Title: Will You Fall for Me?
Show: One Tree Hill
Pairing: Peyton/Jake
A/N: WHOOOWHEEE! I can't believe it's here either! Wow. That was forever and a day huh? Well I hope you enjoyed it. Nasty Nikki has a voice now. Not something many of you want, but still, it's gotta be.
Jake leave. It seems fated, huh? Very eerily similar to the way it went on the show in later eppies. But no, I'm not here to plagarize Mr. Schwaan's work. Promise. P (Even though we enjoy much of it...oh heck all of it! lol
Chapter Twelve: Nothing, Yet Everything to Lose
Dear Mom,I just had to write this to you because I really want you to know...I've found a guy. He's the sweetest boy you'll ever meet and I'm sure you would approve. Oh, and by the way, he's as hot as all get out. I think you'd approve.
He's a single father; but don't hold that against him. I mean, as you know, I've made my share of mistakes, and he's way more mature than I am. He is an amazing father to his daughter, Jenny. And she's beautiful too, Mom. I just love her to death.
Things are really happening between us. I never thought that God wanted me to be happy - not after taking you, and Dad having to struggle to support us and being away from me all the time. But Jake is this bright spot in my life.
He makes me smile all the time, Mom. And laugh. Oh he makes me laugh. It feels as good as it used to when you were around. It feels like I don't always have to be sad.
I feel like things are finally going my way.
Anyways, this was just a little note to let you know that I still miss you and love you. And also, I wanted to let you know that I'm all right. I think I've found someone special - like you were to Dad. Do you think it's fate? I'm not sure what I think about that.
Anyways...I think I've found someone to love.
&-
"You've just been served, Mr. Jagelski."
With furrowed brow, Jake stared at the folded sheets of paper in his hand. "What are you talking about?" he asked, as he felt his chest tighten. "What is this for?"
The doorbell rang and he ran to answer, so that Jenny wouldn't wake up after he had finally gotten her to sleep. She had been restless all morning. Maybe she had sensed what was coming.
"These are papers suing you for custody of said child," the sleek suited man stated abruptly. "By Ms. Augier, mother of the child. It is all stated clearly in the paperwork."
"N-Nikki?" He could barely get her name out. "She's the one responsible for this?" he asked distractedly.
You should have expected this. She wanted to see her daughter. And she always gets her way. His chest literally hurt, and he could hardly catch his breath. This could not be happening.
He could not lose Jenny.
"Goodbye Mr. Jagelski."
Jake stared after the unnamed stranger, who had just conveniently breathed life into his worst nightmare. The man didn't even care that he was helping Nikki tear Jenny from the only parent she knew. He was just the middleman. A pawn, like so many others.
Damn her.
--&--
"I don't know what to do!" he exclaimed, unable to decide whether cry or scream. "She just sprung this on me; and I should have know. I should have known that a quiet Nikki is a manipulative one." He took a deep breath. He felt like he was going to puke.
"Jake," Peyton breathed, surprised to see him on her doorstep. "Slow down."
"How can I slow down?" Jake asked, slipping past her and entering the now familiar living room. "She's threatening to take Jenny away and I can't do anything to stop her!"
"What are you talking about?" She shook her head in confusion, not quite sure why Jake was so frantic about Nikki all of the sudden. "What happened?" she asked, grabbing him by the hand. "What did Nikki do?"
He pulled away, running his hands through his hair, wracking his brain at what he could do. And how he could do it. "I was served this morning," he breathed. "She's suing for custody of Jenny. Aw, man. I can't let her take Jenny away from me. I just can't."
She watched him frantically pace back and forth in her living room. Peyton never expected this; though she should have seen it coming a million miles away. The nineteen-year old brunette didn't have a clue about how this was going to tear Jenny's world apart. The witch wasn't thinking about anyone except herself.
"I talked with legal aid as soon as I could, and they told me they still would side with the mother."
"Jake, there's got to be a way to fight this," Peyton said calmly. Though she was far from being anything but calm. "There is no way they would put a child with a woman as crazed as Nikki. They just couldn't."
Could they? No, they couldn't side over Jake in this matter. They'd have to be blind and stupid.
Lawyers and judges?
Oh hell. Damn it.
'"Peyton, my parents say that I should try for joint custody."
His parents obviously had not been threatened by the force of nature.
"I can't do it, Peyton," Jake cried. "I can't let her into Jenny's life only to have her total it like she did mine."
As much as she wanted to shout 'amens' to that, Peyton knew it wasn't her place. She couldn't make that decision for him. Peyton took a deep breath. Oh but how I'd love to...
"I was thinking maybe I should get out of Tree Hill," Jake mumbled. He hadn't thought it through. It was just an idea, but it didn't seem as bad as the possibility of losing Jenny. "Because what other option do I have?"
Her mouth suddenly went dry and her chest began to tighten unexpectedly. She couldn't be sure, but she thought she might have stopped breathing for just a minute. "Leave?" Peyton repeated, trying very hard to swallow the large lump in her throat. "Leave Tree Hill?"
She should have known. It had been too good.
Jake turned away as he closed his eyes. He couldn't look at her - to do so was to torture himself. The reality of his words only set in after she had repeated them out loud.
His life was in Tree Hill. Everything he knew, everything he cared about and loved. And somewhere along the way, Peyton had managed to become one of those people. But all he could picture now was the image of Nikki walking away with Jenny in her arms forever. And his arms already ached to hold her.
So, what other choice was there?
&-
"Do you really know what you're doing?"
"Mother, stop hounding me about this," Nikki cried out in exasperation. "I thought you and Dad were behind me on this? You hired lawyers for god's sake."
"No," Natalie Augier shook her head, "we did not choose this."
"Yes, you are!"
"No," Jonathon Augier protested. "You decided to take what was left of our mis-spent college tuition on this lunacy!"
Natalie glanced at her husband and shook her head in disbelief. She never thought her daughter would go this far. They had thought she had put this behind her.
"I can't believe you!" Nikki exploded. "You first help me cast aside my daughter. Your granddaughter, by the way. And now you think I'm crazy for trying to get her back into my life?" Her mind was reeling. "Exactly who's the lunatic?"
Nikki had always been excitable and bordering on the edge of uncontrollable. Natalie had hoped that she would grow out of it. During her senior year of high school it seemed that she had settled down. Though their daughter was dating a boy a two years younger than herself, she and Jonathan had thought once she entered college that nonsense would be forgotten. And then came the child.
It was like all logic and reason had fled from their daughter. She knew that Nikki, in all probability, was having sex with the boy; but for them to have been as irresponsible as to not protect themselves? It was infuriating. And it was then that she and Jonathan knew they needed to take control of their out-of-control daughter. Thankfully she was all too happy to agree to put the whole thing behind her - get a fresh start at the college of her choice.
It was only too convenient for them that the boy chose to keep the child - if he had not, they would have suggested adoption. But everything fell into place. It wa s the only thing she and Jonathan could find to be thankful about.
But then she arrived on their doorstep a week ago. She had apparently been in town for several weeks. It was only now, that Nikki had decided to inform both Jonathan and herself that she would be seeking custody of the child.
"This is getting us nowhere!" Jonathan declared angrily. "And I would suggest that if you would like to continue to use our money to fund this little venture of yours, then, show us a little more respect."
Nikki plastered a disingenuine smile on her face, knowing that her parents knew exactly what she was thinking about them at that moment. They knew her better than anyone else. And they knew what she was capable of when she set her mind on something. Jonathan and Natalie hated confrontation and the 'mess' of emotions. And for this exact reason, she knew she could manipulate them into helping her, and have them fund her legal quest. "Yes Father," she said, her words dripping of sacchrine. "I meant no disrespect."
"Stop it." Jonathan shook his head in disgust. "Is this the display you're about to bring before a judge?" he asked pointedly. "If so, you're just proving our and the other side's case. You're not fit to take care of a child."
"Oh really?" Nikki glared at her always 'supportive' parents. "Well I'm just modeling what I've been taught," she said simply, tilting her head to the side. She smiled. ""Your overwhelming love and support will carry me through the rough times though."
"You don't have any idea what you're getting into," Natalie reasoned, reaching out to her daughter. Nikki flinched; and she was rebuffed. "Please. You're only a child."
"That was the excuse you used to get me on that plane to UCLA," Nikki spat. "But I realized, once I had time to think about it, that it wasn't my needs that you were thinking about." She began to pace back and forth. "It was really all about you." She stopped midstride and looked at her parents, who looked perfectly confused. "Admit it."
"What are you talking about?" Natalie cried softly. "We only had your best in mind. You were a mess. You had locked yourself in your room for days, convinced your life was over. If we hadn't mentioned leaving it all behind, do you think you'd have actually been apart of that child's life? You could hardly bare to look at her."
"It was post-pardom depression," Nikki said defensively. "Or didn't you even care to notice? Instead, you thought shipping me off was the best course of action."
"Nikki, we have never been able to force you into doing anything," Natalie said, stepping forward and locking gazes with her obstinate daughter. "And you know it."
"Oh please. You threatened to kick me out and disown me."
"You have a way of twisting things," Jonathan muttered darkly.
"It's the truth."
"It's a distorted version of the truth," he declared, pointing at his daughter. "You were told that if you chose to stay, you would have to find a way to support your daughter."
"Yes. And what a wonderful shower gift to a new mother - announcing that you were kicking her out of your house."
"You adamant about being independant enough to make your own decisions, including sleeping with that boy. We assumed that meant you were independant einough to find a place to live and a job to support your new family."
"Well, you managed to find a way to put an end to that, too. All in one fell swoop," Nikki glared at the both of them. "Didn't you?" She raised her hands and slowly applauded. "Bravo. You managed to win a round."
"It's not a game! And that was not what it was like," Natalie breathed, pressing her hand to her chest. Her heart ached to see her daughter so broken and bitter. "We love you, Nikki."
"Funny way of showing it." She brushed her hair over her shoulder. "I figure parents should support their child when they make a mistake - not exile them and let them hang out to dry," Nikki said harshly. "It showed me how much you truly hate me."
"What?" Jonathan roared in disbelief. It was too much. "What kind of monster have you become?" He shook his head. "How dare you make what your mother and I did for you out to be something heinous! We protected you from the hardest life possible - choosing to throw away every dream and raising a child."
"Oh yeah, convincing me it was best to trash the only relationship that ever meant anything to me, and tossing my daughter away like garbage was done out of love!" Nikki couldn't believe they even had words to defend what they had done to her...what they had made her do to Jake. The image of his bitter and resentful face flashed before her eyes. The boy who once could never muster up a scowl, except when she teased him, now could only barely tolerate her presence. "You are the reason my life is hell," she screamed accusingly, as her body shook by the full force of her emotions. Looking around she found a near by vase, picked it up and threw it down with all her might.
Natalie moved towards her, to comfort her child. All she could see in front of her was the small little girl who was filled with so much fear and pain. "No." Jonathan grabbed her arm and pulled her to him. "This has gone far enough," he said softly, watching Nikki, as if a stranger, out of control. "She won't see reason."
"But she's our daughter."
"I don't know that she is anymore, Natalie."
They watched as the dark-haired woman before them suddenly stopped her ranting. She looked at them with such unfamiliarity. A blank slate before their eyes. No memories of the life they shared flickered in those dark brooding eyes. Nothing.
Nikki closed her eyes, not recognizing the look upon her parents' faces just then. It was as if they saw right through her. It was then she felt the tears. It was then the hurt pierced her heart. It was the reflection of her soul - the void of emptiness.
Now she had nothing...and nothing to lose.