We Belong: Chapter ten
Seven months later
Peyton sat on the floor of the freshly painted studio, any light was blocked out by the newspapers on the windows that indicated to the outside world that a store would be opening soon in this location. She sorted through the boxes of cd's and records, putting them into categories and artists. Peyton and Max had spent the last couple of weeks trying to set up the store, something that Peyton desperately wanted done so she could finally go back home to spend some much needed time with her kids and her husband without the dreaded feeling of guilt that was stirred up in her whether she was at the store missing her kids or at home and not working or helping max. As she finished filing through her tenth box of the day she put a hand through her hair and shuddered, it really did need a good wash, sleeping on the couch at the back of the store hadn't really been the greatest idea in the world. She missed snuggling into her husband's side at the end of a long day, it wasn't that she was sleeping at the store every night it was just that currently by the time she finally got home Lucas was already asleep and she worried that snuggling into his side would wake him up and sometimes she would crawl into bed with Sawyer or Leo to get some much needed cuddle contact with her kids that she felt deprived of since going from being with them pretty much every moment of the day to not seeing them for large blocks of time. Peyton looked down at her watch and sighed as she realised that Sawyer would have just been dropped at school and there wasn't a chance for Peyton to see her, she fastened her pace in the hopes of having done enough to be able to pick Sawyer up from school. The door opened behind her but she continued to sort assuming that it was just Max who she had sent home at three that morning "Hey Peyt" he said as she turned around and smiled
"Hey babe and my baby" she said standing up and walking over to her husband and lifting Ellie Scott out of her dad's arms "I've missed you" placing a kiss onto the delicate blonde hair of her youngest child
"Are you going to tell mum what you did last night?" he asked the dummy clad two year old
"Potty" she beamed putting on the widest grin for her mother whose eyes filled with tears
"My baby is getting so big" she said looking over to her husband as he put a hand on the back of her head and gave her a comforting smile, she wanted to warn him that her hair was horrible
"You are a little legend aren't you Ello" Lucas said with a smile "She is also getting over her phobia of Wonderdog Willow" she missed her kids but she was glad that Lucas got to experience the day to day manic routine that always managed to bring her endless joy but extreme exhaustion and she could tell that he was enjoying it too
"Mama is so proud of you baby" she said placing another kiss on the little girl as she bounced her up and down on her hip "Where is my Leo?"
"Leo is with Haley for the morning while I go for a meeting at Sawyer's school" Peyton quirked her eyebrow wondering what trouble her eldest daughter had managed to get up to whilst she wasn't looking "It's nothing bad, just some meeting about Parental involvement, Haley is sending Nathan and Brooke is sending Julian" Peyton hated missing all the fun and action between her friends and family
"Cool guy posse, sitting up the back of the class?" Peyton asked with a laugh
"Like always babe"
"You never sat at the back of the class, Nathan did but I doubt that Julian did" she smiled
"Whatever Peyton" he said with a laugh "I thought maybe I could leave Ellie with you while I go to the meeting and then pick her up just after, I'll bring Leo with me so you get to see him today too"
"Yes please" she nodded ferociously and enthusiastically
"Better head off then" he said looking down at his watch "Love you two" he said placing a kiss on both of his girls before heading towards the door
Peyton looked down at Ellie as she looked up at her "did daddy do your hair today?"
"I heard that" Lucas yelled as he opened the door and Peyton laughed
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"I don't care what Lila wants, she is marrying Milo when she is old enough and that's final" Alex said as she walked over from where she had placed Lila on the floor to play with Milo before sitting down next to her very pregnant best friend
"Same goes for Milo" Quinn said with a laugh as she placed a hand onto her large stomach
"I can't believe that in just over a week you will have ANOTHER baby" Alex stated as she watched her friends hand linger on her stomach "You are like superwoman, I can barely do it with one and you are nearly doing it with three"
"I'll cope better when Clay is home again, plus Taylor is going to come down for baby girl Evan's birth and stay on for a week or so while we all settle into another baby. You are wonder woman-ing up with two anyway"
"Chuck is already raised, he is easy" she shrugged it off as she brought her coffee cup up to her mouth
"Speaking of Chuck how is he doing?" Quinn asked trying to perch herself up onto the couch better but continuing to slouch
"Better I think, it's hard on him. I think that he loves staying with us and being a part of our family but it hurts him not being with his mum and it's so different too. He moved from a place where he got less attention than the tequila bottle to a place where there is a baby and he is completely held responsible for his own actions and given attention"
"So this stuff with his mum?"
"He is in our custody because he is still a minor in the eyes of the law, at our last court appearance the judge said that he wouldn't even consider another appeal until Mrs Scolnic entered a rehab facility and gained control over her drinking, she has been in there for about a month and a half now but Chuck wont visit her"
"So he will go back into his mums care once she is out of rehab?" Quinn asked as Alex glanced over to the two thirteen month old babies
"It's ultimately up to him; he is old enough to decide where he wants to be, at this point it just up to us to convince him that he is not a burden on our lives at all, that we won't be upset if he decides to go and live with his mother again and that he shouldn't base his decision on not wanting to upset someone and should base it on what he truly wants. He is such a special and bright kid; he just needs a little nurturing"
"I bet that Lila loves having him there" Quinn said with a smile
"She adores him" Alex laughed "And it's nice for Chase to have another boy in the house considering I don't think I'll be running to have another baby anytime soon"
"Really?" Quinn asked as Alex nodded
"It's not that I don't adore Lila, it's just hard work, plus I love getting to put all my attention into her growing" Alex said as Milo whimpered, she stood up saving her heavily pregnant friends energy, she had started taking Milo for the day so that Quinn could rest
"Is everything okay? I can't see past my belly" Quinn said with a laugh that abruptly stopped as she clutched onto her stomach
"He is fine" Alex said as she kissed his head before sitting down on the floor with him on her lap and her daughter at her knee
"Alex" Quinn said as calmly as she possibly could
"Yeah honey?" she said not turning around as she pulled faces at the babies on the floor
"Stay calm but I think I'm about to have this baby"
"WHAT?" she said turning as quickly as she could with a baby on her lap with a flabbergasted look on her face "Are you sure?" she asked as Quinn nodded
X-x-x-x-x-x
"I've got nappies" he yelled with triumph as he walked into the house, accidently slamming the door behind him causing the baby in his girlfriend's arms to start crying
"Dammit Jack, I only just got her to sleep" Sam said pulling the pink star-ey blanket that held two week old Penelope Daniels closer to her chest as she begun to the rocking routine that she had just finished
"I'm sorry babe" Jack said walking forwards and pushing the hair out of Sam's exhausted eyes "Do you want me to take over?"
"she's okay" Sam responded looking delicately into Jack's eyes as Brooke walked into the living room turned 'Penelope room' with a washing basket on her hip
"I'll take that for you Mrs Baker" Jack said as he grasped the laundry basket
"You already made me a grandma, please don't make me sound any older by calling me Mrs Baker" she laughed as she looked sympathetically over at Sam
"She is just so fussy" Sam looked up at her with tears in her eyes
"Should have warned you that it comes with the name shouldn't I?" Brooke said walking towards her "Let me take her" Brooke said holding out her arms which embraced the baby as Sam transferred her over "We all go through this stage honey" Brooke said directing her daughter over to the couch "It does end, sort of" Brooke smirked as Sam grunted as Penelope's little hands clenched into little fists before letting out the loudest cry "Whoa Nelly" Brooke said before letting out a laugh
"Maybe she is hungry" Sam said with her eyelids drooped as her head rested against the couch cushion "Give her here and I'll feed her"
"You're okay Nelly, just let it out bubba" she said as she stood up and started rocking her "She is just so tired that she is too tired to sleep, it's exhausting being a baby isn't Nelly?" she said with a smile down at the baby despite the screaming which slowly eventually subsided "There you go mama" Brooke said turning around to find Sam finally asleep on the couch behind her. Brooke picked up a blanket and draped it over her with a free hand before walking over to the bassinet and placing Penelope down "I guess your mama was too tired to sleep too"
X-x-x-x-x-x
Peyton put another cd into the newly installed sound system as Ellie danced at her feet and Max yelled out the names of albums so she could mark it off the inventory list, having Ellie there with her was nice but it was a bit of a distraction and delay creator as Peyton had to try to run errands but keep a firm eye on Ellie so that she didn't get into any mischief whilst she was there. She felt so guilty for looking down at her watch wondering when Lucas would come to pick their daughter up. Lucas walked through the door with Leo at his side who promptly ran up to his mum and started talking about a mile a minute as Max continued to read out stock before realising that Peyton's family had arrived "How was the meeting?" Peyton asked as Leo finished talking and walked over to his sister grabbing her hands and grooving with her to the music
"Julian broke a chair and some mum tried to pick up Nathan" Lucas laughed, Peyton laughed too but didn't have time to dwell upon it, she needed Lucas to give her the details and then promptly leave her to it "They have started this thing at the school where parents go in and help in the classroom, a roster is being drawn up, Debby said she would call you and get your availabilities" Peyton sighed at the idea of something else being thrusted onto her plate "And Sawyer's camp is in two weeks and they are still looking for parent chaperones"
"Are you going to go with her?" Peyton asked as she pushed her hair behind her ear
"Actually I've got a coaching commitment with the Ravens"
"So you want me to do it?"
"That would be really great babe" he said hugging her "both Sawyer and Lydia's grades are going so Nathan will be there as well"
"Fine" she said trying to hide the agitation before turning to look at the kids "Leo you don't play with that honey" she said a little more firmly than she expected
"Maybe you should take a break, I'm sure Max would understand. Come get some lunch with us" he said with his Lucas Scott grin
"I'm not taking a break Luke" she responded trying to remain calm
"We could just go to Karen's, it's only a couple of doors up and then you can come straight back here"
"Lucas stop I'm not coming to lunch"
"I don't know what's going on with you Peyton" he asked with a quirk of his eyebrow and a glance to his children who were being entertained by Max
"You want to know what's going on Lucas?" she asked as he nodded "I'm trying to open a business"
"Opening this record shop was your choice Peyton and I'm doing my best to pick up all the slack whilst you try and make it work"
"I know you are Luke and I love you for it. I know that it was my choice and that you are only supporting what I wanted to do but Lucas do you think that I want to be away from my family as much as I am right now? Do you not understand how much it kills me that I'm not with my kids, that I wasn't there to see Ellie go to the potty for the first time, that I don't get to be home to read them books and tuck them into bed? I feel so tremendously guilty because I'm never there and I'm trying to do one hundred things at once so the setup of this place is all done and I can finally be at home with you"
"It's okay Peyt" he said putting a hand onto her elbow "What do you want me to do?"
"I need you to leave Lucas, I need you to take the kids and the lunch offers and the hundred text messages home with you okay? So that I have a hope of being able to pick Sawyer up from school tomorrow night" Lucas didn't respond, instead he placed his lips onto hers and then onto her forehead before gathering up the kids, letting them say their goodbyes and then leaving.
"You okay" Max asked as Peyton turned around
"Let's just get this place set up" Peyton said returning to her inventory list
X-x-x-x-x-x
"I've tried to call Clay but he isn't answering and Chase has the kids so he can't go out and find him and that baby is going to be flying out of you any second now and I just don't think I'm prepared for this" she said in a head spin as she threw herself down into the chair of her in labour but laughing friend
"Correct me if I am wrong but you have had a baby before right?" Quinn asked with a smirk
"Yes I've had a baby before but I was up the other end and I couldn't see my own lady parts"
"You'll be staying up this end so you won't be seeing my lady parts either, just calm down"
"That's easy for you to say, why is it that expectant fathers always go out of town or out of cell phone reception when their babies are being born?"
X-x-x-x-x-x
Brooke stood out the front of the elementary school leaning against the car as the bell that indicated that it was the end of the school day rang out, any minute now the quiet courtyard would be bombarded with the running footsteps of children trying to find their parents or their rides home after a long day of school. Whilst she was loving having Sam back in her house and having her gorgeous granddaughter within reaching distance in her house, the 3am wake up calls and the watching of the new parents trying to find their balance in the world of parenting was starting to take its toll, not just on her but on her twin boys who despite their love for Sammy didn't understand the concept of being quiet in the middle of the day because while the baby was sleeping they were not, Yet the idea of them moving to Rebecca's even just for a night was too much for Brooke to bear. Brooke watched as her two identically grinned boys walked out of school with the little brunette Lydia and the curly blonde Sawyer, both of whom looked exactly like their mothers
"MUUUUUUUUUM" Davis yelled with a grin as he ran up to her and jumped into her arms
"Hello Babies" she said with a grin "How was school?"
"I found a snail" Jude said with his dimples on display "Troy dared me to lick he"
"Please tell me you didn't lick it" Brooke shuddered thinking of her son putting his tongue across the slimy creature, she wondered if little girls got up to the same trouble
"Eww mama, as if" he said looking at her as though the thought was the most disgusting thing he had ever heard
"How about your day my girls?" she asked wondering where Haley was, usually they arrived at the school at a similar time and would talk as they waited for the kids to come out
"I drew a picture" Lydia responded with this shyness that Brooke assumed was due to the absence of her mother, just like Haley Lydia was a bit of a nervous nelly, the presence of her cousin Logan behind her somewhat eased the nervousness, Brooke wondered if the reason that both of these kids were standing their parentless had something to do with the event that they were all waiting eagerly to arrive
"That's great Lydia" she said getting down to the little girl's level "I'm sure mama will be here soon" she said putting a hand on the little girls shoulder
"Can we go get ice-cream ma?" Jude asked as he took Lydia's little hand, something that produced tears in Brooke's eyes and melted her heart; she was convinced that these two little kids in front of her would be together in the future
"We will have to wait until Logan and Lydia's mummy's show up but afterwards we can get ice-cream"
"What about my mum?" Sawyer asked, wondering if she would be able to convince her mum to get her ice-cream as well
"You're coming home with me tonight Sawyer Brooke" she smiled as a car pulled speed up behind them and swiftly parked before Haley came running up towards the small group
"QUINNEY IS HAVING THE BABY" the blonde haired woman exclaimed with joy as she picked Lydia up and directed Logan towards the car
"Is this another drill?" Logan asked, his mother and aunty had been practising for this moment for the past month on random days. It was planned that when Quinn went into labour she and Clay would head to the hospital and Haley would be in charge of picking up Logan
"This isn't a drill Logie, you're about to become a big brother again" she said with a smile as she ruffled his hair "TALK LATER BROOKE" she yelled with a smile over her shoulder
"Give Quinney a kiss for me please" Brooke responded before attempting to get her own brood under control "Let's go get ice-cream"
X-x-x-x-x-x
"Okay Quinn you are fully dilated" the doctor said as Haley wiped that sweat off Quinn's rose coloured face "You'll be holding your baby within the next hour"
"No!" she said lifting her head off the pillow "We have to wait, Clay isn't here yet and I really need him here, I can't do it without him Hales" she said as tears ran down her cheeks
"He will be here" Alex said to the surprise all three of the people in the room, she had remained pretty silent throughout the whole process, lending her hand and transferred strength to Quinn but remaining too nervous to speak "If I know Clay he is trying to find a car park and as soon as he does he will be running up those hospital hallways, we just have to start it without him"
"What if he doesn't make it?" she asked as she turned her attention to her best friend, still holding tightly onto both Haley and Alex's hands "He will be so upset"
"He just wants this baby out so that he can love it unconditionally for the rest of his life"
"We have to push now Quinn" the doctor said from his position at the bottom of the bed
"Come on baby we are just going to get it started" Alex said as Haley stood on the other side coaching Quinn on the right breathing technique
"Let's do this" Quinn said as she put all her focus and energy into pushing as she squeezed the two women's hands
"The baby is crowning" the doctor exclaimed with a quick smile upwards before turning his attention back to his job
"I can see her head" his voice said as he walked into the room
"I didn't think you would make it" Quinn gritted through her teeth as she continued to push
"As if I would miss this" Clay smiled as he took the hand the Alex relinquished and with one more burst of energy the pain stopped and the baby began to cry
"Congratulations, it's a girl" the doctor said lifting her into the air
"That is so Lion king" a crying Haley whispered over to a crying Alex as Clay walked over and cut the umbilical cord, watching as the baby was wrapped into blankets and passed to his wife who he promptly kissed
"Welcome to the world Maggie Mae Evans" Quinn said before kissing the baby in her arms "We are so glad you are here" she smiled as tears ran down her cheek
X-x-x-x-x-x
"Quinn had her baby" Brooke said with a smile as she walked into her house, placed her handbag on the floor and grabbed a beer from the fridge "and let me just say that Maggie Mae Evans is way too gorgeous for words" she said sitting down on the couch next to her husband and swinging her legs over his as he kissed her on the cheek and she lifted the beer up to her lips
"There is a bit of a baby boom happening in Tree Hill" he said with a laugh that she continued "Do you ever think about having another baby?"
"You know I think about it all the time but more recently thanks to the tree hill baby boom I've kind of come to the conclusion that my two babies are enough for me. While another baby would be an absolute miracle and I would love it unconditionally, I don't think I can go back to the sleepless nights and the dirty nappies" she smiled as he rubbed his hand up and down her soft legs "I'm pretty happy that I have kids who sleep through the night"
"Yeah me too" Julian said with a smile
"But that isn't going to stop me stealing the other Tree Hill babies whenever I need a fix"
X-x-x-x-x-x
A tap sounded at the newspaper covered glass and she cautiously walked towards it, while she had no real proof of the time as her phone had ran out of battery and they were yet to purchase clock, she assumed that it was pretty late. She lifted up a small section of newspaper and smiled at the familiar face that stood on the other side of the door, Peyton stepped back and opened the door as he did his signature squint
"I promise that I'm not here to distract you" he smirked "I just thought that you might need some food"
"You are my saviour" she said as he passed her the brown take-away bag, she walked over to the counter, hoisting herself up and crossing her legs as she opened the bag "What's been happening in the outside world?" she asked with a bite of cheese burger churning in her mouth, he laughed at the lack of etiquette that his wife was presenting "Are the kids with Hales?" she asked noting their absence
"Nah they are with mum and Andy, Haley is at the hospital" he said putting his own hand in the bag and grabbing a chip, taking the look his wife was giving him mid bite as a scolding for stealing a chip before realising that she was actually question his last statement "I've been trying to call you all afternoon"
"My phone died hours ago. Is Haley okay?" she asked letting one leg drape over the edge of the counter
"I figured that you were just ignoring your phone, Haley is fine, Quinn had her baby today" he watched as Peyton's eyes watered "She had a little girl, Maggie Mae"
"That's amazing" she cooed at the idea
"Anyway I should probably leave you to it, will you be home tonight?" he said standing with his hands resting on either side of his wife on the counter, she slid forwards and wrapped her legs around him as she nodded and then kissed him hard on the lips, not giving in. "Nope" Lucas pushed back with all his willpower "We can do this when the store is all setup and Max isn't going to walk in at any minute"
"It's done"
"The setup?"
"Mhmmmm" she nodded with a smile "We have unpacked and organised all the stock that has been delivered to us at the moment, a couple more shipments will come in but not for another two weeks and then we can open baby" she laughed as he kissed her neck
"And Max?" he asked as his lips briefly dislodged from her body
"Went home half an hour ago" she said succumbing to his long delicate kisses
"Couch?" he asked, his body had become possessed
"Mhmmmm" she groaned against his lips as he lifted her off the counter and walked with Peyton wrapped around his hips backwards up the store
To be continued