MCA Apartment Zero (not Pi), Sunday Evening

[needsaparrot]

Waiting around to hear from certain people who dropped major bombshells on him then ran off to spend the weekend someplace that might possibly have corpses? Why no. Alternating that with worry about other people, just for a change of pace? Of course not.

After all, Xander'd had a busy week. He'd rented two apartments (three if you counted the one for the chalk), met or re-met a bunch of very pretty interesting arms people, and been called cute on the radio. Plenty to think about that wasn't corpse-related.

So not thinking about that. At all. Nope.

[OOC: for a couple of returning wayfarers.]

Comments

[needsaparrot]

"I was picking up a Slayer. The Centre was looking for girls with super strength, speed, and reflexes. Other-you didn't go into specifics about what for, but it didn't involve puppies and trips to Disneyland." Xander watched her carefully for a reaction.

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Sonuvabitch." Parker put her head in her hands, nearly knocking over her wineglass as she started calculating the possibilities of that, and what would happen if the Centre succeeded in acquiring a Slayer, and how the hell she could head that off at the pass.... Part of what Xander said snagged her attention, and Parker's head snapped up to stare at him in shock. "I never mentioned-- she told you about the Centre?"

[needsaparrot]

"Couple of Sweepers busted into the room we were staying in, drugged the girl and dragged her out. Other-Parker... " He smiled,a small, twisted one. "Miss Parker, wasn't exactly on the same page as they were, but she didn't know who I was working for. Didn't know if she could trust me."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

And she needed another drink or a cigarette in order to deal with that one. Parker refrained from either, just shook her head, trying to picture it, and frowning. Then it slotted together: another her, working against the Centre and playing both sides, and meeting Xander, and trying not to get caught....

It made her head hurt.

Parker took another gulp of wine. "She pointed a gun at you, didn't she?"

[needsaparrot]

Xander shrugged, though it wasn't shrugworthy. "Wasn't the first time." Though it was the first and only time she'd ever pointed a gun at him. "If she'd thought I planned to hurt Kristen - the Slayer - she'd probably have blown my head off before she walked out of that room. Glad she didn't, but I admire the sentiment."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Well, sure." Parker pushed the wineglass away; it wasn't helping, and she was still two steps behind Xander on this. "Miss Parker." She wrapped her arms around herself, fighting a shudder. "That's what I'm called when I'm there, always, ever since I was little..." Parker shook her head, feeling exposed and off-balance. "I should apologize, except it wasn't me; and it wasn't her idea, I'm guessing, and she couldn't know she could trust you, and--" She bit her lip, staring at Xander, and wishing she hadn't left all those phone messages. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

[needsaparrot]

Which Xander was not. Slow on the uptake sometimes, yes, but he'd had quite a while to think about this one. "So this big secret project that you've got Bridge and Willow and Weiss helping on.... that's about the same place she was working for? Or against, kind of, I think."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"My father's corporation." Parker bit her lip, and fiddled with the wineglass. "The main office is a think tank in Blue Cove." She swallowed, not looking at him. "Bridge and Willow don't know that much, really. I shouldn't have left those messages. But I thought you wouldn't get them for years."

[needsaparrot]

"I gather Cal was thinking the same thing," Xander said drily. "Please tell me you weren't using the same logic, because hers sucks."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker frowned, then blinked her eyes wide as his meaning hit her. "God, no. I just thought it would be six or seven years until you got them, and this little project would be completely over by then. And I'd be able to tell you about it without risking--" She sighed in resignation. "You trying to stop me. So, some logic in common with Cal. Just not quite so drastic."

[needsaparrot]

"This seems to be my week for getting it driven home that there's not a lot I can do about stopping people I care about from sticking themselves in danger, like I didn't already know that one," Xander said, making a face. "I guess my only question is whether it's the right kind of danger - the crazydumb kind that Cal put herself in, or the kind that's worth it."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Worth it, totally worth it." Parker sighed, rubbing her eyes. "Um. At least I think so." Quiet for a moment, tilting her glass back and forth, she finally said, "I'm trying to find the person who killed my mother. I'm almost there. And then, well...." She raised an eyebrow. "How much did Miss Parker tell you, anyway?"

[needsaparrot]

"Not a lot. She trusted me to hold a gun to her head for about three minutes. Information... yeah, not so much." Xander set his glass down, shifting in his chair to face her more directly. "I do know she didn't know about Angelo. Somebody told her that her brother was a guy named Lyle."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Lyle?" Parker frowned, thinking. "Maybe they named him that instead of... Well." Maybe her older twin grew up with a brother who wasn't all but autistic. Parker suddenly hated that woman, just a little. "And I can see her not telling you anything. Even though if there's a Centre in your world, you probably should know about it."

[needsaparrot]

Xander shook his head. "She knew Angelo, just didn't think he was her brother - though she seemed pretty over the moon about the idea. She didn't say much about much, but enough to know this Lyle guy was bad news. In fact--" he added, remembering and giving a shudder that was more about tonight than back then, "She actually used the word cannibal about him."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker stared. "Oh my God, please let that have been a metaphor." She swallowed. "Especially after this weekend." She shook her head, looking nauseated. "I don't know any Lyle. But I'd trust Bridge's instincts, and Angelo's, over any blood test. Which means the Centre is probably messing with her. Again."

[needsaparrot]

"Meaning they've messed with you." Xander laced his fingers together. "The whole thing with Angelo, your mom - it's all about that place, isn't it."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker stared at him, and finished her second glass of wine. "Yes." There was no good way to start telling Xander about it; she didn't know where the beginning of this story was any more. So she just dived in. "They hurt people. Not even in the name of science, though that's what they'd claim if you tried to call them on it. They do it for profit, and power. Any Slayer that ends up there would be lucky to be dissected." She looked away, and reached for a wonton, trying not to think of what she was doing as she bit into it, chewing and swallowing. "The Centre used to do good things. Protect people, design peace accords, cancer research...."

[needsaparrot]

"Probably River's government did too," Xander pointed out. Then, "And, y'know, ours. But hopefully we're not putting stuff in the oxygen supply yet."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"The Centre's not a duly elected anything, though." Parker took another sip of her wine, another bite of food, feeling the alcohol start to hit, and hit hard. "But yeah. If you think I don't see the parallels, you're wrong." She toasted him. "Which is why I-- and probably Miss Parker-- are trying to raze the place to the ground. One brick at a time."

[needsaparrot]

He hadn't asked before - all of Xander's bricks had been invested in rebuilding something that had already been torn down, and anyway he'd known what the answer would be. He asked now, though. "Can I help?"

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker blinked at him, and put down her wineglass, then grinned at him very wearily. "I wish. I mean-- the next few bits are all, um... fairly illegal. You probably don't want in on that." She poked at the shrimp, then added in a very low voice, "But I could use someone to talk to, sometimes. I don't want to put too much on Weiss all the time."

[needsaparrot]

"I just bailed my Slayer out of jail for robbing the chocolate shop," Xander pointed out with a snerk. "Which isn't the least legal thing the Watchers' Council ever gets up to. But you probably do have people who're better at that than me." He nodded. "And you need somebody to listen, I'm here. Also available for telling you you're being a dumbass if needed, free of charge."

Granted it might net him some footwear-related injuries, but he was willing to risk it.

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker snorted into her wineglass, and started to get the boneless feeling that being drunk and not caring inflicted on her. "Thanks. Awesome. I feel like I should apologize, almost. All those messages while you were gone, and now you know all *this* stuff, and you know, you get sick of hearing about it, pour me into a cab."

[needsaparrot]

"I spent six years with three voicemails and a couple of soundfiles to listen to," Xander answered slowly. "You think I mind finding out you guys were trying to talk to me while I was gone, or hearing from you now?"