Shaddyr's Eclectic Collection > Pretender Fanfiction > The Angel Collection



The Angel Collection
By Gables

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.

 

~~~~~
Blue Cove, DE
December 20th

Miss Parker was shopping for Christmas presents. It was actually a rather easy task. Her list was short - she only needed presents for her father, Sydney, Broots and Debbie. The last three were added to her list only within the past couple of years. Still, she enjoyed window-shopping, and spent most of the time buying things for herself because she received so few presents.

Her father usually gave her a piece of jewelry - necklaces most often, Sydney and Broots gave her small tokens, which is basically what she gave them. She couldn't commit herself to a better friendship to go beyond that. Debbie's gift was always a card and an ornament. Each year, Miss Parker meticulously decorated her Christmas tree, just like she remembered doing with her mother as a child. She would carefully unwrap each ornament, and softly touch the ribbons and bells remembering happier holidays. Debbie's ornaments always were placed in front, where the young girl would be sure to see them.

When Parker was looking in the bookstore, she glanced at the display of Christmas books. One caught her eye "Christmas Traditions For Your Family" She picked it up and leafed though it. It was a collection of traditions that people had submitted. There were decorating tips, creative ways to wrap presents, and tons of recipes, from chicken noodle soup to Christmas cookies.

She was sad that she couldn't do any of these traditions with a family of her own. Since her mother died, all of her Christmases were spent either overseas, or with a father who barely recognized the season.

There was only one person she knew who would appreciate this book. He may not have a family either, but it would be much easier for him to find a makeshift home than for her to find one. On a holiday enthused whim, Miss Parker bought the book and a Rudolph Pez dispenser.

~~~~~
Miss Parker's House

When she got home, Miss Parker pulled out her wrapping supplies and laid out her gifts. She ignored the bag with the book she had bought Jarod until all the others were wrapped.

Three hours later, his gift still lay in the bag, and she was on the couch, drink in hand staring at it.

She argued back to herself.

It was true though, the first year he had it sent to the Centre, but since then she has always awoken on Christmas day to find a package on her coffee table from him. She didn't have the spirit to try and catch him, and although it annoyed her that he could so easily disarm her security system, she loved the fact that he went to such great lengths to give her a gift.

Jarod's gifts were the one bright spot in the season. He had started an angel figurine collection for her, and added a new one each Christmas. She only had three, but they were all beautiful. All had dark brown hair and blue eyes. She had traced their origins and was amazed at the geography. They were all hand made and each one was from a different place: Florence, Italy, New York City, and Santiago, Chile.

She told no one of his gifts and kept them in her closet. She pulled them out once a year, on Christmas, when she received the new one.

Miss Parker set down her glass and grabbed a pen. Inside the book she added a tradition, "Breaking and entering into my house." She closed the book and proceeded to wrap it, tying the Pez dispenser into the ribbon that garnished the gift.

~~~~~
Miss Parker's house
Christmas Eve.

Miss Parker adjusted the latest ornament from Debbie. It was a clay snowman holding a sign that said, "Merry Christmas." She had just come back from the Broots house and was in a particular good mood. She spun the snowman a fraction of an inch more so that it would get more light. and then stood back to assess the tree. She liked it.

Parker ran her hand through her hair and decided to go to bed. On the way up the stairs, she saw the gift for Jarod.

"Oh what the hell" She picked up the gift and placed it on the coffee table, where he always left her packages. To leave no doubt, so scribbled on a piece of paper, "for you" and laid it on top of the gift.

Parker checked her alarm one more time, then went to bed.

~~~~~

Miss Parker woke up at 10:48am. This was her one day to sleep in, and she loved it. She would probably have spent a couple more hours in bed like she used to before Jarod escaped, but the little girl spirit came out, and she threw back the covers and headed downstairs to see what he had left her.

Sure enough, there was a different package on the coffee table. Her present to him was gone, and instead lay a beautiful box with blue snowflake design, tied shut with gold ribbon.

Parker checked her alarm, and rolled her eyes when it declared no entries. Forgetting the trespassing, she turned around and headed into the kitchen to make some coffee. While the coffee percolated, she went into her closet and pulled out three equally beautiful boxes that held the other angels.

Miss Parker carefully unwrapped each one and set it on the coffee table. When they were all aligned, she got up, poured herself a cup of coffee and walked back to the new gift.

Parker sat down on the couch and untied the gold ribbon. She lifted the lid and parted the red and green tissue paper. With careful hands, Miss Parker removed the figurine. This angel looked Scandinavian to her. The wood carved angel stood next to a pine tree and held a star in her hand.

Parker set it down next to the other four and took in the collection: The graceful porcelain angel from Italy, the New York blown glass angel with wings studded with blue sapphires, the Chilean angel, holding out her arms and spreading beautiful copper wings, and this year's angels, the carved wooden one from Scandinavia.

She was sipping her coffee and looking at the angels when Jarod called. She didn't want to answer the phone with her normal aggressive tone, so instead she picked up the receiver and stayed quiet. Jarod started talking without a prompt.

"Merry Christmas, Parker."

"Merry Christmas, Jarod."

"You know, everybody has tradition whether or not they share them with family."

"Uh huh."

"Debbie and I will continue to impose them on you if need be."

"Thank you." She tried to sound unimpressed, but she really was grateful, and she knew that Jarod took the words by their meaning, and not her tone of voice.

"You're welcome. One thing though Parker, I can give you gifts, you are the one chasing me; I'm allowed to taunt you. But you."

"Call it a new tradition." She tired to sound cynical, but again, he probably only heard the words.

"Thank you Miss Parker. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Jarod." She hung up the phone and resumed sipping her coffee and staring at the angels.

At the end of the day she repacked the angels and replaced the boxes in the back of her closet. One her way to bed, she paused to smile at her Christmas tree. Parker went to bed and slept soundly though the night.







End