It had been "one of those days" to say the least. Peyton Sawyer was exhausted. She'd had an early class at the local University in Tree Hill and her whole day had basically been wasted with school. The term "wasted" was more than appropriate in Peyton's mind. Sure she had spent her entire teenage life dreaming of college. Usually the dreams involved some big fancy art school in New York or Los Angeles where Peyton could spend the days engrossed in sketches on her easel.

But it had turned out that way. If anything, life was far from it. She had enrolled in college alright but it turned out to be none other than Tree Hill University…not exactly NYU or Yale. However she was not alone. She was accompanied by "the gang", better known as Lucas Scott, Nathan Scott, Haley James, and Brooke Davis. The close group of friends she had grown up with and attended high school together. Peyton loved her friends and she did cherish the good times but it a bit disappointing knowing that the college years would just be one giant extension of high school. She wouldn't meet new people and majoring in business management, it was unlikely she would be painting portraits on the streets of Paris.

But it wasn't all bad. Peyton had had a choice. She chose Jake Jagielski and his two year old daughter, Jenny. As far as Peyton was concerned, Jake was the love of her life. They had grown up together, remaining casual acquaintances until the beginning of junior year in high school. That's when it was first revealed that the popular and handsome basketball forward had an infant daughter, the product of a former relationship with a slightly older girl in a neighboring town.

Her name was Nicole Vaughn but she went by Nikki. Dark haired and petite with a personality as ruthless and reckless as she was gorgeous. But it hadn't always been that way, or at least not in Jake's eyes. He saw something deep inside of her and he had fallen hopelessly in love. For a time, things were great border lining perfect…then it had happened. A ripped condom that led to three weeks of panic and finally two pink lines on a home pregnancy test. Nikki was pregnant.

They had discussed what they would do. After all, there were options…abortion, adoption, keeping the baby. In the end, they had gone for the latter. One week after her high school graduation, Nikki Vaughn gave birth to a beautiful six pound, 14 ounce, 22 inch long healthy baby girl. Minutes after the birth, the new young parents had cradled their bundle of joy and cried. It was a bond. She was a part of them…the best part of them. Jennifer Eve Jagielski was the name they had chosen, calling her Jenny for short. Two days after the birth, Nikki had taken the child home but found that life as a teenage mother was far more difficult than she ever could have imagined.

Did the baby ever sleep? Five minutes, why couldn't Jenny just shut it up for five minutes? And dirty diapers? Nikki was disgusted. How could a little baby do all that? It was just all so overwhelming and she couldn't handle it. Her parents were still angry and disappointed and of course acceptance to a college in Indiana still loomed over her head. It was an escape. One last chance to get away. To live a normal life and just be a kid again.

If Nikki was having doubts and problems, it had been just the opposite for Jake. He loved being a dad. Sure his life had changed overnight, but for him nothing was more important than the flesh and blood he held in his arms. Jenny was his everything and just weeks after her birth, she became his everything…literally. When Nikki dropped her off at his doorstep one evening shortly before midnight. There were no tears or explanations or apologies. She just dumped her child with its father like she was leaving trash in a garbage can. Just like that, Nikki had been able to walk away.

For Jake, it wasn't so simple. He wasn't able to walk away, not that he would if he could have. He loved Jenny…more than himself. He was her father and she was his responsibility. They were a team and he vowed to her that he would always be there to protect her and take care of her. And he did. His parents helped out as much as possible, switching work shifts so one would always be able to take care of little Jenny while Jake was at school. But after classes and basketball practice, the little girl was solely her Daddy's responsibility. He fed her and bathed her, comforted and sang to her. He worked when possible so there was extra money that was always needed when raising a child as a single parent. And when he had to, he had swallowed his pride and applied for WIC and food stamps so that Jenny would be taken care of.

He wasn't ashamed but more than anything, he wanted to protect his baby from everything, from the world. It was the friendship and wise words of Lucas Scott that had convinced him otherwise. When he finally came out to the world, he and Jenny formed an unlikely alliance with a brooding but beautiful, complex curly haired blonde. Peyton Sawyer had changed both of their lives. Babysitting turned to friendship, which became dating which blossomed into love. Peyton, whose mother was dead and whose father often spent months away from home because of work, invited Jake and Jenny to move in to her house literally the day after high school graduation. They had and it had been a family ever since.

Jake and Peyton attended school while Jake also worked at the café owned and operated by Lucas' mother, Karen Rowe. They alternated schedules and did whatever as long as little Jenny was first. Overnight, Peyton had an instant family and had become a mom. But for her, it was a surprising natural progression. Jenny was her child. It was her money that fed her, her arms that held her. It was Peyton who had been there for the first tooth and the first word and the first step. Peyton was there for good times and bad, sickness and in health. She was the only mother Jenny had ever known.

So art schools and traveling the world had been traded in for potty training and runny noses. Sometimes it was hard and the doubt would creep in the back of Peyton's mind but the minute she saw Jenny's face or looked into Jake's eyes, all of a sudden, every single sacrifice was worth it.

Peyton was exhausted. Never mind she had been up since forever because of a stupid last minute scheduling change with class. Never mind that she was bored out of her mind and even failing one of the courses. Never mind that the car had a flat in the late afternoon just in time to make her late for a meeting with her boss, Jeff Nelson. He had hired her years before to do a comic strip for Thud Magazine and in addition to that, always managed to keep her gratefully and gainfully employed with various freelance art jobs that came up. Never mind the meeting ran late and Peyton had to have her best friend, Brooke Davis, pick Jenny up from Jake's parents' house. Never mind dinner had burned and Jenny had managed to finger paint all over Peyton's Accounting homework. And as if life wasn't "interesting" enough, the child, giving new meaning to the term "the terrible twos", had steadfastly refused to take a bath thus resulting in World War III as Peyton had struggled to get the child in the tub.

After a long day, an even longer night, and three bedtime stories later, Jenny was finally asleep and the house was all quiet. Peyton straightened up the best she could, then stole a few moments for her own shower. She looked back with a smile on days when she took for granted an hour long soak in a bubble filled tub. Now she was lucky to have five minutes in a shower just to wash the essentials.

Finally, she could lie down and her tired eyes were closed mere seconds after her head hit the pillow. The room was dark and Peyton didn't hear Jake's key in the lock or his soft footsteps in the room. Finally opening her eyes and smiling, she saw him at the foot of their bed. He was tired as well but the minute their eyes met, he managed a sweet smile. She just stared at him. God, she loved that man!

Jake looked as Peyton moved, disturbing the thin sheet that was barely covering her black sleep tank top and matching underwear. She was so beautiful. He strained to remember a time when they had been alone or on a date. Their lives were hectic and their daughter had been the central focus. Now in the late hours, they could finally steal a few minutes. He wanted her badly and wondered if she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. Then she gave him the coy, shy smile as she looked him up and down and that answered any lingering questions he may have had. They didn't say anything…they didn't have to. The sexual tension between them said it all as he unbuttoned the buttons of his blue shirt, exposing a wife beater that clung to every tan muscle.

Jake slowly climbed in their bed, capturing her lips with his own in a sweet yet passionate kiss. Her hands found his shoulders and she moaned in his mouth. There were no candles or soft background music, but gentle touches were the only interlude to romance they needed. Then they heard it.

"Mommy!"

Jenny Jaglieski had once again managed to score on the interception. Groaning, Jake buried his face in the pillow.

"It's probably another nightmare", Peyton said as she sat up and reached for her robe.

"It's okay", Jake sighed. "I know you've had a rough day. Go back to sleep, babe. I've got her."

Peyton nodded slightly, the Sand Man once again quickly escorting her to dream land. Hours later, she stirred and came upon a familiar picture. Jake was a few feet away sleeping soundly. A Sponge Bob Squarepants pajama clad Jenny lie sleeping beside them. Peyton removed a strand of brown hair from the little girl's face. The movement caused Jake to stir and he reached over their daughter, letting a protective arm drape across Jenny and land on Peyton's waist.

Peyton smiled. At 21 her life was nuts. She was a wife without rings and vows and a mom without the pain of childbirth. From sunup to midnight, she was constantly on the go and hardly ever had any time at all for herself. It was like, opening up a package and just adding water…boom! Instant family. But it didn't matter. Peyton wouldn't have it any other way.