Chapter 2, Mud, Fun & Brooke
She could see a line of trees, her legs and feet were covered in a thick layer of mud, she scanned further and twisted her body until she had done a full 360 degree rotation. At which point she spotted Peyton faced down in the mud and spluttering, Brooke started laughing, her hair was practically brown and she looked pissed off.
'Hey, cheery but slow-you wanna come help me up' Peyton knew that would get Brooke up, whether or not she would receive any help was a different matter altogether.
'Well, well, I told you to wear a waterproof jacket. Come here you big fake blond Goldilocks' Brooke stretched her hand out for Peyton to grab, she clasped her friend and then pulled her down with her.
'Ha, not so amusing when you find yourself with a mouthful of mud is it?' Peyton quirked her eyebrow at her best friend and chuckled.
'I hate you'
'Yeah, but you love me really. Come on-there's a safe house Herbert and I set up last year for this kind of situation. It's fully equipped with clothes, cars, food, money and whatever else we need. Herbert and I kinda had a similar incident when we got here last time'
'Wait, what? If you knew this could happen then why didn't you say something before we left?'
'Because B. Davis B, sometimes you have to get your hands dirty and well in your case your entire body dirty to get the mission done, besides after the you almost got me killed in France last week-oh and a divorce-Luke was pissed at me for like a week. I figured that a little payback was in order. Don't worry next week you totally get me back'
Brooke looked confused and a little annoyed.
'Um how do you know I get you back. Right, so in some version of a future I get you back-but cos you already know it's going to happen you avoid it'
'Yeah that would be great, however I can't avoid it. I tried many times, each time you just got me back in a different more insane way. I got sick of being pranked' Brooke was laughing loudly at this point and they had already started making their way toward the house.
'How many times did you go and see if you could avoid getting pranked?'
'Let's just say enough times to know that no matter what I did you were determined to get revenge. There's only so many times a girl can take landing in a shit pit before it starts to become really annoying'
'I made you land in a shit pit? Wow I am good'
'Yeah, but I say after this we cool it on the whole getting each other thing. I saw what my revenge on you was and let's just say that you are not going to be happy in a week's time' Peyton opened the door to the house and stepped through it, leaving an open mouthed Brooke in her wake.
'Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer Scott' Peyton froze.
'Shit-she middle named, maiden named and surnamed me all in one breath-this can't be good' Peyton muttered under her breath.
'Yes Brooke Penelope Davis Baker'
'Don't get cute with me Missy, what did you do to me? Or should I say what are you going to do to me?' Brooke had one hand on her hip and the look in her eye was the furthest thing from being ok that Peyton had seen in a long time.
'Brooke, come on-it's how we blow off steam. We play these little pranks, no one gets hurt. It's just kinda gross what we manage to land the other person in. I mean I got a shit pit, a pile of manure, I fell into a pool of sick-should I go on' Brooke looked like she was going to throw up at this point.
'I did that to you?' Brooke looked oddly proud with a hint of green to her cheeks.
'Yeah well I tried to avoid them all but after the pool of sick I just stopped trying to avoid the inevitable. I didn't want to know what else you had in store for me. I considered my options and decided that as I got to experience those wonderful things then you wouldn't mind being locked in a coffin for a day'. Peyton smirked at her and started laughing.
'You locked me in a coffin for a day?' Brooke looked livid at this point, she had issues with being left alone in the dark.
'What I drilled some holes so that you could breathe and well you weren't in there the whole day. We let you go after a few hours of shouting and screaming'
'Oh well in that case, I really shouldn't complain' Brooke's voice was heavily laden with sarcasm.
'Unbelievable, I cannot believe you did that to me' Brooke marched past her friend and made her way to the bedroom-she turned the water on and stepped underneath the spray. She needed to calm down, because with the way she was feeling-Peyton would leave with a black eye and the loss of a limb.
Peyton took a deep breath and exhaled, Oh boy this was going to be a long mission especially if Brooke was still pissed at her.
Peyton showered quickly and pulled on a pair of form fitting dark jeans, a tight tank top, a cute pair of boots and her trademark leather jacket. This was her favourite outfit to wear on missions to the future, she blended in seamlessly which was the whole point.
Brooke was waiting on the sofa, twirling a glass of wine between her fingers when Peyton stepped into the lounge.
'Brooke I'm really sorry, but technically it hasn't happened to you yet-and you haven't shit pitted and vomited me yet; so can we just let it go for now and concentrate on the mission?' Peyton's eyes pleaded with Brooke for a reprieve.
'Ok, but just so you know-this is not over '
'Whatever you say ' Brooke smirked and sipped some more wine. She was on her third glass and didn't have the fight in her to get stuck into Peyton. The mission was critical to one of Herbert's projects and they had forty eight hours to get in and out relatively unscathed.
Brooke got an early night after she patched things up with Peyton and they called a truce, they had a long day ahead of them and she needed some sleep. Peyton woke up next to Luke and sighed. 'Fuck' she cursed loudly and realized she must have fallen asleep with the time piece in her hand and then had a dream about Luke. This was going to be embarrassing.
'Luke' she whispered his name and felt him move a little when he still hadn't woken up she nudged him with her hand, he stubbornly refused to wake up. Time for the old standby, she climbed on top of him and started kissing him on the lips, she pushed her tongue over the seam of his lips and then his hands were wrapping around her waist and he was sitting up so that he could get a better view of his wife.
'Peyt, what are you doing back?' He looked into the smiling face of the woman who still took his breath away.
'I uh had a dream about you and poof woke up here'
'Poof' He quirked his eyebrow in amusement at her, she was so cute right now, her hair was all curly and very blonde, she rocked her hips into him and he really couldn't think straight after that.
'Yeah poof, let's make this quick husband Brooke will kill me if she knows I went back without her for a booty call' She leant in to kiss him and he pulled back.
'A booty call-is that all I am to you?' He looked at with a pout.
'Well, you're sorta cute and I kinda like you' She smirked at him.
'Well, I guess I'm going to have to make you love me somehow huh?' He kissed her deeply and then flipped her over so that she was lying beneath him. He brushed a curl off her forehead and before he could get started he heard a shrill voice next to the bed.
'You have got to be kidding me!' Brooke stared at the married couple, she was secretly laughing on the inside but figured she could look pissed off for added effect.
'You're about to have sex with your husband when you know how much of a busy two days we have ahead of us' She had one hand on her hip and her lips were sealed into a thin line.
Brooke had effectively shattered the mood with her appearance and less than happy conversation opener.
'Luke-I'll see ya' He groaned as she slithered out from underneath him.
She leant down and kissed him on the lips. 'To be continued' she whispered against his lips, he smiled and waved a goodbye at Brooke.
Brooke grabbed Peyton's hand and with a flash of blue and a light pop they were gone.
Peyton returned moments later holding onto an annoyed looking Brooke.
'Babe-we're just gonna go say hi to the twins-be right back' Peyton ushered Brooke out of her bedroom and they opened the door to her babies room. Sawyer was lying on her side with her hands cupped under her cheek as a pillow. William was laying on his back and clutching his blanket-they looked adorable. Brooke ran over to Sawyer's bed and placed a sweet kiss to her forehead whilst Peyton went over to William's bed and kissed her little man on the cheek. He slowly opened his eyes.
'Mommy-I missed you' He put his little arms around her waist and hugged her tightly. Luke stood in the doorway and watched his wife hug the older twin and place a kiss to the side of his head. He saw Brooke hugging Sawyer and he felt a warm glow fill his body. He loved both these woman but in very different ways.
'Mommy?'
'Yes baby'
'Can I have a hug?' Sawyer looked at her mother and smiled. Peyton kissed William and then got up, Brooke made her way over to William's bed and gave him a kiss and a hug.
'Aunt Brooke-we missed you' She giggled, these little terrors were awesome.
Peyton picked Sawyer up and gave her kiss on the cheek.
'Mommy missed you' Sawyer hummed in her mother's embrace and Luke walked up behind them and wrapped his arms around them both. Peyton leant back into his chest and felt him press a kiss to her curls. She felt something else pressing into her, she just giggled and stepped out of his arms.
'Down boy' she whispered whilst looking him in the eyes and giving him her dirtiest look.
'Peyt' He said her name softly and she looked at him with that look she got right before she kissed him.
She put Sawyer back in her bed, brushed her hair off of her face and waited until her breathing evened out. Brooke was laying in bed with William and his arms were clasped around his middle.
'Brooke-do you wanna go say hey to your husband-we can always go back to the morning we are meant to be there-that's the beauty of what we do' Brooke nodded her head and stood up.
'One hour P. Scott-I mean it' Peyton hugged her best friend and padded softly out of her children's bedroom. Luke following close behind. He quietly shut the door and Brooke waved and disappeared. He wrapped his arms around his wife and led her to the bedroom. He pushed her down on the bed and lifted her shirt and placed tender kisses to her stomach, his fingers grazed up her sides and she shivered at his loving touches.
'Peyton' She groaned and turned on to her side. Herbert was stood there with a very pissed off looking Brooke.
'Luke, stop' He slowly got off his wife and groaned, what did a guy have to do to get laid around here rattled around in his mind. Peyton giggled at his frustration and got up and off the bed.
'I'm very disappointed in both of you, there is a timeline for a reason, Peyton if you get pregnant right now it makes your future missions null and void. Every timetable I've created becomes meaningless. This is why you must stick to a schedule, every alteration has a knock on effect, I thought I had explained that to you both' Herbert sighed deeply and looked up.
'We know, but I missed Luke and my babies and I didn't think that spending a little more time with my husband and kids would jeopardise so much-I'm sorry it won't happen again' Herbert smiled at her, he really didn't want to seem like he was coming down on them harshly but sometimes there had to be a bad guy and it had to be him.
Herbert left them at the safe house and disappeared. Brooke looked around and grabbed her backpack, they set off on foot. They were both silent during the trip, Peyton carefully scanned the hill and every now and again gave the signal to crouch down. Brooke could feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins as she felt herself get closer to the rendez-vous point.
'Peyt, how much further?' Brooke sat with her back up against a tree, she was sipping from a water bottle and Peyton could see the excitement in her eyes.
'Not long now Brooke, I can see the cabin about three clicks to the north and we need to get there to meet Andrea. You ready to go?' Brooke nodded and they once again set off for the cabin. Unbeknownst to either of them they had been spotted, they were being tracked, every move they made was being monitored by someone.
Herbert stood back from his workbench and wiped the sweat off his brow, he had laboured for a few months on this invention, there had been a lot of late nights and last minute missions to acquire pieces that didn't exist in his present time. He did a little jig of joy and clapped his hands together, this latest offering of his would make seeing the missions like a movie reel played in real time.
His device in its most basic form was a camera that could send back footage from any time as and when something was happening. This would make their missions safer, easier to monitor and essentially provide invaluable knowledge to ensure that things didn't get altered. In Herbert's mind this was kind of the point of inventing it, his time would be freed up and he wouldn't need to constantly point out the dangers that came with what they did.
