Title: All Through The Night
Pairing: Peyton/Jake
Rating: PG
A/N: I wrote this for a challegne on OTH Writers 911. The full requirements are at the end of the story (so as not to spoil it) but the general idea was to have 2 characters run into each other 10 years later at an airport.The lyrics used are from the song 'All Through The Night' by Cindy Lauper.
Peyton knew that someone was watching her. She didn't look up from her notebook, but she felt instinctively a pair of eyes staring at the side of her face. And for the next three minutes they didn't look away. Somewhat unsettled, Peyton decided to see who it was and was surprised when the person wasn't some male pervert, but in fact, a little girl with short straight blond hair, not altogether unlike her own. Their eyes met and the girl smiled. Warily, Peyton smiled back and then went back to her drawing. She didn't realize that the girl had moved until she heard a shy voice whisper, "Are you Peyton?"
She sat up straight and stared at the girl who was now right in front of her with her hands clasped together as she looked at Peyton hopefully. She studied the girl carefully, but couldn't place her. "Have we met before?" she asked finally.
"I'm Jenny," she told her. "Jenny Jagielski."
Peyton couldn't stop the girlish exclamation that left her mouth. "Oh my God! Jenny! You look so grown-up. My gosh, you must be eleven years old now."
"I'll be twelve next week."
"Twelve? Wow. Well, come here," Peyton extended her arms and embraced Jenny. "It's really good to see you. I'm surprised you remember me."
"Of course I do."
"But you weren't even two the last time I saw you. I can't believe you remembered what I look like."
"Dad always tells me about my Aunt Peyton who would baby-sit me and I recognized you from his picture of you."
Peyton choked up at the word 'Dad'. "Oh? Is your Dad here with you?"
Jenny nodded eagerly. "You wanna see him?"
Peyton only paused for a second. "Sure."
"He's sitting just over there," Jenny pointed to another group of seats in front of them.
Putting her notebook and pencil into her shoulder bag, she let Jenny lead her through the airport. Peyton knew for certain that she hadn't fallen asleep, but it all felt so unreal. Ten years had passed since she'd visited Savannah halfway through her senior year to see Jake and Jenny, and then left on such awful terms. Jake had been right, she knew, to tell her to go and if he hadn't forced her to see it she might have repressed her feelings for Lucas even longer. Granted, those feelings had made her miserable after they ruined her friendship with Brooke, but she had to be honest with herself.
Still, in the weeks and months that had followed she'd realized she loved Jake as well, only in a different way; but she hadn't been able to tell him that and their infrequent email correspondence had eventually stopped altogether. And now, after all those years of silence they were going to come face to face - at New Brunswick County Airport of all places. She wondered whether he looked different now, and what he would think of her. She couldn't look that different, she realized, if Jenny could recognize her from an old picture of her she didn't know Jake had. She probably looked similar, just older. Unconsciously, her free hand came up to ruffle her hair.
"Dad!"
Jenny's cry jerked Peyton out of her thoughts as they stopped abruptly in front of Jake. He was sitting bent over with a newspaper on his lap, and the pen in his hand was poised above the page, just about to fill in the crossword.
"Dad," Jenny repeated. "Look who's here."
Jake did a double take that was almost comical when he saw her. "Peyton?"
Peyton smiled and gave him a small wave. "Hi."
"Hi." They both just stared at each other for a minute to let the shock subside.
Jenny was disappointed by her father's reaction. "Well? Aren't you happy to see her?"
"Yeah." Jake stood up and beamed at her. "Yeah, of course." Seeing her father take a step towards them, Jenny let go of Peyton's hand.
He was taller than she remembered. Peyton was sure that she'd only been marginally shorter than him, but this time when she stepped into his arms he was tall enough for his chin to rest exactly on top of her head. The hug didn't last long though, and she was out of his strong, warm embrace a few seconds later. She examined him and noted that despite looking slightly tired and unshaven; his appearance hadn't really changed in ten years. She found that hard to believe, but it was true. To her, he looked just the same as he had all those years ago, if not more handsome with the slight stubble on his chin.
"What are you two doing here?" Peyton asked, finally.
"Well, Jenny and I have been in Tree Hill, visiting my parents for the past few days. We didn't see you around though," Jake added.
"I only got back into Tree Hill this afternoon. I was with my Dad on his boat for three weeks and we docked in today," Peyton explained. "I'm on my way back to Chicago, but my flight got delayed."
"Ours did too," Jenny told her. "We've been here for five hours now."
"Five hours? And I was complaining about being here for one and a half." Peyton caught Jake's gaze and they smiled.
Jake nodded, and the three were caught in an uncomfortable silence once more.
"So," he and Peyton began at the same time and then stopped.
Jenny looked from her father to Peyton, both looking anywhere than at what was right in front of them, each other. "Shall we go exploring now?"
"Exploring?" Peyton raised an eyebrow, questioningly.
"Jenny likes to go exploring a lot," Jake informed her.
"I wanted to explore the airport since we're going to be here for so long, but Dad said he'd have to come with me so I didn't get lost or anything, but he'd get bored just walking around while I explored. Now you can come with us Peyton and keep him company!"
"You don't have to come if you don't want," Jake interjected quickly.
Peyton looked from the openly eager girl to her no less eager father, who was just doing a better job of hiding it. "Of course I want to come."
"Cool!"
Twenty minutes later Peyton and Jake were standing outside the restroom waiting for Jenny to return. They had trailed a few paces behind Jenny while she explored the airport, and talked. Peyton had discovered that Jake and Nikki both shared custody of Jenny. He only got her on weekends and some special occasions, while Jenny lived with her mother and stepfather for most of the week. When they returned to Savannah he'd have to take her back to Nikki's, but for her birthday the following week he was taking Jenny to Disneyworld and it'd be just the two of them. Peyton wasn't sure if it was only on her part, but there was still a degree of awkwardness between them. Yet, at certain moments there would be a flicker of that calm which they had once shared with each other.
All through the night
"So, what are you doing these days?" Jake's voice cut through her thoughts.
"Me? I'm working."
"Yeah, I kind of figured that." Jake laughed and she joined in his laughter. As he looked at her expectantly she realized that it was these easy-going moments with him that she had missed most. No one had ever made her feel as at ease as Jake did.
I'll be awake
And I'll be with you
"I work for a magazine. I'm the art director's assistant." When Jake remained silent for a moment, Peyton prodded, "What?" curious as to what he was thinking.
"Nothing. I mean, that's great. I just always thought you'd do something with music. Don't get me wrong," he added quickly, "I think your art is really good. I just thought you'd do something to do with music."
All through the night
"Oh...Well, truth be told, I do tend to wander into the music section a lot. The music director doesn't really like me anymore."
"No?"
"He says that I invade his space too much. Apparently it does harm to his aura."
"What's funny?" Jenny asked when she returned from the bathroom and found her father chuckling at what Peyton had said.
Jake shook his head. "Nothing."
Jenny led the way once more and Peyton and Jake got up from their seats to dutifully follow her.
This precious time
When time is new
"So, how are you?"
"Um...I'm fine," Peyton said, wondering what he meant.
"No, like, are you happy with your life now? Do you have any plans for the future?"
"Oh! Well, yeah, I am happy," Peyton acknowledged. "I like my life. What about you?"
Oh, all through the night today
"It's okay. I wish I could spend more time with Jenny, but I'm glad for what I have. And, lately I've been thinking about maybe taking some classes."
"You're going to go to college?"
"Well, I don't really have the time or the money for that right now. But, I thought, when Jenny's a bit older I'd try it part time. Maybe after that I'd even be able to get a job that's not at a cafe or an auto shop."
"I'm sure you will," Peyton told him.
"Thanks." From the look in her eyes Jake could tell that she'd meant it, and that meant more to him than he'd have liked to admit.
Knowing that we feel the same
Without saying
"So what time is your flight to Savannah?"
Jake checked his watch. "Well, if what they said is true, then it should be in another forty-five minutes."
"Forty-five minutes?" Peyton mentally cursed that she'd been in the airport for so long and hadn't met them all that time.
"When is your flight supposed to be leaving?"
"Another two hours," she told him, sullenly. She only had forty-five minutes left with him and Jenny - no, less, she realized, if that was when the plane was due to take-off. "So..."
"So –"
"I'm sorry this is so awkward," Peyton cut him off. "I guess I'm still in shock at meeting you like this. We didn't exactly end things very well and now you're going to be leaving..." Before anything started, she finished mentally.
We have no past
"Yeah," Jake agreed. Simultaneously, they both realized they had gotten so caught up in their conversation that they had stopped walking. "Jenny!" Jake called out immediately.
She poked her head out from behind the board she was reading. "Yeah, Dad?"
Jake looked relieved. "Nothing."
"Sorry -"
"It's not your fault. I should have paid more attention. I thought she'd get less restless as she got older, but she's only become more so."
Restless. The word touched Peyton. It seemed to cover how she had been feeling from the moment she had seen Jake. Her mind was running wild.
We won't reach back
"Jake, about how I left -"
Jake stopped her from continuing. "Like you said, Jenny and I will be leaving soon. Why don't we just stay in the present?"
Peyton wondered momentarily if this was the best choice, but then nodded her assent.
Keep with me forward
All through the night
"So, how's Brooke?" he asked.
"Brooke? I thought we were staying in the present," Peyton joked.
"Well, I did ask how she is now. That is the present," Jake informed her, and Peyton was certain she saw the familiar twinkle in his eye.
And once we start
The meter clicks
"She's okay. Well, I think so. We don't really keep in touch." Jake remained silent, allowing her to choose whether she wanted to continue with the story or not. She decided to explain, and went on, "We didn't end high school on good terms and since we went to different colleges we never met each other again. But, Haley and Brooke are still friends and the last time I spoke to Haley she said that Brooke was in Italy."
"Italy?"
"Fashion capital of the world."
"Oh, right. So she works for some big firm?"
"Yeah. Haley told me which one it was, but I've forgotten."
"Well, that's good. She's doing what she always wanted."
"Not yet," Peyton corrected him.
"Huh?"
"Brooke always wanted to design her own clothing line. You know, become a big name in fashion. But, she works in the factory as a pattern cutter for the fabrics."
Jake chuckled. "Well, you have to start somewhere."
"True."
And it goes running
All through the night
"You miss her, don't you?" It came out as more of a statement, than a question.
Peyton nodded again.
"It's been a long time since high school. Maybe you guys could patch things up."
"I don't know..."
"It's been ten years, Peyton," Jake stressed. "I don't know what happened to you two, but I don't think Brooke would hold a grudge for that long. Things change in ten years."
Peyton took in a deep breath and then avoided his comment. "I see you're still looking on the bright side of everything."
Jake grinned. "You see the dark cloud, I see the silver lining."
Peyton returned his smile, but his words reminded her of the saying he had taken them from: For every dark cloud there is a silver lining. So, for every Peyton, there's a Jake? Is that what he meant? Peyton tilted her head to look at him, but his eyes were just following Jenny's movements up ahead, and he seemed in no way perturbed by what he had said. Telling herself she was just reading too much into it, she kept on walking, but the idea took up residence in her head.
Until it ends
There is no end
"Hey, look!" Jenny pointed out a photo booth.
"You want to take your picture?" Jake wondered.
"No, I want a picture of all of us." She gave her father a look that said, 'Duh!'
"Oh, right. Are you sure all three of us can fit in there?"
"Of course we can. You and Peyton can sit on the stool and I'll sit on your laps - or even stand. I am tall enough now," Jenny said proudly.
Jake looked over at Peyton. "Do you want to?"
"Sure." Peyton followed Jake and Jenny to the photo booth, thinking that it would be nice to have a memory of this.
All through the night
Stray cat is crying
So stray cat sings back
Jenny wanted to insert the money so Jake and Peyton went inside the booth first. It was a tight squeeze, but they managed to share the stool, both sitting only half on it.
"Are you okay over there?" Jake asked.
"As okay as I can be stuffed in here."
Jake moved over a bit more on his side so that there was more space for her to sit.
"Oh, you don't have to do that -" Peyton began to protest.
"No, I'm fine." Jake slid backwards so that he leaned against the back of the booth. "I'm fine like this, really."
Reluctantly, Peyton took up the rest of the space on the stool and sat more comfortably. "Thanks." It was only then that she noticed the closeness of this new position. Both times his thigh was pressing against hers but now, because he was leaning back, his arm came behind her as well and his chin was right next to her ear. Before Peyton had a chance to try to move around, Jenny came in and, as she had thought, was tall enough to get her head in the picture without having to sit on either of their laps. They smiled and waited for the four flashes of light. Once they had been taken all three began to move, but Jenny stilled their actions.
"We have to take some more."
All through the night
They have forgotten
What by day they lack
"Why?" Jake wondered.
"Well, we don't have to, but I wanted to keep this whole strip, which means if you want pictures to keep for yourself we have to take another two sets of photos."
Jake handed Jenny some more money and she skipped out of the booth. They took another round of photos, but while Jenny was inserting the money for the third strip she took longer coming back.
"Everything all right there?" Jake called.
"I put the money in funny. It's okay though; it'll only take a minute."
"Think you can wait like this another minute?" Jake said, jokingly.
She laughed, and looked up at him, but the moment she did she forgot what she was going to say. Since she had turned her head to the left it was now touching the pocket of his jacket. The increased contact surprised them both and Peyton couldn't help but notice how close his face actually was. His words came back to her, and even though he hadn't really meant it as a question, she couldn't help but think of it as one. Her answer slipped out, involuntarily, "Maybe."
Oh under those white street lamps
There is a little chance they may see
Peyton wasn't sure at first whether Jake had heard her, but all her doubts were erased when his head lowered, and the distance between them was lessening until -
The white hot flash of the camera went off and Jenny scrambled back inside. "Sorry I wasn't sure if it had worked." She smiled in time for the last three photos while Jake and Peyton tried to compose themselves behind her. "Well, that's the last one," Jenny announced and flounced out of the booth, Jake and Peyton scrambling after her.
Peyton made sure to stand right next to the part where the photos came out of so when the machine churned the last strip out she grabbed it before Jenny had a chance to. Luckily, Jenny didn't ask to see it and just handed her father the second strip, keeping the first for herself.
"So, Jenny what do you want to do now?"
She thought about this for a few impatient moments, but her mind was made up the instant she saw the Baskins & Robbins across from them. "Can I have some ice cream?"
"Yeah. You go over there and choose what flavor you want and I'll come and pay for it in a minute."
Jenny nodded and trotted away from them, leaving Peyton and Jake alone, which was what he had wanted. Deciding not to waste any more time with small talk, Jake began, "About that -"
"No, Jake, you don't have to -"
"No, Peyton, I just want to say this. I shouldn't have tried to do that; it's been ten years and it hasn't even been an hour yet. But seeing you again - and with Jenny - it feels like before. When I saw you with Jenny I -"
"Jake, you don't want to finish that sentence," Peyton pleaded with him, and the look of sadness that replaced her earlier joy wasn't lost on him.
"Why not?"
Peyton closed her eyes and tried to face up to the fact that she had to tell him what she knew she should have said before. "I'm engaged."
"Engaged? As in, engaged to be married?"
Peyton only managed a nod.
Jake, too, was silent for a while, looking everywhere but at her. "You're not wearing a ring," he observed.
"I-He only proposed just before I left to go on this trip with my Dad. We were going to go shopping for a ring when I got back."
"Oh."
"I'm -"
"No, it's not your fault. I shouldn't have assumed..." Jake let his sentence trail off. One of his hands absently ran through his hair while he processed what she had just said. Then, he asked the very thing she had been praying he wouldn't want to know. "What's his name?"
Peyton swallowed hard. "Lucas."
Jake did his best to remain nonplussed, but the slight rise of his eyebrows gave him away. "Lucas? As in 'Lucas' Lucas? Lucas Scott?"
Peyton nodded again.
"So...you guys have been together all this time?"
"No! We barely kept in contact during college, and not at all after. We ran into each other by accident last year. He writes for a newspaper and it's owned by the same company that owns the magazine I work at. There was this dinner and..."
"You met," Jake supplied.
"Yeah." After another long moment's silence, Peyton felt compelled to say something. "Jake, I never meant to -"
"You didn't," he said quickly. "Don't worry. I-I have to go pay for Jenny's ice cream."
He jogged away from her to do just that and Peyton watched him go with a lump in her throat. She had told herself that it would be better if she didn't mention Lucas, but now she doubted the wisdom of that choice. She wasn't sure if Jake had avoided talking about him on purpose as well, but it was her fault, not his. And now she had hurt him again.
We have no past
We won't reach back
Keep with me forward
All through the night
She slid down on the seat nearby and took out the photos they had just taken. She looked at the first one, which only confirmed her guilt. His head was reaching down to hers, but her eyes were closed as well and she reaching up to him. She would have been a willing participant in that kiss, and she knew it.
Peyton's ears perked up at the sound of an announcement to listen for news on her flight. There wasn't any, but the announcer did mention this: The flight to Savannah was ready for boarding.
Jake was leaving. He came back to tell her so. "Jenny's just finishing her ice cream."
"Okay."
Still not looking directly at her, Jake opened his jacket and took out his photos.
"That's yours," Peyton said when he held it towards her.
"I thought you wouldn't want your fiancée to see that one." Meaning the one in her hands. The one where they nearly kissed.
He sounded bitter, but Peyton knew he just wanted that photo. And as much as she wanted to keep it too, she didn't have it in her to deny him that as well. They switched photos before Jenny returned.
And once we start
The meter clicks
And it goes running
All through the night
"Do we really have to go now, Dad? The plane won't leave just yet."
"We should go. We don't want to miss the plane."
Jenny gave in and turned to Peyton with a shy smile on her face. "Can I write to you?" she requested.
"Of course you can, Jenny."
They swapped addresses and Jenny exclaimed, "Now I'll have a pen pal! I can send you a postcard from Disneyworld."
"I'd like that."
Jenny and Peyton said their goodbyes, and Peyton stood up to do the same with Jake. When he smiled at her, Peyton knew it wasn't forced. She hugged him with all the strength she had in her arms, and he responded similarly. There were so many things she wanted to say. I'm sorry. I missed you.
"Goodbye, Peyton Sawyer."
Goodbye. She hated that word because it meant someone was leaving. And, she wasn't even Peyton Sawyer anymore. By the end of the year she would be Peyton Sawyer Scott. At that moment, nothing sounded as horrible as those three words together.
"Don't be a stranger," she whispered.
Jake kissed her hair, hard, and then broke away. Taking Jenny's hand he led her towards the walkway. Every few paces Jenny turned and waved at Peyton; Peyton waved back each time, plastering a smile on her face.
Until it ends
There is no end
At the end of the hallway Jake looked back, and for one moment their eyes met. And then he was gone.
END
A/N: I don't normally write angst and this is the first time I have ever written a story that was only Jeyton and didn't involve other couples, but I hope you liked it! Don't forget to leave a review. :)
Challenge Requirements: Ten years in the future two characters run into each other in the airport after both of their flights are delayed. The characters can't have seen each other since high school and haven't really kept in touch either. It can be any two characters, an ex-couple or not and in the end they must part ways.