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Chapter or Story
*Disclaimer: I don't own "The Pretender" or any of its characters. Thanx for not suing! ~Oriana
~~~~~~~~~
To Dance In An English Garden
Part III
by Orinana
She was asleep. And no wonder, with the hell he'd put her through lately. Jarod stood uncertainly next to the bed, a war raging between the emotions inside of him, too close to the edge. Everything wrong, his whole world threatening to crash down around him, and all he could do was stare down at the woman before him.
Then, inside, anger once again gained the upper hand, and as he looked down at Parker, all he could see was the person she'd become, the person the Center and people like her father had created. A woman who had once been all too willing to trade his life for her freedom. Once, but now...?
Shaking his head, as if hoping to free himself of thoughts that would just lead to more confusion and mixed emotions -something he was nowhere near capable of handling right now- Jarod took a good hold of the quilt she lie on top of, and gave a forceful tug.
Parker woke up, quite suddenly, as she fell in an indignant heap on the floor at Jarod's feet.
"What the hell was that?" she demanded, her face reddening. Face blank, but eyes back to reflecting that same fiery anger, he tossed her body-length black jacket down to her.
"Get out."
"Forget it," she snapped, getting to her feet.
"Are you going to force me back there or not?!" he shouted fiercely. "You've got your precious gun--go ahead and do it!"
"No!" she yelled back vehemently.
"Then get the hell out!" he yelled, waving towards the door.
"Forget it," she replied, her voice low, simmering.
He didn't say anything, just spun around and moved out the door, leaving it wide open. Parker heard him throw open her own room's door, and eyes widening, she followed him.
He was muttering angrily, more to himself than her.
"Pointless, all of it. Nobody ever gives a damn. Not as if you can win. My own family's probably forgotten about me. All the innocence, lost. All for the sake of that god forsaken place." She listened, trying to absorb what he was saying. Jarod looked around quickly, saw that she hadn't unpacked, then zipped her luggage up and tossed it to her feet.
"So you want me to go," she said, her voice rising again. "If that's the way you want it..." She walked briskly back into his room, and whipped open the top drawer, withdrawing his gun just as Jarod entered. She turned to him, held it up for him to see. She was upset, too caught up in the moment to see how quickly what color that had returned to his face drained away. "...Then I'm taking this with me."
"It's amazing how expertly you handle those things," he bit, his tone spiteful. "You've learned quite well. Become the perfect Centre operative. You know, I'm almost glad Thomas is dead, so he never had to learn who you really are."
Parker's eyes widened in painful disbelief, as he continued, his voice filling with disgust. "And thank god Catherine isn't here. Imagine what your mother would think, if she could see what you've become--" his words were cut off as the sound of a powerful slap echoed through the room.
Parker looked down at her hand in shock, then up, her eyes watering. Jarod only stood, watching her knowingly, as if she'd behaved just as he had expected.
"The worse part," she managed after an eternal moment, "is that I don't know if you said that just to get rid me, or if you really meant it." He made no reply, just turned his back to her and walked to the balcony, and sat. No remark, no yelling. Silence.
At first, she could only stare at the back of his head, a mixed look of disbelief and incomprehension on her face.Then, she found her voice, and tried to ignore the one warm tear sliding down her cheek.
"Don't do this."
No reply.Another tear slid down, then another, as anger, sadness and hopelessness towards the man in front of her filled Parker.
"Fine, Jarod," she said, her voice a tone of controlled anger. "If that's the way you want it, then that's just fine. Okay, so maybe you have lost faith in yourself, in your family, in the good you've done. Maybe..." Her voice choked up. "Maybe you've even lost faith in me." She took a quick, deliberate stride forward towards him, and leaned forward so that her mouth was close to his ear. "But I am not giving up on you." Without another word, she stomped out, slamming the door behind her.
~~~~~~~~~
Part III
by Orinana
She was asleep. And no wonder, with the hell he'd put her through lately. Jarod stood uncertainly next to the bed, a war raging between the emotions inside of him, too close to the edge. Everything wrong, his whole world threatening to crash down around him, and all he could do was stare down at the woman before him.
Then, inside, anger once again gained the upper hand, and as he looked down at Parker, all he could see was the person she'd become, the person the Center and people like her father had created. A woman who had once been all too willing to trade his life for her freedom. Once, but now...?
Shaking his head, as if hoping to free himself of thoughts that would just lead to more confusion and mixed emotions -something he was nowhere near capable of handling right now- Jarod took a good hold of the quilt she lie on top of, and gave a forceful tug.
Parker woke up, quite suddenly, as she fell in an indignant heap on the floor at Jarod's feet.
"What the hell was that?" she demanded, her face reddening. Face blank, but eyes back to reflecting that same fiery anger, he tossed her body-length black jacket down to her.
"Get out."
"Forget it," she snapped, getting to her feet.
"Are you going to force me back there or not?!" he shouted fiercely. "You've got your precious gun--go ahead and do it!"
"No!" she yelled back vehemently.
"Then get the hell out!" he yelled, waving towards the door.
"Forget it," she replied, her voice low, simmering.
He didn't say anything, just spun around and moved out the door, leaving it wide open. Parker heard him throw open her own room's door, and eyes widening, she followed him.
He was muttering angrily, more to himself than her.
"Pointless, all of it. Nobody ever gives a damn. Not as if you can win. My own family's probably forgotten about me. All the innocence, lost. All for the sake of that god forsaken place." She listened, trying to absorb what he was saying. Jarod looked around quickly, saw that she hadn't unpacked, then zipped her luggage up and tossed it to her feet.
"So you want me to go," she said, her voice rising again. "If that's the way you want it..." She walked briskly back into his room, and whipped open the top drawer, withdrawing his gun just as Jarod entered. She turned to him, held it up for him to see. She was upset, too caught up in the moment to see how quickly what color that had returned to his face drained away. "...Then I'm taking this with me."
"It's amazing how expertly you handle those things," he bit, his tone spiteful. "You've learned quite well. Become the perfect Centre operative. You know, I'm almost glad Thomas is dead, so he never had to learn who you really are."
Parker's eyes widened in painful disbelief, as he continued, his voice filling with disgust. "And thank god Catherine isn't here. Imagine what your mother would think, if she could see what you've become--" his words were cut off as the sound of a powerful slap echoed through the room.
Parker looked down at her hand in shock, then up, her eyes watering. Jarod only stood, watching her knowingly, as if she'd behaved just as he had expected.
"The worse part," she managed after an eternal moment, "is that I don't know if you said that just to get rid me, or if you really meant it." He made no reply, just turned his back to her and walked to the balcony, and sat. No remark, no yelling. Silence.
At first, she could only stare at the back of his head, a mixed look of disbelief and incomprehension on her face.Then, she found her voice, and tried to ignore the one warm tear sliding down her cheek.
"Don't do this."
No reply.Another tear slid down, then another, as anger, sadness and hopelessness towards the man in front of her filled Parker.
"Fine, Jarod," she said, her voice a tone of controlled anger. "If that's the way you want it, then that's just fine. Okay, so maybe you have lost faith in yourself, in your family, in the good you've done. Maybe..." Her voice choked up. "Maybe you've even lost faith in me." She took a quick, deliberate stride forward towards him, and leaned forward so that her mouth was close to his ear. "But I am not giving up on you." Without another word, she stomped out, slamming the door behind her.
