Two important things:
1) Quinn is not Haley's sister in this story. I thought about keeping them as sisters to stay more true to the show but I felt like that would have created a lot more confusion and a lot of unnecessary riffs. For example, I would have to come up with a whole explanation as to why Haley and Clay never crossed paths before since Clay is married to Quinn or an explanation as to why Haley didn't find out about the case sooner, etc. I feel like adding those things in would have just created unnecessary pieces to the plot. So, for the sake of this story, they aren't sisters.
2) The things that are said in the conversation between Quinn, Nathan, and Haley are all actual representations of what happens when a child is abducted. I did a lot of research around what happens when a child has been abducted at such a young age and things like that. I could have made it all up but I had no idea how I was going to portray something of that magnitude in a realistic manner. I did shift some things around a little just for the sake of the story, but for the most part, it is all protocol.
Also, missmelsie- no, I haven't not been interrogated by the FBI at any point in my life, haha. I do, however, watch way too many crime shows, which is exactly how this story came about. A lot of the FBI stuff stems from things that I've seen on those shows. Are those shows 100% accurate? No, probably not, but I'm glad that it comes off as realistic.
'It was Wednesday afternoon. Nathan and Haley were sitting in an interrogation room, waiting on the team's child psychologist to be done with her meeting with Dan. He had flown her in from New York the previous night. Her name was Quinn Evans and she was also Clay's wife. Nathan had only met her briefly a few times and as far as he knew, she was damn good at her job. That knowledge had somewhat calmed the raging storm of nerves that had made itself known inside of his body.
He and Haley both were feeling so many different emotions at once, it was almost enough to paralyze the both of them. Fear, anxiety, hope, happiness, sadness…it was all so overwhelming. The last couple of days seemed to pass by them in such a blur. Clay, Peyton, Dan, and the rest of the team had been busy trying to perfect their plan to sneak into the hotel and get Jamie back. They covered every scenario, coming up with backup plan after backup plan just in case something went wrong. Lucas and Brooke had been brought up to speed with everything and even had their own tasks in the plan.
The fact that Nathan wasn't involved in the operation was starting to drive him absolutely crazy. He couldn't stand the fact that he had to leave all of this in the hands of other people. Of course, he trusted his team but he still didn't like sitting on the sidelines, especially when it involved his son. He understood why he was put on personal leave, but that didn't mean he had to like it.
Haley squeezed Nathan's hand when she saw the concentrated look on his face. He was deep in thought and she knew that if she didn't distract him now, he would eventually drive himself crazy. She knew this because, well, she was the exact same way. They had made a pact that whenever one of them get too lost in their thoughts, it was the other's job to bring them out. Thinking too much meant conjuring up all of the things that could go wrong in the next twenty four hours. That's not what they needed right now. Right now, they needed to hold on to their hope.
When he felt Haley squeeze his hand, Nathan looked over at her. She was giving him a comforting smile and immediately felt the stress leave his body. It still blew him away at just how in sync they were with each other. He brought their joined hands up to his mouth and brushed his lips against the back of her hand in a gentle kiss.
Haley scooted her chair closer to Nathan's and reached up to place a soft kiss on his lips. "I love you."
"I love you, too," Nathan responded, his heart hammering in his chest. He was never going to get tired of hearing that.
There was a soft knock on the door that caused them both to break apart. The door pushed open to reveal a woman with dirty blonde hair. It fell just below her shoulders in soft curls. Her striking blue eyes held nothing but warmth and friendliness, along with the small smile that was on her face. She was dressed professionally in a dark grey suit. Nathan instantly recognized her as Quinn.
"Nate, it's good to see you again," Quinn said. "I take it that you've been taking good care of my husband while he's been in Tree Hill?"
Nathan cracked a smile. "More like he's been taking good care of me."
Quinn allowed a short giggle before turning her attention to Haley. "You must be Haley Scott, I'm Quinn Evans," She extended her hand, which Haley gracefully accepted. "It's really nice to meet you, although, I wish we were meeting under better circumstances."
Haley grinned sadly. "Likewise."
Quinn returned the smile before taking a seat in the chair across from them. She placed a notebook and few files in front of her. "As you both know, I am the head of the child psychology department within the BAU. I am going to walk you through everything that will have to happen once Jamie is back in your custody, along with answering any of the questions that you most likely have."
Nathan and Haley just nodded.
"Okay, Dan had filled me in on everything and I've looked over both of your files, along with the file they have on your son, Jamie. But, I do have a few questions. The more I know about you both and Jamie, the easier it's going to be to create a recovery plan. He was only one when he was abducted, correct?" Quinn clarified.
Haley nodded. "He was about 15 months old, yes." She felt her chest tighten at the word "abducted." That pain would never go away. Nathan must have noticed her discomfort because he gave her hand a comforting squeeze.
Quinn quickly jotted a few things down in her notebook. "Can you describe the relationship you both had with him? Was one of you more involved than the other?"
Nathan shook his head. "No, I would say we both spent equal time with him. We took turned feeding him, changing him, putting him to bed…all of that stuff. I wasn't working at the time and Haley was student teaching, so she wasn't at work that much either. In fact, majority of the time, it was all three of us together. "
Quinn didn't miss the confused expression that marred both of their faces. "I only ask that question because when it comes time to take the step to ease Jamie back into your family, it might make it easier on him if we started with the parent he spent the most time with."
"What exactly is the first step to all of this?" Haley asked.
"The first thing that needs to be done once Jamie is back in your custody and after he has been seen by a doctor is he needs to be evaluated, emotionally. That's the only way we're going to be able to tell just how much emotional damage he has suffered. Once he's been evaluated, we will begin the necessary steps to help him. That evaluation is what will help us further formulate his recovery plan," Quinn explained dutifully.
"What's going to happen with us? Are we going to be allowed to see him before he has to go through all of this evaluation?" Nathan asked next.
"We would never keep you from your son," Quinn promised. "However, you must prepare yourself for Jamie being standoffish and untrusting of you. He might back away from you or not allow you to touch him. That is completely normal."
Nathan felt his heart ache at her answer. He knew that Jamie wasn't going to jump right into his arms once they were reunited, but it still hurt to hear that. "Is there any chance that we can become a normal family again, at some point?"
Quinn could see the fear and the heart ache in both of their eyes and it broke her own heart. She had been doing this job for years and has seen that look in many people's eyes, but it never failed to shake something inside of her. "I can't give you a definite answer but I can tell you that I have seen families reunite with children who have been gone even longer than Jamie has and with the proper care, they've made full recoveries."
"I bet none of those children in those families have been abducted at such a young age, though," Haley mumbled bitterly.
"I'll be honest, Jamie being taken at such a young age does make things as little more difficult," Quinn admitted. "He has gone through a lot of development without you around. However, babies start to recognize and connect with their parents at eight months old. That type of recognition doesn't go away, even through his development stages. Jamie might recognize you as his parents, but there won't be an emotional connection."
Haley swallowed hard. This was so difficult to hear. "What can we do about that emotional connection? Is there anything that we can do?"
Quinn nodded. "Yes, there is quite a lot that you can do, but I have to warn you, this is going to be a slow and emotional draining process. There is no way of knowing how long it is going to take for Jamie to warm up to you. It could be a few days or a few months. It's different for every child."
"We can handle it," Nathan declared.
"The important thing to remember is to be patient and to not overwhelm him. We would recommend that he stay in one of our facilities for a little while," Quinn stated carefully. "That's the part that parents hate most about this. We only do this because we want the child to feel comfortable. We want to ease them into this transition. While he's staying in one of our facilities, we will have joint therapy sessions with him. It'll give you both a chance to speak with him, to bond over things, to get to know one another. It might help to bring in photos or memorabilia from your time with him. Subconsciously, he might remember those moments or those items. We'll have to start slow. We'll start with fifteen minute sessions and work our way up to hour long sessions.
"What about after the sessions are over?" Haley questioned. She didn't like the fact that Jamie would have to stay in a facility. She just wanted to be able to take him and work towards getting things back to normal. What normal was, she wasn't sure.
"Once he has made a sufficient enough of progress and once he feels comfortable enough, we'll release him to you. Depending on his progress, he might have to attend a few more sessions. I don't want to overwhelm you with information, so once we reach that stage, we'll discuss it more," Quinn explained with a comforting smile.
"Okay, thank you," Nathan mumbled tiredly. He suddenly felt absolutely drained.
Quinn saw the anguish they were going through. The constantly changing emotions dancing in their eyes. "Look, I know that this is a lot to take in. Six years is a long time for a child to be away from his parents. But, I can assure that I, along with the rest of the team, will do everything in our power to help repair your family. It's not impossible, but it's not going to be easy either. It's going to take a lot."
"We're willing to do whatever it takes," Haley insisted.
~x~
The sound Nathan's steady heartbeat combined with the feel of his fingers brushing against the skin on her arm was quickly causing the tension to dissipate from Haley's body. She was emotionally drained from the day they had but she couldn't help but feel some kind of peace. Talking with Quinn about Jamie made this whole thing so much more real. She was still terrified out of her mind and hearing that it might take a while for Jamie to warm up to them broke her heart but she was excited. There was finally some kind of light at the end of the tunnel. Twenty four hours from now, she and Nathan could be in presence of their son again for the first time in six years.
"What are you thinking about?" Haley asked, breaking the silence.
"The first thing we're going to do as a family once things become more stable," Nathan answered quietly.
Haley began to drum her fingers against his bare chest, a small smile gracing her lips. "And what would that be?"
Nathan took in a breath before slowly letting it out. The feel of Haley's fingers dancing across his chest had goosebumps rising on his skin. "I have this perfect picture in mind of us at the park. It's a beautiful day out- the sun is shining and the sky is clear. You're wearing this little sun dress. You know, that blue and white striped one that you would always wear on the first day of spring. Do you remember that dress?"
Haley's smile only widened. "Of course I do."
"You look amazing in that dress," Nathan said lowly. Without having to see her face, he knew she was blushing. "Anyway, I can see us pushing Jamie on the swing or maybe down the slide. He's laughing and smiling, his eyes twinkling."
"That sounds nice," Haley cooed as she snuggled herself more into Nathan's chest. "It sounds perfect, actually."
"Yeah, it does, doesn't it?" Nathan murmured.
Haley titled her head up so that she could look at Nathan properly. "There's something I want to show you." She sat up and began to reach over Nathan to grab her cell phone that was sitting on the bedside table.
Nathan watched as she reached over him to grab her phone but something glinting in the moonlight caught his attention. The cross she always wore around her neck fell out from underneath her shirt but it wasn't the cross that his eyes were drawn to. There was something else strung on to the gold chain and he felt a lump form in his throat at the sight of it. Without thinking, he reached up to finger the object that had caught his eye.
As soon as his fingers touched it, his suspicions were confirmed. Her wedding ring.
Haley froze above him as soon as his fingers touched the cool metal. His heart was pounding loudly in his chest and his mind became hazy. How long had she had that around her neck? Why hadn't he noticed it before? He couldn't explain the feelings that were coursing through him at that moment. It was like he couldn't breathe but in the most euphoric ways.
"Hales," He began hoarsely. "That's your wedding ring."
Haley thought for sure that her heart was going to beat out of her chest. She swallowed hard as she slowly returned to her position next to Nathan, this time on her knees. She hadn't forgotten that her ring was still hanging around her neck, but she hadn't expected Nathan to see it. His fingers were still toying with her ring. The intense look in his face caused a shiver to run down her spine.
"Yeah, it is," She confirmed softly.
As soon as he looked up and their eyes met, Haley's breath hitched in her throat. In the depths of his blue eyes, she saw a world wind of emotions swirling around. Love, need, desire, awe, shock…it was completely overwhelming. His smoldering gaze caused shiver after shiver to run through her body but she couldn't look away.
Nathan wasn't sure why seeing her ring around her neck had caused such a reaction in him. He already knew that she still loved him, she had made sure to tell him that any chance she got. But this was…this was symbolic. This was physical and tangible proof that despite everything he had put her through, she still held on to their love.
"How long have you been wearing it?" He asked, his voice still hoarse.
She brought her hand up to cover the hand that was touching her ring. "Since the night I found out you were missing," She whispered. "I kind of found your ring that night, along with a few pictures. And that's when I realized, for the first time, that you hadn't been making any of your decisions for yourself. You were doing everything for me all along. For your family."
"Haley," Nathan began but Haley shook her head to signal that she wasn't done yet.
"That night, I wasn't ready to let you fully back into my heart yet but for the first time, I wanted to be. Deep down, I always knew that I was still in love with you but I buried it under all of my hurt and all of my anger. It was then that I allowed myself to feel that love again. So, I dug out my ring and strung it along my necklace. I wanted it to be a reminder that no matter what happened, I loved you and that was worth fighting for," Haley revealed, her fingers prying his away from her ring. She laced them together, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.
It was then that Nathan decided he couldn't take it anymore. With his free hand, he cupped Haley's cheek and leaned forward to press his lips against hers in a passionate kiss. She met him with the same amount of passion as her lips moved feverishly over his. Her fingers knotted themselves in his thick hair as his hands fell to her waist. Gently, Nathan shifted them so Haley was now lying flat on her back and he was hovering over her.
He was quickly getting lost in the feel of her, just like he had so many times before. His heart was pounding in his chest and goosebumps were forming on his skin as her hands ghosted the length of his bare back. There was something so different about what was transpiring between them. He could feel it in the way their lips molded together in gentle and slow caresses. They had…sex when things were still rocky and they had kissed quite a few times since becoming "them" again, but this just felt different. He couldn't describe what different meant, he just knew it was a good different.
A good different that was starting to make him dizzy with need.
Haley bit down hard on her bottom lip to suppress a moan when Nathan tore his lips from hers and began to press open mouth kisses along the length of her neck. Her fingers found their way back into his hair, her blunt nails scratching against his scalp. A smirk spread across her face when Nathan shivered above her, involuntarily pressing his body further into hers. That smirk was quickly wiped away when Nathan's lips latch on to her pulse point, causing a series of moans to fall from her lips.
God, she felt like she could just die from what he was doing to her. It had been so long since she's felt him kiss her and touch her like he was. His fingers were dancing across the exposed skin of her stomach, leaving a trail of fire in his wake. She could feel her body quickly heating up, a familiar desire starting to flow through her veins.
"You taste so good," Nathan murmured against her skin, his lips now brushing against her collarbone.
A shiver ran down her spine at the husky tone in his voice. She was acutely aware of his arousal pressing into her just so, making her body heat up even more. Her breath hitched in her throat when she felt one of his hands snake underneath the material of tank-top, massaging the flat planes of her stomach. One of her hands dropped from its grip in his hair and fell to his chest. She rested it over his heart and immediately felt the fast pitter-patter of his heartbeat against the palm of her hand. That was all she needed to know exactly what she wanted, what she needed…what she craved.
"Nathan," Haley called out breathlessly.
He paused at the sound of her voice. The reality of what seemed to be happening quickly set in and he inwardly groaned. They had promised to take things slow and as hard as it was going to be, he knew that he needed to stop. Removing his hand from underneath her shirt, he took a deep breath before meeting her gaze.
His heart actually stopped beating at the sight of her. Her cheeks were slightly flushed and her bottom lip was wedged between her teeth. Swirling around in her brown eyes was an intense amount of desire and lust. He had seen that look before. It was the same look she used to give him time and time again before they made love during the early years of their marriage. Nathan was sure he would never have the privilege of seeing that look again.
"Nathan," She repeated. "Make love to me."
Nathan felt his mouth go dry at her words. "Hales," He choked out. "Are you sure? We said we were going to take things slow and I'm completely okay with that. I wasn't pressuring you was I? I didn't mean to if I was." He was talking a mile a minute. Since when did his wife wanting him to make love to her turn him into a babbling fool?
Since they hadn't properly made love in six years, a voice in his head reminded him.
Haley giggled at his babbling. She began to play with the hairs at the nape of his neck, hoping that, that smoothing gesture would relax him. "I'm positive, Nathan. I want this…I want you," She declared. And she did…more than anything. A low fire had been flickering in the pit of her stomach since the moment he kissed her. The only thing she cared about in that moment was being with her husband again. It felt right and she wasn't going to fight against it.
Nathan searched her eyes for even the slightest hint of uncertainty. He found nothing but trust, love, and an undeniable amount of lust. He snapped, bowing his head to kiss her fervently. His hands returned to caressing the skin of her stomach, pushing her tank-top further up her body. He pulled away from her lips just enough to pull her tank top off of her body.
"God, you're so beautiful," Nathan breathed as his eyes raked over the new exposed skin of her stomach and chest. She was easily to most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. Every single inch of her was perfect. He felt himself grow even harder at the dusty pink blush that now covered her upper chest and cheeks.
The butterflies in Haley's stomach were the size of moths. Her insides felt like they were burning from the way Nathan was looking at her. She tossed her head back, a moan slipping from her lips when Nathan began to attack her upper chest with his mouth. It seemed like he still remembered just where to kiss and where to suck to drive her absolutely crazy. She could feel the pleasure quickly building as his tongue wrapped around her nipple. Her back arched off of the bed, his name falling from her lips in breathless pants. She about lost her damn mind when his thumb and forefinger started to pinch the neglected nipple.
She was hot, so Goddamn hot, and he had barely done anything to her. She blamed it on the fact that it had been so long since they had been in this position. Her body was finally getting a dose of something it was deprived of for so long. Every part of her body was overly sensitive. Even the slightest of touches were making her wet with need. The ache between her legs was becoming unbearable and she couldn't take it anymore. She just needed him and she needed him now.
"Nathan, please," She moaned, her hands gripping the bedsheet tightly.
"What do you want, baby?" He murmured against her skin.
"You," She breathed. "I need you."
Nathan kissed his way back up to her lips, pressing his forehead against hers. "You already have me."
Haley lifted her legs to wrap around his waist, pressing their bodies further together. They both gasped at the contact of their lower bodies and bare chests molding together. The skin on skin contact was driving them both insane, setting off tiny sparks in their veins. Their skin was already slick with a thin layer of sweat.
"I need you inside of me," She clarified in a heady voice.
Nathan's eyes snapped shut and he groaned at her words. He felt himself twitch in response. Deciding not to delay the inevitable any longer, he quickly discarded her sleep shorts and his boxers before returning to his position back on top of her. Sealing her lips in a passionate kiss, he laced their fingers together and pinned her hands on either side of her head. Slowly, he pushed himself inside of her and his eyes practically crossed at the sensation. There was absolutely nothing that felt better than being with Haley like this.
"Oh, God, Nathan," Haley cried out as she tore her lips away from his. "You feel so good."
"So do you," Nathan husked as he began to move inside of her. "I forgot just how tight you are."
Haley just whimpered in response.
It didn't take long for them to find a natural and slow rhythm, Haley's hips rising to meet Nathan's thrusts. Nathan kept his forehead pressed against Haley's, their lips only centimeters apart. Their moans could be heard echoing through the room and neither seemed to care about the other people occupying the hotel room. The only thing that mattered was them.
Haley could already feel the end nearing for her, the coil in her belly tightening with every passing second. He felt so good. The feel of him moving inside of her, his slick skin gliding against hers…it all felt mind-numbingly good. It had to be a sin to be feeling this much pleasure. Nathan was the only person who could invoke these kinds of feelings inside of her, she was sure of it. She never felt closer to Nathan than she did in that moment. Not only were their bodies reconnecting, but so were their hearts. She knew it was cliché to say, but she swore she fell in love with him all over again in that moment.
"I love you," Haley whispered against his lips.
Nathan's heart soared as he inadvertently sped up his thrusts. He was convinced that hearing that would never seem real. "Say that again."
"I love you," She repeated, her voice sounding more strained as the pleasure became almost unbearable.
Nathan knew he wasn't going to last much longer. The sound of her moans and the way she felt around him was quickly pushing him closer and closer to the edge. He upped his pace a little more, tilting his hips slightly. He was rewarded with Haley tossing her head back, a series of expletives falling from her lips.
"Come on, baby," Nathan cooed. "I can feel that you're there."
"Oh, fuck."
It was few moments later that Haley felt that coil in her belly snap as everything seemed to cut to white noise. Wave after wave of pleasure washed over her body as she moaned Nathan's name. It wasn't long after that, that she felt Nathan still his movements, her name falling from his lips in a husky whisper. Nathan collapsed on top of Haley, his head falling into the crook of her neck. Their bodies were completely covered in sweat, but neither seemed to care. They were both breathing heavily, their bodies still buzzing with pleasure. After a few moments, Nathan rolled off of Haley and she wasted no time cuddling up next to him.
Haley could barely keep her eyes open. Her body seemed to be still recovering and she just craved a good night of sleep, something that she hadn't had in a while. But she had a feeling tonight was going to be an acceptance. She pressed a soft kiss to the center of Nathan's chest before closing her eyes. The last thing she heard before falling into a peaceful sleep was:
"I love you, Haley James."
~x~
"You ready for this?" Clay asked, taking a seat across from a visibly nervous-looking Nathan and Haley. He was already dressed in his FBI vest and his gun was already strapped to his waist.
"Honestly? Not at all," Nathan admitted. Haley nodded her head in agreement.
"You guys have to have a little faith in us," Clay tried to lighten the mood but even he knew it was futile. The anxiety in that van was palpable. Every agent was on edge.
"It's not you guys I'm worried about," Nathan muttered. "This is the closest we've gotten to Jamie in the past six years. So far, things have been working out in our favor and I'm just waiting for something to go wrong. It's inevitable."
Haley rubbed Nathan's arm in soothing manner. She could feel just how tense his body was and it made her already high anxiety spike even higher. It didn't help matters that they were cramped in van with about six other FBI agents. She already hated small spaces and having so many people in one place wasn't helping matters. They were playing the waiting game now, or at least that's what Clay called it. The van was parked discreetly outside of the hotel that Heather was staying at. Lucas and Brooke had gone in about twenty minutes ago. They were posing as a couple who was looking to book a room for the night. It was their job to alert the rest of the team when they spotted Heather leave the hotel.
"Nate, you can't think like that," Clay said with a sigh.
"I know, but it's not like I can help it. This all seems too…easy," Nathan said, his eyes adverting from Clay's face to the ground.
Clay shook his head dismissively. "Stop it. You're going to drive yourself crazy. This entire team knows how much this means and we have spent the last seventy-two hours perfecting this plan. We are prepared for even the most absurd things that could go wrong."
Nathan sighed, running his hands down his face in an agitated manner. "I just wish I could go in there with you guys."
"See! You don't have faith in us!"
Nathan shook his head. "It's not that. I just hate sitting out. I feel so helpless. That's my son in there and I'm forced to just sit here. That is what is going to drive me crazy."
"I know-"
"Suspect has been spotted," Dan's voice came over the speaker in the van. "She has been seen exiting the hotel from door two. Assume positions."
"I guess that's my cue," Clay muttered as he slid out of his seat and followed the rest of the agents filing out of the van hastily.
Nathan placed his arm around a trembling Haley and pulled her tight against his chest. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, his eyes snapping shut when he heard her sniffling. He felt his own set of tears prick at the back of his eyes. His grip on Haley tightened when her sniffling turned into full on sobs. Her one hand clutched tightly on to his black t-shirt, twisting the fabric between her fingers. It was like she just needed something to hang on to.
"Haley, baby," Nathan said softly. "Just breathe. You have to breathe."
Haley wasn't sure what had come over her. All of these different emotions seemed to appear out of nowhere and she couldn't handle it. None of this felt real. Sitting in that van with all of those agents and to then hear Dan's voice tell them to get ready…it was such an out of body experience.
"I'm t-trying," Haley choked out. "Oh, God, N-Nathan, I can't." Her chest was heaving and she felt like she couldn't breathe. Her throat was closing up. It was like she couldn't think, she couldn't move…she couldn't do anything. Her whole entire body was shaking and the tears just wouldn't stop.
She was having a panic attack.
Nathan felt his own chest tighten at the sight of her. Her desperate gasps and sobs felt like a bullet in his heart. Quickly, he shifted their position so that he was facing her. Cupping her cheeks, he forced her to look at him. He swallowed hard at the sight of her red and swollen eyes, the same eyes that wouldn't meet his gaze.
"Hales, look at me," He said sternly.
After a slight hesitation, she followed his instruction.
"Good," Nathan gave her a soft smile. "Now do what I do, okay? Take a deep breath in, hold it for a few seconds, and then let it out slowly." He took in a deep breath and felt a sense of relief when he saw her mimic his actions. After holding it for a few seconds, he slowly let it out. Haley followed his lead closely. He repeated this cycle a few times until Haley started to calm down.
Finally, Haley felt like she could breathe. Tears were still streaming down her face but she felt a lot calmer than she did moments before. "I love you," She muttered as she curled back into Nathan's side.
Nathan wrapped her tightly into his arms. "I love you."
~x~
Peyton had her back pressed against the wall next to the door of the hotel room Jamie was supposedly in. Her gun was tightly clutched into her hands as she held it up in front of her. She gave Clay a quick nod, the go-ahead to unlock the door.
Clay reached into his pocket to pull out the keycard the hotel manager had given them. He swiped the card and waited for the red light to turn green before he slowly pushed the door open. Popping his gun out of his holster, he clutched it into his hand and pointed it in front of him. He and Peyton slowly walked into the hotel room while two other agents remained stationed in the hallway.
The first room they walked into was a living room. There was a creamed colored couch pushed up against the furthest wall. Some children's book was tossed carelessly on the piece of furniture. The dark brown carpet was littered with various kid's toys- trucks, action figures, even a few coloring books and crayons. One of the color books was left open to an unfinished picture. A blue crayon was resting on top of the off white pages. There was a TV nailed to the wall across from the couch. Some children's show that Peyton nor Clay recognized was playing on the screen. They cautiously walked further into the room to find it completely empty.
Peyton nodded her head towards the hallway where the bedrooms were located. Slowly, they headed towards that hall. It was a narrow hallway, one room on either side and then a last room at the very end of the hall. All of three of the white bedroom doors were shut. Taking a few more steps, they froze when the door at the end of the hall slowly began to open. Their hearts were pounding as they held their guns more securely in front of them. Time seemed to slow down as the door finally full opened, revealing a little boy standing in the doorway.
The little boy's blue eyes went wide when he saw Clay and Peyton standing there, guns out. He froze, his bottom lip beginning to quiver. He looked completely scared out of his mind, his little body visibly shaking. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a light blue t-shirt with a black sweatshirt over it. He was short. He couldn't have been more than four foot five. His dirty blonde hair was messily spiked in the front.
Peyton felt her throat close up. There was absolutely no mistaking that this little boy was Jamie Scott. He looked just like that little boy in the picture she saw back at Nathan and Haley's old house, albeit, older. It blew her away at just how perfect of a mixture he was of Nathan and Haley. She could tell when he was just a little boy and she could tell even more now. It felt almost surreal seeing him standing there.
Clay slowly placed his gun back in his holster. He looked back at Peyton who looked just as in awe as he felt. Taking a deep breath, he turned his attention back to the little boy. Placing his hands up in surrender, he took a step forward only for the little boy to jump back.
"It's okay, buddy," Clay said gently. "I'm not going to hurt you."
He just stared at Clay, sucking his bottom lip into his mouth.
Clay gave him a small smile. "My name is Clay. Are you Jamie?"
He nodded his head slowly.
Clay's heart jumped in his throat. He knew this little boy was Jamie but the confirmation just made it all so much more real. He took another hesitant step towards Jamie and this time Jamie remained still. "I work for the FBI. Do you know what the FBI does?"
Jamie nodded. "You get the bad guys. Like cops do."
Clay smiled as he slowly crouched down so he was the same height as Jamie. "That's right. We also help people who are in danger."
"Like me?" Jamie asked. The hand that was clutching tightly on to the door handle dropped to his side. He still looked scared, but there was something else marring his features now. It was…hope?
"Are you in danger?" Clay asked. It seemed like a stupid question but he needed to know. There was a chance that Jamie knew more about Ian than they did.
Jamie shrugged. "I don't know. Ms. Heather and Mr. Ian say that I am. That's why we always gotta move."
"Are those your parents?"
Jamie shook his head. "No. My momma and daddy are up in heaven."
Clay's eyes widened at that. He looked over his shoulder and back at Peyton who narrowed her eyes. Turning his head back to Jamie, he furrowed his eyebrows. "Why would you think your parents are dead?"
"That's what Mr. Ian told me. He told me that my momma and daddy died and he adopted me. He shows me pictures and tells me stories of them every night before I go to sleep. It's my bedtime story," Jamie revealed.
Peyton felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She quickly fished it out and read the awaiting text. "Clay, Smith and Taggaro arrested Heather. We need to get out of here," Peyton informed him, her mind still reeling from the information Jamie had revealed.
Clay reached out to grab Jamie's hand and to his surprise, Jamie didn't stop him. "Jamie, what if I told you that your parents are alive?"
"Really?" Jamie's eyes seemed to light up at that. The fear he was feeling quickly dissipating only to be replaced by genuine excitement.
Clay could feel tears well up in his eyes at the little boy's excitement. "Yeah. I can take you to them, if you'd like?"
Jamie eagerly nodded his head. "Okay."
Clay smiled brightly at the little boy before reaching to lift him up. Jamie didn't protest as he wrapped his arms around Clay's neck and allowed him to carry him out of the room. As soon as Jamie, Clay and Peyton exited the hotel room, the rest of the agents started to swarm the room for evidence.
~x~
"How long has it been?" Haley asked after what felt like hours of silence. After her panic attack, she and Nathan just laid in that van in silence. Nathan kept his arms tightly wound around her, his fingers drawing random patterns on the skin of her arms.
Nathan glanced down at his watch before answering. "About forty-five minutes."
"It feels like it's been hours."
"Long and torturous hours."
"Why haven't we heard anything yet?" Haley asked as she sat up slightly. "I feel like we should have at least heard something."
"I don't know, baby, I don't know."
Just then, there was a pounding on the van door before it swung open. One of the agents that Haley remembered to be named Frank was standing there. "Nathan, Haley, you might want to get out here," He said quickly, his arms motioning for them to jump out of the van.
They both looked at each other as they scurried out of the van. Their stomachs were in knots and their hearts were pounding at exceptional rates. Nathan kept his arm around Haley's waist as they were ushered to the front of the hotel. Haley was grateful for Nathan's arm because her legs felt like jelly. They stopped at the front entrance of the hotel. The entire place seemed to be swarmed with police officers and FBI agents. Haley watched as two agents walked out of the front doors, escorting a hand cuffed woman. She was a blonde, dressed in really expensive looking clothes. The scowl on her face made Haley uneasy. This was the woman that had been keeping an eye on Jamie. Haley had to resist the urge to march right up to that woman and give her a piece of her mind.
Adverting her eyes away from Heather, she looked back at the front entrance. She saw Peyton first. Her curly blonde hair bouncing as she hurried out of the hotel and down the hotel stairs. There was a bright smile on her face, something Haley wasn't sure she had ever seen on Peyton. Everything after that seemed to happen in slow motion.
The door to the hotel swung open once again and Clay stepped out, a little boy in his arms. Haley immediately knew that, that little boy was Jamie and God, he was perfect. He looked just as she imagined he would. His bright blue eyes, the same blue eyes that she saw every time she looked at Nathan. His button nose, the same button nose she saw every time she looked in the mirror. His dirty blonde hair, his chubby cheeks…he was absolutely perfect. She felt her knees give out from beneath her as she fell to the ground. Her hand flew up to cover her mouth as the tears fell effortlessly down her face. She never knew that happiness like this could exist.
Their son…he was alive and he was right in front her.
Nathan kneeled on the ground next to Haley and she hugged him tightly. Tears of his own were falling from his eyes as he stared at Jamie. He couldn't look away even if he tried. He was even more perfect than the first time he laid eyes on him in that house. This all felt like a dream. A dream that he didn't ever want to wake up from. The happiness he felt…the completeness that he felt…it was euphoric.
Clay approached Nathan and Haley, Jamie still securely in his arms. Once he reached them, he smiled at both of them as they shakily stood up from the ground. "Jamie Scott, I'd like to introduce you to your parents."