Chapter 9 – Unspoken Bonds

A/N: Ok, so here is the next chapter, fitted it into a bit of spare time, still not expecting the updates to become as quick as they were, but here you are fore now. If you haven't already please check out my othe story 'Open Your Eyes' and review review review :)

She woke up to here an annoying tinkling coming from the kitchen, slowly getting up, rubbing her eyes she walked over to the mirror and attempted to smooth the mass of hair that had become tangled from a night of the normal fidgeting that she did.

As she walked in, she saw an equally shattered – if not more – Lucas standing beside the counter, whirling a teaspoon around a mug. After having discovered the tinkling to be the spoon scrapping over the china walls of the inside of the mug she shook her head and walked silently up behind and began to massage the kinks out of his knotted shoulder muscles.

He subconsciously smiled lightly at her touch and felt a gentle shiver up his spine, he couldn't cope with how much he loved the girl standing behind him, the mother of his unborn child. Although they were not 'together' as such, they're bond had become much closer than it had before the tour. They would sit up in her bed and just talk, albeit it had only been three days since they had returned to Tree Hill after he had agreed to leave the tour permanently for his new family. They would talk about baby names and just about anything. The tour wasn't an uncomfortable subject and she would often ask him to tell her a story about it whilst she curled up beside him, clasping the duvet in close to her chest eventually falling to sleep. Then he would crawl out of the bed and make the way to his own room in her house.

He would often find it hard to sleep, the happiness and love for the girl in the other room was pounding his chest to get out, to be able to tell Peyton that he loved her and all he wanted to do was hold her until they're child was born. Not only would the happiness he felt flit around his head, but he would always have the same damn insecurity about not ever being able to be with her again. Peyton seemed fine with just having a child with him, perfectly content in sleeping in the different rooms, unaware that any innocent hug or peck on the cheek would send his heart soaring sky high. He would just have to hope that she would eventually come around to feeling the same way as he did.

'What's got you up so early?'

He sighed, 'I'm just nervous I suppose'

'What about?' The tone of her voice was kind and soothing, willing him to tell her the truth.

'I dunno, the scan I suppose, it's just gonna show that the last few days have actually been real, I'm just worried that I'll be overwhelmed with it all....'

'And....?'

Damn she knew him too well 'What if I'm not a good father?'

'I knew it' her giggle was more of a sigh, 'Lucas, you are going to be the most amazing father, and I know throughout this that you are thinking about Dan, and how he is the only father you have had to learn from, but deep down you know just as well as I and everyone else does that Keith will have taught you all you know and therefore you will be a brilliant father'

He smiled inside, noticing how prepared her little speech had sounded. 'Thank you'

'That's alright' she smiled sweetly at him, their eyes locking for a long moment 'now come on, chop chop, we can't be late' she patted his butt twice to get him moving and walked out the room. His eyes followed the slender, tanned legs gracefully float around the corner out of sight.

'Snap out of it' he whispered harshly to himself, briskly shaking his head.

She walked into her bathroom and sat on the cold toilet seat, the temperature causing her whole body to break out in goose-bumps. She began to remember the last time she had sat here.

She couldn't quite believe what she was seeing, the pink line facing back at her.

'Positive, shit, positive...' it couldn't be, she'd only sent him away a few weeks before. Now what the hell was she going to do? The more she thought about it, the more it seemed the world had come to an end. She knew she couldn't go through the pregnancy alone, she knew that Brooke would be by her side every step of the way, but it wasn't quite the same as the aspect of her baby having a father, and her having the joy of seeing his face when he felt their child kicking for the first time, at the first scan, hearing the heart beat. She needed him with her.

Looking back, she could truly see how lucky she was. Lucas had come home for her and the baby, completely abandoning the tour of his dreams for something far lower key. Suddenly something clicked inside of her head, jolting into the familiar position that it had been for the last few years.

Jumping up feeling her bare legs rip slightly from the plastic toilet seat cover she confidently strode out of the room and found he had hardly moved from five minutes before.

Expecting her swift movements to be frustration that he hadn't begun to get ready for their appointment yet, he begun to open his mouth in the plan to make some kind of excuse to why he hadn't moved, but before he had the chance to even think of his excuse she had crushed her lips upon his. The kiss wasn't brutal, but it was firm, in a way that he couldn't quite understand... determination maybe? He didn't care in that moment, it was a new bond between them and he kissed her back, the moment slowing down until she gently pulled away and looked up lovingly into his eyes.

'Thank you' the contentment was evident in every manner of her. He wondered on whether to ask what her gratitude was towards but decided against it. She started to walk slowly backwards and just before coming to the doorway swished around, causing her hair to whip around in the most perfect of manners. Feeling the moment they had just shared settle in he leaped into a flurry of excitement and movement, rushing off to get ready for what he expected to be the best moment in his life so far.