Disclaimer: SC1.
Feedback: I am STILL out of catchy phrases... but I love feedback.
AN: 2 updates in about as many days... does that make ya'll happy? I hope so because I still feel awful.
AN2: I LOVED THE SEASON FINALE! Especially Nathan and Haley's marrige... she's one hell of a lucky girl. But anyway, lovenathan24: Hmmm... why is Brooke helping Nathan out? Good question. I have an answer. I don't like the way everyone is ragging on Brooke these days. She's not as bad as they make her seem and I felt I should pull out the good side of her. And there is definatly nothing going on between Nathan and Brooke. shudder Allie: Don't worry, this will not be Brucas. As far as I'm concerned, Lucas can die alone. That's a longer story than I'm willing to tell right now.
AN3: For future reference, the couples in this story are (or will be): Jake/Peyton and Nathan/Haley. Also, I'm aware that neither Brooke, Peyton, or Jake are related to little Nate, but the kid's five years old and these are Haley's best friends... in my stroy anyway. Go with me.
Brooke stopped in front of a playground and got out, leaving Nathan in the car as she made her way down the field. Nathan sighed, suddenly nervous and reluctantly followed her.
"Nathan!" he heard Peyton shout.
"Hey Peyt," Nathan smiled, giving her a friendly hug. "How's it going?"
"Great!" Peyton smiled, hands on her hips. "How 'bout you though? You okay? Brooke told me what happened."
"I'm not sure if I am yet," Nathan replied honestly.
"Hey man," Jake ran up to him. "Good to see you."
"You too Jake," Nathan replied as a little girl with pigtails ran up to Peyton.
"Mommy!" she yelled excitedly.
"Hey Jenny!" Peyton picked up the little girl. "Having fun?"
"Mommy, Daddy's really fast!" Jenny laughed, pointing to Jake..
"You two- you're married? Nathan asked, gesturing towards Peyton and Jake.
"Yeah and I adopted Jenny," Peyton smiled.
"Congrats," Nathan smiled.
"Uncle Jake!" Nathan heard his son's voice. "I caught you! You cheated."
"I know; I'm allowed," Jake laughed, picking up Nate.
"Nuh-uh," Nate shook his head. "Hey, it's the nice man!"
"Hey Nate," Nathan smiled.
"Hi!" he laughed.
"Know what?" Nathan smiled at the boy. "Call me Nathan okay?"
"Okay! We're playing tag; wanna play?"
"Yeah, help me out here Nathan," Jake set Nate down. "These kids are fast. Especially Nate; he's caught me twice in the last twenty minutes. He's tricky, just like his father."
"Know what?" Nathan crouched down to Nate's level. "You're it!"
"Hey!" Nate laughed as Nathan took off running. "That's not fair!"
"Go get him Jenny!" Peyton let her squirming daughter down as Jake, Jenny, Nate and herself ran after Nathan.
Brooke watched as Nate jumped on Nathan's back and Nathan laughed as he came crashing down into the grass. Jenny jumped on top of him as well and Peyton and Jake sat down beside Nathan. She watched as Nathan chased little Nate across the playground and picked him up into the air as the Nate laughed. She watched as the two lay down on grass next to each other and Nate hugged the man next to him.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Peyton asked.
"Yeah," Brooke patted her oldest best friend's knee. "There's just one thing missing."
"Brooke, what are you up to?" Peyton yelled as Brooke headed back to her car, twirling her keys.
"Nathan?" Nate asked.
"Huh?" Nathan answered.
"If I knew my Daddy, I'd want him to be just like you," Nate snuggled into the older man's side.
Nathan smiled and wiped away a tear before he kissed the top of his son's head.
"Haley?" Brooke called. "You still here? Haley Samantha James, get your ass out here right this minute!"
"What Brooke?" Haley asked as she and Lucas stepped out into the hall; Haley's eyes still wet from crying.
"Oh, honey," Brooke softened and hugged her other best friend. "Come here. It's alright. Everything's going to be alright."
"How do you know?" Haley asked. "Nathan hates me. Hell, I hate me!"
"Oh, honey," Brooke repeated. "I've got something for you to see. But you've gotta come to the park."
"I don't wanna go anywhere," Haley shook her head.
"Come on Hales," Lucas encouraged. "Just go."
"Hey, listen to Luke," Brooke insisted. "And listen to me. You will want to see this. It'll prove to you that you can make this work; you can have a family and get out of this crappy shithole and quit your job and get a better life. I know it will."
"Fine!" Haley caved. "But then I'm going to work."
"You won't want to," Brook insisted.
"Look at that," Jake pointed at Nathan and Nate sitting at the picnic tables eating ice cream. "I never thought I'd see this."
"Pretty amazing, isn't it?" Peyton asked. "I mean, when Haley left, you know how devastated he was. And now look... you know, you put them side by side, they do look like a mirror image of the other."
"Except one's... well, shorter," Jake lowered his hand down towards the ground.
"Shut up!" Peyton laughed. "Poor Nathan though, it must be hard."
"It's gotta be," Jake nodded. "I mean, I understand what it's like to have a baby and know that the one you had it with knows about it but doesn't do anything about it... and I know there's some kind of sense in there somewhere, but to have just found out that you've had a child for almost five years and the other has kept it a secret... damn, I can't imagine that."
"So... have you heard from Nicki?" Peyton asked.
"Apart from the three rounds of missed child support?" Jake sneered. "Not likely."
"I'm sorry," Peyton sighed.
"No," Jake said hurriedly. "It's okay. It's not like we need the money or anything with you just selling your latest sketches to that gallery in New York. Besides, Jenny's better off."
"Really?" Peyton smiled, kissing her husband. "Thanks."
"No I meant with me," Jake joked.
"Uh-huh, sure," Peyton laughed as Jake kissed her again.
"Uh, hi guys," Lucas interrupted them. "Peyton, Jake. Good to see you."
"Lucas," Peyton smiled and gave him a hug.
"Hey Luke," Jake replied.
"Brooke, what's going on?" Haley asked. "Where's Nate?"
"Hales, Hales, Hales," Brooke sighed dramatically.
"Look over there at the picnic tables," Peyton pointed.
Haley spotted her son and his father laughing and talking across the playground. Tears immediately welled up in her eyes and a large smile spread across her face. She slowly walked over to the tables, forgetting everything that had happened today and everyone else that happened to be a part of it. All that mattered was the picture set in front of her.
"Told you something was missing," Brooke said smugly.
Hey, this little quick edit thing is nifty. I like this. Can't say when the next post will be 'cause I gotta study for finals (ugh, geometry), but I PROMISE it wil not be next month. Plus, I have to work on two Buffy pieces and my writing classes I'm enrolled in. Bye.
I write, you read, you review, I write more.