Table of Contents [Report This]
Story Notes:
This is a story for the PretenderForsaken 'Four Seasons Challenge' (Winter #1 - x-mas): we supply you with two words: 'angel' and 'fight'.
Angels and Demons
"Mommy, let's go make a snow angel," she whispered excitedly, her fingers sprawled out on the window glass, watching the flakes outside dance in the dim light of the lamp.
Catherine laughed softly. "You want to make an angel?" she asked, her arms snaking around her daughter's midsection, holding her close.
"Yes, mom. Please."
Catherine rested her chin on her daughter's shoulder. "But you already are an angel."
"Mo-oom," drawn out, half whining, half amused, drawing back from her mother.
"Yes, you are. You are my angel!" Catherine whispered, turning her daughter around and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "You'll understand it one day."
~~~
The urge was so strong it left her gasping. It hadn't been this strong in a long time. These days, it didn't happen often anymore at all. Not like years ago. She hadn't understood it then. She has an inkling now, had suspected for some time.
As soon as she got her breath back, she strode on, following her instinct. She nearly walked past the corridor but movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention. She only saw the blurry edges of a figure leaving the corridor opposite where she was. She followed, barely faltering when she came across a body on the floor. It explained things while at the same time it brought up more questions. 'Fight or flight' took a whole new meaning when you had this particular gift.
Rushing on, leaving the body where it was, she followed the shadow of her prey, always merely catching a glimpse while the figure in black remained ahead of her, rounding a corner so that she barely saw him.
Coming across an empty corridor, she glanced left and right, frowning when she didn't see her quarry anymore. The restroom door across the hall drew her attention and she yet again followed her instincts and shoved the door open, her eyes fastening on her surprised prey.
"Show me," she demanded in her best no-nonsense voice as she stalked closer.
His first response was to shrink in on himself as he stepped back against the tile wall. The second response was purely him, shoulders squaring and his jaw setting in a furious line. "No."
He turned away from her, his hands leaned against the tile wall, his head bowed between his arms.
"Come on, let me see," she murmured softly, changing tactics, moving up behind him, but keeping away a little still, not quite invading his personal space.
"No."
She shook her head in annoyance and snatched her hand out, into his pocket. She withdrew the knife she knew he always carried and in one quick motion used it to slash open the back of his suit jacket, leaving a torn Armani suit and two round holes in the shirt underneath.
It was then that she knew for sure.
~~~
She had been fourteen when she had finally come to understand her mother's words, had come to understand what she had meant. Her mother must have been sure that she had inherited this particular gift.
Alone in a foreign place, a foreign country, panicked at being sent off by her father to a place she didn't know, didn't understand, her subconscious had taken over, evolving her gift, panicking her even more.
She hadn't told anyone... not even her father.
Today, she wondered if she had already mistrusted her father enough all those years ago to not turn towards him.
Instead she had shouldered that secret herself, working hard to make sure to keep that talent hidden, to keep her feet firmly set on the ground.
~~~
Nothing had been gained by her new knowledge about her brother. He was evading her while she was watching him.
At the same time, her knowledge changed everything. She began re-evaluating her priorities and her beliefs. For years, she'd kept that part of herself hidden from the world and while she had suspected for a while that her twin might share her secret, she wouldn't ever have approached him.
Now though...
Maybe things were shifting in the Centre's ever changing order of trust.
Her mother had always said that trust could kill you, or set you free.
Maybe it was time to test the theory.
~~~
By the age of 16, she had full control over her gift, though some situations could still unhinge that control and test it to the limit. Still, she wasn't in danger of being found out due to her gift suddenly making an appearance.
It was what had made the week after her 16th birthday so memorable.
She had been forced to remain home, feigning sickness when she had no control whatsoever over her gift. The constant feeling of pain and panic had been her companions in those days. Those feelings weren't her own though, they washed over her, taking away all rational thoughts and knowledge, leaving her gasping and stumbling more than once.
She couldn't understand it, couldn't understand that foreign power or the pain that would seize her body, flash up and down her spine or threaten to crack her skull.
The week scared her and it scared her even more when after that week, it was suddenly over. All feelings drained away, leaving her weak and trembling, empty and afraid.
It would happen irregularly for the next two years, though never as long or quite as intense as that first time. The intensity of those feelings still scared her, but it became easier to handle with time and patience.
It was only years later, after finding out about Lyle and his time under Raines' hand, that she could associate those foreign feelings to something - or rather someone. While she had tried to suppress that knowledge, it still lingered in the background and brought home the fact that she had a twin - whether she liked it or not.
~~~
She felt it again the second time a body hit the floor. Another Sweeper, another one of Raines' men. She didn't look for the body, instead went to where she suspected her twin to be.
It was his private bathroom this time, not some restroom in the anonymous hallways of the Centre.
He was once more leaned against the wall, forehead against the tiles when she entered. His jacket hung askew on his shoulders, the short hairs on the back of his neck damp with sweat.
How often had she retreated to a bathroom after her gift broke to the surface, leaving her retching over the toilet and then using the cool tiles to ground her, keep her from breaking apart.
"Show me," Parker asked softly, standing behind her brother, his fingers sliding through his damp hair.
"No," he murmured, his voice somewhat strangled, his hands curled into fists.
Parker let her fingers move beneath the collar of his jacket, slowly drawing it away. At first, he resisted, keeping his hands up but when Parker tugged ever so slightly on his jacket, he eventually allowed his arms to fall at his sides, therefore allowing his twin to take off the jacket. Once more, two holes became visible in the shirt that had been hidden beneath the hastily thrown on jacket. The fabric was torn and seemed scorched at the edges at the same time.
He drew a shuddering breath, his arms once more coming up to rest against the wall in front, the muscles in his back tense and close to trembling.
"Relax," Parker murmured softly, reaching out and brushing her fingertips against the small ridges below his shoulder blades. The touch evoked a new sharp intake of breath. "Show me," she asked again. She watched him close his eyes, the tremble beneath her fingers once more showing an internal struggle. When she felt him relax slightly, decision made, Parker stepped back to give him some room, watching his muscles tense up once more, before a gust of wind rushed past her as the wings unfolded. Lyle stumbled slightly and Parker was there to catch him. "I've got you," she told him softly, stabilizing him as he gasped for breath.
She carefully cradled him close, and instead of pushing her away, Lyle turned into her hold and practically clung to her. The motion was instinctive when she reached up and drew her fingers through his damp hair, trying to calm him. She remembered being enfolded in a comforting embrace by her mother, could nearly imagine her mother's fingers moving through her hair. Parker closed her eyes as she forced her focus on her twin.
His wings were fluttering slightly, belying the motion of his trembling body. "Hush," she whispered softly.
~~~
It had been the first time in a while that her gift had overwhelmed her and caught her off-guard.
The worst was that she hadn't been alone this time. She feared what the knowledge of what she was could do in the wrong hands.
Now she was alone again, having left in a flurry of embarrassment mixing with fear. She should probably call her father and ask to be shipped around again. That would be a first and it would surely surprise her father. Usually, he shipped her around on his will when she had barely found her footing in the new land.
She jumped when a hand landed on her shoulder, keeping her from whirling around as a strong chest pressed against her back. "Shh," a voice murmured behind her, making her tense, "it's alright, your secret is safe with me."
~~~
It was the first time he really allowed himself to accept what he was, allowed his gift to come forward instead of steadily fighting it. She had seen it in his eyes how much it took from him, how much strength it drew and how much fear it still produced in his eyes. It was diminishing with each time he indulged, with each time he found acceptance reflected in her eyes.
She knew how he felt, remembered how she had felt, fighting against herself, against the world and hiding. Only one person had ever learned of her gift, only one had come close enough to notice, to see and to accept. It had been that piece of acceptance that had resonated through her and healed some of the self-inflicted wounds, some of the pressure and some of the fear. It was what she tried to give him now and she could see it working slowly.
They had grown closer since she had discovered his secret, leaving little space between them when for once they moved together instead of apart from each other.
She had left him room without moving too far out of reach, had been close enough to strengthen him without crushing his need to work out things on his own.
Tonight was the first time he had come to her though, instead of her seeking him out when she felt that strong connection with her twin flare again to signal that it was time to go and find him again.
Parker watched him sit on the foot of the bed, his face in his hands. She had woken moments before from first the deep routed flaring of the connection and then due to the presence of her twin entering her bedroom.
Slowly sitting up behind him, she lightly brushed a hand through his hair, hearing him draw a shuddering breath.
Neither spoke for several moments, the silence heavy in the room, only broken by the labored breathing of the man sitting in front of her.
"I don't know why he never found out," Lyle's voice eventually broke the spell.
She knew he wasn't talking about their father, but rather the monster that had taken over control of his teenage years, of his sanity and health. Parker leaned her forehead against his shoulder, his wings the only barrier between them. "Self preservation," she whispered simply, feeling him nod slightly. It was self-preservation that let them hide their gift, that made them desperate to only allow it to rush forward when they were alone and no one was there to see.
"He was... no one was ever there when they appeared."
She knew the feelings of panic, of loneliness and wonder that would accompany being alone with that gift. "I know," Parker whispered back, her hands circling around his waist, holding him closer.
Silence again, darkness around them. Yet it was a muted darkness, softened due to their togetherness.
"The feathers... they were white once, like yours." Barely audible words now once more breaking the silence. "With each deed, everything I did, everything he made me do, they grayed out further, turning black at the edges," he went on.
There were so many dark memories attached to this gift of theirs, so much pain and torture. For him more than for her, but still their pain twined them together somehow, holding them close and strengthening the bond they had both fought against before.
"Hush," Parker murmured softly. Her arms tightened a little more firmly around him, holding him closer. It wasn't a conscious decision, instead instinct took over. The tingle grew, warning her of the appearance of her own wings, tearing through the light fabric of her nightgown. She pressed closer against her twin for balance, then relaxed once the wings had stretched out behind her back. Lyle was watching her over his shoulder and she gave him a small smile.
He reached out to touch the feathers and Parker fought to swallow the moan, her eyes closing. She had nearly forgotten the feeling, the rush and the sensitivity she had felt once in her life, with only one person. It seemed right and fitting that the second time she felt it would be with someone who was even closer to her than the person from years ago.
Lyle was watching her now and Parker felt a sudden rush at his expression, open and curious, not understanding. He had never allowed anyone to see so far and he wouldn't at all know the feeling that could spread out from the feathers. She was the only one he trusted enough to see, the only one he trusted enough to come to. Reaching out without thinking, Parker brushed her fingertips against the side of his face, watching his eyes first widen at the touch and then fall closed. Something shifted between them and she felt her twin relax against her. Then she moved her fingers away from his face and instead allowed them to settle against the top edge of his wing.
Lyle sighed and Parker smiled slightly, stroking her thumb up, along the grain of the feathers. A strangled gasp escaped her twin's lips and Parker couldn't help but feel inordinately pleased. The shudder that went through his body this time was neither cold nor fear or any other feelings she'd seen flash over his face before while he displayed his gift to her.
Her own wings fluttered behind her as her fingers moved in a light touch against Lyle's feathers, listening to his breathing growing more ragged as she went.
~~~
The little girl bounded down the stairs when the door closed loudly. "Daddy," she greeted with a squeal.
"Ah, there's my angel," the man greeted with a smile, brushing his hand against the back of the little girl's head.
"But daddy. I'm no angel," she told him with a small giggle of amusement.
The man tilted his head to the side and watched his daughter, silently waiting for her to go on.
"I've got no wings like an angel does."
He gave the girl a smile and then turned to his wife who stood in the doorway with a stoic expression on her face, masking her beautiful features, hiding the emotions going on behind those expressive eyes. He turned back to the little girl. "I'm sure that's going to change one day," he told his daughter before straightening and hanging up his jacket.
~~~
Parker hung up the phone and turned back to Lyle who stood by the window. "Daddy just cancelled our Christmas dinner," she announced calmly.
Lyle didn't even turn, a wry smile on his lips. "Such a surprise," he muttered and Parker could see his eyes briefly slip towards her figure in the reflection of the glass. She wondered what he saw when he looked at her now - clad in a fine black dress, hair made up - and what he saw in her in general.
She smiled slightly and moved closer to him. "Yeah, big surprise," she agreed and then rested a hand on his shoulder. "What shall we do with the rest of the evening then?"
She watched his features in the glass, watched his eyes as they roamed the darkness outside.
"I don't know. I guess... we could make a snow angel."
Parker blinked at him, wondering if she's misheard. When she obviously hadn't, she gaped another second at her twin before bursting out laughing. "Sorry, but this is just a bit too unlike you." Her bloodthirsty twin, ruthless and detached... suggesting they make a snow angel.
Lyle whirled around, glaring at her before smiling somewhat sheepishly and then scratching the back of his neck. Something in his eyes shuttered and she felt his defenses going up.
Sobering, Parker stepped close to him, one hand resting against his chest as she allowed her eyes to fall close and focus on her gift. The wings whooshed out and she gasped quietly, smiling a little when Lyle's hands came to rest on her hips, stabilizing her. She leaned up and brushed a kiss against his cheek. "Why make a snow angel, when you've got the real thing at hand?" she whispered, lowering her arms enough to stretch her wings over her shoulder, enfolding them around her twin in a double embrace of wings and arms alike.
A breath shuddered past her ear and then Lyle drew her closer against him, resting his forehead against her shoulder.
Her fingers moved against the back of his neck in a soothing, timeless rhythm, silently saying things they didn't need to speak aloud. 'I'm here. You can count on me, I'm with you. Neither of us is alone this time.'
"Mommy, let's go make a snow angel," she whispered excitedly, her fingers sprawled out on the window glass, watching the flakes outside dance in the dim light of the lamp.
Catherine laughed softly. "You want to make an angel?" she asked, her arms snaking around her daughter's midsection, holding her close.
"Yes, mom. Please."
Catherine rested her chin on her daughter's shoulder. "But you already are an angel."
"Mo-oom," drawn out, half whining, half amused, drawing back from her mother.
"Yes, you are. You are my angel!" Catherine whispered, turning her daughter around and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "You'll understand it one day."
~~~
The urge was so strong it left her gasping. It hadn't been this strong in a long time. These days, it didn't happen often anymore at all. Not like years ago. She hadn't understood it then. She has an inkling now, had suspected for some time.
As soon as she got her breath back, she strode on, following her instinct. She nearly walked past the corridor but movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention. She only saw the blurry edges of a figure leaving the corridor opposite where she was. She followed, barely faltering when she came across a body on the floor. It explained things while at the same time it brought up more questions. 'Fight or flight' took a whole new meaning when you had this particular gift.
Rushing on, leaving the body where it was, she followed the shadow of her prey, always merely catching a glimpse while the figure in black remained ahead of her, rounding a corner so that she barely saw him.
Coming across an empty corridor, she glanced left and right, frowning when she didn't see her quarry anymore. The restroom door across the hall drew her attention and she yet again followed her instincts and shoved the door open, her eyes fastening on her surprised prey.
"Show me," she demanded in her best no-nonsense voice as she stalked closer.
His first response was to shrink in on himself as he stepped back against the tile wall. The second response was purely him, shoulders squaring and his jaw setting in a furious line. "No."
He turned away from her, his hands leaned against the tile wall, his head bowed between his arms.
"Come on, let me see," she murmured softly, changing tactics, moving up behind him, but keeping away a little still, not quite invading his personal space.
"No."
She shook her head in annoyance and snatched her hand out, into his pocket. She withdrew the knife she knew he always carried and in one quick motion used it to slash open the back of his suit jacket, leaving a torn Armani suit and two round holes in the shirt underneath.
It was then that she knew for sure.
~~~
She had been fourteen when she had finally come to understand her mother's words, had come to understand what she had meant. Her mother must have been sure that she had inherited this particular gift.
Alone in a foreign place, a foreign country, panicked at being sent off by her father to a place she didn't know, didn't understand, her subconscious had taken over, evolving her gift, panicking her even more.
She hadn't told anyone... not even her father.
Today, she wondered if she had already mistrusted her father enough all those years ago to not turn towards him.
Instead she had shouldered that secret herself, working hard to make sure to keep that talent hidden, to keep her feet firmly set on the ground.
~~~
Nothing had been gained by her new knowledge about her brother. He was evading her while she was watching him.
At the same time, her knowledge changed everything. She began re-evaluating her priorities and her beliefs. For years, she'd kept that part of herself hidden from the world and while she had suspected for a while that her twin might share her secret, she wouldn't ever have approached him.
Now though...
Maybe things were shifting in the Centre's ever changing order of trust.
Her mother had always said that trust could kill you, or set you free.
Maybe it was time to test the theory.
~~~
By the age of 16, she had full control over her gift, though some situations could still unhinge that control and test it to the limit. Still, she wasn't in danger of being found out due to her gift suddenly making an appearance.
It was what had made the week after her 16th birthday so memorable.
She had been forced to remain home, feigning sickness when she had no control whatsoever over her gift. The constant feeling of pain and panic had been her companions in those days. Those feelings weren't her own though, they washed over her, taking away all rational thoughts and knowledge, leaving her gasping and stumbling more than once.
She couldn't understand it, couldn't understand that foreign power or the pain that would seize her body, flash up and down her spine or threaten to crack her skull.
The week scared her and it scared her even more when after that week, it was suddenly over. All feelings drained away, leaving her weak and trembling, empty and afraid.
It would happen irregularly for the next two years, though never as long or quite as intense as that first time. The intensity of those feelings still scared her, but it became easier to handle with time and patience.
It was only years later, after finding out about Lyle and his time under Raines' hand, that she could associate those foreign feelings to something - or rather someone. While she had tried to suppress that knowledge, it still lingered in the background and brought home the fact that she had a twin - whether she liked it or not.
~~~
She felt it again the second time a body hit the floor. Another Sweeper, another one of Raines' men. She didn't look for the body, instead went to where she suspected her twin to be.
It was his private bathroom this time, not some restroom in the anonymous hallways of the Centre.
He was once more leaned against the wall, forehead against the tiles when she entered. His jacket hung askew on his shoulders, the short hairs on the back of his neck damp with sweat.
How often had she retreated to a bathroom after her gift broke to the surface, leaving her retching over the toilet and then using the cool tiles to ground her, keep her from breaking apart.
"Show me," Parker asked softly, standing behind her brother, his fingers sliding through his damp hair.
"No," he murmured, his voice somewhat strangled, his hands curled into fists.
Parker let her fingers move beneath the collar of his jacket, slowly drawing it away. At first, he resisted, keeping his hands up but when Parker tugged ever so slightly on his jacket, he eventually allowed his arms to fall at his sides, therefore allowing his twin to take off the jacket. Once more, two holes became visible in the shirt that had been hidden beneath the hastily thrown on jacket. The fabric was torn and seemed scorched at the edges at the same time.
He drew a shuddering breath, his arms once more coming up to rest against the wall in front, the muscles in his back tense and close to trembling.
"Relax," Parker murmured softly, reaching out and brushing her fingertips against the small ridges below his shoulder blades. The touch evoked a new sharp intake of breath. "Show me," she asked again. She watched him close his eyes, the tremble beneath her fingers once more showing an internal struggle. When she felt him relax slightly, decision made, Parker stepped back to give him some room, watching his muscles tense up once more, before a gust of wind rushed past her as the wings unfolded. Lyle stumbled slightly and Parker was there to catch him. "I've got you," she told him softly, stabilizing him as he gasped for breath.
She carefully cradled him close, and instead of pushing her away, Lyle turned into her hold and practically clung to her. The motion was instinctive when she reached up and drew her fingers through his damp hair, trying to calm him. She remembered being enfolded in a comforting embrace by her mother, could nearly imagine her mother's fingers moving through her hair. Parker closed her eyes as she forced her focus on her twin.
His wings were fluttering slightly, belying the motion of his trembling body. "Hush," she whispered softly.
~~~
It had been the first time in a while that her gift had overwhelmed her and caught her off-guard.
The worst was that she hadn't been alone this time. She feared what the knowledge of what she was could do in the wrong hands.
Now she was alone again, having left in a flurry of embarrassment mixing with fear. She should probably call her father and ask to be shipped around again. That would be a first and it would surely surprise her father. Usually, he shipped her around on his will when she had barely found her footing in the new land.
She jumped when a hand landed on her shoulder, keeping her from whirling around as a strong chest pressed against her back. "Shh," a voice murmured behind her, making her tense, "it's alright, your secret is safe with me."
~~~
It was the first time he really allowed himself to accept what he was, allowed his gift to come forward instead of steadily fighting it. She had seen it in his eyes how much it took from him, how much strength it drew and how much fear it still produced in his eyes. It was diminishing with each time he indulged, with each time he found acceptance reflected in her eyes.
She knew how he felt, remembered how she had felt, fighting against herself, against the world and hiding. Only one person had ever learned of her gift, only one had come close enough to notice, to see and to accept. It had been that piece of acceptance that had resonated through her and healed some of the self-inflicted wounds, some of the pressure and some of the fear. It was what she tried to give him now and she could see it working slowly.
They had grown closer since she had discovered his secret, leaving little space between them when for once they moved together instead of apart from each other.
She had left him room without moving too far out of reach, had been close enough to strengthen him without crushing his need to work out things on his own.
Tonight was the first time he had come to her though, instead of her seeking him out when she felt that strong connection with her twin flare again to signal that it was time to go and find him again.
Parker watched him sit on the foot of the bed, his face in his hands. She had woken moments before from first the deep routed flaring of the connection and then due to the presence of her twin entering her bedroom.
Slowly sitting up behind him, she lightly brushed a hand through his hair, hearing him draw a shuddering breath.
Neither spoke for several moments, the silence heavy in the room, only broken by the labored breathing of the man sitting in front of her.
"I don't know why he never found out," Lyle's voice eventually broke the spell.
She knew he wasn't talking about their father, but rather the monster that had taken over control of his teenage years, of his sanity and health. Parker leaned her forehead against his shoulder, his wings the only barrier between them. "Self preservation," she whispered simply, feeling him nod slightly. It was self-preservation that let them hide their gift, that made them desperate to only allow it to rush forward when they were alone and no one was there to see.
"He was... no one was ever there when they appeared."
She knew the feelings of panic, of loneliness and wonder that would accompany being alone with that gift. "I know," Parker whispered back, her hands circling around his waist, holding him closer.
Silence again, darkness around them. Yet it was a muted darkness, softened due to their togetherness.
"The feathers... they were white once, like yours." Barely audible words now once more breaking the silence. "With each deed, everything I did, everything he made me do, they grayed out further, turning black at the edges," he went on.
There were so many dark memories attached to this gift of theirs, so much pain and torture. For him more than for her, but still their pain twined them together somehow, holding them close and strengthening the bond they had both fought against before.
"Hush," Parker murmured softly. Her arms tightened a little more firmly around him, holding him closer. It wasn't a conscious decision, instead instinct took over. The tingle grew, warning her of the appearance of her own wings, tearing through the light fabric of her nightgown. She pressed closer against her twin for balance, then relaxed once the wings had stretched out behind her back. Lyle was watching her over his shoulder and she gave him a small smile.
He reached out to touch the feathers and Parker fought to swallow the moan, her eyes closing. She had nearly forgotten the feeling, the rush and the sensitivity she had felt once in her life, with only one person. It seemed right and fitting that the second time she felt it would be with someone who was even closer to her than the person from years ago.
Lyle was watching her now and Parker felt a sudden rush at his expression, open and curious, not understanding. He had never allowed anyone to see so far and he wouldn't at all know the feeling that could spread out from the feathers. She was the only one he trusted enough to see, the only one he trusted enough to come to. Reaching out without thinking, Parker brushed her fingertips against the side of his face, watching his eyes first widen at the touch and then fall closed. Something shifted between them and she felt her twin relax against her. Then she moved her fingers away from his face and instead allowed them to settle against the top edge of his wing.
Lyle sighed and Parker smiled slightly, stroking her thumb up, along the grain of the feathers. A strangled gasp escaped her twin's lips and Parker couldn't help but feel inordinately pleased. The shudder that went through his body this time was neither cold nor fear or any other feelings she'd seen flash over his face before while he displayed his gift to her.
Her own wings fluttered behind her as her fingers moved in a light touch against Lyle's feathers, listening to his breathing growing more ragged as she went.
~~~
The little girl bounded down the stairs when the door closed loudly. "Daddy," she greeted with a squeal.
"Ah, there's my angel," the man greeted with a smile, brushing his hand against the back of the little girl's head.
"But daddy. I'm no angel," she told him with a small giggle of amusement.
The man tilted his head to the side and watched his daughter, silently waiting for her to go on.
"I've got no wings like an angel does."
He gave the girl a smile and then turned to his wife who stood in the doorway with a stoic expression on her face, masking her beautiful features, hiding the emotions going on behind those expressive eyes. He turned back to the little girl. "I'm sure that's going to change one day," he told his daughter before straightening and hanging up his jacket.
~~~
Parker hung up the phone and turned back to Lyle who stood by the window. "Daddy just cancelled our Christmas dinner," she announced calmly.
Lyle didn't even turn, a wry smile on his lips. "Such a surprise," he muttered and Parker could see his eyes briefly slip towards her figure in the reflection of the glass. She wondered what he saw when he looked at her now - clad in a fine black dress, hair made up - and what he saw in her in general.
She smiled slightly and moved closer to him. "Yeah, big surprise," she agreed and then rested a hand on his shoulder. "What shall we do with the rest of the evening then?"
She watched his features in the glass, watched his eyes as they roamed the darkness outside.
"I don't know. I guess... we could make a snow angel."
Parker blinked at him, wondering if she's misheard. When she obviously hadn't, she gaped another second at her twin before bursting out laughing. "Sorry, but this is just a bit too unlike you." Her bloodthirsty twin, ruthless and detached... suggesting they make a snow angel.
Lyle whirled around, glaring at her before smiling somewhat sheepishly and then scratching the back of his neck. Something in his eyes shuttered and she felt his defenses going up.
Sobering, Parker stepped close to him, one hand resting against his chest as she allowed her eyes to fall close and focus on her gift. The wings whooshed out and she gasped quietly, smiling a little when Lyle's hands came to rest on her hips, stabilizing her. She leaned up and brushed a kiss against his cheek. "Why make a snow angel, when you've got the real thing at hand?" she whispered, lowering her arms enough to stretch her wings over her shoulder, enfolding them around her twin in a double embrace of wings and arms alike.
A breath shuddered past her ear and then Lyle drew her closer against him, resting his forehead against her shoulder.
Her fingers moved against the back of his neck in a soothing, timeless rhythm, silently saying things they didn't need to speak aloud. 'I'm here. You can count on me, I'm with you. Neither of us is alone this time.'
