Disclaimer: <see Ashlee tied up in a chair with a bright light shinning in her face surrounded by NBC big wigs, Steven Long Mitchell and Craig W. Van Sickle> Hey, I don't own 'em, okay? I admit it! God, I'm so sorry. I just…I just…please don't hurt me?? I don't have any money! You can't sue! Let me go! HELP!!!

Authors Note: This little piece is a sequel to That's How It Started. There wasn't supposed to be a sequel but after a few death threats, a good car chase and some begging from Marae and Shuyler I relented. God I'm weak.

Title - That's How It Ended
Author - Ashlee
E-mail address - zyp959@hotmail.com
Rating - PG for language
Category - Alternate Universe
Series/Sequel - Sequel to "That's How It Started"
Spoilers - N/A
Summary - Sorry, can't tell ya, it would ruin everything!

"That's How it Ended"
By Ashlee

I'm running around my house in a flurry, I can't seem to find the shirt I'm looking for and he's due here any minute. It's the black silk shirt that goes with the black skirt that I have on. Actually, even I'm surprised at the clothes that I am wearing; they're a bit more modest than usual. Ah, to hell with the shirt, I'll wear something else. I run out of the living room and down the hall to my room frantic. I dig through my closet and stop at the red silk shirt I come across.

"Jarod."

The word is out of my mouth before I realize it. And why the hell did it come out sounding so wistful? This very shirt in my hand was the one I wore the night of 'the conversation'. That was the night he sent me one of those mint hearts that said 'Be My Valentine' and called me. At first I was really annoyed, I mean he never calls just to say "Hey." I guess I don't really let him, but still, does he have to play those games with me? Anyway, he asked if we would ever find love. I had a feeling that he was hinting about us. How conceited is that? Besides, that man was the root of my problems. Nothing could ever happen between us, and I swear, the next time I see him I am going to drag his sorry ass back where it belongs.

Shit, Thomas'll be here any minute! I throw on the shirt without a second thought and head for the bathroom that connects to the bedroom for one last look in the mirror. Perfect. Just then the doorbell rings. Do I have good timing or what? I walk out into the living room and open the door. In front of me stands my date, my lover, my…For some reason the sentence stops there. I want to say my love, but I'm not sure that exactly fits, not yet anyway. I guess that really doesn't matter as long as he makes me happy, and he does. He's my getaway from the Centre, from the chase.

I exchange with him our usual greeting as he leads me to the car. I don't really pay attention to what he's saying. I seem to have a lot on my mind tonight. I don't know, maybe it's those two glasses of Vodka I had just before he picked me up. Usually drinking stops me from thinking though. I think about what day it is. Nope, not PMS. I look out the window and notice the full moon. That must be it. I hear full moons do funny things to your chemical balances. That must be what's wrong with me. Suddenly a phrase from Thomas's constant rambling catches my attention.

"The bar around the corner from the site."

Perfect. That's just great. I get to go out to some dingy bar infested with fat, horny construction workers who haven't got anything better to do than get loaded, play pool, and drool after women like virgin high school boys. Now if that's not fun what is? I roll my eyes. It had damn well better not be a Country bar either, or Thomas was going to be looking out his ass the rest of his life.

The bar doesn't even meet my low standards. It's situated in a dark corner and looks like one of those run down taverns in Hicksville, Tennessee. Wonderful. I think I should have had a few more drinks before I agreed to this little outing. Actually, I think the drinks might be helping. If I was purely sober I probably would have thrown a fit when I saw the place.

I put on a smile when Thomas looks at me. Well, what am I supposed to do? Be all bitchy about it? Like that's going to get me a free drink. Besides, I figure that I've dragged him to more than a few fancy restaurants and he did have dinner with Daddy, Lyle, and Briggite. The least I can do in return is sit in a bar for a few hours. Hell, maybe I can kick some guy's ass for making a lewd remark. That brings a smile to my face. That might help work out some of my frustrations, but I think of other things to do that have the same affect and are a lot more fun. Man, I'm perverted! But what's wrong with that? Yup, there the alcohol is definitely helping.

As we walk in the doors I notice someone lean over to look over at us, but before I can see his face he sits back up, rather rigid. I smile at that. Caught red handed, hey buddy? But as I look again I notice something really familiar about him. Before I can further analyze the situation Thomas has dragged me over to the bar and ordered me a drink. Yeah, thanks there Tommy, I almost need you to order for me. Yeah, I forgot, my larynx is bruised. Nope, can't talk at all. But again I smile a thanks. I usually don't mind when he orders for me, but…man that guy over at that table looks damn familiar. The dark hair, the way he's holding his head in his hands, his hands…and then I realize who it is…

"Jarod?"

Who the hell just said that? I look around for the voice. Oh, Thomas. Wait, how the hell does Thomas know who Jarod is? I look at Thomas curiously, but he's all ready pulling me along over to the table where Jarod was sitting.

As Thomas and I near his table I know he hears us, and when I stop walking he slowly raises his head. I'm already smirking, anticipating his reaction. When his gaze finally reaches my face he speaks

"Oh shit."

My smirk only grows wider. God I love when it's me who catches him off guard. Well now you know how it feels asshole. I notice pure horror and, oh my, do I see a hint of hatred in innocent I-love-everyone Jarod's eyes as he looks at Tommy?

"Ah hell."

I literally have to restrain myself from bursting into laughter at his last comment. Gee, Jarod, you don't sound happy to see me, something wrong? I can't help but snigger to myself.

"Well hi to you too, Jarod." Thomas looked surprised by Jarod's outburst. Hmm. So they know each other. Thomas stuck out his hand. "It's been a long time."

Jarod take his hand and looks at me sheepishly.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I've been a little busy." Oh yeah Jarod, go there. Don't you dare shoot me that look, blaming me because you're on the run. You're the one who decided to blow that Popsicle stand, not me. Then, for just a moment, I feel guilty. Where the hell did that come from? He's the one that left, not me.

"So, Jarod," I ask in that overly sweet tone in my voice, knowing that will just make him all that more uneasy, "you know Thomas?"

I can tell from the way Jarod is looking around that he's searching for someone. That's when I notice the two empty glasses in front of him. Ah ha! Mr. Drinking-is-bad-for-you himself is getting loaded!

"Yeah, I met him while working at a construction site." I smile at the way Jarod is fidgeting, but then I wonder why he isn't being his usual smart-ass self. He looks really uncomfortable. Maybe something really is wrong. I look into his eyes; they aren't as bright as usual.

"Oh that's right! You and Parker are old friends, aren't you Jarod?" What the fuck?! He knows that we used to be friends and he never said anything?! That asshole! Wait…if Jarod and Thomas are friends and Jarod told him about me…That self-centered prick! Then I almost laugh at the look on Jarod's face. I can tell that he knows that he's been caught in a flood without a life jacket.

"Oh, so you told him about me, did you Jarod." The tone in my voice is the one that Jarod knows to mean pure trouble. It's super sweet laced with just a hint of bitterness. I've used it one him a couple times, like when he catches me and he's there to see it. "Only the good things I hope." And then that's when I do something unexpected. A sudden need to make him jealous sweeps over me, so I put my arm around Thomas, something I never do unless we're alone. I try to tell myself it's that damn Vodka, or that sadistic need of mine to get back at him, but deep down I know that I just want him…to be jealous!! I don't want him, want him! God, no! Or maybe…no damn it! I DO NOT WANT HIM!

The look on Jarod's face confirms everything. He is jealous. I can see that need to rip Thomas limb from limb in his eyes. It actually makes me happy. Why? How the bloody hell should I know? God, this is really weird. Maybe I need another drink. Or maybe I just need to think this through. Okay, I can do this. Why would making Jarod jealous make me happy? It wouldn't God damn it! Not at all! I hate the jerk! All right, so maybe that won't work. It pops into my head so suddenly it almost throws me to the floor. I just want to make sure he still feels about me the way I feel about him. What the…? I don't feel anything for him! Well, it's good to see my defense mechanisms are still working. I have to shake my head to clear it.

I can see the relief in his eyes when the waitress arrives with his drink. If I'm not mistaken, that looks like a Black Russian. Interesting. What's even more interesting is that he downs the whole thing in one quick swallow. It doesn't even faze him, but I can tell that he's feeling more courageous.

"Parker, I know what you're getting at and yes, I did." That jerk! I swear to God, If I had my gun here I'd blow both of these Bozo's fucking heads off! How dare they think that they can control my life? Play me like a fucking puppet! I'll tell you what, there ain't no strings on me and I'll be damned if anyone tries to jerk me around!

I get enough control to talk and sneer at the bastard.

"So you set us up."

Jarod nearly scares the hell out of me when he actually stands up to face me nose to nose, and what frightens me more than that is the look in his eye. Something that I haven't seen in a long time. Love. Well, there's definitely a hint of anger in there, but mostly love.

"Yeah, I did. And you wanna know why? Because I wanted you to be happy. Despite common belief, I don't want you to suffer, I don't want you up at all hours and I do want you to feel loved. And since I can't provide that, and you won't let me do it, I found some guy that could. So sue me for looking out for your happiness." Oh, like I can't look out for my own happiness? Okay, so maybe I don't focus on me a lot, but hey, you don't need to be sticking your nose where it don't belong buddy. But then a feeling of gratitude washes over me. What the fuck is going on? Stop it! You are angry damn it, now sound it!

"I don't need a watchdog, Jarod." Ha. Now that's me speaking.

"Oh really? Well, let me ask you, just what the hell kind of mess do you think you'd be in right now if I hadn't told you about Lyle and his penchant for Asian woman, or Raines's little playground, or how about your mom? If I hadn't told you all of that, you would be clutched so tight in their hands right now you could never escape. I am just giving you a chance Parker, a chance to be free."

That took me down a notch. Okay, so he has a point. If he hadn't told me about all of that stuff I probably would have continued to trust them and got in so deep I couldn't dig myself out. Okay Parker, despite the validity in his statement, you have to come up with a good comeback. Think!

I had forgotten all about Thomas until he spoke.

"What are you talking about?"

God he's an idiot. Just shut up asshole! You're not part of this! You just helped cause it! Ah ha, I've got it.

"Well, let me tell you a little something Jarod." I poke him in the chest to add to the effect. "If it weren't for you I would be upstairs in Corporate sitting in a nice leather chair adding signatures instead of chasing your sorry ass all the way around the god damn country!" Okay, so that's not my strongest comeback and I know he's going to shoot holes through it, but hey.

"And those papers that you would be signing off on, would you bother to read them? To see how many kids you're sending to that hellhole better known as The Centre?" His voice softened. "Don't you remember what we went through there? How all we ever talked about was leaving and how we would never wish this on our worst enemies, not even Raines?"

That caught me off guard. I expected some holes in the story, not my heart. Shit, that hurt, and worse yet, he's right. In Corporate I'd be wetting my hands with the blood of innocents. I'd be sentencing children like Jarod and me to a life of submission and torture. The only thing I could come up with was:

"I would change it." My voice is so soft that you can barely hear it.

"How can you change something that no one else wants to? You can't do it alone Parker, no matter what you might think. There are too many hidden higher ups out there that would squash you the minute you thought of doing anything." God, he's right. Hell, if they were willing to kill the Chairmen, what would stop them from killing me? You know when I was little and I was told that one day I would be the Chairman I had all of these plans to help change The Centre for the better. We would help people, not lock them up in tiny cells. Man, was I deluded! You know what? The truth sucks!

All right, what is this? I feel like I'm about to cry. I guess it's all just sinking in. The lies that I've been telling myself were all just shattered. Great. Now what defense mechanism will I use? Denial and lying aren't working any more. Why is Jarod staring at me like that? The liquor must really be getting to him. In that split second I know what he's going to do, but before I can prepare myself or push him away he kisses me. And not the sweet innocent kiss we shared in the dark confines of the Centre, but a deep passionate one. I really don't know what's come over me, but I start to return the kiss, and, I'm pretty sure, with more eagerness than he expected. Hell, it's more eagerness than I expected. Despite the reservations that I have, it feels really good. He's a really good kisser. I wonder if he's been practicing. At this moment I couldn't care less, as long as I'm on the receiving end. You know this is something that I've wanted to do since I was a teenager. His lips are silky and smooth, and I can taste the liquor still on his mouth. My tongue darts out to taste more of it. I think I startled him. I can sense that he's about to return the gesture, but suddenly he's ripped from me, and I instantly miss his mouth on mine.

"What the…" I hear him exclaim, but before he can finish Thomas, who's holding Jarod by his lapels, pulls back a closed fist and smashes it into the right side of Jarod's mouth. The look on Jarod's face is a pure Kodak moment. He's confused and angry. The look on Thomas's face however is closer to a hungry Pitbull. Jarod slowly rises his hand to his mouth, which is bleeding, and slowly brings it down. He looks genuinely surprised to find blood there. He scans the crowd that has gathered for the person who hit him. That's when his eyes land on Thomas and he realizes that's who hit him. His mouth opens like he's going to ask him why he did that. I don't even have to tell him what a stupid question that is because he realizes it himself. After taking in the situation, and make sure that Jarod is okay, I shoot Thomas an angry glare. I know it doesn't make sense. He has a right to haul off and hit guys who kiss me, I am, after all, supposed to be his girlfriend, but I wanted Jarod to kiss me and I can damn well defend myself.

After a few seconds of clenching and unclenching his fist I heard a soft chuckle. What the hell was he laughing about? Well at least someone finds this situation funny. Dumb fuck.

"I should have known from the way you talked about her. You really love her, don't you?" He asked Jarod. What the hell? Does he think his fucking Cupid now?

He looks over at me, and back to him. "Yeah, I do."

"And she loves you." Excuse me? Who the hell does he think he is? An affiliate from the Psychic Friends Network?

"Wait, who ever said that I loved him?" I ask, glaring at 'Tommy'. He doesn't know jack shit about how I feel, how dare he make assumptions! Arg!

Thomas gives me a knowing look.

"Oh don't give me that. I saw the way you kissed him, running your hands through his hair. And besides, you call out his name when you're asleep. I'm not an idiot Parker."

Okay, so the kiss got a little out of hand. Ah, who the hell am I kidding? I've loved the jerk since we were kids. He may piss me off a lot, but I love him. I look over at him and this cheesy grin spreads over my face.

"Okay, so I do." I feel like such a fruitcake right now. What the hell kind of line was that?

I don't think Thomas was hoping for that response, he looks a little hurt. Well, that's what he gets for pointing it out. If he hadn't insisted that we go over and see Jarod this would have never happened. Smooth move X-Lax.

"Well that settles it. I'm leaving, I hope you two have fun." And with that Thomas stormed out leaving us behind.

Well, that's how it ended. My stay at the Centre that is. I left after that. I guess the liquor that night brought out everything Jarod and I were to scared to say. And yeah, I do know how cheesy this whole story is. I mean, who would have ever believed that Ice Queen Parker would give into her emotions so easily? I can't blame the Vodka, I mean it takes a lot to get me drunk. Well, maybe it just loosened me up a little. I can't blame out of control hormones, too early in the month. I guess it was just the atmosphere. Anyway, getting away from my over analysis. Jarod has come up with a plan to get out the rest. You know Syd, Broots, and Angelo. It'll probably take a while because they can't all leave at once, you know, to easy to track. Right now we're shacked up in a really pretty log cabin up in the Rocky Mountains. There's a lake in our back yard and the closest neighbor is on the next mountain. However, I'll be damned if I freeze my ass off in the winter. I bet Jarod's thanking his lucky stars right now that he has that house in Florida. Well, what else? We're getting married in April. Yeah, yeah, I know. Parker, spring wedding? Do you have a fever? But despite common belief I can be romantic and nice and caring so there! You know what else I've noticed? Jarod has cut way back on his Pretends. I have found that Pretending is really fun. I feel like a super hero, righting the wrongs of the world. Oh well, I suppose he needs a break. Not that he would really have to run now that my incompetent twin is on the case. I guess it really does all work out in the end.

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