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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
With Me
3/8
by Oriana
Jarod was hurrying through the terminal, looking through throngs of unloading passengers, when a small voice ahead to his left called out, "Look, look! There he is, there's Jarod! Jarod! Jarod! Over here!"
He easily spotted Sam then, jumping up and down eagerly, waving Teddy in the air at him, while her parents stood by smiling patiently. After polite greetings with the adults, he knelt down to her level, and let her give him a tight hug. He laughed and ruffled her hair. "Geez, you've grown at least a foot since the last time I saw you, Sam!"
"Really?"
"Definitely." She took his hand, and they walked off next to Mr. and Mrs. Lansing. They had a nice talk in the nearest airport Starbucks, with lots of pictures on the parents' side; Jarod and Samantha had cocoa, the others opted for lattes.
Finally, however, it was time for the Lansings to go. They'd agreed to let Sam stay for a visit with Jarod and Julia in Seattle, while they went on to Honolulu for their wedding anniversary. Jarod and Sam waved goodbye through the windows until the plane taxied down the runway, then headed out in search of his car.
~~~~~~~~~
Parker sat at the kitchen table, stirring her now-cold coffee and staring off into space with a slight frown playing on her lips, as the memories of her nightmares came flooding foreward once again. Pairing that with her experiences during her coma made for not so happy thoughts. A picture flashed across of her eyes, of her baby brother all grown up, carrying a gun, wearing a humorless grin, as he sat at the head of a T-board. She closed her eyes to block the picture, but it was only replaced with a worse one, of him sitting in a dark corner of a room, playing with a knife, as a dead girl bled on the floor. Just like Lyle... Parker shook her head forcefully, finally erasing the image.
~~~~~~~~~
They pulled onto the freeway, and Jarod turned the radio to a station Sam would enjoy.
"So, how's Julia?"
Jarod nearly slammed on the brakes by accident. She gave him a confused look. "J-Julia? You mean, she hasn't called you guys?"
She shook her head. "Uh-uh. Why? What's wrong?"
Jarod sighed, and turned the radio down. "Sam, we need to talk. I know how much you liked the idea of Julia and I being together--" Samantha snorted; he didn't notice. "--but sometimes things just don't work out that way. People can't always stay together, they have to go separate ways. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"Duh!" She giggled. "It's like on that soap opera mama watches, where the doctor breaks up with that one lady because he realizes he's in love with another."
"Uh, not exactly," he said slowly, "but you've general idea."
"Sure," she grinned. "Admit it, Jarod, you like Miss Parker more."
"I didn't say that," he said defensively.
Samantha just rolled her eyes and hugged Teddy closer. "That's okay, you don't have to. I know you like her."
She's handling this a lot better than I thought, Jarod realized, perplexed. "Well, then, there's a surprise waiting for you when we get home."
~~~~~~~~~
Through the open patio doors she heard a car pull up. She gave her best attempt of a happy smile, and stood slowly from the table. Even that movement left a sharp pain, but she grimaced and ignored it. She made her way into the living room, and waited. A few minutes later, the penthouse door swung open and little Samantha came bounding. Her eyes grew wide, then she gave an excited shriek and ran into Parker's waiting arms. "Miss Parker! Miss Parker!"
Laughing, she hugged her close. "Samantha! It's so good to see you!"
"I missed you so much! I'm so glad you're here!"
"I'm glad to see you too, Sam. Have fun on the plane?"
"Yeah!" She pulled Parker down onto the couch, and sat on her lap. "We got to fly over some mountains, and eat some food." She wrinkled her nose. "It didn't taste very good. Then, the captain let me come into the cockpit." She plucked at her shirt. "See? They even gave me a pin!"
"That's great!"
"I know!" She continued on about the entire trip.
~~~~~~~~~
An hour after reading Sam a bedtime story, Parker was in her own bed, just falling asleep. Half an hour later, she jolted up in her sleep, biting her lip to keep from screaming. Trembling, she got up weakly from the bed and walked slowly into the kitchen. She got a glass of water and sat at the table, hugging herself and trying her damnedest not to cry.
Sydney appeared a little later, observing her quietly with pity. She wasn't having an easy time. She'd mentioned her dreams earlier to him, but they'd obviously progressed to something worse.
"Miss Parker, is anything wrong?"
She looked up at him with watery eyes, hesitated, then finally burst out, "God, Syd, I can't take it anymore!"
"Tell me about it," he offered, sitting down across from her.
"It's everything," she whispered, pressing her hands against the table to keep them from shaking. "It's just everything. Jarod said that the symptoms should be getting better, so this can't be a side effect of that. The nightmares...they just keep getting worse. And what I experienced while I was...sick. I've had to face all these truths, about myself, about the Centre, about everything."
"What truths?"
Her chin was trembling. "My brother is just a baby, Syd...but if I leave him there, with that monster I call my father, he doesn't stand a chance. I can't imagine anything worse than Lyle, and yet I know that if he stays there, he'll become something even more evil. And then there's me...While we were in England, Jarod pointed out how disappointed mom would be if she could see me now--"
"He was in no condition to be taken seriously," Sydney argued.
"I'm not so sure...I mean, he's right. I've turned into the very thing that she was fighting against."
He leaned across, and covered one of her hands with one of his own. "Wherever she is, Catherine is proud of you. She loved you more than life itself, and nothing you did could ever change that."
Parker sniffed, shook her head. "No, Syd. You're wrong. You don't know how wrong. I'm a monster, Daddy saw to that." She stood. "I just don't know how much more of this I can take." And she went back to her bedroom.
~~~~~~~~~
The next morning brought a brilliant sunrise, a delicious homemade breakfast, and a huge surprise. Broots was leaving. "I miss Debbie," he explained at the table. "And, now that Miss Parker's out of the woods, I'm going back to pick her up early from summer camp and spend a few days with her. I need to get back to my family."
They all understood, of course, but his decision brought the idea of the Centre back into their reality. Enough playing house, some decisions needed to be made.
Jarod, for one, was determined to ignore it. He'd like the direction things were taking, and he'd be damned if he would let anything change now. He stole a glance in Parker's direction--she was playing a string game with Sam, one he recognized as "Cat's Cradle." Samantha had taught it to him last Christmas.
Decisions...Not much question which decision was foremost in his mind right now. Ever since his startling realization just the other night, he'd been continually amazed by every little action she did. Jarod smiled as the two burst out laughing, the string between their fingers just a big knotted blob at this point. He'd never felt so aware, so full of emotion before in his life.
~~~~~~~~~
Parker, on the other hand, had never felt so numb. She was physically exhausted still, but it was something more than that. She just couldn't bring herself to think or feel anything fully. She went through the movements, smiled at the appropriate times, played games with Sam to the best of her ability, but it all seemed automatic, like she was a robot just mimicking the actions that the real Miss Parker would do. And her mind would wander, at any given time in any given place, to the echoing hallways and frightening people of an earthbound hell far across the country.
She tried, she really tried, to play the part of a happy rebel, enjoying her "vacation" away from the Centre. But ignoring her concerns only made them fester, until they began to just overtake her mind. And Sam, lovable as she was, became almost a dreaded sight to Parker; she was a carefree young child, with amazing parents, a happy home, and a promising future to look forward to--everything her own brother would probably not experience.
All of these fears continued to press inside her mind, until finally Parker felt sure that she would explode from the pressure. It was the end of the second day of Sam's visit, and Parker simply couldn't take anymore.
She lie, shaking violently, on top of her comforter, staring at the ceiling and feeling tears pour down her cheek. Then, like a wonderfully soothing blanket, a calm came over her. The tears stopped, the shaking subsided. With unconscious resolution, Parker rose. After a moment of consideration, she stripped out of her nightgown and dressed in the usual Centre business suit, all black, and pulled her hair into a tight ponytail.
With slow, silent steps, she padded down the hallway, and opened a door without hesitation. Inside the darkened room, Jarod was fast asleep. She walked around the bed, and knelt down beside his sleeping form. Brushing his cheek fondly, Parker placed a gentle kiss on his forehead and whispered, "I love you."
Then she left, the door clicking shut behind her. In the blackness, Jarod smiled. She'd thought he was asleep, and he figured that was the only way she'd been able to take such a big step. He knew it'd been hard for someone like her to admit something like that, and he was proud of her for it. But more importantly, it meant no more doubts about her reciprocating his feelings. They'd connected. They could finally be together.
He considered following her into her bedroom, then decided against it. He'd wait till morning, then say the same to her. After all, he thought, they had all the time in the world now.
~~~~~~~~~
More silence. None of her movements made a sound, she slipped about the apartment with a swiftness and subtleness any burglar would be proud of. Five minutes later, completely unbeknownst to Jarod, Parker closed the penthouse door behind her, and entered the elevator. She shrugged into her black leather trenchcoat, pressed the button for the main level...
On the dining room table, with a fountain pen lying next to it, was a small sheet of paper.
...and Parker was gone.
3/8
by Oriana
Jarod was hurrying through the terminal, looking through throngs of unloading passengers, when a small voice ahead to his left called out, "Look, look! There he is, there's Jarod! Jarod! Jarod! Over here!"
He easily spotted Sam then, jumping up and down eagerly, waving Teddy in the air at him, while her parents stood by smiling patiently. After polite greetings with the adults, he knelt down to her level, and let her give him a tight hug. He laughed and ruffled her hair. "Geez, you've grown at least a foot since the last time I saw you, Sam!"
"Really?"
"Definitely." She took his hand, and they walked off next to Mr. and Mrs. Lansing. They had a nice talk in the nearest airport Starbucks, with lots of pictures on the parents' side; Jarod and Samantha had cocoa, the others opted for lattes.
Finally, however, it was time for the Lansings to go. They'd agreed to let Sam stay for a visit with Jarod and Julia in Seattle, while they went on to Honolulu for their wedding anniversary. Jarod and Sam waved goodbye through the windows until the plane taxied down the runway, then headed out in search of his car.
~~~~~~~~~
Parker sat at the kitchen table, stirring her now-cold coffee and staring off into space with a slight frown playing on her lips, as the memories of her nightmares came flooding foreward once again. Pairing that with her experiences during her coma made for not so happy thoughts. A picture flashed across of her eyes, of her baby brother all grown up, carrying a gun, wearing a humorless grin, as he sat at the head of a T-board. She closed her eyes to block the picture, but it was only replaced with a worse one, of him sitting in a dark corner of a room, playing with a knife, as a dead girl bled on the floor. Just like Lyle... Parker shook her head forcefully, finally erasing the image.
~~~~~~~~~
They pulled onto the freeway, and Jarod turned the radio to a station Sam would enjoy.
"So, how's Julia?"
Jarod nearly slammed on the brakes by accident. She gave him a confused look. "J-Julia? You mean, she hasn't called you guys?"
She shook her head. "Uh-uh. Why? What's wrong?"
Jarod sighed, and turned the radio down. "Sam, we need to talk. I know how much you liked the idea of Julia and I being together--" Samantha snorted; he didn't notice. "--but sometimes things just don't work out that way. People can't always stay together, they have to go separate ways. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"Duh!" She giggled. "It's like on that soap opera mama watches, where the doctor breaks up with that one lady because he realizes he's in love with another."
"Uh, not exactly," he said slowly, "but you've general idea."
"Sure," she grinned. "Admit it, Jarod, you like Miss Parker more."
"I didn't say that," he said defensively.
Samantha just rolled her eyes and hugged Teddy closer. "That's okay, you don't have to. I know you like her."
She's handling this a lot better than I thought, Jarod realized, perplexed. "Well, then, there's a surprise waiting for you when we get home."
~~~~~~~~~
Through the open patio doors she heard a car pull up. She gave her best attempt of a happy smile, and stood slowly from the table. Even that movement left a sharp pain, but she grimaced and ignored it. She made her way into the living room, and waited. A few minutes later, the penthouse door swung open and little Samantha came bounding. Her eyes grew wide, then she gave an excited shriek and ran into Parker's waiting arms. "Miss Parker! Miss Parker!"
Laughing, she hugged her close. "Samantha! It's so good to see you!"
"I missed you so much! I'm so glad you're here!"
"I'm glad to see you too, Sam. Have fun on the plane?"
"Yeah!" She pulled Parker down onto the couch, and sat on her lap. "We got to fly over some mountains, and eat some food." She wrinkled her nose. "It didn't taste very good. Then, the captain let me come into the cockpit." She plucked at her shirt. "See? They even gave me a pin!"
"That's great!"
"I know!" She continued on about the entire trip.
~~~~~~~~~
An hour after reading Sam a bedtime story, Parker was in her own bed, just falling asleep. Half an hour later, she jolted up in her sleep, biting her lip to keep from screaming. Trembling, she got up weakly from the bed and walked slowly into the kitchen. She got a glass of water and sat at the table, hugging herself and trying her damnedest not to cry.
Sydney appeared a little later, observing her quietly with pity. She wasn't having an easy time. She'd mentioned her dreams earlier to him, but they'd obviously progressed to something worse.
"Miss Parker, is anything wrong?"
She looked up at him with watery eyes, hesitated, then finally burst out, "God, Syd, I can't take it anymore!"
"Tell me about it," he offered, sitting down across from her.
"It's everything," she whispered, pressing her hands against the table to keep them from shaking. "It's just everything. Jarod said that the symptoms should be getting better, so this can't be a side effect of that. The nightmares...they just keep getting worse. And what I experienced while I was...sick. I've had to face all these truths, about myself, about the Centre, about everything."
"What truths?"
Her chin was trembling. "My brother is just a baby, Syd...but if I leave him there, with that monster I call my father, he doesn't stand a chance. I can't imagine anything worse than Lyle, and yet I know that if he stays there, he'll become something even more evil. And then there's me...While we were in England, Jarod pointed out how disappointed mom would be if she could see me now--"
"He was in no condition to be taken seriously," Sydney argued.
"I'm not so sure...I mean, he's right. I've turned into the very thing that she was fighting against."
He leaned across, and covered one of her hands with one of his own. "Wherever she is, Catherine is proud of you. She loved you more than life itself, and nothing you did could ever change that."
Parker sniffed, shook her head. "No, Syd. You're wrong. You don't know how wrong. I'm a monster, Daddy saw to that." She stood. "I just don't know how much more of this I can take." And she went back to her bedroom.
~~~~~~~~~
The next morning brought a brilliant sunrise, a delicious homemade breakfast, and a huge surprise. Broots was leaving. "I miss Debbie," he explained at the table. "And, now that Miss Parker's out of the woods, I'm going back to pick her up early from summer camp and spend a few days with her. I need to get back to my family."
They all understood, of course, but his decision brought the idea of the Centre back into their reality. Enough playing house, some decisions needed to be made.
Jarod, for one, was determined to ignore it. He'd like the direction things were taking, and he'd be damned if he would let anything change now. He stole a glance in Parker's direction--she was playing a string game with Sam, one he recognized as "Cat's Cradle." Samantha had taught it to him last Christmas.
Decisions...Not much question which decision was foremost in his mind right now. Ever since his startling realization just the other night, he'd been continually amazed by every little action she did. Jarod smiled as the two burst out laughing, the string between their fingers just a big knotted blob at this point. He'd never felt so aware, so full of emotion before in his life.
~~~~~~~~~
Parker, on the other hand, had never felt so numb. She was physically exhausted still, but it was something more than that. She just couldn't bring herself to think or feel anything fully. She went through the movements, smiled at the appropriate times, played games with Sam to the best of her ability, but it all seemed automatic, like she was a robot just mimicking the actions that the real Miss Parker would do. And her mind would wander, at any given time in any given place, to the echoing hallways and frightening people of an earthbound hell far across the country.
She tried, she really tried, to play the part of a happy rebel, enjoying her "vacation" away from the Centre. But ignoring her concerns only made them fester, until they began to just overtake her mind. And Sam, lovable as she was, became almost a dreaded sight to Parker; she was a carefree young child, with amazing parents, a happy home, and a promising future to look forward to--everything her own brother would probably not experience.
All of these fears continued to press inside her mind, until finally Parker felt sure that she would explode from the pressure. It was the end of the second day of Sam's visit, and Parker simply couldn't take anymore.
She lie, shaking violently, on top of her comforter, staring at the ceiling and feeling tears pour down her cheek. Then, like a wonderfully soothing blanket, a calm came over her. The tears stopped, the shaking subsided. With unconscious resolution, Parker rose. After a moment of consideration, she stripped out of her nightgown and dressed in the usual Centre business suit, all black, and pulled her hair into a tight ponytail.
With slow, silent steps, she padded down the hallway, and opened a door without hesitation. Inside the darkened room, Jarod was fast asleep. She walked around the bed, and knelt down beside his sleeping form. Brushing his cheek fondly, Parker placed a gentle kiss on his forehead and whispered, "I love you."
Then she left, the door clicking shut behind her. In the blackness, Jarod smiled. She'd thought he was asleep, and he figured that was the only way she'd been able to take such a big step. He knew it'd been hard for someone like her to admit something like that, and he was proud of her for it. But more importantly, it meant no more doubts about her reciprocating his feelings. They'd connected. They could finally be together.
He considered following her into her bedroom, then decided against it. He'd wait till morning, then say the same to her. After all, he thought, they had all the time in the world now.
~~~~~~~~~
More silence. None of her movements made a sound, she slipped about the apartment with a swiftness and subtleness any burglar would be proud of. Five minutes later, completely unbeknownst to Jarod, Parker closed the penthouse door behind her, and entered the elevator. She shrugged into her black leather trenchcoat, pressed the button for the main level...
On the dining room table, with a fountain pen lying next to it, was a small sheet of paper.
...and Parker was gone.
