Chapter 4

It was after midnight when Jason heard the knock at the door. "What the hell?" he wondered out, "Who would be here at midnight, when it's raining?" He headed to the door, and stood stunned when he found Parker standing drenched on the other side.

"Hey," she said meekly. It was obvious to Jason that the girl had been crying, and he quickly ushered her inside. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything?" The blonde looked around the house, as if she was searching for something. After deciding that he was alone, she entered and headed for the couch.

"Do you want some dry clothes," he asked, and before she could respond, head to his room to retrieve a robe. He reappeared moments later, and she took it graciously.

He watched, not all that shocked, and Parker began to change into the robe, not bother by the fact that he was in the room. In the time that he had known her, he discovered that modesty was something she lacked.

"So, do you want to tell me what happened?" he asked sitting down next to her, and pulling her into his arms.

She sighed, and the floodgates opened. Jason pulled his arms tighter around the crying girl, and waited for her to speak. Finally, after several minutes, she pulled herself together. "I was just trying to help," she began, "I just can't do anything right. I mean she was so upset, and then she was happy, and now Sam hates me, and he'll never forgive." She looked up, and him, but he didn't say anything. "I mean I guess he's right. I am selfish. I am stupid. I mean I am doing it again. I show up here at midnight, without calling and expect you to listen to my problems."

Jason smoothed her hair, and kissed her on the head. "You are not selfish," he assured her, "and you're not bothering me. Trust me. Sam was just upset, I'm sure he will forgive you." Jason had no idea what Parker had done but he couldn't have been that bad.

As if she read his mind, she looked at him. "I gave his girlfriend Vicaden, drew on her face with sharpie, and then Peter and I took her to McDonald's. Only Peter was the driver. Do you really think he is going to forgive anytime soon?"

Jason couldn't think of a response to that. He just tightened his grip around her, and kissed her head again. "Parker," he finally said, "I think he will forgive you. I just don't see how anyone could not forgive you."

Parker turned to face him, and smiled, already feeling better. How was it possible that someone she had just met could make her feel so good? She smiled again, and leaned up to kiss him on the mouth.

Jason appeared startled at first by the kiss, but he then deepened it. She pulled back after a moment, reached forward unbuttoning his shirt.

"It's late," she whispered, "Why are you still in your clothes?"

Jason gawked at the girl. "Ms. Hall," he said quietly, "Are you trying to seduce me?"

She kissed him again, and pushed the shirt off his shoulders. Jason returned the kiss, and began to work his hands inside the robe. Parker reached up, and coiled her hand around his neck, and pulled him backward on to the couch.

"Is this really happening?" Jason asked himself, "Should I even be doing this?" The debate continued in his mind as Parker hands worked their way to his jeans, and began to undo the button.

Finally Jason's conscious won out, and he pull back, leaving the blonde looking disappointed.

"What's wrong?" she asked, giving him a quizzical look. "Don't you want me?"

"Of course I want you," he assured her, "I just don't want you to feel that I was taking advantage of you. I mean you came over clearly upset, and I jump on you."

Parker kissed him again, and ran her finger through his hair. "Stop worrying," she said seductively, "I think I will be the one taking advantage of you." With that she slipped the robe off, and allowed him to fall with her back to the couch.

A clap of thunder shook the house, and Parker pulled Jason closer to her. "I hate storms," she whispered slightly embarrassed, "I always have."

"Nothing going to hurt you," he assured her, kissing her neck, "I promise you have nothing to worry about." And for once in her life, Parker actually believed that he would take care of her, and she felt safe wrapped up with him.

Pillow talk was something that Jason had never been good at. He hated the thought of making mindless talk with someone simply because they were in the same bed. Jason thought back to when he had been with Janet, and how she used to talk about things such as the weather, sidewalk cracks, and are Chihuahua are considered dogs or not. Last night, as a reflex, Jason had attempted to make small talk with the girl next to him, but she just groaned and rolled over, leaving him in stunned silence.

Waking up that morning to find her nestled into his chest, smiling was a pleasant surprise. No words were spoken, and he just enjoyed the comfortable silence that passed between them.

"How did you get this?" she finally asked, breaking the silence. Jason looked at the girl who was absent-mildly tracing the scar on his palm. Memories flooded back to him of the day in New York when Frank had ended his own life to save Jack and him.

"I got that the day I lost one of my closest friends," he said quietly, Frank's face slipping through his mind.

"That's sad," she said, instantly feeling that she should say more. With the words refuse to come; she snuggled closer to him in an attempt to provide a little comfort. "How did it happen?"

"It was during the storm," Jason began, "We had gone to New York to..." Jason hesitated not want to bring up that fact they were looking for her brother.

"To rescue Sam," she finished. "I know that part."

"Frank stepped on a window, and it broke. He fell through, and pulled me almost over with him. Jack and I tried to save him..." Jason paused, and Parker saw the flash of pain cross his face.

"Are you okay?" she asked kissing him lightly.

Jason nodded, "Yeah, its just he died to save me, and I just still feel so guilty. I mean I could have saved him."

Parker took hold of his hand, and kissed it lightly. "Jason, if he hadn't done such a brave thing, you would have died too. And if you have died we wouldn't be here now."

Jason looked into her huge blue eyes, and knew that he wouldn't trade this moment for the world. There was something special about Parker Hall.

"Well, I'm getting in the shower," she said running her hand down his chest. She pulled herself out of bed, dragging the comforter with her. "Are you coming?"

"Do you need help?" he asked, remaining stretched out on the bed.

"Well, you know I'm really dirty," she said her voice low.

"You look pretty clean to me," he replied, still unaware of her intentions.

Parker sighed and shook her blonde hair. "Okay, let me make it clear for you. Do you want to go and mess around in the shower?"

"Why didn't you just say that?" he said flabbergasted. He could not believe that she had just said that.

"I was trying to sexy," she told him, rolling her eyes. "You know sometimes girls do that."

Jason starred at his girlfriend in disbelief. Janet had really ruined him. With her it at always been straight forward, and direct. There was never any hidden meaning in anything. If Janet was in the shower, it meant she was taking a shower. It was shock to him that Parker would want to do something other than get clean.

"Maybe, after we take a shower, we can have some breakfast?" Jason said trying his own attempt at seducing the girl.

Parker's eyes lit up, "Can we have waffles?"

"I was thinking sausage," Jason replied, and crossed over to the girl, who was standing by the door leading to the bathroom.

Parker wrinkled her nose, and swatted at him. "You know I don't eat meat."

Jason blushed, which Parker found absolutely adorable. "I was trying to be sexy," he explained, "You know like you did with the shower."

Parker looked at him blankly. "You're stupid."

"Oh that's nice. That's what every guy wants to hear from his girlfriend," he retorted. Jason watched as a smile broke across her face.

"You think I'm your girlfriend!" the blonde squealed. She jumped into his arms, engulfing his in the oversized comforter. "Aww, Jason!" she kissed him hard on the mouth.

When she broke away, he could no nothing but stare at the girl in his arms. "Well considering we slept together, yeah I thought you might be my girlfriend. Where did you come from where you weren't dating the guy you were sleeping with?"

"California," she replied, not thinking anything of it. She allowed herself to slip out of his arms, and back onto the floor.

Jason shook his head, and chuckled to himself. She was so oblivious sometimes; he could only wonder what her life had been like.

Sam Hall was caught off guard by a large purple grape smacking him in between the eyes. He quickly snatched another from the bowl on the counter and aimed it at his girlfriend. Laura, however, was prepared for the grape, and caught it in her mouth. Sam stared at her wide-eyed, and she flashed him a smile more beautiful than he had ever seen.

Sam didn't know how it was possible, but he seemed to fall more in love with her every time he was near her. Every thing she did amazed him, and every time he though he knew every hidden secret about her, he learned something new. There was nothing that ceased to amaze him about her; Sam knew he could spend the rest of his life learning about Laura Chapman.

Another grape hit him square in the head, and he reached for the bowl, only to find that in had already been scooped up by the brunette. Sam began to protest, but was bombarded by a shower of grapes. He slid onto the Hall's kitchen floor, and tried to gather some ammo. After several moments of refuge under the counter, he reappeared and was prepared to attack the girl.

Sam was startled however by the site that was before him. Laura was sitting cross-legged on the counter efficiently tossing grapes into the air, and catching them in her mouth.

"Where do you learn to do that?" Sam asked stunned at how incredibly sexy she looked.

Laura grinned at him, twirling the grape with her tongue. "I just to play this game with my ex-boyfriend." She launched the grape back into the air, and caught again with perfect aim.

"What?" he managed to spit out absolutely flabbergasted. "Your ex-boyfriend?"

"Sam," Laura sighed touching his hand, "I though you knew me better than that. It was my ex-ex-boyfriend."

"You're kidding, right?" Sam asked too stunned to think about much more.

"Of course, I wasn't even dating this guy," Laura replied. Sam's face fell, and Laura let out a laugh. "I'm joking Sam you know that."

Sam looked slightly relieved. "Does my pain make you smile?" he asked, with a huge grin on his face.

"Very much," Laura told him, kissing him lightly on the mouth. "Don't worry about it. No boyfriend thought me that. Parker did."

Sam mood sobered at the thought of his half-sister. He was still upset over what she had done to Laura, not to mention they way she had messed up his life three years ago. Everyone seemed to except that Parker was who she was, and there was no changing her, but Sam couldn't deal with it. He just didn't understand how one person could be so self-involved, and oblivious. What irked him more was that more trouble she created the more of Jack's already limited attention she got. Sam was his child; the child he had raised from birth and he could not fathom how he could not keep his father's attention.

"Oh, did she? Was that before or after she drugged you?" Sam said harsher than he meant to.

"Sam," his girlfriend said giving him a look. "Don't be like that. You know she didn't mean anything by it, and you know she's sorry."

"Is she?" Sam's tone was skeptical, and Laura couldn't understand what had gotten into him. Ever since they arrived in Mexico, Sam's normally neutral attitude toward his half-sister had changed to resentful.

"You know she is, Sam." Laura told him, and took his hand in hers.

"She didn't seem to sorry last night when I went to talk to her. She seemed more concerned with making popcorn."Sam informed his girlfriend, and instantly he wished he had kept his mouth shut.

"Oh, Sam." She said, sounding almost sad. "I wish you hadn't."

"Why?" Sam asked. "She did a stupid thing. Actual stupid for most people, for her it was just typical Parker. She is always like that. She lives for attention."

"Do wish you got the attention she does?" Laura asked Sam. "Are you jealous of Jack and her's relationship. Are you Sam?" Laura continued to press.

Ever part of Sam wanted to scream 'Of course not' but he could not make himself speak. He wasn't jealous of Parker. Granted he hated the way his father's eyes lit up when she entered the room, and the way he did everything in his power to keep her 'his little girl.' Maybe it was just Jack's way of making up for leaving her, but Jack had been around just as little when Sam was growing up, and he didn't seem to want to make up for that.

"Well, Sam?" Laura voice echoed in his mind. "Are you jealous?" Sam didn't answer, knowing that either answer wouldn't satisfy him.