Connections
By Justine
This story takes place a few days after IOTH. Some things may be a little
out cos I've only read the write up on it so I'm sorry if that's the case.
I try to keep the Pretender characters as accurate as possible so please
tell me if there's anything wrong.
Ch 1 Early Beginnings
Yawning, Miss Parker slowly made her way to her front door. She was utterly exhausted after the previous few days' dramas. It seemed the more she dug the more questions arose. Who am I? As she slipped into bed, touching the picture of Thomas, she noticed a book on her dresser. Picking it up, Miss Parker gasped in shock. There, lying in her hands was her mother's diary. The phone rang- perfect timing as usual. "What?" Jarod heard her mutter, a little softer then usual. "I see you have found my present." "Mmm. Funny that you had MY mothers diary, Jarod." "You'll be surprised what you can get when you look around. Treasure it, Miss Parker, it may be the key to your, maybe our survival." "So I guess we've gone back to this game again." "As you said, I run, you chase." On that note he hung up. Miss Parker turned the diary around and began feeling the edges and backing. Finding the bump, she tore open the binding and a small golden key fell into her lap. Placing the key down, next to her favourite photo, she turned over the first page. As she began to read, fond memories of happy times with her mother made her smile.
Meanwhile, Jarod, driving a RV pulls up outside a small farm/chalet place on the outskirts of a small country town. Behind him, four small wooden 2- storey chalets stand in a row looking homey and inviting. On his right were two barns, one which he would later find out, held 8 horse stalls and the other was fairly empty, holding no more then a couple of hay bales. Directly in front of him, was an old, country styled house. Above the front door, was a sign "Manager's Residence, Enquire Within." Jarod knocked on the door and a pump middle-aged African American woman answered holding a little boy and several soft toys. "Hello. Can I help you?" The little boy on her hip squirmed causing her to drop most of the toys. Looking rather flustered she cried, "Oh Benjamin! Sit down and stop wiggling!" Another woman around her mid twenties appeared, taking Ben from her. "Ben! Have you been bothering your grandmother again? . Come on." A tall robust man and a slightly shorter older man walked into the room and added to the rest of the commotion. Jarod was a little startled by all the activity. "Eh, should I come back at another time?" he asked the first woman. "Oh no, it's fine. Sorry about all the commotion. It's my daughter's graduation and the whole family has come for the weekend. It's been a nightmare! So what can I do for you?" "I'd like a place to stay for a couple of days." "No problem love. I'll sign you in straight away. Oh and I'm Alice Swanson." "I'm Jarod.Carter." "Okay Mr Carter." Alice replied when she'd finished quickly scribbling in the book. "You'll be in cabin.2." Handing over the keys she added. "Have a nice stay." As he turned around to leave, she cried out. "Oh Mr Carter, have you any plans for the evening?" Turning around, Jarod replied. "Why no, Nothing in particular." "Well, my Ellie's graduation is apart of a concert put on by the school. The graduates have planned quite a show. Did you want to join us?" "Why yes, I'd love to." He said with a smile.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the graduates of 2002!" Thunderous applause followed the excited, teary adolescents out of the building and into the courtyard. Outside over cups of coffee, Jarod chats with Alice and her family. "You have a very talented daughter, Mrs Swanson." "Oh love, call me Alice. Oh Bill there she is!" She said, pulling at her husband's jacket. A pretty blonde waves and rushes over and hugs Alice. "Mom!" "Oh baby, you're all grown up!" "Mom!" Ellie cries and looks around. "Of course dear, your friends.. Sweetie, this is Jarod Carter. He's staying at the farm for a couple of days." "Hi Mr Carter." She said bubbly, shaking his hand. "Call me Jarod."
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The next day Jarod was walking to the barn with the latest newspaper under his arm, intending to catch up with world events when he passed Sean, Alice's son, who was coming from the house, carrying a towel and a blow up beach ball. "Hey Jarod! Come join us for a swim in the dam!" Ellie came rushing past him, carrying a towel. "Hey little lady!" Shaun yelled out to her. "What?" "Go help mom carry out something." Ellie turned around and grinned. "All right" she said slapping Shaun on the arm, skipping out of his way when he tried to get her back. "I'll get you!" Jarod returned with Ellie to the house where Alice was gathering up gear to take to the dam. Ellie snatched up a bag and ran out of the house before Alice could give her anything more. "Young lady! Remember who's coming today!" "Yeah whatever." Ellie called in the distance. Jarod gathered up a few remaining items and followed Alice top the dam. "So, who else is coming today?" Jarod asked. "Oh just the usual nearby bunch and Ellie's.well I guess you could call him a social worker, but he's more of a mentor to Ellie. They're pretty close." "It's nice to have someone like that in your life." "Yes, I'm glad Ellie's grown up here." "When did you adopt her?" "Oh she was about 4 when we adopted her. Best thing Bill and I ever done. The boys love her and Sarah loved having a little sister." "You must be very proud." At that point, Jarod was forced to duck as a figure came flying by and fell with a yell into the water. Alice looked at him and sighed. "Ellie!" She shouted. Alice turned to Jarod and shook her head. "I just wished she'd act her age once in a while. She'll never grow up- just like Peter Pan!" "Peter Pan?" Jarod asked with a perplexed look on his face. "You don't know about Peter Pan? I thought all children heard about Peter Pan." "I didn't really have much of a childhood." Alice smiled sympathetically at him. "Don't worry. A few days with Ellie and you'll be right. She'll teach you all there is to know about being a kid." Ellie crawled out of the water and walked over to Alice who handed her a brightly coloured beach towel. Drying her hair, Ellie looked up and waved. "Mom, look who's here!" They both turned around as they watched a man walked up and hugged Ellie. Jarod gasped in shock when he saw the mans face.
A little background on the Swanson family. Alice and Bill Swanson have two sons and a daughter, George (29) (married with a little boy, Ben), Shaun(23) and Sarah (25) (married with twin girls, 8 months old) and an adopted daughter, Ellie (17-18 (How old are graduates in the U.S? I'm from Australia and we graduate when we're 17.)
Ch 1 Early Beginnings
Yawning, Miss Parker slowly made her way to her front door. She was utterly exhausted after the previous few days' dramas. It seemed the more she dug the more questions arose. Who am I? As she slipped into bed, touching the picture of Thomas, she noticed a book on her dresser. Picking it up, Miss Parker gasped in shock. There, lying in her hands was her mother's diary. The phone rang- perfect timing as usual. "What?" Jarod heard her mutter, a little softer then usual. "I see you have found my present." "Mmm. Funny that you had MY mothers diary, Jarod." "You'll be surprised what you can get when you look around. Treasure it, Miss Parker, it may be the key to your, maybe our survival." "So I guess we've gone back to this game again." "As you said, I run, you chase." On that note he hung up. Miss Parker turned the diary around and began feeling the edges and backing. Finding the bump, she tore open the binding and a small golden key fell into her lap. Placing the key down, next to her favourite photo, she turned over the first page. As she began to read, fond memories of happy times with her mother made her smile.
Meanwhile, Jarod, driving a RV pulls up outside a small farm/chalet place on the outskirts of a small country town. Behind him, four small wooden 2- storey chalets stand in a row looking homey and inviting. On his right were two barns, one which he would later find out, held 8 horse stalls and the other was fairly empty, holding no more then a couple of hay bales. Directly in front of him, was an old, country styled house. Above the front door, was a sign "Manager's Residence, Enquire Within." Jarod knocked on the door and a pump middle-aged African American woman answered holding a little boy and several soft toys. "Hello. Can I help you?" The little boy on her hip squirmed causing her to drop most of the toys. Looking rather flustered she cried, "Oh Benjamin! Sit down and stop wiggling!" Another woman around her mid twenties appeared, taking Ben from her. "Ben! Have you been bothering your grandmother again? . Come on." A tall robust man and a slightly shorter older man walked into the room and added to the rest of the commotion. Jarod was a little startled by all the activity. "Eh, should I come back at another time?" he asked the first woman. "Oh no, it's fine. Sorry about all the commotion. It's my daughter's graduation and the whole family has come for the weekend. It's been a nightmare! So what can I do for you?" "I'd like a place to stay for a couple of days." "No problem love. I'll sign you in straight away. Oh and I'm Alice Swanson." "I'm Jarod.Carter." "Okay Mr Carter." Alice replied when she'd finished quickly scribbling in the book. "You'll be in cabin.2." Handing over the keys she added. "Have a nice stay." As he turned around to leave, she cried out. "Oh Mr Carter, have you any plans for the evening?" Turning around, Jarod replied. "Why no, Nothing in particular." "Well, my Ellie's graduation is apart of a concert put on by the school. The graduates have planned quite a show. Did you want to join us?" "Why yes, I'd love to." He said with a smile.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the graduates of 2002!" Thunderous applause followed the excited, teary adolescents out of the building and into the courtyard. Outside over cups of coffee, Jarod chats with Alice and her family. "You have a very talented daughter, Mrs Swanson." "Oh love, call me Alice. Oh Bill there she is!" She said, pulling at her husband's jacket. A pretty blonde waves and rushes over and hugs Alice. "Mom!" "Oh baby, you're all grown up!" "Mom!" Ellie cries and looks around. "Of course dear, your friends.. Sweetie, this is Jarod Carter. He's staying at the farm for a couple of days." "Hi Mr Carter." She said bubbly, shaking his hand. "Call me Jarod."
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The next day Jarod was walking to the barn with the latest newspaper under his arm, intending to catch up with world events when he passed Sean, Alice's son, who was coming from the house, carrying a towel and a blow up beach ball. "Hey Jarod! Come join us for a swim in the dam!" Ellie came rushing past him, carrying a towel. "Hey little lady!" Shaun yelled out to her. "What?" "Go help mom carry out something." Ellie turned around and grinned. "All right" she said slapping Shaun on the arm, skipping out of his way when he tried to get her back. "I'll get you!" Jarod returned with Ellie to the house where Alice was gathering up gear to take to the dam. Ellie snatched up a bag and ran out of the house before Alice could give her anything more. "Young lady! Remember who's coming today!" "Yeah whatever." Ellie called in the distance. Jarod gathered up a few remaining items and followed Alice top the dam. "So, who else is coming today?" Jarod asked. "Oh just the usual nearby bunch and Ellie's.well I guess you could call him a social worker, but he's more of a mentor to Ellie. They're pretty close." "It's nice to have someone like that in your life." "Yes, I'm glad Ellie's grown up here." "When did you adopt her?" "Oh she was about 4 when we adopted her. Best thing Bill and I ever done. The boys love her and Sarah loved having a little sister." "You must be very proud." At that point, Jarod was forced to duck as a figure came flying by and fell with a yell into the water. Alice looked at him and sighed. "Ellie!" She shouted. Alice turned to Jarod and shook her head. "I just wished she'd act her age once in a while. She'll never grow up- just like Peter Pan!" "Peter Pan?" Jarod asked with a perplexed look on his face. "You don't know about Peter Pan? I thought all children heard about Peter Pan." "I didn't really have much of a childhood." Alice smiled sympathetically at him. "Don't worry. A few days with Ellie and you'll be right. She'll teach you all there is to know about being a kid." Ellie crawled out of the water and walked over to Alice who handed her a brightly coloured beach towel. Drying her hair, Ellie looked up and waved. "Mom, look who's here!" They both turned around as they watched a man walked up and hugged Ellie. Jarod gasped in shock when he saw the mans face.
A little background on the Swanson family. Alice and Bill Swanson have two sons and a daughter, George (29) (married with a little boy, Ben), Shaun(23) and Sarah (25) (married with twin girls, 8 months old) and an adopted daughter, Ellie (17-18 (How old are graduates in the U.S? I'm from Australia and we graduate when we're 17.)