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Disclaimer: Sigh Here we go... We do not own the Pretender, or any related topic or character... yada yada yada.

Authors note: This is co-written by Jaccione and Onisius. We hope you enjoy, and please leave a review, we will give you some PEZ if you do :p

Chapter two...

Jarod's heart stopped beating for a moment as he looked at the knife. She wouldn’t hurt him, not really hurt him. Would she? But if she could deliver him back to the Centre, knowing what they would do to him there, then really she would be capable of anything. He turned his eyes to hers, trying not to look at the knife, his fists clenching in the cuffs.

Seeing the tension, the fear, she realized that he hadn't clicked as to way she had found the knife and brought it back. Running the blade down his face and down his throat, Miss Parker never once took her eyes from his, enjoying seeing the emotions run across his face like a picture show.

Jarod froze as the knife trailed down his face. He stopped breathing for a moment, holding her eyes with his own. Please don’t do this, he was thinking. Please don’t... this isn’t you...

"Oh don’t wet your pants wonder boy." Miss Parker hissed cruelly as she quickly brought the blade back over to his cheek and slipped it under the tie, twisting it slightly, she pulled hard, cutting the tie from around his face.

Jarod sucked in a relieved breath through his nose and immediately started to push the gag out with his tongue.

Pulling the tie out from under his head, she waited until he worked the sock out from his mouth before she took them too and got off of the bed.

He finally spat the damned thing out, she could have helped me, he thought with disgust. He gasped for air and when he finally felt that he could breathe normally again he tried to ask for some water, but his mouth was so dry from the gag that only a croak came out. He tried to swallow, but found he had no saliva and tried to speak again.

"Water... I need water.”

"Water? You 'NEED' water?" She asked causally. "I could make you beg like I had to beg for all the information you dangled just out of my reach."

"You b..." But he bit back the insult at the last second, realizing that he was in no position to be aggravating her any further.

Shaking her head slightly, ignoring the insult, she walked over to the cart and searched until she found a few bottles of water and a few bottles of wine under it. Grabbing a bottle she unscrewed the cap and took it back to the bound man.

He tried to work up enough voice to try again. "I always gave you..." He licked his dry lips, eyeing the water. "I never made you beg."

"Only in your world lab rat." She said as she climbed back onto the bed. "Open your mouth," She ordered.

He wanted to tell her to go to hell, but he needed that water. His mouth felt like a desert. The sock had sopped up every single drop of moisture in his mouth He opened his mouth, worried that she now might try and drown him.

"That’s a good boy." She said, patronizing the man. Leaning over his body, Miss Parker slowly poured a small amount into his mouth. Only enough to wet his mouth, not even enough to wet his throat or quench his thirst.

He reached his head as forward as he could, chasing the water bottle, but she had only given him a dribble. He sucked it down, but needed more.

"Feel better?" She asked, knowing he was dying for more liquid.

He bit his bottom lip, knowing what she wanted, but he refused to beg, but he needed that water. Finally he decided on a compromise. "Yes."

"Would you like some more Jarod?" She asked sweetly, swallowing a mouthful of the water herself and licking her lips as some of the water spilled from the corner of her mouth.

He eyed the dribble down her chin and realized that he was going to have to play her game. He wouldn’t die of thirst, but he wanted it pretty badly, and it wasn’t worth his pride to lie here and suffer. "Yes please." He ground out, not looking at her.

"Yes please what, Jarod?" She pushed, she knew he was hating her, and she better pray to god that he didn’t get out of his bindings before she had a sweeper team here or she was going to pay hell for this.

He took a deep breath, trying to control his anger. He tested the cuffs again, and again, they weren’t going anywhere. "Please Miss Parker, may I have some water?" He kept his tone neutral, not wanting to push her any further.

Smiling a victory smile, she teased a bit more. "No. I don’t think you really need it. Do you?" Screwing on the cap, Miss Parker climbed off of the bed.

He looked at her smiling at him and bit down the comment that he wanted to throw at her and gasped out load as she got up from the bed. "Miss Parker... please!" He cried in a strangled tone.

She paused as she heard him almost beg her. Standing with her back to him, she waited to see if there was anything more to come.

He watched her stop. He would kill her for this. Did he really need it that bad? He was in no immediate danger, knowing that she wouldn’t go as far as killing him or letting him die, but was foolish pride worth it? "Please..." He said so quietly, he wasn’t sure if she would hear, and certain if she did, she would ignore him again.

That soft plea was enough to make Miss Parker realize how desperate he wanted the water. Her two personalities fought each other. The ice queen said no, let him go thirsty, he deserves it after all he has put you through. But the little Miss Parker, her soft side, that the man that was begging always tried to get too, said yes, don’t make him suffer like this. She stood still for a few more moments. She hadn't actually expected Jarod to give in and ask in that desperate, sad voice of his.

Jarod finally gave up. Well, if it was going to be like this, so be it. He was not going back, and he would do what he had to make sure of that. If it was war that she wanted, then he could play that too.

Miss Parker started to slowly turn around to face Jarod. She walked over to the bed and climbed back on. Unscrewing the cap, she placed her hand under his head and gently raised it. Miss Parker placed the open bottle of water to his lips, waiting for him to open his mouth.

He fought with himself for a brief moment. He was going to refuse it to prove a point. But good sense won out and he opened his mouth and waited to see if she would tease him again.

Miss Parker saw the fight that went on with him too. They were more alike than each of them would admit. She had what she wanted, he had begged for the water and she wouldn’t hold out on the 'reward'. Slowly, careful not to spill too much, she poured the chilled water into his mouth.

Jarod took a quick look at her and then gratefully started gulping the water down, but lying in the position he was, he started coughing and choking, spluttering water all over her suit.

That’s why I lifted your head you idiot! He isn’t getting past me. I knew why he did that! Miss Parker thought, Payback for holding out on the water, and now her suit was covered in water. Pulling away the bottle, she let go of his head, and got off of the bed, putting the bottle on the cart.

Jarod finally got his breath back and realized what he had done.

"No more water for that Jarod. I gave you what you wanted and you spit it on my suit! Never again am I doing something like that for you."

"I’m sorry, I didn't mean." He coughed again, expelling the last of the water from his lungs. "I couldn’t help it... if you let me sit up..."

"HA!" Miss Parker laughed. "Nice try. And to think, I actually thought that you needed that water, that I was helping you by giving it to you. All you wanted was to try and get away, to make me mad and to make a mistake. It isn't going to happen!" Parker tried to say angrily, but the hurt she felt showed through some.

"No, Miss Parker, I swear that’s not true. I did need that water. That damned sock you stuffed in my mouth..." He looked at her sullenly. "I'm not a liar. I have never lied to you."

"That’s not what it looks like to me." Miss Parker all but whispered as she walked over to the phone once more and picked it up, dialling a number, this time never taking her eyes off of the man.

"Who are you calling now? Daddy?" He spat the last word out, knowing how much she would hate having Raines be called her father. He knew it was stupid to antagonize her, but he couldn’t stop himself. They did seem to bring the worst out in each other.

"No. Sam." She spat back at him.

"Great." Jarod had many fond memories of Sam, and his ‘motivator’. "Why not call Lyle and we can make a party. Get him to bring his jumper cables."

Ignoring his last comment, Miss Parker picked up the phone, “Sam, get your team and an extra team of sweepers to New York City. Hilton hotel. I have the pretender. I want you here A.S.A.P. Am I understood? Then get Willie’s team up here if the others are out on re-con!" With that she hung up glaring at Jarod.

She had no intentions of actually making that call. She only wanted to tease him, scare him. Miss Parker so enjoyed seeing the all mighty and powerful, know it all pretender scared. She would prove to that sack of bones Raines, that she could do her job, and do it damn well. It would prove her point more if she brought him in by herself, while on her weekend off.

Jarod listened as he heard his freedom being taken away so casually. "This is wrong. You can’t do this."

"Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do rat."

"I am not a rat!"

"You’re a laboratory experiment, 90 of the times they are rats so that makes you one."

"No I'm not. I'm a person who deserves a life. I don’t belong to you!" He struggled against his restraints.

"No you belong to Mr Raines, but one day, yes you will belong to me rat." She hissed.

He needed to get out of here now. Now that the Centre knew where they were, it wouldn’t be long. "NO! You will have to kill me. I am not going back, I don't belong to anyone and I will scream bloody murder. Everyone in this hotel will know what’s happening."

Before Jarod could blink an eye or make do on his threat, Miss Parker reached over to the end of the bed and grabbed the tie she found earlier and the socks from the ground and moved to gag him again.

He bucked violently, shaking his head. She wasn’t going to get that back in his mouth.

Garbing the struggling man by his chin, daggling her fingers cruelly into the soft skin, Miss Parker threatened, "I hear anything over a soft talk, I will gag you and tie the tie so tight, they will never get it off. Do you want me to gag you rat?"

Jarod stilled his struggles, looking from her face to the gag, wincing at her fingers digging into his skin. He was trying to assess how serious she was. If he screamed now, would anyone hear him? He was in the penthouse, the only one on the top floor. He doubted that anyone would hear him, and he did not want to endanger anyone else. He didn’t want that gag back in, and he realised that she would make good with her threat. He might get another chance later, when room service came, or when they tried to move him, but for the moment, the sensible thing would be to agree with her.

"No, I don’t."

Miss Parker stayed over him, still digging her long nails into the already bleeding flesh. Did she really believe him? She moved to place the gag in his mouth anyway, trying to work out if he was telling the truth and just saying that so that he could call out later on.

He opened his mouth slightly, ignoring the stinging from her nails. He closed his eyes and forced himself to relax. Showing her that he wasn’t going to resist. She could do what she wanted, he was helpless to stop her anyway. He was conquered for the moment. Let her have her little victory.

Miss Parker saw him giving into her; that was a good enough answer for her. He wasn't going to scream out at the moment. She would just have to call the front desk and give strict orders to not let anyone on this floor unless they say they were sent. No staff, no guests. Parker slowly let go of the man’s face and sat back on her heels, watching his reaction.

When he felt her weight move on the bed, he opened his eyes. She was watching him closely. As much as he hated himself for doing it, he said it anyway, "Thank you."

"If I hear you raise your voice even the slightest, the gag will be in and won’t be removed until we get to the Centre. Am I understood?"

"Yes." He flushed with anger, but didn’t want to push her on this issue. Being tied was bad enough, but being gagged was a nightmare, not to mention dangerous, and he had no desire to die from a sock stuffed down his throat.

"Good." Was all she said as she got off the bed and went back to the cart, taking a mouthful of water from the bottle she had just tried to give to Jarod.

"Why does it always have to be like this between us?"

"Like what?" She hissed.

He was careful to keep his voice low, "We used to be friends."

Good boy. She thought when she heard his voice was just under a normal speaking level. "A very long time ago Jarod. Why do you have to always bring it up?"

"Because I never understood what I did to make you hate me so. How long until they get here?"

"The sweepers will be here in a few hours. The jet was all ready to go when I called."

"Can’t you just grant me this one thing then. Soon I will be back in that place..."

She knew she shouldn’t have given him that information, but he was sounding so sad and defeated.

"I won’t cooperate with them."

"Grant you what Jarod?" She asked ignoring the images she had of Jarod hanging from his wrists, being assaulted by the damn jumper cables after one of his refusals.

"Why do you hate me? Why do you do this? Why can’t you just let me go? Say I escaped, overpowered you?"

"It’s my work Jarod. You know yourself what happens when they have found out you have disobeyed them. And if they knew I just let you go, they will kill me, literally. Are you willing to have that on your conscious?"

"No, but you didn’t have to call them, you could have let me go before that." He was angry now, he could feel the minutes ticking by, each one bringing him closer to the Centre.

"If I had let you go before I called them, then you wouldn’t have paid! You have hurt me too many times for me to just feel sorry for you and let you go."

"This isn’t work. Normal people don’t go to work each day to hunt down innocent people."

"I’m not a normal person and you're damn well not innocent rat.”

"I have never tried to hurt you, I have only tried to help." A memory floated to the surface of his mind and he couldn’t help the smile. "Well, except maybe that time..."

"And have ended up ripping my soul apart, giving me an ulcer... killing my boyfriend!!"

"What?" He paled as she said that, "NO!"

"You heard me Franken boy. You killed him!"

"Your father killed Tommy." His voice was rising, "The Centre killed him. He was my friend."

"You killed him! You tried to 'help' and it got him killed! It was your fault that he was in Blue Cove, your fault that he got to meet me, your fault that they killed him! They killed him because they thought I was going soft! Losing focus! Not trying to catch you!" She cried out, "It was your fault!"

"No!" He shouted back, all reason gone now.

Before she could think, Miss Parker grabbed the sock and shoved it into his mouth. He had broken his word to keep his voice lowered.

Jarod knew the pain of guilt of Thomas' death. He was trying to defend himself when she jumped back on him and starting shoving the sock back in his mouth.

Quickly tying the tie, keeping the knot looser this time, Miss Parker gagged him before leaving the room.

He bucked wildly, fighting her all the way. But it was no use and he watched her back as she slammed the door.

Miss Parker sat in the bathroom, trying not to cry, but was unsuccessful. She didn’t blame the Centre for Tommy’s death. If only Jarod had kept his god damn nose out of her life, this loving, caring man wouldn’t have been 6 foot under. This was all his fault.

Tears started to trickle from his eyes. He knew that he bore some responsibility for Thomas. He could hear her crying in the bathroom and he wanted to apologise. But he had only wanted to make her happy. He knew that he never would be able to and he hated to see her so alone, in so much pain. Thomas was a good man and brought out the best in her, and that’s all he ever wanted. He never wanted it to end the way it did. Even after all his years at the Centre, he did not believe them capable of such a thing.

After half an hour, she wiped her eyes, and walked out. He was too quiet for her liking. He lay still on the bed, it looked as if he had been crying too. Why?

He tried again to free himself from the bindings. He rubbed the gag against his outstretched arm, but he couldn’t shift it. He watched her carefully as she emerged from the bathroom. She looked defeated and fragile.

Walking slowly over to Jarod, she stretched out and undid the knot, pulling the socks out of his mouth. "Why did you do it?" She asked in a tiny voice.

This was not the Parker he was so familiar with, this was a scared little girl. "Thank you." He stretched his jaw experimentally. "I was angry, I didn’t mean to raise my voice. It won’t happen again." He knew that was not what she meant, but he didn’t trust himself to speak at the moment.

Ignoring his apology, she asked again, "Why did you do it?"

He took a deep breath and looked at her. "I thought he could make you happy. You deserve to be happy."

"Why?" Walking over to the cart, she grabbed the water and brought it back to the bound man.

"Nothing else. It was not some kind of mind game."

Holding on to the water bottle tightly, she asked again, "Why did you want to make me happy?"

He looked at her. How could she not know? How could she not understand?

She could feel the tears growing again, she would not let him see her cry and blinked them back.

He watched her struggle with her emotions. He wished he could get up and put his arms around her. "I'm sorry. I never thought... I didn't want for it to end that way. I just... I couldn’t make you happy, and you need someone in your life. Life has to be more than just what the Centre has on offer. Can’t you see, they have stolen your life as much as they have mine? The only difference is I know it and you don’t."

"Why did you give me the greatest gift then take him away again? I loved him Jarod! God damn it! I loved him and you took him away!!!" She yelled. "You took him away from me Jarod! I loved him and you took him away!" Throwing the water bottle over the top of Jarod and into the wall on the opposite side of the room, she fell to the ground. "They took him away from me." She whispered.

He was desperate to go to her. The chain between the cuffs rattled as he tried once again to free himself. What could he say? He lifted his head and looked at her. "I'm sorry." It seemed so inadequate, but what else was there?

The words were so soft and quiet, Miss Parker thought she had imagined them. Looking up over the bed, she saw him straggling against his bindings to look down at her. Getting up, she walked over to the end of the bed and untied his legs. Walking back to the cart, she took a fresh bottle of water and unscrewed the cap, crawling onto the bed next to him.

Jarod looked up in surprised as she started to untie his legs. He felt it best to keep quiet for the moment, he did not want to upset her again but was disappointed when she made no moves to take the cuffs off.

Watching as Jarod lay still on the bed, he seemed almost afraid to sit up, as if she would rip his legs back down and re-tie them. "Would you like some water?" She asked softly. She was so tired.

"Yes please." It was little more than a whisper.

She waited, he made no move to sit up.

He was too afraid to move but he wanted to reach out and touch her face.

She wasn’t going to give him any if he stayed lying, she didn’t think her suit would handle another hit of water. "Jarod sit up." She ordered, somewhat softly still, but the ice queen was coming back.

Jarod pulled himself up awkwardly until his body was against the headboard.

Holding the bottle to his lips, she waited until he took the first sip.

He could see her facade slipping back into place, and he wanted to reach her somehow. He drank from the bottle, being very careful this time.

She pulled the water away after he had a few small mouthfuls.

"Better?" She asked, the ice queen was coming back fast.

"Yes, thank you." He ducked his head as he saw his last chances slipping away.

"Why do you try to help me Jarod? After all I have done to you?" She asked after a few moments of silence.

There had to be a way of reaching her. He shook his head. It was so simple Parker, how come she couldn’t see it. But he chose the safer path. "You were my friend." He smiled a crooked grin.

"But I’m not now. So why do you still help me, even if your methods are hurtful."

"I don’t mean to hurt you, but the truth is painful. Wouldn’t you rather know who you really are? Who your mother really was? Even the kind of man your father was? How could you have trusted him?"

"Because he was my father. All I could have done was trust him. And no, I would have rather lived the lie that was my life. It was less painful that way."

"But it wasn’t real."

"Neither was your life but I’m sure it was less painful most of the time."

"Less painful?" He couldn’t believe what she was saying. "Locked away, believing my parents were dead?"

"There is your lie Jarod."

"What?" He shook his head, not understanding.

“You’re a genius. You must have known, even at that age, that if the Centre eliminated your family you would have stayed longer and cooperated better. I’m sure you would have SIMed the possibility that your parents were alive and knew where you were. I know you would have. And yet you choose to ignore it and believe Sydney."

He couldn’t believe her. He backed away from her as far as the restraints would allow. He shook his head. "No, that’s not true. They told me they died and I believed them. They burned it into my brain for thirty years. How can you be so spiteful?"

"And you’re telling me that there wasn’t one small part of your brain that knew it was a lie? The truth hurts doesn’t it?"

"No, it’s not true. I only found out later." He wanted to scream at her, but his eyes flickered over to the tie that was by her side. "They never would have left me there."

"I know you SIMed it! Admit it, you liked living in their lies. You know they left you there."

"No!" He shook his head, tears brimming, remembering those long nights, alone in the cell when he wondered if they had left him there, or perhaps given him away.

"They tried once to rescue you, the Major knew where you were, and yet he never tried again!" She yelled. "I know you SIMed the possibility, I know you knew that it was the most likely scenario. You liked their lies too much to admit it." Parker hissed in a cold, dark, callous voice.

"No, I never knew Catherine, your mother, tried until later." Trying to defend his shattered emotions he hit back the only way he knew how.

"No you didn't, but you SIMed the possibility that they knew where you were and you still denied the facts to yourself! You’d rather believe that they died, than they left you there to rot!" Miss Parker yelled.

"She was ready to give up her life to help me, and now her daughter is trying to take me back. She would be proud of you." The second the words were out of his mouth, he knew he had made a fatal mistake.

She backed off the bed. That had hit her hard. "You bastard!!" She screamed as she pulled out her gun. Grabbing the gag, she wrestled the pretender to shove the sock in his mouth.

Jarod closed his eyes and waited. When the bullet never came, he opened his mouth to apologise only to find the sock shoved back in it.

She was successful, and not bothering to use the tie, she shot his thigh, the bullet leaving a flesh wound.









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