When Shadows Move
Mandy
Disclaimer: none of these characters of their world belong to me. I
only borrowed them to play with for a bit, and no infringement was
intended. They were well fed and were given a bath and a back rub
before I returned them. Jarod and Mulder were a little worn out, Scully
and Miss Parker were a little jealous, but otherwise they're fine and
happy to be home
Dedication: to Jasmine my love, who's beauty is only matched by her
wit.
When Shadows Move
by Mandy
The first day.
Blue Cove, Delaware.
Miss Parker's bedroom.
0200 hours.
Jarod smiled happily at the figure lying in the bed below him. She
looked very innocent and peaceful when asleep, and he almost regretted
the fact that what he was about to do would make her very pissed off at
him. Almost. He almost regretted it. Smiling to himself, he threw some
of her clothes into a bag along with her cigarettes, gun and Pepto-
Bismol. Then, after murmuring a quiet apology to her sleeping form, he
slipped a hypodermic needle into her arm. After all, he didn't want her
to wake up and spoil the game. With that, Jarod grabbed the bag, and
the still sleeping Miss Parker wrapped in a blanket, and headed for his
car.
****
Somewhere in Nevada. Mulder's motel room. 1400 hours.
Scully lay on Mulder's bed, happily munching on a slice of Pizza. Their
latest case had proved to be a wild goose chase, with a man that had
wanted attention and fame, not genuine answers. Answers which Mulder
would have been only all to happy to search for.
"You want some pizza?" asked Scully around a mouthful of peperoni.
"No thanks," replied Mulder, "I'm going to finish this report.
Skinner's gonna hate it when he finds out it was all a ruse."
"Well, it was you who dragged us down here in the first place, so don't
lay any of the blame on me." Said Scully, finishing off the last of her
pizza before she continued, "I'm going to go to the store next door and
get us a drink, be right back."
****
Same time. Somewhere in Nevada. Joe's Grocery's.
Jarod finished paying for the motel room, checked on Miss Parker then
went to the shop to pick up some supplies. Cruising the shelves, he
picked up some aspirins (Parker would have a killer of a headache when
she woke up), some bottled water and some Pez, as well as an assortment
of general food items. Walking to the counter, he watched as an
attractive woman in a business suit paid for her bottle of coke then
turned, staring curiously at the prone form of Miss Parker, asleep in
his convertible. Jarod followed her gaze, then smiled at her.
"Is she O.K.?" asked Scully, concern written all over her face.
"She's fine," replied Jarod, still smiling, "she just, uh, didn't get
much sleep last night ...we're on our honey moon." Jarod kept smiling,
then, after winking suggestively at the now smiling woman, paid and
left.
"Cute," muttered Scully, then left.
*****
Jarod's motel room.
"Miss Parker.... oh Miss Parker... time to wake up now....Jarod's
escaped the centre..." Jarod couldn't help but grin as Miss Parker,
still half asleep, swore violently and reached for her gun, only to
find her hands were restricted by handcuffs.
"Jarod, why do I get the feeling that your behind this?" asked Miss
Parker, without opening her eyes.
"Maybe because I'm the only one that would bother to tie you up then
wake you gently?" whispered Jarod right near her ear.
"Yeah... somehow I couldn't imagine someone from The Centre doing
that.." she mumbled as she stretched slowly, pulling at the handcuffs
before staring up at Jarod.
"So what is it this time, Wonderboy? I know you have to have some
reason in that twisted little head of yours for kidnapping me."
"I just thought we'd have a little chat," smiled Jarod as he reached up
and undid the cuffs that trapped both hands, only to snap one side back
onto the headboard.
"Couldn't we have done that back at The Centre, with you safely under
lock and key?" growled Miss Parker, rubbing her free wrist.
"Nice try Parker, I just thought it would be safer from my point of
view if you were the one under lock and key when we talked."
"Yeah, well, not for long ratboy," hissed Miss Parker, trying to sit
up, then groaned as her head protested, "got any thing for my headache?
Or didn't the genius think ahead as far as some aspirin?"
Jarod chuckled, then reached into the bag on the floor beside him and
pulled out the aspirin and bottled water he'd bought earlier.
"I guess I really am a genius then, aren't I?" he murmured, then winced
in sympathy as she closed her eyes in pain for a moment before
swallowing the pain killer. Miss Parker opened her eyes again, and
looked around the sparsely furnished room for the first time.
"Quite the happy little campers then, aren't we?" she muttered, still
looking around. Off to the left was a door she could only assume led to
the bathroom, next to the bed was a table with a phone on it,
disconnected to provide access for Jarod's modem, which lay next to his
computer on a small table in the corner of the room. More importantly,
though, the case which contained the DSA's lay next to it. Miss
Parker's eyes darted from the case to Jarod, then back again, licking
her lips as she thought out her options.
"Always got your mind on the job, don't you Parker?" Jarod asked a
little sadly.
Miss Parker ignored him, and went back to studying the room, when she
noticed a open bag sitting in the corner, filled with what looked like
her clothes. CLOTHES! Miss Parker looked down, angered to find herself
still in her favourite black nightgown.
"Jarod! The least you could do was allow me the decency of some proper
clothes!" hollered Parker, even more infuriated by the sheepish grin on
his face.
"But Parker, you were out cold...I would have had to undress you to
dress you," said Jarod, putting on his best "don't blame me, I'm
innocent" voice, "come on, here's some clothes, let me uncuff you and
you can change in the bathroom. And Miss Parker, don't even try and
thinking of escaping, there's no window's in there you can crawl out
of." said Jarod, undoing the cuffs, throwing her some clothes and
leading her to the bathroom door so he could stand guard outside. Miss
Parker glared at him and slammed the door shut behind her.
****
After, a while, Jarod was just about to go in and get her, decent or
not, when he heard a loud thump and a groan from the room. Concerned
only for her welfare, and fearing that she might still have been
feeling the effects of the drug he had injected, he didn't stop to
think as he burst into the room, prepared for the worst. Upon finding
an empty room, he realized his mistake just as he felt a swift blow to
the head. Falling back, he pulled out Parker's gun which he had shoved
into the waist band of his pants, only to have that kicked out of his
hands by a very angry Miss Parker. She lunged for the gun as he grabbed
her around the waist, slowing her down but not stopping her from
grabbing the gun in one hand. He rolled her over, pinning her with is
greater body weight, and reaching up with both hands, trying to wrestle
the gun from her hands as she tried to aim it at him.
*****
Mulder's motel room.
Mulder and Scully were just discussing who would be driving on the way
back to the closest airport the next day, even though Skinner didn't
expect them back for another week, when a shot rang out. Instantly they
were both on their feet, grabbing their guns and badges before racing
next door, where the sound came from. Kicking open the door they both
entered in automatic FBI mode, guns drawn and yelling for the occupants
of the room to freeze. Scully recognized the man from the store, now
crouched over the woman who had been in the car, who was bleeding from
the head. Scully also noticed that it was not him who was holding the
gun, but the unconscious woman on the floor.
"Good start to a honeymoon," muttered Scully, earning a questioning
glance from Mulder,"all right freeze! FBI! Get up and away from your
wife and up against the wall!" yelled Scully. For a moment the voice
didn't register in Jarod's brain, as he knelt in shock over Miss
Parker, begging for her to wake up, to be all right, to say something
demeaning to him with an angry look on her face. When she moaned he
couldn't help but pull her into his arms, rocking her against his body
as he whispered endearment’s to her. It wasn't until Scully repeated
herself for the third time that he actually noticed that someone else
was in the room.
Laying his precious burden gently on the floor, he slowly stood up,
only then realising what had sounded so wrong about the words being
yelled at him.
"Wife?" he asked in confusion, and only when he had cleared the tears
out of his eyes with his hands did he understand that one of the FBI
agents standing there was the one in the store.
"Didn't think so...Mulder, can you take care of him? I'm going to look
at her head," said Scully, already kneeling down over Parker. Mulder
found himself suddenly gunless and slammed against the wall as the
extremely enraged larger man fought his way to the still unconscious
woman, pushing Scully out of the way and scooping her up in his arms
and carrying her to the bed, where he carefully lay her down.
"Don't touch her!" growled Jarod. His voice roused Parker, who moaned
again.
"Frankenboy?," Miss Parker giggled slightly," my hero..." she trailed
off before passing out again. Jarod stroked her hair away from her
face, all the while whispering to her that everything was fine, nothing
could hurt her.
"Sir, I'm a doctor, please would you let me look at her?" Scully's
voice seemed to break Jarod out of his reverie and he looked at her
blankly for a moment before comprehension dawned.
"What? A doctor...yes..I was one once..I'll help, just let me get my
first aid kit out of the car.." mumbled Jarod making to rise. Mulder,
who by now had caught his breath and recovered his gun, raised it now.
"Not so fast, you're staying right here until we figure out what's
going here" said Mulder. Jarod gave him a long stare before talking
quietly.
"As long as you have her, I'm not going anywhere."
Mulder considered this for a long moment before looking at Scully. She
nodded, and Mulder indicated with his gun for Jarod to go. A few
minutes later he came jogging back in, kit in hand, and knelt on the
bed next to Scully.
"She'll be fine," murmured Scully, taking some swabs and iodine from
the kit and cleaning the wound," the bullet only grazed her, but she'll
wake up with a big headache."
"She already had one," replied Jarod, and at Scully's confused face
continued," she'd been drugged..."
"That might explain that then," said Mulder, gesturing to a small
bruise on Parker's arm, "and I think you'd better explain. You
obviously didn't shoot her, and I seriously doubt she's suicidal, so
what exactly happened?
"It's a long story" sighed Jarod, when a new voice intruded.
"Tell anyone anything, Lab rat, and I'll shoot you myself.
"Miss Parker, good to see you as your normal, cheerful self." Jarod
murmured, smiling down at her. She smiled back, then struggled to sit
up as Mulder and Scully directed bewildered looks at each other at the
contradictions passing before them.
"Jarod...I don't suppose you happened to bring my Pepto-Bismol?"
"Way ahead of you there Parker," Jarod leaned down and rummaged in the
bag next to the bed, then pulled out some items, handing her the
medicine, which she took a gulp of, "and I thought ahead a bit as well.
It's no Get well card, but somehow I think you'll like this better."
and with that Jarod handed her the pack of cigarettes he'd grabbed from
her room and a lighter from his pocket. Miss Parker's eyes lit up.
"My hero Genius," she said then sighed contentedly as she lit up and
inhaled, "heaven!"
"I hate to interrupt...but would somebody like to tell us what happened
here? And why these were involved?" asked an exasperated Mulder,
holding up Parker's gun and Jarod's handcuffs. Miss Parker and Jarod
looked at each other, then looked back at the two FBI agents, then both
shook their heads.
"No way lawboy, classified information!" hissed Miss Parker, giving him
her iciest "holier-than-thou" look. Taken aback, Mulder looked
imploringly at Scully, who rolled her eyes at him.
"All right then," replied Scully, taking out her mobile phone, "I guess
we'll just have to call for some back up."
"NO!" yelled Jarod, thinking of The Centre's eyes everywhere.
"Awww too bad Jarod! Who's afraid of the big bad Centre?" Cooed Miss
Parker, a smirk on her face.
"The Centre?" asked Mulder, perking up a bit, "you guys are involved
with the Centre?" Jarod chuckled.
"You could say that. Looks like we found ourselves a believer
Princess!" he said, nudging Parker with a look of pure delight on his
face, much to her annoyance.
"I've heard so much about it, but I've never met anyone actively
involved with it....that is, that wasn't dead at the time," said
Mulder, looking more exited by the minute, "wait a
minute...Parker...You're one of thee Parker's?!? Scully we've run into
something BIG!!"
"Mulder calm down and try to keep your hands out of your pants...what
exactly is The Centre?" questioned Scully.
"The Centre is a company that isn't meant to exist, doing things that
don't exist. They have they're finger in every pie you've ever heard
of. And it's number one client? The very government which I've been
trying to expose all these years!" Says Mulder excitedly, while Parker
sits and fumes. Just her luck for Jarod to drag her right into the
hands of some obsessed vigilante for the imaginary innocents. The only
innocent she knew was Jarod, and even he wasn't that innocent any more,
thanks to that slut in Oregon, Nina or whatever her name was.
"Very good Mr. Mulder...perhaps you and I have a little more in common
than I had first thought..." murmurs Jarod, keeping his eyes on Miss
Parker's disgruntled expression.
"And what exactly do you have against the Centre?"
"You might say I have...a little bit...of a grudge against them." Jarod
reached up to check if Parker's bandage was secure enough, only to have
his hand slapped away.
"OK boys enough chit chat, give me the handcuffs and give me back my
gun, I'll take Monkeyboy here and that case," she said, nodding towards
the DSA's, "and we'll be on our merry way, and you two can go back to
playing house in your nice ordinary lives!"
Miss Parker was quite proud of her icy approach, even though she felt
like shit, until the two FBI agents started laughing. After deciding it
must all be Jarod's fault, she lit another cigarette and sat back to
glare at the world in general.
"I'm sorry Miss Parker," said Scully in a tone that was nowhere near
sorry, "but you're in no condition to go anywhere. And I am certainly
not going anywhere until I find out why you were shot, why there are
handcuffs here that were obviously used on you from the looks of your
wrists, and what this all has to do with the Centre!"
**** Disclaimer: none of these characters of their world belong to me.
I only borrowed them to play with for a bit, and no infringement was
intended. They were well fed and were given a bath and a back rub
before I returned them. Jarod and Mulder were a little worn out, Scully
and Miss Parker were a little jealous, but otherwise they're fine and
happy to be home
I will start posting Children of the Shadows when I have more time:)
Jarod's motel room.
2200 hours.
Scully sighed and pushed the hair of her eyes, deciding that all she
wanted was a nice hot shower and the comfortable bed that was in her
motel room, on the other side of Mulder's. Six hours and all they'd
been able to drag out of the Parker woman was glares and wafts of
cigarette smoke in their direction. Not that Jarod was any better at
handing out information, and although he was much nicer all they'd been
able to get was a lengthy talk on the virtues of Pez and Ice-cream.
Scully was sure that something very wrong was going on here, but was
reluctant to take them in because of the expression on the man,
Jarod's, face every time any authority was mentioned. Scully was also
confused by the relationship between Miss Parker and Jarod, who seemed
to love the cruel banter they tossed at each other, yet she could see
the caring both tried not to show. It was small things, like the way
Jarod would very tenderly check Parker's wounds too often, or brush her
hair behind her ear for her. And the way she instinctively snuggled up
against Jarod to get more comfortable, or the way she passed him his
Pez when all he did was look at it. The man really had an obsession for
Pez.
"Mulder what do you think it's time we called it a night?" she asked
softly, after watching Mulder fire a few more questions at the strange
couple, without receiving any more answers than they had before.
"Yeah, I think you're right Scully. You take her into your room and
I'll take him into mine, and we'll leave the connecting door unlocked,"
Mulder replied, standing up and stretching, "come on you two, grab your
gear and let's go."
Parker got up and walked confidently towards the DSA's lying on the
table, intending to claim them in front of the agents, but was
intercepted by Jarod, who tsked her.
"Miss Parker, you're not playing fair, you take your stuff," he said
playfully, shoving her bag of clothes into her arms, "and I'll take
mine." And grabbed the case and his laptop, modem, Pez and the small
bag of clothes he had brought with him.
"Oh but Jarod," she said in her sweetest tone, "shouldn't you share?
Now hand over the case!!"
"OK kids, enough," sighed Scully, holding out her hand, "I'm going to
have to start confiscating things. The case Jarod."
"No. It's stays where the Ice Queen can't get her talons on it. Mr.
Mulder here takes it, so I can keep an eye on it."
"Whatever," Mulder groans, taking the case, "let's go."
Once they reached their separate rooms and had said good night, or
something close to it, Jarod sat down heavily and wiped the blood off
the tiny scratch mark Miss Parker had given by way of goodnight.
"Quite a hellcat, isn't she?" asked Mulder. Jarod smiled.
"Yeah. But she's my hellcat."
"How long have you known each other for?"
"Most of our lives...she wasn't always like this, but life has been
cruel to her, so she's cruel back." Jarod sighs and lays back on the
bed as he took himself back to what she had been, to the pain she felt
at the need for her fathers approval, and the happiness she had found
with friends like Jarod and Angelo. Slipping into Pretender mode, eyes
glazing over, body relaxing, slowly Jarod began to speak, in a child
like voice as Mulder watched in growing fascination.
"Sydney can I go see Jarod today? Daddy said I could if I were good and
I've been so good alllll week so can I please go visit Jarod?" Jarod's
voice continued on, begging Sydney to visit Jarod.
"Jarod you asshole I don't suppose you happened to bring me a
toothbrush-" Miss Parker burst into the room in her black nightgown,
ready to give Jarod another verbal beating when she saw what he was
doing, and heard what he was saying, and froze. But only for a moment.
Then she flew at him, landing on the bed and beating him with her fists
as tears streamed down her face, how could he do this to her? Didn't he
ever stop? And she started to scream over and over again, for him to
get out of her head, leave her alone, all the while sobbing and hitting
him.
Jarod snapped out of the Pretend just as quickly as he had slipped into
it, fending off her blows and trying to soothe her. He held her close
as she beat at him with less and less force, eventually just sobbing as
he smoothed his hands up and down her back, and whispering apologies to
her.
Mulder, seeing how personal the moment was, carefully locked the door
that led outside, took the key, and discreetly slipped out of the room,
taking Scully, who had been watching from the doorway, with him.
"Why Jarod? Why can't you just get out of my head and leave me alone
Jarod?" her voice whispered.
"I'm sorry, princess," he whispered back, still stroking her back
lightly, "I was thinking about you, about the past and it just sort of
took me over, I couldn't control it."
He kissed the top of her head lightly, then turned her face up to look
at him with his hands and kissed the tip of her nose.
"I'm so sorry Parker," he murmured, kissing a tear away, "I would never
have done it on purpose. I'm so sorry...." he trailed off as she gently
pulled his head down to hers, for a real kiss, the first kiss since the
one she had given him when they were still young, and not nearly as
innocent.
****
In the next room, Mulder and Scully listened as it all went quiet. They
looked at each other, Scully in bewilderment and Mulder in delight.
"It's amazing Scully," he whispered excitedly, "it's like he just
became someone else. One minute he was him, the next minute he was the
childhood version of that wicked witch of the west in there!"
"Mulder I don't know what you saw,"Scully whispered back, "but people
do not just...become... other people!"
About to continue the debate they both stopped when they heard a soft,
feminine moan coming from the next room.
"Sounds like they managed to overcome their differences," said Mulder,
chuckling, "come on, ten more minutes and we make a discreet knock.
Someone has to keep an eye on them, and I think it would be voyeurism
if they were in the same room at the time!"
****
Jarod kissed Miss Parker back, curving an arm around her waist as he
deepened the kiss, allowing his tongue to tangle with hers, until she
moaned softly, running her hands across his back as he buried his
fingers in her hair, massaging the scalp lightly. She pulled him even
closer, stroking his cheek with her hand and entangling her legs with
his. They ended the kiss, gasping as they still held onto each other
tightly, Jarod’s hand still in Miss Parker’s hair as he placed soft
kisses around her face.
"Where did that come from?" asked Jarod gently.
"I don’t know," said Miss Parker, a little shakily, "I guess I’ve just
wanted to do that for a while." She smiled at him.
At that moment, a very discreet knock sounded, but the couple on the
bed didn’t notice, so involved were they in each other, that when the
door opened they rolled apart guiltily, sitting up in embarrassment as
the two agents entered the room.
"Is this what getting caught by your parents feels like?" asked Jarod,
a smile playing across his lips.
"Worse," replied Parker, smiling back, "We’re adults, not teenagers any
more ..and I guess I wouldn’t know either, Daddy never cared." She
finished off bitterly.
"Sorry to break up the make-out party," Scully interrupted, wondering
about Miss Parker’s father, "but I think it’s time we all got some
sleep. Parker, in here, I’ll see you in the morning boys." And with
that she dragged an unwilling Parker off the bed, and into the
adjoining room, before slamming shut the door. Jarod stared up in
confusion at Mulder.
"What’s a make-out party?" Jarod questions, then looks even more
confused by Mulder’s aghast expression.
"Oh man What are you, pre-pubescent? No self-respecting male would not
have made it through the teenage years without knowing what they are,
why they are, and how to get an invitation to one!" At Mulder’s
outburst, Jarod smiles sadly.
"I was never allowed to be a teenager." He whispers, remembering
growing up in the Centre, and how they never allowed anything that
could be classified as "normal".
"Jarod," says Mulder, suddenly becoming serious, "who are you? Why is
it that you were never allowed to do these things? And what the hell
was that you did before?"
"You’ve heard of the Centre and some of the things they do there?"
asked Jarod, waiting until Mulder nodded before continuing, "I was
involved in their most precious project. When I was a child, I had been
noticed for my unusual mental abilities. When I was six years old, they
came in the night, and took me. They told me my parents were dead, and
kept me in a controlled environment, running tests on me and making me
perform simulations for them. It was discovered that with enough
information about someone, I could get inside that person’s head,
understand them completely, think like them, act like them, Pretend to
be them. At the time they told me it was to help people, and it wasn’t
until I was older that I realised that they sold my simulations to the
highest bidder. Often this was the government, which you have been
trying to expose all these years. I was in my thirties the first time I
tasted things like ice- cream and Pez. I escaped three years ago, and
have been searching for my family ever since. Miss Parker has been
hunting me, and the DSA’s, trying to bring me back, because when she
finds me, they will let her go."
Mulder sat, his mouth gaping, as he tried to process this information.
He couldn’t help but feel understanding with Jarod, he knew what it was
like to spend years searching for answers, not to mention family. His
own sister had been abducted, and there wasn’t a day that went by that
Mulder didn’t think about her.
***
Miss Parker sat on the bed, with a cigarette in one hand, watching
Scully return from the bathroom in comfortable, striped cotton,
pyjamas. She contemplated what had happened with Jarod in the next room
only a few minutes ago as she absent-mindedly blew rings with the
smoke. Scully coughed pointedly, drawing Parker back to the present.
"Sorry," she muttered, butting out the offending smoke in the ashtray,
"Just like a sleepover, sharing the same bed."
"Well," said Scully, climbing onto the bed, "I’m not sleeping on the
floor, somehow I doubt you will, and there’s no way I’m leaving you
alone in another room. I don’t trust you enough, although I get the
feeling you wouldn’t leave without Jarod in tow. Now let’s get some
sleep, we’ll figure things out in the morning."
****
The second day.
Mulder’s motel room.
0100 hours.
Mulder awoke to the sound of soft, but urgent, mumbling coming from the
man handcuffed to the bed. Sitting up, he watched as Jarod thrashed
back and forth in the midst of a nightmare, moaning something about
releasing him. Mulder tried to wake him, but it only made the still
sleeping man worse, who started throwing his free arm around wildly,
striking Mulder once as he scooted to the far side of the bed, not
knowing what to do. Mulder was just about to get Scully, when the
connecting door between the two rooms opened, and a very dishevelled
looking Miss Parker hurried in, followed by a sleepy looking Scully.
Miss Parker moved to the bed, sitting beside Jarod and murmuring
soothing words, until she spied the handcuffs attaching him to the bed.
"What the hell do you think your doing!" hissed Miss Parker, stretching
out her hand. "Give me the keys! You never lock him up like this!" she
yelled at Mulder, then caught the keys he threw at her and gently
unlocked the still agitated Jarod.
"Parker?" he whispered hoarsely.
"It’s me Jarod, you’re safe, you’re not in the Centre." She whispered
back, smoothing the damp locks of hair of his brow.
"I had a dream, it was your mother, they held me down and made me watch
as they .... as they.... ." He trailed off, his eyes still filled with
terror as she curled up next to him, still stroking his hair.
"I know Jarod, I know." She murmured, as a solitary tear trickled down
her face. Meanwhile Mulder and Scully stood helplessly near the door,
watching the touching scene unfold before them. Silently Scully ushered
Mulder into her own room, grabbing the case which contained the DSA’s,
knowing that neither of the figures on the bed would leave without it.
Quietly closing the doors behind them, Mulder sighed, then dropped onto
the bed.
"They make quite a couple don’t they?" asked Mulder lazily as he
stretched to make himself more comfortable.
"Yes. What was Jarod talking about in his sleep, he wanted somebody to
let him go?" Asked Scully, then her eyes widened as Mulder relayed the
information that Jarod had told him, about being a captive of the
Centre.
"My god, that’s inhuman!" cried Scully after Mulder had finished.
"Yeah, I could hardly believe it.... . I’d like to help him Scully, I
don’t know what we’d do about her, but I’d like to help him. I know
what it’s like to have someone you love taken away from you, and I want
to talk to Jarod, see if there’s anything we could do to help him find
his family. Perhaps we could help each other."
****
Mulder’s motel room.
0900 hours.
Jarod was having the best dream about Miss Parker, better than his
normal one’s. She felt more real, and he took advantage of that as he
pulled his dream Parker close, very close, enjoying the soft feel of
her skin against his cheek.
"Parker I wish you were real, not just a dream like all the other
times.... ." Mumbled Jarod against the imaginary Miss Parkers neck.
Darting his tongue out to touch her skin, he pulled her even closer,
murmuring to her that she tasted real good for one of his dreams.
"Jarod stop talking.... " replied Parker’s just as sleepy voice. Jarod
pondered the fact that his fantasy was talking back, then started to
get an inkling of an idea which he hoped was true with all his heart.
Very gently he slid his hand up from the make-believe Parker’s waist,
fluttering his hand across the very real feeling ribs to cup the
underside of her breast, stroking his thumb across the nipple and
feeling it harden under his touch. For a dream Parker she was very
responsive thought Jarod to himself, then opened his eyes and smiled as
he watched the very real Miss Parker press herself up against him. He
chuckled, then placed a series of soft kisses along her jaw, while one
hand still played with her erect nipple, extracting a small whimper
from her. Deciding that the mouth looked very tempting, he brushed his
own lips against hers very gently, as she whispered his name softly.
About to continue, Jarod stopped when he heard noises coming from the
room next door, and lay his head back down, pretending to be asleep for
when the agents came in.
A few minutes later they entered, and watched the supposedly sleeping
couple, curled up in each others arms as tightly as they could hold
each other, to the point that it was almost indecent. As they hesitated
in the doorway, Jarod opened his eyes and smiled at them, and held a
finger to his lips, indicating to them to be quiet so as not to wake
Miss Parker. As gently as he could, he untangled himself from her arms,
rose, and dressed only in boxers, headed back into Scully’s room.
Closing the door as carefully as he could after them, he smiled.
"You’ve never seen her in the morning, nobody wakes her before she
wants to be awake" he said, making the two agents smile. Jarod rummaged
through the bag which he had bought out of the other room, pulling out
black jeans and tight black top.
"I’m headed for the shower, don’t disturb dragon lady" Jarod said with
a cheerful grin.
"He’s in a good mood.... . Somebody got lucky last night!" was the only
response from Mulder, once the bathroom door was safely shut.
****
Miss Parker stretched luxuriously, enjoying the sated feeling she had
after an amazing dream she had dreamt about Jarod. He had been touching
her and kissing her so gently, it almost didn’t seem real. But then
again, it wasn’t real, it had only been a dream. Jarod would never be
so sweet to her after all the things they had put each other through.
Miss Parker sobered at these thoughts, wishing somehow that things
didn’t have to be this way between them, but she had to capture him in
order to free herself.
Miss Parker remembered when her and Jarod were children, how close they
had been, how they longed for each other’s company when they weren’t
together. And now, as adults, they were the hunter and the hunted,
although the line of who was who was blurry sometimes, always it
remained that they fought against each other, when somehow she felt
they should have been fighting together. Still reflecting on this,
Parker gathered up some things and headed for the shower.
*****
"So what does everyone want for breakfast?" asked Scully cheerfully, to
the three other people sitting in the room, "My shout and I’ll go to
the store now."
"Vodka." Muttered Parker, lighting up a cigarette.
"Twinkies!" exclaimed Jarod, his face lighting up.
"Sunflower seeds.... " sighed Mulder in blissful anticipation. Scully
looked at the three before her disbelievingly then sighed in
resignation.
"Right Jarod, you come with me, we’ll get something decent to eat." She
sighed, thinking longingly of pancakes. Jarod rose and ran a hand
through his still wet hair, flicking drops of water on Parker with a
grin, then racing out the door after Scully before she could retaliate.
Parker and Mulder watched each other warily from opposite sides of the
room. Mulder inclined his head and raised his eyebrows in a direct
challenge.
"Poker?"
****
Parker sat and stared at the five cards in her hand, keeping her face
blank but inwardly crowing in delight. The eight dollars she had one of
Mulder so far was about to increase. She loved winning. And as long as
Jarod didn’t find out she had lifted his wallet, taking the money
before tossing it aside, she was fine.
"King high straight!" Smirked Mulder, laying down his cards.
"Ace high," purred Parker, scooping up the money on the table and
sliding it towards her.
"Come to Mamma!" she cried as Jarod and Scully entered the room,
carrying a few brown paper bags with food in them, which they placed on
the bed. Jarod watched curiously as Mulder dealt another hand, noting
the money on the table and the way both players kept their faces
completely straight.
"What are you doing?" asked Jarod, much to Mulder’s surprise.
"Playing poker Frankenboy. Watch and learn from the master." Replied
Miss Parker. Jarod watched the next few rounds played, noting what
cards together were considered winners, the different strategies used
by both to bluff and the exchange of money going on.
After a while Jarod sat down, and was dealt into the next hand, both
Miss Parker and Mulder having donated some money to him after he found
his wallet was conspicuously empty. He regarded the five cards he held
in his hand, two jacks, a queen, a seven and an eight. He threw in the
seven and the eight, waiting until two new cards were dealt to him.
Another queen. Another jack. Full house. Jarod kept his face and body
language studiously expressionless and watched Parker as she received
her cards, watching the way she sat a little straighter, pushed her
shoulders back slightly and tossed her hair confidently. A good hand,
mused Jarod. Mulder, on the other hand, had slumped his shoulders
slightly, but quickly sat up, ready to bet. He’s bluffing, thought
Jarod.
****
Two hours later, Mulder sighed in frustration and gave up. He’d lost
most of his money any way, and the power struggle that was going on
between the other two was making him feel invisible. Each had one
roughly the same amount of hands and money, but a little good-humoured
poker game had turned into a battle of wills, and he knew that much
more rested on these games than a couple of dollars. Mulder went and
sat with Scully, who was sitting at the small table in one corner. As
the two agents began to talk, discussing plans for the future, the
poker game continued, making its players oblivious to the world around
them.
As the shadows lengthened Mulder and Scully disputed over the best
course of action, they’re quiet murmuring rolling off the two players.
It was beyond money now, they barely noticed the notes exchanging
hands, or the cards in their hands. It was about them. Together. Their
history. They both recognised it, the passionate looks on their faces
showed it, and the way eye contact was almost imperative showed it.
And Jarod began to reach an understanding. An understanding of her. She
couldn’t let him win. And that applied to everything. And it scared
him, because she wouldn’t give up, she wouldn’t let him take away what
she believed to be the key to her freedom, she wouldn’t allow him,
couldn’t allow him to walk away with it. And that key was the thing he
valued the most in the world, the thing which had kept him sane, kept
him caring about the world, but most importantly, kept him from killing
the damn lot of them whenever he had the chance, was his freedom. His
freedom. Which they had taken away once, and the very woman he loved
had been sent to take it away again.
He loved her. Miss Parker. The woman he loved. Not the child who had
whispered her first name to him, or given him his first kiss, but the
woman she had become. The woman who wore revealing clothing to be
noticed, because daddy had never noticed her enough. The woman who had
smoked compulsively, drank too much, had the nickname Ice Queen, the
woman who infuriated him so much, who he infuriated so much, but on
some level had always loved. He loved her. And with this realisation,
Jarod felt physically ill.
****
Scully approached Jarod carefully. He had been lost in thought ever
since he had abruptly bought the poker game to a halt, over an hour
again. Since then he had sat in the one spot, ignoring or not hearing
all attempts at conversation. Finally Miss Parker, put in a bad mood by
his apparent bad mood, had gone to the store to get some more
cigarettes. Both Mulder and Scully had thought it best that they spoke
alone with Jarod about their decisions, and now looked like the perfect
time.
"Jarod?" Scully touched his shoulder gently when he didn’t respond, and
he jerked his head up to look at her and Mulder, who had come to stand
next to his partner.
"Jarod, Mulder and I have been talking," said Scully softly, still
unsure of his mood, "we’ve decided that we want to help you Jarod. So
if you decide to leave in the middle of the night or something like
that, we’ll let it slip."
"We would do more," Mulder resumed where his Scully finished, "but if
what you say is true and the government is tied in with the Centre, it
would probably be more dangerous to you if we did do more."
Jarod nodded, thinking over what the two agents had said.
"Give me tonight," murmured Jarod, "with Parker. She and I have some
unfinished business."
***
Scully’s motel room.
2200 hours.
Miss Parker sat on the bed, idly leafing through a magazine she had
bought that day, when she heard the door open.
"Scully could you pass me my bag?" asked Miss Parker, not looking up.
Parker waited a few moments but there was no answer, just the soft
click of the door being pushed shut, then locked. Frowning at this,
Miss Parker looked up, about to ask Scully why she was locking the door
when Jarod could have another nightmare, but the words froze on her
lips. Not Scully. Jarod. Jarod wearing only the bottoms of a pair of
black silk pyjamas. Jarod with an expression on his face that reminded
Miss Parker of Broots in a rebellious mood, terrified but claiming a
right to dignity.
"Jarod," sighed Miss Parker, barely realising it was out of her mouth
until it was too late. Suddenly Jarod’s expression hardened, showing a
faint flash of desire for her as his eyes raked down her body, clad
only in the black nightgown she had arrived at the motel in. Jarod,
without saying anything, walked forward and hauled her up off the bed
and into his arms, watching the surprised expression on her face change
to anger.
"What the hell do you think your doing!" she hissed, her eyes showing a
mix of fury and arousal.
"Taking what’s mine." He whispered back, before kissing her hard on the
mouth, forcing her mouth open with his teeth and entwining his tongue
with hers, holding her tight and plunging one hand into her hair,
forcibly holding her head in place. Miss Parker curled one hand around
his neck, bringing the other to his face, softly caressing, then
digging her nails in and dragging them down his cheek, drawing blood.
Jarod jerked his head away from her, then, to her surprise, smiled.
"Bad kitty," he breathed in her ear, "we’ll have to get those claws
clipped!"
He threw her bodily onto the bed, then straddling her, grabbing her
wrists and pinning them above her head. Holding both her small hands
with one of his own, he lazily trailed the other hand around the curve
of her face, down her neck, between her breasts and down her stomach
before allowing it to come to rest on her abdomen. He quirked an
eyebrow, regarding her in a very suggestive way.
"No!" was all she could manage while trying not to show how aroused she
was.
"Yes…." He drawled, and leaning down, started placing small kisses on
her neck, working his way down. After a few minutes he released her
hands, and this time when they rose up to touch him, it was to pull him
closer, not inflict pain.
****
The third day.
Scully’s motel room.
0300 hours.
Miss Parker slowly became aware of the warm body beside her. But this
time it was no dream. A smile played across her lips as she thought of
all that had happened in the last few hours. Jarod had been…. amazing.
He had been both gentle and passionate, but with an edge of suppressed
anger, an edge, sensitive to her needs, while applying himself to his
own. She never thought that after all they had been through, all that
had happened, she would have been able to find joy in such closeness
with another human being. Sure, there had been other men, but none had
the bond that she and Jarod shared.
Miss Parker wondered what would happen now. It had occurred to her to
just leave the Centre, maybe now with Jarod. But somehow that train of
thought just felt…wrong. She wanted, no, needed to find out what had
happened to her mother. And her whole life was with the Centre. But
without Jarod, she had no life.
Miss Parker pulled herself up short right there. Where the hell had
that one come from? Just how deep were her feelings for Jarod? Had
Daddy been right? Had she been too emotionally involved to catch him
all those years? Miss Parker was given no more time to question herself
as she heard Jarod sigh deeply, and realised that he had been awake the
whole time.
"Jarod?" asked Parker, feeling almost…shy.
"I’m sorry." Came his voice from the darkness.
"Sorry for what?"
"Sorry for this…sorry for everything. This never should have happened."
"What the hell are you talking about?" cried Parker, raising herself up
on her elbow so she could look at him as her eyes adjusted to the dark.
"If you ask me this was way overdue!" Jarod raised a hand and stroked
it slowly down her face.
"Is that what you really feel Parker? Is that what you really, really
feel? Or was it just because it had been awhile and I was there?!"
accused Jarod, the harsh words causing a tear to trickle down Miss
Parker’s cheek.
"No! No it wasn’t and you know it Jarod! It was because of us!"
"And which us is that, Parker? The one where you hunt me with a gun and
a set of goons? Or the one where you leave me all alone to die in the
Centre?"
"No it’s how we…it’s how I…because I…. "
"How you what Parker? Because you what Parker?" Jarod pressed, needing
to hear it even though he knew he was hurting her with his callous
words.
"It’s because I love you! Because I have loved you since we were
children and you were the only person my age not afraid of me! Because
you tease me and make me look at what’s wrong in my life! Because I
love you so much I hurt inside at the thought of what they could do to
you! Because I love you but I can’t be with you because of who we are!
Because I love you even though there’s always going to be some sort of
star-crossed lovers complex hanging over our heads! Because I love
you….and I know you can’t love me back…"and with that she broke down,
tears streaming freely as she slumped back to the bed.
"I love you Parker." said Jarod simply. Miss Parker raised her head.
"What?"
"I love you." he repeated, and watched her anger grow.
"You put me through that, just to tell me you love me back? You
asshole!"
"Parker, I had to hear you say it because you wanted to say it, not
because you had to because I said it first." Whispered Jarod gently,
pulling her close.
"Jarod we can’t…I can’t leave the Centre. There’s too many things…. I
have to be there…." Trailed of Miss Parker, trying to explain but not
finding the words.
"I know Parker," said Jarod, reaching down and finding something under
the bed, "I know that you can’t come with me….but I also know you can’t
let me go." Jarod snapped the lamp that was next to the bed, keeping
one hand behind his back.
"Jarod… I’d have to take you in…how would I explain it if I just let
you go? We could have tonight, maybe tomorrow but after that…" Miss
Parker trailed off, seeing the resolved expression on his face.
"No Parker, not tomorrow, not even tonight. I have to go now." And
carefully Jarod brought into view the syringe he’d hidden in the room
earlier, gently flicking it to remove air bubbles.
"Jarod no!" cried Miss Parker, trying to move away as he caught her by
the wrists and dragged her close. Methodically he started to inject the
drug into her arm as the tears streamed down her face. Then he pulled
her to him, kissing her gently until he felt her go limp in his arms.
He then rose and dressed, grabbed his things, including the DSA’s, and
after leaving a thank-you note with a promise to e-mail them, Jarod
left.
***
When the agent met up in Mulder’s room the next morning, Scully having
spent the night in the room that Jarod had originally been in, they
both smiled at the note Jarod had left them, which read:
Thank you for all your help. Miss Parker and I have sorted things out,
sort of, but I had to leave. I hope she doesn’t shoot you when she
wakes up. Mulder I promise to keep in contact, as per our agreement to
help each other find our families. It was a nice vacation, best and
only one I’ve ever had.
Jarod.
***
And when Miss Parker did awaken, her scream of rage could be heard
miles away. And Jarod, on the road, noted what time she should be
waking up, and had to pull over, for he couldn’t see for the tears in
his eyes and running down his face. When Sydney and Broots came to
"rescue" Miss Parker from her horrible ordeal of being kidnapped by
Jarod, they brought a sweeper team with them. And after receiving no
details from the two agents, they quickly removed all evidence of the
whole thing ever happening. Because the people who weren’t meant to be
there didn’t exist, and shadows were not supposed to move.
The End.
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last time I did this. kitty_amazon@yahoo.com