Disclaimer: Anything you don't recognize from the show is mine… everything else… I wish!
Thanks to: melvg12: I can't make any promises.. the story is pretty much writin itself right now.. if that makes any sense/ AhAnotherWeasley: I'm glad you like the story.. I like it too:) / BrokenSpirit20: there are only a few Jake stories. but its growing/ JC: sorry I didn't thank you long before.. I got the plotfrom a dream.. weird right?
Note:this song is one of my favorites, and it seemed to not go so badly with the tone of this story so I figured I'd add it in somewhere. Its a great song; check it out sometime.
Flood by Greenwheel
Pull me from the wreck
or watch and stand serene
shards of broken glass
shattered like the innocence we lost so long ago
See me empty
and fill me with a false sense of warmth and cold, so cold
I don't owe you anything
purge this skin of feeling
left me cold and trembling
I don't owe you anything
Am I afraid of
how much sense this makes
do I deny
and tempt the inevitable
Can I restrain this flood
from rising, rising, rising...
I get carried away
can I restrain this flood
Let You Turn Me Inside Out
Passing by the Cafe on the way to work, Jillian glanced in the doorway, seeing Haley looking out the window and waving at her.
She returned the wave and decided to go in. The place was nearly empty; it was mid-morning and the breakfast crowd had already left. Only a couple in the corner, a man reading a newspaper, and Nathan were sitting down.
"You didn't finish the other one." Jillian began to protest; Haley had placed a muffin on a plate in front of her. "It's on me."
She was standing with Nathan, the two glancing at each other and smiling. Jillian thought it was cute; new love was the best times that she could remember.
Haley just became aware that she had not introduced Nathan. "Do you remember Nate? He went to the same school..."
"Yeah I remember. We had different classes. Jillian Summers." She stuck out her hand which he shook and smiled lightly at her.
"You're Dad is that photographer guy, right?" He showed actual interest.
"He was that famous painter guy before he was a photographer, but most people only remember his photography."
"He did those pictures; the funeral for that couple that was killed by that drunk driver." She couldn't believe Nathan Scott would know her father's work.
"Yeah, he did those. I think that was some of his best work."
Haley moved her hand to her heart. "Those picture are so touching." Haley looked unsure of what to say next. "Jake isn't coming into work today. But you probably already knew that."
"I didn't actually. I don't know his schedule."
"I remember you guys were best friends when we were in elementary school..."
" I've known him my whole life. Our moms were good friends so we spent a lot of time together." She laughed after taking a biteout of her muffin. "Well, they were friends until my mom went psycho."
Nathan laughed. "Yep, I joined that club, too." All three laughed while Haley went to refill the coffee cups of the couple sitting in the corner.
"Thanks for the muffin but I got to run. I'm going to work."
"Oh, you got a job? That's great. We have to catch up. I remember when we would sit around, me, you, and Lucas, and we would talk about books."
She remembered those days. Those good old days. "Yeah, that would be great."
"Have fun at work. See you later, Jillian. Maybe in school?"
"Hopefully." Jillian left the cafe to head over across the street to the store. She was beginning to see that life was making a turn for the good. She wouldn't have to be so scared anymore. Jillian felt more liberated, the weight of the world, was finally gone.
Work was more than uneventful; it was extraordinarily dull. She had finished reading 1984 and happened upon a copy of one of her favorite books: The Scarlet Letter. Though the story held different meaning for her now, it was still one of those novels that she didn't mind reading over and over again.
When she returned home again, Jake was in his room with Jenny. Before, she would have burst in, trying to scare him, and trying to see what he was up to. Times had changed; she decided to just head to her room and read. After only a few minutes, Jake knocked lightly on the opened door, trying to get Jillian's attention. She looked up from her book to see Jake. He looked upset.
"What's wrong?" She sat up. He didn't say anything, but instead moved over to the CD player that was sitting on the dresser, playing a song. "I found it in here."
"It's Greenwheel."
She smiled. "Yeah, I made you this CD, remember? This was one of our favorite bands."
"This is my favorite song."
"Makes you feel like a kid again, doesn't it? I don't know what it is, but hearing Flood makes me feel like we can't go back but its going to be okay anyways." She shook her head. "I can't figure out what I'm trying to say."
"I understand. I feel the same way about this song. We used to sit in here and listen to Greenwheel over and over again." He suddenly became aware of why he had come in her room to begin with. "I wanted to bring in this." He went to the door and produced a bassinet. He placed in on the end of the bed for her.
"What's this for?"
"So Jenny can stay in here with you some nights." He didn't want it to seem like he was doing it for Jillian. "You know, so you can take care of her some nights." He moved to the door to leave.
"Thanks, Jake." He smiled at her, turned the corner, took a deep breath and headed back to his room.
He had spent the night before at Peyton's house but still nothing was clear. He knew that he loved Peyton, but how would she react knowing that Jillian was only four feet away from his room? He knew it was time to tell her what was going on. Jake knew her well, but the uncertainty of how she would feel crushed him.
He didn't want to lose her to this. Peyton was more of a mother than Jillian had been. How would Peyton react to that?
It's true, they could spend more time together, away from the house and without Jenny, especially since basketball season would be over in a little more than a month. Jake liked the idea of being able to go on real dates with her instead of hanging around the house, watching movies they both had watched a million times withhis parents sitting in the next room.
They both spent time apart that day; Jake was finishing his project and Jillian was getting the paperwork together that her mother had sent back signed. After emerging from his room, Jake could smell something cooking and wandered into the kitchen.
"Did you finish your paper?"
"Almost done, I just need to find a couple of more sources..." She was passing a spoon with a sauce towards his lips, he took the liquid willingly. He waited a moment. "Wow, that's really good. I'm glad to see you haven't lost your touch in the kitchen."
"I wanted to make dinner so that you're mom could have a break." She moved towards the table and Jake followed her with his eyes. "She signed all the papers and wrote in a note that she was having all my stuff shipped over in a few weeks." She moved back to the pan where the sauce was about to boil over. "But she froze my bank account so I don't have any money."
Jake didn't expect her mother to hand Jillian over anything, including her own money. Jillian really didn't think it would happen either.
"At least you're getting all your stuff back. You'll have your clothes and books."
"And other good news: I'm going to be able to start school as soon as next week." She turned down the burner and added another pot onto the stove filled with pasta. "I'll be going for half a day, so I can get home before your mom takes off for work, so Jenny won't have to be in daycare. My work schedule works out perfectly with your basketball schedule..."
"Kind of weird how everything is falling into place, isn't it? Its almost like this whole thing was supposed to happen this way..." Jake had a habit of trailing off into talks of fate and reason. Jillian had contended with it their whole lives, but she always thought it was sweet.
A real believer, she thought.
After dinner, the whole family had settled into the living room to watch the videos of Jenny that they had taken over her life. Some Jillian remembered well, while others she had never seen before. She watched as Jake, Alice, andGeorge took care of Jenny; saw them laughing together, playing together, loving each other.
I'll be part of all this now, Jillian thought. She smiled to herself.
Now, she'll be in our lives, Jake thought, looking down at his daughter in the playpen. Am I happy for it?
After changing Jenny's dirty diaper, Jake wanted to show Jillian all that their daughter could do now. Settling in the family room where most of Jenny's toys resided, they played games of rolling balls and tickling Jenny. Jillian couldn't think of a better way to spend a Sunday night. It was better than any Mass she'd ever attended.
The doorbell rang while Jake and Jillian were dancing around the room to an episode of The Wiggles that Jenny loved. They didn't notice the doorbell or that anyone was watching them until they both turned towards the doorway and saw Peyton standing there with her right arm cradling her left, surprise in her eyes, her chest inflated from holding her breath in disbelief.
Oh, shit, it's Peyton and I'm laughing it up with Jillian, Jake thought.
Oh shit, it's that other girl, Jillian thought. She looked over at Jake, the color drained from his face. And he didn't tell her I was staying here. Typical.
Oh shit, Peyton thought. They look like a cute little family.
They both stopped in their tracks, though Jenny was still dancing in Jillian's arms. Jake was unsure of what to do; he was still waiting to continue breathing.
"Hey, Peyton. I didn't know you were coming over." After the words came out of his mouth, he knew it was probably the worst thing he could say. "You remember Jillian from the other night."
Peyton just stared at Jillian. "Looks like I had the right house after all." She let out a nervous laugh, Peyton did the same. Jillian handed Jenny over to Jake and moved towards Peyton to shake her hand. "I'm Jillian Summers, Jenny's mom." She suspected that already told her who she was.
"Peyton Sawyer." She wanted to say "Jake's new girlfriend", but she wanted him to say it more.
"Peyton and I are dating." Jake tried to make it sound like common speech but it came out funny. He tried to fix it. "Peyton likes The Wiggles as much as Jenny does."
All three laughed; the tension was at least broken.
"I love their music almost as much as I love Poison the Well."
Jillian's face lit up with recognition. "I love Poison the Well, too. I don't have my CDs but they were one of my favorites." Jake watched as they smiled at each other. Maybe this wouldn't be as hard as he thought.
"Want to go for a walk?" Peyton shook her head yes and Jake handed Jenny back to Jillian.
"Talk to you later, Jillian."
"Yeah, I'm curious what other music you listen to." They both nodded to each other. At least the awkwardness was almost gone from the situation.
They both had their jackets on, but still, Jake held Peyton close to him, her arms wrapped around his chest under his jacket.
"That was weird." She laughed a little. "You didn't tell me that she was sticking around. You obviously talked to her again."
"Everything you said, Peyt, made me think that maybe it's not right for me to shut her out of Jenny's life." He kissed the top of her head. "But you're right, I should have told you. Everything happened so quickly."
He recapped everything that had happened.
"So she's living with you now?" Peyton made it sound accusing.
"She's going to go to school, she has a job; she's sticking around to help with Jenny."
"Jillian's not here for just Jenny, Jake." She looked up at him so that he would understand what she was meaning behind her words.
"I told her about us and she's fine with it. She's always going to be apart of my life; she's Jenny's mother. And she's been my best friend my entire life. I realize that its not right to shut her out because I was hurting." He stopped walking. "And I'm not hurting anymore because of you."
They continued walking holding each other, all the way to Peyton's house.
