Snapshot
By Samantha
Part 2
~*~
Jarod awoke with the strange feeling that something was horribly wrong, but he didn't know what it was. He slowly sat up, then got out of the bed. The weary pretender was walking to the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water when he heard the sound that must have woken him up.
A female scream.
Jarod silently put down his glass and crept towards Marisa's bedroom. Sure enough, another scream split the silence of the apartment. His heartbeat quickened when he heard the fear in her voice. He burst into the room and turned on the light.
Marisa was alone in the room. Confused, Jarod took a closer look. She was ghostly pale and a sheen of sweat glistened on her face. Her eyes were squeezed shut. He watched her for a few more moments, trying to determine whether or not he should butt in. Her head started shifting side to side. Then, "Miguel! Por favor! Ay, no!" She started screaming louder and louder.
Jarod's heart clenched at the sight of her experiencing what must be a horrific nightmare. Finally, he could take no more of it. He quickly got on the bed and placed his hands firmly on her shoulders.
"Wake up, Marisa," he said while squeezing her shoulders. "C'mon, wake up!" He shook her gently, and then her eyes opened. She heaved gasping breaths as her fear-filled eyes darted around the room before they met with Jarod's. "It was just a dream," he murmured, stroking one of her arms. "Only a dream."
Marisa's eyes lowered against the rush of fresh tears. Jarod waited until her first sob before pulling her into his arms. He said nothing as he wrapped one arm around her back and placed his other hand on the back of her head, running his fingers through her unruly mass of curls. He held her close to him, trying to give her some of his warmth, for she was shivering violently. He started to rock back and forth slowly, truly hoping to comfort her.
After a few long minutes, she took a shuddering breath and tried to move back. Jarod, however, only held her tighter. He murmured, "I'm not letting you go until I'm sure you're okay."
"I'm fine now. Gracias, Señor Jarod," she said huskily. Jarod held on for a few moments longer, then he loosened his hold on her. Marisa sat back, still in his arms, and wiped her face with her hand. The action, along with her appearance, made her look like a sleepy little girl.
Something stirred in Jarod's heart when she did this. He had no idea what it was, but it slightly startled him. Something must have shown on his face, because Marisa's eyes softened and she cocked her head inquisitively. He mentally shook himself and covered the situation by asking, "What was the dream about?" She blinked slowly and furrowed her brow in concentration.
"It was about the rape. It's fading away, even now, but the gist always lingers. I dream about it every night." Jarod nodded understandingly. He knew a thing or two about nightmares.
"I'm really tired, Jarod," she murmured with a rusty voice. Jarod would have left the room, but Marisa's frantic grabbing at his arm stopped him. "Don't leave me," she pleaded, wide-eyed, "Stay until I'm asleep. Please?" The fear in her eyes did him in.
"Okay. I'll stay." Jarod got back on the bed, and Marisa nestled her head against his shoulder. He started to run a hand through her hair, hoping to bring some kind of comfort. She yawned, and was asleep within minutes. After a few moments more, he saw the cell phone on the nightstand, and an idea popped into his head.
He picked up the phone and dialed the number he knew by heart.
"What?" came a groggy voice on the other end. Jarod couldn't help but smile.
"What can you tell me about her?" he asked, getting straight to the point. Parker didn't answer for a brief moment, then groaned.
"Why do you always start your conversations with a question?" she asked, seeming slightly annoyed at being woken up.
"Why do you answer my questions with questions?" he asked, keeping up the game.
"Jarod. . ." she trailed off.
"Well, what can you tell me about her?" he asked again. He heard Parker sigh, and imagined that she was rubbing her face with one hand.
"She's a pretender, Jarod. Daddy acquired her when you started getting older. It seemed like the old man knew more than he was letting on. He figured you'd find a way to escape, and he wanted a backup plan. Sydney was her handler. For some reason, he let Syd show more care for this one."
"Why didn't he tell me about this? Why didn't he tip me off?" Jarod asked, sounding betrayed.
"Well," Parker said on a sigh, "That's something you'll have to ask the good doctor himself about." Jarod took a long look at the sleeping form in his arms. He shifted gently, and Marisa stirred. A soft noise escaped from her throat before she settled back down.
"Is she with you right now?" Parker asked almost incredulously.
"She had a nightmare, and it woke me up. Then she didn't want me to leave until she fell asleep."
"Is she asleep now?"
"Yes."
"Then why are you still in the room with her?" she asked softly. Jarod cocked his head before answering.
"I don't know, Parker. Right now, at this moment, she seems like a lost little child. But other times, she seems older than I am. She lived through the Centre, escaped twice, and yet is fairly balanced. She hates the Centre, but she has no need for revenge. It's a curious thing," he murmured while looking at Marisa.
"Maybe you find it curious, because you've went through the same experiences that she has, yet she's not like you. It would baffle me," she replied understandingly.
"Parker. . ." he began, "I'm sorry for knocking you down earlier, but I couldn't let you take me or her back there." A long pause followed.
"I understand," she whispered finally, "And I know this is really out of character for me, but, I'm sorry, too."
"What do you have to be sorry for?" Another long pause.
"I didn't exactly go about earlier the right way. I'm sorry if I scared her. From what I've experienced with Ali--Marisa, she's a lovely young woman. I've been in a terrible mood lately." Jarod nodded.
"It's understandable, Parker. It's the anniversary of your father's death. You have every right to be in a terrible mood."
"What if this is all there is for us?" she asked, sounding a bit choked up, "What if all there is is hunting down Centre runaways for the rest of my life? What if being on the run is it for you? We can never have normal lives, Jarod. Sometimes I wonder. . .if all this is worth it."
"Parker," Jarod interrupted, "you're not thinking of--"
"No, Jarod," she laughed with slight mirth, "that's not an option."
"Good," he murmured.
"Jarod?"
"Yes?"
"Do you think that you and Marisa will. . .well. . .you know," she murmured a bit shyly. Jarod chuckled.
"I don't know, Parker. It's a bit early to tell. I seriously doubt she'll ever want anything to do with another man ever again. How about you, and what's-his-face?" Jarod asked, wanting to shift the focus from him and Marisa.
"It'll go until the sex gets old," she replied frankly. Then she yawned and said, "Look, I need at least two hours of sleep before I go to work."
"Alright. I should probably get back to my own bed, anyway. Keep in mind that this doesn't have to be as good as it gets," he said, then hung up the phone. He placed it back on the nightstand and glanced at Marisa another time.
She looked so peaceful, a complete opposite from an hour earlier. He tried to move, but she held on to him tighter. So, Jarod settled down and started stroking her hair. Soon enough, he was asleep, too.
~*~
Marisa awoke early in the afternoon. She stretched luxuriously, then craned her neck from side to side. She sat up against the backboard and let her mind wander.
She'd had the best night of sleep ever last night. She felt well-rested and refreshed. Then she realized that she'd had the nightmare, and Jarod came in to wake her up. Did he stay with her all night? Surely not.
"Marisa," she heard him say from the doorway, "how are you feeling?" She looked over to him and smiled sweetly.
"Just fine, Señor Jarod," she replied.
"Good," he said with a grin, "We need to get to work."
Part 2
~*~
Jarod awoke with the strange feeling that something was horribly wrong, but he didn't know what it was. He slowly sat up, then got out of the bed. The weary pretender was walking to the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water when he heard the sound that must have woken him up.
A female scream.
Jarod silently put down his glass and crept towards Marisa's bedroom. Sure enough, another scream split the silence of the apartment. His heartbeat quickened when he heard the fear in her voice. He burst into the room and turned on the light.
Marisa was alone in the room. Confused, Jarod took a closer look. She was ghostly pale and a sheen of sweat glistened on her face. Her eyes were squeezed shut. He watched her for a few more moments, trying to determine whether or not he should butt in. Her head started shifting side to side. Then, "Miguel! Por favor! Ay, no!" She started screaming louder and louder.
Jarod's heart clenched at the sight of her experiencing what must be a horrific nightmare. Finally, he could take no more of it. He quickly got on the bed and placed his hands firmly on her shoulders.
"Wake up, Marisa," he said while squeezing her shoulders. "C'mon, wake up!" He shook her gently, and then her eyes opened. She heaved gasping breaths as her fear-filled eyes darted around the room before they met with Jarod's. "It was just a dream," he murmured, stroking one of her arms. "Only a dream."
Marisa's eyes lowered against the rush of fresh tears. Jarod waited until her first sob before pulling her into his arms. He said nothing as he wrapped one arm around her back and placed his other hand on the back of her head, running his fingers through her unruly mass of curls. He held her close to him, trying to give her some of his warmth, for she was shivering violently. He started to rock back and forth slowly, truly hoping to comfort her.
After a few long minutes, she took a shuddering breath and tried to move back. Jarod, however, only held her tighter. He murmured, "I'm not letting you go until I'm sure you're okay."
"I'm fine now. Gracias, Señor Jarod," she said huskily. Jarod held on for a few moments longer, then he loosened his hold on her. Marisa sat back, still in his arms, and wiped her face with her hand. The action, along with her appearance, made her look like a sleepy little girl.
Something stirred in Jarod's heart when she did this. He had no idea what it was, but it slightly startled him. Something must have shown on his face, because Marisa's eyes softened and she cocked her head inquisitively. He mentally shook himself and covered the situation by asking, "What was the dream about?" She blinked slowly and furrowed her brow in concentration.
"It was about the rape. It's fading away, even now, but the gist always lingers. I dream about it every night." Jarod nodded understandingly. He knew a thing or two about nightmares.
"I'm really tired, Jarod," she murmured with a rusty voice. Jarod would have left the room, but Marisa's frantic grabbing at his arm stopped him. "Don't leave me," she pleaded, wide-eyed, "Stay until I'm asleep. Please?" The fear in her eyes did him in.
"Okay. I'll stay." Jarod got back on the bed, and Marisa nestled her head against his shoulder. He started to run a hand through her hair, hoping to bring some kind of comfort. She yawned, and was asleep within minutes. After a few moments more, he saw the cell phone on the nightstand, and an idea popped into his head.
He picked up the phone and dialed the number he knew by heart.
"What?" came a groggy voice on the other end. Jarod couldn't help but smile.
"What can you tell me about her?" he asked, getting straight to the point. Parker didn't answer for a brief moment, then groaned.
"Why do you always start your conversations with a question?" she asked, seeming slightly annoyed at being woken up.
"Why do you answer my questions with questions?" he asked, keeping up the game.
"Jarod. . ." she trailed off.
"Well, what can you tell me about her?" he asked again. He heard Parker sigh, and imagined that she was rubbing her face with one hand.
"She's a pretender, Jarod. Daddy acquired her when you started getting older. It seemed like the old man knew more than he was letting on. He figured you'd find a way to escape, and he wanted a backup plan. Sydney was her handler. For some reason, he let Syd show more care for this one."
"Why didn't he tell me about this? Why didn't he tip me off?" Jarod asked, sounding betrayed.
"Well," Parker said on a sigh, "That's something you'll have to ask the good doctor himself about." Jarod took a long look at the sleeping form in his arms. He shifted gently, and Marisa stirred. A soft noise escaped from her throat before she settled back down.
"Is she with you right now?" Parker asked almost incredulously.
"She had a nightmare, and it woke me up. Then she didn't want me to leave until she fell asleep."
"Is she asleep now?"
"Yes."
"Then why are you still in the room with her?" she asked softly. Jarod cocked his head before answering.
"I don't know, Parker. Right now, at this moment, she seems like a lost little child. But other times, she seems older than I am. She lived through the Centre, escaped twice, and yet is fairly balanced. She hates the Centre, but she has no need for revenge. It's a curious thing," he murmured while looking at Marisa.
"Maybe you find it curious, because you've went through the same experiences that she has, yet she's not like you. It would baffle me," she replied understandingly.
"Parker. . ." he began, "I'm sorry for knocking you down earlier, but I couldn't let you take me or her back there." A long pause followed.
"I understand," she whispered finally, "And I know this is really out of character for me, but, I'm sorry, too."
"What do you have to be sorry for?" Another long pause.
"I didn't exactly go about earlier the right way. I'm sorry if I scared her. From what I've experienced with Ali--Marisa, she's a lovely young woman. I've been in a terrible mood lately." Jarod nodded.
"It's understandable, Parker. It's the anniversary of your father's death. You have every right to be in a terrible mood."
"What if this is all there is for us?" she asked, sounding a bit choked up, "What if all there is is hunting down Centre runaways for the rest of my life? What if being on the run is it for you? We can never have normal lives, Jarod. Sometimes I wonder. . .if all this is worth it."
"Parker," Jarod interrupted, "you're not thinking of--"
"No, Jarod," she laughed with slight mirth, "that's not an option."
"Good," he murmured.
"Jarod?"
"Yes?"
"Do you think that you and Marisa will. . .well. . .you know," she murmured a bit shyly. Jarod chuckled.
"I don't know, Parker. It's a bit early to tell. I seriously doubt she'll ever want anything to do with another man ever again. How about you, and what's-his-face?" Jarod asked, wanting to shift the focus from him and Marisa.
"It'll go until the sex gets old," she replied frankly. Then she yawned and said, "Look, I need at least two hours of sleep before I go to work."
"Alright. I should probably get back to my own bed, anyway. Keep in mind that this doesn't have to be as good as it gets," he said, then hung up the phone. He placed it back on the nightstand and glanced at Marisa another time.
She looked so peaceful, a complete opposite from an hour earlier. He tried to move, but she held on to him tighter. So, Jarod settled down and started stroking her hair. Soon enough, he was asleep, too.
~*~
Marisa awoke early in the afternoon. She stretched luxuriously, then craned her neck from side to side. She sat up against the backboard and let her mind wander.
She'd had the best night of sleep ever last night. She felt well-rested and refreshed. Then she realized that she'd had the nightmare, and Jarod came in to wake her up. Did he stay with her all night? Surely not.
"Marisa," she heard him say from the doorway, "how are you feeling?" She looked over to him and smiled sweetly.
"Just fine, Señor Jarod," she replied.
"Good," he said with a grin, "We need to get to work."
