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. I know very little about France and have never been there. My knowledge of the French language is limited. If there is a Claudette Hotel, I apologize for using its name. I do not mean to offend anyone who is French or the French police departments. I do not know anything about Harfleur, Le Havre or the Normandy coastline, so if you go there, don't expect it to be the way I described it. I apologize to any museums in Le Havre, France, if there are any.
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.
By Bec-Bec
Chapter 30
Impending Climactic Confrontation
Several tears escaped Catherine's eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She blinked the others that were threatening to spill away. "Goodbye, my little girl. I'll always be with you; my voice will always guide you. And, Jarod, it was wonderful getting to see you and my little girl together for the preciously short amount of time that I did. Take care of her for me and make sure your brother stays safe."
With that, the screen went black as Catherine's image faded back into the past.
Neither Parker or Jarod moved, held in an awed, disbelieving silence. Then, Ms. Parker suddenly sprang off of Jarod's lap and began pacing frantically, muttering words that weren't comprehensible, though Jarod discerned several expletives every now and then.
Studying the moon shaped marks Parker's nails had left in the flesh of his arms, Jarod realized her vice-like grip had drawn blood. At the time, he had been oblivious to her fingernails breaking through his skin. He had felt her tight grasp on his arms and returned the strength in his own grasp around her waist, but was unaware of just how strong a grasp it had been. Both had needed some sort of physical comfort and some way of staying rooted in reality as they heard their lives and destinies echoed through a DSA they had assumed was lost.
Even now, Jarod didn't feel any pain from the small razor sharp cuts because his mind was too wrapped up in itself. Though, he did vaguely wonder if his grip around Parker had bruised her soft flesh as he stared blankly at the unpatterned marks. At the moment, they were too shocked to realize any pain had been inflicted on their respective bodies.
Ms. Parker's distracted pacing suddenly halted and she crumpled to the floor, her string of expletives broken every now and then by sobs. Jarod was finally jolted from his own thoughts by the sight of her quivering on the floor, occassionally ramming her fist into it angrily. He approached her slowly, sitting down beside her.
Jarod wanted to comfort her but also knew that the blow they had both just been dealt would be best confronted singularly before it was approached by the two of them collectively. So, he merely sat next to her, sorting out his own thoughts on the matter.
Some time later, Parker took a deep breath, having run out of energy from her nearly silent tirade, and realized her fist had been clasped in Jarod's hand to keep her from injuring its already raw flesh further. She stared at the symbol of his unnoticed support for a moment and wondered if she had hurt him by continuing to attempt smashing her hand into the floor. Before she could ask, she saw the little half-moon cuts she had left in his arm before she sprang from his lap. She fingered the little abrasions softly with her other hand and mumbled a soft apology.
Jarod was pulled from his introspection by Ms. Parker's soft word of regret and slowly uncurled her fist to twine his finger with hers. "Are you okay?"
Ms. Parker laughed mournfully. "What do you think?" Facing him, she continued. "Jarod, our sordid past just got more twisted. What little foundation was left in our lives was just torn apart and thrown out the window. I'm far from being okay."
"I'll admit that we have both been done a great injustice by the Centre and some twisted sort of fate, but think of what we can do now that we have this information," Jarod tried to rationalize.
"Jarod, Mr. Raines is my father, my parents involved me in the greatest ruse ever known to man and both died because of it, I'm a victim of the Parker madness, and some idiotic prophecy has been ruling my life from before I was born, I think I'm allowed to be a little irrational and pissed off," Ms. Parker countered.
Jarod became more serious. "You're not the only victim here, Parker. My entire family was pulled apart because of those damn scrolls and while it's true that yours was as well, mine was drawn in completely unaware of what they were dealing with."
"As if my mother knew what she was getting herself involved in," Ms. Parker hissed spitefully. She tried to pull her hand away from Jarod's, but he held on tightly.
"Parker, it's not going to get us anywhere arguing over who was betrayed and injured the worst," Jarod said with melancholy. "I didn't mean to sound like I was attacking you, none of this is your fault." He sighed. "I was just trying to point out that you're not alone in this. I'm just as enraged with what's happened, but becoming consumed by that anger isn't going to help. We have to use this information to our advantage. It's time to complete your mother's plan."
"And bargain with the Triumvirate to take charge of the very thing that destroyed our lives? Besides the fact that it's insane, it will never work."
"Parker, we've got the scrolls, the very things that the Triumvirate formed itself around. If they dictate that the Centre will make more money with us as its leaders, the Triumvirate will willingly hand the Centre to us on a silver platter. We already know that the Triumvirate is upset with the way the Centre's been conducting business, I'm sure they'd have no qualms over removing Raines from power."
"And if it does work, Jarod? What are we going to do then? Raines and Lyle, not to mention several other authorities at the Centre, will never stand for our usurpation. How can we trust that they aren't going to come after us or the Centre we'll have worked so hard to reform? It's too risky."
"The Triumvirate will back us in all endeavors because we've got hard proof that our way is the most profitable. As for Lyle, he'll align himself with whomever isn't going to cost him his life. We both know that self-preservation is Lyle's main thought in life. Raines and his lackies are an entirely separate story, I'm sure the Triumvirate has several terrible things in mind for their future.
"We can do this, Parker. We have to do this or it's never going to end. They'll just keep breaking apart more families, ruining more lives. I can't let that happen when I know that I have it in my power to stop it."
"How can you be so sure that it will work? Just because the scrolls prophesize that we have some grand destiny to do great things in the world doesn't mean that everything will work out that way. Happily ever after doesn't exist for people like us, Jarod," Ms. Parker said sadly. "The world hasn't changed enough to allow us that sort of satisfaction."
"And if we don't do anything, Parker, can you live with yourself? I know what it's like to seek penance for wrongs of the past. I may be deluded in thinking that I can somehow make up for all of the terrible things that have happened to people, but it's better than sitting back and not trying at all. I can't live with that option. If we don't try, it's the same as acquiescencing to the death of innocent people at the hands of the Centre, most of whom have no idea what they've been involved in. Even if we can't right every wrong, wouldn't you rather know that you've tried? We have to try, Parker. I'd rather disprove the existence of happily ever after than know that I hadn't tried to achieve it."
"So we're just going to walk into the Triumvirate and tell them point blank that we want control of the Centre, no matter what could happen from there?" Ms. Parker said in slight disbelief.
"Yes. They'll probably be mildly shocked when their main venue of income suddenly walks through the door, with the woman who is supposed to be chasing him down, to challenge the power of their main subsidiary but it seems to me that the straight forward approach is the best way to go about this."
Ms. Parker raised an eyebrow. "Mildly shocked is an understatement."
"Are you okay with this?" Jarod asked seriously.
"It had to come to this eventually didn't it? The climactic confrontation of good vs. evil? I suppose I always expected you'd have a showdown with the Centre one day, I just always assumed I'd be on the other side of the fight."
Jarod watched her carefully before repeating: "Are you okay with this?"
Parker squeezed Jarod's hand tight then stood up. "Come on, let's go take over a corrupt corporation."
"It would be my pleasure."Jarod smiled at Parker as he stood and kissed her firmly.
"I suppose a couple of hours wouldn't make a big difference, right?" Jarod asked as Parker pulled back.
"No, we do need our rest after all," Ms. Parker said, then smiled conspiratorily. "Though, I don't think you'll be getting much rest."
Author's Note: Goodness, it's been a while hasn't it. Well, here it is, the next chapter. I'd like to thank Sierra Windfire for showing an interest in seeing this continued as well as for the 20 or so reviews she sent. I love when people show enthusiasm over my work. I tried to get the plot moving along, so that I can finish up within the next several chapters, hopefully soon, but it may have been to the detriment of this chapter and the characters' personalities. Sorry about that. Anyway. Thanks for reading. Love ya!
Come chat with me on my livejournal at www.xanga.com/BecBecPez