Okay, so I'm really sorry that this took so long. Like I said, I'm trying to get back on track with my writing and these stories. I also have a couple new ideas but am nervous to start them without even finishing at least one of these first.
Also, this chapter took forever to write. It took me all week just to piece it together and out in everything that I wanted to happen. I wanted this chapter to move the story ahead, but not too far. Hope y'all like it! And don't forget to REVIEW! They make my day and I love knowing what everyone thinks, good or bad!
So without further ado...
Ooooooooooooooooo
"That's a great job Peyt! Maybe we should have Hales here come and be your tutor instead of me!" The fashion designer laughed along with the other brunette woman. Brooke stole one last glance over the blonde's shoulder at the work that her and Haley were doing. The smile on her face was unmistakeable as she saw how much further her girl had come along in just a week after remeeting Haley and Nathan. She sat at the diner bench with the other two, setting her fresh cup of coffee down along with another cup full of tea for the blonde.
"Well, you know I never mind! And I always enjoy hanging out with you Peyton. You're more fun than Nathan. All he does is talk about basketball." This time all three women laughed, sharing wide smiles.
Peyton mouthed something and gestured towards Haley. Haley only nodded back, smiling. It was a second later before the teacher realized that Peyton was looking at her expectantly, as if waiting for an answer. Internally starting to panic, she had been relieved to hear a knock on the diner door. Excusing herself to get it, she scurried away from the other two.
Peyton looked at Brooke questioningly. The brunette only offered a shoulder shrug and moved to intertwine her hands with Peyton's right. The pencil in the blonde's left hand dropped onto the counter as her attention moved to her girlfriend.
"You really are doing great baby, I'm so proud of you." She whispered to her, glad to have the moment alone. She smiled proudly at the recovering girl, truly amazed at her. Ever since Naley had come over to the house, they had been meeting in the late afternoons at Karen's cafe, which was now closed. It was still owned by Karen, but since the woman was away in New Zealand, it was no longer running. Everything was still the same as it used to be though. The familiar surroundings and ability to still allow them to be alone turned out to be very nice for Peyton. The blonde had been very excited to finally get out of the house. Seeing another place that she had frequented in her past had seemed to jump start her memory. At least on the small things.
Seeing and speaking with Haley and Nathan every day when they visited the diner also helped. The whole thing had actually been the young mother's idea. After discussing it with the fashion designer, they had figured it might help and what would be the best way to do it. Once it was brought up to Peyton, it's all the blonde wanted to do. As much as it seemed that she didn't want her best friend to leave her side, she also wanted to get out and explore.
It was also at these meetings that Haley had taken it upon herself to help reteach Peyton. And it had been going very well. Not only was she almost writing full paragraphs, now able to write multiple words and remembering how to correctly write sentences, but she was also making a lot more sounds. Though, the sound thing was probably more just from Peyton herself, Brooke assumed.
Either way, Peyton was progressing and their friendships were starting to get back on track. Things between the four of them weren't so tense anymore and Nathan and Haley seemed to silently accept the unexplained actions between Peyton and Brooke. Though, the fashion designer was still secretly waiting to be ambushed and questioned over the kisses the two now frequently shared.
A tug at her hand brought the brunette's focus back to the blonde. Peyton mouthed, her voice cracking through, "...eh...ath...". The blonde squeezed her thighs together and her face scrunched up a little. The designer looked puzzled for a moment before putting it together.
"OH, bathroom! You have to go to the bathroom baby?" The blonde only nodded this time. "Okay, let's go then." Brooke got up from her seat and moved behind Peyton's wheelchair, unlocking the wheels and starting to cart her to the restroom. She turned to shout to Haley and Nathan who had just arrived and stood speaking to his wife, "we'll be right back guys!"
"Okay," Haley had turned to shout back before returning her attention to her husband. "So where exactly is our son now?"
"With Luke and Lindsay. We ran into them at the store and he wanted to hang out with Luke. They were planning on going to the river court with Skills I think."
"Ah. Why am I not surprised?" She laughed lightly and shook her head. 'Scott boys and their basketball' she thought to herself.
"So, I wanted to talk to you about Brooke and Peyton-" Nathan whispered, only to be cut off by the sound of a cellphone.
Glancing at her phone, Haley shot him an apologetic face before answering her cell. "Hello? "Oh, yea." Oh, that boy." Alright, mhm." "No, that shouldn't be a problem." "We are just down at the diner" "uh huh. Knock when you get here." "Alright, see you soon!"
She hung up and met her husband's questioning stare.
"It was Lindsay. She's bored and wants to hang out. I told her to just come on down."
"Are you sure that's such a good idea?" He asks, his gaze shooting back towards the bathroom doors.
"Why wouldn't it be? I mean, it's not like there should be a problem. Peyton doesn't even know Lindsay...not that she'll know that, but still. You know what I mean."
"And what if bringing her back around Luke and Lindsay brings back all of that drama from high school? What if Peyton realizes she is still in love with Luke?" He questions. "You know just as well as I do that he never really got over her, especially when she just up and disappeared. I don't care how much he tries to pretend he wasn't still into her back then." He whispered harshly, more out of concern for his friends getting hurt than anything.
"I know that Nathan, okay?! Trust me, I've thought about it. He was just as broken up about her leaving as Brooke was, he just hid it better. But that was years ago. No way he still feels like that now, and besides he's MARRIED. And he has been for a couple years now! That can't just change all of the sudden."
"You do realize we are talking about Lucas Scott right? That man is like an on off switch he changes his damn mind so fast."
"Nathan, just stop. I know you're worried, but I'm sure it'll be fine. And honestly, I don't think Brooke would let anything happen between anyone and Peyton right now anyway, not when she's still so vulnerable."
The basketball star could only snort at that. Haley looked at him indignantly.
"What!? I'm serious. You know how crazy she was after Peyton left. She would have killed whoever she thought was hiding her best friend. It's pretty much a miracle that she actually ended up finding her. I don't see her letting her out of her sight anytime soon, especially since she's hurt."
"Best friend...pft. Not many best friends I know lock lips all the time Hales. And besides, have you ever thought that maybe Peyton didn't WANT to be found? Don't get me wrong, I'm really happy she's back and definitely relieved to see her alive and in one piece. But what happens when she does remember everything? What if she feels the same way she did then and decides to leave again?"
"That would destroy Brooke...Peyton wouldn't do that anyway." She shook her head, trying to convince herself. "No, she wouldn't. Peyton loved Brooke, she would have done anything for her back then. They were the closest best friends I have ever seen...and I'm guessing they are somehow even closer now, considering the kisses and all."
Nathan raises an eyebrow skeptically at that.
"What? I don't know, maybe it's a coping thing? Maybe Peyton is the one who started it since she's all messed up and Brooke is just going along with it? Hell, for all we know, they might have used to kiss back then! All I'm saying is that Peyton wouldn't hurt Brooke like that, especially after she sees how Brooke has been taking care of her through all of this." She stated surely.
"You're forgetting one thing though...obviously, something did happen that would make her leave in the first place. And back then, that's not something any of us would've ever seen coming. So when she remembers everything, she's also gonna remember that she could leave, that she did and that she still survived. I'm just saying, if it was an option she not only considered but actually TOOK last time, than it's definitely going to be an option on her mind now..."
Haley could only look on, worry now filling her as she thought about just how uncertain their futures were, especially Brooke's and Peyton's. She didn't want to think about all of the things that could go wrong. She didn't want time to repeat itself and for her friends to be so hurt and lost again. Peyton running away, and Brooke being just as gone mentally as Peyton was physically, it hadn't been pretty. Nothing had been they same ever since the blonde's disappearance, no matter how much they tried to believe otherwise. So now that things were finally coming back together, to fall apart again isn't something Haley could imagine them surviving, especially the fashion designer.
"So we keep our mouths shut...we play things slow and if Peyton happens to remember all, if any of that mess, then we deal with it then. But until then, we just...avoid it. Let things play out and let Brooke and Peyton carry on and get close again, let Peyton settle back into her life..." Haley said, avoiding her husband's gaze.
"Wait...are you seriously suggesting? ...I can't believe you Haley. That's so...so...SELFISH. It's not right. Peyton shouldn't be kept in the dark about what happened in her own god damned life just to save Brooke's feelings. In case you forgot, Brooke didn't give a damn about Peyton's back then!"
"So what!? You're telling me that having someone who basically has brain damage and is wheelchair bound getting upset and trying to run off on their own is really such a great answer! Really Nathan!?"
They stayed silent as their gazes held the others', shock, disgust, and anger showing.
Nathan finally huffed out, "fine. But I'm not keeping my mouth shut for Brooke. I'm doing it so Peyton won't go and hurt herself."
Haley finally relaxed some, suddenly feeling weary and tired.
"But," he continued, "if she does remember and wants to run, I am going to be there for her Haley. Don't be surprised if she stays at our place and I lock Brooke out..." He warned, still looking out for his old friend in a way he wished he had done long before now.
His wife matched his determined stare, "Nathan, if it comes to that, then I am right there with you." She spoke seriously. "I'm not doing this to take sides. I just want to help them and I don't know how." She finished softly.
Sighing again, her husband took her into his arms and hugged her.
A knock on the door broke them apart. They went to unlock the front door, not noticing the other couple making their way back over to the the previous spot at one of the diner's tables. Brooke was just getting Peyton settled again and locking her wheels when the other three adults joined them.
Brooke was the first to notice the new woman in the room. "Oh, um, hi Lindsay. I didn't know you were coming by."
"Hi Brooke. Yea, Haley said it'd be fine if I came over. The boys ditched me for basketball."
Brooke only nodded and offered a small smile, her focus now on her girlfriend. She wasn't sure how these two meeting would go, since they had never actually met. Brooke had only mentioned in passing that Lucas was Nathan's half brother, not raised together, and that Lindsay and him had been married for awhile. She had been trying to avoid talking about the sandy haired boy too much...
Peyton watched the two talk for a minute in confusion. She heard her girlfriend say the name Lindsay and thought hard to herself. The name wracked in her brain for a minute before she finally remembered what her girlfriend had said about the name. This was Lucas' wife...whoever Lucas was...
The blonde blinked and focused on the present once again. Looking around, she noticed that Haley, Brooke, and Lindsay seemed to be in the middle of a conversation. Nathan was nodding along with them. Feeling sorely left out by her current handicap, she moved her good hand to rest it lightly over Brooke's left one that was resting on the armrest of her wheelchair. Seemingly noticing her girlfriend again, she gasped.
"Oh, Peyt I'm sorry. I forgot to introduce you. Peyton, this is Lindsay. Lindsay, you know Peyton."
The woman nodded her head at Brooke and stepped forward, surprising everyone when she kneeled down to be at eye level with Peyton. The curly blonde felt her face go red at this, not sure if she was more embarrassed or ashamed, never having anyone but Brooke act this way for her. She tilted her head down slightly to hide her face, but still able to look at the other woman's face. She watched as Lindsay offered a sweet smile and squeezed her good knee.
"Hey Peyton. I know you probably don't remember me," she covered, "but I'm really glad you're okay."
Peyton only flashed a tiny smile back for a second and rambled out what was in her mind a thanks. "...ans..."
Lindsay stood up once again and back off to give the shy girl some space. She couldn't help but notice how Brooke's concerned stare stayed solely on Peyton, rubbing the hand that she now held in both of hers. She smiled as the brunette kissed the back of Peyton's hand, finally getting the blonde to look at her. The newest girl could easily see how much these two meant to each other and how close they truly were.
Haley also watched the affection between the two, but her nerves from earlier were coming back. Not wanting to think too much on it, she broke up the silence and changed subjects.
"So, how about a card game guys? Now that there's five of us, it'll actually be fun." She smiled as they all agreed.
Oooooooooooooooo
A couple hours later, the group found themselves sitting around the table playing go fish. After taking twenty minutes to round up a pack of cards and get situated at a table, the group had sorted out what games would be easiest for Peyton to play. They played war for awhile, but soon tired of the never ending game. They moved on to poker, but after some difficulty switched to blackjack. Becoming bored of the repetitive game, they decided to try their hand at go fish.
Peyton hadn't remembered how to play at first, so Brooke had teamed up with her to teach her. After trying to scoot next to her wheelchair and lean awkwardly over the side so they could both see the cards, the brunette had given up. She huffed before moving her chair back to its original spot and moving to help the blonde up. At her secret girlfriend's inquisitive expression, she responded, "just come sit in my lap baby. It'll be easier and we can both see our cards. Plus Nathan won't be able to cheat then." She laughed as the man got a surprised look on his face at being caught.
So here they were, playing go fish and laughing. It was surprisingly comfortable and things flowed easily. Peyton was communicating with little difficulty. Her habit of gesturing was helping the others understand her, along with the fact that they kept conversation relatively simple. Despite their efforts, the blonde remained rather quiet. She was just enjoying the feeling of being completely wrapped up in Brooke, her personal safety blanket.
The curly tressed woman was enjoying herself. Watching everyone else interact was interesting and laughing at them teasing each other was fun. Go fish was now Peyton's favorite card game, mostly because Brooke was being adorable while trying to show her how to play. The blonde felt herself get all warm and fuzzy as the brunette kept her arms around her waist, her back to the girl's warm chest, and Brooke's head resting in the bend of her neck, looking over her shoulder to see their hand. The fashion designer held their cards in hand and would splay them out in front of them when needed. She always let Peyton choose, even after it became apparent that the blonde sucked at the game.
Eventually a ringtone broke out and interrupted them. Lindsay pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. "Hey, do you guys care if Luke and Jamie just come here? The little guy is tired of playing basketball apparently. Luke can pick up pizza for dinner on the way?"
Haley looked to Nathan, who only shrugged. "Well, it's fine with me. How about you girls?" Haley directed her question to Brooke.
Brooke squeezed Peyton around the waist, speaking softly into her ear. "Only if you want to Peyt. It's been kind of a long day. If you're tired or just wanna get away from everyone for awhile than we can just go ahead and go home. We don't have to stay." Peyton only hummed and moved to kiss Brooke's temple. Squeezing the arms that were around her waist and only settled further into the brunette's lap. Chuckling, Brooke turned back to Haley. "Well, I guess that means we're staying."
Lindsay smiled and typed out a text to Luke. "Okay, he said they should be here in 10 or 15 minutes.
Twenty minutes later another knock sounded on the door. Lindsay got up to get the door, leaving the two couples alone once again. Peyton let her eyes close as she leaned further back into Brooke. The brunette accepted the new position, soaking in the feeling of having Peyton in her arms. Nathan and Haley had started to talk amongst themselves. They heard the door open and shut before the thundering sound of footsteps cam their way.
"Momma! Daddy!" The little boy screamed as he came their way. He jumped onto his mother's lap and turned to tell his aunt Brooke hello before realizing who else was there. Leaping off of Haley's lap, Jamie ran straight for the injured woman, screeching, "AUNT PEYTON!" The blonde jumped at the voice and her eyes opened to dart Jamie's way.
"Jamie!" Haley, Nathan, and Brooke all seemed to shout at the same time. The boy halted his steps just in front of the blonde sitting in Brooke's lap. He turned back to his parents, a guilty look on his face. "What? Did I do something wrong?"
Sighing, Haley moved towards her son, kneeling in front of him."baby, remember what we said about aunt Peyton. She's hurt and we have to be careful with her. You'd hate to accidentally hurt her, wouldn't you?" The boy's eyes widened and he vigorously shook his head no. "Okay, now that means no jumping on her, okay?" The little boy nodded.
He turned back to the blonde, eyes wide with unshed tears now. "I-I'm sorry aunt Peyton. I'm just really happy you're back. Aunt Brooke and me have been waiting a reeeeaaallllllllyyy long time for you."
The blonde could only smile in response. She mouthed something and patted her lap. Everyone was confused at first, but Jamie seemed to get the message loud and clear. He climbed up into her lap, careful to avoid the long cast that completely covered her left leg. He carefully put his little arms around Peyton's neck and kissed her cheek. "I'm really happy you're okay aunt P." Peyton smiled at how adorable the little boy was and how he was trying so hard to be gentle.
"Okay, let's get off aunt Peyton before we break her. You probably weigh more than she does." Nathan joked as he got up and gathered his son up from Peyton's lap.
"Actually Nate, as long as Peyt here doesn't mind, could you move her back into her wheelchair. I really have to pee." They group laughed and Peyton opened her arms to Nathan, gladly accepting the free ride back into her wheelchair. Moving wasn't as painful as it used to be, but hopping on one leg, even with someone supporting her, from her wheelchair to another seat was still awkward. Brooke disappeard into the bathroom and Peyton sighed as she got comfortable again. Just then, Lindsay returned with Lucas in tow. Lucas and Peyton both looked at each other for the first time in years and felt their hearts stop.
Lucas couldn't believe how beautiful Peyton was, even banged up as she was. A pull at his heart reminded him just how beautiful she'd always been. A small part of him ached to take her into his arms and just hold her there, to prove to himself that she really was here and okay. He shook it off and cleared his throat. Moving towards his old friend, he moved to lean over and give her a warm hug. He jumped back though at the voice that seemed to boom through the building. "BROOKE!"
Peyton herself was feeling as if she was about to panic. Oddly, once she laid eyes on the man everyone had told her was 'Lucas' she felt herself freeze, and not in a good way. A chill shot up her spine, as if her body was telling her that this man was bad news. Her legs itched and she felt the need to run, not that she was capable. Her heart raced with a fear like no other. She felt herself go numb and cold, finally flashing back into reality when the man went to put his arms around her. All she saw was blonde hair and strong arms reaching to capture her. The only thought she could process at this was a clear, hard, 'NO.' She hadn't even meant to scream, but she felt as if her very life was in danger so she did the only thing she could think of at the time. "BROOKE!" Resounded through the building once again, shocking everyone that sat around the blonde.
Brooke herself came flying out of the bathroom and was already by the hyperventilating blonde's side by the time she managed to scream the name for a third time.
"PEYTON! Peyt, baby, it's me! It's fine! You're fine, everything's okay! Calm down baby! Shh, it's okay." She spoke soothingly to the panicking woman, trying to keep her worry out of her tone. She held the blonde as close as she could to her chest and stroked her hair. After finally getting her girlfriend to calm down slightly, she quickly gathered their stuff, Peyton's hand still clinging tightly to one of her own. "I think maybe we should go. I'm sorry, we'll talk to you guys tomorrow or something, okay."
Nathan got up and offered to help as Brooke moved her bag and Peyton out the front door of the diner and towards her car. Not wanting to freak her girl out anymore than she already was, and not knowing what caused the sudden change, Brooke declined. "No, really, we are fine. I just need to get her home and she needs to rest. We will be just fine. I got her." And with that, she had them packed up and in the car. Brooke peeled out of their and only kept her thoughts focused on calming the blonde. It didn't slip by her that the further they got away from the diner, the better Peyton was. By the time they were home, her girl was curled on on her side, leaning on Brooke's shoulder and pretty much passed out.
Shaking her head, she gently moved her hand that wasn't tangled with the blonde's to brush the girl's cheek. "Oh P. Sawyer, how did things get this way?" She whispered to herself. She kept her gaze glued to the peaceful face of the damaged girl. "It's alright though. I'm here for you...and I always will be. I love you, Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer..."
