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Legal disclaimer: The recognizable characters of the TV-show 'The Pretender' don't belong to me but to MTM, NBC Television and 20th Century Fox. I just borrowed them. Every other character does belong to me. This story was only written and published for my pleasure and that of other fans. I don't pursue any financial interests whatsoever. No copyright infringement is intended.
Once again, big thanks to everyone who's supporting me!!! A special thank you goes out to Tina and Linn! All mistakes left in here are mine...
The story: Miss Parker makes her moves...
Insights
Part 4
by Miss Bit
Miss Parker's office
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
The next morning
09:23 a.m.
The mail lay unopened on her desk, next to a pile of files which Miss Parker had paid just as little attention to. Ever since she had entered her office more than an hour ago her thoughts were miles away.
Miss Parker thought about the last evening. A feeling had warned her not to meet Jarod yet. And her car broke down without any warning - a superstitious person might have taken that for an omen. But Miss Parker wasn't superstitious. She was glad that she had agreed to meet Jarod even though it had shaken her feelings. Maybe that was exactly what she needed.
Her gaze wandered to the window. The sun was still shining. It looked as though this was going to be a nice day. With any luck she might even manage to get out of the Centre before someone could spoil it.
A knock on her door interrupted her optimistic vision of the future. Her secretary opened the door and entered her office.
"What is it?" Miss Parker wanted to know.
"Someone from the garage called, Miss Parker. Your car will be ready tomorrow morning. Apparently there was a slight engine trouble."
Miss Parker nodded contentedly. The prospect of getting her own car back really helped to lift her mood.
"Anything else?"
"Uhm, yes. There is someone who wants to talk to you. He's waiting outside."
She raised her brows inquiringly.
"Who is it?"
Without her word her secretary handed her a calling card. Miss Parker had a brief look at the Japanese letters, and then she smiled.
"Let him come in."
"Yes, Miss Parker."
He left the room and Miss Parker rose to welcome her visitor. Tommy Tanaka entered her office, as self-assured as ever and with the same charming smile that had impressed her so much when they had been at college together.
"Hello, Tommy."
"Parker! Nice to see you again."
Tanaka pulled her into a short embrace and kissed her on the cheek, then he grinned broadly.
"Every time we meet you look better, Parker", he then said, after taking a good long look at her. She smiled knowingly.
"What do you want, Tommy?"
He laughed and raised his arms in a defensive gesture.
"I really meant that. Besides, I'm here because you wanted something from me, remember?"
"And that's your only reason for coming here?"
"Yes", he confirmed. "Besides, I think that we have some things to talk about."
Miss Parker nodded.
"Alright. But not here. Have you had breakfast yet?"
"No, I came here straight from the airport. And you know that I absolutely don't eat on a flight."
Tommy made a face, and Miss Parker laughed softly. She was really glad to see him again.
"Then let's go. There's a nice little café not too far from here."
"Great. Let's get on the way", he said, put an arm around her shoulder and led her out of her office. "So how's your brother doing?"
"Way too well, if you ask me. We should drop in on him later. I'm sure he will be thrilled to see you again", Miss Parker said with a grin that promised anything but good news for Lyle. Tanaka's laughter echoed through the corridor.
"God, I really missed you, Parker."
***
Suzanne's Café
Blue Cove, Delaware
10:08 a.m.
More than half of the places in the little café was taken, and the good weather would soon draw even more guests. Miss Parker and Tanaka had managed to get one of the popular places directly at the big windows. While Tommy was eating with good appetite, Miss Parker enjoyed the warm sunlight on her face and filled him in on some of the things that had happened since his last stay at Blue Cove. He listened to her with interest, and when he had finished his breakfast he pulled a large envelope from a pocket in his jacket. He put it carefully on the table.
"Is it what I think it is?" Miss Parker wanted to know, but made no move to reach for the envelope. Tommy nodded.
"Yes, among other things."
When she looked at him questioningly he leaned back a bit and smiled slightly.
"You know, ever since this disaster last year the Centre hasn't exactly been held in high regard by my father. Actually he never really trusted Raines and his companions. He thinks all of them to be dishonorable. But - he likes you."
Miss Parker looked at him with some surprise.
"Sorry?"
Tommy's smile broadened a bit.
"I told him a lot about you. Besides, he likes people who take the initiative. Which brings us to this little favor here." He pushed the envelope in her direction. "Sergej called me, Parker."
"Mhm, I almost expected him to", she replied calmly. "So you know about his." She leaned in to him. "I won't let anyone get in my way", she stated firmly.
Tanaka shook his head.
"No one wants to get in your way. As I already said, my father likes you. He supports your... plan. The Centre has made a lot of enemies on the international parquet during the last years. It was never possible to do any serious harm from the outside, but it's a completely different story from the inside."
"There are some people who take a great interest in the continuance of the Centre. If the wrong people learn too soon of this..."
"Sergej is mainly working on his own account, so you don't have to fear any resistance from that side. Apart from him only my family knows about this. After Sergej's call I knew what you need this for. I had to inform my father. I hope you understand that. Without his consent I wouldn't have been able to help you."
"I had to take the risk. But I was almost sure that your father would react this way - nobody tries to take the Tanaka family for a ride and goes off without punishment."
"My father asked me to wish you good luck. When everything is finished he'd like to get to know you in person."
"That shouldn't be a problem", Miss Parker replied, smiling. "But one thing should be totally clear: There won't be any benefits for your family because of the closing of the Centre. All data of the Centre's projects will be destroyed. But I will make sure that you'll get your money back."
Tommy sighed.
"That's a pity, but we'll accept it. In here", he pointed at the envelope, "is everything you'll need, also that what you asked of Sergej. I thing that settles our business."
"Thank you very much for your help, Tommy. Same goes for your father, of course. I don't think I'll ever be able to make up for this."
Tommy's face lit up.
"Oh, don't you say that. You could go out with me tonight, for starters", he suggested with a wink.
"Deal."
***
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
The next morning
08:43 a.m.
Miss Parker walked determinedly through the long corridors of the Centre. She was on her way to the tech room in order to talk to Broots. His time to think about it had been long enough.
Her thoughts still revolved around the last evening, which she had really enjoyed. It had been good for her to meet Tommy again and talk with him about the old days. But the evening hadn't gone quite the way Tommy had probably wished for. At college there had been more between them than just friendship. There had also been a strong mutual attraction. She knew that she could always rely on Tommy's friendship but unlike him she had no interest in reviving other aspects of their relationship.
Tommy had respected that. But that hadn't hindered him from asking her if there was a special reason for her behavior. She had neither affirmed nor denied his assumptions, and finally he had given up. Later on the evening, when they had said their good-byes, he had wished her good luck and told her to take good care of herself. She couldn't think of anything else she'd rather do than follow his advice.
"Miss Parker."
The voice abruptly ended her musings. Miss Parker stopped, shut her eyes for an instant and then turned.
"Brigitte."
Sooner or later this encounter had been bound to happen. Brigitte held a file in her hands, and Miss Parker knew immediately what the former cleaner wanted from her. Brigitte bridged the distance between them with long steps, her eyes flashing with anger.
"What the hell is this supposed to mean?" she hissed as she stopped short in front of Miss Parker.
"Do I really have to explain it to you?"
"I have no time for such tasteless jokes, and neither does your father!"
Miss Parker looked the other woman straight in the eyes.
"This is not a joke", she explained angrily. "And it definitely wasn't for my mother. Daddy already knows this file, so you can spare yourself the trouble to it show to him. Actually I should warn you against doing so. It would only make him mad."
"What is this supposed to mean, Miss Parker?" Brigitte asked once again.
"Take it as a... warning. You have no idea what you're about to do. I don't know what you're up to, but you should know that my father tends to be extremely short-tempered."
Brigitte curled her lips into a mocking, condescending smile.
"I'm afraid you still haven't got it right, my dear Miss Parker. Your father and I, we love each other. Whatever your mother has done - and whoever has done this to her - I'm sure she deserved it."
Her last words sent Miss Parker into a cold rage. Every fiber of her being screamed for her to clutch her adversary and beat her smug complacency out of her. A tiny rational spark held her back.
"He beat the hell out of her. No one, not even you, deserves something like that", she managed to utter. "This is the Centre. If you're down on the ground, no one will help you. On the contrary, they will take advantage of you. Don't you ever talk like that about my mother again, or else I'll show you how deep you can fall here."
Her gaze bored into Brigitte's, and for a short moment there was something like fear visible in Brigitte's eyes. Then the derision returned.
"You'd better think about whom you're threatening here, luv. If I were you I'd rather not make Daddy chose", Brigitte said. She winked and let the file down on the ground before Miss Parker's feet. Then she turned and went back into the direction from which she had come. Miss Parker waited until she was out of sight, her fists clenched tightly. Finally she forced herself to relax, then she picked up the file. At least she had tried. If Brigitte insisted upon rushing headlong towards ruin, then she would be the last person to stand in her way. But if everything went according to her plan, this wouldn't be of any importance anymore.
Still angry, Miss Parker got back on her way. When she reached the tech room most of her anger had vanished, but the memory of her mother's pain still hurt her. Brigitte had hit her sore point.
Only with an effort she managed to divert her attention from her conversation with Brigitte and concentrate it on Broots instead.
"Hello, Miss Parker", the technician said when he heard her enter the room. Miss Parker was glad to see that he seemed to be a little less uneasy than usual. He looked at her, and in his gaze there was something like... concern? "Are you alright?"
"Yes, Broots, I'm fine. I just had a little talk with Brigitte that I could have done without." Broots nodded compassionately. "Did you think about what I told you when we last met?" Miss Parker continued.
There was a mixture of uneasiness and determination on Broots face.
"Yes, I did." He hesitated briefly. "You said that you can protect Debbie?"
Miss Parker walked over to a chair that stood close to him and sat down.
"Yes", she then affirmed. "I don't want to go into detail now", she said with a quick look at one of the surveillance cameras, "but I will do everything within my powers."
"Then I'm with you", Broots stated firmly, and Miss Parker smiled gently. She leaned forward and put a hand on his arm.
"I can't promise you that I will be able to protect you as well. It will be very dangerous, and maybe something will go wrong."
Broots swallowed hard but didn't change his mind.
"I know. What... what do you want me to do?"
Miss Parker pulled a slip of paper from her pocket and gave it to him while she got up.
"In half an hour", was everything she said before she left the room.
***
Hydroponic gardens
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
09:20 a.m.
When Miss Parker reached the garden, Broots was already impatiently waiting for her. He jumped to his feet, clearly relieved.
"Thank God, you're here."
She smiled.
"Of course. After all, we were to meet here now."
"Miss Parker, I thought about what you told me last time. I don't think that we can close the Centre down just like this. If it were possible, Jarod would have probably done so a long time ago."
He seemed to expect an angry reaction at his mentioning of Jarod, but Miss Parker only tilted her head.
"Maybe Jarod simply didn't have the right tools. But I think that he just didn't want the Centre to stop existing. He needs the Centre - or so he thinks. I do know that we can't close the Centre down from one day to the other, of course. But I'm sure we'll be able to wound it fatally."
Broots looked at her doubtfully.
"I've got some support for you here, Broots. In England I've thought a lot about the Centre, and I think I've found a way to at least bring it to a standstill", Miss Parker continued and handed him the envelope she'd got from Tommy. "In here are two computer programs, put at my disposal by two of my friends. One of them will support your work, the other one is a virus which will help blur our activities."
With another skeptical glance Broots opened the envelope and pulled a silvery, shining CD-ROM out of it. Slowly his skepticism was replaced by interest. For a while he stared vacantly into space, oblivious to everything around him. Miss Parker waited patiently. Finally Broots lifted his head and looked at her.
"Perhaps it will work. That's a big perhaps, but it could work. But you still haven't told me what exactly you want me to do, Miss Parker", he reminded her.
"That will be our smallest problem", she replied, laughing with relief. "Most important thing is for you to gather evidence. Bring it all out into the open and make sure that we'll be able to present hard evidence to the authorities. The faster you manage to do that the better. The virus will cause some excitement here, so that you should have enough time. It was developed exactly for that purpose. It will take the experts some time to get it under control - especially since you are one of them."
"And talking of enough time you mean..."
"Hard to tell. We mustn't proceed to quickly, but neither can we afford to take too much time over it. We will only be able to use the virus in the very last phase... Two months, I guess."
"Miss Parker, I can never do that alone! Do you have any idea how much data is stored in the Centre's archives?"
"Stay calm, Broots. No one asked you to do it all on your own. Syd and I will cover your activities, and as to the rest... Angelo can help you. He knows a lot about the Centre's systems."
Broots sank down onto a large stone.
"And what will happen if we don't succeed?" he asked softly.
"I don't really have to tell you that, do I?" There was an unspoken excuse audible in her voice.
"No. Just one try, all or nothing."
"You can still change your mind about this now", she offered, but Broots shook his head.
"I'm with you. You wouldn't manage without my help."
Miss Parker slapped him lightly on the shoulder.
"Now that's the spirit. We should begin this very day. There are only a few details we should talk about before starting. You did develop this search program, didn't you?" When he nodded with surprise, she continued. "Good. Use it to get us out of it all. Delete our names from every file - I'm talking of Syd, Angelo, you and me. There must be nothing left that could in any way indicate a relation between the Centre and us. Can you do that?"
"Yes. Yes, I think so. If I write an automatic routine, that..."
"Alright, no details. Just get started. We will stay in contact all the time, but inconspicuously. If anything goes wrong, you can call me. At any time."
Broots' thoughts had already turned to the solution of the complicated problem, so that he only nodded absent-mindedly. Miss Parker looked at him attentively until he returned her glance, then she smiled slightly.
"I will rely on you, Broots", she emphasized friendly. "While you will be working on our project, I will take care of some minor details. There are some debts the Centre has to pay. I'll be seeing you tonight in the tech room, after I've talked to Angelo."
***
Angelo's room
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
03:21 p.m.
"Angelo? Are you here?"
Miss Parker entered Angelo's room, looking around searchingly. Ever since Jarod had told her that she had a twin brother, she had spent a lot of time with Angelo. Though the results of the DNA-test had left no doubt about Lyle being her brother, her heart said something else.
Angelo lifted his head as she entered his room.
"Miss Parker!"
"Hello, Angelo", she said gently and walked over to him. She left the decision whether he wanted to touch her or not to him because by touching her he would be subject to her emotions. He was sitting on the floor in the midst of a meddle of books, files and loose papers. Miss Parker kneeled down carefully next to him.
"Miss Parker was long away", said Angelo and looked at her.
"I was in England", she explained. Angelo briefly touched her hand.
"Answers", he then said. "Truth."
Following an impulse she took him in her arms, only to release him a few seconds later. "It's really nice to see you again."
He flashed her that shy smile of his, but then he suddenly frowned.
"Angelo can help", he stated earnestly. She looked at him, truly surprised, but then she laughed softly.
"That's why I like you so much", she confided to him. "I never have to explain everything to you in length. You always understand me." After hesitating for a short moment she went on. "Do you want to help us?"
"Angelo helps."
"That's really nice of you", Miss Parker replied in her softest voice. She lovingly stroked a strand of his hair from his face, then she slowly got up. Angelo rose as well. He looked as though he wanted to say something else. "You know what? I'll stay a little longer with you, alright?" Miss Parker suggested. She felt really at ease when Angelo was around and she almost managed to forget that she was at the Centre. 'Just like it used to be with Jarod', she thought.
"Jarod is good for Miss Parker."
Angelo's voice brought her back to the present. Astonished, she looked at him. He made a guilty face as he withdrew his hand from her.
"No, that's alright", she immediately reassured him, while she was thinking about his words. Probably he was right. If she let Jarod get near her again it could only turn out to be good for her. "But am I good for him, too?" she thought, not aware that she spoke the thought out loud.
"Love is good", Angelo stated with determination and looked at her, his head tilted slightly. Miss Parker leaned against a nearby table. Love. Was that what she felt for Jarod? Up to now she had always hesitated to think about this question. But if Angelo said so, there had to be some truth in it. He had only voiced her feelings for Jarod. She sighed.
"You miss him, hm?"
"Jarod is no longer here", Angelo answered sadly. "But Angelo thinks of him."
Miss Parker nodded thoughtfully. "I miss him, too", she admitted. By habit she looked at the small camera unobtrusively hanging under the ceiling. She knew that Angelo didn't like to be monitored and that he therefore had switched off the cameras in his realm. Raines let him this little unmonitored area since he didn't expect to be betrayed by Angelo of all people. But maybe she should still be careful with what she said down here. Prudence always paid at the Centre.
Miss Parker looked at her watch. It was time for her to go back to her office, or else someone might have the idea of starting to search for her.
"I'm sorry, Angelo, but I have to go now. I will return tonight."
"Angelo waits."
She ruffled his hair and then she returned to the cold reality of the Centre.
***
A motel somewhere in Delaware
03:47 p.m.
Jarod stared at the ceiling, trying to come to a decision. For almost an hour he had been lying on his bed, thinking. His thoughts revolved around Miss Parker and the letter he had got from his father. In the letter his father had asked him not to hurry Miss Parker, but it was getting harder and harder for him not to do so. He wanted to see her again, and he finally wanted to clarify the situation between them.
By now he was absolutely sure about his own emotions, but he had no clue as to whether she returned them or not. The uncertainty was nagging at him, and finally he made his decision. Jarod reached for his cell phone, which was lying on the nightstand, and dialed her number.
"Yes?" he could hear her voice after the second ring. She sounded slightly breathless.
"Hello, Miss Parker. I hope I'm not disturbing you."
"Jarod! We have just talked about you."
"We?"
He could hear her laughing softly.
"Angelo and me. I've just visited him. He misses you."
"I miss him, too", Jarod answered softly. That didn't only go for Angelo. "Can we meet tonight?" he asked abruptly, anxiously awaiting her answer.
"Do you want to talk about your father?" she asked calmly. 'Now or never', Jarod thought.
"I want to talk about us. And I'd like to see you." At the other end of the line Miss Parker took a breath, sounding somewhat surprised.
"It's going to be late tonight", was her evasive answer. "But I'd really like to see you, too. We have a lot to talk about. Why don't you come over to my place at ten tonight?"
Jarod closed his eyes for a brief moment, relief washing through him. She wanted to see him as well.
"Alright", he agreed.
"Great. See you tonight, Jarod."
"Yes, see you tonight."
They both hung up. When Jarod put the phone back on the nightstand his gaze fell upon the file Sydney had given him. He reached for it and pulled out one of the two pictures that lay in it. It showed two children, happy children - Miss Parker and him. For a long time he merely stared at the picture, trying to remember the time when it had been made. He wished he could remember the meetings with his father. It was only now that he knew these meetings had taken place at all. But there was one thing he could remember - the little girl on the picture. The feelings he had for her were more than mere memories, and they weren't directed at the past. He had those feelings for the woman he was going to meet tonight - to tell her about the way he was feeling for her.
***
Tech room
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
08:04 p.m.
The corridors of the Centre were already less crowded than at day, so that Angelo and Miss Parker didn't meet anyone when they went to the tech room. In the evenings Miss Parker felt even less at ease at the Centre than usual. Somehow she thought that some of the Centre's employees used the night-time to make even creepier experiments than at day. But Angelo's being near her calmed her down and directed her attention into a more pleasant direction.
They reached the tech room without encountering anyone. Miss Parker was grateful for that, because otherwise she might have been forced to explain why Angelo was with her. Broots was the only person working in the tech room. The technician was sitting in front of his computer, working with high concentration. He turned around with a start when Angelo touched his shoulder. Reacting to Broots' emotions, Angelo also winced.
"Oh, Angelo, it's you", Broots called with obvious relief and tried to calm him down again. Fortunately Angelo's attention was soon drawn to the computer.
"Angelo helps", he said and sat down on the chair next to Broots.
"Uh, did you explain him what this is about, Miss Parker?" Broots wanted to know. She walked over to him and placed herself right behind him and Angelo.
"He knows everything he needs to know. If you need help simply ask him", she replied. "You can speak openly. Angelo took care of the surveillance systems in this room."
"Oh, good." He looked at the monitor in front of him and then back to Miss Parker, obviously not quite at ease. She raised her brows inquisitively. "It's about Debbie...", he began.
"Don't you worry about her. She's under the protection of the FBI."
Broots' eyes widened with surprise. "The FBI?"
Miss Parker smiled. "Some friends of mine still owe me a favor or two. If you think that it's getting too dangerous for Debbie here she will be brought to a safe place. Nothing is going to happen to her. I would never let that happen."
"Okay. But I'll still be worried about her", Broots replied, shrugging his shoulders. Miss Parker's smile deepened.
"And that's what makes you such a good father", she said with warmth. "I'll be going home now. See you tomorrow - if nothing unforeseen happens. Good night, Broots. Good night, Angelo."
"Uhm, good night, Miss Parker", Broots said with the same mixture of confusion and embarrassment that filled him whenever she surprised him with a friendly remark. Angelo only glanced at her briefly before he returned his attention to the monitor in front of him. She briefly touched his shoulder and then got on her way home.
***
Miss Parker's home
431 Mountain Spring Road
Blue Cove, Delaware
09:52 p.m.
The light of the half-moon was reflected by the calm water of the sea. Miss Parker sat on her verandah, enjoying the calm around her, for the first time in days. After her conversation with Sydney she was feeling a bit better, even though she still hadn't told him everything.
She was glad that the ball had started rolling at the Centre. Broots had overcome his initial hesitation and was now spending every minute with the two programs he had got from her. If everything went smoothly, and right now things looked like it, all this would be over in about two month's time.
A smile played about her lips as she rose to go back inside. It was almost time.
Just as she locked the verandah door behind her the doorbell rang. Her heart beat faster and she shook her head. She behaved like a teenager in love. But it was feeling good, so why shouldn't she enjoy it?
With a few steps she was at the door to open it.
"Hello, Jarod", she greeted her visitor.
"Hello, Miss Parker", he replied softly and smiled with warmth. "May I come in?"
"Go on."
He went past her into the living room, and she closed the front door before following him. While she remembered his last visit to her house a smile formed on her lips, completely unnoticed by her.
"I like that", Jarod said, his voice dark. When she looked at him questioningly, he went on. "Your smile."
His compliment filled her with warmth and another emotion which she had suppressed for many years. But now she welcomed it.
"I'm glad you're here, Jarod."
"So am I."
Jarod's intense gaze seemed to bore into her, but it didn't feel unpleasant to her.
"I had the hope that we could continue the conversation we began when we last met", he then explained. Miss Parker looked into those dark eyes of his, returning his gaze, and wondered how serious he was about this. Besides, she wasn't sure if she should let him know how important it was to her.
She made a few steps in his direction.
"I...", she began, but Jarod placed a finger on her lips. Miss Parker couldn't stop herself from smiling. She kissed his fingertip ever so lightly. He had just given her the chance to play down the events of the last week, but that wasn't what she wanted. She wanted him to know what all this was about.
Determined, she took his hand in hers.
"Please listen to me, Jarod. I kissed you last week because I wanted to be absolutely clear about what I feel."
"And... are your feelings clear now?" he asked gently.
"Yes. After talking to your father I have thought a lot about you... about us. I missed you."
Her voice had become soft and she was on the verge of getting lost in Jarod's dark, understanding eyes. He lifted her hand to his lips.
"I have thought a lot about us, too."
When he kissed her fingers she briefly shut her eyes, getting totally lost in his tenderness. Eventually she opened her eyes again, meeting his searching gaze.
"Stay with me tonight, Jarod", she whispered. He pulled her closer to him.
"I've been waiting for so long for you to ask me that", he replied, his voice husky. Then he bent his head down to her and kissed her.
***
Miss Parker's home
431 Mountain Spring Road
Blue Cove, Delaware
The next morning
06:23 a.m.
The first sunbeams were falling through the large bedroom window, promising a beautiful day. Miss Parker lay on her side, her head propped on one arm, and looked at Jarod who was still sound asleep.
This morning was special to her. It represented the beginning of a new life, a life without the Centre. And telling from the way things were looking right now, Jarod would be a part of this new life - a part of her life. Part of her had been afraid of this night.
Jarod wasn't the first man she had invited to her house and into her bed, and he wasn't the first whom she allowed to stay with her until the morning. But Jarod was the first man who made her wish she could wake up next to him every morning for the rest of her life when she looked at him in the morning.
She reached out her hand to him, tenderly touching his cheek. Immediately a smile spread on his lips, and Miss Parker shook her head with amusement.
"Good morning, Jarod", she murmured softly. "For how long have you been awake?"
His smile deepened a bit, but he still kept his eyes closed.
"Not for long", he answered, equally as soft, his voice deep. Eventually he opened his eyes, meeting her gaze. His eyes reflected his emotions, and Miss Parker felt a warm feeling spread all through her body as a reaction to his gaze.
At the same time another emotion emerged from deep within her. Suddenly she felt a stab of completely irrational fear. She lowered her eyes.
Jarod immediately sensed the change in her mood and placed one of his hands under chin, forcing her ever so gently to look at him again.
"What's wrong?" he inquired with a softness that made her fear melt at once. "Do you regret what happened last night?"
"No", she said with determination. The only thing she might regret about last night was that it hadn't happened much earlier. "Jarod, I..."
With a sigh she trailed off, letting herself fall back on her pillow. For a short moment she closed her eyes, trying to gather her thoughts. She wanted him to understand her. That was very important to her. He was very important to her. When she opened her eyes again she met his worried gaze.
"But you must hate me", she said in a small voice. Jarod's eyes widened with surprise when he understood what she was trying to say.
"Marine, how can you even think that? The last night should have shown you how I feel about you." The warm sound of his voice began to erase her doubts. "I love you." With one hand he caressed her cheek, the other reached for her hand. "Marine, I love you", he repeated, looking her deep in the eyes.
Something deep inside of her seemed to burst into a million pieces, and suddenly she felt free. Jarod loved her, he forgave her.
"Oh God, Jarod", she whispered, a single tear slowly rolling down her cheek. He carefully wiped it away. "I love you, too. With all my heart." She swallowed. "I'm so terribly sorry. All the things I've done to you..." More tears followed the first one.
"Marine, don't. You don't have to apologize, for nothing. It's true, we did hurt each other, but that's over now. What ever happened between us doesn't change the way we feel about each other. I loved you from the moment I first saw you and I will always love you. We belong together", he emphasized, and his eyes filled with tears as well. He gently took her face into his hands, kissing her tears away. Then he pulled her in his arms, simply holding her. Miss Parker put her arms around him and reveled in the feeling of having him so close.
"Thank you", she murmured against his shoulder. He looked up with surprise.
"What for?"
She smiled.
"For being here. For forgiving me. And for loving me."
Jarod shook his head, searching her gaze.
"You don't have to thank me, either. There's nowhere I'd rather be than here, with you. There's nothing I'd have to forgive you for. And loving you is a great gift to me. You are very special, a part of my life that would be meaningless without you. Whenever I look at you I know what it's like to have a family, a home."
His words filled her with an immense feeling of happiness.
"I wish there was a way of letting you know how happy you're making me, Jarod", she said seriously.
"I know, Marine. Believe me, I know exactly how you feel", he replied. He pulled her closer to him, tenderly kissing her on the lips. She returned the kiss, and then she leaned in to him until their foreheads met.
"Mhm, and what will we do with the rest of the morning, now?" Jarod asked, his voice dark and sensuous, a completely innocent expression on his face. She laughed softly, leaning back a bit in order to look at him. He managed effortlessly to conceal his inexperience. A sensuous smile played on her lips.
"I guess I can think of something", she said very softly, entwining her fingers in his neck and pulling him closer.
"Let's see if we thought of the same thing", Jarod replied with a smile that took her breath away for a moment. Then he kissed her and she forgot everything else.
***
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
10:17 a.m.
Sydney walked absent-mindedly through the main entrance hall of the Centre. He was on his way back from Miss Parker's office where he had tried in vain to find her. After some careful inquiries he had found out that no one had seen her yet. Sydney began to feel worried. He could still remember very vividly how she had suddenly disappeared a few weeks ago. As soon as he'd be back in his office he'd try to call her at home. Hopefully she was all right...
"Good morning, Sydney", someone said suddenly next to him. When he turned his head he saw Miss Parker walking beside him.
"Miss Parker, please don't sneak up on me like this", he admonished her, trying to at least mask part of his surprise.
"I'm sorry", she said immediately, briefly putting her hand on his arm.
"Oh, alright", Sydney grumbled, soothed. "You're late, Miss Parker", he added in a casual tone.
"Really?"
She sounded amused, and Sydney noticed with some surprise that she was in a really good mood. There was an expression in her eyes that he hadn't seen there in years, and she emanated a profound contentment.
"Mhm", he affirmed. "Besides, I almost get the impression that you're... cheerful."
"Now, don't overdo things, Sydney", she replied, but couldn't stop herself from smiling gently. No doubt about it, Miss Parker was happy.
Sydney grabbed her by the arm and pulled her gently with him, back to the entrance hall and outside. "Come on, let's go for a little walk. Who knows how long this good weather will last." Miss Parker gave him an amused look, but followed him without saying a word. When they had left the Centre they walked quietly for a while until Sydney broke the silence.
"So, what's his name?"
Miss Parker stopped dead. She shook her head, looked at him and then she laughed softly. "Sydney, you're curious."
"No. It's strictly professional interest", he assured her with a smile.
"Yeah, right. How come you always assume that there's a man behind it whenever I'm in a good mood, hm?"
"Why, am I doing that?"
Her only answer to that was a knowing look. She tilted her head slightly to the side. "Though you're right in this special case", she admitted.
"Oh?"
"Oh come on, Syd, stop it."
He raised his hands in a defensive gesture, grinning. "As you wish, Miss Parker. Maybe you want to talk about it?"
She let her breath out audibly. "What else could you expect of a psychiatrist?" Miss Parker became serious again. "Seriously, Syd, I don't think I can talk about it yet. Not even with you. But I'd love to", she said. "Just give me a little more time." Her words were accompanied by a warm smile that completely captivated him.
"I'll always be there for you... whenever you're willing to talk."
"It's very good to know that." She looked back at the main building of the Centre. "Do you have any plans for this afternoon?" she then asked abruptly. Sydney raised his brows in surprise.
"Besides work, you mean?"
"Take the day off. There's something very important I have to tell you, but it would be unwise to do that here at the Centre." Miss Parker thought for a moment, then she was the one who pulled him with her. "I've got an idea. Let's go and visit Broots."
***
Broots' residence
Blue Cove, Delaware
02:51 p.m.
The sun had already passed its highest point when Broots arrived at home. Miss Parker was sitting in the garden behind his house, relaxed and almost completely contented. There was just one thing missing to make this moment perfect. Thinking of Jarod she couldn't help but smile. She leaned way back, feeling the warm sunlight on her face, and tried to recall every single one of Jarod's caresses. The touch of his gentle hands, the loving expression in his dark eyes in which she wanted to get lost... From the distance she heard Debbie welcoming her father. All of a sudden she heard Sydney's voice directly next to her.
"And you really don't want to talk about him?" he asked softly. Miss Parker briefly shut her eyes.
"You're really curious", she stated, still smiling. Before he could reply anything, Broots came out to them.
"Hello, Miss Parker. Hi, Sydney. Thanks for bringing Debbie home from school."
"Oh, you're welcome", Sydney answered. He looked at Miss Parker questioningly and she answered with a single nod. It was time to fill him in on everything. Broots had given his consent for them to meet here - even though her request had obviously come as a bit of a surprise to him. She searched his gaze, and a moment later he reacted.
"Uhm, why don't we go inside for a while, Debbie?", he asked his daughter. "I could help you with your homework."
"Aw, Dad. Can't I do my homework tonight?" she asked pleadingly. Apparently she really enjoyed Miss Parker's unexpected visit.
"Come on, let's get it over with", Broots insisted and led her away with him. Miss Parker waited for them to get out of hearing. Sydney sat down in one of the deck-chairs next to her and looked at her expectantly.
"Now, Miss Parker, what's so important that you wouldn't talk about it at the Centre?"
She calmly returned his gaze, wondering where to begin. 'And how on earth am I ever going to explain it all to Jarod?', she suddenly thought. She'd also have to have this conversation with him.
"We couldn't talk about it at the Centre because this is about the Centre", she eventually started. "Have you ever asked yourself what you will do once you've left the Centre?"
***
Miss Parker's home
431 Mountain Spring Road
Blue Cove, Delaware
07:20 p.m.
It was still light when Miss Parker slowly drove up to her house. From the outside her house seemed deserted. For an anxious moment she wondered if that also went for the inside, but then she shook her head about herself. Of course she wanted Jarod to be with her, but it would be of no account if he wasn't there now.
She parked the car, walked over to the front door and unlocked it. As soon as she opened the door all her doubts dissolved. A delicious smell surrounded her, obviously coming from the kitchen.
"Jarod?" she called, after she had closed the door.
"Just a moment", she heard his muffled answer from the kitchen. A few moments later he came to meet her, smiling widely. Miss Parker bridged the distance between them and pulled him into an embrace. Only now, as she touched him, she was feeling at home.
"I missed you", she said gently. Jarod gently pushed her a bit away from him, peering closely at her, then he bent his head to kiss her. "I missed you, too", he replied equally as gentle. "You weren't sure if I'd still be here, were you?" he wanted to know with a mixture of worry and understanding. She sighed.
"I know it's stupid but..."
"Marine." He cupped her face in his hands. "I've always been there for you, and nothing's ever going to change that. And now that I'm finally able to stay with you I'm certainly not going to leave you. I had to wait much too long for you to do that."
A hesitant smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
"I guess I already knew that. But it's still good to hear it from you", she replied and her smile deepened. "You cooked?"
Jarod relaxed visibly when he realized that she really trusted him. "Yes. I thought you might be hungry after a long day at the Centre."
"Hungry, hm? Yes, I think I'm really hungry." She met his gaze, and for a long moment they just stood there, looking at each other. Then Jarod leaned in on her until his lips almost touched her ear. "In the living room", he whispered. Miss Parker raised her brows in expectation. "I'll be there in a minute", Jarod added. She kissed him on the cheek and turned to go to the living room. But Jarod held her back, pulled her close to him and kissed her. Passion might have started the kiss, but now it reflected something deeper which left them both completely out of breath. In his eyes she could read the same profound feelings that were moving her. Suddenly she found it no longer difficult to feel his love for her. It seemed to surround her, to fill her, erasing her fears and doubts.
Miss Parker raised her hand and tenderly caressed his cheek. "I love you", she let him know and reveled in his loving gaze that answered her words. "See you." This time he let her go, merely glanced after her. She went into the living room, curious what she would find there. When she reached the doorway she stopped dead, looking around with surprise.
Dozens of candles lit up the room. A fire was quietly crackling in the fireplace. There were vases everywhere, some containing single roses, others whole bunches. In the background she could hear soft music playing.
A smile played about her lips as Miss Parker slowly walked over to the table, which was set in a festive manner. Out of nowhere Jarod appeared behind her, pulling out the chair for her. She shook her head.
"Anything wrong?" Jarod wanted to know.
"Oh, no", she answered immediately. "It's wonderful." Miss Parker chuckled softly. "It's just that I couldn't imagine anyone doing something like this for me."
"I know what you mean", Jarod said softly. "I felt quite the same way. But that doesn't mean that I didn't dream about it." His smile deepened, and his dark eyes were gleaming. She returned his gaze, allowing herself to get lost in his eyes for a moment. It was almost like it used to be when they had been children. Back then he had always made her feel that sooner or later everything would be all right. But now there was more between them, something she couldn't put a name to, something that filled her with a happiness she had thought lost forever.
Jarod sat down as well, reaching for her hand. "I thought you were hungry", he teased her softly.
"Yes, right." Her attention returned to the present. And to Jarod, who was sitting right in front of her, who was finally with her. "What did you cook?" she asked expectantly.
He rose. "I'll be back in a second", he assured her, indicating a bow. When he returned from the kitchen he carried two soup plates on a tray. He put one of the plates in front of her, the other on his place. Miss Parker looked curiously at her plate. "Japanese!" she shouted with surprise. "Let me guess", she continued, smiling gently, "you've been working in a Japanese restaurant for a while."
"Actually", he replied with a soft chuckle, "I've only read a few Japanese cookbooks. But I've never found the time to put my knowledge into practice - until now."
"Somehow this sounds familiar to me", Miss Parker murmured, taking another look at her soup, before she looked back at Jarod. "If you're only half as good a cook as your father is, this will be delicious", she replied, her voice full of warmth.
"He cooked for you, too?" Jarod asked, astonished. His eyes told her how much he craved to hear more about his father.
"Indeed", she confirmed. "When I had found him in England he invited me to dinner. We had dinner together, and then he told me about my mother."
"What is he like? I mean, what kind of a person is he?" She could hear a mixture of longing and hesitation in his voice. He wanted to know more about his father but he also feared the things he might learn about him. This time she was the one to reach for his hand.
"You're so much like him", she said. "And I'm absolutely sure that he didn't kill my mother. He is... generous and understanding, and also always ready to help. My mother couldn't have wished for a better friend. I'm so glad that I finally met him." She could see that her words filled him with both joy and sadness. Miss Parker gently squeezed his hand. "He misses you so much. And he is incredibly proud of you. I'm sure he'll do whatever he can to meet you as soon as possible. There's nothing he wants more." Jarod closed his eyes for a moment, and then he looked at her again. Slowly he raised her fingers to his lips, kissing them.
"Thank you", he whispered. Miss Parker shook her head ever so slightly.
"What for? We've got a deal about information concerning our parents, remember?" she reminded him with a gentle smile. "And now I want to try my soup - before I'm starving here." He laughed, but there still was a profound gratitude in his gaze. In addition to that there was also an intense warmth which was almost tangible to her.
"I hope you'll like it", he said.
"I'm sure I will", she replied before trying the soup. The taste reminded her of her last visit to Japan - she didn't notice any difference to the 'real' Japanese flavor. "Hmmm", she made approvingly. "How do you do this? I bet you could even shame an old Japanese master."
"I'd never do that", he protested.
"No, at least not on purpose", she answered, struggling to suppress a smile. She could hardly recall the last time she'd been so relaxed in company. Angelo had been right. Jarod was really good for her.
Suddenly something occurred to her.
"These cookbooks you mentioned earlier... You didn't happen to find one of them in my kitchen, did you?"
"Well, yes. Why?"
"Oh, please tell me you tried out some of the sushi-recipes", she said almost pleadingly. During her stays in Japan she had grown to like some of the Japanese dishes, but up to now she'd never found anyone outside of Japan who could compete with the traditional Japanese cookery. Jarod's lips formed an amused smile.
"You're lucky. I didn't even know that you like raw fish."
"It's delicious", she assured him. "The only problem is to get good sushi anywhere else than in Japan."
***
Some time later Miss Parker leaned back in her seat, feeling pleased. A happy smile played about her lips as she watched Jarod acquainting himself with several Japanese specialties. It didn't take long for him to look up at her.
"Having a good time?" he inquired, an amused sparkling in his eyes.
"Mhm. A very good time", she replied. By now it had got dark outside, and the pale crescent of the moon slowly rose over the horizon. Jarod got up.
"That's good", he said, his tone catching her attention. "Then I'm sure you'll like the dessert as well." Miss Parker looked at him expectantly.
"Did you plan anything special?" she asked as casually as she could manage.
"Mhm", he murmured, his voice dark and velvety. He came over to her and stopped directly behind her. Then he put his arms around her, kissing the nape of her neck. She lightly leaned in to him. His hands slid to her shoulders, exerting the slightest pressure there, then he withdrew a bit from her. "I'll be back in a second", he whispered into her ear. She glanced after him, slightly astonished.
"Jarod!"
He turned to face her. "Trust me."
Miss Parker felt a strange, thrilling mixture of confusion and expectation. Typical Jarod. He managed effortlessly to turn something ordinary into an exciting experience. As if he himself weren't exciting enough... She grinned about herself - she was really beginning to feel like a teenager again. But it was fun, so why not?
When Jarod returned to the living room this time he only carried one plate. Miss Parker couldn't see what was on it; she had to wait until he placed the plate in front of her. She curiously looked at the dessert. As far as she could tell it was something that had been dipped into dough and fried.
"What is it?" she asked after a look into Jarod's expectant face. He stepped behind her again and reached past her for one of the pastries.
"Rose petals baked in pastry", he told her softly. The tone of his voice made the warmth inside of her turn into heat.
"Rose petals?" she repeated, staring at his hand as if she were hypnotized.
"Mhm", he confirmed. "Do you know what they say about these petals?"
"No, what?" Something in his voice fascinated her deeply. The heat inside of her gradually turned into a raging fire.
"They say", he said, his lips enticingly close to her ear again, "they say that these petals have a stimulating effect."
"Oh really?" Her lips formed a soft smile. "I think we should really make sure that it's true, what do you think?"
"That's exactly what I had in mind", he said. His voice was sounding husky now. He kneeled down beside her, the rose petal still in his hand. "Hungry?"
"Very." Her voice was a mere whisper.
"Here." He offered her the petal and she took a careful bite. An interesting taste exploded in her mouth, but that was utterly secondary to her. Without breaking the visual contact with Jarod for as much as a second she reached for a petal as well and offered it to him. Jarod took a bite and a sensuous smile played about his lips.
"I think..." He looked deeply into her eyes, his voice trailing off. Eventually he began anew. "I think the assertion is right."
Miss Parker laughed lowly. "Perfectly possible", she conceded, slowly pulling him closer to her so that she could kiss him. Her senses seemed to explode as he pressed his lips on hers. She got lost in his being near, reveled in the tenderness of his touch, felt the desire in his kisses as strong as her own. The world closed in on her until it contained nothing but Jarod and herself.
***
Miss Parker's home
431 Mountain Spring Road
Blue Cove, Delaware
The next morning
07:11 a.m.
Silence was hovering over the house, yet it didn't feel deserted to Miss Parker. She stood in the kitchen, a cup of coffee in her hand, thinking about Jarod. When she had got up Jarod had still been sound asleep so that she had decided not to wake him up. Though this was only the second night he had spent here it still felt to Miss Parker as if they had already shared an entire lifetime. Miss Parker smiled. In a sense they really had.
But the more time passed the clearer it became to her that there were a few things they had to talk about. Her gaze passed to the window. It didn't look like this was going to be a nice day. Not the kind of day to take some time off. Suddenly she remembered a place that looked its best in this kind of weather. Lost in thought, she didn't notice Jarod entering the kitchen. He silently walked up to her, putting his arms around her from behind.
"Jarod!"
"Good morning. Oh, I'm sorry, did I startle you?"
Miss Parker put the cup down, and then she turned in his arms to face him. "Let me put it this way: If I had any less control over myself you would have come into closer contact with my hot coffee", she explained with an amused smile. Jarod raised a brow.
"Ouch", was his only comment, before he kissed her lightly on the lips. Then he kissed her again, and this time she returned the favor.
"Did you sleep well?" she asked him softly, leaning back ever so slightly.
"Mhm", he made, "but not that much." His last words were accompanied by a meaningful smile. She laughed softly, folding her hands in his neck.
"I hope you're not too tired for a little trip?"
"Trip?" He looked at her, interest evident in his eyes. Miss Parker nodded.
"You know, I've thought a lot about us, and there are some things we should talk about. There's a very special place I'd like to show to you. Besides", she added, "I'm absolutely not in the mood for work."
Jarod pulled her closer to him. "Just give me five minutes and we can go."
***
Catherine's Bay
Delaware
08:03 a.m.
Grayish clouds were floating in the sky. The wind was stirring up the water, causing strong waves to crash onto the beach. Jarod looked around enthusiastically. The little bay Marine had brought him to was absolutely beautiful. The bad weather didn't diminish its beauty but instead even underlined it.
"It's beautiful here", he said to Marine who stood next to him, her steadfast gaze directed at the open sea. When he talked to her she turned to face him. The expression in her eyes was slightly sad but vanished when she looked at him.
"This bay belonged to my mother", she explained with a hesitant smile. "She loved this place very much. When I was very young she brought me here and told me that no one besides her and me knew this place. It was ours. After her death I've only been here a few times - always alone."
Jarod put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. He could understand very well how much this place meant to her.
"Do you think your father knows about it?" he asked softly. She shook her head.
"I don't think so. This was her place alone, her refuge. Apart from Maine this must have been her favorite place."
Marine leaned against him. Her trust and her being near filled him with a unique warmth. Like her he had done a lot of thinking about their relationship. She had been right; there was a lot they had to talk about. But right now he had the feeling that there was something particular which bothered her.
"Come." She took him by the hand and led him over to a few rocks that lay close to the water. The high tide didn't quite reach them so that they offered a dry observation point. Jarod sat down onto one of the large rocks and Marine sat down right in front of him, her back to his chest. He enfolded her in his arms, resting his chin on her shoulder. Marine sighed softly.
"I used to sit here for hours, simply watching the sea. Even if it was stormy the sight always calmed me down. When I close my eyes I can almost see Mom standing on the beach and watching the seagulls."
"I'm really glad you showed me this place, Marine", he whispered in her ear. "If you want to we can simply sit here all day."
She leaned even closer in to him, putting her hands on his.
"I'd love to do that", she replied softly, then she turned halfway to look at him. "A lot has changed in my life, especially in the last few weeks. You are of course a very important part of these changes", she said with a loving smile. Jarod returned her glance and waited. He knew that she was about to tell him something important.
"I've thought long about how to explain everything to you and where to start", she continued. "Did Sydney tell you about Ruth Stiller?"
He thought for a moment, and then he shook his head. The name didn't ring a bell. "No. Who is she?"
"Was", she corrected him. "She's died a long time ago." Marine hesitated briefly. "Before I left for England, something happened. Things at the Centre didn't go very well and I had the feeling that I should do something about it. So I asked for his help. I wanted to... do a simulation." She fell silent and Jarod looked at her with surprise. Why hadn't Sydney told him anything about that?
"And the sim was about Ruth Stiller?" he assumed.
"Yes."
"Did it work? I mean, are you..." He didn't finish the sentence but looked at her searchingly. Apparently it wasn't easy for her to talk about it and so he tried to support her as well as he could.
"I could see her memories", she told him. For a moment she was staring vacantly into space, then she looked at him again. The slightest hint of a smile played about her lips. "I'm not like you or Angelo, but in my own way I'm also able to put myself in the position of other people."
"You are a pretender", Jarod said, completely amazed. He had to think of all the new possibilities - for Marine, for both of them.
"If you had found out about it earlier you would have been able to catch me", he added pensively. Marine shook her head with determination.
"No. In that case I would have left the Centre. Or I would have ended up in Raines' little freak show."
Jarod gently pushed a strand of her hair from her forehead. "I never would have let that happen", he assured her. "How do you cope?"
She sighed again. "I'm getting used to it. But..." Her voice trailed off in the middle of the sentence and she looked down to the ground.
"But what?" he asked gently. Marine looked back at him. There was a vulnerability in her gaze that reminded him of the little girl he had fallen in love with such a long time ago.
"But by using my new talent I've learned things I'd rather never had heard of. I happened to meet a young woman in England, Luca Capristi. My talent helped me to find out about the horrible things Lyle had done to her. I took Luca with me when I came back, so that Sydney could look after her."
Jarod nodded. He recalled the young woman he had seen in Marine's house, together with Sydney, shortly after Marine had returned from England. That woman had probably been Luca. Suddenly he felt Marine starting to tremble. A slight worry began to stir in him.
"Marine?"
"I've seen something in Luca's memory. Something that belonged to Lyle's memory", she explained hesitantly. Her voice was slightly wavering. "I couldn't even talk to Sydney about it."
"You don't have to talk about it if it makes you feel so uneasy", Jarod said and pulled her even closer. He felt her sigh rather than hearing it.
"I finally have to talk to someone, Jarod. And you're the only one in whom I have enough trust."
She closed her eyes. Jarod simply held her, wishing he could somehow make it less painful for her. "I love you, Marine." He kissed her on the forehead. "If there's any way for me to make you feel better just tell me and I'll do it."
Marine sat up straight, looking at him for a long time. She took his face gently in her hands, kissing him lightly on the lips. "I don't know if I can find the right words to explain all to you. It's so complicated. I simply want you to know what I'm feeling."
"Sounds almost like an invitation into your head", he said jokingly, but she remained serious.
"It is one", she stated calmly. "There are things that I would never say aloud, but I'm willing to show them to you."
Jarod hesitated. She believed that she would feel better if he pretended to be her and he was more than willing to help her. But he was also afraid. Afraid to hurt her. Marine seemed to guess his doubts.
"It's alright, Jarod. I trust you. But if you don't want to do it I'll try to explain it the conventional way."
"I want you to let me know immediately if you begin to feel uneasy about this", he said firmly.
"Okay."
She leaned back against him. Her head rested against his chests and he could feel her beginning to relax. Jarod began to concentrate on Marine. This wasn't the first time he pretended to be her; he had done it before, mostly to get a better understanding for her and the way she felt about her mother. Now it was even easier for him to become tuned in to her than it had been then.
His own thoughts and emotions became secondary as he got a feel for her - became her. At first he acquainted himself with her new talent until he fully understood what she was able to do now. He relived single moments of her time in England, saw his father through her eyes. Then there was the encounter with Luca and then... Lyle. 'He shouldn't be here.' His emotions were strong, worrying, frightening. They were wrong.
Marine wished desperately for these memories to vanish, but she knew they wouldn't. They now were a part of her - through them, Lyle was a part of her now. It was still affecting her strongly to remember this experience but the knowledge that Jarod finally knew about it comforted her. He was there for her, and her love for him helped her to bear it all.
Her thoughts turned into another direction. Her attention focused on the Centre. She thought about her plan and her firm conviction that it would succeed. Once the Centre had stopped to exist she would be free - and Jarod, too. Then she would never again have to worry about Lyle.
An uneasy feeling washed through her as her thoughts turned back to her brother. His sick desire tormented her. Had she encouraged him in any way? God, Luca's memories had been so real. Almost as if had been herself who Lyle had...
"Marine, don't!"
Jarod jerked his eyes open. He folded her tightly in his arms, talking to her soothingly.
"You must never, ever think that Lyle's behavior is your fault. He is sick. You've never encouraged him. God, I'm so sorry. I know how horrible that's been for you. I wish I could have been there for you. I wish I could somehow undo it. But that's impossible. All I can do is be here for you now. Please don't reproach yourself. Nothing of all that was your fault. You have to believe me."
Right now the only thing that counted was to calm her down. He put his rage against Lyle away for the moment; he would deal with it later. Marine lifted her head. She looked incredibly pale but seemed to be quite balanced. He looked at her worriedly.
"Jarod, I..." It took a moment for her to go on. "On a rational level I know that you're right, but... It simply doesn't feel like that. Anyway, I'm glad that you know now."
"You can tell me everything, especially if it makes you feel better. I will always listen to you."
Marine smiled ever so slightly.
"Thank you, Jarod", she said seriously, gently caressing his cheek. He took her hand in his, kissing her fingers, one after the other.
"I love you, Marine."
For a long while they just sat there in silence, each lost in the other's presence. Marine's gaze rested on the sea, whereas Jarod was watching her, trying to memorize every detail of her beauty. After some time she turned to face him. This time there wasn't even the slightest hint of sadness in her smile.
"So, what do you think about getting rid of the Centre?" she asked him curiously. Jarod blinked, tearing his attention away from her fascinating profile.
"Honestly, I haven't thought about that yet", he admitted. "I'm very proud of you", he then added. She looked at him uncomprehendingly. He smiled tenderly. "The way you face your demons is admirable. Someone else would probably have run away. But you try to deal with it. I think that's remarkable", he explained gently.
"I wouldn't manage without you, Jarod. The thought of you helps me to deal with it all." She hugged him tightly. "I love you", she murmured against his chest.
Jarod wished for this moment to last forever. Everything was so simple here. There were just the two of them and nothing that stood between them. They were both happy.
"I wish we could sit like this forever", Marine sighed and looked up as Jarod chuckled softly.
"I've just had the very same thought", he explained with a grin.
"Then let's stay here. At least for a while." She turned until she faced him. "Do you think it will work? Closing the Centre down, I mean."
He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, but I want to believe it. For us and for everyone else the Centre ever hurt. Hey, why don't you let me help you? I'm sure I can make some useful contributions."
The thought of taking action against the Centre was more than exciting. Jarod's mind was already busy with simulating all possible outcomes of Marine's plan, and the result looked pretty promising. "It could work", he said thoughtfully. "Yes, I think it really could."
Marine looked at him, an amused smile playing about her lips. "I'm quite sure that there's room for improvement in my plan", she said, "and I'd be very grateful for your help. Besides, I don't think that Broots will have any objections against your participation." She wrapped her arms around him. "But I think that can wait till tomorrow."
Jarod returned her smile. "Yes, it can", he confirmed softly. He pulled her close, letting the Centre be the Centre for now.
***
Miss Parker's home
431 Mountain Spring Road
Blue Cove, Delaware
The next morning
02:22 a.m.
The night was moonless. Heavy clouds were covering the sky. Every now and then a single star twinkled through a gap in the clouds. Jarod was wide awake, watching Marine sleep. He thought about the things he had learned earlier at the bay. Lyle. The Centre.
He intended to make sure personally that Lyle would spend the rest of his life behind bars. Not only was Lyle responsible for the death of Kyle, he was also tormenting Marine. But once the Centre had been rendered harmless Lyle would pay for everything.
Jarod forced his thoughts into a more pleasant direction. He tenderly caressed Marine's face. She meant so much to him. There was no way he could imagine his life without her. Only a few weeks ago he would have thought it impossible that they could get so close to each other again in such a short time. Never in his life had he ever loved someone as much as he loved her.
He recalled the many times she had visited him in the Centre when they had both been children. For a long time she had been his only ray of light in his dark prison called the Centre. And today she still was the only person who really understood him.
"Jarod?"
Her sleepy voice startled him out of his musings.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you", he said lowly. He saw a mixture of understanding and compassion in her eyes.
"You're brooding again, Jarod", she replied. "You've always done that, even when we were kids. I know that expression on your face by heart." She sat up in bed and gave him a knowing look. "Today, when we were at the bay, you really helped me. Now it's my turn."
Her fingertips brushed tenderly over his forehead and then ruffled through his hair. "You've told me many times that you don't know who you are. I felt quite the same, so I've given a lot of thought to the question what it is that makes a person." Jarod looked at her, deeply fascinated. Her gaze seemed to reach into the depths of his soul.
"You hope to find out more about yourself by finding your parents. That's perfectly possible - but what's most important is the person who brought you up. Just look at me. I want to believe that I'm resembling my mother but I can't even really remember her. As to my father... Maybe Ben's my biological father but that doesn't necessarily mean that I'm anything like him. The man I've always known as my father is much less like me than I used to think. If you look at it from the right perspective then Sydney has always been the closest thing to a father to me." She smiled with warmth at the mention of Jarod's mentor, and he waited eagerly for her to go on.
"All these relationships are a part of me, but they are not all that I am", she continued. "They are merely a small part of me. It's more difficult for you, of course. By doing all these sims you never got the chance to develop a feel for your own self. You don't know where you come from. What I'm trying to say is this: It's not important how little you know about your past. You are Jarod, the most honest, loving and generous man I've ever met. If you look back at your life you will see certain constants that have always been there, that are a part of you. Sydney is one of them. The names of your parents aren't important for your identity. Not even your own name is important in that respect. You know who you are, Jarod. Trust me. Because if you didn't know who you are, I couldn't know either. And if there are still doubts left: You are the man I love, more than anything else in the world."
"Marine...", he whispered, deeply moved. Sometimes it seemed that she understood him better than he did - just like now. Until now he had never looked at the problem of his identity like that. He remembered the tormenting feeling that had accompanied him for all his life - not to know who he was. True, Sydney had raised him, and Jarod resembled him in many ways. But there were a lot of things, that were uniquely him, that hadn't come from other people but from himself. During the last three years he had begun to get to know himself. He realized that Marine was right. Deep in his heart he really knew who he was.
Jarod shook his had in wonder. His gaze was filled with warmth as he looked at the woman he loved and with whom he shared a bond that could never be expressed with words.
"I have no idea how you're doing this", he said admiringly, "but you always think of the right words to make me feel better."
She smiled tenderly and gently pushed him back on his pillow. "Sleep now, Jarod", she said softly. "And stop brooding."
He grinned broadly as she saw through him once again. "Yes, ma'am", he replied with a low chuckle. Then he pulled her close and enfolded her in his arms. "I love you, Marine", he said ardently.
"Mhm, and I love you." Her voice already sounded sleepy again. Her eyes were closed and her head was nestled on his shoulder. If it was up to him then they'd spent every night from now on exactly like this. 'Well, maybe not exactly like this', he thought, smiled at the thought and eventually fell asleep.
***
Tech room
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
07:29 a.m.
When Miss Parker entered the main entrance hall she burst right into the middle of what might have well been an ant hive in sheer panic - the Centre was humming with activity. No one paid much attention to her so that she reached the tech room without any incidents. Broots wasn't there yet, but Angelo was sitting in front of a computer, completely lost in his work.
"Good morning, Angelo", Miss Parker greeted him with warmth. "Have you been up here all night?"
It was only now that he turned to face her.
"Angelo has a lot to do", he announced solemnly and for a second his timid smile lit up his face. She walked over to him, lovingly stroking his head.
"You should take a break", she offered. Angelo looked at her, his eyes wide with surprise.
"Miss Parker is very happy", he said and his voice had a pleased sound to it. Miss Parker smiled.
"Yes, I am. But", she added, "that's a secret. Nobody is to know about it."
Angelo nodded. "Jarod is a secret. Miss Parker's secret."
"Now he's our secret, Angelo", she replied gently. She looked over his shoulder at the monitor. Apparently he was currently working at the personal files. Just as she wanted to ask him how far he'd come with his work she heard the sound of steps behind her. When she turned her gaze fell upon Broots who was just walking through the door.
"Good morning, Miss Parker. Hello, Angelo."
"Broots, good morning."
She scrutinized him. He looked tired but not as nervous as she had expected him to be. "Did you sleep well?" she wanted to know. Broots blinked with surprise before he answered her.
"Uhm, yes, but not that much. We worked pretty late last night."
He went past her and sat down next to Angelo.
"How far have you got?" Miss Parker asked.
"Well, we've only just started, of course. But I think we're making good progress", Broots explained in the professional tone of voice he always used when he was talking about his field. "Most of the work lies still ahead of us."
"Did you encounter any difficulties?"
Broots shook his head. "No. The program you've given me is working extremely reliably, leaving almost no traces. As long as they don't know what to look for we'll be safe."
Miss Parker nodded contentedly. "Oh, before I forget it... Someone volunteered to help us."
"I'll surely welcome any additional help", Broots assured her firmly. "Who is it?"
"Jarod", she said and smiled amusedly at his surprised expression. She shrugged her shoulders. "He still has a score to settle with the Centre."
"But... We've tried to bring him back in all this time!"
Miss Parker put a hand on his shoulder. "These times are over once and for all, Broots. Deal with it. Besides, it wouldn't make much sense to catch him now, would it?"
She gave him a reassuring smile and walked over to the door. Halfway there, she stopped. "If there's anything you need, simply let me know and I'll get it for you", she said, and then she left the tech room. Only a few more weeks and everything would be over.
Once again, big thanks to everyone who's supporting me!!! A special thank you goes out to Tina and Linn! All mistakes left in here are mine...
The story: Miss Parker makes her moves...
Insights
Part 4
by Miss Bit
Miss Parker's office
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
The next morning
09:23 a.m.
The mail lay unopened on her desk, next to a pile of files which Miss Parker had paid just as little attention to. Ever since she had entered her office more than an hour ago her thoughts were miles away.
Miss Parker thought about the last evening. A feeling had warned her not to meet Jarod yet. And her car broke down without any warning - a superstitious person might have taken that for an omen. But Miss Parker wasn't superstitious. She was glad that she had agreed to meet Jarod even though it had shaken her feelings. Maybe that was exactly what she needed.
Her gaze wandered to the window. The sun was still shining. It looked as though this was going to be a nice day. With any luck she might even manage to get out of the Centre before someone could spoil it.
A knock on her door interrupted her optimistic vision of the future. Her secretary opened the door and entered her office.
"What is it?" Miss Parker wanted to know.
"Someone from the garage called, Miss Parker. Your car will be ready tomorrow morning. Apparently there was a slight engine trouble."
Miss Parker nodded contentedly. The prospect of getting her own car back really helped to lift her mood.
"Anything else?"
"Uhm, yes. There is someone who wants to talk to you. He's waiting outside."
She raised her brows inquiringly.
"Who is it?"
Without her word her secretary handed her a calling card. Miss Parker had a brief look at the Japanese letters, and then she smiled.
"Let him come in."
"Yes, Miss Parker."
He left the room and Miss Parker rose to welcome her visitor. Tommy Tanaka entered her office, as self-assured as ever and with the same charming smile that had impressed her so much when they had been at college together.
"Hello, Tommy."
"Parker! Nice to see you again."
Tanaka pulled her into a short embrace and kissed her on the cheek, then he grinned broadly.
"Every time we meet you look better, Parker", he then said, after taking a good long look at her. She smiled knowingly.
"What do you want, Tommy?"
He laughed and raised his arms in a defensive gesture.
"I really meant that. Besides, I'm here because you wanted something from me, remember?"
"And that's your only reason for coming here?"
"Yes", he confirmed. "Besides, I think that we have some things to talk about."
Miss Parker nodded.
"Alright. But not here. Have you had breakfast yet?"
"No, I came here straight from the airport. And you know that I absolutely don't eat on a flight."
Tommy made a face, and Miss Parker laughed softly. She was really glad to see him again.
"Then let's go. There's a nice little café not too far from here."
"Great. Let's get on the way", he said, put an arm around her shoulder and led her out of her office. "So how's your brother doing?"
"Way too well, if you ask me. We should drop in on him later. I'm sure he will be thrilled to see you again", Miss Parker said with a grin that promised anything but good news for Lyle. Tanaka's laughter echoed through the corridor.
"God, I really missed you, Parker."
***
Suzanne's Café
Blue Cove, Delaware
10:08 a.m.
More than half of the places in the little café was taken, and the good weather would soon draw even more guests. Miss Parker and Tanaka had managed to get one of the popular places directly at the big windows. While Tommy was eating with good appetite, Miss Parker enjoyed the warm sunlight on her face and filled him in on some of the things that had happened since his last stay at Blue Cove. He listened to her with interest, and when he had finished his breakfast he pulled a large envelope from a pocket in his jacket. He put it carefully on the table.
"Is it what I think it is?" Miss Parker wanted to know, but made no move to reach for the envelope. Tommy nodded.
"Yes, among other things."
When she looked at him questioningly he leaned back a bit and smiled slightly.
"You know, ever since this disaster last year the Centre hasn't exactly been held in high regard by my father. Actually he never really trusted Raines and his companions. He thinks all of them to be dishonorable. But - he likes you."
Miss Parker looked at him with some surprise.
"Sorry?"
Tommy's smile broadened a bit.
"I told him a lot about you. Besides, he likes people who take the initiative. Which brings us to this little favor here." He pushed the envelope in her direction. "Sergej called me, Parker."
"Mhm, I almost expected him to", she replied calmly. "So you know about his." She leaned in to him. "I won't let anyone get in my way", she stated firmly.
Tanaka shook his head.
"No one wants to get in your way. As I already said, my father likes you. He supports your... plan. The Centre has made a lot of enemies on the international parquet during the last years. It was never possible to do any serious harm from the outside, but it's a completely different story from the inside."
"There are some people who take a great interest in the continuance of the Centre. If the wrong people learn too soon of this..."
"Sergej is mainly working on his own account, so you don't have to fear any resistance from that side. Apart from him only my family knows about this. After Sergej's call I knew what you need this for. I had to inform my father. I hope you understand that. Without his consent I wouldn't have been able to help you."
"I had to take the risk. But I was almost sure that your father would react this way - nobody tries to take the Tanaka family for a ride and goes off without punishment."
"My father asked me to wish you good luck. When everything is finished he'd like to get to know you in person."
"That shouldn't be a problem", Miss Parker replied, smiling. "But one thing should be totally clear: There won't be any benefits for your family because of the closing of the Centre. All data of the Centre's projects will be destroyed. But I will make sure that you'll get your money back."
Tommy sighed.
"That's a pity, but we'll accept it. In here", he pointed at the envelope, "is everything you'll need, also that what you asked of Sergej. I thing that settles our business."
"Thank you very much for your help, Tommy. Same goes for your father, of course. I don't think I'll ever be able to make up for this."
Tommy's face lit up.
"Oh, don't you say that. You could go out with me tonight, for starters", he suggested with a wink.
"Deal."
***
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
The next morning
08:43 a.m.
Miss Parker walked determinedly through the long corridors of the Centre. She was on her way to the tech room in order to talk to Broots. His time to think about it had been long enough.
Her thoughts still revolved around the last evening, which she had really enjoyed. It had been good for her to meet Tommy again and talk with him about the old days. But the evening hadn't gone quite the way Tommy had probably wished for. At college there had been more between them than just friendship. There had also been a strong mutual attraction. She knew that she could always rely on Tommy's friendship but unlike him she had no interest in reviving other aspects of their relationship.
Tommy had respected that. But that hadn't hindered him from asking her if there was a special reason for her behavior. She had neither affirmed nor denied his assumptions, and finally he had given up. Later on the evening, when they had said their good-byes, he had wished her good luck and told her to take good care of herself. She couldn't think of anything else she'd rather do than follow his advice.
"Miss Parker."
The voice abruptly ended her musings. Miss Parker stopped, shut her eyes for an instant and then turned.
"Brigitte."
Sooner or later this encounter had been bound to happen. Brigitte held a file in her hands, and Miss Parker knew immediately what the former cleaner wanted from her. Brigitte bridged the distance between them with long steps, her eyes flashing with anger.
"What the hell is this supposed to mean?" she hissed as she stopped short in front of Miss Parker.
"Do I really have to explain it to you?"
"I have no time for such tasteless jokes, and neither does your father!"
Miss Parker looked the other woman straight in the eyes.
"This is not a joke", she explained angrily. "And it definitely wasn't for my mother. Daddy already knows this file, so you can spare yourself the trouble to it show to him. Actually I should warn you against doing so. It would only make him mad."
"What is this supposed to mean, Miss Parker?" Brigitte asked once again.
"Take it as a... warning. You have no idea what you're about to do. I don't know what you're up to, but you should know that my father tends to be extremely short-tempered."
Brigitte curled her lips into a mocking, condescending smile.
"I'm afraid you still haven't got it right, my dear Miss Parker. Your father and I, we love each other. Whatever your mother has done - and whoever has done this to her - I'm sure she deserved it."
Her last words sent Miss Parker into a cold rage. Every fiber of her being screamed for her to clutch her adversary and beat her smug complacency out of her. A tiny rational spark held her back.
"He beat the hell out of her. No one, not even you, deserves something like that", she managed to utter. "This is the Centre. If you're down on the ground, no one will help you. On the contrary, they will take advantage of you. Don't you ever talk like that about my mother again, or else I'll show you how deep you can fall here."
Her gaze bored into Brigitte's, and for a short moment there was something like fear visible in Brigitte's eyes. Then the derision returned.
"You'd better think about whom you're threatening here, luv. If I were you I'd rather not make Daddy chose", Brigitte said. She winked and let the file down on the ground before Miss Parker's feet. Then she turned and went back into the direction from which she had come. Miss Parker waited until she was out of sight, her fists clenched tightly. Finally she forced herself to relax, then she picked up the file. At least she had tried. If Brigitte insisted upon rushing headlong towards ruin, then she would be the last person to stand in her way. But if everything went according to her plan, this wouldn't be of any importance anymore.
Still angry, Miss Parker got back on her way. When she reached the tech room most of her anger had vanished, but the memory of her mother's pain still hurt her. Brigitte had hit her sore point.
Only with an effort she managed to divert her attention from her conversation with Brigitte and concentrate it on Broots instead.
"Hello, Miss Parker", the technician said when he heard her enter the room. Miss Parker was glad to see that he seemed to be a little less uneasy than usual. He looked at her, and in his gaze there was something like... concern? "Are you alright?"
"Yes, Broots, I'm fine. I just had a little talk with Brigitte that I could have done without." Broots nodded compassionately. "Did you think about what I told you when we last met?" Miss Parker continued.
There was a mixture of uneasiness and determination on Broots face.
"Yes, I did." He hesitated briefly. "You said that you can protect Debbie?"
Miss Parker walked over to a chair that stood close to him and sat down.
"Yes", she then affirmed. "I don't want to go into detail now", she said with a quick look at one of the surveillance cameras, "but I will do everything within my powers."
"Then I'm with you", Broots stated firmly, and Miss Parker smiled gently. She leaned forward and put a hand on his arm.
"I can't promise you that I will be able to protect you as well. It will be very dangerous, and maybe something will go wrong."
Broots swallowed hard but didn't change his mind.
"I know. What... what do you want me to do?"
Miss Parker pulled a slip of paper from her pocket and gave it to him while she got up.
"In half an hour", was everything she said before she left the room.
***
Hydroponic gardens
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
09:20 a.m.
When Miss Parker reached the garden, Broots was already impatiently waiting for her. He jumped to his feet, clearly relieved.
"Thank God, you're here."
She smiled.
"Of course. After all, we were to meet here now."
"Miss Parker, I thought about what you told me last time. I don't think that we can close the Centre down just like this. If it were possible, Jarod would have probably done so a long time ago."
He seemed to expect an angry reaction at his mentioning of Jarod, but Miss Parker only tilted her head.
"Maybe Jarod simply didn't have the right tools. But I think that he just didn't want the Centre to stop existing. He needs the Centre - or so he thinks. I do know that we can't close the Centre down from one day to the other, of course. But I'm sure we'll be able to wound it fatally."
Broots looked at her doubtfully.
"I've got some support for you here, Broots. In England I've thought a lot about the Centre, and I think I've found a way to at least bring it to a standstill", Miss Parker continued and handed him the envelope she'd got from Tommy. "In here are two computer programs, put at my disposal by two of my friends. One of them will support your work, the other one is a virus which will help blur our activities."
With another skeptical glance Broots opened the envelope and pulled a silvery, shining CD-ROM out of it. Slowly his skepticism was replaced by interest. For a while he stared vacantly into space, oblivious to everything around him. Miss Parker waited patiently. Finally Broots lifted his head and looked at her.
"Perhaps it will work. That's a big perhaps, but it could work. But you still haven't told me what exactly you want me to do, Miss Parker", he reminded her.
"That will be our smallest problem", she replied, laughing with relief. "Most important thing is for you to gather evidence. Bring it all out into the open and make sure that we'll be able to present hard evidence to the authorities. The faster you manage to do that the better. The virus will cause some excitement here, so that you should have enough time. It was developed exactly for that purpose. It will take the experts some time to get it under control - especially since you are one of them."
"And talking of enough time you mean..."
"Hard to tell. We mustn't proceed to quickly, but neither can we afford to take too much time over it. We will only be able to use the virus in the very last phase... Two months, I guess."
"Miss Parker, I can never do that alone! Do you have any idea how much data is stored in the Centre's archives?"
"Stay calm, Broots. No one asked you to do it all on your own. Syd and I will cover your activities, and as to the rest... Angelo can help you. He knows a lot about the Centre's systems."
Broots sank down onto a large stone.
"And what will happen if we don't succeed?" he asked softly.
"I don't really have to tell you that, do I?" There was an unspoken excuse audible in her voice.
"No. Just one try, all or nothing."
"You can still change your mind about this now", she offered, but Broots shook his head.
"I'm with you. You wouldn't manage without my help."
Miss Parker slapped him lightly on the shoulder.
"Now that's the spirit. We should begin this very day. There are only a few details we should talk about before starting. You did develop this search program, didn't you?" When he nodded with surprise, she continued. "Good. Use it to get us out of it all. Delete our names from every file - I'm talking of Syd, Angelo, you and me. There must be nothing left that could in any way indicate a relation between the Centre and us. Can you do that?"
"Yes. Yes, I think so. If I write an automatic routine, that..."
"Alright, no details. Just get started. We will stay in contact all the time, but inconspicuously. If anything goes wrong, you can call me. At any time."
Broots' thoughts had already turned to the solution of the complicated problem, so that he only nodded absent-mindedly. Miss Parker looked at him attentively until he returned her glance, then she smiled slightly.
"I will rely on you, Broots", she emphasized friendly. "While you will be working on our project, I will take care of some minor details. There are some debts the Centre has to pay. I'll be seeing you tonight in the tech room, after I've talked to Angelo."
***
Angelo's room
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
03:21 p.m.
"Angelo? Are you here?"
Miss Parker entered Angelo's room, looking around searchingly. Ever since Jarod had told her that she had a twin brother, she had spent a lot of time with Angelo. Though the results of the DNA-test had left no doubt about Lyle being her brother, her heart said something else.
Angelo lifted his head as she entered his room.
"Miss Parker!"
"Hello, Angelo", she said gently and walked over to him. She left the decision whether he wanted to touch her or not to him because by touching her he would be subject to her emotions. He was sitting on the floor in the midst of a meddle of books, files and loose papers. Miss Parker kneeled down carefully next to him.
"Miss Parker was long away", said Angelo and looked at her.
"I was in England", she explained. Angelo briefly touched her hand.
"Answers", he then said. "Truth."
Following an impulse she took him in her arms, only to release him a few seconds later. "It's really nice to see you again."
He flashed her that shy smile of his, but then he suddenly frowned.
"Angelo can help", he stated earnestly. She looked at him, truly surprised, but then she laughed softly.
"That's why I like you so much", she confided to him. "I never have to explain everything to you in length. You always understand me." After hesitating for a short moment she went on. "Do you want to help us?"
"Angelo helps."
"That's really nice of you", Miss Parker replied in her softest voice. She lovingly stroked a strand of his hair from his face, then she slowly got up. Angelo rose as well. He looked as though he wanted to say something else. "You know what? I'll stay a little longer with you, alright?" Miss Parker suggested. She felt really at ease when Angelo was around and she almost managed to forget that she was at the Centre. 'Just like it used to be with Jarod', she thought.
"Jarod is good for Miss Parker."
Angelo's voice brought her back to the present. Astonished, she looked at him. He made a guilty face as he withdrew his hand from her.
"No, that's alright", she immediately reassured him, while she was thinking about his words. Probably he was right. If she let Jarod get near her again it could only turn out to be good for her. "But am I good for him, too?" she thought, not aware that she spoke the thought out loud.
"Love is good", Angelo stated with determination and looked at her, his head tilted slightly. Miss Parker leaned against a nearby table. Love. Was that what she felt for Jarod? Up to now she had always hesitated to think about this question. But if Angelo said so, there had to be some truth in it. He had only voiced her feelings for Jarod. She sighed.
"You miss him, hm?"
"Jarod is no longer here", Angelo answered sadly. "But Angelo thinks of him."
Miss Parker nodded thoughtfully. "I miss him, too", she admitted. By habit she looked at the small camera unobtrusively hanging under the ceiling. She knew that Angelo didn't like to be monitored and that he therefore had switched off the cameras in his realm. Raines let him this little unmonitored area since he didn't expect to be betrayed by Angelo of all people. But maybe she should still be careful with what she said down here. Prudence always paid at the Centre.
Miss Parker looked at her watch. It was time for her to go back to her office, or else someone might have the idea of starting to search for her.
"I'm sorry, Angelo, but I have to go now. I will return tonight."
"Angelo waits."
She ruffled his hair and then she returned to the cold reality of the Centre.
***
A motel somewhere in Delaware
03:47 p.m.
Jarod stared at the ceiling, trying to come to a decision. For almost an hour he had been lying on his bed, thinking. His thoughts revolved around Miss Parker and the letter he had got from his father. In the letter his father had asked him not to hurry Miss Parker, but it was getting harder and harder for him not to do so. He wanted to see her again, and he finally wanted to clarify the situation between them.
By now he was absolutely sure about his own emotions, but he had no clue as to whether she returned them or not. The uncertainty was nagging at him, and finally he made his decision. Jarod reached for his cell phone, which was lying on the nightstand, and dialed her number.
"Yes?" he could hear her voice after the second ring. She sounded slightly breathless.
"Hello, Miss Parker. I hope I'm not disturbing you."
"Jarod! We have just talked about you."
"We?"
He could hear her laughing softly.
"Angelo and me. I've just visited him. He misses you."
"I miss him, too", Jarod answered softly. That didn't only go for Angelo. "Can we meet tonight?" he asked abruptly, anxiously awaiting her answer.
"Do you want to talk about your father?" she asked calmly. 'Now or never', Jarod thought.
"I want to talk about us. And I'd like to see you." At the other end of the line Miss Parker took a breath, sounding somewhat surprised.
"It's going to be late tonight", was her evasive answer. "But I'd really like to see you, too. We have a lot to talk about. Why don't you come over to my place at ten tonight?"
Jarod closed his eyes for a brief moment, relief washing through him. She wanted to see him as well.
"Alright", he agreed.
"Great. See you tonight, Jarod."
"Yes, see you tonight."
They both hung up. When Jarod put the phone back on the nightstand his gaze fell upon the file Sydney had given him. He reached for it and pulled out one of the two pictures that lay in it. It showed two children, happy children - Miss Parker and him. For a long time he merely stared at the picture, trying to remember the time when it had been made. He wished he could remember the meetings with his father. It was only now that he knew these meetings had taken place at all. But there was one thing he could remember - the little girl on the picture. The feelings he had for her were more than mere memories, and they weren't directed at the past. He had those feelings for the woman he was going to meet tonight - to tell her about the way he was feeling for her.
***
Tech room
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
08:04 p.m.
The corridors of the Centre were already less crowded than at day, so that Angelo and Miss Parker didn't meet anyone when they went to the tech room. In the evenings Miss Parker felt even less at ease at the Centre than usual. Somehow she thought that some of the Centre's employees used the night-time to make even creepier experiments than at day. But Angelo's being near her calmed her down and directed her attention into a more pleasant direction.
They reached the tech room without encountering anyone. Miss Parker was grateful for that, because otherwise she might have been forced to explain why Angelo was with her. Broots was the only person working in the tech room. The technician was sitting in front of his computer, working with high concentration. He turned around with a start when Angelo touched his shoulder. Reacting to Broots' emotions, Angelo also winced.
"Oh, Angelo, it's you", Broots called with obvious relief and tried to calm him down again. Fortunately Angelo's attention was soon drawn to the computer.
"Angelo helps", he said and sat down on the chair next to Broots.
"Uh, did you explain him what this is about, Miss Parker?" Broots wanted to know. She walked over to him and placed herself right behind him and Angelo.
"He knows everything he needs to know. If you need help simply ask him", she replied. "You can speak openly. Angelo took care of the surveillance systems in this room."
"Oh, good." He looked at the monitor in front of him and then back to Miss Parker, obviously not quite at ease. She raised her brows inquisitively. "It's about Debbie...", he began.
"Don't you worry about her. She's under the protection of the FBI."
Broots' eyes widened with surprise. "The FBI?"
Miss Parker smiled. "Some friends of mine still owe me a favor or two. If you think that it's getting too dangerous for Debbie here she will be brought to a safe place. Nothing is going to happen to her. I would never let that happen."
"Okay. But I'll still be worried about her", Broots replied, shrugging his shoulders. Miss Parker's smile deepened.
"And that's what makes you such a good father", she said with warmth. "I'll be going home now. See you tomorrow - if nothing unforeseen happens. Good night, Broots. Good night, Angelo."
"Uhm, good night, Miss Parker", Broots said with the same mixture of confusion and embarrassment that filled him whenever she surprised him with a friendly remark. Angelo only glanced at her briefly before he returned his attention to the monitor in front of him. She briefly touched his shoulder and then got on her way home.
***
Miss Parker's home
431 Mountain Spring Road
Blue Cove, Delaware
09:52 p.m.
The light of the half-moon was reflected by the calm water of the sea. Miss Parker sat on her verandah, enjoying the calm around her, for the first time in days. After her conversation with Sydney she was feeling a bit better, even though she still hadn't told him everything.
She was glad that the ball had started rolling at the Centre. Broots had overcome his initial hesitation and was now spending every minute with the two programs he had got from her. If everything went smoothly, and right now things looked like it, all this would be over in about two month's time.
A smile played about her lips as she rose to go back inside. It was almost time.
Just as she locked the verandah door behind her the doorbell rang. Her heart beat faster and she shook her head. She behaved like a teenager in love. But it was feeling good, so why shouldn't she enjoy it?
With a few steps she was at the door to open it.
"Hello, Jarod", she greeted her visitor.
"Hello, Miss Parker", he replied softly and smiled with warmth. "May I come in?"
"Go on."
He went past her into the living room, and she closed the front door before following him. While she remembered his last visit to her house a smile formed on her lips, completely unnoticed by her.
"I like that", Jarod said, his voice dark. When she looked at him questioningly, he went on. "Your smile."
His compliment filled her with warmth and another emotion which she had suppressed for many years. But now she welcomed it.
"I'm glad you're here, Jarod."
"So am I."
Jarod's intense gaze seemed to bore into her, but it didn't feel unpleasant to her.
"I had the hope that we could continue the conversation we began when we last met", he then explained. Miss Parker looked into those dark eyes of his, returning his gaze, and wondered how serious he was about this. Besides, she wasn't sure if she should let him know how important it was to her.
She made a few steps in his direction.
"I...", she began, but Jarod placed a finger on her lips. Miss Parker couldn't stop herself from smiling. She kissed his fingertip ever so lightly. He had just given her the chance to play down the events of the last week, but that wasn't what she wanted. She wanted him to know what all this was about.
Determined, she took his hand in hers.
"Please listen to me, Jarod. I kissed you last week because I wanted to be absolutely clear about what I feel."
"And... are your feelings clear now?" he asked gently.
"Yes. After talking to your father I have thought a lot about you... about us. I missed you."
Her voice had become soft and she was on the verge of getting lost in Jarod's dark, understanding eyes. He lifted her hand to his lips.
"I have thought a lot about us, too."
When he kissed her fingers she briefly shut her eyes, getting totally lost in his tenderness. Eventually she opened her eyes again, meeting his searching gaze.
"Stay with me tonight, Jarod", she whispered. He pulled her closer to him.
"I've been waiting for so long for you to ask me that", he replied, his voice husky. Then he bent his head down to her and kissed her.
***
Miss Parker's home
431 Mountain Spring Road
Blue Cove, Delaware
The next morning
06:23 a.m.
The first sunbeams were falling through the large bedroom window, promising a beautiful day. Miss Parker lay on her side, her head propped on one arm, and looked at Jarod who was still sound asleep.
This morning was special to her. It represented the beginning of a new life, a life without the Centre. And telling from the way things were looking right now, Jarod would be a part of this new life - a part of her life. Part of her had been afraid of this night.
Jarod wasn't the first man she had invited to her house and into her bed, and he wasn't the first whom she allowed to stay with her until the morning. But Jarod was the first man who made her wish she could wake up next to him every morning for the rest of her life when she looked at him in the morning.
She reached out her hand to him, tenderly touching his cheek. Immediately a smile spread on his lips, and Miss Parker shook her head with amusement.
"Good morning, Jarod", she murmured softly. "For how long have you been awake?"
His smile deepened a bit, but he still kept his eyes closed.
"Not for long", he answered, equally as soft, his voice deep. Eventually he opened his eyes, meeting her gaze. His eyes reflected his emotions, and Miss Parker felt a warm feeling spread all through her body as a reaction to his gaze.
At the same time another emotion emerged from deep within her. Suddenly she felt a stab of completely irrational fear. She lowered her eyes.
Jarod immediately sensed the change in her mood and placed one of his hands under chin, forcing her ever so gently to look at him again.
"What's wrong?" he inquired with a softness that made her fear melt at once. "Do you regret what happened last night?"
"No", she said with determination. The only thing she might regret about last night was that it hadn't happened much earlier. "Jarod, I..."
With a sigh she trailed off, letting herself fall back on her pillow. For a short moment she closed her eyes, trying to gather her thoughts. She wanted him to understand her. That was very important to her. He was very important to her. When she opened her eyes again she met his worried gaze.
"But you must hate me", she said in a small voice. Jarod's eyes widened with surprise when he understood what she was trying to say.
"Marine, how can you even think that? The last night should have shown you how I feel about you." The warm sound of his voice began to erase her doubts. "I love you." With one hand he caressed her cheek, the other reached for her hand. "Marine, I love you", he repeated, looking her deep in the eyes.
Something deep inside of her seemed to burst into a million pieces, and suddenly she felt free. Jarod loved her, he forgave her.
"Oh God, Jarod", she whispered, a single tear slowly rolling down her cheek. He carefully wiped it away. "I love you, too. With all my heart." She swallowed. "I'm so terribly sorry. All the things I've done to you..." More tears followed the first one.
"Marine, don't. You don't have to apologize, for nothing. It's true, we did hurt each other, but that's over now. What ever happened between us doesn't change the way we feel about each other. I loved you from the moment I first saw you and I will always love you. We belong together", he emphasized, and his eyes filled with tears as well. He gently took her face into his hands, kissing her tears away. Then he pulled her in his arms, simply holding her. Miss Parker put her arms around him and reveled in the feeling of having him so close.
"Thank you", she murmured against his shoulder. He looked up with surprise.
"What for?"
She smiled.
"For being here. For forgiving me. And for loving me."
Jarod shook his head, searching her gaze.
"You don't have to thank me, either. There's nowhere I'd rather be than here, with you. There's nothing I'd have to forgive you for. And loving you is a great gift to me. You are very special, a part of my life that would be meaningless without you. Whenever I look at you I know what it's like to have a family, a home."
His words filled her with an immense feeling of happiness.
"I wish there was a way of letting you know how happy you're making me, Jarod", she said seriously.
"I know, Marine. Believe me, I know exactly how you feel", he replied. He pulled her closer to him, tenderly kissing her on the lips. She returned the kiss, and then she leaned in to him until their foreheads met.
"Mhm, and what will we do with the rest of the morning, now?" Jarod asked, his voice dark and sensuous, a completely innocent expression on his face. She laughed softly, leaning back a bit in order to look at him. He managed effortlessly to conceal his inexperience. A sensuous smile played on her lips.
"I guess I can think of something", she said very softly, entwining her fingers in his neck and pulling him closer.
"Let's see if we thought of the same thing", Jarod replied with a smile that took her breath away for a moment. Then he kissed her and she forgot everything else.
***
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
10:17 a.m.
Sydney walked absent-mindedly through the main entrance hall of the Centre. He was on his way back from Miss Parker's office where he had tried in vain to find her. After some careful inquiries he had found out that no one had seen her yet. Sydney began to feel worried. He could still remember very vividly how she had suddenly disappeared a few weeks ago. As soon as he'd be back in his office he'd try to call her at home. Hopefully she was all right...
"Good morning, Sydney", someone said suddenly next to him. When he turned his head he saw Miss Parker walking beside him.
"Miss Parker, please don't sneak up on me like this", he admonished her, trying to at least mask part of his surprise.
"I'm sorry", she said immediately, briefly putting her hand on his arm.
"Oh, alright", Sydney grumbled, soothed. "You're late, Miss Parker", he added in a casual tone.
"Really?"
She sounded amused, and Sydney noticed with some surprise that she was in a really good mood. There was an expression in her eyes that he hadn't seen there in years, and she emanated a profound contentment.
"Mhm", he affirmed. "Besides, I almost get the impression that you're... cheerful."
"Now, don't overdo things, Sydney", she replied, but couldn't stop herself from smiling gently. No doubt about it, Miss Parker was happy.
Sydney grabbed her by the arm and pulled her gently with him, back to the entrance hall and outside. "Come on, let's go for a little walk. Who knows how long this good weather will last." Miss Parker gave him an amused look, but followed him without saying a word. When they had left the Centre they walked quietly for a while until Sydney broke the silence.
"So, what's his name?"
Miss Parker stopped dead. She shook her head, looked at him and then she laughed softly. "Sydney, you're curious."
"No. It's strictly professional interest", he assured her with a smile.
"Yeah, right. How come you always assume that there's a man behind it whenever I'm in a good mood, hm?"
"Why, am I doing that?"
Her only answer to that was a knowing look. She tilted her head slightly to the side. "Though you're right in this special case", she admitted.
"Oh?"
"Oh come on, Syd, stop it."
He raised his hands in a defensive gesture, grinning. "As you wish, Miss Parker. Maybe you want to talk about it?"
She let her breath out audibly. "What else could you expect of a psychiatrist?" Miss Parker became serious again. "Seriously, Syd, I don't think I can talk about it yet. Not even with you. But I'd love to", she said. "Just give me a little more time." Her words were accompanied by a warm smile that completely captivated him.
"I'll always be there for you... whenever you're willing to talk."
"It's very good to know that." She looked back at the main building of the Centre. "Do you have any plans for this afternoon?" she then asked abruptly. Sydney raised his brows in surprise.
"Besides work, you mean?"
"Take the day off. There's something very important I have to tell you, but it would be unwise to do that here at the Centre." Miss Parker thought for a moment, then she was the one who pulled him with her. "I've got an idea. Let's go and visit Broots."
***
Broots' residence
Blue Cove, Delaware
02:51 p.m.
The sun had already passed its highest point when Broots arrived at home. Miss Parker was sitting in the garden behind his house, relaxed and almost completely contented. There was just one thing missing to make this moment perfect. Thinking of Jarod she couldn't help but smile. She leaned way back, feeling the warm sunlight on her face, and tried to recall every single one of Jarod's caresses. The touch of his gentle hands, the loving expression in his dark eyes in which she wanted to get lost... From the distance she heard Debbie welcoming her father. All of a sudden she heard Sydney's voice directly next to her.
"And you really don't want to talk about him?" he asked softly. Miss Parker briefly shut her eyes.
"You're really curious", she stated, still smiling. Before he could reply anything, Broots came out to them.
"Hello, Miss Parker. Hi, Sydney. Thanks for bringing Debbie home from school."
"Oh, you're welcome", Sydney answered. He looked at Miss Parker questioningly and she answered with a single nod. It was time to fill him in on everything. Broots had given his consent for them to meet here - even though her request had obviously come as a bit of a surprise to him. She searched his gaze, and a moment later he reacted.
"Uhm, why don't we go inside for a while, Debbie?", he asked his daughter. "I could help you with your homework."
"Aw, Dad. Can't I do my homework tonight?" she asked pleadingly. Apparently she really enjoyed Miss Parker's unexpected visit.
"Come on, let's get it over with", Broots insisted and led her away with him. Miss Parker waited for them to get out of hearing. Sydney sat down in one of the deck-chairs next to her and looked at her expectantly.
"Now, Miss Parker, what's so important that you wouldn't talk about it at the Centre?"
She calmly returned his gaze, wondering where to begin. 'And how on earth am I ever going to explain it all to Jarod?', she suddenly thought. She'd also have to have this conversation with him.
"We couldn't talk about it at the Centre because this is about the Centre", she eventually started. "Have you ever asked yourself what you will do once you've left the Centre?"
***
Miss Parker's home
431 Mountain Spring Road
Blue Cove, Delaware
07:20 p.m.
It was still light when Miss Parker slowly drove up to her house. From the outside her house seemed deserted. For an anxious moment she wondered if that also went for the inside, but then she shook her head about herself. Of course she wanted Jarod to be with her, but it would be of no account if he wasn't there now.
She parked the car, walked over to the front door and unlocked it. As soon as she opened the door all her doubts dissolved. A delicious smell surrounded her, obviously coming from the kitchen.
"Jarod?" she called, after she had closed the door.
"Just a moment", she heard his muffled answer from the kitchen. A few moments later he came to meet her, smiling widely. Miss Parker bridged the distance between them and pulled him into an embrace. Only now, as she touched him, she was feeling at home.
"I missed you", she said gently. Jarod gently pushed her a bit away from him, peering closely at her, then he bent his head to kiss her. "I missed you, too", he replied equally as gentle. "You weren't sure if I'd still be here, were you?" he wanted to know with a mixture of worry and understanding. She sighed.
"I know it's stupid but..."
"Marine." He cupped her face in his hands. "I've always been there for you, and nothing's ever going to change that. And now that I'm finally able to stay with you I'm certainly not going to leave you. I had to wait much too long for you to do that."
A hesitant smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
"I guess I already knew that. But it's still good to hear it from you", she replied and her smile deepened. "You cooked?"
Jarod relaxed visibly when he realized that she really trusted him. "Yes. I thought you might be hungry after a long day at the Centre."
"Hungry, hm? Yes, I think I'm really hungry." She met his gaze, and for a long moment they just stood there, looking at each other. Then Jarod leaned in on her until his lips almost touched her ear. "In the living room", he whispered. Miss Parker raised her brows in expectation. "I'll be there in a minute", Jarod added. She kissed him on the cheek and turned to go to the living room. But Jarod held her back, pulled her close to him and kissed her. Passion might have started the kiss, but now it reflected something deeper which left them both completely out of breath. In his eyes she could read the same profound feelings that were moving her. Suddenly she found it no longer difficult to feel his love for her. It seemed to surround her, to fill her, erasing her fears and doubts.
Miss Parker raised her hand and tenderly caressed his cheek. "I love you", she let him know and reveled in his loving gaze that answered her words. "See you." This time he let her go, merely glanced after her. She went into the living room, curious what she would find there. When she reached the doorway she stopped dead, looking around with surprise.
Dozens of candles lit up the room. A fire was quietly crackling in the fireplace. There were vases everywhere, some containing single roses, others whole bunches. In the background she could hear soft music playing.
A smile played about her lips as Miss Parker slowly walked over to the table, which was set in a festive manner. Out of nowhere Jarod appeared behind her, pulling out the chair for her. She shook her head.
"Anything wrong?" Jarod wanted to know.
"Oh, no", she answered immediately. "It's wonderful." Miss Parker chuckled softly. "It's just that I couldn't imagine anyone doing something like this for me."
"I know what you mean", Jarod said softly. "I felt quite the same way. But that doesn't mean that I didn't dream about it." His smile deepened, and his dark eyes were gleaming. She returned his gaze, allowing herself to get lost in his eyes for a moment. It was almost like it used to be when they had been children. Back then he had always made her feel that sooner or later everything would be all right. But now there was more between them, something she couldn't put a name to, something that filled her with a happiness she had thought lost forever.
Jarod sat down as well, reaching for her hand. "I thought you were hungry", he teased her softly.
"Yes, right." Her attention returned to the present. And to Jarod, who was sitting right in front of her, who was finally with her. "What did you cook?" she asked expectantly.
He rose. "I'll be back in a second", he assured her, indicating a bow. When he returned from the kitchen he carried two soup plates on a tray. He put one of the plates in front of her, the other on his place. Miss Parker looked curiously at her plate. "Japanese!" she shouted with surprise. "Let me guess", she continued, smiling gently, "you've been working in a Japanese restaurant for a while."
"Actually", he replied with a soft chuckle, "I've only read a few Japanese cookbooks. But I've never found the time to put my knowledge into practice - until now."
"Somehow this sounds familiar to me", Miss Parker murmured, taking another look at her soup, before she looked back at Jarod. "If you're only half as good a cook as your father is, this will be delicious", she replied, her voice full of warmth.
"He cooked for you, too?" Jarod asked, astonished. His eyes told her how much he craved to hear more about his father.
"Indeed", she confirmed. "When I had found him in England he invited me to dinner. We had dinner together, and then he told me about my mother."
"What is he like? I mean, what kind of a person is he?" She could hear a mixture of longing and hesitation in his voice. He wanted to know more about his father but he also feared the things he might learn about him. This time she was the one to reach for his hand.
"You're so much like him", she said. "And I'm absolutely sure that he didn't kill my mother. He is... generous and understanding, and also always ready to help. My mother couldn't have wished for a better friend. I'm so glad that I finally met him." She could see that her words filled him with both joy and sadness. Miss Parker gently squeezed his hand. "He misses you so much. And he is incredibly proud of you. I'm sure he'll do whatever he can to meet you as soon as possible. There's nothing he wants more." Jarod closed his eyes for a moment, and then he looked at her again. Slowly he raised her fingers to his lips, kissing them.
"Thank you", he whispered. Miss Parker shook her head ever so slightly.
"What for? We've got a deal about information concerning our parents, remember?" she reminded him with a gentle smile. "And now I want to try my soup - before I'm starving here." He laughed, but there still was a profound gratitude in his gaze. In addition to that there was also an intense warmth which was almost tangible to her.
"I hope you'll like it", he said.
"I'm sure I will", she replied before trying the soup. The taste reminded her of her last visit to Japan - she didn't notice any difference to the 'real' Japanese flavor. "Hmmm", she made approvingly. "How do you do this? I bet you could even shame an old Japanese master."
"I'd never do that", he protested.
"No, at least not on purpose", she answered, struggling to suppress a smile. She could hardly recall the last time she'd been so relaxed in company. Angelo had been right. Jarod was really good for her.
Suddenly something occurred to her.
"These cookbooks you mentioned earlier... You didn't happen to find one of them in my kitchen, did you?"
"Well, yes. Why?"
"Oh, please tell me you tried out some of the sushi-recipes", she said almost pleadingly. During her stays in Japan she had grown to like some of the Japanese dishes, but up to now she'd never found anyone outside of Japan who could compete with the traditional Japanese cookery. Jarod's lips formed an amused smile.
"You're lucky. I didn't even know that you like raw fish."
"It's delicious", she assured him. "The only problem is to get good sushi anywhere else than in Japan."
***
Some time later Miss Parker leaned back in her seat, feeling pleased. A happy smile played about her lips as she watched Jarod acquainting himself with several Japanese specialties. It didn't take long for him to look up at her.
"Having a good time?" he inquired, an amused sparkling in his eyes.
"Mhm. A very good time", she replied. By now it had got dark outside, and the pale crescent of the moon slowly rose over the horizon. Jarod got up.
"That's good", he said, his tone catching her attention. "Then I'm sure you'll like the dessert as well." Miss Parker looked at him expectantly.
"Did you plan anything special?" she asked as casually as she could manage.
"Mhm", he murmured, his voice dark and velvety. He came over to her and stopped directly behind her. Then he put his arms around her, kissing the nape of her neck. She lightly leaned in to him. His hands slid to her shoulders, exerting the slightest pressure there, then he withdrew a bit from her. "I'll be back in a second", he whispered into her ear. She glanced after him, slightly astonished.
"Jarod!"
He turned to face her. "Trust me."
Miss Parker felt a strange, thrilling mixture of confusion and expectation. Typical Jarod. He managed effortlessly to turn something ordinary into an exciting experience. As if he himself weren't exciting enough... She grinned about herself - she was really beginning to feel like a teenager again. But it was fun, so why not?
When Jarod returned to the living room this time he only carried one plate. Miss Parker couldn't see what was on it; she had to wait until he placed the plate in front of her. She curiously looked at the dessert. As far as she could tell it was something that had been dipped into dough and fried.
"What is it?" she asked after a look into Jarod's expectant face. He stepped behind her again and reached past her for one of the pastries.
"Rose petals baked in pastry", he told her softly. The tone of his voice made the warmth inside of her turn into heat.
"Rose petals?" she repeated, staring at his hand as if she were hypnotized.
"Mhm", he confirmed. "Do you know what they say about these petals?"
"No, what?" Something in his voice fascinated her deeply. The heat inside of her gradually turned into a raging fire.
"They say", he said, his lips enticingly close to her ear again, "they say that these petals have a stimulating effect."
"Oh really?" Her lips formed a soft smile. "I think we should really make sure that it's true, what do you think?"
"That's exactly what I had in mind", he said. His voice was sounding husky now. He kneeled down beside her, the rose petal still in his hand. "Hungry?"
"Very." Her voice was a mere whisper.
"Here." He offered her the petal and she took a careful bite. An interesting taste exploded in her mouth, but that was utterly secondary to her. Without breaking the visual contact with Jarod for as much as a second she reached for a petal as well and offered it to him. Jarod took a bite and a sensuous smile played about his lips.
"I think..." He looked deeply into her eyes, his voice trailing off. Eventually he began anew. "I think the assertion is right."
Miss Parker laughed lowly. "Perfectly possible", she conceded, slowly pulling him closer to her so that she could kiss him. Her senses seemed to explode as he pressed his lips on hers. She got lost in his being near, reveled in the tenderness of his touch, felt the desire in his kisses as strong as her own. The world closed in on her until it contained nothing but Jarod and herself.
***
Miss Parker's home
431 Mountain Spring Road
Blue Cove, Delaware
The next morning
07:11 a.m.
Silence was hovering over the house, yet it didn't feel deserted to Miss Parker. She stood in the kitchen, a cup of coffee in her hand, thinking about Jarod. When she had got up Jarod had still been sound asleep so that she had decided not to wake him up. Though this was only the second night he had spent here it still felt to Miss Parker as if they had already shared an entire lifetime. Miss Parker smiled. In a sense they really had.
But the more time passed the clearer it became to her that there were a few things they had to talk about. Her gaze passed to the window. It didn't look like this was going to be a nice day. Not the kind of day to take some time off. Suddenly she remembered a place that looked its best in this kind of weather. Lost in thought, she didn't notice Jarod entering the kitchen. He silently walked up to her, putting his arms around her from behind.
"Jarod!"
"Good morning. Oh, I'm sorry, did I startle you?"
Miss Parker put the cup down, and then she turned in his arms to face him. "Let me put it this way: If I had any less control over myself you would have come into closer contact with my hot coffee", she explained with an amused smile. Jarod raised a brow.
"Ouch", was his only comment, before he kissed her lightly on the lips. Then he kissed her again, and this time she returned the favor.
"Did you sleep well?" she asked him softly, leaning back ever so slightly.
"Mhm", he made, "but not that much." His last words were accompanied by a meaningful smile. She laughed softly, folding her hands in his neck.
"I hope you're not too tired for a little trip?"
"Trip?" He looked at her, interest evident in his eyes. Miss Parker nodded.
"You know, I've thought a lot about us, and there are some things we should talk about. There's a very special place I'd like to show to you. Besides", she added, "I'm absolutely not in the mood for work."
Jarod pulled her closer to him. "Just give me five minutes and we can go."
***
Catherine's Bay
Delaware
08:03 a.m.
Grayish clouds were floating in the sky. The wind was stirring up the water, causing strong waves to crash onto the beach. Jarod looked around enthusiastically. The little bay Marine had brought him to was absolutely beautiful. The bad weather didn't diminish its beauty but instead even underlined it.
"It's beautiful here", he said to Marine who stood next to him, her steadfast gaze directed at the open sea. When he talked to her she turned to face him. The expression in her eyes was slightly sad but vanished when she looked at him.
"This bay belonged to my mother", she explained with a hesitant smile. "She loved this place very much. When I was very young she brought me here and told me that no one besides her and me knew this place. It was ours. After her death I've only been here a few times - always alone."
Jarod put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. He could understand very well how much this place meant to her.
"Do you think your father knows about it?" he asked softly. She shook her head.
"I don't think so. This was her place alone, her refuge. Apart from Maine this must have been her favorite place."
Marine leaned against him. Her trust and her being near filled him with a unique warmth. Like her he had done a lot of thinking about their relationship. She had been right; there was a lot they had to talk about. But right now he had the feeling that there was something particular which bothered her.
"Come." She took him by the hand and led him over to a few rocks that lay close to the water. The high tide didn't quite reach them so that they offered a dry observation point. Jarod sat down onto one of the large rocks and Marine sat down right in front of him, her back to his chest. He enfolded her in his arms, resting his chin on her shoulder. Marine sighed softly.
"I used to sit here for hours, simply watching the sea. Even if it was stormy the sight always calmed me down. When I close my eyes I can almost see Mom standing on the beach and watching the seagulls."
"I'm really glad you showed me this place, Marine", he whispered in her ear. "If you want to we can simply sit here all day."
She leaned even closer in to him, putting her hands on his.
"I'd love to do that", she replied softly, then she turned halfway to look at him. "A lot has changed in my life, especially in the last few weeks. You are of course a very important part of these changes", she said with a loving smile. Jarod returned her glance and waited. He knew that she was about to tell him something important.
"I've thought long about how to explain everything to you and where to start", she continued. "Did Sydney tell you about Ruth Stiller?"
He thought for a moment, and then he shook his head. The name didn't ring a bell. "No. Who is she?"
"Was", she corrected him. "She's died a long time ago." Marine hesitated briefly. "Before I left for England, something happened. Things at the Centre didn't go very well and I had the feeling that I should do something about it. So I asked for his help. I wanted to... do a simulation." She fell silent and Jarod looked at her with surprise. Why hadn't Sydney told him anything about that?
"And the sim was about Ruth Stiller?" he assumed.
"Yes."
"Did it work? I mean, are you..." He didn't finish the sentence but looked at her searchingly. Apparently it wasn't easy for her to talk about it and so he tried to support her as well as he could.
"I could see her memories", she told him. For a moment she was staring vacantly into space, then she looked at him again. The slightest hint of a smile played about her lips. "I'm not like you or Angelo, but in my own way I'm also able to put myself in the position of other people."
"You are a pretender", Jarod said, completely amazed. He had to think of all the new possibilities - for Marine, for both of them.
"If you had found out about it earlier you would have been able to catch me", he added pensively. Marine shook her head with determination.
"No. In that case I would have left the Centre. Or I would have ended up in Raines' little freak show."
Jarod gently pushed a strand of her hair from her forehead. "I never would have let that happen", he assured her. "How do you cope?"
She sighed again. "I'm getting used to it. But..." Her voice trailed off in the middle of the sentence and she looked down to the ground.
"But what?" he asked gently. Marine looked back at him. There was a vulnerability in her gaze that reminded him of the little girl he had fallen in love with such a long time ago.
"But by using my new talent I've learned things I'd rather never had heard of. I happened to meet a young woman in England, Luca Capristi. My talent helped me to find out about the horrible things Lyle had done to her. I took Luca with me when I came back, so that Sydney could look after her."
Jarod nodded. He recalled the young woman he had seen in Marine's house, together with Sydney, shortly after Marine had returned from England. That woman had probably been Luca. Suddenly he felt Marine starting to tremble. A slight worry began to stir in him.
"Marine?"
"I've seen something in Luca's memory. Something that belonged to Lyle's memory", she explained hesitantly. Her voice was slightly wavering. "I couldn't even talk to Sydney about it."
"You don't have to talk about it if it makes you feel so uneasy", Jarod said and pulled her even closer. He felt her sigh rather than hearing it.
"I finally have to talk to someone, Jarod. And you're the only one in whom I have enough trust."
She closed her eyes. Jarod simply held her, wishing he could somehow make it less painful for her. "I love you, Marine." He kissed her on the forehead. "If there's any way for me to make you feel better just tell me and I'll do it."
Marine sat up straight, looking at him for a long time. She took his face gently in her hands, kissing him lightly on the lips. "I don't know if I can find the right words to explain all to you. It's so complicated. I simply want you to know what I'm feeling."
"Sounds almost like an invitation into your head", he said jokingly, but she remained serious.
"It is one", she stated calmly. "There are things that I would never say aloud, but I'm willing to show them to you."
Jarod hesitated. She believed that she would feel better if he pretended to be her and he was more than willing to help her. But he was also afraid. Afraid to hurt her. Marine seemed to guess his doubts.
"It's alright, Jarod. I trust you. But if you don't want to do it I'll try to explain it the conventional way."
"I want you to let me know immediately if you begin to feel uneasy about this", he said firmly.
"Okay."
She leaned back against him. Her head rested against his chests and he could feel her beginning to relax. Jarod began to concentrate on Marine. This wasn't the first time he pretended to be her; he had done it before, mostly to get a better understanding for her and the way she felt about her mother. Now it was even easier for him to become tuned in to her than it had been then.
His own thoughts and emotions became secondary as he got a feel for her - became her. At first he acquainted himself with her new talent until he fully understood what she was able to do now. He relived single moments of her time in England, saw his father through her eyes. Then there was the encounter with Luca and then... Lyle. 'He shouldn't be here.' His emotions were strong, worrying, frightening. They were wrong.
Marine wished desperately for these memories to vanish, but she knew they wouldn't. They now were a part of her - through them, Lyle was a part of her now. It was still affecting her strongly to remember this experience but the knowledge that Jarod finally knew about it comforted her. He was there for her, and her love for him helped her to bear it all.
Her thoughts turned into another direction. Her attention focused on the Centre. She thought about her plan and her firm conviction that it would succeed. Once the Centre had stopped to exist she would be free - and Jarod, too. Then she would never again have to worry about Lyle.
An uneasy feeling washed through her as her thoughts turned back to her brother. His sick desire tormented her. Had she encouraged him in any way? God, Luca's memories had been so real. Almost as if had been herself who Lyle had...
"Marine, don't!"
Jarod jerked his eyes open. He folded her tightly in his arms, talking to her soothingly.
"You must never, ever think that Lyle's behavior is your fault. He is sick. You've never encouraged him. God, I'm so sorry. I know how horrible that's been for you. I wish I could have been there for you. I wish I could somehow undo it. But that's impossible. All I can do is be here for you now. Please don't reproach yourself. Nothing of all that was your fault. You have to believe me."
Right now the only thing that counted was to calm her down. He put his rage against Lyle away for the moment; he would deal with it later. Marine lifted her head. She looked incredibly pale but seemed to be quite balanced. He looked at her worriedly.
"Jarod, I..." It took a moment for her to go on. "On a rational level I know that you're right, but... It simply doesn't feel like that. Anyway, I'm glad that you know now."
"You can tell me everything, especially if it makes you feel better. I will always listen to you."
Marine smiled ever so slightly.
"Thank you, Jarod", she said seriously, gently caressing his cheek. He took her hand in his, kissing her fingers, one after the other.
"I love you, Marine."
For a long while they just sat there in silence, each lost in the other's presence. Marine's gaze rested on the sea, whereas Jarod was watching her, trying to memorize every detail of her beauty. After some time she turned to face him. This time there wasn't even the slightest hint of sadness in her smile.
"So, what do you think about getting rid of the Centre?" she asked him curiously. Jarod blinked, tearing his attention away from her fascinating profile.
"Honestly, I haven't thought about that yet", he admitted. "I'm very proud of you", he then added. She looked at him uncomprehendingly. He smiled tenderly. "The way you face your demons is admirable. Someone else would probably have run away. But you try to deal with it. I think that's remarkable", he explained gently.
"I wouldn't manage without you, Jarod. The thought of you helps me to deal with it all." She hugged him tightly. "I love you", she murmured against his chest.
Jarod wished for this moment to last forever. Everything was so simple here. There were just the two of them and nothing that stood between them. They were both happy.
"I wish we could sit like this forever", Marine sighed and looked up as Jarod chuckled softly.
"I've just had the very same thought", he explained with a grin.
"Then let's stay here. At least for a while." She turned until she faced him. "Do you think it will work? Closing the Centre down, I mean."
He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, but I want to believe it. For us and for everyone else the Centre ever hurt. Hey, why don't you let me help you? I'm sure I can make some useful contributions."
The thought of taking action against the Centre was more than exciting. Jarod's mind was already busy with simulating all possible outcomes of Marine's plan, and the result looked pretty promising. "It could work", he said thoughtfully. "Yes, I think it really could."
Marine looked at him, an amused smile playing about her lips. "I'm quite sure that there's room for improvement in my plan", she said, "and I'd be very grateful for your help. Besides, I don't think that Broots will have any objections against your participation." She wrapped her arms around him. "But I think that can wait till tomorrow."
Jarod returned her smile. "Yes, it can", he confirmed softly. He pulled her close, letting the Centre be the Centre for now.
***
Miss Parker's home
431 Mountain Spring Road
Blue Cove, Delaware
The next morning
02:22 a.m.
The night was moonless. Heavy clouds were covering the sky. Every now and then a single star twinkled through a gap in the clouds. Jarod was wide awake, watching Marine sleep. He thought about the things he had learned earlier at the bay. Lyle. The Centre.
He intended to make sure personally that Lyle would spend the rest of his life behind bars. Not only was Lyle responsible for the death of Kyle, he was also tormenting Marine. But once the Centre had been rendered harmless Lyle would pay for everything.
Jarod forced his thoughts into a more pleasant direction. He tenderly caressed Marine's face. She meant so much to him. There was no way he could imagine his life without her. Only a few weeks ago he would have thought it impossible that they could get so close to each other again in such a short time. Never in his life had he ever loved someone as much as he loved her.
He recalled the many times she had visited him in the Centre when they had both been children. For a long time she had been his only ray of light in his dark prison called the Centre. And today she still was the only person who really understood him.
"Jarod?"
Her sleepy voice startled him out of his musings.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you", he said lowly. He saw a mixture of understanding and compassion in her eyes.
"You're brooding again, Jarod", she replied. "You've always done that, even when we were kids. I know that expression on your face by heart." She sat up in bed and gave him a knowing look. "Today, when we were at the bay, you really helped me. Now it's my turn."
Her fingertips brushed tenderly over his forehead and then ruffled through his hair. "You've told me many times that you don't know who you are. I felt quite the same, so I've given a lot of thought to the question what it is that makes a person." Jarod looked at her, deeply fascinated. Her gaze seemed to reach into the depths of his soul.
"You hope to find out more about yourself by finding your parents. That's perfectly possible - but what's most important is the person who brought you up. Just look at me. I want to believe that I'm resembling my mother but I can't even really remember her. As to my father... Maybe Ben's my biological father but that doesn't necessarily mean that I'm anything like him. The man I've always known as my father is much less like me than I used to think. If you look at it from the right perspective then Sydney has always been the closest thing to a father to me." She smiled with warmth at the mention of Jarod's mentor, and he waited eagerly for her to go on.
"All these relationships are a part of me, but they are not all that I am", she continued. "They are merely a small part of me. It's more difficult for you, of course. By doing all these sims you never got the chance to develop a feel for your own self. You don't know where you come from. What I'm trying to say is this: It's not important how little you know about your past. You are Jarod, the most honest, loving and generous man I've ever met. If you look back at your life you will see certain constants that have always been there, that are a part of you. Sydney is one of them. The names of your parents aren't important for your identity. Not even your own name is important in that respect. You know who you are, Jarod. Trust me. Because if you didn't know who you are, I couldn't know either. And if there are still doubts left: You are the man I love, more than anything else in the world."
"Marine...", he whispered, deeply moved. Sometimes it seemed that she understood him better than he did - just like now. Until now he had never looked at the problem of his identity like that. He remembered the tormenting feeling that had accompanied him for all his life - not to know who he was. True, Sydney had raised him, and Jarod resembled him in many ways. But there were a lot of things, that were uniquely him, that hadn't come from other people but from himself. During the last three years he had begun to get to know himself. He realized that Marine was right. Deep in his heart he really knew who he was.
Jarod shook his had in wonder. His gaze was filled with warmth as he looked at the woman he loved and with whom he shared a bond that could never be expressed with words.
"I have no idea how you're doing this", he said admiringly, "but you always think of the right words to make me feel better."
She smiled tenderly and gently pushed him back on his pillow. "Sleep now, Jarod", she said softly. "And stop brooding."
He grinned broadly as she saw through him once again. "Yes, ma'am", he replied with a low chuckle. Then he pulled her close and enfolded her in his arms. "I love you, Marine", he said ardently.
"Mhm, and I love you." Her voice already sounded sleepy again. Her eyes were closed and her head was nestled on his shoulder. If it was up to him then they'd spent every night from now on exactly like this. 'Well, maybe not exactly like this', he thought, smiled at the thought and eventually fell asleep.
***
Tech room
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
07:29 a.m.
When Miss Parker entered the main entrance hall she burst right into the middle of what might have well been an ant hive in sheer panic - the Centre was humming with activity. No one paid much attention to her so that she reached the tech room without any incidents. Broots wasn't there yet, but Angelo was sitting in front of a computer, completely lost in his work.
"Good morning, Angelo", Miss Parker greeted him with warmth. "Have you been up here all night?"
It was only now that he turned to face her.
"Angelo has a lot to do", he announced solemnly and for a second his timid smile lit up his face. She walked over to him, lovingly stroking his head.
"You should take a break", she offered. Angelo looked at her, his eyes wide with surprise.
"Miss Parker is very happy", he said and his voice had a pleased sound to it. Miss Parker smiled.
"Yes, I am. But", she added, "that's a secret. Nobody is to know about it."
Angelo nodded. "Jarod is a secret. Miss Parker's secret."
"Now he's our secret, Angelo", she replied gently. She looked over his shoulder at the monitor. Apparently he was currently working at the personal files. Just as she wanted to ask him how far he'd come with his work she heard the sound of steps behind her. When she turned her gaze fell upon Broots who was just walking through the door.
"Good morning, Miss Parker. Hello, Angelo."
"Broots, good morning."
She scrutinized him. He looked tired but not as nervous as she had expected him to be. "Did you sleep well?" she wanted to know. Broots blinked with surprise before he answered her.
"Uhm, yes, but not that much. We worked pretty late last night."
He went past her and sat down next to Angelo.
"How far have you got?" Miss Parker asked.
"Well, we've only just started, of course. But I think we're making good progress", Broots explained in the professional tone of voice he always used when he was talking about his field. "Most of the work lies still ahead of us."
"Did you encounter any difficulties?"
Broots shook his head. "No. The program you've given me is working extremely reliably, leaving almost no traces. As long as they don't know what to look for we'll be safe."
Miss Parker nodded contentedly. "Oh, before I forget it... Someone volunteered to help us."
"I'll surely welcome any additional help", Broots assured her firmly. "Who is it?"
"Jarod", she said and smiled amusedly at his surprised expression. She shrugged her shoulders. "He still has a score to settle with the Centre."
"But... We've tried to bring him back in all this time!"
Miss Parker put a hand on his shoulder. "These times are over once and for all, Broots. Deal with it. Besides, it wouldn't make much sense to catch him now, would it?"
She gave him a reassuring smile and walked over to the door. Halfway there, she stopped. "If there's anything you need, simply let me know and I'll get it for you", she said, and then she left the tech room. Only a few more weeks and everything would be over.
