Author's Note: Hey! I hope you guys are still reading. Here's another one of those crazy little ideas that just popped into my head. I have so many more interesting things in store for everyone so keep checking this out. Let me know what you think. A lot of my inspiration comes from reviews. If you have any good ideas, I can always use new places to go with the story. Right now here's some key words for things yet to come—infiltration? Patsy arrested? Jude Panic attack? Backpacking? SME high jinks? Tommy and Jude reach next level in their relationship? And the return of FiFi. Please Please Please R&R. Smiles.
Several days later…

I was depressed. Yep! Simple as that. Just plain ol' depressed—one big bona fide complete and utter mess. Don't get me wrong. I was finally feeling better. The infection had started to heal, and my lungs were well on their way to being completely mended. The pain had lessened considerably, and Mom and Sadie had brought me some clothes to sleep in meaning that I was finally out of that dratted excuse for a hospital gown. And yet, I still found myself depressed. Imagine that.

Staying only long enough to find out that I was no longer in danger, Tommy had gone off to testify against Carrie and Felicia. And, while Spied and the guys had come occasionally to cheer me up, I think they spent more time chasing candy stripers and nurses than they did tending to me unless you count Spied always stealing the Jell-O off my supper tray. Where's a freakin' McDonald's when you need it? But right now, I was just depressed. I had managed to survive being kidnapped, being ravaged by a horrible fever, and being emotionally torn apart by a psycho, and I was actually about to throw one big five-year-old tantrum over unclean hair. That's right, you heard me. Hair. Thankfully, I had been able to take a bath without many problems for the past couple of days, but because of the dratted crack in my rib, I was making no headway whatsoever with my hair. I couldn't lift my arms higher than my lower shoulders without crying out in pain, and so now I found myself sitting cross-legged in the hospital bathroom in a black bra and a pair of gray cotton shorts cut off just about mid thigh seriously considering sticking my head into the toilet, flushing it so that the round and round motion could rinse out most of the dirt. See, now that's pathetic. My lower lip hung conspicuously as a resounding 'click' from the outer room signaled a visitor and still I did not move. I wanted my hair washed now! My damn scalp was beginning to itch from the lack of cleanliness, and I seriously found myself wanting to stand up and stamp my feet.

"Jude, I wanted to…" Tommy's voice began as he moved in front of the open bathroom door glancing in before almost stumbling against the end of my hospital bed. I was too emotionally wrung out to even feel embarrassed as he leaned as casually as he could against the doorframe.

"Um…Jude. You do realize that you're sitting in your underwear in the middle of the bathroom, don't you?" He asked slowly as I lifted my head long enough to roll my eyes at him before staring longingly at the tub.

"Gee, Tommy. Something tells me you'd be just the perfect candidate for reality T.V. It's like watching Jessica Simpson call Tuna fish Chicken of the Sea and keep a straight face about it." I said sarcastically as I rubbed my hands up and down my bare arms while Tommy moved uncertainly into the bathroom before stooping down in front of me.

"It's great to have the old 'roll with the punches' Jude back, but what the hell are you doing in here?" Tommy asked point blank as I pointed forlornly at the bathtub. Tommy shrugged as if asking "And?" So I finally did what I felt compelled to do. I kicked the floor.

"I want to wash my hair, okay. Silly and childish as it may sound, I am beginning to feel like you could fry French fries in this mop and I can't lift my damn arms high enough to manage it." I almost yelled grouchily as I watched realization dawn suddenly on Tom's face before he gently touched my bare shoulder, inconspicuously allowing his eyes to glance at my chest a moment, before pushing me gently toward the tub.

"Get in." He ordered sympathetically as my jaw literally fell open as I gazed at him in mortification.

"What did you say?" I asked lamely as he laughed before grabbing a bottle of shampoo and a towel.

"Just get in, Jude." He said again as I started to back slowly toward the door. He grabbed my arm quickly and pulled me back toward the tub.

"I'm not asking you to get naked, Jude. Just get in the tub. Your shorts and bra will get wet, but I am sure your mom and Sadie brought more than one. Am I right?" He asked pointedly as my face grew several shades too red. My finger shook as I pointed at the bottle of shampoo he held calmly in his hand.

"And just what are you planning to do with that?" I asked nervously as he chuckled before turning the water on long enough to get it warm

"And you called me Jessica Simpson?" He said on a snicker as he quirked a brow and pointed again to the tub. "You want your hair washed, don't you?" He chided persistently as I sighed in defeat before making my way slowly to the edge of the tub. Cleanliness definitely beat out embarrassment. Closing my eyes a minute, I counted silently to three before lifting my foot and sticking it slowly into the tub. Once I was finally submerged in the lukewarm water, Tommy knelt behind me on the floor, placing his knees on a towel he had laid down just for that purpose.

"See! You got through the toughest part." He teased as I glared at him menacingly. This had to be some twisted dream—the worst and yet most wonderful dream I had ever had.

"I feel like Dorothy did during that tornado in the 'Wizard of Oz.,'" I said stoically as Tommy muttered something about teaching me relaxation techniques.

"Watch it bud!" I said with a shake of my finger. "I can always click my red ruby slippers together and make unusual, nasty things happen." I said mysteriously as Tom put shampoo into the palm of his hand before pushing my head back gently.

"Wow, you have that many connections with the Good Witch and the Wizard, huh?" He asked humorously as his fingers slipped delicately onto the skin of my scalp. I almost moaned at the wonderful sensation, giddy that my hair was getting the soap it desperately needed.

"Are you kidding?" I joked. "We share the same agent." I said on a gasp as he started to massage the shampoo into my hair watching as it lathered up within minutes. We grew silent as he continued to knead gently until even I didn't think any dirt remained. Pushing on my shoulder, Tommy began to pour water over my head with a plastic cup the nurses had been using for ice while I just closed my eyes and enjoyed the sensation. I was just about to go to sleep when water suddenly closed over my face, and I pushed irately at Tommy as I came up from underneath the water stuttering. He smiled as I glared at him through the drops of water collected on my eyelashes.

"I couldn't help it." He said on a laugh as he pulled a towel off the rack and held it open. I think it was then as I stood up and watched the water slide slowly off my skin that I realized how exactly undressed I really was. I shivered as the cold air hit my skin, and I felt goose bumps surface as Tommy engulfed me in the large terry cloth towel before backing slowly towards the door. I looked at him for a moment before climbing out of the tub and drying off my legs.

"I don't guess you'd be insulted if I told you that I felt very awkward right now." I asked almost in a whisper as I wrapped the towel around my body before tying it and brushing past Tommy into the other room. He looked at me silently for a moment before turning and following me into the room. I could feel his eyes on my back as I searched through the bags mom and Sadie had brought me for a spare bra and clothes.

"I'd only feel insulted if I didn't feel the same way." He spoke smoothly as I almost choked at what I finally managed to uncover at the bottom of my bag. "Oh, Come on Sadie!" I thought to myself as I groaned self-consciously. I placed a pair of plaid pajamas on the end of my bed, trying to figure out how I was going to get my underwear past Tommy's inspection when I suddenly heard him whistle appreciatively behind me.

"Damn!" He stated with a small smile as he reached around me and picked up a pair of red silk bikini underwear with a heart sewed decorously in the center along with the matching red lace bra—pinching them slightly between his thumb and forefinger before I snatched them uncomfortably away from him.

"Wow! I didn't know that Jude Harrison was the poster girl for Victoria's Secret." Tommy said affectionately as I threw a 'don't go there' look in his direction.

"Okay, crossing the line I like to call 'personal space.'" I said chummily as I marched rather indignantly across the cold floor. Tommy chuckled as I suddenly let the towel drop to the floor before heading back into the bathroom with my clothes. No use being modest now. My entire body crawled with awareness as I looked back at the tub and recalled Tommy's hands in my hair. Placing my forehead against the closed door, I took a fortifying breath before slowly pushing myself away from the entrance and working myself into the dry clothes. My heart beat erratically as I moved back into the main room, watching Tom from the corner of my eyes as he flipped silently through the channels on the hospital TV..

"Interested much?" I asked jokingly as I made my way over to the bed to lay down with a welcome sigh.

"Thank you." I mumbled as Tom looked over at me solemnly. He shook his head nonchalantly.

"There's no need." He said quickly as I sat up slowly, pulling my knees up to my chest.

"Be that as it may. You are now my personal hero for doing that for me." I stated matter-of-factly as he put the remote down and turned toward me before wagging his brows and striking a ridiculous pose.

"It's that Quincy Karma." He said teasingly as I grabbed a pillow from behind me and threw it at him playfully. He ducked gracefully just as the door to my room suddenly opened, and I glanced over to the creaking behemoth—watching with fascination as Patsy stuck her head around the corner. Oh this ought to be interesting, I thought to myself as Tommy stood up and walked over to me in order to place a light kiss on my forehead before walking to the door.

"See you later, Harrison?" He asked softly as I nodded before watching him turn and walk away. Giving my full attention to Patsy, I sighed as I watched the mysterious twinkle that entered her eyes. Note to Self: Be afraid, be very afraid.


Author's footnote: I thoroughly enjoyed writing this chapter. Please R&R and let me know if you did too. Smiles. Will PMS.