DISCOVERIES, PART ONE

Disclaimer: None of the Pretender characters belong to me even as much as I wished they did. All I own is the story that I write.

A/N: I want to thank Dede for betaing this story. She's been great! =)

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"Did you ever think of yourself as my father?"

"I never allowed myself to do so, Jarod"

The conversation swirled around in Jarod's head as he walked towards the bus stop. It had started to rain, but he didn't notice. He had always believed that even if he never found his biological father, or they took him back to the Centre, he would at least have Sydney. The man was like a father to him, it hurt him to think that he wasn't like a son to Sydney. But he couldn't allow himself to dwell on it - that would lead to mistakes, and mistakes would get him captured and yet again brought back to a life in imprisonment. He bought a newspaper and got into the bus. Now he had to look for others to help. Perhaps the paper could help him?

************6 Months later*************

It was dusk as Jarod sneaked along the wall outside the Centre. He had to find a suitable place to get inside. That was easier said than done. He couldn't come in the way he had gotten out because that was 3 meters above ground. He had been lucky not to break anything when he escaped for the first time! Finally he found a window and got inside. It was a tricky job; he had never been to a house with more alarms than the Centre. After he had gotten inside he went straight for the air duct, which was one way that he could use over and over again. He smirked at the idea - the Centre - all mighty and powerful, didn't get that it was through the air ducts he had escaped. If they had, then they would have secured them, wouldn't they…?

A shudder went through him - the people at the Centre weren't stupid. He had to get out of the duct, quickly. He jumped through the first vent he came across and landed on a desk. It was Sydney's - what a coincidence. He could hear people running around in the halls. Yep - he had been right - there had been installed an alarm since his last visit. Damn - how was he supposed to get out?

***

Sydney ran through the halls…the message from Miss Parker had been urgent. Something about Jarod and that they finally had him. He didn't really get that - the only way that they could have been able to catch Jarod was if he wanted to be catched. Oh well, he would find out soon enough.

***

Jarod stepped down from the desk after he had re-attached the vent so that no one would guess where he had gotten out. Then he started to search for a place to hide if it came to that, and he suspected that it would. He found the traditional hiding spot. Under the couch - it was fairly hard to spot him there, unless you came in looking for him then…

***

"Miss Parker!" Sydney was almost out of breath as he reached her. She turned and looked at him.

"Yes?"

"You said you had captured Jarod! Where is he?"

"I never said that we had captured him, just that we're close" Miss Parker started to walk toward the place where Sam stood. Sydney followed.

"How close?"

"He's in the air ducts"

"How do you know?" Sydney was starting to suspect that they weren't even close in retrieving Jarod.

"After his last little breaking and entering scheme we secured the ducts. Something set off the alarm"

"You don't know that it's Jarod. It could be a rat for all you know!"

"We don't have rats at the Centre"

"Oh, we have plenty…..I'll be at my office. Call me if it is anything remotely interesting." Sydney walked off, leaving a dumbfounded Miss Parker behind.

**************

Jarod started going through Sydney's desk. He supposed this was the best place to start searching for some information about that kid he was looking for here. Sydney was probably the one taking care of him; he was after all - the most capable psychologist that the Centre had. Finally he found something - a box. Jarod sensed that there was something special about this box so he treated it with caution as he put it on the desk. Then he opened it and the things that were inside were all the things he hadn't expected. The fathers' day cards he thought Sydney had thrown away, a birthday present he had once made (Another thing he had though of as thrown away). There were also birthday cards for Jarod from Sydney in there. He had made them even if he knew that Jarod would never see them - it wasn't allowed. Tears were rolling down Jarod's face and he sank into the chair. That was how Sydney found him…

End part one

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