Disclaimer- I own nothing in relation to the Pretender or anything else.
This is set shortly after the last Pretender movie, but you can read it if you haven't seen the movie.
Summary: Parker realizes the only thing that will make her happy is the chase.
Underneath
The phone calls come without reservations one night. If a turning point doesn't come then he thinks he can force it. He's restless and wants change.
"You know I would never hurt you." he starts almost conversationally.
"That doesn't go both ways." She is in no mood to play tonight. "It's my job to bring you in."
"And we wouldn't want to upset daddy, now would we?" She flinches when she realizes he's talking about a different father now. Someone who will never be "daddy" to her.
"No. We wouldn't."
"Is Mr. Raines going to take his place? Are you going to try to get the affection you so sorely desire from him now?" His tones changes. He wants to push her, make her fight. She knows how to fight back.
"Never." Her tone is dangerous, a warning.
"Miss Parker-"
"He is not my father and he never will be." The fight begins. "Wanna know the funny part?"
"There's a funny part this time?"
'If I had know what I know now-"
He doesn't want it to go here, he didn't want her to feel guilty. He doesn't know what he wants. Just a change.
"It's doesn't do any good to think about what-ifs-"
"I would have done the exact same thing." When she is met with nothing but a silence, of the stunned nature, she continues saying each word very slowly, trying to understand them all herself. "It is in my nature."
He is still uncomprehending. "You would have-"
"Exactly the same. Except I would have caught you by now." She is smiling. A tight, vindictive little smile, sardonic and muddled with cruel intent.
"Miss Parker." It's all he can say. For a genius he needs to be able to process thought faster.
"I want to chase you. I need to catch you." Her voice would be seductive if it wasn't so sinister. "I don't do it for the Centre. I want this for myself." She lets out a short bitter laugh. "I guess I'm not exactly my mother's daughter."
"Your mother would-"
She can't deal with another lecture on what her mother and her saintly demeanor would do.
"I don't care. I'm tired of having my mother used as a toy to manipulate my will."
"You want her to be proud of you." he whispers it, he's pleading.
"I'm tired of seeking approval from ghosts and villains. Everything I do is driven by someone else. I try so hard but in the end I'm just so tired and I'm left with nothing but veiled smiles and promises that sound nice but would break in the real world. I don't want your help or-" her voice wavers slightly and she whispers " anything else from you, Jarod. I want to catch you for my own piece of mind."
"And turn me over to the Centre? To the villains?"
"Maybe I'll just kill you."
"You couldn't." there is too much hesitation his voice. He doesn't know what he believes concerning her anymore.
"No." she concedes. "Someday I might be able too. Once I become strong."
"This is weakness."
"Yes, having late night chats with you is weakness. Waiting to hear your voice, wanting the comfort I've imagined in you, missing you, is weakness. I don't want to be weak anymore. I can't depend on you."
"I didn't know you did."
"You're in the dark about everything, why should I shed a little light on something I was ashamed of? I needed you but at the same time I was so afraid. I can't be weak anymore."
"What happened, Parker?" his voice is so soft, trembling, she hates herself when she wants to cry.
"I woke up. I'm at a turning point. I'm just not turning in your direction."
Finnish