A/N – I'm trying to break away from my angst-ridden fics. But if there is any angst in this, it's nothing major...at least not in my opinion. Disclaimer and all other relevant notes at the end. Oh yeah…I spell using the British English.

N/B – Zoe fans, consider this your warning.

Fidus Achates

by DOTLP

Li'l Pub Diner

Dover, Delaware

        He had a distant look in his eyes and was hardly focusing on the conversation. "Jarod, what's the matter?" asked the red-head sitting across from him in a booth.

        "Hmm?" he responded, shaking his head to come out of his stupor. "Nothing's wrong."

        "Mhmm...yeah. I believe that," she said dryly. "You know, for the past three days since you came back from Scotland you've been like this. What did you find that has you like this?"

        "Nothing important," he lied. 'I only found out that Miss Parker feels the same way about me as I feel about her. Why did Ocee have to come in at that moment?'

        "Fine! Since you don't want to tell me," she huffed. "Look...I need to go to the restroom."

        He watched her as she stalked off in search of the lavatories. 'I'm sorry Zoe. But I've never felt as strongly about any of the women I've been with like I feel with Parker. And I haven't even been with her!'

        She returned after a few minutes and plopped down into the red booth. "Let's just get something to eat, okay?"

        He nodded in agreement and summoned a waitress. After ordering their food, he began a bit uncomfortably, "Zoe...there's something I need to tell you..."

        Before he could continue, she cut in, "I'm sorry Jarod. I didn't have any right to pry into your personal affairs like that. It's none of my business."

        "That's fine. I should've been a bit more forthcoming about the way I've been acting. You don't deserve to be treated like this." The waitress came back with their drinks and placed them on the table, causing Jarod to cease speaking for a few moments. He heard the bell above the door to the entrance tinkle, alerting the little diner of the presence of a probable customer. He didn't bother to turn around to see who had entered. He ploughed ahead, dreading what he was about to do, a pained, sad expression on his face. "I can't continue like this. You deserve someone who can give you their whole heart. I'm sorry, really I am. But we need to break…"

        Suddenly, two strong hands clamped down on his shoulders and a taunting voice said, "Forgive me for interrupting old buddy Jarod. Scoot over and let me join you two. You don't mind do you?"

        He sat down without an invitation next to Jarod. He discreetly pulled his gun out of his jacket and trained it on Jarod. "Lyle," an angry Jarod ground out through clenched teeth. "If you hurt her, I swear..."

        "Come, come Jarod. When have I ever been less than a perfect gentleman? Zoe and I here go way back. We're very good friends. I wouldn't dream of hurting her. In fact, I'll reward her for helping me catch you." With that said, Lyle got up and went over to Zoe's side, still keeping his gun trained on the Pretender. He sat beside her and kissed her long and hard.

        Jarod was so shocked, he couldn't even think straight. 'Zoe's been helping The Centre all this time? This can't be!' He was glued to his seat watching the grotesque scene play out before him.

        The two finally parted and a sly smile slowly spread across Zoe's face. "Well Jarod, I guess you'd like to know how we know each other. We used to go to school together and we were close. Then one day he asked for my help, and being the nice girl that I am, I agreed. He had a tip where you were when we first met. That whole thing with my ex-boyfriend chasing me was all just a cleverly orchestrated plot on Lyle's part to get you to trust me. You can be really naive at times," she said scornfully.

        Jarod's mouth was open, disbelief written all across his face, soon replaced by anger. "You used me! I can't believe you! And when you went to the restroom just now you decided to give *him* a call telling him to come pick me up? You tipped him off that we had made plans to be here before I left for Scotland, didn't you?" he fiercely queried.

        "Mmmm...yeah. That sounds just about right. You really *are* a genius." The bell above the door jingled again. Jarod turned his head and saw three men wearing mechanic's jumpers amble up to the counter.

        "Now, now Zoe. You can't blame the guy for actually falling in love with you," added a smug Lyle.

        One of the mechanics got up and headed toward Jarod's booth. The bearded burly blond took of his shades and said, "Hey Jarod! Long time no see. You still owe me some money. Mind if I join you?" he said in an amiable voice. Without waiting for a reply he sat down and reached inside his jumper, pulled out a gun and trained it beneath the table on Lyle. His two companions strode over to the booth and stood behind Lyle and Zoe, ready to keep them from moving at the first signal from their boss. The amiable voice of the blond was replaced by a menacing tone. "Now you listen to me you slime ball, if you so much as twitch, I'll pull the trigger and end your miserable life. Got it? Now hand me the gun."

        Lyle nodded and handed it over, clearly surprised at the turn of events. Jarod's mind was racing. 'Who the hell are these guys?' Luckily, he didn't let on that he didn't have a clue as to who they were.

        The blond continued, "Good. Keep it that way. Now Jarod and I will leave. But don't think I'm being mean. My friends here will take good care of you two. Boys, you know what you have to do." His friends laid their hands on the two people preventing them from moving. The blond motioned for Jarod to follow him. They ran out through the back entrance. The blond stopped just outside the door, a few feet away from the garbage bins, fiddling with something in his jumper.

        "Thanks for helping me back there," said a grateful Jarod to his saviour's back. "You know my name but I don't know yours. What is it?"

        "Sorry about this Jarod, but it's the only way," he replied, turning about and placing a cloth dampened with chloroform over the Pretender's mouth and nose. Jarod struggled until the effects took over. His eyes rolled to the back and he went limp, almost falling face-first on the ground, saved once again from that fate by the blond. "My name is Sam," he murmured to the unconscious form in his arms. He half-dragged, half-carried his charge to the dark-green sedan twenty yards away, and placed him in the back seat. Sam hopped in, started the car, and sped off.

=================

Wooden Cabin

Michigan

        Sydney slapped his Pretender's face softly, trying to rouse him from his drug-induced slumber. Slowly, Jarod's eyes fluttered open. His mind was still a bit foggy. His mentor stretched his hand over the Pretender's head and picked up a glass of water from the little wooden table. Helping Jarod into a sitting position, he leaned the glass against his protégé’s lips. Jarod grasped the glass and drank the cool liquid gratefully.

        Having recovered enough, he noticed Broots standing a few feet away fidgeting. "Where am I?" he asked the two gentlemen.

        "In...in Michigan," Broots stuttered.

        Sydney stood up and took the glass from Jarod, replacing it on the little table.

        Suddenly, all the events that happened during the last twenty-four hours rushed into the Pretender's mind. He abruptly stood up and rushed to grasp his mentor's hand and began shaking it. "Thank you Sydney for saving me from going back to that hell hole."

        "Jarod, Jarod!" he said as he tried to free his hand from his protégé’s clasp. "You're very welcome, but I didn't do it. Your thanks belong to someone else."

        Jarod looked towards Broots and took a few steps to reach the technician. He grabbed Broots in a crushing hug all the while muttering "Thank you."

        "Jarod...can't...breathe," wheezed the technician.

        Jarod let go and gave a sheepish grin. "Sorry. Thank you for helping me Mr. Broots."

       "I...I...It wasn't me Jarod." Broots stepped closer to the psychiatrist who, oddly, was wearing a serene smile.

        "Then if it wasn't either of you guys...who was it?" asked the puzzled Pretender, facing the two men.

        He heard the all too familiar clicking of heels as they resounded off the hardwood floor, each click louder than the preceding one. Jarod turned around to see his Huntress a mere three metres away standing in the hallway towards the kitchen. As always, she was impeccably dressed in a purple-blue silk blouse and short black skirt. He glanced at the black shoes that adorned her feet. How she managed to chase after him in those impossibly gravity-defying stilettos was a mystery to him. Without another thought, he moved towards her and flung his arms about her, trapping her arms at her sides.

        "I suggest you let go of me now if you wish to keep those arms of yours," she ground out coldly. The two men watched the scene before them with amusement.

        He released her and took a step back, grinning from ear to ear. "Thank you for saving me Miss Parker."

       "I didn't save you. It was Sam. I merely got the tip from a faithful friend in the air ducts and set a plan in motion."

        "That was Sam? I didn't recognise him."

        "For a genius, you can really be thick-headed at times," she said contemptuously. "You weren't supposed to recognise him. How else was the plan to work? Sam couldn't have followed Lyle if he had been easy to spot."

        "Why did you save me?" Jarod asked.

        She coldly replied, "The only person allowed to kill you...is me." With that said, she reached behind her back and pulled out her gun with lightning speed and trained it on his chest. All the men were stuck to their places, unable to move, stunned at how quickly it had all happened, amazed at how fast she was.

        Jarod found his voice first. "Miss Parker. Think about it," he pleaded. "You don't want to do this."

       "Oh, but I do." She pulled the trigger. Jarod had squeezed his eyes shut, waiting to hear the loud shot. When none reached his ears, he opened his eyes and peered at his chest. Coming out of her gun was a little flag with the word BANG written across it. Sydney and Broots broke into relieved grins while Jarod breathed deeply trying to still his racing heart.

        He looked at Miss Parker only to find a huge devilish grin on her face. "What were you trying to do? Give me a heart attack?!"

        "The thought had crossed my mind. Think of it as the beginning of my getting back at you for giving me an ulcer and ruining my shoes among other things."

        Regaining most of his composure, he asked, "What happened to Lyle and Zoe?"

        She smirked. "Let's just say they're getting a taste of their own medicine."

       The Pretender was a bit troubled by her answer. "What medicine exactly?" Jarod braced himself for a caustic reply from the woman just a foot away from him.

        "If you must know, I ordered Sam to take them and lock them up in a shed, much like the one Lyle has at his place. They're both chained to the wall; hands and feet. Sam and two of his men are guarding it, ensuring they can't escape. Either way, those two are going to die. It's just their choice, whether they die by starvation or by somehow managing to escape from their shackles and being shot by one of my men."

        Broots and Sydney, watching quietly at the scene before them, were surprised at her uncharacteristic display of equanimity.

        Not to mention Jarod, who merely nodded, admiration shining in his eyes. He couldn't have thought of a more suiting end to them than that. Another question tugged at his mind. "Miss Parker, since we're here and not back at The Centre, what do you plan to do? You obviously can't go back there since they'll find out that you orchestrated Lyle's demise. And since you saved me from Lyle, I'm assuming that you don't want me dead. Although your theatrics a few moments ago leave me less certain now," he finished with a smile.

        "Ever since Tommy's death, I've been gathering evidence against The Centre. Now I have enough to bring them down, starting with that wheezing bastard Raines. That's what I plan on doing," she answered her tone low and dangerous.

        Jarod couldn't help but notice the flicker of pain that crossed her eyes when she mentioned Tommy's name. "If you want my help with that, you've got it," he offered quietly.

        "What makes you think I want or need your help?" she asked icily.

        "I know you've never needed my help Miss Parker. I know the countless number of times you could have captured me and taken me back to The Centre and I know how many times you haven't. You proved it just now. All I'm saying is that you don't have to be alone...we don't have to be alone." Looking into the immeasurable depths of her blue eyes, he silently pleaded with her not to push him away. "Please," he begged softly, taking a step closer to her and taking her hand.

        She didn't pull it away, but was instead gazing at their intertwined hands, that gesture reminding her of what had happened in the limo. Her cruel words rang in her ears, Turning points only come when you've got something to turn to. She looked up at him with unshed tears shining in her eyes. "Why?" she breathed.

        He lifted her hand and placed it on his heart. "Because you've captured me here." He bent his head slightly and placed his lips against her's, joy filling every fibre of his being when she didn't push him away. He pulled her closer, as she slid her hands up his chest and around his neck, one hand reaching up and running through his hair, deepening their kiss. They pulled apart, breathing heavily and looking into each other's eyes. No words were needed. Reflected in both their eyes was undeniable trust and never-ending love. She brought his head towards her again, and her eyes fluttered closed as their lips met.

        Broots could only stare in wide-eyed shock, his mouth hanging open. Sydney wore a contented smile. 'They've finally realised it.' He glanced at the younger man beside him. Taking hold of the technician's shoulders, he turned him around and ushered him out the door saying, "I think we should give them some time alone."

        "But...what...how...and then...what...what happened?" stuttered Broots.

       "Something they've both been denying for a long time," Sydney replied as he turned around to close the door behind him. He caught a glimpse of the two people he thought of as his children, still lost in each other's embrace.

Disclaimer – Why bother? We already know I don't own The Pretender. So here's the deal: Sue me and all you'll get is some lint, a Starburst wrapper (I don't own Starburst either but I do own the wrapper) and a piece of string if I can find a pair of scissors. That's all I've got in my pockets.

Crappy? I know. Miss Parker and Jarod a bit out of character? I know. That's why I think I'll stick to my angst-ridden fics. I’m not much of the romantic type (I’m not good at portraying those scenes, that’s why I usually kill most of them off *grin*), but I had to put it into words or else I never would have been able to go to sleep.

And for those of you interested in the meaning of the title, it's Latin for "A Faithful Friend".

 I'd love to know what you think. I live on feedback. Constructive criticism...hell, destructive criticism...is more than welcome. I'm a pyromaniac...I understand. *grin* But don't flame me just because of what Zoe's fate is. If you do that, I'd write back and say "You can kiss my royal @$$." Let's just say it rhymes with 'grass', shall we? Even at the old age of 17, I still act like a child.