Disclaimer: I do not own OTH or any of it characters places or such. I am simply borrowing them.
AN/ Here is the next chapter! I'm sorry I took so long to get this up, but I have taken on a new responsibility at work so now I work 10-hour days. It takes a lot out of you. I had most of this chapter written already so with some finishing touches, here you go! Thanks for all of the reviews! Hope you enjoy reading!Oh, Here is a little of the six strangers and their backgrounds…I working it into the story…more of it next chapter…
Crash siteThe group sat silent after Haley's announcement. The only sound that could be heard was the sobs coming from Haley's face buried in Jake's chest. No one knew what to say, not even Nathan or Lucas. Haley had told Nathan that Andrew had been caught cheating, but she hadn't told him that she was going to tell him that she was carrying his child, their child. Rage grew inside of Nathan as Haley's sobs ripped through his ears. Why would Andrew do something like that? Didn't he love Haley? They had been through Hell and back. All Nathan wanted to do was to be able to comfort Haley and pulverize Andrew. After knowing Haley for so many years, he knew what her biggest worry was the baby. He knew that Haley didn't believe in abortion and she wouldn't put the baby up for adoption. However, she had seen Nathan and Lucas grow up without a father, so she had a pretty good idea what her child would go through. It was at that moment, looking at his weeping childhood friend that he decided he would help Haley raise that child. He would be what his uncle Keith had been to him. He knew it was too early to even consider expressing his decision to Haley, it would be something that he kept in his heart. Right now, he had to focus on the task at hand, Haley.
"Hales…" Nathan, said before he realized he had spoken, "Haley, come here" Nathan said leaning over and putting his arm around her shoulder. Haley quickly responded and moved from Jake to bury her face into Nathan's chest as he ran his fingers through her hair trying to soothe her. He locked eyes with his cousin over her head and he knew that Lucas had been thinking the same thing. Andrew Robbins was going to pay. That is if they ever got off the island.
Miami, Florida, home of Chase and Linda Cassell
"Mom" Marie said as she walked into the kitchen where her mom was currently fixing a salad for dinner
"Yes, sweetheart" Linda said adding a few pieces of tomato to the salad
"Mom, I want to go to Tree Hill" Marie proclaimed
Linda stopped what she was doing and turned to face her daughter, "Marie, I am not sure that is a good idea"
"Mom, I know that I am due to give birth any day now, but I need to be there. I want to be with his mom and his sister and his entire family. I can only imagine what they are going through. All of them"
"Marie, I know that you want to be there for Karen and everyone, but you need to think about yourself and the health of your baby. They won't let you on a plane in your condition"
"Okay, then I will drive" Marie stated
"No, you will not. What about the pains that you were having?"
"I was sitting wrong. I am fine. I am going to Tree Hill. Now, you can go with me if you want, but you are not going to stop me" Marie said as she walked out of the kitchen and back towards her childhood bedroom to pack her bags.
Crash Site"I am okay," Haley said softly as she lifted her head from Nathan's chest fifteen minutes later
"Are you sure?" Nathan asked with concern lacing his voice
"Yea" Haley replied as she wiped at her tear stained cheeks, "Good thing I can't see a mirror. I bet I am a wreck"
"No, you are just as beautiful as ever"
Haley felt her cheeks turn red as she blushed. She had never heard Nathan say something like that about her. Sure he had told her she was beautiful in her prom dress, but this was different. She didn't dare look him in the eyes instead she turned to look at the others
"Sorry for breaking down guys" Haley replied
"There is nothing to be sorry about" Brooke said as she reached for Haley's hand and squeezed it, "It helps to talk about it"
"Yes, it does. I am sorry that you are going through all of this" Peyton added
"Well, that explains why you wouldn't eat the fruit earlier" Lucas replied smiling
"Yea"
"Well, I think it is safe for you to eat and you do need to eat"
"I don't know"
"Trust him, Haley. You do need to eat. And look we are all still alive and well, so It won't hurt you" Jake added
"I don't know" Haley replied
"Hales, you have to eat something. You haven't eaten all day and that is not good for you or the baby. I know you have to be starving" Nathan added
"I am kinda hungry" Haley replied softly
"Okay, what do you want? Banana, apple, orange?" Peyton asked
"Apple sounds good" Haley replied as Peyton tossed her a green apple, "Toss me the orange too"
The group laughed as Peyton tossed Haley an orange.
Tree Hill, North Carolina, Jackie's Café
"Aunt Karen, have you talked to Marie?" Mason James asked from his seat at the counter. Mason, his wife Christina and their daughter April had arrived shortly after Anthony. After expressing sympathies to everyone and back to them, they had settle in the booths or stools waiting for news to be announced
"I talked to her earlier after the list was released. She was crying, and kept telling me that she was sorry about Lucas, Nathan and Haley. I had to keep telling her to calm down. I am afraid she is going to make herself go into labor"
"She is not by herself is she?" Alycia asked from beside Mason
"No, she is at her parents. She had planned to stay there while Lucas was here"
"Why was Luke coming home anyway?" Kate asked
"He was coming home because Uncle Keith asked him too" Karen replied
"Why?"
"I honestly don't know. Keith won't tell me. He just asked that Lucas come home when he could and the next thing we know. Lucas is on the next flight"
"He is kicking himself, isn't he?" Alycia asked turning to look at her uncle who was talking with Anthony and Christina
"Yea, pretty hard." Karen replied also looking towards her brother
"But, mom, it isn't his fault. He didn't make the plane go down" Kate replied
"I know that and he knows that, but he still feels guilty for telling your brother to come. He knew he would jump on a flight as soon as he could."
"It is just ironic to me that all three of them just happened to book the same flight," Mason said
"Maybe it was fate," Karen said
Crash Site
"Okay, who is next to share?" Haley said after she had eaten the apple and orange, plus another orange and two bananas. She had not realized how hungry she actually was
"Jake or Brooke" Lucas said
Jake and Brooke looked at each other. Neither spoke for a few minutes just stared. When Jake blinked his eyes, Brooke smiled
"Jake is" She proclaimed
"Did you two just have a staring contest?" Nathan asked laughing
"Yea, and Jake lost" Brooke said with a smile
"I can't believe I just had staring contest. Sounds like something Jenny would do" Jake said as the group laughed
"You lost now spill" Peyton said
"Okay, let's see" Jake said before stopping to take a deep breath, "I was born in Miami, raised in Miami and still live in Miami. I was raised by two loving and in love parents, Joe and Sharon. I am an only child and my parents died in a car crash when I was 17. Luckily, one of our neighbors took me in until I turned 18 and helped me to finish my senior year of high school. I married my high school sweetheart, Nikki Costa that same year and we also had our daughter, Jenny. I worked my way through college balancing schoolwork, a full time job at an auto repair shop and my family. I received my degree in marketing and was offered a job at Jones and Jackson. Where I still currently work and have made my way up the corporate ladder to Junior Vice President. About 4 years ago, my marriage fell apart. Nikki liked to go out to bars every weekend and she wouldn't come home until the next morning leaving Jenny and me alone. We didn't mind because I loved spending time with my daughter. It was on one particular night though that I got a phone call from a friend of mine. He told me that he had been out a bar that Nikki liked to go to often and had seen her kissing another man and leave with him. I didn't sleep that night instead I sat up waiting for Nikki to get home. When she walked through the door at 6 am the next morning, she was high. When I confronted her about the night before, she confessed to me that she had been having an affair with that particular man for months. I told her to leave and went down to file for divorce later that day. On our day in court, Nikki showed up to the courthouse high as a kite. The judge immediately granted me the divorce and also full and sole custody of Jenny." Jake stopped and took a deep breath.
He looked at Haley as he continued, "It was not easy for the first couple of months, raising Jenny by myself, but I would not trade it for the world. Eventually, Nikki went into rehab for her drug use and received visitation rights to Jenny. She has never petitioned for joint custody of our daughter."
"Why not?" Brooke asked
"She said that she knows that Jenny is better off with me. She also knows that Jenny would never be happy being split between two homes. She just enjoys the time that she gets to spend with Jenny like this weekend. Jenny was actually suppose to be with me this weekend, she always comes with me when I go on business trips. I want her to be able to experience the world. I didn't bring her with me this time because of the tight schedule of meetings that I had in Chicago and to be honest with you now I am glad that I didn't" Jake finished and then sighed before leaning his head back and looking up at the darkening sky. He hoped that Jenny was okay. He could only imagine what she was going through
Miami, Florida, Home of Jake JagleskiNikki and Jenny sat on the couch watching the national news channel, the same channel that they had been watching all day. The passenger list has been released hours before and also the devastating news that the lead had not panned out. They had cried, laughed and hugged as they talked about Jake and the times that they had with him. Nikki had Jenny in stitches when she told her daughter about her father's reaction when she told him she was pregnant. Jenny had heard the story before, but it still made her laugh. They had been sitting in silence for more than an hour both entranced by the TV
"Mom?" Jenny asked
"Yes?"
"Can we stay here tonight?" Jenny asked looking towards her mom
"Sure we can. Are you about ready for bed?"
"No, not yet, but I think I am going to go change my clothes" Jenny replied
"Okay" Nikki said as her daughter moved from the couch and walked up the stairs to her room.
When Jenny didn't return a few minutes later, Nikki went to look for her. The door to Jenny's room was opened and when she peered in, she found the room empty. She walked towards Jake's room next and there she found Jenny sitting on his bed with a picture frame in her hands and the teddy bear that Jake had given her when she was one in her lap. Nikki approached Jenny slowly as silent tears fell from Jenny's eyes. She made no movement to wipe them away just simply sat and stared at the picture in her hands. Nikki sat down on the opposite side of the bed and leaned over to see the picture. It was a recent picture taken at the park. Jake had jenny on his shoulders and they were both laughing. Nikki remembered that day; she had been the one to take the picture. It was one of the rare days when the three of them would do something together.
"Mom, Dad is coming home right?" Jenny asked without taking her eyes from the pictures
"We have to believe that. You and I both know that your daddy is going to do everything in his power to get home to you" Nikki said
"I miss him so much" Jenny replied
"I know, sweetie" Nikki said placing her arm around her daughter's shoulder, "I know"
"He has to come home. He just has too," Jenny said as she buried her head in her mother's shoulder and cried.
Interstate 95 North of Melbourne, Fl
"Thanks Mom" Marie Cassell said as she looked towards her mother in the driver seat, "I know you really didn't want me to go"
"No, I didn't." Linda Cassell said as she took a deep breath, "But your father talked some sense into me. He was not surprised when I told him you wanted to go. He knew that you needed to go."
"Thanks for coming with me"
"Well, I was not going to let you go by yourself. This is a long drive and you would need some kind of company" Linda said looking at her daughter with a smile, "Sit back and relax, we will be there as soon as I can get us there"
Marie smiled back at her mom before turning her head to face the window as the dark sky sped by. She knew her mom would not stop until she made it to Tree Hill. Marie drifted off to sleep as her mom turned the radio on to a soft country station.