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Disclaimer: The characters Miss Parker, Sydney, Jarod, Broots etc. and the fictional Centre, are all property of MTM, TNT and NBC Productions and used without permission. I'm not making any money out of this and no infringement is intended.



Saying The Words - part 1
by Nicky




Tuesday night

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

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

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

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

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

* * * * * * * * * *

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

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

* * * * * * * * * *

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Especially you, Miss Parker."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Good bye, Miss Parker."

When she opens her eyes, he's gone.

* * * * * * * * * *

The Centre
Wednesday Morning

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * * * * * * * * *

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The two men gently carry her to the sofa and lay her down. Sydney pulls the chair next to her and starts murmuring soft assurances to the young woman he's grown to love like a daughter. Soon, she squeezes his hand and a sob escapes her lips. But her eyes are still closed. It was almost as if she were trapped in a bad dream.

"Miss Parker?" Sydney whispers.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * * * * * * * * *

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * * * * * * * * * *

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * * * * * * * * *

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * * * * * * * * *

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

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

"Oh, yes. Come in, Angel."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * * * * * * * * *

Miss Parker flinches as one last needle pricks her arm.

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

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

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

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

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

* * * * * * * * * *

6 weeks later

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

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

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

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

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

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

"What's this all about, Syd?"

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

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

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

"Like what?"

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

"Then where is she?"

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

* * * * * * * * * * *

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * * * * * * * * *

2 weeks later

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

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

"Sydney? It's me."

"Jarod! You got my messages!"

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

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

* * * * * * * * * *

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

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

"What happened, Sydney? Where is she?"

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

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

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

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

"You think they moved her?"

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

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

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

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

"Donoterase," Jarod announces, feeling fairly confident.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * * * * * * * * *

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * * * * * * * * *

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

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

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

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

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

* * * * * * * * * *

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"I'm in no hurry."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"This is Sydney," a voice answers.

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

"Oh, thank God. Where are you?"

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

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

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

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

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

* * * * * * * * * *

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * * * * * * * * *

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

"What is it, Dad?"

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

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

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

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

"Jarod," Lyle growls.

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

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

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

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

* * * * * * * * * *

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Almost three months," he tells her.

"Three months! How? Why?"

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

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

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

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

"And what?" he asks her anxiously.

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

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

* * * * * * * * * *

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

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

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

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

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

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

"And Jarod?"

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

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

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

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

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

"Sydney?" Mr. Parker is curious.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * * * * * * * * *

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Where did they take who?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * * * * * * * * *

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * * * * * * * * *

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Ribs?"

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

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

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

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

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

* * * * * * * * * *

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

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

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

"What's this all about?"

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

"But why?" Sydney is curious.

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

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

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

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

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

"What if we're too late?"

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

* * * * * * * * * *

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * * * * * * * * *

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"You don't look surprised."

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Miss Parker . . . "

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

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

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

* * * * * * * * * *

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Why did you leave?" Syd asked.

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

"That's incredible."

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

"What is it Jarod?"

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

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

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

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

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

"Good bye, Jarod. Good luck."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * * * * * * * * *

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * * * * * * * * *

Savannah, GA
Two days later

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"We?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Insufferable? Annoying? Childish?" she supplies.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Unfortunately I don't think your brother wants to make out with me as much as you do," he frowns. He pulls away and rises to his feet, helping her up as well. "If he catches up with me, lets just say that he'll have less amorous intentions."

"For a second, I forgot about him," she sighs, closing her eyes and falling into his arms. "You think he was in on this with Daddy?"

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

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

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

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

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









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