A/N: Thank you for those who read and reviewed the last chapter, and of course, the chapters before that one. If you keep reviewing, I can promise I'll keep writing. Why? Because they make me write.

Disclaimer: That's right. Yes. I agree.

When the Triumvirate says 'jump', you say 'on who'

by Syrai

Chapter 5 – puzzles undone

Jarod wasn't sure what it was that had woken him up, but the minute he felt his consciousness returning him he realized what had happened. Had he…? Yes. He had fallen asleep! "Shit!" It wasn't like him to swear out loud like that, but the curse hadn't asked his permission. Slowly, almost unwillingly, he sat upright and opened his eyes fearing what the present would bring into his awakening. What he saw, however, was not what he expected to see.

Miss Parker.

Not only, was it Miss Parker, but she was also sleeping in the bed next to him on her stomach and wearing nothing but a loose white T-shirt and black panties with it. He knew this by only looking at her figure. The blanket that she had trapped between her legs revealed a one beautifully shaped and very bare leg that told it all. He swallowed hard, not knowing what else to do than to massage his aching neck trying to make the pain disappear and to get something else to think about.

Carefully he lowered himself back on the bed, but this time he pushed himself upwards so that his legs weren't hanging over the edge anymore. As quietly as possible, he rolled onto his side facing Miss Parker's closed eyelids. The one word his mind couldn't block out was… beautiful. From the day he had met her, he had always thought she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen and through it all, it had never changed. Well, she was the first female he had ever seen so maybe it wasn't that strange at all, right? Plus, she was his first love.

Her breathing was steady, relaxed even. It felt good to know she was okay, even if it was just in her dreams. The line of her mouth had twisted into a vague smile making her seem somehow angelic, innocent. Completely opposite of the Miss Parker she pretended to be day after day. This was how he wanted to see her; this was why he had sent Thomas to her.

When his hand reached closer to guide the fallen lock of hair from her cheek, her eyes snapped open.

0000

"We need to contact Miss Parker", Broots said with wide, shocked eyes after the record ended. It was the next day and he had managed to reconstruct more of the DSA they had found with Miss Parker. Sidney, who was standing behind him didn't know what to say or do, so he just kept staring the blackened screen pensively. Hands behind his back, he wondered if Broots really was right. At first he had thought Miss Parker should drop the case for her own protection, but now things had gotten yet a new twist. This was something even he hadn't known. Also, it was something she deserved to know.

"I know. But I don't see how we could do that", Sidney answered. A twinge of guilt hit him painfully; it wasn't completely true, was it? No. Being Jarod's sort of father-figure, the pretender often called him and they had exchanged emails quite often without the Centre knowing about it, so if he really wanted to, he could pass a word to Miss Parker through Jarod… but did he really want to? Should he?

A fact was, Catherine Parker had met Jarod. That was what they had just seen on the DSA and there was no denying that. Jarod outside the Centre, which alone had surprised Sidney, but also Catherine Parker telling Jarod that… he was going to have a brother. That was even bigger shock, of course. It was more than easy to see Catherine was pregnant, but the question was… how? How could it be possible that the baby she was carrying was Jarod's brother?

… And more importantly, what was it that Catherine had told Jarod after shutting down the camera? Why had Jarod never mentioned it? She had said that there was something Jarod had to remember. Something that he had to tell her daughter. What was it?

Nothing was making sense.

"Don't see how? Please, Sidney." Broots rolled his eyes snorting sarcastically. "I know about those emails and we all know about those calls you receive…" Suddenly the proud look on his face changed into his normal insecure expression, "By all I-I mean myself… Anyway, you could… could you know…"

Sidney gave the stuttering man an equally sarcastic look that which he had received a moment ago. "Oh, ask him to pass the phone to Miss Parker? You do realize that the mission means a lot to Miss Parker and if I did that, he'd know that we know she's there."

Broots knew that. But he also knew what Miss Parker would do to him if she found out they hadn't contacted her and told her what was going on. Quite frankly, Broots knew more than well which one scared him more.

"Well the next time the wonder-boy calls, can't you just like, hint him? Tell him what we've found and he'll hopefully tell her. Who knows, he might actually help…" He stopped when Sidney's eyes narrowed questioningly. "Well he has a history with helping us, don't you think?"

Sidney couldn't deny that and honestly, didn't even want to. Broots was absolutely right. Jarod was a lot of things, but a bad person wasn't one of them. If he could, he would help them no matter what it cost because it was just the way he was. The point was, Sidney wasn't sure if he wanted to risk Jarod like that.

"What do you think hewould do, Broots?" Sidney asked, though the answer was perfectly clear to both of them. Broots answered anyway. "For starters, he could maybe tell us what it was that Catherine told him."

"Why do you think he'd do that?"

Broots shrugged. Sidney was obviously testing him for some reason. "It's Jarod", he said, "Why wouldn't he?"

It was just what Sidney had wanted to hear.

0000

The hand was withdrawn immediately. Miss Parker blinked, once. "I'm sorry", she heard him saying, but couldn't bring herself to answer anything. He looked hurt, but she couldn't understand why. What rights did he have to feel hurt and insecure when it was her that had woke up with a stranger touching her cheek? "I didn't mean to…"

"It's fine", she forced the words out, "just never do it again." It was a command, but spoken with too soft and vulnerable voice to actually sound like one. She closed her eyes and breathed out, before she was able to open them again and face Jarod's eyes. She was afraid he'd see through the surface; feel what she was feeling. Thomas… She had thought it was Thomas and by opening her eyes she had been forced to meet the cold reality.

Watching her pained eyes was too much for him to handle and so he broke the eye-contact by sitting up. Clearing his throat to earn an extra second or two to think, he rubbed his eyes with one hand. How had he let himself end up into this kind of situation? "We should go", he said after a moment. Things were getting more complicated than he wanted them to.

She swallowed the tears down. Gods, what the hell was the matter with her?

"Where we going?" She asked, but sat up only after Jarod had got up and moved to stand into the center of the small room. He didn't answer right away. Something was definitely wrong, she could feel it. "Parker… I'm giving you a chance."

He was doing what? Miss Parker tilted hear head to one side, confused. Letting go of the blanket she was holding on her chest, she asked: "To do what?"

Jarod shook his head. What a silly girl. "To get out", he answered and glanced at her over his shoulder. She had never seen him like that, ever. She had caught him few times even if only for a little while, but not once had he looked so defeat; so tired. "You can go if you want, I won't stop you", he said, "but if you go I'll go find my dad and sister and we're out of here. If you stay, I'll take you to them."

Miss Parker drew a breath frowning. What had just happened? What had she missed? "Why… why would you trust me?" …And why didn't she want to go? It wasn't just about the mission anymore, but it wasn't just about her mother either.

Now he turned around facing her completely. The usual smile was back on his lips, although there was something extremely faked and unreal about it. "I still don't, Parker, but I'd like to. I owe it to your mother for everything she did."

She didn't know what to say. What can you say to something like that? Thank him? No way in hell!

"We're going to solve this thing right now", he continued speaking and crossed his arms, but Miss Parker got the feeling he was more like talking to himself than to her. It was how Jarod had always sorted out his disoriented thoughts. "We're going to find out what happened to your mother and just who this Ethan is and-"

"Oh right, Ethan", Miss Parker remembered cutting off his mumbling. Damnit, she had completely forgotten about Jarod's phone-call with his father. He had said the name 'Ethan', the same name that had been written on those drawings they had found with Broots and now that seemed a bit bizarre. Without further thinking, she decided to share her information with the pretender. "We found something with Broots… we followed Raines to some place in the middle of nowhere and we watched him burn something… there were all kinds of stuff, also drawings made by someone called Ethan… It might be coincidence, of course."

It could, yes, but they both doubted it. With Centre, there were no coincidences. Everything happened for a reason, no matter how disgusting that reason was. Everything was thought out… which made Jarod wonder if Miss Parker's appearing had been one too. But as hard as he might try, he couldn't figure out why they would have sent her there? Hardly to observe him, so why then?

"Get dressed", he ordered with determined voice, "this puzzle gets solved once and for good."