Title: Like Father, Like Son? (aka Mama's Boy sequel)
Rating: T (for mild sexual reference and language)
Summary: Jamie wants permission to go to his first basketball party – But Haley's not so sure.
Authors Notes: This is story is a sequel to one I wrote a while ago called Mama's Boy that was centred around Jamie Lucas Scott's first day of High School. It's not necessary to read that first, but it'd probably make a lot of things a bit clearer!
I've this idea pretty much since I wrote the first one, and I had alot interest from people asking me to revisit this universe, and after a lot of nagging (kidding!) from the girls over at the Romantics thread at fanforum I finally managed to write it. So this is dedicated to all of those lovely people – Susan especially, and I hope you like this one as much as the first hon!
Lori, Ashley, Andie, and Evs thank you for holding my hand a bit on this one – it was driving me crazy! And Ashley special thanks for being a doll and beta-ing!
"Luke, she called me baby!" Jamie growled, yanking open the passenger side door and throwing his backpack onto the ground.
"Baby!" He repeated again, the same way he'd been doing ever since the pair had left Tree Hill High's gym, Lucas climbed into the driver's seat trying his best to hide his amusement at his nephew's embarrassment.
"At least she didn't call you Jimmy-Jam." The older Scott offered, referring to the childhood nickname that was still used occasionally within the walls of the Scott home. Lily laughed loudly from her camped out position in the back of the car where she'd been waiting for them, reaching forward she held out her arm through the space between the drivers and passengers seat raising a fist for her brother to bump.
"Jimmy-Jam." She cackled further, causing her cousin to turn and glare.
"Shut up – Lily-pad!" He hissed, using the nickname a junior basketball player Lily had a crush on had started to call her.
"Whatever." The young girl's cheeks flushed pink as she shook her long dark brown curls in front of her face, pulling a book from her bag as she attempted to avoid her brother's questioning stare in the rear-view mirror.
"It's not even like she teaches me loads and has to pretend she's cool all the time – she was covering one class of mine, Uncle Luke! One! And she calls me baby in front of everyone!" Lucas bit onto the side of his cheek trying not to laugh out loud at the sulking teen, remembering days his mother had unintentionally embarrassed him when he was younger.
"C'mon baby," Jamie mimicked his mother's earlier disappointed tone when she'd caught him talking with a friend in the study hall she'd been covering for an absentee teacher.
"Okay, first of all, stop referring to your Mom as she in that tone." Withering a little under his uncle's pointed glare, Jamie folded his arms stubbornly, he'd thought his mom leaving early that day for a doctor's appointment would mean he had a chance to vent about the ribs he'd been receiving all day. He knew he should have known better by now. You don't complain about Haley James Scott to Nathan or Lucas Scott, even if you are their son/nephew.
"They've been calling me a mama's boy all day!" He implored his Uncle to understand, his anger rising as Lily once again let out a loud laugh.
"You are a mama's boy." She poked her tongue out at him, and Jamie whipped around in his seat and glared.
"You better shut up because the ones who aren't calling me a mama's boy are calling me gay because you told everyone I went dress shopping with you last weekend!"
"Well – you did that too." Lily shrugged her shoulders, a smirk playing at her lips, she knew she was riling him up, but really it was true, he did go dress shopping with her last weekend, and he kind of is a Mama's boy.
"I swear I'm going to tell everyone you still sleep with a stuffed pink pig!"
"Alright you two, calm down." The eldest Scott shook his head. Yep, Keith was definitely going to stay an only child. Next time Mae called asking when she was getting another great grandchild he'd just inform them that Nathan and Haley were in charge of that matter.
--
"No, play with me daddy – you always play with the boys!"
"I play with you all the time Peanut, and I'm not playing barbies again missy! Not after last time when you told your uncle Lucas!"
Smiling to herself as she heard laughter filling her home Haley dried her hands from where they'd been submerged in the soapy dish water and turned, preparing herself for her two youngest children running toward her. They were always so much more hyper when their dad picked them up from school, a change from the routine she supposed.
"Hi sweetie, how was school?" She asked when her daughters form came running around the corner, dropping her bag down and picking up a cookie that Haley had laid out earlier, before wrapping her arms around her mom's swollen waist.
"Hi Mommy, Hi Baby!" The little girl grinned, releasing her hold on Haley and patting her stomach, pressing a loud kiss to the bump. "School was boring!"
"Why was it boring?" Haley bit her lip to suppress a laugh as she watched her daughter sit down at the breakfast bar, dramatically rolling her big blue eyes. She knew she shouldn't find her sullen behaviour amusing, and she was sure she'd rue the days of letting it go when as a teenager she rolled her eyes left, right and certain, but she was in much too good of a mood today to say anything.
"Because I know it all!"
"Oh we know you do, Liv." Nathan laughed, joining them in the kitchen, and walking up behind Haley, dipping his head down to kiss her lightly. "Hi."
"Hi." She smiled back leaning into him a little as he rubbed lightly at her belly. "I'm sure you don't know everything they're trying to teach you Olivia."
"Uh huh! I do, Mom!"
"We'll have a look at your homework later, Sweetie." Amused, Haley removed herself from Nathan's embrace looking expectantly around his back. "Where's Matty?"
"I'm here, Mama." Matthew said slipping into the kitchen, and bypassing his parents to sit up by his sister. Staring down forlornly at his plate.
"Bad day at school, baby?" Haley asked, giving Nathan a confused look as she walked over to her youngest son.
"No." Stuffing the remainder of the cookie into his mouth, he shrugs off her hand. "I'm gonna play in my room now."
"What's wrong with your brother, Liv?" Blue eyes moving rapidly from one parent to the other she blinked, opening and closing her mouth a couple of times before smiling innocently, grabbing a couple of apple slices off the plate.
"Don't know! I'm going to go play now, too!"
Watching suspiciously as the young brunette bounded out of the room, Haley picked up the plates and moved them toward the sink, laughing a little under her breath as her husband's quick hands grabbed at the leftover snacks, stuffing them in is mouth. "You'll ruin your dinner."
"Sorry mama." He joked, mouth full.
"That's disgusting – now I know where our kids get their table manners."
"Disgusting, or disgustingly sexy?" He asked, winking as he took her hands, walking backwards and leading them both toward the living room.
"Disgusting." She confirmed, laughing at his playful manner. He'd been on a high since they'd been for the ultrasound, and like every pregnancy before, he'd immediately snatched the print out, placing it into his wallet ready to proudly show it to anyone he encountered. "Were the kids fighting on the way home?"
"No, Matty barely said a word."
Frowning concerned Haley sat down on the sofa, letting out a pleasured sigh when Nathan sat at the opposite end and placed her feet in his lap, massaging them lightly. "He was really quiet last night too, Nathan, do you think something's wrong?"
"I don't know Hales, I asked him and he said nothing. He doesn't seem to want to talk about it."
"He's five years old Nathan, make him talk about it!" She snapped, and Nathan bit down his response, focusing on the task of rubbing his wife's small feet. "Sorry. Pregnant moment."
She smiled sheepishly. Haley refused to admit she got hormonal when she was pregnant, despite her nearest and dearest telling her otherwise, so they'd compromised on her having pregnant moments. After all it wasn't the easiest of jobs growing a human being inside of you!
"I just don't like him being unhappy."
"He's not unhappy, baby. He might be upset about something, but he's not an unhappy child." He smiled at her pout as she reluctantly nodded, and rubbed her calf soothingly.
"We should talk to him later."
"We can definitely talk to him later. We need to show all of them the picture anyway." Despite her worry Haley couldn't stop the grin tugging at her lips as he rooted around in his pocket, pulling it out of his pocket and staring down at the picture he took out.
"I didn't think you'd be so excited this time."
"I don't care if we've done this three times before Hales, I'm always going to be excited when we're having a baby. In fact I think I'll be more excited than ever when we go through this for number five."
She let out a loud bellowing laugh, throwing her head back in disbelief. "Oh honey, you're funny."
"C'mon Hales."
"C'mon Hales yourself." He quirked his brow in question at her and she shook her head. "You know what I mean. Four is more than enough. I wanted to stop at two."
"You did not want to stop at two." He scoffed, "You wanted to stop at three."
"And here I am fat and frumpy lugging around number four."
"You're not fat, or frumpy, you're glowing, and gorgeous. Just like you always are when you're pregnant." He raised himself up, leaning over and pressing his lips to hers, taking her lower lip between his. Reaching her hands up she held his face in her hands, pulling away and gazing deeply into his eyes.
"Nathan..."
"Yes, Haley.."
"There is no way in hell I'm giving birth to another of your children after this one." She popped a kiss to his lips before pushing at his body that hovered above hers. "Now get back to rubbing my feet."
--
"Ask him." Lily hissed at Jamie as they turned onto the street where Jamie lived.
"Ask me what?" Eyeing his sister and nephew suspiciously Lucas pulled up onto his brothers drive way.
"Well, we were thinking that maybe you could talk to Aunt Haley." Lily answered, ignoring Jamie's warning look.
"Talk to Aunt Haley about what?"
"The party."
"You haven't asked her yet?" Lucas looked over at Jamie surprised. When Lily had asked permission to go she'd told him Jamie would be there with her.
"Well, I tried but.." He sighed shrugging his shoulders.
"But.."
"She's just going to say no."
"You don't know that."
"I do! You know what she's like she hates the idea of me being around those guys – but they're really not as bad as she thinks! Just talk to her Uncle Luke, please. I really want to go."
"Why don't you ask your dad?"
"Lily." Lucas warned, knowing his sister had a tendency to play his mom and Andy off each other to get what she wanted, even bringing him into the manipulation when needed, but he knew Haley would kill him if she knew he was advising Jamie to do the same and he hadn't said anything. "Jamie you should ask both your parents together. Your dad might be able to help."
"If she says no he's not going to disagree, not when she keeps having 'pregnant moments'."
The trio shared a grin, before Lucas shook his head. "I'm sorry bud but this one's between you and your parents, I'm not getting involved. Just sit them down and explain why you want to go, and then if your Mom wants to call me she can. She's not that bad Jamie."
"I know," Unclipping his seat belt Jamie picked up his bag and opened the door. "She's just so overprotective sometimes."
"It's just because she loves you. You're her eldest, she's still learning how to let go."
"Yeah, whatever." Climbing out of the car he promised to call Lily later and shrugged his backpack over his shoulder, stalking off towards the front door.
"That attitudes not going to help Jamie!" His uncle called after him, causing the boy to turn back.
"You were much cooler before you were a Dad!"
"Stop it!" Opening the door Jamie heard his mothers squeal travel down the hall. "Nathan Scott stop it right now!"
Rolling his eyes at the images he knew would be accompanying the peels of laughter he moved to drop his bag beside him, before thinking better of it and moving to hang it in the hall closet. If he was going to get his Mom's permission to go this party he needed to be smart about it, and leaving his bag in the hallway wouldn't do anything to help his case. His Mom was a bit of a neat freak to begin with but lately she'd been obsessing over everything being in its right place. Nesting, Lily had told him it was called – whatever the hell that meant. Name or not it was annoying, but he'd use any advantages he could get.
"Hey Mom, Dad." Walking into the room Jamie took a deep breath before smiling widely at his parents. The sight of his dad holding his Mom tightly to him, so her back was pressed against his chest while she tried to squirm away made him want to turn and walk right back out. He knew he was lucky to have parents who were still so clearly in love, but did they have to be so clear about it when he was around?
"Hi Ba.." Pulling herself up out of Nathan's lap Haley shuffled over so she was sitting on her own seat of the sofa giggling. "Oops sorry. Jamie – how was the rest of your day?"
It was on the tip of his tongue to call her out on finding his embarrassment funny, but he knew that wouldn't work tonight. "It was good, Mom, and you can call me baby if you want, it's cool."
"Anything but earlier, from what your Mom tells me." Nathan laughed, suspicious when his son laughed back instead of the tight sarcastic smile he'd been expecting.
"How was the doctor's appointment?" Jamie sat down between his parents, and they shared a confused look over his head as he hugged Haley. "Did you get another picture?"
"Yeah..." Haley trailed off although interested in all her pregnancies Jamie hadn't been this eager for information since she'd first been pregnant with Olivia, and she'd been expecting him to be sullen and moody after she unintentionally embarrassed him that afternoon.
"Can I see it?"
"Your dad has it."
"Of course he does." Jamie joked with his mother before looking to Nathan expectantly who watched him curiously.
"Since when are you so eager to see a sonogram picture?"
"Since I'm going to become a big brother in a few months time."
"You're already a big brother twice over, and you haven't cared about seeing a sonogram picture since you told me your sister probably better stay in mama's belly until she was a bit cuter, or you didn't think your Aunt Brooke would like her much."
"I don't remember saying that." Jamie dismissed taking the print out from his dad and staring at it. "Is it a girl or a boy?"
"We're waiting to find out. Just like we did with the others." Haley told him, still keeping her arms around him. She was pretty sure he had some kind of ulterior motive for being so nice, but he rarely let her hold him for long periods of time anymore, she'd take what she could get.
"You knew I was going to be a boy."
"Well yes, but that was kind of an accident."
"How do you accidently find out the sex of a baby?" Jamie asked confused, turning the picture in his hand upside down to see if it became any clearer to him.
"The doctor speaks without thinking."
"Oh – okay, whatever that means, but can't you tell from this?"
"Can you tell?"
"Well, no.. Oh, wait is it a boy? I mean isn't that his...thing?"
"His thing?" Nathan laughed, and Haley's used the arm that wasn't around Jamie to swat out toward him. Leaning over she joined in her husband's laughter as she looked at where her son was pointing.
"Oh no, honey, that's the umbilical chord."
Cursing his mother's fair colouring as his cheeks flushed Jamie thrust the picture back towards his dad. "Where are Matty and Liv?"
"Upstairs playing." Nathan responded, slipping the picture carefully back into his wallet.
"Do you guys want me to go check on them, or help with dinner or anything?"
"Alright son, what do you want?" Nathan asked, asking questions about their appointment was one thing, but offering to help with dinner or check on Matthew and Olivia on a Friday night made it clear his son was after something.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean you usually come home and raid the cupboards before hiding out in your room until dinner. What's with all the attention?"
"I'm just interested."
"Really?"
"Well yeah, and..."
"And what?"
"I wanted to ask you guys something..." He stood up so he was turning to look at them, watching him expectantly.
"Oh this should be good." Nathan smirked, watching his son shift from one foot to the other.
"Look, Mom, I know you don't like me hanging out with them, but really most of them aren't that bad, and I've been really good this whole year and school's practically over, I've made honour roll, I've not missed any practices, I've only broken my curfew twice and.."
"Wait? Who's not that bad?" Nathan asked stopping his sons rambling. Just like his mother, he'd dance around his point all day before he made it if you let him.
"The guys.."
"What guys?" Haley asked, brow wrinkled in confusion.
"The basketball guys." He answered, his gaze fixed on the floor.
"What are you asking Jamie?" Nathan looked on still confused. "Start at the beginning."
"Well, see, there's this party..."
"No." Haley answered immediately, "No."
"Mom!"
"No, Jamie, you are not going to a basketball party!"
"But Mom, c'mon, I've worked my as—butt off this year getting them to accept me, and not just to see me as the coaches nephew, or your son, or think I got put on varsity just because of Dad's legacy."
"And we're proud of you baby we are, but those parties are no place for a child."
"I'm not a child, Mom! I'm nearly 15, and Uncle Luke's letting Lily go?"
"Lily's going? What does your Uncle have to do with it?"
"Well, Aunt Karen's going out of town, and Lily's staying with Luke and she's going. C'mon Mom please? Dad?"
"No, Jamie, I've said no and you're not going, that's final!"
"But Mom! God that's so unfair! You're being completely unreas-"
"Jamie go upstairs and do your homework, I'll talk to your mother."
Huffing Jamie turned on his heel s and storms out of the room – doors banging in his wake as he makes his way upstairs.
"His mother? You'll talk to his mother." Haley's gaze steeled as she turned it on Nathan who flinched, not understand what he'd done wrong.
"What?"
"I'm sitting right here! I'm telling him he can't do something, and you tell him to go away and you'll talk to his mother! You don't get to just dismiss me like that Nathan!" Her belly jutting out in front of her she pushed to her feet, turning and glaring at her husband again. "We've been parents for fourteen years Nathan, you think by now you'd realise we're in this together! We have to do this as a team!"
"I know that Haley, but do you?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" She spat over her shoulder from where she'd began rearranging the pictures on the mantle.
"If we're such a team why didn't you consult me before saying no to Jamie?"
Mouth open Haley put her hands on her hips as she glared down at her husband. How Dare – Who did He -. "You leave me alone!" She growled, following her son's footsteps and storming out of the living room.
"Shit." Shaking his head Nathan lowered it into his hands, raking his fingers through his hair. He thought about calling out to her, trying to explain where he was coming from. Personally he didn't see the big deal with letting Jamie go to the party, especially if Lily was going, and he was pretty sure Luke was only letting Lily go knowing Jamie would be there to keep an eye on her. He agreed with his son that Haley had been being a bit unreasonable, but decided against it, heading towards the kitchen instead. Maybe he'd just start on dinner and let her calm down before they spoke again. Damn Pregnant Moments.
--
"Are you letting Lily go to this party?"
"Well hello to you too, Hales." Lucas' laughter rang down the line and Haley scowled. All those Scott men just thought they were sooo funny.
"Well are you?"
"Yes, I'm letting Lily go to the party."
"Are you crazy?!"
"No," He chuckled and she rolled her eyes, moving to turn up the air conditioning. She was already starting to feel uncomfortable in the heat, she just knew the rest of the summer would be a blast! "I don't think so.."
"And how do you think your Mom's going to react to that?"
"She won't care."
"Oh really? Like she didn't care when she came back from Italy to find you tattoo'd and dating the school slut."
"Haley!"
"What, c'mon, you know I love the girl but she wasn't exactly the chaste girl next door your mom envisioned for your first serious girlfriend."
"No that would be you."
"Ew." She shuddered at the thought. "Okay, I don't care how many marriages and children there are since that's never okay to say."
A comfortable, familiar laugh was shared down the line before Haley sighed.
"Luke you work at the same school I do – You've seen the way these kids can act! Hell you coach these boys – do you really want Lily around them?"
"They're no worse than we were Hales."
"Even if that's the case do you remember what went on at those parties?!"
"Yeah, I do, because we were there Haley. We'd be huge hypocrites if we didn't let them go."
"We were juniors before we started going to parties!"
"And do you really think another year or so is going to make any difference? They're good kids, Hales."
"That's my point exactly Lucas – they're kids!
"They're growing up Haley, you've got to start letting him go eventually. They'll do what we did, go, maybe have a couple of drinks, have fun.."
"Have sex." Haley added, laughing when Lucas started choking on the other end. "Oh, c'mon Lucas – I've got three children and one on the way, you should have realised by now that Nathan and I have sex."
"Yeah, okay, but I don't need to be reminded of it! Especially that you did it back then. God, Hales, you're like my little sister!"
"And Lily is your little sister – your fourteen year old little sister, and you're sending her into the lions den of horny teenagers!"
"I'm going to hang up now before you convince me not to let her go. Look Hales, I'm going to drop them off, and pick them up, they're responsible kids. You and Nathan did a great job raising Jamie, you should trust him."
Sighing she threw the phone down beside her, she knew he was right, her baby was growing up and she'd have to start letting him do things she didn't particularly want him too but he was only fourteen, and those parties used to intimidate the hell out of her when she was younger, and then of course there was the things his father was known to get up to at those parties when he was Jamie's age...
"You okay buddy?" Nathan turned to look at his five year old son who'd been sitting silently colouring at the counter for the past half hour despite his best efforts to get him involved in a conversation.
"Yeah." Matthew answered, with the same sullen tone he'd had all day.
Closing the oven Nathan walked over and sat beside him. "Cool picture!"
"Thanks Daddy,"
"You want to see another cool picture?" Nathan prodded, smiling when his son turned to look at him.
"What?"
"Your baby brother or sister."
"No – don't wanna see the stupid picture!" Grabbing his papers off the side the little boy clambered down off his chair and moved to walk out of the room.
"Matthew!" Picking up his youngest son to stop him from running out of the room in a similar fashion to his mother and older brother Nathan sat him down on top of the counter. "What is wrong?"
"Nuttin."
"Nothing? I don't believe you buddy." He rubbed the boys back soothingly.
"It's just..."
"Just?"
"Daddy, when the new baby comes will you and Mommy still love me?"
"What?" Nathan blinked shocked, sure they'd explained this to him when they'd first told the kids Haley was pregnant. "Matty of course we will!"
"Yeah but Livvy said.." He trailed off, biting his lip, unsure of whether to tell on his sister.
"Livvy said what?"
"She said that I won't be special anymore so you won't love me as much 'cause you gots to love the new baby."
"Matthew your Mom and I have enough love for you and all your brothers and sisters I promise. We don't love Jamie any less because we have you and Olivia."
"Do you promise?" His eyes were so like his mothers, wide and full of feeling and it hurt Nathan's heart to see his paternal love questioned.
"Yeah, I promise. Is that what's been bothering you?"
The little boy nodded, his eyes filled with tears. Laughing a little Nathan grabbed him and hugged him tightly to his chest. "You never have to worry about your Mom and me not loving you. You're always going to be special to us, no matter what. Okay?"
"Okay." He nodded, sniffing, and Nathan kissed the top of his head.
"Do you feel better now?"
"Yeah, thanks Daddy. I think I'm going to go play ball with Jamie now, okay?"
Nathan laughed as Matthew ran outside to where his son had been bouncing a basketball not so subtly looking into the kitchen to see if his parents were talking about him or not before walking to the bottom of the stairs.
"Olivia Karen Scott! Get downstairs right now!"
"What did you do?" Haley asked as she bumped into her daughter while coming out of her bedroom as they both made their way downstairs to see what Nathan was shouting about.
"Nothing Mama, I promise!" Her pearly whites on full display the little girl shrugged before bouncing downstairs. "Hi Daddy!"
"Don't hi Daddy me missy do you have something to tell us."
"Noooo," She moved toward him wrapping her arms around him and looking up at him innocently. If Haley wasn't so confused as to what was going on she would have laughed. Olivia was completely aware of fact she had her dad wrapped around her little finger. Daddy's little princess in a house full of boys.
A put upon pout sprouted on her full young lips as Nathan untangled himself from her embrace, kneeling down so he was at her height. "I want you to tell your Mom what you've been saying to your younger brother."
"What did I do Daddy?" She asked, batting her long lashes and playing with the ends of her hair grinning up at her father. "I love you."
Haley bit at her lip, trying to stop the smile that was threatening to creep onto her face watching the scene in front of her unfold.
"Olivia." His stern voice caused the little girl to sigh and pout, running her hand through her bangs the way she'd seen her father do to his hair whenever he was exasperated.
"I didn't mean it – I was only joking! It's not my fault he's stupid enough to believe it!"
"Your brother is not stupid!"
"He is! He's silly if he believed it!"
"Liv, your brothers still very little, he looks up to you, your his big sister, he believes the things you tell him."
"But Daddy.."
"No but daddy's – I want you to go upstairs and think about how you'd feel if Jamie told you the same thing, and then when you come down for dinner I want you to apologise."
"It's not fair!" She moved to stomp her feet, but stopped at her fathers look.
"Upstairs – now!"
"Mmm, stern daddy, I like it." Haley winked, moving toward him and wrapping her arms around his waist, getting as close as her distended belly would allow, laying her head against his chest that rumbled with laughter. "What did she do?"
"She's been telling Matty that we won't love him as much when the new baby comes here."
"Oh no, she has not! The little - " Trailing off Haley shook her head, "Why would she do that?"
"Maybe she's scared she's the one that's not going to be loved as much."
Blinking a little, Haley smiled as she looked up into her husband's eyes. "You've become very insightful over the years you know?"
"Well," He laughed, "If anyone can understand sibling rivalry."
"Talking of your brother. Do you think you could ask Jamie to watch the dinner while we go upstairs and talk, he said a few things that made me think."
--
"I'm just scared Nathan." Haley said, lying down on their bed, her hand rubbing soothing circles on her stomach as she felt the baby moving around.
"Hales it's just a party."
"It's a high school party, a party full of things my baby isn't ready for!"
"Babe, he's not a baby anymore." Nathan said sitting down and putting his arms around her. "He's growing up."
"I don't want him too." She pouted and he laughed, his hand joining hers on her stomach.
"I know you don't, but its happening whether we want it to or not. This is why we need to keep having babies..."
"Watch it." She turned, pointing a finger at his smirking teasing face before sagging back against his chest. "I just...
"Why don't you want him to go?" He asked, smiling as he felt the baby kick, kissing her shoulder softly.
"Because, those parties aren't the place for kids his age."
"They're thrown by kids his age." Nathan pointed out, and Haley shuddered at the thought. "C'mon Hales we went to parties all the time in high school."
"You went to parties all the time when we were in high school, I got dragged along occasionally." She protested, only partially true, she did eventually get a little seduced by the party life style, a thought that made her fears worsen. "And that's what worries me."
"What do you mean?"
"You said it yourself, you used to go to these parties all the time in high school, especially before we got together. Are you forgetting what happened at your first basketball party?"
He sucked in a sharp breath, he figured that probably had something to do with her not wanting Jamie to go to the party, but he'd hoped it wouldn't be brought up. It didn't matter how many years passed it was never a comfortable topic to discuss the fact that you'd slept with your sister in law.
"I doubt Taylor's going to be at this party Hales," He joked, and she looked over her shoulder at him, her eyes telling him she thought that was far from funny. "Hales, Jamie's not like I was okay. We raised him to know better, to respect himself, and girls, better than that."
"He's still fourteen, and while you were at parties having sex with 17 year olds, I was hanging out with fourteen year old boys. I know what they're like."
"And I was a fourteen year old boy, I know what they're like too, and I know that Jamie has two pretty great parents who've taught him right from wrong."
"Right from wrong is going to go out of the window when his friends are pouring drinks down his throat and some pretty girl has her boobs in his face."
He laughed, holding her close and pressing what he hoped was a reassuring kiss into her hair. "Look, Hales, don't you think its better that he came to us and asked to go the party. He could have just told us he was spending the night at Lily's and gone anyway."
"He knew Luke would have ratted him out."
"You know that's not true baby. He's always been honest with us Hales, we've got a pretty good streak going with him."
She sighed, "And if we don't let him to go the party he might just lie next time."
"Well, you never know. He's never done anything to make us think we can't trust him baby, it's not fair to punish him for what might happen."
"Would you be saying all this if it was Livvy asking?"
Nathan scowled. "No, as soon as she hits puberty I'm locking her in her room until she's 25."
"Well, as much as she's your little girl, he's my little boy."
"It's different for boy's Hales, it's a double standard and it might be unfair, but it just is. Especially when it's my little girl."
"But he's my little boy." She repeated again pouting.
"We'll talk to him, we'll let him know that there are strings attached to letting him go..."
"So we're letting him go?"
"Can't keep him from that world forever, Hales, its better he goes under our terms than his own."
"We're letting him go."
"With rules, he breaks one and he'll never be allowed to go again. We tell him we won't condone him drinking, or having sex, or staying out all night."
"I'll pick him up so we know what time he goes home, I'll be able to tell if he's drunk."
"And the," She swallowed shaking her head at the thought '...sex thing?"
"Well, I guess we'll have to just trust him on that. We always said when the time was right we'd talk to him about it, explain both of our situations, and this is probably as good a time as any."
"Lucas said he'd take them there and drop him home."
"Even better, then I don't have to leave you." She snuggled further into his chest closing her eyes.
"I don't want to be an over bearing mother, Nathan, I really don't I just.."
"You're just an amazing Mom who loves our kids with all her heart and you worry about them getting hurt."
They were interrupted by a knock at their door and Jamie poking his head around. "Uh, I think dinner's ready. I turned off the oven."
"Come in for a minute Jamie." Nathan offered, and Haley patted the bed beside her for him to sit down.
"Am I in trouble?" He asked sitting down, looking from parent to parent.
"What would you be in trouble for?"
"Asking to go to the party."
"Oh baby, you're never going to get in trouble for asking. Where are your brother and sister?"
"Uh, in their rooms I think." His brow scrunched in confusion and Haley ran her thumb over his forehead, trying to soothe the lines away before he shrugged away her touch.
"Okay, well in that case your Mom and I want to talk to you about something."
"Okay..."
"We're going to let you go to the party.."
"Really?!" His eyes lit up with excitement and despite her nerves Haley smiled, loving seeing her children happy.
"Yes, really, but we have a few stipulations." She added.
"Stipulations?"
"You're home by midnight – and the only person who gives you a ride is your Uncle Lucas."
"Okay." He nodded for her to continue.
"No Drinking..."
"Mom.."
"You can have a drink," Nathan answered, and Haley sagged against his chest knowing there was no point in fighting him on that one, the chances of Jamie going to the party and not having a single drink were slim to none, and at least this way he might keep a promise to not get drunk.
"Okay, you can have a drink, but you are not to come home drunk. I mean it James – you are even remotely drunk and you will not be leaving this house the whole summer."
"Okay Mom," He grinned. "I promise."
"No fights." Jamie nodded at his mom's addition. "No wrecking peoples houses." He nodded again.
"You take care of your cousin, you don't let her get drunk, or taken advantage of." Nathan said needlessly as Jamie nodded along. There was no way he'd ever let anything happen to Lily.
"And we don't want you to have sex." Haley added seriously, causing Jamie to jump up from his position.
"Woah – wait what? That's n-not going to happen." He held his hands up, his eyes fixating anywhere but on his parents.
"Sweetie, we know that it can be embarrassing to talk to your parents about this type of thing, but we also know what can happen at these parties..."
"Mom – please." He squirmed and Haley threw Nathan a warning glance when he started to chuckle.
"Baby, please just sit down so we can talk to you a bit."
"I already got the where babies come from talk Mom, it's fine, I'm not going to have se—do that. Okay? I'm not even thinking about doing that!"
Nathan laughed out loud at that, he was fourteen once, he knew his son was definitely thinking about it.
"We know you know where babies come from hon, but that's not what we want to talk to you about. We want to talk to you about the emotional side of things."
"Really you guys it's not necessary, dinner's going to get burned."
"You said you'd turned it off." Nathan pointed out as Jamie tried to back out of the room. "C'mon Jamie, just sit down for a minute."
"Your dad and I, we know you're growing up honey, and we know that certain temptations are going to start coming up in your life and we want you to know that we understand, but we also want you to understand our point of view too. I know you think you're so grown up, but you're still very young."
"I'm only two years younger than you guys were when you got married." Jamie answered, and Haley shook her head, she knew that was going to be repeated many a times in the up coming years.
"We know that hon, and that brings me to my next point. You know by now that your dad and I waited until we were married to make love."
Cringing Jamie rolled his eyes. "Yeah I know that – and I don't know why I know – why should a child ever know that about their parents."
"Sex is nothing to be embarrassed about, Jamie. When you care about someone it's only natural you want to express that, but that's when you should do it. When you love somebody."
"Yeah Okay, Mom, I promise. No sex 'til I'm in love." He rushed out, twitching in his eagerness to get away.
"Jamie would you sit down." Nathan laughed, watching as Jamie shuffled over to the bed again and sat down. "Look son, when I was your age I did some stupid things at parties like these. I drank too much, and I wrecked some property, I got into fights, and yes I also had sex."
"So basically you're being a hypocrite."
"No Jamie, I'm trying to make you understand my mistakes so you don't make your own. If I could go back and change it then I would. I wish I'd waited until I met your Mom, but I didn't, and I'm always going to have regrets about that. Just because something makes you feel good in the moment doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. There's a whole world of difference between making love and just hooking up, Jamie."
Cheeks flushed Jamie focussed on his hands, nodding quietly, taking in the emotion in his dad's voice. "Look guys, I'm only going to say this once because it's embarrassing but I'm not planning on having sex with anyone until I'm completely ready okay? I have friends who are having sex, and who tease me about waiting but I grew up with something they didn't have. You. I know I make a big deal sometimes when you're kissing and stuff, but I do know that I'm lucky you guys love each other so much, and I want that to, eventually, but I'm in no rush. So I promise I'm not going to have sex at this party."
"I'm so happy to hear you say that baby." Haley tugged at her son, wrapping her arms around him, a few tears falling down her cheeks. "You are such a good boy you know that. I'm so proud of you."
"Aww Mom."
"Don't you aww mom, me. Trusting you to go to this party is a big deal for me, but hearing you say that makes me think we're making the right decision."
"Thanks." He pulled away and sent a tight smile in Nathan's direction as he stood up. "I'm going to go and call Uncle Luke to see what time he'll pick me up."
"He really is growing up, huh?" She asked Nathan who nodded, smiling at her tear streaked face.
--
"Bye!!" Jamie's voice rang through the house as his uncles horn beeped outside.
"It's going to be okay." Nathan laughed at the anguished look his wife was sporting, "He's a good boy remember?"
"Yeah, Yeah, I remember."
"Daddy?" Matthew walked into the room, pushing himself up on the sofa between his parents.
"Hey buddy." Haley answered before Nathan had the chance, hugging the child against her. "I haven't seen you since dinner, are you feeling better now?"
"Yeah, sorry I wasn't nice."
"That's okay. You were worried about the new baby huh?"
"Yeah." He nodded, frowning a little as he snuggled against his mother's chest as best he could with her bump. "What's that?"
"That's the baby kicking." The parents smile as their young son looked down at his mother's stomach, moving away from where the feeling had been felt against his back.
"Why is it kicking?"
"I think they want to say hi to you, Matty!"
"The baby's saying hi to me?"
"Uh huh." Taking his hand she lead it to the place on her stomach where the baby had been kicking, and tears pricked at her eyes at the wonderful smile her son rewarded her with when he felt the movement.
"Woah." He tore his gaze from the bump and looked over at Nathan. "Daddy?"
"Yeah bud?"
"I think I want to see the picture now."
"Sure." Smiling he pulled the sonogram out again, as Matthew climbed off his mom's lap and into his dads.
"That's really our baby?"
"Yep, that's our baby."
"Is it a brother?"
"We don't know yet. We'll find out when they get here."
"Hi.." A small sweet voice broke into the conversation Haley had been watching intently, as Olivia made her way into the room. "Am I still in trouble?"
"Well, I don't know yet, did you tell your brother you're sorry?"
"No.."
"Well are you going to?"
"I'm sorry Matty."
"I don't care." He answered bluntly, leaning back against Nathan's chest.
"Matthew – be nice, I know your sister wasn't very nice to you but she's saying she's sorry. What do you say?"
"It's okay Livvy." Matthew answered reluctantly, still looking from the picture in his hands to his mother's belly.
"I didn't mean it, Matty. It's great having a younger brother."
"You promise?"
"Sure I promise – you're pretty cool most of the time – right? And the baby will be too."
Haley and Nathan smiled at their children as Olivia joined her brother on their fathers lap and they looked at the picture together.
"It might not be a brother you know, Liv." Haley pointed out, and the little girls head immediately snapped to attention.
"Oh no, Mommy, it's going to be a boy."
"Oh really peanut, and how do you know that?" Nathan asked amused.
"Because I'm the only girl!"
"And you like that huh?"
"You bet!"
"Yeah," Haley laughed at her daughter. "I'm sure you do."
"I want a girl." Matthew butted in, nodding his head eagerly.
"You do huh? Why's that?"
"Because then we have two girls, and two boys! That's how it should be."
"Oh you think so huh?"
"Yeah – and she gotsta have an "ee" name!"
"An ee name?" Haley asked curiously, Nathan shrugging his shoulders at his wife's silent question to him.
"Yeah – Jam-EE, Liv-EE, Matt-EE!"
Nathan bellowed a laugh, hugging his children close. "Oh he gets that from you."
"Gets what from me?"
"The neat thing – he wants two of each and matching names, Hales! He's your child for sure."
"Oh shut up you!"
"ooooOOOH Mama said shut up!"
"Oops – no I didn't."
"You did! You did!" The children chorused together laughing loudly.
"Alright, Alright, I did, but you don't repeat it okay?"
"Why?" Matthew asked, needing explanation for everything.
"Well, because you have to teach the new baby good things, Matty."
"And shut up's a bad thing?" He asked, his face a picture of concentration.
"Yeah," Haley shook her head at both her husband and her daughter who were in hysterics at the young boy's innocent repetition of what he'd been told not to. "That's a bad thing."
"Oh, okay. I think I'll like being a big brother. Do you think I'll be good Livvy?"
"Yeah, Matty – I think you will."
"Cool!" He grinned up at her, happiest when he had either of his elder sibling's approval. He was pretty excited about the new baby now, it was actually kind of cool!
--
"C'mon Mama Boy have another beer." Jamie shook his head at the playful ribbing he was getting from a team mate.
"No, man, I'm done for the night – and you can stop calling me that anytime you know."
"Where's the fun in that?" The older boy laughed, downing the rest of his drink.
"I wouldn't mind be your Mama's boy," Another boy from around the table called out. "If you get what I mean."
"What did you say?" Jamie growled, extending to his tall height and banging his fist on the table, glaring the boy down.
"I'd be careful Jack – you didn't see what he did to Kyle Walker at the beginning of the year, his dad had to pay for him to get his nose fixed."
"C'mon Jay, it's not worth it, remember you promised Nathan and Haley no fights." Lily whispered from her place next to her cousin, urging him to sit down, before turning back to the boy next to her and fluttering her eyelashes.
"Say shit about my Mom again and I swear you won't play again, Jenkins."
"What you going to do – get your Uncle to throw me off the team." Jack spat out, glaring back at the younger boy. He'd been sure he was getting on varsity this year until Jamie Scott entered the picture. "Like you got him to put you on the team."
"Jack, stop talking about shit you know nothing about. It's been a whole year, get over it. Jamie's a better player than you that's why he's on the team." Jamie looked over shocked at where the captain of the basketball team was defending his talents. He'd hoped that the invitation to this party had meant they'd finally accepted him for just being him, but he'd worried that wasn't the case.
"Thanks Mike." The older boy just shrugged his shoulders dismissively.
"Jack's a dick – you want a beer?" He held a bottle up that he'd just taken out of a cooler, and Jamie shook his head.
"No, thanks I'm good."
"Hey Jamie?"
Turning his head Jamie swallowed at the sight he was confronted with. A tall, red headed cheerleader was leaning over him, her low cut top barely encasing her breasts. "If you're not having a drink maybe you and I could go upstairs and... talk?"
There was hoots and hollers from the rest of the table, and a worried glance from Lily as the elder girl took Jamie's and pulled him from the table and upstairs into an empty bedroom.
"I'm Jaime too" She giggled, sitting down on the bed, and bouncing slightly for the effect of her breasts jiggling in her top.
"Yeah," He swallowed, trying his best to tear his eyes away from her, "I know."
"You know Jamie, you're really cute."
"Uh, thanks, you're cute too."
"Thanks." She grinned, winking at him as she flicked her hair over her shoulder. "Why don't you come sit with me, it's much more comfortable over here."
"Uh, you know what I think I better go." Jamie turned fumbling for the door handle, his dad's words echoing in his mind. He knew what would happen if he stayed in this room and he knew he wasn't ready for it. "I need to keep an eye on Lily."
"Lily's a big girl, Jamie..."
"I really have to go – See you later."
"Oh Sorry!" He apologised as he ran into a flustered looking girl he recognised from his English class. "Uh..Emma right?"
"Oh Jamie hi!"
"Are you okay?" The girl shook her caramel curls letting out a loud sigh.
"I don't know what to do, it's nearly eleven o' clock and my dad will kill me if I'm not home, but my rides been drinking, and I'm pretty sure she's hooking up with someone in one of these rooms, and I don't want to just barge in on some random person, although I'm not sure what would be worse, seeing my best friend having sex, or seeing someone I don't know, and eww I really didn't want to be thinking about that. I can't even call her because I've lost my phone! My dad's so going to kill me!"
Jamie couldn't help but smile as the girl in front of him gesticulates madly and rambled on in a very familiar manner to him. "Hey, Emma, if you want I can walk you home? I mean I don't have a car so you might not get back on time, but if your dad's anything like mine he'd prefer you were late and walked, than got in the car with someone who'd been drinking. We can call him when we're on our way."
"Oh, are you sure?" She looked up at him and he couldn't help but think how pretty she was as he nodded his head.
"Yea, of course, my uncles supposed to be picking me and Lily up in an hour, but I'm sure we could get him to pick us up from your place if that's okay?"
"Oh yeah – of course. Oh thank you Jamie so much!" The girl leaped into his arms hugging him tightly, blushing a little when she pulled away.
"Let me just get Lily and we can go – you can call your dad off my phone if you want?"
"You're really nice Jamie." She smiled at him, motioning to the rest of the basketball team as they reached the bottom of the stairs. "Not like the rest of those guys."
"They're not so bad." He shrugged, tugging at Lily's arm in an effort to get her to pry her lips off the boy she'd been flirting with all evening. "C'mon we're walking Emma home."
"But what? Why! We don't have to leave for an hour." She pouted, but let herself get dragged away anyway, wiggling her fingers goodbye at her kissing partner. "Jeremy! Call me!"
--
"What time is it?" Haley asked, her eyes fluttering open as she looked up at Nathan from where she'd fallen asleep in his lap. It had taken a while to get the younger two down after they'd gotten excited about the impending arrival of the newest sibling, but the later bedtime had been worth the happy moments.
"Barely 11.30 – he'll be a while yet Hales. Why don't you go up to bed?"
"No, I want to wait up for him." She yawned loudly, snuggling further into his lap, her hand reaching under his t-shirt and stroking at the splattering of hair that covered his stomach.
"Well then you're going to have to stop that or Jamie's going to walk in on his second sex education lesson of the night."
She rolled her eyes, hitting him lightly but moving her hand away. "Do you think he listened earlier?"
"Yeah, I do. You heard what he said, Haley, he's going to wait."
"I hope so, he deserves for it to be special."
"Yeah, I hope so too." He leaned over and kissed her softly tangling his hand in her hair. "Go back to sleep, I'll wake you up when he gets here."
"Only if we can take that back up when he's safely in bed. You can't tease a pregnant woman like that!"
"I'd never tease you baby." He laughed, turning down the TV a little as her breathing deepened and he checked the clock, listening out for the click of the front door.
"I'm home." Jamie called quietly into the room as he caught sight of his Mom curled up asleep in his dad's lap ten minutes later.
"You're early." Nathan answered, moving Haley off of him gently and cocking his head toward the kitchen for Jamie to follow. "Did you have fun?"
"Yeah it was good." He couldn't help but laugh at how intently his father was studying him. "I'm not drunk, Dad."
"I know you're not." Nathan played innocently. He'd been sure Jamie would adhere to the rules they were giving him, but there was no harm in checking.
"I'm going to go to bed."
"Alright, sleep well."
"Thanks, oh and Dad?"
"Yeah?"
"Did you mean what you said earlier – about wishing you'd waited for Mom?"
"Definitely," Nathan answered without pause.
"Okay." Nodding the young boy shocked his father by walking over and hugging him. "Goodnight, Dad."
"Night Son." He watched his son walk up the stairs and smiled, wondering how he could ever have been scared at the prospect of being a father. His family was the biggest blessings in his life, and he definitely had Haley to thank for that. Walking back toward the living room he smirked to himself, he'd have to wake her up and tell her Jamie was home - after all she'd told him to do so, and hopefully she'd still be up for some thanking now.