Disclaimer: Do I really need to say it again? (Sigh) Fine. Have it your way. I don't own it, it's not mine, yadda, yadda, yadda, blah, blah, blah….can I go home now?
Rating: Pretty sure that this one's a PG. Might have some teenager lingo in it but nothing too serious.
Summary: Darn its hard coming up with these mysterious and cryptic summaries. Um, okay I think I have one. Ahem. In this chapter Elf 17 and Ms. Parker meet together to discuss a common interest, but the views each one have might turn out to be more conflicting then they'd originally thought them to be…(I know, I know, not really cryptic but hey, I'm tired. It's late. You work with you get.)
!!!AUTHOR'S NOTE!!!!: Okay, I've been becoming really frightened because I haven't received a single scrap of feedback on my last chapter when usually I get at least two. Do you not like the story anymore? Are you mad at me? Should I stop writing? Please tell me! If there's a problem that needs to be fixed, I can't know about it unless I'm informed. Help a writer out huh?
Feedback: (Shadow Elf has is only a few yards away from the portal summoning area and is standing on the opposite side of a hill that she needs to go over in order to get to the site.)
"Finally! I'm here! It'll all be over and I'll get to leave this god forsaken realm and go somewhere new with people who hopefully won't try to eat me or turn me into a battery!"
[She begins climbing up, going as fast as she can]
"Almost there! Come on legs just a few more steps to ecstasy! Just a few more steps to freedom! And hope! And Joy! And…"
[She goes over the top, only to be faced with a grinning Maverick]
(Sigh) "You know what? I'm beginning to think I'm unlucky."
Quote:
"When we read, we start at the beginning and continue until we reach the end; when we write, we start in the middle and fight our way out."--Vickie Karp
-----ShadowElfBard
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All Hail The Installment Of The Next Chapter!
8:26 AM
Blue Cove, Delaware
The Centre
SL-27 Holding Block 24
CP 1 hadn't slept at all after the strange visit he'd received. Ever since that…that beautiful but sorrow-filled woman had kissed him, well, sleep hadn't been the biggest thing on his mind. That meeting had been so strange, and he'd gotten this odd feeling of unrest after they'd left. It had been as if he'd missed something very important, as if who they were meant something. It was like an itch he couldn't reach. And that gentle kiss on his forehead…
He heard someone outside of his door and snapped out of the trance that kiss had put him into. He turned his head to see who was coming to greet him, secretly hoping that it was the woman again.
Well, it wasn't the woman.
"Morning CP 1. I trust you slept well?" asked Lyle as he sauntered in.
"Yes sir. I, I slept very well." He lied, hoping that Mr. Lyle hadn't checked the security camera footage. He knew what Mr. Lyle's punishment was for those who lied.
"Good, good." Lyle said a bit distractedly. "So you…didn't have any nightmares or anything?"
It was a simple enough question, one that Mr. Lyle and Mr. Raines had been asking him every morning since he'd awoken with amnesia. But this morning, instead of CP 1immediately answering truthfully, he paused. Last night had been the first night he'd had a nightmare, and somehow it struck him as odd that they were always asking about his dreams. Almost as if they were expecting him to dream. He ignored that thought and was about to tell Mr. Lyle about it, when something in his mind screamed in protest. Deciding that this needed further thought, he just smiled at Mr. Lyle and said calmly and innocently, "nope. No nightmares sir."
Lyle let out a carefully concealed sigh of relief, but of course, CP 1 being the pretender he was, he noticed it. Something was definitely going on, and as he said goodbye to Mr. Lyle, telling him that he looked forward to the Sims that he'd be performing tonight, he vowed resolutely to discover what it was.
8:57 AM
Blue Cove, Delaware
The Centre
Air Ducts
Angelo was traveling through the air ducts; going to carry out what he knew needed to be done to help his friend Jarod. There were times when he was so confused that he couldn't think straight, times when his empath abilities stole away his logic and sanity. Then there were times, rare times, when everything seemed to be sparkling and crystal clear. This was one of those times.
He suddenly made a sharp left and paused for a moment to look out of the thin slits of the vent. It was Raines and Mr. Parker, arguing heatedly about something. Angelo would have stayed and watched, but he was rather one-minded at the moment. He had to find Elf. Daughter had gone down to see Jarod last night, and when he'd been there he'd known that Elf had been in the next cell. He probably should have gone in then, but his thinking had been rather muddled having been so deeply immersed in his empath abilities.
Now, he was going to have a harder time. The air vents didn't go into either her or Jarod's cell. He was going to have to find her and contact her from wherever she was. He was going to go look in he physical training room first, and the only clear emotions he ever received from that place was fear and hate. Angelo didn't look forward to going there, but knew he had to. He would be out of sight, and find a way to talk to Elf alone should she be there.
He crawled through the vents for about ten more minutes, turning where he needed to and keeping an ear out for any indication that Elf was nearby. When he knew he'd finally reached the ducts that traveled within the training room, he stopped and stayed absolutely still, knowing that he needed to find out whether anyone was in there before he made his presence known.
That's when he heard the voices in the middle of the room.
"Oh come on, now I know you can do better than this." It was the voice of Lyle, and Angelo spotted him standing on the right side of the room, looking down at something while he had his arms crossed.
What Angelo couldn't see, because of the angle he viewed from, was the lithe and beautiful teenager down on the floor in front of Lyle, doing one armed, one legged, push-ups at a remarkable speed. But though Angelo couldn't see who Lyle was looking at, he could hear her reply.
Elf 17 gritted her teeth to keep back any sarcastic remarks that might slip out. "I'm sorry Mr. Lyle. I will try to go faster." Even though I'm already doing better than you ever could, you thumbless jerk.
Lyle gave an amused grin. "Now that's what I like to hear, enthusiasm and obedience." He held in one hand the controlling pad to the collar he'd fixed around her neck, and he traced its controls softly, remembering the pain he'd put her through yesterday and musing about whether she'd cry or not should he choose to zap her again.
For right now though, he was content just watching this young beauty pull her muscles trying to keep up with his demands.
Elf 17 had closed her eyes and was about to let her mind wander somewhere else to disconnect herself from the pain she was feeling, when her nose caught a gentle and familiar scent in the air. Her eyes opened and widened in recognition.
Angelo?
She dared to glance back at Lyle, to see if he showed any indication that they were being spied upon right now, and came to the conclusion that he was oblivious to their watcher.
She smiled.
Lyle then yawned, becoming bored with the monotony of the exercise. "All right, let's move on."
He motioned for her to move over to the barbells and after she'd been seated and had her arms hanging loosely onto the eighty-five pound weight above her, Lyle clamped down her ankles and locked them in place. He gave her the go-ahead and she lifted the barbell from its resting place and began working.
Lyle was tired, he'd been up all night with Raines going over certain budget aspects and other information pertaining to their promotions and such, and he soon felt the need to close his eyes and rest.
Elf 17 paused for a moment, the weight halfway up, and she looked over at the desk where Lyle was seated. She frowned, puzzled at his closed eyes, and then realized that he was asleep. The sweepers were over at the other end of the large room because Lyle didn't want to appear scared when training her, and she soon saw this as a wonderful opportunity to ask Angelo what exactly he was doing here.
She still kept moving the weight up and down, though her arms were strained still from yesterday's exercise, and then whispered just softly enough for Angelo to hear, "It's clear."
Her sensitive hearing caught the sounds of pants cloth on the smooth metal of the air ducts and knew that he'd heard her.
An air vent to her left slowly swung open, and Angelo cautiously crawled out and walked over to her timidly.
Elf 17's heart overflowed with joy when she saw him, and if she could have she would have leapt up and hugged him tightly. She carefully and quietly moved the barbell back into its holder, and she sat up, though her ankles were still shackled down.
"Hi Angelo."
"H-hi El-Elf." He responded, his gaze all over the room.
"What are you here for?"
He looked into her eyes and she noticed the worry his reflected. "Jarod need Elf's help. Need Elf, to-to help remember. Daughter, daughter need to talk to Elf, she'll call. Needs to know if Elf will help daughter help Jarod." He licked his dry lips and then looked at Elf 17, a silent understanding going through them.
Elf 17 averted his eyes, thinking about what he'd just told her. She felt something touch her, and slowly looked up to see Angelo, his hand on her head, with his eyes closed and concentration on is features.
She was confused for a moment and then began to feel lighter, freer. She smiled in spite of herself and let out a small sigh.
The contact was broken and Elf 17 felt so much happier than before. "What was that Angelo?"
"An-Angelo took the hurt away. Elf was in pain, Angelo help."
Elf 17 realized that there was much more to Angelo than he liked to let on. "Thank you Angelo," she whispered. "I needed that."
"Will Elf talk to daughter?"
She nodded without hesitation. "If she can get to me, I'll talk."
Angelo didn't understand the first part, but knew that daughter would. He gave a nod and then left to go back into the air ducts, moving so quickly and precisely that it had almost been as if he'd never come.
Elf 17 watched him go; only laying back down again when she heard him shut the air vent door with a click.
Lyle awoke and yawned, then shook his head and blinked once or twice before remembering where he was and whom he was watching. He looked back over at Elf 17, and saw her expressionlessly lifting the barbell weight up and down and up and down. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and stood, resisting the temptation to stretch. He called over one of the sweepers.
"Yes sir Mr. Lyle?" One of them asked, jogging over.
"What time is it?"
The sweeper looked at his wristwatch. "9:30 sir."
Lyle nodded and grabbed the coat to his suit that he'd had draped on the back of a chair. "I have to go to a meeting with my the director and Raines." He pointed at Elf 17. "I want her to continue with the weights for fifteen minutes before she's put on the treadmill." He looked at the sweeper with a deadly serious expression plastered on his face. "Watch her. If she escapes, you die."
The sweeper nodded grimly.
Lyle suddenly grinned and reached into his pocket. "But here, this might help you." He threw the sweeper the control pad to her collar. "Have fun."
Lyle winked at Elf 17, who was staring at the now-smiling sweeper in horror. She backed her ears in fright, and widened her eyes.
Lyle only laughed as he walked calmly out.
9:36 AM
Blue Cove, Delaware
The Centre
Director Mr. Parker's Office
Ms. Parker had just been delivered the news by Angelo that the…"Elf" or whatever he called it, had agreed to meeting. Now all she had to do was gain her father's permission to speak with Raines' project and everything would be "peachy keen". She'd pre-set this meeting with him earlier, so she had about half-a hour to an hour to convince him. Which was, she knew, more than enough time.
She stopped in front of the metal doors to her father's office. After she took a calming breath she focused herself, remembering to keep her objective her first priority. Calm, calm, he's your father for Christ's sake! An old man. You can send men cowering with a well-positioned glare. This is nothing to you, she thought to herself as she opened the door.
"Daddy I-" She cut herself short as she saw who sat by her father's desk.
It was Raines and Lyle.
She left her mouth open slightly before setting it into a thin line.
Mr. Parker gave a slightly nervous and all-around false smile. "Why, hello Angel."
"Daddy," she said the word slowly, smoothly and roughly, so that it sounded like silk over sandpaper. "What are they doing here?"
Raines glared at her, and took a wheezing breath. "We…are in a meeting with your father… Ms. Parker."
She gave him a smile so perfect and coldly done that it was insulting. "I can see that Dr. Evil." She looked at her father and narrowed her eyes. "What I'm wondering is what you're doing here when I had gone out of my way to pre-arrange an appointment."
Mr. Parker had the decency to look embarrassed at least, and gave a weak laugh. "Oh angel I'm sorry, but we can have a talk together later." He gave an almost helpless shrug. "Centre business first you know."
She folded her arms. "Well daddy, perhaps then it would surprise you to know that I didn't come here to chat. I came with Centre related business."
Mr. Parker let out a thoughtful 'oh'.
She remained quiet, waiting for what he was going to do next.
"Is your ah, business lengthy?"
"Not at all. It's very simple daddy. I'd just like to use the time that I thought I had reserved to discus it with you." She sent a glare over to Lyle and Raines. "But it seems that an appointment doesn't count for much anymore."
Mr. Parker leaned back in his chair. "Well, why don't we discus it now then?"
"Now?"
"I don't see why not if all it is is Centre business." He opened his arms to indicate everyone in the room. "We are all Centre workers after all."
She began to get worried. "Daddy, I would really, really like it if I could discus this with you privately."
"What's the matter sis?" Lyle asked with a subtle mocking in his sweet tone. "Personally I'd like to hear what all of this 'business' is about."
She dug her manicured nails into her palms to keep form slapping her brother senseless.
Mr. Parker raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Would that be all right with you angel?"
"Sure." She said, fires burning in her eyes. Then she sighed. "Fine. Daddy, I would like permission to speak with Raines' project."
Lyle was holding back his emotions, Mr. Parker looked caught off guard, and Raines was giving her a look that asked 'what are you planning?'
She gave him back a smile that answered, 'wouldn't you like to know.'
"So daddy, may I?"
"I'm not sure angel, I mean well, she is rather dangerous and I wouldn't want you to get hurt…"
"All I'm asking is to talk to her in her cell." She tapped her foot. "Really daddy, I've taken on worse than a fifteen-year-old girl who is in a damn cell for god's sake."
He glanced over at Raines. "Well Raines, the girl is yours and Lyle's. What do you say?"
"I say that I'd like to know Ms. Parker's reasons for wanting to speak with her." Raines spoke with a rasp.
She gave an exasperated sigh and rolled her eyes. "I'm moving up in corporate, and since it seems I'm never going to be able to leave this hell-hole, I might as well get a better understanding of what goes on here. That answer your question Raines?"
Lyle and Raines both shared a look with each other, and a silent conversation seemed to go on between them.
Lyle faced his sister. "Well sis, I suppose I don't see a reason why n--"
"Then its settled," Ms. Parker finished with a triumphant smile. "Send her back to her cell right now and I can have the chat immediately."
Steam seemed to rise off of Raines' bald head. "She's in the middle of physical training right now Ms. Parker."
"Oh come on. You have the rest of her life to train her, what's thirty minutes going to hurt?"
Mr. Parker nodded. "She has a point Raines."
"So it seems." He stared at Ms. Parker a moment longer, trying to discover the motives behind her cool façade, and then gave up and got a sweeper on his two-way radio.
"Jones? The girl is finished with her training for the moment, take her back to her cell." He paused and listened to the sweeper's response. "Well if she can't stand, then drag her down there. I don't care how you get her there just do it." He turned it off and gave Ms. Parker a nod, not noticing how Ms. Parker seemed to be holding back a rapidly building rage from what she'd heard him say.
"You can go down now." He told her.
"Thanks." She responded, not meaning a syllable of it. Then with a half-smile to her father, she was gone.
10:09 AM
Blue Cove, Delaware
The Centre
SL-27 Holding Block 23
Elf 17's body hit the ground and slid across the smooth floor roughly, listening as the Sweepers that had thrown her in closed the door to her cell, laughing as they left.
She muttered curses under her breath she struggled to get up without using her arms or legs, which soon proved to be almost impossible. She did it in the end though, and sat on the floor with her back against her cot, trying to focus on something besides the pain and absolute exhaustion that made every nerve in her body feel raw.
"It's too damn early to be this pissed off." She grumbled.
"That's what I say every morning."
Elf 17 jerked her head awake and stared at a beautiful and somber woman who was standing inside of her cell. She gave a weak laugh. "I must be more tired than I thought. I didn't even hear the door reopen."
Ms. Parker gave an almost sympathetic smile, but didn't respond the comment. Instead, she moved over to where a light switch was located. "Mind if I turn on the lights? I can't even see you right now."
She gave a confused look. "You can't?" Then she rolled her eyes. "Oh, duh. Of course you can't. Yeah, sure, go on."
The lights went up and Ms. Parker' eyes widened in spite of themselves. She'd seen Elf 17 before, standing from the shadows of the T-board meeting, but now that she could see her up close, recognize the pain in her eyes, realize how young she was, notice the collar around her neck and glimpse all of the cuts an bruises that decorated her clearly tired body, well, it was the second time in the past two days that she'd been assaulted by tidal waves of emotional pain.
Elf 17 gave a tired grin at her reaction. "Sorry I couldn't be in better shape to see you Ms. Parker, but the sweepers had a bit of fun while Lyle was gone." She put a finger up to her collar and Ms. Parker understood. Then Elf 17 looked up at the corner of her room. "The camera's are off." It was a statement, not a question.
Ms. Parker nodded, feeling sick as she thought of what the girl meant by the sweeper's having 'fun'. "My father may be the director of the Centre, but he still respects his daughter's wishes for privacy."
Elf 17 smiled. "Good, then let's get on to business." She tried to stand and move onto her cot, but found the task much to difficult to achieve. She gave Ms. Parker an embarrassed look. "You wouldn't mind if I just stayed here on the ground would you?"
"Not at all."
Elf 17 licked her dry, chapped lips. "All right. Well, Angelo told me why you wanted to talk to me. So, let me see if I have this right. From what I've been able to gather, you and the others feel sympathy…" she noticed Ms. Parker opening her mouth to protest but she cut her off. "You can call it whatever you want, but it is sympathy you feel for him. May I continue?"
Ms. Parker frowned, but gave a curt nod.
"Good. So, you feel sympathy for Jarod, and need me to help him escape. Am I right?"
"No."
Ms. Parker said the word with such casual seriousness that Elf 17 was caught off guard. "No?" she repeated, befuddled.
Ms. Parker crossed her arms. "No. All right, so I may feel a twinge of sympathy for wonder boy. But I don't want you to help him escape."
Elf 17 was completely confused and she noticed with rue that she'd been experiencing this feeling quite often since she'd been back. "If you don't want me to help him then why did you tell Angelo that you did?"
"I do want you to help him, just not to escape."
Elf 17 gaped at Ms. Parker incredulously. Jarod was right; Ms. Parker is not an easy woman to figure out. "Ms. Parker, with all due respect, I'm afraid I'm not able to understand what it is your asking me to do here."
"I'm asking you, elf-girl, to help him regain his memory, but not in any way set him free of the Centre."
"But if I give him back his memory all they'll do is inject him with another round of the chemical and I would have accomplished nothing!"
"What happens after his memory is brought back will be dealt with when it happens. I have influence here, a great deal of it. I can convince my father that Jarod will do better work without the chemicals in his bloodstream."
Elf 17 barked out a laugh. "Oh that's rich. You may be his daughter Ms. Parker, but I know the man better than you do. He won't believe that, and telling him that will only turn the suspicions he'll have on who gave Jarod's memories back in the first place, on you."
"Oh? And how exactly can you claim to know my father so well?"
Elf 17 looked at her pityingly. "Do I really have to answer that?"
"Damn sims." Ms. Parker cursed under her breath.
Elf 17 gave a helpless shrug.
"Look, I don't care how much you claim to know about my father, I don't care what your opinions are on my decision." Ms. Parker growled. "I want Jarod's memory back."
"So do I."
Ms. Parker gave her a tight-lipped smile. "Good. Then give him back his memory and leave the rest to me."
"You mean leave him in a cage!" she shouted in fury, knowing in the back of her mind that sitting weakly on the floor somehow diminished the dramatic effect.
Ms. Parker stepped forward, barely able to hold back her anger. "You listen here girl, I can make this easy, or I can make this hard." Her eyes became slits. "You either bring Jarod's memories back, or I make sure that your life here is worse than Jarod's ever was."
Elf 17 calmly regarded Ms. Parker, rebellion in her eyes. "I'll bring him back Ms. Parker, but not because of what you've said. You can threaten me all you want, but I've taken on worse than a woman in high heels and a skirt."
Ms. Parker ignored the last comment, though she realized in the back of her mind that she had said about the same thing just a few minutes earlier. She threw a folder on the floor in front of Elf 17. "In there is all that Broots could dig up on the chemical they used, something called CW-A-41. It might be of use. You have two days."
Elf 17 looked down at the folder, the expression on her face a mask of stone. "All right then."
Ms. Parker spun around and began to walk out, when Elf 17's voice called out to her.
"Oh an Ms. Parker?"
Ms. Parker turned to see that Elf 17 had managed to stand by sheer will power, and was wobbling slightly but looking at her with defiance. She had the papers Ms. Parker had given her clenched at her side, and her bottom lip was quivering from the intensity of her emotions. "I'm beginning to think that you and your brother have a lot in common when it comes to cruelty." She held back tears as she spoke. "I'm sure your father is very proud of you both and your loyalty to the Centre."
Ms. Parker could only stare as a white-hot fury and scalding anger rushed through her, joined by a feeling of total shock.
She left the cell, never once stopping to look back at the teenage girl as she proceeded to stride back through the halls to her office, deaf to the sound of Sam closing the girl's cage door, and blind to the people who were around her as she moved.
She made it back to her office and went inside, closing the door behind her. Then she took in a deep breath, and clenched her eyes in an aching pain as she let the tears fall.
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God, I really am falling behind and again I am truly sorry that this is late. If anybody is still reading this thing, please give me some feedback or helpful hints, I need to know that you guys are still alive out there somewhere. Hope to talk to you soon!