A/N: This is a long chapter, about 9 pages, but hopefully you guys won't mind. The last two chapters will be shorter. And thanks for all the encouraging reviews.

Chapter Three: Food and Games

Jake handed Peyton her packet of french fries as they both walked away from the stand. "Are you sure you're okay with this?" he asked.

"Yeah! Why wouldn't I be?"

"I just didn't know whether you were a fan of fast food or not."

"Fast food is good food," Peyton said, causing Jake to laugh. "And I love fries." They both ate their fries silently as they walked back the few steps to her car. "So…are you having a good time?"

"Yeah," Jake nodded. "I'm actually having a really good time."

"Did you think you wouldn't?"

"What? No," Jake shook his head. "What are you talking about?"

Peyton suddenly felt embarrassed for having said that. "Nothing…it was just…the way you said it…never mind."

"I am enjoying myself Peyton," he said, this time more careful of his tone. Peyton looked back at her chips and Jake did the same with his.

"Hey, Jake…" Peyton began, unsure of what she was about to say.

"Yeah-" he started, but then cut himself off as he coughed. "Sorry, wha-" he coughed again and this time more harshly. Realizing that it wasn't a good idea to start talking before he had finished swallowing his food, Jake tried to tell Peyton that, but his throat was too constricted and now he couldn't stop coughing.

"Jake, what's wrong?" Peyton asked worriedly. Her eyes grew wide as she watched him in horror. "Are you sick?"

Between coughs he shook his head, and pointed at his chips.

"Oh!" She looked up and saw that they weren't far from the food stand. "Hey! Can we have some water please? He's choking!" she called.

The girl at the stand saw Jake's coughing form and quickly went to fill a cup of water.

Peyton tapped Jake's back urgently, wishing she knew the Heimlich. She knew she could try, but Brooke had once told her that if you did it wrong you could make the problem worse or even break their rib; she didn't know whether the story was true or not but she wasn't going to risk it.

The girl ran out of the stand, carrying the plastic cup in front of her. Peyton moved to take it from her hand, but the girl suddenly threw the contents at Jake's face.

Even Jake stopped coughing long enough to stare incredulously at her.

"He needs some to drink!" Peyton practically yelled.

The girl ran back to the stand, as Peyton's worry for Jake increased. Suddenly, she noticed he stopped coughing and took in a long lungful of air.

"Jake, are you okay?"

Peyton was answered by a cough. However, she was still hopeful, as the small cough sounded marginally better than the fit he'd just been in. The girl ran back with another cup of water. Jake took it from her and drank the whole thing down in a few gulps.

"Are you okay?" Peyton repeated, rubbing his back.

Jake nodded, and to Peyton's relief he managed to breathe out a, "Yeah."

"Oh, thank God!" She flung her arms around his neck, which she apologized for the next instant as it hurt his chest.

As the girl took back the cup and returned to her stand, she apologized for throwing the water on Jake's face and she looked so upset that Jake told her it helped.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Peyton asked him again.

"Yeah," Jake nodded more certainly. "I'm really sorry for scaring you. I guess that's why my parents always said not to talk with food in your mouth," Jake said. "I have to remember to tell Jenny that."

Peyton smiled. "Yeah, one day I'll definitely be telling Jenny about the time her Dad nearly scared me half to death by choking on a french fry!"

"No, don't tell her that! Tell her cool stuff about me! She should be aware of her father's cool points."

"Hmm…but you don't have any cool points," Peyton joked.

Jake laughed with her. "Normally I would make some sort of protest…but I did just choke on a french fry."

Peyton giggled. "So…" she said finally, "where are we going next Mr. Jagielski?"

"Why don't you choose Miss Sawyer?"

"Alright."

"So, where do you wanna go?"

Peyton didn't have to think too long. "I can't tell you; it's gonna be a surprise."

"Okay," Jake threw his empty packet in the trash can and Peyton did the same before they both got in the car. Jake had already turned on the ignition before he said to Peyton, "I think you better drive."

"Are you sure?"

"Well, yeah since I don't know where to drive to."

"Oh, right!"

……………

Nathan threw his napkin in the bin as he and Haley walked out of the Pizza place.

"I can't believe how much you ate!" she said.

Nathan frowned. "It wasn't that much."

Haley rolled her eyes at him. "Whatever you wanna believe. So, now will you tell me where we're going next?" she asked, switching her shopping bag to her left hand so she could hold Nathan's hand in her right.

"I'm still not telling you," he smirked.

Haley pouted as they walked through the mall, but on noticing something in a window display her facial expression changed.

"What is it?" Nathan asked.

"Oh-nothing," Haley shrugged, trying to lead him back the way they were going.

Nathan turned to look at what Haley had seen. It was the window of a dress shop. "Is this what you were looking at?" he gestured to one of the dresses in the window.

Haley would have preferred to deny it, but Nathan was right. "Uh, yeah, but it doesn't matter – so, where are we going?" she tried to change the subject.

"If you really like it Haley why don't you go and get it?"

"I can't –"

"I don't mind waiting for you," Nathan told her.

"No, it isn't that – uh, I can't afford this store," Haley explained.

"Oh," Nathan realized.

"It doesn't matter; come on, we should be going."

This time Haley was more successful in talking about something else. "Yeah, this way," Nathan led her towards his chosen destination: the arcade.

"The arcade?" Haley exclaimed.

"What's wrong with the arcade? You did say I could choose, Hales."

"Well, yeah, but –"

"And I came with you to the dress shop."

Haley relented. "Okay, but I'm warning you I really suck at these games."

"They're arcade games, Haley," Nathan said as he held the door open for her. "There has to be at least one that you're good at."

"Actually, you're right. I can play Pac-man. Everything else, from the fighting games to those dance one, I suck at."

"Pac-man? That's, like, the baby league."

"Well, it's the only one I can play, Mr. Scott."

"Well," Nathan told her, "I suppose I'll just have to tutor you, Miss James."

Haley giggled. "I suppose you will."

……………

"How far away are we now?"

"Not that far actually," Peyton informed Jake.

She continued driving straight a bit longer, and then took a right turn. Jake's eyebrow rose as the road seemed familiar. Suddenly, he realized. "Peyton…"

"Yes, Jake?"

"This is my road."

"I know." A few seconds later she had pulled up in front of his house.

"What are we doing here? Date went so bad?" he asked, only half-joking.

"No!" she said quickly, "not at all. I just thought that this was where you really wanted to be. You know, with Jenny."

Jake smiled. "I've kinda missed her…Not that I haven't had a good time with you or anything," he added, "'Cause I have."

"Yeah, me too," Peyton nodded.

"Do you want to come in?" Jake asked.

"Uh…" Peyton didn't have to think about the answer to that question, but she was still a little unsure. "Is that okay?"

"Yeah. You can say hi to Jenny. I'm sure she'd like to see you."

"Shouldn't she be sleeping by now?"

"Probably," Jake realized, causing Peyton to laugh. "But you could still come in."

"Okay," Peyton said finally.

"Okay."

Three seconds later they both realized that they were just staring at each other and sitting in Peyton's car. They hastily got out, muttering apologies, and ran to Jake's front door.

He unlocked it and they walked inside. The faint sound of the TV made Jake look over to the sofa to his left where he saw his father had fallen asleep. He chuckled to himself and made his way to the baby carrier. Peyton followed him.

Jake spent a few moments just watching Jenny sleep peacefully and Peyton found herself watching him. Wiping the silly grin that had appeared on her face as a result of this, she moved her head to look at Jenny.

Jake finally reached down to the carrier and gently took her out of it and into his arms. "We should probably take her upstairs."

"Just like that?"

"What do you mean?"

Peyton pointed to his dad who was still asleep. "If he wakes up and finds her not here…"

Jake nodded, understanding. "Yeah, it's probably better not to give him a heart attack."

Peyton giggled, but did her best to keep it soft so that she wouldn't wake Jenny up.

"Could you just take her upstairs to my room; I'll be there in a minute." Jake carefully handed Jenny over to Peyton and made his way to his father.

Peyton tip-toed up the stairs and quietly stepped into Jake's room. She was about to slowly lower Jenny into her crib when Peyton felt a movement at her arm. She looked down and saw that Jenny was moving her head about a little, but her eyes still weren't open.

Jake entered and saw Peyton carrying his baby. "Is she okay?"

"Yeah, but I think I might have woken her. I'm really sor-"

"It's okay, it wasn't you. Sometimes she gets up again about this time, other times even later." Jake went over Peyton to see Jenny.

It was at this moment when Jenny opened her eyes and looked up at the woman carrying her, and the man standing just behind her. Peyton and Jake both smiled at the little girl. If anyone had been looking through Jake's window at that moment, they would have seen a happy family.

When Jake changed the angle of his head, his cheek brushed against Peyton's blond curls and it was only then that they realized how close they had been standing.

Both flushed and he quickly moved back.

"So…" Peyton hurriedly tried to change the subject, "what do you normally do to make her fall asleep?"

Jake flushed even more. "Sometimes I sing to her."

"Oh. Can I hear you?"

Jake met her gaze. "Yeah. I mean, if you want."

"I do."

"Okay then."

Jenny gurgled happily.

……………

After Nathan beat Haley at air hockey and quite a number of other games, he took her towards his favourite. "Let me guess," she said, "it's a basketball one, isn't it?"

"Actually, it's not."

"What? Total shocker."

"Very funny. Basically you're the guy in the spaceship and the point of the game is to zap all the aliens."

"Mindless violence," Haley stated, putting her shopping bag down on the floor next to the machine, "no wonder you like it."

"Ha ha," Nathan said sarcastically. "Stand here, so I can show you how to use the controls," he instructed. Haley moved as told, and he stood behind her. His arms were on either side of her, and his hands were placed on top of hers on the joystick. "You know," he began, as he observed their position, "I could definitely get used to this. I should bring you here more often."

"Stop!" Haley took her hand out from under his to slap his shoulder playfully. "Just show me how you play the game."

"Okay; so, you move this to move the spaceship, and you press this button here to kill the aliens," Nathan showed her.

"That doesn't sound too hard."

"That's what you said about the last two games, both of which you lost."

"That's just because you're more practiced at this than me!" Haley said.

"Okay, okay," Nathan laughed. "Why don't I start so you can watch me play for a bit, and then you can take over?"

Haley nodded her agreement. She moved Nathan's arm so that she could wait by the side of the table, causing Nathan to protest.

"Hey, don't go."

Haley smirked. "I'll be just here."

Nathan started playing and Haley's involvement soon grew from observing to telling him what to do.

"Kill that one! That one!"

"I'm trying!"

"Move the ship that way!"

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

"You're too slow!"

"You play then!" And before Haley could reply Nathan had moved and her hands had somehow found their way to the controls.

Haley started playing and managed to kill three of the aliens at once. "Did you see that?" she turned to Nathan, excited. "Even you didn't do that!"

A loud noise suddenly emitted from the machine. Nathan smirked. "I also didn't get game over."

"What!" Haley turned back to the machine and saw the screen had gone black, and was now asking her whether she wanted to play again. "What happened?"

"The aliens attacked your ship 'cause you weren't paying attention. That's what happens when you gloat."

Haley frowned. "I'm going to play again, and this time I'll get all the aliens."

"You do that, baby. I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Where are you going?"

"I have to go to the bathroom. Hey, why don't I keep your bag in the trunk of my car?"

"Do you mind?"

"Nah, my car's not parked that far away and if you try to keep an eye on it and play the game at the same time then you'll never finish."

"Okay, thanks." Haley handed Nathan her shopping bag and he kissed her cheek before going out of the arcade room.

Haley got back to the game and this time she played slightly better than last time, but she had only made it half way through before her ship got destroyed again. Sighing, she pulled out a rubber band from her jean pocket to tie her hair up. As she was trying to pull it up, the black band fell to the ground. Haley bent down to pick it up.

Haley stood back up and found a girl a little older than herself, and much taller, standing in front of her machine.

"Excuse me," Haley said politely, "I was using this machine."

The girl looked down on Haley and rolled her eyes. "Not anymore, you're not."

"What?"

"I said," the girl enunciated, "you're not using it anymore."

"You can't just steal my machine, that's not fair!"

"You shouldn't have left it."

"I didn't leave it!" Haley's tutoring had developed her patience, but now she felt it wearing thin. "I was just here; I only bent down to pick something up."

The girl just shrugged. "I didn't see you, not my problem." She nudged Haley to the side and pressed the button to start the game.

"Hey!" Haley nearly yelled, coming back up to her. "Don't nudge me."

The girl let out a short, hollow laugh. "What are you gonna do, girly? Call your boyfriend to come save you?"

Haley's face screwed up in concentration. She hated to admit it, but, unfair as it was, there wasn't much Haley could do about the girl stealing the machine. At least, there was nothing she could do that wouldn't make her come across as a whiny little child. And that option wasn't very attractive. Especially since that girl had called her 'girly'.

Suddenly, another option popped into Haley's mind. Without even bothering to think it over she said, "I'll play you for it!"

Now, it was the girl's turn to be confused. "What?"

"The machine. I'll play you for it."

The girl laughed again, but this time with slightly more feeling. "Sure." Haley's eyes widened when the girl cracked her knuckles loudly. "That sounds fair."

A few minutes later, Nathan was closing the trunk of his car, and locking the car behind him. He jogged back up the main steps and walked through the crowded mall to get to the room with all the arcade games, but he wasn't prepared for was finding the arcade the way he did. The room was packed, but no one was using any of the machines. In fact all the guys in there – and they did all seem to be guys – were standing clustered around one machine in the middle of the room. As Nathan ventured further into the room a thought struck him about its location.

He pried his through the crowd and made his way to the centre and found…

"Haley?"

She didn't even take her eyes off the machine. "Nathan, is that you?"

"Yeah, what's going on?" He inched closer to the machine, and stood by it, on Haley's right. On her left was a girl who Nathan vaguely recognized from seeing her around the arcade before. "Haley?" he said again when she didn't answer him.

"Can't talk Nathan, gotta concentrate."

Just then the girl scored a few points higher than Haley and all the boys watching cheered. A few seconds later Haley caught up with her and the boys cheered again.

Nathan glanced over them and narrowed his eyes. They didn't really care who won, they just wanted to watch the girls play the game. Nathan had no problem with them staring at that other chick. But with Haley…then he definitely had a problem. With the way she was standing her t-shirt had ridden up slightly and her tattoo was on show. At school this would comfort Nathan, but here, none of these guys knew what it meant. Well, he was just going to have to show them. Especially that guy in the green sweater who just gave Haley a glance-over. Nathan was going to have to sort that guy out just about-

"Oh my God!" a loud squeal came from beside him, causing Nathan to turn around.

Both girls were looking at the screen in shock, and at first Nathan couldn't realize whether that was a bad or a good thing. Then when Haley's face broke into a grin and the other chick looked mad Nathan realized, but not quite believed.

"I won!" Haley screamed.

All the boys gave a hearty cheer.

"Nathan, I won!" Haley said excitedly, and before he could reply she launched herself into his arms and kissed him passionately.

All the boys booed.