The Unexpected Guest

Chapter 20

Rated: PG

Spoilers: Season 4

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

 

 

The Unexpected Guest

By Nicky

 

Chapter 20

 

 

 

Jarod wakes the next morning with Miss Parker snuggled deep in his arms.  He doesn't want to wake her, so he carefully slides out of her embrace and tip toes to the door.  He heads towards the kitchen for a glass of juice and runs into Lyle, doing the same.

 

"I see you're more of a morning person than your sister is," Jarod laughs.  "She's really grouchy if she's woken up too early."

 

"Really grouchy?  I didn't know she had different moods.  Grouchy is all I've ever seen her.  But then again, I've given her nothing but grief.  So I guess her grouchy side is all I would see."  He scans the refrigerator for something to eat, but doesn't find anything.

 

"Sorry for the bare cabinets," Jarod apologizes.  "I wasn't really prepared for all of us to be here.  You could always warm up some pizza from last night until I can make it out to the store."  He manages to find the coffee and starts to brew a pot. 

 

"That was the first thing I looked for.  But I think it's all gone," Lyle says, showing him the empty pizza boxes.  "Does my sister usually eat that much?"

 

"I guess she was just really hungry, like she said.  But if all that pizza is gone, then she ate more than I thought," he says with a laugh.  He reaches into the drawer and pulls out a Pez dispenser, popping a piece in his mouth.  "You want some?"

 

"Yeah, thanks."  Lyle gets some of the candy to chew on until the coffee is ready.  His mood then turns back to all business.  "I've been up awhile, starting some of the initial preparations of that plan we discussed last night.  Based on what I remember, tonight is probably going to be the night to do what we have to do."

 

"That soon?"  Jarod asks.  He walks over to his computer and stares at the screen.  After a brief minute to analyze what he saw, he comes to the same conclusion as Lyle.  "I guess you're right.  Timing is the key to our success.  And now seems like the only time to get what we need."

 

"What about Parker?  Is she going to be up for it?" Lyle asks with some concern.  His sister didn't seem to be feeling her best.  And who could blame her.  She'd just been through a traumatic experience. 

 

"She has to be," Jarod sighs.  "Because we can't do this without her."

 

"Do what without me?" Miss Parker growls from the doorway.  She starts to walk towards the kitchen and Jarod meets her halfway.

 

"Good morning, Honey," he says with a smile, leaning in to kiss her.

 

"Coffee," she mumbles, pushing him away.  "Must have coffee."  She slowly makes her way to the table and collapses on the chair, laying her head down on the table in front of her.

 

"Why don't you go back and rest some more if you're still tired," Lyle suggests, but quickly shuts his mouth when she throws an evil glare his way.

 

"I'm not tired," she insists.  "I mean, I am tired, but it's more than that.  I just don't feel good in general.  I shouldn't have fallen right to sleep after I ate last night."

 

"True," Lyle agrees.  "And you probably shouldn't have eaten half of Blue Cove last night, either," he laughs.  That too is stopped quickly by another evil glare from Miss Parker.  He turns and gives Jarod a 'you were right about the grouch' look.

 

"I didn't eat that much," she claims, but has to change her story when Lyle shows her the empty boxes.  "Okay, so I was hungry.  I told you I hadn't eaten in days.  Now WHERE IS THAT COFFEE?" she snaps.

 

"Here you go, Honey," Jarod says, setting the mug of steaming liquid in front of her.  "Maybe Lyle is right.  Maybe you should go get a little more sleep.  You might wake up feeling a little better next time," he tells her sweetly, trying to lighten her mood a bit.  She was a lot worse this morning than usual.

 

"I . . . AM . . . FINE," she says slowly, through clenched teeth.  "All I need is this coffee to get me started."  She takes a sip from her mug before looking back up at them.  "I fell asleep before you guys made any plans last night.  So why don't you fill me in."

 

"Well, thanks to Lyle . . ." Jarod begins.

 

"Hold that thought, Sweetheart," Miss Parker groans.  She was suddenly hit with an overwhelming feeling of nausea.  One she couldn't hold back.  She holds her hands over her mouth and runs to the bathroom, barely making it before she can no longer hold in all in.

 

She comes back a few minutes later, having gotten it all out of her system.  She didn't know where that came from.  Her stomach probably couldn't handle all of that pizza that late at night.

 

"Okay, Jarod.  You were saying?"  She sits back to the table and waits for him to resume his explanation. 

 

"Are you sure you're up for this?" He asks her incredulously.  "I think you might be sick."

 

"Jarod, I have to be fine.  Because this is something we have to do.  We have to do something about the Centre, or else it's going to run our lives forever.  No matter where we go.  No matter how far we have to run," she says through the tears now running down her face.

 

"It's okay," Jarod says, walking over to her to comfort her.  "Everything is going to be alright.  This plan we came up with is going to take care of your father and the Centre, once and for all."

 

"So what's this plan?" she asks.  "And when do we do this?  Because the sooner I get on with my life, the better."

 

"I can explain it, Sis," Lyle starts.  "Do you ever wonder how the Centre has been able to exist for so long without any government probing?"

 

"I assumed it was because we had people in high enough places to keep the government out of things," she responds.

 

"We do," he continues.  "But that wouldn't be enough to keep the government away for so long.  Basically, the Centre has to go through an audit four times a year.  Someone comes out and looks at the books, our research, and our computers.  During those times, all the real stuff that goes on at the Centre is carefully hidden.  The auditor is given fake records of the research, and the illegal computer files are hidden."

 

"How can they hide all of that information?" she asks.

 

" 'Hide' might not be the right word for it.  It's more like they mask it," Jarod explains.  "I developed a simple program to do it years ago when I was still at the Centre.  But I never knew what it was being used for until Lyle explained to me about the audits."

 

"Tonight they're going to start the masking sequencing on the files for the audit scheduled for in the morning," Lyle says.  "Now is the perfect time to get in there and reverse the masking.  So that when the auditor shows up, he'll see what the Centre is really up to."

 

"The hard part is going to be keeping the auditor safe after he finds out about what's going on," Jarod interrupts.  "Because it would be easy for them to just kill him and with an 'accident' or something."

 

"Once the government gets wind of what's going on at the Centre, there won't be anything anyone can do to stop a formal investigation.  That is going to scare away the members of the Triumvirate.  They're in way too deep and would go to jail for life if they were caught.  They'll probably all just disappear," Lyle hypothesizes.

 

"What about Daddy?  He's not going to just roll over and give up.  He's going to fight us on this," she tells them.

 

"That's going to be up to you and Lyle to decide," Jarod says.  "You can choose what place your father will have in the future of the Centre."

 

"The Centre will have a future?"

 

"For the most part, the work and research done by the Centre is good.  Important discoveries have been made there.  But the research has been used in the wrong way.  I don't see any reason for that research to stop.  The subjects will of course be volunteers.  And we'll make sure that all of the scientific and medical developments made will work for the greater good."

 

"That's good," she says, thinking to herself.  "For people like Angelo.  He helped me escape, you know," she says with a smile.  "And I wanted him to come with me.  But he said the Centre was his home."

 

"Hopefully pretty soon, Angelo's home will be a safe one.  One where he won't have to fear anything ever again," Jarod says, pulling Miss Parker into his arms and kissing her lightly on the forehead.

 

"I hope you're right, Jarod.  I really hope everything turns out okay." She closes her eyes and buries her head in his chest, squeezing him tight.  Holding on to him for dear life.

 

 

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