Disclaimer: “The Pretender” and its characters don’t belong to me they belong to TNT and NBC and are being used without permission. Please don’t sue because I have no money.

At Last

He walked up the steps to his sisters and her husbands new home that he had taken them too. Only he knew where they were. He hadn’t found his mother and his father and the boy known, as Jeremy hasn’t contacted him in a long time. The only part of his family that he kept in contact was with his baby sister.

He had been staying there for a couple of days to regroup from his last pretend. It was draining and the Centre had almost caught up to him, but he eluded them and for now he was safe.

Turning the doorknob he walked in and sat on the couch. Emily and Adam were already there watching the news that night. Sometimes after dinner they would retire to the living room to either watch a movie, a show, or the news. Jarod picked up the book that he had left on the couch that he was reading when a news story made his head snap up.

“This just in the news. A building that is in Blue Cove, Delaware has been taken over by the Government. The place is called the Centre and nobody knows what went on in the building.” The newsman said as the cameraman zoomed up on the building. “We will fill you in when we have more news to cover. For now back to you Brian.”

Jarod stared at his childhood home that he was forced to stay at.

“Jarod are you okay?” Asked Emily as she saw Jarod staring at the T.V.

“The Centre is gone?” He turned hope filled eyes toward his sister.

“That was the Centre? It sure is a big place.” Replied Adam.

“You have no idea. Not only is it that huge, but it has 27 stories.”

“Wow. That is huge.”

“Excuse me.” He said as he got up and went to his room to pick up his cell phone.

“What?”

“Are you okay?”

“Just peachy Jarod. All this time I spent at the Centre and it’s gone.”

“Tell me what happened.”

“Angelo came into the tech room when we were trying to find you and said Go, Go now. We tried to get anything else out of him, but he kept on telling us to go before it’s too late. So we left and when I went inside to turn on the T.V. there was the news that it was over.”

“So it was Angelo that helped.”

“How could he help?”

“Why wouldn’t he? He helped me and Kyle.”

“Cousin It helped you?”

“Don’t call him that. He is a human being you know.”

“Whatever.”

“I’m coming up tomorrow.”

“You don’t need to be here.”

“Yes, I do.” He said as he turned the phone off.

He walked out back to the living room and saw that Emily and Adam were still on the couch.

“I’m leaving tomorrow.”

“Where are you going?”

“Blue Cove.”

“Why?”

“Because I need to go.”

“Then I’m going with you.”

“No, Emily you don’t need to go.”

“Please Jarod. Let me go.”

He looked at Emily and nodded. “Okay, but you better be ready to go.” He said as he went back to his room. He needed to get some sleep because tomorrow was going to be a big day.

Disclaimer: “The Pretender” and its characters don’t belong to me they belong to TNT and NBC and are being used without permission. Please don’t sue because I have no money.

At Last

Jarod stood in Miss Parker’s house with his sister Emily.

“You don’t know, Emily. How it feels like to being used by someone you thought loved you and cared for you. When they didn’t love, or care for you. They only wanted something from you. You have no idea what that feels like.”

“And she does?” She pointed at Miss Parker.

“Yes, she does. Her father lied to her about things. He wanted her to believe him and not me because he wanted her to chase me and leave the past alone.”

Miss Parker watched the two siblings fight with each other.

“Do you honestly believe that she thought her father was lying to her? That maybe she wanted to believe it?”

“No. She’s a Centre prisoner just like I was. Her bars might have been different, but that doesn’t mean anything.”

“She was the one that hunted you, Jarod.”

“And if she didn’t she would have been dead. Look I know that you don’t like her, but at least give her a chance.”

“I don’t know Jarod.”

“Please give her a chance. That’s all I’m asking.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Good. Now let’s go to the Centre.”

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Asked Miss Parker knowing that Jarod didn’t like the Centre.

“I’m sure. I have to face my fear sometime.” Replied Jarod as he put on his jacket.

“Jarod are you okay?” Asked Emily as she saw the fear in her brother’s eyes and how he was clenching his fists. They could see the Centre looming up ahead of them.

“I’m fine, Emily.”

Miss Parker glanced into the back seat and saw the fear in his eyes. “You don’t have to do this.”

“I have to get over this fear and tell myself that it’s over. I’ll be fine.”

They parked in the parking lot and made their way towards the front of the Centre. Jarod gathered himself up and made his way inside.

“We don’t have to do this Jarod. We can go back to my place and come back without you.”

“No, I’m fine. I have to do this sometime.” He replied as he walked up the steps with the others following him. He pulled open the doors and walked inside. It seemed like it was only yesterday that he walked into the doors to trade his father for Mr. Parker. He was nervous then too, but he got over it and he’ll get over it now.

They walked to Miss Parker’s office as she rummaged through the drawers and found what she needed. After that they went to Sydney’s office to take the locked box that he had in the drawer.

“I want to show you something,” Miss Parker said as she led them to the elevator and then to a room filled with all of Jarod’s discoveries.

“You kept them all?” Jarod said in amazement, as he looked at all the stuff that he had left, or sent them. He moved around the room touching everything.

“Of course Jarod.” Watching the pretender as he walked around.

“Why?”

“Because they were from you. They would have been destroyed, but Sydney thought that maybe you would want some of these things back.”

“And you didn’t.”

“At that time, No.”

“And now?”

“I still don’t know.”

Jarod nodded to her and then resumed what he was doing. He picked a few things up and then turned to the people in the room.

“I’m ready to go back if you are.”

They shuffled out of the room and went back to the elevator. They still didn’t know what the government was going to do with the Centre. Would they shut it down, or make something else out of it?

Disclaimer: “The Pretender” and its characters don’t belong to me they belong to TNT and NBC and are being used without permission. Please don’t sue because I have no money.

It had been a couple of months after the Centre had fallen and still there was no word on what they were going to do with the Centre. Jarod had moved to Blue Cove to see what would turn out. He had been trying to get back in touch with Miss Parker and rekindle their relationship and hopefully it would grow into something more, but she would rebuff his advances and he was tired of trying.

Jessica had come into his life a week after he broke it off with Miss Parker. She had just moved here and they had hit it off. There were times that he wished that it were Miss Parker that he was with, but he knew that she would never love him.

---

Miss Parker watched as the two lovebirds were kissing on the front porch. She was tired of watching them kiss and hug each other. Didn’t Jarod know that she only pushed him away because she was afraid of losing him? He’s a genius and he couldn’t figure that out? Well two can play at that game and now after seeing him with someone else she was ready to take the chance with Jarod. She guessed that it took her seeing him with someone else to feel these feelings towards him.

“Hello, Jarod.” She said cheerfully when she really didn’t feel it.

“Hello, Miss Parker.” He wondered why she was there. They barely talked and now suddenly she was always almost over at his house.

“Jessica.” She turned to the brown haired woman.

“Miss Parker.” She nodded to her.

“What are you doing here, Parker?”

“Oh, just wanted to know how you were doing.”

“Fine. How about you?”

“Just peachy Jarod.”

They talked some more on the porch and then suddenly the phone rang.

“Excuse me, ladies.”

With Jarod gone Jessica turned to Miss Parker.

“I know what you’re doing and it’s not going to work.”

“Really, do you?”

“You want Jarod, but listen to me. He doesn’t want you.”

“And he wants you?”

“Of course he does. He tried with you, but you didn’t want him.”

“And you’re the rebound girl.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Yes, you are. But you better listen to me little girl. I know Jarod and you don’t.”

“You had your chance with Jarod and you threw it away.”

“How do you know all of this?”

“Because he told me. We have no secrets. Now go away.”

“I’ll go, but I’ll be back and I’ll win. I always do.”

Jessica glared at Miss Parkers back as she walked away. She turned to the house and walked inside. Jarod was still on the phone and didn’t hear the argument outside. He had no idea that they were fighting about him.

----

Miss Parker had been right about winning Jarod’s love. It had taken sometime, but Miss Parker had won. They were now dating starting from scratch and it was wonderful.

The End.