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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Title: The Reason
Disclaimer: The characters from The Pretender aren't mine. The ones that you've never heard about are. And if the characters of The Pretender were mine...I would be rich. Instead I'm poor. Don't sue. Thanks! (Plus its my first fanfic- give me a break!)
Timeline: Three years have passed since the Island of Carthis
Author: (wouldn't you like to know) AtlantianDream
Rating: R
Kisses feathered her face. Still in the realm of sleep she sighed contently.
They felt like Thomas' kisses.
She slowly opened her eyes to find her window opened slightly and rain drops blowing into her bedroom.
She swallowed the lump that had started in her throat.
She slowly sat up in bed and closed the window. She closed her eyes and tried to keep the voices at bay- the voices that drove her into a deep depression.
It had been three years since Carthis, and in all that time she had not seen Jarod.
The chase was still on though; he always kept them on the chase.
But she had, in all this time, not even seen his retreating form. They didn't even come close to finding him these days.
But today she would not go out and chase Jarod.
Today was a special day.
A sacred day. At least for her.
It was the anniversary of Tommy's death.
She slowly rose from her bed and went about cleaning and dressing herself. She slowly made her way through the house.
Images of their past together assaulting her. She looked back from her doorway and closed the door behind her.
She got in her car and drove down an all too familiar road.
When she reached the cemetery she couldn't bring herself to exit her car. She looked out into the mass of headstones. Inhaling deeply she exited the car.
She began to walk her familiar path, winding her way to a place she wished and prayed she never should have known.
Placing her hand on his headstone she slowly sank down to her knees. She began to idly pick at the weeds that had formed on his grave. Letting flow the tears that had threatened to come bursting out all morning.
"You loved him didn't you?" A strange voice asked, causing her to jump and whip out her gun, automatically training the gun on where the noise had come from.
"WHO THE HELL are you?" she asked in a barely suppressed angry tone.
The girl smiled at her.
"Parker?...do you always point weapons at complete strangers or am I just lucky to have that reaction from you?"
" Do I know you?" She asked in a non-shocked maniacal sort of way.
The girl started tilting her head from left to right with a crooked little smirk on her face.
"Yeesss, and No!" She answered. Again Parker repeated her question, but now with a curiosity in her voice.
"Who are you?"
The girl looked at the woman with a teary smile and looked away fast, that had she not had her at gunpoint so suspiciously, she would not have noticed.
The girl looked up again, smirking again.
"You can call me Amanda."
The girl looked so familiar. It was uncanny, to know you have never seen a person before but could bet your shoes that you had. And Parker felt something that she had not felt since the day before she had laid Tommy down in the earth beneath her.
She felt the ability to trust. It unnerved her.
The girl had black hair a little longer than shoulder length, white porcelain skin, big full lips, and she seemed to have brown eyes. She looked older than her instinct told her that this girl was. And still she felt she could trust this girl. Slowly she lowered her gun.
"What do you want?"
The girl looked at her with a deep sadness.
" I just wanted to know if you truly loved him?"
" I did," she said quite fast. She turned around and looked at his headstone her hand dancing over it, as if actually touching the headstone would make the matter hit home more.
"Are you sure?" Amanda asked with sadness in her voice. Parker whirled around growling.
"What kind of question is that?"
"A serious one?" Amanda asked in amusement with her eye brows arched in question, and despite the circumstances of the situation, Parker laughed.
"I want to know if you loved the man, or the idea of the man, or if you actually knew who he really was at all? And what would you give to have him back?" This time Parker laughed with a dark glint in her eye and soon her smirking face turned into a snarl.
"Is this some sort of fucking JOKE?" Amanda just kept staring at her, as if she was fighting a battle with in herself and trying to find the right words.
Then something flicked in her eyes. Something won the battle.
"What if I told you I can give it back to you, I can give you him back, but there are repercussions that come with this offering, what would you say?" Amanda asked with a deep sadness in her eyes.
Parker looked like the girl had spoken her prayers out loud. She began to tear up with anger at this girl. No one could bring him back, no one but God himself, and she had begged and prayed for him to do so, and still she woke each morning to an empty bed. Chocking down the cries of anguish and pain she spoke again.
"What the fuck do you want from me? Do you want to know that I would give up everything to have him back? That I would give up everything just to see him again, sacrifice anything to have him back? Is that it?"
Amanda looked down her hair covering her face. When she raised her head again Parker saw the tears in Amanda's eyes.
"You won't remember about this life for a while. You won't remember many things but in time they will come back to you. The repercussions are great, but you wanted it. Remember that! YOU WANTED IT!"
Amanda's right eye glowed a purple color as she lifted her hand to have the glow in her eye stream out her hand.
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She shifted in her mattress and reached a hand out a hand to look for the usual comforting warmth of a male body that had been named Thomas.
She sat up slowly hearing the shower running. She slowly grinned and began to sit up.
She sat in bed for 2 minutes when a sense of foreboding encompassed her. Suddenly a flash of seeing Tommy dead entered her mind and disappeared in less than a second.
She ran out of bed into the bathroom, hysterical.
"TOMMY! Tommy!"
"Hey, Hey what's wrong...are you ok?" She came to a screeching halt as he grabbed her arm. Relief flooded her and she began to cry. He pulled away from her and looked at her quizzically. Her hands and eyes ran over him, drinking in his sight. He was here. He was ok. He was ok.
"Your ookk! Your ookk!" She whispered out.
Thomas slid both hands onto the sides of her face.
"Yeah Parker, I'm ok!"
Her face soon turned into a full fledge grin.
"God Thomas...I... I love you so much!"
Thomas' eyes widened...she had said it! She said it to him. And he was ok.
She leaned into him and smothered his lips with her own.
All thoughts fled from her head as Thomas' hands glided and slid into her body. She roughly pulled him towards her while giggling. He giggled with her as he lifted her up as they stumbled onto the bed.
Time slipped by as they explored each other’s bodies. Both eventually found the tranquility of a deep...dream filled...sleep.
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Unbenounced to her - voices overwhelmed her tranquility...slowly...and quickly rousing her from her slumber. She awoke to find Tommy smirking in sleep with his arms wrapped around her and responded by smiling at his smirk.
Again the voices inside her came to high pitch and she sucked in her breath through clenched teeth at the pain.
What the hell is that noise?
She slowly rolled away from Tommy.
Maybe some aspirins can make the pain go away.
She stood up and suddenly the noise inside her head came to the front of her mind.
TOOLATETOOLATETOOLATEGONEGONETOOLATEGONETOOLATEGONEGONETOOOLATTTEEE!
She stumbled towards the bedroom door and tore it open. Before her eyes the house lay in disarray. Clothes, books, lamps, and many different articles lay shattered and broken all over the cabin floor.
And then the screech of the voices stopped.
A deadly silence filled her mind as well as the house.
The only sound heard was her panting breath and the furious beating of her heart. Her eyes were transfixed on the door. A letter was pined to the door with a switchblade.
She slowly approached the door, watching her step as she went.
Her eyes began to read the note...
Miss Parker,
Please excuse the mess. Your Daddy will explain everything as soon as you enter the Centre today. Luv Your Mummy XOXO
Opening the door with a trembling hand she discovered the porch covered with blood...leading to the end of the porch...but...nothing was there.
And her feet immediately turned her and she ran inside again.
"TOMMY!BABY!WAKE UP BABY! WAKE UP!"
Thomas jerked from sleep at her frantic yelling.
She let out a shuddering breath. The realization that he was all right overwhelming her...but still...if Tommy was fine...whose blood...
"Tommy there's blood all over the porch baby...I...I don't...know where it came from!"
"What!"
"I have to go to work baby. I need to know what happened. I'll be back in..."
"WHAT! NOOO! Your leaving that place remember?"
"Tommy I have to..."
"I'm coming with you."
"Baby that's not a good..."
"I SAID I AM COM-ING WITH YOU!"
Thomas quickly threw some clothes on and scrambled to hurry. A few seconds passed before Parker followed in toe. They quickly dressed and breezed out of the house...carefully avoiding the blood on the porch.
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She second she stepped into the Centre she knew something was up. Her father along with Bridgette, and Raines were in the Lobby laughing and talking while Lyle was behind Daddy with a distant look on his face.
Thomas was walking briskly with her towards her father. As soon as Mr. Parker saw his daughter, a bright smile that she had never seen graced his features...it scared her.
"Angel, can you believe it! What a great day this is turning out to be."
He walked up to her and gave her a kiss on the forehead.
"And it's all thanks to you Boy!" Mr. Parker took Thomas' hand and shook it firmly, and just as quickly placed both his hands into his coat pockets as Bridgette came behind him and linked her arm through his with an evil laughing smirking face. They both walked away with a very happy faced Mr. Raines following close behind.
"WHAT THE HELL is going on?" Miss Parker yelled out to no one.
Thomas turned to her.
"Honey I have to go talk to your father...ok! I'll be right back."
"Thomas what is going on...just tell me."
Thomas drew back from her.
"I...I...I can't...not right now anyway ok?"
He quickly walked in the direction that her father left. She stood there in total shock. Then a thought popped into her head.
Sydney and Broots! They would know what's going on!
She quickly made it to the elevator and pushed the button to the floor of Sydney's simulation lab.
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She descended into the depths of the Centre with a million questions buzzing in her cranium.
Finally the elevator came to a halt and she swiftly exited.
Walking briskly towards Sydney's lab, but suddenly, the noise inside her head began to come up again. She slowed down- Almost to a point of not moving.
She closed her eyes and swallowed a sudden lump in her throat, not understanding what was causing this distress in her.
Rounding the corner slowly, she was greeted with a sight that she had only seen once before- and not nearly to this extent.
Sydney leaning into a bottle that was clutched into his hand; Not a sight that would cause her distress ordinarily- if the bottle had not been a half empty Vodka bottle, in which about two other empty Vodka bottles lay next to the clutching form of the man.
She could see part of his face.
She squeezed her eyes shut.
He was in so much pain. With one look she could feel the complete and utter horrific pain that he was feeling.
She looked to the man that was in the chair behind Sydney. Broots' forehead was leaning into his hand that was propped up from his elbow resting on his thigh.
He held a look on his face that she had seen many times- But one never so grave as this one. The despair and sadness his face held...echoed that of Sydney's.
"What's going on?" Whispered Parker.
Broots was the only one that acknowledged her presents, quickly standing up and moving to Miss Parker and grabbing her and dragging her out of the office.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING? YOU'VE FINALLY DONE IT BROOTS! YOU'VE JUST SIGNED YOUR DEATH WARRANT!"
"SHUT UP!" Cried out Broots and then flinched at what he said. He squeezed his eyes shut.
"I...I...I just...I didn't want you to upset Sydney even more...He can't take much more...Please Miss Parker...I'm only trying to help him" Broots stuttered out. After a minute or so he looked up into her eyes.
Parker for the first time saw the tears that were beginning to well in his eyes. Her anger vanished the second she saw this.
"What happened?" Parker asked softly.
Broots looked at her in bewilderment.
"You mean you don't know?" He asked her.
"Would I ask you if I knew? Spill it Broots- what's going on?"
Broots looked down and looked at his hands.
"What happened Miss Parker is that I brought in the rat!" Answered Bridgette as she exited the shadow she had been hiding in.
Miss Parker's eyebrow arched angrily towards her.
"You what?" She asked with anger threading in her voice.
Bridgette smirked evilly, not answering her right away.
"Sorry about the mess we made, but Jarod was very unwilling to come with us freely...and so...we had to resort to ...extreme measures."
She saw Broots flinch at these words.
"YOU...caught...Jarod?" Parker asked slowly.
Bridgette again smirked, but this time teeth were revealed.
"Ohhh...I'd say so."
Miss Parker's arched brow soon became two as she began to laugh wholeheartedly. Broots backed away from her, as if afraid of her. Slowly Parker regained her composure.
"Pardon my amusement...but if I can't believe the fact that you were able to outsmart Jarod to be true...but I can't. That was a good one." Parker replied.
Bridgette's smile widened.
"Reaaalllyyyy...well...why did you find 'your' cabin in such disarray and blood covering the outside?"
Parker's smile vanished as if it had never been.
"In fact..." began Bridgette, "why are Mr. Broots and the 'good' doctor so distressed!"
No...Jarod wouldn't have gotten caught by her...
Parker advanced on the woman and came a mere millimeter from her face.
"Where...is...he?" Parker's voice was laced with rage. But Bridgette just smiled wider at this.
"Why Miss Parker...the way you are acting...some one might suspect that you actually cared for him?"
"HA...I'm just wanting to congratulate the MORON for getting caught by a ditz like you..." At this Bridgette began to laugh in her face. Bridgette than turned to Broots.
"You mean to tell me you haven't told her yet!"
Broots who had been staring at the two women in fright, looked from Bridgette to Miss Parker. The instant Miss Parker's eyes made contact with his; he dropped his head and clenched his fists.
"What? Tell me WHAT Broots?" Parker questioned with rising anger. Bridgette laughed out again. Parker turned her head to glare at her. Bridgette stepped back from her and quickly made her way out of the lab. She turned slightly back just before leaving.
"I'll leave you to tell her Mr. Broots...and tell the 'good' doctor he is expected in Mr. Parker's office tomorrow morning..."
And with that, she left.
As soon as she was about to open her mouth to yell at Broots, the scariest sound she had ever heard came from behind them.
It was the sound of Sydney softly and deadly laughing.
A shiver ran up her entire body.
She saw Broots shiver at the sound.
Slowly turning around she slowly approached Sydney.
He looked horrible.
His suit had been removed and he lay in boxers and a under shirt. She had never in her entire life seen him like this.
It scared her.
"They expect me to go on like nothing has happened..." He said out loud.
Parker slowly approached the desk and sat down next to him placing her hand on his. A good minute passed before she spoke.
"What happened Sydney? What's going on?"
Sydney slowly raised his head and stared at her.
His eyes.
His eyes were so...so dead.
As if someone had taken his very soul away.
"They won. It's over. It's all over." He whispered. He lowered his head as tears began to fall from his eyes.
Parker's eyes began to water. He was in so much pain. She'd never seen him like this. It hurt her to see him like this. She tried to organize her thoughts.
"Sydney...Jarod is back where he belongs, we both kn..." Before she could finish Sydney slammed his balled up fist into the desk.
"DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT! DON'T YOU DARE!"
She jumped back.
"DON'T YOU GET IT? DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND? THEY CAUGHT HIM! HE'S DEAD!HE'S DEAD MISS PARKER!"
Parker sucked in a shuddering breath. The words took a good 10 minutes to sink in. And then her mind tried to deal with the information it was receiving.
No...No...there wrong...he's just faking it...he's faking it...he's alive but he's playing dead...he's alive...he's alive.
"Sydney he's faking death, he's probably just part of his messed up game, he's probably wa..."
"NO MISS PARKER. HE'S DEAD. HE'S GONE. GAME OVER MISS PARKER...Game over." He whispered out brokenly.
He lifted the bottle in the air and took a huge gulp down as more tears spilled down his face.
He slowly lowered the bottle. He looked back at her.
"They took his life Miss Parker...and with it my reason for living one. For thirty years he was my son, and in one second they took him away from me...forever."
Miss Parker couldn't comprehend what had just been said to her. It just couldn't be. It just couldn't. She continued to stare at Sydney until her mind finally began to function enough for speech.
"Broots...what happened?" Parker whispered out.
Broots motioned for her to follow him out of the lab. Once in the hall Broots hesitated for a moment, contemplating what he was going to say.
"This morning around 2 a.m. someone phoned me and told me to come into the Centre...they needed me. I was told to trace a line that could possibly lead us to Jarod...," He stopped and wrinkled his forehead, "but it was a number I knew. It was your phone number Miss Parker."
Parker's eyebrows arched angrily.
"What?"
Broots continued. " Apparently your phone had been under surveillance since you started searching for Jarod. But the odd thing was that the records I found were only of conversations that took place since your involvement with Mr. Gates. I wasn't supposed to go snooping into the files. But like I said...it was your number...so I listened to one and I couldn't believe what I heard Miss Parker."
He stopped. Physically trying to contain the information that he was about to tell her, his face one of distress.
"OUT WITH IT BROOTS!" She yelled.
Broots didn't let the yelling effect him. He looked away from her for a few seconds, and then looked back.
"They were conversations between Thomas and Jarod."
Miss Parker looked at him as if he was a liar.
"Apparently The Centre has known that Thomas and Jarod have been friends since before you had actually met Mr. Gates. It's...It's...It's almost as if he works for the Centre Miss Parker."
She stared at Broots with lost eyes.
Tell me its all a lie Broots, tell me your lying...please...I can't take this...please.
"I found a conversation between Bridgette and Thomas...apparently...Thomas had made a deal with your father. Your father would let you leave...if Thomas could deliver Jarod."
"Broots do you realize your telling me that Thomas is a Centre spy right?"
Broots looked at her with an expression conveying sympathy.
"Thomas and Jarod were not friends Broots they wer...," suddenly a memory popped up.
"You knew Thomas before me."
"I met Thomas during a pretend..."
"They met during a pretend." Parker whispered out.
Broots nodded in response.
Parker looked away from Broots. Her eyes watered. She wouldn't cry. She couldn't.
Then slowly the realization of everything hit her hard. Jarod was dead. And it was her fault. It was her fault. It was her fault.
"Miss Parker...don't cry...don't cry Miss Parker" Broots said as he rocked her.
Somewhere between the time of her memory flash and the guilt, her body had betrayed her. And now within the arms of a friend she was crying. Then the thought of someone finding her in such a state scared her. Parker was afraid of being caught in such a state.
She quickly pushed Broots away and began to wipe away the evidence of her tears.
Unbidden a memory came to her.
"Are you afraid Miss Parker?" Asked a young Jarod.
"No!" Stated a young Miss Parker.
The young Jarod smiled and said in a low voice...
"Don't be afraid Miss Parker. I'm here. I'll always be here for you."
When she came back to herself the fear began to bubble up. Jarod wasn't here for her. He was gone completely now. Jarod had always been there...even if she hadn't wanted him to be...he had always been there for her.
"I want to see him." She said as she stared straight into Broots' eyes.
Broots shut his eyes at this comment. He had been dreading this conversation all morning- and now the fear had become reality.
In a low voice he whispered, " You can't."
Miss Parker cocked her head towards him. "I Can't!"
Broots looked up at her and in a low voice spoke, "He's in SL27...highly guarded...no one is to get in or out without access..."
Miss Parker cut him off. "You think of a way to get them preoccupied with something else...something that would make them all scatter."
Broots was about to shake his head no when Miss Parker closed into his space.
"I...I need to see..." Miss Parker swallowed down the emotion bubbling up and the tears that threatened to fall again.
Regaining control of herself she continued.
"I need to see him Broots...please...please Broots..." Miss Parker begged.
Broots was dumbfounded. Miss Parker never begged. Maybe she asked as a friend...but...she never begged. Not like this. He couldn't see her like this. Broots moved back from her nodding his head. He would do it. For her-Only because she needed to know. He slowly exited the lab to get started, leaving Parker alone with Sydney when she stopped him.
"Broots!"
He walked back to her slowly.
"Yes Miss Parker?"
"What happened to Sydney? Why doesn't he have clothes on?"
Broots flinched away from the question. The image of what had caused Sydney's current state had been one of the most horrible unthinkable things he could think of to face. Broots had seen Sydney crumble and shatter right before his very eyes. It had been the most heart-wrenching thing he had ever witnessed...and having worked at The Centre...he had seen a lot of pain. He tried to tell her in a clear voice but couldn't succeed; he couldn't even look into her eyes, so he decided a muted whisper would be best.
"Shortly after giving the information to Raines, thinking it was no way in hell really going to be Jarod - and if it was he wouldn't be there by the time they got there, he sent out Bridgette to 'catch' him. Apparently she injected you with a sleeping agent while she and Thomas 'trapped' Jarod. When Jarod saw that Bridgette was inside with Thomas he tried to escape. There was a huge fight. Apparently Jarod was about to escape when Thomas...Thomas shot him in the back. Jarod kept going though. But Bridgette had managed to catch up with him...she shot him 9 times."
Miss Parker closed her eyes as rage merged with sadness- the utter lust of wanting to kill enveloping her senses.
"She dragged his body into The Centre... literally. Sydney had been working late and hadn't gone home...when he heard all the uproar...he went to find out what happened."
Broots looked up suddenly staring off to the side into space.
"I...had been...standing there...and I watched her do ...to his dead body...when Sydney saw..."
Broots couldn't continue. Tears traveled down his face while he shook his head. He began to choke on his words.
"He saw Jarod and with Raines...and everyone...looking...he ran down and started pressing down...on the wounds...whispering to him that he was going to be alright...that he...that he was there. He pulled him...into his lap...rocked him back and forth...sobbing...the blood went all over his clothes...Raines made me undress him...to get ...rid...of the evidence."
Miss Parker looked up to the heavens to try and control herself...but it was to no avail. The tears came down like an open faucet. Too much crying. Too much crying. Hadn't she done enough crying her lifetime? Did God have to do this to her? Did he have to make this life so HARD on her? And then the faint whisper of Sydney's voice drifted over to them.
"I asked...your...father...if I could bury him with his real name. Just so he could have it in death...and...he said no...even in death...they will keep that from him. I asked him...if I could use my name...just so he could have a name...not another number...and he smiled at me." Sydney chuckled ironically.
"He asked me why I thought we would bury him at all?"
At that Miss Parker began to walk back to Sydney.
"There won't be funeral Miss Parker...he is to be cremated...all evidence of his existence to be destroyed...his body is to be burned tonight."
She stood a moment, closing her eyes and letting all the emotions wash over her. She opened her eyes and turned to sit by Sydney.
She slowly approached him, looking at the fallen man before her. She lowered herself down into the chair.
"Syd, it's probably not him that you saw. It's probably a costume designed to look like he was dead. Jarod is a genius I'm sure he's just pulling this stunt to gain access to some Centre secret."
Sydney slowly turned to look at her with pained eyes.
"I wish that were true Parker...I wish it with all of my heart."
Parker couldn't fight off the tear that fell while looking into Sydney's eyes.
"Broots...I want everything in order in an hour."
"But Miss Parker I won't be..."
"AN HOUR...Broots. You have an hour."
Disclaimer: The characters from The Pretender aren't mine. The ones that you've never heard about are. And if the characters of The Pretender were mine...I would be rich. Instead I'm poor. Don't sue. Thanks! (Plus its my first fanfic- give me a break!)
Timeline: Three years have passed since the Island of Carthis
Author: (wouldn't you like to know) AtlantianDream
Rating: R
Kisses feathered her face. Still in the realm of sleep she sighed contently.
They felt like Thomas' kisses.
She slowly opened her eyes to find her window opened slightly and rain drops blowing into her bedroom.
She swallowed the lump that had started in her throat.
She slowly sat up in bed and closed the window. She closed her eyes and tried to keep the voices at bay- the voices that drove her into a deep depression.
It had been three years since Carthis, and in all that time she had not seen Jarod.
The chase was still on though; he always kept them on the chase.
But she had, in all this time, not even seen his retreating form. They didn't even come close to finding him these days.
But today she would not go out and chase Jarod.
Today was a special day.
A sacred day. At least for her.
It was the anniversary of Tommy's death.
She slowly rose from her bed and went about cleaning and dressing herself. She slowly made her way through the house.
Images of their past together assaulting her. She looked back from her doorway and closed the door behind her.
She got in her car and drove down an all too familiar road.
When she reached the cemetery she couldn't bring herself to exit her car. She looked out into the mass of headstones. Inhaling deeply she exited the car.
She began to walk her familiar path, winding her way to a place she wished and prayed she never should have known.
Placing her hand on his headstone she slowly sank down to her knees. She began to idly pick at the weeds that had formed on his grave. Letting flow the tears that had threatened to come bursting out all morning.
"You loved him didn't you?" A strange voice asked, causing her to jump and whip out her gun, automatically training the gun on where the noise had come from.
"WHO THE HELL are you?" she asked in a barely suppressed angry tone.
The girl smiled at her.
"Parker?...do you always point weapons at complete strangers or am I just lucky to have that reaction from you?"
" Do I know you?" She asked in a non-shocked maniacal sort of way.
The girl started tilting her head from left to right with a crooked little smirk on her face.
"Yeesss, and No!" She answered. Again Parker repeated her question, but now with a curiosity in her voice.
"Who are you?"
The girl looked at the woman with a teary smile and looked away fast, that had she not had her at gunpoint so suspiciously, she would not have noticed.
The girl looked up again, smirking again.
"You can call me Amanda."
The girl looked so familiar. It was uncanny, to know you have never seen a person before but could bet your shoes that you had. And Parker felt something that she had not felt since the day before she had laid Tommy down in the earth beneath her.
She felt the ability to trust. It unnerved her.
The girl had black hair a little longer than shoulder length, white porcelain skin, big full lips, and she seemed to have brown eyes. She looked older than her instinct told her that this girl was. And still she felt she could trust this girl. Slowly she lowered her gun.
"What do you want?"
The girl looked at her with a deep sadness.
" I just wanted to know if you truly loved him?"
" I did," she said quite fast. She turned around and looked at his headstone her hand dancing over it, as if actually touching the headstone would make the matter hit home more.
"Are you sure?" Amanda asked with sadness in her voice. Parker whirled around growling.
"What kind of question is that?"
"A serious one?" Amanda asked in amusement with her eye brows arched in question, and despite the circumstances of the situation, Parker laughed.
"I want to know if you loved the man, or the idea of the man, or if you actually knew who he really was at all? And what would you give to have him back?" This time Parker laughed with a dark glint in her eye and soon her smirking face turned into a snarl.
"Is this some sort of fucking JOKE?" Amanda just kept staring at her, as if she was fighting a battle with in herself and trying to find the right words.
Then something flicked in her eyes. Something won the battle.
"What if I told you I can give it back to you, I can give you him back, but there are repercussions that come with this offering, what would you say?" Amanda asked with a deep sadness in her eyes.
Parker looked like the girl had spoken her prayers out loud. She began to tear up with anger at this girl. No one could bring him back, no one but God himself, and she had begged and prayed for him to do so, and still she woke each morning to an empty bed. Chocking down the cries of anguish and pain she spoke again.
"What the fuck do you want from me? Do you want to know that I would give up everything to have him back? That I would give up everything just to see him again, sacrifice anything to have him back? Is that it?"
Amanda looked down her hair covering her face. When she raised her head again Parker saw the tears in Amanda's eyes.
"You won't remember about this life for a while. You won't remember many things but in time they will come back to you. The repercussions are great, but you wanted it. Remember that! YOU WANTED IT!"
Amanda's right eye glowed a purple color as she lifted her hand to have the glow in her eye stream out her hand.
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She shifted in her mattress and reached a hand out a hand to look for the usual comforting warmth of a male body that had been named Thomas.
She sat up slowly hearing the shower running. She slowly grinned and began to sit up.
She sat in bed for 2 minutes when a sense of foreboding encompassed her. Suddenly a flash of seeing Tommy dead entered her mind and disappeared in less than a second.
She ran out of bed into the bathroom, hysterical.
"TOMMY! Tommy!"
"Hey, Hey what's wrong...are you ok?" She came to a screeching halt as he grabbed her arm. Relief flooded her and she began to cry. He pulled away from her and looked at her quizzically. Her hands and eyes ran over him, drinking in his sight. He was here. He was ok. He was ok.
"Your ookk! Your ookk!" She whispered out.
Thomas slid both hands onto the sides of her face.
"Yeah Parker, I'm ok!"
Her face soon turned into a full fledge grin.
"God Thomas...I... I love you so much!"
Thomas' eyes widened...she had said it! She said it to him. And he was ok.
She leaned into him and smothered his lips with her own.
All thoughts fled from her head as Thomas' hands glided and slid into her body. She roughly pulled him towards her while giggling. He giggled with her as he lifted her up as they stumbled onto the bed.
Time slipped by as they explored each other’s bodies. Both eventually found the tranquility of a deep...dream filled...sleep.
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Unbenounced to her - voices overwhelmed her tranquility...slowly...and quickly rousing her from her slumber. She awoke to find Tommy smirking in sleep with his arms wrapped around her and responded by smiling at his smirk.
Again the voices inside her came to high pitch and she sucked in her breath through clenched teeth at the pain.
What the hell is that noise?
She slowly rolled away from Tommy.
Maybe some aspirins can make the pain go away.
She stood up and suddenly the noise inside her head came to the front of her mind.
TOOLATETOOLATETOOLATEGONEGONETOOLATEGONETOOLATEGONEGONETOOOLATTTEEE!
She stumbled towards the bedroom door and tore it open. Before her eyes the house lay in disarray. Clothes, books, lamps, and many different articles lay shattered and broken all over the cabin floor.
And then the screech of the voices stopped.
A deadly silence filled her mind as well as the house.
The only sound heard was her panting breath and the furious beating of her heart. Her eyes were transfixed on the door. A letter was pined to the door with a switchblade.
She slowly approached the door, watching her step as she went.
Her eyes began to read the note...
Miss Parker,
Please excuse the mess. Your Daddy will explain everything as soon as you enter the Centre today. Luv Your Mummy XOXO
Opening the door with a trembling hand she discovered the porch covered with blood...leading to the end of the porch...but...nothing was there.
And her feet immediately turned her and she ran inside again.
"TOMMY!BABY!WAKE UP BABY! WAKE UP!"
Thomas jerked from sleep at her frantic yelling.
She let out a shuddering breath. The realization that he was all right overwhelming her...but still...if Tommy was fine...whose blood...
"Tommy there's blood all over the porch baby...I...I don't...know where it came from!"
"What!"
"I have to go to work baby. I need to know what happened. I'll be back in..."
"WHAT! NOOO! Your leaving that place remember?"
"Tommy I have to..."
"I'm coming with you."
"Baby that's not a good..."
"I SAID I AM COM-ING WITH YOU!"
Thomas quickly threw some clothes on and scrambled to hurry. A few seconds passed before Parker followed in toe. They quickly dressed and breezed out of the house...carefully avoiding the blood on the porch.
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She second she stepped into the Centre she knew something was up. Her father along with Bridgette, and Raines were in the Lobby laughing and talking while Lyle was behind Daddy with a distant look on his face.
Thomas was walking briskly with her towards her father. As soon as Mr. Parker saw his daughter, a bright smile that she had never seen graced his features...it scared her.
"Angel, can you believe it! What a great day this is turning out to be."
He walked up to her and gave her a kiss on the forehead.
"And it's all thanks to you Boy!" Mr. Parker took Thomas' hand and shook it firmly, and just as quickly placed both his hands into his coat pockets as Bridgette came behind him and linked her arm through his with an evil laughing smirking face. They both walked away with a very happy faced Mr. Raines following close behind.
"WHAT THE HELL is going on?" Miss Parker yelled out to no one.
Thomas turned to her.
"Honey I have to go talk to your father...ok! I'll be right back."
"Thomas what is going on...just tell me."
Thomas drew back from her.
"I...I...I can't...not right now anyway ok?"
He quickly walked in the direction that her father left. She stood there in total shock. Then a thought popped into her head.
Sydney and Broots! They would know what's going on!
She quickly made it to the elevator and pushed the button to the floor of Sydney's simulation lab.
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She descended into the depths of the Centre with a million questions buzzing in her cranium.
Finally the elevator came to a halt and she swiftly exited.
Walking briskly towards Sydney's lab, but suddenly, the noise inside her head began to come up again. She slowed down- Almost to a point of not moving.
She closed her eyes and swallowed a sudden lump in her throat, not understanding what was causing this distress in her.
Rounding the corner slowly, she was greeted with a sight that she had only seen once before- and not nearly to this extent.
Sydney leaning into a bottle that was clutched into his hand; Not a sight that would cause her distress ordinarily- if the bottle had not been a half empty Vodka bottle, in which about two other empty Vodka bottles lay next to the clutching form of the man.
She could see part of his face.
She squeezed her eyes shut.
He was in so much pain. With one look she could feel the complete and utter horrific pain that he was feeling.
She looked to the man that was in the chair behind Sydney. Broots' forehead was leaning into his hand that was propped up from his elbow resting on his thigh.
He held a look on his face that she had seen many times- But one never so grave as this one. The despair and sadness his face held...echoed that of Sydney's.
"What's going on?" Whispered Parker.
Broots was the only one that acknowledged her presents, quickly standing up and moving to Miss Parker and grabbing her and dragging her out of the office.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING? YOU'VE FINALLY DONE IT BROOTS! YOU'VE JUST SIGNED YOUR DEATH WARRANT!"
"SHUT UP!" Cried out Broots and then flinched at what he said. He squeezed his eyes shut.
"I...I...I just...I didn't want you to upset Sydney even more...He can't take much more...Please Miss Parker...I'm only trying to help him" Broots stuttered out. After a minute or so he looked up into her eyes.
Parker for the first time saw the tears that were beginning to well in his eyes. Her anger vanished the second she saw this.
"What happened?" Parker asked softly.
Broots looked at her in bewilderment.
"You mean you don't know?" He asked her.
"Would I ask you if I knew? Spill it Broots- what's going on?"
Broots looked down and looked at his hands.
"What happened Miss Parker is that I brought in the rat!" Answered Bridgette as she exited the shadow she had been hiding in.
Miss Parker's eyebrow arched angrily towards her.
"You what?" She asked with anger threading in her voice.
Bridgette smirked evilly, not answering her right away.
"Sorry about the mess we made, but Jarod was very unwilling to come with us freely...and so...we had to resort to ...extreme measures."
She saw Broots flinch at these words.
"YOU...caught...Jarod?" Parker asked slowly.
Bridgette again smirked, but this time teeth were revealed.
"Ohhh...I'd say so."
Miss Parker's arched brow soon became two as she began to laugh wholeheartedly. Broots backed away from her, as if afraid of her. Slowly Parker regained her composure.
"Pardon my amusement...but if I can't believe the fact that you were able to outsmart Jarod to be true...but I can't. That was a good one." Parker replied.
Bridgette's smile widened.
"Reaaalllyyyy...well...why did you find 'your' cabin in such disarray and blood covering the outside?"
Parker's smile vanished as if it had never been.
"In fact..." began Bridgette, "why are Mr. Broots and the 'good' doctor so distressed!"
No...Jarod wouldn't have gotten caught by her...
Parker advanced on the woman and came a mere millimeter from her face.
"Where...is...he?" Parker's voice was laced with rage. But Bridgette just smiled wider at this.
"Why Miss Parker...the way you are acting...some one might suspect that you actually cared for him?"
"HA...I'm just wanting to congratulate the MORON for getting caught by a ditz like you..." At this Bridgette began to laugh in her face. Bridgette than turned to Broots.
"You mean to tell me you haven't told her yet!"
Broots who had been staring at the two women in fright, looked from Bridgette to Miss Parker. The instant Miss Parker's eyes made contact with his; he dropped his head and clenched his fists.
"What? Tell me WHAT Broots?" Parker questioned with rising anger. Bridgette laughed out again. Parker turned her head to glare at her. Bridgette stepped back from her and quickly made her way out of the lab. She turned slightly back just before leaving.
"I'll leave you to tell her Mr. Broots...and tell the 'good' doctor he is expected in Mr. Parker's office tomorrow morning..."
And with that, she left.
As soon as she was about to open her mouth to yell at Broots, the scariest sound she had ever heard came from behind them.
It was the sound of Sydney softly and deadly laughing.
A shiver ran up her entire body.
She saw Broots shiver at the sound.
Slowly turning around she slowly approached Sydney.
He looked horrible.
His suit had been removed and he lay in boxers and a under shirt. She had never in her entire life seen him like this.
It scared her.
"They expect me to go on like nothing has happened..." He said out loud.
Parker slowly approached the desk and sat down next to him placing her hand on his. A good minute passed before she spoke.
"What happened Sydney? What's going on?"
Sydney slowly raised his head and stared at her.
His eyes.
His eyes were so...so dead.
As if someone had taken his very soul away.
"They won. It's over. It's all over." He whispered. He lowered his head as tears began to fall from his eyes.
Parker's eyes began to water. He was in so much pain. She'd never seen him like this. It hurt her to see him like this. She tried to organize her thoughts.
"Sydney...Jarod is back where he belongs, we both kn..." Before she could finish Sydney slammed his balled up fist into the desk.
"DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT! DON'T YOU DARE!"
She jumped back.
"DON'T YOU GET IT? DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND? THEY CAUGHT HIM! HE'S DEAD!HE'S DEAD MISS PARKER!"
Parker sucked in a shuddering breath. The words took a good 10 minutes to sink in. And then her mind tried to deal with the information it was receiving.
No...No...there wrong...he's just faking it...he's faking it...he's alive but he's playing dead...he's alive...he's alive.
"Sydney he's faking death, he's probably just part of his messed up game, he's probably wa..."
"NO MISS PARKER. HE'S DEAD. HE'S GONE. GAME OVER MISS PARKER...Game over." He whispered out brokenly.
He lifted the bottle in the air and took a huge gulp down as more tears spilled down his face.
He slowly lowered the bottle. He looked back at her.
"They took his life Miss Parker...and with it my reason for living one. For thirty years he was my son, and in one second they took him away from me...forever."
Miss Parker couldn't comprehend what had just been said to her. It just couldn't be. It just couldn't. She continued to stare at Sydney until her mind finally began to function enough for speech.
"Broots...what happened?" Parker whispered out.
Broots motioned for her to follow him out of the lab. Once in the hall Broots hesitated for a moment, contemplating what he was going to say.
"This morning around 2 a.m. someone phoned me and told me to come into the Centre...they needed me. I was told to trace a line that could possibly lead us to Jarod...," He stopped and wrinkled his forehead, "but it was a number I knew. It was your phone number Miss Parker."
Parker's eyebrows arched angrily.
"What?"
Broots continued. " Apparently your phone had been under surveillance since you started searching for Jarod. But the odd thing was that the records I found were only of conversations that took place since your involvement with Mr. Gates. I wasn't supposed to go snooping into the files. But like I said...it was your number...so I listened to one and I couldn't believe what I heard Miss Parker."
He stopped. Physically trying to contain the information that he was about to tell her, his face one of distress.
"OUT WITH IT BROOTS!" She yelled.
Broots didn't let the yelling effect him. He looked away from her for a few seconds, and then looked back.
"They were conversations between Thomas and Jarod."
Miss Parker looked at him as if he was a liar.
"Apparently The Centre has known that Thomas and Jarod have been friends since before you had actually met Mr. Gates. It's...It's...It's almost as if he works for the Centre Miss Parker."
She stared at Broots with lost eyes.
Tell me its all a lie Broots, tell me your lying...please...I can't take this...please.
"I found a conversation between Bridgette and Thomas...apparently...Thomas had made a deal with your father. Your father would let you leave...if Thomas could deliver Jarod."
"Broots do you realize your telling me that Thomas is a Centre spy right?"
Broots looked at her with an expression conveying sympathy.
"Thomas and Jarod were not friends Broots they wer...," suddenly a memory popped up.
"You knew Thomas before me."
"I met Thomas during a pretend..."
"They met during a pretend." Parker whispered out.
Broots nodded in response.
Parker looked away from Broots. Her eyes watered. She wouldn't cry. She couldn't.
Then slowly the realization of everything hit her hard. Jarod was dead. And it was her fault. It was her fault. It was her fault.
"Miss Parker...don't cry...don't cry Miss Parker" Broots said as he rocked her.
Somewhere between the time of her memory flash and the guilt, her body had betrayed her. And now within the arms of a friend she was crying. Then the thought of someone finding her in such a state scared her. Parker was afraid of being caught in such a state.
She quickly pushed Broots away and began to wipe away the evidence of her tears.
Unbidden a memory came to her.
"Are you afraid Miss Parker?" Asked a young Jarod.
"No!" Stated a young Miss Parker.
The young Jarod smiled and said in a low voice...
"Don't be afraid Miss Parker. I'm here. I'll always be here for you."
When she came back to herself the fear began to bubble up. Jarod wasn't here for her. He was gone completely now. Jarod had always been there...even if she hadn't wanted him to be...he had always been there for her.
"I want to see him." She said as she stared straight into Broots' eyes.
Broots shut his eyes at this comment. He had been dreading this conversation all morning- and now the fear had become reality.
In a low voice he whispered, " You can't."
Miss Parker cocked her head towards him. "I Can't!"
Broots looked up at her and in a low voice spoke, "He's in SL27...highly guarded...no one is to get in or out without access..."
Miss Parker cut him off. "You think of a way to get them preoccupied with something else...something that would make them all scatter."
Broots was about to shake his head no when Miss Parker closed into his space.
"I...I need to see..." Miss Parker swallowed down the emotion bubbling up and the tears that threatened to fall again.
Regaining control of herself she continued.
"I need to see him Broots...please...please Broots..." Miss Parker begged.
Broots was dumbfounded. Miss Parker never begged. Maybe she asked as a friend...but...she never begged. Not like this. He couldn't see her like this. Broots moved back from her nodding his head. He would do it. For her-Only because she needed to know. He slowly exited the lab to get started, leaving Parker alone with Sydney when she stopped him.
"Broots!"
He walked back to her slowly.
"Yes Miss Parker?"
"What happened to Sydney? Why doesn't he have clothes on?"
Broots flinched away from the question. The image of what had caused Sydney's current state had been one of the most horrible unthinkable things he could think of to face. Broots had seen Sydney crumble and shatter right before his very eyes. It had been the most heart-wrenching thing he had ever witnessed...and having worked at The Centre...he had seen a lot of pain. He tried to tell her in a clear voice but couldn't succeed; he couldn't even look into her eyes, so he decided a muted whisper would be best.
"Shortly after giving the information to Raines, thinking it was no way in hell really going to be Jarod - and if it was he wouldn't be there by the time they got there, he sent out Bridgette to 'catch' him. Apparently she injected you with a sleeping agent while she and Thomas 'trapped' Jarod. When Jarod saw that Bridgette was inside with Thomas he tried to escape. There was a huge fight. Apparently Jarod was about to escape when Thomas...Thomas shot him in the back. Jarod kept going though. But Bridgette had managed to catch up with him...she shot him 9 times."
Miss Parker closed her eyes as rage merged with sadness- the utter lust of wanting to kill enveloping her senses.
"She dragged his body into The Centre... literally. Sydney had been working late and hadn't gone home...when he heard all the uproar...he went to find out what happened."
Broots looked up suddenly staring off to the side into space.
"I...had been...standing there...and I watched her do ...to his dead body...when Sydney saw..."
Broots couldn't continue. Tears traveled down his face while he shook his head. He began to choke on his words.
"He saw Jarod and with Raines...and everyone...looking...he ran down and started pressing down...on the wounds...whispering to him that he was going to be alright...that he...that he was there. He pulled him...into his lap...rocked him back and forth...sobbing...the blood went all over his clothes...Raines made me undress him...to get ...rid...of the evidence."
Miss Parker looked up to the heavens to try and control herself...but it was to no avail. The tears came down like an open faucet. Too much crying. Too much crying. Hadn't she done enough crying her lifetime? Did God have to do this to her? Did he have to make this life so HARD on her? And then the faint whisper of Sydney's voice drifted over to them.
"I asked...your...father...if I could bury him with his real name. Just so he could have it in death...and...he said no...even in death...they will keep that from him. I asked him...if I could use my name...just so he could have a name...not another number...and he smiled at me." Sydney chuckled ironically.
"He asked me why I thought we would bury him at all?"
At that Miss Parker began to walk back to Sydney.
"There won't be funeral Miss Parker...he is to be cremated...all evidence of his existence to be destroyed...his body is to be burned tonight."
She stood a moment, closing her eyes and letting all the emotions wash over her. She opened her eyes and turned to sit by Sydney.
She slowly approached him, looking at the fallen man before her. She lowered herself down into the chair.
"Syd, it's probably not him that you saw. It's probably a costume designed to look like he was dead. Jarod is a genius I'm sure he's just pulling this stunt to gain access to some Centre secret."
Sydney slowly turned to look at her with pained eyes.
"I wish that were true Parker...I wish it with all of my heart."
Parker couldn't fight off the tear that fell while looking into Sydney's eyes.
"Broots...I want everything in order in an hour."
"But Miss Parker I won't be..."
"AN HOUR...Broots. You have an hour."
