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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Disclaimers and such in Part 1
To Catch A Pretender
part 3
by SaraC
~~~~~~~
Four hours later a very tired Miss Parker was half asleep on the sofa, and a very frustrated Jarod was ready to scream at not being able to make sense of the situation.
There simply looked to be no antidote for the virus. He'd checked and tested every medication known to treat AIDS, but no combination of them even made a dent in repairing the cells. How was he supposed to find an answer when doctors and scientists for years had not been able to?
He rubbed his eyes as he entered the living room, the last batch of tests running through his makeshift laboratory in the back room. His eyes immediately fell on the sleeping figure, his heart giving a familiar, strange tug as he noted how beautiful she was, even pale and weak.
Moving quietly, he sank to his knees beside her, brushing several stray strands of hair from her temples. He smiled as she muttered something in her sleep, but instinctively turned her cheek into his hand, nuzzling gently into it.
His heart rate accelerated at the feel of her soft skin against his rougher touch. It was softer than he'd ever imagined and he couldn't resist stroking his finger gently over her cheek to feel more.
Miss Parker sighed in her restless sleep. She was having that dream again. The dream where Jarod suddenly appeared and did things to her, to her body, that made her lose control. She could almost swear she could feel his skin against hers, his hot breath blowing in puffs against her cheek.
It was a lovely dream.
Until the nightmare intruded.
Slowly, her dream Jarod began to fade, despite her cries for him to stay. But his figure slowly disappeared into thin air, only to be replaced by the evil smile of Raines as he and Lyle stood over her laughing.
She struggled to get away, calling out for Jarod, praying they hadn't done something to him.
But her cries went unheard as Lyle and Raines closed in on her, carrying a filled syringe.
"Don't worry, this will make it all go away. Forever," the dream Raines whispered.
She knew in that instant, that she was about to die.
"Jarod!" she screamed, struggling to get away from the invisible bonds that seemed to be holding her to the sofa.
Jarod jumped back as he heard her cry out his name, her lovely faced suddenly contorting in pain and fear.
"Miss Parker! Miss Parker please, wake up," he whispered, feeling frightened as he watched her body shudder and convulse. He could tell it was a bad dream, but from the effect it was having on her, if she didn't wake soon, she could hurt herself.
Carefully leaning over her, he shook her gently, begging her in a low voice to wake up.
With a jolt, Miss Parker suddenly found her eyes had flown open and the dream was gone.
And there was a very worried looking Jarod hovering over her, concern and fear written all over his face.
Jarod was here, he was safe.
"Jarod, you're here," she whispered, somehow gathering the strength to reach up and wrap her arms around his shoulders, pulling him down to her and holding him against her as tightly as her weak arms would allow.
"I'm here Miss Parker, and I'm not going anywhere, you're safe," he muttered over and over again into her hair as he held her tightly, careful not to hurt her with the force of his relief that she was awake.
For what could have been minutes or hours they simply held each other, whispering soothing words, taking comfort from each other's presence.
When Jarod finally felt calm enough to pull back, he found she wasn't exactly willing to let go.
Smiling, he stretched out along the sofa, pulling her body against his, spooning her back to his front and snuggling her head against his neck.
Miss Parker sighed, closing her eyes and letting her aching body relax against his. It felt too good to be in his arms, and for just a few moments, she wanted to forget about what little time they had left.
"Do you know how long I've wanted to hold you in my arms?" Jarod whispered softly, knowing it was probably not the time for this conversation, but unable to stop himself from asking.
She sighed, realizing it was time to lay it all on the line.
Who knew if she'd ever get the chance again in this lifetime.
"Probably as long as I have wanted to be held," she admitted honestly, feeling as if a great weight had been lifted from her chest as Jarod exhaled against the back of her neck, his warm breath sending pleasant shivers down her spine.
"Why does it have to have come to this to get us to admit how we feel?" he whispered quietly, pulling her just a little closer as she sighed.
"Our paths were chosen years ago, without our consent. And while I knew I loved the boy who'd been my friend all those years ago, after my mother's death and my father's determination that I work for the Centre and then your escape, well I felt like I'd lost everything and everyone. My mother had left me, Faith had left me, you had left me. I simply stopped feeling," she offered honestly.
"You never stopped feeling Miss Parker," Jarod whispered, tears building behind his eyes as he listened to her heartfelt words. "You just hid everything away, deep down inside, too scared to let it out," he finished as she nodded against his chin.
"It was so much easier to hate you. To chase you all over, believing that if I took away your freedom, I would gain mine. And for years, I was content with that. Until you told me the truth about my mother. After that, everything changed," she whispered softly, her throat closing at the mention of her mother.
"Will I ever know what happened in my lifetime? Or will I be able to ask her if I don't make it through the week?" she whispered, letting a tear slip down her cheek.
Jarod held her tighter, unable to hold back his own tears.
"You are going to make it through the week, I refuse to let you leave me, not when I've finally realized how much I need you," he whispered against her ear as she rolled to face him.
"You need me?" she whispered softly, swallowing hard as she noted the look in his eyes.
Jarod simply nodded.
"Why do you think I've had the strength to keep running? Why do you think I've spent so much time trying to feed you clues about your mother? You keep me sane, you keep me in touch with myself, even by chasing me, you're testing my skills, and I couldn't survive without that. The Centre would have had me long ago if it wasn't for you," he whispered, brushing a strand of hair off her cheek.
Miss Parker felt the tears begin to fall as she read the sincerity in his eyes.
He'd just put into words what she'd been trying to figure out for years.
"You know, I never would have been able to make it through these past few years without you," she offered quietly, smiling at his incredulous look.
"I mean it," she whispered as she smiled up at him. "You are always the one who's there for me, even when I don't think I need anyone. You helped me through Tommy, through finding out Lyle was my twin, through this whole mess of who my father really is, and what happened to my mother, " she whispered, reaching up to brush her hand across his cheek, awed at the amazement in his eyes.
"As I told you once, you're always there in my darkest moments, helping me see the light and get back to reality," she whispered, her eyes darkening as she thought about the last time she'd said those words to him.
Jarod's eyes flashed as well as he remembered hearing those words in front of the fire at Ocee's what was only a month ago.
"And if I remember right, I told you maybe that's how it was supposed to be," he answered in a low voice as their gazes locked.
Miss Parker knew her heart was racing, knew that she wanted more than anything for him to complete what they'd been interrupted from last time.
Jarod read the desire in her eyes and knew he felt the same.
Carefully, he lowered his head, feeling his heartbeat quicken at the feel of her soft puffs of breath against his face as his lips hovered over hers.
For several moments, the two stared at each other, realizing that they were at a crossroads.
Miss Parker finally took the lead, leaning up and brushing her lips against his.
Jarod's soft moan merged with her quiet whimper when their lips touched.
And everything they'd ever thought they'd known or believed went flying into oblivion.
Jarod knew it had never felt so right to kiss anyone as it did to kiss Miss Parker.
Her lips were soft against his, but sent sparks leaping through his aroused body.
Miss Parker only wondered that she hadn't exploded yet from the emotions coursing through her body as Jarod's lips caressed hers.
It was as if everything in her life had been leading to this one moment.
Wrapped in Jarod's arms, his lips against hers, taking away all fear and pain and confusion.
When they finally parted for breath, they simply stared at each other for long moments, memorizing each other's faces.
Finally, Jarod spoke.
"I won't let you die, I love you too much to lose you now," he whispered, laying it all on the line, knowing he might not have much longer to tell her how he felt.
She felt her heart leap at the words, and the expression in his eyes.
She knew then that this was what she'd been looking for her entire life.
"I know you won't Jarod. And I love you too much to die on you," she whispered, reaching up to cup his cheek.
His eyes slid closed as he turned his face to plant a soft kiss against her palm.
Then with a soft sigh, he wrapped her in his arms, pulling her tightly to him as she sank against his body, the waves of lethargy creeping over her system.
Jarod felt her grow limp against him, and all the danger of their situation returned.
"You need sleep, rest, so you can fight off infections for as long as possible," he whispered against her ear.
Miss Parker sighed as she burrowed closer.
"I don't want to sleep. I just want to be with you," she replied, wishing she had more strength to show him just how much she wanted that.
Jarod fought back his tears as he untangled them from the sofa and gently lifted her into his arms.
"I want that too, but I have to keep working if we're going to make that wish come true," he whispered as he carried her into the bedroom and placed her gently onto the bed.
Miss Parker sighed, knowing the sense in his words.
"Promise me you'll come hold me and rest for a few hours at least?" she asked in a surprisingly needy voice.
"I promise," Jarod whispered, leaning down to brush his lips across hers again before heading out of the room and back to the laboratory.
She watched him go, feeling her emotions ready to swamp her.
God how she loved that man!
She only wondered that she'd been blinding herself to these feelings for so long.
Ironic that she would finally admit to them only when she was on the verge of not being able to do anything about them.
Sighing, she let the waves of sleep begin to take over her body, remembering the feel of Jarod's kiss and being held so tightly in his arms.
She was going to get better and when she was, she was going to show him just how good it could be between them.
There would be no more Centre.
No more running and chasing.
They would be moving together, for the rest of their lives.
Smiling at the thought, she fell into a deep sleep.
~~~~~~~~~
Jarod slammed his fist onto the table as yet another negative result stared back at him.
What the hell was he doing wrong?
Every calculation, every rational thought that usually solved the worst problems, none of them worked.
He could not find a cure.
Miss Parker was going to die, and he knew he'd die with her.
He didn't want to go on without her.
Feeling the tears building, he gave them free reign, collapsing onto the table and sobbing brokenly, realizing for the first time, he was not going to be able to 'pretend' his way out of this situation.
As he cried, he was oblivious to the soft glow that began to fill the room around him.
Catherine and Faith Parker watched silently as Jarod wept.
"He is so sad, so discouraged," Faith whispered as Catherine sighed.
"I know, but we expected this. Now it is time to help them live out the lives they were meant to," Catherine whispered.
The two watched as Jarod finally collapsed into sleep, tear tracks evident on his cheeks.
When he was finally at rest, the two spirits moved beside him, placing their hands against his head, letting their knowledge and their sympathy flow into his tired mind.
Several minutes later they parted, satisfied that when he awoke, he would realize what needed to be done.
Moving quietly, Catherine and Faith then slipped into Miss Parker's room.
Catherine felt tears building as she saw the pale form of her daughter lying in the huge bed.
She held in so much pain, so much anger inside.
But with Jarod, that all disappeared.
She smiled softly as she settled onto the bed next to her daughter, wrapping her in strong arms as Faith curled up on her other side.
"Sleep my child, when you wake, it will be all right," she soothed as Miss Parker relaxed in her sleep, safe and secure in her mother's arms.
~~~~~~~~~~
Jarod awoke with a start, his mind filled with images of Catherine, Faith, and Thomas.
Thomas?
Shaking his head, he headed over to the last batch of samples, praying there would be some answers.
He cursed as he read the negative results again.
Anger swept through him as he swept the test tubes off the table, sending them to the floor with a clatter of breaking glass.
Dropping to his knees, he held his head in his hands, wondering what to do now.
He felt so hopeless.
"The answer is always there, in plain view, you just have to look for it where you least expect."
His head shot up as Thomas' voice filled the room around him.
"Thomas?" he whispered, hearing his friend's warm laughter echoing through the small room.
"Look into your hearts, the answer has always been there," the voice came again.
"Thomas, where are you?" he whispered, wondering if he was so far gone he was now imagining things.
"Trust your feelings, trust your love for her, it was mean to be."
Jarod looked around again.
"I've been looking, but I can't find the answer. Help me Thomas," he begged, closing his eyes and sinking into a small ball on the floor, rocking back and forth.
Thomas sighed as he watched his friend's agony.
Part of him resented the fact that the woman he loved had never loved him the way she did the man weeping in front of him.
But a larger part knew that this was meant to be. His role had been to love her, to get her to see there was still a woman inside her shell.
Jarod was the man to bring that woman out, to help her live a long, full life.
He was going to do everything he could to make sure it happened.
But unfortunately, that wasn't much.
Catherine and Faith had planted the seeds in his mind, but Jarod had to make them bloom.
All he could do was offer support and keep him on track.
"Jarod, search your heart, the answer lies within," he whispered quietly, seeing his friend suddenly still.
Jarod froze as his friend's ghostly words played over and over in his mind.
Search your heart. Look where you least expect. The answer lies within.
Suddenly, he knew he'd been going about this the entirely wrong way.
Searching for answers in the wrong place.
It wasn't in drugs or medicine.
It was in Miss Parker.
"Thank you Thomas," he whispered as he grabbed another sample of her blood.
Thomas smiled as he watched Jarod frantically begin working.
Everything was going to be all right.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Miss Parker awoke several hours later, feeling as if she'd never slept better. She'd dreamt her mother was with her, holding her in her arms, singing her favorite lullaby from her childhood.
She smiled, suddenly knowing her mother had been with her in her mind, and would get her through this trying time.
Smiling she found there was not as much pain as she slid from the bed and padded off to find Jarod.
She smiled to herself as she entered the makeshift laboratory, watching Jarod mumbling to himself as he mixed various colored solutions.
She felt the prick of tears behind her eyes as she realized how much she had taken him for granted over the past few years.
"Jarod, any luck?" she asked quietly, smiling at the look in his eyes as he whirled around. Within an instant, he was at her side, pulling her into his arms holding her tightly against him. She breathed him in, realizing she finally felt at peace, at home, in his arms.
"How are you feeling?" he asked quietly when they pulled apart.
She sighed.
"Still weak, but the headache is almost gone and I feel better than I have in days," she replied truthfully as he helped her to a chair.
"Sit and relax, I think I might have something," he began excitedly, as a spark of hope lit her eyes.
"Really, something is working?" she asked.
Jarod nodded.
"I was looking in the wrong place, trying to find an answer through drugs and chemicals on the market. What I didn't take into account was your own genetic structure," he murmured, heading back to his row of test tubes.
Miss Parker stared at him.
"What does my genetic structure have to do with anything?" she asked carefully.
Jarod turned to her with a serious expression on his face.
"You have the same genetic structure that I have," he offered quietly, seeing the understanding dawn in her eyes.
"Our mothers were impregnated at NuGenesis. I have the pretender gene," she whispered, seeing Jarod nod.
"Only your mother never let your father get a hold of you, she protected you as long as she could. Just like she tried to protect me and Kyle and the others," he replied softly.
Miss Parker closed her eyes, trying to absorb what he was telling her.
She could have been a pretender. She had the capabilities. She had the knowledge.
But could it save her?
"How can that save me?" she asked curiously, still trying to wrap her mind around what he'd told her.
Jarod smiled.
"Our genetic structure is different. It works with certain chemicals in different ways. But in essence, we have a different type of immune system. From what I can tell, it was a defect that all pretenders have, we just don't know it," he offered carefully.
"A good or bad defect?" she asked quietly.
"That's what I'm hoping this test will discover," he replied, pulling a slide under the microscope.
Miss Parker watched his face, saw his body go still as whatever he saw registered.
"Jarod?" she asked, hope beginning to fill her body.
She knew he'd found the answer as she saw him turn to her, and a tear slid down his smiling face.
"It worked," he whispered softly, almost as if he couldn't believe what he was saying.
Then it hit him.
"It worked! I figured out how to cure you!" he laughed and cried as he ran across the room and pulled her into his arms, whirling her around until she begged him to stop or she would be sick.
The two clung to each other, simply holding onto their happiness, of the knowledge they would have a future.
Jarod smiled as he pulled back.
"I am going to make some more of this antidote and then we'll test it on you," he whispered as she nodded.
"What was it?" she asked as he led her back to the table.
"Your blood," he offered simply as he pointed her to the microscope.
"My blood?" she asked in confusion.
He nodded.
"I mixed it with a combination of drugs, and it began to repair your cells," he whispered, pulling her into his arms again, resting his chin on top of her head.
"So it's my blood that's the catalyst?" she asked as he nodded again.
"There is something in our blood, in all pretender's blood, that no one knows exists. But when mixed with certain chemicals, it can repair your immune system," he replied.
She closed her eyes, thanking God for Jarod's knowledge.
"But how did you realize this?" she asked, turning to look into his eyes.
Jarod smiled.
"Thomas told me," he offered quietly, seeing her eyes widen.
"Thomas?" she asked in a small voice.
He nodded.
"His voice suddenly appeared in my head, telling me to look into your heart, and that clicked to work more with your blood," he whispered, seeing a tear slip down her cheek.
"I loved him you know," she whispered quietly, as Jarod nodded in understanding. "But not the same way I love you," she finished as she looked into his eyes.
'I know," he whispered, leaning down to kiss her gently.
When they pulled apart she smiled.
"So let's get this party started, inject me with this cure," she called as Jarod moved to the table and began mixing various powders.
"I'm not sure how long this will take, but hopefully, we'll see a change within the day," he murmured as he blended the ingredients together, slowly heating them over a burner until they dissolved into a liquid.
Miss Parker settled down on a chair to watch him, delighted to find she had free reign to scope out his beautifully formed body. How had she resisted him for so long?
"Okay, shall we give this a try?"
She smiled as he moved towards her, a syringe filled with an amber liquid in his hand.
"You sure this will work?" she asked, a moment of doubt clouding her eyes.
Jarod nodded.
"It has to," he offered simply as she returned his gaze, then held out her arm.
She winced at the quick prick of the needle, but focused her gaze on Jarod instead, letting herself get lost in his eyes as he injected her.
"There, all done," he whispered, placing the syringe on the table and pulling her into his arms.
She sighed, snuggling there, letting him hold her, realizing nothing had ever felt so right.
For all her hard-bitten, cynical lifestyle, she'd forgotten how nice it was to be held.
"Come on, let's get you to bed," Jarod whispered, again lifting her in his arms.
"A girl could get used to this," she whispered with a smile as she let her head rest against his chest.
Jarod smiled as he carried her back to the bedroom and placed her on the bed.
"Stay," she whispered as she looked up at him.
He smiled.
"Stay," he replied, shedding his shirt and socks before climbing in next to her and wrapping his arms around her waist.
Miss Parker snuggled against him, fighting the waves of sleep as she struggled to hold him tightly.
"I'll be here when you wake up, sleep now Parker," he whispered against her temple.
At his words, she knew it would be all right.
Smiling, she let sleep claim her.
Jarod fell with her soon after.
The three smiling spirits watched them contentedly from the corner of the room before fading from view.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
To Catch A Pretender
part 3
by SaraC
~~~~~~~
Four hours later a very tired Miss Parker was half asleep on the sofa, and a very frustrated Jarod was ready to scream at not being able to make sense of the situation.
There simply looked to be no antidote for the virus. He'd checked and tested every medication known to treat AIDS, but no combination of them even made a dent in repairing the cells. How was he supposed to find an answer when doctors and scientists for years had not been able to?
He rubbed his eyes as he entered the living room, the last batch of tests running through his makeshift laboratory in the back room. His eyes immediately fell on the sleeping figure, his heart giving a familiar, strange tug as he noted how beautiful she was, even pale and weak.
Moving quietly, he sank to his knees beside her, brushing several stray strands of hair from her temples. He smiled as she muttered something in her sleep, but instinctively turned her cheek into his hand, nuzzling gently into it.
His heart rate accelerated at the feel of her soft skin against his rougher touch. It was softer than he'd ever imagined and he couldn't resist stroking his finger gently over her cheek to feel more.
Miss Parker sighed in her restless sleep. She was having that dream again. The dream where Jarod suddenly appeared and did things to her, to her body, that made her lose control. She could almost swear she could feel his skin against hers, his hot breath blowing in puffs against her cheek.
It was a lovely dream.
Until the nightmare intruded.
Slowly, her dream Jarod began to fade, despite her cries for him to stay. But his figure slowly disappeared into thin air, only to be replaced by the evil smile of Raines as he and Lyle stood over her laughing.
She struggled to get away, calling out for Jarod, praying they hadn't done something to him.
But her cries went unheard as Lyle and Raines closed in on her, carrying a filled syringe.
"Don't worry, this will make it all go away. Forever," the dream Raines whispered.
She knew in that instant, that she was about to die.
"Jarod!" she screamed, struggling to get away from the invisible bonds that seemed to be holding her to the sofa.
Jarod jumped back as he heard her cry out his name, her lovely faced suddenly contorting in pain and fear.
"Miss Parker! Miss Parker please, wake up," he whispered, feeling frightened as he watched her body shudder and convulse. He could tell it was a bad dream, but from the effect it was having on her, if she didn't wake soon, she could hurt herself.
Carefully leaning over her, he shook her gently, begging her in a low voice to wake up.
With a jolt, Miss Parker suddenly found her eyes had flown open and the dream was gone.
And there was a very worried looking Jarod hovering over her, concern and fear written all over his face.
Jarod was here, he was safe.
"Jarod, you're here," she whispered, somehow gathering the strength to reach up and wrap her arms around his shoulders, pulling him down to her and holding him against her as tightly as her weak arms would allow.
"I'm here Miss Parker, and I'm not going anywhere, you're safe," he muttered over and over again into her hair as he held her tightly, careful not to hurt her with the force of his relief that she was awake.
For what could have been minutes or hours they simply held each other, whispering soothing words, taking comfort from each other's presence.
When Jarod finally felt calm enough to pull back, he found she wasn't exactly willing to let go.
Smiling, he stretched out along the sofa, pulling her body against his, spooning her back to his front and snuggling her head against his neck.
Miss Parker sighed, closing her eyes and letting her aching body relax against his. It felt too good to be in his arms, and for just a few moments, she wanted to forget about what little time they had left.
"Do you know how long I've wanted to hold you in my arms?" Jarod whispered softly, knowing it was probably not the time for this conversation, but unable to stop himself from asking.
She sighed, realizing it was time to lay it all on the line.
Who knew if she'd ever get the chance again in this lifetime.
"Probably as long as I have wanted to be held," she admitted honestly, feeling as if a great weight had been lifted from her chest as Jarod exhaled against the back of her neck, his warm breath sending pleasant shivers down her spine.
"Why does it have to have come to this to get us to admit how we feel?" he whispered quietly, pulling her just a little closer as she sighed.
"Our paths were chosen years ago, without our consent. And while I knew I loved the boy who'd been my friend all those years ago, after my mother's death and my father's determination that I work for the Centre and then your escape, well I felt like I'd lost everything and everyone. My mother had left me, Faith had left me, you had left me. I simply stopped feeling," she offered honestly.
"You never stopped feeling Miss Parker," Jarod whispered, tears building behind his eyes as he listened to her heartfelt words. "You just hid everything away, deep down inside, too scared to let it out," he finished as she nodded against his chin.
"It was so much easier to hate you. To chase you all over, believing that if I took away your freedom, I would gain mine. And for years, I was content with that. Until you told me the truth about my mother. After that, everything changed," she whispered softly, her throat closing at the mention of her mother.
"Will I ever know what happened in my lifetime? Or will I be able to ask her if I don't make it through the week?" she whispered, letting a tear slip down her cheek.
Jarod held her tighter, unable to hold back his own tears.
"You are going to make it through the week, I refuse to let you leave me, not when I've finally realized how much I need you," he whispered against her ear as she rolled to face him.
"You need me?" she whispered softly, swallowing hard as she noted the look in his eyes.
Jarod simply nodded.
"Why do you think I've had the strength to keep running? Why do you think I've spent so much time trying to feed you clues about your mother? You keep me sane, you keep me in touch with myself, even by chasing me, you're testing my skills, and I couldn't survive without that. The Centre would have had me long ago if it wasn't for you," he whispered, brushing a strand of hair off her cheek.
Miss Parker felt the tears begin to fall as she read the sincerity in his eyes.
He'd just put into words what she'd been trying to figure out for years.
"You know, I never would have been able to make it through these past few years without you," she offered quietly, smiling at his incredulous look.
"I mean it," she whispered as she smiled up at him. "You are always the one who's there for me, even when I don't think I need anyone. You helped me through Tommy, through finding out Lyle was my twin, through this whole mess of who my father really is, and what happened to my mother, " she whispered, reaching up to brush her hand across his cheek, awed at the amazement in his eyes.
"As I told you once, you're always there in my darkest moments, helping me see the light and get back to reality," she whispered, her eyes darkening as she thought about the last time she'd said those words to him.
Jarod's eyes flashed as well as he remembered hearing those words in front of the fire at Ocee's what was only a month ago.
"And if I remember right, I told you maybe that's how it was supposed to be," he answered in a low voice as their gazes locked.
Miss Parker knew her heart was racing, knew that she wanted more than anything for him to complete what they'd been interrupted from last time.
Jarod read the desire in her eyes and knew he felt the same.
Carefully, he lowered his head, feeling his heartbeat quicken at the feel of her soft puffs of breath against his face as his lips hovered over hers.
For several moments, the two stared at each other, realizing that they were at a crossroads.
Miss Parker finally took the lead, leaning up and brushing her lips against his.
Jarod's soft moan merged with her quiet whimper when their lips touched.
And everything they'd ever thought they'd known or believed went flying into oblivion.
Jarod knew it had never felt so right to kiss anyone as it did to kiss Miss Parker.
Her lips were soft against his, but sent sparks leaping through his aroused body.
Miss Parker only wondered that she hadn't exploded yet from the emotions coursing through her body as Jarod's lips caressed hers.
It was as if everything in her life had been leading to this one moment.
Wrapped in Jarod's arms, his lips against hers, taking away all fear and pain and confusion.
When they finally parted for breath, they simply stared at each other for long moments, memorizing each other's faces.
Finally, Jarod spoke.
"I won't let you die, I love you too much to lose you now," he whispered, laying it all on the line, knowing he might not have much longer to tell her how he felt.
She felt her heart leap at the words, and the expression in his eyes.
She knew then that this was what she'd been looking for her entire life.
"I know you won't Jarod. And I love you too much to die on you," she whispered, reaching up to cup his cheek.
His eyes slid closed as he turned his face to plant a soft kiss against her palm.
Then with a soft sigh, he wrapped her in his arms, pulling her tightly to him as she sank against his body, the waves of lethargy creeping over her system.
Jarod felt her grow limp against him, and all the danger of their situation returned.
"You need sleep, rest, so you can fight off infections for as long as possible," he whispered against her ear.
Miss Parker sighed as she burrowed closer.
"I don't want to sleep. I just want to be with you," she replied, wishing she had more strength to show him just how much she wanted that.
Jarod fought back his tears as he untangled them from the sofa and gently lifted her into his arms.
"I want that too, but I have to keep working if we're going to make that wish come true," he whispered as he carried her into the bedroom and placed her gently onto the bed.
Miss Parker sighed, knowing the sense in his words.
"Promise me you'll come hold me and rest for a few hours at least?" she asked in a surprisingly needy voice.
"I promise," Jarod whispered, leaning down to brush his lips across hers again before heading out of the room and back to the laboratory.
She watched him go, feeling her emotions ready to swamp her.
God how she loved that man!
She only wondered that she'd been blinding herself to these feelings for so long.
Ironic that she would finally admit to them only when she was on the verge of not being able to do anything about them.
Sighing, she let the waves of sleep begin to take over her body, remembering the feel of Jarod's kiss and being held so tightly in his arms.
She was going to get better and when she was, she was going to show him just how good it could be between them.
There would be no more Centre.
No more running and chasing.
They would be moving together, for the rest of their lives.
Smiling at the thought, she fell into a deep sleep.
~~~~~~~~~
Jarod slammed his fist onto the table as yet another negative result stared back at him.
What the hell was he doing wrong?
Every calculation, every rational thought that usually solved the worst problems, none of them worked.
He could not find a cure.
Miss Parker was going to die, and he knew he'd die with her.
He didn't want to go on without her.
Feeling the tears building, he gave them free reign, collapsing onto the table and sobbing brokenly, realizing for the first time, he was not going to be able to 'pretend' his way out of this situation.
As he cried, he was oblivious to the soft glow that began to fill the room around him.
Catherine and Faith Parker watched silently as Jarod wept.
"He is so sad, so discouraged," Faith whispered as Catherine sighed.
"I know, but we expected this. Now it is time to help them live out the lives they were meant to," Catherine whispered.
The two watched as Jarod finally collapsed into sleep, tear tracks evident on his cheeks.
When he was finally at rest, the two spirits moved beside him, placing their hands against his head, letting their knowledge and their sympathy flow into his tired mind.
Several minutes later they parted, satisfied that when he awoke, he would realize what needed to be done.
Moving quietly, Catherine and Faith then slipped into Miss Parker's room.
Catherine felt tears building as she saw the pale form of her daughter lying in the huge bed.
She held in so much pain, so much anger inside.
But with Jarod, that all disappeared.
She smiled softly as she settled onto the bed next to her daughter, wrapping her in strong arms as Faith curled up on her other side.
"Sleep my child, when you wake, it will be all right," she soothed as Miss Parker relaxed in her sleep, safe and secure in her mother's arms.
~~~~~~~~~~
Jarod awoke with a start, his mind filled with images of Catherine, Faith, and Thomas.
Thomas?
Shaking his head, he headed over to the last batch of samples, praying there would be some answers.
He cursed as he read the negative results again.
Anger swept through him as he swept the test tubes off the table, sending them to the floor with a clatter of breaking glass.
Dropping to his knees, he held his head in his hands, wondering what to do now.
He felt so hopeless.
"The answer is always there, in plain view, you just have to look for it where you least expect."
His head shot up as Thomas' voice filled the room around him.
"Thomas?" he whispered, hearing his friend's warm laughter echoing through the small room.
"Look into your hearts, the answer has always been there," the voice came again.
"Thomas, where are you?" he whispered, wondering if he was so far gone he was now imagining things.
"Trust your feelings, trust your love for her, it was mean to be."
Jarod looked around again.
"I've been looking, but I can't find the answer. Help me Thomas," he begged, closing his eyes and sinking into a small ball on the floor, rocking back and forth.
Thomas sighed as he watched his friend's agony.
Part of him resented the fact that the woman he loved had never loved him the way she did the man weeping in front of him.
But a larger part knew that this was meant to be. His role had been to love her, to get her to see there was still a woman inside her shell.
Jarod was the man to bring that woman out, to help her live a long, full life.
He was going to do everything he could to make sure it happened.
But unfortunately, that wasn't much.
Catherine and Faith had planted the seeds in his mind, but Jarod had to make them bloom.
All he could do was offer support and keep him on track.
"Jarod, search your heart, the answer lies within," he whispered quietly, seeing his friend suddenly still.
Jarod froze as his friend's ghostly words played over and over in his mind.
Search your heart. Look where you least expect. The answer lies within.
Suddenly, he knew he'd been going about this the entirely wrong way.
Searching for answers in the wrong place.
It wasn't in drugs or medicine.
It was in Miss Parker.
"Thank you Thomas," he whispered as he grabbed another sample of her blood.
Thomas smiled as he watched Jarod frantically begin working.
Everything was going to be all right.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Miss Parker awoke several hours later, feeling as if she'd never slept better. She'd dreamt her mother was with her, holding her in her arms, singing her favorite lullaby from her childhood.
She smiled, suddenly knowing her mother had been with her in her mind, and would get her through this trying time.
Smiling she found there was not as much pain as she slid from the bed and padded off to find Jarod.
She smiled to herself as she entered the makeshift laboratory, watching Jarod mumbling to himself as he mixed various colored solutions.
She felt the prick of tears behind her eyes as she realized how much she had taken him for granted over the past few years.
"Jarod, any luck?" she asked quietly, smiling at the look in his eyes as he whirled around. Within an instant, he was at her side, pulling her into his arms holding her tightly against him. She breathed him in, realizing she finally felt at peace, at home, in his arms.
"How are you feeling?" he asked quietly when they pulled apart.
She sighed.
"Still weak, but the headache is almost gone and I feel better than I have in days," she replied truthfully as he helped her to a chair.
"Sit and relax, I think I might have something," he began excitedly, as a spark of hope lit her eyes.
"Really, something is working?" she asked.
Jarod nodded.
"I was looking in the wrong place, trying to find an answer through drugs and chemicals on the market. What I didn't take into account was your own genetic structure," he murmured, heading back to his row of test tubes.
Miss Parker stared at him.
"What does my genetic structure have to do with anything?" she asked carefully.
Jarod turned to her with a serious expression on his face.
"You have the same genetic structure that I have," he offered quietly, seeing the understanding dawn in her eyes.
"Our mothers were impregnated at NuGenesis. I have the pretender gene," she whispered, seeing Jarod nod.
"Only your mother never let your father get a hold of you, she protected you as long as she could. Just like she tried to protect me and Kyle and the others," he replied softly.
Miss Parker closed her eyes, trying to absorb what he was telling her.
She could have been a pretender. She had the capabilities. She had the knowledge.
But could it save her?
"How can that save me?" she asked curiously, still trying to wrap her mind around what he'd told her.
Jarod smiled.
"Our genetic structure is different. It works with certain chemicals in different ways. But in essence, we have a different type of immune system. From what I can tell, it was a defect that all pretenders have, we just don't know it," he offered carefully.
"A good or bad defect?" she asked quietly.
"That's what I'm hoping this test will discover," he replied, pulling a slide under the microscope.
Miss Parker watched his face, saw his body go still as whatever he saw registered.
"Jarod?" she asked, hope beginning to fill her body.
She knew he'd found the answer as she saw him turn to her, and a tear slid down his smiling face.
"It worked," he whispered softly, almost as if he couldn't believe what he was saying.
Then it hit him.
"It worked! I figured out how to cure you!" he laughed and cried as he ran across the room and pulled her into his arms, whirling her around until she begged him to stop or she would be sick.
The two clung to each other, simply holding onto their happiness, of the knowledge they would have a future.
Jarod smiled as he pulled back.
"I am going to make some more of this antidote and then we'll test it on you," he whispered as she nodded.
"What was it?" she asked as he led her back to the table.
"Your blood," he offered simply as he pointed her to the microscope.
"My blood?" she asked in confusion.
He nodded.
"I mixed it with a combination of drugs, and it began to repair your cells," he whispered, pulling her into his arms again, resting his chin on top of her head.
"So it's my blood that's the catalyst?" she asked as he nodded again.
"There is something in our blood, in all pretender's blood, that no one knows exists. But when mixed with certain chemicals, it can repair your immune system," he replied.
She closed her eyes, thanking God for Jarod's knowledge.
"But how did you realize this?" she asked, turning to look into his eyes.
Jarod smiled.
"Thomas told me," he offered quietly, seeing her eyes widen.
"Thomas?" she asked in a small voice.
He nodded.
"His voice suddenly appeared in my head, telling me to look into your heart, and that clicked to work more with your blood," he whispered, seeing a tear slip down her cheek.
"I loved him you know," she whispered quietly, as Jarod nodded in understanding. "But not the same way I love you," she finished as she looked into his eyes.
'I know," he whispered, leaning down to kiss her gently.
When they pulled apart she smiled.
"So let's get this party started, inject me with this cure," she called as Jarod moved to the table and began mixing various powders.
"I'm not sure how long this will take, but hopefully, we'll see a change within the day," he murmured as he blended the ingredients together, slowly heating them over a burner until they dissolved into a liquid.
Miss Parker settled down on a chair to watch him, delighted to find she had free reign to scope out his beautifully formed body. How had she resisted him for so long?
"Okay, shall we give this a try?"
She smiled as he moved towards her, a syringe filled with an amber liquid in his hand.
"You sure this will work?" she asked, a moment of doubt clouding her eyes.
Jarod nodded.
"It has to," he offered simply as she returned his gaze, then held out her arm.
She winced at the quick prick of the needle, but focused her gaze on Jarod instead, letting herself get lost in his eyes as he injected her.
"There, all done," he whispered, placing the syringe on the table and pulling her into his arms.
She sighed, snuggling there, letting him hold her, realizing nothing had ever felt so right.
For all her hard-bitten, cynical lifestyle, she'd forgotten how nice it was to be held.
"Come on, let's get you to bed," Jarod whispered, again lifting her in his arms.
"A girl could get used to this," she whispered with a smile as she let her head rest against his chest.
Jarod smiled as he carried her back to the bedroom and placed her on the bed.
"Stay," she whispered as she looked up at him.
He smiled.
"Stay," he replied, shedding his shirt and socks before climbing in next to her and wrapping his arms around her waist.
Miss Parker snuggled against him, fighting the waves of sleep as she struggled to hold him tightly.
"I'll be here when you wake up, sleep now Parker," he whispered against her temple.
At his words, she knew it would be all right.
Smiling, she let sleep claim her.
Jarod fell with her soon after.
The three smiling spirits watched them contentedly from the corner of the room before fading from view.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
