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

He sat watching the young boy play with his car and wished that he were his father. He would have loved to have a little boy, or a little girl to call him Daddy, but he knew that he couldn’t have that just yet. He had met the boy’s mother a year ago and had fallen in love with Jasmine from the first time he saw her. She had told him that most men who had been told that she had a little boy would quickly leave because they didn’t want the burden of having a ready made family. He loved Jason as if he was his own son. He had cut all ties to the Centre to live with Jasmine and Jason in a quiet life that consisted of just the three of them.

He smiled as the sun came up off the horizon. It was another beautiful day and they were going to go to the circus today. He had never been to the circus before and he was just excited as Jason was. They got home later in the day and Jason went to the toy box to take out some toys to play with. Jarod and Jasmine went into the living room to watch him play. Suddenly the front door was pushed in as men in black suits rushed inside and held them at gunpoint. A dark haired woman regally walked up to them. As this was happening Jason quickly ran to his mother.

“Playing house, I see.” She glared at the woman and the boy in her arms.

“How did you find me?” Jarod asked watching Miss Parker glare at Jasmine and Jason.

“That’s for me to know and you to find out. Now let’s go Jarod.” She waved the gun she was holding to let him know that she meant business.

“Jarod who are these people?” Asked a frightened Jasmine.

“I’m so sorry, Jasmine. I didn’t mean to bring you into this.”

“Come on Jarod. I don’t have all day.” She said and then turned to Sam. “Sam, you cuff him and the others will take the boy and his mother.”

“No, don’t take them. Just me. They don’t have anything to do with this.” He pleaded with Miss Parker.

“I have my orders Jarod.”

“Why do you need them? She doesn’t know anything. Please don’t do this.”

He was led down the path to the waiting black limo and watched as Jason and Jasmine was led to the other limo parked in back of the first limo. The door closed and he watched as they pulled out onto the street. He watched the other limo follow them. Sydney watched from the seat next to Miss Parker and wondered whom the woman and the boy was.

“Why do you need Jason and Jasmine? I never told her about me, or the Centre. You have to believe me.” He turned to Miss Parker and Sydney hoping that he could persuade them into letting the two go.

“My orders were to get you and them. They didn’t tell me why. Now quite whining about it.” She turned to look out the window. They stopped in front of the airplane that would take them to the Centre. He was led up the stairs and into the plane along with Jason, Jasmine, the sweepers, Miss Parker and Sydney. Sydney watched as Jarod interacted with Jasmine.

“Who are these people, Jarod?”

“I’m sorry, I can’t tell you that. The only thing I can tell you is that I’m not a criminal.”

“Sydney, do you know why they want Jason and Jasmine to come with me?”

“No, sorry I do not Jarod.”

“You mean you don’t know, or don’t want to tell me?”

“I honestly don’t know.”

“Honesty? That’s a good one. You’ve been lying to me ever since I was little. You told me that my Sims weren’t going to be used for evil and you told me my parents died, but we all know how that turned out.”

“Jarod, I didn’t know that your parents didn’t die. Mr. Raines told me that they died in an accident coming to see you. I never even thought of questioning him. I also didn’t know about your Sims either. I found out when you told me what they were being used for. I’m sorry.”

“Sorry enough to let them go?”

“I can’t do that.”

“Can’t and won’t.”

Jarod looked away and stared out the window. He couldn’t believe that this was happening. He was not only going to be going back to the Centre, but he had brought a boy and his mother into the mess that was his life and there was no way to stop it.

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

He slid down the bars of the cell that he and the two with him had been thrown in. It was the same cell that he was in the last time they had caught him and dragged him back. Sam and another sweeper were standing outside of the cell watching the three inside making sure that they wouldn’t talk to each other.

“What is going on Jarod?” Jasmine asked as she held Jason who was still frightened and clinging to his mother.

“I don’t know, Jasmine. They should have just gotten me not you too.”

“Shut up you two, or do I need to use the motivator on you again Jarod? Or maybe let Lyle come down here?” He scowled at them and took a step forward.

“I’m sorry, Jasmine.” Jarod answered looking at her and then back at Sam. He looked at the camera that was watching them.

A couple of minute’s later Sydney, Miss Parker and another sweeper came in and walked towards the cell.

“Jake, I need you to take the boy and his mother to the lab. Sam and Tyler you need to take Jarod back to his space.”

“What’s going on?” Jasmine asked as she hugged her son to her.

“Don’t ask questions.” The sweeper named Jake barked at the woman. He grabbed her and led her away.

Jarod was on his feet, but Sam and Tyler were already there and grabbed him before he could do anything. Miss Parker followed the woman and boy to the lab while Sydney stayed behind.

“Where are they taking them?”

“They want to make sure that Jason isn’t your son. If he is then they will see if he’s a pretender like you and if he’s not then I don’t know.”

“He’s not my son. I met his mother a year ago. Why couldn’t they do this somewhere else?”

“Because they didn’t want the chance that it might be mixed up.”

Sam and Tyler dragged him to his cell and threw him inside. He slid to the ground and covered his eyes. What had he done? He couldn’t believe that this was happening. He had done this. He had messed up Jasmine and Jason’s life because the Centre still thought that he was their property. What was he going to do now?

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

It had been sometime before Angelo made an appearance. He didn’t know how much time had passed because no one had told him and when he had asked they chose to ignore him.

He was sitting at the table after being thrown into the cell again. They had taken him to the Sim lab to see if he would do any Sims, but he had firmly told them no and they led him back to the cell again.

Angelo kicked the vent open and hopped down. “Come on.”

“Angelo, what are you doing here?” Just as he said that two heads peeked out of the vent and he went to them.

“He told us that he knew you and we should follow him to take us out of here.” Jasmine said as she nodded towards Angelo’s direction.

“Jarod happy?”

“Yes, Jarod is happy. Thank you Angelo.” He hugged his friend and climbed into the vent. “We have to hurry before they know that we have left.”

After crawling through the vents they finally got out. “Come on Angelo.”

“No, stay here. Keep eye out for daughter, Sydney and you.”

“Thank you, Angelo for everything. Thank you for helping me get Kyle out and for helping me now.”

“You’re welcome.” Angelo said just before he disappeared.

“Come on, let’s go. They will know that we escaped pretty soon and I want to be away from here when they do.”

“What was that place, Jarod?”

“As soon as we are away from here and are safe I will tell you everything.” He promised her as he gave her a hug and a kiss.

She nodded and followed him. They had gotten a ride from a stranger and had finally put enough distance between the Centre and themselves. He told her that he was kidnapped as a child when he was Jason’s age and taken to the Centre. He told her that he was a pretender and when he found out that the Sims that he did at the Centre was being used for the opposite of what they were intended to be he escaped. He told her of the things that he had done and discovered since his escape. He told her that he had cut all ties with the Centre after falling in love with her. He told her all of this and that it wasn’t enough. He had the let them go and they had to have new names because the Centre might go after them again to bring him back.

He watched as she had left in the car that he had brought for them. He waved one final goodbye and then wiped the tear off his face. He felt like every time he had something good it slipped though his fingers like sand.

The End