Author Note: Some have been asking about pairings, and as of now, I'm still undecided. What I can say without a doubt is that there will be no Peyton and Jack. That was never the plan and right now that remains the same. Otherwise, thanks for reading and reviewing. You guys are awesome

Chapter 12

Brooke POV

Brooke rushed downstairs hoping Peyton had made them a quick breakfast before taking off. She hadn't realized how much she'd screwed up when she decided to stay over, everything she needed for school was at her place.

Thankfully, they still had time to swing by before first bell.

"Hey P. Sawyer, were going to have to pass by my house, I need…" Brooke rounded the corner to see a lack of her best friend anywhere. There was no breakfast, no Peyton, and the only thing she was met with was a curious look from the boy who had basically screwed up her morning. "Um where's Peyton?"

Jack smiled a little at the girl's hesitance. Of the three girls he'd met in New York, Brooke was defiantly the mysterious one to him. He knew Haley had a heart. She was the caring one, the glue that held their close group together.

Peyton was outspoken. She didn't hold back and wasn't at all scared of knowing who she was and what she wanted.

Jack had known them for so little but had picked up quickly enough that he noticed things like that. Haley had sought him out at the bar because she was compassionate, and Peyton had let him in her home because she was fearless.

Each their own unique qualities.

The girl in front of him though, who still has a confused look on her face, wasn't as easy to read. Only thing Jack knew was that she didn't trust him.

"She left about 5 minutes ago," Jack explained, watching as the girl in front of him started to pace back and forth angrily. "I told her I'd give you a lift."

Brookes pacing stopped as she eyed Jack. She couldn't pick up on whether or not he was joking, but from what she seen, he didn't have much of a sense of humor. Plus that'd be a pretty piss poor joke.

Typical Peyton. Brooke thought, trying her best not to look annoyed. I complain about bringing him here and now I'm stuck with him.

"You don't trust me," Jack finally said, seeing the inner turmoil. She tried to speak but fell short. "Look it's just a ride, you don't want it, fine, but I'm heading there now. So I'll see you outside or around I guess."

Brooke watched as Jack grabbed his bag and headed out the door. She felt stupid treating him like how she was but someone had to be cautious. It was ironic, her being cautious, but I guess being with Lucas for so long had opened her eyes a little more.

She wasn't just that party girl, even though it would have been easier to be at the moment.

"Uh, fine," Brooke sighed, grabbing her purse before heading towards the door. She spotted the car in its spot and slowly walked towards it.

Jack watched as she got in and sat perfectly still.

"So your house?" He asked, starting the car.

"If you don't mind," Brooke asked.

The short car ride felt like anything but, yet she somehow managed to keep it together long enough for them to make it to her house. She'd never had a problem talking with the opposite sex; some would say she was a pro, yet she felt speechless around him.

What could she possibly ask? Or say? Already he'd called her out on the whole trust issue, which didn't make anything easier.

"Nice place," Jack remarked, looking at the massive house Brooke called home.

"It's alright." Brooke tried to downplay it. She saw the appeal, but sometimes when she'd walk through those doors, it felt like anything but a home.

"I dunno, four walls, roof over your head, bed to sleep in, could be worse," Jack observed casually.

"You'd be surprised," Brooke mumbled, before opening the door. "I'll be a minute."

She took off before he could say a word and hurried towards her door. The last thing she wanted was Jack to see the guilty face she had. Acting like her house was so little, it was a stupid thing to say, considering she was just sitting in what he'd called home for the past month.

Grabbing her stuff, Brooke gave a shout out to her parents but never heard a reply. They must have been gone yet again, not like they cared. She'd been in New York and they hadn't called once. Sometimes she wondered if they forgot that she was even around.

"There loss," Brooke whispered, running back outside. She eyed her car, realizing that she could actually just drive herself. Yet the Camero stood in it's spot waiting.

He'd drover her here, waited, hadn't done anything to prove that he was a creep last night; she could at least make him drive her to school.

"Hey, Brooke!"

A voice called out to her right and she turned to the owner. Of all the things she needed, this was probably in the top five. Her skinning dipping neighbor made his was over, thankfully dressed, with a smirk on his face.

"Thought I saw you."

"Yes well I luckily didn't see you, until you called," She bit back, not in the mood.

"Feisty huh," Felix remarked with another smile. "Heading to school huh? Want a lift, get to know each other better, thoroughly maybe?"

"I think I'll pass."

She wasn't stupid to not admit that the guy was pretty good looking, in most cases, her past self probably would have toyed with the idea, but right now, she wasn't in the mood.

"Think isn't very definitive," Felix laughed. "Which means this isn't over."

"It is now," Brooke hurried past him and towards the car. Maybe she was lucky that she wasn't alone. Jack could stop her from killing her new neighbor. "I'm ready."

"Friend?" Jack asked, watching as the guy headed towards the passenger seat.

"With benefits," Felix answered, ducking his head to stare at Jack. "She with you?"

"I'm with nobody," Brooke shot back. She just wished the car would move. "Can we go?"

Felix smirked one last time. "Well thanks for telling me you are available. I'll see you at school sweetheart. You to scar face."

Before either of them could reply, Felix walked casually back to his house and into car. Neither of them we're sure what had just happened, but both had come to the same conclusion.

They didn't like him.

"Nice friend you have there," Jack said as he started the car and headed towards the school.

"Take a left," Brooke answered, before thinking of that obnoxious ass. "He's no friend of mine."

The rest of the car ride they both kept to themselves. Brooke wondering about the new school year and Jack wondering about meeting his supposed uncle Keith.

It was a welcome distraction as Brooke thought about a new year with her cheer squad, and the upcoming season, and maybe trying to figure out her next step towards her future. Also it wouldn't help to test the waters. She wasn't sure if she was still fully over Lucas, but the best way would be to move on.

Maybe.

Turning the corner, Brooke welcomed the familiar site of the school. Most of the time, she dreaded come here for work, but then she remembered her friends and all the other awesome stuff she'd be able to do, she wasn't so depressed anymore.

She looked over at Jack as he drove into the parking lot. A million thoughts must have been passing through his head, and all of them more nerve wrecking then the next.

The car stopped into an empty space and the two watched as kids made there way around the campus. She recognized so many of her friends; it brought a smile to her face.

"Thanks for the lift," Brooke said kindly, before opening the door. "I'm sure I'll see you around campus."

"Yeah, have a good one."

Brooke said another thank you before closing the door and stepping into the crowd. Instantly she felt at home as she rushed towards some of her friends and greeted them happily.

Yes. She thought. This finally feels normal.

Keith POV

Keith sat idly by in the waiting room outside the principal's office with both his nephews as they waited. They'd been here for about 10 minutes waiting on Jack to meet them. Lucas had said he'd spoken to him earlier in the morning about meeting them to sort out his admission into the new school year.

It was still crazy to Keith to even think of the subject. A couple days ago this bomb changed his life, and now here he was, waiting for his new nephew to walk through those doors and meet him for the first time.

"I still can't believe you guys went to New York," Keith mumbled, trying not to speak to loud. This town was a cesspool for drama, last thing he wanted was thing getting to unwanted ears. "And you didn't think I'd wanna come."

"We didn't have any space," Nathan said lamely.

Keith rolled his eyes. "I have a car Nate. Would have been pretty damn simple."

"We're sorry uncle Keith," Lucas apologized.

"I know, just keep me in the loop next time okay. I'm on your side. I just want what's best for all of you."

"We know," The brothers answered.

The three Scotts turned to see Principal Turner leave his office and join them in the waiting room. The man had always been friendly towards them, so they were just glad that maybe, he'd make the next conversation as easy a possible.

"Keith Scott as I live and breath," Turner smiled towards the man.

"Aaron," Keith smiled, shaking the man's hand. "It's been awhile."

"It has."

Lucas looked back and forth between the two. "You guys know each other well?"

"I do have a life outside this school Mr. Scott," Turner explained with a hint of a smile. "As hard as they may be for you kid's to accept. So, should we get started?"

A soft knock brought the attention towards the office doors as the men turned their eyes to see Jack walk in hesitantly.

Keith held his breath watching the young man before slowly walk in with confusion in his eyes. The boys couldn't see it, but for a brief flash, Keith could almost see himself in the past in the boy.

They didn't look much alike now, but Keith could see tiny flashes of himself in his newest nephew. It was almost surreal for him, seeing it for the first time, but he knew without a doubt, this was defiantly his nephew.

"Hey Jack," Lucas stepped aside to give him some room. "Come on in."

Keith watched as Jack's eyes searched the room before resting on his. He wasn't sure what to do, but he stuck out his hand, hoping to start off on the right foot.

"It's good meet ya Jack," Keith spoke, emotion in his voice. "I'm Keith."

Jack shook his hand hard, not really sure what to say. So he started with a head nod, and pretty much left it at that.

"Listen, we gotta take off," Nathan did his best to read the room, but it was just awkward for everyone. He turned to Jack with an encouraging smile. "Will leave you guys to it. And will see you around, maybe have lunch."

The two boys gave their brother one last smile before excusing themselves and headed towards class. The three men remaining looked back and forth to each other before Principal Tuner gestured towards his office.

"Shall we?"

Jack POV

The room he sat in held many accomplishments for the man who sat across Jack at the moment. Awards for honors as a student, teacher, and now principal decorated the walls, giving Jack a sense that the man was extremely good at any job he did.

He wasn't sure if that was a good thing necessarily.

Smart men didn't take many chances, especially low risk ones, but they also so potential in the least likely of places. Jack hoped, for all this to work, that he qualified under least likely of places.

"So three Scotts under one roof," Turner s continued speaking. Him and Keith had briefly discussed the history of who Jack was. "Can't say that makes my job easier."

"We both know you job was never easy," Keith joked.

"Very true," Turner smiled, before turning to some files on the desk. The file wasn't very thick, but it held everything someone needed to know about Jack's educational background. "Let's see here, average grades all through elementary and middle school, and pretty big spike up in your freshman year. Hit the books pretty hard?"

"I guess," Jack answered, his mind trying not to veer off to his past.

"Took a hit next year though," Turner noticed. He looked up from the file to stare at Jack. "You only passed through 3 months of sophomore year before quitting school. Care to explain?"

Keith watched as Jack shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He'd been in touch with Jack's foster parents earlier in the morning, and they told Keith what had happened for Jack to quit school. They'd said that he wouldn't discuss, not with anyone, so it was a sticky situation.

"Jack had a personal matter," Keith explained. "Something he's moved past from and is ready to take the next step in his life. Let's be frank here Aaron, you've read that file a dozen times since you've had it. This isn't about grades, you've seen them when he applies himself."

Jack watched the principal nod his head towards his uncle. "Fine, if we're being honest and open. This is about the safety of my students."

"And how is that relevant to giving Jack late admission?"

Jack knew what was about to be said, and wondered if Ed and Jen had told Keith or the others during any of their discussions.

"Allegations of assault we're dropped last year right before Mr. Scott decided to quit school. There isn't anything concrete, charges we're dropped before anything could come to light. But I can't have my students being tangled in anything that would bring their safety into question. Now you seem like a good kid Jack, this file doesn't say anything otherwise, but this, this kind of stuff can be pretty damaging."

It was the second worst mistake of his life, and just like the first, it'd haunt him forever. Nobody how far he went, or what he said, it would always hang over him like a dark cloud.

Jack could see it in Mr. Turner's eyes, and in Keith's too. They didn't know how to handle him.

"Is there any proof that Jack was involved in more then a physical matter?" Keith asked finally.

"No, but…"

"Then what are we talking about here," Keith exclaimed. "We can't let this one piece of information keep him from trying to get an education."

"We can if it endangers the fabric of my student body."

"He's not a mastermind criminal here Aaron," Keith summed up. "He's had a rough couple of years, and he's paid the price, believe me. We're gonna let one stupid choice ruin his chances of having a normal life?"

General POV

Keith and Jack walked out of the principal's office and into the empty hallway. It'd been a long and hard half hour, but the principal had laid down the law before agreeing to terms.

Jack would be under the microscope for the first little while to see how he reacts to the new environment, and they'd move from there. It almost felt like a prisoner on probation but he'd agreed to it.

The other thing was his condensed schedule. Since he hadn't actually passed sophomore year, he wasn't qualified as a junior. He'd have a schedule that was twice as long that made up for the months he missed last year.

The principal had explained that with a lot of hard work, and maybe some summer courses, he'd be able to graduate as a senior the following year with Lucas and Nathan. He'd have to work at it, but didn't see why he couldn't, Turner had said.

Jack wasn't that far ahead anyways, right now he'd promised Ed that he'd go to school, and he'd delivered. That was enough for him right now.

"So, I guess you start your classes," Keith said finally. He looked over at Jack and smiled. "This will be good for you. I promise."

"Yeah," Jack whispered, looking over at his uncle. "Thanks for in there, I didn't mean…"

"It's cool," Keith reassured him. "If we're talking about stupid mistakes as kids, then your looking at the dumbest person in the world. I won't let one or two mistakes define you. I'll give you the chance to screw it up one more time."

The shared a laugh before Keith looked at him seriously. "I know this seems like a lot, but believe me you aren't alone. I'm just as freaked out about it as you are. But we're in this, all of us, together."

"Your not acting like your freaked out," Jack observed.

Keith smirked, putting a hand on Jack's shoulder. "That's cause I've had practice with crazy situations. Listen, you take your time adjusting. We won't force this family crap on you, that ain't are style anyways. So when you're ready, will be waiting."

It was still had to believe, but Jack accepted Keith's reasoning. He wondered how someone so nice could be brothers with his father, who Nathan and Lucas described as, the devil.

Keith was cool, very leveled, and Jack found that nice to see. He doubted they'd go on fishing trips and have pokers night, but he could tell immediately that Keith was someone he could turn to, on his own terms.

"Um, about what my file said," Jack had remembered what had almost cost him his interview. "Can we keep that between us. Your nephews have done a lot already. I don't want them questioning themselves. It was my mistake, it doesn't have to be there's."

"Deal," Keith agreed without hesitation. "As long as you promise it won't happen again."

"I can do that."