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Disclaimer: "The Pretender" and all it’s characters don’t belong to me, but to some wonderful people at NBC, who deserve promotions. Please don’t sue me, I am making no money from this. I just really enjoy the show. Also, the songs are owned by their respective artists, I don’t take credit for them.



To Honor
By: Dede






Two people stepped onto the elevator and hit two different buttons, then winked at each other. It was so early; they hadn’t seen the sun when they walked from their cars into the Centre but then that’s why they met. Both were creatures of the night and enjoyed the hours of morning some people never experienced. As they rode up on the elevator, Lyle watched her breathe and remembered the first time he had ever seen her.

----------------

He was walking down the corridor on SL 17 at 5:23AM. Lyle liked the silence in the morning; it made him feel as if he owned the whole building. Power was his vice, of course. It gave him a rush to have control over everything he saw. Just as he turned the corner though, he ran into the back of a longhaired blonde, nearly knocking her down.

Without warning, she whipped around and hit him in the chest with her gun.

"Wow! Don’t shoot!" Lyle said half-alarmed, and half-amused, after all he was used to a gun being pointed at him. She sighed and upon searching his face, lowered her weapon.

"Sorry, I get edgy in the morning," she proclaimed and looking into his eyes, added, "Lyle."

Lyle was not too surprised she knew his name, most everyone in the Centre did, although, the sweet tone of voice she used to say it was different from the usual way people pronounced his name. Looking at her, now, Lyle found himself pleased. She had long, straight blonde hair that was tied back in a loose ponytail; her skin was tan and smooth. Then for eyes, she had warm, sharp dark blue pools that captured him for a wonderfully quiet moment.

"N..nice weapon," he finally stammered after a brief eye inspection of the 9mm. She smiled, perhaps amused at her effect on him. God, the way her lips turned up caused him to almost fall down, but then she stepped toward him.

"I use it fairly well," she informed him as she pulled back her black leather jacket and revealed the holster before placing the gun in it. Lyle watched her movements; he was trying to figure out what she did here at the Centre. The jacket had a blue v-necked blouse under it, which led to a short, very short, leather skirt. From there, her bare legs were hidden thinly by tan pantyhose that matched her skin tone perfectly. As for her shoes, they were black heeled sandals, but looked comfortable enough for her.

"You’re a new sweeper," Lyle surmised, but she shook her head.

"Computer analyst. I was a sweeper though," she replied casually and bent at the knees to get her briefcase which had been lost in the confusion. "I worked out of Africa until a month ago." Lyle was impressed.

"Our main facility?" he questioned as he enjoyed watching her hourglass figure stand up.

"Yeah," she replied, but appeared to be losing interest in him.

"How did you go from being a major sweeper to an analyst?" Her loss seemed to be Lyle’s gain.

"I got shot in the back," she disclosed the truth to him uncomfortably, "I was in the hospital for a while and since then running with a gun in my hand, freaks me out. I asked for a less stressful job and they like me, so here I am." With that she stepped softly past him and started to walk away. Lyle felt panicked and turned not at all sure what he was going to say.
"Uh, um, I didn’t catch your name," he heard flow out from between his lips. She stopped and turned her head to the side.

"I didn’t throw it," was her reaction to his plea. Lyle sighed and looked at the cold metal floor for comfort. He was never any good with women, especially when he wasn’t trying to intimidate them. After an eternity of rejection, it seemed, she walked back and offered him her hand.

"I’m Emma."

------------

She sighed heavily as the elevator stopped. Lyle squeezed her hand, gave her a quick kiss, and got off. The doors closed before Emma could see him enter his second floor office, but she didn’t care. She just leaned back against the wall as the gears sent her into the earth toward her own destination on SL 15.

Emma jetted to her office and barely gave the door time to close before starting up her computer. Her "office" was a closet with room for a metal desk, a black chair with wheels on it, and a small table with drawers for storage. She didn’t care though, as long as it was connected to the Centre Mainframe and could get her on-line, she would smile and work hard. Working for Mr. Raines was easy and had only three rules: shut up, sit down, and do everything you are told!

Unfortunately, Emma could enter all the data she had to and not only analyze but correct all the glitches that were called to her attention before lunch, so she got bored fast. She was no idiot though, she didn’t want more work, so she paced herself and wandered the mainframe for things of interest. Emma was always able to cover her tracks; in fact, it was a bit of a game to her.

"Will they catch me?" she would sometimes ask her computer.

Today, her thoughts were mostly of Lyle and her daydreams often drifted to him, but she was curious, as most cats are, about Mr. Raines new project that seemed to consume him lately. When he saw her last, he didn’t even glance at her revealing clothing, which he had been quite fond of when she first arrived. She searched a little and finally came to it.

SL 26: Project Roadrunner: ACCESS DENIED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Oh no you aren’t locking me out," she whispered to the screen. Emma didn’t rip her eyes from the blinking message for a second. Reaching into the top drawer of the table, she pulled out a disk and loaded it. The screen flashed and a vision of a she-devil in stiletto heels smiled at her. Then with her torch, the creature burned the word DENIED. Within a minute, Emma was in.

SL26: Room 11 / Lab 5
Code name: Project Roadrunner
Objective: Re-educate and test Pretender Jarod

The file listed a series of tests and offered links to the results. Then it had video feed for the last two weeks, including a live feed option for Room 11. She lowered the volume, secured the door, and clicked the icon….

The room had three angles: one showed the door with the guard looming outside it, two showed the over view from the ceiling which revealed a table with a computer on it, a few chairs and the bed, three gave a close-up of the bed and it’s occupant. He was lying down, but his eyes were open, starring into space, lost. He was dressed in Centre attire with a white shirt and white pants, but his tennis shoes rested near the bedside.

Finding this worrisome, Emma clicked on the previous day’s scheduled and chose "Reeducation Session." The screen took her to Lab 5 and despite the lowered volume her ears exploded with Jarod’s yell. She pushed the volume to level one and watched.

Mr. Raines stood in front of Jarod who was chained to the wall. Willie stood ready at the side of the "good" doctor with his baseball bat in hand.

"Jarod,… you aren’t listening!… I am your… only way out…. If you work for me… I can make all the pain…. stop," he wheezed in Jarod’s face. Jarod glared at him viciously.

"I wouldn’t work for you, if it meant my death," Jarod said but his voice was weak and tired.

"It may just… mean that," Raines barked and nodded to Willie who hit Jarod in the chest. Jarod’s head fell at the pain but didn’t release a yell this time.

"You mean like it did for Miss Parker and Sydney?" Jarod toyed with the word mean and tried to make it clear to Raines he wouldn’t give in.

"Miss Parker was… an accident and Sydney was… weak… He killed himself because…. you were the greatest mistake… of his life and he knew you had been… the catalyst that got Parker… killed!" Raines feed his captive audience his lies with a sharp tongue and then walked right up to Jarod.

"I am your protector now… Jarod. I don’t think you… were a mistake. Others… didn’t use your talents correctly…. Help me and I will make you a king… here." When he finished, Raines walked away and Willie followed him. A moment later, two guards came in, unlocked Jarod from his chains and lead him out the door.

Session complete, the screen read over the final shot.

Emma was in shock while she slipped out of the Mainframe. ‘Raines, how could you!’ she thought as she fell back into her chair, suddenly overwhelmed.

-----------

She stepped into the glass doors with nervous knots in her stomach. It had been two weeks and her physical wounds had healed enough to allow the visit, but her emotional scars were still threatening to bleed. Walking silently down the halls and riding alone on the elevator, she felt like it was a dream… or maybe a nightmare.

"Angel!" Mr. Parker called as she moved off the elevator toward her office. He quickly came from Lyle’s side to hug her. "I wasn’t sure you would come in today."

"Today is as good as any day." She shivered at his touch and he backed off assuming her body was still tender due to the bullet wounds.

"Glad to see you back, Parker," Lyle greeted her. Miss Parker turned to her brother and found his handshake warm and kind. ‘He seems happier than normal or maybe he just enjoys that Jarod is in the Centre,’ she thought. Looking past her "loving" family to her office door, she smiled.

"I would like to stay and chat but I really want back in my office," she conveyed as sweetly as possible and slid passed them.

"Of course, but we should have dinner. How about it Lyle?" Mr. Parker boomed, so happy to have his little girl home.

"I’d love to but I have special plans and they can’t be canceled," Lyle took a step away from his father and felt ill. Mr. Parker wasn’t even phased.

"Just the two of us then?" he asked demandingly.

"Sure," Miss Parker tossed him and she tried desperately to get to her sanctuary, before Brigitte came by wanting to talk.

Miss Parker entered her office, not even caring that it was dark.

"I was waiting for you," Sydney spoke from the darkest corner.

"Don’t do that to me, Sydney!" she nearly screamed, gun already in hand.

"I needed to talk to you," he said softly and came to stand close to her.

"Nice welcome back, you’re lucky I didn’t shoot you," she replied flatly. Miss Parker took a moment to put her gun on her desk and sit down.

"I’m sorry. I am very happy you are back, but I have other things worrying me these days," he remarked as he took his seat across from her.

Looking at him she saw the circles under his eyes and the weariness about him.

"What’s up?" speaking as if she didn’t know.

"They won’t let me see Jarod. I haven’t seen him since he was taken down to Raines’ facility," Sydney confessed painfully.

"So, I’m sure my father will…" she started but he cut her off sharply, almost angrily.

"He is trying to get Raines kicked out and therefore has lost control over him. Raines knows where he is standing and he is going to use Jarod as his Trump card." Miss Parker closed her eyes but found her mind’s images of that rudely disturbing. The eyes of that boy, Jarod’s clone, found themselves into her conscious and she sighed with a pain in her heart.

"Well, I bet I can get down to see him. Where is Raines keeping Jarod?" was the response Miss Parker gave.

"I don’t know, that’s what worries me the most."

------------

Lyle glided into his living room with wine in hand when he stopped. It was now 9 o’clock and they had been talking for three hours. Emma was sitting on the couch in a sleek black dress with her hair loose about her face, but her hands were wrapped around each other in a position that made his missing thumb throb.

"What are you doing?" he asked setting down the glasses and bottle.

"Oh, it’s my wishing pose," she replied, but was a bit annoyed when her words were met with a chuckle. Lyle snuggled up to her on the couch despite his laughter and gazed questioningly into her eyes.

"See you cross your index and middle fingers on both hands, cross your other two fingers, lock your thumbs with each other…" she demonstrated, but then hesitated. When he displayed no discomfort, she continued, "Then you inter lace your crossed pairs with each other." Finished she looked hopefully at him.

"And what are you wishing for?" he inquired as he studied those wondrous fingers of hers.

"That you would make me breakfast." She winked at him. Lyle smiled and then took her in his arms. He kissed her giggling face until she didn’t laugh but smiled her soft smile instead.

-----------

That morning, Lyle woke to a comfortable bed and Emma’s perfume dancing in the air he breathed. He got up and slid his black velvet robe over his pajamas. Then walked to the linen chest at the end of his bed where she was calmly humming and brushing her golden strands of hair. Her necklace now caught his attention. It was a thin silver chain with a gray octagon charm attached to it. He stared at the two Japanese symbols on the charm, but his mind was rusty, not to mention, distracted by the neck that the charm laid against.

"What does it mean?" Lyle asked coming up to her and pulling it slightly into his fingers. She looked up at him with a hint of fear in her eyes. Emma didn’t like him standing over her while she sat in his bedroom with only a silk slip on.

"Honor," she answered regaining her sensuality. He lowered himself before her and stared lovingly into her face.

"And what do you honor?" Lyle’s gaze was strong and unrelenting.

"Family," she met his challenge with her own while running her left hand through his unkempt hair.

"Really," he smirked and sat down next to her on the wooden chest, "So do I." He could see she was unimpressed and had a disappointed note in her breath.

"Would you like to meet mine?" Lyle asked hoping to appease his beauty. She smiled and hugged him tightly.

"What fun that would be!" she announced and fell back into his arms, completely content.

---------

"Daddy, why can’t I just appease these feelings I have. Jarod saved my life in the first crucial moments after I was shot," Miss Parker pleaded with her hands digging divots into her father’s desk. "All my doctors said so, of course they didn’t know it was Jarod, but it was." She really hated begging but the more she thought about Jarod in Raines’ care, the more she felt like it was her fault. If she hadn’t been at the airstrip that day, if she had done it just like Jarod said, like she told Raines to do… but then she would be talking to her father’s grave instead of his face.

"No," Mr. Parker remarked simply but firmly.

"Daddy, I NEED to see him… only once," she exclaimed. She just needed to make one visit see that it was over and then armed with closure maybe she could leave, start living again. A part of her wished for Thomas, so they could start over together, but if she had to do it alone, she would.

"There is no discussion here. I must concentrate on these reports to the Tower. If… when Mr. Raines is out of our lives, Sydney will get Jarod back," he replied and tried to hide his annoyance behind his computer screen, which had nothing, but a memo he was sending to Lyle on it.

"What’s left of him," she whispered bitterly and sighed. Fighting with a brick wall took a lot out of a girl and she needed a cigarette but her pain meds wouldn’t allow it.

"I’m late," Mr. Parker stated as he stood and rounded the desk, "Good-bye Angel. Try not to think about it." With that he was gone and she had nothing left to do, but deliver the bad news to a frantic Sydney.

"Hh, oh," Miss Parker breathed out and followed her father’s path out of his office toward the elevator.

"Parker come here…" Lyle shouted as she pressed the button on the wall, "Come on in, please?" He gestured from his office door, which was only open enough to expose his head. Miss Parker looked skyward for guidance and receiving no signs, walked to him.

"What is it, Lyle?" she growled, "Can’t find Brigitte?" That stopped Lyle and alarm flicked in his features but not long enough to embarrass him.

"Ahem no," he said and moved aside to invite her in, "I wanted you to meet someone important to me." Parker was clearly suspicious and irritated with his lack of conciseness.

"Miss Parker, this is my close friend, Emma Road," he introduced her to the thin girl in his office.

"Hello," Miss Parker said lukewarmly. The girl was in her late twenties, early thirties with looks that most women would pay major bucks for. She was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans that got tight around the ankles and a silk black top that dipped low enough in the front to expose a tiny bow from another piece of silk black clothing. Her shoes were black flats that looked like they could be run in safely.

"Oh, Miss P. I have heard so much about you, I feel like we’re sisters already," Emma exploded and embraced her tightly. ‘She better have shoes she can run in,’ Miss Parker thought.

"Really?" she responded while ever so delicately pushing the girl from her. Emma wasn’t concerned in the least.

"Yes, your brother tells the best stories," she reflected warmly, "I can just listen to his deep voice all day." Emma intertwined her arm with Lyle’s, still beaming.

‘Don’t you mean all night?’ Miss Parker tried to hold her tongue.

"Anyway, we were wondering if you could come to dinner," Lyle said sensing his sister’s extreme anger was about to go into orbit.

"There’s this amazing restaurant with a dance floor," Emma explained, "You must join us." Parker sighed and nodded.

"This will be interesting; I don’t think I’ve ever seen you dance, Lyle," Miss Parker spoke over her shoulder as she exited. Quickly gliding into Sydney’s office where Broots was working speedily on the computer. Parker almost screamed behind him as she slammed the door,

"Broots! I have someone I want you to find out about for me!"

"Ahh, Miss Parker!" Broots almost fell out of his chair with surprise. "Glad to see you haven’t lost your warm people skills," he said sarcastically, thinking that he could feel a few more hairs falling from his head.

"If you would like to keep those last few hairs on your balding head Broots you’ll drop what you’re doing right now!" she screeched as if she knew what he was thinking. Sydney entered the room more demurely and secured the door.

"Sorry, Parker, but Broots is working to find out about someone for me, at the moment," he commented and assessed that her moodiness had returned healthily.

"Back in the Centre and Jarod is still causing my ulcer to act up," she complained as she sat down in a chair near Broots’ computer. He was typing even faster now and his face was changing as fast as the screen.

"I think I found it!" he announced triumphantly.

"What Broots?" Sydney came close with excitement in his voice.

"Jarod, he has been code named Roadrunner and he is in…." Broots related and then searched for details. "Darn, it doesn’t say. Someone has tapered with these files. I can only get the video feed." He rapped on his keyboard but not fast enough for Parker.

"Don’t keep us waiting, Computer Chip, click on it!"

------------

Miss Parker stepped out of her car in front of "The Dream" and tried to shake the sounds of Jarod’s painful cries from her brain. She needed a miracle to get through the evening and something more powerful than a miracle to help Jarod. Walking in the rain down the lonely sidewalk toward the "restaurant," if you could call it, left nothing to distract her from her thoughts but the umbrella. Inside, however, was amazingly worse. The music was loud and the smell, a confusion between alcohol, smoke, sweat, and bad perfume. Miss Parker knew it was going to be a long night. She couldn’t have alcohol and the smoke was bad for her.

"What party are you with?" asked the maitre d'. Parker stared at him in disbelief.

"A maitre d' at a swanky place like this, how surprising," she commented.

"Even executives like to party, now your reservation…" he retorted with a shrug.

"Parker, Lyle," she replied hoping that she won’t have to say Mr. Lyle Parker.

"Oh, yes, he told me to expect you, Miss Parker," he said with a hint of amusement, "Please follow me."

She would have liked to shot him for that, but was struck by the place. The dining tables were in a U-shape around a grand dance floor, which was lit dimly to please the after 8 o’clock crowd which were either ordering or dancing. The dance floor was only cut away from the dining area by the change from dark wood to elegant carpet with an Asian pattern. The tables had electric blue table clothes and simple vases in their centers with a few white lilies in them. The stage, which was opposite the front door, was empty, but it had room for an orchestra. At the moment, the music was blaring from four speakers in the ceiling at the corners of the dance floor.

Walking down the steps from the coat-check, she followed her guide to a table at the edge of the dancing area but in perfect position to watch the stage. Lyle, Emma, Mr. Parker, and Brigitte stood to greet her.

"I didn’t know you had invited the whole family, Lyle," Miss Parker purposely screamed in his ear over the music. She sat down smoothly and looked expectantly at the waiter, who went to get her a menu.

"Great place, isn’t it?" Emma said enthusiastically. Miss Parker sized up the table’s occupants and realized Emma was too spunky for Brigitte’s taste, or maybe she didn’t like the competition, especially when she was losing. Mr. Parker seemed just thankful Lyle had found himself a girl, maybe he knew about Brigitte and was sick of competition too. Either way, it was quite a funny little gathering. Lyle was reluctant to make eye contact with anyone, but Emma, who he was staring at intensely. Emma seemed generally concerned with making friends.

"Well, it is quite a statement. I mean beautiful decor and loud, modern music, how delightful," Brigitte commented barely escaping the rude category.

"Well, it ain’t nothin’ like Britain, but I find a good mix fun." Emma didn’t miss a beat or a jab. She knew whom she was dealing with and had every intention of clawing at any exposed flesh. "We are all kids at heart and after a day of death and deception, listening to angry or loud music lets me unwind. Besides, you might find it gets rid of any left over energy or tension, Miss Parker." Parker froze momentarily and seeing that she had been tagged went bravely into the ring.

"Why would I need to release energy?" she asked half-lost in her menu, which had finally come.

"Jarod can take a lot out of you and now you have nowhere for the adrenaline to go," Emma responded. She was well informed and war ready.

"I’ll pick up Smash Face on the way home," Miss Parker breathed out like Arctic air and searched for the grilled chicken on the pages of her menu.

"That’s Smash Mouth," Emma happily corrected her. She liked to play and was just getting warmed up with this small talk.

"Whatever," Miss Parker stated. Brigitte got up and slid to where Miss Parker was seated.

"I’m going to the powder room. Want to join me?" Brigitte whispered to her. Clearly, Brigitte knew there was strength in numbers and wanted to build her force even if that meant Miss Parker.

"I’ll come." Emma jumped up from her chair and grabbed Brigitte’s hand. "Excuse us, honey." Suddenly, Brigitte’s plan to arm herself had turned into a one-woman-fight against this cobra. The Parker clan could only watch: one worried, one confused, and one wondering who would come out of the bathroom.

As they entered the empty ladies’ room, Brigitte stepped into a stall. Emma looked in the mirror and checked a cut located just under her dress collar on her left shoulder.

"What happened?" Brigitte asked after she came to the sink to wash her hands.

"Lyle and I crashed his car into a tree, this afternoon," Emma explained casually as if she was saying she had bought bread today.

"How?" Brigitte gawked at her, completely unaware of what to say.

"We were… well, let’s just say, he shouldn’t have been driving…" she said the cat showing in her eyes again, "We weren’t hurt bad, but the car is toast. Third car’s the charm, I suppose. I’m going to help him pick out a new one tomorrow. I guess it will be okay, though. The Centre will have his new plates and everything ready automatically. Benefits of the work.." She finished telling the tale as she finished washing up and went to dry her hands when Brigitte caught her arm.

"Stay away from him," she stated dangerously. Emma shrugged her off like a person shakes away an ant on their arm.

"No. Why should I?" she demanded, now facing her potential step-mom.

"Because he’s mine," Brigitte seethed.

"Not unless, he gave you that ring on your finger," Emma shot back and pointed to the wedding ring, "I believe, you have the wrong Parker." With that she dried her hands and tried to leave, but Brigitte blocked the door.

"I don’t think so," she hissed.

"Go ask him then," Emma whispered and pushed Brigitte aside. They went back to the table scowling at each other. Lyle needed to see no more and was already up before they got to their seats.

"Lyle, can I have a word," Brigitte asked sweetly enough to have rotted teeth. Lyle came close as if to help her into her chair like he had just done for Emma.

"What is going on?" she barked in his ear.

"It’s over. Go back to your husband, Brigitte. It was getting too risky anyway. I think Miss Parker might know," Lyle said practically falling over his words. His strength was looking into his eyes from across the table with approval.

"Fine!" she spit in his ear and seated herself firmly.

"Oh, I love this song. Don’t you Brigitte?" Emma sang softly as if waiting for an apology.

(Garbage - "Only Happy When It Rains" is playing from the Album - Garbage)

I'm only happy when it rains
I'm only happy when it's complicated
And though I know you can't appreciate it
I'm only happy when it rains
You know I love it when the news is bad
Why it feels so good to feel so sad
I'm only happy when it rains

Pour your misery down
Pour your misery down on me
Pour your misery down
Pour your misery down on me

"It does have a charm about it," Brigitte agreed to the relief of all involved.

I'm only happy when it rains
I feel good when things are going wrong
I only listen to the sad, sad songs
I'm only happy when it rains

I only smile in the dark
My only comfort is the night gone black
I didn't accidentally tell you that
I'm only happy when it rains
You'll get the message by the time I'm through
When I complain about me and you
I'm only happy when it rains

Emma nudged Lyle and whispered something heavenly into his ear. He blushed visibly even in the dim light. Miss Parker studied her. The girl was amazing, she had fought off the troll and had psycho boy around her little pinkie or was it her neck.

Pour your misery down
Pour your misery down on me
Pour your misery down
Pour your misery down on me
Pour your misery down
You can keep me company
As long as you don't care

I'm only happy when it rains
You wanna hear about my new obsession?
I'm riding high upon a deep depression
I'm only happy when it rains

Depression, yeah, Miss Parker could relate to that, certainly more than the people at this table. The song had a hold on her as she found it reminding her of all the misery in her life and she wondered what Emma’s story was. How could she have been a sweeper and a computer analyst for the Centre and stay so… well high. Was she in love with pain, a. k. a. Lyle?

Pour some misery down on me
I'm only happy when it rains...

"Next up Livin' La Vida Loca by Ricky Martin!" the announcer called out.

"Come on Lyle, I love this song," Emma shouted and dragged him out on the floor as the song started. The rest of the table watched with interest despite the warm food that was finally delivered. Emma slid her arms around Lyle’s neck and with the rest of the crowd began to dance.

She's into superstitions
Black cats and voodoo dolls
I feel a premonition
That girl's gonna make me fall
She's into new sensations
New kicks in the candlelight
She's got a new addiction
For every day and night
She'll make you take your
Clothes off and go dancing in the rain

Emma pulled Lyle suit jacket off and threw it low causing it to land next to his chair under the table. ‘Nice shot,’ Miss Parker thought.

She'll make you live her crazy life
But she'll take away your pain
Like a bullet to your brain

Emma put a hand to Lyle’s head, positioned like a gun and pretended to shoot him. Lyle just laughed and continued to move, but Parker and Brigitte caught each other’s eye. Emma’s expression for a split second had been dead serious. This girl was crazy or dangerous, maybe both.

CHORUS:
Upside Inside Out
She's livin' la vida loca
She'll push and pull you down

And Emma did, pull and push Lyle by his tie to the beat.

Livin' la vida loca
Her lips are devil red
And her skin's the color of mocha
She will wear you out
Livin' la vida loca
She's livin' la vida loca

Woke up in New York City
In a funky cheap hotel
She took my heart
And she took my money
She must've slipped me a sleepin' pill

Miss Parker could only think of Jarod’s first escape at these lyrics. She missed the chase… heck she missed him.

She never drinks the water
And makes you order
French champagne
Once you've had a taste of her
You'll never be the same
Yeah, she'll make you go insane

‘Well, crazier for Lyle,’ Miss Parker told herself grimly.

Upside Inside Out
She's livin' la vida loca
She'll push and pull you down
Livin' la vida loca
Her lips are devil red
And her skin's the color of mocha
She will wear you out
Livin' la vida loca
She's livin' la vida loca

She'll make you take your
Clothes off and go dancing in the rain
She'll make you live her crazy life
Until you go insane
No, you'll never be the same…

As the dance ended, the two ‘crazy’ kids came back exhausted, but giggling. And all Miss Parker could think was how right she had been in assuming the night was going to be long and strange.

-----------

Back at the Centre the next morning, Miss Parker had plenty to tell Sydney.

"She is a snake, Syd. Maybe even slimier than Lyle," she told him while Broots worked to break the codes to Raines’ files.

"I would think that would create the perfect couple," Sydney said with the hint of a smirk on his lips.

"Did you just make a crack, Sydney?" Miss Parker asked flabbergasted, "Boy, Raines baby-sitting Jarod must really be eating into you for you to be sarcastic."

"I have my days." He nodded. Just then the vent grate rattled and into Sydney’s office came Angelo. He was mumbling something over and over again.

"Angelo, do you need something?" Sydney asked as he struggled to understand his patient.

"Jarod has pain." The statement was spoken clearly and carried enough weight with it to stop Broots from typing.

"What?" Miss Parker exclaimed and walked up to Angelo with kind concern etched in her features.

"Jarod needs Miss Parker but Miss Parker is dead," he said simply, looking straight at her and upon glancing at Sydney, "Jarod needs Sydney but Sydney’s head hurts."

"Angelo, you have been to see Jarod?" Sydney pleaded the answer was yes, but Angelo lost himself in the name.

"Jarod has great pain," he emphasized.

"Can you show us Jarod, Angelo?" Miss Parker was scared, because she was confused by the statements he had made. Angelo nodded toward the vent he came out of.

"Broots can you mess with the cameras in Jarod’s room if you knew which one it was?" Her voice hopeful, Miss Parker studied Broots’ reaction.

"I guess, but I might get caught," he replied, the wrinkles already beginning to form in his brow.

"If you do, I’ll take care of it. Bring up a 3-D blue print of the sub-levels including the air vents," she commanded. Broots typed obediently and turned when he had it.

"Angelo, where’s Jarod?" Angelo looked at the screen blankly. "We’re here, find Jarod in the computer," Miss Parker asked showing him patiently.

"Jarod hurts…" he said and looked back at the vent a moment. Then he traced his path, getting lost a few times and glancing at the duct, to room 11 on SL26. "Here," he finally pronounced.

------------

The vent to Room 11 was fifteen feet up the wall, so Miss Parker had suggested getting some rope and Sydney had a lab on SL24, so in the interest of time and work they took Angelo and started from there.

Miss Parker was the first out of the duct after carefully removing the cover and securing the rope to pimping inside the vent. When she reached the floor, her heels clicked on the metal and she cursed herself for wearing a black dress/suit that only went with those particularly loud shoes. Her thoughts were interrupted by a sight she never wanted to see… ever.

Jarod was lying in the bed, his eyes shut, his hands cuffed, and his breathing painful.

Sydney soon came to stand next to her, and Broots after a frightful look at Jarod, turned on the computer to figure out what Raines was doing.

"Jarod?" she asked the shivering creature. Slowly, Miss Parker sat down on the bed and touched his shoulder with delicate fingers. He winced and tried to sink into the mattress beneath him.

"It’s okay, Jarod, I didn’t come here to hurt you," she frantically explained. Her heart ached to see him this way. Miss Parker placed her hand on his arm and ran her fingers up and down softly. Jarod refused to open his eyes, but stopped shaking.

Sydney walked over then and bent down to his knees.

"Jarod, it’s Sydney. I know you have been through a great deal because of Raines' control over the project, but I came here to help you," Sydney soothed with his calming voice and grabbed a chair. Jarod flinched visibly at the mention of Raines but otherwise remained still. Sydney’s soft eyes looked up at Miss Parker with worry. She had to snap Jarod out this; it made her angry at Raines for hurting him and even angrier at Jarod for becoming a cowering rabbit. She bent down to his ear and said,

"Jarod, we came to speak with you, so open your eyes and say something. I’m talking to you, Boy Genius." Then she pulled back, crossed her arms and waited for a response. Her warm breath had tickled the hairs on the back of his neck and he shook once more as she sat up.

After a moment that was an eternity for all involved, Jarod blinked; his gentle brown eyes fluttered and finally opened. He tilted his head to stare at her and fluidly drifted his attention to Sydney.

"Are you feeling all right?" Sydney asked, resting his hand on Jarod’s arm. He flinched again and Sydney realized he was injured. He removed his hand and studied Jarod’s face.

Sighing, Jarod slowly opened his mouth.

"I… I seem to be having trouble with reality," he whispered; his voice was hoarse and his tone laced with fear.

"Reality?" Miss Parker questioned in surprise. Those kind eyes were begging her to hold him and she wanted to. Jarod’s handcuffs rattled as he pointed to the table; near the computer sat two manila files. Sydney looked over and back to Jarod, who was reluctant to say anymore. Seeing the nervous expression on Jarod’s face caused Sydney not to question his instructions.

He stood and walked to the table. Picking up the first one, he opened it and read. Miss Parker meanwhile reached carefully over and put her hand in Jarod’s. He stared down in disbelief and wondered what he should do.

"I wanted to thank you for what you did at the flight school and…" she was speaking when Sydney practically whacked her in the stomach with the first folder. She let go of Jarod’s hand and clutched the file.

"What Syd?" she asked absentmindedly opening it.

"Read," he commanded and returned to the other one. She could have bashed his head in for the impertinence of the gesture, but looking down she found her own personnel file. Glancing at Jarod, who was studying her reaction, she began to scan it for inconsistencies.
Name:
Age:
Rank:
Eye Color:
Hair:
Born:
Died: 5/22/99!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Death by: Artery failure due to applied pressure after gun shot to the chest.

Jarod saw her eyes widen and wondered once she knew she was dead, whether she would disappear or not. Flipping through the folder, she found medical documents, a death certificate, and pictures! Two of the wake, three of the funeral, which Sydney and Broots had apparently attended, and a shot of the tombstone.

"You don’t look dead," Jarod spoke barely audibly above the silence hanging like fog in the room. Miss Parker looked up at him. She realized that for the past two weeks to Jarod, she had been dead and based on the cause he probably thought it was his fault. Angelo’s words made sense now… but nothing else did. Setting the file in her lap, she exposed her wrist before him.

"See for yourself," she instructed. His index and middle fingers touched her veins and felt a warm, tempoed pulsing of the blood that flowed in her body. He sighed and almost smiled. She combed through his hair with her fingers and let her hand come to rest on the left side of his jaw.

"You saved my life, Jarod. I got out of the hospital four days ago and since then I have been trying to find you," she explained. Jarod placed his hand against hers and brought it around to his lips. She watched perplexed as he kissed her palm.

Sydney looked on adoring the moment. What was that tenderness in Parker’s eyes when she looked at Jarod? Catherine. ‘Oh sweet Catherine, I hope you can see your daughter now,’ he thought. Then Sydney glanced back down at the picture in his file and gloominess clouded his face, again. Miss Parker must have sensed Sydney because she broke her gaze with Jarod, to look over and ask,

"What’s in the other folder?"

"Sydney’s suicide," Jarod answered for him. The second part of Angelo’s words seem to have come true. Sydney walked over and handed it to her. The file was open to the picture of Sydney dead in his office, gun still in hand, and hole fresh in his head.

"How?" Miss Parker opened her mouth and closed it. Broots chose that moment to give in to his curiosity and came to see the photos as well.

"According to the file in Sydney’s hands, the night after Miss Parker’s funeral, Sydney was found in his office, dead due to a self-inflicted 9mm gun shot wound to the head. Medically, it was the least painful place to fire the bullet… Raines also has a report filed in there, where he recounts an argument that afternoon, the two had about how I was the reason Sydney’s life had turned out the way it did and that he wanted me destroyed before I could do anymore damage," Jarod related all this to them with detachment and clear sorrow in his voice or perhaps it was a waking happiness as if he had just opened his eyes from a horrible nightmare. Sydney sighed.

"Jarod you must have realized…" he was silenced by his own voice playing on a tape recorder, Jarod retrieved from under his pillow.

"You don’t get it, Raines you’ve won. I want Jarod terminated."
"Now… that he is back… we can reeducate… him."
"No, he is a danger to all of us. After all that’s happened because of him, your daughter, Anne, for one, it isn’t worth the risk. Especially, now because he will be determined to escape or harm us."
"Sydney… I am in charge… still and I am… ordering reeducation… End of discussion."
A door slammed on the tape.

Jarod clicked the machine off and stared up at his company. The looks on their faces said everything but Jarod leaned back against the wall and with a curious look, spoke his thoughts.

"My three hunters, didn’t you know, when you were chasing the lion, they would mount his head on the wall? Make necklaces of his claws? And wear his skin so they could pretend they were king?" Jarod seemed not to really be asking the questions, but rather suggesting them for consideration. Three stomachs turned at once and Broots was nearly sick, being the weakest of them.

Miss Parker instinctively ran her hands around Jarod’s shoulders and began to release tears in silence. Sydney and Broots, noticing they were no longer needed returned to the computer and discovered the personnel files out of that terminal were the same. ‘An instant window,’ Broots thought.

Jarod pulled Miss Parker back to face him after only a few moments.

"Miss Parker, who are you crying for?" he asked examining her eyes and wrapping his hands around her sides. "Not the man you see before you? Nor the creature you chased for so long? Maybe the young boy you used to bring candy to and go on adventures with? Is that who you cry for?" His questions made her want to cry more, but she had to get it together. She was Miss Parker after all.

"I cry for you, Jarod," she whispered. Miss Parker’s fingers glided into his hair and she leaned in slowly. To Jarod her hands were like fire and he closed his eyes to take in the pleasurable pain.

The kiss was gentle and passionate. Unfortunately, just as their lips parted company, Jarod saw the blue light above the door come on. He gave her a soft push.

"You have to go. The three of you, now, you only have a minute."

----------

Emma and Lyle came through the first door and stopped in front of the guard, Kevin, who was a friend of Emma’s.

"You should see the car Lyle bought today. It’s in the garage getting the plates put on it," Emma boasted. Lyle just smiled as he unlocked the door.

"We’ll have to show you sometime," he managed to be sociable at the last second.

----------

They had just barely put the grate back in place when Lyle stepped in with Emma contentedly behind him. He eyed Jarod who was smiling at him. Jarod was now confidant that he would be out of this dungeon soon, although he might just be in the cell Sydney kept him in, it would be better… better.

Lyle wasted no time before he began to gloat.

"Sorry to interrupt your education, Jarod but my girl here heard about you in Africa and wanted to see our favorite experiment gone bad," Lyle proclaimed and walked right up to Jarod. "So tell me, do you think Raines would let me help him again, if I told him it was to impress Emma and Brigitte, who is on her way right now?" Jarod was dangerously still. Like a cat waiting for a moment of weakness in it’s prey, he was quiet. Lyle grew frustrated with this and bent at his knees to get in Jarod’s face. Sadly for Lyle, that’s all Jarod needed.

"Ahh!" Lyle shrieked but soon was held silent. When Lyle had dared glance back at Emma after he sank down to get her reaction, Jarod had flung his arm over Lyle’s head and brought his chains around Lyle’s throat. He then pulled his wrists together and down to his knee. Lyle was now struggling to get the chain off his neck and at the same time trying to get footing.

"Jarod!" Brigitte screamed as she came in her gun drawn. The four people hiding in the vent could only listen and occasionally catch a glimpse of what was happening.

"I wouldn’t unless you think I can’t break his neck before you kill me," Jarod growled at Brigitte and tightened down on Lyle. She opted to lower her gun, slightly, but didn’t back up. Emma was frozen with fear of what would transpire.

"You know what I wonder, Lyle?" Jarod began as he leaned down to the fighting man’s ear, "How did you end up with such a nice looking girl?" Lyle flapped about as Jarod mocked him. "Does she like it painful?" he asked. Then his eyes flashed to the girl. "He will hit you, you know? He did it to his first wife. Beat her to death."

"Play times over, Jarod," Brigitte warned.

"Get out all of you!" he hissed but no one moved a muscle, "Now! You think I’m kidding!" Jarod kicked Lyle in the back to prove his point.

"Jarod I will shoot." Brigitte tightened on the trigger.

"I’m bored," he sounded like a spoiled child, "I believe it was Sydney who told me: a mind left idle is a dangerous weapon." Sydney smiled in the grate. Jarod then let Lyle up with a quick motion. Brigitte and Emma came to his aid but looked up at Jarod as his voice echoed in the room.

"Don’t ever come back, Lyle," Jarod growled. Then showing his handcuffs, shouted, "Because even in chains, I can still kill you. Next time I won’t hesitate!" The two pairs of three left the scene as Jarod fell back on his bed, exhausted.

"Shall I go teach him to be more polite to visitors?" Brigitte suggested to Lyle out in the hall. He considered it, but seeing the look in Emma’s eyes he worried that sort of violence might lead her to believe Jarod’s accusation. True though it may be, he didn’t want Emma to think it of him.

"No, let him have his victory. He’ll be dead soon enough, if Raines has his way," Lyle explained to Brigitte who shrugged and walked to the elevator.

"That was very kind of you," Emma complimented him. Lyle walked along beside her in complete surprise. Kind, KIND! She thought he was kind. To Lyle the generosity of this woman astounded him. She had such unbending faith in him and such unshakable happiness when she was with him. He watched her move with him in silent awe for so long she asked if he was sure he was all right.

------------

Lyle waited impatiently on his bed. The blue comforter felt hard to him and the gray walls indifferent. It was a nice place as bachelor pads go. The walls had silver light fixers and mood lighting. His windows covered with white translucent curtains. The clothes’ bureau was a dark wooden stain color like the bed mantle. The room did need a woman’s touch, he was sure of that and her touch was the only one he wanted, but this was life changing and complicating. He swallowed hard.

Emma entered the room and looked lovingly at him. She was dressed in a soft blue dress he had bought her and had blue puffy slipper pumps on her feet.

"Wow. You… you look gorgeous."

"You think? I didn’t know about it in the store, but… gorgeous? Really?" she teased as she came to sit beside him.

"Oh, yes, you’re an angel." He sighed and tucked some stray hairs behind her ear. Was this worth it… yes it was.

"I have something to ask you," he explained, avoiding her gaze.

"What is it, honey? You know you can tell me anything," she voiced with concern, "You remember when we went for that walk on the beach and you told me how you lost your thumb?"

"Yes, I remember." He was lost in the memory a moment.

"You were so comforting and understanding, that’s one reason of many why…" Lyle bent down on one knee before her.

"Why I want to ask you to be my… wife?" he proposed and retrieved a ring from his pocket. She almost looked like she would cry but kissed him anyway as she slipped off the bed and into his arms.

"Oh, Lyle, it’s the perfect ring, for the perfect moment and I hope I can be your perfect wife."

-----------

"Come on, it will be okay," he whispered encouraging her. His hot breath on her neck was encouragement enough, but then his voice warmed her heart. She knew he loved her… more than he wanted to admit even to himself. It was that love which would protect her now and as long as she was by his side.

They entered the now crowded office. Mr. Parker sat at his desk with Brigitte sitting on it. Miss Parker was standing with her back stiff against the wall; Sydney was in one of the armchairs that faced the desk, and Broots sat in the other. Mr. Raines was settled on the couch, his oxygen tank resting on the floor by his feet. Everyone but Raines stood when they walked in. Lyle was smart to close the doors after he and his lady came through them.

"What’s going on Lyle? We do have much more important things to do than wait for you and your friend," Mr. Parker spoke with a bit of irritation.

"Emma isn’t my friend, father," he remarked with cold honesty, "She is, as of, last night, my fiancée!" Lyle had blurted it out so fast he barely had time to wrap his arms around her waist. ‘Good, honey, shield yourself with your bride to be, thanks so much,’ Emma thought as she gripped his hands.

"What?" Miss Parker’s jaw seemed to dislocate.

"It’s true! Isn’t this exciting?" Emma shouted trying not to let her growing terror show.

"You’re getting married?" Mr. and Mrs. Parker exclaimed at once.

"I was hoping, we would have your blessing," Lyle asked Mr. Parker with both spoken and unspoken pleas.

"Of course, what a happy occasion," Mr. Parker answered and came to hug Emma, who received and returned the gesture strongly.

"Thank you so much." Emma smiled and then turned to Brigitte and Miss Parker. "I can’t wait for us three girls to get into the details!" she exclaimed beaming. Parker and Brigitte looked at each other like Emma had just shot at them.

------------

"Hey, Lyle… nah, no, forget it…" Emma said while she closed the door to Lyle’s… to their bedroom. It was late and the day had been full of decision making and remaking.

"What?" he asked playfully, enjoying her presence.

"Well, I just wondered if you wanted to play a little game, to show how much you trusted me, but it’s silly," she explained, taking her slippers off, and placing them in her over-night bag.

"I trust you completely. What’s the game?" Lyle defended as he sat down on the bed.

"Since you twisted my arm.." she seduced, "It has to do with these." Emma held up handcuffs she had produced from the bag.

"Let’s play," he said despite the still prevalent pain in his neck.

Emma attached Lyle to the bed. He tested the chains and noticed they were solid, but in his pajamas he felt fairly safe. Then he noticed Emma was changing her clothes. She pulled on tight, black jeans under her skirt and took it off. Then she tucked in her black top and slipped on a black leather jacket over it.

"Emma?" Lyle whimpered as he watched her get black sneakers out of her bag and put everything she had out into the satchel.

"Emma!" he shouted. Emma looked over at him with fire in her dark eyes. She swayed over to him and settled down on the bed.

"Add a "LY" to that…" she said softly.

"Emma..ly? Emily?" he repeated as confusion filled his brain.

"What’s a matter, lover? Haven’t figured it out yet?" she mocked him, "Well, let me help you… I’m Jarod’s sister." The words created an almost audible thud in Lyle’s head.

"Jarod’s sister! But how…?" he fumbled over the syllables. She pulled her robe tie from her bag that now rested at her feet and began to twist it around in her hands.

"Sorry, honey, but I told you family is the most important thing to me. That includes Jarod," Emily responded to his forming question.

"But…" he struggled for speech, however, she was on a role again and enjoying every minute of it.

"Oh, you mean this?" She waved the engagement ring in his face.

"You killed my brother, Kyle, and have destroyed Jarod! I can’t marry you, that would be… well tacky. And you know, if nothing else, I am never tacky," she mocked in a very familiar game fashion. He tried to scream as she put the tie around his mouth.

"Shhh,shhh! It really IS for the best. But I’m sorry, because I think that if I didn’t know all the things you have done, we would have been very happy together," she confessed and smoothed the hair from his eyes. Then she picked up her bag and went to his pants that were neatly folded on his armchair.

"I need to borrow your new car, Lyle. I hope you wouldn’t mind," she told him while retrieving the keys. She then went to the CD player and programmed it. The room filled with soft, happy music.

("Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" by Neil Sedaka & Howard Greenfield from the The Carpenters’ 1977 Album "A Kind of Hush" begins to play.)

Don't take your love away from me.
Don't you leave my heart in misery.
If you go, then I'll be blue
`cause breakin' up is hard to do.

Remember when you held me tight,
and you kissed me all through the night.
Think of all that we been through,
`cause breakin' up is hard to do.

Emma opened the bedroom door, blew him a kiss and waved as she left.

They say that breain' up is hard to do;
now I know, I know that it's true.
Don't say that this is the end.
Instead of breakin' up
I wish that we were makin' up again.

I beg of you don't say good-bye;
can't we give an other try?
Come on baby, let's start anew,
breakin' up is hard to do.

I beg of you don't say good-bye;
can't we give an other try?
Come on baby, let's start anew,
breakin' up is hard to do.
Yeah, breakin' up is hard to do.

----------

Emma entered the Centre and moved calmly to her office. She had parked Lyle’s car on the side of the building and now it was a matter of finishing what she had started two months ago when Jarod had dropped out of sight, apparently to look for his father. Taking all the information she could in the form of disks that fit in her backpack, shoving a program into the computer and loading it into the mainframe, she set a bomb for twenty minutes. ‘Hope that’s enough,’ passed through her mind as she left her office to find Angelo.

Jarod heard Angelo in the vents and wondered if he had brought Miss Parker back. He hoped so; he needed her. Maybe she would help him like she had wanted to, maybe she wouldn’t even have to leave the Centre if she could get Broots to shut off the cameras again. Jarod was lost in this thought when the three camera eyes closed and their red lights ceased to blink. He didn’t move, but continued to listen to the rustle in the air-duct.

Emily swung her legs around in the vent and pushed it out. From fifteen feet up the wall, the cover came crashing down onto the metal floor. Jarod watched it fall mesmerized, but flinched when the noise of it’s landing echoed in his ears. Then she slid her legs out to dangle, flattened her body, and pushed off with her hands. She was the next thing to go crashing onto the floor, but she bent her knees in time and landed on her feet. Jarod studied her with confusion.

She stayed low with her knees bent until she was sure that the room was really sound proof and the guard wasn’t disturbed. The lighting was dim to allow Jarod sleep, but he was now sitting up on his bed. The whites of his eyes glowed in the dark room. Emily unbuckled the backpack from around her front and set it on the floor.

"What do you want?" Jarod growled, startling her. Emily knew better than to waste time explaining, so she used Lyle’s keys and unlocked Jarod’s chains.

"Come on, big brother, time to go home, you are very late for dinner," she whispered smiling up at him. Jarod was almost as shocked as Lyle was, but his intellect fit the pieces together much faster.

"Emily?" he questioned. They both stood quickly.

"Hi, honey!" she mocked, but then turned serious, "Are you hurt?" Jarod hugged her a moment and finally pulled back to answer.

"Not badly enough, to stop me from clawing my way out of here," he assured her. Emily nodded and returned to her bag to fish for something.

"Ready to go on the run again?" she asked over her shoulder.

"Story of my life," he answered looking up at the vent and then back at his sister. She pulled out a small box with wires attached. He could see she was setting a bomb and wondered how much time it gave them.

"It will take us five minutes to get to where they sealed off the vents after I escaped last," he mentioned to her.

"I’ve got that covered, but it will take two minutes to get up the rope and another three to get the duct unsealed," she explained and set the clock for eleven minutes.

"Angelo," she called. He immediately dropped down a length of rope from the air vent. Emily put the backpack on and handed Jarod a gun.

"Thought you might want this back," she remarked as she began to climb. He looked down at his father’s gun and wondered when she had taken it from Mr. Parker’s office. He would asked his little sister later.

"Thank you," Jarod whispered and started after her up toward the vent.

"Angelo, go back to Sydney’s office and wait okay, there’s going to be a big blast, but we will be fine, okay?" Emily instructed him as they pulled the rope up.

"Little sister is going running. Jarod safe," Angelo asked.

"Yes, we’re leaving in a few minutes," she said and gave him a kiss on the cheek, "Go on." Jarod smiled as he watched Angelo move away and turn the corner in the system. The two siblings pushed and climbed their way in a maze toward the outside vent on the side of the building. When they reached it, Emily unzipped her bag and pulled out a blowtorch.

"Shouldn’t you be wearing a mask?" Jarod asked.

"No time," she replied as she finished cutting a square figure out of the metal seal. Emily and Jarod laid with their backs against each other and kicked in unison at the square. It moved about an inch and Emily checked her watch.

"We’re running out of time, brother," she warned Jarod. They kicked it again and this time it fell to the ground, only a few feet below. Emily threw herself out of the opening and was quickly followed by Jarod, who could hear the explosion as it echoed through the vent system.

------------

Jarod came out of the bathroom with his hair still damp from the warm shower and collapsed on the closest twin bed. The motel was nice as motels are, not that he cared. Jarod was tired and had a happily weariness engraved in his features. Emily was sitting opposite him on her bed, studying him, when he finally spoke.

"What are you think?" She smiled while she picked up a shopping bag.

"Just how amazing you are," Emily answered and fished through the bag.

"You saved my life and I’m the amazing one?" he reacted with a soft laugh. Emily pulled a Pez dispenser out and tossed it to him.

"Give me a break, I never met my brother, the hero, before." She also laughed and remembered when he had first gotten away from the Centre. One day, they had heard a story about him being in this little town and the people who recognized him suddenly embraced his mother and sister with open arms. A story for the road though, she was too tired now.

"So…" he began uncomfortably.

"Yes," Emily waited while getting herself a Jolly Rancher from the bag.

"Well, you don’t look much like you did two years ago," Jarod finished, he had chickened out and cursed himself for it. Emily was elated that he had said so, however, and stood to better explain.

"Contracts, hair dye, skin toner, and an attitude adjustment. Does wonders, no?" She finished pointing out her "improvements and modeling for him. He chuckled but then looked down with depression.

"What?" she rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Lyle?" Jarod questioned her as he peered up.

"Oh, that’s what’s with the Mr. Detached look. Listen to me, two months ago, you disappear from the radar, no more hero stories, anywhere, so I thought if I got inside I could find out what happened. Then I hear the names Major Charles and Jarod bouncing around. I would have come to help you that day at the flight school, but when I heard you walked right into the Centre’s front doors and made a deal, I figured rather than blow my cover, I would just meet up with you guys, later. I was sure you had everything in hand and you did, until Raines got trigger-happy. After you came back, I knew I had to get the Parkers distracted and make my move," Emily illustrated.

"You’re a wonderful actress, you certainly had me fooled," Jarod commented as Emily walked to the night table.

"Emma loved him, Jarod. Lyle treated her well and he really loved her. But Emily, me… I wanted vengeance and so I ripped his heart out like he unknowingly tore mine out so many times. I played the cruelest game, I made him love me and than I took myself from him." Emily sensed his feeling was part of a big brother complex. She tried her best to explain without making his thought of Lyle and her worse.

"I think we are destine to be in love with twins, my brother," she asserted thoughtfully. Surprised that she knew how he felt about Miss Parker for only a moment, Jarod had to agree,

"Sadly it is so…" Emily picked up her cell-phone.

"I have to call Sydney, he’ll be worried," Jarod thought and said at the same time, when he saw her turn the phone on.

"Tomorrow when we’re safely on the road," she suggested. "Right now, I have to call Mom. She’ll be expecting me today and we won’t be to the house until… what?" Jarod’s expression had grown both horrified and excited again.

"Mom’s okay?" he choked and stared hard at her.

"Oh, Jarod, I’m sorry… you remember Mom?" She had no idea he would remember anything, besides she had nearly forgot whom she was talking to, partly because it was so comfortable talking with him.

"She’s the one I remember clearest," Jarod whispered as his mind flashed back to his childhood.

"Just a minute, all right, just…" Emily fumbled with the phone, trying to dial faster. "Hi, Mom… yeah it’s me. Listen, I will be back tomorrow and we will have to leave soon after that… I have someone sitting here next to me that wants to say hi," she finished and handed Jarod the phone. His hands were sweating and he was sure he was shaking when he put the phone up to his ear.

"Mom? It’s Jarod," he managed to say, through the storm that was whirling inside of him.

"Jarod? Oh, my God, she found you?" Her voice was as kind and loving as he remembered. She sounded as though she might cry or laugh from the shock.

"Yeah, Emily, helped me escape," he replied with a tremor in his tone, "How are you, Mom?"

"It’s so good to hear your voice, honey. Did they hurt you?" Just like a mom, always concerned, but never about themselves.

"A little, but none of that matters now, I’m just glad to be coming home," he answered so full of joy, he was floating.

"I missed you, son," she whispered, but he heard it loud and clear. Jarod felt the tears overwhelm this dream-like situation. She missed him, like he missed her.

"I love you, Mom," was all he could say, so lost in emotion.

"Love you, too. I can’t wait to see you, again."

---------------

The next day at the Centre, Miss Parker paced in Sydney’s office.

"Let’s me see, if I understand, okay? Jarod’s room with him in it is destroyed in a blast, Emma’s office is blown by a similar bomb, and now Lyle is missing? Find Emma, find her now." Her hands tightened around Broots’ collar and then released him, causing him to spin in his computer chair. The telephone rang just then.

"What!?" Miss Parker hissed into Sydney’s phone as she picked it up off the receiver on his desk.

"How are things at the Fortress of Despair?" Emily laughed with the wind wiping through her black hair. She was making Jarod nervous, because Emily kept pulling her legs onto the passenger seat and sitting on the top of it. As the sun rose on the horizon before them, she couldn’t help enjoying the top being down.

"Where’s Lyle, Emma?" Miss Parker demanded and alerted Sydney at the same time.

"Put us on speaker will you, I trust it’s just the three musketeers?" Emily requested, as she slid back into the seat.

"Yes, Broots and Sydney are the only ones here." Miss Parker hit the speaker button. "Now, what do you mean, "us"?"

"Well I’ll let my brother explain," Emily giggled and handed her driver the phone.

"America is much more beautiful from behind the wheel of Lyle’s car, Sydney. Even more spectacular than I remember it!" Jarod boomed with his usual demeanor almost fully recovered.

"You’re alive?" Miss Parker came down onto the desk and dangerously close to the speakerphone; her hands clenched tight.

"Two words: Here’s Jarod!" he replied enjoying her sweetly frustrated tone. Broots nudged Sydney and they exchanged big smiles.

"How… what did she mean…?" The truth crystallized in Miss Parker’s brain. "Don’t tell me…"

"Oh, come on, it was so obvious," he gloated a bit at the irony, "Seriously, Emma? Emily? Getting shot, seems to have dulled your edge." Miss Parker almost ripped the phone off the desk in anger over her own ignorance. ‘This FAMILY! God…’ she thought.

"And the blast?" Sydney inquired calmly.

"Part of her plan, along with…" Jarod couldn’t help laughing, "with what happened to Lyle."

"And what happened to Lyle, Jarod?" Miss Parker asked, wanting all of this craziness explained.

"Let’s just say, he was so torn up over losing my sister and his new convertible "Lyle 3" that he had to be physically restrained," Jarod related with a mocking voice and a wonderful smile that she could see over the phone.

"Good one, Jarod!" Emily laughed and stole the phone, "He is in his apartment… tied to the bed. Guess it will teach him not to play trust games!"

"Y..you… you tied him to…" Miss Parker broke into laugher. Emily responded with the details.

"I tied him up, turned on "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" on the CD player and set it to play, rewind and play again… 50 times. Took his keys, blew him a kiss, and walked out the door. The song lies, that was the easiest break up I ever had!" Sydney, Miss Parker, and Broots couldn’t help the grins that came from that picture.

"We’ll get him later," Miss Parker assured while trying to compose herself.

"Thanks!" Emily said and then looking at Jarod with devilish eyes, added, "Oh, Miss Parker, Jarod was talking to me last night and he said you looked really hot in that black outfit you had on when you visited him!" Jarod’s face became as red as her lipstick and he turned to his sister with shock.

"Emily! Give me that phone!" he yelled and tried to grab it. Meanwhile, Miss Parker who had blushed at the comment to and her two cohorts listened with amusement in their faces.

"No! Both hands on the wheel! Driving safety first!" Emily screeched, "AHH! No fair tickling!" She pushed at his arm as he tickled her neck.

"Give me my cell-phone!" he demanded and imagined Miss Parker’s reaction on the other end.

"No way, Jarod let go!" she fought between giggles, now into a tug-of-war with him.

"Give it here!" he ordered while trying to stay on the road.

"Why?" she asked, as if confused.

"I’m older, now give it to me!" he replied with a chuckle growing in his throat.

"I’m smarter, who got you out of there, now say pretty please!" Emily countered and pulled harder.

"Do you want me to stop this car?" Jarod threatened.

"Now I’m sure you spent time with Dad!… Hey!" was heard over the speakerphone as Jarod regained control.

"Thank you!" he remarked partly annoyed and partly pleased. "I’m sorry Miss Parker. Emily has this compulsion to make up for all our lost family time, including the annoying little sister routine," he clarified.

"It’s okay." Miss Parker fought to keep a straight face.

"What will you two do now, Jarod?" Sydney asked trying to hide his amusement unsuccessfully.

"We’re going to Mom’s for dinner tonight and from there… wherever the wind will blow, which I hope is toward Dad," Jarod told them proudly. He was going home… Home to his family. "Anyway, check your computer, Emily and I left you a good-bye gift…" he said and turned the phone off.

Broots clicked on e-mail marked "See ya in the funny papers" and opened the sound file:

"Somebody once told me the world is gonna roll me I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed
She was looking kind of dumb with her finger and her thumb
In the shape of an "L" on her forehead
Well the years start coming and they don't stop coming
Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running

Didn't make sense not to live for fun
Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb
So much to do so much to see
So what's wrong with taking the back streets
You'll never know if you don't go
You'll never shine if you don't glow
Hey now you're an All Star get your game on, go play
Hey now you're a Rock Star get the show on get paid
And all that glitters is gold
Only shooting stars break the mold

It's a cool place and they say it gets colder
You’re bundled up now but wait 'til you get older
But the meteor men beg to differ
Judging by the hole in the satellite picture
The ice we skate is getting pretty thin
The waters getting warm so you might as well swim
My world's on fire how about yours
That's the way I like it and I never get bored

Hey now you're an All Star get your game on, go play
Hey now you're a Rock Star get the show on get paid
And all that glitters is gold
Only shooting stars break the mold

Hey now you're an All Star get your game on, go play
Hey now you're a Rock Star get the show on get paid
And all that glitters is gold
Only shooting stars…

Somebody once asked could you spare some change for gas
I need to get myself away from this place
I said yep what a concept
I could use a little fuel myself
And we could all use a little change
Well the years start coming and they don't stop coming
Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running
Didn't make sense not to live for fun
Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb
So much to do so much to see
So what's wrong with taking the back streets
You'll never know if you don't go, GO!
You'll never shine if you don't glow

Hey now you're an All Star get your game on, go play
Hey now you're a Rock Star get the show on get paid
And all that glitters is gold
Only shooting stars break the mold

And all that glitters is gold
Only shooting stars break the mold"

"---Smash Mouth’s "All Star" by Greg Camp" was the only thing written in the message box.
------------
"Lyle?" Miss Parker called to him as she entered his office. It had been a week and he was sitting at his desk going through reports of the escape.

"Come to take your hunk of skin, Parker?" Lyle replied from behind his swamp of papers.

"No, this came for you," she said holding up an envelope. When he didn’t look up, "It’s from Emily." He snatched it and opened it. Inside was a letter and a picture of Jarod and her. They were sitting on a porch over looking the ocean, smiling. Lyle looked closer to see the necklaces around Emily’s neck. One was the Japanese one she had worn before but the other was a thin gold chain and his ring. If she had buttoned her shirt up all the way, you couldn’t have seen it, but with the top two buttons undone it sparkled in the sunset. He handed it to Parker with a sigh and started to read the letter.

Lyle,
9:01PM: 98.5FM, turn it up. See you, the next time.
Emily.

"They look happy," Miss Parker observed as she studied the picture. She ran her fingers over Jarod and then set it down in front of Lyle.

"Happier than you were when you found out about me," Lyle grumbled as he stared at it.

"Maybe that’s her point," Miss Parker wondered as she leaned against his desk.

"What time is it?" he asked rereading the note.

"8:59," she said checking her watch. Then looking at the tension in his face, "You miss her, don’t you?" She regretted the question the moment it passed through her lips and was caught by the air.

"That’s what she wanted, isn’t it?" Lyle asked and stated at the same time. He had a headache and wanted to erase the last two months, four years, hell his whole life.

"Yeah." Miss Parker glanced out the windows and hesitated a moment. She was lost in a million thoughts, but never intended to tell Lyle about them. "Goodnight, Lyle," she whispered, patted him on the shoulder and headed for the door.

"Hey, Parker?" he said standing up.

"Hmm?" She looked back as she opened the door.

"You think you and I should…" Lyle decided against his thought, "Goodnight, Parker."

"Bye." She almost smiled and left. Lyle watched her close the door, and then found his radio. He tuned it in and turned it up as she had instructed.

"While folks we have a very special request tonight from Emma to L. Catch me if you can," the DJ boomed.

"Strange message, huh John, but hey good luck to those two crazy souls, now to the music," his friend said.

As the instrumental kicked up, Lyle sighed. ‘Crazy, yes you could say that…’ Lyle thought.
("Everyday" Phil Collins plays)

I got lost, couldn't find my way
and I guess there's nothing more to say
love can make you blind, make you act so strange
but I'm here and here I will stay

So everyday I cry
yes everyday I fall
do you ever wonder why,
why I love everything about you

But everyday I say I'll try
to make my heart be still
'til then every way there is to cry
ourselves to sleep, we will

It picked me up, knocked me off my feet
I've got no way to explain
still I love you, love you, love you
but this fire inside
will never see the light of day

So everyday goes by
and everyday I fall
it makes me wonder why
my life's worth nothing without you

But everyday I say I'll try
to make my heart be still
'cause every way there is to cry
ourselves to sleep, we will

You'll never know, no, no, no
you'll never know just how close we were
you'll never know, no, no, no, no
you'll never know
no you'll never see

The book closes and we try to forget
but I know that things won't change
how we feel, how life goes on
and that seems so strange

And so the light fades away
try, try, try as I may
I can't stop thinking about you
it seems my life's worth nothing without you

But everyday I say I'll try
to make my heart be still
'til then every way there is to cry
ourselves to sleep, we will

Everyday, everyday you know I try so hard
everyday, everyday it gets a little harder



The End

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