Pool

by Tigress Parker

After walking through the smoky bar to the back room, Lyle stood at the half-drawn curtain looking at his sister as she expertly knocked ball after ball into the pockets on the pool table in silence. "Feeling any better?" Lyle asked, startling her causing Parker to slip her grip around the cue and make the white ball skip across the table as she straightened and stared at him through narrowed eyes.

"How'd you find me?" She growled tiredly. Just for one moment she wanted to forget how twisted and hazy her life had become, was that too much to ask?

"I asked Sam," he replied with a shrug.

"Oh and he just openly told you," she mocked while inside she fumed. *I'll kill the bastard*

"No, I remember something about 'more than my life is worth'." Lyle said, quoting the Sweeper's exact words as he watched him with steel eyes.

"And?" She queried as she raised her eyebrow at him.

"He wouldn't have a life if he didn't tell me," Lyle told her as he walked into the room looking at the glass resting on the corner of the table.

"It's water," she growled as she stalked around the table. "I've been sloshed and it doesn't help," she hissed at him as she brutally knocked a ball into the corner pocket after the white cue flew down the table, hit against the side sending it back towards the targeted ball without losing its speed from the vicious knock.

"Look, Parker…" Lyle began to say as his eyes softened as he gazed at his twin, seeing the pain flaring in her haunted eyes.

"What do you want, Lyle? To rub it in my face that you'll be victorious over me and I'll end up dead and buried like everyone I ever cared about," she snarled at him as she knocked another ball into the corner pocket.

"No," he said in a honest voice.

"Go away, Lyle I'm in no mood to bitch with you."

"Parker, for once would you just stop this bullshit that you're fine!" Lyle hissed harshly as she threw down the cue, gazing at him icily. "I saw a look in your eyes when Raines gave you the deal - return Jarod or die - and frankly I'm worried about you,"

"Afraid that the wheezing corpse will kill me before you have the pleasure?" She purred at him heartlessly.

"Damnit all, Parker!"

"I've got news for you - you kill me you'll never get your hands on Jarod. I'M the reason he hangs around being a pain in the ass,"

"I know," he agreed with a nod of his head, silently shocked that she had admitted it out loud especially to him of all people. "All the milestones in his life have included you in some way,"

When Parker retrieved the balls from the pockets and started to rack them up again, Lyle grabbed her hand, stilling her instantly. "Just stop for a minute," he said gently.

Parker watched him warily before jerking her hands from under his as though she had been burnt by flames. "Where's your new best friend?"

"Outside - after he told me where you haunt when you needed to think he tagged along,"

"How touching," she hissed maliciously as she moved to the other side of the table feeling uneasy seeing this side of her twin.

"You and I both know that Raines is crazy. If he gets all of The Centre's power, he is going to destroy everything around us," he said thinking that he may as well get to the point of his visit because his sister wasn't going to get any friendlier.

"Jee, when did you figure that out?" she mocked mercilessly, knocking the white cue down the table, breaking the rack. Lyle grabbed the white ball knowing that she couldn't play without it thus she would have to listen to what he said when she didn't have a distraction.

Parker stood tall with a growl. "What? Upset that Rainesy isn't going to share with you? I thought you two were buddies - like father life son," As soon as she said it, Parker immediately felt ill when her stomach lurched into her throat when she was reminded that he was possibly father as well.

"Do you think it thrills me to know that I could be the same flesh and blood as him? It makes my skin crawl!" He said with a shudder as Parker's ears pricked up slightly seeing this. Maybe her twin had a conscience after-all. "Mr. Parker may not have been perfect but at least he still had a soul - though you were the only one who seemed to be able to hit it - it was still there,"

"He's dead," she growled as her eyes flashed at him.

"But we're not. Look, if Raines stays in power there are going to be more pointless deaths like Thomas," As soon as he said it, Lyle knew it was the wrong play to make when he saw the look on his twin's face.

Parker suddenly pounced on Lyle, knocking him onto the table as she held the cue against his throat, pinning him down. "Don't you *ever* mention his name in my presence you scum!" She snarled angrily as a wounded hurt look flared in her eyes among the rage.

Lyle had his hands against the cue, trying to push it away but she had her weight down on him, her knee on the table as she held him, pinned. All she had to do was wait until he suffocated. "Sam, help!" He croaked when he began to see stars dancing across his vision while he gasped for the air he wasn't getting.

Suddenly he felt her pulled off him, the cue ripped from her hands by Lyle as Sam locked his arms around her, holding her arms down against her chest. He knew how to have her pinned without sustaining life-threatening injuries. He pushed her against the table so she was pinned an unable to thrash. As soon as Lyle could get up, he took a huge breath before he coughed heavily as he rubbed his throat.

"Get the Hell off me traitor!" Parker ordered as she bucked against him but she couldn't do much because of the pool table. "As soon as I get loose, I'll tear your throat out," she snarled as she slammed her head back against his shoulder, narrowly missing his jaw.

"Easy Parker," he soothed but that just made her thrash all the more wildly to get free. When she thrashed in an attempt to get an arm free to dig him in the chest violently, Sam increased his grip around her, stilling her slightly.

Lyle continued to rub his throat as he watching his fighting sister. "Parker, what I propose is a truce to knock Raines off the ladder before he does anything. I haven't the stomach for the projects he has planned," he said as he stood beside her watching her before resting a hand on her cheek causing her to rip her head away from his hand, slamming it against Sam's shoulder with a snarl. "I hear Mom just like you - I know what's put the scare into you,"

"Shutup! I am not afraid of you or Raines," she snarled as she thrashed again but it was futile. She wasn't going anywhere in a hurry.

"Being consumed by the flames that leave your flesh burning off the bone. Even the smell of the flames leaves you retching," Lyle said gently as he watched her intensely.

Parker started having trouble breathing as she fought and thrashed against Sam, shoving him away from the table but she couldn't because he had his weight against her. "Shutup!"

Lyle knew he was getting to her so continued to assault her senses with what she feared. It was what he feared as well. "You told Sydney - I've had the same dream and Sydney told you," he looked her dead in the eye by putting his hand firmly on the side of her face so she wouldn't turn her head away. "It's a premonition, Parker - just like when you were buried under the rumble after the explosion, except this time we don't survive. Mom's warning us - this is our last chance and if we don't take it no one walks away - we're all dead!" He said harshly and brutally so it would sink in.

Parker suddenly falls still and limp, hanging her head down. Sam felt that he was keeping her upright but slightly slackened his grip around her. She wasn't going to fight him any more. "I'm so tired," she murmured with a shake of her head, her hair shielding her face from view. "I'm tired of this life; tired of dancing around; I'm tired of pretending nothing is bothering me when I am just getting eaten up from the inside."

"Then stop running from them," he urged as he took a firm hold of her limp hand. "Stand your ground and destroy him once and for all. We have the troops, we can take it by force if need be. The Centre rightfully belongs to use - it belongs to you,"

"I don't want it," she said with a slow shake of her head. "That place holds nothing but death,"

"Then change it. For God sake, Parker! Dad told you to change the Parker legacy. We're the last ones of the line - if we die so does everything! Please, I can't do this alone - this is our last chance to make things right," he pleaded with her.

Parker was only now aware that Sam had released her and taken a step back. She looked at her hand in his fearfully - it looked so right. It felt so right. Yet with the fear of trusting Lyle and lowering her guard around him, she was eerily calm inside.

*Trust him* Her Inner Sense whispered so softly, the words could barely be heard.

"Trust me, I won't make you regret it this time. I know I don't deserve a 300th chance with you but this time I'll make it worth your while. Our survival depends on a bond; a unity; a truce between us," he said as he watched her. "I know it won't be easy, but we have to at least try,"

Parker looked around the room uneasily, she was always complaining that Mr. Parker never allowed her to choose her own paths but now she was staring a turning point in the face she wanted guidance from him. *What have I got to lose?* She silently asked herself. *Sam wouldn't have brought him if he didn't think it was a good idea - he has a sixth sense for threats* She rationalized as she lifted her gaze to look at Lyle warily, but he hadn't moved as he continued to look at her pleadingly.

Parker released a slow breath before nodding, her hand responding in his slightly. "Truce," she whispered.

Lyle smiled at her warmly, his hand tightening around hers. "And Raines will fall from the final swing of wrath from the twins," he said as her eyes softened and the fear dissipated slightly. "So do you want me to rack the balls so we can play, or what?" He asked good-naturedly as though the question was something he asked every day.

The ease of which he asked caused Parker to laugh at him as his face lit up at the sound. "Rack 'em," she said with a shake of her head while the smile continued to shine on her face.

Sam made a silent withdrawal from the room while the twins began the slow process of making bridges for the bonds of unity to be forged in order for them to act in unison with the destruction of Raines.

If you kill me over this Fic or send me into a T-Board you'll all have one nasty, hungry, unhappy, mean, bad-tempered tiger on your hands. Did I mention hungry? >:) My Tigress will miss her Momma. You better give me feedback or I'll be making people disappear or just set my pet tiger loose on all of you. (Sweet smile) :D Feedback please

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