Room 406, evening

[izzyalienqueen]

After a quick trip down the hall and a weekend of being entirely too damn social, Isabel is ready for a quiet night in with a good book.

The radio's playing, Annie's curled up on her feet and the door is open.

Comments

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker tried to get her mind around Blonde Bouncy Slayer Buffy being Fire Ant Dawn's sister, and failed. "Right. Okaaaay. And no. I was dropping off her Christmas present." Parker popped another chocolate kiss in her mouth before she could say anything else. Innocent here. Yes. Totally. Completely. Utterly. Really.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Riiiigghhhtt," Isabel drawled. "You just happened to stop by the day after she had a date with your ex. The ex you still care about. But that didn't come up in conversation. No, I'm sure it didn't."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Possibly the subject came up." Parker shrugged, and waved her fingers at Annie, letting the kitten bat at them. "She was the one to broach the subject of threats, though. Give Jaye credit for moxie. And I have reason to worry about him. Jaye's a flake when it comes to guys."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"The best defense is a good offense I suppose," she said. Isabel didn't know Jaye well enough to make any kind of judgement, but just from the little bit she remembered of the Cam and Jaye show, she thought Parker might have a point. "Jarod's what? Nineteen? It's not like he's going to marry her and move to the suburbs. No matter what happens, it'll be a learning experience."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker winced at that. Then smirked a little. "Jaye said they talked about a Vegas wedding. If they don't invite me I'm Cheese Whizzing her room. And stealing his cat. He won't need M to play with if he has Jaye." She sighed and picked up Annie, then popped another chocolate in her mouth. "I know. I know. It just had to be said. And I get why that Dawn girl was saying it. New and unpleasant experience, though. None of the other guys I dated had people willing to threaten girlfriends for them."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I'll join you," Isabel offered. "And with a little alien-fu we can probably petrify it so she'll have to chisel it out." At the rate she was hitting the chocolate Isabel was going to have to hit the trainer extra hard in the morning. But that didn't stop her from taking another piece. "Being threatened by Dawn isn't such a bad thing. It means he's a nice guy that has people that care about him."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"I guess." Another piece of chocolate sacrificed on the altar of threat-induced moodiness. "I already knew he was a good guy, though. And--" Parker shrugged, looking aggravated. "It's not like he's in love with me. How much can I hurt him, anyway? Grrr." She smiled a little. "Can we put marshmellows in Jaye's bathtub and petrify them, if we have to?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"You don't have to be in love with someone to hurt them," she pointed out. God knows she hurt Alex often enough.

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker made an impatient motion. "No, but since Weiss just likes me too, and I'm not going to be trying to hurt him, the way I did--" She took a breath. "Anyway. It's ridiculous. We're friends. We're having fun. I'm not going to justify myself to his other little friend."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I know you're not going to try to hurt him. And I'm sure Dawn knows that to," Isabel sighed. "It's just sometimes things happen. So just be careful."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker made a grumpy noise, and bit into another chocolate. "Mmph. Anyway. During the parts of the weekend that weren't Weiss-centered, I took Chris Halliwell on a walking tour of the town. Just to get him used to the place. Have you met him yet?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I have not," Isabel admitted. "But Bel mentioned him to me. He was a little concerned."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Concerned how?" Parker looked surprised, then raised her eyebrows. "Oh. Did he think Wyatt and Chris were going to beat him up for dating Phoebe?"

And cheating on Phoebe. Oooooo.....

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"No, actually he was more concerned about them possibly being demons in disguise," she explained. "Trying to get close so that they could still that book of Phoebe's."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker looked sardonic. "Not the first time it's happened, but I seriously doubt it. I've seen Chris's little magic protection shield. And he didn't try to hurt me when I got, um. Annoyed with him." She examined her nails, looking very innocent. "Neither of them acts like Bel did his whole first year here. Bel just likes making trouble, the jerk. Especially lately."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"That's what I thought, it seemed a little too subtle for a demon. I think he's probably just too stressed about all the changes he's gone through lately," Isabel shrugged. "I haven't had a chance to talk to him much lately. What's up?"

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker ground her teeth, looking irritated. "I can't tell you. I promised. And I'm not sure Bel knows I know. In fact, I'd guess he doesn't." She bit into another kiss, and rolled her eyes. "Let's just say he should be more worried about his own crap than other people's. And if Chris and Wyatt had any idea--" She shook her head and said, "Don't tempt me, okay, Isabel?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Isabel nodded, respecting Parker's desire to keep confidences. "I won't." But mentally she was trying to put the pieces together. If it involved Chris and Wyatt that meant somehow Phoebe would be affected. Bel wouldn't be that stupid would he? To do anything to screw up his relationship with Phoebe? She shook her head, deciding to worry about it later.

"Okay then, happier thoughts. I attacked Cedric with marshmallows earlier."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker nearly choked on a Kiss, and then started laughing. "How'd he take it? Is he getting better, do you think?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"He was a little confused at first. Then he was amused," Isabel laughed before sobering a little. "I think so. His trip home was bad. And he just needs some time to deal with it. But I like to think that if I can make him laugh, I'm helping."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"That much I got. I don't expect to get more details, really. What I heard was bad enough." Parker sighed. "But if I can do anything, let me know."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I turned up on his doorstep with dinner and a movie after we talked last week," she said. "It took a while to get him to talk. He's got that whole British reserve thing going. But if you want to do something? Well I think he needs to know he has friends here. That's the big thing."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Of course." Parker took another chocolate, and sighed. "If I think of something to distract him, I'll definitely try to get him interested." She tapped Isabel's leg. "How are things with you? Greg? Max? Life, the universe, everything?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Surprisingly life is good at the moment," she smiled. "I really can't complain. Greg is Greg, and Max is quiet. Classes look interesting. What more can I ask for?"

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"A pony?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Oh yes!" Isabel grinned. "And I'll call him Peaches. And we'll ride all through town!"

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker chortled. "Awwww. A palomino! And you can braid his hair!" She kept giggling for a while, then said, "Well, whatever you want. Put it on your birthday list, and maybe you'll get sugar cubes and ribbons and someone new to play with."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I'll do just that," she said, amused. "But don't go overboard. A stuffed one would work just as well."