Chapter Eleven (rejoice, for I am up to 10,000 words!)

Disclaimer: I can't believe that the owners of the show could honestly get annoyed enough to sue just because I didn't say that the story wasn't mine. Meh, whatever. The Pretender wasn't my idea.

Jarod finished reading everything and sat back to think. He already knew the answer without simming anything. They had started by giving him a pretty easy problem. What he was thinking about was if the results could possibly be used to hurt people. He didn't know what he could do if they gave him a sim like that but at least thinking about it took his mind off Parker.

He was so lost in thought that he didn't even hear Lyle enter. 'Why aren't you working?' He demanded.

'I'm finished' replied Jarod dryly, trying not to annoy Lyle.

Lyle narrowed his eyes and looked at him suspiciously. 'Time to do the simulation then.'

'I don't need to.'

'Jarod, remember rebelling will only endanger Miss Parker.'

'No, I mean I already know the answer.' Replied Jarod, trying not to roll his eyes at the confused look on Lyle's face. Lyle turned on his heel and strode out, returning holding another sheaf of papers.

'A different sim.' He said simply before dumping them on the desk and stalking out, not even pausing to ask the answer. It was clear that they were testing him. Sighing, Jarod pushed the other papers to one side and began to read through the new set of information.

**********************************

Behind the mirror, Parker was deep in thought. 'What did he mean I'd be endangered if Jarod rebelled?' She muttered. But she already knew. She was being used as leverage to keep Jarod here. What she didn't know was why that should affect Jarod the way it did.

He had shot her in the leg. That just didn't link to a Jarod that would bow to Lyle to stop her getting hurt. Unbidden, thoughts of the strange, compassionate dreams she had been having of Jarod rose in her mind. Dreams of watching him sleep, of crying in his arms, of joking light-heartedly with him. They had never happened but they seemed far more real than even the pain of the piece of lead thudding into her leg.

The small discrepancies that she had noticed all seemed to have something to do with Jarod. She didn't really like the idea but maybe talking with him would solve some things.

Reluctantly she left the room behind the mirror and strode towards the door of the sim lab. The sweepers guarding the outside of the door gave way under her stony glare. A hail of doubt assaulted her as the door was unlocked but she gritted her teeth and entered into the room.

Jarod looked up then paled noticeably when he saw her. They stared at each other for a moment and Parker found herself lost for words. She took a deep breath and steeled her resolve. 'Hello Jarod'

'Miss Parker' he replied, desperately wondering why she had come in here, wondering what he could do to save her. No plans rose to mind.

'Decided to be cooperative have we?' she taunted, unsure of how to get to the point. Jarod didn't reply. 'Why aren't you three states away already Jarod?'

With that question Jarod suddenly realised that, somehow, she already knew what Lyle was holding over his head. What she wanted to know was why it was keeping him here. A thought pushed its way into his conscious mind; 'Tell her the truth.'

'Parker, your brother has wiped your memory'

'As if I'd fall for that one Wonder Boy.'

'I'm not lying. You were all chasing me and Sam shot me in the leg but I got away. Somehow you found me later that night and for whatever reason you decided to help me. Parker, you got the bullet out for me. You agreed to leave the Centre. We were on the run together when some old enemies of mine trapped us both in a building that was about to explode. The Centre turned up just as I was defusing the bomb and I managed to escape again but you were unconscious and Lyle took you back the Centre. That's why I was down in SL-24. I was coming to get you out.'

'Jarod, that is the most unbelievable story I've ever heard'

'Truth can be so much stranger than fiction because truth doesn't have to make sense.'

'I didn't come here to listen to this crap.' She snarled and turned on her heel. Jarod watched her leave, feeling a sense of such desolation and hopelessness that all he wanted to do was curl into a ball and die. Instead he picked one of the pages of writing on the table and began to read.

**********************************

With considerable satisfaction Lyle watched the seventeen different camera angles of a miserable Jarod turning his attention back to his work. The sweepers had disobeyed his orders not to let Miss Parker in to see Jarod but it had turned out well. If a pleading Jarod couldn't get her to remember then nothing would.

Miss Parker would be at the Centre for life.