NOTE: This part is in response to Mickey's picture challenge. By request I
decided to add more to my fan fiction. (the picture that inspired the
first part can be found here:
http://www30.brinkster.com/c3po417/pretendfic/pic1.jpg) This second part
is in response (as I said) to Mickey's picture challenge: Jarod is sitting
outside Miss. Parkers house. This is where you guys come in. Why is he
sitting outside her house? Is he waiting for her to get home? Is he waiting
for her to make a choice? Is he waiting for her to finish packing so they
can run off together? You tell me. Just write a story about it. Doesn't
have to have be a JMP romance but it would be nice. (This picture can be
found here: http://www30.brinkster.com/c3po417/pretendfic/pic4.jpg)
1 After All This Time- - Chapter Two
Jarod sat is his cell. No doubt they would be taking him to the Triumvirate soon. With Mr. Raines in charge he was screwed. Literally screwed. He hadn't seen Parker, Sydney, Broots, or even Sam since he'd arrived. He didn't know if that was good or bad.
"I Love You."
Parker's voice echoed in his head. He could see the pained look in her face as she said it. How ironic it was. They had been sweethearts as children and then enemies, and now… Now he had no idea where they were. Or rather how long he had been here. More than likely Parker had been taken from his chase, or from the Centre all together.
"Jarod?" A soft whisper echoed from just down the hall, not three yards from where he was.
Jarod's head perked up, "Parker?"
Parker came running towards him and dropped on her knees in front of him, "It took Angelo weeks to find you!"
"How long have a been here exactly?" Jarod asked coming over and kneeling beside him.
Parker rubbed his face, "Exactly three months, one week, and two days."
Jarod gave a small sarcastic laugh, "That long?"
"Oh Jarod I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."
Jarod gestured around his cell, cage was more like it, "This? Not likely."
Parker smiled slightly and touched his face, "It'll be okay."
Jarod gestured up to the camera, "You do know they can see you, right?"
Parker huffed, "Broots is in control of security here now. He's taken care of it."
"Broots!?"
Parker laughed, "That's what I thought too."
"And what of you and Sydney?"
Parker shrugged, "I'm back in corporate, despite Lyle's arguments, and Syd has a new guinea pig."
Jarod nodded slowly, "I take it Mr. Parker or Raines didn't take too kindly to you and um…"
"No, they didn't. Jarod… I meant it."
Jarod kissed her through the bars, "So did I."
"They're planning to take you away from here. To Africa."
"But?" Jarod asked, feeling it coming.
"I'm taking you out of here."
Now it was Jarod's turn to huff, "And how do you propose to do that?"
Parker's watch beeped. "Sorry Jarod but security is coming back online in about sixty seconds." She kissed him again. "You'll know." And with those words she left.
Days passed. And as each day passed he lost more and more hope of escaping. Nearly three weeks must have passed since he saw Parker and he seriously began to doubt that he was going to be escaping.
And then it happened. Angelo came creeping through the vents and unlocked his cell door. "Angelo?"
Angelo didn't answer. He simply pushed Jarod towards the vents and handed him a small diagram and directions. And left him there. No doubt to create a distraction.
Jarod found himself utterly confused. The diagram worked and he was out of there in a matter of minutes. The directions told him where to find a car and then proceed onto Parker's house.
Jarod parked the car on the curb and headed up the stairs. He sat down on the stone steps and waited. But waited for what? No doubt this place would be packed full of sweepers in a few minutes.
Memories flooded around him as though he were swimming in them. Memories of him and Parker as children, Sydney, past pretends, his family. His family. He was so worried about them. Emily, Dad, Ethan, the boy, and…. Zoe.
Jarod hung his head. What a mess. What was he going to do? He loved Zoe and he loved Parker. But he belonged with Parker. He knew that and she knew that. But would Zoe understand?
He tightened the leather jacket that Parker had left for him. What was he going to do? He couldn't just give up everything that he had Zoe had had but he wasn't about to give up Parker either. In fact he could never give up Parker. Never.
The door creaked open and he turned to look. There stood Parker. She was dressed in white. Like an angel. He though. She truly was an angel. "Jarod?" She asked and her face exploded into a grin. She knelt next to him and kissed him passionately, "How long have you been out here?"
Jarod shrugged, "Doesn't matter."
"You should have come in."
Jarod shrugged again and then glanced at the two bags, "I take it you are planning to run with me?"
Parker's smile faded, "Is that a problem?"
Jarod laughed and hugged her, "It would be wonderful to have some company." Then he pulled back and held her at arms length, "Come on lets go."
1 After All This Time- - Chapter Two
Jarod sat is his cell. No doubt they would be taking him to the Triumvirate soon. With Mr. Raines in charge he was screwed. Literally screwed. He hadn't seen Parker, Sydney, Broots, or even Sam since he'd arrived. He didn't know if that was good or bad.
"I Love You."
Parker's voice echoed in his head. He could see the pained look in her face as she said it. How ironic it was. They had been sweethearts as children and then enemies, and now… Now he had no idea where they were. Or rather how long he had been here. More than likely Parker had been taken from his chase, or from the Centre all together.
"Jarod?" A soft whisper echoed from just down the hall, not three yards from where he was.
Jarod's head perked up, "Parker?"
Parker came running towards him and dropped on her knees in front of him, "It took Angelo weeks to find you!"
"How long have a been here exactly?" Jarod asked coming over and kneeling beside him.
Parker rubbed his face, "Exactly three months, one week, and two days."
Jarod gave a small sarcastic laugh, "That long?"
"Oh Jarod I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."
Jarod gestured around his cell, cage was more like it, "This? Not likely."
Parker smiled slightly and touched his face, "It'll be okay."
Jarod gestured up to the camera, "You do know they can see you, right?"
Parker huffed, "Broots is in control of security here now. He's taken care of it."
"Broots!?"
Parker laughed, "That's what I thought too."
"And what of you and Sydney?"
Parker shrugged, "I'm back in corporate, despite Lyle's arguments, and Syd has a new guinea pig."
Jarod nodded slowly, "I take it Mr. Parker or Raines didn't take too kindly to you and um…"
"No, they didn't. Jarod… I meant it."
Jarod kissed her through the bars, "So did I."
"They're planning to take you away from here. To Africa."
"But?" Jarod asked, feeling it coming.
"I'm taking you out of here."
Now it was Jarod's turn to huff, "And how do you propose to do that?"
Parker's watch beeped. "Sorry Jarod but security is coming back online in about sixty seconds." She kissed him again. "You'll know." And with those words she left.
Days passed. And as each day passed he lost more and more hope of escaping. Nearly three weeks must have passed since he saw Parker and he seriously began to doubt that he was going to be escaping.
And then it happened. Angelo came creeping through the vents and unlocked his cell door. "Angelo?"
Angelo didn't answer. He simply pushed Jarod towards the vents and handed him a small diagram and directions. And left him there. No doubt to create a distraction.
Jarod found himself utterly confused. The diagram worked and he was out of there in a matter of minutes. The directions told him where to find a car and then proceed onto Parker's house.
Jarod parked the car on the curb and headed up the stairs. He sat down on the stone steps and waited. But waited for what? No doubt this place would be packed full of sweepers in a few minutes.
Memories flooded around him as though he were swimming in them. Memories of him and Parker as children, Sydney, past pretends, his family. His family. He was so worried about them. Emily, Dad, Ethan, the boy, and…. Zoe.
Jarod hung his head. What a mess. What was he going to do? He loved Zoe and he loved Parker. But he belonged with Parker. He knew that and she knew that. But would Zoe understand?
He tightened the leather jacket that Parker had left for him. What was he going to do? He couldn't just give up everything that he had Zoe had had but he wasn't about to give up Parker either. In fact he could never give up Parker. Never.
The door creaked open and he turned to look. There stood Parker. She was dressed in white. Like an angel. He though. She truly was an angel. "Jarod?" She asked and her face exploded into a grin. She knelt next to him and kissed him passionately, "How long have you been out here?"
Jarod shrugged, "Doesn't matter."
"You should have come in."
Jarod shrugged again and then glanced at the two bags, "I take it you are planning to run with me?"
Parker's smile faded, "Is that a problem?"
Jarod laughed and hugged her, "It would be wonderful to have some company." Then he pulled back and held her at arms length, "Come on lets go."