Disclaimer: Sigh…Sadly, I do not own the characters of The Pretender. I in no way wish to defame any of its affiliates nor NBC or TNT. That's it.Read it now!
Summary: Clues to the past bring Ms. Parker and Jarod back together again. Very involved in IOTH, but you can understand it without having seen it. Ties up most story lines. Mostly from Ms. Parker's point of view. Chapters are short.
The Truth Is Waiting
By Bec-Bec
Chapter 8
The Doll and the Body
Ms. Parker's House
Ms. Parker arrived at home around 7:00 pm, the sun was just setting as she pulled into her driveway. She was still confused about Jarod and all of the thinking was giving her a headache and making her very tired. She had left the Centre early so she could get some sleep…hopefully. Sydney had given her new medication that would supposedly not make her dizzy. When she got to the door, she could hear the phone ringing inside. Thinking that it might be Jarod, she paused for a moment, trying to decide whether to rush in and answer it or not. Finally, she opened the door and ran to the phone; it was still her job to find Jarod. She quickly checked to see if there was a bug on her phone, found it, smashed it, and answered the phone.
"What do you want this time, Wonder Boy?"she hissed, proud of her ability to sound the same as usual.
"This Katherine reminds me of you."
Ms. Parker pulled the copy of The Taming of the Shrew out of her bag before answering, "Well, I suppose it is fitting, Catherine is my middle name.
"I don't understand why she won't allow anyone to love her. Why is she so angry?"
Ms. Parker knew full well that Jarod knew why, but she answered anyway…after all, he was talking about her, not Katherine. "Because, Jarod, she's afraid she can't love back, or if she does, the person she loves will die…like her mother," her voice had lost its edge and sounded very tired.
"I wonder if her mother was named Katherine too."
"Probably not, Jarod, it's Shakespeare. His people all have names like Petruchio and Benvolio or Pinnochio."
"Who's Pinnochio?"
"He's the wooden…never mind." She remembered just how much the Centre had caused Jarod to miss out on as a child. She paused and the line was silent.
"Ms. Parker…" Jarod sounded worried, "are you alright?"
Realizing she was sounding weak, she put her poker face back on, with its cold voice, "I'm perfectly fine, Wonder Boy, just annoyed that I've spent this much time having a little book of the month club with you. Was there anything else you wanted to discuss? Perhaps Oprah's newest pick?"
"Look on your bed," Jarod said, abruptly ending the phone call.
She walked briskly over to her bedroom, wondering what mystery Jarod had left her this time. She found a large box with a lavender bow sitting on her bed. She picked the box up and carried it into her living room. She placed it on her coffee table and immediately sat down to open it. She untied the bow and folded it up neatly, placing it next to the one from her gift in the morning. Then, slowly, she pulled off the lid, not sure what to expect. Inside was a china doll. It was gorgeous. With a start, she realized it was identical to the doll that Angel had.
"What's Jarod trying to tell me?" she wondered.
She pulled the doll gently out of the box and searched the bottom for a note. Instead, she found an article clipped from the newspaper. It was written in French. Luckily, Jarod had highlighted and translated a section of it because her French was a little rusty. Jarod's translation said:
Several ancient scrolls have been found on the Normandy coast. They are believed to be ancient documents, treasured as a prophecy. The scrolls are being kept in a local museum as they await authentication. Many have feared that these scrolls are protected by the devil and wish them burned, however, their value may be too great for such a destruction. Many people have searched for these scrolls and died in the pursuit.
"They found the scrolls," Ms Parker thought, a bit stunned, "I wonder if they found…my father."
****
In France, two boys were walking along the beach with their dog, when he ran off into the woods. The boys chased after the dog and found him barking at a large black lump, near the edge of the forest. The boys realized that the lump resembled the shape of a man, and went to find someone to come and take care of the situation. They were stunned and surprised because no one ever came near their small stretch of the coast. They ran off calling for their parents. When they returned with their parents, they flipped the lump over. They jumped back with surprisep; there, by the edge of the forest, was the cold dead body of Mr. Parker.