LIFE OR DEATH
Part 17: All That Jazz
Author's Note: I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed this fic and the "Fragile" one, too. Also, I want to thank you guys for the words of encouragement you've offered me. I'm really feeling the stresses of the last two weeks of school, and to top it all off, I'm having major problems with my best friend. Oh, and my boyfriend's great-grandpa died on Wednesday, so now he's all the way in Ohio (about 14 or 15 hours away) and won't be back until Sunday. Just writing these fics and seeing what you guys have to say lifts my spirits. Thank you all, I love yas, and here's the next part!
Author's Note 2: Hey, y'all! The previous note was written a few weeks ago, so it's kinda outdated. I just wanted to apologize for taking so long getting this out. Also, I'm sorry that I started another fic and spent a lot of time on it so far. I had this idea and needed to get it started so that I wouldn't forget it. I hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Wub yas! ~~Samantha (a.k.a. Bethe)
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Sydney turned off his computer and sat back in his seat. Jarod had finally contacted him, and he could breathe easier because of it. Ever since Miss Parker and Jarod had been captured by Centre goons, he'd felt responsible. He was the one who left them alone at the cabin. He was the one who hadn't tried to get them back. He was the one who tucked his tail between his legs and ran off to save himself.
Now, they'd escaped, and they were in Oregon. And to top it all off, Parker wanted him. The thought caused his heart to jump slightly. She wanted him like a child wants her Daddy, Jarod had said in his email. If Parker only knew. All she had to do was say the word, and he would become her father for her. He loved her that much. Oh, he was sure that somewhere, deep down, she knew that. But years of training and upbringing kept her from recognizing that.
In that moment, Sydney breathed a silent prayer to whoever was listening, that Parker would finally understand.
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Parker let out a string of curses vile enough to make a sailor blush. Jarod grimaced from his place in the doorway as he took in the scene.
"Jarod! I can't do this!" she yelled, hurling a coffee mug at the wall. Upon hearing it hit the wall, she fell into a sitting position, put her head in her hands, and began to sob. After waiting a few more moments, Jarod moved to take her in his arms and try to comfort her.
What had happened before this catastrophe was that Parker was going to attempt to do the dishes without any help, at Jarod's prompting. She had been going fine until she burned herself on the water when she had meant to turn on the cold water. Then, she started dropping dishes left and right. The last straw was when she had sliced her palm on a knife.
"Chaela, honey," he began.
"Don't call me that!" she snapped. Immediately, Jarod retreated.
"What do you want me to call you?" he inquired, his patience reaching its end.
"Call me whatever you want!" she shot back, becoming even more heated.
"I don't know what to do with you!" he yelled, standing up, "You're really starting to piss me off, Parker!" He started to head for the door when he turned back. "When you decide to start acting your age, then you can come to me and start again. Until that time, I'm going to treat you like the spoiled little brat that you are." With that, Jarod left the kitchen.
Parker sat for a long time in shocked silence. Then, in an outrage, she stood up herself and followed in his footsteps. She felt around in front of her, still not certain of her new surroundings, but was too hasty to notice the drop off of the staircase. She felt a bit of surprise when one of her feet met no resistance when it was supposed to hit solid ground. She couldn't stop her momentum by then. She tumbled down the steps at a frightening speed. When she hit the floor, she felt her body grow numb, then she passed out.
Jarod heard the commotion and ran out into the hallway. He saw her crumpled at the bottom of the staircase and felt genuine fear.
"Chaela!" he cried out as he took the stairs down two at a time. He reached her within moments and knelt by her side. "Chaela," he murmured, immediately reaching a hand to her cheek. She was still breathing, but not conscious. He stabilized her neck and moved her into a full laying position. Then he sat beside her and took one of her hands in both of his.
Moments later, Parker stirred. She opened her eyes to a world of black. Nothing new. But she felt Jarod's hands stroking hers, and her heart melted slightly.
"I'm sorry," she whispered in a rare moment of softness. "I shouldn't have copped an attitude when I should be thinking positively." She could feel Jarod turn towards her, and she heard his sigh of relief. She squeezed his hand, and then he gathered her into his arms.
"I'm the one that's sorry, Chaela," he murmured, "I should have known better than to leave you alone in an unfamiliar setting. I was practically asking for you to fall." Parker shook her head.
"No, Jarod. Don't apologize. That's only excusing my behavior. I might deny this later, but I need your help on this. Hold me to that, okay?"
"Alright," he whispered before covering her lips with his own. Parker lost all hopes of rational thought as the kiss progressed. One of Jarod's hands tenderly touched her cheek before capturing it in his palm, deepening the kiss. When they parted, she let out a sigh and rested her forehead on his. Jarod's thumb stroked her cheek. She could practically feel his eyes taking her in. The thought caused her heartbeat to quicken.
"Thank you for being so wonderful," she whispered, moving her hand to the back of his head. Once she felt his hair, she paused abruptly. Then she said, "That's it. You're getting a haircut." She heard his incredulous laugh.
"Why? I think I look good with longer hair," he replied indignantly.
"Uh uh," she replied stubbornly, crossing her arms.
"Alright," he said defeatedly before swooping her up in his arms. "This had better be worth it," he remarked.
"Oh," Parker murmured lowly, "it will be."
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Sydney pressed the doorbell once and then waited patiently outside the two story house. Sooner than he'd expected, the door opened, and Jarod had him in a huge bear hug.
"Careful, my dear boy. This old man is more fragile than you remember," Syd commented while chuckling and patting Jarod on the back.
"I'm so glad to see you, Sydney," he whispered before letting go. "And there's someone who's going to be equally happy." Jarod led the older man into the house and into the den. There sat Parker, who was wearing jeans and a blue tee shirt with her hair down.
"Parker," Syd breathed, unable to say anything more. Despite the dark bruise at her temple, she was breathtaking. She had a glow about her that he hadn't seen in a long time. Now that he'd thought about it, Syd hadn't seen Jarod so happy in awhile either.
"Freud," Parker whispered affectionately. It was then that Sydney noticed she wasn't looking at him. She wasn't even focusing on any certain place. Her eyes were slightly downcast and almost a little crossed.
"You're blind?" he asked. All she did was nod. "Why?" was his next question. All Parker did was shrug, but Jarod spoke up.
"We're not sure. It doesn't seem like there's a medical reason for Chaela to be blind. We were hoping that maybe you could find out." While Syd's heart jumped when Jarod used Parker's nickname, he knew he needed to get down to business.
"The only way I can do that is to regress her. Maybe there was a point where she was conscious, but she's blocked it out of her mind. Would you agree to that, Parker?"
"Yeah. Anything to get me to see again. Or, at least understand why I'm blind." She looked so afraid, and Sydney knew she was at her most vulnerable.
"Okay. We'll start tonight."
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Parker sat back down in the den while Sydney and Jarod put away the last of the dishes. The two men were silent while performing the task, the upcoming event heavy on their minds.
Soon, they were finished, and Sydney walked into the den with Parker. It was decided ahead of time that Jarod wouldn't be present. Sydney sat down and cleared his throat.
"Parker, right now I want you to lay down on the couch. Just listen to the sound of my voice," he said in a soothing tone, "I'm going to count backwards, from ten to one. With each number, your eyes will get heavier and heavier so that when I reach the number one, your eyes will be completely closed. Okay? Ten. Nine, your eyelids are starting to feel heavy. Eight, heavier still. Seven. Six, they're starting to droop. Five. Four, you can barely keep them open. Three. Two, and one, your eyes are completely shut." Sydney watched Parker throughout the process, and determined that she was totally under.
"Parker?" he asked carefully. Her head moved back and forth slightly.
"Yes?" she drawled out with a slight smile on her face.
"How are you feeling, Parker?"
"Pretty good, Pavlov. How about yourself?"
"That doesn't matter now. What I want you to do is go back in time for me, alright? Could you go back to the moment when you were taken by the Centre, okay?"
"Whatever you say. You are the doctor." Her expression went from peaceful to panicked. She started breathing erratically and moving about on the couch.
"What's wrong, Parker? What's happening?"
"Jarod's been shot!" she cried out. "No, don't take him!"
"What are you feeling at the moment?"
"I don't want him to go back," she whispered tearfully, "I'd rather they take me than him. I can't just let him get taken back there. I have to help him."
"So, what do you do?"
"I run to them, but. . ."
"But what?"
"But I get shot, in the chest," she whispered. Sydney closed his eyes in pain.
"I can't go down without a fight," she rasped, "I can't even see him now. They've taken him outside. This is my last chance. I get up, but I'm shot in the stomach before I can even make a break for it." Tears were now rolling down both parties' faces.
"Okay, Parker. Now, I want you to go to the next time you are conscious. Think hard about this time. Make sure it is the very next time you are aware." Parker calmed down, and was silent for a long time. Finally, some emotion came across her face.
"I'm--I'm in a bed. My eyes aren't open, or, at least I don't think they are. But I can hear people talking. Raines. Raines is there. Daddy too. And Lyle? I'm not real sure if he's there, but Raines and Daddy are definitely there. Oh!" she gasped. Sydney sat forward in his seat.
"What is it?"
"They're. . .sticking something. . .inside me," she whispered shamefully, "They're inseminating me." She gasped as shock and horror played across her countenance.
"Parker?"
"It's Daddy's child," she whispered, trembling, "he wants an heir, and he's using me for the carrier." She started shaking violently. Sydney swallowed his disgust and quickly moved on.
"Parker, I want you to leave that time, and go to the next time you're awake." She calmed down instantly.
"I'm in a dark room. I ask someone to turn on the lights, but he says that they're already on. . .I'm blind," she whispered. Tears were now rolling down her face.
"Parker," Syd started softly, "I going to count to ten, and I want you to slowly wake up, okay? One, you're starting to drift upward. Two. Three, even more alert. Four. Five. Six, you're becoming more and more alert with each number. Seven. Eight. You're almost awake. Nine. And ten, open your eyes." Just as commanded, Parker opened her eyes and glanced around the room. Then she found Sydney with her eyes.
"I can see!" were the first words out of her mouth. Then a sorrowful look crossed her face as she whispered, "I'm pregnant with my father's child." Her lower lip began to tremble, but with a will made of iron, she kept herself from crying.
"Parker," Syd whispered, "it's okay to cry, you know. You've experienced a lot in the past few months. You don't have to build a shell around you." He held out his arms and kept a hope in his heart.
After a few moments of visible indecision, the little girl in her won out. She rushed into his embrace and broke down into sobs. Sydney wrapped his arms tightly around her and stroked her wild hair.
"It's alright, ma Cherie," he murmured soothingly. Parker continued to sob for a few minutes. Then, she seemingly dried up. She sat back away from the elderly man and sniffed. She looked, for all the world, like a lost little girl.
"Thank you, Syd," she said in a voice rusty with tears. Sydney only smiled comfortingly and placed a hand against her cheek. Then they embraced once more. Parker snuggled her head against his chest, and soon fell asleep.
In that one moment for Sydney, life was perfect.
Part 17: All That Jazz
Author's Note: I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed this fic and the "Fragile" one, too. Also, I want to thank you guys for the words of encouragement you've offered me. I'm really feeling the stresses of the last two weeks of school, and to top it all off, I'm having major problems with my best friend. Oh, and my boyfriend's great-grandpa died on Wednesday, so now he's all the way in Ohio (about 14 or 15 hours away) and won't be back until Sunday. Just writing these fics and seeing what you guys have to say lifts my spirits. Thank you all, I love yas, and here's the next part!
Author's Note 2: Hey, y'all! The previous note was written a few weeks ago, so it's kinda outdated. I just wanted to apologize for taking so long getting this out. Also, I'm sorry that I started another fic and spent a lot of time on it so far. I had this idea and needed to get it started so that I wouldn't forget it. I hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Wub yas! ~~Samantha (a.k.a. Bethe)
----------
Sydney turned off his computer and sat back in his seat. Jarod had finally contacted him, and he could breathe easier because of it. Ever since Miss Parker and Jarod had been captured by Centre goons, he'd felt responsible. He was the one who left them alone at the cabin. He was the one who hadn't tried to get them back. He was the one who tucked his tail between his legs and ran off to save himself.
Now, they'd escaped, and they were in Oregon. And to top it all off, Parker wanted him. The thought caused his heart to jump slightly. She wanted him like a child wants her Daddy, Jarod had said in his email. If Parker only knew. All she had to do was say the word, and he would become her father for her. He loved her that much. Oh, he was sure that somewhere, deep down, she knew that. But years of training and upbringing kept her from recognizing that.
In that moment, Sydney breathed a silent prayer to whoever was listening, that Parker would finally understand.
----------
Parker let out a string of curses vile enough to make a sailor blush. Jarod grimaced from his place in the doorway as he took in the scene.
"Jarod! I can't do this!" she yelled, hurling a coffee mug at the wall. Upon hearing it hit the wall, she fell into a sitting position, put her head in her hands, and began to sob. After waiting a few more moments, Jarod moved to take her in his arms and try to comfort her.
What had happened before this catastrophe was that Parker was going to attempt to do the dishes without any help, at Jarod's prompting. She had been going fine until she burned herself on the water when she had meant to turn on the cold water. Then, she started dropping dishes left and right. The last straw was when she had sliced her palm on a knife.
"Chaela, honey," he began.
"Don't call me that!" she snapped. Immediately, Jarod retreated.
"What do you want me to call you?" he inquired, his patience reaching its end.
"Call me whatever you want!" she shot back, becoming even more heated.
"I don't know what to do with you!" he yelled, standing up, "You're really starting to piss me off, Parker!" He started to head for the door when he turned back. "When you decide to start acting your age, then you can come to me and start again. Until that time, I'm going to treat you like the spoiled little brat that you are." With that, Jarod left the kitchen.
Parker sat for a long time in shocked silence. Then, in an outrage, she stood up herself and followed in his footsteps. She felt around in front of her, still not certain of her new surroundings, but was too hasty to notice the drop off of the staircase. She felt a bit of surprise when one of her feet met no resistance when it was supposed to hit solid ground. She couldn't stop her momentum by then. She tumbled down the steps at a frightening speed. When she hit the floor, she felt her body grow numb, then she passed out.
Jarod heard the commotion and ran out into the hallway. He saw her crumpled at the bottom of the staircase and felt genuine fear.
"Chaela!" he cried out as he took the stairs down two at a time. He reached her within moments and knelt by her side. "Chaela," he murmured, immediately reaching a hand to her cheek. She was still breathing, but not conscious. He stabilized her neck and moved her into a full laying position. Then he sat beside her and took one of her hands in both of his.
Moments later, Parker stirred. She opened her eyes to a world of black. Nothing new. But she felt Jarod's hands stroking hers, and her heart melted slightly.
"I'm sorry," she whispered in a rare moment of softness. "I shouldn't have copped an attitude when I should be thinking positively." She could feel Jarod turn towards her, and she heard his sigh of relief. She squeezed his hand, and then he gathered her into his arms.
"I'm the one that's sorry, Chaela," he murmured, "I should have known better than to leave you alone in an unfamiliar setting. I was practically asking for you to fall." Parker shook her head.
"No, Jarod. Don't apologize. That's only excusing my behavior. I might deny this later, but I need your help on this. Hold me to that, okay?"
"Alright," he whispered before covering her lips with his own. Parker lost all hopes of rational thought as the kiss progressed. One of Jarod's hands tenderly touched her cheek before capturing it in his palm, deepening the kiss. When they parted, she let out a sigh and rested her forehead on his. Jarod's thumb stroked her cheek. She could practically feel his eyes taking her in. The thought caused her heartbeat to quicken.
"Thank you for being so wonderful," she whispered, moving her hand to the back of his head. Once she felt his hair, she paused abruptly. Then she said, "That's it. You're getting a haircut." She heard his incredulous laugh.
"Why? I think I look good with longer hair," he replied indignantly.
"Uh uh," she replied stubbornly, crossing her arms.
"Alright," he said defeatedly before swooping her up in his arms. "This had better be worth it," he remarked.
"Oh," Parker murmured lowly, "it will be."
----------
Sydney pressed the doorbell once and then waited patiently outside the two story house. Sooner than he'd expected, the door opened, and Jarod had him in a huge bear hug.
"Careful, my dear boy. This old man is more fragile than you remember," Syd commented while chuckling and patting Jarod on the back.
"I'm so glad to see you, Sydney," he whispered before letting go. "And there's someone who's going to be equally happy." Jarod led the older man into the house and into the den. There sat Parker, who was wearing jeans and a blue tee shirt with her hair down.
"Parker," Syd breathed, unable to say anything more. Despite the dark bruise at her temple, she was breathtaking. She had a glow about her that he hadn't seen in a long time. Now that he'd thought about it, Syd hadn't seen Jarod so happy in awhile either.
"Freud," Parker whispered affectionately. It was then that Sydney noticed she wasn't looking at him. She wasn't even focusing on any certain place. Her eyes were slightly downcast and almost a little crossed.
"You're blind?" he asked. All she did was nod. "Why?" was his next question. All Parker did was shrug, but Jarod spoke up.
"We're not sure. It doesn't seem like there's a medical reason for Chaela to be blind. We were hoping that maybe you could find out." While Syd's heart jumped when Jarod used Parker's nickname, he knew he needed to get down to business.
"The only way I can do that is to regress her. Maybe there was a point where she was conscious, but she's blocked it out of her mind. Would you agree to that, Parker?"
"Yeah. Anything to get me to see again. Or, at least understand why I'm blind." She looked so afraid, and Sydney knew she was at her most vulnerable.
"Okay. We'll start tonight."
----------
Parker sat back down in the den while Sydney and Jarod put away the last of the dishes. The two men were silent while performing the task, the upcoming event heavy on their minds.
Soon, they were finished, and Sydney walked into the den with Parker. It was decided ahead of time that Jarod wouldn't be present. Sydney sat down and cleared his throat.
"Parker, right now I want you to lay down on the couch. Just listen to the sound of my voice," he said in a soothing tone, "I'm going to count backwards, from ten to one. With each number, your eyes will get heavier and heavier so that when I reach the number one, your eyes will be completely closed. Okay? Ten. Nine, your eyelids are starting to feel heavy. Eight, heavier still. Seven. Six, they're starting to droop. Five. Four, you can barely keep them open. Three. Two, and one, your eyes are completely shut." Sydney watched Parker throughout the process, and determined that she was totally under.
"Parker?" he asked carefully. Her head moved back and forth slightly.
"Yes?" she drawled out with a slight smile on her face.
"How are you feeling, Parker?"
"Pretty good, Pavlov. How about yourself?"
"That doesn't matter now. What I want you to do is go back in time for me, alright? Could you go back to the moment when you were taken by the Centre, okay?"
"Whatever you say. You are the doctor." Her expression went from peaceful to panicked. She started breathing erratically and moving about on the couch.
"What's wrong, Parker? What's happening?"
"Jarod's been shot!" she cried out. "No, don't take him!"
"What are you feeling at the moment?"
"I don't want him to go back," she whispered tearfully, "I'd rather they take me than him. I can't just let him get taken back there. I have to help him."
"So, what do you do?"
"I run to them, but. . ."
"But what?"
"But I get shot, in the chest," she whispered. Sydney closed his eyes in pain.
"I can't go down without a fight," she rasped, "I can't even see him now. They've taken him outside. This is my last chance. I get up, but I'm shot in the stomach before I can even make a break for it." Tears were now rolling down both parties' faces.
"Okay, Parker. Now, I want you to go to the next time you are conscious. Think hard about this time. Make sure it is the very next time you are aware." Parker calmed down, and was silent for a long time. Finally, some emotion came across her face.
"I'm--I'm in a bed. My eyes aren't open, or, at least I don't think they are. But I can hear people talking. Raines. Raines is there. Daddy too. And Lyle? I'm not real sure if he's there, but Raines and Daddy are definitely there. Oh!" she gasped. Sydney sat forward in his seat.
"What is it?"
"They're. . .sticking something. . .inside me," she whispered shamefully, "They're inseminating me." She gasped as shock and horror played across her countenance.
"Parker?"
"It's Daddy's child," she whispered, trembling, "he wants an heir, and he's using me for the carrier." She started shaking violently. Sydney swallowed his disgust and quickly moved on.
"Parker, I want you to leave that time, and go to the next time you're awake." She calmed down instantly.
"I'm in a dark room. I ask someone to turn on the lights, but he says that they're already on. . .I'm blind," she whispered. Tears were now rolling down her face.
"Parker," Syd started softly, "I going to count to ten, and I want you to slowly wake up, okay? One, you're starting to drift upward. Two. Three, even more alert. Four. Five. Six, you're becoming more and more alert with each number. Seven. Eight. You're almost awake. Nine. And ten, open your eyes." Just as commanded, Parker opened her eyes and glanced around the room. Then she found Sydney with her eyes.
"I can see!" were the first words out of her mouth. Then a sorrowful look crossed her face as she whispered, "I'm pregnant with my father's child." Her lower lip began to tremble, but with a will made of iron, she kept herself from crying.
"Parker," Syd whispered, "it's okay to cry, you know. You've experienced a lot in the past few months. You don't have to build a shell around you." He held out his arms and kept a hope in his heart.
After a few moments of visible indecision, the little girl in her won out. She rushed into his embrace and broke down into sobs. Sydney wrapped his arms tightly around her and stroked her wild hair.
"It's alright, ma Cherie," he murmured soothingly. Parker continued to sob for a few minutes. Then, she seemingly dried up. She sat back away from the elderly man and sniffed. She looked, for all the world, like a lost little girl.
"Thank you, Syd," she said in a voice rusty with tears. Sydney only smiled comfortingly and placed a hand against her cheek. Then they embraced once more. Parker snuggled her head against his chest, and soon fell asleep.
In that one moment for Sydney, life was perfect.