Las Vegas, Saturday night

[izzyalienqueen]

"Dammit Peter!" Isabel griped as once again she was bounced out of Peter's head only a second after finding him while dreamwalking. When this was all over, she was going to deck him. Or hug him till he couldn't breath, Isabel hadn't decided just yet. In the weeks he'd been missing Isabel had settled into a routine of worrying and attempting to check in on his dreams at random times. It was frustrating, but at least she knew he was still alive. Isabel didn't want to think about calling Sam if she couldn't find Peter for more then a day or two.

Daily check over, Isabel decided to take advantage of a rare Saturday night off by settling in for an evening of short track, bobsledding and whatever else NBC decided to feature for the evening.

[Open for phone calls or surprise visits.]

Comments

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

*riiiiing*

Yes, it's way the hell early in the U.K. But there's still people up watching the Olympics.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Isabel recognized the number and said it was a tiny prayer of thanks that it wasn't Sam. She hated not having better news for him. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Please. Like I'm sleeping before March?" Parker snorted, and then said, "Go go go go go go go go go!" toward her television set.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"For the sake of what's left of your sanity, I hope so," Isabel replied with a small laugh. "Who are you cheering on?"

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"American bobsled team. Gotta love guys in spandex," Parker said, smirking. "Yes! Nicely done, guys... so what are you up to this evening? And I can't sleep. I have too much to get done. I slept last week."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Enjoying a rare Saturday night off," she explained. "I've checked in on Peter, now I'm waiting for NBC to show the damn short track race."

"You'd better sleep. No ulcer repeats allowed."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Pfftt. As if. I don't have time to get sick." Parker dismissed that with ease, then said, "So how is your favorite missing person? What kind of shape is he in?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I honestly don't know," Isabel admitted with a sigh. "He was supposed to find out where he was and we were going to go get him. Except something happened. I have no idea what. Now I no sooner get into his head then he's somehow kicking me out. I know he's alive. But that's it."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"He's copying your power?" Parker hazarded, frowning. "And using it to keep you out, maybe. What a pain in the ass. If he's even doing it on purpose." She sighed and shook her head. "Alive is good, though. Way more than you had a couple months ago."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Maybe," she nodded. "Or some sort of mental shielding be it conscious or unconscious. I don't know. It's frustrating because I want to be doing something and Sam's frustrated and worried and I'm afraid that someday I'm going to have to call and tell him that I can't even get this little glimpse to know that he's alive."

Isabel muted the TV as the stupid Filet-o-Fish commercial came on. "You're right it's better in some ways because yes, he's alive. But it's worse in others. Something's wrong and it's killing me not to be able to fix it."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"It's got to crack eventually," Parker counseled her. "And I know it feels like you've got to do this now, but that's just you guys wanting to see him and know he's okay. You don't have any reason to think he's in danger, do you?" She paused. "Well, any new reasons." Because yeah, not an ideal situation here.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"It sounded like he'd been grabbed by his universe's version of the Centre," Isabel replied. "You tell me."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

And the sad thing is, she can tell her. "They want him alive, Isabel. He may not be having fun-- he may be bored out of his mind and trapped-- but they're not going to do anything to risk their investment. Peter's a gold mine for people of that mentality. He can hang on long enough for you guys to get through to him."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"You're probably right," she agreed. "It's just that every once in a while I start worrying he's not with the for profit people and instead with someone like Pierce and trapped in a damn White Room while they dissect him."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

It's a valid fear, but it's not one Parker wants to encourage. "Don't borrow trouble. If he's been there this many months, nothing ought to change any time soon to make that happen. And you know Peter can be charming. Stockholm Syndrome can go both ways. I'm sure he's made friends there by now, people who'll look out for him. Even if they are working for an evil empire."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I know. You're right," Isabel said. "I just hate not knowing. It's frustrating. But I'll deal."

"So tell me, are the children behaving?" Yes, that was a deliberate change of subject.

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, I get that." Parker went with the subject change with an air of mostly-feigned martyrdom. Anything that would help distract Isabel. "And of course not. The alliances switch daily, Jarod and Kyle versus Alex, Eddie and Jarod versus Kyle, Broots being dragged in without knowing how it happened, Kyle deciding he's going to move to Australia and start a jihad for, I don't goddamn know, the freaking koalas or something."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"At least he's using his powers for good?" she chuckled. "I don't envy you riding herd on the lot of them. Maybe you can drug their coffee with tranquilizers or something."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"I would, but they'd take it an excuse to take over the asylum, and whether any of them are talking to me changes practically hourly. I swear, I did not sign up to be babysitter to a pack of over-hyped genius brats." She really kind of had, though. "I could get Drake to do it, though... he does that teleporting thing, I'd just have to tell him where they all are...." HMM!

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Drake? You've been keeping in touch with the oh-so-charming former demon?" Isabel grinned.

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Maybe," Parker said, teasing. "Maybe I went to Mardi Gras with him this week. God knows I needed it."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Did you know?" she asked, amused. "Good, I'm glad he listened to my suggestion. I told him he should visit you and distract you."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Then I owe you a very large margarita and a long weekend with Wyatt, somehow," Parker said, grinning into the phone. "Drake's insane, but a lot of fun. Sweet, too. Sweeter than I am, anyway."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Change margarita to some expensive chocolate and you've got a deal," Isabel grinned. "I hear Paris is lovely in the spring time."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"I'll make the reservations," Parker bargained, then sighed. "Because vicarious is the closest I'll get there before graduation. Jesus. Did I tell you what my dad wants from me at this point?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Knowing Mr. Parker, it wasn't anything good. "No. I'm almost afraid to ask."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"I'm supposed to track down and find Jarod, or any of the others, over my Spring Break period. Which would be hilarious irony if I don't know what kind of consequences were going to hit me if I don't come up with something within a couple months, at least." Parker grimaced, wishing for a cigarette again. "Someday, we'll look back on this. And laugh. If I don't cry."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Isabel couldn't help herself. She had to laugh. "I'm sorry," she said finally. "The irony got me. But seriously Parker. You've got a collection of super geniuses, and multiple friends with all sorts of weird and wacky skills. There's got to be a way to come up with a plan that will end this once and for all."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"That goes into effect in June, after I graduate. I need a three-month stalling project... and you're right, I just don't want to tell them about this. They'll get so damn smug." Parker made a face. "I'm not a super-genius, but I am a genius, damnit. I can do this myself."

Or not.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Be afraid Parker. Isabel's worry about Peter has just found a new outlet.

"You might be able to do it yourself. But you don't have to," Isabel reminded her. "Don't be a stubborn ass."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Multi-tasking alien worry princess. Jeez.

"That's one of my things, remember?" Parker made a face at the phone. "I'll... figure something out. I have to. Otherwise I'll get stuck with another Lyle and there's no way in hell I want to put up with that." Grudgingly, she added, "I'll ask Eddie for help, he's the least obnoxious about this."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Good. But don't limit yourself to the super geniuses. Remember you've got friends with mad skills as well," she pointed out. "I'm sure Bel or Angel would appreciate the opportunity to hit things."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"That would be good for entertainment value, if nothing else," Parker had to admit. "And I can always go threaten Alex with Angel again. That never gets old."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"It would be amusing. Just don't be dumb, okay?"

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Never," Parker promised. Usually she'd tease Isabel some more, but she had enough on her mind now. "You know me, no stupid risks." She sighed. "And that goes for you too, when you can finally take some action."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I'll bring back-up," Isabel promised. "Lots of it if necessary. Don't worry."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"I'll try if you will," Parker said. "Go go go go -- aw, c'mon! One one hundredth? Nooo!"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat," she said, contemplating tossing something at the TV in frustration. "Woe..."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Wah. Bah. There goes the twenty I bet Sanji. Right."

And they kept watching for a good long while, to paper over worries over things outside their control.