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Brand New Year, Part 16
By Ginger
"I thought I locked the door," Miranda stated without opening her eyes as Jarod slipped into the steamy bathroom.
"You did," he replied matter-of-factly, unable to fully contain a smirk when she clicked her tongue in exasperation.
"Toilet's over there," she slowly unfurled one pale, exquisitely sculpted arm to point then continued, "Use it. Flush it. Leave."
"I'm not here to use the toilet. I'm here to fling myself at your feet and beg for mercy."
"Then I'm disappointed in you, Jarod. I'd have thought that a smart boy like you would have figured out by now that a PARKER SHOWS NO MERCY."
He winced. She wasn't going to make this easy for him. Then again, he hadn't really expected her to. He tugged on his collar. As if the climate weren't humid enough, the steam was making his shirt stick uncomfortably to his skin. What the heck, he thought, and peeled it off.
"What do you think you're doing?" She had finally opened her eyes, those devasting blue orbs trained on him. He swallowed hard but continued undressing and answered,
"Taking off my clothes."
"Well, you can forget it, buddy. You're cut off."
He chuckled and replied, "Fair enough, but I have some things to say to you and it's stifling in here. How can you stand it?"
"It's good for the skin. Besides, it feels cooler in the bedroom when I get out."
"Well, it's certainly cool in there right now."
She snickered and it was a low, throaty sound that made his skin tingle. He stifled a grin and continued, "Speaking of which, I didn't sleep a wink last night. It was agony. In fact, every moment since I made that awful, hurtful comment has been torture. And I've been trying to apologize ever since but you wouldn't let me."
"And make you feel better? What for?" Miranda shifted in the tub, one delectable thigh emerging from the water, and continued, "This isn't all about you, Jarod. We're talking about my son too."
"I know and I'm sorry. I was sorry the moment the words left my mouth. I didn't mean them; you have to know that. I only said them to hurt you because I was frustrated and scared and you seemed so sure about everything. Now may I please get in there with you?"
She quirked an eyebrow at him.
"I have more to say and I want... I need to be close to you when I say it. Please."
She hesitated another second or two, just long enough for his heart to begin pounding in his chest. Then she grasped both sides of the tub and slid forward to make room for him behind her. Expelling an enormous sigh of relief, he climbed in and immediately pulled her to him.
"This doesn't make it all better," Miranda warned. "We still need to have a long, rational conversation about this."
"I know," he muttered into her hair as he folded both of his hands over hers then folded both their arms around her waist. "I know I haven't been terribly realistic of late. It's been so perfect here that I tried to convince myself that our little paradise could last forever."
"God, Jarod, he's my baby. How do you think I felt when Ethan told me he was destined to fight the same battle that we have, and that the battle won't be won until he wins it. And now I'm even more confused about Mr. Parker's motives. Did he take the scrolls to protect Michael from the Centre or the Centre from Michael? I will never know and I have to find a way to live with that."
He nodded, pressing his lips to her temple as he tightened his hold on her. "And all this time," he sighed. "I thought it was about me."
"Imagine that," she remarked with a roll of her eyes then continued, "I guess that's what he meant when he said that the 'new' Parker legacy begins with me. Oh, hell, I don't know what he meant. And what difference does it make, anyway? I'm tired; I didn't sleep so well last night either."
"I'm so sorry, Andi. Of all nights to leave you alone."
"Well, for the record, I did kick you out. Of course, that was because you were being an asshole."
He closed his eyes and smiled against her cheek.
"Wait a minute," she said, pulling forward enough to crane her neck and look back at him. He blinked open his eyes to meet hers.
"I thought you had something else to say to me."
"Oh yeah," he muttered with a diffident smile.
"Well?"
"Well..." He took a deep breath and proceeded, "I know the last couple of months of have been... Who am I kidding; there isn't an adjective in any of the languages I know to adequately describe it. We were thrown into a situation not of our own making and now... now we find out that we could be here to play out a scene written a thousand years ago. And I don't kid myself. I know you wouldn't be here with me if it weren't for Michael. And maybe that should bother me. Maybe my self-esteem should demand more, but it doesn't. Maybe I don't have any and, if not, I don't care. The truth of the matter is that I didn't fall in love with you because of your connection to Michael; I fell in love with Michael because of his connection to you. You are the most difficult, infuriating, and exciting woman I have ever met and I think I was probably ruined for anyone else the moment I looked into your eyes for the first time. I've wanted you forever and his existence has made having you possible and, whether due to Mr. Parker's twisted scheme or the fulfillment of an age-old prophecy, I don't regret it. I love you, Andi. I love you so much that it is pointless to try to quantify it. You are my life."
There was a moment's pause and then, "That's it?"
"Yes," he sighed, shaking his head. "I think that about covers it."
"So you think my being here, naked in your arms, is all about Michael."
"Not entirely. I've always had the feeling that you thought I was kind of cute but, you are correct, I do not believe we ever would have gotten here without him."
"You do have a point, but what about this..."
"Ow!" Jarod yelped. "You pinched me!"
Pulling forward to turn and face him again she stated, "Yes, I did! What the hell is wrong with you? I swear, it's like living with 'Rainman!' With one look he can count, to a one, a spilled box of toothpicks but he can only buy his underpants at K-Mart!"
"Miranda, I have no idea what this has to do with either toothpicks or underpants, nor can I discern the connection to Native American culture. But since you are not the first person to look at me that way today, I guess I am going to have to take your word for it."
She laughed and could not resist the urge to give him a quick peck on the lips before responding, "I said 'Rainman' not 'Raindancer'. And the point is that being here, with you, makes me happy, happier than I've ever been in my life... with anyone." She paused a moment to let the implication sink in. "And it scares the living shit out of me. Oh, and congratulations to me, I have apparently fallen in love with an idiot savant!"
"You have?" he asked, looking every bit the hopeful puppy.
"Jarod," she sighed. "Think about it. You've been saying lousy things to me for years. Among other things, you have likened me to one of the Three Stooges, a Chia Pet and the Wicked Witch of the West. And now, all of a sudden, it really hurts my feelings? You made me, The Ice Princess, cry like a girl, for Christ's sake! And you LIVED!"
"I'm sorry... I."
"Oh, no, don't you dare promise to never do it again because we both know you will."
"But..."
"And you will be punished because that's what I do."
"Okay."
"You will come to me on your knees - for the record, on your knees is good - and beg my forgiveness, which after the appropriate interval I will bestow. And following in due course will be the make-up sex. That is unless you've really blown it, in which case I will kill you, dismember your body, boil the parts until your bones are bleached white and feed them to the dog."
"We don't have a dog."
"I will go to the pound and get one solely for that purpose."
"If you say so but I think it would be easier if we tried to... Did you say make-up sex?"
* * * *
Covered in sweat and still a little breathless, Jarod grinned up at the ceiling and observed, "It's hot in here."
"Mmm-hmm..." was all the response Miranda could muster as she lay boneless beside him.
"When I regain some feeling in my legs, I'll get up and check the thermostat for the central air," he offered then turned his head to shoot her a toothy grin.
"Whatever," she sighed with a sleepy, lopsided smile then added, "I hope Ethan isn't keeping Michael up all night."
"You know," he began, turning completely on his side to face her. "I misspoke earlier."
"Mmmm...?"
"About regrets. I do have one."
"Really... What's that?" she asked on a yawn.
"That he didn't come from here," he replied as he placed his hand on her abdomen then went on, "That I didn't put him here myself on a night like this. That I didn't get to watch your body change as he grew inside you. That I wasn't there with you to welcome him into the world."
"Sounds nice... the way you describe it."
"Didn't you ever want to?"
"What?"
"Be a mother."
"Um, newsflash, Jarod: I am a mother."
"I meant the old-fashioned way."
"Jarod," she uttered warily, suddenly feeling wide-awake.
"I've been thinking about what Luis said at dinner tonight."
"You have GOT to be kidding me," she groaned then propped herself into a half-seated position and advised, "Let's take another little trip to reality, shall we? We already have a child whose current and future well- being is, and will likely remain, a constant source of anxiety. We're hiding from a powerful organization, which is probably more interested in wiping us off the face of the earth than anything else at this point. Oh, and I'm 116 years old."
"I suppose you're right," he conceded with a sigh.
"On the other hand..." he continued after a few moments of silence, drumming his fingers on the taught flesh of her belly. "Luis is right: Michael WOULD make an excellent big brother. And, according to Ethan, the scrolls refer to the 'children' of the Angel and the Chosen - we're talking plural, not singular. Glare at me all you want, Andi; I didn't write it. It's a prophecy."
"Dream all you want, monkeyboy," she shot back, slapping his hand off her stomach. "It's a fantasy."
Seemingly undeterred he inched closer and nuzzled her neck, purring, "Has anyone ever told you that you are remarkably well-preserved for a woman of 116?"
# # # #
Brand New Year, Part 16
By Ginger
"I thought I locked the door," Miranda stated without opening her eyes as Jarod slipped into the steamy bathroom.
"You did," he replied matter-of-factly, unable to fully contain a smirk when she clicked her tongue in exasperation.
"Toilet's over there," she slowly unfurled one pale, exquisitely sculpted arm to point then continued, "Use it. Flush it. Leave."
"I'm not here to use the toilet. I'm here to fling myself at your feet and beg for mercy."
"Then I'm disappointed in you, Jarod. I'd have thought that a smart boy like you would have figured out by now that a PARKER SHOWS NO MERCY."
He winced. She wasn't going to make this easy for him. Then again, he hadn't really expected her to. He tugged on his collar. As if the climate weren't humid enough, the steam was making his shirt stick uncomfortably to his skin. What the heck, he thought, and peeled it off.
"What do you think you're doing?" She had finally opened her eyes, those devasting blue orbs trained on him. He swallowed hard but continued undressing and answered,
"Taking off my clothes."
"Well, you can forget it, buddy. You're cut off."
He chuckled and replied, "Fair enough, but I have some things to say to you and it's stifling in here. How can you stand it?"
"It's good for the skin. Besides, it feels cooler in the bedroom when I get out."
"Well, it's certainly cool in there right now."
She snickered and it was a low, throaty sound that made his skin tingle. He stifled a grin and continued, "Speaking of which, I didn't sleep a wink last night. It was agony. In fact, every moment since I made that awful, hurtful comment has been torture. And I've been trying to apologize ever since but you wouldn't let me."
"And make you feel better? What for?" Miranda shifted in the tub, one delectable thigh emerging from the water, and continued, "This isn't all about you, Jarod. We're talking about my son too."
"I know and I'm sorry. I was sorry the moment the words left my mouth. I didn't mean them; you have to know that. I only said them to hurt you because I was frustrated and scared and you seemed so sure about everything. Now may I please get in there with you?"
She quirked an eyebrow at him.
"I have more to say and I want... I need to be close to you when I say it. Please."
She hesitated another second or two, just long enough for his heart to begin pounding in his chest. Then she grasped both sides of the tub and slid forward to make room for him behind her. Expelling an enormous sigh of relief, he climbed in and immediately pulled her to him.
"This doesn't make it all better," Miranda warned. "We still need to have a long, rational conversation about this."
"I know," he muttered into her hair as he folded both of his hands over hers then folded both their arms around her waist. "I know I haven't been terribly realistic of late. It's been so perfect here that I tried to convince myself that our little paradise could last forever."
"God, Jarod, he's my baby. How do you think I felt when Ethan told me he was destined to fight the same battle that we have, and that the battle won't be won until he wins it. And now I'm even more confused about Mr. Parker's motives. Did he take the scrolls to protect Michael from the Centre or the Centre from Michael? I will never know and I have to find a way to live with that."
He nodded, pressing his lips to her temple as he tightened his hold on her. "And all this time," he sighed. "I thought it was about me."
"Imagine that," she remarked with a roll of her eyes then continued, "I guess that's what he meant when he said that the 'new' Parker legacy begins with me. Oh, hell, I don't know what he meant. And what difference does it make, anyway? I'm tired; I didn't sleep so well last night either."
"I'm so sorry, Andi. Of all nights to leave you alone."
"Well, for the record, I did kick you out. Of course, that was because you were being an asshole."
He closed his eyes and smiled against her cheek.
"Wait a minute," she said, pulling forward enough to crane her neck and look back at him. He blinked open his eyes to meet hers.
"I thought you had something else to say to me."
"Oh yeah," he muttered with a diffident smile.
"Well?"
"Well..." He took a deep breath and proceeded, "I know the last couple of months of have been... Who am I kidding; there isn't an adjective in any of the languages I know to adequately describe it. We were thrown into a situation not of our own making and now... now we find out that we could be here to play out a scene written a thousand years ago. And I don't kid myself. I know you wouldn't be here with me if it weren't for Michael. And maybe that should bother me. Maybe my self-esteem should demand more, but it doesn't. Maybe I don't have any and, if not, I don't care. The truth of the matter is that I didn't fall in love with you because of your connection to Michael; I fell in love with Michael because of his connection to you. You are the most difficult, infuriating, and exciting woman I have ever met and I think I was probably ruined for anyone else the moment I looked into your eyes for the first time. I've wanted you forever and his existence has made having you possible and, whether due to Mr. Parker's twisted scheme or the fulfillment of an age-old prophecy, I don't regret it. I love you, Andi. I love you so much that it is pointless to try to quantify it. You are my life."
There was a moment's pause and then, "That's it?"
"Yes," he sighed, shaking his head. "I think that about covers it."
"So you think my being here, naked in your arms, is all about Michael."
"Not entirely. I've always had the feeling that you thought I was kind of cute but, you are correct, I do not believe we ever would have gotten here without him."
"You do have a point, but what about this..."
"Ow!" Jarod yelped. "You pinched me!"
Pulling forward to turn and face him again she stated, "Yes, I did! What the hell is wrong with you? I swear, it's like living with 'Rainman!' With one look he can count, to a one, a spilled box of toothpicks but he can only buy his underpants at K-Mart!"
"Miranda, I have no idea what this has to do with either toothpicks or underpants, nor can I discern the connection to Native American culture. But since you are not the first person to look at me that way today, I guess I am going to have to take your word for it."
She laughed and could not resist the urge to give him a quick peck on the lips before responding, "I said 'Rainman' not 'Raindancer'. And the point is that being here, with you, makes me happy, happier than I've ever been in my life... with anyone." She paused a moment to let the implication sink in. "And it scares the living shit out of me. Oh, and congratulations to me, I have apparently fallen in love with an idiot savant!"
"You have?" he asked, looking every bit the hopeful puppy.
"Jarod," she sighed. "Think about it. You've been saying lousy things to me for years. Among other things, you have likened me to one of the Three Stooges, a Chia Pet and the Wicked Witch of the West. And now, all of a sudden, it really hurts my feelings? You made me, The Ice Princess, cry like a girl, for Christ's sake! And you LIVED!"
"I'm sorry... I."
"Oh, no, don't you dare promise to never do it again because we both know you will."
"But..."
"And you will be punished because that's what I do."
"Okay."
"You will come to me on your knees - for the record, on your knees is good - and beg my forgiveness, which after the appropriate interval I will bestow. And following in due course will be the make-up sex. That is unless you've really blown it, in which case I will kill you, dismember your body, boil the parts until your bones are bleached white and feed them to the dog."
"We don't have a dog."
"I will go to the pound and get one solely for that purpose."
"If you say so but I think it would be easier if we tried to... Did you say make-up sex?"
* * * *
Covered in sweat and still a little breathless, Jarod grinned up at the ceiling and observed, "It's hot in here."
"Mmm-hmm..." was all the response Miranda could muster as she lay boneless beside him.
"When I regain some feeling in my legs, I'll get up and check the thermostat for the central air," he offered then turned his head to shoot her a toothy grin.
"Whatever," she sighed with a sleepy, lopsided smile then added, "I hope Ethan isn't keeping Michael up all night."
"You know," he began, turning completely on his side to face her. "I misspoke earlier."
"Mmmm...?"
"About regrets. I do have one."
"Really... What's that?" she asked on a yawn.
"That he didn't come from here," he replied as he placed his hand on her abdomen then went on, "That I didn't put him here myself on a night like this. That I didn't get to watch your body change as he grew inside you. That I wasn't there with you to welcome him into the world."
"Sounds nice... the way you describe it."
"Didn't you ever want to?"
"What?"
"Be a mother."
"Um, newsflash, Jarod: I am a mother."
"I meant the old-fashioned way."
"Jarod," she uttered warily, suddenly feeling wide-awake.
"I've been thinking about what Luis said at dinner tonight."
"You have GOT to be kidding me," she groaned then propped herself into a half-seated position and advised, "Let's take another little trip to reality, shall we? We already have a child whose current and future well- being is, and will likely remain, a constant source of anxiety. We're hiding from a powerful organization, which is probably more interested in wiping us off the face of the earth than anything else at this point. Oh, and I'm 116 years old."
"I suppose you're right," he conceded with a sigh.
"On the other hand..." he continued after a few moments of silence, drumming his fingers on the taught flesh of her belly. "Luis is right: Michael WOULD make an excellent big brother. And, according to Ethan, the scrolls refer to the 'children' of the Angel and the Chosen - we're talking plural, not singular. Glare at me all you want, Andi; I didn't write it. It's a prophecy."
"Dream all you want, monkeyboy," she shot back, slapping his hand off her stomach. "It's a fantasy."
Seemingly undeterred he inched closer and nuzzled her neck, purring, "Has anyone ever told you that you are remarkably well-preserved for a woman of 116?"
# # # #
