Table of Contents [Report This]
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 VIII
by Oriana
The two men sat in Broots' bedroom, on chairs scooted next to the cracked door, listening to the sounds down the hall, giving each other uncertain looks, then listening again. Though he may not know what exactly had caused her to run up here a few hours earlier, Sydney had been on enough hurried chases of Jarod through plenty of towns to recognize the noises of luggage being packed. It was going on longer than he was accustomed with, however, suggesting that she was taking quite a bit with her.
Finally, Syd stood up with reluctance and opened the door. "You think that's a good idea?" Broots asked nervously.
"One of us has to find out what's going on," Syd pointed out. "Would you prefer to go?" Broots didn't answer.
Walking down the hall, he gently rapped on the bedroom door, then walked in. Julia, red-eyed and sniffling, was placing her belongings into bags. She looked over at him and gave a weak smile. "Oh, hello Syd."
"Leaving us?"
She nodded, then resumed packing. "Yeah..."
"Am I right in assuming that you won't be coming back?"
She stopped, as if she wasn't sure, then shook her head and began to zip up the luggage. "It's over."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"Me too. Oh, well. C'est la vie, ya know?" She nodded towards the window. "See if my cab's here, won't you?"
He glanced outside, and spotted a yellow taxi pulling up. "Just. Want me to give you a hand with those bags?"
"Please," she smiled. "To the elevator. The driver can take care of them from there."
They both took hold of luggage, and headed out of the penthouse, Broots finally catching on and tagging along with one of the smaller pieces. At the elevator, she gave a nod of thanks and pressed a button for the main level. "It was a pleasure meeting you. Unique...but nice." The doors closed. Sydney and Broots gave each other a look.
"Never an uneventful moment around here, is there, Broots?"
~~~~~~~~~
For about the tenth time, the formulas in front of his eyes began to blur. Jarod shook his head, then continued to study them as the printer created another small pile to be checked. He finished the set, then crossed it all out in red with an angry growl. Not even close. None of the numbers or sequences came near to what Parker's body needed. Tossing the pen onto the desk, he took a moment to massage his throbbing temples, then resolutely pulled out the newest pile.
"Why don't you let me do that?"
He didn't bother to look up. "No."
"Jarod, I really think you should take a break. You've just gone through a very emotionally trying experience."
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about the fact that your girlfriend has just left you."
"It was her own decision to leave."
"That doesn't mean she wanted to do it. I don't care what she said down here, I saw the look in her eyes. You could probably beat her taxi to the airport. If you asked her to, she'd stay."
"Great, an ultimatum. I go after the girl I care for, but quite possibly lose another. It's not fair--I was just starting to get back a lost friend, only to have her taken away again. Parker's life is hanging in the balance. If Julia is what I have to sacrifice to keep her going, then there's no choice. Every moment is too precious."
"I know you'd do anything."
"I am not giving her up without a fight," Jarod said matter-of-factly. "I don't care what it takes, I refuse to let her go."
"Fine, so you're willing to lose Julia, but that still leaves you with three days of no sleep. That's not healthy."
"I'm not tired."
"Then eat something. The last thing you had was a few sips of coffee this morning. God only knows when you ate."
"Half an apple, yesterday morning," he replied automatically.
"You need to stop." Jarod didn't even bother wasting time to reply to that. "The formulation and creation is your specialty, but I do know what to look for in the results."
"All it takes is one little mistake. You miss it once, we'll never have the chance to check it again."
"I'd say there's more chance of you missing something right now, given your current condition. You're running on pure adrenaline."
"I said no."
"You're of no help to her if you end up unconscious from exhaustion and hunger." Jarod looked up hesitantly. "You know I'm right."
He stood, but didn't move away from the desk. "One hour," he allowed.
"Agreed." Sydney walked over and collected the new sheets of data. Jarod's eyes wandered towards the cot. Sydney cleared his throat. "I think I'm going to check these in the living room. Better lighting." Jarod nodded, and he left, closing the door behind him.
Jarod took the chair from the desk and moved it over next to Parker's bedside. He sat, looked for a moment at her uncertainly, then took hold of her too-warm hand. He began to concentrate on her wrist, not stuck with an IV tube with the other, but untouched. There were only a few scratches, from the hedge maze, he realized. Jarod was holding it gently, as if he was afraid he would break it, and tracing her fingers softly with his own, when he finally allowed his eyes to move to her face. She was flushed, and so still. He brushed a hand over her forehead. Her hair was still slightly wavy from the ball. Eyelids and thick lashes hid her eyes, and it wasn't until he really saw that he couldn't look into those blue oceans for comfort, that it came to him just how much he missed it.
The heart monitor continue to beep, echoing in the otherwise silent room. He moved the hand back to hers, cupped it with both, and continued to study her face. His eyes began to wander lower, unsure why. Then he saw it.
There, resting in the nape of her neck, was the blue angel charm he'd given her, held in place by the same thin silver chain.
For the first time since inducing her coma, Jarod felt the familiar lump rise in his throat. His body began to shudder, until finally his sobs came, choked and painful. Resting his head against her abdomen, not releasing her hand, Jarod began to cry.
"I will not let you go," he managed in a rough voice, then continued to sob.
When Sydney returned to the room exactly one hour later, he found Jarod in the same position. His eyes were shut, and though unhappy murmurs escaped his voice every few minutes, his breathing was even. Syd didn't wake him, but allowed the pretender the much-needed rest.
Jarod would spend seven hours sleeping with his head resting on Parker, clutching her hand with one of his own, while the other was wrapped loosely around her stomach.
~~~~~~~~~
The fifth day. The doomsday number everyone was thinking, but didn't say. Sydney sat at the desk, pouring over the papers carefully, but with an urgency he'd never before experienced. Broots stood at Parker's side, checking the equipment again and again, unable to do anything else. They'd finally managed to pull Jarod away for a second break. He'd numbly agreed to go into the living room for a while, but when Broots went to check on him, he was gone.
Suddenly, Syd jumped up, the chair knocked over, reading and re-reading the paper he held in disbelief. Broots, concentrated on the monitor, jumped as well at the noise and gave a shout of panic, then glared at Syd. "What the hell?!"
"This could be it," Sydney said excitedly, not tearing his eyes from the paper. "My god, this could actually be it."
"The cure?"
"I think so."
"Where's Jarod?"
Broots' grin faded. "I-I don't know. He left."
He brooded for a moment, then his eyes lit up. "Of course."
~~~~~~~~~
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 VIII
by Oriana
The two men sat in Broots' bedroom, on chairs scooted next to the cracked door, listening to the sounds down the hall, giving each other uncertain looks, then listening again. Though he may not know what exactly had caused her to run up here a few hours earlier, Sydney had been on enough hurried chases of Jarod through plenty of towns to recognize the noises of luggage being packed. It was going on longer than he was accustomed with, however, suggesting that she was taking quite a bit with her.
Finally, Syd stood up with reluctance and opened the door. "You think that's a good idea?" Broots asked nervously.
"One of us has to find out what's going on," Syd pointed out. "Would you prefer to go?" Broots didn't answer.
Walking down the hall, he gently rapped on the bedroom door, then walked in. Julia, red-eyed and sniffling, was placing her belongings into bags. She looked over at him and gave a weak smile. "Oh, hello Syd."
"Leaving us?"
She nodded, then resumed packing. "Yeah..."
"Am I right in assuming that you won't be coming back?"
She stopped, as if she wasn't sure, then shook her head and began to zip up the luggage. "It's over."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"Me too. Oh, well. C'est la vie, ya know?" She nodded towards the window. "See if my cab's here, won't you?"
He glanced outside, and spotted a yellow taxi pulling up. "Just. Want me to give you a hand with those bags?"
"Please," she smiled. "To the elevator. The driver can take care of them from there."
They both took hold of luggage, and headed out of the penthouse, Broots finally catching on and tagging along with one of the smaller pieces. At the elevator, she gave a nod of thanks and pressed a button for the main level. "It was a pleasure meeting you. Unique...but nice." The doors closed. Sydney and Broots gave each other a look.
"Never an uneventful moment around here, is there, Broots?"
~~~~~~~~~
For about the tenth time, the formulas in front of his eyes began to blur. Jarod shook his head, then continued to study them as the printer created another small pile to be checked. He finished the set, then crossed it all out in red with an angry growl. Not even close. None of the numbers or sequences came near to what Parker's body needed. Tossing the pen onto the desk, he took a moment to massage his throbbing temples, then resolutely pulled out the newest pile.
"Why don't you let me do that?"
He didn't bother to look up. "No."
"Jarod, I really think you should take a break. You've just gone through a very emotionally trying experience."
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about the fact that your girlfriend has just left you."
"It was her own decision to leave."
"That doesn't mean she wanted to do it. I don't care what she said down here, I saw the look in her eyes. You could probably beat her taxi to the airport. If you asked her to, she'd stay."
"Great, an ultimatum. I go after the girl I care for, but quite possibly lose another. It's not fair--I was just starting to get back a lost friend, only to have her taken away again. Parker's life is hanging in the balance. If Julia is what I have to sacrifice to keep her going, then there's no choice. Every moment is too precious."
"I know you'd do anything."
"I am not giving her up without a fight," Jarod said matter-of-factly. "I don't care what it takes, I refuse to let her go."
"Fine, so you're willing to lose Julia, but that still leaves you with three days of no sleep. That's not healthy."
"I'm not tired."
"Then eat something. The last thing you had was a few sips of coffee this morning. God only knows when you ate."
"Half an apple, yesterday morning," he replied automatically.
"You need to stop." Jarod didn't even bother wasting time to reply to that. "The formulation and creation is your specialty, but I do know what to look for in the results."
"All it takes is one little mistake. You miss it once, we'll never have the chance to check it again."
"I'd say there's more chance of you missing something right now, given your current condition. You're running on pure adrenaline."
"I said no."
"You're of no help to her if you end up unconscious from exhaustion and hunger." Jarod looked up hesitantly. "You know I'm right."
He stood, but didn't move away from the desk. "One hour," he allowed.
"Agreed." Sydney walked over and collected the new sheets of data. Jarod's eyes wandered towards the cot. Sydney cleared his throat. "I think I'm going to check these in the living room. Better lighting." Jarod nodded, and he left, closing the door behind him.
Jarod took the chair from the desk and moved it over next to Parker's bedside. He sat, looked for a moment at her uncertainly, then took hold of her too-warm hand. He began to concentrate on her wrist, not stuck with an IV tube with the other, but untouched. There were only a few scratches, from the hedge maze, he realized. Jarod was holding it gently, as if he was afraid he would break it, and tracing her fingers softly with his own, when he finally allowed his eyes to move to her face. She was flushed, and so still. He brushed a hand over her forehead. Her hair was still slightly wavy from the ball. Eyelids and thick lashes hid her eyes, and it wasn't until he really saw that he couldn't look into those blue oceans for comfort, that it came to him just how much he missed it.
The heart monitor continue to beep, echoing in the otherwise silent room. He moved the hand back to hers, cupped it with both, and continued to study her face. His eyes began to wander lower, unsure why. Then he saw it.
There, resting in the nape of her neck, was the blue angel charm he'd given her, held in place by the same thin silver chain.
For the first time since inducing her coma, Jarod felt the familiar lump rise in his throat. His body began to shudder, until finally his sobs came, choked and painful. Resting his head against her abdomen, not releasing her hand, Jarod began to cry.
"I will not let you go," he managed in a rough voice, then continued to sob.
When Sydney returned to the room exactly one hour later, he found Jarod in the same position. His eyes were shut, and though unhappy murmurs escaped his voice every few minutes, his breathing was even. Syd didn't wake him, but allowed the pretender the much-needed rest.
Jarod would spend seven hours sleeping with his head resting on Parker, clutching her hand with one of his own, while the other was wrapped loosely around her stomach.
~~~~~~~~~
The fifth day. The doomsday number everyone was thinking, but didn't say. Sydney sat at the desk, pouring over the papers carefully, but with an urgency he'd never before experienced. Broots stood at Parker's side, checking the equipment again and again, unable to do anything else. They'd finally managed to pull Jarod away for a second break. He'd numbly agreed to go into the living room for a while, but when Broots went to check on him, he was gone.
Suddenly, Syd jumped up, the chair knocked over, reading and re-reading the paper he held in disbelief. Broots, concentrated on the monitor, jumped as well at the noise and gave a shout of panic, then glared at Syd. "What the hell?!"
"This could be it," Sydney said excitedly, not tearing his eyes from the paper. "My god, this could actually be it."
"The cure?"
"I think so."
"Where's Jarod?"
Broots' grin faded. "I-I don't know. He left."
He brooded for a moment, then his eyes lit up. "Of course."
~~~~~~~~~
