I do not own Pretender. No profit is made off of this, it’s strictly for entertainment.

Two weeks Later . . .

Some pretends worked out so well, and some only minorly. Jarod did his best though, explaining and sharing several details daily at his job. He made new friends there, as always. He loved making new friends, and the possibilities they always brought.

But, Mister Lumber. Reaching him wasn’t easy. It took two weeks before he finally got an extra word out of him. He had been cozying up as much as possible. A similar background.

“Whoah, that’s incredible. You’re more knowledgeable than the other guides by far,” he finally said to Jarod, showing a true break into the shell that was him. “If you don’t mind me asking. Why work way out here?”

“Oh, I’ve been to other places,” Jarod settled on. “But, I’m happiest in smaller, warm towns with friends and family to share things with more than major cities. A bigger paycheck and view isn’t everything.”

“Yeah. Family. You have family around here?” he asked Jarod.

“No. I have friends, but they are like my family,” Jarod went with. “There are a lot of good people to be friends with in this town. Aren’t you friends with any of them?”

“No. Not looking for that,” he muttered.

Jarod tried to hold back his sigh. Getting him to open up was going to take a month or more.

“Sydney still ain’t got shit.”

No. Jarod turned around and faced Miss Parker. She was becoming ever oh so welcoming over the past week. Her friendship arrow was at nil. All she was striving for was to not break anyone’s arm. “Miss. I’m working.”

“Don’t give me that crap.” She shoved a lunch sack at him. “Making it and leaving it at home? You’re either preoccupied or planned this little shindig meeting.”

Shoot. “You brought my lunch?” He did forget it. He was planning on going back for his lunch. “Thank you.”

“Oh don’t thank me. That’s worse.”

Jarod looked into it. “You smushed my pudding.” It was a lunch sack. How hard was it to be gentle with a lunch sack? But when he looked up, he noticed something different about Mister Lumber and Miss Parker.

Then. He realized there was something else he wasn’t accounting for. That Mister Lumber may not have needed just any old friendship.

“Marty,” Mister Lumber said, tipping his hat to Miss Parker.  “Marty Lumber, ma’am. Are you the guide’s sister?”

She held back her feelings about the word ma’am as she tried to smile. “Jarod is-“

“Her brother,” Jarod lied to him. “She is my caring sister.” There. Now, at least his feelings wouldn’t be deflated so fast. He needed to start coming up with a new plan with new options. Wrong type of friend. It was hard to see, there was no interest, no purpose or glance that would show it to Jarod.

Until Miss Parker came.

So far, Marty hadn’t found anyone there that he could associate romantically with. He would need someone patient, and someone who enjoyed space as much as he did.

“Do you come here often?” Marty asked her.

“Not really,” Miss Parker admitted. “Not really into the wonders of space right now. Or, well, ever.”

“Don’t look like you’re too happy to be here,” Marty said.

“Honestly? I’m not. Your town is sh . . . shuch ummm . . .”

“It’s a shitty place,” Marty joked with her. “It is. There isn’t much to do here. The most fascinating thing is here. There’s really nowhere else to go though.”

“Why not? Get up, get out. What’s so hard about that?”

“I just . . .”

Jarod watched the conversation between Marty and Miss Parker. Been working here two weeks, not more than ‘guide’, and she’s already earned his first name. He watched Marty approach her closer.

“It just, I just . . .” Marty looked toward Miss Parker. “You’ve got an excitement in your eyes I haven’t seen anyone else have around here before.”

“Yeah?” She pursed her lips. “That’s ‘cause I’m from nowhere near this little lemonade stand. I’m not from a place that smiles down brightly while pigs dance in the sky. If I didn’t have to be here, there’s no way I would be.”

“Miss.” Hitting the line. “This town is full of nice people. Why not tell him about some of the good people you’ve met so far?” She just stared at Jarod for awhile. “Please?”

“Oh god. Am I helping you?” Of course, that annoyed her. She looked back to Marty. “Piggly Wiggly down on aisle three of the store asked if I was having a loving morning and I said ‘fine’.”

“Miss,” Jarod warned her again.

“What? He wants to really hear how everyone is oh so nice all the time?” She looked toward him. “Everyone is oh so nice all the time.”

“Yeah. Everyone’s fake, it’s all so fake. But you’re real.”

“Not Snow White with seven dwarfs. At best two medium sized nerds and one tall idiot-savant.”

Marty laughed.

Jarod was thinking as hard as he could. Real. Gritty. Obviously, female. Now that he could see. Marty Lumber didn’t need a friend to cozy up to in that town to express his feelings about his daughter. He needed someone to drag him away, and show him a new way to live again. Glockland. He met someone four months ago who was obviously yearning for something different too.

This wasn’t going to be solved by Jarod, but he knew how to lead the two to each other. He would have to contact Judy Glockland and see for sure whether they were a good match. Either way, Glockland was wanting something different. That little town might solve both their problems.

It looked like Jarod Ivory was almost done. When it came to love, he couldn’t Pretend to solve it. He could just give it the best chance to bloom. As Marty finally walked away, he took a moment to steal Miss Parker. “Pack up for tonight.”

She turned to look toward him. “Tell me it’s something better.”

“Inseminating pigs.”

“ . . . you’re inseminating . . .” she accused him. “Should I say it?”

“The tone, Miss Parker. It’s not like you’re doing it,” Jarod smiled at her. “Thank you.”

“Don’t. Start. I’m not helping, and I’m definitely not screwing pigs. Why do you end up in these places?”

“It’s just, where people need help,” Jarod said as he shrugged. “You inadvertently helped, but I can tell it wasn’t on purpose, if that makes you feel better?”

---------------------

One week later . . .

Well. It may be donuts he’ll be making, but at least it was a decent sized city. Of course, when it came to a car rental, they ended up getting clown red again. Still, small miracles. Much better house than last time.

She breathed the air. So much better than where she’d been. His inseminating pig gig. What didn’t he do? “So who the hell am I here?”

“Pinkman’s still fine, The Centre didn’t bother us at all in the last two places,” Jarod said. “I’ve just got one stop before work.”

The hospital? Miss Parker looked toward him. “You never let me go to the hospital in the other towns.”

“I got connections in this one. We have to be careful, a paper trail with no friends to help can get into sticky situations,” Jarod said as he pulled in. They both got out of the car.

Miss Parker got out, like always, but she could tell she was getting bigger. Now only the ignorant assumed she was fat and not pregnant. “Okay, let’s get this over with.”

“Then, donuts,” Jarod smiled as he walked a little too close to her. “Sprinkles. Fudge. Different colors, all kinds of colors. Classic. Glaze. Little containers of chocolate milk right on the side.” He held his hands out. “You can see it all inside of a glass casing, to make sure you pick just the right one you want.”

“Am I going to start seeing weird donut things in our place?” Miss Parker asked him. “Are you working your way up to a pastry chef?”

“Oh, why, Miss Parker. Good guess,” He said. “But, no.” He walked into the office with her.

“Are we going to go educate ourselves by visiting a hundred donut shops around here?” Because she sure could use one now. Damn. I used to be a lot better. Pregnancy cravings.

“In just a little while. You go ahead and get your appointment. You’ll be sticking around for awhile anyhow, you have to give a urine sample.”

“Whoo-pee.” The pun in her statement wasn’t lost to him, but she avoided the smile as they were finding a place to sit down. “Not that. We should sit anywhere ‘cept there.”

Of course, Jarod chose the spot with the most kids. The mommies who kept getting pregnant like it was a competition. He was in the play area, watching a two and three year old color and play with blocks and small toys.

Miss Parker sat down. When she looked back toward the kids, Jarod was gone. Great. I’m gonna go back and get stuck with 500 pictures of donuts strewn around the place. She tried not to make eye contact. She went for her urine sample when asked, and sat back down again.

“Miss Pinkman?” The nurse called out to her. “The doctor will see you now.” Miss Parker went through the hallway and doors, got herself measured, made polite ‘small talk’ as best she could take it, and then the nurse got all her vitals.

“Alright, Miss Pinkman, the doctor will be in here soon.”

Miss Parker lied down on the hospital bed. Hospitals. I hate hospitals.

“Alright Nurse, thank you. I’ll take that.”

Huh? Miss Parker pulled herself up. Jarod was dressed in a white coat. A doctor’s white coat. Oh hell no. She started to get up, but he easily blocked her.

“Relax, everything’s fine,” Jarod insisted. He pointed to his nametag that said Jarod Hopkins. “The doctor will see you now.”

“Jarod, this isn’t funny,” she growled, “what are you doing?”

“Doctor Hopkins,” Jarod corrected her. “Nurse, I want you to schedule her for a blood exam after this to the lab. I want the results sent back to me as soon as possible.”

“Yes, Doctor Hopkins.”

“Jarod!”

“Easy,” he warned her. “Stress isn’t good. I hear you think you’re having twins. We should probably get that confirmed. Almost six months without an exam is no good,” he said as he took a chart back from the nurse and signed it. While he signed, Miss Parker tried to get up again. “Miss Pinkman, you really ought to sit down. Analysis?”

“Negative for any bladder infections in the urine sample, Doctor Hopkins.”

“Great to hear.”

Oh no. “Jarod, I’m warning you-“

“Pregnancy is a difficult time, but let’s not threaten the doctor, shall we? Lie back down.”

“Couldn’t you just ask to feel the baby instead of all of this?” That would have been easier. And possible.

“Don’t worry. If you’re that adamant, I can have another doctor take over later,” Jarod stressed to her. “Now, lie back.”

She sighed, letting him know her discontent of his little trick. Yet. He was about the best doctor in the world, if he’d been a doctor. He knew more than any real doctor. “Fine, just get it over with.” She felt Jarod touch her belly. Of course he’d get to touch her belly, she knew that had been coming in some way.

“A little higher. Suspicions may be right. We’ll know for sure with an ultrasound here soon.” He went ahead and grabbed some kind of microphone looking thing. And gel.

“The hell is that?”

“Don’t worry, this’ll just be a little cold.”

He smeared it on her belly! He better have a damn good reason for putting clear jelly all over her belly.

“Calm down. Stress is not good for you,” Jarod reminded her once again. He moved the microphone along her belly.

Okay. Touching the belly was one thing, what the heck was he doing?

“There.” He had a light smile, almost a surprise. “There it is.”

There what is? What was that look? She watched him move the same thing he had been listening to towards her. And she heard it. A heartbeat. He had found one of the babies’ heartbeats. It could be her baby girl or boy, but it was alive and beating. Inside of her.

“Have you felt any movement?” Jarod continued as he grabbed a chart.

“No,” Miss Parker said. “Should I?” She knew Jarod was one of the best fake doctors out there. Better than real doctors. But, it didn’t kick in that his expertise really meant anything to her until now.

“Not a problem. You should be soon though.” He got up. “Nurse, if you could get her some water, get another physician in here to finish up, and then point out the way to the ultrasound room to her, that’d be great. I’m going on a break for about two hours.”

“Yes, Doctor Hopkins.”

--------------------

He didn’t plan on it. Probably shouldn’t, but his mind didn’t care right now. Jarod dialed Sydney’s number. He just had to.

“This is Sydney.”

“I heard it,” Jarod said, not able to hold back the joy in him. “I’ve seen it just light up the expressions on parents faces before. You can see the shape of the tummy, but that first sound. I never got to experience it for myself.” He laughed. “It’s exciting, Sydney!”

“You heard something? From your future children?”

“A heartbeat, yes.”

“Ah. Are you the doctor, Jarod?”

“Partly. I gave her over to another physician for the rest.”

“I imagine that would be less stressful. It is a very-.”

“Yeah, hands on. But I wasn’t missing the opportunity. In about another hour, she’ll be in for the ultrasound.” He’d done it all more than once. Twice. Ten times. But his own. It was. “My family, Sydney. I’m going to see them. Not a picture of what they used to look like. A picture of them, now.”

“I know. It must be an incredible feeling,” Sydney agreed. “I’m glad you and Miss Parker can share these moments as mother and father.”

“I’m holding onto her as hard as I can. It doesn’t help that she won’t agree to anything more than ‘for now’, or that she still calls you asking for any news about Raines and The Centre.”

“It is her life. Was her life. She can’t turn it off like a faucet.”

“I know. At least she tells me. In the middle of the night, whacking me awake.  Gentle and Miss Parker never did mix though.” He hit end on his cell phone. He should have plenty of time for the ultrasound, dropping her off, and getting back to work.

-------------------

Miss Parker had no problem with the drawing of her blood. It was the other stuff that made it tough. It felt funny walking after the prodding she had to endure. It didn’t hurt, per say. It was just.

“Feeling weird? Little lost? Or both?”

Smart ass. She looked back at Jarod. Smiling son of a bitch. “Some things you just can’t Pretend to understand.” She looked toward the signs.

“This way. It’ll get easier as time goes by.”

“Shut up.”

“You really should visit hospitals more for those kinds of-“

“Shut up.” She was finally awarded with his sigh.

“A couple doors more. How are you doing?”

“I’m a waterfall waiting to happen!”  What kind of sicko would make her drink all that water and tell her she couldn’t use the bathroom until after the ultrasound? “Jarod, can you stop tormenting my life? At least for one day.”

“It was necessary,” Jarod said. “For the ultrasound. It’ll be worth it.”

More damn cold jelly! Miss Parker watched the monitor she was told to watch. As a ‘picture’ of shadows and circles and blurriness appeared, the ultrasound woman tried to move another little microphone weird thing around again. Jarod probably knew all the terms though.

Although the Pretender could get on her nerves, Miss Parker couldn’t help a small smirk when Jarod grabbed the instrument, almost in frustration, and pulled it all into focus in a matter of a few seconds, showing the ultrasound ‘expert’ up.

He was clearly reading the screen, his eyes focused on the image, probably seeing everything crystal clear with all his experience. All she could see was shadow and blue.

For once, she wished she could see what he saw. She was trying to make sense out of the whole thing.

“Arm.” Jarod gestured around the ultrasound trying to determine everything himself. “Definitely twins. Boy and girl.”

“How do you know all that?” The ultrasound lady was not looking too happy.

“I’m Jarod Hopkins. New doctor.” He gestured to Miss Parker. “New father to be too.” He gestured in the middle where there was a constantly beating circle over and over again. “A heart.”

There. She could finally make out something. “That beating shadow?”

“Yes.” He was trying to indicate more, but Miss Parker focused on what she could.

The heart. A heart from one of the two.

Angel or the Boy.

The boy that Jarod still didn’t have the name for yet. But ‘when he did, he’ll know’.

-----------------------

Jarod came home, a little later than usual. That was the usual when he had to Pretend to be a medical professional. Still, it was worth it. He got to see for himself how they were doing. Even the first snapshot of them, before they were even born.

To make up for his deceit a little though, he went ahead and stopped for donuts. He saw her expression as he talked about them before. He could tell she wanted some. But it wasn’t too deceitful, it would be his next Pretend.

 When he first came in, he didn’t notice anything wrong. She might be resting again. He went ahead and softly knocked. If she were deep asleep, it wouldn’t wake her. If she was getting dressed, she’d make her presence known with a ‘you better not open that door’.

When he looked in, she wasn’t laying down though. “Parker?”

No. No, she couldn’t have. Calm down. I didn’t sense anything wrong. None of her movements, she didn’t do anything else. He took off to check other parts. The bathroom. The kitchen. The upstairs that they had no need for, but looked good if others wanted to check the ‘doctor’ out for themselves.

He went to the table, looking around it. If she left the house, he had insisted on a note from the first time he went bonkers when she took off. No note.

Okay. He had no choice. He rushed back to the bedroom and picked up the phone to dial Sydney. Did Raines give her a deal she couldn’t pass up after all?

“This is-“

“Sydney, where is she?!” Jarod shouted.

“Outside. Fresh air.”

He never thought he’d be so happy to hear that annoyed voice. “False alarm, Sydney. Sorry.” He hung up.

“Do I really have to leave a note if I’m wandering out-what’s that?”

“Donuts.” He wiggled the paper bag.

“ . . . what are those doing here?”

“For eating. You should know that one. Even I know that one.” He reached in and grabbed one for her. “I can tell you want one?”

“ . . . I haven’t had one of those since I began training,” she said.

“Then you are really due for one.” He pushed it to her closer. “Eat. I bought them for you.”

Her eyes. Something was different with her eyes. Her stance that had always been so confident had slowly been drooping, but it was like she was trying to pry herself up.

Had he done it? Was he finally busting through her hard exterior? “One donut can’t hurt, Miss.” She walked off past him, back outside. Okay, maybe bust wasn’t the word. Still, he wasn’t one to give up.

She was standing in front of a garden of flowers. That’s why she was outside. She must have been thinking about her mom. The place he rented out this time was a beautiful home, complete with a garden.

“Jarod. I’m supposed to be hunting you, to bring you back to The Centre,” she said, her back still turned, staring at the garden. “I am here, because if I’m not, you’re going to use your intellect through all The Centre’s defenses, and steal my children away. So, why the hell are you buying me donuts?”

Nope. Not a bust. Not even a dent. He didn’t expect it to happen overnight after all. “I tricked you a little to get you in my hospital. I thought donuts would help?”

When she turned, she just looked . . . confused. Unfocused. “You don’t make sense. None of this makes sense.” She looked toward her belly. “This doesn’t make sense. No sense.” She turned back around.

“No, it doesn’t,” Jarod agree, “but I’m trying to make the best of it.”

“I am your enemy,” she said dangerously. “Trusting me simply because I can’t fight to bring you in right now is a stupid thing to do.”

Damn it. “Why do we have to keep being enemies? Why do you have to keep trying to bring me into The Centre?” Why couldn’t she just be the little girl, with a good heart, like she used to be? Even half. Even a tenth of her. He’d forget and forgive the whole six years of hunting him then and there, if she just said ‘I’m sorry’ or ‘I was wrong’ or ‘I did it all for daddy, but I got too wound up in it all’.

But for once. For the first time. He got an answer. He didn’t understand it, but she answered it. It wasn’t ‘because it’s my job’, or because ‘your games and tricks pushed me overboard’, or even because ‘I started this game and I have to finish it.’

No. She didn’t say any of that. Instead, she said:

“Pretenders are dangerous and can’t belong in society. I must bring you in, one way or another.”