Title - Saying the Words
Author - Nicky
Rating - PG
Category - JMPR
Summary - Jarod tries to say good bye, but ends up coming back to rescue Miss
Parker and finds her in a surprising predicament.
Disclaimer - The characters aren't mine. I'm just using them for my own
entertainment purposes.

* * * * * * * * * *

An older couple paces back and forth across the waiting room floor. The husband's
face is filled with fear. The wife's holds resignation. She knows what she saw. And
she knows what it means. It didn't matter how quickly they managed to get to the
hospital. The cause was already lost. There's always chance for a miracle, but
she isn't holding her breath. She had watched her husband hand over the still
form and knew no life would be in that body ever again. Now, she's just waiting
on the doctor to confirm it.

"Mr. and Mrs. Alexander," a man about their age calls to them. The woman remains
seated and just stares at the doctor, bracing herself for the inevitable words that
would be falling from his lips. The doctor feels her intense gaze and is a bit rattled
by her calmness.

"Dr. Jacobs. Is there any word on our granddaughter?" the worried husband asks.
He looks at the doctor with so much hope in his eyes, praying for a miracle. The
doctor quickly looks at the other man, almost grateful to have something to focus
on other than the woman's disturbing glare. Until he remembers what he has to
tell the man.

"I'm so sorry, Sir. But the child didn't make it." The doctor takes a step back and
watches the scene before him. Silent tears of acceptance flowing down the
woman's face while she consoles her inconsolable husband. He's seen many times
how the realization of lost hope could break a man. But this woman seemed to
have been prepared for it. He's startled when she suddenly looks up at him again.
This time, he can almost hear her accusing thoughts.

'I know what you did,' the look seemed to say. 'I know what you're not telling us.'

He can tell this woman isn't going to be content with his usual story. Right
then and there, the doctor got worried. This woman could be trouble.

* * * * * * * * * *

"Nice office, Jarod," Miss Parker remarks nervously as she looks around the room.
She fumbles with the ties on the paper thin gown she had to change into, trying
hard to avoid eye contact with him.

"That's Dr. Wilkes to you," he grins, causing her to laugh. He senses her
nervousness and tries to get her to relax as much as possible. "Why don't you hop
up on the table. I'm still getting everything set up, but I'll be with you in a
minute."

"I don't understand how you set all this up so quickly. We've only been in town a
few days and already you've got people thinking you're a doctor," she says, laying
back on the table as he instructs her to. "Why are you doing this anyway?"

He grins again at her, but doesn't say anything. The purpose of this latest pretend
is two fold. First, it's imperative that Miss Parker start getting prenatal care.
There were tests to be run to be sure the child is healthy. There's no telling
what was done to her. He just wants to make sure the baby develops and stays
healthy. And Jarod couldn't deny how curious he is to see if he's the father.
Or if she's the mother for that matter. Again, there's no telling what *they*
had done to her. Secondly, and this is the part she doesn't need to know just yet,
he's working on a case of mysterious infant deaths at the local hospitals. He's
sure he knows the doctor responsible, but just need the proof. Pretending to be
an OB/GYN is the perfect cover to accomplish both those goals.

"We need to make sure the baby's okay," he finally tells her. "There are some tests
you need and I wouldn't trust these tests to anyone else except myself."

"What kind of tests?" she cringes as he brings a needle to her arm. She looks away
when he sticks it in her arm, drawing out a sample of her blood.

"Don't worry," he chuckles. "This is about as bad as it gets. Today, I just basically
wanted to get some bloodwork on you and then try to see if we can determine how
far along you are. You said you've gained about 5 pounds and you're barely
starting to show. Based on that, how long you were at Donoterase, and allowing for
a week or two of hormone treatments before the actual insemination process took
place, I estimate the time after conception to be around 12 or 13 weeks. That's
putting you right at the beginning of your second trimester."

"Is there any way to know for sure?" she asks curiously, trying to ignore the
ominous looking machines and gadgets around the office. She tries not to cringe
when he picks up a mysterious tube of something in one hand and what looks like
an electric razor in the other.

"We can start with seeing if junior here is camera shy," he smiles. "This ultrasound
should give us a clearer picture of the baby's development." He flips the cap on the
tube and squeezes a gel on her stomach, laughing when she practically leaps off the
table.

"That's ice cold, Jarod!" she shrieks.

"Sorry," he continues to laugh. He sets the tube down on the tray and moves the
other gadget across her belly.

"You could have warned me. That stuff is freezing. Isn't there a way to warm . . ."
She stops midsentence when her ears pick up a strange sound. It's watery
thumping noise, and it echoes all throughout the room. She looks up at him with a
confused expression her face, wondering what she's hearing.

"The baby's heartbeat," he says, answering her silent question. He smiles as her
face lights up, matching his own awe filled gaze.

"Really? It's so fast," she whispers, unable to push her voice past the sob she's
desperately trying to hold back. She sees now that something else has captured his
attention and she lifts her head to face the screen he's now watching, wiping
away her tears to try to remove some of the blurriness in her eyes. "What's that
you're looking at?"

"The baby," he tells her, utterly amazed at what he's seeing. "See that fluttering
there? That's what we heard. That's the heart. Oh my - "

"What?" she asks, suddenly alarmed by his gasp. She looks up and sees tears fill
his eyes and has to grab his arm to get his attention. "What is it? Is there
something wrong?"

"No," he cries, tears making their way down his face. "Nothing at all. He's perfect.
Absolutely perfect. He's sucking on his thumb," he says with a laugh despite his
tears.

"He?"

"Well, I can't really tell just yet," he blushes. "Maybe in a few weeks. I just didn't
think we should call him an 'it' anymore. Look at him. A real baby. Right there
inside you. It's amazing."

"Amazing," she repeats. She looks over at him just as he looks at her and they
both smile, reveling in the moment. Before she can stop herself, she props herself
up on her elbow and leans towards him, pulling him closer to her to kiss him. He
eagerly meets her mouth in a hot kiss that soon leaves them desperate for air, but
not willing to part.

"Dr. Wilkes . . . oops. Didn't mean to disturb you." Jarod looks up towards the door
at the source of their interruption. An embarrassed looking nurse is standing
there, her eyes averted to avoid looking directly at them.

"That's alright Nurse Simpson," he says, letting out a slightly frustrated sigh.

"Dr. Wilkes, I'm terribly sorry," she apologizes, blushing furiously as Jarod and Miss
Parker wipe off the goopy gel and pull her gown back down.

"It's really quite alright. Come on in and let me introduce you to my wife," he lies
easily. "Parker Wilkes, Nurse Helen Simpson."

"It's nice to meet you, Nurse," Miss Parker smiles.

An uneasy silence falls and they all sit there just staring at the walls for a few
seconds.

"Was there something you needed, Nurse?" Jarod asks finally.

"Oh, yes. Dr. Jacobs was called unexpectedly out of town. But he has two
appointments later this afternoon. Can you see them?"

"No problem. Where are the charts so I can familiarize myself with the patients?"

"Actually, they're not here. These are his patients from the free clinic."

"Free clinic?" Jarod asks with shock. He didn't realize the good doctor had another
source of patients. This could explain why he couldn't find any answers snooping
around the doctor's office earlier. All the evidence of the crimes could be at this
free clinic.

"Yes. The one on Victory Drive. Do you know where that is? I know you're new in
town. I can give you directions," she offers.

"No. I'll find it," he says distractedly, his mind already churning with the latest bit
of information she just told him.

The nurse nods and tells him she'll leave the details out front just in case, but he
barely hears her. She lets herself out after giving Miss Parker one last 'nice to meet
you' smile.

"Okay, Jarod. What's this pretend really about?" Miss Parker asks once the nurse is
out of the room.

"What are you talking about?" he asks innocently.

"I see that look in your eyes. I *know* you're up to something."

"This doctor I'm working with is into something bad," he finally admits, realizing she
isn't going to let it go. "He's responsible somehow for the mysterious rash of
infant deaths. I'm just trying to figure out why and how and stop him."

"He's killing babies?" she asks quietly, horrified at the very thought. She
unconsciously moves her hands to her slightly swollen abdomen.

"Don't worry about it," he says, moving to hug her. He pulls her into his arms and
gently strokes his hand up and down her back, trying to calm her. He feels like
kicking himself for getting her all worked up. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's not you, Jarod. It's me. I'm such a basket case these days. I don't know
what's wrong with me."

"It's all normal," he smiles reassuringly at her. "Read any pregnancy book and
you'll see them warn the fathers to be aware of their woman's . . . um . . .
hormonal issues. I just have to make sure to keep potential projectile objects from
between the two of us."

"Oh that was so embarrassing," she groans, covering her face with her hands. "I
don't know what possessed me to throw that lamp at you."

"Because I was being a rude, inconsiderate prick and deserved it." He pulls her
hand off her face and kisses her cheek. "Come on. Let's get out of here. I got
work to do."

"Okay," she smiles, grabbing his hand as he helps her slide off the table. "I'll just
get dressed."

"Ooh, don't let me stop you," he leers.

"Jarod," she says sternly, but with a playfullness in her voice still. "Out."

"Okay," he sighs dejectedly, instantly pouting. The next second, his leer returns
and he leans close to her to whisper in her ear. "But remind me to bring home one
of these gowns for you to walk around in. They're practically see through."

He winks at her and walks out the door, leaving her speechless and flushed. She
has to shake herself to get a hold of her senses, still amazed at how excited that
man could make her. Just hearing his voice or seeing that smug grin of his and her
heart starts racing. Her knees go weak and her palms start to sweat. The man is
like a drug she can't get enough of. She's strung out on Jarod and proud of
it. And she doesn't plan on kicking the habit. She smiles to herself, realizing that for
the first time ever, her life actually seems to be falling into place.

* * * * * * * * * *

Jarod arrives at the clinic that afternoon with no problems. Savannah is a nice
sized town, but not big enough for him to get lost. He pulls into the clinic parking
lot just 30 minutes after leaving his own office, the traffic on the Abercorn
Expressway delaying him a bit. Opening the door and stepping inside, he's taken
aback to see a completely different world than the one he just left. The clinic is
packed to capacity with women of all ages waiting to see a doctor or nurse. Some
of them already had a few children with them. But very few of them had on
wedding rings. He walks to the desk and introduces himself to the receptionist,
letting her knew he's replacing Dr. Jacobs for the day.

"Right this way, Doctor. His office is the last door on the left. The patient charts
are in there as well. Just let me know when you're ready for your patients. It
shouldn't be too busy for you today. Dr. Jacobs usually sees just 2 patients a day,"
she explains to him quickly, barely looking up from what she was doing.

"What about the other ones? There are so many that need our help," he says
sincerely.

She abruptly stops what she's doing, looking up at him curiously. She takes in his
well pressed appearance, eyeing his crisp lab coat and shiny new shoes. He looks
at her with an equal amount of curiosity, wondering why she is staring at him so
inquisitively.

"What?" he asks, starting to feel a little uneasy from her glare.

"You sound like you really care, Dr. -"

"Wilkes," he smiles, offering his hand for her to shake.

"Nice to meet you, Dr. Wilkes. And I really mean that," she says, sounding
surprised. "Most of you doctors from the southside come over here just to do your
good deed for the week and then waste no time getting out of here. You see a few
patients and then go back to your world, feeling good about taking an hour or two
to see a few poor, disadvantaged patients. You walk right out, past that same room
full of women that sit here all day, yet rarely get to see a doctor. I didn't expect
you to be any different."

"Just give me five minutes," he says, without any thought. He came here with the
intention of doing a little digging around Dr. Jacobs' office. But looking out into that
waiting room, he realizes that helping is more important than getting dirt on the
doctor. "Then you can start sending them back. If I can help it, they're all going to
see a doctor today."

"Right away, Doctor," she smiles brightly. She could tell now that she was going to
like this new doctor. Maybe he would take over completely for Dr. Jacobs. She
didn't care if she never saw that man again. But there wasn't anything she could
do about that. He was one of the only doctors who would come to the clinic and
they needed all the help they could get. That still didn't make her like him any
more. He gave her the creeps and she couldn't help but think he was up to
something. She'll have to make sure she talk with Dr. Wilkes about it. Because for
some reason, she got the feeling that he could solve all their problems. He would
know how to handle Dr. Jacobs.

Six hours later, although tired, the receptionist is now sure that this is just the
man to help them.

"Dr. Wilkes," she calls to him. "It's almost 7:00. Your wife has called here twice
already. You should go home."

"I will, Denise," he says with a smile. "How many more patients?"

"That's what I'm trying to tell you. Everyone has been seen. Some only come for
counseling or regular exams. The nurses and social worker handled a lot of those
cases. So, the waiting room, for the first time ever, will be empty when we close
tonight. I still can't believe you stayed so late. You're a good man, Dr. Wilkes.
Very different from your . . . associate." She's barely able to think of Dr. Jacobs
anymore without cringing.

"Denise, do you have a problem with Dr. Jacobs?" Jarod asks, noticing the
receptionist's reaction to the man.

"Well, he never would have done what you did today. He comes in, sees a few
patients, and leaves. And he only takes the easiest cases where the mothers and
babies are perfectly healthy. But that man is cursed. Because no matter how
routine the pregnancy, about 75 percent of the babies he delivers don't survive
longer than a week."

"That's a pretty high statistic," Jarod nods encouragingly, hoping that she keeps on
talking freely while he keeps on cataloging all the information she's unwittingly
giving him. "And no one questions why seemingly healthy newborns are dying?"

"Most of these girls are young, Dr. Wilkes. Very young. And they didn't really have
much time to question it because most of them were busy defending themselves.
The police all but accused them of murder, but Dr. Jacobs would always report that
the babies died of natural causes."

"What would the post mortem say?" he asks a little too eagerly, arousing her
suspicion.

"You seem awfully interested in this, Dr. Wilkes," she says, looking closely at him.
"You're asking a whole lot of questions."

"Which you seem very eager to answer," he responds, turning the tables on her.
"Why is that, Denise?"

There's an intense moment of silence where they both stare at each other, trying to
figure out each other's motives. Denise sighs and looks away first, remembering
her earlier impressions of Jarod. He's a man to be trusted.

"My cousin lost her baby to that man," she says quietly. "Destiny is the baby of the
family. Just 16. So when she got pregnant, her parents were beyond upset. The
situation was tense, so she left home to go live with an older brother. Anyway,
despite being so young and basically on her own, Destiny's pregnancy was ideal. I
brought her to every one of her appointments here. Right away, Dr. Jacobs was
interested in her. She was one of the only patients he ever saw. Despite all of
that, Destiny ended up having the baby by Cesearean. They sent her home from
the hospital after two days. By then, my aunt and uncle decided that Destiny was
their baby girl, no matter what she had done. So they went to go see her and ask
her to come back home. When they got to their son's house, Destiny was pretty
out of it. Dr. Jacobs had her on some weird kind of pain medication. The baby was
unconscious. And never woke up again."

"I'm sorry to hear that," he says gently. "Is she okay?"

"She's okay. Like I said before, the cops had lots of questions for her and it was
almost like they were blaming her. My aunt and uncle are taking it hard. My uncle
feel like it's his fault. But my aunt . . . she's suspicious."

"Of Dr. Jacobs," Jarod concludes. She just nods her head.

"She keeps on saying that something about the baby just wasn't right. You see,
she had gone to the hospital right after the baby was born. The nurses let her hold
and feed her since Destiny was recovering from the C-Section and couldn't do it.
So she probably spent more time with the baby than anyone. This is going to
sound strange, but she claims that the baby her and my uncle took to the hospital
that night, the one that Dr. Jacobs told them died, was not the same child she fed
at the hospital. She believes that somehow along the way, the baby got switched.
That her granddaughter is out there somewhere . . . alive. And that Dr. Jacobs
knows all about it."

* * * * * * * * * *

Jarod walks into the house later that evening, body completely exhausted, but mind
running on overdrive. Denise had given him plenty to think about. He now knows
for sure that Dr. Jacobs is responsible for the deaths of the infants. But
something still isn't as it appears. And if what Denise's aunt believes is true,
the babies might still be alive. He just has to find them.

"You're home finally," Miss Parker calls to him, sticking her head from the doorway
leading to the kitchen. She wipes her soapy hands on a dishtowel and tosses it on
the counter, walking over to where Jarod is standing. "I thought you were just
going to see a few patients. I called a few times to see if you'd be home for
dinner."

All of Jarod's thoughts on the case stop instantly when he sees her. Her hair is
pulled back into a ponytail and her face is washed clean of any make up. She
has on one of his t-shirts and a pair of his boxer shorts. She looks nothing like
her regular glamourous self, but to him, she's never been more beautiful. She's
smiling and she absolutely glowed. He can't stop himself from pulling her close
and kissing her inviting lips. At first she's shocked at his forwardness, but soon
gets into the kiss herself, feeling instantly how much she's turning him on.

"Ooh, I see *someone* is glad to see me," she grins wickedly, rubbing her lower
body against his, causing him to groan at the sensation.

"You really are a naughty girl, Miss Parker," he says, gasping slightly for air. He
lets out another groan when she rubs against him again. "And you really have to
stop that right now." He grabs onto her hips and stop their titillative motion. He
closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. He doesn't
see the hurt look instantly strike her face. But he feels her tense in his embrace.

"You don't want me. I don't look how I used to and you aren't attracted to me."
She tries to pull out of his arms, but he sees how upset she is and tightens his grip.

"Are you kidding me? You think I don't want you? That I'm not attracted to you?
Miss Parker, I know you know what you're doing to me," he says, his voice rough
and straining. "But I just don't think we should act on it tonight."

A puzzled look crosses her face and she looks at him questioningly. He smiles and
kisses her once more before finally letting her out of his embrace. But he doesn't
let her go far. He grabs her hand and leads her into the living room, directing her
to take a seat on the couch. He sits next to her and wraps his arms around her.

"I'd like nothing better than to spend the rest of the night making love to you," he
whispers into her ear, shivering slightly at being so close to her. "I think you're the
most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

"Even now that my waist line is non existent," she says dubiously.

"Especially now," he assures her. "You're rounder. Everything is fuller and curvier.
You glow now and you light up any room you're in. And right here," he gazes down
at her stomach in awe, placing his hand lightly on top of it. "You're nurturing a new
life. That's so amazing to me. I can do almost anything I set my mind to do . . .
except this. You're bringing new life into this world. You're accomplishing
something great and impossible for me. I'm proud of your strength and courage.
And you may not like your appearance, but you've never been more attractive to
me."

He glances up at her and notices tears streaming down her face. He gently wipes
them away, kissing all over her face lightly until the tears stop.

"There I go with the waterworks again," she laughs, wrapping her arms around his
neck and hugging him tightly. "Thank you. For making me feel beautiful. And . . .
loved."

"Well you are beautiful. And loved," he adds with a whisper. "I've loved you since
the day I met you, Miss Parker. Nothing has changed that and nothing will change
that. And when the time is right, I'll show you exactly how much I love you."

"When the time is right?"

"I think we should wait until . . . " he pauses, suddenly feeling very shy.

"Until when, Jarod?"

"Until . . . we're married."

"Married?" she gasps. "I . . . I . . . Don't feel you have to . . . you know, just
because I'm . . . Jarod, what are you talking about?" she finally asks him, his
thoughts of marriage throwing her off guard.

"Okay, don't laugh, but working at that clinic today really affected me," he explains.
"So many of the girls I saw were just that - girls. I think four of my patients were
14 years old. Can you imagine? Being pregnant at 14. And all because of what?
The girls not respecting themselves enough to wait until they're married? Some
guy who didn't respect them enough to wait until they were married? I don't want
to be that guy, Miss Parker."

"Jarod," she giggles. "We're hardly 14 years old anymore. And I couldn't exactly
get any more pregnant."

"I know," he blushes. "But I want you to know that I respect you. And that I love
you. I don't want to take sex lightly. Besides, we may not be 14 any more, but
one day this child you're carrying will be. What are you going to do when you walk
in on our teenage daughter half naked with some equally naked boy trying hard to
do to her what you're trying to get me to do to you?"

"Would that be before or after I get my gun?" she laughs.

"After, of course. I know you tend to shoot first and ask questions later," he laughs
with her. " So while I'm burying the body in our backyard, the two of you will be
having a chat about . . . things. You're trying to convince her that waiting until
she's married is the right thing to do. What are you going to say to her when she
looks up at you with those big baby blues, and asks 'but Mom, did you and Dad wait
until *you* were married?'," he says with a high squeaky girlie voice that makes
Miss Parker giggle.

"Well hopefully, she won't sound anything like that or else I'll crack up in her face,"
she says, trying to get her laughing under control. "And I think I can understand
where you're coming from. It's really sweet of you. I've never had a guy respect
me that way." She gives him a sound kiss, sighing with disappointment when she
has to pull away. "Okay, so one day, I'm actually going to thank you for leaving me
frustrated like this?"

"Exactly," he grins before leaning over to kiss her. But he doesn't pull away. He
thoroughly toys with her mouth, leaving her panting and flushed all over again.

"Don't let that mouth of yours start anything you don't plan to finish," she purrs,
almost seductively.

"I'm sorry," he moans as she takes his earlobe between her teeth and nibbles
lightly. "I just couldn't resist."

"Mmm, I think I know the feeling." She moves from his ear and starts kissing down
his neck. "You . . . are . . . definitely . . . irresistible," she says, punctuating each
word with a kiss. She's shocked when he suddenly pulls her legs out from under
her until she's laying flat on her back. He leans over her with a predatory gleam in
his eyes, covering her lips with his own. They share long leisurely kisses for what
seems like hours until they both finally drift off to sleep in each others arms.

* * * * * * * * * *

Miss Parker wakes to the feeling of being surrounded by warmth from head to toe.
A flush rises to her face as she remembers the events leading up to her falling
asleep in Jarod's arms. He had kissed her so tenderly, yet passionately for the
longest time. Then he gently held her until they fell asleep. She looks over her
shoulder to see if she can catch a peek at the sleeping pretender and is surprised to
see his eyes open.

"Good morning," she smiles.

"Good morning, Sunshine." He leans down to give her a kiss. "I think I like waking
up like this with two of my favorite people in my arms."

"I still find it so hard to believe there's someone in there." She places her own
hand over the hand he has protectively covering her stomach. They rub the small
bump in unison.

"He or she won't be in there for much longer," Jarod says. "We don't have much
time to get away from the Centre and get settled. We won't be able to stay here
after I wrap up this pretend. It'll draw too much attention and possibly lead Lyle
this way."

"You sound like you've been thinking about this. About where we're going," she
whispers, hoping he hears the double meaning behind her words. It's obvious that
his main goal is to find some place safe for her and the baby. But she can't help
wondering where he sees himself in this scenario.

"I've been thinking about that . . . and much more. Miss Parker, I mentioned two
words last night that seemed to have surprised you."

"What two words?"

"Love . . . and marriage."

"Oh. Jarod, I . . . uh, I mean . . this is . . ."

"You don't have to say anything," he interrupts her. "I told you I loved you last
night, and I meant it. But I wasn't saying it to have you say it back. Or to make
you feel uncomfortable. I just wanted you to know."

"Oh," she sighs, not knowing what else to say. The silence stretches and starts to
become uncomfortable for her.

"You want to get married?" he blurts out suddenly.

"Do you mean in general or is this a proposal?" Her heart is racing. And although
she wants to scream out 'yes, I'll marry you. Just pick the time and place.', her
mind was holding her back for some reason.

"I don't know. Maybe I meant a little of both. I do love you. I've always loved
you. And when I think of the future, I see us together. So yes, I want to marry
you. But have you ever thought about it? Getting married in general?"

"Every girl dreams of her wedding day, Jarod," she tells him.

"Tell me about your dreams," he whispers, pulling her even closer, if that's even
possible. "Did they have me in them?"

"Yes," she admits. "You were only the ever one I could see myself marrying."

"So, do you want to get married?" he asks again, this time clarifying his meaning.
"To me?"

She rolls over in his embrace, being careful not to fall off the couch. She looks up
at him and sees the fear in his eyes. But she can also see the true love shining in
there as well. A look that she's only seen one time before. Tommy used to look at
her like that. But she could never love him that way. And she knows now it's
because of Jarod. It's always been Jarod for as long as she's known him. The
realization of that brings a smile to her face and clarity to her mind. She gives him
a gentle kiss and then says the sweetest words he's ever heard.

"I do," she smiles. "I do want to marry you. Any time. Any place."

His face lights up with an equally bright smile. In his excitement, he jumps off the
couch, pulling her up as well.

"You said yes?" he asks to be sure.

"I said yes," she nods, enjoying the happiness she sees on his face. "I know you
might not be clear on this, Jarod. I mean, I think I just truly realized it myself. But
I love you. I love you so much."

Tears fill both their eyes and they meet again for one more sweet kiss.

"Okay, I've got to go," he says, pulling away from her suddenly and causing her to
giggle.

"Jarod, we were in the middle of something," she says, pulling him back into her
arms. "We were just getting to the good part."

"I think that comes after the wedding," he laughs, trying still to get out of her
embrace. "But before we get to that, I have to wrap up this pretend. So I really
have to get going."

"Okay," she relents. "But when this is over, I get to have my way with you anytime
I want."

"Looking forward to it," he says with a wink. He gives her one last kiss before
dashing up the stairs to shower and change. The sooner he can get out of here, the
sooner he can finish this pretend. And when this pretend is over, then his life can
begin. Finally, after all these years out of the Centre, his life was about to become
reality.

* * * * * * * * * *

Nurse Simpson looks into Dr. Jacobs' office and huffs in irritation. The man was
such a slob. She really didn't understand how someone like him had such a
successful practice. Everything was always thrown everywhere, especially when he
returned from one of his mysterious trips. The trips he seems to be taking more
and more often. He hardly had time to practice medicine anymore and it was a
wonder the practice was still thriving. Luckily they were able to find and hire Dr.
Jarod Wilkes. He's only been there for about a week, but he's been seeing the
patients more than Dr. Jacobs has.

Nurse Simpson tries to straighten the place up a bit to get it ready for the patient
sitting outside waiting. She went over to the desk and started gathering the files
into stacks for him to sort through later.

"What are you doing?" Dr. Jacobs snaps as he suddenly enters the office. "Get
away from my things."

"I was just trying to get this place cleaned up," she snaps back. She drops the
stack of folders back onto the desk. If he was going to be so touchy about the files,
he should take better care to put them away. "You have someone waiting for you."

"This early? Helen, you know I don't take patients this early in the morning," the
doctor complains.

"She's just a consult. She said she just wanted to talk," Nurse Simpson explains.

"Well, you're right about this place being a dump. Show her into Jarod's office and
I'll meet with her in there." He watches her leave before he picks up the stack of
folders the nurse was bothering and quickly shoves them into the bottom drawer of
his desk, locking it with a key. That was too close. He was too careless this time.
Nurse Simpson is not a nosy woman by nature, so he doesn't believe she was
snooping. But, he still needed to be careful at what she could possibly discover.
He's come too far to have some nurse to stop him now. Taking one quick look into
the mirror, he heads down the hall towards Jarod's office.

"Dr. Jacobs," the nurse calls to him as he walks by. "She's waiting for you in Dr.
Wilkes' office."

"Thank you, Nurse Simpson. And listen, I'm sorry about before. I guess I'm a still
a little jet lagged. I shouldn't have snapped at you."

"I understand, Doctor," she says sweetly. "It was no big deal."

"Good," he smiles a toothy grin at her. "So, what's the patient's name?"

"Alexander," she says, looking down at the sign in sheet. "Grace Alexander. She
said she wanted to talk to you about her daughter, Destiny."

The doctor's heart almost stops right there in his chest. This was not what he
needed to be dealing with at this point in time. He knew this woman was going to
be trouble. It's been two weeks and he thought she had given up, but that's
apparently not the case.

"Doctor? Are you alright? You're looking a bit pale."

"I'm fine," he says hoarsely, trying to recover his senses. "Jet lag, remember?"

"Okay," she nods dubiously.

"Listen, Helen. I haven't eaten at all today. I know it's not in your job description,
but you think you could . . . "

"Of course, Dr. Jacobs." She turns to get her coat and swings it over her shoulders,
preparing to go out and get him some breakfast. "You want anything special?"

"Anything is fine. Take your time."

She smiles once more at him before walking out the door. He watches until she
gets into her car and drive away. He had something important to take care of. And
he didn't want any witnesses for what he was about to do.

* * * * * * * * * *

Jarod walks into the doctor's office, surprised at how quiet it was. The front door
was open, but he didn't see Nurse Simpson's car. He assumed Dr. Jacobs was in.
Peeking into the man's office, he sees evidence that the man had been there, but
he was no where to be found. He turns to go down the hall to his own office.

When he reaches the door, he's a bit confused to see it closed. As far as he
remembers, he left the door open. Maybe Nurse Simpson closed it, he thinks to
himself with a shrug before pushing it open. The sight that meets him stops him in
his track.

"What's going on in here," Jarod yells, running over to his desk. A unconscious
woman was crumpled awkwardly on the floor and Dr. Jacobs was standing
ominiously over her, an evil gleam in his eyes.

"She passed out," the doctor claims, sounding a bit angry. Angry at what, Jarod
wonders. Did Jarod interrupt something in here? And what were they doing in his
office anyway? But, he didn't have time to be suspicious. He had to make sure the
woman was alright.

"Did you call 911 yet?" Jarod asks, kneeling down beside the woman to check her
vitals. "Her pulse is weak and thready. She needs to get to the hospital right
now."

"St. Josephs is right up the street. Why don't you take her. It'll be faster than
waiting on an ambulance. I'll call the hospital to let them know to expect you," the
doctor offers.

"It would be better if you came, too. You should drive. I'm still learning my way
around Savannah and I'd hate to get lost at a time like this." Jarod watches as a
mixture of annoyance and frustration crosses the other man's face. He obviously
didn't care about this woman's well being. Which only proves to Jarod that he had
something to do with her current condition.

Seeing the he wasn't getting out of going to the hospital, Dr. Jacobs rolls his eyes
and lets out a huffy sigh. He grabs on to the woman's legs and helps Jarod take
her to the car. This woman was getting to be more and more trouble for him. If
Jarod had just waited a little longer before showing up at the office, she would have
been out of his hair. Now, if she lives through this, she'll have an interesting story
to tell the police. His attempt to quiet her failed. He now had to take more drastic
measures. When he was through with her, she won't be saying anything to anyone
ever again.

* * * * * * * * * *

The ringing of the telephone manages to make it's way through to Miss Parker's
sleep muddled brain. It takes her a few seconds to realize what the noise was
before actually picking it up.

"Hello?" her raspy voice says.

"Hey. It's me." Jarod's greeting instantly brings a smile to her face.

"Hi 'me'," she says with a laugh. "What's up?"

"Obviously not you. You were sleeping, weren't you? I'm sorry I woke you."

"No, it's fine," she says quickly. "I was just resting."

"How are you feeling this morning? You up for a little adventure?"

"Morning sickness is pretty much nonexistent. I'm feeling great. What kind of
adventure do you have in mind?"

"I need a favor. I need you to go to my office and do what you do best."

"Actually, you wouldn't let me do to you last night what I do best," she says
suggestively with a flirty giggle.

"I stand corrected," he laughs. "How about doing what you do *second* best.
While I'm sure Dr. Jacobs would enjoy the other thing, I wasn't trying to pimp out
my fiance."

"Fiance. I like the sound of that," she sighs wistfully.

"Just until this is over. After that, it'll be wife," he promises. "Which is why I need
your help."

"Okay, so what is it you think I do second best?"

"Are you up for a little bit of hunting? I need to find out some things about Dr.
Jacobs."

"Dr. Jacobs. The one you work with? Is he the baby killer you were telling me
about?"

"Killer? Possibly. There was a woman in my office this morning when I got there.
She was unconscious and Dr. Jacobs was standing over her. I may have
interrupted his plans to murder her. But I don't think he's killed any babies. I
think he's got a more . . . profitable . . . purpose in mind."

"Profitable?" She's confused for a moment before his meaning begins to sink in.
"Jarod, do you think he's selling these babies?"

"That's what I'm thinking," he nods his head, even though he knows she can't see
him. "He's obviously the supplier. Which means there's a buyer somewhere. I'm
not sure if there's a middle man or if he brokers the deals himself."

"Selling babies? That's just sick. But at least they're alive out there somewhere.
And if they're out there, then I have every faith that you'll find them."

"With your help, I can do anything."

"You're so sweet," she says, a full grin spreading across her face. "I know you can
very well handle this on your own. But thank you for including me anyway."

"Full partners from now on. In everything," he stresses.

"Okay then partner. What do you want need me to do?"

"Search Dr. Jacobs' office. I know he has proof of something there. I'm not sure
what you're looking for, but you'll know it when you see it. He's here at the
hospital with me right now, so you shouldn't have to worry about running into him.
I'll call and give Nurse Simpson the rest of the day off, so you won't have to worry
about her, either."

"Got it. If there's something there to be found, then I'll find it," she says, her voice
suddenly sounding professional and down-to-business.

"Ooh, you're giving me chills, Honey," he teases. "I love it when you're in huntress
mode. It's very . . . sexy," he whispers into the phone so that no one passing by
will hear.

"There you go again getting me all worked up when there's not a thing we can do
about it," she groans.

"Just extra incentive to finish this quickly."

"Not too quickly, Jarod," her voice turns serious again. "Please be careful. I
couldn't stand it if anything happened to you. Not when we're this close to what
we've always wanted. I love you. And you have to come home to me. Wherever
home ends up being."

"There's no place I'd rather be," he smiles. "I love you too."

He holds the phone to his ear until he hears the tell tale click of her hanging up. He
can't believe that they're finally honest with each other about their feelings. He
loves her so much. All he wants to do is finish this case so that he can marry her.
But she's right about one thing. He needs to keep his focus. Lack of focus
could lead to mistakes. And mistakes could lead to tragedy.

* * * * * * * * * *

She watches from a distance while he's on the phone. It 's sweet, really, the way
he blushes when speaking with his wife. It's obvious the two love each other
very much. After a few more smiles, he finally hangs the phone up and turns
around, blushing again when he notices her watching him.

"Denise," he says with some shock. "I didn't see you back there."

"I didn't want to interrupt," she says, giving him a sad smile.

"How's your aunt doing? I got her here as soon as I could."

"Thank you for all you did, Dr. Wilkes. If you hadn't shown up, I don't think Dr.
Jacobs would have been as . . . helpful," she tells him, wiping away a stray tear. "I
don't even know what she was doing there to begin with. I know she still blames
him for what happened to Destiny's baby. We've been trying to get her to let this
go. Trying to convince her that Dr. Jacobs will get what's coming to him if he's
responsible in anyway. But she won't let it go."

"Unfortunately, I think that almost got her killed," Jarod whispers, not wanting to
risk Dr. Jacobs overhearing. "I know the doctors are calling this a stroke, but I
don't think that's what happened at all. I think that Dr. Jacobs . . . well, I think he
tried to kill her."

"What? Why isn't he in jail?" she shrieks, before being shushed by Jarod. He pulls
her arm and leads her further down the hall into a quieter corner.

"You just take care of your aunt and don't worry about Dr. Jacobs. I'm working on
taking care of him once and for all. He will get what's coming to him," he says,
placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "That, I promise you."

* * * * * * * * * *

St. Josephs Hospital
Room 316

Jarod looks at the lab results in his hands one more time, trying hard to figure out
what he's missing. All symptoms are pointing to a stroke. That's what the doctors
told him and Denise. But for some reason, Jarod doesn't think it was a stroke. He
was sure Dr. Jacobs had something to do with this.

"Do these numbers look kind of strange to you?" he asks Dr. Linder, the doctor
taking care of Mrs. Alexander. He shows the man the lab results and waits for him
to analyze them.

"They do seem abnormal," the doctor nods, his brow starting to furrow. "I wasn't
entirely positive she had a stroke. So I only gave her the minimum dosage of
heparin. But now, her blood has basically no clotting ability at all. It's a good thing
you caught this, Dr. Wilkes. We have to be extremely careful with the patient now.
She can't get so much as a papercut without risk of bleeding to death."

"How is that possible if you only gave her the minimum dosage, Doctor?" Denise
asks tearfully.

"She must have somehow gotten more," Dr. Linder guesses. He picks up her chart
and flips through until he finds what he's looking for. "See here. I only prescribed
the first dose. Nothing else should have been given to her. The nurses wouldn't
have made a mistake like this."

"I don't think this was a mistake," Jarod frowns. "Someone deliberately gave her
more of the blood thinner. Probably an overdose based on these test results."

"Dr. Jacobs?" Denise asks.

"That would be my guess," he sighs. He runs his hands through his hair, trying to
things through. "He's trying to kill your aunt. Probably because she's figured out
what happened to your cousin's baby. He's covering his tracks. He tried to kill her
at our office. And he's trying to kill her now. I don't think he's going to stop until
he succeeds."

"Or until he *thinks* he's succeeded," Denise offers.

"What are you suggesting?" Dr. Linder asks.

"We can somehow make the doctor think my aunt's dead. Then we can get her out
of here safely," she explains.

"That may not be enough to keep her safe for very long. Dr. Jacobs isn't stupid.
He's not trying to outright kill her. He's trying to make it look like a medical
accident. So he's not going to be easily caught. Faking your aunt's death will only
put her in more danger once he realize our duplicity."

"I didn't think of that, Dr. Wilkes," she pouts. "So what should we do?"

"We should do just the opposite," he says slowly, quickly running a few SIMs
through his mind to evaluate the safest idea. "We need to make him think your
aunt has recovered . . . and is spilling the beans to the cops. At that point, killing
her will no longer be an option. He be forced to take action to cover his tracks."

"You really think that'll work?" Dr. Linder asks dubiously.

"At the very least, it'll keep Mrs. Alexader safe," Jarod says.

"What about you?"

"Don't worry about me, Denise," he says gently, grinning that smug grin at her.
"You just look after your aunt. I'll handle Dr. Jacobs. I'm going to make sure he
pays for what he did to your family."

He nudges her chin with his fingers and winks at her, throwing her one more grin
before going to put his plan into action. If she were of a fairer complexion, she's
sure she'd be blushing. This doctor is a charmer, all right. A perfect gentleman
and a true hero. Too bad he's also married. With a defeated sigh, she turns
back to the other doctor, who's also smiling at her. He's kind of cute, she
notices, her own smile starting to grow again. And no wedding ring. Maybe this day
isn't a total waste.

* * * * * * * * * *

The office was quiet by the time she got there, Jarod having done his part by
getting rid of Nurse Simpson. It took her no time breaking into the building. And
she used the code Jarod gave her to turn off the security alarm. She feels almost
like her old self, dressed in her regular designer suit, back into huntress mode. The
only difference being the lower height on the heels of her boots and her shirt being
worn on the outside of her pants to hide the special panels designed to give her
expanding belly extra room.

She stalks down the hall quickly, anxious to get to work. She finds the office with
no trouble and pushes the door open, the hairs on her arm starting to stand on end.
She didn't realize how much she actually enjoyed the thrill of the chase, of being on
the prowl. It was something she was never truly able to enjoy before. She always
had to worry about getting close enough to Jarod so that the Centre won't suspect
her motives, while staying far enough away so he won't be in any danger. But now,
she doesn't have to worry about any of that. The Centre was far away, hopefully
for good. And this doctor was far from innocent. She was going to enjoy taking
him down.

She systematically searches the office, looking for possible hiding places for
something Dr. Jacobs would want to keep under wraps. She sits at his desk,
searching through the drawers until she finds one that doesn't open.

"Aha," she smiles, reaching into her pocket for her lock pick. In a few short
seconds, the drawer is open and revealing to her just what she didn't know she was
looking for. Files were shoved hastily inside, their contents spilling over into a piled
mess. She carefully extracts each folder, taking care to keep everything in order.
Flipping through the stack, she notices they look as if they belong to patients.

"This is a strange place to keep medical records," she ponders. But she knows they
aren't ordinary records. Those are kept in the closet behind Nurse Simpson's desk.
She had seen them there the other day when she had her ultrasound. These
records were locked away for some special reason. A reason that Jarod would be
sure to figure out. She sticks the folders in her bag and starts to close the drawer.
Just before it closes all the way, a small book towards the back catches her eye. It
was like a small diary, complete with a little silver lock in the front.

"More secrets," she mumbles, digging for a paperclip. The tiny lock was too small
for her lock pick to open. But the paperclip easily opens it. Once the book is open,
she flips through the pages, eyes wide in amazement at what she was finding. The
book was a transaction journal of some sort. There were several columns of
information. One contained a code of some kind. Looking back at the medical
records, she realizes that there were no names on the labels. Only numbers.
Numbers to match the codes in the journals. The next column contained a date.
The last column recorded a dollar amount. By all appearances, Jarod's theory was
right. The doctor was selling babies. But to who, she wonders to herself.

She flips back to the front of the book and finds a list of names and addresses.
These names also have the code from the medical records attached to them. With
a rush, everything seems to fall into place in her brain. This must be what Jarod
feels like when he figures out a mystery, she thinks with a smile. If she had to take
a guess, she would say that the medical record codes was the key to everything. It
was the connection between the so called customers and the babies they
purchased. All the proof Jarod needed was right there in her hands. She just
needed to get it to him. He'd know what to do with it.

She throws everything back into her bag and slings it onto her shoulder. Quickly
making her way out of the building, she gets to the car and pulls out the cell phone
to call Jarod.

"St. Joseph's," the voice on the other end answers.

"Room 316, please," she tells the receptionist after a moment's pause. It took her
a second to remember which room number Jarod said that Dr. Jacobs tried to kill
was in.

"Hello," another voice answers as her call is sent through.

"Hi, I'm looking for Dr. Jarod Wilkes. He said he would be with a patient in this
room," she explains. "This is his wife. I really need to speak with him."

"Oh hi, Mrs. Wilkes. It's Denise from the clinic. We spoke several times yesterday.
And I hate to say that my answer is the same now as it was then. He can't come to
the phone right now."

"Is he with another patient?" Miss Parker asks, feeling somewhat confused.

"Actually, I don't think he's here," Denise answers truthfully. "He had a um, . . .
meeting with Dr. Jacobs." Denise tried to phrase it delicately, not knowing how
much the woman actually knew about the situation. She'd hate to worry the
woman for nothing.

"It's okay, Denise. I know what's going on with the doctor and your aunt. That's
why I'm looking for Jarod. It's important I speak with him. Do you know where he
and Dr. Jacobs may have gone?"

"No," Denise sighs. Her tone starts to sound worried. "All I know is that Dr. Jacobs
left from here in a pretty big hurry about 20 minutes ago. Dr. Wilkes went after
him. He came up with an idea to fool Dr. Jacobs into making a run for it. It
seemed like a good idea at the time, but now I'm worried about your husband's
safety. I really hope he's not going to get himself into any trouble on account of
my aunt. He seems so determined to not let Dr. Jacobs get away with what he did
to my family."

"It's more than just your family, Denise. So many other families had babies taken
away from them too. Jarod realized that Dr. Jacobs was behind it and wanted to
stop him. That's just the kind of person Jarod is," Miss Parker gushes with pride.
"He has this way of always trying to help those who cannot help themselves. Don't
worry. He can take care of himself," she tries to convince the other woman. But at
the same time, she starts to feel some concern herself. She didn't like not knowing
where Jarod was.

"Yeah, that's exactly what he told me."

"Then believe it. He's going to be fine. He has to be," she adds with a shaky
whisper, laying her hand on her stomach.

After a few more polite words, Miss Parker hangs up the phone. She's not sure
what to do, having this information that Jarod needs, but unable to get it to him.
She needed to figure out where Dr. Jacobs had gone to. If she can find him, then
she knows she'll find Jarod. A small smile comes across her face as she realizes
where she can go. And again, she remembers how much fun it was being a
huntress.

* * * * * * * * * *

Richmond Hill, GA

Miss Parker pulls up to the house just as darkness is falling. It's just about
dinner time and her stomach is starting to rumble despite the big lunch she ate a
few hours ago. This pregnancy has her constantly hungry. She finds something to
nibble on to tide her over. After finishing her snack, she wipes the crumbs from her
face and carefully reapplies her lipstick, attempting to look perfect. She takes one
last look into the mirror before stepping out of the car.

She walks across the street, still wondering how she's going to explain her
presence to these people. A small sign a few houses away gives her the perfect
cover. She smiles a friendly grin and rings the doorbell.

"Can I help you?" asks the man who opens the door. He's a kind looking man
and she's kind of surprised. This house belongs to one of the couples in Dr.
Jacobs' journal, one of his customers. It's the closest address in the book. If Dr.
Jacobs was on the run and trying to cover his tracks, he'd probably start here. But
this man doesn't look like the type of person who'd buy a baby. Maybe she was
wrong about them after all. Maybe they were innocents in this scheme as well.

"Hi. My name is Parker," she says with a smile. "I was supposed to be meeting my
husband to look at the house up the street. We're thinking of buying out in this
neighborhood. Anyway, he's running late and when I tried calling him, I noticed my
cell phone battery had run dead. And silly me, I forgot the car recharger. This is
such a nice neighborhood, but it's getting dark and I figure I should call him to see
what the hold up, so I was wondering . . . "

The man holds up his hand to stop her rambling. He smiles in understanding,
figuring she was harmless.

"Why don't you come in and use our phone to call him," he offers, standing aside to
let her in.

"Thank you so much. I really appreciate this."

"It's no problem, really. Have a seat," he says, showing her into the living room.
"I'll go get the phone."

He leaves for a few minutes and returns with the phone and a short, blond woman.

"I'm Bill. And this is Suzy, my wife," he introduces. "Honey, this is Parker. She's
out here looking at the Weston Estate."

"My husband is running late. I needed to call to see what's taking him so long,"
Miss Parker explains to the woman glaring at her. It 's obvious Suzy doesn't
appreciate her intruding in her home. It might be harder getting information out of
her than Miss Parker originally thought. She gives the couple a nervous smile
before walking into the foyer to place the phone call.

She decides to try the hospital to see if Jarod had returned. She gets Denise again
and learns that he's still gone. So she gives Denise the address to where she is
now, in case Jarod ever made it back. She hangs up the phone and paces for a few
minutes, trying to figure out a way to get these people talking. Maybe she could
get them to open up about Dr. Jacobs and his operation. They were obviously
desperate enough for a child to buy one, so she decides to use that to her
advantage. She opens her suit jacket to show off, rather than hide her expanding
waistline.

"Bill, Suzy," she calls to them as she walks back into the living room. "Thank you
so much for letting me use the phone. My husband will be here soon. He just had
to finish up with a patient. So I'll just wait out in the car for him. Thanks again."
She gives them a phony smile and places her hand on her stomach, rubbing it
gently to bring attention to it. She waves good-bye with her other hand and turns
to leave.

"Bill, we can't make her sit outside in the dark by herself," she hears Suzy say just
as she gets to the door. "Did you see her stomach? I think she's pregnant."

"Parker," they both call out, stopping her in her tracks and bringing a satisfied grin
to her face. She promptly wipes it away and replaces it with her innocent look
again before turning to face them.

"Yes?"

"Don't go out there all alone. Why don't you wait in here," Suzy offers, her former
icy facade now melting.

"I couldn't intrude," Miss Parker objects.

"It's no bother. Really," Suzy insists, pulling on Miss Parker's arm until she's back
inside. "I couldn't help noticing. Are you pregnant?"

"I am," Miss Parker smiles, trying to fake a look of surprise. "How can you tell? I
didn't even think I was showing yet."

"Oh, don't get me wrong. You look great. I could hardly tell. But you have a look
about you," Suzy says.

"A look?"

"A glow pregnant women get. Suzy looked that way when she was pregnant," Bill
smiles adoringly at his wife.

"You have children?" Miss Parker asks, a bit surprised. She knew they had a baby
they bought from Dr. Jacobs. But she didn't expect them to mention Suzy ever
being pregnant.

"A little girl," Suzy nods. "She's 6 weeks old. So it wasn't so long ago that I was
where you are now. What are you, about 4 months along?"

"Just about," Miss Parker confirms for her. "Thank goodness the morning sickness
phase is over."

"Oh, you're lucky. I was sick my entire pregnancy. If it wasn't one problem, it was
the next." Suzy looks at her husband and grabs his hand, giving it a gentle
squeeze. He takes over the story from there.

"Gillian's our little miracle baby. We didn't think she'd make it. But Dr. Jacobs is a
miracle worker."

"Dr. Jacobs?" she asks innocently. Now they're getting somewhere. Her gut is
telling her that these people have no idea what kind of man Dr. Jacobs is. And if
she were to guess, she'd say that the baby upstairs that they call Gillian is not the
same baby Suzy gave birth to. So while it's probably true that they bought the
baby, they didn't realize it. They thought they were only buying a miracle cure for
their sick child. "Is he your doctor?"

"He wasn't at first. Gillian was very sick when she was born. She spent the first
week of her life in the neonatal ICU. Dr. Jacobs approached us at the end of that
first week and told us about an experimental cure he had developed. We agreed to
let him try it on the baby since her other doctors told us there wasn't much else
they could do for her," Suzy says.

"A week later, we were bringing home a healthy baby girl. Gillian was completely
cured," Bill exclaims, as if still amazed at such a recovery. "It's like nothing ever
happened to her. We were truly blessed. Blessed to have our baby home with us.
And blessed that we could afford to do something to help her. They say money
doesn't buy happiness, but . . . "

"But it was able to buy you something better - a miracle," Miss Parker smiles
uneasily. This is much worse than she thought. This couple wanted nothing
more than to raise a normal, healthy child. But for some reason, it wasn't to be
until Dr. Jacobs stepped in and decided to play God. Now, she can only hope that
when the truth comes out, Bill and Suzy will be able to deal with the heart break.

* * * * * * * * * *

Dr. Jacobs circles the block one more time and it becomes certain to him that he's
being followed. He looks into the rearview mirror to try to see who it is. He can't
be sure, but from this distance, it looks like Jarod. He swears outloud and hits the
steering wheel, but doesn't let his anger get the better of him. He had to be
smarter than that. He's gotten this far by keeping his wits about him. He isn't
going to let some nosy doctor rattle him. It's bad enough the Alexander woman
regained consciousness and involved the police. Bad, but not hopeless. He just
needs Jarod to mind his own business while he ties up loose ends.

Tired of leading him around the neighborhood, he pulls up to the curb and parks
behind another car that's on the street. About a half a block away, he notices a
house for sale. He realizes he could go there, sneak out the back and make it to his
true destination without Jarod being the wiser. Stepping out of the car, he pretends
not to notice the car that came to a stop just around the corner. He takes his time
and patiently walks to the house for sale, making it look as if he has legitimate
business there. After some struggling, the doctor is able to get the door to the
house open and he hurries inside. He stands by the window in the darkness of the
house, watching Jarod watch him. A few minutes later, however, Jarod's actions
surprise him. Dr. Jacobs watches the man get out of the car and run up to the
other car on the street, the one he parked behind. Jarod seemed completely
enthralled with the car. He smiles at the sudden turn of events in his favor. With
Jarod distracted, he may be able to put an end to his meddling ways.

Dr. Jacobs manages to silently make his way out of the house without Jarod even
noticing. Whatever is in that car had his undivided attention. Which works out
perfectly for Dr. Jacobs. Jarod would never even know what hit him.

* * * * * * * * * *

Jarod covers his face with a surgical mask just as Dr. Linder and Dr. Jacobs come
rushing past him. They stop at the nurse's desk just down the hall from Mrs.
Alexander's room. He steps closer to hear their conversation.

"It's the most amazing thing ever," Dr. Linder gushes. "She just woke up. She
asked to speak with you, Dr. Jacobs."

"She's awake? Are you sure?" Dr. Jacobs asks dubiously.

"I heard her talking myself," Dr. Linder smiles. "It really is amazing. I'm sure she
has a story to tell, being that close to death and all. You know, my momma always
said . . ."

"I'm sure it's fascinating, what your mother said," Dr. Jacobs sneers, interrupting
the man. "And I must commend you for your diligence in caring for this patient.
But I can take it from here. I'd rather speak with her alone, if you don't mind."

"No, I don't mind," Dr. Linder agrees easily, letting the other doctor turn and get a
few steps down the hall before dropping the bombshell. "But I think the cops in
there with her might have something to say about it." Dr. Jacobs stops dead in his
tracks, obviously not expecting to hear about cops. Dr. Linder is amused to see
the man reacting just the way Jarod said he would.

"Cops?" he manages to squeak out. "In there? With her?"

"Yeah. They're in there right now. Is something the matter, Dr. Jacobs?"

"No. I'm fine. I just need a little air," he says, stumbling over himself to get as far
away from the room as he possibly can.

"Where are you going? What about the patient?"

"You healed her, Dr. Linder," he says, pushing impatiently at the elevator button.
"You can take over her case from here." Finally, the doors open, and Dr. Jacobs
practically runs inside, almost knocking over a candy striper. He grunts out an
apology to the girl and Dr. Linder can actually see the relief on his face as the door
close.

"He's gone," he calls out to a disguised Jarod. "He was in a pretty big hurry to get
out of here once I mentioned the cops."

"I noticed that," Jarod grins.

"I wonder where he's going?"

"Well, there's only one way to find out. You stay here and take care of Mrs.
Alexander. I'm going after the doctor." Jarod waves good-bye to Dr. Linder and
jogs down the hall towards the stairs. If he was right about this, Dr. Jacobs is on
his way down to his car at this very minute. If he hurries, he'd be able to catch
him.

* * * * * * * * * *

Jarod follows Dr. Jacobs to a housing area in Richmond Hill. By this time, it's
getting pretty dark and he has a tough time maneuvering through the dark,
unfamiliar streets. Finally, Dr. Jacobs seems to reach his destination. He stops the
car and walks towards a house that's for sale. Jarod stops about a block away
where he can still keep his eye on the doctor. But something else catches his eye.
Something that makes his heart almost stop.

"Parker," he gasps. He spots the car parked in front of Dr. Jacobs and notices it's
familiarity. It was the car Miss Parker was driving. He jumps out the car and runs
across the street, no longer caring what the doctor was up to. Opening the door, he
sits down on the front seat and searches the car for clues where she could be,
silently praying to himself that she wasn't in any trouble.

His hands brush aside some crumbs, leftovers of her snack. He smiles, amused at
her cravings. Last week it had been Doritos. This week it was Little Debbie snack
cakes. He gathers up the wrappers to place in a bag for trash when he sees a book
sticking from underneath the front seat. Pulling it out, he opens it and scans the
contents.

"She's brilliant," he says as his smile grows. In his hands, he was holding all the
evidence he needed to get Dr. Jacobs arrested. Normally, he liked to take care of
this next phase by himself, setting up the perpetrator to get a taste of his own
medicine. But frankly, he was ready to move on with his life. He'd let the police
handle things from here on out. All he has to do is find Miss Parker and then
they could get out of there.

He reads through the book one more time before stopping at an address that
seemed familiar. Looking around, he realizes he was sitting right in front of the
house. That's where Miss Parker must be. He gets out the car and jogs across the
street, only looking each way to avoid being hit by a passing car. He doesn't see
Dr. Jacobs sneak out of the shadows and close in on him.

* * * * * * * * * *

Miss Parker puts her hand on her stomach, embarrassed at the rumbling sound
coming from out of it.

"I'm so sorry about that," she apologizes. "I always seem to be hungry."

"Get used to it," Bill says with a laugh. "Suzy was sick a lot when she was
pregnant. But when she wasn't sick, she was hungry."

"Oh, stop that Bill," Suzy admonishes playfully. "Besides, I wasn't the only one
packing on the pounds." She pokes him in the stomach, eliciting a rumbling laugh
from the man. "What about your husband, Parker? Does he claim he has to 'eat
for two' as well?"

"Jarod has always had the eating habits of a 12 year old," Miss Parker laughs. "If
anything, the roles have reversed. He's gotten kind of strict with my diet while I'm
the one craving Pop-Tarts and Twinkies 24 hours a day."

The door bell rings and they all look up, shocked from their own little world. Miss
Parker is really starting to like this couple. Too bad she's about to yank the
rug from under them.

"I wonder who that could be?" Suzy says. "Maybe it's your husband. How long did
he say he would be?"

"You're right. He said he was almost done. He may have gotten lost coming out
here, though," Miss Parker tells her, suddenly relieved for reinforcements. She was
enjoying herself with this couple, but wasn't sure how long she could stall them.

"Hi," Bill says cheerfully, opening the door. "You must be Jarod."

"Yes. I am," Jarod says, a look of confusion on his face. "I'm sorry, how do you
know who I am?" He hears some giggles coming from the living room and Bill steps
aside to let him see Miss Parker. His face instantly relaxes knowing that she's
alright. A smile crosses his face to match her own. He loves to see her happy.
This definitely is a sight to behold.

"I take it she's with you," Bill says with a smirk.

"What?" Jarod asks, distracted by the continued laughter emanating from the two
women. It was an enchanting sound. "I mean yeah. She's mine. I mean, she's
with me. That's my wife." He points to himself as if to emphasize the point.

Bill chuckles at the man standing in his doorway. Parker never said how long they'd
been married, but Bill would guess they were newlyweds. The look of pure love and
adoration on this man's face was the mark of a new husband and soon to be father.

"Jarod. Is that you?" Miss Parker asks, finally looking up to see who was in the
doorway. Her smile grows even bigger and she makes her way over to the door to
greet him. "Hey there. I didn't think you'd make it." She leans over to him and
brushes his lips with her own. He's barely able to keep himself from making the
kiss deeper.

"Yes, I made it," he gasps, trying to get his heart beat under control. Just seeing
her jump started it a notch. That little hint of a kiss sent it racing. "You seemed to
be enjoying yourself, though. Making new friends?"

"Oh, how rude of me. Bill and Suzy Meyers, this is my husband, Jarod," she says
by way of introductions. "Bill and Suzy were nice enough to entertain me while I
waited on you. They didn't want me waiting out in the car all by myself."

"Well, I really appreciate it," Jarod smiles. "You really didn't have . . . . " His
sentence is cut off by a gasp coming from Bill. Jarod spins around, moving to stand
in front of Miss Parker in case there was danger behind him.

"You," he growls when he comes face to face with a gun toting Dr. Jacobs.

"Dr. Jacobs. What are you doing here? And with that?" Bill asks, pointing to the
weapon in the crazed man's hand.

"Jarod, you just wouldn't leave this alone," Dr. Jacobs says, seeming to ignore Bill's
question. "Why couldn't you have just stayed out of this?"

"And let you get away with what you were doing? I couldn't do that." Jarod
flinches as the gun is pressed to his head. "You obviously have a beef with me.
Don't involve these other people. Why don't we take this outside."

Dr. Jacobs scans the room and notices the woman standing behind Jarod, clinging
to his arm. Her grip tightens when Jarod makes his sacrificial suggestion. She
must be someone important to him. Possibly his wife. He remembers Nurse
Simpson saying something about Jarod being married.

"You'd like that wouldn't you?" Dr. Jacobs sneers. "I'm sure you don't want any
harm coming to this lovely lady here, would you? Who is she? Your wife?"

"Just leave her alone," Jarod warns him, his voice dropping to a feral rumble.

"I don't think you're in any position to be making threats." Dr. Jacobs jabs the gun
at Jarod to emphasize his point. "I'm calling the shots."

"What do you want with us?" Suzy cries. She had come to the door after she heard
the commotion and was now standing safely behind her husband. She was
terrified. Dr. Jacobs looked possessed. She couldn't believe he was actually
holding a gun on them.

"I came here to tie up some loose ends. And it looks like I've been more successful
than I originally planned. I'll be able to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.
Or maybe it's more like four birds with one gun." He laughs at his own play on
words before turning a serious glare on Miss Parker. "Maybe I won't kill you . . .
yet. I think I could have some fun playing with you."

"In your dreams, you freak," she yells at him. She narrows her eyes and glares at
him, mentally getting herself back into the huntress mindset. She couldn't let this
guy destroy her life before it even began. An icy calm settles over her face and the
doctor is visibly shaken by her change in attitude. "Touch me and you'll be sorry."

"Really? I'll be sorry?" the doctor laughs again, but for some reason, he feels her
threats are not void. Jarod notices the man's discomfort and decides to egg him on
a little.

"I'd listen to her if I were you. She can be a scary lady when you upset her. Trust
me on that," Jarod smirks. He can tell that the doctor is getting more agitated. He
just hopes his plan doesn't backfire. He'd never forgive himself if anyone got hurt.

"Just shut up," the doctor screams. "Both of you. Lady, don't make threats you
can't keep. I've got the gun on your husband. Don't make me use it."

"You won't be able to kill us all. And if you shoot him, believe me when I say you'll
be dead before he even hits the floor," she says, moving from behind Jarod to stand
on the other side of the doctor. She sees what Jarod is trying to do. He's trying to
annoy and distract the man and then maybe get the gun from him.

"Well maybe I'll shoot you, then." The doctor swings the gun around to point it at
Miss Parker. He just now realizes she's moved to the other side of him. He was
quickly losing control of the situation.

"You do and I'll kill you," Jarod threatens, stepping back when the gun swings his
way again. The doctor was really starting to lose his cool. "You're in a no win
situation, Doctor. Either way, you end up dead. Why don't you just give yourself
up."

"But I'm the miracle worker," Dr. Jacobs whimpers, his grip on reality slipping. "I'm
like a god to these people. I raise their sick babies from the dead. People who
deserve children. People who can afford children."

"That's not for you to decide," Miss Parker tells him. "You can't rob the poor to sell
to the rich."

"What are you talking about, Parker?" Bill asks, he curiosity piqued. "Selling what
to the rich?"

"Doctor," she turns to him, raising an eyebrow. "Care to explain to these folks the
mystery behind your 'miracle cure' of their daughter?"

"What's going on?" Jarod asks, not understanding what she's getting at.

"You went to the Meyers about their sick daughter," she starts explaining. "You
knew they could afford the solution you were offering."

"That's right," Bill confirms. "Gillian was very sick. Dr. Jacobs saved her."

"No Bill," Miss Parker says gently. "Dr. Jacobs didn't save her. He couldn't save
her. Nobody could. You paid him for a miracle, alright. But it was someone else's
miracle."

"No!" Suzy gasps. "You're not suggesting . . . Dr. Jacobs, tell me it's not true. Tell
me that the baby asleep in that nursery upstairs is the same baby I carried for nine
months. The same baby I gave birth to."

"I'm sorry, Suzy," Miss Parker says after a long silence, her eyes start to water
along with Suzy and Bill's.

"No," she screams again. "I don't believe it. I won't believe it. Get out of my
house. All of you. Just go." She dissolves into tears, sinking to the floor. Bill
kneels down next to her to comfort her through her vicious sobs.

"You heard my wife," he says with a cracked voice. "If you're going to kill each
other, do it outside. Get out of our house."

"Bill, Gillian has a mother out there who's probably looking for her," Miss Parker
says.

"She has a mother right here," he cries. "And a father. She's ours and we're not
giving her up."

"But . . "

"Parker," Jarod stops her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Let's just get out of
here. The cops are on the way."

She turns and sees that while she wasn't paying attention, Jarod had disarmed Dr.
Jacobs. He now held the gun on the man, who was babbling incoherently about
being a god. And he apparently called the police to come get the man. She could
hear the sirens in the distance.

"Okay," she nods, following the men out of the house. Outside, the police pull up
and take the doctor into custody. Miss Parker goes to the car to get the evidence
she took from his office to turn over to them. A few hours later, after giving their
statements, they're free to go.

"You ready?" he asks her.

She nods again, not trusting her voice to speak. She was barely holding back the
tears. One by one, however, they begin to break free and she soon finds herself
bawling in his arms.

"Why does it have to turn out like this for them, Jarod? It's not fair. All they
wanted was to have a baby to love. They've spent the last 6 weeks loving that baby
as their own. But they won't be able to keep her. I didn't even want a baby, but I
got one anyway. But even now, I couldn't imagine what I'd do if anything ever
happened . . ." She places her hand over her own full womb, realizing how lucky
she is. The tears continue to fall, and Jarod just holds her tighter.

"I know," he whispers, kissing her forehead. "We were blessed. And things may
work out for Bill and Suzy after all. Most of these babies were from girls who didn't
want them. Bill and Suzy may be able to legally adopt Gillian if her birth mother
agrees."

"What about Denise's family?"

"Once they find her cousin's baby, she's going to help the girl take care of it until
Mrs. Alexander recovers. Unfortunately, the couple with the baby won't have as
happy an ending as Bill and Suzy. They'll probably try to fight it. They have money
and resources. I just hope it turns out well."

"Oh," she sighs.

"But, that's not our problem," he says, kissing her again. "Now that this is over, we
can get on with our lives. You ready?" He looks down at her and can't contain his
smile when an even bigger one comes across her face.

"I'm past ready. Let's go home." She reaches down and picks up his hand,
squeezing it tight. She takes her other hand and gently rubs her stomach. She
realizes that she really is blessed. She has the man she loves in one hand and
their very own child in the other. She couldn't ask for anything more.

To be continued . . .