered man to swoop in and carry Miss
Parker away.

"Jarod," Lyle growls.

"That's what we're assuming. We could never see his face, but who else could pull
something like that off?"

"What do we do now?" Dr. Osbourne asks. "Without her, the project is . . ."

"I know, I know," Mr. Parker interrupts. "My daughter *is* the project. Without
her . . . " He sighs in frustration. This is not something they planned on.
Things could be ruined if they didn't get Miss Parker back immediately.

"We have to find her. We have to find her now," Lyle says gravely. "Or we can kiss
our futures at the Centre good bye."

* * * * * * * * * *

Miss Parker walks out into the living room, pulling her robe closed. She stops just
inside the doorway while she watches Jarod fluff and refluff a couple of pillows,
trying to place them in just the right spot, obviously trying to make things perfect
for her. She tries to hide her amusement at the sight, but finally lets out a little
giggle the fourth time he rearranges them.

"Something funny?" he asks, finally throwing the pillows down in a seemingly
careless fashion.

"You," she smiles. "You're being so sweet. And accommodating. I just wanted to
let you know that I appreciate you taking care of me like this." She sits on one end
of the couch, leaving plenty of room on the other side for him. She grabs a pillow
and sets it in her lap, playing with the fringes along the edges.

"You didn't want to get dressed?" he asks, and she notices his voice is a little
shaky. His cheeks seem flushed again and she wonders what has him all
flustered. Looking down, she notices her robe has fallen open a bit and Jarod was
taking in an eyeful of her cleavage.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to put myself on display like that," she grins mischievously.
"But those clothes were uncomfortable. I didn't feel like putting them on."

"Don't apologize," he grins back at her. "It's just that you can be a bit . . .
distracting . . . when fully dressed. Right now, you're downright . . ."

"Seductive?" she finishes for him. She lets out a deep, throaty laugh when she
sees him lick his dry lips, visibly having difficulty with his senses. She can't seem
to help herself. She's finally away from the Centre and it's like she's a totally
different person. She can afford to be playful with Jarod. It's actually kind of
liberating.

"You are a naughty girl, Miss Parker," he chuckles. "And I'd love to play some
more. But we've got things to discuss." His countenance turns serious and Miss
Parker assumes that she knows what he wants to talk about.

"You're leaving, aren't you?" she asks sadly. "Just like before."

"No," he says quickly, realizing she was getting the wrong idea. "That's not it at all.
I think we'll be okay together right now so long as we're careful. I'm not leaving
you. I promised you I was going to stay."

"Oh," she sighs, a bit surprised at how relieved she is, but more so at how needy
she has become. For some reason, the thought of being without him, even for a
second, is unbearable. "Then what did you want to talk about? That last time
someone said that to me, I ended up at Donoterase for I don't know how long."

"Almost three months," he tells her.

"Three months! How? Why?"

"I don't know. I was hoping you'd be able to tell me. There's a two month gap
between the time you went missing and the time Sydney contacted me. We need
to figure out what happened during that time so that I can figure out how to keep
us safe," he explains. "Just tell me what you remember. Start at that night I left."

"Well, Sydney and Broots came over the next afternoon. Broots had some files to
show me," she starts.

"About the genetic experiments they were going to run using my samples. Sydney
told me how you destroyed all the material. What happened next?"

"My father wanted to speak with me. He said he was sending me to Africa for
training. I went with him right then to start my vaccinations. And . . . . "

"And what?" he asks her anxiously.

"And that's it. That's all I remember," she frowns, biting her bottom lip between
her teeth. "All I remember is waking up from time to time and them giving me
more medicine. They said something about accidentally giving me malaria instead
of the vaccine and having to quarantine me. But they had me so doped up, I barely
knew night from day. And I had no idea they kept me for three months."

"So we need to figure out why your father would lie to you about going to Africa.
And we need to figure out why he was drugging you and keeping you at
Donoterase. But most importantly, we need to do all that while staying one step
ahead of them. Because we're both finally free of that place. And that's the way
it's going to stay."

* * * * * * * * * *

Lyle flips through the folder on his desk. It was a day by day outline from the
doctors at Donoterase of the progression of the plan so far. The hard part was
over. If they had just been able to keep her for a little while longer, things would
have been almost done. He shuts the folder angrily, feeling how close he was to
victory only to have Jarod ruin it again.

"Don't beat yourself up over it," his father says from the open door. The older man
shuts it carefully and walks over to his son's desk. "It's too late for anger. Anger
will only cloud your judgement. Now is the time for clarity."

"We were so close, Dad," Lyle practically whines. "But then Jarod had to go and
mess everything up. He's been out of the picture for months. Why did he pick now
to show back up out of the blue?"

"Jarod and your sister have always been . . . close. He'll do just about anything to
keep her safe. Maybe you should think about that. And then try to find them."

"You think they're still together?" Lyle asks.

"It's possible," Mr. Parker shrugs. "In any case, we need to find her. He is of no
consequence anymore. But your sister must be found and brought back here.
Alive and in perfect health."

"And Jarod?"

"Like I said, he isn't important anymore. If he gets in the way, kill him. Just make
sure we get your sister back."

Lyle can't hold back the satisfied grin that stretches across his face. He'd just been
given one of the best gifts in the world. He could have been so successful at the
Centre by now had it not been for Jarod's interference. And Miss Parker could have
been the perfect ally had it not been for Jarod's influence. And now he was
responsible for the setback with this latest project. Lyle has been dreaming of
making him pay. And now, his father has given him free reign to do so. It would
almost be worth sacrificing Miss Parker and the entire future on the Centre for
revenge.

"Mr. Lyle," a breathless sweeper gasps as he rushes into the office. "Oh, I'm sorry.
Mr. Parker, I didn't realize you were here."

"That's alright, Kevin," Lyle says. "What do you have for me?"

"That's Clarence, Sir. And I did what you asked about monitoring the shrink."

"Sydney?" Mr. Parker is curious.

"Yes Sir. Mr. Lyle asked me to keep a close eye on him in case your daughter was
in contact with him. Miss Parker didn't call him, but Jarod did."

"Jarod? Did he tell Sydney where he was? Is my sister with him?" Lyle asks
excitedly.

"She's with him," Clarence confirms. "But he didn't say where they were. We
were, however, able to run a trace and although we couldn't pinpoint an exact
location, we have a general area where they are. The call came from about 400
miles southwest of here."

"Excellent," Mr. Parker says triumphantly. "We could have her back by the end of
the day."

"Get a team together, Cameron," Lyle orders the man.

"That's Clarence, Sir," the sweeper corrects again.

"Whatever. Just get together a team. We leave in an hour."

The sweeper nods and rushes back out as quickly as he came in. This was his first
big assignment. He had to prove himself to Mr. Lyle. He had heard stories about
the ever elusive Jarod. Finding him would be the opportunity to make his name
known at the Centre. He didn't even want to think about the consequences should
he fail.

* * * * * * * * * *

Miss Parker walks through the dark house, carefully stepping past the furniture
obstacles she knows will block her path. The house had become a home to her,
totally familiar and comforting. It was filled with the things, and the people, that
she loved.

"I'm coming," she calls out soothingly to her favorite addition to the household,
quickening her pace to reach the room in half the time. "I told you I'd be here. I'll
always keep you safe, my precious."

She reaches down and lifts a screaming, red-faced infant to her chest. His cries
stop instantly and turn to sounds of eager lips smacking.

"Is my little one hungry?" she laughs, recognizing the signs of the voracious
appetite inherited from his father. She unbuttons her shirt and brings the baby to
her breast, watching as he latches on. He greedily sucks at her, taking in all the
nourishment he needs.

Eventually, his feeding slacks off and his eyes begin to drift shut. She closes her
eyes, as well, in peaceful bliss. A noise startles her and her eyes fly back open.
When she looks down, she sees that her arms are now empty. The sounds of a car
starting can be heard and she runs to the window, fear already filling her heart.

"Stop!" she yells at the car speeding away. "Don't take him away!"

She runs out the house after the car, but it's soon just a speck on the horizon.

"No," she cries repeatedly. Over and over like a sad lullaby. "No. No. No . . ."

"Miss Parker," a voice calls to her. She feels strong hands on her shoulders,
shaking her gently. "Wake up, Miss Parker."

She sits up abruptly and finds her self face to face with a concerned looking Jarod.

"Where is he?" she asks in a panic. "They took him. Where did they go?"

"Where did they take who?"

"The ba . ." she stops midsentence, finally looking around and absorbing her
surroundings. She was in a house, but not like the one from before. It was all just
a dream, she realizes. "Nothing. It was just a dream."

She sits up, making room on the couch for him to sit next to her. He puts his arm
around her, pulling her to his chest. They sit for awhile until she stops shaking.

"Must have been a bad dream," he whispers, kissing her on the forehead. "You
want to talk about it?"

"The Centre. They found us." His hand is stroking up and down her back,
soothing her and comforting us until she's peaceful and relaxed again. Just how
she was in her dream before it all was taken away. With a suddenness he doesn't
understand, she pulls out of his embrace and jumps up.

"We have to get out of here." Her eyes are wide with terror and Jarod can see that
she's shaking again.

"Just slow down, Miss Parker. Is this about your dream?"

"Please, Jarod. Let's get out of here now," she begs. Not waiting on his response,
she runs to her room and grabs her bag, frantically throwing her belongings inside.
She goes to his room next, doing the same thing with his stuff. Luckily, he's used
to travelling light.

"Miss Parker, stop," he insists, grabbing her by the arms and holding her still in
front of him. She drops the bags and turns her frightened glare on him. "Take a
minute and explain to me what's going on."

"We have to leave. Now," she declares emphatically. "I can't explain it. But
they're coming. I can feel it. And we have to get out of here before they find us."

"Okay then," he says, pulling her into a hug. "I trust what you're feeling. Let's go."
He pulls away and smiles encouragingly at her before bending over to pick up the
bags.

She looks around one last time, making sure they aren't forgetting anything. She
meets Jarod at the car and finds herself looking around again to be sure they
aren't being followed. Feeling relatively safe, she releases a sigh of relief as the
car begins its journey down the highway.

* * * * * * * * * *

Sydney moves quickly down the halls of the Centre, silently cursing his old body for
not allowing him to go any faster. He got a call several minutes ago about an
emergency. He's needed immediately to help with a situation. He doesn't know
what the situation is, but he feares it has something to do with Jarod.

He rounds the corner, making his way to the labs when he hears a terrible sound
coming from inside. Old bones or not, his pace turns into a sprint down the
hallway. He bursts inside, halfway expecting to see Jarod strapped inside. Instead,
instant relief hits him when he sees that it's Angelo.

"Calm down," Broots says nervously, not sure how to handle the agitated man.
"Sydney should be here any minute."

"I'm here Angelo," Sydney calls from the door after he's had a moment to catch his
breath. "What's the problem, Broots?"

"I don't know. He was running through the halls making all kinds of noise. The
sweepers managed to corner him in this lab and were about to sedate him. Luckily,
I came by and suggested they call you instead," Broots explains. Sydney just nods,
taking in the information, before moving closer to Angelo.

"Angelo," he gently addresses the man. "Are you alright?"

"Mr. Lyle trouble," Angelo says. "Trouble for Jarod. Trouble for Miss Parker."

"What do you mean, Angelo?" Broots asks. "We know that Lyle has it out for Jarod.
But what about Miss Parker?"

"Be careful, Sydney. They're listening," is all Angelo says. He wraps both his arms
around Sydney and hugs him tightly. Without anyone seeing, he slips a DSA into
Sydney's hand before quietly walking back down the hall to his room.

"That was weird," Broots remarks. "I wonder what got into him."

"I'm not sure," Sydney says, rolling little silver disc around in his hand. "But I have
a feeling this is the way to find out." He turns his back to the surveillance camera
in the corner of the room to hand the disc to Broots. Without saying a word, Broots
knows what needs to be done.

"I'll check this out," he says quietly to Sydney. "I'll get back to you when I know
what's on it."

The men glare surreptitiously at each other and then head down the hall going their
separate ways. Soon they would find out what Angelo was trying to tell them.
Until then, Sydney could do no more than wait and pray that whatever danger
Angelo was sensing, would steer clear of his two surrogate children.

* * * * * * * * * *

The sun glares unmercifully through the windows, thwarting Miss Parker's efforts to
open her sleep filled eyes. She finally pries them open, squinting to block out the
invading light, and takes a look out the window to try to determine their location.
They've been on the road for what seems like an eternity and she was getting sick
of it. Actually, she was just getting plain sick. She lets out a groan of discomfort
as the car flies down a particularly bumpy road, upsetting her already queasy
stomach.

"You're up," he smiles cheerfully when he notices she's awake.

"Is it morning?" she asks, her voice raspy from sleep. She uses her hand as a
shield against the sun.

"Evening, actually. We decided to head west after leaving Memphis, remember?"

"That was last night. Jarod, I've been asleep for a whole day?" she sits up quickly
in her seat, instantly regretting the action when her stomach rebels. "How
much did you let me drink? I've been passed out for a whole day and my stomach
is killing me."

"You didn't drink a lot. Just a sip of your beer." He takes his eyes off the road for a
second to glance at her and winces sympathetically when he sees the green tint to
her skin and the thin sheen of sweat on her face. "You really are sick, aren't you?
Must have been the ribs . . ."

"Ribs?"

"Yeah. By my estimation, you ended up eating close to two slabs of Memphis'
finest," he laughs. "Plus you ate my cole slaw and fries."

"Eww, I hate cole slaw," she says, skinning up her nose at the mention of the food.

"Not last night," he grins. "You couldn't get enough of it."

"Well, it's no wonder I'm feeling ill," she groans. "You think we can stop for the
night? I know you must be tired and I may have slept, but I don't think I'm in any
condition to drive."

"Okay," he agrees easily, realizing he's getting too tired to be driving. And also
realizing she needs a break from moving around so much. "I'll pull over at the
next hotel we get to." He grabs her hand and kisses it, not knowing what else to do
to comfort her. This seems to help, though, and she gives him a grateful smile
before closing her eyes and drifting back to sleep. Still holding onto her hand, he
turns his concentration back to the road and looks for a place to stay for the night.

* * * * * * * * * *

Sydney wanders around in the dark, glancing down at his watch for the fourth time
since he got there. A rustling in the bushes scare him and he quickly turns around
to find himself face to face with Broots.

"Why all the secrecy, Broots? I think I'm a bit too old for the cloak and dagger
routine," Sydney laughs.

"Once you hear what I have to tell you, then you'll understand," Broots whispers,
looking around nervously. "Let's walk, Syd."

"What's this all about?"

"Just keep walking. You're being followed." Broots nods over his shoulder at a dark
car parked across the street. "His name is Clarence. He's a new sweeper working
for Lyle. The DSA Angelo gave you was a conversation between Lyle, Mr. Parker,
and this guy Clarence. Apparently, he's been keeping close tabs on you, and your
phone calls, to see if Miss Parker contacts you. They're pretty desperate to get her
back."

"But why?" Sydney is curious.

"That wasn't on the DSA. She's apparently part of some project of theirs. They
want her back as soon as possible. They don't even care about Jarod anymore.
They'll take him back dead or alive now."

"No," Sydney gasps. "It can't be. Jarod's their biggest success. They've spent
years trying to recapture him. Why all of a sudden is he expendable?"

"I don't know, Syd. But I'm guessing it has something to do with whatever this
project is."

"You're probably right," Sydney agrees. "So what do we do now?"

"We can't do anything, unfortunately. Just hope that Jarod calls again so we can
warn him. I've made sure to put a scrambler on your phone so it can't be traced
anymore."

"What if we're too late?"

"We'll soon find out," Broots says, shaking his head. "Lyle got information that
Jarod and Miss Parker were about 400 miles from here. He should be closing in on
them soon. Probably as we speak."

* * * * * * * * * *

Lyle sits at the desk in the hotel conference room, a make shift headquarters for his
team of sweepers. A map of southern Virginia was spread out in front of him as he
studiously examined it. The sudden ringing of the phone breaks him out of his
concentration.

"Mr. Lyle, it's your father," a sweeper says, handing him a phone.

"Any news, Lyle?" Mr. Parker asks optimistically.

"Not yet," Lyle sighs dejectedly. "I feel like I'm close, though. Like he's right under
my nose and I can't find him."

"Keep your focus, Son. You're looking for your sister, not Jarod. Remember, don't
let thoughts of revenge distract you."

"I remember," Lyle assures him. "Have you heard anything else from the people
watching Sydney? Has Jarod contacted him again?"

"Not since that first time. Listen, just give it a few days. Poke around the towns
there showing their pictures. I'll let you know if they try to contact Sydney again.
They're bound to show up sooner or later. You sister's in no condition to stay on
the run forever."

"I guess you're right, Dad. They'll have to come out of the woodwork eventually.
And when they do, I'll be right here waiting on them." He hangs up the phone with
a renewed sense of determination to find them. There's no way he's letting
Jarod get away. Not when he finally has the permission to take care of him once
and for all.

* * * * * * * * * *

Jarod leads Miss Parker down the hallway of the hotel. She almost bit his head off
in the car when he woke her up to let her know he had found a place to stay. Now,
all he wants to do is to get her inside so that she can get the rest she so
obviously needs.

"Here we are. Home sweet home. At least for tonight," Jarod says, opening the
door to their hotel room. They were able to get a suite. She'll sleep in the
bedroom and he'll sleep out in the living room on the couch. "What do you
think?"

"Charming," she growls, her mood sinking even more. "I really don't care, so long
as there's a bed. I'm going to sleep."

"No big surprise there," he snaps. "I think I've seen you conscious all of three
times since I rescued you from Donoterase almost two weeks ago. I guess I should
get some sleep myself since it doesn't look like you'll be doing any of the driving.
Apparently I'm playing chauffer to you this trip."

"Whatever," she snaps back, attempting to slam the door in his face. But he sticks
his foot inside before it can close.

"What is up with you? Did I offend you in some way? What's your problem?"

"My problem is that I'm exhausted, Jarod. Yet, you feel the need to hold these big
discussions with me when really all I want to do is get out of these tight,
uncomfortable clothes and get into that bed."

He looks at her and can see that she really is exhausted. He knows that she still
feels sick from before And he almost feels sorry for her. But her moods have been
erratic at best, but more along the lines of schizophrenic. One minute she was her
usual self. The next she was all over him and couldn't seem to touch him enough.
The next minute she'd be yelling at him. And he was sick of it. Instead of keeping
his mouth shut, he decides to play dirty along with her.

"Clothes too tight?" he asks, grinning smugly at her. "I guess when you put away
half a pig like you did the other night, then the pounds might start piling on."

"Shut up, Jarod," she spits out, trying to hide the hurt. But he ignores her and
continues anyway.

"Or maybe it's just a little water weight gain. I hear a lot of women have this
problem when it's that time of the month."

"Shut up," she warns him again through clenched teeth. She's gone beyond hurt
and is getting angry at him.

"That's probably the reason. You have been acting a bit premenstrual lately . . . ."

His sentence is cut off by the sound of the bedside lamp crashing into the wall by
his head. They both stare open mouthed at the broken light surrounding him on
the floor.

"Get out," she sighs defeated, too tired to fight anymore. "Just get out." She turns
her back on him and waits until she hears the door close before she sinks onto the
bed and starts sobbing uncontrollably.

He stands outside the door, kicking himself mentally for what he said to her. She's
been through a terrible ordeal and he should understand that it's going to take
awhile before she's back to normal. He should have been more patient. And now,
she's on the other side of the door crying because of him. He feels awful.

Slowly, he eases his way back into the bedroom to avoid startling her and ending
up with another lamp tossed towards his head. But she doesn't even hear him.
She remains face down on the bed, crying. He walks over to her and sits next to
her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to tease you," he says, stroking her hair to try and sooth
her. "You're tired and upset and I shouldn't have said the things that I said."

"It's not that," she cries, lifting her tear stained face to look at him. "Look at me.
I'm a mess. I don't blame you for what you said. I look terrible. I feel horrible.
And I must smell even worse. I'm acting like such a deranged lunatic. My
emotions are all over the place and it's not fair the way I'm treating you." She
wipes the tears from her face and crawls into his lap, surprising him with the action.
She wraps her arms around him and pulls herself close to him, almost as if she
were trying to pull herself into him. "I'm sorry I threw the lamp at you."

"It's okay," he assures her. "I'm sorry I was being a typical male and blaming your
mood swings on PMS. You've been through a lot. I should be more understanding
and patient."

"I'm almost certain this isn't PMS. Not even close," she sighs, pausing a minute to
organize her thoughts. "Jarod, when I was at Donoterase, I think they did
something to me. I'm sure of it, actually. And now, I think . . . I think I'm . . .
pregnant."

After a brief silence, she looks up at him, wondering what he's thinking.

"You don't look surprised."

"Nothing they do surprises me," he whispers, his voice clouded with the tears
threatening to break free. "I had suspected, but didn't want to say anything to you.
I didn't want to believe something like that, especially after I found out you
destroyed my genetic material. But, it all makes sense. The plans they had to use
the material. You disappearing. All of your symptoms. When you think about it, it
all adds up."

"You know, we're two pretty smart people. You'd think we would have figured it
out." She gives a mirthless laugh. "It's just, I didn't even consider it. I haven't . .
. you know . . . *been* with anyone since Tommy. But, I'm guessing Mr. Turkey
Baster and I became intimately acquainted while I was being held." She tries to
force out another laugh, but it comes out more as a cry. And soon the tears are
flowing again.

"I'm sorry," he says through his own tears, not really knowing what else to say.

"Why did they do this?" she sobs. "I feel so violated. Like my entire life has meant
nothing more to them than getting me to this moment where I can play hostess to
their little science experiment."

"I . . . I'm sorry," he repeats. He can feel her pain and is helpless to do anything
about it. All he can do is hold her and try to reassure her. He lifts his hand to
gently stroke her hair when he feels her flinch and pull away.

"I'm okay now," she says, climbing off of his lap and moving across the room. "I
think I just need to get some sleep."

"Miss Parker . . . "

"Just leave please," she whispers, afraid the tears will return.

He takes a step towards her to make sure she's really okay. But she retreats
further into a corner, getting as far away from him as she physically can in the
hotel room. His heart breaks seeing her reaction to him, but he realizes what she
just said. She *was* violated. Raped, in a way. He can only imagine what she's
feeling, being that far out of control. This was her way of calling the shots. Getting
the control back.

"Alright," he relents. "But I'll be right outside this door if you need anything." He
smiles at her and then closes the door behind him. He goes to his bed on the sofa,
but is unable to sleep. Too much happened tonight for his mind to rest. He gets up
and starts pacing instead. A baby changes everything. And the fact that it could
possibly be *their* baby is mind boggling. Too much to be thinking about this
soon. First they have to make sure there is a baby. Then they can go from
there. He returns to the couch and is finally able to rest, knowing what he must do.

* * * * * * * * * *

Jarod is careful not to slam the door closed as he comes back into the hotel room
the next morning. Since Miss Parker was still asleep, he took the opportunity to run
to the drug store up the street. He sets down a brown paper bag containing he
purchases on the counter and eyes his phone contemplatively. A few minutes goes
by before he finally picks up it, dialing the ever familiar number for Sydney.

"It's me," he says to his mentor, knowing that's all he needed to say to identify
himself.

"Jarod! I'm relieved to hear from you. That means you're still safe," Sydney says,
sighing his relief.

"Safe? What do you mean. What's happened Sydney?"

"My phone was tapped. I didn't realize it. Broots has fixed it now, but the last time
you called, Lyle was able to get a trace. He left a few days ago on a mission to
retrieve you. But, I see that he hasn't found you."

"Lyle? So he was behind all this. But why tap your phone?"

"He's trying to hear from Miss Parker. And he correctly assumed she was with you,"
Sydney explains. "Mr. Parker and Lyle are up to something. They sent Miss Parker
away for some sort of experiment. Now that she's gone, Lyle's blaming you. All
they want is her back safely, they emphasized that. But you, that's another story.
Lyle's basically been given permission to kill you if you get in his way."

"Where was he headed?" Jarod asks, running his hand nervously through his hair.
He didn't like to hear that Lyle was on the move. And itching to dispose of him.
Lyle was single minded in his tasks. Jarod was sure he was going to focus more on
finding him and killing him, even if that meant risking Miss Parker.

"Some place near the southwestern border of Virginia is all I could find out,"
Sydney says apologetically.

"That's where we were," Jarod gasps. "In a little town just southwest of Roanoke.
It's a good thing we left when we did."

"Why did you leave?" Syd asked.

"It was Miss Parker. She had a dream. Then insisted we leave."

"That's incredible."

"That's not the only thing, Syd," he sighs.

"What is it Jarod?"

"I can't say. And I shouldn't stay on the phone for too long. I just wanted you to
know we were still okay."

"Are you sure? You don't sound too good."

"I'm about as good as I can be in this situation. But it's not me I'm worried about.
It's Miss Parker. I'm afraid that they did something to her at Donoterase that she's
never going to recover from. Physically, she's okay. Although she's going to have
to get checked out by a doctor when we settle someplace. But mentally . . . " He
trails off on that thought, not sure what to say about her mental state. But Sydney
seems to understand what he's trying to say anyway.

"She's more fragile than she lets on, Jarod. Just keep an eye on her and stick with
her. She'll be able to get through anything with you by her side."

"I'm not so sure about that, but I'll do my best," Jarod smiles sadly. "Listen, I have
to go. I think she's waking up now."

"Good bye, Jarod. Good luck."

"Thanks, Syd. I'm going to need it."

Jarod hangs up the phone and listens to her shuffle around the room for a few
minutes. After giving her some time to get herself together, he picks up the bag
and heads towards Miss Parker's room.

"Miss Parker?" He knocks on the bedroom door before slowly pushing it open. He
sees the bed is empty and glances around the room, spotting her in a chair by the
window, gazing blankly outside. "How are you feeling?"

"Come on in, Jarod. I'm not going to bite your head off like I did last night," she
sighs wearily, turning to look at him. She notices that he's not empty handed and
wonders what he brought her. "What's in the bag?"

"Just a little something for you," he smiles shyly. "Something I'm hoping can put
our minds at ease." He sets the bag in her lap and watches her open it.

"You're a strange man, Jarod," she says, looking at him like he was crazy. "You
know, most guys bring a girl a dozen roses. But you've brought me a dozen
pregnancy tests." She lifts one out of the bag and scans the picture on the front.

"Not a dozen. Just nine," he smirks. "I bought one of every kind they have."

"Okay. Give me a few minutes," she says, standing from her chair. "I'll go take
them now." She disappears into the bathroom and closes the door behind her.
Jarod waits a few minutes, expecting her to come out and wait with him, but she
doesn't. Twenty minutes later, she finally returns, her eyes red as if she'd been
crying.

"They're positive. All of them," she says numbly, handing him a blue stick. He puts
the stick on the dresser and pulls her into his arms.

"It's going to be alright," he promises. "Whatever happens. Whatever you decide.
We'll make it alright."

She allows herself a few moments of comfort in his arms. Everything is pretty
much a blur and confusing and a rush of information that her brain can barely sort
out. All she wants to feel is the safety his arms offers. But she knows it's not a
permanent solution. And after a few more moments, she pulls away from him. He
watches her go back to her seat by the window, trying to pull away emotionally as
well.

He follows her across the room and kneels down in front of her, grabbing her hands
in his own. He has to keep some sort of connection with her to keep her from
shutting him out completely. When she tenses at his touch, he realizes that it's
too late. She had shut down again, building the wall of ice around her heart. There's
nothing really he can do for her right now than to just let her be.

"Not right now, Jarod," she pleads with him. "I can't . . . I need some time."

"I understand," he whispers. He involuntarily lifts his hand to tuck a piece of hair
behind her ear, but quickly draws it back before touching her when she flinches
again. A pained look crosses his face at the depth of her pain and his inability to
help her. He rises to his feet and goes to stand by the door to prevent from
crowding her.

"I'm sorry," she cries. "I know that you're just trying to comfort me, but . . . "

"Shhh. Don't worry about it." His voice is now hoarse from trying to choke back his
tears. He has to be strong for her. He tries to smile, but it ends up looking more
like a pained grimace. "I'll be here when you need me."

"Thanks," she sniffs, wiping her face on her sleeve.

"Do you want to stay here a few more days, or should we leave? I've set up some
false leads for Lyle to follow. If I timed it right, he should get snowed in for about a
week in Denver." He chuckles to himself, amused at the thought of Lyle falling for
his trap. "And I got a place in Georgia set up for us. We should be safe there for
awhile."

"No, we can go," she tells him. "It'll be good to get settled someplace for now."

"Alright then. We'll go as soon as you're ready." He looks at her for a minute and
opens his mouth to say something else, but changes his mind when he sees that
she's already resumed her vacant gaze out the window. Shaking his head, he eases
from the room, realizing with sadness that she doesn't even notice.

* * * * * * * * * *

Clarence waits patiently outside of Lyle's hotel room for the opportunity to talk to
him. The sweeper was new, but was well aware of his boss's habits. A young Asian
woman had joined him earlier that evening and all of the sweepers were warned
that they were not to be disturbed.

After about an hour, Clarence decides to leave and come back later. But the sound
of laughter coming towards the door stops him. A few seconds later, the door
opens, and Lyle's showing his companion the way out.

"Mr. Lyle. A moment?" Clarence asks respectfully after Lyle's friend is gone, hoping
not to anger the man.

"What is it, Kelvin?" Lyle sighs with exaperation. He just had a pleasant evening
with a beautiful woman who's name he didn't even remember. He wasn't in the
mood right now for overeager sweeprs.

"It's about Jarod, Sir," Clarence says, ignoring Lyle calling him the wrong name yet
again. "There's been a sighting."

"Really?" Lyle smiles, suddenly very happy to see the sweeper. "Where?"

"That's what's so confusing," Clarence starts. "Four simultaneous reports came in.
One here, here, here and here." He points out the locations on the map for Lyle to
see easily.

"They're all just about equidistant from Denver," Lyle surmises. "We should go
there."

"That's what I thought, too, Sir. But the weather reports are predicting a pretty
nasty storm in the next day or two. If we go there, we could be trapped for days.
Maybe even weeks."

"That's probably what he was hoping for," Lyle grins. "I'll bet anything that's where
his is and is trying to throw us off the right track. But he's underestimates my
persistence and drive. If he thinks a little snowstorm is going to slow me down,
then he's mistaken."

"Very well, Sir," Clarence nods, letting himself out of the room to go gather the
troops.

Lyle looks at the map again after the sweeper leaves and laughs.

"And they think *you're* the genius, Jarod," he says outloud to the empty room.
"But you can be outsmarted. I'm about to prove that point. When I get to Denver,
the Centre will see who the real genius is."

He folds up the map and places it in his briefcase. Soon, he promises himself.
Soon Jarod will be dead, leaving only his child as his legacy. And with that, Lyle will
be able take permanent charge of the Centre.

* * * * * * * * * *

Savannah, GA
Two days later

The drive back east had taken a couple of days, leaving both Jarod and Miss Parker
exhausted. Most of the time was spent in silence, Miss Parker inwardly
contemplating her situation and Jarod outwardly worrying about her withdrawal.
Ever since the tests confirmed her pregnancy, she's barely said two words to him
and won't let him touch her at all. When they finally reach the house Jarod set up
for them, he has to practically shake her to wake her from the daze she'd been in.
They exit the car and Jarod takes the bags of groceries from the trunk before finally
leading her towards the house. He fumbles with the packages in his hands while
trying to open the door at the same time. After an unsuccessful attempt, Miss
Parker finally sees his troubles and takes the keys from his hands to unlock the
door.

"Thanks," he says, flashing her a tentative smile. He wasn't expecting this sudden
show of awareness on her part.

"This is nice," she says, surprising him further with her comments. He didn't even
think she'd notice the nice house he managed to procure for them.

"Thanks," he says again, this time with a bigger smile. He's glad that something
finally captured her attention and he starts to babble, eager to keep her interest.
"You know, when most people think of Savannah, they think of all the touristy stuff
downtown. But there are these areas on the outskirts of town that have been
developed the last few years as housing areas."

"Oh. I see. Well, I like it here. I like being near the water," she says, glancing out
the back window and seeing the river behind the house. Looking back to Jarod, she
sees that he's still loaded down and holds out her hands for a few of the packages.
"Let me help you with those."

"Thanks, but I got them," he smiles. "Why don't you take a look around the house
and tell me if there's anything you need. We might be here for a while and I want
you to be comfortable."

"No, put them down for a second," she says quietly. "I want to talk to you."

He complies and follows her to the sofa in the living room. They sit quietly for a
couple of moments before she finally says anything.

"I want to apologize to you, Jarod," she starts.

"Miss Parker, you aren't to blame for anything. I understand how this . . . "

"Let me finish," she interrupts, lifting her fingers to gently still his lips. "I realize
I'm not to blame for this. But neither are you. They did this. My brother and my
father decided to create this child for their own purposes. The very thought of
them taking that much control . . ." she pauses and closes her eyes tightly. Jarod
can see her trembling and he takes a hold of her hand. Instantly she calms down
and opens her eyes, giving him a look of gratitude. She squeezes his hand and
continues. "I had a hard time dealing with that. I still do. I'm hurting, Jarod. But
I realize that I'm not hurting alone. I can see how much you're hurting too."

"I hate seeing what this is doing to you, Miss Parker," he says sadly, a few tears
falling down his face. "I'm hurting for you."

"I know," she smiles painfully through her own tears. She lifts her free hand to dry
his face. "And I'm sorry I shut you out. But I had to go inside myself for awhile
and work through all of this."

"You didn't have to do it alone," he tells her. "I told you, I'm here for you.
Whatever decision you make. Whatever you want to do. I'll be here for you."

"Just like always," she whispers, continuing to stroke his face even though the tears
are long gone. She runs her thumb across his bottom lip a few times, watching him
close his eyes in relaxation and enjoy her gentle touches. After a few soothing
minutes, she forcibly tears herself from him and goes to stand by the doors leading
to the back deck.

"I've been thinking," she says with her back to him, looking out at the river
bordering the back of the house. "To my brother and father, this child is just an
experiment. But to me it's a child. It's *my* child. And I think I want to . . . "
She opens and closes her mouth a few times before sighing in frustration.
"Nevermind."

"You want to keep it," he realizes. He follows her across the room and stands
behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders. "That's okay. I told you whatever
you decide is fine. We'll make it work."

"You're not going to try to talk me out of this?" she asks, surprised at his
assurances. She spins around to face him, staring directly into his eyes. "Jarod,
it's highly likely this is your child too. You have some say in this matter. If you
don't think I should . . . carry it to term, then I'd understand. I think of all the
things they did to you at the Centre. What if they wanted this child for those same
reasons? How can I justify bringing a child in this world with that risk? How am I
going to protect it? Am I being selfish?"

"If you are, then I am too," he smiles. "I've always wanted a family. I grew up
without one, so the first thing I wanted to do when I escaped was to find my
parents and to settle down with a wife and kids. But as the years passed, I realized
that was an impossible dream at best. Because I couldn't find my parents. And the
one person I wanted to be the mother of my children was the one person I had to
run from."

"What are you saying?" she asks, tears filling her eyes.

"I'm saying that although this is not the way I planned it, this is what I've always
dreamed." He lifts her hands to his lips and places a light kiss on the back of both
of them. "Just imagine it. A little girl with your eyes, my nose and your smile."

"Or a little boy with your eyes. Your smile. And maybe even this mole," she
smiles, tracing the mark under his eye with her fingers. "It seems like we've been
having the same dreams."

"And the same fears. I understand why you'd think I'd be apprehensive. But we
can do this. We'll just have to be extra careful now. We can protect him, Miss
Parker. Or her," he adds with a smile.

"We?"

"We have to be in this together," he insists. "I know I said this was your decision,
but you can't shut me out. Promise me that," he begs her.

"Once again you're going against the norm," she smiles, falling into his arms. "Most
guys would pray to be let off the hook in this situation." She pulls back for a
moment and stares directly into his eyes with all seriousness. "But you aren't like
most guys at all, are you? You're sweet, kind, noble, and loyal. I know you're
going to do your best to take care of us. And I promise not to shut you out
anymore. I'd really appreciate you sticking with me for as long as you can put up
with me. For how ever long that will be. I know I'm not exactly a pleasant person
to deal with."

"True," he says, laughing when she cuts her eyes at him.

"You're one to talk," she says, poking him playfully in his chest.

"Okay, okay. I admit it. I'm not always Mr. Congeniality. I can be a bit irritating
and . . . smugly overconfident."

"Smugly overconfident? I think 'cocky' is a more accurate description, Jarod," she
laughs.

"Okay, I guess you can call it cockiness. And maybe at times I can also be . . . "

"Insufferable? Annoying? Childish?" she supplies.

"Whatever happened to sweet and kind?" he pouts.

"Awww, did I hurt the poor baby's feeling?" she mocks him. She leans closer to him
and whispers seductively into his ear. "Okay, I'm sorry. How can I make it all
better?"

"You can stop teasing," he whispers breathlessly. His hands drift towards her and
land on her hips, pulling her body closer to his without him even realizing it. The
feeling of her body pressed against his and her warm breath on his neck is
starting to cloud his senses and affect his heart rate. He closes his eyes and enjoys
the tingling sensation her presence is creating.

"Who says I was teasing?" she purrs, knowing he wasn't talking about the name
calling. She can feel his heart pounding in his chest and knows her own is
matching it beat for beat. They both are aroused and excited and teasing him
is the last thing on her mind.

His eyes pop open in shock when she says that, as does his mouth. But before he
can utter a word, she wraps her arms around his neck, pulling him even closer and
slides her lips ever so gently across his. A giggle she can't stop rises up when she
notices him trembling. "You okay?"

"Better than okay," he whispers, grinning mischievously. He follows her lead and
brushes his mouth past hers. This time she's the one left trembling.

"I guess we're even now. Oh, I'm sorry. I guess that was kind of cocky of me," he
says sarcastically.

"Just a little . . . smugly overconfident," she pants as his lips next find a sensitive
spot on her neck. "But with a mouth like that, I think you deserve to be."

She grabs onto his head, effectively stilling the ministrations of his tongue as it
slides along her clavicle, and positions him level with her. She crushes her mouth
to his, nothing like the gentle brush from before. Soon they're both battling for
control in a passionate kiss that takes their breath away. They eventually settle
into a compromising dance of give and take, both getting as much pleasure as they
were offering.

"Wow," she gasps when they break the kiss. "That was . . . "

"Amazing." He leans his forehead against hers and is content with breathing in her
breath.

"Makes me wish I had caught up with you years ago," she giggles. "I can't believe
I've been missing out on this all this time." She pulls him closer and ravishes his
mouth again.

"Unfortunately I don't think your brother wants to make out with me as much as
you do," he frowns. "If he catches up with me, lets just say that he'll have less
amorous intentions."

"For a second, I forgot about him," she sighs, closing her eyes and falling into his
arms yet again. She seems to be finding herself there a lot today. Not a bad place
to be, she thinks to herself, squeezing him even tighter. In his arms she feel safe
and warm and for the first time she feels like that's where she truly belongs. "You
think he was in on this with Daddy?"

"I talked to Sydney earlier," he tells her. "Your father and Lyle are in this together.
And they're so confident about this plan that they only want you back. I'll be too
much trouble and your father has given Lyle permission to . . . do with me as he
pleases."

"Then we have to stay one step ahead of them," she mumbles into his chest.

"No, the baby has to. No matter what, we can't let the Centre get to him. And
since the baby is in you, then you have to steer clear as well. But it might be too
dangerous with me with you. I won't let anything happen to either of you. Even if
it means . . . "

"Don't say it," she says, tears starting to fill her eyes. "You promised we were
going to get through this together. You made me promise not to shut you out. You
have to do the same, Jarod. Don't start pulling away now. As long as we stay
together, they can't touch us."

"I hope you're right," he says, pulling her into a hug. But he isn't so convinced of
that. He has a feeling that someday, he'll have to leave. Not because he wants
to, but for her own safety. And the safety of her child.

To be continued . . .