Parker wasn't sure what woke her. Her eyes slowly blinked open as the sunlight that was coming through the windows in the room.

Then the machines started to beep extremely fast. A violent jerk beneath her caused her to jump out of bed.

Turning quickly back she found Jarod's eyes wide open. Confusion and fear clearly visible in his eyes. No time to even react Jarod had yanked out the tube that was down his throat.

Quickly hitting the call button she yelled out for help. Jarod had actually managed to get the tube out but was ripping out wires and tubes running all over his body. She tried to stop him, but it was as though he didn't hear her.

Nurses and doctors once more flooded Jarod's room. That's when Jarod started to yell out.

"NO!!!!NO!!!!NO!!!!!"

Again Parker was pushed aside as male nurses tried to hold down Jarod and to keep him from thrashing and hurting himself.

Jarod was a strong man though as was more then capable of resisting them. Parker saw the sweat and fear on his face.

Not knowing, not even feeling herself move, she found herself on Jarod's bed wrapping her arms around him and yelling at him over his own screams so he could hear her.

"JAROD CALM DOWN! YOU'RE SAFE!!! IT'S OK JAROD!!! IT'S OK!!!!"

Everyone was again amazed how this woman rocked Jarod in her hold as he began to calm down at hearing her voice.

Maybe a minute later Jarod was crushing her to his frame shaking, sweating and crying in the crook of her neck.

"Shhhh……it's ok. It's ok Jarod……….you're safe." She whispered against his ear.

Jarod sobbed against her as his body shivered violently.

"It's ok. I'm right here Jar. I'm not leaving you." She whispered again.

Slowly Jarod's breathing evened out, but his hold on her didn't lessen. It was like he was holding onto her as though he was afraid to fall or drown by himself.

Rocking him back and forth she soothed him enough that he actually fell asleep in her hold. Maybe he even passed out. She really wasn't sure.

The doctors and nurses just stood there waiting to check on their patient. Waking up from a coma was no small thing. They needed to monitor him now even more closely.

When Parker slowly laid Jarod down and slowly extracted herself from his hold she moved off the bed.

Immediately nurses were reattaching the heart monitors to him.

Parker didn't move far. Still touching Jarod's hand to show him she was still their even as he slept. She wasn't going to make the mistake of looking away anymore. Here to stay by his side, she would help him any way he needed her.

Owing this much, owing him soo much more- there were no words for what she had taken from this man lying on this hospital bed.

Half an hour passed and they were finally alone. Parker was now sitting beside him watching him breathe on his own for the first time in a week. Still holding his hand she reached into her pocket to retrieve the secure cell phone that Broots had given her. Flipping it open she quickly dialed.

Placing the phone up to her ear she heard the phone ring a few times before she heard Broots' 'Hello'.

All she said was two words and then closed her phone. It was all that was needed to caused Broots to jump up and yell for Sydney.

'He's awake.'

Everything hurt. Everything.

That's what he felt as he began to wake yet again. Blinking his eyes open his vision was blurry, taking some time to adjust to light that was apparently coming from the wall beside him.

He felt someone touching his hand……brushing their fingers against his own.

Where am I?

His mind was fuzzy……his head was pounding. The light in the room wasn't helping him much. Even behind his eye lids the yellow of the light was visible.

Groaning he attempted to again open his eyes when suddenly the sensation on his hand went away.

"Jarod?"

A voice whispered softly.

He knew that voice. How did he know that voice? Nothing was making any sense to him.

Slowly his eyes focused and he was able to look around.

That's when his eyes found hers.

Parker just stared into his eyes in complete shock and wonder. He was alive and breathing and he was looking at her. It almost didn't seem real. Almost as though she were dreaming.

It was scary what she saw in his eyes.

Fear, pain, and the one thing that concerned her the most, confusion.

The doctors had explained the possibility of memory loss and motor functions. The brain was a very complicated organ they had explained to her. Science was still trying to figure out the brain and had just scraped the surface of the brains function and healing abilities.

She had listened to the doctors and had remained quiet, detached. It's not that she didn't understand.

It was that she didn't want to.

It scared her. The possibility of Jarod becoming incapable of taking care of himself was something that terrified her.

What had happened that morning had only made her worry grow.

The nurses weren't even able to hold him down. He had been disoriented and scared. Right now as he stared at her she didn't know what to expect. Not knowing what reaction to expect at the sight of her.

But he didn't say anything. He just stared at her.

Not knowing what to do she just stared back. Her face showed no emotion, but inside……inside she was a river of emotion.

It was as though she couldn't allow herself to be anyone but Miss Parker.

Yet as she watched him she could see the confusion starting to subside.

Sitting there looking at her it was as though his mind placed all the puzzle pieces together. It all returned to him. Remembering the last thing he did. What he had done. What he had caused.

Once more he was assaulted at the atrocity that had occurred because of what he had thought up. Once more he was tainted with the stain of innocent blood.

Why was he still alive? He had wanted to end it. End all of it. Who the hell gave anyone the right to bring him back?

Parker watched in silent amazement as Jarod began to cry as he looked at her.

She looked away from him and averted her gaze to anywhere else in the room. Never in all the years of knowing Jarod had she ever seen him cry. Not even when his brother died. Thinking that she had no right to see him at his weakest moment.

But she found herself again looking at him, witnessing something and realizing that Jarod……was broken.

Watching Jarod break down in front of her very eyes caused a splintering in her own.

Parker found herself climbing back into bed with him. Jarod's arms were around her instantly as he crushed her body to his as he sobbed and shook against her frame.

This wasn't like her. She didn't do things like this. Especially with Jarod. But somehow…..it was as though the emotions that she had always hidden for this man were guiding her now.

Wrapping her arms around him, she caressed his back trying to soothe him. Not making a noise, she let Jarod take comfort from her.

Parker let him take strength from her. Not caring for the first time in her life about anything…..no thoughts ran through her mind. For the first time in soo long she just closed her eyes……and let herself feel.

Lying down with her arms wrapped around a man she had hunted was the beginning of something that would forever change her.

No matter what she would always be Miss Parker……but the destiny of their crossed paths would make her in to something more.

Jarod was the key……but she was the lock.

Apart they meant nothing………together……they had meaning.

Maybe that's why she found herself crying along with Jarod. Maybe that's why for the first time since she was a little girl……she felt she had found her friend again.