Jarod woke up the next morning with the worst hangover he's ever had. He laid in bed, his eyes rolled around the unfamiliar place. Standing before him was Miss Parker. "Tell me I've died and gone to hell."

"You don't know what hell is until I'm done with you. How are you feeling, Jarod"? She snarled.

He grabbed hold of his head as if wanting to rip it off. "Not so loud, Parker. I have a headache."

"Good!" She yelled not being sympathic at all. "What the hell is wrong with you? I needed a drink and I found you in that god-foresaken bar. Where the crap have you been for the last week?"

"Nowhere, somewhere, everywhere," he answered scarcastically trying to steady himself as he sat up.

Walking slowly towards him, she laid her hand on his chest and pushed him back hard on the bed.

"Parkerrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Damned it, my head's spinning," he hollered.

"Like I said earlier, good!"

"I'm dying here, Parker." He laid still, the only movement was his mouth when he spoke. "Where am I? The Centre?"

"You moron! Since when did you ever see lace curtains at The Centre. You expected me to bring you back there in your condition? How the hell would I explain my presence being at the bar when I promised "daddy" to quit drinking?"

Jarod moaned. "I'm in painnnnnn, Parker."

Miss Parker stood with her hands on her hips. "Damned it, what am I? A nursemaid and a babysitter?" She seethed. There was a time when all he had to do was to click her off to end their conversation. But, he was helpless.

Watching him in all that agony caused her heart to soften. "I'll get you something for your pain," she spoke softly.

She cradled him in her arms as he lifted his head slowly opening his mouth as Miss Parker fed two aspirins to him. "Take small sips," she tells him as he takes a drink of water. She gently wiped the water dribble on the corner of his mouth.

It was eight o'clock in the morning and the sun was out. Covering his eyes with a pillow, he moans softly.

"I'll be back later to check on you." Turning towards the door, Miss Parker stops and looks over her shoulder at Jarod. "Sleep tight," she whispers.

She checked on him periodically and at one point panicked when after a couple of hours he laid in the same position as when had she left him at her last bed check. Approaching him, his breathing was so still that she shook him with full force that he growled at her. "Leave me alone!" He yelled as he turned on his side, then laid on his stomach.

"Shhhhhhh," she comforted him patting his back gently like a baby. He closed his eyes and Miss Parker left his bedside only when he had fallen back to sleep. Standing at the foot of the bed, she felt her eyes begin to water. She closed it as so not to let her tears out, only for one to escape slowly falling down her cheek.

It was seven o'clock in the early evening when he finally got up. A pair of jeans, a red checkered shirt and fresh set of towels laid on the dresser.

Rain fell rapidly against her picture window as she stood staring at the large amounts of water dropping from the sky. She could not control her feelings for him. Cascade of tears which matched the outpour of rain flowed down her face. She could hear the branches of her tree scraping against the glass. She tapped it lightly as if trying to take hold of a fallen leaf that laid on her window sill.

Miss Parker thought what she felt for him when they were younger had been washed away like leaves being pushed down the street drain by the heavy rainfall. But something was beginning to surface and it was a lot deeper than what she felt for him back then. Afterall, they were only children at that time.

She heard the shower on, "finally," she commented to herself and quickly wiped her tears away.

He came out after about twenty minutes and found her in the dining room laying out soup, a salad and rolls.

"You're up," she spoke softly, but not looking at him. "Thought you'd be hungry."

"I'm fine," he answered, his voice hoarsed.

Parker pulled out a chair and gestured him to sit down. Obediently, he did and his eyes followed her as she sat down across of him.

"Feeding your captive? Why, Miss Parker?" He asked as he took a bite of his roll.

"Why what?" She answered his question with a question.

"Why am I here and why didn't you leave me at the bar? Or better yet, call in your sweepers?"

"Drinking your sorrows away? That's my job, not yours. What would Sidney think if he saw you intoxicated?" Miss Parker pointed her salad fork at him. Deep down, she did not want him returned to The Centre.

He kept quiet as he continued eating.

"Think you'll be drinking in the near future," she grinned.

He shook his head, his eyes met hers, as he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt.

She stared at him and at how Thomas' clothes fitted him quite well, not perfect, but, just a little "Less Than Perfect".

"They're Thomas' weren't they?" He asked of his clothing.

"Yes."

"I'm sorry. I'll give it back to you as soon as I can."

"It's okay, Jar, he won't be needing it anymore."

Nothing else was said as they sat quietly finishing their dinner. When they were done, he collected their dishes and headed towards the kitchen. "I'll wash," he tells her.

She followed and stood beside him, his hands gently gliding the lathered sponge slowly over the front and then the back of each plate. Miss Parker grabs a kitchen towel. Jarod passes her a dish causing their hands to slightly brush against each other, that it nearly slipped out of her hold. "Got it," he says.

Suddenly, she ran her hand on his stubbled face. She caught herself, "you need a shave," she mumbled hiding the fact the real reason for her action. She wanted to touch him.

Their relationship they shared was sort of sad. The Centre kept them apart, but, deep down, they were always friends. He moved in closer to her. "Thanks for taking care of me, Parker."

"You're very welcome, Jarod."

She stood barefooted and was dressed in shorts and a baggy tee-shirt, no signs of makeup and her hair was pulled back into a pontyail. To him, she's never looked more beautiful than she did at that very moment.

He knew that he was truly, madly and deeply in love with her. "Uh, I'd better leave, Parker." He stood facing her, but didn't move an inch. "You are going to let me go? Or were you thinking of bringing me in now that I'm sobered up?"

"Look," she hestitated, "you can stay, Jarod. If you're not feeling up to it quite yet, you can stay. You can stay the night," Parker says barely in a whisper. "I promise no sweepers."

He considered her invitation for several seconds, nodded and smiled.

"Parker?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for being a friend again. It's always nice to have a friend."

"I've always been your friend, Jar. It's just that, The Centre, I'm sorry." Being friends won't be enough for me. She told herself.

"Looks like it's going to storm. Why not I light up the fireplace so we can sit there for a bit, okay?" He asked as they both headed out of the kitchen.

Due to the heavy rain, the power went out. A silent moment, each knew they wanted to be together.

Just the two of them alone. They thought silently to themselves. They knew it would be wrong, The Centre would never understand.