Disclaimer: I do not pretend to own the rights to THE PRETENDER, it's
characters, etc. I'm not making any money off of this. That's the important
part, right?
Author's Note: The truth hurts. I started this little story just under a year ago, and quite frankly it wasn't up to anyone's par. But like I've always told my critics, this will never be perfect. It can't be. If I expected to be perfect, then I would never post any of my work now would I? Through this I've learned the joys of the absolute torture of editing. I have to say that I do it all myself. So for all of those who are just mortified by my liberties with the English language, the only thing I can say is that I feel sorry for you. This story is meant to be enjoyed, not picked apart.
A Fighter, Not a Lover
"Just what the hell do you think you're doing here, wonderboy?"
Her voice was soft and sultry even in it's hiss. Jarod felt her gun firmly pressed into his back. He swallowed hard. It had been a year since the plane crash and year since he had last heard her voice. He had remembered her words all too well the night he disappeared. He had pleaded with her, as a man violently in love would have pleaded. He pleaded with her to leave it all for him, leave the centre, leave the lies that had poisoned both their lives. She refused, along with extinguishing all hope of his finding happiness with her.
"I've come to visit your father, Parker." He stated simply and carefully as he started to turn to face her.
"Watch it. Move an inch and I'll shoot." Her voice remained firm, but barely above a whisper.
"I thought that we were past that by now Miss Parker." Jarod replied, keeping his back turned towards her.
"We're not past a damn thing. Just because you've disappeared for a year doesn't mean that you should expect a warm greeting."
"This hard exterior of yours doesn't suit you Miss Parker, not after what I've seen. Doesn't it make you tired?"
"The only thing that I'm tired of Jarod, is your games." Miss Parker replied, calmly.
Miss Parker wasn't calm at all. In fact, she wanted to scream. Jarod was the last person she expected to find here, in fact, the last person she wanted to see. His disappearance had shaken the centre to the very core. The red notebooks and gifts stopped coming. There was no trace, no shred of evidence, nothing. The centre had turned the whole country upside down in search of him. In his disappearance, she had gained her freedom. Not in the way that she had expected, but freedom no less. Raines and her brother Lyle no longer breathed down her neck. They were so desperate just to hear from him, that they were willing to let her do whatever she damn well pleased. Except leave the centre. She was their last link to Jarod, their only hope. With her father gone, she was now Raines' equal, even her brother had to take orders from her. It was a life sentence, but a tolerable one, in Miss Parker's opinion. The truth of the matter was, Miss Parker had never been herself since the island, forever changed by the events that took place and nearly took place. The rules of the game had changed and Parker was now in charge. She had decided then that she would no longer be the instrument of further pain. The centre had stolen her life from her and from others all around her. But it didn't matter to her now. She could only hope for someone who still had a shot of a real life. She knew that safest place that Jarod could be would be one that was as far away as possible from her. The hairs had stood on the back on her neck as she felt his presence drawing near as she stood over her father's grave. It had taken two weeks to find her father's body, but they found it, washed up on the shores of France. Her father had loved Paris. As far as the question as to whether he really was her father, it didn't matter to her. So what if it wasn't possible. He was her father in her heart. No amount of lies or deceit could erase the years of love she had felt for him. Just the very sight of Jarod had frustrated her. It had brought back a rush of feelings that she had not expected. Intolerable. She didn't want to threaten him with her gun, but it was only way she knew how.
"I could say the same myself about you, Miss Parker. It takes a very loving person to be here, after all this time."
Parker grabbed Jarod by his shoulder and spun him around, "Does this 38 in my hand look loving to you?" She hissed, shoving her gun into his face.
Jarod barely noticed the gun. He looked into Miss Parker's blue eyes and he suddenly became more endeared then he had ever thought possible.
" We're not that much different, Miss Parker. We still want the same things."
"Enlighten me, lab rat. What is that you think that I want? " Miss Parker spat, in disbelief.
"Love. Not to be alone. A chance to lead a life with someone." Jarod whispered.
"And you suppose that I should lead my life with you? Of all people, Jarod, you know that it will never be possible with you."
"Impossible? Is it because of me or the fact that the centre would never allow it?" Jarod replied, his voice hollow. He was shivering in his black coat.
" I want you to get this idea out of your head that there is something between us." Miss Parker replied, lowering her gun, trying to disguise the shaking of her hands.
"But the island." Jarod began.
"Was a figment of your imagination." Miss Parker coldly replied. She lowered her eyes. She couldn't bear to see the hurt look on Jarod's face. She sighed. She couldn't believe that she was going to say this. She felt sorry for him.
"I'm a fighter, Jarod..." Parker said slowly..."not a..."
"lover." Jarod finished, as he took a step away from her.
"As always." Parker continued, aiming her gun towards him once again.
"You run.and I chase."
Author's Note: The truth hurts. I started this little story just under a year ago, and quite frankly it wasn't up to anyone's par. But like I've always told my critics, this will never be perfect. It can't be. If I expected to be perfect, then I would never post any of my work now would I? Through this I've learned the joys of the absolute torture of editing. I have to say that I do it all myself. So for all of those who are just mortified by my liberties with the English language, the only thing I can say is that I feel sorry for you. This story is meant to be enjoyed, not picked apart.
A Fighter, Not a Lover
"Just what the hell do you think you're doing here, wonderboy?"
Her voice was soft and sultry even in it's hiss. Jarod felt her gun firmly pressed into his back. He swallowed hard. It had been a year since the plane crash and year since he had last heard her voice. He had remembered her words all too well the night he disappeared. He had pleaded with her, as a man violently in love would have pleaded. He pleaded with her to leave it all for him, leave the centre, leave the lies that had poisoned both their lives. She refused, along with extinguishing all hope of his finding happiness with her.
"I've come to visit your father, Parker." He stated simply and carefully as he started to turn to face her.
"Watch it. Move an inch and I'll shoot." Her voice remained firm, but barely above a whisper.
"I thought that we were past that by now Miss Parker." Jarod replied, keeping his back turned towards her.
"We're not past a damn thing. Just because you've disappeared for a year doesn't mean that you should expect a warm greeting."
"This hard exterior of yours doesn't suit you Miss Parker, not after what I've seen. Doesn't it make you tired?"
"The only thing that I'm tired of Jarod, is your games." Miss Parker replied, calmly.
Miss Parker wasn't calm at all. In fact, she wanted to scream. Jarod was the last person she expected to find here, in fact, the last person she wanted to see. His disappearance had shaken the centre to the very core. The red notebooks and gifts stopped coming. There was no trace, no shred of evidence, nothing. The centre had turned the whole country upside down in search of him. In his disappearance, she had gained her freedom. Not in the way that she had expected, but freedom no less. Raines and her brother Lyle no longer breathed down her neck. They were so desperate just to hear from him, that they were willing to let her do whatever she damn well pleased. Except leave the centre. She was their last link to Jarod, their only hope. With her father gone, she was now Raines' equal, even her brother had to take orders from her. It was a life sentence, but a tolerable one, in Miss Parker's opinion. The truth of the matter was, Miss Parker had never been herself since the island, forever changed by the events that took place and nearly took place. The rules of the game had changed and Parker was now in charge. She had decided then that she would no longer be the instrument of further pain. The centre had stolen her life from her and from others all around her. But it didn't matter to her now. She could only hope for someone who still had a shot of a real life. She knew that safest place that Jarod could be would be one that was as far away as possible from her. The hairs had stood on the back on her neck as she felt his presence drawing near as she stood over her father's grave. It had taken two weeks to find her father's body, but they found it, washed up on the shores of France. Her father had loved Paris. As far as the question as to whether he really was her father, it didn't matter to her. So what if it wasn't possible. He was her father in her heart. No amount of lies or deceit could erase the years of love she had felt for him. Just the very sight of Jarod had frustrated her. It had brought back a rush of feelings that she had not expected. Intolerable. She didn't want to threaten him with her gun, but it was only way she knew how.
"I could say the same myself about you, Miss Parker. It takes a very loving person to be here, after all this time."
Parker grabbed Jarod by his shoulder and spun him around, "Does this 38 in my hand look loving to you?" She hissed, shoving her gun into his face.
Jarod barely noticed the gun. He looked into Miss Parker's blue eyes and he suddenly became more endeared then he had ever thought possible.
" We're not that much different, Miss Parker. We still want the same things."
"Enlighten me, lab rat. What is that you think that I want? " Miss Parker spat, in disbelief.
"Love. Not to be alone. A chance to lead a life with someone." Jarod whispered.
"And you suppose that I should lead my life with you? Of all people, Jarod, you know that it will never be possible with you."
"Impossible? Is it because of me or the fact that the centre would never allow it?" Jarod replied, his voice hollow. He was shivering in his black coat.
" I want you to get this idea out of your head that there is something between us." Miss Parker replied, lowering her gun, trying to disguise the shaking of her hands.
"But the island." Jarod began.
"Was a figment of your imagination." Miss Parker coldly replied. She lowered her eyes. She couldn't bear to see the hurt look on Jarod's face. She sighed. She couldn't believe that she was going to say this. She felt sorry for him.
"I'm a fighter, Jarod..." Parker said slowly..."not a..."
"lover." Jarod finished, as he took a step away from her.
"As always." Parker continued, aiming her gun towards him once again.
"You run.and I chase."