Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me expect the plot.

A Phone Call

Sydney was walking home. It had been the last day of his vacation. His mind drifted to Jarod and to the phone call he had received two days ago.

"This is Sydney."

"I wanted to say goodbye."

"Jarod? What do you mean, Jarod? Are you alright?"

"I wanted to see you, Sydney. I wanted to tell you how important you are to me. But it's too
late, Sydney. I'm so tired, Sydney."

"Jarod, what are you talking about? Where are you?"

"Goodbye, Sydney."

Sydney was worried about Jarod. More than usually that is. Jarod's voice had sounded tired and scared. He wanted to help Jarod. But how?

Suddenly Sydney saw a shadow. Pulling out the gun he now always carried, Sydney stopped walking.

"Jarod scared. Jarod need help. Jarod need…Sydney."

"Angelo, what are you doing here? How did you… Never mind. Where's Jarod? Why is he scared?" "Jarod hurt. Jarod need Sydney."

"Angelo, where's Jarod!?! I want to help him!"

"Angelo take you to Jarod."

Outside a county hospital.

"Angelo is this where Jarod is?"

"Jarod hurt. Jarod scared. Need Sydney."

Just as Sydney was going to enter the building, his phone rang.

"This is…" Sydney answered impatiently.

"Where are you?!" A woman's voice interrupted him forcefully.

"Ms. Parker, how nice of you to call but I'm in a bit of a hurry."

"I don't care, Syd. Haven't you heard the news?"

"What?"

"Frankenboy just attacked the Centre! He just walked in and planted a bomb. That labrat destroyed half the Centre. Luckily I was with Broots looking for Angelo. But Jarod. Jarod was hit pretty bad. We were just in time to see him running away when Willie shot him, and…"

click

"Syd? Sydney? Dammit!"

Sydney ran inside. His heart was pounding. Jarod. He asked a nurse if a dark, tall man had been recently brought to the hospital.

"Are you a relative?"

"I. yes. I'm his father."

"He was taken to the ER. He had a surgery and he's stabile… For now. He was hurt pretty badly." "What room is he in?"

"Room 287. But I think he's asleep!"

Thank you! Said Sydney already running towards the ER.

Room 287

"Hey, are you a relative? 'Cause if you're not…"

"I'm his father. How is he?"

"Stabile. But he has a couple of rough nights ahead of him if he wants to survive. It's good that he has someone he can count on here with him. Would you like to stay with him? I could arrange you a bed near him. It's pretty quiet this time of the year."

"Thank you, doctor."

As the doctor left Sydney sat in a chair next to Jarod's bed. Jarod looked so young and yet so old. Sydney wanted to cry. If he lost Jarod, he wouldn't know what he would do. Some hours later Jarod woke up. Sydney was sleeping in the chair next to him, his hand holding tightly to Jarod's. Jarod didn't want to wake the older man up so he didn't say anything. He wanted to, but for now Sydney's presence was enough.

"Oh, you're awake" The doctor said as he entered the room to check up on Jarod.

"Shh…" said Jarod pointing at Sydney.

"Your father has been very worried about you. I tried to tell him that there was a bed for him next door, but he didn't want to leave you. He loves you very much, you know."

Sydney woke up, as the doctor left.

"Jarod, you're awake!"

"Hello, Sydney. I. I just. Thank you for being here."

"I was so afraid when I heard you were shot. I thought. I thought I was going to lose you."

"I don't die so easily. How did you find out?"

"Miss Parker told me you were shot and Angelo took me here. Did you really plant a bomb at the Centre?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I'm so tired, Sydney. I don't want to run anymore. I thought I'd end it. I knew you weren't at the Centre and I made sure both Miss Parker and Broots were out of the building too. Everything was going just fine… but then Willie saw me."

"You were lucky you weren't killed!"

"I don't care. I…"

"But I do! Don't you understand? Every single day I fear for you. I don't want to watch the news because I'm afraid what I'll see. I'm afraid I might see you dead because of one of your pretends went wrong. You're all the family I've got now that Jacob is..."

"Your… family?"

"Yes, Jarod. My family. You're like a son to me. You always have been. I know I don't have any right to call you my son and that you don't need me anymore. You've got Major Charles now. But I love you and that will never change."

They both fell silent. Jarod had tears in his eyes as he slowly began to understand the full meaning of Sydney's words. He finally had an answer to the question he had asked so many times. He thought about the bomb and how he never would have heard Sydney's words had he died.

"You have every right to call me your son. You're the one who raised me. Major Charles… I don't even know him and he doesn't know me like you do. He never will."

Sydney took Jarod's hand and squeezed it tightly.

"What are you going to do now?"

"Get better. And after that… I don't know. I think I'll have a vacation. Any chance of you getting some time off?"

"Well, I just had a two week vacation, but I might be able to get a couple of days off. Why?"

"I thought we might finally go fishing. Or something."

"That would be great. But you must rest now. And unfortunately I have to return to the Centre so they won't find you." He said rising from the chair.

"Wait! Thank you, Sydney. And take this." Jarod said holding out a piece of paper.

"What is it?"

"It's my phone number." Seeing Sydney's worried expression he added "Don't worry it's safe. I know what I'm doing. Now you can call me if you like."

"I'll do that. Get well, Jarod."

"I'll do that."

A month later in Yellow Stone national park.

"Hello, Sydney. Glad you could make it."

"Jarod! I wasn't sure if this was the right address."

"You got your gear?"

"I think so. You know, I've never been fishing."

"Neither have I. Shall we?"

"Sure."

The End

AN: So what did you think? Please review, and remember this is my first fic.

AN2: This is a revised and hopefully a better version.