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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
*Disclaimer: I don't own "The Pretender" or any of its characters. Thanx for not suing! ~Oriana
1) Paper Snowflakes (the original, isn't a sequel)
2) To Dance In An English Garden
3) A Night To Remember
4) The Trick Is To Keep Breathing
5) Life In A Heartbeart
6) With Me (the last in the series)
~~~~~~~~~
A Night To Remember
Part II
by Orinana
"Nathan Crawford?" she repeated in disbelief. "You're here to avenge the death of a child molester?!" Out of nowhere, the gun barrel came swinging at her, connecting with her skin. Her cheek immediately reddened, and she was surprised not to feel the familiar warmth of blood trickling down her skin. Still, it hurt like hell.
"That'll leave a mark," she noted wryly, feeling fury build up in her.
"Don't you call him that," the man growled. "My father was a good man, good man."
"Your father?" She stared at him, wide-eyed. "Crawford had a kid?"
"That's right. And I'm here to make things right." He brought the gun back up to her temple. "This is over."
"Damn straight," she shot back. Ducking away from the weapon, she gave a swift kick to his knee, a punch to his chest, and raced out of the room before he'd recovered.
Back in the ballroom, Jarod was on his third dance with Julia, and having a great time. As they glided in time to the violinists, though, a thought came from the back of his head--where was Parker? He hadn't seen her in awhile. Glancing over to where Sydney and Broots stood, he saw his old mentor look down at his watch, then to a door, with concern.
Suddenly, Jarod realized that Julia had said something.
"Sorry, what?"
"I said, is anything wrong?"
"Oh, um, no." He glanced over at the door Syd was watching. "At least, I don't think so." And then, as a man opened the large door for his companion, Jarod spotted Parker running down the hallway, high heels and all. She pushed the man aside, and hurried into the room. She slowed, but not much. Jarod didn't even notice that he'd stopped dancing until Julia tugged on his arm. "Just a second, Jewel. Something's up."
Across the room, Parker made it to Broots and Syd, and immediately began pulling them towards the entrance. "Guys, we gotta go. Now."
"W-why?" Broots stuttered, looking with worry at the red mark across one side of her face.
"Not now. Come on." With no further argument, they followed her out of the ambassador's home.
Just as they disappeared through the entranceway, the door on the other side of the ballroom opened again, revealing a somewhat disheveled man. He straightened his jacket a bit, and -spotting Parker leaving- hurried through the crowds. Jarod watched all of this with growing alarm, but it wasn't
until the stranger's jacket slid back a bit, and the chandelier light reflected the metal of a gun, that he broke away from Julia, brushed past the other dancing couples, and followed the others outside. Julia watched him go, completely lost for a moment, then moved determinedly out of the ballroom in his steps.
Outside in the courtyard, Parker, Broots and Sydney moved speedily down the unfamiliar walk, the only light coming from inside the house and the moon above, and the trees and shrubbery around them casting odd shadows.
Parker dared a glance back at the house, and spotted the silhouette of a figure rushing towards them. "Oh, no...Guys?"
"Yeah?" Broots huffed, unused to the exercise.
"Run!" For a split second neither was quite sure she was serious, but when she broke out into a full-speed run, they followed suit. No idea of where she was going, she spotted a gate in the middle of a row of hedges, and hoping it led to the driveway, headed through. The killer wasn't far behind, and gaining.
Back on the house steps, Jarod saw the chase, and joined in, racing for the gate, praying that no one got hurt. He never even heard the panicked calls of Julia behind him.
~~~~~~~~~
Within a few moments, everyone, from Parker to the killer to Julia, had passed the gate. Only then, as she turned one way and Syd and Broots turned another, did she lose sight of them completely. Looking around her in confusion, she called out to them. "Broots? Syd?"
Her response was the painful ringing as a gunshot rang out.
From somewhere to her left, Jarod called out in alarm, "Parker? Parker!"
"I'm okay!" she shouted back. Another bullet rang out, and a hunk of the hedge next to her exploded, leaves falling to the ground. Okay, she thought, I'd say it's time to shut up.
From every direction around her, she heard the scurrying of feet, but all she could see was more and more of the stupidhedge, easily raising to twice her height, and making it damn inconvenient to spot the people you're looking for.
A small rustle behind her--Parker spun around, ready to attack, but instantly eased with an irritated sigh as she realized that it was just Julia, somewhat disheveled, her dress torn and her hair coming undone.
"What's--" Parker jumped forward and slapped a hand over her mouth.
"Don't be so loud," she whispered. Julia nodded consent, and Parker slowly removed her hand.
"Now, would you mind telling me just what's going on?" she whispered.
"I really don't think this is the time," Parker hissed, then froze at the sound of approaching footsteps. And suddenly, there was no more rustling, no more urgently whispered calls between her friends. In the still air, she heard the metallic click of a gun cocking.
"Julia, run, now." She didn't question, just did as she was told, weaving through the hedges aimlessly, trying to hurry in her heels. Parker followed close, determined not to lose the one person she'd come upon. Behind them was the heavy footfall of someone racing to keep up. No point in keeping quiet anymore.
"What the hell is this?" Parker shouted to Julia.
"The ambassador's hedge maze," Julia gasped. "The center of his garden."
"That doesn't sound small."
"You're right--it covers three acres." Before Parker could reply, three shots rang in the air, the last two cutting into the hedge far too close for Parker's comfort. She ducked down, pressing Julie down too.
"He's shooting at us!" Julie cried out in indignation.
"Well I'd say that falls into the 'No shit' category!" Another shot rang out, and she grabbed Julie's hand. "Come on!"
The next few minutes were chaos. In the shrubbery, everyone was calling after each other, and running directionless through the maze. But Parker wasn't as concerned, because the footsteps behind them had stopped.
"Parker? Julia?"
"Ouch, where'd that branch come from?"
"That wasn't a branch--that was my foot!"
"Who's that to my left?"
They were all nearing the center of the maze; the calls were closer to one another, and Parker was able to match voices with the footsteps to one side or another of her. A turn left, right, another left, and Parker and Julia arrived at the center, a large circular area bordered with flowers.
"We've made it to the middle!" Parker shouted.
"Gotcha!"
"Be there in a moment!"
In the center, Julia gave a small laugh. "I can't believe we made it!" Grinning, Parker opened her mouth to reply, but stopped as Julia froze, her face paling and her eyes widening. Before she could act, a strong arm grabbed her from behind, nearly strangling her, as his hand clamped down on her mouth.
~~~~~~~~~
The calls of the girls abruptly stopped, and again panic flooded through Jarod.
"Julia? Parker?"
~~~~~~~~~
Julia gave a choked shriek, as the familiar cold metal of a gun barrel came to rest on Parker's temple.
"Goodbye, Miss Parker," came the same hoarse voice from behind, close enough to her ear to make her spine stiffen. She knew the inevitable had come; she closed her eyes, and waited for the bullet.
Click.
"What the..." Click, click. He gave an angry growl, but his hold on her didn't lessen. Julia chose that dramatic moment to faint. "You see what you've done? If you hadn't made me chase you down, I could've taken care of this with a single bullet."
Realizing that she still had a second chance to get free, Parker tried to struggle, but his arm just strangled her tighter.
1) Paper Snowflakes (the original, isn't a sequel)
2) To Dance In An English Garden
3) A Night To Remember
4) The Trick Is To Keep Breathing
5) Life In A Heartbeart
6) With Me (the last in the series)
~~~~~~~~~
Part II
by Orinana
"Nathan Crawford?" she repeated in disbelief. "You're here to avenge the death of a child molester?!" Out of nowhere, the gun barrel came swinging at her, connecting with her skin. Her cheek immediately reddened, and she was surprised not to feel the familiar warmth of blood trickling down her skin. Still, it hurt like hell.
"That'll leave a mark," she noted wryly, feeling fury build up in her.
"Don't you call him that," the man growled. "My father was a good man, good man."
"Your father?" She stared at him, wide-eyed. "Crawford had a kid?"
"That's right. And I'm here to make things right." He brought the gun back up to her temple. "This is over."
"Damn straight," she shot back. Ducking away from the weapon, she gave a swift kick to his knee, a punch to his chest, and raced out of the room before he'd recovered.
Back in the ballroom, Jarod was on his third dance with Julia, and having a great time. As they glided in time to the violinists, though, a thought came from the back of his head--where was Parker? He hadn't seen her in awhile. Glancing over to where Sydney and Broots stood, he saw his old mentor look down at his watch, then to a door, with concern.
Suddenly, Jarod realized that Julia had said something.
"Sorry, what?"
"I said, is anything wrong?"
"Oh, um, no." He glanced over at the door Syd was watching. "At least, I don't think so." And then, as a man opened the large door for his companion, Jarod spotted Parker running down the hallway, high heels and all. She pushed the man aside, and hurried into the room. She slowed, but not much. Jarod didn't even notice that he'd stopped dancing until Julia tugged on his arm. "Just a second, Jewel. Something's up."
Across the room, Parker made it to Broots and Syd, and immediately began pulling them towards the entrance. "Guys, we gotta go. Now."
"W-why?" Broots stuttered, looking with worry at the red mark across one side of her face.
"Not now. Come on." With no further argument, they followed her out of the ambassador's home.
Just as they disappeared through the entranceway, the door on the other side of the ballroom opened again, revealing a somewhat disheveled man. He straightened his jacket a bit, and -spotting Parker leaving- hurried through the crowds. Jarod watched all of this with growing alarm, but it wasn't
until the stranger's jacket slid back a bit, and the chandelier light reflected the metal of a gun, that he broke away from Julia, brushed past the other dancing couples, and followed the others outside. Julia watched him go, completely lost for a moment, then moved determinedly out of the ballroom in his steps.
Outside in the courtyard, Parker, Broots and Sydney moved speedily down the unfamiliar walk, the only light coming from inside the house and the moon above, and the trees and shrubbery around them casting odd shadows.
Parker dared a glance back at the house, and spotted the silhouette of a figure rushing towards them. "Oh, no...Guys?"
"Yeah?" Broots huffed, unused to the exercise.
"Run!" For a split second neither was quite sure she was serious, but when she broke out into a full-speed run, they followed suit. No idea of where she was going, she spotted a gate in the middle of a row of hedges, and hoping it led to the driveway, headed through. The killer wasn't far behind, and gaining.
Back on the house steps, Jarod saw the chase, and joined in, racing for the gate, praying that no one got hurt. He never even heard the panicked calls of Julia behind him.
~~~~~~~~~
Within a few moments, everyone, from Parker to the killer to Julia, had passed the gate. Only then, as she turned one way and Syd and Broots turned another, did she lose sight of them completely. Looking around her in confusion, she called out to them. "Broots? Syd?"
Her response was the painful ringing as a gunshot rang out.
From somewhere to her left, Jarod called out in alarm, "Parker? Parker!"
"I'm okay!" she shouted back. Another bullet rang out, and a hunk of the hedge next to her exploded, leaves falling to the ground. Okay, she thought, I'd say it's time to shut up.
From every direction around her, she heard the scurrying of feet, but all she could see was more and more of the stupidhedge, easily raising to twice her height, and making it damn inconvenient to spot the people you're looking for.
A small rustle behind her--Parker spun around, ready to attack, but instantly eased with an irritated sigh as she realized that it was just Julia, somewhat disheveled, her dress torn and her hair coming undone.
"What's--" Parker jumped forward and slapped a hand over her mouth.
"Don't be so loud," she whispered. Julia nodded consent, and Parker slowly removed her hand.
"Now, would you mind telling me just what's going on?" she whispered.
"I really don't think this is the time," Parker hissed, then froze at the sound of approaching footsteps. And suddenly, there was no more rustling, no more urgently whispered calls between her friends. In the still air, she heard the metallic click of a gun cocking.
"Julia, run, now." She didn't question, just did as she was told, weaving through the hedges aimlessly, trying to hurry in her heels. Parker followed close, determined not to lose the one person she'd come upon. Behind them was the heavy footfall of someone racing to keep up. No point in keeping quiet anymore.
"What the hell is this?" Parker shouted to Julia.
"The ambassador's hedge maze," Julia gasped. "The center of his garden."
"That doesn't sound small."
"You're right--it covers three acres." Before Parker could reply, three shots rang in the air, the last two cutting into the hedge far too close for Parker's comfort. She ducked down, pressing Julie down too.
"He's shooting at us!" Julie cried out in indignation.
"Well I'd say that falls into the 'No shit' category!" Another shot rang out, and she grabbed Julie's hand. "Come on!"
The next few minutes were chaos. In the shrubbery, everyone was calling after each other, and running directionless through the maze. But Parker wasn't as concerned, because the footsteps behind them had stopped.
"Parker? Julia?"
"Ouch, where'd that branch come from?"
"That wasn't a branch--that was my foot!"
"Who's that to my left?"
They were all nearing the center of the maze; the calls were closer to one another, and Parker was able to match voices with the footsteps to one side or another of her. A turn left, right, another left, and Parker and Julia arrived at the center, a large circular area bordered with flowers.
"We've made it to the middle!" Parker shouted.
"Gotcha!"
"Be there in a moment!"
In the center, Julia gave a small laugh. "I can't believe we made it!" Grinning, Parker opened her mouth to reply, but stopped as Julia froze, her face paling and her eyes widening. Before she could act, a strong arm grabbed her from behind, nearly strangling her, as his hand clamped down on her mouth.
~~~~~~~~~
The calls of the girls abruptly stopped, and again panic flooded through Jarod.
"Julia? Parker?"
~~~~~~~~~
Julia gave a choked shriek, as the familiar cold metal of a gun barrel came to rest on Parker's temple.
"Goodbye, Miss Parker," came the same hoarse voice from behind, close enough to her ear to make her spine stiffen. She knew the inevitable had come; she closed her eyes, and waited for the bullet.
Click.
"What the..." Click, click. He gave an angry growl, but his hold on her didn't lessen. Julia chose that dramatic moment to faint. "You see what you've done? If you hadn't made me chase you down, I could've taken care of this with a single bullet."
Realizing that she still had a second chance to get free, Parker tried to struggle, but his arm just strangled her tighter.
