Disclaimer: “The Pretender” and its characters do not belong to me they belong to TNT and NBC and are being used without permission. Please don’t sue because I have no money.

Sydney stood in the darkness it was late in the night and he couldn’t sleep. He stared out the window wondering what had happened? Why did the house just blow up and catch fire? Was it because of the Centre? If it were the Centre why would they kill Miss Parker? The funeral for Miss Parker and Thomas was in two days. He still couldn’t believe that Miss Parker was dead. The phone rang and he held his breath for a minute not wanting to pick it up because he knew who it was. How was he going to break this to him? They were friends as children and in his heart they were still friends. He watched as Miss Parker was when she was trying to catch Jarod. He knew that there were days when she was so angry with the pretender, but he knew she would never harm him. He stared at the phone a minute more and then reached out and picked it up.

“Hello.”

“Sydney, I tried to call Miss Parker, but it said that it was disconnected. Where’s Miss Parker?” Asked Jarod.

“I’m so sorry to tell you this, Jarod.” Replied Sydney with sadness in his voice

“What’s wrong Sydney?” Replied Jarod with just a hint of worry in his voice.

“Miss Parker and Thomas died in a fire in her house. A neighbor said that they both went into the house and a couple of minutes later the house blew up.”

“Nooo.” Shouted Jarod through the phone. “It can’t be.”

Sydney could hear the anguish that was in Jarod’s tone and he wished he were there to comfort his son. He knew that he really wasn’t Jarod’s father, but he felt like he was his father. He had raised him from a frightened four year old child to the adult he was now. He was so proud of him and he wished the he could tell him that.

“I’m sorry Jarod.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you, Sydney for telling me.” Jarod said as he hung up.

Jarod stared out the window as he absorbed the information that Sydney had just told him. A tear rolled down his face as he remembered the little girl that would come down to his cell, or sim lab and made him feel special. He wept for the little girl who she was and the woman who she had become. He had also wept for his friend Thomas. He should have never sent Thomas to her and now look what happened to him.