Outside Room 406: Friday morning
Jack was tired, unhappy, and the very last thing he felt like doing was facing Isabel.
Guilt, however, was a powerful spur. Add in worry - which he couldn't shake, no matter how he tried - and here he was, knocking on her door.
Either she wasn't in, or she wasn't answering because she knew it was him.
Parker had had roughly the same idea, and some time on her hands, since she hadn't seen Isabel since Tuesday, when she'd been distracted and tired. "Hey, Jack. Isabel in?"
"If she is, she's not talking to me." The rush of relief at the sight of Parker was so strong Jack almost staggered. "Not that I can blame her," he muttered under his breath as he flattened his hand on the door. "Care to take a turn?"
Giving him a speculative look, Parker walked up and rapped on the door. "Isabel? Open up! If you're in, this is a Fashion Police Imperative! I need to see your shoes! And your purses!"
Nothing. Parker cocked an eyebrow. "Hmm. I'm thinking she's not here."
Despite himself, he had to smile at Parker's actions. "I think you're right."
"Wonder where she got to." Parker cocked her head. "Why are you looking for her?"
Jack's smile abruptly disappeared. "Worried about her." He kicked the ground, then slumped against the door. "She was...acting strange."
"Huh." Parker's frown deepened, and she said, "She was tired before, I just figured she wasn't sleeping well. Strange, how, exactly?"
"Strange, like--" Jack stopped, hands tightening involuntarily as he fought conflicting urges. "What do you know about her history? Before they came to earth?"
Parker gave Jack a wary look, and said, "Most of it. I think? Why? Which part are you thinking of?"
"Not me. Isabel. She's been having these dreams, nightmares. She thinks Vilandara's coming out, or invading her, or she's turning into her or I don't know what. God, Parker. She tried to talk to me about it, and-" he dragged a hand through his hair and let out an explosive sigh. "Never mind. But she thinks Vilandra's screwing with her somehow. And she was freaked."
Dawn walked up, missing most of what Jack had said. "Freaked? Who's freaked? I mean, Isabel was totally freakazoid when I saw her Thursday, but it's probably just a mood and not at all the same thing."
Jack abruptly pushed off the door, stopping only when he was right in front of Dawn. He was probably standing too close, but he didn't care. "When on Thursday?" he demanded sharply. "And why do you think she was freaked?"
"Whoa, personal space issues, guy," Dawn said, taking a step back, eyes wide, "I thought she was having a huge bitch attack. Happens to everyone, I guess. And um, Thursday afternoon, at the Perk."
"Sorry." He took a step back and pulled a smile up from somewhere. "Getting freaked might be contagious."
"God, I hope not. That's usually a water supply problem," Dawn grumbled.
Parker was frowning, thinking. "Gremlin bite, maybe? Or magic food?" She reached out to pat Jack on the arm, and studied Dawn. "Anything she said that stuck with you?"
That was when Greg hurried up, holding two cups of coffee. He paused when he saw the group, then approached. "Is she in there? Anyone know how she's feeling?"
"I ran into her Thursday afternoon, and she'd had a full helping and a half of bitch flakes," Dawn said helpfully.
Greg sighed and pulled a bottle out of Midol out of his pocket. "I thought we might need this."
Jack stared at him, then turned back to Dawn. "Dawn? Exactly what time on Thursday?" he asked, keeping his voice calm. "It's important."
"Uh...Thursday afternoon..." She frowned, trying to remember. "Later in the afternoon, but not so late it was dark."
Jack was putting it together with what Cedric had told him and coming up with an answer he didn't like. "Around two thirty, three o'clock?" he asked, looking at her intently. "That sound about right?"
Dawn nodded. "Yeah, that sounds right." She looked at him funny. "Why?"
"Because you weren't the only one that ran into her. Only it wasn't her." He cast a distinctly unfriendly look at Dawn as he said, "And the fact that whoever she was was being a bitch should have told you that. It couldn't have been her, because she was in class with me."
"Okay, random factoid?" Dawn snarked back at Jack, hands on hips, "Just because you're a bitch or in a bad mood doesn't mean you're a completely different person."
"Unless, of course." Parker rubbed her eyes, and groaned as the pieces fell into place. "You have an evil twin. And someone did spot you in two places at once. Damnit."
"Parker?" Jack stepped closer and touched her shoulder, eyes hopeful. "Does that mean you know what's going on?"
"Isabel told me, just a few days ago-- her brother called from New Mexico, there was a second set of alien clones. They're identical to Isabel and her brother and friend Michael." She shook her head, face growing more worried by the moment. "And Isabel's twin, Lonnie? Killed her own brother."
Greg had been watching all of this, pale with worry. "Okay, great, so where's ours?"
"We need to find her." Jack looked at each of them in turn, ending focused on Parker. "We need to find her," he repeated. "Soon. Now. Because I'm damn sure the twin'll be looking for her, too."
"If Lonnie's here, impersonating Isabel it can't be for anything good. Where is she supposed to be right now?" Parker frowned, and said, "I'll check the gym and the dorms first, and keep my phone near me. Of course, great," she shook her head. "I could be running into Lonnie and not know it. We should go in pairs, at the least. If not just one group."
"This would be soooo much easier if her evil twin had a goatee, like she was supposed to," Dawn mumbled under her breath. "She's dangerous? Seriously dangerous? Where would this Lonnie girl go? And does she have Isabel?"
Jack had been thinking while Parker and Dawn were talking. "No," he said. "No. I mean, I don't know if she's got Isabel," he said to Dawn. "But if Isabel's hiding? She's not going to be where people are. She's good at it - she's been doing it her whole life. She's not going to be in the dorms, or at the gym. She's going to be somewhere people aren't. Somewhere safe."
Parker closed her eyes, rubbing her temples, then slowly opened them. "Maybe... it's a longshot. But it's certainly isolated enough." She glanced at Greg, then Jack. "Meerkat cabin? Possibly? She liked coming here to the dorms, when we were in the cabins. And there's no one there now."
Greg nodded. "Check there, then the woods, and maybe the coastline? There are caves and stuff," he suggested. By now, he had a somewhat worryingly, un-Greg-like focus to him. "We need to find her. And soon. Before Lonnie."
"I'll go look by the water and in the caves, if someone wants to come with me," Dawn offered. "And I think the attitude should be a giveaway, if we can get her to talk."
"True. Jack?" Parker caught his gaze, and jerked her head. "You and me, and Meerkat? And Dawn and Greg for the caves?"
Jack nodded and shifted to stand next to Parker. "Works for me if it works for Greg."
"We all call if we find her," Greg said with a nod as he went to stand beside Dawn.
"Let's go be intrepid explorers," Dawn said, looking at Greg. "We'll find her, I promise."
Greg nodded, and offered Dawn the cup of coffee he'd brought for Isabel as they headed off down the hallway.
"C'mon, Jack. Before that alien Xerox finds her first." Parker stalked for the stairway. "I'll grab my gun on the way out. It'll at least give her something to think about."
Jack followed Parker down the hall, pushing aside the implications of Isabel having a twin. He could think about it later. Right now, they just had to find her. "Can I have one? I promise not to shoot anyone unless it's absolutely necessary."
Parker pushed open the firedoor, and started clattering down the stairs. "We need to get you one, so it's not in question. But you can borrow one of mine, this time." She swung around one step. "And I'm holding you to that.
After a quick stop by the weapons locker, they headed for the cabins.
As they made their way to the cabins, Jack barely restraining himself to a walk, he saw no reason to mention that his definition of absolutely necessary might be different from Parker's.
He looked up as they reached the cabin. "There it is."
"Let's just hope she's there." Parker paused. "The right she." She lifted her hand to the cabin door, and knocked.
They waited on the doorstep for a moment, then Parker turned the knob, and opened the cabin door...
[ooc: pre-played with mparker17, lilpunkinbelly, and likeasponge, no interaction possible]
Guilt, however, was a powerful spur. Add in worry - which he couldn't shake, no matter how he tried - and here he was, knocking on her door.
Either she wasn't in, or she wasn't answering because she knew it was him.
Parker had had roughly the same idea, and some time on her hands, since she hadn't seen Isabel since Tuesday, when she'd been distracted and tired. "Hey, Jack. Isabel in?"
"If she is, she's not talking to me." The rush of relief at the sight of Parker was so strong Jack almost staggered. "Not that I can blame her," he muttered under his breath as he flattened his hand on the door. "Care to take a turn?"
Giving him a speculative look, Parker walked up and rapped on the door. "Isabel? Open up! If you're in, this is a Fashion Police Imperative! I need to see your shoes! And your purses!"
Nothing. Parker cocked an eyebrow. "Hmm. I'm thinking she's not here."
Despite himself, he had to smile at Parker's actions. "I think you're right."
"Wonder where she got to." Parker cocked her head. "Why are you looking for her?"
Jack's smile abruptly disappeared. "Worried about her." He kicked the ground, then slumped against the door. "She was...acting strange."
"Huh." Parker's frown deepened, and she said, "She was tired before, I just figured she wasn't sleeping well. Strange, how, exactly?"
"Strange, like--" Jack stopped, hands tightening involuntarily as he fought conflicting urges. "What do you know about her history? Before they came to earth?"
Parker gave Jack a wary look, and said, "Most of it. I think? Why? Which part are you thinking of?"
"Not me. Isabel. She's been having these dreams, nightmares. She thinks Vilandara's coming out, or invading her, or she's turning into her or I don't know what. God, Parker. She tried to talk to me about it, and-" he dragged a hand through his hair and let out an explosive sigh. "Never mind. But she thinks Vilandra's screwing with her somehow. And she was freaked."
Dawn walked up, missing most of what Jack had said. "Freaked? Who's freaked? I mean, Isabel was totally freakazoid when I saw her Thursday, but it's probably just a mood and not at all the same thing."
Jack abruptly pushed off the door, stopping only when he was right in front of Dawn. He was probably standing too close, but he didn't care. "When on Thursday?" he demanded sharply. "And why do you think she was freaked?"
"Whoa, personal space issues, guy," Dawn said, taking a step back, eyes wide, "I thought she was having a huge bitch attack. Happens to everyone, I guess. And um, Thursday afternoon, at the Perk."
"Sorry." He took a step back and pulled a smile up from somewhere. "Getting freaked might be contagious."
"God, I hope not. That's usually a water supply problem," Dawn grumbled.
Parker was frowning, thinking. "Gremlin bite, maybe? Or magic food?" She reached out to pat Jack on the arm, and studied Dawn. "Anything she said that stuck with you?"
That was when Greg hurried up, holding two cups of coffee. He paused when he saw the group, then approached. "Is she in there? Anyone know how she's feeling?"
"I ran into her Thursday afternoon, and she'd had a full helping and a half of bitch flakes," Dawn said helpfully.
Greg sighed and pulled a bottle out of Midol out of his pocket. "I thought we might need this."
Jack stared at him, then turned back to Dawn. "Dawn? Exactly what time on Thursday?" he asked, keeping his voice calm. "It's important."
"Uh...Thursday afternoon..." She frowned, trying to remember. "Later in the afternoon, but not so late it was dark."
Jack was putting it together with what Cedric had told him and coming up with an answer he didn't like. "Around two thirty, three o'clock?" he asked, looking at her intently. "That sound about right?"
Dawn nodded. "Yeah, that sounds right." She looked at him funny. "Why?"
"Because you weren't the only one that ran into her. Only it wasn't her." He cast a distinctly unfriendly look at Dawn as he said, "And the fact that whoever she was was being a bitch should have told you that. It couldn't have been her, because she was in class with me."
"Okay, random factoid?" Dawn snarked back at Jack, hands on hips, "Just because you're a bitch or in a bad mood doesn't mean you're a completely different person."
"Unless, of course." Parker rubbed her eyes, and groaned as the pieces fell into place. "You have an evil twin. And someone did spot you in two places at once. Damnit."
"Parker?" Jack stepped closer and touched her shoulder, eyes hopeful. "Does that mean you know what's going on?"
"Isabel told me, just a few days ago-- her brother called from New Mexico, there was a second set of alien clones. They're identical to Isabel and her brother and friend Michael." She shook her head, face growing more worried by the moment. "And Isabel's twin, Lonnie? Killed her own brother."
Greg had been watching all of this, pale with worry. "Okay, great, so where's ours?"
"We need to find her." Jack looked at each of them in turn, ending focused on Parker. "We need to find her," he repeated. "Soon. Now. Because I'm damn sure the twin'll be looking for her, too."
"If Lonnie's here, impersonating Isabel it can't be for anything good. Where is she supposed to be right now?" Parker frowned, and said, "I'll check the gym and the dorms first, and keep my phone near me. Of course, great," she shook her head. "I could be running into Lonnie and not know it. We should go in pairs, at the least. If not just one group."
"This would be soooo much easier if her evil twin had a goatee, like she was supposed to," Dawn mumbled under her breath. "She's dangerous? Seriously dangerous? Where would this Lonnie girl go? And does she have Isabel?"
Jack had been thinking while Parker and Dawn were talking. "No," he said. "No. I mean, I don't know if she's got Isabel," he said to Dawn. "But if Isabel's hiding? She's not going to be where people are. She's good at it - she's been doing it her whole life. She's not going to be in the dorms, or at the gym. She's going to be somewhere people aren't. Somewhere safe."
Parker closed her eyes, rubbing her temples, then slowly opened them. "Maybe... it's a longshot. But it's certainly isolated enough." She glanced at Greg, then Jack. "Meerkat cabin? Possibly? She liked coming here to the dorms, when we were in the cabins. And there's no one there now."
Greg nodded. "Check there, then the woods, and maybe the coastline? There are caves and stuff," he suggested. By now, he had a somewhat worryingly, un-Greg-like focus to him. "We need to find her. And soon. Before Lonnie."
"I'll go look by the water and in the caves, if someone wants to come with me," Dawn offered. "And I think the attitude should be a giveaway, if we can get her to talk."
"True. Jack?" Parker caught his gaze, and jerked her head. "You and me, and Meerkat? And Dawn and Greg for the caves?"
Jack nodded and shifted to stand next to Parker. "Works for me if it works for Greg."
"We all call if we find her," Greg said with a nod as he went to stand beside Dawn.
"Let's go be intrepid explorers," Dawn said, looking at Greg. "We'll find her, I promise."
Greg nodded, and offered Dawn the cup of coffee he'd brought for Isabel as they headed off down the hallway.
"C'mon, Jack. Before that alien Xerox finds her first." Parker stalked for the stairway. "I'll grab my gun on the way out. It'll at least give her something to think about."
Jack followed Parker down the hall, pushing aside the implications of Isabel having a twin. He could think about it later. Right now, they just had to find her. "Can I have one? I promise not to shoot anyone unless it's absolutely necessary."
Parker pushed open the firedoor, and started clattering down the stairs. "We need to get you one, so it's not in question. But you can borrow one of mine, this time." She swung around one step. "And I'm holding you to that.
After a quick stop by the weapons locker, they headed for the cabins.
As they made their way to the cabins, Jack barely restraining himself to a walk, he saw no reason to mention that his definition of absolutely necessary might be different from Parker's.
He looked up as they reached the cabin. "There it is."
"Let's just hope she's there." Parker paused. "The right she." She lifted her hand to the cabin door, and knocked.
They waited on the doorstep for a moment, then Parker turned the knob, and opened the cabin door...
[ooc: pre-played with mparker17, lilpunkinbelly, and likeasponge, no interaction possible]