Disclaimer: “The Pretender” and its characters don’t belong to me they belong to TNT and NBC and are being used without permission. Please don’t sue because I have no money.

Gated

Part 4

Jarod woke up early before the sun got up, finishing his coffee he went outside and sat on the park bench. He wanted to see the sun come up. This was one of the first things that he did when he escaped the Centre and he hoped he never got tired of watching the dawn of a new day. He took out his sunglasses out of his leather coat jacket pocket and put them on. Even after all this time outside sometimes the bright sunlight hurt his eyes.

Debbie woke up early for some reason. She got out of bed and looked out the window scanning the street to see what had woken her up. She looked towards the park and saw a figure there, seeing that it was Jarod she got dressed and walked towards the lone pretender. She was saddened by what Jarod had been through inside the Centre. She was glad that he helped her father get custody of her. She didn’t even want to think of what would have happened to her if she were living with her mother.

Jarod glanced towards Debbie when he felt her presence. He wondered why she was up so early and why she was here.

“You’re up early young Miss Broots.”

“I just woke up and saw you out here. You’re up early too.”

“I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to watch the sunrise.”

“You have nightmares.”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“It’s not your fault either.”

“What do you mean?”

“What happened to you and what your Sims were used for.”

“How did you know?”

“My dad explained it to me It’s not your fault, Jarod. You didn’t know, but when you found out you escaped and helped people. You helped people that would have never gotten help from anywhere else. You even helped my father get custody of me even if he helped try to find you to bring you back.”

“I am a genius. I should have figured out that my work could have been used for the opposite of what it was intended to be used for. I should have seen it.”

“Are you psychic?”

“No.”

“Then how could of known? You were just a little boy who was taken from the only family you’ve ever known. I’m sorry for what you and your family have been through.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“No, it’s not and it’s not yours either.”

Jarod sighs and looks at Debbie.

“You’re a smart girl, Debbie.”

“Thank you.”

“Go back home before your father gets up and finds you gone. He’ll be worried if he doesn’t find you.”

“Just like your family was when they found you gone.” She said before she left to go back home.

She really couldn’t complain about how her life went when here Jarod’s life and his family’s life was torn apart when he was taken from them.