Just Like Her by Ambrosia, admin
Just Like Her by Ambrosia
Disclaimer: The characters Debbie, Broots, and Miss Parker belong to NBC and the other owners of the Pretender. The character Dorothy, is sort of mine, but also mostly NBC's.


Author's Note: I just thought it'd be cute to see Broots' reaction to Debbie telling him she wanted to be like Miss Parker.


Just Like Her


By Ambrosia








Broots Residence
Blue Cove, Delaware


The insistent ringing of the phone intruded on Broots' peaceful slumber. Clumsy with sleep he brought the receiver to his ear and mumbled aincoherent greeting.


"Broots! Wake up!"


He nearly fell out of bed in shock and fear, "M-Miss Parker?!"


"No, the Easter Bunny, Broots. Get down to The Centre, ASAP. We've got a lead on Jarod."


"Okay, Miss..." He stopped when he heard the dial tone. He looked at his watch, "five-thirty! Oh, Jeeze!"


Dragging himself out of bed and in the general direction of the shower, Broots grumbled to himself about Jarod's habit of turning up right in the middle of a good dream. "Probably won't even get him!"


After he had showered and dressed for work, Broots was feeling a little more human and a little less like a monster at having to wake hisdaughter at six o'clock in the morning. He'd have to drop her leave her with Dorothy, her God Mother. Though he still felt terrible, knowing that he'd most likely miss her ballet class, again.


Quietly opening the door to Debbie's room he shuffled inside and looked down on his child. She looked so peaceful, and he hated to do it, but he knew he had to get her up. Sitting on the edge of her bed he gently stroked her hair and whispered softly to her to wake.


"Mmmn, Daddy?"


"You've gotta wake up, Honey. We gotta take you to Aunt Dorothy's because Daddy's gotta go to work. Ok?"


Rolling onto her back and stretching Debbie nodded, "ok Daddy... But who's gonna take me to ballet?"


"I'll try and be back by then, but if not, Aunt Dot will, ok?"


"Ok"


He kissed her sleepy head, "good girl." He left Debbie to dress and went to the kitchen to make them both breakfast.



"Daddy, what did you want to be when you grew up" Debbie asked over her cornflakes.


"I wanted to be a Fireman, why?" Broots was interested in where this discussion was going. It was a different conversation then what they usually had over breakfast.


"I was just wondering, because, I know what I want to be," she said rather proudly.


"Oh, and what do you want to be when you grow up Debbie?" he asked taking a bite from his toast.


"I want to be like Miss Parker," she stated in no uncertain terms.


Broots' eyes opened wide in shock and he began to choke on his half swallowed piece of toast. Taking a gulp from his coffee, he calmed himself down a little, 'she wants to be like the Ice Queen?!' "Whys that Debbie," Broots queried her when he could breath again.


"Oh, ?cause she's so cool! And nice, and she's pretty and wears nice clothes, and has a nice house, and a pretty name..." Debbie gushed.


"Wait a second, she told you her first name?"


Debbie nodded, "Mmnhumm, and she let me play with her rabbit, and heaps of other fun stuff."


Broots smiled, 'guess she's better with kids than adults.' "What is it, her first name?"


Debbie smiled and shook her head, "it's a secret, and I can't tell anyone."


He shrugged and thought to himself, 'was worth a try though.' Standing Broots said, "come on, are you ready to go? Have you got your dancing stuff?"


"Yep, all ready."


"Well then we're off," he stated putting their dishes in the sink for later on.


"Bye Debbie, have fun!" Broots called as she ran into her God-Mothers house. "Sorry about this, Dot," he began to apologise.


"Daniel, it's ok, really it is. I like having her. Just go to work and do whatever it is that you do there. Ok."


"Thanks Dot," he said and returned to his car. 'I?ll have to remember to tell Miss Parker about Debbie,' he thought grinning. 'She's sure to get a kick out of it.'



Elevator, Sub Level 10
The Centre


"I think you'll enjoy this," Broots began nervously while trying to fix the elevator. Miss Parker was sitting in the corner, looking thoughtful. "I had one of those, uh, parental wake up calls at breakfast. You know, time sure flies. My little Debbie, she tells me, she knows what she wants to do in life. She's ten!" Broots paused and looked at Parker, she was still unresponsive. "Anyway, she says.."


"You ever think of getting out of here Broots?" Parker interrupted.


"Excuse me?"


"The Centre. Leaving. Taking Debbie and just going somewhere. Else"


"Yeah," he laughed nervously. "Actually, lots of times," Broots said wondering where *this* conversation was going. And trying to figure out why Miss Parker was being so civil in this elevator of all places.


"Do it. Don't worry about what other people'll think, don't buy into the false, security of staying put. If you think that's what you need to do then, do it. Do it for Debbie. But do it now. Because the next elevator you get on..." she trailed off looking at the bullet hole in the wall.


Broots followed her gaze and understood, "I, I never knew your mother Miss Parker, but I, I bet the choices she made, had everything to do with her little girl." Broots looked at her again and went back to fixing the elevator, she seemed to be finished the conversation, and he didn't want to push it.


"So what does Debbie want to do with her life?" she asked surprising Broots again.


"Well she says she, wants to be just like you," he told her, smiling and chuckling with her. Finally he fixed the power and the lights came back on, "there we go. We're going to the Lobby."


The End



Well... tell me what ya reckon!!


This story archived at http://www.pretendercentre.com/missingpieces/viewstory.php?sid=129