Jenny Jagielski giggled as she watched her father struggle in the kitchen. A single father in high school, then community college, then working to create his own business had left little time for advancement in the kitchen. Over the years the pair had routinely taken to carry out and TV dinners whenever Karen wasn't rescuing them with home cooked meals from the cafe. But it was a special occasion and he was determined to put his best foot forward.

"Shit!" he yelled as he burned his thumb taking the baked chicken out of the oven.

Jenny couldn't help but laugh as she saw him bouncing the hot pan with his worn oven gloves.

"You said a swear word, it'll cost you a quarter, Dad."

Jake rolled his eyes. He had always vowed never to use foul language in front of his child and the rule was a slip up cost one quarter. He was beginning to break the bank and Jenny was a heck of a bill collector. Throughout the years the mayonnaise jars had managed to fill up quite a bit.

"Put me down for an IOU."

"Another one?"

He turned and grinned at his little girl. She had grown up into a brown haired, beautiful tomboy. She was also her father's best friend. Over the years it had been the two of them and they were proud to be a team.

"Jen, make sure the table is set up real nice, okay?"

"I already did," she frowned as she inspected the chicken. "Dad, you burned it. Look at all that yucky black stuff."

"I didn't burn it and it's not yucky. See, I meant to do that on purpose. It's Cajun", he grinned.

"Yeah right. Why didn't you just call Aunt Karen for help?"

"Because we can cook a nice home cooked meal all by ourselves. Karen is a great cook but tonight is special."

He had kept using the word special. In fact, it was just dinner with an old friend coming over. Normally pizza or Chinese would have been the entrée of choice but Jake had decided to go a different route. Jenny looked on with amusement as she watched her dad try to make his way around the kitchen. Neither had heard the soft knock at the door but Peyton had decided to let herself in anyway. Standing in the corner of the entranceway, she smiled to herself.

"Smells…interesting. Nice work, Jagielskis'"

"Peyt!" Jake turned around surprised.

"Peyton!" Jenny bum rushed her as Peyton took extra precaution to balance the pie in her hand and the child clinging to her middle.

"Hey you," Peyton kissed the top of her head, running her fingers through the long ponytail.

"I've got something to show you. It's something I made in art class and I think you're really gonna like it. Want to see it now? Can I go get it?"

"Jen," Jake chuckled. "Peyton just got here. Let her sit down and relax. You can show her what you made later."

"Please?" Jenny ignored her father, turning her attention to Peyton.

Peyton grinned.

"You bet, kiddo. I'd love to see it, I'm sure it's great."

"Yes!" she said, excited footsteps bounding all the way to her room.

"Sorry. She's just excited to see you," Jake gave his guest a hug.

Peyton knew the feeling. She had known little Jenny since she was an infant. Breaking up with Jake, marrying Lucas and moving to New York hadn't been able to break their bond. She loved the little girl with all her heart. Surprising her days before after her Girl Scout's meeting had been Peyton's happiest time since arriving back in Tree Hill. The child had been thrilled to see her as well. They had spent the day together and Jake had happily agreed when his daughter invited Peyton over a few days later for dinner. Though Peyton had always been on the fence about giving birth to her own children biologically, in her heart, Jenny would always be her daughter.

"It's cool. I'm excited to see her too and I was excited to see the chicken but…"

"It's Cajun," he tried sheepishly. "New recipe."

"It's burnt."

Jake sighed.

"I give up. Pizza or Chinese?"

"Pizza", she laughed. "However you and Jenny like it, you know I'm not picky."

"I feel bad," he said as he picked up the phone to dial a number he knew by heart. "And you even baked a pie."

"Actually Haley did."

"Thank God," Jake teased. "What kind?"

"Cherry."

He went about ordering the pizza as Jenny happily returned moments later with a hand beaded bracelet.

"I made it myself."

"You did? Jen, that is awesome. It's really beautiful. You did a great job."

"Here," she fastened it around Peyton's wrist. "I want you to have it. It's for you."

"Jenny, are you sure? I mean, I love it but you don't have to."

"I want to," the little girl shrugged. "It's a friendship bracelet and you're my friend."

Peyton smiled.

"You bet your butt I am."

"I called for pizza, Jen. Pepperoni and sauage," Jake informed his daughter as he stuck his tongue out at Peyton. "Apparently our guest doesn't like Cajun food."

"Yay! I don't like Cajun, either," she squealed.

"Double yay," Peyton reiterated with a laugh.

"Peyton, Dad says you're gonna be here for a while. Will you get to come to my dance recital?"

"I sure will. I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"I have a solo and everything. It's gonna be so fun and my teacher is so awesome and pretty. Her name is Brooke and she is a professional ballroom dancer. She won all these cool awards and stuff . My dad went to school with her, maybe you know her too."

"Yeah," Peyton cleared her throat.

"What about Lucas?" Jenny just kept right on. "Will he come too?"

Jake and Peyton exchanged glances. When Jenny had asked her about Lucas three days before she had told the child he would be in town soon and had left it at that. In the midst of everything going on, Jake had forgotten to tell her about the divorce.

"Yeah. Um, Lucas will be here soon…hopefully."

"Yay!"

"Jenny," Peyton began carefully with a deep breath. "Um, there, there's something I want to tell you. It's really important and you're a big girl now and I know you can handle it."

"Okay."

"Lucas and I, well a few months ago, we decided to separate and now we're getting a divorce."

Jenny frowned.

"Why?"

"It's a lot of complicated grown up stuff. I know you love Luke a lot, I do too, still. He's a great guy but sometimes things happen between adults and they just can't live together anymore. I just wanted to tell you that. Nothing changes really. You'll still see me and you'll still see Lucas and Lucas and I will still see each other occasionally. We're really good friends and we both love you a whole lot. But I just wanted you to know that, okay?"

Jenny looked around.

"You promise you'll still come by sometimes? Both of you?"

"I promise."

The little girl nodded.

"So if you don't live with Lucas anymore, I have an idea."

Jake and Peyton looked at each other and just smiled.

"We can't wait to hear this one," he chuckled at his daughter.

"You could come live with us!"

"Jen…"

"We have another room so you can have somewhere to sleep. That way you can move all your stuff to Tree Hill. And you could hang out with me and Dad all the time and it would be so fun."

"I'm sure it would be. That sounds like a lot of fun but I have to stay in New York, kiddo. That's where my life is."

"Oh," Jenny answered with disappointment.

"But that doesn't mean I won't come visit you. And it doesn't mean you and your dad can't come visit me. And you know what? I'm gonna be hanging out here for a while until Nathan and Haley's wedding so that means you and me get to hang out all summer. How cool is that?"

"We're gonna have fun," Jenny gave her a high five. "Can I show you my room now?"

Jake just looked at her and shrugged.

"Call us when the pizza gets here," she winked as Jenny led her back to her room.

The walls were brightly painted and filled with posters of David Beckham, happy mix of ballerinas and sports. A large CD collection was building in the corner.

"I love David Beckham, he is like the best soccer player ever. And he's sooooo hot."

Peyton laughed out loud.

"What do you know about hot?"

"I know a little bit."

Jenny giggled and blushed as Peyton thumbed through her collection.

"The Constantines? Pink Floyd? What do you know about this?"

"I listen to a lot of old people's music because of my dad."

How time had flown by. Peyton was 26 and suddenly an old person. At least Jake and Jenny had good taste.

"You have a really cool room, Jen. I like it a lot."

"Me too. It's so much better now that we have our own house. Some of the apartments we had before, I didn't have my own room."

It had always been a struggle but Jake had been determined. He had worked his ass off to provide for his daughter and give her what he could.

"Well now you do and it's a very nice house and a very nice room."

"Will you come over and help me paint stuff on the walls?"

"What kind of stuff?"

Jenny shrugged.

"I don't know. I don't care. Cool stuff."

"Your dad will love that one," Peyton sighed. "We'll see."

She glanced around the room, noticing a picture of Jenny with her mother. Peyton hadn't seen Nikki in years but the dark haired woman was unforgettable to say the least. To their credit, Jake and Peyton had never spoken ill of Jenny's mother in front of her. Jake had tried his damnest to protect her but unfortunately it was a sad lesson the child would have to learn as part of growing up. When she was younger, practically a child herself, Peyton had held baby Jenny close in her arms at times wishing she was her mother.

"That was last Thanksgiving with my mom. I had to go to Georgia to see her and my grandparents."

"That must have been cool. Savannah is awesome. Did you have a lot of fun?"

Jenny looked away.

"I guess. I like being with Mee Maw and Pop Pop. They took me to a turkey farm. We had fun but Mom…she was with her boyfriend a lot. I don't like him. He's not nice."

Peyton bit her tongue. Some things would never change.

"I'm sorry your mom was so busy, kiddo. Maybe next time you'll have more time together. You get to see her soon for a few weeks, huh?"

"Yeah but I don't want to."

"Why not?"

Jenny grinned.

"Because you're here now and I want to be with you."

Peyton was taken aback.

"Um, Jenny…"

"Remember how you said you used to help Dad take care of me when I was little?"

"Yeah."

"I wished you still did. I wish you were my mom."

"Jen…"

"Maybe now that you broke up with Lucas, you can be."

Peyton's jaw dropped to the floor. Jenny's words were unexpected and she didn't know quite how to handle it.

"Peyt! Jen! Pizza's here, guys!" Jake bellowed from the kitchen. "Come get it while it's hot!"

Peyton stood stunned for a minute before joining them in the kitchen.

"Mt. Dew or Pepsi?" Jenny asked with a smile.

"Huh?" Peyton asked in a daze. "Oh. Um, Mt. Dew is fine."

"After the pizza, can we warm up the pie before we eat it, then put ice cream on it?" Jenny inquired hopefully.

"You bet," Peyton, still unnerved, answered

She couldn't help but watch the little girl out of the corner of her eye.

"You alright, Peyt?" Jake asked, noticing the troubled look on her face.

Peyton looked right at him, at her new friendship bracelet, then at Jenny's bright, beautiful eyes as she forced a smile.

"I'm good," she nodded. "Now let's eat. I'm starving."