Mama's Boy - 1/1

[dawnieangel]

Title:Mama’s Boy
Author:Dawn
Rating: T- for mild cursing and sexual reference.
Summary: It's Jamie's first day at Tree Hill High, and Haley just can't understand how her son is in trouble already. Damn those Scott genes.
Author’s Note:
I haven’t been able to write lately, life’s been hectic and just had a good old fashioned case of writers block in those moments when I had the time to write! Hopefully this’ll break me through that wall. Either way, I hope you enjoy it for what it is!
Big thanks to Lori (Lorilozz) for beta-ing for me, and Kristen and Bec for nudging me along!

This story is set about fourteen years in the future - around baby James’ first day of highschool

“and den, and den, I painted a picture, but miss not let me bring it home til 'morrow.” Haley couldn’t help and smile down at her four year olds enthusiastic retelling of his first day of preschool, despite the day from hell she’d just had. The first day back of the year was always chaotic. No one knowing where they were supposed to be, or what they were supposed to be doing. Not to mention the nice shock she’d received at the end of the day when she was leaving…

“Won’t let you, and that’s great sweetie! I can’t wait to see your picture tomorrow. I’m so glad you had fun, I told you that you would huh?” Matthew rewarded his mother was a big smile, releasing the tug he’d had on her pants leg so as to hold her attention, and ran off after his sister, who had headed straight for the kitchen for the promised after school snack. “ONE COOKIE EACH!”

Walking into the kitchen she dropped the school bags she’d hauled in from the car onto the ground, and smiled in spite of herself at the sight of her eldest son strongly holding her seven year old around the waist so she could reach the cookie jar.

“Hi Hales.” Lily smiled her greeting up from where she was sat at the table with Matthew settled happily on her lap. Her turn to listen intently to the adventures he’d had that day.

“Hi Lily.” She watched James tense at the sound of her voice, and he had the good grace to send her a sheepish smile as he turned around, lowering his sister to the ground. “How was your first day of high school? Better than my son’s I hope.”

“Uh, Mom I..”

Stopping him with a glare before he could start Haley turned her attention back to the pretty curly haired teen. “Do you think you could settle these two in the living room with a DVD, Lily?”

“But I want to stay heerree.” Olivia piped up, sensing some drama was about unfold between her mom and her older brother.

“Livvy baby please. I need to talk to Jamie for a minute.”

“Do I have to?” She pouted, walking over to Haley, her blue eyes turning doe-y behind her dark bangs in an attempt to soften her mothers resolve.

“Yes please.” Wrapping an arm around the little girl Haley hugged her into her side, bending down and pressing a kiss onto the top of her head, before nudging her gently off in the direction of her cousin and younger brother who were standing in the doorway. “If you hurry up and get there first, you might be able to pick what you watch before Matty does.”

“I’m going to play piano.” Haley heard Jamie laugh at his stubborn sister as she watched her stomp dramatically off down the hallway. She definitely had the Scott’s flair for the dramatic.

“I’ll call you later, Jay. Maybe we can go to the rivercourt for some one-on-one?”

And talking of Scott traits…

“I wouldn’t bother Lily, Jamie won’t be taking any calls for a while, and he definitely won’t be leaving the house tonight; or anytime soon.” Haley said, her harsh tone clearly directed at her son, her eyes not leaving him as the teenage girl herded the younger Scott’s down the hallway.

“Are you going to tell me what happened?” She asked, her six foot son seemingly shrinking before her eyes as he mumbled out a no and became fascinated by the scuff marks his Air Jordan’s were making on the kitchen floor, but he could feel her gaze hardened at his answer.

“I got into a fight.” He said simply, shrugging it off in a way that had all the petite woman’s determination to stay calm flying out the window.

“Well I know that James!! I knew that when the principal called me into his office before I left this afternoon to tell me you’d be attending detention every day this week! What I want to know is why it happened!” Her arms were flailing around her, gesticulating madly as she tried to get across just how furious she was.

“Does it matter?” Watching him squirm uncomfortably under her prodding, Haley wondered if maybe she’d jumped to the wrong conclusions.

“Was he picking on you Jamie?” She asked softly, sensing he was holding back, she closed the distance between them, and reached up, laying her hand on his shoulder. Worrying more still when it started to shake beneath her touch. “Honey if he..”

“Oh Ma!” Jamie let out a bellowing laugh that was almost identical to the one his father had when he was amused by something she did. “No, he wasn’t picking on me!”

“I fail to understand what is funny about this situation James Lucas!” The hand that had been on his shoulder flying to her hip. “Explain to me what is funny about getting into a fight on your first day of school and nearly getting suspended!”

“Nothing.” He responded, once again the picture of a sullen teenager as he crossed his arms defensively infront of him and looked away. “It doesn’t matter what he said, okay?”

“So he did say something then?“ Shaking her head and gritting her teeth when she got no more than a shrug in return, she crossed her arms over her chest. “Who threw the first punch?”

He looked over at her, anger clear in her body language and across her face, and his mind ran over what had happened just before the fight, anger boiling back up in his veins. “I did! And I’d do it again!”

“Don’t you dare shout at me young man!” Haley snapped back shocked. She wasn’t used to this level of disrespect from her son. “You might be in highschool now, and near enough twice my size, but you’re never too old or too big to go over your mother’s knee, you hear me?”

“Yes Mom.” Jamie mumbled, having the good sense to look like he regretted it. After all he hadn’t actually been angry at her.

“Do you know how embarrassing this was for me? I work in that school! They entrust me with hundreds of kids every week, and then the one that I raised comes in and starts brawling in the halls on his first day!” Sighing when Jamie didn’t respond, once again enthralled by his shoes, she gave up, letting out a haggard breath. “Just get up to your room. Maybe you’d prefer to explain this to your dad when he gets home.”

“Fine.” Without sparing a glance at his mother Jamie stomped his big feet across the kitchen and up the stairs. The sound of his bedroom door banging shut reverberating through the house.

Walking up the stairs a couple of hours later Haley balanced the fresh load of laundry carefully in her arms, as she ran a frazzled hand through her hair. She still hadn’t started dinner, Nathan wasn’t home yet, and Olivia had decided that banging loudly on random keys of the piano was the same thing as practising, even if it made Matthew try and pull her hair out because he couldn’t hear the television. Despite knowing he’d done something wrong she couldn’t help but feel a little guilty about banishing James to his room. She still didn’t know exactly what had happened, and although she’d never condone him fighting, she was sure he couldn’t be to blame. Not her baby boy.

Turning onto the landing she was greeted with the loud base line of rap music invading her ears.

“For gods sake!” Here she’d been fretting over an unfair punishment and he’d been having the time of his life. Dumping the clothes out on an end table that sat in the hall, she carried the basket with her as she tore into his room without bothering to knock.

“Mom what the..” Haley rolled her eyes at the way James jumped up from his bed, the video game controller falling from his hands as he stood up, clad only in basketball shorts. What was it with the males in her family and their aversion to clothes? Nathan never seemed to have a shirt on - not that she complained much about that one, and as far as she could remember Jamie had been imitating that since birth. At least Matthew seemed to have grown out of his running around the house buck naked stage. Of course he’d streaked through the garden - which had been full of their friends and family - at their fourth of July barbeque only a couple of months ago, so maybe she shouldn’t hold her breath on that one.

Walking over to the wall she pulled the plugs out one by one. The music silencing first before the video game and television shut off.

“Incase you hadn’t noticed I was playing that!”

“Incase you hadn’t noticed, you’re being punished.” Haley retorted, resisting the urge to smack the scowl of his face. Mumbling to herself as she tore the stereo down off the wall and placed it inside the laundry basket. “I will never hit my kids, I will never hit my kids..”

“Where are you taking my stereo?” He moved over to basket moving to pull it back out.

“Your stereo? Oh no no no, you see your dad and I bought this stereo. We chose to give it to you, and I’m choosing to take it back. At least until you tell me why you got into that fight. Maybe longer, depending on the reason.” She reached behind the T.V taking out the wires for the games station and putting that in the basket too, along with a couple of other things she picked up on the way. “Give me your cellphone.”

“Why should I?” He couldn’t believe this, he’d had the worst day and now his mom was taking away all his things, all because of that stupid jackass.

“Are you going to tell me what happened today?” She stood waiting, one hand on her hip, the other held out awaiting the phone. Her foot bouncing on the ground impatiently.

He looked at her, debating it for a moment, before he imagined actually having to say the words. Reluctantly he moved to the side of his bed and picked up the phone from the side, as she unplugged his land line, dumping that into the basket too. “This isn’t fair!”

“Fair? Fair would be you being the boy I raised you to be Jamie! Fair would be not having to be told that my son won’t be waiting for me outside in the staff parking lot like he promised because he got sent home an hour before hand for breaking the football stars nose! This.” She motioned to the basket infront of her. “is fair.”

“This, is fair.” He mimicked under his breath, and she glared at him before turning to look around the room. This child had way too many things. She eyed the large television that sat on a dresser at the foot of the bed. How the hell was she going to move that out of here. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Jamie push something under his pillow. When she turned to face him properly his stormy face was now one of innocence, which only peaked her curiosity more. Pushing past him she lifted up the pillow and saw the TV remote lying under it. Of course, this was one of those television that had a hundred high tech functions but you couldn’t get it off stand-by if you didn’t have the remote control. Picking it up she threw it in on top of the goodies. Silencing her sons protests with a sharp look. Taking in the large pile she shook her head. They really did spoil their kids. She definitely needed to have the ‘just because we can, doesn’t mean we should talk’ with Nathan. In fact it might be a good preface for the three is enough conversation she’d been meaning to have with him. His hints were about as subtle as a sledgehammer.

“Do your homework.” She told him, straining a little under the weight as she picked up the basket and left the room.

“I’ll do it in detention tomorrow.” He snarked back, his father’s smirk gracing his lips as he slammed the door shut.

Haley’s eyed widened as his words registered with her and she stood shocked for a moment, unsure of what to do. God, he was turning to such a damn brat! She should have known she was in for a hell of a ride over the teenage years when she’d let herself get pregnant by Nathan damn Scott. Oh god, and she had two more to go, one of them a girl! Her arms going dead from the weight she dropped the basket onto the ground and nudged it along the wooden flooring. Closing and locking the door so he couldn’t get them back, she stopped short as she walked past his room, faint strumming travelling through the slight gap at the bottom of the door.

Storming into his room for the second time in fifteen minutes, she simply held her hand out for him to hand her the guitar.

“What? No, Mom, no way in hel….”

“Curse at me and I’m taking the linens off your bed.” She pointed a warning finger, before stretching out her palm again. “The guitar.”

“I hate you.” He promised her, and she nodded her head, even though she knew he was lashing out it still hurt to hear him say it. The first time any of her children had told her they hated her she’d spent two hours crying down the phone to her Mom who’d simply told her the worst thing she could was let them know they’d hurt her, and to know that they never meant it.

“Well I love you. If you decide you want to talk I’ll be downstairs making dinner. If not, your dad’ll be home soon.” Walking out of the room she left him sat stewing on his bed, and shut the door behind her. She was getting a serious migraine and if Nathan didn’t hurry up and get home he was going to be on the receiving end of a serious tirade when he finally made his entrance. That was definitely his son in there and, damnit, he was supposed be helping her raise him!

----

“Hey man.” Nathan walked into the backdoor of Lucas’ house, strolling unabashedly into the kitchen and pulled a beer from the fridge, nodding his greeting.

“What are you doing here?” The blonde asked his brother, who shrugged sitting down at the table.

“Had a stressful day at work, thought I’d make a pit stop before I faced the madness.”

“I thought you loved that madness?” Lucas’ wife breezed into the room, kissing her husbands cheek where he was stood over the stove.

“I do. Just sometimes need to prepare myself for it.” Nathan laughed, bouncing his baby nephew, who had just been passed to him, on his knee. “They’re a lot easier when they’re this young.”

“Yeah waking up in the middle of the night to screaming. Can’t beat it.” Lucas said sarcastically, but smiled down at his son, reaching out and tickling under his chin, all the adults in the room smiling when he was rewarded with a giggle, and a dada.

“I thought he started sleeping through the night months ago?”

“Teething.” The tired mother explained, and Nathan nodded in sympathetic memory.

“Still.” He passed the child back over to his parents when his phone started to ring and Lucas shook his head amused.

“Wait till our 20th reunion when I tell everyone that Nathan Scott’s gone crazy over babies.”

“When they meet my kids they’ll understand.” Nathan replied, completely unashamed, he loved kids these days, especially his own. “Hello?”

“Get Home. Now.” Haley’s tone was clipped, and Nathan immediately racked his brain for what he’d done wrong.

“I’m just leaving the office.”

“Don’t you start lying to me too! I’ve had enough of that from your son today. Just please get home.” She seemed more tired than angry now, and that worried him enough to tell her he’d be right there, and add a quick I love you on the end before she hung up.

“Hey Luke, Mom says….” Lily walked through the door stopping dead when she saw Nathan sat at the kitchen table. “I don’t know anything!”

“What?” Everyone in the room looked at her confused, apart from her nephew who was trying to lunge himself out his fathers arms and into hers.

“Uh… Nothing.” Taking the child into her arms she focussed on him so as not to have to meet any of the inquisitive gazes.

“Lily..” Lucas warned, and the pretty teen rolled her eyes. Having a brother so much older was like having another parent sometimes. As if her mom and step dad weren’t enough.

“Jamie got into a fight at school..”

“What?”

“I’ve got to get home, thanks for the beer…” Nathan scrambled out of his seat, and out of the door. Haley’s mood suddenly a lot clearer.

………..

“Daddy!” Jumping up from the dinner table Olivia bound down the hallway as soon as heard the key turn in the lock, immediately jumping into her father’s arms when the door wasn’t blocking her way.

“Hey Peanut.” He hugged her tightly before putting her down, and following her back into the kitchen. “Did you have a good day at school?”

“Dad.” She flipped her long locks over her shoulder, and shook her head at him. “I’m SEVEN now. Don’t you think you should stop calling me Peanut.”

Stifling a laugh he shared a smile with Haley over their daughters head. “Sorry Liv, I keep forgetting how grown up you are.”

“Well I AM in second grade now.” She added primly, climbing back into her seat and digging back into her dinner.

“Hi Dad!” Matthew spoke up, before Nathan had a chance to ask where Jamie was. “Wanna play ball! Jamie, too!”

“And me.” Olivia piped in, never one to be left out of anything.

“No, no girls!” Matthew pouted, Haley’s hand reaching across to stop him slamming his fork and spoon on the table. “It’s for boys, Livvy!”

“Nu uh! Stupid head! Tell him I can play daddy!” Haley shook her head at her husband, signalling that this was his fire to put out.

“Guys, stop it.” Nathan sat down pulling at his tie, looking first to his son, then his daughter. “Olivia you know better than to name-call. Say sorry.”

“No.”

“Olivia Karen.” Haley chastised, despite not wanting to get involved.

“Sorry.” The young girl huffed, pushing her food sullenly around her plate.

“I can’t play basketball with you tonight, Kiddo. I have to talk to Jamie about something.” He told Matthew reluctantly

“Jamie’s in trouble.” Olivia informed her little brother, and they sniggered together at the knowledge that their older brother had done something wrong.

“We’ll play tomorrow.” Nathan promised his son, turning to Olivia before she could complain. “All of us. And I’ll read you both a story before you go to bed tonight. Now if you’re finished you can go, Mommy and I need to talk about something.”

The two looked at each other before climbing out of their seat.

“Jamie’s in trrrouubble.” Olivia sang, running down the hall, her brother following suit, both singing as they ran up the stairs, no doubt to mock their brother with the knowledge that their dad was home, and he wasn’t happy with him.

“How did you know?” Haley asked as she started to load the dishwasher with the kid’s plates.

“I was over at Luke’s..” He started before he realised his mistake.

“You were over at Luke’s?” She turned toward him in disbelief. “I’m tearing my hair out and you’re visiting.”

“Hey c’mon. I didn’t know.” He walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her against him, the tension immediately starting to seep out of her body as she relaxed against his chest.

She sighed, “So you were over at Luke’s….”

“Right. And Lily was there. She told me he got into a fight, what happened?”

“I don’t know!” The emotions that had been running rampant all evening started to bubble over and she swallowed against the tears that were forming. “He won’t tell me. He got in a fight with some senior football player, and he won’t tell me what happened, Nathan! Oh but he seemed very proud about the fact that he threw the first punch! We’re raising a hooligan!”

“A hooligan?” He couldn’t help the laugh that escaped along with the word she’d chosen to describe their son.

“Oh laugh it up, this is all your fault you know?” She glared pushing out of his embrace.

“How’d you figure that one?” He asked her, regretting it when she turned back him eyes ablaze.

“Well I wasn’t the one who used to get into fights with my brother on a weekly basis in highschool!”

“No, but you were the one who got into fight when you were pregnant.” He counteracted playfully.

“Fight? What fight?” Haley looked at him clearly perplexed. She didn’t remember any fight.

“Rachel Gatina.” He stated simply, giving her a knowing smirk.

“Oh, that. That wasn’t a fight. I just hit her.”

“When he was inside of you. That’s where his violent streak comes from. Osmosis, baby!”

“Mmm, it’s really sexy when you use big words.” She told him, twining her arms around his neck, and kissing his lips, not wanting any of her children to overhear that she’d hit a girl, much less when she was pregnant.

“You’re not as good at this as you think.” He warned her, leaning down to deepen the kiss.

“Kissing you?” She spoke without removing her lips completely from his, letting out a breathy laugh. “You’ve never complained before.”

“Distracting me.” He told her pulling away a little to give her a knowing look, and she gave him a coy smile.

“mm, I beg to differ.” She slipped her hand under the loose tails of his shirt, running her fingers down his abs, playing lightly with the waist band of his pants.

“Maybe you’re right.”

“I usually am.” She told him, and he nodded in agreement before kissing her again.

“Mooooommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmy!” A little pair of feet was heard padding toward them before their son made his presence known. “Yuck! Kissin’ ‘gain?!”

Smiling at each other as they pulled apart, and Haley knelt down asking Matthew what he wanted.

“I’ll go and talk to James.” Nathan spoke up before leaving the room.

“Told you!” Olivia shouted when Nathan entered the room as she was jumped up and down on Jamie’s bed. “You’re in trouble.”

“Your Mom wants you peanut.”

“Daddy!” Olivia scowled.

“She’s too old for nicknames now, Dad, didn’t you get the memo.” Jamie explained from where he was sat at his desk reading a magazine.

“So I’ve been told. Go downstairs please, Liv.” Nathan’s tone told Olivia that it wasn’t a time to joke and she shrugged her shoulders, running down the stairs when Haley shouted up that she had ice cream.

“What happened?” Sitting on the edge of bed, Nathan looked over at Jamie who shrugged his shoulders, much the same way as he had with his mother earlier that day.

“I got into a fight.”

“I’ve picked up on that one point, Jamie.” His tone was dry as he watched his son flip through the sports magazine aimlessly. “Don’t smart mouth me. I’m not your mother, I’m not going to let you get away with it.”

Holding up on eyebrow James looked over and motioned around his near empty room. “She didn’t.”

“Good.” Nodding his head tightly, Nathan pushed on. “Why’d you hit him?”

“You just presumed I started it” The young teen let out a disbelieving laugh, “thanks so much, Dad.”

“No.” Actually until Haley had told him otherwise, he’d presumed Jamie’s punches were thrown in defence. “Your Mom told me you told her you threw the first punch, James. Stop avoiding the question.”

Studying his father for a second Jamie weighed up his options. He really missed his things, and it wasn’t like he was in the wrong exactly. His dad would understand. “I heard him say something…”

“Heard who?”

“Kyle Walker.”

“The boy you hit?”

“Yeah, the boy I hit. He said something…” He trailed off, and Nathan waited patiently for him to continue. “insulting, about Mom.”

“Insulting?” He hadn’t been expecting that, an upper class man picking on the freshman, a jab about being a teacher’s son maybe, but insulting Haley? Despite knowing he should angry at his son for resorting to violence, a part of his brain thought the fact that this kid had insulted his wife justified everything, and anything, his son did to him.

“He called her..” James looked away from his dad, shifting uncomfortably in his desk chair.

“Yeah?” Even as he prodded his son he wasn’t sure he wanted to hear it. He remembers the things he’d said about teachers in highschool, and any of those names associated would Haley was not something he wanted to hear.

“He said she was a…” He mumbled something unintelligible looking down at the ground, his words muffling even more.

“A what?”

“A MILF okay? He was talking about Mom’s butt and he called her a MILF!” He spat out the sentence like it tasted bad, the fury rebuilding again, his fists clenching.

Nathan was torn, did he get up and pat his son on the back and congratulate him on defending his Mom’s honour like he would have done if he’d been there? Tell him he shouldn’t resort to violence whatever the situation, or laugh at the complete disgust his fourteen year old had at the idea of his Mom being seen in a sexual way? He couldn’t exactly blame this Kyle kid, if he’d had a teacher who looked like Haley… well Haley had sort of been his teacher for a while and look where that left them.

“See why I couldn’t tell Mom?” Jamie pleaded, and Nathan nodded.

“Yeah, son, I see.”

“I had to do it dad..” The boy looked over at his father, pleading with him to understand.

“I know you feel that way, but Jamie, you can’t go around hitting kids.”

“I know okay, I won’t do it again!” He swore “I’m sorry.”

Nathan stood up and walked across the room laying his hand on Jamie’s shoulder. “I know you want to defend your Mom, but if she’s having problems with a student she can deal with it. You having problem’s with another student, and getting in trouble. Well, she can’t deal with that so well. She’s never really understood why people can’t just follow the rules.”

“But you get it?” James asked hopefully.

“Yeah, I get it. Don’t tell her I said so though, and if you really have to do it again, don’t do it at school, Jamie, it’s not fair on your Mom, and you’ll get into more trouble than it’s worth.”

“Deal.” Nathan was walking out of the room, when Jamie called him back. “Hey Dad?”

“Yeah?”

“Think you can get me my stuff back?” The boy asked hopefully, more relaxed than he’d been since his run in with Kyle that afternoon.

Nathan laughed, nodding, and smiling over at his son. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Did he tell you?” Haley asked walking out of the bathroom where she’d just put Livvy into a bath at the same time Nathan left Jamie’s room.

“Yeah,” He motioned with his head to their bedroom.

Nodding her head, Haley shouted to her youngest two where she’d be, and followed Nathan into their room.

“Is it bad? Is he being bullied?” Nathan couldn’t help but laugh at his wife’s worries.

“Haley, our son’s fourteen, six foot, and a shoe in for the varsity basketball team, what he’s got to be bullied about?”

“Don’t laugh at me! He wouldn’t hit this kid for no reason! Do you have idea how big Kyle is? He’s taller than you, maybe even bigger too.”

Nathan scoffed at the idea of an eighteen year old more ripped than he was, and patted the bed beside him for his pacing wife to sit down. “Well, that’s not all we have in common then.”

“What are you talking about?” She threw her hands up not seeing what was funny, her husband and her son were so similar in the way they could infuriate her without even trying. “I don’t see the joke here! You and your son, and your twisted sense of humour!”

“Calm down.” He told her pulling her over and she finally sat down. “He hit him because he said something that offended him.”

“Did he tell you what it was?” She asked cautiously, knowing it would never be okay in her eyes, but wanting to understand what happened none the less.

“Yes.”

“Well, what did he say?” She asked, before a thought popped into her head and a heavy feeling over her heart. He’d always been able to talk to her about anything. “Why couldn’t he tell me?”

“Hales,” He calmed her down with one word, reaching his arm around her shoulder and she sagged tiredly against his body. “He couldn’t tell you because, well, it was about you.”

“About me?” She rested her head in her hands and rambled on. “Oh I knew we should of sent him to another school, that’s it isn’t it, they’re picking on him cause he’s a teachers son?”

“I don’t think he even knew Jamie was your son.”

“Then what did he say?” She asked confused.

“He called you a MILF.”

“A what?” Haley asked shocked, not sure she’d heard right. Her? Really? She wasn’t quite sure how to take that.

“A MILF, A mom he’d like to fu-“

“Yes, thank you,” She cut him off. “I know what it means.”

“Just checking.” He held his hands up, and sent her a cheeky grin, nudging her shoulder till she was lying back and laid half on top of her, his darkened eyes twinkling down at her. “Can’t really blame him. You’re definitely a Mom I’d like to..”

“Mommy! I’m ready to wash my hair!” Olivia’s voice broke in and they both gave a slight groan in disappointment. Popping a quick kiss on his lips Haley pushed Nathan off her.

“Hold that thought. You get Matty changed, I’ll wash Liv’s hair, and while you’re reading them a story I’ll have a word with James. Then we’ll see what we can do.”

“Oh I know what we can do.” He leered at her as she walked out the room, her laughter twinkling behind her.

-----

Haley knocked lightly on James’ door, before poking his guitar through the partial opening . “Peace offering.”

“He told you.” Jamie sighed, flopping back on his bed. This was going to be embarrassing.

“Yeah, he told me.” She nudged him over and sat on the bed next to him, laying the guitar carefully on the floor beside her. “You could have told me yourself you know.”

“No Mom,” He let out a disbelieving laugh. “I really couldn’t.”

“Okay, Okay, I can see how it might be a bit embarrassing.” She propped herself up so she was sitting next to where he was lying down, and brushed a hand through his dark blonde hair, the way she had used to when he was younger. “We haven’t done this in a long time.”

“Yeah..” Jamie replied, closing his eyes and basking in his mother’s attention for a few minutes. “I’m sorry, Mom.”

“What for baby?” She asked, watching his chest rising and falling, she could almost feel him falling asleep.

“Embarrassing you.” He yawned a little, moving closer to her warmth.

“Oh sweetie, you didn’t embarrass me, not really. I just didn’t understand.”

“Do you get it now.” He asked her, opening his eyes which were getting increasingly heavier and looking up at his Mom, trying to make her understand him.

“A little, but you can’t go around hitting people because they say things you don’t like James.” She implored, a stern look in her caring eyes.

“I know, but he was talking about you, Mom. I..”

“I don’t care if he’s talking about me, or your dad, or your brother or sister. You don’t resort to violence James. We raised you better than that. You’re better than that.”

“Okay.” He sighed, knowing he’d never convince his mom that hitting Kyle had been something he had to do, but he couldn’t just let him disrespect his Mom like that. She didn’t deserve to be talked about in that way. “Am I still grounded?”

“Oh yes,” Haley laughed, the familiar cheeky smile falling off her sons face. “You don’t get out of it that easy I’m afraid. You may have had your reason’s but you still got into a fight at school. Two weeks. No computer, No games consoles. You can have your cell phone, and your T.V back, but you have to come home with me every day after school, and no playing at the rivercourt with the boys. You want to play basketball, you can play here with your dad, and your uncle Lucas. Okay?”

“No.” James said stubbornly but didn’t push the matter. Considering earlier he’d been exiled to an empty room for god knows how long things were looking up.

“Maybe a week.” Haley let up, “We’ll see.”

He smiled, his eyes shut again as Haley continued to play with his hair. She liked to play the tough Mom, but she rarely followed through on her threats. He wouldn’t be surprised if she gave up after he moped around the house for a couple of days.

“I mean it Jamie, at least a week.”

“mmm, okay Mom.” He agreed, not believing her for a second, as he started to drift off.

Haley shook her head, knowing exactly what he was thinking. It was sweet that he’d defended her honour. He was so much like Nathan, fiercely protective of the ones he’d loved. He’d always been somewhat of a mama’s boy. Although he’d probably want to hit her if she told him as much now, but she loved it. Out of all her children he looked the most like her. Livvy being practically a female version of Nathan, and Matthew looking like a mix between Nathan’s uncle Cooper, and Haley’s own father when he was young. Of course she loved them all equally, but she had a special connection with James, maybe simply because he was her first, or maybe because she’d been so young, so scared that she wouldn’t do everything just right, that she’d barely let him out of her sight the first few years of his life.

“I love you Jamie, thank you for defending me, even if it wasn’t right. Sweet dreams, baby.”

“You’re welcome,” he mumbled sleepily, and Haley stood up pulling a blanket over him. “Love you too, Mama.”

A beaming smile erupted across her face, and she leant over brushing her lips over his forehead. He hadn’t called her that in years. He was growing up, and it terrified her, he was only two years younger now than Nathan and she had been when they got married, was her child really nearly old enough to make that decision? She didn’t think it was true. She definitely didn’t want it to be. Four years and he’d go to college, she knew the house would feel empty despite her other two rambunctious children, who she was sure would grow up just as fast as their older brother.

“All asleep?” Nathan looked up from where he’d been lounging on the bed in his boxers. Nodding eagerly in response to his wife’s question, watching her carefully as she peeled off her clothes. “Jamie too.”

When she was down to her bra and panties Haley climbed onto the bed, straddling her husband’s legs and looking down into his eyes. Struck as always by how similar they were to all three of their children’s. The idea of her babies growing up hit her in that moment in a way it hadn’t before. That they really were becoming people in their own rights, people who one day wouldn’t need her. Wouldn’t need them.

Kissing him she pulled away when he toyed with the clasp of her bra.

“Nathan..”

“Hmmm?”

“Maybe, one more baby.” She said with a half smile and a small shrug.

“Really?” He looked at her so hopeful that she couldn’t help but giggle. He’d been hinting at wanting another child on and off for about two years now, and she’d made a point of shooting down everyone of his blatant hints.

“Yeah, I’m not quite ready to stop being Mama yet.” They grinned widely at each other, before leaning in to share a slow, teasing kiss.

“I love you.” He told her and she smiled sweetly nodding.

“I know. Me too. I love you, our kids, our life. I’m just glad we’ve got so much more of it to go.” Nodding his agreement, looking up at her silently, after a few minutes she smirked down at him before breaking the silence. “I thought you said I was a MILF.”

“What?” He let out a puzzled laugh. “Uh, Yeah, you are.”

“Then do it already.” She laughed, cupping her hand over her own mouth to stifle her giggles as he flipped them over, and did exactly what she’d asked him too.