Getting Even
By: G. Barton

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters in this story. They are owned by NBC. I think we all know the drill. Okay, NBC.

Parker returns to work after a nice quiet weekend at home with her family. She walks by Lyles' office to overhear him and Brigitte talking. Parker backs up and stands where she is not noticed.

"What are we going to do?" Brigitte says.

"We are not going to do anything. You are going to continue playing the grieving bride ." Lyle responded.

"But what if your dear sister starts nosing around?"

"Don't worry about her. I can handle her."

"Sure you can. Remember the last time she had you. If I remember correctly you had to change your pants."

"No, I didn't. Where did you hear that?" Lyle said getting mad. His face turned red. He didn't know if it was from the embarassment or from actually getting mad.

"That doesn't matter, anyway."

Sydney walks up behind Parker. He whispers in her ear. "What are you doing?"

She jumps. "Syd, you scared me."

He asked again, "What are you doing?"

"Nothing. Why?" she asked.

"Well, if I didn't know better I would say you were listening to their conversation."

"Well, first off those two don't know how to carry on a conversation. And second, they are up to something and I am going to find out what."

"So you are eavesdropping."

"Well, I don't know if I would call it that but I just happen to walk by and over heard them talking. That's all." Parker said as she started walking away.

Sydney followed her. "Well, what are they up to?" he asked. He wanted to know just as bad.

"I don't know. You interrupted me."

"Well, I guess we will find out sooner or later."

Broots walked in. "Parker, guess what I just heard."

"What, Broots? Spit it out."

"Brigitte." he said pausing.

"What about Brigitte?"

"She's pregnant."

"What do you mean she's pregnant?"

"I mean, she's pregnant."

"What else do you know, Broots?"

"That's all."

"Well, that's not good enough." she said as she paced the floor in her office. Broots knew what was coming next. "Broots, I want you to..."

"No, please. I don't want to. Please don't make me."

Parker walked over to him. "Broots." She stared into his eyes.

"Okay. Fine. I'll do it." he said letting out the breath he had been holding.

"By the way, did you find out the other information I asked for?"

"Not yet. But I am still searching."

"Then you better get busy."

Broots turned back to the door. "I'm on it." He left.

"Why are you still on Broots that way?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You still treat him like he is some kind of idiot. After everything we have been through."

Parker glanced out her window. "I have work to do."

Sydney knew she was the same old Parker. She has changed some but deep down she was the same. "Okay." he said. He turned and walked out.

Parker sat there a minute. Then she got up. She went to Broots' office. "I'm haven't find anything yet." he said as she walked through the door.

"It's okay. I'm not hear for that."

"Then what? I promise I am going as fast as I can."

"Broots, I'm...well..."

"What?" he asked. He thought he knew what she was going to say but he wanted to hear her say it.

"I'm sorry." she said softly.

"For what?"

"For the way I have been treating you. You are like a brother to me."

Broots was in shock. "A brother?" he said. He couldn't believe what he just heard.

"Yeah." she said. She turned to walk out.

"Parker." he said.

"Broots, I'm not going to say it again."

"No, Parker. I found it."

"Found what?"

"Brigitte's medical records."

She walked over to Broots. She bent down toward his computer. She read it and said, "Print it."

"I already am." he said.

"Thank you Broots. I could just kiss you." she said.

"What?" he asked as he jumped back.

"Oh, relax, Broots. I'm not going to kiss you."

He let out a deep breath. "Good."

Parker saw the relief in his face. She was relieved too. She took the papers and went to Sydney's office. "Syd."

"Yeah." he answered without looking up.

"I found it. Broots cleared his voice. "Well, Broots found it."

"Found what?"

"Brigitte's medical records." she said as she handed them to him.

Sydney looked over them. "According to this she is three months pregnant."

"Yeah."

"Hasn't your father been dead that long."

"Yeah, but it's not his."

"How do you know?" Broots asked.

Parker remembered the letter her father wrote her before he died. "Let's just say I have proof."

Sydney and Broots looked at her. "Well, are you going to tell us?"

"Not yet. We will know soon enough."

**********

Later that night Parker went home. She dump out papers searching for the letter. Jarod comes into the bedroom. "What are you doing?" he asked as he saw the mess in the floor.

"I'm looking for the letter my father wrote."

"Oh. Why?"

"Well, Brigitte is pregnant. I know she is going to say it's my father's. I am going to prove her wrong."

"Okay." he said. "Here it is." He handed it to her.

"Thanks." she replied.

Jarod kissed her neck. "What do you say we turn in early tonight?"

"I can't."

"Why?"

"Because I have some work to do."

Jarod knew he wasn't going to change her mind. He got up and went to the living room. Their kids said their good nights and went to bed. Jarod watched his wife sitting at the table going through papers. He walked over to her. He put his hands on her shoulders. He started to massage her. Then he kissed her neck.

"Jarod, I'm busy."

He didn't care. He kept on. His hands began to wander. "Jarod." she said again.

"What?" he answered.

"I'm working."

He saw that. He liked it better when they were in Jamiaca. She didn't have any worries and neither did he. He sat down beside her at the table. He stared at her. Then his hands began to move again. He went to kiss her. She laid down the pen in her hand. She looked into his eyes. She got up, took his hand, and lead him to the bedroom. Jarod smiled because he knew he could always get to her.

*********

Sometime in the middle of the night, Jarod woke to find Parker gone. He got up and find a light on. "What are you doing?" he asked rubbing his eyes.

"Finishing my work." she said. She looked up at him. "Why don't you go back to bed? You look tired."

"Why don't you join me?"

"I will in a few minutes. I'm almost finished."

Jarod sat down beside her. He watched her write. He laid his head down on the table. "Jarod." she said.

He didn't answer. "Jarod." she said again.

"What?" he said sleepily.

"Go back to bed. I will be there in a minute."

"No, I'll wait."

She kissed the back of his neck and said, "Go back to bed. I promise I will be there shortly."

Jarod looked up at her. "Okay." he answered. He got up and headed back to bed. It wasn't long until she followed him.

********

Parker walks into the Centre. She runs into Lyle and Brigitte. "Well, if it isn't the bitch and the moron." she said as she walked by.

"Good morning to you, too." Lyle answered.

Parker turned back around. "I hear congratulations in in order for you." she said to Brigitte.

Brigitte looked at Lyle. "Congratulations? For what?" she responded.

"On your pregnancy." Parker answered. She turned back around and smiled. She walked to her office. Broots came in. "You are right about one thing."

"Of course I am. I'm always right. What am I right about?" she asked.

"About your father's death."

"Oh." she said. "Oh!" she replied again. "Come on. Tell me."

"Well, it looks like something else killed him but I had found out what yet."

"Try this." she said pulled out the envelope the letter was in.

"What is this?"

"I want you to test it for some kind of chemicals. I don't know what we are looking for."

"Okay. I will get it to the lab."

Broots walked out.

*********

Later in the afternoon, Parker called for a meeting. Lyle walked in. "What's this about? I have other important things to do."

"Well, when everybody else gets here you will find out."

Lyle looked around. "What other people?" He already seen Sydney sitting there.

"Broots and Brigitte." she said.

It wasn't long until Brigette came walking in, sucking on a lollipop. "Hello, Luv." she said.

Parker just smiled and said, "Have a seat, Luv."

Brigette sat down. "What's this about?"

"That's what I asked." Lyle commented.

"Well, I guess we could start without Broots." Parker said. "I know you want to know why I called you here."

"Yeah." they said at the same time.

"Well, I think one or both of you had something to do with my father's death."

"He was my father too." Lyle said interupting Parker.

"Excuse me. Our father. Anyway, like I said, I think one or both of you had something to do with his death."

"It wasn't me. Like I said he was my father too."

"Well, it wasn't me. I loved him. I am having his child."

"Yeah. Right." Parker said rolling her eyes.

"Can we get on with this meeting?" Lyle asked.

Parker continued, "I know that baby is not my father's."

"How do you know that? You weren't there." Brigitte said. "We loved each other."

Broots comes in. He hands Parker some papers. Parker looks like them and said, "Well, first of all, my father couldn't have children."

Lyle looked at her funny. "What are you saying?"

"I am saying our father wasn't our father."

"How do you know?"

"Well, it seems our father left me a letter of confession. He couldn't have children."

"Then, who is are father?" Lyle asked.

Parker had a feeling deep down inside she knew who it was. "I don't know." she said. She didn't want to tell Lyle who it was. "Now, to the other matter. It seems the envelope that the letter was in had a trace of poison on it."

"What are you saying, Parker?" Lyle asked.

"Well, this type of poison kills someone after, for example, they have sealed the envelope, several hours later. It looks like a heart attack."

"You can't prove anything." Brigitte said.

"Well, I might not can. Would you like to lick this envelope to show us how it is done?" Parker asked Brigitte.

"No!" she yelled.

"That's what I thought. Now, I would like to know which one of you killed Raines?"

"What are you talking about? Raines died in his sleep." Lyle said.

"He might have died in his sleep but that is not HOW he died."

Brigitte looked at Lyle. Lyle looked around the room. "What are up to, Parker?" he said. "What do you care about Raines? He was nothing but trouble for you and Jarod."

"I'm just trying to get to the truth."

"Oh, don't tell me, Jarod has rubbed off on you. Since when do you care about people?" Lyle said.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, he has rubbed off on me. Maybe you should take lessons."

"Can we go?" Brigitte asked.

"Yeah. Are you going to turn us in or are we free to go?" Lyle replied.

"I'm not going to turn you in. Why should I?" Parker responded.

"No. We have nothing to hide." Lyle said. They got up to leave.

"Oh, by the way Brigitte, I will prove that baby is not my father's."

Brigitte glared at Parker and walked out. Lyle said, "You can't prove anything."

"Oh, maybe the baby is yours."

"What? That baby is not mine."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." Parker said. She showed Lyle a picture of him and Brigitte going into a hotel the day her father died.

"We just went there for lunch. That's all. Nothing more." Lyle commented.

Parker watched Lyle as he walked out. Sydney and Broots stood next to Parker. "Now what?" Sydney asked.

"Nothing."

"What if they try something?"

"I'm not afraid of them." Parker said as she gathered up her things and headed out.

"Parker, wait." Broots said going after her.

She turned around. "What?"

"Becareful." he said.

"I'm always careful. What is with the caring all of a sudden?"

"Well...I...I..."

"It's okay, Broots. I understand." Broots smiled and watched Parker walk out.

*********

Parker returned home. Jarod had dinner on the table and waiting for her.

"Jarod, what is with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You, dinner."

"You know, I do the house work since you went back to work."

"I know but..." she looked around. "Dinner, on the table. Ready for me when I get home."

"So."

"How did you know I was on my way?"

"I didn't. I just took a chance." Jarod yells for the kids. They come running into the kitchen. "Where is your sister?" Jarod asked.

"She's in her playpen." Catherine said.

"I'll get her." Parker said. She walked into Sydney's room. Sydney looked up at her mother.

"Mommy." she said reaching for her. Parker picked her up and went back the kitchen. After dinner and spenting time with her children, Parker turned in early. It was long until Jarod joined her.

"Jarod." she said as he climbed into the bed.

"Yeah."

"I need your help."

"YOU, need my help." he said shocking.

"Yeah. Don't look at me that way."

"I can't help it. You don't like to ask for help."

"Well, this time I need your help."

"What can I do for you?" he asked moving closer to her.

"I need your help to prove Lyle and Brigette had something to do with my father's death."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Why do you want to prove this? He wasn't much of a father to you."

"I know. But it would make me feel better. So, will you help me or not?"

"Yes, I will help you. You know that."

"Thank you." she said. Jarod put his arms around her and held her tight. He kissed the top of her head. "I love you." he said.

"I love you too." she said. She curled up next to him and fell asleep.

The End!

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