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DISCLAIMER: Hey! You all know how this goes and I bet most of you don't even bother to read this but: I don't own the rights to The Pretender, NBC's the lucky one that does. I'm not trying to infringe on ANYONE'S copyright. And the only payment or reward I reap is personal satifaction that someone might like my crazy independent fanfic.
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A very big Thanks to Danielle and Yip, some overworked and stressed out people who took time out from their busy lives to edit and give me feed back on this story.
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WHAT IF THINGS AREN'T WHAT THEY SEEM AT THE CENTRE.
This takes place after the third season's episode of 'Betrayal'. CAUTION: third season spoilers ahead!
Mrs Broots
Ra-Chell
"King me!" Debbie looked up triumphantly at Sam seated across from her. He had let her beat him again in checkers. Poor kid. Miss Parker had left him with instructions to guard her but not answer any of her questions. He was surprised when she picked the child up from school. They were under a schedule seven at the Centre and he knew Broots was out there on his own.
Too bad, Sam thought as he shook his head, the computer geek probably didn't have enough smarts to survive. He was weak. Even Miss Parker took advantage of his weakness, belittling him at every opportunity, yet the guy remained loyal to her. Everyone at the Centre laughed at him behind his back while Sam... well he just felt sorry for him.
Suddenly he jumped to his feet as the door opened and Broots rushed in. "Daddy!" Debbie jumped into her father's arms as Miss Parker quietly slipped inside to stand by the door. Sam smiled at the touching scene as father and daughter hugged each other. When Broots' mouthed the words 'thank you' to Miss Parker, the look on her face ... it was filled with disgust. Shame that a woman so beautiful could be so cold. Still he had been surprised by the way she had protected the kid, maybe the witch had a heart after all...
"Sam...let's go. There's a couple of things I need to wrap up at the Centre." Miss Parker interrupted his thoughts.
Sam smiled at Debbie and winked. "Nice game kid."
* * *
Slowly my hand pushes the bedroom door open and the light from the hall falls on her peaceful slumbering form. I tiptoe quietly across to the bed and bend down to kiss her forehead when her eyes open "Hey sweetie, I thought you were asleep." I tell her in surprise.
"Mommy, that man who tried to kill Daddy...is he really dead?" The fear in her eyes belies the calmness of her voice. She's learning to hide her feelings and it tears me apart to see my child lose her innocence.
"Yes honey, he's dead. He can't hurt anyone anymore. Were you afraid?" Her head nods 'yes'. "I would never let anyone hurt you." I answer in a reassuring voice while my hand brushes the hair from her face.
"I wasn't scared for me... I was scared for Daddy." She tries so hard to be brave.
"Me too, kiddo. Now it's past your bedtime and you have dance class tomorrow after school. Get some sleep, we'll talk about this later, OK?" Now it's my turn to act brave. She snuggles beneath the covers and as I turn to leave asks another question.
"Will you be here when I wake up in the morning?" She should know the answer by now, I'll be gone before she wakes. "Can't you go to France with Daddy and me? Pleeeaaase?" Her voice pleads . Another question that she knows the answer to and my heart aches.
"Not this time." Disappointment shows on her face. "Sweet dreams, baby." I'm by the door and take one last look . She lays there watching my every move and it is almost un-nerving. She has grown so fast and as much as I want to go with them, I can't. Pressing my fingers to my lips, I send a goodnight kiss before closing the door and turning off the light.
At the end of the hall is another light and my feet move swiftly towards it. I can barely suppress my laugh upon entering the room and seeing him sitting on the bed dressed in pajamas with a silly cowboy print. The two of us could not be more different. He in flannel and I in silk.
Turning his attention from the TV he looks up at me. "Debbie awake? I thought I heard voices." A quick nod of my head confirms his suspicions. "Can't say I blame her, it's been a rough couple of days. Boy, I thought I'd neversee the two of you again. Thought Jarod would never pull that trigger." His face is still pale and tired from the ordeal.
"You know how Jarod is. He always have to think things through." My neck hurts from the tension and massaging it with both hands does little to ease it.
He motions towards the bed. "Neck tight? Well, come here then." Moving to the bed I lay down and rest my forehead upon my folded arms. His hands begin to massage and knead the muscles of my neck and the tension slowly begins to release. "This whole thing at the Centre, I gotta tell you , it's beginning to get to me. How much longer do we have to do this?" His words echo my feelings but nothing will change my course of action.
"You know it depends on Jarod. Until he can make it on his own and cut the umbilical cord that ties him to Sydney and the Centre, we have to keep up the charade. The Centre took away his life, someone needs to give it back. And I...I owe it to Mama to finish what she started." The muscles in my neck relax even more as a soft sigh escapes my lips. "Remember how long it took me to get him to escape? Even when I had someone take him by the hand and lead him out, he always returned like a homing pigeon. In a way I'm thankful Raines brought in Damon."
My thoughts turn to Jarod the Centre's wonderboy, my first love and yes, my friend. He is a genius, he can solve the most complicated puzzle and the Centre molded him to fit their needs. They trained him to be detached, to think on a different level and in the process stripped him of his ability to use common sense. The sight of him still causes me to suck in my breath and while there is a special place in my heart for ...
"Hey you're not thinking about him are you? I mean it ... it really is over between you two...isn't it?" His hands grip my neck a little tighter and there is a distinct hint of doubt rising in his voice. Rolling over onto my back to look up at his face, I can see the fear he has of losing me.
"Of course it's over. There never was much between us to begin with. " My smile is sad as I speak the truth. And the truth it is .... not for the lack of trying ... God knows I tried! But I always seemed to be more of an annoyance, like a younger sister bothering an older brother. And the funny look on his face when he told me that I was in the Red Files. Was it relief knowing he wasn't related to the monster he believes me to be? Or satisfaction that he had outsmarted a worthy opponent?
"Jarod's just a childhood friend. I gave him his first kiss... nothing more and he's still trying to analyze that." I wink. "I married you, remember?" Sitting up, my finger tips reach out to playfully tease his head where it is left bare from his receding hairline. He pulls away annoyed. "What's wrong? You know what they say about ..."
He interrupts. "I know what they say but it bothers me anyways." He's distressed, embarrassed and it's time to change the subject.
"Nice job on decoding those numbers. Sorry it took so long to get them to you but Sydney can be like Jarod sometimes. I put them right under his nose and he just ignored them. I even thought about handing them to him personally." I sit on the bed and hug my knees to my chest.
"Have you figured out who was giving Damon the information?" He asks with brow furrowed, the conversation has taken a serious turn.
"It had to be either Daddy or Raines ... or it could be both. I never trusted either one." My answer is less than he expects. He shifts his position on the edge of the bed, reaches over to massage the calves of my legs and my eyes close as his fingers work their magic.
"What about Lyle? He can't be trusted either." Working with Lyle makes him uncomfortable and he heads the list of suspects as usual.
"Lyle?" I can't help but laugh. "The Ken doll? My brother's like Jarod. They both have high IQ's but when it come to common sense ..." Shaking my head in amazement. "forget it! Neither can find their way out of a paper bag! Remember when he tried to deal with the Yukaza and everything I did to protect and keep him safe? He's so arrogant. He's lucky all he lost was a thumb. You have to wonder how two guys who are so smart can be so stupid. I'm always shocked that neither one can pump gas." My eyes open to find the look on his face has lightened and we both chuckle remembering Jarod's 'pretend' as a gas station jockey.
"Yeah, well you didn't think it was so funny when he blew up that Beverly Hills service station and you had to pay for it. I still can't get over the fact that Lyle and the Centre bought our cover up. Really, you would think a fifteen million dollar withdrawl made out to bogus charities would have gotten someone's attention."
"We can thank Brigitte for that. By the way she's asked for a raise. Seems the stress of watching Lyle is getting to her." Thoughts of Brigitte running after Lyle flash through both our minds.
"Well she's definitely worth it! She's the best babysitter we've had for your brother yet." His mischievous smile spreads across his face. "And as for Syd... well you'd think Syd would have caught on to us about now." We both disslove into laughter.
He finally recovers enough to speak and the way he bounces on the bed in his excitement reminds me of Debbie. "Remember the time we had to go to the high school reunion and Jarod made us 'Mr and Mrs Ricky Sanders'? Boy I thought he had found out about us for sure." He shakes his head and grins. "But he really just wanted to make you mad. And Syd, he got such a kick out of it because you acted so pis...angry I mean. And the whole time we're laughing because we're really married! And then those people at the reunion called you Xena..." My face darkens at the name. He realizes his mistake and works fast to cover his tracks. "Oh yeah, well I .... And what about those pictures of my 'ex-wife' taking Debbie with her to Vegas? He really thought Debbie's nanny was my ex-wife with a gambling problem. He even helped me get custody!" Seeing him laugh it's suddenly not so funny.
"He needs positive reinforcement in his life." Shaking my head with a sigh. " Jarod wants more than anything to feel helpful, to be needed." Suddenly pity for him envelopes me and I realize how obvious it is on my face. "Just be patient a little longer." I plead with him as he lays on the bed laughing. "As soon as Jarod can find his mother and sister it'll be over with. At least then he'll have someone to hold his hand and take care of him. Besides, I almost have things wrapped up at the Centre." The laughter now gone. He picks up the remote and turns off the TV before slipping under the covers. He fluffs his pillow, lays back and looks at me. It is written on his face that something is gnawing away at him.
"You know when we got married and you told me we would have to keep it secret? I thought it would be for only a couple of months... but it's been fourteen years now. I'm not kidding when I tell people I sold my soul to work for the Centre." He pauses for a moment. "And when you were pregnant with Debbie I thought things would change... but they didn't." He raises up and leans on his elbow. "I went along with letting everyone at the Centre think Debbie's nanny was my wife. And I' ve gone along with your plan to help Jarod, but I want to know... when is this going to end?" Slipping into bed next to him, I turn on my side to face him before answering."I told you, once Jarod was out of the Centre he would have seven years to find his family. At the end of the first year when we arranged for them to meet him everything seemed to have gone as planned. How was I supposed to know he'd lead the Centre sweepers along with Raines right to them?" Watching him it's obvious there is something else unspoken.
"Yeah, well there's another thing we need to talk about. I'm running out of ideas. I mean there are only so many ways to have his phones calls diverted and still have it look like we can't trace them. It'd be nice if he realized his radio shack toys aren't working." He shifts his position and continues. " And I'm also getting tired of cleaning up his mess when he diverts large sums of money. He's too sloppy. Last time Lyle almost caught him." I look at him and wonder if he isn't just a little bitter and jealous of the attention Jarod gets.
"You were with him for the last two days. Didn't you bother to enlighten him? " I retort while reaching over to turn off the light. My eyes take a few moments to adjust to the dim room.
"No! All he did was stare at that DSA reader and eat pop tarts. You know how it is with everyone at the Centre...if it isn't on a DSA or a surveillance tape it didn't happened ... it doesn't exist." I snuggle next to his side as he wraps his arm around me. " And you know how he is when he eats too much sugar ." His hand caresses my hair and the band of his watch painfully catches an occasional stray.
"Ouch! Do you have to wear that to bed?" He reluctantly takes it off and places it on the nightstand. Again my body curls next to his as his fingers resume their play in my tresses. "When are you going to take care of Angelo?" I can feel his chest slowly rise as if the question is a heavy weight.
"I'll install the new program in the morning." He sounds so exhausted. Silently I thank him, not only for me but also for Angelo. If Raines didn't think he was useful he would have discarded him long ago like a soiled adult diaper, a depleted O2 tank or last week's empty bottle of Rogaine.
"Did you arrange the transfer of money for the arms deal?" There isn't an answer this time and his hand which was caressing my hair now lies still. He's asleep and I can hear his heart beating as I lay with my head on his chest. Slowly my finger trace the outline of a heart in the flannel. This man lying next to me is a paradox. While others judge him as inept and weak , I see him for what he really is. Strong and patient, loving and kind, my fortress in times of distress. He may not be as physically attractive as Jarod but this man holds my heart in his hand. And I feel safe with him as I drift off to sleep.
Caught in the twilight between consciousness and sleep, a sudden noise snaps me awake. At first I nudge him but he continues to slumber. Finally having no choice I elbow him in the ribs and tell him in a loud whisper. "You're snoring again." He vaguely grunts and rolls to his side. But in minutes he's back at it. I need some sleep and I've had it with him! Sitting up and reaching over to the nightstand, I pull the drawer open. My hand reaches in searching...ah there it is. As my hand glides over my gun I can feel the cold hardness beneath and my fingers wrap tightly around it. This snoring has got to stop. Quickly pulling it out, my nimble fingers deftly open the small plastic case and remove the earplugs I always keep handy. My decision is made. Tomorrow I'm calling the doctor to make an appointment for him. If he refuses to go I'll have Sam escort him there. I remove the ear plug from my left ear and pull out a few strands of stray hair before re-inserting it. With both in place I slide back under the warm covers and roll over to my side. I may be Miss Parker by day but I'm Mrs. Broots by night.
Feedback please!
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A very big Thanks to Danielle and Yip, some overworked and stressed out people who took time out from their busy lives to edit and give me feed back on this story.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
WHAT IF THINGS AREN'T WHAT THEY SEEM AT THE CENTRE.
This takes place after the third season's episode of 'Betrayal'. CAUTION: third season spoilers ahead!
Mrs Broots
Ra-Chell
"King me!" Debbie looked up triumphantly at Sam seated across from her. He had let her beat him again in checkers. Poor kid. Miss Parker had left him with instructions to guard her but not answer any of her questions. He was surprised when she picked the child up from school. They were under a schedule seven at the Centre and he knew Broots was out there on his own.
Too bad, Sam thought as he shook his head, the computer geek probably didn't have enough smarts to survive. He was weak. Even Miss Parker took advantage of his weakness, belittling him at every opportunity, yet the guy remained loyal to her. Everyone at the Centre laughed at him behind his back while Sam... well he just felt sorry for him.
Suddenly he jumped to his feet as the door opened and Broots rushed in. "Daddy!" Debbie jumped into her father's arms as Miss Parker quietly slipped inside to stand by the door. Sam smiled at the touching scene as father and daughter hugged each other. When Broots' mouthed the words 'thank you' to Miss Parker, the look on her face ... it was filled with disgust. Shame that a woman so beautiful could be so cold. Still he had been surprised by the way she had protected the kid, maybe the witch had a heart after all...
"Sam...let's go. There's a couple of things I need to wrap up at the Centre." Miss Parker interrupted his thoughts.
Sam smiled at Debbie and winked. "Nice game kid."
* * *
Slowly my hand pushes the bedroom door open and the light from the hall falls on her peaceful slumbering form. I tiptoe quietly across to the bed and bend down to kiss her forehead when her eyes open "Hey sweetie, I thought you were asleep." I tell her in surprise.
"Mommy, that man who tried to kill Daddy...is he really dead?" The fear in her eyes belies the calmness of her voice. She's learning to hide her feelings and it tears me apart to see my child lose her innocence.
"Yes honey, he's dead. He can't hurt anyone anymore. Were you afraid?" Her head nods 'yes'. "I would never let anyone hurt you." I answer in a reassuring voice while my hand brushes the hair from her face.
"I wasn't scared for me... I was scared for Daddy." She tries so hard to be brave.
"Me too, kiddo. Now it's past your bedtime and you have dance class tomorrow after school. Get some sleep, we'll talk about this later, OK?" Now it's my turn to act brave. She snuggles beneath the covers and as I turn to leave asks another question.
"Will you be here when I wake up in the morning?" She should know the answer by now, I'll be gone before she wakes. "Can't you go to France with Daddy and me? Pleeeaaase?" Her voice pleads . Another question that she knows the answer to and my heart aches.
"Not this time." Disappointment shows on her face. "Sweet dreams, baby." I'm by the door and take one last look . She lays there watching my every move and it is almost un-nerving. She has grown so fast and as much as I want to go with them, I can't. Pressing my fingers to my lips, I send a goodnight kiss before closing the door and turning off the light.
At the end of the hall is another light and my feet move swiftly towards it. I can barely suppress my laugh upon entering the room and seeing him sitting on the bed dressed in pajamas with a silly cowboy print. The two of us could not be more different. He in flannel and I in silk.
Turning his attention from the TV he looks up at me. "Debbie awake? I thought I heard voices." A quick nod of my head confirms his suspicions. "Can't say I blame her, it's been a rough couple of days. Boy, I thought I'd neversee the two of you again. Thought Jarod would never pull that trigger." His face is still pale and tired from the ordeal.
"You know how Jarod is. He always have to think things through." My neck hurts from the tension and massaging it with both hands does little to ease it.
He motions towards the bed. "Neck tight? Well, come here then." Moving to the bed I lay down and rest my forehead upon my folded arms. His hands begin to massage and knead the muscles of my neck and the tension slowly begins to release. "This whole thing at the Centre, I gotta tell you , it's beginning to get to me. How much longer do we have to do this?" His words echo my feelings but nothing will change my course of action.
"You know it depends on Jarod. Until he can make it on his own and cut the umbilical cord that ties him to Sydney and the Centre, we have to keep up the charade. The Centre took away his life, someone needs to give it back. And I...I owe it to Mama to finish what she started." The muscles in my neck relax even more as a soft sigh escapes my lips. "Remember how long it took me to get him to escape? Even when I had someone take him by the hand and lead him out, he always returned like a homing pigeon. In a way I'm thankful Raines brought in Damon."
My thoughts turn to Jarod the Centre's wonderboy, my first love and yes, my friend. He is a genius, he can solve the most complicated puzzle and the Centre molded him to fit their needs. They trained him to be detached, to think on a different level and in the process stripped him of his ability to use common sense. The sight of him still causes me to suck in my breath and while there is a special place in my heart for ...
"Hey you're not thinking about him are you? I mean it ... it really is over between you two...isn't it?" His hands grip my neck a little tighter and there is a distinct hint of doubt rising in his voice. Rolling over onto my back to look up at his face, I can see the fear he has of losing me.
"Of course it's over. There never was much between us to begin with. " My smile is sad as I speak the truth. And the truth it is .... not for the lack of trying ... God knows I tried! But I always seemed to be more of an annoyance, like a younger sister bothering an older brother. And the funny look on his face when he told me that I was in the Red Files. Was it relief knowing he wasn't related to the monster he believes me to be? Or satisfaction that he had outsmarted a worthy opponent?
"Jarod's just a childhood friend. I gave him his first kiss... nothing more and he's still trying to analyze that." I wink. "I married you, remember?" Sitting up, my finger tips reach out to playfully tease his head where it is left bare from his receding hairline. He pulls away annoyed. "What's wrong? You know what they say about ..."
He interrupts. "I know what they say but it bothers me anyways." He's distressed, embarrassed and it's time to change the subject.
"Nice job on decoding those numbers. Sorry it took so long to get them to you but Sydney can be like Jarod sometimes. I put them right under his nose and he just ignored them. I even thought about handing them to him personally." I sit on the bed and hug my knees to my chest.
"Have you figured out who was giving Damon the information?" He asks with brow furrowed, the conversation has taken a serious turn.
"It had to be either Daddy or Raines ... or it could be both. I never trusted either one." My answer is less than he expects. He shifts his position on the edge of the bed, reaches over to massage the calves of my legs and my eyes close as his fingers work their magic.
"What about Lyle? He can't be trusted either." Working with Lyle makes him uncomfortable and he heads the list of suspects as usual.
"Lyle?" I can't help but laugh. "The Ken doll? My brother's like Jarod. They both have high IQ's but when it come to common sense ..." Shaking my head in amazement. "forget it! Neither can find their way out of a paper bag! Remember when he tried to deal with the Yukaza and everything I did to protect and keep him safe? He's so arrogant. He's lucky all he lost was a thumb. You have to wonder how two guys who are so smart can be so stupid. I'm always shocked that neither one can pump gas." My eyes open to find the look on his face has lightened and we both chuckle remembering Jarod's 'pretend' as a gas station jockey.
"Yeah, well you didn't think it was so funny when he blew up that Beverly Hills service station and you had to pay for it. I still can't get over the fact that Lyle and the Centre bought our cover up. Really, you would think a fifteen million dollar withdrawl made out to bogus charities would have gotten someone's attention."
"We can thank Brigitte for that. By the way she's asked for a raise. Seems the stress of watching Lyle is getting to her." Thoughts of Brigitte running after Lyle flash through both our minds.
"Well she's definitely worth it! She's the best babysitter we've had for your brother yet." His mischievous smile spreads across his face. "And as for Syd... well you'd think Syd would have caught on to us about now." We both disslove into laughter.
He finally recovers enough to speak and the way he bounces on the bed in his excitement reminds me of Debbie. "Remember the time we had to go to the high school reunion and Jarod made us 'Mr and Mrs Ricky Sanders'? Boy I thought he had found out about us for sure." He shakes his head and grins. "But he really just wanted to make you mad. And Syd, he got such a kick out of it because you acted so pis...angry I mean. And the whole time we're laughing because we're really married! And then those people at the reunion called you Xena..." My face darkens at the name. He realizes his mistake and works fast to cover his tracks. "Oh yeah, well I .... And what about those pictures of my 'ex-wife' taking Debbie with her to Vegas? He really thought Debbie's nanny was my ex-wife with a gambling problem. He even helped me get custody!" Seeing him laugh it's suddenly not so funny.
"He needs positive reinforcement in his life." Shaking my head with a sigh. " Jarod wants more than anything to feel helpful, to be needed." Suddenly pity for him envelopes me and I realize how obvious it is on my face. "Just be patient a little longer." I plead with him as he lays on the bed laughing. "As soon as Jarod can find his mother and sister it'll be over with. At least then he'll have someone to hold his hand and take care of him. Besides, I almost have things wrapped up at the Centre." The laughter now gone. He picks up the remote and turns off the TV before slipping under the covers. He fluffs his pillow, lays back and looks at me. It is written on his face that something is gnawing away at him.
"You know when we got married and you told me we would have to keep it secret? I thought it would be for only a couple of months... but it's been fourteen years now. I'm not kidding when I tell people I sold my soul to work for the Centre." He pauses for a moment. "And when you were pregnant with Debbie I thought things would change... but they didn't." He raises up and leans on his elbow. "I went along with letting everyone at the Centre think Debbie's nanny was my wife. And I' ve gone along with your plan to help Jarod, but I want to know... when is this going to end?" Slipping into bed next to him, I turn on my side to face him before answering."I told you, once Jarod was out of the Centre he would have seven years to find his family. At the end of the first year when we arranged for them to meet him everything seemed to have gone as planned. How was I supposed to know he'd lead the Centre sweepers along with Raines right to them?" Watching him it's obvious there is something else unspoken.
"Yeah, well there's another thing we need to talk about. I'm running out of ideas. I mean there are only so many ways to have his phones calls diverted and still have it look like we can't trace them. It'd be nice if he realized his radio shack toys aren't working." He shifts his position and continues. " And I'm also getting tired of cleaning up his mess when he diverts large sums of money. He's too sloppy. Last time Lyle almost caught him." I look at him and wonder if he isn't just a little bitter and jealous of the attention Jarod gets.
"You were with him for the last two days. Didn't you bother to enlighten him? " I retort while reaching over to turn off the light. My eyes take a few moments to adjust to the dim room.
"No! All he did was stare at that DSA reader and eat pop tarts. You know how it is with everyone at the Centre...if it isn't on a DSA or a surveillance tape it didn't happened ... it doesn't exist." I snuggle next to his side as he wraps his arm around me. " And you know how he is when he eats too much sugar ." His hand caresses my hair and the band of his watch painfully catches an occasional stray.
"Ouch! Do you have to wear that to bed?" He reluctantly takes it off and places it on the nightstand. Again my body curls next to his as his fingers resume their play in my tresses. "When are you going to take care of Angelo?" I can feel his chest slowly rise as if the question is a heavy weight.
"I'll install the new program in the morning." He sounds so exhausted. Silently I thank him, not only for me but also for Angelo. If Raines didn't think he was useful he would have discarded him long ago like a soiled adult diaper, a depleted O2 tank or last week's empty bottle of Rogaine.
"Did you arrange the transfer of money for the arms deal?" There isn't an answer this time and his hand which was caressing my hair now lies still. He's asleep and I can hear his heart beating as I lay with my head on his chest. Slowly my finger trace the outline of a heart in the flannel. This man lying next to me is a paradox. While others judge him as inept and weak , I see him for what he really is. Strong and patient, loving and kind, my fortress in times of distress. He may not be as physically attractive as Jarod but this man holds my heart in his hand. And I feel safe with him as I drift off to sleep.
Caught in the twilight between consciousness and sleep, a sudden noise snaps me awake. At first I nudge him but he continues to slumber. Finally having no choice I elbow him in the ribs and tell him in a loud whisper. "You're snoring again." He vaguely grunts and rolls to his side. But in minutes he's back at it. I need some sleep and I've had it with him! Sitting up and reaching over to the nightstand, I pull the drawer open. My hand reaches in searching...ah there it is. As my hand glides over my gun I can feel the cold hardness beneath and my fingers wrap tightly around it. This snoring has got to stop. Quickly pulling it out, my nimble fingers deftly open the small plastic case and remove the earplugs I always keep handy. My decision is made. Tomorrow I'm calling the doctor to make an appointment for him. If he refuses to go I'll have Sam escort him there. I remove the ear plug from my left ear and pull out a few strands of stray hair before re-inserting it. With both in place I slide back under the warm covers and roll over to my side. I may be Miss Parker by day but I'm Mrs. Broots by night.
Feedback please!
