Room 234/236 : Sunday night/Monday morning
After last night's news from Anders about Bel, a very short sleep, then getting up to say good-bye to Isabel, then drinking with Jack at Caritas, finding out about the invasion from Rose, and then sorta-drunk-dialing Angel and Logan, Parker was a little wound up. She decided to kill time until she got tired by studying the Rumor file. Until 4am.
She finally fell asleep at her desk, and dreamed....
...and Isabel walked away into a swirl of purple light. Parker was hugging herself and she was cold, so cold, but hollow inside because this was how it had to be. And her sword was no good against portals. When she turned she was walking down the halls of the Centre, holding the hand of ten-year-old Maureen. Can we leave? Can we go somewhere else?
There is nowhere else, she told Maureen. We live here.
They stopped down the hall from the elevator, and Maureen sniffled, hiding behind her. I'm scared. I'm scared of her.
I'm not.
Brigitte stood there, aiming a gun into the elevator. Parker stepped forward, raising her sword without thinking about it, as quickly as Alanna had taught her, and then Brigitte had a slash across her torso, cutting her in two, shoulder to hip, and startled eyes were looking at Parker as she dropped her gun, falling into pieces--
And the reflection on the elevator wall wasn't Parker, it was Drusilla. And she was smiling. Sharp nails reached for Parker, and raked down her arms, pain shooting through her from her hands
"Ahh!" Parker sat up in her chair, jolted awake as Annie pulled back a paw, and the scratches on her hand were real. "Fine, okay? Fine. Time to get you to bed. As well as me." She made a bed for Annie next to the daybed, and treated the scratches on her hand. Then went to bed. But did not sleep.
She finally fell asleep at her desk, and dreamed....
...and Isabel walked away into a swirl of purple light. Parker was hugging herself and she was cold, so cold, but hollow inside because this was how it had to be. And her sword was no good against portals. When she turned she was walking down the halls of the Centre, holding the hand of ten-year-old Maureen. Can we leave? Can we go somewhere else?
There is nowhere else, she told Maureen. We live here.
They stopped down the hall from the elevator, and Maureen sniffled, hiding behind her. I'm scared. I'm scared of her.
I'm not.
Brigitte stood there, aiming a gun into the elevator. Parker stepped forward, raising her sword without thinking about it, as quickly as Alanna had taught her, and then Brigitte had a slash across her torso, cutting her in two, shoulder to hip, and startled eyes were looking at Parker as she dropped her gun, falling into pieces--
And the reflection on the elevator wall wasn't Parker, it was Drusilla. And she was smiling. Sharp nails reached for Parker, and raked down her arms, pain shooting through her from her hands
"Ahh!" Parker sat up in her chair, jolted awake as Annie pulled back a paw, and the scratches on her hand were real. "Fine, okay? Fine. Time to get you to bed. As well as me." She made a bed for Annie next to the daybed, and treated the scratches on her hand. Then went to bed. But did not sleep.