Scene Eighteen

Rachel is just walking into her house. She sets down her keys, purse, and gun down on her end table. She walks toward her bedroom, taking off her shoes at the same time. She walks into her room and sits on her bed. She rubs her neck, too much stress from covering for Jarod. She sighs.

"I'm going crazy not knowing! Where are you Jarod?" Jarod walks out from the shadows of her room behind her.

"Right here." She jumps and walks toward Jarod.

"How did you--" she smiles "never mind, dumb question." Jarod smiles. They walk closer to each other. She looks into his eyes.

"Do you--?"

"No, not yet. I'm on my way to. I got distracted."

"Distracted?" She says with some anger. What was more important than knowing her father's identity?

"Don't be mad Rachel. It was Ethan."

"Ethan?" The anger completely gone from her voice, now it was concern.

"Yes." He motions to sit down. They sit at the foot of her bed. He looks at her and for the second time in her life (the first being when they kissed) she saw genuine happiness in his eyes. He grabs her hands. "Rachel, he found my mother!"

"What? Your mother?" He could hear the real happiness towards him in her voice.

"Yes! I've finally found her. What's even better, Rachel is that I found my father, sister, and JJ too!" he says sounding like a 10-year-old boy. She smiles and almost laughs at his childlike behavior and for being so happy that he finally has happiness.

"You finally have you family." She smiles. He glances at her with a faint smile. He stands and walks around the room with his back to her. Confused, she stands up and walks toward him. "Jarod?" He avoids her. She grabs his arm and turns him around to look in his eyes. "Jarod, what's wrong? Why aren't you happy? You have your whole family." He now looks into her eyes.

"No I don't." She looks at him confused still but then nods.

"Kyle." He shakes his head no and sits on her bed with his head in his hand. She sits right next to him waiting for an answer.

"Kyle will always be with me. I wish he was here but he is in a better place and I can't fit that. The person missing from my family, from my life, is someone that I can still try to get," he says this all still looking away from her.

"Who?" He looks up at her, directly into her eyes. She can feel his eyes look through her, all the way through her, in her soul. She gasps softly. He had never looked at her like that before.

"You." She is surprised at this and tries to speak but he puts his finger on her mouth to stop her. He turns toward her and takes hold of her hands and rubs them softly. "I have to say this." He continues to stare at her. "Rachel, I love you, always have. I will always love you. When I find you father we will know all the secrets that the Centre has kept from us. We won't need the Centre. Come with me, Rachel. After I deal with the Centre for the last time come with me. Please?" She looks at him, seeing real love, something she'd only seen in Thomas, in his eyes and feeling safe when looking into them. She didn't even feel that with Thomas. She smiles and moves closer to him so she is right at his side. She puts her hand on the side of his face, looking at him with soft, loving eyes. She leans forward and kissed him softly on the lips. When she pulls away softly (although she didn't wanted to but she needed air) Jarod looks at her stunned, taken completely by surprise from this action, not sure of what to do next. She looks at him and smiles at his reaction.

"Jarod, yes."

"You...you will?" He stutters, still in shock from the kiss.

"Yes. I love you too. Ever since we were little, but I hid my feelings because a Parker isn't supposed to show emotions. But I can't hide them anymore and besides I'm not really a Parker anyway." A big smile creeps across his face. Now it's his turn. He puts his hand on the side of her face, pushing her hair back and kisses her with a sweet, gentle touch. They look at each other again, their hearts filled with the passion that they've had to keep hidden inside for so long. He wraps his arms around her as they continue to kiss. They fall back on the bed. He slowly starts to untuck her silk shirt while she tries to pull off his black, leather jacket. All of a sudden they hear her doorbell ring. They stop and she sighs.

"Damn it!" She yells at the ceiling. "Why now?" She looks back at him and they laugh. They stand up. "Stay here. Whoever it is I'll get rid of them." She turns toward the door but he pulls on her arm and spins her back. He kisses her again and then smiles, silently saying his goodbye. She smiles back, not getting the message and then exits the room. She walks to the front door. "What?" She yells as she opens it.

"Hello Miss Parker."

"Syd? Why are you--?" Sydney walks in.

"I'm just checking on you. The stress of not knowing your true identity can be hard on someone," he says, thinking of Jarod. He now glances at her, noticing her hair messed up, lipstick smears, and her shirt half untucked. "Although you don't seem to be having any problem finding something to occupy you mind." She notices him studying her and notices her clothes. She tries to hide the fact that she is blushing.

"I...um..."

"Don't bother Parker. I'm assuming this person is still here so I'll leave you alone." She sighs.

"Thanks Syd." He walks out the door and she shuts it. She leans against the door. "He knows" she whispers. Her eyes then land on her bedroom door. While she had been talking to Sydney Jarod was still in her room. He looks around and finds a piece of paper and pen. He writes something down and sets the paper on the bed. He then takes her music box from her dresser. He slides out of the window and looks back in the room. He sighs, wanting to finish what they started but knowing they can't right now. He sneaks back to his car and drives away. Right when he is out of sight she enters the room. "Jarod?" She looks around but no one is there. She then notices the note. She sighs and sits next to it and picks it up. She reads it.

My dearest Rachel,

I wanted to stay but I can't. I don't know

who is here (although my guess is Sydney)

and I can't risk getting caught. Not now

when we're so close to the end. Keep

chasing me so they won't get suspicious.

This will all be over soon and we'll be

able to be together forever. I love you.

Until we meet again...

Love,

Jarod

She smiles after reading the note. She hold is next to her and falls back on her bed, staring at the ceiling. "Until we meet again...I love you Jarod."