Disclaimer: I do not own OTH or any of it characters places or such. I am simply borrowing them.
AN/ Here is the next chapter. I am not sure that I like this chapter, but here it is. Thanks for all the reviews and all of the encouragement. Please don't forget to review for this chapter.
As always suggestions are welcome!
"I am going to go grab something to eat from the café and get Meredith. Do you want to come?" Lucas asked Nathan as they finished looking through the pictures in the box.
"Yea, I will come with you" Nathan said standing to put the box back where it belonged
"Mom is going to run out of food, they way we keep eating it" Lucas said as the two brothers locked the house and started walking down the driveway
"Nah. I think she gets more each delivery because she never knows when we are going to show up," Nathan said laughing
A cell phone began to ring and both men fished around in their pockets for their phones.
"It's me" Lucas said flipping his phone open and bringing it to his ear, "Hello?"
"Hey Lucas. It is Sam"
"Hey Sam" Lucas responded looking at Nathan
"Hey Sam" Nathan said
"Nathan says hey," Lucas said talking back into his phone
"Tell him hi"
"She says hi" Lucas told his brother, "What's up?"
"Well, I just wanted to let you know that we are still coming tomorrow."
"Good. We are looking forward to it. I even cleaned my room for one of you to stay in" Lucas said laughing
"I guess that is a good thing"
"Yea, it is. You should feel honored. What time are you guys going to be here?"
"Probably sometime around noon" Sam said laughing
"Okay. Did you get directions?"
"We got directions to Main Street. Where do we need to go from there?"
"Actually, once you come on Main Street there is a café on the left hand side called Karen's Café. That is our mom. We can meet you there"
"Okay."
"Just call when you get off the interstate and we will be there"
"Okay. Well, I guess we will see you tomorrow"
"Have a safe trip"
"We will"
"Bye Lucas"
"Bye Sam"
Lucas hung up the phone as the two entered the café and walked towards the counter. "They will be here at noon"
"Who will be here at noon?" Karen asked approaching her sons
"Sam and Chris. I told her that we would meet them here"
"Good. I can't wait to meet them. I am guessing that the two of you are hungry"
"What can we say mom. We are growing boys" Nathan answered laughing
"Yea, sure. Ham and cheese sandwiches?"
"Yep" Lucas answered as the bell above the door rang. Lucas and Nathan turned around as Brooke and Haley walked in carrying shopping bags.
"Well, looks like you survived" Nathan said as Haley sat down next to him on the stool
"Yea, well it wasn't that bad"
"Did you get Mouth, date clothes?" Lucas asked Brooke
"Yes and I got you and Nathan each an outfit too."
"Brooke, I have clothes" Nathan said
"I know what your idea of date clothes is, Nate and what kind of Friend would I be if I let you go out with Haley like that." Brooke said as Nathan made a face, "Plus I figured that you and I could go out tomorrow night" Brooke said to Lucas
"Sounds like fun" Lucas said smiling at Brooke
"Haley, Brooke" Karen said sitting plates down in front of Nathan and Lucas, "Do you want something to eat?"
"Grilled cheese" Haley said with a child like smile on her face
Karen laughed, "You miss my grilled cheese sandwich, don't you?"
"Yes. I can't find one even remotely as good"
"Brooke, did you want anything?"
"Ham and cheese"
"Okay, be right back"
"Did you get your room clean, Luke or just give up?" Haley asked
"It's clean, Hales"
"I am so proud of you" Haley said mocking Lucas
"What time are Samantha and Chris coming tomorrow?" Brooke asked
"Sometime around noon. Sam is suppose to call when they get off the interstate" Nathan answered
"I can't wait to meet them," Haley said as Brooke nodded in agreement
The bell over the door rang and Nathan turned around to see who was entering the café. He locked eyes with Andy.
Nathan stood up and walked towards him before anyone else could react, "Can we help you?"
"I am looking for Karen"
"She is busy right now"
"I will wait" Andy said moving towards the counter
"No, I think you should leave" Nathan said moving to stand in his way
Andy stopped and looked at the man standing before him, "Nathan?"
"I think you should leave" Nathan said ignoring Andy's question.
"Nathan, I really need to talk to Karen"
"I said I think you should leave" the anger growing in Nathan's voice
"Come on, man. He is not worth it" Lucas said stepping up beside his brother. Lucas knew Nathan anger. He also knew that punches were about to be thrown. "You need to leave" Lucas directed his last comment towards Andy.
"Lucas?"
"Look Andy. I don't know what the hell you are doing here, but you need to go. No one here has anything to say to you" Lucas said
"Lucas, I need to talk to your mom"
"Did you not just hear me? Get out!"
"Let him talk, then he can leave" Karen said stepping from the kitchen
"Mom?"
"It is okay" Karen said when she reached the three men. "Let him tell me what is so important"
Jake and Peyton sat in the living room of the Sawyer's house watching television. Anna and Larry had gone back to work after dinner plans had been made for later that night.
"Do you ever think about what is going to happen after this weekend?" Peyton asked as the talk show they were watching went to commercial
"What do you mean?"
"Well, half of our friends are leaving again. It is just going to be weird not having them all here."
"Peyt, they haven't been here for the last couple of years"
"I know that, but now with Keith gone and the baby on the way. It just seems different"
"Yea, I know, but we all promised to meet back here at least once a year. I am sure that they will all be here when we get married and when the baby is born"
"I know. It is just weird"
"Is that all that is bothering you?" Jake asked as Peyton sighed
"No, I am worried about what might happen to their relationships. Nathan and Haley finally got together and now they are being pulled 2000 miles from each other. Not to mention the fact that Brooke and Lucas are going to be on different sides of the continent."
"Peyton, I am sure they will work everything out"
"I hope so. I just want them all to be as happy as we are" Peyton said putting her head on Jake's chest
"I know." Jake said wanting the same thing for their friends
"Karen, can we talk in private?" Andy asked
"Just say whatever it is that you need to say. I don't hide anything from them"
Andy sighed before speaking, "What happened to Deb?"
"Like you care!" Nathan said
"Deb died that summer," Karen said calmly
"I thought she would beat it"
"No, it killed her. Along with her broken heart" Nathan replied
"Why are you really here, Andy? You said that you need to talk with me about something" Karen said trying to keep the situation as calm as possible while ignoring her son's outbursts
"I came back to explain what happened. I was hoping that Deb was still here"
"Oh this should be good," Nathan said as he paced
"Andy, why did you run?" Karen asked
"I didn't run. I was found"
"What are you talking about?"
"I was in the witness protection program. The people that I was hiding from, found me"
Mouth and Erica parked her car at Erica's house and walked to the local ice cream shop. Mouth ordered them both chocolate cones and they began to eat them as the walked towards the river.
"So, I guess you came home for Keith's funeral" Erica said as they walked
"Yea, we all came home"
"So, you are pretty close to Lucas and Nathan?" Erica asked
"Yea, we were really close in high school. We still are, but we don't talk to each other as much or see each other as often as we should."
"So, I never got the dynamic of the little family that you guys seemed to have then"
"What do you mean?"
"How do you all fit together? Jocks and non jocks"
"We never saw each other that way. Even now, I don't think of Nathan or Lucas as big basketball players. They are just Nathan and Lucas, the two brothers that I have been friends with since junior high."
"It just seemed like a weird circle of friends from the outside"
"Yea, I guess it would seem that way. I mean, Nathan, Lucas, Skills and Jake, were the basketball players. Brooke, Bevin, Theresa and Peyton the cheerleaders and then Haley and I, the tutors and all around non athletic people."
"I am actually kind of jealous of the relationship that you have with them. I haven't talked with any of my friends from high school since graduation"
"Yea, I guess we are lucky."
"So, were you close with Keith too?"
"Yea, actually he and Karen were like second parents to us and still are. They kind of adopted us. To this day, I still call Karen at least once every two weeks. Even though, I don't talk with the others like I should. I always know what is going on in their lives"
"That is nice"
"Yea, we have this special bond" Mouth said as he and Erica continued towards the river eating their ice cream cones
"That is a bunch of bull," Lucas said
"I know it sounds like a sorry excuse, but it is the truth"
"Yea and we are suppose to believe it" Nathan said as he paced around the cafe
"Believe or not, but it is the truth. About 28 years ago, I watched a man murder my uncle in cold blood. He was part of the Mafia in New Zealand, so to speak. When the case came to trial, he thought that he would get off seeing as they had no witnesses. When my testimony put him away; he vowed that I would not live, basically putting a death threat over my life. Being that he was the son of the head boss of this particular Mafia, the DA's office decided that I needed to be in a witness protection program. They changed my last name and got me a place and a job in St. Louis. I guess they figured that they would never look for me in the United States. They found me about 6 years later, almost killed me in a parking lot as I was leaving the grocery store. The program relocated me here to Tree Hill after that and then you know the rest of that story."
"That doesn't explain what happened to make you leave" Lucas said
"They found me again. The day that Deb found about the cancer, I noticed that I was being followed. Instead of putting Deb, Nathan or anyone else at risk, I just left."
"Why didn't you come back though?" Karen asked
"I tried. I have tried for the last 20 years to come back. I have been relocated so many times that it was impossible. I didn't want to risk being spotted or followed. So, I just stayed away"
"So, you couldn't even pick up the phone?" Nathan said from the counter. "You couldn't pick up the phone to tell you dying fiancée why you suddenly ran out on her and her son?"
"Nathan, I didn't want to put your lives at risk"
"You still could have found some way to tell us. You could have sent someone to tell us. Do you know how heartbroken she was, I was? I was five years old. You were the man that I called Dad. I had father figures in my life, but you were the man that I could say was my own."
"Nathan, I am sorry. I should have called. I should have tried to let you and your mom know what happened. I can't change the past"
"No, and neither can I. You have said your peace not get out of my mom's café" Nathan said walking towards Andy.
"Nathan, I know that I screwed up, but I would really like to have some kind of relationship with you"
"I don't need a dad. I have one. I don't think I want to have any kind of relationship with a man who deserted me"
"Nathan…"
"Andy, I think it would be best if you just left." Karen said, "This family has been through enough the past few days and we can't take much more"
"Okay. I am going to be in town for a few days, if you change your mind" Andy said directing his eyes towards Nathan. Andy turned and walked towards the door as it was opened.
"Mommy!" Meredith said as she ran in. Karen waved to Meg as Meg and Abbey continued home
"She looks like Keith" Andy said before walking out the door
"Who was that?" Meredith asked Karen looking back towards the closing door
"No one, Sweetheart"
"Nate! Luke!"
"Hey munchkin" Nathan said picking up his sister, putting a smile on his face and ignoring the eyes staring in the café from the outside
"I haven't seen you all day"
"I know"
"You were all sleeping when I went to school"
"Yes, we were" Nathan said as he sat his sister back on her feet
"Lucas, why do you look so upset?" Meredith said, as she looked towards her other brother
"It is nothing, Shrimp" Lucas said wiping the angry look from his face and replacing it with a smile
"Do you have homework?" Karen asked Meredith
"No" Meredith answered
"How would you like to come with us to the river court?" Nathan asked his sister
"Yea" Meredith said before looking towards Karen, "Can I go, mommy?"
"Of course you can"
"Yea"
"Let's go Munchkin" Nathan said
"We are going now?" Lucas asked
"Yea, I need to blow of some steam"
"I think we both do"
"Okay, let's go" Brooke said standing
"Bye mom" Lucas said as they started towards the door
"Bye Karen. Thanks for lunch" Haley said
"Bye guys. Be home in time for dinner"
"We will" Nathan called back as the door closed.
Karen smiled as she wiped the counter down and threw away the trash from the mess her children had made. It was nice having them home, but she knew that they would be leaving soon enough. They all had lives that were waiting for them in different places, but for now they were all home. She would have to treasure the time that was left.