BY: Trixi

Parker finished as quickly as possible. All she wanted now was to sleep, really to sleep, in her own bed. She climbed out of the shower and put a large towel around her body and one around her hair. As she stood in front of the big mirror, she looked at herself, wondering what had happened to bring her to this point in her life. Everything so different than before. Shortly after Jarod had escaped, she blamed him for everything. She told herself he was the reason why her life had gone to hell. She told herself that everything was fine before he escaped. Lies. Only lies. Nothing was right before. Nothing. Her whole life was built on lies. Her mother's death, her brother, her . The only true thing sat in the next room. He was everything good that survived from her past life and into her new one. Parker had no clue what might come next. She just wanted all the answers from her father and then ... only God knew, though she had never believed in Him. She wasn't even sure about Jarod. If her father told them about his parents, would he go to them and leave her? If her father wouldn't tell them, would he keep on searching for them?

It was then she realized she didn't want him to leave. Not now, not ever. But she was so afraid to depend on him. What if he found out she wasn't the woman he thought she was?

She throw one last look in the mirror, tied her robe in front of her and went back to the living room.

"Oh, great, you're ready." Jarod closed the laptop and grabbed his stuff.

"Guess what I found in the database?" he said while searching for his toiletries.

"What?"

"Our dear friend is back."

"Which one?"

"Brigitte!"

"What?" she looked up from her night table in surprise.

"Yeah, she's back on the payroll."

"You're kidding!"

"Nope." Then he slipped into the bathroom.

Parker thought a moment and decided she couldn't let him go like that. She followed him. "What does that mean?" She leaned on the and door frame and watched him shut the shower door.

"Hey, could you at least close the door. It's getting cold in here!"

Parker rolled her eyes but did so. "Well...?"

"Someone must have reactivated her."

"And who would that be?"

"Maybe your lovely..."

"Brother from hell!" she finished for him.

"Maybe. Ah, could you hand me my shower gel, it's in the black bag."

Lyle was back and so was Brigitte, what next? Her mom comes back from the dead and everything was just a bad joke?

"Please?" Jarod asked again.

"Oh, ah, sure." Parker came back to the present, threw it to him and then went back outside.

When Jarod emerged 15 minutes later she was sitting on the window seat with a blanket around her looking up at the sky. She turned around to see him standing there, clad in boxers and a T-shirt, grinning at her.

"What?" she raised her eyebrows slightly.

"I've always pictured you sitting that way. I mean, you know what I mean." He hung his towel over the closest chair and sat, his back to her, between her legs when she held the blanket up for him. When he had spread it out over them, he nestled back against her, her hands crossed over his chest, his hands caressing her legs from knee to toes. He had always wanted what he just gotten. Just to be held and feel safe. Not wondering if the other would betray him. Every friend he had had in the Center turned out to be his enemy, ended up dead or was another imprisoned victim.

"What are you thinking?" he asked after a while, looking up to her.

"Nothing. It was a long trip, I'm just tired." Her hands traveled through his hair.

"Shall we go to bed?" he offered.

"Mhm, no, I mean yes. But I probably won't get any sleep. It's so bright outside but my body tells me it's night, that's crazy."

"That's only jet-lag. Come on." Jarod slowly pulled the blanket away and offered her a hand. Jarod chuckled when he climbed under the covers after her.

"What? Don't you like my bed?"

"No, no. I just wondered what you would have told me if I had told you I would sleep in this bed one day?"

"I would have told you, you should call a 900-number."

"No, you said that before."

"Then I would have told you, you should search for a hobby instead of calling and playing games with me."

"But you would have missed my calls and games, wouldn't you?"

"No."

"Oh, come on.... I know you would."

"I know. Now shut up." She lightly hit him with her pillow.

"Did you just hit me?" his eyes shone as he took his pillow and held it above his head.

"Jarod, leave it alone, OK?" but she couldn't stop laughing.

"You know what that means? Payback!" Then he threw the pillow right at her face.

"Payback? OK! You'll get payback!"

And after these words they had the most fun pillow-fight they could imagine. Jarod ended up on top of her, straddling her hips and pinning her hands to her side, his face just inches above her.

"And now?" he grinned triumphantly.

"Guess you lose..." Parker grinned back.

"I don't think s....." he said nothing else because she leaned up and captured his lips with her own. He was defenseless against this choice of weapons.

"This doesn't feel like losing," he mumbled between kisses and added, whispering in her ear, "Maybe I got the best prize, huh?"

"Do you think we should get some sleep now?" she asked after a while. They had switched positions, she was now on top of him.

"Mhm, no! Do you want to get up?" he asked waiting curiously for her reaction.

"No way, mister. We're not finished yet."

Parker woke as Jarod carefully untangled from her and disappeared into the bathroom. When she heard him turn off the shower, she finally pushed back the blanket. The door stood open a crack and she pushed it further so she could slip inside. Seeing him standing there, in her own bathroom, reminded her of their first stay on the island, when they were cuffed together. Only they weren't half naked then.

"Wanna share with me, what's so funny?" his voice was even deeper and incredibly more sexy in the morning. It made her stomach jump.

"Remember the island? Our first together?"

"Oh yes. How could I forget. That was a highlight of my life!" he joked and unpacked his razor.

She watched him lather his face and stepped over, "Let me?" Parker gently took the razor from his hand and made him turn around to her.

"We want you to look good when we visit daddy, don't we?" she set the blade on his cheek.

Jarod swallowed and closed his eyes.

"What? Do you think I might cut you?" She washed the lather away with a clothe from the sink.

"No, mhm, ...no. I trust you."

"Gooooood." She let the blade glide slowly down his skin.

When she wiped the leather away again, he asked, "Have you already thought about what to ask your dad?"

Parker stopped her strokes and then went on. When she reached his jawline, she quickly looked in his eyes and then back down at the razor. "Yes and no. I think I'll know when it's time."

"Mhm." He couldn't nod at the moment.

After she was finished and had wiped away the last of the lather, Jarod grabbed the lotion but Parker took it from him and squeezed a bit in her hand and began slowly to rub it in.

"I like fresh shaved men." She caressed his cheek once more and leaned in to give him a quick kiss. "Smooth as a baby's behind."

"What?" Jarod's eyes never left hers as he put the tube back in his bag.

"It's a saying." She pulled him to her by the towel around his waist and kissed him again. This time on the mouth.

When they separated Jarod asked, "Shall I get us something to eat while you get ready?"

"I'm not hungry but if you are, I wish you luck finding something."

One hour later, Parker and Jarod left the house the same way they came in and walked a short way through the woods to their rental-car. Parker had packed a bag with things she wanted to take with her and Jarod carried another. They loaded them in the trunk and Jarod got behind the wheel. "To your dad's house?"

"Yes, he usually comes home around 7 or 8 p.m."

"We'll leave the car a few streets away and walk the last bit, OK?" Jarod pulled onto a small side street and killed the engine. They walked through the garden behind Mr. Parker's house.

Parker turned to Jarod after he opened the door without setting off the alarm, "I want you to wait outside, like a for daddy."

"OK" Jarod shrugged and stepped back.

Minutes later, Mr. Parker entered. He shut the front door behind him, sat his briefcase on a little table and then turned on the light. He turned white when he saw his daughter standing there. He froze.

"Hi daddy." She greeted him sweetly but didn't make a move towards him.

"Ah, ahm, mhm, Angel. Where have you been?"

She didn't answered but walked slowly around the room, looking it over. She hasn't been here in a long time but everything looked like she remembered.

"My god. Where have you been?" he asked again.

She heard real concern in his voice. "Away. Shit. Someone at the Centre tried to *kill* me, damn it!"

"Please calm down. It was a mistake. I didn't know anything about it till they told me you were gone." Mr. Parker stepped over to her and touched her arm to make her look at him.

She chuckled sadly. "And you think I believe you. Tell me one thing you haven't lied to me about." She stared in his eyes searching for a reaction.

"Look. I'm not gonna stay long so let's make this short. Who killed my mother? I want to know the truth!"

He stood there, his mouth open, unable to respond.

"Damn it, answer me!" her strong voice could be heard though the whole house.

"Angel, please..."

"No! Tell me or I'll ..."

"What? I'm your father!" he responded authoritatively.

"I don't think so." She pulled out her gun and aimed at him with a shaky hand.

"Please..." he held his hands up in defense. "Calm down, please."

Miss Parker steadied the gun and took one step toward him.

" T e l l m e!"

"OK, OK. Put the gun down, darling and I'll tell you everything I know."

Jarod stood outside, watching them through the window. When she pulled her gun he held his breath, afraid she might lose control, but let it out again as the old man began to speak.

"It was a bad time back then." Mr. Parker looked at the ground and turned away from her before he continued. "Jarod's father, he ... " he stopped again, searching for the right words.

"Daddy wait. I think we should call someone else in who also deserves to hear this." She said without anger. She walked to the porchdoor, opened it and held her hand out to take Jarod's in hers and let him in.

"Jarod!?!" Mr. Parker watched them walk back in the living room - together.

Lyle watched them from the outside, Brigitte and some sweepers by his side. He saw them sitting in the livingroom and Mr. Parkers face seemed sweety.

"You.. but you knew I couldn't bear children!" Miss Parker didn't know whether to cry or to yell.

"No, ... no... it's not what you might think. I ... I faked the reports myself to ...," he didn't dare look in her eyes, "protect you from the worst. Please, I know I've made lots of mistakes but you have to believe me. I love you." He begged her.

Jarod felt her hand, which he still held, trembling and gave her a quick squeeze to let her know he was there for her.

"Angel, I can't promise you anything but you should leave now. If you stay any longer I might not be able to protect you. The Triumvirate may be watching me, too. They don't trust me anymore."

"One last thing. Where is my mom?" Jarod spoke for the first time.

"I'm not sure about this but you might find her under the name somewhere in the midwest. Sorry, but they haven't kept me up to date lately."

"You mean you knew all the time where she was?" Miss Parker asked in surprise but she didn't get an answer.

"You have to go now before it's too late," Mr. Parker repeated.

"He's right." Jarod gently pulled her to him.

BANG!

The front door crashed open and Miss Parker and Jarod stood face to face with three sweepers.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, how could you have been so stupid as to come here?" Lyle entered the room followed by Brigitte who was pointing a gun at them.

"What are you doing here? How the hell did you know they were here?" Mr. Parker hissed at his son.

"Dad?" he sounded wounded. "I had sent a sweeper to be here in case you needed him."

"Needed him! You mean he was watching me! How dare you?"

"Calm down, dad. It was for your own protection."

"For my protection? You were pretty late. They could have killed me." He spun back into his usual Parker role. "Take them to the Centre!" he ordered and Brigitte nodded. She cuffed them both and let the sweepers take them out. Inside the car, Jarod tried to whisper something in Parker's ear but Brigitte quickly sat in front of them in the limo and defeated any other attempts at communication.

"Well, well." She crossed her legs, "This is my lucky day. My favorite prey and my dearest friend..." She grinned at them as the car pulled onto the road.

"What did they do to you?" Lyle finally asked.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" but Parker let him stand there and walked away.

Jarod and Miss Parker were dragged down into some sublevel and pushed into Jarod's old room. For the next 24 hours they were left in isolation. No one even came with food.

Miss Parker watched Jarod slowly become more and more nervous. He walked from one end of the room to the other and back, again and again.

"Jarod, please..." she began. It seemed like the walls were closing in on her. Slowly moving closer and closer to smash her between them. She knew it must be much harder for Jarod. She stood up from the cell's single small bed walked after him. "Hey." She stepped in front of him and caressed his cheek.

"I have to get out of here," he whispered. Closing his eyes, he stepping up to her, hugged her tight and buried his face in her neck.

She tried to calm him for the next few hours but he slowly went insane. He was anxious, broke out in sweat, and trembled periodically.

"HEY! HEY! I want to speak with someone!" Parker hit the door and waited for some reaction. "Damn, I know you can see and hear me!" She kicked the door.

After a while Lyle's bored voice shouted from outside , "Step back from the door." He entered with two sweepers. "What do you want, sis?" He looked at them like they were just some strangers, like animals in a cage.

"We can't stay in here." Parker's eyes drilled into his.

"Oh, you can't stay in here?" Lyle mocked. "I don't think you're in a position to make any demands." Leaning on the wall watching them, Miss Parker standing in front of him and Jarod sitting on the ground, Lyle laughed at them both. "Oh, poor you. Maybe we should check you into a five star hotel? I guess not." He turned to leave, "And don't scream any more, you may wake the ghosts."

"Bastard!" Parker shouted after him as the door closed. She kicked the metal once more, "Shit!" She sat back beside Jarod. "Will you be OK?"

"I have to be, don't I. What about you?"

"I'm fine. I'm just feeling a little bit sick. May be the jet lag. Why haven't they showed up to tell us what they want by now?"

"I have no clue." Jarod's voice sounded tired and sad as he took her hand and intertwined their fingers, starring at them.

Though someone showed up and brought them dinner, neither Jarod nor Parker could eat anything. They lay together on the bed, Jarod's head resting comfortably on her chest. Listening to her heartbeat distracted him temporary from his agoraphobia.

Parker had lost track of time long ago. Jarod's sense had been better trained over the years but they had taken her watch, her purse and everything else.

Brigitte entered Lyle's office and hopped on his desk.

"Well, what are our friends doing?"

"Nothing." Lyle signed some papers and put them away.

Brigitte watched the small monitor on the desk and then looked back at Lyle.

"Oh, how sweet. Don't they look cute together? What are we going to do?"

"Nothing. We have to wait."

"But why, luv? What do they wanna do with them anyway? Jarod will never work for us again and that bitch, ..."

Lyle stared her down and respond slowly and dangerously. "That is still my sister and also our key to a new generation of pretenders more powerful than you can imagine!" He focused once again on her and sighed.

"It's a waste to throw her in his arms," he mumbled and Brigitte watched him with amusement.

"And why don't they just breed them. We have our own methods to do so..." she finally asked.

"Don't you know anything?" Lyle chuckled patronizingly. "You should do your homework better." He paused briefly and continued, "Jarod is a natural Pretender. He was born like this and not made like the others, like Angelo or ..."

"You?" Brigitte crossed her legs provocatively.

Lyle answered with a grin, "But a new, more powerful pretender also has to be raised like a normal kid. We tried it a few times in here in our labs but we always failed. We need *her*, too. When they have this child, they have to raise it until we can take it for our purposes."

"He's right." Mr. Parker's voice filled the room and he stepped out of the shadow of the entrance. "We can't allow a mistake! One false step and we have to begin again."

"And what about these tests I heard about? They say she can't be a mommy."

Brigitte hopped down from the desk, facing Mr. Parker. Lyle cut in. "We'll re-do the tests tomorrow morning. I don't trust these old reports."

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