He walks Jamie to the gate.

The building looks happy, if that's even possible. It's not like any of the schools he ever attended.

There's big gates and white fencing, safely penning the children in. There's no litter, it's well kept and there's a brightly painted mural on the wall of children holding hands.

He can see the kids through the large windows. He can see them all intently listening. He can see the teachers. The teachers are smiling here and the kids are learning here.

Jamie doesn't say a word, he makes his way into the familiar building without so much as a glance over his shoulder, leaving his guardian standing at the entrance.

Lucas scratches the back of his neck.

The child is safe inside now.

He thinks he probably should have gone in, he thinks he probably should still go in. He should probably go and explain to Jamie's kindergarten teacher why their pupil is so late. For all he knows they may not even have been informed for the reasoning behind Jamie's absence as of late. That was probably something they'd want to know.

Only Lucas isn't interested in being interrogated by yet another professional. It's what he's been doing all morning.

He wants to run away and go back to the world he's come from. He doesn't belong here amongst the rich and privileged. He doesn't understand the rules of parenting. He doesn't like that he has to do things for someone other than himself. He's never done anything for anyone but himself before.

He's been in a psychiatrist's office for the most part of the morning. He hates those places. Jamie's not crazy so he didn't get why that social worker woman had organised a meeting.

The shrink, like Denise, had been overly smiley with Jamie.

Lucas wasn't fooled by it.

Jamie liked her though. Jamie liked her soothing voice. He liked the pile of toys in the corner of her office. He liked the tall jar of jelly beans that sat on her desk but most of all he liked the glass wall that contained magical tropical fish.

Doctor Sanders asked Lucas how Jamie was holding up. Lucas had shrugged and nodded all at once, mumbling that he was fine as far as he could tell. He couldn't exactly tell a lot though, considering he'd only been acquainted with the child for little under seventy two hours.

Whilst the five year old had stood across the spacious office, following the glowing fish around with his finger, Doctor Sanders had discreetly told Lucas of typical things to expect from a child like Jamie.

A child like Jamie. Lucas thought she said it like he was a different kind of species. A child like Jamie.

He'd felt a unfamiliar pang of regret for Jamie. Lucas, after all, knew without a doubt that he too would have been most definitely categorised as a child like Jamie.

Like his uncle, he will forever more have a damaged record. This incident will follow him through school, college and beyond. People will read his file, they will look at him with pity because at the end of the day, Jamie Scott had been dealt a bad hand of cards and would from now on be classified as a damaged kid.

Things that you could expect from a child like Jamie; Anger. Sadness. Reclusive behaviour. Shouting. Unresponsive. Aggression. Crying. Separation anxiety. Bed wetting. Night terrors.

Doctor Sanders also assured him these were all things she would help them work through, that she could fix, that this behaviour was normal and perfectly healthy for his recovery from such trauma.

Lucas knew you couldn't fix what was already broke. He didn't voice his opinion. He got through the meeting pretty much in silence and when she asked if she could speak alone to Jamie he begrudgingly left the room.

He didn't know why he held such animosity for this woman, considering he didn't know her and most importantly, considering she was only trying to help.

The simple fact was, that he didn't trust anyone. He'd been taught from a young age that people didn't offer help unless they wanted something in return.

'Darling?'

'Hm?' Peyton looks up dazedly.

They're sitting in a local cafe.

A cinnamon bun lays uneaten on a plate before her and her hand idly stirs her cup of coffee.

'Peyton' The older woman scorns. 'You've been staring out the window for the last fifteen minutes'

'I'm sorry Mum' She forces a smile. 'I'm fine'

'If only that were true' Anna Sawyer rolls her eyes knowingly, simultaneously confiscating the teaspoon from her daughters hand. 'Look at you, you're a fidgeting mess'

Peyton flattens her hands out against her thighs.

'I've just got a lot to do at work' She glances at the clock on the far wall. Her lunch break is up in twenty minutes.

'You always forget that being your mother allows me to know when you are and aren't lying. And now, Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer, you're lying'

'Not lying Mother, just not wanting to talk about it'

Anna's hand find's her daughters beneath the table and the concern etched on her face has Peyton sighing. That look always worked on her.

'It's Jamie, I'm just worried about Jamie' She relents.

Anna squeezes her fingers soothingly and smiles sadly.

Unlike her daughter, her hair is straight and pinned back neatly on one side. Her eyes are blue and she has a scattering of freckles across her nose. She's what Peyton always describes as pristine and immaculate. There's never a hair out of place, never a crinkle in her clothing and she does it all so effortlessly. She always looks like a living breathing Stepford housewife. She's a wonderful cook but she doesn't like cleaning or tidying. She doesn't spend her days cooped up inside. She works a couple of days in the little local cafe they're sat in, creating exquisite hand crafted cakes. The rest of the time she can be found in the garden fending after her flowers and vegetables.

'I know it's awful baby, but he's not your responsibility' Anna tells her gently.

'Haley was one of my best friends Mum'

Anna's eyes well. Haley James fluttered in and out of her home from the age of eight. She was family.

'I know and that little boy will always, always be welcome in our home but you're going to make yourself ill worrying'

'He's got no one Mum and now this distant relative, this stranger has come into his world who hasn't got a clue how to raise a child'

'Sweetheart. That isn't true. He's got us and you don't know this man' She contends. She knows how her daughter feels about the situation. She knows her daughter feels like she should be the one caring for the five year old in question and she knows, had she herself been several years younger she may have also fort to take the little boy into her arms and bring him up as her own. But despite the love she would always bestow for the Scott's, she had years of wisdom and was able to look at the situation rationally. She could see Peyton's life, her daughter's path and as her mother she ultimately wants what's best for Peyton. She wants her child to have her own life, to live her dreams to fall in love and have her own children. Selfish it may be, she doesn't want Jamie to be landed in her daughter's care. She wants motherhood to be a choice for her daughter. She wants her to be in a stable relationship, she wants everything a mother wants for her only daughter.

Peyton returns to gazing out the window, her mother's words ringing in her head. Her mother's right as per usual. She doesn't know Lucas, not really and she'd been taught not to be judgemental and to always give people the benefit of the doubt.

'Maybe this was meant to be, give him a chance Peyton, he may be exactly what Jamie needs'

'But what if he's not?'

'We're here sweetie, we're not going to let anything happen to him and I know you won't. He'll always have us'

'I just don't want to let Hales or Nate down' She whispers.

Anna squeezes her daughter's hand again, watching her stare at the passer bys.

She's about to tell her that that isn't possible but Peyton's weary glassy eyed gaze falters. Her brow folds over her eyes and her lips thin into a straight line and then she's standing up, her chair scraping against the floor.

'Peyton?'

Peyton doesn't answer, can't answer, she's already marching out the cafe door.

She's fuming and all her mother's advice no longer sits in her mind, it's flown because right now the man they've been discussing is walking down the street and James Scott is no where to be seen.

'Where is he?' She growls.

He hadn't noticed her and he's taken aback and her sudden appearance only reiterates how much smaller this town is in comparison to where he comes from.

'Where's Jamie?' She flails her hands and he rolls his eyes at her dramatic show and that only makes her voice raise several octaves. 'Where is he?'

'No hello?' She looks like she's going to explode at his responding question so he puts her out of her misery and finally answers. 'The social worker and psychiatrist said it would be best to get Jamie back into a familiar routine so he doesn't feel so lost. His life has been turned upside down and right now he needs stability and things that he can relate to his life when his mother and father were alive' Lucas wearily relays what he'd been fed from all the professionals, unable to keep his sarcastic tone at bay.

Peyton's furrowed brows don't alter. 'Where is he?'

'At kindergarten'

Her hair's tied back from her face today and her facial features appear accentuated because of it. He looks at the angles of her face. She has nice cheekbones, a perfectly sculpted nose, a rounded chin and large eyes of green. She's not dressed as casually as he's seen her previously. She's wearing more professional attire. She's wearing smart working clothes and Lucas immediately feels more intimidated than he had initially. He wonders what she does for a living. He wonders if she works in this town, in one of these buildings down this small street. His eyes scan their surroundings, trying to pin point where she's sprung from. None of the small businesses seem fitting and he thinks perhaps she's just to big for her small home town.

She doesn't know how to feel about his answer. She's too preoccupied worrying about Jamie's well being to feel bad for snapping at Lucas. She's helpless at knowing what is and isn't right for Jamie but yet she still finds herself saying 'Don't you think it's a little too soon? It's too soon for kindergarten'

'I'm just doing what I'm told' He looks at her scathingly because he's had enough of today. He's trying and he's doing what everyone's telling him and he can't deal with her conflicting worries.

'Ok but those people don't actually know Jamie. I know Jamie' She tries to be reasonable.

'Exactly' He retorts. 'Maybe you're a little too close to home, a little too emotionally involved to accurately judge what is and isn't right for him' He proposes with arrogance and her chin juts out because of it.

'Maybe you're not emotionally involved enough' She retorts hotly. 'Maybe you don't care at all. Maybe you just don't actually want to deal with him so you're letting his kindergarten teacher help him through this instead'

'Right, I'm pawning him off to his school so I can thieve the contents of his parent's house' He sniggers. 'Because clearly I don't give a shit about Jamie. I've just spent the entire morning in some fucking shrinks office because it's my idea of a fucking good time' He takes a breath. 'You know, right now I'm actually looking for a fucking job, because as you said, sadly I can't get my paws on Jamie's inheritance, I'll have to wait until he's eighteen before I can make off with all of his money. '

She looks shocked, sheepish and down right irritated all at once.

'As much as I enjoyed running into you, I've got things I need to do' His smile is false and his drawl is all sarcasm and she's even more riled.

She doesn't get in the final word though because he's stalking back down the street and she's left just standing there, eyes following after him and she's just really confused because he was meant to have just abandoned the five year old they're squabbling over. He's meant to have fucked it up already so she can take control and take care of Jamie.

'That wasn't exactly giving him the benefit of the doubt honey' Anna's hand is suddenly on her back and Peyton wonders how much she actually overheard of their loud exchange.

The older woman's worried and rightly so. She'd have had to have been blind not to have witnessed the animosity between the pair. She couldn't say her first impressions of Lucas were wonderful. She didn't like his language, nor the way he'd looked at nor spoken to her daughter. However, she was also well aware that Peyton had provoked him and unlike her daughter she was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

'I don't like him. I can't help it'

'I can see that' Her voice is sweet like honey and Peyton hasn't ever got how she's always so calm. She can't remember her mother ever loosing her temper. 'But you have to try, for Jamie's sake'

To try. She had to try. Yet again, Anna Sawyer was right.

He's late to pick Jamie up. He thought it finished at four. It finishes at three.

Lucas feels like he's being thrown back to the lions den so to speak. He feels like he's a kid again. He feels like he's the one that has to go to this place. He didn't like school then and he doesn't like it now. The brightly coloured walls and the happy faces and cheery staff do not fool him.

He walks into the classroom with caution.

Jamie is sat at the table. He's colouring.

The teacher is sat on one of the small child size chairs next to him. All of her attention is solely on him. She's busy telling him what a good drawer he is and she doesn't notice Lucas' presence until he shifts into her view.

She smiles and Lucas doesn't buy it for one second. She doesn't get a smile back.

'You must be Jamie's uncle?' She rises from the midget chair. 'I'm Jamie's teacher, Miss Strauss'

She's tall and her face is appealing but the fact that she's a teacher is enough to dissuade him from any hypothetical relationship.

'I'm sorry I'm late' He tells her like he's suppose to. The lady at reception told him of the correct times. She winked and told him it happened to the best of us. 'I got held up'

'That's alright, but just so you know school finishes at three ten'

'I know'

She smiles and then she's looking down at the child. 'Jamie why don't you go get your jacket from your peg?' He obediently stands and does as his teacher's asked. 'He seems to be coping well'

Lucas nods. She knows. He's glad. He doesn't want to explain the situation.

'Did you see Jamie often before hand?'

'Er' He really wants to say it's none of her god damn business. He wants to grab Jamie and leave but he finds himself stumbling over his words to answer. 'Actually no. Not much' He doesn't offer anymore information.

'Well, what you're doing is wonderful' Her words are sincere but he wants to roll his eyes. 'If there's anything you need or anytime you want to discuss Jamie, do feel free to come in. We want to help him through this in anyway we can'

Jamie's returned, his jacket on, the collar tucked into the neckline and his bag unzipped and hanging precariously off of one arm while his other clutches his most dear comfort shirt.

'Time to go buddy' Lucas announces.

'Goodbye Miss Strauss'

'Goodbye sweetie, I'll see you tomorrow' She untucks his collar and zips up his bag, giving his back a little pat when he's good to go.

Jamie doesn't speak as they walk down the corridor, nor when they exit the building and start down the road.

Lucas eyes him. The silence is uncomfortable and he searches for something to say.

'Do you, do you want me to carry that?' He finally asks. The kid is struggling with holding his bag and his mothers shirt.

Jamie gladly disposes his luggage onto the outstretched hand with a little thank you.

'So er, what, what do you wanna do?'

Jamie shrugs because he doesn't know the answer. His Mummy always picks him up from school and she's always got something set up for them, whether it's a walk to the park or a play date with a friend or a trip to get the weekly shopping.

'Where's Peyton?' It's a simple and valid question. He loves Peyton. Peyton loves him and it isn't any wonder that he wants to be with her.

Lucas cringes because he feels like he's seen enough of that girl to last him a life time.

'I don't know'

'Can I see her?'

Lucas exhales heavily. The last thing he feels like doing is knocking at her door. He's had a long day. He's done a number of not so wonderful tasks. He took Jamie to the shrink. He took Jamie to kindergarten. He got his baring's of the town. He had a not so delightful run in with Peyton Sawyer herself. He spent the remainder of his free time job hunting and to his great surprise he'd managed to find himself one. It was nothing special but it was something and Lucas was use to make doing with what he was given.

'You really want to see her?' He mutters.

Jamie bites his lip. They barely know each other. They're in the early stages of getting use to each other. Whilst the five year old feels comfortable he's not settled by any means. He doesn't know how to read his knew caregiver. He doesn't know what it means when Lucas squints his eyes and sighs heavily like he currently is. He doesn't know if his uncle is angry. He always knew when his Mum or Dad were angry.

'You want to?' Lucas urges, making sure not to snap and loose his patience at Jamie's lack of verbal response.

The child nods with hesitance.

'Okay. We'll go to her house' Lucas stops at the end of the road and Jamie imitates his stance as they wait for the red man to go green. 'You're going to have to help me find the way though, I still don't know where I'm going round here'

Jamie perks up at this, excited by the challenge. 'I know the way'

The green man appears.

They cross.

'Lead the way then'

Jamie walks two paces ahead and every now and again points out landmarks to Lucas and somehow it makes Lucas' chest feel lighter and he forgets that today has been hard and he forgets that he doesn't like Peyton Sawyer because for the first time in a long time, he has a home and he has a job and for that he supposes he should be thankful.