Ok first...Dead... That's all I can say about Today's ep.
Second wow for a chapter that I thought was pretty Fluffy I got like two reviews WFT? Guy you've all been better then that...ok rant over Lastly this will be the last chapter for a while as I have to write the next one. I've been sick since Monday night (Aus time) so I haven't done it yet. Let me just tell you I would rather put up with my pain in the ass Up himself old 2IC then I would food poisoning and allergies which I am still trying to get over. So please stick with me while I try and get through all this crap going on at the moment. I'm also a little pissed that I couldn't go to my grandfathers funeral. I really wanted to go but being sick and then having to work on the only day I could get a flight back I had to miss out. So please stick around I have heaps of Idea's it's just getting the time with out distraction to sit down and write that I am having trouble getting.
Who Is Erin Cunningham? Chapter 24
Karen Scott had been day dreaming, imagining what life would have been like if she had been able to see her son get married and to be able to watch her grandson grow up. There had been no one in the Cafe and there wouldn't be for a while so she was free to daydream as much as she liked. The bell of the door rang out bringing her out of yet another day dream. She looked up as a woman she didn't know walked into the café. It was a quiet day, regulars came in at their usual times but apart from that Karen knew there wasn't anything special going on in town. So who this woman was and what she was doing her puzzled her.
"Can I help you?" she asked coming around the counter she folded her arms something she did out of habit now. She didn't trust new people, something she could thank Dan or she guessed.
"I know where your son Nathan is" said the woman not much older than Karen. She hadn't been in contact with Nathan and Haley recently having been working up in Vancouver for the past year.
"What about Nathan?" Karen asked. The woman sighed knowing that this wasn't going to be easy. But then again she knew more about Nathan and Haley's past then anyone she was about the only person they had really opened up to. She didn't get any of these lies they told everyone else she knew the truth, the real reason as to why they left Tree Hill. Most people they met they always said that their parents didn't want them to be together so they left to be together. She had seen right through that from the first time she met them.
"Nathan and Haley live in Savannah with their adorably cute son James, although he goes by Jamie. I know this isn't what you want to here but-
"Aunt ERIN!" Erin turned around to see Jamie walk in with whom she guessed was Haley's mother she could see Haley in her right away. However what was Jamie doing in Tree Hill? Shaking off the thought for a minute she caught Jamie as he jumped into her arms for a hug.
"Wow bub you go heavy and tall, how old are you now? Ten?" she asked Jamie laughed and shook his head. He loved seeing Erin she was the first person he could remember well the first aunt anyway even if she wasn't really his aunt.
"I'm five, what are you doing here? Does Mama know you're here? You know she's still kinda made about that photo frame" he said matter of factly. Erin laughed and shook her head, no Haley nor Nathan knew she was here; it had been a spur of the moment decision as she was moving from Stanford to work at NYU, and instead of flying cross country she had decided to drive. Mostly to see the town the young couple could not stop talking about when they attended Stanford.
"Nope, I thought I would surprise you all, did you like it?" she asked Jamie nodded and gave her another hug before looking over at his grandmothers who were looking at him rather shocked.
"Would you like to introduce your friend Jamie?" Karen asked knowing better then to try and take her grandson off someone she didn't know but he very clearly did.
"This is my aunt Erin she worked at the school mama and daddy went to in California. We used to have a lot of sleepovers," he said before turning to look at Erin.
"Aunt Quinn mama's sister beat you, we had a pirate sleepover the other night it was so much fun. We talked like them, and dressed like them, and ate like them too. Daddy had photo's I'll show you" he said Erin laughed and nodded putting him down as she saw the young man in question walk into the café .
Nathan stopped as he saw Erin who had been like a mother to both him and Haley back at Stanford standing there in the middle of the café, Jamie was standing in front of her grinning up at her while his mother, and mother in law were all looking at her strangely.
"Erin, how did? We haven't seen you in a year how did you know we'd be here" Nathan asked walking over and giving her a hug Erin smirked, same old Nathan. She looked down at Jamie and could see that the little boy resembled his father more now than when she had last seen him.
"I got a job at NYU and decided to drive cross country just so I could see this town and this café you and Haley talked so much about. Also to tell you mother where you were and why you were there but you clearly beat me" she said Nathan nodded.
"Yeah by a week I think maybe a little more than that but not much. Hales and I decided it was time to stop running. She will kill you by the way, not telling us you were coming." Erin laughed yes she knew Haley James Scott pretty well and the young woman was bound to get up her even just a little bit for not informing them of her impending trip. Although she knew that they were back home now she still thought of them as her own kids, she had watched then grow so much over their time at Stanford. She had also watch Jamie grow up. She still couldn't believe how big he had gotten as well.
Haley James Scott laughed at her sister in law as they walked down the block from where she had parked the car. Lilly was wildly explaining something that had happened in one of her other classes and Haley was having trouble believing that the teacher who taught that class would let that happen. But apparently it had and so here they were no longer teacher and student, but sisters laughing and talking about the events that had happened to them throughout the day. So busy were they that neither of them had really been paying any attention to what was going on around them. Haley opened the door of the café for Lilly who walked through; the eleven year old had turned around to keep eye contact with her older sister and as a result she ran into her other brother.
"Babe didn't anyone ever tell you not to block the door way?" Haley asked not seeing Erin who was being blocked by Nathan. When he moved however she squealed, startling both her mother and mother in law.
"Erin! What are you doing here, how was Vancouver? When did you get here? Why didn't you at least email me and tell me, I would have told you we were here" Haley asked giving the woman a tight hug and showing the rest of their family that was in the café just how much this woman meant to all three of them. Karen looked over at Lydia and could tell she was thinking the same thing. Both were not sure how much they liked the fact that their children and grandchild treated this woman like family, this woman who knew more about what Nathan and Haley had been up to in the past seven years.
"I will explain all that later, right now I really want to see if I'm correct, you girlie have told me so much about these people I feel like I know them. Now I want to see how well I do." She said moving with Nathan, Haley and Jamie to a table and sitting down she pulled Jamie onto her lap, the five year old was all to pleased to stay there even with his cool aunt Lilly in the café.
"Ok those two must be your mothers, Karen and Lydia, I knew the moment I saw your mother Haley, I could really see a lot of you in her. That right there has to be your little sister Nathan, Lilly wasn't it?" she asked the more she spoke and the more Karen watched her the less she like this woman. It was like she had taken their place, Jamie wasn't instantly running away with Lilly, Haley didn't wrap her arms around Nathan knowing that, now was about the only time they would get to themselves, while they talked to their mothers about different things that were happening in their small town. It was like they were back in their own little world and the rest of them were on limited day passes.
"I'm sorry but I'm going to have to ask you all to leave, we're closing early" she said Nathan and Haley looked at Karen strangely wondering what had gotten into her it wasn't like her to close early. She hadn't when Nathan had come in with a split lip when they were 9, and she didn't close last week when Dan had come in looking for trouble causing a fight outside the cafe and had Jamie running off to Brooke's store. There was only one reason Nathan could think of that she said this, and that was Jealousy. His mother was jealous of Erin someone who, under different circumstance he knew the two of them would get along very well.
"Nathan could you please take your sister home, your father should be there soon" Nathan knew his theory was correct when she punctuated the words sister and father. Getting up he walked over to her wrapping his arm around her to let her know she still mattered to him, more than anything in the world.
"Are you really closing early or are you threatened by the fact that Erin knows more about Haley, Jamie and I and the past seven years then you do?" he asked Karen looked away from her son she should have known that Nathan would have seen right through what she was trying to do.
"Karen, I know what it's like to have children and not see them. My own daughter is just younger then Haley and Nathan. I haven't seen or spoken to her in ten years, and unlike your children who had no choice in the matter my daughter does. She chooses not to, because I left her father when he cheated on me. I took the blame because Gabby loves her dad more than anything in the world she idolizes him. So I took all the hate and blame so her image of her father wouldn't be ruined. I helped Haley and Nathan because I heard about them when they first got accepted to Stanford. It took a while for either of them to open up to me, when they did all they spoke about when it wasn't Jamie was this town and the people they left behind. I felt I knew all of you so well and I have never met any of you before, these two love this town, and all of you in ways I don't even know how to begin to describe. Their love for each other, Jamie and all of you is endless. I do apologize if it seems I have stepped on your toes." Said Erin sliding Jamie off her lap she got up, and grabbed a card out of her bag.
"I'm staying here if you want to see me" she said handing Haley the card she kissed Jamie on the top of the head before walking out. Haley looked over at her mother who shrugged as much as she agreed with what Karen was thinking she knew that after all Dan had done to her daughter for Haley to open up to someone the way she had done with Erin meant that both she and Nathan trusted her implicitly and as much as it hurt to know that. She knew her daughter and knew that no one would ever take her place in Haley's heart. Haley then looked over to Jamie who she knew wouldn't quite understand what was going on Erin had always been there for them even after they left Stanford, Jamie loved her to bits, just as much as he loved anyone of his aunt and uncles here. She knew the look on his face and what was about to come, she could have stopped him but she didn't it was something she thought her mother in law should hear.
"I HATE YOU! AUNT ERIN DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO YOU! SHE WAS THERE FOR MAMA WHEN YOU AND GRANDMA COULDN'T BE!" he yelled before running out after Erin. Getting up Haley looked over at her husband and knew that, even though things had been going smoothly with their move back to Tree Hill They both knew something like this was bound to happen. Mixing their family and friends of the last seven years with the family and friends they had here was always going to be a little hard on everyone especially on Jamie.
Karen watched as Jamie ran out and Haley chased after him, she had never expected those words to come out of her cute little Grandson; they were so spiteful and full of hurt. She didn't know that someone so cute could ever be like that; sure Lilly had been like that a few times over the years when she didn't get something she wanted but she never thought that would happen with Jamie not her grandson, he had always been so happy to see her.
Erin was almost to her car when she heard Jamie behind her turning around she saw him running toward her tears rolling down his cheeks, bending down she caught him as he raced into her. She then noticed Haley coming out after him.
"Jam box, I love you bub you know that but-
"I hate her, she – she hurt you- I hate her" he said trying to wipe the tears that were rolling down his cheeks away. Wrapping him up in a hug Erin picked him up and placed him on the hood of her car.
"You listen to me James Lucas Scott if I ever hear you say you hate your grandmother again, I will wash your mouth out with soap...again. Do you hear me? She is your grandma and she only just got your mummy and daddy back, and she is only just getting to know her dashingly handsome grandson. If you were my grandson I'd be jealous too. But that is still no reason for you to be angry at her ok. Also I know for a fact your mother tells you all the time not to hate people it's not very nice and hating family is really bad. Now I want to see that little gentleman I know you can be by marching back in there and telling your Grandma how sorry you are for saying that." She said when Jamie shook his head and folded his arms she gave him a stern look.
"No, she's mean. She told you to leave and I only got you back now." He said looking up at her with tears in his eyes. Erin sighed and wiped away a tear that rolled down his cheek as Haley came over to them. She wrapped an arm around Erin who smiled at her and wrapped her arm around Haley.
"Jamie I think you should go and say sorry to your grandma Karen" she said Jamie shook his head and looked down at his knee's poking an invisible spot over and over again.
Lydia James looked out the window watching her daughter, Grandson and her daughters friend as they talked she could tell that Haley and this Erin women were very close as they had an arm wrapped around each other. Looking up she smiled as Nathan came to stand beside her.
"I remember when Hales and Brooke used to stand like that all time. It drove me nuts because it was normally when they were ganging up on me for something. Don't think for a second she ever replaced you in her heart. Haley has a massive heart and Jamie's is just as big. But just like Hales and I Jamie is very protective of his family and to him, Erin is family and for many years the only family he knew in person." He said Lydia laughed and nodded Haley had always and would always defend her family to no end, and it seemed Jamie had gotten the same trait from his mother. Walking back to his own mother Nathan waited for her to say something anything. When she didn't he rolled his eyes.
"Erin used to baby sit for us when Haley and I both had classes, she did it for nothing we tried to pay her but she didn't want anything she would always tell us to put it towards, rent or food or spoiling Jamie when we could. Mum Erin means the world to Haley, Jamie and I because without her College for both Haley and I by ourselves with an infant would have been impossible. Everything Dan put us through Erin was there to help pick up the pieces. She would take Jamie for the night so that Haley and I could study for finals or over breaks some nights so Haley and I could actually act our age and go out and have a good time without having to worry about him. She's been everything to us and even more when Dan tried to get Jamie taken away from us. She took on the role that should have been you, Lydia and Dad but she flat out refused to let Jamie call her grandma. It was always Aunt Erin. She had known this whole time that one day you would be back in our lives and that, one day we wouldn't need her as much anymore and she still did everything she could for us." He said however his mother said nothing.
Nathan pinched the top of his nose he knew that his mother had said and done what she did only because she felt threatened but there was no way for him to explain that to Jamie in a way he would understand. Erin for the first couple of years of his life was the only family Jamie knew. It was his mother, father and Aunt Erin and just like his mother Jamie jumped to defend anyone of his family when they were being attacked even if it was by his own family. He looked up as Haley walked back in and over to him wrapping an arm around him just like she had with Erin but unlike then, she slipped her hand into his back pocket.
"Jamie's going to hang out with Erin for a while back home. Cool off a bit probably show her his room and how cool his Aunt Quinn is for having a pirate sleepover, and probably talk her ear off about how much he loves his aunt Lilly" She said Winking at Lilly who smiled.
"He may have gotten my height but he defiantly has the Scott stubbornness" she said Nathan smiled and kissed the top of her head. He knew Erin pretty well and she could talk Jamie into or out of anything. They would give both of them some time together and Erin would talk Jamie round.
"I just- she knows so much about you, stuff that only a mother should know" said Karen
"Yeah I know. But Karen that doesn't mean we love you anyless. Erin is a godsend really she is, but she knows that if we could go back and change what happed and have you, or Keith or mum hell even dad there with us helping us we'd do it in a heartbeat. She's been entirely selfless knowing that we have parents of our own and that as much as we look to her as family she will never be. It was Erin who talked us into coming back. Well more threatened us. The last time we saw her, she told me if you both don't get your buts into gear and tell that family of yours what really happened I will. I'll also have a lovely chat with Dan seeing as last time we met it wasn't so pleasant. We've known Erin long enough to take her threats seriously. She only does it out of love she knew how much we loved and missed you and she wanted to see Dan pay. He's as big a pain in her ass as he is in all of ours" said Haley. She looked up at Nathan who knew his mother would have to spend some time thinking over what they had said. For now they were going to enjoy the time they had alone together. Jamie would come around eventually as much as they wished this to be the last bump in the road, they knew they were only dreaming, with Dan Scott around there was sure to be more drama.