Disclaimer: TNT owns them, I don't. I am not allowed to use them but I do it anyway. This is a piece of non-profit fan fiction and there are no copyright infringements intended. The songs are taken from an old Negro Spiritual Book. They don't belong to me either. The poems do. I mention Star Trek once or twice. I don't own it, Paramount Viacom does.
I've had my FCE exams (an exam from the Cambridge University for people who take English as a foreign language) and I had lots of time. I had no paper left so I started scribbling onto an envelope and that's is what my wicked little mind made up..
At first it was planned as two stories but in my mind they merged. Somehow it seemed to fit and now they are one... In my holidays I have "perfected” the two stories so they would fit perfectly (I hope..)

Note: It took me several years to finish this story and it has been re-written several times!! Since I wrote the disclaimer 4 years have passed and I'm sure another year will go by until this story is "really" ready. And thanks to those who asked for a conclusion – I don't think I would have done it without that. I love you guys.


Title: Sinner, you know you have to pretend!
By: Chris
e-mail address : kylaparker@hotmail.com
Rated: PG
Category: S / P
Spoilers: None


1.

Sinner, you know you're bound to die.
Sinner, you know you're bound to die.
Just as a tree falls, so shall it lie;
Just as a sinner lives, so shall he die.

Parker was sitting at her desk, staring at the papers in front of her. She didn't want to be sitting here. Her eyes were on the paper but they weren't focused - her mind was wandering. Wandering to an alternate universe. In this alternate universe she wasn't Parker, Jarod wasn't Jarod and the Centre didn't exist at all. In this alternate universe - in her dream - she and a man were happily married, had a dog and two children. She imagined herself in a garden with the children, the dog playing beside her. It all looked so perfect. Everything was so peaceful and it somehow felt as if this was the way it should be. Her husband – it wasn't Jarod but Thomas – smiled at her and waved his hand while he was playing with his four-year old daughter. Her younger son was sitting on her lap, playing with his teddy bear. Jarod came into the garden, a young woman by his side, a baby in his arms. Jarod was living next door with his wife and his daughter. A perfect world where no evil existed, where there was no war, no criminals, no hunger, no sorrow, just happiness, laughter.
"Parker?" a familiar voice asked. She was pulled from her daydreaming back into reality. Sydney was standing in front of her desk, a concerned look on his face.
"Parker, are you alright?"
She nodded.
"I was just thinking."
"You didn't hear me coming in, you didn't react when I said something. I was starting to get worried."
"I'm really fine. It's just--."
"You don't want to talk about it, right? I know that today is the day your mother died."
"What? Today? No, the day is tomorrow."
Sydney stared at her in disbelief. How could she be this disconnected from reality? Now he was starting to become really worried.
"Parker, it's today. Where are your thoughts?"
"Well, maybe I should go home. I admit, I'm not feeling too well."
She got up and walked around her desk. Sydney looked at her and wanted to put his hand on her shoulder. A look from her icy blue eyes made him withdraw his hand before touching her. Something in her eyes seemed wrong. They were somehow absent as if she was somewhere else. Sydney thought it had to do with her mother's death but she had thought that it was the next day. So what was wrong with her? Suddenly she stumbled and collapsed into his arms. Sydney stared at Parker's unconscious form in his arms not really knowing what had just happened. He lifted her up and carried her to the sofa where he gently laid her down. He softly slapped her the face.
"Parker, wake up!"
She moaned but didn't open her eyes. He went to her desk and took the phone to call sickbay - but he stopped and put the receiver back into its place. He decided to bring her to the Dover Hospital. He didn't trust the doctors here in the Centre. He hoped that he would get out of the building without being seen. He heard a sound from the ventilation shaft and Angelo stuck out his head.
"Angelo, I need your help," Sydney said and Angelo came to stand beside him.
"Daughter - hurt," he managed to get out.
"Angelo, I need to bring her out of here."
Parker moaned again and slowly opened her eyes. She looked around the room as if she had no idea what had happened or where she was.

The room was dark and empty. There was no light. It was cold. What was she doing here? A soft voice was mumbling somewhere in the distance. Whispering words she didn't understand but the voice seemed familiar.

"Parker, I need you to stand up and come with me."
She didn't react and so Angelo took her by the hands and slowly pulled her up. She looked into his eyes like a little girl seeing him for the first time. She didn't react as he put his hand onto her cheeks and mumbled something nor did she react when Sydney asked her to follow her. Sydney took her by the elbow and led her out of the room. Angelo remained inside Parker's office. He went to her desk and sat down in her chair. Pictures started to whirl inside his mind and he fell to the floor, clutching his head with both hands.
Emptiness, loneliness, darkness wrapping around him like hands around his throat. The darkness seemed to have a life of its own, filling every cubic millimeter of the room, extinguishing every ray of light that seemed to be coming from somewhere in this room.

Sydney and Parker arrived at the parking place without someone noticing that they were gone. Sydney shot a glance at the building, wondering what Angelo would be doing right now and then got inside the car. Parker leaned against the window, her eyes half closed and she didn't react when Sydney spoke to her. He wondered what had happened.
They arrived at Dover in no time. He stopped the car and got out. He went over to the other side and pulled Parker outside. She was walking beside him towards the entrance but he was more dragging her along like a doll than she was walking on her own. They went to ER and a doctor came up to them.
"Dr. Greene, nice to see you again."
"Same to you, Dr. Babel. Please help me with her."
"What happened?"
"I don't know. She seemed a little distracted and suddenly she collapsed into my arms. She's been unconscious for about 5 minutes. When she regained consciousness she seemed somewhat absent. She hasn't been talking and she's not reacting to anything. I've tried talking to her but it's no use."
"Have there been any problems with her lately? Did she complain about nausea or headache?"
Sydney shook his head.
"This is Miss Parker, right?" Dr. Babel asked and Sydney nodded, not knowing what else to say.
"She's been here because of an ulcer before. Maybe her state of near-unconsciousness has something to do with that. Miss Parker, please sit down over there."
She didn't react so he took her by the shoulders and led her towards the examination table.


t.b.c.

Disclaimer see part 1!
Title: Sinner, you know you have to pretend!
By: Chris
e-mail address : kylaparker@hotmail.com
Rated: PG
Category: S / P
Spoilers: None

2.

Dreams
The escape
This violent reality
Only free in dreams
Night

Jarod was walking around the hospital, greeting the people around him. Again he had taken the job of a doctor, he loved the feeling of helping people and seeing them getting well again, seeing their eyes.
Eyes were very important for him. He had seen large eyes, small eyes, brown eyes, green eyes, blue eyes - blue eyes. He missed a pair of those blue eyes. He wanted to see Parker again. It had been a while since he'd last seen her. He had a photo of her as a child on his desk. A colleague had asked him once if she were his daughter and after some hesitation he said that she was his sister.
Parker. Oh, how he missed her. He would never admit it in front of her, but he had been used to her being around. It had been years ago when he had seen her nearly every day. Back in his teenage years when he still had been a property of the Centre. He wondered if she would be thinking of him as often as he did. He entered his office and sat down behind his desk. He stared at the picture on his desk and let the memories flow.
He was interrupted in his thoughts by his beeper. An emergency. He got up and raced out of his office to the waiting car. All thoughts about his lost love were forgotten.

–—

She tried to move her body but in vain. She couldn't move her arms and legs not even open her eyes. It was annoying! But hadn't this been what she had wanted? Leaving this world? Not having to cope with reality and those darn people any longer? She heard people standing around her and talking.
"She's pretending to be asleep!" a female voice said.
"Sure? No, I think she's just sleeping", another voice answered.
"No, let's try to wake her. I'll try it with some cold water. If she's pretending to be asleep then she'll get up."
She heard the people moving then felt cold water being splashed into her face. She tried to stop them but she wasn't able to.
*I'M AWAKE! GO AWAY!*
"I'm gonna get the teacher", the first voice said.
"You mean calling Miss Ryan? Don't! I don't like her."
"We have to!"
Someone left the room and shortly after two people entered.
"She's only pretending to be asleep!" Miss Ryan said. The other voices were the voices of children. Someone slapped her into the face.
"Hey young woman, get up!"
*I AM AWAKE!*
Miss Ryan took her by the shoulders and shook her again.
*WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?*
"Take away her blanket." Miss Ryan again.
She felt her blanket being torn away. Then someone took her by the shoulders and tried to roll her out of her bed.
"Gosh, this girl is heavy!"
*THANK YOU SO MUCH!*
She felt her feet hitting the ground while her torso was being held by Miss Ryan's strong arms.
"She's not just pretending!" a girl said.
"No, I don't think so anymore. Jane's much too sensible to do such things."
"Help me to lift her into her bed again."
Many hands grabbed her and she felt being lifted. Someone piled up blankets and pillows under her legs and she felt warm fingers caressing her cheeks.
"Anyone got an idea what happened?"
Nobody answered.
"We have to call a doctor", Miss Ryan said when someone entered the room.
"What happened?" a male voice asked.
"Dunno, but she's been unconscious for quite a while now. Can you call a doctor?"
The man left the room and she heard the others murmuring and talking about her.
"Does anyone know something about her?" the woman asked. Silence.
"Did she take any medicaments?"
*CLEVER, THEY WON'T KNOW!*
"She had a headache and took one of those."
"Only one?"
"Think so."
Someone took her hand and was feeling her pulse.
"It's very fast." Miss Ryan said.
"She's not breathing", one of the girls whispered.
*UNFORTUNATELY I AM STILL BREATHING!*
She felt someone's hand under her neck.
*TAKE THOSE COLD FINGERS AWAY!!*
"Look, her breast is moving", the teacher said and leaned over her.
She felt the woman's hair trickling at her nose but she wasn't able to do anything against it. Instinctively she held her breath, at least one thing she could control.
"Her breath is irregular but she's breathing slowly."
Someone entered the room. People shifted their places the door fell shut and then it was silent again. She felt one of her eyelids being lifted and saw five persons standing around her bed. She saw a light being moved in front of her then her eyes closed again.
*WHAT' YA DOING THERE?? LEAVE ME ALONE!*
The other eye was opened and she saw the persons again. It was a woman with long blond, curly hair, Miss Ryan, three young girls and a man. She wasn't able to see him because he was holding the light right in front of her face.
"She's deeply unconscious."
So he was the Doctor.
"How could this happen? When I came in earlier she was fast asleep. It can't be that she's unconscious now!" one of the girls said.
"How long was this ago?"
"About two hours."
"Did she take any medication? Maybe she's intoxicated."
"She'd never do that!" Miss Ryan protested.
"Do you know what's been going on in her mind lately? You never know what one's thinking", the Doctor sighed.
"No, but she'd never kill herself."
*THANKS FOR THE FLOWERS.."

"You can pretend to be happy but your mind can be in a completely different condition," the Doctor said.
"But she was so -", she stopped in the middle of the sentence.
"Gotta call an ambulance. Girls, you better get outa here. Would you help me please, ma'am?"
She nodded.
"Hold her hand and bend it down like that."
He showed her what to do and she took the girl's hand the way he had said. The girl's skin felt cold and the arm was lifeless.
"I've never seen such a lifeless body before." Miss Ryan said.
"It is just as if someone was sleeping."
"But she's unconscious."
"It's fairly the same, the only difference is that you have no reflexes."
While he had been talking, he had opened his bag and had taken out some things. Horrified she looked at his hands.
"What do you want with THAT?"
"I'll have to use it. That's why I wanted you to hold her hand like this, understand me?"
"No, what do you want to use it for? That's no ordinary needle, that's a monster of a needle."
"Anyway, I'll have to use it, whether you like it or not. I need a direct access to her bloodstream in case any medication becomes necessary. Her condition can be monitored in a more efficient way. The first step is an intravenous access. So please hold her hand as I showed you. I hope you're not sensitive."
"No, I'm quite tough."
"Good to know."
The Doctor took the needle and induced it into the skin at the girl's wrist. The woman turned a little pale but didn't say a word. She turned her eyes away from the needle and looked at the girl's face. One hand still held the wrist with the other she was caressing the girls' cheeks. The girl had the same hair colour as she had and the same dark gray-blue eyes. She could be her sister or even her daughter. She felt guilty for what had happened. She thought about last night. It's true that the girl hadn't looked very happy, in fact quite sad. And she had hissed at her to stop humming all the time. She had stopped but had looked hurt and had left the room hastily. Miss Ryan asked herself if she had been crying. She knew that the girl sometimes saw her as a role model and she had hurt her so deeply. "What have I been doing?" she asked herself. She stroked the girls' hair still staring at her pale complexions.

Suddenly her eyes were opened and they were blinding her with a torch. She was able to see Ms Ryan's face. She looked as if she was going to cry any second. The man took away his hands but her eyes remained open.
"Her eyes are open", Ms Ryan whispered and a single tear trickled down her cheek.
"They are, but that doesn't mean a thing. Could be that she's waking up slowly and that her reflexes are coming back. She doesn't see you."
"But she's looking at me."
"Are you sure?"
The doctor came back and looked at her. Something in his eyes reminded the girl of her long lost brother. He had brown hair and his eyes were of an incredibly dark brown like those of a teddy. He waved his hands in front of her eyes.
"Can you see me?"
*OF COURSE I SEE YOU!*

"Well, she's not reacting but maybe she's really waking up. Nevertheless we're gonna take her to hospital for further examinations. You can come with us, Miss --"
"Ryan, Sue Ryan, I'm her teacher."
"OK, Miss Ryan, the ambulance will be here soon."
"What's your name, by the way?"
"Sorry, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name's Dr. Jarod Blake."
Two paramedics entered the room with a stretcher. They lifted the girl onto it and took her out of the room. Ms Ryan and Jarod followed them.
"Do you have any idea, what happened to her?"
"I'm not sure. I have to trust you when you say that she didn't take any medicine. Are you really certain?"
"I haven't been with her, I don't know, but I don't think that she tried to kill herself."
"Ms Ryan, how good do you know her?"
"Not very good. She's one of my students. I only know her name and some things she's doing in her free time, but nothing more."
While they were talking they walked down the stairs and got into the waiting ambulance.
"Please tell me everything you know about her", Jarod asked.
"Well, her name's Jane Parrol, she's 21, I think."
"You don't know for sure?"
Ms Ryan shook her head. "I'd have to look in the school papers or her ID if I can find it in her clothes back in the room. Do you need it?"
"No, that's not too important right now. What do you know about her free time? Is she doing some kind of sports?"
"She's playing the piano. I think she's doing gymnastics and some kind of martial arts. Why are you asking such things? Are they important?"
"No, just curious. Somehow I feel as if I knew her."
Ryan shook her head and turned to look at Jane again.
"Her eyes are still open!"
Jarod went to sit down on the other side of the stretcher. He looked at the young women intently and somehow he felt as if he could read her mind. He could see a picture forming before his inner mind. A young girl, standing somewhere at an abyss -- and then it was gone.
"Dr. Blake? Are you alright?"
Startled he looked up.
"Are you alright?" Ms Ryan asked again.
Jarod simply nodded and turned back to the girl in front of him. Her eyes were open and she was staring at the ceiling. She wasn't reacting to anything, not to light, not to his voice or physical contact. Ms Ryan was sitting in her corner, her eyes widened with fear. She heard the beeping of the instruments and the only thing she saw was the moving green line on the monitor that grew weaker with every minute.
"Dr. Blake, she's dying, why aren't you doing anything?"
"I can't! I don't know what's causing this!"
He turned towards the paramedic who was sitting in the front of the car.
"You have to call the hospital. I suspect that she has taken pills. They have to prepare the machines to pump out her stomach as soon as we arrive at the hospital.”
Jarod seemed desperate and stared at the girl again. The picture began to form again. The abyss was nearer now and the person - the young girl - prepared herself to jump.
"NOOOOOOOOO!" he yelled and tried to grab the girl in his imagination. And somehow it seemed to work. She seemed to step back and her heartbeat stabilized.
Miss Ryan stared at him, her eyes wide open. She had no idea what had happened. Jarod had screamed out loud after he had closed his eyes. He had looked at the girl for a while and then had taken her hand. Somehow they had seemed to melt. She couldn't make out what they had done.
"What did you do?"
"I can't tell you, I can't explain it myself."
"Will she be alright?"
"Yes, after we have eliminated all the medicaments she has presumably taken from her circulatory system, what means that we have to pump out her stomach and wait until the medication dissipates."
"How do you know that she has tried to kill herself? Her eyes are still open, do you think she can see me now?"
"Try it, I don't know."
He leaned back because he felt as if he was drained from all energy. He had no idea what had happened but he was glad the girl was obviously getting better. They arrived at the hospital and the backdoors were opened from the outside. Slowly Ms Ryan got outside and looked after the girl who was carried away on the stretcher. Jarod got out behind her and leaned against the car.
"Everything alright?" she asked.
"Just a little tired," he answered, "You can wait at the entrance until everything is done."
"I want to be near her, can't I go with you?"
He shook his head.
"I'm afraid not. The section is restricted to personnel only. You'll have to wait downstairs.”



t.b.c.

Disclaimer see part 1!
Title: Sinner, you know you have to pretend!
By: Chris
e-mail address : kylaparker@hotmail.com
Rated: PG
Category: S / P
Spoilers: None

3.

Sinner, you know you're bound to die
Sinner, you know you're bound to die.
My Lord, He sees you all night and day.
Sees all you're doing and He hears all you say.

The darkness was gone. The empty room was gone. An open countryside. Green trees. Sunshine. A swing. A woman in a lilac top. A man with a white shirt. Laughter. Happiness. Kisses.
A picture in a frame. Smiling faces. The same surroundings as before. Grief. Tears. Death. Hatred. Fear. Loneliness.
She wanted to get rid of all the pictures in her head. Wanted to open her eyes, move her feet and run. Run away from the pictures. Run away from her haunting memories. Run. Run. Faster. Faster. Ever faster. But something held her. Held her captive inside her own mind. Like a prisoner inside her own head. Strapped against an invisible wall with chains of memories.

Angelo was lying on the floor, wanted to get rid of all the pictures in his head. Wanted to open his eyes, move his feet and run. Run away from the pictures. Run away from Parker's haunting memories. Run. Run. Faster. Faster. Ever faster. But something held him. Held him captive. Like a prisoner inside someone else's head. Tied with chains of memories. Parker's memories. They held him, somehow fascinated him, somehow frightened him. They were so different. Different from the person he thought to know. So different from the Miss Parker he cared for. Inside her head was chaos. So much unlike her.

Let me go! Leave me! I love you! Thomas, where are you? Daddy? Mom! NOOOO! Let me go! Don't let go of my hand. Hold me tight! Go away! Why? Jarod? Angel, don't leave me! Why don't you leave me alone? Make those voices go away! I want to be alone! ALONE!! DO YOU HEAR ME? ALONE!

Parker was lying on the bed, Sydney standing beside her. She looked as if she were dead. She wasn't breathing on her own, her heartbeat was slow and irregular. Sydney feared for her life. They had told him to leave, he wasn't able to help her anyway. Leave her alone, she needs rest. Come back tomorrow. He took her hand. It was cold and lifeless.
"Fight, Parker. Don't let go. Don't leave us.”
He left the room and walked through the corridors of the hospital. This hospital held so many memories for him. Sad memories, happy memories. He left the building and walked to his car. He looked up at the sky. Clouds were building at the horizon and distant thunder began to roll.

The Centre was an impressive building. So much power. So much pain caused inside. Angelo. What would he be doing right now? Sydney parked his car and went inside. Maybe Parker's office would hold some clues as to what had happened. He hesitated but then opened the door and stepped inside. A low moan came from under the table.
"Angelo? Oh my God, what are you doing?”
"Daughter, sad - hurt- needs help,” Angelo managed to say.
"She'll be alright,” Sydney said, "I've brought her to hospital, they're taking care of her.”
The phone rang. A shrill and loud sound in the middle of the silence. Sydney didn't want to answer the call but Angelo took the receiver and held it towards Sydney. He sighed.
"This is Sydney?”
"Sydney? Where's Miss Parker?”
"Jarod? She's – she's ill.”
"Ill? What happened?”
"I have no idea. She fell unconscious and her condition is getting worse. I don't know what to do.”
"Where is she?”
"Hospital. Can you help her?”
"I don't know yet. Sydney, you have to find out what happened. What did she last do? Who was the last one she has been talking to, and so on. I'll call ya later.”
"Jarod – I –,” Sydney started but it was too late, Jarod had already hung up. He turned towards Angelo who was now sitting in Parker's chair. He looked a little pale and was holding Parker's pen in his hands.
"Writing letter.”
"Angelo, not now. Come on, let's go.”
"Daughter caught - can't come back – needs help – need to see her.”


4.

It's been nine months
Since you took
My heart away.

I am lost without you
And still hope for the moment
When you kiss me for the first time.

I love you, DON'T YOU SEE?
I need you, DON'T YOU CARE?
I want you, WHY DON'T YOU?


Dr. Jarod Blake looked down at the young woman lying in the bed. Somehow he thought he knew her but he also knew that he had never seen her before. He still hadn't figured out what had happened back in the ambulance. Somehow he felt as if he knew every thought of the girl, just as she had revealed all her thoughts to him. Then he had to think of Miss Parker. She had fallen unconscious as well and nobody knew what had happened. What if those two cases were somehow related? That both women were suffering from the same illness? Could such things be possible?
He took a seat and took the girl's hand. And suddenly this feeling grew stronger, the same as back when he had seen the picture. He felt reminded of Star Trek and the Vulcan ability to mind meld. Was it a feeling like this when two minds melded? Was it possible? He didn't believe it, but he didn't resist. It felt like a small hand was stretching out, trying to grab him. In his mind he tried to envision another, stronger hand and stretched it out. The small hand rested in the larger hand and suddenly the world seemed to disappear.
He was in another world. Everything was dark and gray and he felt cold. In the distance he saw the little girl again he had seen earlier this day. She was standing in a crowd but she was alone. People seemed to be minding her presence. Jarod approached her. He could see himself as a young boy, walking towards the young girl.
"Hello,” he simply said and stood beside her. She looked at him with big blue eyes.
"What's your name?” she asked.
"My name's Jarod, and yours?”
"Jane. Why are you here? Why can't you leave me alone?”
"I want to help you.”
"I don't need no help,” she said and turned away. She tried to disappear into the crowd, but people stepped back as she approached and Jarod could follow her easily. He grabbed her by the elbow and forced her to stop. Slowly she turned around and looked at him. He looked into her eyes and felt as if he were looking into an endless tunnel. He couldn't even see his own reflection.
"Come with me. Let's get out of the crowd.”
"What crowd?”
"The people all around.”
"They belong here. We can't get out of here.”
Jarod took her hand and hoped that everything would be working the way he wanted it to. He tried to imagine a wonderful place, a place to where he had fled in his childhood dreams, a place with warm light, wonderful trees and birds. A place where they would be alone, no looming shadows, no crowd and no cold. He felt as if he forced his thoughts into hers but somehow it seemed to work. Slowly the surroundings seemed to change, he tried to think of details like flowers and the color of the sky. The girl still by his side, they stood on a large field, surrounded by yellow flowers. He was a little proud of himself and didn't see the girl retreat from him. She was several steps behind him and looked at him with a look that strangely reminded him of Miss Parker when he turned.
"I don't want to be cheered up. Let me go.”
"I'm not forcing you to stay.”
"So make these surroundings go away and leave me alone.”
Somehow she seemed to disappear back into her own thoughts and Jarod was left alone. He tried to reach out again, tried to find her surroundings but except his field of flowers he couldn't find anything. It was as if she was just – gone. He wanted to go back to his own reality but somehow he had no idea how. He wished the field to go a way, wished for his eyes to see the room again, but suddenly there was only emptiness. Empty, lonely, cold, alone – nothing.

Jane was running. Running from an invisible enemy. Running towards the abyss that promised eternal freedom. The abyss from where she would never come back again. The abyss where she wanted to be. Nobody would try to tear her out from her environment, nobody would be hunting her. There would be eternal darkness, eternal freedom, eternal loneliness. She would never have to speak again, never have to listen again, nobody would ever hurt her again. She would be all on her own free to do whatever she wished to do. She was running, still running from the invisible enemy that threatened to bring her back to the reality she hated, that she had promised never to see again.
Something made her slow down in her running. Somewhere, far away she heard someone call for help. She didn't want to hear it, didn't want to know who was calling. But then she heard her own name. She stopped and turned. Back behind her was a bubble, a large black bubble with something inside. She had never seen this bubble in her world before and she was afraid that it could be something that this Jarod had left behind to drag her out of her world. But still there was something inside. This something inside was calling her name. She had no idea what she should do. She was afraid the bubble would hurt her if she went nearer but the something inside kept calling her name. Her hand hesitantly reached out and touched the bubble. It felt cold and wet and somehow smelled of fear. The bubble seemed to melt under her touch and she could reach inside. Something grabbed her hand and she instinctively pulled her hand back. The bubble disappeared and a boy fell to the ground. He looked up at her and smiled.
"Go away. You have tried to steal my freedom.”
"I will go, but tell me how to get out of here.”
"Clap your heels twice and you'll be back in Arkansas.”
"Arkansas? But-"
"Imagine a way you would do it. It worked for me. Maybe snap your fingers, wave a magic stick or something like that. You have to find your own way. But never dare to call my name again. I won't help you again. I want to be alone.”
"But why? Why do you want to be alone?”
"Nobody needs me, nobody loves me, so why should I go back?”
"Don't YOU love somebody?”
She said nothing, just looked into his large brown eyes. Suddenly she fell to her knees and started crying. Jarod put his hand on her shoulder and tried to comfort her. She tried to shake off his hand but it stayed there. It was an unfamiliar feeling that someone cared about her.
"Tell me about it,” Jarod asked.
"You don't want to hear it.”
"Yes, I do. Please tell me. So, you love someone?”
"I love him but he rejected me. He doesn't love me and it hurts.”
"So you try to flee into this world of your own. Don't you ever want to come back?”
"NEVER!”
"Why not? If you would come back you could try to explain it to him once more.”
"Explain what?”
"That you love him.”
"I never told him. He's got a girlfriend. I wouldn't dare to kill his relationship.”
"I don't understand it. You've never told him you loved him and he rejected you?”
"You're only a boy. You don't understand it. NOW LEAVE!”

And suddenly he was back. He found himself lying on a bed, staring at the ceiling. People were standing around his bed looking down at him with concerned looks on their faces.
"How do you feel, Dr. Blake? I found you lying unconscious on the floor,” a nurse said.
"I'm alright,” Jarod answered, "How's the girl?”
"She'll be fine. What happened back there?”
"I don't know exactly.”
"Then tell me, in rough terms.”
"I can't explain it to you."
"You don't want to get up right now, do you? I suggest you stay here a little while longer and rest.” a nurse said when Jarod sat up.
"No, I can't. There's someone waiting for me downstairs.”
Jarod got up and walked towards the door on wobbly legs. He leaned at the doorframe for a few seconds and then walked down the corridors. When he arrived down at the entrance Ms Ryan was waiting for him. She jumped up from the chair she had been sitting in and ran towards him.
"How is she?”
"She's alright. Mind to sit down again?”
"What's the matter with you? You look terrible.”
"Oh, thanks for the compliment.”
"Sorry. What's the matter with her?”
"I can only guess. I can't say why but she has attempted suicide.”
"WHAT? No, she would never do that.”
"I'm afraid she did. She has taken a lot of pills that would have killed someone who is not as strong as she is. She has been doing a lot of exercise, I guess, and she has a good working immune system.”
"What kind of pills? Sleeping pills?”
"No. She obviously suffers from epilepsy and has taken a high dosage of suppressants. Maybe thirty to forty of those pills. A dosage this high could have killed someone who is not used to this kind of medication.”
Ms Ryan sat on her chair, not knowing what to say. Jarod stood up and asked her to follow him. They went up the stairs, Ms Ryan deep in her thoughts, Jarod trying to stand upright. They entered the room and Ms Ryan stopped in her steps.
"Somehow I have a guilty conscience. I feel as if I were responsible for this whole mess.”
"It seemed to me that she liked you.” Jarod said.
"How do you know?”
"That's something I can't explain. But I've found out about another woman who is suffering from the same thing. Maybe I can come up with a way to treat both of them.”



t.b.c.

Disclaimer see part 1!
Title: Sinner, you know you have to pretend!
By: Chris
e-mail address : kylaparker@hotmail.com
Rated: PG
Category: S / P
Spoilers: None

5.

I want to die easy when I die
I want to die easy when I die
I want to die easy when I die
Shout salvation as I fly
I want to die easy, Lord, when I die.

"You can't see her, Angelo. She's not here."
"Need to see her – help – writing story."
Sydney leaned against the table and looked at Angelo. Somehow Angelo seemed to behave different, Sydney felt reminded of someone, but didn't know who. He took a piece of paper out of a drawer and gave it to Angelo. He began scribbling. After a while he held one piece of paper towards Sydney and went on writing on another sheet. Sydney started reading. He looked surprised as he read whole sentences, grammatically correct. He looked up at Angelo.
"Angelo? What---.”
"Don't talk, silence, complete silence.”
Sydney cocked an eyebrow and stopped talking. Angelo was still writing but his eyes were closed. He didn't look at the paper just kept on writing as if a ghost was guiding the pen over the paper. His handwriting was regular and round just like Parker's. To be correct, it looked exactly like Parker's handwriting. Yes, his behavior reminded him of Miss Parker. What was going on? Angelo handed him sheet after sheet. Then he closed the pen. He opened his eyes again and looked around the room. He seemed distracted.
"Daughter needs help -- find back.”


6.

I feel as if I'm nothing.
Nothing but a walking
Shadow of myself.

I don't feel the pain
I don't feel loved
I don't feel anything at all.

Am I still alive?
Does anyone care?
Who am I anyway?

My life's not worth living.
Sometimes I wish I were dead.
But I know that someone cares
Even though he doesn't love me.

"A way to help her? What do you know about the other woman?”
"It's not exactly the same condition. That other woman has lost consciousness without any reason. I definitely know that Jane has taken those pills and they have caused her unconsciousness. The other woman hasn't done anything like that, as far as I know. The only similarity between them I can be really sure of is that they are unconscious. And I DO know that this is nothing uncommon."
"What have you found out about Jane?”
"I can't explain it to you but I've talked to her.”
"Talked to her? How's that possible?”
"Ms Ryan, please believe me. I can't explain it to you, well, not yet. I can't explain it to myself either. She wants to die. I don't know why but she was hurt by someone she truly loves. Do you know who that person might be?”
"No, I have no idea, I don't know her that well.”
"Would her parents know?”
"She has no parents, at least not that I know. She's living on her own in a small apartment in a house with an elderly couple. Maybe they know something about her.”
"Would you be so kind as to find out something about her that might help her? Ms Ryan, you are her only hope right now. Please hurry.”
"I will, Doctor. I'll call you as soon as I know something.”
Ms Ryan got up and walked out of the hospital. Jarod just watched her go. He had no power left to get up and just remained seated on the sofa. In his head he wanted to find something that could safe Jane and safe him from becoming crazy. All the time he tried to explain what had happened. Everything remained a mystery. Was it just imagination? A hallucination? Had he really talked to her? He knew that it wasn't possible but he really felt as if he had been inside her head and had heard her talk to him.

"Dr Blake?”
Jarod looked up to see Ms Ryan.
"Already back?”
"It took me over an hour. Have you been sitting here the whole time?”
"I think so. I thought it was only minutes. Let's go upstairs. What have you found out?”
"The people who live in the same house have told me that she mentioned a boy's name at the phone to a friend of hers but nothing else. I have tried to find her friend but I was told that she is on holidays. All I know is that the boy is called Michael.”
They reached the lift and got inside. Jarod was deep in his thoughts trying to recall something he might have heard when he had been in contact with the girl. Michael. Somehow the name sounded familiar to him.
"Nothing else? You don't know the whole name or where I can possibly find him?”
"Sorry, nothing. Maybe I can try it again later but I'd need time and I thought we didn't have enough time!?”
"She's in no immediate danger. Somehow the problem resolved itself. The only problem is, that she has to wake up.”
Jarod said nothing else. He hadn't even called Sydney yet to ask him about Miss Parker's condition. He needed his advice as well as Broots'. But he had to call them. Jarod was afraid that they would trace the call back, he had stayed in this place for far too long. But Jane needed his help, he couldn't leave now. Couldn't leave her where she was. He had to free her from herself. Had to get her out of her dream-world as soon as possible before she would kill herself, before she would give up her will of living, before it was too late. Then he had to find out what had happened to Miss Parker. What if she had tried to kill herself as well? No, that couldn't be. Sydney had said that she'd just collapsed into his arms. So she had been conscious when he had met with her. He was deep in his thoughts and didn't realize that they had already passed the room where Jane was.
"Dr. Blake, what's the matter with you?”
"Sorry, Miss Ryan, I was thinking about something else.”
He turned around and went through the door. Jane was lying in the bed and it seemed much to big for her. She looked so small, so innocent. She didn't look as if she had wanted to commit suicide. But who does? Again he forgot about Ms Ryan who was standing beside him. Deep inside him he heard her again. He thought he heard her cry for help. He listened closer and heard that she was calling out a name. Michael. There it was again, that name. He had to focus on not hearing her, to slip back into reality.
"What did you say about that Michael?”
"I only know his name. I have to find her friend first and I hope she can tell me more about it and the relationship between them.”
"Do you really think there is a relationship? She has tried to kill herself, maybe it was because he didn't love her the way she did.”
"Do you really think so?”
"It's the only possibility I can think of.”
"I still don't understand why you keep saying that you've been talking to her. She's been unconscious ever since you first saw her. Would you be so kind as to explain that to me?”
Jarod sighed and looked deep into the woman's dark blue eyes. For a split-second he got distracted when he saw her eyes but he caught himself.
"Are you familiar with the concept of Star Trek?”
"A little bit. What has that to do with us?”
"You know what happens when two Vulcans mind meld?”
"They touch each other's faces and then something happens.”
"Well, like that. Their minds become one, it's like merging. They can see and hear each other's thoughts. I know it sounds impossible but that's what happened. Somehow I was able to see inside her head, to hear her thoughts and talk to her.”
"That's ridiculous. Don't try to fool me. I'm not stupid. Tell me what really happened.”
Jarod sighed. Just as he had thought it would be. He knew it sounded ridiculous but it was the only possibility he could think of. He couldn't have imagined all this. That was too absurd to come from his own mind. Suddenly he heard another voice. It was very faint but it was a very familiar voice that seemed to be calling for help.


t.b.c.

Disclaimer see part 1!
Title: Sinner, you know you have to pretend!
By: Chris
e-mail address : kylaparker@hotmail.com
Rated: PG
Category: S / P
Spoilers: None

7.

I'm watching you in your sleep
You look so innocent
So perfect, so wonderful.

Who'd expect you
To be a killer?
A woman without a heart?

I imagine how it would be
With the two of us
Together.

If you could stop killing.
Killing with words
Like others do with bullets.

Your words hurt
And kill every feeling
Like they killed your heart.

I kiss you goodbye
Hoping you'll find
Your heart and can love
Like I do.

That voice, so distant, almost nothing more like a whisper but more disturbing than all the cries he had ever heard before. It was Parker's voice. Not exactly her voice but the voice of her subconsciousness, calling for him to free Parker from her haunting memories. He didn't hear words, it was more like whimpering from a small child. But he saw pictures. Pictures that told him more than words could ever do. Suddenly he heard another voice. A male voice that was trying to form words.
Jarod opened his eyes and looked around the room. Was he really hearing voices inside his head? Was this all real or had he gone nuts and was imagining all this? He looked up at Ms Ryan who was staring at him, still waiting for a sound explanation of what had happened. He knew that he couldn't give her another explanation, he didn't know another way to explain it to himself, so how could he explain it to someone else?
"Dr. Blake, are you sure, you're alright? I was told that you broke down earlier this day. Do you want me to ask someone else to take over your job for today?”
"No, Ms Ryan. No way. I'll bring this to an end and we'll find a way to bring her back. I'll leave the two of you alone. Talk to her. Tell her how you feel, anything you might consider important. I'll try to find out something about that mysterious Michael. I'll be back as soon as possible.”
Jarod got up, trying to ignore the voices inside his head. They were still trying to tell him something he needed to know, but right now he didn't have the time to listen. He didn't have the luxury of spare time, no time to lie down for some rest, no time to concentrate on those voices again. He had gone lost inside this other world before, he had to finish one task first before he could take care of another one. It hurt that he had to leave Parker like that but maybe she would find something inside her mind that she had been searching for. She would survive, he was sure of that, the only question was how and when will she be back to consciousness?
He left the room, after shooting a last glance at Jane and her teacher. Ms Ryan was holding her hand, caressing her cheeks. There was something Ms Ryan had done to her, Jane had mentioned it, but she hadn't been specific. Maybe they could forgive each other, whatever had happened.
'Go', a little voice inside his head insisted, 'go and find that Michael, find him and put an end to this case. Miss Parker is waiting for you.'
Jarod went to his office and took off his white coat. He had a picture inside his head. A picture he suspected to be Michael. It had come along with Jane's cry for Michael. A friend of him would surely be able to help him.

As soon as he had the picture inside the computer via a drawing program he started a search pattern through all official databases. A search for a name to this picture. A driver's license with this picture brought light into the darkness. His name was Michael Tessner and he was working at a local computer company. Thanks to the computer he found out more about him than Jane would want to know. He had a criminal record, he was accused of tapping into other's people's computers, stealing data. Jarod had to grin. What was he doing right now? No serious crime, depending on the data. He had to find Michael and tell him what had happened. Maybe that would work.


8.

DARKNESS
Calls for me
I wanna be alone
Don't wanna think of YOU
YOU're a light I don't want to see
I wish I were dead
I wouldn't have to think of YOU
Wouldn't have to see YOU
I love YOU
but YOU don't love me
I wish me away from this world
Where YOU don't exist

Maybe she would come back into this reality if she knew that he cared for her-- if he did. What if he didn't care what happened to her? He didn't know if he didn't try. He had to call that guy, bring him to hospital and make him talk to her. From a sudden instinct he took his cell phone and dialed Sydney's number.
"How is she, Syd?” Jarod asked before Sydney could say anything.
"She has been talking to herself. She's still not reacting to anything from outside. How are you? And where are you? She needs you, Jarod.”
"I know, but I can't be with her right now. I wish I could, but there's someone who needs my help right now and I can't leave her like that. Syd, I need your help. If working with traumatized people, how do you get them to talk to you?”
"You have to win their trust, try to think like they do. That often helps.”
"What if these traumatized people are unconscious?”
"I don't know, Jarod. Why do you ask? Do you know a way to help Miss Parker?”
"No, I don't, but I have a young person who doesn't want to wake up.”
"Where are you?”
"I can't tell you. Syd, do you believe that it is possible to read someone's mind and talk to that person?”
"That is either science fiction or a very rare pretender ability.”
"I have been inside her mind, I have seen her thoughts and I have talked to her. Does this sound strange?”
"No, it sounds as if you're evolving new unknown abilities. You have to take care that others in the Centre won't find out. They'll try to hunt you down more than they do now. Take care, Jarod, will you?”
"I promise, Sydney, I will. Please take care of Miss Parker. She needs you right now, I can hear her, calling for help.”
"What do you mean, you can hear her?”
"I hear her voice in my thoughts. Sydney, did you know that Miss Parker is a pretender as well?”
"”Yes, I know, but her abilities aren't trained, they surface whenever they want to. She doesn't know how to use them.”
"Does the Centre know?”
"They know that she's a pretender but they don't know that she knows and they don't know that her abilities are showing and that they are intensifying.”
"Thanks for telling me. Gotta go now. Take care.”
He looked at the computer screen in front of him and dialed the number from the man Jane loved so much.
"This is Michael Tessner.”
"Hi, my name's Jarod. You don't know me, but I need your help.”
"I don't know you but you want me to help you? Doesn't that sound strange to you? Asking someone -”
"Michael, you have to listen to me. There's someone who needs you and I want you to help me to save her live."
"I'm not gonna donate any organs if it's that what you want."
"No, just talk to someone."
"Nothing more? And that's no trap of any sort?"
"The police is searching for you, right? I can help you too."
"You know too much, Jarod, but I'm helping you. Who do you want me to talk to?"
"Please meet with me, I can't ell you everything on the phone."
"OK, when, where?"
"Let's say in one hour at the Memorial Hospital main entrance. Can you make it in time?"
"I'll be there. You better think of a sound explanation."
Michael hung up without saying goodbye and somehow Jarod didn't think that he'd show up. He looked at his cell phone and only shook his head. He looked around his friend's office. A photo on his desk showed himself and Miss Parker.
"Where did you get that picture?" he asked his friend.
"I don't know who that was, he gave it to me and asked me to find both of you. Who's that woman?"
"I can't tell you, I'm searching for her as well. She has disappeared. Can you describe the man who gave it to you?"
"About your size, slim, he was wearing leather gloves –"
"Mr. Lyle. When was he here?"
"Three days ago. He has left a message in case you would come here again."
"Somehow I feel as if you're working with him."
"No, never would I work with such an ugly guy. Do you know him very good?"
"No, I haven't had the honors to work with him, He's my opponent."
"Opponent? He said that you were a fugitive."
Jarod cocked one eyebrow.
"A fugitive? What am I fleeing from?"
"He said that you escaped a lunatic asylum and that you are pretending to be someone else."
"Nice. What did he say about the woman?"
"He said that her name was Parker and that she's be a social worker who helped you escape the loony bin."
"Oh how charming he can be. I never knew he evolved a sense of humor. Did he say anything else? For example what you should do whenever I'd show up?"
"He wanted me to call him immediately, and he said that he would be around."
"Around? I guess it's time for me to disappear again. Thanks for your help."
He turned to leave the room.
"Jarod, don't you want to take this with you? I don't think I have any use for this."
Jarod turned and looked at the picture in the young man's hand.
"Thank you, it means a lot to me."
"Another reason to take it with you. I wish you all the luck you need."
"Thanks," Jarod said and left the room.
Lyle here? He had to end this pretend as soon as possible before Lyle found him. He had to find a key to Jane's mind. Maybe Michael would be the key. He desperately hoped so because he had the inner longing to help Miss Parker as well. But first things first. Jane had been there first so he had to finish this pretend before he could help Parker. Maybe some things that had helped Jane would also be useful in helping Miss Parker. But who could be that man or woman that would be able to talk her out of her unconsciousness? He could only think of one, and that one was dead. He didn't dare to ask Sydney whether he had told Mister Parker about his daughter's condition or if she was simply on holidays.
Jarod looked at his wrist watch. He had to hurry if he wanted to be on time. He knew that he would know Michael Tessner the moment he would see him. In his mind, or better, in Jane's mind he had seen him before and he knew a lot of things about him. He wasn't sure if everything was real or only Jane's wishful thinking, but he knew that Michael had a sister and a brother and that he owned a dog. He also thought to know that he loved a girl named Bridget.
When he arrived at the hospital he instantly saw Michael. He was tall and slender and had light brown hair. He couldn't see what Jane found in him. He didn't look bad, but he had thought that Jane would prefer another sort of man.
"Michael?"
The young man turned around and looked at Jarod. He had blue eyes and was the same size as Jarod. He looked him straight into the eyes and smiled.
"My name's Jarod Blake. I'm working at the hospital. Do you know a girl named Jane Parrol?"
"Jane? Of course I know her. What's the matter with her?"
"She needs your help."
"My help? What kind of help?"
"She's unconscious. She's had a kind of accident."
"Kind of accident? What do you mean?"
"Michael, she tried to kill herself."
"WHAT?? Jane? No, she'd never do that."
"Her teacher said the same, but I have reason to believe that -- well, I have to tell you later. Will you follow me please?"
Michael didn't say a word, just followed Jarod into the hospital. He seemed to be inside himself, trying to find out what had happened to Jane. Jarod led him into his office.
"Michael, how good do you know her?"
"There's not much I know. She's 21 and she loves music, she's really cute, loves doing martial arts. That's about all I know."
"Do you know if she's got a boyfriend?"
"Not that I know. Why have you asked me to come here?"
"She had a note with your phone number in her purse," Jarod lied, "You were the only one I could think of. Was I wrong?"
"It's -- no, it's alright."
"So follow me please."
Jarod got up and walked towards Jane's room. Ms Ryan was still sitting beside the bed, holding Jane's hand. She looked up when Michael and Jarod entered the room.
"Her condition hasn't changed since you left. Who is he?"
"That is Michael Tessner."
"You found him? I haven't --"
Jarod took Ms Ryan by the arm and walked her out of the room.
"Stop talking, I lied to him about the circumstances of being here", Jarod whispered. He turned to look at Michael. He was still standing in the doorframe, staring at the unconscious girl.
"What happened? I can't believe she tried to kill herself." Michael said.
"We have reason to believe that she has tried to killed herself with a medication she usually takes daily. She took an overdose of about 40 pills when the normal dosage is about 2."
"The last time I have seen her she hasn't been talking much. She was staring at me with unfocused eyes and when I tried to speak to her she turned away. I don't know what happened."
"Michael, do you like her?"
"She's cute, yes, but I have a girlfriend."
"That's not what I mean. I mean, do you like her as a person, not as a lover."
Michael just stared at him and then he nodded.
"Yes, I have to admit, that I really like her. She's so different to my girlfriend. She's someone I can talk to and who listens to me when I tell her about my problems."
Now it was Ms Ryan who was standing at the door watching the two men discuss. She still felt guilty about what happened but the more she listened to this Michael Tessner the less she felt responsible. She knew that it had been wrong to shout at her for just humming. She took a stool and sat down beside the bed again. Michael and Jarod stared at her when she began to sing in a low voice. It was the same song that Jane had been humming the night before when Ms Ryan had told her to stop: "On my own" from the musical Les Misérables.
Michael sat down on the chair which Ms Ryan had occupied before she had taken the stool and was singing along as well. He had a wonderful voice Jarod had to admit. He knew the song as well, he had listened to it when he had been down and longed for someone to love.
Someone like Miss Parker. Somewhere back in his head he could still hear that little voice calling for help. He wasn't sure yet if he could leave the three alone. Ms Ryan and Michael were looking after Jane now, he wouldn't have to worry. And Lyle was close. He could almost feel his presence.




t.b.c.

Disclaimer see part 1!
Title: Sinner, you know you have to pretend!
By: Chris
e-mail address : kylaparker@hotmail.com
Rated: PG
Category: S / P
Spoilers: None

9.

Love me
That was all I asked for
That was all I wished for
That was all I longed for

But my questions
my wishes
and my longing
were never heard
were never answered

Because I never
dared to speak
them out loud

Angelo was sitting beside the bed holding Miss Parker's hand. Sydney had managed to smuggle the young man out of the Centre without someone taking notice. At least not so far. He had to return soon.
Angelo had been back in Miss Parker's office, writing in her handwriting. Something had been going on he had no idea about. Angelo had tried to explain it but to Sydney it looked like a puzzle with half the pieces missing, he had no idea of the eventual picture. The letter Angelo had written was more a children's story than a letter. It still fascinated Sydney that Angelo had exactly copied Parker's handwriting. He desperately wished for Jarod to be with him, to help him. He had promised to be with him as soon as possible, but a pretend was taking him longer than he had expected. It had to do with the same kind of phenomenon as the Parker case. A young girl had fallen unconscious and hasn't woken up so far. Sydney had no idea if those two cases were somehow related but he didn't know in what way this could be.
He was sitting in the corner of the room, watching Angelo and Miss Parker. Her face was pale, her eyes were half closed. Angelo was sitting next to her, holding her hand and humming the children's song she had always loved.
"Kree-Kra toads foot, geese walk barefoot, kree-kra……"

The woman looked down on her, her hands resting gently on the little girl's shoulders. The girl looked into her mother's eyes. Those wonderful blue eyes that seemed to follow her wherever she went that eyes that seemed to be with her whenever she was afraid. The sun was slowly wandering towards the horizon. Her mother smiled and took her by the hand.
"Time to go home," she said.
"Kree-Kra toads foot, geese walk barefoot, kree-kra……" they sang as they walked towards the huge white building.

A smile played around Miss Parker's lips and Angelo looked up. He had seen those pictures as well he had heard the song as well. That was why he had been humming it. Something deep inside Angelo awoke and that something was drawn towards Parker.

The huge house came nearer and then they stepped into the entrance hall. Suddenly it was cold and the birds' song was gone. She looked up at her mother who was leading her through the corridors. She looked much older and somehow she seemed to have shrunk. She looked at her own hand and found it about the size of her mother's hand. The passed a door with a window and the little girl saw herself as a grown up woman. She looked like her mother only her hair was shorter. She didn't question the sudden jump into the future it felt normal to her. They went into a lift and the doors closed behind them. This lift, it somehow seemed familiar. She looked up and found a whole near the ceiling. She heard a gunshot and then she was alone. The lift stopped and it went dark. Pitch black. Cold. Empty. Alone. A wave of nausea hit her and she had to press her hand onto her mouth. Then the feeling was gone and she felt like flying. It was still dark but the darkness didn't seem as threatening as only seconds before. She looked up and saw stars. Stars that would lead her into the right direction. She didn't know where to go and what or who would be waiting there for her, but she knew that something was there.

Suddenly Parker had been gone. The lift doors had closed behind her and the only thing he had heard had been a frightened scream. Angelo tried to find her, find Parker in his mind but he couldn't get any connection. It was as if staring into a deep black void.

The little girl suddenly seemed like a distant memory when she tried to remember her mother whom she had thought to have seen only minutes ago. She was still floating in complete silence in that dark night with only the stars looking down on her. She felt another presence nearby. She wanted to say something but she wasn't able to. She started to become afraid of the silence and curled herself up into a tight ball. A small voice calling a name came to her ear and she opened her eyes again. She was no longer in complete darkness but she was lying in a field of flowers but it was still silent. She wanted to answer to the call but she still couldn't get anything out. She stood up and walked into the direction where she thought to have heard the voice.



t.b.c.

Disclaimer: I do not own the fairy tale. It is an old tale from Sweden which seemed to suit my story too well so I dared to use it. The characters of tP don't belong to me, I'll give them back as soon as I'm finished. The title refers to an old Negro Spiritual I do not own either. The poem belongs to me.

Title: Sinner, you know you have to pretend!
By: Chris
Rated: G

10.

I’m living in a dream world
Dreaming all night long
Of the man I love
Dreaming all day long
Of the man I love

Dreaming constantly
Always far from
this cruel reality
Where he doesn’t

Love me.


Parker was drawn towards the voice that seemed to be walking away from her. he walked faster and saw someone walking in the distance. It was a girl of about ten years with long blond hair. She was wearing a white dress and had something of an angel. When Parker reached her she found herself the same size as the girl. She had shrunk again, just like Alice in Wonderland, she had become a little girl again.
"Why is everybody invading my private space?" the girl asked with a voice that wasn't more than a whisper.
"Where am I?" the Parker girl asked.
"You are inside my dream world. What do you want?" the Angel girl answered.
"This dream world is wonderful. Can I be your friend?"
"You don't want to haul me back into another reality?"
"What other reality? No, I really like it here," the little Parker said.
"OK then, let's find a place where we can play."
The angel girl took Miss Parker by the hand and together they walked through the green grass which changed color without the girls noticing. It turned from bright green into a dirty green and then to grey. The sun disappeared where the girls had passed and the world disappeared behind them. They didn't look back so they didn't see that their paradise was in danger of disintegrating.

Jarod was still standing in the doorframe, staring at the three persons in the room. He knew that it would be best for him to leave now but there was something about Jane that held him. He decided to stay another day or two hoping that Lyle would still need some time to track him down. He took his phone and went outside. He dialed Sydney's number.
"Sydney?"
"This is Jarod. How's Miss Parker?"
"Her condition hasn't changed. But I'm worried about Angelo. He seems to be in contact with her."
"How so?"
"He seems to be reading her thoughts and somehow their minds are connected. He's asked for paper and a pen and said he had to write something. He wrote in Miss Parker's handwriting. Page after page. I don't know what it means. He said something like 'Daughter needs help -- find back'."
"Can you send those pages to me? Maybe I know what they mean. Read the first lines to me."
"It sounds like a fairy tale. It's called 'The castle east of the sun and west of the moon'."
"You don't have to read more, I know that. It's a fairy tale from Sweden. And Angelo wrote it?"
"Yes, until the last sentence, and they lived happily ever after. I'll scan it and send it to you via email. How are you doing, Jarod?"
"I know that Lyle's near but I'm no further with my latest pretend. I will have to stay longer. I hope that Lyle won't find me."
"We'll distract him. I'll order Broots to set up some traps and wrong traces. I'm sure he'll be successful."
"Thank you Syd."

He came back into the room only to find the three still in the same position. Ms Ryan was smiling at Michael while they were talking to each other. She was holding Jane's hand and they seemed like a family.
"Sorry to disturb you", he said in a low voice, "but you'll have to leave now."
"Can't I stay?" Ms Ryan said. "Please. Parents are allowed to stay with their children over night."
"You're not her mother and she's 21. I'm sure she can take care of herself. You can come again tomorrow morning if you like to."
"Please, just a few more minutes."
"Alright, but when I'm back in 10 minutes I don't want to see you here", Jarod said and mentioned Michael to come outside with him.
"I'm sorry to say it but I don't think that she will recover any time soon. Feel free to share this information with Ms Ryan but it would be better if she didn't know. My shift ends in 10 minutes. Would you mind to have a drink with me somewhere? I'd like to know a little more about Jane than I know right now."
"I don't think that I will be of much help, but I will try to enlighten you as far as I can. I'll be with Jane and Ms Ryan until then. I think she deserves to know about Jane's condition."
Jarod nodded and went to his office. The familiar "You have mail" sign blinked on his computer screen. Sydney had sent him the pages Angelo had written. It really looked like Parker's handwriting. He printed the pages and went back to Jane's room after locking the door behind him. On the way he started reading the first lines:
"Once upon a time there was a young miller who found to his dismay that someone was stealing corn from his parent's mill in regular intervals. To catch the thief in the act he hid himself behind the sacks with corn.
Several nights he had to wait with nothing happening. But one night 3 doves came flying through a small window and started picking from one of the sacks. He realized that they were hungry and tired. They must have flown a long way."
It was the exact fairy tale Jarod had thought it was after hearing the first words. But he had no idea what this meant or how it could be related to Miss Parker. He nearly ran into Michael who came out of Jane's room. The sheets fell out of his hands and glided to the ground. Michael picked them up and started reading the first passage. His face went pale.
"Where did you get that? I remember that Jane told me about that."
"Jane knew it as well? It is a Swedish fairy tale and -- well, I'll tell you later when I'm finished reading. Have you told Ms Ryan?"
"Yes, she didn't look shocked, just as if she knew before. She just left."

They sat together in a small café around the corner where Jarod usually had his morning coffee. Michael who had looked quite uncomfortable in his presence seemed to have relaxed in the last hours and sat quite casually in front of him.
"Would you mind if I had a look at the pages you had earlier? That handwriting looked quite familiar to me. Who wrote it?"
"A woman named Parker. You don't know her."
"Well, you don't look comfortable mentioning her. I am someone who can listen. If you would like to talk feel free to do so."
Jarod nodded and looked down at the pages in his hands. The waitress brought a coffee for him and a hot chocolate for Michael and smiled down on them before she left them again.
"If you don't mind I'd like to read the pages first before I'll give them to you. They have some deeper meaning I have to find out yet."
"Sure, whatever's fine with you. Right now I have enough to think about," Michael said and started to spoon the whipped cream from his chocolate.
Jarod stared down at the pages and started reading again. He felt almost as if he could hear Miss Parker reading the words out loud:
"When their hunger was stilled something wonderful happened: Their plumage fell to the ground and the flabbergasted miller saw three wonderful women instead of the doves. They sat down on the sacks of corn and began talking. The miller crept towards the women and hid one of their plumages.
After an hour the girls got up and went to the place where they had left their plumages. To their horror they realized that one of the plumages was missing. Even though they searched hard it stayed gone. Eventually two of the women took on their plumages and flew through the window. The woman who had to stay behind sat down on a corn sack and started to cry bitterly. The miller went to her and said:
"Don't be sad. Stay with me and become my wife."
"I can't do that," the woman answered, "As much as I would like to. When I'm not home by the time the sun rises I will die. Be a good man and help me find my plumage."
"I will help you, but first you must promise to marry me."
"I promise, but you have to come the castle east of the sun and west of the moon in the enchanted forest where I live."
The miller agreed and then gave the woman her plumage. As soon as she had taken it on she transformed into a dove and disappeared through the window. Only when she was gone the miller realized that he had not asked where the castle was.
Many days he tried not to think of the woman who had promised to become his wife. But with the time his desire became too strong. He packed his bag and kissed his parents farewell.
He walked and walked. Wherever he was he asked for the castle east of the sun and west of the moon but nobody had ever heard of it."

"Jarod?" Michael asked who had picked up the pages Jarod had already laid onto the table. Jarod looked up trying to focus on his surroundings.
"Jarod, the handwriting, it looks exactly like Jane's."
Jarod had no idea what to say. There had to be a connection between the two. He knew that as soon as he would find the connection between them he could solve the mystery. The Centre was good in creating mysteries but Jarod wasn't sure if the Centre was responsible for this one. Cloning was something the Centre had started to do on a regular basis and maybe Jane was an outcome of this. But he had to be extra cautious if this was the case because they would have surveillance teams on her. He couldn't tell Michael about his thoughts and started to concentrate on the story again:

"After some weeks of walking through the world he came to a little cabin at the ocean. He knocked and an elderly woman came outside. He asked her for a place to stay at night and she asked him in. The castle he was asking her about was unknown to her but she promised to try something. She was the empress over the animals of the sea. Maybe on of her subservients knew where the castle east of the sun and west of the moon was.
Early the next morning she went down to the beach and blew a horn. Immediately hundreds and thousands of fish and other animals of the sea came from the waves. But when the woman asked them for the castle east of the sun and west of the moon none of the animals knew of it.
"I am sorry for you, but you can try asking my mother. She's living ten days from here on a large plateau and is empress over all animals of the land. Maybe she can help you."
The miller thanked her and continued his arduous voyage. One evening he came to the large plateau. At the very end near a forest he saw a small cabin. He knocked and an old woman asked him in.
The miller told her his story and asked her if she knew of the castle east of the sun and west of the moon. But she didn't know as well. But she promised to ask the animals of the land which she would call early in the morning. Maybe one of them had heard of the castle.
Early the next morning they went out onto the plateau. The old woman blew her horn. From every direction the animals came: wolves, bears, elks, deer, rabbits, bunnies, rats and mice and many animals he had never before seen in his live. The old woman asked them if they had heard from a castle situated east of the sun and west of the moon. But none of them knew of it.
"I know no other alternative than asking my mother. She's empress over all birds in this world. Her cabin is on the highest mountain in this land. When she can't help you then there's no one who knows of the castle you're talking about."
The miller wondered how an old woman could still have a mother and such a powerful one but he thanked her and went on walking. He walked many weeks. Then he saw the mountain and on the very top her small cabin. When he arrived there it was dark.

"Jarod, where does this story come from? You said that this Miss Parker wrote it, why?"
"Do you really want to hear the story?"
"Yes, please."
"She once was a very good friend of mine. We were separated and now she thinks I'm her enemy. I'm in contact with her, though, and a friend of mine is working with her. The problem is, she's suffering from the same unknown thing as Jane and it is possible that they fell unconscious at the exact same time. I'm not sure about that one. But I know that her condition is the same. But there's someone who has been able to contact her. He is a wonderful person and he somehow had contact with her like I had with Jane."
"What do you mean, you had contact with Jane?"
"I have been talking to her. Somehow I was inside her head."
"Are you something like Spock? Mind-melding and things like that?"
"Well, you could use this term to explain what happened but I'm not sure if it was really that. I know that it can be possible but humans aren't supposed to do it. Sorry, I might sound like an alien to you, but I' fully human, I promise."
"Did I say something?"
Jarod shook his head and smiled. Michael was great guy. He thought that he understood why Jane liked him so much.
"Maybe we find something in the fairy tale that might help us reaching them again. The sound of your voice tells me that you miss and love that Miss Parker, do you?"
Jarod only nodded and ended the discussion by picking up the sheets again and reading. He hoped that Michael understood that he wasn't ready to talk about this subject yet.

"He knocked at the door and a very old woman opened the door and asked him in. The miller asked her if she had heard from a castle east of the sun and west of the moon. She had not. But if he would like to stay the night she would ask all the birds in this world if they knew of the castle.
The next morning they went outside and the very old woman blew her horn. The birds cam from the north, the east, the south and the west and sat down on every tree on the mountain. But none of then had heard of a castle east of the sun and west of the moon.
The old woman looked very disappointed. But then she realized that a huge old eagle was missing who was living very far away. She blew her horn again waiting for the old eagle to appear. It took a while but then one saw a black dot at the horizon that came nearer. It was the old eagle. The old woman asked him in a harsh tone why it had taken him so long.
"I come from the castle east of the sun and west of the moon in the enchanted forest which lies at the end of the world," the eagle answered, "That's why it's taken so long. I have flown as fast as I could."

"It's late, Jarod. I have to go now. I'll see you tomorrow if you don't mind. Would you mind to send me those pages?"
They exchanged email addresses and Michael got up.
"I'm sure we'll find a way to help them both," he said and left the café. Jarod looked after him. Hadn't Ms Ryan said that he had a girl-friend? He sounded very much in love with Jane. Maybe he wasn't ready to admit it yet, like he wasn't ready to admit his love for Miss Parker. He decided to finish the story and his now cold coffee and then move on to his apartment to pack his things in case Lyle would be back soon to catch him.

"The very old woman ordered the eagle to take the miller to the castle east of the sun and west of the moon. And when the eagle had rested for a while the miller climbed onto its back and they flew as fast as the wind. Before the sun touched the horizon they were at the castle and landed on a huge plaza in front of the castle doors.
The castle looked more like a huge mountain of glass than a building and the doors were so huge and impressive that the miller, even though he was no small man, had problems in reaching the handle which was build as a ring.
The miller asked the eagle what to do to get inside the castle.
"Do you see the little bottle next to the door? Take it and drink from it. It makes you three times as strong as you are now and you'll be able to lift the spear leaning at the wall. Put it through the ring and turn it around then the door s will open."
The miller did as he was told and the doors opened. But there was only one room inside. He saw the three dove-women who greeted him cheerfully. They were enchanted princesses!
The princess whose plumage he had hidden asked him to go into the forest with him. He followed her to a wonderful rose tree, which was standing in full bloom.
"If you really love me like you say," she said, "take the ax leaning at the tree-trunk and fell it."
"You don't want me to fell that wonderful tree. I have never seen a tree like this. This is like murder."
But the princess didn't stop begging and finally he fulfilled her wish. As soon as the tree fell a dreadful noise was heard and the earth began to shake.
When the miller woke again the princess was sitting at his side. Everything had changed. The mountain had changed into a huge castle, the forest had disappeared and instead there were fields of corn and green.
"I can't thank you enough for what you have done for us," the princess said. "You have saved me and my sisters from a horrible enchantment. And not only us but the whole country."
The wedding was supposed to be one week later. But the miller wasn't happy. He had to think of his parents who didn't know where he was and would have to live without him from now on. So he asked his wife-to-be if he could visit them.
"I can understand your wish but I fear that your journey will be our misfortune. The journey is long and hart. You can have a horse that is faster than the wind so you'll be back in time. But you have to promise me one thing. Whatever happens - do never dismount your horse. If you do we'll never see each other again."
The miller promised to take good care and swung himself into the saddle. The horse was really faster than the wind and he reached his home before nightfall."

Jarod couldn't stop thinking about the thing that Michael had said, that this was supposed to be Jane's handwriting. There had to be a connection between Miss Parker and Jane. Whatever it was, he had to find it out soon.
He got up and left the café as well. He was told that Michael had already paid for him and Jarod had to smile. At first he had wanted to go straight to his apartment but decided to stop by the hospital to look after Jane.
She was still unconscious. He didn't turn on the light, there was enough light left outside on the hallway. He looked at Jane's face intently and after a while he saw some similarities to Miss Parker. The nose was the same and the shape of her lips had something of Parker's as well. There was something else that he didn't see at first. The form of her eyes had something of Lyle, her hands looked like his own. What was she? An experiment from the Centre that had gone wrong? A clone? Or just a trick of his own eyes that wanted to see those similarities? He didn't know and decided it would be best just to go home and finish packing. Maybe he had to leave earlier than he had intended to. He closed the door behind him but didn't see the figure standing in the darkness with the sad look in the eyes, he hadn't even heard that someone had entered the room while he had been sitting beside Jane's bed.
His apartment was cold and empty. He had to finish packing the things for the charity, finish his red scrapbook for Miss Parker to find -- Well, not for Miss Parker but the sweeper team that would be here instead of her. Some habit he had to keep up even though he had no plans for the future, except saving two lives, and there had been nothing in the newspaper about the things that had happened recently. Maybe they wouldn't even notice, they would just see the scrapbook and conclude that he had been here.
He sighed heavily and let himself fall onto the bed which would still be here when he would have left. He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on something. But there was nothing inside his head than the thoughts about Miss Parker and Jane and how they were connected. He decided to finish reading and then go to bed so he would be able to get up early the next morning. He prepared himself a hot chocolate with heaps of marshmallows and sat down on the bed again.

"As the parents heard the hoofbeats they immediately asked their son in to tell of his journey.
"You have to excuse me but I have to return immediately and am not allowed to dismount my horse or great misfortune will find me."
But his mother held him by the arm and wouldn't let go of her son. Suddenly a hen flew up from the den. The horse shied and the miller was thrown from the saddle. The horse raced from their view.
The miller was desperate and so were his parents. Several weeks passed. The miller didn’t know what to do.
One day when he was standing by the road a carriage with six black horses came down the road and stopped beside him. Inside the carriage was his wife-to-be.
She asked him inside immediately and the carriage gained speed again.
"When your horse came into the courtyard," the princess said, "I saw that the girth was torn and I realized that you didn't dismount your horse voluntarily and that something had happened. Because of that I was able to come here and get you."
"I nearly died of longing for you," the miller said, "but what will happen to my parents without me? How shall they live?"
"You're lucky that you've asked. That was your last test. If had forgotten about them, everything would have been over. Now they will be coming to the castle with us and tomorrow will be our wedding."
She held this promise and they lived happily ever after."

There had to be something about this story that would help them to solve the problem. He knew that he hadn't enough time to solve Jane's mystery. He had to rely on Michael for some time. Maybe he could ask Broots for help, to set up some false tracks very far from here. And when the sweeper teams would have left the city he would return and finish his job. That could work, but he was afraid that it would be too late by then.

Disclaimer: I do not own them, TNT does. I'll give them back relatively unharmed as soon as I'm finished with them. This is a piece of non-profit fanfiction and there are no copyright infringements intended so please don't sue. The poem at the beginning belongs to me.

Title: Sinner, you know you have to pretend, Part 11/?
By: CHris
Rated: PG
Note: Please start with part 1


Deep inside my heart
There's a fire which
Is you

Deep inside my head
There's a picture
Of you

Deep inside my soul
I hear a voice
Which is yours

Deep inside my mind
I keep a smile
of yours

Deep inside me
I can feel you
And I know that
You are a part of me
- FOREVER -


Sydney started to get worried. Jarod hadn't called after receiving the mail and Angelo hadn't been talking since he had been with Miss Parker. He decided that it was time to see Angelo and try to talk to him. He walked through the corridors of the Centre observing the people walking by. When he entered the room where Angelo usually stayed he found it empty. Maybe he was crawling somewhere through the ventilation shafts. Sydney wasn't worried about that, that was his usual behavior. He decided to check on Angelo before he was to leave for home tonight.
He heard the squeaking of the wheels before he actually saw Raines turning around the corner in front of him. He didn't want to report to him that Angelo was missing. He decided to keep in for himself and tried to hide the worry from Raines. But Raines seemed to have read his mind.
"Sydney, have you seen Angelo?"
"No, Mr. Raines, I haven't. Have you heard from Lyle?"
"Not yet. Why do you ask?"
"I haven't heard anything from him in a while and I was wondering. He normally keeps us informed on everything."
"Well, there seem to be some abnormal circumstances that he finds it suitable not to inform you. Good day."
Without another look he walked on. The wheels from his oxygen tank kept squeaking and the sound followed Sydney when he walked towards Miss Parker's office. He opened the door and walked inside. He had anticipated to find it empty but Mr. Parker was sitting on the sofa obviously waiting for something. He looked up when Sydney entered the room. From the look on his face Sydney could tell that he had anticipated to see his daughter because his face fell and he slumped back into the sofa.
Sydney didn't know if he should tell Mr. Parker about his daughter. They would know that he had left the building with her because of all the security cameras but they had to check all recordings if there wasn't someone who had seen him leave and they wouldn't check if nobody gave them a hint. So he kept silent. He didn't greet Mr. Parker and turned to leave the room again. When the door closed behind him he started to wonder. Why hadn't Mr. Parker said anything? Why hadn't he asked about the whereabouts of his daughter? Why didn't they already know that he had brought her away from the Centre and why the heck had everything worked so well until now? No questions, no answers to give, no security checks, no security trolls with their guns pointing at his head and nearly everybody pretending that everything was alright? Didn't they miss her? Didn't anybody care? Did anybody notice that Parker was gone? And where the heck was Broots?
He turned around the corner and saw the door to Broots office stand ajar. He heard voices from within. One was Broots'. He opened the door.
"Hello Sydney," the Techie greeted him and smiled gratefully.
"Good morning Broots, good morning Lyle."
So Lyle was here at all and he had the feeling that he had just saved Broots from Lyle. He turned towards the computer screen and leaned in closer. There was a photograph on the screen that showed Jarod. It looked very real. Jarod had a bruise on his left temple and in the background there were buildings that looked a lot like Chicago. Even though Broots hadn't said anything Sydney knew that this was a fake. He knew the photograph. It had been taken last summer. Jarod had been in the Amazonas region helping a group of activists. The bruise had come from some animal they had disturbed in its nest. The background photograph really showed Chicago. Sydney could make out Sears Tower in the distance. Broots had done a great job. They both knew that Jarod was somewhere else and that somewhere else was far from Chicago. But the further away from Lyle the better. Sydney just wondered how he had done it. He couldn't just send the photograph with his email address, could he? Lyle told them in his usual harsh voice to keep working and to keep him informed and stormed out of the room. Broots looked at Sydney and smiled.
"Where did this photograph come from?"
"Jarod sent it last night. And no, I didn't make it up. The photograph is real."
"That can't be," Sydney whispered, "I know that photo."
"I thought I knew it as well. But it seems real. I can't find anything that indicates that it's a fake. Jarod's done a great job. And Lyle's on his way to Chicago – without us," he added and smiled a little. Both Sydney and Broots knew that the photograph was a fake but they somehow forgot to tell Lyle but they didn't bother. Lyle was gone and on his way to Chicago and they were left behind to plan other things.
Sydney sat down. Broots didn't know that Parker was ill – not yet – and he had to tell him. He had to tell him that Angelo had written the fairy tale and that Angelo was acting peculiar since he had been with Miss Parker – to be true he didn't even know where he was. Broots seemed to know that something was wrong.
"Where's Miss Parker?"
"Hospital, Dover. We need to go there. I have to be there with her and I need a place to talk. I can't tell you everything back here. Can you leave?"
"Sure, Lyle's on his way to Chicago, isn't he? Let's go in case Lyle should decide to come back."
Broots didn't seem to take it very hard that Miss Parker was ill. They left the building together and walked to Broots' car.
"Where are we going?"
"Dover, Hospital."
"Why?"
"Miss Parker's ill."
"Ill? Miss Parker? Never. And why is she in Dover and not in sickbay in the Centre?"
So he hadn't been listening when he had told him back in the Centre. He was sure that Broots' car was unmonitored by the Centre and so he told him the whole story. From the beginning when he had been in Parker's office this morning and Miss Parker collapsing in his arms to the very end with Angelo acting very peculiar and his disappearance. It hurt him to tell the story again. Parker was like a daughter to him. And it was unbearable for a father having to see his daughter suffer.
When Sydney was finished they drove onto the hospital grounds. Both men were uncomfortable when they walked through the entrance and up to the reception. They were told that Miss Parker was still in ER. Since no family members had visited her so far and Sydney had brought her to hospital they were allowed to visit her.
She was lying in the bed. She was wearing a white hospital gown and was absolutely pale. She was hooked to several machines that were beeping slowly. They both pulled up a chair and sat down. They didn't dare to speak. They simply sat there and looked at Parker. Broots held her hand and seemed close to tears. And there was no sign of Angelo ever having been here.

Disclaimer see part 1

Title: Sinner, you know you have to pretend!
By: Chris
e-mail address : kylaparker@hotmail.com
Rated: PG
Category: S / P
Spoilers: None


12.

Night
pure blackness
stars above us
twinkle in the night
light


Jarod had left the room and closed the door be hind him. He came from behind the curtain and stepped into the light from the window. It was Angelo. There was something inside him that had guided him here. To this town. To this hospital. Into this room. Something had drawn him towards Jane. He sat down on the bed next to her and gently stroked her face. She was like Parker. She felt cold and lifeless. He took her hand and closed his eyes. He relaxed and felt being drawn towards her. And not only towards her. He had found Parker.

Parker heard a voice from far behind and stopped in her tracks. The Angel girl beside her stopped as well. Both turned around and saw that their paradise had disappeared. That everything had turned gray.
"What's happening?" Parker asked.
"That's you," the Angel girl spat and let go of Parker's hand. "You want to bring me back into reality."
"What reality? Isn't this real? I haven't done anything! Who's calling for me back there?"
"Since you came the world has lost its color. You have poisoned it. Is this Jarod who's calling?"
"You know Jarod? He used to be my friend."
"He's been here. He has tried to bring me back. I don't like him."
"I don't like him either. But who's that?" Parker asked and pointed towards the little boy with the red hair that came from the darkness. There seemed to be a ray of light resting on him because his hair shone like a beacon in the night.
"Can I be your friend? I am lost. My name is Timmy."
"We don't need a friend!" the Angel girl said.
"I know you," Parker said. "You are someone from my past. But I don't want to be reminded of that past. Go away."
Both girls turned away and walked away. Angelo followed them in a short distance. He didn't want to lose them. He wanted to be close to them.
"I know of a place," the Angel girl said, "A place where nobody will find us. We will go to an enchanted place."
"Can I be a princess?" Parker asked.
"We will both be princesses there."
"Where is this enchanted place?" Parker asked. They didn't see the little boy who was still standing there. The light had disappeared and he was standing in the darkness but he could still hear them.
"It's east of the sun and west of the moon. Nobody will find us there because nobody knows where it is."
"Except for one very old eagle."
"Exactly. But nobody knows whom to ask. We will be save there. I promise."
Parker nodded and they took each other by both hands. They smiled and a ray of light formed around them. Angelo had to close his eyes to the brightness. When he opened them again they were gone and he was left in complete darkness. He shook his head and returned to the reality he belonged to, became the Angelo he used to be.
Someone's hand was on his shoulders when he returned into the conscious world.
"Hello Angelo," Jarod said.
"Hello Jarod. Found Parker and little girl."
"What can you tell me about it? And what about the story you've written?"
"Girl with Parker. Parker with girl. Gone to castle east of the sun and west of the moon. Only eagle can find way. Need help. Parker has to come back. Girl has to come back. Jarod, help!"
"I will help as soon as I know of a way. Where is Sydney? How did you come here?"
"Girl called. Came here fast. Have to go home. Help me! Have to see Parker."
"Come with me. We have to call Sydney. Maybe he can come and pick you up. We'll go to my office."
Angelo followed him without a word. He seemed almost normal even though he looked deeply troubled. Jarod wondered what had happened back there in the room with Jane. He locked the door behind them when they had entered his office. Angelo took the photograph that was lying on Jarod's table. The photograph he had gotten from his friend who had been given it by Lyle. Angelo didn't say a word. Just sat down on the chair and stared at the photo. Jarod took his phone and called at the Centre. Sydney answered the phone.
"Thank God, you're OK. I haven't heard from you in a long time. What has happened?"
"I've got a visitor."
"Lyle?"
"No. You have to come here and get him. It's Angelo."
"Angelo? Where are you, Jarod?"
"Where's Lyle?"
"He followed your lead. Thanks for sending Broots the email. How did you know that Lyle's monitoring his mail?"
"That's what I would have done if I were in his place. I'm just wondering why he's not monitoring your mail. Would be much easier to track me down then."
"Guess he does. But when did you last send me something? It's always me who's sending you things. Both ways are trackable. But let's talk about Angelo's return. How did he get to your place? I don't know, really."
"I have no idea either. He said that the girl has called him and he followed her. And he claims to have found Parker as well. I don't understand a thing, Sydney. Do you think that this could be a pretender ability that is spreading? Angelo can walk inside the girl's head, I feel like I can talk to her and the girl is talking to me and obviously to Parker as well. I can always hear Parker's screams in my head and all I want is for it to stop. I want Parker back with the living, I want Jane back and I want to know Angelo back in his usual and save environment."
"Yes, that's right. Angelo has to be back in the Centre as soon as possible. Lyle has left for Chicago half an hour ago. Where are you?"
"New York. Don't let Lyle know. I'll call you in a phone booth opposite the Guggenheim Museum tomorrow morning at 8 am. Be there."
Without another word he hung up. He wasn't in New York. But he knew that Lye would be monitoring the phone lines inside and outside the Centre and that each incoming and outgoing call would be taped. He would hear about it eventually. He had to call Broots on his private cellphone tonight to tell him where he really was. He wasn't that far from Blue Cove. But he was far from New York and even further from Chicago.

Disclaimer see part 1. Poem's mine!

Title: Sinner, you know you have to pretend!
By: CHris
e-mail address : kylaparker@hotmail.com
Rated: PG


13.

Wild, beating heart when I think of you.
It's beating for you, just for you.
Each beat of my heart
is a knocking on your door.
Why don't you hear it?


Jarod was sitting in his room and watched Angelo who was sleeping. It wasn't a peaceful sleep. He took his cellphone and called Broots.
"Broots, it's Jarod."
"Hi Jarod. Did anything go wrong?"
"No, I was just giving Lyle a few things to chew on. There will be no call in New York tomorrow. Just stay where you are. I'll order a cab to bring Angelo back home. Don't worry about him, he will be fine." Without another word he hung up on Broots.
His phone rang and he jumped. He looked at his clock. It was 10.45 pm. Who would call him this late? He wasn't on duty tonight.
"Hello?"
"Dr. Blake?"
"Yes, who's there?"
"Sue Ryan. Sorry to call you this late. I tried to do so earlier but you didn't answer. I was back at school to have a look at Jane's papers. There are a few things I've learned and I wanted to share them with you."
"Couldn't that have waited until tomorrow?"
"Yes," Ryan sighed, "It could have waited. But something seemed wrong. I can't put a finger on it and I have hoped that you could help me."
"OK," Jarod sighed. "Tell me."
"OK, Jane is just a nickname but I never knew that. Her whole name is Janet Samantha Parroll. As far as I know she was born in Toronto but the school papers say that she's been born in a town called Blue Cove in Delaware. She said she's 21 but she's only 19."
"Does it say something about her parents?"
"No, it just says her address. She's got her own flat. No, wait. There's a note. Her mother's name was Catherine Parker. She died shortly after Jane was born. Jane's living with her father's relatives. The note says that the school is not to interfere with her private life. Wow, never seen something like that."
"That helped me a lot. Thank you Ms. Ryan. Are you coming to see Jane tomorrow?"
"Yes, I'll be there in the afternoon. I have to tend to my classes first."
"Why have you been here the first place? Why have you been at the youth hostel where we first met?"
"We are having a school concert and Jane is part of the choir. We were having two days of intensive practice. And I still feel a little responsible for what has happened. The night before this happened she seemed quite happy and was humming. Because of all the singing we had done over the day I wanted to be left alone with all the music and I asked her to stop humming – not very politely. I think she took me too serious."
"Do you like her?"
"Yes, she's a nice girl. Why do you ask?"
"Just curious. It seemed to me that she values your opinion. No, don't say anything. I know you don't approve of what I've been doing and you don't believe that I've been talking to her, but she's hurt. I think the thought of suicide was in her head for quite a long time but this was the trigger. There are another few things that keep me thinking. But I think it would be better to talk about this tomorrow. We both need a good night sleep."
"Sounds good," Ms. Ryan said and yawned. "Sorry. See you tomorrow then."
"See you tomorrow. Can you bring a copy of Jane's school files?"
"Sure. Bye."
He hung up and turned back towards the sofa where Angelo was still sleeping. Jarod wondered if anybody at the Centre had realized that he wasn't there anymore. He looked at the packed suitcase that was standing next to the door. How long would he have time to finish this pretend? Would Angelo reach the Centre unharmed? Would they find him some day? He shook his head to get rid of those thoughts. Tomorrow he had to be fit again, he needed some sleep. He laid down on his bed and stared at the ceiling.
When he finally fell asleep he heard Parker's voice in his head. As clear as she were standing next to him. He tried to talk to her but she was just reciting lines of the fairy tale. So he dreamed about the castle east of the sun and west of the moon.

Michael was sitting in his room, reading and re-reading the pages Jarod had send him. How could it be that this Miss Parker was having the same handwriting as Jane… He had taken the next day off to be next to her. He doubted that his girlfriend would approve of it but he didn't care. Maybe it was time for a change. He had always liked Jane even though he didn't know very much about her. But he knew that she liked him. She had never said anything but there was something in her eyes that he had always missed when he had looked into his girlfriend's eyes. Bridget was a nice young woman but she wasn't listening to his problems like Jane. He had to find out more about her. Maybe that would help Jarod Blake as well.
He started with her homepage. Nothing useful there: Jane Parroll, born September 11, 1986 in Toronto. 86? Hadn't she said she was 21? She was only 19. But it was a start. He knew that he wasn't supposed to do this but he searched everything for her. But there wasn't a girl named Jane Parroll that had been born in Toronto on this very day. So he tried it the other way round. He knew where she lived so he searched the town records. The flat was being paid for by an organization in Blue Cove, Delaware. So he searched this town's records. A girl had been born September 11, 1984, named Janet Samantha Parroll. Nothing about her mother or father. Half an hour later he resigned and switched off his computer because he had found nothing more. He went to bed to get up early. He wanted to be with Jane or Janet or whatever her name was.

It was still dark when he awoke. Where was he? This wasn't his home. A man was sleeping on the bed nearby.
"Jarod, wake. Leave! People coming today."
"Angelo? Who's coming? Sweepers?"
Angelo nodded. Jarod tried not to look too shocked. Lyle was better than he had given him credit for. Angelo had to be back on his way to the Centre as soon as possible, the apartment had to be cleaned and he had to disappear. But what about Jane and Michael and Ms. Ryan? He took his suitcases and packed the remaining things inside. It wasn't much. He had to tell the neighbors where he was going and that his job at the funeral service had ended. They didn't know that he was working at the hospital. He had to get a taxi for Angelo and he had to find a place to spend the day and the next nights. He doubted that this would be a problem but the Sweepers would be there for more than just a few hours. And they would be asking questions all around town and would definitely show up at the hospital. He wanted to get away from here, he had to get away from here. But his pretend wasn't finished yet. He couldn't get away from here. Another game of hide and seek with the Sweepers. Another round of chasing them. He had enough of this.
The taxi stopped in front of them. Jarod leaned towards the window and asked the driver if he could bring his brother to Blue Cove in Delaware.
"That's over 300 miles."
"I know. You'll be paid accordingly."
"Great. No problem. Is he alright?"
"He has a mental problem but he's harmless, I promise. You get 500 dollar if you bring him there and another 100 if you go in with him and give this envelope to the next best person you meet inside the building."
"Great. No problem."
"Angelo, this man will bring you home. Be a good boy and just sit down inside the car and don't do anything. I have a book for you to look at while you are driving. Here's something to drink."
"Thank you, Jarod. Angelo will be home soon. Find Parker, promise?"
"I promise, Angelo. I will find her and bring her home. But you have to help Sydney and Broots, OK. Here's the money. Give it to the driver once you are at the Centre and he has accompanied you inside, OK?"
Angelo nodded and Jarod handed the driver a slip of paper with the address of the Centre. Angelo would be home soon and he had to follow Angelo's warning. Get away from his flat as soon as possible. He had already left a red scrapbook behind, he had locked the door and had given the keys to the young woman at the reception desk. Short term apartments. Something he had never heard of before but something that was very convenient.
He caught the next bus to the hospital, locked his suitcases inside his office and walked towards Jane's room. He hadn't expected to see Michael this early in the morning but he was already sitting next to Jane's bed.
"Good morning. Already up?"
"Good morning, Dr. Blake."
"Please, call me Jarod. Michael, I need your help. I haven't been completely true to you. There's someone who's searching for me and I've been warned that they will turn up today. I just need a place to put my suitcases."
"You're not leaving, are you?"
"No way. As long as Jane's unconscious I will be here to find a way. But they may under no circumstances find me. I wouldn't survive this."
"Don't worry. You're secret's safe with me and I don't care whatever you've done. You can put your suitcases in my trunk and you can come and stay at my house if you want to."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I am sure. Jarod, last night I have made up my mind. I love Jane and I don't want to lose her. You are her only hope right now and I'll do anything in my power to help you."
"You're a great guy. And your decision might be the first step in bringing Jane back."
"What do you know about her, Jarod?"
"Not too much. Ms. Ryan has promised to bring her school files this afternoon."
"I've found out a few things. She claimed to be born in Toronto."
"It was Blue Cove, Ms. Ryan told me."
"Right. In Blue Cove there was no girl called Jane Parroll who was born on September 11, 1986. Only a girl called Janet Samantha Parroll who was born in 1984. Does this make sense to you?"
"No, that doesn't make sense. Where did you get the information?"
"The internet. And don't ask about the origin of the information, that wasn't too legal."
"I don't care where you get it. My sources aren't legal as well. But I have one source to ask and he might know everything that is missing from our puzzle. How's Jane? How have you been here?"
"I arrived only a few minutes ago. She looks the same as last night."
Jarod checked the machines and nodded. No changes, she was still unconscious and her vital signs were getting weaker again. Slowly but continually. He hoped that Parker was doing better.