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Disclaimer - These characters aren't mine. Well, some of them are. But the important ones are all property of MTM and NBC Productions and used without permission. I'm not making any money out of this. It’s all just for fun.
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Shadows From the Past
by Nicky
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Chapter 1
*******************
Lyle looks nervously at his father, the tension evident on his face. While this new plan may not be popular, it may be their only choice. It's evident that Miss Parker's approach to capturing Jarod is less than effective. It's time for someone new to take over the chase. Raines had approached Lyle with this idea earlier that day and he readily agreed to it. Getting it past Mr. Parker will be a bit more difficult. Which is why they decided Lyle would be the one to present it to him. They know Mr. Parker will have serious issues with what they intend to do.
"This seems awfully dangerous, Son," Mr. Parker says finally after a long silence. "I mean, this is your sister we're talking about. Why not use the doctor?"
Not entirely a ringing endorsement on his part, but he seems to at least be considering the idea. That's promising.
"Dad, you know as well as I do how Jarod feels about her," Lyle explains. "We can't be so sure he'd be affected as strongly if we used Sydney."
"You're right," he sighs. Lyle has to hold back the smug grin aching to stretch across his face. "But how can we be sure she'll come out of this alright?"
"You have my word that I'll protect her to the best of my ability," Lyle swears, inwardly laughing at his father for being so gullible. "Like you said, this *is* my sister we're talking about."
"Alright then," Mr. Parker relents. "I guess we don't really have a choice. If they want Jarod that badly, then it's probably best that we utilize whatever tools available to catch him - even if that means using your sister."
"You made the right decision, Dad." Lyle stands up and pats the man on the shoulder before leaving his office. He has to tell Raines the plan is set. They won't be having any problems from his father.
Mr. Parker watches his son walk out the door and shakes his head. That boy is up to something. And despite what Lyle told him, he has a bad feeling that he just signed his own daughter's death warrant.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Miss Parker zooms down the highway, looking down briefly at the map on the seat next to her. She really should slow down. The light mist that started earlier fell steadily throughout the day making the roads wet and slick. But this is just the opportunity she's been waiting on. When this tip on Jarod's latest location came in, Lyle insisted that she leave immediately. He told her he would catch up later. It's odd that he'd let her get a head start, but she didn't really question it at the time. She's glad to be by herself. She generally worked better without the thumbless wonder hanging over her shoulder.
She's disappointed to see that the tiny town she's looking for isn't on this map. There's another map in her glove compartment, though. She leans over and opens that, keeping one eye on the road. Her hand encounters something unexpected inside. She pulls it out and looks at it. It's a small, silver flask. And it's leaking something. A small taste of it tells her that it's vodka.
"What's that doing in here?" she ponders aloud, running her hand across the jeans she didn't have time to change out of to dry the liquid from her hand. Suddenly, it all makes sense. This is all a setup. The vodka. Lyle insisting she follow this lead alone. He's up to something. She doubts very seriously that this trail of breadcrumbs he laid for her will lead to Jarod. She angrily slams on her brakes to head back towards Blue Cove to give Lyle a piece of her mind. She discovers too late that the brakes don't work. She tries several more times to stop the car, but to no avail. At first, she thought Lyle was just trying to set her up - get her arrested for drunk driving or something. But now, as her car seems to be careening faster and faster down the tree lined street that seems to be getting curvier and curvier, she realizes he had a more nefarious intent in mind. He's trying to do more than get her arrested. He's trying to kill her.
She attempts to keep the speeding vehicle in the middle of the road, but an oncoming car takes that option from her. Rather than injure anyone innocent, she gets back on her side of the road. The car becomes impossible to control in such a small space and it finally makes contact with a tree. The impact causes the car to spin on the rain slicked roads, hitting several other trees now in its new path. A bright light approaches and she prays more for the oncoming passenger than for herself as metal clashes with metal, tying the cars in an inextricable knot. The car finally stops moving and pain explodes all around her, rendering her gratefully unconscious.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I didn't think you'd be able to do it," Raines gasps through his oxygen mask. He's standing over Miss Parker's badly bruised form in a room in the Renewal Wing, gazing in awe at Lyle. She has various cuts over her body from the accident, the worst of them being the jagged gash on her neck that nearly severed her jugular and probably should have killed her. "I was sure your father wouldn't agree to having her killed."
"He didn't agree," Lyle laughs. "I had to promise him no harm would come to her if I could help it." He looks with disinterest at his comatose sister and turns to leave the room. Raines follows him, dragging his oxygen tank behind him.
"Well, you didn't finish the job. She survived the accident," Raines points out. "What are you going to do now? We anticipated capturing Jarod at her funeral. But if she's not dead . . . "
"She's not dead *yet*," Lyle corrects him. "But the doctors say it's only a matter of time. I say we just wait for her to die naturally. No need to cause anymore suspicion. Even though the cops found the vodka in her car, they're still wondering if maybe her accident wasn't an accident after all. Killing her now when we can just wait for the inevitable would be foolish."
"We'll give it a little while longer," Raines agrees. "But we can't wait too long."
"A few more days and I'll get Dr. Levine on it," Lyle says, looking down at his watch. "Listen, I'd love to stay here and chat all day, but I have things to prepare if we plan on capturing Jarod soon."
"Let's hope so. You know what'll happen if we don't get him here soon," Raines reminds him.
"I know, I know. But in a few days, this will all be over. And we'll be richer than we could have ever imagined. Then, we won't need this place anymore." He tosses one last grin towards Raines and practically skips down the hall. Raines turns and goes the other direction, neither man seeing the shadows lurking around the corner.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Mr. Parker leans wearily against the wall. He knew Lyle was up to something. He just didn't know what it was until now. And he didn't realize that Raines was involved as well. Those two were desperate to bring Jarod in - desperate enough to kill his daughter to achieve that goal. He may not be candidate for father of the year, but he's never wished his child dead. No matter what the Triumvirate ordered him to do in the past, he always tries to protect her the best he can. He wasn't able to save her mother. That just about killed him. From that moment on, he made sure his daughter would never be in that kind of danger from them. But how was he to know the danger would come from much closer. From his own son. He has to stop this. He turns around and walks quickly down the hallway, knowing there's only one way he can fix this.
"Leaving so soon?" a voice calls out, making him jump. He turns around and can barely make out the form walking towards him. But the voice is unmistakable. The thickly accented sound reaches his ears again. "Seems we both got quite an earful. A plot by your own son to kill your daughter."
"I had nothing to do with this, Sydney," Mr. Parker says to the man.
"From what I hear, they had your blessing," Sydney angrily snaps.
"Not to kill her. I never wanted any harm to come to my daughter."
"That doesn't make what happened to her any less your fault, Mr. Parker. You're as much to blame as Raines and Lyle," Sydney accuses.
"I know," Mr. Parker sighs. "None of this would have happened if it weren't for me. But I intend on never letting this happen again. They won't hurt her anymore. Not if I can help it."
Sydney watches him walk away, hoping to himself that the man is as serious as he appears to be. Mr. Parker seems genuinely concerned for his daughter's well being. Better late than never, Sydney figures as he walks into Miss Parker's room. He sits next to her bed and takes her still hand in his own.
"Parker, you have to get better," he whispers to her. "Please. There are people here who love you." One particular person comes to mind, and he lets out a heavy sigh. He hopes for Jarod's sake that she recovers. Because if she doesn't, he doesn't know if the pretender can handle it.
"We need you, Parker. Jarod needs you." He kisses her forehead before standing to leave. There's nothing really he can do for her except let her know he's there. And pray that her father can truly fix this situation he's gotten her into.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Mr. Parker waits until everyone is gone for the day before going back to visit his daughter again. He was beginning to have second thoughts, but seeing her so still and lifeless spurs him on. He has to do this. He owes it to her. She's paid her debt to this place several times over. It was time to set her free.
"Angel," he whispers, running his hands through her tangled hair. This would more than likely be the last time he ever sees her. There's so much to tell her. So much to apologize for. But he can't seem to say the words. There really aren't any words to say. He's ruined her life, plain and simple. He took a loving and caring child and turned her cold and heartless. There's no one to blame for that than himself. He just hopes his last gift to her will be able to make up for an entire lifetime of not being there for her.
"Forgive me," he finally says, pushing a needle into her IV. The clear liquid blends with the other medications flowing into her. No one will be able to tell the difference. It was designed to be virtually undetectable while it served its purpose. And today, its purpose is to end his daughter's suffering.
"Despite my actions over the years, I do love you. Which is why I'm doing this now. I won't allow you to be hurt by this place anymore. I won't allow them to take you from me. I brought you into this evil world of the Centre and I have to be the one to get you out. This is the only way," he sobs, burying his head in his hands. He looks at her one last time, memorizing the face he's loved for his entire adult life. With a sigh, he turns to leave. But not without whispering one last thing. "Good-bye, Angel."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sydney steps into the elevator when all conversation suddenly stops. The same thing happened to him earlier in the break room when he got his coffee that morning. He sees a colleague trying to hide towards the back of the car and he squeezes his way through the crowd to get to him.
"Good morning, Dr. Tuckett."
"Sydney," the man says, acting surprised to see him. "How are you doing? Really?"
"I'm fine," Sydney tells him, confused at the man's concern. "Is there any reason why I shouldn't be?"
"I just figured since, well, you know."
"No, I don't know, Gary. You want to clue me in?" Sydney watches the other man's eyes pop wide open.
"You mean, you haven't heard?" Gary Tuckett asks incredulously.
"Heard what?" Sydney's frustration is evident now. But it's only to hide his fear. Something terrible has happened, he can feel it. Is it Jarod, he wonders. Is his job on the line? "Just tell me."
"It's Miss Parker. She's dead."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Broots stumbles to one of the back booths, barely able to see two feet in front of him. What vision the tears didn't blur, the alcohol he's consumed that night managed to obscure.
"Over here, Broots," Sydney slurs, waving his hands wildly at the man.
Broots manages to find Sydney and slaps the drinks on the table, most of the liquor sloshing over the sides. This would have to be their last round because he doesn't think he'd make it back to the bar for anymore. He slides into the booth and looks across the table, confused at seeing two of Sydney. He blinks a few times and shakes his head, but the twin images remains.
"You're not seeing double, Mr. Broots," a different voice says. Broots stares until the face comes into focus and he sees that it's Mr. Parker.
"What are you doing here?" he hisses at the man, the alcohol giving him courage to speak to the man the way he's always wanted to.
"We all loved my daughter, Mr. Broots. I'm grieving the same as you," Mr. Parker says quietly, lowering his head for a second. "And I also wanted to inform you of the funeral arrangements. I was going to limit it to just close family. But I think the two of you should come as well. She . . . my daughter would want you to be there."
"How could you let this happen?" Sydney snaps. "You were supposed to take care of her. You weren't supposed to let them hurt her. Why did this have to happen?" The tears fall freely down his face as his grief takes over.
"Nobody will be able to hurt her again," Mr. Parker says with a shaky voice. "I protected her the best way I could. She'll never be hurt again. But you have to do one more thing. Keep Jarod as far away from the funeral as you can. I know he's going to want to be there, but that's what Lyle and Raines are counting on. That's why they . . . did this. Don't let them win."
"I can't make Jarod do anything," Sydney sighs. "He was probably closer to her than any of us. I won't be able to stop him."
"Do your best," Mr. Parker pleads. "He absolutely cannot be caught at that funeral." His daughter is depending on Jarod. But Mr. Parker can't say that out loud. Not right now. No one can know his secret. Not even Sydney. He just hopes that one day, one day very soon, Jarod will discover it on his own.
Chapter 2
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Jarod paces nervously around the room, anxiously running his hands through his hair with each ring of the phone.
"Come on. Pick up," he urges into the phone as he turns to take another lap around the sofa. His patience finally pays off when he hears someone pick up the other end.
"This is Sydney."
"It's me, Syd," is all he says.
"Jarod. How are you? I mean, how are you holding up?"
That's a good question, Jarod thinks to himself. Holding up may not be the best way to describe how he's doing. Things aren't good. Jarod sits on the sofa, furiously rubbing his bloodshot eyes with his fist.
"I don't know, Syd. I think I may be losing my mind," he whimpers, a lone tear dripping from his eye.
"Why would you say that?"
"I miss her. So much," he cries. "I see her all the time, Syd. In my dreams when I'm asleep. And all around me when I'm awake. I see her in stores. On streets. Everywhere. Do you realize how many women there are in this country that look like her?" he asks with a mirthless chuckle.
"Jarod, you're not losing your mind. You're just grieving. Probably for the first time in your life, you're faced with losing someone you really loved."
"I do . . . I mean I did love her. How can she be gone?" He starts sobbing again and the sound breaks Sydney's heart. He wish he was with his young pretender to help him through this anguish. But he's afraid this is something Jarod will have to get through on his own.
"Syd, how am I going to live without her?"
"I don't know, Jarod," the older man admits. "I just don't know. Just live your life one day at a time. I think eventually it will get better. You'll never forget her, but it'll hurt less in time."
"I hope you're right, Sydney," Jarod sighs before hanging up the phone in his usual manner without saying good-bye.
Sydney stares at the receiver in his hand as the dial tone starts to blare. He's never heard so much despair from the young man. He says a prayer that Jarod will find a way to survive without her. Because right now, he wouldn't be surprised if he died of a broken heart.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Carlsbad, New Mexico
2 months later
Jarod signs off on the last in a stack of charts he was working on, heaving a sigh of relief to be done. He's been working at the hospital for 2 straight days. He's glad to have the next 4 off.
"Suzanne, this patient will be back in 3 days to have his stitches removed," he tells the nurse standing next to him. "Make sure . . ."
"Get out of here, Dr. Skinner," she orders gently. "We can handle this. You've been working hard. It's time for you to go home."
"I know, but the kid with the broken arm . . . "
"The one in room 5 that Dr. Ives is now taking care off. Don't worry about it. I told you, we can handle it," she smiles at him. She's never seen a doctor more dedicated. It's good for the patients, but bad for the doctor. He's going to burn out if he isn't careful. He's too good a doctor for her to let him do that. "Now go!"
"Yes Ma'am," he says with a salute.
"Is this bum giving you a hard time?" A good looking dark haired man stands at the doorway with a gleaming smile, causing the Suzanne to blush and giggle.
"Javy. She was just putting me out," Jarod smiles at his roommate. He met Javier Toro when he moved to New Mexico a few months ago after what happened with Miss Parker. He decided to take Sydney's advice and live his life one day at a time. No more pretends. No more leading the Centre on a wild goose chase. He picked one of the many professions in his knowledge base and stuck with it. He is now Dr. Jarod Skinner, an ER doctor.
Jarod and Javy both shoot Suzanne one last smile before leaving the hospital. They're in the car and driving down the street before Javier hits Jarod with his big news.
"I have a surprise for you," he says. "I got us some dates for tonight."
"Javy," Jarod groans. "You know I'm not looking for a relationship right now. I'm still . . . "
"I know, I know," Javy says, rolling his eyes. "That girl from where you used to live. You're still getting over her. Jarod, it's time you put that behind you. This girl is gorgeous. Plus, she looks like your ghost woman you're always chasing. She's nice. You'll have fun."
"If she's so nice, then why aren't you going out with her?"
"Because she's not my type. Now her roommate, on the other hand, from what I hear, she's perfect for me. A cute, little blond," Javy says with a grin.
"From what you hear? Javy, you don't know her?"
"I don't really know either of them," Javy admits. "I met your date today at the grocery store. We got to talking and we both realized that we should go out. Only, I should go out with her roommate and she should go out with mine. It's a double blind date."
"So basically, you want us to both go out with women that neither of us know? Do you know how insane that sounds?"
"Insane. Fun. Potato. Pot-ah-to."
"What do potatoes have to do with this?" Jarod asks innocently, spurring a fit of laughter from Javy.
"Oh, man. Sometimes you're so funny," Javy chuckles. "So, are we meeting them or not?"
"I'm going with not, Javy. I'm not interested in meeting anyone. Ever again."
Jarod's mood turns sullen and he suddenly finds the passing scenery utterly fascinating. Javier decides that Jarod needs this outing more than he realizes. He's not going to let him out of it that easily.
"Alright, you win," Javy says. "But you don't need to hang around the apartment moping around like I know you're going to do. How about we go out and get a drink first?"
"I guess that's alright," Jarod agrees. A drink sounds really good right now, actually. Jarod never was one to imbibe in the strong concoctions. But the past few months have been different for him. More often than not, he's found unexpected comfort in the bottom of a glass of something that burns going down. A little voice inside him that sounds an awful lot like Sydney warns him that drinking isn't the answer. But he ignores the voice, choosing instead the blissful numbness he's come expect after a few drinks.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The woman stares at herself in the mirror, frowning at the strange unfamiliarity of her reflection. She knows it's not normal to feel like a foreigner in her own body, but she's oddly enough becoming used to it. Instead of letting it bother her, she's decided to make the most of the days before her and not ponder uselessly on her past. A past she can't seem to remember. Running a finger over the scar on her neck, she wonders if it's a past better left behind her.
"Lindy," she hears from downstairs as the front door slams shut.
"I'm up here, Emily," she calls to her roommate. She turns from the mirror and leaves the bathroom, shutting the light off on her way out. She wanders into her closet and sifts through a few dresses she's managed to acquire in even fewer months.
"Ooh, going out?" Emily asks, hopping onto the bed behind her. "Paul again?"
"Not even," she groans, rolling her eyes.
"Lindy! What was wrong with Paul?"
"Nothing. Paul's a perfectly nice man. Things with him just didn't work out." Lindy pulls a dress down and holds it up to her with a questioning look towards Emily. Emily scrunches up her nose and shakes her head, her golden tresses whipping across her face.
"That's what you said about Trent," Emily laughs. "And Carlos. And Dennis. What about Steven? They're all perfectly nice guys too, but you keep on dumping them, Lin."
"It's not them, really. It's me. I just know that they're not . . . the ones," Lindy shrugs. "It's hard to explain, Emily. You know that my life up until a few months ago is a big blank spot. I don't remember anything. But I have a strong sense of love."
"And you're looking for that love," Emily says, understanding what she's trying to get across.
"I want to think I'll know him when I see him. Is that foolish and sentimental?"
"I think it's sweet," Emily smiles. "But if you wear that tonight, you're going to have more men coming out of the woodwork than you can handle."
Lindy holds the skimpy dress up and grins mischievously.
"It's not for me," she says, biting her lip. "It's for you."
"Excuse me?"
"I made us some dates, Em. I met this really nice guy in the grocery store who's dying to meet you."
"Lindy! You're setting me up on a blind date? With some guy you just met? I can't believe you. Besides, if he's so nice, you should date him."
"No way. He's more your type. I don't really go for the beautifully tanned, blond haired, blue eyed boys," Lindy mumbles from inside the closet, searching for her own outfit now.
"Surfer dude from California?" Emily cringes.
"No," Lindy laughs, recalling her roommates dislike for surfers. "Stock broker from Puerto Rico actually. He's very cute, Em. Trust me."
"What about you? If you're giving up such a dish, I can only imagine what your date looks like," Emily wonders.
"I don't know," she shrugs. "I met Javier - that's his name - and we decided to hook each other up with our roommates. He's going out with you while I go out with his roommate. All I know about this guy is that he's tall, intelligent, and nice. He has dark hair and dark eyes . . . "
"Just like all the other guys you've gone out with," Emily comments. "And what I imagine this mystery man of yours looks like. You know, maybe this mystery guy you're trying to hard to find is somebody best left in your past. Something obviously happened to you, Lindy. You wouldn't have turned up unconscious in a hospital otherwise. Maybe this man is responsible."
"I never thought of that," Lindy frowns before shaking her head. "But I feel such a strong compulsion to find him. I know that once I do, all the pieces of my life will just fall into place."
"I hope you're right, Lin. But you should be careful. If this guy tries anything funny, let me know and we'll get out of there."
"I'll be fine, Emily," she smiles. "You should worry about yourself. Have fun. You don't get out much."
"Yeah, I really don't have room to talk about you searching for your mystery man when I'm looking for one myself," Emily sighs.
"Your brother? You've been looking for him a long time, haven't you?"
"All my life," Emily nods. "I've only seen glimpses of him from time to time, but the last I saw him, he looks a lot like your stranger. Tall, dark hair, dark eyes."
"Ooh, sounds tasty," Lindy teases. "I hope you find him soon so you can hook me up with him."
They both burst out laughing until their sides start to ache and tears drop from their eyes.
"You are too silly, Lindy," Emily says, trying to catch her breath. "My brother's had such a lonely life. I'm sure your sense of humor would be good for him. Jarod would . . . "
"Jarod?" Lindy interrupts her. "Did you say Jarod?"
"Yeah. That's my brother's name," Emily tells her. "What's up?" She watches her roommate pace back and forth, twirling a strand of hair around her finger.
"I don't know. There's something familiar about that name. But it's on the edge of my mind and I can't really reach it." She sighs in frustration and falls onto the bed next to Emily. "Or maybe I'm just going crazy, Em."
"I doubt that," Emily laughs. "You just need to relax and maybe it'll come to you. Let's go out with these studs you found us and have a good time. We'll forget about your stranger and my brother and just think about ourselves for tonight."
"That's a good idea," Lindy nods, trying to push away the strange feelings she's having. "Fun is just what we need."
Chapter 3
*******************
Lindy and Emily get inside the restaurant and look around. Emily's very nervous and keeps on tugging at the short dress she was coerced into wearing.
"Stop fidgeting," Lindy scolds. "You look great in that outfit."
"Yeah? Well, I feel like a prostitute. I still can't believe I let you talk me into this," Emily groans, suddenly feeling hesitant about the evening.
"I told you, Javier's a nice guy and he's very cute. Plus, I'll be here the whole time with his roommate. But if it makes you feel any better, we can come up with a signal or something so if you feel uncomfortable and are ready to leave, we can make our excuses and go. You're the one who said we needed a night of fun," Lindy reminds her.
"I know. And I'm sorry I'm so whiny, Lin. I'm sure this will be fun. I just don't get out much and . . ."
"Oh, here he comes," Lindy says, interrupting her. She pastes a smile on her face as Javier approaches and calls to him to get his attention. "Hey, Javy."
"Lindy. Good to see you again." He reaches out for her and kisses her cheek before turning and flashing his winning smile at Emily, prompting Lindy to introduce them.
"This is my roommate, Emily. Emily, this is Javier Toro."
"It's nice to meet you, Javier," Emily smiles.
"The pleasure's all mine," he says, kissing her hand. Emily blushes. She glances over his shoulder and mouths thank you to her roommate.
"Well . . . " Lindy asks expectantly. "What did you bring me, Javy?"
"Yeah, about that . . ." he starts, suddenly finding his shoes very interesting.
"He bailed, didn't he?"
"Not exactly," Javy tries to explain. "But he wasn't exactly down with the idea. He's here, but he doesn't know you are. I'm sorry, Lindy. He's been having woman problems. He just recently lost the love of his life and he can't get over her. I thought coming out was what he needed."
"They sound perfect for each other," Emily says, casting Lindy a knowing glare.
"Anyway, looks like I have two dates for the evening, if you ladies don't mind." Javy holds his arms out to both women, ready to escort them to the table.
"I have a better idea," Lindy interrupts. "Why don't you and Em go find a table and get to know each other. I'll go talk to bar boy over there and see if I can get him to join us."
"Good idea," Emily says. "Let me go to the ladies room first and I'll meet you at the table, Javier." She throws him a flirty smile and head to the restroom.
"I think she likes you," Lindy grins.
"I think I like her, too," he smiles dreamily. "And I know Jarod would like you if he would only . . . "
For the second time that evening, her heart practically stops beating in her chest. Maybe Jarod was a common name. Her reacting to the name doesn't necessarily means she knows him. Maybe it just means she knew a Jarod in her past and hearing the name was somehow triggering something. But for some reason she doesn't think that's the case. She thinks there's more to it than mere coincidence.
"Lindy? Lindy? Something wrong?" Javy asks her, his concern evident on his face. "You kind of phased out on me for a minute there."
"On the contrary. I think something may finally be right." She gives him one last smile before walking over to the bar. And possibly to the answers she's been looking for.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Jarod sits at the bar, staring into his drink and ignoring everything going on around him. He barely hears the bartender ask him if he would like something else and just waves him away. Another woman comes up to him, the third that evening, and he waits for her to try to start a conversation with him. The other two women got tired of his one word answers. This woman wouldn't even get the benefit of his responses. The alcohol was starting to work its numbing powers and he didn't feel like trying to be semi-polite anymore.
"Is this seat taken?" he hears the woman ask, just like all the others asked. But unlike the others, there's something about this voice. He squeezes his eyes shut and shakes his head, partly to answer the woman, partly to shake the image of 'her' that pops up from time to time. He feels like he's slowly losing his mind. He's been seeing ghosts everywhere he's gone for the past few months. And now, he's starting to hear them as well. This woman sounds so much like her. But he can't bear to look at her. If he looks at her, he knows the image will be shattered.
"You must be Jarod, Javier's roommate. My name is Lindy Hall," she says, introducing herself. "He's told me a little about you."
Now it was all clear to him. The blind date. Javier never called it off. He's going to have to set her straight.
"Look, Miss. Javier was supposed to . . . " he opens his eyes and faces her, finally looking at her. He can't believe what he's seeing. He blinks a few times, expecting the image to disappear, but she's still there. His alcohol dulled senses finally catch up with him and he jumps out the seat.
"Jarod?"
"Y-y-you're dead," his raspy voice spits out. "They told me you were dead."
"They who? Wait a second, you know me? From before this?"
It takes him a few seconds to process it all, but he makes his mind work again and remembers back to the beginning of the conversation when she introduced herself. Lindy. Lindy Hall. That's what she said her name was.
"I don't know," he says, genuinely confused. "But you look . . . just like her."
"Why did you say that?" she asks, suddenly getting defensive before realizing how psychotic she must sound. "I'm sorry. It's just . . . I think I've heard that before. And I don't like it for some reason."
He looks at her strangely, taking in all her facial features. Examining her closely. This was the best so far. Of all the women he mistook for her over the past few months, none of them held up to this kind of scrutiny. Yet, there's not even the slightest spark of recognition in her eyes.
"You really don't know me, do you?" he finally asks her.
"I don't know. It's possible that I could," she says, biting her lip. "But I don't even know myself. I woke up a few months ago in a hospital. When they asked me my name, Melinda popped into my head. But that didn't feel quite right. It was like that was my name, but no one ever called me that. So I go by Lindy. I just made the 'Hall' part up. That's all I know. And I can't believe I just told a total stranger that," she blushes.
"We might not be total strangers," he mumbles, still in shock over seeing her. "We need to get out of here. Go somewhere and talk." He grabs onto her hand and she pulls it away, looking apprehensive.
"I don't know if that's such a good idea," she says warily, remembering what Emily said earlier about how dangerous someone from her past might be. This guy seems to think he knows her. But what if he wants to hurt her?
"Please," he begs her. "Trust me, okay?"
She looks at him while she ponders her choice. Something in his eyes tells her he won't hurt her. That she can indeed trust him. Before she can think too hard about what she's doing, she holds out her car keys to him.
"It's a black Saturn. I'll go tell the others we're leaving. I'm sure Javier won't mind bringing my roommate home."
He breathes a sigh of relief and goes to the car to wait for her. One by one, his thoughts begin to take over. Could it really be her? She didn't know him or herself, but it was entirely possible. He doesn't know how, though. She was dead. He saw the body himself. He knew all about Raines and Lyle's plan to lure him to the funeral. Which is why he snuck into the Centre to see her before the burial. He held her cold, lifeless body in his arms. How could she be walking around in New Mexico now? A knock on the driver side window startles him from his thoughts. He looks up to see her smiling face.
"Better let me drive," she says. "You look like you've had a few strong drinks. Besides, you don't know how to get to my house."
He nods his head mutely and gets out of the car to get into the other side. A few seconds later, they're on their way. A tiny part of him wonders if this could be the ultimate trap to get him back to the Centre. But the rest of him wants to believe so badly that this is her. That she's been given back to him for a second chance at the life they should have been leading all along. And this time, he's determined not to waste it.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Lindy unlocks her front door, letting herself and Jarod into the house. He didn't say a word the entire trip back. He just stared at her the whole time, kind of like he's doing now. Oddly enough, it doesn't freak her out. He's obviously as confused as she is about her identity.
"Why don't you have a seat," she offers. "I'll go fix us some coffee."
"No," he says emphatically, the desperation in his voice evident. "Don't go. Not yet. Please."
"Okay," she smiles. She waits to see where he sits before taking a seat across the room. She didn't want to get too close. "So, you said we needed to talk. So talk. I seem to make you uncomfortable. Why is that?"
"You remind me of someone," he says quietly.
"Yeah. I gathered that when you looked at me as if I were a ghost," she chuckles. His face lights up in a smile that melts her heart.
"You . . I mean she never laughed very much," he explains. "But when we were younger, she used to laugh all the time. And it used to sound just like that."
"Tell me about her, Jarod," Lindy says, moving to the couch next to him. "Tell me about this woman I remind you of."
"I'd rather not."
"I'm sorry," she apologizes quickly. "I didn't mean to pry. It's just you seemed so happy when . . . "
"No, it's not that," he says, grabbing her hand without even thinking. "It's just . . . if you are her, then you wouldn't really be her. You understand?"
"Not really," she shakes her head.
"What I'm trying to say is that you look like her. You sound like her. But you don't act like her. So even if you were her, you're a totally different person now. And I'd rather get to know who you are now. I think I could like her too," he smiles.
"That's sweet," she smiles back. She feels her pulse quicken and wonders if he can hear her heart pounding. "Although, I must warn you, there's not much to tell you about myself. All I know is that I woke up in a hospital almost two months ago. So there's not much to get to . . . Jarod, what is it?" She sees that he's shaken by her last comment and starts to worry.
"That's when she died," he whispers. "It's so weird, Miss Pa . . . I mean, Lindy."
"What were you about to call me?"
"Miss Parker. That was her name."
"Kind of formal, don't you think?" she asks suspiciously. "You seem like you loved this woman a lot. So why the 'Miss'?"
"It's what everyone called her at the place she worked," he explains.
"So you worked with her? I don't get it."
"Sort of," he frowns, not sure how to explain things.
"But you said you knew each other as kids. Did you call her 'Miss' back then, too?"
"Her dad ran this place sort of like a school. We grew up there together. In public, I called her Miss Parker. But when we were alone, she let me call her by her nickname."
"What did you call her, Jarod?" she asks.
"I thought we were going to talk about you now," he says suddenly, trying to change the subject. "I haven't been in town long, but I hear the Caverns are pretty interesting. We should go someti. . . "
"Jarod," she yells. "Don't do this. Tell me the truth. What did you call her?"
"Lindy," he admits quietly. "Short for Melinda. Her name was Melinda Parker."
"Melinda," she repeats. "Her name was Melinda, like me. She looked like me. She sounded like me. She died almost the same time I appeared here. This can't be just a coincidence. I mean, it could, I guess. But if it was, I don't think I would . . . "
"You don't think you'd what?"
"Feel about you as strongly as I do," she finally says. She stands and starts pacing around the living room, avoiding his eyes at every turn. "Jarod, I know we just met. But I think I've been searching for you since I woke up in that hospital. I don't know what it is about you, but I feel that you're who I've been looking for. I've gone out with tons of guy who look a lot like you. But never did I . . . feel anything for them. Not like I do with you."
"What do you feel?" he asks shyly.
"I don't know," she admits. She stops in front of the window and stares out. "I just don't know. I feel somewhat complete, I guess. Like whatever journey I was on is over. Finding you, I feel that everything is going to be alright, just because you're here. Does that make any sense?"
He's unable to answer her question, so he just stands there. But she understands his silence, his confusion at the situation.
"What about you? What do you feel?" she asks him.
"About who?"
"About me. About her. It doesn't really matter anymore since I'm pretty sure we're one in the same." She would laugh at that sad truth if she didn't feel as if her life has just been split into a million pieces.
"But you aren't her," he sighs.
He walks up to her and stops behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders. Gently, he turns her around until she's facing him. For what seems like the longest minute ever, they simply stare at each other. His fingers skim lightly across her neck, tracing the jagged scar outlining her jugular.
"You're nothing like her," he whispers. "Because if you were, you'd never let me do this."
He slowly dips his head until his lips brush across hers, barely touching them. She lets out a surprised gasp and he takes advantage of the slight opening of her mouth to fully latch onto her lips. He pulls her trembling body closer to his own while renewing the kiss with a vigor. After a moment of temporary shock, she becomes an active participant in the kiss, opening her mouth wider in invitation. His knees almost buckle when he hears her soft moans. He abruptly pulls away, resting his forehead on hers while trying to catch his breath.
"I think that coffee might be a good idea now," he pants. He places on last gentle kiss on her cheek before letting her out of his embrace. "We need to slow this down. There's still a lot we need to talk about."
"Is this your way of saying you just want us to be friends?" she asks, half joking, but also half afraid that it might be true.
"After a kiss like that? Are you kidding?" he chuckles lightly. "But, I'm not sure where we should go from here."
"On the couch," she smiles, not really misunderstanding his question, but just putting off thinking about the answer until later. "I'll go get that coffee. Then we can talk."
She waits for him to take a seat before going into the kitchen. Once on the other side of the door, she finally allows herself to fully react to what just happened, blushing furiously at the memory of his lips on hers. She may not have her memory, but she knows without a doubt that she's never been kissed quite like that before. And she may not be a fortune teller, but she can safely bet that from now on, Jarod will be the only one kissing her that way.
Chapter 4
*******************
He watches in awe as she throws her head back, releasing a deep, throaty chuckle over something he just said. He doesn't know what she found so amusing and it doesn't even matter to him, he realizes. Just hearing her laugh, seeing her enjoying his company, is enough to make him happy. He looks down at his watch and sees that hours have gone by without them even realizing it. They've been talking about any and everything. Over the course of the evening, he's come to realize that Lindy is very much like Miss Parker. The closeness they shared as children took no time to reclaim despite her not having any memories of their past. The feelings he had for her are back in full force. And with each minute that passes, he finds himself that much more in love with her again.
"You're so funny," she says, settling her head back on his shoulder after calming down from her fit of giggles.
He feels her let out a breath of warm air that floats down his neck causing new feelings to stir within. Feelings that they were too young to experience when they were just children.
She feels him shudder and can't resist pressing her lips onto his neck, sucking lightly on the soft skin she finds there. His moan of appreciation only spurs her on and she sucks a little harder, determined to mark him as her own.
"Miss Pa . . . um, Lindy, I think you should stop," he says, half heartedly attempting to push her away.
"Is that what you really want?" she asks him. She bites down lightly causing him to yelp in surprise.
"Not at all," he moans, capturing her lips in a searing kiss and pulling away much too soon for either of their satisfaction. "But we can't do this. Not right now."
"Why not?" she pouts.
"Why not? Well for one thing, I don't even know what to call you. Should I call you Lindy? Or Miss Parker? It's kind of confusing. And I know if we keep this up, it'll only confuse things more."
"Not a problem. Just don't call me at all," she says with a wicked grin that turns into a groan as he finds a sensitive spot below her ear despite his previous arguments to stop. "In fact, don't say anything. I can think of a much better use for your mouth."
Before he can protest, she attacks again, bewitching him yet again with her kisses. She runs her tongue back and forth across his bottom lip until he opens to her probing. She eagerly jumps in, thoroughly exploring the his depths. She pulls his tongue into her mouth and sucks it gently, eliciting an feral growl from Jarod. With his last coherent thought, he pulls her into his lap and lays back on the couch, her knees falling to the cushions as she straddles him.
She kisses him in earnest, thoroughly working his mouth before he pulls away and starts on her neck. He kisses his way from one side to the other, his tongue pausing to healingly lave her scar. She senses a change in his touch from sensual to something else and she looks down into his face, surprised to see tears streaming from his eyes.
"Jarod? What is it?" She sits back onto his lap, helping him up into a sitting position as well.
"I always wondered," he whispers, still stroking his finger across the scar. "I wondered if this is what killed you. I was there before they . . . before the funeral. I was with you in that cold room, your body so still and lifeless. I saw this scar and thought that if I could heal it, then I could heal you. But you were so cold. So silent. Dead. And there was nothing I could do to bring you back." He wraps his arms around her waist and buries his head in her chest, crying harder than he ever has.
"Oh, Jarod," she cries with him. "It's okay, Baby. I'm here. I'm here now." She holds him close, running her fingers gently through his hair until he calms down. They spend long, silent moments holding each other with only the sounds of their heartbeats filling the room.
"I'm sorry about that," he apologizes shyly after he's composed himself again. "What a way to kill the mood, huh?" He laughs a pitiful laugh as he eases her off his lap.
"Jarod, you were right," she says, shaking her head. She leans over to give him one last kiss on his cheek. "This isn't something we need to do tonight to complicate things. It was just too much. Why don't you go freshen up? The bathroom's just down the hall. When you get back, we'll talk some more. I'll try to keep my hands off of you this time," she grins, happy that she's brought a little smile to his face as well.
"Okay. Be right back." He grabs her hand in his and kisses it before heading to the bathroom.
She waits until she hears the lock snick on the bathroom door before her face lights up in the biggest smile. She can't believe how much she's fallen for him in such a short amount of time. But she suspects that she's always felt this way about him and just couldn't remember. That's the only plausible explanation for what she's feeling now. There's no way anyone can fall this hard this fast.
The front door opens slowly and Lindy sees Emily peek her head around the corner.
"Tell me you didn't wait up for me, Lindy," Emily laughs when she sees the woman sitting on the couch. She opens the door wider and allows Javy inside.
"Javy, I thought I told you midnight was her curfew," Lindy jokes. "It's almost 3 a.m. What have you two been doing this time of night?"
"None of your business," Javy blushes, peeking sheepishly over at Emily. "I see you're still up. Does that mean my roommate's still here?"
"Yes. He just went into the bathroom to freshen up." This time, it's Lindy's turn to blush.
"Really?" Emily asks, obviously amused. "And what have *you* been doing?"
"I'll tell you later," she winks at her roommate, and they laugh at the panicked expression on Javier's face. "Calm down, Javy. You should know by now that women tell each other *everything*." They all crack up again.
"What's so funny?" Jarod asks, walking back into the living room. "I could hear the laughter all the way down the . . . "
He stops in his tracks, mouth falling wide open. One shock of the evening was all he thought he could take. But here he is again, faced with yet another surprise.
"Jarod?" the petite blond asks in a shaky voice.
"Emily," he gasps. In the next second, Jarod finds himself across the room with his arms wrapped tightly around the woman. He gives her one last squeeze before releasing her, tucking a strand of her blond locks behind her ear. "I can't believe it's really you. You look so different."
"I dyed it," she sniffs, unable to hold back her tears. "What are you doing here? How did you find me?"
"I didn't," he laughs, wiping away his own tears. "It was fate. It appears my roommate hooked me up with your roommate on a blind date."
"So, it turns out that my Jarod is actually your Jarod," Lindy says to Emily.
"And your Emily turned out to be my Emily," Javy says to Jarod. "Jarod, why didn't you tell me your sister was such a hottie? I would have helped you find her a long time ago," he quips.
"Out. Get out of the house and away from my sister," Jarod orders playfully.
"No way, man. Not without you. If I can't stay the night with my girl, then you can't stay with yours either."
"Nice try, but it's not the same thing," Jarod says. "I have a lot of catching up to do with my sister."
"He's right, Jarod," Emily cuts in. "It's late. We can all get a good night's sleep and meet tomorrow."
"Em," he whines. "I've just found you again. The both of you. I don't want to leave."
"I know," Emily smiles. "I don't want you to go either, but it's three in the morning. I need some sleep."
"Fine," he relents. "But I'll be back here first thing in the morning. Good night." He gives Emily one more hug before finally letting her out of his embrace.
"Do I get one of those too?" Lindy asks. She giggles when he grabs her in his arms and pulls her into a deep kiss.
"Good night," he whispers, reluctant to let her go. He buries his nose in the warm cavern of her neck, taking a deep breath of her essence. "Sweet dreams."
"Let's go, Loverboy," Javy says, pulling on Jarod's arm. On the way out the door, he drops a kiss on Emily's cheek and tells her good night. He has to practically drag Jarod to the car and shove him inside.
"Thank you," Jarod says a few minutes into the short drive home. "Thank you for finding them. I've been searching a long time for my sister."
"I didn't do anything, Jarod. Like you said before, it was just fate. It was our night to find happiness. I think we both found it with your sister. And you got a bonus with Lindy. You two certainly seemed to have hit it off ," he teases. "And I thought girls didn't kiss on the first date. That was some good-bye smooch she gave you."
"That kiss was a long time coming, my friend," Jarod grins before closing his eyes for the rest of the trip. A long time indeed, he thinks to himself. It's about time his life finally resembled something normal. Hopefully, if he's lucky, this will be one of the last good-bye kisses Miss Parker gives him. He doesn't plan on wasting anymore time now that they're back together. He's never leaving her again. And he knows she feels the same way right now. But he can't help himself from worrying if that will change. What will happen when she gets her memory back?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Lindy stretches in the bed, the smell of freshly brewed coffee invading her senses. She takes a deep breath and smells the slightly more subtle scent of bacon and eggs. Someone's been cooking. And she knows it wasn't Emily. That girl couldn't find her way around a kitchen with a map, she thinks to herself with a laugh. It must be Jarod. She smiles and jumps out the bed, eager to get downstairs.
"I just don't know what to do about her, Emily," she hears Jarod's muffled voice. She stops just outside the kitchen door and listens to the brother and sister talk. It sounds like they're talking about her.
"You have two options. You can stay and take the risk that she's here to hurt you. Or you can just run from her like you've been doing all these years," Emily simply states.
"I'm not leaving her," he insists adamantly. "That's not an option."
Lindy silently releases the breath she was holding. The idea of being apart from him panicked her for some reason. Hearing him refuse to leave her was comforting. But she's still curious about why they're discussing this in the first place. Why do they think she would want to hurt Jarod?
"Okay, I hear you. Calm down. Jarod, for what it's worth, I sort of understand your fears. But Lindy and I have been roommates for months now. I love her like a sister. She's the best friend I ever had. I don't think it's a ruse to get you back to the Centre."
"I love her too, Em," he says with a weary smile. "I've loved her my whole life, even all those years we were apart and she was chasing me. I'm so tempted to let things be. To not tell her anything about her past. But she deserves to know. Even if it means she'll remember, she deserves to know."
"Her remembering might not be a bad thing," Emily offers optimistically. "Jarod, I've never seen anyone as happy as Lindy is now that she's found you. I don't think she's going to be giving you up."
"Even if she remembers being Miss Parker? And that sending me back to that place is what she's supposed to do? What she was raised to do?"
"But not what she was born to do," she says, grabbing his hand. "You told me you've loved her your whole life. Don't you think the same applies to her? From what you tell me, she was trained and probably forced to chase you. But I think she was put here on this earth to love you as much as you love her."
"How did you get to be so smart?" he asks her, kissing her hand.
"Runs in the family, Big Brother," she smiles.
Lindy senses that's the end of the conversation and decides to reveal herself.
"Something smells good," she says, walking into the kitchen. She leans over Jarod's shoulder and gives him an upside down kiss. She yelps when he reaches behind him and manages to pull her into his lap to kiss her properly.
"Good morning," he says, giving her one last kiss.
"It is now," she smiles before turning to look at Emily. "You guys been up a long time?"
"He got here at the crack of dawn," Emily giggles.
"Good. That means you've had him awhile and now . . . it's my turn." She turns and gives Jarod a hungry look, causing him to blush. She laughs at his panic. "Relax, Jarod. I was thinking more along the lines of going for a walk or something."
"I knew that," he says with what sounds like a relieved sigh. "Go get dressed and I'll help Emily clean up. You want some breakfast?"
"Not really. Maybe just some coffee." She gives him one last kiss before dashing up the stairs to get ready for the day.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It's early, yet the sun seemed already at its peak, exacerbating the dry desert heat. Instead of walking, Jarod suggested a drive. The colorful New Mexico landscape flies by as they make their way across the terrain. He looks over and sees his companion staring pensively out the window.
"You're awfully quiet this morning," he says, grabbing onto her hand with the one of his not on the steering wheel. "Something on your mind?"
"Yeah," she says timidly, biting on a corner of her lip. "I have a question for you. What's the Centre?"
Jarod practically slams on the brakes in the middle of the road and decides to pull over before causing an accident. The car rolls to a stop and he gets out the car, expecting that she'll follow.
"Are you remembering?" he asks her, his voice shaking with fear.
"No. I overheard you and Emily talking in the kitchen this morning."
"Oh," he nods his head, not sure if he's relieved or not. "What do you want to know about it?"
"Why I, or Miss Parker, would want to take you back there. And why that scares you so much."
"I don't even know where to begin, Pa . . . Lin . . . ugh," he moans. "You see what I mean about this being so confusing?" He shakes his head and walks back over to the car, sitting on the hood.
"Jarod, when you look at me, what do you want to call me?" she asks him gently.
"You're her," he whimpers. "You're Miss Parker, but at the same time you're not. I'm so used to calling you by that name."
"Then you can call me that," she smiles. "I don't mind. Now talk to me. Tell me about the Centre."
"Are you sure, Parker?"
"I think so," she nods hesitantly. "I'll stop you if it gets to be too much."
"Alright, then. Remember that place I talked about before? The sort of school where we grew up? That's the Centre," he starts. "It's a corporation in Delaware run by your father. When I was younger, I was . . . taken by the Centre because of a special ability I possess."
"Taken? As in kidnapped?"
"Yes. I was stolen from my home one night and taken to the Centre. I spent my entire life there. As a prisoner."
"Why would they do that? What kind of ability do you have."
"I'm what they call a pretender. A genius with the ability to do or become anything I want. I learn quickly and can adapt or simulate any situation. That's what they had me do all my life. I'd run simulations of certain scenarios and then they would sell the results to the highest bidder. When I realized that some of my work was being used for evil, I escaped."
They sit quietly for awhile, giving her a chance to process all he's told her so far.
"Where do I fit in all of this?" is her next question.
"Like I said, your father runs the Centre. You used to spend a lot of time there. We became really good friends. Too good friends for your father's liking. He sent you away to a boarding school. When you came back, you were different. I hardly ever saw you, mostly just in passing. You ended up working there."
"I can't believe that," she gasps. "Why?"
"You wanted to please your father. He was all you had, Parker. You lost your mother when you were young," he says gently, putting his arm around her to support her if she needed it. He silently prays he doesn't have to tell her just how Catherine Parker died. She won't be able to handle that.
"My mother's dead?" A few tears escape and she's not really sure why. She doesn't remember this woman, but she still feels a sadness knowing she's no longer alive.
"You okay? You want me to keep going?"
"Yeah," she nods quickly, wiping the tears from her face. "Go on."
"Anyway, I escaped from the Centre about 5 years ago. And it became your job to find me and bring me back. That's basically it."
"I don't understand, Jarod," she says. "I just don't understand. I think there's a lot to this story you're leaving out."
"I don't think you want to know everything," he tells her honestly.
"I don't think so either," she whispers. "Not right now, anyway. You've spent your life either as a prisoner of that place or with me chasing you to put you back. It's a wonder you don't hate me."
"Parker, no. I don't hate you," he insists, pulling her into his arms. "I've never hated you. I didn't understand your reasons. And I was angry that you all couldn't just leave me alone. But I never hated you."
She relaxes in his arms, silently crying into his chest for all that's happened in the past. But she realizes how lucky she is to have him in this life. She can't worry about what happened before. Right now is where they are. And right now, she loves him. One day, she'll get around to telling him. One day very soon, she thinks with a sigh of contentment.
Chapter 5
*******************
They turn down aisle of the store and enter the health and beauty section. The women immediately gravitate to the make up counter and pose in the mirror. Miss Parker, the name she's come to recognize as her own, reaches over Emily's shoulder and grabs a bottle of perfume.
"What do you think of this, Em?" She sprays a little into the air, wrinkling her nose when the odor spreads. "Eww, nevermind. I'll add that to my list of 'Things I need to learn again. Never buy perfume from the grocery store." She laughs out loud and by herself for a few seconds before realizing that Emily is a million miles away.
"Emily?" she calls again, trying to get the woman's attention. With a sigh of frustration, she puts the perfume down and stalks over to the next aisle, pulling Emily behind her. She stops about halfway down and pulls out a box. "Here. You're going to drive yourself crazy if you don't find out."
"I know. You're right, Lindy," Emily finally responds. "I just can't believe something like this is happening. I've only been seeing Javy a month. This is not the kind of thing a new relationship needs."
"Do you really think that you're . . . you know?"
"I've never been this late before."
"Well, take the test and see if it's positive. Then we'll go from there," Miss Parker says, handing Emily the home pregnancy test she's holding. "If it's negative, no harm done. You and Javy will just be a lot more careful in the future," she gently scolds.
"What if it's positive?" Emily asks quietly, worried tears starting to glaze her eyes.
"If it's positive, you probably won't have to worry about telling Javy. I'm sure Jarod will kill him," she laughs, grateful to see she's coaxed a small smile from Emily.
"Wouldn't want my brother to go to jail," she giggles. "I hope for his sake the test is negative."
"Don't worry too much, Em," Miss Parker says, turning suddenly serious. "You know that no matter what, both Jarod and I will be there for you, right?"
"I know," she nods, tossing the box into the cart. "Let's get going, okay? The sooner I take this test, the better."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The cashier watches a man, tall and slender, pay for a pack of cigarettes at the next register. She barely pays any attention to the two women in her own aisle. He smiles, showing off a row of perfect, white teeth which contrasts beautifully with his smooth, brown skin. Without giving it a second thought, she flips off her light, signaling her line is now closed. She quickly finished ringing up her customers and follows him out the store. She has the sudden urge for a smoke break.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"That's all you wanted?" A tall, blond man hops out the car and walks over to his friend. "You made us drive this far into town off of the interstate for a pack of cigarettes?" But despite all his complaining, he reaches for one. His friend grudgingly complies.
"Ted, you know they cost too much at the gas stations right off the interstate. Besides, we may get a chance to sample the . . . local flavor, if you get my drift. I saw a cashier in the store checking me out. I think she even followed me out here." Both men laugh the laugh of men who know they're good looking and irresistible to women.
"Speaking of local flavor," Ted starts, signaling to his friend to turn around. "Forget about the cashier. Check those two out."
The men stare at the women walking out the store, their hands full of bags.
"Think we should be gentlemen and offer them our assistance?" Ted asks with a leer. He looks over at his friend when he notices a strange silence. "You alright, Will?"
"What? Oh, yeah. It's just, I think I know her," he says, squinting into the sun to get a better look at the women. Tall. Thin. Dark hair a little longer than before, but she still looks the same. Only she's looking awfully good for a dead woman.
"Well, then. Let's go say hello," Ted smirks, dragging his friend towards the women.
"Ladies," he calls when they reach the car. "Do you need any help."
"No thanks," they hear the dark haired woman answer politely. "We're fine."
"Okay. Well how about you two help us? See, my friend Will and I are just passing through town. But it seems like such a lovely town. Maybe you two can show us around."
"That's awfully sweet of you and Will, but we're going to have to decline your offer. Emily and I have to be going." She smiles at them before turning back to finish loading her bags.
"I thought you said you knew her," Ted mumbles to his friend.
"I thought I did, too. But she didn't seem to recognize me," he says, perplexed. From a distance he wasn't sure. But up close, hearing her voice, verified his theory. It didn't make any sense that she didn't recognize him.
"Well, we should get going," Ted shrugs off the rejection.
"You know what, Ted. I think I'm going to stick around for a day or two. See if I can get her to remember me."
"Man, she must have been some woman," Ted remarks amusedly. "But you know we can't stay. We have to be in Los Angeles by tomorrow."
"I'll catch a flight out or something," Will says. "Just get my bag from the car for me and I'll be set." He's barely paying attention to his friend anymore and is surprised when he returns in what seems like just a few seconds with his backpack.
"She better be worth all of this," Ted says, tossing the bag on the ground. "I'll see you later." After getting no more than a distracted wave, he rolls his eyes and goes back to the car, starting it up and driving off.
Will bends down to get his bag, never once taking his eyes off of the two women. He doesn't intend on letting them out of his sight.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Lindy? Are you okay?" Emily sees the sudden paleness of her friend's skin and worries about her. She was fine a second ago. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know," she groans. "I feel kind of funny. Uneasy or something. It was something about one of those guys that bothered me. I just . . . ahhh." She clutches at her head, the pain bringing her to her knees.
"Lindy? LINDY!" She kneels next to Miss Parker and doesn't notice the set of footsteps getting closer.
"Let me help," a deep voice offers. Emily looks up and sees that it's one of the guys from before. She's not sure if he's the one her friend has gotten all worked up over, but she doesn't have time to worry about that now. She needs his help.
"We need to get her to the hospital," Emily tells him. "Lin, I'm going to take you to Carlsbad Memorial. Jarod's working today. He'll see you."
Will's eyes practically pop out his head, but his shock goes by unnoticed.
"No, that's alright," Miss Parker says, breathing heavily from the recent stress. "I'm okay. Just a little shaky. I just want to go home."
Before she can protest, she feels Will's arms go around her and scoop her up off the ground. He carries her to the car and sets her gently on the back seat. She's grateful for his help as another wave of pain crashes over her again. She can't hold back a moan.
"Why don't you get back there with her? I can drive," he offers.
"Okay," Emily says without thinking, Miss Parker's moans getting louder. She gives him quick directions before turning back to her friend in agony. She doesn't know what's wrong. But whatever is happening has never happened before. It could be an after effect of the accident or it could be caused by something else entirely. If she doesn't go to the hospital, they'll never know. Hopefully Jarod will be able to find out what's wrong with her. She'll call him as soon as they get home.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Will stands outside the house on the porch. He helped the women get settled inside and decided to make himself scarce for the time being. It's no need in making this suspicious at this point in time. Besides, the blond one was going to be calling Jarod. He's actually the main prize.
Will reaches into his back and searches for his cell phone to call reinforcements. He roots around mindlessly for a few seconds before realizing his search is coming up empty. He checks his pockets and inside the bag again before realizing the phone wasn't in there.
"Must've left it in the car," he grumbles. That means there won't be any reinforcements coming any time soon. If he's going to capture Jarod, he's going to have to do it by himself. His hand finally hits on something cold and metal. He pulls it out and notes that while it isn't his cell phone, it's something far more useful.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I wish you hadn't have done that," Miss Parker says, watching Emily put the phone back on the hook. "I'm fine. It was just a headache."
"A headache that just about incapacitated you, Lin. I was worried. Besides, my brother would have killed me if I didn't tell him about this. He's on his way here now."
"And that's what I didn't want. Jarod's patients are important to him. He shouldn't have to leave them just to tell me to take a couple aspirin and go to bed for the rest of the day. It's just a headache." Miss Parker lays back on the couch and places a hand on her stomach, trying to ease the queasiness.
"Upset stomach? Are you sure you don't have the same problem as me, Lin? Should we have brought two pregnancy tests?" Emily teases.
"Emily! That is so not the case with me, I can assure you," she blushes. "I don't remember much about my past, but I do remember enough to know that I’m no virgin named Mary if you get my drift. So the chances of me being pregnant are pretty much nonexistent."
"You mean you and my brother haven't . . . I mean, you were pretty hot and heavy from day one. I was sure this has been one intense month for you two."
"If you must know, Emily, no. But not for my lack of trying," she laughs, her cheeks reddening even more. "He's just so . . . noble and gentlemanly. Respectful of me to the point of frustration."
"Gotta hate that in a man," Emily giggles.
They both laugh for a few minutes, hearing the front door opening and expecting it to be Jarod. They aren't prepared to see their newly made acquaintance standing there holding a gun on them.
"Will?" Emily stares at him, a confused expression on her face. "What's all this?"
"Shut up and take a seat," he orders. "On the floor, both of you. Sit back to back."
He patiently waits for them to comply before putting his gun away and pulling out a roll of duct tape. He works quickly to bind them together at the hands and around the waist to be sure they don't try to go anywhere.
"Why are you doing this?" Miss Parker asks, trying to hide the pain exploding in her head again. Why is this man causing this reaction in her?
"I think you know why, Miss Parker," he says.
"What did you call me?" She gasps when she realizes he must know her from before. From her time at the Centre. "You work for that place, don't you? That awful place Jarod told me about."
"You really don't remember?" He lets out a deep chuckle. "This is classic. They won't believe this back in Blue Cove."
"I’m not going back there," she warns him. "I'm not that same person anymore."
"I don't want you," he laughs again. "There's a bigger prize out there. And I intend on using you to catch him."
The sound of a car in the driveway can be heard and both the women are dismayed and relieved at the same time. Relieved that Jarod is finally there, but afraid for his safety should he enter the house.
"Ahh, that must be him now," he smiles, pulling out the gun. He puts his finger up to his lips, signaling them to stay quiet. "No sounds, ladies. We wouldn't want to alert him."
A few seconds later, that theory is proven correct when Jarod comes running into the house.
"Parker," he yells out before forcing himself to be quiet. Emily said she had a terrible headache. He wouldn't want to disturb her if she had managed to get to sleep. He tips quietly into the living room, looking around for the women. He spots them sitting on the floor with tear streaked faces.
"Jarod get out of here," Miss Parker yells, taking no regard for her own safety and blatantly disobeying the orders of the gunman. A shot rings out, punishing her for her sin.
"No," Jarod screams, running to her side without thought of where the shot came from. He finds a blooming patch of red on the sleeve of her shirt and notes that she's been shot in the arm. The bullet appears to have gone straight through, but she's unconscious now, probably from the shock of the combined pain of the gunshot wound and the headache.
"Always your problem, Jarod. You can't seem to stay away from an injured Miss Parker, no matter what the danger is to you. I knew that would work to my advantage one of these days."
"Willie," he growls, turning around to face the other man.
"You seemed surprised to see me, Jarod. That's odd, considering you're holding a ghost in your arms," he says with a laugh. "But silly me. I've been at the Centre long enough to know that nobody stays dead. Certainly not a Parker."
"Listen, Willie. I'll make you a deal. Let me call an ambulance for her. Then you can take me from here," Jarod promises.
"I don't think so. Just patch her up and let's get going. She's the only thing I can think of that will keep you in line. We're going back to the Centre and Miss Parker's coming with us."
"No. I'm not doing it," Jarod refuses. "You're not getting both of us out of here. You can either let me call some help for her or you shoot me. And if you do that, then you'll have to carry me out of here and she stays anyway."
"Or, I can shoot her," Willie snarls, aiming the gun towards Emily. He feels victorious when he sees the torn look on Jarod's face. He took a gamble in assuming this other woman was important to him. Looks like it's going to pay off. "If you don't want to see her die, then I suggest you play by my rules."
"Hand me my bag," Jarod says through clenched teeth.
"That's what I thought," Willie grins, kicking the medical bag towards Jarod.
Jarod examines the wound, and as he suspected, the bullet went clean through. He takes advantage of her unconscious state to thoroughly clean the area and bandages it quickly. With his back to Willie, he's able to conceal most of what he's doing from the man. But he guesses he only has a few more minutes before Willie expects him to be done. Just a few minutes to come up with something to save all their lives.
He looks into the bag, pretending to search for something, while examining the various tools for their usefulness as a possible weapon. He frowns realizing that unless he plans on hitting Willie with the stethoscope until he's unconscious, there's not anything of much of use in the bag.
"You almost done, Labrat?" he asks impatiently.
"This would be much easier in a hospital. She's losing a lot of blood," he lies. "Come over here and help me put pressure on the wound while I work." In a moment of inspiration, Jarod spies something in the bottom of the bag and eases it into his palm as Willie nears.
"She looks fine," he argues, looking closely at Miss Parker's arm. "If that bandage doesn't help, then she'll just bleed to death. We're going now."
"That's where you're wrong," Jarod growls, shoving Willie away. The force of his arm hitting the floor almost sends the gun flying, but Willie's able to keep a hold on it. He lifts it to aim at Jarod just as plunges a syringe into him, pushing the contents into his system.
The anesthetic works quickly, numbing Willie's arm. He struggles to roll himself until he's perched over Jarod, the gun still gripped in his weakened hand. Jarod grabs onto the gun and they fight for control of it. Willie manages to get a finger on the trigger and pulls it.
"Jarod!" Emily screams as the gunshot echoes throughout the house. "No!" She drops her head and starts crying for her slain brother.
"Don't touch me!" she yells when she feels a hand on her shoulder.
"Em, it's me," Jarod groans.
"Jarod?" She looks up and sees his bloodied face, scarred from the battle. But he's alive. She reaches for him before realizing her arms are still bound.
"I'm fine, Em," he says, hugging her, reassuring himself that she's fine. He reaches behind her and slices through the duct tape with a knife to release her. "I'm okay. But we have to get Parker to the hospital."
"What happened?"
"The gun went off and I managed to turn it to Willie instead of me. I guess it's just my lucky day."
"Not luck, Jarod. It's your destiny. It wasn't your time to go. And it's not Lindy's either. The two of you have a great future ahead of you."
"What are you, psychic now?" Jarod smiles.
"No. I just know a good thing when I see it. You and Lindy are a good thing. She's going to be fine, Jarod."
"Do me a favor, Em," he says, suddenly turning solemn. "Take care of her. Make sure she gets to the hospital."
"Jarod? Wh . . "
"I have to deal with the body." He nods his head towards Willie's still form. "Too many questions if the police get into it. Too much danger if the Centre starts looking for him."
"Jarod, be careful," she sighs in resignation, knowing she won't be able to change his mind. "And promise me you'll be back."
"Em . . "
"Promise me," she demands. "Jarod, I just found you. Please don't run off again and make me spend another lifetime chasing you. Don't make Lindy go through that."
"I'll be back when it's safe," he promises, kissing his sister on the cheek. He reaches for Miss Parker and lifts her still unconscious form into his arms and carries her out to the car. Emily follows close behind him.
"Take care of yourself, Big Brother," she says, giving him one last hug. "She needs you. And I do, too. Come back to us." She gives him a kiss on the cheek and releases him from her embrace, getting into the car.
He watches her drive away and is filled with sadness. He says a quick, but earnest prayer, that this won't be the last time he sees either of them.
Chapter 6
*******************
Miss Parker wakes to a dull throb in her head. Slowly blinking her eyes, she finally manages to pry them all the way open and cringes at the bright sunshine lighting up the room. A hospital room she notices, much to her chagrin.
"What happened now?" she groans out loud, not realizing she had company.
"Miss Parker! You're awake!"
"Sydney? What are you doing here? What am I doing here?" she asks, trying to push herself to a sitting position, but feeling the ache in her arm.
"Slow down," Sydney says, pushing her back down. "You were shot. You need to stay off of that arm. Wait a minute. You know who I am?"
"Of course I do. Why wouldn't I?" she asks, rolling her eyes at the question.
"It's just . . . well, Jarod said that you . . . "
"Jarod? What's he have to do with all of . . . oh," she gasps, her hand flying up to her mouth. She looks frantically around the room as it all comes hazily back to her. But she still needs some answers to be entirely sure. "Where am I, Syd?" she asks shakily.
"You're in the hospital, Parker. I told you before. You were shot," he explains.
"No. I mean *where* am I? Blue Cove?"
"New Mexico. Carlsbad. Jarod says you've been here for a few months now."
"So it wasn't a dream," she mumbles, mostly to herself. She runs her hand through her hair as her two existences begin to merge in her mind. The car accident. Waking up in New Mexico. Her time before in Blue Cove at the Centre. She remembers all of it. But she has the feeling as if there's still something she's missing. Then it comes to her. "Where's Jarod?" she asks frantically. "Willie. He found us. That's all I remember."
"Calm down, Parker," Sydney says, reaching for the call button to summon the doctor. "You don't need to be getting upset like this."
"Sydney, if Willie is here, then Jarod's in danger. We have to find him and warn him," she practically cries. She tries to get out of the bed, but is easily pushed back by Sydney.
"You're not going anywhere," Sydney says sternly. Just then, the doctor comes into the room and backs him up. A nurse follows closely behind.
"I'm afraid he's right, Miss Parker," the doctor says. She finds the chart and makes a note inside before handing it to the nurse. They all watch in silence as the nurse injects something into Miss Parker's IV.
"And who are you?" she spits angrily at the woman. "What did you just give me?"
"My name is Joyce Ellers. I've been your doctor," the woman smiles. "I just gave you something to calm you down. Like your friend here, said. You don't need to be getting upset."
"Well I'm FINE, Dr. Ellers. But I need to get out of here," Miss Parker insists.
"Miss Parker, your gunshot wound was just superficial. It should be healed in a few days. But you've been unconscious for four days. I think that warrants some observation time, don't you?"
"Unconscious for four days?" she gasps in surprise. "For just a gunshot wound?"
"No, something with your brain. The friend who brought you in said you were complaining of a sudden and severe headache before collapsing and falling unconscious. We've been monitoring some pretty unusual brain activity these past few days."
"A friend brought me in? Was it Jarod?"
"No, it was Emily," Sydney informs her.
"Miss Parker, I hope you appreciate the possible risk you're under? Until we can get the anomalous brain activity under control, I'm afraid you're going to have to stay here. We'll keep you sedated if necessary."
"That won't be necessary," Miss Parker says through gritted teeth.
"She'll be good. I promise," a voice says from the doorway. Miss Parker looks up and smiles as Emily and Javy walk inside. "How are you doing?"
"Kind of groggy, actually," Miss Parker admits.
"That's the medicine working," the doctor explains. "She needs her rest. Don't make this a long visit, okay?" She smiles at the three guest before leaving the room to tend to her other patients.
"What happened, Em? Where's Jarod?"
Emily and Sydney give each other a look that doesn't go unnoticed by Miss Parker.
"What is it? Just tell me. Did Willie . . . hurt him?
"No! It's nothing like that," Emily jumps in, trying to allay the other woman's fears. "There was a gun. And struggle. Willie's dead, Lin."
"Jarod went to take care of things to make sure the Centre couldn't track you down," Sydney finishes.
"So he's okay?" Miss Parker asks, sighing in relief. "He'll be back."
"Hopefully," Emily says sadly, looking down at her shoes. Javy comes next to her and puts an arm around her, comforting her.
"He asked me to come here and keep an eye out on you. You still had your amnesia and he wanted to make sure no one else from the Centre could get as close as Willie did while he's away," Sydney explains.
"I'm glad you're here," she smiles, grabbing onto his hand and squeezing it gently. "But I'm fine. And I have my memory back. So why don't you go take a break and get some rest. You look tired."
"I'll be back in a few hours," the older man says, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. He knows not even to attempt to argue with her on this. He gives one last wave before walking out the door.
"We should be going, too," Javy says, smiling at his sad friend.
"Don't worry about Jarod, Lin," Emily says, also noticing the gloom on her friend's face. "He'll be back. He has to be. Who else is going to walk me down the aisle?"
"Em?" she says, perking up a little. "You two . . "
"We're getting married," Emily practically screams, showing Miss Parker her ring. "Javy proposed the other day after he found out about what happened with that guy with the gun."
"Afraid of losing her?" Miss Parker asks with a smile.
"Self preservation, actually," Javy laughs. "I figured if we were engaged, telling Jarod about our other news won't be like signing my own death warrant."
"You're not!" Miss Parker screams, her eyes popping wide open.
"I am," Emily nods excitedly.
"I can't believe this," Miss Parker laughs. "A hostage situation and faulty birth control. Who would have known that would be the recipe for true love. When did you find out?"
"Well, we've been sitting around the hospital with you for a few days. It just seemed to make sense for me to see a doctor while I was here," Emily says. "Javy went with me and was a lot calmer about it than I was."
"Emily, I knew I loved you the minute I met you," he says to her. "This is just sign we were looking for that this was meant to be."
"Oh, Javy," she sighs, pulling him into a kiss. "You're so sweet. I love you, too."
"And you two are sick," Miss Parker teases. "Get out of here before I hurl."
"Seriously, Lin. I know he'll be back," Emily says. "You two belong to each other. He'll find a way back here. I know it."
"I have to believe that, too," Miss Parker says, yawning as the medicine begins to make her drowsy. "He'll be back. He'll be back," she chants to herself over and over until she finally drifts off to a dreamless sleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Miss Parker paces around her room, feeling much like a caged animal. For two days she's been in this hospital. Her brain activity is back to normal now, so she can't understand why they're still keeping her.
"Miss Parker?"
"What?" she snaps, recognizing the voice of Dr. Ellers without even turning around.
"Back to your usual self I see," another voice says, the smirk evident in his tone.
"Jarod," she gasps, turning around and seeing him standing in the doorway with the doctor. She was right about that smirk. It extends into a full blown smile when their eyes meet.
"I hear you've been giving the staff a pretty hard time," he teases her.
"Well you know me," she says.
"Yes I do," he laughs. "Anyway, Dr. Ellers has some good news for you."
"More like good news for us," Dr. Ellers says with her own grin. "We're releasing you today, Miss Parker. One more EEG and you'll be out of here. No offense, but we'll be glad to be rid of you."
"Believe me, none taken," Miss Parker laughs. She looks at Jarod with a huge smile on her face. She can't wait to show him how much she missed him.
"Well, I'll leave the two of you alone now." Dr. Ellers excusing herself, realizing she's barely being registered anymore. Jarod and Miss Parker only have eyes for each other. Her patient has been completely miserable the entire time she's been conscious. A lot of people just can't deal with hospitals. But she sees now that it wasn't the hospital so much putting Miss Parker in a bad mood. It was being away from Jarod. She smiles to herself and leaves without saying good-bye. She doubts they even noticed.
"So, I hear you got your memory back," Jarod says nervously.
"I did," she nods. "I woke up and saw Sydney staring at me and it all came back." She walks over to him and places her hand on his cheek, stroking it gently. "But that doesn't mean the past month has been erased from my memory."
"It's doesn't?"
"Of course not, Jarod," she laughs. "You're a genius. You should know the mind doesn't work that way."
"I know. I was just . . . "
"Worried I wouldn't love you anymore?" she finishes for him. She watches as his face lights up in glee.
"You love me?"
"Jarod," she sighs, shaking her head in amazement. "You really didn't know?"
"You never told me," he says quietly, lifting his hand to cover the one she's still holding against his face. He leans into it before turning his head to place a gentle kiss on her palm. "I love you, too."
"I know," she smiles. "And it's even more amazing to me. Now that I realize the fear and anger and hatred you had to overcome just to be in the same room as me. The fact that you love me . . . "
"I told you I never hated you," he interrupts her. "I've always loved you, Parker. Even running from you, I loved you."
"Well, you won't have to run anymore. Ever. Even though I got my memory back, nothing changes. It doesn't matter whether I'm Lindy or Miss Parker because they both love you."
She pulls his face down to meet hers in a crushing kiss laced with plenty of passion and vows for the future. A few minutes later, he finds himself trying to stifle his laughter. He finally pulls away, laughing so hard his side is starting to hurt.
"What's so funny?" she asks, slightly annoyed at the interruption.
"Well Lindy and Miss Parker are both pretty formidable women. I just hope I'm man enough for the two of you," he laughs, causing her to giggle was well.
"We'll test that theory soon enough. That's a promise," she says seductively, pulling into another kiss. This time they're interrupted by Sydney.
"I see you've changed your hunting technique, Parker," he grins. "If that doesn't get Jarod back to the Centre, I don't know what will."
"We're not going back, Syd. Neither of us. They think I'm dead. They tried to kill me. I'm not going to give them another chance to get it right. When I think of what the two of you went through," she pauses as a tear makes it's way down her cheek.
"It's okay," Jarod whispers, pulling her into his arms. He gently smooths her hair with his hand in a calming motion. "We're just glad you're really okay."
"That's right, Parker," Sydney smiles through his own tears. "But we're not the only ones who missed you. Broots and Debbie were practically inconsolable. Broots got the nerve to leave the Centre and took his daughter to live in North Carolina."
"My father allowed that?" she asks, completely surprised.
"Your father, I believe, saved your life, Parker," Sydney tells her. "He knew that Lyle and Raines were trying to kill you. He promised me he'd fix it so that you'd never be hurt by them again. When you died, I was angry. I blamed him. But apparently he did what he promised."
"But how?" she's curious.
"I don't know. I got an anonymous tip about a month after your funeral. The code NLT98-4327. Before Broots left, he was able to dig up a little information on it. It's a SIM, but not one I ever did. We couldn't find anything else."
"It was one I did," Jarod says, trying to remember details about it. "You were away at some conference, Sydney. Mr. Parker came in one day and gave it to me. Told me to keep it secret."
"What was the SIM?" Miss Parker asks in amazement.
"A serum he called 'The Magic Death'. It can make a person appear to be dead for up to three days," Jarod explains. "I was never sure of the side effects because we never got a chance to test it. But I guess one of them must be temporary memory loss."
"And it looks like it works. He used it on me and look what happened," she smiles proudly at Jarod, kissing him briefly. "My father saved my life. If you get a chance, thank him for me, Syd."
"You're really not going back?"
"No. My place is with Jarod. I'm not leaving him. We've overcome so much to be together," she says.
"Even death," Jarod smiles. "I'm afraid, dear Parker, you're stuck with me."
"I can handle that," she says, returning his smile. "Besides, I need to stick around. I have a wedding to help plan."
"A wedding?" Jarod asks nervously. "I . . I . . . I . . . uh."
"Calm down," she laughs. "Not my wedding. Not yet anyway," she winks at him. "I'm talking about Emily's."
"Oh. Emily's wedding," he says, releasing a sigh of relief. It takes a few seconds for things to sink in. "Wait, Emily's what?"
"I take it they haven't given you your invitation yet?" She just laughs, watching the range of emotions dance across his face, including shock, anger and confusion. She wraps her arms around his neck and holds him tight, trying to calm him down.
"Do not give her a hard time about this," she orders, kissing his cheek.
"Javy and Emily are happy and in love." She kisses him again, moving closer to his mouth.
"So what if he got her pregnant." She latches onto his mouth before he can start yelling, kissing him until he barely knows his own name.
"Sydney was right," he says in a daze, still breathless from her kisses. And no longer upset about his sister's *surprise*. He gently rubs his lips back and forth across her, nibbling the bottom lightly before soothing the minor stings with his tongue.
"About what?" she moans
"There's no way I would have resisted a one way trip to the Centre if you used that particular method of persuasion. You're good, Parker."
"You're not so bad yourself," she laughs. "We're quite a pair."
"Yes we are, Parker," he chuckles. "Yes we are."
They find each other again, unable to stay apart for any longer. Determined to never be apart ever again.
Sydney tips to the door, not wanting to interrupt to two with words of good-bye. They seemed focused only on each other. From the time they were children to now, this was meant to be. It was a long time coming, but his two surrogate children have finally found their place with each other. They're finally happy. What more could a father want?
The End.
by Nicky
Chapter 1
*******************
Lyle looks nervously at his father, the tension evident on his face. While this new plan may not be popular, it may be their only choice. It's evident that Miss Parker's approach to capturing Jarod is less than effective. It's time for someone new to take over the chase. Raines had approached Lyle with this idea earlier that day and he readily agreed to it. Getting it past Mr. Parker will be a bit more difficult. Which is why they decided Lyle would be the one to present it to him. They know Mr. Parker will have serious issues with what they intend to do.
"This seems awfully dangerous, Son," Mr. Parker says finally after a long silence. "I mean, this is your sister we're talking about. Why not use the doctor?"
Not entirely a ringing endorsement on his part, but he seems to at least be considering the idea. That's promising.
"Dad, you know as well as I do how Jarod feels about her," Lyle explains. "We can't be so sure he'd be affected as strongly if we used Sydney."
"You're right," he sighs. Lyle has to hold back the smug grin aching to stretch across his face. "But how can we be sure she'll come out of this alright?"
"You have my word that I'll protect her to the best of my ability," Lyle swears, inwardly laughing at his father for being so gullible. "Like you said, this *is* my sister we're talking about."
"Alright then," Mr. Parker relents. "I guess we don't really have a choice. If they want Jarod that badly, then it's probably best that we utilize whatever tools available to catch him - even if that means using your sister."
"You made the right decision, Dad." Lyle stands up and pats the man on the shoulder before leaving his office. He has to tell Raines the plan is set. They won't be having any problems from his father.
Mr. Parker watches his son walk out the door and shakes his head. That boy is up to something. And despite what Lyle told him, he has a bad feeling that he just signed his own daughter's death warrant.
Miss Parker zooms down the highway, looking down briefly at the map on the seat next to her. She really should slow down. The light mist that started earlier fell steadily throughout the day making the roads wet and slick. But this is just the opportunity she's been waiting on. When this tip on Jarod's latest location came in, Lyle insisted that she leave immediately. He told her he would catch up later. It's odd that he'd let her get a head start, but she didn't really question it at the time. She's glad to be by herself. She generally worked better without the thumbless wonder hanging over her shoulder.
She's disappointed to see that the tiny town she's looking for isn't on this map. There's another map in her glove compartment, though. She leans over and opens that, keeping one eye on the road. Her hand encounters something unexpected inside. She pulls it out and looks at it. It's a small, silver flask. And it's leaking something. A small taste of it tells her that it's vodka.
"What's that doing in here?" she ponders aloud, running her hand across the jeans she didn't have time to change out of to dry the liquid from her hand. Suddenly, it all makes sense. This is all a setup. The vodka. Lyle insisting she follow this lead alone. He's up to something. She doubts very seriously that this trail of breadcrumbs he laid for her will lead to Jarod. She angrily slams on her brakes to head back towards Blue Cove to give Lyle a piece of her mind. She discovers too late that the brakes don't work. She tries several more times to stop the car, but to no avail. At first, she thought Lyle was just trying to set her up - get her arrested for drunk driving or something. But now, as her car seems to be careening faster and faster down the tree lined street that seems to be getting curvier and curvier, she realizes he had a more nefarious intent in mind. He's trying to do more than get her arrested. He's trying to kill her.
She attempts to keep the speeding vehicle in the middle of the road, but an oncoming car takes that option from her. Rather than injure anyone innocent, she gets back on her side of the road. The car becomes impossible to control in such a small space and it finally makes contact with a tree. The impact causes the car to spin on the rain slicked roads, hitting several other trees now in its new path. A bright light approaches and she prays more for the oncoming passenger than for herself as metal clashes with metal, tying the cars in an inextricable knot. The car finally stops moving and pain explodes all around her, rendering her gratefully unconscious.
"I didn't think you'd be able to do it," Raines gasps through his oxygen mask. He's standing over Miss Parker's badly bruised form in a room in the Renewal Wing, gazing in awe at Lyle. She has various cuts over her body from the accident, the worst of them being the jagged gash on her neck that nearly severed her jugular and probably should have killed her. "I was sure your father wouldn't agree to having her killed."
"He didn't agree," Lyle laughs. "I had to promise him no harm would come to her if I could help it." He looks with disinterest at his comatose sister and turns to leave the room. Raines follows him, dragging his oxygen tank behind him.
"Well, you didn't finish the job. She survived the accident," Raines points out. "What are you going to do now? We anticipated capturing Jarod at her funeral. But if she's not dead . . . "
"She's not dead *yet*," Lyle corrects him. "But the doctors say it's only a matter of time. I say we just wait for her to die naturally. No need to cause anymore suspicion. Even though the cops found the vodka in her car, they're still wondering if maybe her accident wasn't an accident after all. Killing her now when we can just wait for the inevitable would be foolish."
"We'll give it a little while longer," Raines agrees. "But we can't wait too long."
"A few more days and I'll get Dr. Levine on it," Lyle says, looking down at his watch. "Listen, I'd love to stay here and chat all day, but I have things to prepare if we plan on capturing Jarod soon."
"Let's hope so. You know what'll happen if we don't get him here soon," Raines reminds him.
"I know, I know. But in a few days, this will all be over. And we'll be richer than we could have ever imagined. Then, we won't need this place anymore." He tosses one last grin towards Raines and practically skips down the hall. Raines turns and goes the other direction, neither man seeing the shadows lurking around the corner.
Mr. Parker leans wearily against the wall. He knew Lyle was up to something. He just didn't know what it was until now. And he didn't realize that Raines was involved as well. Those two were desperate to bring Jarod in - desperate enough to kill his daughter to achieve that goal. He may not be candidate for father of the year, but he's never wished his child dead. No matter what the Triumvirate ordered him to do in the past, he always tries to protect her the best he can. He wasn't able to save her mother. That just about killed him. From that moment on, he made sure his daughter would never be in that kind of danger from them. But how was he to know the danger would come from much closer. From his own son. He has to stop this. He turns around and walks quickly down the hallway, knowing there's only one way he can fix this.
"Leaving so soon?" a voice calls out, making him jump. He turns around and can barely make out the form walking towards him. But the voice is unmistakable. The thickly accented sound reaches his ears again. "Seems we both got quite an earful. A plot by your own son to kill your daughter."
"I had nothing to do with this, Sydney," Mr. Parker says to the man.
"From what I hear, they had your blessing," Sydney angrily snaps.
"Not to kill her. I never wanted any harm to come to my daughter."
"That doesn't make what happened to her any less your fault, Mr. Parker. You're as much to blame as Raines and Lyle," Sydney accuses.
"I know," Mr. Parker sighs. "None of this would have happened if it weren't for me. But I intend on never letting this happen again. They won't hurt her anymore. Not if I can help it."
Sydney watches him walk away, hoping to himself that the man is as serious as he appears to be. Mr. Parker seems genuinely concerned for his daughter's well being. Better late than never, Sydney figures as he walks into Miss Parker's room. He sits next to her bed and takes her still hand in his own.
"Parker, you have to get better," he whispers to her. "Please. There are people here who love you." One particular person comes to mind, and he lets out a heavy sigh. He hopes for Jarod's sake that she recovers. Because if she doesn't, he doesn't know if the pretender can handle it.
"We need you, Parker. Jarod needs you." He kisses her forehead before standing to leave. There's nothing really he can do for her except let her know he's there. And pray that her father can truly fix this situation he's gotten her into.
Mr. Parker waits until everyone is gone for the day before going back to visit his daughter again. He was beginning to have second thoughts, but seeing her so still and lifeless spurs him on. He has to do this. He owes it to her. She's paid her debt to this place several times over. It was time to set her free.
"Angel," he whispers, running his hands through her tangled hair. This would more than likely be the last time he ever sees her. There's so much to tell her. So much to apologize for. But he can't seem to say the words. There really aren't any words to say. He's ruined her life, plain and simple. He took a loving and caring child and turned her cold and heartless. There's no one to blame for that than himself. He just hopes his last gift to her will be able to make up for an entire lifetime of not being there for her.
"Forgive me," he finally says, pushing a needle into her IV. The clear liquid blends with the other medications flowing into her. No one will be able to tell the difference. It was designed to be virtually undetectable while it served its purpose. And today, its purpose is to end his daughter's suffering.
"Despite my actions over the years, I do love you. Which is why I'm doing this now. I won't allow you to be hurt by this place anymore. I won't allow them to take you from me. I brought you into this evil world of the Centre and I have to be the one to get you out. This is the only way," he sobs, burying his head in his hands. He looks at her one last time, memorizing the face he's loved for his entire adult life. With a sigh, he turns to leave. But not without whispering one last thing. "Good-bye, Angel."
Sydney steps into the elevator when all conversation suddenly stops. The same thing happened to him earlier in the break room when he got his coffee that morning. He sees a colleague trying to hide towards the back of the car and he squeezes his way through the crowd to get to him.
"Good morning, Dr. Tuckett."
"Sydney," the man says, acting surprised to see him. "How are you doing? Really?"
"I'm fine," Sydney tells him, confused at the man's concern. "Is there any reason why I shouldn't be?"
"I just figured since, well, you know."
"No, I don't know, Gary. You want to clue me in?" Sydney watches the other man's eyes pop wide open.
"You mean, you haven't heard?" Gary Tuckett asks incredulously.
"Heard what?" Sydney's frustration is evident now. But it's only to hide his fear. Something terrible has happened, he can feel it. Is it Jarod, he wonders. Is his job on the line? "Just tell me."
"It's Miss Parker. She's dead."
Broots stumbles to one of the back booths, barely able to see two feet in front of him. What vision the tears didn't blur, the alcohol he's consumed that night managed to obscure.
"Over here, Broots," Sydney slurs, waving his hands wildly at the man.
Broots manages to find Sydney and slaps the drinks on the table, most of the liquor sloshing over the sides. This would have to be their last round because he doesn't think he'd make it back to the bar for anymore. He slides into the booth and looks across the table, confused at seeing two of Sydney. He blinks a few times and shakes his head, but the twin images remains.
"You're not seeing double, Mr. Broots," a different voice says. Broots stares until the face comes into focus and he sees that it's Mr. Parker.
"What are you doing here?" he hisses at the man, the alcohol giving him courage to speak to the man the way he's always wanted to.
"We all loved my daughter, Mr. Broots. I'm grieving the same as you," Mr. Parker says quietly, lowering his head for a second. "And I also wanted to inform you of the funeral arrangements. I was going to limit it to just close family. But I think the two of you should come as well. She . . . my daughter would want you to be there."
"How could you let this happen?" Sydney snaps. "You were supposed to take care of her. You weren't supposed to let them hurt her. Why did this have to happen?" The tears fall freely down his face as his grief takes over.
"Nobody will be able to hurt her again," Mr. Parker says with a shaky voice. "I protected her the best way I could. She'll never be hurt again. But you have to do one more thing. Keep Jarod as far away from the funeral as you can. I know he's going to want to be there, but that's what Lyle and Raines are counting on. That's why they . . . did this. Don't let them win."
"I can't make Jarod do anything," Sydney sighs. "He was probably closer to her than any of us. I won't be able to stop him."
"Do your best," Mr. Parker pleads. "He absolutely cannot be caught at that funeral." His daughter is depending on Jarod. But Mr. Parker can't say that out loud. Not right now. No one can know his secret. Not even Sydney. He just hopes that one day, one day very soon, Jarod will discover it on his own.
Chapter 2
*******************
Jarod paces nervously around the room, anxiously running his hands through his hair with each ring of the phone.
"Come on. Pick up," he urges into the phone as he turns to take another lap around the sofa. His patience finally pays off when he hears someone pick up the other end.
"This is Sydney."
"It's me, Syd," is all he says.
"Jarod. How are you? I mean, how are you holding up?"
That's a good question, Jarod thinks to himself. Holding up may not be the best way to describe how he's doing. Things aren't good. Jarod sits on the sofa, furiously rubbing his bloodshot eyes with his fist.
"I don't know, Syd. I think I may be losing my mind," he whimpers, a lone tear dripping from his eye.
"Why would you say that?"
"I miss her. So much," he cries. "I see her all the time, Syd. In my dreams when I'm asleep. And all around me when I'm awake. I see her in stores. On streets. Everywhere. Do you realize how many women there are in this country that look like her?" he asks with a mirthless chuckle.
"Jarod, you're not losing your mind. You're just grieving. Probably for the first time in your life, you're faced with losing someone you really loved."
"I do . . . I mean I did love her. How can she be gone?" He starts sobbing again and the sound breaks Sydney's heart. He wish he was with his young pretender to help him through this anguish. But he's afraid this is something Jarod will have to get through on his own.
"Syd, how am I going to live without her?"
"I don't know, Jarod," the older man admits. "I just don't know. Just live your life one day at a time. I think eventually it will get better. You'll never forget her, but it'll hurt less in time."
"I hope you're right, Sydney," Jarod sighs before hanging up the phone in his usual manner without saying good-bye.
Sydney stares at the receiver in his hand as the dial tone starts to blare. He's never heard so much despair from the young man. He says a prayer that Jarod will find a way to survive without her. Because right now, he wouldn't be surprised if he died of a broken heart.
Carlsbad, New Mexico
2 months later
Jarod signs off on the last in a stack of charts he was working on, heaving a sigh of relief to be done. He's been working at the hospital for 2 straight days. He's glad to have the next 4 off.
"Suzanne, this patient will be back in 3 days to have his stitches removed," he tells the nurse standing next to him. "Make sure . . ."
"Get out of here, Dr. Skinner," she orders gently. "We can handle this. You've been working hard. It's time for you to go home."
"I know, but the kid with the broken arm . . . "
"The one in room 5 that Dr. Ives is now taking care off. Don't worry about it. I told you, we can handle it," she smiles at him. She's never seen a doctor more dedicated. It's good for the patients, but bad for the doctor. He's going to burn out if he isn't careful. He's too good a doctor for her to let him do that. "Now go!"
"Yes Ma'am," he says with a salute.
"Is this bum giving you a hard time?" A good looking dark haired man stands at the doorway with a gleaming smile, causing the Suzanne to blush and giggle.
"Javy. She was just putting me out," Jarod smiles at his roommate. He met Javier Toro when he moved to New Mexico a few months ago after what happened with Miss Parker. He decided to take Sydney's advice and live his life one day at a time. No more pretends. No more leading the Centre on a wild goose chase. He picked one of the many professions in his knowledge base and stuck with it. He is now Dr. Jarod Skinner, an ER doctor.
Jarod and Javy both shoot Suzanne one last smile before leaving the hospital. They're in the car and driving down the street before Javier hits Jarod with his big news.
"I have a surprise for you," he says. "I got us some dates for tonight."
"Javy," Jarod groans. "You know I'm not looking for a relationship right now. I'm still . . . "
"I know, I know," Javy says, rolling his eyes. "That girl from where you used to live. You're still getting over her. Jarod, it's time you put that behind you. This girl is gorgeous. Plus, she looks like your ghost woman you're always chasing. She's nice. You'll have fun."
"If she's so nice, then why aren't you going out with her?"
"Because she's not my type. Now her roommate, on the other hand, from what I hear, she's perfect for me. A cute, little blond," Javy says with a grin.
"From what you hear? Javy, you don't know her?"
"I don't really know either of them," Javy admits. "I met your date today at the grocery store. We got to talking and we both realized that we should go out. Only, I should go out with her roommate and she should go out with mine. It's a double blind date."
"So basically, you want us to both go out with women that neither of us know? Do you know how insane that sounds?"
"Insane. Fun. Potato. Pot-ah-to."
"What do potatoes have to do with this?" Jarod asks innocently, spurring a fit of laughter from Javy.
"Oh, man. Sometimes you're so funny," Javy chuckles. "So, are we meeting them or not?"
"I'm going with not, Javy. I'm not interested in meeting anyone. Ever again."
Jarod's mood turns sullen and he suddenly finds the passing scenery utterly fascinating. Javier decides that Jarod needs this outing more than he realizes. He's not going to let him out of it that easily.
"Alright, you win," Javy says. "But you don't need to hang around the apartment moping around like I know you're going to do. How about we go out and get a drink first?"
"I guess that's alright," Jarod agrees. A drink sounds really good right now, actually. Jarod never was one to imbibe in the strong concoctions. But the past few months have been different for him. More often than not, he's found unexpected comfort in the bottom of a glass of something that burns going down. A little voice inside him that sounds an awful lot like Sydney warns him that drinking isn't the answer. But he ignores the voice, choosing instead the blissful numbness he's come expect after a few drinks.
The woman stares at herself in the mirror, frowning at the strange unfamiliarity of her reflection. She knows it's not normal to feel like a foreigner in her own body, but she's oddly enough becoming used to it. Instead of letting it bother her, she's decided to make the most of the days before her and not ponder uselessly on her past. A past she can't seem to remember. Running a finger over the scar on her neck, she wonders if it's a past better left behind her.
"Lindy," she hears from downstairs as the front door slams shut.
"I'm up here, Emily," she calls to her roommate. She turns from the mirror and leaves the bathroom, shutting the light off on her way out. She wanders into her closet and sifts through a few dresses she's managed to acquire in even fewer months.
"Ooh, going out?" Emily asks, hopping onto the bed behind her. "Paul again?"
"Not even," she groans, rolling her eyes.
"Lindy! What was wrong with Paul?"
"Nothing. Paul's a perfectly nice man. Things with him just didn't work out." Lindy pulls a dress down and holds it up to her with a questioning look towards Emily. Emily scrunches up her nose and shakes her head, her golden tresses whipping across her face.
"That's what you said about Trent," Emily laughs. "And Carlos. And Dennis. What about Steven? They're all perfectly nice guys too, but you keep on dumping them, Lin."
"It's not them, really. It's me. I just know that they're not . . . the ones," Lindy shrugs. "It's hard to explain, Emily. You know that my life up until a few months ago is a big blank spot. I don't remember anything. But I have a strong sense of love."
"And you're looking for that love," Emily says, understanding what she's trying to get across.
"I want to think I'll know him when I see him. Is that foolish and sentimental?"
"I think it's sweet," Emily smiles. "But if you wear that tonight, you're going to have more men coming out of the woodwork than you can handle."
Lindy holds the skimpy dress up and grins mischievously.
"It's not for me," she says, biting her lip. "It's for you."
"Excuse me?"
"I made us some dates, Em. I met this really nice guy in the grocery store who's dying to meet you."
"Lindy! You're setting me up on a blind date? With some guy you just met? I can't believe you. Besides, if he's so nice, you should date him."
"No way. He's more your type. I don't really go for the beautifully tanned, blond haired, blue eyed boys," Lindy mumbles from inside the closet, searching for her own outfit now.
"Surfer dude from California?" Emily cringes.
"No," Lindy laughs, recalling her roommates dislike for surfers. "Stock broker from Puerto Rico actually. He's very cute, Em. Trust me."
"What about you? If you're giving up such a dish, I can only imagine what your date looks like," Emily wonders.
"I don't know," she shrugs. "I met Javier - that's his name - and we decided to hook each other up with our roommates. He's going out with you while I go out with his roommate. All I know about this guy is that he's tall, intelligent, and nice. He has dark hair and dark eyes . . . "
"Just like all the other guys you've gone out with," Emily comments. "And what I imagine this mystery man of yours looks like. You know, maybe this mystery guy you're trying to hard to find is somebody best left in your past. Something obviously happened to you, Lindy. You wouldn't have turned up unconscious in a hospital otherwise. Maybe this man is responsible."
"I never thought of that," Lindy frowns before shaking her head. "But I feel such a strong compulsion to find him. I know that once I do, all the pieces of my life will just fall into place."
"I hope you're right, Lin. But you should be careful. If this guy tries anything funny, let me know and we'll get out of there."
"I'll be fine, Emily," she smiles. "You should worry about yourself. Have fun. You don't get out much."
"Yeah, I really don't have room to talk about you searching for your mystery man when I'm looking for one myself," Emily sighs.
"Your brother? You've been looking for him a long time, haven't you?"
"All my life," Emily nods. "I've only seen glimpses of him from time to time, but the last I saw him, he looks a lot like your stranger. Tall, dark hair, dark eyes."
"Ooh, sounds tasty," Lindy teases. "I hope you find him soon so you can hook me up with him."
They both burst out laughing until their sides start to ache and tears drop from their eyes.
"You are too silly, Lindy," Emily says, trying to catch her breath. "My brother's had such a lonely life. I'm sure your sense of humor would be good for him. Jarod would . . . "
"Jarod?" Lindy interrupts her. "Did you say Jarod?"
"Yeah. That's my brother's name," Emily tells her. "What's up?" She watches her roommate pace back and forth, twirling a strand of hair around her finger.
"I don't know. There's something familiar about that name. But it's on the edge of my mind and I can't really reach it." She sighs in frustration and falls onto the bed next to Emily. "Or maybe I'm just going crazy, Em."
"I doubt that," Emily laughs. "You just need to relax and maybe it'll come to you. Let's go out with these studs you found us and have a good time. We'll forget about your stranger and my brother and just think about ourselves for tonight."
"That's a good idea," Lindy nods, trying to push away the strange feelings she's having. "Fun is just what we need."
Chapter 3
*******************
Lindy and Emily get inside the restaurant and look around. Emily's very nervous and keeps on tugging at the short dress she was coerced into wearing.
"Stop fidgeting," Lindy scolds. "You look great in that outfit."
"Yeah? Well, I feel like a prostitute. I still can't believe I let you talk me into this," Emily groans, suddenly feeling hesitant about the evening.
"I told you, Javier's a nice guy and he's very cute. Plus, I'll be here the whole time with his roommate. But if it makes you feel any better, we can come up with a signal or something so if you feel uncomfortable and are ready to leave, we can make our excuses and go. You're the one who said we needed a night of fun," Lindy reminds her.
"I know. And I'm sorry I'm so whiny, Lin. I'm sure this will be fun. I just don't get out much and . . ."
"Oh, here he comes," Lindy says, interrupting her. She pastes a smile on her face as Javier approaches and calls to him to get his attention. "Hey, Javy."
"Lindy. Good to see you again." He reaches out for her and kisses her cheek before turning and flashing his winning smile at Emily, prompting Lindy to introduce them.
"This is my roommate, Emily. Emily, this is Javier Toro."
"It's nice to meet you, Javier," Emily smiles.
"The pleasure's all mine," he says, kissing her hand. Emily blushes. She glances over his shoulder and mouths thank you to her roommate.
"Well . . . " Lindy asks expectantly. "What did you bring me, Javy?"
"Yeah, about that . . ." he starts, suddenly finding his shoes very interesting.
"He bailed, didn't he?"
"Not exactly," Javy tries to explain. "But he wasn't exactly down with the idea. He's here, but he doesn't know you are. I'm sorry, Lindy. He's been having woman problems. He just recently lost the love of his life and he can't get over her. I thought coming out was what he needed."
"They sound perfect for each other," Emily says, casting Lindy a knowing glare.
"Anyway, looks like I have two dates for the evening, if you ladies don't mind." Javy holds his arms out to both women, ready to escort them to the table.
"I have a better idea," Lindy interrupts. "Why don't you and Em go find a table and get to know each other. I'll go talk to bar boy over there and see if I can get him to join us."
"Good idea," Emily says. "Let me go to the ladies room first and I'll meet you at the table, Javier." She throws him a flirty smile and head to the restroom.
"I think she likes you," Lindy grins.
"I think I like her, too," he smiles dreamily. "And I know Jarod would like you if he would only . . . "
For the second time that evening, her heart practically stops beating in her chest. Maybe Jarod was a common name. Her reacting to the name doesn't necessarily means she knows him. Maybe it just means she knew a Jarod in her past and hearing the name was somehow triggering something. But for some reason she doesn't think that's the case. She thinks there's more to it than mere coincidence.
"Lindy? Lindy? Something wrong?" Javy asks her, his concern evident on his face. "You kind of phased out on me for a minute there."
"On the contrary. I think something may finally be right." She gives him one last smile before walking over to the bar. And possibly to the answers she's been looking for.
Jarod sits at the bar, staring into his drink and ignoring everything going on around him. He barely hears the bartender ask him if he would like something else and just waves him away. Another woman comes up to him, the third that evening, and he waits for her to try to start a conversation with him. The other two women got tired of his one word answers. This woman wouldn't even get the benefit of his responses. The alcohol was starting to work its numbing powers and he didn't feel like trying to be semi-polite anymore.
"Is this seat taken?" he hears the woman ask, just like all the others asked. But unlike the others, there's something about this voice. He squeezes his eyes shut and shakes his head, partly to answer the woman, partly to shake the image of 'her' that pops up from time to time. He feels like he's slowly losing his mind. He's been seeing ghosts everywhere he's gone for the past few months. And now, he's starting to hear them as well. This woman sounds so much like her. But he can't bear to look at her. If he looks at her, he knows the image will be shattered.
"You must be Jarod, Javier's roommate. My name is Lindy Hall," she says, introducing herself. "He's told me a little about you."
Now it was all clear to him. The blind date. Javier never called it off. He's going to have to set her straight.
"Look, Miss. Javier was supposed to . . . " he opens his eyes and faces her, finally looking at her. He can't believe what he's seeing. He blinks a few times, expecting the image to disappear, but she's still there. His alcohol dulled senses finally catch up with him and he jumps out the seat.
"Jarod?"
"Y-y-you're dead," his raspy voice spits out. "They told me you were dead."
"They who? Wait a second, you know me? From before this?"
It takes him a few seconds to process it all, but he makes his mind work again and remembers back to the beginning of the conversation when she introduced herself. Lindy. Lindy Hall. That's what she said her name was.
"I don't know," he says, genuinely confused. "But you look . . . just like her."
"Why did you say that?" she asks, suddenly getting defensive before realizing how psychotic she must sound. "I'm sorry. It's just . . . I think I've heard that before. And I don't like it for some reason."
He looks at her strangely, taking in all her facial features. Examining her closely. This was the best so far. Of all the women he mistook for her over the past few months, none of them held up to this kind of scrutiny. Yet, there's not even the slightest spark of recognition in her eyes.
"You really don't know me, do you?" he finally asks her.
"I don't know. It's possible that I could," she says, biting her lip. "But I don't even know myself. I woke up a few months ago in a hospital. When they asked me my name, Melinda popped into my head. But that didn't feel quite right. It was like that was my name, but no one ever called me that. So I go by Lindy. I just made the 'Hall' part up. That's all I know. And I can't believe I just told a total stranger that," she blushes.
"We might not be total strangers," he mumbles, still in shock over seeing her. "We need to get out of here. Go somewhere and talk." He grabs onto her hand and she pulls it away, looking apprehensive.
"I don't know if that's such a good idea," she says warily, remembering what Emily said earlier about how dangerous someone from her past might be. This guy seems to think he knows her. But what if he wants to hurt her?
"Please," he begs her. "Trust me, okay?"
She looks at him while she ponders her choice. Something in his eyes tells her he won't hurt her. That she can indeed trust him. Before she can think too hard about what she's doing, she holds out her car keys to him.
"It's a black Saturn. I'll go tell the others we're leaving. I'm sure Javier won't mind bringing my roommate home."
He breathes a sigh of relief and goes to the car to wait for her. One by one, his thoughts begin to take over. Could it really be her? She didn't know him or herself, but it was entirely possible. He doesn't know how, though. She was dead. He saw the body himself. He knew all about Raines and Lyle's plan to lure him to the funeral. Which is why he snuck into the Centre to see her before the burial. He held her cold, lifeless body in his arms. How could she be walking around in New Mexico now? A knock on the driver side window startles him from his thoughts. He looks up to see her smiling face.
"Better let me drive," she says. "You look like you've had a few strong drinks. Besides, you don't know how to get to my house."
He nods his head mutely and gets out of the car to get into the other side. A few seconds later, they're on their way. A tiny part of him wonders if this could be the ultimate trap to get him back to the Centre. But the rest of him wants to believe so badly that this is her. That she's been given back to him for a second chance at the life they should have been leading all along. And this time, he's determined not to waste it.
Lindy unlocks her front door, letting herself and Jarod into the house. He didn't say a word the entire trip back. He just stared at her the whole time, kind of like he's doing now. Oddly enough, it doesn't freak her out. He's obviously as confused as she is about her identity.
"Why don't you have a seat," she offers. "I'll go fix us some coffee."
"No," he says emphatically, the desperation in his voice evident. "Don't go. Not yet. Please."
"Okay," she smiles. She waits to see where he sits before taking a seat across the room. She didn't want to get too close. "So, you said we needed to talk. So talk. I seem to make you uncomfortable. Why is that?"
"You remind me of someone," he says quietly.
"Yeah. I gathered that when you looked at me as if I were a ghost," she chuckles. His face lights up in a smile that melts her heart.
"You . . I mean she never laughed very much," he explains. "But when we were younger, she used to laugh all the time. And it used to sound just like that."
"Tell me about her, Jarod," Lindy says, moving to the couch next to him. "Tell me about this woman I remind you of."
"I'd rather not."
"I'm sorry," she apologizes quickly. "I didn't mean to pry. It's just you seemed so happy when . . . "
"No, it's not that," he says, grabbing her hand without even thinking. "It's just . . . if you are her, then you wouldn't really be her. You understand?"
"Not really," she shakes her head.
"What I'm trying to say is that you look like her. You sound like her. But you don't act like her. So even if you were her, you're a totally different person now. And I'd rather get to know who you are now. I think I could like her too," he smiles.
"That's sweet," she smiles back. She feels her pulse quicken and wonders if he can hear her heart pounding. "Although, I must warn you, there's not much to tell you about myself. All I know is that I woke up in a hospital almost two months ago. So there's not much to get to . . . Jarod, what is it?" She sees that he's shaken by her last comment and starts to worry.
"That's when she died," he whispers. "It's so weird, Miss Pa . . . I mean, Lindy."
"What were you about to call me?"
"Miss Parker. That was her name."
"Kind of formal, don't you think?" she asks suspiciously. "You seem like you loved this woman a lot. So why the 'Miss'?"
"It's what everyone called her at the place she worked," he explains.
"So you worked with her? I don't get it."
"Sort of," he frowns, not sure how to explain things.
"But you said you knew each other as kids. Did you call her 'Miss' back then, too?"
"Her dad ran this place sort of like a school. We grew up there together. In public, I called her Miss Parker. But when we were alone, she let me call her by her nickname."
"What did you call her, Jarod?" she asks.
"I thought we were going to talk about you now," he says suddenly, trying to change the subject. "I haven't been in town long, but I hear the Caverns are pretty interesting. We should go someti. . . "
"Jarod," she yells. "Don't do this. Tell me the truth. What did you call her?"
"Lindy," he admits quietly. "Short for Melinda. Her name was Melinda Parker."
"Melinda," she repeats. "Her name was Melinda, like me. She looked like me. She sounded like me. She died almost the same time I appeared here. This can't be just a coincidence. I mean, it could, I guess. But if it was, I don't think I would . . . "
"You don't think you'd what?"
"Feel about you as strongly as I do," she finally says. She stands and starts pacing around the living room, avoiding his eyes at every turn. "Jarod, I know we just met. But I think I've been searching for you since I woke up in that hospital. I don't know what it is about you, but I feel that you're who I've been looking for. I've gone out with tons of guy who look a lot like you. But never did I . . . feel anything for them. Not like I do with you."
"What do you feel?" he asks shyly.
"I don't know," she admits. She stops in front of the window and stares out. "I just don't know. I feel somewhat complete, I guess. Like whatever journey I was on is over. Finding you, I feel that everything is going to be alright, just because you're here. Does that make any sense?"
He's unable to answer her question, so he just stands there. But she understands his silence, his confusion at the situation.
"What about you? What do you feel?" she asks him.
"About who?"
"About me. About her. It doesn't really matter anymore since I'm pretty sure we're one in the same." She would laugh at that sad truth if she didn't feel as if her life has just been split into a million pieces.
"But you aren't her," he sighs.
He walks up to her and stops behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders. Gently, he turns her around until she's facing him. For what seems like the longest minute ever, they simply stare at each other. His fingers skim lightly across her neck, tracing the jagged scar outlining her jugular.
"You're nothing like her," he whispers. "Because if you were, you'd never let me do this."
He slowly dips his head until his lips brush across hers, barely touching them. She lets out a surprised gasp and he takes advantage of the slight opening of her mouth to fully latch onto her lips. He pulls her trembling body closer to his own while renewing the kiss with a vigor. After a moment of temporary shock, she becomes an active participant in the kiss, opening her mouth wider in invitation. His knees almost buckle when he hears her soft moans. He abruptly pulls away, resting his forehead on hers while trying to catch his breath.
"I think that coffee might be a good idea now," he pants. He places on last gentle kiss on her cheek before letting her out of his embrace. "We need to slow this down. There's still a lot we need to talk about."
"Is this your way of saying you just want us to be friends?" she asks, half joking, but also half afraid that it might be true.
"After a kiss like that? Are you kidding?" he chuckles lightly. "But, I'm not sure where we should go from here."
"On the couch," she smiles, not really misunderstanding his question, but just putting off thinking about the answer until later. "I'll go get that coffee. Then we can talk."
She waits for him to take a seat before going into the kitchen. Once on the other side of the door, she finally allows herself to fully react to what just happened, blushing furiously at the memory of his lips on hers. She may not have her memory, but she knows without a doubt that she's never been kissed quite like that before. And she may not be a fortune teller, but she can safely bet that from now on, Jarod will be the only one kissing her that way.
Chapter 4
*******************
He watches in awe as she throws her head back, releasing a deep, throaty chuckle over something he just said. He doesn't know what she found so amusing and it doesn't even matter to him, he realizes. Just hearing her laugh, seeing her enjoying his company, is enough to make him happy. He looks down at his watch and sees that hours have gone by without them even realizing it. They've been talking about any and everything. Over the course of the evening, he's come to realize that Lindy is very much like Miss Parker. The closeness they shared as children took no time to reclaim despite her not having any memories of their past. The feelings he had for her are back in full force. And with each minute that passes, he finds himself that much more in love with her again.
"You're so funny," she says, settling her head back on his shoulder after calming down from her fit of giggles.
He feels her let out a breath of warm air that floats down his neck causing new feelings to stir within. Feelings that they were too young to experience when they were just children.
She feels him shudder and can't resist pressing her lips onto his neck, sucking lightly on the soft skin she finds there. His moan of appreciation only spurs her on and she sucks a little harder, determined to mark him as her own.
"Miss Pa . . . um, Lindy, I think you should stop," he says, half heartedly attempting to push her away.
"Is that what you really want?" she asks him. She bites down lightly causing him to yelp in surprise.
"Not at all," he moans, capturing her lips in a searing kiss and pulling away much too soon for either of their satisfaction. "But we can't do this. Not right now."
"Why not?" she pouts.
"Why not? Well for one thing, I don't even know what to call you. Should I call you Lindy? Or Miss Parker? It's kind of confusing. And I know if we keep this up, it'll only confuse things more."
"Not a problem. Just don't call me at all," she says with a wicked grin that turns into a groan as he finds a sensitive spot below her ear despite his previous arguments to stop. "In fact, don't say anything. I can think of a much better use for your mouth."
Before he can protest, she attacks again, bewitching him yet again with her kisses. She runs her tongue back and forth across his bottom lip until he opens to her probing. She eagerly jumps in, thoroughly exploring the his depths. She pulls his tongue into her mouth and sucks it gently, eliciting an feral growl from Jarod. With his last coherent thought, he pulls her into his lap and lays back on the couch, her knees falling to the cushions as she straddles him.
She kisses him in earnest, thoroughly working his mouth before he pulls away and starts on her neck. He kisses his way from one side to the other, his tongue pausing to healingly lave her scar. She senses a change in his touch from sensual to something else and she looks down into his face, surprised to see tears streaming from his eyes.
"Jarod? What is it?" She sits back onto his lap, helping him up into a sitting position as well.
"I always wondered," he whispers, still stroking his finger across the scar. "I wondered if this is what killed you. I was there before they . . . before the funeral. I was with you in that cold room, your body so still and lifeless. I saw this scar and thought that if I could heal it, then I could heal you. But you were so cold. So silent. Dead. And there was nothing I could do to bring you back." He wraps his arms around her waist and buries his head in her chest, crying harder than he ever has.
"Oh, Jarod," she cries with him. "It's okay, Baby. I'm here. I'm here now." She holds him close, running her fingers gently through his hair until he calms down. They spend long, silent moments holding each other with only the sounds of their heartbeats filling the room.
"I'm sorry about that," he apologizes shyly after he's composed himself again. "What a way to kill the mood, huh?" He laughs a pitiful laugh as he eases her off his lap.
"Jarod, you were right," she says, shaking her head. She leans over to give him one last kiss on his cheek. "This isn't something we need to do tonight to complicate things. It was just too much. Why don't you go freshen up? The bathroom's just down the hall. When you get back, we'll talk some more. I'll try to keep my hands off of you this time," she grins, happy that she's brought a little smile to his face as well.
"Okay. Be right back." He grabs her hand in his and kisses it before heading to the bathroom.
She waits until she hears the lock snick on the bathroom door before her face lights up in the biggest smile. She can't believe how much she's fallen for him in such a short amount of time. But she suspects that she's always felt this way about him and just couldn't remember. That's the only plausible explanation for what she's feeling now. There's no way anyone can fall this hard this fast.
The front door opens slowly and Lindy sees Emily peek her head around the corner.
"Tell me you didn't wait up for me, Lindy," Emily laughs when she sees the woman sitting on the couch. She opens the door wider and allows Javy inside.
"Javy, I thought I told you midnight was her curfew," Lindy jokes. "It's almost 3 a.m. What have you two been doing this time of night?"
"None of your business," Javy blushes, peeking sheepishly over at Emily. "I see you're still up. Does that mean my roommate's still here?"
"Yes. He just went into the bathroom to freshen up." This time, it's Lindy's turn to blush.
"Really?" Emily asks, obviously amused. "And what have *you* been doing?"
"I'll tell you later," she winks at her roommate, and they laugh at the panicked expression on Javier's face. "Calm down, Javy. You should know by now that women tell each other *everything*." They all crack up again.
"What's so funny?" Jarod asks, walking back into the living room. "I could hear the laughter all the way down the . . . "
He stops in his tracks, mouth falling wide open. One shock of the evening was all he thought he could take. But here he is again, faced with yet another surprise.
"Jarod?" the petite blond asks in a shaky voice.
"Emily," he gasps. In the next second, Jarod finds himself across the room with his arms wrapped tightly around the woman. He gives her one last squeeze before releasing her, tucking a strand of her blond locks behind her ear. "I can't believe it's really you. You look so different."
"I dyed it," she sniffs, unable to hold back her tears. "What are you doing here? How did you find me?"
"I didn't," he laughs, wiping away his own tears. "It was fate. It appears my roommate hooked me up with your roommate on a blind date."
"So, it turns out that my Jarod is actually your Jarod," Lindy says to Emily.
"And your Emily turned out to be my Emily," Javy says to Jarod. "Jarod, why didn't you tell me your sister was such a hottie? I would have helped you find her a long time ago," he quips.
"Out. Get out of the house and away from my sister," Jarod orders playfully.
"No way, man. Not without you. If I can't stay the night with my girl, then you can't stay with yours either."
"Nice try, but it's not the same thing," Jarod says. "I have a lot of catching up to do with my sister."
"He's right, Jarod," Emily cuts in. "It's late. We can all get a good night's sleep and meet tomorrow."
"Em," he whines. "I've just found you again. The both of you. I don't want to leave."
"I know," Emily smiles. "I don't want you to go either, but it's three in the morning. I need some sleep."
"Fine," he relents. "But I'll be back here first thing in the morning. Good night." He gives Emily one more hug before finally letting her out of his embrace.
"Do I get one of those too?" Lindy asks. She giggles when he grabs her in his arms and pulls her into a deep kiss.
"Good night," he whispers, reluctant to let her go. He buries his nose in the warm cavern of her neck, taking a deep breath of her essence. "Sweet dreams."
"Let's go, Loverboy," Javy says, pulling on Jarod's arm. On the way out the door, he drops a kiss on Emily's cheek and tells her good night. He has to practically drag Jarod to the car and shove him inside.
"Thank you," Jarod says a few minutes into the short drive home. "Thank you for finding them. I've been searching a long time for my sister."
"I didn't do anything, Jarod. Like you said before, it was just fate. It was our night to find happiness. I think we both found it with your sister. And you got a bonus with Lindy. You two certainly seemed to have hit it off ," he teases. "And I thought girls didn't kiss on the first date. That was some good-bye smooch she gave you."
"That kiss was a long time coming, my friend," Jarod grins before closing his eyes for the rest of the trip. A long time indeed, he thinks to himself. It's about time his life finally resembled something normal. Hopefully, if he's lucky, this will be one of the last good-bye kisses Miss Parker gives him. He doesn't plan on wasting anymore time now that they're back together. He's never leaving her again. And he knows she feels the same way right now. But he can't help himself from worrying if that will change. What will happen when she gets her memory back?
Lindy stretches in the bed, the smell of freshly brewed coffee invading her senses. She takes a deep breath and smells the slightly more subtle scent of bacon and eggs. Someone's been cooking. And she knows it wasn't Emily. That girl couldn't find her way around a kitchen with a map, she thinks to herself with a laugh. It must be Jarod. She smiles and jumps out the bed, eager to get downstairs.
"I just don't know what to do about her, Emily," she hears Jarod's muffled voice. She stops just outside the kitchen door and listens to the brother and sister talk. It sounds like they're talking about her.
"You have two options. You can stay and take the risk that she's here to hurt you. Or you can just run from her like you've been doing all these years," Emily simply states.
"I'm not leaving her," he insists adamantly. "That's not an option."
Lindy silently releases the breath she was holding. The idea of being apart from him panicked her for some reason. Hearing him refuse to leave her was comforting. But she's still curious about why they're discussing this in the first place. Why do they think she would want to hurt Jarod?
"Okay, I hear you. Calm down. Jarod, for what it's worth, I sort of understand your fears. But Lindy and I have been roommates for months now. I love her like a sister. She's the best friend I ever had. I don't think it's a ruse to get you back to the Centre."
"I love her too, Em," he says with a weary smile. "I've loved her my whole life, even all those years we were apart and she was chasing me. I'm so tempted to let things be. To not tell her anything about her past. But she deserves to know. Even if it means she'll remember, she deserves to know."
"Her remembering might not be a bad thing," Emily offers optimistically. "Jarod, I've never seen anyone as happy as Lindy is now that she's found you. I don't think she's going to be giving you up."
"Even if she remembers being Miss Parker? And that sending me back to that place is what she's supposed to do? What she was raised to do?"
"But not what she was born to do," she says, grabbing his hand. "You told me you've loved her your whole life. Don't you think the same applies to her? From what you tell me, she was trained and probably forced to chase you. But I think she was put here on this earth to love you as much as you love her."
"How did you get to be so smart?" he asks her, kissing her hand.
"Runs in the family, Big Brother," she smiles.
Lindy senses that's the end of the conversation and decides to reveal herself.
"Something smells good," she says, walking into the kitchen. She leans over Jarod's shoulder and gives him an upside down kiss. She yelps when he reaches behind him and manages to pull her into his lap to kiss her properly.
"Good morning," he says, giving her one last kiss.
"It is now," she smiles before turning to look at Emily. "You guys been up a long time?"
"He got here at the crack of dawn," Emily giggles.
"Good. That means you've had him awhile and now . . . it's my turn." She turns and gives Jarod a hungry look, causing him to blush. She laughs at his panic. "Relax, Jarod. I was thinking more along the lines of going for a walk or something."
"I knew that," he says with what sounds like a relieved sigh. "Go get dressed and I'll help Emily clean up. You want some breakfast?"
"Not really. Maybe just some coffee." She gives him one last kiss before dashing up the stairs to get ready for the day.
It's early, yet the sun seemed already at its peak, exacerbating the dry desert heat. Instead of walking, Jarod suggested a drive. The colorful New Mexico landscape flies by as they make their way across the terrain. He looks over and sees his companion staring pensively out the window.
"You're awfully quiet this morning," he says, grabbing onto her hand with the one of his not on the steering wheel. "Something on your mind?"
"Yeah," she says timidly, biting on a corner of her lip. "I have a question for you. What's the Centre?"
Jarod practically slams on the brakes in the middle of the road and decides to pull over before causing an accident. The car rolls to a stop and he gets out the car, expecting that she'll follow.
"Are you remembering?" he asks her, his voice shaking with fear.
"No. I overheard you and Emily talking in the kitchen this morning."
"Oh," he nods his head, not sure if he's relieved or not. "What do you want to know about it?"
"Why I, or Miss Parker, would want to take you back there. And why that scares you so much."
"I don't even know where to begin, Pa . . . Lin . . . ugh," he moans. "You see what I mean about this being so confusing?" He shakes his head and walks back over to the car, sitting on the hood.
"Jarod, when you look at me, what do you want to call me?" she asks him gently.
"You're her," he whimpers. "You're Miss Parker, but at the same time you're not. I'm so used to calling you by that name."
"Then you can call me that," she smiles. "I don't mind. Now talk to me. Tell me about the Centre."
"Are you sure, Parker?"
"I think so," she nods hesitantly. "I'll stop you if it gets to be too much."
"Alright, then. Remember that place I talked about before? The sort of school where we grew up? That's the Centre," he starts. "It's a corporation in Delaware run by your father. When I was younger, I was . . . taken by the Centre because of a special ability I possess."
"Taken? As in kidnapped?"
"Yes. I was stolen from my home one night and taken to the Centre. I spent my entire life there. As a prisoner."
"Why would they do that? What kind of ability do you have."
"I'm what they call a pretender. A genius with the ability to do or become anything I want. I learn quickly and can adapt or simulate any situation. That's what they had me do all my life. I'd run simulations of certain scenarios and then they would sell the results to the highest bidder. When I realized that some of my work was being used for evil, I escaped."
They sit quietly for awhile, giving her a chance to process all he's told her so far.
"Where do I fit in all of this?" is her next question.
"Like I said, your father runs the Centre. You used to spend a lot of time there. We became really good friends. Too good friends for your father's liking. He sent you away to a boarding school. When you came back, you were different. I hardly ever saw you, mostly just in passing. You ended up working there."
"I can't believe that," she gasps. "Why?"
"You wanted to please your father. He was all you had, Parker. You lost your mother when you were young," he says gently, putting his arm around her to support her if she needed it. He silently prays he doesn't have to tell her just how Catherine Parker died. She won't be able to handle that.
"My mother's dead?" A few tears escape and she's not really sure why. She doesn't remember this woman, but she still feels a sadness knowing she's no longer alive.
"You okay? You want me to keep going?"
"Yeah," she nods quickly, wiping the tears from her face. "Go on."
"Anyway, I escaped from the Centre about 5 years ago. And it became your job to find me and bring me back. That's basically it."
"I don't understand, Jarod," she says. "I just don't understand. I think there's a lot to this story you're leaving out."
"I don't think you want to know everything," he tells her honestly.
"I don't think so either," she whispers. "Not right now, anyway. You've spent your life either as a prisoner of that place or with me chasing you to put you back. It's a wonder you don't hate me."
"Parker, no. I don't hate you," he insists, pulling her into his arms. "I've never hated you. I didn't understand your reasons. And I was angry that you all couldn't just leave me alone. But I never hated you."
She relaxes in his arms, silently crying into his chest for all that's happened in the past. But she realizes how lucky she is to have him in this life. She can't worry about what happened before. Right now is where they are. And right now, she loves him. One day, she'll get around to telling him. One day very soon, she thinks with a sigh of contentment.
Chapter 5
*******************
They turn down aisle of the store and enter the health and beauty section. The women immediately gravitate to the make up counter and pose in the mirror. Miss Parker, the name she's come to recognize as her own, reaches over Emily's shoulder and grabs a bottle of perfume.
"What do you think of this, Em?" She sprays a little into the air, wrinkling her nose when the odor spreads. "Eww, nevermind. I'll add that to my list of 'Things I need to learn again. Never buy perfume from the grocery store." She laughs out loud and by herself for a few seconds before realizing that Emily is a million miles away.
"Emily?" she calls again, trying to get the woman's attention. With a sigh of frustration, she puts the perfume down and stalks over to the next aisle, pulling Emily behind her. She stops about halfway down and pulls out a box. "Here. You're going to drive yourself crazy if you don't find out."
"I know. You're right, Lindy," Emily finally responds. "I just can't believe something like this is happening. I've only been seeing Javy a month. This is not the kind of thing a new relationship needs."
"Do you really think that you're . . . you know?"
"I've never been this late before."
"Well, take the test and see if it's positive. Then we'll go from there," Miss Parker says, handing Emily the home pregnancy test she's holding. "If it's negative, no harm done. You and Javy will just be a lot more careful in the future," she gently scolds.
"What if it's positive?" Emily asks quietly, worried tears starting to glaze her eyes.
"If it's positive, you probably won't have to worry about telling Javy. I'm sure Jarod will kill him," she laughs, grateful to see she's coaxed a small smile from Emily.
"Wouldn't want my brother to go to jail," she giggles. "I hope for his sake the test is negative."
"Don't worry too much, Em," Miss Parker says, turning suddenly serious. "You know that no matter what, both Jarod and I will be there for you, right?"
"I know," she nods, tossing the box into the cart. "Let's get going, okay? The sooner I take this test, the better."
The cashier watches a man, tall and slender, pay for a pack of cigarettes at the next register. She barely pays any attention to the two women in her own aisle. He smiles, showing off a row of perfect, white teeth which contrasts beautifully with his smooth, brown skin. Without giving it a second thought, she flips off her light, signaling her line is now closed. She quickly finished ringing up her customers and follows him out the store. She has the sudden urge for a smoke break.
"That's all you wanted?" A tall, blond man hops out the car and walks over to his friend. "You made us drive this far into town off of the interstate for a pack of cigarettes?" But despite all his complaining, he reaches for one. His friend grudgingly complies.
"Ted, you know they cost too much at the gas stations right off the interstate. Besides, we may get a chance to sample the . . . local flavor, if you get my drift. I saw a cashier in the store checking me out. I think she even followed me out here." Both men laugh the laugh of men who know they're good looking and irresistible to women.
"Speaking of local flavor," Ted starts, signaling to his friend to turn around. "Forget about the cashier. Check those two out."
The men stare at the women walking out the store, their hands full of bags.
"Think we should be gentlemen and offer them our assistance?" Ted asks with a leer. He looks over at his friend when he notices a strange silence. "You alright, Will?"
"What? Oh, yeah. It's just, I think I know her," he says, squinting into the sun to get a better look at the women. Tall. Thin. Dark hair a little longer than before, but she still looks the same. Only she's looking awfully good for a dead woman.
"Well, then. Let's go say hello," Ted smirks, dragging his friend towards the women.
"Ladies," he calls when they reach the car. "Do you need any help."
"No thanks," they hear the dark haired woman answer politely. "We're fine."
"Okay. Well how about you two help us? See, my friend Will and I are just passing through town. But it seems like such a lovely town. Maybe you two can show us around."
"That's awfully sweet of you and Will, but we're going to have to decline your offer. Emily and I have to be going." She smiles at them before turning back to finish loading her bags.
"I thought you said you knew her," Ted mumbles to his friend.
"I thought I did, too. But she didn't seem to recognize me," he says, perplexed. From a distance he wasn't sure. But up close, hearing her voice, verified his theory. It didn't make any sense that she didn't recognize him.
"Well, we should get going," Ted shrugs off the rejection.
"You know what, Ted. I think I'm going to stick around for a day or two. See if I can get her to remember me."
"Man, she must have been some woman," Ted remarks amusedly. "But you know we can't stay. We have to be in Los Angeles by tomorrow."
"I'll catch a flight out or something," Will says. "Just get my bag from the car for me and I'll be set." He's barely paying attention to his friend anymore and is surprised when he returns in what seems like just a few seconds with his backpack.
"She better be worth all of this," Ted says, tossing the bag on the ground. "I'll see you later." After getting no more than a distracted wave, he rolls his eyes and goes back to the car, starting it up and driving off.
Will bends down to get his bag, never once taking his eyes off of the two women. He doesn't intend on letting them out of his sight.
"Lindy? Are you okay?" Emily sees the sudden paleness of her friend's skin and worries about her. She was fine a second ago. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know," she groans. "I feel kind of funny. Uneasy or something. It was something about one of those guys that bothered me. I just . . . ahhh." She clutches at her head, the pain bringing her to her knees.
"Lindy? LINDY!" She kneels next to Miss Parker and doesn't notice the set of footsteps getting closer.
"Let me help," a deep voice offers. Emily looks up and sees that it's one of the guys from before. She's not sure if he's the one her friend has gotten all worked up over, but she doesn't have time to worry about that now. She needs his help.
"We need to get her to the hospital," Emily tells him. "Lin, I'm going to take you to Carlsbad Memorial. Jarod's working today. He'll see you."
Will's eyes practically pop out his head, but his shock goes by unnoticed.
"No, that's alright," Miss Parker says, breathing heavily from the recent stress. "I'm okay. Just a little shaky. I just want to go home."
Before she can protest, she feels Will's arms go around her and scoop her up off the ground. He carries her to the car and sets her gently on the back seat. She's grateful for his help as another wave of pain crashes over her again. She can't hold back a moan.
"Why don't you get back there with her? I can drive," he offers.
"Okay," Emily says without thinking, Miss Parker's moans getting louder. She gives him quick directions before turning back to her friend in agony. She doesn't know what's wrong. But whatever is happening has never happened before. It could be an after effect of the accident or it could be caused by something else entirely. If she doesn't go to the hospital, they'll never know. Hopefully Jarod will be able to find out what's wrong with her. She'll call him as soon as they get home.
Will stands outside the house on the porch. He helped the women get settled inside and decided to make himself scarce for the time being. It's no need in making this suspicious at this point in time. Besides, the blond one was going to be calling Jarod. He's actually the main prize.
Will reaches into his back and searches for his cell phone to call reinforcements. He roots around mindlessly for a few seconds before realizing his search is coming up empty. He checks his pockets and inside the bag again before realizing the phone wasn't in there.
"Must've left it in the car," he grumbles. That means there won't be any reinforcements coming any time soon. If he's going to capture Jarod, he's going to have to do it by himself. His hand finally hits on something cold and metal. He pulls it out and notes that while it isn't his cell phone, it's something far more useful.
"I wish you hadn't have done that," Miss Parker says, watching Emily put the phone back on the hook. "I'm fine. It was just a headache."
"A headache that just about incapacitated you, Lin. I was worried. Besides, my brother would have killed me if I didn't tell him about this. He's on his way here now."
"And that's what I didn't want. Jarod's patients are important to him. He shouldn't have to leave them just to tell me to take a couple aspirin and go to bed for the rest of the day. It's just a headache." Miss Parker lays back on the couch and places a hand on her stomach, trying to ease the queasiness.
"Upset stomach? Are you sure you don't have the same problem as me, Lin? Should we have brought two pregnancy tests?" Emily teases.
"Emily! That is so not the case with me, I can assure you," she blushes. "I don't remember much about my past, but I do remember enough to know that I’m no virgin named Mary if you get my drift. So the chances of me being pregnant are pretty much nonexistent."
"You mean you and my brother haven't . . . I mean, you were pretty hot and heavy from day one. I was sure this has been one intense month for you two."
"If you must know, Emily, no. But not for my lack of trying," she laughs, her cheeks reddening even more. "He's just so . . . noble and gentlemanly. Respectful of me to the point of frustration."
"Gotta hate that in a man," Emily giggles.
They both laugh for a few minutes, hearing the front door opening and expecting it to be Jarod. They aren't prepared to see their newly made acquaintance standing there holding a gun on them.
"Will?" Emily stares at him, a confused expression on her face. "What's all this?"
"Shut up and take a seat," he orders. "On the floor, both of you. Sit back to back."
He patiently waits for them to comply before putting his gun away and pulling out a roll of duct tape. He works quickly to bind them together at the hands and around the waist to be sure they don't try to go anywhere.
"Why are you doing this?" Miss Parker asks, trying to hide the pain exploding in her head again. Why is this man causing this reaction in her?
"I think you know why, Miss Parker," he says.
"What did you call me?" She gasps when she realizes he must know her from before. From her time at the Centre. "You work for that place, don't you? That awful place Jarod told me about."
"You really don't remember?" He lets out a deep chuckle. "This is classic. They won't believe this back in Blue Cove."
"I’m not going back there," she warns him. "I'm not that same person anymore."
"I don't want you," he laughs again. "There's a bigger prize out there. And I intend on using you to catch him."
The sound of a car in the driveway can be heard and both the women are dismayed and relieved at the same time. Relieved that Jarod is finally there, but afraid for his safety should he enter the house.
"Ahh, that must be him now," he smiles, pulling out the gun. He puts his finger up to his lips, signaling them to stay quiet. "No sounds, ladies. We wouldn't want to alert him."
A few seconds later, that theory is proven correct when Jarod comes running into the house.
"Parker," he yells out before forcing himself to be quiet. Emily said she had a terrible headache. He wouldn't want to disturb her if she had managed to get to sleep. He tips quietly into the living room, looking around for the women. He spots them sitting on the floor with tear streaked faces.
"Jarod get out of here," Miss Parker yells, taking no regard for her own safety and blatantly disobeying the orders of the gunman. A shot rings out, punishing her for her sin.
"No," Jarod screams, running to her side without thought of where the shot came from. He finds a blooming patch of red on the sleeve of her shirt and notes that she's been shot in the arm. The bullet appears to have gone straight through, but she's unconscious now, probably from the shock of the combined pain of the gunshot wound and the headache.
"Always your problem, Jarod. You can't seem to stay away from an injured Miss Parker, no matter what the danger is to you. I knew that would work to my advantage one of these days."
"Willie," he growls, turning around to face the other man.
"You seemed surprised to see me, Jarod. That's odd, considering you're holding a ghost in your arms," he says with a laugh. "But silly me. I've been at the Centre long enough to know that nobody stays dead. Certainly not a Parker."
"Listen, Willie. I'll make you a deal. Let me call an ambulance for her. Then you can take me from here," Jarod promises.
"I don't think so. Just patch her up and let's get going. She's the only thing I can think of that will keep you in line. We're going back to the Centre and Miss Parker's coming with us."
"No. I'm not doing it," Jarod refuses. "You're not getting both of us out of here. You can either let me call some help for her or you shoot me. And if you do that, then you'll have to carry me out of here and she stays anyway."
"Or, I can shoot her," Willie snarls, aiming the gun towards Emily. He feels victorious when he sees the torn look on Jarod's face. He took a gamble in assuming this other woman was important to him. Looks like it's going to pay off. "If you don't want to see her die, then I suggest you play by my rules."
"Hand me my bag," Jarod says through clenched teeth.
"That's what I thought," Willie grins, kicking the medical bag towards Jarod.
Jarod examines the wound, and as he suspected, the bullet went clean through. He takes advantage of her unconscious state to thoroughly clean the area and bandages it quickly. With his back to Willie, he's able to conceal most of what he's doing from the man. But he guesses he only has a few more minutes before Willie expects him to be done. Just a few minutes to come up with something to save all their lives.
He looks into the bag, pretending to search for something, while examining the various tools for their usefulness as a possible weapon. He frowns realizing that unless he plans on hitting Willie with the stethoscope until he's unconscious, there's not anything of much of use in the bag.
"You almost done, Labrat?" he asks impatiently.
"This would be much easier in a hospital. She's losing a lot of blood," he lies. "Come over here and help me put pressure on the wound while I work." In a moment of inspiration, Jarod spies something in the bottom of the bag and eases it into his palm as Willie nears.
"She looks fine," he argues, looking closely at Miss Parker's arm. "If that bandage doesn't help, then she'll just bleed to death. We're going now."
"That's where you're wrong," Jarod growls, shoving Willie away. The force of his arm hitting the floor almost sends the gun flying, but Willie's able to keep a hold on it. He lifts it to aim at Jarod just as plunges a syringe into him, pushing the contents into his system.
The anesthetic works quickly, numbing Willie's arm. He struggles to roll himself until he's perched over Jarod, the gun still gripped in his weakened hand. Jarod grabs onto the gun and they fight for control of it. Willie manages to get a finger on the trigger and pulls it.
"Jarod!" Emily screams as the gunshot echoes throughout the house. "No!" She drops her head and starts crying for her slain brother.
"Don't touch me!" she yells when she feels a hand on her shoulder.
"Em, it's me," Jarod groans.
"Jarod?" She looks up and sees his bloodied face, scarred from the battle. But he's alive. She reaches for him before realizing her arms are still bound.
"I'm fine, Em," he says, hugging her, reassuring himself that she's fine. He reaches behind her and slices through the duct tape with a knife to release her. "I'm okay. But we have to get Parker to the hospital."
"What happened?"
"The gun went off and I managed to turn it to Willie instead of me. I guess it's just my lucky day."
"Not luck, Jarod. It's your destiny. It wasn't your time to go. And it's not Lindy's either. The two of you have a great future ahead of you."
"What are you, psychic now?" Jarod smiles.
"No. I just know a good thing when I see it. You and Lindy are a good thing. She's going to be fine, Jarod."
"Do me a favor, Em," he says, suddenly turning solemn. "Take care of her. Make sure she gets to the hospital."
"Jarod? Wh . . "
"I have to deal with the body." He nods his head towards Willie's still form. "Too many questions if the police get into it. Too much danger if the Centre starts looking for him."
"Jarod, be careful," she sighs in resignation, knowing she won't be able to change his mind. "And promise me you'll be back."
"Em . . "
"Promise me," she demands. "Jarod, I just found you. Please don't run off again and make me spend another lifetime chasing you. Don't make Lindy go through that."
"I'll be back when it's safe," he promises, kissing his sister on the cheek. He reaches for Miss Parker and lifts her still unconscious form into his arms and carries her out to the car. Emily follows close behind him.
"Take care of yourself, Big Brother," she says, giving him one last hug. "She needs you. And I do, too. Come back to us." She gives him a kiss on the cheek and releases him from her embrace, getting into the car.
He watches her drive away and is filled with sadness. He says a quick, but earnest prayer, that this won't be the last time he sees either of them.
Chapter 6
*******************
Miss Parker wakes to a dull throb in her head. Slowly blinking her eyes, she finally manages to pry them all the way open and cringes at the bright sunshine lighting up the room. A hospital room she notices, much to her chagrin.
"What happened now?" she groans out loud, not realizing she had company.
"Miss Parker! You're awake!"
"Sydney? What are you doing here? What am I doing here?" she asks, trying to push herself to a sitting position, but feeling the ache in her arm.
"Slow down," Sydney says, pushing her back down. "You were shot. You need to stay off of that arm. Wait a minute. You know who I am?"
"Of course I do. Why wouldn't I?" she asks, rolling her eyes at the question.
"It's just . . . well, Jarod said that you . . . "
"Jarod? What's he have to do with all of . . . oh," she gasps, her hand flying up to her mouth. She looks frantically around the room as it all comes hazily back to her. But she still needs some answers to be entirely sure. "Where am I, Syd?" she asks shakily.
"You're in the hospital, Parker. I told you before. You were shot," he explains.
"No. I mean *where* am I? Blue Cove?"
"New Mexico. Carlsbad. Jarod says you've been here for a few months now."
"So it wasn't a dream," she mumbles, mostly to herself. She runs her hand through her hair as her two existences begin to merge in her mind. The car accident. Waking up in New Mexico. Her time before in Blue Cove at the Centre. She remembers all of it. But she has the feeling as if there's still something she's missing. Then it comes to her. "Where's Jarod?" she asks frantically. "Willie. He found us. That's all I remember."
"Calm down, Parker," Sydney says, reaching for the call button to summon the doctor. "You don't need to be getting upset like this."
"Sydney, if Willie is here, then Jarod's in danger. We have to find him and warn him," she practically cries. She tries to get out of the bed, but is easily pushed back by Sydney.
"You're not going anywhere," Sydney says sternly. Just then, the doctor comes into the room and backs him up. A nurse follows closely behind.
"I'm afraid he's right, Miss Parker," the doctor says. She finds the chart and makes a note inside before handing it to the nurse. They all watch in silence as the nurse injects something into Miss Parker's IV.
"And who are you?" she spits angrily at the woman. "What did you just give me?"
"My name is Joyce Ellers. I've been your doctor," the woman smiles. "I just gave you something to calm you down. Like your friend here, said. You don't need to be getting upset."
"Well I'm FINE, Dr. Ellers. But I need to get out of here," Miss Parker insists.
"Miss Parker, your gunshot wound was just superficial. It should be healed in a few days. But you've been unconscious for four days. I think that warrants some observation time, don't you?"
"Unconscious for four days?" she gasps in surprise. "For just a gunshot wound?"
"No, something with your brain. The friend who brought you in said you were complaining of a sudden and severe headache before collapsing and falling unconscious. We've been monitoring some pretty unusual brain activity these past few days."
"A friend brought me in? Was it Jarod?"
"No, it was Emily," Sydney informs her.
"Miss Parker, I hope you appreciate the possible risk you're under? Until we can get the anomalous brain activity under control, I'm afraid you're going to have to stay here. We'll keep you sedated if necessary."
"That won't be necessary," Miss Parker says through gritted teeth.
"She'll be good. I promise," a voice says from the doorway. Miss Parker looks up and smiles as Emily and Javy walk inside. "How are you doing?"
"Kind of groggy, actually," Miss Parker admits.
"That's the medicine working," the doctor explains. "She needs her rest. Don't make this a long visit, okay?" She smiles at the three guest before leaving the room to tend to her other patients.
"What happened, Em? Where's Jarod?"
Emily and Sydney give each other a look that doesn't go unnoticed by Miss Parker.
"What is it? Just tell me. Did Willie . . . hurt him?
"No! It's nothing like that," Emily jumps in, trying to allay the other woman's fears. "There was a gun. And struggle. Willie's dead, Lin."
"Jarod went to take care of things to make sure the Centre couldn't track you down," Sydney finishes.
"So he's okay?" Miss Parker asks, sighing in relief. "He'll be back."
"Hopefully," Emily says sadly, looking down at her shoes. Javy comes next to her and puts an arm around her, comforting her.
"He asked me to come here and keep an eye out on you. You still had your amnesia and he wanted to make sure no one else from the Centre could get as close as Willie did while he's away," Sydney explains.
"I'm glad you're here," she smiles, grabbing onto his hand and squeezing it gently. "But I'm fine. And I have my memory back. So why don't you go take a break and get some rest. You look tired."
"I'll be back in a few hours," the older man says, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. He knows not even to attempt to argue with her on this. He gives one last wave before walking out the door.
"We should be going, too," Javy says, smiling at his sad friend.
"Don't worry about Jarod, Lin," Emily says, also noticing the gloom on her friend's face. "He'll be back. He has to be. Who else is going to walk me down the aisle?"
"Em?" she says, perking up a little. "You two . . "
"We're getting married," Emily practically screams, showing Miss Parker her ring. "Javy proposed the other day after he found out about what happened with that guy with the gun."
"Afraid of losing her?" Miss Parker asks with a smile.
"Self preservation, actually," Javy laughs. "I figured if we were engaged, telling Jarod about our other news won't be like signing my own death warrant."
"You're not!" Miss Parker screams, her eyes popping wide open.
"I am," Emily nods excitedly.
"I can't believe this," Miss Parker laughs. "A hostage situation and faulty birth control. Who would have known that would be the recipe for true love. When did you find out?"
"Well, we've been sitting around the hospital with you for a few days. It just seemed to make sense for me to see a doctor while I was here," Emily says. "Javy went with me and was a lot calmer about it than I was."
"Emily, I knew I loved you the minute I met you," he says to her. "This is just sign we were looking for that this was meant to be."
"Oh, Javy," she sighs, pulling him into a kiss. "You're so sweet. I love you, too."
"And you two are sick," Miss Parker teases. "Get out of here before I hurl."
"Seriously, Lin. I know he'll be back," Emily says. "You two belong to each other. He'll find a way back here. I know it."
"I have to believe that, too," Miss Parker says, yawning as the medicine begins to make her drowsy. "He'll be back. He'll be back," she chants to herself over and over until she finally drifts off to a dreamless sleep.
Miss Parker paces around her room, feeling much like a caged animal. For two days she's been in this hospital. Her brain activity is back to normal now, so she can't understand why they're still keeping her.
"Miss Parker?"
"What?" she snaps, recognizing the voice of Dr. Ellers without even turning around.
"Back to your usual self I see," another voice says, the smirk evident in his tone.
"Jarod," she gasps, turning around and seeing him standing in the doorway with the doctor. She was right about that smirk. It extends into a full blown smile when their eyes meet.
"I hear you've been giving the staff a pretty hard time," he teases her.
"Well you know me," she says.
"Yes I do," he laughs. "Anyway, Dr. Ellers has some good news for you."
"More like good news for us," Dr. Ellers says with her own grin. "We're releasing you today, Miss Parker. One more EEG and you'll be out of here. No offense, but we'll be glad to be rid of you."
"Believe me, none taken," Miss Parker laughs. She looks at Jarod with a huge smile on her face. She can't wait to show him how much she missed him.
"Well, I'll leave the two of you alone now." Dr. Ellers excusing herself, realizing she's barely being registered anymore. Jarod and Miss Parker only have eyes for each other. Her patient has been completely miserable the entire time she's been conscious. A lot of people just can't deal with hospitals. But she sees now that it wasn't the hospital so much putting Miss Parker in a bad mood. It was being away from Jarod. She smiles to herself and leaves without saying good-bye. She doubts they even noticed.
"So, I hear you got your memory back," Jarod says nervously.
"I did," she nods. "I woke up and saw Sydney staring at me and it all came back." She walks over to him and places her hand on his cheek, stroking it gently. "But that doesn't mean the past month has been erased from my memory."
"It's doesn't?"
"Of course not, Jarod," she laughs. "You're a genius. You should know the mind doesn't work that way."
"I know. I was just . . . "
"Worried I wouldn't love you anymore?" she finishes for him. She watches as his face lights up in glee.
"You love me?"
"Jarod," she sighs, shaking her head in amazement. "You really didn't know?"
"You never told me," he says quietly, lifting his hand to cover the one she's still holding against his face. He leans into it before turning his head to place a gentle kiss on her palm. "I love you, too."
"I know," she smiles. "And it's even more amazing to me. Now that I realize the fear and anger and hatred you had to overcome just to be in the same room as me. The fact that you love me . . . "
"I told you I never hated you," he interrupts her. "I've always loved you, Parker. Even running from you, I loved you."
"Well, you won't have to run anymore. Ever. Even though I got my memory back, nothing changes. It doesn't matter whether I'm Lindy or Miss Parker because they both love you."
She pulls his face down to meet hers in a crushing kiss laced with plenty of passion and vows for the future. A few minutes later, he finds himself trying to stifle his laughter. He finally pulls away, laughing so hard his side is starting to hurt.
"What's so funny?" she asks, slightly annoyed at the interruption.
"Well Lindy and Miss Parker are both pretty formidable women. I just hope I'm man enough for the two of you," he laughs, causing her to giggle was well.
"We'll test that theory soon enough. That's a promise," she says seductively, pulling into another kiss. This time they're interrupted by Sydney.
"I see you've changed your hunting technique, Parker," he grins. "If that doesn't get Jarod back to the Centre, I don't know what will."
"We're not going back, Syd. Neither of us. They think I'm dead. They tried to kill me. I'm not going to give them another chance to get it right. When I think of what the two of you went through," she pauses as a tear makes it's way down her cheek.
"It's okay," Jarod whispers, pulling her into his arms. He gently smooths her hair with his hand in a calming motion. "We're just glad you're really okay."
"That's right, Parker," Sydney smiles through his own tears. "But we're not the only ones who missed you. Broots and Debbie were practically inconsolable. Broots got the nerve to leave the Centre and took his daughter to live in North Carolina."
"My father allowed that?" she asks, completely surprised.
"Your father, I believe, saved your life, Parker," Sydney tells her. "He knew that Lyle and Raines were trying to kill you. He promised me he'd fix it so that you'd never be hurt by them again. When you died, I was angry. I blamed him. But apparently he did what he promised."
"But how?" she's curious.
"I don't know. I got an anonymous tip about a month after your funeral. The code NLT98-4327. Before Broots left, he was able to dig up a little information on it. It's a SIM, but not one I ever did. We couldn't find anything else."
"It was one I did," Jarod says, trying to remember details about it. "You were away at some conference, Sydney. Mr. Parker came in one day and gave it to me. Told me to keep it secret."
"What was the SIM?" Miss Parker asks in amazement.
"A serum he called 'The Magic Death'. It can make a person appear to be dead for up to three days," Jarod explains. "I was never sure of the side effects because we never got a chance to test it. But I guess one of them must be temporary memory loss."
"And it looks like it works. He used it on me and look what happened," she smiles proudly at Jarod, kissing him briefly. "My father saved my life. If you get a chance, thank him for me, Syd."
"You're really not going back?"
"No. My place is with Jarod. I'm not leaving him. We've overcome so much to be together," she says.
"Even death," Jarod smiles. "I'm afraid, dear Parker, you're stuck with me."
"I can handle that," she says, returning his smile. "Besides, I need to stick around. I have a wedding to help plan."
"A wedding?" Jarod asks nervously. "I . . I . . . I . . . uh."
"Calm down," she laughs. "Not my wedding. Not yet anyway," she winks at him. "I'm talking about Emily's."
"Oh. Emily's wedding," he says, releasing a sigh of relief. It takes a few seconds for things to sink in. "Wait, Emily's what?"
"I take it they haven't given you your invitation yet?" She just laughs, watching the range of emotions dance across his face, including shock, anger and confusion. She wraps her arms around his neck and holds him tight, trying to calm him down.
"Do not give her a hard time about this," she orders, kissing his cheek.
"Javy and Emily are happy and in love." She kisses him again, moving closer to his mouth.
"So what if he got her pregnant." She latches onto his mouth before he can start yelling, kissing him until he barely knows his own name.
"Sydney was right," he says in a daze, still breathless from her kisses. And no longer upset about his sister's *surprise*. He gently rubs his lips back and forth across her, nibbling the bottom lightly before soothing the minor stings with his tongue.
"About what?" she moans
"There's no way I would have resisted a one way trip to the Centre if you used that particular method of persuasion. You're good, Parker."
"You're not so bad yourself," she laughs. "We're quite a pair."
"Yes we are, Parker," he chuckles. "Yes we are."
They find each other again, unable to stay apart for any longer. Determined to never be apart ever again.
Sydney tips to the door, not wanting to interrupt to two with words of good-bye. They seemed focused only on each other. From the time they were children to now, this was meant to be. It was a long time coming, but his two surrogate children have finally found their place with each other. They're finally happy. What more could a father want?
The End.
