AN: Hey guys! Life has been really hectic and I'm really sorry for not updating sooner! I promise updates will be way more frequent from now on! Probably once a week, if I can! Thanks so much for hanging in there! Thank you SOOOO much to all of you who replied! I love hearing what you think, and I am so happy that you guys seem to like it!

Chapter 11

For the next couple of weeks Jake had not come to school. He had decided to do everything in his power to get Nikki out of his and Jenny's lives. He had gotten a day-job at a local store and was paid decently so with that and his shifts at Karen's cafe, he was able to pay a good lawyer to finally fight Nikki in the custody case for Jenny. After much digging around and late nights working, Jake and his lawyer and his parents were able to defeat Nikki and Jake got full custody of Jenny.

Peyton was of course too important for Jake to ignore for a series of three or four weeks, even though he knew she would be ignoring him. But it was hard since he was so busy and had stopped coming to school. But he wasn't going to let Peyton slip slowly out of his life. He knew that no matter how much she probably hated him, she still really loved Jenny, almost as much as he did. So he had an excuse to write to her. He knew that trying to see her or even talk to her on the phone was out of the question, so everyday he wrote to her. Everyday for the past couple of weeks he wrote little or long notes to her and slipped them in her mailbox. He made sure to include a PS about how the situation with Jenny was going. But the main parts of his notes included his apologies, which he knew would just be annoying to Peyton but she needed to hear them.

Now that the whole custody matter was done, he quit his day-job and planned to go back to school. The administration was letting him, since they were aware of his situation. So the day before he was coming back to school, he left his last note in Peyton's mailbox.

Dear Peyton,
I know you probably hate me and are getting sick and tired of these notes. I don't blame you. And I swear this is the last note I will be leaving to you... at least for a while. You have to know that despite everything, I still care for you as much as before. No, scratch that, more than before. You only really realize what you had until it's gone. I have realize that now. I know I'm probably way too late, and I've made too big a mistake this time, but I still hope that one day you can forgive me. And if that day is sooner rather than later, I will be ecstatic. You have to know that if you let me back into your life, I will never EVER do anything to lose you. You mean too much to me. And if you don't want me in your life than I can't protest because it's your right, and I would probably do the same thing if I was in your position.

But I am asking, no I am BEGGING, for you to please PLEASE listen to what I have to say. I want to talk to you in person. I NEED to explain myself. If you still have any hint of any feelings for me anymore, and I don't blame you if you don't, please let me speak to you.

I was never one to believe in second chances, I didn't give Nikki one, why should you give me one, right? But I am hoping with all my heart that you will. If not for me, than for Jenny. She can't talk, walk, or really do much at all, but anyone can see that that girl loves you. We need you in our lives, Peyton.
Forever yours,
Jake

"I have to tell you guys something..." Peyton said uneasily to Brooke and Haley. They were in the middle of History class, but when had that really stopped them from having a conversation? Brooke and Haley just nodded for her to continue. "OK, well you know how Jake hasn't been to school lately and everyone has no idea what's going on with him?"

"Yeah," Brooke said, "Which I think is so mean of him. I mean he barely tried to get you back or at least apologize. Instead he just disappears! Outrageous..." Brooke mumbled. She had specifically told Jake to try something big to get Peyton back but he had done the exact opposite!

"Well, that's the thing... Jake's been writing to me." Brooke and Haley had expressions of utter surprise. "Yeah..." Peyton continued, "He said that he didn't want to invade or anything by trying to talk to me in person so he's been writing notes to me and putting them in my mailbox everyday."

"Oh my God!" Brooke squealed.

"What did they say?" Haley asked.

"A whole bunch of stuff about asking for forgiveness and how stupid he was. Oh and he still tells me about Jenny. He got full custody of her, that's why he hasn't been to school, he's been just so busy with everything. I like hearing all that because, I don't know how things will work out with me and Jake but I really love Jenny." Peyton told them.

"Awwwww," Brooke said. "So are you going to forgive him?"

"I don't know, Brooke. I don't even know when I'll get to see him! I have no idea when he's coming back to school." Brooke and Haley both nodded in response and then the bell rang and it was the end of school. They all left the class room and Haley was headed towards her locker that she shared with Nathan and Brooke toward hers and Luc's and Peyton... well just toward her own.

"OK, I have the BEST idea!" Yelled Brooke as her and Luke met at their locker. Luke leaned down and pecked his girlfriend.

"Oh yeah, and what's that?" He asked.

"We have to have a party!" Brooke squealed.

"Brooke, remember what happened at the last party?"

"Oh but that would SO not happen again! I promise! The reason I think we should have one is to 1) celebrate Jake getting custody of Jenny, I'll explain how I know that later. And 2) to get Peyton and Jake back on track! It's the perfect plan." Lucas didn't seem like he thought it was as perfect as Brooke did. "Come on, Broody. It'll be fun!"

Lucas sighed, "OK, but if it's just a repeat of the last party then you will get a big fat 'I told you so!' from me!" He said as he poked her in the stomach. Brooke giggled.

"Oh no you would not even dare!" She said sticking her finger on his chest. "And it won't be. I promise, totally drama-free party! Pleeease... Don't you love me?" She gave him puppy-dog eyes and how could he resist?

"I think you already know the answer to that." He said as he bent down to kiss her. After a short while they pulled apart. "Ok OK, I trust you, we'll have a fun, drama-free party."

"YES! Now we have to come up with a Jake and Peyton reuniting plan!" She said and Lucas just rolled his eyes and laughed.

"Nathan, long time no-see!" Haley said as she met him at their locker. They hugged.

"Uh, Haley, I saw you at lunch today." He said, not that he was complaining. He loved it when Haley was happy to see him, which was most of the time.

"Well it felt like longer." Haley laughed at how stupid she sounded. While her and Nathan did have really emotional, powerful moments, they also had flirty, sort of immature moments too. But it was a nice balance of the two. Haley was glad that she had found someone that she would act normal around. To everyone, she was just 'the smart girl', but to Nathan she was just 'the girl'. The only girl that made Nathan feel... well as great as he made her feel. Haley loved him, and she knew it was real because she felt it with ALL her heart. But apart from being smart, Haley was also very shy. She wanted to tell Nathan how she felt, but it had to be the right time and place.

"Well, I missed you too, Hales." He bent down and gave her a peck. "How have you been? Since lunch, I mean?"

"Well, I have something to tell you," Nathan nodded, "Well, it turns out that the reason Jake hasn't been here was because he was too busy... " She liked building the suspense. Well, that and the kick she got out of seeing Nathan's annoyed expression when she did that, "Getting full custody of Jenny!" She yelled.

"No way! That's awesome." He said. He had been pulling for Jake to win against Nikki. Even though his feelings toward his friend was kind of mixed now, after what he had done to Peyton. He could tell that he really cared for Peyton, maybe as much as Nathan for Haley. So how could he do that to her? Nathan couldn't even imagine doing anything like that to Haley. "How are him and Peyton doing?"

"Um. Actually not very well. But I hope they find a way to get back together, they are like the cutest couple!" Haley exclaimed getting a little too excited, jumping up and down.

"Hey?" Nathan said pretending to be hurt, "I thought we were the cutest couple!" He said grabbing Haley by her hips and bringing her closer.

"OOOOh, riiight. It must have slipped my mind!" Haley said, teasing him.

"Well it would never slip mine. I could never stop thinking about you, Haley James." He said, and Haley detected a hint of seriousness in his voice that made her heart leap. They kissed, which only had her heart leap higher.

Nikki watched from across the street. Oh, here comes the bitch now, she thought as she heard footsteps. That Peyton girl had ruined everything. Everything for her and Jake and everything for her and Jenny. She was going to pay. But soon enough, Nikki realized that the footsteps weren't Peyton's, they were Jake's. Why on Earth is Jake going to Peyton's house when no one is even there? Nikki thought. Before Jake could see her, she walked backwards and hid in the bushes.

She saw Jake walk up the steps to the Sawyer residence and put a folded piece of paper in the mailbox. Nikki smiled, an evil grin as she formed a brand new plan in her mind. Perfect, she thought.

Peyton parked her convertible right infront of her house. She put her messenger bag over her shoulder and got out of her car and walked up the steps to her empty house. She checked the mailbox, knowing that the mail came later, but it wasn't exactly mail that she was looking for. But she found what she had expected. A small folded, white piece of paper. She smiled. Even though she still didn't really forgive Jake, and her heart was still aching from what he had done, she still thought what he was doing, with all the notes, was adorable. Who wouldn't?

She read the note and found the contents to be utterly unexpected. She forced herself to read it all the way through before bursting into tears and running into the house, dropping the note on the ground infront of her house.

Dear Peyton,
I know you are probably getting sick and tired of these notes, and I am tired of writing them. If you don't want to forgive me then, fine! I will move on, and you will never hear from me again. You had your chance to forgive me and for us to get back together but now it's too late. So this is my last letter I am leaving for you because I know that now it is officially over. There is nothing either of us can do to help it. It is best for you to get out of my life and for me to get out of yours. I am sick of apologizing, and I don't think I want to be with someone so unforgiving anyways. Good bye, Peyton, forever.

Jake.

AN: OK guys I hope you liked it! Another update should be up next week! Please Review!