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

Author’s Note: This is a response to the Bonus challenge.

Normal

By: 24

Miss Parker and Sydney walked into the tech room to see if Broots found anything new in the Centre mainframe that she, or they didn’t know. Broots jumped as the doors opened and saw that it was Miss Parker.

“What did you find Broots?”

“I don’t think that you’ll like this, Miss Parker.”

“When do I like anything that the Centre hides from us?”

“Take a look.” He said as he got up from the chair. “I think you better sit down.”

She looked at Broots and back at the computer and sat down. She gasped as she read through the entire memo.

To: Mr. Raines

Subject: Parker child.

This child may be the product of two red files, but shows no genius ability. Mr. Parker was sure that this project would give us a child that would be smarter than his father and have the gift that his mother has. This subject is filed for termination in two weeks.

“My father knew of this? He knew that the boy that I delivered was mine and didn’t tell me?” She sat there staring at the screen in horror as it hit her. Her child. The baby boy that she helped Brigitte deliver was her own child. He knew that the child was a boy, which was why he never asked her if it, was a boy, or a girl.

She got up and started for the door, but was stopped by Sydney.

“What are you going to do Parker?”

“I’m going to take my son and disappear. I can’t let them kill him because he’s normal.”

“Let us help you then.”

“How are you going to help?”

“Broots can help with the technical stuff and I’ll help anyway I can.”

“Fine, you two can help.”

“Are you going to tell Jarod that he has a son?”

“I don’t know Sydney.” She said as she walked out.

Jarod tried for the second time that day to get a hold of Miss Parker. He had been off the Centre’s radar for a couple of months trying to find his mother, but still no such luck. He hung up and then dialed another familiar number.

“This is Sydney.”

“Where is Miss Parker?”

“Jarod, how are you?”

“I’m fine, Sydney. Where is Miss Parker? I tried calling her, but she’s not answering.”

“She left the Centre.”

“Why would she do that?”

“I cannot tell you.”

“Then I guess I’ll have to find her.”

“Good luck then.”

He stood there outside the house. It was a one-story house with white and light blue trim. He saw that there were flowers around the place and an apple tree in the front. He also saw toys in the front lawn.

He walked up the steps and rang the doorbell. The door opened and saw a boy about four years old staring back at him. He blinked and then smiled at the child.

“Andrew, I thought I told you don’t open the door.”

“It’s alright Mommy.”

Mommy? Jarod thought. She’s a Mommy? The woman in question came up behind the little boy and stopped and stared.

“Jarod, what are you doing here?”

Jarod stared at her. Gone were the short skirts and the stilettos. She was in jeans, t-shirt and tennis shoes.

“I could ask the same thing to you, Miss Parker.”

“How did you find me?”

“Do you really have to ask that?”

“I hope that you didn’t lead them to us, Jarod.”

“Don’t worry I covered my tracks.”

“Then come in, Jarod.”

“Honey, why don’t you go to your room and play.”

“Okay, Mommy.” He said as he scampered off.

“Sit down.”

“Who is the child? And why does he call you Mommy?”

“He is the child I helped Brigitte deliver and he is our son.”

“Our son?”

“How?”

“Well, it is the Centre. How else?”

“They not only cloned me, but now I have a child?”

“Yes, we have a child. I had Broots search for anything that he could find and he found a memo. My father knew that he was ours. He gave the go ahead to the project because he thought with two red files that our child would be smarter and have my abilities like Ethan, but I read that our child is not a genius and doesn’t have the inner sense. He’s a normal, healthy little boy.”

“He’s normal?”

“Yes, Jarod which is why I had to save him. He was scheduled for termination because he wasn’t a genius.”

“They were going to kill our child because he wasn’t a genius? Why would they do that?”

“Because he couldn’t make them money and couldn’t afford to have him around. I couldn’t let them do that to him. I had to grab him and run.”

Jarod got up and paced not knowing what to do and then sat back down again.

“I’m glad that you took him though. I wouldn’t want him to be gone before I could get to know him.”

“You can’t stay with us Jarod.”

“Why not?”

“Because they are after you.”

“I could disappear just like you. I can stay and help you raise him. He is my son too.”

“What about searching for your family?”

“I have my family here.”

In the end she had let him stay and they had raised their child together.

The End