33 Apocolypse Ave, Friday morning

[izzyalienqueen]

Somehow Isabel had managed to keep the conversation fairly light when she'd met Parker in the Perk the night before. The other girl was too travel-lagged and over-tired to deal with news about missing friends and Isabel figured she'd appreciate a night's sleep before having to face the current reality.

Because reality was better faced with food, Isabel was in the kitchen quietly making breakfast. And coffee. Lots and lots of coffee.

[For the housemates or anyone else looking for the alien girl. One of the kidlets is sick so I'll be home and pretty much around all day.]

Comments

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker staggered downstairs around mid-morning, and collapsed into a chair, yawning. "Coffee?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Sorry, it all disappeared. There's only herbal tea now," Isabel teased. Although the smell of freshly brewed coffee clearly proved she was lying as evidenced by the mug that appeared in front of Parker.

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"You're lucky I like you. Threatening to withhold coffee," Parker mumbled, then took a sip, sighing. "I should have stocked up and shipped coffee here after things started getting strange. We could switch to a coffee standard any day."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"That wouldn't have been a bad idea. If we get cut off from coffee how are people going to research?" She'd spent enough time on research detail to know they were fueled by massive amounts of coffee.

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"In shifts, probably." Parker took another sip, starting to wake up more. "I seem to remember a few times like that. Have you heard anything that's been turned up yet?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"There was a radio announcement earlier last night about somethings or someones called The Auditors," Isabel replied. "Principal Winchester says they're behind all this. So at least now there's somewhere to begin looking."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"The Auditors," Parker said in disbelief. "Seriously? No claims of evil? No one saying they're the Terror of the Universe, or the End of Everything? Auditors?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"If this comes down to someone not paying the appropriate taxes, there's going to be bloodshed." She wasn't sure whose, but there would be violence.

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Oh, there's seriously going to be violence. Although have you seen the latest and probably last Portalocity tweet? I may not kill their employee here, given what that said."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I saw that earlier," Isabel nodded. "I almost feel bad for them. It seems like they're just as much a victim as the rest of us are."

"Do you want food? I made French toast." But Isabel didn't wait for an answer and slid a plate of food in front of Parker before getting her own coffee and taking a seat at the table.

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Stupid policies, avoiding admitting that they didn't know anything for too long, though. DDOS attack, bah." Parker dug into the French toast, taking it slow, then asked more quietly, "How are you doing now?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

That question required a slow sip of coffee before Isabel finally answered. "I think I'm just numb at this point," she said quietly. "There's been too many names that I know added to that damn board up at the school. As much as I want to cry at every new one, I can't or I'll be useless."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker reached over to squeeze her arm; then went back to eating her French toast. "It's scarier because it's taken longer. And it's more widespread. Hitting our homes, not people here. But we have to think of it like we do any other invasion." Even though she was finding it nearly impossible to do so. "I'll put up Peter's information when I go by that check-in board."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Exactly. Our families aren't supposed to have to deal with the scary stuff. They're only supposed to get the funny and weird things." God knows her family had been amused when she and Wyatt had turned into little kids on their last visit home.

"Peter's information. That's good." Isabel took another sip of coffee before setting it down. "There are names on that board you need to know about."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker was remembering Angelo's mocking of her as a guy, and hanging out with guy-Zero and ordering massive tons of Chinese food. She shook her head.

Stomach tightening, she put her fork down and reached for the coffee. "Who?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

There was no easy way to say this.

"Xander disappeared on Tuesday. His world is still there for now. Bridge is staying till the end." And while Isabel understood that, it still frustrated her no end. "Anakin got a message from Aeryn yesterday. Whatever that blackness was. It was coming for them. It got her, John and their son."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

The news about Xander was a gut-punch; she'd been braced for it ever since she talked to Anders, and yet... Bridge and Zero would both stay home; they were stubborn like that. Parker took a second to breathe through that, then slowly shook her head. "Aeryn and John. How... I can't see it. I can't see John doing anything but wisecracking his way past this thing and coming out with a quip about how you can't keep him down. Aeryn..." She rubbed her face. "Damnit."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I know. That was pretty much my reaction when Anakin told me yesterday," she sighed. "Whatever this is, it's taking too many good people."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Did Principal Winchester say what these Auditors want? Or what their agenda is? Anything?" Parker's appetite was gone, but she forced herself to eat another bite of toast. "Because it's pretty obvious we can't offer them anything they can't just ... disappear."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"All she had was a name. Which means it's time to hit the books and start researching." After they'd finished breakfast. Given Portalocity's message it seemed like things were picking up speed. Who knew if the island would remain a safe haven for much longer.

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Rapture. This is what I usually have Broots do these days." Parker finished her toast and closed her eyes, picking up her cup of coffee again. "If Portalocity's hosed, there's no way anyone's getting here if they just left."

Jarod. Zero.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"If we can get in touch with." If they hadn't been eaten yet that was. "Wyatt could go."

Isabel would hate every moment he was gone, but she understood not wanting to lose anyone else.

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Zero won't come. I've never changed her mind about anything. Ever. No one has." Parker swallowed and gave up on the last of the French toast. "Jarod... I'll ask." She looked over at Isabel. "Will you forgive me, if Wyatt does go?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

It wasn't so much the going that scared Isabel. It was the getting back.

"It's what he does. If someone's in trouble, he's going to try to help. I knew that when I started dating him."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"It's different when you know someone, though." Parker looked down, turning her coffee cup in slow circles. "We got the first ticket Monday night. He said he'd be right behind me, the next one that was available. I'm so pissed at him.... And he'd be pissed at Wyatt, I think, for taking risks."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

To Isabel, the fact that Parker was quiet instead of raging was proof of exactly how pissed she was. "Wyatt would say it's worth it if one more person got saved."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

That wasn't the same thing as Isabel saying so. Parker looked up, meeting the other woman's eyes. "Nothing that'll get him killed. Or I won't hear the end of it from Jarod." Or be able to live with herself. Her fingers drummed on the coffee cup again. "Serve him right, though. Manipulating me into leaving him." She rubbed at her temples. "I should check into the hotel, too. Or at least see if I can, if Ronan's going to need the room."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

If Wyatt didn't make it back, Jarod wouldn't either so Parker would be safe from nagging.

Parker couldn't live if anything happened to him, Isabel wasn't certain she could live with herself if she didn't ask him.

"It worth checking with Mary. Unless you don't mind sharing a bathroom." Yes, a trivial subject change. Isabel was going into avoidy mode for a bit.

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"This is me," Parker said, switching tracks to smirking snootiness. "I need as much space as I can get. Although I reserve the right to drop in for all meals someone else is cooking."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Well between Ronan and I I think you're covered for at least two of the three meals of the day," Isabel smiled, grateful for the subject change.

"But for now, eat more. You'll need energy to go yell at the Portalcity people." She'd heard about the new office and she knew Parker. It was a logical conclusion.