Carthis had been an exhausting experience. When he saw his mother, Jarod had felt joy running through his body. Only to have his hope shattered by Miss Parker's arrival. Everything that happened afterward had been stressful to say the least. Everything, except her. The sweetness in her voice, the softness in her eyes, her vulnerability. This moment had been perfect. She was sad and defeated and she had turned to him for support, for help. For love ? When they almost kissed, he had been sure of it. Later, he wondered. He didn't know it yet, but her eyes would haunt his dreams for months. The feeling of longing never left him.

Upon returning to the United States, he kept away from his family. He went from city to city, from state to state. South-Carolina, Tennessee, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas... A month passed by. He finally headed to Louisiana to meet his family. They were all so happy to see him, and all of them so clueless. Or maybe not his clone... He decided to avoid him to give his mind and heart some time to sort through this mess. And Zoe was there of course. Jarod experienced a new sort of guilt. He felt responsible for millions of deaths and guilt was the strongest feeling inside of him. But never had he felt this particular guilt. The one that makes you feel like a cheater, a liar, the worst person in the universe. They had never exchanged ''I love you''s, never promised to share their life forever and ever. And he hadn't actually kissed Parker. And yet...

During dinner, he tried to keep having a light conversation but his father and sister wanted to know everything about Margaret's whereabout. He answered shortly and tried to avoid talking about the Centre and his favourite huntress. He felt out of place, almost unsociable.

After dinner, he escaped them and their questions, wanting to have some time alone. It was one of his flaws, he thought. He had been looking for his family all this time but he still didn't know how to act in their company. He needed space and sometimes, the only company he was seeking was the one he would always be denied.

Zoe walked outside. She hugged him silently and he hugged her back, closing his eyes and imagining what it would be like if he were holding a taller brunette. The guilt came back stronger, marking him with its claws. So he smiled briefly and nodded to whatever question she'd just asked. She couldn't understand and he couldn't blame her. How could he explain the connection between Miss Parker and him to anyone but Sydney, maybe ? At that moment, he didn't realize that his major flaw was to underestimate everyone around him.

When his clone suggested a chess game, Jarod pretended to be tired and escaped to his room. He knew he was being selfish and that the boy was probably trying to reach out, but he wanted to be left alone with his thoughts. Of course, Zoe joined him.... He felt relieved when he realized she just wanted to talk. And the guilt kept gnawing at his heart fiercely. To compensate, he opened up a bit about missing his mother on the island. He saw the sadness in her eyes when she said she would have wanted to be there for him. Not her words, but his conclusion. Once again, he misunderstood her. He wondered whether he was the cause of this sadness, which led him to contemplate his own responsibility in Miss Parker's sadness. So he delivered a cheesy « I wasn't alone Zoe, I had you on my mind all the time. », hoping to do for Zoe what he never managed to do for Parker : alleviate the pain. He thought her sweet kiss meant it succeeded but the flash of hurt in her eyes puzzled him.

He lay on the bed next to her, knowing he wouln't manage to fall asleep. He closed his eyes anyway, just for a second. When he opened them, the sun was shining through the window. The room was basking in the bright light and the pretender had to blink several times. The other occupant of the bed was gone. Her side of the bed was already cold when he reached out to check. He wondered if she was pissed at him and realized – with guilt, his ever-present companion – that he hoped this would mean breaking up.

After a quick shower, he went down and decided to cook breakfast for his family and Zoe, in hopes of being forgiven for his distant behaviour the previous night. « Don't bother, she's gone. » He turned toward the sofa where his clone had obviously fallen asleep.

« - Who's gone ? he asked

- Zoe. She left last night. She probably thought I didn't see her, but I did.

- Oh ? »

Jarod waited for more explainations, but his clone didn't give any. He just stated the obvious and grabbed his book to keep reading, as if it didn't call for more. As if Jarod was the only one who was clueless.

« -I think it was about time anyway.

- Why ? You didn't like her ?

- You didn't love her. »

And Jarod was left speechless and decided it was safer to stop the conversation now. As he went back to the kitchen, a thought entered his mind. ''Miss Parker would be proud of him if she knew how he shut me up with so few words.'' And the thought was chased away by the guilt, coming back full force. Zoe had left and his mind was still focused solely on his huntress.

He wasn't sure he understood Zoe's reaction ; yet he feared he did. Was he to blame ? Had he hurt her by falling in love with another one ? Had she known all along ? Did Miss Parker know his feelings ? Because apparently, his clone knew, Zoe knew. And Parker was clever...

He went outside and jogged around the lake hoping to distance the guilt but it ran faster than him, so he went back inside an hour later, defeated and guilty.

His clone was still reading on the couch, his father and sister weren't up. The younger man sighed loudly, got up and started leaving the living-room. By the door, he stopped and turned to his older self.

« - She was smiling when she drove away. I think she is finally free too. So stop feeling remorseful and start using your brain. People might not be as clever as us, but they're not stupid either. Don't forget that they know more about life and its social aspects than we do. Give them both some credit.

- Both ? »

But the boy had left already. ''Both ? That boy is not as shy as it seems. And not as unexperienced.'' It puzzled him – and annoyed him to some extent – that his younger version seemed to know and understand more about love than himself.

During the whole day, Jarod tried to figure out how much Zoe had known, how many times she tried to reach out for him to tell the truth. She obviously wanted the best for him, wanted him to be happy. He should have paid more attention. But even now, his mind kept thinking back to the island and the delicious figure he caught a glimpse of at Ocee's. That was what she did to him. He was unable to focus, unable to think about something else. Maybe it was the pretender's curse, he thought with a smile. A sad smile. She had been very straightforward. No chance for them. Not her words, but their meaning. He never needed her to say more, he understood her perfectly. And he knew she meant it. He shouldn't pursue romantic feelings for her, he shouldn't want to open her eyes and sweep her off her heels to ride to the sunset – and from the Centre – together. But he was stubborn and would not surrender until she surrendered to her feelings for him. It was one of his numerous flaws according to her. But he hoped that soon, she would see it as his major quality.

He opened his laptop to work on the Centre's donwfall once again, but this time with renewed enthusiasm. Because at the end of his work, love awaited him.