Fanfic

Disclaimer: I don’t own ‘The Pretender’ or any of its characters. They rightfully belong to NBC, MTM, TNT and Pretender Productions. Man this is getting depressing! I’m not doing this for the money, but for my sanity. Please don’t sue. Thanks, Thunderchild.

Kittens

by Thunderchild

THE CENTRE:

PARKER’S OFFICE:

9:00A.M.

Parker is sitting at her desk doing paper work. Lying on the floor in front of the desk is a White Bengal Tiger. The tiger is lying on its stomach with its head resting on its paws, staring at the door. Lyle walks in. "Hi Sis." The tiger stands up and positioned ready to attack.

"Go get him." Parker told her. The tiger galloped towards Lyle and jumped onto him, knocking him down to the floor. She was standing over him with her massive paws on his shoulders.

"Nice to see you too, Buffy." Lyle ruffled her coat. She nuzzled into his chest.

"OK Buffy, he’s had enough, let him up." She walked around the front of her desk. Buffy let Lyle up and walked over to Parker, sitting at her side. "You OK Lyle?"

"Yeah, she seems to be getting gentler." Lyle stood up and walked further into the office. He barely got inside the door when Buffy pounced on him. "But you can’t say she doesn’t like me."

"You’re the only person she does that too." She rested her hand on Buffy’s head.

"I’m privileged, as long as she doesn’t sink the teeth in." Lyle told her looking at Buffy.

"She won’t, did you come for a reason or just to get pounced on?"

"Yeah, it’s the highlight of my day." He said sarcastically. "No, Broots has a hit."

"About time." Parker walked over to Lyle, away from the desk. Buffy stayed where she was. "Come one Buff." She patted the side of her thigh. Buffy got up and trotted over to Parker. When she stand up, Buffy is as high as Parker’s hip. Buffy is one big kitty cat.

Walking through The Centre, Buffy started to act strangely. She lowered her head and started to growl, deep within her chest. "What’s up with her?"

Parker stopped and looked around. Near the elevator were Raines, Willie and Mr Parker. "Raines and Daddy." She answered. "Buffy, come on girl." She walked over to Parker with her head still lowered. Parker placed a gentle hand on her back. "It’s OK, they’re over there, far away from us." Buffy raised her head slowly. "That’s a girl." She started to walk away with Lyle. Buffy followed her closely, watching Mr Parker and Raines as she went.

"She doesn’t like Dad and Raines much, does she?"

"No, she senses out people to whether they’re good or bad. But she likes you for some reason."

"Ha, ha, ha, very funny, it is to laugh." Lyle says sarcastically.

They walked into the tech room and Broots looks like he’s about to have a coronary. Buffy walked over to Broots and sat down next to him. He started to tremble. "She thinks you don’t like her." Parker said to him gently.

"I do, but I’m scared of her."

"Don’t be." She walked over to them. "Give me your hand." Broots reluctantly lifts his hand. She takes it and placed it gently on her head. Buffy lifts her nose to smell his hand, he tried to take his hand back but Parker still holds it. Buffy started to purr. Parker took her hand away. Buffy rested her head on his leg. "She won’t hurt you, so don’t be afraid."

Broots nodded. "I’ll try."

"Lyle said that you have a hit on where Jarod is."

"Yeah." Broots carefully reached across the desk and picked up a piece of paper. "There’s been a number of robberies in Baltimore. On the forth robbery on of the men was killed…"

"This is all very interesting Broots, but what does it have to do with Jarod?" She asked impatiently.

"Jarod infiltrated the gang after one of them was killed. He’s been there since day before yesterday."

"Good, get the jet ready. Come one Buff."

"Ah, Miss Parker, do you think it’s wise to take Buffy with us?" He asked when Buffy trotted behind her. "I mean something could happen to her."

"Something could happen to her if I leave her here!"

"I could stay and look after her." Lyle suggested.

"OK, but don’t let her out of your sight."

"I’ll take good care of your girl." Lyle smiled at her.

"You better." She glared at him.

"I will come on Buffy." Lyle patted his leg. Buffy laid on her stomach and watched him.

"Off you go." Parker said gently. Buffy got up and walked over to Lyle. "Good girl." Parker and Broots walked to the door. "Keep her in your office." She came and sat in front of Parker. She lifted her left paw and gently placed it on Parker’s right leg. She stroked her paw softly. "I’ll be back in no time." Buffy put her paw back on the ground and walked over to Lyle.

"I’ll take care of her."

"You better or heaven help you."

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

11A.M.

Lyle was sitting at his desk while Buffy was pacing around the office. "What’s up?" She stopped and sat at the door, clawing at it. "What’s out there?" Lyle got up from his chair and opened the door. Buffy bolted out. "Buffy! Get back here!" He ran after her.

Running through The Centre, everyone stopped what they were doing and watched Lyle and Buffy fly past. When they come to the end of a corridor, she would stop, turn around and face him, back arched, head lowered and waving her tail teasingly behind her. Lyle would lunge at her and she’d take off again.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Half an hour later Lyle had, had enough, he stopped and bent over, trying to get his breath back. Buffy stopped and walked back to him and sat down in front. Her mouth was slightly open. "OK, you win I’ve had enough." Lyle raises his hands. "Come on, we’ll go down to your mom’s office so you can get a drink." Lyle walked off weakly with her trotting behind him.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

THE CENTRE:

PARKER’S OFFICE:

3P.M.

When Parker came into her office, Lyle was on the couch sleeping, lying on his back. Buffy was in front of the couch. His hand was hanging off the side and resting on her back. Buffy heard the door open and when she saw Parker she got up and flew over to her. She jumped around Parker, nipping at her knee high coat and tugging.

Lyle opened his eyes when he heard Buffy growling. He saw Parker and sat up. "I don’t have to ask why you’re sleeping." She smiled as she walked over to her desk.

"I was chasing her all over The Centre."

"She was getting bored, weren’t you?" Buffy rested her paw and head on Parker’s crossed legs. "At night when it’s cool enough I take her for a run."

"It shows. She was taunting me, when we’d get to the end of a corridor she’d spin and wave her tail at me over her back."

"She does that so you’d chase her longer. She loves to play games." She stroked her nose.

"Speaking of games and chasing, did you get Jarod?"

"No. But I don’t know why we missed him. He should have been still there, pretending."

"He could have been there longer than what Broots thinks. He could have been there since the first robbery."

"Probably." Sydney walked in.

"You look like Hell."

"I had my own game of ‘catch me if you can’. Buffy wanted to be chased around The Centre."

"You should have got some sweepers. She would have more fun." Parker stood up as she moved Buffy’s head off her leg. "Where’s Broots?"

"He should be down in his office."

"Come on Buff, we have work to do." She left with Buffy trotting after her happily.

"Don’t you just love her ‘I own the world’ posture?" Lyle smiled as they walked after them.

"She certainly has character."

When they got into Broots’ hole, Buffy ran over to him and sat down next to him. He placed a gentle hand on her head. "Broots I want you to keep an eye on that gang, Rat Boy might come back."

Broots nodded and took his hand off Buffy and began to type. Buffy laid on the floor next to him. Parker, Lyle and Sydney stood behind him and looked over his shoulder.

Suddenly, Buffy stood, her back bristled and arched, lowering her head and omitted a growl from deep within her chest. Mr Parker was walking towards them. She started to growl louder and bare her huge canines. "Daddy, unless you want her teeth in your neck, stop!"

"But Honey…"

"If you don’t want her to attack, STOP!" Mr Parker stopped at around 4 metres away from them. Buffy was still growling. "Now take two steps back." He obeyed. "Buffy, heel!" She backed towards Parker and sat down at her feet. She placed a gentle hand on her head.

"Honey, I really think that Buffy should go back with her own kind."

"Oh yeah! And be killed, she nearly died when she was a cub!"

"Now, Honey…"

"Shut up! She has been with people all her life. She stays!" She snarled at him.

"But…"

"No buts! You go before she does. I’m the only reason why she hasn’t got her jaws locked around your throat!" He started to walk towards her. Buffy stood up and walked in front of Parker, head lowered. "Now you might like this translated, to get to me you have to go through her!"

"I’ll talk to you when you’re in a better mood." He walked to the door.

"You’ll be waiting a LONG TIME." He left.

"Miss Parker." She turned to face him. "The people responsible have been put in jail about the death of the thief."

"And?"

"It just says that a mysterious man lead the police to the correct suspect."

"Damnit!" Parker snarled and walked out, with Buffy following.

"Does anyone know where Miss Parker got Buffy?" Broots asked after she left.

"Jarod." Sydney answered.

"How?"

"He was in an animal park investigating the mistreating of exotic animals. One of the female White Bengal Tigers gave birth. Buffy was the smallest and she was been pushed away by the other cubs. Jarod hand raised her. I don’t know the details, but I think he got some special permit for Parker to have Buffy. Somebody from the park comes and checks on Buffy to check her health and make sure she’s in 100% condition."

"Why didn’t Buffy go back in with her family after she was big enough?"

"She did, but her mother didn’t recognise her as her cub, so she fought her away from the other cubs and they ended up beating up Buffy. Next time you look at her face, look under her eye and you might see a faint scar, but the fur is covering it over a little."

"And Jarod sent her to Parker as some kind of body guard."

"Something like that. He knows Parker will take care of her for him." Sydney left.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

PARKER MANOR:

1:05A.M.

Parker was in bed asleep. Buffy was lying next to her with her head resting on her back. Her ears pricked up at a noise from downstairs. She carefully got off the bed and left the bedroom. Parker stirred at the bed moving but didn’t wake up.

Downstairs, Buffy could smell something, she started to growl and walk towards the stranger. "Hey Buffy, easy girl, it’s me." Jarod said gently. Buffy started to growl louder. "Shh, easy, it’s me." Jarod turned on a nearby lamp to illuminate his face, but that just made her angrier.

Parker woke up when she heard the faint growl coming from downstairs. She put on her dressing gown and took her gun out from under her pillow. "Buffy?" She called as she walked out of her room. When she got to the stairs she could see a light was on. She turned all the lights off! "Jarod!" She growled when she saw him cornered with Buffy standing in front of him.

"Sorry Parker, but I just wanted to see my girl." He told her the half-truth. He really wanted to see his GIRLS.

"She doesn’t remember you." She said gently. "Buffy, come here." Buffy stayed where she was. "Back away and sit down on the couch." He backed away and sat on the couch. She sat down at the other end and patted the middle for Buffy to get up. She stayed on the floor at Parker’s end, watching Jarod with her pale white eyes.

"I see she’s doing a good job protecting you." He smiled as she rested her head on Parker’s leg.

"VERY GOOD. She won’t let Daddy near me."

"Thank you for looking after her for me. I really appreciate it."

"No problem. I’m just glad that you trust me with her. She’s gorgeous." Parker scratched her ear.

"I was getting worried about you, been here by yourself. I wanted somebody with you to look after you and what better than a tiger?" He smiled.

"Nothing." She looked down at the head resting on her leg and smiled.

An uncomfortable silence fell between them. Buffy lifted her head from Parker’s leg and walked over to Jarod. She growled softly at him and walked past him then up the stairs. "She’s tired." She smiled as she watched Buffy’s tail disappear.

"And what about you?" Jarod asked her gently.

"I don’t even remember what sleep is. With Daddy looming over me, pushing me to do things I don’t get much sleep."

"But with Buffy sleeping next to you, you should be able to get some sleep."

"The last few nights I’ve been getting a little, but I just feel so tired now, I didn’t appreciate how tired I was until now when I’m catching up on sleep." She rested her head on the back of the couch and closed her eyes.

He moved closer to her. "Do you want me to go?" He whispered in her ear. His breath warm was comforting as it fell on her neck. She shook her head. "Do you want me to do anything?"

"Just keep talking." She purred.

"OK." He moved his mouth closer to her neck and gently kissed her skin. She purred again. He gently moved the collar of the dressing gown and kissed her shoulder, working from the tip of her shoulder along to her neck, then up to her jaw. She let her head loll back and moaned softly. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, still kissing her neck.

"Jarod…"

"Umm?"

"Stop…" He lifted his head and looked at her. "…Teasing me." She captured his lips in a kiss that burned like fire. He fell back on the couch, pulling her on top of him. He undid the dressing gown and gently rubbed the soft skin of her lower back, above the line of her underwear. She kissed along his jaw to her ear and sucked softly on his earlobe. He groaned and held her tighter.

"Parker?"

"Yes?" She kissed his neck softly.

"Would you try and get some sleep if I stay with you?" She lifted her head away from his neck and looked down at him. "I know you mightn’t think that you’re tired, but you are." He gently stroked her face. She nodded and settled down on top of him. "Don’t you want to go up to your bed?"

"No, I wanna stay down here. And Buffy’s sleeping on the bed."

"OK." He took the afghan off the back of the couch and covered her over.

"And I wanna be close to you." She smiled. He kissed her softly on the tip of her nose.

"I wanna be close to you too." He held her tightly. They both fell into a peaceful dreamless sleep.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

PARKER MANOR:

8:30A.M.

Parker was still sleeping on top of Jarod when Buffy came down and nuzzled her shoulder. She stirred but didn’t wake up. Buffy carefully took her hand in her mouth and tugged. Parker jumped when she felt what Buffy was doing. "What’s wrong?" She held herself up with her hands either side of Jarod’s head. Buffy took the cuff of Parker’s dressing gown between her teeth and tugged. "Jarod, wake up, something’s wrong with Buffy." He opened his eyes slowly. It took a few seconds to figure out what was going on. He’s with Parker and she’s on top of him. He thought it was some sweet dream. But she just said something was wrong with Buffy.

He turned and looked at the tiger. She was still tugging Parker’s sleeve. "Get up and follow her." He helped her to get up.

She stood and tied the gown around her tightly. "What’s wrong?" Buffy ran over to the door and started to claw at it. "OK, don’t do that." She opened the door and Buffy flew out. The bright light blinded Parker, she shielded her eyes with her hand.

"You OK Sis?"

"Lyle?" She asked, squinting in the bright morning light.

"Yeah, you OK?" She jumped when he touched her arm. "I was trying to ring but the line was busy."

"I must have left the phone off the hook. What’s the time?"

"25 to 9. I was getting worried." He walked her back in the house.

"I must have slept in." She let herself be led back into the house because she still couldn’t see.

"You sure you’re OK?"

"Yeah, I’m still just waking up. Where’s Buffy?"

"She’s at the door. I don’t think you should come to work today."

"No, I’ll be fine in a little while." She sat down slowly.

"If you like you can call in sick and I’d cover you butt in case someone wants to come round and see you." Lyle sits down next to her.

"No, I’ll be all right in a little while." She sat in the couch and her eyes started to fall close. "I’m still a bit tired." She said slowly.

"It doesn’t matter, you go back to sleep." He gently stroked her head. She fell to the side and rested her head on his shoulder. He put his arms around her and held her tightly.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

10 minutes later she was sleeping peacefully in his arms. "Jarod, I know you’re here. Come out I want to talk with you." Lyle said gently. No one moved. "Buffy, come here girl." Buffy got up and trotted over to him. "Go find Jarod." He patted her head. Parker stirred next to him. "Get Jarod." Buffy trotted over to Catherine’s sunroom and clawed at the door. The door slowly opened. "Jarod, come here." He poked his head round the door and looked at Lyle. "I wanna talk to you." He walked over and sat in the armchair.

"I’m not going back there."

"And I’m not going to take you back, I just wanna talk."

"OK."

"I know you sent Buffy to Parker. I know you still care about her…"

"But…"

"Don’t interrupt me. I just want to tell you to take care of my sister because if she gets hurt in ANY way and your responsible, you’re gonna find out how mean I can get. And now a warning…"

"I thought that was a warning." He smiled.

"No, that was a warning from me about me, this is a warning about Dad from me. Don’t let her get carried away like she did with Thomas and don’t let her turn her back on them for a second because they’ll be there ready to stab her."

"I know."

"Also cover your tracks well. So no one will be able to trace you been here with Parker, I don’t want to see her get hurt. She’s still so much a child and from what I’ve overheard Sydney talking with you and Broots she’s got so much of Mom in her. I don’t want to see her innocence, her heart and soul get hurt. She was wounded when Thomas was killed but she’s still fragile."

"You’ve noticed that too."

He nodded. "I notice a lot about her, I just sit quietly and watch the way she acts around The Centre. I know what she gets like after she’s fought with Dad or when she’s in a good mood. I know everything anyone wants to know about her tactics and weaknesses. I’m going to try and strengthen her weak spots."

"She’s been waiting a long time for a family member she can trust." Jarod said gently.

"I know." Lyle gently stroked her head. She moved her head closer to his neck and tightened her grip around his shoulders.

"She’s safe. And she knows it."

"You’re the reason she slept in, aren’t you?"

"She felt safe and she just slept, until Buffy woke her up and signaled someone was here."

"I’m just sorry I woke her." He tightened his arms around her. She nuzzled into his neck and moved her head so that she was curled up under his chin. He smiled.

"She did that with me."

"She must feel safer when she’s like this."

"She probably does." They sat there in silence and just kept watch over her while she slept in her safe sanctuary of her mother’s house, in Lyle’s warm embrace.

The End of Kittens.

Whatcha think? Good? Bad? Should I steal Miss Parker’s gun and shoot myself? Umm…Maybe not. You know the drill. Gimme, gimme, gimme feedback, I need it to survive.

Feedback: devilish_princess698@yahoo.com.au

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