Two updates in one week?
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THUD.
Haley rose up in her bed at the loud sound that shook her bedroom walls, she looked around and the first thing she saw was her husband—Nathan, who was sitting in the floor wearing nothing but his boxers—just as shocked as she was. She assumed the loud noise that woke her was him, rolling out of bed, but that wasn't the loud noise that woke him.
A loud banging was echoing through the walls of their large home, the two shared a glance, and through squinted eyes, Haley looked at the clock on Nathan's nightstand.
"It's six a.m," she said as she stood to her feet.
The married couple stumbled through their home until the reached the sight of the overly loud racket.
Haley quickly unlocked their front door and opened it to find Brooke on the other side. Neither one of the Scott's got to speak before Brooke pushed past them and found her way into the living room.
"Please, come in Brooke," Nathan said sarcastically as he watched his wife shut the do
Haley held her hand up towards her husband before anyone could say anything else. "Brooke, what's going on"? She asked. "It's barely six in the morning".
"Is Madison here"? She asked. "She isn't in her room".
"What do you mean she isn't in her room"?
"I mean her room is empty, bed made—she isn't there".
"Was she downstairs somewhere, maybe"? Haley asked.
"Oh, shoot—that's what I forgot to do. I saw her room empty and I immediately came right over here first" Brooke nearly yelled. "I ran all around the house, she isn't home. Is she here"?
"I—Wait, Nathan," Haley said, as she took off up the stairs after her husband.
Nathan stormed the hall, with Brooke and Haley not far behind him, and burst through Jamie's bedroom door. The sound of the door hitting the back of the wall scared the teenager awake and rolled off his bed with a loud BOOM.
And two Scott men woke up this particular morning hitting the floor.
"What's going on"? Jamie asked slightly disoriented as his father turned the lights on.
"Is Madison here"? Haley demanded.
Confused, Jamie stood up and shook his head. "Does it look like she is here"? He asked waving his arm around.
Nathan, who didn't believe his son, opened the door to his nearest closet.
"Why would I lie, when you can do that"? Jamie asked putting his hands on his hips. "Go ahead, search she isn't here".
"Does no one wear clothes to bed in this family"? Brooke asked, looking from Nathan to Jamie—both of which were in nothing but their underwear.
"Madison—she isn't in her room"? Jamie asked, finally catching up with the conversation—or half. "Where is she? Did you call her"?
Brooke looked at Jamie, who was genuinely concerned, worried—and freaking out.
"I can't," Brooke told him. "I took her phone last night".
Nathan looked at Jamie, and like Brooke seen the real panic on his face. "Jamie, I need you, to be honest with us—you don't know where she is"?
"Dad, I swear to god I don't".
"Luke—I know it's early" they heard and seen Haley standing in the doorway with the house phone pressed to her ear. "Is Madison over there with Lily, okay thanks?" she said before whispering "he is checking Lily's room".
"Madison wouldn't just take off," Jamie said. "Dad—".
"Calm down, it's okay," Nathan told him. "We'll find her".
Jamie sat down on his bed as he looked up at his mom, watching as her as they waited—trying his best not to have an anxiety attack.
"What"? Haley nearly yelled. "Are you sure—? Oh, my god—yeah, get over here as soon as you can".
Nathan heard the line end and looked at his wife, and knew whatever it was—it wasn't good news.
"Lily is gone, her car is gone," Haley told them. "Luke is coming over here".
"Do you think they ran away—because we grounded them or something"? Brooke asked laying her hand across her chest. "I wasn't that hard on her".
"I don't think that's what it is, Keith just got back—Lily wouldn't—she wouldn't," Nathan said. "Jamie—".
"Dad I swear—".
"I believe you, but do you know anywhere they would have gone"? He asked.
Jamie shook his head. "No," he said. "And I can't even check my phone to see if they messaged me or something".
"Hales, get his phone it's in my nightstand," Nathan told her.
Haley took off down the hallway leaving the three together.
"Where in the hell are they"? Brooke asked looking out the open window. "Where are you, Madison"?
Lily jolted up at the sound of a loud horn honking, immediately hitting her head against the roof of her car. "Ow," she cried, rubbing her head, but looked around—out the window she saw cars, and nothing else, but none of them was moving.
Not even them.
"What's going on"? Lily asked, groggily rubbing her eyes. "Where are we? What time is it"?
"I take it she's not a morning person"? Lucy asked Madison without looking up from her map.
"Good guess," Madison said, yawning.
"Well, sunshine," Lucy said turning to face her friend. "This is what we call a traffic jam".
"Would you like to eat your teeth for breakfast"? Lily asked.
Lucy simply laughed as she turned back around. "We are in Georgia—I think".
"You think, you're the one who is supposed to be reading the map," Madison told her.
"You do realize you two have switched off driving while I am the only one who knows how to read a map—so I haven't had a break, and I'm tired, so my visions not so good," Lucy told her. "Once we pass the next mile marker I will know for sure but I think we are in Georgia".
"How much longer until we get there"? Lily moaned throwing herself against the seat.
"Well, it's a seventeen-hour drive—so if the traffic was moving, another ten or eleven hours but it's not—".
"Lucille"! Lily moaned. "Estimate".
"I'd say mid-night".
Madison and Lily both groaned in aggravation.
"I need to sleep".
"I need to pee".
"I need to eat".
God, help us all.
"Lily, you have a phone—right"? Madison asked.
She nodded. "It's in my bag, in the floorboard—Luke never took it last night".
Lucy reached down and pulled the small bag up into her lap, she searched through it before pulling the cell phone out. "Thirty-seven missed calls," Lucy said handing it back to Lily. "And fourteen voicemails".
"Listening to them can't be a good idea," Lily said as she took the phone.
"Luke"? Madison assumed.
"Him, Nathan, Haley—even Jamie" Lily told her.
"What did Jamie say"?
"I can't open any of them," Lily said. "We talked about it, not until we are at least eight hours ahead of them" Lily reminded her. "If I open them, they could see that I read them".
"Apple and their stupid ideas" Madison moaned.
"Could you not hate on my iPhone, you strange little android user"?
"I'm just saying if we had my Android we could have used my maps app, instead of having Christopher Columbus with red hair, attempting to read an actual map from the Stone Age, just guessing where we are going but we can't turn on your location or Luke can find out where we are," Madison said.
"You're welcome for reading the map," Lucy said sarcastically. "Would either of you two like to do it"?
"We need to get out of this car for a few minutes before we kill each other" Lily said shaking her head. "Take the next exit, we will grab something to eat—stretch our legs".
Haley opened the front door, to find Mouth on the other side—and like the rest, he was dressed head to toe in his pajamas, with the exception of his sneakers. If it were under any other occasion Haley was sure Brooke would make a comment about his matching top and bottom, that she was sure his mother purchased but it would go unspoken about on this particular day.
"Come in," Haley told him waving her hand.
"Have you heard anything"? Mouth asked.
"No, Jamie is trying them again—if anyone is going to be able to get through to them it's Jamie, but they aren't picking up anyone's calls," she told him.
Mouth looked up at Jamie who had his cell phone pressed to his ear.
"Has anyone called the police"? He asked.
"I did—for Lily," Luke told him. "But, until it's twenty-four hours they can't do anything—but there is a problem with that idea".
"What's that"?
"It could risk my custody agreement with Madison—so if they just went to a party or something, I could lose her," Brooke told him.
"Do you think they just went to a party"? Mouth asked.
"Honestly"? Nathan asked. "I doubt it—but we can't get the police to heavily involved because I know these girls, I know Madison—she wouldn't just run away, and I don't want her to come back and be sent away".
Jamie walked up to them and shook his head. "No answer—I have called all of Madison's friends on the basketball team, I even called Sasha to see if she heard from Lucy, which I'm sure I'll pay for that later, but no one has heard anything".
"Damn it," Brooke said.
Lucas rubbed her back and said, "it's alright, we are going to find them—".
"I don't know if I want to find her just so I know that she is okay, or so that I can kill her," Brooke said running her fingers through her tangled hair.
Haley took Brooke's hand. "It's going to be alright, but you do need to calm down".
"And if we do end up talking to the police, I wouldn't mention that" Nathan suggested.
"Has anyone thought about driving around town—looking that way"? Mouth asked.
"I did that on my way here—but maybe we could try again" Luke suggested.
"This time take Jamie with you if they are at a party or something—he would know where to look better," Nathan told him.
"Dad, they didn't go to a party," Jamie said.
"I have three stressed-out parents standing here, humor me," Nathan told them.
"Let me go grab my shoes".
Jamie took off up the stairs, as Nathan and Haley made their way to the kitchen.
"Come on," Brooke said taking Mouth's hand. "You should have been here earlier, no one was wearing pants".
Mouth chuckled lightly as he sat down on the couch with Brooke. "This really says a lot about my parenting skills," he told her. "I just got her, and I have already lost her. I suck, I officially suck as a dad".
"I lost mine, too—you're saying I suck".
"No, of course not—where are the twins"?
Brooke's eyes grew wide. "Oh, my god," she said jumping up. "I left them by themselves".
"They are with Peyton, remember"? Lucas asked. "They stayed the night with Sawyer".
"And you call yourself a bad parent" Brooke said plopping down next to Mouth. "I forgot mine wasn't even with me".
"No one is a bad parent," Haley said walking back into the living room with a tray full of food. "It's been a hectic morning, but we will find the girls—until then everyone needs to remain calm".
"Easy for you to say you know where your kids are," Brooke said folding her arms.
"Need I remind you of Lucas' wedding"? Haley asked.
"Good point," Brooke told her.
Jamie had lived in Tree Hill his entire life, and could never remember a time he saw the town this early in the morning. The sun was up but the streets were dead, deader than normal that was—the only thing on the long road was the morning fog rolling in.
It made it a little more difficult to look, but Jamie knew he wasn't going to see Lily's car sitting on a random corner, outside of a diner, or getting gas at the local station—but the fear of where they were crawled through his skin. It turned his stomach because he didn't know—he didn't have a clue of the whereabouts.
"It doesn't make sense," Jamie said shaking his head, as his uncle continued to drive. "Madison—she tells me everything," he said. "Then she just up and leaves in the middle of the night with Lily and Lucy, and goes where? It's not adding up, I don't understand. Madison isn't a rule breaker, she follows them—hell she writes half of them. She doesn't like getting in trouble, I'm always the one who sneaks out to see her that's why I was shocked when she snuck into my bedroom last night".
"She was with you last night"? Lucas asked.
Jamie sighed. "I guess you're going to tell my dad that, too".
Lucas let out a long deep breath. "Jamie can we talk about that—".
"No," he said flatly. "I don't even know why I'm talking to you, you just run and tell my parents everything".
"That's not true".
"Let's just look for Madison and the girls, alright"? Jamie snapped. "I don't even know why I was talking to you".
"You were talking to me because you're worried. Well, guess what? I am, too" Lucas told him. "Lily is my sister, I am just as worried and scared as you are, and I just wish she would call me back, tell me where she is—I know what you're feeling, and FYI you know I would never break your trust—intentionally".
"We don't have to talk while we look".
Madison hung the gas nozzle back as she saw Lily and Lucy walking out of the gas station, bags, and bags in their hands—of what looked to be the most unhealthy food they could find. And she was all for it.
"Thank God," Madison said as Lily tossed her a bag of chips. "I'm starving".
"I would hardly call this food," Lily told her. "But, we need to be on the road".
The three got into the car and took off—devouring the hundred dollar's worth of junk food and soda.
"You're going to take a left up here," Lucy told Lily, who was now driving. "It will take us on to the I-85, right into Alabama".
Lily nodded and switched the turn signal on.
"I figured we could stop and get something to eat, more suitable when we cross the Mississippi line" Lucy suggested. "That will put around eleven hours between us and home, so we can actually stop and eat something besides gas station poison".
Madison relaxed into the back seat, stretching her legs across the seat, she wasn't sure when she fell asleep, or for how long, all she knew was it wasn't long enough. The aches in her body kept her turning, not fully resting but she still slept, it made the time pass much quicker—when she opened her eyes the first thing she saw was Lily putting the car into park.
She yawned and attempted to stretch before sitting up and looking around. The three were outside of a restaurant.
"Where are we"? Madison asked.
Lily pointed "apparently we are at the best soul food restaurant in Mississippi," she told her best friend.
Madison looked out the window and saw the sign stating the very thing Lily just said. She shook her head. "Why does everyone always think they are the best"?
Lucy laughed. "I don't care if they are the best, just eatable will be fine at this point—I could really go for some crap cakes".
"Lobster sounds so good, right now," Lily said as they each got out of the car.
The three walked in, and within thirty minutes were seated and devouring the food on their plates. None of them spoke until they were done.
"Alright," Lily said pulling her phone out and sitting it on the table. "It's time, we need to send someone a text, a phone call—something. You know they are worried".
"I have never seen my dad mad—I don't think I'm ready to," Lucy said.
"You know who you need to call," Lily told Madison and slid the phone over to her best friend. "Do it, it'll be okay".
It was the first time Jamie's phone had rung all day, he instantly pulled it out of his pocket—and when he saw Lily's name flash across the screen he felt his heart leap out of his body.
"It's them," he said standing up out of his chair.
"Give it to me," Brooke said.
"Bad idea," Haley told him. "Just answer it".
Jamie slid his thumb across the phone as he stepped outside, choosing that to be best for the moment. "Hello"? He answered, unsure why his voice was so shaky.
"Jamie".
"Oh, my god—Madison," he said breathing out a breath of fresh air. "Thank God, you're okay"?
"Yeah, I'm okay, we are all okay".
"Where are you"?
He listened, as she went quiet—for just a minute, but then she proceeded to tell him. Everything. Quickly. He didn't have a chance to respond, or comment—he could only listen before she rushed off the phone—leaving him less than satisfied.
"Texas"? Brooke nearly screamed. "Like hell, if they think they are going to Texas"!
"They are over halfway there," Jamie told her. "I think she said Mississippi, I'm not sure. Erm—she talked pretty fast".
"What is in Texas"? Haley asked her son.
"Her parents—or the people who claimed to be her parents," he said.
"Why would she want to talk to them"? Lucas asked.
Jamie, still blindsided by the conversation held his hands together to stop them from shaking. "She—I don't know," he said, his voice hoarse. "I mean I do know, or what she said—".
"Jamie are you okay"? Nathan asked his son.
He nodded. Slowly. "She said she wanted answers, about her birth parents—and if anyone had them, it would be her parents—erm, the fake ones. I also talked to Lily, she said that she and Lucy went, it was their decision—so they take full responsibility—excuse me".
Nathan watched his son dart up the stairs, he squeezed Haley's hand before taking off after him.
"Okay, call the airport," Haley said. "See if we can get a flight to Texas—he didn't say what part of Texas".
"Lauren will know where they are" Mouth said. "I will call Skills. He should be with her".
"Okay, and then we need to book the earliest flight," Haley told him.
Brooke took Haley's hand and asked: "is Jamie alright"?
"Nathan will find out," she said nervously rubbing her arm.
"Jamie," Nathan asked knocking on the cracked door to the bathroom.
When his son didn't answer he pushed the door the rest of the way opened, he couldn't remember the last time he saw his son get sick—at all, let alone leaning over a toilet. He quickly grabbed a towel and wetted it under the sink.
Jamie attempted to steady his breathing as he flushed the toilet, and backed himself against the wall.
"Here," Nathan said sitting down across from him, handing him the wet towel.
Jamie ran it across his face, his hands shaking.
"She is okay," Nathan told him.
Jamie shut his eyes, tightly. "I see all these stories on the internet, these horror stories—of families who never see their loved ones again, and I'm not there. I'm not there to protect her. She is out by herself—".
"It's natural to be scared," Nathan told him.
"Scared? Yeah, I'm scared but I am pissed off" Jamie said opening his eyes. "She didn't care how dangerous this was, I could have gone with her—you or mom or Brooke or anyone could have taken her, but for what? To go talk to the people that probably kidnapped her, she thinks she is going to walk in there and get an answer she likes? That is if they tell her anything at all. This was dangerous and stupid, and I'm sure on some level illegal—I mean it's running away, right? She didn't even tell me".
"I heard your mom, they are getting on a plane and going after her" Nathan assured his son. "It's okay, it will be okay".
"It will still take hours for you to catch up with her, or whoever is going—whose going"?
"I don't know yet," Nathan told him. "I can tell you that you're not".
Jamie looked up at his dad, with pleading eyes. "Dad, please," he said. "Is this because I'm grounded, I think this trumps that".
"You're right, it does but you're upset, and one tip I have learned to have stayed in a marriage for as long as I have—you can't go into an argument with the way you're feeling. You need to cool off, I know you're mad at me but I will go and make sure she gets home safe".
"If she is going to meet these strangers, she needs me," Jamie told him. "I need to go in with her".
"Calm down," Nathan told him. "I don't even know if she is going to go in, that's not up to me—that's Brooke's call".
"Dad—I need to see her".
"Jamie—".
"Did she even think this through"? Jamie said, unable to contain his outburst. "She just packed up and decided to travel across the freaking country, with no regard to what kind of dangerous situation she could find herself in. Look what happened to Q, and that was right here in Tree Hill—a small town in North Carolina. Then what's her plan, walk up to a high-security penitentiary and just say what exactly? And even if they decide to tell her what really happened what would she do if it was something she didn't want to hear? I can't believe she would do this or think that this would be a good idea".
"And that's why you're not going," Nathan told his son. "Whoever goes needs to keep a level head through this, and I don't think you're the person for the job".
Jamie looked at his father, and he could tell by the look in his eyes there was no arguing with him. This was the plan, Jamie was not going.
And there was nothing he could do about it.
Lucas held the warm mug full of dark liquid in his hand, as he stepped out the back door of his brother's home. He saw her standing there, Brooke, with a jacket that was far too big for her, that he assumed belonged to Nathan or Jamie that Haley probably fetched at some point, covering her small arms. She stood by the edge of the pool looking down into the tinted water.
"I don't recommend jumping," he said walking up to her. "Nathan tends to drain the pool when people do that".
Brooke wanted to smile, and she half thought she did, but she couldn't be sure. Her whole body felt numb, it could have been the emotional pain or the cold that was breezing through her bones, but she couldn't feel—anything.
"Coffee"? Lucas offered stretching the mug out her way.
She nodded. "Thanks" she whispered.
Lucas watched as she sipped the drink, before taking her hand and leading her over to the nearest patio furniture Haley had. "Sit down," he told her as they neared it. "You need to sit for a few minutes".
Brooke didn't argue with him, partly because he was right, and partly because she didn't have the strength to. The two sat down at the table, as she continued to take small drinks from her caffeinated beverage—that she desperately needed.
"Talk to me," Lucas said.
And that was all he had to say.
"I'm trying—I was just wondering if my parents ever felt this way," she told him. "I can't count the times I just up and disappeared, taking random road trips or even traveling way too far at sixteen—just to go to a party. I don't even think they noticed when I didn't come home in the mornings".
"Brooke—".
"No, you had a curfew. You had to ask Karen if you could break that curfew, or go on a trip with your friends—and if you didn't all hell would break loose" Brooke told him. "You had this responsible parent, who took great care of you—my parents are good, now. They love my kids, and Sawyer, and Lydia—they want to meet Maddie—".
Lucas put his hand over Brooke's shaky one. "You're not your parents," he told her.
"No, I know I'm not—I wanted to be a mother, I begged God and the freaking universe to let me be a mother but I never once considered how I would handle things that I once I did because I didn't have a good example of a parent growing up," Brooke said a tear falling down her cheek. "Last night I was so—I didn't even take her home before I grounded her. Now, I'm thinking maybe I was too hard on her".
"Brooke, you are a great mother," Lucas told her. "And if anyone knows how to handle these types of situations it's you. I mean, you said it yourself last night, you know what she needs because you never had that. You need to remember that, don't doubt yourself".
Brooke let her face fall into her hands, taking a long and deep breath trying to steady herself. "I am scared for her, and I am pissed at her. When I see her I don't know if I am going to hug her or yell, or both, I'm worried something is going to happen. She is driving through cities, and cities, states, and states—I'm worried the next call we get will be from a hospital or a police officer, I can't think straight".
Lucas lowered Brooke's hand, and softly rubbed her forearm. "Welcome to raising a teenager," he told her with a soft smile. "I'm worried, too. I just want to get Lily back here, Keith is at Deb's hooked up to an oxygen machine—he wasn't ready for this kind of stress. Mouth is in there calling every connection he has—".
"Mouth has connections"? Brooke asked—genuinely surprised.
He nodded, with a slight smile. "He owns a news station, that secured quite a bit of connection from different towns—states. People owe him favors, so he is doing what he can to get us on a plane".
"No flights leaving here"?
"There are plenty," he told her. "But, none going to Texas that doesn't have stops, which isn't ideal in this situation".
Brooke sat back in her seat, fighting the tears she could feel trying to escape from her eyes. "This day couldn't get any worse".
"Given our history—I wouldn't say that," Lucas told her.
Brooke opened her eyes and looked at him—watching nearly twenty years of history flash before her, and she couldn't help but laugh. Lightly. But, it was a laugh, going to show her that he could make her smile in even the worst circumstances.
She leaned forward and rubbed her hand against the back of his wrist that was laid on the table, and she looked at him. Those eyes, and for a second it was all she thought about.
Until she kissed him.
Once again, she knew it wasn't the best idea, but at that moment it felt right. And it must have for him, too.
Because he didn't hesitate, he didn't flinch. He moved his lips right along with hers, he felt her arms wrap around his neck, but barely.
For Brooke—the kiss, made her feel—everything. It was as if no time had passed, for that moment, she felt like a seventeen-year-old. She could hear her heart pounding if that was possibly—and all she could think about was him.
Lucas.
Neither of them wanted to, but when their lips broke apart she smiled when he ran his thumb across her bottom lip—it took her to breathe away, again.
"I'm going to go check and see if Mouth has found anything out," he told her.
Brooke nodded and watched as he walked away, stirring in her own mind.
Madison.
Lucas.
Peyton.
Brooke could feel her shoulders tensing up the more she felt her mind run, she could feel the stress eating through her skin.
But, right now she couldn't think about Lucas, not like she wanted to. She couldn't think about Peyton, she couldn't think about how wrong it all felt, no matter how right it felt. She couldn't think about any of it making sense. She could only think about Madison, and getting her home.
Safely.
Lucy glanced over her shoulder, into the back seat—where Lily laid, sleeping, not soundly either. The sixteen-year old's snore was almost echoing through the car, in the most annoying way possible.
"I've never met anyone that can't even shut up when their sleeping," Lucy said shaking her head, as she turned around.
Madison laughed because the redhead wasn't wrong. "What are you smiling about"? She asked Lucy, who despite the circumstances had a grin from one ear to the other.
"A year ago, just a few months ago even—I was alone," she said. "I was doing exactly this, alone. I slept where I could, I ate where I could find food—but I was alone. I had no one, I've never had friends, and now I have two girls who I can drive across country with and go back home, and get in trouble—I'm not alone".
"I've always had friends" Madison admitted. "I had Jamie, Andre, and Chuck—its been us four as long as I could remember. But, I have never had someone who wanted to go shopping or have a girl's night painting nails or watching some corny romance movie. I spent my thirteenth birthday watching men hit each other in tights—being the only girl is hard. So, our situations are different but I know what you mean".
"Same" the two heard and Lily sat up leaning between their seats. "I grew up traveling with my mom and her boyfriend, it was great seeing all these countries and visiting all these amazing places some people only ever dream of. But, I didn't have anyone my own age to talk to—about boys, or girls—whichever way you swing it's cool, I loved my mom but I couldn't talk to her about somethings. I always wanted a friend, and now I have two".
"So, nothing"? Lucas asked Mouth.
"I'm on hold trying to at least get a flight," Haley told him with the phone pressed to her ear. "But, all the flights are eight hours or more, none of them going straight there".
Mouth pinched the bridge of his nose. "At that rate, we might as well drive".
"We need to be there by tonight," Brooke said. "They can't stay in some strange place by themselves".
"Can we bribe them"? Nathan asked.
"Can we bribe an airport—would you like to ask them that, baby"? Haley asked rolling her eyes at her husband.
"What's going on"? Jamie asked as walked into Nathan's office where they all stood.
"Your father wants to bribe an airport," Haley told him with the phone still pressed to her ear.
Nathan rolled his eyes, as he continued searching on his computer.
"All the flights are either booked, or it's going to take us the same amount of time to get there as driving," Mouth told him.
"And we need to be there —tonight" Brooke explained. "Lily has text Luke a few times, so we know they are safe but we can't let them stay by themselves".
"I told them if they aren't there by dark to get into the nicest hotel they can find, but they don't need to be out driving in a strange city at night," Luke told his nephew. "They shouldn't have done it last night".
Jamie nodded, crossing his arms as he leaned against the door frame. "So, if you knew someone who happened to own a private jet—that would be very confident, wouldn't it"?
The sound of Nathan's large fingers clicking each key on the board to his computer quit, as he looked up at his son—and sat back in his chair.
Lucas looked back and forth between the father and son, as one looked a little extra cockier than the other. When he looked at Nathan, it was like a really annoying light had gone off inside his head.
"Please, don't tell me—let me guess," Lucas said sarcastically. "The sixteen-year-old has a plane".
Nathan pinched the bridge of his nose. "Well, Dan did—and when he told Rachel that he gave everything away he actually signed everything over into Jamie's name, so I'm going to take a guess and say, yes".
"I'm more than willing to loan it to you," Jamie said, his face straight.
"Let me guess, now," Nathan said standing up. "You get to go"?
"It's my plane, I should get to ride in it, too".
"You would only ever hear a sentence like that from a teenager, in this house," Brooke said crossing her arms.
"Nathan, we need it," Mouth told him.
"You do realize I'm being blackmailed, again, by my teenaged son," Nathan said.
Lucas patted his brother on the back and said: "your teenager is here, and safe, so could you please just—".
"Fine, you can go," Nathan said, knowing he was going to get ganged up on if he thought about it a second longer.
"I'll go call, and make sure it's in the hangar," Jamie said pulling his phone out.
"Where else would it be"? Nathan asked.
"Grandpa already had it set up for timeshare, so sometimes someone else has it," Jamie told him.
Haley laid the phone she had been on down and crossed her arms. "Jamie, do you even know what timeshare is"?
"It's like renting," he told them. "I don't know but I know every time someone does I get more money".
Nathan shook his head. "Just go make the call".
Jamie smiled as he walked out of his dad's office leaving the group alone.
"You know" Lucas began. "I'm a best selling author, you own multi-million dollar fashion companies, you own a news station, you played in the NBA, and you were an actual pop star—but I bet if any one of us looked at his bank statements, we would be pissed".
"It's all Nathan's fault" Haley accused him as she sat down on the couch.
Nathan looked at his wife, confused. "How is it my fault"?
Haley rolled her eyes. "For one Dan is your dad, my dad left him some sort of antique with John Wayne's signature, your dad left him loads of money, that he lied to get," she said. "It's scam money. For two, when Dan's lawyer stopped by to tell us of Jamie's inheritance I suggested we look through it and what was it you said—oh, yeah. It couldn't be anything but some money".
"How was I supposed to know my father would have left him a damn plane"?
Brooke crossed her arms and again felt the need to point out. "Once again, a sentence like that could only happen in this house".
"Oh, Brooke" Haley said. "Julian didn't leave the boys, or you nothing extravagant"?
"Not a plane".
"Technically its a jet" Mouth informed her before being on the wrong end of Brooke's death glare. "But, that's not the point".
Lucas shook his head. "So, he must just like working at the garage then".
"Well, he can't access the money until he is sixteen" Nathan told them as he closed his laptop. "Not without mine or Haley's signature".
Lucas looked at him confused. "He is sixteen, if it has his name on he should be able to do whatever the hell he wants—".
"Okay, fine but he doesn't know that," Nathan said.
Brooke scoffed. "You lied to him"?
"Did no one witness what just happened? He held a plane over my head, do you think he needs to be in control of a multi-million dollar bank account".
Lucas wanted to laugh, and in fact, he did. "It must be infuriating working your ass off, and then your son ends up richer than you".
Nathan's head hit his desk. "I hate Dan".
It was the first time Lucy had closed her eyes since she got in the car, the exhaustion ran so deep she fell asleep instantaneously.
Lily and Madison were quiet, letting their best friend sleep, so they rode in silence for some time. It was peaceful, calming—for a while.
Madison was the better choice to attempt to read the map, and Lily was driving. For a while, they weren't even sure where they were, or if they were even going in the right direction, but the drove through the long deserted road. There was no gas station, no people, and no cars—it was just them.
"We should hit a town in about forty-five minutes," Madison told Lily.
Lily didn't respond with anything more than a nod, but after a few minutes she glanced over at Madison and she asked: "what are you going to say to them"?
It was a question Lily had been dying to ask since Madison announced she was coming.
But, she didn't even know.
Madison shrugged. "I don't know," she told her honestly. "I want to scream at them, and cuss them, but I don't know. I don't care about them, I just want to know who my parents are and where they are, after everything—I deserve that, and they owe that to me".
"What if—"? Lily began but cut herself off before she could ask, knowing it wasn't a question she should ask.
"What if they are dead"? Madison asked. "Then at least Brooke could have the means to permanently keep me until I turn at eighteen, that is if she still wants, too".
"What do you mean"?
"I've have seen foster parents send kids away for a lot less than what I have done in the past forty-eight hours," Madison told Lily. "I wouldn't blame her—if you know, she decided she didn't want me anymore".
"I wouldn't worry about that" Lily told her. "Brooke, takes the good with the bad, she is going to be pissed at you, no doubt but she isn't going to throw you out like leftovers from dinner".
Madison sat back in her seat and nodded. "I hope not," she said. "I don't know what to expect with Brooke, but I know Jamie and I know how mad he probably is right now, that's why I didn't let him talk much on the phone. He is going to be, no he is pissed. I know it".
"Maybe he will punish you," Lily said smiling, deviously. "A spanking never hurt anyone".
"Oh, my god" Madison said her mouth hanging wide open as she looked over at Lily. "You're nasty".
"Don't knock it until you tried it?" Lily said. "Speaking of, I can't believe you didn't tell me that you and Jamie had sex, I mean we talked and talked about it, and then we just stopped I should have known".
"Shut up, Lilian" Madison said.
Lily rolled her eyes. "Okay, I know he is my cousin or something like that—so we are going to ignore that for a minute, how was it"?
"Are you serious"?
"I get the feeling that she is" the two heard Lucy from the back, though she had yet to move from her sleeping position. "Just tell her or we are going to spend the next hour listening to her come up with horrible theories".
Madison sighed as she sat the map down. "What do you want to know"?
Lily smiled. "I need to know if I need to give you tips"?
"You have sex with Chuck and you think I want tips from you"? Madison asked half laughing.
"Did you not hear your comment about spanking"? Lily asked shaking her head. "In a world where fifty shades of grey exist and you won't even think outside the box".
"Says who"? Madison asked. "I said 'you're nasty' I didn't say I hadn't tried that or anything else for that matter".
"Oh," Lily said smiling. "So, you're kinky"?
"I didn't say that either, what happens between Jamie and I is private, and intimate" Madison told her.
Lucy smiled. "That's romantic".
Lily rolled her eyes. "That's bull," she said. "I tell you everything".
"I don't remember ever asking about your intimate details to do with Chuck" Madison reminded her. "You just tell me, I really don't want to know that he can't last longer than a Coldplay song".
"Fine—then what about Jamie"? Lily asked, rolling her eyes. "What are we talking about there? Michael Jackson's Thriller music video, half an episode of friends"?
Madison smiled. "Grey's Anatomy—with the commercials".
Lily took her eyes off the road, long enough to stare at her friend and she couldn't help but ask "do you think you could get him to teach Chuck"?
"I'm not even going to have this conversation".
"Well, that confirms it—he is a Scott".
Brooke tightly secured her small travel bag over her shoulder as she walked across the open parking lot, towards the plane—which she found ridiculous enough. But, she was going to roll with it, at least that's what she told herself.
Haley seemed to be feeling the same because as Nathan walked near it with their luggage in hand, Haley stood back—arms crossed, shaking her head.
It made Brooke smile as she approached her friend. "You okay"? She asked, half curious but she pretty well assumed she knew the answer to that.
"At sixteen I didn't even own a car," Haley told her. "I drove one, but it was my parents. Then Nathan and I had that beat-up car—do you remember"?
Brooke laughed. "Honey, all of Tree Hill remembers that thing".
Haley elbowed her friend as she laughed. "But, yet my son has an expensive Tahoe and a freaking plane".
"You really need to start charging him rent".
Haley half-smiled. It couldn't hurt.
"Are you okay to travel"? Brooke asked, quietly though no one was close enough to hear them.
Haley arched an eyebrow. "I'm not allowed to fly in my last trimester, I'm fine".
"I meant sickness, I remember I got sick flying when I first found out I was pregnant".
"I haven't had any yet, but I said that with Lydia and then it all hit me overnight," Haley said smiling. "We tried for so long, and now I'm pregnant. When we stopped".
"And Nathan doesn't know"?
Haley shook her head.
"Oh, this feels like your pregnancy with Jamie all over again," Brooke said smiling. "I know, and no one else does".
"I was scared to tell him with Jamie," Haley said. "I'm not scared now, it's just—I haven't yet. I found out yesterday morning, then everything happened last night—than this. I don't want to blurt it out like it's just everyday conversation, I want to tell him privately as I did with both Lydia and Jamie".
"Which if I remember correctly were two very different reactions" Brooke pointed out.
Haley nodded, but she didn't respond when she looked up to see Nathan walking over towards the two.
"Some very nice guy is loading everything except our carry-on's," he told them. "Do I tip him"?
"Why don't you get the rest of Brooke's bags"? Haley said shaking her head, laughing.
"The rest"? He asked pointing the bag on her shoulder.
"This is my carry-on, those are my bags," Brooke said pointing to the large suitcases sitting over by themselves.
"I'm definitely going to have tip him" Nathan moaned as he walked away.
Haley laughed, but couldn't help but ask "Brooke, what the hell did you pack"?
Brooke shrugged. "I brought somethings for me and some for Madison, so she has options on what to wear to meet these people—I don't even know what to call them. They aren't her parents, maybe I will know after she speaks with them".
Haley rubbed her friend's arm. "You're going to let her go see them"?
Brooke turned to look at her and said "I was against it, hell—I'm still against it. But, she deserves answers, this isn't just about her being able to live with me—this is about who she is. I can understand why she did it, I used to pray that I was adopted and my real parents were out there somewhere, and I couldn't wait to go find them—granted I was ten, but I think we all deserve to know where we come from, even if we don't like it".
"So, you learned the hard truth that your parents are really your parents"? Haley teased.
Brooke nodded. "I had to just assume that no one would give their child to the Davis'" she said.
"Hey" they heard.
Brooke and Peyton turned around to see Peyton walking up with Jake, Deb, and Keith.
"What are you doing here—what's he doing here"? Haley asked pointing to Keith. "Can he fly"?
"He can talk for himself" Keith informed them. "And yes he can".
"I talked to his doctor, he said it was perfectly safe," Deb told them.
"Skills would you hurry up" Peyton called.
Haley and Brooke looked to find Skills with bags draped over him in every direction.
"Nah, bro" Skills moaned, sarcastically. "I don't need no help, it's all good".
Brooke and Haley laughed.
Skills dropped all the bags and kicked one over to Andre. "As part of your punishment" he said. "Take all those bags over to be loaded".
Andre, unlike most teenagers, would have, didn't complain and simply took a handful of bags across the open lot.
"What a punishment"! Deb said. "Here take bags over to the big fancy plane".
"Where are the kids"? Brooke asked. "You were watching them".
"With Clay and Quinn, Lucas came and took them so I could pick Deb and Keith up," Peyton told them. "He was also picking Chuck up".
"Chuck is going"! Haley moaned, wanting to stomp her foot like a child—but she didn't, although she wanted that noted.
"Gretchen had to go to the hospital, and she was admitted so Chase called Lucas—".
"Is she okay"?
"They are monitoring her, but it sounds like she should be fine," Lucas said as he approached them, with Chuck not far behind. "They just didn't want to leave him by himself".
"I'm sixteen, I don't need a baby sitter" Chuck moaned. "This is ridiculous, I can at the house by myself—if my girlfriend can cross the country without adult supervision, I can sit at home and watch Netflix by myself".
"Well, your girlfriend did it without permission," Peyton told him. "Why don't you help Andre Carey the bags".
"Why, they aren't my bags"?
"Girlfriend"? Keith asked. "Your Lily's boyfriend"?
Chuck looked up and immediately recognized Keith from the number of pictures he had seen. "Here let me get that for you," he told Jake taking the suitcase out of his hand. "These go, too"? He asked pointing at the bags on the ground next to them.
Snickers and a little laughter followed as Chuck gathered up the remainder bags Andre had not been able to pack and took off towards the plane.
"That's Lily's boyfriend"? Keith asked, once more.
"If that's what you want to call it," Lucas said shaking his head.
"Alright" Deb interjected before Keith could say, or ask anything else. "Let's go, we are going to go on and get on the plane".
A/N thanks for reading!
So, for the next chapter, I can do one of two things that I'm debating on, but I'm going to let my loyal, amazing readers decide.
I can jump right into the storyline of Madison or I can write a little bit of a fun chapter. The whole group is traveling to Texas, again, to get Madison and the girls, just like they had to get Mouth so I can make the chapter a play off of one of my favorite episodes or I can dive straight into them finding Madison.
Obviously, there is a lot of emotions around the girls just taking off but I can make it a fun.
Leave a comment which you would like to read.
The 'Jamie owning a plane' storyline is a bit far fetched, but so is everyone in Tree Hill becoming famous.
In case you're confused about that at the end of season seven (I believe) Dan gave all his riches away, or at least that's what Rachel though. He actually put them in Jamie's name, and Jamie has inherited everything. At the time Dan was very wealthy, so all that had gone to Jamie, and the fortune has even grown over the years by stocks, timesharing, and renting things that Dan has owned.
Like I said far fetched, but the plane storyline was just me trying to stall on them getting there, just so I could have that Brucas moment. lol.
But, they are moving forward with their relationship, slowly but surely.
Haley is pregnant, and Nathan will find out, soon. But, she wants to tell him alone. As most women do.
With Madison, Lily, and Lucy, most of their parts in this chapter was short. I was trying to keep them in the chapter but at the same time, I didn't have a lot to go off of so I just rolled with a few random things teens talk about.
Leave a review, let me know what you think, and which you prefer for the next chapter!
Until next time!