Author note: Thanks for reading this far (or skipping, that's cool, too)!

Also, thank you for the comments (leona and War on Joypiter). They're really appreciated. Much love to all of you readers!

-6-

"Your mother, she was always such a giving woman

Your mother, she always seemed like such a kind soul

I always thought she wasn't just destined for any man,

But your mother, she really turned out ugly like a troll

Your mother was sleeping with my brother

Oh, your mother, she is a slut like no other

Yeah, your mother, she was sleeping with my brother

Your mother

Your mother"

"Well, that was… interesting." Said Haley, not knowing how else to respond when Chris was done singing the portion of the song and playing guitar for her.

"Yeah. That's all I have so far. I'm really needing more inspiration, like, there must be some kind of mystery behind this mother… why was she such a slut? Did her husband treat her wrong?" Chris pondered the possibilities while Haley wished she had someone else to help her with helping Chris. "Hey, where's the little guy?" he asked.

"Excuse me?" Asked Haley, taken out of her own thoughts by the question.

"Your son. I thought he'd be coming with you?" He said, remembering how he had come with her to the studio the week before.

"Oh, Jamie. No, his nanny was able to take care of him tonight."

"And she's not other nights? What kind of nanny is that?"

"Nathan's mother."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

The two went into silence for a moment before Chris changed the subject.

"So, are you ever going to decide whether or not you want to do a song with me?" he asked.

"Well, if the song is going to turn out anything like the one you just sang-"

"Huh? I thought you said it was interesting. You better not be lying to the Keller, Hales."

"Well, I wasn't really lying, but that's just not my thing." She responded. "And don't call me Hales."

"Why?"

"Because I like singing something with a little more… meaning. Inspiration."

"No, I meant why can't I call you Hales?"

She raised her eyebrow at him, irritated. "You know, you should be glad that I even agreed to help with the music."

"Because of Mia."

"Maybe."

"I know you'd all rather not be around me. The Keller may be distant, but he's not dense," He responded, a little hurt. "but you know, I thought maybe you'd be a little different."

"I am giving this working together thing a try."

"Sure, but so is Peyton. Peyton is different though; we never got along before. You and I used to be friends." Said Chris, remembering the days of the tour and also the way he and Haley had clashed while working together in the past two days since the charity dinner.

"You've been an ass since then, Chris. Messing with people, turning up unexpectedly- Actually, you've always been an ass. You think people will just welcome you with open arms?" she asked, wondering why he was being so sensitive. Usually, his pride would have kept his self-arrogance and convinced him that he was always right. She really believed two days ago that maybe he had changed, but when it was just the two of them alone, his "assiness" would sneak back in.

"Look, I'm sorry for what I've done, okay? But don't act like this is isn't a choice for you."

"I'm not. Look, I'm really trying. I want to help you, but you've got to stop being so damn… Chris Keller."

"I know," He said, and paused for a moment, Haley listening intently. "But being Chris Keller has been good to me. It's gotten me places, right? I'm happy with what Chris Keller can do." Said Chris.

"What?" Asked Haley.

He looked back at her, studying her face. "I know I've got to stop being the Chris Keller eventually." He said honestly.

She didn't know what to say or respond. They just stood there watching each other, trying to decide what to say next.

"I'm not singing a song with you." Declared Haley after awhile. "I'm not giving up on you, yet, though. I will help you with this… 'mother' song."

A small and grateful smile formed at the side of Chris' mouth. "Thanks, Hales." He said.

Haley may have noticed that he still called her "Hales", but she ignored it and just gave him back a small smile as well.

"Are you hungry?" He asked.

"Not really. I ate before I came." She responded honestly.

"Well, I really just want to get out of here. Are you down?"

"Uh, no."

"Aren't you like, twenty-three? Let's go to a bar."

"I have a son and responsibilities. Plus, this studio is attached to a bar…"

"Your son also has a nanny and I really just want to leave this building."

"You can go, but I'm going to go home to my son, if you don't mind." Said Haley, thinking about how she missed Jamie.

"… Whatever," Said Chris, remembering his two conversations with Jamie. "I understand. Jamie's a pretty sweet kid."

She narrowed her eyes at him, annoyed that some form of Chris Keller had talked to her son. "Yeah… thanks. I'm going to go." She said, grabbing her purse.

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow night."

She nodded in acknowledgement and left him on his own.

***

Jamie sat on their living room couch, watching his feet as he gently kicked them around in the air. His mother was upstairs getting ready to take him to a late night movie. Going to the movies was something that he and his mother had recently starting sharing. His father was often gone and that left the two of them together to entertain themselves. He used to only go with his Nanny Deb to the theatre, but when he started going with his mother occasionally, he found it to be more special. Maybe it was the fact that she was usually too busy to take him or maybe it was just because he genuinely cared for his mother and the time they shared. Whatever reason, they both enjoyed it.

Minutes later, Haley came down the stairs in her classic, fitted t-shirt with a cute saying and comfortable jeans attire.

"I really want to see that new Johnny Depp movie. The one where he's in a mafia or something? What do you think, Jamie?"

"Okay!" He agreed. He wondered if maybe the reason why seeing movies with his mom was so special was because, unlike Deb, she didn't mind taking him to the violent ones. She said that, when she was his age, one of her favourite things to do was go see action movies with her parents.

"Okay!" She, too, said excitedly. "Just let me grab my keys and-" she was interrupted by the doorbell ringing. "Uh, just hold on a second, Jamie." She said as she walked to the front door to answer it.

When she opened the door, none other than Chris Keller was standing before her.

"Of course," She thought. "because why would I finally get an opportunity to be with my son when Chris Keller is in town? And how the hell does he know where I live?"

"Hey, Haley." He greeted with an unsure smile.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Chris Keller wants to drink tonight-"

She shook her head knowingly. "Chris, I already told you, I'm going to be with my son."

"No," he continued. "I'm trying to say that… Chris Keller wants to drink tonight… and so he shouldn't drink tonight."

She sighed. "Chris, what are you doing?"

"I'm not really sure, I just know that, whatever Chris Keller wants to do tonight, you are one of the only people who can stop him."

She looked at him, really considering her options. "Why can't my good conscience just, for once, not be so strong?" She questioned herself while looking into his pleading eyes. She wasn't sure if she approved of him talking to Jamie, but it seemed like he was really trying to make an effort to be better.

She sighed again. "Come inside." She said, moving out of the doorway so that he could walk by.

"Thanks, Hales."

She gave a fake cough at him using the name "Hales".

"Um, would you excuse me for a second?" She asked.

"Of course." He said and she ran upstairs.

He walked into their living room and sat right next to Jamie.

"Hey, little buddy!" He said.

"Hi." Said Jamie, figuring that since his mother let him in, it would be okay to acknowledge his existence without getting in trouble.

"How's it going?" he asked, dragging out the words happily.

"Fine." He said, not willing to elaborate or ask him back. Although it seemed okay to talk to Chris, that didn't mean that he wanted to. He was really looking forward to going to the movies with his mother, but since Chris Keller arrived, he was doubtful that it would happen. Jamie turned the TV on to avoid conversation. He also figured that there would be no harm in starting to watch something because he and his mother likely weren't going out anymore.

Haley was in her room with her cell phone pacing back and forth. It was a given that she would call Nathan; she just did not know what she'd tell him. He would probably think that she was crazy and that letting Chris into their house was taking it too far. Reluctantly, she pressed the number 1 to call him with speed dial and waited for him to pick up.

"Hey, baby." He said with a raspy voice followed by a yawn.

She smiled. It was 8:45. "Nathan, were you asleep?" she asked.

"Huh? No, it's early."

"You were, weren't you?" she asked again, knowingly.

"Maybe. There's not much to do in my room, Hales. Plus, practice is really wearing me out."

Her heart warmed by hearing him call her "Hales". He was one of the only people who deserved to call her that and she actually really loved the nickname, just not when it was used by people like Chris Keller.

Nathan heard her pretty laugh that he loved in response to his statement. "What's up, Haley?" He asked.

Haley was staring intently at the picture of her, Nathan and Jamie on one of their side tables. "Um," she started, snapping out of her daze and looking around the room. "well, um, I was about to take Jamie to the movies and then Chris rings our doorbell. Then-"

"Chris knows where we live?-" he asked out loud. "…Wait, continue." He said, caring more about her story.

She gave a brief, nervous laugh before continuing. "He just looked so hopeless... like... like a little puppy dog, Nathan. He was all like, 'Chris Keller wants to change and not drink tonight and you can help me.'" She said in an attempted manly voice that Nathan just found amusing. "So, I was all like, 'Oh, yeah, sure, just waltz right in here and sit next to my six year old son who likes to repeat everything people say.'" She said in a higher, attempted girlier voice (even though she was imitating herself), that just had Nathan laughing to himself. "What am I supposed to do, Nathan? I'm sorry, I really am."

"Tell him not to go in our fridge?" he suggested.

"Huh?"

"Well, I just bought all of those groceries and I'm willing to bet that they will be gone soon if Chris Keller finds them."

"Um, yeah… okay." She said while frowning and really looking hard around her room to make sure that this wasn't a dream. "Nathan, I'm confused."

"Look, Haley, I love you. I trust you. I sure as hell don't trust him, but I'm willing to bet that being with Chris Keller has been painful for you in the last few days and I'm sorry that I'm not there to smarten him up. I've been thinking the last few days about us and if you're okay with him being there, then I'll put up with it. You let him in, Hales, you must be putting up with him well. Just because I don't trust him, doesn't mean I don't trust you when you're with him." Nathan told her, but not easily. He truly trusted her, he just wasn't sure if Jamie should have to deal with him too.

She was really hoping that he'd disapprove so that she'd have had a reason to kick him out. "I don't want him here." She said.

"Well, get rid of him then. He's a big boy; he should be able to take care of himself. He can go screw one of his model dates or something."

"Yeah." She said, now looking at the box through their open closet doors that contained the pictures of her on tour. "You're right, he could… but, he came here tonight so that he wouldn't. I'm going to go, Nathan. I love you, I really do… and thanks."

"I love you, too, Haley. Tell Jamie I love him, too. Good luck, really, good luck. I'm sorry I'm not there."

"Me too." She agreed. They exchanged their goodbyes again and she hung up and left her room.

"Jamie!" She called at the top of the stairs. "Come to your room, I want to talk with you."

Jamie quickly got up from the couch. He was really thankful to have a reason not to have to sit by Chris. Unlike their previous conversations, they hadn't talked much. Chris would occasionally try to make conversation by commenting on Jamie's sneakers or saying that he, too, enjoyed watching Dora the Explorer. When Jamie was out of site, Chris, of course, took it as a good opportunity to find something to eat. He hadn't eaten dinner yet.

"Yes, Mamma?" he asked as he walked in his room.

Haley smiled sadly to her son, who, moments before, was excited about the night they would be having. "Jamie, listen," She started. "I know you were excited about tonight and, I promise, we will go to the movies soon, but-"

"Mom!" Jamie said, pouting because of his disappointment.

"I know, baby." She pouted back at him with sadness. She, too, was disappointed with the turn out of the night.

"Why can't he come with us? Or go away!?"

"Jamie, we'll have to make it a movie-night-in." She said. She knew that going out in public with someone of Chris Keller's status would likely create rumors. She wouldn't risk that for her family. "Why don't you put on your pajamas and come downstairs, okay? It won't be so bad." She said the last part both to convince Jamie and herself.

"Okay, Mamma." He said sadly.

Haley looked into his eyes while stroking his chin with her fingers. "I'm sorry." She said.

"It's okay, Mamma." He said. She then left him to go back downstairs.

Haley valued her family, she really did. She tried hard not to put them in harms way. She knew that she probably wasn't right to let Chris into their home, but she believed enough in herself that she could keep the situation under control as long as Chris didn't decide to pull out his double personality. She for sure wouldn't have let someone like Quentin Fields near Jamie when she had first met him, but he proved to change a great deal under the influence of her. Also, Jamie wouldn't exist if she hadn't changed Nathan. Maybe she trusted people too much, but in the end, they had all made it worthwhile. She had seen the better sides of Chris and so she knew that it was there. The outcome of tonight would just depend on whether or not that side of him came out. Of course, when she went to check on Chris in the living room, he was eating the nachos in front of him that she knew were from the contents of her kitchen and she knew Jamie wouldn't have made.

She walked over to him and frowned at him for a moment. He looked up and smiled.

"Hey! I made us some nachos. I'm surprised you had soy cheese. There's also more than enough for three!" He exclaimed.

"Okay, this whole double act thing you're doing? It stops now, you understand? First of all, you don't go into other people's fridges and use half of the contents- even if the result does smell kind of… good. Second, my son is upstairs moping around because you dampered our plans tonight, so you better make this worthwhile. If you say anything to him that's not appropriate, I will kick you out, okay? I-"

"I made the food for all of us, Hales. I knew you have a thing for cheesy-"

"Okay, whatever." She said, the smell of the nachos fully took over her senses and made her mouth betray her mind. "Minus the nachos, you're an ass. And calling me 'Hales' is not going to change my mind about that. You're in my house now- Nathan's too. Remember the whole 'Oh, Nathan, you're so muscular!' comment you made at your charity thing? Yeah, well, they're real. So, don't call me 'Hales' in my house or do anything else worse than that."

Chris looked up at Haley with a look of regret in his eyes. "You said you had plans before I came?" He asked.

"Yeah, Jamie and I were going to see a movie." She said, calming down.

"Oh, well, I'm sorry. I can go if you'd like."

"No, no, you asked for my help. I'm giving it to you, but you have to be willing to accept it, like, fully."

"I know. I'm really grateful, like, really, Haley." He said truthfully.

"Yeah, don't disappoint me." She said while sitting down next to him. She was tired of the conversation and didn't want to talk anymore. She called for Jamie to hurry up and come downstairs so that it couldn't continue. Jamie was not deaf, he had heard bits of his mother talking to Chris and figured he should stay near the stairs, but he didn't let it bother him. He came downstairs and sat closely next to his mother with Chris on the other side of him, but much further away on the couch. He slowly became comfortable as Haley started massaging his head with one hand, bringing him closer to her.

***

The movie was about an hour in when Chris turned his head to see both Jamie and Haley asleep. Jamie was lying in her lap and she had her head tilted to the side. He got up, turned the TV off, and put a blanket over them. As he turned to leave the home in peace and silence, he took another look at the pair and a smirk lit up his face. The importance of this smirk was not in the smirk itself, however, but in the way it connected to his eyes. If someone in the room was to be cognizant, he or she may have noticed the glint of admiration that was behind the blues his eyes were and concluded that it was not a smirk, but indeed a subtle, but true smile that lit up his face.