A/N: YOU. GUYS. ARE. AWESOME! To those asking about Lucas- This is a Peyton centric fic, but it will be leyton in time. I kinda dont want to tell you anything about Lucas in case it gives something away, but if you are dying to know, ask me in the review to PM you, because I dont mind sharing spoilers, but I cant say here in case someone wants to be surprised. Even longer chapter ahead of you, and I will talk no more because I know you've all been waiting to see whats going to happen.
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Chapter 7 Jamie to the rescue
"So, what else do you think we'll need for the room, rock star?" Peyton asked Jamie as they made their way through the department store.
"Ummm, guitar Hero, World Tour!" Jamie said slyly, looking up at Peyton.
"Nice try, little man, but no." Haley said, laughing.
"Okay" Jamie said, sighing, before brightening again. "How about a wall map like mine so Grandma Karen and Lily can send him postcards too!"
"Great idea, Jimmy Jam. Why don't you lead the way and pick one out, and we'll be right behind you." Haley said, smiling after him as he began to walk purposefully through the store.
"I really appreciate you lending me Jamie for the day to help decorate William's room." Peyton said gratefully as they pushed the already full cart through the store.
"No problem!" Haley said, laughing. "I'm just glad I could be here to put a hold on his maneuverings. He asked Nathan for the World Tour game so he could 'research the technical differences between having a drum set with and without cymbals.' Can you believe that kid?"
"He is a sly one, but then again, his dad is Nathan Scott." Peyton said, grinning. "It's cool that you were here to veto though, because I'm not sure if William will even like video games. This is just a dry run for things to make him feel welcome. I'll wait and see what types of things he likes when he gets here before I buy more. After all, we can always come back later."
"True, and you can bring him over to our house anytime. He can give Jamie's monstrous toy collection a test run before you go out and get anything." Haley offered. "Jamie is so excited to be getting a cousin to play with, especially one around his age. You're doing an awesome thing, Peyton, giving this little boy a Mom."
Peyton absorbed the warmth from Haley's side armed hug. "Thanks, Hales, and I appreciate you guys support in all this. I'm sure I'll be calling often to get a clue on the inner workings of the 4 year old's mind."
"I'm 5, Peyton!" Jamie huffed, having come back and heard the last part as he tossed the wall map on top of everything else in the cart. "Remember, you came to my birthday last month?"
"You sure are," Peyton agreed. "But you were 4 last year, so you can help me too when William gets here."
"No problem. 4 was a piece of cake. I'll be a good big cousin and help him navigate all the pitfalls." Jamie said confidently, before running off again to the toy section.
Peyton and Haley shared a laugh at Jamie before catching sight of Brooke barreling towards them with a cart full of clothes and toys.
"I thought you had everything you needed for Bella from the leftover stuff from Angie." Haley stared in amazement. "What more did you need to buy?"
Peyton just began to leaf through the cart, well acquainted with Brooke's shopping habits. "This is cute," she said, holding up a purple and blue baby doll dress.
Brooke received the call on Tuesday letting her know that she could adopt Isabella if she chose to accept, following Peyton's call about William. Having debated all week and coming to a decision, both accepted the children right away, not waiting for the Wednesday deadline. The plan was to turn Angie's old room into William's room since it was right across from Peyton's, and convert Brooke's office upstairs into a nursery. Now they were supposed to be shopping for supplies for William, since Bella could use Angie's old furniture and Brooke was already designing clothes for the baby, well, the baby via Baby Brooke.
Ignoring Haley's statement, knowing it was in jest, Brooke spoke excitedly. "Peyton, you won't believe what I found!" Brooke pulled her overflowing cart up alongside of Peyton's. "The mall has a Converse store in it! Now you can buy mini Sawyer a pair, just like yours! Oh, I just had an idea!"
"Don't hurt yourself now," Haley quipped.
"You don't know his favorite color, and he probably doesn't know his favorite color, so you should buy a pair of converse in every color, so you can find out what his favorite color is! I mean, you could switch it up of course, buy low tops and high tops, whatever." Brooke clapped her hands in excitement at her brilliant idea, reminding Peyton of Bella in that instance.
"What if he likes high tops better than low? Wouldn't that skew the data?" Peyton questioned, playing along.
Haley chuckled. "What if you just ask him what his favorite color is?" At Brooke and Peyton's glance, Haley hit her forehead. "Oh yeah, doesn't talk much. Got it. Converse's it is."
"You can never have too many pair of Converse shoes in my opinion." Peyton mused, earning a slap from both Haley and Brooke. Laughing, the three of them followed Jamie into the toy section, to finish up their task of preparing for the new arrivals.
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"Thanks for all your help with the furniture and painting guys" Peyton said, as she came in the room to admire Nathan and Skill's handiwork. Peyton had come up with the idea to make William's room into a superhero's room, with the help of James, Nathan, and Skills.
Earlier in the week she had bribed them over with pizza before she went shopping, to help her brainstorm a theme for the room a little boy would like. Nathan threw out sports confidently before Peyton vetoed the idea.
"Not every little boy loves sports, Nathan." She admonished, thinking of William's lack of interest in the sports activities at the Center. That might have been because of the older boys' cruelty, but she didn't want to risk it being a flop. Nathan replied by saying that every normal little boy did, which earned him a smack upside the head. Skills had begun reminiscing about how he loved basketball because it made him feel like he could fly like Superman, and it gave her an idea.
"How about a Superman themed room?" she threw out tentatively. "Little boys like action heroes, right? And if he doesn't know about superheros, it could be like encouragement to be brave and strong. He has had to go through some pretty tough things in his life."
"If you're going to pick a superhero, then you should go with Batman." Nathan interjected.
"No way, man. Spiderman is so much better than Batman." Skills protested.
"Batman would totally kick Spiderman's butt," Nathan challenged.
"With what, seeing as how Spiderman has special powers and spider sense, and can move out the way of anything Batman can throw at him, and Batman is just some crazy dude with too much money, running around the city in tights following a light in the sky."
"Dude, at least Batman wears men's colors, instead of bright red and blue. Besides, Spiderman is just some punk dorky science geek that got bit by a spider. Batman is a millionaire Don Juan, and is cool both in and out of the uniform." Nathan retorted.
"I think Superman's cool." Jamie piped in.
"Okay okay!" Peyton shouted, waving her hands in front the two men who had stood up and leaned over the table towards each other as if they were going to come to blows. "So we'll have a superhero room and he can make the choice of who he likes best when he gets here."
"Good idea," Nathan conceded, sitting down again. "Oh, and when he gets here, Peyton, I can take him out with me and Jamie to play basketball. Maybe he doesn't like sports because he hasn't been properly introduced. We'll teach him how the game is supposed to played." Nathan said smugly.
"Yeah," Skills said, not to be undone. "And me and the guys will teach him the best way to win a water gun fight.
"Yeah, and I'll teach him how to play video games!' Jamie said, jumping up and pumping his fists in the air."
"My boy!" said Nathan.
"Baby James!" said Skills, giving him a high five.
"You are gonna be such a great big cousin!" Peyton said, pulling him into a hug. She looked around the table at her friends, who constantly amazed her and were even now stepping up to the plate to show they were truly her family, and now would be a family for William. "Thanks, you guys."
And so they banded together and filled the room with decals and posters and all things Superhero. They moved in the dresser and bunk beds for her (so Jamie could sleep over), set up the Superman alarm clock that threw the emblem on the ceiling, plugged in the Batman nightlights, and put the Spiderman and Superman sheets on the beds. Peyton had bought a plush doll of each of the superheroes to place on the bed for comfort, and it had become a running joke among the boys to steal the other superhero dolls and hide them around the house, leaving only their favorite hero on the bed.
Peyton patted them on the back before gesturing out the room. "Now you guys can finish up here and go upstairs and help Brooke finish up Bella's room." Peyton sympathized with their groans. Brooke had them hard at work the other day, first moving all of Angie's furniture upstairs to make room for William, then painting both bedrooms, and finally moving around the furniture. She had taken pity on them and got the Room Store to actually put the furniture together for them, but they still had to rearrange it.
With the help of Junk and Fergie, Skills had baby-proofed the house, confessing to his side hustle as a baby-proofer. "You guys are the best uncle's ever!" Peyton said sweetly, before grabbing Jamie's hand. "Come on, rock star, let's go get the clothes from the car, so we can hang them up."
William was smaller and slightly younger than James, so Jamie had graciously told his mom his little cousin could have all of his cool clothes. "You don't want him looking like a tool momma!" He explained. He also told Peyton that he would help her put them away, "So none of the dorky clothes accidentally get in his closet."
So thanks to their friends, the final touches were put on the house and they were now ready for their charges to arrive.
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The day moved quickly, and soon it was 4 o'clock. Peyton waited nervously with Brooke for the social worker to arrive with Bella and William. This wasn't going to be like at the Center, where if William had become too much to handle, she could ask for help from Mrs. Warner. Now she would be on her own. How did she explain it to him? Should she make him call her mom, or Peyton, or Momma Peyton? Should she tell him it was forever? But what if it didn't work out and she had to give him back?
Her mind slammed to a halt at the thought and she calmed. Giving him back wasn't an option. She had always wanted someone to fight for her, but it never happened. No one had fought for her when she pulled away- not her dad, though he fought when it came to his job; not Jake, though he fought for his daughter; not Julian, though he fought to get his movies made; and especially not Lucas, who had proven time and again that he would fight for anyone but her. They all had given up when she became too much to handle, too difficult to understand, and she would not do that to him.
However long it took for him to adjust, she would wait for him. They would make this work together.
Now calm, she was prepared to handle the inevitable freak-out of Brooke Davis. "Did I get enough clothes? Maybe we should take the kids to the store before dinner and pick up a couple more supplies. Dinner! What are we gonna have for dinner? Ohh, I completely forgot about dinner!"
"Brooke," Peyton said, grabbing her by the shoulders and halting her pacing. "You didn't forget about dinner because Nathan and Haley are bringing it over. And it's too late anyway because the kids are here."
Peyton watched as Brooke transformed from frantic to composed in the blink of an eye. She walked over to the door as the doorbell rang again and ushered Patricia in, who was carrying Bella and had accompanied a volunteer from the Center, who held William's hand. Bella was in a cranky mood, whining and straining against Patricia's arms, and William held tightly to the volunteer's hand, humming and sucking fiercely, eyes on the floor and shoulders hunched, slight tremors shaking his body. If Peyton had any doubts about what she was doing, they went away at the sight of the little boy standing in front of her.
"Never again will he ever have a moment like this one." She thought to herself, eyes flashing. She schooled her face, erasing the intense emotions, then stepped forward and called his name softly. "William."
He stopped humming and looked up, taking his thumb out of his mouth. He stepped forward and let the hand of the volunteer go, before hesitating, doubt and fear flashing in his eyes. Peyton knelt onto the ground and held out her arms. "I could really use a hug from you, if you have one to give me."
William lunged forward, burrowing his face into her shoulder and gripping her tightly. "I missed you, little buddy."
His hands tangled in her hair, and he whispered her name so softly, she almost didn't hear him. "Peyton," he sighed.
Peyton tried to stand, but he wouldn't let her go. Finally she whispered to him that she was going to pick him up, and when he didn't object she gathered him in her arms, moving him to one hip as she stood and went to greet Patricia and the volunteer.
Bella had a similar reunion with Brooke. As soon as she saw Brooke standing there, she continued to fight against Patricia, but now it was focused on her efforts to reach for Brooke. Brooke reached out to take Bella in her arms and the little girl quieted immediately, latching her arms around Brooke tightly. The two women stood and greeted their guests, their charges with death grips around their necks and heads on their shoulders. Brooke led the way to the kitchen so that they could fill out the last of the paperwork and take the children's personal items and official documents. Before she left, Patricia took one final tour of the house, making sure the home requirements had been met. She stopped at the door to address Brooke one last time before departing. "You were so wonderful with Angie, Brooke, and the director of the Loving Care Center had nothing but wonderful things to say about you and Peyton. These are some lucky children. We'll be in touch for the first home study."
Brooke thanked her and closed the door behind her, before turning to Peyton and wiggling excitedly. "They're here!" she said to Peyton, making a face before lifting Bella off her chest and nuzzling her nose. "I'm so glad you're here, baby girl!"
Bella whined at being lifted from Brooke's shoulder and reached her arms out, grasping for the comfort of Brooke's embrace. "Okay, baby girl," Brooke said, bringing Bella back towards her body. "Cuddle on."
Sighing, she looked at Peyton. "You think they'll release their death grips before Naley gets here?"
"If not, at least somebody will find our bodies." Peyton quipped.
At Brooke's look of confusion, Peyton explained. "Death grips, dead bodies." William began to hum loudly in her ear. "Oh, sorry, William." She soothed, patting him on the back. Talking about death, even casually, was probably not a good idea for someone who had lost their mother.
She sat on the couch and slid William into her lap, and Brooke did the same with Bella. Peyton looked down at William, who had leaned his head against her chest and put his thumb in his mouth, and moved her gaze to Bella, who lay in a similar position sans thumb, twining her hands in Brooke's hair. "I think we might need to invest in some rocking chairs. Something tells me we may be in this position often."
"Ain't that the truth."
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Nathan, Haley, and Jamie arrived at 5:30, carrying dinner and eager to meet the newest members of the family. The menu- food of the gods, Haley style. Brooke had made a salad to balance the meal, and baby food vegetables were waiting for Bella.
"William, this is Uncle Nathan, Aunt Haley, and Jamie, your new cousin." Peyton said gently, rubbing William's back as he gripped her leg tightly, peeking out from behind it. He had gone with her to open the door since Brooke was upstairs changing Bella, who was apparently "in a horrible outfit, no wonder she's so traumatized!" and couldn't get it herself, since she had also waited until the last minute to change her.
"Hi," Jamie chirped, walking over to William and patting him on the back, just like he saw Peyton do. "I'm Jamie, your cousin. I'm 5, so I'm older than you. Daddy says that means I have to look out for you, but don't worry, I've got big muscles. Momma said you don't like to talk, but that's okay because I like to talk a lot, so you can just listen. I have a bunny named Chester you can meet, and Peyton said you can come over to my house and play. We can play video games, and basketball, and swim. Do you know how to swim?"
William's eyes had widened as the whirlwind that was Jamie latched himself onto him. He shook his head no to the question, and Jamie continued on. "That's okay, maybe Peyton will take you to the Y, and you can learn there. That's where I learned to swim, and I can help you practice. Want to see your room?"
William looked up at Peyton helplessly as Jamie tugged at his hand, ready to lead him into the room he helped set up, as if William hadn't already seen it. Peyton knelt down and smiled gently. "Why don't you go show Jamie your room and he can show you his favorite superhero? I'll be right out here if you need me, okay?" William allowed Jamie to pull him away, looking back at Peyton one last time before turning and following Jamie into the room.
Peyton laughed softly as she stood back up. "Did you see the look on his face?" She chuckled, turning towards Nathan and Haley. "It's like he got swept up by a tornado and didn't know how to get down!"
"I'm so sorry, Peyton," Haley said worriedly. "I know you and Jamie had a talk about William earlier and I reminded Jamie to be gentle with him, but it looks like Jamie forgot."
"Don't worry about it." Peyton said. "I actually think it's good for him to be treated like a normal kid, especially since he didn't balk or let me know he didn't want to. It reminded me of the first time I met Brooke. I kind of felt the same way he did when I met her- overwhelmed, but in a good way. And look at us now."
Brooke chose that moment to come down the stairs, announcing her presence as she made an entrance with Bella on her hip, the two in outfits with matching colors. "Introducing, Isabella Penelope soon to be Davis! Hold your applause, please."
Haley rushed over, meeting Brooke at the bottom of the steps. "She is so beautiful, Brooke!" Haley gushed. "Look at those eyes!" As if she understood she was being talked about, Bella preened. "And those dimples!" Haley looked at Brooke as she held out her arms. "Will she come to me?"
"Probably not" Brooke said apologetically. "She's still a little upset that I left her at the Center, and she won't let me go." To prove her point, Brooke lifted Bella away from her, and Bella latched on, arms and legs stretched out as if she were superglued to Brooke.
Haley laughed. "I'll wait then."
Brooke walked with Haley over to where Peyton was pouring Nathan a drink. "Haley, Nathan, meet Bella. Bella, this is your Aunt Haley and Uncle Nathan. You can love them all you want, just not as much as me." She said, nuzzling the baby's cheeks and making her giggle.
"Don't feel bad." Peyton said wryly. "I got the same speech earlier." She headed back to William's room to check on the boys.
Brooke watched her turn the corner, then rounded on Haley. "Did you see it?" she whispered urgently.
"See what?" Haley said confused.
"William's resemblance to 'you know who'?" Brooke hissed.
"Get out!" Haley breathed. "I just was sitting here thinking that with those curls, no one would guess he was not her real son. I didn't get a good glimpse of him with him standing behind her leg and all."
"Wait 'til dinner and look for it. You'll see."
"Is that why she…?"
"Maybe that's part of it." Brooke said honestly. "But it was also why she had such a hard time going through with it. It's not easy looking at a constant reminder of the one who broke your heart, not once, but over and over again." Brooke walked over and grabbed William's file, which still lay on the coffee table. "But if you take a look at this, and you'll see the real reason she couldn't leave him in that orphanage."
Peyton hadn't gone into detail about William's past when she first told Nathan and Haley about her decision to adopt William, but she had given them the bare bones so they would understand his seemingly standoffish behavior. Haley took the file from Brooke and began to read as Brooke began to heat up Bella's baby food.
"Haley, look." Haley jerked her head up at her husband's whispered command, and put her hand over her mouth at the sight before her. Jamie and William were coming into the kitchen, Jamie's arm slung around William's shoulder and William looking directly at Haley, since Jamie was steadily talking. "And that's my mom. She's the best mom ever, though you'll probably say that about Peyton, since she's your mom now. She's a teacher…"
Everyone always teased that Jamie was secretly Lucas' son since they looked so much alike, but this little boy had Jamie beat in this department. It was the eyes, that brilliant blue with the hint of brooding and a tinge of sadness, as if he knew too much about the world and not all of it was rainbows and light. The weight of his gaze was heavy, as if he were analyzing and processing everything he took in. That was the difference Haley always saw between Jamie and Lucas, because Jamie had grown up shielded from the darkness of the world, and Lucas hadn't had that luxury.
And neither did this little boy. "Oh, Peyton." Haley thought, as she tore her eyes from the little boy who bore more than a passing resemblance to Lucas, and quickly finished reading his history. She felt for the blonde, knowing how difficult it must be to look at William and not see what she had lost, but as she absorbed the horrors this little boy had face, her heart beat with pride. Peyton had sacrificed the heartache she felt daily to give this little boy a chance at a future, and Haley vowed then and there that she would stand by her in this journey. No matter what.
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P.S. A/N: I know some people wanted Peyton to move out on her own, but Peyton and William protested the solitude. Peyton wanted a family and now she has one, and it includes everyone, not just the typical mom, dad, kid. I liked the fact that Breyton is raising the two kids together. Not two-mommy family, but not conventional either. Just Brooke and Peyton, creating their own definition of family.
Okay, another vote, if you want to play. Which superhero do you think William will pick as his favorite? Batman, Spiderman, or Superman?
