Room 406, morning

[izzyalienqueen]

Isabel still felt a bit guilty about leaving Annie behind while she was in LA so she decided to spend the morning making it up to her. Mostly that meant using her powers to send a small toy mouse zooming around the room for the cat to stalk.

The door was open so she could meet some of the new or even not so new people if any happened to wander by.

Comments

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Forget Harvard, they have no standards. Look who graduated their business school." She picked up the brochure for Oxford and flipped through it. "If your dad wants you to go to one of those two schools, is it worth it to fight to go to a different school? I know it's your life. But with every thing you want to do, is it worth it to make things more difficult? Just to prove a point?"

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker snorted. "True enough." She bit her lip. "I just-- it wasn't just to make a point. Harvard really doesn't appeal to me that much. Although I think I'll get the MBA there, they have a combined legal program that's good." She sighed, tracing a finger over the Oxford brochure. "Sydney knows people on the faculty in England."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"And I know you've mentioned the European branches of the Centre," Isabel pointed out. "So you could get involved there. And think about it. You would be the Parker they would get to know. You'd be the one that's there more. That can't hurt."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker tapped the brochure again, and finally opened it, thinking. "That... could be useful, yeah. London's only a short train ride away. I could go up on weekends." She traced a finger down the names of the colleges: Magdalen, St. Hilda's, Pembroke.... "And they have a really excellent economics and business program. Plus, Oriental Languages. I could pick up Arabic and Chinese there, and improve my Russian too...."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"And it's Oxford. In Europe, to the uneducated peons over here it'll give your degree a certain flair," she said. Isabel shook her head at Parker's plans. "You are ambitious aren't you?"

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"I have to be. Nepotism will get me fairly far at the Centre, but it also means I'll have a thousand people watching me and hoping I screw up. I have to be better, and to look better, and smarter, and more in control." Parker's jaw set. "I wanted to show Daddy I could do it my own way, in a way he wouldn't approve of, but... damnit. I like the Oxford program." She shoved a hand through her hair, fretting. "But I'd be leaving Angelo on his own here."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I think it sounds perfect for you. And you don't need the added stress," Isabel said sincerely. "Even though I have absolutely no doubt you'd be able to do it. As for Angelo, I think he'll be fine. Plus, at the first sign of trouble, you can be on the corporate jet swooping in like some sort of avenging angel."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker smirked for a second. "I suppose that's true." She tapped the brochure, and the smirk widened. "I talked to Captain Jack last night. You know his office is in Cardiff, right?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"You did? I hope the hell you ripped him a new asshole. What the hell was he thinking sending Jack to those bastards?" Yes, Isabel is still a bit upset about the flinching.

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Oh, he got an earful, believe it. Old business, new business, and the Time Agency being made up of sadists... grrr." Parker snarled a bit. "To be fair, Jack keeps inviting it. And unless we can talk him out of his Time Agent career, it's going to *keep* happening. And if this stupidity thus far hasn't gotten him to quit, I'm not sure anything will."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"There's always locking him in a closet," Isabel proposed. She was mostly joking. "You've seen him since he came back then?"

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Yup. Had a long chat about what happened. I am so not thrilled with those guys. But maybe Jack can make all this mess worth it, once he's an Agent." She sighed, then smirked. "Hey. Captain Jack's office is in Cardiff. That's not too far away." Parker grinned wickedly. "I can go bug him, if I'm on the same puny island that he's on."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Did he tell you anything specific?" she asked, still wondering. "He just told me that they used what was in his head. But the thing is, when I hugged him, he flinched." Isabel tipped her head back against the wall and sighed. "It just makes me wonder what happened. Why he would react to me like that. But I guess it doesn't matter. It's over, for now at least."

Annie stopped stalking Parker's shoes and sauntered over to Isabel. "I suppose this means I'm going to need to go visit you and the Captain then. I suppose a Captain Jack to bother is better then no Jack at all."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"No, nothing specific." Parker kept her eyes on the brochures, unwilling to tell Isabel what she suspected. "Although he did ask me if anyone tried to find him last year, when he disappeared." Her mouth twisted. "Which reminds me, I have to send him the copy of the letter I wrote him while he was gone." She looked up. "And hell yes, you have to visit. Inga and Madelaine can have just as much fun in Oxford and London as at Venice Beach."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Isabel nodded, pretty sure that even if Parker knew, she wouldn't break Jack's confidences. "I feel bad when I think about that. But back then, he was just this cute guy to flirt with in History of Art. He wasn't important to me and I really didn't notice he was gone other then missing the eye candy."

"You better have a spare bed then, cause I intend to."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"I noticed, but we weren't as close as we are now. I just thought he was off having fun, and forgot to leave a note." Parker sighed. "Although I know now we couldn't have done anything to find him, it still freaks me out. I just-- gah. Don't get me started. I'll end up ranting like I did at Captain Jack again." She grinned, holding up a picture of the Oxford rowing crew, sans shirts. "Oh, you better believe it. You're visiting come Spring Term, yes?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I won't. But if it happens again, the first stop is Cardiff and the Captain right?" Isabel eyes glazed over. "When's crew season? I'll be there for crew season. It'll be like Muscle Beach all over again!"

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Got that right. If I can't torment the Jack I know, I'll torment the Jack I've got." Parker grinned wickedly. "Spring Break, 2008? You are *so* on the banks of the Thames with me!"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"That's a plan," she agreed. "God, I can't believe we're discussing Spring Break for next year already. It was only a year ago today that I wandered in from the causeway with my bag."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Wow. Time *has* gone by, hasn't it?" Parker shook her head. "This time last year I had no idea who you were." She grinned suddenly. "One more good thing out of 2006."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Awww thanks," Isabel grinned, bumping her shoulder against Parker's. "On a whole, 2006 was mostly a good year." She thought back to those first few days at the school, how she'd tried to meet people. And then she headwalled. "Oh my god, I'm such an idiot!"

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker stared. "What? Why are you having a seizure? Also, cut that out, it's disturbing."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"No! I forgot tomorrow was your birthday."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker started laughing. "God, I thought you'd just realized some alien mating ritual had to be completed, or that you were going to have to drop out of school! It's fine. Yes, tomorrow's my eighteenth. It's okay, Isabel, I didn't remind anyone."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"But you're one of my best friends!!! I should have remembered! I keep a planner for things like this!" she protested. "You're gift should have been purchased and tastefully wrapped last month!"