"So what do you eat?" Brooke asked as Jenny grabbed a shopping cart.
"Generally food." Jenny shrugged, Brooke shook her head and mumbled, 'You are so like your mother.' Jenny grinned and added, "Did you make a list?"
"Who makes a list anymore?" Brooke asked.
"People who go to grocery stores."
"Well I used to live with Haley so I know her eating habits, I also used to live with your mom for like two months, not counting the fact that I practically lived at her house for like ten years. I was married to Luke, and I remember that Nathan eats pretty much anything. So basically I just need to know what your dad eats." Brooke said picking up a bag of carrots.
"Hey Aunt Brooke?" Jenny asked nonchalantly, as she put a head of lettuce in a bag.
"What babe?"
"Can I ask you something? Something my mom and dad won't tell me about."
"Sure kid. See when two people love each other- or sometimes don't even love each other, but it's better if they do believe me- they decided to-"
"No!" Jenny interrupted her, "Not that."
"Oh," Brooke laughed, "Then what, sweet heart?"
"What happened between you, my mom, and uncle Lucas all those years ago?"
Brooke froze, and gave Jenny an uncomfortable laugh, "Wha- what do you want to know about that for?"
"Please Aunt Brooke." Jenny asked, "I just want to know. Mom won't tell me cause she says she's kind of ashamed of it, and dad says he doesn't really know the full story."
"Okay Jen let's finish the shopping and then I'll take you to lunch." Brooke said after a minute.
"And you'll tell me?" she asked.
Brooke nodded, "Yeah, I'll tell you."
"Where's you wife?" Karen asked Lucas as Penelope, Keith, Lilly and Andy opened their presents. Nathan and Haley were currently helping Tyler with his gifts. So Karen stole a chance to talk to her son alone.
"Ex- wife ma." Lucas sighed, "And she's taking Jenny food shopping right now."
"Am I going to get a chance to see my daughter-in-law for the holidays?"
"I don't know," he said trying not to roll his eyes, "You'll have to call your ex-daughter-in-law and find out."
"Lucas, you are my son, and I love you, but leaving Brooke was the stupidest thing you ever did."
"I thought getting her pregnant with Keith when we were only 20 was the stupidest thing I ever did." He said picking up a cookie.
"No, that was one of the smartest."
"Grandma!" Penelope called happily from the other room.
Karen went to go see her grandchildren leaving Lucas alone to think.
"Thanks for bringing me today, you guys." Jamie said.
"No problem kid. Just don't say we didn't warn you." Jake joked.
"What?" Jamie asked confused.
"Don't listen to him," Peyton laughed, "he likes to scare little children."
"I'm eleven, uncle Jake."
"Yeah, well I'm twenty nine…" Jake trailed off, "God I'm old."
"Daddy's old." Ellie called from the back seat next to Jamie.
"So how long have you guys been married?" Jamie asked.
Peyton and Jake exchanged uncomfortable glances, "Uh about eight years, I guess."
"Wow, and my parents have been married for like twelve, right?"
Peyton nodded, "Yeah, hon."
"And Uncle Luke and Aunt Brooke, they were together for like seven or something right?"
"About seven months before Keith was born," Peyton mumbled jokingly to Jake, "Yeah, sweet heart." She added to Jamie, "Why the sudden interest in our marriages?"
"I'm Haley's kid." Jamie said using his all-purpose excuse, "I'm always curious."
"So, not that we mind hon, but why did you want to come with us instead of staying with your grandma." Haley asked.
"Mom and dad divorced two years ago, and apparently grandma isn't over it. Didn't you hear her and dad fighting in the kitchen when we were opening presents?" Keith asked, "I didn't really want to be around for more of, 'Brooke and I just don't love each other anymore.' And besides mom gave me the present for Deb, so I'll bring it to her."
"And you're okay with going to visit your grandpa in jail?" Nathan asked, "Cause if your not I'd be happy to-"
"You're going." Haley said to Nathan, then added to Keith, "But if you're uncomfortable we can drop you off sweetie."
"No, I uh… I've never met him. I guess I'd kind of like to." Keith said softly.
Nathan and Haley exchanged glances, "Maybe we should ask Brooke and Lucas if that's okay." Haley added as Nathan parked the car.
"Come on Andy." Keith sighed to his cousin, getting out of the car.
"It's not scary there." She said, "It's just this big gray room with Dan in it."
Keith nodded, "Thanks." And the two walked to Deb who had thrown the door open and was waiting.
"Oh where's my little boy?" she asked referring to Jamie, while she hugged Keith and Penelope.
"He went with Jake and Peyton for a little while." Haley said giving her mother-in-law a hug.
"Merry Christmas ma." Nathan said, kissing his mom on the cheek.
"So how was your birthday party? The big one-three! I'm so sorry we missed it, but you know how hard it is to get off work when you're a big time fashion designer." Brooke said tooting her own horn in a joking way, "Did you get the clothes I sent you?"
"Yes, Aunt Brooke, and I know why you couldn't come for my birthday. I'm wearing the jacket you designed. Now please tell me about you, mom, and uncle Luke." Jenny said sipping her milkshake.
"Okay." Brooke sighed, "Well I didn't really notice Lucas until our junior year of high school. I mean I knew about him, he was like the towns biggest scandal. The Scott family drama, that is, but I didn't really care who he was… till I saw him. I mean really saw him. It happened when he was playing basketball. He doesn't play very often because of his heart condition, but Jenny," Brooke paused and almost sighed, "When that boy plays basketball, it's like poetry or something."
"So it was love at first sight?"
Brooke chuckled, "More like lust at first sight, but you're getting the picture." Jenny nodded, "Well your mom was dating Nathan at the time but she had a little crush on Lucas, or at least what I thought was little. Anyway Lucas liked her back, but she refused to even give him a chance because she was scared, I guess of getting her heart broken- which is ironic, I assure you- and she gave me the go ahead, so I started dating him, completely, blissfully almost, unaware of his feelings for her, for a bit." Brooke broke off here for a minute and looked up at Jenny, "Are you sure you want to hear this next part?"
Jenny paused and nodded, "Please Aunt Brooke."
"So Jamie is it?" Jake's mom asked.
"Yes, ma'm."
"Well, we're so glad to have you here, honey." She continued, "So you're Nathan and Haley's little boy."
"Eleven year old." Jake said nodding to Jamie.
"Yeah, thanks uncle Jake."
"I got your back."
"Jake, leave the poor kid alone." Peyton said swatting his shoulder.
"Man, you guys remind me so much of my parents," Jamie said, "You're so in love."
Jake froze and Peyton smiled politely, "Yes, they are aren't they?" The older Mrs. Jagelski said, "My Peyton, so much sweeter than that horrible Nikki. The best daughter-in-law a mother could ask for."
"Thanks mom." Peyton said softly accepting a hug. She glanced at Jake over his mom's shoulder but he was busy looking at anything but her.
Jamie smiled to himself.
"You be careful on the roads and give your father a slap right across the face from me." Deb said hugging Nathan and Haley goodbye.
"Mom." Haley scolded.
"It's his Christmas present." Deb said innocently, Keith laughed.
"By Deb."
"Bye Keith, give my love to your parents and your brother and sister." Deb said kissing his cheek.
" So when I came back from California, me and Lucas decided to try again, but to keep it strictly casual. We dated each other, and other people… or I did anyway." Brooke said, "I didn't want to get hurt again."
"But you did." Jenny said, reaching her to hold her aunt's hand.
Brooke nodded, "Yeah."
"But Jen, I love your mom. We all made mistakes those years, and I do not hold it against her." Brooke added.
"I know Aunt Brooke, just continue the story."
"Okay so, when Jimmy Edwards uh… well when he came to the school…"
"With a gun." Jenny said, "I know this story, you don't have to tip toe around it. Mom got shot in the leg."
"Right." Brooke said uncomfortably.
"We'll just stay for a minute." Nathan insisted.
"Nathan, he's your father." Haley muttered unzipping Andrea's coat, "You sure you're okay sweetie?"
"Yeah." Keith nodded, nervously messing with the buttons on his shirt. He'd told Lucas he wanted to meet Dan, after all these years of hearing what an ass this man was, he wanted to make up his own mind. Lucas had volunteered to take him, but he declined saying Nathan and Haley were already going. It was the truth. He did want to meet the man who killed his father's uncle. His grandpa. But when Lucas asked if he was scared… well his reply was definitely a lie.
"You can back out at any time, kid." Nathan said to his nephew, "I don't have that luxury though." He added to Haley.
The guard opened the door and Haley walked in first holding Andrea's hand.
"Hi Mr. Scott." Haley said softly.
"Haley." He nodded just as softly, "Hi Andy."
Andy smiled, "Hi Dan." She didn't call him grandpa. Nathan never encouraged her to, and Haley never discouraged her not to call him Dan.
"Did Nathan come this year?" Dan asked.
"Yeah, he's right outside the door." Haley said sitting down across from Dan.
"Hey dad." Nathan said entering the room.
"Son."
Keith took a deep breath and walked in. Dan's face completely froze when he saw the boy, and Keith tried to give him a smile and a wave.
"You! I confessed! I've been here for eleven years! Stop haunting me Keith!" Dan said angrily.
"Dad!" Nathan said stepping in front of the now scared nine year old, "This is Brooke and Luke's son, Keith."
"What?" Dan asked looking at the child.
"Um hi." Keith said awkwardly waving again.
"Lucas had a son?"
"Two." Haley nodded, "And a little girl."
"He looks so much like-" Dan broke off, "I'm sorry, I frightened you. I'm Dan."
"I know. My mom's shown me your picture." Keith said climbing in the seat next to Nathan.
"So you have a brother and sister? Are they older or younger? What are their names?" Dan asked.
"Has my dad never visited you before?"
Dan looked down at his hands and shook his head, "No. But I don't blame him. Nathan wouldn't be here if Haley didn't make him come once a year."
"Penelope is my little sister, she's eight. Tyler is three."
"So Lucas married Brooke did he?" Dan directed to Haley.
"They uh, they divorced two years ago." She said.
"Oh."
"Thank you mom." Lucas said picking up all the presents she'd gotten for the kids, "And thanks sis."
"You're welcome Luke." Lilly said kissing her brothers cheek, "You should come visit more often, and tell Brooke I said hi."
"I will." He said, "Bring Tyler to the car for me."
Lilly nodded, "Ok."
"You know Luke, earlier when Keith called to ask you if he could visit Dan, you asked him if he wanted you to go with him." Karen said.
"Yeah."
"Lucas, you've never been to see Dan. You knew he'd tell you no, cause he's your son and you know him. You knew he'd want to do this without you or Brooke."
"Yeah, what's your point ma?" Lucas sighed.
"Lucas one of these days your going to have to forgive him. What he did was horrible and hateful and I will never fully get over losing Keith, but I forgave Dan a very long time ago. You can't carry these feelings around with you Lucas, maybe not today but someday you'll find it's easier to forgive." Karen said hugging her son, "Merry Christmas, and give Brooke a big kiss from me when you get back."
"Ma!" he groaned.
"Merry Christmas." She called out the door.
"Okay so what happened after mom and Uncle Lucas broke up? How did you two get back together? And then get married?" Jenny asked.
"Oh well see I got into NYU, and I was working on Clothes over Bros, and Lucas was at the same college as Nate and Haley, and your mom was still LA. So about a month after Peyton and Luke broke up, I was offered a spot in a fashion show. Kind of like what I had in high school, the Rogue Vogue thing, I told everyone about it, but I wasn't expecting anyone to show up, but well of course Lucas did."
"So you guys got back together?"
"Sorta. We weren't really into the long distance this so we agreed to try a friends with benef- um" Brooke trailed off.
"Benefits? Aunt Brooke I get it."
"You better not get it till your thirty, young lady."
"You're not thirty!"
"I'm almost thirty and that doesn't matter."
"No duh, cause I'm not having sex. Now please continue the story."
"Okay so Lucas and I were… ehem… seeing each other every couple months to…yeah… if you tell your mother I told you this story Jenny Lynn Jagelski- But anyway it wasn't to long before I was back in love with him, and apparently him me, that I found out I was pregnant with Keith. I told Lucas, he told me he loved me, then proposed." Brooke shrugged, "That's how things were with me and Lucas. Spontaneous, quick, and always meaningful."
"Then why did you guys break up?" Jenny asked feeling like she was really getting somewhere.
Brooke cleared her throat and glanced at her watch, "Okay, it's time to head home."
"So?" Jamie asked that evening once the other two had gotten to his room.
"I got plenty. I'm moving on to Uncle Luke tomorrow." Jenny said.
"I didn't get much… me, Nathan, Haley, and Andrea visited Dan today." Keith said still slightly unnerved.
Jamie nodded understanding, "I didn't get much either but like Jen said we've got tomorrow."
"We've got six more days guys." Jenny said.
Jamie heard laughing coming from downstairs, and shrugged, "We've still got tonight."
Okay please review.
-Em