The Unexpected Guest

Chapter 21

Rated: PG

Spoilers: Season 4

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

 

 

The Unexpected Guest

By Nicky

 

Chapter 21

 

 

 

Broots and Debbie had just sat down to dinner when the knock came at the door.  Nobody usually came to visit.  Not ever.  It must be bad news he feared. 

 

"I'll get it, Dad," Debbie offers.

 

"No, Honey.  Let me get it.  We don't know who it could be," Broots tells her.  'Or what they're going to want', he thinks to himself.  He walks to the door and peeks out the window to see who it was.  And in that instant he suddenly wished he hadn't.  He raises a shaky hand to the knob and opens the door.

 

"Mr. Lyle," he stutters.  "What are you doing here?  Your father said that . . ."

 

"Forget what my father said," Lyle interrupts.  "Are you here alone?"

 

"Well, Debbie's here.  It's just the two of us.  We were about to have dinner when you showed up."

 

"Am I going to have to stand here all night, or are you going to let me in?" Lyle asks the scared man.  It almost made him laugh to see Broots so nervous.  No wonder his sister always took joy in tormenting the poor man.

 

"Of course, Mr. Lyle.  Come in," Broots says, opening the door wide to let him in.  He's about to close the door back when another foot comes in, preventing the door from closing.

 

"Does that invitation stand for us, too?" Jarod asks, peeking his head into the house.  He opens the door himself and holds it open for Miss Parker and Kara.  And Miss Parker did NOT look happy.

 

"Jarod.  Miss Parker.  What are you two doing here?  With him," Broots whispers, motioning his head in Lyle's direction.

 

"That's a long story, Broots.  One we don't have time to tell you about right now.  We're here for a favor," Jarod tells him.  He looks over at his wife and daughter and lets out a sigh.  "We know this is the last minute and everything, but we need for you to watch Kara for us."

 

"You know that's no problem, Jarod.  She's a wonderful baby.  And Debbie just adores her . . ."

 

"It could be for awhile," Jarod interrupts.  He looks again at Miss Parker and sees that tears are starting to fall down her face. 

 

"What's really going on, Jarod?" Broots asks when he notices Miss Parker's distress.

 

"We're going into the Centre tonight," Lyle tells him.  "To make sure my father's reign of terror is over for good.  Things could get dangerous."

 

Broots looks at him curiously, but doesn't say anything.  He was shocked to see that Lyle was including himself as an ally instead of the enemy.  He doesn't know what's happened to change all of that, but he just hopes for the sake of his friends that Lyle can be trusted.

 

"If anything happens to us," Miss Parker starts, but can't finish through her sobs.

 

"You're a good father, Broots," Jarod tells him.  "You've done a good job with Debbie.  If anything happens to us, we just need to make sure Kara will be taken care of.  And we're trusting you to do that."

 

"It would be an honor, Jarod.  Miss Parker, you know I'll protect her with my life.  I'll treat her like my own," Broots promises.

 

"I know you will, Broots," she whispers.  She hugs Kara one last time before handing her to Broots.  "I know you'll take good care of my baby."  Suddenly her arms are lighter, but her heart feels much heavier.  She can't take the pressure and has to leave the house.

 

"Lyle," Jarod starts, looking at the front door.

 

"I'll go after her," he offers.  Lyle gives Jarod a sympathetic smile before running after Miss Parker.

 

"I know you're probably pretty confused," Jarod tells Broots.  "But hopefully this will all be over soon.  And the Centre as you know it will be gone.  I want you to take this."  He reaches in his bag and pulls out a large envelope and hands it to Broots.  "This is everything you need to protect you and the girls in case we don't make it back here.  If you don't hear from us in three days, I want to you follow the instructions in the envelope.  Get away from here and never look back.  Is that going to be a problem?"

 

"Miss Parker's like family to me.  I'd do anything for her," Broots reassures him.  "Just be careful.  And come back for this little girl.  She needs you."

 

Jarod thanks Broots again and heads towards the door.  Leaving Kara turned out to be harder than he expected.  But the night was still young.  The hard part was still to come.

 

"Let's do this," Miss Parker says, not even looking up at Jarod as he comes out of the door. 

 

He can hear in her voice that she's gotten her edge back.  That cold exterior that used to be the suit she wore everyday.  The face that she wore that made her the ice princess.  That was the Miss Parker the Centre made.  And that was the Miss Parker that was determined to personally see to the Centre's undoing.

 

 

"Where is he?" Miss Parker asks impatiently while pacing back and forth across her office.  This was the part she dreaded.  Sitting around waiting while Jarod was somewhere in the Centre, possibly being captured.

 

"He'll be here," Lyle assures her. 

 

"It shouldn't be taking this long.  He just had to run that program to reverse the masking or whatever, right?"  She plops down on her couch and kicks off her heels.  She really wishes she hadn't worn them now because her ankles were swelling and her back was beginning to ache.

 

"You okay?" Lyle asks her with a worried look on his face.  "I know you said you would be fine, but you don't look it."

 

"To tell you the truth, I'm not okay.  I'm so worried about his whole plan that it has my stomach in knots.  I feel like I could throw up," she confesses.  "What if I can't pull this off?  What if Daddy sees right through me?  What if I let Jarod down?"

 

"You're not going to let me down," he whispers as he slips quietly into her door.  "I have faith in you.  We're going to pull this off. And then, we'll be able to finally live our lives the way we were meant to.  Together.  Loving each other forever."

 

"Jarod, I'm scared," she cries, falling into his arms.  "And I miss her.  I miss Kara so much.  What if she loses us both?"

 

"That's not going to happen," Jarod promises.  He strokes her hair until she calms down.  "Why don't you lay down for awhile and get some rest.  There's nothing for us to do for a couple of hours anyway."

 

Lyle stands across the room watching the whole event.  He's amazed at Jarod and his sister's effect on each other.  Never had he seen a love like theirs. One that spanned a whole lifetime and lasted strong, despite the toughest of circumstances.

 

"I think she's sleep," he says softly to Jarod.  "I don't think I've ever seen anyone able to tame her like that," he smiles.

 

"It's a tough job," Jarod laughs.

 

"Yeah, and I'm glad I don't have to do it," Lyle laughs with him.  But his mood quickly turns serious.  "I don't think she's doing too good.  She seems really tired.  And kind of emotional.  Her back was bothering her and she complained again about feeling nauseous.  She said it was because she's worried about you, but I don't know."

 

"She'll be alright.  Once everything settles down, she'll finally get a chance to relax.  I think that's all she needs," Jarod tells him distractedly.  But his mind was spinning with what Lyle just told him.  Based on the symptoms Lyle just described and his own observations of Miss Parker the past day, he couldn't really make an accurate diagnosis, but he could make a pretty good guess as to what was ailing his wife.  And it was something that brought a sudden urgency to the situation at hand. 

 

 

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