"Are they?" Lucas whispered as Peyton walked out of the living room, attempting to not make a noise. She nodded, and Lucas sighed in relief. It was nearing eleven, and according to Haley, Jamie and Andre were supposed to be in bed at nine.
"They finally fell asleep when I put Rugrats on for them. Thank god. They've been going nonstop since four. I don't know how people do this." As soon as she said it, she blushed, and moved her hand to her stomach, "But you're going to be a good little boy for mommy, aren't you?"
"Good little boy?" Lucas asked, arching his eyebrows as he slid out of his clothes, and into a pair of flannel pants and a tee-shirt, turning around, just in time to watch her do the same, before they both slid into bed.
"What, you think he's going to be a little devil?" She laughed up at him, and he simply moved his hand to her stomach, where she knew it would lie for the rest of the night. She's thought it would bother her, when Haley was telling her how Nathan always had his hand on her stomach when she was pregnant, but now she's can't imagine anything feeling more right. The weight of his hand always there, like he's personally protecting the little baby, their little baby, gives her nothing but pleasure.
"No, I was just thinking about a little girl."
"You want a girl?" She knows that, he, like she will be, will be happy with either, just so long as the baby's healthy, but she also knows that he might, right now, want a girl the way that she wants a boy. A little blonde haired baby boy with light blue eyes and straight blonde hair, a killer smile, and a way with words, and scoring.
He lets a smile fall on to his face, and she knows that he doesn't do this often, slip into a world that isn't theirs right now. But he looks so damn happy when he does. He nodded, and Peyton snuggles in closer to him. "A little baby girl, with perfect green eyes that could keep the world out, and just let a few in, and curly blonde hair that could make a heart break, just looking at it. A little girl that loves music, all types, and who can't shoot a basket to save her life, but could draw one with her eyes closed." He shocked when Peyton shakes her head.
"No, she won't draw. At least not like me."
"What, you want to keep all your talent for yourself, Ms. Sawyer?
"I only drew when I was mad or angry, or hurt and broken. Our baby will never, ever feel that kind of pain." Her tone changes, and Peyton looks up at Luke, a pleading sadness in her eyes. "You have to promise me that, Luke."
"Our baby will never know anything but love Peyt." He said it with such conviction that she wants to believe that it's true.
"No, I mean you have to swear. You have to swear that if something happens to me, you won't do what my dad did. You won't close yourself off and hurt both of you. You'll tell them that you love them every day, and you'll make sure that they don't lose them self to someone else, just for an excuse to be unhappy to the world, or just because it's good sometimes You have to promise that if I'm not around to do it, you'll talk to the baby about all the bad stuff. You won't just let him learn about sex and drugs and heartbreak though life. You'll teach him. You have to promise."
"You're not going anywhere, Peyton. I won't let you."
"Lucas, we can't always control what happens to us or to the people that we love. And I need you to promise me that you'll do that for me. Because I'll promise it to you."
"Okay, Peyt. I won't ever turn into your dad. But you have to promise that you'll at least try to stay away from anything bad happening to you."
"I'll do my best Luke." She paused for a second, and he knows without a second though that what she's going to say next is going to be hard. He knows he's right when her voice just above a whisper. "And you have to promise me that if something happens to the baby, we're going to be okay." She's known grief, and it just occurred to her the other night that if something happens to this baby, she'd be in it alone.
As soon as she says it, she can hear a sharp intake of breath, and then she feels his hand on her chin, pulling her head up to meet his eyes.
"Nothing is going to happen to this baby. She is going to be fine, and perfect and love. I promise you that." He paused, and saw that there was still fear in her eyes. "And I love, Peyton Sawyer. We will be fine, and so will our baby." He can feel her smile against his chest, and he gently pulled her closer to him as she stifled a yawn. "Love you."
"I love you too, Peyton Elisabeth Scott." He watched as her eyelids fluttered shut, and then her breathing evened, and then he lowered himself to her stomach, so that he face was just inches from their child. "Hey baby Scott. It's your daddy. So, I was just talking to your mommy about some pretty sad stuff, and it just got me thinking, that and the fact that I just spent the weekend with the father of none-other-than Julian , has me thinking that there's some stuff I need to tell you. You know who Julian is. He's the one who almost chocked on his coffee when your mommy told him she was pregnant with you." Lucas let himself smile as he remembered the look on Julian's face when Peyton had walked up to him, and told him to stop hitting on her, because he was an ass, a jerk, a moron, and, oh, yeah, she was pregnant. Unlike Chris Keller, it looked like he would be backing off, not comparing her to the other "Chunk in his bunk". "Anyways, I just wanted to let you know that I'm always going to love you. Always. No matter what happens. You could be a ballerina, or a cook, or basketball player, or you could work at a museum, you could look like your mommy, or you could look like me, or you could have your grandma Karen's dark hair, you can be good at sports or school, or a singing, or fashion, or you can just be good at being my little girl, and I will always love you just as much. No matter what happens to anyone, I will always love you and support you. But I know that your mommy's worried about you. She thinks we don't have the best luck with things, and she's worried that something's going to happen to you. So, I just need you to do me a favor. I need you to be okay. I need you to have ten little fingers, and ten little toes, and two little eyes, and two little lungs, and a little heart. They don't need to be the best, but I just need you to be okay, because your mommy, she deserves to not be hurt again. So I just want you to do your best. Because that's all I can ever ask of you." He moved his hand from where it had been resting all night, and then pressed his lips to her stomach, a smile forming when he realized he was only inches from the little baby. "And I know that your mommy thinks you're a little boy, but I know better. I know you're a daddy's girl. I love you, baby girl. Get some rest. You're going to need it."
And then he pulled himself up, pressed one light kiss to Peyton's head, and then fell into a deep sleep, his hand resting just inches away from his baby. Their baby.
Eight months later, he was once again sitting next to Peyton, in the different bed, but this time, the little baby he was talking to wasn't in Peyton's stomach. She was in his arms, as they both watched Peyton sleep, her hair splayed across the hospital bed, though even in her sleep, she had a smile on her face. She was absolutely in love with her baby, and it had taken nothing less than the doctor's orders for her to put the baby down, and get some sleep. Now it was just Luke and his daughter. He had been right. The doctor's had said it would be a boy, and Peyton had been smug, but sure enough, as soon as she'd been born, the doctor had had to admit that she was a baby girl. Now there was the problem of repainting the nursery, and getting new clothes, but he honestly couldn't care less. Not as he looked at his daughter's perfect little hands, and her perfect little toes, and her little wisps of blonde hair, and her tiny, perfect emerald eyes, he could only smile, before he looked down at the little girl.
"Thank you, baby girl. Thank you for being okay. And I meant what I said, just in case you forgot. I will never love anyone as much as I love you, and I will always be here for you, my little girl. I love you, Elisabeth Anna Scott. Always."
A/N: So I know it's been written a dozen times since last night's episode (which was amazing), but the way I figure it, even it's bad, it's leyton, so that at least gives it merit. R&R!