Title: Towers
Author: maestra
Chapter 8: "When the Walls Come Tumbling Down"
Tara changed the channel yet again then looked over at Jarod on the sofa with his face twisted into a grimace of pain. Her heart went out to him and she rose and with a couple quick steps was next to him on the sofa.
"Jarod," she said, taking his hand in hers, "It is ok to cry. It's not a sign of weakness. It is a natural expression of the grief you feel over the things we have all seen this past week. Let it go. Just let it go. You don't have to hold it in, you don't have to be brave or tough...not for me."
Jarod's anguished eyes told her he had seen more than his share of sorrow in his life. She reached out and embraced him, as tears gathered in his gorgeous dark eyes. Holding him close, she whispered into his ear, "It is ok, you are safe here with me Jarod. It's ok, let it go."
Tears spilled down his face and small sobs escaped him as Tara just sat there next to him and held him. His sobs tore at her heart, but still she held him close, until at last with a shaky sigh he pulled away a little from her shoulder.
"I'm sorry Tara."
"For what Jarod? For displaying emotion? For being human?", she asked with a small smile as with her right hand she brushed the hair back behind his ear in an affectionate almost motherly sort of gesture.
"Did you think any less of me when you awoke to find me crying at what I saw on the news? And here you had seen these things and worse in person over the last week! I would probably have thought less of you if you hadn't cried."
He sighed and one corner of his mouth rose in response, "Point taken."
"I'm glad you felt safe enough to let the walls come tumbling down from around your heart. That is what friends are for, in my opinion. I know that you have a good heart Jarod."

"Tara, how can you say that? You have only known me a few days."
"Call it intuition if you will. Nothing I have seen has led me to believe anything to the contrary."
"You don't have a clue about my past, Tara."
"I know you have suffered a lot Jarod. I can see it in your eyes. You have known loneliness and sadness much to well, my friend."
At this he raised one eyebrow in surprise, "If you only knew...."
"Then tell me Jarod."
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Yes, Jarod, I would. Haven't I displayed in many ways that I trust you? Would I have invited you to stay here with me if I didn't trust you?"

He looked away briefly, trying to decide whether the secrets of his past at the Centre were too much to put on her innocent shoulders. He turned back to her, realizing that really he was putting her in danger by even being there....
"When I was a child, I was stolen from my parents. I was raised by a corporation known as the Centre."
"You were raised by a corporation? Isn't that a bit odd? Why did they abduct you?"
Jarod laughed bitterly, "I am a Pretender, I can be anything I want to be. I was abducted from my parents and taken to the Centre and trained from a young age to do simulations and problem solve for them. They would then sell the results off to the highest bidder. Some of my simulations were twisted and used to hurt people. I don't know how many people died because of what I thought up."
"Well Jarod you can't be blamed for what someone else does with your research. Why would you take that sort of responsibility on your shoulders?"
"Because it was my research, my findings..."
"Once the data is out of your hands, how can you determine how it gets used? How can any scientist? Any inventor? Is the man who invented gunpowder responsible for every murder that someone with a gun commits? Should we sue Smith and Wesson in a class action lawsuit for every person who dies because someone uses their guns?"
"I'm serious," Jarod protested.
"So am I!" Tara replied firmly. "Now tell me, how did you find out they were selling your results off to the highest bidder?"

Jarod and Tara talked until the wee hours of the morning about his life at the Centre. He told her about his escape and a little about the 5 years he had spent since, on the run while trying to make things right by helping people. Hoping somehow to redeem himself.
"You see Tara, I knew that those towers could come down if they were exposed to the heat that burning airplane fuel would produce. I was at the Centre when they received the go ahead to run the simulation. Sydney and I worked on it oh probably 12 years ago or so."
"Do you think the Centre allowed the results of that simulation to fall into the terrorist's hands?"
Jarod thought for a moment before he answered, "While it is possible, I hope that it is not the case. I still have sources inside the Centre. I hope to be able to find out if this simulation as well has been compromised or corrupted. I just wish I had been able to do something to stop it..."
"Jarod," Tara sighed, "You're not Superman flying off in a red cape to save the world. You can't pluck airplanes out of the sky with your bare hands. You're only a man. Just one man, with a very big heart." Tara took Jarod's face in both her hands and brought it slowly to hers before placing a kiss soft as a whisper on his broad forehead, and then setting him free.
Jarod's heart swelled with emotion. Though he knew that Tara was not that much younger than himself, she was different than anyone he had known before. She was open and honest when in his life he had seen an over abundance of secrets and lies. She was like a ray of sunshine in his world of dark shadows. And Jarod felt blessed to have met her just when he needed that sunshine most.
"Well it's late Jarod," Tara sighed, "I had better get some sleep."
"Do you mind if I stay up a while longer?"
"Jarod, my home is your home. Feel free to stay up, to watch television, to use my computer, my telephone, or to raid the refrigerator."
"Refrigerator?" Jarod smiled with a gleam in his eye. "Is that where we keep that delicious white chocolate raspberry cheesecake that we had for dessert?"
"Yes, can I get you another piece before I turn in?", Tara laughed as she got up.
"Please," he chuckled then threw her a quiet smile.

Tara scooted off to the kitchen to get him the cheesecake. And Jarod watched her dash off before going to get his laptop computer. Taking it over to where her desktop computer was on a large desk overlooking the dark and quiet street below.
A moment later Tara brought him another slice of the white chocolate raspberry cheesecake they had as dessert. She had drizzled extra raspberry sauce on top, because she knew how much liked it. She handed it to Jarod, and laughed as he sat down in her black leather desk chair and took one bite of the cheesecake and sighed. He smiled.
"Enjoy," Tara laughed as she graced him with her smile once more. "I'm off to bed then. Goodnight Jarod."
"Goodnight Tara, and thank you, for... everything." He knew it was inadequate thanks for all she had done for him, but he had no way of expressing what all was in his heart.
"Anytime my friend." Tara reached out with her right hand and gave his shoulder a light quick squeeze, before leaving the room and heading off to her bed.
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To Be Continued....