What have I done? [reserved]

[PARKER JAMES]

Wow! Things felt so weird since he had taken off for a while. Parker hadn't bothered to tell anyone where he was going. Thanks to the headmaster for being sympathetic in letting him return and make up the coursework he missed. Those people who thought distance solved your problems were wrong. He was twice as nervous about returning to school and seeing anyone now. Questions were something he didn't want to answer. Everyone would be talking once he stepped foot inside the halls of the school again.

Parker bit his lip and fought back the tears that threatened to fall because of his bruised heart. How was he supposed to return and pretend like everything was different? He wasn't a fool by any means. Parker was well aware that nothing would be different. He knew that Fletcher still wouldn't care for him the same way. Asher would still live to make him miserable. There was still going to be crazy people running around the school. Why did he consider this the place he needed to be right now? Something was here that he couldn't walk away from quite yet. At least he only had this last part of the school year to finish.

Trembling, he leaned up against the trunk of a thick tree. Parker had lost his wings back in that pointless fight with Mort. He didn't even feel like a proper angel anymore. Now there were only two scars on his back to prove they were even there in the first place. Taking a deep breath, he slid down the tree and buried his face between his knees. This wasn't the time to break down. All he would need would be for Mort or Asher to show up and cause him trouble. He couldn't help it. All he could think about was the war raging inside his heart. He would get up soon, if soon meant never. Parker's body shook as the contents of his heart spilled from his body in the form of tears. Without his knowing, a letter that was concealed in his pocket had slipped out onto the cold, dirt floor.

((ooc- Reserved for Fletcher.))

[FLETCHER CROSS]

Today, he had decided, was hunting day. He hadn't been out as an actual werewolf in a damn long time. He'd been so caught up with his life--with Andrew missing, and Devon doing his own thing, and Parker basically ignoring him--that there hadn't really been time to just go out and enjoy himself. In fact, he'd been at the complete opposite of joy; he'd tried to kill himself three times in the past two weeks. Obviously, none of the attempts had been successful, which only pissed him off further. Think about it--what would be more depressing: trying to kill yourself because your life was so fucked up, or trying to kill yourself and failing because you were too pathetic to go through with it? Yeah. That's what he'd been reflecting on for the past few days. How absolutely pathetic he was.

So he'd gone to the forest. Transforming into a wolf was always a good way to relieve stress; that's what they said about exercise, right? And hunting was exactly that. This time, he'd been smart enough to pack a bag of spare clothes--he didn't exactly want to end up in the middle of the forest completely naked. There was all sorts of weird stuff in there, not to mention the fifty students that took their chances and ventured into the forest unprotected every day. Honestly, he could think of a hundred good reasons why it was a bad idea to enter in the grey forest alone when all you could do was phase through shit--but, no. People never listened, anyway. That was his first rule of life--or, rather, Fletcher's Law Number One: People are Basically Stupid. And it was true. He had been basically stupid for the past couple of months. Andrew had been basically stupid before. Jay had been basically stupid while she was with Mort. Ezra was basically stupid all the time.

As he raced through the woods, fur flapping in the wind, he thought about everything that had happened to him over the course of the year. He'd met Andrew--who, at first, had hated him like no other. He'd gotten lucky and roomed again with Devon--who'd taken his blood and then kissed him, confusing all thoughts before that they were best friends. Then he'd met Parker, who'd given him some of the best days he'd known--plus, a beautiful baby girl. Things went downhill after that. Andrew didn't trust him anymore. Devon fell in love with someone else and left him. Parker threatened him to make the choice--who he loved. When he chose Andrew, Parker took Emma away from him. Jay stopped hanging out with him. Xio decided she liked Evan better.

And, to top it all off?

He couldn't kill himself.

Fletcher slowed to a stop, panting and growling at nothing. The brown, leather bag that was strapped to his back bounced a little as he stilled himself. He let out a ragged sigh, then bent down to lick his paw. A few moments passed. The cream-colored wolf eased to the ground and rested his nose on his paws silently. A few minutes passed, and the human version of Fletcher laid in the grass, fully-clothed and bored. He'd relieved some stress, sure, but all he could think of was the shit he'd have to deal with when he got back to the real world. Plus, he was a pathetic little boy who relied on other people.

He pushed himself off of the ground.

Half an hour later, he had managed to climb ten feet or so up into one of the trees. He was shit scared of heights, but he had to prove it--to himself, at least--that he wasn't completely worthless, and he could stand up for himself. It wasn't until he had both arms wrapped around the body of the tree, cheek pressed to the cold bark, that he realized he'd made a horrible mistake. He clung on for dear life, begging that someone would find him. Of course, with his luck, no one would. He told himself that in half an hour or so he'd attempt to reach for his phone, which was in his back pocket, and call someone to come and get him.

But, apparently, he wouldn't have to call anyone; he heard a rustling below him. Instantly, his blue eyes snapped down to see who had intruded upon his sheer terror. A small frown curled at his lips, and he leaned further in an attempt to see who it was. "Parker?" he murmured quietly, leaning a bit farther away from the trunk. Well...it looked like him...but what would Parker be doing in the middle of the forest? He shook his head. No. Can't be him. When he opened his eyes, the trunk was a good foot to his left. Dazed and dizzy, he rose an eyebrow and attempted to reach out for it. As usual, his lightning-fast reflexes failed him, and he felt the limb of the tree slip out from under him.

He hit five more branches on his way down, letting out a small yelp with each hit.

"Shit." Fletcher opened his eyes again, and soon realized that his face was pressed to the ground. He lifted it a little and brushed off the wet leaves that clung to his skin, frowning deeper as he tried to figure out what was going on. I fell, he realized numbly. For a few seconds, he attempted to urge his body to get up and move about. Nah. Too much work. He closed his eyes wearily and laid his head back on the ground. I'll wake up in five minutes, I swear.

However, somewhere deep, deep down, his brain was determined to have it otherwise.

The light blue eyes flickered open again, and he found himself gazing at a pair of blue jeans. "Jeans." My, he was a clever one.

[PARKER JAMES]

What was he going to do? All he had left was this letter that had been read too many times to count. The page was all wrinkled and there were several splashes where his tears had fallen. He couldn't remember how many times he read it since he received it. This was the only thing, besides Fletcher, that could tear at his heart so much. Parker reached in his pocket to retrieve the letter, but he couldn't find it. He frantically tore through his pockets as his heart raced. Where could it have gone?!

Parker stood up and that's when he saw it- no him. He saw someone holding onto a tree for dear life. What was ironic was the they were only maybe fifteen feet up. Sure, he didn't like heights either, but that wasn't very far at all. He found something almost amusing about this situation. The only person he knew who was -that- afraid of heights was Fl-. No, it couldn't be him. There was absolutely no way that fate would bring them together again like this. That was not Fletcher clinging to the tree as if he was about to fall to his death.

His mind and heart were finally in agreement for once. They were telling him to rush right over and rescue his lost love. Parker was frozen solid in place. He didn't make any sounds, move, or even blink. This is not real. This is not happening. Those were the only things he could repeat to himself. His breath caught in his chest, while suddenly he felt like he was about to throw up. This was not good at all. What was he thinking in coming back here?! He wasn't ready for any of this at all! Just as he was about to turn around, he saw something out of the corner of his eye.

Parker became terrified of what he saw. Without thinking, he ran those twenty feet faster than he had ran in his life. Tears streamed down his face as he noticed he was seconds too late. Fletcher was laying merely feet in front of him, plastered to the ground. Oh no! No matter what had happened between them, this was not what he wished for Fletcher. Parker fell to his knees and pulled Fletcher up into his lap. He slipped out of his hoodie and wrapped it around Fletcher's body. His fear of losing his love was irrational because the fall wouldn't have done more than break a bone or two. Not that he was the prime candidate for being rational these days.

"No! Fletcher! Wake up!" He shook him out of pure desperation. Parker knew that you weren't supposed to move injured people let alone shake them. "This isn't funny! Wake up right now, Fletcher!" He buried his face into Fletcher's chest as a wall of tears fell from his eyes. All he could think about was healing Fletcher. Parker used every ounce of energy and strength he could muster to focus on healing his friend. Warmth filled his body as a white glow surrounded them. He could feel the healing power pouring out of him and into the only person he truly loved.

Something inside him said that Fletcher should be taken to the hospital, but Parker didn't want to do that. Nobody would take better care of Fletcher than he would. He opened his brown eyes and peered down as a smile formed. Fletcher still had his eyes closed, but his face no longer had any scratches from the fall. His powers didn't fail him after all. Parker leaned down and kissed Fletcher's cheek. "I love you, Fletcher. Why did you leave me?" He started crying. This shouldn't have to be so hard. Why did it hurt so much? He felt like every ounce of life inside of him had been twisted up and torn out of him. Nothing felt worse than what he was going through with Fletcher and Emma.

Parker sat quietly as tears fell from his eyes onto Fletcher's chest. All he wanted to do was sit here in the silence, holding Fletcher, and reading his letter. Wait a minute. Where was his letter? He had completely forgotten about it in his shock. Parker gazed around helplessly and finally found what he had been looking for. The letter was lying on the cold floor just out of his reach. He frowned and stroked Fletcher's cheek. Parker didn't need the letter. Every word that was written inside of it was etched into his memory. He would never be able to forget everything that happened no matter how hard he tried. Everything had become apparently to Parker. No matter how many hours or miles that would come between and separate the three of them, he was doomed to love them forever.

"Please, Fletcher, we need to talk..."

[FLETCHER CROSS]

He had barely noticed that he'd been moved onto a lap; all of his senses were overwhelmed at the time. First and foremost, there was the pain that struck every inch of his body. He hadn't expected falling from a tree to hurt so much--then again, he didn't exactly spend his time wondering how much pain he'd be in after every dangerous situation (unless you counted death by motorcycle, which he had about seventeen good explanations for why he wouldn't ride one already). Somewhere in his mind it registered that he could no longer feel dirt beneath his fingers, but instead something a bit less...smooth, was it? Different. Definitely different. However, he was a bit to preoccupied with the fact that there was something off about his body to care.

He tried wiggling everything to make sure it was okay. First, his fingers. They twitched, then fell still again. Good. No damage there. He shifted one arm a centimeter to the side, and then the other; no problems with his arms. As he was attempting to open his eyes, afraid of what he would see, he felt the blood trickling down his cheek. Cuts, he thought airily. I have cuts on my face. After feeling the same sensation on his arms, he'd realized that he hit not only branches on his way down, but probably thorns. Nevermind that; cuts would heal, and he was more concerned with broken bones or a missing limb (which was unlikely, unless there was a chainsaw at the bottom of the tree).

He had just about considered himself healthy as he attempted to wriggle his right foot. Immense pain shot up through it, and he let out a tiny groan. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. How was he supposed to get anywhere with a broken leg? He'd probably end up dragging himself halfway back to the forest, and then collapse, and then die. That was a lovely way to spend the night.

Suddenly, he was being moved back and forth very quickly. What the hell? Again, he tried to force himself to open his eyes. Nothing happened. His ears were still adjusting to the shock; he heard every other word, and couldn't make sense of what was going on. He heard his name, though. Fletcher. That's me. Whoever was holding him knew him, at least. He vaguely felt the face pressed to his chest--and then came the warmth. He let out a soft sigh and turned his head so that it leaned against the other's. The warmth that filled him was so incredible. It seeped over every edge of his body, so that he could no longer feel the pain of his snapped leg, or the blood dribbling down his face. He only knew of one person who could provide such warmth. "Andrew," he mumbled, eyes still closed as he tried to regain himself.

The person was no longer on him.

I love you, Fletcher. Why did you leave me?

He blushed faintly as the lips pressed to his cheek, and rolled his head so that it was closer to the other's stomach. A frown came onto his lips. What was Andrew saying? "I never left you," he whispered, reaching a hand up to clutch the boy's shirt. "What are you talking about?" He was determined to set things straight. First of all, it was Andrew who'd run away. He hadn't seen him since the accident--back when he'd lost all memories of his life. Since then, Andrew had bascially faded out of his life. It hurt like hell--but at least he was back, right? Fletcher pushed himself up a little so that he sat on the other's lap and leaned against his chest.

A tear hit his chest, and another, and another. "Don't cry," he murmured, eyes opening slowly. He looked up and, confused, watched Parker. You're not Andrew. That much he could comprehend. But...the person in front of him looked like Parker, only it had no wings. "You're not Parker," he stated flatly, looking him up and down for a moment. "Parker has wings." Carefully, he tilted his head back to look for any sign of wings. Nope. Nothing. "You're not Parker," he repeated, more for himself than the other.

But...this Parker acted an awful lot like the other one. He was stroking his cheek, and holding him. Slowly, his eyes fell to the jacket that was draped around his body. He hadn't come with one; it must've been the fake-Parker's. "Talk?" He reached up to brush the tears off of the other's face. Falling down fifteen feet did some crazy shit to your brain; he wasn't all that...himself at the moment. "I don't even know you," he mumbled, clumsily dropping his hand to his lap.

"You remind me of Parker," he stated, leaning his head back against the other's chest. "I like Parker."

[PARKER JAMES]

Parker was so glad that there were signs of life coming from Fletcher. The other boy groaned and shifted his weight around a little bit. This was definitely a positive sign. There was nothing to worry about as long as he was responsive. He was just about to breathe a sigh of relief and smile when something struck him life a knife through the heart.

"Andrew" What? No! His world was suddenly spinning around and a terrible sinking feeling filled his body. Parker felt heavy as lead and his eyes turned cold. He clenched his jaw and considered tossing Fletcher off his lap. How DARE he call him by that name. All he knew was that now he was ready to rip someone's head off! Where was Asher when you needed him?! Parker's body went stiff and he just sat there quietly for a few minutes. Somewhere, deep down inside of him, he knew that it was an accident. That didn't stop him from being furious and heartbroken about it.

"Fletcher, open your eyes and look at me." His anger had subsided a little and his tone was significantly more calm than he felt. He opened his mouth to speak again, but Fletcher had grabbed his shirt and spoke. That's good. At least now he is talking. Now what was he going on about? Parker was starting to get angry again because Fletcher apparently wasn't paying attention to him. " Fletcher, I'm Parker,not Andrew!" He hated to sound so stern, but this was really upsetting him. Fletcher had no idea how much this was killing him. You may as well have Mort come rip his wings off a second time. The pain was similar except this kind of pain ran a lot deeper.

Parker melted at the words he heard next. Fletcher had finally noticed that he wasn't Andrew, but he didn't believe it was really him, either. Slowly, he let out a heavy sigh and frowned as Fletcher rested his head against his chest. Parker couldn't help but find this situation a little pathetic. Here he was trying to help Fletcher, and reconnect with him, but he wasn't getting anywhere. This was just as bad as when he had to deal with Fletcher not remembering him. How many more times would he have to lose him before he realized this wasn't right? Something inside of him said at least a thousand more.

"Wings? What?" He was momentarily confused. Fletcher was talking crazy again. Wait. No, he wasn't speaking nonsense this time. Mort had torn off his wings in the last encounter they had together. That wasn't very long before Parker just took off because he had enough. "I swear to God it's me, Fletcher. I'm Parker. My wings are gone." There was a pause and Parker had to steady his voice. "I lost them in a, [pause], in an accident."

What Fletcher said next brought back painful memories he had tried to erase from his mind. "I don't even know you." Parker became increasing more numb with every hurtful thing that Fletcher was saying. He did not realize he had started crying again until the other boy wiped them away. This just made him want to cry harder. How much more of this could he take? Surely, if he took much more of this kind of abuse he would crack. The dam that held back his tears was threatening to break. Parker bit his lip and pleaded with him. "You must believe me, Fletcher. I am Parker!"

Getting through to Fletcher would be his only hope. He knew it was wrong, but Parker leaned down and kissed him passionately on the lips. Tears began to pour down from his eyes once again and the breath was sucked right out of him. His heart couldn't decide whether or not to race, or stop, so it picked something sort of in between the two. Parker wasn't sure what he was doing. All he knew is that he was out of his mind. He may be crazy, but this could very well be the last time he would ever have a moment like this again. Everything in him screamed not to and he ignored the voices and listened with his heart instead.

[FLETCHER CROSS]

An accident? What sort of accident? He frowned, watching Parker as he spoke. But...Parker had wings. What kind of accident ripped wings out? He shuddered a little, thinking back to the murders--about Vincent, who had died before he could apologize, and Evie, who had been his "sister's" best friend. Was it...could it have been that type of accident? He began to wonder why he was so curious--whoever this was before him was not Parker for two reasons. One, most obviously, was that Parker had wings. Two, less important, was that Parker hadn't talked to him since he and Asher had attacked him.

He reached up to wrap his arms around Parker's neck, and then pulled himself up so that he had now effectively straddled the other boy. Wings should have stubs, right? Gently, he leaned his head on the boy's shoulder and lifted a hand to pull the back of Parker's shirt away from his body. He peered down curiously, and upon seeing two stubs, he dropped the shirt in disbelief. Maybe it was Parker. Then again, a lot of crazy shit happened around Winterthorne, and there was the chance that he was meeting the long-lost twin of Parker. That, however, wouldn't explain why he was crying, or so desperate to try to get him to remember. The chances were incredibly slim.

He was obviously in denial.

As he pulled back to look at Parker again, he realized the other was still crying. He frowned a little, then reached up and wiped the tears as they came down. One by one, they collected on his fingers, and he dried his hands on his jeans. If he had the energy, he would've laughed; Devon's words echoed through his ears. You always come home like a muddy dog--dirty! He was covered in dirt and blood--and, now, tears--and probably looked like he was dropped down a cliff (or, perhaps, a large tree). But, his appearance didn't matter. It wasn't like he was going on a hot date, or something. Frankly, the only things that mattered at the moment were trying to figure out if that was really Parker and getting him to stop crying.

You must believe me, Fletcher. I am Parker!

Honestly, he was trying.

The light blue eyes fell to his hands, which were caked with grime and dirt, as he tried to figure out a way out of this. If it was Parker, then he really did want to talk. He wanted to beg for his daughter back, and tell the other how it was nearly killing him to spend so much time away from her. He wanted to apologize for what a douche he was--before Parker died, leaving him with yet another Vincent--something he couldn't handle. He wanted to try and make up for everything he'd done--though he knew it would never be enough. And, lastly, he wanted to hold him, and be held. He'd experienced what it was like to be alone in the world, and it was not a good feeling. He had opened his mouth a little, trying to gather the words to begin, when he felt the other's lips press against his own.

Well, shit. That was definitely Parker.

At first, he had tried to push away from the other--and, upon realizing he had no strength to even attempt moving his arms, he stopped and settled against the other's body. The kiss seemed to last forever; whether it was because he enjoyed it, or because he didn't know what to do, he wasn't sure. Finally, he pulled back, eyes instantly falling to his lap and the blush spreading across his cheeks like wildfire. This isn't fair at all. Quietly, he brushed a few strands of multi-colored hair out of his face and blushed harder. That's not what I wanted--right?

"What--" Fletcher paused, trying to find the right words. "What are you doing here?" His eyes raised a little bit, but not much; looking into Parker's eyes was a little too much to ask at the moment. "I thought you were with Emma." He winced a little. It hurt to think about her.

[PARKER JAMES]

He felt as if he were back up in heaven. Not that he could really remember what that was like anymore. All he could remember was a warm and peaceful feeling everywhere you went. That was something he was not used to feeling anymore. Everything felt like he was being burned alive. Not that he knew what that felt like, but still. You can only imagine. There was no such thing as happy, except for right here in this moment.

Parker tensed up as Fletcher wrapped his arms around his neck. Oh.my.god! He wanted to grab the other boy and slam him up against a tree. That wouldn't be a very smart decision considering what had just happened. Instead, he swallowed and followed Fletcher with his eyes as he switched his position. He could remember times similar to this when they used to, no, he couldn't think of it! Parker shut his eyes tight and willed himself not to take things any further. Fletcher's arms were felt on his back and he flinched. This wasn't exactly the most comfortable of situations for him. All he could hope for was that the other boy didn't feel the growing arousal in his pants.

Fletcher finally believed it was him. Now, he came the part he was dreading. Question time. Why couldn't they just talk and pretend things were like they used to be? Oh yeah! They have been terrible and strained ever since they had went their separate ways. Could you blame him? Parker fell in love with Fletcher, who wanted Andrew. Fletcher had made his choice and things were completely out of his control after that. He wondered what Fletcher really thought and felt deep down. Did he even love Parker? What about Emma? Parker couldn't go a single day without thinking about the two of them.

He let the next few minutes time slip right by him. Everything was becoming blurry. Why was he even bothering with any of this? Parker knew that nothing would change, so why couldn't he let it go? This was the question that never stopped playing inside his head. "It's complicated." He didn't mean to get defensive, but it was too late. "I'm not entirely sure what to tell you. This place has been hell for me. Why would I want to come back here? I've asked myself that many times on the way back. There is only one answer that comes to mind-" Parker froze right there. He couldn't do it. Why should he tell Fletcher that he was the only reason that he could find to return to hell? The stubborn angel wouldn't let him know, at least not until something changed around here.

Parker noticed that the other boy still had a slight blush across his face. He couldn't help but smile. Fletcher couldn't deny the kiss meant something to him now. The evidence was splashed all over his face. You may as well have painted it red for all he was concerned. Taking a minute to collect himself, he watched Fletcher with a torn expression of strength and helplessness. He wasn't entirely sure what he would say, but he was going to speak anyway. Parker never was one for silences during difficult times. Things needed to be discussed and that's exactly what he intended to do.

"Well, I'm glad you at least care about her now. You may not feel like I'm being fair to you, but nobody has been fair to me, either. This is just the way it is." He took a moment to settle himself down. Parker had to attempt to remain calm and not jump at the chance to attack Fletcher. Fighting was the last thing he ever wanted to do with the boy he loved. Something just wouldn't let him remain calm right now. Maybe this was exactly all the emotions he needed to release all this time. Parker took a deep breath and pulled the other boy closer. "I'm sorry. I don't want to fight. I really don't, Fletcher. This just hurts me so much. My plan was to come back to finish school and go home to take care of Emma. I've decided that I won't let her go. She is safe where she is."

Parker wasn't sure what else he would say to Fletcher. What would one say to someone in his situation? This was so complicated it wasn't even funny. He wished he could just walk away from it and forget it ever happened. The thought hurt worse than anything. What if he could just walk away from all of this, but he was just being too damn stubborn? All he was doing was fighting for love that wasn't appreciated. He was getting pretty tired of the endless fight.

Parker reached deep down in his heart before he opened his mouth again. "I plan to return to Italy after school and take care of Emma properly. You are free to come with if you want, or you can stay here. Plans may change depending on whatever happens while I am back here. As long as you don't want to be a family with us, life is going to be complicated for all three of us, Fletcher." He made sure the other boy was looking him in the eyes before he said the final piece of what he had to say. How he missed those blue eyes staring back at him. "I will not keep you from her, if you want to be a part of her life. There just has to be some sort of plan to all of this."

Silence filled the forest. Great. He hated silence more than almost anything. Parker took a minute to give Fletcher time to think about everything he had just said to him. There was a lot of discussion left to be had, but he was more than ready to get it figured out. "Well, what do you want to say to me? What are your thoughts and feelings on all of this?" He sat quietly, but remained tense as he waited for the words of the other boy to pierce his heart forever.

[FLETCHER CROSS]

Complicated.

Like everything else was simple.

As Parker broke off, he nodded numbly. He knew the angel wasn't going to tell him what "the only reason" was, but he didn't exactly have to. Fletcher was smart enough to figure out that it was either he who was the reason or...Kaden. Either way, he didn't want to think about it. Kaden would bring up memories of the fire, and the vicious fight between the two of them for Parker. And thinking about himself as the reason--well, that just made everything a thousand times more awkward and brought up those feelings that he didn't exactly want to be reminded of. However, it seemed like this stupid forest was out to get him, and those feelings were going to be brought up anyway. Welcome to high school.

--wait. Care for her now? The red on his face spread further, only this time for a different reason. "Care for her now?" he repeated outloud, voice taking on a threatening tone. What's that supposed to mean, huh? The wolf inside him growled, but he held it back as Parker continued to speak. For some reason, it only made him even more pissed off that Parker would say those things. "What was that supposed to mean?" He held back from full-out slapping him, and instead looked him fiercely in the eye. "Of course I fucking care about her. She's my daughter." Admittedly, he hadn't seen this coming as quickly in the conversation as other things. Then again, he also hadn't seen the kiss coming. God. He turned another shade of red at the thought.

He apologized. Shit. It made it so much harder on him to be mad at Parker when he went out and apologized from the bottom of his heart. In fact, it made him feel like an even bigger douche, and he kind of wanted to crawl into a hole and die. "Yeah, no. I know." He fell quiet, and his gaze dropped again. He didn't want to fight either, but he sure as hell didn't want to keep all that emotion bottled up anymore. Today he was going to get it all out--no matter how much it hurt him, or how much it hurt Parker, or how much it hurt Andrew--wherever he was. He felt himself being pulled closer, and obediently laid his head against the other's chest. "Sorry," he mumbled, voice still a little stressed. Unfortunately, the other part of being a werewolf meant that you were either mad all the time, or loving all the time. He was kind of a mix--but he knew that, within five seconds, he'd be over it.

And he was.

The only thing he was still worried about was exactly where Emma was. Parker, of course, had just happened to leave that very important detail out of the conversation. However, he didn't need to wait very long; as soon as Parker started talking, he found out where she was. Instantly, his eyes widened. Italy?! What was she doing in Italy? He wanted to shout out and protest, but he figured that it was best to let Parker keep on talking. With each word, his heart sank deeper. It didn't sound like he was going to see Emma if he chose Andrew. In fact, it didn't sound as if he was going to hear from her ever again if he chose Andrew. Quietly, he lifted his gaze to watch the other sadly, and nodded weakly at his last statement. You won't keep me from her, but you also won't let me in if I'm not with you. Thanks a lot, Parker.

This was a lot like the choice he'd had to make a few months ago, except a bit worse. It wasn't between Andrew and Parker this time, but Andrew and Emma. Andrew was...amazing, yes, but Emma was his child. The child that he'd kill for before he let her get hurt. The child that he vowed he'd spend all night reading bedtime stories to, and clean the spaghetti sauce off her face when she spilled it, and spoil her with party dresses and ice cream on weekdays and more stuffed animals than she could ever imagine. And Parker...Parker was taking it all away from him. Emma was pretty much the only shot he had for being a parent.

Silence overcame them.

Well, what do you want to say to me? What are your thoughts and feelings on all of this?

Well. He had a lot of thoughts. Again, he leaned forward and placed his chin on the boy's shoulders. He waited a few moments, simply listening to the combined sound of their breathing, and then decided that getting whatever was inside him out was the best idea. "Well," he breathed, shifting a little closer. "I think...Italy's far away. And I don't...I hate that she's so far and you didn't tell me." He blinked. "I mean, she's my daughter too. It's not like I don't care..." Admittedly, he was a bad father, but he didn't consider himself that useless of a human being. He had a heart, too.

"And...I really, really wish that I could've chosen you." That killed him, and he knew that if he ever told Andrew, there would be no more Fletcher and Andrew. He clamped his eyes shut, afraid that the tears would start coming out like Parker's had. "It's stupid. You're always...I mean, sweet. And romantic. And you care." He broke off for a moment, then realized what he'd said. "--not that Andrew doesn't, just...I don't know why I picked him." Love was stupid. He wanted to nip it in the ass. Parker was in love with Fletcher, who was in love with Andrew, who didn't seem too interested either way--which, by the way, killed him. "And it hurts. Yeah." He didn't know what else to say. He'd pretty much summed it all up right there--but he knew he'd continue talking, because Parker would continue probing him.

But...couldn't it all work out? Andrew's family was in Italy, right? He doubted that it would be a completely happy ending; it never was. "But...I like...pasta," he finished feebly.

He had a way with words.

[PARKER JAMES]

"You're what I came here for, so I won't ask for anymore."

Parker smirked a little. He apparently had touched a button with Fletcher. Part of him was please, but part of him was dying inside. They really didn't need any additional conflict right now. He decided to remain calm and just let Fletcher have his moment to talk. Parker was given the same respect from him a few minutes ago. Fletcher was being considerably more calm than most people would after what he said to him.

Quietly, he nodded after the other boy's words. That was exactly his point. Emma was his daughter and he was still off chasing Andrew. This wasn't fair in the least bit. He still felt like he was fighting a losing battle, but he was doing it for Emma. Everyone would probably say that it was for him, but he could accept if Fletcher didn't want him. Emma was his only concern now. His love for her transcended the heavens. Parker would rather die than to see any harm come to his beautiful baby girl. That was exactly why she was back home with his parents for right now. There was no way the two of them could care for her at Winterthorne.

Fletcher leaned his chin on Parker's shoulder and he froze. This was a little too comfortable for him. He knew he couldn't let things go on like this without breaking his heart. They couldn't keep playing this game. Fletcher made his choice. Not only once, but twice! What the hell was Parker doing still standing here trying to change his mind? Anger was rising to the surface, which caused his body to stiffen. He listened to what Fletcher had to say without interruption still. This was what he had to do.

That was it. Parker had heard enough. He couldn't stand, er, sit here any longer. Fletcher could not expect him to sit and listen to this calmly. This was like rubbing salt in a wound the size of a crater! His whole heart had been blown wide open. All the contents were spilling out into the empty void that was inside of him. He took several deep breaths to try and calm down. Parker's relaxation techniques usually worked, but not this. This pain and anger ran far too deep for him to silence.

"Okay. I will apologize for not letting you have a say in what I did with Emma. You are right about one thing. She is your daughter, too." That was about all he could say while still remaining calm. Here were the words he was biting back with all his might. "You wish you would have picked me? You had the opportunity, Fletcher. You.Picked.Him." Parker started shaking. It was the only thing he could do without breaking into tears. Rage flooded his body and somewhere in the distance several trees violently crashed to the ground.

"This situation isn't stupid. I am the stupid one. I never should have expected you to want to be with me, or our daughter. You want to have your cake and eat it to? FINE! Be with him. Go right ahead." He took a moment to breathe before speaking again. "Fine. Have it your way, but I don't see HIM here fighting for you right now. I don't see HIM standing here asking you to love the family you made. No. Instead, I am here. I am the fucking idiot who can't seem to give up on you.

Parker couldn't hold the tears back any longer. He turned away from Fletcher and put all his anger into action. His gaze was focused straight ahead. Tears poured down his face as the pain of a broken heart came to the surface. Trees were brought violently to the ground all around them. Rocks were soaring through the air and crashing against random objects. Animals were trampling one another in sheer terror of what they were experiencing. His only thought right now was destruction. All he wanted to do was destroy everything around him. If he couldn't have it the way he wanted then there was going to be a price to pay. Something inside of him snapped and just as suddenly as it started it had stopped. Silence filled the forest. Parker fell to his knees and sobbed harder than he could ever remember crying in his entire life. Things were over. He was done. His will to live was pouring out of his soul in the form of tears. Crystal tears that threatened to pull him into a world of darkness.

[FLETCHER CROSS]

Right. "Thanks," he mumbled, unsure of what to say at this point; Parker was apologizing, but his voice was very...stressed. This was probably the first sign that he should've gotten off of the other boy and run somewhere safe, but he didn't. He needed to know that his daughter was okay, and that Parker wouldn't flip out and take her away from him. He couldn't stand the thought that Emma would be out there, somewhere, and would grow up never knowing who he was. It killed him to know that Emma was more than a two minute walk to Parker's dorm, and that he could not reach her every day.

Suddenly, Parker started shaking. This was probably the second sign that should've told him to get the fuck out of the forest as fast as he could. But, he believed, Parker wouldn't actually cause him harm--right? So, although he swallowed and backed up off of Parker's lap and onto the ground, he did not leave the forest. He had opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Frankly, he was a bit terrified. He'd never seen Parker this mad before. Even when Andrew had walked in on them, kissing passionately on the couch, he hadn't snapped this badly. He supposed it was because the other had been under the impression that he would leave Andrew, so there was no need for anger or worry.

Again, Parker started talking, and Fletcher opened his mouth angrily to argue back. However, he was caught off guard and his head snapped to the right, eyes wide, and searching for what had made the large crashing noise. He saw it; several trees had toppled over. Had...Parker done that? Quickly, he looked back to Parker, afraid that more of the forest would come down if he didn't "pay attention", and felt the anger flare up once again. "Of course I want to be with our daughter! She's my daughter for fuck's sake," he growled back. "And you know what? I will have my fucking cake. I will be with him. At least he gives a shit about what I think." He wasn't the type to shake; instead, he found himself grinding his teeth and glaring furiously.

He hadn't actually pegged Parker to be a guy that lost himself to rage. Actually, far from it; he had imagined him to keep his cool--the silent type, you know?--but, then again, he had imagined a lot of things differently. As soon as the words left the angel's mouth, Fletcher's jaw dropped a little. He stared stupidly ahead at the other as he spoke. And, of course, it hurt. No one else had been stupid enough to mess with Fletcher's "dream life", and point out the obvious flaws in his plan--that Andrew was never around, and he never seemed to want to fight for Fletcher--in fact, he didn't seem to give a shit either way. And, somewhere deep down, he knew it was true; he just told himself it wasn't. Avoiding the pain was a much better solution, right? But...Parker was bringing it all back, and he was most certainly pushing him over the edge. His stomach tumbled, and his body threatened to transform. He pushed the feeling down and crawled back further, using the trunk of the tree to push himself up to a standing position.

"He's not fighting because he doesn't fucking need to." the boy screamed back, feeling the wind whipping around him already as Parker's rage soared higher. "He won!"

Then, suddenly, everything exploded.

Rocks were flying through the air. Plants were being ripped out of the ground, roots and all. Several more trees crashed around him, and he jumped to the side to avoid being crushed by one of the larger ones. As he did so, he felt a sharp pang in the side of his head; he lifted up a few fingers to touch the blood that streamed down the side of his face. His gaze dropped to the ground where, amongst the raging blades of grass, lay a bloody rock. Huh. However, he was brought back to his senses as a tree crashed in front of him. He held back a gasp and staggered a few feet backwards. Shit. This is out of control. His head whipped around, frantically searching for the other boy, when he spotted him. He was about ten feet on the other side of the large tree that had fallen. Groaning, he hopped up and grabbed the top of the trunk, attempting to pull himself up and over. This thing had to be at least as tall as him, and the fact that the wind was blowing strands of hair in his eyes every few seconds wasn't really helping him.

As he tried to propel himself up the trunk, using his feet to push against the smooth bark, another tree crashed behind him--effectively fencing him in the small area. He gritted his teeth as he slid down to the ground again, then backed up a little for some extra energy. Again, he threw himself at the trunk of the tree and grabbed onto the top. Fletcher let out a soft whine as he pulled harder, muscles straining under the pressure. Finally, he pulled himself up and onto the top of the trunk. He paused for a few moments to rest, sprawled on top of it tiredly, when he heard the crack of a few more trees collapsing around him. However, it wasn't until he heard the sickening crack of his arm that he'd realized exactly where one of them had fallen. It crushed his arm and part of his left side--which, admittedly, wasn't as badly damaged. He groaned again, unable to move. First his leg, and now his arm. Today was simply not his day.

Exhaustion swept over him. The amount of injuries he received combined with the frustration of arguing and the pain brought back was too much for him. He went limp, vaguely aware of his surroundings. Gently, he laid his head on his working arm and stared at the tree trunk. Fine. Parker could destroy the forest for all he cared. In fact, he hoped he did. Maybe there'd be a chance that another tree would fall and crush him. That was the solution, right? If Fletcher couldn't kill himself, have someone else do it for him. Or...maybe, if he laid still enough, Parker would deem him dead and leave him to die in the forest. It wouldn't really matter, would it? Andrew was gone--like he'd ever actually been there in the first place. Emma probably couldn't even remember who he was. Parker certainly didn't care for him anymore. It was almost as if he was...nothing.

The winds stopped.

He closed his eyes and remained still.

Almost as if he was...nothing.

[PARKER JAMES]

Fletcher's words stabbed deeply into his heart. Since when had he ever given Fletcher the idea he didn't care what he thought? All he was trying to do was make him realize how serious the situation was. Parker thought he had listened to what the other boy wanted more than he should have. Whatever. This situation was obviously not working. Ever since Emma had come about it was painfully apparent that it wasn't going to work. Hell, they didn't even work when they were working. What kind of delusional thinking was he trapped in? He didn't need anyone to answer that for him. He did it all for love.

Parker's eyes narrowed and went cold. This was it. He remained quiet, but it was what came out of Fletcher's mouth next that really sent him over the edge. Something inside him said not to be too hard on him. They were both extremely upset and his ability to tap into empathy let him know this wasn't entirely how his ex-lover was feeling. It didn't matter to him anymore though. Parker had finally snapped and reached a place where you cannot return from. He felt the warming effects of love melting into a shaking betrayal. Now he knew how those women in movies felt when they realized their husband was leaving them for another man. Everything had been put into perspective for him. Now he understood exactly why they got angry, screamed, and threw thing because that's exactly what he was feeling.

His jaw was clenched tightly shut. This was the only way he could keep himself from unleashing unspeakable words at the boy across from him. Parker didn't want to say anything just yet. His body was shaking again, but this time he saw the after math of what he had done last time. Fletcher was trapped between some trees and it was his fault. Blood was everywhere. Fletcher looked like he was on the verge of death itself. This was insane and obviously he didn't have complete control over his powers when he was that emotional. What if somewhere deep down he had wanted to hurt Fletcher? Did he really wish to make the other boy feel the level of pain he was? Honestly, five minutes ago he would have said no, but now he was beyond crushed. His entire life had juts fallen apart in front of his eyes. Fairytales everywhere were about to be re-written with a new ending.

His gaze lingered for a moment on Fletcher before he looked around the forest. Holy shit! It was a complete disaster. Any person who came across this scene right now would have thought World War III had just occurred in the middle of the Grey Forest. Parker shook his head and debated momentarily with himself. There was no way he could find it inside of himself right now to help Fletcher. It may have been wrong, but he couldn't do it. No, he would not leave him to die, but he was finished here. He dug around in his hoodie pockets to find his cell phone. Where was it? Parker searched all of his pockets as he started to get frustrated. Everything depended on him finding his cell phone. He needed to place a call. Where could it have gone? He was just texting on his phone before he ran into Fletcher.

Aha! He saw it over a little in the distance close to where Fletcher lay helpless. Parker smirked and walked over and picked it up. Work damnit. He thought to himself as he punched in a few numbers. Clearing his throat, he did his best to disguise his voice for the person on the other end. "Yes, hello? I need to report an accident. There is a student down in the Grey Forest. You may want to hurry." Parker closed his phone with a click immediately after that. There wasn't much time now. He needed to have the last words and get out of here. Someone would be here in under ten minutes to aid Fletcher. Everything would turn out okay for him.

Roles had effectively been reversed now. He was no longer going to be viewed as the weak one who let everyone step on him. Parker was going to let everyone know that he was a force to be reckoned with. Honestly, who would leave someone they love like this? Before now he never would have assumed it would have been him. Desperate times called for desperate measures. Nobody would have to know that this had originally been an accident. Little details that were left out could work in his favor right now. He may regret this one day, but for right now it felt right. Kneeling down, he whispered something cold in the other boy's ear. An icy breeze followed his words almost to deliver a backup to their meaning.

"I hope you made the right choice. You no longer have to worry about me fighting for you. No. You should now be worried that I will destroy everything in this place that you care about. This is goodbye. Next time we meet, we will not be friends." This didn't hurt him like he thought it would. At least it didn't hurt yet. He wasn't entirely sure that this was what he wanted either, but it was where he was going. It was obvious he couldn't trust his heart anymore. Everyone was about to see that angels could be just as evil as any demon when pushed far enough. Parker straightened up and dusted the debris off his clothing. Now it was time to return to the school and pretend like nothing had happened. News would spread fast enough about what happened here. All he had to do was wait and make them regret ever turning him into the person that was about to stand before them.

[FLETCHER CROSS]

He was vaguely aware that Parker had gotten up, so he kept still in hopes that he would be left alone--though somewhere deep inside him said that was a bad idea. Suddenly, a voice cracked through the silence. He could tell it was Parker--as there was no one else in the general area--but he sounded...different. Like there was something in his throat. What is he doing? He tried to focus in on the words. He was saying something about...an accident. Accident...is that me? Yes. It must've been him. Grey forest. Why else would he be calling? His fingers twitched a little, and he stilled himself and perked his ears. For a few seconds, nothing, and then a tiny click sounded. A phone closing. That was it? He wasn't going to say what condition he was in?--that he was possibly going to die? That was kind of an important factor.

It was all over, though--the talking. The crunching of leaves was the only thing he heard for a few moments--what he assumed to be Parker walking a few steps further. His eyes flickered open a little and watched as the other bent down to his eye level. For a moment he stared back, but held his gaze straight as Parker moved closer and brushed his lips against the few brown-blonde strands of hair that hung limply near his ear. His body tried to shiver, but it came out more as a small twitch; he was too tired produce much more than that at this point--not to mention that half of his body was being crushed anyway.

I hope you made the right choice. You no longer have to worry about me fighting for you. No. You should now be worried that I will destroy everything in this place that you care about. This is goodbye. Next time we meet, we will not be friends.

Shit.

That was perhaps the most terrifying thing he'd heard in all his life. That was the type of thing a person said before they went batshit insane or pure evil. It sent an actual shiver through him this time, the way that Parker's cold voice--swept along with the equally cold chill of the wind--brushed against his ear, the way his words gnawed nastily at the surface of his heart, and the way that they left him questioning each move he made. What if he went home and something was missing? If Monster wasn't there, or if his books were missing, it wouldn't have been that bad (well, maybe Monster, who he loved dearly). But...that tone implied that other things would be missing. Things like...Devon. Andrew. What if they showed up as the next bodies on the grounds? And, though he hated to think it, Emma. He doubted that Parker would go to such extremes to murder her--he was her father too, and he couldn't have snapped that badly to stoop to that level--but he definitely had the ability to take her away. She was in Italy, and he had no idea where. She was probably staying with his family, who wouldn't let Fletcher within a few miles of her.

He couldn't let this happen, though. First of all, there were people like Devon and Andrew, who were the biggest targets--and hadn't done anything at all. Admittedly, Andrew was his boyfriend, which probably seemed like a crime to Parker (plus, he had told him that he and Andrew weren't together, which made it further seem like Andrew had stolen him back). But...Devon, in all his innocence, had done nothing. In fact, he hadn't even been there when all of this had happened. He had been off, trying to rid of his infatuation with Ezra. And...Emma. Emma didn't deserve this--any of it. She didn't deserve to deal with two fathers, let alone two who hated each other, and both of whom were suicidal. She deserved--no, needed--a family.

"Parker?" he began weakly, afraid of what would happen if he further angered the other. He bit his lip, unable to bring the right words to his mouth. "Can--can you..." Wait? No, he didn't expect that anymore. He had to think, and quickly, before he lost absolutely everything. His mouth hung open as he thought. He supposed the only thing they had in common right now was somewhere off in Italy. "Think about Emma for a second?" He breathed shakily as he tried to force something more to come to his mind. Come on... He tried to move a little so he could see the other better, but heard the crunching of branches and stopped before he really got crushed. "She--I mean--she didn't do anything to us, right?" he pleaded, desperation showing as the seconds ticked on.

[PARKER JAMES]

"Everytime I try to fly, I fall. Without my wings I feel so small. I guess I need you, baby."

Parker did well at ignoring the other boy at first. He just kept on walking away even though he knew that he heard his voice in the distance. Fletcher's next words were what stopped him cold in his tracks. think about Emma for a second.... Anger flared through him and he clenched his fists until his knuckled turned ghostly white. This was one of those moments where the saying "if looks could kill.." applied. Parker was furious at this point. He didn't know what he was going to do, but he stormed over to Fletcher without thinking.

"Exactly what do you mean by that?!" He demanded while trying not to shake or punch the other boy. God! There were very few times Parker could ever remember being this enraged. Why couldn't they just work out some kind of system? Obviously, this situation just was not going to work itself out anytime soon. "What on God's earth do you think I have been trying to do this whole time, Fletcher?!" The idea that the other boy didn't think he was thinking of their daughter irritated him. Emma was the only person that he thought of. She was the only person who really mattered right now. Everything he did, he did it for her.

They were quiet for a moment. The silence of the forest filled his ears. Parker needed to do something and fast. Help was bound to be coming anytime for Fletcher. He quickly used his powers to block the forest entrance with the debris from his meltdown. This was definitely not something he was going to walk away from now. Whether they liked it or not, they were going to get this all squared away now. Parker cleared his throat to break the silence. The other boy was not going to have a chance to speak, yet. Not only that, but he was going to make him suffer the pain just a little longer. Maybe he would feel a fraction of the pain that he was forced to endure.

"ALL I have thought about for months is Emma. Why do you think I've tried repeatedly to get you to do the right thing? Your way just seems to be more important." Somehow, his voice was leveling off and sounding slightly more calm. His jaw was still clenched and his eyes were still piercing through Fletcher. Parker was not going to let him off easy. If he was going to be stuck here right now, he was going to get everything out. "No, she didn't. We screwed things up for her though, didn't we? What kind of life will she have with us always fighting like this, Fletcher? Honestly, I don't know what the hell you've been thinking." He bit down hard on his cheek until he could taste blood inside his mouth. There was no way he was about to let the tears rise to the surface for the other boy to see. Never again.

He folded his arms and glared down at Fletcher. Pictures of the good times they shared entered his mind. No! He would not let this happen. Parker violently shook his head and fought with all his might. Fletcher was not getting out of any of this that easily. Memories of the many dinners, the laughter, and all the promises shared between them. Flash backs of how he nearly lost his life bringing Emma into the world. Did the other boy even care or think about that at all?! Parker nearly died trying to bring this precious baby into the world in an attempt to be a family. Why couldn't Fletcher just have backed out when there were other options to be considered? Selfish. Selfish. Selfish.[/i] That was all his inner voice kept screaming from within. Fletcher was going to have to work hard, VERY HARD, to even have a foothold in this situation. Parker was in no mood to make any of this easy for him.
[/size]

[FLETCHER CROSS]

For a few moments, Parker simply walked away and ignored him. Perfect. Not only was this a gigantic waste of time, but if he did make it out of the forest alive, there was no way he was going to see his child. He'd always been a little sad when he watched movies where the mother or father was looking for their child, but it was the type of feeling that you had for a half-hour or so before you brushed it off and started laughing with your friends again. Now that he was actually experiencing it, he wanted to go back and tell the actors that they'd done it wrong--no offense, Miss Jolie. He supposed that was why they were called actors, though. They pretended they were going through something that they probably had never felt, and probably wouldn't feel. He'd tried that for a bit with Parker--mainly for Emma. For a bit, he'd convinced the audience--but the actors always knew the truth, right?

It'd been seven weeks or so since he'd last seen Emma, and he hadn't expected it to be the last time. He would've given anything to go back to a time when the most arguing going on between him and Parker was who would be the fun parent, and when they would feed Emma ice cream, and when broccoli. He wished they were painting a room for her now, or watching a movie together, or going to the zoo. That was over now, he supposed. Parker didn't seem too interested in the idea of him being an actual parent. The look the angel was giving him as he stormed back over didn't exactly say "raise my child with me". Okay, well. He hadn't exactly meant it like that. He knew that Parker had been thinking about Emma, obviously; but fighting over something that wasn't going to change wouldn't help. All they'd be doing was making Emma's life even worse at this point, and that's why he wanted Parker to stop for a moment. Stop throwing trees on him, stop killing him, stop yelling--before there was no more Fletcher to fight with, or care for Emma, or anything like that. But, he guessed, Parker seemed a little bent on single-parenting anyway, so what would it matter if he died?

He bit his lip, though; he figured that arguing back at this point would only piss Parker off more, and that would get them absolutely nowhere. So, he remained quiet, watching as Parker steamed before him. Silence broke through the forest again--well, except for the sounds of crunching as more trees collapsed under the weight of seven or so on them. While Parker was distracted, he turned his head to the other side to see what the damage was. Oh. He wrinkled his nose upon seeing his bloody arm and turned his head to the other side to face Parker again. He didn't much like the sight of blood--or, wasn't accustomed to it, which was odd, due to the alarming amount of murders at the school--and the sight of the red liquid dribbling down his arms made him sick. His face was a bit paler now, but he looked much more tired than upset. The silence continued until a large crash broke it; Fletcher looked up, but saw nothing. The sound of trees caving in was distant. Blocking off help? Well, wasn't that mature? Can't we do this when I'm not...y'know...dying? he thought tiredly, staring deliberately at the ground again. Absent-mindedly, he tried to move his arm, but that was a bad move; the tree lowered deeper into his arm, piercing more flesh and allowing more blood to trickle out. Fuck.

"I don't know what your 'right thing' is, but mine is not pretending to love someone when you don't," Fletcher mumbled back, unable to bring the strength to his voice that he'd hoped for. He was simply too tired. I want to go to sleep, or something, he thought numbly. Sleep sounded very nice at this point--but, again, it would mean that getting crushed by a tree would've been a gigantic waste of time. "Don't you think we would've fought anyway?" he continued quietly. "I couldn't act like that forever." Like I love you. Eventually Emma would've had to find out, right? He was just trying to spare her more fighting and hatred--but that had backfired on him, hadn't it? They'd ended up fighting more than they ever had in months over the course of a couple of days.

Uh, no, Parker. No. "What the hell I've been thinking?" he repeated, frowning. "I haven't been the one throwing trees like they were pieces of grass, Parker. I--" He stopped himself, letting his mouth hang open for a moment before promptly closing it. Calm. They needed to settle on something--at least, for Emma--and angering him further was not a good idea. "Right. Okay, well, my theory was to spare her the fighting--which I guess we're getting over with now," he mumbled, reaching up to brush some strands of shaggy hair out of his face. "They say that the parents' emotions affect the child, right? So, between us fighting all the time, and me being fairly depressed--I guess...you too?--what would've happened to her?" He couldn't have done that to his child. She didn't deserve to see either of them like that. The blonde watched Parker quietly, meeting his eyes calmly and trying to keep himself awake.

[PARKER JAMES]

Something felt funny inside of him. There was an indescribable feeling rushing over him. Not that he was feeling much besides pure rage right now. All he wanted to do was go on a rampage and tear the world apart piece by piece. He wanted everything and everyone to hurt as deeply as he was hurting. Parker didn't care that this was selfish or unfair because neither was everything that was happening to him. If he had to suffer, why couldn't he make everyone else suffer, too? That seemed perfectly reasonable in his lack of ability to judge situations clearly right now.

An odd sense of discomfort he had never felt before situated in the center of his chest. He tried his best not to show the other boy his pain. There was still silence between the two of them. Neither boy was speaking yet since his burst of anger. He tries not to grab at his chest as a searing pain filled his body. What the hell was going on? Nothing like this had ever happened to him before. His hands started to tremble and his expression went blank. Now he was starting to get afraid. Was he having a heart attack or something? Parker was terrified that something would take him away from his daughter forever.

Suddenly, the pain subsided temporarily. Thank God! Unless he was that was causing him this pain because that would be pretty fucked up. He took a few minutes to gather his composure before he heard Fletcher speak. There was a good chance this would be the start of round two. Several times he wanted to shout out and interrupt him, but he thought better of it. Fletcher had let him have his turn to speak. Parker supposed he could give the other boy the same respect. Sighing, he folded his arms across his chest as his cold expression slowly washed away. He wasn't even sure what he was feeling anymore. In fact, he didn't even think he was feeling right now. Everything felt so strange and he didn't feel like himself right now. Something was shifting inside of him. It felt like something was crawling around inside of him.

Parker felt a sense of relief as Fletcher finally told the truth. So, he never loved me to begin with. That made things a lot different right now. He was not going to try to force something that he never apparently had. Fletcher should have had the decency to just tell him that from the beginning. They wouldn't be in this mess if he knew from square one that he was as good as a whore to the other boy. The burning sensation in his chest was starting up again, but it was tolerable this time. Parker shrugged it off as being a part of the expected pain of learning the person you were in love with didn't love you.

He was growing extremely impatient while waiting for Fletcher to finish his words. How much more could he possibly say? Wasn't firing a gun in someone's heart enough for one day? Honestly, did it really get worse than losing the only person you ever imagined spending your life with? Parker hated to admit it, but something the other boy said had finally gotten through to him. Maybe not completely, but he was definitely calming down and willing to approach the situation slightly differently, if only for Emma. She didn't deserve being in the middle of all this fighting and drama.

He didn't speak. There was going to be no words of apology or admitting Fletcher was right. At least not during this moment. Without words, he closed his eyes and concentrated hard on getting the trees away from Fletcher. Parker didn't mean for any of this to happen. He just got caught up in the fury that flooded his body. He saw the person who held his heart suffering and on the verge of losing consciousness. No doubt he had lost a fairly decent amount of blood. Fletcher was not going to suffer like this anymore. Parker may not need him around, but in a strange sense he found himself thinking of Emma again. What kind of monster would he look like if he destroyed her father's life?

Fletcher was freed from the crushing weight of the trees. The sight of all the blood and the stench finally reached his nostrils. Parker cringed and turned his head. That had to be the most disgusting smell in the entire world. How vampires and werewolves dealt with that on a regular basis, he would never understand. This was the moment of defeat. The only way he could help Fletcher right now would be to walk over and heal him. Sighing, this was going to take a great deal of effort and self-restraint. Parker made his way closer to the other boy in slow deliberate steps. He wanted to let the other boy know that he had no intention of hurting him this time.

Kneeling at the body of the other boy, he placed his hands over his injured body. Parker still was not ready to speak to him just yet, but he needed to help him. He felt a tugging at his lips and it was then he realized a slight smile was present on his face. Why was he smiling? Fletcher had completely just destroyed everything in his world except for his daughter and there he smiled as a result? Sometimes, he really didn't understand his emotions or himself very well at all. Parker closed his eyes and concentrated on the love that was still present in his body for the other boy. After all, he had to find it in himself to want to heal him in order to actually do it. The love that was left was probably his only motivation at the very moment. Warmth washed over them and that old familiar heavenly glow surrounded them.

This was probably the best gift that he could give Fletcher. A second chance to make things at least tolerable between them. They may not be the family he wanted, but they were still a family on some level. Emma deserved to have both her parents. If only for her sake, they were not going to be at each others throats all her life. He doubted they would ever really be as close as before, but this was going to have to be a good enough start. Parker watched as the wounds on Fletcher slowly started closing up. Blood was rapidly drying and he could feel that the pain in his body was significantly decreasing. This made him smile if only for a brief moment. He cried out as the searing pain returned with a vengeance. He doubled over and it felt as it his back had been blown wide open.

The sound of feathers rustling filled the air. Parker took deep breaths and dug his fingers into the dirty ground. This pain was unbelievable like nothing he had ever experienced before. God must have finally decided to look down on him and punish him for everything in the last year. He couldn't blame him for doing that. There were too many wrong turns in his life to count. Parker often times felt himself that his life was spiraling out of control. Somehow, he was always left with a powerless feeling about it. Fletcher had taken up so much of his time and energy that he didn't devout the proper time to thinking things through. Maybe this was God's punishment and telling him that things needed to change.

A few dark feathers flowed down in front of his face and landed around them. Where had they come from?! He noticed that one had landed on Fletcher's chest. Parker's eyes locked on the feather and tears filled his eyes. No! This couldn't be! He knew that he was in shock, but he didn't just have God himself turn his back on him, had he? "No, no...." were the only words that had faintly crossed his lips since he was screaming at Fletcher. Tears flooded his eyes but refused to fall to the ground. All he truly had left anymore was Emma. That was it. Everything he had fought so hard for up until now was gone. Parker looked blankly into Fletcher's eyes. For the first time in a long time, he looked helpless and terrified.

((ooc- Holy shit! That was really long. Sorry. I guess I just got carried away and needed a release. This is the longest post I have written in ages. I can't believe I wrote so much without having him talk!))