Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.

A/N: As always, huge thanks to all the dedicated readers and especially those of you who leave me a comment, good or bad. It is, as always, very much appreciated.

This chapter is like, a double chapter, but none of it could realistically be bumped to the next chapter, so hopefully you all like the longer ones.

Nathan leaned his head back against the wall, smiling as his memory brought him back to the day he and Peyton had officially become a couple. It was when the carnival had come to town and they'd been dating a few weeks at that point. He hadn't intended to ask her to be his girlfriend that evening, but he had nonetheless.

Flashback

Peyton smiled as Nathan put his basketball skills to use, easily landing the last of the foam balls into the tiny, plastic basket provided – a feat seldom accomplished. The boy did like to show off, she thought as she took in his smug grin.

So far it had been an amazing day. They'd ridden every ride, some repeatedly, and though it was a blast, she'd needed a break from all the spinning, dropping, and flipping upside down so they'd bought a couple of hot dogs and found a bench to sit and eat at. Then they'd gone for the cotton candy and decided to play some of the games.

"Nice work!" the attendant working the game said enthusiastically. "Which one?" he asked, indicating the array of large stuffed animals with a swift hand motion.

Nathan glanced over at Peyton and shrugged his shoulders. "Which one you want?"

She bit her bottom lip nervously, hoping that telling him she wasn't really into over-sized teddy bears wouldn't be a huge blow to his equally over-sized ego. "I actually prefer the small ones."

He smirked at her and spoke low. "We're still talking plushies I hope. Otherwise…"

He let the remark trail off and chuckled when her face turned a cute crimson red. And Brooke had told him she didn't embarrass easily. What did she know?

Peyton looked down a moment to hide her burning cheeks. She'd been worried about hurting his ego? Was that even possible? In any case, it was still very much in tact.

Nathan turned his attention back to the guy in front of him. "Ok, Freddie," he said, reading the nametag he wore. "We'll take two of the small ones instead."

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Freddie stated.

"What do you…" Nathan began.

"It's fine," Peyton cut him off. "One is enough. That one," she finished, pointing to her selection.

"No, you don't understand," Freddie continued. "You must choose from among these," he said, once again indicating the larger bears.

"You're kidding, right?" Nathan scoffed in disbelief. No way this guy was serious.

"No, I'm not kidding. You made all the shots so you get one of these," the older man said, annoyance seeping through his speech. "Those are the rules."

"Dude, screw the rules. She wants a little one."

But Freddie was adamant and wasn't budging.

"Ok, this is ridiculous," Peyton piped up impatiently. "You'd obviously be getting the better deal."

"I'm sorry, perhaps you'd like to play again for another chance at your preferred selection."

Peyton's jaw dropped. He was seriously suggesting they pay to play again? Was this guy on drugs? "No, no," she replied stubbornly. "Perhaps you'd like to stop being a total jackass and just give me the damn bear I picked."

Nathan raised an eyebrow and did nothing to hide his impressed smirk. Damn, this girl didn't take no shit. No wonder she and Brooke were friends. As much as he hated to give in to losers like this attendant, he'd been just about to pull out another ticket and play again just so Peyton wouldn't think he was cheap. But, he must say, he much preferred Peyton's choice of action.

Freddie's face went red with rage and following a few more insults between the three, he threatened to call security if Nathan and Peyton didn't leave.

"Fine, we'll go," Peyton said, seemingly giving up.

Nathan was a bit disappointed until he caught the mischievous glint in her eyes. She gave him an almost imperceptible nod and he knew she was trying to communicate with him, but he had no clue what she was trying to tell him. Until she raced behind the table, snatched her little bear, grabbed his hand and broke out in a run across the park.

"I'm so glad I decided against heels," she mentioned flippantly as they sped off in Nathan's car. She turned to glance behind her. "They're gaining on us. Maybe I should drive." She didn't realize that that right there was a bigger ego blow than her dislike for large plushies. "Nevermind," she changed her tune as his foot pressed down on the gas pedal. He had it.

"So, I've always had a thing for badass cheerleaders, but this is a new one," he commented with amusement once they'd pulled into her driveway.

That's when embarrassment set in. "Oh, I'm sorry…"

"Don't be," he said, winking at her. "That was hot," he added, leaning over and giving her a kiss.

"Of course you'd think so," she came back with, rolling her eyes. "But, for the record, I don't normally go around stealing stuff."

"So the Bonnie and Clyde move isn't common practice?" he teased.

"No, absolutely not," she said firmly.

"Really? Because I remember Brooke telling me that every year on her birthday you…"

"Shut up!" she shouted, her voice a notch higher than usual. "That so doesn't count. We always went back and paid for it when Brooke wasn't around. And technically this little guy's paid for too," she added, holding up the little bear. "But I'm sorry that I involved you."

He simply shrugged carelessly as they stepped out of the car and headed up the walkway to her front door. "It's cool. I don't mind playing Clyde for you. We can serve our prison sentences together."

"Well, you know, men tend to go away longer than women do so I'd probably get out before you."

He frowned. "Discrimination against men right there."

"Got a problem with it?"

"Hell yeah. If it's the same crime…"

She patted his chest as though to placate him. "Take it up with the legal system," she told him with a shrug. "I don't make the rules, I just…well, I don't make them."

He chuckled and pulled her into his arms, looking down at her beautiful face. They may have only begun dating a few weeks ago, but he could already tell by the unfamiliar feelings stirring within him that he was going to fall hard for her. He bent his head and graced her with a lingering kiss, a gesture she both welcomed and returned.

"Can I come in?" he asked hoarsely when they pulled away.

She bit the inside of her cheek with anxiety. She knew what he was asking. She hadn't invited him inside before for this specific reason. She'd heard all the stories. She knew what he was about. And she wasn't ready for that, no matter how much her body screamed otherwise. She took a deep, calming breath before fixing her emerald gaze on his hopeful blue one. "If coming in doesn't come with the automatic expectation of sex, then yeah."

He sighed and looked away. Truth was, he had expected that by now…Hell, with most girls he'd already had them enough times to tire of them by this point.

"Alright, I'm gonna be straight with you," Peyton said, taking in his telling expression. "I'm not ready for sex and I don't know when I will be. So if you want to be with me, then you're gonna have to wait. I know you're not used to that, but that's the deal. If you're not willing to…"

"Be my girlfriend," he said before he could even think about it, let alone stop himself.

"What?" She wasn't sure what she'd expected him to do, but she'd have believed him running the other way over this.

"I like you, Peyton," he said earnestly. "And not just because you're hot. You're different than other girls and…I like spending time with you."

She opened her mouth to speak but fell silent.

He mistook it and pulled back. "Ok, I guess I can take a hint. You're not really into me."

"Nathan…"

"Nah, it's cool. I'll just…I'll get out of your way."

Was that a trace of insecurity she heard in his voice and saw in his eyes? It was gone in an instant but she was sure she'd seen it. "Wait," she said, grabbing his arm and pulling him back to her. "I am into you," she admitted. "I'm so into you it's insane."

"So then, be my girl," he repeated. "Ok?"

She smiled and bobbed her head up and down. "Ok."

He grinned back at her and came in for another searing kiss.

"But this doesn't change anything," she warned.

"No, it changes everything."

"I mean I'm still not ready to sleep with you."

"So I'll wait," he promised, not quite sure what he was getting himself into, yet knowing he wanted this girl. "Besides, you'll cave eventually. Right?"

Still smiling, she took his hand and led him inside. "Come on, I hear there's a Friends marathon on tonight."

He didn't mention that he wasn't crazy about that series, he just followed her. "So, you are gonna visit me if you get out before me, right?"

She lifted her shoulder in a show of mock indecision. "I'll think about it."

End of Flashback

"Hey, superstar," he heard, snapping him out of his reverie.

He opened his eyes and glanced over in the direction of the familiar voice. He smiled as he walked toward her. "Hey, Brooke. Welcome to my humble abode."

"How're you holding up?" she asked, ignoring the humor she knew he wasn't really feeling.

He shrugged despondently. "Not so good," he admitted, knowing it was pointless to put up a tough front for his childhood friend. She'd see right through it.

"Anything I can do?"

"Not unless some judge owes you a big favor," he said. "I thought you were mad at me."

"I am," she told him, still put off that he'd enlisted her help in his deception to Peyton over the tape. Ok, not so much that as the fact that he'd tried to force her into playing along with it even after she'd told him she wouldn't. But that wasn't important now. He was her best friend and she wasn't about to turn her back on him over one silly little squabble. She was pretty sure he knew that. "But apparently not as mad as someone else is," she thought out loud. "Do you know who did this?"

He shook his head. "That's what I've been trying to figure out."

Together they tried to solve the mystery by coming up with possible suspects, but after he'd dismissed Mouth and Lucas, they came up empty.

"It could have been anyone," he concluded. "Anyway," he said, changing the subject. "I'm glad you came. I'm going stir crazy in here."

"I can imagine," she replied. "Rachel and Bevin are here too, but they would only let one of us in at a time."

He nodded, acknowledging her words. "And Peyton?" he asked.

She shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry, Nate. She's just really confused right now. Just give her some time."

"I've got plenty of that," he said dully. "Apparently I could go away for quite a few years for this."

"Years?" Brooke asked in dismay.

"Yeah, at least according to the cops."

"How are you not freaking out right now?"

"Trust me, I've probably walked a thousand miles in this cell since they told me," Nathan said. "My dad says they're just trying to scare me."

"I hope so," she said with genuine concern.

"Me too. He'll be here soon with a lawyer so I guess I'll know more then."

"I'm really nervous for you, Nate. What if they're not just saying that? I mean I saw part of that tape and I hate to say it, but you totally deserve to get nailed for this and this is coming from a friend, nevermind a judge who doesn't even know you but just sees that and…"

"Brooke!"

"I'm sorry. I'm not helping, am I? But good that your dad's getting a lawyer. Knowing Dan Scott, he'll hire the best."

"Yeah," he agreed. "Not sure that'll help me at all though if even one of my best friends thinks I had this coming," he said moodily.

"Ok, I get you're on edge right now," Brooke began, "and understandably so, but there's no need to get snarky. You can't honestly tell me that you did nothing wrong here, because if you really thought that, you wouldn't have tried so hard to cover it up."

He responded with a deep sigh and she knew that was him admitting she was right without having to come out and say it.

"I don't want to make you feel worse, but I don't want to tiptoe around this or sugarcoat anything either," she told him.

"Telling me straight has never been a problem for you," Nathan replied. "So shoot."

She took a deep breath before she spoke again. "I've said this before, but you have anger issues, Nate," she started with. "And from what I saw of that tape, they're only getting worse. I don't like saying this, but I really feel like you deserve to be here. And I hate feeling that way, but…you need to do something about your temper before you wind up really hurting someone."

He shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned against the bars. "So I guess calling you up as a character witness is out of the question, huh?"

She sighed in frustration. "I'm serious. I know you hate the guy but this wasn't just some minor scrap. You went way too far this time. And you don't even regret it. You still think Lucas deserved it for crossing you. Because he had nerve to speak to your girlfriend."

"It's not just that and you know it. The bastard wants everything that's mine and I wasn't gonna just sit back and watch him take it. You know something? I wasn't even planning to hit him. I was just gonna warn him to stay away from Peyton. But he wouldn't fucking listen."

"Which pissed you off."

"Ok, yeah, it pissed me off and I lost it. And alright, I don't regret it, not for a second. You're right. You happy?"

She stared at him, mouth agape. He'd always been quick tempered but it seemed these days he was becoming increasingly short with her. And she knew it wasn't her dose of truth because they'd always been straight with each other. It was something else. "Would you please stop jumping down my throat and tell me what's up with you?"

"You mean besides my best friend telling me I deserve to be locked away?" he asked snidely.

"Nathan…"

"You know, the thing with Lucas happened over a month ago and I haven't touched him since. But I guess that doesn't count for anything, right?"

"You left him alone because your tutor threatened to expose you if you didn't."

"Whatever. I was already leaving him alone before I even knew anything about a tape. And it's not because he didn't piss me off again either, cuz when he came back to school the next week, him and Peyton were hanging out like, every second."

She felt like she'd just been slapped in the face because it was true. He had avoided a confrontation with Lucas prior to any knowledge of the tape and she wasn't giving him credit for that. She sent him an apologetic look. "You're right. I'm an idiot."

He looked down toward his feet. "I haven't touched him because I told Peyton I wouldn't. And I know I'm like, probably the king of broken promises and I can't even really say for sure that I would have kept that one without the whole tape deal, but…that look in her eyes when she first found out what I did…it was like, I don't know, like I murdered her dog or something. I never want her to look at me like that again."

"That's why you didn't want her to see the tape yesterday."

He nodded gravely. "And at one time you would have had my back, but you're different now and it feels like I can't really count on you anymore."

"Because I wouldn't lie to Peyton?"

"You used to root for us. Remember? Whenever we broke up you'd be right there trying to patch us up. But now you're not doing that and without your help, I don't know if I'll ever get her back."

And there lay the root of the problem, she discovered. He missed Peyton – this was the longest breakup they'd ever had – and he felt Brooke was failing him as his aid in the reconciliation. Not to mention the charges against him had to have their toll.

"Ok, you can think I'm slacking in the best friend department if you want, but trust me, whether Peyton takes you back or not, it'll have nothing to do with my involvement or lack thereof. She's a big girl. She can, and always has, made her own decisions." She was glad when he nodded in agreement. "And for the record," she went on. "I'm still rooting for you two."

He smiled at that. "Yeah?"

"Hundred percent. I've just stepped out of the middle," she replied with a lift of her shoulder. "And you," she added with a faint warning tone, "need to stop trying to drag me back into it."

"I'll try," he responded.

"I know it'll take getting used to," she said lightly. "Especially when your sidekick is as brilliant as I am, but you have to let go of my hand sometime."

He wanted to scoff at her remark, but he couldn't really deny that he'd been doing exactly that. He'd always depended on her to help him get his relationship with Peyton back on track. And truthfully he didn't like the idea of losing that security blanket. But he'd been kind of under the impression that Brooke was turning against a reunion between him and Peyton and was glad to learn that that wasn't the case at all.

"Word of advice though," Brooke cautioned. "Be honest with her. She's already got major trust issues with you so lying to her again was the worst thing you could have done – worse than any reaction she could have had seeing a beating she already knew about in the first place."

"Yeah, I know," he acknowledged. "But technically she wouldn't have known that I lied if you…"

"She would have figured it out," Brooke insisted. "And have you been asleep through part of this conversation?"

"Nah," he replied with a soft chuckle. "I was just bugging you. That doesn't have to change too, does it?"

"As long as I get to bug you back."

"You always do," he came back with. "Now, tell me about this Chase guy."

Just as she opened her mouth to reply, Dan Scott and another middle-aged, well-dressed man appeared. She glanced at Nathan again, his face now etched with anxiety. "Good luck," she mouthed before saying her hellos and goodbyes.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––

"You want to read that for me, son?" Sheriff Corbin requested of an extremely nervous Lucas as he tossed a stack of papers on his desk in front of him. "Just the highlighted part."

Lucas glanced over at his mother beside him before warily reaching for the bundle and silently reading the section mentioned.

"Out loud," the other officer in the room balked so that they'd know he'd actually read it.

Lucas cleared his throat and began:

"False reports to law enforcement agencies or officers.

Any person who shall willfully make or cause to be made to a law enforcement agency or officer any false, misleading or unfounded report, for the purpose of interfering with the operation of a law enforcement agency, or to hinder or obstruct any law enforcement officer in the performance of his duty, shall be guilty of a Class 2misdemeanor."

"Do you understand what that means?"

"Yes, sir," Lucas replied uneasily.

"Good. Now, do you know what kind of penalty a Class 2 misdemeanor carries?"

"No, sir."

"Up to six months imprisonment."

His face paling, Lucas felt like the wind had just been knocked out of him. He could actually do time for this?

The other officer hid his snicker behind a hand at his partner's scare tactics. Six months was the maximum penalty and very unlikely to be given to a first offender, let alone that offender being a minor. But whatever was needed to give these kids a wake up call would be done. On that he and his partner agreed. "Now, you seem like a good kid," he jumped in, "so we're going to let you off with a warning. This time."

Lucas nodded, relief washing over him. "Thank you."

"And Nathan?" Karen asked. It really wouldn't sit well with her if he got off with a simple warning as well. Not after what he'd done to her son.

"He's not so lucky. He's facing assault and battery charges."

"Wait," Lucas said. "I don't want to press charges," he stated with a courage he didn't particularly feel. He'd thought a lot about it all night, but despite his mother's wise advice, he couldn't bring himself to get his own brother in that much trouble.

The two policemen exchanged amused glances. "It doesn't work that way, kid. In criminal cases, the police or the crown lay the charge, not the victim. Once a crime's been reported, there's no going back. The crown prosecutor decides whether or not there's enough evidence to pursue it."

"But I didn't report it," Lucas stated vehemently.

"The hospital reported it on your behalf as they're required to do," the cop said. And then he turned to Karen to say. "Now you can still file a suit for monetary damages – medical expenses, loss of wages and whatnot – but you'd have to take that to civil court."

"And he'd still have to face criminal charges for the assault?"

"Absolutely. Two separate issues. Basically criminal court deals with punishment for the accused and civil court deals with compensation for the victim. Mind you, this case will be heard in Juvenile Court since the boy's a minor and those penalties are quite lighter."

"So, what'll happen to him?" Lucas wanted to know.

"Well, I'm no lawyer, but my guess would be, sadly, not enough." He got to his feet, ready to dismiss them when Karen spoke again.

"There's something else Lucas needs to tell you," she said.

Her son shot her a glare because he hated to report something that might not be true.

"At the very least, it needs to be looked into," Karen insisted sternly.

So he took a deep breath and, knowing he had no choice, told of his suspicions – suspicions of his own possibly abusive father. He thought he'd feel guilty for doing so, but instead, which each word that spilled from his mouth, he felt a burden being lifted off his shoulders. That's when he realized that the only guilt he felt was that of keeping it to himself for this long, doing nothing to improve the situation. He left the station with the police's promise to look into it and a feeling lighter than he'd had since that incident in the locker room.

He met up with Brooke Davis on his way out and though they didn't speak, he was caught off guard by the apologetic smile she gave him. It was like she felt bad about what Nathan had done to him. He couldn't help smiling back gratefully.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––

"Am I going to jail?" Nathan asked after Mr. Kowalski, the lawyer, had spewed out a whole speech of legal mumbo jumbo regarding his case. He hadn't understood a single word that had come out of the man's mouth.

"Well Juvenile Court is geared more toward rehabilitation than disciplinary action…"

"Is that a no?" Nathan cut in to ask.

"It's not a guarantee, but you are a minor with no criminal record. And you're remorseful, yes?"

"Uh." Nathan stole a glance at his father who nodded faintly. "Yeah, sure."

Mr. Kowalski chuckled. "Alright, well, convince a judge better than that and your chances are good."

"He will," Dan replied authoratively. "So, what are the odds he walks away from this?"

"Unscathed? Slim to none. Prison time is unlikely but the crown has bulletproof evidence against him. He won't get off with a slap on the wrist. I'm seeing probation, community service, probably a fine. Not to mention a possible civil suit filed by the victim's mother."

Dan sighed deeply, not liking the sound of this at all. But a civil suit was the least of his worries. He had more pressing matters to deal with. Like Nathan's basketball career. "And will this be on his permanent record?"

"As a minor his record will be sealed."

Dan breathed a sigh of relief, never so thankful that his son hadn't been born a year earlier.

"So, I'm not going to jail?" Nathan asked again, because, well, he hadn't really answered that question.

"Not if I can help it," the lawyer said.

"But it's possible?"

"Like I said, it's in the judge's hands. Anything's possible, but I've been a lawyer for almost twenty years and I've never seen a judge send a kid to prison on his first offense except for the most serious of crimes, like murder or rape. I think you're safe."

Nathan nodded appreciatively, glad for that bit of hope but wishing for the guarantee. Even the remote possibility of a prison term concerned him.

"Ok, well, if you don't have any more questions, I'll see you tomorrow at the bail hearing," Mr. Kowalski said as he rose. "We're going to get you out of here, kid," he added confidently.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––

"I thought I might find you here," Brooke said as she sat beside Peyton beneath the bridge. "How're you doing?"

"How is he?" Peyton asked rather than answered.

"He's a mess," the brunette replied simply, encompassing all of Nathan's fear, anger, anxiety and gloom into one emotion.

"So, let me guess," Peyton returned dully. "You want to try to convince me to go see him."

"Sort of," Brooke admitted. "It's your decision, but I'm hoping you decide to go," she added softly.

Peyton stared off ahead, an unreadable expression marking her features. "Why should I?"

"Because he needs you."

"Right," Peyton scoffed. "And that means I should go running to him with my unwavering support. Every time he does something stupid, I'm supposed to drop everything to be by his side. Well, guess what? I'm tired of it. We're not together anymore and I don't owe him anything."

"Meow!" Brooke said, leaning away from Peyton and making hissing noises. "No one is saying you owe him…"

"No, but if I don't at least go see him, then I'm a selfish bitch, right? Even though I've been nothing but his doormat for the past year. Because he needs me," she said snidely. "He brought all this on himself but I'll be the bad guy if I don't support him through it. It's not fair."

"Hon, I don't want to take sides here…"

"But you are, Brooke."

Brooke shook her head. "Only if I were actually thinking everything you just said rather than it just being the workings of your own mind," she stated pointedly. "Do I want you to go see Nathan? Yes. Because he does need you. You might think you've only been his doormat, but really you're his rock – the one person who can pull him through anything, even when he is at fault, which is…well, most of the time."

A small giggle escaped Peyton's lips at Brooke's attempt at humor, but she didn't comment so the brunette went on.

"But am I going to think any less of you if you stay away? Of course not. Because I know all the crap he's put you through, so if your heart can't take any more, I get it. I'm here for you, P. Sawyer, no matter what you decide."

Peyton nodded, a tiny smile breaking through her face. "Thanks, B. Davis."

"Now as far as you being a selfish bitch, well I already thought that long before you and Nathan started dating."

Peyton sent her a mock glare before bumping her shoulder with her own.

"Anyway, I'll leave you alone," Brooke said, knowing that's what Peyton needed right now. "Just think about it, ok?"

"Yeah," Peyton replied with a nod of her head. Like she could do anything else.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––

Following Dan's departure, with a solemn promise to return later, Nathan's friends began filing in one by one – so much so that the cops complained that the station was turning into party central for every teenager in town. But Nathan was glad for the support as well as the distraction. It sure as hell beat the alternative of sitting around worrying over an unlikely, yet possible, jail sentence.

He was chuckling mildly at a joke Damien had made when a professional looking lady, brief case in hand, arrived and politely excused Damien so she could speak to Nathan alone.

She explained she was from Child Protective Services and was investigating a recent claim of a locker room incident between he and his dad several weeks back.

Nathan scoffed at being labeled a 'child' and she pointed out that he was using his age in his defense against the charges laid upon him so couldn't now turn around and call himself an adult. Legally he was a minor in both situations.

So he'd looked her in the eye and denied the locker room report, claiming it never happened and that whoever had said otherwise had made it all up.

And so the social worker had gone, not because she bought Nathan's story – she knew the lies kids told to protect their parents – but because without Nathan's corroboration or clear-cut signs of abuse, there really wasn't anything she could do.

Nathan was outraged long after she left. He knew it was Lucas – he'd been the only one in the locker room that day. That fucking, trouble making bastard, he fumed. It wasn't enough to mess with his basketball and his girlfriend. No. Now he was gonna try to fuck up his home life too.

Damn, it was a good thing Nathan's court hearing wasn't at this precise moment because he'd have a hell of a time trying to convince a judge that he was the least bit remorseful for his actions. Hell, he might even blurt out that he wished he'd done more damage. That wouldn't go over very well, he was sure.

He paced the small confines of the cell for several minutes before finally plopping down on the bed. He had to stop thinking about this right now or else he was gonna lose it.

He took a deep, calming breath and as though to keep himself from going crazy, his mind wandered again, this time three months back to the produce aisle of Tree Hill's local grocery store.

Flashback

Nathan shook his head and stood close as Peyton popped a grape into her mouth. "And the bandit life continues," he whispered teasingly in her ear.

She jabbed him in the side with her elbow. "Shut up! This is so not stealing."

"Ok, I might not be the smartest guy on the planet, but I'm pretty sure if you check the dictionary,'theft' is defined as taking something that doesn't belong to you," he responded lightly.

She rolled her eyes. "Without permission," she argued. "But these are meant to be tasted," she reasoned.

He chuckled softly. "Is that what you're gonna tell the feds?"

"It's true," she insisted. "Why do you think they're out in the open like this?"

"I don't know, maybe so people can grab one of those little baggies and grab how many they want. Or maybe you're right…maybe they put this out as a little treat for anyone who might have, I don't know, skipped lunch before going shopping. Just a little something to tie them over till dinner. Gee, I wonder how business is doing."

Peyton crossed her arms and fixed him with a mock glare. "I said taste, not chow down. People need to know if they're sweet or sour before they buy them."

"Right," he replied, the smile never wavering from his face. "And exactly how many grapes does it take before one really knows? Cuz you've probably eaten a good dozen at least."

She smiled guiltily. "Well my taste buds are all awry from my cold."

"Uh huh," he scoffed. "What cold?"

"Oh, I feel it coming on," she said, coughing into her hand.

"I'm thinking it's more like you're working your way up to full 'Bonnie' status," he joked.

"Ok, how is it moving up?" she teased reasonably. "Because I'm pretty sure stuffed animals are worth more than grapes."

"Well that depends how many grapes you eat," he answered lightly. "Knowing you…"

She cut him off by stuffing a grape in his mouth. "Well, keep up, Clyde, or I may have to replace you."

"Not gonna happen," he said with a shake of head. "I'll kick the guy's ass."

"Then you'll be doing even more time," she said lightly.

"Well, you're still gonna visit me, right?" he questioned as he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"We'll see," she replied tauntingly. "In the meantime," she went on, slipping out of his arms and reaching for the grocery cart. "We have to get this shopping done so when my dad comes home this weekend, he doesn't think I've been filling up on junk."

"Which you have," he said pointedly.

"He doesn't need to know that," she returned and began walking away with the cart.

"Hey, aren't you gonna buy any grapes?" Nathan asked, grapping one of the little bags, along with a twist tie.

"Nah," she threw over her shoulder. "Too sour."

And he chuckled, throwing the contents in his hands atop the fruit, before following behind her.

End of Flashback

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Peyton sat on the hard, solid ground as the cool breeze gently blew through her hair. Hours of strolling around aimlessly had finally led her here – the one place where she could be completely open with her feelings and didn't have to hold anything back.

"Hi, Mom," she said. "It's me. How's life up there? It's not so good down here. All this stuff is piling up and I don't know how to handle it."

Already on edge, her voice cracked slightly.

"Nathan's in jail. Yeah, Dad would just love that, huh? Anyway I think everyone expects me to go see him, but I don't know if I can. A part of me says go because he must be so scared, but the other part of me is just so mad at him…"

A few tears fell softly down her cheeks and she tried, to no avail, to brush them away. So she gave up and continued speaking.

"I wish you were here because I don't know what to do. I don't want him to think I don't care what happens to him, but he might if I don't go. But if I do go, he'd probably think everything is fine between us again when it's not. So, what do I do? Sometimes I wish I could just let him go. You know? Just be done with him once and for all. I'm tired of all his games and lies and being pulled in every direction. But I can't. We're not even together anymore and I feel like I'm betraying him if I don't go to him. Which is crazy, right?"

She reached into her purse for a tissue. "I'm falling apart here, Mom. I don't know what I'm doing and I just wish you could be here because I need your help. I need your advice. I need you. I miss you so much."

She could have very well imagined it, but suddenly she felt a comforting warmth encompassing her, like arms embracing her gently. But there was nobody there. At least not to the visible eye. She chose to believe it wasn't her imagination at all, but rather a mother's natural response to her daughter's overwhelming grief. Maybe she was wrong, but she wouldn't entertain that idea. She would just sob quietly until her eyes were dry.

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The instant her eyes fell upon him, she knew she'd been kidding herself all day by thinking she'd ever had a choice to make. Her heart had already known and decided what she would do. Nathan needed her and she would be there. That was never truly in question. It had just taken the day for her mind to realize it and her pride to accept it. As much as her common sense opposed the idea, she had to come. She couldn't not reach out to him. She just couldn't.

Nathan rose slowly, wondering momentarily if his eyes were playing tricks on him – if maybe, in light of his recent memories, his imagination had somehow conjured her up, fooling him into thinking she was standing there before him.

But he wasn't imagining her, he realized as he got closer to her. "You came," he nearly choked out once he stood directly in front of her, only the steel bars separating them.

"Was there ever a doubt?" she asked caustically.

The sharp tone of her voice didn't escape him. She was still mad, he noted. "Peyton, I'm sorry. I…"

She closed her eyes for a second to control her volatile emotions. When she opened them, she shook her head vehemently and waved her hands in front of her. "No, don't…don't talk," she requested softly, effectively cutting off his speech. She thought she might scream if she heard one more apology come out of his mouth.

She reached between the bars, took his large hand in her much smaller one and threaded her fingers through his, pulling him downward with her.

No words were spoken. They simply sat there on the cold floor, hand in hand, heads resting against each side of the bar and both listening to the soft, even breathing of the other.

And for that moment, Nathan didn't think about court or jail or Lucas or anything else that had plagued his mind since his arrest. Peyton was here and right now that was all that mattered.

A/N: Just wanted to let you all know that I did a lot of extensive research of the U.S. legal system to ensure that facts are as accurate as possible. However, the laws differ from state to state regarding several issues, such as minors, juvenile court and transferring juveniles to adult court, expunging of criminal records, bail hearings, etc. Also there are so many different processes and options available so if at any point it seems like things are unrealistic and wouldn't happen that way, that's because I combined several state laws to fit with where I'm going with the story. (as opposed to using just NC laws) Also most of the processes will be skipped because, well, this isn't a story on law…lol. So for the sake of this story, let's just all pretend I know exactly what I'm talking about, ok? LOL. Thanks guys. Love ya!