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Story Notes:

First part of a series.



Tap tap tap

She moved her head away from that horrible noise, snuggled deeper in the cushions hoping they would swallow her whole. Maybe then she would finally have some peace. But the tapping continued and Parker remembered the sink full of dishes and the tap she was too drunk to close properly.

Tap tap tap

“Fucking damnit,” she muttered and reached for the jacket lying on the floor next to the couch to cover herself. It didn’t help, the sound already settled in her brain and she heard it even though she knew she simply couldn’t.

Tap tap tap

It sounded like her life, ticking away second after second, slipping through her fingers even though she was looking. What she saw, scared her. Miss Parker saw herself sitting on this very couch, she was alone in the dark and the light was trying to fight its way inside. It didn’t have a chance, the curtains were drawn and the walls built, solid rock and ice, tested by time. There was nothing behind and nothing ahead, there was no future. There was nothing.

Miss Parker forced her eyes shut, tried to chase the illusion away, to force warmth to her bones. But the thermostat was broken and she hadn’t brought any wood to the house. The cold was crawling up her legs, reaching her torso and she was too tired, too old and too hung-over to fight it. And maybe this was the end, she would freeze to death inside her house, then the vision would become true. There would be nothing to fight for. Peace and quiet.

Tap tap tap

She could still hear it, drops of water falling, ticking away her life and her death.

The floor creaked loudly and Miss Parker turned around, sat up, but there was nothing. Nothing, of course, her house was telling its story, too long, almost abandoned, and mostly, mostly cold. She put the jacket on and finally forced herself on her feet. Moving was strange, her body didn’t feel hers, she was ready to die, to freeze, this wasn’t planned.

She moved, stretched her bones and muscles, entered the kitchen and finally closed the tap. Miss Parker knew today wasn’t that day, she couldn’t die this way, alone, and by her own stupidity. When she would go, she would go with a boom, and she would take the Centre with her.

The sudden realization made her heart beat faster. Yes, she wasn’t supposed to let her life tick away, that wasn’t supposed to happen. She had a purpose and catch an elusive pretender wasn’t it. Her mother had died for a reason, to save Ethan, and Miss Parker knew that she needs the same. A reason to keep fighting and a damn good reason to die.

But first, she needed to get herself warm.

She put the kettle on the stove and went to get herself a coat. She needed wood, then she could build a fire, cook herself some soup. And when she would be warm, she could think, she could think what she’s supposed to do next.

 

 

The physical activity was the easiest. The fire was already warming up the living room and a tomato soup was bubbling softly on the stove. Everything was ready, one step after another, now she needed more of them and Miss Parker decided to start small.

She would go to the Centre, watch people hurry around her, do the same mundane tasks over and over again. Pretend to read Broots’ reports, listen to Sydney coming up with another theory concerning Jarod’s silence, playing verbal gymnastics with her idiot brother, and she would do it to keep the suspicion away from her. To keep herself and others safe, she would need leverage, Centre’s dirty secrets on a plate and yes, she would need Jarod’s help too.

A plan started to form in her mind, a plan so simple that she wanted to slap herself for not thinking about it earlier. Yes, there were risks and she might need to change her attitude to gain few allies but it was worth it because she won’t die alone in the dark. She was a Parker and Parkers always went down with a bang.

 

 

To find him was easy, a little too easy and Miss Parker drove around for another two hours just to be sure she’s not being followed. If she wants to gain Jarod’s trust, she needed to know that nothing would happen to him or his family. She rather hoped she would find him alone, having other people forcing him their opinions wouldn’t be helpful to her case.

Parking her car four block from the warehouse, Parker exited her car leaving the gun there. She still wasn’t sure if it was a good idea but she needed everything in her favor in order to persuade him. Only now, walking towards the place she knew the pretender was staying in did she let herself analyze what she was about to do.

Jarod had initiated contact few times during the last few years, but it was always on his terms and Parker wasn’t sure he would be all that thrilled knowing this would be orchestrated by her alone. She did have help however, Angelo gave her the hints and she had figured the rest, Sydney would be so proud. But he didn’t know, not yet, Jarod was the biggest part of her plan, and if he refused to help, she would need to find a new one.

She was ready for that possibility too, but destroying the Centre could be much easier with a genius at her side. Especially if it was a genius with a purpose, and theirs were more or less the same.

Stopping in front of the large iron door, Miss Parker wondered what the etiquette for this kinds of situations was.  She was here to change the rules, to throw away the script they played for years, would a simple knock suffice? The answer wouldn’t just come, she knew that and pounded loudly at the door.

She caught a movement in the corner of her eye, shadows were dancing on the ceiling of the large warehouse, Miss Parker could see it clearly through the large window on the top. If they wanted to pretend no one’s home, it was too late for that. She took a deep breath and knocked again, this time letting him know she’s coming.

“It’s me, Jarod. We need to talk,” she said to the door hoping he was listening.

Few more beats later, they opened and she had her answer.

“Parker,” Jarod said nonchalantly but she could see the vein in his neck pulsing, he was gripping the door handle and she could see a gun holster on his hip. Seems Wonderboy was prepared for anything, she couldn’t help but smirk.

“I’m no danger to you tonight, left my gun in the car and my dogs are safely locked away,” she reported with that smirk still firmly plastered on her face. He was stronger than her, smarter than her but she still made him feel like this, weak. She shouldn’t be feeling this way, but it gave her strength to continue.

“Why are you here?” Jarod asked, his voice threatening. It only meant one thing, he wasn’t alone. Of course, she counted on this possibility too, but it didn’t make her feel especially sure of herself, other people were a hindrance, a threat.

“Like I said, to talk to you,” she stretched her hand holding the folder out to him. “Take this, as a white flag or truce offering, whatever you want.”

Jarod eyed it suspiciously but the curiosity won this battle for her and he took it opening it eagerly. ‘Wonder what he would do if I offered PEZ’, she thought briefly, and another smile broke out. He, of course, noticed in between the reading. It took him longer than she anticipated, and the cold made her hug herself to keep her warmer. She really did hate the cold these days.

“How did you get this?” this question contained less bite, and Miss Parker knew she might have a slight chance.

“I’ll gladly tell you everything but I’m freezing out here, mind if we talk inside?” she hoped to sound as civil as possible, but the irritation was slowly crawling out, she wanted this done and over with. Miss Parker anticipated that meeting face to face with Jarod could be difficult, they haven’t seen each other since Carthis and their phone calls were shorter and much more difficult to deal with, she wasn’t ready to include their complicated relationship to her plan. She needed him, she had admitted that, but for now it was just because of his abilities.

Jarod sighed at her request and turned briefly towards the remaining occupants she wasn’t yet privy to see. Their exchange was quiet and short, and she pursed her lips hoping the answer would be in her favor. She wasn’t really sure how much about her did Jarod’s family know. Major Charles had probably some idea but being at the wrong side of her gun couldn’t earn her much sympathy, still, she held her hope.

She was still surprised when Jarod stepped aside and let her enter.

She wasn’t however surprised to actually see Major Charles, he nodded his head in a greeting, and she smiled, but behind him, sitting on an iron stairwell, sat the boy. Seeing him brought back memories, and she almost expected seeing the younger version of herself sitting down next to him. She smiled at him, and after a little hesitation, he smiled back.

“I’m still waiting for my answer,” Jarod spoke from behind her and she took a deep breath and turned around. It was time to start the show.

“I found it in Lyle’s office, they stopped using computers to store the files since you never had trouble getting that information. They’re back to paper these days and getting them it’s difficult,” she answered remembering crawling through the vents after Angelo, without him she would get lost. “But I must admit I had little help.”

Jarod still didn’t look satisfied. He exchanged a look with his father over her shoulder. “But why are you giving me this?”

Parker let out an exasperated sigh. “God, you’re not getting this, are you?” She pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation. Maybe figuring out another plan would be easier than dealing with him, because if he agreed, it would mean more face to face meetings, more question and less answers and confusion, mostly, it would mean confusion. Like she didn’t have enough on her plate already. She remembered why she was here in the first place, she remembered the cold, the death and when she opened her eyes, Jarod was watching her intently, reading her, probably simming her, it forced her into action.

“I need your help, Jarod. I want the Centre gone and I think you want the very same thing,” she explained as calm as possible.

Major Charles moved closer to his son. “We should let her explain,” he suggested.

It made her smile, Jarod wasn’t the only smart in the family, but he didn’t still look very convinced. She could see him battling inside, she could even imagine few of the arguments. She had shot at him, mocked him, prevent him from putting his family together. There must have been times when he had hated her more than anyone, but Miss Parker knew that there was more too. There was Thomas, and Keys and there was Carthis.

In the weakest moments she imagined what would happen if Ocee hadn’t interrupted them, she could perfectly see his face so very close to hers, feel his breath on her lips, she could almost taste the tea he drank, feel the texture of his hands in hers. But she couldn’t be weak now, she needed to be anything but. Miss Parker might have changed in some aspects but weakness was still unacceptable, losing her determination, concentration, in her case it could mean death.

“Well then, what’s your plan?” Jarod finally gave her the cue and she held onto it, but first she send him a big smile.

“Well, for starters we need to change the rulebook.”

 





Chapter End Notes:

This is mostly me playing with the idea of Jarod and Miss Parker really working together. Hope you enjoy






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