Chapter Six

Audrey watched Nathan running towards the car, coat over his head. "Gahhhhh!" he said, jumping into the car and slamming the door shut. "I'm waiting for an Arc to come by any second now".

"Does Haven Auto repair Arcs?" she asked with a smirk. "Now that's what I call full service."

He wiped the rain out of his eyes. "Thanks for coming to get me. The truck should be ready by the end of the day".

She turned the wipers up to high. "Not a problem. Where do you want to go, home?"

"Do you mind hanging out for a while?" he asked, looking at her with a hopeful expression.

Her heart skipped a little. "Be happy to. You have something in mind?".

"There's a Craft Fair I wanted to check out. It's got an artist that makes really good stained glass. I have a few pieces already. It's indoors..." He smiled. "..but it's a bit of a drive".

She shrugged. "Which way?"

"Get onto Route 12". He shook the rain out of his hair with his fingers. "So... I wanted to tell you a few things". He paused. "Can't have you walking around thinking I'm a deluded sucker who dates monsters"

Audrey was instantly annoyed. "You are NOT going to defend her, are you?"

Irritated but smirking Nathan said, "Parker, do you think you could shut up long enough for me to tell you the personal, private information that I don't talk about to any other living soul?"

"Shutting up" she grumbled.

"I am NOT defending her, OK? What she said to Duke was pretty fucked up, and she was pretty well a cast-iron bitch by the time she left".

No kidding. She snorted

He ignored her. "What you told me surprised me, but it didn't shock me. Natalie was pretty messed up then".

"Shocker!".

"Could you knock it off for 5 minutes, please!" She pressed her lips together in reply. "Take the next exit, it'll be 10 miles to the next turnoff" he said, pointing to the exit sign.

"Sorry" She said, but she couldn't stop herself. "Why would you date a woman like that? Because she's beautiful?"

He shrugged. "At first, yeah. When she came to town, I figured she'd go for Duke. He's traveled a lot, speaks multiple languages... " he looked really annoyed at this. "But.. she liked me". He looked a little smug.

"So you asked her out to piss off Duke?" They're so much alike.

"Well that, and she's really pretty. Natalie is in many ways an amazing lady. World traveler, fantasitc cook, likes hiking, mountain climbing, is a good artist...".

She felt a hard knot form in her stomach. No, please. "Do you...?"

"I do NOT still love her" he cut her off. "But I did. I may be one of the few people who really knows her, gets her. I had to think about things for a while before I figured it all out". He sighed. "For all the good parts she's also really messed up".

"I noticed" she said under her breath.

"You really can't stop yourself can you?" he smirked. "Look, Natalie had a really fucked up childhood".

"My heart bleeds".

"Fair enough, but not everyone comes out of stuff like that in one piece. She's not a strong as you are". Audrey flushed. "She learned early on that being beautiful was powerful, a way to manage the world".

She was startled. "You mean sex! She got what she wanted with sex!"

"Yes, she did". He said in a matter-of-fact tone. He wasn't embarrassed or angry. "Parker, she's not some cartoon villain. People are complicated".

Audrey found herself interested almost against her will. "So, when you..."

He smiled. "Bright girl. When I stopped being able to feel things, when my skin basically turned off, she was thrown. She didn't know how to deal with me. Hell, I didn't know how to deal with myself. We were both frightened, confused. She was sure things were over".

Audrey's eyebrows drew together. "I don't understand".

"She never had anyone love her without... well, conditions. She hadn't known... ". He blushed. "Even with the stoic thing, I'm a pretty emotional guy".

"That's not news" Audrey said with a soft smile.

He nodded, smiled. He turned to face her "When I love someone, it's total - I don't keep anything back".

She felt his intense blue eyes on her - a gaze so powerful it was almost physical. The car suddenly seemed very small. It was hard for Audrey to catch her breath.

"And.." he said, breaking the spell and looking back out the front windscreen. "She couldn't believe I would love her the way I was. That I wouldn't leave her, even though... ". His voice got awkward and drifted off.

Audrey blinked in surprise, "You two didn't have sex after you changed... did you?"

"No, we didn't. I thought... If I only tried hard enough to get through to her, she'd believe I really loved her. Then we could... figure things out. After she left, I felt like I failed her. I thought.. she would be happier without me" He laughed ruefully. "Over the years I let it eat at me. Decided everything was my fault". He looked out the passenger window.

Audrey was at loss for anything to say. This was not how she thought things went down. It was so much easier, less confusing earlier that morning.

They drove on for a while. Making deliberately light conversation. He told her about the local gossip he heard the day before. She told him about the apparent secret love affair between Darlene and the janitor at the station. The rain was behind them now. The day was sunny with bright white clouds.

After a twenty minutes had passed he switched to a less casual topic. "So Parker...? What was that yesterday? Of the two of us I'm the emotional one. You're the one who keeps it together. Hell, you took my gun when I was upset during the Darkman stuff, but... yesterday when you came up to the cliff, you were really upset. You got really angry and ... started crying?" He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"Are you mad?" She asked confused.

"Mad? No! not at all. I just... " He paused and tried from another direction. "I got a call from my dad this morning".

"You mean the Chief."

"No, this was my dad. He told me..." He cleared his throat and continued with a passable thick Maine accent 'Day was pretty quiet. Couple of idiots got into it down at the docks. Harry and Sam caught a poacher - we got him into lockup before he got himself beat to death. Rowing team got busted with grain alcohol, an' I sent Parker on patrol after she went medieval on your ex-girlfriend. Nothin' I couldn't handle'.

She laughed. "Well done".

"Years of practice. So... you two got into it a bit?"

"You didn't ask him"?

"Would there be a point?" he said with a touch of frustration. One of the Chief's hobbies was giving Nathan shit. It would be just like him to drop a little bomb like that and then go nonverbal.

Audrey grunted. She saw his point. Then, angry and embarrassed she said, "It was ridiculous. She was totally overreacting. I mean.. threatening to press charges, really!"

He stared at her. "Press charges for what?"

"It was no big deal. It's not like I hit her that hard".

"You HIT her?". His eyes opened wide.

"Smacked technically".

"You smacked her?". Audrey could tell he didn't understand but seemed amused.

"Yeah... on the face ... kinda hard" she admitted guiltily.

Nathan stared at her, mouth open. "Why?"

Audrey was quiet for a minute, then "I was out of line". Defensively she added, "She said some stupid things".

"I can only imagine" he said raising his eyebrows in contemplation of the possibilities.

She huffed. "Nathan, after I heard what that bitch did to you, I was so angry she's lucky I didn't shoot her skinny, overdressed ass". Her anger both confused and thrilled him. "You're my best friend. I don't have that many people I can count on and..."

"And?" He prompted.

She said nothing, Then with a grimace said, "When you heard her name, you were so hurt, and... you just left".

"Oh" he said softly. He was quiet for a moment, then looking at her with a gentle, kind expression he said, "Without you. I disappeared... and left you behind".

She stared out the windscreen forcing herself not to react. Her heart racing, her shoulders tense. Her eyes felt itchy, though she wasn't sure why.

"Parker" he said, staring at her with that laser-like gaze again. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm afraid you're stuck with me".

Through the corner of her eye she saw him give her the lop-sided smile that made it so hard for her to breathe. "Good" she said, a tiny smile curling her lips.

He leaned back in his seat and sighed. "We're almost there" he said softly.

END