Disclaimer: See Part One
Same Old Dance
Jarod had run away again. Only this time, Miss Parker wasn't chasing him. She had dislodged a few bullets into a few trees. That had been all. Apparently that was enough to scare him. Miss Parker wished that it hadn't. She had calmly walked back to her car, careful to keep her emotions from rising and bubbling out of her. She wanted nothing more then for him to come running back to her. Perish the thought. It was early morning, and as always she was at the centre. It was the cocoon that sealed her off from the rest of the world. She was sitting in her desk chair, facing the window, watching the sky darken and grow heavy with rain. She choked back a low sob as she recalled the events of the night past.
Jarod.. you idiot," She began softly. "So easily scared."
"Hey sis."
"WHAT?"
Miss Parker was irritated. She swung around in her chair. She had
barely enough time to wipe the tears from her eyes so she could face
Lyle. Damn those doors, not even a squeak to let her know that someone was coming.
"You make it a habit to talk yourself these days?" Lyle asked, leaning in way too close towards
his sister.
Miss Parker narrowed her eyes. "Don't you have a skirt to chase?"
"I think the more appropriate question is, don't you have a Jarod to chase?" Lyle replied nastily.
Miss Parker laughed. She withdrew a file from her desk drawer.
"You know better then to mess with the one who has your balls in her fist. " She coyly replied, as she motioned to the file she held in her hand.
Before Lyle could respond, Sydney had walked into the room. It was only Nine A.M. and already Miss Parker looked like she was going to hit the ceiling. That look on her face usually came around three. Sydney smiled and began in his usual calm voice.
"Careful Lyle. Miss Parker shot me in the leg once. And she didn't
even mean to then."
Lyle had a sour look on his face, not appreciating the interruption. An insincere smile spread across his handsome face. Sydney widely grinned back.
"We'll just have to discuss this later, sis." Lyle replied, suddenly looking uneasy.
And Lyle left the doors swinging behind him.
Sydney smiled once more as he watched Miss Parker carefully return the file back into her desk drawer. She had to withdraw that file many times. She hung it over Lyle's head, like a dark cloud about to rain all over his twisted parade. Miss Parker still had her nasty reputation as a bitch, but no one cared. The people who really knew her knew that she had never been the same since she had returned from Isle of Carthis. No amount of prodding convinced her to confide in him, much to Sydney's regret. Whatever happened, something did. It was important enough to incur such a transformation. In just under a year, the centre's focus had completely changed under Miss Parker's leadership. It was as if she was desperately trying to make up for all that had been lost. Patients were released and reunited with their families. Sub-level twenty- seven had been completely cleaned out and shutdown. All connections with crime syndicates had been severed. Millions had been donated to charity. Even then, there were some things that were beyond her control, wrongs that she could not right. There was no way she could rip the walls of centre apart, to let the sunshine in, no matter how many times she considered it. None it of really mattered, no action she took ever satisfied her, her demons still kept her awake at night. He knew that, as much as she denied it. Whatever actions she had taken however, was enough to send Raines scurrying for another oxygen tank. And Lyle was just as unappreciative of taking orders from his older twin. Sydney was worried. Keeping the hungry dogs at bay had started to wear down on her soul. She had been looking very tired lately, the bags under her eyes had grown more apparent, the weight of world a little heavier on her shoulders.
*********************************
It had just begun to rain in Blue Cove. " The chase has stopped and yet I'm attempting to woo the woman who has been chasing me for the past six years." Jarod grumbled to himself as he drove the down long winding road. Was it wrong for him to feel silly? He hadn't expected to find her there, visiting her father's grave, although he hoped that he would. He hadn't expected for things to unfold the way they did. But she kept up her part of the bargain, refusing to melt in his presence, playing the part of the ice queen, perfectly. Just like she always did. It was the same old dance. A year had passed but what of it? Everything and nothing changed.
He sighed as he felt the crushed gardenia in his jacket pocket. He had meant to give it to her, just like the one he had given her so very long ago. He had meant to remind her of that time, the time she wanted flowers from him, and so very much else. He pushed the thought out of his mind. It only made him want to grumble even more. He had his whole life before him, a family to be with, and a family to love.
*********************************
"I'm worried about you Miss Parker."
"Well, I haven't been very passionate about my job lately." Miss
Parker said with a scowl, as she crossed her arms. She had been sitting at her desk but rose out from under it and began to pace her office. Sydney had a wild-eyed appearance. As his gaze met hers, she tried her best to give him a reassuring smile. Sydney frowned. He had taken it as a sarcastic grin. This wasn't going to be easy, but Sydney dove right in.
"Did you sleep well last night, Miss Parker?"
Miss Parker shrugged her shoulders. She shot him a rebellious look.
"Does it matter?"
"Is this really what you want, Miss Parker, to live out the rest of your years in this place?"
"That's a funny question coming from a person like you, Syd." Miss Parker replied calmly. She shifted her gaze downward, inspecting a nail.
"This isn't what your mother wanted for you. Don't do her the injustice of staying here, in this godforsaken place."
"This has nothing do with my mother. Look what I've done with this place Syd, I feel that I can do my best here." Miss Parker's eyes flashed angrily.
"But are you satisfied? Can you atone for your sins here, Miss Parker?"
Miss Parker abruptly paused. She wanted to slap this distinguished looking gentleman before her. She was astonished by his words and even more astonished at herself for realizing that he was telling the truth. Her work had become rewarding, but it wasn't enough. It was never enough, there was something missing, something leaving her cold and empty.
"You want me to leave?" She asked, in a defeated tone.
"What's holding you back?" Sydney replied gently, his voice suddenly thickened by his accent.
"Besides," Sydney moved closer towards Miss Parker and lightly touched her shoulder. Miss Parker was taken aback, this rare display of affection only unsettled her even more.
"What you want, it isn't here...its out there waiting for you."
"And WHAT is that Sydney?"
Miss Parker was growing exasperated.
Sydney smiled a knowing smile.
"Your life."
Same Old Dance
Jarod had run away again. Only this time, Miss Parker wasn't chasing him. She had dislodged a few bullets into a few trees. That had been all. Apparently that was enough to scare him. Miss Parker wished that it hadn't. She had calmly walked back to her car, careful to keep her emotions from rising and bubbling out of her. She wanted nothing more then for him to come running back to her. Perish the thought. It was early morning, and as always she was at the centre. It was the cocoon that sealed her off from the rest of the world. She was sitting in her desk chair, facing the window, watching the sky darken and grow heavy with rain. She choked back a low sob as she recalled the events of the night past.
Jarod.. you idiot," She began softly. "So easily scared."
"Hey sis."
"WHAT?"
Miss Parker was irritated. She swung around in her chair. She had
barely enough time to wipe the tears from her eyes so she could face
Lyle. Damn those doors, not even a squeak to let her know that someone was coming.
"You make it a habit to talk yourself these days?" Lyle asked, leaning in way too close towards
his sister.
Miss Parker narrowed her eyes. "Don't you have a skirt to chase?"
"I think the more appropriate question is, don't you have a Jarod to chase?" Lyle replied nastily.
Miss Parker laughed. She withdrew a file from her desk drawer.
"You know better then to mess with the one who has your balls in her fist. " She coyly replied, as she motioned to the file she held in her hand.
Before Lyle could respond, Sydney had walked into the room. It was only Nine A.M. and already Miss Parker looked like she was going to hit the ceiling. That look on her face usually came around three. Sydney smiled and began in his usual calm voice.
"Careful Lyle. Miss Parker shot me in the leg once. And she didn't
even mean to then."
Lyle had a sour look on his face, not appreciating the interruption. An insincere smile spread across his handsome face. Sydney widely grinned back.
"We'll just have to discuss this later, sis." Lyle replied, suddenly looking uneasy.
And Lyle left the doors swinging behind him.
Sydney smiled once more as he watched Miss Parker carefully return the file back into her desk drawer. She had to withdraw that file many times. She hung it over Lyle's head, like a dark cloud about to rain all over his twisted parade. Miss Parker still had her nasty reputation as a bitch, but no one cared. The people who really knew her knew that she had never been the same since she had returned from Isle of Carthis. No amount of prodding convinced her to confide in him, much to Sydney's regret. Whatever happened, something did. It was important enough to incur such a transformation. In just under a year, the centre's focus had completely changed under Miss Parker's leadership. It was as if she was desperately trying to make up for all that had been lost. Patients were released and reunited with their families. Sub-level twenty- seven had been completely cleaned out and shutdown. All connections with crime syndicates had been severed. Millions had been donated to charity. Even then, there were some things that were beyond her control, wrongs that she could not right. There was no way she could rip the walls of centre apart, to let the sunshine in, no matter how many times she considered it. None it of really mattered, no action she took ever satisfied her, her demons still kept her awake at night. He knew that, as much as she denied it. Whatever actions she had taken however, was enough to send Raines scurrying for another oxygen tank. And Lyle was just as unappreciative of taking orders from his older twin. Sydney was worried. Keeping the hungry dogs at bay had started to wear down on her soul. She had been looking very tired lately, the bags under her eyes had grown more apparent, the weight of world a little heavier on her shoulders.
*********************************
It had just begun to rain in Blue Cove. " The chase has stopped and yet I'm attempting to woo the woman who has been chasing me for the past six years." Jarod grumbled to himself as he drove the down long winding road. Was it wrong for him to feel silly? He hadn't expected to find her there, visiting her father's grave, although he hoped that he would. He hadn't expected for things to unfold the way they did. But she kept up her part of the bargain, refusing to melt in his presence, playing the part of the ice queen, perfectly. Just like she always did. It was the same old dance. A year had passed but what of it? Everything and nothing changed.
He sighed as he felt the crushed gardenia in his jacket pocket. He had meant to give it to her, just like the one he had given her so very long ago. He had meant to remind her of that time, the time she wanted flowers from him, and so very much else. He pushed the thought out of his mind. It only made him want to grumble even more. He had his whole life before him, a family to be with, and a family to love.
*********************************
"I'm worried about you Miss Parker."
"Well, I haven't been very passionate about my job lately." Miss
Parker said with a scowl, as she crossed her arms. She had been sitting at her desk but rose out from under it and began to pace her office. Sydney had a wild-eyed appearance. As his gaze met hers, she tried her best to give him a reassuring smile. Sydney frowned. He had taken it as a sarcastic grin. This wasn't going to be easy, but Sydney dove right in.
"Did you sleep well last night, Miss Parker?"
Miss Parker shrugged her shoulders. She shot him a rebellious look.
"Does it matter?"
"Is this really what you want, Miss Parker, to live out the rest of your years in this place?"
"That's a funny question coming from a person like you, Syd." Miss Parker replied calmly. She shifted her gaze downward, inspecting a nail.
"This isn't what your mother wanted for you. Don't do her the injustice of staying here, in this godforsaken place."
"This has nothing do with my mother. Look what I've done with this place Syd, I feel that I can do my best here." Miss Parker's eyes flashed angrily.
"But are you satisfied? Can you atone for your sins here, Miss Parker?"
Miss Parker abruptly paused. She wanted to slap this distinguished looking gentleman before her. She was astonished by his words and even more astonished at herself for realizing that he was telling the truth. Her work had become rewarding, but it wasn't enough. It was never enough, there was something missing, something leaving her cold and empty.
"You want me to leave?" She asked, in a defeated tone.
"What's holding you back?" Sydney replied gently, his voice suddenly thickened by his accent.
"Besides," Sydney moved closer towards Miss Parker and lightly touched her shoulder. Miss Parker was taken aback, this rare display of affection only unsettled her even more.
"What you want, it isn't here...its out there waiting for you."
"And WHAT is that Sydney?"
Miss Parker was growing exasperated.
Sydney smiled a knowing smile.
"Your life."