Author: D.Sollers
Subject: She was fiercely independant; Brooke Davis. Brilliant and Beautiful and Brave. In two years she had grown more than anyone I had ever known. Brooke Davis is going to change the world one day and I'm not sure she even knows. Major BL with NH, JP and sides of LP & CB
Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with One Tree Hill.
Author's Notes: I was supposed to put this up last night but forgot and I spent all day by the pool. I am sorry for the delay but I am home all day tomorrow and I am going to post a few chapters. Hopefully everyone is still interested in this story. OH! Also, I have been really wanting to do the oneshot thing for the Brucas League (including the time jump) but I am not sure what storyline to go with. Any ideas?
It Feels Like Home to Me
By:
D.Sollers
Chapter Seven
After much protest, Brooke had finally agreed to go to dinner with Chase. "I'm really glad you came out with me tonight," Chase said as he opened her car door.
"I'm glad we're able to do this."
She smiled at him as they walked towards the familiar restaurant, one they had frequently eaten at in high school. As they were seated at the table, they began to talk about Brooke's boutique.
"It opens two weeks from Monday but there's still so much to do." Brooke explained, her eyes wandering down over the menu she already knew by heart.
Chase grinned from ear to ear, proud that she was doing something that she had always dreamed about. "I am so proud of you," he admitted honestly.
She blushed, aware that over the past few days quite a few people have said those words. "I just can't believe I'm finally doing it, you know? I mean this is my dream... I've wanted this since I was a little kid and now it's finally happening, just like I always imagined."
"Is it?" He asked, taking a sip of his wine.
She raised her eyebrow, unsure of what he was trying to say.
"Is this how you always imagined it? Pregnant and single at 23, about ready to risk everything in a business venture?"
Her eyes looked down at the salad in front of her as she tried her best not to let tears form in her eyes. "So maybe it's not exactly how I imagined it but that doesn't matter. I am going to be successful and I'm going to be a great mother."
Her voice was firm and definite, as if she really did believe what she was telling him. It had taken her a lot of practice but she knew that with work, she would become a great parent. In the back of her mind, she sent a silent thank you to Lucas who had been the one to make her realize just that.
Chase nodded his head.
"You're going to do great Brooke, I know it."
His statement was simple and Brooke struggled trying to understand it. Did it mean he thought she would be a good mother or a good designer? She hoped that he was referring to her becoming a mother, suddenly aware of what was truly more important to her.
The rest of their dinner was spent in casual conversations, talking about the differences between life in New York and life home, in Tree Hill.
It was almost dessert before Brooke mentioned the baby again. "My doctor's appointment is tomorrow afternoon," she said finally.
His brown eyes met hers and he smiled gently. "Does this mean..." He questioned her.
Brooke shook her head no as she smiled softly. "I'm not offering you anything Chase but you are this baby's dad. And I want you to be there."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lucas was angry.
If anything was apparent by the time Peyton Sawyer arrived at the River Court, it was that her former boyfriend was beyond mad. She watched as he slammed the basketball down onto the court a couple of times before forcefully throwing it up to the hoop. When it missed the basket, he began to curse.
"Fucking piece..."
"Easy tiger," Peyton said, walking towards her ex slowly. She smiled at him, despite his angry appearance. "What's wrong?"
Lucas shrugged his shoulders as he walked towards the picnic table, ignoring to offer her even a friendly hello. He sat down on the table and took a drink of water, not sure where the anger was coming from.
Peyton sat down on the table beside him, kicking the side of his foot with her own. "Why'd you need to see me Luke?"
He knew he had to come up with something to say to her, something that she would really believe. It wasn't as if he could be honest now, when Chase's words were still playing over and over in his head.
"It's always been us," Lucas said finally.
Peyton gave him a funny look but waited for him to continue.
"It was us that tied us all together, you with Nathan and me with Haley..."
She shrugged her shoulders and turned towards him. "It's funny cause I never saw it like that. We all had different reasons in the beginning but Brooke was the one who held us all together in high school. If it wasn't for her, we'd all probably not even be friends anymore."
With the mention of Brooke's name, Lucas threw the basketball. The two watched as it bounced off the court, heading its way down and into the water.
"This is about Brooke."
The tone of her voice revealed that it wasn't a question she was asking but a statement. Between Peyton and Lucas, everything always came back to Brooke. She wondered to herself if this was how Brooke felt back in high school.
"What were we thinking Peyt?"
"I guess we weren't."
She smiled sadly, remembering that they'd had this conversation before. It was their junior year of high school, just after Brooke had found out about the two of them. Now years later, here they were. Still struggling to come to terms with their relationship with one another.
"You don't deserve her," she said simply.
Her voice was fragile and Lucas knew she was saying the truth. He began to silently think over his past with Brooke, all of the times that he had screwed up. Peyton was right in believing that he didn't deserve Brooke, just like Chase was right in telling him to back off.
"Just like I don't deserve Jake."
He turned to look at her, the familiar look of rejection mirrored in her eyes. "Did something happen between you and Jake?" Lucas questioned, already knowing the answer.
"After everything we've been through, I think something happening between Jake and I is out of the question."
He nodded his head, understanding what she was saying completely. His love for Brooke, just like Peyton's love for Jake, would never be enough. Both Brooke and Jake would always feel betrayed by the two of them, something they rightfully deserved.
"I really like your brown hair."
He tried to smile, tried to break the silence that was growing around them. She rolled her eyes as she leaned in towards his shoulder, resting her head comfortably against his. "You would," she teased.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The next morning had come quickly for Brooke, who after the previous nights dinner with Chase had gone quickly to bed. Brooke's nerves were shot as she stared at the clock in her kitchen.
It was nearly eight, almost five hours before she was scheduled to be at the doctor's office. If it hadn't been for the babies checkup, she would have just blown off the doctors appointment.
With a deep breath, she picked up the phone and dialed Karen's telephone number. "Hi Karen, hopefully I didn't wake you."
"No sweetie, I had to get Lilly ready for school. What's wrong?"
Brooke sighed into the phone, struggling with what to tell the older woman. "I've got my doctor's appointment today and even though I really wanted Haley to come..."
"Have you not told her yet?"
Brooke didn't need to say anything, Karen already knew the answer. Karen smiled into the phone. "I'll pick you up around 12:30, we can go together."
"I asked Luke to take me, I think he thought the situation was too weird for him..."
Karen took the opportunity to disagree with Brooke, insisting that her son was just busy at work. "Lucas cares for you Brooke, if you asked him to go and he could go... he would."
"Are you sure?" Brooke asked quietly.
Karen nodded her head, although she wasn't completely sure.
"I'm sure Brooke," she lied.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Brooke asked me to go to the doctor's appointment."
He looked up from the engine of his car and nodded his head. "I figured she would, she hasn't told Haley about the baby yet." He turned his attention from his mother and focused back on the car, anything that would take his mind off of his last conversation with Brooke.
Lucas wasn't sure what had happened really. He had been so sure of ending things with Peyton, wanting to explain to her how sorry he was for everything that he put her through. Lucas wanted to be honest and tell Peyton about his plans to fight for Brooke.
To be the man that he truly believed he was.
But after his conversation with Chase, he began to feel guilty. He had begun to think that perhaps Chase was right, that he needed to let Brooke go. She was having Chase's baby, something that nothing he could do would change. They were family now, Brooke and Chase no shared a bond that he would never be able to break.
"She also told me that she asked you to go but you blew her off."
His mothers arms were crossed, her eyebrow raised. "I told her that you were probably just busy because the son I raised would never have blown a friend off." She smirked, as she looked around the empty garage. "But considering the fact that you're working on...your own car, I can see that she was right."
"Drop it mom."
The tone in his voice had surprised her as she walked closer to him. "What are you doing Lucas? Brooke needs you," Karen said sadly.
"She needs the baby's father."
Karen rolled her eyes as she looked at her son. "Like I needed Dan?" The mention of Dan's name caused emotions to stir inside of him. He hadn't seen Dan, not since the trial. His father had been convicted of murder and would spend his life behind bars.
"Why can't she have both? Lucas I know more than anyone how important it is to have a father figure around. But if he doesn't want to be..."
Lucas laughed, despite the situation. "That's just it, he does. Chase wants to be around, wants to be the baby's father and wants to be with Brooke."
"Have you talked to Brooke?"
He shook his head as she continued. "There's a reason why they're not together anymore Lucas. Have you ever thought to ask?" His mom gave him a hug before turning towards the door to leave. "If you change your mind, the appointment is at 1:00."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Haley's eyes fluttered open at the sound of her sons cry. She sat up groggily but Nathan's hand stopped her. "Don't worry about James, I'll go and get him ready for school." Nathan smiled at his wife and leaned over to kiss her.
"I'll meet you downstairs."
Nathan headed down the hall and into his sons room. "Hey kiddo, did you sleep well?" Nathan asked as he pulled his sons dresser drawer open. After pulling out the clothes that James would change into, he handed them to his son.
"I guess so. I keep hearing noise outside my window though," James said as he pointed towards the closed window.
Nathan laughed. "Yeah, sorry about that. It was me playing basketball last night."
"Oh," James said. "Can I play with you tonight?"
Nathan raised his eyebrow. "If you're good, I suppose you can stay up a little while."
"Good! Can we call uncle Luke too? And mommy can play!"
With the mention of her name, Haley was at the door. "I can play what sweetie?" She said entering the room and standing beside Nathan.
Nathan signaled for James to stay quiet but the five year old was too excited. "Daddy said I could stay up tonight and play basketball with him!"
Haley laughed. "He did, did he?" She said, bending down so that she was eye level with her little son. "Then I guess you have to go get ready for school and be good all day."
"Okay mommy, I promise. And thanks dad!"
With that, their son grabbed his clothes and ran towards the bathroom, not taking a moment to glance back at his parents. Haley leaned into Nathan and laughed. "And you want another one?"
"Hales, I want six!"
Her eyes widened and she was at a loss for words.
"Nathan... I'm not sure if I could handle having..."
Her husband laughed as he leaned down to kiss her forehead.
"I was just kidding baby."
She sighed with relief as he shrugged his shoulders.
"Probably just four or five."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brooke tapped her fingernail impatiently against the examination table she was sitting on. She hated doctor's offices as much as she hated hospitals.
"How are you feeling Brooke?"
As she sat in front of the doctor, her smile fell. "How am I supposed to feel? I'm throwing up, I can't fit in my skinny jeans anymore but I haven't told anyone I was pregnant so it's not like I can start to wear maternity clothes. Which by the way, have you seen most maternity clothes?"
She rambled on, to which the doctor just laughed.
Karen reached for her hand, squeezing it gently to offer her support. Neither Lucas or Chase had shown up to her doctor's office and Brooke was determined to not let Karen notice.
"About the father, you said..."
She was cut off by knocking on the door and a nurse peeked her head inside. "I'm sorry for the interuption Dr. Evans but there's a man outside who wants to come inside."
Brooke's heart skipped a beat as she turned towards Karen and smiled. Though she knew the chances were that it was Chase standing on the other side of the door, she couldn't help but wish it was Lucas.
"Let him in," the doctor said finally.
Karen squeezed Brooke's hand once more as the door opened and Lucas stepped inside. He was hesitant at first, stepping to stand beside his mother and smiling gently. "I came as soon as I could," he lied.
Brooke nodded her head as tears formed in her eyes. She couldn't believe that she had been wrong, that Lucas wasn't trying to blow her off. Thankful that one of her friends was there to experience it with her, Brooke turned her attention back to the doctor.
"Would you like to hear the heartbeat?"
Brooke nodded her head and the doctor began to set up for hearing the babies heartbeat. After a few minutes, the pitter patter of it's heart came through the room, causing tears to form in Brooke's eyes. She turned towards Karen, who was crying silently as well and smiled at Lucas.
"Thank you for coming Luke," she whispered.
He nodded his head as he reached for her right hand. "I'm glad to be here."
The doctor began to explain to her the next steps of her pregnancy and let her know that her next visit would be the one where they would find out the sex of the baby. Brooke grinned from ear to ear, knowing that once she was aware of what she was having, the planning would begin.
"Any questions?"
There was a million questions running through Brooke's head hours before but as she stood in front of her doctor, she couldn't think of one. She decided that Karen had been right and getting a journal would help her sort out her thoughts. She shrugged her shoulders and thanked her doctor before the older woman left the room.
Karen motioned over her shoulders and stood up. "I'm going to go to the car, I'll meet you guys there." She said as she headed out of the room, leaving Brooke and Lucas alone.
"I have a confession," Brooke admitted. "I thought you were blowing me off the other night."
Lucas nodded his head. "I was," he looked down towards the floor. "I mean, I didn't want to. I just was coming to terms with everything. It's still a little weird that you're pregnant."
"I know, I can barely believe it and I'm the one not fitting into my jeans."
He smiled at Brooke and with a shake of his head he leaned against the wall. "You are so beautiful," he said honestly. "Every time I see you, you take my breath away."
If it had been anyone else, Brooke would have rolled her eyes. But somehow, hearing Lucas say the words...she knew he meant them. She blushed, as she grabbed a hold of her things, eager to change the subject.
"Can we go and get something to eat?"
He nodded his head, linking his hand with hers as he opened the door and headed towards the waiting room. Lucas smiled down at Brooke as he held out the glass door. "What are you in the mood for? Chinese? Pizza? Italian?"
"She had Italian last night."
The sound of Chase's voice took them both by surprise as Brooke quickly dropped Lucas' hand.
"Didn't you Brooke?"
TBC...
Okay ladies I know it is late but as always please R&R. Up next:
- BC talk (flashback of BC's breakup)
- Peyton sees Jenny for the first time in five years
- Haley and Nathan have a romantic dinner
- Lucas and Brooke babysit little James
