Disclaimer: I only own the storylines, everything else goes to the rock for owners.
Trigger: Teenaged drinking, teenage sex and Naley arguments.
So, remember how I said this chapter would broke into "ships"? I broke my promise, I am so sorry! Which I will explain in my authors note at the end of the chapter.
Also, there isn't a whole lot of Peyton/Jake... like at all.
Again will explain at the end of the chapter. Sorry everyone.
Like ships in the night
You keep passing me by
We're just wasting time
Trying to prove who's right
And if it all goes crashing into the sea
If it's just you and me trying to find the light
Like ships in the night
Peyton had forty-five minutes until Jake would be knocking at her front door, she didn't even bother waiting until she reached the bathroom. She dropped one item of clothing after another as she ran through her house before jumping into the shower, and cleaning herself as quickly as she could.
The blonde shaved her legs once, twice, and three times—just to be safe. She wrapped a towel around her body as she rushed to her bedroom, that formally belonged to her best friend and found herself standing in the closet longer than she ever had in her life.
"I hate when Haley is right," Peyton said as she ran her fingers through one black outfit to another.
After trying on one dress after another, when she was about ready to give up, call Jake and cancel she heard the door open.
Peyton ran to the living room knowing that Jake wouldn't just walk in without knocking, at least right now.
Brooke stood in the living room, smiling, holding a handful of hangers in each hand.
"I sensed that I was needed," she said as she tosses the clothes on the back of the couch.
"Oh, my god—yes," Peyton said as she looked in disbelief at her best friend.
"New designs of mine, so you won't have that awkward run-in with someone who is wearing the same thing," Brooke told her. "Try this—purple," she said handing her a dress.
Peyton didn't bother going to her bedroom, she shimmered out of the dress she was in, which was fairly easy considering she hadn't even zipped it.
"Matching underwear," Brooke said smiling, pointing at her friend's undergarments. "Do you have big plans, tonight"?
Peyton rolled her eyes "I can't even think that far ahead, right now" she said as she stepped into the dress Brooke had handed her. "I'm so nervous—I can't ever remember being this nervous before".
"I know," Brooke said. "It's cute, turn around and I will zip you up".
Peyton turned around as Brooke zipped the dress up the back before turning around to face her friend.
"It's missing something," Brooke said, looking her over. "Oh, I got it".
Beneath the many clothes she had brought into Peyton's home, she pulled out a leather jacket.
"I think this would look amazing," Brooke said.
"Ellie—is that Ellie's jacket"? Peyton asked, her voice breaking as she asked the question.
"It is—I fixed it," Brooke told her. "I know it got ruined a little over the years but I did what I could and—".
Peyton slid her arms into the jacket and smiled "it still fits" she said.
"It will look better with shoes but you look hot—I'm good".
Peyton looked at her best friend and smiled. "You said these were new designs—".
"Yeah, as much as I love Baker man I am considering—nothing is set in stone yet, but I miss designing clothes for adults, for me. Clothes that I would wear, I love kids but this is what I love" Brooke told her. "Maddie actually gave the idea".
"You love that little girl don't you"?
"Of course I do," Brooke told her. "She is like the daughter I always dreamed of having".
"Then why don't you just do that"? Peyton asked. "She is a child—you could pass any background check, that would keep her here. Why don't you just adopt her".
Brooke fell silent because she hated that she hadn't even thought about that.
Knock, knock.
"Oh, my god that's Jake," Peyton said, her eyes growing wide.
"Shoes, go—and for the love of god find some jewelry and throw your hair up. I will stall—I am good at that".
Nathan ran his hands through his dark hair massaging the shampoo out of his hair as he stood in the shower—alone, feeling the warm water fall down his body.
As he continued to clean off he felt two arms slide around his waist and jumped at the touch, turning around to see his wife who was smiling.
"It's just me," she said wrapping her arms around his neck, leaning upon her top toes, kissing him lightly. "Sorry if I scared you".
"I think I still suffer from Nanny Carrie PTSD," he told Haley, it was meant as a joke but they both felt there was some truth in it.
"I dropped Lydia's things off at Luke's," she told him lowering herself, planting her feet flat on the wet floor beneath them. "So, it's just us tonight. Whatever will we do"?
"I have a few ideas," Nathan said scooping his wife up, earning a noise that fell somewhere between a laugh and squeal, until he pinned her against the wall of the shower.
Haley smiled, as she felt her husband kiss down her neck—the water above them pouring down on both of them.
"What time will Jamie be home"? Haley asked, even though it was still early—she wanted to be sure he wasn't going to be traumatized—again.
The poor kid had been through enough sexually traumatizing events this year, the past few months alone.
Haley wasn't going to let walking in on his parents be another.
"One" Nathan answered as he continued to plant small kisses on his wife.
At first, Haley wasn't sure she had heard him correctly, but when she leaned her head up and did her best to remove her mind from the current situation—that being her sexy wet husband, she realized she had indeed heard him correctly.
"One"? Haley asked. "As in A.M"?
Nathan stopped kissing on his wife, knowing good and well that this wasn't going where he wanted it to go.
Haley shimmered out of her husband's arms, as difficult as it was, and did her best to look up at him, due to the overwhelming amount of water pouring down on their heads.
"Yes," Nathan said, his head dropping.
"You told our sixteen year old he could stay out until one in the morning—why didn't you just hand him the alcohol and crack open a cheerleaders pelvis while you were at it"?
Haley stepped out of the shower, leaving Nathan alone once again—and if there was something besides water he would kick it out of frustration. But, there wasn't—and believe it or not he made that mistake once before.
Nathan turned the knobs to the shower causing the water to stop. He reached around pulling the towel that was hanging next to the shower in with him and wrapped it tightly around his waist before stepping out.
He was surprised to find his wife was not in the bathroom, not because he didn't expect her to leave the room just because of how fast she did it.
Nathan found Haley in their bedroom, with a towel wrapped around her body as she searched through the dresser—presumably for something to put on. He figured she was done being naked right now, which was a real bummer for him.
"Hales," Nathan said as he shut the door, out of habit considering they were the most alone they had been in months.
"Do you realize how messed up your parenting style is"? Haley asked, snapping around at Nathan. "You get furious over some tattoos then you turn around and give him some curfew-like one in the morning after telling him he could go to a party—".
"I'm trying to trust him".
"I don't see anything left to trust him with," Haley said throwing her hands up in the air. "Nathan, he is sixteen he doesn't need to be out until one in the morning".
"I agree with you".
Haley looked at Nathan, her brows forced together in the middle of her head. "Are you trying to confuse me, because it's working"?
"That was the curfew he set—for himself".
"I'm really trying hard not to call you names right now," Haley said putting her hands on her hips.
"Okay, look yes he is sixteen—but I got thinking the other day, do you realize he turns eighteen at the end of his junior year"? Nathan asked as he sat down on the edge of their bed.
"So"?
"So, he is going to be eighteen his entire senior year and to make matters worse he is going to come into a lot more money than any senior needs—that's not including the three houses, in Tree Hill alone. Let's face it—he will probably move out that summer".
"I didn't realize that".
"Well, I did," Nathan told her. "He might stay, he might not—that's a choice that's going to be up to him if he spends his senior year at home, but he won't have to".
"What does that have to do anything"?
"Haley, we have two years to prepare him for the real world—life," Nathan said. "Why not let him start making his own choices and let him learn from those mistakes—here"?
"I know"! Haley said, sarcastically clapping her hands. "Why don't we let Jamie make a sex tape with a cheerleader and you can stand by to give him pointers".
"Now, you're just being ridiculous".
"Funny," she said through without a smile on her face. "That's just how you sound to me".
"Hales—".
"You are wanting to let our sixteen-year-old make his own rules—".
"No," Nathan said, shaking his head. "I am giving him a little bit more leniency to make some choices— not all. Give him the chance to be responsible".
"I have an idea," Haley said, tapping her finger against her chin. "Let's let Lydia decide if she wants to go to school or not from here on out".
"Hales—".
"No, hear me out," Haley said, obviously being far more sarcastic than she ought to be. "She needs to learn to make her own choices, it will be wonderful. She can make decisions if she wants to go to school and I can consult with her about dinner, it will be fantastic! We will go to jail for keeping our child out of school and our teeth will rot out from chocolate we serve at dinner".
Nathan watched as Haley stormed out of their bedroom, towel still wrapped around her—clothes tightly in hand. It was clear she wasn't getting naked in front of Nathan right now.
Their romantic night was off to a great start.
"Hold still uncle Luke," Lydia said, irritated.
"Don't you think that's enough eye shadow"? Lucas asked his niece, though his eyes were closed he was sure it was enough after the first swipe across his lid.
"No, dad," Sawyer said, aggravated. "You really need to wear more of this stuff—it makes you look so much prettier".
"Are you saying I'm not pretty without the makeup"? Lucas asked, unable to believe that he was actually having this conversation but coming to terms with the fact that this was his life.
"It's not that you're not pretty," Sawyer said. "It's just you could be prettier".
"You know Sawyer, what's inside is much prettier than what's on the outside," Lucas told his daughter.
Lydia rolled her eyes "you sound those silly shows they make us watch after school".
"Hiyaaaa" Lucas heard one of the boys yell followed by a loud crash.
He immediately opened his eyes and looked over to see the twins—who were refusing to be called twins and insisted to be referred to as Ninja's, standing above a broken vase and a fallen table.
"Opps," Davis said.
"Sorry, Uncle Luke" Jude told him.
Lucas rushed over shaking his head "it's alright" he told them shrugging his shoulders. "Accidents happen, just why don't all of you go into the kitchen, there are donuts on the table I need to clean up this glass and you don't want any of you to get cut".
"Awesome" Lydia said, running past all of them.
Lucas grabbed a broom as the four disappeared down the hallway "that's what they need—more energy" he said to himself.
Lucas quickly cleaned the mess up and joined the kids in the kitchen, where they had devoured the donuts he had on the table.
"What do you feel like you want for dinner"? Lucas asked, looking at the group of children.
"Is—twere any mo' nuts"? Sawyer asked looking up at her father, mouth full.
"Just the one you spit out all over the place," Lucas told his daughter, looking at her disgusted by the bits of donuts on his kitchen table. "You do realize that you're supposed to chew with your mouth closed, right"?
Sawyer rolled her eyes at her dad.
"Any realistic ideas for dinner"? Lucas asked.
"McDonald's"!
"Pizza"!
"Chick-fil-A".
"Tofu"!
The room fell silent and everyone turned to look at Davis—whose smile dropped immediately.
"I mean—I don't know what did I mean"? He said looking down. "Baby back ribs"!
Lucas laughed as he picked up his home phone "Alright so we are having a pizza from McDonald's with chicken and barbecue sauce on top" he said laughing. "I will see what I can do".
The loud music boomed from inside the large house that had teenagers spilling out of it, and great aroma of alcohol surrounding it.
Andre shut the door to his car as he dropped his keys into his pocket, as he met Lucy in front of his vehicle—who had her hands awkwardly stuffed into her jacket as she looked around.
"Never been to a party," Andre said, it wasn't a question—it was fairly obvious by her facial expression alone.
"Yes—I mean no, I mean—yes, I have never been to a party" Lucy stuttered, stiffly. "Sorry," she told him covering her face with her hands, before taking a deep breath and lowering her arms. "I'm incredibly socially awkward and—well, that's sentence alone pretty much sums me up".
"Relax," Andre said resting a hand on her shoulder. "I won't let anything happen to you—and those two sure as hell won't".
Lucy looked up to see two girls walking over together, their strides in perfect union with one another—as though they were the same person.
"I didn't expect to see either of you two here," Andre told the girls as they approached him and Lucy.
"Yeah, well— I didn't want to come".
"I made her," one of the girls told him. "Deb kept insisting that I get out and try to get my mind off of things with my dad and if I'm getting out then so is she—who is this"?
"Lucy—this is Lily and Maddie and this is Lucy," he said making his introductions.
"Right, your Mouth's long lost daughter".
"You make it sound like a telenovela" Madison told her best friend.
"My dad just came back to the dead after seventeen years," Lily said, rolling her eyes. "As far as I'm concerned we are in a—what did you call it"?
"A telenovela".
"Right—That. Wait—that's the same thing as a soap opera right"?
"Yeah," Madison said. "I should make you binge-watch with me one day".
"We should—would I be able to understand it"?
"Probably not".
"Oh, well—I can use my imagination. How different could it be from our everyday life"?
"Good point," Madison said. "After everything came out about Lauren and my so-called parents who aren't really my parents I don't even know if I have a Spanish heritage".
"You two have a really morbid sense of humor," Andre told the girls who were giggling.
"Oh, don't be a stickler," Lily told him. "Let's go".
The two girls turned and walked toward the house, with Andre and Lucy following closely behind.
"Did that one just say her dad came back from the dead"? Lucy whispered to Andre.
He chuckled. "It's a long story".
"And a good one I bet".
"It's—yeah, it's pretty good" he agreed. "I'll tell you about it later—are you ready for your first real party"?
"Wait, you've never been to a party before"? Lily asked, turning around immediately.
Lucy smacked into her—due to her unpredicted stop, and if Andre hadn't caught her she probably would have ended up on the ground. Madison turned around once she realized her friend was no longer by her side.
"Yeah—I mean—" Lucy stuttered.
"She has never been to a party," Andre told Lily.
Lily took Lucy by the hand and jerked her up, locking elbows with the girl.
"Then you need to have this experience correctly—no offense Andre, but he isn't the best person to do that with," Lily said.
"Offense taken".
"What's your favorite movie, Lucy—right"? Madison asked, even though she was almost one hundred percent sure.
"Harry Potter".
"Okay, Andre is like Hermione—with a penis. I think I wouldn't know for certain—".
"Oh, my god I have a penis" he shouted at his teasing friends.
Even though they hadn't made it into the house, where the real party was at, there were enough people outside—all of which were looking at Andre, laughing.
"Anyways," Lily said, snickering. "She is right—we will make this your best first-party".
Madison locked elbows on the other side of Lucy and the three walked up the walkway and into the house—followed closely by Andre, who had a penis FYI.
Lucy wasn't sure when or how long after they walked inside that the group of four each had their red solo cup, with very questionable liquid inside that she chose not to drink, unlike the two girls she was surrounded by.
"And that's Stacy and her little friend Cathy," Lily told Lucy casually pointing across the room.
"She isn't with anybody," Lucy told them.
"I know," Madison said taking a sip of her drink. "We have been trying to tell her that since the fourth grade".
"On, and that's Slutty Sasha," Lily said pointing to a girl dancing up on one of the tables. "I couldn't even tell you if she has a last name—as far as I know, her first name is Slutty and last name, Sasha".
"Wonder who her dime of the dozen is going to be tonight"? Andre asked.
"Dime of the dozen"? Lucy asked.
"Out of a dozen guys at the party she always picks the best dime, best looking, guy that will show her any attention—and only one, and then she ends up having sex with them in the back of their car," Lily told her. "Most party girls like the attention of a lot of different guys, not Sasha. She focuses all of her attention on just one, even though the majority of them has their attention on her".
"Looks like we are about to find out," Andre said pointing.
Sasha's face lit up and she slowly made it off of the table and ran across the room before throwing her arms around—Jamie.
Lily and Andre looked over at Madison, who had not surprisingly dropped her drink.
"Excuse me," she said. "I think I'm going to be sick".
Madison quickly made her way out of the house as the three watched as Sasha jumped up on Jamie, wrapping her legs around his waist.
"Hell, no" Lily said shaking her head. "I will be right back".
Lily stormed off, though not in Madison's direction. She walked straight towards her cousin and Sasha.
"What—did I miss something"? Lucy asked Andre.
"That was Madison's boyfriend for ten years, that's my best friend," Andre said. "Let's go check on Madison, I'm sure Jamie doesn't want us all to see him get his ass kicked by someone half his size".
"Thirty-five even," the delivery man told the dark-haired woman in front of him.
Brooke searched through her wallet before finding a twenty-dollar bill, a ten-dollar bill, and a five-dollar bill. She traded the man the money in her hand for the food in his before waving him off fairly quickly.
After shutting the door Brooke turned around to find herself, alone. Not that she wasn't aware before, she knew Lily came by dragging Madison out—who really didn't want to go, and her boys were with Lucas.
Much to her dismay.
But, as the mother of twins and a foster mom to a teenaged girl she didn't complain too much, she made her way to the living room and curled up on the couch with her food—and the notebook.
Brooke quickly devoured her food, and over halfway through the movie she had eaten a small pint of ice cream and was now working on a large bowl of popcorn—with as much butter as she could put on it.
"So you make love to me, and then you go back to your husband? Was that your plan? Was that a test that I didn't pass"?
"No! I made a promise to a man. He gave me a ring and I gave him my word".
Brooke shook her head as she popped another piece of popcorn into her mouth "stop pretending" she told the television as if the couple on the screen could actually hear her. "We both know you still want his ass".
Brooke poured the remainder of the red wine in her glass down her throat, before pouring another glass.
At the end of the movie, she looked around at the large mess she caused the unusual amount of food she had consumed. Brooke quickly tidied her living room back up and cleaned her dishes, and made her way up to her bedroom.
Brooke had planned to get ready for bed, but saw the large stack of boxes in the corner she had brought from the attic to look for pictures of Rachel for Lucy—but she saw a large box sitting on top with the name Lucas written across it.
She picked the box up and brought it over to her bed, and sat down with the box.
Brooke did nothing but stare at the box for the longest time, part of her wanted to do nothing but burn it. She could vaguely remember what was in the box, but it hadn't been opened in over sixteen years.
"I don't need to look in it," Brooke told herself, as she continued to trace his name. "It doesn't matter what's in it—it's in the past".
Brooke didn't even believe herself, recent events told her that not everything that was in the past would stay in the past.
She slowly opened the top and the first thing she saw was a small—dusty picture frame. Brooke gently lifted it and looked at a picture of her and Lucas. It was from Rachel's cabin, the two were kissing in front of it.
Brooke traced the outline of her and Lucas, she couldn't help but notice how happy she was. But, she knew she had been just as happy since, with Julian.
Forty minutes later the box was empty as she had gone through the pictures, the letters—the memories.
Brooke giggled as she pulled a t-shirt out of the bottom and replaced the one she was wearing with the one she had stolen from Lucas—seventeen years ago. She jumped up and ran over to the mirror in the corner of her room and looked at herself, it still fit. She partially wondered if it would still fit Lucas—but then she felt her face turn red at the thought.
Brooke turned on her heel, and went back to her bed, stuffing everything—very unorganized stuffing everything back into the box. She picked the box and made her way through her house and outside—and jumped into her car.
Brooke was going to see Lucas.
Nathan turned the corner into the kitchen inside his home, where he no doubtfully found his wife—with a large knife in her hand.
Thankfully, the knife was already being used food—which he hoped that's where it would stay. Although, Nathan feared that if he didn't play his cards right he would be the next thing to find his way into the large pot.
"Don't start" Haley warned her husband.
"Hales, I'm many things—stupid isn't one of them," Nathan told his wife as he reached into the refrigerator and pulled a cold beer out. "If you walk in on a woman chopping vegetables at nine O'clock at night—I know not to say anything".
Haley looked up at him, though it was less of a look and more like a death glare, either way, even without looking at her, he could feel her eyes piercing through him like knives. Which was ironic at this moment.
Nathan sat at the counter, quietly drinking his beer and snacking on a bag of chips that Jamie had left. That was until he heard a loud clatter, and looked up to as Haley had slammed the knife in her hand down on the counter next to the stove.
"I can't believe you seriously told him he could stay out until one in the morning," Haley said as she dumped the vegetables she had sliced into a large pot. "What were you thinking"?
"Fine" Nathan said. "I will call him and tell him to be home—at what time"?
"Ten would have been reasonable".
"Ten... parties don't start until eight or nine most of the time anyways, Haley," Nathan told his wife.
"That's just the thing—he shouldn't be going to parties where there is drinking and orgies and—".
"What kind of parties do you think is happening in little good old Tree Hill—drinking, yes, but an orgy? You think our son broke up with his childhood sweetheart and decided to go to an orgy" Nathan said, looking at his wife in disbelief.
"What I mean is when he asked you to go to a party, you should have said no".
"For what reason"? Nathan asked her. "His grades are good, he isn't grounded—granted he blackmailed his way out of that, but—".
"Nathan, it's a party"! Haley said throwing her hands up. "What business does he have at a party"?
"Hales, we went to parties in high school".
"Isn't that how your infamous sex tape got made"?
"Wow," Nathan said shaking his head as he finished his beer. "That sex tape I made eighteen years ago is made an appearance twice tonight. That's a record".
"Nathan".
"Haley," he said her name, in the same tone she had said his, which only added to his wife's frustration. "He is sixteen, he is going to party and do things, live. You're only young once, I believe that keeping him from doing these things will only lead to him sneaking around and doing them anyway, and then he won't confide in us at all—and when he turns eighteen and is legal he will go wild and that's how you end up on MTV".
"Could you be serious for one minute"?
"Haley, I am being serious" Nathan said looking at her sternly. "There are rules that we set for him, and there is strict—then there is being too strict. We can't lock our kids up and throw away the key. No matter if I had said yes or no, he probably would have still went to that party. We can't stop him from growing up babe. I'd love to just as much as you do—but what you're wanting to do will only lead to him rebelling against us, we have to let him make his own choices but I want him to trust us—if he drinks too much I want him to call me and say, dad, can you come get me, versus the alternative of him trying to drive home because he snuck out. He has to learn to stand on his own two feet, without us".
"But—".
"Hales, there have been times I haven't been the best husband or the best father, but I try my very best. You have to trust me, I know what I am doing when it comes to Jamie".
Haley looked at Nathan, with her arms crossed. But, she didn't look convinced to her husband. "I thought we were parenting together"?
"We were," Nathan said as he stood up. "I want that, but you are living in this world where you're pretending Jamie isn't growing up, you want him to be a kid for the rest of his life and he can't. He is going to drink, he is going to do things we don't approve of, he is going to have sex, he—".
"Sex"? Haley said, half snorting at the comment. "He is too young to even think about sex".
Nathan ran his fingers through his hair shaking his head, partially aggravated with his wife, and he partially felt bad for her. "That's what I am talking about baby. I was younger than he is now when I had sex for the first time—".
"With my sister"?
"Yes" Nathan said, trying not to trail off the topic. "You were just a year older, do you realize that he is one year younger than we were when we got married. He is going to be a junior next year, the same age we were when we met and got married—Haley, he is going to do things like sex".
Haley shook her head "no" she told him. "He told me he wanted to wait until marriage—as I did".
"He said that when he was ten, or eleven"? Nathan asked because he wasn't all to sure about his son's exact age when that conversation took place. "He isn't ten or eleven anymore, he is a horny sixteen-year-old boy".
"Nathan, that's just gross".
"Haley, you walked in on him— masturbating just a month ago"! Nathan said pinching the bridge of his nose, choosing a more educational word than he had used the first time seeing her reaction. "He is going through puberty, he—hell Haley is getting taller than me. I love you, and you're a brilliant woman, but you are living in denial when it comes to Jamie. You want to pretend that he isn't going through all of these things, honestly—I'm pretty certain that he and Madison have already had sex".
Haley felt her mouth drop, there was no way. Not her baby boy, he couldn't have.
"And what makes you say that"? Haley asked.
"Because he talked to me about it a few months ago," Nathan told her honestly. "He was still a Virgin then, but they wanted to. He said they were both ready, they had a minor set back with the penile fracture—but after that healed I'm sure they found away if they were serious".
"Maybe they weren't serious".
"During Keith's surgery I had to come back home, to get our phone charges—I was pretty sure I heard them" Nathan admitted as he sat down.
"You didn't go check"?
Nathan looked up at her, his face twisted in disgust. "I didn't really want to" Nathan admitted. "Seeing my son having sex isn't exactly on my bucket list".
"Nathan, they might have—and that's a strong might, but they could have been having sex in our home—underaged, and unmarried and you just go about your business".
"First of all—I know sex noises when I hear them," Nathan told her. "So, unless they were jumping on the bed and she was screaming oh, my god Jamie for giggles they were having sex. Second of all, I'd rather him have sex here or at Brooke's anyways".
"You can't be serious," Haley said. "You're actually alright with it"?
"I don't mean in the sense that we verbally allow it to him, but if he is here—or over at Brooke's with her, then he is going to take his time".
"Oh, that's what I needed to hear," Haley said.
"I meant he will take his time putting the condom on, they won't feel so rushed-he will have a good visual to make sure they are safe. I'm not going to go up to him and tell him I'm alright with it, and yes it bothers me too—but it would bother me more if I became a grandfather right now. If we tell him he can't, it's just like drinking and other stuff he still will—except he will sneak and do it. Which means he will rush, and might not wear the condom properly or notice if it broke, and next thing you know we are standing in the nursery at the hospital holding our grandchild and we are barely in our mid-thirties".
"Well, I guess it's a good thing that they broke up".
"It won't last," Nathan said, folding his arms. "And if it did, he will meet someone new. He is a teenager, acting like a teenager Hales—and you have to accept that".
Haley stormed past her husband with a snide comment "don't tell me what to do".
Lauren walked through down the hall—catching a glimpse of herself through one of the darkened windows—dressed in an orange jumpsuit, cuffs around her wrists and ankles, led by two guards in front of her and followed by two behind her. She looked pale and felt weak, it was probably from the lack of sleep she had since she arrived.
Arrived was too good of a word.
She was booked, patted down—searched, in every cavity she had, and thrown into a cell alone where she had been.
Lauren had zoned out into a zombie state until she heard a loud buzzing and looked up to see a large door opening. She was led—or pushed through the door but when she looked up she saw Skills across the room, standing at a table, and she suddenly felt a large sense of relief flow through her.
The guards unlocked her cuffs and removed them before stepping out.
"Oh, my god" Lauren said rushing to her ex-boyfriend, letting him wrap her in a tight hug.
"You're Alright," Skills told her. "It's going to be okay".
"How is any of this going to be okay"? Lauren said, crying into his shoulder. "I'm facing felony charges, large life sentences felony charges. I can't—".
"I won't let this happen" Skills promised her as they sat down on the small bench in the corner. "You didn't do anything wrong, you protected that girl. I have already talked to a few lawyers, I'm talking to a few more before I make a final decision on who I let represent you—".
"Represent me," Lauren said sitting back against the wall. "Do you know they have me in isolation? One of the officers said it's for my own protection, what in the hell does that even mean? My own protection—".
"Calm down," Skills said. "I won't let anything happen to you, they finally set a bail but I'm not able to do anything until Monday morning so—".
"My bail was set at five hundred thousand dollars".
"Monday morning, eight a.m, your sexy ass is walking out of here," Skills told her. "I promise, you will be on house arrest but it's better than being here".
"I'm never going to teach again and poor DJ—oh, my god—".
"I have already talked to David" Skills told her. "He is fine. We explained without actually explaining—we lied our asses off about where mommy is, we said you were at the spa".
"Some spa" Lauren said leaning back, feeling tears fall out of her eyes. "How is he"?
"Good. David's mom is homeschooling him for now" Skills told her. "They all know you would never do anything like this, and he will bring DJ to see you as soon as you get home. No questions asked. No one thinks for a second that you would do something like this, you have taken care of Madison for most of her life—I will get cleared. I promise".
Jamie walked down the beach from the party, feeling the cool, crisp breeze from the splashing waves out in the ocean. He didn't know what caused him to wonder off from the party, it's not like he wasn't enjoying himself. In fact, the nearly empty bottle in his hand told him perhaps he had enjoyed himself a little too much.
"Maddie"?
Jamie looked up to see his girlfriend, former girlfriend, standing in an old abandon lifeguard tower sipping out of red cup looking out into the ocean. She never looked up as he made his way towards her, she never heard Jamie walk up the stairs and around the small building.
"You always did say the ocean was your favorite part of growing up here," Jamie said as he walked up beside her, leaning over the fencing just as she was.
"What—What are you doing here"? Madison asked standing up straight, turning to face him. "Shouldn't you be off with Sasha"?
"Shouldn't I be off with—Sasha"? Jamie asked, chuckling as he stood up straight just as she had. "Seriously"?
"I saw you two—".
"No, you saw her come and hug me, just like she does at every basketball game to piss you off," Jamie told her. "Which is probably what that was, to piss you off. Good to see it worked".
"It didn't".
"Oh, silly me—I spent ten years with you what makes me think I know you," Jamie said sarcastically rolling his eye.
Madison turned away from him, fighting the tears that were swelling up in her eyes. She wasn't entirely sure what made her cry if it was standing here in front of him or his use of the word "spent", as in past tense.
Painfully reminding her that they were officially past tense, their relationship was past tense.
"But, then again you spent ten years with me and assumed something was going between me and Sasha—just a few days after we split up, so maybe you don't know me either".
Madison spun around to face Jamie who was sipping on his the liquor bottle in his hands. "Why the hell is that supposed to mean"?
"Nothing," Jamie said, shaking his head.
"No, don't act that way now," Madison told him. "You already put your foot in your mouth, so go on and say whatever it was that you were going to say".
Jamie took three large gulps of the brown liquid in his nearly empty bottle, ran his hand across his mouth getting rid of the few drops that didn't make it into his mouth, and looked at Madison, through bloodshot eyes.
"What did you think I was going to do with Sasha"? Jamie asked. "Let me guess, you thought I was going to be her dime of the dozen for the night, right? Am I right"?
Madison didn't answer him, she just glared at him with her arms folded.
"I'll take that as a yes" Jamie said. "What the hell do you take me for? Do I look like the kind of guy that's going to have sex with you and then screw her a couple of days later—I have more class than that and a lot more respect for you than that. So, it sounds like you don't know me that well—".
"Screw you, Jamie," Madison said pushing past him.
It was too dark for Jamie to see the tears in his exes eyes, but he grabbed her hand unable to let her leave.
Madison didn't know have time to blink before she had her back against the bungalow and Jamie's body pressed hard against hers—one of his hands pressed against the building above her head, the other sliding up her leg.
"I can arrange that," Jamie said, his voice low and hoarse, as he ran his finger through the hole in her jeans tracing the fishnet tights she wore beneath her pants.
Perhaps it was the liquor, that was coursing through both their veins, but when she looked into his eyes she found herself biting down on her bottom lip—unable to say no, even if she wanted to, which she didn't.
Seconds later the two burst through the door of the bungalow, lips locked, slamming from wall to wall as they tore each other's clothes off.
The party music still echoing in the background where everyone else was, no one around to hear the moans coming from inside the bungalow where the former was engaged in their new favorite activity.
Madison didn't know what her hand was wrapped around above her head, she didn't know if it was sturdy or safe but she held on tightly as Jamie had her pinned to the wall, her legs wrapped around waist. She felt his lips running down her neck, kissing, sucking—biting on her.
And she didn't want him to stop.
Good thing he didn't plan to.
Lucas looked into his daughter's bedroom, the very one he grew up in, where four kids slept soundly. The curly blonde that had his DNA running through her veins, shared her large bed with her cousin and Brooke's boys slept on the small couch in the corner. The light from the television shined bright through the room, that he considered shutting off but knew of Davis' fear of the dark, so at the risk of him waking up, he opted to leave it on.
Lucas quietly pulled the door closed as he stepped out, shutting the loud booming music from Hercules in the room. He let out a long sigh as he made his way through his suddenly silent home.
He stepped into his bathroom, quickly showered, dressed, and began cleaning his house, found it odd he couldn't remember ever seeing it in such a shape.
After cleaning Lucas yawned as he fell on to the couch, ready to shut his eyes for the night but instead he sat behind his computer screen, writing, seeing as it was a perfect time.
But, it didn't last.
The front door flew open and Brooke stormed inside with a large box in her hand, Lucas didn't have time to respond to her presence before she dumped everything inside the box on his lap—covering both him and the laptop.
Lucas looked around, at the items in his lap—the many papers, the pictures—not fully registering what it was just what she had done, and then looked up at Brooke, who no doubtfully was furious.
"I believe what the hell covers it," Lucas said as he pushed the materials, laptop included, off his lap before standing up.
"This is everything from our relationship, almost two decades ago" Brooke yelled at him. "Everything. Every letter, every picture—there is even an old disgusting eggshell from the time you cooked me breakfast in bed"!
Lucas, shocked by her revelation, turned back towards his couch where everything lay and sure enough, she was telling the truth. Even about the eggshell, which was shocking.
"How dare you"! Brooke yelled as she hit her palms sternly into Lucas' chest. "How dare you" she repeated only louder than before. "How dare you put this on my shoulders, Peyton is my best friend! How dare you blame me for your divorce"!
"Brooke, I never blamed you for my divorce—".
"So, you're telling me that I had nothing to do with your decision to leave Peyton"? Brooke asked. "You two were in therapy and two seconds later you weren't, you were the one who wanted to work things out and then all of a sudden you were the one who filed for divorce—Peyton would make these snarky comments when I brought it up and of course now I understand why, you're telling me that all of that is just a big coincidence, that you're feeling for me had nothing to do with your decision"?
Lucas didn't say anything, he ran his finger over his eyebrow, trying to think of the right words to say. But, he knew that right now, at this moment there were no words, there were no right words.
"I mean—yes, my feelings for you had a part in our divorce".
"Oh, my god" Brooke said running both hands through her hair, tears falling down her face.
"But, it wasn't the only reason" Lucas reminded her, though he didn't really need to. "Peyton cheated on me, remember"?
"Good for her" Brooke fired back at him.
"Peyton is the one who wanted me to tell you, our damn therapist was trying to shove it down my throat—".
"Remind me to send him a card on Halloween".
Brooke looked at Lucas who stood in a pair of Athletic pants and a plain white t-shirt, his hands on his hips—if he didn't have any color in his face she couldn't be certain he was alive, due to the fact that he looked as though he was not breathing.
"I wasn't going to tell you, not at first" Lucas told her. "I didn't want to, I didn't want to ruin what we had—our friendship. We were close".
"What changed your mind"? Brooke asked, her voice not as loud for the first time since she walked in his home.
"Seventeen years did," Lucas told her. "If I have held on to these feelings for this long then there is a reason, right? It's been seventeen years, we haven't been together since—Nathan and Haley's wedding—".
"I don't need a recap, I remember," Brooke said, throwing her hands up. "I was there. I might not have been inside the school when she kissed you but I was outside worrying about my best friend and my boyfriend. Although, I sure as hell was at the wedding when Peyton told me she still loved you and I—".
"Hold on"! Lucas said interrupting Brooke. "Peyton told you that she loved me? At the wedding, Nathan and Haley's wedding—that's what she told you, then"?
"Oh, Luke—that was almost twenty years ago my memory is a little fuzzy".
"No" Luke shouted. "You just—no. She told you that"?
"It's late, let's not do this".
"No, Brooke—Okay, yes I opened this can of worms but you came here, it's ten at night—and you came storming into my house. So, answer me—Except you already said it. You said it, Brooke, she told you that she loved me—".
"Luke".
"Did she tell you before or after you broke up with me"? Lucas asked, without hesitation.
The two stood in silence for a minute, he didn't take his eyes off of her—not even for a second. But, Brooke—she looked everywhere but Lucas. Mainly at the door, she thought about how fast she could make her getaway. But, even standing seven feet behind her and with a bad heart, she knew Lucas could beat her to the door.
"Be—before?" Brooke said slowly looking over at him, realizing that there was, in fact, no way out right now. Location or conversation.
Lucas didn't have to stop and ponder on his next question, it came to him faster than a forty-year-old virgin.
"What if she hadn't told you"? Lucas asked. "What if—".
"Luke, that was years ago" Brooke cut him off. "A decade and then some ago—"
"You're the one who came here wanting to take a trip down memory lane, Brooke," Lucas said, his voice not nearly as quiet as it should have been. "So, let's stroll".
"I don't know" Brooke yelled at him. "I don't know. I had just found out about the kiss—and everything all at once. I don't know".
Brooke was being honest, she didn't know.
"Luke, I was seventeen and confused and hurt—you hadn't just broken my heart once but you shattered it—twice, within a year. I don't know if I would have stayed with you or not or if she hadn't told me. Why does it matter"?
"It matters to me," Lucas said, plainly. "It matters because I deserve to know if you would have forgiven me—".
"Because, why? Because you regret your marriage and—".
"No"! Lucas said slamming his hand down on the table next to him. "That is the one thing I won't say I don't regret. Peyton and I were not meant to be together, but I have Sawyer out of it and right now—she is the only thing holding me together. My sister won't talk to me, you're pissed at me, everything with Keith, I am in the middle of a divorce—I am less than a centimeter away from losing it. For God sake I had a conversation with my dead father a week ago, so no I don't regret my marriage or anything with Peyton. She wasn't scared to admit she loved me, even when the timing was bad".
Perhaps those were the wrong words, or by the look on Brooke's face, they most definitely were. If looks could kill Lucas would be face down in a coffin right about now, he knew it.
"All I meant was—".
"No, I know what the hell you meant Luke" Brooke snapped. "And for your information, I'm never scared to admit anything".
"Then do you—love me"?
"I don't know"! Brooke said her raspy voice breaking. "You have been married to my best friend for ten years—you can't just leave her and expect me to open my arms to you like no time ha passed. I can't—I just can't do this. She is my best friend—".
"So, you said".
"Lucas, this isn't a game, this isn't funny or a joke".
"Do you see me laughing"? Lucas asked, with a stern face. "I didn't expect you to just jump into my arms but I had to tell you, Brooke".
"But, why"? Brooke asked. "What did you expect to happen"?
"Honestly, I thought you would tell me you weren't in love with me and I would finally be able to move on".
Brooke stepped back as she slowly digested his words running her fingers across her own neck. "I'm sorry—I can't do that either".
Lucas felt his breath catch in his throat, he couldn't tell if she had just told him she loved him or not. He didn't know what she had said, but he also knew asking was up for debate right now.
"I have to—I have to go," Brooke said dashing out the door.
But, she didn't walk out alone. Lucas followed her.
"Brooke—Wait," Lucas said as she approached her car.
"What"? Brooke asked turning around.
"I understand the timing is bad—and I don't expect to put all this history behind us in a night and with everything going on with Peyton—I get it. We can't just rush into anything—".
"Rush into anything? Luke, I can't be with you" Brooke said her voice breaking.
"But, you will be—not today and probably not tomorrow but you will be".
"What makes you so sure"?
"Because, I'm the guy for you Brooke Davis, I always have been and I always will be".
Lucas walked towards Brooke, and for a second she thought he was going to kiss her, which he thought about but at the risk of getting a black eye, he didn't. He simply leaned down and opened her car door for her.
"Except," Lucas said. "This time I'm older and more mature, I'm not some dumb teenager, I know what I want and what I want is you and me. I won't screw it up, again. I have waited seventeen years, I don't care to wait a little longer".
Lucas didn't know what came over him, or where he got the courage to say such things—to Brooke, but he did.
And for the first time in her life, Brooke Davis was speechless.
Madison wasn't sure what she was sitting on, she assumed it was the trim that the lifeguards used to look out on. She could still hear her shaky breathing as she laid her head against the wall next to her.
When she looked up she saw Jamie, leaning against the wall across from her—panting. He was still shirtless, not that she minded, his pants hanging around his hips barely, still unbuttoned and unzipped but it didn't seem to bother him as he worked on stabilizing his breathing.
If he was being honest, Jamie could barely stand so he wasn't focused on anything, but her. It was the only thing reeling him back in from their rendezvous.
Madison listened closely as his breathing slowed, and when she stopped hearing his deep, quick breathes she looked up at him once more. This time she saw him zipping his jeans, and buttoning them—his head still leaned back against the wall—eyes shut tightly.
When Jamie opened his eyes he saw Madison looking up at him, biting down on her lip—which made him want to do nothing but go for round two, but Jamie didn't have the energy. He walked over, grabbing his shirt that was next to her and put it back on.
"It's kind of funny" Madison said, as Jamie went to leave.
"What is"? He asked without turning to look at her.
"We finally have sex then we break up and now I'm your booty call its—".
"Booty call"? Jamie asked, turning back around. "What in the hell are you talking about"?
"Well, What do you call it"?
Jamie could only see Madison from the moonlight shining in on them, but he could tell that despite her use of the word "funny" she was being serious. He wasn't sure what came over him, the anger—the drinking, a mixture of both.
"You really think that low of me"? Jamie yelled at her. "That I would use you—for sex? Are you serious? If I wanted a damn booty call, as you so elegantly put it, I would have just screwed Sasha! Or Felicia. Or Tara. There is a whole group of girls at the party I could have hooked up with if I wanted a booty call if I just wanted sex".
"Then what the hell was it"? Madison asked jumping down and beginning to dress.
"I wanted to be with you—I just wanted to be with you"! Jamie said his voice breaking. "Kiss you, touch you—I wanted you. I just spent an hour with you because I still love you. I still want to be with you, and marry you one day, and make babies with you, I want to travel the world and make it to the NBA with you by my side, but I am so pissed off at you that I can't make those promises right now like I could a week ago. You are my whole damn world—but you, damn it, Maddie, you made a decision about our relationship before we even got the verdict if you were leaving or not—"
"No, Jamie I—".
"What? You didn't say it"? Jamie asked, his voice breaking—tears falling down his eyes. "I was there, I heard you. I love you, but I can't be with you—maybe this was a bad idea".
"No," Madison said walking over to him. "It wasn't," she told him wrapping her hands around his neck. "I just—I thought—you were drunk and—".
"Maddie, even if I'm drunk I would never be with anyone else. I have had sex twice in my life and both times have been with you, even if we don't get back together I don't plan on that changing".
"You want to get back together"?
"I want to be with you, yes, but I can't," Jamie told her. "I want to be with someone who wants to be with me as much as I want to be with them—not just someone who wants to make sure I'm their first".
"Jamie, stop"! Madison pleaded running her hands down into his shirt. "Don't do this, don't—you don't understand. I didn't mean it that way".
"But, you said it, Maddie—I have to go".
Jamie pulled out of Madison's embrace and left, he made his way down the beach, not far from the party before he officially broke down. Praying to God no one saw him. He let his hands lock behind his head as the tears fell down his face.
But, he wasn't the only one crying over the failed relationship. Madison was right where he left her, curled up on the floor tears rolling down her cheeks.
Maybe the would get back together, one day. They both hoped. But, they both knew tonight wasn't that night.
Nathan walked down the stairs, and as he walked into the living room he found his wife curled up on the couch with a large glass of wine, flipping through an old photo album. He was shocked they had any left, he was certain they digitized everything.
He walked up behind his wife, assuming it was pictures of their son she was looking at—but was stunned when he looked over her shoulders. It was pictures of them, their friends—from high school. Nathan leaned over the couch and smiled at the picture of him and his wife, at what looked to be a party—each with a red solo cup in their hand, and both looked highly intoxicated.
"Seems like a lifetime ago," Haley said, as she sipped on her wine. "Do you even remember what party we are at"?
"I believe that was right after we got married," Nathan told her. "Before you left for tour with Chris, I couldn't tell you where though. You were so hot".
"What do you mean, was"?
"Did I say was"? Nathan asked rolling his eyes. "I meant you are, you were hot there—hot now, you have this crazy, sexy milf thing going on".
Haley giggled as she felt her husband press his lips to her neck as he stood behind her. He hopped over the back of the couch, proving that his muscles have not aged since the picture they were admiring was taken all those years ago.
"Why don't you come to bed"? Nathan asked leaning over to kiss his wife.
Haley kissed her husband, but only for a second. "I will when Jamie is home," she told him.
"Hales—his curfew isn't for another couple of hours".
"Which was your idea" Haley reminded him. "Letting our son stay out—as late as one in the morning. I can't believe you did that".
"Haley, I understand not being able to trust him—but why can't you trust me"?
"Right, because you were such a role model teenager," Haley said, sarcastically rolling her eyes.
"I'm trying to teach him, responsibility—Haley, we have a year and a half, not even two years before he is eighteen. I would rather spend that time guiding him and helping him make choices versus fighting with him and trying to keep him locked up. I want him to come to me when he has a problem so I can help him".
"You're his father not his friend".
"Then let's hear the rules you want to set for him".
Haley closed the scrapbook in her hand and turned to look at Nathan. "Okay, curfew—ten. No parties, no drinking—anything below an A would result in the suspension of basketball until it's raised. No girls in his room, Madison or anyone. If he has company of the opposite sex, they are to be down here where we can watch them—if he goes over to someone's house we have to speak to their parents and—".
"Would you like their social security number, too"?
"You're not funny".
"I'm not trying to be, those rules are ridiculous—those are probably the same rules that Miley Cyrus had before she couldn't be tamed".
"Why don't you go to bed"?
"No," Nathan said, crossing his arms as he sat back. "I'm going to be right here when Jamie walks through that door, on time".
"Well, I'm going to be right here when he is late".
"Why are you set on him failing"?
"Why would you let him stay out so late"?
Nathan rolled his eyes. "Why do you keep bringing that up"?
"Because one week you're grounding him and being hard on him for something and the next you let him do whatever—".
"Because, I'm trying to trust him and teach him, yes—when he disobeys and goes behind our back he deserves to be punished but—".
"You're saying it's okay for him to go out and drink and have sex".
"I'm not saying that it's alright, but he is going to do it regardless, he is sixteen. I just want him to come to me when—".
Nathan's phone began buzzing, he stopped and pulled it out of his pocket.
"Jamie"? Nathan asked pushing the phone to his ear.
Haley watched as her husband walked across the room with the phone pushed to his ear.
"What's the address"? She heard her husband ask. "Okay, I will be there in twenty minutes. Love ya".
"Is he okay"? Haley asked jumping up as her husband hung up from his phone call.
"Yeah," Nathan told her. "I just have to go get him".
"Go—what's wrong with his car".
Nathan slid his shoes on and then turned around "he has had too much to drink, and called me to come get him".
"Oh, you two planned that".
"No," Nathan said shaking his head. "Call him yourself, talk to him—".
"I'll go with you".
"No," Nathan said holding his hand up before she could take a step further. "Haley, I love you but you going and scolding him will do nothing but things worse and next time he might not call and try to drive home".
"There won't be a next time, he is grounded"
"No, he isn't," Nathan said. "He is a teenager who went out and drank, and realized he couldn't and shouldn't drive home, so he called me—his father, a responsible adult to come get him. He made a responsible decision after he spent a night out. He isn't grounded. I have to go get our son. I love you".
Haley stood with her arms crossed as her husband kissed her on the cheek on and walked out of their house.
Peyton stepped out of Jake's car, as he held the door open for her—which for some reason made her blush. She watched as he shut the door before taking her hand, and the two walked hand in hand up the walkway to her front door.
"I can't remember a time I have had so much fun," Peyton told him, the alcohol from the wine she had earlier that night affecting her balance, but only slightly.
Jake saw her small stumble and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Really"? He asked. "I thought last weekend was pretty fun—I have never been locked out of a car for three hours before".
Peyton laughed. "Oh, yeah. That was big fun, nowhere to sit or anything".
"I told Jenny, she didn't believe me".
"I don't blame her, I still don't believe it".
The two approached Peyton's door and stood outside, the blonde turned to face Jake. She hated for her their evening to end here, but she knew it had to.
"I cheated on Lucas" the words fell out of Peyton's mouth like vomit. "I slept with another man, a couple of months ago—it's a long story".
"I'm not here to judge your past, Peyton" Jake said cupping the side of her cheek. "We all have things we aren't proud of, I know I do".
Peyton looked up at Jake who was now less than a centimeter away from her.
"I know," Peyton said, biting down on her lip. "I want to invite you inside, but—my marriage isn't legally over yet. Almost, but we aren't there yet and I can't sleep with two different men while I'm still married. I need to one day look at Sawyer and tell her that you and I didn't start until after I divorced her father, I don't want her to ever have bad feelings towards you".
"So, you see this going past the front door"? Jake asked, smiling.
"Do you"?
"My biggest regret has always been walking away from you, Peyton. But, you do realize if you wanted to invite me in you can—it doesn't have to end in sex. I'm pretty happy with just being with you".
Peyton smiled before she turned and unlocked the door. The two walked into her house, shutting the world out behind them.
"Wine"? Peyton asked as she walked into the kitchen. "I also have some other things—Jack Daniels, Hennessy, Vodka—".
"Are we at Tric"?
Peyton threw her head back laughing at his comment as she made her way towards the liquor cabinet. She poured the two each a glass of whatever she grabbed first and they made their way to the couch, sipping on their drinks.
"Jenny is going to come to visit for fall break—it's in a couple of weeks," Jake said looking at her. "Would you like to go out to dinner with me and her? If it helps—she changes her own diapers now".
Peyton laughed, once again as she stretched her feet out across Jake's lap.
"I would love to—maybe I could bring Sawyer"?
"Jenny would love that, she loves kids".
Peyton felt Jake running his hand across her small ankles.
"So, it's a date—you, me, and our spawns"? Jake asked, smiling.
"It's a date".
Deb blinked her sleepy eyes, she wasn't sure what woke her—she looked up to find the same hospital settings she had been looking at ever since she found out Keith had returned. She sat up, having been asleep on her folded arms in Keith's hospital bed.
The room around her was still blurry, she rubbed her eyes as she yawned—assuming it was her bent over posture that woke her. She lowered her arms and looked around, her eyes eventually landing on—
"Keith"? Deb said, as she looked into they eyes of her former brother in law. "Oh, my god—you're awake".
Deb didn't give him a chance to respond, she rushed out of his hospital room.
"I need a doctor" she told the first nurse she seen. "He is awake—he is awake".
The nurse, knowing who she was talking about—as most of the staff did, took off running down the hall in search for a doctor.
Keith's Doctor. A doctor. Any doctor.
Mouth paced back and forth in his living room, his arms folded—glancing out the window at the sight of every set of headlights, but they all passed by his house.
He waited in the living room.
On the couch.
On the chair.
Walking.
He was stretched out on the loveseat reading a magazine when Millicent walked downstairs, her frizzy hair pulled off to the side.
"What are you doing up"? Millie asked, her voice low and hoarse.
"I could ask you the same thing" Mouth replies, refusing to admit the reason he was sitting downstairs instead of asleep in their bedroom.
"Jimmie wants some juice," she told him not really acknowledging any of her surroundings through her half-closed eyes.
Mouth thought he dodged the conversation as his wife went into the kitchen when she returned she held a small cup in her hand filled with juice, this time looking more alert.
"Are you waiting for Lucy"? Millie asked tilting her head to the side, already knowing the answer.
Mouth let out a long deep breath. "Yes," he said nodding. "I tried calling her but it keeps going straight to voicemail, so I tried Andre—voicemail. Jamie—voicemail. I don't even know where she is or the address— you were right. Okay? You were right, I'm getting worried".
"Okay," Millie said walking over sitting next to her husband. "This isn't about who is right and who is wrong, she is fifteen—almost sixteen, she is going to want to go to parties but you have to make sure that you get information. Where are you going? What time will you be home? Who will you be with—".
"Not who will be there"?
"No," Millie told him. "It's a party, she can't predict who all is going to show up but she is with Andre—his curfew is two or three, Skills isn't so strict on him because that's not his child. That's why I knew you would stress out".
"And you didn't say anything"? Mouth asked.
"She isn't my child, I don't know what my place is with Lucy".
"You're her stepmom" Mouth said.
"I know but what does that entail Marvin"? Millie asked. "If you're not home and something happens, do I have authority to ground her? Do I wait until you get home—"?
"It looks like we are both learning".
"It looks that way—it also looks like she is home".
Jamie shut the passenger door of his dad's car, pulling the seat belt around him.
"You okay"? Nathan asked looking at his son.
Jamie simply nodded, running his fingers through his hair.
"Where are your car keys"? Nathan asked.
"I gave them to Lily—she is driving it home, Chuck is picking her up there. They neither one drank".
Nathan nodded before starting the engine to his car and driving away from the party, making his way towards the house but halfway there he pulled off the road, parking next to a sidewalk.
"What are we doing"? Jamie asked, looking around—realizing they were not at home.
"I just want to talk to you while we are alone".
"Dad, I don't really feel like listening to a long lecture".
"This isn't like that" Nathan told his son, as he turned to face his son, Jamie didn't turn his whole body as Nathan did but he did turn his neck looking at his dad. "I want you to know, I'm so proud of you tonight. You didn't try to drive home or ride with someone else who shouldn't be driving, you called me—I'm so proud of that. I don't want you to ever be scared to call me, any day or any time. As long as you pick up your phone, you will never hear a word out of me".
Jamie half-smiled. "But, What about mom"?
Nathan let out a long sigh. "You're mom is having a hard time—she is really struggling, Jamie. You're not a kid anymore and that scares her to death, one day she is fine and the next she isn't. I will deal with your mom, she just doesn't want you to grow up".
"And you do"?
"No, of course not, if I had my way we would go back in time to when you was about three—that was my favorite age with you," Nathan told him, smiling at the memory. "You would come in and jump on the bed every morning, jumping on my back to wake me up—".
"I can still do that".
Nathan scoffed. "I already have a bad back, I don't need to be permanently paralyzed if I can help it".
Jamie chuckled "just thought I would offer".
"Anyways, I just want you to know—I'm here. I am not going to judge you for anything, but if you ever need to talk about anything I'm here" Nathan told his son. "I don't want to have a relationship with you like I had with Dan before he shot Keith. I want you to feel like you can come to me about anything. Okay"?
Jamie nodded, as he twirled a loose string from the large hole in his jeans around his finger—it was pretty clear that he did have something he wanted to talk to his dad about. However, Nathan wasn't going to pressure him into spitting it out—and he didn't need to.
"Maddie and I—we had sex dad".
"I assumed," Nathan told him.
"I mean tonight—we did before we split up, but we had sex tonight," Jamie said.
"Break up sex"?
"I guess—I don't know," Jamie told his dad shrugging. "People talk about break up sex like it's this hot and sexy, amazing thing—which it was, amazing. But, walking away from her tonight—dad, it was so hard. I love her so much—but she broke my heart, I can't even—I don't know, I sound like a wimp".
"You're not a wimp," Nathan told him. "When I first met your mom I was so attracted to her, once you set aside the whole just pissing Luke off part of the story. But, I don't know—she wasn't my type. Well, it's not that she wasn't my type, she was tutor girl and I was a giant—".
"Dick"?
Nathan chuckled. "Yeah," he told his son. "Basically," he said shaking his head at the memory. "But, the guys I hung around didn't see me with someone like her, I didn't want anyone to know. I wasn't good at showing my feelings, at all. I don't ever want you to be like that James, I don't ever want you to feel like crying makes you any less of a man because it doesn't—something your mom taught me. You have feelings, I do too, just like women—I don't want to raise you to feel like you can't show them".
Jamie looked over at his dad, tears falling down his eyes—for the second time in one night.
Thankful for the words his father said.
"When your mom and split up in high school—I cried. A lot".
"You and mom split up"? Jamie asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Our relationship has been on the line more than once but we have always been stronger than our circumstances," Nathan said. "There was a time I didn't think we would ever be together again—but your mom did. She always knew".
Brooke sat in her bed, unable to sleep, unable to do anything but think of Lucas. Not that she wanted to, she wanted to county sheep and think of herself and have beautiful dreams of being rich and successful and beautiful—oh, wait. She was already all those things.
"Hey" Brooke heard and looked up to see Madison standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame.
"Hey," Brooke said, smiling. "You okay"?
Madison didn't need to answer that, her foster mom already knew the answer. Brooke patted the spot next to her on her bed, and the teenager slowly made her way across the room and curled up in the bed—laying her head on Brooke's lap.
"What are you doing"? Madison asked, looking up at Brooke.
"Some sketches—I'm working on a new line".
"What is it"?
"I don't really know yet," Brooke said, laughing. "I have made a few things, but I'm all over the place. I just need something new—don't get me wrong, I love designing baby clothes, but it doesn't give me that feeling I got when I first started to design clothes, I wasn't much older than you I got my start".
"So, maybe that's where you start"? Madison asked. "You go back to the start—on everything, not just the clothes".
Brooke looked down at the teenager, who was nervously biting on her nails.
"Is this about Luke"? Brooke asked, though she already knew the answer. "Maddie, you have enough on your plate without worrying about that—that is so complicated".
"So," Madison said sitting up. "What relationship isn't complicated"?
She had a point, but Brooke wasn't going to acknowledge that out loud.
"I see the way you look at him, Brooke—the way he looks at you—".
"He was married to my best friend for ten years, they spent years together before that".
"But, do you love him"?
Brooke stopped sketching, as Madison sat up turning to face her. It was the one answer she could deny to everyone, but herself.
"If you promise to keep a secret," Brooke said pointing at Madison, who quickly nodded. "I do love him, but—oh, Maddie—it's more than that. He hurt me, twice, he cheated on me and—".
"When he was my age that was what, a hundred years ago".
"Hey"! Brooke said, gently smacking the teenager with the sketch pad in her hand. The two laughed, for a second but it died down. "I get it, what you're saying makes complete sense. We were young but it still doesn't change the fact that he was married to my best friend and I feel like I would be cheating on her".
"What did she say"?
"I don't know" Brooke admitted. "I haven't talked to her, but she is the one who supposedly pushed Luke into telling me—".
"Then she might be fine with it," Madison told Brooke. "So, just talk to her—ask her".
"Even if she said yes, how do I know she would really be okay with it"?
"Best friends are the one person in this world that is supposed, to be honest with you," Madison told her. "They are supposed to tell you if a dress makes you look fat or if your new weave just isn't working, or if you have had too much, so if she says yes and she isn't really okay with it then she isn't your best friend, and then it's okay anyway".
"I don't even know if I'm ready to date," Brooke told her leaning against the headboard. "Julian hasn't been gone—".
"Brooke, eventually you're going to run out of excuses," Madison told her. "Sometimes some people need to fall apart to fall back together, and be better than ever".
Brooke looked at Madison and pushed a long strand of hair behind her ear. "Does that apply for you and Jamie"?
"I hope," Madison said, a small tear running down her cheek. "I am staying hopeful, he still hasn't changed his relationship status to single, so that's good right"?
"I think so," Brooke told her. "Social media wasn't as big when I was a teenager, but I think that's a good sign".
Brooke took her hands and laid them each on the sides of Madison's face, brushing her tears away with her thumbs. "Jamie is a teenaged boy, but he isn't an idiot. Just give it time".
"I don't want time," Madison said, her voice breaking. "I just want him, and that's it".
"Have you told him"?
Before Madison had a chance to answer the phone began to ring, they both looked over at Brooke's cell phone that was on her nightstand—lit up.
"Who in the hell is calling me at this hour"? Brooke asked leaning over as she grabbed her phone. "Deb"? She asked pushing it to her ear. "I'm awake—Wait, What? He is? I'll go get him".
Brooke hung her phone up and jumped out of her bed. "I have to go Luke's, Deb can't get a hold of him or Lily, and Keith is awake".
"And she called you"? Madison asked looking up at Brooke smiling.
Brooke rolled her eyes "try Lily, I will be a phone call away if you need me".
"Thanks," Madison said.
Brooke was at the door when Madison spoke, and she turned around. "For what"?
"For everything".
Haley felt her husbands arms wrap tightly around her waist, as he slid into bed behind her. She felt him plant a small, soft kiss against her neck, she wanted to be angry with him—but the more he kissed on her neck, the more difficult it becomes.
"You make it incredibly hard to stay mad at you," Haley said laying the back of her head against Nathan.
"That's part of my charm" Nathan whispered into her ear. "I don't want to fight, Hales. I just want to do what's best for Jamie—long term".
"And you think allowing him to drink and have sex is best for him—long term"?
It was a genuine question, it was the first time over the course of the long night that Nathan didn't hear any hostility in her voice.
"I'm not saying that it's like I said before—he will do those things regardless," Nathan told his wife as she rolled on her back, to look up at him. "I just want him to feel comfortable enough to talk to us about it when he has questions".
"I just—it's weird. I was seventeen when we got married, losing my virginity was a big deal for me—".
"I know, I was there".
"You and your porn" Haley teased him with a smile. "He is just a year younger than I was when we got married—but somewhere along the way in my mind that got lost in translation. I know how old he is, I know he is a teenager—who had a long term girlfriend—but to me, he is still just a little kid. And I just didn't even realize that it was a conversation yet".
"But, it is—it—it was".
"Was"?
Nathan nodded his head, looking down at his wife as they lay in the dark.
"So, he isn't a—"? Haley asked, but Nathan began slowly shaking his head before she could finish. "They had sex"?
"I'm going to talk to him some more in a day or two—when he isn't so, intoxicated".
Haley ran her hands down her face. "He is drinking and having sex, we can't let him think we support this".
"And we don't," Nathan told her. "I don't support my teenaged son going out and doing these things, but we have to let him make some of his own choices. He is old enough, we could make some strict rules and even put him on homeschool—then when he turns eighteen he is just going to run wild".
"What makes you so sure"?
"Let me ask you something—at your house, what were the rules growing up"?
"I didn't really have any—my parents trusted me," Haley said, letting out a long deep breath.
"Wasn't that the same thing you were preaching to me a few months ago"? Nathan asked, and Haley didn't need to respond they both knew the answer. "What about the rest of your siblings"? Nathan then asked before Haley had the chance to plot his death.
"Quinn had rules but Taylor—they were strict on her. But, they had to be—she started partying too much and had a new boyfriend every week and—".
"Do you think if your parents gave her a little bit more room things would have been different"?
Haley thought about it, she thought about all the times her older sister came in drunk and the fights that took place after. She thought about all the boys she brought home to their displeased parents, she thought and she thought but she hated the answer.
Before Haley had the chance to answer him, they both heard Nathan's phone ringing. He picked it up out of his pocket, curious who was calling him so late.
"Mom"? Nathan asked pressing the phone to his ear. "Yeah... he is? We will be right there" Nathan said and jumped out of the bed quickly. "Keith is awake".
Deb stood in the corner softly biting on her thumb as she watched the doctor examine Keith, who had yet to speak. First, he made him follow the light from a flashlight so small Deb didn't understand its existence. Then he moved on to his feet and reflexes, which checked out just fine. Now, the doctor was having him squeeze each of his hands—although, she wasn't sure what the purpose of that was only that she saw it in all her favorite medical dramas.
"He looks good, physically" Doctor Lafferty told Deb standing up, looking at Keith. "Can you tell me your name"?
Keith, who still looked somewhat confused—looked around and nodded. He cleared his throat—and just the sound nearly made Deb fall to the ground.
"It's—it's—".
"Take your time, your voice has been out of use for a long time," Doctor Lafferty told Keith as he struggled to speak.
"Erm—Dan"? Keith guessed. "My—my name is Dan—right, babe"?
Deb looked up at Keith, who looked at her—and her heart sunk to the floor. She looked at the doctor who looked down at Keith worried, only for a second.
Keith broke into a wide smile and shrugged "I'm just screwing with, Keith Scott" he said reaching his hand out. "It's nice to meet you".
Deb didn't want to smile, because it was clear that the information of how he got here was either nonexistent or too fuzzy to remember any specifics, but she did. Deb smiled, and then she laughed.
"Anyone care to tell me what the hell is going on"?
A/N So, don't be mad, I know I promised to write this into ships but here is what happened, I sat down and started writing it and even FINISHED IT, then I absolutely hated it. It just looked dreadful, I even changed over half of this chapter, and I still am not happy with this chapter.
When writing the Naley sections I wanted to write it in a way that Nathan isn't encouraging his child to go out and drink, but also write it in a way that he is understanding to it. When you look back on season one Nathan, and season nine Nathan, he isn't even the same person. So, I hope that I wrote it well but it's not something that I am happy with.
When it comes to Haley, part of her storyline is she is having trouble accepting that Jamie is growing up, and her and Nathan were raised in such different ways so when it comes to their teenaged son they parent in such different ways. But, good news... this storyline is pretty much over. (The bickering over how to parent). Now, we will move on to Haley's road to acceptance of Jamie. But, their is a much bigger storyline for Naley that will be revealed in the next couple chapters.
Brucas, so they had their confrontation and just because Brooke admitted she had feelings and is still in love with Luke, don't expect to much to happen out of that just yet. I had a guest review asking about if Lucas ever found out about Peyton telling Brooke that she had feelings for Luke. (I am going off of memory here) but I don't think that was ever addressed, and if it was then I overlooked it. I haven't watched season three in so long! But, they will have some interactions in the next chapter unrelationship related. Brooke is also working on a new fashion line, and guess what? I already know the name of it. It will be something she does with Maddie, who speaking of... might not be a Landry to much longer ;)
So, moving on to Jamie and Madison, don't give up hope on them just yet. I do think of them as the next generation "Naley",
As for Jake and Peyton... I'm really having trouble with a storyline for them. They had a big part in the chapter I wrote first but then it got to be too long.
But, to end it all... Keith is back! Are you excited? Or sad, because Karen isn't there to welcome him back?
Thanks for all the reviews and follows, it means a lot to me! Keep it up! I try to answer all questions, and address everything I can in my chapters.
But, again sorry this chapter wasn't my best work but I just couldn't write it for a third time.