A/N: I'm sorry it took me so long to update. I've been very sick (like
confined to bed sick). So, posting hasn't been one of the main things on my
list to do. But, here it is.
This is the last chapter of "Existence". I would like to thank Anastasia Who, DreaminofLorien, and gemini006007 for all of their reviews. Thanks guys! Thanks also to all the other people who have reviewed. I appreciate. Enjoy the last chapter.
Disclaimer: See chapter 10
Chapter 11: Was It Worth It All?
"And so you keep it on the down-low
Tell me was it worth it all?"
Miss Parker walked into the Centre, head bowed and heart heavy. She had never wanted to see its hall again. But, here she was, walking through them again. How she wished she wasn't there in the Centre. She was heading for her office. Her office. Oh, if only it hadn't come down to this. She sighed in frustration and sadness.
After Jarod had left her house, one of the Centre spies had spotted him in town. Of course, Jarod had seen him, too. So, by the time the spy had reached the place where Jarod had been, Jarod had already disappeared. Vanishing without a trace. But, the spy had alerted the Centre to the fact that the Pretender was alive and on the loose. Soon afterwards, Mr. Parker had called with the bad news.
"I'm sorry, Angel, but you have to come back. The Centre needs your expertise." His voice hadn't sounded too sad. In fact, Miss Parker figured he was happy to have his daughter back inside the Centre walls. He thought she was safer inside the Centre than in the outside world. How wrong he was.
"It's okay, Daddy." She had said, trying hard to sound cheerful. She should have gotten a metal for acting. "I was starting to get bored anyway."
"I'm glad to hear it. It'll be good to have you back in the Centre. And, Angel."
"Hum?"
'We will find out who let him out and they will be punished." Miss Parker had winced at that comment. What would her father have said if he had known that she was the one who had let Jarod escape? Just what would he have said?
Her thoughts were interrupted when she came to her office door. Everything looked the same, but it sure didn't feel the same.
"Anything I need to know about before I walk into my office?" She questioned her secretary. The woman lifted her head to respond.
"Mr. Lyle is in there waiting to talk to you." Miss Parker grimaced. Just the one person she didn't want to see, her brother.
"Thank you." Miss Parker pushed open the door. Lyle stood by the desk, absently flipping through some of the papers that lay on it. He looked up when Miss Parker entered.
"Hi, Sis." He greeted, rather cheerfully.
"What do you want?" She snapped, not in the mood to deal with Lyle.
"You don't have to be so mean." He complained, moving toward the door. "I just wanted to welcome you back to the Centre."
"Is that all?" She said, obviously agitated. She had plenty of work she needed to get done and Lyle was not helping.
"Yeah. See you around, Grumpy." He moved past her and out the door. The minute he had exited, Miss Parker slammed the door shut. The sound echoed through the room.
"Good riddance." She muttered, collapsing into the chair behind the desk. That was when the flood of tear came. They poured down her cheeks, leaving behind little streaks. Her heart cried out. But, who was there to listen?
"I will not cry." She said resolutely, reaching up to wipe the tears away. Two minutes and six tissues later, she had composed herself enough to get to work. Her first assignment: figure out where Jarod would go next.
* * *
Jarod leaned against the wall, utterly exhausted. He had left Parker's house with the intention of heading south to Virginia. But that had proved impossible because of the number of Centre agents down in the south of Delaware. He had almost been caught again. Thankfully, he had seen the guy and ran. He decided to go west instead of south. So now here he was, sitting in hotel room on the border of West Virginia and Maryland.
He pulled himself away from the wall and walked over to the bed. He collapsed onto it. He groaned as his sore muscles protested against his every movement. He closed his eyes, hoping for a little sleep.
Five hours later, he woke up, feeling slightly refreshed. Glancing at the clock, he decided it was a good time to call. He reached for the cell phone in his pocket and dialed the number. It was answered after the first ring.
* * *
Miss Parker walked into her house, reaching over to flick the light switch up. The bright lights assaulted her eyes. She winced, setting down her briefcase full of papers and notes. After hanging up her coat, she headed to the kitchen where she cooked herself a simple meal of soup and bread.
The next hour past slowly. She tried reading, but found she couldn't concentrate on the words. She realized she had read twenty pages without even remembering what it was that she had read. Next, she tried watching some television. No luck there. All the shows on dealt with romance in some form or fashion. That was something she didn't want to hear about. Turning off the television, she started to pace, letting her thoughts wander.
Her cell phone rang so suddenly that she jumped in surprise. She hadn't been expecting a call. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled it out, hoping. She answered it after the first ring.
"Hello?" She said, quietly. The voice on the other line caused her to smile brightly.
"Hello to you, too, Parker."
"Jarod. Where are you? Are you safe?" Her voice was full of concern for him. She wanted to know that he was safe. Jarod smiled on the other end of the line.
"You know I can't tell you where I am. But, I can tell you this: I am safe and sound." He paused. "It's you I'm worried about. How was your first day back at the Centre?"
"It was worse than I thought it would be. Lyle was in my office to greet me." She shook her head. "Why did it have to come down to this, Jarod? Why couldn't we just live in peace? Why do you always run and I always chase?"
"I can't tell you, Parker. I hate it as much as you do. I'll promise you something, though."
"What?" She asked, trying hard to hide the curiosity in her voice.
"We will be together someday. I promise you that." Miss Parker heard the sound of a door closing in the background. "Well, I have to go. My dinner just arrived."
"I love you." Miss Parker said, one stray tear slipping down her face. She really didn't want to stop talking to him. But, she knew she had to.
"I love you, too." Jarod said. "One more thing, Parker. To you, was your sacrifice for me worth it? Was it worth it all?" With that, he hung up.
Miss Parker stood there, contemplating. Had it been worth it all? Had it been worth her going back to the Centre to keep Jarod from their hands? She slowly nodded her head. Yes, it had been worth it all. For this was her existence.
This is the last chapter of "Existence". I would like to thank Anastasia Who, DreaminofLorien, and gemini006007 for all of their reviews. Thanks guys! Thanks also to all the other people who have reviewed. I appreciate. Enjoy the last chapter.
Disclaimer: See chapter 10
Chapter 11: Was It Worth It All?
"And so you keep it on the down-low
Tell me was it worth it all?"
Miss Parker walked into the Centre, head bowed and heart heavy. She had never wanted to see its hall again. But, here she was, walking through them again. How she wished she wasn't there in the Centre. She was heading for her office. Her office. Oh, if only it hadn't come down to this. She sighed in frustration and sadness.
After Jarod had left her house, one of the Centre spies had spotted him in town. Of course, Jarod had seen him, too. So, by the time the spy had reached the place where Jarod had been, Jarod had already disappeared. Vanishing without a trace. But, the spy had alerted the Centre to the fact that the Pretender was alive and on the loose. Soon afterwards, Mr. Parker had called with the bad news.
"I'm sorry, Angel, but you have to come back. The Centre needs your expertise." His voice hadn't sounded too sad. In fact, Miss Parker figured he was happy to have his daughter back inside the Centre walls. He thought she was safer inside the Centre than in the outside world. How wrong he was.
"It's okay, Daddy." She had said, trying hard to sound cheerful. She should have gotten a metal for acting. "I was starting to get bored anyway."
"I'm glad to hear it. It'll be good to have you back in the Centre. And, Angel."
"Hum?"
'We will find out who let him out and they will be punished." Miss Parker had winced at that comment. What would her father have said if he had known that she was the one who had let Jarod escape? Just what would he have said?
Her thoughts were interrupted when she came to her office door. Everything looked the same, but it sure didn't feel the same.
"Anything I need to know about before I walk into my office?" She questioned her secretary. The woman lifted her head to respond.
"Mr. Lyle is in there waiting to talk to you." Miss Parker grimaced. Just the one person she didn't want to see, her brother.
"Thank you." Miss Parker pushed open the door. Lyle stood by the desk, absently flipping through some of the papers that lay on it. He looked up when Miss Parker entered.
"Hi, Sis." He greeted, rather cheerfully.
"What do you want?" She snapped, not in the mood to deal with Lyle.
"You don't have to be so mean." He complained, moving toward the door. "I just wanted to welcome you back to the Centre."
"Is that all?" She said, obviously agitated. She had plenty of work she needed to get done and Lyle was not helping.
"Yeah. See you around, Grumpy." He moved past her and out the door. The minute he had exited, Miss Parker slammed the door shut. The sound echoed through the room.
"Good riddance." She muttered, collapsing into the chair behind the desk. That was when the flood of tear came. They poured down her cheeks, leaving behind little streaks. Her heart cried out. But, who was there to listen?
"I will not cry." She said resolutely, reaching up to wipe the tears away. Two minutes and six tissues later, she had composed herself enough to get to work. Her first assignment: figure out where Jarod would go next.
* * *
Jarod leaned against the wall, utterly exhausted. He had left Parker's house with the intention of heading south to Virginia. But that had proved impossible because of the number of Centre agents down in the south of Delaware. He had almost been caught again. Thankfully, he had seen the guy and ran. He decided to go west instead of south. So now here he was, sitting in hotel room on the border of West Virginia and Maryland.
He pulled himself away from the wall and walked over to the bed. He collapsed onto it. He groaned as his sore muscles protested against his every movement. He closed his eyes, hoping for a little sleep.
Five hours later, he woke up, feeling slightly refreshed. Glancing at the clock, he decided it was a good time to call. He reached for the cell phone in his pocket and dialed the number. It was answered after the first ring.
* * *
Miss Parker walked into her house, reaching over to flick the light switch up. The bright lights assaulted her eyes. She winced, setting down her briefcase full of papers and notes. After hanging up her coat, she headed to the kitchen where she cooked herself a simple meal of soup and bread.
The next hour past slowly. She tried reading, but found she couldn't concentrate on the words. She realized she had read twenty pages without even remembering what it was that she had read. Next, she tried watching some television. No luck there. All the shows on dealt with romance in some form or fashion. That was something she didn't want to hear about. Turning off the television, she started to pace, letting her thoughts wander.
Her cell phone rang so suddenly that she jumped in surprise. She hadn't been expecting a call. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled it out, hoping. She answered it after the first ring.
"Hello?" She said, quietly. The voice on the other line caused her to smile brightly.
"Hello to you, too, Parker."
"Jarod. Where are you? Are you safe?" Her voice was full of concern for him. She wanted to know that he was safe. Jarod smiled on the other end of the line.
"You know I can't tell you where I am. But, I can tell you this: I am safe and sound." He paused. "It's you I'm worried about. How was your first day back at the Centre?"
"It was worse than I thought it would be. Lyle was in my office to greet me." She shook her head. "Why did it have to come down to this, Jarod? Why couldn't we just live in peace? Why do you always run and I always chase?"
"I can't tell you, Parker. I hate it as much as you do. I'll promise you something, though."
"What?" She asked, trying hard to hide the curiosity in her voice.
"We will be together someday. I promise you that." Miss Parker heard the sound of a door closing in the background. "Well, I have to go. My dinner just arrived."
"I love you." Miss Parker said, one stray tear slipping down her face. She really didn't want to stop talking to him. But, she knew she had to.
"I love you, too." Jarod said. "One more thing, Parker. To you, was your sacrifice for me worth it? Was it worth it all?" With that, he hung up.
Miss Parker stood there, contemplating. Had it been worth it all? Had it been worth her going back to the Centre to keep Jarod from their hands? She slowly nodded her head. Yes, it had been worth it all. For this was her existence.