A/N: This chapter took forever to type up…I just finished and it's four in the morning…but I'm nice and I decided to update instead of going to bed. So if you like it, you better review! lol.
Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill
Chapter Nine: Blood and Tears
Peyton Sawyer sat at a table in her mother-in-law's café, her son nestled in her arms. She was currently feeding him while her girls watched her in awe. After two weeks, all of them were still amazed with the baby or more so the fact that he was a boy. The idea that they might have a brother instead of another sister never crossed their minds.
"Can I hold him?" Elizabeth asked, when Peyton finished feeding him.
"You just held him," Peyton chuckled.
"Baby!" Marissa shouted suddenly pointing at Jacob Joshua or J.J. as they affectionately called him.
"Well, she definitely learned a new word," Jake said sitting down next to Peyton. She handed him J.J. so she could stretch.
"Yep."
"Mommy!" Marissa tugged on Peyton's sleeve, "Park?"
"You wanna go to the park?" The little girl nodded enthusiastically.
"You want me to take her?" Jake whispered softly. He knew Peyton's mood was all over the place since she had the baby. She kept it all inside though for the sake of her kids.
"No," Peyton said, "Let's go together. I need to get out."
"Do you want me to watch J.J. while you guys are gone?" Karen asked as she came and refilled their coffee cups. Peyton smiled at her enthusiasm, "I still have the crib set up."
"Sure thing," Peyton said.
"We want to stay with grandma," Elizabeth said, pulling on Anna's arm. Anna nodded in agreement.
"More like you want to stay with the baby," Peyton smirked, "Fine. If it's ok with you, Karen?"
"Definitely."
"Ok," Peyton said getting up, "Let's go."
"Yay! Park," Marissa cheered as she pulled her mother out the door before she could even kiss her other kids goodbye.
"Here, Ms. Roe," Jake said handing J.J. over to Karen. He bent down and ruffled Anna and Elizabeth's hair. "Be good girls." Karen smiled at Jake's retreating back. He really was a good guy. He reminded her of Keith.
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The town still smelled like sea salt and lavender blossoms. The sudden wind still brought goose bumps to his arms just like when he was a boy. And the people still walked slowly and talked even slower. It was the typical southern town, and he had missed it. He missed the fact you could take a deep breath and not miss a beat.
He drove down the streets with his windows down and the music playing softly. It was music he hadn't played since high school. Bands like Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco, the Ataris and most importantly Travis…their band. The song "Reoffender" came on and he found himself humming along with it, thinking of better, easier days. His thoughts, however, were interrupted when he reached the stoplight by the park.
He glanced to the left and the first sight he saw struck him, causing a frown to fall upon his face. It was his youngest daughter, Marissa, sliding down the slide. He could tell it was her by her hair. It was that rare tawny gold color. The type that caught the sun and reflected back into your face. His little girl had grown so much, but it wasn't her that made him sad. It was the fact that as soon as her foot hit the woodchips, she ran into another man's arms, knocking him over. It was the fact that as Marissa went back up the slide, Peyton, his beautiful wife, walked over clad in a sweat shirt and jeans and pulled Jake up. They both chuckled before Peyton rested her head on his shoulder. Before he could see more, the light changed and he continued on to his mother's café.
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"Can you bring those plates to the back Elizabeth?" Karen asked as she laid J.J. down in the crib.
"Sure grandma," Elizabeth said as she skipped into the back room. Karen turned to Anna.
"So Anna, what do you want to do while mommy's gone?"
"Nothing," the girl said brightly, "I'm waiting for daddy."
"You mean Jake?" Panic flooded Karen's heart. Anna couldn't be getting attached to Jake. Elizabeth was bad enough.
"No! Daddy!" Anna stressed, "He said he'd be home this week."
"Anna," Karen sighed, "Sit down." The little girl furrowed her eyebrows, but obliged nonetheless. "Why do you think daddy's coming back?"
"He told me." Karen looked at the little girl skeptically. She knew Peyton wasn't letting Lucas talk to the girls.
"Anna, your daddy's probably not coming back," Karen said quietly. The little girl blinked a few times.
"Yes he is!" the little girl shouted, "I know he is!"
"Anna-"
"He's coming back! He promised!" Just then, the café door creaked open, and the man of the hour stepped in.
"Lucas?" Karen said in disbelief. Anna's head snapped around.
"Daddy!" The little girl ran to him, and he scooped her into his arms as if it was a reflex.
"Annie," he sighed hugging her closely and placing a kiss on her forehead.
"You came back," she whispered.
"I told you sometimes the come back, baby girl," he said twirling her around.
"Lucas Eugene Scott," Karen hissed.
"She didn't think you were coming back," Anna whispered in his ear, "She thought I was lying." Luke slowly approached his mom, oblivious to the staring customers around him.
"Hey mom," he shifted the little girl in his arms.
"You show up after eight months and expect-" Lucas cut her off, wrapping his free arm around her and hugging her desperately.
"I'm sorry," he breathed out quietly, "I'm a terrible person. I'm not worthy to be your son." Karen wanted to be mad. She wanted to push him away, but he was her son. No matter what he did. She pulled him closer and felt the tears begin to fall.
"Oh Luke," she sighed, "Why? Why did you do this?" She pulled back and searched his eyes for an answer.
"I needed closure."
"Grandma, look what I found," Elizabeth said as she skipped out of the back room. The small charm bracelet she was clutching dropped out of her hands at the sight of her father.
"Lizzie," Luke said, a wide smile forming on his face. Elizabeth's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Go away," she hid behind her grandmother's leg.
"Lizzie, I'm sorry," he said bending down so that he was eye level with her.
"No, you're not," she mumbled, the girl clutched tighter to Karen's leg.
"Yes, I am."
"You hurt mommy."
"I didn't mean to."
"You left! And I don't want to see you!" Elizabeth shouted.
"Elizabeth," he said, his voice breaking at the sight.
"Liz, stop!" Anna yelled, "You're going to make him leave again."
"Good," Elizabeth mumbled.
"I'm not leaving ever again."
"You lie!"
"Elizabeth Peyton Scott!" Karen said, "Be quiet. You're going to wake…" She trailed off.
"Wake the what?" Lucas asked, his eyebrows furrowing. She was saved the task of explaining the two week old in the crib behind him. The door of the café swung open again. This time Jake, Peyton and Marissa returned from the park.
"Daddy!" Marissa ran over to him. Lucas's head snapped around and his eyes became locked with his wife's. He looked down in shame as he picked up Marissa in his free arm.
Peyton was shocked. She felt pain and anger all mixed in the pit of her stomach. There was fear there to. She wanted to yell, scream, cry and punch him all at once. And at the time, she wanted to run up to him and just hold him and kiss him. She wanted to make him promise he'd never leave her again. She wanted to hate him. She wanted to love him. All those emotions overwhelmed her.
"Peyton," Lucas said softly. She shook her head, confused at how sincere he sounded. She couldn't handle it, so she just turned around and left the café without a word. Lucas put down his little girls and went to follow her.
"Don't," Jake said, stepping in front of him. "She needs space."
"I need to talk to my wife," he hissed stressing the word 'my.'
"Your wife? Now she's your wife. Are you tired of playing house with Brooke?"
"Don't talk about what you don't know. This is between Peyton and me."
"That's where you're wrong. You and I have unfinished business." Jake's fists were curling into balls.
"Stay out of this," Lucas muttered, pushing roughly past him. Jake grabbed his arm and turned him around.
"You're a cold, cruel-hearted bastard who abandoned your family," Jake said coldly before whispering the last part, "Just like your father." Something snapped in Lucas and without hesitation he cocked his fist back and landed a punch directly on Jake's jaw. Jake stumbled backwards and narrowed his eyes. Before Lucas knew it, Jake had charged him, pushing him back into one of the tables. Some of the older male customers jumped from their seats to separate the boys. They had become boys instead of men when they began their silly fight. There was a lot of cursing and yelling that followed as Jake had to be basically pried from Luke.
"Jake! Stop! You're hurting him," Anna cried.
"Daddy started this," Elizabeth said, "He hit Jake."
"Both of you quit it," Karen demanded. The boys struggled to break free from the men holding them back.
"This is not your family. She's my damn wife, Jake! I can see her when I want," Lucas said.
"Seven years you've treated her like shit," Jake yelled, "What am I saying? You fucking treated her like shit in high school! How many fucking times are you going to break her heart? You never deserved her and you never will!"
"Well that's too bad, Jake. All that matters is that she loves me, not you. And she'll never feel the way you want her to feel. I have her heart and that won't change."
"You smug, arrogant-" Their fighting was interrupted by a shrill crying. Both Jake and Lucas stopped struggling to break free from the men holding them back. Lucas watched as his mother walked to the crib. She picked up an extremely small baby, wrapped in a blue blanket. The café had become deadly quietly.
"Who's that?" Lucas asked quietly. He feared he knew the answer.
"Your son," Jake muttered. Lucas closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He reopened them and slipped out of the men's grip. He took his son from his mother. Luke held J.J. close to his chest and stroked the small tuffs of blonde fuzz on the top of his head. He placed a small kiss on the crown of his head.
"He's so small," he whispered.
"Well, he's only two weeks old," Karen said, "And he was premature."
"He's ok though, right?" Luke said worriedly. Karen nodded. "And what did she name him?"
"J.J," Jake said quickly before Karen could answer. Jake's anger had subsided when he saw the look Luke got in his eyes when he saw his son. He didn't want to hurt him even more by telling him Peyton had named their son after another man.
"J.J." Luke repeated with a smile of his face. He touched the baby's hand.
"Luke you're bleeding," Karen said softly. Jake's college ring had caught his cheek, and now a drop of blood was dripping down his face. But Luke neither heard about it nor cared. He was too busy studying his son. A small tear escaped his eye and slid down his face mixing with the blood on his cheek.
"Let's go see mommy," Lucas whispered as the drop landed on his hand. Blood and tears.
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Peyton sat on the park bench, her knees tucked under her chin. She was rocking back and forth, trying to figure out what she was going to do. Her mind was racing. So many thoughts trying to gain priority over the other ones. On one hand, rationality. On the other hand, love. And love was never rational. It was painful and cruel. It was Peyton's worst nightmare. She hated love. She hated the fact that Lucas made her feel this way. That he had so much power over her. That a simple look could break apart everything she had built up with Jake. Her safe little family with a man who loved her, not a man who was obliged to say it.
"Peyton?" a soft female voice asked. Peyton felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned her head and saw Haley standing above her with her daughter, Natalie, in her arms.
"Hey Haley," Peyton croaked. Haley saw the broken look on her friend's face and immediately frowned.
"Natalie, go play on the slide," she said as she lowered the toddler to the ground. As the girl scampered off, Haley took a seat next to Peyton. They were silent for a while.
"You know, I knew that you never liked me as much as Brooke." Haley's head snapped to look at Peyton. She was studying her shoelaces as she talked.
"What do you mean? I liked you."
"As a friend, yes, but when it came to Luke, you were always pulling for him and Brooke. I don't blame you. You were his best friend and you just wanted him happy. Brooke made him happy." Haley bit her lip before she said anything. She didn't know how to respond.
"I'll admit that in high school I wanted Brooke and Lucas to work out," Haley said, "But that all changed when she left. I saw how you took care of him. How much you loved him. And I realized that you were the best thing that ever happened to him. And I tried to tell him that."
"He's back, Haley."
"Luke?" Haley said, shocked, "Luke's back?"
"Yeah, he just showed up at Karen's today." Another pregnant pause passed.
"What did he say?"
"Not much," Peyton chuckled a little, "All it took was one word for me to realize I needed to get out of there. I just don't get…never mind."
"Peyton," Haley said warningly, "Let me in. What happened?" Peyton looked over at Haley and she saw that she could trust her not to tell Luke.
"I just don't get how he could sound so sincere. So heartbroken with one word. I was the one who was abandoned and yet he sounded so hurt."
"Maybe he realized what he gave up."
"I don't want him back, Haley," Peyton said sadly, "I don't think my heart can handle another break like that. Plus it's so much easier with Jake."
"But you don't love Jake like you love Lucas." Peyton closed her eyes and let a few tears fall down her cheek. She brought her hand up to her face and dug her nails into her forehead.
"Ugh," she groaned loudly, "I hate this! I hate this so much! He was supposed to stay in New York and let me pine from a far. I was supposed to raise our son with Jake and pretend like it didn't hurt. He came back out of duty and when he finds out he has a son, it'll be the only reason he stays!" Haley pulled Peyton's hands off her face. She saw that a small cut had opened up on the top of her head.
"Don't do this to yourself," Haley whispered pulling her close.
"I'm tired, Haley," she cried as she wrapped her arms around Haley, "I'm so tired of this pain. It's not fair."
"I know honey." Peyton felt a drop of blood trickling down her face mixing with her tears.
"Oh no," Haley whispered.
"What?" Peyton asked sadly as she lifted her head back up.
"He's here." Peyton looked to the entrance of the park and sure enough Lucas was walking through, his son in his arms. She immediately wiped her face of all the unnecessary liquid. Blood and tears.
"Haley," he said as he approached the two, "Can you give Peyton and I a second?" Haley looked over at Peyton who nodded. Haley got up, gave Lucas a quick hug and went to find Natalie. Lucas sat down in the spot Haley had previously occupied. There was so much to say and so little words to find at that moment. Where to start?
