*Im really glad you all liked the last chapter. I am really feeling this story right now but I am in the car so I am going to type it on my iPad until I get back home. Which is when you'll see this because I can't upload without a computer. :) enjoy.
Madi silently crawled out of her bed and tiptoed into Lucas' room. "Daddy." She whispered.
Lucas stirred in his sleep.
"Daddy!" Madi shook Lucas.
Lucas opened his eyes to his daughter standing in front of him. Lucas jumped a little. "Madi?" He questioned.
"Daddy, I can't sleep." Maid pouted.
Lucas sighed and pulled Madi onto the bed with him. This time placing her only next to him and wrapping his arms around her so that she wouldn't fall. He covered them both up with the blanket and laid there waiting for Madi to fall back asleep.
-next morning-
Lucas awoke to the sound of a banging in the kitchen. He quickly got out of bed and entered the kitchen. Lucas walked in to see Peyton making breakfast with Karen and Madi. He rubbed his eyes, "Peyton?"
Peyton turned around shocked. "Morning."
Madi smirks. "Morning daddy"
Lindsey stood in the doorway from their bedroom listening to everyone in the kitchen.
Lucas ran his hands through his hair. "What are you doing here so early?"
Before Peyton could answer Karen chimed in. "Madi thought it would be nice to have everyone together for breakfast."
Peyton nodded. "I didn't think it would be a big deal."
"It's not. I'm glad you are here." Like said and slid into a chair at the table.
Lindsey didn't know if she should go out into the kitchen. She finished getting ready and decided she couldn't pretend to not be there all day.
Peyton and Karen were finishing cooking when Lindsey entered the room. Lucas was sitting near the end of the table with Madi in her seat next to him. Lindsey was going to sit across from him, that was until Madi screamed. "Mommy sit by me!" Peyton obliged and Lindsey growled. She would have to a settle for the chair next to Karen at the other end of the table because Lily had already claimed the seat directly next to Lucas.
Karen placed the plates of pancakes and bowl of eggs on the table. "Time to eat." Karen smiled and took her seat.
Lucas was going to put some eggs on Madi's plate when Peyton also reached to make Madi's plate. "Oops. Sorry." Lucas said having bumped into Peyton's hand.
Peyton heart skipped a beat and she looked toward Madi instead of up at Lucas. "I am sorry. Madi would you like some eggs?" Peyton quickly switched her attention to something else.
Everyone say quietly and ate their food for a little while until Madi broke the silence. "Mommy?"
"What Madi?" Peyton responded.
Madi smiled knowing she had hooked her mother's attention along with everyone else's at the table. "Can you and daddy take me to the park today?"
"How about just you and I go?" Peyton replied trying to avoid spending any more time with Lucas today.
Madi pouted. "No mommy. Can daddy please come?" Madi started to whine.
"Well how bout mommy, Lindsey, and I take you to the park?" Lucas suggested knowing Lindsey would not be happy if she was not invited.
"No!" Madi screamed. "Just you and mommy!" Madi knew that the outburst may get her in trouble but she also knew that her parents would have to scold her together.
Peyton stared at her daughter in shock. She had never heard her daughter yell in such a way that she didn't know what to say next.
Lucas could see the look on Peyton's face that this was a new thing. He swiftly picked Madi up and looked to Peyton and urged her to follow him. Peyton nodded and followed behind him.
Lindsey glared as she watched Peyton trailing Lucas.
Lucas entered his room and placed Madison on the bed and closed the door behind Peyton. "Madi what was that all about?" Lucas demanded.
Madison began to sob and Peyton instantly took Madi into her arms. Luke looked at her with wonder. "Sh. It's okay baby." Peyton soothed.
"Peyton she needs to explain her actions." Lucas stood with his arms crossed.
Peyton looked up to him. "I'm sorry but I can't do it. I know she should be in trouble and she will be but I can't watch her cry."
Luke placed his hand on Peyton's shoulder. "I know it's hard but she has to learn that it's not okay and that crying won't get her out of trouble."
Peyton felt tears well in her eyes. "Luke she's my baby though."
Lucas couldn't take it. He wrapped his arms around Peyton who was still holding Madison. He gently rubbed her back. "Peyton it's going to be okay. She will always be our baby but she does need to learn right from wrong."
Peyton took a deep breath and with that breath she inhaled Lucas' scent. Her heart shattered into a million pieces. It was her favorite cologne. Peyton felt his hand lift off her back as he stepped back. Lucas once again placed Madi on the bed. Madison looked up to Luke with her striking eyes and stared until he spoke. "Madi, what you did was not appropriate. It is not nice to yell. It is also not nice to not include others."
Madison nodded then looked down at her hands.
"Why don't you want Lindsey to go?" Luke asked kneeling down in front of Madison.
"I just wanted to spend time with just you and mommy." Madi sniffled. "Everyone else's mommy and daddy takes them to the park and plays with them together but you guys don't do anything together."
That was the one thing Peyton had been terrified of ever hearing. That he daughter knew her parents were not together and that they wouldn't be a family like everyone else had. Peyton started crying and sat next to Madi on the bed.
Luke felt crushed and pure helplessness. "Madi, I love you and I will always love you! Just like I will always love your mom. We will always be a family not matter what. No one can take that from us. If it means that much to you maybe we can start doing something once a week as a family. Just the three of us."
"Luke don't put ideas in her head that you don't plan to keep." Peyton said calmly.
Lucas placed his hands on Peyton's. "I'm serious. If this will help Madi then I will make it happen."
Madison only knew partially what was going on. However she did know that her dad had just said they would be doing something together just the three of them. Madison may not understand everything but she does know that her parents are supposed to be together.
Madison took a moment to control her crying and looked up at her parents. "I know I shouldn't have yelled. I'm sorry. Can we still go to the park?"
Luke thought for a moment. "Why don't you let me and mommy talk for a moment and then we will let you know. Go finish your food please and apologize for yelling." Madison nodded and ran off out of the room, remembering to close the door behind her. Lucas turned to Peyton.
Peyton was still sitting on the bed. She was wiping the smudged makeup off her face. Luke sat next to Peyton and rested his hand on her thigh. "I was so afraid." Peyton said blankly.
"Of what?" Luke asked.
"Of the day she asked me why her parents weren't together." Peyton began to sob again. It had been a long time since she had allowed herself to cry. Staying strong for Madi was the most important thing to her.
"There is nothing to be afraid of. We are going to show her that we are still a family no matter what." Luke assured her. "I want to start to spend one day a week together doing things with Madi. She needs to see that we are a family."
"She was naughty so I don't know if she should get to go to the park." Peyton stated chuckling a little.
Lucas grinned. "Well I think that she didn't know how to tell us. We should still take her to the park."
Peyton and Lucas both agreed to take Madison to the park but Lindsey was not thrilled about the two of them being alone. Lindsey dragged Lucas to the bedroom.
Lindsey slammed their bedroom door behind them. "I don't like this idea at all!" Lindsey yelled.
Lucas stood there staring at Lindsey. He was wondering where the women he married had gone. "Well I don't like your attitude right now."
Lindsey growled at Lucas. "Why are you acting like this? Why is that little brat taking over our lives?" Lindsey demanded.
Lucas got near Lindsey's face in that moment. "My daughter is not a brat!" Lucas stated. "She just wants to spend time with her parents. She is a little girl who is finally getting to have her family together."
Lindsey stomped her foot. "I should not have to suffer because you decided to sleep with her. I forgave you for cheating but I refuse to allow you to spend time with her!"
"Well then I guess it's a good thing it's not your decision." Lucas stared not moving a muscle. Lucas was wondering what Lindsey would do now. They had been fighting a lot since they had come back home. Most fights consisted of him not spending time with her and always talking about Madi or how his mother didn't talk about anything other than Peyton.
Lindsey spun on her heels and grabbed her suitcase from the closet.
"What are you doing?"
"I need a break. I am going to go back to New York for a little while." Lindsey declared throwing the suitcase on the bed.
Lucas jumped in front of her. "Why? What is any of that going to solve?"
Lindsey placed her hands on her hips. "Move." She groaned when he didn't budge. She grabbed her clothes from the dresser. Disgusted with the fact that she had been sleeping in Peyton's bed and using her furniture. She secretly thought that the reason Lucas hadn't found them a house was because he wanted to continue to sleep in Peyton's bed. "I need some space."
Lucas didn't want Lindsey to leave but maybe they did need some time apart. Lucas sighed and stepped aside so she could finish packing. "Fine." Lucas headed toward the door. "Lindsey I love you." He waited for a response and received nothing in return so he left the room and went into the living room where Karen and Peyton were sitting on the couch while Lily and Madi played on the floor.
"What's going on?" Karen asked noticing that Lucas had entered the room.
Lucas sighed and sat in the chair near his mother. "Lindsey is going to New York."
This sentence had peeked everyone's interest. "Why?" Lucas heard come from Peyton.
"She said she needs some space. So in going to let her have her space." Lucas wanted nothing but to go in there and stop her but he knew that she would not listen to him. "Madi, how bout mom and I take you to the park?"
-later that night-
"Madi it's dinner time." Lucas called from the bottom of the stairs.
"Coming." Madi hollered from her bedroom.
Peyton placed the hot pan of lasagna in the middle of the table. "Is she coming?" Peyton called to Lucas.
Lucas entered the room. "She is on her way down."
"Thanks for staying for dinner. Madi really enjoyed having all of us together today." Peyton half smiled and slide out her own chair.
"Oh it's not problem. It's not like I have anyone to go home to." Lucas groaned and sat down across from Peyton.
Peyton was about to say something when Madi came into the dining room. She climbed up into her chair in between her parents and grinned. "It looks so good mommy."
"Thank you." Peyton placed a slice on each of their plates.
After they were finished eating Lucas was preparing to leave. "Daddy?" Madison tugged on his pant leg.
Lucas bent down to her level. "What is it?"
Madison whispered into Lucas' ear so only he could hear her. "Will you stay tonight?"
Lucas knew that this might come up. "I don't think that's a good idea Madi."
"Please daddy!" Madison whined.
Lucas knew that this would mean the world to Madi. He thought for a moment. "You'll have to ask your mom."
Madison squealed and ran over to her mother who was doing the dishes. "Can daddy stay the night?"
Peyton dropped the plate in her hands and got her shirt covered in water from the splash. "Madi, I don't think that would be good." Peyton said calmly.
"Pretty please mommy!" Madison tugged on her shirt.
Peyton grabbed the dish towel and tried to clean up her shirt. "I guess so but I don't know where he is going to sleep." Peyton sighed.
Madison didn't care where he slept she just wanted her dad to stay the night. She ran back to Lucas. "Mommy said you can stay."
Lucas sighed. He had hoped Peyton would be the bad cop and say no. Apparently she was as helpless when it came to their daughter as he was.
Peyton finished the dishes and was changing into a dry shirt from the laundry. Lucas glanced into the kitchen from his place on the couch and eyed Peyton. Noticing that she was curvier. Her chest was more pronounced now. He assumed it was a result of being pregnant with Madison. Lucas quickly looked away before Peyton noticed his wandering eyes. Peyton then joined Lucas and Madison on the couch to watch a movie. Madison was sitting in between her parents and the three of them watched the movie Madison had picked out.
*okay so I have been working on this chapter for a couple days and I am pretty pleased with the outcome. I know no one likes Lindsey, that's the way it's supposed to be but she isn't gone just yet. I have come up with the most amazing plot twist I think I have ever come up with and I am so excited to write it. It will be coming up within the next couple of chapters so keep your eyes peeled and try and guess. :) I am so excited and I would love to hear from all of you!
