A/N: So four hours in the car to LA can get boring so I brought a notebook and came out with this, the ideas been in my head for weeks now. I have no idea what happens when a woman goes into labor (I myself haven't experienced any of it) so bare with me :D oh and this is rated T because of the a** word.

Title: On Call

The summer's heat began to ease away with the coming of the newest season, fall. Early mornings in Tree Hill were now filled with the slight chilly winds making the green leaves dance along the oak trees. Today was one of those mornings.

Lucas placed a warm plate of eggs Benedict in front of Peyton as her hands were placing soft circles on top of her expanded stomach.

"Come on, baby, time to come out; please."

The father to be took the seat next to his fiancée as she pleaded, again, to her unborn baby who was still tucked safely inside her uterus. She had been doing this three times a day; when she woke up, in the middle of the day, and right before she went to bed. These occurrences have been occupying her time ever since the due date passed, that was a week and a half ago.

"Mommy and daddy really want to see you."

Soft taps on the kitchen door caused Lucas' attention to move away from his pregnant love. He stood and before the door was open he knew who it was; his height and black hair were the only clues he needed.

"Hey Nate."

"Luke you need to talk to her, man." Nathan went straight to the point thinking about what had happened earlier that morning between his wife and himself. "Haley won't listen to anything I have to say, but you…you can make her understand."

Lucas turned and looked at Peyton. He couldn't leave her, especially now in the state she was in.

"Best friend duty calls." She told him reassuringly, but he didn't budge. "Luke don't worry about us; she's already more than a week overdue. I'm sure a couple more hours won't hurt. Plus Nate can keep me company."

He sighed heavily knowing that the decision was already made, he placed a gentle kiss on her soft lips.

"I'll only be gone for an hour."

"The sooner you leave the sooner you'll get back."

With that he descended out the door a small breeze making its way into the warm house causing Peyton's blonde locks to sway back and forth.

"So, Scott, what exactly did you do to make happy Haley not so happy?"

Nathan helped his oh so very pregnant friend out of the kitchen stool and into the living room as they made themselves comfortable on the couch.

"Well…" hesitation. "She asked me to answer her honestly…"

Peyton's jaw practically hit the floor already knowing what was coming as she cut him off.

"You've been married almost six years and you still fall for that line?"

"If you women didn't ask that stupid question in the first place it would make men's lives so much easier." Peyton softly nudged Nathan encouraging him to continue. "And I told her the truth. It looked like she forced herself into one of Jamie's shirt. She threw the hanger at me."

Peyton couldn't help herself letting out the laugh that hid in her throat moments ago causing her to receive a steely look from the dark haired boy.

"I'm so sorry." She apologized while laughing. "It's just that I can picture it perfectly. Poor Hales."

"Poor Hales?" Nathan shrieked. "Poor me! Those hangers hurt. I don't remember her being like this with Jamie."

"Dude what do you expect? Her hormones are everywhere." Peyton's smile never faltering. "Trust me; she's probably happy by now."

"You've seen how Haley gets." Nathan looked at her skeptically. "Right?" Peyton nodded. "Do I look fat in this?" Nathan mimicked Haley's voice horribly. "That's a stupid question."

"Luke says that this might be our only kid because he doesn't think he could handle the Dr. Heckle and Mr. Hyde bit for a second or third time around."

This time it was Nathan who failed to hide his laughter. It was true; a pregnant Peyton wasn't the best person to be around. She'd go from happy to sad to angry and back to happy in less than a minute.

"Neah." He disagreed. "Once Luke see's how beautiful your baby is he's going to want more. Soon you'll be busier than bunnies."

Peyton knocked her small fist into his shoulder causing him to wail in pain.

"Shut up."

Her cheeks turning a light shade of red her and her smile growing wider.

"You're blushing tells me otherwise."

The playful banter of Nathan Scott and Peyton Sawyer soon-to-be-Scott filled the quite house for another twenty minutes.

"I'm going to get some water. Are you thirsty?"

"No. I'm good, but let me get it for you."

"Nate, it's okay, really. The doctor says that walking is good and the plus to that is that it gets this little one into the world."

She rubbed her swollen belly gently and made her way into the kitchen. Moments later Nathan heard splashing against the tile.

"Sawyer did you spill the water?"

When he didn't get an answer Nathan went to investigate. His eyes came upon Peyton who was hunched over the counter her fingers grabbing tight to the corners of the island and the glass of water sitting on top of the table perfectly. When she finally did look up her facial expression subsided all of the anger and worry came across her eyes.

"My water just broke."

"What?" he squeaked out unsure of what to do? Last time Haley went into labor the ambulance came and he didn't have to worry about anything else "Are…are you sure?"

"No I'm joking." Her voice lacing with sarcasm as she clung to the island as a strong contraction began. "Oh, god."

"Do you think you can hold her in?"

Peyton's head popped up in shock her eyes wide as saucers looking at the horror stricken face of Nathan Scott. So much for the man taking charge, it looked like Peyton was going to do all the work plus have a baby.

"Nathan there's a hospital bag by the bedroom door. It's the one filled with baby clothes and a couple overnight clothes for me."

He quickly grabbed the small suitcase from the room and ran out the door, but when he realized he was missing the most important thing when it came to having a baby his legs took him back inside. He helped Peyton over the amniotic fluid and led her out to his car.

The duo reached the hospital in ten minutes flat breaking the speed limit the entire way.

"We're here. We made it. We did it!"

His voice was full of enthusiasm a long await smile on his face that was currently occupied with dread and fear.

"Yes the hard part is truly over."

Peyton's bitter voice broke through the cheeriness and he jumped out of the car opening the passenger door. Nathan practically had Peyton in his arms while running inside to the nurse's station.

"She's in labor. We need help."

Peyton was wheeled into a private room and checked by an OB/GYN she was currently dialed seven centimeters. Nathan who had walked out during the exam to give Peyton some privacy came waltzing back in.

"He doesn't answer his phone."

"What? What do you mean he doesn't answer his phone?"

The fear in her voice was inevitable. Nathan rubbed the back of his neck and took a seat in the hospital chair grabbing the hospital phone and dialing the memorized number. There was a ring another ring and it went straight to voicemail.

"Luke you need to get down to the hospital now."

He hung the phone up and wondered why Lucas was ignoring his calls.

***

Haley hadn't stopped crying since he got here more than half an hour ago complaining how guys were such jerks especially the big jerk she married and yet Lucas still wasn't sure what had happened to the loveable couple.

"This is his entire fault. I wouldn't even be in this position if it wasn't for him."

"Hales what exactly did he do?"

"He called me a whale."

"What?"

Lucas brought Haley's head up with the tip of his fingers. His blue eyes reading her chocolate browns and it was too much for her; his eyes were always so intense.

"Okay so he didn't exactly use that terminology." His cell phone began to ring and she noticed the name displayed across it. "If that's Nathan you better not answer it."

Lucas didn't think anything of it as he ignored all the calls coming from Nathan Scott and eventually just turned off his phone.

***

Peyton was in the middle of one of her contractions as she squeezed the blood out of Nathan's right hand.

"Ouch. Ease up Sawyer. Haley was never this…"

Her green eyes shooting daggers into the blue not so intense eyes daring him to finish the sentence. He defiantly did feel threatened.

"Yeah, well Haley was a freak of nature that popped out a kid like it was a piece of cake."

She felt bad with the statement she had just made, but she was in a lot of pain and Nathan was practically comparing his pain to hers.

"Well she did have the epidural."

Peyton's obstetrician walked through the door and was bombarded with one request.

"Drugs. Please give me some drugs."

"I thought you wanted to do this ol' natural."

The doctors long red hair was pinned back, her freckles dotted across her nose, and her smile warms as ever.

"I changed my mind. I really want the drugs."

Dr. Henson giggled. All women wanted to go without the drugs until they felt the unbearable pain. Her ponytail swaggered from left to right.

"No can do, Peyton." The doctor received a shocked look from the patient. "It's a little too late for that. Looks like we're going to have to stick with the original plan."

The doctor exited the room leaving the previous two in the room. Nathan tried to call his brother again, but still not getting through to him. When he realized he probably wasn't going to get through to the blonde Scott he dialed another familiar number.

"Skillz..." He was glad that he answered after one ring; the good friend was currently taking care of Jamie while Haley had her small meltdown. "Look I've been trying to call Lucas and he doesn't answer his phone. You have to get to my house ASAP. Luke is there and you need to tell him…"

Peyton snatched the phone from Nathan's hands.

"Skillz, you tell Lucas to get his ass to the hospital otherwise my child has no father."

Hanging up the phone on the receiver Peyton though of how sure she sounded; of course she wasn't one hundred percent serious, but Lucas should be the one here clinging to her hand complaining how she has a strong grip and to ease up. The wrong Scott was defiantly here.

***

"Uncle Skillz why do we have to leave so soon?"

Jamie asked as his uncle threw him over his shoulder and began to run towards the Scott Residence leaving behind the orange basketball.

"I think P. Sawyer is in labor."

"What's labor?"

The little boy asked innocently as he bounced on Skillz' back as they made it down the block to his house.

"It means she's going to have a baby soon."

"Whoa. That's cool."

"Yea cool."

Uncle and nephew made it to the driveway. Once Skillz had stopped moving Jamie jumped off his back and into his house. He wanted to be the first to tell his mom, but spotted his other uncle on the couch and looked at him confused.

"Uncle Lucas what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with Aunt Peyton cause she's having a baby like right now?"

If Lucas was drinking a beverage at that very moment he would have surely choked on it or spit it out. He was about to ask what the little boy meant, but Skillz came running into the house.

"Luke, man, Nate's been trying to get a hold of you. Peyton's at the hospital and she's in labor. She says that you aint going to be a baby daddy if you don't get your butt over there."

Lucas didn't ask what, where, when, and why he just jumped in his car and drove down to Tree Hill memorial glad that Peyton had told him to install the brown and pink infant car seat.

***

"Okay, Peyton, it's time to push."

Dr. Henson had informed the young mother-to-be. Peyton shook her dark blonde curls. She wasn't ready to push yet. The father of her child wasn't anywhere insight. Just then a panting young man with short spiky hair, the same color of dark blonde, came panting in the room.

"I'm here."

He stated the obvious as he took the place where Nathan was moments ago.

"If I wasn't about to push a watermelon out of me right now I would kill you for not being here sooner."

"I know and I'm sorry."

"But you're here now and that's all that counts."

She could give him a tongue lashing later, but she knew once their baby had made it safely into the big wide world than she wouldn't care because he gave this baby to her like she gave her to him. His hands clung to those of his fiancée. She squeezed them with all her might as she began to push. He whispered encouraging words into her ear and kissed her forehead and temple about a thousand times.

"One final push, Peyton. Give us a good one."

Peyton did as she was told and worked the hardest she's ever had to. The beads of sweat ran down her neck, her wet curls glued to her cheeks.

"It's a girl."

The sound of a newborn's baby cry filled the room and it was the most wonderful sound either Peyton or Lucas have ever heard. It was the sound of their baby showing everyone that she was alive and breathing on her own. The doctor held up the crying baby to show the new parents of their beautiful creation.

"She's beautiful."

Peyton whispered, when the infant was taken to get cleaned up she finally looking into Lucas' happy eyes that were a replica of how happy hers looked.

"Yes. She is, just like her mom." He swept her lips onto his. "Thank you for all of this, Peyton"

"I love you, Luke."

The happy tears strolled down her cheeks as her daughter was placed into her arms the pink cap hiding her small blonde curls and the hospital blanket wrapped around her like a cocoon hiding how tiny the baby girl truly was.

"I love you, Peyt."

The small family of three all sat together on the bed. The infant girl's tiny hand somehow made it out of the snug blanket and suddenly grabbed hold of her father's index finger. Peyton smiled cooing something about how the baby was only minutes old and she already had her daddy wrapped around her tiny finger. Lucas' smile grew wider looking at his sleeping daughter and met Peyton's eyes their lips coming together in a loving kiss. Happily ever after really did exist in the real world.

-FIN-

A/N: What do you think? Push the green review button and I will now :D Love does make the world go round :D...and yay OTH in approximately 25 minutes (for me :D)