Chapter 5

Parker and Jason were just drying off, when the doorbell rang. On instinct Jason started to go to answer it, but the girl pulled him back. "What about breakfast?" she asked softly, leaving Jason open-mouthed.

"Do you ever get tried?" He asked in disbelief. The blonde flashed a smile, and shook her head, sending long wet strands whipping through the air. Jason considered staying in the room for moment, before the bell rang again, drawing his attention toward the door. Parker gave him a pleading look, and the thought of crawling back into bed was far too pleasing.

"Just let me get that," he told her regretful, and pulled on his shorts. Once he opened the door, however, he wished that he had listened to his girlfriend. Standing on the other side of the door was none other than his boss, and Parker's father, Jack Hall.

"Shit," he mumbled under his breath, and said a prayer that Parker would stay in the bedroom until her father had left.

"Jason," Jack greeted his co-worker, "I hope I didn't wake you."

"Jack," Jason replied, ignoring the question. "What's up?" He tried to keep his voice calm, even though every nerve was on end. He could only imagine the scene if Jack found out his daughter was here.

"That storm last night was from Hurricane Delastes. It may be changing course, but I believe it will miss us," Jack explained. "I need you to come in this morning, and help keep track of its movement. I know it was your day off, but I really..." Jack was cut off.

"Jason," Parker's voice cooed from down the hall.

Jason paled, but a smile broke across Jack's face. "I didn't realize you were seeing someone." Jack was obviously unaware that the voice belonged to his only daughter. "Is it serious?"

"I'm not sure," he answered honestly, "It's new." Jack clapped Jason on the shoulder.

"You've got to get the easy ones while you can," he told him, leaving Jason stunned. "Because before you know it, you'll be tied down."

At that moment, the Hall gene for showing up at the worst possible time kicked in, and Parker appeared at the end of the hall.

"Daddy!" she squealed, and hurried over to her father, wearing nothing but a shirt of Jason's. Her hair hung in damp strands, clearly indicating that she had just stepped out of the shower. Jason turned bright red, and if it was possible Jack turned even redder. Parker seemingly unfazed by the situation, continued to make matters worse. "We were just getting ready for breakfast, do you think you could make some for us?" the blonde continued. Turning to her boyfriend she added, "My daddy makes the best food!"

If there could have been a more awkward time in his life, Jack could not recall it. Never would he have thought that he would spend his morning cooking food for his daughter, and co-worker, especially after they had been up to something not good.

"So, honey?" Jack asked his daughter, "What would you like for breakfast?" he could not believe he was doing this.

"I want waffles," she told him, "but Jason wanted sausage." Her boyfriend paled, and then turned bright red, as he felt the girl's hand slip up his leg. Jason could not believe he had gotten himself into this situation.

Jack began to open cabinets, and eventually retrieved a box of waffle mix. He then turned toward the refrigerator. "Jason, do you have any sausage?" he asked, staring into the refrigerator.

"Yeah, there should be some in the freezer," he replied; in disbelief that he could even carry on a normal conversation.

Jack shook his head. "I don't see it. How much do you have?" Jack asked, thinking maybe it was not that much and he was simply overlooking it.

"Yeah, Jason. How much sausage do you have?" Parker chimed in suggestively. Jason prayed that Jack hadn't caught the tone in her voice. Jack seemed to preoccupied searching for the nonexistent sausage then to listen to his daughter, however.

"Never mind," Jason told him, trying to change the subject to something other than sausage. "Jack, you really don't have to do this."

"Oh he doesn't mind." Parker answered for her father, leaning forward, and grabbing a banana from a bowl. With one motion she slid the entire banana into her mouth, never taking a bite.

Jack turned away from the counter where he had began to prepare the waffle in time to see his daughter sitting there with banana shoved in her mouth.

"Darling," he said calmly, "Did you just put that entire banana in your mouth?"

Parker tried to give him a smile, but couldn't due to the fruit in her mouth. Instead she gave him a several quick nods, and made her eyes big and innocent.

"Is that even possible?" he asked his daughter, but never took his eyes off of Jason. Jason gave him a helpless shrug, and would have given anything to crawl into a ball and die. He was truly getting the full Parker Hall Experience.

Sam knew that it was wrong to use the people that you loved, but he couldn't shake the idea from his head. He knew his dad would be home soon, and he knew that if he saw Laura and him, things would not go over well. Sam didn't care, though, if fact he was hoping for it. He knew that Jack would want to talk about what was going on, and that meant quality time with his son. It had always worked for Parker.

Sam looked over at Laura, who was blissfully unaware of his thought, and was happily enjoying being with Sam. Sam could feel the guilt building in his heart, but he it wasn't like he was faking everything. He truly loved Laura, and wanted to spend his life with her. At the moment, however, he would have given everything to spend some time with his father, the man who had saved his life.

When Sam heard the front door open, his heart skipped a beat, knowing that Jack had returned from Jason's. Without thinking his grabbed Laura, and pulled her tight, letting his hands run up the back of her shirt, and stepping the intensity level up a notch. Moments later, Jack's footsteps entered the living room, but Sam never pulled back to look. Instead, pretending that he had no idea his father was in the room, he knocked the still unaware Laura backward on the couch.

Sam waited, anticipated even, for Jack's reaction to the scene taking place, but it never came. Instead Sam listened as his footsteps left the room, and headed off in the direction of his bedroom, where Lucy was still asleep. The teen could not believe what had just happened. His father had ignored the fact that he was practically having sex with his girlfriend, and continued on to his room.

Before Sam could even think he pulled back, leaving Laura looking confused, and flushed on the couch. "What the hell?" Sam said out loud.

"What's wrong?" Laura asked sitting up, and adjusting her shirt, which was now in an awkward position.

Sam could not control himself. "I can't believe he didn't say anything," he blurted out, knowing that he should stop. The angry and hurt was too much though, and words kept pouring from Sam's mouth. "I mean, he saw me, and he just acted like it was nothing. I mean if it were Parker, he would have said something."

Laura looked confused. "Sam what are you talking about?" He was starting to freak her out, and she had no idea what had set him off.

"My dad. I knew he was coming, and I kept messing around. I knew he would see us. I didn't care." Laura's face fell, and Sam knew he had to shut up, but there was no stopping it. "If had been Parker, he would have ripped the guy of her, but no. He doesn't even look twice at me. I just can't get his attention, can I?"

Laura eyes were filling with tears, as she slowly realized what had been going on. Sam had used her to get his father's attention, and it hurt more than anything anyone had ever done to her. She tried to keep the tears in her big brown eyes, but they began to escape, and Laura knew she could not control it anymore.

"You used me?" she cried, in complete disbelief. Sam would never hurt her, he loved her, but then why would he have said those things.

Sam face softened, realizing what he had been saying. He saw the look of hurt, and desperation in Laura's eyes, and knew he couldn't lie to her.

"I didn't mean too," he tried to explain, but Laura held her hand.

"I thought you loved me Sam. Why would you use me like that? You treated me like I was a toy. You used to me to get something from someone else." Tears streamed down her cheeks, and Sam tried to wipe them away.

"Don't touch me, Sam." She said, her voice icy. Regretful Sam pulled away from her, wishing he could take back everything. He couldn't believe that he had messed things up with her. She was everything he had wanted for such a long time, and now he was ruining everything.

"Laura," he started to explain to the girl. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you, I wasn't thinking."

The brunette stared at him, and shook her head. "No Sam, you were. You were thinking about yourself. "Her words cut through him. He never wanted to hurt her, and he knew he never wanted to do it again. If he could just get her to forgive him, then he would spend the rest of his life trying to make it up to her. He reached out and took her hand, but she pulled back. Sam was startled by her reaction; she had never pulled away before.

Laura let out a laugh, but it wasn't her usual melodious giggle. This was one self-loathing, and mocking. "To think," she said, "To think I thought we were ready to take the next step in this relationship." She laughed out loud, and Sam had never felt so awful in his life. This was the woman he loved, the woman that had wanted to share every part of herself with him, and he had to messed things up. "Apparently, some of us still need some to do some growing up."

She turned toward the door, and Sam reached out to stop her. "Don't Sam," she whispered, sounding more sad than angry. "I can't be here with you right now. I'm not sure when I will be able to."

Sam watched as the most beautiful girl he had ever seen walked out the door. Sam hoped, and prayed that she was not walking out of his life too.

The click shut behind her, and Sam collapsed on to the floor. He wanted to scream. Instead he turned his hatred toward his half-sister, wanted to blame her for the fight. If she had never shown up, then he would have never felt this way. Sam knew though that there was no one to blame except himself, though, and that was something he would have to deal with.

Jack fell onto the bed next to his wife, waking her from her sleep. Lucy rolled over to face her husband, who was clearly bothered by something.

"Jack?" she asked sleepily, snuggling onto his chest. "What's wrong?"

Jack stared up at the ceiling. "I just had breakfast with Parker," he told his wife.

Lucy frowned, puzzled by his answer. In the six months they had been remarried, it seemed that Jack made even less sense then he had when they were together before. "Didn't you go to Jason's?" she asked, trying to remember the conversation they had had earlier that morning, when she had awaken for just minute.

Jack nodded, which left Lucy even more confused. "Why was Parker at Jason's?" she asked, the answer coming to her as she spoke. She smiled to herself, having always like Jason. "That's grrr..." she started to say, before catching the look on Jack's face. For how it seemed, Jack didn't feel the same way about his daughter's new relationship as she did. "You don't approve." She stated.

"He's six years older then him," he told her. "She is too young for him."

"She's twenty-one, Jack," Lucy told her husband. "She's not a little girl anymore."

"She's my little girl, Lucy." Jack replied, his voice seeming distant.

"Jack, you have to let her grow up," she told her husband, wishing that he would see that he couldn't keep her young forever. Lucy had always thought that since Jack wasn't around during Parker's childhood, he wanted to make her little forever. It was like an attempt to raise her himself.

Jack knew that his wife was right, but he wasn't ready to except it. She was his daughter; she wasn't supposed to spend the night with men. That wasn't how things worked.

"I know," he finally admitted reluctantly. The Hall's had always been stubborn. "It's just hard."

"I know it is, Jack," she told him, kissing his cheek. "But you have never been one to turn down a challenge."

That wasn't that great I know. It was kicking my butt this week, and I just had to finish it and move on. However I finished my outline for the story so here's is something to look forward to.... Fluffies, Fights, Floods, Felonies? Maybe even a Fatality??? You have to wait and see....evil laughter Hey Sparky knows, maybe you can pay her.