Lendemain Jour
 

Author:  Mandy
Rating:  R, Sexual situations, Adult situations, Mild language
Category:  Romance, Relationship drama, Angst (J/MP)
Archived on:  March 26, 2000
Timeline:  Mid-season three
Spoilers:  None
Summary:  When Miss Parker is injured in a chase after Jarod, he takes care of her and things begin to blossom between them.

Disclaimer: Not mine, never was, if nobody dobs I won't get sued.
 

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When she came to she was lying on a bed, securely tucked up under a heavy quilt with a soft pillow cushioning her head, which hurt like hell.  Letting out a soft groan, she raised her hand to her temple and explored the damage there.  She had a shallow
wound there, no more than a graze, but it still hurt quite a bit, and her head throbbed painfully.

Miss Parker tried to recall how she had hurt her head, but failed dismally.  The last thing she had recalled was chasing Jarod down a narrow alleyway, then… nothing.  So now she was in this bedroom, with no idea of how she got there and no particular desire to leave, so she simply snuggled deeper into the warmth of the quilt and drifted back off to sleep.

Quietly Jarod cracked open the door to his bedroom, creeping inside and trying not to disturb Miss Parker as he snuck across the room towards the bathroom.  It was the only one in the small apartment, and he was desperate for a shower.  Shedding his clothes in the small room, he jumped under the hot water and quickly washed all over, shampooing and conditioning his hair
while humming to himself.  Stepping out of the shower, he rubbed himself dry with a towel before wrapping it around his waist and heading back out into the bedroom.

As he passed the bed where Parker slept Jarod paused, he was sure he'd just heard a soft whimper coming from her.  Cautiously he moved towards the bed, wondering if her grazed head was giving her pain, when she had been chasing him she had slipped and knocked it fairly hard.  Out of guilt he had unthinkingly hauled her over his shoulder and run, bringing her back to his current apartment where he had dressed the wound.  Leaning over her, Jarod watched her face as her brow furrowed and she let out another little cry, and he eased himself onto the bed to sit next to her, gently stroking his hand across her hair to soothe her. Suddenly her hands shot out from underneath the covers, grabbing his shoulders and heaving him over her own body, rolling with him so she was on top of him, his hands pinned above his head by her own.

"Hi!" murmured Jarod, still surprised by the strength in her small body, but thoroughly enjoying the feel of it pressed against him.

"Hi." Miss Parker murmured back, enjoying the warmth of his body against hers.  Looking down she realised he was wearing only a towel, and she ran her gaze appreciatively down his muscled body.  Dragging her hands away from his, she let them rest on his shoulders, vaguely aware that her face was bare inches away from his and getting closer all the time.

*****

"Jarod, what am I doing here?" she asked, shivering slightly when he brought his arms down from above his head and allowed his hands to rest on her hips.

"You, uh, hurt your head . . . I couldn't just leave you there!" he says quietly, and as usual Miss Parker is struck by his caring nature.  He even looks after me, his pursuer, she mused to herself, absent-mindedly running her fingers over his hard shoulders.  She looks into his gentle brown eyes and smiles at him, genuinely feeling thankful for him having looked after her.  Jarod smiles in return, although feeling a little shocked,  raising one hand to cradle her face gently. "Is that an actual smile I see on your face Miss Parker, or am I just hallucinating?" he teases, and in return she gives him a gentle whack across the arm.

"Don't push it Wonderboy!" she mutters, and lets out a soft shriek as he rolls over, reversing their positions so he is now pinning her body with his own. He chuckles softly as she struggles underneath him, trying to throw him off her, but his greater body weight prevents her from being successful.  Finally Miss Parker gives up, wiggling slightly as she tries to get comfortable, and Jarod has a moment of pure delight when she finds the only truly comfortable position is for her to allow him to settle between her legs, her knees bent on either side of his waist.  Jarod smiles contentedly down at her, his elbows resting either side of her as he leans his face on his hands, his smile broadening when Miss Parker glares resentfully up at him.

"Something wrong Miss Parker?" Jarod asks, trying not to laugh at her disgruntled expression.

"Umm . . . no, except for the position we are in . . ." she murmurs, somewhat distracted when Jarod drops a hand to idly play with a strand of her dark hair.

"Oh I don't know, I actually quite like it," Jarod says, his hand now stroking her cheek, his face creeping lower, towards her own.  Miss Parker watches his head descending towards her own, not quite sure weather she likes his closeness to her or not, but unable to make up her mind quickly enough to stop him.

Jarod gently brushes his lips over hers, pausing for a moment so as to give her a moment to refuse his advances, but no protest is issued from her now slightly parted lips.  Again he allows his lips to touch hers, his tongue making a soft sweep of her lower lip, savouring her sweetness.  He opens his eyes, looking into her unblinking stare, wishing she would make a move, an acknowledgment of what was occurring between them.

*****

Moments later Jarod felt her fingers curling through his hair, pulling his head down to hers for a passionate kiss, her body arching up to meet his as she let out a soft moan.  Jarod gives a soft sigh as he allows his body to press against hers, sinking his
hands beneath her hips, pulling her even tighter against him, pleased when he feels her legs wrap around his waist in response.
 Miss Parker feels the warmth of Jarod's body pressed against her own, unashamedly getting him as close to her as she can, her body burns with a desire to hold him.  She allows passion to take over, the kisses they share heated, their wandering hands eliciting soft sighs of answering ardour.  Pent up need controls them both, making them forget the barriers that once stood
between them, so mindless are they with need.  Jarod rolls over again, so Miss Parker now straddles him, her hair falling as a soft curtain around their faces as she awkwardly tries to pull off her suit jacket without tearing her mouth away from his.
Eagerly Jarod slides his hands up to cup her ass, groaning when his actions inadvertently cause her to press against his erection, and a moment later he is echoed by Parker's own growl of frustration as she struggles to remove her clothing.  Dragging her mouth away from his, she sits up straight, finally managing to yank her jacket, blouse and bra from her body.

Jarod stares up hungrily at her naked torso, sliding his hands up her stomach, skimming his thumbs over her ribs and cupping her breasts, chuckling quietly as she sighed and arched her body into his warm hands. Deciding she has been away for too long, Jarod reaches with one hand for her, cupping the back of her neck and pulling her mouth back to his.  Miss Parker flattened herself against him, rubbing her soft skin against his hair-roughened chest. Jarod let out another moan, running his hands through
her hair, in his eagerness knocking the wound on her temple, and Miss Parker was unable to hold back a small cry of pain.

Immediately Jarod froze, pulling away from her searching mouth and easing her off his body so she sat on the bed beside him.
"My god, Parker, I hurt you, I'm so sorry!" he apologised hastily, jumping off the bed and backing towards the door.  Miss Parker sat on the bed, still naked from the waist up, staring at him in amusement and confusion as he fumbled his way out of the bedroom in a mixture of embarrassment and self-loathing forthe pain he had caused her. When she was alone, Miss Parker yawned sleepily.  Now that her sudden passion for the man in the next room had cooled, she realised how very tired she was.
Deciding to leave an analysis of what had happened between them until later, Parker shed the rest of her clothes and climbed under the covers, asleep within minutes.

*****

It wasn't until Jarod was in the next room with the door locked behind him that he realised he was still only wearing a towel, though he wondered how it had managed to stay on. Unfortunately he didn't have any clothes in the rest of the apartment, so he would have to go back into the bedroom to retrieve some. In a minute. When his body temperature had dropped a bit.

Miss Parker was vaguely aware of two things. Number one, she was cold, the window was open, number two, Jarod was moving around the room. Parker could hear a soft rustle, and surmised that Jarod must be putting some clothes on. But the fact that Jarod was most likely naked only a few feet away didn't seem to matter as she shivered again.

Hearing soft footsteps near her, Miss Parker took a wild guess, snaking a hand out from under the covers and snagging onto the first thing she found, Jarod's boxer shorts. Still not bothering to open her eyes, she tugged him in her direction, wiggling over on the bed to make room for him as she attempted to drag him onto the bed.

Jarod stared down at Miss Parker in confusion, not entirely sure what she wanted as his leg hit the side of the bed, and she kept pulling him in her direction.

"Parker? What are you doing?" he questioned tentatively, and she mumbled something about being cold and gave his boxers another sharp yank, causing him to tumble onto the bed beside her. Miss Parker continued to manoeuvre his body to where she wanted it, pulling him down next to her and throwing the covers over him.

The next moment Jarod had Miss Parker's very naked form pressed up against him as she curled around his warm body, sighing contentedly and burying her face in his neck. Jarod lay stiffly beside her, not quite sure how to handle this particular situation. But as the minutes passed and he realised the woman beside him was asleep, he slowly relaxed, even allowing himself the luxury of wrapping one arm around her body, delighting in the silkiness of her bare skin as he settled down to get some sleep.

*****

Jarod slowly awoke, blinking his eyes in the morning light sleepily and wondering what the warm weight on his chest was. Looking down, Jarod started with surprise to see Miss Parker sprawled across his chest, the bed covers covering most of her face, her long dark hair covering the rest of her face. Her arms were wrapped tightly around him, while his own arms were curled around her waist, much to his surprise. As he watched she shifted slightly, almost completely on top of him now, soft sighs coming from her as she slowly began to awaken.

"Did you know you make the cutest little snuffling noises when you're trying to get comfortable?" asked Jarod gently, and smiled when she raised her head and looked at him foggily.

"Snuffling noises?" she asked disdainfully.

"Snuffling noises, you know, like snuffalufficus off Sesame Street." Jarod said quietly, carefully brushing her hair out of her face. Miss Parker frowned.

"So now I'm a giant woolly mammoth thing with a self-esteem complex? Thanks!" she muttered, and promptly tucked her head back into Jarod's neck, surprised when she felt a rumble of laughter deep in his chest.

"You mean you actually watched Sesame Street? Some how I just can't imagine it! The Ice Queen watched a bunch of puppets go through the daily dilemmas of growing up!"

"Hey! I was a kid once, too!" she said accusingly, and instantly Jarod sobered.

"Lucky you, I never was . . ." he murmured, and Miss Parker raised her head to look at him.

"Please let's not talk about this now Jarod, let's just enjoy the moment." She said, and Jarod nodded, a glint of amusement in his eyes.

"Yes, you're right, I should just enjoy being warm and comfortable in bed with a stark naked woman lying on top of me and making all these delicious little movements against me . . . OUCH!!" Jarod cried as she gave him a hard whack, and he immediately retaliated by hitting her with a pillow.

"Truce!" Miss Parker cried, still laughing, and Jarod thought about how little he saw that sight as she lay back down next to him, still giggling. For quite along time they lay there peacefully, Jarod absent-mindedly stroking her hair as they both simply enjoyed each others company, not thinking about the danger of them being together or what would happen if the Centre found them.

It was finally the rumbling of Miss Parker's stomach that roused them from their docile state. Jarod looked down at her, and she smiled ruefully in response.

"Maybe it's time we got up and had something to eat . . . " she said, and Jarod nodded his assent, rising from the bed as she modestly tucked the sheet over her breasts.

"What would you like for breakfast?" he asked, pausing in the doorway.

"Pancakes!" she said with delight, and Jarod smiled mischievously.

"On one condition," he said, and Miss Parker raised her eyebrows questioningly as he continued, "you wear what I pick out for you!"

Soon after Miss Parker appeared in the doorway of the bedroom, looking over to Jarod who was in the kitchen. She blushed as Jarod let his gaze wander up her, clad only in one of his 'work' shirts, the hemline only just decent it was so short, even by her standards. Jarod let out a low wolf whistle, causing her to glare at him mutinously. Walking over with the intention to sit down at the kitchen table, she let out a soft yelp as Jarod grabbed her ass when she passed him, and he grinned at her.

"I've never tried being a randy teenager before, so perhaps I should try it when I've got such a gorgeous woman in my home!" he said, and, as if to prove his point, he leered dramatically at her, so Miss Parker couldn't help but smile.

"You're not so bad yourself cowboy!" she murmured, hooking her fingers into his boxer shorts and tugging him towards her, suggestively upturning her face for a kiss. Delighted, Jarod complied, the kiss slow and gentle at first, but passion soon overcoming the both of them, Miss Parker leaning into Jarod as he caressed the bare skin of her thighs.

It wasn't until the smoke alarm started beeping loudly that they broke the kiss, Jarod letting out a soft curse as he discovered the pancakes were burning. Miss Parker laughed softly as she went to sit down at the table, and Jarod couldn't help but smile in response to the happy sound. He kept smiling as she chatted idly while he prepared a fresh batch of pancakes, and soon they were both sitting down and tucking in to the mountain of food Jarod had prepared for them.

"So what do we do today?" asked Miss Parker tentatively, and Jarod frowned, he didn't want to think beyond the moment, but he supposed they had to at some stage.

"I guess . . . you go back to the Centre and I move on . . . " he said, not looking at her.

"Or . . . I could spend a few days with you . . . if that's okay, of course." She finished hurriedly, and Jarod looked up in surprised pleasure.

"I could think of nothing better Parker!"

*****

Later that day Miss Parker called Sydney, who was still in the area, and told him she had decided to take a few days leave. When he questioned her about what had happened to Jarod after he had carried her off, Miss Parker told him that when she woke up Jarod was gone. She had a hard time to keep the laughter that threatened out of her voice when she said this, as Jarod was in front of her, posing in his sexiest/campest way. Finally, after agreeing to return to the Centre without her, Sydney rang off, somewhat confused, he could swear Miss Parker had been on the verge of cracking up with laughter through the whole conversation, but it must have just been his wishful thinking.

When they finally left it was to go on a picnic in the nearby gardens, as it was a beautiful, sunny day. Soon they had finished most of the food they had prepared together, lying back contentedly on the picnic blanket Jarod had bought on the way and looking over the small lake in front of them.

"Oh look, a clown!" said Miss Parker after a while, and Jarod sat up and looked around, causing Miss Parker to laugh.

"No Jarod, up there, that cloud; it looks like a clown." She said, and Jarod looked up in amazement to find that it really did.

"Wow! And that one there, that looks like a dog! I never knew you could do this!" Jarod said excitedly, and Miss Parker smiled and gave him a gentle kiss.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the gardens, Sydney looked appreciatively at the beauty around him. Upon hearing of Miss Parker's decision to stick around for awhile, he too had decided to stay, to take in the sights and relax. Stopping on the top of a hill overlooking the small lake to rest, Sydney almost fell off the park bench when he saw a man who looked remarkably like Jarod on the other side of the lake, sitting with a woman who's face he couldn't see. As he watched they kissed, the man (who he was now sure was Jarod) leans over the woman as she lay down, pulling him closer.

Sydney rose from his seat, intent on seeing who Jarod is with. As he walked the path around he lake, he wonderered who it could be. Apart from Nia, Sydney didn't know of any women Jarod could possibly be involved with, and he wondered how Miss Parker would take the news. Despite her unrelenting search for him, Sydney knew that she did have unresolved feelings for him, he just wasn't sure weather she had admitted it to herself yet.

As he approached the couple, Sydney smiled, he could hear the couple's laughter, even though his view of them was now blocked by a large tree, and they sounded very happy. Passing the tree, Sydney could now see that Jarod was lying on his back, the female he was with straddling him and bending over him as they kissed, a curtain of dark hair blocking her face from view. Sydney loudly cleared his throat in the hopes of getting their attention, but to no effect.

"Jarod, I don't mean to interrupt, but I thought I'd come over and say hello…" Sydney's voice trailed off as the woman atop of Jarod sat bolt upright at the sound of his voice, revealing to Sydney her identity.

Miss Parker!" was all Sydney could say, and Jarod sat up, gently easing the very embarrassed Miss Parker off his lap and turning so he faced the older man, his arm still around Miss Parker's waist, holding her tightly.

"Uh, Sydney, what are you doing here?" asked Jarod sheepishly, while Miss Parker still stared in shock. "Hell, what am I doing! Come here!" yelled Jarod, and springing up, wrapped Sydney in a huge bear hug as Miss Parker rose of the ground with as much dignity as she could muster.

"Sydney . . . what a surprise . . . " she said coolly, and Jarod frowned at her, not expecting her sudden withdrawal.

"I think the surprise is all mine Parker. I thought Jarod had left?" he asked with amusement, and Jarod returned to Miss Parker's side, promptly entwining his fingers with her own.

"Yes, well . . . I thought we both might need a little holiday. Would you care to join us? I have some fresh fruit for desert." Offered Jarod, his amusement mirroring his mentors as they both regarded Miss Parker's intense discomfort at being 'caught'.

Sydney nodded his assent, and together they all sat down as Jarod set out some fresh fruit he had brought with them. Once he had finished they all began to eat, Miss Parker sitting in silence as Jarod and Sydney chatted amiably. Sydney noted that as soon as they had sat down Miss Parker had leaned comfortably against Jarod, and their sudden closeness warmed his heart. He had always hoped they would be friends, and this budding romance between them was more than he had ever dreamed of. He just wondered how things would be when she returned to the Centre. If she returned to the Centre.

Jarod gently stroked some errant strands of hair off Parker's face as he listened to Sydney talk, and she looked up at him and smiled. Jarod returned the smile, looking into her eyes and feeling slightly entranced as his hand stilled on her cheek, neither of them noticing that Sydney had fallen silent, watching them.

"May I ask what your plans together are?" he said quietly, startling the couple out of their reverie.

"What do you mean by that Syd?" snapped Miss Parker, feeling more uncomfortable than ever.

"I mean, do you intend on leaving the Centre Miss Parker? Do you intend on staying, perhaps, with Jarod? I must admit I'm rather curious as to what will happen between you two…" he finished, and Jarod watched as Miss Parker stiffened defensively next to him, quickly speaking before she could.

"We haven't really talked about anything yet Sydney, we're just sort of living in the moment. Perhaps later we'll see what's happening." Jarod murmured, and Miss Parker frowned.

"Talk nothing! I will be back at the Centre in a few days no matter what Sydney, and life will go on as normal!" she said heatedly, not seeing the pained look in Jarod's eyes. Sydney nodded slowly, although inside he was torn up at the thought of the young Pretender's pain, unknowingly caused by Parker's vow to return.

Soon they returned to talking about less distressing subjects, Miss Parker now joining in, but as the afternoon wore on Sydney was more and more aware of a need to leave the tentative couple alone together, so they could nurture their new relationship. Eventually he made his excuses, taking his leave to head back to the hotel he was staying at.

Once he had left Miss Parker sighed, wrapping her arms around Jarod and pressing her face into his neck.

"That was the worst thing I've ever had to go through in my life!" she mumbled, confusing Jarod.

"What was?" he asked, thinking of when Sydney had questioned their relationship and shuddering as he tucked Miss Parker closer to him.

"Getting caught in a make-out session by Sydney. I can't believe he just happened to be in the park at the same time we were! I felt like a guilty teenager all over again!" she muttered grumpily, and Jarod burst into hysterical laughter. Miss Parker pulled back to look at him, astounded, then gradually let a smile creep across her own face before she joined him in his laughter.

When their laughter had finally subsided they lay back on the grass together, Jarod giving Miss Parker's neck gentle kisses as lay his head on her shoulder.

"He'd better not tell Broots." She mumbled sleepily, causing Jarod to start chuckling all over again.

*****

That night he took her out for dinner, eating at a small place he had found, a small Italian restaurant with dim lighting, soft music and an incredibly romantic feel. As soon as they stepped through the door they found a large, merry man speaking in rapid Italian greeting Jarod and thanking him profusely and repeatedly. Jarod explained to Miss Parker that he had covered the cost of life saving surgery for the mans young son, and this onslaught of thanks happened every time he visited the restaurant.

They were seated at a table for two, off in one corner and very cosy, and the owner, named Gino, hovered around them happily until they ordered, all the while keeping up a steady flow of Italian that Miss Parker couldn't keep up with. Once they had ordered he left, murmuring one last comment to Jarod, causing him to burst out laughing as Gino hurried away.

"What did he say?" she questioned as Jarod struggled to contain his laughter.

"He said, he's glad I found a beautiful woman like you, and to make sure I kept you pregnant with my bambino's, as a fine woman like yourself could only be anchored by children!" Jarod translated, and promptly burst out laughing again. "Somehow I just can't imagine you being 'kept pregnant' by anyone!" he gasped, and she joined in his laughter.

"Oh I don't know Jarod, I could probably be persuaded by the right man… " she murmured softly, and Jarod's laugh faded slowly as he looked into her eyes, her 'come hither' look almost overwhelming him.

"You are so beautiful!" he whispered huskily, reaching out to stroke her cheek. She turned her head, kissing his hand, and would have said something to him, but at that moment their food arrived.

The rest of the evening passed quickly as they laughed together, talking about both their interests and the world around them, staying late over coffee until they regretfully decided to leave, as Gino wished to close up. Slowly they walked back to Jarod's apartment, holding hands in the moonlight. Both of them were unsure about what would happen once they reached the apartment, neither of them knowing what the other expected, but both were confidant that whatever happened, it would be what they both needed and wanted.
 

To Be Continued . . .
 

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