Dinner was like attending a family reunion. Stories were told, jokes were shared, and memories were fondly recalled. It made little different that the group was divided into two long tables, they simply called back and forth from table to table, or leaned back in their chairs, tapped the person behind them and began talking. Jarod and Parker had never experienced anything like it and they were enthralled.

But they weren't left out of the conversations, no instead they were new audiences to share old, well known tales again. And Jarod and Miss Parker found themselves laughing with the jokes, smirking at the tales and smiling at the memories shared. For the first time in their respective lives, they truly knew the way it felt to be surrounded by a loving family...even if it wasn't theirs.

When the attention had shifted from them, Jarod met Parker's eyes across the table. In this there was no pretenses, they were having a great time and they both knew it. Parker smiled a rare smile to Jarod and Jarod smiled back. Before either could speak, Pauly called out to the loud group, "Quiet! Quiet! Chase just pulled through the gate!"

Immediately, the rambunctious group fell silent and quickly began to exit the dinner room. A woman tapped Parker's arm and whispered, "Come with us," and, with a look at Jarod, she included him in her invitation. Obeying with a shared, confused look, Jarod and Miss Parker followed the group onto the next room.

Hurriedly, Pauly came around to every guest and handed them something. Jarod was surprised to be included and look down at the marble he held in his hand. He met Parker's confused look and she simply shrugged.

Through the closed door they heard Chase's voice in the hallway, "Is dinner over?"

A voice replied, "Yes, but Anna set up a plate for you in the kitchen."

"The kitchen?" Chase mumbled, "Great." And they could hear retreating footfalls.

Pauly whispered to the group, "OK, we'll file in and give 'em the marbles." Then the group began to quietly move through the house until the first person emerged into the kitchen where Chase sat, alone, before a cold plate of food.

Chase turned to see who was approaching and he began to laugh. That laughter turned boisterous as each guest handed him a marble and he called out "Uncle Rick, I know you're behind this!"

A man in his sixties pulled away from the group, "Hey, thirty years ago you asked for marbles and, to my knowledge, you never got'em. I'm just trying to make one of your wishes come true!"

"I was five!" Chase laughed back. "Marbles were a prized possession back then."

Now Anna joined in fondly, "Yes, and your father said you could not have them because he didn't want you turning into a gambling loser."

Someone called from the crowd, "Well, your old man didn't prevent that from happening." The room broke into laughter, including Chase as he sat there with thirty marbles balanced precariously in his hands.

"Here, Chase, let me help 'ya," a man offered with a wicked smiled a second before he jolted Chase's hands and thirty marbles clattered across the floor.

"Thanks Jack," Chase sarcastically said with a smirk.

And then the group began singing "Happy Birthday" as Anna brought out a birthday cake with thirty-five lit candles.

Parker slipped inconspicuously to the back of the crowd, feeling like an interloper, not to mention overwhelmingly jealous. She hadn't noticed Jarod draw up beside her and almost jumped when he spoke gently to her.

"Seems too good to be true, doesn't it?" his eyes on the happy scene before him.

"Too good for my life," Parker quietly replied. She looked to Jarod with sympathy, "Or yours."

Jarod hung his head a moment before turning to her, "We can change our lives, you know. Our childhoods don't have to define our future."

Parker softly contradicted, "I don't think the colleagues in Sydney's profession would agree. Everything in your life makes you who you are...who you can ever hope to be."

"I don't believe that," Jarod emphatically denied as he turned Parker to face him. "The future is ours to mold."

Parker snorted, "Is this where you're going to tell me again that I'm at a turning point, that I should take a hard look at my life, that I should model my life after my mother and become another Centre victim?"

Parker's words cut into Jarod, his own words to her in the limo after they had left Isle of Carthis, twisted and misconstrued. "If you're a victim, you've signed up for the job!" he lowly shot back. "How many times are you going to allow the Centre to hurt you? To take something precious away from you? Until they kill you?!" Then with anguish he asked, "Or until you've lost all your soul?"

"So glad you two could come," Chase voice interrupted them.

Rattled by Jarod's words and startled by Chase's presence, Parker jumped when Chase spoke.

"Whoa, I'm sorry to have scared you," Chase soothed as he placed a gentle hand on Parker's back. "You alright?"

Parker pulled on a cold smile, "Fine, could use a cigarette, though."

Chase smiled into her face, "I think that can be arranged. But first, you must have a piece of my grandmother's cake." And he led her to the table that held the beautifully decorated chocolate cake.

Jarod leaned against the wall with frustration as he watched Parker and Chase disappear in the crowd. Every time he thought he might break through to Parker, they got interrupted. Above the din in the room he heard Parker's laugh, a laugh he had not generated since they were children. A laugh that Chase earned without undo effort. He hadn't begun this pretend thinking of Chase as an enemy but that was slowly changing.


In the new world Jarod had uncovered when he escaped the Centre, he had come to love a lot of things...like Pez candy and the joy of family. But he had also come to hate a lot of things, like pasticcio and man's cruelty to one another. Suddenly, he had another thing to add to his hate list.... Miss Parker dancing with Chase.

Among the couples that were dancing in the open courtyard, Chase and Parker looked like they had waltzed right out of a fairy tale. Jarod watched as Chase drew Parker closer and let his hand rest on her lower back like a caress. Parker didn't seem to mind, she was practically resting her head on his shoulder. Jarod flinched when Parker's laugh echoed back to the terrace where he stood.

"She's a stunning woman," a woman's voice spoke behind him.

Jarod turned to find Anna, the woman who had so graciously greeted them into the villa, standing with him, watching the fairy tale couple almost float across the dance area. "Yes, she is," he breathed and forced a smile unto his lips.

Anna laughed, "You aren't fooling me, young man. I see the way you watch her. It pains you to see her in the arms of another man."

Unable to deny the truth of her words, Jarod lightly replied, "Parker makes her own choices."

"But she will never choose anyone but you. She watches you too, you know. I may just be an old women but I've known a great love in my time. I know the signs."

Jarod chuckled good-naturedly, "I'm not sure what signs you're seeing but I think you've confused our ....fling, with love."

But Anna had a knowing smile, "Yes, I had a fling once...it lasted fifty one happy years and was called marriage. Now why don't you go stake your claim."

Jarod's face crinkled with wonder, "Stake my claim?"

Anna smiled, "Yes, go show everyone that Parker's yours and you won't take kindly to claim jumpers."

"Claim jumpers?"

"Thieves," Anna laughed in explanation. "Now stop being coy and get out there," and he gave Jarod a jab in the back to prod him forward.

TBC