Chapter 2

'What do you mean there's no record of him before last month?'

Detective Darryl Morris shrugged.

'I'm sorry, Piper. I don't know what else to tell you. This Jarod Knight guy just got a new social security number last month. Before that, there's no record of him. No tax records, no nothing.'

Piper clenched her fists nervously.

'Okay, tell me the truth. In your line of work, what does something like that mean?'

'Truthfully?'

'Yes!'

Darryl sighed.

'He could be in the Witness Protection Program, for whatever reason.'

'God!'

Darryl nodded.

'I know. And if these men are watching his house, then it's about time he moved again, for his own safety.'

'Okay, okay. I'm going to tell him about the men, he probably knows who he has to contact.'

Piper turned to leave, but Darryl grabbed her arm.

'Piper! We don't know this for sure. I mean, there is another possibility.'

'What?'

'That he's some sort of criminal!'

Piper snatched her arm away!

'Don't be ridiculous! He's a doctor!'

Darryl folded his arms and half smiled at her.

'What does that mean? That they can't be criminals too?'

As much as she loved Darryl, Piper wasn't about to explain the gentleness she saw in Jarod's eyes, or the loving way he was when he spent time with Wyatt. There was no way Jarod was a criminal!

'I'm just saying you're wrong, that's all. Either way, those men look dangerous. He should be warned.'

'Do you want me to go with you?' he asked, getting up from his desk.

'No, no. I can handle it. Thanks, I'll see you.'

'Yeah, give my best to Andy!'

A couple of officers stared at them. Piper gave Darryl a warning look. Darryl got the message and glared at the gapers.

'What the hell are you all looking at? Get back to work!'

The officers went on about their business. Piper smiled at him, then walked out of the station. She was headed to the ER. ****

Jarod was still outside, pondering Damien Ross's very unlikely existence, when a black sedan came out of nowhere, and Lyle, from The Center, jumped out!

'Come peacefully now, Jarod. This is an ER, after all. Surely you wouldn't want any of your 'patients' to get hurt?'

Jarod began to back away. Lyle pulled out a gun. Jarod put up his hands and walked over to the sedan.

Paige suddenly walked out, intent on eating out for lunch. She saw a man pointing a gun at Jarod! There was no one else around, and no time for explanations!

'Gun!' she yelled. The gun flew out of the man's hand and into her own! Jarod's mouth dropped open. Lyle jumped into the car and sped off!

Paige ran over to Jarod, who was just staring at her.

'Are you alright?' she asked.

Jarod nodded, looking her up and down. He then reached over and took the gun from her.

'Who was that guy? You're in trouble, aren't you?'

Jarod licked his lips.

'Paige, forget about that man. What happened here? Tell me how this gun flew into your hands?'

Paige was about to say something, when suddenly, Piper came walking up. She sensed something amiss, and hurried over to them.

'What's going on here? Jarod, why do you have a gun?'

Paige looked at Piper.

'I found some creep holding it on him! He took off in a black sedan that way!'

Piper moved some of her hair off of her shoulder.

'Black sedan? It's probably the same one that sits in front of your house everyday, Jarod.'

'That car has been outside of my house?' he asked, wondering how he could've been so careless!

'Yes, look, you need to come home with us, Jarod.' Piper said.

'Yes,' Paige stressed, 'tell us what's going on. Maybe we can help.'

Jarod removed the bullets from the gun.

'Not unless you can tell that guy in the sedan, and the people that he represents, to leave me alone in peace.'

Piper and Paige exchanged looks. Piper touched Jarod's arm.

'Come back to our house now. That man is just going to come back here, now that he knows where you work.'

'And he knows where I live...which is next door to you and your sisters. I can't involve you in this.'

Paige crossed her arms and smiled at him.

'You did see how I managed to get that gun away from him, didn't you?'

Jarod looked at Piper. He wasn't sure that she knew about what her little sister could do. But, Piper smiled at him.

'Come with us, Jarod. There's more surprises where that came from.'

For the first time in a long while, Jarod put his faith in someone. He nodded, but still held on to the gun. The three of them walked off towards the parking lot. They did not see Damien, watching them from a window.

****

When they arrived back at the manor, there was no black sedan sitting on the other side of the street. But Jarod had learned that that didn't mean they wouldn't come back.

Phoebe stopped what she was doing to come into the living room. She called Andy, who arrived. Jarod's mouth dropped open again, when he saw Andy orb in.

'What are you all?' Jarod asked.

'Witches.' Phoebe answered.

'Good witches.' Piper added. 'But we'll get to that later. Tell us what's going on.'

For the next hour, Jarod proceeded to tell them about The Center, how he came to live there, how they exploited his genius, and how he finally escaped, but was forever a hunted man.

Piper sat with him by the fireplace and rubbed his shoulder. Who the hell were these people at this, 'Center'? And why couldn't they just leave Jarod alone?

But, she realized what hurt her the most to listen to, was the pain in Jarod's voice, when he talked about wanting to find his family. Piper had always felt a bitterness, deep inside, over the fact that she never knew her mother real well, and that her father had abandoned the family. Then there was Grams dying. But, she knew she was a Halliwell. She knew where she came from and what her legacy was. Jarod knew none of those things.

Phoebe looked at Paige.

'So, you saw this man that was trying to take Jarod back to this place?'

Paige nodded.

'Yeah, I got the gun out of his hand.'

'He had a gun?' Andy interrupted.

Paige nodded.

'Well, that could have been dangerous. Are you alright?'

Phoebe looked from Andy to Paige. Something was amiss here!

Piper interrupted.

'Andy, honey, of course she's alright. She took the gun from him with her powers, it's not like she had to physically fight him. You'll learn that we've been through this kind of thing hundreds of times before, so don't worry about us.'

Paige smiled at Andy.

'Yeah, I'm fine. But thanks for asking.'

Andy nodded, his gaze lingering on her longer than was necessary. Paige looked away. Was it her imagination, or did Andy's concern for her, go beyond the ordinary Whitelighter/ Witch relationship?

Andy noticed Phoebe staring at him, then focused on Jarod.

'Jarod, I'm going to go up and see the Elders, see what they know about this.'

Jarod looked around at everyone.

'Listen everybody. Thanks, but there's nothing magical going on here. These people are just pure, ordinary, everyday evil. There's nothing you can do for me here. I have to get going though.'

He stood up and looked down at Piper. She looked up at him.

'I understand, really I do. But at least let Andy orb you to a safe place. Then you won't have to worry about being chased around town here. Can you do that, Andy?'

Andy nodded.

'I can orb you to another country if that's what it takes, Jarod.'

Jarod nodded, giving them all weak smiles. Phoebe linked arms with Paige.

'Let's leave the lovebirds alone, okay?'

Paige pulled away.

'Actually, I better get back to work.'

Phoebe released her arm.

'Okay. Is everything alright?'

Paige shrugged.

'Yeah, oh by the way, I invited Damien over tonight for dinner. You all don't mind, do you?'

'No. I want to get to know this new guy in your life. He may end up being my new brother-in-law.'

Andy cleared his throat.

'I'm going to wait in the hall here for Jarod.'

Paige began to back back towards the door,

'Yeah, well, I'd better get going. See you tonight.'

Phoebe watched as Paige hurried from the house. She then turned and looked at Andy. Andy looked back at her.

'What?' he asked.

'What's going on between you and Paige?' she asked.

'Excuse me?'

'I mean, if the two of you aren't getting along, then maybe we need a sit down...'

'Phoebe, everything is fine.'

Phoebe walked up to him and touched his arm.

'I know that you're just getting to know her, and she can be kind of stubborn, so if she's giving you any problems, let me know. We can work things out.

'Phoebe really, there is no problem between Paige and I.'

Phoebe then smiled knowingly.

'Except that you two like each other!'

Andy's eyes widened, and he pulled Phoebe out of earshot of Jarod and Piper.

'I don't know where you get your ideas, Phoebe Halliwell...'

Phoebe grinned!

'You have the same guilty look on your face, that you used to have when Grams would catch you in Prue's room, when you all were in highschool.'

'Uh, yes. By the way, how did your Grandmother know I was up there?'

Phoebe looked away guiltily.

'Prue and I....we had sister issues...you remember...'

Andy smiled.

'Indeed I do. Paige is my charge. Just like Piper and you.'

'We're more than just your charges, Andy. And you're more than just our Whitelighter. You're family.'

Phoebe and Andy then hugged one another.

****

'Where will Andy take me?' Jarod asked.

'Wherever you want to go.' Piper answered simply.

Jarod touched her hair.

'I noticed your face, when Andy spoke of these 'Elders'?'

Piper took a deep breath.

'My husband is one. To make a long story short, he can no longer be down here with me, or our son, Wyatt.'

Jarod's eyes widened. He let go of her hair.

'I'm sorry.'

Piper hugged him.

'Nothing for you to be sorry for. If any of those creeps from The Center show up, we'll take care of them.'

Jarod let go of her.

'Piper?'

Piper tilted her head.

'I've lived in a lot of places...since my escape. This was the only place that I ever really wanted to call home. To put down some roots with...'

Piper put a finger over his lips.

'You still can some day. But you have things to take care of. So do I.'

Jarod nodded, then kissed her. Piper savored his kiss briefly, before ending it.

'Go on. Andy is waiting.'

Jarod nodded. Andy and Phoebe appeared in the doorway. Phoebe walked over to Piper, putting an arm around her. Jarod and Andy walked into the hallway.

'Andy, I need to tell you something.'

'I'm listening.'

'I came here, and moved in next door to the girls here, because I was...no, I am convinced they're going to need some help.'

'What do you mean?'

'That guy, Damien Ross, the doctor Paige is dating?'

'Yeah?' Andy asked, not liking Jarod's tone.

'He looks like a man by the same name, that I know for a fact is dead. I saw him die. I think that Paige and her sisters, should keep an eye on him.'

Andy was stunned. First, by Jarod's determination to help people that needed it. He had already checked with Elders about him, unbeknownst to the group. They said Jarod, himself, was a future Whitelighter.

But Jarod's revelation about this Damien Ross was unnerving. This would be the first potential danger he had faced with the girls, as their new Whitelighter.

'You're wondering if you should be concerned for all the Halliwell sister's, or just Paige, right?' Jarod asked, his eyes gauging his reaction.

Boy! This Jarod was perceptive! Andy figured he'd better orb him out of here, before he figured out that he was falling for Paige!