Miss Parker’s House That Night

“They sure are fast,” Broots commented as he looked around her house. “Moved completely in two days. Like a day and a half.”

“Hm.” Miss Parker put down her glass of water. “Come over here, Broots. Let’s discuss some things.”

“Yes, of course,” Broots said as he sat beside her on her couch. “I respect all your wishes, Miss Parker.”

“Good. Don’t tease me about my water glass being my alcohol glass for starters,” she said. She looked at her dressings. “Don’t tease me about my midnight dressings. I know I’m not exactly . . . made for top and bottoms.”

“I think it’s very pretty,” Broots said, trying to cheer her up. “Really.”

“Broots, your tongue would be hanging out of your head if I could have worn my real night outfits,” she said taking another sip of his water. “The Centre has a process for Parker couples. Whenever we greet each other and leave each other, we have to have one open mouthed kiss. Not very long, but nothing chaste. Five to ten seconds.”

“Oh. That’s fine.”

“And uh . . .” She started to giggle as she cried, covering her mouth. “Uh, I get uh, moody sometimes. So, just try to-“ She drank the rest of her water and threw it down on the carpet.

“Miss Parker.” Broots wrapped his arms around her. She wasn’t herself. She was trying to be, but she wasn’t. Her whole life was falling apart, and he knew that. Her father’s death was the final icing on a hard cake she was forced to eat in her life.

Just as he thought, there was no threat, just reciprocation. “Why? Why me? Why does it always have to be me?” She squeezed him tighter. “I can’t even have the option to drink the pain away.”

“There, there.” Broots held her tenderly. “I know your father meant the world to you.”

“Daddy’s gone. Momma was gone, and now daddy is too. I’ll never hear him again.” She started to break down on his shoulder. “I can’t do this, I’m not strong enough to do this anymore.”

“You’re plenty strong,” Broots said, “and me and Sydney, we got your back.”

“No, it’s all wrong, it’s all completely wrong. I am stuck, Broots, and I’m going to lose my children.”

“Oh. Uh, no you’re not,” Broots said. “It’ll be okay.”

“Yes, I will.” She clung to him tighter. “I can’t go with Jarod because then The Triumvirate clone will come out. I have to stay at The Centre. But Jarod doesn’t want them in The Centre, so he’s bound to come and take them from me. Not to mention his family, they are going to want to kill me.” She couldn’t keep it together anymore.

“Oh. Oh, don’t think like that,” Broots said. “It’s okay, it is. Once Lyle’s deemed fit again. I’m sure he will be. Soon too. You have to think positive. You’ve had an ulcer, Miss Parker.”

“And that too!” she yelled. “Oh, oh, your whole life is falling apart, but you have to somehow relax or you could hurt your own children.”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Broots said. “Look, um, Jarod knows why you’re here right now. I’m sure he’s got your back.”

She just started laughing when he said that. “You know, that’s actually funny, Broots.” She tried to control her breathing.

“Easy. In and out,” Broots tried to relax her, stroking her back. “This is going to work out. It won’t be long.”

“I feel like I’m dying, Broots,” she admitted. “Everything that was my life, everything that helped me focus, it’s all gone. It feels gone. Poof.”

Broots was going to say something else, but then he saw her eyes. The overwhelming fire inside of them that he had always witnessed was gone. All she had were regular, docile, questioning eyes. A sense of purity and caring behind them. “Beautiful.”

She hit all his senses with the smile she gave him before she gave him a kiss.

However, he only kissed back a little. “Um. Oh, I can’t do that,” he said to her. “You are hurting because of the loss of your dad, your strange adventures, and your mood swings.” Mostly though, her father.

“Broots?” Miss Parker touched his face. “You really are a goody two shoes friend, you know that?” She laughed quietly. “How do you get yourself into these things?” She collapsed her body weight against him. “Tell me something, Broots. Did you ever make love to your wife when she was large and in charge like me?”

 “Well, yes,” he answered honestly.

“I haven’t been touched by a man in nearly seven months. That’s almost a record for me,” she admitted. “I can’t drink to take the pain away. I can’t smoke to take the pain away. I can’t shoot anyone to take this pain away. I have nothing anymore.” She looked back toward him, with those beautiful eyes that he had noticed last time. That yearned for touch. Her whole body was yearning for touch. “I may be a little big, computer boy, but why don’t I make that dream come true for you?”

“Oh? What dream?” he asked nervously.

Her smile. Oh, her smile. “The one where the drop dead gorgeous boss noticed her lonely computer guy’s crush, and wants to do something about it?” She stole another kiss from him.

“Oh. Whoah.” Broots tried to hold off. “That sounds . . .wow,” he said, “but uh, I-I-I don’t think Jarod wants me to, uh, to, mess with you while you have his kids inside you.”

“Broots.” She shook her head. “For one, okay? He’s worried about strange men and diseases. He wants them healthy. That’s Jarod, Mister Way Over Precautious. Are you a strange man and do you have any diseases?”

“Well. No.”

“Plus. You’ve done this before, with your wife,” she reminded him. “Not to mention, it’s my body. So?”

“So?” Concentration was absolutely nil right now.

“Shh.” She put his finger close to her mouth. “You had your first focus treatment today. Use it. Focus. Don’t get caught up in distractions, that’s not what a Parker can do. Let me show you what a Parker can do.” She gently sucked on the top of his finger.

“Oh, oh god! I know but-but-but the answer is still no. I’m sorry, I-I can’t. I mean any other time, yes, but I can’t.” He pulled himself away painfully. “You need time to heal. This isn’t how you heal.”

That smile she had on her face completely shattered. Shattered like a mirror. “Oh. My. God. I am sooo unattractive now, I can’t even hold your interest?” Her eyes were as round as balls. “What happened to me? What happened to me?” She backed away, almost stumbling on the ground. “I have to rebuild my life again. I have to focus. I have to do something.”

“No. You just need to let it all go,” Broots corrected her. He pulled himself up. “And I still think you are very beautiful. Very, very beautiful. But?” He stopped her moving around. “You are also very, very hurt. I couldn’t forgive myself if I took advantage of you like this. Miss Parker?”

“Just leave me alone. Leave me alone before I shoot you.” The words were something she would say, but it was barely heard through the crying as she went straight to her bedroom.

“Oh no.” Broots felt something on his shoulder. “Oh no!” He felt someone put their hand over his mouth and turned him around.

Jarod.

“Oh, I-I-I didn’t-“

“Sh.” Jarod held his finger to his mouth, silencing him, moved him out of the way and went toward her bedroom.

Her body was as limp as a rag doll. Jarod approached her slowly. Every single defense she had up was gone. Her father’s death, seeing it, being there for it, it had torn her to pieces. She was more torn up now than when she thought Tommy had been taken from her.

He snuck in, with his mom on extra lookout. He just wanted to make sure Broots wasn’t taking advantage of his new situation. Miss Parker was desperate for touch, like he thought she might be. But, she was also worried about so much more. She still saw him as the enemy. The thief in the night who would steal her children.

He touched her hand. Not a single movement. He got on the bed and scooted her up into his arms. Still nothing. She was so out of it, she must have thought he was still Broots.

///“It’s alright, Angel. Be strong.”

“Parkers are strong. We have to be. If you want to survive, you have to stay strong.”

“You’re going to be alright, Angel, I promise. Things change. The world changes. Parkers make it through it. That’s what we are. Survivors.”///

Which, she did. For that moment that reality didn’t put it together, and she opened up her eyes, he saw her. The real her that he remembered. Those eyes were still the same. It was so deep and real, that he almost felt like she was fourteen years old again.

“Kri Kraw Toads Foot, Geese Walk, Bare Foot.”

That voice. That young, pure voice. Young Miss Parker loved that voice. The way he talked. The way he smiled. His eyes big and bright, even though he was hurting inside too. “Hi, Jarod.”

“Hi, Miss Parker.”  Young Jarod wasn’t behind the glass anymore. “Are you okay?”

“I guess,” she admitted. “Haven’t spoken for a bit, have we?”

“I don’t think we have. Not really,” he admitted. “You can come closer.” He gestured to her. “If you want.”

Miss Parker shrugged her shoulders. “Okay.” She moved closer to him. “I’m not used to seeing you outside of the glass, Jarod. What are you doing outside of it? Are you in trouble?”

“Is that the only time I was outside of glass?” Young Jarod asked her. “Come closer.”

“You were only out, if someone got you out,” she said. “No one ever got you out and had good things happen. So, mostly, yeah. You’re safe in glass.”

“Why do you think I’m safe in glass, Miss Parker?” Young Jarod asked, beckoning her to come even closer.

“Well, because,” she admitted. “Sydney’s behind that glass with you, or you’re alone. Nothing ever bad happens behind it. In the real world, a lot of it isn’t safe.”

“That is true, but that’s what is so exciting about it,” Young Jarod said to her. “Never knowing what happens.”

“That’s ridiculous,” she admitted. “I would rather be trapped in glass than live out here. The things I have to do . . . had to do . . . to survive.” Her mind felt jumbled as she saw strange images of herself, older. “To live out here, I have to change. I have to take care of myself. To be the best. I have to.”

“For me?” Young Jarod asked. “You didn’t change all for me, did you?”

“No,” she said. “Not completely, but, I can’t stay like this.” She looked around herself. “In my world.”

“Oh.” Young Jarod beckoned her closer. “Tell me about your world.”

“You’ve asked me that before, Jarod,” she said. “There’s sky and trees and cars and people and schools.”

“Not the world. Your world,” Young Jarod asked her. “Tell me about your world. What makes it different? Why would you rather be behind the glass?”

“Jarod?”

“Who’s that?” Young Miss Parker asked.

------------------------

“Nobody.” Jarod glared at Broots as he came into the room. Miss Parker was talking to him in her sleep. He was trying to make her feel better, connect to her, and maybe get to the bottom of some of her mysteries. “Get. Out,” he said in his lowest voice.

-------------------------

“I-It’s nobody,” Young Jarod said, beckoning her closer again. “Come on.”

She stopped. “Wait. I remember now.” She took a step backward as whispers filled her head. “I can’t see you anymore, Jarod. Not in a friend way.”

“Well, then, before you go?” Jarod said. “How about a small hug? Your dad won’t know. I promise.”

“You can’t promise that, Jarod,” she said. “And if anyone finds out, I have to protect myself. I can’t be like those girls in the fairytale stories who get to have a hero. I’m on my own. Anything I want or need, I have to take it. I have to do it.”

“Including protecting me?” Young Jarod asked. “That’s a real big responsibility, Miss Parker.”

“Anyone I love. Everyone I love. I have to protect them all. It’s what a Parker must do. Focus on what they want most.”

Young Jarod seemed as if he was leaning in closer. “And what is that focus, Miss Parker?”

“That everyone stays safely here at The Centre, and not The Triumvirate.” She took several deep breaths. “Never The Triumvirate. They have power, Jarod.” She looked around herself and timidly stepped closer. “Power no one else should have. If they wanted to? They have things that could poison the entire sky in a day. Ruin the waters forever. They can erase memories, or reteach things to someone. They could literally wipe out someone’s mind to becoming nothingness. They even have viruses, that if they went out of control, could infect everyone and kill the whole world.” She shook her head. “The worst thing of all though? They have . . . treatments. And they are bad.” She took another step closer. “And, I could tell you, but you’re never going to remember anyway. Because no one ever lets you.”

“I want to know,” Young Jarod said to her. He reached out for her hand. “Please tell me?”

“It’s like . . . like being stuck in poison ivy. There’s an itch all over the body and nothing can stop it,” she said. “Except to focus on whatever goal you must accomplish. Even then, it continues. A mindless itch, a horrible feeling in the pit of your stomach. It makes you feel like you stole something and didn’t tell anyone about it. Or you broke something. Guilt. It eats away at the soul, until whatever is the focus is taken care of.”

“Oh,” Young Jarod said. “That sounds terrible.”

“The longer it stays in the pit of the stomach, the more it hurts. And it hurts,” she squealed. “And it hurts, until you accomplish it.” She shook her head. “That’s why daddy drinks.  He says when you can’t accomplish your focus, you need something else to deal with the pain.”

“If you beat the focus though, and then something reverses, will the ache come back?” Young Jarod asked.

“No. I mean?” She shrugged. “It’s not supposed to, but I haven’t accessed my focus yet. I don’t need to. You are right here.” She smiled. “As long as you are at The Centre, behind glass, I feel better.”

“If I’m at The Centre.” Young Jarod seemed to almost lose his breath.

“I should go now,” she said, looking at Jarod’s hand. “I have to go now. I’m endangering you,” Young Miss Parker said.

“No, wait!” Jarod reached out his hand. “Stay with me, Miss Parker!”

-------------------------------------

“Stay with me, Miss Parker.” Jarod held her back and forth in his arms. This wasn’t good. None of this was good. The Centre was terrible for her. It was tearing her apart. She was always so stressed by it, and the death of her father only added to it. She was going to end up in serious trouble if she stayed, which meant his unborn children would be in trouble too.

If she didn’t stay though, The Triumvirate would kill someone he once helped in a previous Pretend until she returned.

And he couldn’t let that happen, but he heard what she said to Broots. She feared him coming in at the edge of night and stealing them away from her.

Then the unfocused, beautiful eyes were gone as straight recognition hit them. “Ah!” She smacked him on his arm. “Jarod, don’t scare me like that!”

“What is it with the arm?” Jarod said as he watched her leave his grasp quickly. “Just checking up on you.”

“Well, I’m fine.” She dusted herself off. “Wait a minute. Did Broots let you in?”

Jarod kind of threw his hands up.

“Door. Knock,” She warned him. “I’m carrying your kids, not explosives.”

“The Centre seems to get that confused a lot,” Jarod joked with her. “How are you doing?”

“Two days, Jarod. No, less than two days,” she said. “You already have to look in on me? Do you know what a stalker is? Have you been one of those yet?” She straightened her top out better.

“One time, but just to understand how to catch one,” Jarod said. He waited for her breathing to return to normal. “How long will it take for Lyle to be fit to take over The Centre again?”

“A few days. I’ve got stuff going on in the meantime though. I can’t locate the homes of more stolen children, it’s not in the databases anywhere.” She looked toward the doorway and gestured to it. “Why is Broots pacing up and down the hall?”

“Exercise?” Jarod said.

“Did you scare my little computer guy?”

“Maybe slightly? You didn’t sound so good,” Jarod admitted. “I’m not going to do anything against you, Miss Parker. I know you are here for my sake, more than your own.”

“Yeah, sure.” She didn’t believe him. “We’ve already been back and forth from Pretends to The Centre three times, Jarod. I don’t know the future. You don’t know the future. Unless you became a psychic phone operator when I wasn’t looking?”

Jarod smiled.

“Smart butt.”

Jarod smiled even bigger with a single laugh. “Well, I haven’t heard that one in a little while, Miss Parker.” He leaned back on the bed. “You should get some rest. You’ll feel better. It’s been a really stressful time, I can tell.”

She sighed and laid down on the bed. “Will I ever stop being . . . trapped?”

“One day,” Jarod said. “Because there’s no way anyone who has a version of me . . .” He stopped and breathed more before getting up. He looked back toward the bed. As he suspected she was already asleep. He smiled and fixed her pillow a little better.

He left the room, got her lights turned off and closed the door. “Ah. Mister Broots.”

“Yes?” Broots asked.

“Come here.” Jarod pulled his arm around him and made him start to walk with him. “You’ve never touched Miss Parker sexually.”

“Um? No, I haven’t,” Broots said.

“I know. I just stated that,” Jarod said. “That statement needs to remain true, Mister Broots.” Jarod led him to a different bedroom. “I know that Miss Parker is a little . . . antsy. I admire the way you handled that.”

“Sure, yeah.”

“Not a comfortable subject for you, is it?”

“Not really, no. Um.” Broots looked around. “Am I in trouble for something?”

Jarod patted his arm. “No, no. No.” He didn’t let go of him. “Don’t touch her. I don’t care what kind it is, penetrating , petting, or-“ He watched Broots start to curl up. “Got it?” Broots nodded. “Good. We aren’t going to have this discussion again, right?”

“Uh. Um.”

“Uh, Um, what?” Jarod asked. “What?”

“I know they are your kids, and you’re all wigged out about, you know.”

“No, I don’t know,” Jarod corrected him, “and if you can’t say it, then you can’t do it.”

“You’re wigged out about penetration and your babies,” Broots said. “But. Um. I mean, not that I’m . . . but, I mean-“

“I wouldn’t finish that statement with my Jarod,” Margaret said from behind them.

Jarod took his arm off of Broots. “You’re supposed to be on lookout.”

“Lookout’s done. Miss Parker’s asleep. Let’s get going.”

Jarod looked at Broots one more time. He shoved him slightly in the chest then pointed at his face. “Don’t touch Miss Parker.”

“Okay. G-got it.”

Jarod didn’t let him out of his sight until he turned the corner.

“Doesn’t matter what you do to threaten him, Jarod,” she warned him. “Every man can only hold back for so long.”

“Poison Ivy. I’m poison ivy.” Jarod stopped, thinking about her words. Then about Broots words when he dragged him to the bathroom. “She’s running The Centre, right now. Right?”

“Right,” his mother said. “When she’s gone, I can’t see you anymore. I think you can guess, The Triumvirate has some dangerous weapons to use against Pretenders.”

“I’m sorry.” For now. There was only one solution. For her mind. For her soul.

“It’s okay.”

Jarod looked back toward his mom. She had a sad gleam in her eye.

“I already know what you’re thinking about, Jarod. Our time together is maybe a couple of more days.” She smiled. “This time, it’s by your own choice. You’re not trapped behind the glass.” She left out the doorway back to the car.

Broots walked by, seeing Jarod, then her. “Still here? I mean. That was your mom?”

“Yes,” Jarod said. “Broots. I am going to need Sydney on the phone, now.”

“Sure. Why?”

“Because. To end her focus. Miss Parker needs to capture me and bring me back to The Centre herself.”

Three Nights Later . . .

“I’m still not weighing you down yet, am I?” Miss Parker asked as Broots just watched TV. “It’s been three more days. I’m still wanting you, Broots. I think that may mean?” Oh! Broots. It didn’t make any sense. Everything with him was perfect in every way.

He was safe. He’d never hurt her. She saw Debbie every day, a ray of light in the miserable excuse of a life she had. Broots had been crazy for her ever since he first saw her walk up to him. He was practically drooling on his shirt the first time.

Not to mention, one partner. One safe partner. Even Jarod couldn’t complain in her choice of partner. Broots had even done it before with his wife. Double bonus experience.

But Broots was not budging the dial on her. No matter what. “Fine. You know what? Maybe there is something about this bulge that is the biggest turn off for you. But, I still have experiences that don’t involve that.”

“Uh, no, no!” Broots kept her from getting on her knees. “No way, Miss Parker. I know that you’re still hurting.”

“I am,” she agreed. “But not for the reasons you are thinking.” She sighed and sat back on the couch. “Debbie is asleep. Everything is quiet. The house is secure. I’m not babbling about my father’s death. You, are hard enough to drill through a diamond. What the hell is wrong?”

“Oh. I’m not that, uh, turned on?” he babbled slightly.

“I’ve known softer pool sticks than you,” Miss Parker sighed. “If I get completely naked, panties and all, and walk straight into my room, would that do anything for you?”

“N.” Broots squealed. “No?”

Miss Parker tossed her head backward, before grabbing him for one more kiss. That, he just couldn’t seem to deny. He had no problem getting into the kissing, but he wouldn’t move past it. “I swear, Broots.” She chuckled and her face lit up. “You really are the best friend ever. Tell me what your focus was? Because I think I know what you chose.”

“Um.” He sighed. “To make sure, that you and Debbie, are happy. Even if I’m not.”

Miss Parker gave him a small hug. “Keep this up, and I’m liable to actually fall in love with you.” She chuckled and got up. “I’m running a bath as hot as I can safely make it. If you change your mind, you know where I am.”

-------------------------------

Miss Parker’s Dark Kitchen

“Tsk, tsk, tsk, seven months can do that to a single woman,” Margaret said from her view. “Wow.” She looked toward Jarod who was, seemingly, not so chilled tonight. “Calm down, sweetie.”

His right leg was bouncing back and forth as he leaned against the kitchen sink. He couldn’t see anything, but he heard everything.

“You do remember that you played a male escort yourself?” his mom pointed out. “You know that after that long-“

“I don’t need to hear it,” Jarod warned her as he kept bouncing his right leg back up and down.

“Okay, okay,” she looked back in. “Damn, she really wants to bang that computer guy. He’s resilient, I’ll give ‘em that. He’s a good friend. To you and her.”

Jarod didn’t want to answer.

“He is. He’s not the one trying to give himself his own blow job,” Margaret pointed out.

Jarod winced. “Could we please not go there? That’s kind of an issue I don’t want to talk about with my mom.”

“Well, the last topic we discussed, Jarod, before you were taken, was how to properly switch off a train from one track to another on your new train set,” she said. “You’re a lot older, and your train set is different, sweetie.” She sighed. “Are you ready?” She started to walk toward Jarod. “Let’s get this done.”

“When I do,” Jarod said, looking at the ground, then back at her. “You’ll have to go again.”

She just smiled. “You’ll know when I’m near, Jarod. Just, listen for me. I’ll be out there.” She started to step away. “Besides, maybe you’ll get lucky and she’ll step out of that shower naked as a jaybird, all wet to try one more time to distract Broots. That’ll give you some encouragement.”

“Mom.” Jarod winced and watched her leave. He shook his head. “Bye, mom.” He moved away from the kitchen.

Toward the couch with Broots. He jumped over the couch and landed right next to him. “Tonight’s the night.”

“Oh!” Broots looked beside him. “Uh. Hi? Um. I didn’t do anything. I’ve been good.”

“Yeah. I know.” Still, Jarod pushed him back a little. “Don’t have to kiss her so often, Broots.”

“Well, it’s the only thing I can get.” Broots froze and shot off the couch from Jarod. “Oh, that didn’t come out right, did it? It’s uh, well I have to at work. Parker couple tradition and. Um.”

“Go into position, Mister Broots.” Jarod watched him leave until he moved toward her bedroom. He pulled out the handcuffs. When he reached it, he dialed Sydney up.

“This is Sydney.”

“Sydney,” Jarod agreed. “You made double sure about the glass I’ll be behind?”

“Contractors are all finished. It is breakable glass on the front now. If anything ever happened, you’d be able to get out that way if you need to in a pinch.”

“Good. Access codes to all the programs in The Centre?” Jarod asked.

“Done, Jarod.”

“More than the color white in there?” Jarod asked.

“Done, Jarod.”

“Approved decent meals? With desserts. And holiday treats,” he added too. “My mom and I whipped up some really good Halloween cookies you know.”

“Everything is on the menu. I’ve done everything I could to make this stay as pleasant as possible,” Sydney said. “No matter how short it is. I did what I could, Jarod.”

Jarod took a deep breath. “I’ll see you here soon, Sydney.” He hung up and waited. Waited for five minutes. Then another ten minutes. Then another fifteen minutes. He heard cursing. She got stuck. It might be a little while.

“Stupid bath, what was I thinking? Better stick with showers.” She walked into the room with silky red tops and bottoms.

He was ready for her surprise, and to catch her if she fell because of it.

“Ah!” She yelled. She reached for her nearest gun and pointed it at him. “Don’t scare me like that! What the hell are you doing here?” she asked. “You know I have to be here, unless you caught that guy.”

“I can’t,” Jarod insisted as he got off the bed. “I know that it isn’t your fault that this is happening. But, The Triumvirate is a part of The Centre. To me, it’s just like The Centre forcing me to play along.”

“Jarod,” she warned him, cocking her gun. “I am not even in my third trimester. What are you doing?”

“It won’t be that bad. I know you’ve been wanting to get on with your life. It’ll be tricky at first, but it’ll be okay. Don’t worry.” He held up the handcuffs. “I’m the best medical professional.”

“What?!” No way, did he flip his lid? It was a little over six months, six months! She shot the gun around the room, but like always in a Jarod situation, it wasn’t loaded. “Damn it, Broots!” She called for her backup. “Where the hell is he?! Stay away, Jarod!”

“I got him!” Sam had his gun trained on Jarod from the outside.

Sam was on duty?

“Sam’s on duty?” Jarod asked innocently.

Broots came into the room with his own gun. “Sorry, Miss Parker. Um, I just wanted a little extra protection, since you were so scared. There’s more than Sam out there, Jarod. There are six sweepers posted around here, and each of them is coming.”

Jarod sighed. “I’ll escape again you know.”

“Yeah, but if you’re thinking about taking Miss Parker to try and get your kids at six months? I think a little quiet time is needed for you.”