Disclaimer: I don't own the Pretender. We all know this. And we all know that if any of us did there would be a third movie to help make sense of the first two.
I do not own the lyrics to "Fire and Rain" That's James Taylor's baby. Wouldn't mind owning the right to the song though.
FIRE AND RAIN
Just yesterday morning they let me know you were gone
Susanne the plans we made put an end to you
Walked out this morning and I wrote down this song
Just can't remember who to send it to
It had been late when the phone ranged, or early depending on which way you wanted to look at it. She knew it had to be him calling. He was the only person who would call her at such an ungodly hour. "What do you want Wonder Boy?" She yawned.
"M-miss Parker. You'd better come to the Centre. Some- something's happened," Came not the warm purr she expected but Broots's frightened stammering. Parker's heart skipped a beat. She muttered into the phone that she would be over quickly. She replaced the phone on it's cradle and got out of bed. She began to dress a hard task to accomplish with her shaking hands. 'Dear God let him be okay' She thought over and over as she drove the five miles to the Centre.
She had begged him repeatedly not to go through with their plan, to wait just one more day. But he was so damn stubborn, he assured her that all would be well. That by the end of the week the three of them would be living the life they deserved.
She entered the Centre. Broots and Sydney stood in the lobby awaiting her arrival. "What happened?" She asked her voice not betraying the turmoil of emotions that ran through her body.
"Jarod was captured." Sydney said softly. Parker noticed the unshed tears in his eyes and was afraid to ask her next question but did anyway.
"How?"
"From what we've come to learn Jarod attempted to liberate your baby brother from the Centre. He was seen on the security monitors. Willie caught him and shot him. Jarod's dead Parker," Sydney told her. It was all Parker could do not to collapse. She knew that she had to keep up the facade, not only for her sake but for the sake of her son as well.
"Where is he?" She managed to ask.
"They took his body to the morgue," Broots answered.
"Broots I need you to do me a favor..." Parker began.
I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days that I though would never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought I'd see you again.
The paleness of his skin was the first thing she noticed. She stood looking down at his body wanting so bad to touch him but she dared not. The cameras were watching. Parker looked away from Jarod's body and towards the camera. The light still flashed is angry red, as she continued to stare at the unblinking eye. After a minute the eye finally closed and Parker silently thanked Broots.
She then searched through Jarod's coat pocket and pulled out the simple gold band he had always carried for the past month but never wore. Parker quickly placed it in her pocket before anyone might walk in and see her with it. She then reached down at took Jarod's lifeless hand into her own. It was cold so unlike the hand that had brushed the hair out of her eye's earlier that morning.
"Why Jarod? Why couldn't you wait? You knew that they wouldn't dare hurt Noah." She whispered the tears she had been fighting back beginning to win the war. "I promise you I'll get him out. And I'll raise our son to know that his father loved him more than anything. You can finally rest now Jarod, I'll take care of every thing." She whispered and kissed his brow, her tears falling unto his face.
"I love you," She whispered, wiping away the tears from both her face and his as another loss of a loved one hit home.
Won't you look down upon me Jesus
You gotta help me make a stand
You just gotta see me through another day
My body's achin' and my time is at hand
I won't make it any other way
Parker wanted to curl up in her bed and cry until she had no more tears left. But she knew she couldn't. Jarod had giving his life to try and save their son from the Centre. Parker was not going to let his death be meaningless. For the first time since her mother had died she prayed to God. She prayed that he would give her the strength to go on.
Parker made her way to the nursery. Her heels clicking against the linoleum tile announced her impending arrival.
"Leave," she commanded the young blonde that was tending to the baby. The nurse scampered off, leaving Parker alone with the child. Her child. She looked down at her son and he smiled up at her.
"You have your Daddy's smile," She said sadly picking him up. "He loved you more than you'll ever know. I'm sorry that you won't get to ever meet him. But I promise you that you will know what type of man he was." Parker told her son. "So little man what do you say we go home?" She asked. The tot gurgled in reply. Parker took his gurgle to be a yes and waltzed out of the Centre with he son securely in her arms. Thanks to Broots no one even noticed
I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days and I thought they'd never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought I'd see you again.
As Parker drove down the road she contemplated her life. It seamed as though her whole life had been filled with heartache and pain. Losing her mother at such a young age. Her father sending her out of the country, away from her only friend. Spending six painfully, lonely years in Europe. Being forced to hunt the boy who had once been her friend. Losing Thomas, and now her husband of only one month.
After discovering the brother they shared, Parker and Jarod had come to admit the feelings they had for one another. They had an affair right under the nose of the Centre. They were married by Father Moore in a ceremony attended by Jarod's Father, Emily, Ethan and Benjamin, Jarod's clone. Two weeks after their wedding Jarod discovered that he and Parker had a child. The child had been passed off as Baby Parker. It hurt the couple to know that they had been used in such a way. Yet the fact that they had a child filled them with immense joy.
For the first time since her mother died, Parker had begun to dream of a future. One in which She, Jarod, their son, and their unborn child would live the happily ever after they deserved so mich. Yet it appeared that it was a dream would not come true.
Been walking my mind to an easy time my back turned towards the sun
Lord knows when the could wind blows it'll turn your head around
Well, there's hours of time on the telephone line to talk about things to come
Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground
Parker continued to drive along the back roads. The sun had begun to rise behind her. Noah slept buckled up in the car seat she and Jarod had bought a week beforehand. The same week Jarod had bought a pair of cell phones incapable of being tapped into. They sept hours on the phones talking about their son. They had named him Noah Zachary O'Connell. Both had considered naming him after one of the many loved ones they had lost to the Centre. Yet neither wanted for their son to be a memoriam for the dead.
Parker didn't realize where she was headed until she got of the interstate and found her self pulling up in front of the O'Connell house just out side of Maine. Noah stirred from his sleep as the car stopped. Parker pulled her son out of his car seat and headed to the front porch. When she reached the door she adjusted the baby in her arms so that she could grab her keys for out of her pocket. As she reached for the key her hand brushed against Jarod's ring and parker closed her eyes forcing back the tears. There would be time enough for those latter.
As Parker opened the door she was greater with the sight of Jarod and her heart stopped.
"J- Jaord?" She managed to say.
"No Morgan it's me Ben." The boy replied wryly. "Geeze I know I look like him but I am quite a bit younger." Ben replied. And that was the last straw, Parker couldn't hold the pain in any longer and finally the tears began to fall.
"Morgan, w-what's wrong?" Ben asked placing an arm on his sister-in-law's shoulder.
"He's gone Ben. They killed him." Parker managed in between sobs. All of the color from Ben's face fell as he took in Parker's words.
"D-dad, Em, Ethan you'd better get down here." Ben yelled. The three flew down the steps worry etched on each of their faces.
"Benny, Morgan, what's going on? And is that baby who I think it is?" Charles asked.
"Jarod's dead," Ethan whispered. Morgan chocked back a sob as the group turned to look at Ethan.
"Oh God no," Charles said sitting down hard on the couch. "Dear God not again." At that Noah began to cry sensing the emotions from his mother and the rest of his family. Morgan rocked her son tears streaming down her face as she did. Ethan walked over to his sister and took the child from her and led his distraught sister to the couch.
I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days and I thought they'd never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought I'd see you again.
Three days latter a small family of six stood at the foot of a grave. Morgan didn't bother to ask how Angelo managed to get Jarod's body returned to his family. Father Moore resided over the funeral. Morgan bit back a bitter laugh. Just a month ago Father Moore had wed her and Jarod. And now he was burying her husband.
Noah was held firmly in his mother's arms asleep not comprehending what was going on around him. He knew that his mother was in pain. Even at less than a year of age he could sense the waves of sadness coming off of her.
As the casket was laid into the ground tears began to fall from Morgan's eyes falling onto the son's dark mop of hair. She thought that the three of them would be together forever. They were silly dreams she knew. The statistics of her life went against them. Yet she had hoped. Hoped that she, Jarod, Noah, and their unborn child would have been a family. The family she and Jarod had never been allowed during their life times. But no it looked as if that was another dream destroyed by the Centre.
Thought I'd see you
Thought I'd see you fire and rain
Thought I'd see you just one more time Suszanne
la la la la la la la ohhh ohhh ohhh
As the plane flew across the ocean Morgan looked out the window. As she watched the sun set a tear fell down her face. She had taken it all for granted. She thought that he was always going to be there annoying the hell out of her. All her life Jarod had been her one constant. The only person she had been able to count on. The one who always looked out for her even when she was hunting him. But now he was gone. She didn't even get to say goodbye thinking that she'd see him again.
Wow I can't believe I killed Jarod. Oh well I was bound to do it some time or later.
Review and let me know what you thought. I case you don't know I snoopy dance for reviews.
