I scrolled too fast and saw this and decided to read it first. Mirage this is beautiful and your descriptive work and abilty to articulat so that we can see what you are seeing is amazing. The characters are the characters that I know, love, remember so well and miss. I'm glad I don't have to miss them. They are right here and alive and well. It's short piece but so poignant. Thank you.

Ok so work has to wait a d@mn minute. I LOVE the way Parker keeps him guessing and the way you keep me guessing lol. Have I told you before how much I love your original characters. It's pretty amazing Mirage. Janeane is a trip.

This part is so telling :

"Celeste. You look nice," the woman whispered.

Jarod acknowledged the words with a smile.

"And not at all like the man she said would be coming for her."

WOW. We know what Parker thinks of Jarod now. WOW. SO complicated. If I didn't have to work I could read how it ends. Thank you for writing and inviting me into your world. This story is so different than Forces of Nature and is still different from everything you've written. It's fresh and raw. It's amazing. You really are amazing.

YES! OOoh Yes! You updated this! I love how in character everyone is in this and all of your stories and really appreciate how this played in mind like an missing episode from the the show. Miss Parker can be thoughtful when she wants to be and that came through here when she was dealing with Gil and Ramona's troubles. Your writing is delicate and very visual but raw too! Miss Parker was really thorough in her search of his room. My computer died on me but now that I am backI am going to read the rest of this....but first I am dying to read the rest of Forces of Nature...against your advise not to lol. It can't be that bad.

I put down a best selling novel to read this. Good decision. This is better. So I agree with Jarod 'doh Sydney what were you thinking' but Miss Parker is clever so I do understand why Sydney didn't see past the facade. She is the Queen of concealing and repressing. The title pops for me at the very end of this chapter. Jarod had heard Miss Parker say 'jetlag' and heard everything she wasn't saying. Mirage! You did a spectacular job of capturing every character the way I remember them from the tv series and other than your fiction, tv is the only place I've ever seen them so real and fleshed out.

I know it's a strange thing to love about a story but I love that Miss Parker hasn't told Jarod their son is dead yet. Makes the grief all that more realistic. I want to say one more thing. I think I like that Jarod doesn't like the tension anymore. Maybe he misses their childhood when things were simple? He's older. I think he would be tired of making her feel that way, getting that shock reaction. He seemed to love surprising her on the series like he wanted to scare her. I can't wait to read what you do next. Thanks for writing fantastic stories and sharing your talent with me.

Don't have time to leave a large review but this was fabulous Mirage. Just wanted to let you know and please keep going. So glad you are back. Missed you so much. Beautiful work here.

HOLY SHITFIRE! Mirage, Mirage, Mirage, Mirage you are brilliant. You must be the first to write ....or even suggest...Parker/Jarod twincest. Give me more. ! I give you a ten. I wish I could rate you higher.

I bow to you! Extraordinary, so perfect... very intelligently written. Mirage I'm in awe of your writing career! You've accomplished so much and kept me spellbound, and sometimes shocked but hey hey that's what a brilliant author does. :) The way you flesh out characters is miraculous. Miss Parker and Jarod when you write them are right there.....i'ts like watching Michael and Andrea interact...you breathe life into them like no other ever has. You should be writing the novels, or at least be a part of the writing team. You have a fresher perspective...you have The Pretender in your blood....in your bones. Can't rate you anything but a ten! Thank you for everything!

OMG I love it. Mirage Mirage Mirage! I'm totally looking forward to how they will work together. Oh, man. You kill me. I see Michael and Andrea every time I read your fiction and that's just what I want because Michael IS Jarod and Andrea is Miss Parker and nothing else will do so thank you for this!

Squee! Mirage update is instant happiness. You do know that you could update every day for us and I'd be happy every day? We know you want to make us happy? Don't you Mirage? Don't you want to make me happy every single day? Don't you don't you don't you?

Wow. That went fast and was amazing. You're writing like six stories like a boss and I can't even write one at a time without getting blocked. How do you do it?

And they are all high quality Pretender-calibre stories. Mind. Is. Blown. I need more of this in my life! Thank you for giving us Little Miss Parker in Big Miss Parker's absence. I'll take the snark in any form I can get it. So plausible, so well written and in character like they are my The Pretender dvds. Please please don't stop now Mirage.

Can't get enough Mirage. So many feels in this one. I know Jarod's hurting but he does the right thing and sorry not sorry I don't blame Parker. Give the woman a medal already. More please?

OMG! I was so sure that I reviewed this and just read it again and don't ask me why I read xmas fics in flipping August either lol. This was amazing. First you open with the actual gift. You describe it perfectly and then tell us how and where Parker bought it and who she meets along the way....Yay Jarod! I love the playful chat between Jarod and Parker and how Christmasy everything is in the store....can't have xmas without Ella Fitzgerald and salvation army bells and you tie it up with your special Mirage bow and ribbon and end with the gift by having her give it Mr. Raines. THAT WAS FLIPPING AWESOME. When you care enough to send the very best. lol. "Of all the shops in all the cities in all the world, Frankenboy walks into this one" lmao! a twist on Casablanca. "We could," Jarod stammered hastily, and observed as Parker swung her gaze at him, "uh, there's a diner across the the street," he explained, hanging a thumb over his shoulder as he spoke, "that serves the best chocolate cream pie in the contiguous United States."

oooh you are so great with the characters and knowing Jarod he tried all the pies in the US to find out before saying that lol. Thank you for your gift Mirage. Keep on writing and giving us more gifts.

"The obligatory storm lacked the violence and longevity of the devil's storm they'd weathered in Carthis; it disrupted electricity, nevertheless"

Why didn't they lose power in Carthis?

Anyhoo, I like the nervous tension in the beginning {that they laughed off} and the way you are transitioing the relationship. No one writes Pretender fiction as well as you do. The little girl is haunting. You introduce the best original characters! Thank you for continuing to share your talents with us. This fandom can certainly use it!