Scene Twenty-Four

The next morning. Jarod is in a hotel room with Angelo and the baby. Angelo is sitting by the window looking at the sunshine with the baby sleeping next to him. Jarod is standing next the bed with a list of names, all but one checked off, in hand. Near the door are three luggage racks all stacked full with boxes ready for mailing. On the bed is on last box along with a permanent marker, tape, scissors, brown paper, and a large stack of money. Jarod fills the last box with money, closes it, wraps it, and writes down the last name. "Andrea Zane." He adds it to the others and checks the name and then throws the list away.

"Almost done," he says to himself. He pulls out two big boxes and fills them. He closes their lids and writes "Sydney" on one and "Broots" on the other. He sets them on the fourth luggage rack. He takes an empty suitcase and puts the rest of the money inside. "That should cover them for a while, at least the week," he says with a grin. He puts the suitcase on the rack and then grabs his phone. He dials.

"Hello?"

"Ethan?"

"Jarod! How did it go?"

"I'll tell you later. Umm...could you go into your suitcase and check the front top pocket?"

"Okay." Ethan does what is asked and pulls out small box. "What's this?"

"Open it." Ethan opens it.

"It's a key and piece of paper, but for what? Does it lead to my sister?"

"Yes. How far are you from that address on the paper?"

"Well, we never left the city after getting Debbie so...about an hour."

"Great. Get everyone together and go to the address. The key will open the front door. Rachel, Syd, and Broots are inside. Take everyone with you. They'll probably want to leave but I want all of you to stay there. I'll come shortly after you guys."

"Okay brother."

"Good, bye."

"Bye." (Click) Jarod puts the phone back in his jacket's pocket, hanging on the chair, and puts it on. He looks at Angelo and the baby and smiles.

"Okay, let's go." Angelo carries the baby as Jarod wheels out the luggage racks. They get them downstairs and put all the packages in the back of the moving truck Jarod rented. He pays for the room and then drives to the post office. Jarod walks inside to the front desk. "Hi, I have a truckload of packages I need to be mailed."

"OK." The man walks with Jarod to the truck and Jarod opens the door. "Wow! You weren't kidding!" Jarod laughs. "This is going to cost quite a bit."

"That is not a problem. Just leave the suitcases and the two large boxes in the back."

"No problem." He gets those mailed off and drives to the truck service. He puts the luggage and boxes into the trunk of his car that was parked there. Jarod sets the baby's things next to him and turns in the keys to the truck. They drive off to Rachel's house. Angelo and the baby stay in the car and Jarod goes inside. He walks into her bedroom. He opens her closet and pulls out her suitcase, dusty from not being used in a long time. He sets it on the bed and opens it. He then goes through her clothes hanging up and pull out a few of his favorite outfits of hers and puts them into the suitcase. He then goes to her dresser and takes a few pieces of clothes in there. The last thing he pulls out, after some searching, is her swimsuit. A red, string bikini. "God, she'd kill me if she knew I was doing this." He grins. He puts into the suitcase and looks around her room. He notices a picture and picks it up and puts it into the suitcase and closes it. He then leaves the house and puts it into the trunk. He sits in the driver's seat and pulls away. "One more stop Angelo and then we'll go see Sydney and the rest."

Meanwhile...

Ethan and the rest pull up to the warehouse and the get out. Debbie is next to Ethan.

"This has to be it that's her car," says Ethan. He walks to the door and puts in the key. Inside Broots is sitting on the couch and Sydney is in the kitchen.

"I wonder how it when yesterday." says Sydney.

"Yeah," says Broots. Rachel is in her room finishing Jarod's book. She is so wrapped up in the book she doesn't hear when Ethan unlocks the door and Debbie runs inside.

"Daddy!" Broots jumps up and hugs Debbie and kisses her on the forehead.

"Oh, sweetie, I've missed you. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine dad. This nice man who is a friend of Miss Parker's brought me." Broots looks up at Ethan who has everyone else behind him. Broots stands and shakes Ethan's hand.

"Thank you." Ethan smiles and nods. Sydney walks forward and notices two people behind Ethan.

"Michelle? Nicholas?" They walk forward. "What are you doing here?" he asks as he hugs them.

"Jarod called and told us to go with Ethan when he came" says Michelle.

"It's so good to see you."

"You too" say Nicholas. They go to sit down when Rachel, who had finished the book and heard what was going on, walks out of her room, wearing the last outfit Jarod left for her. Red high heels, a red mini skirt, with a semi tight with top and a black leather jacket. She looks at Broots with Debbie and Sydney with his family when she notices Ethan. She walks to him to hug him when she notices Ben. She runs to him and wraps her arms around him.

"Dad!" She looks at him and smiles.

"My daughter." They laugh, still getting used to those words. They hug again. Now she turns to Ethan and hugs him.

"Ethan."

"Rachel" he whispers in her ears, incase she didn't want the rest to know. She looks at him for a second and smiles.

"Jarod told you?"

"Yeah."

"Told...told you what?" asks Broots. She looks at him.

"Okay. This is the only time I going to tell you my first name and if you use Miss Parker again, well, it isn't going to be pretty. From now on you'll will simply call my Rachel."

"Rachel?" asks Broots.

"Yes, Rachel, from now on call me Rachel," she says with a smile. Margaret walks toward her.

"So you are the one that has stolen my son's heart." Rachel looks at her stunned.

"I...I..." Sydney laughs. Broots is confused.

"I knew he was the one at your house!" Rachel looks at him and laughs.

"Yes, it was. And you scared him away." She smiles.

"Sorry" he says, laughing at the same time.

"Huh?" says Broots.

"I'll explain that," says Jarod.