Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Broots! "Sydney whispered from behind over Broot's shoulder. "Do you have any news about Jarod?" Broots looked over his shoulder before he could answer. The work at the Centre made him pretty paranoid.
" Ahm...uh..."
"No, he does not." both heard a voice from the depth of the shadow. "But I know where Miss Parker is." Sydney looked at the half-shaded figure.

"Jarod, my God, you are alive!" Sydney whispered with a smile. "You're right, Miss Parker did not show up today. If you know where she is. Say it!" Broots looked at Jarod wide-eyed. "Jarod, six months, no sign of life. Miss Parker-"

"I have a life too, Mr Broots!" Syd recognized a change in Jarod's voice. She sounded more serious, more determined. What happened to his protégé?

"Miss Parker, where is Miss Parker," Sydney's voice became more and more impatient and Broots continued looks over his shoulder made him suspicious.

"No fear Syd," Jarod said haughtily. "Everything is in perfect order." Syd frowned.

"What do you mean, is Miss Parker with you?"

"I did not say that Syd!" his eyes were cold,cold like a iceberg.

"Then please tell us where she is." Sydney asked worriedly, he was always worried about his children. Especially if one of them changed a lot.

"Why? So you can feed her with lies again!" Jarod voice has lost all that Sydney admired. Now his voice was cold, condescending and serious. Syd had not expected that, not from him. Not Jarod, who always saw the good in people. But maybe he had passed that point for a long time. He did not know what had happened in the 6 months.
"Parker is not your property," said Sydney seriously. Somehow Jarod had to understand.

"I know!" Jarod growled at his old mentor. Just six months ago, Jarod was a happy man with a cute little girlfriend.

"Jarod!" Syd tries to restrain him. Cold eyes, Syd looked in cold dangerous eyes, and if it were not Jarod, Syd would run. Jarod glanced at Broots, who looked nervously at his hands. "Are you afraid of me, Mr Broots? "Jarod asked. Broots looked at Jarod. "I would lie if I say no."

"Sydney, Miss Parker was born and grew up in the Center. True. But she is not Centre property." Sharp words. Sharp word. Syd knew that Jarod was right. But ... Miss Parker she was property. Just like Jarod.

"Jarod." Said Syd but Jarod disappeared again in the darkness of the Centre

"Syd," Broots said. "What did he mean by that!"

"He has Miss Parker!"

****
Her head ached, Miss Parker had migraine from hell. Thanks to Jarod. Parker tries to escape the light as best as she could. Unfortunately, this damn room has no curtains, and the light tormented her from all sides. She knew the door was locked because she was too slow when Jarod closed the door in front of her face.

Parker remembered it was just past midnight. He was dressed in black, that was one of the reasons she noticed him so late. One breath and Jarod had already wrapped an arm around the middle of her body. She smelled his aftershave as she gasped.

"Jarod!" she cursed. " You will pay for that!" and put a hand over her aching eyes.

The next Parker remembered. Jarod stood in front of her and her vision blurred before her eyes. Her eyelids become heavy, she no longer had the strength to fight against it. The last thing she saw were Jarod's eyes. She still heard him whisper in her ear, "Sweet dreams."

Parker felt the wind in her face as she started to wake up. Only the cable ties around her wrists make the singing of the birds less friendly.
"I know you are awake," said Jarod and Parker noticed that she was sitting in a car. She moved her wrists, but then felt Jarod's warm hand on her skin. "Don`t!" was all he said.

Parker opened her eyes and looked at Jarod. Jarod did not smile, he did not even look at her. His attention belonged to the street.

Silence was now the new arguing.

Parker took a deep breath and leaned her head against the side window. It took forever, before Jarod said anything.

"You said you changed!" Jarod growled and glanced at Parker.

"I said nothing Ratboy! You said it!"

Now she was here, here in this pretty untidy room. An open cookie box stood on the bedside cabinet and paperwork lay on one side of the bed.
"Great!" Parker's sarcasm was palpable even in the air. "It can not be any better today, I'm in Wonderboy's bedroom." Parker ran a hand through her hair.

How long can a human get along without fluids? Because she did not want to eat or drink anything from Jarod's hands.

In the middle of the night, Parker woke up from her troubled sleep in the corner of the room. She heard a door and steps. She was disgusted and relieved at the same time. Someone came back.

***

The Major turned to Jarod, who was leaning against the kitchen door with his arms crossed. Always with an eye to the upper floor. Where Miss Parker was.

"What's your plan?" His dad asked.
"I dont have any." Jarod said and went to the window. "If I succeed, she wants to stay." Jarod looked out into the deep black night.

"You take her the freedom of choice."

"And..." Jarod asked over his shoulder to his father. When did he had the right to make decisions. Own decisions. Never, because others have determined. The Center always makes decisions, not Miss Parker.

"Jarod we're talking about Catherine's little daughter." Jarod groaned. Not again.

"Innocent?" Jarod asked and looked at his father with his arms crossed.
"She saw her mother in the elevator,and her lover in his own blood..." Jarod took a deep breath. He had to control his anger. "...she was a happy little girl, before the Centre-"

"Son," the Major said.

"No,dad!" Said Jarod loud. "They destroyed her! Why? Power!" Jarod looked at the floor. They simply ripped Parker out of his hands. Have sent her to a boarding school. They manipulated her to hate him. That was the ultimate blow against him. "Parker and I are different, no reason to protect her."

"What about Nancy?" his dad asked, looking into his son's unemotional eyes. Jarod did not want to talk about Nancy right now. Nancy had said something, the night before she left. Jarod, you are a freak. She got up and left the house in the middle of the night.
Miss Parker's words hurt him less because he knows she did not mean it that way. Nancy on the other hand, said it so derogatory, so full of disgust.

"She said, I have needs she can not satisfy." and Jaord poured Scotch into a random glass which was on the table. He did not care if it was clean or used. Alcohol kills everything!

"But Miss Parker can do that?" the Major asked. The shadow of a smile was on Jarod's lips.

"Parker knows my true self, she knows my deep and dark abysses - and I know hers" Jarod looked up from his glass.
"She's scared," said the Major, looking up at the stairs. Jarod gave a contemptuous snort. "Every time Parker admitted her feeling-" Jarod looked down at the bottom of his glass. "She's worried that I'll be one of the list someday."

"Catherine ..." Jarod looked up at his father and nodded.

"And Thomas."

"You are important to her, Jarod. I go to bed. Good night, for you both." and he slowly left the kitchen to his room.

***

Parker raised her head and saw Jarod standing in a cone of light. He opened the door without knocking.

Bloody Hell! " Parker hissed at the light and tried to protect her eyes.

"I wish you a wonderful evening too, Miss Parker."

"Stop the nonsense Jarod, and say what you want!" Jarod grinned and looked at his huntress sitting on the floor in the corner of his bedroom. Whether she was aware of that, he did not know.

"Answers!" Jarod said loudly and stood in front of Parker with crossed arms. He cut her off any escape route. So she had to look up to him. A pleasant shiver came over Jarod. For a moment he bathed in that comforting sense of superiority.

"Dead end, you know that!" Parker said annoyed. What else did he want? "Jarod, the playing cards have been issued, the places have been taken." When did he finally understand that?
"For you, maybe, but not for me!" Jarod's harsh voice made Parker shy away. Jarod stepped slowly aside and the lights of the corridor shone directly into Parker's eyes. She winced and groaned. She had a headache from hell and her eyes ached with every movement.

"Bastard!" she cursed, full of disgust. She wanted to beat Jarod. Full of hate, she looked up at him. Jarod slowly squatted in front of Parker. He looked into her staring wide-eyed eyes and felt her trembling breath on his skin. He saw how beautiful she really was.

"How does that feel?"

"Ratboy, I can break your nose if I want to."

"I'm aware of that, but you're not in position ..." Parker took her head back and spat Jarod in his face.

"I thought so," said Jarod, wiping the spit from his cheek with one hand. "Someone once said to me - I think it was Lyle. Obey! You can not do anything else."

"Are you happy now?!" Parker asked. "Does it feel good?! You can live out your S & M fantasies with your blondie." There he was the sting of a wasp. It did not matter in what position Parker was. the sting was always there.

Jarod put his hand on the back of Parker's neck. He felt her hold her breath as he looked into her eyes while he pulled her close. "Sad but true, but Blondie has left." and gave Parker a kiss, not on the mouth but on her forehead. Without a word he got up and left her in the room. Parker still felt his lips on her forehead and for a brief moment she closed her eyes full of senses.

Chapter Text

“You can't keep her as hostage forever.” Said the Major as his son re-entered the kitchen.
“Why not?” Asked Jarod on his way to the fridge. “The Centre does this all the time.”
“But you're not the Centre.” Without any words, Jarod opened the fridge and reached for the bottle of gin. “I'm not?” he questioned himself and lingered in thought for a moment in front of the fridge. Thoughts about Nancy kept coming back, and her reproaches against him. In moments like that, he wished for the naive times with Nia and Zoe.
But that time was gone, along with the naivety of how he used to see the world. Nancy had finished him off. With the words, YOU are a monster that belongs in a cage.
A deep breath and Jarod noisily placed the bottle on the kitchen table. Where was his innocent curiosity and his deep desire for PEZ.

“Miss Parker upstairs,” his father began. “Is not to blame. That Nancy called you a monster and Emily stopped seeing you as her brother. Ethan warned you to take this step.”
Jarod placed both palms on the table and looked up like a Gangster boss at his father. The bottle of gin in his middle. “Where's the problem, Ethan also said, I should be myself. If I remember correctly, he spoke, Jarod. Don't hide your inner self.”
“Does Miss Parker see it the same way?” The Major pointed over his head. “Is that why she's here? Then I still don't know what you intend to do with Miss Parker. Own her or protect her.”
Jarod avoided his father's gaze. “She's not a monster. Her style is just a bit unconventional.”
The Major sat down and played with the matchbox he found on the table. Jarod reached across the table and took the small box from his father's hands.

“Parker is more than any other woman I ever had. She makes me happy and sad at the same time.” A soft hidden smile was on his lips.
The moment was over and As if on cue, Jarod grabbed the gin bottle in front of him and took a long gulp.
“Have you been thinking about Nancy again?” Jarod looked wide-eyed at his father.
“You always do that when her name is written on your forehead.”

“I just wanted to protect her.”
“You disappeared and left her alone. Right here in this log cabin for a week.”
“I didn't want to fall into the same situation again. You know, the Centre, Zoe, and Lyle. Nancy had a cell phone.” The defense was poor and Jarod knew it. “She could have called me.”
“The cell phone you gave her had poorly reception here in the wilderness. Nancy had poured her heart out to Emily. Not everyone can match your survival instincts. Some can't, others don't want to.”
Jarod put the bottle on the table and left. To the only constant in his life.

*******

When Jarod opened the door to his bedroom, he found himself in a darkened room, and the silence didn't last long as he turned on the light.
“You bloody bastard!” a groan came from a corner of the room. With a goal and a grin, he sauntered toward the corner of the room.

“Whatever you want from me,” Miss Parker began to whisper.

“You on the bed.” he interrupted her and waited for her usual tirade. But there was nothing. Instead, she frowned, swallowed, and bit her lip.

“Good.” It was the only answer she gave him.

He looked down at her in irritation. The answer came too quickly, too easily. That was not Miss Parker.

She raised her eyes and looked up at him. “Right now,” she began with a pause, frowning, knowing his question. “I don't know who kills me faster. You or the migraine. Although…” she began. “You don't have the guts to do it. Because that little girl is still haunting your dreams.”

“I'm serious.” Jarod straightened his shoulders and looked at his huntress. “Get up!”

Miss Parker stood up. Brushed her hair out of her face and closed for a moment her eyes. His huntress took a deep breath and opened her eyes again. Careful not to look into the cone of light next to him. That was the moment Jarod realized it. His huntress suffered.

“Where do you want me?” She asked.

“In the Bathroom.”

Miss Parker nodded but didn't move.

Jarod spoke with raised eyebrows. “Do you have a problem with my command?”

“No, no. Shower is okay.” Her eyes were lowered, afraid of the light and the pounding in her head. “ But I don't know who will bring me to my knees faster.

“Just go to the damn bathroom, Parker.”

Chapter Text

In the bathroom, Miss Parker dropped onto the toilet seat. Holding her throbbing head in both hands, she closed her eyes and wondered why bathroom lighting always had to be so bright.
A deep breath and her attention was sinking, moment by moment. She didn't even notice that Jarod entering the bathroom with a bowl in his hands.
She lifted her gaze and looked at him. “Why the bowl and most importantly, why am I here?”
The gaze, his gaze. Was stubbornly focused on the bowl in the bathtub. No response to her question. Hell, he didn't even look over his shoulder from the bathtub.
“Great.” She massaged her temples and closing her eyes in pain. “I'm in hell.”
“Put your feet in here.” Jarod put the bowl before her on the floor. But didn't look up at her.
“You're kidding me.”
Jarod grabbed her bare feet and placed them in the bowl of almost too hot water. “Do I look like I'm joking?”
“That's hot, you idiot.” Reflexively, she tried to pull her feet out, but he stopped her with his bare hands. Just the contact of his skin on her feet, take her breath away. He was too close, too determined, too fearless. It frightened her. Because Jarod knew exactly how far he could go and mostly how to destroy her.
“Why are you doing this?”
“If it's about you,” he began with a boyish grin looking into her blue eyes. “Am I very possessive.”
Miss Parker closed her eyes with a groan. “Why am I always surrounded by freaks?”
Jarod smirked. “Maybe, it's because you're a freak too.”
Normally she would have countered. Normally, she would yell at him. Damned, She would be at home with a glass of Scotch. Now she was sitting here, in the middle of fucking nowhere.
Jarod noticed her thoughts and changed the subject. “I'm going to brush your hair out of your neck.”
“Just leave me alone. Please.” Miss Parker looked up at him. She had no longer the strength to defend herself. Before she could even wait for his response, she felt something ice-cold on the back of her neck and wanted to jump up.
“Don’t move,” Jarod held her in place. “It will relieve your migraines.”
Looking at her feet, his huntress began to laugh under his hands. “I don't know anyone who is jealous of migraines. You surpass everything.” Too much light and she groaned in pain. “Fuck,” she began to curse.
“You hold your breath.”
“No shit, Sherlock. What would I do without your genius.”
Jarod grinned. “Put your hands in the bowl too and breathe with me.”
“What! Never. You're insane.”
“Be a good patient for once, Parker, and listen to me. Listen to my voice. In and out.”
After moments of pain, she was forced to do the same and waited for the promised relief. She had no other choice and trusted Jarod. At least until tomorrow, when her head stopped pounding and she could think clearly.
“It was never this bad.” she whispered and hoped that Jarod didn't understand her confessed words. But his deep breath and the twitching of his hand on her back. Made it clear, that he had understood her. What Jarod was doing worked and the sleepiness set in her tired body.
“Parker?”
“Mhm…”
“Are you sleeping?”
“Mhm…”
She was too tired to answer anything else. Even if she tried, her eyes were too heavy.
Jarod helped her, threw the washcloth back into the bathtub, and both entered his bedroom again. Without saying anything. She fell into bed and fell asleep immediately. In front of the bed, Jarod looked at her sleeping form. No other woman had ever captivated him like this. Every woman, sooner or later, has to compete with her. Jarod swallowed, leaned down and breathes a kiss on her forehead. “Sleep off your migraine,” he whispered and pulled the blanket over her shoulders.
“Don’t leave me.”
It took a moment for Jarod, to realize, that she wasn't actually speaking to him. No, she was looking for someone.
Maybe Thomas or… One breath and Jarod let the thought die. He didn't want to think about it. Didn't want to think about what Thomas had told him.
That Parker used warning words to stop him from buying her a ring, and that getting married would be the most dangerous thing they could ever do. Thomas didn't understand.
One last look at Parker, and Jarod carefully closed the door behind him. With a deep breath, he leaned his back against the wood. His plan ruined by his own thoughts and feelings.