Chapter 10

Things were out of control at the Davis-Scott household that evening. When Brooke got home from the hospital she knew things were wrong before she even entered the house. She could hear the phone ringing, Landon crying and the TV blaring.

"What's going on in here?!" Brooke cried opening the front door.

Madison came running to the door with a crying baby Landon. "Brooke! I've been trying to call you for an hour! Landon's sick, he just threw up all over his crib"

Brooke reached into her pocket and looked at her phone. It was off. "Damn it. My battery must've died. Come here baby, what's wrong?" she reached over and took Landon in her arms. "Oh my gosh he's burning up. Can you get me the baby thermometer from the bathroom cabinet please?" she asked her sister in law.

"Sure be right back".

"Turn the t.v. down!" Brooke called to the kids.

"Mom I can't find my English paper and its due tomorrow" complained Cameron, coming into the kitchen.

"Where did you put it last?"

"I don't remember. I did it in the den"

"That's where all the toys are. It must be buried under there somewhere. Look for it, I'm sure its there" Brooke said rocking her baby.

Mercedes came slumping downstairs, moaning.

"What's wrong sweetie?" Brooke asked her daughter.

"I don't feel so good" Mercedes whined.

"Come here, do you have a feve-

Mercedes threw up all over the kitchen floor before her mother could finish the sentence.

Landon started crying louder. Madison returned with the thermometer and Preston – who had spots all over his face and body.

"Oh no" – Brooke began.

"Yeah, I found this one scratching his arm off" Madison explained.

"I'm all itchy! Ouch!" Preston scratched his back.

"You got the chicken pox!" Cameron exclaimed.

Brooke groaned. She now had 3 sick kids at home and 1 in the hospital.

"I gotta go close the café. Do you need anything else Brooke?" Madison asked.

'Yes. Your brother' Brooke thought. "No we'll be okay. Thanks for everything Maddie"

"Okay I'm going to get your brother cleaned up and hopefully down for a nap. Mercedes sweetheart I think you have the bug. Go lay down okay? Mommy'll be there as soon as she can. And Preston, try not to scratch. I know it itches but it's going to get worse if you keep scratching. Go lie down in your room for now. I'll come check in on you in a bit. Cameron, help them both while I take care of Landon"

"Right on"

Brooke carried Landon to his nursery. He was still crying, but not as much. He rested his head on her shoulder while she picked the sheets off his crib and threw them in the laundry. Then she walked to the linen closet in the long dark hallway to find new sheets and put them in the crib. Finally she changed Landon and checked his temperature. It was 101! No wonder why he was crying so much.

"Oh baby boy I'm sorry you're so sick."

Brooke gave Landon some medicine and rocked him to sleep. Hopefully he would be feeling better when he woke up. She had to remember to call the children's pediatrician in the morning.

As Brooke left the nursery quietly she bumped into Cameron. "Mom, why don't you call dad over to help? We could all use him right now"

Brooke shook her head. "It's okay. I got everything under control."

From her room, Mercedes was now crying.

"I'm coming sweetheart!" Brooke ran down the hall to Mercedes' room. She was lying on the bed, looking so sick and pale. Brooke sat next to her on the bed and stroked her hair.

"My tummy hurts"

"I know you don't feel well honey but you need to rest so you can get better fast" she said.

"I want daddy. Daddy always sings to me when I'm sick. Can you tell him to come home now? Where is he?" Mercedes asked sadly.

Brooke's heart broke. Poor Mercedes missed her father so much. It made Brooke feel guilty for keeping Lucas way from their children but she didn't have a choice. What made the decision even tougher for Brooke was the fact that Lucas was such a great dad. His absence was being felt in more ways than one by all their children in different ways. "Daddy's gone away for work. You know how sometimes mommy needs to go away? It's daddy's turn now. But I'll tell you what. Tomorrow if you're feeling better, you can call him and talk to him on the phone, okay?"

Mercedes nodded and Brooke sat by her until she fell asleep.

After the kids were finally down for the night, Brooke took a few moments to catch a breath. Being a mother to five children was no easy task. Especially when your husband wasn't there to help out. Brooke was exhausted and decided to take a cold shower to relieve the stress and tiredness off her body. She remembered Lucas was supposed to drop by. It was getting late and all Brooke wanted to do was flop on her bed and call it a day. She lay down waiting patiently for her husband to arrive.

Pulling up in the driveway of his house, Lucas Scott felt like a guest coming into his own home. Getting out of his car he looked upstairs at the rooms and they were dark – which meant the kids were asleep. The only room with the light on was that of his and Brooke's. Lucas sighed. He didn't want to wake his children by ringing the doorbell so he unlocked the door to his house and went in. Brooke appeared at the top of the stairs looking tedious.

"Hey Brooke" Lucas said hanging his keys on the holder by the door.

"It's really late" she glanced at her watch.

"I know, I'm sorry I was running a little behind"

"I'm tired. I was about to go to bed."

"Sorry."

Brooke made her way down the stairs and led her husband to the back porch holding a baby monitor. Lucas leaned over to kiss his wife on the cheek but she pulled away. They sat on the swing where they liked to cuddle up and watch the stars on better days. But right now, the tension high and both Lucas and Brooke knew there would be no cuddling up tonight.

"Do they miss me?" Lucas asked looking down sadly. Of course he meant his kids.

"Yeah. And I'm getting tired of lying to them about your where you are" Brooke crossed her arms. It was a cold night.

"Well I was hoping you wouldn't have to do that anymore" Lucas began.

"What, lie? Why should I feel guilty about lying to my children when you don't feel guilty about lying to me?" Brooke snapped.

"Our children. And you shouldn't feel guilty. It's all one me, it's not your fault." Lucas stated.

"Damn right it's not my fault! You have a lot of explaining to do".

"Peyton wants to be friends with you again. You forgave me what happened between the three of us in the past didn't you? Why can't you find it in your heart to forgive her? You didn't give us a chance to talk when you walked in on us; you just threw us both out"

Brooke's eyes filled with tears. It was all she ever found herself doing these days.

"What do you expect Lucas?! I go away and come home to find you, the kids and the woman who's made my life so complicated having a 7th Heaven moment together! You lied to me about where you went that night because you went to see Peyton! Then you play hero and deliver her baby today. What's next, you two running to the altar?!"

"I screwed up big time, I know. I should've told you the truth from the start, but I couldn't find myself to do so. I knew you wouldn't be happy and that scared me"

"Just say it Lucas. Say you're leaving me for Peyton"

"What?! You think I'm leaving you for Peyton?!"

"You should."

"Well I'm sorry but I can't do that. Because you see, I'm in love with this woman and her name is Brooke Davis Scott"

"Actions speak louder than words Luke. Saying that you're in love with me is worthless to me"

Lucas shook his head. "I'm telling you from the bottom of my heart. I don't love Peyton and I certainly don't have feelings for her. That's the truth"

"Lucas why are you here? I've heard this stuff from you before"

"I wanna make things right, just give me one last chance to do so."

"Why should I give you one last chance?" You don't deserve it. "

"Because I love you and only you.

"You had your chance. How do you do expect to make things right?"
"By being honest with you. All the secrets and lies we have I want to clear up and start over"

"What other secrets do you have Lucas? I'm scared to hear them"

Lucas felt his heart racing. This was it – he had to tell her about the kiss he and Peyton had shared earlier that. Lucas took a deep breath and spoke. "After Max was born today…Peyton and I, we kissed."

Brooke froze. This couldn't be happening. Lucas had already kissed Peyton when he wasn't supposed to; he couldn't have done it again. It just wasn't acceptable. Especially not now, when Lucas and Brooke were married.

"You did what?!"

"We kissed. But it didn't mean anything, I swear"

"A kiss always means something" Brooke implied.

"I felt nothing but resentment and embarrassment when I kissed Peyton today. All I was thinking about was kissing you Brooke"

"That's not the point. The point is you kissed her again. Weather or not it meant something to you doesn't' matter to me. It's just wrong, all of it"

"It won't happen again" Lucas promised.

Brooke was way past that. She looked her husband in the eye and said the sentence Lucas didn't see coming. "I think we should split"