This is the Way the World Ends
By Bethe
~*~
Part Six
~*~
Jarod walked into Mel's room later to check up on her. He slowly opened the door. She sat up when the rectangle of light invaded the dark.
"Jarod?" she croaked, squinting her eyes.
"I just wanted to see how you were doing. A lot's happened over the past week."
Melanie fell back against the bed and sighed, then coughed. "I feel like crap," she remarked somewhat jokingly. Jarod left the door open and went to sit beside her on the edge of the bed.
"How do you mean?" he asked. She coughed again. That's when Jarod took a good look at her. Her half opened eyes seemed to squint slightly. Her face was flushed and her breaths were heavy and ragged. He brought the back of his hand against her forehead, face, and neck.
"Mel," he whispered, "you're burning up."
"Yeah," she giggled. "It's horrible, because I'm freezing cold everywhere else." She giggled again, and Jarod started to worry.
"You need your rest. Go back to sleep," he murmured, stroking her wild hair from her face. "When you wake up, I'll have some medicine for you." He smiled warmly.
"Yes, Daddy," she whispered coyly. She sat up, giggled once more, and then placed her lips to his cheek. He had to keep himself from cringing when he felt how hot they were. Mel laid back down. She pulled her pillow sideways and hugged it before drifting off.
Jarod sat there for awhile, simply watching her. All this, and now she was sick? He felt awful. It was his fault. He had to go and be the macho man, and then get them stranded outside in the freezing rain. Where was the tender caregiver then?
He touched her face once more before getting up and leaving the room. He had work to do.
~*~
"What's wrong J-Homes?" Argyle asked once the two were alone.
"Mel's sick," he murmured looking off into the distance. "She's only going to get worse, and that puts a crimp in our original plans. I don't want her going any further until she gets over it. So, I'm going to ask a huge favor of you."
"What could be bigger than the one you've already asked me, J-Man?"
Jarod chuckled, then ran a hand through his hair. "Nothing, Argyle. But this is a big favor to ask, nevertheless. I want you to go ahead with the plans yourself. "
"You mean, you want me to go to North Carolina? Myself? Alone?" Argyle gulped loudly.
"You can do it. I wouldn't have asked you if you couldn't," Jarod replied, smiling.
"Okay, J-Money," Argyle stated, unsure of himself. "If you say so, boss."
"Good. Parker and I will join up with you when she's feeling better. But, I fear that might be awhile. Get the house set up. Get groceries; clothes, preferably, and anything else you think we might need. Hold down the fort. That's all for now. I'll be in touch often."
Argyle sighed and said, "I thought you were gonna ask me to do something harder. This, I can do. Argyle is on the case."
"Oh no," Jarod interrupted. "Don't start that again. Those five words still cause me to have a nauseating feeling in the pit of my stomach," he commented dryly. "And stop referring to yourself in the third person. It's giving me a headache."
"Sure thing, J-Z."
"J-Z? Where did that one come from?"
"Don't ask, J-Man. Don't ask."
~*~
With Argyle gone, the bed and breakfast was a much quieter place. Melanie didn't venture out of her room, but stayed in bed. At first, she didn't get worse. But she didn't get better either. She experienced an equal mixture of times of delirium and lucidity, and she had a mild fever. She also complained of headaches, congestion, and difficulty breathing, but nothing too serious. Jarod was beginning to hope that it would be the worst she'd get.
Then one day, she took a turn. Jarod walked into her room, as he did daily, with a tray of food, a newspaper, and a good mystery novel. While she ate her meal, usually soup, Jarod would read first major stories from the newspaper. Then he would read a chapter of the novel to her. They would never progress further than a chapter, because both of them had so much fun trying to figure out who had committed the crimes and such. But this day, the air about the room was different.
Jarod set the tray down on the nightstand and sat in the chair beside the bed. When he heard a low moan come from the still body on the bed, dread sank into the pit of his stomach. He bent over to look at her. Her cheeks were flushed, but the rest of her face was stark white. She began to cough violently, but kept her eyes closed.
"Mel? You alright?" he asked, putting a hand to her forehead, then quickly drawing away from the intense heat she was emanating.
"Daddy?" she croaked, beginning to grasp at the air frantically. "Daddy, where are you? Daddy, don't leave me!"
"Shh. It's okay. It's me. Jarod. Remember?" he asked in a soothing voice. He tenderly smoothed away the hair from her face.
"Jarod?" she asked, her voice taking on an odd tone. "Jarod, where's Faith? I checked the room, but she's not there," she commented, slightly breathless.
"Faith?" he rumbled. He was confused. Faith had been dead for at least three decades. "Why do you want to see Faith?"
"Because, silly, she's alone down there, and I want to keep her company," she replied, opening her eyes. They were bright with fever and had a wild glow to them. "How did you get in my room? You're supposed to be at the Centre."
Jarod blinked at the sudden topic change. He didn't know what to say. She was obviously delirious. What could he tell her that would make sense in her strange little world? Then, he opted for the truth. "We're not at the Centre, Melanie. Faith is dead, remember?"
Parker's eyes became sad. "Yes, I remember now. She was sick." Parker coughed violently then, and sat up in bed. Jarod sat down on the edge beside her and rubbed his hand in circles on her back.
"Mel, I'll be right back," he murmured. "I have some medicine that I want you to try. Stay here," he ordered gently. Then he left the room.
When he returned, medicine bottle in hand, he found a very frantic Melanie. She was kicking against the covers, and clutching at them at the same time. She cried out in a loud voice, "Mamma!" Even though it was fairly dark, Jarod could see tears coming down practically in sheets.
He quickly made his way to the bed and tried touching her hand. Mel only shrieked, then abruptly pulled her hand away. She sat straight up, screaming, "Mamma, no! Mamma!"
She started clawing at the air. Then she started to move into a position for crawling. Making a snap decision, Jarod jumped onto the bed behind her and wrapped his arms firmly around her waist while pulling her back toward him. "No!!" she cried out in a broken voice, sobbing harshly. "Mamma!"
Jarod kept his left arm secure around her waist, and slid his other one up and placed his hand against her left cheek. He began to rock back and forth with her. He began to sing quietly, "Cree craw toad's foot, geese walk barefoot." He repeated that over and over, hoping for it to have a soothing effect.
Slowly, Parker began to calm down. Her arms dropped to her sides. She relaxed against Jarod's back and let him take her back and forth. Every once in awhile, she'd take shuddering breaths or make a whimpering noise in the back of her throat. But she didn't make any more outbursts. Then, she was completely silent, and her breathing was heavy and even. Jarod reached up to brush her hair from her forehead. When he felt that it was damp, he breathed a sigh of relief. The fever had broken. It would only be a matter of days before she was better.
Then he looked at the woman sleeping in his arms. He couldn't help but think that two years ago he'd be shot for even hinting at attempting this. He chuckled to himself. The world had definitely changed.
Jarod didn't move from his spot on the bed, for fear of waking her. In fact, he stayed there all night with her, holding her. For the first time in a week, she slept the whole night through without waking.
~*~
"Hey, Lab Rat, wake up."
Jarod slowly opened his eyes to find a pair of blue ones looking into them. He blinked, then reached out his hand to touch the smooth cheek before him. He smiled slightly when he felt that it was considerably cooler than the night before.
"I was beginning to wonder if I'd lost you, there," she murmured, raising an eyebrow.
"I could say the same about you," Jarod mused, his expression turning serious. "You really gave me a fright last night, Parker."
"All I can remember is a red haze. And you singing." She gave a teasing smile. So, it seems like I'm about to die, and all you can think of is 'Cree craw toad's foot'?" she asked dryly.
"Hey, don't knock the Cree Craw," Jarod remarked. "It's what my mother used to sing to me. . ." Jarod's gaze dropped. "At least, I think she sang it to me."
"Hey," Melanie whispered, lifting his chin with her finger. "We'll find her. That email from Ethan said she was last seen in Kitty Hawk. The Outer Banks isn't that big of a place. If she's gone by the time we get there, I'm sure we'll find out where she went." She raised her eyebrows and nodded to emphasize the point.
"You should be in bed," Jarod rumbled after a long pause. "You were very ill."
"To be honest, I just woke up myself." She coughed for a few moments, then rubbed her throat. She caught the concerned look Jarod was giving her and groaned. "I'm a big girl, Jarod," she complained.
"Mel, you didn't see yourself. You were delusional. You could have hurt yourself. Besides, you're still a little warm," he chided like a parent would to his child.
Melanie rolled her eyes, but got back on the bed. To her surprise, Jarod put his arms around her front and pulled her to him. He held her tight and nuzzled his face in her hair.
"Hey," she whispered, placing her hands on his biceps. "What's wrong?" She tilted her head. She could hear Jarod inhale deeply, then let it out.
"I really thought I was going to lose you," he whispered tremulously. He took another deep breath, and Parker figured out what it was that he was doing. He was smelling her hair. It was too much for her.
Sniffing, she shifted her position until she was facing Jarod. Then she reached out and gently touched his face. She moved her head closer until their foreheads were resting on each other. She pressed her palm firmly to his cheek and let their two breaths become one. Then she nuzzled his nose with hers and whispered, "You'll never lose me."
"How can you be so sure?" he asked, sounding like the lost little boy he'd sounded like after their return from Carthis.
"Because," she murmured. She tapped his head with one finger and continued, "I'll always be up here." Then she pressed her other hand to his chest, just over his heart. "And, I hope, I'll always be here."
Jarod chuckled then, covering her hand with his and holding them there firmly. "Don't doubt, Mel. Never doubt."
They sat like that for a long time; forehead to forehead, Mel's hand on Jarod's chest. After awhile, Jarod would hear a slight buzzing sound every now and then. He finally decided to look down and saw that Parker was asleep. And she was snoring lightly. He pursed his lips to keep from laughing out loud. It all was really very cute, yet funny at the same time.
Slowly and gently, he shifted his position until he was laying down on the bed. Mel didn't awake, but simply curled up beside him, hugging his stomach and resting her head on his chest. He noticed that her breathing was already improving. He made a mental note to go out and find a rental car. They would be leaving soon.
~*~
Two days later, Melanie was watching the countryside go by from the interior of a spacious Dodge Intrepid. Then she turned and looked at Jarod, who was driving. She twirled an auburn strand of hair around her pointer finger and asked, "Are we there yet?" Jarod looked over to her, and she smiled cherubically.
"Almost there," he replied deeply. "Getting impatient?" he asked. She simply smiled again and reached between them, resting her hand on his knee. She resumed watching the landscape fly by.
She wasn't quite sure what brought about the change in her attitude. She wasn't quite so afraid to be on the run now. In fact, it almost thrilled her. It probably didn't hurt that she was fleeing with the person whom she'd been chasing for years. It was almost ironic, to think about it. After all her efforts to catch him, when she finally did, she had become the one being chased.
Then there was her and Jarod's budding relationship. She smiled to herself at the thought of it. Then the Miss Parker in her mentally snorted in disgust. All her life she'd been taught that to show any kind of need, especially for love and affection, was weak. Parkers didn't need love.
"Yes, they do, Darling," whispered her mother's voice from the back of her mind. "Everyone needs love." Melanie sat silently, remembering snatches of conversations she'd had with her mother before her alleged death. "Love is a beautiful thing, Precious. There are all kinds of love: love between family, love for a close friend. And then, there's the most wonderful kind of all: true love."
"But, Mamma, how will I know when I find my true love?" little Melanie had asked while combing a doll's hair. Her mother had sighed and paused her own combing of Melanie's hair. Then she'd turned her daughter so she could look her in the face.
"You just will, Baby. And it won't be all mushy-gushy, like the books or movies say," she'd chuckled, wrinkling her nose. "No, he'll torment you beyond belief. He'll do anything to get a rise out of you. And you'll do the same. But even though you can't stand each other, you'll be inexplicably drawn to each other."
"Like magnets?"
"Yes, Darling. Just like magnets. You won't be able to avoid it. And the reason for that is because although you get under each other's skin. . .you make each other feel valuable. Special. And, before you know it, the tormenting will turn into loving jibes. And for some reason, those taunts will only make you feel more loved."
At that point, Melanie had wrinkled her nose and looked questioningly up at her mother. "Was it like that with you and Daddy?"
"Exactly like that, Darling." Catherine's look had become distant then. "Just like that."
Melanie snapped back to attention when she realized that Jarod had been speaking to her. "I'm sorry. Zoning out. What were you saying?"
"I was saying," he chuckled while stretching his arm in front of her and pointing out her window, "there it is."
~*~
The house was set up on wooden poles on the sandy dunes of the beach. It was an exquisite example of architecture. A pale blue stucco, the house screamed "ocean-front". It was tall and wide, rare for a beach house.
Melanie stepped out of the car and placed her hands on her hips. "Wow," she murmured under her breath. Without waiting for Jarod to join her, she walked up the wooden steps and in the house through the sliding glass door. She stepped into what appeared to be a living room/kitchen combination. It was spacious and airy. That the walls were all white only added to the roomy feeling. On the right side was the living room, complete with coffee table, overstuffed tan leather couch and loveseat, and TV. A huge bay window provided a perfect view of the beach. The sun was in the process of setting, which only made the effect that more stunning.
The kitchen was on the other side. It must not have been the main one, for it was fairly small. It only held a microwave, double sink, a few cabinets, and a mini-fridge.
"Hey, Miss P! Glad to see you're in flip-flop shape."
"It's 'tip-top', Argyle," Melanie corrected while turning around to see him. "Tip-top shape." She grinned widely. "And thanks. I'm feeling much better."
"Nice selection, Argyle," Jarod rumbled from the doorway, dropping his duffel bag, the only luggage they could bring.
"I thought so myself, J-Man," he replied while quickly hugging Jarod. "And guess what? This is really nifty."
"Oh, no," Jarod murmured. "I can only imagine. What, Argyle?"
"It's called the 'Mona Lisa'," he said on a laugh. "Ain't that the kick in the head?"
"Yeah," Parker replied slowly, raising her eyebrows. "Big kick." She winked.
"Well, J, I did what you asked. I didn't know Miss P's size, so I had the sales lady pick somethin out. Rooms are upstairs. J-Pops, yours is the first on the right. Miss P, yours is right across from his. I'll let you guys get settled in." With that, Argyle left the house and headed for the beach.
The two left in the house looked at each other for a few moments. Then Melanie smiled and said softly, "I'd better go see what disaster he got for my wardrobe." She walked out, leaving Jarod standing alone in the living room.
~*~
Melanie stood in the main living room, eating straight out of a cottage cheese container, and looking out the window. She was so engrossed, that she didn't hear Jarod approaching behind her.
"You actually eat that stuff?" he asked, only slightly enjoying her startled jump. She turned and briefly looked at him, then resumed her eating and staring.
"Just like you and Pez," she murmured before taking in another spoonful of the white curds.
"What are you doing?" he asked softly and kindly.
"Enjoying the pre-dawn quiet," she whispered. "Thinking."
"And I ruined that, didn't I?" he asked, feeling like he could kick himself.
"No," she said with a shake of her head, still looking out the window. "The sun just now finished rising, and my mind is starting to wander. I needed the interruption."
Jarod nodded, then moved up behind her. He placed his hands on her upper arms, and they both stood in silence. Suddenly, a spoon filled with cottage cheese was shoved in front of his mouth. He grunted as he moved his head backward. "Are you trying to kill me?" he asked wryly.
"Just try it. You'll like it," she coaxed.
"Uh uh," he replied. "Do you know how that's made? It can't be healthy."
"And Pez is?" she asked. "Jarod, if someone were to ask you what the food groups are, you'd say ice cream, Insta-Cheeze, Twinkies, and Pez. A Big-Mac is healthier than your diet," she stated crisply, jabbing the spoon back at his mouth. "Now eat it, or feel my wrath."
Jarod cringed as she forced the stuff into his mouth. Then, a moan of surprised delight came from his throat. He swallowed and nodded his head.
"Good?" Mel asked.
"Mmhmm," he murmured, nuzzling the back of her head with his nose. "But I prefer this," he continued, pulling her hair back and then placing a light kiss on her elegant neck. Mel leaned until her back was flush against his chest. Then the two watched the surf in silence.
~*~
"Jarod, I'm better!" Melanie protested hours later. "I'm feeling just super. Why can't I go with you two?"
"Because," Jarod replied gently, taking her shoulders in his hands, "You're not completely recovered. Look, you're still wheezing. I want you to go out and enjoy the sun and the ocean while you can. When you're better, I expect you to be with us."
Melanie smiled slightly, then nodded in acknowledgment. "Okay. I guess I'll just have to suffer on the beach without you." Then she skipped upstairs. Jarod and Argyle looked at each other, then shrugged.
"I don't know, J-Man," Argyle commented, "She seems a lot better."
Jarod smiled. "But I want her to have a few good days with no worries. It's going to be a long, rough ride ahead."
~*~
For the second consecutive day, Melanie had been left at the house alone. She hadn't felt like going out the day before. Jarod was right, of course. Before she could get her suit on, she started coughing awfully. She resigned herself to the couch and watched TV all day; not exactly productive.
But today, she was ready to face the sun. Wearing a one-piece, something the old Parker would have cringed at, and a sari, rubber flip flops, and carrying a beach towel, a cooler filled with drinks, and the book she and Jarod had been reading, she began her trek. Her feet squeaked against the packed sand as she made her way. It was a fairly short journey. She found the spot she wanted in a minute and started setting her things down.
Finally, after much juggling, she was laying down on a towel with a drink in one hand and the book in the other. However, she didn't progress very far in her book. Her mind wandered, as it had a tendency to do lately. She started to think of Jarod. She may have been ill recently, but he was starting to worry her.
She'd heard him having nightmares over the past week. She wished that she could go and ease his pain, but her strength wasn't up to par. If she attempted to soothe his fears, like she did that one night in Missouri, she feared she might not come out of that horrible world.
Then she thought back to the memory of her conversation with her mother. Why had she remembered that when she did? Was it supposed to mean something? Her heart jumped as her mind took her to a place where she wasn't sure she wanted to be. Being in love was too costly. She'd allowed herself to fall once, and ended up smacking against the concrete. She couldn't afford to lose once more.
And what about Jarod? She didn't know what he'd do if he lost her. Earlier, she had told him that he would never lose her. Well, she could only hope that she was telling the truth.
Then, something caught her attention. Mel squinted as she tried to find it again. She saw what she was looking for: sun glaring off of red hair. The realization sank into her stomach like ice as she stood up and walked toward the water. She needed a closer look, just to be sure.
To her frustration, the woman turned and began to move farther down the shoreline. In a quick decision, Parker followed and swiftly came up behind her. She bit her lip before tearfully asking, "Were you really friends with my mother?"
Margaret froze, then slowly turned. Pain and heartache entered her eyes as she took in the woman before her. She put a hand to her mouth and whispered, "Melanie."
"You know my name?" Mel asked, tilting her head and frowning. Then, Margaret looked around, seeming nervous.
"Not here. Not now. Where are you located at?"
"Right there," Mel replied, pointing at their house.
"Let's go there. Less people."
~*~
Melanie sat down across from Jarod's mother, holding a cup of coffee. Margaret held an identical cup, and was taking a sip from it when Mel spoke up. "I wanna know everything," she whispered. "Were you friends with my mother? How did you know my name? Where is my mother now?"
Margaret nodded and set her cup down. "Of course, I'd know your name," she said softly. "I held you in my arms the day you were born." Melanie gasped before the older woman continued. "In fact, I had just given birth that day, too. I was in the same room as your mother. But that's not how we met. I was a secretary for Mr. Parker, your father. Occasionally, I would see Catherine come into the office for something or other. Usually it would be to dispute some action your father was taking against a child. When we found out we were pregnant at the same time, it was like we shared a common bond. We got to know each other better. A friendship grew. My husband was off doing the military thing, hers was absorbed in his work. Loneliness proved to be the catalyst to our alliance." Margaret paused to take another sip of her coffee. Her eyes became tender. "You were such a beautiful baby. Catherine would say that my son, Jarod, was a beautiful baby as well. The fact that the two of you were born in the same room, on the same day, almost at the same minute was mind-blowing. Then we found you had been placed beside each other in the nursery. Catherine and I joked that day that the two of you were destined for each other." The two women shared a look.
"Did you remain friends with my mother after that?" Mel asked, her eyes amazingly dry.
"There's something that Jarod doesn't know. He was abducted by the Centre twice." At Mel's shocked look, she continued. "On the day you were born, Mr. Parker was running late, as usual. I never really wondered why, but it upset Catherine immensely. He showed up later, with an exquisite bouquet and all smiles. The next morning, I went down to the nursery to feed my son. He was gone."
"They. . .they took an infant?" she asked breathlessly. Margaret nodded.
"By then, they knew he would be something special. I didn't know how they could know it, but they did. Then I found out that later that night, Catherine had gone into labor again. Of course, she had twins, but the second one died. Or, so she thought. But I digress. Catherine, ever the loyal friend, did the one thing that could help me out of my depression: she shared her daughter with me."
"Auntie Maggie?" she asked. Margaret smiled.
"I was there for your first birthday party. You clung to me more than your mother, if memory serves. Not long after that birthday, Jarod was 'found' and returned to the Major and I. Being the naïve girl that I was, I didn't move our family away from Blue Cove and the Centre. Charles and I even visited your house a time or two. You and Jarod celebrated your birthdays together during those times. Oh! How you two used to torment each other!" Margaret exclaimed, slipping into nostalgia. "He would pull your hair. Then you'd chase him down and beat on him mercilessly until he apologized. You would chase him for hours, as long as he kept running." Jarod's mother smiled sadly. "You still do."
"Not anymore," Melanie commented, "but that's digressing again. You haven't answered all of my questions."
"You're right. When Jarod was abducted the second time, I had figured out that it was the Centre doing it. But I had no proof. So, I quit and left as quickly as possible. I said my brief good-byes to you and Catherine before leaving. I remember that you cried so hard. Your mother kept in touch, trying to update me on Jarod and how he was doing. I remember once that she commented that you and he had been introduced formally during a Centre experiment. She said that you didn't remember each other. I was thrilled, however, that he had an old friend to fall back on when times got tough." Margaret looked down at her cup of coffee, now cold. "When Catherine's letters stopped, I knew. Or, I thought I knew. One day, I got a hastily written letter wanting me to meet someone at the location where the picture was taken. I went and saw it was Catherine. I was so excited, but then I saw that she was pregnant. And she didn't look happy."
"What was wrong?"
"Oh, many things, really. The child within her was an experiment. She knew she would die after giving birth. But another thing plagued her. She had found something, deep in the dark heart of the Centre, and its contents held unimaginable power."
"The scrolls," Melanie whispered, her eyes wide. Margaret nodded.
"She had found them, and read them. I believe that somewhere, there's a journal entry about their contents. That day, she gave me the scrolls and begged me to return them to Carthis. I agreed."
"The picture," Mel commented. "How did the picture get taken?"
"I didn't know if it would be the last time I would see Catherine, so I wanted something to remember our friendship, and my vow, by. I happened to have a camera, so I stopped a passing pedestrian and he took our picture. Decades later, I found that picture, along with the scrolls and a letter, in a chest. I was reminded of my promise to Catherine. But then I remembered that I didn't know anything about Carthis. So, I went back to the place, searched around, and found the doll, and the clues."
"Enter Jarod and myself. . ." Parker murmured. She bit her lip again, thinking about the implications of Margaret's story. She and Jarod had known each other their entire lives. In fact, almost exactly their entire lives. What did that mean? Was it merely a coincidence that they were born at the exact same time, in the same room, side by side? She would have let her thoughts run farther, but Margaret's hand on top of hers stopped them.
"Those scrolls must be found," the elder woman whispered, "I don't know what they say, but I believe it is powerful enough to take down the Centre. I believe it's the main reason your mother was killed."
A tear slid down Parker's cheek as she placed her other hand on top of Margaret's. "Was she. . ." she managed, unable to finish.
"She was a wonderful woman," Jarod's mother replied soothingly. "She could make anyone who came in contact with her smile. A good soul, just like you."
"If there's anything that I'm not, it's a good soul," Mel grated out.
"Shush, my child," Margaret whispered. "Listen to your Auntie Maggie for just a moment. You do have a good soul. I knew it when I held you your first day on Earth. It's just been hidden because your mother wasn't there to help nurture it. You have to find it. If you look hard enough, it will be there." She cradled Melanie's head between her hands and placed a motherly kiss on her forehead.
"Thank you," Mel whispered after a few quiet moments.
"You're welcome, but I must get going."
"No!" Mel exclaimed, stopping her with a hand to her arm. "You have to stay!" At Margaret's confused look, Mel continued with, "You can't leave. Not now. He should be back anytime n--"
She was interrupted by Argyle's loud and off-tune whistling. The two men entered the room, but Argyle was the only one who kept on walking. He took a brief glance at the woman beside Melanie and asked, "Who's your friend, Miss P?" The room was silent. Argyle looked back towards Jarod, who was moving his mouth but couldn't speak.
Melanie looked back and forth between Margaret and Jarod before beginning, "She's--"
"My mother," Jarod whispered finally.
"Jarod," Margaret breathed. After a few more moments of silence, a thump could be heard, for Jarod had dropped briefcase and ran to his mother. He swept her off her feet in a tight bear hug.
"Mom, you're really here?" he asked, his voice at a feverish-pitch. "I'm not dreaming this?"
"No," she chuckled, "you're not dreaming, son. Come on now, let me look at you." Jarod stepped back from her, still keeping his hands on her waist. Margaret looked him over and then finally placed her hands on his cheeks. "Oh, my son," she choked out. With that, Jarod took her into his arms once more.
Melanie started to back away. This long overdue reunion touched her, but it also made her feel out of place. She didn't belong there. This was Jarod's moment. So, she quietly slipped out of the room.
She didn't go unnoticed, however. Both Jarod and Margaret saw Parker leave. She released Jarod from their embrace and watched his eyes follow Melanie out. His love for her was so obvious in those expressive brown orbs. Maybe Catherine's words were prophetic, she thought to herself.
"Go to her," she whispered in her son's ear. "She needs someone who loves her right now."
Jarod looked back into his mother's eyes, slightly shocked. "Are you saying that I'm. . .I'm in love with Melanie?"
"Are you that dense?" she asked while chuckling and giving his arm a playful slap. "Yes. It's all too obvious. Now, go. I've found you, and I'm not going to let you go without a fight, so we'll have our time later. She's feeling a bit overwhelmed right now. Talk to her. Find out why." With that, Margaret went over to meet Argyle.
Jarod, scratching his head, made his way down the hall to Mel's room. He listened in for a moment, then tentatively knocked on her door. Without waiting for a response, he turned the knob and pushed the door open. Then he saw her sitting at the window seat, rocking slowly.
He walked up behind her and murmured, "You're distressed," while placing his hands in her hair.
"How do you know?" she asked almost monotonously, keeping faced towards the window.
"You're rocking, Mel. You only do that when something's wrong," he softly rumbled, sitting beside her. After those words, they sat that way in silence; his feet on the floor and facing the room, she facing the window.
"Jarod, how long have you known me?" she asked wearily.
"Since we were teenagers," he replied automatically. Parker looked him in the eyes then, and shook her head.
"Wrong. Just like everything else we've been led to believe," she muttered bitterly. Jarod didn't say anything, waiting for the other shoe to drop. "We've known each other our entire lives, starting with the day we were born," she continued.
"What do you mean?" he asked, genuinely confused.
"What I mean is that we were born at the same time, on the same day, in the same delivery room, side by side. That's what I'm saying, Jarod. Our mothers were in the same room. And what's more, you were kidnapped by the Centre when you were an infant." She looked him in the eyes again, tears welling up in hers. "More lies, Jarod," she remarked in a voice tight with restrained tears. "All the memories I have are lies. Where's the point in that?" she asked, her voice breaking. She exhaled sharply and pursed her lips to keep from crying.
Jarod closed his eyes and gingerly took her into his arms. He held her head against his chest while he stroked her hair soothingly. "That's what the Centre does best, Melanie," he murmured. "The only legacy they leave is one of lies. But we can rise above it, if we try. If we don't let them get to us, then they can't conquer or control us any longer. Focus on truth, not lies; good, not bad. Don't focus on hate, but love."
"What love?" Mel spat out. "The only two people who have ever truly loved me are dead and buried; both killed by the Centre."
Jarod knew. This was his moment, his chance. He put his hands on her cheeks and gently moved her head so he could look in her eyes. He took a deep breath before whispering, "I love you, Melanie. Doesn't that count for something?"
"Jarod," she whispered sadly, "it's not possible for you to love me. It's impossible for anyone to love me."
"If you would just trust in me, give me a chance, I could prove it to you," he murmured, lowering his head until their lips were almost touching.
"Are you demanding?" she asked after about a minute of silence.
"No," he whispered after an equal length pause. "I'm asking." He pressed his palm firmly to her cheek. "Trust me?"
Melanie closed her eyes and leaned into his touch while her inner demons fought with one another. After what seemed like forever, she slowly moved her hand up until it touched his hand on her cheek. Then she closed her fingers around part of it and drew it down to her mouth. Sighing tremulously, she placed a tender and light kiss to his palm and opened her eyes to look into his. After a tear slid from one eye, she whispered, "Yes, I trust you."
Jarod, sighing a breath of relief, wrapped his arms around her once more and held her to him. Melanie responded this time, bringing one hand to rest on the broad expanse of his chest, and draping the other one across his stomach. Before either of them knew it, they were fast asleep. It had indeed been a long and weary day. And they needed their rest, for the journey ahead would be tough and unrelenting for a very long time.