A/N: I was reading The Life of Snowy the other day and, well, Snowy irritated me. So I wrote this. I'm putting a pause on 'Imprisonment' for a while, because, apart from the whole school work issue, I have no idea where to go with it.

Disclaimer: The pretender and all associated characters and themes don't belong to me and infringement was intended but I maketh no money from it, so leave me alone.

Parker stood with Sydney and Broots in the shelter of a hotel doorstep and watched the rain pour down. 'Shit' stated Parker, pretty much summing up her feelings. The rain was so heavy that you couldn't see further than a few metres in the hissing white downpour.

'It's like even the weather is helping Jarod' added Broots miserably. The adoring fans of Jarod and his 'sweet little boy' he had left behind on his latest pretend as a bellboy had been particularly unhelpful. Now they had couldn't even get to the car to get back to the Centre and analyse the clues.

Parker squinted into the rain and thought she detected a darker form moving through the downpour. She leaned forward slightly in a vain attempt to see and, pulling her gun, she aimed it at the now clearer figure.

'What is it Miss Parker?' asked Broots.

'There's someone out there' she said, making Broots and Sydney strain to see as well. It became apparent that who ever it was, was walking towards them. Just as the man was about to step under the cover, recognition hit Parker.

'Jarod' she hissed, tensing her gun arm. He came dripping out of the rain and kept walking until the barrel of her gun was pressing into his chest. 'Shoot me' he said, his voice completely devoid of emotion.

Parker took in his appearance. His was soaked to the skin and shivering slightly and his hair was slicked flat to his head. He looked haggard and tears mixed with water on his face.

'What happened Jarod?' She asked, suddenly aware that things were definitely not okay.

'Just do it!' he demanded, and this time his tears were in his voice. He took another step, forcing her gun arm to bend slightly.

'The Centre wants you alive' growled Parker.

'And you want me dead, so shoot me.' It came to Parker what had gotten him into this state. 'What happened to Snowy Jarod?'

Dark eyes, older than time itself met hers. 'Please Parker.' He whispered. Sydney broke out of the shock that held him and reached over and clicked that safety on Parker's gun. She didn't protest, just lowered the weapon slowly, not breaking Jarod's gaze. The three people that had chased him for so long stood facing him united. Parker spoke for them. 'I'm not going to shoot you Jarod.'

He didn't say a word, just sighed fit to break his heart, and turned. His retreating figure was soon lost in the thundering downpour.

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All was silence in the dark bedroom. Pale, cold moonlight streamed in through the French windows to illuminate a patch of floor. Parker slept deep dreamless sleep. The quiet was abruptly broken by the harsh ringing of the phone. She shot bolt upright in bed, then orientated herself and fumbled for the phone.

'Jarod' she answered it softy, breaking with tradition.

'Nothing has ever hurt this much,' he started dully, 'not when Damon killed that janitor, not all those people I couldn't save, not even when I shot Damon to save Broots.'

'That's because you were never as close to them as you got to Snowy' she replied.

There was a long shuddering sigh down the phone, then a pause. 'Is this what it felt like when your mother died?'

Parker was suddenly vividly thrown back to the memories of a young girl, and the agonising loss that ate out her insides. 'Every one's pain is different Jarod.' She told him.

'I'll miss him forever.'

'I know the things I said, but I think I will to. He was a good kid.'

There was another silence from the other end of the line. Parker knew that Jarod was fighting back tears. She watched the play of moonlight on glass, and let him have time to recover. A few streets away, a car drove past.

'Why does the world keep turning?' he asked.

'Why does the sun keep shining?' she replied.

'He's gone. And everything is the same. Nothing cares.'

'I care Jarod.'

'Thankyou' he whispered. There was a click, and a dial tone. She listened to it for several moments without moving, then hung up.

The End

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Dedicated to Casper