The Unexpected Guest

Chapter 14

Rated: PG

Spoilers: Season 4

Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine. You know the drill.

 

 

The Unexpected Guest

By Nicky

 

Chapter 14

 

 

 

The next morning at the Centre, Lyle sleepily rubs his eyes before going for another cup of coffee.  It was his third cup that morning.  A new record for him.  His own pot is empty, so stalks the halls in search of more coffee.  His nose picks up the smell of a gourmet blend floating from Miss Parker's office.  He decides to take his chances and pay his sister a surprise visit.

 

"Knock, knock," he says as he taps the door lightly.  "You got enough of that to share?"

 

"What do you want, Lyle?  It's too early in the morning to deal with you.  Give me an hour for the caffeine to get into my bloodstream and then you can bug me," Miss Parker snaps.

 

"Easy, sis.  I just wanted some coffee," he says with a chuckle.  "What's up?  You woke up on the wrong side of the bed or something?"

 

"I would have.  If I had slept last night," she yawns.  "Besides, you don't look so hot yourself.  What's your excuse?  Wild date last night?"

 

"Sadly, no," he says.  "I couldn't sleep either.  It was strange.  I never dream.  But last night, I had really vivid dreams.  More like nightmares."

 

Miss Parker's eyes open wide at the mention of the nightmares.  She's been suffering from nightmares herself.  They've been getting much worse lately, and not even Jarod's presence can get her back to sleep.  She's momentarily sympathetic to his situation since she's going through the same thing.

 

"Bad nightmares?  So awful that you can't get back to sleep?" she asks him.

 

"Yeah, how did you know?  Anyway, the dream was terrifying.  But I can't really remember why.  All I remember is that it was raining.  And it was dark.  And I think you might have been there.  You had a flower or something.  And you were crying.  That's all I remember.  Weird, huh?"  He shakes himself out of the memory and pours his cup of coffee, no longer waiting for her permission.  He just needed the caffeine.  "I'll see you later.  Thanks for the coffee."

 

She watches him leave before she lets out the breath that she was unknowingly holding.  Lyle's description of his dream spooked her.  It was uncanny how similar it was to her own recurring nightmares.  Too strange to be a coincidence. 

 

She sits at her desk and attempts to get some work done, but it's no use.  Her mind can't stop thinking about her little encounter with Lyle.  For once, they had had a normal conversation.  No fighting.  No competing for Daddy's attention.  And she didn't know how to deal with that.  What's more, she didn't know how to deal with the similarities between their dreams.  It soon, became too much for her to ignore.  She pushes her chair away from her desk and walks down the hall towards Lyle's office.

 

"Lyle," she says quietly, pushing the door open.  She sees his head jerk up suddenly from his desk, as if she just surprised him.  "I'm sorry.  Should I come back later?"

 

"I guess I fell asleep," he admits sheepishly.  "What do you need, Parker?" he asks in a somber tone.  Nothing like the smug cockiness he usually exudes. 

 

"I don't know, exactly.  I was just thinking about what you were saying earlier.  About your dream and all."  She closes the door behind her and finally gets the courage to move closer to his desk.

 

"You're here to tease me about it or something?" he snaps.

 

"No!  Nothing like that.  I just thought it was strange.  Us having the same dream," she whispers, looking down into her lap.  But she can tell that his mouth is wide open in shock.  She doesn't give him a chance to say anything before she continues.  "That nightmare you had last night.  It's identical to the nightmares I've been having for months now.  It's a little strange, don't you think?"

 

"Strange? Yes.  Creepy?  Most definitely!  Are you sure it was exactly the same?  Maybe it was different somehow," he offers as an explanation.

 

"Even that would be odd, Lyle.  You said yourself that you don't normally dream.  I don't think it's a coincidence that we would have similar dreams at the same time."  She's quiet for awhile, but then looks at him curiously.  "What do you think it means?" she asks finally.

 

"I don't know," he whispers.  "But it scares me.  Not so much that we had the same dream.  But the dream itself was so terrifying.  It seemed so real.  The rain was so cold.  It chilled me down to my bones.  And I could smell the wet grass, as if the lawn had just been mowed.  And I could hear you wailing through your tears and your grief.  Not only could I hear you, but I could . . . ."  He stops, not really knowing how to express what he wanted to say.  He looks up at her and searches her eyes, to see if she knew the answer.  Instantly, his eyes well up with the beginnings of tears.  And instantly, he knows the words he was searching for.  "I could also feel you.  I felt what you felt.  Your anguish.  And your heartache."

 

He looks away from her, allowing one tear to fall before quickly brushing it away before Miss Parker saw it.  But, he was so busy hiding his own sadness, that he didn't see hers.  He didn't see the tears she couldn't stop.  He gets out of his seat and stands next to the window, blindly staring out of it.  Not really focusing on any sight in particular.  But trying to avoid looking at her.

 

"Parker," his voice cracks after a long silence filled with the sadness that they both were sharing.  "What is it that hurts you so much?  Why do you feel that kind of pain?"

 

"Why don't you feel that kind of pain?" she asks him in return.  "Because if you did, then you would know the answers to those questions.  Isn't there something that you want so badly that it hurts?  Do you know what it's like to love someone so much that it feels like a piece of you dies when they do?"

 

"No.  I don't know what it's like," he says quietly, suddenly ashamed that he was missing out on an important part of life.  "You loved Thomas like that?"

 

"Of course," she tells him, staring at him incredulously.  "What did you think?  That I didn't love him?  Is that why you killed him?" she screams, starting to get hysterical.  She runs over to where he is and pushes him angrily down into his chair before sinking down on her knees in a fit of sobs.

 

"I didn't kill him," Lyle whispers to her, slowly sliding out of his chair until he's kneeling down on the floor next to her.  "I know my word means nothing to you, but I swear I didn't kill him."  He cautiously raises a hand and begins stroking her hair gently, being careful not to startle her. 

 

She surprisingly allows herself to be soothed by him.  Wanting so much to believe in him.  To trust him.   And she feels the trust building with each calming touch.  For the first time, she can actually look at him and call him her brother without gagging on the word.  She looks up at him and gives him a smile of gratitude.  She's shocked when she sees him smile in return.

 

"What?" he asked, confused by the shock look on her face.

 

"Nothing.  You're smiling.  A real, genuine smile," she says, her surprise turning into glee.  "Not that fake, smug grin you keep plastered on your face all day, but something from deep within you that proves to me that there's a heart lurking in there after all.  You reminded me of Mom for a second with that smile.  Maybe it's the way that area around your eyes wrinkled, but it's definitely her smile.  I never noticed that before."  She lifts her hand to his face for a second, but snatches it away quickly when he flinches.

 

"I'm sorry," she apologizes when she notices his sudden distress.

 

"No, it's nothing," he says quickly, suddenly darting his eyes around the room uncomfortably.  "You just have to go.  There's something I have to do.  Right now."  He stands up and pulls her along side him.  In a matter of seconds, he has escorted her to the hall and shut the door in her face. 

 

He races back to his desk and picks up the phone, dialing in a hurry.  And praying that it's not too late to stop what he's started.

 

 

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