"Angel wins!" Angelo cried and Debbie responded before Parker could even flash him a glance for that. "Angel? Is that your first name?"

Jarod and Sydney looked up from the chess and stared at them what might happen.

"Yes, it is."

"But why didnīt you told anyone before? Itīs a wonderful name!" the little girl asked eagerly.

Broots had listened carefully but now he was afraid his daughter would push her luck too much. He knew that Parker liked her but that? He tried to held her back but Parker stopped him.

"No, itīs ok, itīs ok for her to ask but Iīm afraid I canīt give you a good anwer to this."

She turned to Debbie and went on "You know, after my mom was gone, I tried to be strong, not weak like her. I didnīt wanted to be seen like her. It was enough that everyone said I look like her. Now Iīm glad I do." she turned to Angelo, remembering their conversation when he was

Timmy.

"And because I was my dadīs daughter, everyone at the Centre called me īMiss Parker>. I spend most of my childhood there and was used to be treated like an adult. Later, it was some kind of power. No one saw a child in me and I thought they would respect me." She made her very last moves and laid back in the couch.

"Anyone wants to try it again against me?" she said like it wasnīt a big deal what she just told them but inside she felt like the first stones of her wall crumbled. Because no one wanted to play on, she turned ot Debbie.

"Ok, what about Iīll show you now what I brought for you, huh?"

"Yeah!" the girl was animated.

"Ok, come upstairs with me."

"Goodnight everyone." Debbie approved.

Broots looked confused to Jarod and Sydney when they had left. "What is going on here, huh?"

In her room Parker handled her the book.

"Oh, thanks." she flipped through it. "Is it good?"

"I liked it when I was a kid. Itīs about two kids on an exciting voyage in the time of the Bronze Age."

"Can we read it together?"

"Mhm, arenīt you tired?"

"No" she shook her head firmly.

"Ok then, go and get ready for bed, then come back and weīll read it." and Debbie was already half out of the room. Parker turned and strolled to the window and looked out in the dark.

Knock, knock

Broots entred "Is Debbie with you?"

"Sheīs just getting ready for bed, why?" her voice was unusual soft to him.

"Just want to say her goodnight. Sorry for disturb you."

"Itīs ok." and as he was halfway out again she called after him.

"Broots?"

"Huh?"

"I ... just wanted to tell you youīre a wonderful daddy to Debbie. She is lucky to have you. Youīre all right." she made a short pause "But if you come back again in my room in the middle of the night, Iīll hang you in the courtyard."

"Ah, ok .... thanks. But youīre quite all right, too." he smiled compassionatly at her and she smiled back. It was, as far he could remember, the first time she had ever smiled with him. He felt proud to finally get through to her. Thanks Debbie.

"Goodnight!" then he slipped out of the room.

Minutes later, Debbie knocked and entred her room again. "Iīm ready!"

"Letīs go to your room, ok." Parker walked with her over the hallway.

Sydney and Jarod still played chess while Angelo slept on the couch when Parker realized that Debbie had fallen asleep next to her and crawled out of her room and back downstairs. Thought she was quite sleepy herself she didnīt wanted to go to bed yet.

When she rounded the corner to the dining room, no one noticed her standing in the shadows of the candlelight. She leaned against the wall and silently watched them, a thousand thoughts swimming in her mind.

After time what seemed like forever to her, Sydney stretched and said goodnight and went through the kitchen upstairs and took Angelo with him.

Jarod cleared away their chessboard and the glasses and startled when he came back out of the kitchen and saw her standing there.

"Easy, itīs just me!" she stepped out of the shadows and grinned. "Are you afraid of ghosts?"

"No ... no, but ... no ..." he gave her a look and placed the chessboard on the chimney. "I thought you were already asleep."

"Puh, no, I brought Debbie to bed and just wanted to see what youīre still doing down her."

"Aha, are you coming up with me or do you wanna stay?"

"No, Iīm coming. Itīs so ... so lonely in these big rooms when no one's around."

"Mhm."

The next morning, Jarod drove again to town and brought even more things. Parker couldnīt believe her eyes when she saw what he carried as he came back from the shore the fifth time with Broots. They already brought lace curtains and now it were cables, pipes and artisan-man stuff. Jarod really wanted to bring everything in order!

After lunch they then started with the reparations. Broots sat in the cellar and tinkered with the electric-generator, Angelo watching him. Debbie and Sydney hurried with a dustpan and broom through the rooms and Jarod persuaded Parker to help him hang the lace curtains. They started downstairs in the hallway and worked upwards to the second floor through all of their rooms. After a while Jarod could hardly lift his arms and moaned.

"Give me a break. I canīt anymore." he jumped down from the ladder and sat on the windowsill.

"What, not in condition anymore?" Parker smirked.

"We can change places with pleasure!" Jarod held her out the next curtains.

"Sure." she replied to his surprise and climbed up. On top she looked at him and said "What? Donīt you wanna hand it to me?"

"No, yes, here!"

Parker threaded them while Jarod held them up to her and didnīt dare to look up. Her shirt hung loosely over her leggings and he could easily look up.

"Huhu. Iīm here." Parker grabbed down because he held them in the wrong direction.

"Nothing, nothing." īshe doesn't even notice it> Jarod grinned and enjoyed the view.

Sydney and Debbie came out of one room to disappear in the next one and he chuckled as he saw Jarod standing there with Parker. īWelcome back to Parker-Island - the land with an attraction for everyone> he laughed to himself and went after Debbie in the next room.

"What is with them?" Debbie asked him. "Sometimes it seems like they were ... friends but then she is so cold to him."

"Thatīs a long story and you better ask them. I don't know much more than you."

"Well, Jarod, what did you planed to do?" Parker still battled with thread.

"Huh?"

"Where do you want to go?" she looked down at him.

I donīt understand?"

"You didnīt planned to stay here for long, did you? I mean, you never stayed anywhere." and Parker pretended to focus back on the work.

"Honestly?"

"Please!"

"I didnīt think about it, no, I did, but I donīt know. Now I have Angelo with me. I have to take care on him. I took him with me and now I have to look after him, right?"

"Sure, but, mhm, he can stay with us here. You donīt have to stay..."

"And how long do īyou> plan to stay here, if I may ask?" Jarod held the cloth tight to make her look at him, and she did.

"Thatīs hard to say. I can take care on myself but I canīt make any decisions for Sydney, nor Broots or Debbie."

"We should stay here a while till the dust settleds and wait. Then we can decide later." he looked in her eyes for a reaction.

"What do you mean with īwe>?"

"We, us, all together. I can't go yet."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to. And I ask you now if you'll allow me and Angelo to stay."

"Jarod, you can ask more silly questions than a berk! What should I do, call the police to let them drag you away from here, huh? Let's say īmy castle is your castle> till we have a better idea."

"Sounds pretty good to me." he grinned.

"Jarod, just to make this clear. I'm doing this for Angelo. He deserves better. You can go and do what you want but he depends on our help."

"Understood."

Just this moment there was loud buzz and then the lights came on.

"Broots is a genuis. How long did you try to repair the generator?" Parker mocked Jarod.

"Now he only has to fix the warm water and heīs he hero of the day, little genius." she made the last rod stable and hopped down the ladder.

"You enjoy this, huh?" Jarod was a bit hurt, just a bit.

"Oh yes!" she gave him her best You-are-beated-look.

Near the stairs to the cellar they met Angelo and Broots who both laughed.

"Isnīt this sweet, Mike and the Mechanics." Parker mocked good-naturedly.

"Oh hi! Light and heat are on again." Broots informed triumphantly.

"Does that mean we have flowing warm water again, shower and bathtub?" Parker was already on her way up.

"Mhm, no, not exactly." Broots stumbled timid.

"Huh?"

"We have to repair the pipes first." Jarod observed. "Thatīs what I wanted to do next, or do you wanna Broots?"

"Oh, no, go. Iīll have to, I have to do something else." he gave Angelo a nodd to follow him and they disappeared.

"Fine. Parker?" Jarod turned to her.

"What?" she sounded annoyed.

"As faster I get ready the sooner you can take a bath. But I need some help." he grinned boldly to her.

"Sure. Fine. Whatever." she agreed sullenly as they walked to the bathroom.

"Iīll go and get the material and you should change."

"Huh?"

"The pants. I laid them on your bed. You should wear them, weīre gonna get dirty."

"Youīre kidding!"

"No!" he laughed and run away defending himself from the candle she throw after him. She didnīt mean to hurt him otherwise she would have thrown the candlestick!

"Ok, now hold this." Jarod pressed the pipe in her hand. "And donīt let go or I have it pierced through my head.

"Oh, never though about get a piercing?" Parker smirked.

"Not like that." Jarod respond and lay on his back to screw it in place.

"Not like that? Donīt tell me youīre pierced." she looked amazed.

"No!" Jarod laughed and Parker joined him. "I donīt have the need to hurt myself that way. Iīm even afraid to get a shot."

Jarod pulled the last pipe taut and crawled out from under the bathtub.

"So, now it should work." he took the shower head and turned on the water.

"Fantastic. Hot bath!" Parker took the shower head out of his hand, turned the water off and pushed him towards the door.

"Hey!" Jarod protested. "I fixed it, I take the first bath!"

"No way, mister." she gave him a hard shove, but because of his bodyweight, it was nearly resultless.

"But I think so." his arms encircled her easily and he grabbed once more for the shower head to hold it up against her.

"Oh, don't you dare!" Parker eyes drilled in his own.

"Wanna bet?" Jarod grinned smart and grabbed to the water-button.

"I'm warning you!"

"What are you gonna do?"

Parker tried to grab the shower head out of his hand but he already turned on the water and she yelled as the first cold ray hit her and she successfully turned to shower head to him, making him scream in unison.

They wrestled till they both fell into the tub, Jarod first so his feet hung over the edge, Parker on top of him and quickly straddled his belly.

"Ouch!" and he hit his head on the porcelain tub.

Broots and Sydney had heard someone scream and run to the noise but Sydney held Broots back and both listened.

"Jarod!" Parker screamed again and reached for the knob to turn off the still flowing water but it was out of reach. He had let go of the shower head and held her instead around the waist where the pants began and the top ended and let them slowly glide further up under her shirt and back down, earning her best Shall-I-kill-you look. Instead of turning the water off, she held it in his face. He pulled his hands back to defend himself against the spray and spit out water.

"Ah .... donīt .... please ....no!" he yelled and laughed.

Sydney lightly pulled Broots with him away. "I donīt think they need our help at this." both grinned and strolled down the hallway.

Inside the bathroom they both were soaked to their underwear but at least there was warm water now.

"Oh, thatīs good. Could you hand me the soap, please?" Jarod teased, but Parker finally could grab the knob and turn the water off.

"Hey, it just started to feel good!" He protested.

"What do you think weīre doing here, huh?"

"Mhm, .... sharing a bath?" he said innocent but Parker freed herself and made her way out of the tub not forgetting to use his chest as a stool as she hopped out.

"Uff." was his only reply and he also tried to stand up, but Parker was already at the door, a huge water puddle trailing after her.

"Hey!" Jarod made a few big strides to stand beside her.

"What?"

"Why do you treat me like that?"

"Huh?"

"It seems like some times you let yourself go and the next second you crawl back into yourself again."

"I donīt know what you mean!" Jarod held her by her arm as she tried to open the door. "Let me go!"

"No, first I want an aswer!"

"To what question?"

"Why did you kissed me?"

"I ..." she thought a moment and then turned to look him straight in the eyes and replied coolly, "Just for fun!"

"Oh, just for fun?" Jarod stepped closer to her and trapped her against the wall with his body. She stepped back as much as the wall behind her allowed it.

"Fun?" he asked again. "Maybe I want more fun?" and pressed her with his body to the wall, grabbed her waist with one hand and her cheek with the other hand.

"Let me go!" she hissed.

"Fun?"

"Lemme go! Thatīs not funny!" she pushed him away from her and stormed out of the room, Jarod behind her.

"Can you tell me what you want?" he shouted and hurried to catch up with her before she diappeared into her room. "Tell me!"

Parker turned quickly around and pinned him to the wall. "You wanna know what I want? That you leave me alone!" then she poked him once more to the wall and slipped in her room.

"Is that really what you want?" he shouted loud outside but she didnīt reply.

Jarod waited for a long time outside her room, sitting next to the door on the floor, but she didn't come out, not even for dinner.

Everyone could sense that something was very wrong during dinner but no one dared to ask. Parker didnīt even show up this evening.

Sydney couldnīt sleep and finally stood up to get himself something to drink in the kitchen and wasnīt very surprised to find Parker there eating the rest of their dinner.

"Hungry at last?" he spoke softly.

"Oh, Syd. What are you doing here this late at night?"

He walked over to the cupboard and took a bottle of water to hold it up to her. "Aha."

But instead of going back upstairs, he sat beside her at the table.

"Well, whatīs up?" he asked.

"Oh Syd, I donīt want to talk about it." And then they sat there for a long moment, in silence, Sydney also eating from her miniature picnic, until Parker began again.

"How can we ever live a normal life?"

Syd raised his eyebrows and she went on. "We had never the chance to learn social skills, how to live together with others. We were always taught to be independent and strong."

"Are you talking about Jarod or yourself?" Sydney had put down his sandwich and laid his hands on the table.

"... both ..."

"I donīt know what happened between you two today but...."

"Nothing happend, thatīs the problem. ...I mean, he didnīt do something serious but everytime I persuade myself to let my īguard> down, I panic and push him away." She looked at him for reaction "Do you understand what I mean?"

"More or less. Your problem is you donīt want to let someone near you because everyone you let in hurts you.. And you were hurt a lot from the one you trusted, werenīt you."

"When my mom died, I thought she had left me. I thought she didnīt wanted to be with me. It was a long time till I knew that wasn't true. And when Jarod never escaped, maybe I would still believe she became suicidal."

"And your dad." Sydney lightly pushed her.

"Heīs a .... he doesnīt count anymore."

"But he has. And he betrayed you."

"I know, you donīt have to tell me this." Parker yelled.

"Ok, Parker, let it out, you can yell at me as long at you want and Iīm sure you feel better then."

"Oh, spare me your psycho tricks, please."

"But Iīm right."

"Maybe!"