Ned sat at the Flanders' dinner table that day, just stirring his fork around in the mashed potatoes that were on his plate.

He didn't know what had come over him, his mind on something else entirely – or maybe, SOMEONE else entirely.

Rod and Todd gazed at their father with eyes of concern, before the younger of the two asked.

"Daddy… are you thinking of mum?"

Ned froze up the minute Todd asked that, his fork dropping instantly from his hand onto the plate, the metal clinking against the china – just the same way his cup and clinked against Marge's at the cafe.

"What? No!" Ned said quickly, before realizing what he said and he blushed lightly, before gazing with pained embarrassed eyes back at his boys and added nervously, "I mean… no… just someone else."

"You mean," Rod added in, placing his own knife and fork on each side of his dinner plate, "Jesus then..?"

Ned gulped heavily, but didn't want to say the name of the woman who was on his mind.

"No…" He uttered out weakly before standing up and taking his cup and plate to his dishwasher. His two boys glanced at him, before one another, looks of worry on their faces.

~x~

That night, Ned was on his knees beside his bed, his elbows resting on the blanket as his hands clasped in deep prayer… but inside, he felt so much torture and agony for his thoughts.

"Dear Lord, WHY are you making me feel this way…? Why now, when she has no one and I haven't either… WHY the wife of my best friend?" Ned wiped the tears from his eyes, his heavy breath having fogged up his glasses, so he took them off and wiped them with the sleeve of his shirt… uttering out barely as his head collapsed on his bed in fear, "Why…?"

~x~

The next day he stood in his garden, clipping his hedges again, but in all honest truth… he knew they had been shaped enough.

All he really wanted to do was catch a glimpse of Marge, even if it was just for a second and he watched as she finally came out of the house, walking her kids to the road as the school bus came bounding their way.

"Goodbye Bart, goodbye Lisa," She said, kissing them both on the cheeks before waving them off.

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment as she whispered in worry.

"Please come home safe again."

Ned felt a weird feeling in his stomach as she said those words and tensed up when she caught his glance, quickly ducking down, hiding behind his hedge.

"Ned..?" Marge called his way, a bit confused as she slowly approached his side of the fence. The bus took off moments later, and she slowly looked over the bushy leaves to see him smiling awkwardly, picking up his glasses as he explained quickly.

"Oh, Marge! I was just picking up my GLASSES!"

Forgive me Lord, for lying! He thought in his mind desperately then, before standing back unsteadily to his feet.

Marge looked at him slowly, crooking her head a little to the side before she asked him softly.

"You… you wouldn't want to come over for a glass of lemonade on this hot day?"

"Lemonade?!" Ned squeaked, his heart beating fast, and he quickly nodded, not thinking about anything else – especially not the consequences, "Yes diddly!"

Marge only smiled coyly at his reply, and she waved him over to the Simpson house, Ned quickly rushing over, not realizing he still had his clipper in hand, and those same hands were wearing gloves.

As he entered through the open front door he finally took notice of what he forgot to leave behind, and laughed nervously as he took off his gardening gear and placed it by the hall wall, before bouncing after Marge.

Homer, Neddy, he thought to himself then for a brief second, and his heart trembled at the thought, before he added to himself innocently, It's just a glass of lemonade?

"I have to warn you, though, Ned," Marge said to him as she took the jug of lemonade from the fridge and placed the heavy jug onto the table, "Lisa made this… and it's a little-"

"Ah!" Ned yelped after taking a sup with a cup that had been poured, "MY TASTEBUDS!"

"-Sweet…" Marge finished explaining, before smirking playfully at Ned and she went quickly over to the sink, pouring him out a glass of water, "Here, Neddy,"

"Thanks!" He gasped, his throat so dry from the juice and he quenched his thirst instantly with the water. He slammed the empty glass back to the table and said with a small laugh, "Lisa's sure is getting there! Maybe just not so much sugar next time,"

"I tell her that myself," Marge agreed, smiling cheekily as she put the lemonade back in the fridge, "I think the kids take after Homer… they love their sugar."

"Ha ha!" Ned laughed then heartily, as he added on in giggles, "They sure do diddly!"

Marge's eyes gazed at him warmly as he joked, and when Ned's eyes locked with hers, the two only stared at each other for a brief moment before Ned nervously cleared his throat and got back up, adding as he pointed his fingers outside to his yard.

"I-I think I should finish trimming those hedges-"

"Really, Ned?" Mage asked him confused before pointing her head towards the living room and said on shyly, "Because… if you want… it's just-"

"Just… what?" He asked shyly.

"I have a jigsaw puzzle I've been working on for weeks… and it's more fun with two heads instead of one."

"Marge," Ned said then, puffing out his chest with pride and ambition as he answered her, "A jigsaw puzzle should ALWAYS be completed. Doing a puzzle is one of the most amazing things a person can do!"

Marge only gazed up at him, admiring his determination- and also his muscles.

"I WILL help you complete it!"

She smiled with deep gratitude as she stood beside him, showing him the way to it, "Then let's have some fun!"

"Marge, puzzles to me are the MOST fun I can have on a sunny day, inside a house staring at puzzle pieces for hours."

And Marge just giggled at this, nodding her head, and the two got down to puzzle solving.

~x~

The two were kneeling on the ground, slowly looking over each small piece carefully, pieces that would soon make up the whole puzzle.

In his hand, Ned examined the jigsaw pieces slowly, really gazing deeply at them as he placed them down eagerly onto the picture that was coming into being.

"Homer always says that if a puzzle has more than fifty pieces, it isn't worth doing…"

Marge said this with a sigh, before adding on, "But I like the challenge, that's why I often end up doing these alone."

"To me," Ned went on then with eagerness in his voice as he found two pieces that fitted, "It's the thrill of the challenge, and it is always so rewarding when you complete the project."

Marge skewed a grin at him, finding a piece now and holding it close to her eyes, examining it before Ned slowly joined his own piece to it too, and the pieces fit perfectly, being held in both their hands as they slowly looked at the two pieces, before looking at each other.

Not saying a word… or uttering a thing.

"I-I have to get going!" Ned squeaked just then, bumbling to his feet and rushing to the front door.

"Ned, wait!" Marge called to him, and got to her own feet, running after her dear friend.

"I-It's just… wow, look at the time-" Ned said quickly, pretending to look at a watch on his wrist but there wasn't any there, and he gazed at Marge, as he gulped in worry. He turned his eyes shamefully to the ground, his head hanging down in sadness as he added, "I have to go…"

"Ned-" Marge said weakly as he turned to leave, and she felt her heart thud hard, pain coming to her then as she watched her kind, generous neighbour walk away.

"Come back…" She only whispered, before sadly closing her door and sliding down it as she sat heartbroken on the floor.

Ned came quickly back to his own home, and paced up and down the hall of his house, his sons off at school at that time.

"Neddy, Ned… don't do this to yourself again…" He said as tears welled in his eyes and he just looked at the pictures on his walls of Maude and Edna.

"Every time you fall in love… that love is lost when they always die…"

Tears were streaming down his cheeks, and he wiped them pathetically, as he asked the Lord then, "God! Why do you make me feel things that will only end in pain!? Why do you fill my head with thoughts of her…" He dropped to his knees then, reaching his hands to the sky as he begged, "I can't love her because I know she won't last if I do!"

He just cried some more, and closed his eyes then as he whispered, "Not again… not again… I-I'm not strong enough…"

"I'm not," He said quietly before feeling something in his pocket, and he slowly dug his hand into it, seeing a piece of the jigsaw had gotten into his pants.

He only stared at it for a moment before gulping and saying with determination.

"But I can be there for her… I can BE her friend…"

He closed his eyes again solemnly as he added with little faith, "I hope…"

He got back to his feet, and in moments Marge heard the knock on her door as she slowly went to answer it and saw Ned on the other side, holding the small jigsaw piece in his two fingers.

"I accidentally took this…"

She smiled at him widely, stepping aside and letting him in.

With the next three hours the two had the jigsaw nearly done, and the puzzle piece that Ned had fit perfectly in the final spot.

"Perfect," The two said at the same time, before glancing at each other with warm smiles.

Marge slowly placed her hand on his – and Ned tensed up quickly… but Marge's touch… it just felt right.

It felt… perfect.

"Mum?"

The two instantly let go of the other's hand as they quickly stood up, Bart and Lisa standing now in the living room, and Marge quickly shook down the wrinkles in her dress, Ned quickly sliding his glasses back up.

"Ned was just helping me finish that jigsaw puzzle I've been doing for a few weeks."

"Oh…" Lisa murmured, looking awkward in her approach, but Bart.

He looked mad.

"I thought DAD was going to help you with it."

"-Bart," Lisa interrupted, but he went on in anger.

"Dad could be coming in through that door ANY SECOND NOW!"

"-Honey…?" Marge called to him, touching his shoulder, but Bart violently shook her off, before glaring at Ned and saying in a cold voice.

"GET OUT."

"Bart!" Marge now yelled at him angrily and the young boy just shoved furiously passed them, running up the stairs with loud thumps and slamming his bedroom door so loudly the house trembled.

"I-I best be going," Ned said nervously, knowing that he had caused too much trouble and Marge shook her head, reaching out to his upper arm to touch it and stop him from going.

"No… Bart, he's just having a hard time with this all…"

"I know, Marge…" Ned agreed nervously but sighed heavily as he began to leave, mustering up the words, "And I don't want to make it worse."

He opened the front door and left, his shoulders slumped and his head hanging down in sadness.

Marge only watched him leave before gazing back down at the completed puzzle and knelt on her knees gently, touching it softly.

It had been a jigsaw puzzle of a beautiful garden…

And it was then she realized – the garden… it was "The Garden of Eden"

And that there… she knew it was a sign…

It had to be.

~x~

That night, Ned was sitting by himself in his home's living room, staring at the silent telly he had put it on mute as he just gazed at the moving images… but wasn't really taking them in…

The house was just so quiet… the boys asleep and him all alone.

Forever alone…

Till he heard a tap at his door, and he walked in slow steps over to it, opening it up and stepping back fast in a small, hesitant stumble when he saw who it was.

"Marge-?!"

In her hands she held a big box of puzzle pieces, waiting to be put together and she asked him warmly.

"Want to help me solve this one, as well?"

He smiled widely from cheek to cheek and stepped aside, allowing her in.

"Alright… but it at least has to be over fifty pieces."

"It's a thousand,"

"HOT DOG!" Ned cheered, and Marge chuckled as they went to the living room.

And spent the night putting puzzle pieces together… but neither of the two realized…

...they were putting their own life pieces together, too.

And Ned knew this deep in his core… that he was falling in love with Marge Simpson…

And that He might already be in love, right then.

Right now.