Chapter ten... Awaits!
Lol. It is a hit confusing. A lot of talking hut I tried to break it up some but maybe you'll feel different about Madison in the end.
Jamie Scott sat on the couch in his parents home across from his father who sat in the loveseat. The Scott men both had a smile plastered across their face. The two watched as Gracie continually hit her raddle against the floor laughing about it.
The act itself wasn't enough but her laugh alone made them smile at her. Actually, anything the small Scott did was enough to make them smile.
"How is the Mrs?" Nathan asked avoiding eye contact with his won as he asked.
"You too huh"?
"Jamie your my son and I love you".
"Then let's just leave it there. No need for some big speech about how much older she is than I am or any of that let's just leave it how it is". Jamie told Nathan with a shrug.
"That wasn't what I was going to say. Not even close. The age thing wouldn't really bother me".
"Then what was you going to say"?
"She had sex with Dan. She has already been a Scott. She slept with and nearly killed Cooper and me if you think about it".
"Are you done?" Jamie asked folding his hands together. "I mean what's your problem with my marriage"?
"Well the things I just mentioned".
Nathan Scott: worlds award winning smartass.
"If they don't bother me then I know they shouldn't bother you. Every body comes with a past".
"Yes except hers is about eighteen years longer than yours" Haley said as she walked out of the kitchen with a bowl of popcorn in her hand. "I mean she was trying to sleep with your dad before we bought you your first pack of diapers".
Haley sat down next to her ex husband in the loveseat.
"She wouldn't even bring Gracie over here with me today because she thinks you guys hate her" Jamie told his parents.
"Oh no we wouldn't want her to think that" Haley said sarcastically. "I'll start planning her a little surprise Bridal shower we can invite Brooke and Peyton and I know your dad and Lucas will want to attend. It will be like a a little mini class reunion".
Jamie rolled his eyes at his mothers sarcasm while his dad laughed quietly but was still heard by his son.
Before Jamie had the chance to respond the front door swung open and a blonde haired Scott waltzed through.
"Please Sawyer come on in" Nathan told his niece as she shut the door.
"Oh c'mon that door hasn't been locked in ten years and if you want to get technical about it this isn't even your house anymore. Haley got it in the divorce" Sawyer said sitting a large duffel bag down on the recliner.
"Sawyer" Jamie stated his baby cousins name out loud in the process making it sound more like a question.
"Still no memories then huh"? She asked although she didn't wait for an answer because it was pretty obvious. "Jamie we need to talk".
"About... Damn what a rock" he said.
Clearly he got side tracked.
"Who is the lucky fella"?
"Cole Gellar" she said. "He was your Doctor".
"I remember. What happened to you and Logan I heard you two was together".
"We was. Now we aren't. I'm with Cole now. I'm marrying Cole in just a couple weeks but I came to talk to you about something and its not my life its yours".
"Whatever you have to say about Rachel just save it".
"It has nothing to do with Rachel I could care less this has to do with someone I do care about or rather someone we both care about. Or used to anyways... Jenny".
XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX
Brooke poured the remaining black liquid left in the bottom of the coffee pot into her over grown sized mug. As she slowly sipped on it Brooke couldn't help but stare at her husband who sat at the counter reading a script.
That wasn't new.
It was his morning ritual.
"What's that about"? she asked him.
No answer.
"Night and day" she read off of it. "Is it a romance... Romantic comedy... Horror".
No answer.
Brooke slammed her mug down startling Julian half way out of his seat and spilling half of it on him in the process.
"Brooke what the hell"? He yelled wiping the coffee off his shirt with a rag.
"So you can talk. OK good. Now that that's cleared up so you've been ignoring me" Brooke said "its been a week".
"Actually six days is not generally acknowledged as a full week but I see get your point".
Brooke rolled her eyes.
"When Breyton's biological mother comes into the picture let's see if your ready to talk about it after just six days". Julian told his wife.
"She's dead".
Julian looked at his wife as he sat the script in his hands down and ran his fingers through his hair. He wasn't prepared for that.
"I'm such a dick" he said pushing his face into his hands.
"No. You didn't know. Your upset and you have every right to be for what its worth your handling this better than I would if it was her mother".
"Are we one hundred percent sure that he is her father"?
Brooke pulled a picture of Felix up on her phone and showed it to him.
"OK its him" he said taking her phone. "That apple didn't fall far from that Tree did it".
"She looks just like him" Brooke agreed.
"I don't even know him and I just want to punch him in his smug face".
"Don't do that please."
"Why not"?
"Other than the fact that he is a black belt in karate, served 12 years in the military, five years working for NYPD, and a two time boxing champion"? Brooke asked. "Oh nothing go for it".
"Morning" they hears and turned around to wee Jude walking down the stair case.
"Good morning" Brooke told her son. "What are you doing up this early"?
"I have basketball practice later and I was going to go to the gym before I went".
Brooke and Julian both stared at each other for a minute. Neither said anything but just smiled.
"Basketball"?
"Yeah can I borrow your car"? Jude asked his mom.
"You have a car".
"It's making a funny noise and I have a date tonight".
"A date"?
"Haddie Gatina she is Mrs. Scott's daughter".
"Rachel has kids"?
"Three can I please just borrow your car"?
"You can borrow mine come on the keys are in here" Julian said.
The two Baker men walked out of the kitchen leaving Brooke alone with far to many thoughts.
"I had a kid with Felix and my son is dating Rachel's daughter. God must be enjoying himself this fine Saturday".
XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX
Jamie looked back and forth between his cousin and his parents. At first he thought it was some crazy stupid joke they was playing on him but not one of the three cracked a smile. Jokes were funny and this wasn't funny.
They was serious.
"I know its a lot to understand Jamie and a whole lot to wrap your head around" Haley began to tell her son but found that she had no words.
There was nothing she could think of to tell him.
"It will be an adjustment but you have to look at it like this you made this decision for a reason" Nathan told his son. "No memories or not you love Gracie and your a good dad. You made this decision for a reason".
"But that's the thing I don't remember making it" Jamie told his father. "I take it back. I'm not handing my daughter over to some stranger".
"It doesn't work that way Jamie. This is a legal binding document. You fave this woman rights to your child. She is on her birth certificate. You can't do that". Sawyer said.
"She's right" Haley told her son. "You may but understand why you did it but you did do it. That's the thing. If you trust anyone shouldn't it be yourself"?
"That's the thing this just doesn't seem like something I would do. I mean giving a woman I haven't known even a year... Letting her adopt my child".
"You married Rachel and you haven't known her for what two months"? Nathan said.
Valid point.
"Jamie if you have your memories or not your still Jamie. You love in a way that I wish I could" Sawyer said moving into the seat next to him. "You love deeper than the ocean. You wear your heart on your sleeve and maybe it doesn't make sense coming from us so it might help if it came from you".
All three starred at her.
Confused.
They was all confused.
"The day that you and Jenny signed the papers you made a video for Gracie to watch on her sixteenth birthday explaining why you two did what you did. Jenny wanted me to put it up but I figured you might want to watch it. It might help".
Sawyer pulled a lap top out of the duffel bag.
"Here Nate hook this up please " she told him.
XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX
Lydia didn't tear her eyes away from the large television as she shoved a spoonful of cereal into her mouth. She sat curled up on the couch in the Adams house.
"Gilmore girls"? Chase asked as he walked into the living room. "Don't you ever get sick of the same old jokes and lame lines"?
"Don't you ever get sick of the same haircut you've had for fifteen years"? Lydia threw back at him.
"Yeah dad Gilmore girls is a classic" Catalano said from the recliner.
"I love Lucy is a classic. Gone with the wind is a classic. The wizard of OZ is even considered a classic. A tell tale story about a girl who got pregnant at sixteen is not a classic its a horrible way to pass an hour on MTV with yet another stupid reality show".
"I'll be sure to let Breyton know you said that" Lydia told him with a grin.
"Any plans for the day"?
He changed the subject.
Smart.
"No" Catalano answered him simply.
"You don't have to work"?
"Contrary to popular belief we aren't the only employees at the café" Lydia told him.
"Why are you even here"?
"To be a bad influence on your daughter why are you here"?
"Now there is an idea" Chase said. "Bad influence. You girls are in high school and it's Saturday. Go out. Drink. Get into trouble. Live a little. Paint the town red. Life is what you make it".
"What the hell is Hannah Montana over here talking about"? Lydia asked Catalano who could do nothing but stare at her father.
"Are you on crack"? Catalano asked Chase.
"Boys. Come on go hang out with some boys your supposed to be turning me gray".
"First off Christopher still hasn't told Danny about him and Lydia secondly I still don't know what to do about Jude".
"Well, if he is anything like his mother I have condoms in my underwear drawer".
Lydia dropped her spoon back into her bowl and continued to stare at Chase.
"How did you win the election"? The blonde haired Scott asked.
"Dad" Catalano said folding her arms as she easily figured out what was truly wrong with her father. "What time does the game come on".
"About a hour and a half so here is my credit card. Go to the mall. To the movies. Take my car I don't care just scram".
Catalano took the card as her and Lydia walked out and made their way up to her bedroom.
"Is he always like that"? Lydia asked.
"Just during football season" Catalano answered as they walked into her room.
"What did you mean you don't know what to do about Jude? I thought you said you knew he didn't do it. I assumed you guys would have made up by now".
"Us getting back together is not my first priority. Jude's well being is my first priority".
Truth be told Lydia was jealous. She'd never admit it but she was jealous to have a love like that. To be able to love like that.
Catalano put what she felt to the side for him.
For the man that she loved.
XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX
The large flat screen that sat up on the wall in the Scott household remained black for a moment. They waited and after a minuet or two the screen turned to color.
Jamie and Jenny appeared sitting side by side.
It was odd for Jamie he had looked in the mirror many times and the man on the screen was most definitely him but he wasn't familiar.
"Hey Gracie" Jenny said "its your parents".
"Seriously" Jamie said laughing. "I'm pretty sure she is aware of that".
"I don't know how to start out".
"Hey Gracie I'm your mom and this is your dad" Jamie joked.
Jenny laughed and Jamie watched himself watch the woman by his side as if it was the most beautiful noise in the world.
"OK" Jenny said. "We just got back from signing the papers to make you legally my daughter and I've never been so happy in my entire life".
"First things first you have to understand we didn't just sit and make this decision over a glass of wine one night. We have talked about this for many months".
"Actually ever since your mom, Madison, left the hospital".
"Despite everything I assumed that we would still co parent together. Then I went to her room and she was gone. There was no saving our relationship before but I didn't understand how she could just leave her daughter. I was devastated. You was in the NICU and we didn't know if you was going to make it or not but even though she wasn't there you had a woman standing there holding your hand. Jenny spent every moment she wasn't at work with us. Every surgery she was there. She was with us through it all so even though your mother wasn't there you had a mother. It didn't take me long to figure that out".
Jenny kissed him on the side of the cheek and wiped the small tears that had fell from her eyes off of her face. It was clear that the words he said meant something to her.
"We haven't been together all to long in the grand scheme of things and I don't know what our future holds but I do know what is best for you. We could break up and move on and I could marry someone half way decent or completely perfect but I would never find anyone better suited to be your mother".
"My mother was in and out of my life and to this day she is still not w constant factor" Jenny said slowly as she looked at the camera. "My dad was always so amazing but I always felt thus emptiness and like I wasn't enough I don't ever want you to feel that way Gracie".
"Your real mother made a choice to leave and I understand your probably want a reason" Jamie said. "You've probably heard some not so nice things about Madison and you want a reason as to why she left. I'm the reason. Its my fault why she left".
And the room grew quite.
XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX
Breyton walked into her living room and she wasn't surprised to see Keith sitting on the couch. It was his day off after all. It was also the two had even seen each other in nearly a week. Even though the lived together somehow they always missed one another.
She worked. He worked. She had school. She was sure he had some type of schooling. He worked out. A lot... She studied.
It was easy to live together and not see each other.
"Hey" he said flicking the TV off with the remote. "I didn't mean to wake you. I wanted you to rest".
"You didn't" she told him. "Liam did. He has been kicking non stop since five this morning. Ironically he just quit".
Keith laughed.
Then he looked at her. His friend.
"Come here" he told her taking her hand and pulling her into his lap. "There are not enough I'm sorry's in the world to make up for what I said".
"Dido".
"I just... I miss him ya know? I mean he was my little brother and I get a little sensitive about it. I didn't mean to take it out on you".
"Well, you had every right to" she said laying her head on his shoulder. "I meant it though I don't hate him. Its just so much easier to be mad at him then miss him because if I start to miss him it hurts and it doesn't stop hurting and I have a baby on the way. I have to be strong. I can't... "
Keith wiped the tears off of her face.
"Not to sound like an ass but why didn't you tell me that? I'm your friend. I'm here for you".
"Because not to sound all white trash but he is your brother he is just my baby daddy".
"So"?
Breyton leaned up and wiped her tears off her face that was now streaming out like a flood.
"I miss him. All the time but its when I think about Liam not having his father that hurts the most. He won't even have got to meet him".
"No but he will always have me".
"Yeah his uncle Keith Sawyer".
And there it was.
"Its your life and your choice and I support you no matter what but I think your going to regret it" Breyton told him.
"Let's agree to disagree".
And with a men in black the argument and conversation was put to an end.
XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX
For the first time Haley and Nathan was just as confused as Jamie was. The three all sat in union starring at the television waiting for a reasoning behind what he had just said. It wasn't something they had ever heard before.
"You see your mom and I was basically together from the age of seven to twenty three" Jamie on the screen said. "At the end of our 8th grade year we sort of drifted apart and to be honest that's the way it probably should've stayed. We both got so fixated on basketball and making it on the high school team. We each went to a basketball camp that summer. Different ones of course. I was all the way over in L.A and she was in Florida".
Now, Jamie remembered this.
"I met this girl over there her name was Alexis. Lexi. I had only ever had feelings for Madison in my entire life so it was different but we had a little fling. I left Tree Hill a virgin but I didn't come back that way. Your mom and I eventually found our way back together within a few months and that became a pretty big problem in our relationship. Not having sex with each other I never once pressured her into it, it was that I had sex and she hadn't. We had always said that we would have done that together. Your mom and me broke up. Got back together. Broke up and gt back together. I was a teenager so every time we broke up I handled it the way a teenager boy would. I'd be a smartass and go to a party and end up with one… Or more girls. Not every time but most of the time. I wasn't an ideal boyfriend. I shouldn't even have been in a relationship but I did care about your mother."
Jenny giggled slightly.
"I'm sure Gracie is just loving hearing about her dad getting lucky".
Jamie laughed with her for a minuet.
"Its all part of the story I promise" Jamie said towards the camera. "We was always broke up when I slept with other women. It bothered her I knew that because we always got back together but I had the best of both worlds. I would have a loyal girlfriend who just wasn't ready to have sex yet so I'd pick a fight we'd break up and I'd have sex then go crawling back to her".
"You was a horrible boyfriend" Jenny commented as she ran her fingers through his hair.
"I was an even worse fiancé. I proposed at the state championship camp my junior year after we won. We was both basketball fanatics so it was romantic as hell for us. We talked about getting married right before our senior year I was eighteen and she was almost but mom and dad wanted me to focus my last year of high school on school and basketball. They of course had a lot of experience in the matter and being married is hard so we had this compromise. If we both kept our grades up and waited until after we graduated they would pay for our wedding and continue payments on my car. They just wanted me to focus on school".
Jamie watched himself on the screen as he sat back and took a deep breathe.
"This is where your gonna start to hate me" Jamie said.
Clearly he was talking to Gracie.
"Our wedding was close and the night of my bachelor party I got really drunk and I ended up in bed with one of the strippers. It was the start of the end".
Now, Jamie was lost. He sat back in his seat speechless.
"I'm a cheater" he asked out loud.
Of course no one answered him.
XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX
It was such a crucial decision for anyone. Life or death to some.
Butter or extra butter.
Catalano stood at the counter to the movies starring at the menus when ultimately she got what she always got before making her way to the nearest table sprinkling salt on top of her popcorn.
"I just called my dad" Lydia said walking over to him. "I told him that we spent half of your dads yearly income shopping and getting our hair done. Did you get one of everything"?
"A movie can't be good without good food" Catalano said. "That's what my mom always said. I got two bowels of popcorn, twizzlers, milk duds, of course the super sized drinks-".
She stopped.
Mid sentence.
She lost all the color in her face.
Jude walked in hand in hand with another girl.
Haddie Gatina and all her glory. "Is there any chance you didn't see that"? Lydia asked once the disappeared towards the counter.
"I'm going to throw up" Catalano said. "Can we please go on home".
"Are you kidding me"?
"No".
"No we can't go home. So I am new to the rules of friend hood but I'm not new to boys and rule number one never let your opponent see you sweat"?
"My opponent"?
"Haddie and Jude" she said.
"I can't believe he is already moved on".
"Oh please. She is nothing more than Chris Keller in your naley love story".
"Did you really just-"?
Lydia covered Catalano's mouth.
"It's really hard for me to give this big theatric speech when you keep interrupting me".
Lydia never seized to surprise Catalano anymore. At this point she basically prepared for anything she was not prepared for on a daily basis.
"I know that it sucks OK but he can't he know that. Trust me. I speak a little Latin. My Spanish is not that great but I am fluent in boy" Lydia told her.
"But-".
"No. No buts. Now pick up your pride and march your butt in that theater and let's watch the apes defend our planet earth from the aliens and a possible predictable love story in the mist of it all
Now march".
"Have you been drinking"?
"No but I might have had some very questionable brownies".
The two girls picked up there unhealthy buffet of junk food and made their way into the theater and quickly found some empty seats towards the back.
"Its going to be OK" Lydia promised her.
"You were saying"?
Catalano slowly pointed.
Jude walked in with Haddie and they found a a seat. Four rows ahead directly in from of the two girls.
Lydia watched as her friend looked at them. Heartbroken.
"Want me to throw popcorn at them"? Lydia asked.
Worst part? Catalano knew she was serious.
XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX
This was the first time Jamie was paying close attention to the words he was saying on the television. The words that he didn't really want to hear.
"Not many people know the truth but Gracie you of all people deserve the truth" Jamie said.
He paused.
"I told Madison the truth and begged for her to take me back I should've begged for her forgiveness first" Jamie went on to say. "We should not have got married or pushed the wedding back but we got married under the worst conditions. We agreed to love each other for better or worse when in reality she was broken. A couple weeks later we moved into the dorm up at Duke and we started what we thought was the rest of our lives together.
"Madison became slightly overbearing for a good reason. I broke her trust. I slept with someone else. I broke her trust of course she would worry when I was an hour late. We argued and argued about that. I actually left her one night and I wasn't going to go back either until the worst happened. Logan was visiting and we went riding around and this drunk driver paled into us. The first person I seen was Madison.
"I really hurt my back and my legs in the accident which I'm sure you know you need in basketball. My freshman season was over and the doctors told me to take a year off and heal correctly".
"Of course you didn't listen" Jenny commented from his side.
He acted startled for a second as if he had forgotten she was there. She was quite and he had been telling a story. It wasn't surprising.
"No I didn't" he said honestly."I only had a few months time to get into basketball playing shape. I wasn't going to have a set back like my dad did. I already had big names looking at me if I took a year off I would lose that. The pain was too much to just play through so I relied on my pain pills".
He stopped and leaned his forward pinching the bridge of his nose. He was crying.
Jenny rubbed his arm softly.
"My mom, dad… No one else but Madison and Logan know about this but Gracie deserves to know".
"Then tell her" Jenny said before kissing him.
"I upped my dosage because it wasn't enough. The pain was ridiculous. I'd run out in a week and couldn't get a refill for a few weeks. There was this guy a couple miles away from campus he gave me something… Hell I couldn't even tell you what it was. I was on my top game and at the end of season I was called up. You wanna know the worst thing you can do with a pill head? Move them out to L.A. I was playing for the Lakers, Madison transferred to a college over there, we bought our first home, and we was living our dream.
"The worst part? I was relying on little yellow pills to play. The pills made me weak… Ish… I would feel so drained during a game I felt like I wasn't doing my best even if I was. Before too long I had started a new pre game ritual on top of the pills I was already taking I started doing a line of Cocaine before each game. I was in a place I should never have found myself.
"I was better. My back was better but I had convinced myself that it wasn't. Madison eventually caught on to what was happening and it scares her. I scared her in ways a husband should never scare his wife.
"Let me make this very clear I never once laid a bad hand on Madison but I made her think that I would many times. I became very violent our small arguments had turned into as zones. I would throw things. Destroy things that meant something to her. I threw things at her… Beer bottles, books whatever… They never hit her but I wanted her to think that they would. She hid my, drugs, once and I snapped. She was only trying to help me and I broke our flat screen, kicked in the door, and she threatened to leave me which I don't blame her. She was standing next to the door and I punched the wall next to her. I mean I missed her face by less than half an inch.
"I just went further and further down after that. I'd completely forgot about my pills and I was snorting coke. I was shooting up. I was partying its a wander I'm even alive. Madison did anything to keep our marriage together even by giving it a new title. We agreed to an open marriage. Of course she never acted on it but you better believe that I did. At one point I paid 20,000 to sleep with some prostitute. Cheerleaders. Actresses. I was living the dream but I had this loyal caring wife at home who knew I was doing all this and I knew it hurt her but she loved me so much she'd compromise everything she believed in to make me happy. One night in Miami I took to much of something or everything and I overdosed.
"I woke up and there she was crying and she begged me to get help. We went to this rehab facility in Texas and she made up this story about how I had this kidney condition and that's why I was leaving the NBA.
"Truth be told LA was the worst place for me. Madison knew if I stayed in the NBA I'd die. The parties. The money. Drugs. We got back to Tree Hill and things were OK for a few weeks until I started using again and that's why your mom left. She knew about you and I didn't. She knew what was best for you so she took off. While I was in rehab she went to a bar and had a few drinks with a man. It was the first time she ever acted on our open marriage arrangement so she never cheated. I can't justify her leaving you but I can justify everything else. She had a beautiful soul and I broke her down. Jenny saved me if she knew it or not. I fell in love with her and I just stopped using".
Jamie grabbed the remote and turned the TV off.
"I don't want to see no more"!
And he walked out of the living room.
Sawyer, Haley, and Nathan sat speechless.
XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX
Catalano splashed water on her face as she stood over the sink in the bathroom. She was surprised Lydia hadn't sent the Calvary out to find her. She had been gone damn near fifteen minutes but she wasn't ready to go back.
It was hard to watch a movie when Jude couldn't pull his tongue out of Hardie's mouth for five seconds.
Finally she gathered the courage to walk out of the bathroom and there leaning against the door way.
Jude Baker.
"What are you doing"? She asked grabbing her chest.
"You take really long bathroom breaks".
That was all he had to say.
"Mind your own business" she said crossing her arms.
"You had been gone a while so I was just making sure you was OK".
He was being genuine.
"Thanks".
Jude smiled. Lightly. But he smiled and went to walk away. She should've just left it there but she couldn't.
"Why her"?
Jude turned around.
"Why Haddie"? She made herself more clear. "There are a thousand girls but why a girl like her. I mean she has legs up to my ears and she is beautiful and… Why her"?
"Well, the one I wanted left me and accused me of-".
"Something you didn't do" she finished. "I know you didn't put those pictures on the internet Jude".
"How"?
"Because you love me just as much as I love you and I know I could never hurt you like that".
Maybe it was the words or the way she said them but suddenly she couldn't say no more. Catalano lips had become very busy.
Jude pinned her against the wall and he kissed her. He lifted her up holding her against the wall and he didn't know if he would ever be able to stop.