Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. I'm just borrowing them. I don't
get paid for these stories; this is purely for entertainment purposes.
Author: Kimmi
Feedback: Yes please.
Rating: PG13
Authors note: This is part 3 in a series. I hope you are enjoying reading it as much as I am writing it. I had a plan for what would happen but I can't seem to stick to it. This story has a mind of its own and I'm just the one writing it (Hehehe). Please Read, Review and Enjoy!
Summary: Jarod meets a new woman who reminds him of Miss Parker in some ways. Can there relationship work out? And what happens when she comes in contact with the Centre?
Strange Things Happen
Part 3
A week passed after Miss Parker and Chrissie had gotten into their punch up. The still both carried the bruises although they were getting smaller. Miss Parker had fully embraced the concept of having Chrissie as her friend. She began to trust her more than she had anyone in a long time. Her closeness with Chrissie had taken everyone by surprise. Sydney had noted that Chrissie was making Miss Parker feel more like a normal person; Broots was stunned that they could get along all though they once seemed to hate each other, and Lyle wasn't sure what to think of it all.
"Chrissie next time we go on the road remind me to make sure one of us drives so we don't get lost." Chrissie smiled then looked at Broots who was looking very upset.
"I'm sorry Miss Parker. I was sure that it was left and not right." Miss Parker sighed.
"And why didn't you just ask for directions? Actually Lyle you went to pay for the gas why didn't you ask?" Lyle looked at Miss Parker and sighed.
"It's the principal of the thing. You wouldn't understand. It's a guy thing." Miss Parker and Chrissie looked at each other and laughed.
"Getting lost is a guy thing? Well then I'm definitely glad I'm not a guy." Chrissie burst out laughing and didn't notice Lyle's comment.
"So am I." Miss Parker heard the comment and stared at Lyle. She turned to Chrissie and Broots and indicated for them to leave the room. They noted her request and left with Chrissie teasing Broots. Once they were gone she turned to Lyle.
"Lyle you like Chrissie don't you?" Lyle stared at her and wondered what to say. He knew that Miss Parker had seen the way he looked at Chrissie and wondered why she wanted to know now.
"Well yeah. She's a great person and she good for the team and." Miss Parker sighed and rolled her eyes.
"You know what I mean." Lyle shrugged.
"What, are we in junior high now?" He was trying to avoid answering the question.
"Lyle, I've seen the way you look at her. I know you like her. Why don't you just tell me?" Lyle threw his arms up in the air.
"Okay, you want to now? Yes I like her. I've never felt like this for any other woman before. I really like her." Miss Parker narrowed her eyes.
"Lyle I know you're my brother, but I know what you do. You try to hurt her and you'll have to deal with me." She took a step closer to him to try to provoke him. Lyle stared at her not flinching.
"I would never hurt her." Miss Parker studied him and thought over his response. She let out a breath and stepped back.
"You know what? I believe you. I may be crazy, but I believe you." She took a step back and looked back into his eyes. "She's not as unapproachable as you may think. Just talk to her and see what she thinks. She doesn't have cooties you know." She smirked at him. Lyle smiled, nodded at walked out of the room. He walked a few steps more where he found Chrissie and Broots talking to Sydney, obviously filling him in on their road trip.
"Neither of them asked for directions. You'd ask for directions wouldn't you Syd?" Sydney smiled and nodded. "See, it's not just a guy thing, it's a stupid thing." She smiled and nudged Broots who smiled a half hearted smile back at her.
"I was sure it was left." Chrissie burst out laughing again. Lyle watched her for a few moments then stepped forward to join the conversation.
"Are you still talking about how we got lost?" Chrissie, who was laughing so hard she couldn't seem to breathe, nodded. "It was a mistake. I still don't see what the point of us going down there was anyway. Raines' informant never showed." Broots nodded solemnly. He had missed a chance to spend the day with his daughter to go and it was for nothing. Chrissie stopped laughing and seemed to know why Broots was so upset.
"Broots, why don't you go home? The days not over yet and I'm sure Miss Parker wouldn't mind. I'll tell her you went to spend time with Debbie. Go home." Broots looked at Chrissie then at Sydney.
"Yes I agree. Go home; leave Miss Parker to Chrissie and me." Broots smiled and started walking away.
"Thanks guys. If I get in trouble I'll just blame you two." Chrissie smiled.
"I can take her." Broots laughed and walked away.
"That was nice of you. He deserves a day with his daughter." Chrissie nodded. Lyle ignored the shocked expression that was on Sydney's face.
"He definitely does. Everyone deserves to be with their family." Chrissie frowned and took a picture out of her pocket. She looked it over. Sydney looked at the photo from behind her and put a supporting hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry Chrissie, You'll see them soon." Chrissie gave a half hearted smile at Sydney then looked back at the photo.
"You're right. Three more weeks of working here and I'll have enough money for my mothers operation. Three more weeks then I'm outta here." Lyle nodded then realised what she said.
"You're leaving?" Chrissie nodded.
"I'm only working here to get the money for my mothers operation then I'm going home to my family. I miss them so much." She stroked the faces of the people in the photo with her thumb. Lyle started panicking. He'd probably never see her again. He was about to say something but lost his nerve. He turned and walked away leaving Chrissie with Sydney.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Jarod was working in the emergency room of a hospital. He was enjoying a break while nothing much was happening. He was working in a town close to Blue Cove. He couldn't believe he'd managed to work there avoiding Centre knowledge of him doing so. He hadn't had a chance to visit Chris yet because it was too dangerous. He knew she was staying in a home that she was renting from a friend of a friend but he still found it too dangerous to stay with her when she was so close to the Centre. He started to doze of when a buzz from the emergency room caught his attention. He ran into the room to see a small child being wheeled in. The child had blood all over them and they seemed unconscious. Jarod ran over and tried to help. One of the other doctors who had gotten there first told Jarod to work on the mother who was coming in. Jarod nodded and waited for the mother. He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the still form being wheeled in.
"Chris!" He ran over and immediately ran to her side. "What happened?" The paramedic who was wheeling her in looked at him for a minute then told him.
"They got into an accident just out of town. She was driving and something must have happened because she drove right into a tree. Did you see the kid?" Jarod nodded. "All that blood over him wasn't his. All he has is a concussion. The blood is all hers." Jarod looked at Chris and held her hand and noticed how cold it was. "She was trying to shield the kid. She died just outside. She gave her life for her son." The paramedic bowed his head. Jarod looked up at him confused.
"I know her. She doesn't have a son." The paramedic shook his head.
"Yeah she does. Her husband got there a little too late. He told us that's his wife and his son." Jarod looked back down at the now lifeless body. Maybe it wasn't her.
"What's her name?" The paramedic sighed.
"Maiden name: Lopez. First name: Christina. Married name." Jarod woke with a start. He was relieved it was only a dream. It all felt so real. He really was working at that hospital but it was his night off. He picked up the phone and dialled despite the late hour.
"Hello?" The voice was tired but he'd know it anywhere.
"You're okay." Jarod sighed.
"Jarod is that you?" Jarod relaxed.
"Yeah it's me. Chris, are you married?" Chris laughed on the other end.
"I think you need more sleep. You know I'm not. What are you calling for?"
"You don't have a son do you?" Chris laughed again.
"No, I don't have a son. Why are you asking these questions?" Jarod sighed then explained his dream. After he finished Chris sighed.
"Jarod it's only a dream."
"But it felt so real."
Beep, beep.
"Jarod, could you hold on? I've got another call." Jarod stayed on the line while she took her other call. After a few minutes she came back to his line.
"Jarod, could you come to my place? That was just Marietta and I think I need to talk to you." Jarod could hear the stress and edginess in her voice.
"Of course, I'll be there in a few minutes." Jarod hung up the phone and got dressed quickly. He got his stuff together and went to Chris's place.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Chris opened her door to see a very worried Jarod. She, herself had been up and pacing since their phone call.
"What is it? What's wrong? Did something happen to your mother?" Chris shook her head and led him to the lounge room. He sat on the couch and she sat opposite him in a chair.
"You know the dream you had?" Jarod nodded. He couldn't forget it but why was she asking about that? "Well did I look older than I am now or the same age?" Jarod thought back to the dream. He definitely thought it was happening at that moment.
"You looked the same age as you do now. That's one of the reasons I thought it was real and you couldn't have had a son." Chris nodded then thought for a moment.
"You said the child had blood all over them. It wasn't their blood was it? It was mine." Jarod nodded. He felt a bit shocked. He'd never told her that it was her blood only that both she and the child were covered in blood and she died.
"How did you know?" Chris shook her head then persisted.
"Did you ask what my name was?" Jarod nodded.
"I needed to find out if it was you or not." Chris nodded then persisted with her questions.
"They said my maiden name, then my first am I right?" Jarod nodded again. "Did they say my married name?" Jarod shook his head.
"They were about to but then I woke up." Chris's face went pale. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What is it? How did you know these things when I didn't even tell you?" Chris looked up at him.
"I told you Marietta called. She told me that Luis woke up from a bad dream. She asked what it was and he told her the dream that you told me you had. She called me to make sure I was okay because he said that it felt real, like it was happening at that moment." Jarod nodded. He'd felt that too. "As she was telling me I realised it was your dream. It's not right for people who are in different states to have the same dream as well as waking up at the same time." Jarod nodded. It was very strange. He saw how scared she was.
"It's okay. It was only a dream." He knelt in front of her and held her.
"I know it was, but I don't know it just seems a bit, I don't know, weird." She started sobbing. Jarod held her closer.
"I know. I know. It's okay." He started rocking her backwards and forwards. "Look at you. You need your sleep. You'll forget about it in the morning." Chris nodded. She got up and started walking for her bedroom. Jarod stood where he was. She turned around and looked at him. She looked broken.
"Will you hold me?" Jarod nodded and followed her into the bedroom. She fell asleep in his arms and soon after he fell asleep too.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Chris was driving in her car. It was late at night. She had to get away. She couldn't stay with him anymore. She looked to her side and saw the toddler sitting next to her. He was playing with a toy she'd bought him. She wondered how it was possible to love someone so much who came from someone you couldn't stand. She went around the bend and felt a bump from behind her. She looked in the rear-view mirror and cringed at the sight behind her. She tried to swerve but it didn't work. The car behind her slammed into her again. Her son started crying.
"It's okay sweetie. Everything's going to be okay." He looked up at her and smiled. She looked behind her again and saw the car was gone. She sighed with relief then went back to driving. She had to get away so he couldn't send anyone to do anything to hurt her again. She rounded a bend then saw the big tree down the road. She'd seen a car crash there a few months earlier. She wasn't aware of the car next to her until she felt the thump. She looked to out the window and saw the familiar car. The car went to slam her again, the car was on her son's side so she quickly undid his seatbelt with one hand then pulled him onto her lap. The thump was harder and it pushed the car off the road. She tried to stop the car from swerving to no avail. She knew there was nothing more she could do. She let go of the wheel and formed a ball around her son. She felt the crushing of the car as it hit the tree. She felt the steel cut into her body and she prayed it didn't reach her son. The horn went off but she could hear the other car stop and call for an ambulance. The moments seemed to speed up and she could hear the sirens in the distance. Then she heard the familiar voice.
"That's what you get for trying to get away." She cringed at the sound of his laugh. She felt her son breathing and gave one more pray to god to ask if he could live. As the ambulance pulled up she began to let go.
"No, no, NO!" Chris woke up still in the arms of Jarod. Jarod woke up and was worried about her.
"What is it?" Chris's breathing was ragged and she was sweating.
"I had a nightmare. I think it goes with the dream you and Luis had." Jarod was shocked. What could it be?
"Goes with my dream?" Chris nodded. She explained her dream to him. Jarod sighed then asked. "Do you know whose voice you heard?" She shook her head.
"I felt like I knew the voice at the time but I don't know whose voice it was. I swear that boy was my son but I've never seen him. It felt so. real." Jarod nodded.
"I know. We'll have to find out what it all means. Now we'd better get some sleep." Chris nodded reluctantly then held Jarod tighter.
"I don't know how I'd get through this without you."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Miss Parker walked through the Centre halls. She had talked to Sydney, Broots and Lyle and they all said that Chrissie was late. That wasn't like her. She was never late. She turned a corner and ran into Chrissie.
"Chrissie, you're late." She looked at Chrissie and noticed she had bags under her eyes.
"I'm sorry Miss Parker. I had a nightmare then over slept." Miss Parker nodded. She had nightmares a lot so she knew what it was like.
"It's alright Chrissie. I was just worried about you." Chrissie smiled but it wasn't her usual smile.
"Thanks Miss Parker. I'm alright." They both turned to start walking to where Sydney, Lyle and Broots were.
"So what was it about?" Chrissie sighed.
"My death." Miss Parker nodded.
"I'd be late too if I dreamt about my death." Chrissie laughed a small humourless laugh. They arrived at where Sydney, Broots and Lyle were working. Lyle looked up at saw Chrissie.
"Are you alright? You don't look so good." Chrissie smiled.
"Gee Lyle; you really know how to sweep a girl off their feet." Lyle looked at the ground sheepishly.
"I'm joking. I didn't have a good night sleep last night. I dreamt I died." Lyle looked back up at her with concern etched all over his face.
"That must have been horrible." Chrissie smiled a half hearted smile at him.
"It's alright now." Sydney approached her concerned.
"Would you like to talk about it?" Chrissie looked at him and though about it for a moment.
"No thanks. I'd rather just forget about it." Sydney smiled at her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"If you change your mind you know where I am." Chrissie smiled and nodded. Broots, who was sitting at a computer searching looked up in urgency.
"Miss Parker I think I have a hit." Miss Parker walked past Sydney, Lyle and Chrissie to see what he had. Chrissie got worried. If they found out that he had been with her both she and Jarod would be in trouble.
"He's been spotted in North Carolina. Should I get the plane ready?" Miss Parker nodded. Chrissie relaxed.
"Get your things ready. We'll leave as soon as possible." Miss Parker strode out of the room to get ready. Broots kept ready the screen.
"It seems we may be there for a few days. Apparently he went on some hiking thing and we may have to wait for him." Chrissie nodded and walked out the door. She called over her shoulder.
"I'll be back in a few minutes. I'm just going to get a few things." The others nodded and started getting ready themselves.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Jarod was still at Chrissie's house. He decided to stay till after she came home from work and cook her dinner. Something he didn't expect was her walking through the door.
"What are you doing home?" Chrissie walked up to him and kissed him. "What was that for?"
"I'm just glad to see you. We have a location on you. I was so scared that they'd found you." Jarod took her in his arms.
"Where do they think I am?" Chrissie hugged him then pushed him away and started getting a few things.
"North Carolina. We're going there to look for you." Chrissie laughed and put a few things in a bag.
"I set up a false lead to there. Let me guess I'm going hiking?" Chrissie nodded.
"Will you still be around in a few days? I'd like to spend some more time with you." Jarod laughed.
"Yeah I'll be here. To think you're going to North Carolina to find me and I'm right here." He walked over and kissed her. Chrissie smiled at him.
"Oh well. I've got to go. See you when I get back." She kissed him once more then picked up her bag and walked to the front door. "Lock up when you leave." She walked out the door and already started missing him. She climbed into her car and started driving. She wondered how her life became so complicated. She was hunting her boyfriend for a living. It was totally weird.
* * * * * * * * * * * * Miss Parker was sitting next to Lyle and across from Chrissie on the plane. Chrissie was reading a magazine and Lyle was just watching her. Miss Parker started thinking that if Chrissie was with Lyle that he'd be a better person. She pushed the thought aside.
"Where did you go before?" Chrissie looked up at Miss Parker. She felt like saying she went home to see Jarod and to make sure he was safe but knew not to.
"I got a few things and I told my boyfriend I'd be gone for a few days." Miss Parker arched her eyebrows. Lyle, who had started drinking, almost chocked.
"I haven't heard about any boyfriend. Did you meet him out here?" Chrissie shrugged.
"No I met him before I came here. He's here visiting me." Lyle looked at Chrissie and felt upset. He really liked her but she already had someone. Miss Parker got interested.
"What does he look like? Is he cute?" Chrissie chuckled. Lyle nudged Miss Parker.
"Yeah he's cute. He's a great guy. He's so sweet. You know how I had a nightmare last night?" Miss Parker nodded. "He held me. He didn't want anymore than to comfort me." Miss Parker sighed.
"That's so sweet." Lyle laughed.
"Yeah right." Miss Parker gave a stern look at him telling him to shut up. Chrissie looked at Lyle and shrugged.
"I think he's sweet." She went back to reading. Lyle thought about this boyfriend of hers and what he could do about it. Miss Parker glared at Lyle. She couldn't believe he'd been such an idiot. Maybe I was right the first time. Maybe not even Chrissie can make him change his ways.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Broots went to check into their rooms. It was going to be easier to get rooms because Sydney stayed back at Blue Cove because he had to do something and they could just get rooms with two beds in each. Lyle was standing talking with Miss Parker and Chrissie.
"Who's rooming with who sis? Me and you? You and Chrissie? You and Broots?" He started laughing. Broots came back to them with a solemn look on his face.
"Um guys, they only had one normal room and the honeymoon sweet left." Miss Parker glared at Broots. He gulped. "And the normal room only has a double bed." He flinched expecting to be hit. Chrissie smiled.
"That's okay. Parker you and I can share and the guys can share." Lyle stepped forward.
"I'm not sharing a bed with him!" Lyle flung his arms in the air. Chrissie stepped forward to try to calm him.
"Okay then you can share with your sister and I'll share with Broots." Broots gulped. He'd be sharing a room with Chrissie. He couldn't believe it. Lyle got worried.
"I don't think that that would be very smart. I mean have you seen the way he looks at you?" Miss Parker laughed. Broots liked Chrissie but not that much. The only one who gave Chrissie looks was Lyle.
"Fine then, Miss Parker and Broots can share and you and me can share." Lyle thought about it although on the inside he was jumping for joy.
"Okay then. You don't have to worry about me." Miss Parker laughed.
"Look out for him Chrissie." They went to their rooms. Lyle and Chrissie got put in the honeymoon sweet. Chrissie looked out the window. It was winter and it was snowing.
"This is really romantic with the snow falling." Lyle nodded. It really was romantic. He just wished that they were together so they could enjoy how romantic it was together. "Isn't Jarod supposed to be hiking? In this weather he'd have to be crazy." Lyle scoffed.
"You don't know Jarod. He's probably making snowmen right now." Chrissie laughed. Jarod probably would do something like that.
"So are we going to share the bed? Can I trust you not to take advantage of a sleeping woman?" Chrissie started laughing. Lyle laughed along with her.
"Of course you can. I'll stay one side and you stay the other. I'll try to resist my urges." Lyle laughed again. Chrissie looked back at him and smiled. Lyle noticed how the gleam of the falling snow and the now setting sun made her look even more beautiful. Lyle sat on the bed and watched her. After Chrissie had checked the room out and made little comments about soap and towels she came and sat next to him on the bed.
"So Lyle, you know I have a boyfriend. Is there someone who you'd like to bring here for like a romantic getaway?" Chrissie leant back on the bed and rested her back on the headboard of the bed.
"Well there is someone I'd like to bring here." Chrissie smiled. She indicated that she wanted him to continue. "She's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Her smile lights up the room, her eyes are beautiful; she always seems to be happy." Chrissie smiled. She had no idea he was describing her.
"So are you two together?" Lyle smiled.
"No. She's seeing someone at the moment. But I still like her. I think we'd be great together." Chrissie smiled again.
"Well I hope one day you'll be able o bring her here." Lyle tried to hide a laugh. The ironic thing was she was already there with him but not for the reasons he wanted. "Well I think I'm going to call it a day. The flight really drained me, not to mention I didn't really have a good nights sleep last night." Lyle nodded and let her go to sleep, noting how beautiful she looked and wishing he could go to sleep every night watching her.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Lyle woke up to find Chrissie already up. She was watching the snow falling and he watched her for a few minutes realising how beautiful she was even first thing in the morning. Chrissie turned around and saw him sitting up.
"Morning, how did you sleep?" Lyle smiled as she sat down on the bed.
"Better than I have in years. I think I like sleeping with you in my arms." Chrissie smiled and leant in to give him a kiss.
"Me too, I think we should do that more often." She moved closer to him and he held her in his arms.
"I totally agree. So what would you like to do today?" Chrissie thought about it for a moment.
"Stay in bed." She pushed him aside and climbed under the covers, snuggling up to him. He put his arms around her.
"I think that's an excellent idea." He leant down to kiss her when he heard a beeping noise. "Do you hear that?" Chrissie shrugged. She couldn't hear anything. Lyle shrugged it off and went to kiss her again. Again he heard the beeping. He pulled back again and looked around the room.
"What is it now?" Chrissie looked around the room she still couldn't hear anything.
"I can hear a beeping." He stood up and looked around the room. He tripped over something in the middle of the room. Lyle woke with a start. It was the alarm going off. He reached over with one hand and turned it off. He was annoyed because it was such a good dream too. He put his arm back where it was and noticed that something was in his arms. He looked over and saw Chrissie nuzzled to his chest his arms around her and hers around him. He tried to wake himself up. Obviously it was another dream. He clearly hadn't woken up the first time. Chrissie stirred. She opened her eyes and looked up at Lyle. She looked around the room and tried to remember where she was and why she was in Lyle's arms. She looked back at Lyle and he smiled at her.
"What happened?" Chrissie sat bolt upright and looked around the room. Lyle shrugged.
"I guess we kind of ended up like that in our sleep." Chrissie looked back at him.
"Yeah, I guess so. Um, I'm going to go get ready." She walked into the bathroom and started to get dressed. She looked out the window and saw what it was like outside. She walked back into the main room. "Did you see outside?" Lyle shook his head no.
"Why? What's outside?" Chrissie pointed out the window. It was a fully blown blizzard. You could hardly see outside. "Wow!" Lyle got up and went to the window.
"I'm going to see what Parker says about it." Chrissie walked out the room. Lyle looked out the window. He thought back to his dream. He thought that dream was good but waking up with Chrissie in his arms for real was even better than he imagined.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Broots was typing on his laptop when Chrissie entered the room.
"Morning Broots, where's Miss Parker?" Broots looked up from his computer and smiled at Chrissie.
"She got up earlier and went looking for Jarod. I haven't seen her since." He went back to doing whatever he was doing. Chrissie started panicking.
"Have you looked outside today?" Broots looked up again and shook his head no. Chrissie walked over to the window and opened the blind. Broots' mouth dropped open.
"That's a blizzard out there." Chrissie nodded.
"If Miss Parker's out there she may be in trouble." She walked over to the bedside table and picked up the phone. Once she got an outside line she dialled Miss Parker's cell phone number. After a few rings Miss Parker picked up.
"What?" Chrissie was immediately relieved.
"Where are you? I was worried when I saw the blizzard." She heard Miss Parker sigh.
"I know. When I left earlier it was only snowing a little bit, but now it's a full fledged blizzard. I don't even know if I can get back there." Chrissie thought for a moment.
"Well where are you? When we can get out of here we'll stop by and pick you up. With this weather I think Jarod would have left." Miss Parker agreed. There was no way even Jarod would be crazy enough to stay outside in that weather.
"You're right. He's either gone or he's a Jarod Popsicle. I'm staying at a hotel right near the highway." Miss Parker gave her the address and they said their goodbyes.
"Broots could you do me a favour?" Broots nodded. "Could you please check when this blizzard is going to end or at least when it will be alright for us to get out of here?" Broots nodded again and began typing on his laptop again. Chrissie went out of the room and back to hers.
"Lyle, Miss Parker is stuck outside in the blizzard. She's okay; she found a place to stay. We have to pick her up when we can get out of here." Lyle was in the bathroom shaving. He poked his head out to smile and nod at her. He noticed that her gaze dropped down to his bare chest. She quickly turned around and started blushing. "I'm sorry. Do you want me to leave?" She still had her back to him. Lyle suppressed a laugh.
"No, I'll only be a few minutes." He went back into the bathroom with a huge grin on his face. She was checking him out. Maybe he did have a chance with her.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Miss Parker decided she wanted to check out the hotel she was staying at. There were a few other people there who were like her, staying there only because they were snowed in. The owner of the place had opened up a room where everybody could eat and get blankets. She had already met a young couple who were on their way to a family reunion but got stuck. They were always fighting about whose fault it was that they were stuck there. She wandered around again. She went to go get a blanket because she was getting cold. She walked in the room and saw a familiar face. She went to pull out her gun but realised that she lost it when she was making her way through the snow. She decided to approach him anyway.
"Stop right there Wonder Boy!" Jarod couldn't believe it. He turned around slowly expecting to see a gun in his face. He didn't see anything in her hands.
"What, no gun today?" He smirked at her but she wasn't very amused.
"No. I don't have my gun. But I can still bring you in. My team will be here when they can and then we'll take you in." Jarod looked around. He wondered why she was alone and where Chris was.
"What happened? You're team get sick of you and ditch you." Miss Parker narrowed her eyes. She couldn't believe the nerve of him.
"As a matter of I went looking for you but got stuck here. My team is back at our hotel. They're stuck there." Jarod thought about Chris stuck in a hotel with Lyle. He didn't like the idea of it.
"So I guess you're going to try to keep me here." Jarod smirked again knowing there was no way she could keep him there.
"Well where else are you going to go?" She was right. He couldn't get away because of the storm. He was stuck there until he could get away and then Lyle, Broots and Chris would be there. He thought about Chris. He was supposed to be back at her house but he'd gotten a lead on where his mother was and couldn't resist looking. Now he wished he'd taken a different route.
"How do you know I'm not going to run before they can get here?" Miss Parker dug into her pocket and took out her handcuffs. She put one side on his wrist and the other on hers.
"Now I'm certain you won't go anywhere." She smiled evilly at him. Jarod stared from her to the cuff, to her again. He couldn't believe the situation he'd gotten himself into.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Lyle was going through the room getting all the blankets. The lights and heat had gone out and they needed all the heat they could get. The owner of the hotel had come around and given out candles. Lyle had put them in various places around the room. It looked like the perfect romantic getaway. Chrissie came back in from Broots room.
"He says we're going to be stuck here over the weekend. I'll try to get in contact with Parker to tell her when we can pick her up." Lyle nodded and put the extra blankets on the bed.
"So is Broots going to be joining us in here?" Lyle secretly pleaded that he didn't. He wanted to spend some time alone with Chrissie. He looked at her face and saw the annoyance in her eyes. "What's wrong?" Chrissie banged her cell phone on her hand.
"It's not working. I guess either my battery's gone out or the lines have." She banged it again and tried fiddling with it. She still got nothing. Lyle walked over to her and took the cell out of her hands just as she was about to bang it on the bedside table.
"I don't think you hitting it, is going to fix it. All you're going to do is break it. We'll have Broots look at it." He saw Chrissie blush a bit at her almost breaking the cell, their only line of communication with Miss Parker. "Like I asked earlier, is Broots joining us in here or not? The owner of this place says it's better if people share a room instead of being alone."
"No he's not coming in here." Chrissie shrugged and sat on the bed.
"He'll freeze if he's alone." At that moment Lyle didn't care if Broots froze, all he cared about was that he wouldn't have to have him around when he could be around Chrissie alone.
"No he won't. He won't be alone." Lyle hoped it didn't mean they were going into his room. Or worse, maybe she meant only her going with Broots, leaving Lyle alone. "He met some woman out in the hall who he used to date. She was alone, he's alone. Let's just say they're not alone anymore, and I'm sure they won't be cold." Chrissie giggled and fell back on the bed. Lyle stood still watching her. He couldn't believe Broots was probably going to get lucky but he wasn't. The world was becoming twisted in his view. Chrissie looked up at Lyle.
"I'm bored. Come sit down and we can talk. I don't know that much about you so now you can tell me." She sat up and patted a spot on the bed next to her. Lyle shrugged and sat down. Chrissie turned around so she was facing him. Lyle's heart seemed to be doing flips. He tried to clear his mind of the improper thoughts that filled his mind being so close to Chrissie. He opened his mouth to speak.
"What do you want to know?" Chrissie pondered his question for a minute.
"Everything!" Lyle sighed and started telling her about his life. It was going to be a long night.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Jarod sat, trying to get comfortable, knowing he never would with Miss Parker handcuffed to him. Chrissie had told him that they were coming this way but he never expected to run into them, and he definitely didn't expect to run into Miss Parker alone. He was glad that she had dropped her gun because he would surely be unconscious from a not fatal shot or worse, dead. Jarod moved his hands into his lap bringing Miss Parker's hand with them. At first she didn't notice but when she looked at him she yanked her hand away quickly. She started blushing slightly at where her hand had been. Jarod tried, unsuccessfully, to hide a smirk. Miss Parker saw it and yanked her hand, taking his with her, causing him pain at the metal connecting with his wrist hard and fast. Miss Parker gave him a smirk of her own. Jarod rubbed his wrist and wondered how long they'd stay silent. He couldn't take it anymore and broke the silence.
"So how's everyone on the team? Did they all freeze in the storm?" Miss Parker rolled her eyes.
"Everyone's just great. Sydney didn't come so guess what, when I get my gun there'll be no one to stop me from shooting you." Jarod frowned. Miss Parker delighted in seeing him upset. She would never really shoot him. She couldn't. Her feelings for him were too strong.
"Well maybe Broots will save me." Miss Parker laughed.
"If he does I'll shoot him first then I'll shoot you." Jarod frowned again.
"I know Lyle would never stop you. That's the only members of you team besides sweepers." He knew that there was only one person left on her actual team, and he knew that she would definitely save him, but he wasn't even supposed to know about Chrissie so he didn't say anything.
"Actually I have another person on my team." Jarod acted surprised. "She is technically a sweeper but she's better than that." Miss Parker knew that Chrissie would stop her from shooting Jarod, which she wouldn't do, but she thought he didn't know that.
"She? You have another woman on your team? I'm surprised you haven't killed her." Jarod laughed. He knew that Miss Parker had tried intimidating Chrissie but she had stood her ground.
"Well actually we did get into a punch up. But that's why she's all right with me." Jarod was genuinely surprised. He didn't know about their fight. If Chrissie had gotten into a fight with Miss Parker and lived to tell the tale she was tougher than he ever thought. Although on the first day he met her she had broken a drug dealer/gang leaders arm and didn't even seem fazed, so she was tough.
"And she's still on your team? Who is this woman? Wonder Woman?" Miss Parker laughed. Chrissie was a good person and she was sure that if she hadn't needed the money for her mothers operation, she would never had come to the Centre and she'd probably be helping others in some way. A bit like Wonder Woman. And she did have one hell of a punch.
"No she's not Wonder Woman. But she'd probably have to be to put up with Lyle tonight." Miss Parker chuckled at the thought. Lyle would probably try to use the time alone with her to put the moves on her. Jarod wanted to know what she was talking about. If Chrissie would have to be Wonder Woman around Lyle then that wasn't a good thing.
"What do you mean?" He tried to hide the fear, jealousy, anxiousness and concern in his voice.
"Well it seems when Broots booked the hotel and said they'd be four people and we needed two rooms they thought we were couples or something. We got the Honeymoon Sweet and another room with a king sized bed. Lyle got a little crush on Chrissie you see..." Jarod already suspected this from when he saw the way he looked at her. ".and he, somehow, managed to trick us into sharing a room with her. They're in the Honeymoon Sweet." Miss Parker laughed and thought back to how she'd found them that morning. They were snuggled together and they looked very much like a couple. She was going to ask Chrissie to come with her but decided against it when she saw them.
"Do you think he'd try anything?" Again Jarod tried to keep his voice neutral, like he was only interested because it was something to talk about, but inside he was going crazy. He already hated Lyle and if he tried anything with Chrissie that would be the final straw.
"He might. But if Chrissie didn't want to do anything she'd just beat the living hell out of him." Miss Parker knew she was rambling, but it was something to talk about. It was better than the silence they were in earlier.
Jarod felt comforted knowing that it was the truth. She would never let Lyle do anything if she didn't want to. The only question now was would she want to do something?
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Chrissie couldn't believe the things Lyle had told her. He'd done some unspeakable things and when he'd mentioned them, he seemed to show no remorse. She had no idea that he hadn't even told her everything. He'd left out a lot of the particularly gruesome stuff. He hadn't even meant to say a lot of what he'd told her, but he'd found her so easy to talk to. When she questioned him about some things she had even made him see how wrong it was. He started to realise that he maybe didn't even deserve to be in the same room as her. After he'd told her some things he'd asked about her. She'd told him about helping her mother when she got sick, practically raising her brother and sisters because their mother was too busy trying to make sure they had enough food on the table, looking after other people's children, causing her to never have time to have a deep enough relationship to have children of her own, which she really wanted, and how she'd gone up against the worst types of people in her neighbourhood to try and make it safe. She was practically a saint, and he was like the devil. He would have understood if she left the room and stayed with Broots for the night. He definitely wasn't expecting what she did.
"Lyle is there another blanket? I'm really cold." Both of them looked around the bed and the floor but couldn't find any.
"I'm sorry. I'll go see if we can get more." Lyle went to stand up all the time diverting her gaze. She grabbed his hand and pulled him back to sit down.
"Don't worry about it. I'll be okay." Lyle looked at her wondering why she didn't want him millions of miles away from her.
"Are you sure? I could go see." Chrissie shook her head. She was intent on not getting any more blankets.
"I'm sure there are people here who could use them more than I could." She shuddered and he could tell she was freezing. This just proved to him that he could never be worthy of her. She was willing to freeze to other people could be warm.
"I've noticed that you seem a bit. distant since you told me about yourself. What's wrong?" Chrissie didn't mean to make him feel uncomfortable. She knew that he definitely wasn't a saint but she was a pretty good judge of character. She could tell if he had the right influence he could be a better person. She also had the feeling that maybe, just maybe, he wanted to change and given the chance, he would.
"I just don't know how you can do it. I told you some pretty bad things yet you sit there stay in the same room as me. Aren't you afraid I'm going to do something to hurt you?" He looked into her eyes, his own filled with pain. She took his hand.
"I know you did some bad things, but I honestly believe you could make up for it. And for some reason I don't think you'd hurt me." Lyle nodded and she squeezed his hand. He brought his other hand to her face and caressed her cheek.
"I could never hurt you." Chrissie nodded. Lyle realised that her cheek was ice cold. "Oh my god you're freezing. Here." He took the blanket he had and put it around her. He rubbed her shoulders to try to warm her up, the whole time Chrissie looking in his eyes. She could see the man he could become, and not the monster he thought he was. She noticed him start to shake.
"Now you're cold. Come on we'll share. Then we can keep each other warm." She opened the blanket and nodded her head in the direction of her side, wanting him to sit down. Lyle thought about it. There was nothing more he'd like to do than sit next to her, wrap his arms around her and keep her warm but he didn't think he deserved to be next to her and be warm. Chrissie could tell that he wasn't sure about it so she sighed and pulled him next to her. She felt that he was cold so she put her arms around him. Lyle looked into her eyes.
"You're amazing." Chrissie giggled. She looked back into his eyes.
"I don't think anybody's ever said that to me." Lyle held her gaze.
"They should have. I long time ago." Chrissie smiled a dazzling smile. This was the definitely the man Lyle should be like more often. "You're so beautiful." Lyle leant in closer to her and brushed his lips against hers and waited to gauge her reaction. When she didn't protest he continued and deepened the kiss. Chrissie pulled back after Lyle moved closer to further deepen the kiss.
"I can't. I'm seeing someone. I'm sorry Lyle." Lyle nodded.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." He moved back and started to shiver.
"No, I shouldn't have done that. We can still share the blankets. You'll freeze otherwise." She opened the blankets again and gestured for him to sit down. He thought about it then sat down.
"It won't happen again. I promise." Chrissie nodded and smiled. She put her arms around him again to warm him up. Lyle jumped at her touch. He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her and resume what they had started but he knew that that wouldn't be a good idea. Once Chrissie thought he was warm enough she put her hands on her lap. Her body protested, she wanted her hands on him but knew it wasn't a good idea. It would lead to what had happened before and she couldn't let that happen, she was very committed to Jarod. She knew that the feelings she had were probably just because of the romantic setting mixed with missing Jarod. Or maybe it was more. She couldn't tell. She knew she'd have to wait until they got out of the situation and saw Jarod again to be truly sure.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Miss Parker and Jarod had both fallen asleep. Neither of them was aware of the predicament they had gotten themselves into in their sleep. They were laying on the bed in each others arms. Their legs were locked and Jarod's face was buried in Miss Parker's chest and her head was resting on top of his head. If anybody had come into the room they were staying in they would look like the perfect couple. Jarod woke with a start. He felt disorientated and at first he thought he was still at Chrissie's house in her embrace. Then he remembered what had happened. He remembered that he had left her house to look for his mother and ran into Miss Parker. He remembered she had handcuffed them together and that's how he still was. He moved a bit trying to get out of the position they were in without waking Miss Parker. He tried to unhook their arms but she just held on tighter. He decided that he would leave that for now and concentrate on moving where his head was. If Miss Parker woke up to find him resting in her cleavage she would definitely shoot him. He managed to slide up the bed a bit so he was lying opposite him. The movement and the sensation of skin against skin made Miss Parker stir. Jarod froze as she opened her mouth to speak.
"Jarod, I missed you." She had a smile on her face. Jarod checked to see if she was awake. He realised that she was talking in her sleep. He ignored the statement and tried to unhook their arms again. Miss Parker smiled and spoke again. "Hold me Jarod. There's time for other things later." She spoke seductively. Jarod was shocked. What kind of dream was she having?
"Miss Parker what do you mean?" He had heard that sometimes you can have a conversation with a sleep talker. It was an insight into their dream.
"If you don't know by now then you'll just have to keep coming back night after night and I can show you." Miss Parker laughed. Jarod wanted to know what she meant.
"How long have I been coming to you? I can't remember." Miss Parker seemed to have drifted back into a deep sleep instead of talking. Jarod relaxed and tried to move again.
"You've been coming every night since I met you. Remember first we used to just talk but then when we got older things got more. serious" Miss Parker wrapped her arms around him tighter and smiled. Jarod couldn't believe it. This meant that she'd been dreaming about him since they were children and now her dreams were more adult. If Miss Parker was dreaming they were together then that meant she had feelings for him. Jarod smiled and decided that sleeping in Miss Parker's arms would be alright for the night. It was something he'd wanted to do for a long time. He drifted off to sleep wondering just what Miss Parker was dreaming of.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Lyle and Chrissie had sat in silence, neither one knowing what to say, and both trying to fight certain urges. Chrissie yawned and realised how tired she was.
"I think I'm going to call it a night. It's getting kind of late." Lyle nodded and wondered what the sleeping arrangements would be. He would love to sleep like he had woken up that morning but he wasn't sure if she'd want to, considering what happened between them. Chrissie was thinking the same thing. She knew it was wise if they didn't sleep in the same bed but it was the only way to keep warm. The cold she felt when the blanket slipped off her shoulder confirmed what was needed. "We're going to have to, uh, sleep together, uh I mean next to each other to, uh, share. body heat." It sounded worse than when she had thought it.
"You're right. We've just got to pretend nothing happened and try to sleep." Chrissie nodded and they both lay back in the bed. They already had the three thin blankets Lyle had found and the quilt around their shoulders so they just had to fix it up so they could both be completely covered. The bed was cold so Chrissie subconsciously snuggled closer to Lyle. Lyle caught his breath and his heart seemed to skip a beat. The feel of her skin against his and the sweet smell of her hair took his breath away. Chrissie breathed in the smell of Lyle's chest. For a split second she forgot about Jarod and why she felt bad about the kiss Lyle and her had shared. She seized his arms and put them around her body. She wrapped her arms around his waist and fell asleep. Lyle was having a more difficult time. Everything felt so right but he knew it was wrong. He wanted to capture her lips in a passionate kiss but knew that it would be the final straw and she'd leave. He let his thoughts wander to what it would be like if she didn't have a boyfriend. They would probably be doing more than sleeping at the moment. Lyle sighed and let himself drift into a contented sleep.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Miss Parker felt Jarod's hands on her body. It was a familiar feeling. She was used to his "night time visits". Jarod kissed her passionately.
Miss Parker awoke and found that Jarod's arms really were around her. She panicked at first then decided to let it go.for the present time. She looked him over. He looked so peaceful and handsome. She smiled and wondered what he was dreaming. Probably of his girlfriend she thought. She wondered what his girlfriend looked like. She was probably beautiful. She had met his last two girlfriends and they were both pretty girls. She'd felt extremely jealous both times but she was more so with his present girlfriend. A contact of hers had told her that he talked of her often and seemed more in love with her than with either of the others. Her contact was someone Jarod had once helped and he kept in contact with. She talked to him often. He had no idea that he was talking to Jarod's hunter, he just thought it was another one of the people Jarod had helped. He'd never been able to tell her where Jarod was but he was able to tell her what Jarod was thinking, and recently what he was thinking about was his girlfriend. Jarod moaned and smiled happily.
"I love you." She expected to hear his girlfriend's name. "Miss Parker. I always have and I always will." Miss Parker's jaw dropped. She knew what type of dream he was having and was totally shocked to hear her name.
"What did you just say?" She was unable to stop the words come out of her mouth. She was afraid she'd wake him up.
"I said I love you." Jarod mumbled happily. "I love you Andi." Miss Parker froze. He had just said he loved her and he had used her name. She couldn't resist the urge to lean over and kiss him. She kissed his lips tenderly.
"I love you too Jarod." Miss Parker sighed and went back to sleep. She was happy that he was asleep and hadn't heard her declaration of love. Unbeknownst to her Jarod had woken up when he felt her lips on his and had heard what she said. He smiled happily and drifted back to sleep.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Chrissie awoke the net morning still in Lyle's arms. She smiled and watched him sleep. There was something about him that made her heart skip a beat despite what he'd told her about himself the night before. She escaped his embrace and stood up stretching. She put the blankets around him tighter to fill the gap where she had been and kissed him on the cheek. Lyle smiled and mumbled something in his sleep. She walked over to her suitcase, chose some warm clothes and went to the bathroom for a shower. When she returned he was still sleeping. She smiled again and left the room quietly. She walked across the hall and knocked on Broots' door. She heard a female groan, smiled and kept walking down the hall. She walked down to the front desk. She saw someone talking on the phone. She lined up behind them and waited patiently. When they finished she picked up the phone and dialled Miss Parker's cell. She got no answer and decided to see what Jarod was doing. She rang her house and got no answer.
"I guess he left." She said aloud quietly to herself. She dialled his cell phone but it was turned off. She didn't know that Miss Parker had found it and turned it off and put it in her bag. She shrugged and handed the phone to someone behind her. She decided to walk outside.
Lyle woke up to find a cold spot next to him. He frowned and looked around the room. He got up and checked in the bathroom. She wasn't there so he walked to the door and looked in the hall. He felt cold so he turned around to get a jacket. He glanced out the window and saw Chrissie walking in the snow. He smiled and got dressed. He walked outside and went straight to her.
"What are you doing out here? It's freezing." He blew into his hands and rubbed them together. She looked at him and smiled.
"I know. It's great isn't it?" She smiled and picked up some snow. She was wearing cloves and the snow clung to them.
"Great? What do you mean?" Chrissie laughed.
"I mean snow. Where I live we don't get much. When we do get snow it just covers the street and the road. There was no where I could go to play." She picked up some more snow and started making a snowball.
"Yeah but it's freezing out here." Chrissie laughed. She opened her jacket and pointed to how many layers of clothing she was wearing.
"To me it's just a bit chilly." She laughed again and kept adding to the snowball.
"Well to me it's freezing. You're crazy. I'm going back inside." Lyle turned around and started to walk away. Chrissie threw her snowball at him. It hit him in the back of his head. Lyle stopped walking and turned around. Chrissie was bursting out laughing.
"Party pooper." Chrissie knelt down and picked up more snow.
"Did you just throw that at me? Did you throw a snowball at my head?" Lyle hid a smile. Chrissie played dumb.
"Maybe. I can't remember so I can't be sure." She made another snowball.
"I think you did. I think you just hit me in the back of the head with a snowball. What have you got to say for yourself?" A snowball came flying at him and hit him square in the face. Chrissie burst out laughing.
"I have to say that now I hit you in the front of the head too." She bent over and laughed hysterically. Lyle took the opportunity to bend down and make a snowball. He threw it at her and it hit her in the head. Chrissie stopped laughing and Lyle started.
"Oh I'm sorry. Did I hit you?" Chrissie put on an angry face.
"You're going to pay for that." She made a few more snowballs and packed them in her arms. She threw the first one at him and he ran away, dodging it at the last second.
"You're going to have to try harder than that." Chrissie chased after him and hit him a few times with the snowballs. Lyle made some as well and they had a full on snowball war. Finally they collapsed on the now together, both laughing hysterically.
"That was the most fun I've had in a long, long time." Lyle was panting and he propped himself up on one arm to look at Chrissie. Chrissie nodded.
"Me too, I haven't had time to have fun for ages. I've been too busy looking after my sisters and brother, my mother and all the kids on the neighbourhood; I haven't had time for fun." Lyle nodded.
"I know what you mean. Except my reasons for fun are the exact opposite of yours." Lyle frowned and collapsed on the ground again. Chrissie frowned and propped herself up on her side. She looked down at Lyle and pushed a snowflake of his face.
"Do you feel bad about what you did?" Lyle thought about the question for a minute.
"I didn't before, but now. I do." Lyle's voice was quiet and uncertain.
"Really?" Lyle nodded. "Do you want to change?" Lyle looked into her eyes.
"Again I didn't. but I do now." He reached up and brushed the snow out of her hair.
"Well change. It's never too late to change trust me." She smiled at him. Lyle was uncertain.
"I scared. I want to change but in the Centre it's hard to." Chrissie shook her head.
"Listen I haven't always been the way I am. I thought I would never be able to make the changes I needed to but I did and I'm much happier." Lyle was curious.
"What were you like before?" Chrissie shook her head.
"It's not important. It's in the past. The bad things you did can be in the past as well." Lyle nodded and looked into her eyes. Her eyes were full of hope.
"Do you think I can?" Chrissie nodded her head.
"I know you can." She brushed the snow out of his hair. She leant down, about to kiss him but changed her mind at the last moment and her lips only brushed against his lightly. "It's getting cold. I'm going inside." Lyle nodded and they stood up. They walked back to their room in silence. Chrissie thinking about what she had almost done and how right it felt, and Lyle about changing and how much confidence she had in him.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Jarod awoke to the morning sun beaming down on his face. They were still wrapped in each others arms but this time Miss Parkers head was buried in his chest. He felt her stirring and she woke up. At first she seemed lost but then she remembered where she was. She would have liked to just curl up in Jarod's arms again but she realised that he was awake and she couldn't let him see the effect he had on her. She quickly sat up and glared at him as best she could.
"What do you think you're doing? How dare you touch me like that! You ever put your arms around me like that again and the Centre will just have to deal with damaged merchandise." She didn't really mean it. She wanted his arms around her but didn't think he'd want his arms around her. She looked at Jarod and didn't understand why he was smirking at her. His smirk both succeeded in making her swoon and making her nervous wondering what he had up his sleeve.
"You didn't seem to mind it last night." Jarod stared at her trying to gauge her reaction. He could tell that her mind was going a mile a minute. She was trying to remember if she'd said something to convey her true feelings. Her mind was obviously drawing a blank.
"What you think I enjoy having to share a bed with a lab rat? Ha, you've got to be kidding me. Whatever fantasies you have about me you can just forget them right now. Tonight I'm handcuffing you to the door and you can sleep in a chair while I have the bed all to myself." It was an empty threat. She knew that there was no way she could bring herself to do that. When it would come to when she'd have to do it she'd just say they needed to stay warm.
"And who say's I even have fantasies about you?" Jarod put on a neutral face to try and hid the truth. What he didn't know was that she'd heard a fantasy the night before.
"I have my ways. Did you know you talk in your sleep?" Miss Parker smiled evilly. Jarod's mind raced. Judging from the dream he'd had the night before if he did talk in his sleep then he was in trouble. He realised that that was probably why Miss Parker had said that she loved him too. It all made sense. Of course what she didn't know was that he felt her kiss and that she also talked in her sleep.
"Do I? I never knew that. But you know I have a funny story about someone who talked in their sleep. They divulged their true feelings for someone." He pulled his arm forcefully back to him, bringing her arm with it. She wasn't expecting it and came face to face with him. Jarod looked into her eyes deeply. Miss Parker realised that she must have talked in her sleep. She tried to play dumb.
"Oh really? And what were those feelings?" She pulled back a little bit but she was still close to him. Jarod chuckled.
"Love, Miss Parker. They divulged their love." He pulled her closer again. "They also divulged the same feelings when they thought the person next to them was asleep." Miss Parker was shocked. She knew he was definitely talking about her.
"You were awake?" Jarod nodded. "How long?" Jarod laughed then turned suddenly nervous.
"I woke up when you, uh, when you kissed me." He looked away from her for a split second then stared more intensely into her eyes. Miss Parker couldn't believe her ears. She had only said it because she thought it was safe.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Miss Parker started blushing. She couldn't believe what was happening.
"You went back to sleep before I could." Miss Parker nodded. Jarod swallowed and spoke in a tiny voice. "Don't you think that the kiss would be better if we were both. involved?" Jarod looked away, not wanting to face rejection. Miss Parker stared at him. She impulsively turned his head to face her and kissed him passionately. Jarod eagerly returned the kiss. When the reality of their situation hit Miss Parker she pulled away. She was breathless but she still had to ask something.
"Jarod what about your girlfriend? Do you love her?" Jarod thought about Chris. He certainly had feelings for her but she was no Miss Parker.
"There's only one woman I've ever loved and I'm staring right at her." He leant forward and kissed her gently. "But you're right. I wouldn't feel right until I spoke to her." Miss Parker nodded. She looked outside and saw the snow had cleared a bit, enough for someone to leave. She sighed knowing what she had to do. She reached to the side of her bed and found her bag. She felt around it and produced the keys to the handcuffs. She unlocked them and looked at Jarod.
"Do you think you can get out of here in that?" She pointed to the snow outside not looking in his eyes.
"Yeah, it seems to have cleared up here. The roads just there and I'm sure I could find the highway." Jarod looked at her not totally understanding.
"Go. Find your girlfriend and do what you have to do. Take as long as you need to. Just make sure when you're done you come back to me." A single tear rolled down her cheek. Jarod saw it and kissed it away.
"Are you sure?" Miss Parker nodded.
"If it's clearing up here then it should be clearing up where my team is. I can't let them find you here." She rested her forehead against his. Jarod nodded and kissed her. He stood up and gathered his things together. He looked back at Miss Parker who had tears streaming down her face.
"I'll come back to you. I promise." She nodded and pointed towards the door. Jarod nodded and turned to leave. He couldn't resist the urge to turn around and kiss her passionately. Miss Parker looked up at him and smiled when he stood up. "One for the road." Jarod smiled and walked out the door leaving Miss Parker alone with her tears. Once she composed herself she picked up her cell and called Chrissie.
"Chrissie, how are things looking where you are?" Chrissie looked out the window and saw the snow clearing.
"Alright, the snow seems to be clearing early." She looked at Lyle who was sitting on the bed reading something. She thought about how complicated her life had just become. Outside seemed fine, it was the room she was in that didn't.
"Same here. Why don't you guys come get me?" Chrissie agreed.
"We'll be there as soon as we're packed up. I can tell you one thing. I'm looking forward to being able to get home." She looked at Lyle again and wondered if she could hide what happened from Jarod.
"I know what you mean. I'll see you later." Miss Parker hung up and looked back at the bed. She wished that the snow hadn't started clearing so her and Jarod could have stayed longer but she knew that it wasn't a good idea. She pushed the thoughts of Jarod out of her mind and started packing.
Chrissie hung up the phone and walked over to Lyle. Lyle looked up at her and smiled. Chrissie tried to keep a neutral face.
"That was Miss Parker. She thinks it would be alright to come get her now." Lyle nodded and stood up. Chrissie backed up a little. "Can you go tell Broots to get ready because we're leaving? I'll pack up everything in here." Lyle looked at the floor and nodded.
"Sure. I'll be back in a minute. I'll get the bags and put them in the car when I get back." Chrissie nodded. Lyle turned back to the door and began walking towards it.
"Lyle, don't tell anyone what happened between us. I mean could it just stay. between us. I mean it's not very professional and I don't want my boyfriend to find out." Lyle's back was too her. He nodded but his face was full of pain. He'd totally forgotten about her boyfriend and now she just wanted to forget it. He smiled and turned around trying not to show the pain he was feeling.
"Sure, I mean who would I tell anyway? I don't even know what you're talking about." He smiled and she smiled back. He turned around and walked out the door. He closed the door and rested his head back on it. He composed himself and walked over to Broots' room.
Once he had closed the door Chrissie sat on the bed. She had to forget what happened. She couldn't let Jarod find out. Still she felt as if she was doing the wrong thing.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Once they picked up Miss Parker everyone sat in silence. Lyle was driving and Broots was in the front passenger seat. Lyle would occasionally glance into the rear-view mirror to look at Chrissie, Broots was upset about having to leave his old "friend" too early, Miss Parker was thinking about Jarod and Chrissie was thinking about what had happened between her and Lyle and about what Jarod would think. The whole trip to the airport and back to the Centre was spent in total silence.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Chrissie walked into her house to find she had company. She didn't know who he was so she was immediately concerned. She reached behind her back ready to pull her gun if she needed to.
"Who are you and what are you doing in my house?" The man stood up and she could tell he was sick. He almost fell to the floor. She ran over to him and helped him up.
"I'm a friend of Mr. Lyle and Miss Parker." He coughed and sat back down. Chrissie was suspicious.
"If you're their friend why didn't you go to one of them?" She walked into the kitchen and returned a glass and a jug of water. She poured some water in the glass and handed it to him.
"I can't because they think I'm dead. It would endanger them if I went to them. I know you're their friend so I came to you." The man took a drink and almost finished it off in one gulp. Chrissie was confused.
"So, what, I'm in danger now?" She took the glass off him and put it on the coffee table.
"No, The Centre wouldn't guess that you were in contact with me so you're safe. I just need help. I need somewhere to stay. I'll die otherwise." Chrissie was sympathetic. She thought about it.
"Well I guess I'll need to know your name if you're going to be staying with me." She poured some more water in the glass and handed it to him. He took a sip and responded to her question.
"My name is Mr. Parker. I'm their father."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
to be continued.
Author: Kimmi
Feedback: Yes please.
Rating: PG13
Authors note: This is part 3 in a series. I hope you are enjoying reading it as much as I am writing it. I had a plan for what would happen but I can't seem to stick to it. This story has a mind of its own and I'm just the one writing it (Hehehe). Please Read, Review and Enjoy!
Summary: Jarod meets a new woman who reminds him of Miss Parker in some ways. Can there relationship work out? And what happens when she comes in contact with the Centre?
Strange Things Happen
Part 3
A week passed after Miss Parker and Chrissie had gotten into their punch up. The still both carried the bruises although they were getting smaller. Miss Parker had fully embraced the concept of having Chrissie as her friend. She began to trust her more than she had anyone in a long time. Her closeness with Chrissie had taken everyone by surprise. Sydney had noted that Chrissie was making Miss Parker feel more like a normal person; Broots was stunned that they could get along all though they once seemed to hate each other, and Lyle wasn't sure what to think of it all.
"Chrissie next time we go on the road remind me to make sure one of us drives so we don't get lost." Chrissie smiled then looked at Broots who was looking very upset.
"I'm sorry Miss Parker. I was sure that it was left and not right." Miss Parker sighed.
"And why didn't you just ask for directions? Actually Lyle you went to pay for the gas why didn't you ask?" Lyle looked at Miss Parker and sighed.
"It's the principal of the thing. You wouldn't understand. It's a guy thing." Miss Parker and Chrissie looked at each other and laughed.
"Getting lost is a guy thing? Well then I'm definitely glad I'm not a guy." Chrissie burst out laughing and didn't notice Lyle's comment.
"So am I." Miss Parker heard the comment and stared at Lyle. She turned to Chrissie and Broots and indicated for them to leave the room. They noted her request and left with Chrissie teasing Broots. Once they were gone she turned to Lyle.
"Lyle you like Chrissie don't you?" Lyle stared at her and wondered what to say. He knew that Miss Parker had seen the way he looked at Chrissie and wondered why she wanted to know now.
"Well yeah. She's a great person and she good for the team and." Miss Parker sighed and rolled her eyes.
"You know what I mean." Lyle shrugged.
"What, are we in junior high now?" He was trying to avoid answering the question.
"Lyle, I've seen the way you look at her. I know you like her. Why don't you just tell me?" Lyle threw his arms up in the air.
"Okay, you want to now? Yes I like her. I've never felt like this for any other woman before. I really like her." Miss Parker narrowed her eyes.
"Lyle I know you're my brother, but I know what you do. You try to hurt her and you'll have to deal with me." She took a step closer to him to try to provoke him. Lyle stared at her not flinching.
"I would never hurt her." Miss Parker studied him and thought over his response. She let out a breath and stepped back.
"You know what? I believe you. I may be crazy, but I believe you." She took a step back and looked back into his eyes. "She's not as unapproachable as you may think. Just talk to her and see what she thinks. She doesn't have cooties you know." She smirked at him. Lyle smiled, nodded at walked out of the room. He walked a few steps more where he found Chrissie and Broots talking to Sydney, obviously filling him in on their road trip.
"Neither of them asked for directions. You'd ask for directions wouldn't you Syd?" Sydney smiled and nodded. "See, it's not just a guy thing, it's a stupid thing." She smiled and nudged Broots who smiled a half hearted smile back at her.
"I was sure it was left." Chrissie burst out laughing again. Lyle watched her for a few moments then stepped forward to join the conversation.
"Are you still talking about how we got lost?" Chrissie, who was laughing so hard she couldn't seem to breathe, nodded. "It was a mistake. I still don't see what the point of us going down there was anyway. Raines' informant never showed." Broots nodded solemnly. He had missed a chance to spend the day with his daughter to go and it was for nothing. Chrissie stopped laughing and seemed to know why Broots was so upset.
"Broots, why don't you go home? The days not over yet and I'm sure Miss Parker wouldn't mind. I'll tell her you went to spend time with Debbie. Go home." Broots looked at Chrissie then at Sydney.
"Yes I agree. Go home; leave Miss Parker to Chrissie and me." Broots smiled and started walking away.
"Thanks guys. If I get in trouble I'll just blame you two." Chrissie smiled.
"I can take her." Broots laughed and walked away.
"That was nice of you. He deserves a day with his daughter." Chrissie nodded. Lyle ignored the shocked expression that was on Sydney's face.
"He definitely does. Everyone deserves to be with their family." Chrissie frowned and took a picture out of her pocket. She looked it over. Sydney looked at the photo from behind her and put a supporting hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry Chrissie, You'll see them soon." Chrissie gave a half hearted smile at Sydney then looked back at the photo.
"You're right. Three more weeks of working here and I'll have enough money for my mothers operation. Three more weeks then I'm outta here." Lyle nodded then realised what she said.
"You're leaving?" Chrissie nodded.
"I'm only working here to get the money for my mothers operation then I'm going home to my family. I miss them so much." She stroked the faces of the people in the photo with her thumb. Lyle started panicking. He'd probably never see her again. He was about to say something but lost his nerve. He turned and walked away leaving Chrissie with Sydney.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Jarod was working in the emergency room of a hospital. He was enjoying a break while nothing much was happening. He was working in a town close to Blue Cove. He couldn't believe he'd managed to work there avoiding Centre knowledge of him doing so. He hadn't had a chance to visit Chris yet because it was too dangerous. He knew she was staying in a home that she was renting from a friend of a friend but he still found it too dangerous to stay with her when she was so close to the Centre. He started to doze of when a buzz from the emergency room caught his attention. He ran into the room to see a small child being wheeled in. The child had blood all over them and they seemed unconscious. Jarod ran over and tried to help. One of the other doctors who had gotten there first told Jarod to work on the mother who was coming in. Jarod nodded and waited for the mother. He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the still form being wheeled in.
"Chris!" He ran over and immediately ran to her side. "What happened?" The paramedic who was wheeling her in looked at him for a minute then told him.
"They got into an accident just out of town. She was driving and something must have happened because she drove right into a tree. Did you see the kid?" Jarod nodded. "All that blood over him wasn't his. All he has is a concussion. The blood is all hers." Jarod looked at Chris and held her hand and noticed how cold it was. "She was trying to shield the kid. She died just outside. She gave her life for her son." The paramedic bowed his head. Jarod looked up at him confused.
"I know her. She doesn't have a son." The paramedic shook his head.
"Yeah she does. Her husband got there a little too late. He told us that's his wife and his son." Jarod looked back down at the now lifeless body. Maybe it wasn't her.
"What's her name?" The paramedic sighed.
"Maiden name: Lopez. First name: Christina. Married name." Jarod woke with a start. He was relieved it was only a dream. It all felt so real. He really was working at that hospital but it was his night off. He picked up the phone and dialled despite the late hour.
"Hello?" The voice was tired but he'd know it anywhere.
"You're okay." Jarod sighed.
"Jarod is that you?" Jarod relaxed.
"Yeah it's me. Chris, are you married?" Chris laughed on the other end.
"I think you need more sleep. You know I'm not. What are you calling for?"
"You don't have a son do you?" Chris laughed again.
"No, I don't have a son. Why are you asking these questions?" Jarod sighed then explained his dream. After he finished Chris sighed.
"Jarod it's only a dream."
"But it felt so real."
Beep, beep.
"Jarod, could you hold on? I've got another call." Jarod stayed on the line while she took her other call. After a few minutes she came back to his line.
"Jarod, could you come to my place? That was just Marietta and I think I need to talk to you." Jarod could hear the stress and edginess in her voice.
"Of course, I'll be there in a few minutes." Jarod hung up the phone and got dressed quickly. He got his stuff together and went to Chris's place.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Chris opened her door to see a very worried Jarod. She, herself had been up and pacing since their phone call.
"What is it? What's wrong? Did something happen to your mother?" Chris shook her head and led him to the lounge room. He sat on the couch and she sat opposite him in a chair.
"You know the dream you had?" Jarod nodded. He couldn't forget it but why was she asking about that? "Well did I look older than I am now or the same age?" Jarod thought back to the dream. He definitely thought it was happening at that moment.
"You looked the same age as you do now. That's one of the reasons I thought it was real and you couldn't have had a son." Chris nodded then thought for a moment.
"You said the child had blood all over them. It wasn't their blood was it? It was mine." Jarod nodded. He felt a bit shocked. He'd never told her that it was her blood only that both she and the child were covered in blood and she died.
"How did you know?" Chris shook her head then persisted.
"Did you ask what my name was?" Jarod nodded.
"I needed to find out if it was you or not." Chris nodded then persisted with her questions.
"They said my maiden name, then my first am I right?" Jarod nodded again. "Did they say my married name?" Jarod shook his head.
"They were about to but then I woke up." Chris's face went pale. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What is it? How did you know these things when I didn't even tell you?" Chris looked up at him.
"I told you Marietta called. She told me that Luis woke up from a bad dream. She asked what it was and he told her the dream that you told me you had. She called me to make sure I was okay because he said that it felt real, like it was happening at that moment." Jarod nodded. He'd felt that too. "As she was telling me I realised it was your dream. It's not right for people who are in different states to have the same dream as well as waking up at the same time." Jarod nodded. It was very strange. He saw how scared she was.
"It's okay. It was only a dream." He knelt in front of her and held her.
"I know it was, but I don't know it just seems a bit, I don't know, weird." She started sobbing. Jarod held her closer.
"I know. I know. It's okay." He started rocking her backwards and forwards. "Look at you. You need your sleep. You'll forget about it in the morning." Chris nodded. She got up and started walking for her bedroom. Jarod stood where he was. She turned around and looked at him. She looked broken.
"Will you hold me?" Jarod nodded and followed her into the bedroom. She fell asleep in his arms and soon after he fell asleep too.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Chris was driving in her car. It was late at night. She had to get away. She couldn't stay with him anymore. She looked to her side and saw the toddler sitting next to her. He was playing with a toy she'd bought him. She wondered how it was possible to love someone so much who came from someone you couldn't stand. She went around the bend and felt a bump from behind her. She looked in the rear-view mirror and cringed at the sight behind her. She tried to swerve but it didn't work. The car behind her slammed into her again. Her son started crying.
"It's okay sweetie. Everything's going to be okay." He looked up at her and smiled. She looked behind her again and saw the car was gone. She sighed with relief then went back to driving. She had to get away so he couldn't send anyone to do anything to hurt her again. She rounded a bend then saw the big tree down the road. She'd seen a car crash there a few months earlier. She wasn't aware of the car next to her until she felt the thump. She looked to out the window and saw the familiar car. The car went to slam her again, the car was on her son's side so she quickly undid his seatbelt with one hand then pulled him onto her lap. The thump was harder and it pushed the car off the road. She tried to stop the car from swerving to no avail. She knew there was nothing more she could do. She let go of the wheel and formed a ball around her son. She felt the crushing of the car as it hit the tree. She felt the steel cut into her body and she prayed it didn't reach her son. The horn went off but she could hear the other car stop and call for an ambulance. The moments seemed to speed up and she could hear the sirens in the distance. Then she heard the familiar voice.
"That's what you get for trying to get away." She cringed at the sound of his laugh. She felt her son breathing and gave one more pray to god to ask if he could live. As the ambulance pulled up she began to let go.
"No, no, NO!" Chris woke up still in the arms of Jarod. Jarod woke up and was worried about her.
"What is it?" Chris's breathing was ragged and she was sweating.
"I had a nightmare. I think it goes with the dream you and Luis had." Jarod was shocked. What could it be?
"Goes with my dream?" Chris nodded. She explained her dream to him. Jarod sighed then asked. "Do you know whose voice you heard?" She shook her head.
"I felt like I knew the voice at the time but I don't know whose voice it was. I swear that boy was my son but I've never seen him. It felt so. real." Jarod nodded.
"I know. We'll have to find out what it all means. Now we'd better get some sleep." Chris nodded reluctantly then held Jarod tighter.
"I don't know how I'd get through this without you."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Miss Parker walked through the Centre halls. She had talked to Sydney, Broots and Lyle and they all said that Chrissie was late. That wasn't like her. She was never late. She turned a corner and ran into Chrissie.
"Chrissie, you're late." She looked at Chrissie and noticed she had bags under her eyes.
"I'm sorry Miss Parker. I had a nightmare then over slept." Miss Parker nodded. She had nightmares a lot so she knew what it was like.
"It's alright Chrissie. I was just worried about you." Chrissie smiled but it wasn't her usual smile.
"Thanks Miss Parker. I'm alright." They both turned to start walking to where Sydney, Lyle and Broots were.
"So what was it about?" Chrissie sighed.
"My death." Miss Parker nodded.
"I'd be late too if I dreamt about my death." Chrissie laughed a small humourless laugh. They arrived at where Sydney, Broots and Lyle were working. Lyle looked up at saw Chrissie.
"Are you alright? You don't look so good." Chrissie smiled.
"Gee Lyle; you really know how to sweep a girl off their feet." Lyle looked at the ground sheepishly.
"I'm joking. I didn't have a good night sleep last night. I dreamt I died." Lyle looked back up at her with concern etched all over his face.
"That must have been horrible." Chrissie smiled a half hearted smile at him.
"It's alright now." Sydney approached her concerned.
"Would you like to talk about it?" Chrissie looked at him and though about it for a moment.
"No thanks. I'd rather just forget about it." Sydney smiled at her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"If you change your mind you know where I am." Chrissie smiled and nodded. Broots, who was sitting at a computer searching looked up in urgency.
"Miss Parker I think I have a hit." Miss Parker walked past Sydney, Lyle and Chrissie to see what he had. Chrissie got worried. If they found out that he had been with her both she and Jarod would be in trouble.
"He's been spotted in North Carolina. Should I get the plane ready?" Miss Parker nodded. Chrissie relaxed.
"Get your things ready. We'll leave as soon as possible." Miss Parker strode out of the room to get ready. Broots kept ready the screen.
"It seems we may be there for a few days. Apparently he went on some hiking thing and we may have to wait for him." Chrissie nodded and walked out the door. She called over her shoulder.
"I'll be back in a few minutes. I'm just going to get a few things." The others nodded and started getting ready themselves.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Jarod was still at Chrissie's house. He decided to stay till after she came home from work and cook her dinner. Something he didn't expect was her walking through the door.
"What are you doing home?" Chrissie walked up to him and kissed him. "What was that for?"
"I'm just glad to see you. We have a location on you. I was so scared that they'd found you." Jarod took her in his arms.
"Where do they think I am?" Chrissie hugged him then pushed him away and started getting a few things.
"North Carolina. We're going there to look for you." Chrissie laughed and put a few things in a bag.
"I set up a false lead to there. Let me guess I'm going hiking?" Chrissie nodded.
"Will you still be around in a few days? I'd like to spend some more time with you." Jarod laughed.
"Yeah I'll be here. To think you're going to North Carolina to find me and I'm right here." He walked over and kissed her. Chrissie smiled at him.
"Oh well. I've got to go. See you when I get back." She kissed him once more then picked up her bag and walked to the front door. "Lock up when you leave." She walked out the door and already started missing him. She climbed into her car and started driving. She wondered how her life became so complicated. She was hunting her boyfriend for a living. It was totally weird.
* * * * * * * * * * * * Miss Parker was sitting next to Lyle and across from Chrissie on the plane. Chrissie was reading a magazine and Lyle was just watching her. Miss Parker started thinking that if Chrissie was with Lyle that he'd be a better person. She pushed the thought aside.
"Where did you go before?" Chrissie looked up at Miss Parker. She felt like saying she went home to see Jarod and to make sure he was safe but knew not to.
"I got a few things and I told my boyfriend I'd be gone for a few days." Miss Parker arched her eyebrows. Lyle, who had started drinking, almost chocked.
"I haven't heard about any boyfriend. Did you meet him out here?" Chrissie shrugged.
"No I met him before I came here. He's here visiting me." Lyle looked at Chrissie and felt upset. He really liked her but she already had someone. Miss Parker got interested.
"What does he look like? Is he cute?" Chrissie chuckled. Lyle nudged Miss Parker.
"Yeah he's cute. He's a great guy. He's so sweet. You know how I had a nightmare last night?" Miss Parker nodded. "He held me. He didn't want anymore than to comfort me." Miss Parker sighed.
"That's so sweet." Lyle laughed.
"Yeah right." Miss Parker gave a stern look at him telling him to shut up. Chrissie looked at Lyle and shrugged.
"I think he's sweet." She went back to reading. Lyle thought about this boyfriend of hers and what he could do about it. Miss Parker glared at Lyle. She couldn't believe he'd been such an idiot. Maybe I was right the first time. Maybe not even Chrissie can make him change his ways.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Broots went to check into their rooms. It was going to be easier to get rooms because Sydney stayed back at Blue Cove because he had to do something and they could just get rooms with two beds in each. Lyle was standing talking with Miss Parker and Chrissie.
"Who's rooming with who sis? Me and you? You and Chrissie? You and Broots?" He started laughing. Broots came back to them with a solemn look on his face.
"Um guys, they only had one normal room and the honeymoon sweet left." Miss Parker glared at Broots. He gulped. "And the normal room only has a double bed." He flinched expecting to be hit. Chrissie smiled.
"That's okay. Parker you and I can share and the guys can share." Lyle stepped forward.
"I'm not sharing a bed with him!" Lyle flung his arms in the air. Chrissie stepped forward to try to calm him.
"Okay then you can share with your sister and I'll share with Broots." Broots gulped. He'd be sharing a room with Chrissie. He couldn't believe it. Lyle got worried.
"I don't think that that would be very smart. I mean have you seen the way he looks at you?" Miss Parker laughed. Broots liked Chrissie but not that much. The only one who gave Chrissie looks was Lyle.
"Fine then, Miss Parker and Broots can share and you and me can share." Lyle thought about it although on the inside he was jumping for joy.
"Okay then. You don't have to worry about me." Miss Parker laughed.
"Look out for him Chrissie." They went to their rooms. Lyle and Chrissie got put in the honeymoon sweet. Chrissie looked out the window. It was winter and it was snowing.
"This is really romantic with the snow falling." Lyle nodded. It really was romantic. He just wished that they were together so they could enjoy how romantic it was together. "Isn't Jarod supposed to be hiking? In this weather he'd have to be crazy." Lyle scoffed.
"You don't know Jarod. He's probably making snowmen right now." Chrissie laughed. Jarod probably would do something like that.
"So are we going to share the bed? Can I trust you not to take advantage of a sleeping woman?" Chrissie started laughing. Lyle laughed along with her.
"Of course you can. I'll stay one side and you stay the other. I'll try to resist my urges." Lyle laughed again. Chrissie looked back at him and smiled. Lyle noticed how the gleam of the falling snow and the now setting sun made her look even more beautiful. Lyle sat on the bed and watched her. After Chrissie had checked the room out and made little comments about soap and towels she came and sat next to him on the bed.
"So Lyle, you know I have a boyfriend. Is there someone who you'd like to bring here for like a romantic getaway?" Chrissie leant back on the bed and rested her back on the headboard of the bed.
"Well there is someone I'd like to bring here." Chrissie smiled. She indicated that she wanted him to continue. "She's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Her smile lights up the room, her eyes are beautiful; she always seems to be happy." Chrissie smiled. She had no idea he was describing her.
"So are you two together?" Lyle smiled.
"No. She's seeing someone at the moment. But I still like her. I think we'd be great together." Chrissie smiled again.
"Well I hope one day you'll be able o bring her here." Lyle tried to hide a laugh. The ironic thing was she was already there with him but not for the reasons he wanted. "Well I think I'm going to call it a day. The flight really drained me, not to mention I didn't really have a good nights sleep last night." Lyle nodded and let her go to sleep, noting how beautiful she looked and wishing he could go to sleep every night watching her.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Lyle woke up to find Chrissie already up. She was watching the snow falling and he watched her for a few minutes realising how beautiful she was even first thing in the morning. Chrissie turned around and saw him sitting up.
"Morning, how did you sleep?" Lyle smiled as she sat down on the bed.
"Better than I have in years. I think I like sleeping with you in my arms." Chrissie smiled and leant in to give him a kiss.
"Me too, I think we should do that more often." She moved closer to him and he held her in his arms.
"I totally agree. So what would you like to do today?" Chrissie thought about it for a moment.
"Stay in bed." She pushed him aside and climbed under the covers, snuggling up to him. He put his arms around her.
"I think that's an excellent idea." He leant down to kiss her when he heard a beeping noise. "Do you hear that?" Chrissie shrugged. She couldn't hear anything. Lyle shrugged it off and went to kiss her again. Again he heard the beeping. He pulled back again and looked around the room.
"What is it now?" Chrissie looked around the room she still couldn't hear anything.
"I can hear a beeping." He stood up and looked around the room. He tripped over something in the middle of the room. Lyle woke with a start. It was the alarm going off. He reached over with one hand and turned it off. He was annoyed because it was such a good dream too. He put his arm back where it was and noticed that something was in his arms. He looked over and saw Chrissie nuzzled to his chest his arms around her and hers around him. He tried to wake himself up. Obviously it was another dream. He clearly hadn't woken up the first time. Chrissie stirred. She opened her eyes and looked up at Lyle. She looked around the room and tried to remember where she was and why she was in Lyle's arms. She looked back at Lyle and he smiled at her.
"What happened?" Chrissie sat bolt upright and looked around the room. Lyle shrugged.
"I guess we kind of ended up like that in our sleep." Chrissie looked back at him.
"Yeah, I guess so. Um, I'm going to go get ready." She walked into the bathroom and started to get dressed. She looked out the window and saw what it was like outside. She walked back into the main room. "Did you see outside?" Lyle shook his head no.
"Why? What's outside?" Chrissie pointed out the window. It was a fully blown blizzard. You could hardly see outside. "Wow!" Lyle got up and went to the window.
"I'm going to see what Parker says about it." Chrissie walked out the room. Lyle looked out the window. He thought back to his dream. He thought that dream was good but waking up with Chrissie in his arms for real was even better than he imagined.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Broots was typing on his laptop when Chrissie entered the room.
"Morning Broots, where's Miss Parker?" Broots looked up from his computer and smiled at Chrissie.
"She got up earlier and went looking for Jarod. I haven't seen her since." He went back to doing whatever he was doing. Chrissie started panicking.
"Have you looked outside today?" Broots looked up again and shook his head no. Chrissie walked over to the window and opened the blind. Broots' mouth dropped open.
"That's a blizzard out there." Chrissie nodded.
"If Miss Parker's out there she may be in trouble." She walked over to the bedside table and picked up the phone. Once she got an outside line she dialled Miss Parker's cell phone number. After a few rings Miss Parker picked up.
"What?" Chrissie was immediately relieved.
"Where are you? I was worried when I saw the blizzard." She heard Miss Parker sigh.
"I know. When I left earlier it was only snowing a little bit, but now it's a full fledged blizzard. I don't even know if I can get back there." Chrissie thought for a moment.
"Well where are you? When we can get out of here we'll stop by and pick you up. With this weather I think Jarod would have left." Miss Parker agreed. There was no way even Jarod would be crazy enough to stay outside in that weather.
"You're right. He's either gone or he's a Jarod Popsicle. I'm staying at a hotel right near the highway." Miss Parker gave her the address and they said their goodbyes.
"Broots could you do me a favour?" Broots nodded. "Could you please check when this blizzard is going to end or at least when it will be alright for us to get out of here?" Broots nodded again and began typing on his laptop again. Chrissie went out of the room and back to hers.
"Lyle, Miss Parker is stuck outside in the blizzard. She's okay; she found a place to stay. We have to pick her up when we can get out of here." Lyle was in the bathroom shaving. He poked his head out to smile and nod at her. He noticed that her gaze dropped down to his bare chest. She quickly turned around and started blushing. "I'm sorry. Do you want me to leave?" She still had her back to him. Lyle suppressed a laugh.
"No, I'll only be a few minutes." He went back into the bathroom with a huge grin on his face. She was checking him out. Maybe he did have a chance with her.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Miss Parker decided she wanted to check out the hotel she was staying at. There were a few other people there who were like her, staying there only because they were snowed in. The owner of the place had opened up a room where everybody could eat and get blankets. She had already met a young couple who were on their way to a family reunion but got stuck. They were always fighting about whose fault it was that they were stuck there. She wandered around again. She went to go get a blanket because she was getting cold. She walked in the room and saw a familiar face. She went to pull out her gun but realised that she lost it when she was making her way through the snow. She decided to approach him anyway.
"Stop right there Wonder Boy!" Jarod couldn't believe it. He turned around slowly expecting to see a gun in his face. He didn't see anything in her hands.
"What, no gun today?" He smirked at her but she wasn't very amused.
"No. I don't have my gun. But I can still bring you in. My team will be here when they can and then we'll take you in." Jarod looked around. He wondered why she was alone and where Chris was.
"What happened? You're team get sick of you and ditch you." Miss Parker narrowed her eyes. She couldn't believe the nerve of him.
"As a matter of I went looking for you but got stuck here. My team is back at our hotel. They're stuck there." Jarod thought about Chris stuck in a hotel with Lyle. He didn't like the idea of it.
"So I guess you're going to try to keep me here." Jarod smirked again knowing there was no way she could keep him there.
"Well where else are you going to go?" She was right. He couldn't get away because of the storm. He was stuck there until he could get away and then Lyle, Broots and Chris would be there. He thought about Chris. He was supposed to be back at her house but he'd gotten a lead on where his mother was and couldn't resist looking. Now he wished he'd taken a different route.
"How do you know I'm not going to run before they can get here?" Miss Parker dug into her pocket and took out her handcuffs. She put one side on his wrist and the other on hers.
"Now I'm certain you won't go anywhere." She smiled evilly at him. Jarod stared from her to the cuff, to her again. He couldn't believe the situation he'd gotten himself into.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Lyle was going through the room getting all the blankets. The lights and heat had gone out and they needed all the heat they could get. The owner of the hotel had come around and given out candles. Lyle had put them in various places around the room. It looked like the perfect romantic getaway. Chrissie came back in from Broots room.
"He says we're going to be stuck here over the weekend. I'll try to get in contact with Parker to tell her when we can pick her up." Lyle nodded and put the extra blankets on the bed.
"So is Broots going to be joining us in here?" Lyle secretly pleaded that he didn't. He wanted to spend some time alone with Chrissie. He looked at her face and saw the annoyance in her eyes. "What's wrong?" Chrissie banged her cell phone on her hand.
"It's not working. I guess either my battery's gone out or the lines have." She banged it again and tried fiddling with it. She still got nothing. Lyle walked over to her and took the cell out of her hands just as she was about to bang it on the bedside table.
"I don't think you hitting it, is going to fix it. All you're going to do is break it. We'll have Broots look at it." He saw Chrissie blush a bit at her almost breaking the cell, their only line of communication with Miss Parker. "Like I asked earlier, is Broots joining us in here or not? The owner of this place says it's better if people share a room instead of being alone."
"No he's not coming in here." Chrissie shrugged and sat on the bed.
"He'll freeze if he's alone." At that moment Lyle didn't care if Broots froze, all he cared about was that he wouldn't have to have him around when he could be around Chrissie alone.
"No he won't. He won't be alone." Lyle hoped it didn't mean they were going into his room. Or worse, maybe she meant only her going with Broots, leaving Lyle alone. "He met some woman out in the hall who he used to date. She was alone, he's alone. Let's just say they're not alone anymore, and I'm sure they won't be cold." Chrissie giggled and fell back on the bed. Lyle stood still watching her. He couldn't believe Broots was probably going to get lucky but he wasn't. The world was becoming twisted in his view. Chrissie looked up at Lyle.
"I'm bored. Come sit down and we can talk. I don't know that much about you so now you can tell me." She sat up and patted a spot on the bed next to her. Lyle shrugged and sat down. Chrissie turned around so she was facing him. Lyle's heart seemed to be doing flips. He tried to clear his mind of the improper thoughts that filled his mind being so close to Chrissie. He opened his mouth to speak.
"What do you want to know?" Chrissie pondered his question for a minute.
"Everything!" Lyle sighed and started telling her about his life. It was going to be a long night.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Jarod sat, trying to get comfortable, knowing he never would with Miss Parker handcuffed to him. Chrissie had told him that they were coming this way but he never expected to run into them, and he definitely didn't expect to run into Miss Parker alone. He was glad that she had dropped her gun because he would surely be unconscious from a not fatal shot or worse, dead. Jarod moved his hands into his lap bringing Miss Parker's hand with them. At first she didn't notice but when she looked at him she yanked her hand away quickly. She started blushing slightly at where her hand had been. Jarod tried, unsuccessfully, to hide a smirk. Miss Parker saw it and yanked her hand, taking his with her, causing him pain at the metal connecting with his wrist hard and fast. Miss Parker gave him a smirk of her own. Jarod rubbed his wrist and wondered how long they'd stay silent. He couldn't take it anymore and broke the silence.
"So how's everyone on the team? Did they all freeze in the storm?" Miss Parker rolled her eyes.
"Everyone's just great. Sydney didn't come so guess what, when I get my gun there'll be no one to stop me from shooting you." Jarod frowned. Miss Parker delighted in seeing him upset. She would never really shoot him. She couldn't. Her feelings for him were too strong.
"Well maybe Broots will save me." Miss Parker laughed.
"If he does I'll shoot him first then I'll shoot you." Jarod frowned again.
"I know Lyle would never stop you. That's the only members of you team besides sweepers." He knew that there was only one person left on her actual team, and he knew that she would definitely save him, but he wasn't even supposed to know about Chrissie so he didn't say anything.
"Actually I have another person on my team." Jarod acted surprised. "She is technically a sweeper but she's better than that." Miss Parker knew that Chrissie would stop her from shooting Jarod, which she wouldn't do, but she thought he didn't know that.
"She? You have another woman on your team? I'm surprised you haven't killed her." Jarod laughed. He knew that Miss Parker had tried intimidating Chrissie but she had stood her ground.
"Well actually we did get into a punch up. But that's why she's all right with me." Jarod was genuinely surprised. He didn't know about their fight. If Chrissie had gotten into a fight with Miss Parker and lived to tell the tale she was tougher than he ever thought. Although on the first day he met her she had broken a drug dealer/gang leaders arm and didn't even seem fazed, so she was tough.
"And she's still on your team? Who is this woman? Wonder Woman?" Miss Parker laughed. Chrissie was a good person and she was sure that if she hadn't needed the money for her mothers operation, she would never had come to the Centre and she'd probably be helping others in some way. A bit like Wonder Woman. And she did have one hell of a punch.
"No she's not Wonder Woman. But she'd probably have to be to put up with Lyle tonight." Miss Parker chuckled at the thought. Lyle would probably try to use the time alone with her to put the moves on her. Jarod wanted to know what she was talking about. If Chrissie would have to be Wonder Woman around Lyle then that wasn't a good thing.
"What do you mean?" He tried to hide the fear, jealousy, anxiousness and concern in his voice.
"Well it seems when Broots booked the hotel and said they'd be four people and we needed two rooms they thought we were couples or something. We got the Honeymoon Sweet and another room with a king sized bed. Lyle got a little crush on Chrissie you see..." Jarod already suspected this from when he saw the way he looked at her. ".and he, somehow, managed to trick us into sharing a room with her. They're in the Honeymoon Sweet." Miss Parker laughed and thought back to how she'd found them that morning. They were snuggled together and they looked very much like a couple. She was going to ask Chrissie to come with her but decided against it when she saw them.
"Do you think he'd try anything?" Again Jarod tried to keep his voice neutral, like he was only interested because it was something to talk about, but inside he was going crazy. He already hated Lyle and if he tried anything with Chrissie that would be the final straw.
"He might. But if Chrissie didn't want to do anything she'd just beat the living hell out of him." Miss Parker knew she was rambling, but it was something to talk about. It was better than the silence they were in earlier.
Jarod felt comforted knowing that it was the truth. She would never let Lyle do anything if she didn't want to. The only question now was would she want to do something?
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Chrissie couldn't believe the things Lyle had told her. He'd done some unspeakable things and when he'd mentioned them, he seemed to show no remorse. She had no idea that he hadn't even told her everything. He'd left out a lot of the particularly gruesome stuff. He hadn't even meant to say a lot of what he'd told her, but he'd found her so easy to talk to. When she questioned him about some things she had even made him see how wrong it was. He started to realise that he maybe didn't even deserve to be in the same room as her. After he'd told her some things he'd asked about her. She'd told him about helping her mother when she got sick, practically raising her brother and sisters because their mother was too busy trying to make sure they had enough food on the table, looking after other people's children, causing her to never have time to have a deep enough relationship to have children of her own, which she really wanted, and how she'd gone up against the worst types of people in her neighbourhood to try and make it safe. She was practically a saint, and he was like the devil. He would have understood if she left the room and stayed with Broots for the night. He definitely wasn't expecting what she did.
"Lyle is there another blanket? I'm really cold." Both of them looked around the bed and the floor but couldn't find any.
"I'm sorry. I'll go see if we can get more." Lyle went to stand up all the time diverting her gaze. She grabbed his hand and pulled him back to sit down.
"Don't worry about it. I'll be okay." Lyle looked at her wondering why she didn't want him millions of miles away from her.
"Are you sure? I could go see." Chrissie shook her head. She was intent on not getting any more blankets.
"I'm sure there are people here who could use them more than I could." She shuddered and he could tell she was freezing. This just proved to him that he could never be worthy of her. She was willing to freeze to other people could be warm.
"I've noticed that you seem a bit. distant since you told me about yourself. What's wrong?" Chrissie didn't mean to make him feel uncomfortable. She knew that he definitely wasn't a saint but she was a pretty good judge of character. She could tell if he had the right influence he could be a better person. She also had the feeling that maybe, just maybe, he wanted to change and given the chance, he would.
"I just don't know how you can do it. I told you some pretty bad things yet you sit there stay in the same room as me. Aren't you afraid I'm going to do something to hurt you?" He looked into her eyes, his own filled with pain. She took his hand.
"I know you did some bad things, but I honestly believe you could make up for it. And for some reason I don't think you'd hurt me." Lyle nodded and she squeezed his hand. He brought his other hand to her face and caressed her cheek.
"I could never hurt you." Chrissie nodded. Lyle realised that her cheek was ice cold. "Oh my god you're freezing. Here." He took the blanket he had and put it around her. He rubbed her shoulders to try to warm her up, the whole time Chrissie looking in his eyes. She could see the man he could become, and not the monster he thought he was. She noticed him start to shake.
"Now you're cold. Come on we'll share. Then we can keep each other warm." She opened the blanket and nodded her head in the direction of her side, wanting him to sit down. Lyle thought about it. There was nothing more he'd like to do than sit next to her, wrap his arms around her and keep her warm but he didn't think he deserved to be next to her and be warm. Chrissie could tell that he wasn't sure about it so she sighed and pulled him next to her. She felt that he was cold so she put her arms around him. Lyle looked into her eyes.
"You're amazing." Chrissie giggled. She looked back into his eyes.
"I don't think anybody's ever said that to me." Lyle held her gaze.
"They should have. I long time ago." Chrissie smiled a dazzling smile. This was the definitely the man Lyle should be like more often. "You're so beautiful." Lyle leant in closer to her and brushed his lips against hers and waited to gauge her reaction. When she didn't protest he continued and deepened the kiss. Chrissie pulled back after Lyle moved closer to further deepen the kiss.
"I can't. I'm seeing someone. I'm sorry Lyle." Lyle nodded.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." He moved back and started to shiver.
"No, I shouldn't have done that. We can still share the blankets. You'll freeze otherwise." She opened the blankets again and gestured for him to sit down. He thought about it then sat down.
"It won't happen again. I promise." Chrissie nodded and smiled. She put her arms around him again to warm him up. Lyle jumped at her touch. He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her and resume what they had started but he knew that that wouldn't be a good idea. Once Chrissie thought he was warm enough she put her hands on her lap. Her body protested, she wanted her hands on him but knew it wasn't a good idea. It would lead to what had happened before and she couldn't let that happen, she was very committed to Jarod. She knew that the feelings she had were probably just because of the romantic setting mixed with missing Jarod. Or maybe it was more. She couldn't tell. She knew she'd have to wait until they got out of the situation and saw Jarod again to be truly sure.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Miss Parker and Jarod had both fallen asleep. Neither of them was aware of the predicament they had gotten themselves into in their sleep. They were laying on the bed in each others arms. Their legs were locked and Jarod's face was buried in Miss Parker's chest and her head was resting on top of his head. If anybody had come into the room they were staying in they would look like the perfect couple. Jarod woke with a start. He felt disorientated and at first he thought he was still at Chrissie's house in her embrace. Then he remembered what had happened. He remembered that he had left her house to look for his mother and ran into Miss Parker. He remembered she had handcuffed them together and that's how he still was. He moved a bit trying to get out of the position they were in without waking Miss Parker. He tried to unhook their arms but she just held on tighter. He decided that he would leave that for now and concentrate on moving where his head was. If Miss Parker woke up to find him resting in her cleavage she would definitely shoot him. He managed to slide up the bed a bit so he was lying opposite him. The movement and the sensation of skin against skin made Miss Parker stir. Jarod froze as she opened her mouth to speak.
"Jarod, I missed you." She had a smile on her face. Jarod checked to see if she was awake. He realised that she was talking in her sleep. He ignored the statement and tried to unhook their arms again. Miss Parker smiled and spoke again. "Hold me Jarod. There's time for other things later." She spoke seductively. Jarod was shocked. What kind of dream was she having?
"Miss Parker what do you mean?" He had heard that sometimes you can have a conversation with a sleep talker. It was an insight into their dream.
"If you don't know by now then you'll just have to keep coming back night after night and I can show you." Miss Parker laughed. Jarod wanted to know what she meant.
"How long have I been coming to you? I can't remember." Miss Parker seemed to have drifted back into a deep sleep instead of talking. Jarod relaxed and tried to move again.
"You've been coming every night since I met you. Remember first we used to just talk but then when we got older things got more. serious" Miss Parker wrapped her arms around him tighter and smiled. Jarod couldn't believe it. This meant that she'd been dreaming about him since they were children and now her dreams were more adult. If Miss Parker was dreaming they were together then that meant she had feelings for him. Jarod smiled and decided that sleeping in Miss Parker's arms would be alright for the night. It was something he'd wanted to do for a long time. He drifted off to sleep wondering just what Miss Parker was dreaming of.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Lyle and Chrissie had sat in silence, neither one knowing what to say, and both trying to fight certain urges. Chrissie yawned and realised how tired she was.
"I think I'm going to call it a night. It's getting kind of late." Lyle nodded and wondered what the sleeping arrangements would be. He would love to sleep like he had woken up that morning but he wasn't sure if she'd want to, considering what happened between them. Chrissie was thinking the same thing. She knew it was wise if they didn't sleep in the same bed but it was the only way to keep warm. The cold she felt when the blanket slipped off her shoulder confirmed what was needed. "We're going to have to, uh, sleep together, uh I mean next to each other to, uh, share. body heat." It sounded worse than when she had thought it.
"You're right. We've just got to pretend nothing happened and try to sleep." Chrissie nodded and they both lay back in the bed. They already had the three thin blankets Lyle had found and the quilt around their shoulders so they just had to fix it up so they could both be completely covered. The bed was cold so Chrissie subconsciously snuggled closer to Lyle. Lyle caught his breath and his heart seemed to skip a beat. The feel of her skin against his and the sweet smell of her hair took his breath away. Chrissie breathed in the smell of Lyle's chest. For a split second she forgot about Jarod and why she felt bad about the kiss Lyle and her had shared. She seized his arms and put them around her body. She wrapped her arms around his waist and fell asleep. Lyle was having a more difficult time. Everything felt so right but he knew it was wrong. He wanted to capture her lips in a passionate kiss but knew that it would be the final straw and she'd leave. He let his thoughts wander to what it would be like if she didn't have a boyfriend. They would probably be doing more than sleeping at the moment. Lyle sighed and let himself drift into a contented sleep.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Miss Parker felt Jarod's hands on her body. It was a familiar feeling. She was used to his "night time visits". Jarod kissed her passionately.
Miss Parker awoke and found that Jarod's arms really were around her. She panicked at first then decided to let it go.for the present time. She looked him over. He looked so peaceful and handsome. She smiled and wondered what he was dreaming. Probably of his girlfriend she thought. She wondered what his girlfriend looked like. She was probably beautiful. She had met his last two girlfriends and they were both pretty girls. She'd felt extremely jealous both times but she was more so with his present girlfriend. A contact of hers had told her that he talked of her often and seemed more in love with her than with either of the others. Her contact was someone Jarod had once helped and he kept in contact with. She talked to him often. He had no idea that he was talking to Jarod's hunter, he just thought it was another one of the people Jarod had helped. He'd never been able to tell her where Jarod was but he was able to tell her what Jarod was thinking, and recently what he was thinking about was his girlfriend. Jarod moaned and smiled happily.
"I love you." She expected to hear his girlfriend's name. "Miss Parker. I always have and I always will." Miss Parker's jaw dropped. She knew what type of dream he was having and was totally shocked to hear her name.
"What did you just say?" She was unable to stop the words come out of her mouth. She was afraid she'd wake him up.
"I said I love you." Jarod mumbled happily. "I love you Andi." Miss Parker froze. He had just said he loved her and he had used her name. She couldn't resist the urge to lean over and kiss him. She kissed his lips tenderly.
"I love you too Jarod." Miss Parker sighed and went back to sleep. She was happy that he was asleep and hadn't heard her declaration of love. Unbeknownst to her Jarod had woken up when he felt her lips on his and had heard what she said. He smiled happily and drifted back to sleep.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Chrissie awoke the net morning still in Lyle's arms. She smiled and watched him sleep. There was something about him that made her heart skip a beat despite what he'd told her about himself the night before. She escaped his embrace and stood up stretching. She put the blankets around him tighter to fill the gap where she had been and kissed him on the cheek. Lyle smiled and mumbled something in his sleep. She walked over to her suitcase, chose some warm clothes and went to the bathroom for a shower. When she returned he was still sleeping. She smiled again and left the room quietly. She walked across the hall and knocked on Broots' door. She heard a female groan, smiled and kept walking down the hall. She walked down to the front desk. She saw someone talking on the phone. She lined up behind them and waited patiently. When they finished she picked up the phone and dialled Miss Parker's cell. She got no answer and decided to see what Jarod was doing. She rang her house and got no answer.
"I guess he left." She said aloud quietly to herself. She dialled his cell phone but it was turned off. She didn't know that Miss Parker had found it and turned it off and put it in her bag. She shrugged and handed the phone to someone behind her. She decided to walk outside.
Lyle woke up to find a cold spot next to him. He frowned and looked around the room. He got up and checked in the bathroom. She wasn't there so he walked to the door and looked in the hall. He felt cold so he turned around to get a jacket. He glanced out the window and saw Chrissie walking in the snow. He smiled and got dressed. He walked outside and went straight to her.
"What are you doing out here? It's freezing." He blew into his hands and rubbed them together. She looked at him and smiled.
"I know. It's great isn't it?" She smiled and picked up some snow. She was wearing cloves and the snow clung to them.
"Great? What do you mean?" Chrissie laughed.
"I mean snow. Where I live we don't get much. When we do get snow it just covers the street and the road. There was no where I could go to play." She picked up some more snow and started making a snowball.
"Yeah but it's freezing out here." Chrissie laughed. She opened her jacket and pointed to how many layers of clothing she was wearing.
"To me it's just a bit chilly." She laughed again and kept adding to the snowball.
"Well to me it's freezing. You're crazy. I'm going back inside." Lyle turned around and started to walk away. Chrissie threw her snowball at him. It hit him in the back of his head. Lyle stopped walking and turned around. Chrissie was bursting out laughing.
"Party pooper." Chrissie knelt down and picked up more snow.
"Did you just throw that at me? Did you throw a snowball at my head?" Lyle hid a smile. Chrissie played dumb.
"Maybe. I can't remember so I can't be sure." She made another snowball.
"I think you did. I think you just hit me in the back of the head with a snowball. What have you got to say for yourself?" A snowball came flying at him and hit him square in the face. Chrissie burst out laughing.
"I have to say that now I hit you in the front of the head too." She bent over and laughed hysterically. Lyle took the opportunity to bend down and make a snowball. He threw it at her and it hit her in the head. Chrissie stopped laughing and Lyle started.
"Oh I'm sorry. Did I hit you?" Chrissie put on an angry face.
"You're going to pay for that." She made a few more snowballs and packed them in her arms. She threw the first one at him and he ran away, dodging it at the last second.
"You're going to have to try harder than that." Chrissie chased after him and hit him a few times with the snowballs. Lyle made some as well and they had a full on snowball war. Finally they collapsed on the now together, both laughing hysterically.
"That was the most fun I've had in a long, long time." Lyle was panting and he propped himself up on one arm to look at Chrissie. Chrissie nodded.
"Me too, I haven't had time to have fun for ages. I've been too busy looking after my sisters and brother, my mother and all the kids on the neighbourhood; I haven't had time for fun." Lyle nodded.
"I know what you mean. Except my reasons for fun are the exact opposite of yours." Lyle frowned and collapsed on the ground again. Chrissie frowned and propped herself up on her side. She looked down at Lyle and pushed a snowflake of his face.
"Do you feel bad about what you did?" Lyle thought about the question for a minute.
"I didn't before, but now. I do." Lyle's voice was quiet and uncertain.
"Really?" Lyle nodded. "Do you want to change?" Lyle looked into her eyes.
"Again I didn't. but I do now." He reached up and brushed the snow out of her hair.
"Well change. It's never too late to change trust me." She smiled at him. Lyle was uncertain.
"I scared. I want to change but in the Centre it's hard to." Chrissie shook her head.
"Listen I haven't always been the way I am. I thought I would never be able to make the changes I needed to but I did and I'm much happier." Lyle was curious.
"What were you like before?" Chrissie shook her head.
"It's not important. It's in the past. The bad things you did can be in the past as well." Lyle nodded and looked into her eyes. Her eyes were full of hope.
"Do you think I can?" Chrissie nodded her head.
"I know you can." She brushed the snow out of his hair. She leant down, about to kiss him but changed her mind at the last moment and her lips only brushed against his lightly. "It's getting cold. I'm going inside." Lyle nodded and they stood up. They walked back to their room in silence. Chrissie thinking about what she had almost done and how right it felt, and Lyle about changing and how much confidence she had in him.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Jarod awoke to the morning sun beaming down on his face. They were still wrapped in each others arms but this time Miss Parkers head was buried in his chest. He felt her stirring and she woke up. At first she seemed lost but then she remembered where she was. She would have liked to just curl up in Jarod's arms again but she realised that he was awake and she couldn't let him see the effect he had on her. She quickly sat up and glared at him as best she could.
"What do you think you're doing? How dare you touch me like that! You ever put your arms around me like that again and the Centre will just have to deal with damaged merchandise." She didn't really mean it. She wanted his arms around her but didn't think he'd want his arms around her. She looked at Jarod and didn't understand why he was smirking at her. His smirk both succeeded in making her swoon and making her nervous wondering what he had up his sleeve.
"You didn't seem to mind it last night." Jarod stared at her trying to gauge her reaction. He could tell that her mind was going a mile a minute. She was trying to remember if she'd said something to convey her true feelings. Her mind was obviously drawing a blank.
"What you think I enjoy having to share a bed with a lab rat? Ha, you've got to be kidding me. Whatever fantasies you have about me you can just forget them right now. Tonight I'm handcuffing you to the door and you can sleep in a chair while I have the bed all to myself." It was an empty threat. She knew that there was no way she could bring herself to do that. When it would come to when she'd have to do it she'd just say they needed to stay warm.
"And who say's I even have fantasies about you?" Jarod put on a neutral face to try and hid the truth. What he didn't know was that she'd heard a fantasy the night before.
"I have my ways. Did you know you talk in your sleep?" Miss Parker smiled evilly. Jarod's mind raced. Judging from the dream he'd had the night before if he did talk in his sleep then he was in trouble. He realised that that was probably why Miss Parker had said that she loved him too. It all made sense. Of course what she didn't know was that he felt her kiss and that she also talked in her sleep.
"Do I? I never knew that. But you know I have a funny story about someone who talked in their sleep. They divulged their true feelings for someone." He pulled his arm forcefully back to him, bringing her arm with it. She wasn't expecting it and came face to face with him. Jarod looked into her eyes deeply. Miss Parker realised that she must have talked in her sleep. She tried to play dumb.
"Oh really? And what were those feelings?" She pulled back a little bit but she was still close to him. Jarod chuckled.
"Love, Miss Parker. They divulged their love." He pulled her closer again. "They also divulged the same feelings when they thought the person next to them was asleep." Miss Parker was shocked. She knew he was definitely talking about her.
"You were awake?" Jarod nodded. "How long?" Jarod laughed then turned suddenly nervous.
"I woke up when you, uh, when you kissed me." He looked away from her for a split second then stared more intensely into her eyes. Miss Parker couldn't believe her ears. She had only said it because she thought it was safe.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Miss Parker started blushing. She couldn't believe what was happening.
"You went back to sleep before I could." Miss Parker nodded. Jarod swallowed and spoke in a tiny voice. "Don't you think that the kiss would be better if we were both. involved?" Jarod looked away, not wanting to face rejection. Miss Parker stared at him. She impulsively turned his head to face her and kissed him passionately. Jarod eagerly returned the kiss. When the reality of their situation hit Miss Parker she pulled away. She was breathless but she still had to ask something.
"Jarod what about your girlfriend? Do you love her?" Jarod thought about Chris. He certainly had feelings for her but she was no Miss Parker.
"There's only one woman I've ever loved and I'm staring right at her." He leant forward and kissed her gently. "But you're right. I wouldn't feel right until I spoke to her." Miss Parker nodded. She looked outside and saw the snow had cleared a bit, enough for someone to leave. She sighed knowing what she had to do. She reached to the side of her bed and found her bag. She felt around it and produced the keys to the handcuffs. She unlocked them and looked at Jarod.
"Do you think you can get out of here in that?" She pointed to the snow outside not looking in his eyes.
"Yeah, it seems to have cleared up here. The roads just there and I'm sure I could find the highway." Jarod looked at her not totally understanding.
"Go. Find your girlfriend and do what you have to do. Take as long as you need to. Just make sure when you're done you come back to me." A single tear rolled down her cheek. Jarod saw it and kissed it away.
"Are you sure?" Miss Parker nodded.
"If it's clearing up here then it should be clearing up where my team is. I can't let them find you here." She rested her forehead against his. Jarod nodded and kissed her. He stood up and gathered his things together. He looked back at Miss Parker who had tears streaming down her face.
"I'll come back to you. I promise." She nodded and pointed towards the door. Jarod nodded and turned to leave. He couldn't resist the urge to turn around and kiss her passionately. Miss Parker looked up at him and smiled when he stood up. "One for the road." Jarod smiled and walked out the door leaving Miss Parker alone with her tears. Once she composed herself she picked up her cell and called Chrissie.
"Chrissie, how are things looking where you are?" Chrissie looked out the window and saw the snow clearing.
"Alright, the snow seems to be clearing early." She looked at Lyle who was sitting on the bed reading something. She thought about how complicated her life had just become. Outside seemed fine, it was the room she was in that didn't.
"Same here. Why don't you guys come get me?" Chrissie agreed.
"We'll be there as soon as we're packed up. I can tell you one thing. I'm looking forward to being able to get home." She looked at Lyle again and wondered if she could hide what happened from Jarod.
"I know what you mean. I'll see you later." Miss Parker hung up and looked back at the bed. She wished that the snow hadn't started clearing so her and Jarod could have stayed longer but she knew that it wasn't a good idea. She pushed the thoughts of Jarod out of her mind and started packing.
Chrissie hung up the phone and walked over to Lyle. Lyle looked up at her and smiled. Chrissie tried to keep a neutral face.
"That was Miss Parker. She thinks it would be alright to come get her now." Lyle nodded and stood up. Chrissie backed up a little. "Can you go tell Broots to get ready because we're leaving? I'll pack up everything in here." Lyle looked at the floor and nodded.
"Sure. I'll be back in a minute. I'll get the bags and put them in the car when I get back." Chrissie nodded. Lyle turned back to the door and began walking towards it.
"Lyle, don't tell anyone what happened between us. I mean could it just stay. between us. I mean it's not very professional and I don't want my boyfriend to find out." Lyle's back was too her. He nodded but his face was full of pain. He'd totally forgotten about her boyfriend and now she just wanted to forget it. He smiled and turned around trying not to show the pain he was feeling.
"Sure, I mean who would I tell anyway? I don't even know what you're talking about." He smiled and she smiled back. He turned around and walked out the door. He closed the door and rested his head back on it. He composed himself and walked over to Broots' room.
Once he had closed the door Chrissie sat on the bed. She had to forget what happened. She couldn't let Jarod find out. Still she felt as if she was doing the wrong thing.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Once they picked up Miss Parker everyone sat in silence. Lyle was driving and Broots was in the front passenger seat. Lyle would occasionally glance into the rear-view mirror to look at Chrissie, Broots was upset about having to leave his old "friend" too early, Miss Parker was thinking about Jarod and Chrissie was thinking about what had happened between her and Lyle and about what Jarod would think. The whole trip to the airport and back to the Centre was spent in total silence.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Chrissie walked into her house to find she had company. She didn't know who he was so she was immediately concerned. She reached behind her back ready to pull her gun if she needed to.
"Who are you and what are you doing in my house?" The man stood up and she could tell he was sick. He almost fell to the floor. She ran over to him and helped him up.
"I'm a friend of Mr. Lyle and Miss Parker." He coughed and sat back down. Chrissie was suspicious.
"If you're their friend why didn't you go to one of them?" She walked into the kitchen and returned a glass and a jug of water. She poured some water in the glass and handed it to him.
"I can't because they think I'm dead. It would endanger them if I went to them. I know you're their friend so I came to you." The man took a drink and almost finished it off in one gulp. Chrissie was confused.
"So, what, I'm in danger now?" She took the glass off him and put it on the coffee table.
"No, The Centre wouldn't guess that you were in contact with me so you're safe. I just need help. I need somewhere to stay. I'll die otherwise." Chrissie was sympathetic. She thought about it.
"Well I guess I'll need to know your name if you're going to be staying with me." She poured some more water in the glass and handed it to him. He took a sip and responded to her question.
"My name is Mr. Parker. I'm their father."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
to be continued.