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The alarm clock echoed through the bedroom of Marvin and Millicent McFadden, Mouth and Millie as they were known by through their friends. The sun had yet to rise, the street lights still lit the town, and only one store was open—a gas station, that stayed open twenty-four hours for those that worked the graveyard shift.
Mouth did not work nights, he slept nights. And he would have liked to kept sleeping but he didn't. Instead, he rolled over smacking the top of his alarm before swinging his legs over the side of his bed and stretching.
Coffee.
Mouth needed coffee.
He stood up, stumbling through his bedroom like a drunk college freshman, in search of his kitchen—through his squinted eyes, unable to fully open them just yet.
Eventually, he made it. He knew it was the kitchen from the small light that was on above the stove, Mouth began to make his coffee. He could have done it with his eyes shut, in fact, he did. That was until his coffee was done brewing and he began sipping out of his cup.
Mouth leaned over flipping the switch to the kitchen and immediately saw a figure sitting at his counter—smiling.
"Ahhh".
Mouth knew that loud scream had to come from him because his throat hurt and his coffee that was in his hand, was now scalding his body through his clothes—indicating he had spilled it on to him when he dropped his cup that hit the ground loudly, shattering all over the floor.
"Good morning," Brooke Davis said, resting her chin on her hand.
"Wha—Wha—".
"Ahhh" they both heard.
Millie came charging into the kitchen with a racket in her hand, looking for blood—which she would find if she looked beneath her husband's foot.
"Good morning," Brooke said once again.
Millie looked from Mouth to Brooke, disturbingly clear what had happened. She looked down shaking her head and said "we need new friends" as she walked back out of the kitchen.
Mouth watched as his wife left him alone with his lifelong friend, and he looked over at her—to find she was still smiling.
"Good—".
"If you say good morning again I will pour coffee on you," he said as he walked over fetching the mop. "It's only fair".
"Okay—Nice Jammies, I think the boys have the same pair".
Mouth scowled at Brooke as he began cleaning up the mess that he—she caused.
"Brooke it's four thirty—what are you doing"?
"Just sitting here, what about you"?
"Here," Mouth said. "What are you doing here? At my house—how did you get in"?
"Please, I have had a copy since you moved in," she told him sitting back waving her hand.
"I feel like asking how is going to open a portal I just don't want to go down so let's just get back to the why-why are you here at the ass crack of dawn"?
Brooke watched as Mouth tossed the remaining pieces from his coffee cup into the trash, as she pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. Mouth walked over as he watched Brooke search through her phone, although he wasn't sure as to what for.
"Does this girl look familiar to you"? Brooke asked, finally turning her phone around.
Mouth lifted the phone and observed the picture on it, of a redheaded teenager. He studied the picture assuming he was being shown this particular picture for a reason, but if he did know the girl he just couldn't remember.
"No," Mouth said shaking his head. "You know who she reminds me of though"?
"Rachel"?
"Yeah," Mouth told her. "The hair color but the rest is—I'm confused. Brooke, it's so early if I'm supposed to be getting something you're just going to have to spell it out for me".
"This is Rachel's daughter".
"I never knew Rachel had a daughter" Mouth said, as he handed Brooke her phone back.
"I didn't either, but she did. I'm just going to ask it, I have never tried to pry into your personal life—actually, that's a lie and I don't care" Brooke said as she realized the words she spoke out loud. "This girl is fifteen, almost sixteen. She is a sophomore in high school—is there any way that she is your daughter? On her birth certificate, Rachel put you as her father—did you two sleep together"?
Mouth looked up, as though he needed help remembering but he didn't. He slowly walked around the counter and sat next to Brooke. "It was before we got to honey grove," he told her. "I never told anyone about it but—is that my daughter"?
"It's still Rachel, we all remember just how friendly she was," Brooke said. "She came here looking for her birth parents, it looks like she—Rachel, gave her up for adoption. That's all I know, she is at my house. Peyton is going to take her school and get her registered this morning when she takes the kids. But, this is Tree Hill and she has your last name—I came this early because people would start questioning and I didn't want them to before you knew".
"This can't be right" Mouth said, shaking his head. "No. It's not. It's not right, I don't have a teenaged daughter because Rachel would have told me, she would have at least had the decency to tell me. Wouldn't she"?
"I don't know, but—she has your exact eyes Mouth," Brooke told him. "I think—we should go to do a paternity test on you two, to be certain".
"If she is mine—what does this mean"?
"It means you have a daughter," Millie said as she stepped back into the kitchen, after hearing the conversation.
"Thank you," Peyton said.
Peyton Sawyer waved to the school secretary as she left the front office, quickly finding her way through the hallways—dodging one teenager after another. Perhaps she wasn't paying full attention to her surroundings, being in the rush she was in—or perhaps there were just too many teenagers to fully avoid them all. But, Peyton collided with one, hearing the loud sound a large number of books hit the hard ground.
"Oh, my god I'm sorry—Jamie," she said looking up into her nephew—former nephews eyes. "I'm sorry," she told him.
"It's alright," he said, smiling at her.
The bell rang, and suddenly they were the only two standing in the hallway.
"Oh, my god—you're late," Peyton said as she knelt down to help him gather his books. "It's all my fault, I can write you a note—".
"Honestly, it's fine," Jamie told her. "It's just chemistry. It is not like I can get into any more trouble".
"Oh, right now is your big grounding going"?
"I have six hundred and eighty-three hours left".
Peyton snickered as she picked a notebook up, not sure why she glanced down but she did. Her eyes scanned across the words that the page was open to.
"Here I'll take that—" Jamie said, reaching for his notepad.
Peyton jumped out of his reach, quickly, walking in the opposite direction as she continued to read what was on the page. "Jamie—did you write this"?
"It's nothing" he insisted. "I just jot things down from time to time".
Peyton began flipped through the large notepad, all the pages filled with words and rhymes.
"Are these songs"?
"Poems actually," he told her.
"They could pass for songs," Peyton told him. "I know professional songwriters that don't have songs this good—do you sing, too"?
"I mean I do—but just don't tell mom, okay? Or dad? Maddie doesn't even know about those".
"Would you consider writing for red bedroom—a few songs? I have a few artists that are looking for some songs—and Jamie you have some amazing talent".
"I don't know," he said shrugging. "I have never even thought of it as anything more than just something to pass the time".
"You would make a pretty little penny off of it—and you can put a hoax name. Think about it, stop by the label one day if you would like to. Poems and songs aren't that far of a stretch from each other".
"Exactly, how pretty of a penny"? Jamie asked. "Madison has been saving up forever to go visit her parents, and I have a saving myself for her".
"Well, it depends on a lot of different things the artist—if it's a single or if it's part of an album—or both, but a minimum of seven hundred to a thousand dollars," Peyton said, adding up in her head. "Every album or song that is made you make a profit even after you receive your large sum".
"Seriously"?
"What is with you teenagers and that damn word but—yes, seriously. Just think about it".
"And you wouldn't tell mom or dad"? Jamie asked her. "If I did, would you keep this between us"?
"Of course," Peyton said. "I can call your dad and tell him I need help with some things around the label, like moving furniture or something and I'm sure he would he let you stop by—he would probably think it's a great form of punishment if I'm being honest. It's always better when an artist works one on one with the writer".
"I have a doctors appointment today—and then basketball practice but maybe I could stop by tomorrow"? Jamie asked.
"Yes," Peyton said, far too eager for her taste.
"I better get to class".
Nathan was folding the blanket he spent the night curled up on the couch with on the couch, inside his office, when he heard a light peck at the door.
"Come in" Nathan called over his shoulder.
Clay stepped in "these need your signature—damn" he began until he saw the sight of his business partner. "You look rough, did you sleep here"?
"I'm in the dog house," Nathan said nodding.
"Oh, you pissed Haley off"?
"If that's what you want to call it—I got home and my door was locked".
"You have a key, Nate," Clay said sitting down. "It's your house, remember"?
"My bedroom door was locked—and I couldn't sleep, so I just came here and did some work".
"She locked the bedroom door"? Clay asked sitting down in Nathan's chair behind his desk, kicking his feet up. "You aren't in the dog house—you just signed a lease on it. Is this over Jamie"!
"Yes" Nathan said, nodding.
"I mean—I guess I get why she upset. When Logan does something he shouldn't if I find out or if it's something he does in front of me I'll send him to his room until she gets home and vise Versa. Then we discuss it and call him downstairs" Clay told Nathan.
"Normally when Haley and I fight you come in here with some witty comment but today—you're on her side"?
"Well, yeah—".
"My sixteen-year-old son went out and got a tattoo that takes up over half of his arm" Nathan began turning around to face Clay. "It's huge—".
"It's his body".
"Just a month ago you were sitting there preaching to me about how was mine. His phone—".
"It is," Clay said defensively holding his hands up. "Look, Nate—he lives in your house, he needs to abide by your rules. You pay for all the things he has, however, he is old enough to make certain decisions for himself. You weren't mad when you found out about the tattoo on his back".
"That's different".
"Why? Maybe because when he puts a shirt on you wouldn't even be able to tell? Because the whole team does it? Or both"?
"No, he went behind my back and got it".
"You're telling me that you never went behind your parents back"? Clay asked tilting his head. "I met Dan and I speak to Deb frequently—too frequently sometimes if I'm being honest, I would go behind their back now, and I'm not even there kid. He is a teenager, there are things he is going to tell you and things he is not going to tell you. You just have to get used to that, Nate—he was finally starting to open up to you and let you into his life. He was talking about sex with you, then you decided to go upstairs and act like this damn tattoo was Armageddon".
"I'm his father first, not his friend".
"And I respect that," Clay said. "But, that brings me back to the part about him opening up to you. He just walked down and told you—he knew you were going to be mad but he told you and Haley anyways, he did hide it for a while but then he decided to tell you. He could've kept hiding it but he didn't. That's because you and he were finally starting to see you as someone he could turn to—not just his dad. He saw you like Nathan, a man who used to be just like him. A teenager who made a lot of dumbass choices, but turned out to be a great man. He looks up to you Nate, more than you will ever realize".
Nathan sat down on the couch, utterly convinced that he had been friends with Clay way too long after thinking that everything he said made complete sense.
"I hate you, you know"?
"Yeah," Clay said nodding, smiling. "I know".
"Dawg".
"I know".
"Dawg".
"I know".
Mouth and Skills sat side by side at the bar inside of Skills home, halfway through a bottle of whiskey— not at work where either of them should be. In the same spot, they had been for three hours, since Mouth showed up on his best friends doorstep in a frenzy.
Mentally, of course.
Because, when Mouth arrived he was white as a ghost and didn't speak until he started replacing his blood count with alcohol levels.
"I can't believe you didn't tell me you slept with Rachel," Skills said shaking his head as he poured more brown liquid into their cups.
Mouth sat with his head in his hands—that sat next to his forehead, looking as though he just watched The Shining for the first time. "I might have a teenaged daughter, and that's what you're worried about"?
"I'm just saying—it was Rachel" Skills said shrugging. "I mean she was no Rachel McAdams—but still—".
"Skills" Mouth said, sitting up gulping down the burning liquor in one giant drink and slamming his drink down. "She has my eyes".
Skills looked at the picture, nodding. "She has everything of yours, dawg. Except for the red hair—and the mouth—no offense".
"How could Rachel not tell me"? Mouth asked, sitting back into his seat his hands over his face. "I have had this living—breathing, a person that was part of me and I never knew about it".
"I—like Brooke said, this is Rachel we are talking about. Maybe she just put your name down as the father because it's the only one she knew and —" Skills said, and looked up to find Mouth staring at him, before picking the phone up and holding it up in his face. The picture of the teenager directly in his eyesight, there was no way to deny it. "Yeah—I didn't even believe that. Nah', Dawg that your baby. Maury ain't needed here".
"How can she just give my daughter up for adoption without consulting with me"?
"Why don't you call her and ask"?
"I don't have her number, I haven't spoken to her in years—and trust me right now I don't think she would like to hear what I have to say," Mouth told Skills. "She has been homeless, Skills. Brooke told me she ran away from a foster home when she was twelve, she has been on her own for three years when she had a family. She had a place to go".
"What did Millie say"?
"Well, she is handling it better than I am" Mouth said. "She is meeting Brooke and Lucy—that's her name, at the hospital to do the DNA test. She said it's best that we wait until that comes back for me to meet her. But, she is already contacting law enforcement to get custody—rather she is mine or not."
"Nah, she yours" Skills told him, as he continued looking at the picture. "It's like Mouth with breasts—you know you got a hell of a woman to be handling it the way she is? Right"?
"Yeah, she wants Lucy to be comfortable with her when the DNA tests come back—if she is mine—".
"Why does your ass keep saying 'if'? And why are you spending pointless money to find out"?
"To be able to legally get rights to her, I have to. I went this morning before I came here—Millie is already talking to everyone that needs to be spoken to. Rachel signed her rights away when she was a baby so that's not going to be an issue, but she still put my name on the birth certificate so I just have to prove paternity. She could just move in but where she ran away from a foster home years ago, they could just come and take her until I prove to a court that she is mine".
"You have a kid" Skills said. "Jamie's age".
"I sit here and think about all the times I was there for Jamie—everything we did with him and of course I don't regret it but I just think—there was a kid the exact same age out there, my kid. Who needed me to be doing that for her".
Skills looked at Mouth, he hadn't seen him so broken since Jimmie died. He normally could say just about anything to cheer his friend up, but not today. Not over this.
"I missed it," Mouth said, as he picked the whiskey bottle up taking a large drink out of it—not bothering to pour it into his glass. "She needed me, and I wasn't there".
"Yeah, but dawg—you can be there for her now. She still needs you. She hasn't had an easy childhood, damn—she hasn't had a childhood. So, give her one".
"Would you please stop staring at my penis"?
Lucas rolled his eyes at his nephew "it's an x-ray" he said turning around. "I just have never seen one bent that way before. It looks like a ninety-degree angle".
Jamie sat on the bed in the examination room, as they waited for his doctor. "Those are the pictures from when I was in the ER he will bring the ones they just took when he comes, don't make me regret asking you to bring me," he said pointing at his uncle.
"What were you going to bring? Your mom? Or dad"? Lucas asked, smiling.
Lucas had a point, Jamie would never want to sit in this room with his parents—bringing his uncle was bad enough. Embarrassing enough.
"I will be happy when I have to stop coming up here once a week," Jamie said running his hands through his shaggy hair, that was way past due for a hair cut. "It's nice having an excuse to miss moms class but I really hate having to get half-naked for a picture in front of two people—plus you. I don't see why they need to do this once a week".
"To make sure it's healing properly—do you really want it to heal looking like you can only make a right turn"?
Jamie flung himself back on the bed, as his uncle laughed. "Quit being so dramatic".
Before Jamie could respond the door opened, and he quickly sat up to see a woman in a white coat walk-in shutting the door behind her—smiling.
"Hello, I'm Doctor Osborn," she told the two boys.
"No, Doctor Osborn is—he is a he," Jamie said—panicking.
"That's daddy," she said, grinning. "He took my mom on vacation for their thirty-five year wedding anniversary so I have his cases right now. But, I have your X-Rays, and—".
"You looked at them"?
Lucas couldn't help but snicker at his nephew.
"Well, yes," she said hanging them on the wall next to his others. "And by the looks of it, you seem to be completely healed I just have to do a physical exemption".
"I'm sorry—what"? Jamie asked, his eyes wide. "Is that legal"?
Lucas covered his mouth to help from laughing, knowing the precise reason his nephew looked to be in pure terror.
"Yes," she told him. "I need you to drop your bottoms—your uncle can stand over here if that would make you more comfortable".
"I'm good over here".
The doctor nodded before quickly performing her examination, Lucas knew it was over when he finally heard his nephew let out the breath he was holding.
In fear—he assumed.
"Well, you check out," the doctor told Jamie as he zipped and buttoned his jeans. "Your X-Ray looks good and your penis—".
"Oh," Jamie said, his head falling into his hands—in utter shame, causing his uncle to chuckle as he stood behind the Doctor.
"Everything looks good," she told Jamie rubbing his arm.
"I thought it would take six to eight weeks"? Lucas asked.
Lucas asked because he knew Jamie could care less about anything after the traumatizing experience. In fact, he was sure Jamie wasn't paying attention to what was being said anyway.
"That's always an estimation," Doctor Osborn told Lucas. "Some people heal really slow and some heal quickly. Your son—".
"Nephew" Lucas corrected her.
"He has taken his medicine and treated the incision sight very well—you are free to perform any sexual activity—".
"Wait. Really"? Jamie asked, suddenly fully aware of the conversation being had about him.
"Yes," Doctor Osborn informed him, as Lucas chuckled lightly as his nephew's sudden change of attitude. "You're free to do whatever you want—I would be easy the first couple times, rather you're by yourself or have a partner but everything checks out".
"Thanks, Doc," Lucas said as she made her way towards the door.
"You two have a good day," she said, as she slipped out the door.
Lucas looked back at his nephew whose mood had quickly changed, as he swung an elbow down towards his hip—slightly resembling how a football player acts after achieving a touchdown.
"You do realize you're grounded"? Lucas asked him, watching his dancing quickly stop as his face dropped to the floor. "Your dad won't let you two be alone for a month".
"Damn it".
Lucas laughed as he opened the door and his nephew walked out—Luke following in behind him.
"Leave it to me to get grounded just days before I am cleared," Jamie said shaking his head. "I can still fix the problem myself, though. That's good news".
"You're such a teenager".
The Scott men made their way out of the doctor's office and to Lucas car—Jamie getting in on the passenger side as Lucas hoped in on the driver's side, starting his car and pulling away.
"Are you going to sneak around and try to have sex"? Lucas asked, genuinely curious as he drove—after glancing over at his nephew who was watching out the window.
"Probably not" Jamie answered him. "Sex is important to Maddie, and as badly as I want to have sex I want it to try and live up to her expectations plus it gives me a little more time to—I don't know, prepare"?
Jamie wasn't entirely sure that was the appropriate word for this situation but it was the one he went with.
"Prepare"? Lucas asked.
"I don't know uncle Luke—I want to have sex, trust me but there are things I have been a little nervous about".
"The thing we talked about—"?
"No" Jamie answered quickly. "Other things—at first I was nervous about our first time but then I started thinking after our first time there will be other times. We are in a long term serious relationship, so—I don't know—".
"Oh, Jamie spit it out on to impatient for this".
Jamie chuckled lightly "what if I end up being into things she isn't"? He asked.
"You mean like S&M"?
"Yeah," he said, twiddling with his fingers. "Or if she is into things that I'm not? Maddie and I are compatible in every way, what if we aren't during sex"?
"It takes a while to get your vibe down," Lucas told him. "And that's not just your first time, anytime you have sex with someone for the first time and you're in a relationship, but you learn. Together. That's what makes it fun. You meet each other halfway, I know it's different with Peyton than it was with Brooke—".
"What do you mean"?
"When Brooke and I had sex, we were kids. Teenagers. It was—amazing, actually but it was more adventurous. A little extra kinky—sexier, but with Peyton, while it was good, it was more traditional" Lucas told his nephew. "It varies from person to person, your age—a lot of things. I know your dad said he and Peyton got pretty intense because when they were together they weren't in a healthy relationship so it was always hate or makeup sex".
"That's disgusting".
"My point," Lucas said laughing "is that you two will learn each other's vibes, and you will. But, I wouldn't start out by telling her that you nearly got your rocks off when that female doctor touched your—".
"I did not" Jamie said, shaking his head.
"You was holding your breath, J Luke".
"The first time a woman touches me down there and it's a doctor. Life is not fair to me"
Nathan walked through the empty halls of Tree Hill high school, as he searched for his wife's classroom. There was a part of Nathan that wanted to turn around and leave before Haley knew he was here, but there was a bigger part of him that knew he needed to talk to his wife.
"Knock, knock," Nathan said, as he stood in the doorway of Haley's classroom, leaning against the frame.
Haley looked up, from grading the papers in front of we, before biting on her lip as she shook her head—at the sight of her husband. "I'm busy I don't have time for men who don't bother calling or coming home to his family at night".
"I came home last night," Nathan told her.
"You're wearing the same clothes as you were when you left yesterday morning," Haley said, without looking up.
"Hales, I came home" Nathan swore. "When I got there, the bedroom door was locked".
Haley stopped looking straight ahead, confused before she covered her mouth realizing that he was telling the truth. "I woke up this morning and Lydia was in the bed," she said looking over at him. "She must have locked the door—wait did you think I did it"?
"Yeah," Nathan said nodding. "You were pretty pissed, yesterday".
"Of course I was—I had a right to be," Haley said tossing her pen in front of her, her voice serious but not angry. "I would never lock you out of your bedroom. Even when I'm mad at you I wouldn't want us to sleep apart, ever since you got kidnapped I still want to kiss you goodnight and tell you I love you".
Nathan stepped into the classroom shutting the door behind him and walked over to her desk—leaning his back against it looking down at his wife. "Here," he said pulling a phone out of his pocket and handing it to Haley.
"What's this"? She asked him.
"Jamie's cell phone," he told her. "It's your choice to keep it or not".
"Nathan, that's not going to make this better" Haley told him as she stood up walking around her desk. "You made a decision without consulting with me, now giving this to me isn't going to help. The point is us making decisions together, not separately—regarding anything, not just the kids. When we made that bet over the summer I hated it, Nathan. I told you that at Tric on eighties night, I never wanted us to be divided again. But, then you get upset and you just make this decision by yourself and—".
"Okay," Nathan said standing up and turning around to face his wife. "I get it, I screwed up. I was just so mad".
"I was, too".
"You didn't seem so mad".
"Well, because I was even angrier at you".
"He got a tattoo—".
"Can we stop arguing about the damn tattoo—Without asking, yes" Haley interjected. "There is nothing we can do about that, now. We could get mad and throw things and have a nice fit but what good is that going to do? I don't like it any more than you do, and really it's not the tattoo that makes me so mad it's Jamie going behind my back—our backs, to do it. He is still a child and yes he needed to be disciplined but that was not something for you alone to decide on. That was meant to be a discussion with me—your wife".
Nathan looked at Haley, it was no secret that she was upset and he wanted to fix it. He wanted to make it all go away. But, he didn't know how. He stood up, running his fingers through what little hair he did have—thinking of anything to say that would help his current predicament.
"Do you want me to unground him"? Nathan asked. "I thought my punishment was fair—".
"It's not about being fair, it's about communication. You felt that disciplining him was more important than discussing it with me—and not once have you said that you're sorry".
Nathan stood with his hands on his hips, he considered apologizing but decided that after being told to do so it probably wouldn't help him right now.
"Because you're not sorry," Haley said, folding her arms. "You have no remorse about the situation. You don't believe that what you have done was wrong".
"Fine" Nathan said, nodding. "You're right I don't. He screwed up and I handled it when I work away you don't communicate with me on how you decide to discipline either of our kids—".
"Because you're not there," Haley said. "That's different when you're not there to speak with".
"I get that, I do—I'm trying so hard to understand what I did was so bad, Hales. But, I just don't see it like you and everyone else, apparently. Stop thinking about how I handled it for a second—is my punishment fair"? Nathan asked. "Did I overdo it? Is it something you would have agreed on"?
Haley glanced up at him, stopping for a second, if she was being honest she hadn't even thought about it. She went straight from being upset at her son to being upset at the two Scott men she shared a home with, but she never considered what she would have agreed on.
"When I'm not there I trust you—I trust that you make the right decisions when it comes to our children," Nathan said, walking over to her. "You're a good, great—freaking amazing mom. I know you will make the right choices about our kids, yes I should have talked to you but I asked you to handle Lydia while I spoke with Jamie—sometimes we have to divide and conquer" he told her with a small chuckle. "So, do you not trust me? Did I handle it badly? Or—do you think it's what we would have agreed on"?
"I mean, I do think it's fair," Haley told her husband. "I don't think you should have yelled at him, my parents—".
"Hales, you really have to stop comparing everything we do to how your parents raised you," Nathan told her taking her hand. "Your parents were wonderful parents, for you. But, we need to be wonderful parents for Jamie and Lydia—we aren't raising you, we are raising them".
"I still don't think you should have yelled".
"I'll remember that when Lydia is sixteen and she slams a door in your face," Nathan told his wife smiling. "Maybe I was a little hard on him but that's what dads do for their son's, I want to raise him to be a good man—".
"You will, we will".
"So, from now on I will talk to you first but if you're not home—"?
"I trust you to handle it yourself," Haley said, nodding. "I do, and maybe you're right about that divide and conquering thing. I just have always lead the way in Jamie's punishment. But, you're right—we have two children, both of whom need our undivided attention. But, there is two of us—so we communicate but maybe—there are something's that you handle alone with Jamie and something I handle alone with Lydia".
Nathan kissed his wife, the way he always kissed her when they made up from a fight.
"You know—I always had this... teacher fantasy," Nathan said as he lifted Haley up and sat her on her desk.
"Oh, yeah"?
Haley smiled as Nathan trailed his lips down his wife's neck and ran his hand up her leg.
"You're going to get me fired".
Brooke flipped through the magazine in her hand as she sat out in the waiting room next to Lucy, who had looked over her shoulder every two seconds, or so it felt like. The girls continued to wait, for what felt like forever.
"I'm so sorry I'm late" Brooke heard and looked up to see Millie rushing in. "Traffic was horrible, I hate this time of the day and I was on the phone with Jimmie's daycare—he might have a virus. You know how it is" she told Brooke as she sat down in the seat across from them.
"Mom life is the best life isn't it"? Brooke asked smiling as she sipped on her to-go cup of coffee. "Lucy this is Millicent—Millie, she is married to Mouth".
"Mouth"? Lucy asked confused.
"Your dad" Millie explained to her. "That's his nickname, everyone calls him that".
"They call him—Mouth"? She asked, raising an eyebrow—not entirely sure if the dark-headed woman in front of her was joking or not. But, the more time that passed the clearer it became They it was in fact not a joke. "Erm—why"?
"Well—" Brooke said smiling, but her face quickly dropped in confusion. "I have no idea. I have been friends with him for almost two decades and I actually don't have a clue—he has just always been Mouth".
"Come to think of it—I don't think I know either," Millie said, her facial expression meeting Brooke's. "I call him Marvin so I guess it never occurred to me, but I don't think I have ever heard anyone besides his parents call him Marvin".
"What about my mom"? Lucy asked, looking at them. "What did she call him"?
"Mouth" Brooke told her.
"Were they ever in love"?
"Your mom—" Brook said, thinking of her next words especially carefully. "Rachel—was a very 'loving' person—she spread it around for everyone to enjoy".
The teenager smiled, "will I get to meet my dad"?
"Oh, absolutely" Millie told her. "He is so excited to meet you".
Millicent was certain that was true, beneath the large portion of alcohol he husband had spent the day consuming.
"Then—why did they give me up"?
Brooke looked over at Millie who took Lucy's hand as she said "your dad didn't even know about you until Brooke came by this morning. Your mom never—she never told him. He has been pretty—distraught over it, not you but not getting a voice in the matter when it came to you. He was young, but if he had known I believe Marvin would have chosen to keep you. Brooke sent him a picture and he hasn't taken his eyes off of it all day, you have the best man in the world for a father. I know this because of how he is with our son—your baby brother, actually".
"I have a brother"?
"Yes" Millie said nodding pulling her phone out and holding the phone up with a picture of a smiling baby across the screen. "This is Jimmie, he is eighteen months old".
"Oh, my gosh" Lucy said, as she took the phone getting a better look at the picture. "He is adorable. I can't believe I have a little brother".
Brooke and Millie smiled at each other as they both watched Lucy look at the picture—smiling from one ear to the other.
"Lucy"? Millie asked out loud, successfully gaining the teenager's attention. "Once all this is taken care of and put off to the side—what's, what do you want the outcome to be"?
"What do you mean"? She asked sweetly.
"I think she means what do you want to happen"? Brooke explained to her. "After you meet your dad—you can continue to live with me or you can move in with your dad. We want you to be comfortable and we just want to know what you want"?
"Oh," Lucy said, semi smiling. "I don't know" she answered them. "When I started looking for my parents three—almost four years ago I never thought of what would happen once I met them. It was always just a fantasy—".
"Hold on," Millie said, interrupting her new stepdaughter. "You have been looking for your parents for four years"?
"Yes," she answered. "I lived in Bellingham, Washington when I ran away from my foster home. I—well I stole what little money was in my foster mom's purse, it wasn't much. About two hundred dollars I got on a bus that took me to California and—".
"Wait," Millie said, interrupting her once more—this time with a tear falling out of her eye and a croak in her voice. "It took you four years to get here, where did you stay and how did you get here".
"Well, I stayed in homeless shelters sometimes and would stop by soup kitchens. I would always wait and walk into the homeless shelters with a family or an adult—so no one would call the police and report me, I just couldn't go back. It took time and I did a lot of walking—I honestly don't even know if they ever reported me missing. Today was my first day in school in so long, I forgot what it was like to be around kids my own age".
Brooke felt a tear roll down her cheek, but she quickly wiped it away.
"My mom—the woman who adopted me was wonderful and my birth mother left me with the best possible but she died in a car accident when I was six, I was with her and I lived. She always wanted to be a mother but she was a doctor so she never really settled down, and when she died I didn't have anywhere to go and that's when I was placed in the foster system".
"Oh," Brooke said, wrapping her arm around her shoulders. "Sweet girl".
"Listen," Millie said, fighting the tears that sat in her eyes—wanting to fall down her cheeks. "I promise you will never have to worry about that again, Marvin and I—it's confusing for you and him both, but once you meet him we can talk about all of it. If you feel more comfortable staying with Brooke or you can live with me and your dad it's entirely up to you".
"Thank you," Lucy said. "Do—do you have a picture of my dad on here"?
"Do I"? Millie ask out loud—teasingly as she took the phone before handing it back.
Lucy looked down at the picture that had the same baby that was on the previous picture laying across the floor—presumably their living room, with his hands wrapped around a man.
"That—that's my dad"?
"Yes, that's Marvin".
Lucy wiped the tears off of her face, as she continued to look at the picture.
"McFadden" they all heard and stood up.
"Oh," the nurse said as the three approached. "There is only enough room for two—which one is her guardian"?
"She is," Lucy said, taking Millie's hand. "She is my stepmom".
"Damn," Madison said, as she leaned stepped around the last row of lockers inside the boy's locker room, where Jamie was standing next to his personal locker. "Check out that ass".
Jamie dropped his head, laughing, as the two stood alone.
"Hey, come here," Jamie said taking his girlfriend's hand pulling her to him and pressing his lips lightly to hers. "I love you".
"I love you".
"Not that I'm not excited to see you but what are you doing here"? He asked.
"I was running a delivery and saw your car still parked here," Madison told him. "What are you doing here, didn't your practice end thirty minutes ago"?
"Yeah," Jamie said. "I stayed a little longer, I always stay a little longer".
"Doesn't your grounding effect that"?
Jamie shrugged as he looked down at Madison "If it does dad didn't mention it".
Jamie leaned down to kiss her but she turned her face away from him. When he realized what had happened Jamie looked down at Madison, confused.
"How did you doctors appointment go earlier"? She asked, looking up at him.
"Fine, I was cleared for sexual activity," he told her.
"Is that why you're in such a good mood"?
"Of course, nothing will probably happen for another month," he said as he sat down on the bench pulling her into his lap, with her legs on either side of him straddling him. "Us being alone right now is sheer luck, and I highly doubt this is the time or place for our first time".
"Yeah—sweaty boys locker room doesn't exactly scream romantic does it"?
Jamie smiled as he twirled a strand of her hair around his finger. "What are you smiling about"? He asked her.
"I can't believe I was actually considering—other things," she said covering her face.
"Other things? For what"?
Madison's face turned bright red as her eyes diverted away from him. "For—you, to help with your—angry attitude. Chuck and Andre told me what was wrong with you".
"Was it that obvious"?
"I didn't know—but apparently to them it was".
"Lovely" Jamie said resting his forehead against Madison's chest. But, his embarrassment quickly subsided as it ran through his mind once more the words she had just said to him. "What exactly were you considering"? He asked without looking up and instead continued to stare into her lap.
Madison laughed as she ran her fingers through Jamie's hair on top of his head. "A couple of different things—I told you I wanted to work our way up to sex so I considered doing other things—".
"Actually," Jamie said looking up taking both of her hands in his "I wanted to talk to you about that—you were telling me about a picture you took for me? You couldn't show it to me because we were in class".
"I'm guessing we are talking about the one where I'm not wearing any clothes"?
"Yeah," Jamie said smiling. "Save it, I don't want to see it".
Madison looked at him, her face and feelings—both hurt.
"Oh, no," Jamie said reaching up to cup the side of her face. "I want to see it, but I don't want to see you naked for the first time on a phone. I want to see you in person—the first time we are together, not before and not on a phone. I mean after our first time that's different, send me as many as you want. The more the better—".
Madison laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Where is all this coming from"?
"I talked to my uncle today and it was something he said to me—I want to experience everything with you. You were my first kiss, my first love, you have been my first everything Maddie—and my only. That will apply to sex, too. But, I don't want to experience this for the first time over the phone or try a bunch of different things and then have sex—as much fun as that sounds right now. I want to have sex with you first and then work from that. Not the other way around. I'm going to do everything in my power to make this as special for you as I can—".
Madison kissed him, and when she leaned away he was looking at her—staring at her. "Just when I think I have you figure out James Scott," Madison said.
"Sex with you—is going to be amazing," Jamie told her. "But, I'm not rushing it anymore. It will happen—we have the rest of our lives to have sex, it will be the icing on the cake to our relationship but it's not the whole cake".
"I love you, so much".
"Out of curiosity—What were you going to do"? Jamie asked.
Madison leaned her head back, laughing "I got some advice from Brooke and I was going to—".
"Brooke"?
"Yes" Madison said. "I talk to her a lot, I talk to her about things—things that maybe I should be talking to you about".
"Like"?
Madison shut her eyes tightly and hit down on her lip before saying "I'm nervous. I want to have sex, no question about that but I'm nervous about being naked in front of you. I'm actually even more nervous about—seeing you naked".
"Oh" Jamie said. "Why are you nervous"?
"I know you have seen naked women Jamie—I know you have watched porn. But, I—have never seen a naked man. Not on TV or anything" Madison admitted to him. "I literally have no idea what I'm working with—down there," she said pointing to the area below his waist. "Unless you look like the Skelton man on page sixteen of our health book, anything else is going to be a surprise for me".
"That actually bodes well for me," Jamie said laying back, balancing on himself on his elbows as he looked up at Madison. "That means you won't have any high expectations, I'd hate to be a let down".
Madison threw her head back, laughing.
"As for you—baby, you're already so sexy to me. That is something you don't need to worry about, at all. I promise".
"I'm certain I don't look like the girls in the videos or magazines you have seen," she said looking down.
"How much porn do you think I watch"?
"I don't know," she said shrugging. "A lot? I know that you can't go three weeks without some sort of sexual gratification without becoming pissed off at the world".
Jamie sat up, quickly, taking her by surprise wrapping his arms around her waist—tightly holding her against him. "Anytime I have seen any type of porn it's something Chuck has showed me or sent me—most of the time it has been something incredibly stupid" he informed her. "I don't use porn when I do that".
"Then how do you—".
"I have always just fantasized—about you. You're the only girl I want".
For the first time since Madison knew she was ready to take the next step with Jamie, she felt a sense of stress leave her shoulders.
"Well, Well. Peyton Sawyer—as I live and breathe".
Peyton—who was in the frozen food aisle of Tree Hill's local supermarket, turned around to see Jake—her high school boyfriend. She smiled as he as was walking towards her with a shopping basket around his hand.
"Oh, my god," she said smiling, blinking her eyes a couple of times as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing. "How did you know it was me? You can't judge someone by the back of their head, you know? There are other women in Tree Hill with hair the same color as mine".
"Very, true. However, I would recognize those chicken legs anywhere. It's been nearly twenty years and your bottom half still looks the same".
Peyton scoffed, "my c-section scar tells a different story".
"Come here," Jake said before leaning down and giving his former high school flame a giant bear hug, which she rather enjoyed. "I heard about the divorce, I'm sorry".
"Oh, don't be," Peyton told him, honestly. "When he first told me that was what he wanted—it hurt. My ten year old consoled me when I got back into bed that night, but—everything we were doing was just prolonging the inevitable and now—it is only been a couple of days it really felt like a giant weight is off my shoulders. I spoke with my lawyer today and Lucas isn't trying to get any money from my label—I'm not wanting the money he made off of his books. So, far it's been pretty civilized as we get the papers drawn up".
"Considering you two have a child, that's wonderful. I know too many couples that have drug their children through court after court over pettiness".
"It's still early on so don't hold your breath that it will remain this way, but that's the hope. We have spent so long fighting its difficult—but now we don't have anything to fight over and that feels nice—I can't explain it, I should be sad to see my marriage end but I'm just not".
Jake smiled at her, and maybe he was smiling just to smile but Peyton caught a glimpse of herself through one of the glass doors and seen that she was smiling. At first, she wasn't sure it was her—it looked like her. The blonde hair, the outfit, and even her damn chicken legs—but the smile looked so foreign on her face. But, it was—she was happy for the first time in what felt like centuries because she meant the words that she said.
It really was a giant weight off her chest.
"I heard you and I are going out with Nathan and Haley this Saturday" Jake told Peyton, smiling at her. "To points unknown—I believe are the exact words Mrs. James Scott told me".
Peyton shook her head, "it's a restaurant in Charleston and a play after that, that's why she told you to be ready so early in the day. We have a three-hour drive before we get there—but Haley insists that this play is worth the drive" she told him.
"And you're wanting to go to a play—Nathan told me it is more like a broadway musical. You're wanting to go"? Jake asked her. "I just never pictured you going and sitting down watching something like that".
"Believe it or not—I can't wait," she said. "I spent so many years traveling—it's been so long since I just got out and did something with friends. I spent the last year with the kids, Brooke, and Lucas—anytime I went somewhere with them I always just felt like a third wheel. It's a long story, but I'm really looking forward to it. Nathan is making Jamie—his oldest, babysit—and Brooke is making him, too. She has a couple of things going on with Mouth that will have her tied up this weekend so instead of partying like a normal sixteen-year-old he will be watching three kids. I personally want to hack into the baby monitors to watch".
Jake laughed, "I can't wait".
"Took you long enough," Lily told Madison as she walked back into the café. "That was the longest drive ten miles up the road I have ever seen—unless you didn't just drive up the road".
"I made a small pit stop," Madison said, as she walked behind the counter opening the register to put the money inside. "You seem to have managed just fine".
"Well, obviously because I'm like Mary Poppins—practically perfect in every way".
"My eyes just fell out of my head".
Lily laughed as she grabbed a dust rag before walking over towards the table in the corner of the store—and began clearing the table and cleaning it.
"What's going on down the street"? Lily heard Madison ask, to no one in particular just out of curiosity.
Lily looked up and walked over next to Madison, the two both looked—as a crew stood around at the cemetery, digging.
Madison turned around to face Lily at the noise of glass breaking, to find that she had dropped the cup in her hand.
"No," Lily said shaking her head. "That—that's my dads. What are they doing"?
Madison didn't have time to respond before her co-worker stormed out of the store.
Lily pushes off with her feet, as fast as she could. It was the first time she never stalled or hesitated when she got to the gates of the graveyard but instead flew right past them and up the small hill. She prayed that she saw it wrong, she was so far away—but the closer she got the clearer it became, she did not see it wrong.
"Stop" Lily called to the large group of me. "Stop"! She screamed.
Lily was surprised that they did in fact stop and even the large yellow machine—that she didn't know the name to turn off. Everyone turned, looking at her like she was a crazy person—which she was, but not today.
"Excuse me, Misses—but you can't be up here with the heavy equipment," one of the men said walking over towards her.
"No—what are you doing? You can't do that—that's my dads. You need to stop, why are you doing that"? She asked, in a frantic unable to stop and breath for a minute. "You need to stop! You all need to stop. You can't just do that—why are you doing that? You need to stop! Why are you doing that—"?
Lily wasn't sure when Madison had joined her but her best friend was standing beside her, so she assumed she followed her over.
"Calm down," Madison said putting her hands on Lily's shoulders. "Excuse me—big man in the hard hat, what's going on here? Is there a reason that you're digging her father's—grave up"?
"Erm—" the man said awkwardly looking over his shoulder at his crew. "Orders—from the hospital".
"For what reason"? Madison asked before Lily had the chance.
The man looked at Lily, being uncomfortably clear that he knew more about the situation than the teenager in front of him. "The man—who was buried here, isn't who is supposed to be here".
"Then where is my dad buried"? Lily asked, crossing her arms.
"Erm—apparently, well Miss. Scott—".
"What"? Lily yelled at the man. "What is going on"?
The man pulled his hard hat off and ran his fingers through his hair very nervously. "Your dad has turned up alive, he is at the hospital now. That's why I have been ordered to do this, there is a bus over there to send this body to the morgue to identify who it was but your dads alive—".
"No," Lily said shaking her head profusely. "That's not possible. You have the wrong person, you have to! I would have known if my father was alive".
Lily made a point, so the man pulled a clipboard out but found—that she was still incorrect.
"Keith Allan Scott—is that your—"?
"Yes," she answered quickly and her deeply filled with agitation.
"May I"? Madison asked pointing to the clipboard.
The man nodded and handed it to the teenager not entirely sure if it was legal or not. She quickly scanned over it, finding no mistakes—but her eyes couldn't hide from one specific part on the piece of paper.
"Lily, your brother signed off on this" Madison said her voice low—as if she hated to be the very one to inform Lily of this new piece of information.
"Lucas"? She asks jerking the clipboard out of her friend's hand. "No, that can't be—right," she said the last word, lower than the rest as she realized that Madison was.
Lucas signature sat next to Nathan's, at the bottom of the page—across from another man's, presumably a doctor.
Madison looked at Lily, who seemed as though she might pass out. She quickly took the clipboard and handed it back to the man "we are so sorry for the inconvenience" Madison told him. "Please, continue we will be leaving".
"My—apologies," he told Lily, unaware of what else to say to the young girl.
Madison led Lily from the graveyard back to the outside of the cafe.
"I have to get to the hospital," Lily said in a monotone voice.
Madison wasn't sure if she was stunned or if she felt so many different emotions that she just couldn't show them, but whatever it was she was having trouble seeing how friend was dealing with this.
"Okay" Madison said. "I need to get back into the café I can't believe I left it unsupervised but here are my car keys, go".
"Thank you".
Lily ran to Madison's car and left. She drove quickly from one destination to the other, and as she pulled in she was pretty sure it was in record time. She parked and darted out of the car, not even sure if she turned the car off until she noticed the keys in her hand as she walked through the door.
"Erm—Keith Scott" Lily said as she walked up to the desk that a woman sat behind.
As she waited, she thought that it just had to be a mistake. It had to be.
"Floor seven, room seven Zero Six," the woman told her smiling.
But, it wasn't. This wasn't a mistake.
Although, as she made her way up the hospital inside the elevator her mind kept trying to convince her it was. There was no way her father—that he was alive. There was no that her brother didn't tell her. There was no way this was happening.
Lily made her way through the hospital and stood outside the door that held the answers she needed. She didn't stop for even a second, she pushed the door open and stepped inside. The first person she saw was a blonde woman sitting by a bed, and in the bed laid a man.
"Oh, my god" Lily said clutching her stomach as though she might vomit.
"Lily"? Deb asked standing up.
"It's true—I don't understand".
Deb made her way to the teenager, or what was left of her, as she crumbled into the floor like a piece of paper.
"Shh," Deb said as she sat next to her on the floor. "It's alright, you're alright".
"I don't understand—I don't understand".
Lily sat in the arms of Nathan's mom in the floor of her father's—her father who was alive, hospital room tears flooding down her face uncontrollably.
And it's time for my incredibly long Author's note :)
I hope you enjoyed this chapter, first thing I'm going to say about it... is... it is incredibly difficult to make talking about masturbation scene romantic... at all!
While we are on the topic of the teens, Lily found out and probably not the way she should have. But, she knows and it's really going to put her and Lucas at arts, for quite some time. But, there is someone who will take her under their wing. Little hint, it was the person by Keith's side.
Yup. Deb. Believe it or not they will really bond.
If all goes accordingly Keith surgery will be in maybe two or three chapters. So, it's getting close.
There was no Brucas in this chapter but Brooke has a vital role with Most of the teenagers, and I will give you a little hint on this but this one I am not answering. She will end up adopting one of the teenagers. ;)
Now, on to the adults Nathan and Haley made up and while they don't exactly see eye to eye over this matter, they are trying.
I tried my best to capture Skills and Mouth, They had such an amazing friendship in the show I wanted to do my best with that and I hope that I did. I'm slowly adding more characters, I don't want my story to be completely chaotic and hard to follow because there are so many different storylines, so it's all about balance. But, slowly I'm adding more and more characters.
But, just because Lucy has appeared, don't expect Rachel anytime soon. But, that's not to say she won't appear later on. But, for now she is not part of the story yet.
Lucy's story is actually based off of someone I personally know, but she never located her birth parents so I change the ending of it. Maybe Life imitates art?
I have a chapter ahead that I think you are really going to like if you are a fan of the storm episode (which lets face it was one of the best.) A couple things have to happen first but I think you'll really like that chapter, it's going to put all the big issues away for and will be full of Naley, Jeyton, Brucas, & Madison and Jamie ( they don't have a ship name lol).
I'm actually really excited to get started on that chapter, but quite a few things have to happen between now and then.
Now, I'm going to try and answer a few questions I seen, that I can without giving anything away.
Yes, I absolutely read every review. They are what keeps me writing and updating so quickly.
For those asking about the younger kids, they will be in the next chapter, all of them and not just mentioning's. So, you will learn more about them in the next chapter. And hopefully I will answer all of your questions.
When asked about Lily having a mother figure or mentor or parental role, that answer is in the hint that I really gave away above. It's an unlikely bond, but it's one I think you will enjoy. Lily is so much fun to write, she is very upbeat and knows what she wants and she isn't shy about it and who does that really walk hand-in-hand with? Deb. of course she has all three of the core females, but having someone to look up to has always been Lucas for her. Now, feeling betrayed by her brother is going to change that quite a bIt.
Thanks for reading! Leave a review!
In the next chapter you can look forward to taking a step back from the whole Madison and Jamie sex storyline and this will be the first chapter that kind of focuses on them as individuals. Instead, Madison is going to spend most of the chapter bonding with Brooke, while Jamie spends the evening babysitting three children. Nathan & Haley go out with Peyton and Jake, although Haley is calling in a double date rather that's what it is or not. But, there will be some trouble arise. Lucy will meet Mouth. While Lucas spends the evening with an unlikely source as Deb and Lily get to k now One another .