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]

"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!"

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker chortled some more and leaned forward to pat her arm. "There's still time? I accept late gifts? You're even more obsessive than I am? Seriously, just show up and eat cake tomorrow, it's all good!"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I suppose I can do that. Even though I still feel like a dope," she said. "Seriously, I think the holiday fried my brain."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"I know the feeling. It's sad that I want classes to start, isn't it?" Parker fanned out the brochures again. "Although every day of classes is a day closer to graduation. Which I want very badly, and not at all."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Just a bit sad. But I'm right there with you. And hopefully it'll tame some of the chaos." Isabel smiled wryly at the brochures. "Yeah, I can imagine. I don't know what I'm going to do when you guys are gone."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"I'll be writing. You know that. I'll be in yet another foreign country, looking for hot guys. I *have* to write." She sighed. "And bugging the hell out of Captain Jack in reaction to it."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I'll be writing to. Trapped here with yet more newbies." She sighed, rubbing Annie's fur. "Sometimes I think Michael was right. That it's just better to not make ties. Because saying goodbye is going to suck."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"No. I don't miss any of the girls from my last school. Or the one before that." Parker reached out and scratched beneath Annie's chin. "But I'm going to look forward to missing you, Isabel."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Parker being sentimental was something Isabel would always remember. But she didn't want to make too big a deal out of it, knowing it would make Parker uncomfortable. "So I went to see Jarod last night." As segues go, it probably wasn't the best.

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker's breath caught for just a second. "Did you?" She stroked back the fur over Annie's nose, and tried for casual. "How's he doing?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"When I brought him his Christmas presents we'd talked about having lunch over the break," Isabel explained. "And then I had to cancel when I decide to go to LA. I just wanted to let him know I got back. Plus I wanted to make sure he got your presents."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker looked up, alarmed. "He did, didn't he? They didn't hide them from him? Damnit, I gave them chocolate!"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"He got them. Seriously Parker, a diamond collar for the cat and coal for him?" she asked. "What were you thinking?"