The weather was warm and there were no rain clouds in sight. Lucas Scott had called and suggested the old gang get together for some fun at the River Court. So on a bright and sunny afternoon, Lucas and Brooke, Nathan and Haley, Jake, Peyton and Jenny, Felix, Teresa, Bevin, Mouth, Tim, Fergie and Skillz all got together for beers, burgers and hot dogs on the grill.

It was a fun time, the girls gossiping while the men took turns playing basketball on the court and manning the grill. For Peyton, Anna, and Haley it was just like old times. Off in the corner under a sunbrella sat Brooke and Bevin. Looking hot and frustratingly uncomfortable, Teresa stood arms folded scowl on her face while Felix desperately tried to keep up with the rest of the guys on the court.

Jenny played, running on the grass, a ballet tutu, over her shorts and tee shirt. She was going through her "fairy princess" stage and it was impossible for her parents to convince her to wear otherwise.

"Jenny, you make a beautiful ballerina", Anna smiled. "You know what? When I was your age, I wanted to be a ballerina, too."

"Please", Teresa laughed with an evil smirk. "With those yachts for feet? You would have been much more suited going out for soccer."

No one really laughed except for Tim, who of course didn't know any better, and Felix himself. Peyton felt her cheeks burn. Part of her wanted to run up and slap Teresa for insulting her friend but Anna took it all with a grain of salt. She gave Peyton a wink to let her know it was okay and the rest of the outing continued without a hitch.

From a distance as he shot hoops with the boys, Jake smiled as he watched Peyton from the corner of his eye. She spent time talking to her friends but her main focus, as always, was on Jenny. Peyton doted on the little girl. She pushed her on the swings and when Jenny tired of that, Peyton kicked off both of their shoes and went running in the grass. They would play and laugh and scream and eventually fall down in a heap of giggles. He had to bite his lip to keep from crying whenever he watched his girls together.

As the sun set and the darkness and cool, night air took over, the group began to pack up. Jenny, exhausted from a day of fun, was asleep before Jake had finished buckling her toddler seat. On the way home, she caressed his right hand that was placed over the gearshift with her own left. There was no need for chit chatter. The day had been perfect and they rarely had time like that just to have fun. He looked over and they both smiled at each other, the radio humming softly in the back.

"Man, I love this song", Jake said, turning it up. "I love Bobby Darrin."

He looked over at Peyton and began to sing along the words.

If I were a carpenter

and you were a lady,

Would you marry me anyway?

Would you have my baby?

If a tinker were my trade

would you still find me,

carrin' the pots I made,

followin' behind me.

Save my love through loneliness,

Save my love for sorrow,

I'm given you my onliness,

Come give your tomorrow.

If I worked my hands in wood,

Would you still love me?

Answer me babe, "Yes I would,

I'll put you above me."

If I were a miller

at a mill wheel grinding,

would you miss your color box,

and your soft shoe shining?

If I were a carpenter

and you were a lady,

Would you marry me anyway?

Would you have my baby?

Would you marry anyway?

Would you have my baby?

She loved his voice and the way he sang to her and to Jenny and sometimes to no one in particular in the shower. Her thumb rubbed his palm and it made her shiver just to know how lucky she was. How lucky they were.

"Home sweet home", Jake whispered as he parked in front of the Sawyer home.

He got out and opened Peyton's door, pulling the lever to move the seat forward so they could collect Jenny. Instantly the little girl opened her eyes and began to cry softly as she rubbed them.

"Don't cry, Jenny", Peyton said, accepting the child into her arms. "It's okay. You want Mama to sing the Shoo Fly song?"

"No, Daddy…"

Jake playfully rolled his eyes.

"Gee, thanks, Pey."

"What? You're hot on the request line tonight, buddy", she winked, pinching his ass for good measure.

Shoo, fly, don't bother me
Shoo, fly, don't bother me
Shoo, fly, don't bother me
For I belong to somebody

I feel, I feel, I feel,
I feel like a morning star,
I feel, I feel, I feel,
I feel like a morning star.

Jenny sleepily giggled as he father kissed her cheek.

"Now who loves you more than anybody in the whole world, Jen? Huh? Who loved you?" Peyton cooed.

"Mama."

"That's right. Mama. You bet Mama loves you."

Peyton and Jenny jumped, startled by the loud crash of breaking bottles. Jake had dropped the bags he was carrying and beer and soda pop spilled onto the pavement. Facing him, he looked like he had seen a ghost.

"Babe, you alright?" she asked.

"Nikki…" he whispered, in a voice barely audible.

"Mama", Jenny repeated.

Confused, Peyton looked at the lone shadowy figure making its way from the side of the house. She gasped out loud. It was the woman from that stormy night at Karen's Café.

"It's you", Peyton whispered.

"What?" Jake asked, confused.

"We met the other night at Karen's but I…I didn't know who she was", Peyton stammered.

"Hello, Jake…Peyton."

"Nikki, what the hell are you doing here?"

"I came to see my daughter. And we need to talk, Jake."

"Talk?" he laughed sarcastically. "Are you kidding me? I'm done talking with you and falling for your crap. How many years has it been, Nikki?"

"Jake, please listen to me…"

Jenny, now wide awake was listening intently to the adult's conversation.

"Peyton, take Jenny in the house, please", Jake tersely instructed.

Flabbergasted, Peyton did what she was told, giving Jenny a toy as a distraction so she could listen by the doorway.

"Look, Jake I know it's been a long time and I know you're upset but please. There are so many things we have to talk about. I have a lot of explaining to do and I just couldn't stay away anymore. Please, give me a chance."

"A chance for what? A chance to hear your lame excuses again? A chance for you to walk out on Jenny again. Should I go on because I can, Nikki. The list goes on and on with you."

"I made a mistake. I know that now. I guess it took a while. But I love my daughter. Jake, like it or not, she is my daughter and I want to be in her life."

"No you don't. If you did, you never would have left. You just want to come around and do what you do best. Breeze into town, stir up trouble, then disappear. Well, not this time, Nikki. I won't let you hurt Jenny. And I won't let you cause problems for Peyton and me either."

"I had the chance to meet Peyton and…"

"Yeah, I heard about that. Just more of your manipulating, I guess. What are you doing, stalking us?"

"No, it's not like that. I know you won't believe me because I've said it a hundred times before but I have changed Jake. I knew that you were going to school here in Tree Hill and working at that café. I also knew you were living with some girl named Peyton but me running into her that night of the storm was purely coincidental."

"Whatever. Look, stay away from Peyton."

"She seemed like a nice person. I know she really loves Jenny."

"Yeah? Well someone had to. Someone had to step up and step in and be a mother to her since you were too busy galloping all over the country to do it."

"That's not fair but I guess I deserve it. Look, I promise I'm not here to cause problems but…"

"But nothing, Nikki. I mean it. You shouldn't have come here. You have no right. You made your choices. For years, you chose not to be a mother to your child, to our child. You abandoned Jenny and now just because the mood hits you, you can't change your mind and just come back into our lives like nothing ever happened. It doesn't work that way. You'll confuse her and I won't allow that. This isn't fair and I don't want you in my life or hers. You say you've changed? Well, I don't believe you and even if that's true, I don't care anymore. Because there's nothing you can say or do to erase what you've done. I used to feel bad that Jenny didn't have her biological mom but you know something? Biology doesn't make a family. Better no influence than a bad one, right? Peyton is the only mother Jenny has ever known, loved or wanted."

"Jake…"

"Just get the hell out of here. You should recognize this next move, Nikki. You perfected it. It called turning my back and leaving you behind."

Turning around, he made his way into the house, slamming the door behind him. All Peyton could do was stare dumbfounded at the crying, broken woman still left outside in the yard.