The Unexpected Guest

Chapter 19

Rated: PG

Spoilers: Season 4

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

 

 

The Unexpected Guest

By Nicky

 

Chapter 19

 

 

 

"Allie?" he cries hoarsely.

 

"I'm home, Jarod," she says, half running, half limping towards him. "I finally made it home."

 

He closes the distance between them and pulls her into his arms, not wasting a moment finding her mouth with his own.

 

"Are you okay?" he whispers between kisses.  "I was so worried."  They start walking back towards the house, but when he sees the trouble she's having walking, he picks her up in his arms and carries her the rest of the way.  They get into the house and he sets her on the couch so he can get a closer look at any injuries she might have.

 

"I'm okay.  A little tired because I've been walking all day.  But I'm okay.  We have to get out of here, Jarod.  They're going to know I escaped.  They're going to come looking for me," she says, starting to get a little agitated at the prospect of being kidnapped again.  "Don't let them get me.  Don't let them do to me what they did to Lyle."  The memories of seeing her brother shot come flooding back and overwhelm her.  She grabs onto to Jarod and start to sob hysterically, finally able to mourn Lyle's loss.

 

"Calm down, Allie," he tries to comfort her.  "Sweetie, please stop crying and just listen to me."  He pulls himself out of her grip and grabs the sides of her face, wiping the tears that are streaming steadily.  "I'm not going to let anything happen to you or to Kara.  We're going to be fine.  We're going to stop the Centre.  Because now, we have some help."  He looks over to the doorway where Lyle is standing and motions for him to come into the room.

 

"You're wasting those tears.  I don't deserve them," Lyle says quietly, getting Miss Parker's attention.  He closes his eyes when he hears her gasp from the shock of seeing him.  But before he can open them again, he feels the force of her body knock into him and the tight grip of her arms around his neck.  His shoulder throbbed from the force of her embrace, but he didn't mind.  He was just glad to be able to hold his sister like that.

 

"You're alive.  Daddy didn't kill you," she cries.  "I was so worried that . . ."

 

"About me?" he groans in pain as he slowly pulls out of her hug.  "It's a good thing Dad's a lousy shot.  He missed me by a mile," he tries to joke to hide the pain he was feeling from his shoulder.

 

"Actually, you were pretty lucky.  He got pretty close," Jarod says.  "If he had gotten any closer, you might not have made it here last night.  And I might not have been able to stop the bleeding."

 

"You helped him?" she looks at Jarod and asks him incredulously. 

 

"And you haven't tried to take him in yet?" she looks at Lyle and asks him. 

 

She's finally realizing how peacefully the two men are existing in the same space.  Something was going on here that she hadn't been clued into yet.

 

"Your brother and I have come to an understanding," Jarod says, with a little grin.

 

"An understanding?" she repeats skeptically.

 

"Yes.  An understanding," Lyle chimes in.  "We both understand that we had to trust each other in order to try to protect you.  Because we both love you."

 

"Love me?"  She's completely surprised.  "You love me, Lyle?"  Tears start to mist her eyes.  Simple words she'd never expect to come out of his mouth, but words that she had unknowingly been waiting to hear her entire life.  She looks up at him just as the tears finally begin to fall and smiles at him.  She gently lays her head on his good shoulder and wraps her arms around his waist. 

 

The tears are flowing freely from both of them, and Jarod decides to give them some time alone. But just as he's walking through the door, he hears her murmur something that brings a smile to his face.

 

"I love you too," she whispers.

 

 

"No wonder we could never find you, Jarod.  This little house is so far out of the way, I don't think anyone would spot it," Lyle says with a laugh.  He looks around the place.  It was small, but it looked like it would suit their purposes.  And that was to lay low while they came up with a plan to take down the Centre.

 

Miss Parker's homecoming celebration was a short one.  In order to keep everyone safe, they needed to keep moving.  It would only be a matter of time before the sweepers tracked her back to her house.  They decide that it would be best to go to the safe house.  The little cottage tucked away off the side of the road that they stayed in right after Kara was born.

 

"It's cozy.  I think that's why we like it so much," Miss Parker says, looking up lovingly at Jarod.  He's holding Kara in one arm while dragging a suitcase with the other.

 

"Let me get her," Miss Parker says reaching out for the baby with a huge smile on her face.  "Come here, my little one.  Mommy missed you so much."  She takes Kara and goes to sit down on the couch.

 

"She missed you too," Jarod tells her while setting the suitcase down by the door.  He goes to sit next to her, snuggling on the couch with his family.  Holding them close to be sure he didn't lose either of them again.  "And so did I," he says, placing a light kiss on her lips.

 

"Sorry to break up this little family moment," Lyle says with a little grin. "But can somebody show me to my room.  My shoulder's aching and I want to lay down for awhile."  He smiles at the little scene before him on the couch.  Never in a million years could he have imagined this from his sister and the man who was supposed to be her worst enemy.

 

"No problem, little brother," Miss Parker says as she puts the baby back into Jarod's arms.

 

"Little brother?  You're only what?  Like six minutes older than me?" Lyle laughs.  He walks over to the couch and pulls Miss Parker up by her outstretched hand.

 

"Seven and a half minutes older than you," she laughs back.  Her laughter stops, however, after Lyle lets go of her hand.  The standing up motion was too quick and causes her to stagger a little, losing her balance.  She falls back to her seat on the couch, holding her head in her hands.

 

"Are you alright, Parker?" Lyle asks, suddenly concerned about his sister.

 

"I'm fine.  Just a little dizzy, that's all," she explains.  She tries to stand up again, but falls right back down.

 

"No, you're not alright," Jarod starts, but he's quickly interrupted by Miss Parker.

 

"I am," she insists.  "I probably just need to eat.  And get some rest.  I don't really remember when was the last time I did either."

 

"Okay, so are you more tired or more hungry?" Jarod asks, still concerned about her weakened condition.

 

"Hungry," she says, holding on to her stomach.  "Actually, I'm starving."

 

"Good, I'll go get something for us to eat," Jarod offers.  "You two stay here and when I get back, we can start talking about what to do about the Centre.  Whatever we do, it's going to have to be soon.  Because I'm not going to risk them tearing my family apart again."  He puts his hand on Miss Parker's cheek and strokes it gently.  He stares at her for a moment before finally leaving to get the food.

 

 

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