Always Meant To Be

AN: Finally this is it. Charlie finds out about Joey and meets his son.


Always Meant To Be


It was three a clock that after. Charlie couldn’t sleep any longer, regardless of the fact he had jet lag. He decided to get up and go to the café. It was time to face his mother for the first time in five years.

He was staying in one of Lucas’s spare rooms, until his stuff had been shipped over from LA. He would then see about getting a house similar to Lucas’s. In the same neighbour hood if possible.

An hour later he was standing outside the café, a place he had grown up in. He could remember the many times he spent there after school. Laughing and hanging with both of his brother’s, along with Haley, Brooke and Peyton. His mother would bring over cokes and burgers and fries.

He took deep breath, before opening the door, silently cursing the bell above the door. So much for making a quite entrance, his plan to slip into the back unnoticed, just went down the proverbial shitter.

He froze when his mother looked up at him. But it wasn’t his mother that had made him freeze. Oh no. The one responsible for that was the one he had left behind in Boston, the person who still held his heart, who would always hold his heart. In short the one being, Joey Potter.

He had a look of disbelief on his face, all colour had drained from his face, making him look ill. He felt a stab of pain, when he saw she had two children with her. He had been right, she did most likely marry and crap out kids for some undeserving tosser, whose last name she more then likely carries.

He choked out, “Joey Potter, or is still Potter. It has after all been four years since I last seen you?” No matter how awkward the situation was, Charlie Todd could not help but make a wise assed crack. “So how is Joey Potter of Worthington, do anything wild lately?”

That was all it took to snap Joey out of her stunned stupor. Without warning she ran to him and launched herself into his arms. She exclaimed, “Oh my god, Charlie. I can’t believe it’s really you.”

She pulled back slightly, but didn’t leave the protective cradle of his arms. “When I moved here after my divorce, I honestly never expected to find you here, not after you told me how and why you left Tree Hill.”

Charlie frowned and said, “I think we better take this in the back. I don’t need the whole of Tree Hill knowing my business, when I’ve been back not even five minutes.” Joey nodded and followed him into the back room.

She called out over her shoulder to Karen, “Karen could you please keep an eye on Jason and Damien?” Karen called back, “Of course. You just work on my son, your both more then over due, four years over due in fact.”

Once in the back, they both sat round the square table. Charlie eyed Joey and commented, “You look wonderful Joey, really stunning. Mother Hood seems to suit you.”

Joey smiled at him and replied, “I’ve had four years of experience. Jason Charlie Todd and Damien Pacey Witter are enough to keep me on my toes. I enjoy being a mother; it’s the best feeling in the world.”

Joey instantly knew Charlie had caught onto what she said, when he paled and his eyes bugged. He spluttered, “Wait a minute. You mean to tell me, that I got you pregnant before I left to go on tour?”

Joey nodded and quickly added when she saw anger start to come over his expression. “I’ve not deliberately kept Jason from for all of these years. I had no idea where to find you or how to contact you.”

She added, “Before you start berating yourself, you didn’t do what your father did to your mother. I had no idea I was even pregnant until three and a half months after you’d left to go on tour.”

She went on, “Besides we never slept together until a week before you left. It would have been far too soon to discover whether I was pregnant or not. The thought didn’t even cross my mind, at least not until I started getting sick of a morning constantly.”

Charlie nodded and asked, “I think it’s obvious which child is mine. The looks, the hair and the eyes are a dead give away. But explain to me how you end up with a child to Pacey Witter, your childhood friend?”

Joey replied, “After Jason was born, I decided to try having a relationship with Pacey again. I still missed you terribly, but was under the impression I was never going to see you again. So I convinced myself to move on.”

She continued at his nod, “A couple of months later, I discover I’m pregnant with Damien. Pacey proposed when I was five months a long. Our marriage lasted two years, before I divorced him.”

Charlie asked, “Why did you divorce him, not that I’m complaining mind you, his loss and my possible gain?” Joey grinned at him, before replying, “I came home one day to find him having sex with Audrey on the kitchen table.”

She went on, “That’s why I left Capeside and moved here. I had to get away from Pacey and Audrey, as every time I’d see them, I’d have the overwhelming urge to rip her eyes out of their sockets and castrate him.”

She continued, “I came here, because I wanted to see where you grew up. I also wanted my son to finish growing up where his father did. Plus I wanted him to get to know his grandmother and his uncles. Apparently, he’ll be only getting to know his uncle Lucas, as his Uncle Nathan is a cheater and no longer lives in Tree Hill.”

She concluded, “I’m going to be the new English teacher at the local high school, as soon as the summer holidays are over. I may as well put that English and Literature degree to good use.”

Charlie snorted before saying, “Witter is a hypocritical bastard.” He sneered coldly, “He had the sheer fucking cheek to get up my ass for cheating on Jen. But what does he go and do, he goes and cheats on you.”

He spat, “There is a very big fucking difference here Joey. I never destroyed somebody’s marriage. I was never married to Jen. What he did was lower and more shit worthy then what I did, thank you very much.”

Joey noted Charlie was the not the same man she had met in Boston. Not just in looks, but his personality as well. He seemed darker and harder.

Charlie took a deep breath trying to calm him self down. He then asked, “So how is Jen doing these days?” Joey replied, smiling widely. “She’s married to Dawson, anther of my child hood friends. They have three year-old twins, Matthew Mitch and Melissa Sara Leery.”

Charlie grinned at this. Joey asked, “So would you like to meet your son?” Charlie’s took a deep breath and let it out again. He muttered, “Christ, I can’t believe I’m somebody’s father. What if I screw up somehow?”

Joey smiled at him, as she leaned forwards and gently captured his lips with her own. At first he was startled, but soon started to kiss her back. He placed both of his hands on her cheeks and brought her closer, deepening the kiss.

Charlie broke the kiss, both of them were gasping for air, as he rested his forehead against hers. He murmured against her mouth, “I missed you so much; you have no idea how much.” He added, “I never realised just how much I loved you until I left. I love you Joey, I really do.”

Joey murmured against his mouth, “I love you to. I never realised how much until you were gone and I discovered I was pregnant with Jason.” He quickly recaptured her lips with his.

He gently suckled on her lower lip, before licking her lower lip, asking for permission to enter. He sighed happily, when her mouth opened under his, allowing him to slip his tongue passed her parted lips to entangle with his own.

Once they broke the kiss, she stood and took his hand. He allowed her to pull him to his feet and lead him out of the back. She said, “You won’t screw up, I know you won’t.”

Unknown to them, Lucas and Haley had seen them kissing. Both beamed at each other in delight. They looked up along with Karen, when Charlie and Joey walked up to them, their hands entwined with each others.

Karen beamed at them, when she saw their hands were entwined. “Gran, can I have some fries please?” Karen looked to Joey, who nodded. Karen ruffled Jason’s hair and said, “Coming right up.”

Charlie eyed Jason in awe. He couldn’t help but grin when Jason commented with all the innocence of a four year-old. “You look like Uncle Luke and me. Why?”

Joey chuckled and said, “Because he and Uncle Lucas are brothers, twin brothers. Jason, remember Matt and Melissa are twins, they’re brother and sister?”

Jason nodded, “But they don’t look like Uncle Luke and him, “He gestured to Charlie. Charlie spoke up for the first time. “Your uncle Luke and I are identical, meaning we look the same. Matt and Melissa don’t look a like, because they aren’t identical twins, plus he’s obviously a boy and she a girl. Do you understand?”

Jason nodded, “I think so. You and Uncle Luke look a like because your brothers. And Matt and Melissa are brother and sister, meaning they don’t look the same.”

Charlie grinned at him and said, “Exactly.” Jason frowned, “But why do I look like you and Uncle Lucas, are we brother’s to?” Everyone chuckled at this.

Charlie shook his head no. He turned to Joey. She was grinning widely. She and Charlie bent down to be at eye level with their son. Joey then explained to him, “No honey, Uncle Lucas and Charlie, they are not your brothers.”

She sighed and asked, “You know how Matt looks like Uncle Dawson and Melissa looks like Aunt Jen?” Jason nodded, “Yeah, because they are their mommy and daddy.”

Jason’s eyes suddenly widened, “So because I look like him” he gestured to Charlie, “Does that make him my daddy?” Joey beamed and nodded, “Yes honey, he’s your daddy. Remember how I told your daddy played and made music?”

Jason nodded. He asked Charlie, “If you’re my daddy, then why weren’t you there like Matt’s daddy?” Charlie’s eyes widened. He sighed and looked away. Joey, Lucas and Haley looked at him sympathetically.

Charlie smiled gently at his son and replied, “It’s not because I didn’t want to be, because please believe me, if I’d known about you, I promise I would have never left.”

Jason frowned, “So why did you leave and why didn’t you know about me?” Charlie sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, before he looked at his son and relied gently, “Because your mom and I didn’t know you were even going to be born, not until after I had left to go play and make music, like your mom told you.”

Jason nodded and asked, “But your not going to go away again, are you?” Charlie affectionately ruffled his hair and told him, “No way. I’ve missed out on so much. It’s time you and I got to know each other. That’s if you want that, of course?”

Jason nodded, as if satisfied. And before Charlie knew what had happened, he had his arms full with Jason. Charlie froze for a moment, before sighing and rising to his full height, taking Jason with him.

He held his son close to him and buried his face in the familiar dirty blond locks. Locks like his own once was and Lucas’s still were. He closed his eyes in content, his face still buried in his son’s hair.

Joey rose to her full height. She beamed, as her eyes filled with tears. She saw both Karen and Haley had to tears in their eyes as well and were beaming widely.

Lucas had a huge grin on his face, as he finally took in the perfect sight of father and son wrapped in an embrace, as it rightfully should have always been. They looked perfect together.

Charlie removed his face from his son’s hair and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. He then went to lower Jason to the floor. Jason clutched onto his shirt and whined, “No, I want to stay, daddy.”

Charlie eyes filled with tears, as he nodded, “Ok, you can stay.” Charlie slowly made his way towards the back again, the others followed him.