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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
*Disclaimer: I don't own "The Pretender" or any of its characters. Thanx for not suing! ~Oriana
1) Paper Snowflakes (the original, isn't a sequel)
2) To Dance In An English Garden
3) A Night To Remember
4) The Trick Is To Keep Breathing
5) Life In A Heartbeart
6) With Me (the last in the series)
~~~~~~~~~
The Trick Is To Keep Breathing
Part VII
by Orinana
The only sound in the room was the continuous, comforting beep of the heart monitor, and the occasional clicking of computer keys. She lie on the cot, still as death; Jarod shuddered at the analogy, then forced his attention back to his work.
Julia's job had been useful in gaining everything they needed. If they'd been caught while sneaking items out a side exit of the local hospital, she could've just flashed her nurse's ID and concocted some story. Luckily, they hadn't been found out, and managed to return to the building, and back to Parker, in considerably good time, with the monitor, an IV stand and the paddles. He couldn't help but shudder every time he looked at them, position strategically near the bed, realizing that if her heart should stop, that contraption was all that stood between her and death.
The IV drip was unimaginably slow. To make sure her body used as little energy as possible, just enough fluid was entered into her blood stream to keep her going, allowing no use of the digestive system. In her coma, the chills had stopped as the fever worsened; while the others waited
outside, Julia had stripped down the unconscious Parker, and she now lie covered only by a thin white sheet, her face and neck hot to the touch.
The very moment preparations were completed, Jarod went to work. In a corner of the bedroom he'd set up a makeshift work station, consisting of his laptop, a printer, a pile of print-outs and three pens, black, blue and red. What he'd failed to do in all his time at the Centre, Jarod was determined to succeed at within the upcoming few days: find a cure. He spoke to no one, no one spoke to him. Though he'd set the station up in the bedroom to be near her, Jarod didn't go near the bed, too guilt-ridden to face her, even in her present condition. And as for the others, it was an unspoken understanding that the less time spent in that room, the better. The work Jarod was doing was too far above their heads for them to be of any help, and the sight of Parker was not an easy one to handle.
~~~~~~~~~
Julia paused just inside the apartment doorway, hesitating as she heard the laptop keys continue to click away, then walked into the room with determined steps.
The sudden change in atmosphere nearly took her breath away. The rush, the pain, every emotion connected to the events were hanging thick in the air. In the middle of the room was Parker, still as ever. And, to one side, Jarod, hunched over the desk, completely unaware of her presence. Julia frowned, remembering a time when just the sound of her footsteps made him turn around, and offer that grin she adored so much. Then, guiltily, she took another look at the woman in the middle of the room. She waited another moment, but he still didn't move; with a small sigh, she placed the tray of food she held on the floor near the door and walked back out.
~~~~~~~~~
Sydney walked into the top penthouse's kitchen, bleary-eyed and exhausted but incapable of sleep. He and Broots had moved up into this apartment soon after Parker had been attended to. There was a sort of quiet comfort that came with being close to others with the same knowledge of the situation as you.
At the sink stood Julia, hand-washing dishes despite the dishwasher not but five feet from her. Syd could've sworn that he'd seen her washing those same dishes just a few hours earlier.
"Trouble sleeping?" he asked kindly.
She looked up. "Oh, Sydney, I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"
"Do have waken me, I would've had to be asleep."
"Good point," she smiled.
"I would like to point out, however, that as it is 3:40 in the morning, we should at least be attempting to rest. I'm sure spotless glasses can wait until the morning to be re-washed."
"So you've caught on, huh?" She frowned down at the soapy water. "I just had to find something to do. I've cleaned this entire place twice over. I'm running out of ideas."
"Perhaps you should try putting all that energy into studying what it is that's upsetting you," he suggested.
"Nothing's upsetting me. I'm fine." Her eyes didn't move from the water.
"I've heard that too often to believe it. I don't suppose it could have anything to do with the current situation?"
"Oh, no," she said lightly. "In a matter of days, I've been chased by a madman, met the would-be enemies of my boyfriend, and found a poisoned woman unconscious just floors beneath me. And, at this very moment, the previously-mentioned boyfriend is hard at work, as he has been for the last two days, relentlessly looking for a cure that seems more surreal than the poison itself, while a woman I barely know lies dying. Why, there's nothing at all odd about any of that, so why would I be upset?"
"I will admit, that to a beginner it must seem odd, the experiences we have."
"Beginner, right...But at the start of what? You know, this isn't exactly where I pictured myself being when I first met Jarod."
"His life is certainly a constant surprise."
"You know, I used to like surprises. Breakfast in bed, a bouquet of flowers in my car. Personally, I prefer Jarod's old ones."
"You seem doubtful of something."
"Not doubtful," she said slowly. "Enlightened." He nodded and headed out of the kitchen, but she stopped him as she remarked suddenly, "You've seen it too, haven't you?"
"Sorry?"
"Him. Parker. You're no more blind than I am."
"You're tired," he replied kindly, continuing to walk off. "Get some rest." She watched him leave, then tossed her dish towel into the sink with an uncertain huff.
~~~~~~~~~
Sydney peered into Broots' room, and found the man sitting cross-legged on his bed, just giving his own laptop the command to shut down.
"Talk to Lyle?"
Broots looked up. "Yeah." He held up a small metal box. "Thank goodness for this voice simulator Jarod gave me. All I had to do was hook it up to the computer, ring him up, and let the simulator do the work."
"Did he believe it?"
"Well, he was a little bit surprised, to say the least. Parker has taken a rather large amount of vacation time in the last year, but I threw in enough of her classic smart-ass responses to be believable. He's not expecting us back for another week."
"Good. One way or another, we'll have a resolution by then."
Julia hurried past the slightly-ajar door just then, muttering angrily to herself. Broots looked to Syd with raised eyebrows. "What's going on?"
Sydney sighed and shook his head. "It seems happily ever after has hit a rough spot."
~~~~~~~~~
He was at the desk still. He hadn't left it since her last visit yesterday evening. Jarod was pouring over pages of computed test results, making marks here and there in red ink. For a moment, Julia just stood in the bedroom doorway, watching him. He hadn't heard her. Once again, he was oblivious to her presence.
She continued to stare, and the words slipped past her lips, in a low whisper, before she was even aware of them. "I miss you."
Jarod's muscles tightened momentarily, the only sign that he was now aware of her. He continued to work with the papers in front of him as he absently replied, "What are you talking about? I haven't gone anywhere."
"Yes, you have." Silence. He didn't reply, he was already engrossed again in his work. She could leave now, and he probably wouldn't even remember that she'd been there. However, not willing to let it go, she determinedly added, "Jarod."
He reluctantly put down his pen and turned to face her, realizing that she obviously had something to say. "Talk to me."
She was somewhat surprised to actually have his attention, and it was a moment before she replied, "Where do you see us five years from now?"
He gave a sigh, something like a hidden growl of irritation. This was hardly the time for a relationship discussion. "Can this wait?"
"No, I don't think it can." He looked at her with blank eyes. God, she thought, he really doesn't know. "What are you doing, Jarod? Huh? What are you doing? You don't sleep, you barely eat. You haven't left this room in three days, and I haven't even spoken to you in who knows how long."
"What? You want me to just stand by, let her go without a fight?" he demanded sharply. "Go on playing house with you while an innocent woman slips away?"
"Of course not," she snapped. "I'm not that heartless."
"Then what?"
"Then...nothing, I suppose," she admitted, with a look of self-realization. "I guess I was giving it one last shot. Just one thread of hope, you know?" His eyebrows bunched in confusion. "I was looking for a reason to stay."
That caught his attention. "What?"
Her eyes were beginning to water, and as angry as she was at herself for it, Julia had known she wouldn't be able to get through this without crying. "When we first met, it was incredible. It was as if we had that perfect bond. Then you started to tell me the truth, about yourself, about your past...Now, I've been shot at, hunted by a lunatic, and befriended by people from a horrible place like the Centre. Every day I stay with you, I'm that much deeper into your life, and considering recent events, that's not necessarily a good thing."
"I don't want to lose you."
"I know," she murmured, then visibly shaking herself, she straightened up and tried -unsuccessfully- to hold back the overflowing tears. "And that's why I'm doing this. One of us has to be the strong one, and you're not in the position to be that person."
"I don't understand."
"You can't be the one to deal with this," she explained slowly, "because you've yet to know the facts. You don't even realize it."
"Realize what?" he asked, beginning to feel a slight panic as he realized that she was really leaving. "What are you talking about?"
"That bond I mentioned...it's so rare. Most people don't even have a shot at it, but you...I had suspicions long before any of this. You would say her name, and this smile would appear that I never saw any other time. And I ignored it, only saw what I wanted to, because I was so sure I could make things change..."
"Julia..." He couldn't think of anything to say. He was still lost as to her point; for that matter, he didn't have a damn clue who she was even talking about.
"When you and I are alone, it's amazing. But you two...When she's near you, it's as if there's no one else in the world. God, Jarod, strangers at some stuffy society event see what you don't. For that one moment, those few seconds, when you were speaking to Parker at the ball, every pair of eyes in that room was drawn to the two of you."
"Parker?" he echoed in disbelief. "You think that Parker and I...?"
"No. You're too good a person for that. I know you'd never go behind my back." She studied his face for a moment. "You still don't see it, do you? I'm leaving Jarod...I'm leaving because I know that I'd be a fool to try and come between you, just as you'll be a fool if you let this chance go by...You'll save her," she added confidently. "I know you will. I have faith in you--so does she."
"Don't do this. Don't throw away what we have because of what you think is happening."
"Despite everything you two have said and done to each other over the years, you've made it this far. Think about it. What we have...it's nothing, compared to the two of you." She turned, walked out of the bedroom, stopped after opening the apartment door. Jarod had moved to the bedroom doorway, and much as he wanted to keep going, his feet didn't seem willing to move. She turned, and said, in a low earnest whisper, "There is a connection, Jarod. Whether or not you see it now, whether you admit it, it's there."
And she was gone, the door clicking shut behind her. He barely heard a soft voice murmur, "Goodbye," then nothing. And no matter what, his feet remained frozen. A full ten minutes he stood, observing the closed door with something between disbelief, sadness and anger. Then, resolutely, he turned back into the bedroom, and resumed his work, pushing aside any thoughts of a woman named Julia aside, and concentrating his entire mind on the formula results before him.
1) Paper Snowflakes (the original, isn't a sequel)
2) To Dance In An English Garden
3) A Night To Remember
4) The Trick Is To Keep Breathing
5) Life In A Heartbeart
6) With Me (the last in the series)
~~~~~~~~~
Part VII
by Orinana
The only sound in the room was the continuous, comforting beep of the heart monitor, and the occasional clicking of computer keys. She lie on the cot, still as death; Jarod shuddered at the analogy, then forced his attention back to his work.
Julia's job had been useful in gaining everything they needed. If they'd been caught while sneaking items out a side exit of the local hospital, she could've just flashed her nurse's ID and concocted some story. Luckily, they hadn't been found out, and managed to return to the building, and back to Parker, in considerably good time, with the monitor, an IV stand and the paddles. He couldn't help but shudder every time he looked at them, position strategically near the bed, realizing that if her heart should stop, that contraption was all that stood between her and death.
The IV drip was unimaginably slow. To make sure her body used as little energy as possible, just enough fluid was entered into her blood stream to keep her going, allowing no use of the digestive system. In her coma, the chills had stopped as the fever worsened; while the others waited
outside, Julia had stripped down the unconscious Parker, and she now lie covered only by a thin white sheet, her face and neck hot to the touch.
The very moment preparations were completed, Jarod went to work. In a corner of the bedroom he'd set up a makeshift work station, consisting of his laptop, a printer, a pile of print-outs and three pens, black, blue and red. What he'd failed to do in all his time at the Centre, Jarod was determined to succeed at within the upcoming few days: find a cure. He spoke to no one, no one spoke to him. Though he'd set the station up in the bedroom to be near her, Jarod didn't go near the bed, too guilt-ridden to face her, even in her present condition. And as for the others, it was an unspoken understanding that the less time spent in that room, the better. The work Jarod was doing was too far above their heads for them to be of any help, and the sight of Parker was not an easy one to handle.
~~~~~~~~~
Julia paused just inside the apartment doorway, hesitating as she heard the laptop keys continue to click away, then walked into the room with determined steps.
The sudden change in atmosphere nearly took her breath away. The rush, the pain, every emotion connected to the events were hanging thick in the air. In the middle of the room was Parker, still as ever. And, to one side, Jarod, hunched over the desk, completely unaware of her presence. Julia frowned, remembering a time when just the sound of her footsteps made him turn around, and offer that grin she adored so much. Then, guiltily, she took another look at the woman in the middle of the room. She waited another moment, but he still didn't move; with a small sigh, she placed the tray of food she held on the floor near the door and walked back out.
~~~~~~~~~
Sydney walked into the top penthouse's kitchen, bleary-eyed and exhausted but incapable of sleep. He and Broots had moved up into this apartment soon after Parker had been attended to. There was a sort of quiet comfort that came with being close to others with the same knowledge of the situation as you.
At the sink stood Julia, hand-washing dishes despite the dishwasher not but five feet from her. Syd could've sworn that he'd seen her washing those same dishes just a few hours earlier.
"Trouble sleeping?" he asked kindly.
She looked up. "Oh, Sydney, I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"
"Do have waken me, I would've had to be asleep."
"Good point," she smiled.
"I would like to point out, however, that as it is 3:40 in the morning, we should at least be attempting to rest. I'm sure spotless glasses can wait until the morning to be re-washed."
"So you've caught on, huh?" She frowned down at the soapy water. "I just had to find something to do. I've cleaned this entire place twice over. I'm running out of ideas."
"Perhaps you should try putting all that energy into studying what it is that's upsetting you," he suggested.
"Nothing's upsetting me. I'm fine." Her eyes didn't move from the water.
"I've heard that too often to believe it. I don't suppose it could have anything to do with the current situation?"
"Oh, no," she said lightly. "In a matter of days, I've been chased by a madman, met the would-be enemies of my boyfriend, and found a poisoned woman unconscious just floors beneath me. And, at this very moment, the previously-mentioned boyfriend is hard at work, as he has been for the last two days, relentlessly looking for a cure that seems more surreal than the poison itself, while a woman I barely know lies dying. Why, there's nothing at all odd about any of that, so why would I be upset?"
"I will admit, that to a beginner it must seem odd, the experiences we have."
"Beginner, right...But at the start of what? You know, this isn't exactly where I pictured myself being when I first met Jarod."
"His life is certainly a constant surprise."
"You know, I used to like surprises. Breakfast in bed, a bouquet of flowers in my car. Personally, I prefer Jarod's old ones."
"You seem doubtful of something."
"Not doubtful," she said slowly. "Enlightened." He nodded and headed out of the kitchen, but she stopped him as she remarked suddenly, "You've seen it too, haven't you?"
"Sorry?"
"Him. Parker. You're no more blind than I am."
"You're tired," he replied kindly, continuing to walk off. "Get some rest." She watched him leave, then tossed her dish towel into the sink with an uncertain huff.
~~~~~~~~~
Sydney peered into Broots' room, and found the man sitting cross-legged on his bed, just giving his own laptop the command to shut down.
"Talk to Lyle?"
Broots looked up. "Yeah." He held up a small metal box. "Thank goodness for this voice simulator Jarod gave me. All I had to do was hook it up to the computer, ring him up, and let the simulator do the work."
"Did he believe it?"
"Well, he was a little bit surprised, to say the least. Parker has taken a rather large amount of vacation time in the last year, but I threw in enough of her classic smart-ass responses to be believable. He's not expecting us back for another week."
"Good. One way or another, we'll have a resolution by then."
Julia hurried past the slightly-ajar door just then, muttering angrily to herself. Broots looked to Syd with raised eyebrows. "What's going on?"
Sydney sighed and shook his head. "It seems happily ever after has hit a rough spot."
~~~~~~~~~
He was at the desk still. He hadn't left it since her last visit yesterday evening. Jarod was pouring over pages of computed test results, making marks here and there in red ink. For a moment, Julia just stood in the bedroom doorway, watching him. He hadn't heard her. Once again, he was oblivious to her presence.
She continued to stare, and the words slipped past her lips, in a low whisper, before she was even aware of them. "I miss you."
Jarod's muscles tightened momentarily, the only sign that he was now aware of her. He continued to work with the papers in front of him as he absently replied, "What are you talking about? I haven't gone anywhere."
"Yes, you have." Silence. He didn't reply, he was already engrossed again in his work. She could leave now, and he probably wouldn't even remember that she'd been there. However, not willing to let it go, she determinedly added, "Jarod."
He reluctantly put down his pen and turned to face her, realizing that she obviously had something to say. "Talk to me."
She was somewhat surprised to actually have his attention, and it was a moment before she replied, "Where do you see us five years from now?"
He gave a sigh, something like a hidden growl of irritation. This was hardly the time for a relationship discussion. "Can this wait?"
"No, I don't think it can." He looked at her with blank eyes. God, she thought, he really doesn't know. "What are you doing, Jarod? Huh? What are you doing? You don't sleep, you barely eat. You haven't left this room in three days, and I haven't even spoken to you in who knows how long."
"What? You want me to just stand by, let her go without a fight?" he demanded sharply. "Go on playing house with you while an innocent woman slips away?"
"Of course not," she snapped. "I'm not that heartless."
"Then what?"
"Then...nothing, I suppose," she admitted, with a look of self-realization. "I guess I was giving it one last shot. Just one thread of hope, you know?" His eyebrows bunched in confusion. "I was looking for a reason to stay."
That caught his attention. "What?"
Her eyes were beginning to water, and as angry as she was at herself for it, Julia had known she wouldn't be able to get through this without crying. "When we first met, it was incredible. It was as if we had that perfect bond. Then you started to tell me the truth, about yourself, about your past...Now, I've been shot at, hunted by a lunatic, and befriended by people from a horrible place like the Centre. Every day I stay with you, I'm that much deeper into your life, and considering recent events, that's not necessarily a good thing."
"I don't want to lose you."
"I know," she murmured, then visibly shaking herself, she straightened up and tried -unsuccessfully- to hold back the overflowing tears. "And that's why I'm doing this. One of us has to be the strong one, and you're not in the position to be that person."
"I don't understand."
"You can't be the one to deal with this," she explained slowly, "because you've yet to know the facts. You don't even realize it."
"Realize what?" he asked, beginning to feel a slight panic as he realized that she was really leaving. "What are you talking about?"
"That bond I mentioned...it's so rare. Most people don't even have a shot at it, but you...I had suspicions long before any of this. You would say her name, and this smile would appear that I never saw any other time. And I ignored it, only saw what I wanted to, because I was so sure I could make things change..."
"Julia..." He couldn't think of anything to say. He was still lost as to her point; for that matter, he didn't have a damn clue who she was even talking about.
"When you and I are alone, it's amazing. But you two...When she's near you, it's as if there's no one else in the world. God, Jarod, strangers at some stuffy society event see what you don't. For that one moment, those few seconds, when you were speaking to Parker at the ball, every pair of eyes in that room was drawn to the two of you."
"Parker?" he echoed in disbelief. "You think that Parker and I...?"
"No. You're too good a person for that. I know you'd never go behind my back." She studied his face for a moment. "You still don't see it, do you? I'm leaving Jarod...I'm leaving because I know that I'd be a fool to try and come between you, just as you'll be a fool if you let this chance go by...You'll save her," she added confidently. "I know you will. I have faith in you--so does she."
"Don't do this. Don't throw away what we have because of what you think is happening."
"Despite everything you two have said and done to each other over the years, you've made it this far. Think about it. What we have...it's nothing, compared to the two of you." She turned, walked out of the bedroom, stopped after opening the apartment door. Jarod had moved to the bedroom doorway, and much as he wanted to keep going, his feet didn't seem willing to move. She turned, and said, in a low earnest whisper, "There is a connection, Jarod. Whether or not you see it now, whether you admit it, it's there."
And she was gone, the door clicking shut behind her. He barely heard a soft voice murmur, "Goodbye," then nothing. And no matter what, his feet remained frozen. A full ten minutes he stood, observing the closed door with something between disbelief, sadness and anger. Then, resolutely, he turned back into the bedroom, and resumed his work, pushing aside any thoughts of a woman named Julia aside, and concentrating his entire mind on the formula results before him.
