Author: Kindli
Fandom: Pretender
Rating: R-maybe just PG? I'm no good at ratings.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to MTM and NBC Productions. I'm making no profit from this, believe me.
Summary: After Jarod rescues Sydney's son and friends from the hands of Lyle, Jarod has a gun to his head.
Notes: If anyone remembers the name of this ep, I'd greatly appreciate if you'd let me know.
JAROD'S CHOICE
By Kindli
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Lyle knelt on the ground, hands clasped behind his neck; with Jarod standing behind him. He heard the gun click and jerked in reaction.
"Don't move, you bastard," Jarod ordered.
Lyle swallowed hard.
Jarod walked slowly in a circle around him, his gun always trained at Lyle's head. "You were so clever, convincing those kids to trust you, weren't you?" he paused, and when Lyle didn't respond, he leaned in closer and shouted in Lyle's ear, "WEREN'T YOU?!"
Lyle jumped again, but nodded-his eyes trained on the gun, whenever it was in sight.
"Would you have just killed them-once you had me? Just so they wouldn't talk?" Jarod asked.
Lyle glanced away and remained silent.
Jarod smacked him across the cheek with the gun. "Answer me, Mr. Lyle," he demanded.
Lyle's lip was bleeding but he remained silent.
"Did you plan to kill them?" Jarod lifted the gun in warning.
Lyle continued to remain quiet.
"Son of a bitch-" Jarod muttered, shooting Lyle in the arm.
Lyle cried out, and pressed his hand against the wound, hoping to slow the blood. "No, you asshole," he gasped, glaring up at Jarod. "I didn't plan to kill them-we have a gas that would have erased their memories and would have used that. God!!" he groaned.
"Do you know where my family is?" Jarod grabbed Lyle's hair and forced his head up to look into the man's eyes.
"Fuck you, you care so little about them that you want to find them and put them in danger? Like they'll be left alone, once you've made contact? You're a selfish, egotistical spoiled brat!" Lyle informed him, gritting his teeth in pain.
Jarod glared at him. "Of course, how foolish of me. You're protecting them; I don't believe you, Mr. Lyle, tell me where they are." He gripped the other man's hair tighter.
"You expect me to tell you and then let them be alive for you to see? Fine."
Jarod interrupted him, "Who says I'll let you live?" he growled.
Lyle flinched at Jarod's tone, but even on his knees with a bullet in his arm, he managed to look at Jarod defiantly, "You're a good man, Jarod. Sydney practically raised you as a son; you weren't raised for violence. You would never kill me. You think you could, if it would protect your family, but you can't. It's not in your nature-so do your family a favor, and don't ask me where they are."
Jarod released him and jumped away from Lyle as if he were burned. "Why do you care?" he wanted to know, staring at him in frustration.
Lyle kept firm pressure on his arm, while he glared at Jarod hatefully. "I care because you do. I want you to be my partner-partner's look out for each other."
Without another word, Jarod left the room. Lyle sighed, he told Jarod the truth, but ended up revealing more than he'd intended. Jarod didn't even believe he had emotions, much less integrity or loyalty.
Jarod returned a few minutes later, with a bucket of water, a sharp knife and some rags.
Lyle stared at him in surprise, and made to stand, but Jarod put up a hand. "Just stay still." He used a knife to cut through the arm of the sweater and grabbed the pail of water. "I don't know why you do this to yourself, or to me. You attempt to prove yourself to me, in the most psychotic ways. I won't go back to the Centre, there is just too much there that I don't approve of. Even as your partner, I would be required to give up too much of myself. I can't do that, Lyle." He cleaned the wound with the water, and used Lyle's belt, to bind the arm; acting as a tourniquet.
"If we go to the top, you could implement some changes." Lyle spoke reasonably, even as the world edged off into blackness.
"It wouldn't work that way," Jarod reminded him, pulling off his own jacket, to use as a pillow.
Lyle's eyes closed, and he fell into unconsciousness.
When he awoke, he was in the chopper. Jarod was gone.
~~~fini~~~