Forgive the shortness please.
*So Close*
Jarod let out a sigh and flipped off the radio. He had been in a 5-mile traffic jam for three hours and could barely see the off-ramp that would take him to Los Angeles. As his car inched forward he caught sight of a figure at the entrance. He recognized her as a hitchhiker. Jarod was familiar with the concept, having done it himself several times. The pretender decided to stop for her, thinking if he didn't someone else with not-so-good intentions might.
He slowed to a stop directly beside her and opened the door. "Need a ride?" The girl nodded and climbed in without making eye contact. There was something frighteningly familiar about her, but Jarod couldn't place what. She looked no older than 18, with long light-brown hair and brown eyes. Glancing at her he saw she was still staring stubbornly out her window.
Jarod cleared his throat and said, "My name is Jarod." The girl looked at him with wide eyes and let out a yell. He was even more startled when she stretched across the car and hugged him.
"Do I know you?"
The girl drew away and blushed, going back to her window. "No. Yeah. Maybe. Depends on your point of view. My name is Faith."
********************
Faith waited patiently for Jarod to say something but he never did. Finally the silence became too much for her. "I'm sorry I scared you like that," she began. "I expected it to take months to find you, and on my third day you just drive up net to me and…I tend to go on when I'm the only one talking."
Jarod shook himself out of his shock to say, "How…?"
"Angelo gave me directions on how to find you," She answered. "And…maybe a little cash for a plane ticket."
"That's…not what I meant but that is helpful. I meant, how are you here? I saw Faith die over 15 years ago. So…how?"
Faith gave him a knowing smile. "No, I'm only 16, stop trying to do the math. And no, I'm not a ghost. C'mon, Jarod, use your head! Another Faith…" She trailed off. Faith could see he had a guess but didn't want to say it out loud. She decided to help him along. "You don't really believe the Centre would risk a Pretender's DNA for their experimental cloning, do you?"
"So they cloned Faith? That doesn't make any sense. Mr. Parker may be a cold-hearted bastard, but he would never agree to clone his own daughter!"
"That's adopted daughter. And anyway, you're right. He didn't agree to it-because Raines didn't tell him. The Triumvirate ordered it secret-which is why I'm guessing you didn't know about me either. Mr. Parker did find out later-he was the one who made sure I wasn't killed. But when you were finally successfully cloned, I was…useless. There was really no point in keeping me around. I was educated, but I'm no genius.
"Everyone kind of forgot about me. It was nice. But then you rescued clone-Jarod, and the attention was brought back to me again! I thought if I found you, you could take me wherever you took Jarod. Although, now that I've said that to you, it seems too much to ask. Jarod, after 16 years in the Centre, I had to get out!
"It's not too much to ask, Faith," Jarod said. He was just glad he'd found the girl. He had no idea the Centre had cloned anyone else! He was going to make sure nothing happened to her. "Jarod is actually in New Jersey with my dad. But I just got a job in New York, so I could take you with me and get you to him."
"Really? That's-That's great. I can't believe this. You know, you can go now."
"What?" Jarod became aware of the cars honking behind him. "Oops." He shifted and they left the highway. "Are you hungry?"
Faith gave him a huge grin.
********************
Faith hummed a song she heard on the radio as she walked down the street. She had gone to pick up some 'Chinese take-out', something that smelled delicious. She might have to eat it before she reached Jarod!
Jarod had taken her to his apartment and recommended the restaurant. It was a nice, warm evening and Faith had offered to walk over and collect the food. Now all she wanted to do was get home.
Home. That was something she had never had. She had lived at the Centre all her life, but who could call the Centre a home? Yet she had just met Jarod for the first time, and already she felt like she had known him forever. And now, she realized, when she felt safe-that was home. She felt safe with Jarod.
As Faith approached their building a shiny black car caught her eye. She automatically checked the license
plate and her fears were confirmed: Delaware. She tried the driver's door. It was unlocked! Searching through the glove compartment Faith found a set of keys. She hurriedly went through three of them, the fourth finally fitting the ignition.
Silently thanking Mr. Parker for insisting that she learn to drive she sped down the street. It took all the strength in her not to turn around and go back for Jarod, but she knew if he could get away, her being there would hinder him. And if he was caught-which was always a possibility-someone had to get help. She didn't know exactly where in New Jersey Jarod was, but she knew that, somehow, she would repay Jarod's kindness.
End.
(Don't worry, there's a Sequel in TV-Crossovers)
*So Close*
Jarod let out a sigh and flipped off the radio. He had been in a 5-mile traffic jam for three hours and could barely see the off-ramp that would take him to Los Angeles. As his car inched forward he caught sight of a figure at the entrance. He recognized her as a hitchhiker. Jarod was familiar with the concept, having done it himself several times. The pretender decided to stop for her, thinking if he didn't someone else with not-so-good intentions might.
He slowed to a stop directly beside her and opened the door. "Need a ride?" The girl nodded and climbed in without making eye contact. There was something frighteningly familiar about her, but Jarod couldn't place what. She looked no older than 18, with long light-brown hair and brown eyes. Glancing at her he saw she was still staring stubbornly out her window.
Jarod cleared his throat and said, "My name is Jarod." The girl looked at him with wide eyes and let out a yell. He was even more startled when she stretched across the car and hugged him.
"Do I know you?"
The girl drew away and blushed, going back to her window. "No. Yeah. Maybe. Depends on your point of view. My name is Faith."
********************
Faith waited patiently for Jarod to say something but he never did. Finally the silence became too much for her. "I'm sorry I scared you like that," she began. "I expected it to take months to find you, and on my third day you just drive up net to me and…I tend to go on when I'm the only one talking."
Jarod shook himself out of his shock to say, "How…?"
"Angelo gave me directions on how to find you," She answered. "And…maybe a little cash for a plane ticket."
"That's…not what I meant but that is helpful. I meant, how are you here? I saw Faith die over 15 years ago. So…how?"
Faith gave him a knowing smile. "No, I'm only 16, stop trying to do the math. And no, I'm not a ghost. C'mon, Jarod, use your head! Another Faith…" She trailed off. Faith could see he had a guess but didn't want to say it out loud. She decided to help him along. "You don't really believe the Centre would risk a Pretender's DNA for their experimental cloning, do you?"
"So they cloned Faith? That doesn't make any sense. Mr. Parker may be a cold-hearted bastard, but he would never agree to clone his own daughter!"
"That's adopted daughter. And anyway, you're right. He didn't agree to it-because Raines didn't tell him. The Triumvirate ordered it secret-which is why I'm guessing you didn't know about me either. Mr. Parker did find out later-he was the one who made sure I wasn't killed. But when you were finally successfully cloned, I was…useless. There was really no point in keeping me around. I was educated, but I'm no genius.
"Everyone kind of forgot about me. It was nice. But then you rescued clone-Jarod, and the attention was brought back to me again! I thought if I found you, you could take me wherever you took Jarod. Although, now that I've said that to you, it seems too much to ask. Jarod, after 16 years in the Centre, I had to get out!
"It's not too much to ask, Faith," Jarod said. He was just glad he'd found the girl. He had no idea the Centre had cloned anyone else! He was going to make sure nothing happened to her. "Jarod is actually in New Jersey with my dad. But I just got a job in New York, so I could take you with me and get you to him."
"Really? That's-That's great. I can't believe this. You know, you can go now."
"What?" Jarod became aware of the cars honking behind him. "Oops." He shifted and they left the highway. "Are you hungry?"
Faith gave him a huge grin.
********************
Faith hummed a song she heard on the radio as she walked down the street. She had gone to pick up some 'Chinese take-out', something that smelled delicious. She might have to eat it before she reached Jarod!
Jarod had taken her to his apartment and recommended the restaurant. It was a nice, warm evening and Faith had offered to walk over and collect the food. Now all she wanted to do was get home.
Home. That was something she had never had. She had lived at the Centre all her life, but who could call the Centre a home? Yet she had just met Jarod for the first time, and already she felt like she had known him forever. And now, she realized, when she felt safe-that was home. She felt safe with Jarod.
As Faith approached their building a shiny black car caught her eye. She automatically checked the license
plate and her fears were confirmed: Delaware. She tried the driver's door. It was unlocked! Searching through the glove compartment Faith found a set of keys. She hurriedly went through three of them, the fourth finally fitting the ignition.
Silently thanking Mr. Parker for insisting that she learn to drive she sped down the street. It took all the strength in her not to turn around and go back for Jarod, but she knew if he could get away, her being there would hinder him. And if he was caught-which was always a possibility-someone had to get help. She didn't know exactly where in New Jersey Jarod was, but she knew that, somehow, she would repay Jarod's kindness.
End.
(Don't worry, there's a Sequel in TV-Crossovers)