The Pretender is the Copyright of TNT Valued Gateway Client Valued Gateway Client 3 509 2001-10-07T08:09:00Z 2001-10-27T02:33:00Z 2001-10-27T02:33:00Z 4 1826 10411 86 20 12785 9.3821

The Pretender is the Copyright of TNT.  The characters Jarod, Sydney, Miss. Parker, Broots, and Mr. Raines etc. are all the copyright of TNT.  The song Dust in the Wind belongs to Kansas.  No profit intended, no harm intended.   This is my first take at fan fiction and any errors are mine alone.

Chapter 7: Crumbles to the ground though we refuse to see Miss Parker's Quarters – the Centre

Miss Parker opened her apartment and pushed Jarod into her living room.   She knew that the sweepers would be posting themselves outside her door.  She had made sure they knew where Jarod would be so that he was never suspected, his freedoms unchallenged. 

She had an electric fireplace going and music softly playing in the background.  She pushed him to a cozy spot by the fireplace and running her hand across his shoulders added, "I'll get us a drink."

She stepped over to a wet bar and poured them a glass of white wine.  Handing him one she gracefully sat on a chair near his wheelchair.

"I hear you get to go to a knee brace and out of that full leg brace."

Sipping the wine, Jarod nodded.   "The physical therapy is going well.  Have I ever used crutches before?"

"I don't remember you ever having a broken bone before."

"Hum, just lucky I guess."

"Actually, pretty well monitored.  You were very sheltered as a child."

"Didn't I ever play?  Climb trees, play sports?"

"You were always very serious as a child.  I think I was the only child you played with.  Well, Angelo and me.  We roamed the halls when you were not running Sims.  Angelo showed us some of his maze in the air ducts."

"There are pictures in my rooms, but were there any home movies or videos of my family?"

Uncomfortable Parker stood, "What am I thinking?   I invite you for dinner and don't bother to feed you.  Tonight is stir fried shrimp and veggies."

Quickly she headed for the kitchen and turned on the stove to heat the wok. 

"Mary?  What's wrong?"

"Nothing, how your wine?"

Putting down the glass and turning the chair, Jarod looked at her.  "What did I say?"

"Nothing."

"You can't tell me nothing's wrong and then practically glow with emotions.  Why can't you answer the question?"

"Jarod, I just can't."  More quietly she added, "It would put you in danger."

"So Lyle was right."

Stepping towards him she asked alarmed, "Right about what? What did Lyle tell you?"

"Why should I be in danger?  What is so bad that it scares my bodyguard?"

Parker walked across the room and sat down next to him.  She stared at him, looking deep into his eyes.  She was looking for something.  Recognition.  Amusement.  But she didn't see it.  There was only the unanswered question and a growing suspicion.

 She could see him closing off from her, the suspicion overriding the curiosity.  Lyle was winning.  She reached for his hand and cupped his face in her other hand.  "I've seen a different side of you.  One I didn't let myself see before.  You've always been compassionate, kind and ready to help the underdog.  I've always had to be tough.  Hide my feelings and prove to the world that I didn't care about anyone or anything.  But I care about you Jarod.  I have always cared about you."

"I want to help you, protect you.   I just don't know how to do it right now."  She shook her head and looked down.

Jarod stared at her, through her.  He could see the vibes she was putting off. He could feel that she was hiding something, but he knew that she was telling the truth.  That she did care for him.

A thought came to his mind, a feeling, as sure as any of the Sims he had done in his life.

He put his hand over hers and waited for her to look up at him.

She looked up at him questioning.  Did he pity her?  Or was he apathetic as Sydney suspected?

He wiped the tears from her checks and said, "I don't know much, but I know that you have always been in my heart.  That is the one thing that doesn't seem wrong about this world that I woke up in.  Something tells me that I have always loved you.  That I've been waiting for you to feel it back." 

She looked into his teary eyes and with a sob slid into his arms.  He held her and they cried together.  The smell of the overheated wok distracted Jarod. 

"Is something on fire?"

"Oh NO! Our dinner!"

She jumped up and ran into the kitchen.  He rolled the chair into the kitchen to assess the damage.  Luckily the fire was quickly out.  Mary looked at him and burst out laughing.

"I told you I couldn't cook."

"You just need a highly qualified assistant.  Why don't you rinse that out and we can try that again." 

In a short time they had a more appropriately seared shrimp and veggie dinner.  They held hands as they ate.  Taking turns feeding each other with the chopsticks.  The chopsticks were set aside for feeding with fingers, then kissing.  As they finished off dinner, their eyes silently agreed to take it another step forward. 

Smiling seductively, Mary stood and rolled Jarod into her bedroom.  Working together they got Jarod up onto the bed.  With a raised eyebrow, she pushed the chair well away from the bed.  Her facial expression implying that he was not going to get away using that chair.   He patted the bed beside him and she quickly complied.

She melted into his embrace feeling at home for the first time in this make believe home.  He held her tightly and breathed in her scent.  He stroked her hair and started to nuzzle her neck.  She responded by capturing his lips with her own.  The electricity that flew between them sparked more passionate kissing.  His hands slid up and down her back.  Her blouse caught on his hand and he found himself rubbing her warm smooth back.  She purred in pleasure. 

Sitting up beside him, she slowly worked his tee shirt up.  Her passion increased as she exposed his powerful warm chest.   She unbuttoned her blouse and slipped off her bra and lay against him.  Again she melted into his reaching arms and they kissed.  Both of his hands moved over her body, while his lips floated over her lips, face and neck.  Their breathing increased, their movements suggestive of the next step.

"We're moving pretty fast, are you okay with this?" Jarod whispered to her.

"I'm only holding back for your sake."

Looking down at the evident sign of his arousal he said, "Don't hold back on my account, I'm sure that mind and body are in complete agreement."

Purring again she slid her hand down his neck to the waistband of the hospital pants.  She played with the waistband, tickling his sensitive groin area she untied the ties and slipped her hand beneath the fabric.  Lightly running her hand up the length of his shaft she leaned her body closer to him.  She firmed her grip and the speed of her strokes. 

He groaned and leaned into her hand.  He held her closer and captured one of her breasts with his free hand.  He captured her lips again, teasing her nipple with his thumb.  He slid his hands down to her waist and pushed her slacks off her hips.  She shifted her body to allow him to slip them further down. 

Intensely aroused, she slid her hand out of his pants and pulled her own off.  Slipping out of her panties she took his pants by the waistband and slid them off.  They resisted at the leg brace.  She had to sit up to unbuckle the brace.  Carefully pulling off the pant leg she re-buckled the brace and in a smooth swift move, straddled him.

"Still okay?"  She asked to see if she had hurt him with her ministrations to his knee.

"Right now I don't even think I have legs.  Now, where were we?"

Smiling, she slid her body over his.  Working with the friction of their bodies she increased his arousal.  Shifting her body up slightly, she slid down his groin and slipped his shaft into her wetness.  Together they groaned in pleasure. 

His breath infused her, dizzying, intoxicating, and flooding her veins with heat.  His lips touched hers, as soft as a whisper, as sure as the beat of her heart.  Her senses reeled with the impact of him.  Every pore of her skin opened to him. Was filled with him.  There was nothing else in her world but him.  There had never been a moment of purer, all-encompassing pleasure in her life.

His skin seemed to blend into hers, a slow electric disruption that left her dizzy and filled with him, empty and aching for him.  She ran her fingers through his hair.  She could feel his heartbeat pulsing against her breast, his fullness between her legs, pressing into her.

The physical sensation racked her body and spun her to dizzying, breath-robbing heights.  Yet sensation seemed so small a part of the experience that physical fulfillment peaked and passed and still she clung to him.  She couldn't let him go, she couldn't return from where he had taken her.  She couldn't let it end.  She remained cradled in his arms, holding him tightly, waiting for the wonder to pass but it didn't.

She saw the satiated tenderness in his eyes.  A sensation swelled inside her that was strange and beautiful and terrifying and huge.  It was an ache, a joy and need.  The power he had over her made her shutter.   The world had been made complete and there wasn't anything she wouldn't do to keep him safe.

They slept in each other's arms. 

Tech Lab, Surveillance Section – the Centre

Mr. Raines growled his anger when he heard what the sweeper watching the Pretender's cameras had to say.  He had walked in and found the sweeper relaxing with only casual glances at the cameras. 

"What do you think you're doing?  The security on the Pretender must never be relaxed."

"He's not there sir.  I'm just keeping the area secure."

"What do you mean he's not there?  I was told that he had ended the Sim hours ago."

"Yes sir.  He's with Miss Parker.  They're having a late dinner.  She implied that he would be staying the night there.   We have sweepers posted outside her room, down the hall and outside the Centre."

"He's with Miss Parker?"

"Yes sir.  Dr. Greene confirmed that with Mr. Parker.  They felt it would help secure the Pretender's cooperation."

"Let me know immediately when he leaves the room."

Jarod shifting restlessly woke Mary from sleep.  She was alarmed that he was in pain.  Like the DSA that Angelo had given her, Jarod was dreaming.  He began mumbling in his sleep.  Talking about the men in black suits that were outside.  His restless shifting turned into thrashing.  She pinned him when she saw him twisting his injured leg.  When she decided to call for help Angelo shocked her by appearing at her shoulder.  Despite her nakedness she didn't release Jarod.  She thought she knew what he was going to do. 

As soon as Angelo touched Jarod, the struggles changed.  It became less physical and more mental.  She could see it on Jarod's face.  Angelo was struggling with Jarod's mind.  She grabbed his hands and pulled him away from Jarod.

Jarod was sweaty and tense but the struggling had stopped.  Angelo sat back tired. 

Climbing off the bed and wrapping a sheet around her body, Parker asked, "why?  Why are you doing that to him?"

"It's not time yet."

"What are you talking about?  Time for what?"

"To stop Gemini." He said like it should be obvious to her.

"What does this brain washing have to do with Gemini?  They only just decided to start it up again."

"Jarod would not stay if he came back.  He needs to be here when they bring all the files back for Gemini.  Only then can we stop it once and for all.  Only Jarod can do this.  Gemini is bad and must be stopped.  Daughter knows."

Parker thought about what he had said.  Jarod was the only one that could totally destroy the Gemini project.  Keep them from trying again.   She gently caressed Jarod's sleeping face.  "Is he really still in there?"

"Jarod is there.  Just lost.  He will come out soon."  Smiling sheepishly he added, "fights out every night now.  Jarod has strong mind.  My mind is no match for him and soon he will know it.  Then he will be Jarod again."

"And hate me for the lies."  She said full of sadness and remorse.

"Not long.  This is still Jarod.  His feelings are real, not confused by hunter/prey.  He loves with all of his heart.  Head will just have to catch up." 

Angelo rested his hand on her shoulder in consolation.  "Trust him, believe in him.  This is the way it is suppose to be.  You have been One since you were born.  I see, feel this."

Parker felt a tear roll down her cheek.  "I can't let him out of my life now.  I love him."  She turned to Angelo only to find him gone.

She crawled back into bed and curled herself around Jarod.  Praying that she could hold back the dawn and have this moment forever.