Disclaimer: I don't own 'em and don't pretend to...this is a sequel to a series of stories entitled "The Not So Wonderful Life," "A Special Valentine," and "Afterglow." There is a MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH involved, for those of you who read on without having read the other stories, so be warned.
Sydney remembered being fascinated by a story he'd seen a few years ago about the wildfires that had devastated Southern California. It amazed him that once lush and vibrant land could be turned into little more than black, scalded earth.
That was what life had become for he and Parker and for all of those who loved Jarod the moment the reality of the pretender's death had set in. Every day seemed to resemble a ravaged and devastated landscape left to try and find some small trace of life with which to rebuild. Since his phone had rang and he'd heard the voice of a man named Bailey Malone telling him to come to the cabin right away, nothing in the world seemed as horrible to Sydney as the grief that weighed down on them like leaden stone.
By the time he'd reached the cabin, the place where his brother had died just two years earlier, Malone and his colleague, a woman named Rachel Burke, had managed to coax Parker outside. She sat on the steps, a blanket wrapped around her as police officers and FBI Agents moved in and out of the cabin. He saw a body bag being carried out by two paramedics, and his heart seized thinking it was Jarod. It was only as he stepped inside that he realized his mistake. Jarod still lay there on the ground, his body covered so that the terrible, bleeding wounds that had taken his life went unseen.
Sydney was not sure how long he stood there, but he suddenly realized that he had been left alone in the room. Alone - already the reality had begun to sink in. Jarod was not here anymore despite the 6'3" form lying on the floor. He did not move the blanket from Jarod's face. Somehow, Sydney knew he wanted to remember those eyes wide with curiosity and anger and wonder and amusement. He did not want to see them closed and lifeless. Instead he reached under and took one hand in his and moved it to his chest, pressing it close over where his heart beat.
"I promise, Jarod, I promise you that I will make sure she's all right."
He replaced Jarod's hand under the blanket and stood. After a moment, Sydney headed out to the front porch. He was shocked to see that Malone and Burke were the only two law enforcement officers still there. The two of them were standing to near the front porch steps. Parker had discarded the blanket she'd been wrapped in earlier and now stood at the far end of the porch facing the lake. Sydney chose to step toward the two FBI agents to find out what would happen next.
"I'm very sorry, Dr. Green." Sydney looked at Bailey Malone's face, surprised that such a gruff looking man had such a gentle voice.
"Thank you."
"Miss Parker has asked that she be allowed to take Jarod's body. Since he doesn't officially exist in any database anywhere, I didn't think that was a problem. Our report will simply say that I tracked Lyle down here after his escape and my attempt to arrest him ended in his death."
Sydney, noting the continuing silence of Rachel Burke, simply nodded. The female agent turned to glance in Parker's direction. Then Burke suddenly bolted from the porch, racing toward the black Suburban that sat parked beside the cabin. Malone tipped his hat to Sydney, and then turned and headed toward his partner. It was clear to both men that there was nothing more to be said.
In moments, the black Suburban was heading down the driveway to make its long journey to the airport, and Sydney was left to try and help the wounded and fragile woman who stood across from him. How, he wondered, now that the words had been spoken, would he keep his promise to Jarod?
With those thoughts on his mind, he was surprised to look up and see that Parker had walked over to him. He searched her eyes and saw that she had pulled something akin to a steel mask around herself. Steel was perhaps all that would protect her. Certainly even the strongest curtain of ice would have melted and left the famous Ice Queen drowning in her pain. Sydney could see in those eyes that she had a plan, and he knew he would follow it wherever it led.
It led back to the Centre. He had carried Jarod's body out of the cabin and placed in the backseat of the car Parker and Jarod had driven here so recently. Then he had taken the wheel and driven silently back to Blue Cove as Parker stared out the window, lost in a place that he dared not disturb. She did not speak until they arrived at the Centre.
"Stop in front of the building."
He glanced over at her, uncertain she meant what she was saying, but that one glance told him that there was no doubt she meant him to do exactly what she had instructed him to do. So Sydney stopped the car and waited to see what she would do next.
"Let me see your phone, Sydney."
Sydney nodded and handed her the phone. She dialed a number into the pad quickly and waited just a moment before speaking.
"Come outside. The front lot. Come now."
With that, she disconnected the line and then handed the phone back to Sydney. He watched, fascinated, as she climbed from the car, seemingly unaware that her designer clothes were now covered with the blood of the man she loved. He had never seen Parker so cool or composed, and it terrified him to see her this way now.
As he thought about his feelings, the front doors of the Centre opened, and Mr. Parker walked out, flanked by Raines and a crew of sweepers. Sydney noticed that Sam was among them, which surprised him a bit. Since when did Sam do anything for Mr. Parker?
"Angel, what is it?" The chairman spoke, his eyes not registering his daughter's appearance for several moments. Once he did, once he saw the blood all over her, his brow furrowed and he narrowed his gaze. "What's happened?"
Parker walked around to the driver's side of the car then, and she opened the back door. Without looking down, she reached out and grabbed the blanket that covered Jarod, throwing it back. She then watched with no emotion as looks ranging from shock to disbelief crossed the faces of everyone who had joined them from the Centre. The chairman stepped closer, looking at the body and then up at his daughter.
"You - you killed him?"
"No, your son did. And Jarod killed him. If you want his body, you'll have to call the FBI."
"Lyle did this?"
"Don't act so surprised, Daddy. And don't act so disappointed. Dead or alive, isn't that what you said?"
Mr. Parker took a step back from his daughter as her bitter words radiated out at him. She was not yelling, her voice still even and unemotional, yet somehow that seemed worse than when had she railed at him like a shrieking harpy.
"Angel, I... You've done your job. You brought him back. Let the sweepers take him inside and -"
That was when Sydney figured out why Sam was there. At some point during the last few hours, perhaps when he'd been in the cabin saying his goodbye to Jarod, Parker had called her trusted sweeper. Sydney knew this because the moment her father mentioned taking Jarod's body, Sam moved to stand between his fellow sweepers and the car in which the fallen pretender lay.
"No, Daddy." Miss Parker took a step closer to her father as she spoke. "You will not take Jarod anywhere. He's dead, end of story."
"We have to do tests, Angel, make certain that -"
"You will do nothing more to him, do you understand me? You and your son and this monstrosity have done enough to him. You will not get the chance to defile his body, too. I brought him here so you could see with your own eyes that your pretender was gone. Now that you have, I'm taking him."
Miss Parker turned on her heel after letting her eyes bore into her father just a moment longer. She moved back to her door as Sam reached into the back seat and recovered Jarod's body. Then he closed the door and stepped away. As Parker climbed into the car, Sydney turned his attention to their ally.
"Sam, you should come with us. It's not safe for you here."
"I'll see you soon. Take care of Miss Parker, Sydney."
Sydney nodded and turned back toward the car. He drove away fighting the urge to look over his shoulder. He couldn't believe that Mr. Parker would just let his daughter win so easily. Within minutes, he learned that Miss Parker did not believe it either.
"Turn at the next road marker."
The doctor did as he was told even though he was still concerned by the lack of emotion Parker was showing. For now he would keep his silence. He continued down the road until he saw a dark blue Ford Expedition parked on the side. He glanced at Parker and she waved toward the vehicle, indicating that he should pull over. Sydney did so, and only after he parked did he see Broots sitting inside the truck. Parker immediately climbed from the car and headed toward their friend, who had also climbed from the cab of the SUV.
"Debbie?"
Broots had dreaded this moment since he'd heard Miss Parker's voice on the phone earlier. Her instructions had been simple enough for he and Sam to carry out, but his worry for her made it all seem far more difficult and time consuming. Still, he had taken the time to ensure his daughter's safety before coming here to meet Miss Parker and Sydney.
"She's staying with a friend tonight. We'll get her in the morning."
Parker nodded and then climbed into the front passenger seat of the Expedition. As she sat in silence, Broots joined Sydney at the sedan. The two undertook the grim task of transferring Jarod's body from the car to the back of the truck. It was only after they had made certain that the blanket was carefully laid back over him that the two men faced each other. Broots slammed the rear doors shut as he turned to Sydney.
"She called from the cabin. Syd, she sounded so...is she going to be okay?"
"I don't know, Broots. Parker seems to be running on autopilot right now. What worries me is what happens when she finally let's herself think again."
Broots nodded, understanding his friend's concern. They had both seen Parker's ability to control her emotions fall apart, and if what she'd been through following Thomas' death was any indication, Jarod's loss might well push her over the edge she had walked for so many years now. The technician was so wrapped up in his thoughts, that he missed what Sydney asked him, and it was only during the repeating of the question that the older man had asked.
"I said where do we go from here, Broots?"
"The Dover Hills Funeral Home. She said we'd take care of things there."
Sydney nodded, and he moved to the driver's seat of the truck as Broots made his way to the back seat. It made him so sad to think of the precious cargo that lay just behind the leather-covered seat he now occupied. It was true that he wasn't privy to the full story of Jarod's relationship with Miss Parker, but their bond had always intrigued him, and during these last months, there had been no doubt that the two mattered a great deal to one another. If there was any doubt of that, the risks Miss Parker were taking now were definite proof. She was keeping something the Centre wanted away from them, and the precautions she was taking meant that she knew they were after her. Yet he knew that she could beat them. He had always known that she was the one who could stop the Centre dead in its tracks.
They drove on to Dover, and it was pitch black by the time they arrived, more so from the dark clouds that had gathered throughout the day and evening than from the hour. Sydney pulled the SUV around to the back of the red brick building where Parker directed him to go. As he parked, a man in a dark blue suit stepped out of the rear door. Parker exited the car and met him at the top of the loading dock stairs.
"Miss Parker, everything's been arranged."
She nodded and headed inside. A moment later, three men stepped out and went to the truck. Sydney and Broots stepped aside, grateful that they did not have to carry Jarod inside the funeral home. As the group made their way inside, Sydney heard Parker's voice. It sounded small to him, the way it had when she was a child asking him about her mother so many years before.
"Sydney, will you go with him, please."
He reached out then and took her hand, squeezing it gently. He knew he did not need to reply, nor did he need to tell Broots to watch over her in his absence. Sydney then kept another promise. Though it was the most difficult thing he had ever done, he stood by as Jarod's body was prepared for cremation. Only once they were ready to begin did Parker and Broots make there way into the room. The men watched quietly as she approached the box in which Jarod's body would burn, leaving ashes that the Centre could not corrupt. She placed one kiss on the tips of her fingers and then pressed them to the box. Then she stood and watched the box disappear into the crematorium.
It was later the next afternoon, after Debbie had been retrieved from her friend's house, after a long drive to Maine to a town called Lake Catherine, and after Jarod's ashes had been scattered on a field of wood anemones that Parker finally cracked. Broots had gone for a walk with Debbie, and Sydney and Ben, the man who owned the inn where they were staying, were talking out on the porch. Parker had gone to her room to rest, and though Sydney was nervous about leaving her alone, she had insisted.
Ben was just beginning to tell Sydney about his past with Catherine Parker when the sound of shattering glass rang out from upstairs. The two men took the stairs in leaps and bounds, reaching Parker's room in time to see her sitting on the floor, the shards of a broken mirror lying all around her. Her hands were cut and bleeding, and Sydney realized she had slammed her fists into the mirror in a fit of rage. As her body shook with the strength of her the sobs she still fought to keep control over, he moved to her, wrapping her in his arms. It was only then that the mask shattered completely, and she dissolved against him, her tears flowing freely, her pain escaping in choked sobs.
"I can't do it, Sydney. I can't live without him."
As the words ripped from Parker's throat, two unseen figures felt a stab of pain in their hearts. For Catherine, to see her little girl so broken again was almost too much to bear, and for Thomas, who had been spared watching Parker grieve his death, it was a heartbreak he was experiencing for the first time.
"What do we do, Catherine?"
"We wait. She needs time."
"But if she knew -"
"Thomas, I understand that you want to make it better, but she needs to accept Jarod's loss before she can know."
Thomas sighed deeply, wanting to argue but knowing that it was pointless. If there were any way to keep Parker from feeling this pain, Catherine would do it. He decided to turn his thoughts to someone they might be able to help.
"Have you seen him yet?"
"Kyle and Faith are with him. He's still very angry."
That was something Thomas understood. He remembered all too clearly how full of rage he'd been when he'd realized that his life on earth was over, that he'd left Parker behind. And he had been lucky. Though he hadn't known Parker as long as Jarod, he'd been happier with her longer, and it was only the sweetness of those memories and Catherine's promise that he would be able to help his beloved later on that had brought him peace. Now they would all have to help Jarod turn the same corner.
The two continued to stand there as Sydney and Ben moved Parker to the bed. Sydney carefully bandaged her bleeding hands as Ben rubbed his hand in gentle circles on her back. Once her physical wounds had been tended, Sydney helped her out of her bloody clothes and eased her under the covers. It was then that Thomas sensed Catherine's desire to be alone with Parker, and though it broke his heart to leave her, he did so, willing Sydney and Ben to leave as well before he departed. Once the male presences were gone Catherine moved closer to the bed. As Parker rolled onto her side and pulled her body into a tight ball, Catherine wrapped her ghostly limbs around her little girl. The spirit willed all of her strength, all of her love toward the child she had always loved more than life itself.
Hours later, Sydney looked into the room and found that Parker had finally fallen asleep. He could not see that her body lay cradled in her mother's embrace, or hear Catherine's words as he turned and left the room.
"Thank you, Sydney, for taking care of my girl."