One Persistent Son Of A….

Don't own the Pretender or the characters… sorry to say. :( Just doing this for fun.
Don't own Fine Young Cannibals or the song "She Drives Me Crazy" either.

It took him only a month to escape from the Centre after the island…after that almost kiss that now tortures his ever thought. To be so close to her and yet so far a way, to feel her hot breath on his lips, to be a only a few centimeters away from realizing his deepest desire, was torture to him and then tortured even more when it didn't happen. Before he left the Centre again he left Miss Parker one of his famous presents, one that always had a meaning to it.

Parker walked into her office early that morning and with out turning on the lights yet she knew Jarod had been in there, which there for met he had escaped. A small brief smile crossed her face as the thought of him escaping entered her mind, only to be replaced be her look of announce knowing that Jarod had left one of his crypt gifts. And sure enough as she turned on the lights, there sitting on her desk was a sign, not any sign but a turning sign, a U-turn sign to be specific. But Parker didn't think too much about what type of turning sign it was just that it was a turning sign and identified a turning point.

"You never do give up, do you?" Parker whispered.

Miss Parker sat down at her desk. Just then a very angry Mr. Lyle passed by her door and she couldn't resist taunting him about Jarod's escape. After all when Jarod was returned to the Centre he was put under Lyle and Mr. Raines care. The thought of what the did to him in those few weeks he was back made Miss Parker shudder though she tried not think about how much the mistreatment of Jarod bothered her.

"Oh… Lyle was so angry? Lose something? I mean other than your thumb and soul. Or should I say lose someone?" Parker said with a very evident smirk on her face.

Lyle turned around and walked right into her office.

"How the hell…if you helped the lab-rat escape I swear I'll…" Lyle was cut of by Parker.

"Hold your horses thumb less wonder, first of all why would I help Jarod escape when I have spent the last six years chasing him and trying to bring him back here and secondly as to how I know he's gone… she holds up the sign so Lyle can see it… I'll give ya three guesses as to who left this for me." Parker told him in that Ice Queen Tone that scares even grown men.

"Now if you'll excuse me I am going to go enjoy a day at home since I know all to soon Jarod will leave us one of his little clues and the chase will be back on." Parker said as she rose from her chair.

Lyle moved himself in front of her door as to make her have to move around him if Parker wished to leave, because he wasn't too pleased with the thumb crack she had made. Instead of glaring and pushing him out of the way, which he thought, she would do, she just went around him. Lyle started to smile because he thought he had won this small victory of making go around him. Just as soon as Parker was behind Lyle she turned around and sighed.

"Lyle what have I told you about getting in my way?" Miss Parker asked while shaking her head.

"Not to get in your way other wise you'll shoot me." Lyle said in an amused tone with a smile on his face.

That is until he turned around to face Parker and finding Parkers famous Smith & Wesson 9mm aimed at him right between his eyes. That's when his smile faded and he made a little gulp. Parker patted Lyle on the head and said…

"And here I thought you didn't listen. Now be a good little boy and remember that cause… Parker took the safety off and pushed the gun right between his eyes… next time you get in my way I WILL SHOOT YOU." Pushing the gun into his head while she said each word for emphasize.

With that she turned around and strode down the corridor to the elevator. The only sound being the clicking of her stiletto heals on the tile. She put her gun back into its holster and then pressed the button for the lobby leave. As the elevator doors closed all Lyle could think was 'She's beautiful when she's mad'.

It has been three months two weeks and four days since Jarod had escaped and there had been no calls, clues, or breadcrumbs about his wear a bouts. He had completely disappeared off the Centre radar. Not that Miss Parker had been counting the days or anything. She grew edgier and more frustrated with each passing day with out word from Jarod. And like usual she took out her frustrations on everyone else, especially Broots and Sydney. Though Broots didn't understand why not hearing from Jarod bothered Miss Parker so much. He figured she would be glad the chase was over. Sydney on the other hand had a hunch and each time she lashed out he would take it with his still face and as soon as Miss Parker would leave or turn away from him a small knowing smile would play across his face. Sydney figured that the little girl inside of Miss Parker missed Jarod, her one time best friend, but not only that, the thing that scared Parker the most that was her one constant in her life, a life at the Centre where a person is here one minute and gone the next, was gone. She was scared Jarod had finally left the Centre and more importantly her for good, and that he didn't say goodbye to her. Not that she would ever admit that to herself let alone to him or anyone else. After yell at Broots for the sixth time that day to hurry up and find some trace of the boy wonder, she went into her office and put her head down on the desk and closed her eyes. She thought 'It shouldn't bother me this way that Jarod hasn't contacted me…us, I mean us.' While she was thinking someone entered her office with out her knowing. When she opened her eyes she was a little startled to see Angelo staring at her.

"Daughter sad and scared that friend left her for good. Daughter not need to be scared or sad, friend love daughter too much to leave her for good. Friend will always return to daughter." Angelo said before popping some Cracker Jacks into his mouth.

Angelo's statement hit a nerve with in Miss Parker, which of course annoyed her. She closed her eyes and started to say through clenched teeth "Look Cousin It I AM NOT SCARED JAROD LEFT ME FOR GOOD. The only reason his silence bothers me is because the only way I am ever going to get my freedom from this Hell Hole is if I drag his ass back here. GOT IT?" But when she opened her eyes Angelo was gone. She was alone in her office. As she sat at her desk Angelo's words kept playing in her head. Maybe she was scared that Jarod left for good this time. That he wasn't going to be around to help her find pieces of their past and the truth. He wasn't going to be there for when she needed him, not that she ever needed him. He wasn't going to be the one person she could always count on no matter what, and if she couldn't count on Jarod then… no that's not what bothers her. It can't be because she is the Ice Queen, the Huntress, and Jarod is just her prey, the hunted. She is just bothered by this because she want's to catch Pez Head and get her freedom. She shook her head to try and clear her thoughts. That didn't work but she new what would. The thing she always did to clear her thoughts, though now one new that she did this or where. She went to the Centre's garage hopped into her sleek black sports car and tore out of the parking lot.

Driving, specifically driving fast always cleared her thoughts. She took off towards the almost always deserted two lane road that led out of Blue Cove. She could go as fast as she wanted because no cops ever sit on the side of this road let alone travel it. The two lane road was divided in two by a grassy ditch. Every once in a while there was a "bridge" over the ditch so it was possible to make a u-turn. For a while driving was clearing her thoughts. She just focused on the wind whipping through her hair and the music on the radio. That was until Parker passed the leaving Blue Cove sign and started to look for the usual place she made her U-turn to head back to Blue Cove. Only when she got to the U-turn she noticed the sign was missing. That's when she suddenly slammed on the brakes and turned off the radio, because it hit her like a ton of bricks. It wasn't just any turning sign Jarod left her when he broke out, it was this one. First she was a little angry and thought 'Is there anything the lab-rat doesn't know about me?' She didn't think anyone knew about her driving trips. Then she realized the turning sign took on a whole new meaning. It wasn't just a gesture from Jarod to give her turning point to him, but also just give her a turning point to not go back to Blue Cove period. It was to show her that she could just keep going; there was no longer a sign to tell her to turn around and return.

Miss Parker hit her steering wheel in frustration. "Why! Why does he do this to me! Why does he try to save me when I don't need to be saved! Why is he always trying to help me! Why does he drive me crazy!" Parker yelled. 'But you are one persistent son of a bitch, I'll give you that' Parker thought. 'Even though I told you it was you run I chase and I ripped my hands away from yours in the limo you're still trying…still caring. Why?' Miss Parker sat there and took a few deep breathes the started to head back to Blue Cove. Miss Parker turned the radio back on and listen to what the radio DJ had to say.

"Normally I don't start to take request so early but my man here was so persistent that I play this song now saying it was all about timing. So here we go this song goes out to Miss P." Parker stared at the radio as if trying to make sure she heard right. "You heard right this is for Miss P., the Miss P. that my buddy says has the body of a goddess, the blue eyes of an angel, and a stare that could stop a charging elephant."

'Well that's me of course but who would…'

"So to Miss P. from the J man."

'Jarod of course it's from Jarod. Wait did Jarod just tell someone I have the body of a goddess. Wait how did he know I would be listening right now?' Just then her thoughts where cut off as the song started.

I can't stop the way I feel
Things you do don't seem real

Tell me what you've got in mind
'Cause we're runnin' out of time
Won't you ever set me free
This waiting round is killing me

She drives me crazy
Like no one else
She drives me crazy
I can't help myself

I can't get any rest
People say I'm obsessed
Everything you say is lies
But to me there's no surprise
What I had for you was true
Things go wrong, they always do

She drives me crazy
Like no one else
She drives me crazy
I can't help myself

I won't make it on my own
No one likes to be alone

She drives me crazy
Like no one else
She drives me crazy
I can't help myself

Uh huh huh

She drives me crazy
Like no one else
She drives me crazy
I can't help myself

Uh huh huh

She drives me crazy
Like no one else
She drives me crazy
And I can't help myself

Right after the song ended her cell phone rang. She knew who it was before she even picked it up. It was Jarod; it had to be because no one else had that kind of timing.

"What?" She snapped out in her usual greeting.

"I just can't help myself." Jarod stated.

"What?" Parker asked. She hated when Jarod acts cryptic.

"You wanted to know why I stick around, why I try to save you, and why I still care, right?" He said with a smug grin Parker could hear through the phone.

'How the hell did he now I was thinking that!' She hates it when he knows what she's thinking especially when they aren't together. But yet it oddly made her feel good that he new her that well and it also scared her too.

"Well… (Sigh) I just can't help myself… I… just can't." Jarod said but it sounded like he wanted to say something else at the end besides just can't. They both sat there on the phone just listening to the other breath. Then Jarod broke the silence.

"And yes there is…" 'What's he talking about' Parker thought. The Jarod answered her thoughts.

"There are some things I don't know about you… like what color you underwear are right now." He said with a grin before he hung up.

'How does he read my thoughts like that… wait did Jarod say what I thought he said! When did Pez head become so forward…so flirty… that's more like something I would say. Well if you can read my thoughts… I'm not wearing any panties.' Parker chuckled slightly at the thought of Jarod hearing that. Then continued back to Blue Cove with the knowledge that Jarod would keep playing the 'you run I chase' game a little longer and that oddly made Miss Parker happy.

What do you think of the story so far? More to come.