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don't own them--though I wish I did--and everything here is the property of NBC. Claire, Beau, and Joely are my characters, they do belong to me! :) Please, someone, anyone mail me and tell me what you think about this fic. Otherwise, let's get on with the fic!
Title courtesy of Duran Duran. Other songs courtesy of Poison--(1st), Blackhawk--(2nd), Duran Duran--(3rd).
Lonely In Your Nightmare
by Miss Houk
Even on the darkest night when empty promise meets empty
hand And soldiers coming home like shadows turning red.
When the lights of hope are fading quickly then look to me
I'll be your homing angel, I'll be in your head.
Because you're lonely in your nightmare let me in
And there's heat beneath your winter let me in.
I see the delta traces living lonely out on the limb.
And a passing glimmer warm beneath your skin
Please tread gently on the ground when all around you earth
turns to fire.
Only get a second chance when danger's on the wind.
Because you're lonely in your nightmare let me in.
Because there's heat beneath your winter let me in
and it's silent on your stone field let me in.
Must be lucky weather when you find the kind of wind that
you need C'mon show me all the light and shade that made
your name I know you've got it in your head I've seen that
look before You've built your refuge turns you captive all the
same.
Because you're lonely in your nightmare, let me in
and it's barren in your garden let me in
Because there's heat beneath your winter let me in
Because it's silent in your stone field let me in
and you're lonely in your nightmare let me in
Because you've waited through your ice age let me in
Because you're lonely in your nightmare let me in
and it's cold out on your stone range let me in
Because there's heat beneath your winter let me in.
Parker Residence
Blue Cove, Delaware
Parker unlocked the deadbolt on the front door, turned the knob, and pushed the door open with her hip, and walked into the house, She tossed her keys onto the coffee table and dropped her briefcase by the door. She left the door open and strolled back outside to the Centre-issue Lincoln she drove to retrieve her groceries. She opened the driver's door and popped the trunk, slammed the door shut, and walked to the back of the car. She picked up the three bags of groceries and pushed the trunk shut with her elbow. She did not notice the dark-clad figure that darted through the open front door. She strolled inside and stopped, pushing the door shut with her four-inch-heeled boot. She walked toward the kitchen and dropped the groceries on the counter, putting away the cold food.
Into the freezer when the two half-gallons containers of Mayfield's Moose Tracks, the boxes of t.v. dinners and frozen pizzas. She next put away a gallon of skim milk, a box of Smart Start, a box of tea bags, and chocolate Pop Tarts. She folded up the brown paper bags and tossed them into the pantry, closing the door. She turned and tool a glass from the pantry and reached for a bottle of Absolut. She remembered the ice and walked slowly to the refrigerator, taking out two ice cubes.
She returned to her coping mechanism, and filled the glass to the rim. She toasted herself and took a long swallow, closing her eyes as the vodka burned a dull path to her stomach. She smiled sardonically and grabbed her glass and the bottle and headed for the living room.
She sat wearily on the couch and leaned forward, sitting the bottle on the coffee table. She glanced up and saw a lovely gift- wrapped package, sitting on an end table by the front door. She immediately wondered if her father has sent it to her and leapt off of the couch. She raced to the table and grabbed the package excitedly. She looked over the package, searching for a card, some thing to clue her in as to the identity of the giver. She found nothing. She frowned and took the package back to the couch, sitting slowly. She carefully unwrapped the package and opened the box, trying desperately to contain her excitement. She carefully unfolded the soft, white tissue paper and looked into the box. Her eyes widened and she removed the fragile- looking picture frame, staring in shock at the photograph nestled in the frame. Anger replaced her shock and she was sorely tempted to throw the picture through the window. However, something-she did not dare allow herself to think of what it could be-kept her from doing so. She carefully placed the photograph into the box and close it. She could not face this now. She set the box on the floor and reached for her glass. She downed the contents and rested her head on the back of the couch. closing her eyes. A shadow fell across her face and she opened her eyes.
"What the..." Parker muttered, shocked, and stood quickly.
"Goodnight, Miss Parker." he murmured and punched her in the temple.
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
"Syd? Have you heard from Miss Parker today?" Broots queried nervously, hurrying into the sim lab with a large stack of files. "These are the files she asked for."
"No, Broots, I haven't heard from her today. I hadn't seen either of you, so I assumed that the two of you were working together." Sydney replied, frowning up at Broots.
"No, I thought she was with you." Broots mumbled, his eyes widening with alarm. "Sh-should we call her?"
"Yes, I believe so." Sydney said, closing the file he was intently studying.
"Uh, O.K."
"Broots?"
"Yeah, Syd?"
"I'll do the honors." he replied, smiling with amusement.
"Thanks Syd." Broots replied, sighing. He sat the file in a chair and turned to leave. "Hey Syd?"
"Yes, Broots?"
"Do you think she's O.K.?"
"Yes Broots, I'm sure she's fine." Sydney replied seriously, worry briefly touching his consciousness.
"This is Parker. Obviously I'm not in, you know the drill. Beep."
"Parker? Are you there? It's Sydney." he called loudly, in the event that she was asleep.
There was no response.
"Parker, answer the phone."
Silence.
"Parker, I was calling to find out where you are. Please give me a call." he said and replaced the receiver.
What the hell was going on? Parker never missed a day of work without a call, Sydney thought, concerned. As far
as he knew, Parker had never missed a day of work, period. Something was wrong, and it scared Sydney to think about what it might be. He shook his head and sarcastically wondered if her beloved daddy had any ideas of her whereabouts. He very seriously doubted it; Daddy Parker rarely knew anything about his only daughter. He and Broots were going to have to search for Jarod themselves, and for the time being, they were going to have to search for Parker too.
"Sometimes this job really sucks." Sydney muttered darkly.
Somewhere in the Southeastern U.S.
She jerked her head to the left, immediately eliciting a throbbing pain on the left side of her head. She opened her eyes, squinting at the bright sunlight shining directly in her eyes. She shaded her eyes with her and pushed herself up slowly into a crouched position. She looked down, directly in front of her, and saw the road going by at a rapid rate, and felt slightly ill. She swallowed slowly and began to survey her surroundings. She saw a familiar face smiling smugly at her in the rearview mirror, and her lip curled into a sneer.
"Feel like a man now?" she snapped hatefully.
"Good morning to you too, Miss Parker." Jarod sang cheerfully. "I had to do something, you never would have come with me willingly."
"You're damn right about that." she snapped, her icy blue eyes narrowed. "What the hell do you want this time, Jarod?"
"I need you to help me, Miss Parker."
"Fuck off." she said dismissively and carefully climbed into the front seat of the car.
"Guess you can't count on any of the Parker's." he said airily, watching her from the corner of his eye.
"You bastard." she whispered furiously.
"Does that mean you're willing to help?" he asked with mock innocence.
"What the hell is really going on, Jarod? Trying to bribe your way out of the Centre?" she asked icily.
"No, Miss Parker. I'll leave that to your father and Mr. Raines. Oh, and your beloved brother, Bobby." he said coolly. "All I want to do is spare the life of a child."
"What do you mean?" she queried, fear forming a knot in the pit of her stomach.
"I mean Joely...your daughter."
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
"Anything yet, Broots?" Sydney asked, startling and already jumpy Broots.
"N-no, Syd. Nothing." he stammered, looking up at the older man. "No one has seen or heard from her since she left last night."
"Any indications that she's taken a short holiday?" Sydney asked, nurturing a small feeling of hope.
"No, nothing, Syd." Broots replied quietly. "Should we go to Mr. Parker?"
"Do you actually think he knows anything?" Sydney remarked wryly.
"Uh, no, I guess not."
"Then I thinking we need to start investigating Miss Parker's life and her activities for the past week."
"Uh O.K., Syd."
Somewhere in Tennessee
"Where the hell are we going?" Parker complained for the thousandth time.
"I told you we were taking a shortcut." Jarod replied patiently.
"I don't remember any of this and I take the shortcut every time." Parker replied petulantly.
"We're going a different route, Miss Parker."
"Jarod, what the fuck is really going on." Parker demanded hotly.
"I told you, Miss Parker. This is about Joely."
"You bastard! Leave Joely out of this!" she screamed, enraged.
"I didn't bring her into this, Miss Parker." Jarod replied quietly.
"Then who the hell did." she growled.
"Secrets, Miss Parker....it's all we've ever known." he replied absently.
"What the hell does that have to do with Joely?" she yelled.
"Why don't you ask Mr. Raines?" he suggested airily. "Or maybe...Grandpa Parker?"
Parker Residence
Blue Cove, Delaware
"She didn't take anything with her, Syd."
"Broots, this is not good." Sydney mumbled.
"No kidding, Syd." Broots retorted softly.
"Broots, start putting out feelers on the net. I want to know if anyone has seen her and where." Sydney replied quietly, but with authority.
"Sure. Anything else, Syd?"
"No, Broots." he replied, looking at the younger man. "Come on, let's get back to the Centre. We're going to be working
overtime on this one."
"Guess that means my weekend with Debbie is off." Broots muttered, walking toward the door.
"I'm sorry, Broots. I know how much spending time with Debbie means to you." Sydney replied sympathetically.
"Yeah well, I just want Debbie to remember me...well, not the way she remembers her father." Broots replied, gesturing to a photograph on a nearby table of Parker and her beloved daddy.
"Broots, I don't' think you're in any danger of that happening." Sydney replied kindly.
"It's just...I mean..." he said, trailing off, clearing his throat. He spoke again, his voice low and controlled, "I feel sorry for her, Syd. She loves her dad, but she can't trust him because he never keeps his word. He lies to her and doesn't think twice about it."
"Broots, you're by far a better father--and person--than Mr. Parker." Sydney murmured.
"Thanks, Syd." Broots replied gratefully. "Well, I guess I'd uh, better get to work."
"Yes, let's get out of here. If Parker has just taken off for a night or two, she'll be really pissed if she finds out we were here." Sydney replied, grinning.
Sonic
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
"Jarod, how did you know?" Parker asked wearily.
"How did I know what?" Jarod queried, taking a bite out of his cheese Coney.
"How did you know about Joely? That she was in New Orleans?" Parker asked, popping a tater tot into her mouth.
"Miss Parker, how many times are you going to have to ask that question before you finally get it through your thick head that I can find out anything about anyone?" Jarod asked, looking at her. "And you did leave a bit of a trail."
"Shit, I thought I was more careful." she murmured worriedly.
"Don't worry, I covered the trail." Jarod said soothingly. "But I'm not sure if I did it in time."
"Oh God. That's what you meant." Parker whispered, staring through the windshield, blankly. "They know. Daddy and Raines. They know..."
"It's O.K., Miss Parker. We're going to take care of her."
"I can't let anything happen to her, Jarod." Parker pleaded, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Nothing is going to happen to her, Miss Parker." he murmured, touching her shoulder softly.
"I'll never forgive myself..." she said, trailing off, unable to finish, to tell him the truth only her heart and her head knew.
"It's going to be O.K." he soothed, wishing he could tell her, wishing she would allow him to call her by her first name.
They ate in silence, each drawing comfort from the silence and presence of the other. They left their trash on the tray and left the parking lot. Jarod pulled the car into the street and drove onto the exit ramp. He merged into traffic, startling Parker as the headlights of a semi rapidly approached the bumper of the small, black Miata. She gasped aloud and braced herself, hands on the dash, feet pushing against the floor, for impact. Instead, she felt the small car fishtail as the semi roared past them, horn blaring. She heard Jarod laughing with child-like delight, and she turned to him, furious.
"You stupid, fucking idiot!" she screeched, livid.
"Calm down, Miss Parker. We're still in one piece." Jarod replied, calmly, his eyes twinkling with glee.
"You could've killed both of us, you schmuck!" she yelled, wishing she had her gun, to put him out of her misery.
"Relax, Parker. I know what I'm doing." he said, coolly, much to her consternation. "Remember, I drove a race car on one of my pretends."
"I don't give a shit!" she shrieked. "I would like to continue living, if you don't mind."
"I would never forgive myself if you didn't. Pitiful existence though it may be." he replied airily.
"What the hell do you know? You've lived in the zoo all of your life. You don't know what living is." she snapped hatefully.
"Yeah, and you've lived a few floors above me." he shot back.
Her eyes narrowed to slits and her lip curled up in disgust. She clenched and unclenched her fists for a moment and brought her hand back, slapping his mouth with all of her might, considering. Jarod reeled from the blow, stunned. He blinked a few times and slammed on the brakes, veering onto the shoulder of the interstate, screeching to a halt. He turned to her angrily, each glaring at the other. He touched his face, and felt the heat radiating from it. He had never been struck before, and was curious about the reaction it provoked in him. He decided to further research it later, but first he must attend to his current situation with Miss Parker.
"What the hell was that for?" he demanded angrily.
"Oh, so we've decided to use grown up words?" she asked condescendingly.
"No one has ever hit me before. I want to know why you just did."
"Because you deserved it."
"No one deserves to be hit, Miss Parker. It really hurt, if you even care."
"I don't."
"Why did you hit me?"
"Because I felt like it, O.K.?" she snapped impatiently. "Can we just hurry up and get to Joely?"
"Avoidance? Guess I found a chink in the armor." he muttered and threw the car into first.
"Shut up, Jarod." she shouted, hoping he would drop the subject.
"Fine." he snapped, gripping the steering wheel tightly.
Parker closed her eyes, squeezing them shut tightly, forcing the tears back, wishing once more she could tell him the truth. Fear crippled her and lack of practice with her feelings prevented her from saying what she needed to, so she suffered silently, a situation not foreign to her. She pulled her knees to her chest and leaned against the door, resting her temple against the cool window. She was unaware of Jarod watching her, empathing the pain she was feeling. He so wanted to pull her into his arms, to hold her tightly and whisper that everything was going to be all right. But would it? Jarod turned on the radio and smiled wryly at the song softly playing.
The closer you come,
The weaker I get,
Though it ain't happened now,
Just ain't happened yet.
Please, please, please go,
I'm not strong enough to say no.
Please, please don't stay.
I'm not man enough to walk away.
Please, please pass by,
I can't resist you even though I try
So please go,
I'm not strong enough to say no.
Broots Residence
Blue Cove, Delaware
"Syd, I think I've got something here." Broots replied excitedly.
"What is it?" Sydney asked, quickly taking a seat beside Broots at his laptop.
"Well, I can't be 100 percent positive, but it's a hospital record. From three years ago. Someone checked into Our Lady of Lourdes hospital in Lafayette, Louisiana under the name Megan Parker hyphen Jamieson." Broots murmured, his eyes wide.
"Clever, but not clever enough. I can't believe she was so careless!" Sydney muttered worriedly.
"Holy shit!" Broots whispered.
"What? What is it, Broots?"
"Uh, this can't be right, Syd."
"What?"
"It says she...she was in labor and gave birth to a seven and one- and-a-half-ounce baby girl." Broots replied, dumbstruck.
"Holy shit." Sydney replied, his mouth open in shock.
"It says...damnit!" Broots cried, hitting keys furiously.
"What?"
"The file, it was just deleted."
"Get it back!" Sydney shouted.
"I can't, Syd." Broots murmured.
"Now what the hell do we do?" Sydney asked wearily.
New Orleans, Louisiana
"Who is it?" a male voice demanded gruffly, switching on the front porch light.
"It's me, Beau, Parker."
"Parker!" he said, throwing open the front door.
Jarod stared up in surprise at the tall, muscular man with white- blond hair and green eyes who grinned happily at them. Beau stuck his huge hand out to Jarod and they shook. Beau released Jarod's hand and pulled Parker into a bear hug, lifting her off of the ground. She giggled and hugged him back tightly. He sat her down and ushered then into the house, turning on the lights, offering them a seat and a beer. He ran up the stair and disappeared into a room, emerging momentarily with a tall, sleepy-eyed red head, wearing a T-shirt and boxer shorts with the Budweiser frogs printed on them. She pulled her hair into a ponytail and smiled warmly at each of them. She walked over to Parker and hugged her tightly, kissing her cheek affectionately.
"Beau, Claire, I want you to meet Jarod." Parker announced.
"Hey Jarod." Beau replied, nodding.
"Hello." Claire said, her voice low and melodious, rich with a refined southern drawl.
"Hello, Claire, Beau." Jarod replied with a smile.
"How's Joely?" Parker asked, her voice soft, without a trace of its usual hardness.
"She's fine. Sleeping like a little angel." Claire replied, smiling affectionately at the mention of the child.
"I want to see her." Parker replied, standing.
"Go ahead. She's in her room." Beau said, nodding in the direction of the stairs.
Parker turned to Jarod, looking at him. He stood and followed her up the stairs and down the darkened hallway to the last door. Parker touched the door gently and turned the knob, slowly opening the door. She kicked off her heels and padded into the bedroom. She looked around the room, her gaze resting on everything in the room, making sure that nothing had changed since her visit last weekend. She knew it was foolish, but she had a hard time coming to grips with the fact that she was unable to raise her child herself. There were many times that she had been tempted to say, 'Screw you', to daddy and bring the child to her home. But if he were to get ahold of her, he would surely test her for pretending abilities. Something Parker would never let her father do to her baby.
Jarod looked around the room curiously. By the light of the Winnie the Pooh nightlight, he could see that the room was decorated in lavender and white. There was a white chest of drawers, and oak hope chest with toys spilling out of the opened lid, and end table with a lamp and several children's books atop it, and a small canopy bed with purple and white flowered sheets, comforter, and dust ruffles. There were pictures throughout the room of cats, dogs, Claire and Beau, and Miss Parker herself. He watched Parker walk quietly over to the bed and sit gently on it. She leaned over and kissed the sleeping child tenderly. He came to stand behind her and looked at the child lying on the bed.
He gazed at the child in awe. She had long, black curly hair, an olive complexion, delicately formed features, and long black eyelashes. She was beautiful, just like her mother. He saw most of Parker in the child, but there was someone else there too, someone he could not put his finger on. There was someone else there, but who was it? Who was the father of this child? Jarod touched Parker's shoulder gently and leaned forward.
"She's beautiful." he whispered in her ear,
"Yes, she is." she whispered back, turning her head slight toward him.
"Who are Claire and Beau?" he asked softly.
"Claire and I were sorority sisters at Bryn Mawr. Beau and I...we were..."
"Together?" Jarod suggested.
"Yeah, we were...together." Parker admitted, feeling bizarrely embarrassed by this admission.
"What happened?"
"Jarod..."
"Why must you keep everything bottled up?"
"Because it's safer, O.K.?" she snapped quietly. "Just drop it, Jarod."
"I want to know why he ended up with your sorority sister and you ended up alone yet again."
"Because we were fuck buddies, O.K.? I was the girl the frat boys had fun with, Claire was the girl they wanted to marry.
Pure, gentle, kind, weak." she growled.
"There's nothing wrong with those qualities, Miss Parker. Your mother had them."
"Leave her out of this." she hissed dangerously.
"Why does it bother you so much when someone speaks of her?"
"Because everyone who talks about her tells lies. I'm tired of hearing the lies."
"I have never lied to you about her. I would never lie to you about anything." he said, hurt that she would think he would ever lie to her.
"Just stop, Jarod." she said aloud.
The sleeping child stirred slightly, and Parker stroked her hair murmuring soothing words. The child sighed and turned over,
and Parker turned to Jarod, pointing toward the door. She stood, retrieved her heels from the floor, and followed him out of the room. She closed the door softly and stalked silently down the hall. Jarod followed her back down the stairs and into the living room. Beau and Claire looked up at them, and noted the furious expression Parker wore. They glanced at each other and stood quickly.
"You're welcome to stay the night. We have a guest room..."
"Thanks Beau, Claire, be we've already rented a room. We'll be back tomorrow morning, though." Jarod interjected quickly,
noting that Parker's face was now red with rage.
"Oh, all right."
"Thank you for letting me see her." Parker replied, her voice low and controlled.
"Yes, we're sorry that we woke you. We'll go now so you can get back to sleep." Jarod said, hustling Parker toward the door.
"'Bye Parker, Jarod. Nice to meet you." Beau called, to their retreating forms.
"What the fuck was that?" Parker shouted, once they were safely in the car.
"We need to talk, and we can't talk there."
"I don't think there's anything to say." Parker said stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest.
"There's a lot to be said." he said softly, but firmly.
"Fine." she snapped, slouching into the seat.
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
"O.K., Syd. I checked all of the archives, but there is no record of anyone knowing anything about the incident." Broots replied softly, glancing nervously around the tech room.
"It's O.K., Broots." Sydney replied, amused. "Any idea in the location of the bunny?"
"The bunny?" Broots replied blankly, temporarily forgetting the code word for Parker's kid.
"Yes, the bunny."
"Oh, the bun...yeah, I'm still working on it."
"Let me know, Broots, as soon as you know something."
"Will do, Syd."
"And Broots?" Watch your back. Don't trust anyone, especially Lyle."
"Don't worry, Syd. Sometimes I don't even trust myself." Broots muttered.
Holiday Inn
New Orleans, Louisiana
"I can't believe this!" Parker screeched, angrily pulling off her heels, throwing them against the wall. "A hog calling contest?"
"Well Miss Parker, everyone has different interests." Jarod chided softly.
"What the hell kind of people call pigs for fun?" she shrieked.
"Parker, calm down." Jarod said calmly. "At least we got a room."
"Yeah, a room with one damn bed. I'm not sleeping in the same bed with you." she said hatefully, her eyes flashing.
"Look, this isn't the happiest of circumstances, so why don't we make the best of it? I'm not going to sleep on the floor and
neither are you. We'll just sleep on our own sides of the bed."
"Fine." she hissed. "You even think about touching me and I'll kill you, understand?"
"Loud and clear."
"Good." she snapped and headed for the bathroom.
"What are you doing? Jarod asked curiously.
"Do you mind if I take a shower?"
"We need to talk, Miss Parker."
"Well, it can wait. I feel dirty; I haven't had a bath since yesterday."
"O.K., we can both take showers and then talk about this."
"Whatever." she said, rolling her eyes, unbuttoning her black blazer.
She noted, with some satisfaction, that Jarod was watching her intently. She made a show of slowly peeling the blazer off of her body, carelessly tossing it to the floor. It was not until she began to unbutton her blouse that she realized that something was amiss. She glanced down at the blazer and then at the tight, black mini skirt and satin burgundy shirt she wore. His eyes widened and her lips parted slightly in shock. She looked down at her attire once again and the realization dawned on her. Her eyes narrowed and she looked up at Jarod, furious.
"You bastard!" she shouted.
"Miss Parker, I had to change your clothes." Jarod explained.
"Oh really? Please explain to me why it was so urgent. I really want to hear this." Parker retorted.
"Because you reeked of vodka and sex, Miss Parker." Jarod replied quietly, averting his gaze.
Parker looked down at her clothing and remembered her brief stop after work at Tyler's house, one of her former lovers. Sex between them had always been hot, and she had needed something after the day she had at work. It had, unfortunately, been short and sweet, but she felt better, good enough to brave the grocery store. She had intended to take a shower after putting away the groceries and having a drink. However, Jarod had gotten to her before she has a chance to shower. Once again, she felt bizarrely embarrassed about this revelation to Jarod.
"Your drink got spilled on your suit and..." he trailed off, blushing slightly.
"I get it, Jarod." she snapped irritably.
"I also brought you a few changes of clothes."
"Great, where are they?"
"Here." he replied, handing her one of the black shoulder bags he carried.
She took the bag and dropped in onto the bed. She began searching through it, curious to know what he had chosen for her to wear. Her jaw dropped when she saw three pairs of jeans, two t-shirts that had been left behind by a former lover, a new pair of Keds, several pairs of scanty, multi-colored panties, and their matching bras. Part of her felt a wave of something she chose to keep nameless at the sight of the exotic underclothing he had packed for her. He had obviously been thinking along certain lines, and that made her head swell slightly. However, she quickly came to her senses and looked over at him, her mouth open, speechless. Surely he did not expect her to wear these clothes. There was no chance in hell she was going to wear this stuff; she refused to walk around looking like a dumpy hausfrau. She glared up at him and dumped the clothing out onto the bed angrily.
"I'm not wearing this shit." she announced firmly.
"Damnit Parker, I'm not letting you run around like some runway model. You want the Centre to catch us working together? To find Joely and make her a pretender too?" Jarod shouted.
Parker looked into Jarod's eyes and saw the truth. She blinked slowly and whispered, "You know."
"Yeah, Miss Parker, I know."
"Ohmygod. For how long?"
"Since the day I showed up at your house. I didn't want to...to hit you. But I saw you, and you'd lied to me all this time. I was
so angry..."
"Why didn't you just ask? I would have told you." she murmured.
"It wasn't like I knew about her all this time, Parker." he muttered darkly. "When was she born?"
"Our daughter was born two months before our escape." Parker replied softly, a tear slipping silently down her cheek.
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
"Syd! I've-I've got it!" Broots called, jogging to Sydney's side, panting.
"What is it, Broots?" Sydney asked, concerned.
"I know where the bunny is." he whispered.
"Where?" Sydney asked excitedly.
"Ever been to Mardi Gras, Syd?"
"Mardi Gras? What does..." he trailed off, the meaning suddenly dawning on him.
"Let's take a little vacation, Syd. I've never been to Mardi Gras." Broots suggested, smiling.
Holiday Inn
New Orleans, Louisiana
"Why didn't you tell me? You just disappeared. I asked Sydney and he said you has taken an indefinite leave of absence, and I thought you had left me." he said, touching her face tenderly.
"Jarod, I wanted to. But I knew what would happen in daddy or Raines ever found out." she murmured, forcing herself not to show the pleasure his touch still awakened in her.
"God, we have a daughter." he mumbled, awed.
"Jarod, what we had at the Centre...that was special." Parker began slowly.
"Don't Miss Parker, it's not over yet."
"Jarod, please."
"We have a child together."
"Yes, we do. But now it's my job to bring you back to the Centre."
"How can you take me back? I'm the father of your child!"
"Jarod, if I take you back, I'm free. Free to be with Joely, free to be the mother I should've been from the start."
"I-I can't believe you're being this way." Jarod stammered, stunned.
"What do you want me to do? Run away? They'll find me no matter where I go."
"Not if you're with me. I'll protect you." Jarod said excitedly.
"Jarod..."
"I want to be with my daughter."
"I don't want you to be left out of her life. I grew up without my mother, I know what it's like to grow up without a parent."
"You grew up without both of your parents, Miss Parker." Jarod reminded softly.
"Why do you have to make this so damn hard, Jarod?" Parker whispered, another tear slipping down her cheek.
"Because I love you, and our daughter, so damn much." he murmured, his face inches from hers.
He touched his lips to her, softly kissing her. Her lips remained impassive, and he pressed harder, kissing her again. This time, she responded, kissing him back hungrily. She could not longer deny the feelings she felt for him, the feelings she had pushed down for so long, nor could she deny the hunger he awoke in her, just as he had all those late nights at the Centre on every piece of furniture in her office. This night was different that all of the others, though. This time, there were no potential prying eyes, no secrecy, no deception. Parker and Jarod were alone, thousands of miles from the Centre, completely at each other's mercy. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him to her tightly. She twined her fingers in his hair and languidly slid her tongue against his. He moaned in her mouth and she smiled seductively against his mouth.
"I'm going to take a shower." she whispered, not letting go of him.
"Mind if I join you?" he asked with a grin, lifting her off of her feet into his arms, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, locking her ankles together at the small of his back.
"I'd be pissed if you didn't." she murmured, pulling off his t-shirt.
Parker lay beside a sleeping Jarod, curled into a fetal position. She replayed the events of the last two hours in her mind, burning the events into her memory. No one had ever taken Jarod's place in her heart or her bed. She thought she had gotten over Jarod. He had left the Centre suddenly, with not warning, leaving her behind as well. She had been furious, anddeeply wounded, by his departure. His leaving took away her stability and security and had frightened her. Neither of them had been aware that they had missed each other by days. If only she had come back sooner, he would not have left the Centre to find her. If he had only waited a few more days, he could have escaped the Centre with her sooner.
....But ya know ya gotta stick to your guns when it all comes
down
'Cause sometimes you can't choose,
It's like heads you win, tails you gonna lose.
Win big, mama's fallen angel,
Lose big, livin' out lies.
What's it all?
Mama's fallen angel
Lose it all, rollin' the dice of her life....
Such a good actress hiding all the pain,
Trading it in for some fortune and fame.
Just a step away from the edge of the fall.
Caught between heaven and hell....
Too much, too soon or just a little to late?
Just when her ship came in.
She wasn't there....
She quietly slipped out of bed and went outside, lighting up her first cigarette in months. She inhaled deeply, closing her eyes as the tobacco burned the back of her throat. She exhaled slowly, forcing herself to think of a way to cut Jarod off, to forget about how his body felt moving against hers, the way his touch made her feel, and concentrate on how to let him go, so she could bring him back to the Centre. She willed the ice to form around her heart; she numbed her emotions quickly, allowing her facial expression to harden, and her stance quickly changing from long- overdue blissful relaxation to rigidly controlled. She tossed her head, inhaled deeply on her cigarette, and tossed the butt over the railing and walked back into the motel room. It was time to plan Jarod's welcome home party.
The French Quarter
New Orleans, Louisiana
"Broots, are you sure they're in New Orleans?" Sydney asked, looking around at the large crowds of drunk partiers.
"I couldn't believe it either, Syd. I never thought of Miss Parker as the party type."
"I guess all we can do now is search the hotel for them." Sydney replied, taking a seat at a sidewalk cafe.
A frazzled-looking young waiter came over to the table as Broots sat. He pulled out his notepad and introduced himself.
"Hi, I'm Beau, and I'll be your server tonight. Can I get you something to drink?"
"Yeah, I'll have a Bud Ice." Broots replied, glancing around the Quarter.
"I'll have a scotch and water." Sydney replied, half-smiling at the waiter.
"Sure thing, be right back." he said and hurried off.
"Now what do we do?" Broots asked nervously.
"Now Broots, we wait."
Beau had recognized Broots and Sydney when he saw them sitting at his table. He had grinned and borne it, but now that he was safely out of sight, he rushed to the payphone and dialed the number to Parker's cellular. He tapped his foot impatiently and silently urged Parker to answer. She never turned the phone off, he knew that from bitter experience. When Joely was teething and he and Claire thought it would be a good idea for her to hear her mother's voice, he had called and interrupted a meeting between the "three stooges." When she spoke her first words, Parker was on the verge of orgasm with her latest lover. However, this time, there was no answer. This worried him. She was never without her cellular. Something was wrong. He jabbed the disconnect button and reinserted thirty-five cents. Maybe Claire has seen or heard from Parker.
Holiday Inn
New Orleans, Louisiana
Parker awoke the following morning, lying half across Jarod's chest, her arm flung around his waist, her ankle curled around his calf. She smiled, pleased with herself, and snuggled into Jarod's warmth. She felt his arms tighten around her and her grin grew wider. This would be so easy; he was hot for her and would do nearly anything she asked of him. She moved slightly and kissed his chest lightly. She felt him move slightly in response and began to kiss his nipple. She smiled wickedly when she heard his gasp aloud, and ran her tongue lightly over the hardened nub. He twined his hands in her hair and gently pulled her head up for a kiss. He kissed her softly at first, pulling her body to his, holding her tightly. He could never get enough of Parker; of the smell that was uniquely her, the taste of her skin, the feel in her bare flesh pressed tightly against his. She has not changed much in three years; a slight widening of her hips due to childbirth, light stretch marks on her tummy from the sudden weight gain, and an enlargement of her breasts. He had not had to ask if she had breastfed, her body had given itself away without a word from her.
He rolled over, taking her with him, and pinned her to the bed, on her back, her wrists above her head. She grinned seductively up at him, and licked her lips suggestively. He bent forward and kissed her deeply, rubbing his hardness against her thigh. She moaned softly and slipped her tongue into his mouth, sliding it against his lazily. He broke off the kiss, his lips traveling to the south; to the hollow of her throat, to her collarbone, each breast and nipple, her stomach, navel, and slowly retraced his path upward to her waiting mouth. She kissed him roughly, moaning into his mouth as he began caressing her nipples. She tossed her head back, her eyes closed, reveling in the sensations that no one but Jarod could elicit in her. She rubbed herself against Jarod's hardness, feeling herself become wetter immediately. She cried aloud when he began to suck on her nipples, her breath choppy and fast. She ran her fingers through his hair, and hooked her ankles around his waist, pulling him tightly to her. She did not notice that he had momentarily ceased his attentions to her breasts and watched her, never wanting to forget this moment.
He bent forward and kissed her lips softly, letting go of her wrists. She responded and as he slid him tongue into her mouth, he touched her wetness. He smiled as she gasped aloud in pleasure, and buried his face in her breasts, nibbling and sucking as he expertly stroked her clit. He noted that the rhythm of her breathing had quickened, and he sensed that she was on the verge. He whispered her name and she opened her eyes, icy blue eyes clashed with dark brown, burning with desire. He lowered his body onto hers and slowly entered her. They both gasped aloud in pleasure, kissing urgently and he slowly pulled out of her, leaving just the tip inside her, and slowly thrust into her again.
"Jarod..." she whispered, digging her nails into his back, signaling him to pick up the pace.
He rolled over again, allowing her to run the show, their bodies still joined. Parker shifted, placing her hands on his chest for balance. She sat on his hips, taking his full erection into her. She felt his full balls beneath her ass, and she ground herbody against his, tightening her vaginal muscles around his penis. She groaned aloud at the pleasure this gave her, looking down at Jarod as his face contorted with ecstasy and he growled with pleasure. She slowly began pumping her body up and down, tightening and relaxing her muscles around him for both of their pleasure. The pressure slowly began to build, and she increased the pace. She dimly heard Jarod moaning in unison with her own gasps and cries of pleasure.
"Oh God." she moaned aloud, shuddering as her first orgasm hit.
"Max..." he called, tightly grasping her hips as he pumped her up and down, faster.
"Jarod, Jarod, Jarod." she shrieked as she came again, this time Jarod with her.
He thrust into her again and again until he could no longer, his energy spent. She had collapsed onto his chest, breathing heavily in time with him. They lay there like that together, listening to the sounds of the other's ragged breathing. Jarod believed that he had never heard anything so beautiful as the sounds she made while they made love. He had never loved her as much as he did that moment, and he knew that his heart was lost to her forever. Parker knew that once this moment was gone, there would never be another for them. She burned every sound, every taste, every feeling into her memory, never wanting to let it go. Parker shared Jarod's feelings, though hers were locked inside of her, knowing only too well what would happen to both of them, should their little rendezvous be discovered--or should she voice the feelings she was feeling now. It had been a hell of a ride, but now it was time to leave the amusement park.
She rolled off of him, suppressing a gasp as his flesh slipped from hers. She did not want him to know how she felt. It only made it that much more difficult to let him go. She allowed Jarod to pull her into his arms, but lay immobile, forcing herself not to feel, so letting him go would be easier. As if letting go of the love of her life and the father of her child could ever be easy.
"Max, we need to talk." Jarod replied, nuzzling her hair, wet with sweat.
"Yeah, Jarod, we do." she replied, her voice cool. "And it's Miss Parker to you."
"Max...Miss Parker...I-I don't understand." he stammered, a mixture of hurt and confusion in his eyes.
"Don't be such a child, Jarod." Parker replied mockingly. "You really believe that after all this time, that after one night of great sex, that it's never-ending love?"
"It wasn't about that. It was more than sex." he insisted adamantly.
"God Jarod, you're so naive. Just because we spent the night together doesn't mean that we're going to get married and live happily ever after."
"Max, we have a child together. I love you." he pleaded, his eyes welling with tears.
"Get over it." she snapped hatefully, her voice icy, her body rigid.
"No..." Jarod whispered, staring at nothing.
"Yeah."
"Go...go Max." he whispered, rolling away from her, curling into a fetal position, his back to her.
"Sure." she replied agreeably, sitting up in bed, her eyes betraying her actions and words.
Parker stood quickly, forcing herself to keep her back turned to him, to not go to him and console him, to tell him how much she loved and needed him. She was only doing this for them, for Joely. If the Centre ever found out the truth, if they were caught together, both Jarod and Parker would die, and Joely would become their newest and most gifted pretender. Beau and Claire had informed her, awestruck, at Joely's awesome accomplishments. Parker turned her head toward Jarod and looked at him lovingly, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She wanted to share her life with him and their child; to exclaim over every step Joely made, to cry with him when she got her first boyfriend, to laugh at the stunts she would pull, to share their love for her and each other. Parker wanted to be able to lay beside him every night, holding him in her arms, knowing that she never had to let him go. But she would never lay beside him very long as they watched their child grow, and she would not grow old with him; no, she would grow old alone and die with nothing but her solitary existence.
Parker began to slowly gather her clothing, putting them on one article at a time, lost in her own thoughts. After dressing, she gathered the rest of her clothing together, and stuffed them into the black carry-on Jarod had packed for her. She did not bother to fold the clothing, nor did she care that she looked like she was living out of her suitcase, a low-income suitcase at that. All she cared about was getting out of the room before she fell apart, which she was getting closer and closer. She power- walked into the bathroom and gathered her meager necessities, tossing them into the carry-on. She looked around the room one last time, and hoisted the bag onto her shoulder. She looked at Jarod's still form once more, and silently left the room, forever haunted by Jarod's soft sobs.
Please read If it Weren’t for Bad Luck next!
Title courtesy of Duran Duran. Other songs courtesy of Poison--(1st), Blackhawk--(2nd), Duran Duran--(3rd).
by Miss Houk
Even on the darkest night when empty promise meets empty
hand And soldiers coming home like shadows turning red.
When the lights of hope are fading quickly then look to me
I'll be your homing angel, I'll be in your head.
Because you're lonely in your nightmare let me in
And there's heat beneath your winter let me in.
I see the delta traces living lonely out on the limb.
And a passing glimmer warm beneath your skin
Please tread gently on the ground when all around you earth
turns to fire.
Only get a second chance when danger's on the wind.
Because you're lonely in your nightmare let me in.
Because there's heat beneath your winter let me in
and it's silent on your stone field let me in.
Must be lucky weather when you find the kind of wind that
you need C'mon show me all the light and shade that made
your name I know you've got it in your head I've seen that
look before You've built your refuge turns you captive all the
same.
Because you're lonely in your nightmare, let me in
and it's barren in your garden let me in
Because there's heat beneath your winter let me in
Because it's silent in your stone field let me in
and you're lonely in your nightmare let me in
Because you've waited through your ice age let me in
Because you're lonely in your nightmare let me in
and it's cold out on your stone range let me in
Because there's heat beneath your winter let me in.
Parker Residence
Blue Cove, Delaware
Parker unlocked the deadbolt on the front door, turned the knob, and pushed the door open with her hip, and walked into the house, She tossed her keys onto the coffee table and dropped her briefcase by the door. She left the door open and strolled back outside to the Centre-issue Lincoln she drove to retrieve her groceries. She opened the driver's door and popped the trunk, slammed the door shut, and walked to the back of the car. She picked up the three bags of groceries and pushed the trunk shut with her elbow. She did not notice the dark-clad figure that darted through the open front door. She strolled inside and stopped, pushing the door shut with her four-inch-heeled boot. She walked toward the kitchen and dropped the groceries on the counter, putting away the cold food.
Into the freezer when the two half-gallons containers of Mayfield's Moose Tracks, the boxes of t.v. dinners and frozen pizzas. She next put away a gallon of skim milk, a box of Smart Start, a box of tea bags, and chocolate Pop Tarts. She folded up the brown paper bags and tossed them into the pantry, closing the door. She turned and tool a glass from the pantry and reached for a bottle of Absolut. She remembered the ice and walked slowly to the refrigerator, taking out two ice cubes.
She returned to her coping mechanism, and filled the glass to the rim. She toasted herself and took a long swallow, closing her eyes as the vodka burned a dull path to her stomach. She smiled sardonically and grabbed her glass and the bottle and headed for the living room.
She sat wearily on the couch and leaned forward, sitting the bottle on the coffee table. She glanced up and saw a lovely gift- wrapped package, sitting on an end table by the front door. She immediately wondered if her father has sent it to her and leapt off of the couch. She raced to the table and grabbed the package excitedly. She looked over the package, searching for a card, some thing to clue her in as to the identity of the giver. She found nothing. She frowned and took the package back to the couch, sitting slowly. She carefully unwrapped the package and opened the box, trying desperately to contain her excitement. She carefully unfolded the soft, white tissue paper and looked into the box. Her eyes widened and she removed the fragile- looking picture frame, staring in shock at the photograph nestled in the frame. Anger replaced her shock and she was sorely tempted to throw the picture through the window. However, something-she did not dare allow herself to think of what it could be-kept her from doing so. She carefully placed the photograph into the box and close it. She could not face this now. She set the box on the floor and reached for her glass. She downed the contents and rested her head on the back of the couch. closing her eyes. A shadow fell across her face and she opened her eyes.
"What the..." Parker muttered, shocked, and stood quickly.
"Goodnight, Miss Parker." he murmured and punched her in the temple.
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
"Syd? Have you heard from Miss Parker today?" Broots queried nervously, hurrying into the sim lab with a large stack of files. "These are the files she asked for."
"No, Broots, I haven't heard from her today. I hadn't seen either of you, so I assumed that the two of you were working together." Sydney replied, frowning up at Broots.
"No, I thought she was with you." Broots mumbled, his eyes widening with alarm. "Sh-should we call her?"
"Yes, I believe so." Sydney said, closing the file he was intently studying.
"Uh, O.K."
"Broots?"
"Yeah, Syd?"
"I'll do the honors." he replied, smiling with amusement.
"Thanks Syd." Broots replied, sighing. He sat the file in a chair and turned to leave. "Hey Syd?"
"Yes, Broots?"
"Do you think she's O.K.?"
"Yes Broots, I'm sure she's fine." Sydney replied seriously, worry briefly touching his consciousness.
"This is Parker. Obviously I'm not in, you know the drill. Beep."
"Parker? Are you there? It's Sydney." he called loudly, in the event that she was asleep.
There was no response.
"Parker, answer the phone."
Silence.
"Parker, I was calling to find out where you are. Please give me a call." he said and replaced the receiver.
What the hell was going on? Parker never missed a day of work without a call, Sydney thought, concerned. As far
as he knew, Parker had never missed a day of work, period. Something was wrong, and it scared Sydney to think about what it might be. He shook his head and sarcastically wondered if her beloved daddy had any ideas of her whereabouts. He very seriously doubted it; Daddy Parker rarely knew anything about his only daughter. He and Broots were going to have to search for Jarod themselves, and for the time being, they were going to have to search for Parker too.
"Sometimes this job really sucks." Sydney muttered darkly.
Somewhere in the Southeastern U.S.
She jerked her head to the left, immediately eliciting a throbbing pain on the left side of her head. She opened her eyes, squinting at the bright sunlight shining directly in her eyes. She shaded her eyes with her and pushed herself up slowly into a crouched position. She looked down, directly in front of her, and saw the road going by at a rapid rate, and felt slightly ill. She swallowed slowly and began to survey her surroundings. She saw a familiar face smiling smugly at her in the rearview mirror, and her lip curled into a sneer.
"Feel like a man now?" she snapped hatefully.
"Good morning to you too, Miss Parker." Jarod sang cheerfully. "I had to do something, you never would have come with me willingly."
"You're damn right about that." she snapped, her icy blue eyes narrowed. "What the hell do you want this time, Jarod?"
"I need you to help me, Miss Parker."
"Fuck off." she said dismissively and carefully climbed into the front seat of the car.
"Guess you can't count on any of the Parker's." he said airily, watching her from the corner of his eye.
"You bastard." she whispered furiously.
"Does that mean you're willing to help?" he asked with mock innocence.
"What the hell is really going on, Jarod? Trying to bribe your way out of the Centre?" she asked icily.
"No, Miss Parker. I'll leave that to your father and Mr. Raines. Oh, and your beloved brother, Bobby." he said coolly. "All I want to do is spare the life of a child."
"What do you mean?" she queried, fear forming a knot in the pit of her stomach.
"I mean Joely...your daughter."
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
"Anything yet, Broots?" Sydney asked, startling and already jumpy Broots.
"N-no, Syd. Nothing." he stammered, looking up at the older man. "No one has seen or heard from her since she left last night."
"Any indications that she's taken a short holiday?" Sydney asked, nurturing a small feeling of hope.
"No, nothing, Syd." Broots replied quietly. "Should we go to Mr. Parker?"
"Do you actually think he knows anything?" Sydney remarked wryly.
"Uh, no, I guess not."
"Then I thinking we need to start investigating Miss Parker's life and her activities for the past week."
"Uh O.K., Syd."
Somewhere in Tennessee
"Where the hell are we going?" Parker complained for the thousandth time.
"I told you we were taking a shortcut." Jarod replied patiently.
"I don't remember any of this and I take the shortcut every time." Parker replied petulantly.
"We're going a different route, Miss Parker."
"Jarod, what the fuck is really going on." Parker demanded hotly.
"I told you, Miss Parker. This is about Joely."
"You bastard! Leave Joely out of this!" she screamed, enraged.
"I didn't bring her into this, Miss Parker." Jarod replied quietly.
"Then who the hell did." she growled.
"Secrets, Miss Parker....it's all we've ever known." he replied absently.
"What the hell does that have to do with Joely?" she yelled.
"Why don't you ask Mr. Raines?" he suggested airily. "Or maybe...Grandpa Parker?"
Parker Residence
Blue Cove, Delaware
"She didn't take anything with her, Syd."
"Broots, this is not good." Sydney mumbled.
"No kidding, Syd." Broots retorted softly.
"Broots, start putting out feelers on the net. I want to know if anyone has seen her and where." Sydney replied quietly, but with authority.
"Sure. Anything else, Syd?"
"No, Broots." he replied, looking at the younger man. "Come on, let's get back to the Centre. We're going to be working
overtime on this one."
"Guess that means my weekend with Debbie is off." Broots muttered, walking toward the door.
"I'm sorry, Broots. I know how much spending time with Debbie means to you." Sydney replied sympathetically.
"Yeah well, I just want Debbie to remember me...well, not the way she remembers her father." Broots replied, gesturing to a photograph on a nearby table of Parker and her beloved daddy.
"Broots, I don't' think you're in any danger of that happening." Sydney replied kindly.
"It's just...I mean..." he said, trailing off, clearing his throat. He spoke again, his voice low and controlled, "I feel sorry for her, Syd. She loves her dad, but she can't trust him because he never keeps his word. He lies to her and doesn't think twice about it."
"Broots, you're by far a better father--and person--than Mr. Parker." Sydney murmured.
"Thanks, Syd." Broots replied gratefully. "Well, I guess I'd uh, better get to work."
"Yes, let's get out of here. If Parker has just taken off for a night or two, she'll be really pissed if she finds out we were here." Sydney replied, grinning.
Sonic
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
"Jarod, how did you know?" Parker asked wearily.
"How did I know what?" Jarod queried, taking a bite out of his cheese Coney.
"How did you know about Joely? That she was in New Orleans?" Parker asked, popping a tater tot into her mouth.
"Miss Parker, how many times are you going to have to ask that question before you finally get it through your thick head that I can find out anything about anyone?" Jarod asked, looking at her. "And you did leave a bit of a trail."
"Shit, I thought I was more careful." she murmured worriedly.
"Don't worry, I covered the trail." Jarod said soothingly. "But I'm not sure if I did it in time."
"Oh God. That's what you meant." Parker whispered, staring through the windshield, blankly. "They know. Daddy and Raines. They know..."
"It's O.K., Miss Parker. We're going to take care of her."
"I can't let anything happen to her, Jarod." Parker pleaded, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Nothing is going to happen to her, Miss Parker." he murmured, touching her shoulder softly.
"I'll never forgive myself..." she said, trailing off, unable to finish, to tell him the truth only her heart and her head knew.
"It's going to be O.K." he soothed, wishing he could tell her, wishing she would allow him to call her by her first name.
They ate in silence, each drawing comfort from the silence and presence of the other. They left their trash on the tray and left the parking lot. Jarod pulled the car into the street and drove onto the exit ramp. He merged into traffic, startling Parker as the headlights of a semi rapidly approached the bumper of the small, black Miata. She gasped aloud and braced herself, hands on the dash, feet pushing against the floor, for impact. Instead, she felt the small car fishtail as the semi roared past them, horn blaring. She heard Jarod laughing with child-like delight, and she turned to him, furious.
"You stupid, fucking idiot!" she screeched, livid.
"Calm down, Miss Parker. We're still in one piece." Jarod replied, calmly, his eyes twinkling with glee.
"You could've killed both of us, you schmuck!" she yelled, wishing she had her gun, to put him out of her misery.
"Relax, Parker. I know what I'm doing." he said, coolly, much to her consternation. "Remember, I drove a race car on one of my pretends."
"I don't give a shit!" she shrieked. "I would like to continue living, if you don't mind."
"I would never forgive myself if you didn't. Pitiful existence though it may be." he replied airily.
"What the hell do you know? You've lived in the zoo all of your life. You don't know what living is." she snapped hatefully.
"Yeah, and you've lived a few floors above me." he shot back.
Her eyes narrowed to slits and her lip curled up in disgust. She clenched and unclenched her fists for a moment and brought her hand back, slapping his mouth with all of her might, considering. Jarod reeled from the blow, stunned. He blinked a few times and slammed on the brakes, veering onto the shoulder of the interstate, screeching to a halt. He turned to her angrily, each glaring at the other. He touched his face, and felt the heat radiating from it. He had never been struck before, and was curious about the reaction it provoked in him. He decided to further research it later, but first he must attend to his current situation with Miss Parker.
"What the hell was that for?" he demanded angrily.
"Oh, so we've decided to use grown up words?" she asked condescendingly.
"No one has ever hit me before. I want to know why you just did."
"Because you deserved it."
"No one deserves to be hit, Miss Parker. It really hurt, if you even care."
"I don't."
"Why did you hit me?"
"Because I felt like it, O.K.?" she snapped impatiently. "Can we just hurry up and get to Joely?"
"Avoidance? Guess I found a chink in the armor." he muttered and threw the car into first.
"Shut up, Jarod." she shouted, hoping he would drop the subject.
"Fine." he snapped, gripping the steering wheel tightly.
Parker closed her eyes, squeezing them shut tightly, forcing the tears back, wishing once more she could tell him the truth. Fear crippled her and lack of practice with her feelings prevented her from saying what she needed to, so she suffered silently, a situation not foreign to her. She pulled her knees to her chest and leaned against the door, resting her temple against the cool window. She was unaware of Jarod watching her, empathing the pain she was feeling. He so wanted to pull her into his arms, to hold her tightly and whisper that everything was going to be all right. But would it? Jarod turned on the radio and smiled wryly at the song softly playing.
The closer you come,
The weaker I get,
Though it ain't happened now,
Just ain't happened yet.
Please, please, please go,
I'm not strong enough to say no.
Please, please don't stay.
I'm not man enough to walk away.
Please, please pass by,
I can't resist you even though I try
So please go,
I'm not strong enough to say no.
Broots Residence
Blue Cove, Delaware
"Syd, I think I've got something here." Broots replied excitedly.
"What is it?" Sydney asked, quickly taking a seat beside Broots at his laptop.
"Well, I can't be 100 percent positive, but it's a hospital record. From three years ago. Someone checked into Our Lady of Lourdes hospital in Lafayette, Louisiana under the name Megan Parker hyphen Jamieson." Broots murmured, his eyes wide.
"Clever, but not clever enough. I can't believe she was so careless!" Sydney muttered worriedly.
"Holy shit!" Broots whispered.
"What? What is it, Broots?"
"Uh, this can't be right, Syd."
"What?"
"It says she...she was in labor and gave birth to a seven and one- and-a-half-ounce baby girl." Broots replied, dumbstruck.
"Holy shit." Sydney replied, his mouth open in shock.
"It says...damnit!" Broots cried, hitting keys furiously.
"What?"
"The file, it was just deleted."
"Get it back!" Sydney shouted.
"I can't, Syd." Broots murmured.
"Now what the hell do we do?" Sydney asked wearily.
New Orleans, Louisiana
"Who is it?" a male voice demanded gruffly, switching on the front porch light.
"It's me, Beau, Parker."
"Parker!" he said, throwing open the front door.
Jarod stared up in surprise at the tall, muscular man with white- blond hair and green eyes who grinned happily at them. Beau stuck his huge hand out to Jarod and they shook. Beau released Jarod's hand and pulled Parker into a bear hug, lifting her off of the ground. She giggled and hugged him back tightly. He sat her down and ushered then into the house, turning on the lights, offering them a seat and a beer. He ran up the stair and disappeared into a room, emerging momentarily with a tall, sleepy-eyed red head, wearing a T-shirt and boxer shorts with the Budweiser frogs printed on them. She pulled her hair into a ponytail and smiled warmly at each of them. She walked over to Parker and hugged her tightly, kissing her cheek affectionately.
"Beau, Claire, I want you to meet Jarod." Parker announced.
"Hey Jarod." Beau replied, nodding.
"Hello." Claire said, her voice low and melodious, rich with a refined southern drawl.
"Hello, Claire, Beau." Jarod replied with a smile.
"How's Joely?" Parker asked, her voice soft, without a trace of its usual hardness.
"She's fine. Sleeping like a little angel." Claire replied, smiling affectionately at the mention of the child.
"I want to see her." Parker replied, standing.
"Go ahead. She's in her room." Beau said, nodding in the direction of the stairs.
Parker turned to Jarod, looking at him. He stood and followed her up the stairs and down the darkened hallway to the last door. Parker touched the door gently and turned the knob, slowly opening the door. She kicked off her heels and padded into the bedroom. She looked around the room, her gaze resting on everything in the room, making sure that nothing had changed since her visit last weekend. She knew it was foolish, but she had a hard time coming to grips with the fact that she was unable to raise her child herself. There were many times that she had been tempted to say, 'Screw you', to daddy and bring the child to her home. But if he were to get ahold of her, he would surely test her for pretending abilities. Something Parker would never let her father do to her baby.
Jarod looked around the room curiously. By the light of the Winnie the Pooh nightlight, he could see that the room was decorated in lavender and white. There was a white chest of drawers, and oak hope chest with toys spilling out of the opened lid, and end table with a lamp and several children's books atop it, and a small canopy bed with purple and white flowered sheets, comforter, and dust ruffles. There were pictures throughout the room of cats, dogs, Claire and Beau, and Miss Parker herself. He watched Parker walk quietly over to the bed and sit gently on it. She leaned over and kissed the sleeping child tenderly. He came to stand behind her and looked at the child lying on the bed.
He gazed at the child in awe. She had long, black curly hair, an olive complexion, delicately formed features, and long black eyelashes. She was beautiful, just like her mother. He saw most of Parker in the child, but there was someone else there too, someone he could not put his finger on. There was someone else there, but who was it? Who was the father of this child? Jarod touched Parker's shoulder gently and leaned forward.
"She's beautiful." he whispered in her ear,
"Yes, she is." she whispered back, turning her head slight toward him.
"Who are Claire and Beau?" he asked softly.
"Claire and I were sorority sisters at Bryn Mawr. Beau and I...we were..."
"Together?" Jarod suggested.
"Yeah, we were...together." Parker admitted, feeling bizarrely embarrassed by this admission.
"What happened?"
"Jarod..."
"Why must you keep everything bottled up?"
"Because it's safer, O.K.?" she snapped quietly. "Just drop it, Jarod."
"I want to know why he ended up with your sorority sister and you ended up alone yet again."
"Because we were fuck buddies, O.K.? I was the girl the frat boys had fun with, Claire was the girl they wanted to marry.
Pure, gentle, kind, weak." she growled.
"There's nothing wrong with those qualities, Miss Parker. Your mother had them."
"Leave her out of this." she hissed dangerously.
"Why does it bother you so much when someone speaks of her?"
"Because everyone who talks about her tells lies. I'm tired of hearing the lies."
"I have never lied to you about her. I would never lie to you about anything." he said, hurt that she would think he would ever lie to her.
"Just stop, Jarod." she said aloud.
The sleeping child stirred slightly, and Parker stroked her hair murmuring soothing words. The child sighed and turned over,
and Parker turned to Jarod, pointing toward the door. She stood, retrieved her heels from the floor, and followed him out of the room. She closed the door softly and stalked silently down the hall. Jarod followed her back down the stairs and into the living room. Beau and Claire looked up at them, and noted the furious expression Parker wore. They glanced at each other and stood quickly.
"You're welcome to stay the night. We have a guest room..."
"Thanks Beau, Claire, be we've already rented a room. We'll be back tomorrow morning, though." Jarod interjected quickly,
noting that Parker's face was now red with rage.
"Oh, all right."
"Thank you for letting me see her." Parker replied, her voice low and controlled.
"Yes, we're sorry that we woke you. We'll go now so you can get back to sleep." Jarod said, hustling Parker toward the door.
"'Bye Parker, Jarod. Nice to meet you." Beau called, to their retreating forms.
"What the fuck was that?" Parker shouted, once they were safely in the car.
"We need to talk, and we can't talk there."
"I don't think there's anything to say." Parker said stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest.
"There's a lot to be said." he said softly, but firmly.
"Fine." she snapped, slouching into the seat.
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
"O.K., Syd. I checked all of the archives, but there is no record of anyone knowing anything about the incident." Broots replied softly, glancing nervously around the tech room.
"It's O.K., Broots." Sydney replied, amused. "Any idea in the location of the bunny?"
"The bunny?" Broots replied blankly, temporarily forgetting the code word for Parker's kid.
"Yes, the bunny."
"Oh, the bun...yeah, I'm still working on it."
"Let me know, Broots, as soon as you know something."
"Will do, Syd."
"And Broots?" Watch your back. Don't trust anyone, especially Lyle."
"Don't worry, Syd. Sometimes I don't even trust myself." Broots muttered.
Holiday Inn
New Orleans, Louisiana
"I can't believe this!" Parker screeched, angrily pulling off her heels, throwing them against the wall. "A hog calling contest?"
"Well Miss Parker, everyone has different interests." Jarod chided softly.
"What the hell kind of people call pigs for fun?" she shrieked.
"Parker, calm down." Jarod said calmly. "At least we got a room."
"Yeah, a room with one damn bed. I'm not sleeping in the same bed with you." she said hatefully, her eyes flashing.
"Look, this isn't the happiest of circumstances, so why don't we make the best of it? I'm not going to sleep on the floor and
neither are you. We'll just sleep on our own sides of the bed."
"Fine." she hissed. "You even think about touching me and I'll kill you, understand?"
"Loud and clear."
"Good." she snapped and headed for the bathroom.
"What are you doing? Jarod asked curiously.
"Do you mind if I take a shower?"
"We need to talk, Miss Parker."
"Well, it can wait. I feel dirty; I haven't had a bath since yesterday."
"O.K., we can both take showers and then talk about this."
"Whatever." she said, rolling her eyes, unbuttoning her black blazer.
She noted, with some satisfaction, that Jarod was watching her intently. She made a show of slowly peeling the blazer off of her body, carelessly tossing it to the floor. It was not until she began to unbutton her blouse that she realized that something was amiss. She glanced down at the blazer and then at the tight, black mini skirt and satin burgundy shirt she wore. His eyes widened and her lips parted slightly in shock. She looked down at her attire once again and the realization dawned on her. Her eyes narrowed and she looked up at Jarod, furious.
"You bastard!" she shouted.
"Miss Parker, I had to change your clothes." Jarod explained.
"Oh really? Please explain to me why it was so urgent. I really want to hear this." Parker retorted.
"Because you reeked of vodka and sex, Miss Parker." Jarod replied quietly, averting his gaze.
Parker looked down at her clothing and remembered her brief stop after work at Tyler's house, one of her former lovers. Sex between them had always been hot, and she had needed something after the day she had at work. It had, unfortunately, been short and sweet, but she felt better, good enough to brave the grocery store. She had intended to take a shower after putting away the groceries and having a drink. However, Jarod had gotten to her before she has a chance to shower. Once again, she felt bizarrely embarrassed about this revelation to Jarod.
"Your drink got spilled on your suit and..." he trailed off, blushing slightly.
"I get it, Jarod." she snapped irritably.
"I also brought you a few changes of clothes."
"Great, where are they?"
"Here." he replied, handing her one of the black shoulder bags he carried.
She took the bag and dropped in onto the bed. She began searching through it, curious to know what he had chosen for her to wear. Her jaw dropped when she saw three pairs of jeans, two t-shirts that had been left behind by a former lover, a new pair of Keds, several pairs of scanty, multi-colored panties, and their matching bras. Part of her felt a wave of something she chose to keep nameless at the sight of the exotic underclothing he had packed for her. He had obviously been thinking along certain lines, and that made her head swell slightly. However, she quickly came to her senses and looked over at him, her mouth open, speechless. Surely he did not expect her to wear these clothes. There was no chance in hell she was going to wear this stuff; she refused to walk around looking like a dumpy hausfrau. She glared up at him and dumped the clothing out onto the bed angrily.
"I'm not wearing this shit." she announced firmly.
"Damnit Parker, I'm not letting you run around like some runway model. You want the Centre to catch us working together? To find Joely and make her a pretender too?" Jarod shouted.
Parker looked into Jarod's eyes and saw the truth. She blinked slowly and whispered, "You know."
"Yeah, Miss Parker, I know."
"Ohmygod. For how long?"
"Since the day I showed up at your house. I didn't want to...to hit you. But I saw you, and you'd lied to me all this time. I was
so angry..."
"Why didn't you just ask? I would have told you." she murmured.
"It wasn't like I knew about her all this time, Parker." he muttered darkly. "When was she born?"
"Our daughter was born two months before our escape." Parker replied softly, a tear slipping silently down her cheek.
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
"Syd! I've-I've got it!" Broots called, jogging to Sydney's side, panting.
"What is it, Broots?" Sydney asked, concerned.
"I know where the bunny is." he whispered.
"Where?" Sydney asked excitedly.
"Ever been to Mardi Gras, Syd?"
"Mardi Gras? What does..." he trailed off, the meaning suddenly dawning on him.
"Let's take a little vacation, Syd. I've never been to Mardi Gras." Broots suggested, smiling.
Holiday Inn
New Orleans, Louisiana
"Why didn't you tell me? You just disappeared. I asked Sydney and he said you has taken an indefinite leave of absence, and I thought you had left me." he said, touching her face tenderly.
"Jarod, I wanted to. But I knew what would happen in daddy or Raines ever found out." she murmured, forcing herself not to show the pleasure his touch still awakened in her.
"God, we have a daughter." he mumbled, awed.
"Jarod, what we had at the Centre...that was special." Parker began slowly.
"Don't Miss Parker, it's not over yet."
"Jarod, please."
"We have a child together."
"Yes, we do. But now it's my job to bring you back to the Centre."
"How can you take me back? I'm the father of your child!"
"Jarod, if I take you back, I'm free. Free to be with Joely, free to be the mother I should've been from the start."
"I-I can't believe you're being this way." Jarod stammered, stunned.
"What do you want me to do? Run away? They'll find me no matter where I go."
"Not if you're with me. I'll protect you." Jarod said excitedly.
"Jarod..."
"I want to be with my daughter."
"I don't want you to be left out of her life. I grew up without my mother, I know what it's like to grow up without a parent."
"You grew up without both of your parents, Miss Parker." Jarod reminded softly.
"Why do you have to make this so damn hard, Jarod?" Parker whispered, another tear slipping down her cheek.
"Because I love you, and our daughter, so damn much." he murmured, his face inches from hers.
He touched his lips to her, softly kissing her. Her lips remained impassive, and he pressed harder, kissing her again. This time, she responded, kissing him back hungrily. She could not longer deny the feelings she felt for him, the feelings she had pushed down for so long, nor could she deny the hunger he awoke in her, just as he had all those late nights at the Centre on every piece of furniture in her office. This night was different that all of the others, though. This time, there were no potential prying eyes, no secrecy, no deception. Parker and Jarod were alone, thousands of miles from the Centre, completely at each other's mercy. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him to her tightly. She twined her fingers in his hair and languidly slid her tongue against his. He moaned in her mouth and she smiled seductively against his mouth.
"I'm going to take a shower." she whispered, not letting go of him.
"Mind if I join you?" he asked with a grin, lifting her off of her feet into his arms, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, locking her ankles together at the small of his back.
"I'd be pissed if you didn't." she murmured, pulling off his t-shirt.
Parker lay beside a sleeping Jarod, curled into a fetal position. She replayed the events of the last two hours in her mind, burning the events into her memory. No one had ever taken Jarod's place in her heart or her bed. She thought she had gotten over Jarod. He had left the Centre suddenly, with not warning, leaving her behind as well. She had been furious, anddeeply wounded, by his departure. His leaving took away her stability and security and had frightened her. Neither of them had been aware that they had missed each other by days. If only she had come back sooner, he would not have left the Centre to find her. If he had only waited a few more days, he could have escaped the Centre with her sooner.
....But ya know ya gotta stick to your guns when it all comes
down
'Cause sometimes you can't choose,
It's like heads you win, tails you gonna lose.
Win big, mama's fallen angel,
Lose big, livin' out lies.
What's it all?
Mama's fallen angel
Lose it all, rollin' the dice of her life....
Such a good actress hiding all the pain,
Trading it in for some fortune and fame.
Just a step away from the edge of the fall.
Caught between heaven and hell....
Too much, too soon or just a little to late?
Just when her ship came in.
She wasn't there....
She quietly slipped out of bed and went outside, lighting up her first cigarette in months. She inhaled deeply, closing her eyes as the tobacco burned the back of her throat. She exhaled slowly, forcing herself to think of a way to cut Jarod off, to forget about how his body felt moving against hers, the way his touch made her feel, and concentrate on how to let him go, so she could bring him back to the Centre. She willed the ice to form around her heart; she numbed her emotions quickly, allowing her facial expression to harden, and her stance quickly changing from long- overdue blissful relaxation to rigidly controlled. She tossed her head, inhaled deeply on her cigarette, and tossed the butt over the railing and walked back into the motel room. It was time to plan Jarod's welcome home party.
The French Quarter
New Orleans, Louisiana
"Broots, are you sure they're in New Orleans?" Sydney asked, looking around at the large crowds of drunk partiers.
"I couldn't believe it either, Syd. I never thought of Miss Parker as the party type."
"I guess all we can do now is search the hotel for them." Sydney replied, taking a seat at a sidewalk cafe.
A frazzled-looking young waiter came over to the table as Broots sat. He pulled out his notepad and introduced himself.
"Hi, I'm Beau, and I'll be your server tonight. Can I get you something to drink?"
"Yeah, I'll have a Bud Ice." Broots replied, glancing around the Quarter.
"I'll have a scotch and water." Sydney replied, half-smiling at the waiter.
"Sure thing, be right back." he said and hurried off.
"Now what do we do?" Broots asked nervously.
"Now Broots, we wait."
Beau had recognized Broots and Sydney when he saw them sitting at his table. He had grinned and borne it, but now that he was safely out of sight, he rushed to the payphone and dialed the number to Parker's cellular. He tapped his foot impatiently and silently urged Parker to answer. She never turned the phone off, he knew that from bitter experience. When Joely was teething and he and Claire thought it would be a good idea for her to hear her mother's voice, he had called and interrupted a meeting between the "three stooges." When she spoke her first words, Parker was on the verge of orgasm with her latest lover. However, this time, there was no answer. This worried him. She was never without her cellular. Something was wrong. He jabbed the disconnect button and reinserted thirty-five cents. Maybe Claire has seen or heard from Parker.
Holiday Inn
New Orleans, Louisiana
Parker awoke the following morning, lying half across Jarod's chest, her arm flung around his waist, her ankle curled around his calf. She smiled, pleased with herself, and snuggled into Jarod's warmth. She felt his arms tighten around her and her grin grew wider. This would be so easy; he was hot for her and would do nearly anything she asked of him. She moved slightly and kissed his chest lightly. She felt him move slightly in response and began to kiss his nipple. She smiled wickedly when she heard his gasp aloud, and ran her tongue lightly over the hardened nub. He twined his hands in her hair and gently pulled her head up for a kiss. He kissed her softly at first, pulling her body to his, holding her tightly. He could never get enough of Parker; of the smell that was uniquely her, the taste of her skin, the feel in her bare flesh pressed tightly against his. She has not changed much in three years; a slight widening of her hips due to childbirth, light stretch marks on her tummy from the sudden weight gain, and an enlargement of her breasts. He had not had to ask if she had breastfed, her body had given itself away without a word from her.
He rolled over, taking her with him, and pinned her to the bed, on her back, her wrists above her head. She grinned seductively up at him, and licked her lips suggestively. He bent forward and kissed her deeply, rubbing his hardness against her thigh. She moaned softly and slipped her tongue into his mouth, sliding it against his lazily. He broke off the kiss, his lips traveling to the south; to the hollow of her throat, to her collarbone, each breast and nipple, her stomach, navel, and slowly retraced his path upward to her waiting mouth. She kissed him roughly, moaning into his mouth as he began caressing her nipples. She tossed her head back, her eyes closed, reveling in the sensations that no one but Jarod could elicit in her. She rubbed herself against Jarod's hardness, feeling herself become wetter immediately. She cried aloud when he began to suck on her nipples, her breath choppy and fast. She ran her fingers through his hair, and hooked her ankles around his waist, pulling him tightly to her. She did not notice that he had momentarily ceased his attentions to her breasts and watched her, never wanting to forget this moment.
He bent forward and kissed her lips softly, letting go of her wrists. She responded and as he slid him tongue into her mouth, he touched her wetness. He smiled as she gasped aloud in pleasure, and buried his face in her breasts, nibbling and sucking as he expertly stroked her clit. He noted that the rhythm of her breathing had quickened, and he sensed that she was on the verge. He whispered her name and she opened her eyes, icy blue eyes clashed with dark brown, burning with desire. He lowered his body onto hers and slowly entered her. They both gasped aloud in pleasure, kissing urgently and he slowly pulled out of her, leaving just the tip inside her, and slowly thrust into her again.
"Jarod..." she whispered, digging her nails into his back, signaling him to pick up the pace.
He rolled over again, allowing her to run the show, their bodies still joined. Parker shifted, placing her hands on his chest for balance. She sat on his hips, taking his full erection into her. She felt his full balls beneath her ass, and she ground herbody against his, tightening her vaginal muscles around his penis. She groaned aloud at the pleasure this gave her, looking down at Jarod as his face contorted with ecstasy and he growled with pleasure. She slowly began pumping her body up and down, tightening and relaxing her muscles around him for both of their pleasure. The pressure slowly began to build, and she increased the pace. She dimly heard Jarod moaning in unison with her own gasps and cries of pleasure.
"Oh God." she moaned aloud, shuddering as her first orgasm hit.
"Max..." he called, tightly grasping her hips as he pumped her up and down, faster.
"Jarod, Jarod, Jarod." she shrieked as she came again, this time Jarod with her.
He thrust into her again and again until he could no longer, his energy spent. She had collapsed onto his chest, breathing heavily in time with him. They lay there like that together, listening to the sounds of the other's ragged breathing. Jarod believed that he had never heard anything so beautiful as the sounds she made while they made love. He had never loved her as much as he did that moment, and he knew that his heart was lost to her forever. Parker knew that once this moment was gone, there would never be another for them. She burned every sound, every taste, every feeling into her memory, never wanting to let it go. Parker shared Jarod's feelings, though hers were locked inside of her, knowing only too well what would happen to both of them, should their little rendezvous be discovered--or should she voice the feelings she was feeling now. It had been a hell of a ride, but now it was time to leave the amusement park.
She rolled off of him, suppressing a gasp as his flesh slipped from hers. She did not want him to know how she felt. It only made it that much more difficult to let him go. She allowed Jarod to pull her into his arms, but lay immobile, forcing herself not to feel, so letting him go would be easier. As if letting go of the love of her life and the father of her child could ever be easy.
"Max, we need to talk." Jarod replied, nuzzling her hair, wet with sweat.
"Yeah, Jarod, we do." she replied, her voice cool. "And it's Miss Parker to you."
"Max...Miss Parker...I-I don't understand." he stammered, a mixture of hurt and confusion in his eyes.
"Don't be such a child, Jarod." Parker replied mockingly. "You really believe that after all this time, that after one night of great sex, that it's never-ending love?"
"It wasn't about that. It was more than sex." he insisted adamantly.
"God Jarod, you're so naive. Just because we spent the night together doesn't mean that we're going to get married and live happily ever after."
"Max, we have a child together. I love you." he pleaded, his eyes welling with tears.
"Get over it." she snapped hatefully, her voice icy, her body rigid.
"No..." Jarod whispered, staring at nothing.
"Yeah."
"Go...go Max." he whispered, rolling away from her, curling into a fetal position, his back to her.
"Sure." she replied agreeably, sitting up in bed, her eyes betraying her actions and words.
Parker stood quickly, forcing herself to keep her back turned to him, to not go to him and console him, to tell him how much she loved and needed him. She was only doing this for them, for Joely. If the Centre ever found out the truth, if they were caught together, both Jarod and Parker would die, and Joely would become their newest and most gifted pretender. Beau and Claire had informed her, awestruck, at Joely's awesome accomplishments. Parker turned her head toward Jarod and looked at him lovingly, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She wanted to share her life with him and their child; to exclaim over every step Joely made, to cry with him when she got her first boyfriend, to laugh at the stunts she would pull, to share their love for her and each other. Parker wanted to be able to lay beside him every night, holding him in her arms, knowing that she never had to let him go. But she would never lay beside him very long as they watched their child grow, and she would not grow old with him; no, she would grow old alone and die with nothing but her solitary existence.
Parker began to slowly gather her clothing, putting them on one article at a time, lost in her own thoughts. After dressing, she gathered the rest of her clothing together, and stuffed them into the black carry-on Jarod had packed for her. She did not bother to fold the clothing, nor did she care that she looked like she was living out of her suitcase, a low-income suitcase at that. All she cared about was getting out of the room before she fell apart, which she was getting closer and closer. She power- walked into the bathroom and gathered her meager necessities, tossing them into the carry-on. She looked around the room one last time, and hoisted the bag onto her shoulder. She looked at Jarod's still form once more, and silently left the room, forever haunted by Jarod's soft sobs.
Please read If it Weren’t for Bad Luck next!
