Part 3: And A Song Someone Sings

Any background info you're confused about or have a question about, just either put it in a review or send me a message. I'd be happy to answer any questions.

4 ½ years later . . . in Trenton, New Jersey

"Jamie, sweetie, it's time to go!" Haley shouted up the stairs.

"Coming momma!" Four-year-old James excitedly trampled down the staircase. Haley put her last earring in as her son entered the room. Little Jamie was dressed to impress in a crisp, black dress shoes, and a dark blue tie, "Momma, can I bring a toy?"

"Um . . . sure. As long as you make it snappy. If we're late your aunt Brooke will kick our butts." Haley said. Jamie nodded and ran back upstairs to his room. Haley smoothed out her outfit – a long, dark blue dress with square straps and high-heeled black shoes – as she grabbed her sunglasses, car keys, and purse, "Jamie!" Two seconds later, James appeared with his toy of choice – his mini basketball, "Get your coat." Jamie obeyed and before long they were out the door, in the car, and on their way.

"Momma, will Uncle Skillz and Aunt Bevin be there?" Jamie asked from his booster seat in the back.

While still watching the road, Haley glanced back quickly, "Of course, buddy. Everyone will be there."

"Aunt Peyton?"

"Yep?"

"Grandpa Larry and Uncle Derek?"
"You bet."

"Even that mean old lady who calls me Jesse all the time?" Jamie stuck out his tongue.

"Yes, even Brooke's mother Victoria," Haley chuckled.

"I hope Chris doesn't come though," Jamie observed.

"Well, your aunt Peyton and he aren't together anymore so he probably won't be there," Haley said, "But you never know."

"Oh," Jamie said. A few moments passed, "Mommy, why don't I have a daddy like other kids?"

Haley sighed, "We've talked about this, buddy. Before you were born mommy got into an accident and now she doesn't remember anything from her old life."

"But you remember some stuff," Jamie said.

Haley stopped the car at a stop light, "Right, but only a couple of things. I don't remember who I am or who your daddy is."

"You said you've seen him though."

"Yes," Haley nodded, taking a deep breath, "I've seen him but his face is always so blurry that I can't recognize it."

"I hope you remember soon," Jamie sighed.

"Me too, buddy," Haley agreed, "Me too." She turned the corner and pulled into a parking lot, "Until then let's go support your aunt Brooke with the opening of her new store." She stopped the car.

Jamie nodded and they got out, heading toward the building.

"Nate, open up!" Jake Jagielski pounded on the door to Nathan's apartment, "Nathan!"

The lock clicked and Jake opened the door. There were wrappers, pizza boxes, soda bottles and cans, energy drink cans, and bags and bags of fast food all over the floor, on the couches, and on tables. Of course, it had been this way for the past four years. No matter how many times Jake and the others cleaned it.

"Nathan, where are you?" Jake tried—though not succeeding—to get through the mess without stepping on anything. Jake turned into the living room and saw Nathan where he always was: sitting on the couch in a white t-shirt and athletic shorts, junk food all around him, a game controller in his hand, "Hey, Nathan."

"Jake," Nathan's eyes didn't stray from the television.

"You wanna go shoot some hoops with the guys at the Rivercourt?" Jake asked.

"Nah, man," Nathan shook his head, "You go on ahead."

Jake shrugged, "You sure?" Nathan nodded. Jake sighed, "Alright. You know where we'll be." Jake turned around, heading for the door.

"Come on!" Nathan was shouting at the television screen, throwing the game controller.

Jake shook his head again before going out the door and walking toward the Rivercourt.

Jake looked up in the sky, "You've got to come back, Haley. He's dying here without you."

"Clothes Over Bros, the New Jersey Branch, is officially open!" Brooke popped the top off a champagne bottle and let the liquid flow into a glass.

The crowd applauded and cheered, raising their glasses in congratulations. Jamie clapped enthusiastically, "Yay, Auntie Brooke!" The adults all chuckled and Haley mussed up her son's hair.

"I want to thank all of you who helped me these past four years and supported me – especially my two best friends Haley and Peyton! It's been an amazing four years and I'm looking forward to the future!" Brooke said, "So take a look around and enjoy!"

The crowd applauded again and separated into their smaller groups. Brooke went over to Peyton, Haley, and Jamie.

"Congratulations, Brooke. This is really amazing," Haley said.

"So proud," Peyton put her arm around Brooke's shoulder, "Little girl's all grown up. She's got an internationally famous fashion line and has tons and tons of money. And now, a store in our very own hometown of Trenton, New Jersey. So proud."

"Thank you, P. Sawyer," Brooke said.

"This party's awesome, Aunt Brooke!" Jamie hugged her.

"Oh buddy, thank you!" Brooke kissed the top of the boy's head, "You're the best godson a girl could have."

Jamie broke the hug, "Momma, could I go play?"

"Sure . . . just don't get dirty and don't break anything," Haley said. Jamie nodded and ran off, "Be nice to the people and don't leave the store!"

"Okay, Momma!" Jamie shouted and disappeared into the crowd.

"So, Hales. Any more dreams lately?" Peyton said.

Haley sighed, "Just little ones here and there. But there has been this recurring one lately."

"What were they like?" Brooke said.

"Well in the recurring on I'm with my mystery groom somewhere outside . . . a dock maybe? We're sitting at a picnic table with textbooks and he's eating crackerjacks, of all things. He opens the box and there's a bracelet, in it. He puts the bracelet on my wrist and says 'don't say I never gave you anything.' Then I wake up," Haley said, "What do you guys think?"

"Did you see his face?" Peyton said.

"No . . ." Haley shook her head, "It was still blurry."

"One of these days you'll see his face," Brooke said.

"Yeah . . ." Haley said. She turned to Peyton, "So did Chris get his stuff out of your apartment yet?"

"No," Peyton sighed, "And what's worse even though we split like months ago he keeps bringing all these girls to the apartment. These girls . . . they're all so trashy."

"Abut you had the apartment even before you started dating Chris," Brooke said.

"Yeah well . . ." Peyton said, "Try telling him that."

"Are you sure you're still okay with me recording with him? 'Cause I could stop," Haley said. Over the past four years Haley had discovered a talent for singing and started recording with Chris. And when Chris and Peyton broke up six months earlier . . . well, Haley just kind of continued recording with him.

"No, that's totally fine Haley," Peyton waved her hand, "He may be an asshole but he's one that's going to help you develop your voice to record. I may be your producer but Chris is the one who will help you develop your voice."

"Yeah, Hales," Brooke said, "Unfortunate as it is, he'll help you become that rockstar we all know is waiting to come out of that tutor-girl exterior."

"Oh, speaking of, you and Chris are doing a television commercial in two days for the Wreckers' concert that you're opening for. I completely forgot to tell you yesterday at the studio."

"That's fine," Haley said, "I'll just have to find someone to watch Jamie."

"I'll do it," Brooke said, "He can hang out with me here at the store and Millicent will be here while I'm at my meeting."

"Thanks, Brooke," Haley said, "You're a lifesaver."

"No prob, rockstar," Brooke smiled. Haley wanly smiled back.

"Haley, you're late!"

Haley rolled her eyes as she rushed into the studio. She'd had another dream the night before. In the dream, her mystery groom had been playing in a basketball game and she'd been one of the cheerleaders. Sure, she'd been a substitute cheerleader for Brooke and Peyton's squad for the last four months of their season while she'd gone to their high school . . . but it didn't feel like she'd been a cheerleader before "the accident" that had claimed her memories. But as for her mystery groom playing basketball . . . Haley's son loved to play basketball. It made sense that he would get that talent from his father considering the fact that no matter how hard she tried, Haley wasn't good at basketball at all.

"Come on, Haley! We start shooting in two minutes! Oh, and we're shooting live!"

"I'm coming!" Haley groaned. He may have a good singing voice, but Chris Keller didn't have any consideration for anyone but himself.

She went up to Chris who already sat in his spot for the commercial. "Sit down! Hair and makeup will come to you, babe!"

Meanwhile, Nathan sighed as he sat down on the couch and picked up the remote. He flipped on the television and sat back, yawning. His finger continuously changed the channel. He wasn't really in the mood to watch anything, but he was bored so he figured he's just flip through until he fell asleep.

"Hey, where's Peyton?" Haley asked Chris as the hair and makeup crew finished with her.

"I dunno," Chris yawned, "Why should I care?"

"Because she's our producer!" Haley said.

"Okay, people!" the director of the commercial shouted through the loudspeaker, "30 seconds to shoot!" Not even two seconds later, the director was just a few inches away from Haley. "Haley! Chris!"

"Yes, Mr. Bell?" Haley jumped. Chris snapped to attention.

"I want you two to act like a couple. You sing like a couple, you act like a couple, let them think you're a couple," Mr. Bell instructed.

"But we're not--"

"Yes sir!" Chris cut Haley off, putting his arm around her.

Mr. Bell backed up and off the set, putting the loudspeaker to his mouth, "10 . . . 9 . . . 8 . . . 7 . . . 6 . . ."

Nathan yawned again, staring at the television screen as the channels flipped continuously. Wow, was he really bored.

". . . 5 . . . . 4 . . . 3 . . ."

"Chris get your arm off me, you--"

". . . 2 . . . 1 . . . ACTION!"

"Hi, everyone, I'm Chris!" The sleeze who still had his arm around Haley's shoulder chirpily smiled into the camera.

"And I'm Haley!" Haley forced the most convincing smile she could. "We'd like to invite you to the concert of the year!"

"Right!" Chris smiled. "The concert! And guess who's performing?"

"The Wreckers, featuring Michelle Branch and Jessica Harp!" Haley finished.

"Those two have amazing voices!" Chris stated.

"Yes they do, Chris!" Haley winced as Chris got closer to her, knowing that her mystery groom could be watching at this very moment.

Nathan stared at the channel he'd stopped flipping for. She was right there on the screen!

". . . do, Chris!" She was smiling and wincing as the guy next to her, they one Nathan assumed to be 'Chris', tightened his arm around her shoulder.

"You know, I have an amazing voice to," Chris was bragging.

"Oh really . . ." Haley pretended to be surprised.

"Yeah, I do. But you do too!" Chris said.

"Thanks you, Chris," Haley said.

"You're welcome, Haley,"

"The concert will be next week, Saturday the thirteenth," Haley said, "Starting at 7:30 P.M."

"That's right, folks. The Wreckers will be live from Madison Square Gardens, and Haley and I will be there too. We'll be opening for the Wreckers," Chris added, "Tickets start at just 50 so hurry now before they're sold out!"

Then a song faded in – it was Haley's voice: What if I told you your tears haven't been ignored? And everything that was taken can be restored? Feel this, can you feel this? My heart beating out of my chest . . .

The commercial faded out and Nathan continued to stare in amazement. It wasn't until the next commercial was over that he shut off the television set and pulled out his cell phone.

"Luke, pack a bag," Nathan spoke when his brother answered the phone, "We're going to N.Y.C."

To Be Continued . . .

Note: The song that Haley was singing in the background of the commercial is the one she sang in 5.18 "What Comes After The Blues". The song is originally by the band Enation and is called "Feel This"

Next time on Once Upon A December . . .

Nathan and Lucas drive to New York for the concert . . .

Haley has another dream . . .

Peyton meets someone who will help her get over Chris . . .

Jamie has an interesting conversation with a stranger . . .

P.S. What do you think about the chapter names? Do you think I should do a chapter for every line in the song or . . . what? Tell me what you think, and not just about this. If you have idea of where the fic should go, then by all means write it in a review. Tell me what you want to read.

Thanks for reading everyone!

And the next chapter should be coming soon.