Ordinarily, she would ignore the burning hunger coming from the pit of her stomach. However, she figured that was probably a bad idea when you're pregnant. So, when Lyle suggested grabbing a bite to eat before they headed back to Delaware, she didn't protest.

Lyle pulled into the parking lot of the local greasy spoon in the most recent town, where Jarod had been supposedly seen. No clue, no Jarod, though. Not that she was surprised. She thought about objecting to his choice, but again, she simply couldn't ignore the hunger.

Sydney, Miss Parker, and Lyle stepped out of the car and walked up the steps of the restaurant.

Lyle opened the door and immediately the three of them were hit with the pungent smell of cigarette smoke.

"Smoking or nonsmoking?" the hostess asked politely.

The trio just looked at each other.

"Y'all aren't from around here, are ya?" the hostess inquired.

"Is it that obvious?" Sydney joked.

"We're one of the few states where it's still legal to smoke in restaurants. People from out of town are usually surprised when we ask."

Lyle smiled, disinterested. "We'll take non."

The two men started to follow the hostess, but when Sydney glanced over his shoulder, he saw Miss Parker frozen in her tracks.

Having not taken a breath since she'd stepped inside she was starting to feel the panic of needing oxygen. When she looked at Sydney, he saw tangible fear in her eyes. She murmured an "I can't" as she turned and ran for the door.

The door slammed against the side of the building as she came flying out, her momentum abruptly stopping at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the restaurant.

She already felt better, surrounded by the fresh air, but still felt the need to seat, heavily, on the bottom stair.

She couldn't believe how worried she was about her unborn babies. A few weeks ago they hadn't even existed. They were still so tiny and yet she knew she couldn't bare anything happening to them. She couldn't sit in that smoke, not even if Lyle, Sydney, or the whole restaurant thought she was crazy. Although, if Lyle hadn't already taken notice of recent bout of strangeness, he surely would now.

"I can't do this." She told no one in particular. "I don't know why they think I can do this, because I can't. I can't do this."

"Do what?"

She whipped around. "Sydney!" Thank God for small favors.

He walked over and sat down next to her cautiously. "I told Lyle that the smoke bothers your ulcer."

She looked up at him, surprised. Why would he do that?

"That's what you told Mr. Broots, that you're ulcer has been bothering you, if I am correct?"

She nodded.

"Miss Parker," his tone was serious, "you were a smoker for years. I don't honestly believe it could cause such a severe reaction from you so quickly." He paused before adding, "That had nothing to do with your ulcer, did it?"

He put his hand up, cutting her off from whatever excuse she was about to spout. Seemed he knew her much too well. "Did your behavior today have something do with whatever Jarod is supposed to tell me?"

She attempted to swallow the lump in her throat.

She didn't answer him.

She didn't have to.

"You have to tell Sydney about the babies."

Jarod turned to look at Parker, who had just walked through the door and hadn't even taken her coat off yet. "What?"

"The other day after my doctor's appointment, I was still a little dazed and Sydney could tell. He's known something's been up for a while. So, I told him that you'd tell him."

"Tell him what?"

"Jarod, I'm pregnant." She said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"So you want me to tell him that you're pregnant?"

"Well, I just figured since the man practically raised you, that you should be the one to break it to him. I mean, I've known him since I was little, but you and Sydney have a unique relationship."

Parker had a point, Sydney had raised him since he was a young boy, but he'd known Parker almost as long. Jarod suspected she was just scared to say it. Still, he wasn't about to argue with her. "Okay, I'll tell him."

"Okay." She repeated.

Satisfied with the easy outcome of their discussion Parker began peeling off her coat and scarf and proceeded to hang them neatly.

"Parker, can I ask you something?"

She was little surprised by the suddenness of his inquiry, but saw nothing wrong with answering a question, "Okay."

"Do you know why Debbie – er, Betty, is really here?"

"Jarod, we've been over this, she's here to help us stop Tempus."

He sighed, not sure how Parker was going to take what he was about to say. He didn't want to upset her, but he needed to know. "She traveled back in time, but doesn't want to prevent something as major as the death of her father… whatever she's here to stop must be bigger than her father's death."

Like yours? Parker suddenly thought, and then just as suddenly wished she hadn't. She shook her head, in a physical attempt to shake the thought from her head. "And you don't think Tempus is a big deal?"

"That's not what I'm saying."

"Then what are you saying Jarod?" She really didn't want to think about it anymore and had, almost without being aware, returned to her ice queen façade.

"I'm just saying that whatever the ramifications of Tempus are, they must be a pretty big deal and I don't know how we're supposed to help her stop them without knowing what they are."

"It's the future Jarod, the whole point of stopping Tempus is so no one finds out, okay?"

He knew she wanted him to drop the subject, but he couldn't, not yet. Beside, her avoidance only served to prove what he had already started suspect; she knew more than she was saying. "I think we should at least ask Betty."

"Jarod!" she closed her eyes, trying to keep her emotions in check. "Why is this so important to you?"

Jarod walked over to where she was standing so that there was only about a foot between them. "Because, Parker, this obviously has something to do with our children."

She sighed heavily, "Jarod, I think it has more to do with you."

"Me?" Jarod's surprise was apparent on his face, "What could it possibly have to do with me."

She put her face in her hands, torn between anger at herself for spilling the beans and relief to finally tell him. Though she knew telling him was probably a bad idea, it seemed she couldn't help it. Lying to Jarod, she had discovered, was something she had a hard time doing.

When she pulled her hands away, Jarod noticed that there were tears in her eyes. Instinctively he stepped forward and placed his hand on her arm in a reassuring gesture. She looked fragile, he noted, and scared. It was such an uncommon emotion to see in her eyes, that it surprised him greatly.

"Jarod, she's trying to stop Lyle from murdering you."

Nothing quite like her words, though. He dropped his hand and took a few stops back.

She stepped forward, "Jarod-"

He put his hand up and she stopped in her tracks. "How?"

"What?"

"How is he going to kill me?"

"Jarod, I don't see-"

This time she was interrupted by a voice from behind Jarod, "It's all on here."

They both turned to see Betty holding up a silver DSA. Jarod reached out for it and Betty walked it over to him. He took the DSA from her hand and immediately walked over to his DSA player.

Parker practically ran after him and just as he was about to place the DSA in she covered the slot with her hand. "Jarod! You don't want to see that."

His face looked angry, but his voice was kind as he spoke, "Parker, I need to know the circumstances if I want to stop this."

She didn't even try to prevent the tears from streaming down her cheeks this time as she pleaded, "Jarod, please don't."

He took her face in his hands. "Parker, I promise you, I'm not going to let anything happen to me. I want to see our girls grow up more than anything in the world, but in order for that to happen, I have to do this."

She nodded, knowing he was right. Parker stepped out of the way, silently debating whether or not she should even stay to watch this, if she'd even be able to. Her need to leave, however, was outweighed by her need to stay, for Jarod.

Everyone in the room could feel the heavy sense of foreboding lingering as the room was illuminated by the square screen and the disk began to play.

"Psssst, Kate."

There was a purple night-light shining in the corner of the room, a soft glow that was just bright enough to make two twin beds visible against the walls, one on each side of the window, which was firmly closed. Each bed had a bundle hidden under thick covers.

A little louder this time, the small voice repeated, "psssst, Kate. Did you hear that?"

An even smaller voice answered from the other bed. "Mhm-hmm."

A little girl sat up on one of the beds. She was around four or five years old, with what looked like would be dark hair, even in a lit room. "What should we do Kate?"

The girl in the other bed sat up as well, evidencing the same dark hair and similar delicate features. She seemed less sure than her companion and nervously pulled her blanket up tightly around her as she sat up, "I don't know, Maggie, but think one of us should go get mom and dad."

And with that, Kate jumped out from under her blanket and turned toward the door, bravely announcing, "I'll go." But before she could take even a step, a loud crash resounded through the house and startled them both. With wide eyes, Kate turned towards the window, finally showing herself scared. A bloodcurdling scream escaped her lips as a man dressed all in black came into the room through her now broken window. Before she could escape, he lunged across the room, swiftly wrapping his large arms around her small body.

Maggie had always been the shy one, the voice of reason, who felt content to let her sister handle all the fights, but now, it was Kate who needed help. Without thinking about it, she sleeked off her bed and sunk her teeth into the big man's leg. He didn't scream, but dropped Kate, who hit the ground with force. Forcibly, the mean man plucked Maggie off of his leg, picked her effortlessly up and handed her to another man just coming in from the window.

The man turned his attention back to a squirming Kate. "Maggie!" she squealed.

Maggie yelled back, desperately trying to break free. "Kate!"

That moment, Jarod burst into the room. In a flurry of movement, Jarod rushed over to the man holding his daughter; faster than the eye could follow, the intruder found himself on the floor. Maggie, eyes big and filled with fear, stood by his side, holding on tightly to his shirt.

"Daddy!" Maggie shrieked, the panic desperate in her voice, "Kate." She turned toward the window, through which the still conscious man was trying to take his other daughter out of.

Just before Kate was completely out of the window and out of view, Jarod grabbed her ankle. "Daddy", she yelped.

"Let go." Jarod demanded, a frightening look on his face.

Instead of an answer, or a comply, the only thing Jarod received in return was the loud gunshot; Jarod flew backwards, landing on his back. He was trying to say something, but all that could be heard were incoherent gurgles and grunts.

Maggie and Kate cried out in unison, "Daddy!"

Jarod tried to get up, but fell limply backwards.

Kate disappeared completely into the darkness a second before Parker came flying into the room, gun drawn. The fierce look on her face faltered, as she saw Jarod lying on the ground, surrounded by a pool of blood. She knelt beside him. A flashback of Tommy, lying on her porch, against her house and all that blood assaulted her suddenly. She could smell that same humid morning odor mixed with the tangy smell of blood.

But this wasn't Thomas, again, this was Jarod. This was her Jarod. Her chest constricted.

"Kate!" Maggie's scream brought Parker fully back into reality. A quick glance around the room and then she saw her daughter, Maggie, leaning out of the second-story window. She quickly went to her and pulled her away from the ledge, fearing a fall. Maggie resisted initially, but once she turned her head and spotted her father lying on the ground, she let her mother pull her away. Disentangling herself, the little girl ran towards her father.

Eyes sharp, Parker looked out from the bedroom window, calling out for her missing daughter, "Kate!" She pointed her 9mm into the dark, but couldn't risk firing for fear that she would hit her daughter. Tires screeched on the pavement and Parker saw the back end of a black Centre-issued sedan drive off into the night. Then there was only darkness. "Kate." Her breathing hitched and her eyes watered as the reality of it all came crashing down on her. Parker pleaded with the night, "Katie!"

Hearing her mother's desperate pleas and not knowing what to do, Maggie tried shaking her daddy awake; mom needed him! "Daddy, please. Wake up!" She begged.

Betty stepped into the once peaceful bedroom that now looked like a war zone. She slowly took in her surroundings, her heart pounding heavily against her chest. "I thought I heard gunshots-", anything she could have said faltered at the sight of Jarod on the floor and her hand flew up to her mouth, "Oh my god!"

Parker noticed Betty enter the room, but she didn't look up; she couldn't. A fog had descended over her eyes, making them look glassy and unfocused. Her family! Ripped apart in a few minutes and nothing she could do about it... It was enough to break the strongest of hearts.

Trembling, Betty saw Parker in a state of shock, then turned her attention to the two empty beds. Kate! Maggie! Kate was nowhere to be found, but Maggie was there, kneeling at her father's unmoving body and begging him to get up. She walked over to the girl. "Come on, Sweetie." It didn't take a doctor to see Jarod was dead...

There was so much blood.

Betty tried and tried to pick the young girl up, but Maggie did not want to go. The little girl was kicking and screaming, "No! Daddy! No! Wake up!!"

Her daughter's scream helped dissipate some of the fog and Parker employed every last fiber of strength she still had just to get up off that floor. "Maggie," the forlorn tone in her voice broke Betty's heart, "look at me." Parker said, eerily calm, as she lifted her daughter's chin gently, tears streaming down both their faces. "I need you to go with Betty right now, okay?"

Maggie nodded hesitantly. She wanted to stay with her mom and with her dad, but she had never seen mother cry before and she knew better than to object to her firm request. Betty picked up a more willing Maggie and wrapped her arms protectively around the little girl as tightly as she could.

Parker turned back to Jarod. Her heart felt like it was being ripped into tiny little pieces and she felt a hard, hollow feeling developing in the back of her throat. Tiredly, Parker dropped to her knees beside her husband. With gentleness, she pulled Jarod's head into her lap and pressed a hand to his neck. She didn't want to believe it, but she needed proof. Hard evidence that he was really gone.

"Oh Jarod," she whispered, shakily.

The first sob racked through her body as she closed his eyes with her fingers, leaving traces of his own blood in the form of fingerprints on his eyelids. "I... love you." Parker leaned down and gently placed her lips upon his. The first sob was followed by another and another until she was shaking uncontrollably and holding on to him.

She sobbed until the pain hurt too much.

A/N: Okay, so I know this ending was kinda sad, but it gets better. I'd love to know what you think of this and what your looking forward to finding out. Thanks so much for reaading!

-Charlie