Jake had been walking on eggshells. He had feigned surprise when Alice Dooley had called the house to inform the Jagielski family that Social Services had found the perfect would be home for Amanda. He had watched as his wife plastered on a fake smile but beneath her demeanor he could see the pain in her eyes. It was obvious Peyton didn't want Amanda to leave but she had reluctantly taken Amanda for a preliminary meeting with Jerry and Brenda Gillespie. Things had gone well and a second gathering had been planned for the two families to meet. Not wanting to blow his or Lucas' cover, at the last minute, Jake had made an excuse about being called in to work as to avoid the summit. He could only hope and pray that Jerry and Brenda wouldn't mention their previous chat although he expected they would and in turn prepared himself for the wrath that would ensue. But that wasn't important. The important thing was getting rid of Amanda.

"Hey, Peyton is waiting on you", Jake knocked on Amanda's door.

She looked up at him and smiled.

"I know", she said sweetly. "Tell her I'll be right down."

Jake nodded and nervously shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Um, sorry I won't be able to go with you guys to meet them today", he mumbled.

Amanda just smiled as she brushed her hair.

"I'm sure", she said. "It's a shame. They're really nice people."

"You like them?"

She shrugged.

"Yes."

Jake was relieved. Maybe this was the perfect solution after all.

"Good. I mean, I'm glad. Sounds like this is a good thing. I hope it all works out."

"In the end it was always does…doesn't it?"

"I guess so. You know, I think you'll be happy in your new home. Jerry and Brenda are great people. And they have a big house with a yard and plenty of space and…"

In his excitement, Jake had forgotten himself as he went on and on. The slip of the tongue didn't go unnoticed by Amanda.

"How do you know all that?"

"What?"

Amanda sat the hairbrush down.

"Their names. How did you know their names and what their house looks like?"

Jake shifted his weight from foot to foot.

"Uh, um…Pey told me", he lied.

Amanda's eyes turned icy.

"Peyton hasn't met them. You're lying, Jake."

"No, I'm not…" he stammered.

"I think you are."

"Look, I said…"

"I know what you said but I don't buy it. What? Did you meet the Gillespies already?"

"No. I…"

"What did you do, Jake? The state wasn't moving fast enough so you decided to speed things along?"

"Look…"

"And let me guess, you had the help of your little buddy, Lucas."

"Leave him out of this."

"Why? It's obvious you wouldn't think of something like that on your own. And we all know how much Lucas hates me."

Jake closed his eyes.

"Does it even matter anymore, Amanda? Just, just let it go, okay? It's over. They're nice people and it's a good, safe home. Jerry and Brenda will take care of you."

"I'm sure", she hissed.

"It's not like you could stay here forever", he blurted out.

"Tell Peyton I'll be down in a minute", Amanda picked up the brush again.

Jake sighed and returned downstairs.

"Hey", he said, looking at his wife.

"Hey", she answered softly. "Amanda ready yet?"

"Almost."

"Okay", she nodded, sadly looking away.

Jake rubbed her shoulders.

"Babe, I know you're sad and I know you're going to miss her but it's all going to be okay. You'll still see Amanda at school and everything."

"I know", she blinked back tears. "But she's really special to me. We've grown so close. I feel like Amanda is a part of this family. Not having her around all the time…it won't be the same."

"Pey…"

"I feel like we failed her. Like we abandoned her too."

"Of course we didn't. We took her in and helped and took care of her until she could be placed in a stable, safe, home with good people. That was our end of the bargain and we more than lived up to it. You have nothing to be ashamed of. This will be good for her."

Peyton managed a small smile as she wiped a tear away.

"It's getting late. Can you please go up and get her?"

Jake nodded and kissed her forehead before trudging upstairs. Amanda's door was now shut.

"Amanda", he knocked. "Come on out. It's time to go. Peyton is waiting for you."

No answer. He sighed and rolled his eyes, knocking again.

"Amanda…"

Still silence. His impatience was growing. He wouldn't put it past her to climb out of the window so he took it upon himself to open the door.

"Christ, Amanda. What the…"

He opened the door and walked in just in time to see the teen bent over the table. On the table was a hand mirror with traces of white powder.

"Jake!"

He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Is that…are those drugs?"

He knew full well what it was.

"No", she backed away.

Jake's blood was boiling.

"Dammitt, Amanda, I asked you a question! Is that coke? Huh? Do you have cocaine here in my house around my daughter?"

"I…"

"Are you fucking doing drugs in my house?"

"Jake, I…"

He clenched his fists. It was the last straw. The straw on top of the straw on top of the straw on top of the cherry on the camel's back.

"That's it! That's it, man. I've had it. I don't give a shit if the Gillespies take you in or not. You're out of here!"

He roughly grabbed her arm and she resisted, letting out a yelp.

"Jake, please. Stop it! Let go. You're hurting my arm!"

The ruckus upstairs caught Peyton's attention as she ran up to investigate. She saw a tearful Amanda in the grip of her furious husband.

"Jake!" she got between them. "What the hell are you doing? Let her go!"

"Peyton, you don't understand…"

Amanda dissolved in tears as Peyton held her.

"What the hell has gotten into you?" his wife demanded.

"I set this up", he said.

"What?"

"All of it. Social Services didn't find Jerry and Brenda Gillespie. I did, okay?"

"What? Why…"

"Amanda has to go! I want her out of this house! All she has done since she's been here is cause problems, Peyton. You've just been too blind to see it all!"

"Jake! How could you?"

"She's a liar and a manipulator, Peyton!"

"What's going on, guys?" Jenny asked as she peeked in to see what all the fuss was about.

"Jake!"

Jake stormed over and picked up the bag of cocaine.

"I didn't want to show you this but are you happy now? She brought drugs into our house, Peyton. What about Jenny? How could she do this?"

"They aren't mine", Amanda tearfully whispered.

"Shut up! It's over, Amanda! You're busted so just give it up."

"But they're not. And I didn't do them, I swear. I was going to get rid of them. I was holding them for a friend and I was going to flush it all and…"

"You're lying!"

Peyton looked devastated.

"Jake", she whispered.

"Babe, it's okay. I know you're upset and I'm sorry you had to see this and find out this way…"

"They…the coke isn't Amanda's", she said in a quiet voice.

"What? Peyton…"

"It…it's mine", she admitted, trembling.

Jenny looked up at her father, stepmother and Amanda. In tears she ran off to her own room slamming the door behind her. Peyton quickly followed suite, fleeing to the master bedroom.

"But…"

Amanda quickly wiped the crocodile tears away.

"See what you did?"

"What…"

"While you're off partying on the road and spending long days at the arena, leaving your ungrateful brat to be taken care of by Peyton, you didn't even bother to see that your wife was cracking under the pressure."

Jake shook his head.

"Shut up. Shut up, Amanda! You don't know shit about my marriage."

"I know more than you do. I know that your wife was hurting. I know she's been depressed and overwhelmed. I know she cries all the time. And I know her birth mother showed up here a few weeks ago."

"What? You mean, Ellie?"

"Know how I know? Because it was me that held her and dried her tears while you were off doing God knows what. Some husband you are."

"She…she didn't tell me…"

"Of course she didn't. And she didn't tell you about the drugs either."

Jake was stunned.

"You did this on purpose", he swallowed hard. "You set it up, Amanda."

She smirked.

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. Please excuse me while I go comfort your wife, Jake."

"Amanda…"

"And by the way, you might want to call your little friends, the Gillespies and cancel our afternoon congregation. Thanks to your insensitivity, Peyton is in no mood for company."

Jake could barely speak.

"But I…"

"But you what?" she walked right up to him. "Huh?"

Jake said nothing to Amanda's sinister delight.

"Just like I thought, Jakey boy. Now if you need me…I'll be in your bedroom and uh, by the way…nice going, genius."