It had been 10 am when Broots had stormed into her office, almost tripping over his own feet as he ran in. She’d calmly listened as he rattled about what he’d just heard from a buddy of his from tech support, who’d been monitoring a field trip for Lyle.

She hadn’t spoken a word, but instead walked calm and collected to Raines’ office. Change of directive, he called it, an unfortunate turn of events. Lyle had shot Jarod in a moment of rage, who had sought refuge in a building Lyle had rigged to explode. A body had been found, first tests seem to confirm it was Jarod’s. Finding his clone would be their new goal, he would have been a better fit anyway.

Jarod was gone and Lyle joked about her having been freed from the pain in the ass, and dared to mention he would still beat her at finding and capturing the clone. He kept replaying the footage of Jarod entering the building just before it exploded.

She felt it now, the loss of the most important person she had had in her life since her mother died.  She was disgusted by the men before her, talking like it wasn’t a big deal. Like he hadn’t been a human being, just an inconvenient object that was now being replaced. And then she knew, it was all playing out in her head. All the moments that Jarod helped her, all the lies The Centre had fed her. This madness wouldn’t stop. All she could see now was Jarod’s face as he had taken her hands in the car that one time after Carthis.

‘Only you wouldn’t recognize a turning point when it’s staring them right in the face.’

She took out her gun and shot both men in the head. “Neither of you would have understood, but I loved him. And I should have chosen a different road before, but this was the best I could do.” Two sweepers came through the door, the shared the same fate as their masters.

Gun in hand she walked the corridor, stiletto heels clicking. Shooting every sweepers that she’d ever seen collaborating with the pigs that were now lying on a floor with a hole in their head.

Entering the security division she shot down the head, forced two more sweepers to let her in the control room after which she knocked them out cold. She settled herself behind the desk and pushed the buildings intercom button.

“Listen up people, Mr. Raines and Mr. Lyle are dead.  From now on I´m in charge of The Centre, this means first of all that no more harm shall be done to anything or anybody. Secondly, if you wish to leave this place you are free to go. Further changes will be spread through email later today.”

After letting the sweepers that were on her side take control of the rogue ones she entered the elevator on her own. Riding down she softly whispered. “I’m hoping your proud of me, mom. Even if I had to kill so many people to finally do the right thing.”

The sound of the elevator arriving awakened her from her thoughts. The doors opened, she followed the white hallway and unlocked a certain room. The simlab, Jarod had been running simulations here since before he was four years old. The same lab a shy girl had given a boy his very first kiss.

She ran her fingertips over the empty table and walked about the room, swallowing hard, finally ending up with her back against the wall, letting herself sink to the floor.

“I’m sorry Jarod.” She whispered. “I’m sorry I didn’t safe you, I’m sorry for ruining the few free years you had, and most of all I’m sorry I never told you how I feel about you.”

A tear escaped from the corner of her eye, a single drop before her dam was broken and the floodgates opened. She lay her head on her crossed arms, resting on her knees.

She cried for the loss of her mother, wept for Jarod and all the lives The Centre had ruined, including hers. Her sobbing was so loud she didn’t hear the door sliding open.

“Mary.” The sound of his voice and her name startled her. In front of her was Jarod, held up by a concerned looking Sydney and Broots. She scrambled to get up and embraced him as tight as she could, holding on for dear life. Only when she felt him cringe she let go, apologizing for hurting him.

“Angelo mailed me the footage of what you did to Raines and Lyle, I came as fast as I could.” He sounded exasperated, but his eyes were sparkling with life.

“Come on Broots.” Sydney spoke as he gently let go of the Pretender. “I think these two have a lot of catching up to do.” As the door shut behind them she was the first to open her mouth. “Jarod, how did you…?” He never let her finish her sentence, stopping her words with his lips. One kiss, their second, one filled with all the hope of the world and all the love she had been searching for her whole life.

She broke away laughing and crying. “I thought I’d lost you for good.”

“I meant to be gone for good, thinking it would be the best for both of us.”

“I realized how wrong I’d been and how little I cared for what they wanted. All I could think was that you were the last thing The Centre was ever going to take from me.”

He stared into her eyes. “What are you going to do now The Centre is yours?”

“I’m hoping you’ll help me figure that out.”

He smiled. “I guess we finally have a say in our own future.”

“As long as I don’t kill you for dying on me.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“No, not anymore.”

Kissing her forehead he realized that dying had been the best thing he’d ever done.

“I love you too, Parker.”

And then she whispered in his ear that from now on he could only call her by her first name.

Decades after their first kiss they stood there, finally reunited.