The plane came to a bumpy landing, the kind that he hated the most. He gripped the arm rests of his seat, holding his breath until they were safe on the ground. No matter how much flying he did, he never got used to that. Hearing the pilot's voice come over head, announcing that they were in town, he undid his seat belt and stood on shaky legs.
Grabbing his bag from the overhead storage, he slipped it onto his shoulder. He took in a breath, seeing everyone standing from their seats as well. He pulled his hat down a bit to make sure that no one recognized him. Why he didn't decide on taking the private plane was a mystery to him.
"Because you wanted to be like everyone else," he muttered beneath his breath. Following the line out of the plane, he slowly reached the terminal. In the building he searched for the luggage carousel, finding it within a few minutes.
After grabbing his suitcases he headed outside, where his very own limo waited. Another thing he would never be able to get used to. He gave the driver his bags, allowing him to put them into the trunk as he climbed into the backseat. Once the door was closed he pulled off his hat, running his fingers through his hair.
Just a few more hours, he thought to himself, and I'll be back home.
----
"Auntie Brooke!" Natalie ran towards the open door, seeing the brunette standing beside her mother. Brooke crouched down, taking the girl into her arms. She picked her up, spinning her as the young girl let out an infectious laugh.
Haley shook her head but gave the two a happy smile, loving the way her daughter reacted to her best friend. Stepping aside as Natalie ran back to the TV, she looked to Brooke. "Have you heard anything?" she asked, knowing that the brunette had heard about him coming back into town.
"No, I haven't. Why would he call me, anyways?" The tone in her voice showed the obvious distaste for the conversation, proving to Haley that she was angry at him too for not staying in touch.
Brooke stepped inside, closing the door behind her. She removed her jacket, placing it on a near-by hook. It had started snowing again, the flakes almost the same as the ones the night before. She ran her fingers through her hair, seeing Nathan emerge from the bedroom.
"Morning," Nate grumbled to the two girls, obviously having just woken up. Brooke and Haley laughed a bit, shaking their heads at him. "Morning Sleeping Beauty," they said in unison, causing another laugh from them.
"Mommy! Brooke! Come watch!" Natalie hollered from the TV room. Glancing at one another, they headed into where the young girl was, putting their conversation on pause.
They had a few more hours until he arrived, so it wasn't like they wouldn't be able to talk again.
----
Peyton stood behind the counter at Tric, making sure they had everything for the night. She now owned the club, having bought it from Karen and Deb two years ago. They both still worked occasionally, but neither were full-time employees.
"Sawyer!" a male voice called out. The blonde raised her head, seeing Mouth at the other side of the club. She let out a laugh, shaking her head a bit. "What are you doing here?" she asked him as he walked over to the bar where she sat.
He stood on the other side of the bar, glancing around the club a bit. "Just thought I'd stop by, see how you were doing," he explained as he looked back at her. She smiled at him, surprised at how little he had changed.
"I'm doing great. I'm guessing you're just here for a visit?" she asked, leaning back in her chair. He nodded a bit, climbing onto one of the stools. "You know how sports journalism goes. I go where the teams go."
Peyton nodded a bit, happy to hear the joy he had in his tone. "So did you hear?" he asked, leaning forward a bit. "I mean, he's coming back to Tree Hill. You must be thrilled."
The blonde let out a breath, glancing towards the stage. "I don't know, Mouth. Do you think he even wants to see me? I mean, it's been five years," she said as she looked back to him. All he offered, however, was a shrug. "I can't tell you," he said, "I'm not him."
----
They neared Tree Hill and his eyes scanned the familiar buildings. The small town hadn't seemed to change much in the past five years. He leaned back into his seat, closing his eyes as he took in a deep breath. How would everyone react to seeing him? It's not like he tried very hard to stay in touch.
He opened his eyes again, glancing out the tinted window. "Hey driver," he said, seeing the man glance over his shoulder. "Can you take me downtown to a place called Karen's Café?" he asked, knowing that nothing would taste better right now than a cup of hot chocolate. The driver gave a slight nod and he smiled, leaning back against the seat again.
As the limo pulled onto the street, he could see a few cars parked outside. Looking into the windows, he noted that the place was pretty much empty; a good sign for him, seeing as how the paparazzi were certain to be hidden in random spots along the street. The limo slowed to a stop at the curb and the driver, letting the car idle, hopped out of the car and went to the guy's door. The driver opened it and he stepped out, pulling his hat back on.
Brooke, Haley and Nathan were seated inside the café, laughing over cups of steaming liquid. Natalie sat on the floor beside them with Karen's youngest daughter, Taylor, as they ate powdered doughnuts and fought over whose Barbie was the best.
"Mommy! Look!" Natalie had walked over to the window and her face was pressed against it, her breath leaving white spots against the cold glass. Haley got up from her chair and walked over, placing a hand on her daughter's back as Nathan and Brooke watched.
"Fancy car!" Natalie said, pointing towards the limo that sat outside. Haley's eyes widened a bit as she watched a guy step out of the backseat, placing a cap onto his head. She glanced back at Brooke, nodding towards the window.
"He's here," she whispered, seeing the two brunettes walking over to the window. Nathan let out an irritated breath, shaking his head a bit. "I can't believe he has the balls to show up here, of all places," he said with an irritated tone. Brooke was about to reply as Haley turned around, slapping his arm.
"Watch the language!" she said, looking towards Natalie. Nate grimaced a bit, muttering an apology. "Don't listen to your daddy's foul mouth," he said before leaning down to his daughter, kissing her head softly. He then headed back to the table, the interest in the return of the super-star lost already.
The girls stayed at the window, watching him make his way through the reporters, screaming questions towards him. The bell above the door dinged just as Karen made her way out of the kitchen, looking towards the door. He removed his hat, looking towards the group that was staring at him as if they'd seen a ghost.