Disclaimer: all rights go to their rightful owners, only claim rights to the cheesy storylines. LOL.
This chapter is more of just a filler chapter but enjoy!
Madison had been in a deep sleep, as most people were at four in the morning. But, the sudden feeling of laying in her bed alone—which she had come to hate in the past few weeks.
Immediately, without opening her eyes, Madison knew it was that time. The time when Jamie had to leave to sneak back into his house before either of his parents woke up to find him gone.
Jamie sat at the end of his girlfriend's bed wearing nothing but a pair of athletic pants that he wore to bed frequently as he was slipping his sneakers on. Madison smiled, before sliding to the end of the bed wrapping her arms around Jamie's chest from behind him.
"Are you leaving"? Madison whispered in his ear, even though she knew the answer before planing a small kiss on his neck.
"I have to get in my bed before my mom gets up," Jamie told her, smiling as she ran her hands up and down his chest.
"I have ways of making you stay you know"? She asked.
"Oh, I know—but please have mercy on me," Jamie told her tilting his neck back to face her. "If my parents find out I sneak out every night after they go to bed and sneak back in before they wake up, no basketball, no dates—no nothing I will be grounded until the end of time".
"You win".
With his head tilted to see Madison, he slowly pressed his lips to hers—kissing her.
Jamie couldn't be sure if it was the breakup or the fact that they had recently had sex but anytime the two kissed it never ended at a kiss. But, at this particular moment it had to.
"I need my shirt back" Jamie said, pressing his forehead to his girlfriends.
Madison smiled as Jamie stood up, more than likely to avoid anything escalating. She pulled the overly large shirt over her head, revealing that she didn't have anything on beneath and handed it to her boyfriend.
"That's just cruel" Jamie said as he took the shirt, avoiding eye contact with his girlfriend.
"I will see you at school".
Haley yawned big as she wrapped the kimono she had hanging next to her bed around her slim figure, glancing over at her husband who would sleep another twenty minutes—maybe thirty, depending on how many times he chose to hit the snooze button on his alarm this morning. She then silently made her way out of her bedroom, careful not to wake Nathan as she did so.
The wife and mother began to make her way down the hall towards the coffee, the kitchen—that housed the coffee.
Haley opened Lydia's door checking on her daughter who laid in her bed butt up in the air and hands tucked beneath her head. She shook her head, half-smiling at her daughter as she quietly shut the door.
Jamie was sixteen years old, he was a teenager and yet she still checked on him every night when she went to bed and every morning when she woke up, this morning was no different. Haley pushed open her son's door to find her son spawned out across his bed, one leg beneath the covers and one leg out.
Once again Haley smiled, she went to the kitchen drank her regular two cups of coffee, took her shower, and dressed—by which time her husband had woke as she began to fix breakfast for her family as her husband showered.
"That was mom," Nathan told his wife as he sat down at the counter, the home phone in his hand.
"How is Keith"? Haley asked, almost immediately.
Keith's progress had also become apart of their morning routine.
"Well, tomorrow he will have been awake for two weeks and they still aren't telling him anything," Nathan told his wife. "So, he isn't in the best mood, he doesn't know a whole hell of a lot, so he is pretty pissed".
"Runs in the family," Haley said. "I talked to Lily yesterday and she is fuming, most girls would be depressed she is out for blood—the doctors, the nurses—I think she even mentioned something about the receptionist".
"And we are sure she isn't Dan's"?
Haley narrowed her eyes at her husband, even though it was a joke he didn't smile.
"Are you nervous"? Haley asked, ignoring her husband's comment.
"Well, yeah" Nathan admitted rather quickly. "I just said that Keith has been awake for basically two weeks and today he finally gets to learn about everything he has missed the past seventeen years—which he deserves to know, but I'm not exactly looking forward to being apart of telling him that he finally got the girl of his dreams but it don't mean a hell of a lot now because she is gone".
"But, there is a silver lining though—Lily," Haley said, offering a small smile.
"That's what I thought too," Nathan told her as he sat down on the stool at the counter. "Then I thought what if something had happened to me the day we got remarried, at the bridge? Then I woke up seventeen years later to Jamie—and I had missed everything. He missed her first steps, her first words, learning to ride a bike, and learning to drive—that's a lot to take in, Hales".
Nathan didn't need to say it, Haley knew it, as smart as she was.
It had been a lot to take in that he was alive for everyone, but waking up after seventeen years had hit Keith the hardest for the most obvious reasons.
"I pulled these out last night," Haley said walking over to the kitchen table where a large number of books sat. "Scrapbooks from over the years, but I made this one—it's all the pictures Karen ever sent us of Lily and some I got from Luke—anyways I thought these could help".
"They will—I thought about taking Jamie with me," Nathan told his wife. "I know he has school, but I thought about letting him play hooky for the day but I wanted to run by you before I asked him".
Normally, skipping school was out of the question but this particular morning Haley didn't have to think twice.
"That's fine—I can't seem to get him up anyways," Haley said rolling his eyes. "I think between basketball practice every other day, school, and working anytime he isn't doing those two things he just seems so exhausted all the time".
Nathan fought the urge to roll his eyes, for even though his son hadn't confided in him anymore since the night he picked him up from the party, he could easily guess that none of the things his wife just mentioned had anything to do with the teenager's exhaustion.
But, he also hadn't told his wife about that particular conversation he had with their son. She knew Nathan suspected that their son had lost his virginity but he never confirmed to her. In all honesty, he didn't want to be the one to tell her.
"You can't be there until after nine, you could probably let him sleep in a little this morning" Haley continued to say as she packed the scrapbooks into a duffel bag.
"I'm sure it wouldn't hurt," Nathan said taking a long sip of his coffee.
"Do you know where you're going to start"? Haley asked, casually changing the conversation back to Keith.
"Luke and I talked about that—we thought we would start with you and me," Nathan said. "He doesn't even know we are married, his memory loss is very vague. He remembers bits and pieces around a certain time but not everything, but he does remember everything else before then".
"I know that no one else besides you, Luke, and Deb have been able to see him," Haley said walking over to her husband wrapping her arms around his neck, nestling herself into his lap.
"The doctors are just being very cautious," Nathan told her. "Doctor Lafferty told us that he has seen cases where someone wakes up and the whole family bombards them, that mixed with the time they missed and they go into distress—plus where Keith just had brain surgery, I think this way has been the smartest. Mom has been allowed to inform him daily on things that are happening or have happened around the world. So, far he hates the Kardashians, loves Starbucks, and believe or not he likes a few Taylor Swift songs".
Haley laughed, lightly. "I can't picture Keith listening to Taylor Swift".
Nathan chuckled. "Neither can I, Brooke and Peyton put together stuff for mom to take to the hospital every day, things that have been popular or have significance over the past seventeen years".
"Peyton sent Taylor Swift"?
"No, I am sure that was Brooke".
Haley smiled, for a second. "There is something about Brooke, that I wanted to talk to you about".
"Okay".
"Did you know that before Julian died she froze her eggs"? Haley asked. "Where she had such trouble getting pregnant with the twins, they decided to take the surrogacy route".
"I didn't know that".
"Yeah, and she is talking about moving forward with that plan without him," Haley told Nathan. "She told me a little about it at the hospital, and the other day when I was over helping her decorate her house on her computer she was on this surrogacy website. I believe she is going to move forward with that plan without Julian, have another baby by herself".
"Well, if anyone can kill the single mother game it's Brooke," Nathan said. "She is an amazing mother".
"I agree," Haley said, excitedly by her husband's reaction. "She told me a little bit about the surrogacy process, she doesn't get to meet the surrogate until her last trimester. Brooke mentioned something about hard that's going to be, and how she would rather know the person that was carrying her baby".
It was like an alarm went off in Nathan's head as his wife spoke.
"Brooke asked you to carry her baby"? Nathan asked.
"No, I don't even think it occurred to her to ask me something like that, but I'm thinking about offering," Haley said. "We was trying for a baby so I have been on a healthy diet, I've not been on birth control, I workout—".
"Hales—".
"But, I wanted to talk to you about it first," Haley told Nathan as she jumped up out of his lap and walked around the counter, turning to look across at her husband. "This decision, if Brooke said yes, wouldn't just affect me".
"It's your body".
"But, it's our life," Haley said. "For nine months I would be pregnant, it would affect all four of us".
"Hales, that's not what I'm concerned about, I have gone through two pregnancies with you. You being pregnant wouldn't concern me".
"Then what's concerning you"?
"When you're pregnant you put your body through so much," Nathan told her. "Morning sickness, cravings, possible blood pressure problems—labor, that's a lot to through and at the end of this, you wouldn't bring home a baby. You would leave the hospital, alone".
"I know that Nathan but it's not like I won't ever see the baby he or she will live right across the road and think about it like this—we will never have to buy Brooke another birthday present".
Nathan paused "that take the stress off the month of March—would we have to buy the baby a gift".
"I assume it would be just like our kids I gave them both life and twice a year I give them presents for the most painful experiences I have ever endured".
They both laughed, but after a minute Nathan looked at his wife because joking aside he had a real opinion about it.
"I want you to know if you decide to do this I will stand behind you one percent," Nathan told his wife standing up and walking over next to her, taking her hand in his. "But, I want you to think about it before you even consider bringing this up to Brooke".
"Nathan—".
"Hales, I have stood by your side through two pregnancies and before you ever even gave birth to Jamie or Lydia you had this connection, this bond with them that I used to envy. You're so nurturing, you're a natural mother. If you decide to do this, you will still feel all those things towards this child but it won't be yours. Genetically. Just promise me you will think about it, okay"?
Haley had her husbands support, no questions asked, all he was asking her was to think about it. That she could do.
"Okay," Haley said wrapping her arms around Nathan, leaning upon her tiptoes and kissing him. "What time will Luke be here"?
"He won't," Nathan told her. "I am going to pick him up at his house, he was here yesterday and he and Brooke saw each other—".
"They fought"?
"No, but she hasn't spoken to him—which I'm sure she doesn't know what to say, but it looked like he had been stabbed with a knife so I offered to pick him up".
"Oh," Haley said looking down.
Nathan picked an apple and took a large bike before asking "how do you think that's going to end"?
Haley shrugged. "I don't know," she told him honestly. "It's not exactly a black and white situation, I couldn't even venture a guess".
"Really"?
"I mean—yeah, every time I talk to Brooke about it or gets brought up it's never an easy conversation for her. She thought that part of her life was over, she thought that was a chapter in her life that was over" Haley told Nathan. "She loves Luke, but I don't know if she is in love with him, I don't think she knows. I think after he broke her heart—again, she put him in this little box in her head and filed him under friend and never thought about having to take him out and reevaluate all those old feelings".
"How do you not know if you're in love with someone or not"?
"Nathan, it would be like something happening to me and a year and a half later Peyton coming up to you and saying she was still in love you. What would you do"?
"Well, I don't think Peyton and I were ever actually in love—did you not see the type of relationship we had or were you not paying attention"?
"You can be such a guy," Haley said shaking her head smiling. "It's not—it's not that Brooke doesn't know, I think she does and I think that's what scares her. Not to mention everything already going on in her life with the kids and Maddie and trying to have another baby and she just bought a new house and running Baker man and trying to start a new fashion line, it's a lot. So, she is burying herself in everything else so she doesn't have to feel like she is cheating on Julian"
"Julian has been gone for almost two years".
"I know, but I get it," Haley said. "If something happened to you, I don't ever think I could move on".
"Yeah, I guess I get it, too," Nathan said. "I couldn't ever picture being with someone else".
"How is Luke? You seem him more than I do".
"Well, he hasn't really talked about Brooke," Nathan said. "He and Peyton officially sign the divorce papers on Monday".
"I thought he filed weeks ago".
"He did, there were a few snags. She didn't agree with this and he didn't agree with that but they managed to be adults and keep it out of court so I'd say that's a win".
"It is".
"But, other than that everything else is about Lily and Keith. He caught Chuck in Lily's room the other morning—in bed with his little sister".
"What"? Haley asked.
"Yeah, I'm assuming it didn't go well because he is putting a lock on her windows and door," Nathan told Haley. "She is trying to say he isn't her dad but I guess he isn't letting her just run off this time, I considered putting a lock on Jamie's room just for the hell of it".
Haley chuckled. "Are you trying to give him a panic attack, we couldn't do that?" Haley said. "Not that I wouldn't, but he is claustrophobic he would end up in the hospital. If the door is open he has to have one of the windows open".
"I know that's why I said considered," Nathan told her. "I invited Jake over for dinner Sunday night, him and Peyton".
"Oh, well I'm glad you told me—I would have hated for them to show up with nothing to eat".
Nathan smiled at his wife. "How is that going—those two"?
"Great. She is always smiling, and they aren't even having sex, she says she wants to be legally divorced when that happens".
"Well, that's good right"?
"She is happy, of course, it is," Haley told him before glancing down at her watch. "I have to go wake Lydia before we are late".
Author's note: like I said above this chapter was more of just a filler chapter to set up for the next chapter. There will be a few other things going on at the main center of that chapter will be Keith, and basically him learning about everything that has happened in his absence so it is going to be a pretty big chapter.
Per The usual thank you to everyone who reads, and reviews, it absolutely means everything to me.
And as always I try to answer a few questions that I've seen, if I ever do not answer a question or address something it's either for two reasons. The first being I have simply and mistakenly overlooked it, and the second being it's part of a unfolding storyline and I do only want to give away so much.
Madison, and her heritage, I seen a comment that Mentioned about thinking she was from Barcelona and that was her heritage. That has been what she has thought as well. The people who left her ( and that's how she ended up in Lauren's care) that she thought was her parents, we're not her biological parents and more of that story will unfold later. So, you will get to see her try and find her real parents, but I still haven't quite decided how I'm going to end that one. I have two different endings for that storyline, but she will be exploring that and searching for answers her self.
I am not a fan of Julian either, I feel like I would have liked the character if he had been with Peyton, lol. But, I am still trying to do justice to Brooks character and when she loves someone she loves them with all her heart, and then some. Plus, it does add another obstacle for Brucas. And I'm just not ready for them to be together yet.
As for Keith and Deb, Right now she just simply feels guilty because a lot is her fault so that is why she is so present with Keith. Having not left the hospital and not left his side, a lot of that comes from her guilt, but who knows where that might lead?
Again, this chapter was simply just a feeler and I really used the James/Scott family to do that, but the next chapter will have so much morning.
Thank you to everyone who reads and reviews!