Title - Tears of Yesterday III
Author - Nicky
Rating - PG-13
Category - JMPR, MP/L, MSR
Spoilers: Pretender Season 4, X-Files Season 8 Finale
Summary - Jarod and Miss Parker make some unexpected friends and discover some unexpected ties.
Disclaimer: The characters Miss Parker, Sydney, Jarod, Broots etc. and the fictional Centre, are all property of MTM, TNT and NBC Productions and used without permission. Mulder and Scully belong to Chris Carter, 1013 Productions and Fox. I'm not making any money out of this and no infringement is intended.
* * * * * * * * * *
Epilogue
* * * * * * * * * *
1 Week Later
Jarod and Miss Parker stand on the porch, watching Mulder pack
the trunk of the car. Scully comes out the cabin with William
and the last of their bags.
"Are you guys sure you don't want to come with us?" she offers.
"Mulder and I just got this huge house right outside of DC.
There's plenty room for you all."
"Thanks, but we're going to stay here for awhile. Wait to see if
. . . you know . . .this is the last place . . . he'll know to
look for us here."
"Lyle?"
"Yeah," Miss Parker nods. "I want to be here when he returns."
"I understand," Scully smiles. She leans over to give them all
hugs before joining Mulder by the car.
"Well, Kitty. It's been a real adventure," Mulder laughs. He
pulls Miss Parker into a tight hug, making sure not to squish
Serena. He gives her a kiss on the cheek before turning to shake
Jarod's hand. "Jarod, it's been good meeting you. Take care of
my cousin, alright?"
"Don't write us off completely," Jarod says. "We may show up on
your doorstep one of these days. We might decide to just stop
the car, get out and lead a normal life."
Mulder and Scully exchange secret looks, his words having special
meaning to them.
"Jarod, let me give you some words of advice based on personal
experience." Mulder pauses for a moment to gather his thoughts.
"Normalcy - much like beauty - is in the eye of the beholder.
Your life is your life. Live it the way that will make you
happy." He turns to Scully and sees a big, pleased grin
plastered on her face.
"You ready, Mulder?"
"Let's go, G-woman," he says with a smile, causing Scully to
smile with him.
They wave good-bye one last time before getting in the car and
heading for home.
"I'm going to miss them," Miss Parker says with a sigh, shifting
Serena up to her shoulder. She goes to sit on the swing on the
porch, leaving room for Jarod and Baby Parker. "Family is nice.
It's comforting to know we're not on our own."
"Lyle knows the same thing, too. He knows we're here waiting on
him. And he knows his son is here. He risked his life for him.
I don't think he plans on letting him down now."
"I hope you're right," she says, looking up into the night sky.
"It's getting late. How about we get these little ones to bed?"
"Can you manage them both by yourself?" she asks. "I think I
want to sit out here for a little bit longer."
"Sure," he smiles. He leans over to kiss her and then lifts
Serena from her lap.
"Andrew, Honey," she calls to Baby Parker. "Go with Jarod. He's
going to help you get to bed."
The little boy nods and takes Jarod's free hand, following him
into the house. Miss Parker looks at them and smiles as they
disappear through the door. Jarod is so good with kids. She
can't wait until they have more.
'Slow down there, Parker,' she warns herself. 'You don't even
know for sure that he wants to be a family. Especially with you
and another man's child.'
"Please want that too, Jarod," she begs aloud to the dark night.
Almost as if she's making a wish on the stars.
"I'm sure he wants whatever you want." A voice from the darkness
startles her.
"Lyle?" she questions the darkness. "Is that you?"
"The one and only," he chuckles slightly. "I guess that's a good
thing, though. What would this world be like with more than one
of me running around?"
He steps up on the porch and is surprised by the force of her
body crashing into his own. She holds him tightly, hugging him
with all her might.
"Where have you been? It's been a week, Lyle. I was worried
sick."
"They would have been looking for me. If I stayed with Mulder
and Broots, we all would have been caught. We stayed too long."
"Because of the baby. Because of your son."
"That's so crazy. My son," he laughs a joyless laugh. "I have a
son. And I didn't even know it. Yet one more thing our father
took from us."
"Don't let him take anymore from us. Let's live our life now,"
she begs him. "You owe it to yourself, you owe it to me, and you
owe it to that little boy in there."
"What if I screw up somehow? Parker, he'd be better off not even
knowing I exist."
"I don't believe that. And I don't think you do either. Lyle,
you risked your life for him. In ten minutes, you learned to
love him so completely that you'd give your life for him. He
could do a lot worse than someone like you in his life. Give
yourself a chance. Give love a chance."
"That's oddly similar to the advice Mulder gave me," he laughs.
"Then I say you go with it," she challenges him. "Don't let the
Centre or our father take up anymore of our lives. Go in there
to your son, Lyle. Let him get to know you. Love him, and he'll
love you back."
She smiles at him and holds out her hand, silently pleading with
him to take it. He's hesitant for a few seconds, but then steps
up to her and accepts her offering. She clasps his hand closely
and gently pulls him into the house - into a new life with his
child.
* * * * * * * * * *
Miss Parker sits on the porch the next morning, watching Jarod
and Lyle play with the kids. She's constantly amazed at how
quickly they both have adapted to fatherhood. And she's even
more amazed at how completely the children love them. Serena's
barely two weeks old, but it's obvious how much she adores
Jarod. He already has her spoiled rotten.
Jarod spots her spying on them and leaves Lyle and Andrew by
themselves. He walks up the porch where Miss Parker is and sits
next to her, setting the baby seat on the ground between them.
"They're good together," Jarod says, nodding his head towards
Lyle and Andrew.
"You sound surprised," she teases him.
"And you're not?"
"Maybe a little. But, we Parkers tend to get what we want once we set
our minds to it." She smiles at him and gives him a quick kiss.
She curls up in his arms and enjoys the warm sun for a few silent
minutes.
"I think we should move on," she says. "Go someplace where we
can get settled and start our life."
They swing in silence for a few more minutes while he
contemplates what she just said and how he's going to answer her.
"Maybe we should drive south for awhile," he suggests. "I hear
DC is really nice this time of year."
She smiles. It's just what she was thinking.
"It would be nice for Serena to grow up with her cousins. She'll
be near William. And I'm sure we could convince Lyle settle
somewhere nearby with Andrew."
"Cousins are nice. But so are brothers and sisters," he says,
smiling at her. "Maybe she could get some of those eventually?
Maybe after me and her mom get married?"
"She'd like brothers and sisters," Miss Parker says, her heart
filling with joy at his proposal. She is ecstatic to know for
sure that he wants what she wants - a family. "And she'd love
to have a father."
"And what about you?"
"I already love her father," she smiles and then reaches up to
capture his lips with her own. "Marrying him would be my
pleasure." She pulls him closer again and attacks his mouth,
almost viciously this time.
"I love you, Parker," he says with all seriousness. "More than
anything in this world. You and Serena are my life. I promised
you forever. This is just the beginning."
"Jarod, my heart belongs to you - and only you - forever and for
always," she says, echoing his words from so long ago. From the
night on the beach that changed both their lives.
"Forever and for always," he whispers. They meet again in
another kiss, sealing their vows.
She know he can't promise there won't be any more tears.
And she knows he can't promise there won't be anymore pain.
But he can offer her his heart. And all the joy it contains.
And that's all she really needed.
The End.
Author - Nicky
Rating - PG-13
Category - JMPR, MP/L, MSR
Spoilers: Pretender Season 4, X-Files Season 8 Finale
Summary - Jarod and Miss Parker make some unexpected friends and discover some unexpected ties.
Disclaimer: The characters Miss Parker, Sydney, Jarod, Broots etc. and the fictional Centre, are all property of MTM, TNT and NBC Productions and used without permission. Mulder and Scully belong to Chris Carter, 1013 Productions and Fox. I'm not making any money out of this and no infringement is intended.
* * * * * * * * * *
Epilogue
* * * * * * * * * *
1 Week Later
Jarod and Miss Parker stand on the porch, watching Mulder pack
the trunk of the car. Scully comes out the cabin with William
and the last of their bags.
"Are you guys sure you don't want to come with us?" she offers.
"Mulder and I just got this huge house right outside of DC.
There's plenty room for you all."
"Thanks, but we're going to stay here for awhile. Wait to see if
. . . you know . . .this is the last place . . . he'll know to
look for us here."
"Lyle?"
"Yeah," Miss Parker nods. "I want to be here when he returns."
"I understand," Scully smiles. She leans over to give them all
hugs before joining Mulder by the car.
"Well, Kitty. It's been a real adventure," Mulder laughs. He
pulls Miss Parker into a tight hug, making sure not to squish
Serena. He gives her a kiss on the cheek before turning to shake
Jarod's hand. "Jarod, it's been good meeting you. Take care of
my cousin, alright?"
"Don't write us off completely," Jarod says. "We may show up on
your doorstep one of these days. We might decide to just stop
the car, get out and lead a normal life."
Mulder and Scully exchange secret looks, his words having special
meaning to them.
"Jarod, let me give you some words of advice based on personal
experience." Mulder pauses for a moment to gather his thoughts.
"Normalcy - much like beauty - is in the eye of the beholder.
Your life is your life. Live it the way that will make you
happy." He turns to Scully and sees a big, pleased grin
plastered on her face.
"You ready, Mulder?"
"Let's go, G-woman," he says with a smile, causing Scully to
smile with him.
They wave good-bye one last time before getting in the car and
heading for home.
"I'm going to miss them," Miss Parker says with a sigh, shifting
Serena up to her shoulder. She goes to sit on the swing on the
porch, leaving room for Jarod and Baby Parker. "Family is nice.
It's comforting to know we're not on our own."
"Lyle knows the same thing, too. He knows we're here waiting on
him. And he knows his son is here. He risked his life for him.
I don't think he plans on letting him down now."
"I hope you're right," she says, looking up into the night sky.
"It's getting late. How about we get these little ones to bed?"
"Can you manage them both by yourself?" she asks. "I think I
want to sit out here for a little bit longer."
"Sure," he smiles. He leans over to kiss her and then lifts
Serena from her lap.
"Andrew, Honey," she calls to Baby Parker. "Go with Jarod. He's
going to help you get to bed."
The little boy nods and takes Jarod's free hand, following him
into the house. Miss Parker looks at them and smiles as they
disappear through the door. Jarod is so good with kids. She
can't wait until they have more.
'Slow down there, Parker,' she warns herself. 'You don't even
know for sure that he wants to be a family. Especially with you
and another man's child.'
"Please want that too, Jarod," she begs aloud to the dark night.
Almost as if she's making a wish on the stars.
"I'm sure he wants whatever you want." A voice from the darkness
startles her.
"Lyle?" she questions the darkness. "Is that you?"
"The one and only," he chuckles slightly. "I guess that's a good
thing, though. What would this world be like with more than one
of me running around?"
He steps up on the porch and is surprised by the force of her
body crashing into his own. She holds him tightly, hugging him
with all her might.
"Where have you been? It's been a week, Lyle. I was worried
sick."
"They would have been looking for me. If I stayed with Mulder
and Broots, we all would have been caught. We stayed too long."
"Because of the baby. Because of your son."
"That's so crazy. My son," he laughs a joyless laugh. "I have a
son. And I didn't even know it. Yet one more thing our father
took from us."
"Don't let him take anymore from us. Let's live our life now,"
she begs him. "You owe it to yourself, you owe it to me, and you
owe it to that little boy in there."
"What if I screw up somehow? Parker, he'd be better off not even
knowing I exist."
"I don't believe that. And I don't think you do either. Lyle,
you risked your life for him. In ten minutes, you learned to
love him so completely that you'd give your life for him. He
could do a lot worse than someone like you in his life. Give
yourself a chance. Give love a chance."
"That's oddly similar to the advice Mulder gave me," he laughs.
"Then I say you go with it," she challenges him. "Don't let the
Centre or our father take up anymore of our lives. Go in there
to your son, Lyle. Let him get to know you. Love him, and he'll
love you back."
She smiles at him and holds out her hand, silently pleading with
him to take it. He's hesitant for a few seconds, but then steps
up to her and accepts her offering. She clasps his hand closely
and gently pulls him into the house - into a new life with his
child.
* * * * * * * * * *
Miss Parker sits on the porch the next morning, watching Jarod
and Lyle play with the kids. She's constantly amazed at how
quickly they both have adapted to fatherhood. And she's even
more amazed at how completely the children love them. Serena's
barely two weeks old, but it's obvious how much she adores
Jarod. He already has her spoiled rotten.
Jarod spots her spying on them and leaves Lyle and Andrew by
themselves. He walks up the porch where Miss Parker is and sits
next to her, setting the baby seat on the ground between them.
"They're good together," Jarod says, nodding his head towards
Lyle and Andrew.
"You sound surprised," she teases him.
"And you're not?"
"Maybe a little. But, we Parkers tend to get what we want once we set
our minds to it." She smiles at him and gives him a quick kiss.
She curls up in his arms and enjoys the warm sun for a few silent
minutes.
"I think we should move on," she says. "Go someplace where we
can get settled and start our life."
They swing in silence for a few more minutes while he
contemplates what she just said and how he's going to answer her.
"Maybe we should drive south for awhile," he suggests. "I hear
DC is really nice this time of year."
She smiles. It's just what she was thinking.
"It would be nice for Serena to grow up with her cousins. She'll
be near William. And I'm sure we could convince Lyle settle
somewhere nearby with Andrew."
"Cousins are nice. But so are brothers and sisters," he says,
smiling at her. "Maybe she could get some of those eventually?
Maybe after me and her mom get married?"
"She'd like brothers and sisters," Miss Parker says, her heart
filling with joy at his proposal. She is ecstatic to know for
sure that he wants what she wants - a family. "And she'd love
to have a father."
"And what about you?"
"I already love her father," she smiles and then reaches up to
capture his lips with her own. "Marrying him would be my
pleasure." She pulls him closer again and attacks his mouth,
almost viciously this time.
"I love you, Parker," he says with all seriousness. "More than
anything in this world. You and Serena are my life. I promised
you forever. This is just the beginning."
"Jarod, my heart belongs to you - and only you - forever and for
always," she says, echoing his words from so long ago. From the
night on the beach that changed both their lives.
"Forever and for always," he whispers. They meet again in
another kiss, sealing their vows.
She know he can't promise there won't be any more tears.
And she knows he can't promise there won't be anymore pain.
But he can offer her his heart. And all the joy it contains.
And that's all she really needed.
The End.