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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
A/N: In response to the previous installment, someone pointed out that Miss Parker's blood type was alluded to on the show and that it is O, and therefore not the same as Jarod's, AB neg. I somehow managed to miss that and, since she's a red file, I thought it made complete sense for her to have the rarest of blood types too. If the only mention of Parker's blood type is at the beginning of "At the Hour of Our Death" (thanks for checking, Pam!), when she is rushed to the hospital because of her ulcer, then I propose that she could have been given O (universal donor) neg blood as the best chance to save her life in an emergency, when it would have taken too long to get a hold of AB neg. (Too many clauses, I know, but I'm very sleepy right now!) If it's firmly established elsewhere then y'all are just going to have to bear with me, forget it was ever mentioned, or assume she was lied to about her blood type (Why not? She was lied to about everything else!). The image of Jarod opening a vein for her is just too appealing to me to let it go. Besides, y'all swallowed (okay, Lisa didn't) that it was scientifically possible to donate Kyle's heart AFTER he expired (tissue begins to die immediately when deprived of oxygen - it's called decomposition, kids!) and somebody GOT PAID to write that!
Oh, and see Part 1 for disclaimer!:-)
Brand New Year, Part 3
By Ginger
"This is Sydney."
"Happy New Year, Sydney," Jarod offered solemnly, shivering and pulling his coat collar up around his neck as he stood at a pay phone in the sleepy mountain town.
"Jarod! You have been so quiet lately, I was beginning to worry!"
"Indeed I have, and I was wondering if there's anything going on that I should know about."
"I was about to ask you the same thing. There has been trouble at the Centre."
"Really," Jarod uttered sardonically. "I am sorry to hear that."
"Apparently, Miss Parker has disappeared with the Parker child. I know nothing of the details, only that Broots and I were interrogated for nearly twelve hours. We were finally successful in convincing Raines and Lyle that, if she did premeditate this, she did not share her plans with us."
"With the assistance of a polygraph and a healthy dose of thiopental sodium, no doubt," the younger man commented wryly.
"Well, yes, but at least they are now confident that we played no role in the child's abduction."
"'Abduction?' Funny, that's not the word that leaps to mind. I think 'liberation' has a nicer ring to it. Sooo... Miss Parker has finally done the right thing. I think you're all in for a long winter because hell has just frozen over."
"This is not a joke, Jarod. If you know anything about it, I think you should tell me. It is imperative that she return immediately, for her own good and the good of the child. There is no refuge out there for either of them."
Smiling, Jarod offered, "If I happen to run into her, I'll relay the message," then severed the connection.
* * * *
He literally burst into the room, breathless and still wearing his coat and clutching his car keys. Hearing him drive up, Emily had gone out to tell Jarod that Parker was awake then had the foresight to quickly step aside and allow him to charge past her into the house. With a nod, the Major signalled to James that it was their cue to leave and they slipped quietly out of the room.
"Where the hell have YOU been?"
Smiling and shaking his head he removed his jacket and carelessly cast it aside then approached the bed explaining,
"Well, if you MUST know, I was in town taking care of a little business. I wanted to check on Sydney to make sure that he and Broots were okay, and to let him know that you and the baby were safe. He sends his best."
"Mmmm..." she groaned, attempting to sit up. "Poor Syd... He must have been worried sick. I couldn't tell him or Broots... for their own safety as well as mine... and Michael's."
Placing a hand gently on her uninjured right shoulder, Jarod advised, "Take it easy; this isn't a race. Sydney told me as much. I don't think he and Broots are in any danger, for the time being anyway." Pondering a moment he smiled and added, "So, you've named him Michael."
"He needed a name; he's nineteen months old. I've always thought Michael was a nice name so that's what I've been calling him. What do you think?"
A bit startled by the question, he blinked a few times, pressed his hand to her forehead and remarked, "Uh-oh, you must be delirious. Since when have you cared about MY opinion?"
"Stow the comedy act, Shecky. I've suffered enough." Pausing a moment, she inquired in a much softer tone, "How is he?"
"He's fine. We had a doctor take a look at him, a friend of the family we can trust who provided all this..." He gestured around the room and continued, "And he's a healthy boy. Em's been great with him and he, Dad and James are becoming fast friends. And it's a great name, Parker," he stated with a warm, encouraging smile. "It suits him," he tacked on before turning to grab the thermometer, blood pressure cuff, and stethoscope.
"Which reminds me," he commented, smirking at her vaguely incensed expression as he proceeded to wrap the cuff around her arm and slip the thermometer under her tongue. "When you're feeling better, we're going to have a long talk about this." He put on the stethoscope and blew on the chestpiece to warm it up then added, "I want to hear all about it. Besides, there are decisions to be made. It's a brand new life for you, Miss Parker. In the meantime, you are going to do exactly as 'Dr. Jarod' tells you to."
His smirk turned into a full blown chuckle as she shot him a trademark glare. He'd almost forgotten how beautiful she was when her feathers were ruffled.
"Ah, I can tell you're feeling better already," he observed with a cheeky grin as he inflated the blood pressure cuff and pressed the stethoscope to the inside of her elbow.
* * * *
Jarod jerked awake to find himself in a chair at Parker's bedside, which was where he'd been virtually every moment since she regained consciousness the evening before. He leaned forward and gently grasped her wrist then took her pulse, which was strong and steady. A faint light was streaming into the room, the sun rising on the last day of the year.
He ran a hand over his face and yawned then stood up and stretched before checking the IV bag. Parker's color was good. This morning he'd try giving her clear liquids and, if they stayed down, he'd remove the IV. He smiled, recalling the way she'd snarled at him when he approached her with a bed pan the night before.
"Over YOUR dead body, Wonderboy," had been her reaction and, even though he'd have preferred she not attempt to get out of bed until morning, he relented and enlisted Emily's assistance in getting Parker to the bathroom, IV and all.
"Like a lioness with a thorn in her paw," he whispered tenderly.
"Hmmm?" she moaned, her eyes opening slowly.
"I said you're like a lioness with a thorn in your paw," he replied with smile.
"Yeah, whatever. What time is it?" she asked on a yawn.
"A little after seven; the sun's coming up. How's the pain? Would you like me to get you something?"
She shook her head and yawned again then said, "But I wouldn't mind sitting up; my back is getting stiff."
He helped Parker maneuver into a seated position then adjusted the pillows behind her to make her more comfortable. He then turned to reach for something but she stopped him with a gentle squeeze to his forearm.
"Thank you, Jarod."
"It's funny," he remarked with a sigh as he sank back into his chair. "Despite everything that's happened to me, to us, over the years, I never in my wildest dreams would have imagined spending the holidays like this."
"Not exactly what the family had in mind, I'm sure. And they're being a hell of a lot nicer to me than I deserve."
"I'm not even going to dignify that with a response, Parker," he stated as he swiveled in his seat to retrieve the blood pressure cuff and stethoscope. He was again interrupted by a soft knock on the door.
"Come in," he called then proceeded with the task at hand.
"Hi," Emily said in a loud whisper as she padded into the room with a warm bundle in her arms. "We heard voices as we were passing by and thought you might like a visitor."
Michael was quiet but immediately put his arms out when he saw Parker. Her answering smile was so unguarded, so loving, that Jarod was awestruck. He just hovered - his hand still clutching the blood pressure pump, the chestpiece to his stethoscope swaying to and fro - and stared at her.
"I think we can do that later, genius," Emily advised with a smirk as she nudged him out of the way to carefully set the boy down on Parker's right side.
"Hello there, little man," Parker greeted softly then mouthed "thank you" to Emily who smiled and nodded in reply.
"How are you today?" she asked sweetly. "I see you've got new PJs. I do believe red is your color, kiddo."
"Thank God for Walmart," Emily quipped. "There's nothing cuter than footie pajamas. James picked out the color, by the way."
Michael grinned and reached up to touch Parker's cheek but then his expression turned earnest. Furrowing his brow, he looked around then pointed to the IV in her arm, his eyes tracking the tubing all the way up to the bag. With one stick-straight index finger he gingerly touched the blood pressure cuff then blinked up at her.
"It's okay," she soothed. "I've got a little boo-boo on my left shoulder but I'm going to be fine."
"Let me get rid of this," Jarod interjected. Slowly undoing the velcro to avoid frightening the child he explained, "It comes off like this. See?"
Tossing the cuff aside he sat down and just basked in the warmth and beauty before him. His affection for her washed over him like a wave. The feelings were not new, they had always been there, but the intensity was. Or maybe it was that he'd been caught off guard by the extreme circumstances, and failed to brace himself against the onslaught. The only thing Jarod knew for sure was that he'd give anything for this woman and child to be his.
He would settle, of course, for doing everything in his power - everything she'd let him - to build a safe future for her and her baby brother. And she had come to him for help. That was something, wasn't it?
* * * *
Jarod poked his head in the doorway to find Parker seated in an easy chair by the window, out of which she was staring blankly. He paused a moment and just watched her. She was a million miles away. The imminent danger having passed, he imagined the weight of what she had done was beginning to sink in. She had embarked upon a course of action that would drastically and permanently change her life. There was no turning back. Miss Parker was now, and would forever be, a Centre fugitive. Just like him.
"It's good to see you up," he remarked softly as he stepped into the room.
"It's a lot easier without having to drag that IV around."
"You're tolerating the clear liquids so I'm fairly optimistic that the IV is gone for good. Later on, if you're up to it, we could try a little Jello or, maybe, if you're feeling adventurous, some pudding." He wagged his eyebrows and grinned.
"Yippee," she commented with a roll of her eyes.
"Miss Parker," he chided playfully as he pulled a chair up beside hers and sat down. "That's hardly a festive attitude for New Year's Eve. I hope you're not going to be a party pooper."
"Well, pardon me, if I'm not feeling particularly festive. Getting shot tends to dampen my mood. I didn't know if I'd even make it here."
"But you did," he stated with an encouraging smile. "And you and Michael are safe and free. Funny, it didn't dawn on me to ask until Emily mentioned it this morning, but how on earth did you find me?"
Shrugging she replied distractedly, "Just knew where you were; don't know how," then added wistfully, "What's he doing now?"
"Last I saw him, he was dumping a bowl of Cheerios over his head." Jarod chuckled and continued, "You should have seen the look he shot me when I tactfully dissuaded him from eating them off the floor: quintessential Parker."
His amusement was curtailed by the pained look on her face, compelling him to inquire softly, "What is it?"
"I'm no expert but as kids go he's pretty cute, isn't he?"
"He's adorable," he replied bemusedly.
"So... you like him?"
"What kind of a question is that? Of course I like him!" Frowning he crossed his arms and insisted, "I think it's time we had that talk, Parker. I need to know what this is all about."
She took a deep breath, looked him squarely in the eye and inquired, "How attached are you to that whole itinerant, do-gooder lifestyle?"
"Why?" he responded warily.
"Because you'll have to give it up when you and Michael disappear."
# # # #
Oh, and see Part 1 for disclaimer!:-)
Brand New Year, Part 3
By Ginger
"This is Sydney."
"Happy New Year, Sydney," Jarod offered solemnly, shivering and pulling his coat collar up around his neck as he stood at a pay phone in the sleepy mountain town.
"Jarod! You have been so quiet lately, I was beginning to worry!"
"Indeed I have, and I was wondering if there's anything going on that I should know about."
"I was about to ask you the same thing. There has been trouble at the Centre."
"Really," Jarod uttered sardonically. "I am sorry to hear that."
"Apparently, Miss Parker has disappeared with the Parker child. I know nothing of the details, only that Broots and I were interrogated for nearly twelve hours. We were finally successful in convincing Raines and Lyle that, if she did premeditate this, she did not share her plans with us."
"With the assistance of a polygraph and a healthy dose of thiopental sodium, no doubt," the younger man commented wryly.
"Well, yes, but at least they are now confident that we played no role in the child's abduction."
"'Abduction?' Funny, that's not the word that leaps to mind. I think 'liberation' has a nicer ring to it. Sooo... Miss Parker has finally done the right thing. I think you're all in for a long winter because hell has just frozen over."
"This is not a joke, Jarod. If you know anything about it, I think you should tell me. It is imperative that she return immediately, for her own good and the good of the child. There is no refuge out there for either of them."
Smiling, Jarod offered, "If I happen to run into her, I'll relay the message," then severed the connection.
* * * *
He literally burst into the room, breathless and still wearing his coat and clutching his car keys. Hearing him drive up, Emily had gone out to tell Jarod that Parker was awake then had the foresight to quickly step aside and allow him to charge past her into the house. With a nod, the Major signalled to James that it was their cue to leave and they slipped quietly out of the room.
"Where the hell have YOU been?"
Smiling and shaking his head he removed his jacket and carelessly cast it aside then approached the bed explaining,
"Well, if you MUST know, I was in town taking care of a little business. I wanted to check on Sydney to make sure that he and Broots were okay, and to let him know that you and the baby were safe. He sends his best."
"Mmmm..." she groaned, attempting to sit up. "Poor Syd... He must have been worried sick. I couldn't tell him or Broots... for their own safety as well as mine... and Michael's."
Placing a hand gently on her uninjured right shoulder, Jarod advised, "Take it easy; this isn't a race. Sydney told me as much. I don't think he and Broots are in any danger, for the time being anyway." Pondering a moment he smiled and added, "So, you've named him Michael."
"He needed a name; he's nineteen months old. I've always thought Michael was a nice name so that's what I've been calling him. What do you think?"
A bit startled by the question, he blinked a few times, pressed his hand to her forehead and remarked, "Uh-oh, you must be delirious. Since when have you cared about MY opinion?"
"Stow the comedy act, Shecky. I've suffered enough." Pausing a moment, she inquired in a much softer tone, "How is he?"
"He's fine. We had a doctor take a look at him, a friend of the family we can trust who provided all this..." He gestured around the room and continued, "And he's a healthy boy. Em's been great with him and he, Dad and James are becoming fast friends. And it's a great name, Parker," he stated with a warm, encouraging smile. "It suits him," he tacked on before turning to grab the thermometer, blood pressure cuff, and stethoscope.
"Which reminds me," he commented, smirking at her vaguely incensed expression as he proceeded to wrap the cuff around her arm and slip the thermometer under her tongue. "When you're feeling better, we're going to have a long talk about this." He put on the stethoscope and blew on the chestpiece to warm it up then added, "I want to hear all about it. Besides, there are decisions to be made. It's a brand new life for you, Miss Parker. In the meantime, you are going to do exactly as 'Dr. Jarod' tells you to."
His smirk turned into a full blown chuckle as she shot him a trademark glare. He'd almost forgotten how beautiful she was when her feathers were ruffled.
"Ah, I can tell you're feeling better already," he observed with a cheeky grin as he inflated the blood pressure cuff and pressed the stethoscope to the inside of her elbow.
* * * *
Jarod jerked awake to find himself in a chair at Parker's bedside, which was where he'd been virtually every moment since she regained consciousness the evening before. He leaned forward and gently grasped her wrist then took her pulse, which was strong and steady. A faint light was streaming into the room, the sun rising on the last day of the year.
He ran a hand over his face and yawned then stood up and stretched before checking the IV bag. Parker's color was good. This morning he'd try giving her clear liquids and, if they stayed down, he'd remove the IV. He smiled, recalling the way she'd snarled at him when he approached her with a bed pan the night before.
"Over YOUR dead body, Wonderboy," had been her reaction and, even though he'd have preferred she not attempt to get out of bed until morning, he relented and enlisted Emily's assistance in getting Parker to the bathroom, IV and all.
"Like a lioness with a thorn in her paw," he whispered tenderly.
"Hmmm?" she moaned, her eyes opening slowly.
"I said you're like a lioness with a thorn in your paw," he replied with smile.
"Yeah, whatever. What time is it?" she asked on a yawn.
"A little after seven; the sun's coming up. How's the pain? Would you like me to get you something?"
She shook her head and yawned again then said, "But I wouldn't mind sitting up; my back is getting stiff."
He helped Parker maneuver into a seated position then adjusted the pillows behind her to make her more comfortable. He then turned to reach for something but she stopped him with a gentle squeeze to his forearm.
"Thank you, Jarod."
"It's funny," he remarked with a sigh as he sank back into his chair. "Despite everything that's happened to me, to us, over the years, I never in my wildest dreams would have imagined spending the holidays like this."
"Not exactly what the family had in mind, I'm sure. And they're being a hell of a lot nicer to me than I deserve."
"I'm not even going to dignify that with a response, Parker," he stated as he swiveled in his seat to retrieve the blood pressure cuff and stethoscope. He was again interrupted by a soft knock on the door.
"Come in," he called then proceeded with the task at hand.
"Hi," Emily said in a loud whisper as she padded into the room with a warm bundle in her arms. "We heard voices as we were passing by and thought you might like a visitor."
Michael was quiet but immediately put his arms out when he saw Parker. Her answering smile was so unguarded, so loving, that Jarod was awestruck. He just hovered - his hand still clutching the blood pressure pump, the chestpiece to his stethoscope swaying to and fro - and stared at her.
"I think we can do that later, genius," Emily advised with a smirk as she nudged him out of the way to carefully set the boy down on Parker's right side.
"Hello there, little man," Parker greeted softly then mouthed "thank you" to Emily who smiled and nodded in reply.
"How are you today?" she asked sweetly. "I see you've got new PJs. I do believe red is your color, kiddo."
"Thank God for Walmart," Emily quipped. "There's nothing cuter than footie pajamas. James picked out the color, by the way."
Michael grinned and reached up to touch Parker's cheek but then his expression turned earnest. Furrowing his brow, he looked around then pointed to the IV in her arm, his eyes tracking the tubing all the way up to the bag. With one stick-straight index finger he gingerly touched the blood pressure cuff then blinked up at her.
"It's okay," she soothed. "I've got a little boo-boo on my left shoulder but I'm going to be fine."
"Let me get rid of this," Jarod interjected. Slowly undoing the velcro to avoid frightening the child he explained, "It comes off like this. See?"
Tossing the cuff aside he sat down and just basked in the warmth and beauty before him. His affection for her washed over him like a wave. The feelings were not new, they had always been there, but the intensity was. Or maybe it was that he'd been caught off guard by the extreme circumstances, and failed to brace himself against the onslaught. The only thing Jarod knew for sure was that he'd give anything for this woman and child to be his.
He would settle, of course, for doing everything in his power - everything she'd let him - to build a safe future for her and her baby brother. And she had come to him for help. That was something, wasn't it?
* * * *
Jarod poked his head in the doorway to find Parker seated in an easy chair by the window, out of which she was staring blankly. He paused a moment and just watched her. She was a million miles away. The imminent danger having passed, he imagined the weight of what she had done was beginning to sink in. She had embarked upon a course of action that would drastically and permanently change her life. There was no turning back. Miss Parker was now, and would forever be, a Centre fugitive. Just like him.
"It's good to see you up," he remarked softly as he stepped into the room.
"It's a lot easier without having to drag that IV around."
"You're tolerating the clear liquids so I'm fairly optimistic that the IV is gone for good. Later on, if you're up to it, we could try a little Jello or, maybe, if you're feeling adventurous, some pudding." He wagged his eyebrows and grinned.
"Yippee," she commented with a roll of her eyes.
"Miss Parker," he chided playfully as he pulled a chair up beside hers and sat down. "That's hardly a festive attitude for New Year's Eve. I hope you're not going to be a party pooper."
"Well, pardon me, if I'm not feeling particularly festive. Getting shot tends to dampen my mood. I didn't know if I'd even make it here."
"But you did," he stated with an encouraging smile. "And you and Michael are safe and free. Funny, it didn't dawn on me to ask until Emily mentioned it this morning, but how on earth did you find me?"
Shrugging she replied distractedly, "Just knew where you were; don't know how," then added wistfully, "What's he doing now?"
"Last I saw him, he was dumping a bowl of Cheerios over his head." Jarod chuckled and continued, "You should have seen the look he shot me when I tactfully dissuaded him from eating them off the floor: quintessential Parker."
His amusement was curtailed by the pained look on her face, compelling him to inquire softly, "What is it?"
"I'm no expert but as kids go he's pretty cute, isn't he?"
"He's adorable," he replied bemusedly.
"So... you like him?"
"What kind of a question is that? Of course I like him!" Frowning he crossed his arms and insisted, "I think it's time we had that talk, Parker. I need to know what this is all about."
She took a deep breath, looked him squarely in the eye and inquired, "How attached are you to that whole itinerant, do-gooder lifestyle?"
"Why?" he responded warily.
"Because you'll have to give it up when you and Michael disappear."
# # # #
