Finding Home

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the OCs.

I hope you guys like this chapter because I did try and do a good job on it.

-Lucas-

Lucas walked slowly towards the river court.

So many things-so many wonderful things- had happened in the past few weeks. Erica was back and safe and so was Jamie.

Lucas had so many thoughts going though his head.

Back in high school there was only one way to really clear his head and he still did it today.

Just being at the river court had a calming effect on him.

But when he reached the court, someone was already there playing basketball, with a radio sitting on the bleachers.

-Jamie-

Jamie bounced the ball and lined up the shot.

But before he could a song came over the radio. Without meaning to he started singing along to 'Chariot.'

The song ended and when he stopped singing, he heard clapping behind him.

He turned around to see Lucas.

"Ok, seriously you have to sing more often! Another talent you got from your mom."

Jamie scoffed and threw the ball to him.

He caught it and put it threw the hoop himself. He looked back down at his nephew.

Jamie was staring out over the river.

"What wrong?" Lucas asked him.

Jamie turned to him. "Carrie's coming."

Lucas frowned. No, not possible. Not again. "How do you know?"

Jamie looked back at the river. "Come on, Uncle Luc. Things are working out, people are happy, the story's so close to its happy ending…something bad has to happen."

Lucas shook his head.

Jamie sighed. "She's wants revenge Lucas. She wants to hurt Erica."

Lucas's blood ran cold and he walked over to Jamie. "If she wants Erica then she'll have to get through all us first."

Jamie looked at him and frowned. "You think I don't know that! I want to protect Erica just as much as you do, but we have to keep a sharp eye out. Carrie could be anywhere."

There was a long pause. Both guys looked out over the river.

Then Jamie said, "We have to protect her. No matter what."

Lucas just nodded in agreement.

-The next day-

The crowd let out another cheer as Jamie scored another basket.

The father-son basketball game was in full swing and both Nathan and Jamie were having the time of their lives.

Before the game Nathan promised himself that he wouldn't be like Dan was and he kept his promise.

The game was pure joy for everyone playing and everyone watching.

The sons would do some basketball tricks and embarrass the dads and then the dads would just mess with the sons. The referee gave up trying to keep the rules a long time ago.

Erica, Lucas and Peyton sat with Haley, Brooke and Owen.

Skills was at the side of the court as he was the co-coach and Mouth was up in the new commentator's box.

The box had been recently built; it had large windows at the front of it and gave a clear view of the court. The windows were kept so shiny that they acted as a mirror to the crowd.

"And it's Scott with the ball…only to have it taken by Scott Senior!" Mouth said into the microphone.

Erica clapped half-heartily.

Something was off. She had a bad feeling and it hadn't stopped since she set foot in the gym. She felt like someone was watching her but every time she looked around she saw no one.

Don't you know how it goes, Erica…you should always look right behind you.

-Half time-

Jamie threw the ball to John but before he could shoot, the whistle was blown for half-time.

The boys and the fathers split and went to their benches.

Jamie took a water bottle and gulped down its contents.

There was no need for a half time pep talk; this game was purely for fun.

Jamie looked around at the stands. He spotted his family and waved.

He looked at Erica and smiled at her.

But as she waved back his smile slowly dropped.

He looked behind Erica to the person sitting on the seat above her.

Carrie.

The woman's gaze was completely fixed on Erica.

She never blinked, never flinched.

She just stared.

Jamie watched, with bile filling his throat, as Carrie lifted her hand and touched Erica's hair. She did so lightly that Erica didn't feel anything.

Jamie's breathing got heavy and he strained to catch Erica's eye again.

But she was talking to her dad, oblivious to the evil sitting behind her.

Jamie couldn't just yell at her; Carrie would probably be armed and the last thing that was needed was a shoot out.

Finally Erica turned back to Jamie, frowning at his worried face.

Jamie bit his lip and looked over at the commentator's box.

Erica just frowned at him again.

Jamie motioned his head towards the box again just as the whistle was blown for the second half.

Erica shook her head.

Jamie was acting so weird. Why did he keep looking at the commentator's box?

Erica looked up at it and gasped.

She saw Carrie in the box, staring.

Erica stared to pant and she looked back at Carrie. What was she staring at?

Erica looked carefully through the glass.

It was with horror that she realized that it wasn't Carrie in the glass; it was her reflection.

Erica grabbed Lucas's hand and he looked at her.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Erica just nodded.

Carrie was staring at her.

Carrie was behind her, she could practically feel her cold breath on her head.

She watched in the glass as Carrie raised a hand and lightly touched her hair.

Erica forced herself not to vomit and she took a shaky breath.

She looked back at the court and saw Jamie looking at her, his face a mask of worry. .

She gave him a shaky smile to reassure him of her safety.

The second half passed excrusiently slow for the two of them.

Every moment filled with worry, fear and terror.

Finally the buzzer went, signalling the end of the game.

Jamie ran from his position on court to the stands.

Erica jumped from her seat to him.

He reached the bottom seats when she did and Erica ran into his arms. He engulfed her in a protective hug and turned them around so that his back was to Carrie and Erica was out of sight.

Erica sobbed as she took her phone out of her pocket and called the police.

Jamie kissed her head and held her close. He couldn't believe that he had let Carrie get so close to her! He was an idiot! He couldn't let that happen again.

The adults surrounded them, worried.

"Jamie what's going on?" Haley asked.

"Carrie's here."

They all immediately snapped into action.

Nathan took the phone from Erica to call the police, while Jamie let Lucas and Peyton take Erica and hug her.

Haley took Jamie's hand and he looked at her. "I failed. I let Carrie get this close to Erica."

Haley shook her head. "No you didn't fail. You did just fine. And you've got all of us to help you now too."

Jamie nodded and looked around. Carrie was no where in sight.

"She's gone. For now," he said.

Haley nodded.

-Half an hour later-

Erica sat between Lucas and Peyton, holding a glass of water in her hand. She had taken a few sips but other than that it hadn't been touched. Peyton had an arm around Erica and Lucas was gently stroking her hair.

Everyone else had gone home and the police had just left.

Jamie and Nathan were still in their basketball gear and they all agreed to stay at Nathan and Haley's house. There was safety in numbers, Brooke had said.

"Lucas, Peyton and Erica can come with us in our car," Nathan said.

Erica nodded and stood up. "Then I'll have to get my jacket out of our car," she said.

Lucas replied, "I'll come with you. You shouldn't be on your own."

The two of them walked slowly out of the room.

Erica was holding onto Lucas's arm and he kissed the top of her head.

The parking lot of the school was dark, hardly lit by the street lamps. The shadows of the cars stretched like long fingers across the concrete. Their steps echoed across the area, the sounds bouncing back eerily.

Their car came into sight.

Lucas stumbled and looked down at his feet.

He unlocked the car for Erica and crouched down to tie his shoelace.

She leaned into the car and grabbed her jacket.

The sleeve was caught under Lucas's heavy basketball bag.

With one sharp tug she got it free and she got out of the car.

She shut the door and said, "I got it Dad."

She walked to the other side of the car and her smile dropped.

She ran towards Lucas's slumped body. "DAD!" she exclaimed.

She leaned down to check that he was breathing and was relived to find that he was.

But there was a strange smell around his mouth and nose.

She looked towards the door of the gym and screamed, "JAMI-."

She was cut off as a cloth was roughly placed on her nose and mouth.

There was the same weird smell and as she struggled against the stranger's tight grip,

Erica felt her strength going and her eyes slowly started to close.

Next thing she knew, every thing went dark.

-A few minutes later-

When Erica felt herself slowly start to wake she could feel a hard surface beneath her.

She was still in darkness and she let her hands explore the area around her.

Now fully awake, she knew that she was in a small space…a trunk of a car.

She could feel the car moving and Erica started to kick and hit the roof of her prison.

After a few minutes Erica tried to calm down from her panic.

She could feel the tears in her eyes.

Erica took a deep breath and tried to find some way of escape.

Finally there was a jolt and the car stopped.

Erica stopped and listened. She heard her raspy breathing and the sound of a door opening and closing. The sound of footsteps as someone walked around the car.

There was a click and the truck lid was lifted.

A dim light filled the trunk.

Erica sat up to see Carrie staring down at her.

Carrie walked slowly backwards until she was a few steps away from the car.

Carrie leaned her head to the side and said, "Are you going to come out and play?"

Erica looked at her and slowly climbed out of the trunk.

Carrie's hair was messed up and her eyes were lifeless and empty.

She had truly gone over the edge of insanity.

Erica stood up in front of the car.

They were on a roof top car park that was filled with cars and van of many sizes. To the side of the area was eight crates, one on top another one, making four rows.

The area was dark and there were only one lamp hanging over the obviously locked door. The lamp flickered on and off and the only real light was the bright moon the hung in the pitch black sky.

Erica slowly lifted her hand to her pocket.

It was then that she remembered that Nathan still had her phone from when he called the police at the gym.

Erica swallowed nervously and asked, "What do you want?"

Carrie grinned like a caged animal that had just been let out.

"I want you to come and play."

-Jamie-

Jamie walked out to the car park.

In the few minutes that he had got changed into his jeans and black hoodie, Lucas and Erica still weren't back from the car.

The others had been busy cleaning up to notice.

When he raised his concern, they said that Erica was with Lucas and she would be fine.

But they didn't know Carrie like he did.

He walked down the rows of cars until he saw Lucas, still lying on the ground.

He ran towards him and shook him. "Lucas! Uncle Lucas!" he said.

Lucas's eyes slowly started to open. "Jamie?" he said.

"Uncle Lucas are you alright? Where's Erica?!"

Lucas pushed himself up into the sitting position.

He looked around and then back at Jamie. "I don't know," he said in a scared voice.

Jamie stood up and looked around franticly.

He started to pant and ran both his hands through his hair.

"Erica!" he yelled, "ERICA! Can you hear me?"

"ERICA!"