fandomhighdorms | Seahorse Cabin Steps: Quite Late Wednesday Night

Parker had spent half the day sleeping, and half at the dorms. No workshops, and a lot to think about, kept her away from the camp.

Coming back in the dark with a flashlight was made more interesting by thinking of how this is how the extras in Z-Cases always get it.

Seeing Jack on the steps was enough to jolt her out of that. "Hey, wandering guy. You're back." She cocked her head, shining the flashlight around him randomly. "This space taken?"

"Hey, Parker." He held a hand up, blocking the light from his eyes. "I'm the wanderer? I'm not the one traipsing around in the middle of the night." Grinning, he patted the step. "Pull up a seat, there's plenty of space."

Parker shone the light out on the road, and settled in next to him, bumping her arm against his as she got comfortable. "How goes it? Esme says hi." She paused. "Remind me to re-introduce you to her, by the way."

"It goes well," he replied, bumping her shoulder. "And who is Emse? You said she was waiting for you, that time I didn't carry you back to your room, but there was no one there."

Parker rolled her eyes, and muttered, "My pet rabbit." She paused. "The life you save with your next breath could be your own."

Jack snickered quietly, but wisely said nothing. Except, "A rabbit? That's a very cuddly pet, Parker."

"Zero did it," Parker said immediately. "Esmerelda Caramel was just waiting for me in the library. It wasn't even my birthday, or anything." She kicked at the steps. "Maybe I'd mentioned that I wanted one." She cocked her head at him. "Did you have any pets, growing up? Or anything like that?"

"Of course, not your fault. And you couldn't leave a wee bunny to fend for itself." Jack patted her knee. "I think it's nice that you have a pet. And nope, I never had one." He paused, looking kind of sheepish. "I have a plant, though."

"Completely not my fault," Parker insisted, then grinned. "A plant? What kind? And she must be special, for you to commit to having one. How'd you two meet?"

"It's a boy, not a girl." Still looking sheepish, he leaned back on his elbows. "I'm not sure what kind - possibly a magic plant? - and it was a gift." He grinned at that, tipping his head back to look into the sky.

Parker shone the flashlight on his face, caught the grin, then directed it away. "Oh reeeeeally. From?" She quickly walked her fingers across his stomach and tickled him over his ribs, grinning. "Who's been giving you tangible signs of affection, Jack O'Hearts?"

Jack laughed and squirmed away from her fingers. "Stop that," he laughed. "Not fair." He batted at her hand and mock-frowned at her. "Not sure I'm going to tell you now."

Parker pouted at him, shining the light on herself. "You can't resist this face. I know that. Believe me. Telllll."

"You're a strange woman, Parker. Strange and irresistible. Now stop that. It's disturbing." He settled back on the step. "Cedric. He just showed up one day and brought me a plant. For no reason." Jack offered the night sky another smile.

She considered that a moment, then decided, "Sweet. And original. Points for that." She leaned against Jack. "First, a plant. Next, a kitten or a puppy or a weetiny bunny. Careful, guy. You might get attached to this place. And the people in it."

"Yeah, it was." That might have been said just a little softly. "But a puppy? A kitten? I don't think so," he said as he shuffled closer. "Places are just places, but there's already people here that I wouldn't want to lose."

Playing the light out over the path like a firefly, Parker said, "You never know. People stay places they didn't plan to. Same way they leave when they don't plan to." She was quiet a second, then asked softly, "So. How's CJ?"

Jack eyes followed the path of the light. "CJ was..." He sighed. "I've never seen anyone so happy, but so hurt at the same time." He dropped his head to rest on Parker's shoulder. "It was really hard, Parker. I don't like to hurt people."

Parker waited a second, then wrapped the arm without the flashlight around his shoulders. "I'm sorry. I should have realized." The light traced a path back to him, not in his face, but lighting up the area around them. "Is there anything I can do?"

"What you're doing now works pretty well," he said with a small chuckle, leaning into her. "But I promised I'd stay in contact with her, that I wouldn't disappear." He stretched his legs out in front of him. "There's one other thing."

"Ask." After all this, it's not like she's going to say no.

"It's not ask, it's more tell." Jack was silent for a minute, tapping his fingers on his thigh. "When I came back, I didn't just have the recording. I had a letter for CJ. Sealed up in an envelope that said it was only for her."

"She cried when she read it, then she destroyed it." His voice was carefully neutral, because he still hadn't figured out how he felt about this. "Parker," he asked quietly. "CJ would have known things about me that no one else would have, wouldn't she?"

Parker was quiet for a long minute then said, "Yes. I'm pretty certain now that she knew about the time-travel. And all the stuff about your not-really-parents, from things she said to me." She directed the flashlight away from them, down toward the steps, leaving them in the semi-darkness. "And Ten was an alien, he knew about quantum physics, he got your memories back the first time... I think she'd know any other stuff there was to know, too."

Jack nodded. "Yeah I thought so." He didn't know who Ten was, but right now, he wasn't going to ask. "I didn't ask what was in the letter, and she didn't tell me, but after she read it." He tilted his head to look at her. "You know that feeling when you're talking to someone, and you just know there's something they desperately want to tell you, but for some reason they can't?"

"Yes." Parker closed her eyes, wincing for CJ. God, she'd have to e-mail her, or call. Maybe she should have warned her. "I wish it were easier for both of you."

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