2016
Atlanta, Georgia
(Three Days After The Funeral)
"Mama, I don't like Roast Beef", little Micah Jagielski complained with a frown.
"Since when, Mikey? You love Roast Beef."
The little boy shook his head.
"That was last month. Not anymore."
Peyton sighed.
"Okay. I'll fix you something else."
"I don't want Salami either, Mama", Mason, the boy's twin brother pushed his plate to the side.
"What's wrong with Salami?"
"I don't like it."
"Well, switch with your brother."
"He doesn't have crust. I like crust on my bread."
Peyton Jagielski threw her hands up in frustration at another hectic day in her household. The past week had been strenuous enough. They had only been back at their home for a day and already stressed out from Lucas Scott's untimely death, Peyton had opted not to return to work just yet in order to lower her stress level. She had been in for a rude awakening. Eight year old twins and a three year old into everything wasn't exactly a prescription for much needed r & r. She knew she would have been better off in the safe confines of her office.
"Fine, guys. Just hang tight. I'll make you something else, okay? Let me see what we have."
"Mama, I'm thirsty."
"Hold on a minute, Micah. I only have two hands, Buddy. I'm doing the best that I can."
Jake Jagielski entered the kitchen and smiled as he ruffled the heads of his sons and daughter.
"What's up, guys?"
Micah mischievously smiled at his father.
"Dad, Mama messed up lunch."
Peyton rolled her eyes.
"I did not mess up lunch. We just have the pickiest eight year olds on the freaking planet."
Jake chuckled.
"Be nice, boys. Your mom has been messing up my lunch for 11 years. You'll get used to it."
Peyton turned and shot her husband a glaring warning look to show she was not the least bit amused.
"Minnie, don't put the plate of spaghettios on your head, honey. Stop it! Minnie…dammitt!"
"Calm down, Pey. It's okay." Jake said removing the bowl from the smiling three year old's grubby hands.
"It's not okay. She is making a mess, a big mess that I'll have to clean up because we both know you won't."
"Peyton…"
"Where the hell is Nancy?"
"Right here, ma'am", said the loyal and loving babysitter as she entered through the front. "Sorry, I'm late. I…"
"Whatever. You're here now", Peyton sighed as she threw her hands up in frustration as she fled through the backdoor.
Jake mumbled an apology to Nancy and smiled at his children to let them know everything was okay before stepping outside. He found his wife sitting on the swing he had built by hand for the kids. She was smoking a cigarette staring off into the horizon aimlessly.
"You know those things will kill you", he tried to half joke as he sat on the swing beside her.
"Or a nice handgun", she shrugged.
"Peyton…"
"What? Afraid I'm gonna end up like Ellie?"
"The thought of my kids not having a mother because of cancer? Yeah, it's a scary thought and it has crossed my mind."
"Since when did you start caring?"
Jake looked at her.
"No way. Don't go there with me. Through 11 years of thick and thin, joy and tragedy, I have stood by your side, Peyton. Always. At least give me some credit for that. But I'm not gonna sit here and take your shit and neither are the kids. It's not right."
She blew out a puff of smoke.
"Look, it's a bad day, alright? Yeah, I'm frustrated and I didn't mean to take it out on them."
"Maybe you should back off. I was thinking of asking Nancy to stay on full time, at least for a couple of days."
"Jake!"
"It's okay. I know you're overwhelmed."
She smirked and shook her head.
"And we know what went down the last time that happened. I ended up accidentally killing one of our kids."
He shook his head in disgust.
"I don't believe you. You know, a lot of hurtful things come out of your mouth and you don't realize the effect it has on people. And everybody just lets you get away with it. I don't get you sometimes, Peyton. Even after all these years together, sometimes I just don't get you still."
"What do you want from me?"
"I don't know anymore", he sighed. "Peyton, I don't know what to say. Look, maybe this was a mistake…"
"What?"
"You know what. Us coming back to Atlanta."
Peyton rolled her eyes.
"This is our home."
"I know but…"
"Like you had a better idea?"
"I did actually."
"This is gonna be good. Lay it on me, Jake."
"We should have stayed in Tree Hill."
Peyton laughed out loud.
"Tell me you're joking."
"Yeah, Lucas is dead and we're both suspects in his murder. I'm in a real fucking kidding mood right now, Peyton."
"What does staying in Tree Hill solve?"
"You know they're gonna want to talk to us, the cops and stuff."
Peyton shrugged.
"They already have questioned us."
"Come on, Peyton. That was fluff. I'd hardly even call it an interview. You know there is more to come."
"Oh well. No one has officially labeled us suspects and Mouth and his little detective friends didn't tell us we couldn't come home. Do you think I'm gonna sit around in a hotel in Tree Hill with my three kids waiting for those flashlight cops to solve a murder?"
"Peyton…"
"Besides, my lawyer said…"
Jake rolled his eyes.
"I don't want to hear about your damned lawyer."
"Great. So now you're pissed off at me and my lawyer."
He shook his head.
"I don't know. I just don't know why you jumped up and hired an attorney so soon for."
"Jake, we already talked about this. And that night on the River Court with Brooke and Nathan and Haley, we all agreed this was the best thing to do. It's called protecting your ass."
"I don't know. This whole thing is a mess."
"Tell me something I don't know."
He looked right at his wife.
"Are you sorry that he's gone?"
Peyton lit another cigarette.
"What is death, really?" she shrugged. "Lucas is gone. I get that. I accept that. We don't have a choice. I guess I'm kind of numb to it. People I love always seem to leave or I seem to drive them away. I mean, one mom is dead because she was on her way to pick me up from school. Another mom is dead from breast cancer and a lot times I took for granted that relationship we had because I figured she'd always be around because her cancer was gone. Then it came back and she was gone just like that. And my daughter, our daughter, is dead because I wanted a five minute nap. Now Lucas too and I feel like that's on me as well. It hurts but you sort of stop feeling after a while."
"Micah asked me what happens after you die", Jake sighed. "He asked if his uncle Luke was in Heaven with his Nana and his sister."
"What did you tell him?"
"What do you say when your eight year old asks you a question like that?"
"When I think about it, I imagine my mom in this beautiful garden full of colorful flowers wearing white wings. And I see Ellie hanging out with all the other bad ass angels. And Jen…I just see peace and happiness and that little smiling beautiful face."
"And Lucas?"
Peyton laughed in spite of herself.
"I'm guessing he and Dan have a lot of catching up to do as much as I hate to admit that."
Jake sighed.
"If there is a hell, I know those two are surely burning in it."
"Wherever he is, I know if he can see us all now, he's somewhere laughing his ass off watching everyone squirm."
"Did you do it, Peyton?" Jake blurted out.
"What?"
"Lucas. Did you kill him? Did you leave that party and drive to Tree Hill and shoot him?"
She tossed the cigarette butt.
"You have a lot of nerve asking me that."
"You're my wife and I have to know. Did you kill him?"
Peyton looked him right in the eye.
"Did you?"
Jake bit his lip and looked away.
"I asked you first", he mumbled.
"If I did…would that change things? I mean, how would you feel?"
"I don't know how I would feel. I'd just want to know, Peyton."
"No. I didn't do it, Jake, alright?"
He exhaled deeply.
"Neither did I. I mean, it sounds harsh or whatever but I still don't know whether or not I'm sorry that he's gone. But that doesn't mean I killed the guy because I didn't."
"Okay. So we're both innocent. What happens now, Jake? Where do we go from here?"
"I don't know. I don't know how we're supposed to get through this, I just know that we are."
Peyton nodded.
"Be cool. They don't have shit on us anyway."
"You never know. Brooke and Nathan are looking pretty obvious now but you never know when the tables could turn. Haley or me or even you could be in the hot seat next."
"Honestly, I don't care who did it. That might sound mean or whatever but I know it wasn't me and that's all that I'm worried about. I don't have time to play police woman and speculate on other people."
"Whatever happens, just be smart about stuff, Peyton. We've got our kids to think about."
"Are you saying you're actually going out on a limb and trusting me?"
Jake stood from the swing and started back into the house. He turned to Peyton one last time.
"You are my wife and the mother of my children. Regardless, I love you and I'll always love you. That has to count for something. I'd do anything to save you or help you or protect you, Peyton. That hasn't changed. But trust?" he smirked as he shook his head and looked around. "Now you're the one with the real nerve."
