Chapter 4. When it all slipped away.
"How was your shower?" Jake asked as Peyton came out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel. "It was refreshing I feel so much better now" Peyton said. She walked into her bedroom and closed the door.

When she came out about ten minutes later, Jake had made himself comfortable on the couch. "hey sleepy" Peyton said when she saw Jake lying on the couch "Long night?"

"Yes kind of" Jake groaned He got up from the couch and walked to Peyton. "let's start over" he said still looking a little sleepy. "How have you been for the past five years?" - "Well that's kind of a long story, what I really want to know is how jenny is?" she curiously asked.

"Well that is not such long story" Jake answered. "it's actually pretty short, Nikki and I fought over Jenny for another year after you left and then Nikki got custody over her." Jake said as his smile disappeared.

"Sorry," Peyton responded you could read the disappointment and sadness of her face and so could Jake.

"Peyton, it's okay Nikki became a pretty good mom, plus every 4 years the judge reviews our case because of Nikki's former drug problem. So pretty soon I'll get a chance to get her back till then I have just visitation rights"

Peyton was clearly upset about the news and sat down on the couch "Wow in all these years I'd never thought that Nikki would get custody over Jenny, I guess I was wrong about a lot of things" She said, the last part of her senesce whispering. She stood up an walked into the kitchen. "Coffee ?" she asked? "No I'm feeling more like gin now" Jake laughed.

"So how about your long story?" – "Well, …." Peyton started to say when the phone rang. She picked up the phone and as soon as she did her face turn white. "Haley calm down what happened ?" Peyton said with a calm voice to Haley. "Where's Brooke? 'Haley yelled not slowing down the speed where in the words left her mouth.

"I don't know Haley she's not home, but WHAT happened?" She yelled at Haley now she started to get worried. "it's Jamie He- he w-was s-s-h-ot" she cried "What?" Peyton screamed at phone. "You have to come- to –the-the – hos–pitol." Haley cried "Okay I'm on my way is Nathan there or Deb ?" She asked but Haley already hang up…..

Haley sat in the waiting room, looking at Nathan who was pacing like crazy, blaming himself for what happened. "Nathan sit down all that pacing is not going to help Jamie to live" Deb said a little annoyed. Haley looked up, she called Peyton ten minutes ago where was she?

When she thought this Jake ran in with after Peyton. "Jake?!" she said surprised the fact Jake had just walked in made her forget about Jamie for a little bit. "Haley what happened?" He asked. For so far the forgetting part. "he-h-e …. " She wasn't able to say it again.

"Peyton have you heard from Brooke?" Nathan said who's attention was drawn by the arrival of Jake and Peyton. No I haven't been able to get a hold on her all night. She was home when I called her like three hours ago, and said she wasn't really in the mood to go out because of Angie departure, so I have really no idea were she is"

"How about Lucas, Have you called him maybe she is with him?" Peyton said. "Yah I've tried that but he isn't answering either."

Two and a half hours later…

Peyton walks into the waiting room with two cups a coffee in her hands. "Here you go" she says to Haley. It was 00.30 she walked up to Nathan and hand him the other cup of coffee. "How are holding up Nate" she asked him. "I shouldn't have taken him with me than he would be 'Ok' now." Nathan answered "If I just had let him in the car then we wouldn't be here right now." Peyton looked at him and said; "That's true because then he would have shot you and Jamie would still be in the car waiting for his daddy, and Haley could have ride immediately to the mortuary!" Nathan looked at her, he knew she was right but, still couldn't help feeling guilty.

Then the surgeon walked in to the waiting room. Haley jumped up. "Mr. & Mrs Scott?" the surgeon asked "Yes!" Nathan said and walked immediately to Haley and took her hand.

"The surgery, went good, he is stable now but the first twenty-four hour are critical. Also He lost a lot of blood so we'll have to wait until he wakes up how much damage it has caused." The surgeon said.

"Can we see him now?" Haley asked him. "Yes but only two people at once, Follow me"
Nathan & Haley followed the man. "I'll try to reach Brooke and Lucas again" Peyton said as they walked away.

The next morning

"Morning sunshine," Lucas said when he turned on his side and looked at Brooke. "Morning to you gorgeous!" she giggled "So where do you want to get married?" Lucas tried to ask her but she turn around and picked up her phone.

"Let's see did anyone miss me while is was sleeping with you" she laughed.

She turned on her cell phone. Just as she wanted to message Peyton she was Ok, and that she didn't have to worry, her phone was flooded by missed phone calls from Haley and Peyton. "Wow they really missed me." She laughed.

There were also fifteen text messages in her inbox. "Luke I think something has happened because I have fifteen text messages and twenty-five missed calls all from Peyton and Haley"

Lucas bended over an picked up his phone. But before he could turn his phone on Brooke had opened one of the txt messages is her inbox and started to scream: " AAAAH ! O' My God"

"Brooke What happened ?" Lucas asked her worried. "It's Jamie he's been shot, he's in the hospital."

As Fast as this happiness had reached her yesterday and made her feel like she was flying, So fast she felt like she was thrown of her pink cloud onto the ground. "We have to go home" she whispered just loud enough for Lucas to hear her.

Lucas got up and started to dress "I'll book the first flight home, you call Peyton with an excuse I think it's better if we wait with telling her until we're home" he said rushing himself in his jeans.

"Yah," Brooke whispered. She dialled Peyton's number…..