A Pretender fanfic
by Maggy
Please R/R or e-mail: Maggysfic AT aol DOT com
Please do not archive without permission
CHAPTER 2: Open Wounds
The doorbell woke her, forcing her to open her eyes and acknowledge the dawn of an empty day. Parker held her stomach and its contents steady as she groped her way off the couch and stumbled across the living room. A single glance into the fisheye nearly negated all her efforts.
Lyle and Raines were the last people she wanted to see this morning-- or any morning-- and for a moment she actually regretted throwing her gun away.
Then she remembered why she'd done it. A gut-wrenching spasm shook her, and she had just enough time to get to the sink in the kitchen before the nausea overcame her control.
The doorbell rang a third time, and then once again.
"I'm coming," she hollered through the salsa-beat in her temples. She splashed cold water on her face, wiped the edges of her eyes with a napkin, and moved once more towards the door.
"For God's sake, it's nearly 10:30, Parker," her alleged brother announced in the teasing voice he sometimes affected. "Why aren't you at the office participating in the investigation?"
"Investigation?" The word surprised her.
"It seems the Triumvirate is not exactly pleased to have one of their prime employees turned into shark chum," Raines purred. "There are questions to be answered, my dear."
Almost-- almost-- she turned on the man to wipe the "my dear" off his pursed and sour face.
Instead, she rubbed her forehead. "My report will be on file by five o'clock this afternoon."
"There will be questions," Raines wheezed.
"Well, then, direct them to Willie," she snapped, almost achieving her customary acerbity. "Now I'd like to shower and have some b-breakfast, so unless you want that report to be late..."
Lyle's eyes glittered as he stretched his mouth in a feral smile. "If you need any help with that shower, Sis--"
"Get the hell out of here, Lyle, or so help me--" Parker ground out.
He shrugged, never losing his grin. She opened the door suggestively, trying not to let them see how much of her vertical stature depended upon its support.
Raines led the way out onto the porch, and Lyle followed, pausing only to wink at her before she slammed the door behind him.
This time, she got the door locked and made it into the bathroom before she vomited again.
At precisely four-thirty, she walked unannounced into her-- into Raines's office. As she'd expected, Lyle was there, sitting in a chair beside the enormous glass-topped desk. What surprised surprised her was to see Willie sitting with them.
All three were drinking what looked like champagne.
Lyle jumped up when she entered, but she kept her ice blue eyes rivetted on the sweeper. Only when her report dropped on Raines's desk did she break her gaze, briefly.
"As you requested. My detailed report."
Then she whirled back to face Willie. "Three words: Watch. Your. Back."
"Miss Parker," Raines admonished. "You can't blame Willie for what happened."
She did not turn away. "Oh, I can. Oh, I do."
"Parker--" Lyle added his voice to the general protest.
She ignored him, striding out of the office without a backward glance.
The elevator doors had already closed, and Parker had pressed the button for SL-9 before she realized where she was going. By then it was too late. She slumped wearily against the back of the car.
SL-9. She had spent so much of her so-called childhood there... It was there that she'd learned important things, about friendship and trust, about loss, and, she finally admitted to herself, about love. With a heavy heart, she allowed her feet to take her to Jarod's quarters.
Someone was there before her, sitting dejectedly on the bed. She hadn't realized he'd returned, and her heart quickened in surprise.
He looked up when she moved into the doorway, and his eyes suddenly became cold. Without speaking, he dropped the origami bird-figure-- the symbol of retribution-- on the cot. Then, as if she did not exist, he stepped around her, and moved away down the hall.
"Sydney, I--" Her voice faltered as he disappeared into the elevator without acknowledging her presence.