Disclaimer: The Pretender isn't mine so don't sue me. I only have claim to all the other characters (not to mention the plot) that you don't recognize.
PhoenixRae's Notes: I actually wrote this fic back in 2000 and since I didn't know that ff.net existed back then, I just kept it saved in a diskette that I just only recently came across once again. I did some editing to it, but please bear in mind that this fic supposedly took place right around Season 4 of the series. This wasn't a finished fic when I wrote it back in 2000, but I'll try my best to finish it this time around.
Summary: Two lost souls on the run from the very place that made their lives hell. Will The Center catch them? Unwanted feelings surfaced. Old feelings reopened. Will one be able to face the truth?
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III. Happy Holidays
"I'm sorry, Jarod. We tried the best we could to stop them from ransacking your house, but..."
Jarod patted Fred Feys's shoulders. He understood what his partner was trying to explain to him. Their house in Sherwood Park was foraged by the Centre people during the time that he and Lee were in Nunavut.
"That's okay, Fred. I know you did the best you could to fend those people off."
"But they just couldn't't come into your house and mess it like that!" Lea Feys exclaimed, still distraught about what happened.
"Don't worry, Lea. At least Jarod and I weren't there when it happened." Lee said, comforting the older woman.
"I know, but with the holiday season coming..." Lea Feys sighed audibly before burying her face in her hands. "It's just not right!"
Not knowing what else to say to Lea, Lee wrapped the elderly woman in her arms and started to pat her back, all the while her eyes locked with her Jarod's.
He knew what she was thinking of right now. They had to move again. The only reason why they came back was because Fred called him up, telling him something urgent came up and they were needed back in Alberta. That emergency Jarod's partner was talking about was, of course, their ransacked house.
Miss Parker stormed angrily inside her father's office. Her arm's crossed and one eyebrow raised. She was angry at something, or rather, she was angry at someone for ruining the capture of Ameleeiah and Jarod!
"Angel!" Mr. Parker exclaimed upon seeing his daughter storm into his office.
"Daddy, I can't believe what you did!" Miss Parker's entire body was shaking from her suppressed anger, her icy blue eyes shooting daggers at the elderly gentleman with a Hitler-like moustache and receding hairline.
"Angel, now what–"
"The capture of Jarod, Daddy. Jarod!" She didn't bother mentioning Ameleeiah because she doesn't want them to know that she was still in contact with Ameleeiah. As far as they were concerned, the only person in Canada was Jarod, and Jarod only!
"Oh, Angel. Jarod wasn't even there!" Mr. Parker exclaimed.
"You lead us on, Parker." Mr. Lyle said from the corner. Up until that moment Miss Parker wasn't aware that her twin brother was in the room.
Miss Parker turned to look at her twin, an eyebrow still raised. "I didn't lead you on, Lyle. Broots, Sydney, and myself were just checking the place out. We just received a tip somewhere in Canada that they thought they saw someone who looked like Jarod so went." She explained.
"But we found nothing there, Parker. Nothing!" Mr. Lyle yelled.
"You found nothing, Lyle, because that wasn't Jarod's lair!" She spun around to looked at her father, "It was a false alarm, Daddy."
Sydney was pacing behind Broots when Miss Parker joined them in one of the simulation labs. The look on the woman's face was deadly that neither Sydney nor Broots decided to say anything, but Angelo didn't bother doing what the other two men did.
"Miss Parker, troubled."
"Shut up, mesh brain." Miss Parker snapped at the empath.
Angelo wasn't repelled by Miss Parker's attitude. Instead, he continued to follow her, saying things–mostly nonsense–and annoying the hell out of the woman.
"Angelo–"
"Miss Parker in love!" The revelation surprised Miss Parker as much as the other three men in the room. "Yes, Miss Parker in love...Miss Parker in love..." Angelo kept on chanting, walking around the room. Then he stopped, he looked at Miss Parker and added, "But he is not in love with Miss Parker..."
"Sydney."
Sydney stopped whatever he was doing the moment he heard Jarod's voice on the other line. "Jarod?"
"Syd, I need your help."
"Help? Help with what?"
"About...about...Syd, I know we've had this conversation before, but..." Jarod was having a hard time explaining to Sydney what he wanted to ask from him.
"Jarod, you know you can tell me everything." Sydney encouraged.
"I know that, Syd, but this one is different."
"Oh? How different?" Sydney prodded.
"Different like I shouldn't even be feeling this way about this girl! Living in close proximity with her–"
"Are you talking about Ameleeiah here, Jarod?" Sydney cuts in.
Silence.
"Jarod?"
"Yes."
The silence was from the other line now.
Oblivious to either Sydney or Jarod, the phone on Miss Parker's hand almost fell after Jarod's admission. Angelo was right...
Arriving at their townhouse in Sherwood Park late one afternoon, Jarod couldn't almost recognise the place. It seems like his little wife did a lot of decorating while he was at work. Leave it to Lee to decorate the place whenever she was at home alone.
"Lee, I'm–"
"Hello, Mr. Feys." Greeted one of the teenagers he sees around the neighbourhood.
Jarod stopped dead the moment he looked at their usually clean living room. There were crepe paper everywhere, glues, scissors, sticks and other such things were scattered about. Looking around the disarrayed living room, Jarod couldn't find his wife amidst the crowded room. Catching one kid by the arm, he asked, "Have you seen Lee?"
"Yes, Mr. Feys." The blond haired boy nodded, "Dr. Feys is in the kitchen with Carol and Mrs. Wright."
"Thanks." He smiled at the boy then tiptoed all the way into the kitchen, finding his wife in the kitchen.
Carol Wright was the first one to notice him standing there.
"Hi, Mr. Feys!" The girl greeted cheerfully.
Lee and Mrs. Wright stopped from pouring the batter on the pan and looked at Jarod standing by the doorway.
"Why, hello there, Jarod." Agnes Wright smiled.
"Agnes." He nodded, then his eyes met his wife's. "Lee." He smiled too.
Lee smiled back then said, "I was asked to help the committee prepare for their annual Christmas program."
"Oh." Jarod wasn't sure what kind of program the committee ran, but by the state of his usually uncluttered house, he could only guess.
"Don't worry, Mr. Feys, all of us kids will clean up the mess. Sorry for it, by the way. Your house is the only place where there are no babies around to mess things up so..." Carol didn't bother finishing what she was saying then picked up one of the pans and put it in the oven.
"No worries." Jarod replied back, his eyes still fixed on his wife.
Agnes took the cue from there and hustled her daughter outside the kitchen and left the couple alone.
"If you need us, Leeiah, we'll just be in the living room." Agnes said, grabbing her daughter's arm.
"But Mom–"
The stern look Agnes Wright gave her daughter spoke volumes. The eighteen year old understood what her mother was doing and looked over her shoulder and said, "I get the picture." Then winked at the couple before her mother pulled her out of the kitchen.
After the Wright's left them alone, Jarod and Lee exchanged looks then laughed. Crossing the room, Jarod stopped right in front of her and kissed her lightly on the cheek.
"Just in case Agnes or Carol is looking." He whispered against her ear.
Lee did her best on not to blush, but she couldn't help it. This was the first time Jarod did this kind of thing. Usually, before, whenever there were people around, he would just nod at her and smile that knowing smile of his at her but never kiss her.
"Oh." She looked down at their feet, avoiding anymore eye contacts with him.
"Lee?"
"Hm?"
"When is the Christmas Party?" He asked.
"Hm?" She looked up at him then, but before she could open her mouth, Jarod's mouth covered hers.
Jarod didn't know what came over him, but he knew from the moment he stepped in to the house and saw the mess, he knew he had to find Lee, and when he found her he felt this urge to kiss her senseless! Thank God Agnes knew how it was between newlywed couples.
Lee's response came automatically. Her arms wrapped around her husband's neck, pulling him closer for a much better kiss. Her mouth opened automatically, welcoming his tongue's onslaught.
She needed this. She needed him for this. It has been a long time since she have been properly kissed by a man, a man who wants her and she wants him back. Living together for close to nine months now, Lee was aware of the sparks flying between her and Jarod. She would only be lying to herself if she denied her feelings for this man...
Staring blankly at the contents of her glass, Miss Parker's mind was not where her body was. She was thinking about Jarod...about Ame...about her...about life in general.
She was thinking about all those time wasted because of her. Yes, now she admitted who was at fault. She have changed and pushed Jarod farther away from her. And now, her half-sister was the apple of Jarod's eyes. And how could Jarod not fall for Ameleeiah? She was everything she wasn't! Ameleeiah's kindness and charm extended even to those who doesn't deserve it.
Watching the woman through the slightly ajar office door of Miss Parker, Broots whispered to Sydney, "What is wrong with her?"
Looking at the woman whose grit matches every men brave enough to face all obstacles, Sydney could only come up with one conclusion to Miss Parker's withdrawal: Angelo was right. Miss Parker was in love with Jarod who doesn't even love her back.
"Syd?"
"Leave her be, Broots." Sydney said, retreating from where he stood for almost an hour and a half now, watching the woman in the room stare into blank space. "Miss Parker has a lot on her mind right now."
"Ameleeiah?" Broots asked, following the older man's footsteps.
"Yes."
"And Jarod?" Broots was taking a long shot with his questioning, but the only time Miss Parker started to act this way was after she listened to Sydney's and Jarod's phone conversation a week ago.
Sydney stopped from walking and turned to look at Broots, "Of course Miss Parker is thinking of Jarod–and on how to capture him."
"No, Syd. Miss Parker is not thinking of Jarod in that way." Broots said.
"Oh?" Sydney raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, Syd." Broots nodded. "Look, I didn't tell you about this but...well, Miss Parker sorta tapped in on your conversation with Jarod a week ago."
"I see." Sydney answered calmly. Way too calmly as far as Broots was concerned.
Broots merely made a face at the man.
"Aren't you going to be mad because Miss Parker listened in on your private conversation with Jarod?" Broots asked.
Sydney turned to look at the man who has been their sidekick since they started this Hunt-for-Jarod program almost five years ago.
"Broots, it is quite obvious that Miss Parker will have an interest with my conversation with Jarod. After all, Broots, Jarod has Ameleeiah and Miss Parker has a certain design on Jarod herself." He explained before walking away.
After the unexpected kiss they shared in the kitchen a week and a half ago, Lee made sure that her distance with Jarod was kept farther away as possible. She wouldn't want any of those unexpected feelings to resurface once again. Once was enough–she doesn't need it to happen twice or maybe thrice!
"Ready?"
Lee jumped at the sound of Jarod's voice. She seemed to have been doing a lot of that lately. Turning slowly, she smiled at her husband before nodding.
"It is cold outside, Lee, you should take something to keep you warm." He advised her.
Obediently, Lee snatched her winter jacket from the hallway closet before following Jarod outside. They were on their way to the community hall where the Christmas Party was to be held.
The wind was chilly, but at least it stopped snowing. It has been snowing non-stop for days now. Lee thought that the Christmas party will be cancelled, but to her surprise, blizzard or no blizzard, the Christmas party will be held!
"Watch your step," Jarod warned her when she almost stepped, without watching where she was going, onto an icy part of their walkway. He reached for her and grabbed her by her upper arm, steadying her and guiding her towards the snow-covered part of the walkway.
"T-thanks." She stammered, her gaze avoiding his at every way possible. God this was torture. How could she go on pretending to live as husband and wife with this man who, for the past few months now, had been visiting her in her dreams, making her yearn for something she knew she mustn't.
After this farce of a marriage of theirs was over, she and Jarod would part ways. She'd be lucky if their paths ever crossed once again. She needed her heart safely intact. She couldn't afford losing it to this man who possessed everything she wanted in a man.
"Broots, are you sure this time?" Miss Parker asked impatiently while the trio entered the community hall.
"Yeah." Broots nodded, searching the crowd for Jarod or Ameleeiah.
"Parker, are you sure you would want to do this? After all, it is Christmas Eve." Sydney whispered to the woman whose blue eyes were directed right in the middle of the hall. Sydney followed her gaze and found Jarod and Ameleeiah being pushed right into each other's arms by the rest of the congregation, chanting "Dance! Dance! Dance!"
"Jarod..." Sydney whispered.
"Ame..." Miss Parker gasped.
"C'mon, Doc!" Cajoled one of the elderly men present, "Show us that you two still have the right stuff!"
Lee frowned at the elderly man before shouting over her husband's broad shoulder, "Hey, we're not yet that old, Henry!"
The elderly man just laughed before dragging his wife of so many years on the dance floor to join the young couple.
Jarod and Lee were enjoying themselves immensely, dancing to the beat of each tempo and exchanging light banters with the other people present in the crowd. The couple were oblivious of the three pairs of eyes watching them. They were too engrossed dancing and having fun that neither one realized they danced themselves right under the mistletoe! The music stopped then, after one of the elderly ladies told the band to stop so that the couple would be right under the mistletoe.
Frowning, Lee looked around them at the expectant look their neighbours were giving them. Looking back at Jarod, she asked, "What is going on?"
Not knowing what as going on as well, Jarod took a moment to look around them. Some of the teenagers present were talking about something, pointing something over the couple's head. Following Carol Wright's finger, Jarod looked up, only to find a big mistletoe dangling right over their heads. A smile broke on his face before looking back down at his wife.
"Well, my dear, I think that our loving elderly neighbours have orchestrated something that neither of us expected." He said cryptically.
Lee frowned then looked up above their heads. Her barely audible surprised gasp made Jarod chuckle. Her sudden stiffening in his arms told him that Lee doesn't like what should happen next.
"Jarod..." She hissed, slowly dragging her gaze back to look at him. "We can't do this."
Jarod raised an eyebrow, "And why can't we?"
"Because–" The rest of what she had to say was left unsaid for Jarod's mouth seized her before she could utter a protest.
The crowd hooted and cheered as the couple continued kissing. Broots, Sydney and Miss Parker stood where they are in shock. Miss Parker's anger fused as she saw the way Jarod caressingly held on to her half-sister!
"Hey Doc!" Yelled one of the youngsters present to witness this public show of affection, "You and Mr. Feys here looks like you've just fallen in love for the first time!"
Pulling away from Jarod, Lee stared wide-eyed at her husband before uttering, "Yes, we did fall in love for the first time..." Then realizing what she just said, she quickly added, "Again."
The crowd hooted once again, and Lee added, "Jarod proposed to me under a mistletoe."
Jarod looked pleased at her explanation and leaned forward to steal another kiss from her, to the delight of their audience.
Miss Parker, on the other hand, couldn't take what she just heard and quickly dashed out of the hall, with Sydney and Broots running after her.
"Parker!" Sydney called after Miss Parker, but she didn't listen to him. Instead she continued running towards their rented car and cried in there.
The two men followed Miss Parker inside the car with Sydney taking the passenger's seat this time. After a few seconds that lapsed, Sydney asked, "Shall we go back to Blue Cove now?"
"No." Miss Parker answered, "We are not going back to the Centre just yet." She announced.
"W-we're not?" Broots asked.
"No, we're not."
"But why?" It was Sydney who asked this time.
Turning, Miss Parker's blue eyes was streaked with tears. "Sydney, I have to get Ameleeiah back." She announced.
Sydney eyed her curiously before asking, "This does not have anything to do with what happened between Ameleeiah and Jarod back in there, is it?"
Miss Parker was silent for a while. Broots couldn't understand what was going on. Sydney, on the other hand, understood perfectly. So the Ice Queen has a heart after all–and for Jarod for that matter!
Giggling and rather a bit tipsy, both Lee and Jarod couldn't stop from laughing that they both fell on the sofa at the same time. It was already past three in the morning by the time the couple decided to go back home. Their neighbours were still partying at the community hall.
"Gee, I didn't know you can dance." Lee said, peering over Jarod's shoulder before bursting into another set of uncontrollable laughter.
Jarod laughed with her while semi-sprawled on top of Lee. They both had a little too much to drink, but they were sober enough to still be able to drive home. Somehow being a bit drunk made them ignore the cold weather outside.
"Well, I didn't know that you know how to dance as well!" He chuckled, "I mean, your moves and such–man!" He hooted, arranging her a bit so that both of them would be comfortable, "I swear I could bet my bottom dollar that you don't know fig about dancing!"
Lee only laughed. Silence fell afterwards. The only sound that could be heard was the ticking of the clock as well as their heavy breathing. There was a full moon outside, shining inside their window, basking the two of them in a glow.
Drumming her fingers on Jarod's arm, Lee moved her head a bit to look at her husband. Smiling, she said, "Merry Christmas, Jarod."
Jarod looked at her too and smiled. "Merry Christmas, Lee." He said before leaning down and capturing her mouth.
This time their kiss lasted for a while. Both were clinging to one another. The next turn of events seemed to happen in a blur, but for Jarod and Lee, it didn't happen like that. Clinging on to one another before reaching their final climax, Jarod took her mouth once more before exploding inside of her. Their personal feelings for each other were left unsaid–afraid of the inevitable. They both knew that this will never last.
This relationship of theirs wasn't meant to last.
Outside in the cold, the black Town Car was parked just outside the couple's front window. Shadows of the couple making love in the living room was visible via the faint light of one of their house lights, making Miss Parker's heart break into pieces.
"Let's go, Parker." Sydney cajoled.
Miss Parker shrugged Sydney's hand off her elbow. "We're not leaving, Syd." She said firmly.
Sighing, Sydney said, "Look, Parker, no matter what you do, Jarod and Ameleeiah are married! It's only natural for a married couple to do–"
Turning a pair of piercing blue eyes at him, Miss Parker said, "Jarod and Ame are not married, Syd!"
"But Parker–"
Miss Parker cut him off again, "They just can't be married. They can't. They can't!" The tears she managed to stop from falling after what she saw inside the community hall started to fall once again. "Sydney, Ame can't be married to Jarod. She can't be." She sobbed.
Gathering the crying woman, whose known to everyone as the Ice Queen, Sydney did what he knew best–he patted her back softly while whispering words of encouragement to her. At the back, Broots watched as the woman who sent shivers down his spine broke down and cried.
"Jarod?" Lee asked, propped against her lover's chest.
"Hm?" Jarod responded absently, running his hand up and down the back of her head.
"Jarod, what will happen now?"
Jarod was silent for a while. Yes, what will happen now? After last night, and the things that followed after that, things would never be the same again.
"Jarod?" Lee cajoled.
Taking a deep breath, Jarod replied, "To be quite honest, Lee, I am not sure." Looking down at her, he nudged her to meet his eyes, "It's all up to you Lee."
"Jarod–"
Jarod cut her off, "I won't lie to you and say that what happened last night wasn't a mistake. I won't be sorry nor I would regret it. Last night was special. What happened between you and me was something that I've always wanted to happen–from the first time I saw you." He confessed.
What happened next was something Jarod wasn't expecting. Lee moved off his chest and leaned against him, planting a wet one on his mouth. The next thing he knew, they were both back tumbling between the sheets, giggling and laughing. Satisfying one another. All thoughts of uncertainty and such were gone.
Now, Jarod and Lee could certainly assure that this marriage of theirs was already a real one, compared to what they were a few months ago.
Back at the Centre, Miss Parker's mood doesn't seem to change–not even a bit. After her confession to Sydney about her true feelings for Jarod on Christmas Eve, she became a changed woman. The Ice Queen was back, and much colder than she was before.
Broots and Sydney made sure to stay out of her way these days, listening to her whenever she beckoned, and never argued with her over something.
The subject of recapturing Jarod and bringing back Ameleeiah was dropped. Neither one of the three talked about it nor did they bring up the subject of their escapade in Alberta with anyone at the Centre.
Meanwhile, Mr. Raines, Mr. Lyle, and Mr. Parker were all curious about Miss Parker's behaviour. She was rarely seen in and around the Centre these days. Sydney and Broots weren't saying anything about Miss Parker's odd behaviour. When Mr. Parker visited his daughter at the cottage, he found her sloshed, with a still half-empty bottle of whiskey in her hand.
"Angel, what's wrong?" Asked Mr. Parker with great concern covering his face.
His daughter merely looked at him before turning her back towards him. Mr. Parker followed his distraught daughter across the room. Miss Parker sat down on one of her sofas and opened the bottle of whiskey once more. Drinking it through the bottle, Mr. Parker was extremely worried about his daughter's behaviour.
"Angel–"
"Leave me alone, daddy." Miss Parker said, raising her hand to fend her father off, "I don't need anybody to fuss over me. I'm a big girl now, and I know what I'm doing!"
"Drinking yourself to death is what you're doing!" Her twin brother, Lyle, said.
"Lyle, what are you doing here?" Mr. Parker scolded.
Looking to meet his father's eyes, Mr. Lyle merely shrugged. "I came here for support, dad."
"Look, both of you, leave me the hell alone!" Miss Parker yelled, leaving the sofa where she was currently sitting. "Neither one of you would be able to help me, so get the hell out of my house!"
"But Angel–"
"Daddy, I don't want to be rude but you're driving me to the point where I could get violent!" Miss Parker warned through gritted teeth.
"Look, Parker, that's not the way–"
"Shut up, Lyle!" Scolded his angry and sloshed sister. "Look, I will say it again and this time I mean it! Leave me the hell alone! I don't want your pity nor your fake concern for me! Neither one of your cares whether I drive myself to destruction or not."
"Angel, I'm hurt." Mr. Parker said.
Miss Parker raised an eyebrow at him, "Oh yeah? Well now we're both hurting. So there you go." She said before turning her back to her father and brother. "Lock the door after you leave and I want you to leave now!" She demanded before walking away.
Once Miss Parker was out of earshot, Mr. Parker turned to his son, "Something is not right, son."
"You tell me." Snorted Mr. Lyle. "Do you think it has something to do with Jarod and the girl?" He inquired.
"Could be. But why would she drive herself drunk?" Mr. Parker asked, not sure as to how to put things together with his daughter and her sudden odd behaviour.
"Sydney."
"Syd."
It was Jarod. A smile broke on the old man's face.
"Jarod...it's always nice to hear from you."
"Likewise." Jarod replied with a different tone in his voice. Sydney could only guess that this sudden change in Jarod's attitude was because of what happened between him and Ameleeiah on Christmas Eve.
"How's the girl, Jarod? How is Ameleeiah?" Sydney asked, wanting to know more about Miss Parker's half sister.
"Lee and I are fine, Syd." Jarod replied before adding, "Sydney, I–we...Lee and I–"
"Slept together?" Sydney inquired.
"Y-yes."
"Jarod–"
"Syd, I'm scared. I've never been this scared before in my life!" Jarod confessed.
"But Jarod, Ameleeiah is just a girl!"
"I know! I know that, Syd, but these feelings..." Jarod lets out a frustrated sigh, "I don't know what this could mean. I'm afraid of getting too close to her and then...and then..." Jarod didn't finish, and Sydney knew what his former ward was trying to say.
"Jarod, are you in love with Ameleeiah?"
"Yes."
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to be continued...
A/N: I guess I'm in luck. I just found the copies of this chapter and the next chapter. I dunno if chapter 4's already finished, but if it ain't...well, I'm gonna do my best to finish it and have up loaded ASAP.