Disclaimer: Not mine. These characters are NOT mine. I don't own them, just borrowing them. Again, if we're not clear, these people are NOT MINE!

AN: What stems from too much stress at work. God bless Kay and Kylie for betaing. All medical conundrums and info is from my head, I am not an expert so excuse anything that seems off!



To Catch A Pretender
part 1
by SaraC




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lyle felt a chill as he entered Mr. Raines office. The man in question was staring out the Centre window with a decidedly satisfied expression on his face.

From experience, Lyle knew that could either be a very good or a very bad thing.

"Lyle, come in, sit down," Raines offered as he turned to watch the young man uncomfortably settle into a chair.

"You said you wanted to see me, what's going on?" Lyle asked, wondering at Raines' small smile.

"I have grown tired of waiting for Jarod to be returned to us, our need of him is great at the moment, so I have come up with a plan that will solve many problems all at once," he offered with another chilling smile.

Lyle swallowed hard.

"What exactly is this plan?" he asked, careful to keep his voice neutral.

Raines steepled his hands before replying.

"For years, the Centre has been working on a top secret project in connection with a radical faction of the government," he began as Lyle sat up straighter.

"It involves developing a completely undetectable, untraceable, yet extremely efficient virus that when administered can destroy the body's immune system in a short amount of time," he stopped as Lyle interrupted.

"Destroy the immune system? How is that possible? Does it work?"

Raines cut him off with a raised hand.

"It is experimental Lyle, we have tested it for years so we know it works, but something always goes wrong with the antidote," he mused as Lyle looked at him in confusion.

"Antidote?"

Raines sighed.

"Our virus was developed from a radical strain of the HIV virus found deep in the jungles of South Africa. In essence, we found a way to speed up the virus' cell destroying process, so it works in about a week, instead of over time, like the normal HIV virus."

Lyle looked at him in surprise.

"So what do they plan on using it for?" he asked.

"The goal was to use it in extreme circumstances. On death row prisoners or criminals of war, anyone the government needed to get information out of fast. Inject them with the virus, which can be as simple as slipping it into a drink, tell them they have a week to live, watch them give up all the information they know, then die anyhow," he offered simply.

Lyle was still trying to get everything straight in his mind.

"So this virus, it's been developed here and tested, but there is no antidote. Which is a problem why, if this government faction intends to let the victim die anyhow?" he asked.

"Unfortunately, higher ups expressed concern that if something happened and there was an accidental or unintended infection, they needed a way to reverse the process. But so far, we have not been able to create a working antidote," Raines finished.

"And the government won't pay up until you come up with this antidote," Lyle surmised as Raines nodded.

"We had hoped to have a workable antidote several years ago, but factors beyond our control prevented that. The government has now given us two weeks to develop the antidote, or they will drop the project and go public with many of the Centre's more unseemly experiments," Raines finished.

"Go public? But why? I'd think the Centre has been useful in its own ways to them, why would they want to expose it?" Lyle asked.

"Plenty of reasons," Raines wheezed. "But the biggest is that it is their way of ensuring we don't sell the experiment to someone else if we ever come up with an antidote. Not that it will matter if we are exposed, and that must never happen."

Lyle was silent for a moment, thinking about what he'd just been told.

"So your plan involves creating an antidote, and Jarod," he stopped as things became clear. "Jarod has to create it for you," he finished as Raines nodded.

"Yes, we need Jarod's mind. And what better way to get him to use it for us than to infect someone he cares for with the virus," Raines began as Lyle started to get an inkling of where this was leading.

"You're going to infect Sydney?" he asked, surprised when Raines began to laugh.

"Stupid boy, Sydney is not expendable. If something were to happen to him, too many questions would arise and undue attention would be drawn to the Centre. He has made many unsavory connections outside the Centre that unfortunately, protect him for now. We cannot risk the possible exposure."

"Well then who," Lyle stopped as another thought hit him, knowing he was right by the unholy gleam that appeared in Raines eyes.

"My sister. You're going to inject her with the virus," he stated calmly.

Raines smiled.

"Actually, you are Lyle," came the reply.

Lyle simply stared at him.

"How the hell do you expect me to do that? She doesn't trust me, hell, she hates my guts. How in the world am I going to inject her with the damn virus?" he raged as Raines watched him quietly for a few moments before replying.

"You will find a way, and you will find that way soon. We must use her to bait Jarod. We cannot wait any longer."

Lyle swallowed.

"You truly believe she will work as bait?"

"What better person? She knows nothing of the research, she is a sure draw and incentive for Jarod to return to us and she is expendable if he cannot find a cure in time," Raines replied in an emotionless voice.

Lyle now looked confused.

"You truly believe Jarod will help her? After all the running and chasing those two have been doing for years? I suspect he'd be rather glad to see her die," he offered, feeling offended when Raines burst into laughter.

"Stupid boy, do you really know so little? Miss Parker is the only person here that Jarod would return for. Their connection has always been strong, even as the hunter and hunted. That is why she can never capture him, in her heart, she doesn't want to," he finished as Lyle sighed.

"I admit, I suspected there were times she let Jarod go, but are you sure this is the best way to get him back?" he asked as Raines rapped his desk sharply.

"You question my methods? If you would like, I can take you out of the equation all together," he hissed, sending a chill down Lyle's spine.

"No, I think anything that will bring Jarod back is worth examining, but she is my sister, much as we might hate each other," he offered quietly.

Raines sighed.

"The time for choosing sides has arrived," he stated in a deadly voice. "You either agree to work with me, even though it could mean your sister's death, although I firmly believe Jarod will save her, and by rights, the Centre. Or you go against me and the Centre, and I do not think you would like that option," he offered cruelly.

Lyle sighed as he weighed his options for several moments.

"Okay, I'll go with your plan, what do you need me to do?" he finally replied, hearing a door slam inside his head as Raines smiled evilly and began to explain.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Three Days Later:


Miss Parker was tired.

She was always tired after spending time with her brother.

She had been surprised when Lyle invited her to dinner, claming he had some news about their father.

They hadn't really spoken since Raines had issued his "bring Jarod in or else" challenge upon their return from the Island.

She'd have been happy to never speak to her brother again to tell the truth.

But, as she knew it would, her curiosity and her need for even a scrap of information about their father had prevailed.

The dinner had been rather nice as well, and Lyle had sprung for it, including a bottle of wine that she alone had polished off. Lyle claimed to have quit drinking, at least for the week.

Right.

Unfortunately, his information had been lacking.

All Lyle could tell her was that the empty scroll case had been found washed up along the shoreline.

No sign of their father, or the scrolls.

She'd managed to endure the rest of dinner by wondering what Jarod was up to and if he'd found any more leads.

She knew she should probably have been on guard, Lyle must have had some ulterior motive for inviting her to dinner, but nothing had emerged.

So she'd let her mind wander while Lyle droned on.

She'd never noticed the nervous way he watched her drink her wine, his eyes going from the glass to her face with each sip.

Soon enough, the meal had been finished, the last glass of wine consumed and now she was finally relaxing with a cigarette and Broots' latest reports on Jarod's whereabouts.

One thing was for sure. She certainly lived vicariously through Jarod's 'pretends.'

Sighing, she began to read, trying to ignore the headache that had suddenly developed behind her temples.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two hours later the headache was nearly unbearable and she'd downed most of the painkillers in her home. Her entire body felt weak and lethargic and she found it extremely difficult to move from her sprawled position on the sofa.

She wondered if this was the bug Broots said Debbie had come down with last week.

Damn man had probably infected her with it as well.

Muttering to herself, she managed to drag her aching body from the sofa and into her bedroom, having just enough energy to reach the bed before collapsing onto it.

She whimpered at the pain that shot through her head as it hit the pillows.

Praying for oblivion, she closed her eyes and tried to focus on anything but the jabbing needles of pain pricking her temples.

Not so strangely, she found herself focusing on Jarod.

He would take away her pain.

He would protect her.

Even if she wasn't sure she wanted his protection.

His image fixed in her mind, she let her thoughts of him draw her into the darkness of sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Broots!"

Broots jumped as he heard Sydney's panicked voice from Miss Parker's bedroom. The two had come to her house when she hadn't show up for work by 10 and refused to answer her phone.

"What's wrong?" he called, dashing up the stairs and into the room. He came to a halt as he saw a distraught Sydney leaning over the still form of Miss Parker.

"She's sick. It might be the ulcer again, I don't know, but call 9-1-1," Sydney ordered.

Broots was already dialing.

"Is she going to be okay?" he asked when he hung up, assured the ambulance was on its way.

"I don't know. She's burning up, just like before, but something tells me this is different. It's just a sense I have," Sydney muttered as he stroked the damp hair from her forehead.

He jumped as Parker's eyelids suddenly fluttered and she whimpered low in her throat.

"Parker," Sydney whispered, "wake up, you can do it, come on," he chanted, feeling the fear claw at his throat as her eyes remained closed and her unintelligible whimpers continued.

"The ambulance is here," Broots called as he heard the sirens wailing, running to the door to let the paramedics in.

As they loaded Miss Parker onto a gurney, she continued to whimper in her fever induced sleep.

Within minutes, both men were tailing the ambulance to the hospital, praying they'd gotten help in time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jarod smiled to himself as he accepted the bag of cocaine from the seedy looking man across from him.

"Pleasure doing business with you. I think it's going to be a long while before you do any business again Juan," he offered with a hard smile.

Seconds later, the street was filled with police and a very irate looking Juan was being dragged off, cursing everyone to hell.

Jarod smiled.

After two weeks of pretending to be a desperate drug addict, he'd finally trapped the dealer, who's business had directly resulted in the murder of a young woman's husband over a deal gone bad.

The mother and daughter were now safe and he could move on.

Slipping into the shadows, he moved farther from the scene, his mind already turning to where he was headed next.

He needed to get to Los Angeles.

His latest lead had traced his mother to a detective agency there. Why she would be using an agency that had a reputation for dealing in 'unusual' problems was his main focus.

Reaching the hotel he'd been staying at, he quickly gathered his things, paid his bill and was off into the night.

Angel Investigations was going to be getting a very late night visitor.

As he drove, he found himself wondering what Miss Parker was up to.

It was a familiar thought, one he'd had almost every night since they'd begun their little cat and mouse game.

Only now, the scope of the game had changed.

Because of those few moments when she'd let her guard down, and nearly kissed him in front of Ocee's fireplace.

The principle might be the same, he ran, she chased, but the dynamics were a whole new ballgame now that emotions had been allowed in.

Smiling, he picked up the phone and hit the speed dial.

A shudder ran through his body as he heard the snide voice at the other end of Miss Parker's phone.

"Jarod, I figured you would be calling sooner or later."

Jarod almost dropped the phone as Raines' voice filtered through the line.

For a moment, he wasn't sure what to say.

But Raines spoke first.

"If you're wondering, Miss Parker can't come to the phone at the moment. She's rather, incapacitated," Raines murmured with laughter in his voice.

Jarod's blood chilled.

"What the hell did you do to her?" he asked in a deadly voice.

"Nothing that you can't fix," came the reply.

Jarod knew it was bad.

"Talk," he muttered, immediately reaching for a map to get him to the nearest airport.

"We simply infected her with a deadly strain of an extreme HIV virus we're developing. It's destroying her immune system, which should be non-functional by the weeks end."

Jarod's stomach turned.

"Why?" was all he managed, trying to push down the wave of horror flooding him at Raines' words.

"Simple. We need you to find the antidote. You do, she survives. If not, she dies," Raines replied with glee.

Jarod had to force the fear down as he tried to think rationally.

"Where is this antidote?" he asked, exiting the freeway and following the signs to the airport.

"That's the problem. We've been trying to develop it for years, no one seems to have the brain power to do it. Except you."

Jarod swallowed hard, the magnitude of the situation hitting him.

"You gave her a virus that could prove fatal, on the simple belief I could find a cure? Are you insane?" he railed, screeching past honking cars as he flew through the airport pick up zone.

"No Jarod. But we need that cure, and we'll do whatever it takes to get it. You have four days."

With that, the line was disconnected.

"Raines!"

Jarod slammed his hand against the steering wheel as he pulled into an empty parking space, trying to control the fear and anger surging through him.

What the hell was he supposed to do now?

He had no idea what kind of extreme virus this was, or what it did. How in the world was he supposed to find a cure?

He closed his eyes as Miss Parker's face swam before him.

Her life was now in his hands.

He had to find a cure.

Grabbing his overnight bag, he punched in Sydney's number as he strode into the airport, praying the man would be with Miss Parker.

"Syd, how is she?" he asked, no preamble in his question as the familiar voice answered.

"Jarod, it doesn't look good," Sydney replied, his heart lightening a bit at hearing Jarod's voice.

He did not even question that Jarod was aware of Miss Parker's condition.

"Define not good," Jarod muttered as he headed for the airline reservation counter.

"The doctors can't figure out what's wrong. Something is destroying her immune system at an abnormal rate," Sydney replied, trying to remain calm.

"How far along?" was the terse reply.

Sydney sighed as he rubbed his forehead.

"The doctors say nearly 25% of her system will be gone by tomorrow, most of it by the end of the week. Jarod, no one knows what's wrong, do you?" he suddenly asked, his own inner sense alerting him something was not right.

Jarod's whisper told him all he needed to know.

"The Centre's behind it, they're killing her."

Sydney closed his eyes, his worst fears realized.

"What did they do?" he asked, trying to keep his voice even.

"They infected her with an experimental virus, something that destroys the immune system, have you heard anything about it?" Jarod asked desperately as he waited in line, his inner voice urging the people in front of him to hurry up.

Sydney's heart nearly stopped.

"Project Immunity," he replied quietly as he searched his brain for details. "I don't remember much about it, but there was talk of a government deal to create some form of virus that would be used to illicit information out of people, a very secret matter, especially since it more than likely was not ethical," he replied.

"Apparently the virus exists, but there's no antidote. It will kill her within the week if I don't find a cure," he replied, the pain in his voice bringing tears to Sydney's eyes.

"No antidote?" He sighed, everything suddenly becoming clear. "You're who they've always needed to create the antidote. It's a trap," he suddenly whispered, looking around knowing the Centre's operatives were no doubt lurking in the shadows.

"I know. Raines informed me of his 'plan' himself just a few minutes ago. Damn him!"

Jarod forced his emotions down as his outburst drew stares from those around him.

He had to remain focused.

He had to figure out a cure, without letting the Centre get a hold of it or him.

Miss Parker's life depended on it.

"Jarod, you must be careful."

Sydney's worried voice reassured him to a degree. He thanked God Miss Parker had Sydney and Broots with her. He hated to think of her being alone.

"I know. Syd, I'm on the next plane to Blue Cove, I'll stay hidden, but you have to get me her charts and any information the Centre has on this virus. I'm assuming everyone is expecting me to come for the information, so you shouldn't have a problem getting it," he replied.

"I can do that, contact me when you arrive. But be careful, as you said, they're expecting you to return, and I know you're going to be tempted to see her," Sydney began, only to be cut off.

"Get me the information, I'll worry about getting in to see her. I'll be careful Sydney, I promise," Jarod murmured.

Sydney was ready to hang up until he heard Jarod's soft question.

"Is she awake?"

Sydney looked over at the pale figure lying in the hospital bed, talking quietly with the nurse.

"She's awake, but she's scared," he offered, knowing the despite her brave façade, the woman he loved as a daughter was terrified.

And would be even more so when she learned what had been done to her.

Jarod closed his eyes as he willed her to be strong.

"Tell her I'm coming. I'll save her, I promise. Tell her Sydney," he whispered as he disconnected the call.

Sydney stared at the phone for a few moments after Jarod had hung up.

Knowing that the Centre was behind this, knowing that Miss Parker could die if Jarod could not find a cure, knowing that the two people he considered his children were in danger of losing their lives, it was enough to make his normally optimistic demeanor tremble.

Turning, he buried his emotions knowing people would be watching closely to note any change in his features.

He could not give anything away.

He knew they'd probably figured out he'd been talking to Jarod, but trusted Jarod's phone scrambling had done the trick.

Now if he could only find a way to get the files the Centre expected him too, along with a few other things he suspected they hadn't thought of.

But he had.

A plan began to form as he dialed Broots' number. As he waited for the man to pick up, his gaze turned again to the pale form lying in the hospital bed.

He only prayed Jarod could find a cure in time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Disclaimers and such in Part 1



To Catch A Pretender
part 2
by SaraC




~~~~~~~~~
Ten hours later Jarod was enclosed in a small hotel room in Blue Cove, scanning reams of printouts Broots had sent him from the Centre.

Sydney had gotten a hold of Miss Parker's hospital records as well, not to mention her entire medial history.

Jarod felt sicker and sicker as he scanned the printouts.

The virus was deadly, no doubt. Centre reports and even the few DSA's Broots had gotten a hold of showed more than 20 people had died after being infected with it, unable to be cured.

It still shocked him that the Centre was involved in such deadly practices, even though he should have been used to them by now.

But deliberately infecting Miss Parker, deliberately to get him to come back, that was the final straw.

He'd develop that cure, he'd save her life.

But only over his dead body would the Centre be getting it.

>From the several classified reports Broots had managed to get, it seemed the government would expose the Centre's evil deeds if the antidote were not forthcoming.

That would work perfectly with his own plans to cure Miss Parker and get the hell out of Dodge, letting the government easily do what he'd been striving to for years.

Unfortunately, finding the antidote was not going to be easy.

He absently reached for the ringing phone, flicking it open as Sydney's voice began to flow over the line.

"You got the reports then?"

Jarod sighed as he rubbed his temples.

"I got them. It doesn't look good," he offered truthfully. "These are some sick people you work for Syd, and this pretty much tops the list of sick and twisted experiments," he finished as his friend remained silent.

"You know I had nothing to do with those experiments. Pretenders were one thing, the Centre's darker business was not mine," he began as Jarod cut him off.

"I know Syd, I'm sorry. I'm just worried. It's going to take some intensive research and I'm going to need to have Miss Parker with me to accomplish it," he murmured.

Sydney looked at the phone in his hand for a moment before replying.

"Right Jarod. You're simply going to waltz into the hospital, spirit her away with you, without the Centre's goons noticing anything is wrong, not to mention the fact that she's more at risk away from hospital care," he offered incredulously.

"I'm not," Jarod replied quietly. "You and Broots and Sam are."

Sydney remained silent for a moment.

Jarod sighed.

"Trust me Syd. I know what I'm doing. I've got a place set up where Miss Parker will be taken care of and her immune system protected. It just won't be under Centre watch," he replied, hearing his friend sigh quietly.

"You are the only one who can save her now, tell me what you need us to do," he offered quietly.

Jarod sighed, thanking whomever was watching over him for giving him Sydney.

Still studying the reports, he began to explain his plan.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Miss Parker stared at the white ceiling above her, a hundred thoughts flying through her mind.

None of them made sense.

Then again, it was hard to concentrate through the massive pain of the headaches she seemed to wake up and fall asleep with.

They had given her plenty of painkillers, but as the doctors had told her, it wasn't the pain that would kill her.

Her immune system was breaking down, putting her at risk of death from any type of infection.

And as Sydney had told her, what she'd suspected when she heard the doctor's diagnosis, was true.

The Centre was behind it.

They were willing to kill her, to get Jarod to do their dirty work for them.

Normally, she would have put on her "Ice Queen" attitude and begun demanding answers.

But she didn't have the strength.

The fact was, if Jarod couldn't find a cure, she was going to die.

For the first time in her life, she was utterly and truly terrified.

When Sydney had quietly told her the prognosis, she had remained calm on the outside, while her insides erupted into a screaming mass of emotions.

She might hate her life, but she was not ready to have it end.

She still had things to do and people to do them with.

It wasn't fair that the people she'd spent most of her life working for, the 'family' that claimed to love her, was now killing her.

And forcing Jarod to do the one thing he'd sworn never to do again.

Help the Centre carry out its diabolical plans.

She couldn't hold back her tears as she realized that he would do it.

For her.

It was more than anyone had ever done for her in her life, except her mother.

And for the first time in years, she allowed the walls around her heart to melt as she sobbed for the one man in the world who would risk his freedom, for her life.

Jarod.

~~~~~~~~~

Two hours later Sydney quietly assumed his position by Miss Parker's door, praying that Jarod's plan went off without a hitch.

He scanned the halls, noting the Centre sweepers positioned all along the hallway, Lyle sitting next to him outside Miss Parker's door, all waiting for Jarod to make his move.

Sydney smiled to himself.

They wouldn't catch his pretender this time.

Bracing himself, he jumped up as three paramedics and a flustered front lobby attendant came flying through the hallway with an unconscious Broots on a gurney.

"What the hell happened?" Lyle roared, running to the gurney as the sweepers moved with him.

"A man in a black leather jacket in the parking lot," the attendant wheezed as Broots was rolled off to the ER. "He was fighting with him, when the man pulled a gun and shot him!" The attendant finished.

"Jarod! Let's go, I want every entrance to this hospital sealed off. Sam, stay by Miss Parker's room, he's bound to show up here unless we get him first," Lyle called as he and the other sweepers took off down the hall.

Sydney and Sam watched the group disappear around the corner.

When the coast was clear, Sam slipped into Miss Parker's room, Sydney close behind, holding open the door as the gurney carrying Broots was wheeled into the room by a paramedic.

"Sam, Sydney, what's going on?"

Miss Parker's senses went on high alert as the two men entered and she saw Broots seemingly lifeless body rolled into the room.

"Miss Parker, we're taking you out of here," Sydney whispered as he began disconnecting the IV and other monitors she was hooked up to as Broots jumped off the gurney.

"Out of here? Why the hell are you moving me, I'm on the verge of death," she tried to utter in her normal cynical voice, but instead it came out as a weak whisper.

"Trust me, Jarod has something ready. He needs you with him to find the cure," Broots offered as he helped Sam lift her body onto the gurney.

"But what about Lyle and the sweepers?" she asked quietly as she watched Broots climb into the hospital bed, quickly pulling the covers up and over his head.

She cursed herself for being so weak she couldn't do more than let them all take control of her life.

At least what was left of it.

"They're searching for Jarod outside. They think you're safe in here. We're going to take you out the back way. Trust me, Jarod's waiting," Sydney whispered as he pulled the sheet over her.

Miss Parker locked eyes with him before her face disappeared from view.

She knew it could be the last time she'd see him.

"Thank you. If I don't make it," she began, only to be stopped as Sydney pressed a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Jarod will save you, and bring down the Centre. Never fear, we will meet again Miss Parker, trust me on that," he replied, fighting back tears as the doctor began to move the gurney out the door.

Miss Parker nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat as she watched his face disappear from view.

Part of her was terrified.

But a larger part was relieved.

Jarod was here and no doubt had a plan.

A plan that would not please the damned Centre.

Suddenly, she felt better than she had in weeks.

~~~~~~~

Sydney smiled to himself as he heard a flustered Lyle trying to explain to Raines why Miss Parker had suddenly disappeared.

He knew that Raines would be relieved, if only to know that Jarod was back and doing what he could to find a cure.

But he would have loved to see the look on the bastard's face when he realized Jarod had successfully taken the hospital out of the equation.

He'd moved the battle off Raines' playing ground.

There would be hell to pay for that.

He sighed as he settled back and closed his eyes, praying Jarod and Miss Parker could find a cure before it was too late.

~~~~~~~~

Miss Parker whimpered as the ambulance hit a bump on the road, jostling her already aching body.

Dear lord, where was Jarod taking her?

He could have at least chosen a smoother route.

"Hang in there Miss Parker, we're almost there," the dark-haired man replied, smiling around the mask he wore from his position on the seat beside her.

She sighed, finally able to breath after keeping deathly still as they'd snuck her out of the hospital.

Mustering up enough energy, she pried open her eyes to see who it was had rescued her.

"Who are you?" she asked curiously.

"Friends of Jarod. He saved my daughter's life and the man driving this ambulance owes him his life. We were only too glad to help him out," he offered with a smile.

She nodded, closing her eyes, too tired to think any more.

The last thought she had before sleep claimed her was how glad she was that Jarod had helped so many people.

And that he damn well better have a comfortable bed ready for her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jarod was pacing frantically as he waited for Miss Parker to arrive.

"Jarod, you'll do yourself no good if you don't calm down. The last thing she'll need is to see you looking worried."

Jarod turned to smile tiredly at the petite woman standing next to him.

"I can see why Joe is always talking about your calming influence Rose," he offered as the woman smiled.

"My Joe is a talker all right. And he's still mine, thanks to you," she replied quietly as Jarod shrugged.

"I'm just glad I could help. And that you're able to help me now," he replied, looking around again at the small sanctuary he'd set up inside the small cabin in the Blue Cove woods.

Rose smiled.

"We've totally sanitized this place, made sure the area Miss Parker is in is germ free and we'll make sure it stays that way. Only you and she will be here and we've already run enough checks on you to make sure you're perfectly fit and healthy, so relax," she murmured quietly.

Jarod sighed and nodded as he settled back onto the sofa and picked up the papers scattered on the table.

"If I can just figure out how they managed to speed up the break down process, I might be able to figure out how to reverse it," he muttered, his mind working overtime to figure out what was missing from the picture in front of him.

Rose sighed as she watched him, knowing he'd called just about every medical or scientific colleague he'd ever worked with in an effort to develop a cure.

She said a quick prayer he would find it before he lost the woman who was obviously so important to him that he would risk his life and his freedom for her.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ten minutes later Rose's head perked up as she heard the sound of an engine approaching.

Jarod too picked up the sound and with a leap was off the sofa and out the front door.

Pacing with impatience, he watched as the ambulance pulled up, immediately heading for the back doors and wrenching them open.

He knew he wouldn't be able to breathe quite right until he'd seen with his own eyes that she was alive and well.

Jumping up into the back, his eyes immediately went to the pale figure lying so still on the gurney, so unusual for the bright, feisty woman he was used to dealing with.

He felt his breath catch as his eyes met the beautiful blue ones that were just beginning to flutter open.

~~~~~~~~~~

Miss Parker sighed, thanking God the bumpy ride had come to an end. Her ears perked up as she heard the back doors flung open and felt the ambulance shake with the force of the body that jumped into the back.

She knew even without opening her eyes that it was Jarod.

"You couldn't have picked a place that has nice, paved roads leading to it could you?" she managed, hoping for some of her usual sarcasm but instead finding the words were more a harsh whisper.

For the first time in the past two days, Jarod began to breathe easily again.

That was his Miss Parker.

"I had to make sure no one could find us, and Joe's little cabin retreat was the perfect place, I'm sorry the ride was so bumpy," he managed, moving to her side and smiling apologetically into her eyes.

Miss Parker's heart did a strange little flip-flop.

It seemed to be doing that a lot more lately when she looked into Jarod's eyes.

"Yeah well, you'd better have a nice, comfortable, germ free environment set up for me, preferably with a nice, big bed," she muttered, blushing as she suddenly realized how the words might have sounded to their fascinated audience.

Jarod couldn't hold back his smile.

It was the first one he'd managed in days.

"Trust me, I think you'll find everything to your liking, and germ free, myself included," he offered, reaching down to lift her into his arms.

She sighed as her tired body sank against his broad chest, immediately snuggling into the arms that were wrapped so securely around her.

Normally she'd be protesting being carried, insisting she could walk.

But at this moment, it felt too good to let him do all the work.

Jarod fought down the lump in his throat as her head came to rest against his chest.

She was so frail, a far cry from the vivid, determined and annoying woman she could usually be.

It only served to bring out even more of his protective instincts.

Muttering soothing words and nonsense phrases, he carried her from the ambulance and onto the porch, smiling as she lifted her head to look around as they entered the cabin.

"Not bad, for a rustic cabin in the middle of nowhere," she murmured, no heat in her words.

Jarod smiled.

"Joe and Rose are letting us stay here while we work on the cure. Rose is a nurse so she's going to help take care of you as well," he offered, nodding to the woman who had come up to meet them.

"I guess you're Miss Parker then, it's a pleasure to meet you," Rose offered quietly, noting the surprise in the tired eyes that met hers. She had a feeling not many people were welcoming to this strong willed woman.

"Thank you," was all Miss Parker could think of to say as she noted the concern on the other woman's features. Concern for a woman she'd never met, but was agreeing to take care of.

She felt a lump grow in her throat.

It was all because of Jarod.

Rose nodded as she followed them into the room Jarod had designated as hers.

Miss Parker couldn't help but smile as saw the huge king size bed, covered in blankets and quilts, all smelling of wildflowers and sunshine.

"It's beautiful," she whispered, suddenly reminded of her room as a little girl.

Jarod smiled as he placed her gently onto the bed.

"I remembered you said once, long ago, that you loved wildflowers in the sunshine. Your mother did too," he whispered softly, seeing the moisture appear in her eyes.

"Jarod, I miss her, but I'm not ready to be with her yet."

The heartfelt words surprised her even as she uttered them.

She watched as Jarod swallowed hard and settled himself on the bed next to her.

"I swear to you Miss Parker, I'm not going to let anything happen to you. Together we're going to find this cure and then bring down the Centre," he whispered softly, determination in every word.

Miss Parker swallowed her own tears as she realized that for once, she truly believed him.

"So let's get started, I guess I'm on borrowed time here," she whispered, wincing as the pain shot thorough the eyes she was fast realizing she could lose herself in. "Sorry, it's just that the only way I know to cope is with sarcastic humor," she offered quietly.

Jarod simply nodded as he stood and tucked her under the covers.

"I think you should rest a little first, in a 'comfortable' bed," he offered with a smile.

She smiled in reply.

"I am tired, but when I wake up, we have to get started," she whispered, her eyelids already beginning to droop.

"I'm already working on it Miss Parker, relax, there will be time when you wake," he whispered, watching as her eyes completely shut. After a few minutes, he noted her steady breathing and realized she was asleep.

A wave of tenderness swamped him as he noted how innocent and young she looked.

Even facing death, she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

Sighing, he leaned down and brushed a gentle kiss across her forehead.

Then he turned and headed back to the living room.

He had serious work to do if he was going to save her life.

And he now had only three days.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Miss Parker awoke several hours later feeling much better than she had just a few hours ago.

At first she looked around in confusion, unable to remember where she was, but within a few moments, it all returned.

She was safe, with Jarod, working to find a cure.

She tried moving, glad to find most of the headache gone and her body feeling more mobile than it had in days.

She wondered if the doctors at the hospital had been giving her something to make her stay still.

She shuddered at the thought.

Using her hands for balance, she attempted to place her feet on the floor, noting the world only rolled slightly as she struggled to her feet.

"Here, let me help."

She turned to see Rose's kind face smiling at her, and with a tired smile of her own, let the other woman help her into the living room.

She smiled as she watched Jarod's eyes light up as he caught sight of her.

"Miss Parker, you look much better," he replied, moving to take over for Rose, lifting her gently in his arms and carrying her to the sofa.

"Jarod, I can walk you know," she muttered, secretly thrilled at his action.

"I'm not taking any chances, you've had a rough few days," he replied as he settled down next to her.

Miss Parker frowned.

"Jarod, were they giving me something to keep me lethargic and unable to move?" she asked quietly, knowing he would have all her charts.

Jarod's smile turned into a frown.

"Yes. I'm not sure what, but it was a muscle relaxant, guaranteed to make any person literally unable to move," he muttered darkly.

She sighed and reached out to touch his arm.

"Jarod, I'm fine now, I feel better than I have in days, and for the first time in years, I am not under the watchful eye of the Centre's goons. It's going to be all right," she found herself reassuring him, noting the irony in her being the one to try and give comfort.

Jarod swallowed hard before answering.

"We don't have much time, so we have to start with what you know. Did you ever hear any word or whisper of Project Immunity?"

She wracked her brain, trying to remember if her father or Raines had ever mentioned it.

"I don't think so, it doesn't ring a bell," she offered quietly as Jarod nodded.

"It was a project they started right around the time I escaped. They needed me to come up with the antidote though, but I escaped before they could give me the task," he muttered darkly.

Miss Parker sighed, knowing what he was thinking.

"Don't go there Jarod," she replied sharply as he turned haunted eyes to her. "It was not your fault. You needed to get away and you did. You have nothing to feel guilty for," she replied, reaching out to squeeze his arm.

Jarod sighed, turning from her penetrating gaze.

"Dozens of people died because there was no antidote, I could have saved them, could save you now, if I hadn't escaped. I've probably killed more people than I've saved," he whispered brokenly, fighting to hold back the tears.

Miss Parker felt the ice around her heart completely melt as she reached for him, pulling him into her arms and holding him tightly as he finally broke down.

'I'm so sorry, so, so sorry," he sobbed against her, his arms clenching her tightly to him. She simply held him, rocking him while murmuring soothing nonsense words against his head.

Finally, the sobs stopped and he lifted his gaze to hers.

"You don't blame me?" he whispered when he could finally speak.

If he hadn't had her heart for years, he would have stolen it in that moment.

"No Jarod. The Centre is to blame, I can admit that now. And once we find this cure, I'll help you bring it down. It and the evil people behind it did this to me and they will suffer for it," she vowed, seeing the fire come back into his eyes.

She felt her own strength returning as well.

She wasn't alone in this fight.

She had Jarod.

"Well then, let's get to work and see if we can't figure out some answers," he muttered, handing her a stack of papers as they settled down to work.

~~~~~~~~~~

Disclaimers and such in Part 1



To Catch A Pretender
part 3
by SaraC





~~~~~~~

Four hours later a very tired Miss Parker was half asleep on the sofa, and a very frustrated Jarod was ready to scream at not being able to make sense of the situation.

There simply looked to be no antidote for the virus. He'd checked and tested every medication known to treat AIDS, but no combination of them even made a dent in repairing the cells. How was he supposed to find an answer when doctors and scientists for years had not been able to?

He rubbed his eyes as he entered the living room, the last batch of tests running through his makeshift laboratory in the back room. His eyes immediately fell on the sleeping figure, his heart giving a familiar, strange tug as he noted how beautiful she was, even pale and weak.

Moving quietly, he sank to his knees beside her, brushing several stray strands of hair from her temples. He smiled as she muttered something in her sleep, but instinctively turned her cheek into his hand, nuzzling gently into it.

His heart rate accelerated at the feel of her soft skin against his rougher touch. It was softer than he'd ever imagined and he couldn't resist stroking his finger gently over her cheek to feel more.

Miss Parker sighed in her restless sleep. She was having that dream again. The dream where Jarod suddenly appeared and did things to her, to her body, that made her lose control. She could almost swear she could feel his skin against hers, his hot breath blowing in puffs against her cheek.

It was a lovely dream.

Until the nightmare intruded.

Slowly, her dream Jarod began to fade, despite her cries for him to stay. But his figure slowly disappeared into thin air, only to be replaced by the evil smile of Raines as he and Lyle stood over her laughing.

She struggled to get away, calling out for Jarod, praying they hadn't done something to him.

But her cries went unheard as Lyle and Raines closed in on her, carrying a filled syringe.

"Don't worry, this will make it all go away. Forever," the dream Raines whispered.

She knew in that instant, that she was about to die.

"Jarod!" she screamed, struggling to get away from the invisible bonds that seemed to be holding her to the sofa.

Jarod jumped back as he heard her cry out his name, her lovely faced suddenly contorting in pain and fear.

"Miss Parker! Miss Parker please, wake up," he whispered, feeling frightened as he watched her body shudder and convulse. He could tell it was a bad dream, but from the effect it was having on her, if she didn't wake soon, she could hurt herself.

Carefully leaning over her, he shook her gently, begging her in a low voice to wake up.

With a jolt, Miss Parker suddenly found her eyes had flown open and the dream was gone.

And there was a very worried looking Jarod hovering over her, concern and fear written all over his face.

Jarod was here, he was safe.

"Jarod, you're here," she whispered, somehow gathering the strength to reach up and wrap her arms around his shoulders, pulling him down to her and holding him against her as tightly as her weak arms would allow.

"I'm here Miss Parker, and I'm not going anywhere, you're safe," he muttered over and over again into her hair as he held her tightly, careful not to hurt her with the force of his relief that she was awake.

For what could have been minutes or hours they simply held each other, whispering soothing words, taking comfort from each other's presence.

When Jarod finally felt calm enough to pull back, he found she wasn't exactly willing to let go.

Smiling, he stretched out along the sofa, pulling her body against his, spooning her back to his front and snuggling her head against his neck.

Miss Parker sighed, closing her eyes and letting her aching body relax against his. It felt too good to be in his arms, and for just a few moments, she wanted to forget about what little time they had left.

"Do you know how long I've wanted to hold you in my arms?" Jarod whispered softly, knowing it was probably not the time for this conversation, but unable to stop himself from asking.

She sighed, realizing it was time to lay it all on the line.

Who knew if she'd ever get the chance again in this lifetime.

"Probably as long as I have wanted to be held," she admitted honestly, feeling as if a great weight had been lifted from her chest as Jarod exhaled against the back of her neck, his warm breath sending pleasant shivers down her spine.

"Why does it have to have come to this to get us to admit how we feel?" he whispered quietly, pulling her just a little closer as she sighed.

"Our paths were chosen years ago, without our consent. And while I knew I loved the boy who'd been my friend all those years ago, after my mother's death and my father's determination that I work for the Centre and then your escape, well I felt like I'd lost everything and everyone. My mother had left me, Faith had left me, you had left me. I simply stopped feeling," she offered honestly.

"You never stopped feeling Miss Parker," Jarod whispered, tears building behind his eyes as he listened to her heartfelt words. "You just hid everything away, deep down inside, too scared to let it out," he finished as she nodded against his chin.

"It was so much easier to hate you. To chase you all over, believing that if I took away your freedom, I would gain mine. And for years, I was content with that. Until you told me the truth about my mother. After that, everything changed," she whispered softly, her throat closing at the mention of her mother.

"Will I ever know what happened in my lifetime? Or will I be able to ask her if I don't make it through the week?" she whispered, letting a tear slip down her cheek.

Jarod held her tighter, unable to hold back his own tears.

"You are going to make it through the week, I refuse to let you leave me, not when I've finally realized how much I need you," he whispered against her ear as she rolled to face him.

"You need me?" she whispered softly, swallowing hard as she noted the look in his eyes.

Jarod simply nodded.

"Why do you think I've had the strength to keep running? Why do you think I've spent so much time trying to feed you clues about your mother? You keep me sane, you keep me in touch with myself, even by chasing me, you're testing my skills, and I couldn't survive without that. The Centre would have had me long ago if it wasn't for you," he whispered, brushing a strand of hair off her cheek.

Miss Parker felt the tears begin to fall as she read the sincerity in his eyes.

He'd just put into words what she'd been trying to figure out for years.

"You know, I never would have been able to make it through these past few years without you," she offered quietly, smiling at his incredulous look.

"I mean it," she whispered as she smiled up at him. "You are always the one who's there for me, even when I don't think I need anyone. You helped me through Tommy, through finding out Lyle was my twin, through this whole mess of who my father really is, and what happened to my mother, " she whispered, reaching up to brush her hand across his cheek, awed at the amazement in his eyes.

"As I told you once, you're always there in my darkest moments, helping me see the light and get back to reality," she whispered, her eyes darkening as she thought about the last time she'd said those words to him.

Jarod's eyes flashed as well as he remembered hearing those words in front of the fire at Ocee's what was only a month ago.

"And if I remember right, I told you maybe that's how it was supposed to be," he answered in a low voice as their gazes locked.

Miss Parker knew her heart was racing, knew that she wanted more than anything for him to complete what they'd been interrupted from last time.

Jarod read the desire in her eyes and knew he felt the same.

Carefully, he lowered his head, feeling his heartbeat quicken at the feel of her soft puffs of breath against his face as his lips hovered over hers.

For several moments, the two stared at each other, realizing that they were at a crossroads.

Miss Parker finally took the lead, leaning up and brushing her lips against his.

Jarod's soft moan merged with her quiet whimper when their lips touched.

And everything they'd ever thought they'd known or believed went flying into oblivion.

Jarod knew it had never felt so right to kiss anyone as it did to kiss Miss Parker.

Her lips were soft against his, but sent sparks leaping through his aroused body.

Miss Parker only wondered that she hadn't exploded yet from the emotions coursing through her body as Jarod's lips caressed hers.

It was as if everything in her life had been leading to this one moment.

Wrapped in Jarod's arms, his lips against hers, taking away all fear and pain and confusion.

When they finally parted for breath, they simply stared at each other for long moments, memorizing each other's faces.

Finally, Jarod spoke.

"I won't let you die, I love you too much to lose you now," he whispered, laying it all on the line, knowing he might not have much longer to tell her how he felt.

She felt her heart leap at the words, and the expression in his eyes.

She knew then that this was what she'd been looking for her entire life.

"I know you won't Jarod. And I love you too much to die on you," she whispered, reaching up to cup his cheek.

His eyes slid closed as he turned his face to plant a soft kiss against her palm.

Then with a soft sigh, he wrapped her in his arms, pulling her tightly to him as she sank against his body, the waves of lethargy creeping over her system.

Jarod felt her grow limp against him, and all the danger of their situation returned.

"You need sleep, rest, so you can fight off infections for as long as possible," he whispered against her ear.

Miss Parker sighed as she burrowed closer.

"I don't want to sleep. I just want to be with you," she replied, wishing she had more strength to show him just how much she wanted that.

Jarod fought back his tears as he untangled them from the sofa and gently lifted her into his arms.

"I want that too, but I have to keep working if we're going to make that wish come true," he whispered as he carried her into the bedroom and placed her gently onto the bed.

Miss Parker sighed, knowing the sense in his words.

"Promise me you'll come hold me and rest for a few hours at least?" she asked in a surprisingly needy voice.

"I promise," Jarod whispered, leaning down to brush his lips across hers again before heading out of the room and back to the laboratory.

She watched him go, feeling her emotions ready to swamp her.

God how she loved that man!

She only wondered that she'd been blinding herself to these feelings for so long.

Ironic that she would finally admit to them only when she was on the verge of not being able to do anything about them.

Sighing, she let the waves of sleep begin to take over her body, remembering the feel of Jarod's kiss and being held so tightly in his arms.

She was going to get better and when she was, she was going to show him just how good it could be between them.

There would be no more Centre.

No more running and chasing.

They would be moving together, for the rest of their lives.

Smiling at the thought, she fell into a deep sleep.

~~~~~~~~~

Jarod slammed his fist onto the table as yet another negative result stared back at him.

What the hell was he doing wrong?

Every calculation, every rational thought that usually solved the worst problems, none of them worked.

He could not find a cure.

Miss Parker was going to die, and he knew he'd die with her.

He didn't want to go on without her.

Feeling the tears building, he gave them free reign, collapsing onto the table and sobbing brokenly, realizing for the first time, he was not going to be able to 'pretend' his way out of this situation.

As he cried, he was oblivious to the soft glow that began to fill the room around him.

Catherine and Faith Parker watched silently as Jarod wept.

"He is so sad, so discouraged," Faith whispered as Catherine sighed.

"I know, but we expected this. Now it is time to help them live out the lives they were meant to," Catherine whispered.

The two watched as Jarod finally collapsed into sleep, tear tracks evident on his cheeks.

When he was finally at rest, the two spirits moved beside him, placing their hands against his head, letting their knowledge and their sympathy flow into his tired mind.

Several minutes later they parted, satisfied that when he awoke, he would realize what needed to be done.

Moving quietly, Catherine and Faith then slipped into Miss Parker's room.

Catherine felt tears building as she saw the pale form of her daughter lying in the huge bed.

She held in so much pain, so much anger inside.

But with Jarod, that all disappeared.

She smiled softly as she settled onto the bed next to her daughter, wrapping her in strong arms as Faith curled up on her other side.

"Sleep my child, when you wake, it will be all right," she soothed as Miss Parker relaxed in her sleep, safe and secure in her mother's arms.

~~~~~~~~~~

Jarod awoke with a start, his mind filled with images of Catherine, Faith, and Thomas.

Thomas?

Shaking his head, he headed over to the last batch of samples, praying there would be some answers.

He cursed as he read the negative results again.

Anger swept through him as he swept the test tubes off the table, sending them to the floor with a clatter of breaking glass.

Dropping to his knees, he held his head in his hands, wondering what to do now.

He felt so hopeless.

"The answer is always there, in plain view, you just have to look for it where you least expect."

His head shot up as Thomas' voice filled the room around him.

"Thomas?" he whispered, hearing his friend's warm laughter echoing through the small room.

"Look into your hearts, the answer has always been there," the voice came again.

"Thomas, where are you?" he whispered, wondering if he was so far gone he was now imagining things.

"Trust your feelings, trust your love for her, it was mean to be."

Jarod looked around again.

"I've been looking, but I can't find the answer. Help me Thomas," he begged, closing his eyes and sinking into a small ball on the floor, rocking back and forth.

Thomas sighed as he watched his friend's agony.

Part of him resented the fact that the woman he loved had never loved him the way she did the man weeping in front of him.

But a larger part knew that this was meant to be. His role had been to love her, to get her to see there was still a woman inside her shell.

Jarod was the man to bring that woman out, to help her live a long, full life.

He was going to do everything he could to make sure it happened.

But unfortunately, that wasn't much.

Catherine and Faith had planted the seeds in his mind, but Jarod had to make them bloom.

All he could do was offer support and keep him on track.

"Jarod, search your heart, the answer lies within," he whispered quietly, seeing his friend suddenly still.

Jarod froze as his friend's ghostly words played over and over in his mind.

Search your heart. Look where you least expect. The answer lies within.

Suddenly, he knew he'd been going about this the entirely wrong way.

Searching for answers in the wrong place.

It wasn't in drugs or medicine.

It was in Miss Parker.

"Thank you Thomas," he whispered as he grabbed another sample of her blood.

Thomas smiled as he watched Jarod frantically begin working.

Everything was going to be all right.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Miss Parker awoke several hours later, feeling as if she'd never slept better. She'd dreamt her mother was with her, holding her in her arms, singing her favorite lullaby from her childhood.

She smiled, suddenly knowing her mother had been with her in her mind, and would get her through this trying time.

Smiling she found there was not as much pain as she slid from the bed and padded off to find Jarod.

She smiled to herself as she entered the makeshift laboratory, watching Jarod mumbling to himself as he mixed various colored solutions.

She felt the prick of tears behind her eyes as she realized how much she had taken him for granted over the past few years.

"Jarod, any luck?" she asked quietly, smiling at the look in his eyes as he whirled around. Within an instant, he was at her side, pulling her into his arms holding her tightly against him. She breathed him in, realizing she finally felt at peace, at home, in his arms.

"How are you feeling?" he asked quietly when they pulled apart.

She sighed.

"Still weak, but the headache is almost gone and I feel better than I have in days," she replied truthfully as he helped her to a chair.

"Sit and relax, I think I might have something," he began excitedly, as a spark of hope lit her eyes.

"Really, something is working?" she asked.

Jarod nodded.

"I was looking in the wrong place, trying to find an answer through drugs and chemicals on the market. What I didn't take into account was your own genetic structure," he murmured, heading back to his row of test tubes.

Miss Parker stared at him.

"What does my genetic structure have to do with anything?" she asked carefully.

Jarod turned to her with a serious expression on his face.

"You have the same genetic structure that I have," he offered quietly, seeing the understanding dawn in her eyes.

"Our mothers were impregnated at NuGenesis. I have the pretender gene," she whispered, seeing Jarod nod.

"Only your mother never let your father get a hold of you, she protected you as long as she could. Just like she tried to protect me and Kyle and the others," he replied softly.

Miss Parker closed her eyes, trying to absorb what he was telling her.

She could have been a pretender. She had the capabilities. She had the knowledge.

But could it save her?

"How can that save me?" she asked curiously, still trying to wrap her mind around what he'd told her.

Jarod smiled.

"Our genetic structure is different. It works with certain chemicals in different ways. But in essence, we have a different type of immune system. From what I can tell, it was a defect that all pretenders have, we just don't know it," he offered carefully.

"A good or bad defect?" she asked quietly.

"That's what I'm hoping this test will discover," he replied, pulling a slide under the microscope.

Miss Parker watched his face, saw his body go still as whatever he saw registered.

"Jarod?" she asked, hope beginning to fill her body.

She knew he'd found the answer as she saw him turn to her, and a tear slid down his smiling face.

"It worked," he whispered softly, almost as if he couldn't believe what he was saying.

Then it hit him.

"It worked! I figured out how to cure you!" he laughed and cried as he ran across the room and pulled her into his arms, whirling her around until she begged him to stop or she would be sick.

The two clung to each other, simply holding onto their happiness, of the knowledge they would have a future.

Jarod smiled as he pulled back.

"I am going to make some more of this antidote and then we'll test it on you," he whispered as she nodded.

"What was it?" she asked as he led her back to the table.

"Your blood," he offered simply as he pointed her to the microscope.

"My blood?" she asked in confusion.

He nodded.

"I mixed it with a combination of drugs, and it began to repair your cells," he whispered, pulling her into his arms again, resting his chin on top of her head.

"So it's my blood that's the catalyst?" she asked as he nodded again.

"There is something in our blood, in all pretender's blood, that no one knows exists. But when mixed with certain chemicals, it can repair your immune system," he replied.

She closed her eyes, thanking God for Jarod's knowledge.

"But how did you realize this?" she asked, turning to look into his eyes.

Jarod smiled.

"Thomas told me," he offered quietly, seeing her eyes widen.

"Thomas?" she asked in a small voice.

He nodded.

"His voice suddenly appeared in my head, telling me to look into your heart, and that clicked to work more with your blood," he whispered, seeing a tear slip down her cheek.

"I loved him you know," she whispered quietly, as Jarod nodded in understanding. "But not the same way I love you," she finished as she looked into his eyes.

'I know," he whispered, leaning down to kiss her gently.

When they pulled apart she smiled.

"So let's get this party started, inject me with this cure," she called as Jarod moved to the table and began mixing various powders.

"I'm not sure how long this will take, but hopefully, we'll see a change within the day," he murmured as he blended the ingredients together, slowly heating them over a burner until they dissolved into a liquid.

Miss Parker settled down on a chair to watch him, delighted to find she had free reign to scope out his beautifully formed body. How had she resisted him for so long?

"Okay, shall we give this a try?"

She smiled as he moved towards her, a syringe filled with an amber liquid in his hand.

"You sure this will work?" she asked, a moment of doubt clouding her eyes.

Jarod nodded.

"It has to," he offered simply as she returned his gaze, then held out her arm.

She winced at the quick prick of the needle, but focused her gaze on Jarod instead, letting herself get lost in his eyes as he injected her.

"There, all done," he whispered, placing the syringe on the table and pulling her into his arms.

She sighed, snuggling there, letting him hold her, realizing nothing had ever felt so right.

For all her hard-bitten, cynical lifestyle, she'd forgotten how nice it was to be held.

"Come on, let's get you to bed," Jarod whispered, again lifting her in his arms.

"A girl could get used to this," she whispered with a smile as she let her head rest against his chest.

Jarod smiled as he carried her back to the bedroom and placed her on the bed.

"Stay," she whispered as she looked up at him.

He smiled.

"Stay," he replied, shedding his shirt and socks before climbing in next to her and wrapping his arms around her waist.

Miss Parker snuggled against him, fighting the waves of sleep as she struggled to hold him tightly.

"I'll be here when you wake up, sleep now Parker," he whispered against her temple.

At his words, she knew it would be all right.

Smiling, she let sleep claim her.

Jarod fell with her soon after.

The three smiling spirits watched them contentedly from the corner of the room before fading from view.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Disclaimers and such in Part 1



To Catch A Pretender
part 4
by SaraC



~~~~~~~

Jarod awoke to find Miss Parker wrapped around him like a second skin.

He smiled.

Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined waking up with her.

Then again, he had had some pretty wild dreams about her over the years.

"What are you smiling at?"

He turned to look into her eyes as she smiled up at him from his arms.

"The most beautiful woman in the world," he replied, seeing the tears shine in her eyes.

"You do know how to stroke a girl's ego, don't you?" she mumbled delightedly, leaning up to capture his lips.

She was amazed at how easy it was to suddenly show her emotions with the man she'd been chasing for the better part of four years.

She couldn't imagine not showing them now.

When they pulled apart, Jarod smiled.

"Come on, let's find out if the serum worked," he whispered, rising from the bed and again lifting her into his arms.

"I can walk Jarod, I'm feeling much better," she made her token protest, only to have it ignored.

"I like carrying you, makes me feel like the big strong man, protecting his woman," he teased, glad when she slapped him lightly on the arm.

"Watch it Wonderboy, you know I could take you in a heartbeat," she replied, glad to see him smile at her tone.

"That's the Miss Parker I know and love," he replied as he deposited her on a chair and headed towards his makeshift laboratory.

They chatted quietly about everything and nothing as he went about the business of checking her blood.

Miss Parker was surprised to find they had so much in common.

Then again, maybe she'd always known that. She'd just never allowed herself see their similarities.

"It's working."

His whispered words brought her out of her daydreams.

"What?" she asked, almost unable to believe what she'd heard.

"It's working, your immune system is starting to repair itself!"

Jarod's cry of joy was muffled by Miss Parker's body as she ran across the room and threw herself into his arms.

They were both crying as they held each other, neither needing words to express their relief.

For what could have been hours they held each other, crying tears of joy and happiness.

When they finally came back to reality, Jarod found himself smiling idiotically at the woman he loved.

Miss Parker returned the smile, something inside her finally letting go of the past and embracing the future.

"So, what happens now?" she asked as Jarod snuggled her closer to him.

"We keep treating you until your immune system is back to 100 percent. Then, we stay hidden until the government deadline is up, and we let them bring down the Centre," he replied.

She looked up at him, fear in her expression.

"But they'll be searching for us, looking for us, can we really elude them?" she asked quietly.

Jarod smiled.

"What do you think I've been doing for the past few years?" he replied with a smile.

She frowned.

"But you only had you to worry about, now you've got me, that is, assuming you want me with you," she trailed off, sounding uncertain.

It was a new expression for her, and Jarod found he quite liked it.

"I'll always want you with me, I'm never letting you go, ever again," he whispered, leaning down to seal his promise with a kiss.

In that moment, Miss Parker knew she was truly free.

"That promise works both ways you realize," she offered when they parted.

Jarod's eyes flashed.

"It had better," he teased, pulling her into his arms as he leaned back against the wall.

After a few moments, Miss Parker broke the silence.

"Think maybe we should call Sydney? I'm sure he's going crazy by now," she whispered after a few moments.

Jarod smiled and reached for his cell phone.

~~~~~~~~~

Sydney smiled as he ended the connection, forcing the tears of relief to stay hidden, not wanting to give anything away to the watching eyes.

But his heart lightened as he realized that everything was going to be all right.

Moving unhurriedly towards his office, his mind was awhirl with Jarod's instructions to get him, Broots and Debbie out of the Centre before it fell.

It was truly going to be a new beginning, for all of them.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Your plan failed Raines, quite momentously if I do say so myself," Lyle hissed as he paced in front of the long desk.

Raines was pale as death as he breathed deeply of his oxygen, but remained silent.

"How could you not realize Jarod would take her, find a cure, and not give it to us? Did that thought even cross your mind?" Lyle raged, knowing the Centre's fall was now imminent.

Well he wasn't going to be a part of it.

"I'm through here. I'm getting out before everything comes crashing down around us. I want no connection with this place whatsoever, and I am going to make sure all references to me are eliminated," he raged, moving towards the door.

"Too late."

Lyle stopped at the resignation in Raines' voice.

"What do you mean, too late?" he asked in a deadly voice, his ears already picking up the sound of boots running through the halls.

"It's over. "The Centre has fallen. Now you all will pay," Raines murmured quietly as the door flew open and a group of soldiers marched in.

"No!"

Raines tuned out Lyle's protestations and angry words as the soldiers dragged him away. He did not envy what the boy would be facing.

"Mr. Raines, we are ready to go."

Raines turned to smile at the soldier waiting patiently for him.

"Let us go then, before the government soldiers really arrive," he replied, following the man from the room.

As he reached the doorway, he paused, stopping to take a long, last look at the placed he'd called home for longer than he could remember.

The Centre was no more.

It would be over within a few days.

And he would be far away from it all, living out the rest of his days in peace.

"Jarod, I hope you and Miss Parker get what you deserve," he whispered softly, a strange smile on his face as he stepped over the threshold and closed the door behind him.

~~~~~~~~~~

Epilogue (One year later)


Parker smiled as she turned into the driveway, happy to note Jarod hadn't beaten her home today.

Good.

She had plenty to do before her husband arrived home from his job as a college professor.

Her husband.

She smiled as she looked at the gold band on her finger, still almost unable to believe she was a happily married woman.

They had married three months after Jarod had found the antidote and the Centre had fallen, torn to pieces by vicious government agencies.

While she knew most of the Centre's operatives had been captured, she knew Raines had not been one of them. The thought that he was still out there sent a chill down her spine, but she'd learned to ignore it.

He had no power over either of them, or their small family, anymore.

Because they wouldn't let him.

Humming to herself, she entered their home and set about preparing dinner.

She wanted everything to be just right for his birthday.

An hour later she smiled as she heard a car turn into the driveway. Looking out, she smiled as she saw Sydney, Michelle, Nicholas and his wife emerge. Close behind them came Broots and Debbie, followed by Ethan and Angelo. Margaret, Major Charles, Emily and Jarod's clone who had adopted the name Michael, pulled up soon behind the rest.

She smiled as she welcomed everyone, getting an especially hard hug from Margaret. She thanked God that she and Jarod, working together with Sydney and Broots had been able to find his family.

A task made much easier when word hit that the Centre had fallen.

They had tracked Margaret to Los Angeles, where she'd been working with a fringe detective agency to decipher what she knew of the scrolls.

In the end, Jarod had finally found his mother and with the help of their new friends, discovered the prophecy that the Center would fall, by Jarod's hand.

And it had.

Although to this day, Parker was still not sure how much of what she'd seen through their connection with Angel investigations, she believed.

But the end results were the same.

The Centre was gone.

Jarod had been reunited with his family.

Now the two of them were determined to enlarge that family.

And today, she had a very special birthday present for her husband she hoped would do just that.

Exchanging greetings with everyone, she got them settled around the house, glad that she had this time to catch up before the party got into full swing.

She knew Jarod wasn't due home for another hour, which was fine by her, since people kept arriving.

They had made many friends in the six months they'd settled here, most of whom were more than happy to help them celebrate Jarod's birthday.

Many of the people Jarod had helped over the years had sent cards and gifts, a few even making the trek down south to attend the party. Parker found herself still amazed at how many people owed Jarod their lives, or had helped save his, and she took great pleasure in meeting each and every one.

She smiled as Margaret moved to her side as she finished stirring the spaghetti sauce.

"Everything looks beautiful, Jarod will love it," his mother whispered, giving Parker a hug.

She smiled, tears in her eyes as she realized how lucky her mother had been to have a friend like Margaret.

"She would have been so proud of you," Margaret whispered, knowing her daughter-in-law was thinking of her mother.

"You think so?" she asked, almost hesitantly.

Margaret smiled.

"I know she's smiling down on us all right now. As are Faith and Thomas, and your father," she replied, wiping away the tear that slipped down her cheek.

Neither woman had words as they silently absorbed each other's strength.

Finally, Miss Parker pulled away as she heard the commotion in the living room.

"I think your son has finally arrived for his party," she teased as she followed the older woman into the living room.

Her heart stopped as it always did as she caught sight of her husband.

Jarod was laughing, hugging friends and family as he made his way through the crowded living room.

She smiled, realizing she had never seen him happier.

Until he met her eyes across the room.

She caught her breath as his glowing orbs seemed to light with fire, love and adoration as he gazed at her.

She felt the blush climb her cheeks as he moved towards her, uncaring of the amused looks he was getting from those around him.

She smiled as he reached her, and swept her into his arms, kissing her as if he'd not seen her in weeks.

Weak kneed and trembling, he finally let her feet touch the floor, only then becoming aware of the applause and laughter behind them.

"I missed her," he offered unrepentantly as he wrapped his arm around her waist and turned to smile at their guests.

Parker simply smiled, happier than she'd ever been.

And the best was yet to come.

Smiling she let him lead her into the crowd of friends and family, knowing they were both finally home, with their families, with each other, where they'd always belonged.