"I have errands to run. I'll see you back at the house, love."
Karen smiled and kissed Andy's lips.
"I love you."
He waved as he left and she watched him walk to his SUV. The café was empty and it had been a slow evening. She was hoping to close early. She wiped the counter tops with her rag and turned off the coffee machine. Her back was turned as the door opened.
"Still open?"
"For you?" Karen smiled. "Of course. What can I get you, Peyton?"
The blonde grinned.
"I'm easy today. Just a Diet Coke, please."
Karen filled a glass from the soda fountain and handed it to her.
"What brings you by and where is my favorite third grader?"
"With her father, thank God", Peyton rolled her eyes. "She has a ballet recital next week and an Arts and Crafts festival in a few days and last night at nine she informed me that I was supposed to bake 60 cupcakes for her class…by this morning."
"Oh no", Karen laughed.
"Yeah."
"Sounds like you're pretty popular these days."
"Not as popular as you", Peyton noted. "Have you seen the latest copy of US?"
Karen shrugged.
"Yeah, I have. And the Star and the Enquirer and everything else. It's kind of weird to have your face on a magazine cover. One of the customers this morning actually asked me for an autograph."
"So you went to see her?"
"Yeah."
"How is she?"
"Holding up…in spite of and despite of. Bless her heart. She's a fighter."
"I know."
"She's going to be okay."
"How did Lucas take the news?"
"A mixed reaction. Happy that someone got to see her, relieved that she's okay…curious to know what's really going on."
"And…"
"She's okay. Haley is having a tough time. But I know she's a survivor. She and her baby are going to be fine."
"Good. I'm glad. I was hoping for that but I kind of promised Jake and Lucas and Brooke that I'd stay out of things."
"Maybe that's best for now. I know it's hard but sometimes we have to take a step back."
"Yeah. You're right. I'm just happy one of us is getting through to her. You're a good person, Karen."
Karen shrugged.
"I'm just a friend. Nothing more, nothing less."
Peyton smiled as she reached for Karen's hand.
"Well, well. I can just feel the love in the air."
Karen and Peyton's attention turned to door. Of all people, it was Dan Scott.
"Deb isn't here right now", Karen said coolly.
"Good because I'm not here to see Deb. I see enough of her at home. I have a bone to pick with you, Pope Karen the first. You mind beating it, Blondie?"
Peyton rolled her eyes.
"Are you gonna be okay, Karen?"
"I'm fine, honey. You go ahead."
"You sure?"
Karen nodded.
"I'm fine. Give Jake and Jenny my love."
Peyton gave Dan a death stare, which he gladly returned.
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Why are you here, Dan? I can't believe I'm doing this but you've got two minutes to say whatever it is you have to say before I…"
"Before you what? Are you threatening me, Karen? What? You gonna call your midget of a boyfriend to beat me up? You gonna tell Deb on me? No, wait…maybe you'll just call your newfound reporter friends and they'll photograph me to death."
"Dan…"
"What? It seemed to work for you? A star has been born."
"That's none of your business."
"It's everybody's business now, Miss Tabloid Queen. What are you doing?"
"I was visiting a friend."
"What did she have to say?"
Karen laughed.
"Like I would tell you anyway."
"Listen, Haley James has done enough to screw up all our lives, especially Nathan's. The best thing for her is to keep her dramatic, knocked up little ass up in New York where it belongs. She needs to stay far, far away from Tree Hill, that's for sure. And that seemed to be working out just fine until you had to march your do gooder self up there and stir up trouble."
"I was not stirring up trouble."
"This is a can of worms you don't want to open up. I mean it, Karen. Do you hear me?"
"Are you threatening me?"
"Consider this an educational warning", he sneered.
He turned to leave but Karen was furious.
"Get back in here, Dan!"
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me."
"I'm a busy man. I don't have time for your nonsense."
"Oh no. You will have time. You marched in here and started this, now I'm going to finish it."
"Good bye, Karen."
She blocked the exit.
"No. You will stand here like a man and listen to every goddamn word I have to say."
Dan smirked.
"Okay. I'll throw you a bone", he folded his arms. "This should be interesting. Go ahead. The floor is yours."
"You are a coward and a bully and an asshole. How dare you! You want to talk about Haley ruining everyone's life? Take a look in the mirror, buddy. You are the poison of Tree Hill. You are the one that has made everyone's life worse because of your influence. Haley saved Nathan and picked up the pieces of what you left broken."
"Spare me, Shakespeare. Anyway, that was a long time ago. Thank God Haley James is out of all of our lives so why do you keep trying to bring her back? Let sleeping dogs lie, Karen."
"You sick, selfish, heartless son of a bitch…"
"Thank you", he smirked, straightening his tie. "I always did love when you complimented me."
"Really? I'm surprised you can remember back that far. Back to when you were a real human being and I did love you. Do you remember that, Dan?"
He hesitated. For a brief moment, he could remember. He had loved her. He loved her very much. But that had been a long time ago. Things had changed. He had changed.
"What are you talking about?"
"We never talked about it but I know deep down in spite of the selfishness and the evilness, there was still a real human being in there. And I know when Deb got pregnant, you must have been terrified…lost. Do you remember that feeling?"
"Where is this going, Dr. Phil?"
"Make all the jokes you want, but think about it. Sometimes the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, Dan."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
It was Karen's turn to smirk.
"You have all the answers, wise guy, why don't you figure it out?"
"I…"
"Oh and while you're marinating on that, do your thinking elsewhere and get the hell out of my place of business."
With that she shut the door, in his stunned face.