Gray Areas by Nicky
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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Title - Gray Areas (4/4)
Author - Nicky
Rating - PG to PG-13 (for some violence)
Category - JMPR/MPL
Summary - Lyle meets someone who changes his entire life. That new life is threatened when Jarod's actions, although done for the right reasons, turn out wrong for all involved.
Disclaimer - Most of these characters don't belong to me. But I'm staking my claim to Jessica and Zachary. They're all mine :-)
* * * * * * * * * *
After checking downstairs with Tammy to see if Ray had returned, Jarod heads up with Sonny and Jessie to search the man's room. They didn't find much of anything and decided to wait around until he showed back up. They decide to go back down to the diner to watch out for him.
"This guy's been gone all day," Jarod says. "According to Tammy, she hasn't seen him any more today since he left earlier."
"Which means he's got to come back soon," Sonny guesses. He looks towards the door when he hears it open. He sees a little boy holding it open for a woman pushing a stroller. The woman had legs for days and Sonny gave her an appreciating once over.
"Check her out," he whistles. "I bet she's the most popular mommy in the PTA."
Jarod turns around to see what he's talking about and can't hide the smile on his face when he sees her. He stands from the booth and practically runs over to her.
"Parker," he says a little louder than he intended. She jumps in surprise before recognizing his voice.
"Jarod?" she asks, spinning around and wasting no time falling into his arms.
The door opens again, this time revealing an annoyed looking Lyle.
"None of the neighboring store owners recognize him . . ." Lyle starts. His eyes immediately falls on Jessie, sitting at the table still with Sonny while she finishes up her sandwich. The little girl looks up when she hears his voice and immediately runs to him.
"Daddy," she screams.
"Are you alright, Pumpkin? Nobody hurt you, did they?" he asks her, pulling away long enough to check her out for himself. Satisfied that she's unharmed, he pulls her back into his arms.
"I'm fine," she tells him. "I was so scared. And I wanted to go home. But they wouldn't let me." She clutches him tightly around his neck and cries into his shoulder.
"It's okay. Daddy's here now," he whispers in her ear. He walks over to where Jarod and Miss Parker are standing. "I guess I should thank you for finding her and keeping her safe. But we wouldn't have been in this mess in the first place if it weren't for you." He holds Jessie tighter and walks over to where she was sitting before so that she could finish her dinner.
"I guess I deserved that," Jarod sighs. He allows Miss Parker to pull him into her arms.
"I'm sure deep, deep, *deep* down, he's really grateful, Jarod," she says hopefully. "He just has a hard way of showing it."
"That doesn't matter. I don't think your brother and I will ever get along. But he's not the Parker I'm worried about getting along with," he smiles just before covering her lips briefly with his own.
"Hey, don't think you're off the hook, Mister. I'm still upset with you about this whole thing," she scolds him playfully.
"What whole thing?" His voice has taken on a deeper tone that started to seduce her senses. And what the voice didn't lure, his light kisses on her neck did.
"Umm . . . the whole thing with, uhm. . . Lyle going to jail," she manages to say, even though she was getting more and more distracted by the second.
"I paid my penance for that, remember? I put up that crib the other night." His lips find hers again and he quickly kisses her before moving on to the other side of her neck. "Then I got up the next morning and kept the kids quiet so that you could sleep in." More kisses heat her oversensitized skin.
"Yeah . . . right . . But, uhm, what about . . . stop that," she says suddenly, pushing him away from her. She holds her hand against his chest to form a physical barrier. "I'm serious, Jarod. This last little trip of yours had me scared to death. I was so worried something would happen to you."
"I'm fine," he says, pulling her into his arms. But this time he just holds her, reassuring her that he really is okay. He feels her arms tighten around his chest, pulling him even closer to her.
"I know," she finally says. "No matter what happens, you're always fine, aren't you? You're my little cat with nine lives." She smiles and leans up to kiss him, immediately pushing through his lips with her tongue to convey how much she missed him.
"Alright, you two. This is a family restaurant," Sonny laughs. "You're going to have to take that upstairs."
"Sorry about that," Jarod laughs back, pulling away from Miss Parker, but not letting her out of his embrace. "She just can't get enough of me, I guess."
"Jarod!" she exclaims, her cheeks instantly staining. She playfully jabs him in his ribs with her elbow before bending over to pick up the baby from the stroller.
"Come here, buddy," Jarod says softly, reaching his arms out. She places the child in his arms.
"Joshie missed you," she tells him, giving the baby a kiss on his cheek. "So did Zach. He kept on asking for you."
"These your boys, Jarod?" Sonny asks, bending down until he's eye level with Zach. "This one looks just like you." Zach gives him a shy smile before going over to the jukebox where Jessie now is.
"No," Jarod replies. Miss Parker is surprised to hear a bit of disappointment in his voice. And a bit surprised that she never really noticed the resemblance herself.
"They're with me, actually," she chimes in, offering her to Sonny to shake. "I assume you're Sonny Corinthos. I should thank you for keeping this big jerk of mine out of trouble."
"And you must be the infamous Miss Parker," Sonny smiles. "Jarod's told me so much about you."
"Infamous?" she asks with a laugh. "He must have told you the *really* good stories, then."
They all laugh, not noticing the door to the diner opening again. They don't notice anyone sneak over to the jukebox where Jessie and Zach are. They only notice the deafening snick of the gun cocking just as Jessie lets out a scream.
"Daddy," she yells, instantly alerting Lyle all the way across the restaurant. He leaps to his feet, ready to run to her rescue. He instantly recognizes him as the man who took Jessie from the police station in Blue Cove. The man who pretended to be her father. The man who's had his baby girl for days now, probably scaring her and possibly hurting her. That thought causes him to take another step towards the man, intent on doing nothing but killing him with his bare hands if necessary.
"Not so fast, Pops," Ray says, abruptly halting Lyle's motion. He grabs around Zach's neck with one hand and holds the gun on Jessie with the other. "I can kill them both in a split second. I suggest you stay where you are."
Miss Parker narrows her eyes in anger. She somehow manages to keep her cool exterior while inside she was dying seeing the children in danger. The situation was quickly getting out of hand and she looks to Jarod for a clue on what to do. He catches her eyes and sees the fear in them. He had to do something fast. He couldn't reach his weapon with the baby in his arms. Looking to the stroller, he sees that he can possibly distract Ray long enough for Miss Parker and Lyle to draw their weapons. Jarod goes to put the baby back in the stroller, hoping to draw Rays attention.
"I said, nobody move!" Ray yells, tightening his grip on Zach. Miss Parker lets out a small cry as the little boy's eyes pop open wide in pain.
"I was just putting the baby down," Jarod says calmly, switching to hostage negotiator mode. "Nobody needs to get hurt." Jarod tries again to put the baby down, but this time Ray allows it. He stands up, hands straight up in the air, and starts to walk slowly towards Ray.
"That's enough," Ray tells him. "Not another step."
"Let the children go," Jarod pleads. "If you want a hostage, go ahead and take me."
"No can do. The boss wants the girl dead. That's what I came to do."
"You mean Sorel?" Sonny asks angrily. "He's still hiding behind his hitmen I see."
"You can still walk away from this," Jarod tells Ray. "Just put the gun down and go. The police are searching for Sorel as we speak. He's going to jail for a long, long time. If you kill the girl, you'll be there with him."
Jarod's words catch Ray off guard for a second. He takes a moment to think about what the other man was saying, wondering if it could possibly be true. Wondering if Sorel could really be headed for prison.
Lyle takes advantage of that moment and uses it to sneak up on Ray. In an instant, he's at the man side and has a grip on Jessie. He pulls her away and ducks quickly between the jukebox and the wall. Miss Parker follows suit and reaches for Zach. Before she can get to him, Ray has recovered from the initial shock and moves to stop her. He brings the butt of the gun down on her head, sending her into dark oblivion. He then turns the gun on Zach, aiming and getting ready to pull the trigger.
"No!" Jarod yells as he throws his body in front of the young boy. He feels the burning hot metal enter his body before his mind actually registers the sound of the gun shot. His body falls over Zach's, forming a shield for the little boy. Blood covers the child and Jarod finds himself using his last moments of consciousness to whisper a prayer that it doesn't belong to Zach, not once thinking he should be praying for himself.
* * * * * * * * * *
General Hospital
Port Charles, NY
"Daddy," Jessie says from across the room. She had been sitting over there, quietly coloring to stay out of the way. The nurses offered to take her to the play room with the other kids, but Lyle wouldn't hear of it.
"Yes, Baby," he answers her, unable to take his eyes off of her. The few days she was gone felt like a lifetime to him and he needed to constantly have her near.
"Is she going to be alright?" she points to the bed holding an unconscious Miss Parker.
"The doctor said she's going to be fine. She's just sleeping right now," Lyle explains, moving over to the side of the room where she was. He lifts her up and sits her on his lap.
"What about Zachie? When can we go see him?"
"He's going to be okay, too. Just a broken arm, Kiddo. He's going to be just fine," Lyle promises her. "We'll see him tomorrow. He's in the children's wing. The doctor's gave him something to help him sleep tonight."
"Mmmm..." Miss Parker groans. Lyle quickly sets Jessie down and runs over to Miss Parker's bedside.
"Parker? Can you hear me?" He grabs her hand and gives it a gentle squeeze.
"What happened?" she slowly blinks the sleep away from her eyes, squinting them shut when the lights make her head pound.
"Just a concussion. You were out cold for a few hours, though," Lyle says with a smile. "Glad to have you back with us."
"You got Jessie back," she whispers as she looks around the room. "Where are the boys? Where's Jarod?" Her voice is now strained with panic and she tries to sit up.
"Not so fast, Sis," Lyle warns her. "You'll be a little dizzy. Take it easy."
"Lyle, where are my boys? And where's Jarod?" she demands to know.
"Joshua is fine. That mob guy your boyfriend was so buddy buddy with offered to bring his nanny to watch him. Zach is fine, too. Just a broken arm. He's resting now."
"Broken arm? My poor baby," she cries. "Where is he." She tries to sit up again. This time she has a glare in her eye that warns Lyle not to try to stop her.
"And I told you that you're not going anywhere," Lyle says firmly, but from a few steps away just in case.
"I have to go to him, Lyle. He'll be scared." She manages to sit up and swing her legs over the side of the bed. After taking a few moments to get used to being vertical again, she starts to slowly push herself up off the bed. "Is Jarod with him? Is that why he isn't in here with me?"
"Get back in the bed. Please," Lyle says gently, unable to hide the sadness in his tone.
"Lyle, you're scaring me." She falls back onto the bed. Not so much because he told her to. But more because her legs would no longer support her. The fear she felt at the start of the trip was starting back up full force.
"Parker, Jarod was hurt," Lyle starts. He moves over to the bed and sits next to her, taking her hand in his again.
"Hurt? Is he . . . is he dead?"
"No. He's here at the hospital, too. Gunshot wound to the back. I'm not going to lie to you, though. Dr. Jones, his surgeon, said that it doesn't look good."
"What happened?" she gasps, trying desperately to hold back her tears, but failing miserably. A numbness starts to settle throughout her body, starting down with her toes and working it's way up.
"That guy knocked you out," he tells her. "Then he turned the gun on Zach and pulled the trigger. Jarod jumped in front of Zach and took the bullet."
"I have to go to him," she says, her mind made up. The look in her eyes tells him that there was no changing her mind.
"I'll go get your doctor," he relents. He stands up and heads out the door.
* * * * * * * * * *
Lyle's stopped at the door when it suddenly opens. A tall, black man dressed in a nice suit enters, pulling out a badge. He introduces himself to Lyle as Lieutenant Taggert of the Port Charles police department.
"Mrs. Daniels?" he asks, addressing Miss Parker. He looks down at his notepad to double check his information when he sees the strange look she gives him. "Mrs. Jarod Daniels? Is your husband the FBI agent who was shot?"
"Yes," she answers quickly, realizing now the pseudonym Lyle must have given them. "That's me. Sorry. I'm still a little confused. Head injury." She gingerly fingers the bandage on the back of her head.
"I understand," he smiles easily before looking over at Lyle and Jessie. "Can you two excuse us? I need to ask Mrs. Daniels a few questions about the shooting."
"I'd rather my brother stay, if you don't mind," Miss Parker interrupts.
"That would be no problem, ma'am." He smiles again and Miss Parker finally realizes how good looking his is. Good looking, but not Jarod. No one can take the place of Jarod. Although this man was a close second.
"I don't know how much she can tell you. She was hit in the head and was unconscious for the shooting," Lyle explains.
"I didn't actually see anything," she agrees. "But, can I ask you a question, Lieutenant? Is my family still in any danger from this guy?"
"We don't know where the shooter is. But from what other witnesses have told me, he has something to do with Joseph Sorel. And if Joseph Sorel is involved, I'd have to say that your family is indeed still in danger. I don't know who's more dangerous, Sorel or Corinthos. But you all appear to be in between the two. That's not a good place to be," Taggert tells them.
"Sonny Corinthos is a good friend of my husband," Miss Parker says coolly, not liking what the lieutenant was implying. "We aren't afraid of him."
"You should be, ma'am," Taggert says. "When Sonny's around, people tend to end up like your husband. Including Corinthos himself. He was shot at Christmas. Quite possibly by the same people responsible for Agent Daniels' injuries. You people are in the middle of a turf war. You should watch out. You do know the kind of man Corinthos is, don't you?"
"A good one. The kind my family can count on," Miss Parker says defiantly, crossing her arms over her chest. "I think I've answered your questions, Lieutenant. I'd appreciate it if you left now."
"Yes, I think that's all I need from you," Taggert says. He smiles one last time before making his way out of the door.
"The nerve of that man," she fumes, still upset about the mud he was slinging about Sonny. "But at least he gave us a good idea about who we're dealing with."
"Listen, I know you trust this Corinthos guy, but I can't risk Jessie again," Lyle sighs. "We need to go. You think you're up for traveling?"
"I'm not leaving, Lyle. Not without knowing Jarod's going to be alright."
"Parker . . ."
"Don't 'Parker' me, Lyle. Jarod and I have grown closer these past few months than we've ever been since we were kids. I can't leave him. And I won't," she professes.
"What about this Sorel guy? To hear Lieutenant Taggert tell it, there's something major going on with him and your friend Corinthos. I can't let Jessie be in the middle of that."
"I understand," she says. "But understand that I can't leave. You go ahead and go back. Take the jet. After I make sure Jarod's okay and safe from the Centre, I'll head back with the boys."
"You sure?"
"Go," she insists. "Take care of that little girl. *Your* little girl."
"My little girl," he smiles, looking down at the sweet angel holding onto his hand. He picks her up and leans her over Miss Parker. "Jessie, kiss your old Auntie good-bye."
"Bye-bye," Jessie giggles as Miss Parker kisses her nose.
"Good-bye, Sweetie. You take care of that brother of mine, okay? Make sure he stays out of trouble."
"I will," Jessie promises. "And you take care of Zach and Joshie."
"We'll be home before you know it," Miss Parker says, choking back a sob. The kids had been separated long enough. Now, just when they were finally together again, this happens.
"Alright. None of that crying. You two don't go getting all girlie on me," Lyle teases, though holding back his own emotions. He sets Jessie back down and takes his turn at the bedside. "Sis, you take care of yourself. Watch your back."
"I'll be fine, Lyle," she smiles. "Thanks for caring, though."
"Yeah, yeah. That's what brothers are for, right?" He stands awkwardly at her side, battling internally with his feelings. The realization that he's tired of hiding his emotions helps him come to a final decision about something. He leans over her to whisper something in her ear.
"See you soon," comes out in a gentle breath, followed by an equally gentle brush against her cheek with his lips.
She looks up at him, shocked at the outward display of affection towards her. His actions prompt her to make her own gestures.
"Lyle, I . . . I mean I just wanted to say that . . . uhm, I lo.. I'm . . . really glad you're my brother," she finally manages to say.
"Good," he says with a genuine smile that lit up his whole face. "Because you're stuck with me." With one last wink, he scoops Jessie into his arms and walks out the door.
* * * * * * * * * *
Dr. Tony Jones wanders down the hall towards the children's ward and is less than surprised to see his missing patient.
"Mrs. Daniels," he calls to her. "I thought you were supposed to stay in bed."
Miss Parker smiles, more to herself than to the doctor when she hears him call her by her fake name. She was getting used to being 'Jarod's wife'. It was nice. It felt like she truly belonged to him. And better yet, that he truly belonged to her.
"I wanted to check on Zachary. And then Jarod," she says a bit somberly.
"Let's check on Zach first," Dr. Jones offers. "Then we can find your husband and see how he is." Tony reaches for the chart at the end of the bed and starts flipping through the pages for a summary on Zach's diagnosis.
"I don't understand why he has to stay overnight," Miss Parker says. She picks up his other hand and kisses it gently. "It's just a broken arm."
"Normally, that wouldn't be necessary. But Zach had some blood taken. We wanted to keep him overnight to make sure he gets his strength back."
"Blood?" she asks, confused at what the doctor was saying.
"Oh, I see here. Your brother signed the authorization as next of kin since both you and your husband were being worked on," Tony mumbles, realizing her source of confusion.
"Dr. Jones, why did Zachary need blood taken? Did he have tests done? Is something wrong with him?" She starts to panic a little.
"No, he's fine," Tony says quickly. "The blood was for your husband. Jarod lost a lot of blood when he was shot. But we still needed to go in and repair the damage to his kidney that the bullet did. Unfortunately, Jarod has a very rare blood type. Nothing we have on stock. Nothing that was in stock in the entire New York area, in fact. Your brother didn't know of any Jarod's siblings we could contact. So, we tried the next best thing - Jarod's son."
"Jarod and Zach have the same blood type," she gasps suddenly.
"You didn't know that?" Tony eyes her suspiciously.
"Of course I did," she covers. "What kind of mother and wife would I be if I didn't?" As usual, she displays a cool exterior while her insides were shaking like jello. What did this all mean, she wonders to herself. It was one thing for Jarod and Kyle to share the same blood type as a random stranger who just so happened to need a heart transplant. But Jarod and Zach, both Centre labrats, sharing the same blood type was more than a coincidence. She was sure of it.
"Anyway, we didn't take a lot of blood from Zach. He should be fine in the morning. Your husband is another story," Tony sighs. "He needs a lot more blood than we were able to give him. But fortunately we have more coming. A private clinic just happened to have that blood he needs."
"Private clinic?" she asks, not really wanting to know the answer. She was starting to get that sick feeling again. "Where are they located?"
"Maryland, I think," Tony says, bringing instant relief to Miss Parker. "No, actually. I was wrong. It was Delaware. Blue Cove, Delaware."
The room starts to swim and Miss Parker has a hard time keeping focus on what Tony was saying. They knew. They always seem to know. They must have instructions with hospitals to be notified if anyone needs that rare blood type. All they had to do was sit back and wait for Jarod to fall into their laps.
"Jarod," she gasps, leaping to her feet, trying her hardest to keep her balance. She stumbles out the door before she realizes she has no idea where to find him. "Where is he? Where's my husband."
"Calm down, Mrs. Daniels," Tony admonishes. "You're just coming off of a head injury yourself. You need to slow down."
"You don't understand," she yells. "I have to get to him. We have to get out of here."
"How about I get you back to your room?" Tony offers. "Then I'll go find out what I can about Jarod."
"No," she screams, before realizing she's in a hospital. She sees the way Tony was looking at her and forces herself to appear sane before he had her sedated. "Just take me to him. Please. I have to get to him."
"Alright," he relents. He flags down an orderly and gets a wheelchair for her. Once she's settled, they head for the elevators. "He's on the 9th floor in ICU."
They arrive upstairs to Jarod's room and Miss Parker is suddenly very glad she was sitting. She wasn't prepared to see Jarod like that. So quiet and still. Lifeless.
"Oh Jarod," she whispers, as a tear slips down her face. She allows herself a moment to sweep her fingers across his forehead before she remembers the urgency of their situation. Wiping away her tears, she steels herself to face the doctor.
"Dr. Jones, is it safe to move him?" she asks.
"I wouldn't recommend it. You husband needs rest to recover from his surgery. He needs to be here to help ward off infection. He hasn't even regained consciousness yet. I believe this is the best place for him."
"But can he be moved?" she asks again.
"He can be moved relatively safely if done by professional medical staff," Tony admits reluctantly. "But I really can't allow you to . . "
"And I can't allow him to stay here," she insists, showing Tony that there was no changing her mind.
"Very well then. If I can't persuade you to let him stay. Then I guess there's nothing I can do. But realize you're doing this against medical advice," he says, giving her one last chance to back down.
"I understand that, doctor. Could you ask Sonny to step back in here?"
"Sure." He goes to the door and calls Sonny from the waiting area. "I'll get a list of medical supplies you'll be needing."
"What's he talking about?" Sonny asks her after Tony leaves.
"Sonny, I know you've already done so much for us. But I need one more huge favor."
"Tell me what it is. I'll tell you if it's huge or not," Sonny says, flashing her an adorable grin.
"We need to disappear for awhile. Me, Jarod and the boys."
"That's not so huge," he sighs in relief. "When Jarod gets better, then I'll . . ."
"No," she stops him. "I meant now. Right away. As soon as possible. We can't afford to wait. They'll be here for him soon."
"Who will?"
"The Centre."
* * * * * * * * * *
Nurse Amy Vining is sitting at the information desk watching the parade of men in suits walk by. She wondered briefly to herself if there was some kind of hospital board meeting going on. She doesn't have to wait long for the answer to that question when one of the men, a handsome dark skinned man wearing a trenchcoat, stops at the desk to ask her a question.
"Hello. My name is Amy. What can I do for you?" She flashes him her most dazzling smile and hopes to at least get a date out of him.
"I'm looking for this man," he croons in his smooth, deep voice. He pulls out a picture from his pocket and holds it out for her to see. "His name is Jarod."
Amy takes the picture and stares closely at it. It was a picture of an equally handsome man with dark hair. So many men wandering around and Amy wonders to herself why she's so lonely. With a sigh, she returns the photo to him.
"Sorry," she apologizes. "But I just got on shift. Is he a patient here?"
"We think so. We got a call about this man needing some blood from our blood bank," the man tells her. "We were told he was in serious condition from a gunshot wound."
"Let me check the records for you," she smiles easily at him before turning to the computer. She types in a few commands and pulls up the surgery schedule for the previous few hours.
"Okay, we have a male patient listed. Gunshot wound. Type matched blood being flown in from The Centre Medical Clinic in Blue Cove, Delaware," she reads.
"That's our guy . . ."
"I'm not sure," Amy interrupts him. "Says his name is Ray Benson. Not Jarod."
"Well how about you point me in that direction and I'll go see for myself," he suggests, trying to keep his patience with this woman.
"I wish I could. Mr. Benson died an hour ago. His body's probably down in the morgue. And that's reserved for medical staff only. Sorry," she apologizes once more before turning to log off the workstation.
"Listen, I get off in . . ." she starts, intent on inviting him out for a drink. But she sees her words are in vain. The man is gone. And there's no sign of the other gentlemen either. She lets out a disappointed sigh.
"Don't worry, Amy. Someday your prince will come," she says to herself. Looking around one last time, she realizes he's really gone and gets back to work.
* * * * * * * * * *
General Hospital
Morgue
"This is him. Toe tag has him listed as Ray Benson," the sweeper says, trying hard to keep his stomach from rebelling. Working for the Centre had it's difficult times, but he never thought he'd ever find himself knee deep in bodies. "Now, can we get out of here?"
"Go ahead. Your work here is done. I just have to make a phone call."
The other sweeper doesn't hesitate a minute before practically running out the door, leaving Willie alone in the morgue. Willie takes out his cell phone and dials the Centre.
"Mr. Parker, it's me," he says. "We're at the hospital now, but there's no sign of him. Any record of him ever being here has been erased. And now they're claiming that the blood was for some thug, who's now conveniently dead."
"What about the boy, Willie? Any sign of him? How about my daughter?"
"No trace of them, Sir," Willie reluctantly tells him.
"We have to find, Zachary. Neither Jarod nor my daughter can find out the truth. Is that clear? Find the boy. Find my daughter. Find Jarod. Or else we're all going to be sorry."
* * * * * * * * * *
Isla de Sol
Coast of Puerto Rico
The tiny island off the coast of Puerto Rico was to home to very little. It was a short boat ride to an off shore casino run by Sonny Corinthos. It was across the beach from a private chapel for use by Sonny Corinthos. And it was surrounded by arguably the most beautiful stretch of beach Puerto Rico had to offer with a home right on the edge of the water built especially for Mr. Sonny Corinthos. And now, it was a safe haven for Miss Parker and Jarod as well.
Miss Parker closes her eyes and lets out a loud yawn, stretching her aching back in the process. She takes a deep breath, smelling the fresh, salty scent of the ocean water in her nose. The sounds of the children playing on the beach brings a smile to her face. It was a sound she never would have imagined loving before, but now, she doesn't know what she would do without it. Looking back over at Jarod, she's surprised to see him staring at her with a confused look in his eyes.
"Jarod," she gasps, falling to her knees at his side. "You're awake. You're finally awake." She drops a tiny kiss on his forehead and sweeps the hair from his eyes.
"Wa . . ." his scratchy throat groans. He reaches his weakened arm out and points to the pitcher of water.
"Just a little," she warns, holding a glass to his lips. He drinks greedily anyway, and she has to stop him before he choked.
"Where . . . " he grunts again.
"Someplace safe," she smiles. "Someplace where they're not going to find us."
"Who?"
"Jarod, do you remember what happened?" she asks him, not sure if she was going to have to break the news of his injury to him. She watches as he searches his memory of recent events.
"Zach," he moans, trying to sit up. The panicked look on his face lets her know that he remembers the shooting. "Where's Zach?"
"Don't try to move," she orders, gently holding him down. "Zach is fine. He's out on the beach with Josh and Ayanna." A look of total bewilderment crosses his face and she has to keep herself from laughing. "Ayanna's the nanny. And this beach belongs to your mob friend Sonny Corinthos. He's letting us hide out here."
"Hide from what?" A fit of coughs rattle him for a few moments. Miss Parker gives him some more water and waits for him to settle down.
"Jarod, you were shot trying to protect Zach. During your surgery, you needed blood. But your blood type is so rare, that they didn't have any at General Hospital or the surrounding hospitals. They had to make a nationwide plea. Unfortunately, they got a call back from a so-called 'private clinic' in Blue Cove."
"The Centre," he whispers. She just nods the confirmation.
"I had to get you out of there before they showed up for you. But I couldn't do it alone. Lyle had already left to take Jessie back. Zach was in a cast. I still had a concussion. There was no way I'd be able to move you and the boys by myself. All I knew was that we had to leave. Sonny helped. This is his own private island. No one's going to bother us here."
"Sounds like you've got everything under control," he chuckles lightly, wincing at the pain it causes.
"Nothing for you to worry about but getting better," she smiles, grabbing his hand from the bed and placing a kiss in his palm. Closing her eyes, she suddenly feels the prick of tears trying to break free.
"You scared me, you know. I was so afraid I was going to lose you," she whispers.
"You're never going to lose me," he vows. "I'm going to be with you now and for always. For richer. For poorer. In sickness. And in health. But even death won't be able to part us. I'll be with you even then."
"Jarod, that was beautiful," she says through her tears of joy. "And it sounded suspiciously like a proposal."
"What if that's exactly what it was? What would you say?" His eyes get a big, and he stares at her wondering how she would accept his spur of the moment proposal. All he knew is that he felt right about it. Being there with her and the kids. Being a family.
"You said it all perfectly. So now, I guess there's really only one thing I can say." She tries to look serious, but gives him a small, secretive smile anyway.
"And that is?" He whispers, suddenly hypnotized by the expressive colors her eyes are deepening to. He watches as she climbs into the bed next to him.
"I say . . ." she pauses, pasting on a bigger smile and moves closer to him, laying her head on the pillow right next to him. ". . . that you may now kiss your bride."
His own smile grows to match hers. And with as much care as he can patiently take, he lifts up gently on his elbow and reaches out to touch her face with his other hand. His fingers trace her face slowly before making a path to the back of her neck. Not able to wait another second, he hastily pulls her head towards his own, their mouths instinctively finding each other. Joining their bodies as well as their souls.
The kiss grows in intensity and all of Miss Parker's worries melt away. They could deal with everything else later. Making sure they stay ahead of the Centre. Getting the Father to come and officially bless their 'marriage'. Telling Jarod her suspicions about his connection to Zach. All that could wait. Right now she was finally where she was always meant to be. And that's where she intended on staying.
The end.
Author - Nicky
Rating - PG to PG-13 (for some violence)
Category - JMPR/MPL
Summary - Lyle meets someone who changes his entire life. That new life is threatened when Jarod's actions, although done for the right reasons, turn out wrong for all involved.
Disclaimer - Most of these characters don't belong to me. But I'm staking my claim to Jessica and Zachary. They're all mine :-)
* * * * * * * * * *
After checking downstairs with Tammy to see if Ray had returned, Jarod heads up with Sonny and Jessie to search the man's room. They didn't find much of anything and decided to wait around until he showed back up. They decide to go back down to the diner to watch out for him.
"This guy's been gone all day," Jarod says. "According to Tammy, she hasn't seen him any more today since he left earlier."
"Which means he's got to come back soon," Sonny guesses. He looks towards the door when he hears it open. He sees a little boy holding it open for a woman pushing a stroller. The woman had legs for days and Sonny gave her an appreciating once over.
"Check her out," he whistles. "I bet she's the most popular mommy in the PTA."
Jarod turns around to see what he's talking about and can't hide the smile on his face when he sees her. He stands from the booth and practically runs over to her.
"Parker," he says a little louder than he intended. She jumps in surprise before recognizing his voice.
"Jarod?" she asks, spinning around and wasting no time falling into his arms.
The door opens again, this time revealing an annoyed looking Lyle.
"None of the neighboring store owners recognize him . . ." Lyle starts. His eyes immediately falls on Jessie, sitting at the table still with Sonny while she finishes up her sandwich. The little girl looks up when she hears his voice and immediately runs to him.
"Daddy," she screams.
"Are you alright, Pumpkin? Nobody hurt you, did they?" he asks her, pulling away long enough to check her out for himself. Satisfied that she's unharmed, he pulls her back into his arms.
"I'm fine," she tells him. "I was so scared. And I wanted to go home. But they wouldn't let me." She clutches him tightly around his neck and cries into his shoulder.
"It's okay. Daddy's here now," he whispers in her ear. He walks over to where Jarod and Miss Parker are standing. "I guess I should thank you for finding her and keeping her safe. But we wouldn't have been in this mess in the first place if it weren't for you." He holds Jessie tighter and walks over to where she was sitting before so that she could finish her dinner.
"I guess I deserved that," Jarod sighs. He allows Miss Parker to pull him into her arms.
"I'm sure deep, deep, *deep* down, he's really grateful, Jarod," she says hopefully. "He just has a hard way of showing it."
"That doesn't matter. I don't think your brother and I will ever get along. But he's not the Parker I'm worried about getting along with," he smiles just before covering her lips briefly with his own.
"Hey, don't think you're off the hook, Mister. I'm still upset with you about this whole thing," she scolds him playfully.
"What whole thing?" His voice has taken on a deeper tone that started to seduce her senses. And what the voice didn't lure, his light kisses on her neck did.
"Umm . . . the whole thing with, uhm. . . Lyle going to jail," she manages to say, even though she was getting more and more distracted by the second.
"I paid my penance for that, remember? I put up that crib the other night." His lips find hers again and he quickly kisses her before moving on to the other side of her neck. "Then I got up the next morning and kept the kids quiet so that you could sleep in." More kisses heat her oversensitized skin.
"Yeah . . . right . . But, uhm, what about . . . stop that," she says suddenly, pushing him away from her. She holds her hand against his chest to form a physical barrier. "I'm serious, Jarod. This last little trip of yours had me scared to death. I was so worried something would happen to you."
"I'm fine," he says, pulling her into his arms. But this time he just holds her, reassuring her that he really is okay. He feels her arms tighten around his chest, pulling him even closer to her.
"I know," she finally says. "No matter what happens, you're always fine, aren't you? You're my little cat with nine lives." She smiles and leans up to kiss him, immediately pushing through his lips with her tongue to convey how much she missed him.
"Alright, you two. This is a family restaurant," Sonny laughs. "You're going to have to take that upstairs."
"Sorry about that," Jarod laughs back, pulling away from Miss Parker, but not letting her out of his embrace. "She just can't get enough of me, I guess."
"Jarod!" she exclaims, her cheeks instantly staining. She playfully jabs him in his ribs with her elbow before bending over to pick up the baby from the stroller.
"Come here, buddy," Jarod says softly, reaching his arms out. She places the child in his arms.
"Joshie missed you," she tells him, giving the baby a kiss on his cheek. "So did Zach. He kept on asking for you."
"These your boys, Jarod?" Sonny asks, bending down until he's eye level with Zach. "This one looks just like you." Zach gives him a shy smile before going over to the jukebox where Jessie now is.
"No," Jarod replies. Miss Parker is surprised to hear a bit of disappointment in his voice. And a bit surprised that she never really noticed the resemblance herself.
"They're with me, actually," she chimes in, offering her to Sonny to shake. "I assume you're Sonny Corinthos. I should thank you for keeping this big jerk of mine out of trouble."
"And you must be the infamous Miss Parker," Sonny smiles. "Jarod's told me so much about you."
"Infamous?" she asks with a laugh. "He must have told you the *really* good stories, then."
They all laugh, not noticing the door to the diner opening again. They don't notice anyone sneak over to the jukebox where Jessie and Zach are. They only notice the deafening snick of the gun cocking just as Jessie lets out a scream.
"Daddy," she yells, instantly alerting Lyle all the way across the restaurant. He leaps to his feet, ready to run to her rescue. He instantly recognizes him as the man who took Jessie from the police station in Blue Cove. The man who pretended to be her father. The man who's had his baby girl for days now, probably scaring her and possibly hurting her. That thought causes him to take another step towards the man, intent on doing nothing but killing him with his bare hands if necessary.
"Not so fast, Pops," Ray says, abruptly halting Lyle's motion. He grabs around Zach's neck with one hand and holds the gun on Jessie with the other. "I can kill them both in a split second. I suggest you stay where you are."
Miss Parker narrows her eyes in anger. She somehow manages to keep her cool exterior while inside she was dying seeing the children in danger. The situation was quickly getting out of hand and she looks to Jarod for a clue on what to do. He catches her eyes and sees the fear in them. He had to do something fast. He couldn't reach his weapon with the baby in his arms. Looking to the stroller, he sees that he can possibly distract Ray long enough for Miss Parker and Lyle to draw their weapons. Jarod goes to put the baby back in the stroller, hoping to draw Rays attention.
"I said, nobody move!" Ray yells, tightening his grip on Zach. Miss Parker lets out a small cry as the little boy's eyes pop open wide in pain.
"I was just putting the baby down," Jarod says calmly, switching to hostage negotiator mode. "Nobody needs to get hurt." Jarod tries again to put the baby down, but this time Ray allows it. He stands up, hands straight up in the air, and starts to walk slowly towards Ray.
"That's enough," Ray tells him. "Not another step."
"Let the children go," Jarod pleads. "If you want a hostage, go ahead and take me."
"No can do. The boss wants the girl dead. That's what I came to do."
"You mean Sorel?" Sonny asks angrily. "He's still hiding behind his hitmen I see."
"You can still walk away from this," Jarod tells Ray. "Just put the gun down and go. The police are searching for Sorel as we speak. He's going to jail for a long, long time. If you kill the girl, you'll be there with him."
Jarod's words catch Ray off guard for a second. He takes a moment to think about what the other man was saying, wondering if it could possibly be true. Wondering if Sorel could really be headed for prison.
Lyle takes advantage of that moment and uses it to sneak up on Ray. In an instant, he's at the man side and has a grip on Jessie. He pulls her away and ducks quickly between the jukebox and the wall. Miss Parker follows suit and reaches for Zach. Before she can get to him, Ray has recovered from the initial shock and moves to stop her. He brings the butt of the gun down on her head, sending her into dark oblivion. He then turns the gun on Zach, aiming and getting ready to pull the trigger.
"No!" Jarod yells as he throws his body in front of the young boy. He feels the burning hot metal enter his body before his mind actually registers the sound of the gun shot. His body falls over Zach's, forming a shield for the little boy. Blood covers the child and Jarod finds himself using his last moments of consciousness to whisper a prayer that it doesn't belong to Zach, not once thinking he should be praying for himself.
* * * * * * * * * *
General Hospital
Port Charles, NY
"Daddy," Jessie says from across the room. She had been sitting over there, quietly coloring to stay out of the way. The nurses offered to take her to the play room with the other kids, but Lyle wouldn't hear of it.
"Yes, Baby," he answers her, unable to take his eyes off of her. The few days she was gone felt like a lifetime to him and he needed to constantly have her near.
"Is she going to be alright?" she points to the bed holding an unconscious Miss Parker.
"The doctor said she's going to be fine. She's just sleeping right now," Lyle explains, moving over to the side of the room where she was. He lifts her up and sits her on his lap.
"What about Zachie? When can we go see him?"
"He's going to be okay, too. Just a broken arm, Kiddo. He's going to be just fine," Lyle promises her. "We'll see him tomorrow. He's in the children's wing. The doctor's gave him something to help him sleep tonight."
"Mmmm..." Miss Parker groans. Lyle quickly sets Jessie down and runs over to Miss Parker's bedside.
"Parker? Can you hear me?" He grabs her hand and gives it a gentle squeeze.
"What happened?" she slowly blinks the sleep away from her eyes, squinting them shut when the lights make her head pound.
"Just a concussion. You were out cold for a few hours, though," Lyle says with a smile. "Glad to have you back with us."
"You got Jessie back," she whispers as she looks around the room. "Where are the boys? Where's Jarod?" Her voice is now strained with panic and she tries to sit up.
"Not so fast, Sis," Lyle warns her. "You'll be a little dizzy. Take it easy."
"Lyle, where are my boys? And where's Jarod?" she demands to know.
"Joshua is fine. That mob guy your boyfriend was so buddy buddy with offered to bring his nanny to watch him. Zach is fine, too. Just a broken arm. He's resting now."
"Broken arm? My poor baby," she cries. "Where is he." She tries to sit up again. This time she has a glare in her eye that warns Lyle not to try to stop her.
"And I told you that you're not going anywhere," Lyle says firmly, but from a few steps away just in case.
"I have to go to him, Lyle. He'll be scared." She manages to sit up and swing her legs over the side of the bed. After taking a few moments to get used to being vertical again, she starts to slowly push herself up off the bed. "Is Jarod with him? Is that why he isn't in here with me?"
"Get back in the bed. Please," Lyle says gently, unable to hide the sadness in his tone.
"Lyle, you're scaring me." She falls back onto the bed. Not so much because he told her to. But more because her legs would no longer support her. The fear she felt at the start of the trip was starting back up full force.
"Parker, Jarod was hurt," Lyle starts. He moves over to the bed and sits next to her, taking her hand in his again.
"Hurt? Is he . . . is he dead?"
"No. He's here at the hospital, too. Gunshot wound to the back. I'm not going to lie to you, though. Dr. Jones, his surgeon, said that it doesn't look good."
"What happened?" she gasps, trying desperately to hold back her tears, but failing miserably. A numbness starts to settle throughout her body, starting down with her toes and working it's way up.
"That guy knocked you out," he tells her. "Then he turned the gun on Zach and pulled the trigger. Jarod jumped in front of Zach and took the bullet."
"I have to go to him," she says, her mind made up. The look in her eyes tells him that there was no changing her mind.
"I'll go get your doctor," he relents. He stands up and heads out the door.
* * * * * * * * * *
Lyle's stopped at the door when it suddenly opens. A tall, black man dressed in a nice suit enters, pulling out a badge. He introduces himself to Lyle as Lieutenant Taggert of the Port Charles police department.
"Mrs. Daniels?" he asks, addressing Miss Parker. He looks down at his notepad to double check his information when he sees the strange look she gives him. "Mrs. Jarod Daniels? Is your husband the FBI agent who was shot?"
"Yes," she answers quickly, realizing now the pseudonym Lyle must have given them. "That's me. Sorry. I'm still a little confused. Head injury." She gingerly fingers the bandage on the back of her head.
"I understand," he smiles easily before looking over at Lyle and Jessie. "Can you two excuse us? I need to ask Mrs. Daniels a few questions about the shooting."
"I'd rather my brother stay, if you don't mind," Miss Parker interrupts.
"That would be no problem, ma'am." He smiles again and Miss Parker finally realizes how good looking his is. Good looking, but not Jarod. No one can take the place of Jarod. Although this man was a close second.
"I don't know how much she can tell you. She was hit in the head and was unconscious for the shooting," Lyle explains.
"I didn't actually see anything," she agrees. "But, can I ask you a question, Lieutenant? Is my family still in any danger from this guy?"
"We don't know where the shooter is. But from what other witnesses have told me, he has something to do with Joseph Sorel. And if Joseph Sorel is involved, I'd have to say that your family is indeed still in danger. I don't know who's more dangerous, Sorel or Corinthos. But you all appear to be in between the two. That's not a good place to be," Taggert tells them.
"Sonny Corinthos is a good friend of my husband," Miss Parker says coolly, not liking what the lieutenant was implying. "We aren't afraid of him."
"You should be, ma'am," Taggert says. "When Sonny's around, people tend to end up like your husband. Including Corinthos himself. He was shot at Christmas. Quite possibly by the same people responsible for Agent Daniels' injuries. You people are in the middle of a turf war. You should watch out. You do know the kind of man Corinthos is, don't you?"
"A good one. The kind my family can count on," Miss Parker says defiantly, crossing her arms over her chest. "I think I've answered your questions, Lieutenant. I'd appreciate it if you left now."
"Yes, I think that's all I need from you," Taggert says. He smiles one last time before making his way out of the door.
"The nerve of that man," she fumes, still upset about the mud he was slinging about Sonny. "But at least he gave us a good idea about who we're dealing with."
"Listen, I know you trust this Corinthos guy, but I can't risk Jessie again," Lyle sighs. "We need to go. You think you're up for traveling?"
"I'm not leaving, Lyle. Not without knowing Jarod's going to be alright."
"Parker . . ."
"Don't 'Parker' me, Lyle. Jarod and I have grown closer these past few months than we've ever been since we were kids. I can't leave him. And I won't," she professes.
"What about this Sorel guy? To hear Lieutenant Taggert tell it, there's something major going on with him and your friend Corinthos. I can't let Jessie be in the middle of that."
"I understand," she says. "But understand that I can't leave. You go ahead and go back. Take the jet. After I make sure Jarod's okay and safe from the Centre, I'll head back with the boys."
"You sure?"
"Go," she insists. "Take care of that little girl. *Your* little girl."
"My little girl," he smiles, looking down at the sweet angel holding onto his hand. He picks her up and leans her over Miss Parker. "Jessie, kiss your old Auntie good-bye."
"Bye-bye," Jessie giggles as Miss Parker kisses her nose.
"Good-bye, Sweetie. You take care of that brother of mine, okay? Make sure he stays out of trouble."
"I will," Jessie promises. "And you take care of Zach and Joshie."
"We'll be home before you know it," Miss Parker says, choking back a sob. The kids had been separated long enough. Now, just when they were finally together again, this happens.
"Alright. None of that crying. You two don't go getting all girlie on me," Lyle teases, though holding back his own emotions. He sets Jessie back down and takes his turn at the bedside. "Sis, you take care of yourself. Watch your back."
"I'll be fine, Lyle," she smiles. "Thanks for caring, though."
"Yeah, yeah. That's what brothers are for, right?" He stands awkwardly at her side, battling internally with his feelings. The realization that he's tired of hiding his emotions helps him come to a final decision about something. He leans over her to whisper something in her ear.
"See you soon," comes out in a gentle breath, followed by an equally gentle brush against her cheek with his lips.
She looks up at him, shocked at the outward display of affection towards her. His actions prompt her to make her own gestures.
"Lyle, I . . . I mean I just wanted to say that . . . uhm, I lo.. I'm . . . really glad you're my brother," she finally manages to say.
"Good," he says with a genuine smile that lit up his whole face. "Because you're stuck with me." With one last wink, he scoops Jessie into his arms and walks out the door.
* * * * * * * * * *
Dr. Tony Jones wanders down the hall towards the children's ward and is less than surprised to see his missing patient.
"Mrs. Daniels," he calls to her. "I thought you were supposed to stay in bed."
Miss Parker smiles, more to herself than to the doctor when she hears him call her by her fake name. She was getting used to being 'Jarod's wife'. It was nice. It felt like she truly belonged to him. And better yet, that he truly belonged to her.
"I wanted to check on Zachary. And then Jarod," she says a bit somberly.
"Let's check on Zach first," Dr. Jones offers. "Then we can find your husband and see how he is." Tony reaches for the chart at the end of the bed and starts flipping through the pages for a summary on Zach's diagnosis.
"I don't understand why he has to stay overnight," Miss Parker says. She picks up his other hand and kisses it gently. "It's just a broken arm."
"Normally, that wouldn't be necessary. But Zach had some blood taken. We wanted to keep him overnight to make sure he gets his strength back."
"Blood?" she asks, confused at what the doctor was saying.
"Oh, I see here. Your brother signed the authorization as next of kin since both you and your husband were being worked on," Tony mumbles, realizing her source of confusion.
"Dr. Jones, why did Zachary need blood taken? Did he have tests done? Is something wrong with him?" She starts to panic a little.
"No, he's fine," Tony says quickly. "The blood was for your husband. Jarod lost a lot of blood when he was shot. But we still needed to go in and repair the damage to his kidney that the bullet did. Unfortunately, Jarod has a very rare blood type. Nothing we have on stock. Nothing that was in stock in the entire New York area, in fact. Your brother didn't know of any Jarod's siblings we could contact. So, we tried the next best thing - Jarod's son."
"Jarod and Zach have the same blood type," she gasps suddenly.
"You didn't know that?" Tony eyes her suspiciously.
"Of course I did," she covers. "What kind of mother and wife would I be if I didn't?" As usual, she displays a cool exterior while her insides were shaking like jello. What did this all mean, she wonders to herself. It was one thing for Jarod and Kyle to share the same blood type as a random stranger who just so happened to need a heart transplant. But Jarod and Zach, both Centre labrats, sharing the same blood type was more than a coincidence. She was sure of it.
"Anyway, we didn't take a lot of blood from Zach. He should be fine in the morning. Your husband is another story," Tony sighs. "He needs a lot more blood than we were able to give him. But fortunately we have more coming. A private clinic just happened to have that blood he needs."
"Private clinic?" she asks, not really wanting to know the answer. She was starting to get that sick feeling again. "Where are they located?"
"Maryland, I think," Tony says, bringing instant relief to Miss Parker. "No, actually. I was wrong. It was Delaware. Blue Cove, Delaware."
The room starts to swim and Miss Parker has a hard time keeping focus on what Tony was saying. They knew. They always seem to know. They must have instructions with hospitals to be notified if anyone needs that rare blood type. All they had to do was sit back and wait for Jarod to fall into their laps.
"Jarod," she gasps, leaping to her feet, trying her hardest to keep her balance. She stumbles out the door before she realizes she has no idea where to find him. "Where is he? Where's my husband."
"Calm down, Mrs. Daniels," Tony admonishes. "You're just coming off of a head injury yourself. You need to slow down."
"You don't understand," she yells. "I have to get to him. We have to get out of here."
"How about I get you back to your room?" Tony offers. "Then I'll go find out what I can about Jarod."
"No," she screams, before realizing she's in a hospital. She sees the way Tony was looking at her and forces herself to appear sane before he had her sedated. "Just take me to him. Please. I have to get to him."
"Alright," he relents. He flags down an orderly and gets a wheelchair for her. Once she's settled, they head for the elevators. "He's on the 9th floor in ICU."
They arrive upstairs to Jarod's room and Miss Parker is suddenly very glad she was sitting. She wasn't prepared to see Jarod like that. So quiet and still. Lifeless.
"Oh Jarod," she whispers, as a tear slips down her face. She allows herself a moment to sweep her fingers across his forehead before she remembers the urgency of their situation. Wiping away her tears, she steels herself to face the doctor.
"Dr. Jones, is it safe to move him?" she asks.
"I wouldn't recommend it. You husband needs rest to recover from his surgery. He needs to be here to help ward off infection. He hasn't even regained consciousness yet. I believe this is the best place for him."
"But can he be moved?" she asks again.
"He can be moved relatively safely if done by professional medical staff," Tony admits reluctantly. "But I really can't allow you to . . "
"And I can't allow him to stay here," she insists, showing Tony that there was no changing her mind.
"Very well then. If I can't persuade you to let him stay. Then I guess there's nothing I can do. But realize you're doing this against medical advice," he says, giving her one last chance to back down.
"I understand that, doctor. Could you ask Sonny to step back in here?"
"Sure." He goes to the door and calls Sonny from the waiting area. "I'll get a list of medical supplies you'll be needing."
"What's he talking about?" Sonny asks her after Tony leaves.
"Sonny, I know you've already done so much for us. But I need one more huge favor."
"Tell me what it is. I'll tell you if it's huge or not," Sonny says, flashing her an adorable grin.
"We need to disappear for awhile. Me, Jarod and the boys."
"That's not so huge," he sighs in relief. "When Jarod gets better, then I'll . . ."
"No," she stops him. "I meant now. Right away. As soon as possible. We can't afford to wait. They'll be here for him soon."
"Who will?"
"The Centre."
* * * * * * * * * *
Nurse Amy Vining is sitting at the information desk watching the parade of men in suits walk by. She wondered briefly to herself if there was some kind of hospital board meeting going on. She doesn't have to wait long for the answer to that question when one of the men, a handsome dark skinned man wearing a trenchcoat, stops at the desk to ask her a question.
"Hello. My name is Amy. What can I do for you?" She flashes him her most dazzling smile and hopes to at least get a date out of him.
"I'm looking for this man," he croons in his smooth, deep voice. He pulls out a picture from his pocket and holds it out for her to see. "His name is Jarod."
Amy takes the picture and stares closely at it. It was a picture of an equally handsome man with dark hair. So many men wandering around and Amy wonders to herself why she's so lonely. With a sigh, she returns the photo to him.
"Sorry," she apologizes. "But I just got on shift. Is he a patient here?"
"We think so. We got a call about this man needing some blood from our blood bank," the man tells her. "We were told he was in serious condition from a gunshot wound."
"Let me check the records for you," she smiles easily at him before turning to the computer. She types in a few commands and pulls up the surgery schedule for the previous few hours.
"Okay, we have a male patient listed. Gunshot wound. Type matched blood being flown in from The Centre Medical Clinic in Blue Cove, Delaware," she reads.
"That's our guy . . ."
"I'm not sure," Amy interrupts him. "Says his name is Ray Benson. Not Jarod."
"Well how about you point me in that direction and I'll go see for myself," he suggests, trying to keep his patience with this woman.
"I wish I could. Mr. Benson died an hour ago. His body's probably down in the morgue. And that's reserved for medical staff only. Sorry," she apologizes once more before turning to log off the workstation.
"Listen, I get off in . . ." she starts, intent on inviting him out for a drink. But she sees her words are in vain. The man is gone. And there's no sign of the other gentlemen either. She lets out a disappointed sigh.
"Don't worry, Amy. Someday your prince will come," she says to herself. Looking around one last time, she realizes he's really gone and gets back to work.
* * * * * * * * * *
General Hospital
Morgue
"This is him. Toe tag has him listed as Ray Benson," the sweeper says, trying hard to keep his stomach from rebelling. Working for the Centre had it's difficult times, but he never thought he'd ever find himself knee deep in bodies. "Now, can we get out of here?"
"Go ahead. Your work here is done. I just have to make a phone call."
The other sweeper doesn't hesitate a minute before practically running out the door, leaving Willie alone in the morgue. Willie takes out his cell phone and dials the Centre.
"Mr. Parker, it's me," he says. "We're at the hospital now, but there's no sign of him. Any record of him ever being here has been erased. And now they're claiming that the blood was for some thug, who's now conveniently dead."
"What about the boy, Willie? Any sign of him? How about my daughter?"
"No trace of them, Sir," Willie reluctantly tells him.
"We have to find, Zachary. Neither Jarod nor my daughter can find out the truth. Is that clear? Find the boy. Find my daughter. Find Jarod. Or else we're all going to be sorry."
* * * * * * * * * *
Isla de Sol
Coast of Puerto Rico
The tiny island off the coast of Puerto Rico was to home to very little. It was a short boat ride to an off shore casino run by Sonny Corinthos. It was across the beach from a private chapel for use by Sonny Corinthos. And it was surrounded by arguably the most beautiful stretch of beach Puerto Rico had to offer with a home right on the edge of the water built especially for Mr. Sonny Corinthos. And now, it was a safe haven for Miss Parker and Jarod as well.
Miss Parker closes her eyes and lets out a loud yawn, stretching her aching back in the process. She takes a deep breath, smelling the fresh, salty scent of the ocean water in her nose. The sounds of the children playing on the beach brings a smile to her face. It was a sound she never would have imagined loving before, but now, she doesn't know what she would do without it. Looking back over at Jarod, she's surprised to see him staring at her with a confused look in his eyes.
"Jarod," she gasps, falling to her knees at his side. "You're awake. You're finally awake." She drops a tiny kiss on his forehead and sweeps the hair from his eyes.
"Wa . . ." his scratchy throat groans. He reaches his weakened arm out and points to the pitcher of water.
"Just a little," she warns, holding a glass to his lips. He drinks greedily anyway, and she has to stop him before he choked.
"Where . . . " he grunts again.
"Someplace safe," she smiles. "Someplace where they're not going to find us."
"Who?"
"Jarod, do you remember what happened?" she asks him, not sure if she was going to have to break the news of his injury to him. She watches as he searches his memory of recent events.
"Zach," he moans, trying to sit up. The panicked look on his face lets her know that he remembers the shooting. "Where's Zach?"
"Don't try to move," she orders, gently holding him down. "Zach is fine. He's out on the beach with Josh and Ayanna." A look of total bewilderment crosses his face and she has to keep herself from laughing. "Ayanna's the nanny. And this beach belongs to your mob friend Sonny Corinthos. He's letting us hide out here."
"Hide from what?" A fit of coughs rattle him for a few moments. Miss Parker gives him some more water and waits for him to settle down.
"Jarod, you were shot trying to protect Zach. During your surgery, you needed blood. But your blood type is so rare, that they didn't have any at General Hospital or the surrounding hospitals. They had to make a nationwide plea. Unfortunately, they got a call back from a so-called 'private clinic' in Blue Cove."
"The Centre," he whispers. She just nods the confirmation.
"I had to get you out of there before they showed up for you. But I couldn't do it alone. Lyle had already left to take Jessie back. Zach was in a cast. I still had a concussion. There was no way I'd be able to move you and the boys by myself. All I knew was that we had to leave. Sonny helped. This is his own private island. No one's going to bother us here."
"Sounds like you've got everything under control," he chuckles lightly, wincing at the pain it causes.
"Nothing for you to worry about but getting better," she smiles, grabbing his hand from the bed and placing a kiss in his palm. Closing her eyes, she suddenly feels the prick of tears trying to break free.
"You scared me, you know. I was so afraid I was going to lose you," she whispers.
"You're never going to lose me," he vows. "I'm going to be with you now and for always. For richer. For poorer. In sickness. And in health. But even death won't be able to part us. I'll be with you even then."
"Jarod, that was beautiful," she says through her tears of joy. "And it sounded suspiciously like a proposal."
"What if that's exactly what it was? What would you say?" His eyes get a big, and he stares at her wondering how she would accept his spur of the moment proposal. All he knew is that he felt right about it. Being there with her and the kids. Being a family.
"You said it all perfectly. So now, I guess there's really only one thing I can say." She tries to look serious, but gives him a small, secretive smile anyway.
"And that is?" He whispers, suddenly hypnotized by the expressive colors her eyes are deepening to. He watches as she climbs into the bed next to him.
"I say . . ." she pauses, pasting on a bigger smile and moves closer to him, laying her head on the pillow right next to him. ". . . that you may now kiss your bride."
His own smile grows to match hers. And with as much care as he can patiently take, he lifts up gently on his elbow and reaches out to touch her face with his other hand. His fingers trace her face slowly before making a path to the back of her neck. Not able to wait another second, he hastily pulls her head towards his own, their mouths instinctively finding each other. Joining their bodies as well as their souls.
The kiss grows in intensity and all of Miss Parker's worries melt away. They could deal with everything else later. Making sure they stay ahead of the Centre. Getting the Father to come and officially bless their 'marriage'. Telling Jarod her suspicions about his connection to Zach. All that could wait. Right now she was finally where she was always meant to be. And that's where she intended on staying.
The end.
