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Disclaimer: The characters of the Pretender don't belong to me. I'm not making any money from this and no infringement is intended.
A/N: Sequel to All the Wrong Reasons
Three Simple Words
By Melanie-Anne
Parker was vaguely aware that someone was knocking on her front door. She opened her eyes to find that she was lying on her couch; she'd obviously fallen asleep on it the night before.
The night before.
Thinking about it brought fresh tears to her eyes and she curled up on her side, clutching her stomach as if in pain. Her ulcer had been plaguing her worse than ever since she'd withdrawn into her shell after shooting Jarod, taking an extended leave of absence from work. With the events of the previous night, she wasn't surprised that it was acting up again.
"Miss Parker?"
The concern she heard in Sydney's tone was the only reason she forced herself to get up. She stumbled on the way to the door, bumping her shin on the coffee table. Already, she could feel a bruise forming.
"What happened?" Sydney asked, shocked by the woman who opened the door for him. "Miss Parker, what's wrong?"
"I- Come inside," she said softly, stepping out of his way.
"You look terrible." Sydney got straight to the point. "Are you sick?"
She shook her head, finding it difficult to focus on Sydney's words. Why was it suddenly so hot?
"Umm…."
Sydney caught her as her legs gave out.
*
"She's terribly dehydrated and undernourished. Her liver's not in the best condition either and her ulcer's gotten worse. She's lucky you were there when she passed out."
"Will she be alright?"
"Yes, if she looks after herself."
Parker could hear the voices as if they were coming from very far away. She opened her eyes and saw Sydney leaning over her, looking concerned.
"Miss Parker," he said, relieved, "you're awake."
"What happened?" She felt awful.
"Your ulcer-"
"Oh."
"I don't think you should be staying by yourself."
Parker rolled her eyes. "I'm fine."
"No. You're not. You drink too much, you don't eat…you're fading away."
"Syd-"
"He's gone, Parker." The pain in his voice was clear. "You have to move on. The Centre-"
"The Centre can rot in hell, for all I care," Parker spat.
"How long do you think they'll let you go on like this? They don't approve of the fact that you're taking his death so badly. There's talk that they want to re-educate you-"
"He's not dead," she said, very quietly.
"Oh, Parker…."
"No, he's alive. I saw him, Syd. He came to me last night," she insisted.
"I never thought his death would affect you like this."
"Syd-"
He looked at her sadly. "I think you need to talk to someone about all this. Not me, I'm too close, but I've got a friend-"
She sat up. "He was really there. He…he said he loved me but I…I pushed him away. I told him to leave and he left…. He left." She looked away in defeat. "He left me."
Sydney sat on the bed and took her hands in his own, looking at her with a compassion she'd never seen from her father.
"It's okay to live, Parker. You're not a bad person because you're still alive and he's not."
"You don't believe me."
Parker stared up at the ceiling. Maybe she had imagined it, after all.
"Do you think you could stay with me for a while when I get home?" she asked hesitantly.
Sydney smiled. "I'd love to."
*
Jarod couldn't sleep. Tossing and turning until his legs were trapped in the twisted sheets, he finally gave up trying to fall asleep. He sat up and switched the bedside lamp on. He swung his legs over the edge and glanced at the time.
2a.m.
He groaned. What had possessed him to think that he'd be able to just walk away? Why couldn't he just leave her? All he'd wanted to hear from her were three words. Words that should have been easy to say.
Three simple words.
I. Love. You.
He couldn't believe that she felt nothing for him. The state she'd been in when he'd arrived…she definitely felt something. But was it love?
He shouldn't have left her like that. Whether or not she returned his feelings was irrelevant, she hadn't been well. And he was worried about her. Never before had he seen her like that. It was almost as if she'd just given up.
Had she really been mourning him? Or was it just guilt?
He paced up and down his motel room, chewing things over in his mind, debating whether or not to give it one last shot.
*
One week later
Parker stepped out of the car, raising her face to the sunshine. She felt better than she had in months and turned to smile at her companion.
"Thanks again for staying with me," she said.
"I'm just glad you're feeling better," Sydney replied.
They went into the house. It had been cleaned since the night of Jarod's visit. Parker couldn't help staring at the couch he'd occupied, the one he'd sat with her and held her. Where he'd said-
"You're thinking about him," Sydney observed.
"I think about him all the time," she admitted quietly.
"It gets easier, with time."
She smiled. "I'm glad you're my friend, Sydney."
He was deeply touched by her admission and returned her smile.
They both went to bed early. Shortly after midnight, Parker woke with the feeling that someone was in her room. She hadn't used her gun since that awful night but she held it now. It felt strange in her hand, uncomfortable, almost.
"Who's there?" she asked.
"It's me." Jarod switched the light on and stood by the wall, staring at her.
She couldn't speak. Part of her wondered if she was dreaming again. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she was brave enough to open them again, Jarod was still there.
"Jarod?"
That one word held every ounce of hope she had in her and he could hear the hint of fear in it too, the fear that he wasn't really there.
"Could you, uh, put the gun away?" he asked with half a smile.
"What?" Parker looked at the weapon as if she had forgotten it was there. In truth, she had. She returned it to its position on the bedside table and looked again at Jarod.
"What are you doing here? Why did you come back?"
The words came out in a rush. She didn't mean to sound abrupt but Jarod was offended. He took a step backwards, hurt clearly reflected on his face.
"I'm sorry. I'll go."
"No!" she said sharply, rising to her knees. "Please, don't go."
The distance between them seemed like it stretched for miles and the silence seemed just as long. Jarod stood at the door, torn between Parker and freedom. When he thought about it long enough it was clear that he didn't have a choice. All his life he had wanted only one thing and to give that up now for the option that seemed wiser, would be stupid.
He looked at Parker's face and saw her, truly saw her. She was not the little girl who had been his beacon of light as a child, yet neither was she the heartless huntress who had chased him for years. Somewhere along the line she had let herself love again and she loved him. She didn't need to say the words for him to know it.
They had never really needed words to communicate with each other.
She smiled, a sight he hadn't realized he'd missed until he saw it. With a will of their own his legs carried him across the room and he sat next to her. She cried, tears of relief and joy, when he wrapped his arms around her. And then, the miracle.
"I love you."
The three simple words he'd been waiting to hear her say for over thirty years.
The three simple words that would make all the difference in their lives.
Smiling through her tears, she looked up at Jarod. "You were right, everything you said, I felt it too. I'm sorry. Please, forgive me?"
He kissed her. "I'm sorry, too. I should have stayed. You should be the one forgiving me."
She shook her head. "It doesn't matter. You came back."
"How could I not?"
Their heads bent together, they came to a new understanding. In each other's arms they whispered promises of a future together.
Standing silent at the door, Sydney could only stare at them in astonishment. He had heard the noise and out of worry, had come to investigate. The last thing he had expected them to see was the two people he loved as his own children. The sight filled him with hope and with joy.
When Jarod pulled the covers up over Parker, Sydney discreetly closed the door and returned to the guestroom. He knew the likelihood of Parker and Jarod being there when he woke up was very slim, but he didn't mind. He knew they'd be in contact soon.
The future was looking very bright, indeed.
~*~
A/N: Sequel to All the Wrong Reasons
Three Simple Words
By Melanie-Anne
Parker was vaguely aware that someone was knocking on her front door. She opened her eyes to find that she was lying on her couch; she'd obviously fallen asleep on it the night before.
The night before.
Thinking about it brought fresh tears to her eyes and she curled up on her side, clutching her stomach as if in pain. Her ulcer had been plaguing her worse than ever since she'd withdrawn into her shell after shooting Jarod, taking an extended leave of absence from work. With the events of the previous night, she wasn't surprised that it was acting up again.
"Miss Parker?"
The concern she heard in Sydney's tone was the only reason she forced herself to get up. She stumbled on the way to the door, bumping her shin on the coffee table. Already, she could feel a bruise forming.
"What happened?" Sydney asked, shocked by the woman who opened the door for him. "Miss Parker, what's wrong?"
"I- Come inside," she said softly, stepping out of his way.
"You look terrible." Sydney got straight to the point. "Are you sick?"
She shook her head, finding it difficult to focus on Sydney's words. Why was it suddenly so hot?
"Umm…."
Sydney caught her as her legs gave out.
*
"She's terribly dehydrated and undernourished. Her liver's not in the best condition either and her ulcer's gotten worse. She's lucky you were there when she passed out."
"Will she be alright?"
"Yes, if she looks after herself."
Parker could hear the voices as if they were coming from very far away. She opened her eyes and saw Sydney leaning over her, looking concerned.
"Miss Parker," he said, relieved, "you're awake."
"What happened?" She felt awful.
"Your ulcer-"
"Oh."
"I don't think you should be staying by yourself."
Parker rolled her eyes. "I'm fine."
"No. You're not. You drink too much, you don't eat…you're fading away."
"Syd-"
"He's gone, Parker." The pain in his voice was clear. "You have to move on. The Centre-"
"The Centre can rot in hell, for all I care," Parker spat.
"How long do you think they'll let you go on like this? They don't approve of the fact that you're taking his death so badly. There's talk that they want to re-educate you-"
"He's not dead," she said, very quietly.
"Oh, Parker…."
"No, he's alive. I saw him, Syd. He came to me last night," she insisted.
"I never thought his death would affect you like this."
"Syd-"
He looked at her sadly. "I think you need to talk to someone about all this. Not me, I'm too close, but I've got a friend-"
She sat up. "He was really there. He…he said he loved me but I…I pushed him away. I told him to leave and he left…. He left." She looked away in defeat. "He left me."
Sydney sat on the bed and took her hands in his own, looking at her with a compassion she'd never seen from her father.
"It's okay to live, Parker. You're not a bad person because you're still alive and he's not."
"You don't believe me."
Parker stared up at the ceiling. Maybe she had imagined it, after all.
"Do you think you could stay with me for a while when I get home?" she asked hesitantly.
Sydney smiled. "I'd love to."
*
Jarod couldn't sleep. Tossing and turning until his legs were trapped in the twisted sheets, he finally gave up trying to fall asleep. He sat up and switched the bedside lamp on. He swung his legs over the edge and glanced at the time.
2a.m.
He groaned. What had possessed him to think that he'd be able to just walk away? Why couldn't he just leave her? All he'd wanted to hear from her were three words. Words that should have been easy to say.
Three simple words.
I. Love. You.
He couldn't believe that she felt nothing for him. The state she'd been in when he'd arrived…she definitely felt something. But was it love?
He shouldn't have left her like that. Whether or not she returned his feelings was irrelevant, she hadn't been well. And he was worried about her. Never before had he seen her like that. It was almost as if she'd just given up.
Had she really been mourning him? Or was it just guilt?
He paced up and down his motel room, chewing things over in his mind, debating whether or not to give it one last shot.
*
One week later
Parker stepped out of the car, raising her face to the sunshine. She felt better than she had in months and turned to smile at her companion.
"Thanks again for staying with me," she said.
"I'm just glad you're feeling better," Sydney replied.
They went into the house. It had been cleaned since the night of Jarod's visit. Parker couldn't help staring at the couch he'd occupied, the one he'd sat with her and held her. Where he'd said-
"You're thinking about him," Sydney observed.
"I think about him all the time," she admitted quietly.
"It gets easier, with time."
She smiled. "I'm glad you're my friend, Sydney."
He was deeply touched by her admission and returned her smile.
They both went to bed early. Shortly after midnight, Parker woke with the feeling that someone was in her room. She hadn't used her gun since that awful night but she held it now. It felt strange in her hand, uncomfortable, almost.
"Who's there?" she asked.
"It's me." Jarod switched the light on and stood by the wall, staring at her.
She couldn't speak. Part of her wondered if she was dreaming again. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she was brave enough to open them again, Jarod was still there.
"Jarod?"
That one word held every ounce of hope she had in her and he could hear the hint of fear in it too, the fear that he wasn't really there.
"Could you, uh, put the gun away?" he asked with half a smile.
"What?" Parker looked at the weapon as if she had forgotten it was there. In truth, she had. She returned it to its position on the bedside table and looked again at Jarod.
"What are you doing here? Why did you come back?"
The words came out in a rush. She didn't mean to sound abrupt but Jarod was offended. He took a step backwards, hurt clearly reflected on his face.
"I'm sorry. I'll go."
"No!" she said sharply, rising to her knees. "Please, don't go."
The distance between them seemed like it stretched for miles and the silence seemed just as long. Jarod stood at the door, torn between Parker and freedom. When he thought about it long enough it was clear that he didn't have a choice. All his life he had wanted only one thing and to give that up now for the option that seemed wiser, would be stupid.
He looked at Parker's face and saw her, truly saw her. She was not the little girl who had been his beacon of light as a child, yet neither was she the heartless huntress who had chased him for years. Somewhere along the line she had let herself love again and she loved him. She didn't need to say the words for him to know it.
They had never really needed words to communicate with each other.
She smiled, a sight he hadn't realized he'd missed until he saw it. With a will of their own his legs carried him across the room and he sat next to her. She cried, tears of relief and joy, when he wrapped his arms around her. And then, the miracle.
"I love you."
The three simple words he'd been waiting to hear her say for over thirty years.
The three simple words that would make all the difference in their lives.
Smiling through her tears, she looked up at Jarod. "You were right, everything you said, I felt it too. I'm sorry. Please, forgive me?"
He kissed her. "I'm sorry, too. I should have stayed. You should be the one forgiving me."
She shook her head. "It doesn't matter. You came back."
"How could I not?"
Their heads bent together, they came to a new understanding. In each other's arms they whispered promises of a future together.
Standing silent at the door, Sydney could only stare at them in astonishment. He had heard the noise and out of worry, had come to investigate. The last thing he had expected them to see was the two people he loved as his own children. The sight filled him with hope and with joy.
When Jarod pulled the covers up over Parker, Sydney discreetly closed the door and returned to the guestroom. He knew the likelihood of Parker and Jarod being there when he woke up was very slim, but he didn't mind. He knew they'd be in contact soon.
The future was looking very bright, indeed.
~*~
