A few months later, Parker walks by her daughter's room. She
is sitting on the bed with her eyes closed like she is really
concentrating on something. Parker backsup and looks at her.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"I'm thinking." Catherine answered.
"About what?" Parker asked again.
"I'm seeing what is like to be trapped and finding a way out."
"And why do you want to do that?"
"I want to learn everything. You never know when I might need
to know this so I am doing sims in my head."
"Has Sydney or your father put you up to this?"
"No, why?"
"No reason." Parker answered. About that time Jarod comes
walking in. "What are you two doing?" he asked.
"That is what I would like to know?" Parker asked him.
"What are you talking about?" he asked looking at her.
"Jarod, what have you been teaching our daughter?"
"Nothing. Would you please tell what you are talking about?"
"She is doing sims in her head. She wants to see what it is
like to be different people."
"Cool. I can help you with that." he tells Catherine. He goes
over to her bed and sits down.
"What?" Parker yells. "Jarod, what are you doing?"
"Honey, you can't stop what she is. She couldn't be any other
way. She was created from us." He turns to look at Parker and
puts his hand on Catherine's shoulder.
"What are you fighting about?" Catherine asks.
"We are not fighting." Jarod answers her.
"Then what are you talking about?"
"Honey, listen you are a pretender like me and your mother."
Jarod explains to her.
"A pretender." Catherine says.
"Yes. Do you understand we I am trying to say?"
"I think so. Mommy is a pretender too."
"No. I'm not." Parker answers rolling her eyes.
"You could be but you won't let yourself." Jarod tells Parker.
"I'm leaving. I can't take this." Parker says. Then she turns
to leave. Jarod stays with his daughter and they talk.
"Daddy, that means I can be whoever I want when I want and
help people."
"That's right, honey. We can work that later, okay."
"Okay."
A few minutes later Jarod comes down stairs and finds Parker
feeding Kyle.
"Kyle, stop it. You are going to make a mess." Parker says.
Kyle puts his hands in his bowl. He throws his hands together
and food goes all over him and his mother. Kyle grins and
Jarod starts to laugh.
"Oh, you think this is funny." Parker looks at Jarod.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh."
"Dada." Kyle says with a smile.
"What do you want?" Parker asked while looking at Jarod.
"I am going to the store. I thought I would take Catherine.
Is there anything I can get you?"
"No. I'm fine."
"Are you sure? Please don't be mad. You can't stop what she
is." He looks at her and smiles. "Would you like some
pickles?" He is hoping she soon forgot about what happened
upstairs.
"Yeah, get some pickles and ice cream." she said softly. He
turns to walk out and she says, "Jarod, I can't help it. I'm
worried."
"It will be okay. What kind of ice cream?" he asked.
"I don't care. Something good."
"Okay. I will be back shortly." He bends down kisses her
forehead. "I love you." he whispers.
She looks up at him and says, "I love you too."
*********
Jarod returns from the store. He brings in her pickles and
ice cream. He hands her a dozen yellow rose with orange tips.
"What's this?" she asked.
"To let you know that I love you." he answers.
"Thanks but you didn't have to."
"I know." he answers. He turns to walk out and she says, "Jarod."
"Yeah."
"I'm scared."
"Why?" he asked.
"Catherine being like you. What if someone finds her? I don't
want to lose her like your parents lost you."
"It's okay. Nobody can find us. She is safe here." He puts
his arms around her holds her tight. "I won't let anyone hurt
her." Jarod whispers in her ear.
"Do you promise?"
"I promise." he answers.
**********
Later that evening, Jarod wakes to Parker gone. He goes
looking for her. He finds her in the bed with Catherine, asleep.
He turns to leave. Parker raises up. "Jarod." she says softly.
"Yeah." he whispers.
"What are you doing in here?"
"I lost you." he answers.
"I'm sorry. I got scared so I came in here to check on her. I
guess I fell asleep." Parker answers.
"It's okay." Jarod says. He kisses both of them on the
forehead and goes back to bed.
*********
Several days later, Catherine comes running into her parents
bedroom.
"Mommy, daddy. Someone is outside my room."
Parker takes Catherine in her arms and hold her tight. "It's
okay." She tries to calm her.
"I'm going to check it out." Jarod says and leaves. He goes
into her room and doesn't see anything. He comes back.
"There's nobody there. Are you sure you weren't dreaming?"
"No, daddy. I saw someone in a black suit."
Parker looks at Jarod. "It's okay." he tells his wife.
They get up and stir around. Before long Sydney and Angelo
come over. Catherine says, "Mommy, look there is a car
outside our house."
She walks over to the window and looks out. Sydney says, "I
noticed that car there yesterday."
Parker says, "I'll be back." She goes up stairs and gets her
gun. She comes back down and Jarod says, "Where are you going?"
"To see who is outside our house."
"I'm going with you."
"No, you stay in here."
"No, I am going with you. Sydney can stay."
"Fine." she answers rolling her eyes. She goes out the back
door. She goes up behind the car slowly. She points her gun at
the man in the car. He throws his hands up and says,
"Don't shoot."
She looks in the car and says, "Sam."
"Parker." he answers.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"It's a long story. We need to talk."
"Yeah." she puts her gun away and says, "How did you find me?"
"Your father."
"My father sent you." she said lowering her voice.
Jarod comes around the car and says, "Sam, it's good to see
you again." He didn't really mean it. He figured if Sam found
them then someone else could too.
Parker and Jarod escort Sam into their house. Catherine comes
running up to him. "Sam." She jumps into his arms. Jarod looks
at Parker funny.
"He kept her for me a few times." Parker said to Jarod. She
knew what he was thinking. Jarod didn't say anything.
Sydney and Sam met in the livingroom. "Sydney."
"Sam." he answered.
"Now what were you saying about my father?" she asked him.
"Oh, yeah. He sent me in search of you."
"Why?"
"He didn't believe you were really dead. He got word that
someone in Jamaica looked like you so he sent me down here to
check it out."
"So you can report...." she started to speak.
"It's okay, Parker. I have watched you for a couple of days.
I can see how happy you are. I'm not going to tell him that
you are alive. Your secret is safe with me."
"Thank you, Sam." Parker answered softly.
"Did you happen to to come up to the house this morning?"
Jarod asked.
"Yes. I'm sorry about that. I heard Catherine scream and I
hurried off. I didn't mean to scare you." He says as he
turned to Catherine. "I just wanted to make sure you were
okay and now that I have. I can return home safely."
"Sam, I hope you will stay with us tonight." Parker replied.
"I need to return tomorrow so I guess I can. If it is all
right with you." he says looking at Jarod.
"Yeah." Parker answered.
"Honey, can I see you for a minute?" Jarod takes her hands
and lends her in the kitchen.
"What is it?" she asked.
"You know your father is not going to give up on finding you.
If Sam found us then someone else will too."
"Jarod, it's going to be okay. Trust me for once."
"Honey, I want to. I do but...."
"But nothing. It will be okay. I promise."
"Okay. fine." he answers. Parker walks out of the kitchen and
leaves Jarod standing there.
"Okay Sam, this is what we are going to do?" Jarod says as he
enters the room.
About that time Broots and Debbie come in. Broots sees Sam
and stops dead in his tracks. "Sam, what are you doing here?"
Broots asked in a shaky voice.
"Broots, it's good to see you too." he answers.
"Sam." Debbie answers as she gives him a hug.
"Debbie, you are all grown up." he replies back.
Sam turns back to Jarod and says, "You were saying."
"I am going to give you a photograph to take back to Mr.
Parker and hopefully it will call him off."
"Okay, Jarod." Sam answers.
Jarod leaves everybody talking and gets to work. He scans a
pictures of Parker and changes it to look like someone else
but with her simularities. After working on it, he returns
back to the livingroom. "Where did everybody go?" he asked.
"They went home." Parker answered.
"Here you go Sam." Jarod hands him the picture.
"Come on, kids time for bed." replies Parker.
"Come on, do we have to? I want to stay with Sam." Catherine
answers.
"You can see him tomorrow. Come on, let's go." Parker gets
them headed upstairs.
"Jarod." Sam says.
"Yeah." he answers.
"I know you don't trust me but I want to protect Parker and
Catherine just as much as you do. Honest."
"I want to believe you, Sam. But...."
"Do because it's true. As far as Mr. Parker is concerned his
daughter is dead. I have gotten to know Parker and Catherine
well when you weren't home."
"What does that mean?" Jarod asked.
"As a friend." he quickly responded. "But she never told me
you were married or that you were Catherine's father. She did
a good job keeping it a secret."
Jarod just looked at him. "Jarod, I just helped her out when
she needed help. That's all." Sam replied.
"Good night, Sam." Jarod left him on the couch. He goes
upstairs and waits for Parker. She returns shortly after
getting the kids to bed.
"What's wrong?" she asked when she Jarod's face.
"What actually happened between you and Sam when I wasn't home?"
"Nothing. Why?" she looked him funny.
"I just wanted to know."
"Are you jealous of Sam?" she asked laughing.
"No, I'm not jealous." he quickly blurs out.
"Yes, you are." she says.
"Oh and you haven't been." he quickly responds.
"Jarod, please. Sam?" she says laughing.
"Forget it." he turns over and faces the wall.
"Jarod." she says softly. He doesn't move. She runs her
fingers over his back and whispers in his ear, "Jarod, turn
around."
He turns around slowly and faces her. She takes his hand.
"Jarod, I had Sam keep Catherine when I thought daddy was up
to something. He was the only one I could trust besides you,
Sydney, and Broots."
"But why Sam?" he asked.
"Syd and Broots couldn't keep her because daddy would suspect
something and you weren't home. I couldn't stay home everyday.
I was afraid Raines would pull something if I
wasn't there to watch his every move. That's all. Besides he
watched Debbie for me."
"Debbie's not your child." he quickly says.
"I know but I'm the closest thing she has to a mother." she
answers. She kisses his hand and whispers, "I love you."
"I love you too." he answers.
"Let me make it up to you." she whispers in his ear.
"Make what up to me?"
"For not telling you about Sam watching Catherine." she says
softly.
"Oh, that." he answers as she kissed his neck. "I think you
have been a bad wife. I hope you intend on making it up for a
very long time." Jarod replies.
"Oh, I do." she whispers as she turned off the lights and
moved closer to Jarod.
*********
The next morning, Sam gets ready to leave for Blue Cove. He
tells everybody bye. Jarod stops him and says, "Thank you."
"You're welcome." Sam answers.
He leaves and they don't hear from him or anybody else. Jarod
keeps a look out anyway, the fear of someone finding them
haunts him. He knows in his heart that Mr. Parker will never
give up until he finds his daughter and granddaughter.
The End!