"When you love someone so much that you are in pain when you are apart it ends up being destructive. I never want to be in that place again." Sadie Frost

With blind precision, Parker drove up the driveway and parked her little sports car a few inches from the walkway leading to the entrance of Sydney's home. Like in a trance, she glanced at her watch. It was almost 9:00 am. A little early to pay a visit, but she knew her old friend would be up already. Sydney was not accustomed to sleep-in late, not even on the weekends. His many years of servitude at the Centre, had trained him to rise with the sun, a habit he still could not change today to enjoy his more calm and retired lifestyle. From her sitting position inside her car she glanced around. It was a gorgeous day. The sun was warm and some of the neighbors were already out enjoying an early morning walk.

"It's now or never. You have to do this." Parker told herself. Without further delay, she stepped out of her car and began to walk towards the front door. As she was approaching the front door, she heard the phone ringing inside. She froze just outside the door and listened carefully, waiting for a familiar voice to answer the device, but after a few rings everything was quiet once again.

Parker took a deep breath and with a shaky hand knocked on the dark wooded door. "Please be home." Parker prayed. She needed someone to talk to desperately. But silence was all she heard. "Maybe Sydney was out in the backyard and did not hear the phone or her calling." Parker told herself and quickly began to search for the spare key hidden behind the entrance light.

As she predicted, the key was in his usual hidden place. Wasting no time, Parker unlocked the front door and stepped inside. "Sydney" She called with trepidation, but once again silence was the only answer she received. The curtains in the living room were drawn making the house dark and cold. "Sydney, where are you?" Parker called again, fear rising in her voice, but she pushed the fear aside and began her desperate search through the house. She had to find Sydney.

After her fruitless search of the house, Parker returned to the living room and dropped heavily on the sofa. Sydney was not home. She could feel the despair and loneliness growing inside of her, pushing her closer to the edge. Sydney was her last hope at this moment. He was the only friend she could turn to for comfort and help. The same comfort and help she had rejected from him and others so many times in the past, but now she needed desperately to save her life.

Who was going to help her now? The only other person who always seemed to be by her side during her most difficult moments was gone now. Finally, her cruelty and rejections had worked, making him disappear. Jarod's departure had left a strange void in her life, but once again she had masked her true feelings. But now reality had come crashing in and she felt the great loss and how lonely she was. Both her childhood friends were gone and now she would never have the chance to tell them how important they were to her.

After their brief encounter in that damned island of Carthis, Jarod had only called her once. He sounded weary and defeated, but once again she had rejected his attempt to make her see the truth that would set her free. Shortly after that the midnight calls stopped. There where no more red notebooks or breadcrumbs to follow. It was as if the pretender had never existed.

Then once again everything was caught up in turmoil as the Centre and her life were faced with new changes. Mr. Raines' sudden death, Sydney's retirement, Broots leaving and worse of all her brother's climb to the position of Chairman. This last change had made her life a living hell. Lyle was determined to find Jarod and imprison him in that hell forever. Furthermore, he needed the Pretender to bring the Centre back from its monetary ruins. Finally, to make matters worse, Lyle was now aware of the special bond she had with Jarod, making her his trump card.

Suddenly, a flashback invaded her thoughts taking her back to the last encounter she had with Jarod before he had vanished. One of Broots' old tracking programs had received a positive sighting of the elusive pretender at a bus station in New York.

Immediately, Lyle had dragged her along with two teams of sweepers to apprehend the Pretender. When they arrived at the bus station, Lyle became enraged and like a madman began to scream orders and threats. The Pretender had to be found or they would pay the consequences.

As usual she ignored her brother's vulgar threats and separated herself from the group of trained morons. Pretending to search for their prized pretender Parker quickly disappeared in the crowd. She was not going to listen to her maniacal brother or play this game anymore, instead she just wondered aimlessly around the vast bus depot.

Losing track of time, Parker stood fascinated by the wave of emotions that were being displayed all around her, families greeting their loved ones as they arrived from their journey while others shared loving and tearful goodbyes. Suddenly, she felt envious of all these strangers. Love and emotions were something she constantly avoided or rejected in her life. That part of her life, resembling any happiness, had been buried with her mother thirty years ago and once again with Thomas. As reality took grasp of her senses once again, she felt bitter. She could not openly express such emotions, like this group of people, and that made her realize how empty and twisted her whole life had been. Lost in her observations and thoughts, Parker failed to notice the tall figure standing a few feet away. When she finally raised her eyes, she found herself almost face to face with the Pretender.

"Jarod!" She whispered, unable to hide the look of surprise in her face.

"Hello Miss Parker" Jarod replied, with a sad smile.

For a few minutes, they both stood in complete silence just staring at each other. There were so many things she wanted to say to explain, but the words just refused to come.

Finally, she found the courage, but her voice was almost inaudible, "Jarod...I..."

She paused for a moment.

The pretender looked into her eyes expectantly, almost afraid to interrupt her.

Suddenly, the cell phone in her coat pocket began to scream, making them both jump. Parker quickly reached into her pocket and retrieved the annoying device.

"WHAT?" She yelled into the device, while her eyes remained fixed on the Pretender a few feet away.

She immediately noticed the tension in Jarod's body and the fear rising in his eyes. Nervously, he scanned the terminal for signs of sweepers or any escape route before his dark eyes focused back on her face. He still could not trust her completely and she really could not blame him.

Parker listened attentively to the person at the other end. Her blue orbs locked in his serious yet nervous gaze. It was as if they were playing a staring game.

Parker sighed tiredly and then replied, "I got nothing, he's gone."

Without any other remark Parker ended the call and returned the small phone to her coat pocket.

Once again, silence ruled between them and the minutes seemed like hours. Thoughts were racing through her head, intertwined with feelings she knew she could never express. At this moment she wanted to tell him so many things. She wanted to thank him for all his help over the years. For still being her friend after all the hell she had put him through and for always being by her side when her life was consumed by chaos and pain. She wished she had the courage to leave without looking back; to escape the clutches of her dominating and devious family and to put an end to the deadly cat and mouse game. She wanted to change the story and most important of all she simply wanted to run away with him.

"Thank you Miss Parker" Jarod said with a faint smile as he adjusted the old duffle bag resting on his shoulder. "I think I better go."

Her lips parted for an instant wanting to express her true feelings, but that damn wall was raised again. Once again, her deepest feelings and desires were extinguished. After what seemed like an eternity, she simply nodded her approval and watched as Jarod walked away and disappeared in the sea of people.

Suddenly a ringing sound brought Miss Parker back to her painful reality. She stood from the couch and search for the sound. It was not her cell phone. The sound was coming from another room. She rushed to Sydney's den and located the source of the noise. It was Sydney's cell phone, abandoned on top of his desk.

"Why would Sydney leave his cell phone behind?" Parker asked herself somewhat confused.

Without further delay, she picked up the small device and answered it, praying that the caller might know where Sydney was.

"Hello." Parked said timidly

At the other end, Jarod froze at the sound of his huntress' voice. Closing his eyes he sighed heavily and mumbled under his breath, "Thank God you're alright."

"WHAT?" Parker spat back her anger suddenly rising. "LOOK MISTER, I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR PERVERTS AT THE MOMENT, SO TAKE YOUR HEAVY BREATHING SOMEWHERE ELSE...TRY A 900 NUMBER."

"NO WAIT PLEASE!" Jarod begged.

"WHO THE HELL IS THIS?" Parker asked still irritated.

Suddenly, Jarod realized that Parker had not recognized his voice. He could have some fun with this, but he was really concerned for her and the meaning of that dream. Plus there was something different in her voice. She was hurting and she was there at Sydney's home for some reason.

'Could Sydney be ill?' The thought sent a chilling sensation through his body. Now he had to find out what was happening. For many months, he had forced himself to stay away from his Centre friends, but once again that invisible bond had dragged him out of hiding. No matter what the Centre had done to him in the past, he still cared for this small group of people and they were the only family he had until he could find his own.

"Helloooo?" Parker asked sarcastically. "Have you gone mute on me now or you're just a moron with nothing better to do?"

"Oh No Miss...I'm looking for Sydney." Jarod finally replied carefully. He didn't want Miss Parker to recognize him now. "This is his cell number right?"

"Yes it is, but you still haven't answered my question." Parker said coldly. "Who the hell are you? And what do you want with Sydney?"

"Sorry, my name is Doctor..." Jarod looked around his room trying to think of a name, but his thoughts were all scrambled from the fever and the shock of finding Miss Parker so unexpectedly. Nervously, Jarod hit his forehead with the palm of his hand and silently chastised himself, 'Come on think.'

"Well?" Parker replied annoyed.

"Doctor Bayer...I mean Bailey."

"Okay DR. BAILEY" Her voice accentuated the name with a threatening tone. "WHAT DO YOU WANT WITH SYDNEY?"

"I just wanted to talk to him." Jarod replied softly. "I'm looking for a friend and he might know where she is."

"How do you know Sydney?" Parker continued suspicion still present in her voice.

"Uh...We studied together a long time ago." Jarod said calmly.

"So you're also a Shrink."

"Yes, I guess you can say that...for now." Jarod replied with a smile.

"What do you mean for now?" Parker snarled. This guy was starting to annoy her.

"I have other degrees, but at the moment I'm practicing Psychiatry." Jarod explained.

"May I speak with Sydney?" Jarod asked quickly diverting the subject.

"He's not here" Parker replied almost inaudibly.

"When do you expect him back?

"Sorry Doctor, I have no idea when he will return." Parker's voice was now more subdued almost sad. "When I arrived, Sydney was gone."

"They're all gone." Parker continued, her voice breaking momentarily. "I'm all alone."

"Are you alright Miss...?" Jarod asked concerned.

A long pause followed before Parker replied back.

"Miss Jamison." Parker said with sadness in her voice, then silence ruled again.

The idea of Miss Parker using her mother's maiden name caught Jarod by surprise. Had she finally opened her eyes and saw the Centre for all its evil and refused to carry her father's name any longer or was there a deeper meaning for adopting her mother's name?

Suddenly, the alarms went off inside his head and a sick feeling in his gut told him that something was very wrong. Miss Parker was acting very strange and with Sydney and Broots gone, she had no one to turn to at the moment.

Nervously, Jarod ran his free hand through his still moist hair. He had to keep her on the line as long as he could. He had to try to earn her trust now more than ever. Since he escaped from the Centre, he had tried to earn her trust, but every time he came close the Centre would interfere with its lies and tear them apart. But now, the rules of this deadly game had changed and the stakes were too high. This would be his hardest pretend and that terrified him. His friend's life was on the line.

TBC