Escaping the hospital had taken no time, but reaching the house was another story.

Parker held her daughter close to her, trying to keep her calm as she jerked violently against her. It seemed as though her body was fighting the drugs that had been administered into her system.

Parker only knew that what was happening before her very own eyes was scaring her beyond any horror that she had seen at the Centre.

Amanda was cold to the touch, and trembling all over. Barely coherent she would moan out and then little whimpers would escape her mouth - making Jarod's flesh rampant with goose bumps. As he drove the pretender had to concentrate on the road ahead, the sounds his daughter was making as she struggled against Parker reminded him of himself. Of a very horrible time in his life - when Raines was left to his devices while Sydney was away.

Every time Amanda cried out - a piece of his heart broke.

Parker tried to stay calm and collected, knowing that panicking was only going to make the boys panic even worse than they already were. Yet you wouldn't know that she was panicking by looking at her. On the outside - as always - Parker appeared calm and composed. The turmoil was happening on the inside.

Thousands of thoughts - possibilities of what was causing Amanda to react the way she was ran a mile a minute in her mind. Then the task of actually keeping her still and not hurting herself or Dar and Barry was becoming even more difficult as time passed. Almost as if she were fighting something in her mind. Something that harmed her...something she was trying to escape from.

Parker tried not to think about the things her daughter had survived to become the woman that she now was. Even after everything that Amanda had put her through - she couldn't blame her for one thing she had done.

Suddenly Amanda's eyes opened wide and without a second to soon turned and proceeded to vomit.

Blood.

"JESUS!!" Parker exclaimed. It was impossible not to panic as she quickly tried to help Amanda spit up the blood.

Jarod hearing Parker scream immediately looked up into the rear view mirror. He felt like his heart stopped as he saw all the blood covering Amanda's face and Parker's hands.

Barry and D'Artagnan were staring wide eyed as the scene played out before them. Confusion and fear clouded both of their minds as Parker scrambled to help Amanda empty the blood flooding her mouth.

Parker's hands were shaking as she fought the terror that was suddenly overwhelming her. Instantly her mind concluded that her baby girl was dying right in front of her eyes...and she could do nothing about.

Nothing.


Angelo slowly walked across the room to the sleeping children, smiling as he looked at them. So innocent looking...one would never assume that they were exposed to the worst of the human condition. Almost treated like robots - machines - not a being that hurt and bled like all others.

Angelo knew what it was like to be treated less than a beast.

Here though...with a family around him...he felt for the first time that somehow he belonged here with them. After all they've been through...he knew that it was just the beginning of the struggles that this family was going to see.

Still...he hoped that things would finally come together for the first time in all of their lives. That maybe...just maybe there was a happily ever after for them after all.

That's when he felt the tingle up his spine.


Finally Jarod was able to see the house in the distance. Gripping the steering wheel tightly, almost holding on for dear life, he accelerated the car to move even faster. It was dangerous to do so, but the gagging sound of Amanda chocking on her own blood made him forget about all things - except getting her home.

D'Artagnan and Barry still were too shocked to do anything but cry as they watched a horror that would haunt them until the day they would die.

"JAROD DRIVE TOWARDS THE WEST OF THE HOUSE!!" Parker screamed out as her hands were wiping away at her daughters mouth, trying to clear out the blood that was causing her baby girl to choke.

Jarod didn't question what Parker instructed, he simply did it. Quickly a jerk of the wheel had them propelling off of the driveway and through the dense woods that surrounded the villa.

Parker began to quietly whisper to Amanda that it was going to be ok...that everything was going to be alright.

Barry began to pray out loud, causing Dar to turn and stare at his brothers moving lips - still in a trance. Shaking his head as tears fell he followed suit, praying with his brother. Parker's trembling intensified as Amanda began to convulse. Parker's tears were unseen as she gripped her daughter tightly, hoping that this would stop. That whatever this was....that it would stop.

The rough terrain caused them to thrash about in the car, making Parker's task even harder than before. Jarod's eyes tried to see through the darkness that surrounded them, and with only the headlights to guide them for the next hundred feet.

"PARKER WHAT AM I LOOKING FOR???!!!"

"A CAVE!! IT'S NEAR THE CREEK!"

Jarod's eyes strained to see into the dark abyss that seemed to lay in front of him. A huge tree appeared in front of him and on instinct quickly jerked the wheel, swerving almost out of control. Jarod expertly brought the car back under his control. A second later he could saw what could very well be the cave Parker was talking about and with another jerk of the wheel entered into the dark enclosure.

It didn't take long to drive to the end of the cave...where he found a huge metallic door. Stopping the car and quickly hopping out, Jarod opening the van door to see Parker trying hard to keep Amanda from choking on her own blood as convulsions continued to echo through her body.

Without another thought, Jarod hoisted Amanda out of the car as Parker ran ahead and opened the huge door. Jarod hardly noticed the cars the lined the 'garage' that they were now in.

Dar and Barry were right behind their father. Both oblivious to everything but the limp body of their sister in their fathers arms.

When they all reached the elevator Parker crowded Jarod as her hands once again spread over Amanda's face and body, making sure she was breathing. The seconds in the elevator were extremely tense as all almost stopped breathing so they could hear her faint breathing that assured them that she indeed was alive.

Doors barely opening, Jarod looked up to find all medical equipment and neither spoke nor waited for the others as he quickly went into 'doctor' mode.

It didn't take too long for him to hook Amanda up to an IV bag and monitors. And as he finally settled her in, and saw all of her stats, finally he allowed himself to really let out a sigh and breath in.

Looking over to Amanda's bedside was Parker, with her head lying down next to her daughters, her hands smoothing away Amanda's hair. D'Artagnan was taking wipes and removing the signs of blood from Amanda's face and body, holding back tears as he did.

Barry walked over to his fathers side and stared at his sister.

"I'll take first shift of watching her." He said after a few moments.

Parker looked up and shook her head. "No. You haven't slept since you've gotten here. I'll watch her. I won't be able to sleep tonight anyway."

Barry was about to argue with her but Jarod put his hand on Barry's shoulder, giving him a small shake of his head. Barry grimaced but let out a huge sigh as he realized there was no way he was going to be able to actually dissuade his mother in any way. Besides...he was certain that she indeed would not be able to sleep that night. Really he didn't blame her one bit. Anxious himself of his sisters mysterious illness left him with an uncontrollable urge to watch over her...guard her from any kind of invisible harm that they just couldn't see yet.

Without further ado, Barry walked over to his brother and began to pull him towards the wall. But D'Artagnan's eyes were on Amanda even as he walked back to where his brother was pulling him.

Jarod's eyes squinted as he tried to hear there conversation. Especially since D'Artagnan actually walked willingly away from Amanda's side.

He felt odd as he watched them turn and stare at him before turning back and making their way to the elevator.

Jarod couldn't help but feel scared as he was left with Parker and his daughter.

Brown eyes met blue and for one second both felt stronger from the others presence. If only it would last then maybe...just maybe they would make it through this.