Diclaimer: Jarod, Sydney, Miss Parker, and Broots do not belong to me no matter how much I wish for them. They belong to NBC as well as the concept of the Centre. I just borrowed them for a while for my own enjoyment. Roxanne on the other hand is my character.
This story is the preface to
The Corporation but either one of the stories can stand on their own. It carries a PG rating because of some strong language and adult situations.
The Rescue
by Yvette DarveauRoxanne was a beautiful young woman. She had just reached the age of twenty-eight. Her golden blond curls cascaded down to the middle of her back. Her stormy eyes were a deep, deep gray. Roxanne was fairly tall and very slender. Her movements seemed almost liquid. She was surrounded by complete elegance.
It had been the ease of her movements that had attracted the attention of the tall, mysterious man across the street. He was dressed in black jeans that hugged his figure. His black shirt was equally successful in showing off his chiseled chest. A stunning black leather jacket capped off the whole ensemble. He had dark brown hair that was cut close to his head. His face seemed almost childlike, but his eyes alone spoke of great pain and experience.
He was standing at the entrance of an alleyway. Normally he would be in plain view, but the sunset long ago. Only the low hanging moon, and the dim stars fought back the darkness. The nearby streetlights were eitherburnt out, or shot out. It was a very dangerous neighborhood. The man was as still as a cat stalking his prey. There was nothing that would alert anyone to his presence.
Roxanne’s beauty intoxicated him. He was compelled to watch her glide down the sidewalk. She was beyond radiant. He was just about to go and talk with her when he noticed someone else. A man was walking quickly toward her. The man in black decided to stay to the shadows until the man passed.
Passing Roxanne was not his intention. When he was an arms length away he pulled an object from his pocket. The man in the alley strained to identify the object. It was too dark, and he was too far away. Just then a car passed by. The headlights illuminated the night scene. The light reflected off the object that was reveled to be a very large bowie knife.
The man walking behind Roxanne roughly grabbed her arm. He didn’t even bother covering her mouth. In this area of town, even if her screams were heard, they would be ignored. He started blindly slashing at her with the knife. Roxanne fought for her freedom, but she was unable to break free.
The mysterious man in the alley wasted no time in springing to action. He sprinted across the street. When the knife-wielding maniac saw the stranger’s hurried approach, he ran. Roxanne collapsed to the ground. Instead of pursuing the attacker, the stranger went to Roxanne. He bent down next to her and began to assess the damage. She had dozens of cuts and scrapes all over her chest and arms. Blood flowed freely from all of the wounds. Most of the blood came from a deep gash on her right shoulder. Nothing life threatening, but she was in great need of stitches. The real wounds were emotional, and those would be much harder to heal.
"That’s a pretty deep cut. We better get you to the hospital." The mysterious man explained. Roxanne stared at him blankly. His words weren’t registering. "Come on," he helped her up. " I’ll drive you to the hospital."
"No!" Roxanne screamed fearfully when she finally realized what he had said. "No, it’s not that bad. I’m fine really."
"But you need stitches." his voice was more forceful, but his face remained soft.
"I’m fine. Besides I hate hospitals." She hoped that the man would respect her wishes. Hospitals were evil. People only went there to die. It was an unreasonable fear that she had acquired as a young child, but it was very real to her. "I’ll be all right."
He could see the dread in her eyes and decided to offer a compromise.
"Okay, no hospital, but I insist that you let me take care of that cut." Roxanne stared into the strangers chocolate brown eyes. His eyes seemed to plead with her.
"Are you a doctor?"
"I have been from time to time," he answered. Roxanne simply nodded. She was in no position to argue. The suddenness of the attack sent a rush of adrenaline through her. She was delirious and definitely experiencing shock. Roxanne tried to take a step forward. She began to sway. She would have fallen if the stranger had not caught her. The man smirked a little. He had gained a small victory at least.
"I live just down the street," said Roxanne.
The man picked her up and carried her the house she indicated. He was surprised to find the front door unlocked. Once inside he fumbled around trying to find the light switch. After having no luck he gave up. The moonbeams shining through the windows allowed him to find his way to the living room. The stranger gently laid Roxanne on the couch. Then he switched on a nearby lamp. He took a step back and removed his leather jacket. Roxanne attempted to sit up. The movement made her dizzy.
"Lie still! You’ve lost a lot of blood." His voice was firm. It was an order meant to be obeyed. She did as she was told, but she giggled softly. "What is so funny?" He asked with a puzzling gaze.
He pulled an emergency kit out of his jacket pocket. He sat on the floor beside her and began to clean the shoulder wound
"I don’t even know your name." Roxanne began to laugh uncontrollably. It’s strange how some people response to shock.
"My name is Jarod," he said with a warm smile.
"Just Jarod?" Jarod paused for a moment. He looked into her eyes and was swallowed up by them. Finally he broke away from her gaze.
"Just Jarod," he replied softly. Jarod began to close the knife wound.
"I’m Roxanne," she said cheerfully. It seemed as if she couldn’t feel the needle and thread being run through her arm.
"Nice to meet you Roxanne." Jarod was trying very hard not to laugh at her. She was so sweet and innocent.
"Roxy," she corrected. "My parents were the only ones that ever called me Roxanne."
"Well Roxy," he said with a wink, "you’re all stitched up." Then Jarod helped her into a sitting position.
"Thanks. I’m sorry I’ve been such a pain. It’s just I hate hospitals." The adrenaline had worn off and she had sobered up a bit.
"No problem. I didn’t have anything to do tonight anyway." He brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. She looked even more ravishing up close. When he realized what he had just done, he got up and started for the door.
"Wait!" Roxanne stood up and tried to run after him. Her body did not approve. A sudden sense of nausea swept over her. She fell flat on her face. Jarod rushed to her side. He knelt down next to her and rolled her over on her back.
"Be careful, you’re still very weak."
"Thanks for the warning," she said with only a touch of sarcasm in her voice. He picked her up and carried her back to the couch. Then he turned toward the door again. "Jarod?"
"What," he asked. Her beautiful eyes once again swallowed him up as he turned to face her.
"Can you please stay with me? At least for awhile." Her voice had become small, that of a young child. He could see how frightened she was.
"Of course. I’ll stay as long as you need me to." He sat down on the couch next to her.
He was glad that she had asked him to stay. He wasn’t sure if he had enough will power to leave her anyway. Jarod felt somehow drawn to her. Stillness filled the air. Neither of them knew what to say. They weren’t even sure if anything should be said at all. Finally Roxanne spoke.
"So.... you’re a doctor, right?"
"Among other things," he said evasively. Hoping she wouldn’t pry any further. Roxanne could sense his apprehension. She changed the subject.
"Do you live around here?"
Jarod hesitated momentarily. He couldn’t believe what had just happened. She dropped the subject just like that. Was he really that easy to read?
"I’m just passing through. I do a lot of traveling."
"It’s a good thing you have such a restless spirit. Otherwise I would probably be bleeding to death right now." She shivered when she realized what she said. Jarod placed his hand on her back and rubbed it gently.
"It’s over. You’re all right now," he cooed softly. Regardless of the truth in his words she began to cry. Jarod had expected this. Trauma victims often have such a reaction to both their physical and emotional injuries. However, he was surprised that the severity of the night’s events had hit her so soon. Roxanne was different somehow, from everyone.
Jarod knew how vulnerable she was feeling. He scooted closer to her on the couch and wrapped his arms around her. Holding her firmly. Roxanne leaned into him. She laid her head on his shoulder. This man was a stranger to her. How was he able to read her so well? He knew what she needed even before she knew it herself. It was a unique gift that only he possessed. Roxanne wasn’t sure if she should be afraid of this gift or if she should be grateful.
Jarod slid his hand to her head and began to stroke her hair. He reveled in the feeling of running his fingers through her long, silken curls. He began to rub her back gently with his other hand. He needed to comfort her as much as she needed his comforting.
"Shhhh...," he whispered. "Nothing is going to hurt you now."
The two stayed like that for a long time. Somewhere around midnight Roxanne fell asleep, but Jarod still held her. He didn’t want to let go. Having her so close made him feel somehow whole. It made him feel that even his past couldn’t catch up with him tonight.
Finally he got up and gathered Roxanne into his arms. He carried her into the bedroom and laid her on the bed. He pulled the cover over her, tucking it under her chin. The room was dimly lit by the moon. Jarod walked over to the far wall and pulled the curtain across the window. Then he sat in a chair he had pulled up to the end of the bed. Roxanne slept peacefully for sometime.
Jarod had drifted off himself momentarily. However, he was easily awakened by Roxanne’s loud mutterings. She tossed back and forth, kicking and flailing about. Jarod recognized the telltale signs of night terrors. He often had them himself. No sooner had he gotten up to soothe her, she had calmed down. She fell back into a normal sleep pattern. Jarod thought the storm had passed, but he was wrong. Every half hour or so Roxanne would be seized by another nightmare. Perhaps it was the same nightmare. There was no way he could be sure.
Jarod sat in the dark room. The utter blackness did not prevent him from keeping his silent vigil. He had promised he would stay. He couldn’t break a promise. Besides, he loved watching her sleep. Even her tossing and turning was so graceful. Every so often Roxanne would unconsciously stop breathing. She would draw in a breath and hold it a little too long. When this happened Jarod would cease breathing himself. Allowing the loud thump of his heart to count out the precious seconds until her breathing continued.
Jarod released a soft sigh of relief as Roxanne resumed normal breathing. He left his chair and moved soundlessly to her side. He brushed back the wet hairs that clung to her forehead from sweat. Her last nightmare had been so violent that he had been forced to restrain her. Otherwise she could have hurt herself. Jarod’s movements allowed the cool air to caress her damp forehead. A shiver ran through her body. She began to stir.
"Jarod?" mumbled Roxanne weakly.
"I’m here Roxy. Just go back to sleep," he said softly.
He walked over to the window and pushed the curtain back. He stared outside blankly. He wanted desperately to go to her. He wanted to hold her again, but he was afraid to. Did she feel the same way he did? Could he fill a void in her life? She seemed to have the power to make him whole. Roxanne sat up in bed. She winced in pain but kept quiet. She didn’t want to disturb him. He looked so beautiful standing there; so strong. Even with all the strength and courage he put forth there was something haunting about him, an air of loneliness and pain.
"Are your nights always so troubled?" Jarod asked, desperate to break the silence.
"What?" She replied, surprised at the stillness broken.
"From what I’ve seen tonight you don’t get much rest." He turned toward her. Even in the darkness she could see genuine concern coloring her eyes. Roxanne nodded, now she understood.
"Yeah. It’s weird. Ever since Garrett died I haven’t been able to sleep. I don’t know why," Roxanne lied. The nightmares that plagued her were the memories she fought to contain. She wasn’t ready to confront her past just yet. Why was she telling him all this anyway? She didn’t know him or anything about him. She didn’t even know his last name. Nonetheless, there she was explaining her reasons for sleepless nights.
"Who is Garrett?" Jarod was secretly hoping that Garrett was just a friend. He prayed that her heart was free.
"He was my brother."
"Were the two of you close?" When tears appeared in her eyes Jarod came to regret the question.
"My parents died when I was a teenager. Garrett took care of me." Jarod just listened. He could tell that Roxanne was uncomfortable talking about it, and he didn’t want to make things worse.
He walked back to the bed and sat down next to her. Her head was hung in sorrow. It hurt just to say those things out loud. Jarod took a deep breath to steady his nerves. Finally he reached out to touch her again. Jarod lightly brushed the top of her hand. When he saw that she wasn’t going to shy away he wrapped his fingers around it. Simply holding her hand evoked strong feelings from deep within him. He kicked himself mentally for hurting her. How could he be so insensitive?
"I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to reopen old wounds," he said as he lifted her chin. They made eye contact and Jarod knew she understood.
"That wound never really healed. I’m not sure it ever will." Tears began to stream down her cheek once more.
Jarod folded his arms around Roxanne. His heart, body, and soul rejoiced when she returned his embrace. It was what they both wanted. It was then that Jarod knew she felt the same way he did. They needed each other. Call it love if you will, but one simple fact remains; they completed each other.
"Time heals all wounds Roxy. Even the most painful ones."
"I don’t think I have that much time," she replied without even the slightest touch of humor in her voice.
"You never know," offered Jarod. Even the smallest glimmer of hope was still hope.
Jarod leaned back on the pillows. Roxanne laid her head on his chest. Together they drifted off to sleep, a peaceful sleep, for both of them, but before sleep had claimed Jarod he made a decision. He would stay and try to help Roxanne’s wound heal. Maybe allowing her access to his past, the parts he knew of anyway, would help her open up enough to recover.
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The bright morning sun steamed from the window to the bed. Roxanne’s hair sparkled in the glorious light. Aside from all the scraps and cuts she looked all most angelic. Her eyelids fluttered open and allowed her to examine her surroundings. She sat up and looked around. Her heart dropped with disappointment when she found the room empty.
"I must have been dreaming," she said to herself. Her dreams always did tend be on the realistic side. When she moved her right shoulder she was forced to reassess the situation. She released a loud yelp as a sharp pain began to radiate through her body. Roxanne laid back and clutched her sore shoulder.
"Still tender, huh," said Jarod from the doorway. "I hope it’s not infected." Jarod quickly made his way to her side.
"You stayed!" Roxanne looked up at him and smiled.
"I promised didn’t I?" He took her arm gently and began to remove the bandage. Roxanne was amazed at the softness of his touch. Never once did he cause her the least bit of pain.
"How’em I doing Doc?" Jarod smiled at her but concentrated on the matter at hand.
"You’ll be fine," he finally answered. "But I’m afraid you’ll be out of action for a little while kid."
"Kid? Oh my God! Jarod, what time is it?"
"Ten o’clock, why?"
"Shit. I’m late for work." Roxanne tried to stand up but Jarod’s strong arms held her to the bed.
"Careful! You don’t want to tear your stitches. Besides, you’re not late for work."
"What do you mean I’m not late? I was suppose to be at work by six." Jarod forced her to lie back down.
"I called the child care center and told them that you wouldn’t be in to day."
"You did?" Jarod nodded.
"In fact your on vacation for the next week."
"How did you know where I work?" She asked fearfully.
"It was on your business card. There was one sitting on the kitchen counter."
"Who are you Jarod?"
"I’m someone who wants to help," he said sincerely.
"Help what?"
"Help speed up time." Roxanne stared at him blankly. She couldn’t grasp what he was talking about. Jarod noticed her puzzled expression and decided to explain. "I’m going to help your wounds heal."
"I’m just gonna take a shot in the dark and guess that you’re not talking about my shoulder." A smile spread across his face. Jarod began to laugh.
"Bulls eye!" This time it was Roxanne’s turn to laugh.
"I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but I don’t need your help."
Jarod just gave her an all-knowing look. She was lying through her teeth, and he could tell. "Thanks anyway."
"Well since you don’t need my help, can I at least keep you company?"
"I thought you would never ask!" Roxanne was glad that he had conceded, but she couldn’t help but think that maybe he could help.
"I made some pancakes for breakfast. Do you want some?" Jarod asked with a smile.
"You mean you’re actually going to allow me to get out of bed?" Jarod shook his head.
"No, I’ll bring you some." Roxanne gave him a cute little pout. He just leveled his gaze. "If you’re really good I’ll let you get up later."
"Oh you are just so kind."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jarod was true to his word. Since Roxanne was good, and made a ‘happy plate,’ he let her get up. She immediately made her way to the shower. She was embarrassed to find that she was unable to lift her arm high enough to get undressed. The pain was too much.
"Uhh... Jarod?" She called from the bathroom.
"What do you need?" He replied, knowing full well what she was going to ask. He wanted to hear her say it.
"Can you help me please?"
"Help you what?" He teased.
"Come on..." she sighed when she caught on to his little game.
"All right." Jarod joined her in the bathroom. "What seems to be the problem?" Roxanne glared at him. "Okay, okay I give."
He walked closer to her, and turned her so her back was facing him. He didn’t want her to think that he was a voyeur. He was still for a moment, and then he reached for the bottom of her shirt. She shuttered a little even though she was expecting his touch. Jarod effortlessly lifted the shirt over her head. The shirt was thrown to the floor. Next Jarod slid the straps of her bra off of her shoulders. He smiled as he heard her sharp intake of breath. He took this opportunity to lightly tickle her sides before unfastening her bra. Just like the shirt, her bra was tossed to the floor.
"Is there anything else I can help you with?" He whispered breathlessly.
Before he even knew what he was doing, he began to kiss her shoulder. Roxanne tilted her head to the side allowing him better access. Her left hand found its way to his head. She ran her fingers through his soft hair. Finally Roxanne turned around to face him. Their eyes locked. Jarod was the one to lose the staring match. He leaned in and kissed her. His kiss was very compassionate and full of urgency. Roxanne stood there for a moment, shocked. Slowly she began to return the kiss, but Jarod pulled away. He all but sprinted out of the room. Mortified at his lack of control. Roxanne thought about following him, but decided that since she was half naked anyway she should take a shower. Maybe if she were enough lucky Jarod would help her get dressed too.
As Roxanne showered, Jarod cleaned the kitchen. Then he settled down in the living room to think. He didn’t regret what he had done, he just wasn’t sure it was the right thing to do. He didn’t want to start something that he could never finish. Jarod could tell that Roxanne had a lot of pain in her past, and he didn’t want to add to it. Sooner or later he would have to move on so the Centre wouldn’t catch him. Even now it would be hard for him to leave. What would happen if he allowed his emotions to dictate his actions? No, he wouldn’t do that to her. He couldn’t walk away knowing that instead of helping her, he hurt her. That just wasn’t how he worked.
Jarod was tugged away from his thoughts when Roxanne entered the room. She was casually dressed. Roxanne was sporting a pair of faded blue jeans. She had solved her previous problem by wearing a flannel shirt that buttoned up the front. She quickly made her way to the couch, where just a few hours earlier she laid bleeding.
"Roxy, I…ah." Jarod said as she sat down next to him.
"Don’t Jarod, please. Don’t tell me that you didn’t mean for that to happen. I saw the hunger in your eyes. I felt the urgency in your kiss. Please don’t deny it." Jarod, who was staring at the floor, looked up at her. She was very perceptive. She wasn’t going to make this easy for either of them.
"You’re right, I wanted to kiss you. In fact, I wanted to do a lot more than that. It’s just that I can’t… I won’t do that to you." Every word was venom in his mouth. He stood up and walked slowly away. He couldn’t bear to see the hurt in her eyes.
"I wanted it too, you know," she called after him. Jarod turned and smiled at her.
"I know, but this just can’t happen."
"Why? Give me one good reason why."
All right if that’s what you want." Jarod nodded and began to pace around the room wildly. "I’ll have to leave you, just when it would hurt the most. If we do this, if we consummate our feelings it’s just going to create more wounds for both of us."
"Why would you have to leave?" Jarod knelt down in front of her to make sure he had her undivided attention.
"I am always being hunted down by a place called The Centre. They’re on their way here as we speak."
"What is The Centre, and why do they want you."
"Let me tell the whole story. I was taken from my family when I was a boy. You see I have a unique gift that allows me to be anyone I want to be. The Centre recognized that gift and saw a way to use it for their own gain." Jarod once again began to pace around the room.
"What did they do to you?" Asked Roxanne fearfully. She was beginning to understand why he had that haunted look all the time.
"They gave me simulations to run, hypothetical situations that I had to solve. Assassinations, bombings, kidnappings, even the Apollo XIII mission, you know the kind of stuff. I’d solve the problems for them, thinking that they were completely hypothetical, and they would use them. Sometimes they would sell them, whatever served their purpose."
"I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry."
"That’s all right, I was going to tell you anyway. I thought that maybe it would help you talk about your past."
"How old were you when you were taken?"
"I was four," he said sadly.
"Have you seen your parents since then?"
"No. I was told that they were killed in a plane crash, but it was a lie. The only thing I have that is even close to family is Sydney. I guess he’s my surrogate father. He raised me."
"He sure did a good job. Does he return your sentiment?"
"I think so. I can’t really say for sure. Nothing is ever what it seems to be in The Centre."
Jarod finally sat back down on the couch. Roxanne leaned close to him and whispered in his ear.
"If you have to leave, I’ll go with you." Jarod laughed because her whispering tickled his ear.
"You would be on the run for the rest of your life, and there is always the possibility that they’ll use you to get to me. I don’t want to think of you in the clutches of those sick bastards."
"I can take care of myself."
"Yeah, like last night."
"That was low. I can’t believe you sunk that low." Roxanne started tickling his side.
"Hey now, don’t do that," he yelled. "I can’t fight back without hurting you. That’s not fair."
"Whoever told you life was fair lied," she whispered in his ear. She continued to tickle him.
"All right that’s enough," he said as he restrained her arms. "You’ve been out of bed long enough. I don’t want you to overexert yourself."
"Oh come on warden, I feel fine," she teased.
"No, you lost a lot of blood and I don’t need you to faint." Jarod picked her up and started to carry her to the bedroom. She did feel a little tried.
"Okay, but only if you come to bed with me." She gave him a smile that would have melted even coldest heart.
"I guess I can stay with you again tonight, but only if you promise to behave."
"I promise nothing."
It didn’t matter though he stayed anyway. It was way too early to go to sleep so Jarod went into more detail of the horrors his childhood held. Even after he was finished Roxanne still was unwilling to profess the cause for her heartache. It was midnight before they even got to thinking about sleep. Jarod started for the bedroom door.
"Where are you going?" Roxanne asked quite concerned.
"Its way past your bed time, and my being here is obviously distracting you. I thought I’d sleep on the couch."
"You slept in here last night. What makes tonight different?" She sounded hurt.
"Last night you actually got some sleep. Besides, I told you we shouldn’t get more attached then we already are."
"That’s the biggest load of bullshit I’ve ever heard." Jarod left the
doorway and sat down on the bed next to her.
"I won’t add to your pain if I can help it," he said sincerely.
"I’m a masochist," she whispered. With that said she pulled him into a passionate kiss. When they finally parted Jarod had to catch his breath. After that kiss he was done fighting with her. He threw off his shoes and laid back. Roxanne curled up next to him. Before long she was asleep, but only her.
Jarod lay awake, his mind refusing to quiet down enough for him to sleep. He wanted Roxanne to come with him, he really did, but The Centre has gotten better at tracking him lately. He wasn’t sure he wanted to take that risk. If she was caught and held hostage by The Centre he would have to go back. Was she that special, so worth the sacrifice? He was sure that he would be able to escape again if he had to, but why take that chance?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Roxanne awoke to find the bedroom empty. She got up and walked into the living room. There she found Jarod asleep on the couch. He looked cold so Roxanne pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and covered him up. He looked so peaceful she decided to let him rest. She bent down and kissed his forehead. Then she turned to leave the room. Before Roxanne even left the room he woke up.
"Good morning," she said as she made her way back to the couch.
"What are you doing out of bed?" Jarod sat up and ran a hand through his unruly brown hair. His unkempt appearance made him look even more dangerous than before.
"I could ask you the same question." She glared at him, almost like she was demanding an answer.
"I couldn’t sleep. I didn’t want to disturb you."
"Are you sure that’s the reason? It has nothing to do with the fact that you are afraid you are going to get too involved."
"Why do you make things so difficult?"
"I want the truth no matter how much it hurts. I been fed happy little lies all my life and I’m sick of it." Jarod pulled her into his lap and wrapped his arms around her.
"I just don’t want to see you hurt anymore." Silence filled the room as they just stared at each other. This was no time to cloud thoughts with words and empty banter. Neither of them was able to hide their feelings from the other.
Suddenly there was a loud knock on the door. Jarod was the first to react. He jumped and ran to the window and looked out. He was greeted with a frightening sight. Miss Parker and Sydney were waiting at the door. Broots was cowering in the car. He wasted no time.
"Don’t answer the door until I’m outside. Remember you never saw me. I’ll be back later. Just act normal," Jarod explained as he gathered up all his things. With that he ran out the back door. There was another loud knock on the door this time more insistent than the last.
Roxanne opened the door and a pushy Miss Parker forced her way inside. Sydney followed her in. Miss Parker was sure that Jarod was there. She was convinced that Roxanne was hiding him. Miss Parker began to search the house. Sydney however decided to talk to Roxanne. He showed her a picture of Jarod.
"Have you seen this man? We have good reason to believe he is in the area." She took the picture and made a show of looking it over.
"Never seen him before," she finally answered. "Why are you looking for him?" She handed the picture back to Syd. He avoided the question.
"Well if you do see him, my name is Sydney Greene, give me a call." He handed her a business card. Before Roxanne had the chance to respond Miss Parker burst into the room. She was obviously not happy. She glared at Sydney then stormed out of the room. It finally clicked; this was the man that Jarod saw as his father. It pained her to think that they had not seen each other since Jarod had liberated himself from The Centre. Sydney turned to follow her but Roxanne grabbed his arm. He turned and began to speak, but she put her finger to his lips to silence him.
"Meet me at the entrance of Central Park in an hour. Come alone." Sydney began to protest but she cut him short. "Alone. You won’t regret it." Then he turned to leave. He got to the car just before Miss Parker drove off with out him.
Roxanne waited until she was sure everyone had gone then she called Jarod’s cell phone. He promptly answered on the first ring.
"Hello?" he gasped a little out of breath. He hadn’t stopped running since he left her house.
"It’s me." Jarod drew in a sharp breath as he waited for her to continue. "Meet me by the fountain in Central Park in hour. It’s important." Without even waiting for him to answer she hung up the phone. She didn’t want him to argue.
"Damn it!" Jarod whispered. He threw the phone to the ground. The phone shattered when it hit, but he wasn’t finished. He kicked the phone and then punched a nearby tree. It was impossible for him to hide his concern for her safety.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Roxanne was pacing nervously at the entrance of the park. It had been over an hour and Sydney had not shown himself. Doubt flooded her mind. Had she done the right thing by asking Syd and Jarod to come here? She was worried that she had lured him into a trap. Even after all the warnings Jarod had given her she invited the enemy to neutral ground. Her second thoughts won in the end. She turned to leave. Just then Sydney came running up to her. Against her better judgment she stopped.
"I was detained. What did you want to see me for?" Syd continued to look over his shoulder. He was still afraid that he was being followed. Roxanne just smiled at him. Now she was sure she had done the right thing. She glanced around to make sure there were no suspicious people around. When she was satisfied that they were alone she lead him over to fountain.
Jarod was waiting for them, rather he was waiting for her. He was sitting on the tile wall surrounding the fountain, staring at group of children. Two little girls were playing hopscotch. Syd stopped dead in his tracks when he saw who was waiting for them. Roxanne walked up to Jarod and put her hand on his shoulder. He jumped a little in surprise. When he realized whom it was he leaped up and threw his arms around her.
"I was worried something had happened," Jarod whispered as he tightened his grip. "Don’t ever scare me like that again. What did you need?" Sydney spoke before Roxanne had the chance to.
"It’s good to see you again Jarod." Jarod spun around so abruptly that he almost knocked Roxanne into the fountain. He glared at Sydney.
"I won’t go back Sydney, even for you." He said calmly.
"I’m only here to talk." Sydney reassured him. Jarod sat back down but he was still very tense. He glared at Roxanne who was pained by his expression. His eyes were daggers; sharp ones at that.
"I assume that you came alone."
"Of course, Roxanne would not have had it any other way."
"What did you want to talk about?" Jarod asked quietly. He was trying very hard to not lose his temper.
"How has freedom been treating you?" Syd asked nervously. This was one of life’s more awkward moments.
"Why do you ask? You’re only trying to send me back anyway." Jarod bit his tongue.
His statement contained more venom than intended. "I’m only concerned with your well being, but I can see that this was a mistake." He turned to leave.
"No! Wait, he just wasn’t expecting to see you," Roxanne explained. "He didn’t mean that; did you Jarod?" She threw Jarod an evil glare. Jarod started to protest, but decided against it. It was useless to argue; Roxy always won.
"It nice to see you again. It’s been a long time." Jarod finally gave in. Roxanne flashed him a bright smile. She kissed him on the cheek. "Why don’t you go for a walk, Roxy, Sydney and I need to talk."
"Only if you promise to behave," she shot back. Jarod laughed a little, and then replied.
"I promise nothing," he said as he stared at Sydney. With that said she walked off.
The two continued to talk for some time. They really had a lot to discuss. After all they were a part of the most dysfunctional family unit known to man. That is if you can call The Centre a family. It had grown dark when the two decided to get back to reality. They had to return to their all too comfortable rolls of hunter and hunted.
They parted with heavy hearts. Sydney went back to his hotel room wondering how he was going to explain his absence to Miss Parker and Broots. Jarod waited for Roxanne to find her way back to the fountain. She took her time. She was afraid that Jarod would be very angry with her. Seeing him mad was the last thing she wanted. When Roxanne went back to the fountain she found Jarod deep in thought.
"Jarod what are you thinking about?" She asked softly, trying not to disturb him too much. He looked up and smiled slightly.
"You," he said honestly. "Roxy I need to leave. I’ve already stayed too long, but… will you come with me?" Tears came to her eyes.
"I would love to but there are things that I need to take care of first, you need to leave tonight. You can’t wait around for me." It was obvious that she was hurting. He closed the gap between them and wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Would you come with me if you could?"
"In a second," she replied; she meant every word of it too.
"Then I’ll come back for you," Jarod assured her.
"Where will you go now?" She asked hesitantly.
"Where someone else needs me. I wish you would come with me." Jarod wrapped his arms around her.
"I have too much that needs to be done here," she explained. "I need some time to get things straightened out." She returned his embrace.
"I’ll come back for you I promise." Jarod gave her another tight squeeze. He didn’t want to let go. "I’ll be back soon."
"I’ll be waiting." Roxanne kissed him softly on the lips. Then whispered, "Good-bye." Jarod nodded and walked away. "I love you," she mumbled quietly as he walked away. She was unaware that he had heard her.
"I love you too," he replied much too quiet to be heard by anyone.
Roxanne started home with a heavy heart. She knew that he would come for her but the waiting had already gotten to be too much. She should have gone with him, and he should have insisted that she go with him. Then again that’s another story.
The End
(For now anyway…)