Disclaimer- I will put it simply; I don't own One Tree Hill. This disclaimer applies to the rest of the story.
Chapter One
Unexpected Visitor
It had been nine months since anyone had heard from Brooke. Less than a day after she confessed her lie to Lucas she left town. The whole situation seemed suspicious to Luke. First she said she was pregnant, then she said she wasn't and suddenly she was gone. Brooke's decision to leave only left more questions. What was a guy supposed to believe? Was the reason Brooke skipped town was that she was in fact pregnant or was the heartbreak too much for her? All of the questions lingered in the back of Luke's mind.
The turmoil inside of him was assuaged by the relationship he had built with Peyton. Brooke's absence had given them all the permission they needed to finally uncover their true feelings for each other. Lucas and Peyton had been going out for the last few months and they were sure it was love.
It was a rainy Friday night in August and they couldn't think of anything better than spending it watching a movie together. Most of the time they had agreed on the style of movie they wanted to watch. Peyton never had a desire to watch the chick flicks and Lucas was just fine with that idea. He was partial to comedies and Peyton tended to be of the same state of mind.
At the moment they were watching 'Austin Powers Goldmember'. The funniest part of the movie was interrupted by a knock at the door. Lucas got up reluctantly from his spot on the couch to answer it. To his surprise there was a very pregnant Brooke standing in the doorway.
"Lucas I'm so sorry." She threw her arms around his neck and began to sob.
"Who was at the-" Peyton stopped when she saw the scene in front of her. Luke looked absolutely terrified with Brooke hanging off him. She was soaking wet and she was pregnant. There was no doubt about that.
"I sorry I left, but I had no choice. I knew you wanted to be with Peyton and I couldn't take that away from you. I just....Ow!" Brooke clutched her round belly and winced in pain.
"Brooke, are you in labor?" Luke's voice was on the verge of cracking.
"I think so." She murmured barely audible.
"I'm taking you to the hospital right now." He stated and proceeded to help Brooke into his car. The whole time Peyton was in shock. Sure she missed Brooke, she was her best friend, but why did she have to come back so soon and with a baby no less? It wasn't fair. Things were getting really good between her and Lucas, it was just what she also hoped could happen. Now everything would change. She knew he would do the right thing and want to be in the baby's life, but where would that leave her? Would he just cast her aside like everyone always did. Her father left her for his career and Nathan had always put her on the back burner for basketball. Would Lucas be next?
"Come on let's go." Luke grabbed Peyton's hand and ran out the door.
'He didn't forget about me.' Peyton thought to herself. 'But how long will this last?'
They got to the hospital soon after and Brooke was admitted to a room. Lucas was in the waiting room talking to Karen and everyone else that had come, leaving Brooke and Peyton together in the room alone.
"So..." Peyton hesitated.
"I know that you want to ask me where I've been so I'll just tell you. I was in Georgia with my cousin. She let me live in her apartment. I told my parents about my 'situation' and they cut off the money so I got a job at the local mall." Brooke explained.
"So why did you come back?" Peyton tried not to sound disappointed about it.
"Something in the back of my mind told me that I should come. My cousin went to California with her boyfriend for the week and I knew I couldn't do this alone so I came back to the only place I know."
"Oh." They sat in silence for a while until Brooke had another contraction. Somehow Peyton was able to put all of her doubts and help her friend through the pain until Lucas came back.
"Can I talk to you outside?" He asked Peyton when he returned.
"So what's up?" She asked casually.
"Don't try to deny that this is bothering you." He started off. "Because I know it is and frankly it's bothering me too."
"It's not your fault Luke. You didn't tell her to leave and you certainly didn't invite her back. There's nothing we can do now."
"I just want you to remember that no matter what happens today, tomorrow or whenever that I love you. That will never change." He gave her a hug.
It was ten hours later and Brooke lay exhausted in her bed. She had just given birth to a beautiful baby girl. Lia Jordan Scott weighed in at 7 lbs 8 oz. She had decided to give her daughter Lucas's last name because he was her father after all. Peyton was sleeping soundly and Luke was busy admiring his daughter in the nursery. She had the same auburn hair and chocolate eyes as Brooke.
"Why don't you get some sleep Mr. Scott?" The nurse ushered him to the waiting room. He saw Peyton sleeping on one of the benches and he went and sat besides her. She fidgeted a little before settling back down with her head on his shoulder.
Lucas woke up the next morning by his mother shaking him and shouting something frantically.
"Mom what's wrong?" He sat up and rubbed his eyes.
"Have you seen Brooke?"
"No. Isn't she in her room?" He asked.
"Oh my God. Oh my God. How could this happen?" Karen was distraught.
"Mom what is going on? Is Brooke okay?" Luke was getting nervous.
"She's gone,"
"What!" He stood up and ran into the room where she had been the night before. "She can't be gone! Where's the baby?"
"Still in the nursery. The doctors claim that she signed a release form so she could go home and before they could ask about the baby she was gone." Karen explained.
"I need to call Peyton." Luke ran out of the hospital and called her on his cell. A few minutes later she showed up.
"Baby what's wrong?" Peyton came over to him and gave him a much-needed hug.
"She's gone." He sighed.
"Who's gone? Brooke's gone?" She asked confused.
"Yeah, she just got up and walked out." He told her.
"You mean she left us with the baby?"
"Us? You want to be involved in this?" Lucas wanted to know.
"Of course. You said no matter what happened to always remember that you love me and I do remember. Even if this didn't happen I was going to help you through it. I will always stand by you and now more than ever. Besides a girl needs a mother right?" Peyton explained.
"This is a big responsibility. You would be giving up a lot for a baby that's not even yours." He warned.
"If she is yours then she is mine. I will raise her like my own." She gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Now where is our daughter?" Luke took Peyton to the nursery. Ever time she looked at Lia all she could think of was Brooke. But she knew how hard it was to grow up without a mother, just like Lucas knew what it was like without a father. Neither of them could abandon this baby. They could never wish their hardships on any one else, especially a helpless baby. It wasn't her fault that Brooke left.
Two days later Luke and Peyton took Lia home. Karen was so proud of how well they had taken to having a baby around. It was only a few days but Peyton already loved her 'daughter'. Keith related a lot to her situation. He had played the father figure in Luke's life after Dan left. The only exception was that Karen had never hid the identity of Lucas's real father like they planned to do. Luke and Peyton decided that Lia would never know the truth about her mother. Peyton would be her mother.
Chapter One
Unexpected Visitor
It had been nine months since anyone had heard from Brooke. Less than a day after she confessed her lie to Lucas she left town. The whole situation seemed suspicious to Luke. First she said she was pregnant, then she said she wasn't and suddenly she was gone. Brooke's decision to leave only left more questions. What was a guy supposed to believe? Was the reason Brooke skipped town was that she was in fact pregnant or was the heartbreak too much for her? All of the questions lingered in the back of Luke's mind.
The turmoil inside of him was assuaged by the relationship he had built with Peyton. Brooke's absence had given them all the permission they needed to finally uncover their true feelings for each other. Lucas and Peyton had been going out for the last few months and they were sure it was love.
It was a rainy Friday night in August and they couldn't think of anything better than spending it watching a movie together. Most of the time they had agreed on the style of movie they wanted to watch. Peyton never had a desire to watch the chick flicks and Lucas was just fine with that idea. He was partial to comedies and Peyton tended to be of the same state of mind.
At the moment they were watching 'Austin Powers Goldmember'. The funniest part of the movie was interrupted by a knock at the door. Lucas got up reluctantly from his spot on the couch to answer it. To his surprise there was a very pregnant Brooke standing in the doorway.
"Lucas I'm so sorry." She threw her arms around his neck and began to sob.
"Who was at the-" Peyton stopped when she saw the scene in front of her. Luke looked absolutely terrified with Brooke hanging off him. She was soaking wet and she was pregnant. There was no doubt about that.
"I sorry I left, but I had no choice. I knew you wanted to be with Peyton and I couldn't take that away from you. I just....Ow!" Brooke clutched her round belly and winced in pain.
"Brooke, are you in labor?" Luke's voice was on the verge of cracking.
"I think so." She murmured barely audible.
"I'm taking you to the hospital right now." He stated and proceeded to help Brooke into his car. The whole time Peyton was in shock. Sure she missed Brooke, she was her best friend, but why did she have to come back so soon and with a baby no less? It wasn't fair. Things were getting really good between her and Lucas, it was just what she also hoped could happen. Now everything would change. She knew he would do the right thing and want to be in the baby's life, but where would that leave her? Would he just cast her aside like everyone always did. Her father left her for his career and Nathan had always put her on the back burner for basketball. Would Lucas be next?
"Come on let's go." Luke grabbed Peyton's hand and ran out the door.
'He didn't forget about me.' Peyton thought to herself. 'But how long will this last?'
They got to the hospital soon after and Brooke was admitted to a room. Lucas was in the waiting room talking to Karen and everyone else that had come, leaving Brooke and Peyton together in the room alone.
"So..." Peyton hesitated.
"I know that you want to ask me where I've been so I'll just tell you. I was in Georgia with my cousin. She let me live in her apartment. I told my parents about my 'situation' and they cut off the money so I got a job at the local mall." Brooke explained.
"So why did you come back?" Peyton tried not to sound disappointed about it.
"Something in the back of my mind told me that I should come. My cousin went to California with her boyfriend for the week and I knew I couldn't do this alone so I came back to the only place I know."
"Oh." They sat in silence for a while until Brooke had another contraction. Somehow Peyton was able to put all of her doubts and help her friend through the pain until Lucas came back.
"Can I talk to you outside?" He asked Peyton when he returned.
"So what's up?" She asked casually.
"Don't try to deny that this is bothering you." He started off. "Because I know it is and frankly it's bothering me too."
"It's not your fault Luke. You didn't tell her to leave and you certainly didn't invite her back. There's nothing we can do now."
"I just want you to remember that no matter what happens today, tomorrow or whenever that I love you. That will never change." He gave her a hug.
It was ten hours later and Brooke lay exhausted in her bed. She had just given birth to a beautiful baby girl. Lia Jordan Scott weighed in at 7 lbs 8 oz. She had decided to give her daughter Lucas's last name because he was her father after all. Peyton was sleeping soundly and Luke was busy admiring his daughter in the nursery. She had the same auburn hair and chocolate eyes as Brooke.
"Why don't you get some sleep Mr. Scott?" The nurse ushered him to the waiting room. He saw Peyton sleeping on one of the benches and he went and sat besides her. She fidgeted a little before settling back down with her head on his shoulder.
Lucas woke up the next morning by his mother shaking him and shouting something frantically.
"Mom what's wrong?" He sat up and rubbed his eyes.
"Have you seen Brooke?"
"No. Isn't she in her room?" He asked.
"Oh my God. Oh my God. How could this happen?" Karen was distraught.
"Mom what is going on? Is Brooke okay?" Luke was getting nervous.
"She's gone,"
"What!" He stood up and ran into the room where she had been the night before. "She can't be gone! Where's the baby?"
"Still in the nursery. The doctors claim that she signed a release form so she could go home and before they could ask about the baby she was gone." Karen explained.
"I need to call Peyton." Luke ran out of the hospital and called her on his cell. A few minutes later she showed up.
"Baby what's wrong?" Peyton came over to him and gave him a much-needed hug.
"She's gone." He sighed.
"Who's gone? Brooke's gone?" She asked confused.
"Yeah, she just got up and walked out." He told her.
"You mean she left us with the baby?"
"Us? You want to be involved in this?" Lucas wanted to know.
"Of course. You said no matter what happened to always remember that you love me and I do remember. Even if this didn't happen I was going to help you through it. I will always stand by you and now more than ever. Besides a girl needs a mother right?" Peyton explained.
"This is a big responsibility. You would be giving up a lot for a baby that's not even yours." He warned.
"If she is yours then she is mine. I will raise her like my own." She gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Now where is our daughter?" Luke took Peyton to the nursery. Ever time she looked at Lia all she could think of was Brooke. But she knew how hard it was to grow up without a mother, just like Lucas knew what it was like without a father. Neither of them could abandon this baby. They could never wish their hardships on any one else, especially a helpless baby. It wasn't her fault that Brooke left.
Two days later Luke and Peyton took Lia home. Karen was so proud of how well they had taken to having a baby around. It was only a few days but Peyton already loved her 'daughter'. Keith related a lot to her situation. He had played the father figure in Luke's life after Dan left. The only exception was that Karen had never hid the identity of Lucas's real father like they planned to do. Luke and Peyton decided that Lia would never know the truth about her mother. Peyton would be her mother.