Authors Note: It has been far too long since I last updated and I only hope that I still have readers. I apologise greatly! I was focusing on my Brulian fic but now that that's finished, I'm gonna focus on this story and not start my other BJu FF until I have made more progress with this :')
I was happy that many of you were so shocked by Jake's reappearance. I will tell you now that he is going to ruffle a few feathers with people. But everyone likes drama right ;) Onto the next chapter!

April:

"Jake!"

"Peyton," his face lit up as he set his eyes on her. Peyton didn't mirror the emotions though. She stared back at him puzzled, her eyebrows arched and her mouth agape. Lucas looked between the two and could sense the tension so he cleared his throat and reached his hand out to Jake.

"Jake,it's good to see you buddy."

Jake shook Lucas' hand but didn't take his eyes off Peyton who was now staring at her feet. Jonny huffed and left to attend another table.

"Lucas. It's been too long. This is my wife," he turned to the red headed woman with pixie cut, who had recently joined them, stood to his left. "Reagan, this is Lucas and Peyton."

"It's so nice to meet you. I've heard so much about you from Jake and the kids," she grinned, oblivious to the tension between them.

Lucas shook Reagan's hand and Peyton smiled politely. She noticed how pretty and young Reagan looked. She must be at least 10 years younger than them, maybe even 15. Peyton was so focused on Reagan's feature's that she didn't hear where Reagan was going, she assumed back to the kitchen, leaving just Lucas, Jake and Peyton.

"I'm sorry I'm gonna have to sit," Peyton apologised, taking back to her seat.

"I'll leave you both to eat. We'll have to meet up for dinner some time and catch up," Jake suggested with a shrug. "See you later."

"Yeah bye Jake."

"See you soon Peyton."

"Bye," she uttered, trying to focus back on her dinner with her husband. Lucas sat down opposite her and heaved a sigh. "What was that about?"

"I guess I was just shocked to see him," she lied because the truth was something that she couldn't tell right now.

Avery was getting sick of staring at the same four walls in the hospital. She hadn't even been in there for very long but because she was so weak, she wasn't allowed to move round the hospital much. Plus, because of her age, she was on the children's ward so her walls were painted with various zoo animals.

Her psychiatrist was sat opposite her. She had already asked various questions that Avery didn't want to answer. She just wanted to go home and put her make up on and do her hair. She felt dull in the hospital gown and hated everything about it.

Doctor Gilbert was nice enough and Avery would be lying if she said that she didn't like her. But counselling wasn't what she needed right now.

"I'm sorry Kate but I don't want to talk," Avery sighed and ran her fingers through her slightly greasy hair.

"Look Avery, I understand that you didn't want to speak in front of your parents so we're having a solo session. Just you and me. Anything you tell me, stays between us okay? Sooner or later, you're going to have to talk to me," Kate explained calmly.

However, Avery was stubborn and she didn't want to talk so she stared at the elephant and lion that sat on the wall in front of her.

Each school day was always a drag for Sawyer and she actually missed not being on set. Sure she knew that acting wasnt going to be a future career for her or anything but it was better than school. She only went to school three days a week most of the time, though she had decided that that was more than enough hours in this place.

She was already later for her third class of the day and figured that another five minutes to get a snack from the vending machine wouldnt hurt. When she rounded the corner, she saw a familiar tall, leather jacket wearing, biker boot clad jerk that she didnt want to see right now.

At the sound of her footsteps, Jonny looked up from the machine and sent a friendly smile in Sawyer's direction and for a second she thought that he was someone else. He had never looked at her like that before.

"What are you looking at me like that for?" she grunted at him, rolling her eyes and shoving him out of the way so that she could look at the snacks in the machine.

"You're looking pretty today, as usual," he quickly added, not wanting to anger her anymore. She stared back at him wide eyed and slightly disgusted. This wasnt going how he wanted. After Haley's comment the other day, he wanted to win Sawyer round, let her know that he was someone to be trusted.

"Did you land on your head this morning?" she snarkily replied before dipping into the pocket of her leather jacket to get her money. Before she could even sort through it, Jonny had placed some money in the vending machine and pressed the buttons for the last pack of Reese's peanut butter cups.

"Hey you took the last packet. I was just about to buy them!" Sawyer shouted. He shrugged and passed them to her.

"Here, I'm not hungry anyway," he said before walking away.

Brooke carried Freddie into the hospital. He was quiet but smiling and holding his toy Zebra so she knew he was happy, just as always. She had a surprise that she wanted to talk to Julian about later on that day but first she had to see Avery. Alex had called Julian that morning crying that Avery hadnt made any progress and the doctors were getting more worried. The longer she went without talking to a therapist and agreeing to eat rather than be fed through a tube, the more damage she was doing to herself. So Brooke had agreed to talk to the young girl.

When she got to Avery's door, she gave it a gentle knock and after a quiet response she entered the room with Freddie and closed the door behind her. Avery was sat in the bed reading Vogue. Brooke couldnt help but smile. Avery was alike her in so many ways. She placed Freddie on the chair next to Avery and gave him one of his books that he liked to look at before she sat down on the spare chair. Avery hadnt spoken a word but had put down her Vogue magazine.

"Hi Ave, how are you doing?" Brooke reached for Avery's hand and held it.

"I'm great Aunt Brooke," she smiled. "So why arent they letting me out yet?"

"Because," Brooke sighed. Avery was worse than what she anticipated. "You might think that youre okay but the Doctors dont think you're making any progress."

"But they're feeding me and I promise that I'll continue to eat when I leave here. I just need to get out. I'm going insane," Avery said through gritted teeth and Brooke knew that if she was in Avery's position then she would be the same too.

"They'll let you out Avery as soon as you start talking to your therapist. Anorexia is a dangerous illness and it's all to do with how you see yourself mentally so to solve the problem, you have to start talking to someone. I'm always here if you need to talk. You know that right?

"I know but they dont want me talking to you right? They want me to talk to my therapist Kate," she rolled her eyes as the words left her mouth.

"Well yes they do but I'm here too. You know that you're sick dont you?"

"I just wanted to lose some weight and it just went a bit far. That's all."

"That's where you're wrong honey. This is not about losing a few pounds, there was something else that made you do this to yourself and the therapist is gonna help you see that if you talk to her. Everyone is worried about you. Especially your mom and dad. They just want you home so that you can be a family again. And I was going to ask you to do something for me this summer before you got ill."

Avery instantly peaked up, straightening her back. "What were you going to ask me?"

"Well you know that every year we do an issue on 'Zero is not a size' for BDavis magazine and I was going to ask you to model for a few shoots. I had already discussed it with your parents. But I cant have you in my magazine Avery when you are ill like this."

"I can do it Aunt Brooke," she said with defiance.

"I know you can sweetie but you have to get better first. Gain the weight that you lost and learn to love the person that you were because you're amazing and beautiful just the way you were. You didnt have to change for anyone," Brooke reassured her, hoping that giving Avery a goal would help with her progress.

On his way to the tutor centre, Lanny passed Sawyer and gave her a friendly smile, thinking that she would ignore him like usual, she was so like his brother that he didnt let it bother him. Once he had passed her, her voice called out to him and he turned around, assuming she wanted to ask about Elle.

"Give these to your brother for me," she roughly handed him a packet of Reese's. He almost laughed there and then wondering why she handed them to him.

"What are these for?" he questioned, puzzled.

"I dont want to owe him anything and he gave me his Reese's today so I'm paying him back," she cleared up with dignified pride.

"I'm sure he probably meant for you to have them. He doesn't like Reese's. He's allergic to peanuts," he informed her before passing the chocolate to her and continuing down the now familiar corridor to the tutor centre, leaving Sawyer standing in the corridor shocked and confused, not emotions she felt often.

After calling Julian that morning and explaining her new plan for Freddie, she had finally arrived at the location with Freddie. Julian was already parked up on the grassy drive, casually leaning back on his truck. He still had the same youthful look that he'd had since the first day Brooke met him.

Leaving Freddie's stroller in the car, Brooke carried him in her arms but as soon as he saw Julian, he wriggled free and ran straight into Julian's legs. He picked the young boy up and closed the distance between them and his wife.

"Nice day Wifey?" he asked after placing a kiss upon Brooke's cheek.

They continued to walk as she nodded. "I went to see Avery. I don't know if what I said worked but it was worth a try right? I did the right thing?" She wasnt sure if throwing a modelling contract on the girl now would be such a great time.

"Of course you did the right thing. You're a rolemodel to Avery, she looks up to you and respects your opinion so you might have just got through to her. I guess we'll see."

"You're right."

Brooke decided to carry on the conversation at home once Freddie was asleep because they were now stood at the wooden gate entrance of Freddie's surprise.

"Ladies first," Julian offered and followed behind Brooke until they were stood in the centre of the sheltered building. Julian looked from left to right, the walls lined with individual horse pens each containing a different shape, size or colour of horse.

The idea to bring Freddie horse riding came to Brooke when she was reading an article on a mother and child website that had ideas for ways to bond with your child and horse riding was one of them. Knowing that Freddie adored zebras, she thought that horses would be a good substitue.

After calling the stables, she found out that it would be okay for Freddie to start riding lessons now at his age but it would be done with supervision and would have to be done on a young horse or pony. The family followed the trail out into the back of the stable where a sandy course was. Standing in the centre was a young woman with a small horse.

Brooke went ahead to talk to the woman as it was the same lady that she had spoken to earlier that day. When she called, she explained to the stable worker, Scarlett, that they were looking for a house that looked as similar to a zebra as possible.

A few minutes had passed before Julian decided to join the women in the centre of the course. Freddie was already in awe of the striped horse before him.

"Hi I'm Julian," he introduced himself. "And this is Freddie."

"Hey, I'm Scarlett. Please to meet you both." She sent an extra sweet smile to Freddie, knowing that he was shy. "And this here is Henry."

Henry was an all black horse that had three white stripes on his body and black hair to match. Julian placed Freddie on the ground in front of Henry and they stared at each other inquisitively. Freddie tilted his head to the side like he was trying to figure out who Henry really was. Brooke crouched down to Freddie's level.

"Freds, Henry is a horse and you know, horses are kind of like zebras. We thought that if you liked Henry, you could learn to ride him and he could be yours," she tried to explain as simply as possible. Freddie grinned at her before falling into her arms in an embrace that nearly knocked Brooke to the floor.

"Thank you," he whispered into her ear and she could almost hear his smile as crazy as it sounded. She looked up at Julian to see that he was as happy as she was.

"So buddy, are you ready to ride Henry?" Julian suggested and watched Freddie almost bound onto the horse there and then.

"Woah there little man," Scarlett reached her arm out. She had a subtle southern twang to her accent that comforted Freddie and Brooke was already pleased that they had decided to choose this stables. "First we have to get him ready for you to sit on him okay?"

After tutoring, on his walk home, Lanny got out his cell and found Lydia in his addressbook and called her. He hadnt seen her all day in school and he had to stay an hour longer for tutoring so now was the only free time he had. After a few dials, she answered.

"Hey Lanny."

"Hi. What are you doing?" he asked.

"Homework."

"Want to meet up later?" he questioned with a smile.

"I cant. Because I'm going on tour this summer, my mom wants me to keep my grades up so I have to study," she sighed.

"You've never failed a test in your life Lydia."

"Because I study."

"Fine whatever. I'll see you when I see you." He ended the call and placed his phone in his jean pockets. She was avoiding him and he didnt understand why.

After a long day in office, Peyton couldnt wait to get home. She was definitely feeling the effects of her pregnancy more and more as her due date drew closer. She hadn't even done any strenuous activities today to feel so exhausted. There was only a few more pages of paperwork to file and process, which she could technically leave till the morning but she wanted to focus on decorating the baby's room tomorrow so decided to stay.

A decision that she was soon to regret when a tall, stocky guy entered her office with a slightly more mature look to his appearance now, with the copper colours that stained his hair and stubble. But his eyes told her that he was the same guy that she used to know. The same guy that she used to lie in bed with for hours, cradling a baby between them. The same guy that once said that he could have held her forever.

"Jake," she uttered. Barely a whisper but he didnt need to hear her say his name to know that thats what left her lips.

"Hi Peyt," he replied with the big smile that she remembered. "So this is the pride and joy huh?" He pointed around the room, brimming with pride.

"Well one of them. I kind of have a whole family of pride and joy's now," she reminded him, instinctively placing her hand on her stomach.

"Of course, how many have you and Lucas got now?"

She shook her head in disbelief. "What are you doing here Jake? In Tree Hill?"

He took a step closer but she quickly retreated despite the desk in between them.

"Reagan wanted to open a Bistro here," he shrugged.

"Bullshit and we both know it."

Her stare cut into him. He forgot how feisty she could be, not that they ever really argued that much when they were together.

"Why else would I be here Peyton?" he teased with a smirk and matching glint in his eye.

"We both know why. You cant just come here now Jake," she sighed. Her voice laced with a whimper.

"Look, I just want us to get some food or a coffee and catch up okay? I mean no harm. I promise," he reassured her, making her feel guilty for jumping to conclusions.

"I'm sorry," she exhaled. "I shouldnt have assumed but after the last time I saw you, you'll forgive me for not thinking the worse."

He nodded in agreement. "Well it's been a while since then. Things have changed. So coffee soon?"

"Soon," she promised and watched him retreat from her office so that she could finally breath again. What mess had she gotten herself into this time?

Authors Note: There we go folks, I hope you liked it and you're all coping without our weekly OTH :'(
So what's going on with Jeyton?
Do you think Brooke was right to talk to Avery about modelling?
What about Jonny, is he being genuine?
And what did y'all think about Freddie horse riding?
Lots of questions that I'd love to know the answers to :P