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Chapter or Story
Disclaimer: see Chapter sixteen
~~~~~~~
To End The Evil
Part 50
A Major-fight and the after effects
It was late when Jarod and Parker finally returned to the house. The sun had set and it was dark around them. They had found their way back up due to Jarod’s knowledge of the area and with the help of the moon that illuminated their way.
Walking up to the door hand in hand, Parker quietly asked, “Ready?”
Jarod stopped and looked at her. He drew her toward him and embraced her once more. “With you by my side, I’m ready for everything,” he whispered into her ear.
Parker’s heart skipped a beat. “Then we better go in. The night will probably be long and not easy. Not everyone will be pleased with our decision. Your father will be the hardest opponent. Once we have him on your side, Emily won’t be much of a problem,” she stated.
“You think?” Jarod asked doubtfully.
“Yeah, but it doesn’t change the fact that this won’t be pleasant,“ she said softly.
Jarod pulled away slightly and drew her chin up so that she looked at him. “We are in this together, remember? We made the decision and we made it with great care just as I promised my father. I will not back away from our decision because of him because I know that it is what I want to do. They will have to live with it,” Jarod told her firmly.
“Ok,” Parker sighed.
Jarod lightly caressed her cheek and when she nodded, they both turned around and Jarod opened the door.
Emily flew toward them. “There you are! We were slowly getting worried.”
“Em, we are ok. We just had a long talk,“ Jarod said when his sister hugged him tightly.
Ethan came up behind Parker. “Sorted through the chaos?”
She smiled lightly and nodded.
The small group walked into the living room. The others were all gathered there. Jarod looked over to Parker who nodded at him.
“Everyone listen, please. We have to tell you something!” Jarod called.
The room grew silent.
“As you know, Parker and I had a long talk today. We debated the pros and cons of our possibilities,” Jarod announced.
“And?” Jay spoke up. “What will it be then?”
“We will bring down the Centre and then go along with the Scroll’s prediction,” Parker stated firmly.
The Major and Emily gasped. Jay had a small smile on his lips. The other people in the room stayed silent. Everyone prepared for the fight that was to come after that announcement.
Ethan quickly contemplated the situation. ‘So the connection the Scrolls mentioned is complete, now,’ he thought but then he heard his mother chuckling slightly.
‘No, it isn’t, my boy. Your part in making that connection come true is not fulfilled yet,’ she told him. Ethan frowned in puzzlement but before he could give it another thought, the final argument everyone had been waiting for broke loose.
“Jarod, are you sure?” Emily whined.
“Yes, Em. We are sure. As I said, it was not an easy decision but we weighted our options and decided that this would be best,” Jarod said.
“Best for whom?” The Major roused.
“For everyone!” Parker replied evenly, looking at the Major.
“How can you say that? You don’t know a damn thing about it,” Major Charles walked up to Parker only to have Jarod step into his way, blocking his path.
“We didn’t take this lightly,“ he assured his father.
“But she has no idea how it feels…,“ Jarod’s father objected but he was interrupted by Jarod.
“How what feels? Loosing a loved person, being threatened and blackmailed to do something you don’t want to do, being used to get to something, being just a pawn in a twisted game?” Jarod challenged. “Believe me, she does know how it feels! She has experienced all that first hand and not only once but very often!”
Jarod’s father was silent and then started anew. “I don’t want to go back and I don’t want my family going anywhere near that place again either.”
Jarod’s face hardened. “I can understand your point and your aversion to that place,“ Jarod raised his hands in surrender. “I can’t force you to go there. I’d rather have you on our side but I can’t force you to do so and if you don’t want to go there...,“ he shrugged his shoulders, “then don’t.”
Major Charles gaped at his eldest son.
Jarod turned around and left the room. Parker could see the pain that flickered in his eyes. She wanted to reach out and take him into her arms but she saw Jay move out of the corner of her eyes. She looked toward him and he nodded silently, telling her that he would go to Jarod.
“Major…,” Parker started.
“No, leave me alone. You just pulled my son away from me again. You accomplished your goal. Congratulations Miss Parker,“ the Major said, defeated. He half turned away from her.
“You just don’t get it, do you?” Parker gasped and stepped up to Jarod’s father. “Don’t you see that it is you who ‘pushed’ Jarod away?”
The Major’s head snapped up. “Don’t you dare…”
“Stop that. You did one hell of a good job in pushing your son away. You are not even approachable with reason. It’s not like Jarod didn’t try, no… he did several times over the last few days. I see your point that you don’t want anything else to do with that place but do you even realize what it must mean to Jarod that you push him away time after time and that you are trying to make him feel as if he didn’t try hard enough? He didn’t make this decision out of the blue, by god he didn’t,“ Parker stated.
“Then why does he do that?” The Major challenged her.
“There are so many reasons,“ she shook her head sadly. “For once he decided that this would be a chance to make up for all these years. This would be the chance to do some good in the world,“ she explained.
“But he did so much good already,“ the Major argued.
Parker smiled slightly. “Yes, he did but this is his chance to make it up to everyone, maybe even make it up to himself. He has endured so much in his life. This is his chance to have the last laugh, to win over the one’s that made the decisions for him and to win over his own demons”, she went on.
“But he does have the last laugh even if we only bring down that place,“ he argued further. “He doesn’t have to prove anything!”
“Major, he knows that,” Parker smiled slightly. “He doesn’t want to prove anything. If we go back to the Centre it is his way of turning something that evil into a better place. This would be his, no in fact it would be ‘our’ chance to make all the years of suffering we endured… make all these years worth the pain by raising a new place, a place people can be proud of.”
The Major looked at her. There was still resistance in his eyes.
“There is another reason Jarod wants to go back and create a new Centre and that reasons is that he wants to keep all of you safe,” Parker revealed her last trump card.
Nearly everyone in the room gasped loudly.
“Keep us safe?” Jarod’s father rasped.
“Yes, to keep you safe. He said that there would always be a bad feeling even if we brought the Centre down. Only if we go back we can keep a close eye on the development there. That way we could ensure that the Centre won’t destroy other people’s lives anymore and only this way he would be able to keep you all safe,“ Parker explained.
The Major turned and walked over to the couch where he sat down heavily.
“Major, you have to understand that Jarod will go back to the Centre with or without your consent. He will do it because he thinks this is best. You have to understand the reasons for his decision,“ Parker walked over to the couch and crouched down in front of Jarod’s father. “Jarod has endured so much in his life. He wouldn’t leave you if he had another possibility but if you push him away with this you might lose him.”
The Major looked at her tiredly.
“Think about his reasons and maybe rethink your decision. I don’t want to talk you into coming to Blue Cove with us but respect his decision. Don’t drive him away intentionally. Don’t make him go through the pain of losing his family again,“ she nearly pleaded. After that, she got up and walked over to the door.
Sydney looked at her and smiled slightly. When she passed Ethan, he lightly brushed his hand over her arm and nodded calmly. She smiled slightly at her brother and walked out to find Jarod.
~~~~~~~
While Parker stayed in the house to talk to the Major, Jarod walked out of the house and sat down at the steps to the front porch.
Jay quietly joined his brother.
“I just don’t see why he is so stubborn,“ Jarod complained.
“He is worried and he fears that place,“ Jay reminded his brother.
“I know but why can’t he at least listen to why we decided that this would be best?”
“Maybe that’s exactly what he does at the moment with Parker. Knowing her she will make an impression,“ Jay smiled.
“Sure she will but I don’t think it will do much good. I don’t want to lose my family just after I found you all,“ Jarod told his younger self.
“It’s more like we found you,” Jay challenged.
“That’s not the point!” Jarod snapped tiredly.
“Of course it isn’t,“ Jay shook his head slightly and smile at Jarod’s words. “Listen, I’m not that big on this family thing, just like you, but as far as I know it won’t come to that. Because he doesn’t agree with you it doesn’t mean that you will lose him,“ Jay said.
“But if he can’t accept it… I can’t just walk away from that chance to make up at least some of what was done. I can’t and I won’t. If he can’t accept that…,” Jarod tailed off and let his shoulders fall.
Jay reached out and drew his brother to him so that Jarod was leaned slightly into him, their shoulders touching. “Let’s wait. Maybe he will come to his senses. But you don’t have to worry about losing the family. You will not get rid of me and Ethan will come with us, too,” he tried to cheer Jarod up.
“Thanks, Jay. It’s good to know that there are some people who will help at least,” Jarod sighed.
The front door creaked quietly behind them and the two men that were twins genetically but separated by a generation turned around.
Parker stood in the light that floated through the door. She walked over to where the men sat and took a seat on the steps, next to Jarod.
“Well?” Jay asked.
“I gave him quite a package to think about. I think he is finally getting the reasons we have to make such a decision,” Parker stated.
Jarod’s shoulders were still hunched and he looked down. Parker reached out and pattered his back comfortingly. “Just wait, Jar. Give him time and he will come to you and talk things through,“ she said.
“I hope so. I don’t want to lose him or the rest of my family,“ Jarod huffed silently.
“I have a feeling that you won’t,“ Parker grinned.
The door swung open again. Ethan walked out to join his brothers and sister. He sat down besides Parker.
“He’s silent and lost in his own world. I think he gives your words quite some thought,” Ethan told Parker and the other two.
Parker grinned but stayed silent and neither Jay nor Jarod said anything.
The foursome stayed on the porch steps for a long time, lost in their own memories and thoughts with the darkness around them and the knowledge that they were not alone in this fight; that there were people to trust in and to lean onto.
To be continued…
~~~~~~~
Part 50
A Major-fight and the after effects
It was late when Jarod and Parker finally returned to the house. The sun had set and it was dark around them. They had found their way back up due to Jarod’s knowledge of the area and with the help of the moon that illuminated their way.
Walking up to the door hand in hand, Parker quietly asked, “Ready?”
Jarod stopped and looked at her. He drew her toward him and embraced her once more. “With you by my side, I’m ready for everything,” he whispered into her ear.
Parker’s heart skipped a beat. “Then we better go in. The night will probably be long and not easy. Not everyone will be pleased with our decision. Your father will be the hardest opponent. Once we have him on your side, Emily won’t be much of a problem,” she stated.
“You think?” Jarod asked doubtfully.
“Yeah, but it doesn’t change the fact that this won’t be pleasant,“ she said softly.
Jarod pulled away slightly and drew her chin up so that she looked at him. “We are in this together, remember? We made the decision and we made it with great care just as I promised my father. I will not back away from our decision because of him because I know that it is what I want to do. They will have to live with it,” Jarod told her firmly.
“Ok,” Parker sighed.
Jarod lightly caressed her cheek and when she nodded, they both turned around and Jarod opened the door.
Emily flew toward them. “There you are! We were slowly getting worried.”
“Em, we are ok. We just had a long talk,“ Jarod said when his sister hugged him tightly.
Ethan came up behind Parker. “Sorted through the chaos?”
She smiled lightly and nodded.
The small group walked into the living room. The others were all gathered there. Jarod looked over to Parker who nodded at him.
“Everyone listen, please. We have to tell you something!” Jarod called.
The room grew silent.
“As you know, Parker and I had a long talk today. We debated the pros and cons of our possibilities,” Jarod announced.
“And?” Jay spoke up. “What will it be then?”
“We will bring down the Centre and then go along with the Scroll’s prediction,” Parker stated firmly.
The Major and Emily gasped. Jay had a small smile on his lips. The other people in the room stayed silent. Everyone prepared for the fight that was to come after that announcement.
Ethan quickly contemplated the situation. ‘So the connection the Scrolls mentioned is complete, now,’ he thought but then he heard his mother chuckling slightly.
‘No, it isn’t, my boy. Your part in making that connection come true is not fulfilled yet,’ she told him. Ethan frowned in puzzlement but before he could give it another thought, the final argument everyone had been waiting for broke loose.
“Jarod, are you sure?” Emily whined.
“Yes, Em. We are sure. As I said, it was not an easy decision but we weighted our options and decided that this would be best,” Jarod said.
“Best for whom?” The Major roused.
“For everyone!” Parker replied evenly, looking at the Major.
“How can you say that? You don’t know a damn thing about it,” Major Charles walked up to Parker only to have Jarod step into his way, blocking his path.
“We didn’t take this lightly,“ he assured his father.
“But she has no idea how it feels…,“ Jarod’s father objected but he was interrupted by Jarod.
“How what feels? Loosing a loved person, being threatened and blackmailed to do something you don’t want to do, being used to get to something, being just a pawn in a twisted game?” Jarod challenged. “Believe me, she does know how it feels! She has experienced all that first hand and not only once but very often!”
Jarod’s father was silent and then started anew. “I don’t want to go back and I don’t want my family going anywhere near that place again either.”
Jarod’s face hardened. “I can understand your point and your aversion to that place,“ Jarod raised his hands in surrender. “I can’t force you to go there. I’d rather have you on our side but I can’t force you to do so and if you don’t want to go there...,“ he shrugged his shoulders, “then don’t.”
Major Charles gaped at his eldest son.
Jarod turned around and left the room. Parker could see the pain that flickered in his eyes. She wanted to reach out and take him into her arms but she saw Jay move out of the corner of her eyes. She looked toward him and he nodded silently, telling her that he would go to Jarod.
“Major…,” Parker started.
“No, leave me alone. You just pulled my son away from me again. You accomplished your goal. Congratulations Miss Parker,“ the Major said, defeated. He half turned away from her.
“You just don’t get it, do you?” Parker gasped and stepped up to Jarod’s father. “Don’t you see that it is you who ‘pushed’ Jarod away?”
The Major’s head snapped up. “Don’t you dare…”
“Stop that. You did one hell of a good job in pushing your son away. You are not even approachable with reason. It’s not like Jarod didn’t try, no… he did several times over the last few days. I see your point that you don’t want anything else to do with that place but do you even realize what it must mean to Jarod that you push him away time after time and that you are trying to make him feel as if he didn’t try hard enough? He didn’t make this decision out of the blue, by god he didn’t,“ Parker stated.
“Then why does he do that?” The Major challenged her.
“There are so many reasons,“ she shook her head sadly. “For once he decided that this would be a chance to make up for all these years. This would be the chance to do some good in the world,“ she explained.
“But he did so much good already,“ the Major argued.
Parker smiled slightly. “Yes, he did but this is his chance to make it up to everyone, maybe even make it up to himself. He has endured so much in his life. This is his chance to have the last laugh, to win over the one’s that made the decisions for him and to win over his own demons”, she went on.
“But he does have the last laugh even if we only bring down that place,“ he argued further. “He doesn’t have to prove anything!”
“Major, he knows that,” Parker smiled slightly. “He doesn’t want to prove anything. If we go back to the Centre it is his way of turning something that evil into a better place. This would be his, no in fact it would be ‘our’ chance to make all the years of suffering we endured… make all these years worth the pain by raising a new place, a place people can be proud of.”
The Major looked at her. There was still resistance in his eyes.
“There is another reason Jarod wants to go back and create a new Centre and that reasons is that he wants to keep all of you safe,” Parker revealed her last trump card.
Nearly everyone in the room gasped loudly.
“Keep us safe?” Jarod’s father rasped.
“Yes, to keep you safe. He said that there would always be a bad feeling even if we brought the Centre down. Only if we go back we can keep a close eye on the development there. That way we could ensure that the Centre won’t destroy other people’s lives anymore and only this way he would be able to keep you all safe,“ Parker explained.
The Major turned and walked over to the couch where he sat down heavily.
“Major, you have to understand that Jarod will go back to the Centre with or without your consent. He will do it because he thinks this is best. You have to understand the reasons for his decision,“ Parker walked over to the couch and crouched down in front of Jarod’s father. “Jarod has endured so much in his life. He wouldn’t leave you if he had another possibility but if you push him away with this you might lose him.”
The Major looked at her tiredly.
“Think about his reasons and maybe rethink your decision. I don’t want to talk you into coming to Blue Cove with us but respect his decision. Don’t drive him away intentionally. Don’t make him go through the pain of losing his family again,“ she nearly pleaded. After that, she got up and walked over to the door.
Sydney looked at her and smiled slightly. When she passed Ethan, he lightly brushed his hand over her arm and nodded calmly. She smiled slightly at her brother and walked out to find Jarod.
~~~~~~~
While Parker stayed in the house to talk to the Major, Jarod walked out of the house and sat down at the steps to the front porch.
Jay quietly joined his brother.
“I just don’t see why he is so stubborn,“ Jarod complained.
“He is worried and he fears that place,“ Jay reminded his brother.
“I know but why can’t he at least listen to why we decided that this would be best?”
“Maybe that’s exactly what he does at the moment with Parker. Knowing her she will make an impression,“ Jay smiled.
“Sure she will but I don’t think it will do much good. I don’t want to lose my family just after I found you all,“ Jarod told his younger self.
“It’s more like we found you,” Jay challenged.
“That’s not the point!” Jarod snapped tiredly.
“Of course it isn’t,“ Jay shook his head slightly and smile at Jarod’s words. “Listen, I’m not that big on this family thing, just like you, but as far as I know it won’t come to that. Because he doesn’t agree with you it doesn’t mean that you will lose him,“ Jay said.
“But if he can’t accept it… I can’t just walk away from that chance to make up at least some of what was done. I can’t and I won’t. If he can’t accept that…,” Jarod tailed off and let his shoulders fall.
Jay reached out and drew his brother to him so that Jarod was leaned slightly into him, their shoulders touching. “Let’s wait. Maybe he will come to his senses. But you don’t have to worry about losing the family. You will not get rid of me and Ethan will come with us, too,” he tried to cheer Jarod up.
“Thanks, Jay. It’s good to know that there are some people who will help at least,” Jarod sighed.
The front door creaked quietly behind them and the two men that were twins genetically but separated by a generation turned around.
Parker stood in the light that floated through the door. She walked over to where the men sat and took a seat on the steps, next to Jarod.
“Well?” Jay asked.
“I gave him quite a package to think about. I think he is finally getting the reasons we have to make such a decision,” Parker stated.
Jarod’s shoulders were still hunched and he looked down. Parker reached out and pattered his back comfortingly. “Just wait, Jar. Give him time and he will come to you and talk things through,“ she said.
“I hope so. I don’t want to lose him or the rest of my family,“ Jarod huffed silently.
“I have a feeling that you won’t,“ Parker grinned.
The door swung open again. Ethan walked out to join his brothers and sister. He sat down besides Parker.
“He’s silent and lost in his own world. I think he gives your words quite some thought,” Ethan told Parker and the other two.
Parker grinned but stayed silent and neither Jay nor Jarod said anything.
The foursome stayed on the porch steps for a long time, lost in their own memories and thoughts with the darkness around them and the knowledge that they were not alone in this fight; that there were people to trust in and to lean onto.
To be continued…
