K, Not a huge reaction. Talk to me.
He stepped back into the house. She was leaning against the wall. He could see she'd been crying.
Nathan slowly closed the door behind him and pulled the iPod earbuds out, wrapping the wires carefully around the player. He wasn't allowed to run hard until his eye was better, but he'd walked and jogged a good 5 miles. The sweaty t-shirt stuck to him.
"Out with it," he prompted, pulling off the shirt.
She stared at him, mulishly. Trying not be distracted by his naked chest.
"Seriously, Haley," he walked down the hall past her and tossed the shirt in the utility room. "I need a shower, so just say what you obviously want to say."
"Did you do it?"
"Do what?" he asked, exasperated.
"Did you call the cops and tell them Jamie was here?"
"Why? Did they show up?"
"You know they did. And they took your mom and Jamie – I don't even know where."
"Oh," Nathan exhaled in a gust and looked up at the ceiling.
"Did you do it?" Haley demanded.
Nathan looked at her, impatiently. Then he climbed the steps to the bathroom.
Luke sat in an orange jumpsuit on a bench. The jail felt like the kind cage you put a dog in.
"Oh, Lucas," Brooke said sadly, stepping into the room.
"Pretty girl, you shouldn't be here," he stood and walked across the cell.
"They brought in Jamie with Deb. There's some kind of social worker with them right now. That witch, Nikki, looks like the cat that ate the canary."
"How did he look – Jamie?"
"Not bad, actually."
He sighed and gripped the bars. "It's all gone to hell," he muttered. "He must be so scared."
She put her hands over his, "What did you say?"
He looked down at her fingers and then back up at her. "I said, 'he should have been ours'…"
"Oh," she inhaled. "That was your worst nightmare, don't you remember?" She tried to pull back but he held her hands, not letting go.
"I had no idea then what a real nightmare looked like..."
"I don't think this is the time or place," she said softly, looking at the cameras on the wall.
"I see you and it all comes rushing back - how badly I screwed up things, especially with you."
"I remember the bus. I think the moment I truly lost you was the same moment when I told you I'd lost Peyton."
"No," he argued sternly. "Jimmy Edwards pulled that trigger, Brooke."
"You loved her," Brooke said softly.
"We both did," He reminded her.
"How could we have ever survived all that, you know?," she asked him. "You and Nikki were still working out custody. And your mom pregnant and Keith gone. And sometimes I wonder - would I have gone to New York if it all hadn't happened? Would I have been that independent? I remember moving in with Haley and her family, how crazy they all were. How her mom let me use her sewing room. I mean, is it silly to think that maybe some of Peyton was left in me - driving me towards my own dreams?"
"Not silly at all," he gave her a crooked smile. "So tell me what you're thinking now."
"That I'm sorry about Jamie. That he's a beautiful little boy, and I wish that I knew him better. I think, maybe, that I resented him back then but I see him now - and he's so you, Lucas. And being here, after all this time, I think I'd forgotten what home could feel like. But you're behind bars, and that I'm out of vacation days at my job," she answered, the emotional walls she was so good at building coming back up round her heart. "And your son needs you. All of you."
"Brooke," he pleaded, weaving their hands together between the bars. "Tell me you don't feel this."
She took back her hands with a sad little smile, and this time he let her. Watching with melancholy eyes as she walked away.
The Judge sat across the large desk from Nikki, sorting through the papers. The lawyers, clerk, and court reporter wedged in around them.
"All right. Tell me what you would like to have happen now."
"I want Jamie to come home with me to Charleston. In a way, this could be a fresh start for us both. They have excellent facilities there to deal with his issues, and he and I could forge a new relationship. I mean, it's not ideal – but the doctors said it is like amnesia in way because he's forgotten me, and we need to build new memories and a new relationship. Around here, that whole group makes me out to be the bad guy in every possible situation. They'll make Jamie believe it, too and I will never have a chance to get my son back," her voice became rough as she admitted her greatest fear.
"And if going to Charleston isn't in Jamie's best interests?"
"Then I guess Lucas wins," she retorted bitterly. "I would like to say that I would relocate here, give up my classes and my job – but I wonder if it would do any good even if I was back in Tree Hill all the time. This little gang they have? They are vicious. Jamie would be lost to me."
"They would conspire against you?"
"They kept Jamie away for an extra night without blinking, even though I had a court order. Even though he's my son."
The Judge nodded in agreement.
Nathan trotted down the steps. He was wearing a fresh dress shirt and a pair of khakis, and tightening his watchstrap as he moved. "Come on, if you're coming," he ordered Haley.
She was sitting on the couch, looking through a scrapbook. "Where?" she asked, startled.
"The courthouse," he answered. "Let's go."
She raced after him, barely reaching his car as he started it. Slipping into the passenger side, they were already moving as she buckled her seat belt.
"Change of heart?" she asked, her voice sharp with accusation.
"Whatever," he grumbled, driving smoothly but quickly.
"What good can you do now?"
"Look," he barked as the halted at a stoplight. "Do you want to help them or not?"
"I want to," she admitted, softly. "I just don't have a lot of hope anymore. The whole situation is beyond insane."
"You said it was all about Jamie, right? Then let's just keep it all about Jamie. Somewhere, there's a doctor who knows the best thing for him. Are you willing to fight for that – no matter what it is?"
She glanced at him, recognizing the guy sitting next to her from a long time ago. The guy who sliced through everything with this kind of blunt honesty, who made it all matter. "Yes. Whatever it is," she said firmly.
He looked over at her briefly. It had been stupid for him to even ask, he knew. The Haley James he remembered believed in doing the right thing, no matter the cost. Of course she would champion the boy. "All right, then," he nodded, pulling into the parking garage next to the courthouse.
They got out of their cars and he waited, for just a half-second, until she'd moved by his side before they began walking to the elevators.
Dr. Butler returned to the Judge's chambers 15 minutes after the time on the latest subpoena. "I'm sorry, Your Honor. I'm juggling several emergencies."
"We'll let it go. I appreciate you taking the time in your busy schedule," she shook his hand.
He sat, and pulled a file folder from his briefcase. "I have the particulars you asked for and the recommendations. Oh, and the release you asked for."
The Judge accepted the papers and perused them quickly. "All right," she exhaled. "For privacy reasons, we're going to do this here. But, Doctor, we're on the record, and you're under oath. Now, walk me through this."
Andy walked into the jail with a resigned expression.
"No bail?" Lucas guessed.
"It's a contempt of court hold," Andy confirmed. "If it's any consolation, mate, it looks like you'll at least be free to be back in court this afternoon."
"It was a stupid, lying."
"I won't disagree with you," Andy said bluntly. "OK, let's see, Karen and Lilly are with Jamie and the social worker and Deb's gone to the café to make sure it hasn't fallen apart in your absence."
"Wow," Luke's eyebrows lifted. "I'd forgotten she even knew how things worked. But yeah, she used to cover for my mom – back in high school."
"I remember. Brooke's left, and before you ask - I haven't seen Haley."
Luke dropped his head back, rubbing his neck in thought. "It's a mess."
"It's a bloody mess," Andy agreed. "But we'll sort it out."
"Thanks, man," Luke caught his eyes. "You know, you've really been there for my mom, for our whole family. I appreciate it."
"I tell you, when your mum and I were apart – there wasn't a day that went by that I didn't suspect I'd lost the only love of my life. And after your Uncle Keith died, and she and I found each other again, I swore that I would make it count for the rest of our lives. More than that, try and be something of what he'd been to you all. I know I could never take his place, Lucas."
Luke smiled, just a bit. "No. He was one of a kind. But then, so are you. And we're lucky to have you."
"All right, then. Do you need anything?"
"My freedom?"
"Well, don't paint your face blue just yet. We're working on it."
Luke snorted with laughter as Andy waved goodbye.
"It won't work," the lawyer sighed and shook his head at Nathan and Haley.
"What? You said this was the answer. On the phone. You said."
"Well, that was before I had the particulars. I'm sorry, Ms. James, but you're not related to the boy and you live on the other side of the country…" he sighed. "In all likelihood, the filing would be summarily dismissed,."
"What about him?" Haley asked.
"Uh, I can't," Nathan took a step back. "I'm going to be playing in a Laker's game on Monday night. Plus all the things you just said about Haley are true about me."
"But you are biologically related, and the child does call you his father?"
"Yes, but only because he's deluded."
"Where's your primary residence?"
"Washington. No state income tax," he held up his hands.
"Well, that would be an issue. How often do you visit?"
"I don't know, 2 or 3 times a year? Maybe?"
"And you always stay at your childhood residence?"
"Sometimes at the beach house," Nathan shrugged. "But none of this matters, because I will be in Los Angeles in 5 days."
"Mr. Scott," the lawyer said distinctly. "Here's the thing; you're the only one with real standing."
"Then that's it, then. Because I'm not doing it."
"Nathan," Haley beseeched.
"No," he said with finality. "Listen to me, both of you. I am a basketball player for the Seattle Supersonics. I may be temporarily injured, I may be visiting, I may want to find a way to help this kid. But NONE of that matters after Monday morning, because I am getting on a plane and going back to my life."
"Well, what about until then? It's only Wednesday, Nathan."
"Haley, no."
"This kid woke up on Saturday afternoon and found his world upside down! You can't just abandon him!" she fought, getting right in his face.
"Damn it, are you even listening? This kid needs a commitment I can't give. I won't ask for custody for some ridiculous amount of days; I won't lead him on and then bug out on him – and I'm not about to walk away from the career I spent a lifetime building! So not another word, OK? I'm going back to my life, and I'm not going to feel guilty about it!" He turned on his heel and marched out of the conference room.
In the silence Nathan left, Haley turned back to the lawyer. Her eyes were huge in the hope that he had one more possibility, one more idea to help Jamie.
"I'm sorry, Ms. James," he dashed her wish. "The grandmother lives on a boat that regularly leaves the country. The father is in jail and Mr. Scott is unwilling. We'll file the paperwork, of course, but at the end of the day what will probably happen is that it will be dismissed and that child will go home with his mother."
"Haley James," the officer called.
She looked at Karen in bewilderment. Grabbing her purse, she entered the courtroom and walked down the aisle. The clerk beckoned her to the stand.
It wasn't until she was being sworn in that she noticed Nathan was sitting at a third table set up in the row. Lucas was rubbing his chin – a bad sign. And Nikki was shooting daggers with her eyes.
"Since time is of the essence, and the doctors assure me that a young boy's future mental health rests in great part in these early days of treatment, I've decided to join several motions," the Judge explained to Haley. "Including your joint petition in loco parentis."
"JOINT petition?" she repeated, surprised and confused.
"You did sign the paperwork? You do desire emergency custody?"
Haley looked at Nathan, whose expression was carefully neutral. She collected herself as best she could. "I did, but the lawyer said it would probably be dismissed."
"Hmm," the Judge took a long minute and scanned the paperwork again. "It seems all in order," the clerk approached and they conferred. Then she gestured to Nathan's lawyer to get on with it.
"Ms. James, has Jamie always called you mother?"
"No, that just started this week."
"He never called you 'mother' before?"
"Uh, no. I mean…when he was a baby, especially his first summer, I helped out with him a lot. I'm his Godmother, and Luke – Jamie's dad – was juggling a lot, being a single father. A couple of times, before Nikki came back into his life, Jamie would say something like 'Mama' at me. It was just baby talk, though."
"Have you remained close with the child?"
"I've tried to. I visit during the school breaks when I can and the summers. After my parents moved away, I would stay at the house for my visits and Jamie and I would spend as much time together as we could."
"Do you feel his own parents are not competent?"
"What? No! I mean, I don't know Nikki all that well, but Luke has always been a great father."
"So what is your purpose in petitioning for custody?"
Haley fell silent for a moment, her oath to tell the truth weighing heavily on her heart. "Uh, Jamie has this thing – paramnesia. He's the one who thinks I am his mother. He believes it so deeply and he doesn't actually remember his own…"
"We'll stipulate the condition, Your Honor," Luke's lawyer interjected.
"We, as well," Nikki's lawyer agreed.
"So this is simply a tactic to help Jamie?"
"Yes," Haley agreed. "I just want to help him feel safe, and sane, until he can get to know Luke and Nikki again."
The lawyer asked some questions about her education, her life in California, and her parenting experiences. Finally he looked up from his legal pad, "Ms. James, for the purposes of this custody petition – if successful, you would commit to remaining in Tree Hill?"
She blinked a few times, the realization hitting her all at once.
"Ms. James?" the lawyer prodded.
"Uh, yes. I would."
"Even if it meant a sacrifice in terms of your life in California?"
"Yes, even then."
Both Nikki and Luke's lawyers had a go at Haley in turn, and by the time she was excused she felt raw, unsettled. She took a seat in the back of the near-empty gallery.
Nathan was called to the stand and went through the same preliminaries. She begged him with her eyes for some sign of his thoughts, but he didn't even glance in her direction.
The lawyer ran Nathan through his impressive basketball career, his celebrity philanthropy, his education, his lack of a criminal history, his financial stability, and his knowledge of Jamie as his biological uncle – which he quickly admitted wasn't as extensive as Haley's. Nathan took it all very calmly, as if it were just another interview for Sports Illustrated.
"I asked Ms. James if she would move here for the duration, and now I ask you the same question."
"No," Nathan answered clearly.
The lawyer nodded, as though this were expected. "Could you elaborate on that? Asking for custody of a child you won't see…"
"I didn't say that. As a professional athlete whose sport is still in season, I have a contractual and ethical commitment to my team and my teammates. For the next 4 weeks, at least, my free days will be limited and will have to be mostly spent continuing my training in Washington. However, I do have days when I would be able to commit to being here. In fact, we have a game in Charlotte in a couple of weeks, after which I have a day off."
"Is it your plan, then, to have Jamie remain in Tree Hill?"
"Yes. If Jamie was emotionally equipped to be with Lucas and Nikki now, I wouldn't be making this petition. But I figure he needs to be where everything is familiar, plus his doctors need to be nearby. We all need a lot of help in working out where we go from here."
"Would you live in your mother's home, then?"
Nathan rubbed his face. "That would have to be up to the Judge."
"Your mother has had struggles in the past."
Nathan nodded. "If I have to, I'll just buy a house. I'm sure there's one around here that would work."
"To live with Haley and Jamie?"
Then he finally looked over at Haley, but his face was as impassive as granite. "We all want what's best for Jamie."
The door jingled, and Deb looked up. Her smile bloomed widely when she saw it was her son. "Hey, there," she wiped her hands on her apron nervously. "What can I get you?"
"You're doing this for Lucas?" he asked, standing in front of the counter.
"For the family. I've done it before, you know."
"Long time ago," Nathan shrugged. "You still sober?"
Deb took a step back, surprised. "Um, yes."
"Seriously, mom? Could you pass a drug and alcohol test?"
"I think so," she answered, a little less confident.
"OK," he pulled a hand out of his pockets and slapped a piece of paper down in front of her. "That's the name of a clinic. Go before they close and get tested. Then report there, every morning from now on. Starting tomorrow, you have to test clean, everyday, or it's over. Do you understand?"
She picked up the paper and read the address. Then she looked back up at his face – the patch, the unrelenting expression. "All right," she shook her head, mystified but ready to comply. "But, uh, what is it for? I mean…"
"Haley and I have won temporary custody," he informed her. "We're moving in with Jamie tonight. As to the rest, don't worry - I'm not going to tell."
He turned on his heel and marched out of the café, leaving a flabbergasted Deb in his wake.