With a skip in her step Lily walked into Brooke's kitchen, "good morning!"
"Morning, Lil. Your dad's already left for work" Brooke said it so casually as she sat at the table with her coffee in her hand.
Lily stood still, unable to move, eventually she blinked as Brooke looked at her and her staring strangely, "you've never don't that before" Lily whispered.
"Done what?"
"Called him my dad"
Brooke's eyes widened at the realisation, she took a sip of her coffee, "that's what he is, isn't he?"
Lily grinned and nodded, taking a seat opposite Brooke, "is he finishing early to help with the set up?"
"There's a lot to do, Nathan and Haley should be arriving around lunch too"
"Can I do anything to help?" at Lily's question Brooke stiffened, Lily knew she was going to tell her no, grabbing the first thought Lily reached for the stack of paper of the table, "I can put some flyers around town! Please" Lily clapped her hands together, "pretty please"
Brooke placed her mug down, "can you stay out of trouble?"
"Yes" Lily dragged out the word, "its not that hard, besides everyone in town knows about it anyway"
"I don't like the idea of you walking around by yourself"
"We can do it together" Lily grabbed her backpack and started putting in the pile of posters, "then I won't be by myself, we can start once I eat, gah, I am starving."
It was only twenty minutes later, the sky still grey that Brooke and Lily headed out, first going to the main street and splitting up, they also utilised posts along the streets.
Lily suggested they go to the motel and Brooke put up the posters, as soon as she was alone in the car Lily got out her phone and dialled Jenny's number, "are you still here?" Lily quickly asked.
"Yeah, Mom is asleep"
"Still?"
"I didn't know what to do! She was so weird last night, not bad, but she didn't sleep at all. She still wanted to drive though so I kind of slipped one of her sleeping pills into her breakfast" Jenny winced even as she said it.
"No, you didn't!"
"I didn't know what to do!"
Lily's mouth dropped open, "well, do you want to see Nicki?"
"No, I don't. I don't need to, right. She's not my real mom, not really, she just gave birth to me. And then she gave me away"
"Okay then its easy, just tell your mom that, when she wakes up and that Nicki isn't a problem and you guys can stay here, in Tree Hill with your friends"
"I don't think it'll work" In the motel room Jenny eyed her sleeping mother.
"You can try, just try, she won't be up for ages anyway. I got to go, anyway, DO NOT leave town without saying goodbye!" Lily gave one last instruction before hanging up
As she started to walk towards the front office Lily ran into Brooke, "where are you going?"
"I need to use the bathroom" Lily came up with the first excuse she can think of, "give me five" and she ran off.
In the reception area Lily quickly checked the guest book, then with a smile asked for her 'Aunt Nicki's' room number so she can return her jacket.
Lily justified her interference with being a good friend, knocking on the door with a false bravado. The door opened and Lily looked up at the older woman, finally Lily found the words, "are you Nicki?"
"Yes" Nicki looked behind Lily, "sorry, who are you?"
"That doesn't matter" Lily lifted her chin defiantly, "the important thing is that you know you are not wanted here"
"I'm sorry" Nicki chuckled, "is this a joke?"
"I know Peyton and Jenny, and she doesn't want to ever see you" Lily tried to sound fierce, she told herself if Peyton wasn't worried about Nicki then maybe they wouldn't leave so quickly, "you should leave Tree Hill"
"It was strange yesterday and its even stranger today" Nicki placed a hand on her hip, "you can tell Peyton the feeling is mutual, I will not bother her again"
"Good" Lily lifted her chin up higher, and confronted by the strange scene in front of her Nicki went to close her door, then Nicki paused, stopped herself and turned back.
"I didn't mean to upset Peyton, I really did just want to say thanks, can you tell Peyton that. I won't bother her again" she sounded genuine and seemed even a little nice, Lily started to frown.
Just before Nicki was going to close the door Lily stopped her, placing one foot in the way, "what about Jenny?" Lily asked suddenly,
Nicki looked shocked, "Jenny?"
"Yes, your daughter. Aren't you curious?"
Nicki paled, "I know everything I need to know. And as you can see Peyton does not what to discuss our daughter with me. Jenny's death was hard for the both of us, for the same and different reasons, the accident forever changed our lives but I was not there, I am not the one who has to live with the memory of Jenny dying in her arms. If she doesn't want to talk about Jenny with me, I'll accept that. I don't blame Peyton; it was my own fault she was the one there and not me"
"The accident" Lily whispered back, "the one where Jake died?"
"Jake and Jenny" Nicki added, "I can only imagine how terrible it was for Peyton, surviving all that pain. I wish her the best anyway"
"The accident it was what, nine years ago, when Jenny was four?" Lily was asking the question to herself, her voice still barely above a whisper.
"March, nine years ago. You never forget the day" Nicki eyes went somewhere else; a look Lily recognised all too well.
Frozen Lily stood there unable to move, eventually she gave a nod and started to turn away as Nicki stepped back into the room. And then Lily ran back to the car as fast as she could, shocking Brooke when she jumped into the passenger seat and slammed the door, her breathing heavy.
Brooke started the car, her eyes still on Lily, "you okay, Lil?"
"I think I know something" Lily whispered.
Despite Brooke's urging Lily was lost in her own thoughts, finally Brooke pulled over outside the café, "Lily, talk to me"
Lily turned to Brooke, her face pale, "do you think Peyton is a liar?"
"What?" Brooke scrunched up her face surprised by Lily's words, "You're asking me if Peyton is a liar?"
With a nod Lily looked aimlessly out the window, "Nicki is in Tree Hill"
"Is that why Jenny wanted to see a picture?"
"She saw her mom talking to Nicki yesterday but she… she didn't what she wanted but Peyton wants to leave Tree Hill to get away from Nicki and I didn't want that so I thought I would tell Nicki to stay away from them"
"Oh, honey, this is a lot for you to get in the middle of. I'm sure Peyton and Nicki can sort this out, there's no reason to worry. Peyton is Jenny's legal mom"
"But what if she's not?" Lily asked. She turned large eyes back to Brooke, "Nicki thinks Jenny is dead, like DEAD dead. She told me Jenny died with her dad. Why would she think Jenny's dead if Peyton didn't lie to her, and why would she lie unless the adoption is a lie! What if its all a lie, what if Peyton kidnapped Jenny and ran off so Nicki couldn't get her back after she got out of jail!" word after word came out of Lily as she processed her thoughts.
Brooke was taken aback, "this is crazy"
"You know what is crazy, Peyton and Jenny moving like a bazillion times, Peyton and Jenny not having any friends, she didn't even contact you and Dad said he gave her your number, and the second she sees Nicki she locks Jenny in the motel room and plans to leave town, without her car!"
Now it was Brooke's turn to go over everything.
"Nicki thinks Jenny's dead, are you sure?"
"YES!" Lily yelled, "she's thought her daughter has been dead for nine years but we know she's not, oh my god, how do I tell Jenny?"
Brooke paled as well, "nine years?"
"Nine years" Lily shook her head, "she said March nine years ago, I remember because it reminded me of your birthday"
Suddenly Brooke started the car again, and a still alarmed Lily had to hold on tightly as Brooke sped back to Lucas' house, she stopped outside, "I want you to stay here, Lily, stay at your dads house" Brooke unlocked the car and Lily climbed out with her back pack.
"What are you going to do?"
"Don't worry" Brooke simply said and drove off.
Alone Lily stared up at the sky and then down the street, she cursed, ran for her bike and hopped on it, immediately cycling back to the motel.
-x-
Lucas had barely been inside the house when he heard Brooke's door bang open and slam shut, it was a small place so when he stepped out of the kitchen he saw Brooke straight away, bent over the coffee table flipping through some high school albums that were there.
"Hey, where's the fire?" Lucas joked.
"What colour were Jenny's eyes?" Brooke was frantic.
Lucas frowned in thought, confused by the question, "Jenny? Blue, I think, she has blue eyes" his mind went back to their time at the carnival.
Brooke slammed an album closed and reached for the next, "no, when she was a baby, do you remember her eyes?"
"They must have been blue, what's going on Brooke?"
For a second Brooke stooped her frantic search, "she was here, Lucas, that week, I bumped into Peyton at the riverwalk, she was here in Tree Hill"
"Okay"
Brooke shook her head still flipping through photos, "you don't understand, it was few days before the party and I told her all about it, I told her to come, I told her to bring Jake and Jenny, and the whole time she just kept staring at Adrienne, she even told me how much she reminded her of Jenny" Brooke slammed the album closed in frustration and reached for a third, her movements even more rushed.
Moving forward Lucas' blue eyes narrowed, "you're not making sense"
Brooke suddenly lifted up a photo and screamed, "BROWN" Brooke exclaimed, with the photo in her hand she slammed it against Lucas' chest, "Jenny had brown eyes, just like Nicki and Jake!"
"No" Lucas shook his head, "Jenny has blue eyes" he remembered noticing them, and how clear they were, in fact he those they were the same shade of blue as his own mother's. Still confused and frowning Lucas turned the photo over to see the image of a grinning Peyton holding a chubby baby, with thick blonde hair and big brown eyes.
Brooke ran her hands through her hair, "the girl with Peyton has blue eyes but I don't think she's the same little girl in that photo. She was here Lucas, it was Peyton, it was Peyton!"
It was finally dawning on Lucas what Brooke meant.
Dark eyes blazing Brooke let the words out, "I think Peyton's daughter died and then she took ours".
-x-
Without pausing Lily jumped off her bike and left it to drop to the ground, still out of breath she ran back up to the motel and started banging on the door, "please be here, please be here" Lily chanted.
Jenny opened the door, "Lily?"
Lily hadn't seen Brooke's car but she still half expected to see her there, when it was just Jenny and a sleeping Peyton, Lily used her good arm to grip one of jenny's shoulders with her hand, she started to cry, "I think I messed up"
There was a stirring on the bed, Peyton lifted her head, her eyes opening, and Lily dropped her arm, "I'm sorry, I am sorry"
"Why? What?" Jenny kept looking at her friend, "Lily what happened?"
A crying Lily turned from Peyton to Lily, "I spoke to Nicki, I thought if I told her to stay away then you guys could stay"
Getting more alert by the second Peyton shook away her tiredness and focused on Lily, "what did you just say?"
"I'm sorry, how was I supposed to know! I just wanted to help but then she told me about what you told her and I … I didn't know what to do so I told my mom and I think… I think she's going to tell the police or something" Lily had guilty tears running down her cheek.
Jenny didn't quite understand, "why would Brooke call the police?"
Lily looked between Peyton and Jenny, going back and forth, Peyton was reading Lily's worry and she scrambled off the bed and automatically reached for her purse where she knew her keys were, "we have to go, come on Jenny, let's go"
"WHAT IS GOING ON?" Jenny shouted as her mother reached for her arm and started pulling her towards the door.
"Nicki thinks your dead" Lily yelled it out.
Peyton glared at the young brunette, "that's insane. Jenny is right here"
"I think Peyton lied to Nicki so she didn't have to give you up when your dad died" Lily spoke straight to Jenny. The arm that had been on Jenny abruptly let go and Peyton's hand went to Lily instead, she grabbed onto Lily's left arm.
"GET OUT!" Peyton screamed, angrily pushing Lily back.
The eleven-year-old felt pain shoot down her broken arm, "let go, you're hurting me"
With her other arm Peyton went to grip Lily's other shoulder, finding the strap of the back pack to hold onto, and pushed further towards the door.
"MOM!"
Lily struggled against Peyton, looking into the blondes crazed eyes Lily started to feel afraid for the first time that day.
As her feet dug into the ground as she struggled to twist away to release her arm, Lily felt Peyton grip loosening, and once again she felt the feeling of the ground going out from under her.
The back pack that had been on her slipped off and let go of her grip on it, the momentum had the bag fly across the room, falling to the ground and spilling papers all over the floor.
Something caught Jenny's eyes, she kneeled and picked up one of the posters, her eyes taking in the coloured image not understanding what she was looking at.
"Where did you get this?" Jenny asked.
Lily got up from the ground, she warily eyed Peyton who stood between them and the door, brushing her legs Lily straightened up, "you're crazy" Lily spat at Peyton.
Jenny kept staring at the poster, then she looked at her friend, "Lily, why do you have all these photos of me?"
For a second Lily didn't understand the question, then she realised that Jenny was holding one of the posters for the bonfire, "that's not you, that's-" and as she was about to say it Lily stopped herself and looked at Peyton in horror.
It was only a few seconds though Peyton reacted, she quickly slammed the door closed behind her and then reaching into her bag she found what she was looking for, "this is all just a misunderstanding" her voice was too sweet, her back still to the girls.
Lily stepped closer to Jenny, standing slightly in front of her friend, "no, you really are insane!" then Lily span around and gripped poster in Jenny's hands, her eyes pleading as they stared into Jenny's blue ones, "this is a photo of Brooke and Lucas' daughter, she disappeared nine years ago tomorrow"
Shocked Jenny started to shake her head, "no, no, no, no"
"Don't you get it, Peyton is not your mom, she was never your mom, she stole you" Lily shouted it, her own mind trying to comprehend everything this meant.
There was a click and Lily turned back around, at the same time Jenny looked up. Peyton stood in front of the door, a gun between her hands, her green eyes glowing, "I am her mother, I am".
-x-