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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Disclaimer: All the Pretender characters are the sole property of “The Pretender” creators Steve Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle. All other characters are created by the author of this work with no correlation to anyone living or deceased. This written work is produced solely for recreational purposes, to honor “The Pretender” series and to entertain its fans.
The Twister board has been set.
The Players are in position.
Poised for that first color to be called.
What will happen when two meet face to face on the same color?
Will they fight for control or work in cooperation?
*************************
Angels Hope
Hearts Of Fancy
Lyle pushed the man out of his way. “These are all I need doctor. Thank you.” Lyle slipped out the door and headed out of the hospital. He knew that the hospital guards would soon be after him, so he stepped up his pace to his car. He got in and spun out of the parking lot, leaving the guards in his dust. As he drove down the rode he flipped open his cell phone. He punched the button and connected with the Centre. “Get the jet ready. I’m heading for Los Angeles.”
The voice on the other end of the phone gibbered something quickly, but Lyle impatiently cut him off. “I don’t care if Raines has downed all the planes. You are going to get me that jet or they will find parts of you scattered across the four winds. Am I understood! Good!” Lyle flipped his phone closed and threw it next to him on the passenger seat.
He wanted answers and there was only one person who he thought was going to give him the less tainted truth. And in two days she was going to be in Los Angeles. Lyle picked up his phone again. The other end clicked its reception.
“Hello.” Came the cheery voice of Debbie.
“Miss Broots, is your father at home?” Lyle questioned the young teen.
“Yes. Please hold one moment.” Lyle could hear Debbie call Dad away from the phone. “Who may I say is calling?”
“Tell your father that Mr. Lyle is on the phone.” Lyle smiled as he thought about what the computer geek’s face would look like.
“Dad. He says he’s Mr. Lyle.” Debbie yelled to her father.
Lyle could hear Broots knocking over various items in his home in his attempt to get to the phone. He then heard Broots take the phone.
“Thank you Debbie. Why don’t you go do some studying?” Broots urged his daughter so that she would exit the room. After a few moments, he came onto the phone. “Hello. I mean, yes Mr. Lyle.”
Lyle continued to smile. “Don’t you ever give that beautiful young lady a night off Broots?”
A shiver ran up Broots spine as he heard Lyle refer to his daughter as beautiful. “Uh. It’s very important th..th.. that children her age have discipline and structure.” There was a moment of silence. “Mr. Lyle. If you don’t mind me asking, why did you call me at home? I mean you can call me anytime I guess, but you have never called me at home...”
Lyle shook his head. “Broots! Get it together man. I need you to do me a favor.”
Broots looked shocked at the phone. “You want a favor? From me?”
“Yes Broots. I need you to locate a place for me. It would be based in Los Angeles. I believe it would be called in some form ‘Theatre of Truth‘. When you find it call me on my cell phone. Under no circumstances do you tell anyone at the Centre that you researched this or where it is. Miss Parker‘s life may count on it. Am I understood?”
‘Yes. Completely Mr. Lyle. Tell only you. Right.” Broots started writing the information on a pad next to his phone.
“Broots.” Lyle spoke into the phone.
“Yes Sir.” Broots answered taking his mind off the pad he had been writing on.
“Hang up the phone and get going.” Lyle hung up his phone and drove off into the night.
*************************
The couple went hand in hand back to the table. Their food sat there cold and their glasses warm. “I’m starving. I wonder if any of this is salvageable.” Jarod gave Parker’s hand a kiss, let it go, and went to his place setting. He picked up his fork and twirled the pasta. He took the heaping forkful and carefully guided it into his mouth. “Umm, still good.”
“Only you could get such enjoyment out of cold pasta.” Parker retorted as she poured herself another glass of wine. “But right now I’ll try anything.” Parker also took a forkful of the delicious dish. “I guess it is no different than eating cold pizza like when I was in college.”
“Cold pizza sounds good too. It’s especially good with vanilla ice cream.” Something struck Jarod and he turned to a covered bucket that was next to the wine bucket. He lifted the lid and in the bucket surrounded by ice was a giant container of vanilla ice cream. “My sister must have my excellent tastes.” Jarod thought for a moment and then smiled. He took his finger, stuck it in the ice cream, and placed a dab on Parker’s nose.
"Hey." Parker said as she realized what Jarod had done.
Jarod leaned over the table and kissed the ice cream off her nose. “Hmmm sweet.”
Parker just shook her head. As she turned her head to the right, a flash of red caught her eye. “What is that?” Parker got up from the table and went over one of the boulders that were caddy corner to the table. Half hidden behind the rock was a giant red heart and a card. “Jarod. How many days have we been here?”
Jarod thought for a moment and answered. “Eleven days.”
“It seems that your sister has been keeping track of the time better than we have.” Parker had picked up the large heart full of chocolates and the card.
Jarod saw the heart in Parkers arms and calculated the date in his head. He looked up as he realized the date. “It’s Valentine’s Day.”
“You sister set us up on a date for Valentine’s Day. She has a wicked sense of humor.” Parker had come to stand next to Jarod. She handed him the card.
“I think she is the real genius in the family.” Jarod gave Parker a long passionate kiss.
“Maybe she is.” Parker placed the heart on the table, put her arms around Jarod’s neck, and pulled him back into another kiss. “I think she could see through the barriers I’ve had up for years.”
“I think she hoped that I would be able to bring those barriers down. I told her when she first woke up after the operation that I loved you.”
“You just blurted out to her that you loved me?” Parker asked intrigued.
“No. She asked me point blank and I answered her truthfully. Though she said that she could tell already.” Jarod moved enough so that he could open the card. It had a picture of the horizon, hills, a lake, all encompassed in a heart. Jarod opened the card and read what was enclosed.
If you love something, set it free.
If it comes back, it’s yours.
If not, it was never meant to be.
There was handwriting under the wording.
Now that the two of you have come back to each other, I hope that you realize that you are meant to be. Happy Valentine’s Day! Love, Lily and Becky.
“Maybe Becky had a vision and they knew this would happen? I can’t believe that I am that see through. I’m the Ice Queen you know.” Parker said matter of factly.
“No. You’re not an Ice Queen.” Jarod tried to counter.
“Please Jarod. You don’t think I hear everyone talking. Whispering behind my back. I not only condoned it, I perpetuated it. I needed those under me to be afraid. I needed them to see the Ice Queen.”
“But you never allowed yourself to be just you. You lost yourself in that facade. But that’s gone now. “Now.” Jarod dropped the card on the table and took Parker’s face in his hands. “You’re the Queen of my Heart.”
Parker went to say that was corniest thing she had ever heard, but Jarod bent down and started placing small kisses on her lips. Ending in a very passionate kiss. Parker forgot what she was going to say.
*************************
Lily made her way back to her room thinking about the stranger she had just met. She opened her door and said good night to the good-natured guard and his relief guard Mel. “You guys have a good night.”
“You too Miss Lily. Sweet dreams.” Replied Larry.
Lily walked into her room ready to just drop onto her bed, clothes and all, and go to sleep. A gasp escaped her lips. Her entire bed was covered in red and yellow rose petals, her favorite flower. A large heart shaped box of candy was sitting up against a four-foot high panda bear. A note was attached to the bear’s paw. Lily walked over and grabbed the note. She opened it with her back to the camera. A tear rolled down her cheek as she read it.
My dearest Lily,
How many times can I say how much of an ass I am? I know that you are going through so much and all I have done is laid more on you. Just know that I do what I do because I love you with my whole heart. So I am going to give you the space you want and the freedom to make your own decisions. Know that I will always be covering your back.
All my love,
Mark
Lily brought the note to her chest and brought her head down to it. She brought it up to her lips and kissed it. She laid on her bed and cuddled herself into the giant bear. Confusion bantered around in her head. She fell asleep wondering if she knew herself what she was doing.
*************************
Ethan looked at the medical chart of the woman in the bed. He walked over and pulled the chair behind him as he went. He sat and took her hand. "I'm going to have to leave tomorrow. The war will be starting soon and I have to get the rest here before it begins. You're safe here. My mother says so. So sleep and heal. Let those nightmares go. Nothing is your fault." He could see her moaning in her sleep again. "Sssh, ssssh. Everything is going to be all right. Lily may not realize it, but her determination is the key to the Centre locks."
Just then a nurse came into the room. "Good evening Nathan. How is Mary doing this evening?" The nurse began taking the woman's vitals.
"She is doing better. I think she will be awake soon." Ethan said as he listened to the voices he constantly heard.
"I hope so. She's a very lucky woman to have someone care about her as much as she does." The nurse finished her routine and was writing her notes onto the chart.
"Would it be possible to see Dr. Stedman tomorrow morning?" Ethan asked just looking ahead.
“I will put your request in to her in the morning. You should get some rest. You have been up late every night since you arrived here.” The nurse suggested seeing the circles under the young man’s eyes.
“I will. I promise. Thank you for your concern.”
“Goodnight.” The nurse left the room.
Ethan made his way over to the door that connected their two rooms. The nurse was correct. He was exhausted. He would rest tonight, for tomorrow would begin another search.
*************************
Lyle pulled into the parking garage of the Centre. He wasn’t even going to stop and get his suitcase. He just wanted on that plane to California. He opened his phone on the way to the landing strip.
The connection opened on the other side. “Hello.”
“Broots. What do you have for me?” Lyle abruptly asked Broots.
“Mr. Lyle. Well I’ve been running the standard search for anything called the Theatre of Truth, but I haven’t gotten a complete hit. I did however find some sub hits that consisted of forms of the words.”
“Broots. Bottom line. What did you find?” Lyle asked exasperated at the ramblings of the computer geek.
“I found a nightclub called ‘The Theatre’. I’m not sure if that’s what you were looking for, but it is located in Los Angeles. I can run a comparative search...”
Lyle clicked his phone shut. The Theatre, a nightclub. Music. That had to be it. Reaching the runway, Lyle went to board the plane.
“You’re not going without me.” Sydney said in a stern voice.
*************************
“So Mr. Klos. Have you gotten me my answer?” Raines wheezed as he sat across from the man in his limo.
“I believe from all the data that I retrieved from the Sweepers in New Orleans and your estimations that your problem is this little lady.” Klos handed Raines a folder.
Raines opened it. “Are you sure?”
“Positive. Taking into consideration her stay at the Centre, psychologically it has to be her.”
“Damn. Another ghost.” Raines slammed the folder on his seat. “What do you suggest as the next course of action?” Raines wheezed through his frustration.
“We go do a little ghost busting.” Klos said with a large devilish smile.
The limo drove off into the night.
*************************
The Players circle the room.
Trying to decide what would be the next Game played.
So many choices that need to flow to the same conclusion.
They now get ready for Masquerade.
The Twister board has been set.
The Players are in position.
Poised for that first color to be called.
What will happen when two meet face to face on the same color?
Will they fight for control or work in cooperation?
*************************
Hearts Of Fancy
Lyle pushed the man out of his way. “These are all I need doctor. Thank you.” Lyle slipped out the door and headed out of the hospital. He knew that the hospital guards would soon be after him, so he stepped up his pace to his car. He got in and spun out of the parking lot, leaving the guards in his dust. As he drove down the rode he flipped open his cell phone. He punched the button and connected with the Centre. “Get the jet ready. I’m heading for Los Angeles.”
The voice on the other end of the phone gibbered something quickly, but Lyle impatiently cut him off. “I don’t care if Raines has downed all the planes. You are going to get me that jet or they will find parts of you scattered across the four winds. Am I understood! Good!” Lyle flipped his phone closed and threw it next to him on the passenger seat.
He wanted answers and there was only one person who he thought was going to give him the less tainted truth. And in two days she was going to be in Los Angeles. Lyle picked up his phone again. The other end clicked its reception.
“Hello.” Came the cheery voice of Debbie.
“Miss Broots, is your father at home?” Lyle questioned the young teen.
“Yes. Please hold one moment.” Lyle could hear Debbie call Dad away from the phone. “Who may I say is calling?”
“Tell your father that Mr. Lyle is on the phone.” Lyle smiled as he thought about what the computer geek’s face would look like.
“Dad. He says he’s Mr. Lyle.” Debbie yelled to her father.
Lyle could hear Broots knocking over various items in his home in his attempt to get to the phone. He then heard Broots take the phone.
“Thank you Debbie. Why don’t you go do some studying?” Broots urged his daughter so that she would exit the room. After a few moments, he came onto the phone. “Hello. I mean, yes Mr. Lyle.”
Lyle continued to smile. “Don’t you ever give that beautiful young lady a night off Broots?”
A shiver ran up Broots spine as he heard Lyle refer to his daughter as beautiful. “Uh. It’s very important th..th.. that children her age have discipline and structure.” There was a moment of silence. “Mr. Lyle. If you don’t mind me asking, why did you call me at home? I mean you can call me anytime I guess, but you have never called me at home...”
Lyle shook his head. “Broots! Get it together man. I need you to do me a favor.”
Broots looked shocked at the phone. “You want a favor? From me?”
“Yes Broots. I need you to locate a place for me. It would be based in Los Angeles. I believe it would be called in some form ‘Theatre of Truth‘. When you find it call me on my cell phone. Under no circumstances do you tell anyone at the Centre that you researched this or where it is. Miss Parker‘s life may count on it. Am I understood?”
‘Yes. Completely Mr. Lyle. Tell only you. Right.” Broots started writing the information on a pad next to his phone.
“Broots.” Lyle spoke into the phone.
“Yes Sir.” Broots answered taking his mind off the pad he had been writing on.
“Hang up the phone and get going.” Lyle hung up his phone and drove off into the night.
*************************
The couple went hand in hand back to the table. Their food sat there cold and their glasses warm. “I’m starving. I wonder if any of this is salvageable.” Jarod gave Parker’s hand a kiss, let it go, and went to his place setting. He picked up his fork and twirled the pasta. He took the heaping forkful and carefully guided it into his mouth. “Umm, still good.”
“Only you could get such enjoyment out of cold pasta.” Parker retorted as she poured herself another glass of wine. “But right now I’ll try anything.” Parker also took a forkful of the delicious dish. “I guess it is no different than eating cold pizza like when I was in college.”
“Cold pizza sounds good too. It’s especially good with vanilla ice cream.” Something struck Jarod and he turned to a covered bucket that was next to the wine bucket. He lifted the lid and in the bucket surrounded by ice was a giant container of vanilla ice cream. “My sister must have my excellent tastes.” Jarod thought for a moment and then smiled. He took his finger, stuck it in the ice cream, and placed a dab on Parker’s nose.
"Hey." Parker said as she realized what Jarod had done.
Jarod leaned over the table and kissed the ice cream off her nose. “Hmmm sweet.”
Parker just shook her head. As she turned her head to the right, a flash of red caught her eye. “What is that?” Parker got up from the table and went over one of the boulders that were caddy corner to the table. Half hidden behind the rock was a giant red heart and a card. “Jarod. How many days have we been here?”
Jarod thought for a moment and answered. “Eleven days.”
“It seems that your sister has been keeping track of the time better than we have.” Parker had picked up the large heart full of chocolates and the card.
Jarod saw the heart in Parkers arms and calculated the date in his head. He looked up as he realized the date. “It’s Valentine’s Day.”
“You sister set us up on a date for Valentine’s Day. She has a wicked sense of humor.” Parker had come to stand next to Jarod. She handed him the card.
“I think she is the real genius in the family.” Jarod gave Parker a long passionate kiss.
“Maybe she is.” Parker placed the heart on the table, put her arms around Jarod’s neck, and pulled him back into another kiss. “I think she could see through the barriers I’ve had up for years.”
“I think she hoped that I would be able to bring those barriers down. I told her when she first woke up after the operation that I loved you.”
“You just blurted out to her that you loved me?” Parker asked intrigued.
“No. She asked me point blank and I answered her truthfully. Though she said that she could tell already.” Jarod moved enough so that he could open the card. It had a picture of the horizon, hills, a lake, all encompassed in a heart. Jarod opened the card and read what was enclosed.
If you love something, set it free.
If it comes back, it’s yours.
If not, it was never meant to be.
There was handwriting under the wording.
Now that the two of you have come back to each other, I hope that you realize that you are meant to be. Happy Valentine’s Day! Love, Lily and Becky.
“Maybe Becky had a vision and they knew this would happen? I can’t believe that I am that see through. I’m the Ice Queen you know.” Parker said matter of factly.
“No. You’re not an Ice Queen.” Jarod tried to counter.
“Please Jarod. You don’t think I hear everyone talking. Whispering behind my back. I not only condoned it, I perpetuated it. I needed those under me to be afraid. I needed them to see the Ice Queen.”
“But you never allowed yourself to be just you. You lost yourself in that facade. But that’s gone now. “Now.” Jarod dropped the card on the table and took Parker’s face in his hands. “You’re the Queen of my Heart.”
Parker went to say that was corniest thing she had ever heard, but Jarod bent down and started placing small kisses on her lips. Ending in a very passionate kiss. Parker forgot what she was going to say.
*************************
Lily made her way back to her room thinking about the stranger she had just met. She opened her door and said good night to the good-natured guard and his relief guard Mel. “You guys have a good night.”
“You too Miss Lily. Sweet dreams.” Replied Larry.
Lily walked into her room ready to just drop onto her bed, clothes and all, and go to sleep. A gasp escaped her lips. Her entire bed was covered in red and yellow rose petals, her favorite flower. A large heart shaped box of candy was sitting up against a four-foot high panda bear. A note was attached to the bear’s paw. Lily walked over and grabbed the note. She opened it with her back to the camera. A tear rolled down her cheek as she read it.
My dearest Lily,
How many times can I say how much of an ass I am? I know that you are going through so much and all I have done is laid more on you. Just know that I do what I do because I love you with my whole heart. So I am going to give you the space you want and the freedom to make your own decisions. Know that I will always be covering your back.
All my love,
Mark
Lily brought the note to her chest and brought her head down to it. She brought it up to her lips and kissed it. She laid on her bed and cuddled herself into the giant bear. Confusion bantered around in her head. She fell asleep wondering if she knew herself what she was doing.
*************************
Ethan looked at the medical chart of the woman in the bed. He walked over and pulled the chair behind him as he went. He sat and took her hand. "I'm going to have to leave tomorrow. The war will be starting soon and I have to get the rest here before it begins. You're safe here. My mother says so. So sleep and heal. Let those nightmares go. Nothing is your fault." He could see her moaning in her sleep again. "Sssh, ssssh. Everything is going to be all right. Lily may not realize it, but her determination is the key to the Centre locks."
Just then a nurse came into the room. "Good evening Nathan. How is Mary doing this evening?" The nurse began taking the woman's vitals.
"She is doing better. I think she will be awake soon." Ethan said as he listened to the voices he constantly heard.
"I hope so. She's a very lucky woman to have someone care about her as much as she does." The nurse finished her routine and was writing her notes onto the chart.
"Would it be possible to see Dr. Stedman tomorrow morning?" Ethan asked just looking ahead.
“I will put your request in to her in the morning. You should get some rest. You have been up late every night since you arrived here.” The nurse suggested seeing the circles under the young man’s eyes.
“I will. I promise. Thank you for your concern.”
“Goodnight.” The nurse left the room.
Ethan made his way over to the door that connected their two rooms. The nurse was correct. He was exhausted. He would rest tonight, for tomorrow would begin another search.
*************************
Lyle pulled into the parking garage of the Centre. He wasn’t even going to stop and get his suitcase. He just wanted on that plane to California. He opened his phone on the way to the landing strip.
The connection opened on the other side. “Hello.”
“Broots. What do you have for me?” Lyle abruptly asked Broots.
“Mr. Lyle. Well I’ve been running the standard search for anything called the Theatre of Truth, but I haven’t gotten a complete hit. I did however find some sub hits that consisted of forms of the words.”
“Broots. Bottom line. What did you find?” Lyle asked exasperated at the ramblings of the computer geek.
“I found a nightclub called ‘The Theatre’. I’m not sure if that’s what you were looking for, but it is located in Los Angeles. I can run a comparative search...”
Lyle clicked his phone shut. The Theatre, a nightclub. Music. That had to be it. Reaching the runway, Lyle went to board the plane.
“You’re not going without me.” Sydney said in a stern voice.
*************************
“So Mr. Klos. Have you gotten me my answer?” Raines wheezed as he sat across from the man in his limo.
“I believe from all the data that I retrieved from the Sweepers in New Orleans and your estimations that your problem is this little lady.” Klos handed Raines a folder.
Raines opened it. “Are you sure?”
“Positive. Taking into consideration her stay at the Centre, psychologically it has to be her.”
“Damn. Another ghost.” Raines slammed the folder on his seat. “What do you suggest as the next course of action?” Raines wheezed through his frustration.
“We go do a little ghost busting.” Klos said with a large devilish smile.
The limo drove off into the night.
*************************
The Players circle the room.
Trying to decide what would be the next Game played.
So many choices that need to flow to the same conclusion.
They now get ready for Masquerade.
