Disclaimer: See chapter 2.
Once again a huge thank you to those that reviewed and also to those that have added me or the story to their favourites. Much appreciated. I hope you enjoy the next chapter!
Also, there may be a short delay before the next Chapter. I'm going to Las Vegas for a week from Sunday with the family and won't have time or access to a computer. I'll try to upload a new chapter when I get home.
...
Chapter 3 – The Search for Something More
Thursday 26 January 2006
10.15am EST
Karen's House
She groaned inwardly as she sat cross-legged on the floor of a room that wasn't even hers, surrounded by boxes and bags that were overflowing with clothes, CD's, DVD's and other random belongings. Where was she even supposed to start?
That was how Karen found her.
She looked up pitifully as the woman entered the room, blowing a stray lock of hair out of her eyes. "Suddenly I'm not so sure I care for Fed Ex all that much."
Karen simply laughed and joined Cassie on the floor of her son's room. "And what, you're hoping that if you sit and stare down the boxes long enough they'll unpack themselves?"
"Something like that," Cassie huffed. "Did you see Dad this morning? I wanted to go by the hospital but..." She held out her hands, gesturing at the chaos that surrounded them.
"I saw him, he's fine. He said to tell you that since you spent all day at the hospital yesterday, and the day before that, you're absolutely not allowed to enter the building until we pick him up this afternoon. I have strict orders to keep you occupied until then."
"We're picking him up today?" Cassie's mood instantly perked up at the news.
"Yeah, the doctors seem to think he's ready to come home, though I have a feeling he played a rather big part in convincing them of that. He's never cared much for hospitals, and we've certainly spent our fair share of time in them the last few years. So you planning on unpacking at any point today or is Lucas going to be living with your boxes forever?"
"Do you think he would mind? They're barely noticeable." She sighed dramatically when Karen raised an eyebrow. "Ok fine, but exactly how do you expect me to ship all of this crap to Dad's house minus a car?"
"What if I told you, you didn't have to take them to your father's house at all?" At Cassie's confused frown, Karen chuckled and stood, pulling her step-daughter to her feet. "Follow me."
Cassie did as asked without question, hanging back slightly as Karen led the way out of Lucas's room and down the hallway to a door way that she recognised as the one leading to the attic room. She was about to comment that the attic may very well store her things but wouldn't store her, but before she could utter a word Karen pulled open the door and ushered her up the steps.
As she climbed the last few steps up into the room she couldn't get over how different it looked. The walls had been boarded over and painted, the floor had been sanded and varnished, the window frames and the railings that led down the stairway were all a bright, fresh, white colour, and the clutter that used to fill the space had been removed, giving way to what was actually quite a spacious room. It needed some work and personalisation, but Cassie fell in love with it there and then.
"When did you have time to do this?"
Karen climbed the last few steps and stood beside the teenager. "Actually I didn't. Your father started working on this room right after we got together. We knew we didn't want to waste any more time being apart and I guess he wanted you to have a room of your own when you came to visit. So he started fixing this place up. He worked on it all last week but before he got a chance to finish it and move in himself... well, everything kinda happened. I'd already ordered a bed and a dresser and weirdly I got a call yesterday while you were at the hospital to say they had arrived. I had Lucas and Nathan put everything together yesterday."
"Wow. This is amazing. I can't believe after all this time you and Dad have finally gotten your act together. Did you know that Lucas and I used to write to Santa every year asking for him to make you two get married?"
"Really?" Karen laughed, completely taken aback by the revelation.
"Yeah. We made a pact when we were like four or something. We had this idea that Santa would be more likely to grant our wish if we both wished it, so we swore that every year until you guys got married, we would write to him. Then when we were about nine, I got really mad at him because I found his letter and he'd asked for a new bike instead. I didn't speak to him for days."
"I can't believe you guys did that."
"Yeah, pretty crazy huh? I guess in our childish minds we figured that if the two of you got married Lucas would finally have the Dad he'd always wanted and I would..." She trailed off, embarrassed by how much she'd almost revealed.
"You'd finally have the Mom you always wanted?" Karen finished for her. "You know, even when your father and I weren't together, I always thought of you like a daughter, just like Keith thought of Lucas as a son. In our own strange little way, we were a family, just like we are now." After a pause she quickly switched the emotional mood to one of humor. "Which means, daughter dearest, that I get the privilege of kicking your ass if you don't get it into gear and unpack. So move it!"
"Ugh! I knew there had to be a downside to this whole family thing!" Cassie laughed, bouncing down the stairs.
...
10.55am EST
Mayor's Office
"Are you telling me that there is nothing I can do about this?" Dan fumed, his patience wearing dangerously thin. "I'm the kid's biological father for God's sake; surely I have some kind of legal right to oppose the adoption."
Brian Felton watched his client pace furiously before him with a small amount of amusement. Since graduating from Law School twenty years ago, he had seen his fair share of family disputes, particularly in the case of adoption. But never in his career had he come across a case where the biological father wanted to dispute the adoption for no other reason than to piss off his brother.
"Technically yes since you're on the birth certificate. But the kid is almost 18, which means his opinion will hold a good amount of weight with a judge and if they can prove that you abandoned him, or failed to support him financially for a decent amount of time, your opinion to put it bluntly won't mean squat."
"Failed to support him financially? Are you forgetting that he lived with me for almost two months just last year?"
Brian laughed. "I said a decent amount of time. Besides it's probably best not to mention that in court since you basically blackmailed your son into living with you. Face it Dan, this is a battle you won't win. If you want to get one over on your brother, you're gonna have to find another way to do it. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some cases to deal with that I actually stand a chance of winning."
Dan barely noticed the man leaving as he sat down heavily in his oversized leather chair. Up until now, he had been sure that nothing could have angered him more than the knowledge that his brother had survived the gunshot that should have killed him. The silver lining to that cloud of course was that Keith apparently had no recollection of what had really happened which meant Dan wouldn't have to deal with the added annoyance of convincing the police that his brother was mistaken. But it didn't change the fact that his revenge was still incomplete.
The image of his niece's smug expression as she had revealed her father's intentions was like pouring gasoline on an already roaring fire. But once the flames died down, he was reminded of the significance of her return to Tree Hill, and the beautifully perfect opportunity it gave him to teach them all, especially his brother, a valuable lesson. As soon as he'd caught sight of her at the River Court two nights ago he'd known that she would factor into his plans somewhere. But now she would play an even bigger part, maybe the biggest part of all. If Keith wanted to bring Lucas into this, then Cassie was fair game. And that was just fine with him.
Flipping open his cell, he couldn't help the grin that crossed his face as he made a call that would put the wheels of his plan into motion.
...
11.50am EST
Tree Hill Memorial Hospital
He wandered aimlessly through the empty corridors, stepping over the long forgotten bags and books that lay scattered across the marble floor. Somewhere in his mind he registered that he was inside the high school, and that the scene should be familiar to him. Yet try as he might he couldn't figure out why.
"Why don't you just hand me that gun, Jimmy and we can just follow them out of here."
Wait a second. He knew he hadn't spoken and yet that voice had sounded suspiciously like his own. He cast an unsure glance behind him, as though making sure that the exit was still within reach, then continued on, morbid curiosity urging him to check out the situation.
"I can't."
Another voice, this one also familiar, but younger, and much more fearful. Though he could not yet see the face that the voice belonged to, he felt his heart fill with sadness, though he couldn't explain why. He continued on, eventually coming to the end of a hallway. Pausing by the wall, he peered around the corner and sucked in a breath as his eyes fell upon an image that he recognised well. A young boy, who he knew to be Jimmy Edwards, stood clutching a frighteningly real handgun and aiming it directly at the chest of the older and much more familiar man that stood before him.
"Well I'm not gonna leave you here son. I'm not gonna do that and I'll tell you why, because I've been there... I've bought the gun, and I've planned on using it ok, I've been there. And I want to tell you something, it gets better."
As he listened to the other version of himself speaking, he could have sworn that for a fraction of a second he saw a glimpse of hope in the teenager's eyes, but no sooner had it come, it was gone.
"It can't, not this."
"It does Jimmy. That pain in your stomach, that pain in your heart... it goes away. That voice in your head, that's saying there's no way out, it's wrong Jimmy. Would you please, please just believe me it gets better."
In a flash, any progress he had thought this version of him was making dissolved as Jimmy began to panic, his pain and frustration getting the better of him.
"It won't! Not after this. I can't take this back, I can't erase this! She's gonna die," he sobbed, gesturing with the gun to where Keith now remembered that Lucas had stood, holding a bleeding and unconscious Peyton in his arms.
"You don't know that."
"I just, I wanted... I wanted them to leave me alone. I wanted them to like me."
Keith watched as the crying boy dropped to his knees, and the image of himself seemed to desperately search for the words that would make him feel better. "I understand son, it's what we all want. That's all any of us wants."
He breathing quickened and he became increasingly concerned when Jimmy's previously agonised expression seemed to clear, his eyes becoming vacant as he stared around the room, as though in some kind of trance. His eyes flickered from Jimmy, to the image of himself and back again. He wanted to shout; to scream to himself that he needed to do something, but somehow he knew it was no use.
"I'm not here." Jimmy mumbled blankly. "I'm not here."
"Jimmy please," his image begged, stepping forward without thinking and freezing when the gun was thrust toward him. "It's gonna be ok son. It's gonna be ok."
"But it hurts!" Jimmy cried. "It hurts... It alway's hurts!"
"I know... Please."
Even as he pleaded with the boy one final time, somewhere deep inside he knew he'd already lost the battle.
The images faded away as consciousness began to tug at him, pulling him out of the dream, but not before he heard the sound of his own voice screaming no, and a lone gunshot ringing through the air.
His eyes flew open and he shot bolt upright in the hospital bed, regretting the movement immediately when a piercing pain shot through his chest and into his shoulder. Clutching the wound, he squeezed his eyes shut and eased himself back against the softness of the pillows.
It was the same dream he'd had the night before. And just like the night before, he was left with the feeling that there was something not quite right about the images he'd seen; almost as though the dream wasn't finished.
Something buried deep within his unconscious mind nagged at him, but just like the previous night, the more he tried to cling on to sleep and complete the series of images, the harder he felt himself being pulled back into the land of the living. All knew was that whatever detail was missing from the dream, it was an important one.
Before he could give it anymore thought, his doctor bustled into the room, looking decidedly less than impressed.
"Mr Scott, I have a release form for you to sign, although I'm hoping you're going to tell me you've reconsidered."
He shook his head, preparing himself for the battle he knew was coming. "I appreciate the concern Doc, but I haven't changed my mind."
"I understand that you'd rather be at home with your family, Mr Scott. There are very few people in this hospital that wouldn't. But you had major surgery less than 72 hours ago, you're still recovering, and although I'm happy with the rate at which your wound is healing, I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't try to convince you to stay at least another day or so."
Keith took the form and pen from the doctor's hand, scribbling his signature on the paper without even bothering to read it. He handed it back with a satisfied smile.
Doctor Stephenson sighed in defeat. "Very well. I assume I don't need to remind you how important it is that you take it extremely easy for the next week and at least moderately easy for a few weeks after that. That means no strenuous exercise of any kind. Going for a short walk and moving around the house should be fine but you need to rest whenever you feel tired. If you experience any extreme pain or loss of feeling in your shoulder or arm, you should have someone bring you back in immediately. The same can be said if you suffer from a fever, vomiting or dizziness. Do I make myself clear?"
Keith's smile widened at her motherly tone. As much as he hated hospitals, he had to admit he had grown to like Doctor Stephenson. At a guess he'd say she was in her early fifties, no more than five foot two in height and probably about eight stone wet through. Anyone meeting her for the first time would assume that her personality would very much reflect her physical appearance. But in her case appearances were definitely deceiving. She was anything but a soft touch.
"Crystal. Trust me doc I'll probably be on a much more strict recovery programme at home than I am here. I'll be lucky if they let me out of bed or off the couch for a month."
She laughed at that. "Oh I have no doubt of it. I've met your daughter and your fiancée. That's the only reason I'm allowing you to leave."
...
2.30pm EST
Karen's Cafe
If it hadn't been for the fact that she heard the sound a thousand times a day, the ringing of the bell above the door to the Cafe might have prompted Haley to look up from the table she was cleaning. As it turned out the decision not to bother looking up at the person who'd entered was one that she would come to regret.
"Whatcha doing?"
The voice was close enough to her ear, that she could feel the heat of its owner's breath on her neck. Letting out a loud yell, she almost leapt right out of her skin, but as she spun around and met a pair of laughing blue eyes, her look of fright instantly transformed into one of genuine happiness, with a tiny little bit of relief thrown in.
"Aaah!" she squealed in excitement, throwing her arms around the visitor. "I was beginning to wonder when you would finally come and see me."
Cassie returned the embrace, laughing uncontrollably at Haley's expression a moment before. "Dude you should have seen your face!"
Haley swatted at her with the cloth in her hand. "You scared the hell out of me!"
"That was kinda the intention."
Shooting the other girl a glare, Haley turned back to the table she'd been cleaning before being so rudely interrupted, giving it one last wipe over. Technically she was still on the clock but at 2.30 in the afternoon, the Cafe was like a scene from Dawn of the Dead, deserted. The lunch rush had left half an hour ago and the afternoon rush probably wouldn't be happening, what with the high school being closed, so she reasoned she'd have time for a quick catch up with one of her oldest and very best friends. She flopped down at the freshly cleaned table and Cassie quickly followed her lead, having finally recovered from her fit of giggles at Haley's expense.
"So how's Keith?"
"Yeah he's doing really well. He looked so much better yesterday when I saw him. Karen said they're letting him come home today."
"Home huh? Does that mean you're back for good?"
"It most certainly does my friend!" Cassie answered through a grin. "My stuff arrived this morning courtesy of a very expensive Fed Ex delivery paid for by Grandmother dearest. I think she's feeling guilty for being the reason that I wasn't here when Dad was shot. Speaking of, how are you doing? Lucas told me about you and Nathan and Mouth being in the tutor centre with Jimmy."
"Yeah I'm ok I guess. Not an experience I want to relive anytime soon that's for sure. It was hard on everyone, even Dan believe it or not, but then I guess anyone would react the same to finding their brother lying there like that."
"Wait, what?"
Haley eyed her friend quizzically, slightly baffled at her interruption. "Yeah didn't Lucas tell you? Dan was the one who found Keith. When the police came to get us and led us out through the hallway we saw him. He was just standing there staring as the paramedics lifted Keith onto the stretcher. I don't think I've ever seen anyone looking so pale. He was white as a sheet." As she spoke, she couldn't help but notice that her friend seemed to drift off into her own thoughts and she immediately cursed herself for opening her mouth. She could only imagine how hard it must be for Cassie to hear about the moment she almost lost her father. "How about I shut my big mouth and get us some hot chocolate? I would say it's called for, wouldn't you?"
...
3.10pm EST
River Dock
The cardboard cup warmed her hands as she held it tightly. Without thinking, she took a sip, regretting it when the steaming hot liquid burned her tongue painfully. She glanced down at the drink, once again feeling an odd pang of guilt when her gaze fell upon the logo. If someone had asked, she wouldn't have been able to explain the reason why she'd purposely avoided the Cafe where she usually purchased her coffee. Part of her thought maybe she wanted to avoid running into a certain brooding blonde who would likely be there, which would certainly explain why she had chosen to do her own brooding at the dock near the river, rather than at the Cafe or the River Court like she normally would.
It was ironic really that the very reason that she was avoiding him, was that she was worrying about the possible reasons for him avoiding her.
It had now been exactly 71 hours and 40 minutes since she had last seen him. No visit, no phone call, not even a text message to say he was alright. The only reason that she knew Keith had even pulled through was because Haley had called and updated her. And although she loathed herself for even thinking it she couldn't help but resent him a little for that.
She felt the wooden bench shift under someone else's weight and looked up from her coffee, mentally cursing when she met the eyes of the very last person she wanted to see at that moment. Well... second last maybe, at least it wasn't a vindictive red head whose sole purpose on earth seemed to be making her life hell.
"Hello Brooke."
"Mr Scott," she greeted politely, not bothering to fake a friendly smile.
"What're you doing out here all by yourself? I'd have thought you'd be going to the hospital with Lucas and Karen to pick up my brother."
"Keith's being released?" She could've kicked herself for allowing her surprise to show in front of the man.
"You didn't know."
It wasn't a question. The way he spoke the words made her hate him. The look on his face as he spoke made her despise him. His expression was one of sheer satisfaction and it was clear he knew he'd gotten under her skin.
"I suppose you can't blame him for not wanting to be stuck in a hospital bed now that his daughter is back in town."
Brooke gritted her teeth and focused all her energy on not emptying her coffee over the man's head. Had it not been for the crowds of people milling past them, she might have seriously considered it. But aside from that, she had to admit the Mayor of Tree Hill gave her the creeps.
"Well, I better be going."
She avoided his obviously amused gaze, choosing instead to stare out at the River as he stood from the bench, his mission quite clearly accomplished.
He was about to leave when he stopped and turned back toward her. "I'm sorry how rude of me, would you like a ride home?"
A polite 'no thank you' was all she could muster. She bit back a scathing comment as she watched him walk away. A cold loneliness crept into her heart and her eyes stung from tears that she stubbornly refused to shed. How could he not tell her that Keith was coming home? Or that Keith's daughter had returned from Las Vegas? She only knew that much because he had mentioned her absently when Keith had left town after his failed wedding to Jules and she had quizzed him about it.
However, as the rush of emotion gradually wore off, realisation suddenly hit her like a ton of bricks.
The blonde girl at the hospital... of course. No wonder she had looked so familiar.
In any other circumstance, Brooke might have felt a sense of relief at the knowledge that her boyfriend was not cheating on her. And with hindsight it did seem like a ridiculous assumption to have made, especially when Lucas had so much family stuff going on. But the very fact that she had automatically jumped to that conclusion only served as a reminder of the insecurities she still harboured about his feelings for her. He had told her he loved her several times since they had gotten back together. But words were easy. Actions were what really counted. And surely the best way to show your love for someone was to let them all the way in.
What hurt even more was that the one person she would have normally gone to when she felt like this, was the last person that she felt like she could talk to about it. As irrational as it was she knew it would break her heart if she were to for some reason find that Peyton already knew what she had only just been told.
She had stood and watched through silent tears as her boyfriend had carried her best friend out of the high school a few days ago. And she had hated herself the moment she realised that for a split second she felt jealous of her friend. It seemed to her that Lucas was constantly saving everyone but her. The thought tore at her painfully.
...
4.05pm EST
Deb's House
Nathan lugged the last suitcase down the stairs, placing it by the door with the other two. He looked over at his mother, who was busying herself pouring them each a glass of lemonade. Since she had returned to Tree Hill after finding out about the shooting, she had been constantly on edge, as though she felt uncomfortable and out of place in her own home.
"That's the last of it. I still don't get why you can't stay a few more days."
"I only came back to check on you and see how Keith and Karen were doing, Nathan. I wanted to make sure you were all ok, but I can't stay here. This isn't my home anymore."
He knew she hadn't meant the words in a hurtful way, but they hurt all the same. This was the house that he had grown up in. Despite the last couple of years, there had been a time when they had been happy; when they had been a family. Or so he had thought. But his mother's revelation at the motel all those weeks ago had shattered that illusion like a rock through glass. He had been happy. His father had probably even been happy, if he was at all capable of that emotion. But his mother had never been happy, and now that he saw through the facade she had been hiding behind for most of his life, he knew he couldn't ask her to stay.
He nodded sadly. "I know. I guess I just... miss you."
"I miss you too, honey. But I'm only a few hours away, and you and Haley are always welcome to visit." She paused briefly before pulling an envelope out of her purse and holding it out to him. "I have something for you."
"What is it?"
"The house. It's yours now."
To say he was stunned would have been an understatement. It wasn't as if he had expected his mother to abandon him and leave him with nothing. Even on her worst day, she had always made sure that he was safe and taken care of. But to hand him a house that was probably worth over half a million dollars was beyond anything he had ever imagined. "I don't understand. How..."
"It's what I got from the divorce settlement. It was finalised a few weeks ago so the house was mine to do with as I pleased."
"But won't you need the money from the sale to help you start over?"
She shook her head and braced herself to reveal yet another of her well kept secrets, hoping that this one would be received better than the last. "There's something else that I haven't told you. When my father died he left me a lot of money. Your father always knew that but what he didn't know was exactly how much there was. I put a chunk of the money into a bank account and secretly invested the rest, hoping that someday I'd find the courage to leave your father and start over somewhere else, just you and me. Of course that day never came so until now the money has just been sitting there. A year ago now I found out that my investment had paid off and I ended up getting back three times what I put in. Money is not something you or I ever have to worry about Nathan."
For several moments Nathan was too astounded to even formulate a decent response. It occurred to him somewhere in the depths of his mind that he probably should be angry at his mother for keeping such a huge secret for all these years. But considering that the last time he saw her she had confessed to trying to murder his father, it was safe to say that the secrets could not possibly get any worse.
"I... uh, I guess I don't understand. Why wait until now to tell me this?" His words carried no accusation or judgement; he simply couldn't fathom how a person could carry the burden of a secret like this for so many years.
"Because until now your father has always had a hold on you. He's always been in control and I knew if I told you and it got back to him, he'd use you to get his hands on the money. You're emancipated now and you're almost eighteen. You're old enough to be responsible for your share."
"My... my share?"
"Of course. The money will be shared equally between you and me."
Although he wasn't sure he could take any more surprises, he found himself asking the most important question. "How much is there?"
"Seven million dollars for each of us."
With one simple sentence, Nathan felt every last breath of air leave his body. His normally sturdy and unshakable legs turned to quivering jelly and he felt himself leaning against the kitchen counter for support. Up until he emancipated himself, he had never really given much thought to where his family's money came from. It had always just been readily available and he had been only too willing to take advantage of that. But after the emancipation and his marriage to Haley, things had changed drastically and for the first time in his life, he had found himself struggling to make ends meet. And it the early days, it had put a lot of pressure on his marriage. Suddenly going from that to knowing that he would never have to worry about money again was a lot to process.
"Honey?" Deb took her son's silence as a bad sign. She had wrestled with the idea of telling him about the money since she had told him the truth about the dealership fire. "I understand if you're mad at me..."
"Mad at you?" he interrupted, suddenly finding his voice again. "You tell me that you're giving me seven million dollars and you're expecting me to be mad at you?"
"Well honestly I wasn't sure how you'd feel about me having more secrets."
"Don't get me wrong Mom I'm not exactly thrilled that you kept this to yourself for so long. But I can also understand why you did it." Feeling the strength return to his legs, he finally released his vice-like grip on the counter and approached his mother. "You're right, if Dan had found out about this, he would've found some way to control us. He can't do that now. It feels good to know that we're both going to be ok. But I have to admit it feels even better to know than Dan can't do anything about it."
Deb laughed, finally relaxing as the burden of secrets she had been carrying for so long was finally lifted. "I won't argue with you there. And honestly, now with the weight of telling you off my shoulders, I feel about ten stone lighter."
...
5.45pm EST
Keith and Karen's House
"Man you're heavy. Did you put on weight?" Lucas mocked as he helped his father out of the car.
"Watch it, smart ass." Keith warned him playfully.
Karen chuckled at the pair and held open the door to the kitchen, watching her fiancé like a hawk for any sign that he needed to be taken back to the hospital. "You go on through and get yourself settled on the couch. Lucas, get him some pillows and make sure he's comfortable would you?"
When Lucas left the room Keith wrapped his arms around Karen, who was busying herself making a pot of tea. "He is perfectly fine and capable of getting his own pillows." He reassured gently. "But he loves you for worrying." When she turned to look up at him, he kissed the tip of her nose lovingly and repeated the words for probably the millionth time since they'd left the hospital. "I'm fine."
He left her to prepare the drinks and moved slowly through to the living room, where Lucas was throwing several pillows and a blanket onto an already perfectly padded couch. Choosing to say nothing, he eased himself into a sitting position as Lucas flopped lazily into the arm chair opposite, with an expression that clearly said there was something he thought he should tell him, but wasn't quite sure.
"Spit it out Luke, what's up?"
Lucas sighed, knowing that if he said nothing, Keith would likely kill him, but that if he said something, Cassie would definitely kill him. "There's something I think maybe you should know."
Keith nodded silently, urging him to say whatever it was that was on his mind.
"The night Cass got back she kind of had a run in with Dan."
"She what?" The thought of his daughter coming into contact with his brother concerned Keith. The man had a habit of getting to people at the best of times, but there was also the small matter of the dealership fire, that Dan was convinced Keith had started. He'd told his daughter about the fire when he'd gone to visit her that summer, but had conveniently left out the part about it being intentional and Dan blaming him. He would feel a lot better if Cassie stayed as far away from Dan Scott as was humanly possible.
"It didn't seem like anything major. I went to the River Court for some air and Cassie was there with Dan. She said that he'd run in to her and that it was nothing, but when I asked what was going on he made some kind of remark about her having a smart mouth which, knowing Cassie, means she obviously had a go at him. She was pretty mad at him about the whole Jules thing."
"Great." Keith muttered with a sigh.
"Look I don't think it's anything to worry about right now, but I thought I should tell you. I know better than anyone how easily he gets under your skin. I also know what Cassie is like when someone pisses her off."
"What going on?" Karen placed a tray filled with cups, biscuits and a steaming pot of tea on the coffee table as she took a seat beside Keith.
"Apparently Cass had a bit of a run in with Danny the other night." At Karen's worried look, Keith explained what Lucas had just told him.
The confusion that Karen had felt when Dan had mentioned Cassie the previous day was suddenly gone, replaced instead by a mixture of guilt for keeping it from Keith and irritation with herself for not realising that something must've happened. "Um, I wasn't sure whether to tell you this but Dan came by your house yesterday while I was packing up some of your things." She held up a reassuring hand at Keith's instantly worried expression, urging him to hear her out. "Nothing happened, but he did ask me how Cassie was doing. He said he'd heard she was back in town. When I asked how, he didn't say anything about seeing her, just that it's a small town and word gets around." She filled them in on the conversation, reluctantly including Dan's comment about anything ruining their family.
"Son of a bitch."
Keith's words came out as barely a whisper but both Karen and Lucas heard them. There was no denying that all three of them were concerned by Dan's behaviour. Over the years they had all grown accustomed to his innate ability to mess with people's lives. But he had his own issues with each of them. What possible reason could he have for turning his attention to Cassie?
Keith knew the answer of course. His brother was still convinced that he had started the fire at the dealership. Not only that, but from what Lucas had said, he was also now aware of Keith's plans to adopt Lucas. Targeting Cassie would be the best form of revenge.
The one fact that they were all encouraged by was that Dan had always used mind games as a way of getting to people. Cassie was incredibly smart. A lot smarter than the average teenager. Keith had had numerous conversations with her Uncle Gil regarding her school work and the time she was spending at the lab. But on top of that, his daughter was tough. And that was a combination that would be extremely useful when dealing with Dan. He had no doubt that if she had to, Cassie could easily give Dan Scott a run for his money. Still the thought of his brother having anything to do with his daughter made Keith feel sick with fear, not to mention seething with anger.
"Ok look guys I know that Dan has always just been par for the course around here but it's different now. He thinks I tried to kill him. Somehow I don't think the fact that I was shot is going to miraculously change how he feels about that. So I need you to promise me that you'll tell me if he's hassling any of you. You guys know what he's like, so I know that you'll take me seriously. Cassie I'm not so sure about."
...
7.00pm EST
Karen's Cafe
Since it was Haley's turn to close up, Cassie had opted to stay and give her friend a hand, which she could tell Haley had been grateful for. She hadn't said in so many words, but Cassie got the feeling that Haley was slightly nervous about the idea of being alone so soon after the shooting.
As Haley went out to the stock room and back of the cafe to lock up, Cassie began stacking the chairs onto the tables. The pair had had a fun afternoon, something they both needed. Seeing as school had been cancelled for the next week and a half, there had been no end of school rush, so Haley had managed to rope Cassie into helping her clean the place up, including doing the mound of dishes. It had been worthwhile when they had rewarded themselves with an Ice Cream sundae and a second round of hot chocolate with marshmallows as they caught up on the last four years of each other's lives that had only previously been discussed by email.
Karen had called around 6.00pm to let her know that her father was home and that if the Cafe was quiet they could just go ahead and close early. She'd found it quite odd and asked if everything was ok but Karen had insisted everything was fine and had jokingly told her to have fun cleaning up. Cassie wondered if she'd believe her when she told her that it had actually turned out to be quite good fun.
She stacked the last of the tables and turned toward the door, intending to switch the sign to closed, but upon turning she was surprised to find her way blocked by a very unwanted visitor. Her surprise turned to irritation in no time at all and for the second time since she had returned to Tree Hill, she stared down her Uncle.
"You're in my way," she stated simply.
"I'm sorry" he replied sarcastically, and made no attempt to clear the path to the door.
"Can I help you with something?" Her tone oozed boredom. She'd had a relatively good day today and didn't want it ruined by this jackass.
"What? Can't an Uncle stop by to say hello to his favourite niece?"
"An Uncle can sure, you can't. And I'm your only niece... by DNA anyway. What do you want Dan? You may have no family to go home to, but I do, so say whatever you came to say then kindly leave."
"There goes that smart mouth of yours again. You really should be careful with that. It can get you into all kinds of trouble."
Cassie wasn't stupid. She knew a thinly veiled threat when she heard one. Being away for the last four years, the only knowledge she had of her Uncle's behaviour was from what her father and Lucas had shared with her. She was well aware of his resentment towards her father for his role in Lucas and Karen's lives, and she knew how much pleasure he took in making every effort to make their lives as difficult as possible. Was this behaviour towards her just another way of doing that? She wasn't sure. Something in his eyes as he spoke made her uneasy, and she was suddenly reminded of Haley's words from earlier.
"What were you doing in the high school the other day?"
Before he could answer, Haley reappeared, stopping in her tracks when she saw Dan standing there. Never taking his eyes off Cassie, Dan simply smiled slightly, straightened up and opened the door.
"Tell my brother I said hello." And then he was gone.
"What was that about?"
Still mulling over the encounter, Cassie covered, not wanting this to get back to her father. "Who knows?" she answered, giving what she hoped came across as a nonchalant shrug. "It's Dan."
...
7.30pm
Exterior Karen's Cafe
The streets of Tree Hill were still as familiar as ever, despite the years Cassie had spent in Vegas. Living in Sin City had been a whole new experience and one of the things she'd found most difficult to adjust to was having to be a lot more safety conscious, especially at night.
But for a reason she couldn't quite fathom, for the first time in her life, she had the distinct feeling that she would have been safer wandering the streets of Vegas than she was in her home town. She had no doubt that her Uncle had intended his words to be interpreted as a threat. But had he actually meant them as a threat? It wasn't unusual for Dan to play his mind games, and if there was one thing he loved it was knowing that people were afraid of him. But there had been something in his eyes earlier, something that told her that her Uncle may be slightly more unhinged than even she had first thought.
Ordinarily, she would have wasted no time talking to her father about something like this. But that was out of the question. It would only make him worry, and that was the last thing he needed while he was recovering.
Before she was able to give the latest incident any further consideration, a low purring sound, which she immediately recognised to belong to a car engine, interrupted her. Having spent the better part of the last four years around trained investigators, her instincts and intuition had been sharpened significantly. She knew that if she was able to hear the car, it meant it was close enough that it should have passed her by now.
She increased her pace slightly, and her heart sank when she heard the car do the same. This really was the last thing that she needed tonight. Annoyance began to replace uneasiness and after walking another block she finally gave in and turned to catch a glimpse of the mystery vehicle, hoping to also get a look at the driver. Her hopes were short lived when she noticed that the windows of the black SUV were tinted. Obviously having realised that they'd been spotted, the driver hit the gas and sped away.
Cassie was so preoccupied with the rapidly disappearing vehicle that she failed to notice the figure that was walking in her direction until she collided with him at full speed.
"Whoa, where's the fire?"
"Oh, jeez." She did her best to right herself before looking up into the surprised brown eyes of a guy that she thought looked to be around her age. "I'm so sorry."
"It's cool. No harm done. Are you ok?"
"Yeah, um..." She turned briefly toward the spot where she had last seen the car, relaxing when her eyes met only an empty street. "I'm... I'm fine."
He raised an eyebrow doubtfully and followed her gaze, scanning the street in the same way she had a moment before. "You sure about that? Cause if I had to guess I'd say you're in a hurry to get away from something. Either that or you really suck at walking."
Considering that this was her second collision since in a week, Cassie was inclined to agree with him. "Probably a little of both." She shook her head suddenly feeling foolish. "I thought someone was following me and I guess wasn't looking where I was going..."
"It's really not a problem. Girls are always throwing themselves at me. Although I have to say so far you're the clumsiest. I'm Marcus."
"Cassie," she muttered with a hint of impatience. If there was one thing she was not in the mood for right now, it was being hit on, but considering she had almost knocked the guy into next week, she didn't want to appear rude.
"I don't think I've seen you around before. Are you from Tree Hill?"
"Sort of. I've been away for a while. You probably know my brother Lucas Scott."
He frowned, obviously confused. "I didn't realise Lucas had a sister. So I guess that would make you another Dan Scott offspring then?"
"Not hardly. It's complicated. Keith is my dad but I've always considered Luke my brother." She found herself speaking without really thinking about what she was saying. The mere mention of her Uncle's name was enough to increase her irritation but it had also sent her already suspicious mind into overdrive. Was it simply coincidence that she had found herself being followed on the same night that Dan had appeared as if from nowhere in the Cafe? It was certainly a possibility but Cassie's intuition told her otherwise. She glanced around the empty streets; her trained eyes searching for any sign of the vehicle that she was now sure had been following her. But once again, she saw nothing out of the ordinary.
"Ok, if that's your story. Look, no offence or anything but you seem pretty spooked. Do you want me to walk you home?"
"Thanks but I'll be fine. I was probably imagining things and even if I wasn't the guy is probably long gone by now."
"Actually I was more concerned about your walking ability... or should I say lack of."
His cocky attitude earned him an annoyed scowl. "I'm sure I can manage."
"Maybe so but what about the next poor guy you crash into. No offence or anything, but it was like colliding with a very short and yet very real truck. I don't think I want that on my conscience."
The insulting words would have normally provoked an onslaught of verbal abuse but when she turned back to him, ready to release her tirade, she was surprised to find that there was not a trace of malice or arrogance on his face. In her moment of panic, she had quite clearly mistaken his innocent humor for cockiness when it had in actual fact most likely been nothing more than an attempt to put her at ease. In that moment she was pretty sure that she couldn't have felt like more of a jerk if she tried.
Forcing herself to relax, she finally let out a laugh at his comment. "Good point. Ok well I guess if it's for the safety of the general public I can't really argue with you can I?"
He smiled and fell into step beside her as she continued on her previous route. For several moments, both of them were silent, but what struck Cassie as odd, was that it didn't feel awkward. This was a guy she had just met, someone she knew nothing about, and yet she was perfectly comfortable walking with him through the streets of her home town, saying absolutely nothing. That was of course until the absence of awkwardness had occurred to her and in some kind of twisted irony, suddenly made her feel terribly awkward.
"So do you mind if I ask why you thought someone was following you?"
Relieved for the chance to fill the silence that had now been ruined by her overactive imagination, Cassie was only too willing to answer. "There was a car, a Denali I think... when I came out of the cafe and started along the street I heard the engine behind me. I figured it would just pass by but it didn't and when I sped up, the Denali did too. Then all of a sudden it sped off around the corner. Right about the time I ran into you... literally." She smiled apologetically.
"Ok, all pretty good indicators I guess. At the risk of sounding sexist and hypocritical, you probably shouldn't be walking the streets alone at night. I mean I always thought Tree Hill was a pretty safe place but now..."
He trailed off and Cassie was sure she saw a hint of sadness in his eyes as he looked away from her. Having sensed that the boy was around her age, it didn't take a genius to guess what he was thinking about.
"You were at the school during the shooting." Her words weren't spoken as a question. The answer was written on his face.
"I was in the tutor centre."
The sadness Cassie had thought she'd seen in his eyes was mirrored in his voice as he confirmed her suspicions. But as quickly as it had come, it was gone, replaced by a carefully constructed mask of indifference. It was clear that his experience in the tutor centre was not something he wanted to discuss and considering she barely knew they guy, Cassie wasn't about to push it.
They spent the rest of the walk in silence. A fact that Cassie was grateful for since it gave her some time to consider the guy who had inadvertently saved her from her mystery follower. During her time in Vegas, she had developed a knack for reading people, a skill which was imperative to being a good CSI. Sara had pointed out on numerous occasions that it was one of Cassie's natural talents, and that she simply needed to train her mind to really concentrate on putting all the little details together.
She found it surprisingly easy to concentrate on Marcus, the realisation of which caused her to blush slightly with embarrassment. But she had to admit he was intriguing. His outward persona gave the impression of a carefree, slightly cocky and maybe even arrogant guy. The type of guy someone might refer to as a typical jock, if they were being particularly judgemental. But with that one little slip, Cassie had seen the person behind the mask and she had a feeling there was a lot of emotion locked behind his eyes. He seemed... haunted, for lack of a better word, and she couldn't help but wonder what it was that tortured him so much.
Her musings came to an abrupt end when she realised that they had arrived at her house. She paused, before turning toward him slightly. "So listen, thanks for walking me home. And I'm sorry again for almost bowling you over."
He shook her apology off. "You're welcome and honestly it's cool." He smirked. "Like I said, girls are always throwing themselves at me. But some of them I don't mind so much."
He gave her no time to reply, leaving her with a polite 'see ya round' before strolling off into the darkness.
...