Disclaimer: I do not own OTH!
A/N: I always wanted to meet the rest of the James family. I guess this is my attempt at that. This is basically an intro that shows Quinn and Haley saying their goodbyes before going to a family reunion camping trip. It takes place about a year after the ten year anniversary at Tric. It's basically a continuation of Naley and Clinn, but more importantly it's the introduction of the rest of the James family. I did a lot of research to try and get everything as accurate as possible, but I obviously had to take some liberties with their siblings' names and personalities, which you'll see in later chapters. Let me know if you want me to continue this in a REVIEW!
Chapter 1: Sweet Goodbyes
"Quinny," Haley James Scott called loudly, while carefully placing her pristinely folded clothing into her suitcase. "I need some help in here."
"One sec," Quinn Evans called back as she stuck her head in Haley's bedroom. "I need to find Logan first."
Haley gave her a concerned maternal look.
Quinn smiled brightly. "Relax, Haley Bob. We're just playing Hide-and-Seek."
Haley softened. "You're new to the whole mothering thing. I just had to be sure."
"Good looking out, girly." Quinn slipped back into the hallway to resume her hunt for her adoptive son.
Haley shook her head, amused by her favorite sister.
Haley loved seeing Quinn as much as possible now that she'd moved back to Tree Hill permanently. It still amazed her that in such a short amount of time her sister could get divorced from David, shot by a psycho stalker, and finally remarried to Clay with a kid.
The only problem now was dealing with the rest of their crazy, nearly intolerable family. The James had a reputation for being wild, eccentric, and undeniably peculiar, but she loved them all despite that. She just never loved all the noise that went along with it.
"Are you sure I have to go to this?" Haley asked no one in particular.
Arms snaked around her waist from behind.
"I thought you told me that family is the most important thing in this world," Nathan's sultry voice whispered into her ear.
Haley leaned back into him. "Immediate family," she explained. "Anyone with the last name of Scott, Baker, or Evans, and that's it."
Nathan turned her around to face him. "So the extended family loses all quality Haley James time? I think not." He quickly planted a kiss on her forehead. "You'll love camping, I promise."
Haley sighed, enjoying the closeness with her husband. "A rock star shouldn't have to spend their week entrapped in a forest that's invested with dead animals and disease-ridden insects."
"That's what bug spray is for, babe." He rubbed her shoulders reassuringly. "And you loved Rachel's cabin back in high school, and our trip to Utah a few years back went great."
Haley pursed her lips, recalling the trips. "I know, but what did all those trips have in common?"
Nathan pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Steamy alone time with me?" he guessed, smirking.
Haley laughed. "That," she allowed, "and the occasional hot shower, easy access to technology, and an always cleanly environment."
Nathan wrapped his arms around her. "Camping is great, Hales. It's a favorite pastime of that son of yours."
Haley frowned. "Well, Jamie's my little daredevil. I need his big, strong dad to be my protector."
Nathan dipped Haley backward on their bed, falling on top of her with his arms tensing around her. "In that case." He trailed kisses down her neck. "I think I should accompany you."
Haley laughed buoyantly. "I like the sound of that."
"No," Quinn cut into their conversation, stepping back into the doorway of their room.
Nathan fell to the side to allow Haley to stand back up.
"Excuse me?" Haley asked Quinn, working to lessen the smile on her face that always happened after she'd been kissing Nathan.
Quinn held her finger up to her mouth, mouthing for her sister to be quiet. Haley raised her eyebrows in question.
Quinn pointed to underneath the bed, but Haley shook her head, not understanding. Quinn smiled mischievously as she crept over to the bed. She hopped down to all fours in one swoop and stuck her head underneath.
"Gotcha," Quinn declared loudly. She stuck her hands under the bed and pulled out a giggling Logan. "You can't pull one past me," she informed him, tickling his sides as he worked to escape her.
"I must admit that's actually a relief," Nathan muttered to Haley as he watched the spectacle.
"For a moment I thought she was against our intimacy," Haley told him, laughing along.
"Not in front of the baby," Quinn cooed, covering Logan's eyes. "And in a way I was saying that. You can't have Nathan tagging along camping, Haley Bob. This is family only."
"Can I come then?" Logan demanded, smiling up at his mother.
Quinn wrinkled her nose against his. "Only if you're a James, sweetie."
"I can be a James," Logan declared proudly, climbing onto the bed. "I can be anyone; I'm a shape shifter."
He began jumping up and down on the bed. Nathan wisely slid off to give him more space.
"What?" Clay entered the room. "Dude, I thought you were Wolverine and had that whole crazy mutant thing going on."
Logan shook his head. "Not today."
Clay eyed him before turning to Quinn for a quick kiss. "Hey, beautiful."
"Hey, handsome," Quinn greeted him happily.
"Speaking of uncomfortable intimacy." Nathan turned to Haley, gesturing toward the door.
Haley and him quickly made their exit.
"Have fun this weekend, Hales," Clay called after them.
Haley rolled her eyes. "Don't let Nate have too much fun here without me," she yelled back.
They shut the door behind them.
"So you sure you can survive a whole weekend without me and a this mutant demon here?" Clay asked Quinn, messing his hand through Logan's short blond hair.
Quinn smiled. "One week without my boys in exchange for a week with the siblings? I'll manage," she told him firmly. "But just barely," she relented.
Clay tackled Logan on the bed. "How about the even greater question: will we survive without you?" He flung his son around in typical play-fighting fashion.
Quinn pulled them apart. "Again, you'll manage but just barely."
"You know, I think this is the first time we'll be apart since we got married," Clay announced; his boyish grin becoming more pronounced.
Quinn nodded, feeling nostalgic along with him. "And probably not the last since both of our careers require travel."
Clay frowned after that. "Stop kicking me while I'm down." He smiled, kissing her again. "I'm just going to miss you."
"Me too! Me too!" Logan repeated as his jumping continued. "I'll miss you the most!"
"Well, thank you, handsome boys. I'll miss you both, too." She pulled them both in for a hug.
The force made them all fall in a heap on the bed.
"Say hi to the brothers for me," Clay told her after they'd gotten back on their feet. "And Vivian and Taylor of course."
"Tay would say something completely inappropriate back," Quinn babbled. "Vivian probably forgot you existed."
"I really love that family of yours." Clay shook his head, musing.
"So do I," Quinn admitted longingly. "So do I."
"One week," Nathan placated.
"Have you met my brothers, Nathan? They'll rip you apart if you're not too careful." Haley pulled out a sleeping bag from the closet. "A whole week together and they'll kill each other and anyone in a ten-foot radius."
"I have met your brothers, babe. They're some of the best guys I know." He carefully helped her down from the stepladder.
"They're also wild and barely past adolescence," Haley argued, setting her bedding by the door.
"They're in there thirties, Hun. I'm sure they've grown up since childhood."
Haley snorted. "Doubtful."
"Mom," Jamie's voice interrupted as the young boy rammed himself into his mother. "Good—you haven't left yet."
Haley hugged him tightly. "How was the river court?"
Jamie slowly peeled away from her. "Great. Chuck and I wiped the floor with those guys."
Nathan chuckled proudly.
Haley fixed him with a look before turning back to Jamie. "Are you sure you'll survive without me for a whole week, Jimmy Jam?"
Jamie raised his eyebrows. "Yeah, I'll be fine," he said with a hint of worry while eyeing his mother. "Don't smother me, Mom."
He ran away from her toward the TV in the living room to play some video games.
Nathan laughed even harder after that.
Haley huffed. "Great. Now I'm the overbearing mother."
Nathan sighed, still smiling. "No, you're not. You're the sweet and caring mother that needs to spend some time with her other family." He wrapped his arms around her.
Haley groaned, allowing herself to be pulled closer to him. "Family reunion's never go well," she told him firmly.
"I'll agree with that," Nathan allowed. "But you'll have Quinn to back you up...and Riley probably."
Haley smiled. "You're right," Haley admitted after a pause. "Who knows? It might actually end up being fun."
"That's the spirit." Nathan pressed his lips to her forehead.
The door to the bedroom opened across the hall.
"Hey, enough of that," Clay called out to them, walking with Logan attached to his leg.
"You ready, Haley Bob?" Quinn asked in her most enthusiastic voice, walking right behind her family. "I have road tunes." She held out her IPod in one hand while she balanced a baby in another. "And I have a little cutie pie here that wants to say goodbye."
Haley oohed and ahhed as she went to hold her youngest.
"Baby girl," she cooed to her toddler. "Lydia will miss her mama, won't she?"
Lydia smiled up at her mother, nodding. "I want to come with," she said in her adorable two-year old voice.
Haley laughed at her daughter. "I want you to come, sweetie, but now you get a whole week to mess with Daddy."
Haley set Lydia down and watched as she ran over to Nathan. He scooped her up with one arm.
"And by mess with she means behave like an angel." Nathan playfully tossed her in the air.
Lydia giggled airily as he caught her.
"Time to go," Quinn announced, interrupting the sweet moment.
Haley sighed, accepting that there was no way to avoid her hectic family this time.
The sisters kissed their husbands and said their last goodbyes to their kids before heading out to their fully packed car.
Now all that was left was a four-hour drive to the campsite before the James girls would finally be reunited with their entire other family.
Review if you want more! Riley's their big brother if you were wondering. :) REVIEW!