Disclaimer: Please see Chapter 1 for the usual stuff about not making any money.
Author's note: My sincere thanks for all those still reading this epic tale. However, I apologize for the shortness of this chapter.

Time to Consider
Chapter 30

By Callisto

Sydney's residence
Blue Cove, DE

After making arrangements for his newest on-going project to proceed without him, Sydney, along with his youthful guests, got ready to prepare lunch. He had explained that Broots had been invited over and asked for their help with the meal. Shock almost overcame him when they readily offered to prepare it for him. Demoted to setting the table and getting the various ingredients and tools they asked for, he watched the couple work uncomplainingly. The noted psychiatrist couldn't help but observe them in much the same manner as any clinician. In body, they had regressed 20 years but it was clear other changes had occurred as well. In mind they were fairly much the same as they ever were but in attitude they progressed beyond anything he had ever seen in them as adults. Once again his eyes were resting on 2 lonely children who found friendship in each other. Jarod's genius continued to be obvious to any but the most casual observer; his abilities still far outstretched anything Sydney had ever seen before. However those same gifts were effectively counter-balanced by Parker's own, less obvious gifts which rendered her capable of holding her own against the pretender. She had the unusual ability of anticipating him, as though her inner sense allowed her to understand him in a way his psychiatrist had always found difficult to penetrate. It was then when it occurred to Sydney that Parker's use of her own inner-sense far preceded her conscious knowledge of it. He realized that this ability had always been with her and its only and main obstacle had been the woman's maintenance of an abrasive, protective façade that kept others in the dark. He wondered if left unchecked, how quickly she would've been truly able to capture Jarod if certain emotions and familial distractions/agendas hadn't gotten in the way.

Jarod had long since become used to Sydney's scrutiny. Most of his life had been spent under the psychiatrist's unwavering curiosity. Though Jarod was used to the examination, he always knew whenever he attracted Sydney's interest. He glanced at Parker's profile and felt his heart constrict with emotion. He had a few lovers since his initial escape from the Centre years ago, but none had managed to make him feel the way she did when he was with her—even when they had been adversaries. Unexpectedly, an overwhelming feeling of possessiveness washed over him. He didn't quite understand it or why it suddenly become so prominent in his psyche but it was a development that he didn't want to share with his mentor. What he felt for Parker was always kept strictly private and not something he had ever discussed with anyone. Now wasn't the time to change anything, though the intensity and sudden occurrence of his rapidly growing obsession was starting to concern him.

Parker was as aware of Sydney's inquisitive stare as she was of Jarod's amorous focus. When she mentioned to Sydney that he had been away from the Centre too long, she had hoped that the nosey psychiatrist would return there to avoid raising suspicions. Instead, he sprung this lunch on them, thus subverting Parker's hope to have a few intimate hours alone with the pretender. Taking a deep breath, she was at least grateful for having something constructive to do with her hands while Freud watched them. Busy hands kept her focus away from her man's derriere while she resolved to keep up the pretense of a platonic relationship with an increasingly attractive Jarod but she was sure that somehow Sydney would see through her.

Vancouver International Airport
Vancouver, BC

Their connecting flight had been cancelled. This occurred while both father and son fell into a fitful sleep. Now awake and irritated, they were told by a harassed gate attendant that the flight had been cancelled due to mechanical errors and the only other carrier headed east was already over booked. They had at least another few hours before another flight could be arranged. The major looked at his son with impotent frustration to find the other's irritation rapidly fading into calm acceptance.

"I think we should remain awake. Another airline will accept our tickets in the next hour or two," Ethan offered by way of an explanation.

"I would've thought that you'd be more put out than me," the major commented with quiet disappointment.

"They're okay for now. We have to get to them by the day after tomorrow. Her voice is cautioning me to be calm. That we should make it in time as long as we remain alert."

"Sometimes I wish I had something in my head telling me when it's safe and not. It sounds comfortingly convenient."

"Believe me, Father, it isn't. I wouldn't wish this so-called gift on my worst enemy. Your needs rarely come into consideration. It's like being led on a mental leash like a dog going for a walk with no idea which route you're going to take. Half the time you get the information too late to do anything to prevent what the voices are warning."

The major looked up alarmed. Before he could say anything more, Ethan interrupted with, "This time they're giving me a time frame. But you're right; I don't want to take a chance. The only thing I can be certain of is that the Centre will catch them if we don't get there in time. One thing that should make you breathe easier is that my sister also has this 'gift'. The voices will let her know about the danger. She's no more eager about getting caught by the Centre than Jarod."

"She works for them. If she turns Jarod in, then they'll turn a blind eye to her mysterious disappearance. That's not helping me to breathe any easier at all."

"Something's happened to them while they were in the variant time phase. I don't know what it was exactly but it was significant. You take that along with a strong disinterest in helping the man who murdered our mother and you're left with more than sufficient assurance of Jarod's safety. I realize you don't trust her. Try to trust me," Ethan said with finality. He didn't want to see the skepticism in his father's eyes. So, averting his gaze, Ethan walked wearily away and back to his seat to wait.

Sydney's residence
Blue Cove, DE

After a confused Broots left with the psychiatrist; his belly full of a lunch that more than lived up to Sydney's claims, both Jarod and Parker watched the two men pull away in the Town Car with a sigh of relief. The tech genius did a double take when he first spotted the youthful Parker. She still looked a bit different than her adult self but not by much. At first he decided to say nothing, hoping that an explanation would be forthcoming but this unfortunately, left him with wide eyes and a mouth hanging agape. Sydney watched as Broots slowly gathered his wits and failing dramatically in trying not to be so obvious. The idea of Parker's twisted family tree gaining another strange, if not homicidal branch wasn't farfetched. Especially given that Broots himself was involved in helping his boss untangle some of the more bizarre aspects of her twisted family tree.

Sydney wondered if he should just pull the tech to the side and try to explain what he himself was still having difficulty coming to grips with. However, playing host and readying everything for the meal inadvertently distracted him. It was Parker who gave Broots the clue to her true identity. Passing by, she looked up to catch the tech staring at her openly and then belatedly began looking away with theatric obviousness. Parker gave a half chuckle at his clumsy discretion.

"You whip your head around any faster and you'll break it. Lose something?"

"No, Miss Parker. Oh! Um, I'm..er..sorry. Who?…uh," he stuttered uncertainly. His apology and attempt to correct himself faded on the light swirl of perfume as she breezed past him.

As they began placing the food on the table, Broots finally spoke up. "Ummm, Miss uhh. Sydney why does she look like…you know who? What exactly is going on?"

"Broots sit down, there's something you need to know," Sydney began with a pile of silverware in his hand.

Soto voce, Broots leaned towards Sydney and asked quietly, "Is she a relative of Miss Parker's? You know, a long lost sister or cousin?"

"No Broots. I'm not sure really how to say this," the psychiatrist began with a frown of uncertainty. Jarod helped him.

"Mr. Broots, she is Miss Parker, just as I'm the original Jarod. Relax, enjoy your lunch and we'll explain everything."

Once the explanations were over, Broots stared at the two impossibly youthful faces before him with incredulous wonder. During the lull in conversation, Jarod sat back and watched his former hunters with interest. So much had changed since the last time he had seen them in this time frame. Parker was now his lover, Sydney was possibly involved in another questionable pretender project and Broots with his persistent attraction to his boss was struggling with his feelings over the new and improved version.

Parker suffered Broots' stares with indifferent equanimity—the same indifference that she always felt in dealing with Broots' attraction. Never had either she or Sydney explained that her feelings for the tech ran towards the fraternal rather than hoped for romantic. It was during lunch when she asked the tech a question only she and Sydney would know, that Broots had finally become convinced about her identity. Parker asked with a look of intense curiosity if Broots were still going out with the woman who had all the chins. The surprised look on her friend's face told her a number of things: He was no longer seeing her and embarrassed that he ever had. Her bluntly, sarcastic predictions about the woman's other failings had probably been proven true and that despite everything that she had gone through, her perverse interest in his dating habits persisted. It was then, with the assistance of the merge that she could finally and objectively get a good look at her own flippant cruelty and be heartily ashamed of herself. The computer tech inhaled sharply while his face turned crimson at his friend's casual reference. An uncharacteristic blush pinked her cheeks as she averted her eyes from Broots' or anyone else around the table which caused all the men to look at her curiously. Jarod wondered, Sydney analyzed and Broots was more attracted than ever before. For him, even though he had slow to realize that Miss Parker had been brutally correct, he had taken her advice on how to gracefully exit without hurting Millie-of-the-many-clefts' feelings. Perhaps she could give him some more advice about his current love interest. This one was far more normal than Millie. The only thing different about Alison was a slight limp.

"I didn't think they would ever leave. I guess Raines is more lenient than my so-called father had ever been," she commented as she began to clear the dishes.

Jarod continued to stare out the window after they had disappeared from sight. Looking out at the empty street all appeared to be quiet. Finally he gave up his cautious vigil to find that Parker had finished clearing the table and started on washing the dishes, much in the same manner as she would if they were back home. Home—that's the way he viewed the variant timeline they had been so viciously pulled from. His gut told him that nothing good would come of their return. It was as though each timeframe held a feel and influence all its own. This one—their original was no exception.

Parker finished the dishes with a sigh of relief. Doing this was her connection to the other timeframe. Jarod, as was his habit, had joined her and they got through the cleanup in record time, putting away all the leftovers and straightening up as well. She leaned forward against the counter staring out of the kitchen window, when Jarod's reflection appeared in the glass. He approached her, wrapped his arms around her small waist and pulled her close. It was clear what they both wanted as she leaned into his body.

"There's a spare bedroom upstairs," he said in invitation.

"Sydney shouldn't be back for another four hours," she responded dreamily.

Upstairs, Jarod heard the water in the shower start up. Before she would allow him to even kiss her she told him she felt unclean after being in Lyle's unkept and unused rooms. She'd mentioned something about feeling dusty and immediately disappeared into the bathroom. Wandering into Sydney's bedroom, Jarod looked around curiously but not invasively. That is until he got into the bathroom. Opening a drawer, he found a colorful box of condoms neatly filed away. Inside, there were a number of empty slots. A short bark of laughter erupted from him, and accompanied with a fond smile, Jarod lifted a couple packages from the box. "He kept them and obviously they've come in handy. Well, old friend I hope you won't mind if I help myself."