A/N : Ok so since November is fast approaching, which means the start of NaNoWriMo, I thought I would try and get a chapter in so you guys have something to hold you till the end of the month. If I don't get on that is. So here you go, enjoy.
Disclaimer: As hard as I wish, I will never own haven. Sad Face!
She hadn't thought that they would be arriving at the docks so soon. But maybe it was because Audrey was lost in her own little guilt covered shell that she wasn't paying attention to anything anyways. It probably had taken the same amount of time that it always did when they were on their way to the docks to see Duke.
She did not see Duke on the deck of his ship, so maybe that would buy her some time to try and convince Nathan that she was perfectly fine to go to the station with him and face this other Audrey Parker. If it was another Audrey Parker. She had in fact just found out that at some point in time, she had to have been Lucy Ripley, it was the only solution that made sense. Her ability to almost fix the Troubled citizens of Haven, the scar on her foot, the reason that the picture was an exact image of her. There was no other explanation.
Yet these answers only brought on newer and more frustrating questions. Why didn't she remember anything? What was the reason behind her changing her name, her whole identity? How could she have even gotten a job at the FBI if she had merely been taking the cover of another FBI agent. Surely the agency would have realized something was amiss when there were two Agents Audrey Parker? There was no way something like that had slipped.
These were the thoughts running through her head while she should have been trying to figure out the right words to explain how fine she was to Nathan. 'Good going Audrey.' She thought as she now saw her partner standing outside her door of the blue truck about to open it and help her out. She didn't need the help, but it seemed like he was going to almost literally baby her until he was gone. Little did he know that as 'out of it' that Audrey was, she was still Audrey, and she had fight in her.
She didn't give him any time to open the door, and threw it open herself, completely forgetting about the seatbelt securing her to the seat, and almost choked herself when she attempted to get out of the car. She growled in frustration and moved to sit back in the seat, head leaned against it and eyes closed. She needed a minute to calm herself down and think clearly. That was the only way she was going to be able to ration with Nathan.
"Parker?" Nathan asked moving further towards her, she could sense the movement and opened her eyes afraid he was going to go to the point of actually unbuckling her seatbelt for her.
"I'm fine." She said stopping him in his tracks. He remained frozen where he stood as she quickly moved her hands to unfasten the thick strip of material stuff and turned to sit s she was facing him from where she sat. She made no move to actually exit the vehicle however. She could tell that Nathan now realized he was in for a battle by the way his stance shifted ever so slightly, and his mouth suddenly formed into a much harsher line.
"No you're not. You can't even think straight enough to undo the damn seatbelt. You are staying here Parker." He said firmly. He resisted the urge to actually reach out and pull her from the truck with force. He knew that would get her out, but would probably do more damage then progress. She would become even more agitated for him taking such a step, and would probably slug him for it too. He didn't need a fist fight on his hands when all he wanted was to keep her safe. Even if that wasn't what she thought he was doing.
"Since when have you been the Boss of me?" She asked with the challenge clear in her voice. Unfortunately for her, she wasn't expecting what came next, and it only replaced her challenging nature with one of pure guilt.
Nathan removed the Chief's badge from his pocket and looked at it a moment before holding it out to her to see. He made sure it was level with her face, then cleared his throat trying to get an authoritative tone.
"Since now." He said clearly getting the point across that he was serious and if it would help, he would take the spot as Chief. Audrey sighed. Could she really do it to him? Could she still fight his acts of kindness and at the same time obviously crush the fact that he was going to be Chief just to do what he thought was right? Maybe it was what he really needed to move on. To think that he was doing the right thing for her, and then hopefully for the rest of Haven as he now saw that it was what the Chief had been trying to do all along. What his Father had been trying to do all along.
The right thing.
And that was why Audrey did the same. She sighed and eased herself out of the truck. She wasn't going to stay with Duke to protect herself, but to help encourage Nathan. It was funny how both their worlds were crashing around them, and yet all the thought about was making sure the other was ok.
"Fine. We do it your way, Chief. But I will get my chance." She said the last bit as a promise. She would play his game for now, but she was going to meet Audrey Parker. She had to make all the puzzle pieces fit. How was she expected to live her life any other way? Could she go on thinking that she had no idea who she was even though she had spent what she thought of as her whole life as Audrey Parker? She needed answers.
"Thank you." Nathan said with a surprised look apparent on his face. Apparently the Chief card had been a shot in the dark, but by the look on his face he was glad he took it. Even with the hint of sadness she saw deep in his eyes when she called his Chief, but he would get used to it. And she figured that he would be better off getting used to it by her using the title before others started to. They were partners after all.
He placed his hand protectively on her lower back as he guided her towards Duke's boat.
