The Unexpected Guest

Chapter 12

Rated: PG

Spoilers: Season 4

Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine. You know the drill.

 

 

The Unexpected Guest

By Nicky

 

Chapter 12

 

 

 

Broots and Sydney are just about to sit down and wait for Miss Parker when they hear the doorknob start to rattle.  They're even more surprised when they see Jarod walk through the door.  He's just as surprised to see them there.

 

"Syd!  Broots!  You guys scared me.  I didn't know you would be here," he says.

 

"Jarod! What are you doing here?" Sydney whispers, afraid of Miss Parker hearing him.  But it's too late.

 

"Syd, is someone at the door?" she yells from the other room.  She leaves Debbie to finish changing the baby's diaper and starts to walk towards the front room where the others are.

 

"She's coming!  Quick, Jarod, you've got to get out of here," Sydney orders.  "She's going to kill you if she sees you here."  He opens the front door while Broots shoves Jarod out.  They close it just as Miss Parker finally enters the room.

 

"Who was at the door?" she asks.

 

"Room service," Broots stammers.

 

"I didn't order any room service.  Come on guys.  What's going on here?"

 

"What do you mean, Parker?  There's nothing going on," Sydney says innocently as a thin line of sweat starts to trickle down his face.

 

"Then why are the two of you standing there looking like Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dumber?  Move out of my way," she growls.

 

They both jump out of the way and pray that Jarod has gotten a far enough lead so that she won't find him.  They watch as she walks to the door and opens it, revealing a very confused Jarod still standing in the doorway.

 

She looks at Jarod and then turns to look at the other two. 

 

"What's going on here?"  She asks them again.  Then she turns back to Jarod.  "And why are you out in the hall? Get in here.  Did you bring the food?"

 

Once again, all Broots and Sydney can do is stare in shock. 

 

"Miss Parker?  Care to explain?" Sydney finally utters.

 

"Are you two working together now or something?" Broots adds.

 

"You can say that," Jarod says with a cryptic little grin as he brings in the cart of food.  He rolls it by the table and starts to unload it.

 

"Let's just say that we've both taken up the mission to keeping him OUT of the Centre," Miss Parker admits.  "It was easy to begin with.  All I had to do was make sure we followed the false leads Jarod set up.  But now that Lyle is apparently on his own now, things have changed.  It's going to be too dangerous to keep on helping Jarod the way I have been helping him."  Miss Parker stretches and lets out a big yawn, which doesn't go unnoticed by Jarod.

 

"Are you okay?  You look exhausted," he says when he finally is able to get a good look at her.  "Sydney, how long has she been like this?"

 

"A couple of days," he replies, somewhat surprised at Jarod's sudden interest in Miss Parker's health.

 

"A couple of days!  When was the last time you got any sleep?" Jarod asks, turning his attention back to Miss Parker.  "Are those nightmares keeping you up?"

 

"They're worse when I'm alone," she finally admits.  "I'm afraid to go back to sleep after them."

 

"Oh, Honey.  I'm so sorry," he says, pulling her into his arms.  "I should have been there for you.  I should have packed up and come home like I wanted to last night."

 

Broots and Sydney's mouths fall wide open.  They look at each other and then back to the couple in front of them.

 

"Honey?" they say simultaneously.

 

"You guys are together?  Like a couple?" Broots asks after putting two and two together.

 

Miss Parker turns around, but stays wrapped in Jarod's arms.  They both look at the other two and laugh at the looks of shock still on their face.

 

"Yeah, we're together," she says, smiling up at Jarod.

 

"But more like husband and wife," Jarod adds.  They both hold up their left hands for Broots and Sydney to see the rings.

 

"Married?  You two?  I think I need to sit down for this," Sydney exclaims.  He makes his way to a chair and just stare at them shaking his head.  He couldn't believe it.  What on earth could they have been thinking?

 

"How long has this been going on?" Broots asks when the shock wears off a little.

 

"Remember when you gave me that file you found on Jarod's father?  We got married a little after that," Miss Parker tells them.

 

"So you guys have been married for almost three months now," Sydney questions.  "And at no point during those three months, you felt like sharing your secret, Parker?  This is big.  Huge.  Is there anything else you two are keeping from us?"

 

"Nope, that's it," Jarod says just as Debbie comes out of the back room with the baby.  The two little girls draw the attention of the room of adults they just interrupted.

 

"Oh, except for the baby," Miss Parker adds with a smile.  "Thanks, Debbie.  It looks like you did an excellent job.  Jarod, we might have ourselves a first class babysitter in the makings right here."  She holds her arms out to get the baby from Debbie.  "Sydney.  Broots.  This is Kara."

 

"Kara's our daughter now," Jarod explains.  "We're raising her.  She had a rough start in life and needed some parents.  So, we decided to be there for her."

 

They continue to explain the whole story to Sydney and Broots.  From the time Miss Parker delivered the baby up to the point where they're all sitting together, snowed in a lodge in Philadelphia.

 

"That's quite a story," Broots finally says.  "What's going to happen now?"

 

"I don't know," Miss Parker sighs.  "We don't know what Lyle is up to.  But I still think that we're all in danger.  We have to do something to stop him.  To stop all of them."

 

"Are you proposing we take down the Centre?" Sydney asks incredulously.

 

"I don't see how we have any other choice," Jarod says quietly.  It's going to be either them . . . . . or us."

 

 

Later that night, Jarod and Miss Parker lay together in bed, relaxing in each other's arms.

 

"I've missed you so much, Jarod.  I've missed being in your arms like this and having you kiss me and hold me and make love to me."

 

"I missed you too," he whispers into her ear, nibbling it gently. 

 

"I think our news was a bit of a surprise for them today," she says with a smile remembering the shocked expressions on Broots and Syd's faces.  But then she stops to think about how much she cares about them all.  And about how much it would hurt to lose them.  And instantly, her eyes start to well up with tears.  "We have to keep them safe, Jarod.  Because they're part of our family, too.  We can't let anything happen to them."

 

"I'm not going to lie to you, Honey.  It's going to be tough.  And it's going to be dangerous.  But we'll work it out.  We have to," he promises.  "We can do anything as long as we're together."

 

"But what if we're not.  Together that is.  What if something happens to one of us.  Like in my nightmares," she sobs.  "I can't lose you, Jarod.  We finally made it back to each other.  I can't lose you now.  I love you so much."

 

"I love you, too," he whispers in her ear.  He pulls her closer and starts to stroke her hair, trying to sooth her.  "We've always been together.  And no matter what happens, we'll always be together.  In our hearts.  Our souls are connected.  And that lasts forever."

 

They both finally drift off to sleep, trying to treasure each moment they had with each other.  Things were about to be shaken up at the Centre.  And they had to make sure they had a good grip on each other so that they're not torn apart by the inevitable storm that was brewing back in Blue Cove.

 

 

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