I Love You, a pretender fanfic

Timeline: Rewritten ending for the episode "Red Rock Jarod" from Season 2. Remember everything up until where I start has gone the same way.

Disclaimer: They don't belong to me, so don't sue. I assure you I am very broke and totally not worth all the sueing hassles! Trust me! I was relinquish control of these characters to anyone who had a couple of really important looking papers--except Jarod! He's Mine! Mwahahaha! Read On!

"Shoot him you moron!" Parker yelled, her breathing becoming scarce as Lyle's grip around her throat tightened.

Kyle raised the shotgun he was carrying, aiming it right at Lyle.

"No!" Jarod argued.

"What?" Kyle asked incredulously.

"You'll hit Parker," Jarod replied.

"So what? She works for the Centre! She hurt us!" Kyle snapped.

"No, she didn't! She's not a bad person. We can't kill her!" Jarod reprimanded.

"I can!" Lyle intruded, pressing the gun harder into Parker's temple.

"Look, kiddies, I love that you're brotherly bonding here, but will someone just shoot him!" Parker suggested. Kyle cocked the shotgun.

For a split second, Lyle faltered, and then he regained his composure and aimed Parker's gun at Jarod. Parker's heart almost stopped--if Lyle shot Jarod, she would kill him.

"I will shoot him, I swear to you!" Lyle insisted.

"And then I'll shoo you," Kyle replied, emotionlessly. His shotgun was still pointed at Lyle's head. Miss Parker prayed that the kid was a good shot, or Lyle wouldn't be the only dead one.

The sound of a helicopter drew Parker's attention away from the brothers in front of her. It was a black, Centre chopper and it was coming to rest very close to them. Lyle seemed mystified that the Centre had shown up at his desert party. The Centre circled around them, it's lights shinning in Parker's eyes.

"Guess they want to join the fun!" Lyle said gleefully.

"Hey, Lyle," Kyle said, his eyes locking with Parker's, "how's you knife wound?" Parker realized what Kyle was indicating. She barely nodded before jamming her elbow into Lyle's chest. He reeled back in pain, letting her go, screaming as he held his stomach. Parker rushed away quickly. As soon as she was out of his way, Kyle pulled the trigger. The bullet hit Lyle in the shoulder as he screamed again and fell to the ground.

Parker scramble beside Jarod, breathing heavily, the three turned away from Lyle, "Thanks for saving me," Parker said. She eyed Kyle from afar, "He's very trigger happy, isn't he?"

"He'll learn," Jarod replied, "I'll help him--..."

Jarod fell forward. Parker and Kyle whipped around to find Lyle was lying on the ground, Parker's gun pointed where Jarod had been before. Kyle rushed his, firing the shotgun around Lyle as he did so. He pulled the man to his feet and caught him in the temple with the butt of his gun.

Meanwhile, Parker stared at her friend in shock. She kneeled by his side, gripping his hand tightly. Jarod was shaking and paling by the minute. Parker could feel tears starting to form behind her eyes.

"Jarod, come on, don't do this," Parker pleaded. Jarod simply looked into her eyes and smiled.

"I've been searching for a family for a long time," Jarod said softly, "and I finally found what I was really looking for." Tears had begun to trail down the sides of his face. Droplets plagued Parker's own cheeks as well but she didn't dare let go of Jarod's hand to wipe them away.

"You're gonna be okay," Parker assured him, "I promise, you'll be okay."

"I am--okay," Jarod breathed. Parker looked up to see Kyle kicking Lyle senseless. He gaze returned to Jarod as he spoke again, "Take care of him, Miss Parker, please?"

"Don't be silly, Jarod," Parker replied, "I'm not gonna have to, you'll be fine."

Jarod gripped her hand, making her frightened smile disappear, "Please?"

"Of course," Parker answered.

Sydney, Broots, and the sweepers hurried out of the helicopter. The rushed at Jarod and Parker but Sydney signaled them away. Instead he and Broots moved a bit closer. Sydney noticed Jarod was bleeding profusely and Parker was sobbing.

"Kyle!" Jarod croaked. Kyle came running at the sound of his brother's anguished cry, sliding to a stop on his knees by Jarod. He glanced at the wound--Lyle's bullet had gone cleanly threw--and back at his brother's face.

"I'm here big brother," Kyle said softly.

"Take care of--Parker," he breathed out the last bit. Kyle and Parker looked at each other for a minute before returning to Jarod.

"I'm sorry Parker," Jarod moaned.

"For what?"

"Everything," Jarod replied. His eyes slowly closed and the hand Parker was holding went limp. Parker covered her mouth with her other hand, her tears becoming waterfalls across her face. Kyle laid his head on Jarod's chest and cried--his big brother--his only family--was dead.

Parker looked at Jarod's face and whispered something inaudible to anyone but herself...

"I love you, Jarod."

I have a smile stretched from ear to ear

To see you walking down the road

We meet at the lights, I stare for awhile

The world around us disappears

It's just you and me, on my island of hope

A breath between us could be miles

Let me surround you, a sea to your shore

Let me be the calm you seek

But every time I'm close to you

There's too much I can't say

And you just walk away

And I forgot to tell you

I love you

And the night's too long

And cold here

Without you

I grieve in my condition

For I cannot find the words to say