"Okay, introduction time." Haley said as everyone gathered in the living room.
"Tutor Girl-Wife-Mom, we already know each other." Brooke pointed out as Peyton stole Tyler from her arms.
"Yeah, but it's been years. All the kids have grown up a bit."
"Hales, it's been three years. They haven't grown that much." Peyton said.
"Look, it's introduction time, and that's final."
"Yes, mom." Both Peyton and Brooke giggled.
"Now I think everyone remembers James Lucas Scott, from the way he decided to interrupt our high school graduation." Haley said pulling her son towards herself.
"I'm never gonna live that down." Jamie mumbled as he tried to walk away but as Brooke was sitting down she yelled out, "Whoo, strut your stuff baby!" As if he were a model.
Haley scolded her while Jamie laughed and went to hug his aunt, "Andrea." Haley said and Andy stood up to take a bow.
"God, you are the spitting image of Nathan." Peyton said.
"Except, your eyes." Brooke added, "Those are definitely my Tutor girl's eyes."
Jake, Lucas, and Nathan entered the living room with the luggage, "Oh god it's introduction time." Lucas groaned.
"You know about introduction time?" Jamie asked.
"When your mom and I were kids, every time I got a new stuffed animal or an new action figure, she'd gather all mine and hers up and make me introduce them to each other." Lucas said kissing Haley's on the cheek.
"Yeah, and it's yours and Brooke's turn." Haley said.
Lucas and Brooke exchanged uncomfortable glances; Brooke just waved her arm, "Kids tell them your names."
"I'm Keith."
"Keith what?" Haley asked, already knowing.
"Keith Eugene Scott, aunt Haley." He said rolling his eyes, and he really did look like Luke's uncle Keith, it made Haley a little teary when she thought about it. Actually it made everyone a little teary if they thought about it too much.
"I'm Penelope Elizabeth Scott." She said standing up.
"You mean you're Mini- Brooke." Peyton laughed taking the small girls into her arms.
"And darn proud of it." Penelope stated.
Lucas laughed at his little girl.
"And this is my baby Tyler Andrew." Brooke said looking at Haley as if to say 'Happy?'
"Jen." Peyton nodded in her daughter's direction.
She sighed, "I'm Jennifer Nicole Jagelski, you've all know me since I was a year old. "
"I'm Elizabeth Anne Jagelski." Ellie repeated what Peyton whispered in her ear.l
"We good now?" Lucas asked Haley.
"Yes, now come on I'll show you all to your rooms." She said.
Jenny punched her pillow and cursed under her breath, "This is just great." She punched the pillow a few more times before breaking down in tears.
Keith and Jaime were heading up to Jaime's room when they heard an unfamiliar sound coming from inside.
"Uh Jen?" Keith asked opening the door.
"What?" she snapped wiping her tears with the back of her hand.
"What's the matter?" Jaime asked.
"Nothing is the matter. Everything is just fine." She all but yelled, as she collapsed on the bed in tears again.
Keith made a gesture to Jamie as if to say, 'Do something.'
Jamie made the same gesture to Keith. Both boys rolled their eyes and held out their hands, "Rock, paper, scissors." Jamie whispered.
Keith held up rock while Jamie went with scissors, "Crap." Jamie said then turned to Jenny still crying on the bed, "Look Jen, we know something's wrong. We're like almost your cousins. Just tell us already."
Keith stared at Jamie in shock, "That's how you talk to a crying girl?"
"What?"
"Jenny, what's the matter?" Keith said ignoring his cousin.
"Everything." She said sitting up.
"Okay wanna elaborate?" Jamie asked.
"My parents are separated."
"Aunt Peyton and Uncle Jake?" Keith asked.
"What other parents does she have?" Jamie asked.
"They just told me and El a couple weeks ago and now I have to move out with dad and Ellie is staying with mom and they're gonna buy me a car for my sixteenth birthday."
"What?" Both boys asked.
"My parents are separated!" She repeated.
"But they seem fine." Keith pointed out.
"Yeah, I saw them together at dinner. They were smiling and holding hands." Jamie said.
"It's all an act. They don't want to ruin Christmas for your moms. They're making me and El keep out mouths shut."
"Hence the car." Jamie said nodding.
"Nice." Keith added.
"My parents marriage is falling apart." Jamie offered.
"My parents have been divorced for two years, but they still love each other." Keith shrugged.
"How do you know?" Jenny asked.
"Just they way they look at each other. How they pretend to hate each other. Stuff like that."
"My parents are still in love too." Jamie said.
"I'm sure Peyton and Jake still love each other, Jen. It's just that like my mom and dad they've forgotten."
"What happens if they never remember? Peyton Sawyer isn't my real birth mom, but she is my mom. My whole life just… just ends if they get divorced. I mean Keith you still see Uncle Lucas every weekend, but what if because she's not my mom I don't get to see her? What if they never remember how much they love each other?"
Neither Keith nor Jamie said anything for a while as Jenny's question played over in all three of their heads. It really applied to all of their parents. What if they never remember how much they love each other?
"Then," Jamie started slowly, as if he was debating between saying it, "then we remind them."
"So P. Sawyer how's the Jagelski clan?" Brooke asked as the three women sat in the living room testing Christmas lights.
"Oh we're good." Peyton lied smiling, "Haley, how about you guys?"
"Oh you know me and Nathan. We've been married since high school. Nothing ever changes. Brooke how's single life?" Haley asked.
"Great." Brooke said quickly, "I met this one guy when I was picking up Pen from ballet. Single dad, really cute."
"You gonna go out with him?" Peyton asked.
"No." Brooke said.
"Why not?" Haley asked, "You and Luke have been separated for two years honey and as far as we know you haven't been on a date since. And don't try to lie, your daughter has a very big mouth."
Brooke debated saying something, then decided to change the subject, "Hey has anyone heard from Mouth?"
"It's so weird to be doing this again." Lucas said getting out of the car, "God I can't believe the last time I played ball on this court I was dating your wife." He added to Jake, who laughed.
"Yeah well last time I played here my son was only a few months old, now he's eleven." Nathan said grabbing the ball from his trunk.
"Still whooped your ass little brother." Lucas said stealing the ball and taking a shot, which he missed, and Jake grabbed for a rebound.
"God, we're old." Jake said as he missed as well.
"Way too old to be doing this." Lucas said.
"Thank god my son isn't here to see this." Nathan said shaking his head.
"No joke man." Lucas said sitting down, "You know I spent most of my life on this court."
"Pining after one cheerleader after another." Jake laughed.
"While your wife chastised me for wanting the sweet life." Lucas said to Nathan.
"Wasn't that sweet." Nathan sighed sitting next to his brother, "And while we were busy with our melodramatic teenage problems, Jagelski here was raising a baby right under our noses."
Jake shrugged, "While pining after a cheerleader of my own."
"You got her though." Lucas said, "You and Peyton, Jenny and Elizabeth. You got it man."
Jake sighed, "You guys feel like going for a beer?"
"God yes." Nathan said standing.
"Right behind you." Lucas added.
Okay please review. I know this chapter was kind of short and I'm really sorry. But the next one should be longer.
-Em