Disclaimer: I do not own Pretender. This is not for profit and just for fun.

From The Centre. To South Africa. To . . . there. Miss Parker just stared ahead of her at the endless nothingness. She was thinking of the positives. Her children were safe. She got some new dresses. (Well, it was a given by Jarod and not her style) And . . . and that was about it. At least Jarod wasn’t trying to make small conversation yet. He was clearly used to being on his own, so he was probably tuning her out as much as she wanted to tune him out.

Although, she caught him every once in awhile. His annoying little habit. Trying to read her movements, so she wouldn’t deceive him. He read people well, and she wasn’t dumb about that. That was part of his gift.  

The heat of the summer was at least over out there, making taking Jarod’s car a little easier. It was red with no top. A bright, stupid, shiny red little car. Outside of the car was . . . well, nothingness. Dust and dirt. Miles and miles of driving in nothingness but the plains of Nebraska. Or Kansas. Or somewhere.

She thought back to all the different places they had caught Jarod in. He ended up in cities, in towns, and in the smallest little back shanties that she could have gone her whole life never knowing about and been just fine.

“Miss Parker.”

Oh no. Boy Genius wanted to talk now. “What.”

“We need to talk about where we’re going,” Jarod said. “You know, it’s customary to look at the person trying to talk to you?”

Don’t even. She turned her head slightly. “What.” She could tell from his sigh he was getting exasperated with her. Good. She was only there because she didn’t want his Pretender ass coming and stealing her children from their cribs later on. It was hard to catch Jarod, and she knew she would watch her children grow up only in the glimpses she caught of him.

So, she was there. No, she couldn’t ruin his vigilante approach. No, she couldn’t mess up one of his Pretends. But? If he was expecting much else, he was wishing too hard.

“You haven’t said two words to me since we came back to America,” Jarod said.

“Well, you haven’t asked anything,” she responded. “Conversation is a two way street, but it’s on a one way road with me.” She looked out the window space. “Besides, if I wasn’t here you wouldn’t be talking to anyone, so I’m just giving you your space. You know, so I don’t mess up whatever little Pretend you want to do.”

“Well, contrary to your belief, I don’t mind conversation. Social interaction. It’s one of the reasons I left The Centre in the first place for,” Jarod reminded her. She didn’t answer back. “I’ve had some time to think about the five month fetuses resting inside you that were put there for negative reasons.”

He was obviously feeling uncomfortable about something. “Great. I’ve had five months. Thanks for catching up.” It didn’t mean she was making it any easier.

“With other members of my family, there wasn’t an issue. I’d find them and meet them. Spend time, but I always got separated. Went back to my regular Pretending.”

“If we are in the way,” Miss Parker said, “then just drop me off. We’ll stay out of it.”

Jarod was quiet a moment. He wasn’t actually considering that, she knew he wasn’t. What was he going quiet for? He was looking straight forward again. “This shouldn’t have happened. At least not right now. I mean. When your family is older, it can take care of itself. I’ve taken care of a baby boy before. Michael. Found him in a dumpster.” There was a slight smile on his face. “He was good.”

Well. Being a sweet babysitter and daddy dearest keeping their ass from getting caught were two separate things. He better know the difference.

“I’m sorry, about the way I came off at first, with you, about them,” Jarod apologized. “It’s just, more family manipulated by The Centre. I thought a mom, dad, brother and sister were all of them. Then came my own clone, and Ethan. Now, even more.”

“Stop whining already,” Miss Parker interrupted him with a yawn. “If you have a point, get to it.”

“You need to get more rest during the day, you’re not sleeping as well at night,” Jarod said. “All the hormonal changes inside of you are affecting you. As the fetuses grow more, when your body is at rest, they’ll be more prone to moving because during the day while you move, you’re vibrations are rocking them to sleep. No matter what part of the pregnancy, you need to get more rest.” He looked down toward her belly and then straight.

Don’t be a horrible friend.

Screw her inner sense. This was . . . this was more annoying than someone staring at her rack. When she rested at night, she tugged her clothes inward against her stomach. In loose clothing, she only looked a little different. Many would mistake her for not looking pregnant, just a little belly fat. That would change soon. But Jarod’s reaction wouldn’t.

He’d been a doctor, a surgeon, and just about everything in-between medically. He’d probably touched several pregnant bellies, determining things. But. Jarod had one of those annoyingly romantic type of souls. She knew full well what he wanted to do. He wanted to touch her belly. Because of the bittersweet way they were paired together, he wasn’t pushing the issue. He would soon, or he’d find some kind of medical excuse to give her a look over.

And she’d think of that later once she stopped feeling so hungry. She tried not to look at Jarod as her stomach growled loud enough for him to hear. It was annoyingly use to a certain time to eat, but it was past that. Damn it. She looked at the fast food burger he had stopped for earlier, being presented right in front of her. Like an offering. “No.”

“You’re hungry.”

“No.”

“Parker, I can hear your stomach. It’s not fine dining, but you’re going to have to get used to anything, anywhere. Eat.”

“I don’t want it.” Her stomach growled again. Shit. She saw the burger wiggle in front of her. He really shouldn’t do that. If he was a doctor, then he was doing a pitiful job right now. He should know all kinds of facts and studies about pregnancy. The hormonal imbalances. “Jarod, move it away.” Its smell hit her nose just right too. Ugh! “Damn it Pretender, move it or I’m getting sick all over your stupid car!”

He seemed to get the hint. Miss Parker gripped her stomach. She was used to the cafeteria food and choice she had each day. Since she was pregnant she hadn’t seen a fast food burger.

“Olfactory senses a bit overwhelmed?” Jarod asked.

Not now. Not his big word genius ass phrasing now.

“Right.” He tucked the burger far away again. “I can hear your stomach growling. You haven’t eaten for hours. Your nutrition balance is falling off.” He looked around at the nothingness. “We should be hitting a small town about ten miles up. We’ll get some better food. Okay?”

Be nice. He’s trying. He could be way meaner but he’s trying.

He almost made me lose what little I have in my stomach.

He’s trying. Be nice. Try to be nice. Without him, you’d be stuck in that cell still.

“Fine.” There. That was nice. It wasn’t the grandest of phrases, but at least she didn’t fly off the handle. She heard Jarod turn the music back on. Most likely he knew it probably wasn’t time to push her for social interaction right now. A lot of the way there he tended to listen to music.

Not just any music. Nope, he listened to all forms of music. He had the basic categories of music from blues to rock, along with nature soundtracks. She almost fell asleep with the sound of rain droning on. The whole time though no matter what he was listening to, he was wide awake, appreciating it all.

Not a surprise. It was who he was. She stared out the window. The Centre felt a thousand miles away. Almost a different life away. Although the journey wasn’t her slice of pie, she had to admit. Besides the little sickness from the greasy burger. She didn’t feel that bad.

If he was in a hospital he was working in as a doctor, he could have given Miss Parker something to make it easier. But, there was something he could get. He stopped and got out of the car leaving her in there. He’d tell her what he was getting, but he didn’t need her thinking he was telling her everything. Not yet. He was still reading her. Watching her. Getting her to talk would be more informative. So far, it didn’t look like crossing him was on her mind. But, he would wait to the last possible second before he revealed his Pretend to her.

 He watched out the gas station window. There was no way The Centre would find him yet. He left nothing so far. No hint at all where they were at. But with Miss Parker carrying two potential pretenders that The Centre would crave, he didn’t want to take many chances.

“Hey, can I get some candy, dad?”

“Sure, son. One thing and we’ll go.”

He rounded the father and son, getting to the place he needed to be. He looked back out the windows. Nobody important out the window. There were a few locals trying to talk to Miss Parker as she got out and stretched her legs, but otherwise, nothing Centre related. He went toward the most likely aisle and checked out the selection. He didn’t have time to analyze them, he just needed one pack. He grabbed the saltines and moved back towards the counter.

“Sit up straight,” a different dad said to his son in front of Jarod. “Stop goofing around, you’re embarrassing me.”

There were a few people in front of him, but that was okay as he watched her start to come in. Not for him though. She went right past him toward the back, and then came back behind him. She needed a key so she had to wait in line.

“Uterus pushing down on the bladder?” he asked her.

“Nope, just pushing local assholes.”

Not this. “I know you don’t like to be the friendliest person in the . . .” World. Country. State. County. Town. “It would be good practice to be a little nicer.”

“It’d be good practice for this line to hurry up,” Miss Parker said, ignoring the advice altogether.

Then, the locals that she so lovingly called assholes came in. Jarod hoped she didn’t do anything to make them mad. Deciding to diffuse any situation she might have started he gave his best friendly smile. “Hello.”

But, he was finally up to the register. He paid for the crackers and looked back in disappointment as he heard one of the men yell. A man was grabbing his finger in pain and Miss Parker didn’t say anything as she waited for Jarod to move. “I hope you didn’t bust it.”

“Who said it was me?” She gave him a light smile than quickly turned itself back down. “Move already.”

Jarod didn’t really know what to do. Should he pay for the guy’s groceries? Or . . . oh. No, no, he shouldn’t pay for anything at all. As Miss Parker got the key, she passed another woman Jarod hadn’t seen behind her.

That woman, her eyes were practically sparkling at Miss Parker. It was a look he often saw in people he helped who had no words for him. The thankless kind of thanks. She then looked at the man and his misfortune. Considering the amount of damage he was suffering, the distance of the woman growing, and the tugged up half smile on her face before she left, Jarod figured it out.

It took a few seconds to put it together, but he got it. The guy must have harassed either the woman behind her, and Parker took action against him. Or he grabbed at Parker’s butt, and while Parker took action, he had been repeatedly harassing the other woman. Either way, the woman looked like he deserved his come uppence, and like Parker practically saved her.

Jarod took the saltines and passed the small scene. Crackers didn’t work with all women’s nausea, but it was worth a try. He’d wait right by the car for her. The Centre was nowhere near there. As he waited, he started to think of medical things in his head. He didn’t doubt the Triumvirate took care of Miss Parker’s health, but he still wanted to check her himself.

He already knew the medical ins and outs, there wouldn’t be any learning time, he just needed some basic equipment. It wasn’t from around there though. He kept things he wanted to have for the future in storages that the Centre didn’t know about. Having medical equipment on hand would be necessary, but Miss Parker would see it. If she changed her mind about ‘for now’, it could be rough. Everything’s risky. I need to make sure the pregnancy is okay, and I’m going to be delivering them anyway. I want this to be as smooth as it can be. Yes, he needed a couple things, and he’d need more in the future.

However, he wasn’t prepared for the familiar little car kicking up dust right in front of him. Before he knew what was happening, he felt himself getting dunked headfirst into the passenger seat.

“Jarod, are you okay?!”

Jarod knew that voice. He quickly tried to right himself up, but the car was going extra fast. “Zoe, stop the car!” he demanded. He had no idea why she was that desperate to get away. Whether she saw The Centre’s black cars or Miss Parker inside the gas station, the car had to stop. He couldn’t leave Miss Parker back there.

He grabbed the wheel. “What are you doing?! Stop the car!”

“I can’t, Jarod, The Centre is like right behind you!” She shouted to him.

“Zoe, stop the car, please!”

“Are you kidding? That one woman you showed me a picture of from The Centre, she’s in that station! I’m serious, I’m not confused!”

“Which is kind of a big coincidence, don’t you think?! Stop!”

Finally, Zoe stopped. Her bouncy red curls kicked forward and then back, looking toward Jarod. “You knew she was there?”

“Yeah.” Oh no. Zoe and him both liked to explore America, as well as have a spontaneous relationship. They were both on the move, but they joined up with each other a few times a year, finding their own meeting grounds. They weren’t exactly . . . steady. But, neither one could live the lives they wanted and have someone that would always be there. Jarod had girlfriends between. Zoe had boyfriends between. At least, he assumed. But.

Her wild spirit. Ever since their first meeting they were instantly attracted to each other. That passion was incredible. Awesome. She was probably on her way to see him and spotted the gas station. “Zoe. I have some stuff to tell you, but first we have to get back to that gas station. Please?”

“Why were you with her?” Zoe asked. “She’s one of the people chasing you, right?”

“I’ll answer your questions, I promise, but I have to get back,” Jarod insisted. “She’s running from The Centre too, and she’s pregnant with twins, so I have to get back there.”

“What? Crazy, Jarod.” But, she got the car turned around and headed back.

Jarod jumped out of the car, seeing the face on Miss Parker. He knew whatever she was going to say, wouldn’t be good. In front of Zoe too, damn, he didn’t even get a chance to explain yet. “Sorry. Caught a ride and forgot the luggage.”

“Luggage?” Oh, her voice was deep. Too deep. Bottom of the well deep. “Well. There’s no magic to why you have trouble keeping track of your family. Here’s a hint. You might find it easier, if you don’t leave them stranded at a gas station.” She glanced at Zoe.

“Family?” Zoe asked her. “Oh no, don’t tell me.” She held her finger out toward Miss Parker. “Yeah, the way things work with Jarod and The Centre. You found out you were Jarod’s sister, right?”

No.

“You nailed it,” Miss Parker lied with a smirk.

 “Cool. The Centre, never know what to expect.” Zoe shook her hand. “I’m Zoe. So, you’re having twins?” She smiled toward Jarod. “You’re going to be an uncle. That’s ultra-cool, I’ll bet you’re so excited, Jarod! No wonder you were busting out of your gut to get back.” She looked at Miss Parker. “You can kind of tell.” She pushed the dress against her belly. Miss Parker assisted her, tugging it closer. “Oh, look at that. You can see it. How far along are you?”

“Five months or so,” Miss Parker said.

“Neat,” Zoe said. “Who’s the dad?”

“Oh.” She took a long drag of a breath, in a similar slowness she would use when she were a exhaling a cigarette a long time ago. “Sydney.”

“Syd-?” Jarod stopped himself. “Miss Parker. I think we need to talk.”

“Don’t mind him,” Miss Parker told Zoe. “He’s upset. Sydney’s a little older than me.”

“Sydney?” Zoe had a funny look on her face. “The guy that raised Jarod? But, that’s much older.”

“Yeah, but.” Miss Parker gave a small smile. “Things kind of happen when you’re always out on the open road. Hotel to hotel. One night, the smell of his cologne he’s worn on special occasions since at least the 1960’s, held my attention and the brusque sound of his psychiatry voice-“

“Parker.“

“Mm, that was my favorite phrase in his voice, with just a small raise in the ‘Par’. Mixed with his accent and the sounds of his feet walking toward me and the clank of my stilettos coming toward him he became friendly with my favorite black suit and red satin blouse top and he took me harder than a man his age should against the blank white starkness of a room of the Centre. “

“Parker.” Jarod was a Pretender. He could place himself into situations and feelings of people with just a little stimuli, and she knew damn well what she was doing!

“Oh. Sorry.” Miss Parker stopped. “I’m afraid I’m affecting my brother.”

“Oh, yeah,” Zoe said. “The visualization and details probably aren’t helping. Him being a Pretender and all.”

“Hm? Oh no, Jarod physically caught us together once.”

“Stop.”

“His own room, using his round capsule that he uses to block outside sensory-“

“Parker!” Jarod demanded. “We need to talk.”

“Is this about how you forbid me to go back to The Centre to see Sydney anymore again?” Miss Parker asked. “My kids own father?”

“Miss. Parker.”

“Ooh.” Miss Parker rubbed at her bottom lip. “Brother. You got a little something right there.”

“Zoe. I need to talk to my sis a second, privately,” Jarod insisted. “Please?”

“You bet.” She winked at him. “I’ll be right outside.”

Once she was gone, the gloves were off. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Saving your ass while giving you nightmares in the process to not go insane for a good deed,” she answered.

“Saving me? Zoe knows about The Centre.”

“Yes, but she doesn’t know that the two buns baking inside of me came from your bakery,” she said. “And I don’t want to get blamed for messing around with your weird relationships.” She looked forward. “If you tell her, you could lose her.”

“I’m not gonna lie to her,” Jarod said. “She is one of the few people I can speak honestly to. She has a good heart.”

“Don’t listen to me then,” Miss Parker said. Nothing else. “Don’t blame me either. I get enough of that.”

The time they spent together in Carthis was some time ago. They almost . . . kissed. Miss Parker may never admit it, but there was something there. Small or big, it was a connection. Could it be a feeling of jealousy that made her believe Zoe wouldn’t understand then? No, he wasn’t really seeing a sign of jealousy, just a bunch of signals she was still mad at his little disappearance. And something else, but he couldn’t place it.

Well, jealousy or not. He cared for Zoe. He knew Zoe.

It’d be fine, once Zoe got the facts. This was just one more thing in his crazy life and Zoe understood it all. Jarod was more disturbed by the slight visions and thoughts that just the familiar broad settings he knew well and had seen in his life from her story- stop it. His room. How many hours had he been in that- stop it. That cologne, probably mixed with-

Knowing action would work better, Jarod left the gas station. He saw Zoe standing, smiling like there was no such thing as a bad day to her. “Hey. Miss Parker . . . was a bit rambunctious in there.”

“How so?” Zoe asked. “You mean the details she gave? They really weren’t that much-“

“-not about that.” Jarod didn’t need that again. “About her being my sister. Zoe, I have more stuff to tell you.”

“Really? Story time.” She leaned more against his car with him leaning on the other side of her. “The last one was the clone. No. No, the last one was Ethan. Right? I think there were scrolls in their somewhere? Your life is confusing, Jarod. So, what new adventures do you have this week?”

“Six months ago, Miss Parker visited South Africa with one of the other chasers following me. Mister Broots. Miss Parker stayed in South Africa though, to try and find things about her past.” Zoe knew all the basics on them, but he never felt right revealing a whole lot about Catherine Parker. It wasn’t his place. “Not very long ago, Sydney made a discovery that Mister Broots was giving some kind of Centre medication to his daughter.”

“Oh no,” Zoe said in concern. “Is she okay now?”

“Yes, it was just vitamins. It was a scare,” Jarod said. “To keep Mister Broots quiet about Miss Parker not being in South Africa willingly. She was stuck in a cell for six months.”

“Oh.” Zoe didn’t seem to know how to react. “I can’t say . . . good, right?”

Jarod knew what she meant. After all, Miss Parker had been chasing him for years. He gave her just the smallest of smiles. “No.”

“Okay, I thought so,” she said. “So, then what? You go to South Africa on a little adventure?”

“Yes. I took Mister Broots and Sydney with me,” Jarod said. “They helped me sneak in and get out with her.”

“Mm.” Zoe nodded. “That’s terrible, Jarod. I get it. So, the babies in her stomach weren’t Sydney’s?”

“Not by a longshot,” Jarod said. “Ever.”

 “So you’re helping her escape The Centre then?” She asked.

See? She understood. “Yes and no,” Jarod said. “I’m not leaving anymore family behind. I’m afraid we are on even worse terms because I . . . I had to threaten to take them after they were born. I don’t want to take kids from their mother. I don’t know if I could, but I won’t let them be raised in The Centre.”

Zoe’s look back toward him changed. “Wait. What do you mean? You mean, what?”

What? “She was being used for the Triumvirate to make new pretenders,” he said. “I destroyed everything I could after that. There’s nothing of my brothers, or anyone else’s in there.”

“Whoah, whoah, hold up.” Zoe’s personality was completely different. Her moves were becoming unexpected. “What are you saying Jarod? Are those . . . yours?”

Hmm. Sometimes he went a little too over her head. He tried not to do that. He kept it fairly simple. “In the cell prison they kept her in, they impregnated her with frozen sperm.” There. That should be better.

That wasn’t better. “The hunter. The hunter that hunted you, is bearing your twins? Your twins?”

Why was she so flummoxed? “Yes, but I didn’t do it. She didn’t do it. It was the Triumvirate.”

“Okay.” Zoe propped herself up. “So, she’s having twins. Wants to go back to The Centre for some stupidly hellish reason, and you threatened to take her kids away from her, and then take them with you, if she didn’t come? Jarod! You were taken from your own mother!”

“They are my family too,” Jarod said. “And The Centre, they can’t be raised in The Centre. You know how evil it is. The plans they already had for those kids.” Did she think he was bad now? “Zoe. They can’t be raised there. Good mother or not. Something would happen.” Did she think he was wrong? “What would you do?”

“I?! I-I don’t know!” She threw her hands up in frustration.

“I had a clone.” Jarod didn’t understand. “That’s a weird DNA thing too, but you said you understood that. You’ve understood everything.” He tried to reach for her hand, but she pulled away. “What’s wrong?” And how could he fix it?

“A clone is different, okay, then this.” Zoe touched her hand to her forehead and her hand moved to her side. Her emotions were all over the place, Jarod could tell.

“I had no control,” he said again. He made it clear. He made that part very clear.

“I know,” Zoe said. She shrugged. “Of course you didn’t. You never have control.”

Then she understood. But, her movements still weren’t exhibiting that at all?

“Man.” Then, her body suddenly seemed to relax. “This wasn’t fair. This was so much fun.”

This was? “Zoe. I don’t understand. You aren’t taking this even half as well as a clone of me. A clone. I would think that would be much harder to understand.”

“Scientifically? Yeah,” Zoe admitted. “Emotionally? Physically? No. Jarod, no. This is, sorry. This is too much.”

Too much? “People actually have kids in this world like this all the time.”

“Yeah, but kids don’t make for a fun life, dude.” Zoe sighed. “Jarod? You are the greatest guy in the world. And you? You have one of the most unique things going on in the world. Getting chased by people, and helping others at the same time. That’s great. But how do you plan on keeping it all up with a pair of kids?”

Oh. Maybe. Her movements and actions still didn’t spell out it was only this, but he had to try. “You’re concerned about their welfare? It’s okay. Miss Parker is well trained. Factor in mother’s intuition and a strong bond, it should make the percentage quite low anything would happen.” Jarod could tell she still wasn’t satisfied. What else did she want?

No, it wasn’t quite concern. The way she was fidgeting. It was an excuse.

“This was a blast, Jarod,” she said. “Meeting up with you a few times a year here and there, having wild and passionate nights, it was great.” She took a step away. “But, you can’t run away for passionate nights when two kiddos are calling your name.”

“You aren’t comfortable with this.” Zoe was wonderful. She accepted more about him than anyone else. But . . . it looked like she reached her toleration limit.

“It’s okay, Jarod,” Zoe said holding his shoulder. “It was only a few times a year. I mean, neither of us completely gave it our all for this to bloom. It’s been . . . kind of, just a nice thing. You know? Someone to come back and stay with, no matter how much time passed. But? I’ve never even gone with you on a single real pretend. I mean, we talked about it once, and nothing ever came of it.”

“Well, it was.” If he said dangerous he was doomed. But by her movements, her looks, all the attempts he tried, there was no way to win already. It was over. Failure. Even his advanced mind couldn’t save this one. All he could do now, was stitch up the ending.

That smile. That was a bittersweet goodbye smile. He saw that smile once, the first time he left her and they didn’t know if they’d ever see each other again.

He didn’t want to see it again. “Isn’t there anything at all I can do?”

“Yeah. Don’t take this as rough,” Zoe said. “Jarod, we even agreed that we wouldn’t like hold each other to some ridiculous standard of only each other when we saw each other maybe five times a year? Sometimes less? You can’t tell me you haven’t had other girlfriends between. I don’t buy it.”

Damn. “Sorry.”

“Why be sorry? The thing is, you have to keep going, making new lives elsewhere, never staying still, and those others you like can’t eventually tag along with you like I could.” She gave him one more kiss. He had been unprepared for it, and it had been so quick, that he wanted to ask for a longer one so that he could try and capture every sensory detail and sensation of her one more time. “One more thing? That, moment between Miss Parker and Sydney?” She said. “You know, the whole in your Centre white room and some round ball and stilletos with psychiatry talk?” Jarod unconsciously winced and she gave him a shrug. “I can kind of read actions too, Jarod. It looked to me like it wasn’t disgust for who she picked. You didn’t want to imagine her with anyone else.” She wiggled her fingers goodbye, and started to walk away.