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.

Meeting Place

Jarod was sitting in the kitchen drinking a cup of coffee. He couldn’t sleep last night and had another nightmare. He had already showered and had made coffee. He looked out at the start of a new day. He wondered if they would all ever be free of the Centre. He hoped that they would. He really wanted to put his fragmented family back together again.

He got up and walked to the porch and started to walk around the property. When he came back everyone was up and eating breakfast. Debbie was eating cereal and the rest were eating bagels. Broots had gone shopping yesterday. Jarod grabbed the box of pop tarts.

“You still eat junk food?”

“They have essential vitamins and minerals, Miss Parker. Plus they are very good.”

“What are you three?”

“Of course not, Miss Parker. Why would you think I was?”

“It’s just an expression.”

“Oh.” He said as he ate his pop tart.

Thomas was listening to everything still wondering how they knew each other.

After lunch Jarod sat down at the table wondering if what he was doing the right thing. Miss Parker came into the kitchen and looked at Jarod as he was thinking.

“Jarod?”

He blinked and looked at Miss Parker. She sat down and watched him.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Miss Parker.”

Unknown by both of them stood Thomas and Debbie listening in.

“You know my name. You can use it, or did you forget it.”

“Of course I could never forget the name you whispered in my ear when we were children, Melanie.”

She smiled as she heard her name from him.

“How did you get the bruises?”