A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I was on vacation and had no computer access, but I'm back now and hopefully you won't be disappointed with the result.

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own the Pretender, because if I did, things wouldn't have ended with an almost kiss! The point is, no profit is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.

The Evolution of Things

Chapter 3

By M. Rose


"Sydney, have you seen Miss Parker? I went to her office, but she isn't there."

"Broots."

The Tech started to pace before him like Miss Parker did so often, "Not that it's unusual or anything, of course, she can leave her office whenever she wants to,"

"Broots."

"I just mean, I can't find her anywhere in the Centre. I've looked…"

"Broots!"

The younger man stopped and faced the doctor with a look of realization and embarrassment, "I'm sorry, Sydney. I'm … I'm just worried."

"I know. I was just trying to tell you that you will not find Miss Parker, because she is not here, she has taken the rest of the day off."

Broots proceeded to ramble one question after another, "W…why? Where did she go? Is she sick? I haven't seen her today, but she looked fine yesterday. Did she get a lead on Jarod? Then again, I think I would be the first to know if she had a lead on him since I'm…"

Agitated, Sydney raised his hand to stop the tech's endless babbling. "I am sure it's nothing to worry about, Broots. She was just feeling a little under the weather and I suggested that it would probably be a best if she went home and rested."

"And she just took your advice without an argument?"

"Miss Parker wouldn't be Miss Parker without some resistance." Sydney was a bit concerned that Miss Parker left without much of the biting antagonism she was known for, but he suspected it was due to her ulcer acting up again and thought better than to bring up the topic since it always seemed to upset her so. Sydney decided to check up on his colleague to cure the nagging feeling forming in the back of his mind. He grabbed his coat and started for the door, "Broots, I have something I need to attend to." There was no reason to alarm Broots if it was all just an overreaction on his part.

"You too? But what … what if Raines…"

Sydney interrupted his colleague as he grasped the door handle, "I'm confident you will be able to handle things here until I return."

He noticed her car parked outside her home as he drove up, so he knew she made it home safely yet it did nothing to quell his fear. When she didn't respond to the knocking and then pounding at the door, he decided to look under the usual places one might hide a key; a mat, under a potted plant, on the doorframe, and as he suspected there was nothing. Miss Parker wasn't just anybody and wouldn't be so rash as to leave a key in such places, so he felt there was no choice other than to smash a window with the potted plant he found on the porch. He imagined Miss Parker appearing suddenly in a furious rage at what he did, he would be grateful actually, at least that would mean she was okay, but he heard nothing and continued inside as fast as his aging body allowed.

Finally inside, he scanned the living room and noticed nothing out of place, her home looked as lovely as it always did in the few times he had been there. He thought of the possibility of her being abducted as she walked towards the front door of her home, but then he noticed her keys on the counter and the jacket she wore that morning hanging on the hook by the front door. The trill of his phone interrupted his investigation. Before he could even say his name, a panicked-stricken voice bellowed, "Where's Parker?"

"Jarod, how did you…"

"It doesn't matter, where is she, Sydney?"

As he approached her bedroom, Sydney proceeded to explain how unwell Miss Parker seemed earlier, how he thought it might have been her ulcer acting up again due to another stressful meeting with Raines, and that he sent her home and was now checking up on her.

But as he entered the bedroom, he immediately noticed the figure on the floor.

"Oh My God!"

Sydney rushed to the unconscious woman's side as Jarod yelled frantic questions in his ear,

"What's wrong, Sydney? Is it … Parker? Is she okay?"

"SYDNEY! SYDNEY! DAMMIT, TALK TO ME! IS PARKER OKAY?"

He checked her pulse and finally answered, "No, Jarod, she isn't."