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Chapter or Story
Disclaimer: The characters of the Pretender don't belong to me. No infringement is intended & I'm not making any money from this.
The Baby Series
My Father, The Bogeyman
Melanie-Anne
Miranda could see the baby seat in the rearview mirror. Tommy was fast asleep, as was his father who occupied the front seat of the car. She smiled, content. For the first time since her mother's death she had a family who loved her.
She glanced at Jarod whose head lay back, his mouth slightly open. If she listened carefully she was able to hear the soft whistle of his breath. She admired his profile; even asleep, the man took her breath away.
"Mama, look!" Tommy piped up from the back seat. He'd just woken up and was pointing to the cow that stood in the middle of the road.
Miranda slammed her foot down on the brake, swerving to avoid the animal. She went straight into a fence running alongside the road, skidding. Fortunately both she and Jarod were wearing their seatbelts. Jarod woke up as the car came to a rest.
"I'm sorry," Miranda whispered, her face white. She unclipped her belt and swiveled in her seat to look at Tommy. "Are you okay?" she asked.
To her surprise - and relief - Tommy was laughing. "Fun! Fun! Again, please, Mama!"
She turned to Jarod. "And you?"
"Fine." He massaged his neck, hoping he didn't have whiplash. "What happened?"
"There was a cow in the road." She cupped his cheek gently, her eyes searching his. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"How could you not see a cow?"
"Umm…I wasn't looking at the road." As a look of displeasure registered on Jarod's face she defended herself by saying, "Hey! I was looking at you…so it's partly your fault…." She trailed off. "I'm so sorry."
"Are you okay?" he asked.
She nodded, again muttering an apology.
He leaned across and kissed the tip of her nose. "It's okay. We're all fine. Some of us even enjoyed it, right, kiddo?" he looked at Tommy who grinned back at his parents. "The car, on the other hand…."
Miranda grimaced, then opened the door, stepping out to see the damage. The look on her face spoke volumes.
"That bad, huh?" Jarod asked.
"Umm…no…of course not," she lied.
Jarod sighed and pulled out his cell phone.
*
Lyle checked out of his motel, flirting with the girl in reception. He'd been enjoying his time away from the Centre and doing things he'd never really had the time for before. He'd been to the cinema twice and had even gone to see the town's football team play. Now, though, he was starting to get bored.
He wasn't cut out for the lazy life and after a long conversation with Parker - Miranda, now, he reminded himself - he'd decided to move on to a larger place and look for a job. Jarod had arranged a new identity for him and had set up a new bank account…using stolen Centre funds, of course.
Once his bags were packed - he'd acquired an entire wardrobe in the two weeks that he'd been in hiding - he climbed into his car and headed for Maine. Jarod and Miranda had decided to settle there and Miranda had expressed the wish that he spend some time with them before moving on. He was looking forward to seeing his sister and his nephew again, but he hardly expected a warm welcome from Jarod. The last time they'd seen each other they'd been so worried about Miranda that they'd ignored all the other issues that lay between them. Lyle didn't doubt that Jarod still remembered who it was who had killed his brother. He hoped, more for Miranda's sake than his own, that they would be able to put Kyle's death behind them.
Fiddling with the dial to find a decent radio station, Lyle told himself to relax. There was nothing he could do until he caught up with them anyway, so worrying was only a waste of time. Finding a song he liked, he wound down the window, reveling in the simple pleasure of feeling the wind on his face.
*
Mr. Parker paced up and down in his office. The last lead he'd had on the whereabouts of his daughter had fallen through. He was not impressed. The other runaways were of no consequence; all he wanted was the child his daughter carried inside her. He paused in his movements to look out the window. He had a hunch that if he could find her then he'd find Baby Parker and probably Jarod as well.
He looked down to the beach where his attention was caught by a young couple walking hand in hand on the seashore. He frowned, remembering the night that Jarod had persuaded his daughter to sneak down to the beach. They had been twelve at the time and the chairman had decided then that Miss Parker would not be coming back to the Centre until she could learn to obey him. He'd sent her away to school the following day.
When she returned as a young woman he had been pleased to see that any trace of Catherine had been erased. He had thought that Jarod's influence over his daughter was broken; the lies he'd fed the two of them should have ensured that. Once Jarod had escaped he'd had reason to appreciate the tie between the two of them. It had kept Jarod tied to the Centre.
But then his angel had met that plumber, or carpenter, or whatever he was, and she had lost focus. There had been no doubt about it: the handyman had to go. And, of course, Jarod went running to console her. Mr. Parker had expected her to bring him straight back to the Centre but she hadn't, disappointing him yet again.
There was too much of Catherine in her.
Lyle was equally disappointing. In the weeks preceding the disappearances Mr. Parker had actually been feeling proud of his son. But he had obviously aided the runaways in some way, and his murder of Raines had been caught on the surveillance camera.
And the children, the two children who were everything the Centre had ever wanted. A combination of two Red Files, with Miss Parker's Inner Sense and Jarod's Pretending abilities…with that talent under their control the Centre would have had the world at its feet.
Mr. Parker sighed and resumed his pacing. He had to find his daughter.
*
Jarod, Miranda and Tommy had spent the day in a small seaside town while they waited for the car to be fixed. It had been their first taste of a normal family life. They'd browsed through the many antique shops and had lunch in a small café on the waterfront. Now it was almost evening and rather than drive through the night, Miranda suggested that they spend the night there.
"I thought you hated small towns," Jarod said, laughing.
She shrugged, not saying anything.
"But if you really want…."
"Can we stay in one of those quaint little hotels we saw by the beach?"
Jarod gave her a strange look but nodded. "Whatever you want, m'dear," he said, putting on a fake English accent and bowing.
Not sure why she was in such a good mood, she pulled her tongue at him.
"Well, you could have just asked." He straightened up and kissed her. Miss Parker would have slapped him, but Miranda kissed him back.
Tommy laughed and Miranda looked at him, smiling. "What? Feeling left out?" she kissed his forehead. "I love you."
"I love you, too," Jarod said, looking at Miranda. She glanced up at him and then realized the words had been directed at her. She was speechless. She knew Jarod had always loved her, just as she knew she had always loved him. Yet she'd still had doubts about their new relationship. She couldn't help wondering if he'd decided to stay with her because of her or because of the children.
Well, now she knew. But she still couldn't say the words back to him. Somehow her brain refused to command her vocal chords to work.
I love you, she thought, as loud as she could.
Jarod saved her from answering by grabbing her hand and walking in the direction of the mechanic. They picked up the car and drove to the hotel Miranda had in mind. Too tired, they ordered room service and sat on the bed watching the TV that didn't work too well. At 9pm there was a power failure. Tommy had fallen asleep earlier so they didn't have to worry about trying to put him to bed in the dark.
"Hey, Miranda, you still scared of the dark?" Jarod asked.
"No!" she said indignantly.
"Aren't you afraid of the bogeyman?" he pressed.
She laughed. "My father is the bogeyman!"
"Oh." He sounded slightly disappointed. "Okay then."
She smiled slyly. "But you know what? I'd think I'd feel a lot safer if someone would hold me…."
"Well, there's just me here."
She inched closer to him. "Oh, you'll do just fine."
He pulled her into his arms and his mouth descended on hers. She felt a stir of excitement in her belly. Despite the attraction between them they had yet to sleep together.
But those hands of his….
There was a knock at the door and Miranda and Jarod sat up, wondering who could possibly be there. Jarod made his way to the door, cursing when he stubbed his toe on a chair leg.
"Yes?"
"I'm very sorry about the power failure, sir." It was the manager. "There's seawater in the circuit board again."
"It's not a problem."
"I'm really sorry. If there's anything we can do for you-"
"It's fine, really," Jarod insisted, closing the door. He crept gingerly back to the bed, stubbing his toe again on the very same chair.
"Aw, did the baby get hurt?" Miranda teased, laughing.
"I'll show you who's a baby!" he threatened, pouncing on the bed.
"Ow!"
He removed his hand from her breast, stammering an apology.
"You know, you could have just asked," she murmured, echoing his earlier words as she took his hand and returned it to its previous position.
"Are you sure about this?"
"Mm-hmm." She pulled him down and nibbled gently on his earlobe. "Now, where were we?"
*~*~*
The Baby Series
My Father, The Bogeyman
Melanie-Anne
Miranda could see the baby seat in the rearview mirror. Tommy was fast asleep, as was his father who occupied the front seat of the car. She smiled, content. For the first time since her mother's death she had a family who loved her.
She glanced at Jarod whose head lay back, his mouth slightly open. If she listened carefully she was able to hear the soft whistle of his breath. She admired his profile; even asleep, the man took her breath away.
"Mama, look!" Tommy piped up from the back seat. He'd just woken up and was pointing to the cow that stood in the middle of the road.
Miranda slammed her foot down on the brake, swerving to avoid the animal. She went straight into a fence running alongside the road, skidding. Fortunately both she and Jarod were wearing their seatbelts. Jarod woke up as the car came to a rest.
"I'm sorry," Miranda whispered, her face white. She unclipped her belt and swiveled in her seat to look at Tommy. "Are you okay?" she asked.
To her surprise - and relief - Tommy was laughing. "Fun! Fun! Again, please, Mama!"
She turned to Jarod. "And you?"
"Fine." He massaged his neck, hoping he didn't have whiplash. "What happened?"
"There was a cow in the road." She cupped his cheek gently, her eyes searching his. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"How could you not see a cow?"
"Umm…I wasn't looking at the road." As a look of displeasure registered on Jarod's face she defended herself by saying, "Hey! I was looking at you…so it's partly your fault…." She trailed off. "I'm so sorry."
"Are you okay?" he asked.
She nodded, again muttering an apology.
He leaned across and kissed the tip of her nose. "It's okay. We're all fine. Some of us even enjoyed it, right, kiddo?" he looked at Tommy who grinned back at his parents. "The car, on the other hand…."
Miranda grimaced, then opened the door, stepping out to see the damage. The look on her face spoke volumes.
"That bad, huh?" Jarod asked.
"Umm…no…of course not," she lied.
Jarod sighed and pulled out his cell phone.
*
Lyle checked out of his motel, flirting with the girl in reception. He'd been enjoying his time away from the Centre and doing things he'd never really had the time for before. He'd been to the cinema twice and had even gone to see the town's football team play. Now, though, he was starting to get bored.
He wasn't cut out for the lazy life and after a long conversation with Parker - Miranda, now, he reminded himself - he'd decided to move on to a larger place and look for a job. Jarod had arranged a new identity for him and had set up a new bank account…using stolen Centre funds, of course.
Once his bags were packed - he'd acquired an entire wardrobe in the two weeks that he'd been in hiding - he climbed into his car and headed for Maine. Jarod and Miranda had decided to settle there and Miranda had expressed the wish that he spend some time with them before moving on. He was looking forward to seeing his sister and his nephew again, but he hardly expected a warm welcome from Jarod. The last time they'd seen each other they'd been so worried about Miranda that they'd ignored all the other issues that lay between them. Lyle didn't doubt that Jarod still remembered who it was who had killed his brother. He hoped, more for Miranda's sake than his own, that they would be able to put Kyle's death behind them.
Fiddling with the dial to find a decent radio station, Lyle told himself to relax. There was nothing he could do until he caught up with them anyway, so worrying was only a waste of time. Finding a song he liked, he wound down the window, reveling in the simple pleasure of feeling the wind on his face.
*
Mr. Parker paced up and down in his office. The last lead he'd had on the whereabouts of his daughter had fallen through. He was not impressed. The other runaways were of no consequence; all he wanted was the child his daughter carried inside her. He paused in his movements to look out the window. He had a hunch that if he could find her then he'd find Baby Parker and probably Jarod as well.
He looked down to the beach where his attention was caught by a young couple walking hand in hand on the seashore. He frowned, remembering the night that Jarod had persuaded his daughter to sneak down to the beach. They had been twelve at the time and the chairman had decided then that Miss Parker would not be coming back to the Centre until she could learn to obey him. He'd sent her away to school the following day.
When she returned as a young woman he had been pleased to see that any trace of Catherine had been erased. He had thought that Jarod's influence over his daughter was broken; the lies he'd fed the two of them should have ensured that. Once Jarod had escaped he'd had reason to appreciate the tie between the two of them. It had kept Jarod tied to the Centre.
But then his angel had met that plumber, or carpenter, or whatever he was, and she had lost focus. There had been no doubt about it: the handyman had to go. And, of course, Jarod went running to console her. Mr. Parker had expected her to bring him straight back to the Centre but she hadn't, disappointing him yet again.
There was too much of Catherine in her.
Lyle was equally disappointing. In the weeks preceding the disappearances Mr. Parker had actually been feeling proud of his son. But he had obviously aided the runaways in some way, and his murder of Raines had been caught on the surveillance camera.
And the children, the two children who were everything the Centre had ever wanted. A combination of two Red Files, with Miss Parker's Inner Sense and Jarod's Pretending abilities…with that talent under their control the Centre would have had the world at its feet.
Mr. Parker sighed and resumed his pacing. He had to find his daughter.
*
Jarod, Miranda and Tommy had spent the day in a small seaside town while they waited for the car to be fixed. It had been their first taste of a normal family life. They'd browsed through the many antique shops and had lunch in a small café on the waterfront. Now it was almost evening and rather than drive through the night, Miranda suggested that they spend the night there.
"I thought you hated small towns," Jarod said, laughing.
She shrugged, not saying anything.
"But if you really want…."
"Can we stay in one of those quaint little hotels we saw by the beach?"
Jarod gave her a strange look but nodded. "Whatever you want, m'dear," he said, putting on a fake English accent and bowing.
Not sure why she was in such a good mood, she pulled her tongue at him.
"Well, you could have just asked." He straightened up and kissed her. Miss Parker would have slapped him, but Miranda kissed him back.
Tommy laughed and Miranda looked at him, smiling. "What? Feeling left out?" she kissed his forehead. "I love you."
"I love you, too," Jarod said, looking at Miranda. She glanced up at him and then realized the words had been directed at her. She was speechless. She knew Jarod had always loved her, just as she knew she had always loved him. Yet she'd still had doubts about their new relationship. She couldn't help wondering if he'd decided to stay with her because of her or because of the children.
Well, now she knew. But she still couldn't say the words back to him. Somehow her brain refused to command her vocal chords to work.
I love you, she thought, as loud as she could.
Jarod saved her from answering by grabbing her hand and walking in the direction of the mechanic. They picked up the car and drove to the hotel Miranda had in mind. Too tired, they ordered room service and sat on the bed watching the TV that didn't work too well. At 9pm there was a power failure. Tommy had fallen asleep earlier so they didn't have to worry about trying to put him to bed in the dark.
"Hey, Miranda, you still scared of the dark?" Jarod asked.
"No!" she said indignantly.
"Aren't you afraid of the bogeyman?" he pressed.
She laughed. "My father is the bogeyman!"
"Oh." He sounded slightly disappointed. "Okay then."
She smiled slyly. "But you know what? I'd think I'd feel a lot safer if someone would hold me…."
"Well, there's just me here."
She inched closer to him. "Oh, you'll do just fine."
He pulled her into his arms and his mouth descended on hers. She felt a stir of excitement in her belly. Despite the attraction between them they had yet to sleep together.
But those hands of his….
There was a knock at the door and Miranda and Jarod sat up, wondering who could possibly be there. Jarod made his way to the door, cursing when he stubbed his toe on a chair leg.
"Yes?"
"I'm very sorry about the power failure, sir." It was the manager. "There's seawater in the circuit board again."
"It's not a problem."
"I'm really sorry. If there's anything we can do for you-"
"It's fine, really," Jarod insisted, closing the door. He crept gingerly back to the bed, stubbing his toe again on the very same chair.
"Aw, did the baby get hurt?" Miranda teased, laughing.
"I'll show you who's a baby!" he threatened, pouncing on the bed.
"Ow!"
He removed his hand from her breast, stammering an apology.
"You know, you could have just asked," she murmured, echoing his earlier words as she took his hand and returned it to its previous position.
"Are you sure about this?"
"Mm-hmm." She pulled him down and nibbled gently on his earlobe. "Now, where were we?"
*~*~*
